US08357129B2

Skin rejuvenation system and method in which a pure plant collagen carrier is saturated with a solution of collagen, allantoin, amino acid, propanediol, glycerin, algae, plant DNA living cells, epidermal growth factor, Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, rose essential, water, and peptide, and the saturated carrier is applied to the skin to be rejuvenated.
US08357121B2

A universal gripping surface is provided on an intravenous catheter assembly. The universal gripping surface provides a plurality of surfaces whereby a user may grip the catheter assembly in a desired gripping configuration for improved balance and control of the catheter assembly during insertion of the catheter. Additionally, the universal gripping surface includes a guard feature to prevent a user's unintended contact with various components of the catheter assembly whereby the contact may result in an undesirable “over the bevel” condition.
US08357114B2

Drug storage and dispensing devices for dispensing a drug dosage form are disclosed. Devices having a housing defining a nonlinear passageway and a flexible push rod to move within the nonlinear passageway are disclosed. Devices having a flexible push rod coupled to a rotation actuating member at at an end portion thereof are also disclosed.
US08357110B1

An apparatus and associated methods for preventing and treating toe curl, a condition where the toes of a patient curl toward the bottom of the foot, are provided. The apparatus provides a pad operable for engaging the bottom of the foot, a foot sleeve for surrounding the foot and pad, and a strap that surrounds the foot sleeve and pad for applying a flexion force against the foot. The pad engages and supports at least one toe and prevents the toe or toes from curling toward the bottom of the foot. The device can be worn by a patient at night or during the day to treat or prevent toe curl. The apparatus is especially useful for treating toe curl in spinal cord injury patients. Additionally, the strap can include an elastic material for providing a tension force required for flexion stretching, and the strap can be attached at one end to a removable leg band that can be securely and releasably positioned about the leg. In some embodiments, the pad includes multiple layers having similar or different material properties. A method of preventing toe curl is also provided.
US08357106B2

This invention is regard to an analysis device that analyze a specific component in bodily fluid extracted from the skin using an analysis tool. The analysis device comprise a laser beam oscillation section that emits a laser beam for extracting the bodily fluid from the skin, and a detection mechanism that detects whether or not the analysis tool exists at a target position. The analysis device is adapted to emit the laser beam from the laser beam oscillation section when the analysis tool is detected by the detection mechanism.
US08357099B2

A mainstream gas monitoring system and method that includes using a mainstream airway adapter and a gas sensing assembly associated with the airway adapter to measure an analyte of a gas flow through the adapter. A gas sensing portion outputs a signal indicative of the analyte in a gas flow in the mainstream airway adapter. A processing portion receives the signal from the gas sensing portion and determines an amount of the analyte in the gas flow based on the signal from the gas sensing portion. The processing portion determines whether the oxygen measurements are of sufficient quality for their intended use, such as for measuring oxygen consumption or metabolic estimations. Quality measurements may be used to improve accuracy of derived metabolic estimations. Methods are provided by which carbon dioxide measurements can be processed and substituted for direct oxygen measurement for all or part of a respiratory cycle.
US08357088B2

Methods and devices are provided for providing surgical access into a body cavity. In general, the methods and devices allow a surgical access device to be securely positioned within an opening in tissue to provide access to a body cavity underlying the tissue. An actuator can be rotatably disposed on or in a housing of a surgical access device such that rotation of the actuator relative to the housing is effective to move a cannula of the surgical access device between an insertion configuration in which the cannula has a reduced profile enabling it to easily be inserted into a tissue opening, and an expanded profile enabling it to form an anchor against and/or within the tissue opening.
US08357084B2

An insert structure is proposed for insertion into an orifice, a canal, a tube and the like of a human or animal creature such as an ear canal, an intestinal tract, a gullet, etc. The insert structure comprises at least one longitudinally extending insert member (3) and a plurality of at least nearly perpendicularly extending further members (5, 7, 9), placed longitudinally at a distance to each other along the insert member, the further members (5, 7, 9) being at least of a flexible and/or soft material.
US08357079B2

A device for initiating positive thoughts in an individual wherein the positive thought is not an implanted post-hypnotic suggestion. The device comprises housing for an energy source and an electronic circuit connected to an energy source affixed within the housing. The electronic circuit has an alerting means and a means for controlling the alerting means. The alerting means notifies the individual a determined number of times over a given period in an apparent random manner at a frequency of 10-12 Hz.
US08357075B2

Systems and techniques for the collection and display of athletic information. Athletic data relating to a single person or group of people is collected at a central location, and subsequently displayed at a desired remote location so that the person or people can review and critique their performance. In addition, athletic data for multiple persons can be collected at a central location, and subsequently displayed to a user at a desired remote location, so that the user can compare his or her athletic activities to others.
US08357070B2

A method of compensating for load-induced twisting of a gear assembly under load that includes a gear on a gear shaft, bearings on each side of the gear that support the gear shaft and a carrier fastened to a stationary support surface that mounts a proximal one of the bearings near the stationary support surface and mounts a distal one of the bearings away from the stationary support surface. The method includes the steps of determining the twisting deflection of a distal bearing axis of rotation for the distal bearing relative to a proximal bearing axis of rotation for the proximal bearing and offsetting the position of the distal bearing axis of rotation relative to the proximal bearing axis of rotation in the carrier opposite the determined deflection under no gear loading.
US08357063B2

A belt type continuously variable transmission for a vehicle such as a motorcycle includes a primary sheave and a secondary sheave each having a pair of flanges axially movable relative to each other. A belt is wound around the sheaves. An actuator controlled by a control device moves the flanges. The control device includes a determination section for determining whether the actual gear ratio of the belt type continuously variable transmission has become a predetermined gear ratio for TOP or LOW, and a first correction section for correcting an operation amount of the actuator based on the determination made by the determination section. Control accuracy in a region where the gear ratio is TOP or LOW is thereby improved.
US08357061B2

A training apparatus for use on a training surface is disclosed. The training apparatus includes a sport-projectile stopping member and an elongated body substantially transverse to the sport-projectile stopping member. The elongated body has a first section, a second section, and a transition section between the first and second sections. A portion of the first section is positioned on the sport-projectile stopping member, and the first section is sized such that the sport-projection stopping member, the first section, the training surface and the transition section define an orifice through which a sport-projectile can pass through.
US08357059B2

Golf balls consisting of a dual core and a dual cover are disclosed. The surface hardness of the outer core layer is greater than the material hardness of the inner cover layer, and is preferably 75 Shore C or greater.
US08357058B2

The present invention is a unique golf club head characterized by a long blade length with a long heel blade length section, while having a small club moment arm and a low center of gravity, and all the benefits afforded therefrom.
US08357053B1

A steering coupling support device for use in combination with a standard elastic steering coupling in a vehicle. The device features a generally flat disc having a top surface and a bottom surface. A center aperture is disposed in a center of the disc, and four outer apertures are disposed in the disk outside the center aperture in a symmetrical manner. The steering coupling support device is constructed from a metal.
US08357047B2

Systems and methods include detecting the failure or imminent failure of a persistent storage unit for a wagering game machine. Upon detection of the failure, a flag is set to indicate that failed persistent storage unit is being replaced. After replacement, the wagering game machine is restarted. The flag indicating persistent storage unit replacement is read and wagering game machine software assets are automatically loaded onto the replacement persistent storage unit. The software assets to be loaded may be determined from an asset list maintained on the wagering game machine or on a server communicably coupled to the wagering game machine.
US08357044B2

An apparatus and method for providing up-to-date statistical information about fantasy sports players is disclosed herein. The volume and type of transactions made by a plurality of users regarding the fantasy sports players are used to generate at least one statistical value for respective players. The statistical values for respective players are provided in an online interface, providing ease of viewing of transaction activity regarding the players and/or facilitating a user's next transactions relative to the transaction activity of the plurality of users.
US08357041B1

A gaming system and method providing a multi-dimensional symbol wagering game is provided. A player selects a payline, places a wager on the selected payline, and selects a plurality of a plurality of different symbols in a selection order. Symbols are generated and displayed at each of a plurality of symbol display positions. If at least a designated quantity of the symbol display positions associated with the selected payline displays any one of the selected symbols, the gaming system determines a display order of the generated and displayed symbols associated with the selected payline, and determines any awards associated with the selected payline based on a quantity of the symbol display positions associated with the selected payline that display the player selected symbols and a comparison of the selection order with the display order. Any awards are provided to the player. Cascading and rotating symbol features are provided.
US08357040B2

Systems and methods render three-dimensional objects for a wagering game component in accordance with graphical assets that may be downloaded. The graphical assets may include meshes, skins, physics characteristics, shader programs or other graphical assets.
US08357034B2

A gaming system and method disclosed herein enable players to earn promotional awards at gaming machines without sacrificing or surrendering player tracking points. The gaming system and method also provide value to players without the casino absorbing the cost of such value. The gaming system and method disclosed herein creates a new type of currency redeemable for a good or service (or a discount on a good or service) associated with a point-of-sale independent of the casino. In one form, the player tracking currency does not cost the casino or the player anything.
US08357032B2

Online blackjack tournaments are described which provide a facility by which a player in the blackjack tournament may purchase a card counting report to assist in their play. The card counting report could be purchased with cash or cash equivalent, or with chips assigned to the player for play in the tournament. The player may select the format or content for the card counting report. The report could be purchased for the entire tournament, a round of the tournament, or for one or more hands. In one variation, the card counting report is generated by a central gaming server. In another variation, the card counting report is generated locally by a client process executing on a workstation used by a player to play in the tournament.
US08357015B2

A case comprised of a metal-resin composite body having a connector including a terminal fitting, the connector being integrated with an opening of a wall of a case main body so that the connector sandwiches an edge of the wall. The connector is comprised of a base resin formed by injection molding so as to sandwich the wall. A separately-manufactured connector is welded to the base resin. Forming the base resin on the case main body provides a less complicated configuration of the case compared to a case where a connector is formed directly to the case main body.
US08357004B2

A connector assembly includes a first connector with a positioning portion and a second connector with a latch. A blocking portion is located on a second side of the first connector. The latch defines an oblique latching plane, the positioning portion defines an oblique sliding plane, and the blocking portion defines an oblique blocking plane. If the latch is aligned with the positioning portion and is slid towards the first connector, the oblique direction of the second latching plane is substantially the same as the oblique positioning plane. If the latch is aligned with the blocking portion and is slid towards the first connector, an acute angle is defined between the oblique direction of the second latching plane and the oblique direction of the blocking plane.
US08357003B1

The invention relates to a double-layer card edge connector includes an electrical connection base and at least one latch member. The latch member has a first main arm and a second main arm arranged in an upper-lower and front-rear manner. A first slit exists between the first main arm and the second main arm. The first main arm includes a first downward pressing portion disposed at a free end of the first main arm and pressing a first electronic card, and a first clamping portion formed through extending from the second main arm and preventing the first electronic card from moving forward. The second main arm includes a second downward pressing portion and a second clamping portion disposed at a free end of the second main arm. The second downward pressing portion presses a second electronic card downward and prevents the second electronic card from moving forward.
US08356999B2

A lever-type connector has a female housing (30) that can be connected with and separated from a male housing (10) as a lever (50) is rotated. The lever-type connector has first and second cam pins (32, 33). A first gear (51) is rotated as the lever (50) is rotated and has a first cam groove (54) engageable with the first cam pin (32). A second gear (61) is rotated as the first gear (51) is rotated and has a second cam groove (64) engageable with the second cam pin (33). A width of the first cam groove (54) in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the first cam pin (32) exceeds the outer diameter of the first cam pin (32) in conformity with a backlash (S) between the two gears (51, 61). A width of the second cam groove (64) in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the second cam pin (33) is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the second cam pin (33).
US08356998B2

A portable information processing device includes a circuit board portion that has a main body portion side board mounting an electronic circuit thereon and forming a main body portion, and a connector portion side board forming a connector portion for connection to electronic equipment, wherein the main body portion side board mounts an electronic circuit on at least one of a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and is provided with a main body portion side electro-static discharge line which functions as an electro-static discharge surge arrester at an edge portion of a surface on which at least an electronic circuit is mounted, and wherein the connector portion side board is provided with a connector portion side electro-static discharge line which is connected to the main body portion side electro-static discharge line and functions as an electro-static emission portion.
US08356996B2

The invention relates to a motion and orientation simulator with a cardanic suspension (4) for a cabin (5) that is carried by a heave carriage (3) that can be moved in a straight line in a carriage cage (2), characterized in that the carriage cage (2) is rotatable and that a cable drive is provided for the straight-line movement of the carriage (3) in the carriage cage (2).
US08356991B2

A continuous blow molding machine includes a mechanism for shifting molds upstream after closing to reduce between-mold flash.
US08356982B2

An aerogenerator blade assembly has a blade with a first side and a second side an insert member positioned therein and therebetween. The insert member has a first surface in toothed engagement with a toothed surface on an inner surface of the first side of the blade, The blade has a first sector and a second sector affixed to the insert member. A first positioning rod is affixed to the first and second sides of the first sector of the blade and with the insert member. A second positioning rod is affixed to the first and second sides of the second sector of the blade and with the insert member.
US08356952B2

A container for supporting and dispensing a liquid material is disclosed. The container includes a base defining a cavity for supporting a liquid material and an applicator (e.g., a roller ball, etc.) movably supported at the base for allowing a user to selectively dispense the liquid material from the cavity. The applicator has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is configured to be exposed to the liquid material when the second portion is exposed to the user. The container also includes a cover coupled to the base for covering the applicator. The cover is selectively movable between a closed position and an open position. The applicator is configured to be manipulated by user in a manner that allows the first portion to become exposed to the user and the second portion to become exposed to the liquid material.
US08356948B2

According to one embodiment, there is provided a structure for mounting a camera on a vehicle, including: a base fixed to a vehicle body; a camera; a slide mechanism configured to allow the camera to slide in a sliding direction so as to be detachably engaged with the base; and a spring member configured to generate a pressing force in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction between the base and the camera in an engaged state, thereby holding the camera with respect to the base.
US08356946B2

The interchangeable wheel bearing unit has a wheel hub and two tapered roller bearings, each having an outer ring and an inner ring, between which a respective row of tapered rollers is situated, and a securing ring in at least one of the inner rings of the tapered roller bearing. To assemble the wheel bearing unit without special tools, each outer ring of the tapered roller bearings has a cylindrical extension, which runs coaxially with the wheel hub axis towards the outer face of the bearing and into which a respective seal is inserted, and a retaining element, which is supported on the corresponding inner ring and axially fixes the outer ring, is located on the opposite face of the respective tapered roller bearing from the seal.
US08356942B2

A bearing sealing device is provided between inner and outer members of a wheel support bearing assembly and includes an annular sealing plate of an L shaped section and an elastic sealing member having an elastic body secured to a core metal of a reverse L-shaped section. The sealing plate includes a cylindrical wall, mounted on an outer periphery of the inner member, and a radial wall extending upwardly from one end thereof. The core metal includes a cylindrical wall, mounted on an inner periphery of the outer member, and a radial upright wall extending radially inwardly from one end thereof. The elastic body includes two side sealing lips, arranged radially of the core metal and having their tips held in contact with the radial upright wall. The distance between those side sealing lips is chosen to be equal to or greater than 0.1 mm.
US08356940B2

A wheel bearing apparatus incorporating a rotational speed detecting apparatus has an outer member, an inner member and double row rolling elements contained between inner and outer raceway surfaces of the inner and outer members. A pulser ring is fit onto the outer circumference of the inner ring. A cylindrical sensor cap is fit into the inner circumference of the inner-side end of the outer member. A mounting portion axially projects from a radially outer portion of the sensor cap. An inserting bore is formed in the mounting portion so that it axially extends at a position corresponding to the pulser ring. A sensor unit is mounted in the inserting bore. A rotational speed sensor is embedded in the sensor unit to oppose the pulser ring, via a predetermined axial air gap. The position of a gate of a mold is set on the mounting portion of the sensor cap.
US08356934B2

A surrogate temperature sensor (52) for a convection cooled radiant heater system is described. The surrogate temperature sensor has an internal controllable heater (62) and a sensing device such as a thermocouple (64). The surrogate temperature sensor is paired with a furnace/dryer radiant heat source (38). The surrogate's internal heater provides sufficient power to heat the surrogate to the same temperature as the radiant heater. At least one surrogate temperature sensor (52) is positioned to be exposed to the cooling media in a manner similar to the radiant heat source. The surrogate sensor reports its temperature which is indicative of the radiant heater temperature to the cooling controller. The controller responds to this signal and adjusts cooling to maintain the radiant heater at its desired temperature.
US08356928B2

The present invention relates to a supply assembly for use in the manufacture of a machine for preparing a beverage obtained by dissolving a soluble preparation in water. The invention also relates to a beverage machine that comprises said supply assembly. The supply assembly (1) according to the invention comprises a mixing chamber (10) containing a mixer (11) comprising at least one impeller (HA) for mixing a single dose of soluble preparation in a quantity of water in order to obtain said beverage. At least one nozzle (20) is provided for the insertion of said water inside said mixing chamber (10) which comprises an upper opening (15) directly accessible to a user for the manual insertion of a single dose of soluble preparation. The mixing chamber (10) also comprises a lower opening (16) suitable for enabling the supply of the beverage in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation (99) of the impeller (HA) that is positioned so as to be faced and adjacent to the lower opening (16) so that, during and as a result of its rotation, it prevents the beverage from escaping.
US08356924B2

A light source apparatus includes a light source from which, excitation light is emitted, an optical fiber which is optically connected to the light source, and which guides the excitation light, and a wavelength converting member which is optically connected to an emitting end portion of the optical fiber, and which receives the excitation light emitted from the emitting end portion, and makes emerge light of a wavelength area different from a wavelength area of the excitation light. The light source apparatus has a diverging unit which is arranged in an optical path of the excitation light, between the emitting end portion of the optical fiber and the wavelength converting member, and a holding member for holding the emitting end portion of the optical fiber, the diverging unit, and the wavelength converting member.
US08356922B2

An automotive daytime running lamp assembly includes an incandescent light source received within a reflector member. The reflector member is formed as a surface of revolution about a longitudinal axis and has an enlarged, first end, and a narrowed, second end with an opening that receives at least a portion of a light source therethrough along the longitudinal axis. A sleeve is received over a portion of the light source and at least partially extends through the reflector member opening. A cap received over the second end of the reflector member about the opening is fixedly secured to a disk, preferably by fusing or welding the components together. Likewise, the disk and metal sleeve are fixedly secured or fused/welded together so that the light source is fixed relative to the reflector member. A mounting member is provided for secure optical positioning of the assembly in a fixture of the associated automotive vehicle.
US08356918B2

A light distribution assembly includes an electrodeless HID light source providing emitted light along substantially first and second hemispherical zones. A first optical element redirects a portion of light from the first hemispherical zone into a first desired direction in the second hemispherical zone. A second optical element redirects at least a portion of light within the second hemispherical zone. Other optical elements may be added to tailor the light distribution. Various combinations of these components may be used to create the desired illumination pattern.
US08356916B2

An apparatus, method, or system of lighting units comprising a plurality of lighting elements, such as one or more LEDs, each element having an associated optic which is individually positionable. In embodiments of the present invention, one or more optics are developed using optimization techniques that allow for lighting different target areas in an effective manner by rotating or otherwise positioning the reflectors, refractive lenses, TIR lenses, or other lens types to create a composite beam. The apparatus, method, or system of lighting herein makes it possible to widely vary the types of beams from an available fixture using a small number of inventoried optics and fixtures. In some cases, by using a combination of individual beam patterns, a small set of individual optics would be sufficient to create a majority of the typical and specialized composite beams needed to meet the needs of most lighting projects and target areas.
US08356909B2

The invention relates to an illuminated tiling system (100) which comprises back panels (10) with at least one electrically conductive layer (12, 13), plugs (20) with projections (21, 23) that electrically contact the conductive layer(s) (12, 13), and light-tiles (30) with (O)LEDs that can be fixed to the plugs. For an easy tiling, dummy-tiles can first be tiled together with conventional tiles (2) and later be replaced with the light-tiles (30).
US08356908B1

A mirror includes a frame holding back-to-back a pair of reflective mirror plates having different magnification factors, each plate having a reflective central area and an outer concentric light-transmissive window area. Rotatable pivot joints supporting the frame between opposed arms of a support yoke and enable the frame to be rotated to orient a selected plate in a forward-facing use position. A hoop-shaped printed circuit board having circumferentially spaced apart light emitting diodes (LED's) protruding therefrom is located between inner facing surfaces of the mirror plates. Objects in front of a mirror plates are illuminated by direct LED rays emitted forwardly through the window areas and by indirect LED rays reflected from reflective inner facing surfaces of the mirror plates, and from the forward facing surface of a movable reflector ring within the frame which falls rearward when the frame is rotated.
US08356905B2

Enhanced image sequences are provided by a high resolution imaging system (HRIS) for generating an enhanced image, where the system includes a device for outputting an image sequence including a plurality of K source images, each source image including a plurality of pixels; and a projector for projecting, within a period of integration, each of the source images to an optical filter, the filter adapted for providing pixels of each source image as sub-pixels of pixels in the enhanced image. The enhanced images may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. A method and computer program product are provided for generating enhanced images, as well as techniques for fabrication of the HRIS.
US08356901B2

Systems and methods for constructing a widefield image of the retina from a plurality of retinal images. In one aspect, the disclosure concerns constructing a widefield image of the retina from a plurality of retinal images, comprising a base image and a plurality of peripheral images. These techniques enable medical observations of retinal phenomena in patients, such retinal vein occlusion, artery occlusion, retinal detachments, intraocular inflammation, ocular tumors, and the like, that were difficult to detect and impossible to quantify under prior art approaches.
US08356899B2

A sleepiness sign detection apparatus, includes: a head movement detection unit configured to detect a head movement to generate a head movement data; an eye movement detection unit configured to detect an eye movement to generate an eye movement data; an ideal eye movement angular velocity calculation unit configured to calculate an ideal eye movement angular velocity based on the head movement data generated by the head movement detection unit; an eye-rotation angular velocity calculation unit configured to calculate an eye-rotation angular velocity based on the eye movement data generated by the eye movement detection unit; and a sleepiness sign detection unit configured to detect vestibule-ocular reflex (VOR) from the ideal eye movement angular velocity and the eye-rotation angular velocity, and determine a sign of sleepiness based on the vestibule-ocular reflex.
US08356897B2

A device for correcting visual defects of an eye comprises a coherent light source, a beam modification device for shaping and deflecting a beam of the coherent light source, and a wavefront analyzer device for analyzing a wavefront of an optical path in the eye.
US08356893B2

Ink composition including non-VOC liquid carrier and method of making the same are disclosed. A disclosed example ink composition has a viscosity that is below about 70.0 cps and includes non-VOC liquid carrier, dispersing agents and pigment particles having an average size of less than about 10 μm. Also disclosed are method of use and method of making such ink composition containing non-VOC liquid carrier.
US08356892B2

An aqueous inkjet ink suitable for priming photo-images on both photo-glossy receivers and plain papers, said ink including at least 50% by weight water, between 0.5% and 8% by weight of 1,2-pentanediol, a humectant distinct from said 1,2-pentanediol, and between 0.2 and 5% by weight of a dispersed pigment colorant, said dispersed pigment colorant exhibiting an average volume weighted 50th percentile particle size of between 0.001 and 0.075 microns.
US08356889B2

A print engine for an inkjet printer which has a media path extending past a printhead assembly along a paper axis, has an elongate printhead carriage extending transverse to the paper axis, a series of interfaces for supplying ink to respective printhead modules spaced along the printhead carriage such that during use, the printhead modules span the media path and ink conduits connected to the interfaces for feeding ink to the printhead modules. The printhead carriage has a series formations to position the ink conduits such that they all extend away from the interfaces in a direction transverse to the long axis to a common side of the printhead carriage.
US08356872B2

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a nozzle, a pressure chamber and a liquid supply portion that supplies the liquid to the pressure chamber. A discharge pulse generating unit generates a discharge pulse to discharge the liquid. The viscosity of the liquid is no less than 8 millipascal-seconds. The nozzle has a first portion with a discharge side that has an opening area smaller than that of a pressure chamber side and a second portion that communicates with an end portion of the discharge side. An opening area of the second portion is no greater than 1/9 of the opening area of the pressure chamber side. The discharge pulse has a decompression portion that decompresses the liquid to lead a meniscus in the second portion to the first portion and a compression portion that compresses the liquid to discharge the liquid before the meniscus returns to the second portion.
US08356865B2

The invention relates to a refrigerator having two telescopic extensions. A carrier for refrigerated goods is held on each telescopic extension by an adapter that bridges the space between the carrier for refrigerated goods and the telescopic extension, the width of the space being at least equal to the width of the telescopic extension.
US08356857B2

An energy absorbing system includes a hood with inner and outer panels defining a rear edge cavity, and a pair of polymeric energy absorbers in the cavity. The hood and energy absorber are tuned to minimize an HIC value when a pedestrian's head contacts the hood during an impact to absorb energy prior to the hood bottoming out on the plenum of the vehicle. The energy absorber is preferably made of a polymeric material capable of withstanding high temperatures associated with going through a paint over or e-coat process, such as high temperature nylon. The illustrated energy absorber has a hat-shaped cross section and includes criss-crossing flanges tuned to provide an optimal force-deflection curve during impact.
US08356856B2

A front spoiler of a motor vehicle is held on the front end part of the vehicle by fastening elements. To reinforce the front spoiler in the central region, reinforcing ribs are provided, which extend into inward and outward formations on the front end part. The reinforcing ribs are preferably vertically aligned plate-shaped structures that extend in the longitudinal direction. To ensure a necessary dimensional stability of the front spoiler during driving, the reinforcing ribs can be supported on the front end part, and the front spoiler itself can be supported on the reinforcing ribs.
US08356855B2

Golf cart weather enclosures have roll-up doors, which coil on spools for storage. The roll-up doors are configured of panels joined by hinges or are configured from sheets of transparent plastic. Each roll-up door has side edges which are received in a pair of spaced vertical tracks extending from the floor to the roof of the golf cart to stabilize the roll-up doors. The spools are rotated either by electric motors and/or springs in a first direction to close the roll-up doors and rotated in the opposite direction to open and store the roll-up doors in the roof.
US08356848B2

Clamp (1) for holding a container (2) by a neck (3) in a container handling machine, said clamp (1) comprising a pair of resilient arms (5) and a pair of neck grippers (7) provided at respective ends (6) of the arms (5), said arms (5) and said neck grippers (7) being configured to allow the container neck (3) to be laterally engaged between the neck grippers (7), each neck gripper (7) being pivotally mounted on the corresponding arm (5) about a rotation axis (8), and having at least two gripping jaws (9a, 9b) of different dimensions, configured to cooperate with container necks (3a, 3b) of different sizes.
US08356837B2

A roll bar configuration for a motor vehicle has a cross-member and two roll bars which are mounted on the cross-member in respective pivot axes. The roll bars are each formed as a single part and so as to be stiff per se and can be shifted from a retracted inoperative position into an erected protective position about the pivot axes. The pivot axes are disposed—as seen in the direction of the width of the motor vehicle—at a distance from each other on the cross-member. The roll bar configuration, which takes up a small installation space in the direction of the vehicle height is distinguished in that the roll bars are arranged in the inoperative position—as seen in the vertical direction of the vehicle—level with the pivot axes or on the cross-member there above.
US08356832B2

In a method for folding in or folding out an electrically operated trailer coupling for vehicles which can be moved electrically between a folded-out use position and a folded-in rest position with excess force limitation, an actuating device is provided for activating the trailer coupling. A brief actuation of the actuating device results in an automatic adjusting movement of the trailer coupling in the folding-in or folding-out direction. In the method, in the event of a continuous actuation of the actuating device, the excess force limitation threshold is increased during the automatic adjusting process of the trailer coupling, and after the actuating device is released, the automatic adjusting process is continued with the original excess force limitation threshold until the trailer coupling has reached its use or rest position.
US08356827B2

A support structure for an axle housing of a towing tractor includes a leaf spring forming a part of a suspension, an axle housing which has a contact surface and is supported at opposite ends of the axle housing by the suspension and a spring seat which is separately provided from the leaf spring and the axle housing and disposed between the leaf spring and the axle housing, and the spring seat has a support surface. The axle housing is supported by the spring seat in plane surface contact between the contact surface and the support surface.
US08356816B2

A method of implementing a wagering game. A first hand of cards is dealt on a first row. Cards can be held or discarded by a player. Cards that are held are transformed into a card with a same face value but a different suit and copied into an additional row. Cards not held are replaced in the first row and the additional row.
US08356800B2

A protective padding assembly for covering a section of chain link fence of the character found in sports venues, such as baseball fields, soccer fields, football fields and the like, wherein the section of chain link fence includes a hingeably connected swinging gate. The protective padding assembly uniquely includes a fence covering section, a gate covering section and an intermediate, wedge shaped portion for covering the gate hinges in a manner that will not interfere with opening and closing the gate.
US08356790B2

A stand is provided. The stand is connected to a back cover of an object, and comprises a holding element; a positioning element disposed on the holding element; an elastic element having a hole and a first positioning portion, wherein the first positioning portion is engaged with a positioning slot of the back cover; and a fixing element fixing the elastic element to the holding element through the hole.
US08356789B2

A golf accessory for attaching to an accessory mounting system of a golf car. The accessory mounting system including a bracket that is configured to connectably receive the golf accessory and a mount for attachment to the golf car and configured to connectably receive the bracket. The mount including a base that has a generally vertical surface, an aperture extending generally horizontally into the base from the vertical surface and configured to receive a portion of a fastener coupled with the bracket, and a slotted opening extending into the base and configured to receive a portion of the bracket. The base including a generally horizontal surface and the slotted opening extends generally vertically into the base from the horizontal surface. The golf accessory including a golf-related item, and means for connecting the golf-related item to the bracket.
US08356781B2

A suction device includes a suction cup, a vertical bar connected with the suction cup, a first support cap having an opening that the vertical bar can be placed through and a first pair of gaps in the rim of the first support cap, a sleeve connected with the first support cap for containing the vertical bar, a linkage unit combined with the sleeve and the vertical bar, for controlling the vertical bar to move in the sleeve to pull the suction cup, to enable the suction functionality, and a second support cap between the suction cup and the first support cap, combined with the first support cap through relative rotation and having a second pair of gaps in the rim of the second support cap. The suction device can firmly attach to a curved surface when the second pair of gaps is under the first pair of gaps.
US08356769B2

An aircraft engine assembly including an engine, an engine mounting structure, and a nacelle surrounding the engine and including fan cowls. The mounting structure includes a rigid structure and a forward aerodynamic structure on which the fan cowls are hinged, the forward aerodynamic structure including a cradle provided with an aft mounting mechanism mounted on the rigid structure. The cradle also includes a forward mounting mechanism mounted on a fan case of the engine.
US08356764B2

The present invention provides an apparatus comprising a substrate and first and second disks. The disks are rotatably located over the substrate, each disk having an outer circumference with teeth thereon. The first disk is positioned to interleave one or more of its teeth with the teeth of the second disk. The substrate includes a channel with an exit port located near the teeth of one of the disks. Another apparatus comprises at least one disk rotatably located over a substrate and in a well of the substrate, the disk having an outer circumference with teeth thereon. The disk is positioned to provide a maximum distance of less than about 10 microns between each one the teeth and a nearest wall defining the well. The substrate includes a channel with an exit port located near the teeth of the disk.
US08356759B2

A F/2F waveform generator has a comparator and an analog multiplexer. In a low-cost magnetic card reader application, a magnetic track signal is amplified, filtered, and compared with a threshold signal to create a digital signal output. The analog multiplexer detects changes in state of the digital signal. When a change of state is detected, the analog multiplexer switches among dynamically tunable threshold signals. The selected threshold signal is used for comparison with the magnetic track signal. Switching level detection enables accurate F/2F waveform generation from relatively noisy magnetic track signals, thus improving the robustness of magnetic card readers. The analog implementation eliminates the need for expensive A/D conversion and processing and the design can be readily implemented in a very compact and low-cost package.
US08356758B1

An electronic storage system includes a substrate with a state region, a transceiver with memory and a controller, and a code circuit disposed over the substrate separate from the transceiver and electrically connected thereto. The code circuit includes a conductor whose electrical or mechanical state can be externally altered. At intervals, the transceiver electrically excites the code circuit and detects the electrical state of an input pad connected to the code circuit. The electrical state corresponds to the excitation and to the electrical or mechanical state of the conductor. The controller stores the detected state or a representation thereof in the memory. In response to a downlink signal, the transceiver transmits an uplink signal representing the stored detected electrical state(s) of the input pad, or the stored representations thereof.
US08356756B2

A chip card module including a substrate with a first side and an opposite second side. Contact areas are arranged on the first side, and a first conductor structure is arranged on the second side, the first conductor structure runs from one contact region to one of a another contact region and a second conductor structure, which is connected to the contact areas by means of a through connection in the substrate, so that the first conductor structure runs at least partly in a central region. The chip card module also includes a chip with connections which are arranged over the central region on the second side of the substrate, one of the connections being connected to the one contact region.
US08356752B2

An electronic ink containing charged particles includes a combination of resin particles, a pigment, and a charge director. The resin particles exhibit an average particle size less than 1.0 micron and contain a resin that exhibits a molecular weight of 500 to 20,000. The pigment is loaded on the resin particles. The charge director can physically associate with the resin particles. The charged particles may be negative or positive.
US08356747B2

A banknote deposit transaction apparatus (1) confirms number of deposited banknotes on a per transaction basis. The apparatus includes a bundling-object-banknote stacking unit (21) that sorts and stacks bundling-object-banknotes among transported banknotes; a bundling-object-banknote counting unit (41A) that counts number of bundling-object-banknotes stacked in the bundling-object-banknote stacking unit (21) as number of unconfirmed deposited banknotes; a banknote bundling unit (22) that, when the number of stacked bundling-object-banknotes reaches a predetermined number, bundles the bundling-object-banknotes; a tentative confirming unit (101) that performs a tentative confirmation of the number of unconfirmed deposited banknotes in a current transaction among bundled banknotes at a timing of bundling; and a confirming unit that, upon detecting an operation for ending a transaction, confirms the number of tentatively confirmed and unconfirmed banknotes as a total number of banknotes deposited in the current transaction, and performs recording and management of number of banknotes stacked in the bundling-object-banknote stacking unit (21) as number of loose banknotes of a previous transaction. This reduces the opportunities of unbundling the bundled banknotes in an operation for fault recovery thereby greatly reducing a work burden of an operator.
US08356744B2

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton comprises panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The panels comprise a top panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a bottom panel. The carton includes a reinforcing insert comprising at least a first insert panel foldably connected to a second insert panel. The first insert panel is at least partially in face-to-face contact with at least the top panel and the second insert panel is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the first insert panel.
US08356741B2

The invention relates to a method for producing a blade tip plating (20) on a blade (10) for a turbomachine, in particular on a high-pressure rotating compressor blade for a gas turbine, comprising the following steps: —producing a particle composite material (24) having embedded hard material particles (18); —placing the panicle composite material (24) on a solder (30) applied to the blade tip (16); and—healing the solder (30).
US08356736B2

A gadget holding device for releasably holding a cell phone, an ipod or other similar gadget on a users clothing, belt or purse. The gadget holding device preferably comprising a clip, a D-ring, and a hanging interlock clasp, wherein the D-ring connects the clip to the hanging interlock clasp that permits the D-ring to rotate relative to the clip and the hanging interlock clasp to rotate and slide relative to D-ring. This configuration releasably holds a gadget and enables easy one-handed release from the gadget holding device. In this way, the gadget-holding device is a sleek, flat, lightweight, fashionable and ultimately inconspicuous way to carry a cell phone, music player or any other gadget on a person comfortably.
US08356732B2

The present invention relates to a dispensing device comprising: —a container (2) for holding a liquid having an opening, and—a dispensing assembly (4) mountable on or in said opening, said dispensing assembly comprising: —a pump (5) having a pump chamber (7) and a pump inlet (6) comprising an inlet valve (9) and a pump outlet (8) comprising an outlet valve (10), and—a liquid supply channel (16), one end of said channel (16) being in fluid communication with said inlet (6), the other end being arranged in a bottom portion of said container (2), wherein a one-way valve (20) is arranged in said channel (16), and wherein an air inlet opening (17) is provided between said inlet valve (9) and said one-way valve.
US08356720B2

A container shelving system including two shelf support members and a plurality of shelves, the shelf support members including a chain, a turnbuckle, an adjustable upper bracket and an adjustable lower bracket, each bracket including a first box beam, a second box beam, and a box beam adjustment fastener, the box beams including recesses at each end, the recesses configured to receive the chain; the upper bracket further including a stabilizer perpendicularly connected to an end of the upper bracket; the plurality of shelves each including a plurality of lumber whereby the lumber is configured to sit upon a bracket; whereby the chain is threaded through the first and second cargo rings and the upper and lower brackets and connected and tightened using the turnbuckle such that the shelves may be supported upon the brackets within the shipping container.
US08356709B2

A nested end protector link for capturing first and second elongate link pins of a multi-link conveyor chain that includes a first link segment having an outer wall in a first vertical plane defining a protective bearing surface having a forward-facing convex face, and a rearward-facing concave face and a first pin access bore extending perpendicularly through the link between the forward-facing convex face and the rearward-facing concave face. A second link segment is integrally-formed with the first link segment and has an outer wall in a second vertical plane defining a protective bearing surface having a forward-facing concave face. A rearward-facing convex face is provided and has a second pin access bore extending perpendicularly through the link between the forward-facing concave face and the rearward-facing convex face.
US08356697B2

An elevator safety system (10) includes a limit switch (32) coupled to a first elevator car (14) and an actuator plate (30) coupled to a governor rope (24) of a second elevator car (16). The actuator plate trips (30) the limit switch (32) when a distance between the first elevator car (14) and the second elevator car (16) goes below a safety threshold distance to stop the first and second elevator cars (14, 16).
US08356696B1

A system and method for lubricating components where the lubricant is applied in mist form within a substantially enclosed cavity. The cavity contains a draining aperture which collects excess lubricant for subsequent re-use by the system. The cavity is defined by a spray head that includes a base having attached thereto a cover plate with an opening adapted to receive therethrough a component to be lubricated. The cavity and lubrication chamber prevents the escape of excess lubricant. The collection and reuse of excess lubricant provides a closed loop system that reduces lubricant waste.
US08356690B2

An exhaust apparatus is provided with an exhaust gas pipe for discharging to the atmosphere an exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas pipe has an upstream open end connected to the sound deadening device positioned at the upstream side of an exhaust gas discharging direction, and a downstream open end through which the exhaust gas is discharged to the atmosphere. At least one of the exhaust gas upstream side and the exhaust gas downstream side of the exhaust gas pipe has a diameter expansion structure expanded in diameter toward one of the upstream open end and the downstream open end. The exhaust apparatus comprises a plate provided in the diameter expansion structure to be held in opposing relationship with the discharge direction of the exhaust gas and having an open portion formed to pass through the plate in the discharge direction of the exhaust gas.
US08356689B2

An improved structure for the compositely formed sound box consists of a plastic-made box with one-way opening and intensified rib and inlet components provided inside the box. The main feature is the bubbled one-piece soundproof layer inside the sound box to expand the overall structure of the sound box, reduce the thickness of the sound box, minimize the thickness of the shell, and upgrade the soundproof performance at the same time.
US08356687B2

A vehicle has a crash detection device for detecting a crash that introduces a force acting in an effective direction into the vehicle. An acceleration device directly or indirectly cooperates with the crash detection device to absolutely accelerate at least one partial mass of the vehicle against the effective direction in which the force is introduced in case of a crash.
US08356686B2

Drifting karts in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described that include a front wheel drive train and rear caster wheels that can be dynamically engaged to induce and control drift during a turn. One embodiment of the invention includes a chassis to which a steering column is mounted, where the steering column includes at least one front steerable wheel configured to be driven by an electric motor, a battery housing mounted to the chassis, where the battery housing contains a controller and at least one battery, wiring configured to provide power from the at least one battery to the electric motor, two caster wheels mounted to the chassis, where each caster wheel is configured to rotate around a rotational axis and swivel around a swivel axis, and a hand lever configured to dynamically engage the caster wheels to induce and control drift during a turn.
US08356676B2

This device comprises a portable reservoir (2) suspended form a helicopter and provided with at least one lower hatch (21) for discharging the extinguishing liquid or water transported. The device comprises a vacuum pump (4) to create a vacuum inside said reservoir (2), a vacuum sensor (75) to regulate the vacuum created inside the reservoir (2) depending on the quantity of water to be loaded, several means to cause the opening of a lower hatch (21) of the reservoir (2) and the loading of water into the reservoir (2) as a result of the suction effect caused by the vacuum, several means for detecting when the reservoir (2) is full and several means for automatically closing the lower hatch (21) when the water load has reached a preset level.
US08356656B2

A heat dissipation device and a heat dissipation method are provided. The device is disposed in a case having a first opening and a fan for generating a first cooling air flow. The device includes a heat dissipation element and an air-guiding plate. The heat dissipation element has a first region and a second region, and the first cooling air flow flows from the first region towards the second region. The air-guiding plate is disposed in the first region of the heat dissipation element and used for reducing a cross-sectional area of the first cooling air flow flowing in the first region along a flow direction of the first cooling air flow, so as to draw air outside the case into the second region via the first opening to generate a second cooling air flow, thereby lowering a temperature of the case located below the heat dissipation element.
US08356654B2

Movable partition systems may include a chain guide structure extending along a curved path. The chain guide structure may have a specified maximum width, and may include attachment flanges that project laterally from a central beam beyond laterally outward ends of chain guide members of the chain guide structure by a specified minimum distance. Overhead support systems for movable partition systems may include such chain guide structures. Methods of forming overhead support systems and movable partition systems may include stretch forming a bent chain guide structure. Methods of installing overhead support systems and movable partition systems may include inserting fasteners at least substantially perpendicularly through attachment flanges of a chain guide structure to secure the chain guide structure to an overhead structure.
US08356648B2

An apparatus is provided for binding a single printed sheet with top and bottom binders to form a single sheet calendar. The apparatus includes a binder feeding mechanism for positioning the top and bottom binders relative to the single printed sheet. The apparatus includes first and second spaced, parallel binding units for respectively securing the top and bottom binders to the single sheet, with the first binding unit having an upper member and a lower member to define a sheet-receiving channel there between. At least one of the upper member or the lower member is heated, and at least one of the upper member or the lower member is controllably movable relative to the other of the upper member or the lower member, to secure one of the binders to the single sheet.
US08356627B2

A three-valves manifold for a differential pressure type flow meter includes a valve unit and a housing. The valve unit includes a shaft portion, a first valve portion having a first through hole and first to third grooves and a second valve portion having a second through hole and fourth and fifth grooves. The housing includes a space in which the shaft portion and valve portions are rotatably arranged. The first and second through holes and first to fifth grooves are formed at positions such that the first and second through holes communicate differently with first and second inlet and outlet openings of the housing in each of first, second, and third rotational positions.
US08356608B2

Provided are a device and a method for styling hair capable of reducing damage to hair, maintaining the elasticity and texture of the hair, and keeping the hair style for a long period of time. The hair styling device is equipped with an arm body 2 having an arm 2A and an arm 2B connected to each other, an oscillation means 3, and an oscillator 9. The arm body 2 is constituted such that it can retain or release the hair. The oscillation generated from the oscillation means 3 has a predetermined frequency from 1 to 20000 Hz. The oscillator 9 is constituted such that it can slide along the length direction of the arms 2A and 2B and at the same time can transmit the oscillation from the oscillation means to the hair retained by the arm 2 while sliding.
US08356598B2

An apparatus and method for providing a passage into the body for use in, among other things, medical procedures, including tracheostomies and cricothyroidectomies is described herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus for providing a passage into the body includes a first slider unit and a second slider unit operably connected to a slider track for retractable deployment of a scalpel and a tissue spreader attached respectively thereto, and for the auto-retraction of the scalpel due to movement of the second slider unit.
US08356595B2

An apparatus for deploying oxygen masks that includes a pre-packaged modular system that does not require manual repacking of oxygen masks by aircraft technicians. The cartridge is for use with a manifold having a passageway in fluid communication with a source of breathable gas. The cartridge includes an end wall, a sidewall extending from the end wall and terminating at a distal end adjacent to an opening. A flexible member defines a chamber inside the cartridge. The chamber is in fluid communication with the passageway when the cartridge is coupled to the manifold. The flexible member has an outlet. A mask assembly is disposed inside the cartridge. The mask assembly has a hose coupled to the outlet of the flexible member. A cover is removably attached to the distal end of the at least one side wall.
US08356594B2

Methods and apparatus for assessing the condition of and treating patients for heart failure by the delivery of continuous positive airway pressure are disclosed. Treatment of obstruction due to reflex vocal cord closure often experienced by heart failure patients is distinguished from treatment of upper airway obstruction typically associated with Obstructive Sleep Disorder Treatment may also be implemented by delivering synchronized cardiac pressure oscillations superimposed on a respiratory pressure level to provide assistance for the heart. Heart treatment pressure dose indicator may be calculated for prescribing and monitoring the delivery of treatment. The apparatus may also generate data to track heart failure condition that may be indicative of the degree of severity of heart failure based upon breathing patterns to assist in the diagnosis and management of heart failure patients.
US08356583B2

A variable cam timing phaser for an internal combustion engine including a piloted valve in the rotor assembly, movable from a first position to a second position, and detent lines communicating with the advance chamber or the retard chamber are restricted and or blocked when the rotor assembly is in or near an intermediate phase angle position. When the piloted valve is in the first position, fluid is blocked from flowing through the piloted valve. When the piloted valve is in a second position, fluid is allowed to flow between the detent line from the advance chamber and the detent line from the retard chamber through the piloted valve and a common line, such that the rotor assembly is moved to and held in the intermediate phase angle position relative to the housing assembly.
US08356578B2

Disclosed herein is a method for encapsulating solid animal waste with animal litter to eliminate the odor that emanates from the waste material. An additional benefit is that encapsulation hides the solid waste from view. The encapsulated waste resembles a urine clump in the litter box. Performance-enhancing actives are incorporated in the litter composition to provide this benefit.
US08356566B1

Multi-directional marine propulsors for use with boats having a hull, a keel and a motor with a propeller are disclosed. The propulsor may have a cylindrical housing with fore, aft, port and starboard apertures and define a central axis when the housing is mounted to the boat. The housing may receive the propeller proximate the fore aperture such that the propeller may rotate about the central axis to provide forward thrust. An elliptical diverter gate may be mounted within the housing proximate the aft aperture for vertical rotation between port, central and starboard positions. When the gate is in port, central and starboard positions, forward thrust may exit the port, central and starboard apertures respectively. The elliptical diverter gate may be rotated between the port, central and starboard positions as desired. Alternative multi-directional marine propulsors may be mounted directly onto boat motors.
US08356558B2

A constant contact side bearing (CCSB) for use between a truck and car of a rail car that includes a generally hollow housing that includes a closed bottom end and an open top end. An attachment member is attached to an outside surface of the housing and is positioned in a center region between the top end and the bottom end. A resilient member is positioned inside the housing, and a cap is fitted over resilient member and is sized relative to the housing to enable slidibly moving into the housing.
US08356552B2

In one aspect of a first embodiment, a rotary pad printing system comprises a controller (400), an image source (498) that provides an image to the controller, a rotary pad (200) that is urged to rotate by a first motive source, a monochrome or color ink source or applicator such as an inkjet (215), and an actuator (235, 730). The system has the ability to print onto a flat or uneven surface (410). The controller actuates the ink source, causing it to deposit an ink image (202) onto a rotating pad wheel (200). As the surface moves, the wheel is held in contact with the surface by an actuator (235) or arm (705). As the wheel turns in contact with the surface, the ink image comes into contact with the surface and transfers to it, thereby printing the ink image onto a flat or uneven surface.
US08356542B2

A bump stock and interface system for a semi-automatic firearm. The interface system includes first and second bearing elements. A handle is provided with an integral finger rest. The bearing elements are configured to wholly disengage and re-engage from the handle via a straight linear disconnecting motion. In use, the user grasps the handle with one hand and places an index finger of the same hand firmly on the finger rest. When intending to fire a round of ammunition, the user pushes the receiver forward with their other hand so that the trigger collides with the finger. Recoil force quickly separates the trigger from the user's finger on the finger rest. The user again pushes forward the receiver to repeat the firing cycle. A lock can be selectively engaged to prevent longitudinal movement of the firearm relative to the handle, thereby returning the firearm to normal semi-automatic functionality.
US08356538B2

There is disclosed a munition handling apparatus where the conventional ram is replaced with a high pressure fluid actuation. For this the apparatus is provided with a container that incorporates a piston which slides along the container to urge the munition out as the fluid pressure is applied.
US08356526B2

The invention concerns a measurement station for the measurement of particle contamination of a transport pod for the conveyance and atmospheric storage of semiconductor substrates, such pod comprising a casing capable of being closed by means of a removable access door, such station comprising: an interface (5) capable of coupling to a casing of a transport pod (3) instead of the said door, the interface (5) comprising at least one injection nozzle (9) arranged at one mobile end of a pipe protruding from the said interface to direct a jet of gas in a perpendicular direction towards a portion of the wall (13) on the inside (10) of the said casing coupled to the said measurement station, so as to detach particles (11) from the said casing (3) by the impact of the gas jet on the said wall (13), and a measurement device (7) comprising a vacuum pump (17), a particle counter (19), and a measurement conduit (21) of which an inlet (23) leads to the inside (10) of the said casing (3), and of which an outlet (25) is coupled to the vacuum pump (17), the measurement conduit (21) being furthermore connected to the particle counter (19), to connect the inside (10) of the casing of the transport pod (3) coupled to the said measurement station with the particle counter (19). The invention also concerns a method for the measurement of particle contamination of a transport pod for the conveyance and atmospheric storage of semiconductor substrates.
US08356513B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides an anomaly detection apparatus for an automatic transmission, the automatic transmission including an electrically-operated oil pump that is rotationally driven by an electric motor, including: a solenoid that is capable of switching a line pressure of a hydraulic control circuit that controls the automatic transmission between a high pressure and a low pressure; and an oil pressure switch that is turned on or off in response to the line pressure, wherein, in response to an oil pressure command value, whether the oil pressure switch is turned on or off according to the oil pressure command value is determined, and the determination and a load state of the electrically-operated oil pump are compared so as to distinctively determine in which of the solenoid and the oil pressure switch, an anomaly has occurred.
US08356512B2

An ECU is used in a motorcycle including an engine E, which combusts in a combustion chamber a blended fuel in which gasoline and ethanol are blended, and a fuel injection device for injecting a fuel with a predetermined fuel injection amount such that an air excess ratio in the combustion chamber is a first predetermined value when an ethanol concentration of the blended fuel is zero. The ECU executes O2 feedback control based on an O2 concentration derived from an output of an O2 sensor. Further, the ECU calculates an actual fuel compensation ratio by dividing a fuel injection amount after the O2 feedback control by a predetermined fuel injection amount, and estimates the concentration of the alternative fuel based on this actual fuel compensation ratio and a first predetermined value stored in the ECU.
US08356508B2

A real time detector system for monitoring ram alignment in a can bodymaker measures ram (10) position immediately before and during impact with the dome forming station (1). Displacement measurements of the ram enable the user to adjust dome (1) position or otherwise correct ram (10) alignment and avoid multiple can failures.
US08356502B1

A mounting block assembly for positionally adjusting machine components. The mounting block assembly comprises a mount for attachment to a framework of the machine and a component interface pivotably mounted to the mount about a pivot axis. The component interface is capable of supporting at least one component. The mounting block assembly component interface includes a slide block pivotably mounted to the mount about the pivot axis and a tie block adjustably mounted to the slide block along an adjustment axis.
US08356500B2

In a method and a device for creating a symbol in a workpiece surface via stamping (scoring or plastic forming under compressive conditions); the resultant stamping depth is measured and/or regulated constantly by using a distance sensor which is mounted on the stamping needle and is movable therewith. The stamping needle is placed on the workpiece surface before stamping is begun, thereby resulting in a first distance between the distance sensor and the workpiece surface. A second distance between the distance sensor and the workpiece surface is obtained during the subsequent stamping procedure, and when the stamping needle is pressed into the workpiece surface. The stamping depth results from the difference of the two distances.
US08356498B1

A handcuff comprising a bolt and a bolt spring which work in combination to double lock the handcuff. The bolt comprises an underside having teeth which are engagable with the teeth of a jaw. The underside of the bolt further comprises a groove through which a stud disposed on a cheek head of the handcuff is positioned to thereby further secure the bolt in position when the handcuff is locked. The bolt further comprises an upper side comprising a groove, a ridge, and a detent. The bolt spring comprises a body bent to form a side wall which bridges a first spring leg portion to a second spring leg portion, wherein the first and second spring leg portions engage with the upper side of the bolt to hold the bolt spring in a first position.
US08356496B2

An apparatus for loading items to be washed with an air flow, comprising a substantially closed first channel system for guiding an air flow which loads the items to be washed. A treatment chamber for receiving the items to be washed, a blower for driving the air flow, a heater for heating the air flow before the items to be washed are loaded, and a cooler for cooling the air flow after the items to be washed have been loaded are arranged in the first channel system. Here, the first channel system has outside the treatment chamber and the blower, two branches and which are connected to one another in parallel and can be flowed through in parallel by corresponding parts of the air flow. Here, the heater is arranged in a first branch and the cooler is arranged in a second branch of said branches. The invention likewise relates to a corresponding method.
US08356493B2

New and improved compositions of doped fluorophosphate glasses for lasers have a high refractive index (nD) of approximately 1.6 to 1.7, high transmission in the near infrared part of the spectrum and a wide glass forming domain. These glass systems, Ba(PO3)2—Al(PO3)3—BaF2-Dopants, utilize dopants from the group of oxides or fluorides of the rare earth elements Sm, Eu, Nd, Er, Yb, Tm, Tb, Ho and Pr as well as MnO; and mixtures thereof. The composition of glass includes chemical durability, efficiency of laser use in the infrared spectrum and improved duration of luminescence.
US08356492B2

Glass is mass-produced with a glass melting furnace comprising a melting tank, at least a wall surface in contact with molten glass thereof being made of refractory material, at least one pair of electrodes placed so as to be in contact with the molten glass held in the melting tank for ohmically heating the molten glass held in the melting tank; and at least one metallic member, at least a surface of which is made of metal and placed so as to be substantially always in contact with the molten glass held in the melting tank. Every metallic member is, when the melting tank is filled with the molten glass, placed so as to be substantially always outside an electric current flowing region which is formed by the electrodes into the molten glass held in the melting tank.
US08356471B2

According to one representative embodiment, an apparatus for controlling reductant dosing in an SCR catalyst system having a reductant injection system configured to inject reductant into an exhaust gas stream includes a controller, an actual reductant dosing rate module, and a reductant doser compensation module. The controller is configured to determine a reductant dosing rate command representing a desired reductant dosing rate. The actual reductant dosing rate module is configured to determine a predicted actual reductant dosing rate based at least partially on the reductant dosing rate command. The reductant doser compensation module is configured to determine a modified reductant dosing rate command based at least partially on the predicted actual reductant dosing rate. The reductant injection system injects reductant into the exhaust gas stream at a rate corresponding to the modified reductant dosing rate command.
US08356470B2

An NOx purification system having a selective reduction catalyst, adapted so that even when no ammonia or urea is supplied, NOx is converted to ammonia by a first catalyst including a lean NOx catalyst or a ternary catalyst at ammonia formation control and the ammonia is adsorbed by the selective reduction catalyst disposed downstream and so that by the adsorbed ammonia, there is carried out reduction purification of the NOx contained in the exhaust gas when no ammonia formation control is performed by the selective reduction catalyst. At the ammonia formation control, an ammonia adsorption target amount being a target value of ammonia adsorbed by the selective reduction catalyst is computed, and the ammonia formation control is carried out only when a cumulative value of an ammonia formation amount formed by the first catalyst at the ammonia formation control is under the ammonia adsorption target amount. Consequently, ammonia is stably supplied in just proportion to the selective reduction catalyst.
US08356466B2

A heating and cooling system for inlet air of a gas turbine engine in a combined cycle power plant having a steam turbine. The heating and cooling system may include a fluid coil positioned about the gas turbine engine, a heat exchanger in communication with the fluid coil, and a condenser in communication with the steam turbine and the heat exchanger such that waste heat from the steam turbine is forwarded to the fluid coil.
US08356463B2

An apparatus for forming flexible containers from a film web, dispensing fluid into the containers, and enclosing the fluid within the containers. The film web comprises a pair of juxtaposed film plies, a closed longitudinal edge at which the plies are joined, and an open longitudinal edge at which the plies are not joined.
US08356459B1

The specification discloses a method for forming a packaging film. According to the method, a packaging film base layer is provided having a first side and a second side and formed from polymeric materials. At least one additional layer of polymeric material is extrusion coated onto the first side of the base layer. A heat sealable layer is applied onto the second side of the base layer. The method also includes providing a packaging film outer layer having a first side and a second side and formed from polymeric materials. At least one of the outer layer first and second sides is capable of being printed thereon and selected packaging information is printed onto at least one side of the outer layer. Preferably, the outer layer is reverse printed on its second side. Finally, the method includes thermally laminating the base layer and outer layer to one another using a combination of heat and pressure. A packaging film and a method for packaging food products with the film are also disclosed.
US08356458B2

Loading arrangement for loading dollies which has a transport station for placing at least two dollies one behind another along their line of transport. The loading arrangement also has movable transport element with engaging structures, which engaging structures are configured to engage and move the dollies to position the dollies at a predetermined distance from one another at a loading station. The dollies are then loaded at the same time at the loading station before the engaging structures move the dollies to a transfer station which transfers loaded dollies out of the loading arrangement.
US08356452B2

Floor panel of the type comprising a hard top layer forming a decorative surface, from which, together with other identical or similar floor panels, a floor covering can be formed, wherein this floor panel includes at least one sound-absorbing layer which is integrated into the floor panel and is located between other layers of this floor panel.
US08356450B2

A sub-floor panel and system using the sub-floor panel is disclosed. A sub-floor panel, includes a base, at least one support structure coupled to the base, and at least one ventilation channel adjacent to the support structure.
US08356449B2

A connector for connecting wall studs of two adjacent floors in a light frame building structure, the connector having a first attachment tab, a seat member, a diagonally slanted support leg, and a second attachment tab, all substantially planar. The connector is intended to be paired and the paired connectors joined by an elongated tie member that pierces the sill plates of the intervening floor structure.
US08356435B2

The present invention discloses a flame simulating assembly for an electric fireplace and an electric fireplace therewith. The flame simulating assembly comprises a light source, a reflection panel, a light shelter with light openings for light penetration, and a simulating fuel-bed located within the cavity of the housing of the flame simulating assembly. The light shelter can be in form of a tube and mounted on a synchronously rotating mechanism which is in turn mounted on a bracket within the housing. The reflection panel has a reflection area in form of a flame. The light shelter forms an acute angel the reflection panel, or the axis of the light shelter is substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane. The light shelter is below the reflection panel and fitted with it. The imaging screen is positioned above the reflection panel. The light source is positioned within the light shelter, or the light source is positioned outside the light shelter but below the light shelter. Such a structure can significantly reduce the width of a product and produce a light and dark flame effect.
US08356428B2

A sole structure for an article of footwear is disclosed. The sole structure includes a reinforcing plate. The reinforcing plate includes a first flange portion corresponding to a big toe of a foot and a second flange portion corresponding to a ball region of a foot. The first flange portion and the second flange portion each include a cleat member.
US08356425B2

A waterproof breathable sole for shoes, which comprises, for at least part of its extension, at least two structural layers, a lower one provided with a supporting structure so as to form the tread, and an upper one that is permeable to water vapor. The lower layer has portions that are open onto the upper layer. A coating obtained by means of a plasma deposition treatment for waterproofing is provided on the upper layer. A layer is thus obtained that has structural functions and characteristics of resistance to damage and is at the same time waterproof and breathable.
US08356423B2

A household appliance includes a drying chamber, a process air loop and a heat pump. The heat pump includes a heat transfer loop containing a heat transfer fluid, an evaporator heat exchanger, a liquefier heat exchanger, a compressor, and a nozzle. The heat transfer fluid has a critical temperature above 60° C., a nominal heat of vaporization at boiling point of at least 220 kJ/kg, a GWP index of less than 150 and a lower flammability level of at least 0.1 kg/m3. Preferably, the household appliance is a dryer for drying wet laundry.
US08356416B1

A sight pin for an archery sight comprises a sight pin member having an integrally formed fiber channel. The fiber channel is arranged to hold the optical fiber in a curvilinear arrangement so that light emergent from the fiber is directed in a rearward direction from a sight reference point on the sight pin member. At least a portion the fiber channel comprises rows of depressions formed on opposing transverse surfaces of the sight pin member that overlap to form transverse passages through the sight pin member. An optical fiber in the fiber channel is exposed by the depressions and passages from transverse directions but protected from a forward direction by a forward-facing surface of the sight pin member.
US08356403B2

The present invention relates to a device for assembling a vehicle body, and more particularly to a device for assembling a vehicle body that is capable of corresponding to various models of vehicles in a process of manufacturing a vehicle body.
US08356398B2

An earth-boring bit comprising a bit body is configured at its upper end for connection into a drillstring. A fixed blade depends axially downwardly from the bit body. An axially extending slot is formed in the bit body adjacent the fixed blade. A bit leg is received and retained in the slot by engagement between the slot and correspondingly shaped bit leg, wherein the bit leg cannot be removed from the slot except by axial movement relative to the bit body. A rolling cutter is secured to the bit leg at its lower extent. A fastener secures the bit leg against movement relative to the bit body and extends through oblong apertures in the bit leg and into the bit body, the bit leg can be moved axially relative to the bit body to adjust the projection of the rolling cutter relative to the fixed blade.
US08356394B1

A standing valve retrieval tool for coupling to a standing valve to allow removal of the standing valve with a tap type puller or a fishing tool. The tool comprises a coupler having a first end and a second end, the first end removably connected to a standing valve within a downhole pump barrel and the second end oriented towards a movable downhole assembly also located within the downhole pump barrel above the standing valve. The coupler has a threaded opening extending within the second end for optionally receiving a tap type puller connector to remove the standing valve and a laterally projecting collar located along the second end for optionally receiving a fishing tool connector to remove the standing valve. The coupler also includes drainage openings extending through the second end for draining debris within the fluid to prevent the threaded opening from becoming plugged.
US08356390B2

A clamping system for use in a fluid coupling assembly may include redundant locking features for connecting adjacent ends of fluid conduits such as aircraft fuel lines. The exemplary clamping system may make use of two draw latch mechanisms that each separately apply a spring loaded clamping force to a flex band assembly through corresponding draw springs which oppose one another. Thus, either latch mechanism may provide a draw latch function by providing a clamping force to the flex band assembly, which in turn holds the end flanges of the fluid conduits together, thereby providing a sealing connection to facilitate the transfer of a fluid there between. Using two opposed draw latch mechanisms provides for redundant clamping forces such that the failure of one of the mechanisms does not result in an inadvertent disconnection of the fluid conduits one from the other.
US08356387B1

To the top or bottom edge of a bi-fold door panel near either its pivoting or channel guided mechanisms is attached a base plate with an opening in it through which is passed into the panel either pivoting or track sliding hardware. A clamping plate is attached to the panel's face at that site to provide strong lateral support so that pin wobble is avoided. A backing plate may also be attached to the opposing side of the panel for reinforcement. It is generally necessary to drill some holes in the door to complete the arrangement. If desired, the plates may be welded to one another along an edge or otherwise manufactured as one-piece unified structure. The hardware may be sold in kits for repair or preventive maintenance. Undertaking the steps involved provides a reliable method toward that end.
US08356385B2

The present invention relates to a backpack leaf blower with a sheppard's hook device mounted on the back pack for the purpose of holding the flexible air hose by rotational force against the hose. The device can be added to an existing backpack or designed into a new device as needed.
US08356384B1

A clean and purge tool (CAPT) is provided and includes a nest assembly that stows an open hard disk drive (HDD). The nest assembly is rotated from an upward facing position to a downward facing position to dislodge particles from a media clamp of the HDD. The CAPT also includes a cover hingedly attached to the nest assembly and encloses the HDD. The CAPT also includes a spindle clamp assembly (SCA) mounted on the cover and has a vacuum tube configured to encapsulate the media clamp. The SCA includes an air purge nozzle extending into the vacuum tube. The CAPT dislodges particles from the media clamp when pulses of compressed gas are applied to the media clamp by a compressed gas source via the air purge nozzle and evacuates the particles from the vacuum tube when a vacuum is applied to the vacuum tube by a vacuum source.
US08356382B2

A removably attachable, multifunctional Knife Swiper (10) for a utensil such as a kitchen knife is provided comprising a handle (20), an arm (30), and a wiper (40). The device is shaped in such a fashion as to have minimal effect on normal cutting behavior, and provides several benefits to the user, such as providing means to quickly and more safely remove food remnants stuck to the blade of the knife, and providing means for the user to place a knife with a Knife Swiper attached to it down on a surface so that the knife rests with its blade elevated off the surface.
US08356377B2

A reinforced cup for use on downhole devices is disclosed. The reinforced cup is comprised of a cylindrical metal sleeve. Surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the metal sleeve is a flexible mesh cage comprised of a plurality of woven wire strands. A resilient cover is formed around the metal sleeve and flexible mesh cage so that the metal sleeve and flexible mesh fabric are encased by the resilient cover. The flexible mesh cage serves to reinforce the resilient cover.
US08356376B2

To provide a substrate cleaning apparatus capable of effectively removing deposits adhering to at least an end surface of a substrate by means of a sponge-like brush. A substrate cleaning apparatus includes: a spin chuck configured to rotatably hold a substrate W; a motor configured to rotate the substrate W held by the spin chuck; a cleaning-liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the substrate W held by the spin chuck. The cleaning mechanism includes: a brush made of a sponge-like resin, which is brought into contact with at least an end surface of the wafer W during the cleaning; and a brush compressing mechanism configured to compress the brush. The brush is compressed by the compressing mechanism, and cleans at least the end surface of the substrate W.
US08356373B2

Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include a unitary or monolithic composite or hybrid cushioning structure(s) and profile(s) comprised of a cellular thermoplastic foam and a thermoset material. The thermoset material may also be provided as cellular foam as well. In one embodiment disclosed herein, the unitary composite cushioning structure is formed from a cellular thermoplastic foam and a thermoset material. The cellular thermoplastic foam provides support characteristics to the unitary composite cushioning structure. The thermoset material provides a resilient structure with cushioning characteristics to the cushioning structure. A stratum is disposed between at least a portion of the cellular thermoplastic foam and at least a portion of the thermoset material to secure the at least a portion of the thermoset material to the at least a portion of the cellular thermoplastic foam to provide a unitary composite cushioning structure.
US08356368B2

A transfer device has a carriage supported on a base, movable between a home position and an extended position. A table assembly includes a lower table fixed to the carriage and an upper table coupled to the lower table, movable between a downward position in forcible contact with the lower table and an upward position having no contact with the lower table. The table assembly moves toward the extended position with the tables in forcible contact to place the table assembly underneath the object to be transferred while keeping the base stationary. The plates are separated to lift the object on the upper table while the lower table remains resting upon the support surface. The table assembly returns to the home position while supporting the object on the upper table and keeping the upper and lower tables separated. The device may operate in a bidirectional manner.
US08356365B2

A sleeping garment for toddlers that adjusts via a hook and loop connection at one flap per each of the feet to accommodate for the child's growth to extend the usability of the garment for that child as well as to preserve it for subsequent children as a “hand-me-down.” The hook portions are flaps of fabric located at the bottom of the toes and the hook is folded upward to the loops located at the top of the feet to adjust to the rapidly growing size of the child's feet. There are five claims submitted with seven drawings.
US08359652B2

An access control anomaly detection system and method to detect potential anomalies in access control permissions and report those potential anomalies in real time to an administrator for possible action. Embodiments of the system and method input access control lists and semantic groups (or any dataset having binary matrices) to perform automated anomaly detection. This input is processed in three broad phases. First, policy statements are extracted from the access control lists. Next, object-level anomaly detection is performed using thresholds by categorizing outliers in the policies discovered in the first phase as potential anomalies. This object-level anomaly detection can yield object-level security anomalies and object-level accessibility anomalies. Group-level anomaly detection is performed in the third phase by using semantic groups and user sets extracted in first phase to find maximal overlaps using group mapping. This group-level anomaly detection can yield group-level security anomalies and group-level accessibility anomalies.
US08359651B1

A web threat protection system may receive candidate uniform resource locators (URLs) from several URL sources. The candidate URLs may be received in a submission database. At least a portion of the candidate URLs is selected for further investigation by sending crawlers to retrieve objects from the selected URLs. The retrieved objects may be analyzed to determine whether they are malicious or good (i.e., not malicious). The result of the analysis may be used to build a security states database that includes security information of the selected URLs. Good URLs may be included in a safe URL sphere, which may be used to navigate to good websites on the Internet.
US08359635B2

A system, method, and program product is provided that allows new privileges to be dynamically added to an operating system. Entities are assigned roles and these roles are associated with various authorizations. Authorizations are associated with privileges, including the new privilege. A request is received to dynamically add the new privilege to the operating system. The operating system then dynamically adds the new privilege to the system. A software service is installed that requires the new privilege. A request to execute the installed software service is received from an entity that is running on the operating system. The operating system allows the entity to execute the installed software service in response to determining that the entity has been granted the privilege. However, if the entity has not been granted the new privilege, then the operating system inhibits execution of the software service by the entity.
US08359634B2

A computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions operable to determine if a network location included in a request to connect to the network location, is included in a first list of untrusted network locations stored on the client computer and send a request to determine if the network location is included in a second list of untrusted network locations stored remotely from the client computer when it is determined that the network location is not included in the first list.
US08359616B2

Systems and methods for automatically generating advertisements using a media guidance application are provided. In some embodiments, an advertisement database is searched to identify a stored advertisement for display in an advertisement display region of a media guidance application display screen. Upon determining that the advertisement database does not include a suitable stored advertisement, a new advertisement may be generated for display in the advertisement display region.
US08359615B2

Disclosed is a method and a digital broadcasting system for transmitting and receiving an Electronic Service Guide (ESG). When there are ESG fragments to be transmitted through a communication network among ESG fragments included in ESG data, a digital broadcast transmitter generates an ESG data session such that the ESG data session may include route information through the communication network of the relevant ESG fragments. Then, the digital broadcast transmitter transmits the generated ESG data session to a broadcast receiving terminal, which obtains the route information through the communication network of the relevant ESG fragments. Accordingly, a user can more easily and conveniently receive the ESG data by using the route information through the communication network obtained by the broadcast receiving terminal.
US08359609B2

A system and method is disclosed for detecting distribution of multimedia content. The volume level of data traffic is monitored for a plurality of users to select any users with high-bandwidth usage. The time of day and the day of the week may be considered when determining whether a user is a high-bandwidth user. Upon selecting a user as one with high-bandwidth usage, such user may be subject to packet inspections of data traffic streams. In some embodiments, content identification parameters or watermarks are added to one or more packets in a data traffic stream carrying multimedia content.
US08359606B2

Certain aspects of a generic user interface command architecture allow an application to host commands for presentation on a computing device. The commands can be written by the same designer or author as the application, or alternatively by other parties (e.g., by a third-party developer). Other aspects of the generic UI command architecture describe an application programming interface (API) that can be used to allow the application to host the commands. Other aspects of the generic UI command architecture describe an activation mechanism by which registered commands can be activated by an application.
US08359605B2

There are provided systems and methods for providing an integrated hardware platform to allow hardware control via an Application Program Interface (API) used by a Flash application executing in a Flash runtime environment on a host system. There is a provided a computer platform comprising a processor, a peripheral hardware, a connector device, and a memory. The memory contains an API implementation for remote methods provided by the API for the Flash application, a proxy server for enabling communications between the Flash application and the platform processor, and a security service for providing a security policy to grant network connection permissions for communications with the platform processor. API remote method invocations allow the Flash application to control the peripheral hardware, and a networked server may manage remote invocations to control platform hardware of multiple networked clients.
US08359576B2

In one embodiment, a method include accessing one or more global temporal requirements of an application specified using one or more requirement templates from a library of requirement templates, accessing a model of the application, generating one or more symbolic expressions of one or more of the global temporal requirements of the application, searching a state space of the application model with a model checker, monitoring the search of the state space for events in the state space encompassed by the symbolic expressions and modifying construction of a graph of the state space in response to occurrence of one or more events encompassed by the symbolic expressions, evaluating the symbolic expressions based on the graph of the state space to determine whether one or more of the global temporal requirements are valid, and communicating one or more results of the evaluation of the symbolic expressions for presentation to a user.
US08359572B2

Technologies are presented herein for self-describing re-usable software components. Metadata is generated and published with a re-usable software component that identifies the capabilities of the software component, identifies other software components that the re-usable software component may be integrated with, and identifies mechanisms for integrating the re-usable software component with other software components. The metadata can then be used to discover re-usable software components and to integrate the re-usable software components with other software components.
US08359551B2

An automatic pointing device mapping method (400, 420) and associated apparatus for automatically remapping the active area (12) of a graphics tablet (10) to a plurality of displays (122, 124), such as might be used in conjunction with a graphics program (130), a CAD program, or the like. Proximity zones (230, 232) are established along the edge of the active area (12). When a stylus (146) is moved into one of the proximity zones (230, 232), the graphics tablet (10) is switched to control the display (122, 124) in the corresponding direction, provided such a display (122, 124) exists in that direction. In one embodiment data regarding an elapsed time data (220), which is the time the stylus (146) has remained in the proximity zone (230, 232) is monitored, such that the multi-display system (110) is not remapped until the stylus (146) has remained in the proximity zone (230, 232) until a preset time (218) has elapsed.
US08359546B2

A graphical user interface (GUI) presents a primary icon in a minimal visual area of a video display screen of a computer. Selecting the primary icon directs the computer to display a line of segments, where each segment associated with one or more software programs or electronic documents. The GUI allows a user to directly access items of visual and/or audio media by selecting one or more documents or software programs associated with a selected segment. The GUI optionally allows selected a line or segment for transmission from the computer to another computer, wherein copies one or more documents or software applications are transmitted to the second computer.
US08359543B2

Methods and systems for using multiple simultaneous touchpoints of a touch-sensitive keyboard, such as an on-screen keyboard, for more efficient text input are provided. A method for generating text using a touch-sensitive keyboard may include receiving touch input from multiple simultaneous touchpoints. The method may also include determining a text character for each respective simultaneous touchpoint based on the touch input. The method may further include generating a text word based on the text characters determined from the multiple simultaneous touchpoints. A system for generating text using a touch-sensitive keyboard may include a touch input receiver, a slide detector and a text word generator.
US08359540B2

Systems, methods, apparatus, and means for managing an event are provided including creating an event, causing event information to be transmitted to a first group of internal users for communication to a plurality of external users, receiving requests for attendance, creating a final event schedule, causing confirmation information to be transmitted, and generating event summary reports upon completion of said event.
US08359536B2

Multimedia content of exchangeable storage media, such as optical discs, may be extended by bonus content that is downloaded via Internet connection and stored on a local storage device. An improved method for integration of different menu items relating to on-disc content and downloaded content provides flexibility and a simple, low cost solution. The method for integration of downloaded bonus content into a menu comprises defining one or more placeholders within a menu, determining a storage location or naming convention for bonus content, declaring for each placeholder an attribute providing a unique association to a specific type of bonus content, providing a button image, detecting presence of bonus content data, replacing the associated placeholder by the associated button image and enabling an associated action to be taken when said button is selected.
US08359535B2

According to one embodiment an order taking apparatus includes a storage processing section, a display processing section, an enlargement processing section. The storage processing section configured to read information on the order for the menu item the input of which has been accepted by the order taking section, and to store the information in a predetermined order information storage region. The display processing section configured to read an image of the menu item the input of which has been accepted by the order taking section, and to allow a display device to display the image. The enlargement processing section configured such that when the menu item image is enlarged, the enlargement processing section rewrites the information on the order for the menu item which is of the same type as that of the current menu item but has a serving size larger than that of the current menu item.
US08359532B2

Methods and arrangements of text entry are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to index segments of text from multiple sources and receive segments of text being entered into text-entry applications in a floating application. The embodiments may also involve matching the segments of text to indexed segments of text and entering completions of the received segments of text into the text-entry applications. The completions may be based upon the matching, and the completion of a segment may be entered into the text-entry application from which it was received.
US08359531B2

The disclosure generally relates to document summarization. Given a document, summarization can be defined as picking k sentences from the original document D such that the constructed summary exhibits two key properties: coverage and orthogonality. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the two requirements are captured in a combinatorial formulation of the problem and presented as an algorithms.
US08359528B2

A device includes a tag cache memory array; a pre-parity unit configured to receive an address, and calculate and output a pre-parity bit calculated from all bits of the address. A comparator is configured to compare a tag read from the tag cache memory array with the address, and output a read-hit bit. The read-hit bit is true when the tag and the address are identical, and is false when the tag and the address are not identical. The device further includes a simplified parity-check unit configured to receive and perform operations on the pre-parity bit, the read-hit bit, and a parity bit from the tag cache memory array, and to output a read-parity bit.
US08359527B1

Systems and techniques to interpret signals on a noisy channel. A described system includes a filter, buffer, detector, controller, and averager. The buffer can store a group of signals, including a filtered digital signal and previous signal(s). The controller can determine whether first discrete values are adequately indicated and initiate a retry mode when the first discrete values are not adequately indicated. The averager can produce a new signal, in the retry mode, based on an average of at least a portion of the group of signals. The detector can interpret the new signal as second discrete values. The controller can determine whether the second discrete values are adequately indicated based on a measurement of differences between hard decisions indicated by the new signal and hard decisions indicated by the filtered digital signal. The controller can selectively exclude a signal of the group of signals from the average.
US08359523B2

A method and system for decoding video, voice, and/or speech data using redundancy and physical constraints are presented. Video, voice, and/or speech bit sequences may be decoded in a multilayer process based on a decoding algorithm and at least one physical constraint. For voice applications, the decoding algorithm may be based on the Viterbi algorithm. At least one estimated bit sequence may be selected by performing searches that start from trellis junctions determined during by the decoding algorithm. The estimated bit sequences may be selected based on corresponding redundancy verification parameters. At least one physical constraint test may be performed on the selected estimated bit sequences to select a decoded output bit sequence.
US08359522B2

A method and system for decoding low density parity check (“LDPC”) codes. An LDPC decoder includes an R select unit, a Q message first-in first-out (“FIFO”) memory, and a cyclic shifter. The R select unit provides an R message by selecting from a plurality of possible R message values. The Q message memory stores a Q message until an R message is generated by a CNU, the Q message and the R message are combined to provide a P message. The cyclic shifter shifts the P message.
US08359518B2

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for performing forward error correction with a multi-dimensional Bose Ray-Chaudhuri Hocquenghem (BCH) product code, and a method for detecting false decoding errors in frame-based data transmission systems.
US08359510B2

According to one embodiment, a method for repetitive transmission using a plurality of sub-carriers includes: preparing a symbol to be transmitted using the plurality of sub-carriers within a single time domain unit; repeating the symbol a predetermined number (N) of times; applying a corresponding one of N different cyclic shift values to each of the N repeated symbols to be transmitted using the plurality of sub-carriers within the single time domain unit; performing an IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) on each of the N repeated symbols to which the corresponding one of the N different cyclic shift values is applied; and transmitting the N repeated symbols on which the IFFT is performed using the plurality of sub-carriers.
US08359503B2

Methods and corresponding test systems for generating a chip facility waveform from a series of chip snapshots. The methods including, (i) testing an integrated chip multiple times, each time increasing a clockstop delay delaying a clockstop generated by triggered error condition each time determining the state of state holding elements of the integrated circuit and (ii) testing an integrated circuit chip one time to generate a error condition and determining multiple times the states of state holding elements of the integrated circuit based on previous states of the state holding elements.
US08359502B2

A system comprises a plurality of components, scan chain selection logic coupled to the components, and override selection logic coupled to the scan chain selection logic. The scan chain selection logic selects various of the components to be members of a scan chain under the direction of a host computer. The override selection logic detects a change in the scan chain and, as a result, blocks the entire scan chain from progressing.
US08359488B2

A virtual machine receives a request for a current time. The virtual machine determines an approximation of the current time based on readings from one of a plurality of processors and compares the approximation to a virtual machine time stamp value. If the approximation is smaller than the virtual machine time stamp value, the virtual machine returns the global time stamp value as the current time and if the approximation is not smaller than the virtual machine time stamp value, the virtual machine returns the approximation as the current time.
US08359481B2

A coprocessor includes a calculation unit for executing at least one command, and a securization device. The securization device includes an error detection circuit for monitoring the execution of the command so as to detect any execution error, putting the coprocessor into an error mode by default as soon as the execution of the command begins, and lifting the error mode at the end of the execution of the command if no error has been detected, an event detection circuit for monitoring the appearance of at least one event to be detected, and a masking circuit for masking the error mode while the event to be detected does not happen, and declaring the error mode to the outside of the coprocessor if the event to be detected happens while the coprocessor is in the error mode. Application in particular but not exclusively to coprocessors embedded in integrated circuits for smart cards.
US08359475B2

A system, method and program product for generating a cancelable biometric reference template on demand. The method includes creating, using a biometric application, a base reference template having a unique biometric template identifier that uniquely identifies biometric data corresponding to a biometric sample collected for an individual and generating, utilizing a transformation engine, a cancelable reference template derived from the base reference template, where the cancelable reference template generated is used by the individual to participate in a new biometric application without having to provide a new biometric sample or without having to rely on a biometric service provider to issue a new reference template for the new biometric application. The method further includes injecting the base reference template created into a secure portable device issued to the individual and loading the transformation engine onto the device for generating on demand the cancelable reference template.
US08359451B2

Methods and systems for managing distribution of host physical memory (HPM) among virtual machines (VMs) executing on a host via a hypervisor are presented, where each VM has guest system software including an operating system. A method includes an operation for reserving, by a balloon application executing in a first VM, a guest virtual memory (GVM) location in the first VM. The GVM location is mapped to a guest physical memory (GPM) location, which is mapped to a host physical memory (HPM) location. The balloon application is responsive to the hypervisor for reserving memory. Further, the method includes operations for writing a value to the reserved GVM location and for remapping a plurality of GPM locations containing the value to a single HPM location. The remapping is performed by a content-based page sharing component of the hypervisor. Additionally, the method reclaims the HPM location when the HPM location is freed due to the remapping, and assigns the reclaimed HPM location to a different VM or to a pool of available HPM locations.
US08359450B2

An application records memory allocations and releases as they occur over time, and an analysis system presents characteristic memory utilization patterns to a user for review and analysis. A variety of sampling techniques are used to minimize the impact of this memory utilization monitoring on the performance of the application, and the analysis system is configured to estimate the overall memory utilization based on these samples. Because these samples of the memory allocations are taken continuously as the application is running, the analysis system can provide visualizations of the memory utilization patterns that allow a user to easily recognize anomalous behavior. The analysis system includes an interactive interface that allows the user to trace the cause of the presented memory utilization patterns, and provides statistics regarding memory allocation and release to guide the user in this analysis.
US08359447B1

A method and system of detecting data imprinting in a memory is described. Data having known bit values is stored in a location in the memory and the data is read to determine the amount of the known bit values that can be successfully read after an attempt to erase the data. The amount of data that can be successfully read is compare to a threshold. Data bit values of a payload data are inverted to reverse the effects of data imprinting in response to the determined amount exceeding the threshold.
US08359444B2

System and method for automated page-based management in storage systems. The system includes host computers, file servers and a storage system having automated page-based management means. The storage system interface receives instructions to change the condition for decision for migration regarding particular parts or the whole volume. The host computer can control execution of the migration performed by the storage system by specifying areas or volumes with the condition via the interface. Highly optimized, appropriate data placement and data relocation in computer system can be achieved when the application, host computer or management computer can recognize or predict the usage of the data or files. The storage system having automated page-based management may include compression/decompression and a control method for the compression and decompression process.
US08359425B2

According to one embodiment, a memory control device includes a controller, a command queue module, a plurality of stage processors, and a skip module. The controller controls a data access command to a nonvolatile memory from a host. The command queue module queues a transfer request command corresponding to the data access command. The stage processors each perform stage processing related to the transfer request command queued by the command queue module. The skip module skips the stage processing by the stage processors in response to a shutdown command from the controller.
US08359423B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for communicating NOR-type flash specific memory commands from a DRAM memory controller to a NOR-type flash memory array without disrupting DRAM operation. In this embodiment flash specific commands are channeled from the DRAM controller to the flash device by using the DRAM protocol as a transport layer. Data to be written to the NOR-type flash memory array are loaded into a data register and a sequence of programming commands are loaded into a mode register as a series of mode register write operations. Once the entire sequence of programming commands is loaded the NOR-type flash memory array the data in the data register is loaded into the NOR-type flash memory array. Other methods and circuits are also disclosed.
US08359419B2

A system LSI includes first and second memories, first and second buses, a bus bridge that performs signal transfer between the first and second buses, a first bus system connecting to the first bus and accessing the first or second memory, a second bus system connecting to the second bus and accessing the first or second memory, a memory access circuit having first and second bus-side input/output terminals that perform signal transfer to/from the first and second buses and first and second memory-side input/output terminals that perform signal transfer to/from the first and second memories.
US08359399B2

A method for delivering supplemental content associated with audio/visual content to a user of the audio/visual content is presented. In the method, the audio/visual content and the supplemental content are received. The audio/visual content is then transferred as a stream to a first device for presentation to the user. The supplemental content is transferred to a second device for presentation to the user. The transferred supplemental content is organized into segments, wherein each of the segments is to be presented by the second device to the user in synchronization with the presentation of a corresponding portion of the audio/visual content.
US08359395B2

A service distribution apparatus and method are provided. The service distribution apparatus includes a service module that provides a plurality of separable services; a storage module that stores group information of service reproduction apparatuses which reproduce the services, and a service control module that distributes requested services to different service reproduction apparatuses, respectively, based on the group information.
US08359390B2

A method for provisioning a service on a communication network includes receiving a service order comprising a service request. The service request relates to a service provided on a communication network. The method includes analyzing the service order to determine a plurality of network elements to provision to complete the service request and one or more network resources of the communication network required to complete the service request. The method includes retrieving a configuration profile for each of the plurality of network elements and reserving the one or more network resources of the communication network required to complete the service request. The method also includes preparing a service template for each of the plurality of network elements using the configuration profile for each of the plurality of network elements. The service templates are capable of being delivered to respective network elements for execution. The method also includes delivering each service template to a respective network element for execution to fulfill the service order.
US08359377B2

An automated provisioning and management system for network devices includes a library of commands that are generic to all devices of interest, and device-specific plug-ins for implementing those commands in each of the different devices. A user can select any one of the standard commands and have it applied to a particular device of interest in a manner which is capable of being handled by that device. An interface between the library and a source of configuration information, such as a database, enables the various tasks associated with the provisioning and management of network devices to be automatically carried out on multiple devices, thereby minimizing, or even eliminating, the need to manually configure each such device. Various tools are provided to facilitate the ability of support personnel to identify and monitor functions performed by various devices, as well as detect and correct errors in the operation of those devices.
US08359367B2

A system, method and computer program product for supporting system initiated checkpoints in parallel computing systems. The system and method generates selective control signals to perform checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node. The checkpointing is initiated by the system such that checkpoint data of a plurality of network nodes may be obtained even in the presence of user applications running on highly parallel computers that include ongoing user messaging activity.
US08359366B2

An information handling system (IHS) is provided in the context of providing a desktop image. The IHS may include a storage device and a client device. The IHS may also include a management server configured to establish communication between the storage device and the client device. In addition, the client device may be configured to boot directly from the storage device and wherein the data communication occurs only between the storage device and the client device.
US08359359B2

A device and method are described to create a reply message in which, even in a case where electronic messages are exchanged among a plurality of users, a past electronic message to be referred to as a desired reply message can be efficiently retrieved, and trouble in creating a reply message can be reduced. When a first electronic message that has been stored most recently has been extracted from history information, and when an instruction indicating that the body part of the first electronic message is necessary has been accepted, the body part of the first electronic message is temporarily stored. A second electronic message that has been stored next most recently is extracted from the history information. When information on a source in the header part of the second electronic message does not match information on the author of a reply message, the address of the source is set to the address of the destination of the reply message, the temporarily stored body part is added to the reply message, and history information preceding the second electronic message is added.
US08359338B2

A system and method for creating, managing and loading selected configuration datasets used to program a patient care device to have a selected behavior is provided. A common configuration database includes medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics for a plurality of patient care device types. A processor operatively connected to the configuration database is programmed to construct at least one device-specific configuration dataset for a selected device behavior from the common configuration database and load the device-specific dataset into the memory of a patient care device. Further, the device-specific configuration datasets may contain device communication information, including communication protocols and data structures, for a plurality of patient care devices types and behaviors to enable communication between patient care devices.
US08359336B2

A method and apparatus for receiving objects is provided. Embodiments provide for receiving, from a source database server, at a target database server, an object. If the object type of the object is involved in an inheritance hierarchy, then the target database server inspects the object to determine a source identifier that identifies to a source database server the object type associated with the object. The target database determines a target identifier that identifies to the target database server the object type associated with the object based on a mapping that associates source identifiers to target identifiers. Alternately, if the object type of the object is not involved in an inheritance hierarchy, then the target database server inspects the object to determine a set of characteristics of the object. The target database server determines the target identifier for the object based on the characteristics of the object.
US08359328B2

A party reputation aggregation unit determines and collects the reputation of a party from various sources. Further, the party reputation aggregation unit provides for the weighing and aggregation of such data, including reputation data of the party, reputation data of the party's relationships, reputation data of the party's social networks and reputation data of the members of the party's social network so that a complete picture of an individual or organization may be provided to a qualified requestor for his/her use/assessment.
US08359325B1

A database system includes database software to receive a query specifying a join of plural base tables, and to determine whether a foreign key and primary key relationship exists between join columns specified by the query and a materialized view definition. Based on the existence of the foreign key and the primary key relationship between join columns specified by the query and the materialized view definition, the database software determines that a result for the received query is to be computed from the materialized view.
US08359322B2

The present invention allows a program vector representing attributes of a program to be generated as follows. At a step S11, EPG data is received. At a step S12, meta data necessary for generation of a program vector PP is extracted from the EPG data. At a step S13, a morphological analysis is carried out on contents and title included in the meta data to disassemble the contents and the title into words. At a step S14, items included in the meta data are subjected to a vector creation process to generate the program vector PP. At a step S15, an effect vector is extracted on the basis of a genre of a program associated with the meta data. At a step S16, the extracted effect vector is associated with the generated program vector PP and the processing is ended. The present invention can be applied to a distribution server for distributing contents.
US08359321B2

A method and system for converting XML files to and from files in a data format based on hierarchies in real-time. A method for converting from XML to the data format based on hierarchies includes: applying a stylesheet to at least one XML file thereby generating at least one data record in an intermediate format and including information included in the at least one XML file; and, translating the at least one record in the intermediate format to the data format based on hierarchies. A method for converting from a data format based on hierarchies to XML includes: translating at least one record including information stored in the file format based on hierarchies to an intermediate format; and, applying a stylesheet to the at least one record in the intermediate format thereby generating at least one XML file being indicative of the information and suitable for transmission.
US08359313B2

A system and method for presenting custom variables to a user of a web analytics system. An activity file of a web server is received, wherein the activity file includes activity file hit records that provide information about respective requests for documents made by visitors of web sites. A custom variable tag of an activity file hit record in the activity file is identified. Attribute-value pairs of the custom variable tag are then extracted. The attribute-value pairs of the custom variable tag are stored in a database hit record of a database of the server. One or more attribute-value pairs of a plurality of custom variable tags assigned to the custom variable of the web site are then prepared to be presented to a user, wherein the user is separate and distinct from the authors of the documents of the web site.
US08359311B2

A resource selection system is described for assisting a user in performing a task that includes multiple actions. At each stage of the task, the system presents a set resources from which the user may select to perform a subsequent action in the task. The system implicitly selects the set of resources based on context information that identifies the user's current informational needs. For example, the context information may be derived from textual information that is being presented on a user device, which the user is presumed to be viewing at the current time. In one implementation, the system selects the set of resources by computing language models for respective domains and respective entities. The system uses the language models to determine the relevance of the context information to each of the domains. The system then selects resources associated with domains that have been assessed as relevant.
US08359308B2

Architecture which provides that certain data-bound objects in the report can be configured by the report author to use data from a specific query result rather than take data from the containing data bound object. The report author defines a relationship between the data in the contained object and the data in the container, allowing instances of the descendant object to be correlated with instances of the ancestor object. This relationship can be either explicit with join conditions or implicit due to an intrinsic hierarchical relationship between the query results.
US08359307B2

A website mining tool is disclosed that extracts information from, for example, a company's website and presents the extracted information in a graphical user interface (GUI). In one embodiment, web pages from a website are stored in, for example, computer memory and a structure of the web pages is identified. A plurality of blocks of information is then extracted as a function of this structure and a category is assigned to each block of information. The elements in the blocks of information are then displayed, for example to a salesperson, as a function of these categories. In another embodiment, Document Object Modeling parsing is used to identify the structure of the web pages. In yet another embodiment, a support vector machine is used to categorize each block of information.
US08359306B2

An intelligent automatic recognition toolbar search method and system is provided. The method comprises the steps of: installing a toolbar in a user client's web browser or application program; recognizing a query term entered in the search window of the toolbar and registering information about search sites that search for the information on the query term; registering the search site as the basic search site; when the user client enters a query term in the search window and performs a search on the entered query term, performing the search on the entered query term using the query term of the basic search site and storing the search results; displaying the search results: and when the registered search site is displayed and a query term is entered in the search window in the web browser, extracting and searching for the query term entered in the search window of the search site as a query term of the toolbar.
US08359297B2

A solution for managing data received from multiple sources is provided. In particular, when conflicting data values are received from multiple sources for a data element, a conflict rule is used to determine the main data value for the data element, which is subsequently stored for use. The conflict rule can define any automatic, semi-automatic, or manual procedure for resolving the conflict. The conflict rule, or an identifier thereof, can be stored with each data value and the main data value for the data element.
US08359292B2

Particular portions of program execution data are specified and organized in semantic groups. A grouping expression written in a transformation syntax language specifies a pattern and a replacement, for grouping performance data samples. An exception to the pattern can also be specified. In response to the grouping expression, a cost accounting shows groups and their costs. The grouping expression may operate on names and/or name-associated characteristics such as private/public status, author, directory, and the like. Samples may represent nodes in a directed acyclic graph memorializing call stacks or memory allocation. Grouping expressions are used to group nodes and consolidate costs by various procedures when making modified sample stacks: clustering-by-name, entry-group-clustering, folding-by-name, a folding-by-cost. An entry group clustering shows at least one entry point name while avoiding unwanted detail.
US08359275B2

In order to establish a system that maximizes the creation and benefits of human knowledge for the most people, including the wealth knowledge generates, the nature of the knowledge creation process itself must be understood and embedded in the system. The invention is the system for enabling knowledge creation and the wealth knowledge generates in which participants retain ownership to his or her knowledge and most of the wealth the knowledge generates.
US08359273B2

A method for accessing a service on a network, via a user terminal (30), includes a subscription phase wherein: a container is generated, including a first set of authentication data for accessing the service and a second set of useful data relating to access rights to the service the first and second sets of data being encrypted, the container is transmitted securely from the user terminal, and an access phase wherein: the container is transmitted securely from the terminal to a management server connected to the network, during a request for access, after decryption of the constituent data of the container, the server verifies the validity of the first set of data and, in the event that verification is successful, authorizes access to the service for its execution, based on the access rights.
US08359272B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating online storage of files (e.g., audio tracks, video, etc.) for playback/access or sale/exchange by the owners of the files without violating copyrights that copyright holders have in the files. For example, by providing a playback service that does not store additional versions of an audio file when the file is transmitted to, and immediately played on, a user device without buffering, the present invention avoids violating copyright laws by not making copies of the file. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
US08359265B2

A computer based banking system is provided in which at least selected clients termed participating system members have access to a remote device adapted to communicate with the computer base banking system such that financial transactions can be conducted by remote operation of the remote device by the participating system member to result in the debiting of a financial data base record associated with an instructing participating system member and in the crediting of a different financial data base record. Each data base record is identified by a conventional account number generated to conform to banking numbering standards as well as a linked communication number different from the relevant bank account number and composed of at least two component strings of numbers and/or letters, one of which is a number regionally unique to the participating system member, and the other of which is a bank identifying number unique to the particular bank at least on a regional basis. The communication number preferably also includes the two digit international dialing code; the telecommunications area code or the mobile operator code; and a check digit.
US08359261B2

Networks, systems and methods for recovering data messages from a market data stream and for building a book for a financial instrument are disclosed. An out-of-band data stream related to an as-of state of the market for one or more financial instruments is distributed parallel to a stream of market data for the financial instrument. The as-of data stream is referenced to the financial according to a unique identifier of the messages of the market data stream. The as-of data for a financial instrument may be provided at periodic rate that may be varied according to one or more factors.
US08359256B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for short sale information. Short sale information, including short interest in a security, from at least one source is stored in a database. Short sale volumes of shares are calculated for the security by summing a volume of shares associated with each short sale for each time unit during a time period. A graph is generated by plotting each short sale volume of shares associated with a time unit on a horizontal axis, plotting volume of shares on one vertical axis, and plotting a closing price for the security for each time unit on another vertical axis. A report that includes the graph is output via a user interface to an investor, prompting the investor to purchase security shares based on the graph depicting an increase in the short sale volume of shares and a corresponding decrease in the closing price.
US08359254B1

A method and system is disclosed for creating and using non-scalar valued financial instruments. The method and system addresses the problems caused by limited the value of financial instruments to scalar quantities. Applications of the method and system include recreation, education, therapeutic intervention, and finance.
US08359252B2

The invention provides computer-implemented techniques and systems for parsimoniously modelling the price or value, expected rate of return or other relevant characteristics of securities issued by, or referenced to, firms (or other assets) by incorporating risk premia such that a range of different securities can be evaluated within a single, unified and coherent framework, thereby leading to significant reduction in the computing resources otherwise required.
US08359248B2

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for managing and monitoring a plurality of emergency power supply systems (EPSS's) at a facility via an emergency power management system (EPMS). The EPMS generally comprises EPSS equipment, a management computer system for managing, monitoring, and testing the operational characteristics of the EPSS equipment, and a plurality of interface modules for providing unified communication capabilities between the management computer system and the EPSS equipment. Additional aspects relate to methods for easily and efficiently creating and installing an EPMS at a facility. Further aspects are directed to providing predictive analyses related to the EPSS equipment. Also, aspects of the present disclosure relate to normalizing EPSS equipment information across varying vendors, makes, and models of equipment so as to provide a unified view of all equipment across a given facility.
US08359245B1

A computer-implemented method is described, performed at a server hosting an electronic procurement system. Supplier catalog data is received at the server from a plurality of respective suppliers associated with the electronic procurement system. The supplier catalog data is in a plurality of formats. The supplier catalog data is converted from the respective plurality of formats to respective common format catalog data. The respective common format catalog data is added to a database.
US08359242B2

A method for exchanging data concerning an electronic transaction between two entities, includes: a step which consists in determining and booking an origin address (TPOA) in conformity with a bidirectional mobile telephony (GSM) digital messaging service protocol (SMS); a step which consists in sending in accordance with the protocol (SMS), an offer message (OFFER_SMS) of the transaction (TR), the offer message (OFFER_SMS) being sent from the first entity (MW) and addressed to the second entity (CL); and a step which consists in sending, from the second entity (CL) and addressed to the first entity (MW), a reply message comprising an information (REP) representing acceptance or rejection of the transaction.
US08359241B2

A system comprises a web server for posting matters of clients for bidding by contingency professionals, e.g., contingency lawyers and/or judgment collectors; a client matter engine for enabling a particular client to post a particular matter and to select a particular contingency professional bidding on the particular matter to handle the particular matter; a professional bidding engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to review at least a portion of the posted matters and to bid on the particular matter; and a bidding exchange engine for enabling the particular client and the particular contingency professional to communicate without exchanging direct contact information.
US08359238B1

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing metric values for one or more online advertising spaces for placing one or more online advertisements; generating a first user variable subgroup and a second user variable subgroup from a user variable group; deriving first metric values for the first user variable subgroup; deriving second metric values for the second user variable subgroup; for each of the online advertising metrics, using a particular statistical model to calculate a statistical score based on the first and second metric values with respect to the online advertising metric and the first and second user variable subgroups; performing a split test on the first user variable subgroup and the second user variable subgroup; and splitting the user variable group into two separate user variable groups if the first and second variable subgroups pass the split test.
US08359231B2

A system and method for allowing multiple customers to each create an individual, modified motivation or recognition program having participants, each said motivation program permitting the participants to earn awards on the basis of the participants' performance, each said motivation program of a particular customer operating according to preferences selected by the particular customer.
US08359220B2

Computer-implemented methods, apparatus and products for technical support routing among members of a technical support group, including maintaining, by a configuration manager, a system configuration history of a user's computer system, the system configuration history including historical records of changes in configuration of the user's computer system; receiving, by a technical support module, a support request identifying a current error that occurred during operation of the user's computer system including receiving information describing the error and the system configuration history of the user's computer system; and routing, by the technical support module automatically without human intervention, the support request to one or more particular members of the technical support group in dependence upon the information describing the error and the system configuration history.
US08359215B1

A system comprises a memory that stores weather data associated with a site. The system further comprises a processor that determines a balance point of the site based at least in part on the weather data. The processor may determine an amount of utility usage at the site during a particular time period. The processor may normalize the amount of utility usage based at least in part on the balance point and the weather data. The processor may generate a graphical user interface that displays the balance point and the normalized amount of utility usage.
US08359206B2

A computer program product helps organize an in-person gathering of users of topic-related interest to help maintain ongoing local interest groups by providing meeting management resources through a web-based meeting facility, where the meeting management resources may enable a meeting group organizer to manage a meeting group. The meeting facility may receive meeting group criteria from a user, and may provide to the user an indication of at least one meeting group of a plurality of meeting groups based on the user's received meeting group criteria, wherein the meeting groups may have respective members. The meeting facility may receive from the user a selection of a meeting group to join, and the organizer may be enabled to accept the user as a new member to the meeting group and to manage meeting group user resources available to the user through a web-based graphical interface provided by the meeting facility.
US08359203B2

A method for speech enabling an application can include the step of specifying a speech input within a speech-enabled markup. The speech-enabled markup can also specify an application operation that is to be executed responsive to the detection of the speech input. After the speech input has been defined within the speech-enabled markup, the application can be instantiated. The specified speech input can then be detected and the application operation can be responsively executed in accordance with the specified speech-enabled markup.
US08359189B2

Statements of a computer program expressed using a first source natural language are made meaningful to a programmer familiar with a second target natural language. The first source natural language of the computer program is determined from the programmer, or through analysis, and the second target natural language desired by the programmer is selected. Textual constructs may be parsed, with reference to stored coding conventions to determine meaningful lexical tokens. Such tokens are translated with a translation engine, and displayed to the programmer, desirably using a graphical user interface feature of an integrated development, environment (IDE) for computer programming in a particular programming language.
US08359184B2

A method, program and computer system for changing scale of reservoir model permeabilities (for example a hydrocarbon reservoir) are provided. Mini-models of reservoirs are defined (S100) with a number of meshes and cells in these meshes. For each model mesh, a scaling of the permeability values KH of the meshes is carried out (S400-800) via a mean power formula KHωH∝ΣkHiωH relating the mesh permeability KH to the local permeabilities kH,i of the cells. According to the invention, the power coefficient ωH appearing therein is analytically modified, relatively to its expression given by the Noetinger-Haas relationship, in order to correct a non-ergodicity bias.
US08359178B2

A method for identifying erroneous sensor outputs is provided. The method includes obtaining a first plurality of samples from a sensor over a period of time. A mean of the plurality of samples is determined. A first additional sample from the sensor at a time subsequent to times that the first plurality of samples were obtained is also received. A divergence of the first additional sample from the mean is determined. The first additional sample is identified as erroneous when the divergence is greater than a threshold.
US08359171B2

The invention relates to an electronic pressure gauge for measuring the pressure inside a container, particularly a pressurized gas cylinder, said pressure gauge including: at least one pressure sensor; an electronic unit designed to acquire, store and process data; and at least one information device capable of transmitting at least one item of information. The pressure gauge also includes a first radio with a reception port, said first radio being connected to the electronic unit so as to receive external data in order to modify the operation or the configuration of the pressure gauge. The reception port of the first radio is designed to read data modulated in terms of the frequency and/or intensity of an external magnetic field at a first low frequency, for example a frequency between 50 and 300 khz.
US08359170B2

Laser-based ultrasonic (LBU) systems and methods for measuring at least one material property of a ceramic cellular ceramic body during thermal processing are disclosed. The method includes subjecting the ceramic cellular ceramic body to a temperature cycle within an interior of an oven. For a plurality of temperatures within the temperature cycle, the cellular ceramic body is irradiated with a modulated laser beam to generate acoustic waves in the cellular ceramic body over a plurality of acoustic paths. The method also includes sequentially irradiating the cellular ceramic body using a detection laser beam so that the acoustic waves are detected. The method also includes calculating from the detected acoustic waves at least one material property of the ceramic cellular body as a function of temperature.
US08359151B2

A method of displaying traffic information, comprising: providing a graphical interface to display information related to traffic routes; displaying a first bar to represent a total distance of a first traffic route; and displaying segments of the first bar, each segment of the first bar representing a corresponding range of traffic speeds along the first traffic route, and each segment of the first bar located on the bar in rough proportion to where the corresponding range of traffic speeds occurs along the first traffic route.
US08359148B2

A vehicle running control apparatus, which performs automatic running control by controlling an engine for applying a driving torque to a vehicle C and a brake device for applying a braking torque to the vehicle C such that a vehicle speed of the vehicle C becomes equal to a preset target vehicle speed, determines, on the basis of a target driving torque ETo calculated to apply the driving torque to the vehicle C and a target braking torque BTo calculated to apply the braking torque to the vehicle C, whether or not the vehicle C is running on a road difficult to run on, when automatic running control is performed. When it is determined that the vehicle C is running on the road difficult to run on, automatic running control is terminated.
US08359143B2

Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine. A method includes determining a hoist bail pull associated with the industrial machine, determining a crowd torque limit value for a crowd drive based on the determined hoist bail pull of the industrial machine, and setting a crowd torque limit of the crowd drive to the crowd torque limit value to limit a torque associated with a crowd motor to the crowd torque limit value.
US08359132B2

A battery optimization system and method for regulating and discharging a battery so as to optimize the use of the battery in accordance with the user's preference is provided. The battery optimization system includes a power source, a charging/discharging station connecting the battery with the power source, and a controller in communication with the charging/discharging station. The battery optimization system further includes an input operable to provide the user's preferences. The controller is also in communication with the battery and is operable to process battery and power source information along with user input to calculate an optimal charging/discharging cycle. The charging/discharging cycle is configured to charge or discharge the battery so as to optimize the use of the battery based upon the end user's preference. For instance, the calculated optimal charging/discharging cycle may be based upon the user's desire to maximize the life of the battery, or to charge the battery as inexpensively as possible.
US08359131B2

Methods and systems for operating an electric motor having a plurality of windings with an inverter having a plurality of switches coupled to a voltage source are provided. A first plurality of switching vectors is applied to the plurality of switches. The first plurality of switching vectors includes a first ratio of first magnitude switching vectors to second magnitude switching vectors. A direct current (DC) current associated with the voltage source is monitored during the applying of the first plurality of switching vectors to the plurality of switches. A second ratio of the first magnitude switching vectors to the second magnitude switching vectors is selected based on the monitoring of the DC current associated with the voltage source. A second plurality of switching vectors is applied to the plurality of switches. The second plurality of switching vectors includes the second ratio of the first magnitude switching vectors to the second magnitude switching vectors.
US08359120B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed for preparing mail pieces. By determining the number of postal items of a mail set that is fed or to be fed to a gathering station, the further processing can be based thereon, and if the number of postal items exceeds a predetermined maximum, the mail set is split by transporting the already gathered postal items from the gathering station to the inserting station, where the postal items are inserted in an envelope and an envelope printer can print an association marking on the envelope of the formed mail piece.
US08359117B2

Provided is a substrate processing system configured to provide proper data. The substrate processing system comprises a substrate processing apparatus comprising a plurality of components, a controller configured to control the substrate processing apparatus by setting a sequence prescribing time and components, and a collection unit configured to collect data from the components. The collection unit is configured to match data collected from the components via the controller with data collected directly from the components.
US08359114B2

The invention provides a digital dentistry system that utilizes a haptic interface and features a computer-based design application configured to allow the intuitive construction of irregular, amorphous three-dimensional structures typically seen in dental restorations, utilizing, where appropriate, the design skills of a user. In certain embodiments, the system provides a comprehensive digital solution for dental labs in the business of creating dental restorations such as partial frameworks, crowns, copings, bridge frameworks, implants and the like, with a sense of touch provided by a haptic interface device.
US08359110B2

Diagnostic systems and methods are presented for determining the current condition of a production plant and the resources thereof, in which successively more complex diagnostic abstractions are used to determine the plant condition, with a more complex abstraction being selected when the most recently selected diagnostic abstraction is logically inconsistent with the current fault status indications.
US08359103B2

Selective high-frequency spinal cord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side effects and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In particular embodiments, high-frequency modulation in the range of from about 1.5 KHz to about 50 KHz may be applied to the patient's spinal cord region to address low back pain without creating unwanted sensory and/or motor side effects. In other embodiments, modulation in accordance with similar parameters can be applied to other spinal or peripheral locations to address other indications.
US08359097B2

A method is presented for evaluating whether an episode of sleep apnea is occurring in a patient suffering from chronic sleep apnea disorder, for delivery of appropriate therapy. The method, performed by an implantable device, includes sensing the patient's EKG signal and using electrical energy generated by the heart to power subsequent signal processing. This signal is applied as the sole input to a differential signal processing circuit for passage through both a high impedance path and a substantially lower impedance path and amplification of the difference in magnitude between the resulting two signals, to determine changes in the patient's thoracic impedance. Based on such changes, the presence or absence of patient ventilation is detected, to enable an assessment of whether an episode of sleep apnea is occurring. An actual episode of sleep apnea is deemed to have occurred if lack of ventilation exceeds a predetermined interval of time between otherwise regular respiratory cycles. If sleep apnea is indicated, the appropriate therapy is delivered by the device to induce ventilation and halt the apnea episode.
US08359096B2

An active implantable medical device for cardiac resynchronization with automatic and almost in real time optimization of the interventricular and atrio-ventricular delays is disclosed. The active implantable medical device includes a closed-loop for continuously controlling the atrio-ventricular delay AVD and the inter-ventricular delay VVD according to a hemodynamic signal delivered by a hemodynamic sensor. The closed-loop provides controlled modulation (38) and demodulation (42) the AVD, and modulation (48) and demodulation (52) the VVD, the modulation and demodulation being functionally interdependent (54, 56) by a sequence of alternating operation. A closed-loop regulator (36) for controlling the AVD receives as input an error signal (EAVD) delivered based on demodulating the AVD (42) and outputs an AVD signal. A closed-loop regulator (46) for controlling the VVD receives as input a signal error (EVVD) based on demodulating the DVV and outputs a VVD signal. In one embodiment, the regulators are PID controllers.
US08359091B2

Apparatus and method for detecting and filtering noise artifacts by analysis of a cardiac vectogram is disclosed. An active medical device collects electrical activity signals of a patient's heart over a series of cardiac cycles. At least two distinct temporal components (Vbip, Vuni) are obtained from at least two endocardial electrogram (EGM) signals that are collected concurrently on different respective channels from the same heart cavity. The means for analyzing and filtering of the active medical device operates by: constructing a non-temporal 2D characteristic of a vectogram (VGM) of an analyzed cardiac cycle, using a variation of one of the two distinct temporal components (Vuni) as a function of the other (Vbip); conducting a morphological analysis of the non-temporal 2D characteristic to derive at least one intrinsic descriptor parameter, including the average angle of velocity vectors of consecutive data points of the 2D characteristic, and classifying the analyzed cardiac cycle as invalid noisy cycle or as valid not noisy cycle, depending on the analysis of the descriptor parameter.
US08359090B2

There are provided an electrocardiograph with an extended lead function and an extended lead ECG deriving method capable of easily deriving an ECG signal of an extended lead ECG by an arithmetic operation, based on ECG signals of a standard 12-lead ECG measured by a potential detector 10. An ECG memory 12 stores the ECG signals measured as the standard 12-lead ECG by the potential detector 10. An extended lead ECG calculator 16 calculates extended lead ECGs V7-V9 from the ECG signals stored in the ECG memory 12, using coefficients α representing a relationship among leads. The extended lead ECGs V7-V9 calculated are displayed through an extended lead ECG waveform outputting device 18 on a display monitor 20.
US08359079B2

Medical devices and techniques derive breath rate, breath distention, and pulse distention measurements of a subject from a pulse oximeter system coupled to a subject. These parameters, together with the conventional physiologic parameters obtained from a pulse oximeter system, can be used to assist in controlling the ventilation levels and the anesthesia levels of the subject. The development has human applications and particular applications for animal research.
US08359061B2

A wireless communication system includes a wireless terminal and a plurality of base stations that can communicate with each other via a predetermined communication path that is different from the wireless communication path to the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal transmits a request signal to one of the base stations to request a response signal from another base station. The one base station transfers the received request signal to the other base station via the predetermined communication path. Upon reception of the request signal transferred from the one base station, the second base station transmits a response signal to the wireless terminal via the predetermined channel. The wireless terminal receives the response signal transmitted from the second base station via the predetermined channel.
US08359056B2

A user data transmission method for transmitting uplink user data via an E-DPDCH, including: determining, at a radio network controller, that the mobile station transmitting the E-DPDCH to only a first cell transmits the E-DPDCH to the first cell and a second cell; notifying, at the radio network controller, E-RGCH decoding information for decoding a E-RGCH for the uplink user data to be transmitted by the second cell, to the mobile station based on the determination; transmitting, at the mobile station, the E-DPDCH to the first cell and the second cell, after the E-RGCH decoding information is received; and decoding, at the mobile station, the E-RGCH from the second cell based on the relative transmission rate control channel decoding information, and controlling the transmission rate of the uplink user data based on a relative transmission rate for the uplink user data which is notified by the decoded E-RGCH.
US08359054B2

A transmission power control method for controlling a transmission power of an E-HICH for uplink user data transmitted from a cell controlled by a radio base station to a mobile station, includes: notifying, from a radio network controller to at least one radio base station controlling a first cell and a second cell, offsets between the transmission power of the E-HICH and a transmission power of a DPCH, when a mobile station is performing a soft-handover with the first and second cell; determining, at the first cell, a transmission power of a first E-HICH based on a notified offset, and transmitting the first E-HICH to the mobile station using the determined transmission power; and determining, at the second cell, transmission power of a second E-HICH based on a notified offset, and transmitting the second E-HICH to the mobile station using the determined transmission power.
US08359053B2

A method and apparatus provides for delivering information to an idle mobile station in a group communication network includes delivering the information to the mobile station in special form, e.g., short data burst (SDB) form, if the information is smaller than a predetermined size limit. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus provides for encapsulating the information inside a frame, forwarding the frame to a server for delivery to the mobile station, and causing the server to extract the information from the frame and deliver the information to the mobile station on a forward common channel. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus provides for receiving information for delivery to the mobile station, the information being tagged for delivery on a forward common channel, and delivering the information to the mobile station on the forward common channel. In one aspect, the method delivers the information when the mobile station is in idle state with no traffic channel.
US08359049B2

Directory assistance provides telephone number look up services to callers based on the business or caller name as listed in a telephone directory. In the prior art, directory assistance provides a value-added service to telephone users and an expense that must be charged back to telephone callers or absorbed by telephone carriers. In enhanced directory assistance (EDA) services as described in the disclosure, EDA is further developed to deliver a keyword targeted advertising service to telephone listing owners and advertisers. The present invention provides a method and system to extend EDA services to the wireless messaging systems used by telecommunications operators. The invention further discloses methods to support both one-way and two-way communications on these devices, as well as systems to support the distributed EDA Transaction business model.
US08359048B2

An alert broadcast method includes wirelessly transmitting a first message from a first cellular communication device to a central transceiver. The first message has a characteristic identifying the first message as an alert message. A location of the first cellular communication device is determined. A plurality of second cellular communication devices that are within a proximity of the first cellular communication device are identified. A second message is transmitted from the central transceiver to the second cellular communication devices. The second message is dependent upon the first message.
US08359047B2

Apparatus, and an associated method, for paging an access terminal in a radio communication system. A message generator generates a quick paging message formed of page indication locations. Page indication values are populated in selected page indication locations of the message. A hash generator generates hash values that are determinative of the page indication locations that are populated with the page indication values.
US08359040B2

The present invention relates to a transmission rate control method of controlling a transmission rate of user data transmitted from a mobile station via an uplink. When a serving cell performing a scheduling control in the uplink of the mobile station transmits, to mobile station, an absolute rate grant channel for designating the maximum allowable transmission rate common in the serving cell, and when the mobile station is configured to determine the transmission rate of the user data based on the absolute rate grant channel, a non-serving cell other than the serving cell does not transmit a relative rate grant channel for adjusting the maximum allowable transmission rate.
US08359035B2

A wireless base station includes a candidate-cell obtaining unit that obtains a plurality of wireless communication route candidates usable for wireless communication of a mobile station with wireless base stations; a candidate-cell extracting unit that determines whether a wireless communication route candidate via which wireless communication can be performed is included in a plurality of wireless communication route candidates managed by the wireless base station itself from among the obtained wireless communication route candidates; a self-station determining unit; and a handover preparing unit that, when wireless communication can be performed via at least any of the wireless communication route candidates managed by the wireless base station itself according to the result of determination, notifies a wireless base station with which the mobile station is in wireless communication that wireless communication can be performed with the mobile station.
US08359033B2

A system and method of supporting packet-switched handover of a mobile station (MS) from a GERAN/UTRAN cell to a Generic Access Network (GAN) cell within a GAN. If the MS is within coverage of the GAN cell, the MS registers within the GAN triggering initiation of the packet-switched handover from the GERAN/UTRAN cell to the GAN cell. A preparation phase is then conducted for executing the packet-switched handover. The preparation phase includes identifying the MS context as part of the preparation phase and activating the GA-PSR TC towards the MS. Next, the packet-switched handover is executed, resulting in the MS switching to GAN mode. The MS then begins transferring packets via the GAN cell. The system and method also supports a packet-switched handover from the GAN cell to the GERAN/UTRAN cell.
US08359030B2

A method for searching for a base station using paging procedure in a mobile communication network has a paging agent that performs the paging procedure. The method includes: receiving, at the paging agent, subscriber information including information of a service, to which a mobile node subscribed, from a home location register while performing a location registration procedure in response to a location registration request from the mobile node; setting an available scan time based on the time required to perform the paging procedure; generating a paging request message including the available scan time and the subscriber information to send the paging request message to a base station required for paging; and generating base station information based on the subscriber information to input into the paging request message to transmit with the available scan time to the mobile node.
US08359027B2

A mobility management entity (MME) information deleting method includes: receiving a message sent by a first MME; and if needed, determining whether it is necessary to delete information about the first MME according to version information about the first MME. The method further includes: receiving a message sent by a target MME, in which the message carries version information about a source MME acquired by the target MME or an indication of deleting information about the source MME added by the target MME; and deleting the information about the source MME according to the message. A network device for deleting MME information is also provided. According to the present invention, a network device, such as a home subscriber server (HSS), is capable of acquiring version information about a source MME or receiving an indication of deleting information about the source MME, so as to determine whether it is necessary to delete the information about the MME.
US08359026B2

A system and method for selectively enabling and disabling wireless connectivity between cellular or PDA users on-board commercial aircraft having a shielded fuselage, and remotely located wireless access points, while the aircraft is at an airport or airfield. The system and method does not require access to an on-board LAN system of the aircraft. The system includes one or more antennae disposed in the cabin area of the aircraft that are coupled via an RF switch with an exterior antenna mounted on an exterior of the fuselage. The RF switch is controlled by a switch control subsystem, and enables or disables communication between the interior antennae and the exterior antenna. The exterior antenna is connected to the switch via a conductor that extends through the shielding of the aircraft. When the RF switch is in the closed position, cellular or PDA users can connect through the interior antennae and the exterior antenna directly to remotely located wireless access points.
US08359021B2

A method for initiating a video share service of a mobile device based on commands from a remote source. The method includes receiving a request from the remote source to initiate the video share service, authenticating the sender of the request, receiving a command to start the video share service; and transmitting the output of the service. There is also a system configured for receiving a request from a first mobile device to initiate a service from a second mobile device, for authentication of the request, for commanding the second mobile device to start a service under control of the first mobile device, and for delivery of the output of the service.
US08359018B2

A system and method for enabling the operation of intervendor and intravendor messaging service systems within an operator network includes correctly routing data messages and handshaking messages between the various system components. In one aspect, the present invention uses the uniform resource identifier of a particular messaging system to route one or more handshaking messages from a target terminal to the particular messaging system. In another aspect, the present invention uses a message transaction identification embedded in the handshaking message to direct the handshaking message to the correct messaging service system. In one embodiment, the transaction identification is analyzed by a load balancing switch to determine the location of the particular messaging service system. In another embodiment, one or more of the several messaging service systems in the operator network are used to analyze the transaction identification to determine the location of the particular messaging service system.
US08359017B2

An extended display is provided for information based on caller ID during call notification for an incoming phone call on a mobile device. A system enables accessing scheduling information based on caller ID information for the incoming phone call. A contact is identified based on the caller ID information, and scheduling information related to the contact is displayed on the mobile device before the call is answered.
US08359012B2

A blogging system is operated on a server connected to a cellular land mobile network where a media object for the blogging system is transmitted from a first cellular terminal over the land mobile network to the server and stored in a database connected to the server, and the media object can be retrieved from a second cellular terminal. A first parameter characterizing the geographical location of the first cellular terminal is determined and linked to the media object, and a second parameter characterizing the geographical location of the second cellular terminal is determined and compared to the first parameter. The media object is made available to the second cellular terminal only when the geographical position of the first terminal as characterized by the first parameter does not exceed a certain distance from the geographical location of the second cellular terminal as characterized by the second parameter.
US08359009B2

Authorized or unauthorized opening of access to equipment of a telecommunications network in a control center is detected on the basis of alarm messages. The telecommunication network is a mobile radio network or a hard-wired network. The control center monitors the access equipment and transmits alarm messages as a result of the access equipment being opened. A message is first transmitted by a signaling device to a signaling server before the access equipment is opened. Then the server, after receiving the message from the signaling device, generates an alarm-suppression information item. This alarm-suppression information item is evaluated in the control center, and, whenever an alarm message is received, this message is compared with the alarm-suppression information items and the alarm message is filtered in the event of a positive association.
US08358999B1

Systems and methods for providing dispatch call features are provided. The dispatch call features include the ability to maintain multiple simultaneous dispatch calls and the ability to manage multiple dispatch stations. The maintenance of multiple simultaneous dispatch calls feature allows a dispatch station to place a current dispatch call on-hold to either initiate a new dispatch call or to accept an incoming dispatch call. The management of multiple dispatch stations feature allows a number of dispatch stations to be associated with one or more dispatch station identifiers. When a dispatch call is made to one of the dispatch station identifiers, all associated dispatch stations are paged. The first dispatch station to respond to the page is connected to the incoming dispatch call.
US08358998B2

A down-conversion frequency mixer includes: a radio frequency (RF) input unit disposed between a VDD line and a GND line and configured to receive an RF signal; an LO input unit configured to receive a carrier frequency (LO) from an internal frequency synthesizer; an intermediate frequency (IF) output unit disposed in parallel to the RF input unit between the VDD line and the GND line and configured to mix the RF signal with the LO signal and output an IF signal; a current generation unit configured to generate a stabilized current without being influenced with noise entered through the VDD line and the GND line; and a noise blocking unit disposed between the VDD line and the RF input unit, between the VDD line and the IF output unit, between the GND line and the RF input unit, and between the GND line and the LO input unit and configured to copy the current generated from the current generator and generate a stabilized current.
US08358995B2

Systems and methods are provided for suppressing radio interference from a noise source having an operating frequency. One system includes memory for storing a threshold signal strength, a re-configurable filter for selectively filtering signals of a harmonic of the operating frequency, and a controller. The controller is configured to compare a signal strength of a received signal to the threshold signal strength and turn ON the re-configurable filter if the signal strength of the received signal is less than or equal to the threshold signal strength. A method includes determining a noise signature for the motor vehicle and associating a signal strength threshold with the noise signature. The method further includes comparing a signal strength of a tuned radio station to the signal strength threshold and turning ON the filter if the signal strength is less than or equal to the signal strength threshold.
US08358993B2

Image rejection calibration includes initializing the calibration mode by applying to quadrature mixers, in place of the wanted RF input, an RF source in the frequency range of the wanted RF input, sensing the power output from the poly-phase filter, developing gain adjust and phase adjust correction values in response to the power output and adjusting in accordance with the correction values the gain of the quadrature signals from the quadrature mixers to the poly-phase filter and the phase of local oscillator quadrature signals from the local oscillator to the quadrature mixers to reduce the power output.
US08358989B2

A matching circuit, connected to a receiving antenna and to the input of a receiving circuit, incorporates a variable capacitor that is adjustable for tuning the resonance frequency of the antenna to a desired reception frequency. In an automatic tuning mode of operation, an oscillator signal of different frequency from the reception frequency is applied to induce resonance of the antenna and matching circuit, and the variable capacitor is adjusted until an output signal level from the receiving circuit attains a predetermined value which has been stored beforehand in a memory and which corresponds to a condition whereby the antenna resonance frequency corresponds to the reception frequency and impedance matching exists between the antenna and receiving circuit.
US08358985B2

A radio wave receiving apparatus is provided with a tuning circuit for bringing a receiving frequency of an antenna tuned in to a frequency of a desired wave, a frequency converting circuit for mixing a local oscillation signal with the signal received through the antenna, thereby converting the received signal into an intermediate frequency signal, a feed back loop including at least a portion of the tuning circuit for feeding back the received signal, a controller for detecting a level of the intermediate frequency signal to change a frequency characteristic of the tuning circuit, thereby obtaining a tuning point corresponding to the desired wave, wherein, the controller brings the feed back loop in operation, thereby changing the frequency characteristic of the tuning circuit, and when two peaks of a level of the received signal are detected while the frequency characteristic of the tuning circuit is changed, the controller selects as a tuning point corresponding to the desired wave a tuning point at which one of the two peaks of the level of the received signal corresponding to a high-low relationship between the predetermined frequency of the local oscillation signal and the frequency of the desired wave is detected.
US08358984B2

MIMO OFDM receiver which periodically forms a channel estimate and compares: a: an estimate of the capacity of the channel if the transmitter were to make use of the receiver's channel estimate (closed loop) with b: an estimate of the capacity of the channel if the transmitter were to make no use of channel estimate (open loop), and send data on the channel estimate to the transmitter only when (b−a)>k, where k is a pre-set threshold.
US08358983B2

A limited-capability wireless terminal that is particularly well adapted for use in emergency situations, recreational activities and occasional calls is disclosed. The detachable wireless terminal does not have a display or a numeric keypad. Rather, the detachable wireless terminal has several “one-touch” buttons that place a call to pre-programmed phone numbers when pressed. The detachable wireless terminal is small enough and light enough to be worn around a user's neck, received by a lanyard or a necklace. The wireless terminal detachably couples to a relatively larger docking device, which can be used to program it.
US08358973B2

An underwater communications system is provided that transmits electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals to a remote receiver. The transmitter includes a data input. A digital data compressor compresses data to be transmitted. A modulator modulates compressed data onto a carrier signal. An electrically insulated, magnetic coupled antenna transmits the compressed, modulated signals. The receiver that has an electrically insulated, magnetic coupled antenna for receiving a compressed, modulated signal. A demodulator is provided for demodulating the signal to reveal compressed data. A de-compressor de-compresses the data. An appropriate human interface is provided to present transmitted data into text/audio/visible form. Similarly, the transmit system comprises appropriate audio/visual/text entry mechanisms.
US08358968B2

In a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system having at least one repeater, a plurality of channels, and a plurality of subscriber units, a repeater hosts a first channel that is currently serving as a rest channel. The channel that is currently serving as the rest channel is monitored by subscriber units that are idle in the system. When the repeater determines to select a second channel to serve as the rest channel, it determines whether there is at least one eligible channel to serve as the rest channel. If there is at least one eligible channel in the system, the repeater may select the second channel to serve as the rest channel from one of the eligible channels.
US08358965B2

A learning system is adapted to provide a learning management system adapted to present an exercise environment to the user in which the user is able to practice skills through a combination of presented media and practice areas. The learning system is adapted to provide feedback to the user during the practice session to allow the user to improve performance while in the exercise environment. Additionally, the learning system is adapted to track the user's performance in terms of practice time and in terms of accuracy percentage to allow the student and the educator to monitor performance related to effort. Still additionally, the learning systems of the present disclosure may be adapted to track the types of errors committed by the users to enable the users and educators to provide more directed educational experiences and practice sessions to overcome recurring problems.
US08358958B2

In one embodiment, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that forms a plurality of images using a plurality of image carriers respectively corresponding to the images and stacks those images, the apparatus having a first group to which at least one image carrier among the plurality of image carriers belongs, a second group to which at least one image carrier among the remaining image carriers belongs, and a single detection sensor that detects a first detection information for identifying a rotation timing of the first group image carrier and also detects a second detection information for identifying a rotation timing of the second group image carrier.
US08358957B2

Electrographic printing wherein raised information, with a distinct tactile feel, can be printed by electrographic techniques. Such electrographic printing comprises the steps of forming a desired print image, electrographically, on a receiver member utilizing standard size marking particles; and in an area of the formed print image, where desired tactile feel, raised information is to be formed, selectively forming such tactile feel, raised information utilizing marking particles of a substantially larger size than the standard size marking particles of the desired print image.
US08358954B2

An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge including at least one of an image bearing member and a developing device; a main assembly including an opening; an openable member movable between a closed position in which the opening is covered and an open position in which the opening is exposed; and a movable member for supporting the cartridge. The movable member is movable between an inside position in which the cartridge is located inside the main assembly and a pulled out position in which the movable member is outwardly pulled out from the main assembly. The openable member is prevented, from moving from the open position to the closed position, in a state in which the movable member is located outside the open position but is movable from the open position to the closed position in a state in which the movable member is located at the open position.
US08358945B2

A fixing device includes a fixing member, a heating member to heat the fixing member, a pressing member to press against the fixing member with a predetermined pressure, forming a nip where an image is fixed on a recording medium with heat and pressure, a heating controller to cause the heating member to heat the fixing member to a predetermined temperature set in advance and to preheat the fixing member while maintaining the temperature of the fixing member, a recording-medium data receiver to acquire recording-medium data before a fixing process is started, and a preheating-time adjuster to adjust a preheating time during which the heating member preheats the fixing member based on the data acquired by the recording-medium data receiver.
US08358941B2

A management device for an image forming apparatus including a status data collection unit where multiple types of status data are received from the image forming apparatus and stored in a status database, a target data creation unit where multiple types of target data are created based upon the multiple types of status data, a first stage determination unit where the multiple types of target data are identified as being above or below reference values set for each type, and a second stage determination unit where a weight value set for each status data type is attached to the determination results of the multiple types of status data of the first stage determination unit and as a whole of the multiple types of status data determined with majority logic for abnormal occurrence prediction.
US08358936B2

An optical apparatus includes a quadrature phase shift keying modulator for generating a non-return-to-zero quadrature phase shift keyed NRZ-QPSK signal from a received lightwave, the modulator being driven by a radio frequency RF signal, an intensity modulator for carving the NRZ-QPSK signal to return-to-zero RZ pulses with a different duty cycle than that of the NRZ-QPSK, the intensity modulator being driven by a radio frequency RF clock signal to change the NRZ-QPSK to an RZ-QPSK signal, and an optical filter with a narrow band for filtering the signal from the intensity modulator to increase optical power that is useable by an optical digital coherent detection system.
US08358934B2

A network comprising at least one host device having an interface card connected to a backplane of said host device, wherein said interface card comprises at least one cage for receiving a pluggable module which provides at least one embedded communication channel which exchanges performance monitoring data and configuration data between said pluggable module and a far end device.
US08358930B2

There is provided a method for determining the in-band noise in agile multichannel Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) optical systems, where the interchannel noise is not representative of the in-band noise in the optical channel. The method relies on the analysis of two observations of the same input optical signal. In the two observations, the linear relationship between the optical signal contribution and the optical noise contribution (i.e. the observed OSNR) is different, which allows the discrimination of the signal and noise contributions in the input optical signal. In a first approach, the two observations are provided by polarization analysis of the input optical signal. In a second, the input optical signal is obtained using two different integration widths.
US08358927B2

An imaging apparatus includes an input unit configured to receive an instruction for starting a continuous shooting operation, a sound output unit configured to output a predetermined sound according to a shooting operation, and a controller configured to control output/non-output of the predetermined sound from the sound output unit according to a setting of sound output, and to control the continuous shooting operation. The setting of sound output includes an ON setting for outputting the predetermined sound from the sound output unit according to a start of the shooting operation and an OFF setting for non-outputting the predetermined sound from the sound output unit according to the start of the shooting operation. When receiving the instruction for starting the continuous shooting operation via the input unit with the setting of sound output being the OFF setting and the shooting interval in the continuous shooting operation being set to be variable, the controller performs a control so as to prevent the continuous shooting operation at the variable shooting interval from being performed in a state that the predetermined sound according to the shooting operation is not output.
US08358926B2

In an imaging apparatus including a stepping motor that drives a diaphragm, a favorable moving image exposure control is carried out while reducing electrical power required for holding the diaphragm position. For moving image exposure control, a determination unit determines the presence or absence of the diaphragm driving. When a rotor and the magnetic poles of the stator do not face to each other in the first operation mode, the control unit of a stepping motor drives the rotor to a facing position, and shuts off the current in a coil. When the diaphragm driving does not occur in the second operation mode, the control unit of a stepping motor shuts off the current in the coil at the state where the rotor of the motor and the magnetic poles of the stator face to each other. A holding current to be supplied to the motor is shut off in the first and second operation modes, whereby the lower power consumption can be realized. The program profile of a diaphragm drive method and an exposure control is switched depending on the type of an imaging lens unit, whereby a favorable moving image exposure control can be realized.
US08358922B2

A fluid heating device is provided that is to be mounted in a continuous flow heater and includes at least one heating element embodied as an electric resistance heater, and at least one heat exchanging element that is connected in a heat-conducting manner to the heating element and the fluid so as to transfer the heat generated by the heating element to the fluid. The heat exchanging element forms an integral housing component of a pressure-resistant and temperature-resistant continuous flow heater and is provided with an essentially planar central area on which the heating element is mounted. In order to produce a continuous flow heater, the heating device is joined in a positive, pressure-resistant, and thermally stable manner to a molded part encompassing at least one inlet and at least one outlet so as to form a fluid chamber.
US08358914B2

A recording controlling device includes a display controlling unit configured to display moving image data delayed using a delay circuit on a first display unit and a recording controlling unit configured to record the moving image data delayed using the delay circuit on a recording medium in accordance with an operation instruction given on the basis of content displayed on the first display unit.
US08358905B2

In one embodiment, the method includes reading a play list including at least one subplayitem, the subplayitem including navigation information for a clip file including the graphic information. The graphic information is preloaded before starting reproduction of the playlist, and the graphic information is reproduced on the basis of the subplayitem.
US08358896B2

A flexible and optionally highly elastic waveguide capable of propagating and emitting light is disclosed. The flexible waveguide comprises a flexible material having a surface and an end, wherein a first portion of the light is emitted through at least a portion of the surface of the flexible waveguide, and a second portion of the light is emitted through the end. The flexible waveguide can be used, for example as an area illuminator for many applications. Additionally disclosed is a clothing device for providing illumination. The clothing device comprises clothing (or even optionally a sheet) and a light source for providing light. In one embodiment the clothing device comprises the flexible waveguide.
US08358895B2

Holes 12 are created in a slab-shaped body 11. On the first surface 131 of the body 11, the holes 12 are arranged at the lattice points of a triangular lattice 141. On the second surface 132, they are arranged at the lattice points 122 located at positions corresponding to the gravity center of a triangular lattice 141. Three air columns 12A obliquely extend from each lattice point 121 to the nearest three lattice points 122. Similarly, three air columns 12A obliquely extend from each lattice point 122 to the nearest three lattice points 121. In this construction, a periodic structural unit 16 consisting of three holes is created within the body 11 and this unit has a C3v-symmetrical shape at any section 14 parallel to the body 11. Due to this symmetry and the obliquely extending form of the air column 12A, a complete PBG with a large width is obtained. In one embodiment, a broad complete PBG whose width equals 15% of its middle value is obtained.
US08358894B2

A optical fiber includes an optically transmissive element; at least one curable colored layer surrounding the optically transmissive element; and an additional removable colored layer surrounding and homogeneously covering the curable colored layer. The presence of the additional removable colored layer improves identifiability of the fiber, especially when the latter is included in an optical cable together with other fibers.
US08358893B1

A photonic-cable assembly includes a power source cable connector (“PSCC”) coupled to a power receive cable connector (“PRCC”) via a fiber cable. The PSCC electrically connects to a first electronic device and houses a photonic power source and an optical data transmitter. The fiber cable includes an optical transmit data path coupled to the optical data transmitter, an optical power path coupled to the photonic power source, and an optical feedback path coupled to provide feedback control to the photonic power source. The PRCC electrically connects to a second electronic device and houses an optical data receiver coupled to the optical transmit data path, a feedback controller coupled to the optical feedback path to control the photonic power source, and a photonic power converter coupled to the optical power path to convert photonic energy received over the optical power path to electrical energy to power components of the PRCC.
US08358883B2

A shape sensing system to determine the position and orientation of one link with respect to another link in a kinematic chain. An optical fiber is coupled to two or more links in a kinematic chain. A shape sensing segment is defined to start at a proximal link and to end at a distal link, crossing one or more joints. A reference frame is defined at the start of the shape sensing segment. As the joints move, an interrogator senses strain in the shape sensing segment. The sensed strain is used to output a Cartesian position and orientation of the end of the shape sensing segment with respect to the reference frame defined at the start of the shape sensing segment. The pose of the kinematic chain is determined from the Cartesian positions and orientations of one or more shape sensing segments defined for the kinematic chain and from an a priori model and constraints of the kinematic chain.
US08358877B2

In an image encoding process for encoding data of an inputted image and outputting encoded image data: an image-size condition including image size and target sharpness is stored in an image-size-condition storage; a reduced image of the inputted image having the above image size included in the image-size condition stored in the image-size-condition storage is produced; and the sharpness of the reduced image is calculated. When the calculated sharpness of the reduced image is higher than the target sharpness, the image size included in the image-size condition stored in the image-size-condition storage is reduced, and a further reduced image of the inputted image having the reduced image size is produced.
US08358873B2

A method of calibrating a multi-projector image display system is provided. According to the method, non-parametric calibration data for the display system is recovered and used to generate a non-parametric model of the display system. Local parametric models relating to the display surface of the projection screen are generated and are compared with data points defined by the non-parametric calibration data to identify one or more local errors in the non-parametric calibration data. The local errors in the non-parametric calibration data are converted to data points defined at least in part by the local parametric models and the projectors are operated to project an image on the image projection screen by utilizing a hybrid calibration model comprising data points taken from the non-parametric model and data points taken from one or more local parametric models. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US08358866B2

Methods and systems for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio for satellite sensor data or signals, such as hyperspectral imageries (also referred to as datacubes due to their 3-dimensional nature). This is done by reducing the noise in the data or signals by first elevating the noise level temporarily for effective denoising. The denoising process is then performed in this condition and the noise level is then reversibly de-elevated after denoising. The denoising process comprises noise removal in both the spectral and the spatial domains. Once the denoising process is complete, the data is converted back from the spectral and spatial domains. Since this reconstruction process introduces errors, these errors are compensated for using the components from both the original data and denoised data filtered by the low pass filters.
US08358860B2

A motion vector detecting device includes: a motion predicting and compensating means for calculating cost values of a plurality of motion vectors, which is candidates of an optimal motion vector, with a first pixel precision every prediction mode and calculating the optimal motion vector with a second pixel precision and a cost value of the optimal motion vector with the second pixel precision on the basis of a gradient of the cost values.
US08358859B2

A video compression system includes a compression module to compress each of a plurality of segments of an input signal using an initial quality setting. A rate calculation module calculates, for each compressed segment, a data rate for an output signal that would result from adding a compressed segment to the output signal. A selection module automatically selects, in response to the calculated data rate deviating from a target range, a quality setting for each segment that results in a data rate this is within the target range when a segment compressed using the automatically-selected quality setting is added to the output signal.
US08358850B2

An edge direction determination method for a pixel of a display picture. The display picture has a corresponding edge map. The pixel has corresponding pixel direction pairs. First, in step (a), it is judged whether the pixel is an edge pixel according to the edge map. Next, in step (b), it is judged whether the pixel has a right-inclined edge direction or a left-inclined edge direction when the pixel is the edge pixel. Then, in step (c), the edge direction of the pixel is determined according to specific pixel direction pairs corresponding to the same inclined edge direction if a judged result in step (b) is affirmative. Finally, in step (d), if the judged result in step (b) is negative, it is judged whether the pixel has a horizontal edge direction or a vertical edge direction.
US08358847B2

A display apparatus able to perform appropriate and accurate focusing. An image displayed on a display unit is stored in a first storage unit, a focus position of the image is moved by a movement unit, and the image obtained after the focus position movement is stored in a second storage unit. The images stored in the first and second storage units are compared by a comparison unit on a pixel basis, and based on a result of the comparison, an image area where there is a change in pixel state is extracted by an extraction unit, a contrast value in the extracted image area is calculated by a calculation unit, and a change in the calculated contrast values is determined by a determination unit. Based on a result of the determination, the attribute of pixels in the extracted image area is changed by a change unit.
US08358846B2

Heuristic analysis of image is performed to detect pornographic content. Pixels of an image representing a flesh-tone are identified. A heuristic analysis of the image is performed to classify the image as being pornographic or not. The analysis uses measures of a set of predetermined characteristics of the identified pixels as a heuristic to indicate a likelihood that the identified pixels contain pornographic content or not. Particular characteristics used are: the thickness of a region of identified pixels; the area of regions of adjacent identified pixels; the flatness of regions of adjacent identified pixels; the distance of pixels from the center of the image; the degree of texture of regions adjacent identified pixels; the likelihood of the identified pixels being flesh-tone, and the area of the identified pixels. The heuristic analysis is layered, comprising a plurality of tests, each test using the set of predetermined characteristics with differing degrees of significance attributed to each characteristic.
US08358842B2

An electronic device with a function of separating panels from a comic strip includes an input unit, a storage unit for storing comic strips, and a processing unit. Each comic strip includes a frame, a number of panels within the frame, and a number of borders separating the panels. The processing unit includes a comic strip acquiring module, a frame identifying module, a border identifying module, a panel separating module and a sorting module. The comic strip acquiring module acquires a comic strip. The frame identifying module identifies the frame. The border identifying module identifies whether there are first borders around the panels within the identified frame. The panel separating module separates the number of panels from the acquired comic strip according to the identified first borders. The sorting module sorts the panels.
US08358829B2

An inspection method and an inspection system, the inspection system includes: (i) a first group of sensors, for sensing light components of a first light band of an image of an area of an inspected object, and for generating first detection signals reflecting sensed light components of the first light band; (ii) a second group of sensors, for sensing light components of a second light band of the image of the area of the inspected object, wherein the second light band differs from the first light band, and for generating second detection signals reflecting sensed light components of the second light band; (iii) optics, for projecting the image of the area of the inspected object towards the first group of sensors and towards the second array of sensors; and (iv) a processing unit, coupled to the first and second group of sensors, for detecting defects based on the first or second detection signals.
US08358825B2

In order to intuitively inform a reject reason, a money handling system 100 includes: a reception unit configured to take banknotes one by one thereinto; a recognition unit configured to recognize the banknotes taken by the reception unit; a stacking unit configured to stack banknotes; a reject unit configured to stack rejected banknotes; a reject light-emitting unit configured to emit light in a plurality of manners; a transport unit configured to transport the banknotes taken by the reception unit to the stacking unit or the reject unit; and a control unit configured to control the reject light-emitting unit to emit light in a manner that differs from one reject reason to another reject reason of a rejected banknote, when the rejected banknote is recognized by the recognition unit.
US08358819B2

A system and methods for the efficient segmentation of globally optimal surfaces representing object boundaries in volumetric datasets is provided. An optical surface detection system and methods are provided that are capable of simultaneously detecting multiple interacting surfaces in which the optimality is controlled by the cost functions designed for individual surfaces and by several geometric constraints defining the surface smoothness and interrelations. The graph search applications use objective functions that incorporate non-uniform cost terms such as “on-surface” costs as well as “in-region” costs.
US08358818B2

A method and system of compensation for intra-operative organ shift of a living subject usable in image guide surgery. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of generating a first geometric surface of the organ of the living subject from intra-operatively acquired images of the organ of the living subject, constructing an atlas of organ deformations of the living subject from pre-operatively acquired organ images from the pre-operatively acquired organ images, generating a second geometric surface of the organ from the atlas of organ deformations, aligning the second geometric surface of the organ to the first geometric surface of the organ of the living subject to determine at least one difference between a point of the first geometric surface and a corresponding point of the second geometric surface of the organ of the living subject, which is related to organ shift, and compensating for the intra-operative organ shift.
US08358817B2

A fingerprint matching system includes a first minutiae obtaining unit and a second minutiae obtaining unit adapted to obtain minutiae information of first and second fingerprints. On the minutiae of the first fingerprint, a deformable mesh is constructed by a mesh construction unit, and a mesh transformation unit is used to transform a state of the deformable mesh, thereby obtaining a distortion-compensated first fingerprint. Based on the distortion-compensated first fingerprint, a matching determination unit determines whether the first fingerprint matches the second fingerprint or not.
US08358816B2

An electronic device may include a housing with a connector member opening therein, electronic circuitry within the housing, and a finger sensor assembly carried by the housing. The finger assembly may include a thinned finger sensing integrated circuit (IC) secured to the housing that has a thickness less than 200 microns. The finger sensor assembly may also include a connector member extending through the connector member opening in the housing and coupling together the thinned finger sensing IC and the electronic circuitry. The thinned finger sensing IC may be adhesively secured to the housing, such as using a pressure sensitive adhesive, and the thinned finger sensing IC may conform to a non-planar surface.
US08358815B2

Enhanced accuracy finger position and motion sensors devices, algorithms, and methods are disclosed that can be used in a variety of different applications. The sensors can be used in conjunction with partial fingerprint imagers to produce improved fingerprint scanners. The finger motion sensors may also be used (either with or without a partial fingerprint imager) to control electronic devices. When several of these finger motion and position sensors are aligned in different directions, finger motion over a two dimensional surface may be detected. This creates a finger controlled “mouse” computer input device. Motion of a finger along the surface of such sensors may allow a user to control the movement of an indicator on a display screen, and control a microprocessor device. Such techniques are particularly useful for small space constrained devices, such as cell phones, smart cards, music players, portable computers, personal digital accessories, and the like.
US08358814B2

A pattern information registration device for selecting and registering pattern information data as an object for determination of registration for use in pattern collation includes unit which forms arbitrary pattern information data having a feature point of the same number as pattern information data of an object for determination, unit which calculates an identification accuracy value indicative of the degree of coincidence between the pattern information data as an object for determination and the arbitrary pattern information data and determines whether the pattern information data as an object for determination is adequate or not based on the identification accuracy value.
US08358810B2

This invention concerns digital terrain mapping, and in particular a method for producing digital terrain maps of the vicinity around large rotating machinery, such as draglines, shovels, excavators, wheel loaders or cranes. The method involves the following steps: Mounting a 2-Dimensions laser scanner and a high-accuracy RTK GPS system to an item of large rotating machinery, at a radial extremity of the machinery. Arranging the laser scanner to record radial lines of data representing the terrain below the extremity of the machinery. Rotating the machinery completely about its axis of rotation and generating data from both the laser scanner and GPS system that represents the terrain around the machinery. Wherein, a calibration is conducted by recording data from markers at known locations in the terrain below the extremity of the machinery to determine the relative positions of the laser scanner centre and the GPS antenna, the orientation of the laser scanner and the time lag between the data generated from both the laser scanner and the GPS system. In a further aspect the invention concerns equipment for use in the method and software.
US08358800B2

An earphone comprises two earbuds, a plug assembly, and a wire connected to the earbuds and the plug assembly. The plug assembly comprises a first insulation shell, a second insulation shell, an adjusting wheel located between the first insulation shell and the second insulation shell, a plug fixed in the inside of the first insulation shell, two stopping blocks fixed to one side of the first insulation shell away from the wire, and a resetting element received in the second insulation shell. The plug comprises a plug core and a sleeve set on the outside of the plug core.
US08358794B2

The data records to be stored in the two hearing devices of a binaural hearing system during the adjustment are generally different. With “side definition”, the correct assignment of the two hearing devices to the ears or of the wearer is ensured. To this end, an acoustic signal is transmitted to the wearer by way of the receiver of at least one of these hearing devices. The wearer informs the adjusting facility by way of an input device connected hereto, as to the ear with which the wearer heard this acoustic signal or which spatial characteristic or asymmetry is attributed to this acoustic signal.
US08358793B2

A microphone is formed to have a diaphragm that is configured to improve signal to noise ratio. To that end, the microphone has a backplate having a hole therethrough, and a diaphragm movably coupled with the backplate. The diaphragm has a bottom surface (facing the backplate) with a convex portion aligned with the hole in the backplate.
US08358791B2

A distributed audio signal processing system having a plurality of linked audio signal processing units is disclosed. Each audio signal processing unit has physical channels for receiving and sending local audio signals and a high bandwidth interface for exchanging audio signals with other linked audio signal processing units. Each of the physical channels of each of the audio signal processing units is mapped to a corresponding global channel. Global channels can be combined to form virtual channels that can be processed as a signal channel. Combinations of virtual channels can be grouped into logical channel groups that can be controlled as a group.
US08358778B2

This invention is generally concerned with methods, apparatus and computer program code for a computationally asymmetric hash function, in particular for use with symmetric cryptographic algorithms. We describe a method of determining a computationally asymmetric hash function value, the method including: receiving input data to be hashed; computing an asymmetric value from said input data, said asymmetric value being computable by two methods, a first method employing at least one first parameter and a second method employing at least one second parameter, computation of said asymmetric value by said second method being faster than by said first method; and determining a computationally asymmetric hash function value using said asymmetric value. We also describe methods of providing a computationally asymmetric electronic signature from a symmetric cryptographic signature.
US08358776B1

A telephone comprising one or more speaker apertures, a microphone indicator disposed on a user-facing surface of the telephone, and one or more microphone apertures disposed proximate to the microphone indicator on a surface of the telephone other than the user-facing surface, where at least one of the microphone apertures is operable to allow audio to pass from the user to a microphone disposed in the telephone, and where the microphone indicator is arranged to direct the user to speak in a direction toward at least one of the microphone apertures.
US08358767B2

A communication assistance system includes a first database having a plurality of listings, each listings has at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number. A means is provided for receiving communications from a user among a plurality of users desiring to access the listings. An operator terminal displays a search screen among a plurality of search screens, each of which maintain at least a partially different arrangement of content and search windows for receiving search terms to search for listings contained in the first database, where the displayed search screen is determined based on criteria contained in a search request from the user. The operator terminal is further configured to receive the communication from the user and retrieve a listing from the first database using the displayed search screen.
US08358764B1

A method and apparatus are provided for automatically scheduling or rescheduling a voice connection (e.g., a telephone call) when one attempt to establish the connection fails. A recipient of a call fails to answer the call, but instead of the caller only having the option of leaving a voicemail message, he or his communication device (e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant) automatically issues a separate communication toward the recipient's communication device indicating a time at which the caller will be available to receive a return call from the recipient of the attempted call. Alternatively, or in addition to this separate communication, the recipient's communication device may issue another separate communication toward the caller's communication device, to identify a time at which the recipient is expected to be available to receive a later call attempt.
US08358751B2

Lessons of the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attack (9/11) and Hurricane Katrina are incorporated. Methods are disclosed for rapidly establishing alternate electronic messaging for person-to-person communications in a large-scale emergency. Details for constructing electronic access addresses comprised in part by subscriber telephone numbers and an event identifier, allows the provider to establish a default system with no specific information from the user while allowing the user to access the messages in a systematic way. No registration or passwords are required, which allows free access to all interested parties. Expedited contact of lost pet owners and parents, as well as identification of the dead, is provided.
US08358749B2

A computer implemented method includes initiating a call from an interactive voice response (IVR) system to a first device associated with a user in response to a user request. The computer implemented method includes receiving voice input data at the IVR system via the call. The computer implemented method also includes performing a search of a media content database based at least partially on the voice input data. The computer implemented method further includes sending search results identifying media content items based on the search of the media content database to a second device associated with the user.
US08358748B2

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a method and apparatus for navigation of a dialogue system. In one embodiment, a method for facilitating navigation of a menu of a dialogue system includes encoding data including information for navigating the menu in a machine-readable data structure and outputting the machine-readable data structure.
US08358744B2

A system and method for communicating a pre-stored emergency message from a TTY to a PSAP may include, in response to receiving an emergency call signal, accessing a pre-stored emergency message stored in a memory. A PSAP may be dialed. In one embodiment, the PSAP may be dialed by the user dialing 911 or the TTY may automatically dial 911 in response to the user selecting a hard or soft-button associated with communicating an emergency message to a PSAP. The pre-stored emergency message may be communicated to a PSAP using a TTY communications protocol. A TTY compatible device utilized by a PSAP operator may be configured to provide the PSAP operator with pre-stored messages available for selection and communication to the emergency caller. By providing pre-stored messages on TTY devices, emergency communications between users of the TTY devices may be expedited, thereby potentially saving lives.
US08358734B2

An X-ray computed tomographic apparatus includes a gantry 100 including an X-ray tube 101 which generates X-rays and an X-ray detector 103 which detects X-rays transmitted through a subject to be examined, a reconstruction device 114 which generates tomogram data on the basis of an output from the X-ray detector, a breath detector 203 which detects a respiration waveform representing a temporal change in respiration index value associated with the subject, a regular respiration waveform generating unit 207 which generates a respiration waveform with a regular respiration cycle which originates from the detected respiration waveform, and a gantry mount display 201 which displays the generated regular respiration waveform.
US08358731B2

A system for detecting and classifying small amounts of explosives and other controlled substances while rejecting confounders, including a source/detector array formed of a plurality of sources and a plurality of detectors, a signal processor coupled to the source/detector array for processing data received from the detectors, a classifier coupled to the signal processor for classifying data received from the signal processor according to a plurality of algorithms, a maximal rejection classifier coupled to the classifier; and a declarative decision module coupled to the maximal rejection classifier for rendering an accurate decision regarding the contents of the object is provided. The apparatus includes an enclosure, a shield layer disposed within the enclosure, a cavity disposed within the shield layer, a plurality of neutron sources and a detection array disposed within the cavity, and a transport mechanism for moving objects through the cavity past the sources and detection array. The cavity has one or more turns which preclude a straight line trajectory through the cavity. The shield layer is water-filled to prevent stray radiation from exiting the enclosure. The use of multiple lower power neutron sources and the particular geometry of the enclosure provide a compact, relatively lightweight explosive detection system which is practical for use in airports and other public locations.
US08358729B2

An example method includes receiving a phase correction signal representing a phase difference between a source signal and a reference signal, generating a first control voltage from the phase correction signal using a charge pump circuit, generating a second control voltage from the phase correction signal in response to a digitally filtered version of the phase correction signal, wherein the second control voltage corrects for an offset error present in the first control voltage, calculating a VCO control signal based on a linear combination of the first and the second control voltages; and generating the source signal in response to the VCO control signal.
US08358723B1

A method, radio receiver, and system to autonomously receive and decode a plurality of signals having a variety of signal types without a priori knowledge of the defining characteristics of the signals is disclosed. The radio receiver is capable of receiving a signal of an unknown signal type and, by estimating one or more defining characteristics of the signal, determine the type of signal. The estimated defining characteristic(s) is/are utilized to enable the receiver to determine other defining characteristics. This in turn, enables the receiver, through multiple iterations, to make a maximum-likelihood (ML) estimate for each of the defining characteristics. After the type of signal is determined by its defining characteristics, the receiver selects an appropriate decoder from a plurality of decoders to decode the signal.
US08358718B2

An apparatus and a method for determining an optimum integer perturbation vector of a low complexity in a multiple antenna system include a transmitter that transmits data using an optimum integer perturbation vector of a low complexity in a multiple antenna system includes a module pre-processor, a shift pre-processor, and a precoder. The modulo pre-processor adds an integer perturbation vector to a transmission signal vector. The shift pre-processor phase-shifts a pseudo inverse matrix of a channel matrix using a phase angle. The precoder precodes a transmission signal vector perturbed by the integer perturbation vector using the phase-shifted pseudo inverse matrix of the channel matrix.
US08358715B2

The present invention relates to a quasi-orthogonal space-time block coding system and method. The system does not become particularly complicated since the encoding rate is given as 1 and it is possible to decode the encoded signal by using a simple linear algorithm, and system performance is increased since there is no interference component of an adjacent signal in the estimated signal.
US08358714B2

Techniques for transmitting multiple data streams to a single receiver using a single code rate and different modulation schemes are described. Channel estimates are determined for the multiple data streams and used to select a single code rate and multiple modulation schemes for the multiple data streams. The system may support a set of code rates, and each code rate may be associated with a respective set of modulation schemes that may be used with that code rate. The single code rate for all data streams is selected from among the set of supported code rates, and the modulation scheme for each data stream is selected from among the set of modulation schemes associated with the single code rate. The multiple data streams are encoded in accordance with the single code rate. Each data stream is further modulated in accordance with the modulation scheme selected for that stream.
US08358712B2

An apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving a reference signal in a communication system are provided, in which a transmitter determines first and second different transmit power values for first and second pilot tones residing in one of the substantially same time resource and the substantially same frequency resource among pilot tones included in a data area in a subframe having time and frequency resources, and transmits the first pilot tone with the first transmit power value and the second pilot tone with the second transmit power value. The first transmit power may be a reference transmit power value and the second transmit power may be a product between a weight and the reference transmit power value.
US08358703B2

Implementations may relate to various aspects of modifying, or using, a coded bitstream, or to recovering watermarking information from data. In one implementation, a coded bitstream is modified to allow for the application of a watermark to the coded bitstream without changing the coding of any other syntax elements in the bitstream. This is performed by identifying conditions necessary to change a coded syntax element without disrupting the interpretation of subsequent coded elements. The coded syntax element is replaced with another coded value if the modified value generates the same decoding variables as the original value would have generated. Particular implementations focus on syntax elements coded using entropy coding, including, for example, Context-based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC). Regardless of the type of coding or watermarking, various implementations may provide for recovering watermarking information. Particular implementations recover watermarking information using detection data and feature information.
US08358680B2

The present invention provides a technique for reducing power levels associated with two or more input signals using peak reduction distortion that is derived from a combined signal, which represents a combination of the input signals.
US08358677B2

A system and method for transmitting UAV position data to a central flight control center transmits UAV position data using a virtual transponder. A ground control station for controlling the UAV receives data from the UAV, including UAV position data. The UAV may provide GPS data, or corrected position data based on readings from an inertial navigation system. The ground control station transmits the UAV position data to a flight control center.
US08358674B2

A semiconductor laser element having; a substrate, a semiconductor layer laminated a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer in that order on the substrate, a stripe-like ridge formed on the upper face of the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, a conductive oxide layer formed on the upper face of the ridge, a dielectric layer, with a refractive index that is lower than the refractive index of the semiconductor layer, formed on the side faces of the ridge, and a metal layer formed so as to cover the conductive oxide layer and the dielectric layer, the surface of the conductive oxide layer is exposed from the dielectric layer, and the side faces of the conductive oxide layer are sloped with respect to the upper face of the ridge, and the inclination angle of the side faces of the conductive oxide layer with respect to the normal direction is greater than the inclination angle of the side faces of the ridge with respect to the normal direction.
US08358670B2

Provided is a packet processing apparatus and method for audio/video (AV) data transmission, in which a simple protocol optimized for AV data transmission is used. Information distinguishing a data packet from a control packet may be included in a data link layer packet header, so that a data packet and a control packet may be distinguished from each other and thereby may be processed according to different procedures.
US08358668B2

Systems and methods are provided for processing a payload portion of a received signal in a single carrier mode or a multiple carrier mode using a wireless channel receiver based on a portion of the received signal, where a signaling portion of the received signal is a single carrier signal. A single carrier signaling portion is received, and whether the payload portion of the signal is a single carrier signal or a multiple carrier signal is detected from the received single carrier signaling portion. The payload portion of the received signal is demodulated in a single carrier mode if the detecting determines that the payload portion of the received signal is a single carrier signal, and the payload portion of the received signal is demodulated in a multiple carrier mode if the detecting determines that the payload portion of the received signal is a multiple carrier signal. Data from the demodulated payload portion of the received signal is stored in a computer-readable memory.
US08358667B2

An Ethernet link may comprise one or more link partners that may be communicatively coupled via one or more silent channels. One or more circuits and/or parameters corresponding to silent channels may be retrained, refreshed and/or updated based on various triggers, for example, fixed times, periodic or aperiodic time intervals, random or pseudorandom timer, events, link statistics, physical conditions such as noise, temperature level, cable type and/or cable length, communication from a corresponding link partner and/or based on programming from, for example, a layer above the physical layer. The retraining, refreshing and/or parameter updating may occur for one or more of an echo canceller, a far-end crosstalk canceller and a near-end crosstalk canceller corresponding to the one or more silent channels. Subsequent to the retraining, refreshing and/or parameter updating, the one or more silent channels may be activated and/or may remain silent.
US08358666B2

A base station device connected to a base station management device including: a wireless receiving unit receiving transmission data from a wireless terminal; a mode retaining unit stored with a centralized mode for setting a transmission destination of the transmission data in the base station management device, or a distributed mode for setting the transmission destination of the transmission data in none of the base station management device; and a wired transmitting unit transmitting the transmission data, wherein the wired transmitting unit, when the mode set in the mode retaining unit is the centralized mode, transmits the transmission data received from the wireless terminal to the base station management device, and, when the mode set in the mode retaining unit is the distributed mode, transmits the transmission data received from said wireless terminal toward a destination device of the transmission data.
US08358658B2

A method and circuit for implementing ordered and reliable transfer of packets while spraying packets over multiple links, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. Each source interconnect chip maintains a spray mask including multiple available links for each destination chip for spraying packets across multiple links of a local rack interconnect system. Each packet is assigned an End-to-End (ETE) sequence number in the source interconnect chip that represents the packet position in an ordered packet stream from the source device. The destination interconnect chip uses the ETE sequence numbers to reorder the received sprayed packets into the correct order before sending the packets to the destination device.
US08358656B2

DisplayPort micropackets of uncompressed visual information are adapted to conventional network infrastructure with a switch having DisplayPort ports, network ports and a packet converter. The packet converter encapsulates DisplayPort packets for communication through network ports and extracts DisplayPort packets from network packets for communication through DisplayPort ports. An address resolution table associates the switch ports with each other and with a packet converter operation by using a control field that defines the packet converter operation for information received at each port, such as encapsulation, extraction or native switching.
US08358640B1

A femtocell is provided. The femtocell comprises a processor, a memory, and a radio transceiver to communicate with a mobile communication device using a wireless cellular communication protocol and to communicate with the mobile communication device in a data session using one of evolution-data optimized (EV-DO), one times radio transmission technology (1x-RTT), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), long-term evolution (LTE). The femtocell also comprises an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, receives simple service discovery protocol messages from a media local area network identifying content stored in the media local area network and provides information about the content to the mobile communication device.
US08358632B2

A method for accessing a reverse channel for communication from a remote unit to a base station is disclosed. The method includes waiting a random period of time in response to determining that the reverse channel is available at a first time. The method also includes monitoring a forward channel after expiration of the random period of time to determine whether the reverse channel is available at a second time. The method further includes transmitting a first portion of data on the reverse channel in response to determining that the reverse channel is available at the second time.
US08358630B2

A method of transmitting subsequent sub-packets in a wireless communication system using a hybrid automatic request (HARQ) technique is disclosed. The method includes receiving feedback information from at least one receiving end, transmitting a transmit packet via at least one overhead channel, wherein the transmit packet includes information on carrier and antenna combination selected for subsequent transmission, and transmitting at least one sub-packet according to the selected carrier and antenna combination.
US08358628B2

A femtocell node exchanges user data with a wireless communication device. Subsequently, a macrocell node exchanges other user data with the wireless communication device. A handoff controller selects the femtocell node for a handoff from the macrocell node based on a correlation with the prior communications between the wireless communication device and the femtocell node. For example, the prior communications between the wireless communication device and the femtocell node may correlate in time, geography, and/or destination address with prior interrupted communications between the wireless communication device and the macrocell node.
US08358627B2

A mobile station transmits mobile station capability information to a first radio communication system via a first radio connection set between the mobile station and the first radio communication system, before a disconnection of the first radio connection. The first radio communication system transmits the mobile station capability information to a second radio communication system, before the disconnection of the first radio connection. The second radio communication system transmits a parameter to the first radio communication system, before the disconnection of the first radio connection. The parameter is used in a second radio connection to be set between the mobile station and the second radio communication system. The first radio communication system transmits the parameter to the mobile station via the first radio connection, before the disconnection of the first radio connection.
US08358624B1

Disclosed herein is a method for selecting coverage areas as candidates for a handoff, and in particular, for a bidirectional handoff. An exemplary method may involve (a) engaging in a communication session via an access network, wherein an uplink connection is provided for uplink traffic in the communication session and a downlink connection is provided for downlink traffic in the communication session; (b) determining uplink-resource demand and downlink-resource demand of the communication session; (c) using the uplink-resource demand of the communication session as a basis for selecting one or more coverage areas in the access network as candidates for an uplink handoff of the uplink connection; and (d) using the downlink-resource demand of the communication session as a basis for selecting one or more coverage areas in the access network as candidates for a downlink handoff of the downlink connection.
US08358617B2

Wideband speech signals must be converted to narrowband speech signals if the transmission medium or the destination terminal is constructed with narrowband constraints. A typical wideband-to-narrowband conversion method is the elimination of frequencies above 3400 Hz using a low pass filter and a down sampler. However, this method produces a muffled speech sound since the resulting narrowband signal has a flat frequency response. Methods and apparatus are presented herein to enhance the acoustic quality of a wideband-to-narrowband converted signal. A bandwidth switching filter is used to emphasize a mid-range frequency portion of the wideband signal so that the resulting narrowband signal has a non-flat frequency spectrum.
US08358614B2

A method and an apparatus for uplink transmission using multiple uplink carriers are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) selects a dedicated channel medium access control (MAC-d) flow with highest priority data to be transmitted and performs uplink carrier selection and enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) transport format combination (E-TFC) restriction and selection to select a carrier among a plurality of carriers and select an E-TFC based on a maximum supported payload, a remaining scheduled grant payload of the selected carrier and a remaining non-scheduled grant payload. The WTRU then generates a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) for E-DCH transmission via the selected carrier based on the selected E-TFC.
US08358613B1

Transmitter-directed transmission security is provided between a transmit node and a receive node. The transmit node selects transmission format for each data frame based on a transmission security scenario. Information related to the transmission format is communicated between the transmit node and the receive node, and the data frames are transmitted over a wireless communication link using the selected transmission formats.
US08358612B2

Included are embodiments for operating in a wireless environment. At least one embodiment of a method includes setting a first data frame for transmission from a first device to a second device, wherein the first device is configured to operate in a normal power mode that includes utilization of a plurality of active components, wherein setting the first data frame includes determining a time period of communicative inactivity.
US08358607B2

A terrestrial repeater, comprising i) an interface means configured to receive a first data stream originating from a first satellite transmission network, a second data stream originating from a second transmission network, and a third data stream originating from a third terrestrial transmission network, and to transform the received streams into data packets; ii) a first processing means configured to select at least one part of the data packets of at least one of the first, second, and third streams received, and to process each selected stream portion to place the data packets it comprises into a selected broadcast format; and iii) a second processing means configured to combine the selected and processed stream portions to constitute a set of packets to be broadcast, convert the set of packets into at least one radio frequency signal, and amplify the at least one radio frequency signal in order to broadcast wirelessly towards at least one radio communication terminal.
US08358599B2

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a first packet associated with a conference that has a first participant associated therewith. The first participant is identified as a principal participant. The method also includes determining if the first packet is associated with the first participant, and providing an audible indication that the first packet is associated with the first participant if it is determined that the first packet is associated with the first participant.
US08358589B2

A buffer for managing the order of data packages arriving at the buffer, wherein the buffer includes a first window, having a predetermined size defined by a first and a second extreme, and the first window is included within a second window. The buffer includes a filter for determining the time stamp of an arriving data package to determine if the arriving data package has an expected location included inside or outside the first window based on the time stamp. The buffer also includes a buffer module for locating the arriving data package in the expected location or for moving the first window by a predetermined distance to a position, without changing the size of the first window, to accommodate the expected location.
US08358580B2

A system for adjusting the window size of a TCP packet on a packet network including a sending network element in communication with a receiving network element for transmitting and receiving data packets between the sending network element and the receiving network element on the packet network, wherein at least one of the sending network element and the receiving network element is configured to determine network performance information of the packet network; concatenate the network performance information into the data packets; and adjust the window size of the TCP packet based on the network performance information. A method for adjusting the window size of a TCP packet on a packet network is also included.
US08358579B1

A system and method are provided for controlling Quality of Service (QoS), content quality, or both QoS and content quality in a content sharing network based on user relationships. More specifically, QoS, content quality, or both QoS and content quality may be controlled based on a relationship of a user of a network node requesting content and either a user of a network node hosting the requested content or an owner of the requested content, a relationship between the user of the network node requesting the content and the content, or any combination thereof.
US08358572B2

A data storage device includes a first read mechanism, a second read mechanism, and a data storage medium movable with respect to the first read mechanism and the second read mechanism. A first reference patch containing reference bits is positioned near a first corner of the data storage medium. The first read mechanism is configured to read the reference bits of the first reference patch and the second read mechanism is configured to read the reference bits of a second reference patch. The storage device also includes a controller configured to determine whether the first read mechanism and the data storage medium are offset with respect to each other based upon the reference bits read by the first read mechanism and the reference bits read by the second mechanism.
US08358563B2

A signal processing apparatus includes: a learning processing unit that finds a separating matrix for separating mixed signals in which outputs from a plurality of sound sources are mixed, by a learning process that applies ICA (Independent Component Analysis) to observed signals including the mixed signals; a separation processing unit that applies the separating matrix to the observed signals to separate the mixed signals and generate separated signals corresponding to each of the sound sources; and a sound source direction estimating unit that computes a sound source direction of each of the generated separated signals. The sound source direction estimating unit calculates cross-covariance matrices between the observed signals and the separated signals in corresponding time segments in time-frequency domain, computes phase differences between elements of the cross-covariance matrices, and computes a sound source direction corresponding to each of the separated signals by applying the computed phase differences.
US08358562B2

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for replacing the individual receivers used with a seismic interferometry process with an array of seismic receivers and then manipulating the array data in order to measure and modify the typical non-uniform directionality function of the background seismic energy. The non-uniform directionality function is a significant cause of noise with seismic interferometry. Furthermore, the array of receivers may be used to significantly enhance the preferred reflection energy and damp undesirable near surface energy. The directionality function may be modified by using an array of receivers for the virtual source location of seismic interferometry to measure the non-uniform directionality function, generating multiplication factors, and applying the multiplication factors to convert the measured directionality function into a desired directionality function.
US08358553B2

An integrated circuit can include an input/output (I/O) bank. The I/O bank can include a plurality of byte clock groups. Each byte clock group can include at least one phaser configured to clock circuit elements of the byte clock group at a frequency at which a source synchronous device coupled to the byte clock group communicates data.
US08358552B2

A sense amplifier for a series of cells of a memory, including a writing stage comprising a CMOS inverter, the input of which is directly or indirectly connected to an input terminal of the sense amplifier, and the output of which is connected to an output terminal of the sense amplifier intended to be connected to a local bitline addressing the cells of the series, and a reading stage that includes a sense transistor, the gate of which is connected to the output of the inverter and the drain of which is connected to the input of the inverter.
US08358548B2

A test system and a method for efficiently repairing marginally failing memory cells in an embedded dynamic random access memory on an integrated circuit identify marginally failing cells in the embedded memory and when two or more marginally failing cells are located in the same column, indicating a partial column failure due to a weak sense amplifier associated with the column, the system and method apply a spare column preferentially to repair the failing cells in the column. The test system can be arranged in a built-in self test engine on the integrated circuit. In an alternative embodiment, the test system can be implemented in test equipment coupled to the integrated circuit that houses the embedded dynamic random-access memory.
US08358542B2

The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for adjusting sensing voltages in devices. One or more embodiments include memory cells, and a controller configured to perform a sense operation on the memory cells using a sensing voltage to determine a quantity of the memory cells having a threshold voltage (Vt) greater than the sensing voltage and adjust a sensing voltage used to determine a state of the memory cells based, at least partially, on the determined quantity of memory cells.
US08358528B2

A storage system includes a three-dimensional memory array that has multiple layers of non-volatile storage elements grouped into blocks. The blocks are grouped into bays. The storage system includes array lines of a first type in communication with storage elements, array lines of a second type in communication with storage elements, and sense amplifiers. Each block is geographically associated with two sense amplifiers and all blocks of a particular bay share a group of sense amplifiers associated with the blocks of the particular bay. The system includes multiple sets of local data lines in one or more routing metal layers below the three-dimensional memory array and multiple sets of global data lines in one or more top metal layers above the three-dimensional memory array. Each set of one or more blocks include one set of the local data lines. Each bay includes one set of global data lines that connect to the group of sense amplifiers associated with the blocks of the respective bay. Each block includes a subset of first selection circuits for selectively coupling a subset of array lines of the first type to respective local data lines. Each block includes a subset of second selection circuits for selectively coupling a subset of the respective local data lines to global data lines associated with a respective bay.
US08358523B2

A method of operating an inverter for converting direct voltage into alternating voltage. The inverter has direct-voltage terminals and alternating-voltage terminals and a plurality of power switching elements that are clocked at high-frequency connected between the d.c. and a.c. terminals. The high-frequency clocking of the power switching elements of the inverter is switched off around a zero transition of the alternating current or the alternating voltage for a period which depends on the direct voltage present at the direct-voltage terminals of the inverter and/or the output power of the inverter. No current is generated during time intervals with a poor efficiency.
US08358516B2

The present invention provides a power converter mounting system including a flange that cooperates with a power converter and an enclosure. The flange includes a through hole that cooperates with an opening in the enclosure to permit the power converter to extend therethrough. A number of fasteners connect to the flange and overhang a portion of the power converter. The fasteners are configured to be manipulated from a front side of the power converter. An outer perimeter of the flange extends beyond the opening in the enclosure. The flange is secured to the enclosure with a number of fasteners that are also operable from the front side of the power converter. The power converter mounting assembly is configured to secure a power converter to an enclosure so as to satisfy a variety of sealing requirements as well as allowing convenient servicing of the power converter system.
US08358515B2

A low noise block converter includes a first printed circuit board, a second printed circuit board, and a housing. The first printed circuit board includes a metal layer disposed on a surface of the first printed circuit board. The second printed circuit board includes at least one chip. The housing includes a support surface configured to support the first printed circuit board, and a cavity formed on the support surface and configured to receive the second printed circuit board, wherein the first printed circuit board is placed on the support surface with the metal layer facing the cavity for shielding the electromagnetic fields radiated from the at least one chip.
US08358507B2

A hard drive carrying device and its hard drive box can fasten a plurality of hard drive boxes in a containing slot of the supporting stand by utilizing simplified mechanism so that a user can rapidly open the locking of the hard drive box by pressing a pressing member to quickly take the hard drive box out from the supporting stand. A hard drive carrying device comprises a supporting stand with a plurality of containing slots, a plurality of hard drive boxes, wherein each hard drive box comprises a main frame, an engaging member and a lock protection member, wherein the lock protection member further comprises a sliding piece, a fastening elastic piece, a pressing member and an elastic member. The device uses the structural design to exactly thin the opening mechanism for the hard drive box to effectively reduce the occupied space so as to increase the actual application.
US08358505B2

A liquid cooling system includes a monolith that is configured to be coupled to a motherboard of the computer. The monolith may be monolithic planar body having a first surface and an opposite second surface, and may include a heat absorption region and a heat dissipation region. The heat absorption region may be at least one location on the monolith that is configured to be in thermal contact with a heat generating component of the motherboard, and the heat dissipation region may be at least one location on the monolith where a liquid-to-air heat exchanger is attached to the monolith. The liquid cooling system may also include a channel extending on the second surface of the monolith and a pump that is configured to circulate the liquid coolant through the channel. The channel may be a trench on the second surface of the monolith that is configured to circulate a liquid coolant between the heat absorption region and the heat dissipation region.
US08358501B2

A motherboard includes a fan and a fan control circuit. The fan control circuit includes a switch module and a voltage control circuit. A first terminal of the switch module is connected to a standby power terminal of the motherboard. A second terminal of the switch module is connected to a first power terminal of the motherboard and connected to a power terminal of the fan. An input terminal of the voltage control circuit is connected to a power state signal terminal of the motherboard. An output terminal of the voltage control circuit is connected to a control terminal of the switch module. When the motherboard is turned off, the voltage control circuit turns on the switch module for a predetermined time, to make the standby power terminal supply a working voltage for the fan to keep the fan rotating for the predetermined time.
US08358498B2

A mounting assembly and method of mounting an electrical unit to an automotive dashboard includes providing an electrical unit and operatively engaging the electrical unit to a cover, either an undercover of the instrument panel, or a cowl lining area. Alignment pins provided in the cover cooperate with openings in mounting tabs of the electrical unit for positioning the electrical unit while fastener screws are subsequently installed to secure the unit to the cover.
US08358493B2

The present invention relates to an electrostatic chuck comprising a specific composite oxide sintered body, wherein in the sintered body, an L* value of a reflected color tone measured by a C light source on a 2° angle visual field condition is 10 or more and 50 or less in a CIEL*a*b* color system prescribed in JIS Z 8729-1994 and an electrostatic chuck device comprising an electrostatic chuck member (A) having a tabular body provided with a clamping surface for clamping a sample by the electrostatic force, an internal electrode layer for clamping a sample by electrostatic force which is provided on the back face of the tabular body and an insulation layer, wherein at least the sample clamping surface of the tabular body in the electrostatic chuck member (A) comprises the composite oxide sintered body constituting the electrostatic chuck described above.
US08358489B2

According to one embodiment, a smart photovoltaic (PV) panel comprises a plurality of PV cell groups each including at least one PV cell. The smart PV panel also includes at least one serial boost combiner circuit (SBCC) configured to receive an output from the plurality of PV cell groups as inputs. Each SBCC comprises several boost blocks connected in parallel, each of the boost blocks including a switching device and a respective boost block output directly connected to an output node of the SBCC. In addition a corresponding power terminal of each of the switching devices is directly connected to a common ground node of the SBCC. In one embodiment, the smart PV panel also includes a power inverter coupled to the one or more SBCCs and a communication unit interfaced with a local controller.
US08358487B2

A thin-film magnetic head is constructed such that a main magnetic pole layer, a write shield layer, a gap layer, and a thin-film coil are laminated on a substrate. The thin-film coil has a coil-layer. The coil-layer has a turn part arranged closer to an ABS than is a rear end part of the main magnetic pole layer farthest from the ABS. Regarding a substrate side coil-layer, arranged between the main magnetic pole layer and the substrate, of the coil-layer, a thickness of a non-corresponding magnetic pole part other than a magnetic pole corresponding part corresponding to an arrangement space of the main magnetic pole layer is larger than a thickness of the magnetic pole corresponding part.
US08358485B2

A housing member for use in a disk drive apparatus includes a rectangular bottom portion and a side wall portion arranged to extend upward from an outer circumferential portion of the bottom portion. The side wall portion includes four outside surfaces including a first outside surface and a second outside surface perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first outside surface. The first outside surface includes a first cutting base region. The second outside surface includes a second cutting base region. The bottom portion includes a bearing fixing portion arranged to fix a bearing mechanism of a motor arranged to rotate a disk.
US08358483B2

A stationary portion of a spindle motor includes a base member and a magnetic member. The magnetic member is arranged below a magnet and fixed to the base member. The magnetic member includes an annular plate portion arranged on an upper surface of the base member, and a projecting portion arranged to extend from the plate portion in an axial direction. At least a portion of the projecting portion is press fitted to a wall surface of the base member.
US08358477B2

A barrel unit includes a barrel, a holding member configured to hold an optical element, a cylindrical member configured to support the barrel and the holding member, and a driving unit configured to generate a thrust by electrifying in a magnetic field formed by a magnet and a yoke a coil fixed onto the cylindrical member and to drive the holding member in an optical axis direction of the optical element by using the thrust. The yoke, the magnet, and the coil are located outside of a part of the cylindrical member which supports the barrel.
US08358476B2

The present invention discloses a manufacturing method of a condensing lens for a high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) module. A buffer layer made of silicone is added between a glass and the condensing lens for adhering the glass to the condensing lens. Because the buffer layer can be formed on the glass before adhering to the condensing lens, a higher temperature for increasing adhesion between the glass and the buffer layer can be applied. It also allows the follow-up processes to have sufficient treatment time, thereby increasing the flexibility of processing schedule.
US08358475B2

A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side: the first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface, the second lens element with positive refractive power, the third lens element with positive refractive power, and the fourth lens element with positive refractive power. By such arrangement, the total track length of the photographing optical lens assembly would be suitable for compact electronics.
US08358474B2

Provided is an imaging lens and a camera module, the device including in an orderly way from an object side, a first lens with positive (+) refractive power; a second lens with negative (−) refractive power; a third lens with negative (−) refractive power; a fourth lens with negative (−) refractive power; and a fifth lens with negative (−) refractive power, wherein the lens is concavely formed at an object side surface.
US08358468B2

A reflecting sheet of the invention includes at least a surface layer portion and an inner layer portion, where the surface layer portion contains at least 0.3 g/m2 to 20 g/m2 of an inorganic powder and a polyolefin resin (C), the inner layer portion contains a polyolefin resin (A) and at least one kind of resins (B) incompatible with the polyolefin resin (A) at temperatures enabling stretching of the polyolefin resin(A), the surface layer portion meets (n1−n2)/n2≧0.20 (n1: refractive index of the inorganic powder, n2: refractive index of the polyolefin resin (C)), and the inner layer portion has voids.
US08358467B2

An article comprising a substrate and an anti-reflection coating, and methods for depositing the coating, are disclosed. The coating comprises (a) a first coating layer having a high refractive index deposited on the substrate; (b) an epoxide-silica coating layer deposited onto the high refractive index coating layer, comprising an inorganic silica component and an organic organo-silicate component, and (c) a silica coating layer consisting essentially of silica, deposited directly onto the epoxide-silica coating layer. The anti-reflection coating optionally comprises a stack of coating layers, between the first high refractive index coating layer and the epoxide-silica coating layer, having alternating a low refractive index and a high refractive index. Individual coating layer compositions, refractive indexes, and thicknesses are carefully controlled such that reflectance is minimized through destructive interference in the visible light wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm. The resulting deposited coating provides excellent mechanical, chemical, and environmental durability.
US08358459B2

An ornamental display device having an interferometric modulator for displaying an ornamental image. The ornamental device may also have a signal receiver configured to receive an external signal. The ornamental device may further have a processor configured to control an image on the display based on the external signal. The external signal is emitted from a controller configured to control a plurality of ornamental devices to display coordinated images. The ornamental device may have a patterned diffuser formed on a transparent substrate to provide an ornamental image or information. The ornamental device may be a piece of jewelry or an article that may be worn. The image displayed may have an iridescent appearance. A controller may also be used to control images displayed on multiple ornamental device to provide coordinated images based on externals received or pre-programmed images.
US08358455B2

Data integrity methods are disclosed for quantum computational plasmonic information representation and processing systems. Also disclosed are methods of saving energy in such applications. Also disclosed are methods of monitoring such applications.
US08358454B2

Disclosed is a display for the holographic reconstruction of a three-dimensional scene using means which allow a reduction of speckle patterns. Speckle patterns result in the graining of a holographic reconstruction and worsen the quality thereof. The 3D scene is incoherently superimposed with itself chronologically or spatially in the eye of the observer. The modulated wave fronts of each reconstructed object point of the scene are shifted relative to themselves in the reconstruction beam path and superimposed in the eye of the observer. The shifting may occur one-dimensionally and two-dimensionally. Each object point is multiplied with itself in the eye of the observer in accordance with the number of the shifted wave fronts. The various speckle patterns over which the eye of the observer averages are also multiplied. Speckle patterns are reduced and the reconstruction quality is thus increased in holographic displays.
US08358453B2

A method and system of color management for an image marking device. A sensor measures printed hardcopy colors. A first gain, computed by a linear controller based on a linear model, is scheduled for each color node of a sampled color space. For each node where a convergence error exceeds a threshold, a second gain is scheduled by a nonlinear controller. The second gain scheduling includes initializing operational parameters, and performing an iterative procedure. The iterative procedure includes computing gain matrices over a defined projection horizon, evaluating a cost function for each gain matrix, determining the cost function, scheduling a new gain based on selecting a gain matrix having the minimum value of the cost function, and computing new CMYK values based on the new gain. A multidimensional LUT based on the scheduled gain matrices is generated and stored in memory, and a hardcopy output image is generated based on the stored multidimensional LUT.
US08358446B2

The reading apparatus is provided with: an optical image forming unit that forms an optical image on a recording medium by irradiating, with light, the recording medium on which an image is formed and which is transported in a slow scan direction; a reading unit that reads a position in a fast scan direction of the image formed on the recording medium transported in the slow scan direction and a position in a fast scan direction of the optical image, by using a minification optical system; and a registration correction unit that corrects a registration error in the fast scan direction of the image read by the reading unit, by using the position in the fast scan direction of the optical image read by the reading unit.
US08358444B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image data forming unit that forms an image data which includes a first dot image to be visible by copying, a second dot image to be invisible by copying, a hidden text portion and the background portion; and an image forming unit that carries out image formation by using the image data formed by the image data forming unit, the first dot image has a first color and includes dots having a dot size increased by decreasing the number of lines of dots, the second dot image has a second color and includes dots having a dot size decreased by increasing the number of lines of dots, and the second dot image is stacked on the first dot image in at least one of a hidden text portion or a background portion.
US08358435B2

An image processing device has a first print data receiving unit that receives first print data containing at least one image formation command, and a judging unit that judges whether each image formation command included in the first print data is a pixel number dependent command. An image processing device is configured such that a print image formation unit forms the print image on the printer-equivalent image formation area with increasing the number of pixels of the print image in accordance with the resolutions of the display-equivalent image formation area and the printer-equivalent image formation area if a judging unit judges that the image formation command is the pixel number dependent command, and the print image formation unit forms the print image on the printer-equivalent image formation area without modifying the print image if the judging unit judges that the image formation command is not the pixel number dependent command.
US08358431B2

The present invention provides methods for forming an image with orthogonality corrected image data. A recording head includes a plurality of recording channels which form an image on media. Each recording channel forms an image pixel column. An image data file includes a plurality of image data columns. Different portions of each of a first image data column and a second image data column are assigned to different recording channels. First image data from a portion of the first image data column is substituted with zero image data and is assigned along with image data from another portion of the second image data column to a first recording channel which forms a first image pixel column. The first image data can also be assigned to a second recording channel which forms a second image pixel column. The second image data column is formed while scanning along a direction different than the scanning direction employed to form the first image pixel column.
US08358425B2

An image capturing device with internal printer includes a main body and a cover. The main body defines a receiving space with an opening on a surface thereof. The receiving space is configured for receiving printing papers, the size of the opening is larger than that of the printing papers. The cover is movable on the surface of the main body for covering the receiving space.
US08358420B1

A spectrometer for identifying an analyte material. One embodiment of the spectrometer includes a single ultrashort pulsed laser (USPL) source, a fiber interferometer, a frequency converter and a transceiver. The USPL source is configured to generate a laser beam. The interferometer is operatively coupled to the USPL source, and is configured to split the laser beam into a first laser beam and a second laser beam, providing a variable difference in lengths between the paths of the first laser beam and the second laser beam. The spectrometer then electronically scans the variable-path second laser beam over the first laser beam to generate interferogram patterns. The frequency converter is configured to receive the interferogram patterns from the interferometer, and perform a frequency conversion of the interferogram patterns to form an output beam. The transceiver is configured to transmit the output beam and to receive radiation from the analyte material. The radiation is thereafter used to identify the analyte material.
US08358401B2

An exposure apparatus comprises a stage main body having a mounting surface, and a correcting mechanism that corrects a shape of the mounting surface.
US08358395B1

An electronic display assembly is disclosed comprising a display mount including a window and a display coupled to the display mount. The electronic display assembly further comprises an adhesive strip comprising a first side covering at least part of the window of the display mount. A flex circuit is coupled to the display, wherein the flex circuit comprises a component surface having at least one component mounted thereon. The flex circuit is wrapped around the display mount and the component surface is adhered to the first side of the adhesive strip through the window of the display mount.
US08358378B2

A system and method are disclosed for receiving a group of video channels at a client device, selecting a display set from the group of channels, and sending a communication to a display for displaying each channel in the display set in parallel wherein each one of the channels in the display set is displayed in one of a plurality of picture in picture (PIP) displays for a predetermined time.
US08358370B2

The invention refers to a flash light compensation system and corresponding method for digital camera systems, wherein a luminance compensation is carried out on an image of a scene (3) picked-up by an image sensor (1), on the basis of a respective intensity field measured by a plurality of sensors (4, 5), when the scene is illuminated by flash light emitted by a flash device (2). Depending upon the output signals of the plurality of sensors a depth field of the scene is estimated, and this estimation provides a basis for the luminance adjustment on the scene picked up as an image while illuminated by the flash device. The system and method is suitable for effectively reducing the problem of unevenly distributed lighting on a picked-up image of the scene.
US08358369B2

Disclosed herein is an imaging device including an imaging element, an imaging controller, first and second shutter members, and a shutter controller. The imaging element carries out photoelectric conversion of subject image light incident through a lens and produces an imaging signal. The imaging controller controls readout of the imaging signal and carries out control of change setting of a frame cycle of imaging. The shutter members are disposed on an optical path of image light incident and can set a state in which incident light on the imaging element is blocked and a state in which incident light on the imaging element is not blocked. The shutter controller sets a timing at which the optical path is blocked by the first shutter member and a timing at which the optical path is blocked by the second shutter member.
US08358367B2

Image data is processed to facilitate focusing and/or optical correction. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, an imaging arrangement collects light data corresponding to light passing through a particular focal plane. The light data is collected using an approach that facilitates the determination of the direction from which various portions of the light incident upon a portion of the focal plane emanate from. Using this directional information in connection with value of the light as detected by photosensors, an image represented by the light is selectively focused and/or corrected.
US08358362B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; plural photoelectric conversion units formed side by side on the semiconductor substrate to form a light receiving unit; a peripheral circuit formed in a portion on an outside of the light receiving unit on the semiconductor substrate; a wiring section formed on the light receiving unit and formed for connecting the plural photoelectric conversion units and the peripheral circuit; and a dummy wiring section formed on an opposite side of the wiring section for at least one photoelectric conversion unit among the plural photoelectric conversion units on the light receiving unit and formed for functioning as a non-connected wiring section not connected to the photoelectric conversion units and the peripheral circuit, wherein the dummy wiring section has a predetermined potential.
US08358358B2

A method for associating event times or time periods with digital images in a collection for determining if a digital image is of interest, includes storing a collection of digital images each having an associated capture time; comparing the associated capture time in the collection with a special event time to determine if a digital image in the collection is of interest, wherein the comparing step includes calculation of a special event time associated with a special event based on the calendar time associated with the special event and using such information to perform the comparison step; and associating digital images of interest with the special event.
US08358357B2

Embodiments provide a video camera configured to capture, compress, and store video image data in a memory of the video camera at a rate of at least about twenty three frames per second. The video image data can be mosaiced image data, and the compressed, mosaiced image data may remain substantially visually lossless upon decompression and demosaicing.
US08358345B1

A system for monitoring a sporting event includes devices for monitoring characteristics of the event and collecting monitored data. Devices address different aspects of the event and monitor and collect real-time data. The devices process the data into digitized frames, and a digital storage device receives and stores the frames in a random access storage buffer as time-stamped digitized data frames with unique addresses. The storage device is capable of both time-shifting and relational association. The system includes a controller and devices for monitoring and extracting a digitized data frame according to a predetermined criterion. A viewer communicates with the storage device and controller and selects, manipulates, and extracts the digitized data frame. The system records and plays back the monitored data using a circular storage buffer with a memory mapped file and allows playback of stored data without interrupting simultaneous recording of new input data.
US08358343B2

The present invention provides an entry control device, system and method which can recognize a vehicle by its undercarriage image only. The present invention compares a new vehicle undercarriage image with those stored in a reference database to facilitate the automatic search of a vehicle's undercarriage. The present invention can compare the new undercarriage image to the same or similar undercarriage image previously entered in the reference database, highlighting any anomalies such as, for example, foreign objects, explosives, drugs, paraphernalia and other illegal and/or harmful substances and devices.
US08358335B2

The invention relates to a method for displaying image information in which pixels of a matrix screen (21) are actuated as a function of the image information (30) of a plurality of more than two different mutually complementary stereoscopic half-images such that each of the half-images is reproduced with a large number of image points on one of different sub-groups of the pixels and light emanating from each of these sub-groups of pixels is conducted through a beam splitter grid (22) into a region (31, 32, 33, 34) which is assigned to this sub-group, from which region only the half-image reproduced by this sub-group is visible, eye positions of respectively two eyes of at least two viewers (27, 28, 29) being determined and the sub-groups of pixels, on which respectively one of the half-images is reproduced, being chosen as a function of the detected eye positions such that the eyes of each of the at least two viewers (27, 28, 29) are situated in two of the mentioned regions (31, 32, 33, 34) from which two mutually complementary stereoscopic half-images are visible. The invention relates furthermore to a corresponding autostereoscopic screen.
US08358323B2

A dual mode imaging system includes an ink jet device for imaging non-erasable media and a write device for imaging erasable media. A media transport subsystem is provided for supplying non-erasable and erasable media to one of the ink jet device and the write device. A heat source is incorporated into the media transport subsystem, and particularly in connection with a guide baffle of the ink jet device, the heat source heating erasable media to a temperature suitable for imaging at the write device.
US08358309B2

In a pen-based computing system, a microphone on the smart pen device records audio to produce audio data and a gesture capture system on the smart pen device records writing gestures to produce writing gesture data. Both the audio data and the writing gesture data include a time component. The audio data and writing gesture data are combined or synchronized according to their time components to create audio ink data. The audio ink data can be uploaded to a computer system attached to the smart pen device and displayed to a user through a user interface. The user makes a selection in the user interface to play the audio ink data, and the audio ink data is played back by animated the captured writing gestures and playing the recorded audio in synchronization.
US08358298B2

In an example embodiment disclosed herein is an apparatus, comprising a battery, a display, and logic coupled to the battery and display. The logic is configured to determine an amount of remaining energy in the battery, and a current power consumption rate of the apparatus. The logic determines whether the amount of remaining energy is sufficient to operate the apparatus for the duration of the predetermined time period based on the current power consumption rate of the apparatus. The logic is configured to adjust the brightness of the display to enable the device to operate for the duration of the predetermined time period responsive to determining the amount of remaining energy in the battery is insufficient to operate the apparatus for the duration of the predetermined time period based on the current power consumption of the apparatus.
US08358296B2

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) includes a flexure, a voltage generator, and a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the MEMS, wherein the voltage generator is configured to produce a temperature compensated voltage in response to a thermal measurement performed by the temperature sensor.
US08358293B2

A display apparatus includes light source blocks driven as follows in displaying at least one frame (possibly every frame). An image to be displayed includes image pixels. Each light source block corresponds to an image pixels block which is a block of image pixels to be displayed directly opposite to the light source block. For each image pixels block, a block mean value and a block maximum value are determined. A parameter is determined which corresponds to a total luminance of the frame. For each image pixels block, a block representative value is determined which corresponds to the parameter, the block representative value being within a range between the block mean value and the block maximum value inclusive. During the frame, each light source block is driven to provide a luminance which is an increasing function of the corresponding block representative value.
US08358292B2

It is possible to implement impulse display in a hold type display device while suppressing an increase in complexity of a drive circuit and an increase in operation frequency. In an active matrix type liquid crystal display device of a dot-inversion drive scheme which is configured such that adjacent source lines are short-circuited during a predetermined period Tsh every horizontal scanning period, a gate driver applies a pulse for turning on a TFT in a pixel forming section, as a scanning signal G(j) (j=1 to m) to be provided to each scanning signal line as follows. In each, frame period, a pixel data write pulse Pw is sequentially applied to gate lines GL1 to GLm and a black voltage application pulse Pb is applied during the above-described predetermined period Tsh which is after the lapse of a period (Thd) of the order of a ⅔ frame from the application of the pixel data write pulse Pw to each gate line GLj. The present invention is suitable for use in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device.
US08358287B2

A sensing structure and a displayer comprising the same are provided. The displayer further comprises a substrate and a panel disposed opposite to the substrate. The sensing structure comprises a plurality of sensing elements, a conductive assembly, and a process module. Each of the sensing elements has a position data corresponding to the panel. Every several adjacent ones of the sensing elements form a plurality of sensing areas. The process module is electrically connected to the sensing elements via the conductive assembly. Each of the sensing elements generates a touch voltage in response to a touch on the sensing areas. The process module receives the touch voltages, and calculates a touch position of the one touch corresponding to the panel according to the position data and the touch voltages.
US08358286B2

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular, to the input and output of data from the electronic device. The present invention also relates to an object that is identifiable by an electronic device having a touch screen. The object includes contact members that can engage or be positioned proximate to the touch screen. The contact members create contact points that are sensed or detected by the touch screen. The object is at least partly conductive and includes at least a first contact member and a second contact member spaced from the first contact member. The first and second contact members define the pattern of contact points. An output is generated and displayed by the touch screen when the object engages or is proximate to the touch screen and is identified.
US08358263B2

In an embodiment, the invention provides a method of color control in a backlighting system comprising a plurality of light sources, a plurality of color sensors, a plurality of PWM controllers, and a video input for receiving video data. The plurality of light sources is activated during a first operative mode to produce white light. The plurality of light sources is controlled during a second operative mode to produce white light.
US08358262B2

An approach for coordinating backlight intensity and image luminance changes. For one aspect, in response to determining that a display-related event has occurred during a vertical frame period indicating a subsequent change associated with at least one of a backlight intensity and a frame buffer palette is to be undertaken, an interrupt is enabled. During subsequent interrupt processing, associated changes to the backlight intensity and the frame buffer palette are applied in a coordinated manner. For a specific implementation, an approach is provided for a graphics controller driver to synchronize response to changes in display backlight, color-space controls, and in the luminance of images, wherein said changes can come from different sources, occur at a different rates, and have different latencies, for the purpose of applying graphics settings responses such that those effects occur at a visually co-incident interval so as to substantially minimize discordant visual artifacts.
US08358251B2

An antenna for a backscatter-based RFID transponder is provided that has an integrated receive circuit having a capacitive input impedance for receiving a radio signal spectrally located in an operating frequency range. The antenna includes two antenna branches that extend outward from a connecting region in which the antenna branches can be connected to the integrated receive circuit, and a yoke-shaped first trace segment that is designed to connect the two antenna branches together. Each antenna branch can have a U-shaped second trace segment connected to the connecting region, and a U-shaped third trace segment connected to the second trace segment and extending parallel to the second trace segment. The invention further relates to a backscatter-based RFID transponder with such an antenna.
US08358249B2

A multibeam antenna comprising: a plurality of primary radiating elements, each associated to a respective beam; and an active radiating structure comprising a first planar array of radiating elements, a second planar array composed by a same number of radiating elements, a set of connections between each radiating element of the first planar array and one corresponding element of the second planar array, and a set of power amplifiers for amplifying signals transmitted through said connections; wherein: the relative positions of the radiating elements of the first and second planar arrays and phase delays introduced by said connections are such that the radiating structure forms an active discrete converging lens; and said primary radiating elements are clustered on a focal surface of said lens, facing the first planar array; characterized in that said first and second planar arrays are both aperiodic. A method of manufacturing such an antenna.
US08358245B2

Aspects of a method and system for extending the usability period of long term orbit (LTO) are provided. A GPS enabled handset may receive LTO data from an AGPS server via a wireless communication network such as 3GPP or WiMAX. The GPS enabled handset may be enabled to receive broadcast GPS signals. The GPS enabled handset may extract navigation information from the received broadcast GPS signals to be used to adjust the received LTO data. The usability period of the received LTO data may be extended, accordingly. A clock model and a satellite health model associated with the extracted navigation information may be used to update or replace the clock model and/or the satellite health model of the received LTO data, respectively. A navigation solution for the GPS enabled handset may be determined more accurately based on the adjusted LTO data.
US08358235B2

A wireless sensor device includes a transmission signal generation unit that generates a frequency-spread high frequency transmission signal such that a transmission frequency is continuously increased and decreased with a predetermined period, a transmitter antenna that radiates the high frequency transmission signal, a receiver antenna that receives a reflected wave from an object having received the high frequency transmission signal, and outputs a frequency-spread high frequency reception signal, a mixer circuit that receives a part of the high frequency transmission signal as a first frequency-spread high frequency signal, receives the high frequency reception signal as a second frequency-spread high frequency signal, and outputs a DC beat signal by operating as a phase detector when frequencies of the first and second signals coincide with each other, and a DC component extraction circuit that extracts the DC beat signal from an output signal of the mixer circuit.
US08358221B2

An utterance type vehicle-mounted device (200) is mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road and provided with a communication processing unit for receiving information from a roadside apparatus (100) set on a road side and an information reproduction unit (information output unit) for outputting the information received by the communication processing unit. The utterance type vehicle-mounted device (200) further includes a user input unit that inputs the following effect of information in the case where the information received from the roadside apparatus (100) and outputted by the information reproduction unit (information output unit) is specific information to be provided to the same direction as the vehicle travels or a different direction. Thus, vehicle-mounted device, an output propriety method, a road communication system, and a program that are not made to output traffic information or the like which is not directed to its own vehicle.
US08358219B2

An indicator apparatus, having a pulse width modulation circuit (1), a demultiplexer (2) which has at least one signal input (21) and at least two signal outputs (22), wherein the signal input (21) is connected to the pulse width modulation circuit (1), and at least two light-emitting diodes (3) which are each connected to a signal output (22) of the demultiplexer.
US08358218B2

A data entry device including a housing formed of at least two portions, data entry circuitry located within the housing, at least one case-open switch assembly operative to sense when the housing is opened and tamper indication circuitry operative to receive an input from the at least one case-open switch assembly and to provide an output indication of possible tampering with the data entry circuitry located within the housing. The at least one case-open switch assembly includes an arrangement of electrical contacts arranged on a base surface and a resiliently deformable conductive element, which defines a short circuit between at least some of the arrangement of electrical contacts only when the housing is closed.
US08358210B2

A glucose monitoring system, includes a glucose sensor strip or package of strips. The strip includes a substrate and a glucose monitoring circuit that has electrodes and a bodily fluid application portion of selected chemical composition. An antenna is integrated with the glucose sensor strip. An RFID sensor chip is coupled with the glucose sensor strip and the antenna. The chip has a memory containing digitally-encoded data representing calibration and/or expiration date information for the strip.
US08358204B2

A method and system for exciting a dynamic tactile interface having a plurality of electrodes includes identifying an area within an image that is capable of tactile feedback and identifying a first subset of the plurality of electrodes in the dynamic tactile interface that correspond to the plurality of areas. A voltage is applied to each of the electrodes of to the plurality of electrodes to create a desired state for each electrode corresponding to the areas capable of tactile feedback. The dynamic tactile interface can be implemented as part of a viewable display type of device, or as a device without any viewable display.
US08358199B2

A lockable container (1) for receiving items includes elements for generating a random code when the container is locked, elements for transferring the code to a person locking the container, and a memory for storing the code. The container further includes elements (2) for unlocking the container to a first stage, in which the contents of the container can be viewed by a user but not removed from the container, and elements for transferring the code to the user when the container is unlocked at the first stage. The container can then be unlocked to a second stage (3), in which the user can remove the contents of the container and the code is removed from the memory.
US08358196B2

A method for granting access with a touch sensitive display is provided. The method includes displaying a security access interface on a touch sensitive display, wherein the security access interface has at least one polyhedron object; changing the at least one polyhedron object from a first state to a second state according to detections of inputs/contacts with the touch sensitive display; recording parameters of the at least one polyhedron object in the second state; determining if the recorded parameters satisfy the predetermined values; granting access when the record parameters satisfy the predetermined values. A security system using the method is also provided.
US08358194B2

A remote control system (1) is described, in particular for regulating and controlling industrial drives, comprising at least one transmitting remote control (10) and at least one receiver (20) cooperating with the drive, such transmitting remote control (10) containing at least one inclination sensor (5).
US08358182B2

There is described a duplexer comprising: a dielectric substrate having a circuit-receiving surface and an opposite surface; a ground structure deposited on the circuit-receiving surface or the opposite surface; a first filter connectable to a first terminal and having a first frequency bandpass; a second filter connectable to a second terminal and having a second frequency bandpass different from the first frequency bandpass, the first filter and the second filter each having at least one filter section deposited on the circuit-receiving surface; and an uncovered coupling circuit connectable to a third terminal and deposited on the circuit-receiving surface between the first filter and the second filter, the coupling circuit being spaced apart from the first and second filter by a coupling gap and configured for electromagnetically coupling the first filter and the second filter together.
US08358179B2

A semiconductor device has a substrate and RF coupler formed over the substrate. The RF coupler has a first conductive trace with a first end coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device, and a second conductive trace with a first end coupled to a second terminal of the semiconductor device. The first conductive trace is placed in proximity to a first portion of the second conductive trace. An integrated passive device is formed over the substrate. A second portion of the second conductive trace operates as a circuit component of the integrated passive device. The integrated passive device can be a balun or low-pass filter. The RF coupler also has a first capacitor coupled to the first terminal of the semiconductor device, and second capacitor coupled to a third terminal of the semiconductor device for higher directivity. The second conductive trace is wound to exhibit an inductive property.
US08358177B2

It is possible to reduce the size of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator by enhancing a Q value. In a SAW resonator in which an IDT having electrode fingers for exciting SAW is disposed on a crystal substrate, the IDT includes a first region disposed at the center of the IDT and a second region and a third region disposed on both sides of the first region. A frequency is fixed in the first region and a portion in which a frequency gradually decreases as it approaches an edge of the IDT is disposed in the second region and the third region. When the frequency of the first region is Fa, the frequency at an edge of the second region is FbM, and the frequency at an edge of the third region is FcN, the variations in frequency are in the ranges of 0.9815
US08358160B2

A clock signal generation circuit includes a clock inversion unit inverting a reference clock signal and an internal clock signal to generate an inverted reference clock signal and an inverted internal clock signal, a first clock detection unit comparing the reference clock signal with the internal clock signal to output a first detection signal, a second clock detection unit comparing the inverted reference clock signal with the inverted internal clock signal to output a second detection signal, first and second charge pump units generating charge current or discharge current in response to the first second detection signals, respectively, a loop filter unit producing a control voltage signal having a voltage level corresponding to the charge currents or discharge currents, and an internal clock signal output unit producing the internal clock signal according to the control voltage signal.
US08358154B2

This disclosure is directed to a magnetic logic gate for implementing a combinational logic function. The magnetic logic gate may include a write circuit configured to apply a spin-polarized current to the magnetoresistive device such that a resulting programmed magnetization state of the magnetoresistive device corresponds to a logic input value of a combinational logic function implemented by the magnetic logic device. The magnetic logic gate may further include a read circuit configured to generate a logic output value for the combinational logic function based on the programmed magnetization state in response to the write circuit applying the spin-polarized current to the magnetoresistive device.
US08358152B2

An integrated circuit with a pulse clock unit having shared gating control includes one or more logic blocks, each including a clock distribution network configured to distribute a clock signal. The integrated circuit also includes a clock unit coupled to the one or more logic blocks and configured to generate a pulse clock signal formed using a chain of inverting logic gates. The clock unit may be further configured to provide the pulse clock signal to the clock distribution network. The clock unit may also include an enable input that is coupled to one input of one of the inverting logic gates. In addition, the clock unit may be configured to selectively enable and disable the pulse clock signal in response to an enable signal on the enable input.
US08358150B1

A circuit formed in an integrated circuit (chip) is disclosed. The circuit can include a plurality of analog circuit blocks each configured to provide at least one analog function; at least one digital circuit block that provides a digital function; and a programmable interconnect coupled to the analog circuit blocks and configurable to interconnect combinations of the analog circuit blocks to one another. The programmable interconnect can include a plurality of multiplexer (MUX) circuits including port MUX circuits coupled between the analog circuit blocks and ports that provide signal connections for the chip.
US08358144B2

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device capable of efficiently inspecting whether a metal silicide layer is sufficiently formed is provided. The manufacturing method is provided with the steps of forming a metal layer over a semiconductor layer containing silicon; forming a metal silicide layer over a surface of the semiconductor layer by heating the semiconductor layer and the metal layer; generating image data by performing color imaging of the metal silicide layer from above the metal silicide layer; calculating saturation of the metal silicide layer by processing the image data; and judging the formation amount of the metal silicide layer on the basis of the calculated saturation.
US08358140B2

In a method for testing functionality of a field device or a field device for sending a control signal to a final controlling device of an industrial processing plant, the final controlling device is operated by a secondary power. With the method, a current/secondary power converter is provided for generating a predetermined secondary power safety control signal to bring the final controlling device into a predetermined safe position. An electronic safety circuit is provided connected to the current/secondary power converter which, depending on an electrical control signal received by the field device, is switched from a passive state into an active state in which the electronic safety circuit causes the current/secondary power converter to output the secondary output power safety control signal. The safety circuit automatically adopts the active state if the electrical control signal falls below or exceeds at least one of a current and a voltage threshold value specific to the safety circuit. At least one of an input current and an input voltage of the electrical control signal is modified in a manner specific to the field device such that a test signal specific to the safety circuit is generated and transmitted to the safety circuit in order to test its functionality.
US08358126B2

A method of testing for defects in the bottom of an above ground storage tank, the tank bottom having a lip extending outwardly from the tank wall around the circumference of the tank. A special magnetostrictive sensor is designed to be placed on this lip. The sensor is placed over a strip of magnetostrictive material, which generally conforms in length and width to the bottom of the probe, with a couplant being applied between the strip and the lip surface. The sensor is then operated in pulse echo mode to receive signals from defects in the bottom of the tank. It is incrementally moved around the circumference of the tank.
US08358113B2

A multi-phase power converter with constant on-time control includes a plurality of channels to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, and each of the channels is driven by a control signal. When all channel currents of the channels are balanced, each of the control signals remains a constant on-time. When the channel currents are imbalanced, the on-times of the control signals are modulated according to the difference between each channel current and a target value for current balance between the channels.
US08358110B2

An apparatus comprises a rigid-flex circuit board and an electrolyte, the rigid-flex circuit board comprising first and second rigid regions physically and electrically connected to one another by a flexible region, the flexible region comprising first and second sections each comprising an electrically conductive layer and a capacitive element, wherein the apparatus is configured such that a chamber is defined between the first and second sections with the respective capacitive elements contained therein and facing one another, the chamber comprising the electrolyte, and wherein the apparatus is configured to store electrical charge when a potential difference is applied between the respective capacitive elements.
US08358104B2

To recharge the battery of a portable object communicating with a reader establishing communication over a modulated electromagneticfield, a recharging process is proposed. The portable object sends at least one waiting message to the reader. The said waiting message tells the reader a waiting time WTXM before the next message. The portable object uses energy from the electromagnetic field to recharge its battery during the waiting period.
US08358102B2

A system for use in supplying current to a plurality of power storage devices includes a first charging device configured to supply current to a first power storage device. At least one other charging device is coupled to the first charging device to form a network and is configured to supply current to at least one other power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices. When the first charging device possesses a network token, it determines a second charging parameter associated with said second charging device, and a second amount of current to be at least one of received from the electrical supply or supplied to the first power storage device, based at least in part on said determined first and second charging parameters.
US08358093B1

A microcontroller determines the position of the rotor of a brushless, direct-current motor by determining the time of zero crossing of back electromotive force (EMF) emanating from the non-driven phase winding. The zero crossing point is determined by interpolating voltage differentials that are time stamped. Each voltage differential is the difference between the phase voltage of the phase winding and the motor neutral point voltage. The time of zero crossing is determined without using a comparator and without interrupting the processor at each zero crossing point. The processor interpolates the time of zero crossing independently of when the zero crossing point occurs. A hold signal conductor is connected both to a sample and hold circuit and to the load input lead of a time stamp register. The microcontroller simultaneously captures a phase voltage in the sample and hold circuit and a timer count in the time stamp register.
US08358091B2

An apparatus for generating a number of loudspeaker signals for a loudspeaker array defining a reproduction space includes a prestage configured to generate a plurality of output audio signals while using one or more audio signals associated with one or more virtual positions, each output audio signal being associated to a loudspeaker position such that the plurality of output audio signals together replicate a reproduction of the input audio signal(s) at the virtual position(s), and a number of output audio signals being smaller than a number of loudspeaker signals. The apparatus further includes a main stage configured to obtain the plurality of output audio signals and further to obtain, as a virtual position for each output audio signal, the loudspeaker positions, and to generate the number of loudspeaker signals for the loudspeaker array such that the loudspeaker positions are replicated as a virtual sources by the loudspeaker array.
US08358085B2

A control system is disclosed for determining an actual temperature of a light emitting diode. The control system uses conductor that supply power to the light emitting diode to supply a pulse to the light emitting diode. The pulse is determined along with a reaction caused by the pulse and the information gained is used in determination of the light emitting diode die temperature which can then be used in controlling current to the light emitting diode to control the temperature of the light emitting diode.
US08358076B2

There is provided a driver for a plasma display panel having a separated board structure that can reduce parasitic resonance by shortening the length of a cable used for power transmission by separating a board having a Y electrode switch thereon from a board having an X electrode switch thereon. A driver for a plasma display panel having a separated board structure according to an aspect of the invention may include: a first board having a predetermined mounting area, and mounted with a power supply section having predetermined inductance and converting commercial AC power into predetermined driving power using the inductance, and a first electrode switch section, switching the driving power from a power conversion section and supplying the switched driving power to a first electrode of a plasma display panel; and a second board having a predetermined mounting area, physically separated from the first board, and mounted with a second electrode switch section receiving the driving power from the power supply section through a cable and switching the driving power to supply the switched driving power to a second electrode of the plasma display panel.
US08358075B2

The invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the light emission (i) of at least three light sources (21, 22, 23), wherein the light emitted by the light sources (21, 22, 23) is detected in a sequence of measuring periods during a calibration phase, and calculated on the basis of the information on the brightness of each individual light source (21, 22, 23) obtained during the measuring periods. In at least one of the measuring periods, the detected light comes from a plurality of the light sources (21, 22, 23).
US08358073B2

The present invention includes a light source 10 and a socket 11. The light source 10 includes a base plate 3, light emitting chips 41 to 44 for a semiconductor-type light source, resistors 51, 52, diodes 53, 54 and wiring 6. The socket 11 includes an insulating member 7, a radiating member 8 and feed members 91 to 93. The light source 10 is attached to the socket 11. The base plate 3 is attached to the radiating member 8. Such a structure of the present invention can be implemented in reduced size and with an enhanced heat radiation effect.
US08358059B2

The invention provides phosphors composed of Eu(1-x)MaxMg(1-y)MbyAl(10-z)MczO17, wherein Ma is Yb, SN, Pb, Ce, Tb, Dy, Pr, Ca, Sr, Ba, or combinations thereof, and 0≦x≦0.9; Mb is Mn, Zn, or combinations thereof, and 0
US08358056B2

A light-emitting diode (LED) fluorescent lamp which can replace a typical fluorescent lamp is provided. The LED fluorescent lamp includes an LED array including a plurality of LEDs connected in series; first through fourth connection pins; first through fourth capacitors connected to the first through fourth connection pins, respectively; a first diode having an commonly connected to second ends of the first and third capacitors and a cathode connected to a first end of the LED array; a second diode having an anode connected to a second end of the LED array and a cathode commonly connected to second ends of the second and fourth capacitors. The LED fluorescent lamp can replace a typical fluorescent lamp without a requirement of the installation of additional equipment or the change of wiring.
US08358054B2

Provided is a light emitting device package. The light emitting device package comprises a substrate, a light emitting device on the substrate, a first heatsink between the substrate and the light emitting device, the first heatsink being at least partially disposed within the substrate to transfer heat generated from the light emitting device, first and second electrodes electrically separated from each other, the first and second electrodes being electrically connected to the light emitting device.
US08358052B2

In a unit comprising a quartz crystal resonator, a case having a mounting portion, and a lid connected to the case, the quartz crystal resonator having a base portion, and first and second vibrational arms connected to the base portion, at least one groove being formed in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of the first and second vibrational arms, at least one mounting arm being connected to the base portion having a length L1 less than 0.5 mm and extending in a common direction with at least one of the first and second vibrational arms, the at least one mounting arm being mounted on the mounting portion of the case.
US08358049B2

Energy converters and associated methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an energy converter includes a first structural member spaced apart from a second structure member, a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element individually coupled to the first structural member and the second structural member, and a deflection member tensionally suspended between the first and second piezoelectric elements. The deflection member is substantially rigid.
US08358043B2

A submersible electric motor has feature to enhance thermal conductivity from the motor interior to the exterior. The motor has a cylindrical housing and a stator rigidly mounted within housing. A rotatable rotor is located within the stator. A gap formed between the stator's outer diameter and the inner wall of the housing is filled with a high thermal conductivity material to improve heat transfer from the motor. The remaining portion of the housing may be filled with a dielectric lubricant that has lesser thermal conductivity than the high thermal conductivity material.
US08358039B2

A system contains a first actuator half containing a first pair of actuator coils and a second pair of actuator coils located above the first pair of actuator coils, wherein the first pair of actuator coils is connected to a first metallic backing. A second actuator half is also providing within the system, which contains a first pair of actuator coils and a second pair of actuator coils located above the first pair of actuator coils, wherein the first pair of actuator coils is connected to a second metallic backing. The system also contains a mechanical flexure suspension having at least one flexure supporting a permanent magnet that is capable of moving, wherein the mechanical flexure suspension is located between the first actuator half and the second actuator half.
US08358031B2

A power conversion system includes a photovoltaic source to generate direct current (DC) power; a direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC) single stage inverter to convert the direct current (DC) power from the photovoltaic source to alternating current (AC) power for delivery to a power grid, and a load balancing unit coupled to the single stage inverter. The power conversion system also includes a controller configured to determine a maximum power point for the power conversion system, regulate an output voltage of the single stage inverter, compute a power balance difference between a power demand from the power grid and an output power of the single stage inverter obtainable at the maximum power point and control in real-time the load balancing unit based on the power balance difference.
US08358023B2

A turbine unit (11) comprising a passage (23) through which a fluid may pass. Located within the passage (23) is a driving turbine blade set (25) upstream from a pumping turbine blade set (27) wherein the diameter of the pumping turbine blade is larger than the diameter of the driving turbine blade set. The driving turbine blade set and pumping turbine blade set are mounted in opposed relation whereby the turbine blade sets are in reversed orientation with respect to each other such that in simultaneous operation a region between the two turbine blade sets has a lower pressure than the fluid pressure at an opening of the passage. This induces a greater mass flow rate through the turbine unit than would otherwise be created by a pumping turbine blade set equal to or smaller in diameter than the driving turbine blade set.
US08358020B2

An energy storing system, which includes a plurality of weights; a first storing unit and a second storing unit, wherein the first storing unit is arranged below the second storing unit and each of the storing units includes a guiding track on which weights can be placed and along which weights can be moved, wherein each of these guiding tracks includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is arranged below the first portion; and a loading unit configured to lift at least one weight from the first storing unit to the second storing unit during a first period thereby converting electrical energy to potential energy.
US08358005B2

The invention provides semiconductor material (e.g., gallium nitride material) devices (e.g., transistors) and methods associated with the same. The devices may be supported within a package that is formed, in part, of a polymeric material. In other embodiments, the devices may be mounted to a support (e.g., circuit board) and a polymeric material may encapsulate a portion of the device extending from the support.
US08358004B2

The present invention relates to a surface mount package for a silicon condenser microphone. The inventive package uses a limited number of components which simplifies manufacturing and lowers costs, and features a substrate which performs functions for which multiple components were traditionally required, including providing an interior surface on which the silicon condenser die is mechanically attached, providing an interior surface for making electrical connections between the die and the package, and providing an exterior surface for making electrical connections between package and a user's printed circuit board.
US08358001B2

Described herein are semiconductor device packages and redistribution structures including alignment marks and manufacturing methods thereof.
US08358000B2

A power module includes one or more semiconductor power devices having a power overlay (POL) bonded thereto. A first heat sink is bonded to the semiconductor power devices on a side opposite the POL. A second heat sink is bonded to the POL opposite the side of the POL bonded to the semiconductor power devices. The semiconductor power devices, POL, first channel heat sink, and second channel heat sink together form a double side cooled power overlay module. The second channel heat sink is bonded to the POL solely via a compliant thermal interface material without the need for planarizing, brazing or metallurgical bonding.
US08357999B2

The present invention provides an apparatus for vertically interconnecting semiconductor die, integrated circuit die, or multiple die segments. Metal rerouting interconnects which extend to one or more sides of the die or segment can be optionally added to the die or multi die segment to provide edge bonding pads upon the surface of the die for external electrical connection points. After the metal rerouting interconnect has been added to the die on the wafer, the wafer is optionally thinned and each die or multiple die segment is singulated from the wafer by cutting or other appropriate singulation method. After the die or multiple die segments are singulated or cut from the wafer, insulation is applied to all surfaces of the die or multiple die segments, openings are made in the insulation above the desired electrical connection pads, and the die or multiple die segments are placed on top of one another to form a stack. Vertically adjacent segments in the stack are electrically interconnected by attaching a short flexible bond wire or bond ribbon to the exposed electrical connection pad at the peripheral edges of the die which protrudes horizontally from the die and applying electrically conductive polymer, or epoxy, filaments or lines to one or more sides of the stack.
US08357998B2

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package including a wire binding process, a first end of the bonding wire is bonded to a first pad so as to form a first bond portion. A second end of the bonding wire is bonded to a second pad, wherein an interface surface between the bonding wire and the second pad has a first connecting area. The bonded second end of the bonding wire is scrubbed so as to form a second bond portion, wherein a new interface surface between the bonding wire and the second pad has a second connecting area larger than the first connecting area. A remainder of the bonding wire is separated from the second bond portion.
US08357996B2

An apparatus that comprises a device on a substrate and a crack stop in the substrate. Methods of forming a device are also disclosed. The methods may include providing a device, such as a semiconductor device, on a substrate having a first thickness, reducing the thickness of the substrate to a second thickness, and providing a crack stop in the substrate. Reducing the thickness of the substrate may include mounting the substrate to a carrier substrate for support and then removing the carrier substrate. The crack stop may prevent a crack from reaching the device.
US08357994B1

An antifuse is disclosed which has an electrically-insulating region sandwiched between two electrodes. The electrically-insulating region has a single layer of a non-hydrogenated silicon-rich (i.e. non-stoichiometric) silicon nitride SiNX with a nitrogen content X which is generally in the range of 0
US08357993B2

An ultra-high voltage device has a high voltage path established from a high voltage N-well through a first metal layer to a second metal layer, and a contact plug electrically connected between the high voltage N-well and the first metal layer. The contact plug has a distributed structure on a horizontal layout to improve the uniformity of the ultra-high voltage device such that the current in the high voltage path will be more uniform distributed so as to avoid the localized heat concentration caused by non-uniform current distribution that would damage the ultra-high voltage device. Multiple fuse apparatus are preferably connected to the first metal layer individually. Each the fuse apparatus includes a poly fuse to be burnt down when an over-load current flows therethrough.
US08357989B2

A semiconductor device which eliminates the need for high fillability through a simple process and a method for manufacturing the same. A high breakdown voltage lateral MOS transistor including a source region and a drain region is completed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A trench which surrounds the transistor when seen in a plan view is made in the surface of the semiconductor substrate. An insulating film is formed over the transistor and in the trench so as to cover the transistor and form an air-gap space in the trench. Contact holes which reach the source region and drain region of the transistor respectively are made in an interlayer insulating film.
US08357988B2

A die seal ring disposed outside of a die region of a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The die seal ring includes a first isolation structure, a second isolation structure, and at least one third isolation structure disposed between the first isolation structure and the second isolation structure; a plurality of first regions between the first isolation structure, the second isolation structure and the third isolation structure; a second region under the first region and the third isolation structure; and a third region under the first isolation structure.
US08357987B2

The invention is related to a chip package including: a semiconductor substrate having at least one bonding pad region and at least one device region, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of heavily doped regions in the bonding pad region, and two of the heavily doped regions are insulatively isolated; a plurality of conductive pad structures disposed over the bonding pad region; at least one opening disposed at a sidewall of the chip package to expose the heavily doped regions; and a conductive pattern disposed in the opening to electrically contact with the heavily doped region.
US08357986B2

An orthogonal gate extended drain MOSFET (EDMOS) structure provides a low gate-to-drain capacitance (CGD) and exhibits increased reliability. It has a gate electrode that is folded into the shallow trench isolation (STI) oxide region. Horizontal and vertical gate electrode segments provide gate control. It accommodates both high voltage devices and standard CMOS components on the same substrate. Reduced surface field (RESURF) technology is employed to optimize tradeoffs between high breakdown voltage and specific on-resistance. Device fabrication steps are compatible with standard CMOS flow and process modules can be added or removed from baseline CMOS technology.
US08357985B2

A bipolar transistor comprising an emitter region, a base region and a collector region, and a guard region spaced from and surrounding the base. The guard region can be formed in the same steps that form the base, and can serve to spread out the depletion layer in operation.
US08357977B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which includes the steps of: forming a mask layer (20) on a gate insulating film (18), the mask layer (20) having openings over the portions of first and second semiconductor layers that are destined to become low-concentration impurity regions and source and drain regions; forming first conductivity type implantation regions (24b, 24c) in the first and second semiconductor layers respectively by implanting a first conductivity type impurity (22) to the first and second semiconductor layers through the openings in the mask layer (20); forming first and second gate electrodes (26b, 26c) to cover a portion of the first conductivity type implantation regions and portions of the first and second semiconductor layers that are destined to become channel regions; forming another mask layer (28) which has openings over portions of the first conductivity type implantation region (24b) of the first semiconductor layer, said portions being located at both ends of the first semiconductor layer, the entire second semiconductor layer, and a portion of a third semiconductor layer; and implanting the first conductivity type impurity into the first, second, and third semiconductor layers through the openings in the another mask layer (28).
US08357969B2

A semiconductor device having a vertical channel transistor and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. In the semiconductor device, a metal bit line is formed between vertical channel transistors, and the metal bit line is connected to only one of the vertical channel transistors through an asymmetric bit line contact. Through such a structure, the resistance of the bit line can be improved and the process margin for formation of the bit line can be secured.
US08357959B2

An image sensor module includes a transparent substrate having recesses defined in a lower face thereof. A light concentration member includes transparent light concentration parts each of which are disposed in a corresponding one of the recesses. Color filters are disposed over each of the light concentration parts and photo diode units having photo diodes are disposed over each of the color filters. An insulation member covers the photo diode units and input/output terminals disposed over the insulation member are each electrically connected to a corresponding photo diode unit.
US08357953B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a bipolar transistor with low resistance base contact and method of manufacturing the same. The bipolar transistor includes an emitter, a collector, and an intrinsic base between the emitter and the collector. The intrinsic base extends laterally to an extrinsic base. The extrinsic base further includes a first semiconductor material with a first bandgap and a second semiconductor material with a second bandgap that is smaller than the first bandgap.
US08357940B2

A bottom gate-type thin film transistor includes a gate insulating film, an interlayer insulating film formed on the gate insulating film, having an opening which is formed in a formation region of a gate electrode, and a semiconductor film formed on the interlayer insulating film so as to cover the opening. The interlayer insulating film contains nitrides in an amount larger than that in the gate insulating film, and the semiconductor film includes a microcrystalline semiconductor film or a polycrystalline semiconductor film formed on semiconductor crystalline nuclei which are formed on the gate insulating film and the interlayer insulating film and contain at least Ge.
US08357926B2

A gain-clamped semiconductor optical amplifier comprises: at least one first surface; at least one second surface, each second surface facing and electrically isolated from a respective first surface; a plurality of nanowires connecting each opposing pair of the first and second surfaces in a bridging configuration; and a signal waveguide overlapping the nanowires such that an optical signal traveling along the signal waveguide is amplified by energy provided by electrical excitation of the nanowires.
US08357925B2

A high-power and high-efficiency light emitting device with emission wavelength (λpeak) ranging from 280 nm to 360 nm is fabricated. The new device structure uses non-polar or semi-polar AlInN and AlInGaN alloys grown on a non-polar or semi-polar bulk GaN substrate.
US08357922B2

A nanodevice, a transistor including the nanodevice, a method of manufacturing the nanodevice, and a method of manufacturing the transistor including the nanodevice are provided. The nanodevice includes a substrate, a mask layer located on the substrate and having at least one opening, and a nanotube formed on the substrate through the opening along an edge of the opening. The nanotube extends through the opening in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.
US08357916B2

A cell for measuring the fluorescence of a sample comprising an incident wall surface (2), a sample chamber (6) and an emitting wall member (14) which collimates light though a lens (13). The lens (13) is adapted to collect light from the emitting wall member (14) and direct it towards a detector. In addition, the cell comprises a mirrored surface coating which reflects light back to the sample chamber (6), thereby energising the sample further. The cell is suitable for use with small sample volumes, as a result, it allows significant sample cost savings. In addition, fluorescence detection is enhanced by said mirrored surfaces which prevent emitted light from escaping, moreover, the light is reflected back to the sample, thereby energising it further. The collimated light directed to the detector also provides for more stable and reproducible results and higher detection limits when emission energy is low.
US08357912B2

Techniques for providing a multimode ion source are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for ion implantation, the apparatus including an ion source having a hot cathode and a high frequency plasma generator, wherein the ion source has multiple modes of operation.
US08357910B2

Apparatus and methods for operating a neutron gamma fluorescence based system by modulating the interrogating neutron flux (φIllumination) to allow for optimized signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or to improve other detection parameter such as integration time. The apparatus includes one or more sensing systems to detect the range from the neutron source to an Area Under Investigation (AUI) or other parameters, one or more sensing systems to detect the return signal or signals caused by the interrogating neutrons, and a controller to receive inputs from the sensing systems, process them, and generate neutron beam modulation commands capable of being used by an agile neutron source to adjust its flux rate (φIllumination) and/or other characteristics. Examples of possible embodiments include: radar, video, acoustic, or hybrid sensors to determine range; gamma ray, X-ray, electromagnetic, neutron, proton, acoustic, or hybrid sensors to determine return flux, and analog, digital, optoelectronic, or hybrid neutron beam controllers.
US08357883B2

Disclosed is an induction heating system for a motor-driven vehicle (VC), which comprises a polyphase-type AC motor (1) adapted to drive the vehicle (VC), an electrical storage device (10) which stores an electric power to be supplied to the AC motor (1), a DC-AC converter (11) adapted to convert a direct current from the electrical storage device (10) into an alternating current and supply the alternating current to the AC motor (1), and an induction heating coil (C or C1 to C3) adapted to receive a supply of the alternating current from the DC-AC converter (11), to inductively heat a target component mounted to the vehicle (VC). The induction heating system of the present invention can efficiently inductively heat the target component without providing an additional converter exclusively for induction heating.
US08357874B2

A plasma supply device includes a full bridge circuit that is connected to a DC power supply and that has two half bridges each with two series connected switching elements. The plasma supply device further includes a primary winding of a power transformer connected to centers of the half bridges between the switching elements. The primary winding includes a tapping connectable to an alternating current center between the potentials of the DC power supply.
US08357869B2

The invention relates to a switch assembly including a switch component, a switch housing, an electrical contact region, one or more user control elements, and a receiving region for a capacitor element. The capacitor element can be plugged by its contact elements into a receiving region of the switch housing. The invention also relates to a switch assembly with a plug-in capacitor element.
US08357864B2

A handlebar switch assembly for enhancing operability of a shift-up switch and a shift-down switch separately provided on a switch case. Viewing a switch case from an axis line direction of a handlebar, four zones are defined with the axis line, a rear upper zone and a rear lower zone, both located opposite to an occupant, and a front upper zone and a front lower zone, both located on the vehicle front side. A first shift switch and a second shift switch are swing-type switches in which operating elements swing when a pushing force is applied. The shift-up switch is located in the front lower zone so as to orient one end of its operating element outward in the vehicle transverse direction and the shift-down switch is located in the rear lower zone so as to orient one end of its operating element outward in the vehicle transverse direction.
US08357861B2

A circuit board, a chip package structure and a fabrication method of the circuit board are provided. By applying the fabrication method, a plurality of conductive channels can be formed in a single through hole of the circuit substrate. Unlike the conductive channels respectively formed in the through holes according to the related art, the conductive channels of the proposed circuit board can be formed in a single through hole. As such, it is conducive to the expansion of available layout area of the circuit board, the increase in layout flexibility, and the improvement of layout density of the circuit board.
US08357858B2

An electrically conductive, thermosetting elastomeric composition is provided. The composition may comprise: an initially substantially non-electrically conductive, thermosetting base polymer; a particulate filler comprising electrically conductive particles; and an electrically conductive polymer additive. The non-electrically conductive, thermosetting base polymer, the particulate filler and the electrically conductive polymer additive are mixed substantially macroscopically homogeneously.
US08357848B2

Systems and methods for the automatic scoring of a vocal performance are provided. The systems and methods for providing feedback and scoring a vocal performance generally relate to receiving/processing a user's vocals, measuring the various performance qualities of the performance according stored evaluation policies and rendering a score according to stored scoring policies.
US08357841B1

A novel maize variety designated PH12TP and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH12TP with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH12TP through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH12TP or a locus conversion of PH12TP with another maize variety.
US08357836B2

An Agrobacterium-mediated method for producing transformed maize or rice, culturing an Agrobacterium-inoculated immature embryo with a coculture medium and a regeneration step for culturing the immature embryo with a regeneration medium either without callus growth or after callus growth culture to regenerate whole transformed maize or rice. The method further includes a transformation enhancement and the method does not include any selection step based on the properties of a nucleic acid to be introduced by Agrobacterium in any step from coculture to regeneration.
US08357835B2

The present invention relates to the use of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase to modulate plant growth. More specifically, it relates to the use of a class II trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, comprising both a synthase and a phosphatase-like part to modulate plant growth. Preferably, the activity of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase is down-regulated to obtain an increased plant biomass yield.
US08357832B2

A trifusion reporter plasmid is described that comprises a plasmid operably coupled to a mammalian FGF1B promoter that is operably coupled to a bioluminescence gene fused to a fluorescence gene fused to a nuclear medical imaging gene. The new reporter allows in vivo or ex vivo detection of gene expression in three different ways, in addition to traditional in vitro detection methods. Transgenic animals containing this new trifusion reporter and uses of same are described.
US08357824B2

The present invention relates to a process for obtaining neopentyl glycol by hydrogenating cracking of high-boilers occurring in the production process in the presence of copper-chromite catalysts. The hydrogenating cracking proceeds in the absence of solvent at a temperature of 140 to 220° C. and at pressures of 7 to 28 MPa.
US08357811B2

New anhydrous crystalline form of docetaxel and process of making anhydrous docetaxel and docetaxel trihydrate are provided.
US08357805B2

The present invention provides an improved method for obtaining cisatracurium besylate, which preferably chromatographically separating cisatracurium besylate from a mixture of (1R,1′R)-atracurium isomers via flash chromatography.
US08357801B2

The present invention provides dyes, reactive dyes and labeled reagents that may be used in the detection or quantification of desirable target molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and cellular organelles. Dyes are provided that may be used free in solution where the binding of the dye to the target molecule provides signal generation. Dyes are also provided that comprise reactive groups that may be used to attach the dyes to probes that will bind to desirable target molecules. The novel dyes of the present invention have been modified to provide beneficial properties.
US08357799B2

This invention pertains to light emitting materials comprising novel ortho-metalated transition metal complexes [C^N]2M[P^O] comprising two orthometalated chelate C^N ligands and an ancillary ligand of bidentate phosphinocarboxylate type. It has been surprisingly found that when the metal has bound thereto both orthometalated chelate C^N ligands and an ancillary ligand of bidentate phosphinocarboxylate type (P^O), these ligands advantageously participate in the emission process, enabling appreciable improvement of the blue emission efficiency of complexes [C^N]2M[P^O]. Still objects of the invention are the use of such light emitting materials and organic light emitting device comprising such light emitting material.
US08357798B2

Potassium salts of Compound A and methods for their preparation are disclosed, wherein Compound A is of formula: Compound A is an HIV integrase inhibitor useful for treating or prophylaxis of HIV infection, for delaying the onset of AIDS, and for treating or prophylaxis of AIDS.
US08357790B2

The present invention relates generally to the field of phosphatidylinositol based signaling pathways, and more specifically to the use of novel members of these pathways for disease prognosis and treatment. In some aspects, the present invention relates to the use of novel splice variants of type I phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase γ, named PIPKIγ 700 and PIPKIγ 707, to determine breast cancer and breast cancer prognosis.
US08357789B2

Polynucleotides and polypeptides which participate in influenza virus infection of cells and nucleic acid molecules, which include a polynucleotide sequence capable of specifically binding the polypeptides of the present invention. Also provided are methods of using such nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides and antibodies directed thereagainst for diagnosing, treating and preventing influenza virus infection.
US08357775B2

The invention provides novel guanylate cyclase-C agonist peptides and their use in the treatment of human diseases including gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation or cancer (e.g., a gastrointestinal cancer). The peptides can be administered either alone or in combination with an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent phosphodiesterase. The gastrointestinal disorder may be classified as either irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, or excessive acidity etc. The gastrointestinal disease may be classified as either inflammatory bowel disease or other GI condition including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and cancer.
US08357765B2

A production process of a contact product, which can be used as a polymerization catalyst component, comprising contacting a compound defined by a specific formula, such as diethyl zinc, with a compound defined by a specific formula, such as pentafluorobutyric acid; a production process of a polymerization catalyst, comprising contacting the polymerization catalyst component with a transition metal compound; and a production process of a polymer, comprising polymerizing an addition-polymerizable monomer in the presence of the polymerization catalyst.
US08357761B2

A polymer composition containing two kinds of polymers and having a difference in its glass transition temperature of 3° C. or lower between before and after heat-treatment by getting it through a space between two parallel faces in a molten state.
US08357760B2

The invention provides a silicone hydrogel contact lens including a hydrolyzable polymer. The hydrolyzable polymer can be converted by hydrolysis into a hydrophilic polymer which is capable of imparting the silicone hydrogel contact lens a hydrophilic surface without post-curing surface treatment.
US08357754B2

A process for producing a microporous polymeric object to improve the degree of freedom for its various properties, compared to conventional processes, includes: mixing a block copolymer made of three or more kinds of segments with a polymer, wherein one or more of the segments are made of monomer units having a first functional group forming ionic and/or hydrogen bond, the segments constitute a co-continuous structure having mutually-independent and continuous regions due to a phase separation based on incompatibility between the segments, and the polymer has, at other than polymer chain terminals, a second functional group forming such bond with the first functional group, thereby allowing the segments to associate with the polymer at many points; forming a co-continuous structure including a region composed of the polymer and the segments due to the phase separation; and removing the polymer from the region by weakening the bond between the functional groups.
US08357750B2

The adhesive composition according to the present invention includes a resin containing a polymer having an alkoxystyrene structure as a repeating unit, and an acid generator. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a novel adhesive composition which is excellent in heat resistance and which is easily stripped.
US08357745B2

Wax-containing crude oils are treated with polyvinyl alcohol, which is optionally cross-linked, to improve the mobility of the oil and thereby facilitate its transport between its point of production and a point downstream thereof.
US08357728B2

The present invention relates to a method for producing a porous material comprising the steps of; (a) providing a C/W emulsion comprising an aqueous phase, a matrix building material, a surfactant and liquid CO2 phase; (b) at least partially freezing the aqueous phase; (c) gasifying CO2 from the liquid CO2 phase to form an intermediate porous material; (d) venting gasified CO2 from the intermediate porous material; and (e) freeze drying the intermediate porous material at least substantially to remove the aqueous phase and form the porous material. The present invention also relates to a porous material obtainable by the method.
US08357724B2

The invention concerns a process for controlling the stability or the droplets sized of simple water-in-oil emulsions, wherein a di-block or tri-block copolymer is used. A block is a hydrophilic block, the other block is a hydrophobic block. The invention concerns also a stabilized water-in-oil emulsion.
US08357707B2

The present invention relates to compounds of formula I and salts thereof, wherein the substituents are as defined in the description, to compositions and use of the compounds in the treatment of diseases ameliorated by inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.
US08357694B2

The present invention relates to substituted 5,6-dihydro-6-phenylbenzo[f]isoquinolin-2-amine compounds and methods of synthesizing these compounds. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing substituted 5,6-dihydro-6-phenylbenzo[f]isoquinolin-2-amine compounds and methods of treating cell proliferative disorders, such as cancer, by administering these compounds and pharmaceutical compositions to subjects in need thereof.
US08357691B2

This invention provides for compounds, compositions, and methods that involve anti-proliferative and anti-neoplastic activity in cancer cells. In particular, a series of benzimidazole, purine, imidazopyridine, and imidazopyrizine compounds having selected substitution patterns are disclosed, and the activity of various subject compounds is demonstrated. In particular, the disclosure provides for substituted purine compounds having the general formula their salts, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of treatment using the subject compounds and compositions.
US08357685B2

Compounds of formula (1) wherein R1 is 2-indanyl, R2 is 1-methylpropyl, R3 is 2-methyl-1,3-oxazol-4-yl and R4 and R5 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached represents morpholino, process for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in medicine.
US08357682B2

The present invention provides a novel class of heterocyclic compounds of Formula (I) as modulators of gamma secretase, wherein the definitions of the variables of Formula (I) are defined herein, methods of preparing such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing one or more such compounds, methods of preparing pharmaceutical formulations comprising one or more such compounds, and methods of treatment, prevention, inhibition, or amelioration of one or more diseases associated with the central nervous system using such compounds or pharmaceutical compositions.
US08357677B1

In various embodiments, the present invention provides methods of treating and/or preventing cardiovascular-related disease and, in particular, a method of blood lipid therapy comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising eicosapentaenoic acid or a derivative thereof.
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