US08348797B2
A transmission includes two blocking valves that control fluid pressure to a plurality of clutches. The blocking valves are characterized by a plurality of states that result in at least three transmission operating conditions. Each of the three operating conditions is characterized by fluid pressure being unavailable to a respective one of the plurality of clutches.
US08348796B2
A transmission is configured to transfer power between an input member, first and second torque machines and an output member and includes a transmission case, a differential gear set, first and second torque transfer clutches, a first torque machine rotatably operatively couplable to a first element of the differential gear set when the second torque transfer clutch is in an applied state, and a second torque machine rotatably operatively coupled to a second element of the differential gear set. The differential gear set is configured to transfer torque between the first torque machine and the output member in a first continuously variable mode when the first torque transfer clutch is in the applied state, and to transfer torque between the first and second torque machines and the output member in a second continuously variable mode when the second torque transfer clutch is in the applied state.
US08348785B2
Disclosed is a golf club head having a striking plate made of a high-strength aluminum alloy including at most 0.06 wt % of Si, at most 0.1 wt % of Fe, 2 to 2.5 wt % of Cu, 1.5 to 2.5 wt % of Mg, 5 to 9.5 wt % of Zn, at most 0.05 wt % of Mn, 0.1 to 0.2 wt % of Zr, at most 0.05 wt % of Cr, at most 0.05 wt % of Ti, 0.01 to 0.1 wt % of Sc, and balance Al, wherein the weight ratio of Zn over Mg is from about 3.2 to about 4.4.
US08348780B2
A golf club head in which a top surface of the body includes an actual top surface visible profile region and a varied top surface visible profile region is provided. The varied top surface visible profile region may provide a visual impression of a varied profile of the body distinct from an actual profile of the body. The visual impression is oriented in a manner that allows the golfer to address the ball at the heel region of the golf club. The perimeter of the top surface visible profile region may be complementary in shape to the perimeter of the top surface of the body and the varied top surface visible profile region and the actual top surface visible profile region may be distinct in shape, size, color, and/or finish etc. An associated golf club and a method for fitting a golf club are also provided.
US08348777B2
A sport landing cushion may comprise an airbag comprising first and second inflatable compartments or first and second airbags, wherein the first compartment (airbag) is thicker than the second compartment (airbag) and provides a base, and wherein the second compartment (airbag) provides a landing surface and is for inflation to a higher pressure for use than is the first compartment (airbag). A container therefor may comprise an enclosure for a rolled deflated airbag and having an opening through which a deflated airbag may pass, a winch, and an air supply for inflating the airbag.
US08348765B1
A player-matching mechanic selects users for an online asynchronous game where players specify moves at different times. Values from instances of the game are used to determine characteristics of the users including at least one of gameplay characteristics or chat characteristics. Users can be chosen for instances of the game by comparing values corresponding to these characteristics.
US08348763B2
A method for implementing a Live Dealer game is disclosed. A live feed of game-play at a gaming table is sent to a remote player. During play, a server receives an indication of a rank and suit of a dealt card. If the card has not yet been revealed at the gaming table, the server will delay transmitting to the remote player data indicating the rank and suit of the dealt card. Upon receipt of a status signal indicating that the card has been revealed at the gaming table, the server will transmit the data indicating the rank and suit of the dealt card to the remote player, thereby substantially synchronizing transmitting the data indicating the rank and suit of the dealt card to the remote player with revealing the card at the gaming table.
US08348761B2
In a game played by a plurality of game machines through teamwork, an evaluation is performed according to the correlation among operation information obtained through communications with each of the game machines. A plurality of game machines communicate with one another to establish timing synchronization. After the game, input timings at which buttons are operated during the game are collected and then evaluated so as to determine an absolute and relative timing coincidence in a predetermined period (unison part). A predetermined number of points are added to its game score based on the evaluation.
US08348760B2
Methods and systems for providing input to an interactive program are presented. An interactive system includes a display for displaying an interactive program and a controller device. The position and motion of the controller device are determined based on perspective distortion of the display in captured images of the display taken at the controller. In an interactive region, various interactive zones are defined, each of which have an associated specified function for an action of the controller device. When the controller device is determined to be within one of the interactive zones, the functionality of the action of the controller device is set to the specified function associated with that interactive zone.
US08348759B2
An embedded additional user interface is equipped with a touch screen and audio device to operate as a user interface (UI) terminal to provide a gaming machine with the capability of executing applications from one or more web servers, and local applications executing in the gaming machine, simultaneously. The UI comprises a touch controlled web-browser rendering information from the local gaming machine, and interconnected web servers, providing the user with game data, local player session data, and back-end casino management data in a single interface.
US08348745B2
Certain example embodiments relate to a gaming system which includes a symbol selector which is arranged to select a plurality of symbols from an available set of symbols. The set of symbols may include one or more predetermined symbols. The predetermined symbols form a predetermined symbol arrangement, such as a pattern or word. When a predetermined symbol is selected it is placed in a symbol store. When the predetermined symbol arrangement is completed, by selection of all of the predetermined symbols, then a prize may be won.
US08348737B2
A method for conducting an online contest involving “fantasy” type sporting games through the use of bracketing rules such that a player can employ decision-making via strategic moves as well as by mathematical equation. The method integrates hundreds of thousands of fantasy players into a unitary online contest where each fantasy player seeks to advance through various brackets in order to win prizes derived from the mass amount of entry fees.
US08348732B2
The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus and a method for controlling an environment in a location. In one aspect, an apparatus for controlling an environmental condition in a location is provided. The apparatus includes a flow control device, wherein the flow control device is connectable to an environmental control unit via a conduit. The flow control device comprising a flow restriction member configured to selectively control an airflow into the location and a controller member configured to autonomously actuate the flow restriction member based upon the environmental condition in the location. In another aspect, a method for controlling an environmental condition in a first location and a second location is provided. In a further aspect, a system for controlling an environmental condition in a first location and a second location is provided. In yet a further aspect, a method for controlling an environmental condition in a location is provided.
US08348699B2
An electrical connector includes a connector main body made of an insulating material for attaching an end portion of a pair of single wires untwisted at an end portion of a twisted pair cable; and a shell member to hold the untwisted portion. The shell member includes a base portion made of a conductive material to dispose the connector main body at the front end side and the untwisted portion at the basal end side; a cable holding portion made of a conductive material to hold the single wires at the untwisted portion for positioning the single wires parallel to each other and close or contact to each other; and a cover portion provided on the base portion to have at least the untwisted portion and the cable holding portion between the cover portion and base portion.
US08348696B2
An electrical connector comprises a housing and one or more light pipes. The housing includes oppositely disposed first and second end portions and is configured for electrically and mechanically connecting a circuit board adjacent a status indicator. Light pipes can be supported adjacent to the respective first and second end portions and may be disposed proximate to the status indicators. Each light pipe includes an elongated main body configured to optically couple with the status indicator and to guide light emitted from the status indicator, a supporting member disposed on the main body and configured to engage the first end portion and a clip member disposed on the main body and configured to engage the first end of the housing, the supporting member and the clip member helping support and secure the main body.
US08348694B2
Provided is an electronic device into which a card having a connection terminal is inserted. The electronic device includes a circuit board; a card connector which is mounted at a circumference of the circuit board and includes a signal terminal; and a card guiding unit which guides the card during insertion of the card to couple the connection terminal and the signal terminal.
US08348684B2
The present disclosure provides a portable electronic device having a concealed jack socket. In accordance with one example embodiment, the portable electronic device comprises: a housing including a main body and a hatch movable between a fully open position and a fully closed position; a jack socket received within the housing, the jack socket defining a cavity for receiving a jack plug; wherein the hatch is pivotably connected to the main body to move from the fully closed position to the fully open position in response to insertion of the jack plug, wherein the jack socket is hidden in the fully closed position and exposed in the fully open position.
US08348681B2
A cable assembly includes a housing having a mating end and a cable end and receives a cable through the cable end. The housing has a mounting block proximate to the cable end. A ferrule is configured to be terminated to the cable. The ferrule has an inner bushing and an outer bushing, with the inner and outer bushings cooperating to capture a cable braid of the cable therebetween. The ferrule is retained within the mounting block such that the ferrule is housed interior of the housing.
US08348678B2
Cable assemblies and connector systems that include magnetic elements are disclosed. The cable assemblies may include first and second cables. A first plurality of magnetic elements may be arranged around the first cable proximate a first end, while a second plurality of magnetic elements may be arranged around the second cable proximate a second end. Magnetic forces between respective ones of the first and second pluralities of magnetic elements may tend to retain the respective first and second ends of the first and second cables proximate one another. The connector systems may include mating retainers, each of which may include a plurality of magnetic elements. Magnetic forces between respective ones of the pluralities of magnetic elements may tend to retain the mating retainers proximate one another. In some examples, the mating retainers may include guiding elements, which may be configured to orient the mating retainers.
US08348670B2
A method for the computer-assisted learning of orthography, the method includes executing the following steps by a data processing system: retrieving (11) a main set of words from a data storage; retrieving (12) an error data set associated with said main set of words from the data storage; repeatedly executing the following steps: selecting (13) a word to prompt the user with, by computing, for each word from the error data set, a statistic measure related to the probability of an error occurring in the word, and selecting the word which has the maximum value of the statistic measure; prompting (14) the user with the word; accepting (15) a user input specifying a sequence of symbols; comparing (16) the user input with the word; updating (17, 18) and storing the error data set.
US08348664B2
A dental apparatus for use with a connecting member coupled to a jaw in a patient's mouth. The apparatus includes an orthodontic device and a connecting device carried by the orthodontic device. The connecting device includes a receptacle adapted to partially receive the connecting member and a blocking member. The blocking member is moveable relative to the receptacle between an opened position in which the connecting member may be disengaged from the receptacle and a closed position in which the connecting member is captured within the receptacle for pivotally engaging the orthodontic device with the connecting member. The orthodontic device may further include a biasing member selectively activated to provide a spring-biased force to the jaw. A method of using the dental apparatus includes moving the blocking member to capture/release the connecting member in the receptacle and activating/deactivating the biasing member to operate the apparatus in a different mode.
US08348663B2
A dental device (10) for temporarily filling a toothless gap (50) following extraction of a tooth. The dental device is arranged so as to be located in a space between two adjacent teeth (30, 40) bordering, on each opposed side, the toothless gap. The dental device comprises a central block (11) and two arms (12, 13) located on opposite sides of the central block (11). The two arms (12, 13) are extendible between a retracted position and an extended position. Each arm carries, at a free end thereof, at least one support (14, 15) adapted for resting respectively on a surface of the adjacent teeth when the arms are in the extended position. The central block includes an adjusting mechanism (19) for moving the two arms into the extended position, and a lock (20, 21, 22) locks the adjusting mechanism when the arms are in the extended position.
US08348661B2
A check valve (36, 136) for a screw (24) is provided. The check valve (36, 136) includes a retainer tip (54, 154), operable to be attached to a distal end of a screw shaft (52, 152), the retainer tip (54, 154) defining at least one melt channel (30). A first ring (60) is coaxially mounted to and rotationally-coupled with the retainer tip (54, 154). A second ring (66) is coaxially and slidably mounted to the retainer tip (54, 154), and is operable to rotate relative to the retainer tip (54, 154). The second ring (66) is operable to reversibly move between an open position which permits melt to flow through the check valve (36, 136) and a closed position which prevents backflow of the melt.
US08348656B1
System for practicing a method of making a low cost, light weight impact deflecting material, comprising directionally aligned single walled carbon nanotubes in an epoxy resin composition, that is near impervious to bullets fired at close range at all angles of incidence, that does not deteriorate upon abrasion or when exposed to wide ranges of temperature and humidity, and that when used to construct a protective shield for a body armor vest protects the wearer from blunt trauma effects.
US08348655B2
An optical molding apparatus molds an optically molded product by stacking cured layers. Each cured layer is formed by emitting light according to cross-sectional-shape data of the optically molded product onto a surface of photo-curable resin. The optical molding apparatus includes an exposing unit and an exposure control unit. The exposing unit performs exposure on the photo-curable resin for each of small work areas that are defined by dividing an overall work area, which is where an optical molding operation is performed, into a plurality of areas. The exposure control unit controls an exposure condition of the exposing unit for each of the small work areas and allows the exposure to be performed collectively on multiple layers' worth of the photo-curable resin in a predetermined one of the small work areas.
US08348652B2
An apparatus for manufacturing nonwoven fabric including a spinning nozzle, a fiber extension device, a receiver device and a sprinkler is provided. The spinning nozzle is filled with a spinning solution and has a plurality of spinners, where each of the spinners includes a spinning port and a main gas port surrounding the spinning port. The fiber extension device is disposed under the spinning nozzle and includes at least one secondary gas supply device. The secondary gas supply device has an arc gas distribution portion, such that the direction of gas ejected from the secondary gas supply device is the same as the direction of gas ejected from the main gas port. The receiver device is disposed under the fiber extension device. The sprinkler is disposed above the fiber extension device or the receiver device.
US08348631B2
The invention relates to a lubricant or hydraulic pump for delivering oil or the like having a housing which is formed from two housing shells which are of at least substantially similar or identical construction. An inlet is provided on or in the housing. Furthermore, a rotatably mounted drive element, which is configured, in particular, as a swash plate, and at least one pump element which interacts with the drive element to deliver oil or the like are arranged in the housing.
US08348618B2
A tiered structural assembly for wind turbine blades that reduces stress on the airfoil profile is shown. The wind turbine blades and rotor assemblies for capturing the wind resources show significant improvements in both cost of manufacture and site assembly compared to three-bladed horizontal axis turbines. A simple, easily manufactured blade pivoting mechanism is shown to improve the performance of vertical axis turbines. A related improvement for varying blade pitch along the axis of horizontal axis turbine blades allows for production using continuous mass-production methods rather than the labor and cost intensive current practice of molding the blades. The blade assemblies are scalable and suited to areas with moderate wind resources.
US08348617B2
Method for the emergency braking of a wind power plant, in which at least one rotor blade of the wind power plant is adjusted into its feathering position, wherein a first phase, in which the at least one rotor blade is adjusted with a first speed, and a second phase, in which the at least one rotor blade is adjusted as of a predetermined first blade pitch angle with a second speed, which is increased until a maximum speed is reached and/or until a second determined blade pitch angle is reached.
US08348614B2
An airfoil suitable for use in a gas turbine engine having at least one feed passage at least in part defined along a feed axis which is at least perpendicular to a cavity axis to reduce dirt ingestion into a trailing edge passage.
US08348607B2
A heat dissipating device includes a heat dissipating element and a bracket. The bracket includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion. The first fixing portion is to fix the heating dissipating element. The second fixing portion is movably mounted to the first fixing portion. The second fixing portion is configured to fix the bracket to another apparatus to adjust a distance between the heat dissipating element and the apparatus.
US08348606B2
An enhanced pump assembly includes an impeller and volute casing designed to provide high operating pressures (“P”) and flow rates (“Q”) with low energy usage. The impeller has a central shaft carrying radially projecting curved primary vanes, and each primary vane also has a twist in the radial direction. Secondary impeller vanes define triangular connecting fillet-like wall segments connecting each primary vane to the impeller shaft. The casing of the pump has a slight spiral deviation so that the pump chamber's radial sidewall flares away from the swept area of the impeller's vanes to define a fluid outlet that contributes to higher P-Q performance, especially when pumping colder fluids.
US08348603B2
A gas turbine inner flow path cover piece for a gas turbine a first turbine wheel and a second turbine wheel is provided is provided. The gas turbine inner flow path cover piece can include a main body having an first surface and a second surface, side pieces disposed on the first surface of the main body and mating pairs disposed on the second surface of the main body.
US08348599B2
A rotor wheel is provided and includes a body having first and second opposing faces and portions recessed from a plane of the first face to define therein an annular groove and a plurality of tributary grooves, the annular groove being receptive of fluid from an external source and formed to direct the fluid to flow along an annular flow path, and the plurality of tributary grooves being receptive of the fluid from the annular groove and respectively formed to direct the fluid to flow sequentially along radial and axial tributary flow paths while preventing inter-tributary groove fluid communication.
US08348596B2
A fan assembly for creating an air current includes an air outlet mounted on a stand. The stand includes a base and a body tiltable relative to the base. The fan assembly has a center of gravity located so that when the base is located on a substantially horizontal support surface, the projection of the center of gravity on the support surface is within the footprint of the base when the body is in a fully tilted position.
US08348595B2
A turbocharger oil discharge assembly (301, 501, 701, 901) can have a thrust collar (324, 524, 724, 924) with a first radially outwardly extending wall and a second radially outwardly extending wall to define a first annular channel. The first radially outwardly extending wall can have an annular flange that at least in part defines a second annular channel. The assembly can also have a thrust bearing (340, 540, 740, 940) having a radially inner end received in the first annular channel, and an insert (400, 600, 800, 1000). An oil collection chamber (440, 640, 840, 1040) can be defined at least in part by a drainage channel of the insert (400, 600, 800, 1000), the annular flange of the thrust collar (324, 524, 724, 924) and the thrust bearing (340, 540, 740, 940). Pressurized oil discharged from an oil release interface can be directed towards a radially outer region of the oil collection chamber (440, 640, 840, 1040) and can be collected in the oil collection chamber (440, 640, 840, 1040) for subsequent exhaust.
US08348588B2
An article transport facility includes an article transporting mobile body configured to move along a path and having an article holder; an article support for storing an article, the article support is configured to be moved between an article transfer position and an article storage position; a lock device provided on the article support to be switchable between a locking state for locking the article support in the article storage position, and an unlocking position for releasing the locking state; and an operating device provided on the mobile body for moving the article support and switching the lock device.
US08348585B2
A system for unloading and loading load-containing units, such as containers or movable boxes, presenting lift blocks from and onto railway trucks arranged to move on a main track along a longitudinal travel axis. The system including at least two pairs of lifting members separated at least in space above the main track, and able to flank the load-containing unit on opposite sides about the main track and to translate it vertically by achieving a grip on lift blocks.
US08348561B1
A motorcycle restraining device for securing a motorcycle to a trailer or other transport device is provided. The restraining device includes first and second brackets permanently attached to opposite sides of a motorcycle. A connecting rod is inserted through the brackets when the motorcycle is to be loaded onto the transport device. The motorcycle with the rod then approaches first and second receiving members, which constitutes an anchor, and the rod is secured to the receiving members. As the receiving members are adjustable and the design of the brackets adjustable as well, the motorcycle restraining device of the present invention may be used with generally any make and model of motorcycle. In addition, the brackets are permanently attached such that they do not create any problems or prevent ride ability of the motorcycle.
US08348558B2
The invention relates to a cutting insert having an essentially parallelepiped-shaped basic body with two larger spaced-apart longitudinal surfaces (10,11) which are connected to one another by two smaller transverse surfaces (12, 13) and two smaller longitudinal surfaces (14) designed as rake faces, wherein the smaller longitudinal surfaces (14) form with the adjacent surfaces a respective, encircling, closed cutting line which forms the cutting edges and rounded-off cutting corners, and the larger longitudinal surface (10, 11) merges on both sides via respective rounded-off edges into the smaller transverse surface (12, 13), and one of the rounded-off cutting corners is designed so as to project relative to a basic shape which is determined by the cutting lines, on both sides, of the larger longitudinal surfaces (10, 11) with the smaller longitudinal surfaces (14).
US08348549B2
Method and apparatus for a low floating boom curtain constructed of absorptive material made for use in waters polluted by oil, fuel, diesel fuel, chemicals such as dispersants or other petroleum based contaminants or the like wherein the boom curtain is comprised of an upper and a lower portion wherein the upper portion is the buoyant portion and the lower portion is a skirt portion, wherein the skirt portion has a weighted portion on the bottom of the skirt portion so that together they form an absorptive boom curtain for removing oil from oil containing waters. The upper portion, which provides the main flotation for the device, has an internal float/foam member which provides sufficient flotation and which foam member is wrapped in a single or double layer of absorptive material and wherein the entire device is made of and or covered by absorptive material. The boom curtain has a strap running longitudinally along it for interconnecting the individual curtain units wherein the strap may also have attachment rings and interconnecting rings for connecting individual units of the device so as to form a longer string of boom. The weighted portion may be weighted by any suitable material, however, it is believed that sand will be the weight of choice since it is also readily available.
US08348527B2
A camera holder and activation device enables a user to take pictures from vantage points spaced from the user's head. A frame defines a camera support position and an attachment device removably mounts the camera to the frame at the camera support position. An extension member such as a monopole is connected to the frame, whereby the frame may be so spaced from a user that the user cannot directly view a contemplated picture via a picture-framing element of the camera. A shifter member is movably mounted to the frame and is provided with a projection extending towards the camera support position so that motion of the shifter member brings the projection into contact with a shutter button of the camera mounted to the frame at the support position.
US08348522B2
A component system and method is described that is made of components for transmitting, routing and receiving “in-air” optical signals for placement on printed wiring boards (PWBs). The transmitters are components including a light source attached to a transparent substrate and aligned to a coupling lens. The transparent substrate can contain circuitry for controlling the light source, or the circuitry could be attached to the transparent substrate. The receivers include a light detector attached to a transparent substrate with circuitry for converting optical signals to electrical circuitry (integrated onto the transparent substrate or separately attached). The routing components include a lens for coupling light into an optical waveguide, an optical waveguide and, optionally, a second lens for coupling light from the optical waveguide. The component system allows in-air optical communication between PWBs, without requiring traditional connections and harnesses between the PWBs, thus increasing their reliability and throughput.
US08348511B2
The bag for receiving refuse may include a bag body, the bag body including an inside surface, an outside surface, and a rim defining a mouth. The bag may also include a first strip of material disposed on the inside surface of the bag body proximate the rim. The strip may include an inside surface, an outside surface that faces the inside surface of the body, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The bag may also include a front wall, a back wall, and a hem, the hem including a drawstring. The strip may include a printed design. The design could be letters, numbers, pictures, writing, or any other design. When the bag is inserted into a trash receptacle such that the rim of the bag is folded over the rim of the receptacle, the printed design is visible from outside the receptacle.
US08348510B2
A soft sided insulated container assembly has a first insulated container portion and a second insulated container portion. The second insulated container portion can be collapsed to a flat position, and secured in place. Either of the container portions may have a liner. The liner in the first container portion may be a substantially rigid liner. The assembly may have a lifting member. In one example the second portion may be hingedly mounted to the first portion, and the lifting member may be mounted such that when the assembly is lifted, the hinge is in an up-and-down orientation. In another embodiment, the lifting member may be eccentrically mounted, such that the assembly may possibly sit more comfortably against a carrier's hip. The first container portion may have an auxiliary opening or door, and that door may be more easily opened than the main access of the first insulated container portion.
US08348501B2
A sensor for detecting icing conditions in an airstream includes a flow housing mounted on an aircraft and in which one or more probes are mounted. At least one of the probes subjected to impingement of the airstream and liquid moisture droplets in such airstream. The heat removal, or cooling effect on the probe in the airstream carrying liquid droplets is determined. A temperature signal indicating the airstream temperature is combined with signals from the at least one probe for determining whether or not icing conditions are present.
US08348496B2
Mainspring for a mechanism driven by a motor spring, especially for a timepiece, formed from a ribbon of metallic glass material. This ribbon is monolithic and has a thickness of greater than 50 μm.
US08348493B2
The invention relates to an electronic manager for bread dough mixers and to an operating method. The invention consists of an integral module (15) comprising a PLC (2) which, by means of relays (3, 4 and 5), controls a low-speed contact (8), a high-speed contact (9) and an electrovalve (10, 10′) in order to operate a mixer (14). In addition, the PLC (2) controls a temperature sensor (6), a flowmeter (7, 7′) and a visual and audible indicator (13). The corresponding method comprises a parameter definition step, a start confirmation step, an oxygenation step, a liquid metering step, a mixing step and a return-to-rest step.
US08348491B2
A light guide plate includes a body having a bottom surface and a light output surface opposite to the bottom surface. A scattering structure is formed on the bottom surface. The scattering structure includes a number of scattering dots located in the form of a number of concentric shapes around the center. The scattering dots adjacent to the center are arranged in a plurality of concentric circles. The scattering dots adjacent to the edge are arranged in a number of concentric quadrilaterals having a shape substantially corresponding to a shape of the light guide plate. A backlight module using the light guide plate is also provided.
US08348489B2
The present invention introduces a new class of thin doubly collimating light distributing engines for use in a variety of general lighting applications, especially those benefiting from thinness. Output illumination from these slim-profile illumination systems whether square, rectangular or circular in physical aperture shape is directional, square, rectangular or circular in beam cross-section, and spatially uniform and sharply cutoff outside the system's adjustable far-field angular cone. Field coverage extends from +/−5- to +/−60-degrees and more in each meridian, including all asymmetric combinations in between, both by internal design, by addition of angle spreading film sheets, and angular tilts. Engine brightness is held to safe levels by expanding the size of the engine's output-aperture without sacrifice in the directionality of illumination. One form of the present invention has a single input light emitter, a square output aperture and the capacity to supply hundreds of lumens per engine. A second multi-segment form of the invention deploys one light emitter in each engine segment, so that total output lumens is determined by the number of segments. Both types of thin light distributing engines provide input light collimated in one meridian and a light distributing element that maintains input collimation while collimating output light in the un-collimated orthogonal meridian, in such a manner that the system's far-field output light is collimated in both its orthogonal output meridians. The present invention also includes especially structured optical films that process the engine's doubly collimated output illumination so as to increase its angular extent one or both output meridians without changing beam shape or uniformity.
US08348485B2
A headlamp for a motor vehicle, this headlamp comprising at least one optical module capable of emitting a plurality of light beams, including a low beam and at least one additional light beam. The optical module is equipped with a cover plate which can be moved between at least two positions, this movable cover plate being configured along a shaft mounted so as to rotate in the optical module and driven in rotation at least by a motor. The shaft comprises at least one first cut-off member configured as a double-edged cover plate providing an oblique cut-off for emission of the low beam, and at least one second cut-off member configured as a wall of substantially constant height, angularly offset relative to the first cut-off member and providing at least one substantially vertical cut-off line for emission of a high beam.
US08348484B2
A vehicle exterior lamp includes an optical structure defining a plurality of geometric indicia, and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for emitting light. Light emitted by the LEDs is directed towards the optical structure, to interact with the optical structure, and exit the exterior lamp.
US08348482B1
A pendant light assembly having a decorative globe with an internal light chamber, formed integrally of blown glass. The chamber is formed by reheating a portion of the blown glass globe and applying a partial vacuum to draw the glass inwardly. A secondary layer of glass inside the light chamber differs from the glass of the main globe in transparency, translucency and/or color; for example, the outer globe may be clear and the inner light chamber may be translucent to diffuse the light from the light source therein. The globe is suspended by a lighting assembly on the end of an electrical cord that is mounted to the lip of the opening into the internal light chamber. The connector assembly includes a clip mounted to the lighting element, having a plurality of flexible lobes that can be depressed to pass through the opening, and a cap threadingly mounted to the lighting element that can be tightened down to clamp the edges of the clip beneath the lip of the opening. The light chamber may have a substantially spherical shape, with the lip around the opening being formed by the edge of the wall of the main globe.
US08348478B2
A light module includes a light engine that has an LED package having power terminals. A base ring assembly holds the light engine. The base ring assembly has a base ring configured to be mounted to a supporting structure. The base ring has a securing feature. The base ring assembly has a contact holder that holds power contacts. The power contacts are spring biased against the power terminals to create a separable power connection with the power terminals. A top cover assembly is coupled to the base ring. The top cover assembly has a collar surrounding the base ring. The top cover assembly has a securing feature that engages the securing feature of the base ring to couple the collar to the base ring. The collar has a cavity and the optical component is received in the cavity. The optical component is positioned to receive light from the LED package and the optical component is configured to emit the light generated by the LED package.
US08348445B2
A direct-type backlight unit includes: an arrangement surface on which a plurality of light sources are arranged; and a plurality of reflecting surfaces that are formed at a plurality of ends of the arrangement surface and reflect light emitted from the plurality of light source. Light emitted from the light sources and light reflected from the plurality of reflecting surfaces irradiate to a radiation area surrounded by the plurality of reflecting surfaces. The plurality of reflecting surfaces are inclined at an angle that is smaller than 90 degrees with respect to an extension surface of the arrangement surface that extends toward the outside of the reflecting surface. The plurality of reflecting surfaces include reflecting surfaces having a large inclination angle and reflecting surfaces having an inclination angle that is smaller than the large inclination angle. The light sources that are arranged along the reflecting surfaces having the large inclination angle are closer to the edge of the radiation area than the other light sources that are arranged along the reflecting surfaces having the small inclination angle, in a plan view of the radiation area.
US08348442B2
A flash apparatus and related systems and methods of use are disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a housing having a generally concave reflector, and a light source disposed within the reflector. A handle can be engaged with the housing and/or the light source to facilitate manual positioning and repositioning of the light source relative to a photographic apparatus remote from the housing and/or an object to be photographed. A synchronization device is in communication with the light source and the photographic apparatus for causing the light source to emit a flash of light when the photographic device is actuated. A modifier can also be engaged with the reflector for modifying the emitted flash of light. In a portable system, various interchangeable reflectors, modifiers, and light sources can be provided. Power sources for the light sources and a stand engageable with the handle can also be included.
US08348435B2
There is provided a light source unit comprising an excitation light shining device for emitting excitation light, a luminescent plate having a luminescent light emitting area on a base material and adapted to emit a luminescent light of a predetermined wavelength band by excitation light from the excitation shining device, two types of light source devices for emitting light of wavelength bands different from that of the light from the luminescent plate, a light guiding optical system for guiding the light from the luminescent plate and the rays from the light sources to a predetermined plane, and a light source control device for controlling the emission from the excitation light shining device and the light sources, wherein a synthetic light or a single-color light are emitted by controlling the emissions from the excitation light shining device and the light sources by the light source control device.
US08348434B2
A projection display device having a projection device projecting an image on a surface, and a position detection function of detecting an object's position between the surface and the projection device, includes: a light source emitting light beams toward the object; a light detector detecting the light beams reflected by the object; and a position detector detecting the object's position in an imaginary plane based on the light detector's result, wherein the light source emits, as the light beams, first through third light beams having first through third intensity distributions, the second intensity distribution having a highest intensity at a position failing to overlap a highest intensity of the first intensity distribution, and the third intensity distribution having a highest intensity portion at a position failing to overlap a straight line connecting the highest intensity portions of the first and second intensity distributions.
US08348428B2
A method and apparatus are provided for characterizing square wave jerks in the eye movements of a person, which may provide a powerful tool in the differential diagnosis of oculomotor and neurological disease. The method includes the steps of a) providing a sequence of saccades, b) identifying pairs of consecutive saccades of the sequence, c) determining whether each saccade of each identified pair is opposite the direction of the other saccade and, if not, then discarding the pair, d) determining whether a magnitude of each saccade of each identified pair is comparable and, if not, then discarding the pair, e) determining whether the pair of saccades of each identified pair are temporally related by a predetermined time period and, if not, then discarding the pair and f) collecting any remaining pairs of saccades as square wave jerks.
US08348426B2
An optical image measurement device is configured to form a tomographic image at each of a plurality of cross sections of a measurement object, and the optical image measurement device comprises: an image processor configured to execute an arithmetic operation based on a tomographic image at one cross section of the plurality of cross sections and another tomographic image at each of one or more cross sections other than the one cross section, thereby forming a new tomographic image at the one cross section.
US08348417B2
A rolled medium accommodation device includes a rolled medium accommodation unit which swings around a first shaft, a lever member which swings around a second shaft in conjunction with swinging of the rolled medium accommodation unit, a shaft member capable of moving in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the second shaft, and urging unit configured to apply rotational torque around the second shaft to the lever member. Due to the rotational torque, the rolled medium accommodation unit is subjected to force whereby the rolled medium accommodation unit is swung in a direction opposite that of gravity around the first shaft from a low position to a high position higher than the low position, and the shaft member moves so that the distance between a center of the shaft member and a center of the second shaft is greater in the high position than in the low position.
US08348416B2
A printing apparatus includes a printing medium support unit supporting a printing medium supplied to a print execution area and guiding the transported printing medium. The printing medium support unit includes a support portion supporting the printing medium and defining a predetermined gap between a print head and the support portion. A suction hole disposed in a width direction of the printing medium adsorbs and supports the printing medium on the support portion by applying a suction force to the printing medium. A first recess portion with an ink discharge port is disposed at a position corresponding to a position at an edge of the printing medium of a size which is supposed to be used and receives ink possibly discarded upon executing marginless printing. A first communication passage applies some of the suction force to the first recess portion in a passage independent from the ink discharge port.
US08348413B2
An ink jet recording apparatus is provided. The ink jet recording apparatus includes a supporting member for supporting a recording medium, an ink head comprising a nozzle surface disposed opposite the recording medium during a print operation, an ultraviolet light irradiation device coupled to the ink head in a freely movable manner, an ink head aiding system comprising a plurality of elements including at least a wiper for wiping the nozzle surface of the ink head or a cap for covering the nozzle surface of the ink head, and at least a portion of the irradiation section of the ultraviolet light irradiation device is located in front of at least one of the elements of the ink head aiding system.
US08348410B2
An ink set for inkjet recording including an ink composition including a dispersion of a pigment dispersed by a water-insoluble polymer which is formed by copolymerizing a monomer mixture containing a styrenic macromer, as well as self-dispersing polymer particles, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water; and a reactive liquid which forms an aggregate when contacted with the ink composition; and an image recording method using the ink set, are provided.
US08348404B2
An airflow system for a solid-ink melter tank is disclosed, which prevents clogging of drop tube supplying solid ink to the solid-ink melter tank. An inlet may provide airflow as well as solid ink to the melter tank and an outlet maintained at a temperature higher than temperature of the inlet, promotes a convective air current. The inlet may be coaxial with the drop tube or is present as a separate opening in the solid-ink melter tank. The outlet can be taller, externally insulated, and fabricated with a thermally conductive material as compared to the inlet. The heated outlet promotes expulsion of hot air from the solid-ink melter tank and prevents heating of drop tube, which leads to drop tube clogging by partially melting the solid ink.
US08348402B2
A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a control method for a fluid supply device can desirably supply a fluid while maintaining good throughput, and can reduce device size and cost with a simple construction. The inkjet printer has an expansion mechanism that enables an ink refill operation in which a movable member expands an ink chamber by moving a piston that moves in contact with a regulator panel disposed to the main device side and supplies ink from an ink cartridge, a comparison means that determines whether or not the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than a specified value, and a CPU that sets a long time mode in which the ink refill operation time is long when the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than the specified value.
US08348401B2
A turning operation of a head set lever is completed, and a printing head can be detached from a carriage part. By the above-described turning operation of the head set lever, a supply port insertion and extraction part connected via a link slides, a needle pipe of the supply port insertion and extraction part is brought into a state of being the farthest from the printing head, and a needle insertion and extraction lever is brought into a state in which it moves under a case wall. Thereby, an operator cannot turn only the needle insertion and extraction lever when the head set lever is in an opened state. In this manner, when the head set lever is in the opened state, the operation of the needle insertion and extraction lever, which is used for connection of the supply port insertion and extraction part to ink supply port, is restricted.
US08348398B2
There is provided a droplet ejection device comprising: a droplet ejecting head comprising a droplet ejecting surface on which an ejecting aperture from which droplets are ejected and a collecting hole for collecting adherent liquid adhered to the droplet ejecting face are formed; and a collecting unit that causes the liquid to overflow to the droplet ejecting face through the collecting hole and collects the overflowed liquid through the collecting hole together with the adherent liquid.
US08348397B2
A fluid height backpressure system includes a printhead, a fluid supply tank, a backpressure device, and an air removal device. The backpressure device responsible for supplying system backpressure includes at least one tower disposed in an upright position and having a plurality of walls defining first and second chambers for respectively communicating with the ink supply tank and a fluid supply reservoir of the printhead. The air removal device provides additional back pressure in the second chamber, allows backpressure in the system to be maintained even with an empty fluid supply tank, and also supply of ink to the fluid supply reservoir of the printhead substantially without air bubbles being introduced therein. Also, ink sensors are utilized for sensing out-of-ink/ink-low conditions and also to help establish and continue the operation of the backpressure device.
US08348395B2
A piezoelectric element, comprising electrodes and a piezoelectric body formed between the electrodes. The piezoelectric body consists of a perovskite oxide including bismuth, lantern, iron and manganese. The molar ratio of the sum of the bismuth and the lantern to the sum of the iron and the manganese is 0.87 or more and 0.94 or less. The molor ratio of the bismuth to the lantern is 3.57 or more and 4.82 or less.
US08348393B2
A print head (20, 220) includes a diaphragm (26) opposite a fluid chamber (21) having a side opening, a first end and a second end. The print head (20, 220) further includes a support (30, 32, 300, 302, 310, 312, 320, 322) extending from a floor (52) of the fluid chamber (21) to the diaphragm (26).
US08348387B2
The pagewidth inkjet printer provides for simultaneous printing across a horizontal portion of a sheet of paper, as opposed to horizontal scanning of a conventional inkjet printer. The pagewidth inkjet printer includes a platen for incrementally translating a page of paper and a controller for selectively driving rotation of the platen. A housing is mounted adjacent to the platen and is fixed with respect thereto. A plurality of print heads are mounted within the housing. Each print head has a plurality of nozzles for selectively ejecting ink, and each nozzle is adapted for ejecting a distinct color of ink. The plurality of nozzles of each print head are aligned in a direction parallel to a direction of translation of the page of paper. The plurality of print heads are arrayed and aligned linearly along a direction orthogonal to the direction of translation of the page of paper.
US08348385B2
A printhead die that includes first and second slots through the die for feeding a same liquid, the slots offset from each other along two axes. The die has a first nozzle package adjacent one side of the first slot and extending toward the second slot along the minor axis. The die includes a second nozzle package adjacent an opposite side of the second slot and extending toward the first slot along the minor axis. The first and second nozzle packages each have a slanted corner profile.
US08348384B2
There is provided a small-sized and inexpensive rotational adjustment apparatus for a linearly moveable inkjet coating head 6 without providing a rotary mechanism which is separate from and independent of a linear movement mechanism. The apparatus is capable of performing a rotational adjustment, about a rotary axis in a Z-axis direction, of the inkjet coating head in which the Z-axis direction is orthogonal to an X-axis direction which is a direction of movement of the coating head. The apparatus has: first and second moveable bodies, two in total, which are linearly moved by separate driving sources in the X-axis direction; and a converting mechanism which converts the inkjet coating head into a linear movement in the X-axis direction when the first and second moveable bodies synchronously move in the X-axis direction, and into a rotary movement, about the rotary axis of the inkjet coating head, when both the first and the second moveable bodies make a relative movement in the X-axis direction.
US08348383B2
A printing device includes a carriage control part that reciprocates a carriage, a print control part that confirms an origin point of the carriage by a position detecting part, a carriage moving time calculation part that calculates a first moving time (B) and a second moving time (C), and a line feed time calculation part that calculates a third time (A). The first moving time is a period during which the carriage moves from a carriage position to the position detection part after print completion, and the second moving time is a period during which the carriage moves from the position detection part to a next print starting position. The third time (A) is a period during which the recording medium is carried from the print completion to the next print position. The position control part executes an origin point confirmation operation of the carriage when (B+C
US08348375B2
One of the two flow passages branches from one of two ink cartridges to one of the two discharging portions and one of the two individual discharging portions. The other flow passage branches from the other ink cartridge to the other discharging portion and the other individual discharging portion. A ratio of frequency of use of each of the discharging portions, Ra, and frequency of use of each of the individual discharging portions, Rb, satisfies Ra:Rb=1:½.
US08348374B2
When ink is ejected from any one of a plurality of pressure chambers, an electric field pulse, which corresponds to an electric field pulse to be applied to a partition wall of the pressure chamber which is to eject the ink, and has at least one square wave, which is in a direction opposite to that of the electric field pulse and has a pulse width corresponding to the electric field pulse, is applied to a partition wall adjacent to the partition wall of the pressure chamber which is to eject the ink.
US08348371B2
Customized articles of footwear are produced by providing options and graphics that are selected by a customer when submitting a custom order at a retail facility. The graphics are selected from a catalog while the options, such as a shoe model or a shoe size, are selected at an order interface rendered at a computing device. The computing device processes the order by uploading printing instructions associated with the customer-selected graphic or by converting specifications of the order into the printing instructions. The printing instructions are passed to a printer that is configured to move inkjet nozzles in a pattern and, concurrently, control a timed release of coloring agent from the inkjet nozzles based on the printing instructions. Releasing the coloring agent over the article of footwear physically applies a design thereto, which substantially resembles the customer-selected graphic. An oven typically cures the design via infrared heat over a timeframe.
US08348369B2
An image forming method includes discharging a droplet of a recording fluid via nozzles of a recording head onto a print medium; performing a main scan in which the print medium is scanned in a main scan direction; performing a sub-scan in which the print medium is scanned in a sub-scan direction; determining an overlap region in an image region that is formed by a single main scan; and performing an overlap control by forming an image in the overlap region through a plurality of main scans while the print medium is moved in the sub-scan direction by a feed amount L, wherein L=(n−x)d−md, where n is a number of the nozzles in the recording head; x is a number of the nozzles in the overlap region; d is a nozzle pitch; and m is a feed correcting coefficient (0
US08348364B2
A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a method of cleaning a printing device are disclosed. A fluid supply device includes a main tank, a fluid chamber, a fluid-discharging head, a movable carriage, an expansion mechanism that expands the fluid chamber to draw fluid from the main tank, a suction mechanism, a remaining fluid detection unit, a comparison unit that compares the remaining fluid volume in the main tank with a specified value, and a setting unit that sets a cleaning mode. The expansion mechanism is actuated via a movement of the movable carriage. The setting unit sets a first cleaning mode in which a first amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle or a second cleaning mode in which a second amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle that is less than the first amount. The cleaning mode is selected in response to the amount of fluid remaining in the main tank.
US08348360B2
A support can provide information and display objects. The compartment of the support is hinged to switch between a flat folded condition and an unfolded and open functional condition to receive an object. It comprises a retractable wall (115) for holding the compartment in its unfolded and open condition and an elastic element (127) for biasing the holding wall in an unretracted holding position. The flattening of the compartment is done by retracting the holding wall against the action of an elastic element. The pivoting holding retracting wall (115) is a shoring wall between a floor face (105) and a ceiling face (103) with which they form a force descending rod.
US08348354B2
A vehicle braking system including an input piston and a pressure piston that are moveably supported within a cylinder. The input piston is allowed to depress the pressure piston and is connected to the a brake pedal. Pressure chambers to the front and to the rear of the input piston are communicated through a communication passage such that the control hydraulic pressure in accordance with the operation amount to the brake pedal is applied to the second pressure chamber via first and second linear valves. The control hydraulic pressure in accordance with the operation amount to the brake pedal that has been transmitted to the pressure piston through the input piston is regulated by a pressure regulating valve so as to be applied to the second pressure chamber. The braking hydraulic pressure may be output from the pressure chambers, respectively.
US08348352B2
A brake control system includes a master cylinder to produce a master cylinder pressure, a brake booster to assist the master cylinder, a first control unit to control the booster, a hydraulic modulator to supply a wheel cylinder pressure to a wheel cylinder, and a second control unit to control the hydraulic modulator. The hydraulic modulator includes a pressure source, such as a pump, to increase the wheel cylinder pressure. The first and second control units are connected together by a communication line. The brake control system may further include a boost condition transmitting section to transmit, through the communicating line, a condition of a boost system formed by the brake booster and the first control unit.
US08348346B2
A vehicle seat spring assembly having an engagement post connected to one of a seat and a seat back. A coil spring includes an internal end and an external end. The external end is operably connected with the engagement post. An arcuate engagement bracket is connected to the other of the seat and the seat back. The engagement bracket includes an elongate slot adapted to operably engage the internal end of the coil spring. The internal end moves between a compression position in contact with a first end of the elongate slot corresponding to a first predetermined position of the seat back relative to the seat. A tension position is in contact with a second end of the elongate slot corresponding to a second predetermined position of the seat back relative to the seat.
US08348345B2
A fitting system (9) is provided for a vehicle seat (1), especially motor vehicle seat, which defines a pivot axis (A) of backrest and has a fitting lower part (11) and an associated fitting upper part (12) on both sides of the vehicle seat. Each fitting upper part (12) is pivotable relative to the associated fitting lower part (11) about the pivot axis (A) of the backrest. The system has, on one side of the vehicle seat, a lock (15) and an opposing element (16), which lock the fitting system (9) in a use position by cooperating. A prestressed latch (17), which cooperates with another opposing element (16), especially receives it, in the use position, is provided on the side of the vehicle seat that is located opposite the lock (15).
US08348340B2
A seat structure has a main body and a seating surface element attached to the main body extending in a longitudinal direction. A back element is connected to a rear end of the seating surface element and is reclinable and extends in a vertical direction. The back element includes a back plate and a pair of back rods respectively positioned on both lateral sides of said back plate. An upper end flap is connected to an upper end of the back plate in a forward tiltable manner. A displacement member is supported on the back rods and is vertically displaceable. A first connection element connects the displacement member and upper end flap to tilt the upper end flap forward according to displacement of the displacement member.
US08348335B2
A passenger car configured as a convertible, with an underbody, which has a middle tunnel, and with a cockpit carrier, on which a steering column carrying a steering handwheel is mounted. Driving comfort can be increased if the cockpit carrier is attached solely to the middle tunnel fixedly in three directions perpendicular to one another.
US08348331B2
A structural attachment system for a cargo management system is fully integrated into the cargo bed side walls of a pick-up truck so that the only feature that is different than a standard pick-up is an array of holes along the top of the cargo bed side walls. The cargo management system also includes a wide range of different pick-up truck cargo bed mounted accessories that incorporate structural hooks that are adapted to be retained and released by the structural attachment system. Additionally, the structural attachment system provides a single point, simple method of retention and release via an actuation handle at the rear most point of the pick-up truck cargo bed. The configuration of the structural attachment system allows significant structural retention forces to be transferred from the accessories into the pick-up truck cargo bed side walls via the structural hooks.
US08348328B2
A folding tonneau cover including a first substantially rigid panel having a laterally-extending front edge at least partially defined by an elongate edge rail, and a second substantially rigid panel having a laterally-extending rear edge at least partially defined by an elongate edge rail, the first and second panels having opposed exterior and interior sides. The first and second panels substantially lie in a plane when the cover is unfolded, the first and second panel exterior sides generally facing in a direction away from a first side of the plane when the cover is unfolded, the first and second panel exterior sides adjacently superposed when the cover is folded. The cover includes a hinge assembly having substantially rigid first and second portions pivotally connected together along a first pivot axis located on the one side of the plane, the hinge first portion affixed to the first panel edge rail, the hinge second portion affixed to the second panel edge rail. A seal is affixed to at least one of the first and second panel edge rails. When the cover is unfolded the seal extends from one of the first panel front edge and the second panel rear edge toward the other and is entirely disposed on the same side of the first pivot axis as is the plane.
US08348321B2
A vehicle body structure for fitting a pillar garnish and a fender panel is provided which surely prevents a space formed in the surface of a vehicle body from being viewed as black. The vehicle body structure includes a resin-made pillar garnish on a front surface side of a pillar of a vehicle body, a steel-made fender panel having an end on an end of the pillar garnish, and a seal member sealing a space between respective ends of the pillar garnish and the fender panel. The pillar garnish has an extending portion which extends in a direction from the end of the pillar garnish to the end of the fender panel. The fender panel has a flange which extends in a direction from the end of the fender panel to the end of the pillar garnish. The seal member is mounted on the extending portion and the flange.
US08348315B2
A cat litter scoop has a handle part and a scoop part. The handle part includes a releasable locking mechanism and a button for releasing the locking mechanism. The scoop part is connected to the handle part via the releasable locking mechanism. When the scoop part is soiled, such as after scooping cat litter, a user presses the button to release the locking mechanism and jettison the scoop part and the user has no contact with the cat litter and no contact with the soiled scoop part. Preferably, the scoop part is biodegradable and may include paper pulp.
US08348311B2
A lever mechanism for holding an escape hatch onto a vehicle surface covering an opening in the vehicle surface, for enabling emergency escape through the escape hatch. The lever mechanism includes a base portion, a handle portion and a clamp portion, with the handle portion and clamp portion linked so that by pushing on the handle portion, and so placing the lever mechanism in its engaged state, the clamp portion is pushed against the vehicle surface, drawing the escape hatch against the vehicle surface. By pulling on the handle portion of the lever mechanism, and so placing the lever mechanism in its disengaged state, the clamp is pulled up and away from the vehicle surface and clear of the opening in the vehicle surface, thus allowing the escape hatch to be pushed out away from the vehicle surface, thereby enabling emergency egress.
US08348307B2
A seatbelt device having a first energy absorbing member with two axial direction end portions attached respectively to a spindle and a lock member and which absorbs energy by undergoing twisting deformation when a load of at least a predetermined value acts on the spindle while the lock member is locked during an emergency. A second energy absorbing member is fixed to the spindle at one end portion and extends through a bend route provided in the lock member. The second energy absorbing member absorbs energy by being pulled through the bend route so as to undergo plastic deformation when the spindle rotates as a result of twisting of the first energy absorbing member. A deformation portion is interposed between a turned back portion of the second energy absorbing member and the spindle. With this constitution, unstable load variation can be suppressed in an initial stage of an operation, and as a result, a stable tension can be applied to a webbing such that an occupant can be protected effectively and safely.
US08348297B2
An automatically adjustable fifth wheel assembly for a vehicle and trailer combination that adjusts the position of the trailer relative to the vehicle is disclosed.
US08348290B2
A structural component for a rear frame structure of a motor vehicle is provided with a mounting zone suitably designed for the mounting of a rear axle, more preferably of the twist-beam axle type, a first support zone suitably designed for supporting a suspension spring of the rear axle, a second support zone suitably designed for supporting a shock absorber of the rear axle, and at least one fastening zone suitably designed for fastening the structural component to the rear frame structure. In addition, it extends to an assembly consisting of a rear axle with structural components fastened thereto, a rear frame structure of a motor vehicle with such structural components, and a motor vehicle equipped accordingly.
US08348289B2
With a rack-and-pinion mechanism, an impact force is absorbed and reduction in assembling performance is suppressed. An annular fitting groove (51) that extends in the circumferential direction of a rack guide (41) is formed in an outer peripheral face (41a) of the rack guide (41), and an O-ring (52) is fitted in the fitting groove (51) in a state in which the axial movement of the O-ring (52) is restricted. A communication groove (61) that provides communication between an internal space (55), defined by the fitting groove (51) and the O-ring (52), and the outside of the rack guide (41) is formed in the rack guide (41).
US08348281B2
A stern tube sealing assembly and a seal ring thereof has a key part having an inverted V-shape, a front step part on the front side, and a back step part on the back side thereof. The seal ring width in a propulsion-shaft axis direction becomes thinner in the transition area from the key part toward a heel part. The inner diameter of the key part at the back step part is greater than that of the key part at the front step part. The ring has a lip part having a V-shaped lip tip protruding inwardly in the radial direction and a spring groove having a semicircular cross-section. The center of the spring groove is nearer to the inboard side than the lip tip, by an offset in the axis direction, the offset being within approximately 10% of the orthogonal projection length of the width of the lip back.
US08348277B2
A conventional roulette wheel modified to include a set of roulette numbers depicted on an inner rotatable unit which like another set of roulette numbers depicted on an outer rotatable ring serve to identify a ball compartment such that a ball compartment into which the roulette ball ultimately lands is identified by two roulette numbers increasing the number of wager options for players including a high-paying bonus wager. Various systems for ensuring alignment of the outer and/or inner sets of roulette numbers with the ball compartments are disclosed.
US08348269B2
An image scanning device includes a scanning specifying unit, at least two document detecting units, a supply timing adjusting unit, and a document supplying unit. The scanning specifying unit specifies one of at least two scanning methods each having a different transportation interval between documents. The document detecting units are at least two in number and arranged to detect a document at different positions on a transportation route. The supply timing adjusting unit is arranged to measure a transportation distance of the document after detection by the document detecting units and to generate a supply signal. The document supplying unit is arranged to supply a document from a paper feed tray based on the supply signal. The supply timing adjusting unit is arranged to generate the supply signal based on a result of detection by the document detecting unit that corresponds to the specified scanning method.
US08348259B2
An apparatus, method and system for a feeding a sheet in a document reproduction machine. A feedbox is contained within a document reproduction machine. Within the feedbox, an elevator moves at least one sheet to the upper portion of the feedbox, to a stack height finger, for feeding the sheet into a feed device. At least one sensor, located at the upper portion of the feedbox, detects the location of the sheet. The location information is sent from the sensor to a data processing device. The data processing device sends information to an actuating device. The actuating device may cause one or more plungers to move through apertures in the elevator. The plungers will result in a substantially flat sheet. The sheet is then fed into the feed device.
US08348256B1
A printer includes multiple gear trains, each gear train to pick paper. The printer also includes a print media sensor to detect the presence of print media along a paper path, a user input control, and control logic coupled to the print media sensor and the user input control. Based upon receiving multiple signals from the user input control to resume printing, each such signal following an indication from the print media sensor that paper has not been picked, the control logic to cause a change-over to occur from one gear train to another gear train.
US08348246B2
A system for distributing a fluid via a packing disposed in a container, the packing configured to have the fluid trickle from a top to a bottom thereof, includes at least one distributor member including a pressure conduit having at least one nozzle configured to discharge the fluid therethrough and a distributor channel adjoining the distributor member. A width of the distributor channel does not substantially exceed a diameter of the distributor member. The distributor channel defines at least one outlet slot disposed at a lower end of the distributor channel. The at least one outlet slot has a specified width and is configured to discharge the fluid from the distributor channel to the packing via a guide member. The distributor channel is configured to receive the fluid discharged from the at least one nozzle so as to provide a specified level of the fluid in the distributor channel. The distributor channel forms a ventable chamber above the specified fluid level. The ventable chamber is configured to maintain a pressure corresponding to a pressure in the container in which the packing is disposed.
US08348245B2
An impregnator for mixing a nonaerated or only slightly aerated liquid (F) with gas (G), in particular for mixing a noneffervescent or only slightly effervescent beer precursor product, or a beer precursor product containing CO2, with CO2, includes a mixing cell, in particular tubular, which except for an incoming liquid inlet, an incoming gas inlet, and an outlet, is partitioned off from the surrounding, and at least one Impregnator body is disposed in the mixing cell in such a way that the flow through the mixing cell of the liquid (F) and gas (G) must necessarily take place through the impregnator body. Disposed in the mixing cell is at least one impregnator body, which includes a porous solid body, namely of a foam material, a sponge, a follow fiber module, or a sintered material.
US08348243B2
A home soda machine includes a cylinder of gas suitable for carbonation, an attachment mechanism to attach a bottle of water, a valve opening mechanism to open a gas release valve on the gas cylinder and introduce the gas to the bottle of water, a gas release sensor to sense at least events indicating the opening and closing of the gas release valve, and an indirect gas meter to at least determine an amount of the gas released from the cylinder based at least on a cumulative length of time the gas release valve was open as per data received from the gas release sensor.
US08348241B2
A mounting adapter for mounting a jack to a trailer coupler and/or a trailer frame is described. The mounting adapter may permit the jack to mount to the trailer coupler while retaining both vertical and axial adjustability. The mounting adapter may include a flange and a collar. The flange may include an opening for receiving the jack and at least one mounting aperture for attachment with the trailer frame. The collar may extend outward from the flange and have at least one aperture for attachment with the jack. The collar may also include a rib located for engagement with a slot on the jack. The trailer coupler and frame may include apertures alignable to the mounting apertures, whereby the mounting apertures may permit orientation of the jack to be forward, left, right or rear facing. The mounting adapter may also be vertically adjustable to the jack.
US08348234B2
A vacuum valve including a valve opening, a valve seat surrounding the valve opening, and a valve plate. During closing starting from the open position, the valve plate is moved over a main section of the closing path in a main closing direction parallel to the valve plate and the plane of the sealing surface, and then over a final section running at an angle to the sealing surface plane for guiding the valve plate onto the valve seat. A guide element on the wall that guides the valve plate over the end section of the closing path interacts with a guide element on the valve plate. The valve plate is guided over the final section of the closing path by guide surfaces that are angled relative to the sealing surface, and at least one guide surface is arranged on a guide element of the valve plate or the wall.
US08348217B2
Provided are a vibration isolating table (1) with damping mechanism having initial rigidity so that a vibration isolation subject is not swayed under a state in which no vibrations act, and configured to function in a case where vibrations act so that the vibration isolation subject can be protected, and a vibration isolating table unit (15) using the vibration isolating table (1). The vibration isolating table includes a fixed plate (2); a guiding member (42) provided so as to be freely movable in an X direction relative to the fixed plate (2); a movable plate (3) provided so as to be freely movable relative to the guiding member (42) in a Y direction orthogonal to the X direction; an X-directional circulation belt (6) configured to circulate in accordance with X-directional movement of the guiding member (42) relative to the fixed plate (2); a Y-directional circulation belt (9) configured to circulate in accordance with Y-directional movement of the movable plate (3) relative to the guiding member (42); and rotary dampers (7, 10) respectively provided to the fixed plate (2) and the movable plate (3), and respectively including rotationally driven members (70, 100) around which the X-directional circulation belt (6) and the Y-directional circulation belt (9) are respectively looped, the rotary dampers (7, 10) being configured to respectively impart resistance to rotational motion of the rotationally driven members (70, 100).
US08348209B2
A universal bracket for fastening different panel elements and/or additional devices in aircraft, comprises a base plate for fastening to a substructure, a support plate connected to the base plate and a plurality of spring clips received in the support plate to provide a releasable and vibration-damping connection to the panel elements. The base plate has at least one bore screen for fastening at least one device carrier for fastening at least one additional device, in particular emergency lighting, an emergency exit sign or the like, in different positions, wherein the fastening of the device carriers is provided with a fastening device such as fastening rivets, screws or the like.
US08348208B1
The vehicle window support apparatus provides for a user to hold a vehicle window in a desired position, relative to up and down, without the typical vehicle window support mechanisms. The apparatus does not need tools or hard installation into the vehicle. Instead, suction cups hold the window. The apparatus lower vertical member and horizontal member position the apparatus within the existing window channel of a given vehicle. The slanted member enables the upper vertical member to be proximal to the window itself, whereby the suction cups are then temporarily and removably affixed to the window, holding the window as desired by a user. Upon termination of use, the apparatus suction cups are easily removed from the window and the lower vertical member removed from the window channel.
US08348205B2
An expandable armrest of a wheel chair includes a fixed part having a first pivotal portion which includes a first pivotal hole. A movable part is pivotably connected to the first pivotal portion of the fixed part by its second pivotal portion. A first transverse hole and a second transverse hole are defined in the second pivotal portion. A slide member is slidably inserted into the slots of the second pivotal portion and has an inclined hole in which an engaging member is engaged. The engaging member has a first end and a second end. A trace that the engaging member moves in the inclined hole constantly intersects a trace that the first end moves in the first transverse hole and a trace that the second end moves in the second transverse hole, such that the movable part is positioned by controlling the movement of the slide member.
US08348204B2
A waterproof cable guide device for a railway vehicle comprises an elastic member having a plurality of through-holes penetrating in a forward and backward direction and screw insertion holes penetrating in the forward and backward direction, the plurality of electric cables being inserted into the plurality of holes, respectively, the elastic member being divided in positions of the through-holes or having slits extending from an outer peripheral surface of the elastic member to the through-holes, respectively; a press casing surrounding a front surface and an outer peripheral surface of the elastic member so as not to cover the through-holes and provided with screw insertion holes communicating with the screw insertion holes of the elastic member; and screws inserted into the screw insertion holes, in a direction from forward, and tightened with respect to the cable guide; the screws being inserted into the screw insertion holes in the direction from forward and tightened with respect to the cable guide in a state where the electric cables are inserted into the through-holes, respectively, to cause the elastic member to be compressed by the press casing to closely contact peripheral surfaces of the electric cables.
US08348193B2
For retrieval of a hovering aircraft, a cable, bar, or similar fixture is suspended in an approximately horizontal orientation across the retrieval area between two well-separated supports. The aircraft slowly flies into this fixture, which then slides along the aircraft in a direction approximately parallel with the aircraft's thrust line. This leads to the aircraft becoming fastened to the fixture by an interceptor or aircraft capturer, which in alternative embodiments are respectively on the aircraft or the fixture or both. Thrust is then reduced, and the aircraft comes to rest hanging from the fixture for subsequent removal. Retrieval is thus accomplished with simple and economical apparatus, light and unobtrusive elements on the aircraft, low risk of damage, and only moderate piloting accuracy.
US08348192B2
A crash attenuation system for an aircraft, the system having an airbag carried by the aircraft and inflatable generally adjacent an exterior of the aircraft. The airbag has at least one vent for releasing gas from the interior of the airbag. A gas source is in fluid communication with the interior of the airbag for inflating the airbag with gas generated provided by the first gas source. A vent valve is provided for controlling a flow of gas through each vent, each vent valve being selectively configurable between an open state, in which gas can pass through the associated vent from the interior of the airbag, any number of intermediate states, in which the vent is partially open, and a closed state, in which gas is retained within the interior of the airbag.
US08348188B2
A mixing system for a fluid tank is described, the system having a drive motor, an impeller, a shroud enclosing the impeller and a cutter mounted on the shroud to cut solids. The shroud is open at inlet and discharge ends for drawing in and discharging fluid from the tank. A recess is provided on the internal surface of the shroud, wherein the cutter is adjustably positioned within the recess. The cutter is detachable from the recess to allow replacement. In use, homogeneity is maintained in a slurry contained within the tank by submerging the impeller such that the cutter cooperates with the impeller to cut solids within the slurry, drawing tank contents into the impeller at the inlet, cutting material between the cutter and blade, and then discharging the material.
US08348186B2
The invention provides an electrically-driven kitchen machine including a food mixer or a food processor. The machine has a support platform for supporting a receptacle for foodstuffs to be mixed or otherwise processed. The machine has an electric motor used to drive mixing or processing tools disposed in the receptacle; and a heater for heating the foodstuffs in the receptacle. In order to ensure that the temperature of the foodstuffs is accurately determined, the base of the receptacle consists of multiple layers, including a first metallic material, such as aluminum, having a relatively high thermal conductivity, sandwiched between outer and inner skins of a second metallic material of lower thermal conductivity than the first metallic material. The machine is also provided with first and second probes, each protruding through the receptacle-supporting platform and urged upwardly to contact the inner skin and the first metallic material respectively. The second metallic material typically comprises stainless steel, and the heater typically comprises an induction heater, in which case the probes are constructed so as to resist absorption of heat from the energy field generated by the heater.
US08348184B2
A waterless method of processing coal to remove impurities therefrom includes drying a batch of coal to remove moisture therefrom, pulverizing the coal into individual coal particles to liberate impurity particles from the coal and without substantially reducing the size of the impurity particles, and separating the impurity particles and pulverized coal particles into respective product streams via air classification. The dryer includes a plurality of rotating paddles, and an air stream forces the coal through the plurality of rotating paddles to pulverize the coal into individual particles and liberate the impurities.
US08348178B2
Spraying installation (1) on a chassis (2) of a truck (3), comprising a spraying nozzle (4) at the free end of a telescopic arm (5) attached to the chassis (2) via elevation means, characterized by the telescopic arm (5) being supported in a first position (A) oriented along the length of the truck (3) and above the top of the truck, wherein the telescopic arm (5) is stowed in a horizontal transport position, and supported in at least one other, active position (B, C), whereby the telescopic arm stays in a horizontal position during the movement between said positions (A and B, C) in a space confined between the vertical planes of the two sides of the truck.
US08348175B2
There is provided an apparatus for preventing and removing fog at an airport runway. The apparatus includes: a water tank 10 buried in a ground around a runway; a water tank temperature sensor 20 for sensing a water temperature in the water tank; a heater 30 provided inside the water tank, for heating water contained in the water tank; a cooling device 40 provided inside the water tank, for cooling water contained in the water tank; the sprinklers 50 installed at opposite sides along the runway and over the ground around the runway, and supplied with the water from the water tank to spray water towards the atmosphere over and around the runway; and a controller 60 controlling, on the basis of the water temperature of the water tank measured using the temperature sensor, operation of the sprinklers, the heater, and the cooling device, according to an externally inputted operational signal.
US08348170B2
A simple and universal technique for fabricating different antenna structures, in particular a multilayer antenna structure, on a substrate is disclosed. Before the antenna is actually fabricated or placed on the substrate, connecting surfaces for connecting an antenna conductor and/or a chip or a chip module as well as through-platings extending through the antenna substrate are prepared between the connecting surfaces.
US08348167B2
There is provided in one embodiment an indicia reading apparatus having an image sensor array. The indicia reading apparatus can have a first operator selectable configuration and a second operator selectable configuration.
US08348163B2
An antenna device includes a first conductive plate, a second conductive plate, arranged in parallel with the first conductive plate, which has at least one slot formed thereon, a power feeding element located between the first and second conductive plates to feed power to the first conductive plate, and a shutter configured to be movable to close/open the slot of the second conductive plate.
US08348161B2
An improved structure of three-dimensional (3D) spectacles is provided, including a spectacle frame on which an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip is mounted. The 3D spectacles are specifically for use in a 3D auditorium or 3D theater and are composed of a frame, lenses, and temples. The RFID chip is combined with the spectacle frame by being embedded in the frame or attached to a surface of the frame. With the RFID chip so mounted, a theater worker may use a reader to identify if a specific pair of 3D spectacles has already been sanitized. Also, the 3D spectacles can help in entrance and exit management, ticketing management, distribution of souvenirs, and toilet guiding service. In file-out, a reader may be used to confirm the returning of 3D spectacles. In this way, the theater service quality can be significantly improved.
US08348153B2
The present invention provides a method for providing long term storage of customized transaction card images, comprising the steps of approving or rejecting a selected customized image, marking the customized image as approved or rejected, packaging the customized image into an image file for a transaction card issuer, sending the image file to the transaction card issuer via a secure transfer process, and sending the image file to long term storage.
US08348148B2
A metering infrastructure having smart devices that utilize smart cards. An infrastructure having a plurality of smart devices is disclosed wherein each smart device is adapted to be controlled by a removable smart card, and wherein each removable smart card includes a computational platform capable of storing and executing program code and a set of application programs capable of being executed on the computational platform, wherein each of the set of application programs is implemented to control an aspect of an associated smart device into which the removable smart card is inserted.
US08348145B2
Methods and systems are disclosed that include retrieving codes that are usable by a remote control device to remotely control a function of the electronic device. The methods and systems may also include transmitting the codes to the remote control device via a remote control device interface controllable by a processor of the electronic device.
US08348137B1
Connections can be made to microwires comprising a conductor of a lower melting point metal (e.g., indium 290) in a sheath of higher melting point polymer (e.g., PETG) by placing a small diameter spring, slightly larger in inside diameter than the outer diameter of the microwire, and of a readily solderable material over the distal end of the microwire. The conductor of the microwire is then soldered to the distal end of the spring in any of several ways that result in a solid member at the distal end of the microwire. The flexible spring provides a flexible support for the microwire, so that as the microwire flexes in use, the spring provides a strain relief; that is, the proximal portion of the spring flexes along with the microwire, so that the microwire bends over some distance rather than at a single point.
US08348132B2
Disclosed herein is a mask frame apparatus capable of forming a bump having a micro-pitch without performing the manufacturing and the operation controlling of a separate head apparatus and preventing the reduction of a mounting speed of solder balls due to the repetition of an operation of separately recovering the solder balls after they are mounted on a mask. A mask frame apparatus for mounting solder balls includes: an outer circumferential mask frame configured to supply solder balls and having a hollow type duct shape; and an inner mask duct having a duct shape and positioned over the inside of a circumference of the outer circumferential mask frame so as to be in communication with the outer circumferential mask frame, and including a plurality of mask openings formed in a duct shape bottom surface so that the solder balls introduced through the hollow type outer circumferential mask frame are mounted on a substrate by the flow of air.
US08348116B2
The nail gun contains a gun body and an adjustment device. The gun body has a base containing a top opening. The adjustment device is mounted on the base, and contains a sliding member and a positioning member. The sliding member contains two opposing elongated wing pieces extended along the two lateral sides of the base, respectively. Each wing piece has a through slot, and each slot has a number of positioning notches along a top side of the slot. The positioning member contains a positioning element and an elastic element. The positioning element is housed in the base and is exposed out of the top opening. The positioning element also contains at least a positioning bar extended out of the base into a slot to engage the positioning notches. The elastic element has its two ends connected to the positioning element and the base.
US08348106B2
A fluid dispensing device includes a pressurizing device coupled between a fluid bottle and a discharge tube for forcing the fluid to flow through the discharge tube without gravity, the pressurizing device includes a container having an inclined inner peripheral surface, and a piston slidably received in the container and having an outer peripheral portion for selectively engaging with the inclined inner peripheral surface of the container in order to pump the fluid into the discharge tube when the piston is moved toward the discharge tube with a coil, and for being selectively disengaged from the inner peripheral surface of the container when the piston is moved away from the discharge tube.
US08348102B2
A fluid product dispensing device has a reservoir containing fluid and dispenser head with a dispensing orifice. The reservoir moves relative to the dispenser head to cause dispensation. The reservoir is moved by a lateral actuator that pivots in relation to the dispenser head which in turn pivots an actuator link that is located in the middle of the lateral actuator which in turn is in contact with the reservoir itself. As the lateral actuator moves, the actuator link pivots and moves the reservoir closer to the dispensing head, which causes dispensation as desired by the user.
US08348095B2
A dose counter for a fluid dispenser device, said counter including a first rotary counter element (410) forming a units wheel, and a second rotary counter element (420) forming a tens wheel, said first counter element (410) co-operating with an actuator member (430) that is adapted to cause said first counter element (410) to turn each time said actuator member (430) is actuated, said first rotary counter element (410) including means (418, 419) that are adapted to cause said second counter element (420) to turn on every tenth actuation of said actuator member (430), said actuator member (430) including an opening that is mounted in rotary manner on said pivot pin (461), a substantially rigid and substantially rectilinear tab (431) extending radially from said opening, said tab (431) co-operating with the first counter element (410) on each actuation, said tab (431) being extended on the other side of said pivot pin by a substantially rigid and substantially rectilinear portion, that is itself connected to an elastically-deformable portion (434) of shape that is curved and that passes, at least in part, around the pivot pin (461).
US08348093B2
A dispensing kit for medicine bottlecaps that includes a first bottlecap with a first preprogrammed timer programmed for a first time interval, a second bottlecap with a second preprogrammed timer programmed for a second time interval and a dispensing device for independently dispensing the first and second bottlecaps.
US08348084B2
A container includes a first bowl suspended by a dual-axis gimbal within—and out of contact with—a second bowl. The first bowl includes a first opening and the second bowl includes a second opening. The first opening overlies the second opening to permit access to an interior storage space of the first bowl from an exterior of the container when the first and second bowls are in respective upright orientations. The first bowl may be rotated 180 degrees in every rotational direction relative to the second bowl. A lid is removably attachable to the second bowl and that inhibits rotational movement of the first bowl. A handle circumferentially extends entirely around the second bowl and defines an opening for a finger or thumb for gripping and holding of the container when the lid is attached.
US08348078B2
A leak proof/resistant drinking lid (10) is provided for use with beverage container. The lid (10) includes a manually actuated valve stem (16) mounted to a housing (14), a drinking port (18) extending through the housing (14), a drinking valve head (20) carried on the stem (16), a pressure relief port (22) extending through the drinking valve head (20), and a pressure relief valve head (24) mounted to the stem 16. The pressure relief valve head (24) is releasably mounted to the stem (16) by a connector (26). A resilient member (28) is sandwiched between the stem (16) and the drinking valve head (20) to transmit an actuating force from the stem (16) to the drinking valve head (20) and to allow the stem (16) and the pressure relief valve head (24) to translate relative to the drinking valve head (20).
US08348076B2
A collapsible container includes a main frame and at least one pivotable side wall that is pivotable between a collapsed position and an opened position. The pivotable side wall is provided with a spring lock insert secured therein and biased toward a lock position in which a lock portion of the spring lock insert extends beyond an end edge of the pivotable side wall. The main frame includes a latch opening that receives the spring lock insert when the pivotable side wall is in the opened position.
US08348064B2
A multi-cyclone sediment filter having a sediment bowl with a hemispherical bottom and a sump for collecting sediment, a cylindrical cyclone housing disposed above and sealingly connected to the sediment bowl, a removable and replaceable cyclone cartridge inserted into the cyclone housing, a diffuser plate sealingly connected to the cyclone cartridge and cyclone housing, a fluid inlet for introducing fluid into the cyclone housing, and a fluid outlet for discharging fluid from the cyclone housing. The cyclone cartridge inserted in the cyclone housing includes a plurality of vertically disposed inverted cone-shaped fluid cyclones, each having a small opening at a lower end and larger opening at an upper end. The cartridge has a plurality of fluid flow paths that direct fluid to the cyclones where a vortex is induced in the moving fluid. As sediment is removed from the fluid in each cyclone, it is separated out and delivered down into the sediment bowl sump, while fluid is directed upwardly and out to the fluid outlet.
US08348056B2
A pharmaceutical waste disposal assembly (1810) for disposing of sharps and one or more of fluid pharmaceutical waste and solid pharmaceutical waste includes a receiver assembly (1851) having a sharps receiver (1815), a waste receiver (1812), and a receiver retainer (1816). The sharps receiver (1815) receives sharps. The sharps receiver (1815) includes a sharps receiver body (1823) that defines a sharps region (1827C). The waste receiver (1812) receives one of fluid pharmaceutical waste and solid pharmaceutical waste. The waste receiver (1812) includes a waste receiver body (1819) that defines a waste region (1827A) that is independent of the sharps region (1827C). The receiver retainer (1816) receives the sharps receiver (1815) and the waste receiver (1812). The sharps receiver body (1823) and the waste receiver body (1819) are positioned substantially adjacent to one another within the receiver retainer (1816). The sharps receiver (1815) and the waste receiver (1812) are integrally formed as a unitary structure. Additionally, the sharps receiver (1815) and the waste receiver (1812) can be inserted into and/or removed from the receiver retainer (1816) together as an integrated unit.
US08348053B2
An adjacent article package for holding a consumer product and a promotional product includes a combining sleeve formed from a blank. The first container can be a pack of cigarettes and the second container can be a small package containing promotional products such as smokeless tobacco products. The adjacent article package can be sized to be compatible with cigarette cartons, cigarette display racks, tax-stamping equipment and the like.
US08348051B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to nested beverage containers and methods thereof. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to improved beverage containers having interlocking features with adjacent containers, allowing for ease of transportation and lower cost of packaging. In one embodiment, a nestable beverage container comprises a top portion comprising an opening into a voluminous body, a sealing means, and a connection means positioned beneath the sealing means, a bottom portion comprising a receiving means shaped to conform to the connection means of an adjacently nested container, and the voluminous body being defined by the top portion, the bottom portion and a side wall, wherein the opening into the voluminous body is the only means for accessing contents of the nestable beverage container.
US08348049B2
A conveyor system for transporting cylindrical objects is disclosed including an endless conveyor arranged in a transport path, a drive for feeding the endless conveyor, guide rails for restricting lateral movement of cylindrical objects transported on the endless conveyor, an elevation transport section adapted to transport the cylindrical objects from a first height to a second height and including the endless conveyor having a base surface extending along the transport path, the endless conveyor including vertical protrusions extending outwardly from the base surface of the endless conveyor and including a front wall with an inclined portion sloping towards the base surface, such that a cylindrical object transported on the elevation transport section can rest on the inclined portion under a contact force directed towards the base surface by gravity.
US08348034B2
A cauterizing system having a cauterizer tool for performing cauterization procedures, a cauterizer cord for carrying power to the cauterizer tool, a plug and a power cord for carrying power from the plug to the cauterizer cord, and a housing in which is mounted a mechanism for retracting and extending the cauterizer cord and the power cord.
US08348027B2
The flow of hydraulic fluid induced by sliding movement of a piston in a cylinder is controlled by a pilot-type main valve and a pilot valve, which is a pressure control valve, thereby generating damping force. By thrust from a solenoid actuator, the valve-opening pressure of the pilot valve is controlled, and the pressure in a pilot chamber is also controlled to control the valve-opening pressure of the main valve. When there is a failure, a valve body of the pilot valve is retracted to abut against a fail-safe disk by spring force of a valve spring. Thus, damping force is generated by the fail-safe disk at the downstream side of the pilot valve, and the valve-opening pressure of the main valve is also controlled by the fail-safe disk to obtain an appropriate damping force.
US08348025B2
The present invention is a shim or shim assembly that clips onto a brake caliper piston. It is generally a rimmed round (disc or annular) shape to cap the edges of the caliper piston and includes surface features for lubrication, and improved fitting. Reduced noise from frictional fretting is provided along with protection of piston's outer rim. Reduced thermal transfer into the piston is also provided.
US08348024B2
A motor-driven disk brake system is capable of preventing a pressing member from moving beyond a predetermined position at a time of stopping a motor. When a command for system termination is issued, motor current is reduced intermittently, which correspondingly reduces a motor displacement gradually such that a return force is spent gradually on a return displacement of a motor and a piston, thereby preventing a rotational speed of a rotor from increasing. A large accelerated backward movement of the motor and the piston beyond a predetermined position due to inertia is thereby prevented, because the return force does not act all at once during the return displacement of the motor and the piston. Accordingly, the piston is stopped near a standby position of non-braking state before system termination. As a result, a next activation of the motor-driven disk brake system can be conducted promptly.
US08348019B2
In an elevator element for driving or reversing an elevator suspension device in an elevator system, that interacts with an elevator suspension device, the arithmetic mean of the roughness value of the contact surface measured in the circumferential direction of the elevator element, and the mean roughness value of the contact surface measured in the axial direction of the elevator element, are different. The arithmetic mean roughness value of the contact surface measured in the circumferential direction of the elevator element is less than 1 micrometer.
US08348015B2
An access ladder includes a plurality of sections connected together to telescope between an extended position and a retracted position that has an increasing reactive force to counterbalance the weight of the sections as they extend. A method for accessing a room with a ladder connected to a ceiling including the steps of moving the ladder to a fully extended position subject to an increasingly active force to counterbalance the weight of the ladder as it extends. There is the step of retracting the ladder into a retracted position in the ceiling.
US08348013B2
An exhaust device of an internal combustion engine for reducing exhaust sound and for suppressing the occurrence of a torque valley. A sound-deadening and pressure-dissipating device connected to the downstream end of an exhaust pipe includes a spherical member having an opening portion opening toward a downstream edge of the exhaust pipe. Exhaust gas from the exhaust pipe is reflected by an inner spherical surface of the spherical member to reduce exhaust pressure in the spherical member and then is discharged from the opening portion.
US08348008B2
In an electric power steering system, a motor drive controller that has an inverter circuit board and a control circuit board housed in a control case is provided so as to overlap a control case fixation surface formed at an end portion of a gear housing in the axial direction of a steering shaft, so that it is possible to reduce the projection in the axial direction of a motor as compared to the conventional one. In addition, a metallic board is used for the inverter circuit board and the inverter circuit board is fixed to the control case fixation surface so as to be in surface contact therewith, so that it is possible to efficiently dissipate the heat generated on the inverter circuit board into the gear housing and a fixation support plate.
US08348003B2
There is provided an occupant detection correction system including: a load detection section that detects load imparted to a vehicle seat and outputs a load signal representing the load; an occupant detection section that detects an occupant based on the load signal and is capable of resetting the load signal to a reference point based on a predetermined reset instruction; a tilt angle detection section that detects a predetermined tilt angle of a seatback; and a permitting section that permits execution of resetting the load signal to the reference point by the occupant detection section when the predetermined tilt angle is detected by the tilt angle detection section.
US08347988B2
A down-hole hammer comprising a drill bit (10) and a drive collar (11) with an interconnection therebetween for causing rotation of the drill bit upon rotation of the drive collar. The drill bit (10) comprises a drill bit head (13) and a shank (19), the drill bit head (13) defining a cutting face (15) and having a circumferential shoulder section (17) adjacent the cutting face (15). The shank (19) extends from the shoulder section (17) in the direction away from the cutting face (15). The interconnection between the drill bit (10) and the drive collar (11) comprises a spline assembly including at least one spline (43) on the shoulder section (17) for mating engagement with at least one counterpart spline (63) on the drive collar (11) to provide a drive coupling therebetween while also allowing the drill bit (10) to slide axially within the drive collar (11) to perform a percussive action.
US08347982B2
A system compensates for heave induced pressure fluctuations on a floating rig when a drill string or tubular is lifted off bottom and suspended on the rig, such as when tubular connections are made during MPD, tripping, or when a kick is circulated out during conventional drilling. In one embodiment, a liquid and a gas interface moves along a flow line between a riser and a gas accumulator as the tubular moves up and down. In another embodiment, a pressure relief valve or adjustable choke allows the movement of fluid from the riser when the tubular moves down, and a pump with a pressure regulator moves fluid to the riser when the tubular moves up. In other embodiments, a piston connected with the rig or the riser telescoping joint moves in a fluid container thereby communicating fluid either into or out of the riser annulus.
US08347980B2
A hydraulic aggregate comprises a container, a reservoir for hydraulic oil, and a pump driven by a motor arranged in the reservoir. The motor is a pneumatic motor. An electric control unit for controlling a main valve is mounted on the container. The main valve causes a reversal of the stroke direction of the hydraulic connections. The division into pneumatics and low power electronics leads to an explosion-proof embodiment of low weight and little technical complexity.
US08347972B2
An improved multi-bolt and nut torque wrench for installing and removing bolts or nuts from flanged joints or the like which includes a plurality of torque stations having a plurality of high torque wrenches for engaging the heads of the bolts or nuts during a high torque phase of removal or installation; a plurality of low-torque motors operatively engaged with the wrenches for rotating the bolts or nuts during the low torque phase of removal or installation; a source of hydraulic fluid for driving the low-torque motors during the low-torque phase, and driving the high-torque wrenches during the high torque phase; and a mechanism for switching between the two phases depending on the torque needed.
US08347969B2
Pressure relief devices comprise a chamber having a piston disposed therein. One side of the piston defines a hydrostatic chamber in fluid communication with an outside environment, such as an isolated wellbore annulus, through a port. The other side of the piston defines a sealed or isolated chamber. The pressure relief device permits changes in pressure in the isolated wellbore annulus to be distributed into the chambers so as to either reduce the pressure within the isolated wellbore annulus or increase the pressure within the wellbore annulus, both of which lessen the likelihood that the change in pressure within the isolated wellbore annulus will damage wellbore components disposed therein.
US08347966B2
A system in some embodiments includes a system, having a seal assembly, including an inner energizing ring, an outer energizing ring, a load ring disposed between the inner energizing ring and the outer energizing ring, a sealing element, and a lock ring. Further other embodiments provide a method of sealing, including rotating an inner energizing ring in a direction to move the inner energizing ring in a first axial direction to seat a seal, rotating an outer energizing ring in the direction to wedgingly engage and set a lock ring in a radial direction, and rotating a load ring in the direction to move the load ring in a second axial direction to set the lock ring.
US08347962B2
A shaped charge assembly for use in a perforating gun that further comprises a charge carrier, and gun housing. The charge carrier substantially encapsulates the closed portion of the shaped charge and extends from the outer periphery of the shaped charge to the inner diameter of the associated gun housing. Encapsulating the shaped charge substantially reduces the introduction of debris into the wellbore resulting from detonation of the perforating gun shaped charges. The charge carrier can include a multiplicity of shaped charges therein.
US08347961B2
A method of servicing a wellbore in a subterranean formation, comprising preparing a cement composition comprising water and a cementitious material, wherein the cementitious material further comprises blast furnace slag, vitrified shale, calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate or combinations thereof, and placing the cement composition in the wellbore. A cement composition comprising water and a cementitious material, wherein the cementitious material further comprises blast furnace slag, vitrified shale, calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate or combinations thereof. A cement composition comprising water and a cementitious material, wherein the cementitious material further comprises blast furnace slag.
US08347955B1
Method and apparatus for a plunger lift mechanism with a main channel disposed between a first and second valve. The first valve is closed by engaging a sealing member to a first seat at a proximal end of the main channel and the second valve consequently closes to with a sealing member engaging a second seat at a distal end of the main channel. An amount of pressure accumulates on a first side of the plunger lift to overcome a pressure on a second side of the plunger lift to force the plunger lift to traverse a well bore and evacuate any fluids present above the plunger lift.
US08347954B2
An intermittent lift plunger includes at least one seal mandrel, a bottom sub and an upper valve assembly. The valve assembly is closed by a well bottom stop which inserts into the lift plunger and opened by a lubricator stop at the top of the well. The seal mandrel includes a sleeve seal formed from an elastomeric rubber or plastic, which inflates to engage the well bore surface when the valve is closed and a pressure differential exists.
US08347951B2
A heat dissipation device includes a canister filled with a phase-changeable working fluid, a housing hermetically fixed to a top of the canister and communicating with the canister, a fan located above a top of the housing and an impeller comprising a driving member received in the housing, an annular magnet accommodated in the hub and an axle coaxially connecting the driving member and the annular magnet together. The fan includes a plurality of windings fixed on an inner side thereof. When the working fluid is heated and vaporized to move through the driving member, the driving member is driven by the vaporized working fluid to rotate, whereby the annular magnet rotates within the windings to cause the windings to generate a current.
US08347949B2
An exemplary embodiment provides a method of eliminating a shrinkage cavity in a metal ingot cast by direct chill casting. The method involves casting an upright ingot having an upper surface at an intended height. Upon completion of the casting, the lower tip of the spout is maintained below the molten metal near the center of the upper surface. The metal flow through the spout is terminated and a partial shrinkage cavity is allowed to form as metal of the ingot shrinks and contracts. Before the partial cavity exposes the lower tip of the spout, the cavity is preferably over-filled with molten metal, while avoiding spillage of molten metal, and then the flow of metal through the spout is terminated. These steps are repeated until no further contraction of the metal causes any part of the upper surface to contract below the intended ingot height.
US08347946B2
The present invention provides a flaskless molding machine that can use a matching plate of different thicknesses. The flaskless molding machine has two molding flasks that have a matching plate sandwiched between them, the two molding flasks being positioned in a way such that one of opening ends of the molding flasks is opposed to each other and each of the other opening ends of the molding flasks is engaged with a squeezing board, and a pair of spaces is formed, into which spaces molding sand is filled by air through each of the openings for introducing the molding sand, disposed on a wall of each of the two molding flasks that are opposed to each other, the flaskless molding machine thus constituted being able to mold two molds by squeezing the molding sand with the squeezing boards.
US08347945B1
A method of molding a platform opening includes the steps of providing a main body core and a platform core, with the main body core having a portion that forms a portion of the platform. The platform core has at least one side portion that will form a side opening. Molten metal is directed around the cores within a mold and solidifies. The cores are removed, leaving cavities where the cores were within the molten metal, and includes an opening in a side face formed by the side portion of the platform body core. Lost core components are also disclosed and claimed.
US08347939B2
A corrosion resistant intruder screen has a frame including elongate frame members (3) with a mesh (4) clamped to frame members (3). The frame members (3) each have a first holding channel (50) formed therein and a clamping portion (6) spaced from the first holding channel (50). Clamping members (7) co-act with fastening means (8) to clamp the mesh (4) between the clamping members (7) and the clamping portions (6) with leveraged clamping action. The screen includes covers (54) which are configured to be clipped to the frame members (3) and which each have a second holding channel (60) formed therein. The screen further includes a sealing assembly comprising first sealing members (51) and second sealing members (61). The first sealing members (51) are supported by the first holding channel (50) in the frame members (3) and positioned against one side of the mesh (4) and the second sealing members (61) are supported by the second holding channel (60) in the covers (54) and positioned on another side of the mesh (4).
US08347938B2
According to the invention, a multilayer or insulating window pane (1) having at least two rigid panes (1P) and a spacer frame (1S) which connects these panes so as to form a tightly sealed intermediate space between the panes, and also an electrical component (3; for example motor, valve) which is arranged in the intermediate space between the panes, and also an associated electrical connection device is equipped with a detection device (4) for operating data of the component (3), which detection device cannot be manipulated from the outside but can be at least indirectly read off or read out. As a result, switch-on processes or times, maximum current consumption or operating temperature or the like, for example, can be detected and checked for servicing and/or monitoring purposes by reading out the operating data.
US08347931B2
An attaching device and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting device using the same are disclosed. The attaching device includes a process chamber, first and second substrate supporters, a substrate detachable part, and an open-close valve. The first and second substrate supporters are positioned inside the process chamber, load and fix substrates. The substrate detachable part is positioned inside the second substrate supporter, and moves up and down to allow the second substrate supporter to instantaneously receive a physical pressure. The open-close valve is positioned on a portion of the process chamber, and opens and closes the process chamber to control a pressure inside the process chamber.
US08347922B2
A method and apparatus for the recovery of vapors associated with propane fueling. The fuel vapor recovery system can be implemented with typical retail propane fueling facilities. The recovery method may include capturing vapors vented during the filling of a portable propane tank into a recovery tank, and transferring some of these recovered vapors into a second tank to be filled.
US08347915B2
A method of exhausting a gas in a chamber of a load-lock system having a first valve defining an opening for supplying a gas and a second valve defining an opening for conveyance of an article. The method includes a gas supplying step for supplying a gas heated by a heater into the chamber through the first valve, while the first valve and the second valve are kept open, a conveying step for conveying the article into the chamber while the second valve is kept open, and an exhausting step to be carried out after the gas supplying step and the conveying step are executed and the first and second valves are closed, to exhaust the gas inside the chamber while the first valve and the second valve are kept closed.
US08347914B2
System for filling a tank comprising a pipe head and a fill pipe extending between the pipe head and the tank. The pipe head comprises a chamber with an inlet opening that connects to the atmosphere and an outlet opening that connects to the fill pipe and a stopper being movable between open and closed positions to open or close the access to the fill pipe, the head inlet and outlet openings being sized and arranged to allow introduction of a filling nozzle into the fill pipe through the pipe head when the stopper is in its open position. The fill pipe comprises or is preceded by a local restriction designed so that the cross section of the passage for the nozzle is substantially reduced to the outer diameter of the nozzle. A degassing connection links the fill pipe and the pipe head outside of its outlet opening.
US08347910B2
A water refilling plug for automatically filling battery cells has a cylindrical plug housing that includes a connector fitting for water delivery into a housing, as well as a valve, actuated by a float, having an annular valve body and a conical valve seat. The valve is arranged between an inflow channel and an outflow channel leading into the battery cell. In accordance with the invention, swirl-generating deflection channels are arranged between the annular inflow channel and the conical valve seat in a pattern distributed over a circumference in the plug.
US08347907B2
An electrical connection device for a gas control valve. In one embodiment the device has a first electrical insulation member with an aperture extending between top and bottom surfaces and a second electrical insulation member having a top face and a bottom face and situated in the aperture of the first electrical insulation member so that the top face resides in the aperture and the bottom face resides outside the aperture. A joint member connects the first and second electrical insulation members. The device also includes first and second electrical terminals that are electrically insulated from one another and wherein each extends from the second electrical insulation member through the joint member to a location outside the first electrical insulation member. The first electrical terminal has a first inner terminal situated on the first face of the second electrical insulation member, a first outer terminal that projects out radially from the first insulation member, and a first intermediate segment that extends between the first inner terminal and the first outer terminal. The second electrical terminal has a second inner terminal situated on the second face of the second electrical insulation member, a second outer terminal that projects out radially from the first insulation member, and a second intermediate segment that extends between the second inner terminal and the second outer terminal.
US08347903B2
A colander/bowl set includes a bowl having at least one indicator; and a colander comprising a plurality of holes, the colander being insertable into the bowl and removably attachable to the bowl. The at least one indicator is a calibrated guide positioned at a height of a maximum amount of water which the colander/bowl set holds, accounting for displacement of water by the colander and by a particular kind of food.
US08347901B2
The present invention provides a substrate cleaning method capable of removing particles from the entire surface of a substrate to be processed at a high removing efficiency. In the substrate cleaning method according to the present invention, a substrate to be processed W is immersed in a cleaning liquid in a cleaning tank 12. Then, ultrasonic waves are generated in the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning tank 12, so that the substrate to be processed W is subjected to an ultrasonic cleaning process. While the substrate to be processed is being cleaned, a dissolved gas concentration of a gas dissolved in the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning tank is changed.
US08347897B2
The invention relates to an apparatus for hot and cold processing (1), the apparatus comprising: a heat pump (74) configured to pump heat from a first part of the heat pump to a second part of the heat pump, thereby cooling the first part of the heat pump for cold processing (73); a first heat sink (72) arranged to be in thermal contact with the second part of the heat pump such that heat may be transferred from the second part of the heat pump to the first heat sink and thereby cool the second part of the heat pump.
US08347890B2
An automated tissue retention system generally comprises an oral appliance retractably coupled to a covering which is secured to an anterior portion of the tongue. Once placed within a subject's mouth, the appliance may be maintained in a closed configuration while the subject's mouth remains closed. However, as the subject sleeps and the tongue becomes hypotonic, the subject's mouth typically opens during a sleep disordered event. The appliance may be actuated by the separation between the mandible and maxilla to have greater tension and thus retract or pull anteriorly the covering adhered to the tongue. As the covering pulls the tongue anteriorly or maintains a position of the tongue, the base of the tongue may be inhibited or prevented from collapsing posteriorly against the phryngeal tissue walls and thereby allow the subject to breathe normally.
US08347886B2
A patient interface that reliably and comfortably seals a user's face by providing an oral-nasal mask that includes an integrated nasal interface. The patient interface includes a seal member having an oral cushion portion configured to surround the user's mouth and a nasal interface portion that provides an interface with the user's nose. The seal member, including the oral cushion portion and the nasal interface portion, is a unitary member. Finally, the nasal interface portion remains below the bridge of the nose.
US08347885B2
A nasal filter includes a main body, a cover, and a filtering medium. The main body has a hollow cylinder, a boss connected to a spherical member, a flange, and a plurality of internal guide vanes. The hollow cylinder has a front and a rear opening. A first threaded portion is formed on the outer surface at the front end portion of the hollow cylinder. A thru hole is formed on the cover and aligns correspondingly to the front opening of the hollow cylinder. A second threaded portion is formed on the inner surface of the cover for mating to the first threaded portion on the hollow cylinder. The filtering medium is held in between the cover and the hollow cylinder and covers the thru hole. A filter pad is further included to provide additional functions. Accordingly, the nasal filter offers air purification and doe not cover the mouth.
US08347880B2
A flexible pneumostoma management device maintains the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of material through the pneumostoma. The pneumostoma management device includes a pneumostoma vent having a tube which enters the pneumostoma to allow gases to escape the lung, a flange and a filter/valve to control flow of materials through the tube. The flange is a thin flexible patch which conforms and attaches to the chest of the patient. The flange secures the tube in position in the pneumostoma. The device has features to control secretions from the pneumostoma. The secretion management features include, ridges, pores, absorbent materials, and combinations thereof.
US08347870B1
By mounting a bow stabilizer equipped with a mounting base member for mounting the stabilizer to an archery bow and an adjustable stabilizing block gradationally adjustable along the mounting base member in a transverse relationship to a major axis of the archery bow, a highly effective archery bow stabilizer is provided. The stabilizer is equipped with a stop for maintaining the adjustable stabilizer block at the desired stabilizing position. Mounts for mounting weighted stabilizing rods to the adjustable stabilizing block and at an off-set angular position upon the mounting base member coupled with an attached adjustable wrist sling for anchoring archer's wrist and bow to the bow stabilizer provides a unique and highly effective archery bow stabilizer.
US08347869B2
Quiet, lightweight, well-balanced, forgiving, and accurate compound archery bows which have significantly reduced vibration and bow jump. The limbs and cams of these bows can be removed and replaced without a bow press, and the limbs of the bows are functional (active) over essentially their entire length and allow one to obtain equivalent performance from a more compact and lighter bow. The bow limbs may be leverage locked in articulated limb pockets. The limb butts extend forward well beyond the front of the riser. This eliminates limb length and limb angle as major factors in determining brace height, allowing one to choose a riser style and limb length which optimize arrow speed and bow stabilization. Novel adjustment mechanisms allow one to easily adjust the poundage or poundage and brace height of the bow. Vibration isolation systems may be employed to isolate the bow riser from the limb pockets. Bows with translating pockets, bows with stationery pockets and articulated risers, asymmetric bow limbs, and solid bow limbs with double belly cuts are also disclosed.
US08347868B2
The present invention provides for a collapsible locking slingshot having a quick-release interchangeable band replacement safety system. The present invention also includes a self-centering, open-pocket slingshot pouch and a unique dual-tapered band. The slingshot collapses into a lockable case, improving the slingshot's safety, and enhancing the protection and longevity of the slingshot's components. The slingshot incorporates a unique shoot-over design in which the arms generally are parallel to the shooter's arm during operation.
US08347866B2
An engine control system includes a saturation determination module, an adjustment factor generation module, and a fuel control module. The saturation determination module determines when a first exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) sensor is saturated, wherein the first EGO sensor is located upstream from a catalyst. The adjustment factor generation module generates an adjustment factor for an integral gain of a fuel control module when the first EGO sensor is saturated. The fuel control module adjusts a fuel command for an engine based on differences between expected and measured amounts of oxygen in exhaust gas produced by the engine, a proportional gain, the integral gain, and the integral gain adjustment factor.
US08347865B2
A system for processing PCV gases is disclosed. In one example, the system includes an oil passage solely linking an oil separator to an engine crankcase. The system can provide an oil column that provides for continuous oil return from the oil separator to the engine crankcase even during conditions of higher levels of engine vacuum.
US08347852B2
Methods are provided for controlling an engine in response to a pre-ignition event. A pre-ignition threshold and a pre-ignition mitigating action are adjusted based on a rate of change of cylinder aircharge. As a result, pre-ignition events occurring during transient engine operating conditions are detected and addressed different from pre-ignition events occurring during steady-state engine operating conditions.
US08347850B2
An internal-combustion engine can be operated in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode at least under certain operating conditions. The combustion mixture present in the combustion chamber reaches auto-ignition conditions and ignites itself. The internal-combustion engine includes a triggering unit for triggering the auto-ignition during the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode before the auto-ignition conditions have been reached. The triggering unit is constructed as a corona ignition system and can be operated for triggering the auto-ignition during the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode, particularly by generating a non-thermal plasma.
US08347848B2
An engine having a rotor including at least one slot and at least one combustion chamber used to form a cavity is provided. The engine also includes at least one vane rollably disposed in the slot, and a block for receiving the rotor, and having a first quadrant including an inlet port, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant having an outlet port. The vane moves through the first quadrant, drawing air into the block and the cavity. The vane then moves through the second quadrant, compressing the air. The vane then moves through the third quadrant, combusting the air, and forcing the rotor to rotate. The vane then moves through the fourth quadrant, forcing the air out of the outlet port.
US08347847B2
The invention relates to heat engines and more specifically to positive displacement internal combustion engines, and is particularly concerned with oscillating engines i.e. engines, in which piston executes oscillating motion. The invention provides the optimal, “canonical” form for the two stroke oscillating engine of unique strenght and compactness.
US08347843B1
A piston for internal combustion engines, having a series of conical openings at the center of each skirt section, each conical opening being horizontally located one to another and each conical opening in one skirt section aligned to another conical opening at the opposite skirt section. Each conical opening is also aligned to an oil drain hole at the oil groove located at the crown of the piston and having the external diameter larger that its internal diameter. Once installed, said conical openings forms an internal storing unit, wherein the oil or lubricant is stored and distributed constantly after being squirted out from the rod bearing to the piston, allowing the formation of a continuous lubricant film, without reducing the strength of the piston structure.
US08347835B2
A cam bearing cap may include a first bearing cap region, a pump mounting region, an oil inlet, and an oil outlet. The first bearing cap region may extend over and secure a first camshaft to an engine assembly. The pump mounting region may extend from the first bearing cap region and may have a secondary oil pump mounted thereto. The oil inlet may extend through the pump mounting region and may provide communication between the secondary oil pump and an oil supply. The oil outlet may extend through the pump mounting region and may provide communication between the secondary oil pump and a hydraulically actuated engine component.
US08347833B2
The present invention provides a cross-cycle internal combustion engine that can conduct a combustion cycle called as the cross-cycle with diesel ignition means. The diesel type cross-cycle operation consists of seven processes, which are the intake-process, the cold-compression process, the injection process, the cold-expansion process, the exhaust process, the hot-compression process, and the diesel-ignition process.
US08347832B2
A fuel supply and combustion chamber system for a portable power tool, such as, for example, a fastener-driving tool, wherein the fuel supply and combustion chamber system can utilize liquid or gaseous fuels. The fuel supply and combustion chamber system can comprise multiple combustion chambers for achieving predetermined combustion and power output characteristics. In addition, the fuel supply and combustion chamber system can utilize portioning valve structures for providing predetermined amounts of either a gaseous or liquid fuel into the portable power tool combustion chamber.
US08347831B2
A control valve for a fluid flow circuit comprises a body that has a fluid inlet and at least two fluid outlets (20, 22, 24) and that defines an axisymmetric housing for a modulating member capable of rotating about an axis of rotation (XX) and adopting different angular positions to control the distribution of the fluid through the outlets. The body comprises a side wall (16) into which the fluid outlets open. The side wall (16) and/or the modulating member comprises sunken areas (EV) and non-sunken areas (CR), the sunken areas (EV) serving to reduce the surface area of the modulating member (26) in contact with the side wall (16).
US08347817B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for feeding a pet in a manner that engages the pet and provides stimulation and exercise. Exemplary apparatus for dispensing animal food include a food hopper for containing animal food operatively connected to a food handler that launches a portion or ration of the animal food away from the unit in response to detecting a triggering action of the animal.
US08347814B2
An apparatus includes a workpiece support, a source that is spaced from the workpiece support and can emit a plume of coating material toward the workpiece support, and plume adjusting structure that, between the source and workpiece support, can influence a plume of material flowing from the source. A different aspect involves a method that includes emitting from a source a plume of coating material that flows toward a workpiece support, and adjusting, between the source and the workpiece support, a plume of material flowing from the source.
US08347809B2
A slot nozzle assembly for extruding a foamable melted material in a wide band including a plurality of foamable melted material passages, lateral distribution flow routes communicating with the plurality of foamable melted material passages, a restriction member disposed inside the lateral distribution flow routes, a slot for discharging foamable melted material, and a converging portion which communicates with the lateral distribution flow routes and the slot, and whose cross-section area gradually becomes smaller toward the slot.
US08347800B1
Methods of tufting a pattern in a backing material using a plurality of different yarns A, B, . . . n that are threaded in the needles of a needle bar in a non-repeating sequence or pattern of yarn sets across the width of the needle bar.
US08347796B2
A furniture system, method of assembling furniture for a work space, and a fastening apparatus for interconnecting furniture components include one or more fastening devices. Each fastening device includes a body that has a channel sized and configured to receive a first rail. Each fastening device also includes at least one of a connector assembly and an opening formed in the body for attaching the fastening device to at least one other furniture component. The connector assembly and the opening in the body are sized and configured so that the other furniture components are positioned such that at least one of their height and length extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the first rail, such as a direction that is mostly perpendicular to the length of the first rail. Other embodiments of the fastening device may include variations in configurations to the connector assembly or body.
US08347795B2
A table may be sized and configured to nest with one or more adjacent tables to reduce a height of the table in a nested configuration. The table may include a table top constructed from molded plastic and the table top may include a receiving portion sized and configured to receive an engaging portion of a frame of an adjacent table in the nested configuration. The table may also include a metal frame connected to the table top and the frame may include an engaging portion sized and configured to be disposed in a receiving portion of an adjacent table in the nested configuration. If desired, an outer surface of the engaging portion may be visible and exposed in the recess in the lip.
US08347794B2
An industrial platform for material handling, such as a plastic pallet, is constructed of three scuffed thermoplastic sheets, including exterior intumescent polymeric surfaces for resisting the spread of combustion flames and insulating the interior surfaces from the high temperature of fire. The pallet is reinforced with optional rigidifying structures without article modification. Pallet members are joined with snap together features providing an assembled article. The pallet includes handles for ergonomic manipulation by workers and is readily adapted to receive a number of unitization accessories for enhancing material handling operations.
US08347779B2
In cylinder chambers 14 and 15 of a housing 10 constituting an actuator main body 13, racks 17 and 18, to both end portions of which piston portions 17a and 18a are provided, are reciprocably incorporated. A pinion 25 meshing with the racks 17 and 18 is provided on a rotary shaft 24 rotatably mounted to the housing 10. An inner ring 32 is incorporated inside an outer ring 41 fixed to the housing 10, and the inner ring 32 is attached to the rotary shaft 24 and rotates and drives a swung member. Rollers 43 serving as rolling elements are incorporated between an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 41 and an outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 32, and the rotary shaft 24 and the inner ring 32 are rotatably supported by the outer ring 41 via the rollers 43.
US08347777B2
In weapon shot is fired during counterrecoil. The counterrecoil energy damps the recoil energy. During recoil, the breech block is unlocked, the spent cartridge case is ejected from the barrel by the residual pressure of the powder gases and is directed by a deflector into a hole in the gun carriage. When recoiling into the aftmost position, the barrel approaches the projectile and locks it by means of the breech block. Meanwhile, the next cartridge is taken from a magazine. In the event of misfire, the barrel, continuing to counterrecoil, actuates an extractor for removing the defective projectile. A recoil imitator returns the barrel to the aftmost position, where it is loaded with a projectile in a manner similar to the post-firing recoil. The technical result is ability to load the weapon automatically before firing or to reload the weapon automatically in the event of misfire.
US08347776B2
A gun mount for mounting a weapon to a vehicle includes a weapon mount plate defining a planar surface. First and second side plates are oriented at an angle to the weapon mount plate planar surface. Front and rear plates are perpendicular to the weapon mount plate and the first and second side plates supporting the weapon mount plate and fixed to the first and second side plates. A male tab extends from both the first and second side plates. A female slot is created in individual ones of both the front and rear plates. The female slot is aligned to slidably receive the male tab with a male tab freely extending portion extending beyond the female slot. A tab weld joint created at the freely extending portion of the male tab fixes the first and second side plates to the front and rear plates.
US08347768B2
A screw driver for a screw having a drive socket having an axially extending shaft with a bifurcated tip, the tip having a cross-sectional profile for insertion into a cross-sectional profile of the screw socket. The shaft has a tapered section adjacent the bifurcated tip. A bushing is mounted on an outer surface of the shaft for axial movement therealong. The bushing has inwardly extending protrusions for engaging the tapered section on the shaft upon movement in the axial direction along the shaft in a direction. away from the tip. This allows the selective capture or release of the screw by the shaft tip by axial movement of the bushing away from and towards the shaft distal tip.
US08347766B2
An automatic screw tightening apparatus has a screw discharging unit for transferring a screw to a transfer tube, an engaging unit for engaging the head part of the screw transferred from the transfer tube with a front end of a driver, and an openable and closable sealing cover for preventing air from leaking and which is opened and exposes the screw for tightening.
US08347752B2
An actuating device for transmitting shift commands to an automatic gearbox of a motor vehicle. The actuating device comprises a selector lever which is movable in a selector lane between an automatic shift lane and a sequential shift lane, a shift carriage for transmitting the shift commands to a gearbox transmission element, a separating device for separating the force transmission between the selector lever and the shift carriage, and a locking device for blocking the selector lever in at least one selector lever position. The locking device is set up to block the shift carriage. The shift carriage can be blocked not only in the shift-lock positions but also in the position of the shift carriage which corresponds to the selector lane position of the selector lever.
US08347733B2
The present invention pertains to a flow conditioner for displacing and mixing fluid flow to minimize the effects of thermal gradients on the accuracy of a transit time ultrasonic flowmeter and defines an envelope in a cross sectional direction in a pipe having a first ramp adapted to be disposed in the pipe and extending from the outside of the envelope inward toward the center of the pipe in a downstream direction with respect to the fluid flow and forming an angle between 0° and 90° relative to the pipe's inner surface. The conditioner has a second ramp adapted to be disposed in the pipe and in juxtaposition with the first ramp, the second ramp extending from the outside of the envelope inward toward the center of the pipe in an upstream direction with respect to the fluid flow and forming an angle between 0° and 90° relative to the pipe's inner surface. An apparatus for determining fluid flow in a pipe having ultrasonic transducer sites. A method for determining fluid flow in a pipe. A method for affecting fluid flow in a pipe.
US08347730B2
A substantially flexible implant holder for holding a substantially tubular implant structure during fatigue testing of the implant structure, the implant holder having a substantially elongate cavity for occupation by the tubular implant structure and a cavity-surrounding part which extends from at least a first longitudinal end of the cavity to at least a second longitudinal end of the cavity, the cavity-surrounding part having a stiffness which gradually changes from a relatively high stiffness adjacent each of the longitudinal ends of the cavity to a relatively low stiffness adjacent a middle portion which is situated between the two longitudinal ends of the cavity.
US08347728B2
An integrated circuit 2 is formed of multiple wafer layers 4, 6, 8, 10 arranged in a stack and connected with through silicon vias 12. Mechanical strain sensors 26, 28, 30, 32 in the form of ring oscillators are provided proximal to the through silicon vias 12 and detect mechanical strain associated with the through silicon via 12. The measured mechanical strain may be used to dynamically adjust operating parameters of the integrated circuit either as a whole or in regions where the mechanical strain is detected. The operating parameters adjusted can include clock frequency, operating voltage and heat generation.
US08347721B2
A micromechanical acceleration sensor includes a substrate with a substrate surface arranged in one plane, a first counter-electrode arranged on the substrate surface, a second counter-electrode arranged on the substrate surface, and a rocking mass arranged above the first counter-electrode and the second counter-electrode. The rocking mass is in this case connected to the substrate via a torsion spring which permits tilting of the rocking mass about an axis of rotation. Further provided are a first compensation counter-electrode arranged on the substrate surface and a second compensation counter-electrode arranged on the substrate surface. In addition, a first compensation electrode is arranged above the first compensation counter-electrode and a second compensation electrode is arranged above the second compensation counter-electrode.
US08347716B2
An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and designed to be actuated in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass and a second sensing mass, suspended within, and coupled to, the driving mass via respective elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in said driving movement and to perform a respective detection movement in response to an angular velocity. In particular, the first and the second sensing masses are connected together via elastic coupling elements, configured to couple their modes of vibration.
US08347712B2
A balancing machine for rotating bodies, particularly for wheels of motor vehicles and the like, including a rotating shaft supported by a supporting element which is connected rigidly to the frame of the balancing machine, at least one first measurement transducer and one second measurement transducer being coupled elastically, along perpendicular planes, to an extension of the supporting element, an actuation motor being connected to the rotating shaft by means of a belt, the actuation motor being connected on an extension of the supporting element, and the extension connecting the rotating shaft to the measurement transducers.
US08347711B2
A full-tensor, gravity gradient measuring system is disclosed that is based on atom interferometry. Each axis in the three-axis measuring system is served by a different gravity gradiometer, where each gradiometer comprises three pairs of atom interferometric (AI) accelerometers. The accelerometers in each pair are mounted on opposite sides of the gradiometer's rotation axis from each other. The three AI accelerometer pairs are step-rotated, instead of being continuously rotated, thereby providing enhanced signal-to-noise performance. The three gradiometers in the overall measuring system are mounted orthogonally with respect to one another on a local-level platform, in order to achieve a full-tensor measuring system. The measuring system can be step-rotated as an overall unit around an axis perpendicular to a local level reference. The multiple levels of stepped rotation, as enabled by the atom interferometry being utilized, yields improved results with lower costs than what is achievable with some prior-art techniques.
US08347709B2
The invention relates to a measurement apparatus for detecting the mass flow of harvested crops which are conveyed by means of a conveyor. The measurement apparatus comprises a first measuring device for weighing the conveyor together with the conveyed harvested crops, a second measuring device for determining the volume of the harvested crops conveyed by the conveyor, and a computer device for determining the mass density of the harvested crops.
US08347708B2
A multiple piston type fluid meter is disclosed having a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod that are integral with their respective pistons. A multiple fluid meter assembly comprising at least two fluid meters, and a fuel dispensing unit comprising a fluid meter or multiple fluid meters are also disclosed.
US08347705B2
The invention includes a light assembly which is configured to magnetically mount on a steel belted tire and a method of inspecting the inside of the tire using the light assembly.
US08347702B2
A testing machine tests the durability of backer pads on the track shoe assembly and the surface of the road wheel. The test machine utilizes two eccentric drives to move a section of a road wheel to simulate actual vehicle conditions. A positioning system positions the track shoe assembly with respect to the road wheel to adjust the loading between the two components.
US08347700B2
An association unit is designed to determine cylinder-individual lambda signals on the basis of a lambda probe signal and to determine lambda deviation signals for the respective cylinders based on the lambda signals in relation to an averaged lambda signal. Furthermore, an observer has a sensor model of the lambda probe that is arranged in a feedback branch. The lambda deviation signals are fed to the input side and observer output quantities in relation to the respective cylinder are representative of the injection characteristics deviations from predetermined injection characteristics. A parameter detection unit impresses a predetermined interference pattern from cylinder-individual mixture deviations. It further changes at least one sensor model parameter as a detection parameter in response to the respectively predetermined interference pattern for as long as the observer output quantities represent the portion of the interference pattern associated with the cylinders thereof in a predetermined manner.
US08347694B2
An LNG sampling system is provided which includes a sampling probe. The sampling probe includes a backflow prevention check valve positioned within the probe adjacent the inlet end. The probe is inserted into a source of LNG to extract samples of LNG by providing a pressure differential between the probe piping system and the pressure of the LNG within the source. In the event the pressure in the piping system increases above a predetermined amount, the check valve will close preventing backflow of LNG from the sampling system back into the source.
US08347687B2
An apparatus for performing dissolved gas analysis on electrical insulating oil. The apparatus is connectable to a first oil source and a second oil source and has a respective sample cell for each source, an analysis cell and a gas analyser. Each sample cell is selectably connectable to said analysis cell to allow fluid communication therebetween, while the other sample cell is isolated from the analysis chamber. The apparatus allows dissolved gas analysis to be performed on samples from more than one source while minimizing the effects of cross-contamination between samples.
US08347675B2
A method and apparatus for extending an existing simplex or multiplex lock-and-key system that includes a family of first keys each having a first profile and of a corresponding plurality of first locks each operable by a first key and each having a first keyway configured for accepting the first key profile. Second keys of a new family are defined with a core section corresponding to the first key profile and a narrowed projection extending from the bottom of the core section. Corresponding second locks have a second keyway profile defined as the compliment of the second key profile, thus including a complimentary core section and a foot recess extending from the bottom of the second keyway core section. The second locks accept a second key positioned at the second keyway baseline to normally lift the lock pin stacks and operate the second lock. The second locks also accept the first keys but the first keys cannot enter the narrowed foot recess of the second keyway and are accordingly elevated in the second keyway above the keyway baseline, and are therefore unable to normally lift the lock pin stacks to operate the second lock.
US08347673B2
A code lock is revealed. The code lock includes a housing, a return base, a plurality of locking seats, a fixed seat, a moveable seat, a code seat, a plurality of code members and a housing base arranged sequentially from top to bottom. A press button corresponding to each locking seat is disposed on the housing and each locking seat has at least one tooth that locks with a hook of the return base when the press button is pressed to push the locking seat. A stopping block is arranged at the bottom of each locking seat while the code member is set with a code post correspondingly. Moreover, the moveable seat includes a code area and a non-code area for mounting the code member and the code seat has a plurality of C-shaped holes corresponding to the code members. Thereby a simple-structured and easy-operated code lock is formed.
US08347670B2
One embodiment of a lockable utility box lid (20) for a utility box enclosure (10) comprises a box lid (12) having at least one upper tool aperture (22) and at least one clamping mechanism (30) coupled to the underside of the box lid (10). The clamping mechanism (30) includes at least one lower tool aperture (38) of a lock plate (32) oppositely corresponding to the upper tool aperture (22) of the box lid (12). The lock plate (32) may be coupled to a plurality of side plates (40). The clamping mechanism (30) may also include a pivot arm (60) coupled with a jaw plate (72). A pivot tab (34) of the lock plate (32) may be inserted through a pivot tab aperture (76) of the pivot arm (60) thereby creating a fulcrum point. A back plate (50) inserted into a plurality of back plate apertures (52) of the side plates (40) and a threaded plate (64) inserted into a plurality threaded plate apertures (68) of the pivot arm (60) may be aligned to receive a bolt (80). A bolt head (82) of the bolt (80) may be aligned beneath the lower tool aperture (38). A handled tool (92) may be inserted first through the upper tool aperture (22) and again through the lower tool aperture (38) where it may insert into a bolt head cavity (84) of the bolt head (82) wherein a rotation of the handled tool (92) will produce a transitional movement of the at least one clamping mechanism (30) between an engaged and disengaged position.
US08347667B2
A locking paddle handle assembly for closures has a housing with a paddle handle pivotally mounted therein, a latch which latches and unlatches the closure upon rotation of the paddle handle, and a exterior key lock with a movable member that shifts between locked and unlocked positions. A latch lock selectively engages the latch, such that when the movable key lock member is in the locked position, the latch is retained in the latched position, wherein the closure cannot be opened. A deadbolt lock selectively engages the closure frame in the locked position to positively retain the closure closed. Both the latch lock and the deadbolt lock are operably connected with the movable key lock member, such that movement of the latter between the latched and unlatched positions contemporaneously shifts both the latch lock and the deadbolt lock between the locked and unlocked positions.
US08347666B2
The invention relates to a locking device adapted for locking a shutter element (13) adapted to slide along a railing (11), which locking device (3) comprises at least one locking bolt (5) movable between a first state, in which the locking bolt is adapted to engage with a locking member (9) in the shutter element to lock the shutter element against movement, and a second state, in which the locking bolt is adapted to avoid engagement with the locking member and to allow movement of the shutter element. The invention also relates to a locking arrangement adapted to be connected with and allow locking of a shutter element (13) arranged to slide along a railing (11), which locking arrangement (7) comprises at least one locking member (9) shaped to allow a locking bolt (5) to, in a first state, engage with and lock the locking member, and thus the shutter element, against movement. The invention also relates to a locking system.
US08347660B2
A padlock is provided that may include a lock body and a hoop which is movable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the lock body. The lock body may include an inner housing, an outer housing and a latching mechanism for latching the hoop in the closed position. The inner housing may include a first insertion part and a second insertion part which may receive the latching mechanism to form a pre-installable module. The pre-installable module may be inserted between first and second shells of the outer housing in shape matched manner to place the padlock in a fully assembled condition.
US08347656B2
An apparatus includes: an introducer to introduce a glass optical fiber that has passed a pulling mechanism pulling, to draw the glass optical fiber, one end of an optical fiber preform that has been fused by heating; a shredder including a casing connected to the introducer and a shredding mechanism to shred the glass optical fiber introduced by the introducer in the casing into glass optical-fiber pieces; a pipe connected to the casing of the shredder and to carry the glass optical-fiber pieces; and a suction unit connected to the pipe and to suction the glass optical-fiber pieces via the pipe.
US08347649B1
A door seal arrangement and method for sealing between a door and a door frame on food processing equipment are provided. The door seal is inflatable to create a seal between the door and the door frame and deflatable to release the seal between the door and the door frame. An air supply applies positive air pressure to the door seal to inflate the door seal. A vacuum applies a negative air pressure to the door seal to deflate the door seal.
US08347644B2
An air conditioning system includes a first circulation module and a second circulation module. Two circulation modules are joined by a heat exchanger. The first circulation is a modular refrigeration system includes a compressor, expansion device, and heat exchangers. The second circulation module includes a main liquid refrigerant tank, a number of distributed liquid refrigerant tanks, liquid pumps and a plurality of indoor units which includes a heat exchange device and a vapor propelling device. The heat exchange device is connected to the main liquid tank. The vapor propelling device propels the working fluid in a saturated vapor state to the first heat exchanger, thus forming a working fluid loop. It can be switched between the heating and cooling modes.
US08347642B2
A controller for a vehicle includes an in-passenger-compartment temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the air supplied to an evaporator by actuating a blower fan, an outside air temperature sensor, an evaporator temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the evaporator, and an engine stop duration determiner which determines an engine stop duration on the basis of the temperature detected by the evaporator temperature sensor immediately before an engine stops and the temperatures detected by the outside air temperature sensor and the in-passenger-compartment temperature sensor. An engine control unit continues the operation of the blower fan after a stop condition holds and the engine is stopped, and then restarts the engine and actuates a compressor when the engine stop duration has elapsed.
US08347639B2
A tempering treatment method whereby the temperature of meat, which involves a carcass prepared by slaughtering cattle or poultry and sterilizing and washing, is lowered as close to the ice storage temperature as possible to prevent a temperature rise caused by the actions of enzymes contained within the meat before transporting the meat to a refrigerated storage, which comprises surface-freezing the meat by blowing a cold air stream at about −20 to about −40° C. to the meat before conducting the tempering treatment, thus allowing the generation of freezing latent heat in the subcutaneous part owing to the surface-freezing (freezing the subcutaneous tissue), and then rapidly lowering the core temperature inside the meat due to the latent heat released at the melting of the freezing latent heat to thereby conduct the tempering treatment at a temperature of 0 to +15° C.
US08347628B2
This invention relates to a Compressed Air Turbine-Generator, or CAT-G that will enable the ability to manage energy gathered from ecologically friendly sources, such as solar and wind power. Compressed Air Energy Storage, (C.A.E.S.), is a promising mode of clean energy storage. A major challenge facing this technology is the need to efficiently convert the compressed air energy into electricity. Conventionally, high-pressure air is used only to improve the efficiency of a conventional jet powered turbine generator. The focus herein is on a new technology that efficiently converts the energy stored in compressed air directly into electrical power without producing greenhouse byproduct gases or other pollutants. This new capability will add important flexibility to the optimization of ecologically friendly energy systems.
US08347624B2
Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine with a turbocharger in a vehicle. One example method comprises, under selected operating conditions, generating an oxidant rich component from engine intake air, storing the oxidant rich component of the intake air, and, under subsequent cold start conditions, injecting an amount of the stored oxidant rich component to the engine.
US08347623B2
A cup seal 21 includes a base portion 21a disposed on a cylinder bore opening portion side of a seal groove, an inner circumferential lip portion 21b extended from an inner circumferential side of the base portion toward a cylinder bore bottom portion and having an inner circumferential surface slidably abutting against an outer circumferential surface of a piston (plunger), and an outer circumferential lip portion 21c extended from an outer circumferential side of the base portion toward the cylinder bore bottom portion and having an outer circumferential surface abutting against a seal groove bottom surface. An abutment surface 21f having a protruded end protruded toward the cylinder bore opening portion and abutting against a surface on the cylinder bore opening portion side is provided on a base end surface 21e of the base portion, and a contact pressure adjustment surface 21g which is brought into non-contact with an inner circumferential side of the opening-side-surface in a non-operational state is provided at a position closer to the inner circumference than the abutment surface.
US08347621B2
The present invention provides a method of controlling a fluid working machine (12) having a plurality of working cylinders (14) having pistons (16) therein and arranged to drive a shaft (18), in which said cylinders are supplied with pressurized working fluid via a manifold (24), the contents of which may be 5 purged by a de-pressurizer taking one of a number for forms such as to allow re-activation of said machine (10).
US08347619B2
A system and method of controlling torque of plural variable displacement hydraulic pumps in construction equipment are provided, which can control torque of the variable displacement hydraulic pumps so that the total amount of torque of the hydraulic pumps does not exceed the preset amount of torque by presetting the torque so that the engine does not stop even at maximum load of the hydraulic pumps or by presetting the speed of the engine or the used torque of the hydraulic pumps in consideration of the fuel economy or working speed. The system includes an engine, at least two variable displacement hydraulic pumps, hydraulic actuators, control levers generating manipulation signals, control lever sensing means detecting the manipulation amounts of the control levers, hydraulic pump pressure sensing means detecting load pressures of the hydraulic pumps, maximum torque setting means setting the total torque inputted to the hydraulic pumps, desired flow rate computing means computing flow rates of the hydraulic pumps, expected torque computing means computing expected torque values of the hydraulic pumps, torque distributing means distributing torque values of the hydraulic pumps, limited flow rate computing means computing the flow rates of the hydraulic pumps, and output means outputting control signals to regulators.
US08347608B2
A degree of dispersion of a reducing agent added to an exhaust gas flowing into an exhaust gas purification apparatus is controlled. Before addition fuel is added, a valve opening Vd of a flow area changing valve is changed to generate pulsation of the exhaust gas, so that addition valve vicinity exhaust gas pressure Pg varies periodically. Addition timing TMad is controlled to synchronize with extremum arrival timing TMe. High or low dispersion type addition control adds fuel at timing (CP) when the addition valve vicinity exhaust gas pressure Pg becomes a maximum value Pgmax, at timing (TP) when at a minimum value Pgmin, or at both timings (CP, TP).
US08347600B2
At least one main air compressor makes a compressed ambient gas flow. The compressed ambient gas flow is delivered to both master and slave turbine combustors at a pressure that is greater than or substantially equal to an output pressure delivered to each turbine combustor from each turbine compressor as at least a first portion of a recirculated gas flow. A fuel stream is delivered to each turbine combustor, and combustible mixtures are formed and burned, forming the recirculated gas flows. A master and slave turbine power are produced, and each is substantially equal to at least a power required to rotate each turbine compressor. At least a portion of the recirculated gas flow is recirculated through recirculation loops. At least a second portion of the recirculated gas flow bypasses the combustors or an excess portion of each recirculated gas flow is vented or both.
US08347598B2
A method for assembling a combined cycle power generation system includes coupling a gas turbine in flow communication with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The method also includes coupling a steam turbine in flow communication with the HRSG via at least one steam conduit. The method further includes coupling at least one heating element to a portion of the at least one steam conduit. The method also includes operatively coupling at least one controller to the at least one heating element. The method further includes programming the at least one controller to vary a rate of temperature change in the portion of the at least one steam conduit.
US08347595B1
A system for removing particles from an air stream includes a housing having an air stream inlet at a first end thereof and an air steam exhaust at a second end thereof. The housing defines a flow path between the air stream inlet and the air stream exhaust. At least one liquid introduction jet disposed between the air stream inlet and the air stream exhaust injects liquid droplets into the air stream. A scrubber disposed between the at least one liquid introduction jets and the air stream exhaust for removes smaller particles from the air stream.
US08347594B1
A draper platform (100) has a knife drive (250) for driving a knife assembly (140) that is supported on and between two adjacent support arms (246) that pivot with respect to each other and with respect to the frame (102, 104, 106) of the draper platform (100) to which the two adjacent support arms (246A, 246B) are pivotally connected. two resilient mounts couple opposing sides fo he sub-frame to the two adjacent support arms.
US08347592B2
An apparatus for constructing sandbags has a movable, floatable platform, and a length of casing disposed in a roll and supported on the platform. The casing has two longitudinal edges and can be unrolled from the roll. There is a hopper for receiving and dispensing a quantity of sand on top of the casing as the casing is unrolled from the roll. The hopper is supported by a crane mounted on the platform, and positioned above the length of casing. There is a device for bringing the longitudinal edges of the casing together after the sand has been deposited, and a stitching machine for stitching the edges of the casing together to form a tube of casing filled with sand. The stitching machine is mounted on the crane above the device for bringing the edges of the casing together. There is a conveyor for conveying the tube away from the stitching machine and off of the platform.
US08347577B2
An eco-friendly wall panel system may comprise a plurality of panels, horizontal joints and panel clips which are all fabricated from the same sheet of material. For example, the panels may initially be fabricated from the phenolic sheets. After the maximum quantity of panels has been fabricated from any one sheet, the remaining portion of the phenolic sheet may be used to fabricate the horizontal runners and the panel clips which may be smaller than the panels. As such, as much of the phenolic sheet is being used to fabricate the system. Hence, the process and the product are both eco-friendly.
US08347568B2
A building panel mounting system comprising a rail attachment strap, a rail, a rail attachment profile and a building panel. The rail attachment strap is connectable to a support structure, extends along a longitudinal axis and includes one or more rail support brackets. The rail is connected to the rail support bracket and extends in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The rail attachment profile has an engagement formation removably connected to the rail. The building panel is connected to the rail attachment profile.
US08347567B2
A water barrier trim has a base, a top flange, and an overhang section. The base has at least one ridge extending away from the base in a first direction and a projection extending in the first direction. The top flange section is positionable adjacent to the base. The overhang section is positionable adjacent to the base and defines a drip cap. The at least one ridge is sized and configured to rest on a top of a trim board. The projection is sized and configured to fit into a slot defined in the top of the trim board to provide an interference connection.
US08347553B2
An arrangement comprises a housing, in particular of a cooling and/or freezing device, a door which is articulated to the housing so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis of a hinge, and at least one drive device for pivoting the door relative to the housing, with the drive device comprising a drive unit by means of which a moment is exertable on the door relative to the hinge axis via at least one force transmission means.
US08347549B2
The present application discloses a device for attracting and capturing flying insects, and a method for attracting and capturing flying insects. The device and method use at least one electrically-powered airflow generator and an electrically-powered heater.
US08347546B2
A telescopic outrigger for use with fishing vessels. The outrigger of the instant invention has multiple tubes that are circular in shape and each include a means for securing to an adjoining tube and locking in a position relative thereto. The circular shape allowing for ease of sealing the connecting components from the elements. An internal locking mechanism for positive interlocking of adjoining tubes can be accessed externally for ease of servicing. The extension of the adjoining tubes by the locking mechanism allows for movement of the outrigger pole from a stowage position to a deployment position and vice versa.
US08347541B1
A power supply system for a firearm including a plurality of leads disposed in a rail for providing power to an electric firearm accessory attached thereto and an electric firearm accessory including connectors for electrically connecting to leads disposed in a rail on which the accessory is mounted.
US08347530B2
A tooth assembly including an adapter and a tooth. The adapter has a nose portion with a first predetermined configuration. The tooth is assembled onto the adapter nose portion by relative longitudinal movement. The tooth defines a blind cavity having a second predetermined configuration and opening to a rear of the tooth. The second predetermined configuration defined by the tooth cavity is greater than the first predetermined configuration defined by the adapter nose portion such that a space is provided between the adapter nose portion and the blind cavity when the adapter and tooth are arranged in operable combination relative to each other. A securement member releasably maintains the tooth and the adapter nose portion in operable combination relative to each other. The securement member fills the space defined between the tooth cavity and the adapter nose portion to resist longitudinal movement between the tooth and the adapter nose portion. A related method for releasably coupling a tooth to an adapter is also disclosed.
US08347527B2
A shoe sole and a shoe comprising such a shoe sole are described, with the shoe sole being equipped with integrated anti-slipping elements which are adjustable between an inactive position and an active position by means of a central actuation unit. This arrangement is characterized in that the anti-slipping elements, which in particular have the form of spikes, are respectively supported in individual functional units and are axially adjustable between their active and inactive positions through rotation by the central actuation unit via at least one flexible drive element.
US08347523B2
A clothing dryer including a rotating drum, a shelf installed inside the rotating drum, and a support member, which is rotatably installed at a rear end of the shelf such that the shelf is supported by a rear surface of the rotating drum. The rear end of the shelf is installed on a rear surface of the rotating drum through the support member, so that the shelf is more stably installed inside the rotating drum.
US08347517B2
The invention relates to a measuring device of flexible material for the determination of parameters for the production of dental prostheses which combines different functions, including protractor, spacing template, ruler and an option of utilizing a compass-formed modulus shear measuring module to facilitate shearing.
US08347511B2
A concave tapered food product includes a cross section and a second end having a shape defined by a generally concave arc and a generally convex arc. The concave tapered food product has a first side and a second side shaped by a longitudinal cut along the foodstuff. A cutter assembly for cutting a foodstuff to form the concave tapered food product includes a housing member. The cutter assembly also includes a curvilinear blade including a cutting edge for cutting the foodstuff, the cutting edge defining an arc along a first portion of the curvilinear blade and a foot positioned at an end of the curvilinear blade for supporting the curvilinear blade. The foot is configured for being received and secured in the housing member. The housing member is configured for at least partially enclosing the curvilinear blade.
US08347509B2
A tool system is presented. The tool system includes a tool body sized and dimensioned to fit comfortably in a human hand, and includes a plurality of interchangeable tool cartridges. Some of the tool cartridges include a tool bit cover capable of remaining in a closed, locked position sheathing a tool bit. Once installed, the tool bit cover can be unlocked via actuation of a trigger disposed on the body of the tool or on the cartridge. Preferably, the tool bit cover unsheathes the underlying tool bit due to pressure or force of a work surface.
US08347495B2
End segments of cables are stripped of their individual shielding coverings so as to form unit shielding pigtails extending from a terminal portion of the strand from which shielding has not been removed and around which a conductive packing strip has been wound so as to reach a predetermined diameter. The pigtails are folded back and distributed uniformly around the circumference of the terminal portion of the strand in the successive turns of the packing strips. The packing strip is clamped by an annular reinforcing spring blade, and then the assembly is surrounded within two half-shells that are coupled to each other and connected to the connector.
US08347493B2
A method of manufacturing a wiring board with a built-in electronic component including providing a first base material having a support body and a first metal foil detachably adhered on the support body, forming a connection terminal for mounting an electronic component on the first metal foil of the first base material by an additive method, mounting an electronic component to the connection terminal such that the electronic component is electrically connected to the connection terminal and mounted on the first base material, covering the electronic component with an insulative material structure having a hollow portion such that the electronic component is accommodated in the hollow portion of the insulative material structure after the mounting and detaching the support body from the first metal foil such that a substrate having the first base material and the insulative material structure is formed.
US08347485B2
A procedure for centrifugally casting a shorted structure around induction motor rotors is described. The method is commonly applied to a plurality of rotors disposed and arranged for rotational balance and supported on a suitable support, or optionally, on a plurality of supports arranged in layered fashion about a common rotational axis. The method comprises forming a wax representation of the shorted structure around a lamination stack; mounting a plurality of such lamination stacks in a mounting fixture and-attaching a suitable gating and runner system; forming an investment by coating the structure with refractory followed by melting out the wax; casting molten metal into the investment while it is rotating and aligning the mold to allow the centrifugal force generated to promote mold filling; and, continuing to rotate the investment until solidification is substantially complete.
US08347484B2
A rotary actuator includes an outer enclosure having an inner diameter surrounding a hollow interior. A stack of stator laminations, each having a stator diameter greater than the inner diameter of the outer enclosure when in an unflexed state, are also included in the rotary actuator. Each of the stator laminations is configured to flex into a shape so as to be positionable within the outer enclosure and substantially conform to the inner diameter. The stator lamination thus forms a line-to-line fit with at least a portion of the outer enclosure to form an interface having a desirable reluctance.
US08347481B1
This invention provides an improved protective mat that includes a magnet at each end for temporally securing the mat to a pipe so that the mat remains in position during a welding process. The mat is flexible so as to conform to the curvature of the pipe and may be placed in any position preferable on the surface of the pipe. The positioned and secured mat prevents spatter from coming into contact with the external surface of the pipe lying under the positioned protective mat. The mat is preferably heat and fire resistant up to temperatures of about 1500° F. and may be a silicone-coated fiberglass mat. When the mat is not in use, the mat may be folded and the magnets may be used to secure the ends of the mat to one another.
US08347471B2
Snap ring pliers include first and second pivotal levers wherein the first lever has a first jaw and a first handle and the second lever has a second jaw and a second handle; a biasing member interconnecting the handles; and a ratchet mechanism comprising a curved ratchet rack having one end secured to an end of the second handle and the other end proximate an end of the first handle; a sliding member secured to the end of the first handle and comprising a projection at one end, and a channel with the other end of the ratchet rack moveably disposed therein; a lock member having one end pivotably secured to the projection and comprising a protrusion at the other end; and a pawl member on the lock member and having one end secured onto the projection, the pawl member comprising a lock hole with the protrusion locked therein.
US08347470B2
Portable robot for carrying out the drilling process in the assembly of aeronautical components which are secured on a support known as a stand. The robot comprises a displaceable platform in order to permit it to be located close to the stand, and an arm, which supports a frame comprising a beam intended to support a drilling head that can be displaced in the three axes.
US08347469B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a crystal oscillator piece in which the generation of leakage vibration is suppressed, and a method for manufacturing such a crystal oscillator piece. More specifically, a method for manufacturing a crystal oscillator piece according to the present invention includes the steps of forming a first etching mask on an upper surface of a crystal wafer and a second etching mask on a lower surface of the crystal wafer, and forming a vibrating tine by immersing the crystal wafer in an etching solution thereby dissolving crystal portions not covered with the first and second etching masks, wherein the second etching mask is designed to have a first protruding portion protruding from a position corresponding to a first edge of the first etching mask, the first protruding portion being chosen to have such a length that a first residue is formed in a predetermined shape on a first side face, irrespective of a positional displacement between the first and second etching masks, and wherein the first and second etching masks are designed so that a second residue formed on a second side face is adjusted so as to ensure that one of two principal axes passing through a centroid and dynamically perpendicular to each other in a cross section taken perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the vibrating tine is oriented substantially parallel to the upper or lower surface of the crystal wafer.
US08347467B2
A casket arrangement includes a casket body, a first lid portion, and a second lid portion. The casket body is in the form of an open top box with a bottom, side walls or panels, and end walls or panels. The second lid portion includes a tab configured to fit under a top panel of the first lid portion.
US08347465B2
A clip comprises a grommet and a pin, and the grommet has a flange and leg pieces. The flange has a pair of right and left flange bodies, bridges for joining the flange bodies, and an opening portion formed at the center portion thereof. Peripheral walls of the opening portion are formed by the respective end faces of the flange bodies and the bridges, and the right and left peripheral walls formed by the end faces of the flange bodies and the front and rear peripheral walls formed by the end faces of the bridges are offset in a thickness direction, thereby establishing a positional relationship in which the right and left peripheral walls and the front and rear peripheral walls do not intersect to each other.
US08347455B2
A hand-held cleaning appliance includes a suction conduit, an airflow generator for generating an airflow along the suction conduit, a separating apparatus in communication with the suction conduit for separating dirt and dust from the airflow, a power source for supplying power to the airflow generator and a handgrip enabling a user to maneuver the hand-held cleaning appliance. The handgrip has a first end and a second end. The airflow generator is arranged directly adjacent the first end of the handgrip and the power source is arranged adjacent the second end of the handgrip. By providing a hand-held vacuum cleaner with such an arrangement, the hand-held vacuum cleaner is easier and more comfortable to manipulate in use.
US08347453B2
A vacuum cleaner including a nozzle, an air conduit including a projecting tube, a suction source positioned to provide a flow of dirty air, a bag docking assembly, and a filter bag coupled to the bag carrier. The bag docking assembly includes a main body mounted to the air conduit. A bag carrier is configured to engage the main body and configured to move between a first position and a second position. A lever is coupled to the main body and the bag carrier and the lever is configured to move the bag carrier between the first position and the second position. The bag docking assembly is configured such that when the bag carrier is in the first position, the filter bag is not engaged with the projecting tube and when the bag carrier is in the second position, the filter bag is engaged with the projecting tube.
US08347450B2
A wiper blade includes a lever member, a rubber blade, and a movable cover member. The lever member includes a main lever and a yoke lever. The yoke lever includes a plurality of grip portions, by which the rubber blade is gripped. The rubber blade includes a following end projecting outward from the one of the grip portions that is located at a longitudinally outer side of the lever member. The movable cover member includes a holding portion and a basal portion. The holding portion holds the following end. The basal portion is pivotally coupled to the yoke lever so that the movable cover member pivots relative to the yoke lever when the following end bends and deforms in a direction orthogonal to the wiping surface.
US08347445B2
The present invention relates to a remote controlled robot for cleaning inner walls of a duct, more specifically, to a remote controlled robot comprising: a cart movable in the duct by remote control; at least one first link pivotally connected to the cart, which is relatively rotatable to the cart; a first driving unit to drive the first link to relatively rotate to the cart; at least one second link pivotally connected to the first link, which is relatively rotatable to the first link; a second driving unit to drive the second link to relatively rotate to the first link; and a cleaning means installed at the second link for separating dusts from the inner walls of the duct, thereby enabling to clean the upper inner-walls and the bottom inner-wall of the duct simultaneously, and to continuously proceed with the cleaning in case of the height change of the duct to reduce cleaning time thereof.
US08347437B2
A washing machine and a control method thereof are disclosed. The control method includes supplying water into a tub, washing an object to be washed via rotation of a drum, rinsing the washed object, and dehydrating the washed object to remove moisture from the object. In the water supply step, steam is ejected simultaneously with the supply of water, to regulate the interior temperature of the drum.
US08347430B2
A mattress protector having a top portion and a bottom portion configured to fasten together over the mattress and/or a mattress and box spring includes sides and ends extending from each of the top portion and the bottom portion. A fastener is also included on each of the top and bottom portions. The fastener includes a fastener assembly to seal the mattress against bed bugs and dust mites. When the top and bottom portions are placed around the mattress, and the fastener is secured, the entire mattress is surrounded by the mattress protector and protected from penetration by bed bugs and dust mites.
US08347424B2
A floor drain includes a head having a top surface, a leveling member, and a frame having a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the frame is positioned adjacent the top surface of the head. The leveling member is positioned between the head and the bottom surface of the frame and is displaceable relative to the head in a first direction. A method of leveling a floor drain with a floor surface is also disclosed.
US08347421B2
An impact reduction device including a pad having a first layer and a second layer. At least one of the first and second layers defines at least one impression. The impact reduction device is arranged and configured to at least partially collapse upon application of a force and to regain its shape after removal of the force.
US08347415B2
A garment for sport activities prevailingly made of substantially inextensible materials comprises additional flaps (140) of extensible elastic materials supplementing the conventional stretchable inserts (130). When the wearer of the garment is of anormal anatomic typology, the supplementary flaps (140) are concealed inside the garment but are adapted to be freely exposed on the garment outer surface by a manual actuation of zippers (135) in case of a different anatomic typology. Each additional flap (140) is attached at a first lateral side (136) to an insert (130) and at the opposite lateral side (137) to a zone of the garment which is made of substantially inextensible materials. Thus, the garment fits adequately and comfortably to the wearer's body also in correspondence of parts of the body which can be of various shapes and/or dimensions.
US08347413B2
An athletic garment including a panel designed to reduce frictional and pressure drag around an appendage of an athlete competing in a high-speed event, such as running and cycling. The panel is positioned to encircle the appendage, and is provided with regions having different surface texture roughnesses. The leading edge of the panel includes texture designed to enhance the laminar boundary layer, while the adjacent portion of the panel includes texture intended to trip the boundary layer to turbulent flow. The drag-reducing panel may be the cuff of a sock, a sleeve, wristband, a headband, or the like.
US08353059B2
The present invention relates to a scanning probe (2) for capturing data from a plurality of points on the surface of an object by irradiating the object with a light stripe and detecting light reflected from the object surface, the scanning probe comprising (a) stripe generating means (14) for generating and emitting a light stripe (55); (b) a camera (16) comprising an imaging sensor having an array of pixels to detect the light stripe reflected from the object surface; (c) means for adjusting the intensity of the light stripe (55) during acquisition of the frame, in dependence upon the intensities detected by the camera (16). It also relates to a means to modify the stripe length, a scanner with separate compartment for the processing means, and an attachable dust cover for a scanner.
US08353048B1
Application digital rights management (DRM) and portability using a mobile device for authentication
A method, system, and medium are provided for operating a computing device and a mobile device to access computer software with a secure access and to access a packet network, and for operating a computer software on a mobile device with different computing devices. A mobile device is used to authenticate a user's access to computer software. The computer software may reside on the mobile device, the user's computing device, or another computing device. A unique identifier is stored in the mobile device associated with the computer software to enable the authentication.
US08353039B2
A method of automating an authentication sequence for accessing a computer resource comprising processing form information associated with the authentication sequence, wherein the authentication sequence comprises a plurality of queries associated with a plurality of web pages; and communicating a response to a portion of the authentication sequence using form information that corresponds to a query upon recognition of indicia of the portion of the plurality of web pages where the portion comprises the query.
US08353037B2
A method and system for mitigating a propagation of a file that includes malicious code. Segments of the file are determined by a series of sizes determined by a function ƒ. Signatures identifying segments of the file are determined by applying a hash function to each segment. A complete match between the file and a malicious file is determined by determining a first match between signature(s) identifying a first set of segment(s) of the file and signature(s) identifying corresponding segment(s) of the malicious file and by determining a second match between a signature identifying a final segment of the file and a signature identifying a last segment of the malicious file. Responsive to determining the complete match, the file is identified as the malicious file and a transfer of the final segment of the file is interdicted.
US08353033B1
A hook is set for one or more downloading functions. Subsequently, code is executed within an application process. Responsive to the executed code calling one of the hooked functions to download code, a return address of the called function is examined. If the return address is within a memory area not marked executable, the code is permitted to be downloaded and the downloaded code is submitted to a security server for analysis.
US08353027B2
A method of protecting use of an entity's identity is provided. The method comprises setting a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity, changing, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state, requesting use of the identity after the changing; and returning, after the requesting, the state back to the first state.
US08353016B1
A security component may be associated with a network-enabled application. The security component may access a secure store, which may include customization information, which may include one or more graphical user interface customizations defined by a user, and one or more instances of card information. The card information may specify how to authenticate a user's credentials to access a relying party (e.g., web site). The security component may initiate the display of an embedded region of a window drawn by the network-enabled application. At least a part of the appearance of the embedded region of the window may be defined according to the customization information and not by the relying party. The embedded region may provide a user interface for determining user authentication credentials. The customization information and the one or more instances of card information may not be accessible to the relying party.
US08353012B2
System and Methods for implementing a Internet-Based Group Cloud Management System (GCMS) comprised by several Cloud Management System sites (CMS sites), where providing institutions, means for: A) The Creation of the Educational Group comprised by: A1) Community CMS sites for Campuses and/or Groups of Users, A2) Personal CMS Sites for each Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumnus, A3) Project CMS sites for each Project Team. B) Communication within the Educational Group: B1) Among CMS Sites, B2) to e-mail and text-messaging devices. The CMS sites are reachable by their own domain names or sub-domain from the GCMS, and by any search engine. Each CMS site is multi-user and includes its own security system, user-defined and predefined pages for among others, Professional Profile, Web Apps, Virtual Desktop/Apps and Web/Cloud Services. Each CMS site is connected to the GCMS, allowing the Exchange of Information among CMS sites within the GCMS and among GCMS sites.
US08353007B2
Exemplary systems and methods for identifying a wireless network are provided. In exemplary embodiments, a method includes at least a digital device receiving network information associated with a network, generating an access identifier based on the network information, generating a credential request including the access identifier, providing the credential request to a credential server, receiving a credential request response from the credential server, the credential request response comprising network credentials to access the network, and providing the network credentials to a network device to access the network.
US08353002B2
A machine includes card stores to store information cards. For each card store, one or more card selectors can be provided. When performing a transaction involving information cards, a generic card selector, using a selector policy engine, can identify a card selector to use for the transaction. The identified card selector can be used to identify an information card in a card store to use in performing the transaction, which can be used to provide a security token to the relying party.
US08353000B2
A system and charging control method of network convergence policy and charging control architecture are disclosed, based on the QoS parameter, charging policy and user subscribing information granted by the service layer, the PCRF confirms PCC rule, and provides the PCC rule to the policy distribution function PDF. As the interface between the PCRF and PCC policy performing entity, the PDF performs the protocol conversion and information distribution. Based on the PCC rule, the PCC policy performing entity performs QoS policy of the service data flow and the detecting and charging of the service flow.
US08352999B1
A method of storing secret data in a shared computing environment includes defining secret data, such as a password and administration policies according to a schema of a directory server such as a LDAP server. The secret data and administration polices are centrally stored on the LDAP server. The secret data can be encrypted. Administration polices include authorization and authentication policies, and a security zone can be defined for a collection of entities with a common security characteristic, such as a common password. A security zone defines a group of users and the secret data that can be accessed by the group of users. Multiple security zones can be defined. The secret data can be accessed directly from the server of the directory service without accessing another server or data store assuming the administration policies are satisfied.
US08352993B2
Method for providing viewing information for displaying a list of channels viewed by call recipients
A method for providing viewing information is presented. The method includes displaying a call recipient list including at least one call recipient; and displaying a channel being viewed by each call recipient on the call recipient list.
US08352992B1
Streaming is discussed. A method for wireless media streaming comprises receiving media data from a remote media source, transmitting the media data over a wireless connection to an electronic device, receiving data-link information, accessing the data-link information at an application layer, and determining at the application layer whether to change a transmission rate of the media data to the electronic device. The data-link information is received from the electronic device. The determination is based at least in part on the data-link information.
US08352988B2
A method and apparatus providing time-shifted television within a video-on-demand system.
US08352982B2
Service substitution techniques are described. In an implementation, a substitution table is derived that specifies one or more service substitutions to be performed for content and that specifies particular geographic locations to perform at least one service substitution. One or more communications are formed to be streamed over a packet-switched network to a client that is to perform the at least one service substitution. The one or more communications include the substitution table and the content that corresponds to the at least one service substitution.
US08352976B2
The present invention relates to a disc chucking apparatus having claws that horizontally move and provide elasticity to improve performance in centering and chucking a disc. The disc chucking apparatus includes: a centering base to which an inner circumferential surface of a disc is fixed; a plurality of chuck chips arranged at regular intervals along an outer circumferential surface of the centering base; and a plurality of elastic support parts disposed to be opposite to the chuck chips on the centering base, rotating horizontally when the disc is mounted, and pressing the inner circumferential surface of the disc in an outer diameter direction thereof.
US08352975B2
A chucking device includes a turntable fixed to a shaft having a central axis and a cone arranged axially above the turntable. An annular yoke is arranged above a sliding portion of the cone and fixed to the shaft, and a clamp magnet is fixed to the yoke through an adhesive agent. The yoke includes an upper surface having an annular recess defined in a concentric relationship with the central axis, the adhesive agent being applied on a region of the upper surface existing radially inwards of the recess. The recess includes a radial outer wall parallel to the central axis and a radial inner wall inclined radially inwards and axially upwards. The angle between the radial outer wall and a lower surface of the clamp magnet is greater than the angle between the radial inner wall and the lower surface of the clamp magnet.
US08352974B2
A disk holding device is for use with a disk having a center hole. A disk holding mechanism with coupling levers is movable between a holding position and a release position, for engagement with an edge of the center hole when in the holding position, and for coming away from the edge when in the release position. A solenoid shifts the disk holding mechanism, to hold the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the holding position, and to enable loading or unloading of the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the release position. A separating projection is opposed to the edge when inserted in the center hole, for receiving the edge while the disk holding mechanism moves to the release position, to ensure separation of the disk from the disk holding mechanism.
US08352964B2
A method for moving an executing process from a source isolation scope to a target isolation scope includes the step of determining that the process is in a state suitable for moving. The association of the process changes from a source isolation scope to a target isolation scope. A rule loads in association with the target isolation scope.
US08352963B2
A computer-implemented method can include executing a first application in stateful manner, wherein the first application executes continuously while receiving a sequence of a plurality of inputs from a user; and, in response to each of at least some of the plurality of inputs at the first application, executing a second application in a stateless manner by an execution controller, wherein the stateless execution can include the execution controller instructing the second application to execute an ordered stack of action scripts, the second application initiating and executing the ordered stack of action scripts, and the second application terminating upon completion of the executing of the ordered stack of action scripts.
US08352962B2
A method for managing multimodal interactions can include the step of registering a multitude of modality components with a modality component server, wherein each modality component handles an interface modality for an application. The modality component can be connected to a device. A user interaction can be conveyed from the device to the modality component for processing. Results from the user interaction can be placed on a shared memory are of the modality component server.
US08352961B2
A system and method for notifying users in a manner that is appropriate for the event and the environment for the user. The method of the present invention relates to determining the desired properties of an event and assigning varying notification characteristics to that event. Profiles are created of the various events, wherein each profile relates to a different mode or situational environment, such as a meeting environment, an office or normal environment, a louder outside-type environment, etc. The invention further relates to placing the small computer device in a particular mode, either automatically or manually. Once in a particular mode the device provides notifications according to that mode.
US08352960B2
A logical partition (LPAR) is managed in a data processing system by performing an initial program load (IPL), commencing execution of an application on the LPAR and selecting from a plurality of unsolicited events of which the application is to receive notice. A command is transmitted to a storage controller indicating the identity of the selected unsolicited events, wherein the storage controller will store the information in a data structure. Upon the later occurrence of an unsolicited event, the storage controller will transmit to the LPAR only notices of the selected unsolicited events.
US08352953B2
Virtual machines are managed on the basis of data obtained from a management information database of a network switch having a plurality of Ethernet links coupled to compute nodes running a plurality of virtual machines. A management entity, such as a provisioning manager, determines the amount of network bandwidth being utilized through each of the first and second Ethernet links and the amount of network bandwidth being utilized by the Internet Protocol addresses attributable to each of the virtual machines. Accordingly, one of the virtual machines may be migrated from one compute node to another compute node coupled to an Ethernet link having a greater amount of unutilized network bandwidth. Virtual machines may be dynamically migrated in order to provide each virtual machine with a required amount of network bandwidth.
US08352950B2
A method and apparatus for use in a computing environment to run a variety of applications in logical partitions. The apparatus includes one or more logical processors (LPs), one or more logical partitions (LPARs) configured to each access a share of processing resources of the LPs in accordance with predefined instructions, and an LPAR manager configured to determine an operational mode of each of the LPARs and any available amount of an excess of the share of the processing resources of the LPs and to dispatch the processing resources of at least a subset of the LPs to the LPARs in accordance with the respective predetermined shares and with respect to the determined operational mode of the respective LPARs and the amount, if any, of the excess share.
US08352936B2
Techniques for creating a virtual appliance in a virtualization environment are provided. The techniques include implementing a framework, wherein the framework comprises a knowledge representation scheme for describing library knowledge to specify one or more libraries that are used for interaction between two or more appliance components, and using the framework to instrument the one or more libraries via use of the library knowledge, record each of one or more communication parameter values in an original environment, and package one or more disk images, wherein the one or more disk images contain the one or more instrumented libraries, the one or more communication parameter values, and translation logic, to create a virtual appliance.
US08352932B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for synchronizing controller firmware download. A master device controller receives a code download and sends the code download to a subordinate device controller. The master device controller requests a subordinate code status from the subordinate device controller indicating a status of the code download at the subordinate device controller and stores the received code download and a master code status for the download. The master device controller receives the subordinate code status from the subordinate device controller and compares the subordinate code status with the master code status to determine whether both are valid and at same code level. The master device controller updates the master code image with the code download and coordinating the update of the code download to the subordinate code image in response to determining that the master and subordinate code status are both valid and at the same code level.
US08352919B2
Implementations of the present disclosure provide a computer-implemented method that includes accessing computer code from a repository at a computer, registering a plurality of operations on the computer code at the computer, generating a changelist based on the operations, the changelist comprising a plurality of computer code objects affected by the operations, initiating a reversion operation to revert one or more of the computer code objects to a previous state, partitioning the computer code objects to provide independent first and second partitions, the first partition including an object set based on the computer code objects, and executing the reversion operation based on only the first partition including the object set.
US08352913B2
A component name manager operates within an integrated development environment to assist developers in creating dynamic websites and Internet applications. The component name manager identifies an input field displayed on a graphical user interface of an object-oriented software development environment. The input field uses a fully-qualified name of a software component for accessing to access instructions and data associated with the software component and located at an application server. In response to receiving an input associated with the input field, the component name manager displays a list of qualified names of software components available for use in the object-oriented software development environment. Each of the qualified names identifies a path for accessing a corresponding software component. The component name manager can resolve fully qualified names by accessing one or more of an application file, an administrator interface, project level mappings, and global level preference mappings.
US08352911B2
Techniques for constructing and using run-time JAVA archives (JAR) for JAVA Stored Procedures (JSPS)
Techniques for constructing and using run-time JAVA Archive (JAR) files for JAVA Stored Procedures (JSPs) are provided. JSP methods referenced by an application via a plurality of different JAR files are extracted and packed into a single packed JAR file. When the application tries to execute a JSP, the attempt to process the JSP methods is redirected to a new JSP that calls the single packed JAR file.
US08352899B1
A method to modify a first IC design into a second IC design, the first and second IC designs specifying a common interconnection layer with a plurality of interconnections, is disclosed. The method includes identifying an interconnection from plurality of interconnections within the common interconnection layer. The interconnection is unused for routing signals in the first IC design. The metal layer that is coupled with the identified interconnection is removed from the first IC design to generate a modified design. The identified interconnection of the first IC design is placed into one of an invisible state or a temporarily removed state in the modified design. The metal layer in the modified design is routed for a specific logic gate design. The modified design is then stored as the second IC design.
US08352895B2
Worst case performance of an SRAM cell may be simulated more accurately with less intensive computations. An embodiment includes determining, by a processor, a process corner G of an SRAM cell, having pull-down, pass-gate, and pull-up devices, process corner G being defined as the worst performance of the cell when only global variations of parameters of the SRAM cell are included, setting each of the pull-down, pass-gate, and pull-up devices at process corner G, performing, on the processor, a number of Monte Carlo simulations of the SRAM cell devices around process corner G with only local variations of the parameters, generating a normal probability distribution for Iread based on the local Monte Carlo simulations around process corner G, extrapolating the worst case Iread from the normal probability distribution of Iread to define a process corner SRM representing a slowest SRAM bit on a chip, and validating an SRAM cell based on the SRM corner. Embodiments further include creating a library of SRM corner values for multiple SRAM cells, and validating an SRAM cell by selecting an SRM corner from the library. Embodiments further include linearly scaling the SRM corner value with global sigma input variations from 0 sigma to 6 sigma and/or with local sigma input variations from 0 sigma to 6 sigma, selecting a scaled SRM corner value at the sigma corresponding to design and memory size requirements for the SRAM cell, simulating the scaled SRM corner by a processor, and employing the simulated scaled SRM corner to validate performance of an SRAM cell.
US08352891B2
Layout design data are decomposed for double dipole lithography based on partial intensity distribution information. The partial intensity distribution information is generated by performing optical simulations on the layout design data. The layout decomposition may further be adjusted during an optical proximity correction process. The adjustment may utilize the partial intensity distribution information.
US08352882B2
A device for managing image and audio files displays thumbnails, which are representative of the files, on a screen in different arrangements, depending on the selected layout and order. When the user enters input to indicates that he or she wishes to browse through the thumbnails, the thumbnails move across the screen in sequence, following a path through a focus outline in the center of the screen. The path followed by the thumbnails depends on the selected layout.
US08352879B2
A method for swapping display contents between a first and a second screen. The first screen is a primary screen. A window is displayed on one of the first and the second screen. The method includes: calculating a window movement distance according to a relative position between the first and the second screen; performing swapping to set the second screen as the primary screen; obtaining a coordinate of the window after swapping; obtaining a first coordinate by adding the window movement distance to the coordinate of the window after swapping if the window is located in the first screen before swapping; obtaining a second coordinate by subtracting the window movement distance from the coordinate of the window after swapping if the window is located in the second screen before swapping; moving the window from one of the first and the second screen to the other.
US08352867B2
A device receives information associated with a job implemented in a network, calculates a statistic based on the information associated with the job, calculates a score for the statistic, calculates health check information based on the information associated with the job, receives information associated with an executing job, and provides for display the calculated statistic, the statistic score, the calculated health check information, and a snapshot of the information associated with the executing job.
US08352862B2
In order to allow flexible output settings for individual pieces of output data, in a hot folder, names relating to pieces of output data (e.g., subfolder names or print data names) and pieces of output setting information are set in association with each other. Thus, a job ticket is generated using a piece of output setting information associated with a name relating to a piece of output data input to the hot folder.
US08352856B2
A system resizes content within a document that includes a document segmenter that receives a document that contains content. The document segmenter analyzes the content within the document and segments the content into a plurality of object types. An object priority applicator determines a class value associated with each object type. A location scaler identifies a datum point for each object type within the document, wherein each datum point maintains a relative location to one another regardless of document resizing. An object sizing component resizes each object based at least in part upon the class value.
US08352848B2
The present invention relates to ranging response message generating and processing methods that can reduce overhead in a wireless portable Internet system. A method of generating a ranging response message according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: adding to the ranging response message a first field indicating the number of responses for CDMA codes included in the ranging response message and received from terminals; adding to the ranging response message second fields indicating ranging code attributes as the responses for the CDMA codes by a value of the first field; and adding to the ranging response message a plurality of third fields indicating transmission parameter adjustment values corresponding to the individual second fields.
US08352842B2
A method for determining a contribution of burst noise to a bit error rate in a digital system for reception of an interleaved forward error correction-enabled digital symbol stream is described. The method is based on identifying errored symbols at a decoding stage, determining their positions in the interleaved stream, and performing a windowing operation such that the errored symbols located within the window in the interleaved stream are designated as burst errored symbols. A corresponding digital receiver and a digital transmission system are also disclosed.
US08352836B2
An error addition apparatus receives a data signal D having a frame format having a specific signal inserted into its front, adds errors to the data signal D, and outputs a resulting signal. The apparatus has an error addition regulation unit for receiving a frame synchronization signal F, indicative of a timing at which the front of the frame of the data signal has been inputted, and regulating the errors such that the errors are added to positions other than a region of the specific signal. Accordingly, errors are not added to a specific signal.
US08352834B2
Systems and methods for performing high-speed multi-channel forward error correction using external DDR SDRAM is provided. According to one exemplary aspect, an interleaver/deinterleaver performs both read and write accesses to the DDR SDRAM that are burst-oriented by hiding active and precharge cycles in order to achieve high data rate operations. The interleaver/deinterleaver accesses data in the DDR SDRAM as read blocks and write blocks. Each block includes two data sequences. Each data sequence further includes a predetermined number of data words to be interleaved/deinterleaved. The PRECHARGE and ACTIVE command for one data sequence is issued when a preceding data sequence is being processed. Data in one read/write data sequence has the same row address within the same bank of the DDR SDRAM.
US08352827B2
A method for low-density parity-check hard decision decoding includes computing, for every decoding iteration, a discrepancy of extrinsic messages responsive to channel inputs of a receiver, performing a flipping of the channel inputs responsive to a comparison of the discrepancy of extrinsic messages to a flipping threshold, the flipping threshold for each decoding iteration being determined based on a threshold computation responsive to a channel error probability estimation in a first iteration of a decoding of the channel inputs, and check node decoding responsive to the flipping of channel inputs.
US08352825B2
A method for packet retransmission employing feedback information is disclosed. The method for packet retransmission employing feedback information comprises receiving reception acknowledgement information from a receiver after a transmitter transmits packets, the reception acknowledgement information representing channel status information and decoding success/failure of the packets; and changing a retransmission mode in accordance with the channel status information if the reception acknowledgement information represents decoding failure, and transmitting retransmission packets of the packets in accordance with the changed retransmission mode. Thus, it is possible to improve decoding probability of the receiver and increase efficiency of retransmission.
US08352824B2
A method and apparatus may be used for supporting multiple hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) processes per transmission time interval (TTI). A transmitter and a receiver may include a plurality of H-ARQ processes. Each H-ARQ process may transmit and receive one TB per TTI. The transmitter may generate a plurality of TBs and assign each TB to a H-ARQ process. The transmitter may send control information for each TB, which may include H-ARQ information associated TBs with the TBs. The transmitter may send the TBs using the associated H-ARQ processes simultaneously per TTI. After receiving the TBs, the receiver may send feedback for each of the H-ARQ processes and associated TBs indicating successful or unsuccessful receipt of each of the TBs to the transmitter. The feedback for multiple TBs may be combined for the simultaneously transmitted H-ARQ processes, (i.e., TBs).
US08352804B2
The invention relates to systems for secure interrupt handling, a method for verifying a priority of a winning service request node and a method and an apparatus for verifying integrity of service requests.In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for verifying a priority of a winning service request node (SRN) established in an arbitration between a plurality of service request nodes (SRNs) performed by an interrupt controller, the method comprising: storing the priority of the winning SRN in the interrupt controller; encoding the priority of the winning SRN, wherein the encoding allows for error detection; transmitting the encoded priority from the winning SRN to the interrupt controller; and verifying the priority of the winning SRN by comparing the encoded priority transmitted by the winning SRN with the priority of the winning SRN established in the arbitration and stored in the interrupt controller.
US08352790B2
Model data is generated from performance information sorted by day of the week, time period, and process status by a performance information analysis section and a process status analysis section. An abnormality determination section detects abnormality using appropriate model data. What the graph of an expected status is like, how much the graph of the current status that has been determined abnormal differs from the graph of the expected status, and how much the current status is like the expected status are displayed allowing a system manager to observe detailed information about abnormality determination.
US08352786B2
A compressed replay buffer in a first electronic unit of an electronic system holds commands in a table. As commands are transmitted from the first electronic unit to a second electronic unit, the command, along with associated data, command type, and the like are stored in a row in the table. No rows in the table contain “dead cycles” to indicate that no command was sent on a particular cycle on a bus over which the commands were transmitted. The second electronic unit may request that the first electronic unit replay some number of commands. In response, the first electronic unit uses commands in the compressed replay buffer, along with required timings stored on the first electronic unit, to replay the number of commands requested.
US08352785B1
A method, computer readable medium, and system for generating a unified virtual snapshot in accordance with embodiments of the present invention includes invoking with a file virtualization system a capture of a plurality of physical snapshots. Each of the physical snapshots comprises content at a given point in time in one of the plurality of data storage systems. A unified virtual snapshot is generated with the file virtualization system based on the captured plurality of the physical snapshots.
US08352776B2
In certain embodiments, replicating data elements includes calculating a key value for a data element. The key value is calculated from at least a part of content of the first data element. K computing elements are automatically selected from X computing element nodes according to the key value and a mapping schema. K is a greater than 2 and less than X. The computing element nodes each include computer-readable memory embodied within one or more routers. K replications of the data element are automatically written to the computer-readable memory of the K computing element nodes.
US08352773B2
A time aligning circuit includes a plurality of buffers, a plurality of delay selectors, a plurality of adjustment symbol generators, and a controller. Each buffer receives an ordered set on a corresponding lane. Each delay selector delays an output of the ordered set of the corresponding buffer. Each adjustment symbol generator outputs an adjustment symbol or the output received from the corresponding delay selector according to an adjustment control signal. When an initial symbol of a designated delay selector is detected but initial symbols of other delay selectors are not received yet, the controller generates the delay control signal to the designated delay selector and generates the adjustment control signal to control a designated adjustment symbol generator corresponding to the designated delay selector in order to output one adjustment symbol until initial signals of all delay selectors are detected.
US08352771B2
Power consumption on GMPLS controlled networks can be reduced by cutting power consumption on spare paths that are not normally used. To achieve power consumption reduction, in the path setting process, a path is calculated while taking the power saving capability of each interface into account, and the applicable interface is set to the power-saving state when setting the spare path. When the spare path was set to the operating state, then the power-saving state on the applicable interface was canceled so that interface could operate normally.
US08352770B2
A method and system for saving and/or retrieving context information of a processor core for a power state transition. The processor core resides in a complex power domain variously transitioning between a plurality of power states. The processor core includes a local context storage area for storage and retrieval of processor core context information. A low power context storage resides in a nominal power domain external to the complex power domain. Context information of the processor core is stored to the low power context storage based on whether a power state transition of the complex power domain includes a transition to power down the processor core.
US08352756B2
An image processing apparatus includes a volatile storing unit, a nonvolatile storing unit, a processing control unit, a transfer unit and a power controlling unit. The processing control unit controls image processing and writes a result of the control as history information into the volatile storing unit. The transferring unit transfers the history information from the volatile storing unit to the nonvolatile storing unit. The power controlling unit transfers the history information to the transferring unit transfer when detecting an abnormality of the processing control unit based on a communication with the processing control unit, and stops a supply of a power after a passage of a certain time since the detection of the abnormality.
US08352753B2
A microcontroller comprises a microprocessor (1), a test interface (4) and an internal non-erasable memory (2). First control means (6) are provided which are able to activate and deactivate the test interface (4), and second control means (7) are provided which are able to activate and deactivate the internal non-erasable memory (2). The microprocessor (1) of the microcontroller comprises control outputs (101) which are connected with the first and second control means (6, 7). With appropriate timing of activation and deactivation of the test interface (4) and the internal non-erasable memory (2), the microcontroller offers the possibility of preventing an unauthorized access to contents of the internal non-erasable memory (2) without limiting the usability of the test interface (4) for the development of application programs. The microcontroller further offers the possibility to entirely block access to data which are stored in the microcontroller or have been processed within the microcontroller via the test interface (4).
US08352750B2
In one embodiment an encryption based storage lock comprises at least one storage media, at least one processor, at least one drive controller, and logic to; store at least a first encryption key in a persistent memory location, establish a logical association between the first encryption key and a first drive, receive a write operation in a drive controller, wherein the write operation is associated with the first drive in the network attached storage device, encrypt data associated with the write operation using the first encryption key, and store the encrypted data in the first drive in the network attached storage device.
US08352736B2
An authentication method of a first module by a second module includes the steps of generating a first random datum by the second module to be sent to the first module, generating a first number by the first module starting from the first datum and by way of a private key, and generating a second number by the second module to be compared with the first number, so as to authenticate the first module. The step of generating the second number is performed starting from public parameters and is independent of the step of generating the first number.
US08352733B2
Resource restrictions are associated with a user identifier. A resource restriction agent receives operating system calls related for resources and provides resource request data to a resource agent. The resource agent determines whether the resource is restricted based on the resource request data and resource restriction data and generates access data based on the determination. The resource restriction agent grants or denies the system call based on the access data.
US08352724B2
The present invention improves efficiency in utilizing grid computing and promotes spread of the grid computing by solving problems of security technology and distributed computer resource management technology. The present invention improves security technology and distributed computer resource management technology that are problems in improving in efficiency and spread of grid computing. Based on an idea that a mechanism for supporting these control technology is required in a microprocessor level, an auxiliary system for supporting security technology and distributed computer resource management is provided in a software area in a microprocessor comprising a hardware area and the software area, according to the present invention.
US08352713B2
A processor is operative to execute two or more instruction sets, each in a different instruction set operating mode. As each instruction is executed, debug circuit comparison the current instruction set operating mode to a target instruction set operating mode sent by a programmer, and outputs an alert or indication in they match. The alert or indication may additionally be dependent upon the instruction address following within a predetermined target address range. The alert or indication may comprise a breakpoint signal that halts execution and/or it is output as an external signal of the processor. The instruction address at which the processor detects a match in the instruction set operating modes may additionally be output. Additionally or alternatively, the alert or indication may comprise starting or stopping a trace operation, causing an exception, or any other known debugger function.
US08352704B2
According to one embodiment, a switching apparatus includes a storage module, a setting module, a managing module and a reconstruction module. The storage module stores data pertaining to the switching function by dividing the data into a plurality of groups. The setting module sets, for each of the plurality of groups, a base address to be allocated by an operating system when the program is started up. The managing module records and manages the base address and data size information of each group when the program is terminated. The reconstruction module, when the program is started up, refers to the base address and the data size information recorded when the program is terminated last time, and reconstructs data in the virtual memory space for each of the plurality of groups based on a reference result.
US08352699B2
Provided is a host computer which is connected to a system resource through n (n≧2) number of paths. The host computer includes: a plurality of logical partitions accessible to the system resource; an allocation unit that allocates the paths to the plurality of logical partitions; and an allocation table. The allocation table is user configurable and stores, in a correlated manner, information indicating the logical partitions and information capable of indicating the number of paths to be allocated to the logical partitions indicated by the information. The allocation unit allocates the paths to the logical partitions in accordance with the allocation table. This makes it possible to secure the I/O response also for logical partitions having a small amount of I/O.
US08352688B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for implementing early release of speculatively read data in a hardware transactional memory system. A processing core comprises a hardware transactional memory system configured to receive an early release indication for a specified word of a group of words in a read set of an active transaction. The early release indication comprises a request to remove the specified word from the read set. In response to the early release request, the processing core removes the group of words from the read set only after determining that no word in the group other than the specified word has been speculatively read during the active transaction.
US08352681B2
Proposed are a highly reliable storage system and its control method capable of accelerating the processing speed of the copy processing seen from the host device.With the storage system and its control method which stores a command issued from a host device in a command queue and executes the command stored in the command queue in the order that the command was stored in command queue, a copy queue is set for temporarily retaining a copy command among the commands issued from the host device in the memory, the copy command among the commands is moved from the host device stored in the command queue to the copy queue and an execution completion reply of copy processing according to the command is sent to the host device as a sender of the command, and the copy command that was moved to the copy queue is executed in the background in the order that the copy command was stored in the copy queue.
US08352676B2
Data capacity efficiency is improved by de-duplicating data assigned with a code that is different for each data.A storage apparatus comprising a flash memory control device equipped with one or more flash memory modules, wherein the flash memory module comprises at least one flash memory chip for providing a storage area, and a controller for controlling writing/reading of data including user data and a guarantee code accompanying the user data to and from the storage area provided by the flash memory chip, wherein the controller respectively divides a plurality of the data having the common user data into the user data and the guarantee code, stores one of the user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area, and links and stores each of the guarantee codes accompanying the plurality of user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area.
US08352672B2
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory having a plurality of data blocks each of which is a unit of data erase and has a plurality of pages, each of the pages being a unit of data write, and a controller which checks whether or not the nonvolatile memory has been affected by power interruption at power-on time and, if the nonvolatile memory has been affected by power interruption, writes data to that first page in a first data block which has not been affected by power interruption.
US08352669B2
Described embodiments provide for transfer of data between data modules. At least two crossbar switches are employed, where input nodes and output nodes of each crossbar switch are coupled to corresponding data modules. The ith crossbar switch has an Ni-input by Mi-output switch fabric, wherein Ni and Mi are positive integers greater than one. Each crossbar switch includes an input buffer at each input node, a crosspoint buffer at each crosspoint of the switch fabric, and an output buffer at each output node. The input buffer has an arbiter that reads data packets from the input buffer according to a first scheduling algorithm. An arbiter reads data packets from a crosspoint buffer queue according to a second scheduling algorithm. The output node receives segments of data packets provided from one or more corresponding crosspoint buffers.
US08352662B2
An apparatus and method for supporting a Hot Plug Detect (HPD) function in a portable terminal using High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) are provided. The apparatus includes an HPD unit for generating an HPD signal using an operation voltage of a first modem upon connecting to a display apparatus through an HDMI cable, the first modem for enabling a second modem upon detecting the HPD signal, and the second modem for outputting video data upon being enabled by the first modem.
US08352661B1
A data storage system having a pair of CPU modules each one of having a port coupled to a host computer/server and a storage medium for transferring data during an IO transfer. Each one of the modules produces different types of reset signals, one of such types being a software reset signal produced during a software upgrade of the module and other types being produced for events other than during a software upgrade, The other types produced by a first one of the modules disables the port of the first one of the modules; whereas, in response the software reset signal produced by the first one of the modules during an IO transfer, a second one of the modules couples the port of the first one of the modules to the second one of the modules to enable the IO transfer to be processed by the second one of the modules.
US08352651B2
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, which can comprise a signal interface that is adapted to transmit a signal between a programmable logic controller and an Input/Output (I/O) module. The programmable logic controller can be communicatively coupled to the I/O module via an opto-coupler, which can be adapted to electrically isolate the programmable logic controller from the I/O module.
US08352644B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for use in a USB device with multiple processors, allowing shared USB connectivity in the device. The disclosed apparatus and methods allow selective coupling of a first processor to a USB port of the device or to a USB hub operable to route a plurality of USB connections including connection of a second processor to the port. Providing selective coupling of the processors to the port by switching the coupling of the first processor and selectively powering the hub on and off for selective coupling of the second processor, thereby selectively enabling tethered networking such as wireless networking, affords increased power savings in the device. Furthermore, default coupling of the first processor to the port allows for USB battery charger detection, or direct connectivity to USB peripheral devices, as well as providing programming capability via the default coupling of the port to the first processor.
US08352643B2
Interactive content may be presented to a user that is manipulating a peripheral. One or more state parameters that are related to the position of the peripheral may be determined. The peripheral may be identified from a plurality of possible peripherals. The interactive content may be adjusted based at least in part on the one or more position parameters and/or the identification of the peripheral. Haptic feedback to be provided to the user may be determined based at least in part on the one or more position parameters and/or the identification of the peripheral.
US08352642B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus of controlling an operational status of an electronic device which receives data through a HDMI port. The present invention determines whether to wake up the electronic device from the power saving mode according to counting numbers generated based on the transitions of signals within a time period.
US08352641B2
Systems and methods for identifying one or more Fieldbus devices in a control system are described. One or more messages from respective linking devices and including information associated with a plurality of segments for the linking devices may be received and analyzed to identify one or more segments to which at least one Fieldbus device is connected. A respective query message requesting information associated with connected Fieldbus devices may then be generated and communicated to each identified segment. One or more responses to the query messages may be received and utilized to prepare a listing of the Fieldbus devices that are included in or connected in the control system.
US08352638B2
A computer-based method and apparatus facilitate exchange of pathology studies enabling primary and secondary pathological diagnoses. A study consists of lower-resolution images, references to the corresponding higher-resolution images, associated image metadata, study metadata and patient metadata. The studies are exchanged from one organization (hospital, practice, or individual physician) to another organization through a set of interconnected dispatcher services. In a cloud model, a plurality of dispatchers may be connected through a Global Dispatcher, both facilitating the addition of new organizations to the cloud and allowing for the addressing of studies from any organization in the cloud to any organization, group or individual in the cloud. Efficiency in diagnosis is improved through the addressing of a study to a plurality of qualified recipients, as the first recipient with an appropriate, available resource may review and provide a diagnosis for the study.
US08352637B2
Techniques are described for resolving network connectivity. According to an exemplary embodiment, a determination is made whether a first device is included in a portion of a network in which the first device can receive information directed to all devices included within the portion of the network. A first identifier associated with the portion of the network is obtained. A second identifier is assigned to the portion of the network unique to other portions of the network. The first identifier associated with the portion of the network is modified to include the second identifier. The modified first identifier is associated with the first device and the portion of the network. A first symbol identifying the first device can be presented as being connected to a second symbol identifying the portion of the network using the modified first identifier.
US08352632B2
A method for determining network topology of a provider network includes selecting a first network element, selecting a first port on the first network element, and iteratively performing connectivity validation tests using the first port, wherein each connectivity validation test is associated with a type of network element and yields a result that indicates whether a second port on a second network element of the associated type is connected to the first port. A system for discovering topology of a network, the system comprising a topology discovery engine in operable communication with a near network element and operable to identify a first port of a far network element that is connected to a second port of the near network element by remotely altering operation of the near network element to cause the second network element to respond in a manner that identifies the first port.
US08352624B2
A system for and method of rapidly streaming data to one or more client devices, such as personal computers (PC's) from a server employing virtual disk emulation and broadcasting or multicasting of data residing on a network server. In some embodiments, the streamed data includes files necessary to boot and configure the one or more client devices, the data including hibernation, O/S and application files.
US08352622B2
Firmware stored in a printer such as an inkjet printer can be rewritten by executing a firmware rewriting process which is not dependent upon the internal processing status of the printer. A printer 1 for executing a printing process based on print data sent from a host computer has a rewriting unit 38 for executing a firmware rewriting process, a print unit 37 for executing processes other than the firmware rewriting process, a rewrite command interpreting unit 32 for detecting a rewrite command that precedes the transmission of rewrite data required for the firmware rewriting process, and a control unit 36 for executing the firmware rewriting process with a priority over all other processes when a rewrite command is detected.
US08352605B2
Systems and methods of storing previously transmitted data and using it to reduce bandwidth usage and accelerate future communications are described. By using algorithms to identify long compression history matches, a network device may improve compression efficiently and speed. A network device may also use application specific parsing to improve the length and number of compression history matches. Further, by sharing compression histories, compression history indexes and caches across multiple devices, devices can utilize data previously transmitted to other devices to compress network traffic. Any combination of the systems and methods may be used to efficiently find long matches to stored data, synchronize the storage of previously sent data, and share previously sent data among one or more other devices.
US08352600B2
A system and method for substantially preventing firewall generated communication losses in regard to communications by authorized users in a managed computer network system is provided. The method comprises transmitting one or more status inquiry commands to at least one node in the managed computer network system, wherein the status inquiry command requests a first quantity of objects from the at least one node; receiving a non-zero quantity of objects response from the at least one node; and limiting communications through the firewall in the managed computer network system with the at least one node to a message size substantially equivalent to the received non-zero quantity of objects response from the at least one node, thereby substantially preventing firewall generated communication losses in the managed computer network system.
US08352590B2
A method and a system for collecting information in a network. A wiretap tunnel interface is initialized between a wire-tapping device and a network device. The wire-tapping device receives information related to routing protocol traffic from the network device through the wiretap tunnel interface. The wire-tapping device collates the received information about the routing protocol traffic. This collated information is used by the network administrator to manage the network.
US08352586B2
A storage area network (SAN) includes a management server, a storage device, and a management station coupled to a fabric. The management server implements device domains on the SAN. The storage device instructs the management server to add new device domains on the SAN. The management station defines the new device domains to include the storage device and an initiator coupled to the fabric, and directs the storage device to instruct the management server to add the new device domains. A method includes coupling a management server to a SAN fabric, implementing device domains in the management server, defining a new device domain that includes a storage device and an initiator coupled to the SAN, and coupling a storage device to the SAN fabric, the storage device being operable to instruct the management server to add the new device domain.
US08352584B2
A computer system for hosting computing clusters for clients. The system includes clusters each including a set of computing resources and each implemented in custom or differing configurations. Each of the configurations provides a customized computing environment for performing particular client tasks. The configurations may differ due to configuration of the processing nodes, the data storage, or the private cluster network or its connections. The system includes a monitoring system that monitors the clusters for operational problems on a cluster level and also on a per-node basis such as with monitors provided for each node. The system controls client access to the clusters via a public communications by only allowing clients to access their assigned cluster or the cluster configured per their specifications and performing their computing task. Gateway mechanisms isolate each cluster such that communications within a cluster or on a private cluster communications network are maintained separate.
US08352569B2
In one embodiment a communication method comprises the steps of receiving a query at Layer 2 from an entry node by way of a coordinated network, the query requesting data rates of network resources of the coordinated network; transmitting a Layer 2 request for an available data rate to each of a plurality of nodes connected to the coordinated network in response to the query; receiving a first Layer 2 response to said request from one or more of the plurality of nodes, wherein the first response includes a data rate with which each of the one or more nodes is capable of transmitting or receiving data; and transmitting a list of the received data rates to at least the entry node on the coordinated network.
US08352560B2
A system and method for controlling preferences for messages that includes receiving a message from a sender to a recipient, determining if the message will be received by the recipient based on message policies for the recipient, and notifying the sender that the message will not be received by the recipient and when it will be received responsive to the determination that the message will not be received by the recipient.
US08352558B2
Architecture that facilitates transport high availability for messaging services by providing the ability of a receiving entity (e.g., receiving message transfer agent (MTA)) to detect if a sending entity (e.g., sending MTA or client) is a legacy sending entity. When the receiving entity detects that the sending entity is a legacy system, by advertising transport high availability capability to the sending entity, if the sending entity does not opt-in to this capability, the receiving entity keeps the sending entity client “on hold”, that is, waiting for an acknowledgement (ACK) until the receiving entity delivers the message to the next hops (immediate destinations). This approach maintains at least two copies of the message until the message is successfully delivered (to the next hop(s)). Hence, if the legacy sending entity or the receiving entity fails, the message is still delivered successfully.
US08352544B2
A media server in a home entertainment network coordinates with a media player connected with the network to provide a media presentation with a combined user interface (UI) on an attached display device. Media content is sourced locally on a networked media player. The media player extracts metadata related to the media content and transmits the metadata to the media server. The media server creates the UI to include components related to the media content rendered by the media player. The media server then transmits the UI to the media player for combination with the rendered media content for a composite output to a presentation device. The media server may further develop and transmit compositing instructions and additional media content to the media player for inclusion in the composite output.
US08352519B2
Systems and methods are provided for online maintenance, processing, and querying of large random samples of data from a large/infinite data stream. In an illustrative implementation an exemplary computing environment comprises at least one data store, a data storage and management engine operable to process and/or store data according to a selected data processing and storage management paradigm on a cooperating data store (e.g., flash media). The exemplary data storage and management engine can deploy the exemplary sampling algorithm to perform and/or provide one or more of the following operations/features comprising the algorithm is operable for streaming data (or a single pass through the dataset), allows for the semi-random data write operations, the algorithm avoids operations (e.g., in-place updates) that are expensive on flash storage media, and the algorithm is tunable to both the amount of flash storage and the amount of standard memory (DRAM) available to the algorithm.
US08352515B2
A method of organising data items in an n-dimensional space comprises, for each of a plurality of iterations, the step of generating a relative displacement of position for each data item within the n-dimensional space in accordance with a similarity value between each data item and respective other data items, the distance between each data item and respective other data items in the n-dimensional space, and the difference in position within the n-dimensional space between each data item and at least one reference point.
US08352509B2
A method for accessing a multi-format data object stored on a computer readable storage medium is provided. The method includes receiving a request to read a markup language (ML) document stored in a text format section of the multi-format data object. The method further includes locating a binary format section of the multi-format data object, where the binary format section includes a parsed binary representation of the ML document. The method additionally includes returning the parsed binary representation of the ML document in response to the request. A system, and computer program product are also provided.
US08352507B2
A method includes receiving, at a first computing device, a request to retrieve a localized instance of a data object. The request is received from a second computing device and includes an object name. A locale applicable to the request is identified, and the localized instance of the data object is retrieved based on the object name and the identified locale. The localized instance includes a plurality of data elements specific to the identified locale. The method includes transmitting the localized instance to the second computing device.
US08352496B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for matching entity names. A matching analysis is performed between a first entity name (e.g., business entity name) and a second entity name. The matching analysis comprises comparing a first entity category descriptor that has been amended into the first entity name with a second entity category descriptor that has been amended into the second entity name. If a match is identified in the category descriptors, the first and second entity names may comprise the same entity.
US08352488B2
Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for a distributed associative memory base. Such methods may include providing a distributed memory base that includes a network of networks of associative memory networks. The memory base may include a network of associative memory networks, a respective associative memory network comprising associations among a respective observer entity and a plurality of observed entities that are observed by the respective observer entity. Ones of the associative memory networks are physically and/or logically independent from other ones of the associative memory networks. Methods include imagining associations from the associative memory base using a plurality of streaming queues that correspond to ones of a plurality of rows of ones of the associative memory networks.
US08352485B2
A computer displays a portion of a document to a user. Upon receiving a user-specified text string that includes multiple search keywords, the computer identifies a chunk within the document that satisfies the search keywords and displays the identified chunk to the user, wherein terms in the identified chunk that match the search keywords are either ordered differently from the search keywords in the user-specified text string or separated from one another by at least one term not matching any of the search keywords.
US08352478B2
Systems and techniques for providing a master data framework. The framework receives user input and automatically generates, in accordance with the input, a persistent definition of a business object type. The input can be simple declarations and need not be provided in any particular programming language. Definitions generated by the framework adhere to a same data model, regardless of the business object type they are defining. The framework allows the user to create a definition of a business object type by associating two or more definitions of other business object types. The framework provides services that can be applied, without further customization, to any definition of business object types generated by the framework. These services, for example, can be used by a calling application to instantiate business objects or to change a state of a business object instance.
US08352476B2
Techniques are provided for (2) extending SQL to support direct invocation of frequent itemset operations, (3) improving the performance of frequent itemset operations by clustering itemset combinations to more efficiently use previously produced results, and (4) making on-the-fly selection of the occurrence counting technique to use during each phase of a multiple phase frequent itemset operation. When directly invoked in an SQL statement, a frequent itemset operation may receive input from results of operations specified in the SQL statement, and provide its results directly to other operations specified in the SQL statement. By clustering itemset combinations, resources may be used more efficiently by retaining intermediate information as long as it is useful, and then discarding it to free up volatile memory. Dynamically selecting an occurrence counting technique allows a single frequent itemset operation to change the occurrence counting technique that it is using midstream, based on cost considerations and/or environmental conditions.
US08352464B2
Embodiments of system and method are provided for ranking contents of one or more documents through human assistance. The system includes one or more search engines configured to provide one or more documents based on a search query sent by a user. Further, the system includes a client application configured to capture the query sent by the user and the document tags provided by the document author or inbound links. The client application monitors one or more interactions of the user with the one or more documents for one or more events and provides a relevance measure to the one or more documents based on the captured query or tags, and the one or more events.
US08352460B2
Techniques are disclosed for matching an inbound identity record to existing entities. Entity resolution (ER) candidate-building keys are determined for a received identity record. A query is generated from the ER candidate-building keys. When executing the query, a generic key is identified. Execution of the query is aborted upon a condition involving the generic key being satisfied.
US08352457B2
Dynamically generating an XQuery for an XML database storing a plurality of non-XML documents, each non-XML document having a corresponding shadow XML document in the XML database. The method may include providing a plurality of static units of XQuery code, the static units being predefined in accordance with the non-XML documents. The method may further include combining the one or more static units with dynamic input from a user to generate the XQuery.
US08352453B2
A method and apparatus for plan-based compliance score computation is provided. Compliance-specific target results are stored. The compliance results include, for each target, a subset of target-specific compliance results for a rule subset of compliance rules. Each target-specific compliance result of the result subset includes a compliance value. The compliance value represents compliance to a compliance rule of the rule subset. An execution plan is generated. The execution plan generates data that measures compliance to a first compliance standard. For each target-specific compliance result, an execution plan step is generated for computing the compliance value of the respective compliance rule of the respective target.
US08352445B2
Instructions within an instruction set (such as source code for a software application) may be documented within many separate tools, such as a development environment, a version control system, and a bug report database. However, it may be inefficient to search for such information in many locations and through many interfaces while investigating the version history of an instruction. Instead, the development environment may be configured to retrieve relevant information (such as bug reports, versioning, and version release notes) and to display the version history information for a selected instruction together within the development environment.
US08352444B1
Dynamic generation of target files is described. A user can select a template file. The template file includes: at least first and second changeable fields configured to be changed persistently, and a third changeable field. The second changeable field is configured to receive a security-related value. A third changeable field includes a first value configured to be changed temporarily to receive an encrypted version of the first value. The template file is parsed to generate a user interface, including: a first prompting label, corresponding to the first changeable field, requesting the user to enter the user content value, a second prompting label, corresponding to the second changeable field, requesting that the user enter audit data and/or access control data. An encrypted version of the first value corresponding to the third changeable field is generated. The first value is temporarily replaced with the encrypted value. The target file is then generated.
US08352442B2
A method and system for determining an updated data source from first and second disparate data sources. A first and second data list is received from the first and second data sources, respectively. The data elements in the first data list matching data elements in the second data list are written to a first aggregation data list. The data elements in the first data list not matching data elements in the second data list are written to an additions data list. The data elements in the second data list not matching data elements in the first data list are written to a first deletions data list. All data elements in the first aggregation data list and the additions data list are written into a second aggregation data list. All data elements matching the data elements in the first deletions data list are written into a second deletions data list.
US08352437B1
Data-storage volumes, such as a file system on a storage system, may utilize a particular operating system format. Converting a data-storage volume to a different format may be desirable at times. However, this can be time consuming and resource intensive if data needs to be copied. Accordingly, substantially copying-free, in-place conversion of a data-storage volume from a first format to a second format is provided herein. In one embodiment, a data-storage volume may be converted from a first format to a second format while the data-storage volume is mounted and/or without copying data within the data-storage volume to a separate data-storage volume. Before conversion, features associated with the first format and the second format may be compared to detect incompatibilities that may result from conversion. During conversion, access to the data-storage volume may be blocked. Upon successful conversion, various post conversion operations may be performed.
US08352431B1
Providing a snapshot copy of data includes selectively collecting a plurality of data objects based on evaluation of a predicate associated with each of the data objects and performing a snapshot operation in connection with modifying at least one of the plurality of data objects. The snapshot operation may be performed prior to modifying the at least one of the plurality of data objects. The snapshot operation may be a copy on write operation. Providing a snapshot copy of data may also include providing a data structure that maintains a plurality of snapshot instances. The data structure may be a table. Each of the snapshot instances may include at least one of: an object set description, a timestamp indicating when the snapshot was initiated, a snapshot name and a handling policy.
US08352430B1
A method of creating a backup copy of a plurality of files is provided. A block of memory having a predetermined memory size is allocated at a first device. A first header including an identifier of a file of the plurality of files received from a second device is defined. The first header is written to the allocated block of memory. A second header including the identifier of the file is defined. The second header and the file are written to the allocated block of memory. The process of defining the second header and writing the second header and the file to the allocated block of memory is repeated for each file of the plurality of files. The allocated block of memory is copied to a third device after processing each of the plurality of files.
US08352427B2
The inter-system communications techniques include a system, and/or a method. In some embodiments of these techniques, the method includes receiving data from a first system. The method further includes storing the received data in an in-memory database. The method further includes determining a second system to inform of the received data using a system assignment table. The system assignment table includes a source system identifier, a target system identifier, a first field, and a first field value. The method further includes informing the second system of the received data when the first field value matches a value associated with the first field of the received data.This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US08352423B2
A Java based server is disclosed for providing streaming data. Streaming data is received in a publisher interface and processed to generate Java messages describing real time updated. One application of the Java based server is to provide streaming data for business process.
US08352422B2
Stubbing systems and methods are provided for intelligent data management in a replication environment, such as by reducing the space occupied by replication data on a destination system. In certain examples, stub files or like objects replace migrated, de-duplicated or otherwise copied data that has been moved from the destination system to secondary storage. Access is further provided to the replication data in a manner that is transparent to the user and/or without substantially impacting the base replication process. In order to distinguish stub files representing migrated replication data from replicated stub files, priority tags or like identifiers can be used. Thus, when accessing a stub file on the destination system, such as to modify replication data or perform a restore process, the tagged stub files can be used to recall archived data prior to performing the requested operation so that an accurate copy of the source data is generated.
US08352421B2
A coordinator manages a two-phase commit distributed transaction. The coordinator uses a probabilistic data structure to record whether the two-phase commit distributed transaction was successfully completed. A participant of the two-phase commit distributed transaction is directed to commit to the transaction or to roll back the transaction based on contents of the probabilistic data structure.
US08352412B2
A system for transforming domain specific unstructured data into structured data including an intake platform controlled by feed back from a control platform. The intake platform includes an intake acquisition module for acquiring data building baseline data related to a domain and problem of interest, an intake pre-processing module, an intake language module, an intake application descriptors module, and an intake adjudication module. The control platform includes a control data acquisition module, a control data consistency collator, a control auditor, a control event definition and policy repository, an error resolver, and an output that outputs results of the workflow into structured data enabled to be used in data analytics.
US08352408B2
A system for generating measurable indexes for providing a total wellness assessment of an individual is provided. The system can include a communications interface for accessing databases of population data derived from samplings of populations. The system further can include an integration and synthesis engine for generating weighting factors based upon a combination of the data, each weighting factor corresponding to a body region of the individual or to a health condition associated with the individual and based upon the population data. The system also can include a conditions capture engine for capturing individual-specific data corresponding to predetermined health conditions. The system can further include a modeling tool for combining the weighting factors with the individual-specific data. Moreover, the system can include a quotient generator for generating an overall health score corresponding to the individual based on the combining of weighting factors, population data, and individual-specific data.
US08352405B2
A sentiment classifier for sentiment classification of content. An aspect classifier is configured to classify content as being related to a particular aspect of information, the aspect classifier incorporating at least a portion of the domain specific sentiment lexicon. A polarity classifier is then configured to classify the content classified by the aspect classifier as having one of a positive sentiment of the particular aspect of information, a negative sentiment of the particular aspect of information or as having no sentiment as to the particular aspect of information. The polarity classifier also incorporating at least a portion of the domain specific sentiment lexicon.
US08352402B2
Some embodiments of a multiple entry point network for stream support in an exemplary rule engine have been presented. In one embodiment, a stream of events is asserted into a working memory of a rule engine, which supports event processing. The rule engine, running on a server, processes the stream of events against a set of rules retrieved from a rule repository of the rule engine. To process the events, the rule engine may construct a network having multiple root nodes, each being an entry point into the network, through which the events may enter the network and propagate through the network.
US08352398B2
A conflict resolution mechanism collects statistical data regarding how much time certain common actions or waits take. For example, the mechanism may collect statistics on disk I/O for each disk device. Statistics may include the average access time, for example. Such statistics may be collected over a sliding window of time. With the statistical data that the mechanism collects, the mechanism can make a more intelligent judgment regarding whether a process is in a “hanging” condition. For example, if the average I/O to a disk is 10 seconds for the past hour, and if a process is doing disk I/O to that disk for 5 seconds, then the mechanism will not yet determine that the process is hanging. In order to determine whether the process is hanging, the mechanism looks at the average time and the longest time for the particular actions that the process is performing.
US08352388B2
A system and method for processing information in unstructured or structured form, comprising a computer running in a distributed network with one or more data agents. Associations of natural language artifacts may be learned from natural language artifacts in unstructured data sources, and semantic and syntactic relationships may be learned in structured data sources, using grouping based on a criteria of shared features that are dynamically determined without the use of a priori classifications, by employing conditional probability constraints.
US08352382B1
Techniques for heuristic customer order fulfillment planning. A method may include iteratively partitioning ordered items into shipment groups according to a set partition algorithm. Of a working set including the unassigned items, the algorithm may determine the subset that optimizes fulfillment cost per member of the subset, and may assign this subset to a shipment group. To determine the subset, the algorithm may iterate over the set of combinations of fulfillment decision variables. For each combination, a list of members of the working set that may be shipped according to the combination is generated. The subset of this list that optimizes, per member of the subset, the costs of shipping according to the combination is then identified.
US08352380B2
The invention relates to a method for generating a list signature for a message to be signed, said method comprising steps which are carried out by an electronic material support of a member of a list. During said step, the electronic material support only generates an electronic signature according to a sequence number supplied to the electronic material support by a certifying authority, according to evidence of belonging to the list of members, to data relating to the electronic material support, and optionally to a key of an authority qualified to lift the anonymity of the generated signature.
US08352363B2
A mainframe-based far-distance bicentric transaction information processing system, providing a processing operation solution. The method includes: receiving upload transaction information containing transaction type data; searching transaction information requiring an amount of shared resource less than a preset threshold when being processed, according to the transaction type data; and transmitting the transaction information requiring the amount of shared resource less than the preset threshold when being processed, to a backup processing center to be processed, when CPU utilization rates exceeds a preset safety threshold. The system includes a main processing center and a backup processing center. The transaction information processing method and system implement the mainframe parallel sysplex far-distance bicentric transaction processing including the main processing center and the backup processing center, which expands the physical distance between the two centers, improves the processing capability and reliability of the transaction system, and sufficiently utilizes the resources of the backup processing center.
US08352354B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides computer-implemented methods and systems for optimizing the executing an order, such as trading orders. An order may be electronically routed to an Execution Optimizer (“EO”). The EO may apply a particular profile to the order, corresponding to a particular portfolio manager. Next, the order, with the profile, may be routed, electronically, to a third party where a prediction model may be applied to the order, indicating trading parameters for the order. The order, with the trading parameters from the prediction model, may be passed back to the EO, where a rules engine may apply rules, specific to the executing financial institution, to the order. The order may then be passed to a selected broker for market trading.
US08352345B2
In order to allow a user to quickly select a stock name with a stock price transition of a desired pattern from among a large number of stock names, a stock name search device includes: a similarity calculation unit (60) for calculating a similarity between a stock price transition handwritten-inputted by the user and each of stock price transitions of a plurality of stock names; a stock name list generation unit (66) for selecting some of the plurality of stock names based on the similarity and generating a list of the selected stock names; and an output unit (68) for outputting information concerning the selected stock names.
US08352344B2
A network device coalesces data received from an exchange, and provides a user with the opportunity to receive fewer, but up-to-date, data updates from an exchange when duplicate prices become available or a large volume of prices becomes available suddenly. Accordingly, the trader can be assured of receiving non-duplicated prices that are fed at a rate that is cohesive with that trader's connection speed. The present invention is designed to conserve on bandwidth thereby increasing the likelihood that bandwidth will be available to receive desirable market information.
US08352338B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing time recording. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include a Project Processing process component that supports the management of projects, a Time and Labor Management process component that supports the management of employees timekeeping and work planning, an Accounting process component that records relevant business transactions, a payroll processing process component that supports the execution and monitoring of payroll processes, and a Goods and Service Acknowledgement process component that receives a confirmation from an employee of goods received or services rendered.
US08352330B2
Methods and systems for electronic commerce are provided in which a buyer requests a merchandise estimate by selecting estimate items registered by a seller, selects one of various estimates suggested by the seller in response to the request, and performs payment for the merchandise. One method for providing electronic commerce includes receiving, from a buyer terminal, an estimate request selecting at least one of a plurality of items from estimate request information registered by a seller terminal, providing at least one estimate to a buyer according to an estimate response from the seller terminal, and receiving an estimate rejection or a purchase request in response to the at least one estimate from the buyer terminal and performing a corresponding process.
US08352328B2
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.
US08352316B2
A method of verifying the identify of an affiliate enrolled in an affiliate program of a merchant and then transmitting information between the affiliate and the merchant is provided. The method relies on embedding a unique identification code in a sub-domain portion of a domain name. Once an identification process has been completed, a server-to-server exchange of information is able to freely continue throughout a shopping session and even beyond checkout to easily handle post transaction changes, returns, cancellations, modifications, shipment notifications, status notifications, and the like.
US08352312B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method that allows a central election office to maintain control over actions taken on voting devices located at various polling locations. In an exemplary embodiment, a poll worker or other user contacts the central election office with a request to perform an action on a voting device. An election management system located at the central election office executes a hashing algorithm to generate a first hash code associated with the action. The central election office communicates the first hash code to the polling location, and the poll worker or other user inputs the first hash code into the voting device. The voting device executes the same hashing algorithm to generate a second hash code associated with the action, and compares the second hash code to the first hash code to verify the validity of the first hash code. If the validity of the first hash code is verified, the voting device permits the poll worker or other user to perform the action on the voting device.
US08352307B2
A mobile marketing campaign platform and method including: a planning module including: a definition module for setting budget and objectives; and a design module for designing the campaign utilizing a plurality of templates; an execution module including: design tools for designing an executable campaign from the campaign design made from the templates; and operating tools for causing the executable campaign to execute over multiple mobile services; and a reporting module including: tracking means for tracking at least one of a campaign activity, the campaign performance objectives; and the brand performance objectives.
US08352306B2
Lead distribution systems and methods distribute consumer business leads received from lead sources for routing to one or more destinations that use the leads and/or forward the leads to another destination. A quality level is assessed for each lead source, based in part on a percentage of leads from the source that result in a desired business transaction with the ultimate user of the lead. The system identifies a set of most profitable destinations for each lead, while maintaining a desired overall quality level and flow rate of leads routed to each destination. Adjusting the quality ratings of the lead sources may advantageously be used to affect the placement of their leads with destinations.
US08352305B2
A system and method for synchronizing broadcast advertising inventory data between a broadcast vendor system and a media buyer's media resource planning system features a database that stores advertising inventory data received from the broadcast vendor system and the media buyer's resource planning system. A matching application in communication with the database performs a comparison between a previous package of advertising inventory data and a revised package of advertising inventory data. An analysis application in communication with the matching application and the database enables a user to review results of the comparison and directs uploading of the revised package of advertising data from the database to the media buyer's resource planning system.
US08352288B2
A method for providing a user with a web-based service to access and collect records associated with the user in a secure and private manner, the method including assigning through a web site a phone number, assigning through the web site a user account to the user, associating access information with the user, creating through the web site a document for the user to provide to the service provider requesting the service provider to send the records to the phone number and granting the service provider permission to send the records to the phone number, receiving by the service provider the document from the user to provide the service provider permission to send the records to the phone number, and sending by the service provider a private fax communication to the phone number.
US08352287B2
A method for providing a user with a service to access and collect personal health records associated with the user in a private manner through use of a user account may include assigning a destination address associated with the user account of the user for receiving private communications from at least one health care provider, associating access information with the user account of the user, providing authorization to the health care provider to send personal health records to the destination address, receiving a private communication from one of the at least one health care providers at the web site, storing the personal health record such that the personal health record is accessible through the web site. The method may further include receiving authorization from the user to send to the web site and sending a personal health record to the web site.
US08352286B1
A computerized system and method for generating CMS-compliant health services delivery (HSD) tables. A database stores health care service provider data. A remote computer user interacts with a server that provides access to the health care service provider data. A user can view health care service provider data that meets selected search parameters. The data is displayed in an interactive worksheet. The user may further cause amendments to be made to the data stored in the database. The user may issue a request to generate an HSD table in “final file format” which conforms to CMS requirements. The server checks for errors in the file and notifies the user of errors that are identified. The server optionally checks for adequacy of the network associated with a plurality of health care service providers. The user may approve the final files for filing with CMS.
US08352285B2
An initial triage level classification for a latest patient to arrive at an emergency department (ED) is received. Availability levels of resources needed to treat the latest patient are electronically collected, along with triage level classifications for all other patients currently in the ED. The initial triage level classification of the latest patient is adjusted upward or downward based on the availability levels of resources needed to treat the latest patient and based on the triage level classifications for the patients in the ED. The triage level classifications for all patients currently in the ED are summed up. If a sum of all triage level classifications exceeds a first predetermined threshold, other resources are reallocated in order to provide the resources needed to treat the latest patient to arrive at the ED. If the sum of all triage level classifications exceeds a second predetermined threshold, then a disaster plan is implemented.
US08352281B2
In one embodiment, this invention analyzes demographic data that is associated with a specific street address when presented as an address change on an existing account or an address included on a new account application when that address is different from the reference address (e.g., a credit bureau type header data). The old or reference address and the new address, the new account application address or fulfillment address demographic attributes are gathered, analyzed, compared for divergence and scaled to reflect the relative fraud risk.
US08352279B2
This invention proposes a more efficient way to quantize temporal envelope shaping of high band signal by benefiting from energy relationship between low band signal and high band signal; if low band signal is well coded or it is coded with time domain codec such as CELP, temporal envelope shaping information of low band signal can be used to predict temporal envelope shaping of high band signal; the temporal envelope shaping prediction can bring significant saving of bits to precisely quantize temporal envelope shaping of high band signal. This prediction approach can be combined with other specific approach to further increase the efficiency and save mores bits.
US08352272B2
Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized form text strings associated with media assets. A text string may be normalized and its native language determined for obtaining a target phoneme for providing human-sounding speech in a language (e.g., dialect or accent) that is familiar to a user. The algorithms may be implemented on a system including several dedicated render engines. The system may be part of a back end coupled to a front end including storage for media assets and associated synthesized speech, and a request processor for receiving and processing requests that result in providing the synthesized speech. The front end may communicate media assets and associated synthesized speech content over a network to host devices coupled to portable electronic devices on which the media assets and synthesized speech are played back.
US08352270B2
An interactive prompt generation and TTS optimization tool with a user-friendly graphical user interface is provided. The tool accepts HTS abstraction or speech recognition processed input from a user to generate an enhanced initial waveform for synthesis. Acoustic features of the waveform are presented to the user with graphical visualizations enabling the user to modify various parameters of the speech synthesis process and listen to modified versions until an acceptable end product is reached.
US08352267B2
A plurality of input devices each includes a speaker, an operation data transmitter, a voice data receiver, and a voice controller. An information processing apparatus includes a voice storing area, object displaying programmed logic circuitry, operation data acquiring programmed logic circuitry, pointing position determining programmed logic circuitry, object specifying programmed logic circuitry, voice reading programmed logic circuitry, and voice data transmitting programmed logic circuitry. The pointing position determining programmed logic circuitry specifies, for each of the input devices, a pointing position on a screen based on operation data transmitted from the operation data transmitter. The voice reading programmed logic circuitry reads voice data corresponding to the pointing position for each of the input devices. The voice data transmitting programmed logic circuitry transmits the voice data to each of the input devices. The voice controller outputs voice from the speaker based on the voice data.
US08352265B1
A hardware implemented backend search stage, or engine, for a speech recognition system is provided. In one embodiment, the backend search engine includes a number of pipelined stages including a fetch stage, an updating stage which may be a Viterbi stage, a transition and prune stage, and a language model stage. Each active triphone of each active word is represented by a corresponding triphone model. By being pipelined, the stages of the backend search engine are enabled to simultaneously process different triphone models, thereby providing high-rate backend searching for the speech recognition system. In one embodiment, caches may be used to cache frequently and/or recently accessed triphone information utilized by the fetch stage, frequently and/or recently accessed triphone-to-senone mappings utilized by the updating stage, or both.
US08352263B2
The invention can recognize all languages and input words. It needs m unknown voices to represent m categories of known words with similar pronunciations. Words can be pronounced in any languages, dialects or accents. Each will be classified into one of m categories represented by its most similar unknown voice. When user pronounces a word, the invention finds its F most similar unknown voices. All words in F categories represented by F unknown voices will be arranged according to their pronunciation similarity and alphabetic letters. The pronounced word should be among the top words. Since we only find the F most similar unknown voices from m (=500) unknown voices and since the same word can be classified into several categories, our recognition method is stable for all users and can fast and accurately recognize all languages (English, Chinese and etc.) and input much more words without using samples.
US08352257B2
The present system proposes a technique called the spectro-temporal varying technique, to compute the suppression gain. This method is motivated by the perceptual properties of human auditory system; specifically, that the human ear has higher frequency resolution in the lower frequencies band and less frequency resolution in the higher frequencies, and also that the important speech information in the high frequencies are consonants which usually have random noise spectral shape. A second property of the human auditory system is that the human ear has lower temporal resolution in the lower frequencies and higher temporal resolution in the higher frequencies. Based on that, the system uses a spectro-temporal varying method which introduces the concept of frequency-smoothing by modifying the estimation of the a posteriori SNR. In addition, the system also makes the a priori SNR time-smoothing factor depend on frequency. As a result, the present method has better performance in reducing the amount of musical noise and preserves the naturalness of speech especially in very noisy conditions than do conventional methods.
US08352217B2
A system and method for controlling performance and/or power based on monitored performance characteristics. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise an integrated circuit comprising a first circuit module that receives electrical power. A second circuit module may monitor one or more performance characteristics of the first circuit module and/or the integrated circuit. A third circuit module may, for example, determine power control information based at least in part on the monitored performance characteristic(s). The power control information may be communicated to power supply circuitry to control various characteristics of the electrical power. Various aspects of the present invention may also comprise an integrated circuit comprising a first module that monitors at least one performance characteristic of a first electrical device. The integrated circuit may also comprise modules that determine power control information based on the monitored performance characteristic(s) and communicate such power control information to power supply circuitry.
US08352213B2
A probe monitoring system for riverbed elevation monitoring at bridge piers is revealed. The system includes a housing, a measuring rod, a moving member, a control module, a photographic unit and a sensing unit. The housing is fixed on the pier. Both the moving member for driving the measuring rod and the control module for control of the moving member are mounted in the housing. When the control module drives the measuring rod to move downward and the sensing unit on the bottom of the measuring rod approaches the riverbed, a sensing signal is sent to the control module. Thus the moving member stops moving the measuring rod and the photographic unit takes pictures of the measuring rod to generate an image. Then the riverbed elevation is obtained according to the image or the movement of the moving member and is sent to a remote monitor unit for real-time monitoring.
US08352212B2
A manipulable aid which is separate and distinct from the probe of a CMM permits a CMM operator to more directly interact with a CMM measurement volume to align a workpiece, configure a measurement path, and/or program a dimensional metrology application.
US08352207B2
Some embodiments provide methods for calibrating a fluorometer in order to account for one or more optical properties of a water sample affecting fluorescence measurements. In some cases one or more calibration solutions are prepared with sample water from a specific field site. Fluorescence measurements are taken from a water sample and one or more of the calibration solutions, and calibration parameters are determined based on the measurements. In some cases a calibration solution is prepared by spiking sample water to include a higher concentration of a fluorescent tracer and measurements are taken to characterize a calibration slope coefficient. In some cases a calibration solution is prepared by adding an acid and measurements are taken to characterize a background fluorescence in the sample.
US08352204B2
Methods of rapidly measuring an impedance spectrum of an energy storage device in-situ over a limited number of logarithmically distributed frequencies are described. An energy storage device is excited with a known input signal, and a response is measured to ascertain the impedance spectrum. An excitation signal is a limited time duration sum-of-sines consisting of a select number of frequencies. In one embodiment, magnitude and phase of each frequency of interest within the sum-of-sines is identified when the selected frequencies and sample rate are logarithmic integer steps greater than two. This technique requires a measurement with a duration of one period of the lowest frequency. In another embodiment, where selected frequencies are distributed in octave steps, the impedance spectrum can be determined using a captured time record that is reduced to a half-period of the lowest frequency.
US08352200B2
A system for monitoring a filter used for filtering a fluid in an aircraft engine. The system includes a pressure sensor acquiring over time a differential pressure of the fluid through the filter; a computer for computing a normalized differential pressure under reference conditions by normalizing the measured differential pressure according to conditions for exploiting the fluid; a memory for storing a predetermined reference clogging curve describing a time-dependent change of the normalized differential pressure depending on a pollutant mass injected into the filter. The computer can estimate the pollutant mass injected into the filter by projecting a current value of the normalized differential pressure onto the reference clogging curve; and can generate from the estimated pollutant mass a set of signatures defining the condition and the time-dependent change of clogging of the filter.
US08352186B2
An efficient route-defining method includes determining a route to a destination. The exemplary method also includes determining a wireless device to server connection type and assigning a tolerance in accordance with a connection type. The tolerance is usable to determine if a vehicle is off-route, and the tolerance is increased or decreased inversely corresponding to the speed of the connection type. According to the illustrative method, the assigned tolerance is used to determine points defining the route, such that the roads comprising the route are within a bounded area. The bounded area may be defined by the tolerance in conjunction with a plurality of lines connecting successive points along the route. Finally, the method includes delivering the determined points to a vehicle computing system in communication with the server.
US08352183B2
A unique system, method, and user interface are provided that involve an integration of map technology with social networks so that individuals can select members of these communities with which to communicate based at least in part on their location, thus enhancing the communication experience. This can be referred to as geo-based messaging. In particular, a member or user of the system and/or method can include his/her personal location information, for example, when joining an online community or social network. This location information can be employed to generate one or more maps that plot the locations of messages posted by community members. As a result, a user can readily visualize any other users or community members located at any selected distance from him/her or from any selected focal point.
US08352176B2
Systems and methods are described for enabling the monitoring and navigation of a complex of known rooms or facilities having known objects, attributes and/or people associated therewith, wherein different locations of the objects, attributes and/or people within the facilities are related and accessible over known, well-defined alternate paths. Sensor information may be used to facilitate the monitoring and navigation of the facility. At least some systems and methods may be used to enable the navigation of a building or a set of buildings by displaying an interactive graphical map of the building on a display device carried by a user.
US08352167B2
A method for reducing a temperature of an engine component is disclosed. In one example, an air-fuel ratio provided to an engine is adjusted to reduce a temperature of an engine component. The approach may be useful for controlling temperature and emissions from a turbocharged engine.
US08352162B2
Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients.
US08352160B2
Engine surge includes oscillations in engine torque resulting in bucking or jerking motion of a vehicle that may degrade driver experience. The present application relates to increasing reformate entering an example engine cylinder in response to engine surge.
US08352149B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for verifying proper operation of a gas turbine engine output torque sensor using a speed sensor, and using the speed sensor as a backup torque sensor. Gas turbine engine output torque is sensed using a reference torque sensor, and gas turbine engine output shaft rotational speed is sensed. Gas turbine engine output torque is calculated from the sensed gas turbine engine output shaft rotational speed. The sensed gas turbine engine output torque is compared to the calculated gas turbine engine output torque to determine if the reference torque sensor is operating properly. The gas turbine engine is controlled at least partially based on the sensed gas turbine engine output torque if the reference torque sensor is determined to be operating properly, and is controlled at least partially based on the calculated output torque if the reference torque sensor is determined to be not operating properly.
US08352146B2
A method for controlling an engine of a vehicle in response to an operator input, comprising, during a first non-cruise control condition and at first distance to a forward vehicle, adjusting engine output in response to said operator input with a first relationship; and during a second non-cruise control condition and at a second, greater, distance to a forward vehicle, adjusting engine output in response to said operator input with a second relationship different from said first.
US08352135B2
In a method of operating a hybrid drive train for a motor vehicle including an internal combustion engine, an electric machine and a transmission, a first clutch arranged between the internal combustion engine and the transmission and the electric machine being arranged in parallel with the first clutch and being connectable to the internal combustion engine by way of a second clutch and to the transmission via a third clutch, the electric machine is connected by means of the second and third clutches to the internal combustion engine and to the transmission for assisting the first clutch transmitting an excessive engine torque, and upon failure of the first clutch, for starting movement of the motor vehicle, the third clutch is engaged and the electric machine is energized for transferring an electric machine torque to the transmission and the second clutch is engaged when the vehicle has reached a speed corresponding to the engine speed.
US08352107B2
Exemplary methods, systems and components enable selective control of an operational mode for a vehicle that is subject to an administrative standard. In some instances a qualified person or entity may attain a possible consequential result related to a user-selected vehicle operation mode that may involve a vehicle operation paradigm and/or a vehicle travel route and/or a vehicle travel destination. In some embodiments, implementation of the selected vehicle operation mode may modify a conformity status of the vehicle relative to the administrative standard. Various accessible records may be maintained regarding administrative compliance states and their respective benefits, as well as regarding certification of preferable consequential results available to qualified recipients based on a correlated vehicle operational mode.
US08352105B2
An unmanned underwater vehicle incorporates a structure having an integral scintillating material for a radiation detector and detection electronics connected to the radiation detector for measurement of the scintillation. A communication system is employed for transmission of scintillation measurement to a remote facility and a navigation control system provides for autonomous operation of the unmanned underwater vehicle or remote operation through the communications system.
US08352102B2
The subject of the invention is an interactive navigation device comprising at least one navigation screen making it possible to display a graphical representation of at least one flight plan, a flight plan being composed of points and of segments. The device comprises means for displaying several flight plans simultaneously on the navigation screen at the same time as flight information text fields associated with the points of the said flight plans, the flight information fields being displayed in a manner contiguous with the points associated with them so as to be able to compare them conveniently. The device also comprises means for displaying on the navigation screen flight information fields associated with the segments of the flight plans, the said flight information fields being displayed in a manner contiguous with the segments associated with them.
US08352096B2
The present invention provides an arrangement for enabling a plurality of central processing units to share specific resources while ensuring overall reliability owing to domain separation. More specifically, in a semiconductor data processing device comprising a plurality of access management circuits for managing access to resource units that are sharable by the central processing units via an internal bus, each of the access management circuits performs permission/inhibition control for access from the central processing units to the resource units according to a setting state of a domain setup register so as to allow domain separation of the resource units for each of the central processing units, and through use of a priority access permission control function for specific resource units selectively recognized by the access management circuits as resources sharable by the central processing units, access from one of the central processing units that is identified by register setting data is given higher priority than access from the other central processing units.
US08352085B2
In a method for distributing cooling resources to a plurality of locations using a plurality of hierarchically identified cooling microgrids, conditions detected at the plurality of locations are received. Each level of the hierarchically identified cooling microgrids is a plurality of resource actuators configured to vary distribution of the cooling resources. Settings for the plurality of resource actuators in each of the levels in the cooling microgrid hierarchy that substantially maintain conditions at the plurality of locations within predetermined ranges are determined using a processor, while substantially optimizing at least one measure of performance associated with supplying the cooling resources to the plurality of locations.
US08352084B2
A solar power generation system comprising: plural customers each having a solar panel, a power convertor for converting DC output from the solar panel into AC output, an output controller for suppressing the power convertor output which becomes higher than a predetermined value, a measuring unit for measuring the amount of sold power, the amount of purchased power and the amount of generation-suppressed power; and an watt-hour meter measurement data adjusting unit linked with the plural customers via communication lines. The watt-hour meter measurement data adjusting unit calculates provisional generation-suppressed power amounts that make the burdens of the customers even, and calculates the power amounts to be sold by the customers on the basis of the provisional generation-suppressed power amounts. Thus, the generation-suppressed power of the solar power generation system can stabilize the power system and the chances for selling power can be fairly allocated to customers having solar panels.
US08352077B2
A system and method is disclosed for controlling a robot that is falling down from an upright posture. Inertia shaping is performed on the robot to avoid an object during the fall. A desired overall toppling angular velocity of the robot is determined. The direction of this velocity is based on the direction from the center of pressure of the robot to the object. A desired composite rigid body inertia of the robot is determined based on the desired overall toppling angular velocity. A desired joint velocity of the robot is determined based on the desired composite rigid body inertia. The desired joint velocity is also determined based on a composite rigid body inertia Jacobian of the robot. An actuator at a joint of the robot is then controlled to implement the desired joint velocity.
US08352068B2
The invention relates to an apparatus for processing food wherein food items are conveyed through processing stations where they are cut into pieces and optionally mixed with items originating differently. In particular, the invention relates to a system wherein information related to each food item and the positions of the food items throughout the processing are traced so that the origination of a food item is preserved.
US08352054B2
There is a sequence of samples having values representative of a waveform. Samples corresponding to extrema including maximums and minimums in the waveform are detected. A decision is made as to whether values of successive samples between every two extremum-corresponding samples are in an upward slope or a downward slope. The number of these successive samples is detected. One is selected from coefficients in response to the detected sample number. A first group has one or more samples adjacently preceding a maximum-corresponding sample. A second group has one or more samples adjacently following the maximum-corresponding sample. A third group has one or more samples adjacently preceding a minimum-corresponding sample. A fourth group has one or more samples adjacently following the minimum-corresponding sample. Each of specified samples among the samples in the first to fourth groups is corrected in response to the slope decision result and the selected coefficient.
US08352050B2
The invention is a system for monitoring the status of a field device having data including a data acquisition module, a first and a second diagnosis engine, and a client having a user input element for receiving user input status.
US08352048B2
A method and an electronic device for compensation of the hysteresis of a pneumatically driven fitting having an electropneumatic valve. The electropneumatic valve is driven by a position regulator and is used in a closed control loop for position regulation of a switching element of an pneumatic actuating drive for operation of the fitting. Hysteresis of the pneumatically driven fitting is compensated for by the position regulator via at least one hysteresis correction factor. The control-engineering compensation for the hysteresis is carried out separately for a first basic case of starting or reversing a switching element and for a second basic case of continuous movement of the switching element, such that a dominant static friction is compensated for in the first basic case and the dominant sliding friction is compensated for in the second basic case, and the pneumatic actuating drive operates the switching element matched thereto.
US08352038B2
A medical device system and method configure a medical device according to a configuration definition. The configuration definition includes an allowable status and a function status for each of a number of medical device functions. The medical device configuration is updated automatically in response to being interrogated by a programmer configured to update the device configuration. The device configuration is updated by updating the function status for at least one of the medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the medical device function.
US08352023B2
Described is a method and system which includes a first set of digital data generated by amplifying and digitizing brain waves of a patient before and after administration of initial doses of interventional agents to the patient and a second set of digital data generated by amplifying and digitizing brain waves of the patient during a medical procedure. In addition, the system includes a microprocessor computing separate trajectories for at least two different indices of an anesthetic state of the patient during the medical procedure as a function of a comparison of the first and second sets of digital data, the indices including a Depth Index (DI), a Memory Index (MI) and Pain Index (PI), the DI corresponding to a depth of anesthesia of the patient, the PI corresponding to a sensitivity of the patient to pain and the MI corresponding to an ability of the patient to form and store memories. The system also includes a display outputting the trajectories for the at least two different indices of anesthetic state of the patient to a user for consideration in formulating subsequent dosages of the interventional agents to be administered to the patient.
US08352009B2
A sensor may be adapted to provide output to indicate when the sensor experiences abnormal forces or pressure. The forces may be outside forces, or the forces may be generated by patient motion. A sensor system as provided may also be adapted to correct for such forces when calculating measurements related to a physiological characteristic.
US08352007B2
An oximeter has a housing configured to have a cavity defining portion that is adapted to be fitted with covers of various dimensions to effect receptacles of different dimensions for accommodating differently sized sensor of sensor assemblies that are matable to the oximeter for sensing physical attributes of a patient. Each of the covers, once fully fitted to the housing, is fixedly latched thereto unless a force that overcomes the latching is applied to remove the cover. The effected receptacle is adapted to biasedly retain a corresponding sensor placed therein. The holstered sensor therefore would not accidentally fall out or be removed from the receptacle, until the user deliberately applies a force to remove the sensor from the receptacle.
US08352001B2
An electronic portable device includes two housings 10 and 20 and a connecting mechanism which connects housings 10 and 20 so as to allow housings 10 and 20 to be shifted from one state to another state by a rotating operation, wherein the connecting mechanism has first guide groove 31 and second guide groove 32 formed in housing 10, third guide groove 33 and fourth guide groove 34 formed in housing 20, first shaft pin 41 penetrating guide grooves 31 and 33, and second shaft pin 42 penetrating guide grooves 32 and 34, wherein the guide grooves 31 to 34 form a circular arc, the guide grooves 31 and 32 are line-symmetric with respect to the center line of first housing 10 in the closed state; the guide grooves 33 and 34 are line-symmetric with respect to the center line of first housing 10 in the first open state.
US08352000B2
A dual connection member allowing a liquid crystal display unit and a keypad of a mobile phone to rotate and a hinge device thereof are provided. The dual connection member may be used in a mobile phone wherein the mobile phone includes a first housing, a second housing and a dual connection member for interconnecting the first housing and the second housing in such a manner that the second housing is rotatable about a first hinge axis toward or away from the first housing, wherein the first and second housings are connected to the dual connection member in such a manner as to be rotatable about third and second hinge axes, respectively, which extend perpendicular to the front and rear faces of the first and second housings, respectively, the third and second hinge axes being eccentrically positioned in relation to the centers of the first and second housings, respectively, and allowed to be slid as the first and second housings are rotated.
US08351999B2
A wireless headset system including a switching unit having a detection circuit coupled to a wireless adapter. The detection circuit provides a first output signal to the wireless adapter upon detection of a triggering event, such as activation of a manual switch or detection of voltage of an audio output signal from a mobile communications device. The first output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into an active audio channel mode. The detection circuit also provides a second output signal to the wireless adapter when no triggering event is detected, and the second output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into a standby mode. Placing at least the wireless adapter in a standby mode saves battery life of the system.
US08351996B2
Methods and apparatuses for operating a wireless mobile station configured to communicate with a wireless access point are described. A first awake timer may be started in response to receiving a beacon signal from the wireless access point. The beacon signal may indicate that data is available or pending for the wireless mobile station. A second awake timer may be started in response to data received from the wireless access point. When the second awake timer expires, the wireless mobile station may return to the sleep state. In one embodiment, the first awake timer counts for a first period of time and the second awake timer counts for a second period of time which is shorter than the first period of time. The RF radio may be in a higher power state when the first and/or the second awake timers are counting. In one embodiment, the wireless mobile station and the wireless access points may be synchronized using target beacon transmission times of the beacon signal.
US08351994B2
A wireless terminal device having network access is disclosed. Selection of menus is simplified by allowing selection of more than one input such as direct touching of the screen, virtual keyboards or roller buttons. A focus marker in the form of a border around a field may be used to limit the area of selection. An object menu icon is visible without needing a right click of a mouse to make selection of the menu easier. The selection of options is localized and parsed at the network server before a response to the user selection is sent back to the terminal.
US08351993B2
A method of input and device are provided. The device includes a housing having a front face exposing a display, a back face opposing the front face, and a plurality of sides. The sides include a first side and a second side. The device includes a controller and a first sensing layer located within the housing along the first side. The first sensing layer includes a first position sensing layer extending longitudinally along the first side. The first position sensing layer is coupled to the controller to provide position input. The first sensing layer also includes a first pressure sensing layer. The first pressure sensing layer is coupled to the controller to provide pressure input.
US08351989B2
A method of displaying a menu in a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication terminal are provided. The method of displaying a menu in a mobile communication terminal comprises displaying a standby screen in a display of the mobile communication terminal, selecting one of a plurality of specific directions through an input device of the mobile communication terminal, and displaying each menu corresponding to the selected specific direction on the standby screen.
US08351983B2
A mobile terminal includes a projector module projecting an image onto an external surface; a display having a touchscreen; and a controller configured to receive a control signal corresponding to a touch input received via the display, wherein the control signal is for adjusting at least a size or a position of an external display area formed on the external surface such that the external display area is adjusted based on a touch pattern of the touch input, to adjust the external display area in response to the control signal, and to control the projector module to project the image on the adjusted external display area, wherein a screen area set and positioned according to the touch input is displayed via the touchscreen and the external display area is adjusted according to a size and a position of the screen area.
US08351981B2
According to one aspect of the present disclosure a terminal device includes a transceiver configured for wireless communications and a data processing system including logic configured to: determine whether the terminal device supports a plurality of subscriber identities; responsive to determining that the terminal device supports a plurality of subscriber identities, create a plurality of recurrent time slots for a communication channel of the terminal device; allocate for each subscriber identity a respective time slot; and enable wireless communications for the plurality of subscriber identities using the respective time slots via the transceiver.
US08351978B2
A circuit is described. The circuit includes a low noise amplifier (LNA), a passive switching core (PSC), a transimpedance amplifier filter (TIA-filter) and a degenerative-impedance gain-tuning network (Zdeg network) having a first Zdeg network input lead, a second Zdeg network input lead, a first Zdeg network output lead and a second Zdeg network output lead, wherein the first Zdeg network input lead is coupled to a first output lead of the LNA and the second Zdeg network input lead is coupled to a second output lead of the LNA, and wherein the first Zdeg network output lead is coupled to a first signal input lead of the PSC and the second Zdeg network output lead is coupled to a second signal input lead of the PSC. The LNA, the Zdeg network, the PSC, and the TIA-filter together form a receiver. A receiver gain is adjusted by the Zdeg network.
US08351972B1
A system and method for dispatch communications are provided. A dispatch station can use one or more alias addresses for communicating with other dispatch stations. The dispatch station can register with a dispatch network for only one of the alias addresses or a number of the alias addresses.
US08351971B2
A device includes a memory to store a plurality of instructions and a processor to execute instructions in the memory to determine a location of a mobile communication device, determine a direction of movement of the mobile communication device, identify other mobile communication devices within a particular distance of the mobile communication device, identify other mobile communication devices moving in a particular direction with respect to the mobile communication device, and store, in the memory, a list of the identified other mobile communication devices.
US08351969B2
A method and system for transmitting and receiving media according to the importance of a media burst in a PTT over Cellular (PoC) system are provided. The method includes transmitting a Media Burst Control Protocol (MBCP) Request message containing importance indication information by a sending PoC client: a controlling PoC server receiving the MBCP Request message, and if the importance indication information is contained in the MBCP Request message, determining that an important message will be transmitted, creating an MBCP Taken message containing the importance indication information, and transmitting the MBCP Taken message to a receiving PoC client via a participating PoC server: and receiving, by the receiving PoC client, the MBCP Taken message, and if it is determined that the importance indication information is contained in the MBCP Taken message, informing that an important message will be transmitted.
US08351968B2
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, interrogators and methods of communicating within a wireless communication system. One aspect of the present invention provides a wireless communication system including at least one remote communication device configured to communicate a return link wireless signal; an interrogator including: a communication station configured to receive the return link wireless signal and to generate a return link communication signal corresponding to the return link wireless signal; communication circuitry coupled with the communication station and configured to communicate the return link communication signal; and a housing remotely located with respect to the communication station and including circuitry configured to receive the return link communication signal from the communication circuitry and to process the return link communication signal.
US08351966B2
In a wireless communication system, an apparatus and method for managing an uplink communication between a network and a plurality of terminals is achieved by transmitting a response condition parameter from the network to the plurality of terminals subscribing to a multicast service. The parameter is associated with controlling the uplink communication of the plurality of terminals. The terminal then applies the response control parameter to a predetermined test and responds to the network if the terminal determines that it is qualified to respond to the network in response to a result of the predetermined test. The network evaluates whether the parameter needs to be transmitted to the plurality of terminals and whether the parameter needs to be updated based on at least part of responses received by the network.
US08351963B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for processing short message service terminations in a communication system featuring an IP-based femtocell system are provided. The femtocell system includes a base transceiver station and a Session Initiation Protocol to Internet Operating System adapter. The femtocell system receives message content from a core network over a packet interface that is to be delivered to a user equipment serviced by the femtocell system and depacketizes the message content. The Session Initiation Protocol to Internet Operating System adapter conveys the depacketized message content to the base transceiver station which transmits the message content to the user equipment via a data burst.
US08351962B2
Paging of a mobile device within a mobile pool area serviced by two or more mobile switching nodes is reduced using logical paging areas. The mobile pool area includes a plurality of location areas, each serviced by the two or more switching nodes. In addition, the mobile pool area is divided into multiple logical paging areas, in which each logical paging area includes at least two location areas. Upon receiving a mobile terminated call for the mobile device, if the location area of the mobile device is unknown, the logical paging area within which the mobile device is located is determined in order to page the mobile device and deliver the mobile terminated call to the mobile device.
US08351958B2
To provide a mobile device which can accurately identify a location of the mobile device in relation to a user.The mobile device includes: an operation input unit (101) which receives an input of operation information entered by the user; a sensor unit (102) which detect speed information regarding the mobile device (100); a reference point rule holding unit (103) which holds reference point rules each of which indicates a relationship between the operation information and a reference point which indicates the location of the mobile device (100) at a point in time when the input of the operation information is received; a reference point determining unit (104) which determines, as an operation reference point, the reference point corresponding to the operation information received by the operation input unit (101), with reference to the reference point rules; a trajectory calculating unit (105) which calculates a movement trajectory of the mobile device (100), based on the speed information detected by the sensor unit (102); and a location identifying unit (106) which identifies a location of an end point of the movement trajectory originating at a start point that is a point corresponding to the operation reference point, using the movement trajectory calculated by the trajectory calculating unit (105).
US08351954B2
In a PBSS cluster environment, the beacon interval is allocated such that each PBSS in a PBSS cluster possesses its own master sub-beacon interval. Moreover, each member of the PBSS cluster can share unoccupied sub-beacon intervals. When a master PBSS fails to use its own master sub-beacon interval or the beacon intervals which are unoccupied, the available idle time within the beacon interval can be utilized by other member PBSSs in the PBSS cluster. As available or idle beacon interval time is allocated, each master PBSS retains the highest priority to its own master sub-beacon interval thus providing immediate access to a beacon interval when necessary.
US08351951B2
A method of controlling channel access for a mobile device in a wireless communication system includes receiving a dynamic persistence level from a base station, determining a persistence value according to the dynamic persistence level and at least a one persistence coefficient stored in the mobile device, comparing the persistence value with a random number of the mobile device, and determining whether access to a channel is permitted to be accessed for sending a message from the mobile device to the base station according to a comparison result of the persistence value and with the random number.
US08351947B2
A system for radio access in a wireless communication system, in which a number of RATs exist, includes: a RAS configured to share radio environment information and the RATs with an adjacent RAS using a macroband SPC, the RAS being reconfigurable in conformity with the RATs; and a RMS configured to transmit/receive the radio environment information and the RATs to/from the RAS using a microband SPC and access the RAS using the microband SPC, the RMS being reconfigurable in conformity with RAT of the accessed RAS.
US08351941B2
Communication quality of bearers towards a 3G system having a PoC server and a proxy server connected thereto, and towards a wireless LAN system is monitored by a 3G bearer IF and a wireless LAN bearer IF of a mobile terminal device. Upon being requested for reference by an application of the mobile terminal device, a routing table of the mobile terminal device is referred. A bearer is selected based on the communication lines (bearers) to a destination, and priority corresponded to the communication quality obtained by the monitoring.
US08351936B2
A communication terminal apparatus that exhibits a shorter time period required until a start of communication and causes the throughput in the wireless communication system to be less reduced. In this apparatus, when the number, N, of retransmissions notified by a response determining part (107) is zero, a subchannel-to-be-used selecting part (108) selects a subchannel, among others, which exhibits the highest order one of the reception qualities of the subchannels notified by a reception quality determining part (106), and then notifies the selected subchannel to a subchannel allocating part (113). When the notified number, N, of retransmissions is one or more, the response determining part (107) selects a subchannel which exhibits the N-th lower order reception quality than the highest order reception quality, based on the reception qualities of the subchannels notified by the reception quality determining part (106) for a pilot signal received after a transmission of the latest access request signal, and then notifies the selected subchannel to the subchannel allocating part (113).
US08351934B1
A computer-implemented method, computer-readable media, and wireless system that passively provisions wireless devices over the air are provided. The wireless system includes a database, handset configuration manager, and radio network controller. The database stores updates for the wireless devices and indications of which wireless devices received the updates. The handset configuration manager provides updates for wireless devices available in the database. The wireless devices connect to a communication network associated with a network service provider that implements the handset configuration manager. The radio network controller communicates with wireless devices by establishing a slot 0 communication session with the wireless devices after receiving a registration notification from the wireless devices.
US08351931B2
The present invention provides a method for roaming retry under pre-paging mode. The method comprises the following steps of: during a pre-paging period, a called Mobile Station (MS) moving to a new location area and sending a location update request to a new Visitor Mobile Switching Center/Visitor Location Register (New VMSC/VLR); after receiving the location update request, the New VMSC/VLR sending a location area update message to a Home Location Register (HLR); after receiving the location area update message, the HLR sending a Send Routing Information (SRI) Ack message including a Roaming Retry Indication identifier to a to a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC); after receiving the SRI Ack message, the GMSC triggering a roaming retry procedure according to the Roaming Retry Indication identifier, and completing the subsequent calling flow.
US08351923B2
A mobile device executes software. The software collects realistic and accurate user quality information without degrading the user experience of the mobile device during the data collection process. The software operates as a background application, and may have a user interface, and the software is remotely controllable and updatable by an external server.
US08351883B2
A method for communicating data using a “burst protocol” includes enabling power to transmitters and receivers when needed to balance power consumption with latency and unscheduled communication. A transmitter transmits a plurality of packets indicative of substantially the same payload. Power then may be disabled to the transmitter. A first predetermined time is determined to enable a receiver. A second predetermined time is determined to disable the receiver. Power then may be enabled to the receiver based on the first predetermined time. The payload is output in response to receiving one or more of the plurality of packets. Power to the receiver is disabled based on the second predetermined time.
US08351882B2
A transmit amplifier stage operable to amplify a transmit signal comprises power amplifiers and switches. The power amplifiers include at least one fractional power amplifier operable to provide fractional power to amplify the transmit signal, where the fractional power is a fraction of the full power. A switch has a plurality of positions, where a position directs the transmit signal to a selected power amplifier.
US08351881B2
Disclosed are an addition circuit that makes it possible to add two vector signals in a high-frequency region, a power amplifier circuit using the same, and a transmission device and communication device using the power amplifier circuit. Disclosed is an addition circuit, wherein first through fourth multipliers (11-14) multiply first and second high-frequency input signals (Si1, Si2) and first and second reference signals (Ref1, Ref2) and output first through fourth direct current output signals (Sd1-Sd4), first and second adders (21, 22) add in-phase signals of these to one another and output fifth and sixth direct current output signals (Sd5, Sd6), fifth and sixth multipliers (15, 16) multiply these and the first and second reference signals (Ref1, Ref2) and output first and second high-frequency output signals (So1, So2), which are then combined, whereby a third high-frequency output signal (So3), in which the first and second high-frequency input signals (Si1, Si2) have been vector added, is output from an output terminal (44). The addition circuit can be used in a high-frequency region.
US08351873B2
A low noise RF driver circuit including at least two series-coupled driver stages which receive a frequency modulated signal and an amplitude modulated signal that is applied to the supply voltage input of the driver stages, and provide a combined output signal. The RF driver circuit can be implemented in CMOS technology and integrated with other components of an RF communication subsystem, such as an RF transceiver circuit and power amplifier. Each driver stage includes a complementary pair of transistors with source degeneration resistors for linearity and gain control.
US08351868B2
A portable communication device includes a status indictor in the form of a single multicolor generating LED. The single LED indicates radio channel and battery status. The LED is responsive to a menu button press to indicate a current channel by color. Channel change is indicated by changing to another color. The LED is also responsive to a power button on the portable communication device to generate predetermined colors associated with battery status. The use of a single LED eliminates the need for knobs or a display as part of the status indicator of the portable communication device.
US08351863B2
The invention relates to a switching device for the alternate connection of at least one first test port or of a second test port to a measuring-device connection, where the measuring-device connection provides at least one test-signal input. The test-signal input is connected to a first signal path and to a second signal path, where the first signal path is connected alternately to the first or to the second test port, and the second signal path is connected at least to the respectively other test port.
US08351862B2
Device, system, and method of mitigating interference to digital television signals. For example, an apparatus includes a diversity-based digital television receiver having a filter controller and at least first and second channel paths, wherein the first channel path includes a first Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) reject filter, the second channel path includes a second GSM reject filter, the second channel path is parallel to the first channel path, and the filter controller is to selectively switch an operational state of the first GSM reject filter.
US08351861B2
A method of spectrum access for wireless communications by a secondary unlicensed unit in a CRN environment comprising one or more secondary unlicensed mobile units and one or more primary licensed units includes receiving information indicative of a location and movement of one or more secondary unlicensed units and a channel usage pattern and spatial distribution of one or more primary licensed units is accessed and a guard distance to shield the one or more primary licensed units from interference is calculated. The channel availability to the one or more secondary unlicensed units is then calculated according to a two-state Markov model including the guard distance as a constraint and based on the information indicative of the location and movement of the one or more secondary unlicensed units and the channel usage pattern and spatial distribution of the one or more primary licensed units.
US08351854B2
Mobile wireless communications device having touch activated near field communications (NFC) circuit
A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and a circuit board carried by the housing and including Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor carried by the housing and operative with each other. A Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit is positioned on the circuit board and operative with the processor for communicating in accordance with the NFC communication protocol. A touch activated sensor is supported by the housing and operative for enabling operation of the NFC circuit when touched to establish NFC communications from the communications device.
US08351848B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of managing power saving mechanisms of wireless communication devices. For example, a wireless communication unit may relay communications between a wireless communication device and a base station, wherein the wireless communication unit is to manage a power-saving mechanism of the wireless communication device by scheduling one or more power-save periods for the wireless communication device, and transmitting to the wireless communication device a power-save message indicating the one or more power-save periods. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08351846B2
A CID management method and apparatus in a multi-hop relay BWA communication system are provided. A BS combines data destined for an RS and data to be relayed to an MS via the RS in a payload, distinguishing the data by CIDs, attaches a relay CID to the payload, and sends the payload with the relay CID to the RS. Among the data of the payload, the RS processes its data and relays to the MS the data destined for the MS by distinguishing them by the CIDs.
US08351841B2
The present invention prevents a conveying force of a rotation body from being locally deteriorated, and increases lifetime of the rotation body. A printer 1000 changes, by means of control of a controller, starting position at which rotation speeds of skew feeding correcting drive rollers 21a and 22a are changed. With this, the printer 1000 prevents a conveying force from being concentrated on specific positions of the skew feeding correcting drive rollers 21a and 22a, thereby preventing local wearing and deterioration of the conveying force, and the skew feeding correcting drive rollers 21a and 22a can be used for a long term.
US08351839B2
A medium transporting apparatus includes a first transport member and a movable guide member. The first transport member transports a medium in the medium transport direction. The movable guide member comes into contact with and guides the medium transported by the first transport member along a medium transport path. The movable guide member is also movable from a first position to a second position downstream of the first position in the medium transport direction.
US08351831B2
An displacement correcting device is provided and includes: a rotation supporting member having a rotation shaft and rotating to support the endless belt-shaped member; a shaft supporting frame supporting a one-end supporting portion of the rotation shaft movably relative to an opposite-end supporting portion and supporting one end of the rotation shaft to be tilted about the other end; and a shaft displacing member having a rotation center disposed closer to one end portion in the axial direction than a rotation shaft supporting body and intersected by the axial direction and a rotation shaft contact portion contacting with the one end of the rotation shaft. The shaft displacing member allows the rotation shaft contact portion to rotate about the rotation center to tilt the rotation shaft when a movement sensing member detects the movement of the endless belt-shaped member to the one end of the rotation shaft.
US08351828B2
A printer having a developer station for holding a supply of developer which includes magnetized carrier particles, a magnetized development roller, and an imaging roller proximate the development roller which collects carrier particles during operation of the printer. A scavenger proximate the imaging roller and the development roller removes the carrier particles from the imaging roller during operation of the printer which are then urged through a slot in the scavenger by the magnetized development roller.
US08351825B2
An image forming apparatus is provided and includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on an image carrier with a transparent material and a coloring material; a controller that controls an order of an image forming with the transparent material and an image forming with the coloring material to be different between in an image portion and in a non-image portion in an image forming region on the image carrier; and a transferring unit that transfers the image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium.
US08351815B2
An apparatus for reducing vapor emissions from a printer may include a treatment chamber having an inlet and an outlet. While the printer is operating, vapor-laden air may enter the treatment chamber via the inlet and treated air may exit the treatment chamber via the outlet. While the printer is idle, the inlet and outlet can be sealed to prevent vapors located in the treatment chamber from being emitted to the atmosphere.
US08351813B2
The device comprises a first power supply 204 supplying electric power in the normal mode, a second power supply 203 supplying electric power in the power-saving mode, a first switching unit 211 switching between supplying and stopping the supply of electric power from an external power supply to the first power supply, a second switching unit 502 switching between supplying and stopping the supply of electric power outputted from the first power supply 204, a control unit controlling the first switching unit 211 and second switching unit 501 using electric power supplied from the second power supply. In the power-saving mode, the first switching unit stops the supply of electric power from the external power supply to the first power supply.
US08351808B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable belt member; a toner image forming unit which forms a toner image on the belt member; a first detection unit which detects the density of the toner image transferred to the belt member; a plurality of position marks which detects a position in the circumferential direction of the belt member; a second detection unit which detects the position marks; a calculation unit which calculates the position in the circumferential direction of the belt member based on a detection result of the second detection unit; and an adjustment unit which adjusts toner image forming conditions of the toner image forming unit based on the output of the first detection unit and the circumferential direction position calculated by the calculation unit; wherein the shape of each of the plurality of position marks is different at each circumferential direction position.
US08351807B2
A fixing unit includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a heating device, a sheet width detector, and a heating area adjustor. The pressing member faces the fixing member to form a fixing nip between the fixing member. An un-fixed toner image is fixed on a recording medium when the recording medium passes through the fixing nip. The heating device heats the fixing member while maintaining a non-contact condition with the fixing member. The sheet width detector detects sheet width of the recording medium. The heating area adjustor changes a heating area of the fixing member, heatable by the heating device, based on the sheet width detected by the sheet width detector. The heating area adjustor is moveable in a space between the fixing member and the heating device along a sheet width direction to change a size of the heating area.
US08351801B2
An image forming apparatus has an image forming station for forming an image and a display unit for displaying specified information. A mode changing section switches a mode of the image forming apparatus between a first mode for waiting on standby with a first power consumption and a second mode for waiting on standby with second power consumption lower, than the first power consumption. A determining section determines whether an image can be formed after the mode is switched from the second mode to the first mode and a starting section starts the display unit when the determining section determines that no image can be formed. A notifying section generates a display on the display unit of information indicating that no image can be formed.
US08351798B2
Fiber optic transmission technologies that allow DPSK or even higher order PSK to be performed at 20 gigabits per second per channel or even higher bit rates in a WDM (e.g., DWDM) wavelength multiplexed channeling environment. The technology employs pre-compensation of chromatic error dispersion such for each of most, if not all, channels have a portion of minimum absolute accumulated dispersion that occurs somewhere within the length (perhaps at the mid-point) of the optical channel. Post-compensation is then employed at the receiver to reduce or even potentially eliminate the chromatic dispersion. The technology allows for reduced bit error rates at high bit rates over even very long haul (e.g., trans-oceanic submarine or long terrestrial) optical fiber links, and for all channels.
US08351791B1
New designs of optical devices, particularly for adding or dropping a selected wavelength or a group of wavelengths as well as multiplexing a plurality of signals into a multiplexed signal or demultiplexing a multiplexed signal into several signals are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an isolator core is built into the optical devices to stop a reflected signal from an optical file in the optical devices. As a result, the optical devices are amenable to small footprint, broad operating wavelength range, enhanced impact performance, lower cost, and easier manufacturing process.
US08351785B2
An apparatus comprising a data framer configured to frame a data stream into a plurality of frames each comprising a plurality of fields sized to align the frames with a word boundary greater than or equal to about four bytes long, and an optical transmitter coupled to the data framer and configured to transmit the frames. Included is an apparatus comprising at least one component configured to implement a method comprising encapsulating a data stream with at least one Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) Encapsulation Method (GEM) payload aligned with a word boundary at least about four bytes long, encapsulating the GEM payload with a GPON Transmission Convergence (GTC) frame aligned with the word boundary, and transmitting the GTC frame.
US08351779B2
An image pickup apparatus which is capable of reducing possibility of missing a good moment to take a photo and reducing electric power wasted for strobe shooting. The image pickup apparatus is capable of shooting using a strobe. A motion detector detects an amount of motion of an object of which an image is to be picked up. A camera controller sets a target charge voltage level of a main capacitor based on the detected amount of motion of the object.
US08351778B2
A method for adjusting brightness of an image, suitable for an image capturing apparatus with a flash lamp, is provided. In the method, an intensity of a main flash of the flash lamp is raised, and a sensitivity is reduced. When the main flash is fired by the flash lamp, a raw image is captured according to the reduced sensitivity for calculating a brightness mean value. A gain ratio is calculated according to the brightness mean value and a brightness target, so as to use the gain ratio to compensate the brightness of the raw image.
