US08393903B1
An aptitude and interest assessment tool identifies one or more sectors for which a user may have a special interest, talent or aptitude. An interactive session is presented to a user. The interactive session provides a virtual world. A user interacts with the virtual world. Some or all of the user's interactions in the virtual world is stored in a storage device. The user's aptitude or interest in a profession or activity is assessed by an assessment module that receives data from the storage device and processes the received data to make a user assessment. A report providing the user assessment is created by a report creator.
US08393893B2
In order to provide a rotary-furnace burner in which the quantity fraction of cost-effective particulate secondary fuels to be used as energy carriers can be increased and the configuration of the burner flame can be influenced, even during the operation of the burner, it is proposed, according to the invention, to arrange an expansion chamber open towards the burner mouth and having a widened cross section, as compared with the tube or individual tubes in the burner in front of the issue of the tube or tubes for blowing out the secondary fuels, and to make the axial length and the volume of the expansion chamber variable, during the operation of the burner, by means of the axial displacement of the secondary-fuel tubes, so that the particulate secondary fuel particles blown out at the burner mouth with a considerably reduced velocity do not fly past the burner flame, but, instead, burn out in the flame.
US08393885B2
A processing apparatus for transferring a relief pattern on a mold to a resist on a substrate through a compression of the mold against the resist, includes a supplier for supplying the resist between the substrate and the mold, and a recovery unit for recovering the resist.
US08393877B2
A portable hand held controllable and directable liquid pumping device including a vortex pump head (1) fitted to a first end (2) of an elongate flexible drive shaft (3) and a pump drive (4) fitted to a second end (5) of the flexible drive shaft in which the pump drive includes a substantially rigid elongate housing (6) for a portion of the drive shaft and the elongate housing includes a first handle (7) at or near the first end (8) remote from the pump drive.
US08393858B2
A coupling assembly for a turbine shroud is provided. The coupling assembly comprises a rotatable positioning block having a first surface, and a biasing spring having a second surface, the second surface generally facing the first surface, and the biasing spring adapted to exert a force toward the positioning block when compressed.
US08393857B2
A variable vane actuation system is disclosed herein. The variable vane actuation system includes a first vane having a first vane axis. The variable vane actuation system also includes an actuator operably engaged with the first vane to selectively pivot the first vane about the first vane axis. The variable vane actuation system also includes a ring member operably connected with the first vane. The ring member is disposed for pivoting movement about a centerline axis transverse to the first vane axis. The variable vane actuation system also includes a second vane having a second vane axis spaced from the first vane axis about the centerline axis. The second vane is operably connected with the ring member. Forces moving the second vane are generated by the actuator and transmitted first through the first vane and then through the ring member before being applied to the second vane.
US08393850B2
A wind turbine has an impeller surrounded by a turbine shroud and/or an ejector shroud, wherein the turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud include inflatable portions and/or flexible inflatable portions. In some embodiments, the turbine shroud and/or the ejector shroud include internal rib members whose shape or length can be changed to alter the characteristics of the wind turbine.
US08393849B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for adjusting a position of an object to compensate for tilt includes providing a rotatable base supporting an object and directing the object relative to the base such that the position of the object is controlled relative to a first axis. The object is stabilized along a second axis. The object is positioned relative to the base using at least one bearing arm. The at least one bearing arm movably couples the object to the base at a first position relative to a third axis and a fourth axis. The at least one bearing arm includes a first portion and a second portion, which are coincident with the third axis and fourth axis, respectively. The object is adjusted to a second position using the at least one bearing arms to maintain the first axis when a tilt angle of the base is detected.
US08393843B2
The invention relates to a method for replacing a rejected book on a binding line.
US08393842B2
A strip of metallic fasteners in which a plurality of metallic fastener materials are aligned and adhered to each other, wherein a coating agent for adhering adjacent metallic fastener materials to each other includes 100 parts by weight of an acid group-containing styrene-butadiene base rubber and 10 to 100 parts by weight of a resin having a softening point of 120° C. or more, both being dissolved by an organic solvent. The strip of metallic fasteners are adhered to each other by a coating that does not contain a halogen compound. The strip of metallic fasteners has improved blocking resistance.
US08393837B1
A deck and ramp system for allowing a motorcycle to be secured behind the cab or sleeper of a semi/tractor featuring a deck platform and two attachable ramps. The deck platform is attached to the frame behind the cab or sleeper such that it is accessible from the passenger side or driver side of the semi. The two ramps attach at an angle with respect to the deck platform. Channels are disposed in the ramps and deck platform and allow a motorcycle to be easily rolled up the ramps and onto the deck platform. One or more securing means are disposed on the deck platform so as to secure the motorcycle.
US08393836B2
An exemplary machine tool includes a main body, a transmission, a spindle, a fixture, a cutter, a driving device, and a camera. The transmission is coupled to the main body. The spindle is coupled to the transmission. The fixture is coupled to the spindle and holds a workpiece. The cutter and the driving device are coupled to the main body. The cutter is opposite to the spindle and configured for processing the workpiece. The camera is coupled to the driving device and is configured for capturing images of the cutter and the workpiece.
US08393831B2
An indexable drill includes an insert attachment seat and a chip discharging groove formed so as to extend from a leading end surface to a trailing end side of the drill in the direction of the axis of rotation and through which chips generated by the cutting insert are discharged, and in that a wall surface defining the chip discharging groove at least partly includes a smoothed surface with a surface roughness of at most 0.5 μm in terms of arithmetic average roughness Ra, the wall surface of the chip discharging groove is partly formed on a thinned wall portion thinned by the central edge attachment seat and the outer peripheral edge attachment seat, and a crossing portion between the first wall surface and the second wall surface in the thinned wall portion is rounded.
US08393828B1
A boring machine includes a steering head which is located behind a cutter head. The steering head has a plurality of steering openings spaced around its periphery. A steering component is mounted adjacent to each steering opening, and each steering component includes a steering paddle that is pivotally mounted with respect to the steering head so as to pivot about a paddle pivot axis. Each steering component also includes a linear actuator and a force multiplier. The linear actuator operates to direct an actuating force along a line that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the steering head, and it cooperates with the force multiplier and the steering paddle so that upon operation of the linear actuator, a pivot force which is the product of the actuating force and a multiplier factor greater than one causes the steering paddle to pivot about the pivot axis.
US08393826B1
Apparatus for transferring a linear load through a high-speed rotating member includes a linear actuator containing an axially translatable cylinder rod. A mounting adapter fixed against axial and rotary movement is rigidly affixed to an actuator cylinder containing the cylinder rod. An elongate guide sleeve, fixed to the mounting adapter, extends axially from the adapter to accommodate an axially translatable thrust bearing affixed to one end of the cylinder rod. The guide sleeve contains a linear slot for accommodating a guide pin affixed to the thrust bearing housing, and transversely movable within the linear slot to prevent rotation of both bearing housing and cylinder rod components.
US08393823B2
A manhole cover includes a security device, preferably located beneath an upper surface thereof. A cover removing apparatus includes a magnetic element to hold the cover, when a pin of the apparatus is engaged with the security device of the cover. A push force, which may be applied through a port in the upper surface of the cover, for example, by the pin member, can deform, and thereby unlock, a spring-loaded locking member of the security device. The security device may further include at least one elongate member, which is caused to move from a first position to a second position, by the push force, in order to disengage the cover from a manhole, so that the cover may be removed from the manhole.
US08393821B2
According to the present invention, there is provided a clamping device for locking two elements, e.g. rotatable shafts, having a substantially circular cross-section. The clamping device comprises a central holding part having two partly curved sections being adapted to at least partly encircle and hold the elements, which curved sections are inversely curved. Further, the clamping device comprises an upper holding part having a partly curved section arranged being adapted to at least partly encircle and hold a first element and a lower holding part having a partly curved section being adapted to at least partly encircle and hold a second element. The central, upper and lower holding parts are adapted to co-operate to lock the elements when pressed together by means of a tightening element. The curved sections are inversely curved in relation to each other and form together with the substantially rectangular section a substantially S-shaped central part. The invention according to the present invention is capable of locking the two elements, e.g. two rotatable spindles or shafts, firmly and accurate, i.e. without any substantial tension or torsion, by means of a single tightening element, for example, a screw.
US08393816B1
A glow-in-the-dark marking pen that is intended for use for marking structures during search and rescue operations, particularly during a fire, is herein disclosed. The glow-in-the-dark properties of the ink are activated by breaking an inner glass tube contained within the plastic marker body and shaking it. The cap is removed and the pen can be used upon various surfaces as needed. The glow-in-the-dark ability of the ink allows others to see writing in diminished lighting environments, such as emergency personnel who wish to alert other personnel that a room of a structure is being checked or has been checked.
US08393801B2
An outer ring has a tapered tubular portion having a tapered raceway surface, a small diameter side extension portion that extends radially outward from a small diameter side edge of the tapered tubular portion, and a large diameter side extension portion that extends from a large diameter side edge of the tapered tubular portion in a direction away from the axis of the outer ring. The small diameter side extension portion and the large diameter side extension portion are larger in thickness than the tapered tubular portion.
US08393798B2
A bearing device for a wheel has minimized circumferential play and allows a hub ring and an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint to be connected with excellent workability. Axially extending projections are formed on either one of the outer diameter surface of a shaft of the outer joint member and the inner diameter surface of a hole of the hub ring, and the projections are axially press fitted into the other. Recesses fitted in an intimate contact manner onto the projections are formed in the other. Thus, a recess/projection fitting structure is formed. In the structure, the entire fitting/contact portions of the projections and the recesses are in intimate contact with each other. Further, a shaft come-out prevention structure is provided between the shaft of the outer joint member and the inner diameter surface of the hub ring.
US08393797B2
Repairs of clocks with worn wheel pivots may be made with a ball bearing pivot wheel support system. The system may utilize a standard sized ball bearing and a bushing in frictional engagement with an inner race of the ball bearing. The bushing may be bored to provide frictional engagement with the pivot wheel so that the pivot wheel may rotate without relative motion between the wheel pivot and the bushing.
US08393792B2
In a bearing device 1, annular recesses 3a and 6a that house a thrust bearing 7 are formed in side surfaces of a housing 3 and a cap 6, a rotation preventing protrusion 12b is provided in an outer periphery of a lower side half-split thrust bearing 12 in the thrust bearing 7, and a rotation preventing groove 6b into which the rotation preventing protrusion 12b fits is formed in the annular recess 6a formed in the cap 6.
US08393787B2
Two vertically offset thermistors for sensing a fluid such as oil and refrigerant in a compressor shell are monitored by a method that takes into account rapidly changing conditions within the shell. The system can determine the fluid's sump temperature, high/low liquid levels, and can determine whether the thermistors are sensing the fluid as a liquid, gas, or a mixture of the two, such as a foam or mist of liquid and gas. For greater accuracy, thermistor readings can be dithered and filtered to provide temperature or voltage values having more significant digits than the readings originally processed through a limited-bit A/D converter. For faster response, limited microprocessor time is conserved by sampling thermistor readings at strategic periods that enable the microprocessor to identify certain conditions and temperatures via simple delta-temperature ratios and undemanding equations rather than resorting to exponential functions or lookup tables to determine time constants.
US08393786B2
Methods for forming sensors using transition edge sensors (TES) and sensors therefrom are described. The method includes forming a plurality of sensor arrays includes at least one TES device. The TES device includes a TES device body, a first superconducting lead contacting a first portion of the TES device body, and a second superconducting lead contacting of a second portion of the TES device body, where the first and second superconducting leads separated on the TES device body by a lead spacing. The lead spacing can be selected to be different for at least two of the plurality of sensor arrays. The method also includes determining a transition temperature for each of the plurality of sensor arrays and generating a signal responsive to detecting a change in the electrical characteristics of one of the plurality of sensor arrays meeting a transition temperature criterion.
US08393782B2
A high efficiency mixing device for mixing first and second fluids within a conduit. A biscuit element is positioned at the upstream end of the conduit having a longitudinal axis that coincides with the longitudinal axis of the conduit. The biscuit element is provided with a plurality of openings including a central opening positioned along the longitudinal axis and a plurality of additional openings spaced proximate to the central opening. The openings are provided with primary mixing elements which induce a rotational angular velocity to a first fluid passing therethrough of the same rotational sign. Second fluid feed ports are positioned within each of the openings for introducing a second fluid to the first fluid as the first fluid passes through the openings and into the conduit. Secondary and tertiary mixing elements are optionally located downstream of the biscuit element to enhance the mixing of the first and second fluids.
US08393774B2
It is provided a luminaire kit of parts (100) for assembling a luminaire. The luminaire kit of parts (100) comprises light sources (107a-b) and light out-coupling devices (105a-b), The luminaire kit of parts (100) further comprises a light guiding element (101), the light guiding element (101) being configured to receive at least a subset of the light sources (107a-b) and at least a subset of the light out-coupling devices (105a-b) into a first type of 5 openings (103a-c) and a second type of openings (104a-b) respectively. It is also provided a method for assembling a luminaire.
US08393773B2
A light-guide light is described that is capable of providing a substantially monochromatic beam of light, and is suitable for use as a signal lamp in an automotive vehicle. The light (1) comprises a housing defining a light-guiding optical cavity (4) having first and second major faces (5, 6), and a light source (11) arranged to direct light into the cavity from one side. The light source may be an array of light emitting diodes providing substantially monochromatic light. The first major face (5) comprises an interference film (for example, a multilayer polymeric film) that, for light at the design wavelength, substantially transmits light that is incident on the film over a limited angular range and substantially reflects light that is incident at other angles. The second major face (6) comprises a scattering reflective material having a reflectance of at least 85%, for example a highly-efficient reflective material provided with a suitable textured pattern.
US08393770B2
A lighting device comprises a power circuit unit 23 that includes a plurality of power terminals 25 supplied with power from a power source, a plurality of harnesses 29 that supply power supplied to the power circuit unit to a discharge lamp, a terminal housing 43 that is made of a resin material, and includes a harness holding portion 48, one ends of the plurality of harnesses being disposed in the harness holding portion and a part of the plurality of harnesses being held in the harness holding portion, and a plurality of welding terminals 28 that includes portions disposed in the terminal housing and portions protruding outward from the terminal housing. One end portions of the plurality of welding terminals are connected to one end portions of the electric wires of the harnesses, respectively, and the other end portions of the plurality of welding terminals are connected to the power terminals of the power circuit unit by welding, respectively. Accordingly, the workability of a connecting piece for connection with a power circuit unit is improved and good connection of harnesses can be secured.
US08393761B2
A lighting device with an extended, non-punctiform light source, a reflector which conically surrounds the light source, and a lens for concentrating the emitted light is characterized by the fact that the lens is mounted so as to be capable of moving along an optical axis of the lighting device within a predetermined range of movement in such a way that the focal point of the lens in the direction of emission can be shifted at least into an area behind the notional apex of the reflector.
US08393760B2
A fluorescent light emission enhancer light-cone for insertion into the central aperture of the fluorescent light bulb and subsequent expansion into a cone which helps increases the light intensity of the fluorescent light bulb by emitting outside almost half of light emission from the fluorescent light bulb that is lost inside between its loped tubes.
US08393759B2
An LED lamp capable of adjusting a beam spread thereof mainly comprises an adjusting module disposed between a seated body and a cover unit. The adjusting module includes a holder connecting to the seated body, a motivating member traveling within an aperture of the cover unit, an engaging member propping the motivating member against the holder, and a lens disposed on the engaging member. Thereby, rotating the motivating member triggers the engaging member to either move protrudently outward or draw back inward with respect to the cover unit. Accordingly, a beam angle of LED members disposed on a circuit unit of the lamp holder is able to be increasingly condensed or spread, then promoting the luminaire efficiency of the present invention.
US08393755B2
An LED light device with changeable function includes at least one LED install within a housing-unit, the housing-unit being arranged to enable change in the orientation, position, or viewing angle of any LED to allow the light device to emit light beams in a desired direction. The LED light device may have an extendable and foldable changing function to become a universal unit to fit all kinds of space, including indoors and outdoors.
US08393751B2
A flash light includes a housing having a front end and a rear end to define a fixed length from the front to rear end. The housing further has a light cavity and a power cavity for receiving power source. The light arrangement includes a lens disposed at the front end of the housing, a light source disposed within the light cavity, and a light adjustor movably coupling with the housing to selectively adjust a distance between the lens and the light source along a longitudinal axis direction of the housing for adjusting the illumination angles of the light beam without altering the fixed length of the housing. The flash light is adapted for selectively adjusting illumination angles to provide variety of light patterns.
US08393743B2
A rear-view mirror with foam-backed door seal is presented that fills the space between mirror base and vehicle with a foam in a simple way upon its being mounted to a vehicle.
US08393737B2
A light engine combines light of first, second, and third color ranges using three pentagonal prism elements. Each prism has first and second diagonal surfaces. Each first diagonal surface has a first dichroic treatment and each second diagonal surface has a second dichroic treatment. The prisms are arranged with the first diagonal surface of the first prism juxtaposed with one diagonal surface of the third prism and with the second diagonal surface of the second prism juxtaposed with the other diagonal surface of the third prism. A first light beam of the first color is reflected at a right angle by the first diagonal surfaces, and a second light beam is reflected at a right angle by the second diagonal surfaces. A third light beam of the third color passes unreflected through the surfaces to produce a combined light beam or common output light path.
US08393736B2
A method of producing an ophthalmic imaging apparatus includes the steps of producing an imaging unit configured to capture an image of an image subject in visible light and infrared light; adjusting the color tone of the imaging unit using a color-tone adjustment unit having a first optical member configured to absorb infrared light; and connecting the adjusted imaging unit and an optical system having a second optical member whose characteristic is the same as a characteristic of the first optical member and configured to capture an optical image of an eye to be examined.
US08393722B2
A set of cartridges includes a first cartridge including a first tank, wherein a liquid level in the first tank is at a first position when an amount of liquid stored in the first tank is a predetermined amount, and a second cartridge including a second tank, wherein a liquid level in the second tank is at a second position which is below the first position when an amount of liquid stored in the second tank is the predetermined amount. The first cartridge is configured such that a light-blocking portion moves out of a detection region when the liquid level in the first tank lowers and reaches the first position, and the second cartridge is configured such that a light-blocking portion moves out of the detection region when the liquid level in the second tank lowers and reaches the second position.
US08393712B2
A micro-fluid ejection head has multiple ejection chips joined adjacently to create a lengthy array across a media to-be-imaged. The chips have fluid firing elements arranged along multiple fluid vias skewed variously to enable seamless stitching of fluid ejections. The firing elements are energized to eject fluid and individual ones are spaced according to colors or fluid types. Overlapping firing elements serve redundancy efforts during imaging for reliable print quality. Variable chips sizes and shapes, including chevrons, are disclosed as are relationships between differently colored fluid vias. Skew angles range variously each with noted advantages. Singulating chips from larger wafers provide still further embodiments as does increased usage of the wafer.
US08393710B2
The printing device is ink jet, parallel or serial-parallel type and comprises a plurality of ejection modules each of which with ejection chambers suitable for containing ink and with associated relative heating elements for ink ejection control. The device includes a support and a nozzle plate common to the modules, and in which the support includes a base plate of rigid material that defines through its thickness a feeding duct for the ink which, in use, is substantially parallel to the line of printing (X axis) and the ejection modules are fixed side by side on the base plate and with the ejection chambers arranged in a line in the same direction (X axis), is a hydraulic, tight connection with the feeding duct. The nozzle plate is fixed on the ejection modules constituting an upper, hydraulically tight, closing surface, for the chambers and comprises a plurality of ejection nozzles in a line, in turn in hydraulic connection with corresponding cells of the modules.
US08393706B2
A conveying apparatus includes a holding part that holds a recording medium in the form of a roll and rotates, a clamping unit that clamps the recording medium downstream from the holding part along a conveying route, a regulating member that regulates a position of a side end of the recording medium in a width direction intersecting the conveying direction between the holding part and the clamping unit in the conveying route, a drive unit that rotatably drives the holding part in a forward direction to unwind the recording medium and a reverse direction to rewind the recording medium, and a controller that controls a drive state of the drive unit. The controller controls the drive unit so that, after the holding part is driven forward, the holding part is driven in reverse.
US08393699B2
A capacitive load driving circuit that drives an electrical load having a capacitive component, includes: a first power supply generating a first voltage; a second power supply generating a second voltage different from the first voltage; a plurality of charge storage elements charged by the first power supply; a first connection unit that connects the plurality of charge storage elements to the electrical load by switching connections among the charge storage elements; and a second connection unit that connects the second power supply to the electrical load.
US08393698B2
A disclosed image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit configured to form an image on a to-be-recorded medium, and a foam application unit configured to apply foam of at least one of a liquid and a gel to the to-be-recorded medium or an intermediate member. The intermediate member is configured to apply the foam to the to-be-recorded medium. The foam application unit includes a storage unit configured to store the foam and spread the foam in a width direction of the to-be-recorded medium or the intermediate member, an applicator configured to apply the foam to the to-be-recorded medium or the intermediate member, and a transport unit configured to transport the foam from the storage unit to the applicator.
US08393696B2
An inkjet printing system controls an ink droplet mass by regulating a pressure in an ink reservoir. The printing system includes an ink reservoir, an air pressure device, an ink ejection device, and a controller. The ink reservoir is configured to contain a supply of ink and an air space above the supply of ink. The air pressure device is fluidly coupled to the air space above the supply of ink. The ink ejection device is fluidly coupled to the ink reservoir to receive ink from the supply of ink and to eject ink droplets onto an image receiving surface. The controller is coupled to the air pressure device and is configured to activate the air pressure device selectively to change a mass of the ink droplets ejected by the ink ejection device.
US08393692B2
A sliding mechanism includes an outer rail, an inner rail, a middle rail and a latching assembly. The middle rail has a resisting portion and is slidably mounted to the outer rail and the inner rail is slidably mounted to the middle rail. The latching assembly includes a first protrusion, a second protrusion, a third protrusion, a first roller and a second roller, a latching slot and a stopping surface. When the inner rail slides relative to the middle rail, the first protrusion resists the first roller so the middle rail sliding with the inner rail; and then the first roller slides along the third protrusion to release the first roller from the first protrusion. The second roller then slides in the latching slot until the resisting portion resists the stopping surface; and then the first roller slides along the first protrusion so the inner rail further extends relative to the middle rail.
US08393689B2
An electric autobrake interlock system for an aircraft includes an autobrake power interlock mechanism that prevents inadvertent (uncommanded) application of brakes. The autobrake power interlock removes operating power from the brake actuators whenever the autobrake actuation data does not indicate a legitimate autobrake application condition. The interlock processing occurs in parallel with the autobrake command processing such that even if an inadvertent autobrake command is generated, the brake actuators will be unable to act upon the inadvertent autobrake command. In this regard, the brake actuators are unable to apply brakes automatically unless the following two actions happen concurrently: the operating power is provided to enable the electric brake actuators and autobrake actuation control is commanded in response to the legitimate autobrake application condition.
US08393679B2
A system for locking together the base and passenger seat of a multi-part carseat. The system includes a base and a passenger seat. The base has an upper surface that receives a passenger seat, front and rear ends, opposed sides extending between the ends, and two spaced apart locking points positioned toward the rear end of the base and two spaced apart locking points positioned toward the front end of the base. The passenger seat is dimensioned to be received by the upper surface of the base and includes four locking elements that are respectively positioned and configured for releasable engagement with a respective one of the four locking points of the base. An actuator releases the locking engagement between the locking elements of the seat and the locking points of the base.
US08393674B2
An infant car seat having an outer shell, a protective layer, and a padded fabric cover covering the protective layer is disclosed. The protective layer is preferably made of a polymer, such as expanded polystyrene, and includes a plurality of crush ribs. The spacing of these crush ribs is varied in accordance with the size of the infant. The spacing of these crush ribs determines the stiffness of the layer. In other words, closer spaced ribs offer more resistance to compression, and are therefore stiffer. Ribs that are spaced further apart offer less resistance to compression, and are therefore softer. By varying the spacing of the ribs, the stiffness of the protective layer varies in accordance with the infant's size. Alternatively, or additionally, the width of the crush ribs can be varied to achieve a similar result.
US08393673B2
Part of a front side frame is configured to be deformed so as to bend outwardly, in a vehicle width direction, by a collision load in a vehicle frontal collision. A sub frame provided at a lower portion of a front vehicle body is joined to the front side frame via a reinforcement. A front portion of the reinforcement is located at a position which corresponds to a bending portion of the front side frame which is to be deformed so as to bend outwardly, in the vehicle width direction, by the collision load in the vehicle frontal collision. Accordingly, the bending of the front side frame at its bending portion when the collision load acts in the vehicle frontal collision can be promoted, so that the collision load against passengers can be decreased securely.
US08393671B2
The present invention provides a steering support frame composed of a deck cross member and fastening brackets attached to right and left ends of the deck cross member, and structured by fastening the fastening brackets to respective fitting parts provided in right and left vehicle body frames so as to bridge the deck cross member between the right and left vehicle body frames. To connect the deck cross member and the fastening brackets, one of the ends of the deck cross member is welded to both of a body plate and a surface contact plate of the fastening bracket on a driver seat side, and the other end of the deck cross member is welded only to a body plate of the fastening bracket on a passenger seat side, whereby the deck cross member has a strength difference between the driver seat and passenger seat sides.
US08393663B2
An automobile glove compartment includes: a storage space (1) built into a dashboard and accessible through a main opening (2); a movable door (3); a tray (4) placed inside the storage space, the tray being slidable between a first position a), wherein the tray is stored in the storage space, and a second position b), wherein the tray is partially outside the storage space; and first tray-guiding elements (5), the first tray-guiding elements (5) each including a guiding element (10) projecting out from one of the respective side wall (7a, 7b) of the drawer (4), the guiding element (10) being insertable into a groove (11) built into one of the side walls (8a, 8b) of the glove compartment and slidable along the groove. The groove has a curved or angular shape enabling the sloping of the tray (4) towards the user when the tray (4) is partially outside the storage space.
US08393659B2
A material handling system for engaging and lifting transformer coils. Four leg assemblies are provided around a transformer. The leg assemblies have extensible plates which extend underneath the transformer. The leg assemblies are secured by chains to an overhead cruciform spacer which is coupled to a crane or other device. The leg assemblies may be bound together by straps to prevent movement of the leg assemblies relative to one another. For smaller or larger transformers, a lesser or greater number of leg assemblies may be used.
US08393658B2
A protecting device for a vehicle is disclosed. The protection device has an elongated member having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of generally flat profiles along one side of the member, at least one magnet positioned in at least one of the generally flat profiles, and an extendible tether attached to the member. At least one concavity extends between the generally flat profiles along the longitudinal axis.
US08393656B2
A modular reconfigurable bumper system for an off road vehicle includes a center base mountable to the front of the vehicle. The center base has ends, a top face, and a front face. A pair of first mounting locations having associated mounting holes are located on the front face of the center base adjacent its ends and a pair of second mounting locations having associated mounting holes are located on the top face adjacent the ends of the center base. A pair of third mounting locations are located on the ends of the center base. A plurality of optional accessories including end plates, end extenders, an overrider, a prerunner, a stinger, and D-rings are selectively mountable to the center base, all via the first, second, and third mounting locations. The system also includes a rear bumper assembly mountable to the back of the vehicle and having a hinged spare tire carrier and D-rings selectively attachable to the rear bumper via common fourth mounting locations.
US08393644B2
A seat belt pretensioner for a belt retractor includes a member that rotates relative to a frame of the belt retractor in response to a vehicle condition to rotate a spool of the belt retractor relative to the frame. A drive device rotates the member in response to the vehicle condition. The drive device applies a first torque to the member during a first stage of rotation of the member and the spool and applies a second torque greater than the first torque during a second stage of rotation of the member and the spool. A flexible drive member rotates the member relative to the frame. The flexible drive member extends around an axis of the member more than 360° after activation of the pretensioner.
US08393642B2
A seat is arranged in front of a back door. An airbag is configured to inflate into a space between the seat and the back door in a rear collision of a vehicle. Herein, when a lower frame portion of a headrest support structure body receives a rearward load in the rear collision of the vehicle, an upper frame portion of the headrest support structure body is moved forwardly around a rotational point of connecting members which pivotally connect an upper portion of the headrest support structure body to the vehicle-body side wall. Accordingly, a headrest attached to the upper frame portion is moved forwardly so that the space between the headrest and the back door can be expanded longitudinally and the passenger's head portion can be supported securely.
US08393640B2
The invention relates to a pyrotechnic gas generator (10) for a car airbag (12), the generator including a pyrotechnic charge and a pyrotechnic initiator (28) situated in a combustion chamber (14) and suitable for being actuated by a first detection system (30) for detecting an imminent collision state and/or by a second detection system (32) for detecting an actual collision state. The pyrotechnic gas generator of the invention further includes a gas flow passage (16, 18) between said combustion chamber (14) and said airbag (12), and at least one valve (34) suitable for being moved from a first position in which it defines a first flow section to a second position in which it defines a second flow section greater than said first flow section, or vice versa. In particular, the valve (34) is arranged in such a manner as to define a greater flow section when the pyrotechnic initiator (28) is actuated by the first detection system (30).
US08393636B2
An airbag device for a vehicle including at least one airbag housing interface chamber that attaches to an airbag housing; at least one airbag cushion chamber downstream of the at least one interface chamber; an elbow that fluidly connects the housing interface chamber with the cushion chamber and configured so that it controllably regulates gas flow into the at least one airbag cushion chamber; the elbow having an internal configuration, which includes at least one opening that permits back and forth gas flow between the elbow and the at least one airbag cushion chamber, and which controls the directional deployment of the airbag cushion chamber so that upon deployment the downstream end of the cushion chamber exits an airbag housing outwardly in a first direction and then in at least one second direction, so that the direction of deployment of the cushion chamber changes in direction to thereby wrap at least partially around a structure of a vehicle of the vehicle and at least temporarily interpose the cushion chamber between any occupant and the vehicle structure.
US08393631B1
A hitch assembly is provided that includes a body and a latch member that is movable relative to the body between an open position and a closed position for securing a hitch pin to the body. A locking pin is movable between a disengaged position and an engaged position for retaining the latch member in the closed position. An unlocking member is mounted to the latch member for movement between a retracted position and an extending position for preventing the locking pin from moving from the disengaged position to the engaged position.
US08393619B2
An image forming apparatus includes a body frame, an image forming unit and a transporting unit. The transporting unit includes a transporting tray, a side guide, a plate, a skew roller and an urging member. The transporting tray is configured to support the recording medium which is being transported. The side guide is configured to abut with an end of the recording medium in a width direction. The plate is facing the transporting tray. The skew roller is rotatably supported by the plate and is configured to skew the recording medium toward the side guide. The urging member is configured to urge a portion of the plate toward the transporting tray.
US08393615B1
A document position-limiting mechanism includes a first paper guide plate, a second paper guide plate, a connecting wheel and a switching module. The first paper guide plate and the second paper guide plate are used for guiding a document on a paper input tray to be fed into an automatic document feeder. Through the connecting wheel, the first paper guide plate and the second paper guide plate are movable on the paper input tray. By means of the switching module, two operating modes of the document position-limiting mechanism can selected by the user in order to meet the requirements of different users.
US08393606B2
The present invention discloses a printing device with a detachable stapling device including a printing device housing, a connecting frame and a stapling device. The connecting frame has a locating post and a fixing hook and is connected with the stapling device. The position of the connecting frame can be adjusted by the locating post of the connecting frame, and the connecting frame can be assembled on the printing device housing or detached from the printing device housing by the fixing hook.
US08393602B2
A coil spring with irregular cross section according to the present invention is made by subjecting a coil wire having an irregular cross section to a fatigue-strength improving treatment including a shot peening treatment after coiling the coil wire into a spring configuration, and the coil spring with irregular cross section has a vertical cross sectional profile whose coil inner-peripheral-side section is expressed by following Equation (1) and Equation (2) in a polar coordinate system and orthogonal coordinate system: x=(LR−Δb)cosnxr θ+Δb (1) y=SR sinnyr θ (2) wherein θ is a deflection angle in said polar coordinate system; and 0°≦θ<90°, 270°≦θ<360°, 0.7≦nxr≦0.9, 0.8≦nyr≦1.0, and 0.1SR≦Δb≦0.3SR; in said Equation (1) and Equation (2). In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a coil spring with irregular cross section that exhibits more uniform and higher fatigue strength along a cross-sectional peripheral direction of the coil wire.
US08393591B2
A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes a first rail, a second rail, a lock member, a plurality of engagement bores including a rear end engagement bore, a front end portion of the rear end engagement bore being further positioned in a forward direction than a rear end of the second rail in a state where the second rail is positioned at a foremost position, a rear end portion of the rear end engagement bore being exposed to a rear of the rear end of the second rail, a memory member, a holding member holding the memory member to move integrally with the second rail or holding the memory member to engage with one of the engagement bores, and an auxiliary bracket restricting a movement of the memory member that engages with the front end portion of the rear end engagement bore towards the rear end portion thereof.
US08393581B2
Structures and methods are disclosed regarding deployable structures with expandable longerons adjustably coupled with supporting structures such that an angle between the supporting structures can be adjusted. Such structures can include and/or be used for solar arrays, bridges, support structures, and more. These structures can be easily transported to a new location and deployed from the stowed configuration into a larger functional structure. In some embodiments these structures can use one or more longerons that can have two resting states: deployed and rolled.
US08393580B2
An aircraft comprises an airframe, an electric propulsion system, a number of battery pods, and an engagement system. The number of battery pods has a physical connector system. The engagement system is attached to the airframe and is capable of engaging the physical connector system to connect the number of battery pods to the airframe.
US08393579B2
System (10) for disconnecting the nozzle (1) of a boom from a receptacle (2) to which the nozzle (1) is connected for fuel transfer, comprising latches (3) which are situated in the nozzle (1) and engage with latch-pins (5) arranged in the said receptacle (2), characterized in that the system (10) comprises a receptacle disconnection system (20) which operates the latch-pins (5) of the receptacle (2) and a nozzle disconnection system (30) which operates the latches (3) of the nozzle (1) such that, when an operator performs normal disconnection of the nozzle (1), the system (10) sends a first signal (21) to the receptacle (2) so that its latch-pins (5) are retracted in order to release the latches (3) of the nozzle (1) and, in parallel, sends a second signal (31) to the nozzle (1) so that the latches (3) of the nozzle (1) are retracted and release the said nozzle (1).
US08393577B2
A decompression device for an aircraft includes a cabin lining element, which has a first aperture for discharging exhaust air in normal operation of the aircraft and a second aperture for discharging a decompression air flow. The device also includes an unlockable closure element, which is fixable in a closing position in such a way that the second aperture is closed for air flow, and which after unlocking, can take a releasing position so that the second aperture is opened for air flow. The device also includes a locking device designed to fix the closure element in normal operation of the aircraft in the closing position, and is designed in the case of decompression to release the fixing of the closure element, so that the closure element can take the releasing position.
US08393574B2
A lightweight leg assembly for an aircraft seat assembly includes a leg frame comprising at least one leg attachment bracket and a main frame member carried by the at least one leg attachment bracket and comprising a thermoplastic material. At least one track fitting may be carried by the leg frame. A method of fabricating a leg assembly for an aircraft seat assembly is also disclosed.
US08393571B2
Upgrading existing aircraft braking systems to accommodate replacement of existing brake units employing sintered friction materials with brake units employing carbon-carbon composite friction materials is often desirable. However, when upgrading the braking systems it is necessary to ensure that the integrity of the existing airframe is not compromised by the use of the new brake assemblies employing the carbon-carbon composite friction materials. Consequently, the present invention replaces existing pressure control valves of existing braking systems with an electronic control unit (126) coupled to a pressure control servovalve (128), thereby ensuring proper application of hydraulic pressure to brake assemblies (122). An advantage of this invention is that the pressure profile of the hydraulic fluid is controllable and hence the integrity of the airframe is maintained.
US08393566B2
The invention relates to an air inlet for a vehicle comprising an opening with an opening contour in an outer skin of the vehicle; at least one bottom element; one or several walls between the opening contour and the bottom element; and an air guide channel with a longitudinal axis, wherein the bottom element extends from the outer skin of the vehicle to an interior region of the vehicle underneath a border edge of the opening, and the air guide channel adjoins from between the bottom element and the border edge, wherein at least one transition region between the opening contour and the walls at least in some regions comprises an essentially convex-shaped profile that essentially extends parallel to the air guide channel. The air inlet according to the invention is in a position to remove air from a flow boundary layer and to provide said air to air-consuming systems.
US08393565B2
The invention relates to a method of feeding energy to actuators associated with the undercarriages forming the landing gear of an aircraft, the aircraft comprising: a main power supply that operates independently of rotation of wheels carried by the landing gear; and a local power supply comprising one or more local generators, each driven by rotation of a wheel carried by an undercarriage; the method of the invention comprising the following steps: in a nominal mode of operation, powering said actuators by the local power supply; and in an additional mode of operation, when the delivery of energy by the local power supply is not sufficient, providing additional energy or all of the energy required by said actuators by means of the main power supply.
US08393563B2
A grinder used to grind material, such as tobacco leaves and other dried fruit and herbs, having windows or plastic covered openings that provide visual access to the interior of the compartment in which the finely grinded material is collected. These windows or plastic covered openings allow the user to visually determine whether sufficient material has been grinded without the burdensome task of repeatedly opening and closing the compartment. Furthermore, the grinder of the present invention is designed to allow the windows or openings to be covered and sealed by a single clear plastic part that is injection molded directly onto the sidewalls of the grinder.
US08393545B1
A payment card is provided with a display. A card may be provided to a user with a number of inactivated products. The products may be assigned to the user at card issuance. A user may then activate these products online or via phone. Accordingly, a user may be provided with a cross-selling platform for new products. Discounts, fee waivers, and/or value may be added to an account when an inactivated product is activated.
US08393544B2
An intelligent synchronization tool ensures access to desired content in a manner that automatically keeps the content current on the portable media device. A variation threshold or user-specified degree of content variation may be introduced among content downloaded to a user's mobile device to prevent the user from becoming bored. Furthermore, intelligent synchronization may automatically populate the portable media device with popular content to save a user time and/or use passive monitoring techniques to ascertain a user's preferences for subsequent population.
US08393542B2
A method and an apparatus for reading stacked bar code information are provided which make it possible to shorten the processing time for reading the stacked bar code information. A plurality of conversion processes are disclosed for creating line width matrixes through measurement of the line width of bars and spaces of one column of the image data, by using each of a plurality of threshold values. A cluster number according to a line width matrix calculated through one of the plurality of conversion processes is then compared to a theoretical value of a cluster number of each row.
US08393537B2
A method for creating an electronic identification card during a real time communications session including: presenting a user with an option to enter personal information; receiving a command from the user to send the electronic identification card including the personal information during the real time communications session; recording the personal information for the electronic identification card with a data entry method; and sending the electronic identification card to a device involved in the real time communications session.
US08393535B1
One embodiment of a device to virtualize a multitude of identification and transaction cards comprises a programmable card, approximately the size of a standard banking card, slidably detachable from a control unit that programs the programmable card. The device includes a microcontroller (26) and user interface to enable a user to access and manipulate data and graphics from the identification and transaction cards. The customized data and graphics can be transferred to the programmable card via a write/read head in a hinged magnetic stripe programmer slot (17) that activates when adjusted to a vertical position. The programmable card communicates compatibly with various transaction readers, including those for magnetic stripe, bar code, and RFID. The device includes security features, including a biosensor (12) to authorize activation of the device, and a visible, audible, and palpable alert to warn in real time of unauthorized use of data stored in the device.
US08393518B2
A mobile manufacturing platform is provided. The mobile manufacturing platform has a base, a cutting platform, and a welding platform. Additionally the mobile manufacturing platform has a rail system capable of moving the stock material in X, Y, Z coordinates around the platform. Stock material can be manufactured into a final desired piece at a building site by being cut on the cutting platform and then welded on the welding platform. A finishing station for painting and other finishing may also be added. The mobile manufacturing platform can be moved from building site to building site or wherever on-site manufacturing is preferred.
US08393511B2
A pneumatic tool includes a tool body, a nose part for ejecting a nail, which is provided in a lower part of the tool body, an air chamber for storing compressed air, which is provided in the tool body, an air supply pipe for supplying the compressed air from an air supply source to the air chamber, an air duster, an air duster pipeline connected to an air outlet of the air duster, and an air duster valve for controlling supply of the compressed air to the air duster pipeline.
US08393507B2
A vehicle article carrier apparatus for supporting articles above an outer body surface of a vehicle that has a pair of support rails fixedly secured to the outer body surface. Each support rail may have at least one structural feature in a wall portion thereof. At least one cross bar having a pair of end supports may be supported on the support rails. At least one of the end supports may have a pivotally mounted locking lever and a pivotally mounted locking member operatively coupled together. The locking member may have an element adapted to engage the at least one structural feature in the support rail. Structure associated with each of the locking lever, a housing of the end support, and the locking member cooperate to prevent the locking lever from being moved into a seated position in a recess of the housing if the end support is not aligned with the structural feature in the support rail.
US08393506B2
The present invention relates to a support assembly (1) for securing a bicycle to a load carrier for vehicles, comprising a bar (2), which is provided at both ends with a gripping means (3, 4) for mounting the support assembly between a substantially fixed frame of the load carrier and the bicycle, a common tensioning means (5), when tightened forcing together said gripping means (3, 4). The main feature of the invention is that a first gripping means (3) for attachment to the frame of the load carrier comprises an openable annular clamp (8), which extends substantially completely around the frame, and an attachment fitting (9) which is fixedly attached to the clamp for attachment to the tensioning means (5), the opening of the clamp (8) being arranged adjacent said attachment fitting (9) and the clamp (8) has two mutually adapted clamping jaws (10, 11), which are arranged on either side of the opening and which upon tightening of the tensioning means (5) are pressed against one another to tighten the clamp (8) together around the frame.
US08393499B1
A multipurpose dispenser having a container body adapted to removably retain a plurality of product containers within the container body is disclosed. The dispenser includes a plurality of dispensing devices coupled to the container body. The dispensing devices are adapted for dispensing products from the product containers removably retained within the container body. The dispensing devices include dispensing actuators and nozzles. The dispensing actuators activate dispensing of products through the nozzles for use of the products.
US08393493B1
A drink cooler with cold storage that includes an inner wall disposed circumferentially around a central cavity, the central cavity configured to releasably receive a cylindrical storage shaft slidingly insertable to, and retracable from, the central cavity, wherein items stored inside the storage shaft are kept cool by means of a chilled solution (such as ice water) stored within, and dispensible from, an interior cavity disposed between the inner wall and an insulated outer wall.
US08393471B2
A described packing insert for disc-shaped objects has a ring and a deformable contacting portion supported by the ring and extending from a circumference of the ring. The contacting portion has one or more solid portions extending from the circumference. The solid portions define a plurality of radially arranged members separated by a plurality of void regions, where the solid portions extend radially from a circumference of the ring.
US08393469B2
The present invention provides a reclosable consumable product package for retaining an array of products until the products are desired to be removed. The package includes a container packet formed of a planar extent roll for retaining and enclosing the array of products. A cover with adhesive attached thereto defined by an openable flap overlies the packet. The packet is scored along its surface in such a way that opening of the flap causes the packet to open along the scoring to expose the product for dispensing.
US08393464B2
A multifunctional case includes a base, a cover, and a foldable connecting area connecting the base to the cover, the base defines a receiving space in a front surface for receiving a flat-type electronic device. The cover is substantially the same size as the base and includes a first plate portion, a foldable second plate portion connected to the first plate portion, two foldable third plate portions connected to two sides of the first plate portion, and two foldable fourth plate portions connected to two sides of the second portion. The third plate portions are respectively connected to the fourth plate portions. The cover is foldable relative to the base, the connecting area, and the first through fourth plate portions can cooperatively fold to support the base in a slanted position so that the electronic device is supported in a slanted position.
US08393457B2
A handrail, used in particular for escalators or moving walkways, has a plurality of individual grip elements arranged in a series along the length of the handrail loop. Each grip element has an oval or elliptical outer shell, cover layer or casing that is at least partially transparent. An illumination unit is situated in the interior the shell, cover layer or casing.
US08393452B2
In a one way clutch shipped and transported in a sub-assembly state in which one of inner ring and outer ring is assembled in a later stage. The retainer has pockets radially passing therethrough at predetermined intervals and columns between the adjacent pockets. The circumferential length of each column is so designed as to cause the biasing members, each having a spring force that allows reduction of drug, to exert a biasing force that is so strong that the torque transmission members are prevented by biasing by the biasing members from being dislocated in the sub-assembly state. The circumferential width of an engagement projection of a block bearing is smaller than that of a groove in one of the rings. When a torque greater than a predetermined level is input, the retainer shifts by a distance equal to a gap between the engagement projection and an end of the groove.
US08393442B2
An asymmetry brake includes a housing, a shaft, a pilot brake, a primary brake, and a ball ramp assembly. The shaft of the asymmetry brake is rotatable relative to the housing about an axis of rotation. The primary brake is movably connected with the shaft. The pilot brake is configured to selectively engage the housing to generate a triggering torque. The triggering torque is transferred through the ball ramp assembly to the primary brake, which in response engages the housing to generate a braking torque on the shaft. The disposition of the ball ramp assembly between the pilot brake and the primary brake allows the ball ramp assembly to return to an operative non-separated condition when the pilot brake is disengaged from the housing. The return of the ball ramp assembly to the operative non-separated condition allows the primary brake to disengage from the housing which releases the shaft to rotate.
US08393441B2
A brake assembly comprising: at least one brake spring that includes: a first arm; a second arm, the first arm and the second arm forming a first arm plane; and a body portion between and connecting to the first arm and the second arm, the body portion forming a body plane, the body plane being at an angle relative to the first arm plane; wherein the at least one brake spring is between and in communication with a pressure plate of at least two brake pads.
US08393433B2
An exhaust pipe connected to an exhaust port of an engine and an expansion chamber is disposed in the vicinity of the engine. A main tube is provided that extends rearwardly from a head pipe disposed at the front side of a main body. An engine having a cylinder extending upwardly from a crankcase is disposed under the main tube with an exhaust port open at the front side of the cylinder. A first exhaust pipe is provided that is connected to the exhaust port. A down tube is disposed on the center line in the left-right direction of the main body. The exhaust port disposed behind the down tube is deviatingly open at one side from the center line. The first exhaust pipe extends forward from one side of the down tube, and to the other side of the down tube, subsequently turns, and extends again to one side.
US08393428B2
A vehicle includes a front seat and a rear seat that is changeable between an installed state in which the passenger can be seated and a retracted state in which the passenger is not seated and the rear seat is retracted. The vehicle includes an output control unit controlling the output of an engine, and a detection device for detecting the installed state of the rear seat. When the detection device detects the installed state of the rear seat, the output control unit regulates the output of the engine as compared with the output when the detection device does not detect the installed state of the rear seat.
US08393426B2
A vehicle structure of a hybrid vehicle that contributes to compactly structuring the vehicle body, which is provided with: a battery disposed at the lower side in a vehicle up-down direction of a rear seat so as to overlap with the rear seat in plan view; and a fuel tank including a shallow profile portion that is disposed at the lower side of the battery such that a portion thereof overlaps with a floor face of the battery in plan view, and a deep profile portion that is made thicker in the vehicle up-down direction than the shallow profile portion and that is disposed at the rear side of the battery such that at least a portion thereof overlaps with a rear face of the battery in elevational view.
US08393421B2
A hull robot includes a robot body, at least one drive module for maneuvering the robot about the hull, an on-board power source, and a motive subsystem for the drive module powered by the on-board power source. A plurality of permanent magnet elements are associated with the drive module and each are switchable between a non-shunted state when adjacent the hull and a shunted state when not adjacent the hull.
US08393413B2
A steerable bore hole drilling tool and method of drilling bore holes. The steerable bore hole drilling tool comprise means for mechanically decoupling the sensor unit from the tool body. The method comprises a step of mechanically decoupling the sensor unit form the tool body.
US08393411B2
Methods for drilling and treating for lost returns continuously while drilling are provided. High fluid loss drilling fluid is used, along with particulate material that forms an immobile mass in hydraulic fractures to prevent their growth. The particulate material may be selected based on the predicted size of a hydraulic fracture, based on particle size to minimize fines, based on specific gravity to attain high solids content for a selected fluid density, and/or based on permeability of the particles to attain a high spurt loss.
US08393400B2
A wellhead or Christmas tree seal assembly that forms a metal-to-metal seal between inner and outer wellhead or Christmas tree members. U-shaped metal seals having legs that face in opposite directions, are bonded to a wiping element. During installation of the seal assembly, the ends of the seal legs seal against the wellhead members and the wiping element compensates for defects on the surfaces of the wellhead members. The wiping element can be of an elastomer, metallic, or intercalated graphite material.
US08393386B2
A downhole valve apparatus including a force transmitter configured to move in an axial direction and a valve actuator configured to move in an axial direction. The valve actuator is independently movable relative to the force transmitter and physically isolated from the force transmitter. A first magnetic assembly is disposed at the force transmitter. A second magnetic assembly is disposed at the valve actuator. The first and second magnetic assemblies are configured to repel one another and cause the force transmitter to move the valve actuator when the force transmitter is moved toward the valve actuator.
US08393378B2
According to the method of the invention, the movement of movable screen ends for a group of motor-driven screens to a common position is controlled in a grouped manner. The method includes a step (E150) consisting of moving the end of a screen when said end becomes the farthest from the common position after moving the end of at least one other screen to said common position.
US08393369B2
A labeling machine for labels printed on continuous film, comprising, in an intermediate position between a motorized reel and a feed roller, a tunnel provided with suction elements adapted to determine on the film in transit inside it an attraction that gives it a bent configuration, elements being provided which are adapted to control the depth of the bend, the tunnel being provided with a bottom and a lid that are adapted to align the film at a constant height.
US08393364B2
In, for example, a direct methanol type fuelcell, fuel is allowed to be injected little by little when the fuel is injected and supplied from the outside to a fuel receiving part reduced in the amount of remaining fuel on the fuelcell body side and an electromotive part can be prevented from being damaged by keeping the pressure in the fuel receiving part at a fixed level or less when the fuel is injected. Specifically, when a fuel CL filled in a refuelling container C is injected into a fuel receiving part T in several lots, a fuel injecting operation is repeated in which the volume of the refuelling container C is shrunk and reduced to supply the fuel into the fuel receiving part T in a proper amount and then the original volume of the refuelling container is restored to thereby absorb the atmospheric gas in the fuel receiving part T, which makes it possible to inject fuel continuously without any hindrance to the injection of the fuel.
US08393354B2
There is provided a hydraulic fluid control line connector including first and second couplings configured to automatically seal shut when the members are disengaged. There is further provided a method for blocking contamination or pressure transfer of hydraulic fluid control lines by securing first and second couplings to corresponding ends of a hydraulic line and automatically sealing the couplings shut when the couplings are disengaged.
US08393351B2
The Dual Automatic Dryer and Washing Machine Protective Basin is a drip pan sized to fit both a washer and dryer, and to contain leakage from both appliances. The position of the washer and dryer can safely be swapped, and the pan can optionally be provided with an opening directly over a floor drain, which now need not be located under the washing machine. The front wall of the basin can be sized to clear a door or pedestal drawer; alternatively, the basin can have raised spots supporting the feet of the appliance or pedestal, so as to lift doors or drawers above the front wall.
US08393350B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and methods for introducing additives into a fluid flow. An additive vessel, with chambers for one or more additives, is attached to a primary flow fixture in a configuration that permits a diversion of part of the primary flow through the additive vessel then back to the outlet of the primary flow fixture. When the apparatus is engaged, a part of the primary flow is diverted to the additive vessel, combines with the additive, and then is re-introduced to the fluid stream, exiting the primary flow fixture.
US08393347B2
An apertured rupture disc support member (32, 90) is provided for use in a rupture disc assembly (70). A rupture disc (30, 30a) comprising one or more embossed segments (80) that are complemental with the support member apertures (56) is also disclosed. The pressure relief assembly (12) is particularly suited for use in sanitary pressure relief applications.
US08393343B2
A shade assembly adapted for use with deck and balcony settings. A shade cover piece is supported to a pole. The support pole includes a hub assembly for horizontally varying the diametric displacement of a number of stays and the shade cover and a hinge assembly for adjusting the angle of the shade cover relative to the support pole. Associated fasteners having channel and collar pieces adapted to rails, balusters and deck boards secure the support pole and shade cover to rails, balusters and/or deck boards of a deck, patio or balcony railing system. Split band collars compressively grip the support pole and rigidly anchor the support pole and cover piece to the railing. Alternative stay stops and non-marring fastener liners are also disclosed.
US08393342B2
The present invention includes a walking cane having a handle assembly, a support assembly and foot member. The handle assembly includes first and second generally upright rigid posts. A shaft adaptable for grasping by a user's hand connects to each end of the posts. Pliable mounts dispose between the terminal ends of the shaft and each post. The mounts, biased against the shaft, permit omni-directional movement of the shaft relative to each post. The support assembly connects to the handle assembly and includes three parallel elongated rods spaced apart from one another in a triangular formation. The handle assembly can be adjusted relative to the support assembly by means of two cooperating shims. The foot member connects to the support assembly and contacts the ground. The cane provides a light-weight shaft and a shock absorbing handle assembly to assist in relieving hand, wrist and arm strains.
US08393340B2
A flexible sunshade includes an elastic element having a lower end mounted to an upper end of a pole. A hub is fixed to an upper end of the elastic element. A canopy is mounted to a plurality of ribs each having an end pivotably connected to the hub. A runner is slideably mounted to the pole. A first end of each of a plurality of stretchers is pivotably connected to the runner. A second end of each stretcher is pivotably connected to one of the ribs. When the canopy, the ribs, or the hub is subjected to a force at a non-parallel angle to a longitudinal axis of the pole, the elastic element flexes to cause the hub to flex in a direction of the force, absorbing at least a portion of the force acting on the flexible sunshade.
US08393333B2
Immobilized diluents in a smoking article are provided, wherein diluents can be immobilized through absorption and/or adsorption of the diluents into immobilizing materials, such as sorbents like silica gels. By immobilizing diluents, the diluents can be available for vaporization, while still being protected from migration and/or loss of the diluents in a smoking article.
US08393331B2
An electronic cigarette includes a shell and a mouthpiece. The external wall of the shell has an air inlet. An atomizer and a liquid-supply are in contact with each other. The air inlet, atomizer, an aerosol passage, and a mouthpiece are sequentially interconnected.
US08393325B2
A forehead pad for a breathing mask includes a substantially dimensionally stable first wall element and an elastomer second wall element coupled to the first wall element. The second wall element has a contact zone adapted to contact a surface of a user in use. The first and second wall elements define a filling-material-receiving chamber adapted to receive a filling material.
US08393324B1
The present invention provides a symmetrical face mask suitable for use with one hand that allows an operator to provide a reliable seal with the patient's face with his/her hand and arm in an anatomically favorable position for application of a user's physical strength. In general, a user may reach at an acute angle to the plane of their chest and engage the invention mask with their hand in a manner the user may shake another person's hand, i.e., with a distal portion of their radius and ulna arranged essentially vertically so that side to side motion of the hand translates to forward and rearward motion of a mask shell while a user reserves full bi-directional rotational capability of their arm for forward or rearward rotation compression of the mask shell while, at the same time, reserving full and lever-efficient, bi-directional pushing and pulling range of a user's arm for greater pressure of the mask shell to a right or left side of a user's fleshy cheek.
US08393320B2
A double-ended blower includes a blower motor assembly supporting opposed first and second shaft ends. The first and second shaft ends have respective first and second impellers attached thereto and enclosed within first and second volutes, respectively. The first volute is connected to an inlet and the second volute is connected to an outlet. The blower motor assembly is at least partially enclosed within a flexible sleeve, with a radially outer inter-stage gas path extending between the first and second volute, and radially inward of the flexible sleeve.
US08393283B2
A device (1) for actuating sheets of sailing boats comprises a pulling element (2) for a sheet (200) and an actuator (3) connected to the pulling element (2) for causing the motion thereof. The actuator (3) comprises a screw (4) and a nut (7) engaged with each other, wherein one from the screw (4) and the nut (7) is rotated and the other translates linearly.A boom (300) of a sailing boat (100) provided with the device (1) for actuating sheets of the invention is also described.
US08393271B2
The invention relates to a pocket stamp (1) comprising a housing (2) which is configured in the shape of a case (3) having two articulately connected shell-shaped housing parts (4, 5) which can be displayed from a closed position, in which they are detachably connected to one another, into an open position, in which a die plate (24) accommodated in one of the housing parts (4) and protruding over the edge thereof is present in the operating or impression position thereof, in which the other housing part (5) is offset toward the rear in relation to the die plate (24), wherein in one housing part (5) at least one detent element (10) in the form of a hook (18) is provided and in the other housing part (4) a detent element (16) in the form of a ledger (20) cooperating with the hook (18) is provided, one of the detent elements (16) being resiliently movable.
US08393268B2
A doctor blade support (2) for a machine for printing paste by silk screen printing, includes: a doctor blade (6) of substantially square cross-section which is to come into contact with the meshes of a silk screen printing screen in order to apply the paste to an element to be printed; a first (12) and a second (14) clamping jaws suitable for clamping the doctor blade (6); at least two elements (20) for tightening the first clamping jaw (12) towards the second clamping jaw (14) in order to clamp or withdraw the doctor blade (6); characterized in that each tightening element (20) includes a resilient element (40) applying a force between the two clamping jaws (12, 14) in order to move them towards each other, and elements for regulating the deformation of the resilient element (40).
US08393263B2
An object is to provide a food dough extending apparatus capable of adjusting a vertical position of an extending roller unit in an obliquely vertical direction in accordance with a thickness of food dough. A food dough apparatus includes an inclined transporting unit 7 inclined and configured to transport to-be-extended food dough 9 upward, a horizontal direction transporting unit 11 configured to transport the food dough 9 transported from the inclined transporting unit 7 in a horizontal direction, and an extending roller unit 13 provided above over an area from an upper end of the inclined transporting unit 7 to the horizontal direction transporting unit 11 and configured to extend the food dough 9. The extending roller unit 13 is vertically adjustable in a direction intersecting an inclination direction of the inclined transporting unit 7 and being upwardly inclined toward the inclined transporting unit 7. The extending roller unit 13 includes dust sealing mechanisms provided between ends of the extending rollers 79 and a pair of endless members 75, the dust sealing mechanism inhibiting circulation of air between rotation regions of extending rollers 79 and traveling regions of the pair of endless members 75.
US08393254B2
A gripping device comprising a first arm pivotally connected to a second arm. The arms form a gripping area. A linkage mechanism is used for adjusting the inwardly and outwardly movement of the gripping area, with the linkage mechanism pivotally connected to the first arm and second arm. The linkage mechanism is formed of a first linkage laterally and pivotally connected to a second linkage.
US08393242B2
A remote controlled actuator includes a spindle guide section (3) of an elongated configuration, a distal end member (2) fitted to a distal end of the spindle guide section (3) through a distal end member connecting unit (15) for alteration in attitude, a tool (1) rotatably provided to the distal end member (2), a tool rotating drive source (41) for rotating the tool, and an attitude altering drive source (42) for manipulating the attitude of the distal end member. The distal end member rotatably supports a spindle (13) then holding the tool (1). The spindle guide section (3) includes a rotary shaft (22) for transmitting rotation of the tool rotating drive source to the spindle and a guide hole (30a). A flexible attitude altering member (31) capable of altering the attitude of the distal end member is reciprocally movably inserted within the guide hole (30a).
US08393240B2
An instrumented control pedal for a vehicle includes a lever portion, a pedal portion, a position sensor and at least one pressure sensor. The lever portion may include a first end, a second end and a pivot point disposed proximate the second end. The pedal portion may be disposed proximate the first end of the lever portion and the at least one pressure sensor may be disposed on the pedal portion. The position sensor may be operable to detect the displacement of the instrumented control pedal about the pivot point and output a position signal indicating the displacement of the instrumented control pedal. When a pressure is applied to the pedal portion, the pressure sensor outputs a signal indicating pressure is being applied to the pedal portion.
US08393238B2
A double clutch transmission with two clutches connected to a drive shaft and to one of two transmission input shafts. Fixed gears are coupled to the input shafts and engage idler gears. Several coupling devices connect the idler gears to a respective countershaft which have an output gear that couple gears of an output shaft such that forward and reverse gears can be shifted. Three dual gear planes each comprise two idler gears, each supported by a respective countershaft, and one fixed gear. In each dual gear plane, at least one idler gear wheel can be used for implementing at least two gears so that at least one winding-path gear can be shifted via a shifting device.
US08393233B2
The primary application of this force meter is measurement of fluid flow. A force on the force sensor push the force sensor away from the original position. The deviation of the force sensor is detected by a proximity sensor. An electronic unit takes the position signal from the proximity sensor as a feedback. The electronic unit generates electric current to an electromagnetic anti-torque means. The electromagnetic anti-torque means generates an anti-torque on force sensor to prevent the force sensor from moving away from the original position. A display unit measures the electric current and calculates velocity and rate of fluid before displays the results.
US08393224B2
The invention relates to a stress gauge of the type having an acoustic resonant structure, including a piezoelectric transducer (10) connected to a holder (20), the holder (20) including opposite the piezoelectric transducer (10) an imbedded reflecting portion (40). The imbedded reflecting portion (40) reflects the volume acoustic waves generated by the piezoelectric transducer (10) when it is excited according to a harmonic mode of the structure and propagating into said holder (20), the reflecting portion (40) being arranged at a distance from the piezoelectric transducer (10) such that the integral of the stress on the propagation distance of the volume acoustic waves up to their reflection is different from zero.
US08393218B2
An ultrasonic testing apparatus 100 comprises an ultrasonic probe 1 including n (n≧2) number of transducers arranged along a predetermined direction, disposed so as to face a test object P, and a transmission/reception control device 2 for selecting m (n>m≧1) number of transducers from among the n number of transducers, transmitting ultrasonic waves from the selected m number of transducers toward the test object, receiving the ultrasonic waves therefrom, and switched m number of transducers to b selected successively. If an angle that the arrangement direction of the transducers makes with the surface of the test object which ultrasonic waves enter is θ, and the effective beam width of each selected m number of transducers with respect to a target flaw is W1, the transmission/reception control device switches m number of transducers to be selected successively by a switching pitch length P satisfying the formula: P≦W1·cos θ.
US08393205B2
An inflation and pressure measurement system having over pressure protection for an attached pressure gauge. A plunger is placed within an internal cavity of a valve body where the plunger can move axially into a first and a second position. In the first position there is gaseous communication between an inflation valve and an operating port. While in the first position, a gauge port may release gas through a wiper seal. In the second position there is gaseous communication between the operating port and the gauge port. The plunger may be biased in the second position. The first and second positions may be located by a locating groove in the plunger and a locating structure passing through the valve body and contacting the locating groove. While the inflatable device can be inflated using high pressures, the pressure gauge is protected from over pressure damage. Some embodiments can inflate and monitor the pressure of multiple inflatable devices from a single position.
US08393200B2
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring mechanical properties of materials using an indenter which has a predetermined geometry, a device for generating force permitting the indenter to penetrate into a material sample surface of an object of measurement, and a device for measuring the penetration depth, wherein, arranged between a force application portion on which the device for generating force is applied and a shaft with an indenter tip facing towards the material surface of the object of measurement, the indenter has at least one micro-mechanical motion actuator by which at least one radial deflection of the shaft with respect to the force absorption portion of the indenter is capable of being activated or detected.
US08393180B1
In the description and drawings a method of forming a fiberglass mat is disclosed. A drum is rotated, a molten fiberglass material is fed through at least one orifice of a furnace while rotating the drum, and the relative position of the orifice with respect to a location on the drum is altered while rotating the drum and feeding the molten fiber glass material through the orifice to build up a fiberglass matt along a traverse length.
US08393178B2
Methods and apparatus for controlling the stress in, and the shape of, the glass ribbon (15) formed in a downdraw glass manufacturing process (e.g., the fusion downdraw process) are provided. In certain embodiments, the control is achieved by cooling the bead portions (21a, 21b) of the ribbon (15) at a rate which provides a heat flux Q″b at the thickest part of the bead (23a, 23b) which is given by Q″b=Q″q+ΔQ″, where (i) Q″q is the heat flux at a transverse position adjacent to the bead portion (21a, 21b) at which the ribbon's thickness equals 1.05*tcenter, where tcenter is the final thickness at the ribbon's center line (17), and (ii) ΔQ″≧(tb/tq−1)Q″q+10 kilowatts/meter2, where tb is the thickness of the thickest part of the bead portion. The cooling can take place along the entire length of the ribbon (15) or at selected locations, e.g., in the portion (50) of the draw which includes the glass transition temperature region (31) or the portion (60) of the draw where individual glass sheets (13) are cut from the ribbon (15).
US08393176B2
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass sheet, the method including: running down molten glass along both side surfaces of a molded body; joining and integrating the molten glass just under a lower edge part of the molded body; and drawing downward and molding an integrated sheet-shaped glass ribbon, in which a guide member which contacts to an end in a width direction of a joined molten glass is provided, and a relative position and/or a relative angle between the guide member and a lower edge of the molded body is/are adjusted.
US08393175B2
Methods for extracting strengthened glass substrates from glass sheets are described herein. In one embodiment, the method for extracting strengthened glass substrates from glass sheets comprises forming a plurality of channel segments in the glass sheet. The plurality of channel segments may extend through the thickness of the glass sheet and are separated by remnant glass webs connecting the glass substrate to the glass sheet. The plurality of channel segments extend around a perimeter of the glass substrate. Thereafter, the glass sheet is strengthened by ion-exchange. The glass substrate is then separated from the glass sheet by severing the glass substrate from the remnant glass webs.
US08393167B2
A water dispensing system for a refrigerator comprising a refrigeration compartment includes a manifold assembly, a monitoring device coupled to the manifold assembly and including at least one sensor, and a filter assembly including a filter housing removably mounted to the manifold assembly. The filter assembly is configured to be compatible with a plurality of suitable filter media. At least two indicators are in signal communication with the at least one sensor when the filter housing is mounted onto the manifold assembly. A controller is operatively coupled to the monitoring device. The controller is configured to identify the filter assembly and the filter medium based on a signal received from the at least one sensor and operate the water dispensing system based on the identification of the filter assembly and the filter medium.
US08393165B2
The present invention discloses a service method and a service device (50) for a liquid cooling system (1) of an aircraft, the service device (50) being adapted to send at least one instruction to a liquid cooling control device (10) of the liquid cooling system (1). A plurality of service lines (52, 54, 56, 58, 62) are then connected between the service device (50) and the to liquid cooling system (1). The entire liquid cooling system (1) or a sub-system (12) can then be filled, emptied, deaerated and checked in respect of a leakage. Further, it is possible to set the fill level of a reservoir (8) and to service a fill-level sensor (99) of the reservoir (8).
US08393162B2
A temperature control system includes an air duct, an air-blowing device, a seat back temperature control unit, and a seat cushion temperature control unit. The air-blowing device urges air to flow through the air duct. The seat back temperature control unit and the seat cushion temperature control unit performs heat exchanges between air flowing in the air duct and air supplied to a seat back and air supplied to a seat cushion, respectively. The air duct forms a single air passage passing by the seat back temperature control unit and the seat cushion temperature control unit so that the air flowing in the air duct undergoes heat exchange with one of the seat back temperature control unit and the seat cushion temperature control unit and then undergoes heat exchange with the other.
US08393157B2
Disclosed is a fuel nozzle for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a nozzle inlet, a combustion area and a swirler disposed between the nozzle inlet and combustion area. The swirler includes a plurality of swirler vanes, each swirler vane capable of creating a pressure difference in fluid flow through the swirler between a pressure side and suction side of the swirler vane. The swirler further includes at least one through airflow hole located in at least one swirler vane of the plurality of swirler vanes. The at least one through airflow hole is capable of utilizing the pressure difference between the pressure side and suction side to promote fluid flow through the at least one airflow hole. Also disclosed is a method for operating a combustor.
US08393156B2
A variable performance valve for use in a fuel nozzle is presented. The valve includes a spring, an inner spool having a port, an outer sleeve, and an orifice, which in a fuel nozzle application may be a calibration orifice. In a low flow condition, the inlet to downstream pressure is the spring force divided by the area on which the pressure acts. At low flow the orifice does not cause any appreciable pressure drop. As the flow increases, a pressure drop develops across the orifice. Since the pressure drop across the valve cannot be greater than the spring force divided by valve area, the valve is forced to open to compensate. As flow is increased, the valve will stroke completely open and the pressure drop at the port becomes negligible and the pressure drop across the orifice is nearly 100% of the pressure drop across the valve.
US08393153B2
To convert energy, firstly a non-gaseous carrier medium is converted into a gaseous carrier medium by the introduction of thermal energy, so that the gaseous carrier medium rises and gains potential energy. Then the gaseous carrier medium is converted back at a specified height into a non-gaseous carrier medium. The potential energy of the recovered non-gaseous carrier medium can then be converted into another desired energy form.
US08393150B2
A control for a variable displacement pump disposed in a hydraulic system obtains a requested signal from a manual control device and provides a command signal to a valve operating to adjust a displacement setting of the variable displacement pump. The control provides the command signal based on the requested signal, and scales the requested signal based on a sensed or calculated load of the system.
US08393149B2
The present invention is comprised of a wind powered energy amplification method and systems for capturing wind power and harvesting tangentially amplified energy. The harvested tangentially amplified energy is converted, processed and stored for use for generating continuous, on demand and stand by electricity to supply electricity. The present invention is further comprised of methods and systems for extracting, processing and storing water and carbon dioxide to supply water and supply carbon dioxide.
US08393139B2
An aircraft jet engine including a wall centered about a longitudinal axis and surrounding a stream of gas ejected at a downstream end of the wall in the direction of the axis, primary ducts distributed at the periphery of the downstream end of the wall configured on command each to eject a jet of primary fluid to interact with the ejected stream of gas, the primary ducts of each pair converging towards one another near the downstream end of the wall so that the primary jets ejected form two sides of a triangle that meet at the vertex thereof in a view projected onto a plane perpendicular to a transverse plane, and secondary ducts each associated with each pair of primary ducts and configured on command to eject a jet of secondary fluid directed into the triangle formed by the primary jets.
US08393136B1
A rotary mower has a concave cutting deck. The deck comprises three curved plates welded to two longitudinal supports. Concavity is provided in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The lift frame assembly comprises swiveling linkages that allow rotation of the deck with respect to a three point hitch. The lift frame assembly further comprises a pivot brace on the top of the frame for further rotation of the deck.
US08393131B2
The device for the assembly of pocket spring strings includes a rack, on which a drum having receptacles for pocket spring strings is rotatably supported. An operator manually places the pocket spring strings into the receptacles and rotates, or initiates the rotation of, the drum about a predetermined angle, for example 60°. Now, the operator places a further pocket spring string into the subsequent receptacle , and at the same time an adhesive is applied to the advanced pocket spring string. Following a further rotational movement of the drum, the next pocket spring string is inserted, an adhesive is applied to the previously inserted pocket spring string, and at the same time the pocket spring string to which the adhesive was applied and which is now located in front of the assembly device is ejected.
US08393119B2
An isolation base system for sensitive structures such as nuclear power plant modules is suggested. The proposed isolation system considers a base supported on specially designed hollow spherical balls and equipped with 3 linear hydraulic actuators to restrict the lateral motion of the base and provide a stable base under normal conditions. The actuators are released when an earthquake signal is detected to allow the base to oscillate freely during the earthquake attack. The hydraulic actuators are reactivated after shock wave ends to compress the springs and restore the base to its original position.
US08393118B2
A wind turbine lattice tower structure includes a plurality of structural members connected together to define an open lattice tower, with the structural members including vertical leg members and diagonal braces extending between the vertical leg members. Pairs of the diagonal braces form cross braces having an intersection point therebetween. A damping bolt connection assembly is provides at the intersection point of the cross braces and is configured to attach the cross braces together at the intersection point while providing for relative movement of each individual cross brace along a defined longitudinal section of the other respective cross brace.
US08393114B2
The device used to hold a separation element includes a carriage with a carriage body and at least one wheel which rolls on a running surface of a rail. The carriage is releasably connected to a mounting element which is connected to the separation element. The mounting element which is mounted laterally on an upper edge of the separation element includes a guide profile provided with a first guide surface which holds a lower and an upper flange element of the carriage body inserted therein which can be displaced along the first guide surface extending inclined by a first angle relative to the upper edge of the separation element and can be locked in an appropriate position by means of locking elements.
US08393109B2
A combination red dot sight (reflex sight) and electronic range indicator displayed in a sighting element. The sighting element is housed in a body which includes lens elements and a light source for the red dot sight as well as an optical display for the range indicator. A processor for the red dot sight and the range indicator are housed in a frame. A user interface includes indicia for varying the intensity of the light source for the red dot sight as well as activate the range indicator. Alternately, the range indicator may be activated by a button positioned remotely, such as on the firearm or bow and may be wired to the range indicator circuit or communicate via wireless transmission. An emitting lens and a receiving lens are optically connected via a range finding circuit to the processor.
US08393103B2
The present invention provides for a firearm having a receiver defining a bore with the receiver extending along a longitudinal axis. The receiver defines an ejection port transverse to the longitudinal axis with the bore defining an inner surface. The firearm further includes a bolt carrier disposed in the bore and moveable relative to the receiver along the longitudinal axis between a firing position and a rearward position. The firearm also includes a shield longitudinally affixed to the bolt carrier and movable with the bolt carrier as a unit between the firing and rearward positions along the longitudinal axis with the shield blocking the ejection port when in the firing position and the shield sliding along the inner surface away from the ejection port when moving to the rearward position in conjunction with the bolt carrier.
US08393102B2
The present invention provides for a firearm including a buttstock defining a first bore extending along a longitudinal axis and a receiver coupled to the buttstock. The receiver defines a second bore extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and in fluid communication with the first bore. The receiver also defines an ejection port transverse to the longitudinal axis. The firearm further includes a bolt carrier disposed in the second bore and movable relative to the receiver along the longitudinal axis between a firing position and a rearward position. The firearm also includes an expulsion device at least partially disposed in the buttstock for flowing air through the first and second bores and out the ejection port as the bolt carrier moves between the firing and rearward positions.
US08393100B1
A holiday display preferably includes a drive unit, at least one object mount, a transport line and an idler pulley device. The drive unit preferably includes a drive motor and a system controller. The drive unit is retained above the ground in one location and the idler pulley device is retained above the ground in another location. A drive pulley is mounted to a drive shaft of the drive motor. The system controller controls the rotation of the drive motor. Both ends of the transport line are secured to the object mount to form a transport loop. One end of the transport loop is retained on the drive pulley and the other end is retained on the idler pulley. The system controller also includes a distance input device for setting a travel distance of the object mount between the drive and idle pulleys.
US08393096B2
A snowplow and mounting assembly having a mounting frame for use with a motorized wheelchair wherein the mounting frame has one side with a V-shape or other shape snowplow facing away from the wheelchair and has another side that faces the wheelchair and is adapted to cooperate with the wheelchair in use to plow snow. A particular snowplow and mounting assembly has a mounting frame for pressed engagement with the tip wheels of a wheelchair; a snowplow blade disposed on one side of the frame; first and second push wheel brackets disposed on the other side of the frame for contacting the first and second tip wheels of the motorized wheelchair; and at least one handle disposed on the frame adapted to be operated by user of the wheelchair.
US08393094B1
A snow removal assembly includes a covering that is positionable on a ground surface. The covering includes a plurality of panels that are slidably coupled together to allow a combined length of the panels to be selectively lengthened or retracted. The covering is lengthened to a selected length and placed on the ground surface. The covering may then be moved to remove any snow which falls on the covering to leave an exposed ground surface.
US08393089B2
A flexible and non-elastic cord is provided. The cord may have a first plurality of markings, spaced apart by a uniform first distance, and a second plurality of markings, spaced apart by a uniform second distance. The uniform first distance may be substantially larger than the uniform second distance. Each of the first plurality of markings may be colored a first color. Each of the second plurality of markings may be colored a second color which is different from the first color. Each of the first plurality of markings and each of the second plurality of markings may be a straight line. The uniform first distance may be sixteen inches and the uniform second distance may be twelve inches. The cord may be placed next to a winding path to be measured, so that the cord follows the winding path, and the winding path may be measured using the cord.
US08393085B2
Controlling a deflection of an irradiation direction of a vehicle lamp based on a detected steering angle includes calculating a target angle of the irradiation direction of the vehicle lamp based on the steering angle and calculating a difference angle between the target angle and a current deflection angle of the irradiation direction of the vehicle lamp. A new deflection angle is calculated and includes setting the new deflection angle to the target angle if the difference angle is equal to or smaller than a given limit angle, and setting the new deflection angle to an angle obtained by adding or subtracting the limit angle to or from the current deflection angle if the difference angle is larger than the given limit angle. Deflection of the irradiation direction of the lamp is controlled based on the deflection angle.
US08393082B2
A rotary electric shaver including cutter units, each having an outer cutter and an inner cutter rotating in resilient contact with the inner surface of the outer cutter, further including a shaver head which is pivotably provided on the shaver main body; an outer cutter frame attached to the shaver head to support the outer cutters in a depressible fashion; a main drive shaft for transmitting, via a first universal joint, the rotation of a motor housed in the shaver main body to a driving mechanism provided inside the shaver head; inner cutter drive shafts provided in the shaver head and rotationally driven by the driving mechanism; and second universal joints for transmitting the rotation of the inner cutter drive shafts to the inner cutters; and in this shaver the first universal joint being disposed near the pivotal center of the shaver head.
US08393079B2
A method of salvaging a scrap partially completed spine fin coil by initially placing the partially completed coil on a reel. Connecting an end of a straight tube that is helically wrapped with a spine fin strip to an end of the partially completed coil while said partially completed coil is on the reel, rotate the reel after completing the connection until the partially completed spine fin coil is complete.
US08393078B2
In a method of manufacturing a circuit board, a conductive paste is filled in a first hole formed on a first prepreg having both sides to which a first protective film is caused to stick so that a first circuit board is manufactured. A fiber piece housing paste obtained by mixing a fiber piece is recovered to obtain a recovery paste; filtration is carried out through a filter; a solvent or the like is added; and a viscosity, a composition ratio or the like is adjusted so that a reuse paste is fabricated. The reuse paste is filled in a second hole formed on a second prepreg having both sides to which a second protective film is caused to stick.
US08393071B2
An oscillator device manufacturing method includes: placing an oscillator provided with electrodes on a convex pedestal provided on an assembly table; arranging, on the assembly table, a frame member including an opening surrounded by a frame thereof and provided with electrode pads on the frame such that the opening is positioned at the pedestal; connecting the electrode pads to the electrodes of the oscillator placed on the pedestal via wires, while the frame member is arranged on the assembly table; removing the frame member from the assembly table together with the oscillator after the connecting, and bonding the frame member connected to the oscillator to a substrate. By using the method, the oscillator device including the oscillator suspended in air above the substrate can be efficiently manufactured. In stead of using the frame member, a frame body in which frame members are arrayed can be employed.
US08393070B2
The production line according to the present invention is provided with a pressurization measurement apparatus adjacent to a press-working apparatus, a temporary laminate assembly worked and laminated by a press in the press-working apparatus is sent to the pressurization measurement apparatus, and a laminate assembly is produced by being pressurized and being subjected to regular caulking by a hydraulic servo press of the pressurization measurement apparatus. At this time, the lamination height of a regularly caulked laminate assembly is measured by a linear scale secured at the pressurization measurement apparatus. The main controller of a control apparatus inputs data of the measured lamination height, and adds and subtracts the set number of thin plates to be laminated of a laminate assembly by controlling the laminating means of the press-working apparatus so that the measurement lamination height is matched to the set lamination height using the measured lamination height, the preset lamination height, the height dimension tolerance, and the tolerance for judging the number of thin plates.
US08393068B2
Method and apparatus for mechanically-joining components to assemble a composite structure. A first component and a second component may be provided. At least one of the first and second components may comprise a composite component. A hole may be formed in each of the first and second components. A metallic sleeve may be placed in the holes in the first and second components such that the metallic sleeve is in contact with the first and second components, and a composite rivet may be placed in the metallic sleeve. Heat and a deforming force may be applied to the composite rivet to join the first and second components to form an assembled composite structure.
US08393059B2
A locking mechanism for joining an elongate member to an assembly may include a frame, clamp, actuator and link between the clamp and actuator. Stop surfaces on the clamp and actuator cooperate to secure the elongate member. A pin and the force transmitted by a compression spring may further be provided for additional security. The link between the clamp and actuator retracts the clamp permitting the elongate member to be detached from the assembly.
US08393054B2
A door operator includes a first component having a right-hand thread, a second component having a left-hand thread, and a plug-in or rotatable coupling having two complementary threads. The first and second compartments are interconnected to each other by the coupling when the right-hand thread of the first compartment and the left-hand thread of the second compartment engage the respective complementary threads of the coupling.
US08393053B2
A self-orienting caster for pieces of furniture and the like, comprising at least one wheel which is supported so that it can rotate about a horizontal axis by a supporting structure which has a vertical cylindrical recess which is open upward and is axially offset with respect to said horizontal axis and constitutes said seat in which a pivot for the pivoting of the caster can rotate, the pivot being insertable in a receptacle of the piece of furniture onto which the caster is to be fitted, the supporting structure comprising two mutually opposite annular flanges, which form respective circular and coaxial holes, a tubular body whose opposite ends are rigidly coupled to the inner edges of the holes and form externally, between the flanges, a rolling track for a supporting bearing for the wheel, respective extensions being monolithically rigidly coupled to the flanges and being mutually associable so as to form the seat which is designed to receive the pivot for the pivoting of the wheel.
US08393048B2
A method for cleaning first and second filters of a suction device for cleaning purposes is provided. The suction device has a dirt collection container with a suction inlet. The dirt collection container is subjected to negative pressure via first and second suction lines, respectively, following the first and second filters. First and second closing valves close first and second external air inlets, respectively, into the first and second suction lines. For cleaning the filters, the closing valves are opened, subjecting the filters to external air on the clean space side. The dirt collection container is subjected to negative pressure via the first suction line and first filter by a first suction unit and via the second suction line and second filter by a second suction unit. The suction lines are sealed off relative to each other on the clean space side at least during the cleaning of the filters.
US08393038B2
A car wash brush comprising a motor and a rotatable vertically-depending brush shaft is provided with a spherical bearing which allows universal swivel movement of the brush shaft away from a normal, essentially vertical orientation. To limit the degree of swivel permitted, a plate with three angularly spaced bumpers is attached to the top of the swivel bearing and a C-shaped stop plate is arranged on a brush mount over the bumpers in fixed spaced relationship to the bearing seat such that excessive swivel motion brings one or more of the bumpers into contact with the under surface of the C-shaped plate. The bearing support structure is attached to a swing arm by means of an extra pivot which provides a breakaway function. An alarm and/or event recorder is provided to trigger an inspection in the event the breakaway function is brought into play.
US08393037B2
A three-axis acceleration sensor is mounted to a body of an electric toothbrush. A CPU detects the three-dimensional attitude of the body based on an output from the acceleration sensor and, based on the attitude of the toothbrush, estimates which portion is being brushed. Then, the CPU measures by using a timer a brushing time of the portion being brushed. Results of brushing for each portion are evaluated and outputted based on the measured brushing time.
US08393036B2
Detailed is an apparatus for cleaning a surface which is immersed in a liquid including a body, guiding members defining at least one axle, a filtration chamber, at least one electric drive motor, a control unit which is configured to control each drive motor in at least one direction at a speed selected from: at least a first speed at which the apparatus is in a first movement position in accordance with a first predetermined trajectory, at least a second more rapid speed at which the apparatus is in a second nosed-up movement position in accordance with a second predetermined trajectory which is different from the first trajectory.
US08393032B2
Detailed is a device for cleaning an immersed surface including a body and members for driving the body over the immersed surface, a filtration chamber which is provided in the body and which has: a liquid inlet located at the base of the body; a liquid outlet arranged opposite the base of the body; a hydraulic circuit for flow of liquid between this liquid inlet and this liquid outlet through a filtering device; a liquid pumping device including a pumping motor which has a rotating drive shaft which is coupled to a pumping propeller which is interposed in the hydraulic circuit, wherein the liquid outlet is longitudinally offset from the liquid inlet and the pumping propeller has an inclined rotation axis which forms, with the longitudinal direction, an angle which is not equal to zero and which is different from 90°.
US08393031B2
Detailed is a device for cleaning an immersed surface including a body and members for driving the body over the immersed surface; a filtration chamber which is provided in the body and which has: a liquid inlet; a liquid outlet; a hydraulic circuit for flow of liquid between the inlet and the outlet through a filtering device, wherein the filtering device includes a first filtering shell which extends towards the rear of the body, from a front opening; a second shell which is fitted to the first shell at the front thereof, these shells being able to be fitted together so as to form an integral filtering casing; in which case the second shell closes the front opening of the first shell, with the exception of a liquid inlet passage; the two shells being able to be separated from each other by disengaging the front opening of the first shell which acts as an opening for emptying this shell.
US08393028B2
A method of manufacturing footwear including the steps of positioning a sole member on a first portion of a cutting assembly; heating a second portion of the cutting assembly, the second portion including a cutting die; pressing the heated cutting die into the sole member to form a plurality of sipes in the sole member; and removing the cutting die from the sole member.
US08393027B2
There is provided a spinal support pivot pillow including: (1) a central-cylindrical neck support roll having two ends; and (2) two generally circular head support cushions vertically connected at each of the two ends, the neck support contoured to support a head and a neck in a supine position, and the head support cushions contoured to support the head and the neck in a side posture position. The present invention may also be used with a corresponding pillow case which can be contoured to the pillow.
US08393026B2
A patient support apparatus includes a deck, a plurality of side rails, a control panel, and a plurality of subsystems, such as a bed exit system that detects when a patient may exit from the support apparatus, or a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the deck. A controller is in communication with the control panel and is adapted to monitor conditions regarding the side rails and/or the other subsystems. At least one lamp is also provided on the patient support apparatus that is adapted to be illuminated in a first manner when a plurality of monitored conditions remain in a desired state, and in a second manner when at least one of the plurality of monitored conditions changes to an undesired state.
US08393025B2
A bed covering system is disclosed comprising an upper sheet and a lower sheet wherein the lower sheet fits on a mattress in a removable manner. The upper sheet is connected to the lower sheet through expandable flaps of material. A zipper runs between the sides of the upper and lower sheets such that when it is zipped, the upper sheet is pulled tightly against the lower sheet but when it is unzipped the upper sheet is allowed to move away from the lower sheet to the extent of the expandable flaps or material.
US08393015B2
A device to hold a garment in place, particularly the event of a gust of air, comprising an attachment member, a connecting member, and a weight, which can be worn either on the inside or outside surface of the garment. In operation the device attaches to a garment and pulls the garment vertically in accordance with gravity.
US08397298B2
A content delivery system includes an upload module, a content delivery module, and a monitoring module. The upload module is configured to receive content from a content provider, detect content containing malicious software or proprietary information, and provide information about the content to a monitoring module. The content delivery module is configured to detect content containing malicious software or unauthorized changes, detect operational changes to the content delivery module, provide information about the content and the operational changes to the monitoring module, receive a request for the content from a client system, and provide the content to the client system. The monitoring module is configured to monitor a network for potentially malicious traffic, receive information from the content delivery module and the upload module, correlate the information and the potentially malicious traffic to identify a security event, and trigger a response to the security event.
US08397287B2
An appliance and method for authorizing a level of access of a client to a virtual private network connection, based on a client-side attribute includes the step of establishing, by an appliance, a control connection with a client upon receiving a client request to establish a virtual private network connection with a network. The appliance transmits, via the control connection, a request to the client to evaluate at least one clause of a security string, the at least one clause including an expression associated with a client-side attribute. The client transmits, via the control connection, a response to the appliance comprising a result of evaluating the at least one clause by the client. The appliance assigns the client to an authorization group based on the result of evaluation of the at least one clause.
US08397280B1
An authorization system in a home wireless network comprises a communication interface and a processing system, wherein a wireless communication device associated with the home wireless network transfers a network service request to a service node to acquire a static packet address for the wireless communication device. The communication interface is configured to receive an authorization request for the wireless communication device, transfer a query for delivery to a user profile system, receive a packet address of a home agent associated with the wireless communication device, transfer an authorization response, and receive an authentication request transferred from the home agent. The processing system is configured to process the authentication request to determine the static packet address for the wireless communication device. The communication interface is configured to transfer an authentication response for delivery to the home agent, wherein the authentication response includes the static packet address for the wireless communication device.
US08397277B2
In a multi-functional peripheral capable of performing user authentication processing in cooperation with an authentication server and processing in cooperation with an external application, a user is able to easily access a screen of a previously used function immediately after logging in without necessity of switching a screen of the function of the multi-functional peripheral itself and a screen of the external application function.
US08397269B2
Fast channel changing in digital-television-based entertainment networks can be implemented, for example, by electing to tune to channels at opportune tuning times. In an exemplary implementation, a method includes: receiving a channel change request that indicates a requested new channel from a client device; preparing a broadcast video data stream of the requested new channel that is offset in time behind a current broadcast time for broadcast video data of the requested new channel; and streaming the broadcast video data stream responsive to the channel change request. In another exemplary implementation, a system includes: a storage device that retains broadcast video data for multiple channels; a video data extractor that accesses the retained broadcast video data and retrieves an intra frame of broadcast video data that is in the past for a requested channel; and a video data distributor that transmits the retrieved intra frame of broadcast video data.
US08397263B2
In an information processing apparatus, a text information receiving unit receives text information, and a received text morphological analysis unit performs morphological analysis on the text information. An extraction unit extracts text information of a subtitle included in a program. A subtitle text morphological analysis unit performs morphological analysis on the text information of the subtitle. A similarity calculation unit calculates the similarity between a keyword included in a result of the received text morphological analysis performed by the received text morphological analysis unit and a keyword included in a result of the subtitle text morphological analysis performed by the subtitle text morphological analysis unit. A comparison unit compares the similarity with a predetermined threshold value. A recording unit records the program at a time at which the comparison unit determines that the subtitle text of the program currently includes a keyword having similarity higher than the predetermined threshold value.
US08397262B2
Systems and methods provide for graphically providing features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver in response to viewer instructions received from a remote control. Imagery including various tiles each corresponding to one of the provided features is presented on the display. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates a selected one of the plurality of tiles, and, in response to the received two-dimensional input, the feature associated with the selected tile is provided.
US08397252B2
Firmware is installed in a cable modem, enabling detection of the presence or absence of a cable trap in the feed of a customer location. Such a cable modem includes a trap-detection module and a trap-detection object. The trap-detection module is configured to determine whether a video signal is present at a cable-television frequency. The trap-detection object is configured to store data as to whether the video signal is present. For example, a first piece of data is stored if the video signal is present, indicating absence of a properly functioning cable trap between a cable head-end and the cable modem. A second piece of data is stored if the video signal is absent, indicating presence of a properly functioning cable trap between the cable head-end and the cable modem.
US08397250B2
A disc transfer mechanism includes a feed roller provided between a drive unit incorporated in a drive apparatus main body and an insert slot formed in the apparatus main body; a roller supporting member pivotably supporting the feed roller between a disc transfer position and an evacuated position; a drive cam for pivoting the feed roller between the disc transfer position and the evacuated position; and a driven cam moving in cooperation with pivoting of the feed roller. The drive cam engages with a rotation shaft of the feed roller and moves rectilinearly along one peripheral end of the drive unit, and the driven cam moves rectilinearly along the other peripheral end of the drive unit.
US08397236B2
A system and method to control the allocation of processor (or state machine) execution resources to individual tasks executing in computer systems is described. By controlling the allocation of execution resources, to all tasks, each task may be provided with throughput and response time guarantees. This control is accomplished through workload metering shaping which delays the execution of tasks that have used their workload allocation until sufficient time has passed to accumulate credit for execution (accumulate credit over time to perform their allocated work) and workload prioritization which gives preference to tasks based on configured priorities.
US08397215B2
System and method for performing program-related operations over a network via a web browser. A network connection is established between a server computer and a client computer over a network. A universal resource identifier (URI) is sent from the client computer to the server computer over the network, where the URI indicates a program, e.g., a graphical program (GP), or at least a portion of a graphical program interactive development environment (GPIDE), e.g., a graphical program editor, an execution engine, a static or dynamic analyzer, and/or compiler. The at least a portion of the GPIDE is received from the server computer over the network in response to the URI, and executed in a web browser of the client computer to perform some specified functionality with respect to the GP.
US08397209B2
A software application to be used in an environment includes environmental, behavioral, design, and run-time model creating portions. The environmental portion includes a first set of attributes of the environment, wherein each of the first set of attributes has a declaration and a decomposition into environmental classes. The behavioral portion describes behavior of the software application at a boundary of the software application and the environment, wherein the behavioral model includes a second set of attributes, and each of the second set of attributes has at least one of a declaration and function. The design portion includes a first decomposition of the second set of attributes into a first plurality of groups. The run-time portion includes a second decomposition of the second set of attributes into a second plurality of groups, wherein the run-time model can record the decomposition of the software application into run-time components.
US08397206B2
A markup language file comprises software build options usable to determine at least one software build configuration setting. One or more software build options are specified in a markup language file to specify one or more software build configuration settings for use in compilation of software. The markup language is an XML file, is editable in an Integrated Development Environment such as via a Graphical User Interface, and includes settings specific to an embedded processor system configuration.
US08397201B2
A method of simulating an electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit layout is disclosed. A netlist of an electronic circuit is pre-simulated. A circuit layout, including an ESD circuit layout, is accordingly generated. Parasitic is extracted according to the generated circuit layout. The ESD circuit layout is post-simulated according to an ESD waveform and a result of the parasitic extraction.
US08397198B1
Semiconductor devices and/or structures, and methods for fabricating the same are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention allow for production of customized products, while also minimizing production steps, avoiding some or all photolithography steps, and reducing overall production costs. Using selective deposition and patterning methods such as printing, to form metal and/or dielectric layer(s) on substrates where one or more device circuit components are pre-made in a factory, but which require further processing to obtain an electrically functional circuit, results in the ability for a user/consumer to make custom, specific and/or unique electrically functional circuits without incurring the cost and complexity of a full fabrication to form and pattern all of the layers.
US08397181B2
A method for marking a position of a real world object on a see-through display is provided. The method includes capturing an image of a real world object with an imaging device. A viewing angle and a distance to the object are determined. A real world position of the object is calculated based on the viewing angle to the object and the distance to the object. A location on the see-through display that corresponds to the real world position of the object is determined. A mark is then displayed on the see-through display at the location that corresponds to the real world object.
US08397177B2
A novel display control and information management system seamlessly integrates layered and slotted formatted data from local and remote sources to provide a highly versatile information display. The system permits selective control of display and display features so that complex data and data flows can be seamlessly accessed with enhanced cognition of salient information by a user.
US08397161B1
A method and system for facilitating dynamic document creation and publication is provided. A document having a first format may be constructed from a number of content elements maintained in a first database. The document may be transformed into a second format different from the first format. The transformed document may be published and provided to a user.
US08397145B2
An encoder and decoder using LDPC-CC (Low Density Parity Check-Convolutional Codes) is disclosed. The encoder exhibits encoding rates realized with a small circuit-scale and a high data reception quality. In the encoder (200), an encoding rate setting unit (250) sets an encoding rate (s−1)/s (s=z), and an information creating unit (210) sets information including from information Xs,i to information Xz−1,i to zero. A first information computing unit (220-1) receives information X1,i at time point i to compute the X1(D) term of formula (1). A second information computing unit (220-2) receives information X2,i at time point i to compute the X2(D) term of formula (1). A third information computing unit (220-3) receives information X3,i at time point i to compute the X3(D) term of formula (1). A parity computing unit (230) receives parity Pi−1 at time point i−1 to compute the P(D) of formula (1). The exclusive OR of the results of the computation is obtained as parity Pi at time i. Ax.
US08397141B2
A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof. The coding pattern includes a plurality of macrodots encoding Reed-Solomon codewords. Each codeword contains Reed-Solomon data symbols and Reed-Solomon redundancy symbols. The coding pattern encodes the symbols using mixed multi-pulse position modulation.
US08397139B1
A memory device having a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells for storing stored data where the stored data includes user stored data and nuisance stored data. A memory controller includes a transmitter for transmitting write data for storage as the stored data in the memory. The transmitter includes a selector for selection of user write data for storage as the user stored data in the memory and for selection of nuisance write data for storage as the nuisance stored data in the memory. The memory controller includes a receiver for receiving the stored data from the memory as read data where the read data includes the user stored data and the nuisance stored data. The receiver includes a Hamming weight detector for detecting the Hamming weights of read data received from the memory for distinguishing user stored data from nuisance stored data.
US08397133B2
Embodiments of circuits and method for dual redundant register files with error detection and correction mechanisms are described herein. Other embodiments and related examples are also described herein.
US08397126B2
Embodiments of an apparatus and method for coding of wireless transmissions channel are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08397124B2
A memory device for an error-correcting block code is provided, whereby each code word of the block code can have data bits and parity bits. The device also includes a memory for storing the data bits and the parity bits of each code word, and includes an error detection circuit, which is formed to detect an error of the data bits in a code word by evaluating exactly one subset of the stored parity bits of the code word. The subset being smaller than the total number of parity bits of the code word.
US08397115B2
A phase error detection device detects a phase error, based on an output from an A/D conversion section that performs A/D conversion on an analog input signal in accordance with a sampling clock to generate a digital reproduction signal. The phase error detection device includes a phase error generation section that generates the phase error from the output from the A/D conversion section, and a phase error correction section that corrects the phase error. Herein, the phase error correction section determines a phase error detection range from past phase errors and, when the phase error generated by the phase error generation section is out of the phase error detection range, corrects the phase error.
US08397103B2
A method for detecting an improper removal of the electronic equipment. In the method, having received a command from a higher-level device, the electronic equipment (card reader) executes processing operations in accordance with the command. The electronic equipment includes a first RAM for saving electronic information including the confidential data, a detection means (such as a switching circuit) for detecting the improper removal of the electronic equipment, a power supply control IC for shutting off a power supply to the RAM in accordance with a signal coming from the detection means, and a second RAM being separate from and independent of the first RAM. Data saved in the RAM is not deleted even if the power supply is shut off by the power supply control IC. Then, the detection means is activated after the confidential data saved in the first RAM is copied to the second RAM.
US08397102B2
A SAN manager acquires configuration information from devices constituting a SAN and produces a corresponding relationship between a host computer and a virtual volume (virtual volume mapping) and a corresponding relationship between the host computer and a real volume (real volume mapping). Based on those pieces of mapping information, the SAN manager outputs a corresponding relationship between virtual and real volumes. Meanwhile, the failure notification messages received from the in-SAN devices are construed to detect and output an influence of the failure upon the access to a real or virtual volume. Furthermore, when receiving a plurality of failure notifications from the devices connected to the SAN, the plurality of failure notifications are outputted with an association based on the corresponding relationship between real and virtual volumes.
US08397100B2
Systems and methods to manage memory refreshes at a memory controller are disclosed. A method includes determining, at a memory controller device, that a number of transmission errors between a memory controller port and a memory redrive device exceeds an error threshold. The method may include initiating a first link retraining process between the memory controller port and the memory redrive device. The method may further include placing one or more dynamic random access memory modules associated with the memory redrive device in a self-refresh mode. The method may also include removing the one or more dynamic random access memory modules from the self-refresh mode after the link retraining process has completed. The method may further include enabling overlapping refreshes of the one or more dynamic random access memory modules.
US08397097B2
A computer system is provided with an event counter, a CPU, a memory, an external device, a hub M31 and a hub I33. The computer system is further provided with a clock change module 50. System software 60 and applications 70a to 70m operate, and the clock change module 50 specifies a clock with which the applications 70 are executed. Based on stall cycles read from the event counter 21, the clock change module 50 specifies the clock that maximizes performance or power consumption characteristic while satisfying execution constraint 90.
US08397084B2
Described is a technology by which data is efficiently and securely stored in a single instance store. A hash value is computed from data in its unencrypted form. The hash value is used to reference a single instance of that data when stored in its encrypted form. In this manner, duplicate data blocks are detectable independent of their encryption, yet stored in an encrypted form in a single instance store. In one aspect, context information for decrypting the encrypted data is stored in association with the data. When the client wants to restore the data, the client sends the hash value for that block to the single instance store service. The service returns the block and the associated context information. The client uses the context information to decrypt the block. For example, the context may comprise a key identifier which the client uses to lookup the correct key.
US08397081B2
A device includes a first memory unit adapted to store encrypted instructions, a processor adapted to execute decrypted instructions, a second memory unit accessible by the processor, and a decryption unit. The device includes a key database and a key selection circuit, wherein the key selection circuit is adapted to select a selected decryption key from the key database for decrypting encrypted instructions. The selection is responsive to a fixed selection information stored within the integrated circuit and to received key selection information. A method includes a stage of receiving encrypted instructions; and executing decrypted instructions by a processor. The method includes receiving key selection information, selecting a selected decryption key out of a key database in response to fixed selection information and to the received key selection information, and decrypting encrypted instructions using the selected decryption key.
US08397079B2
The embodiments protect an IC against Design-For-Test (DFT) or other test mode attack. Secrets in ROM or PROM are secured. One embodiment for securing information on an IC includes receiving a ROM read command, writing data from a plurality of ROM address locations to an encryption logic in response to receiving the ROM read command, and writing an encryption logic output of the encryption logic to a test control logic, the encryption logic output representing the data from the plurality of ROM address locations. Writing the data from the plurality of ROM address locations to the encryption logic may also include writing the data from the plurality of ROM address locations to a multiple input shift register (MISR) in response to the ROM read command, and writing an MISR output to the test control logic, the MISR output representing the data from the plurality of ROM address locations.
US08397070B2
System and methods are disclosed for governing digital rights management systems and other applications through the use of supervisory governance applications and keying mechanisms. Governance is provided by enabling the supervisory applications to revoke access keys and/or to block certain file system calls, thus preventing governed applications from accessing protected electronic content.
US08397059B1
A proxy (e.g., a switch) resides in a respective network environment between one or more clients and multiple servers. One purpose of the proxy is to provide the clients a unified view of a distributed file system having respective data stored amongst multiple remote and disparate storage locations over a network. Another purpose of the proxy is to enable the clients to retrieve data stored at the multiple servers. To establish a first connection between the proxy and a respective client, the proxy communicates with an authentication agent (residing at a location other than at the client) to verify a challenge response received from the client. When establishing a set of second connections with the multiple servers, the proxy communicates with the authentication agent to generate challenge responses on behalf of the client. The proxy facilitates a flow of data on the first connection and the set of second connections.
US08397034B1
A multi-port arbitration system has a write detection circuit coupled to each of a number of ports. An address coincidence detector is coupled to each of the ports. A deactivation pulse generator circuit is coupled to the address coincidence detector.
US08397033B2
A parallel processing processor system includes multiple processor elements, a main memory, and a shared memory, whose latency with the processors is less than the latency between the main memory and the processors. Each of the multiple processor elements has a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and an instruction cache. Firmware executed by the DSPs is transferred from the main memory to the shared memory and is shared by the DSPs. Updating of the instruction caches in the case where a cache miss has occurred is performed by, for example, copying, into the instruction caches, the content of the shared memory corresponding to an address accessed by a DSP.
US08397029B2
A method for maintaining cache coherency operates in a data processing system with a system memory and a plurality of processing units (PUs), each PU having a cache, and each PU coupled to at least another one of the plurality of PUs. A first PU receives a first data block for storage in a first cache of the first PU. The first PU stores the first data block in the first cache. The first PU assigns a first coherency state and a first tag to the first data block, wherein the first coherency state is one of a plurality of coherency states that indicate whether the first PU has accessed the first data block. The plurality of coherency states further indicate whether, in the event the first PU has not accessed the first data block, the first PU received the first data block from a neighboring PU.
US08397026B2
An access control system (10) is disclosed for controlling access to data stored on at least one data storage medium (14) of a computing system. The access control system (10) comprises authentication means (25) to authenticate users permitted to access data stored in the at least one data storage medium (14) and database means (29) arranged to store data access profiles. Each data access profile is associated with a user permitted to access data stored in the at least one data storage medium (14), each data access profile includes information indicative of the degree of access permitted by a user to data stored in the at least one data storage medium (14), and each data access profile includes a master data access profile (M) and a current data access profile (C). The current data access profile (C) is modifiable within parameters defined by the master data access profile (M).
US08397025B2
A method and apparatus for determining a cache line in an N-way set associative cache are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a key associated with a cache line is obtained. A main hash is generated using a main hash function on the key. An auxiliary hash is generated using an auxiliary hash function on the key. A bucket in a main hash table residing in an external memory is determined using the main hash. An entry in a bucket in an auxiliary hash table residing in an internal memory is determined using the determined bucket and the auxiliary hash. The cache line in the main hash table is determined using the determined entry in the auxiliary hash table.
US08397015B2
User data transferred from a host apparatus and a first information table 35 indicating correspondence between a logical address and a physical address are recorded in a first region of a flash memory 20. A second information table 38 composed of the physical block address storing the first information table 35 and the number of times of update of the physical block for recording the first information table from the time of manufacturing is recorded in a second region of the flash memory 20. The physical blocks of the first and the second regions are recorded independently from each other in a rotational manner. According to the recording of the second information table, the total number of times of rewriting of the first region is converted. This can suppress the number of times of rewriting of the second region and improve reliability of the number of times of update of the first information table from the time of manufacturing, the number being recorded in the second region.
US08397011B2
A scalable data storage device which includes non-volatile memory uses a networked bus system which can be employed on a single memory storage chip level or in a multi-chip package (MCP). The scalable data storage device uses data routing modules which are adapted to store incoming data and send outgoing data thereby providing decoupling of the networked buses. This arrangement enables significantly higher data transfer rates, surpassing DRAM SSDs at a fraction of the size and cost, provides increased volumetric density (1 TB in less than 1 cubic inch), and permits concurrency of operations. The scalable data storage device can be engineered to have a rewrite capability of over 500 times that of Flash RAM and can scale down to 8 bits and up to exabytes, yottabytes and beyond. The scalable data storage device may be used in a wide range of applications from large data centers to small consumer electronic products.
US08397006B2
A processing system includes a shared resource, an arbitration module, and a requesting device for issuing requests to the arbitration module to access the shared resource to perform transactions on the shared resource. The arbitration module grants access to the requesting device for a fixed time duration. The fixed time duration comprises one of a plurality of time durations including a first and a second time duration; the second longer than the first. The requesting device prioritizes performance of the transactions on the shared resource based upon the fixed time duration and types of transactions to be performed. Transaction type comprises one of a plurality of types including a first type that requires a time duration that can be performed within the first time duration and a second type that requires a time duration that exceeds the first time duration but can be performed within the second time duration.
US08397000B2
Details of a highly cost effective and efficient implementation of a manifold array (ManArray) architecture and instruction syntax for use therewith are described herein. Various aspects of this approach include the regularity of the syntax, the relative ease with which the instruction set can be represented in database form, the ready ability with which tools can be created, the ready generation of self-checking codes and parameterized test cases. Parameterizations can be fairly easily mapped and system maintenance is significantly simplified.
US08396996B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving in a processor complex a first write request from a peripheral device, obtaining information of the processor complex responsive to the first write request, and transmitting a second write request from the processor complex to the peripheral device including the information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08396991B2
A home gateway accesses a host system that differentially routes messages over a communication network to a destination system. The selection of a communication pathway from multiple possible communication pathways through a communication network is based on a user experience type (e.g., gaming user experience, streaming user experience, or browsing user experience) that generally reflects network resource consumption preferences of the user of the access account for the home gateway. Examples of user experience types include a gaming user experience, a streaming user experience and a browsing user experience. The user experience type generally reflects the online experience desired by the user.
US08396986B2
In cooperation between each data center and a WAN, virtual machine migration is carried out without interruption in processing so as to enable effective power-saving implementation, load distribution, or fault countermeasure processing. Each node located at a boundary point between the WAN and another network is provided with a network address translation (NAT) function that can be set dynamically to avoid address duplication due to virtual machine migration. Alternatively, each node included in the WAN is provided with a network virtualization function; and there are implemented a virtual network connected to a data center for including a virtual machine before migration, and a virtual network connected to a data center for including the virtual machine after migration, thereby allowing coexistent provision of identical addresses. Thus, the need for changing network routing information at the time of virtual machine migration can be eliminated, and a setting change for migration accomplished quickly.
US08396984B2
Methods and apparatus for implementing peer-to-peer relay. In one implementation, a peer-to-peer relay network includes: a plurality of N peer systems; wherein each peer system is connected to a number of other peer systems that is less than or equal to a connection limit, said connection limit is greater than or equal to 2, said connection limit is less than or equal to N-2, and each peer system is configured to relay data to peer systems connected to that peer system according to a set of one or more relay rules.
US08396980B2
A method, apparatus and system for data transfer is disclosed. For example, settings from multiple entities arranged in a multi-tier control plane are used to set data transfer policies. The policies are use to govern data transfers such as between end users or from an origin server.
US08396979B2
A communication apparatus such as a digital video camcoder acquires an IP address from a DHCP server on a UPnP network. During the communication apparatus is transmitting an image stream, which is a sensed image, to the DTV, the communication apparatus issues an IP address update request to the DHCP server. In this case, when the DHCP server leaves the UPnP network, the communication apparatus keeps transmitting the stream while holding an already set IP address. Upon completely transmitting the series of the stream, the communication apparatus generates its own IP address using an AutoIP function.
US08396976B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for admitting calls based on endpoint locations. Embodiments of the invention can be used to map (e.g., IP) subnets of an enterprise to the location where the subnets are managed in the network. A call admission control decision is then based on the subnets where endpoints (e.g., IP nodes) are currently located (as opposed to where users that use the endpoints are homed at). Embodiments of the invention can use just in time location detection. That is, endpoint locations can be detected just before a bandwidth policy decision is made. Detecting locations just before a bandwidth policy decision increases the likelihood of making an appropriate bandwidth policy decision.
US08396975B2
A connection accepting system, an accepting server, and a connection-acceptance managing method, for reducing the processing load of a server and allowing connection to the server in the order of arrival of connection requests. An accepting server accepts a connection request to an application server made from a client terminal through a network. The accepting server issues a reference number to the client terminal at the time of receiving a first connection request, and manages a connection priority for connection to the application server, based on the reference number. The accepting server transmits a program for automatically executing a connection request again after a predetermined time period, at the time of issuing the reference number to the client terminal.
US08396970B2
A method for processing content objects within a content delivery network (CDN) having a plurality of points of presence (POPs) in different defined geographies is disclosed. A content object is gathered from one of the plurality of POPs in a first defined geography. It is determined that a processing function is to be performed on the content object. Geographical restrictions on the processing function are analyzed. A second defined geography for performing the processing function is determined. The content object is sent to a resource that performs the processing function in the second defined geography. The processing function is performed with the resource at the second defined geography to produce a processed content object. From a plurality of content stores in the plurality of POPs, a content store is found to hold the processed content object. The processed content object is stored on the content store.
US08396969B1
In one general aspect, this document describes a computer-implemented method for creating buckets in a hosted storage platform. The method may include receiving, at a hosted storage computer system that utilizes a single namespace across data stores of the hosted storage computer system, a request from a user of the hosted storage computer system to create a bucket having a name that includes a domain name. The method may also include verifying that the user is an authorized manager of a domain that corresponds to the domain name. The method may also include creating the bucket on the hosted storage computer system upon verification that the user is an authorized manager of the domain.
US08396967B2
An information processing system is disclosed that makes it possible to easily create a process definition ticket according to a template created by checking common capabilities of devices. Devices on a network that have a potential for being used to execute a process based on the process definition ticket are selected, and information on capabilities of the selected devices is obtained. Functions common or uncommon to the devices are displayed in an identifiable manner based on the information on the capabilities of the devices. A process definition ticket template including common capabilities of the selected devices is generated with respect to process items in the template that are designated. A process definition ticket that is to be executed using the devices is created based on the generated template.
US08396962B2
A game grammar-based packet capture and analysis apparatus for conducting game test, includes: a packet capture unit for capturing packets of game data transmitted and received between a game client and a game server; a packet analysis unit for analyzing the packets captured by the packet capture unit to generate a game grammar based on analyzed results. Further, the game grammar-based packet capture and analysis apparatus includes a load generation unit for generating packets in compliance with the game grammar to apply the packets to the game server as a load.
US08396961B2
A processing device receives a request to initiate a new transaction. The processing device identifies one or more components of that will be used by the new transaction. The components may include hardware components and software components that operate on the hardware components. A timeout period is determined to apply to the new transaction based on properties of the one or more components and a current resource utilization of the one or more components. The new transaction is then initiated, wherein the determined timeout period is assigned to the new transaction.
US08396952B2
An interface coupled to a virtual network operations center and coupled to a data communications network having at least one optical channel. Equipment on the data communications network is identified by the interface wherein the interface coordinates and correlates communications between the I/O interfaces of a server coupled to the network so that data rates and data protocols are managed properly. The interface receives commands from and transmits commands to the data communications network and translates the commands to be further transmitted and used in the virtual network operations center coupled to the server. The data communications network is represented in a three dimensions virtual world in the virtual network operations center so that events on the network can be represented in real-time in the virtual network operations center.
US08396950B1
A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring device. The status inquiry messages are transmitted periodically to the at least one neighboring device. In addition, the network device may communicate an advertisement message over the control plane to discover the at least one neighboring network device prior to the communication of the status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane. The network devices may negotiate communication parameters for the exchange of status inquiry messages with the at least one network device.
US08396947B2
An active monitoring system for serial monitoring devices and the method thereof are provided. By receiving serial data from a serial monitoring device on a triggering device and analyzing the serial data to generate a device tag, the mechanism transmits the packed device tag actively to a server through a network. The server automatically generates a tag compliant with the Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) according to the device tag for monitoring. The mechanism improves the compatibility and efficiency of monitoring and bandwidth usage.
US08396943B2
A first local communication part of a vehicle mounted device transmits a first data including at least one of a first video data or a first audio data generated by an AV input/output unit of the vehicle mounted device to a server device. The first local communication unit receives a second data including at least one of a second video data or a second audio data from the server device. A first recording unit of the vehicle mounted device records therein the first data, the second data, and a unique information relating to a vehicle or a user of the vehicle. The first local communication unit further transmits the unique information to the server device.
US08396940B2
A system for communicating via a network, the system including a non-networking device driver running on a computer, and networking/non-networking apparatus configured to receive, from the non-networking device driver, data that are designated by an application for transmission via a computer network, and transmit the data via the computer network responsive to receipt of the data from the non-networking device driver, where the networking/non-networking apparatus includes a non-networking device impersonator configured to be identified by the computer as a non-networking device, and to receive data from the non-networking device driver, and a network adapter configured to receive the data from the non-networking device impersonator and transmit the data via the computer network.
US08396938B2
A method for providing direct access to distributed managed content is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a request to perform an operation with respect to content associated with a set of managed content and obtaining information required to respond to the request. The method further comprises providing in response to the request one or more content locators, each content locator being usable to perform the requested operation through direct communication with an associated one of a plurality of content systems used to store at a portion of the distributed managed content.
US08396933B2
Delivering electronic content includes providing instructions that might cause a computer to collect information including a network address and transmitting the collected information to a receiving computer. The computer that receives the transmitted information selects electronic content based on the received information and sends the selected electronic content to the network address included in the received information. Access to the electronic content might be selectively granted based on criteria.
US08396927B2
In a telecommunications network, method and apparatus for blocking unwanted messages (spam). Messages are first examined by a fast process which uses rules and data tables to determine whether a message can be passed or is potentially a spam message. If the message is potentially a spam message, the message content is analyzed by a deep process. Advantageously, most messages can be passed or blocked quickly and extensive data processing is required only for the few messages which cannot be categorized by the fast process.
US08396919B2
A hypertext displaying apparatus in which when a link destination indicated in stored data is designated, a processing section instructs a transmission/reception section to download hypertext data at the link destination. Additionally, the processing section instructs a history storage section to register an identifier of the currently-displayed stored data. If a user indicates a “previous content” instruction, the processing section reads from a stored information storage section the stored data corresponding to the identifier registered in the history information storage section, so that the stored data is displayed on a screen.
US08396916B2
A single stage computation method to perform a discrete cosine transform operation is provided. The discrete cosine transform operation is performed by executing a plurality of very large instruction words (VLIW) using a digital signal processor. The plurality of very large instruction words includes a first number of multiplications and a second number of additions, where the first number of multiplications is greater than the second number of additions.
US08396914B1
Circuitry speeds up the Cholesky decomposition of a matrix. The circuitry can be provided in a fixed logic device, or can be configured into a programmable integrated circuit device such as a programmable logic device. The circuitry implements the following equation: l ij = a ij - 〈 L i , L j 〉 a jj - 〈 L j , L j 〉 When any lij term is calculated this way, the latency in calculating the ljj term in the denominator has little or no effect on the lij term calculation. And if the calculations are properly pipelined, once the pipeline is filled, a new term can be output on each clock cycle or every few clock cycles.
US08396908B2
A cluster of computer system nodes connected by a storage area network include two classes of nodes. The first class of nodes can act as clients or servers, while the other nodes can only be clients. The client-only nodes require much less functionality and can be more easily supported by different operating systems. To minimize the amount of data transmitted during normal operation, the server responsible for maintaining a cluster configuration database repeatedly multicasts the IP address, its incarnation number and the most recent database generation number. Each node stores this information and when a change is detected, each node can request an update of the data needed by that node. A client-only node uses the IP address of the server to connect to the server, to download the information from the cluster database required by the client-only node and to upload local disk connectivity information.
US08396896B2
Embodiments of this disclosure relate to binary tree structures, and more specifically to assigning resources to a binary tree structure, such as for content protection. In embodiments, a total number of resources in a first category of resources is identified. The resources may be devices that play encryption protected content such as a CD, a DVD, an HD DVD, a BD, and a Secure Digital card, for example. In embodiments, a minimum number of dummy resources are assigned to a corresponding number of leaf nodes of the binary tree structure before resources in the first category of resources are assigned to leaf nodes in the binary tree structure. Generally, the minimum number of dummy resources is greater than or equal to 1+floor(2^floor(log2(N)−1)), wherein N is greater than or equal to the total number of resources in the first category of resources.
US08396885B2
Systems and methods are provided for improved web searching. In one implementation, suggested search queries are provided based on previous search queries and click data. A weighted bi-partite graph or index may be used to identify related search queries based on overlapping clicked URLs. According to a method, query-click log data of a search engine is processed to generate sets of suggested search queries, data corresponding to each suggested search query, and a set of clicked URLs related to each suggested search query. Additionally, or independently, methods may be provided for contextually correcting spelling errors within sets of suggested search queries using a contextual algorithm, and/or identifying and discarding sets of suggested search queries and URLs that lead to restricted material, such as restricted content and related URLs.
US08396884B2
A method for analyzing, querying, and mining graph databases using subgraph and similarity querying. An index structure, known as a closure tree, is defined for topological summarization of a set of graphs. In addition, a significance model is created in which the graphs are transformed into histograms of primitive components. Finally, connected substructures or clusters, comprising paths or trees, are detected in networks found in the graph databases using a random walk technique and a repeated random walk technique.
US08396878B2
Techniques for generating automated tags for a video file are described. The method includes receiving one or more manually generated tags associated with a video file, based at least in part on the one or more manually entered tags, determining a preliminary category for the video file, and based on the preliminary category, generating a targeted transcript of the video file, wherein the targeted transcript includes a plurality of words. The method further includes generating an ontology of the plurality of words based on the targeted transcript, ranking the plurality of words in the ontology based on a plurality of scoring factors, and based on the ranking of the plurality of words, generating one or more automated tags associated with the video file.
US08396877B2
In accordance with particular embodiments, a method includes receiving data from disparate data sources comprising data associated with different people. At least one of the data sources comprises data associated with at least one common person. The method also includes extracting at least one record from each of the disparate data sources. Each extracted record is associated with a corresponding person and comprises at least one feature associated with the corresponding person. The method additionally includes distributing the records to computers configured to identify matches between the records based on at least one matching feature associated with two or more records. The method further includes merging the at least one feature from each of the records of each corresponding match into merged records, each merged record corresponding to a different match. The method also includes generating at least one fused view associated with the at least one common person and comprising a merged record.
US08396876B2
Embodiments are directed towards identifying authoritative sources of multimedia content useable in rank ordering class-dependent search-query results of multimedia content. In one embodiment, a citation model is employed for measuring or otherwise determining a strength of an authority to a content source. In one embodiment, a directed graph is constructed over a network of sources based on a propensity of one source to “cite” content provided by another source. In one embodiment, a random walk may be conducted across the network of sources to arrive at authority scores for each source in the network. In another embodiment, a machine-learning algorithm may be used to arrive at authority scores. The authority scores may then be applied for ranking, for example, search-query results, and/or retrieval purposes.
US08396863B2
A temporal relational database includes a relational database framework that allows for all the capabilities of a standard relational database with the addition of the concept of time. Transactions, which can be modifications of attribute values or changes to the database schema, can be stored with temporal histories. Through the use of these temporal histories, the temporal database is able to seamlessly respond to queries for times that are in the past, present, or future. Furthermore, transactions can be entered into the temporal relational database that are not effective until some point in the future, thus allowing for seamless migration of the data and schema of a database. Applications that access data in a temporal database may retrieve a time appropriate schema from the temporal database. An exemplary use of a temporal database to manage roles and responsibilities within an organization is described.
US08396854B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) digital document management system (“DDMS”). The DDMS is located remotely from an office building or other place of business on a remote server. The server is connected to one or more databases for storing digital documents or information extracted from the digital documents. A user populates the DDMS by sending digital documents to the server using a computer, an email-enabled scanner, or the like. When a digital document is received at the server, the document is routed to a customer pending queue, information from the digital document is extracted, the digital document is stored in a directory, and the extracted information is stored in a relational database. The extracted information is supplemented or corrected as necessary using a web portal which allows a user to access the digital document and the extracted information. The digital document and the extracted information are then sent to a first destination such as an archive or mail-on-demand (e.g., a mail and print service).
US08396851B2
A text mining network that improves the performance of search engines by using a network of computer entities with autonomous neural networks. Each neural network provides a weighted list of associated search terms for each search query. The lists of associated search terms from two or more computer entities are merged to a unique list of associated search terms by utilization of a virtual index algorithm. Document result sets from the autonomous entities are merged to a unique result set by a weighted combination of two or more result sets.
US08396849B2
Various embodiments enable a web site to expose various search providers that it promotes to browsers that navigate to that site. In at least some embodiments, the search providers are exposed using the HTML of a web page. When a browser navigates to that site, it processes the HTML of the associated web page and exposes the promoted search providers to the user. In at least some embodiments, the browser can permit use of one or more search providers without requiring the user to install the search provider. Alternately or additionally, in at least some other embodiments, the browser can enable the user to quickly and efficiently install the search provider so that the search provider can be available whenever the user uses their browser application.
US08396847B2
A system to retrieve and analyze data may include at least one data collection engine to operate on a processor and to retrieve selected data related to an inquiry from at least one data source. The system may also include at least one rules engine to operate on the processor or another processor to apply predetermined functions to the selected data to respond to the inquiry.
US08396842B2
A method and system of externalized data validation. Data input to applications is received. Metadata specifying types of the received data is received. Methods to cleanse the received data are determined based on the metadata. Based on the determined methods and received metadata, a validation engine external to the applications cleanses and validates the received data. The validated data is sent to the applications for use by the applications. Via a subscription service and without requiring updates to the applications, a service provider provides dynamic updates of the validation engine to mitigate newly identified events associated with input to the applications.
US08396839B1
A subset of de-duplicated is outputted. In some embodiments, the output includes a subset of data stored in de-duplicated form in a plurality of containers each including a plurality of data segments comprising the data. For each container that includes one or more data segments comprising the subset, a corresponding container data is included in the output. Each container may include one or more segments not included in the subset. For each container the corresponding container data of which is included in the output, a corresponding value in a data structure including for each container stored on the de-duplicated storage system a data value indicating whether or not the corresponding container data has been included in the output is updated.
US08396833B2
Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter allow a redirect-on-write file system to continue processing file transactions while writing a snapshot to persistent storage. Thus, embodiments do not block file transactions while flushing snapshots to persistent storage. To avoid blocking, some embodiments the file system can maintain two snapshot generations. The first snapshot generation is the snapshot being written to persistent storage. The second snapshot generation may reside in main memory, and store data for file transactions occurring after the file system began writing the first snapshot generation.
US08396821B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and devices for monitoring one or more utilities consumed within a monitored area. At least certain disclosed methods include detecting an amount of a first utility consumed by a load associated with a device. An amount of a second utility consumed by a load associated with the device is detected. The identity of the device is determined based on the amount of the first and second utility consumed. In further disclosed methods, a utility monitoring method is disclosed that includes measuring an amount of a utility consumed by a first device at a first time and an amount of a utility consumed by a second device at a second time. The identity of the first device is determined based on the measured consumption of the first and second devices at the first and second time. In certain implementations, the electricity meter uses an effective variance analysis of the conductance waveform on an electrical circuit to identify specific appliances.
US08396818B2
In operating a communications network, a set of derived events occurs in dependence on at least one primary event in the communications network. A learning method for determining the set of derived events by analyzing the at least one primary event and by predicting the set of derived events based on relations concerning network entities and/or events in the communications network is implemented to support the management of the communications network in a more efficient way.
US08396817B2
A learning apparatus includes a feature extractor for extracting a feature at a feature point in a plurality of training images including training images that contains a target object to be recognized and that does not contain the target object, a tentative learner generator for generating a tentative learner for detecting the target object in an image, where the tentative learner is formed from a plurality of weak learners through statistical learning using the training images and the feature obtained from the training images, and a learner generator for generating a final learner that is formed from at least one of the weak learners and that detects the target object in an image by substituting the feature into a feature function formed from some of the weak learners of the tentative learner so as to obtain a new feature and performing statistical learning using the new feature and training images.
US08396815B2
A method, system, and computer program product are provided for process automation. The method includes: monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstation; and analysing the screen contents and user actions into monitored functional events. The method further includes: providing multiple focal states as defined sequences of functional events with one or more facilitating scripts associated with a focal state, wherein a facilitating script provides one or more automatic actions; and matching a sequence of monitored functional events to a defined sequence of functional events of a focal state. The one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script associated with the matched focal state are then applied.
US08396813B2
A method and system automatically obtain user page data from at least one social networking site, using at least one computerized device and automatically monitor the social networking site using the computerized device to detect an event. Upon the detection of an event, the method and system automatically identify a variable information document from a repository based on the topical content of the event using the computerized device. The method and system automatically select data from the user page data that matches the topical content of the event using the computerized device; automatically generate a variable data print instance by combining the images and text from the user page with the variable information document using the computerized device; and automatically output the variable data print instance to a user of the social networking site using the computerized device.
US08396812B2
A method and system for generating a real estate property index uses real estate data including price data, property data and time of sale data that are entered into a computing apparatus. The time of sale data is manipulated to provide consecutive triple times giving two consecutive time periods (e.g., March, April, May 2007 and April, May, June 2007). A transform function, preferably a log function, is generated with two time dummy variables, and the coefficients of the two time dummy variables are extracted and added to generate a transformed growth rate. The reverse transform function, preferably an anti-log function, is generated to provide the desired untransformed growth rate.
US08396811B1
A computer processing system for auditing transaction information between vendors and service providers servicing a third party's needs. The system also includes those transactions involving shippers and carriers. The system is particularly suited to efficiently and automatically audit and effect payment of a transaction and to efficiently provide access to relevant transaction and subscription information. According to one example embodiment, the system includes a processor arrangement that helps vendors validate transactions between service providers and third party customers. In some cases the system is able to monitor transactions initiated by the service provider, for the benefit of the customer, committing the vendor to certain actions not readily known by vendor. However, this is acceptable if the service provider uses a service quotation generating system, provided by the vendor, that has pre-determined parameters that vendor is willing to be committed to in order to immediately secure the new subscriber.
US08396806B2
A message that includes an end user license agreement is received at a client from a service in a distributed computing system. The client determines whether to accept the end user license agreement. The message is processed if the end user license agreement is accepted.
US08396804B1
A system for remotely reviewing medical data allows medical data to be transmitted to a nurse's mobile handheld device from medical equipment or data storage. The system includes a console, a data server and mobile handheld devices; the data server may be a software component within the console. The system may further include medical imaging equipment, medical records databases, and other sensors and servers. Medical data is routed through the console to the data server to reach the mobile handheld device via a wireless network. After reviewing the data, nurses may transmit their comments from their mobile handheld device to the requester by going through the same system. The data server may further include a resident messaging system that communicates to the mobile handheld device such that the user is notified of messages or data awaiting review along with the urgency of the required review are also described.
US08396802B2
A system for remotely reviewing medical data allows medical data to be transmitted over a vulnerable network to a physician's mobile device. The system includes a console, a data server and mobile devices. The system may include medical imaging equipment, medical records databases, and other sensors. Medical data is routed through the console to the data server to reach the mobile device via a wireless network. Patient's medical file may be separated into a demographics layer and a data layer, and separately encrypted using different encryption keys for the demographic layer and the data layer. Servers in the communication and processing system are provided with a decryption key for the layer processed by such server. Physicians may transmit comments to the requestor through the same system. A resident messaging system may notify users of messages or data awaiting review along with the urgency of the required review are also described.
US08396793B2
A payment system receives, from a first financial institution, a request for a funds transfer. The request originates from a sender who has an account with the first financial institution. The payment system routes the funds transfer to a second financial institution for the benefit of a recipient. The payment system receives, from the second financial institution, the recipient's name and residential address.
US08396786B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for creating an electronic marketplace, utilizing an electronic non-currency unit of exchange, that provides for and facilitates the cost effective exchange of institutional research and trade order execution services between asset management firms and executing brokers in such manner as to substantially lower trading costs and improve investment performance on a recurring basis for the shareholders and beneficiaries investing in mutual funds and other investment portfolios.
US08396769B1
The disclosure details the implementation of apparatuses, methods and systems for a Fund Engine which, in various embodiments, may provide dynamic management, analysis and/or control of investments utilizing multiple asset classes and strategies. In particular, this disclosure discusses the application of the Fund Engine to investments including structured notes utilizing constant proportion portfolio protection. In one embodiment, the Fund Engine may construct, facilitate, assist and/or manage one or more multi-strategy master funds by investing assets of the funds in principal protected notes, the value of which may be determined by reference to the performance of a multi-strategy reference portfolio fund. In one implementation, Notes may include senior unsecured debt obligations. In one implementation, the Fund Engine may achieve the reference portfolio fund's objectives by employing a constant proportion portfolio protection tool that allocates the reference portfolio fund's assets, net of any fees and expenses, between investments that are actively managed and exposed to market risks and fixed income investments.
US08396763B2
A node for a telecommunications system, comprising a PCEF and interfaces towards a BERF, a PCRF, and an OCS, an Online Charging System. The node is equipped with a function for sending a credit authorization request and event information to the OCS, and for receiving, in reply, a credit authorization trigger from the OCS. The node also comprises a function for forwarding such credit authorization triggers to the PCRF and for receiving from the PCRF acknowledgment of installation in the BBERF and information regarding the events for which credit is sought. The node comprises a function for receiving the result of a comparison between the event information that was sent to the OCS and the event information that was received from the BBERF; if those two are not similar, the credit authorization is not considered completed.
US08396751B2
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to merchandise and point-of-sale transaction business objects.
US08396750B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for recommending improvements in merchant network sites. In one example, a plurality of recommendations are stored in a memory accessible by a server, the recommendations being applicable to improve an operation of the network presence of at least one of a plurality of online merchants, and wherein a criteria is associated with each of the recommendations, each criteria determining whether a corresponding one of the recommendations applies to the network presence of a respective one of the online merchants. A subset of the recommendations applicable to the network presence of one of the online merchants is identified and an implementation status is determined for each of the subset of recommendations. The recommendations in the subset are presented along with the implementation status of each of the recommendations to an agent of the one of the online merchants.
US08396740B1
A method is disclosed for displaying utility consumption of a property portfolio for zones of a display area. First values correspond to utility consumption and second values corresponding to consumption intensity are first determined. The first values for each zone are ranked from high to low values and associated with a size of a geometric form corresponding to each of the zones. Similarly, the second values for each zone are ranked from high to low values and associated with a corresponding color, with a highest of the second values having a first color representing a highest consumption intensity, the smallest of the second values having a second color representing the lowest consumption intensity, and the remaining of the second values are associated with mixtures of the first color and second color. The respective geometric forms for each of the zones are displayed on the map at respective spatial locations.
US08396738B1
A method and a system for evaluating, determining and customizing third party marketing services, where a listing of reasonable values for a given criteria is generated and referenced when determining the consideration to be paid for the service related to the criteria. The given criteria may include a geographic area, so that the listing of reasonable values is for a number of geographic areas, and the consideration is determined for services to be provided in any one or combination of the geographic areas. Listing of reasonable values may include a listing of baseline fair market value (FMV) basis points that may be applied in determining the fair market value of marketing services provided. The marketing service provided may be based on a custom marketing plan prepared for a specific partner for a specific geographic area with reference to specific marketing media.
US08396711B2
A user's voice is authenticated by prompting a user to say a challenge phrase from a list of predetermined phrases and comparing the user's response with a prerecorded version of the same response. The user's stored recordings are associated with an electronic identification or serial number for a specific device, so that when communication is established using the device, only the specific user may authenticate the session. When several phrases and recordings are used, one may be selected at random for authentication so that fraudulent authentication using a recording of the user's voice may be thwarted. The system and method may be used for authenticating a device when it is first activated, such as a telephony device, or may be used when authenticating a specific communications session.
US08396708B2
An avatar facial expression representation technology is provided. The avatar facial expression representation technology estimates changes in emotion and emphasis in a user's voice from vocal information, and changes in mouth shape of the user from pronunciation information of the voice. The avatar facial expression technology tracks a user's facial movements and changes in facial expression from image information and may represent avatar facial expressions based on the result of the these operations. Accordingly, the avatar facial expressions can be obtained which are similar to actual facial expressions of the user.
US08396706B2
A method, system and program for encoding and decoding speech according to a source-filter model whereby speech is modeled to comprise a source signal filtered by a time-varying filter. The method comprises: receiving a speech signal; and from the speech signal, deriving a spectral envelope signal representing the modeled filter and a remaining signal representing the modeled source. At intervals during the encoding, the method further comprises determining a period between portions of the remaining signal having a degree of repetition and determining a correlation between said portions based on that period, thus producing a respective vector of the correlation for each interval. Once every number of said intervals, the method further comprises selecting a codebook from a plurality of codebooks for quantizing the vectors, quantizing the vectors of that number of intervals according to the selected codebook, and transmitting the quantized vectors along with an indication of the selected codebook.
US08396700B2
The present disclosure provides, among other things, a method for generating a simulated aggregate based on one or more input parameters. A test aggregate is constructed and rotated. Stable orientations of the aggregate on a surface are determined. In specific examples, two-dimensional properties are calculated for stable orientations of the test aggregate and stored or displayed. In particular implementations of the method, the test aggregate is constructed through successive monomer addition.
US08396694B2
A method of forecasting the electrical production of a photovoltaic device comprising photovoltaic modules (1), comprising a first part of estimating the lighting that will be received in the plane of the photovoltaic modules (1) and a second part of estimating the electrical production of the photovoltaic device, characterized in that it comprises the following first step: (E1)—determination of whether a period concerned is sunny or cloudy, and characterized in that it comprises the following second step (E2) of implementing at least one of the following two steps: (E2)—correction of the second part of the method of forecasting the electrical production based on the measurement of the true electrical production of the photovoltaic modules if the period concerned is sunny; and/or correction of the first part of the method of forecasting the electrical production based on the measurement of the true electrical production of the photovoltaic modules if the period concerned is cloudy.
US08396692B2
A computer-enabled interactive site planner; said site planner adapted to the determination of solar radiation exposure profiles for a user-specified location; said site planner further adapted to providing data on shade providing objects and strategies for reduction of exposure risk appropriate to said user-specific location.
US08396686B2
In one embodiment, one or more electronic devices access energy-consumption data at each of a plurality of electricity-consuming devices, the energy-consumption data at each of the electricity-consuming devices indicating for each of a plurality of past pre-determined time periods an aggregate energy usage by the electricity-consuming device over the past pre-determined time period, an energy-measurement unit at the electricity-consuming device having measured and recorded the aggregate energy usage by the electricity-consuming device for each of the past pre-determined time periods for later access, each of the energy-measurement units having a substantially unique identifier (ID), each of the electricity-consuming devices having its own one of the energy-measurement units; and based on the energy-consumption data, determine one or more energy-consumption patterns across the electricity-consuming devices over at least the past pre-determined time periods.
US08396668B2
It is described a method of interpolating and extrapolating seismic recordings, including the steps of deriving particle velocity related data from seismic recordings obtained by at least one streamer carrying a plurality of multi-component receivers and using the particle velocity related data to replace higher derivatives of pressure data in an expansion series.
US08396665B2
A portable navigation device (PND) is disclosed comprising processing means, a graphical display, memory, map data stored in said memory, user-input means, and signal reception means for receiving one or more wireless signals by means of which the processor can determine a present location of the device and in conjunction with user input desired destination information, and perform route calculation and subsequent navigation functions, such being performed by software installed on the device. The PND is additionally provided with a connector by means of which said PND can be physically connected to third party devices or systems. The invention is characterized in that said PND is adapted to establish a communication, via said physical connection, with a vehicle controller area network consisting thus becoming a node thereon and capable of communicating with other nodes thereon, each of said nodes having functionality represented by one or more signals distributed around said controller area network and received by said PND. The invention is further characterized in that said PND includes a first software translation layer enabling the communication between PND and one or more nodes, and a second software routine layer comprising one or more routines specific to the functionality of one or more of said other nodes so as to effectively communicate therewith and utilize their functionality. Examples of third party devices include hands-free communications modules, gateway nodes, the vehicle stereo system, engine management system, seat position controllers, multifunction steering wheel, dashboard and console displays, integrated navigation systems, and the like. The invention allows the PND either to receive and interpret information from the controller area network and retrieve information from one or more devices forming nodes on that network for display on the PND or improved operation thereof, or to cause control or state change of one or more of the devices forming nodes on the controller area network. Voice control of the PND is also possible in the case a voice recognition system is provided as a node on the controller area network, and additionally, the vocal instructions issued by the PND can be caused to be replayed through the car stereo, if such is also connected to the controller area network within the vehicle.
US08396645B2
An internal combustion engine system that converts thermal energy from an exhaust of an engine to mechanical energy includes a heat exchanger thermally coupled to an exhaust from an internal combustion process. The heat exchanger receives a heat transfer fluid therein. A generator is coupled to the heat exchanger. The heat transfer fluid expands and evaporates in the generator in response to heat from the exhaust of the internal combustion process. The expansion of the heat transfer fluid vapor converts thermal energy of the heat transfer fluid to mechanical energy.
US08396644B2
A control device for an internal combustion engine employing PCCI combustion, capable of realizing high-stability operation of the engine throughout a large operation area, is provided. The engine control device comprises a fuel supply system which supplies light oil or mixed fuel containing light oil to the engine, a gas supply system which supplies hydrogen to the engine, and a required premixed gas calculating unit which previously stores and uses multiple combustion waveforms (changing depending on hydrogen addition concentration) as data. The required premixed gas calculating unit selects one of the combustion waveforms so as to achieve high thermal efficiency depending on the status of the engine and determines the hydrogen addition concentration (addition concentration of the hydrogen to be supplied to the engine) corresponding to the selected combustion waveform, by which the generation of PM and NOx can be reduced while also improving the thermal efficiency of the engine.
US08396633B2
A method of regulating an axle disconnect device that is operable in an axle assembly of a vehicle drivetrain includes monitoring a plurality of parameters, determining whether an occurrence of at least one of a traction event and a stability event is imminent based on at least one of the parameters, the stability event being determined based on a first set parameters, and the traction event being determined based on a second set of parameters that includes less parameters than the first set of parameters, and regulating the axle disconnect device to an engaged position if the occurrence of the at least one of the traction event and the stability event is imminent.
US08396631B2
A controller for a motor vehicle with a carrier plate for receiving a component carrier with a component carrier foot. The carrier plate has a recess through which the component carrier can be passed and which is suitable for receiving the foot, wherein the dimensions of the recess in the region of the component carrier and in the region of the foot in the X/Y-direction correspond to maximum admissible dimensions of the component carrier and of the foot (5) in the X/Y-direction. In the Z-direction, a pressing geometry is arranged on the recess or on the foot such that after establishing a positive-fit or non-positive connection between the carrier plate and a system interface, the pressing geometry or a part that is arranged opposite the pressing geometry is in such a deformed state that the foot is in the recess in a fixed state and without play.
US08396624B2
Exemplary methods, systems and components enable selective control of an operational mode for a vehicle that is subject to an administrative standard. In some instances a qualified person or entity may attain a possible consequential result related to a user-selected vehicle operation mode that may involve a vehicle operation paradigm and/or a vehicle travel route and/or a vehicle travel destination. In some embodiments, implementation of the selected vehicle operation mode may modify a conformity status of the vehicle relative to the administrative standard. Various accessible records may be maintained regarding administrative compliance states and their respective benefits, as well as regarding certification of preferable consequential results available to qualified recipients based on a correlated vehicle operational mode.
US08396604B2
A method of managing energy use of a network device located at a site with a mobile device is provided. The method proceeds by determining a plurality of zones about the site and detecting a current location of the mobile device relative to the plurality of zones. The method continues by altering the operating condition of the network device in response to detecting the mobile device changing zones. A graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed within the display screen of the mobile device. A map presenting the site location, the plurality of zones disposed about the site location, and the current location of the mobile device is displayed within the GUI along with a distance selector including selectable distance values. The method further includes automatically scaling the plurality of zones and the map in response to changing the selectable distance value using the distance selector.
US08396600B2
Techniques and systems for the prevention of reactor fouls in polymerization reactors are described. Described embodiments include techniques and systems for performing analyses on reactor data collected over time for the detection of incipient reactor fouling. Techniques are provided for monitoring the state of the reactor as well as for monitoring individual system parameters, including rates of change, for predicting the onset of a reactor foul. In particular, the techniques may be implemented such that predictive proactive control systems may be integrated into polymerization reactor systems to prevent reactor fouling.
US08396599B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a robot system including a graphics language capable of comprehensively and easily controlling operation of each robot in a robot system constituted by a plurality of pieces of robots.A robot system of the invention in order to achieve the above-described object is constituted by a plurality of pieces of robots, a robot control apparatus 10 for controlling based on a robot program, and a robot instruction apparatus 11 connected to the robot control apparatus 10 for displaying the robot program, the robot control apparatus 10 includes a unit registration portion 1 for arbitrarily combining one piece or more of robots to define one unit, a task registration portion 2 for allocating a task to each unit, and a graphics language processing portion 3 capable of forming the robot program for each task as a graphic program in the robot system for simultaneously controlling one piece or more of robots.
US08396594B2
A robot is provided with a multi-joint robot arm, an external force detection unit that is installed in the arm, and detects an external force, a joint movable-state calculation unit that calculates a movable state of a joint of the arm, an external force conversion unit which, based on the movable state calculated by the joint movable-state calculation unit, converts the external force detected by the external force detection unit to a converted external force, and a control unit that controls the arm based on the converted external force so as to regulate the operation of the arm.
US08396587B2
Provided is a conveyance control system in which fast and smooth control is realized without causing a control delay by a processing delay of a control apparatus such as a PLC, and wiring between a control object and a central control unit is omitted. A conveyance control system according to the present invention includes a plurality of data processing slave stations connected through a common transmission line. The data processing slave station obtains information about a predetermined station from monitor/control data about a plurality of stations of the data processing slave station transmitted to the common transmission line, determines and adjusts control/monitoring of an own station and outputs information about an own station to the common transmission line. The information about an own station output to the common transmission line from the data processing slave station is obtained by a different station as part of the monitor/control data to become a control/monitor factor of the different station.
US08396569B2
A lead assembly includes an elongate body having a conductor electrically coupled with an electrode coupled to the elongate body. The lead assembly includes a push tube extending along at least a portion of the elongate body. A distal tip is coupled to the elongate body substantially adjacent to the distal end of the elongate body. The distal tip is sized and shaped to couple with a push tube distal end. In one option, the distal tip includes a seat to receive the push tube distal end. In another option, the seat is a side rail seat and a guide wire extends along the elongate body and is slidably coupled with the side rail seat. The lead assembly includes, optionally, an active fixation device slidably coupled with a portion of the elongate body, and the active fixation device is sized and shaped to couple with the push tube.
US08396568B2
An elongate body of a medical electrical lead includes at least one conductor formed into a coil that includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion extends within an outer insulation sheath and the second portion extends outside the outer insulation sheath to be exposed to an environment external to the lead body as an energy dissipating shunt.
US08396560B2
Various aspects of the present subject matter provide a device. In various embodiments, the device comprises a port adapted to connect a lead, a pulse generator connected to the port and adapted to provide a neural stimulation signal to the lead, and a signal processing module connected to the port and adapted to receive and process a nerve traffic signal from the lead into a signal indicative of the nerve traffic. The device includes a controller connected to the pulse generator and the signal processing module. The controller is adapted to implement a stimulation protocol to provide the neural stimulation signal with desired neural stimulation parameters based on the signal indicative of the nerve traffic. Other aspects are provided herein.
US08396559B2
Selective high-frequency spinal chord modulation for inhibiting pain with reduced side affects 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 chord region to address low back pain without creating unwanted sensory and/or motor side affects. In other embodiments, modulation in accordance with similar parameters can be applied to other spinal or peripheral locations to address other indications.
US08396551B2
Techniques are provided for use by implantable medical devices for controlling ventricular pacing, particularly during atrial fibrillation. In one example, during a V sense test for use in optimizing ventricular pacing, the implantable device determines relative degrees of variation within antecedent and succedent intervals detected between ventricular events sensed on left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) sensing channels. Preferred or optimal ventricular pacing delays are then determined, in part, based on a comparison of the relative degrees of variation obtained during the V sense test. In another example, during RV and LV pace tests, the device distinguishes QRS complexes arising due to interventricular conduction from QRS complexes arising due to atrioventricular conduction from the atria, so as to permit the determination of correct paced interventricular conduction delays for the patient. The paced interventricular conduction delays are also used to optimize ventricular pacing. Biventricular and monoventricular pacing regimes are provided.
US08396547B2
A getter system (20) is provided for the sorption of organic molecules on the inside of active systems (30) for the transdermal release of drugs. The getter system is suitable to avoid the corrosion of electrical parts of these systems, caused by these organic molecules in the presence of water.
US08396546B2
A machine control device includes: first decoders for estimating, from brain signal information, which one of body movements a user performs or images, based on learning using pairs of movements performed by the user and brain signal information, the body movements going toward one of first to nth body postures; second decoders for estimating from the brain signal information, an correct rate on the body movement estimation, based on learning using pairs of correct rates of the estimation of body movements and the brain signal information; and electric prosthetic arm control section for controlling an electric prosthetic arm to change stepwise its posture between first to nth postures via at least one intermediate posture therebetween, the first to nth postures corresponding to the first to nth body postures. The first decoders perform the estimation only when the estimated correct rate exceeds a threshold. When the first decoders estimate that the body movements goes toward a body posture different from the current one, the electric prosthetic arm control section changes the posture of the machine by performing a part of substeps of change from one of the first to nth body postures toward the posture associated with the body posture toward which the estimated body movement goes. This configuration allows a user to control a brain-signal-based machine to perform a natural movement without a long-term training and much brain information.
US08396525B2
A real-time simultaneous measurement apparatus includes: a hemoglobin information-receiving portion that sequentially receives hemoglobin information, which is information relating to the amount of hemoglobin in a head portion of a test subject, from a NIRS brain-measuring apparatus that receives a synchronization signal output by a synchronization signal output apparatus and acquires the hemoglobin information when the synchronization signal has been received; a brain wave information-receiving portion that sequentially receives the brain wave information of the test subject, from an EEG brain wave-measuring apparatus that receives a synchronization signal output by the synchronization signal output apparatus and acquires the brain wave information when the synchronization signal has been received; a synchronization processing portion that performs processing that synchronizes the hemoglobin information and the brain wave information; and an output portion that outputs the synchronized hemoglobin information and brain wave information.
US08396524B2
A sensor is provided that is appropriate for optical detection of dissolved carbon dioxide. Such a sensor may be used for transcutaneous detection of carbon dioxide in the tissue. Alternatively, such sensors may be inserted into the tissue. Detection of dissolved carbon dioxide in the tissue may serve as a useful clinical marker for physicians.
US08396519B2
An electronic device comprising a first housing (110) and a second housing (112), the first and second housings arranged to provide a device open configuration (FIG. 1), a first device closed configuration (FIG. 5) and a second device closed configuration (FIG. 6), wherein in the device closed configurations a first face of the first housing and a first face of the second housing are arranged to overlie one another (112, 110), and in the open configuration the first face of the first and second housings are arranged to be spaced apart compared to the closed configurations to reveal the respective first faces (118)/and wherein a first portion of the first face of the second housing is covered by the first face of the first housing in the first device closed configuration (FIG. 5), and the first portion of the first face of the second housing is revealed in the second device closed configuration (FIG. 6).
US08396501B2
Upon a user's command, a communication device accesses a call list having a plurality identifiers and receives a user's selection of a talkgroup identifier from the call list. The communication device switches to a first channel associated with the selected talkgroup identifier to allow a call on the first channel. When the call ends, the communication device sets a first timer and monitors the first channel for voice activity, and if voice activity is detected, continues the call on the first channel. When the first timer expires and no voice activity is detected, the communication device sets a second timer and scans a home channel for voice activity; and if no voice activity is detected, the communication device continues to monitor the first channel until the second timer expires or voice activity is detected on the home channel, then it automatically switches to the home channel.
US08396496B2
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a system comprising a transceiver, a sensor and a controller is provided. The sensor is coupled to an electrical component in the transceiver and is configured to measure a thermal load on the electrical component. The controller is configured with a predetermined threshold, and is configured to reduce the voltage and current bias point, in the power amplifier, in response to the thermal load measurement being greater than the predetermined threshold. The system provides an inexpensive solution to the problem of shedding thermal load in transceiver systems and can be incorporated into new systems or adapted to legacy systems.
US08396494B2
A mobile communication terminal apparatus of the present invention has a mail transmitting function, and stores therein a first mail text that includes particular data, and at least one destination. Also, the mobile communication terminal apparatus stores therein, for each of parties including the destination, replacement information that shows whether a party corresponding thereto requires mail text replacement. If the replacement information corresponding to the destination shows that mail text replacement is not required, the mobile communication terminal apparatus transmits the first mail text to the destination. If the replacement information corresponding to the destination shows that mail text replacement is required, the mobile communication terminal apparatus composes a second mail text from the first mail text by editing at least the particular data, and transmits the second mail text to the destination.
US08396493B2
A network device, method, and mobile device are directed towards enabling a mobile device user to archive a text message threaded conversation with another conversation participant. text messages sent from the mobile device may be replicated by a server component, whether the text message is a reply message or an incoming message. The replicated text message may then be sent to an identified personal computing device's network-based messaging archive. In one embodiment, the messaging archive may be an outbox archive for text messages. As described, a text message being sent to the mobile device from the other conversation participant may also be replicated and archived in a network-based inbox archive for text messages on the identified personal computing device. In one embodiment, the archived text messages may be displayed to the user on the personal computing devices as threaded conversations.
US08396483B2
A mobile station (101) for use in a wireless communication system includes a steerable antenna, means for obtaining location information relating to a current location of the mobile station and a steering controller for controlling a pointing direction of the steerable antenna using the location information and characterized in that the mobile station includes a memory holding a database of optimal pointing directions of the steerable antenna for given locations and the steering controller is operable to steer the antenna to the optimal pointing direction indicated in the database for the current location. Also described is a system and a method in which the mobile station operates.
US08396482B1
Means and a method for determination of a distance between a transmitting station and a receiving station is disclosed. In the method a characteristic parameter is determined for the radio propagation environment of the receiving station. At least one feature of a signal that has been received at the receiving station is measured, said feature being such that it can be used for the determination of the distance between the stations. The distance is then computed based on said measured signal feature and the characteristic parameter.
US08396478B2
The present invention concerns a first base station managing a neighboring condition and cell area operation of a cell area, the cell area being a cell area of a wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a telecommunication network enabling a transfer of information between the first base station and a second base station, where the wireless cellular network comprises a server linked to the telecommunication network.
US08396474B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for managing an availability of a call agent, comprising acquiring a session identification by a basestation (BS) and a call agent (CA), wherein the BS is coupled to the CA, if the CA's state is changed from an active state to a standby state, requesting a new connection with the BS; and after the new connection is established between the CA and the BS, sending another session identification from the CA to the BS.
US08396473B2
A method and system for scanning channels in a network for incoming audio transmissions. A device enters an intelligent scanning mode, which initiates an automatic scanning of predefined channels for incoming audio transmissions. Upon detection, the device tunes to the channel of the incoming audio transmission while continually searching channels of a higher priority for incoming audio transmissions of a higher priority. A device enters a single channel mode to send an outgoing transmission, which automatically reverts the device to the channel of the last incoming audio transmission.
US08396469B2
A method of associating a mobile user identifier identifying a mobile interface of a mobile phone and a radio identifier identifying a radio interface of the mobile phone includes: at a device configured to communicate with the radio interface, detecting that the mobile phone is located within a coverage area of the device, thus recovering the radio identifier; establishing a radio connection between device and mobile phone; transmitting to the mobile phone through the radio connection a command to access a mobile service for transmitting to an association server a message including the radio identifier; at the mobile phone, transmitting the message to the association server through the mobile service; and at the association server, retrieving the mobile user identifier through the mobile service and reading the radio identifier from the message, thereby associating the mobile user identifier and the radio identifier.
US08396465B2
System and method for remotely managing mobile devices. A virtual instance mobile device is maintained for each physical mobile device to be managed. Each virtual instance mobile device is executable in a computer runtime environment and includes a hardware emulation component configured to emulate the hardware components of the corresponding physical mobile device and a software emulation component corresponding to the software components of the physical mobile device, which is executable within the context of the hardware emulation component. Synchronization between the virtual instance mobile devices and their corresponding physical mobile devices is maintained, and data obtained from the physical mobile devices is stored. The physical mobile devices are remotely managed by utilizing their corresponding virtual instance mobile devices respectively.
US08396448B2
A broadcast information notification method according to the present invention includes: starting to repeatedly transmit, at a network node, a broadcast message irrespective of transmission timing of a paging message, when the network node is instructed to notify a mobile station of the broadcast information; receiving, at the mobile station, a broadcast message reception parameter by using a parameter specified by the paging message transmitted by the network node at a predetermined timing; receiving, at the mobile station, a receivable broadcast message by using the received broadcast message reception parameter; and performing, at the mobile station, processing corresponding to the broadcast information.
US08396442B2
A directional pattern table memory stores combined directional pattern groups in each of which combined directional patterns are ordered by different predetermined priority according to a different radio propagation environment. A controller computes a communication performance expected value based on RSSIs for when an initial combined directional pattern is set on steerable antenna apparatuses; selects one combined directional pattern group based on relative strengths of RSSIs; and according to the priority, sequentially sets combined directional patterns of the selected one combined directional pattern group, on the steerable antenna apparatuses, computes a communication performance value based on a PHY rate and a PER at each of sequential settings, and performs communication using a combined directional pattern with a communication performance value that first exceeds the communication performance expected value.
US08396437B2
There is provided a method for use in a wireless communication to avoid detection of a false modulated signal in a paged device. In one embodiment, a modulated signal is received by the paged device. Then, the modulated signal is identified by the paged device as a preliminary false modulated signal. Thereafter, the gain of at least one paged device amplifier and/or a matching threshold of the paged device is reduced by the paged device to decrease a sensitivity of the paged device to avoid detection of a future false modulated signal. In one embodiment, the wireless communication is a Bluetooth wireless communication and the paged device is a Bluetooth enabled device. An exemplary system for implementing one embodiment of the disclosed method is described.
US08396430B2
Disclosed are a semiconductor integrated circuit device and a wireless communication system that are capable of improving reception sensitivity. The wireless communication system includes, for instance, a first duplexer, a second duplexer, a first low-noise amplifier circuit, and a second low-noise amplifier circuit. A transmission band compliant with a communication standard is split into two segments for use, namely, low- and high-frequency transmission bands. A reception band compliant with the communication standard is split into two segments for use, namely, low- and high-frequency reception bands. The first duplexer uses the low-frequency transmission band and low-frequency reception band as passbands. The second duplexer uses the high-frequency transmission band and high-frequency reception band as passbands. A signal received from the first duplexer and a signal received from the second duplexer are respectively amplified by the first and the second low-noise amplifier circuits, which are respectively provided to handle such signals.
US08396428B2
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a system comprising a transceiver, a sensor and a controller is provided. The sensor is coupled to an electrical component in the transceiver and is configured to measure a thermal load on the electrical component. The controller is configured with a predetermined threshold(s), and is configured to reduce the voltage and/or current bias point, in the power amplifier, in response to the thermal load measurement being greater than the predetermined hot threshold or less than a predetermined cold threshold. The system provides an inexpensive transceiver system solution to the problems of shedding thermal load under high temperatures and undesirable gain increases, loss of stability and power consumption increases at low temperatures, and can be incorporated into new systems or adapted to legacy systems.
US08396423B2
A wireless communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices (WCDs). A source WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to designate message data for at least one target WCD from among the plurality of WCDs, where the message data has a security restriction associated therewith. At least one intermediary WCD from among the plurality of WCDs may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the source WCD when in proximity thereto, and with restricted access to the message data based upon the security restriction. The at least one target WCD may be configured to wirelessly receive the message data from the at least one intermediary WCD when in proximity thereto and with less access restriction to the message data than the at least one intermediary WCD.
US08396421B2
A communication processing apparatus, a computer program product, and a data processing method are provided. The communication processing apparatus includes a near-field communication unit configured to perform near-field communication; a control unit configured to acquire communication history data of near-field communication performed by using the near-field communication unit; and a storage unit configured to store the communication history data under control of the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to acquire the communication history data stored in the storage unit and transmit the acquired communication history data to a server that performs information management, when issuing an information registration request to the server.
US08396419B2
A device for double frequency transposition includes means for controlling the frequencies FOL1, FOL2 of a first and a second synthesizer, which are adapted to carry out the steps of (a) initializing the frequency FOL2 at a first given value FOL2,A; and (b) for a given pair of frequencies FRF, FFI2, determining the frequency FOL1 with the aid of the following relations: if FRF>FOL1 and FFI1
US08396414B2
A portable media player that provides for wireless connectivity is disclosed. In some examples, the portable media player contains a button that causes the player to search for, connect with, and disconnect from wireless networks. In some examples, the button provides indicators of the connectivity of the player, such as different colors or modes of illumination. In some examples, the functionality of the button changes depending on the connectivity of the player or characteristics of the playback or navigation of media within the player. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08396413B2
In one embodiment, a receiver for providing a virtual local channel in a broadcast radio system that transmits a plurality of sets of local content corresponding to a plurality of different geographic regions is disclosed. The receiver includes a detector (e.g., 432), adapted to determine a regional identifier for the receiver. The receiver also includes a channel selector (e.g., 412), adapted to obtain a selected set of local content from among the plurality of sets of local content, based on the determined regional identifier, for inclusion in the virtual local channel. The determined regional identifier identifies the geographic region associated with the selected set of local content.
US08396407B2
A fusing device to improve an amount of heat to a recording medium, and an image forming apparatus having the same, includes a heating unit having a heat source and a press roller arranged to come into contact with and to press an outer circumferential surface of the heating unit so as to define a fusing nip. The press roller includes an elastic layer and at least one heating element contained in the elastic layer to allow generation of heat from the interior of the elastic layer. The heating element may include heating particles dispersed in the elastic layer, or may be a sheet type heating element inserted in the elastic layer.
US08396406B2
Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of fixing marking materials on media in apparatuses useful in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses useful in printing includes a first fixing device disposed along a first media path. The first fixing device includes a first fixing member including a first surface and a second fixing member including a second surface which forms a first nip with the first surface. The first fixing device does not include a thermal energy source that actively heats the first surface or the second surface and the first fixing device is adapted to apply pressure to a medium received at the first nip. A second fixing device is disposed along a second media path. The second fixing device includes at least one thermal energy source adapted to supply thermal energy to actively heat the medium at the second fixing device. A controller is configured to selectively route the medium to the first fixing device or to the second fixing device.
US08396400B2
A method for removing carrier buildup in a slotted scavenger electrode in a printer comprising magnetically attracting the carrier toward the slot, blocking the slot with a movable flap for preventing toner dust from traveling through the slot, opening the movable flap for allowing the carrier to travel through the slot and return to the developer station, then reclosing the movable flap.
US08396395B2
An image forming apparatus which is capable of suppressing damages to a plurality of photosensitive drums and an intermediate transfer belt, and reducing loads on drive sources of the photosensitive drums and the intermediate transfer belt, during control for making the respective rotational phases of the photosensitive drums in phase. The intermediate transfer belt is driven for rotation in a state in contact with the photosensitive drums. Sensors detect the rotational speeds of the photosensitive drums and the intermediate transfer belt. Control sections control the rotational speeds and rotational phases of the photosensitive drums based on the results of detections by the sensors. When each control section performs rotational phase control, a limiter thereof limits the speed difference between the associated photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt when the speed difference exceeds a predetermined range.
US08396392B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main body; a process unit configured to be attached to and removed from the main body, the process unit being configured to integrally hold a plurality of image carriers arranged in a first direction; a plurality of developing cartridges provided in corresponding association with the image carriers, the developing cartridges configured to be attached to and removed from the process unit, each of the developing cartridges including a corresponding developer carrier, each of the developing cartridges being configured to supply developer to a corresponding image carrier; and a pressing mechanism provided in the main body, the pressing mechanism configured to press the developing cartridges, when attached to the process unit, in a direction that the developer carriers contact the image carriers.
US08396373B2
A retroreflector coupled with a polarization rotator is provided according to some embodiments. The polarization rotator can be designed and/or configured to introduce a fraction of a wavelength phase difference in a received beam of light prior to reflecting the beam of light back toward the source of the light. By switching the state of the polarization rotator a communication signal can be modulated on the return beam of light.
US08396370B2
A parallel optical transceiver module is provided that uses a folded flex circuit arrangement that reduces the footprint of the transceiver module while also providing the module with improved heat dissipation characteristics. In addition, the manner in which components are mounted on the flex circuit facilitates assembly of the module, reducing the overall cost of the module while improving manufacturing yield.
US08396366B2
Optical safety functions are incorporated into protection switching modules which maintain redundant pathways to avoid interruptions in optical network connections. The optical safety functions which lower optical power levels upon interruptions of optical connections are effectively combined with protection switching procedures which are also triggered by interruptions in optical network connections. The interoperation of protection and safety processes keep optical power levels below hazardous levels at system points which might be accessible to human operators.
US08396361B2
A method for protecting a passive optical transmission network comprising an optical line terminal (OLT) at least one remote node (RN), and a plurality of network termination nodes (ONU) A bidirectional optical signal transmission can be established between each ONU and the OLT via a first bidirectional optical transmission route by means of which an optical wavelength-multiplexed signal is transmitted in the downstream direction from the OLT to the one or more RNs and in the upstream direction from the one or more RNs to the OLT. A second bidirectional optical transmission route is provided between the OLT and the RNs where the wavelength-multiplexed signal is fed in the upstream direction both to the first and second optical transmission routes. On the detection of a fault state on the first or second optical transmission route, the OLT is switched to the other corresponding optical transmission route.
US08396359B2
A method for engineering of a connection in a WDM photonic network with a plurality of flexibility sites connected by links comprises calculating a physical end-to-end route between a source node and a destination node and setting-up a communication path along this end-to-end route. An operational parameter of the communication path is continuously tested and compared with a test threshold. The path is declared established whenever the operational parameter is above the margin tolerance. The established path is continuously monitored by comparing the operational parameter with a maintenance threshold. A regenerator is switched into the path whenever the operational parameter is under the respective threshold, or another path is assigned to the respective connection. An adaptive channel power turn-on procedure provides for increasing gradually the power level of the transmitters in the path while measuring an error quantifier at the destination receiver until a preset error quantifier value is reached. As the connection ages, the power is increased so as to maintain the error quantifier at, or under the preset value. The path operation is controlled using a plurality of optical power/gain control loops, each for monitoring and controlling a group of optical devices, according to a set of loop rules.
US08396351B2
An apparatus includes a storage unit that stores object metadata created by associating object present time information indicating a time when an object is present in video of audio/video data with object identification information to identify the object, music metadata containing music present time information indicating the time when music is present in audio of the audio/video data, and object BGM correspondence information created by associating the object identification information with BGM identification information and a control unit that determines whether any time in the audio/video data satisfying conditions that the time matches a time indicated by the object present time information and does not match a time indicated by the music present time information is present and outputs BGM identified by the BGM identification information associated with the object identification information associated with the object present time information when reproduction advances to the time concerned.
US08396350B2
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface.
US08396344B2
A method of reproducing from a storage medium video data and graphics data for displaying a menu screen. The method includes: decoding graphics data; and outputting, on the basis of the decoded graphics data, the decoded graphics data when an activation command is generated by a user or displaying the decoded graphics data at a designated time.
US08396313B2
A method is provided for decompressing an image originally compressed using a known compression technique. An original compressed image file is defined by a plurality of locations that correspond to image data. A set of smooth test images is created by iteratively applying a plurality of different size PIXON® kernels to each location of a starting image beginning with a smallest size kernel. Each smooth test image is compressed using the known compression technique, then compared against the original compressed image at each location of the image to determine a goodness-of-fit of the compressed smooth test image to each location of the original compressed image file. For each location, the smooth test image that has the largest size kernel that passes a pre-determined goodness-of-fit criterion is selected for a given location of the decompressed image. A compression method utilizes the PIXON® method for optimization of knot points within an image. The optimized knot points are used to interpolate image intensity between the knot points.
US08396308B2
Resolution interpolation data is generated by relatively simple processing. This enables image encoding by simple and quick processing to attain high image quality and high compression performance. To do this, a tile divider extracts tile data of 32×32 pixels from encoding target original image data. A resolution converter samples one pixel of a block of 2×2 pixels in the tile data, thereby generating reduced tile data of a reduced image. An interpolation data generator generates interpolation data to be used to generate tile data having the original resolution from the reduced tile data. Based on the interpolation data of a tile of interest, an encoding method selector outputs a control signal indicating which one of lossless encoding and lossy encoding should be executed for the reduced tile data. A code stream generator outputs the generated encoded data and interpolation data as encoded image data.
US08396305B2
Image encoding for changing representation of zero coefficient clustering and for utilizing a novel directional transform for exploiting the directional properties of image energy. The apparatus and methods can be applied to numerous applications, such as within image codecs. A ring-tree method is taught for representing the grouping of zero transform coefficients as ring-trees into a new symbol for more efficiently coding images. Directional transforms are taught which provide enhanced energy compactness of coefficients, and which capture directional energy resulting in generating enhanced visual quality.
US08396302B2
Detecting a static graphic object (such as a logo, title, or sub-title) in a sequence of video frames may be accomplished by analyzing each selected one of a plurality of pixels in a video frame of the sequence of video frames. Basic conditions for the selected pixel may be tested to determine whether the selected pixel is a static pixel. When the selected pixel is a static pixel, a static similarity measure and a forward motion similarity measure may be determined for the selected pixel. A temporal score for the selected pixel may be determined based at least in part on the similarity measures. Finally, a static graphic object decision for the selected pixel may be made based at least in part on the temporal score.
US08396287B2
Methods and systems for automatic detection of landmarks in digital images and annotation of those images are disclosed. A method for detecting and annotating landmarks in digital images includes the steps of automatically assigning a tag descriptive of a landmark to one or more images in a plurality of text-associated digital images to generate a set of landmark-tagged images, learning an appearance model for the landmark from the set of landmark-tagged images, and detecting the landmark in a new digital image using the appearance model. The method can also include a step of annotating the new image with the tag descriptive of the landmark.
US08396284B2
An embodiment of the invention includes a method for identifying a point representing a feature in a 3D dataset. The method includes performing a pick, which includes filtering the dataset to extract a subset of points based on certain criteria including a seed point and evaluating a metric for each point in the subset of points. The metric is a non-normalized probability that the point being evaluated represents the feature. The point or points with the highest metric is identified as representing the feature. Another embodiment of the invention includes a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for identifying a point representing a feature in a 3D dataset. Another embodiment of the invention includes a method for displaying a view of a feature in a 3D dataset.
US08396282B1
The present disclosure describes a fused saliency map from visual and auditory saliency maps. The saliency maps are in azimuth and elevation coordinates. The auditory saliency map is based on intensity, frequency and temporal conspicuity maps. Once the auditory saliency map is determined, the map is converted into azimuth and elevation coordinates by processing selected snippets of sound from each of four microphones arranged on a robot head to detect the location of the sound source generating the saliencies.
US08396280B2
A portable asset inspection device can be used during the inspection of one or more assets, such as assets in a processing or other environment. A camera in the portable asset inspection device can be used to take digital photographs of assets being inspected. A sound recorder in the portable asset inspection device can be used to record oral notes of a user or other sounds associated with the inspection of the assets. Other data could be collected from the user using the portable asset inspection device. The collected data can be transmitted in either real-time or non-real-time to an external system. The external system could associate photographs, sound recordings, and other data with specific assets, such as by automatically storing the data in records associated with the correct assets. The external system could also use the data in any suitable manner, such as to schedule asset maintenance.
US08396279B1
According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a system for transaction decision making. According to an exemplary embodiment, a method and system for processing payment items involve receiving a payment item at a sorter device; extracting electronic data from the payment item from an electronic readable line of the payment item; imaging the payment item to obtain image data of the payment item; comparing the electronic data and the image data to verify payment data associated with the payment item; and determining an optimal settlement path for the payment item, at the sorter device.
US08396274B2
The present invention relates to an imaging system for imaging a field of interest, in particular to a computed tomography system. The imaging system comprises an irradiation unit (2) which moves relative to a field of interest along a first trajectory (501) and along a second trajectory (503). While the irradiation unit (2) moves along the first trajectory (501), first detection data are acquired and, while the irradiation unit (2) moves along the second trajectory (503), second detection data are acquired. An intermediate image of the field of interest is reconstructed from at least the second detection data, and virtual detection data are determined by forward projection through the intermediate image. Finally, an image of the field of interest is reconstructed from the first detection data and the virtual detection data.
US08396270B2
A method of estimating target motion for image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) systems is provided. The method includes acquiring by a kV imaging system sequential images of a target motion, computing by the kV imaging system from the sequential images an image-based estimation of the target motion expressed in a patient coordinate system, transforming by the kV imaging system the image-based estimation in the patient coordinate system to an estimate in a projection coordinate system, reformulating by the kV imaging system the projection coordinate system in a converging iterative form to force a convergence of the projection coordinate system to output a resolved estimation of the target motion, and displaying by the kV imaging system the resolved estimation of the target motion.
US08396268B2
A method for processing a sequence of images. In an embodiment, one or more training datasets are analyzed having a sequence of images showing a first condition and a sequence of images showing a second condition. A multivariate regression model is used to determine a relationship between relative positions of one or more features in the sequence of images showing the first condition and relative positions of the one or more features in the sequence of images showing the second condition. In an embodiment, the determined relationship is used to predict positions of the one or more features in an inquire sequence of images showing the second condition given an inquire sequence of images showing the first condition. The predicted positions can then be refined using various methods. In an embodiment, sequences of images are aligned to a common time scale.
US08396261B2
A method involving generating a pixel map of a digital image, scanning the pixel map and labeling a found red pixel, where each row of the pixel map is scanned for a red pixel, where a coordinate of each labeled red pixel is stored and compared to surrounding red pixels, arranging found labeled red pixels with previously found labeled red pixels that have a corresponding y-axis coordinate thereby creating a contiguous group, determining if the contiguous group is a red-eye artifact, and creating a list of coordinates that denote red-eye artifacts within the digital image.
US08396252B2
A method and system for performing gesture recognition of a vehicle occupant employing a time of flight (TOF) sensor and a computing system in a vehicle. An embodiment of the method of the invention includes the steps of receiving one or more raw frames from the TOF sensor, performing clustering to locate one or more body part clusters of the vehicle occupant, locating the palm cluster of the vehicle occupant, calculating the location of the tip of the hand of the vehicle occupant, determining whether the hand has performed a dynamic or a static gesture, retrieving a command corresponding to one of the determined static or dynamic gestures, and executing the command.
US08396244B2
An electromagnetic vibrator includes an upper basin frame, an induction coil, and a lower basin frame, wherein the upper basin frame includes a supporting frame, a vibration sheet, and a suspension edge element. The vibration sheet and the suspension edge are integrally formed together via mold injecting, so as to achieve variety of style and colors of the speaker. The manufacturing method of the electromagnetic vibrator improves the traditional producing process of a speaker by minimizing the gluing procedure thereof. The machinery equipments replace the traditional manual process. The special coupling structure and unique process of the electromagnetic vibrator also reduce the amount of using glue, so that the manufacturing cost is minimized, the un-stability of manually operation process is minimized, the quality and production rate is enhanced, and the process is relatively more environmental friendly.
US08396243B2
An earphone has a casing that consists of a base housing (12) and a rear housing (10). The base housing and the rear housing enclose the speaker of the earphone and the base housing has an orifice (19) in it so that a wire carrying an audio signal could be provided to the speaker. The base housing is attached to the rear housing using a catch locking mechanism (22, 24). The earphone further includes a ring which fits on the position where the catch lock engages and provides added strength to catch locking mechanism. The earphone is able to withstand a drop from a height of up to 1.8 m with the ring locking mechanism in engaged position on the earphone casing. Furthermore the ring could be easily removed when the earphone requires servicing or repair and reattached for reuse without causing damage to the earphone casing.
US08396233B2
A system includes multiple speakers arranged in a speaker array configuration. The system also includes one or more filters configured to filter audio signals and generate filtered audio signals. The one or more filters are configured to operate using filter coefficients associated with a desired beam pattern to be produced by the multiple speakers. The system further includes at least one amplifier configured to amplify the filtered audio signals and provide the amplified filtered audio signals to the speakers. The one or more filters reside within or are coupled to the at least one amplifier. The system may further include a controller configured to modify at least one of the filter coefficients based on a change in the speaker configuration. The filters may operate independently of a centralized processor, and a centralized processor may not even be required to provide electronic beam forming.
US08396228B2
An active stethoscope or other sound detection device, including a diaphragm, at least one floating mass mounted to the diaphragm (at at least one coupling point of the diaphragm), and an acoustic transducer mounted to the floating mass. Preferably, each floating mass is configured and mounted so that as each floating mass and each coupling point of the diaphragm move in sympathy with acoustic waves (to be detected) that impinge on the diaphragm, the acoustic transducer rides with and is stabilized by the floating mass to which it is mounted and the diaphragm is stabilized by each floating mass. The acoustic transducer can be of any of many different types. For example, it can be a microphone, or an optical, capacitive, or inductive transducer. The diaphragm can have an isolating portion which absorbs acoustic surface wave energy incident thereon, or otherwise prevents or reduces transmission of acoustic surface waves through the isolating portion between regions of the diaphragm.
US08396224B2
The present invention pertains to a method of automatic switching between omnidirectional (OMNI) and directional (DIR) microphone modes in a binaural hearing aid comprising a first microphone system for the provision of a first input signal, a second microphone system for the provision of a second input signal, where the first microphone system is adapted to be placed in or at a first ear of a user, the second microphone system is adapted to be placed in or at a second ear of said user, the method comprising a measurement step, where the spectral and temporal modulations of the first and second input signal are monitored, an evaluation step, where the spectral and temporal modulations of the first and second input signal are evaluated by the calculation of an evaluation index of speech intelligibility for each of said signals, and an operational step, where the microphone mode of the first and the second microphone systems of the binaural hearing aid are selected in dependence of the calculated evaluation indexes.
US08396223B2
A method for processing an audio signal is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining a stereophonic audio signal including a speech component signal and other component signals, obtaining gain values for each channel of the audio signal, determining whether the audio signal is an inverse-phase mono signal including left and right channel whose phase is inverted, inverting a phase of the obtained gain value corresponding to the one channel of the audio signal when the audio signal is an inverse-phase mono signal, modifying the speech component signal based on the inverted phase of the gain value, and generating a modified audio signal including the modified speech component signal, wherein the modified audio signal is in-phase mono signal. Accordingly, a volume of a speech signal of an inverse-phase audio signal and method thereof, in which a sign of a final gain value corresponding to one channel of the audio signal is changed or a value of the final gain corresponding to one channel of the audio signal is adjusted through a process for determining whether an input signal is an inverse-phase mono signal including left and right channel whose phase is inverted.
US08396219B2
A multiplication value decision unit (12) decides a multiplication value which is a positive value or a negative value corresponding to a bit value of each bit contained in a binary bit string constituting a scramble pattern generated in a pattern generation unit (11). A multiplication processing unit (13) multiplies symbol data representing each symbol value in the symbol data string formed by the multinary symbol containing a predetermined pair of a positive value and a negative value having an identical absolute value, in the value area, by the multiplication value decided by the multiplication value decision unit (12). Here, the multiplication processing unit (13) successively executes the multiplication between the symbol data for one symbol and the multiplication value decided corresponding to the bit value of the one bit contained in the scramble pattern until the number of symbols expressed by the symbol data string is reached. The present invention scrambles the data string by a simple operation and performs scramble by a simple processing even when the function channel content is changed.
US08396209B2
In one embodiment, a mechanism for chained output feedback encryption is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a keystream at a block cipher encryption module with inputs of a key and the result of an exclusive-or (XOR) operation on two or more previous keystream outputs, and producing ciphertext by combining the generated keystream with plaintext.
US08396208B2
The throughput of the memory system is improved where error correction of data in a data stream is cryptographically processed with minimal involvement of any controller. To perform error correction when data from the memory cells are read, the bit errors in the data in the data stream passing between the cells and the cryptographic circuit are corrected prior to any cryptographic process performed by the circuit. Preferably the error correction occurs in one or more buffers employed to buffer the data between the cryptographic circuit and the memory where latency is reduced by using multiple buffers.
US08396203B2
A user is identified based at least in part on a user identification designation associated with an incoming communication. A message recipient is then determined based at least in part on the identified user and one or more address books associated with message recipients by comparing the user identification designation to one or more entries in the one or more recipient databases. The incoming communication is routed to the determined message recipient. Escalation procedures are implemented up to a configured level in the recipient organization based on various criteria. As messages are escalated and deposited in mailboxes associated with the determined message recipients, the determined message recipients are notified of the deposited messages.
US08396201B1
A call handling system receives an asynchronous call request, from a call requester, requesting performance of an operation, where the call request includes a delay parameter specified by the call requester. The call handling system performs the requested operation, and sends a callback to the call requester, which includes partial results from performance of the requested operation, at selected intervals determined by the delay parameter.
US08396197B2
A method, a device, and a system for implementing a video call are provided. The method includes: when a video call initiated by a calling party is received, performing media negotiation with the calling party and initiating the video call to a called party; and after the called party makes a response, performing media negotiation with the called party and completing establishment of a video voice channel between the calling party and the called party; and when an indication of the calling party and/or the called party is received, processing a video according to the indication. With the method, device, or system of the present invention, the calling and called users can change video contents viewed by the other party or by himself/herself, which provides the capability of actively controlling the video contents for the calling and called users that conduct a video call and improves the users' interactive capability during the video call.
US08396196B2
An audio communications host device has a communications network interface, digitizing circuitry, and a headphone jack. A demultiplexer has an input coupled to receive a signal from a pin of the headphone jack, and multiple outputs coupled to inputs of the digitizing circuitry, respectively. An uplink audio processor receives digitized microphone signals from multiple outputs of the digitizing circuitry, and in response delivers an uplink signal to the communications network interface. The uplink signal contains audio from one or more of the digitized microphone signals. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08396190B2
A liquid target producing device to which multiple capillary tubes are mountable includes a capillary tube for injecting a liquid target in a jet form; a gas storage tank connected to the capillary tube through a gas line to store a gas to be supplied to the capillary tube; a metal jacket positioned at an outer circumference of the capillary tube such that a plurality of capillary tubes are installable thereto, the metal jacket liquefying the gas supplied through the gas line; a cryo-cooler connected to the metal jacket through a thermal conductive wire to cool the metal jacket; and a moving means for moving the metal jacket so as to set an initial position of the capillary tube.
US08396188B2
An X-ray imaging method includes performing an X-ray exposure via an X-ray radiation source responsive to a source controller. The method also includes sampling X-ray image data via a digital detector without communication of timing signals from the source controller. The method further includes combining the sampled X-ray image data of at least one imaging frame or two or more imaging frames with at least one of the frames spanning a duration in which the exposure occurred, to produce X-ray image data capable of being reconstructed into a user-viewable image.
US08396174B2
A receiver for recovering data from Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbols. The receiver includes a signalling and guard detector, which includes a correlator comprising a first branch having a first moving averaging filter, which is arranged to form pre-amble average correlated samples by averaging a value of a plurality of pre-amble correlated samples within a moving window, the plurality of samples averaged within the moving window corresponding to a temporal length of the post-amble (Tb), a second branch having a second moving averaging filter, which forms post-amble average correlated samples by averaging a value of a plurality of post-amble correlated samples within a moving window, the plurality of samples averaged within the moving window corresponding to a temporal length of the pre-amble (Tc), a combiner, which combines the averaged pre-amble correlated samples and the averaged post-amble correlated samples to form output correlation samples.
US08396172B2
The waveform of the signal varies according to the distance at which the signal was emitted, and several correlation signals are defined and correspond respectively to at least part of several sampled waveforms of the signal respectively emitted at several distances of different values so that the sum of the maxima of intercorrelations performed respectively between the various correlation signals and the various sampled waveforms is substantially constant over an interval including all the values of the distances. The correlation processing includes several elementary correlation processings respectively performed with the correlation signals and each delivering initial correlation values, as well as a summation of the homologous initial correlation values respectively delivered by the elementary correlation processings so as to obtain the correlation values.
US08396167B2
An apparatus comprising an analog filter, an analog to digital converter coupled to said analog filter; and a digital filter coupled to said analog to digital converter; wherein the apparatus is configured such that distortion introduced into a filtered signal by said analog filter is substantially compensated by said digital filter.
US08396166B2
A Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN) receiver comprises a transceiver for communicating with a wireless network over one of a number of channels, and a signal detector for use in forming a supported channel list comprising those ones of the number of channels upon which an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) DTV (digital television) broadcast signal was not detected. The signal detector performs spectrum sensing as a function of power spectral density (PSD) and cyclic spectrum.
US08396163B2
Disclosed is a method of communicating a complex vector, using one or more index bits, the method comprising quantizing the complex vector using a codebook, the codebook comprising a plurality of complex vectors mapped from real vectors that lie on a reflected simplex where the simplex is of dimension one less than twice the length of the complex vector; indexing the quantized vector to form the one or more index bits; and transmitting the index bits to the transmitter, thereby communicating the complex vector.
US08396162B2
A method and apparatus for choosing a modulation and coding rate in a MU-MIMO communication system is provided herein. During operation, a node will determine the MCR to feed back to the base even though the mobile does not know which of the possible interferers (if any) will be using the same time/frequency resources as the mobile. This takes place via the mobile node calculating best antenna weights (codebook choice) for each group of subcarriers that can be potentially used by the mobile. Transmit weights v for each interferer are then determined and the weights are utilized to determine a best modulation and coding rate for the mobile.
US08396154B2
Block-encoded transmissions of a multi-antenna terminal unit are effectively detected in the presence of co-channel interfering transmissions when the base station has a plurality of antennas, and interference cancellation is combined with maximum likelihood decoding. More specifically, the signals received at the base station antennas are combined in a linear combination that relates to the channel coefficients between the various transmitting terminal units and the base antennas. By selecting proper coefficients for the linear combination and choosing probable transmitted signals that minimize a minimum mean squared error function, the signals of the various terminal units are canceled when detecting the signal of a particular unit. In another embodiment of the invention, the basic approach is used to obtain an initial estimate of the signals transmitted by one terminal unit, and the contribution of those signals is removed from the received signals prior to detecting the signals of other terminal units. In still another embodiment, the decoding process is repeated at least twice by detecting the signals of the terminal units in a different order, and selecting the detections that produce the lowest uncertainty measure. The disclosed techniques are viable for any number K of terminal units transmitting concurrently over a given channel, where each terminal unit is using a space-time block code with N transmit antennas, and a base station has at least K receive antennas.
US08396147B2
A MIMO transmitter and method for transmitting a group of sequential OFDM symbols on a downlink channel using a plurality of antennas is disclosed herein. Groups of OFDM subcarriers are individually modulated in accordance with spatial-frequency subcarrier modulation assignments to generate groups of symbol-modulated subcarriers, corresponding symbol-modulated subcarriers are combined for transmission on each of a plurality of spatial channels, and beamforming is performed on the combined symbol-modulated subcarriers for transmission over the spatial channels. The channel comprises a plurality of the groups of the OFDM subcarriers and the OFDM subcarriers within each group of subcarriers and within each group of sequential OFDM symbols have the same spatial-frequency subcarrier modulation assignments. The spatial-frequency subcarrier modulation assignments for each group are determined based on feedback by a receiver, which is determined from spatial channel characteristics of the spatial channels.
US08396140B2
A method, system, and device for power optimization based on Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) are provided. The method includes the following steps. Service information of a subscriber is collected, and physical layer target parameters are obtained according to Quality of Experience (QoE) parameters corresponding to the service information. Line running information of the subscriber is received. The physical layer target parameters and the line running information are used as input parameters of a power optimization algorithm, and an optimized power spectrum is obtained through the power optimization algorithm. Therefore, a DSL network is optimized according to the QoE, and subscriber's experience is improved. Moreover, a least power method is adopted to optimize a transmit power spectrum, and the total power consumption and crosstalk between different DSL signals are reduced while meeting the QoE, so that the signal transmission of the system is stable, and the service transmission quality is improved.
US08396127B1
A frame of a video stream is segmented based on its ability to predict the contents of one or more temporally nearby frames. Predictive ability can be measured by comparing the magnitude of the error per block of a video for intra-frame prediction with inter-frame prediction. Segments can be determined by grouping similar error magnitudes together when the frame is a good predictor for the nearby frames. Coding parameters can be defined at the segment level to reduce the number of bits used to represent the encoded video stream and thereby reduce network and/or storage bandwidth.
US08396123B2
A video coding and decoding method using a weighted prediction and an apparatus for the same are provided. The video coding method includes generating a predicted image for a present block; generating a weighted prediction factor which is a scaling factor of the predicted image that minimizes the difference between the present block and the predicted image; generating a weighted prediction image by multiplying the predicted image by the weighted prediction factor; and coding a residual signal generated by subtracting the weighted prediction image from the present block.
US08396104B2
A data processing apparatus maps input symbols to be communicated onto a predetermined number of sub-carrier signals of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbol. The data processor includes an interleaver memory which reads-in the predetermined number of data symbols for mapping onto the OFDM sub-carrier signals. The interleaver memory reads-out the data symbols on to the OFDM sub-carriers to effect the mapping, the read-out being in a different order than the read-in, the order being determined from a set of addresses, with the effect that the data symbols are interleaved on to the sub-carrier signals. The set of addresses are generated from an address generator which comprises a linear feedback shift register and a permutation circuit. The linear feedback shift register has eleven register stages with a generator polynomial for the linear feedback shift register of R′i[10]=R′i−1[0]⊕R′i−1[2], and the permutation code forms, with an additional bit, a twelve bit address.
US08396102B2
Provided is a transmitter and a receiver for a high-throughput wireless communication system. The transmitter includes a baseband transmitter, a DIF transmitter, and a RF transmitter. The baseband transmitter performs a MAC protocol process on transmission signals and reception signals and processes the transmission signals by dividing an entire transmission band into n bands in a physical layer process of the transmission data, where n is a natural number. The DIF transmitter combines transmission signals of each band from the baseband transmitter and outputs m channel signals corresponding to a number of transmission antennas, where m is a natural number. The RF transmitter modulates each of the channel signals transferred from the DIF transmitter and transmits the modulated signals through m antennas.
US08396098B2
Provided is a high-precision and highly functional digital protective relay device and a data transmission device for a digital protective relay device, by enabling transmission of large amounts of system electrical quantity data. The data transmission device for a digital protective relay device, the transmission device comprising: an analog/digital conversion portion 6, which, after sampling a system electrical quantity signal acquired from an electric power system at m times the fundamental frequency f0 (m>12) thereof, performs conversion into n-bit digital data (n>12); a data processing portion 7, which converts m sampling data of n bits with frequency m·f0, obtained by the analog/digital conversion portion, into k sampling data with frequency k·f0 (k≦m) at or below the former frequency; and a transmitting portion 8, which transmits k sampling data obtained by the data processing portion to another protective relay device in a prescribed transmission format.
US08396094B2
A frequency tracking method applied to a positioning system is provided. The method includes receiving a baseband signal, the baseband signal includes a line of sight (LOS) signal and a multipath signal; generating a cost function according to equal step frequencies, the baseband signal and a signal average energy; and generating an estimated LOS frequency according to the cost function.
US08396091B2
An embodiment of the invention relates to a device comprising a laser and a waveguide stripe or netlike hexagonal stripe structure, which allows propagation of multitude of the lateral modes in the waveguide stripe or stripe structure, wherein the waveguide stripe has at least one corrugated edge section along its longitudinal axis to provide preferable amplification of the fundamental lateral mode or in-phase supermode and to obtain high brightness of the emitted radiation.
US08396089B2
An acquisition device and corresponding method for operating the acquisition system are provided. Generally, during operation a plurality of input signals are filtered and multiplexed. The multiplexed input signals are then applied to an amplifier stage; however, when a clamping condition for the amplifier stage occurs, a buffer is switched into a signal path between a multiplexer and an amplifier stage so as to generally reduce the current draw on the input filters.
US08396086B1
A computer-implemented method may include receiving at a wireless device one or more beacon packets sent by a communication base station, determining a delay period at the wireless device, wherein the delay period is determined so that a delay for the wireless device is different than a delay for another wireless device, sending a first association request from the wireless device after waiting for the delay period, and establishing communication with the base station if an association response is received from the base station within a determined time period. The first association request may include information identifying the wireless device and an association code.
US08396085B2
To perform timing synchronization in an asynchronous packet network, remote timestamps representative of a transmitter clock at a transmitter are received over a packet network. These are compared with local timestamps representative of the timing of a local oscillator at the receiver to produce an estimate of the offset between the transmitter clock and the local oscillator at the receiver. This estimate is then used to generate update values for a digital controlled oscillator producing the output clock at the receiver. The system operates in a feedforward configuration wherein the local oscillator at the receiver serves as one input to the offset estimator.
US08396084B2
Systems and methods for point-to-multipoint communications with CAS are provided. In one embodiment, a line unit comprises: an interface to communicate with a node using a first frame structure comprising timeslots, the frame structure transporting signaling bits in an x'th timeslot; the unit coupled another line unit via a communication link, wherein the other unit communicates with another network node using a second frame structure comprising timeslots, the second frame structure transporting signaling bits via its x'th timeslot. Payload timeslots for a first frame received from the other line unit are mapped from the second frame structure to payload timeslots of a second frame using the first frame structure and transmitted via the interface. The x'th timeslot for each of the first and second frame structures are formatted in a multiframe structure comprising a schedule of signaling bit locations allocated to signaling bits corresponding to a designated payload timeslot.
US08396082B2
A system and method for providing faster tuning into a chosen program in a time-sliced multicast and/or broadcast transmission environment. Multimedia data of the same source material but of different transmission and presentation characteristics are coded and compressed. According to various embodiments, simulcast streams of a program are time-sliced, placed maximally apart from each other in terms of transmission time, and sent over the channel.
US08396077B2
The system (50) has a subscriber digital filter system (54) connected to the twisted pair telephone wire (56). A subscriber controller (52) sends control signals to the subscriber digital filter system (54). An office digital filter system (58) is connected to the twisted pair telephone wire (56). An office controller (60) sends control signals to the office digital filter system (58).
US08396070B2
A method for transmitting a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) packet includes allocating a radio resource for VoIP packet transmission to a user, transitioning a VoIP service from a talk period, in which the VoIP packet is transmitted using the radio resource, to a silence period in which the VoIP packet is not transmitted, releasing the radio resource during the silence period, and transitioning the VoIP service to the talk period by reallocating the radio resource. Limited radio resources can be further effectively used.
US08396067B2
A switch operating in a multistage switch network is provided. The switch includes a plurality of ports, a first processor for processing a source address and a destination address of a packet received by the plurality of ports, and a second processor for including a memory storing data of the packet, and for outputting, under the control of the first processor, the data of the packet stored on the memory, wherein the first processor calculates a hash value of the source addresses of the packet in accordance with a specific hash function, identifies a output port connected to a switch that corresponds to the hash value and is to learn the source address, and causes the second processor to output the data of the packet to the output port.
US08396061B2
The present invention enables the coupling and decoupling of multiple processing devices to a network without disrupting the network. In an embodiment, the invention provides a switch having a network port and several initiator ports each configured for coupling to a processing device. The switch is configured to route data from the network port to the initiator ports and from the initiator ports to the network port. A management agent facilitates operation of the switch by processing port initializations, replying to device registration requests, and processing predetermined unsolicited discovery commands. During operation, the management agent enables configuration changes caused, for example, by the coupling and/or decoupling of processing device to initiator ports. Each processing device coupled to one of the initiator ports operates without knowledge of the management agent, as if coupled directly to the network.
US08396060B2
A network control system for packet-transmitting a manipulated variable (MV), calculated from a deviation between a variable from a sensor measuring a physical quantity of a controlled object plant and a set value at a known sampling period, to an actuator provided on the plant side via a network, and causing the actuator to provide the MV to the plant. The system includes: an MV complementing unit that provides a complementary value of the MV to the actuator when an error occurs in a packet transmission; an MV buffering unit that answers back trend data of the MV provided to the plant from the actuator or the complementary value being complemented by the MV compensating unit for the actuator, to the controller via the network; and an MV compensating unit that corrects a calculation of the MV of the controller based on the trend data or the complementary value being answered.
US08396055B2
Methods and apparatus for providing unified access to interactive media applications and services in a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a content-based network such as a cable television or satellite network, and the applications are disposed at the network headend. A servlet is provided to facilitate communication between the applications and client devices. The servlet acts as a proxy for applications utilizing a different content format than the client devices. The applications obtain data from e.g., an internet host server via a gateway device. The client application(s) may comprise Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) pages, and are configured so as to permit use via a common interface (e.g., the user's set top box and television display). These client applications enable a user to, for example, search the internet for data relating to displayed content, post and navigate micro-blogs, instant messaging or SMS, making telephone calls (e.g., VoIP), address/contact management, or provide the user with additional information about a product or service. An application providing internet content to the client device is also provided.
US08396040B2
In some embodiments, an access terminal is configured to select a first set of system resources, and communicate a message to acquire access to the first set of system resources, wherein the message conceals that the access terminal is capable of communication with a second set of system resources. In one embodiment, the first set of system resources includes circuit-switched system resources, the second set of system resources includes packet-switched system resources, and an access terminal conceals from the network that it is operable using the packet-switched system resources in order to acquire and/or maintain connected mode access to the circuit-switched system resources. Such embodiments allow an access terminal to use circuit-switched system resources even if the network does not support CS fallback or has refused a CS fallback request.
US08396035B2
A system and method for communications using time-frequency space enabled coordinated beam switching are provided. A method for transmitting information includes selecting a beam from a set of beams, determining a set of users out of a plurality of users, the set of users preferring the selected beam and for each user in the set of users, selecting a first available subframe-subband pair that maximizes the user's channel quality. The method also includes scheduling the selected subframe-subband pairs, and transmitting information related to the scheduled subframe-subband pairs to the users in the set of users.
US08396033B2
In a communication system capable of variable rate transmission, scheduling of high speed data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay in data communication. Each remote station is assigned one primary code channel for the duration of the communication with a cell. Secondary code channels of various types and transmission capabilities can be assigned by a channel scheduler for scheduled transmission of data traffic at high rates. Secondary code channels are assigned in accordance with a set of system goals, a list of parameters, and collected information on the status of the communication network. Secondary code channels can be grouped into sets of secondary code channels. Data is partitioned in data frames and transmitted over the primary and secondary code channels which have been assigned to the scheduled user.
US08396030B2
An allocation of downlink resources is received, which are monitored on l layers for data. A resource-specific bit (ACK/NACK) is generated for each of those resources. From a pattern of those resources is selected an algorithm from among a first algorithm that bundles them in a first mode and a second algorithm that bundles them in a second mode. The selected algorithm is used on the generated resource-specific bits that correspond to the downlink resources, bundled according to the selected mode, to generate l reply bits which are then transmitted. At the network side a NACK reply bit is received, based on a pattern of the allocated downlink resources, a first algorithm that bundles them in a first mode or a second algorithm that bundles them in a second mode is selected. A bundling window and layer combination are determined from the selected algorithm, which gives the resource for retransmitting the NACK'd data.
US08396025B2
A method of operating active scanning to configure a mesh network includes receiving a probe request frame from a mesh point (MP), the probe request frame comprising a Mesh Identifier (ID) information element, and transmitting a probe response frame to the MP when a Mesh ID in the Mesh ID information element is a wildcard Mesh ID or a specific Mesh ID.
US08396022B1
A method for processing a source routed packet comprises determining a next node in a source route for a source routed packet in a mesh network and transmitting the source routed packet to the next node in the source route. A method for creating a source routed packet comprises determining a source route path to a destination node and transmitting a source routed packet that includes the source route path to a first node associated with the source route path.
US08396009B2
A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. In one embodiment, network device driver software provides a “Fibre Channel over Ethernet” communication capability and methodology. Device driver software manages a Fibre Channel to Ethernet and Ethernet to Fibre Channel address translation in real time for data packet communications in the network system. Different embodiments of the disclosed network system include multiple name servers and network device driver software that together provide multiple adapter name discovery methodologies. In one embodiment, the adapter name discovery methodologies include port name discovery and adapter attributes discovery.
US08396007B2
The embodiments are related to deploying wireless devices in a space to maximize a monitored area. In an embodiment, the system includes at least one first wireless device installed into a first position and set in a placed mode, and a second wireless device to be installed into a second position and set in an unplaced mode. The second wireless device is moved away from the at least one first wireless device. An application message is transmitted at a normal operating power. A link quality detection message is transmitted at a reduced power lower than the operating power by a headroom. The link quality between the at least one first wireless device and the second wireless device is estimated based on the link quality detection message to determine the second position to install the second wireless device. Once installed, the second wireless device is switched to the placed mode.
US08396005B2
There is provided a high-speed IP flow mediation apparatus using a network processor. The apparatus includes a server collecting flow information regarding IP traffic on a high-speed line and a network processor board analyzing the collected information according to Internet applications using a network processor, and transferring the analyzed flow information to a plurality of flow analysis systems.
US08396004B2
Systems and methods for model-based video fixing are disclosed. A video can be retrieved and analyzed to determine if any portion of the video can be represented by a model. If a portion that can be modeled is identified, a model that approximates the portion can be specified, the portion can be removed from the video, and instructions for modeling the video can be formatted. The video and the instructions can be transmitted to a receiving device, which can synthesize the model and the received video to generate a model-based video. Systems for providing the model-based video fixing are also disclosed.
US08396000B2
A computer readable storage medium stores a set of instructions executable by a processor. The set of instructions is operable to receive an image of a switch in a communications network, the image being a representation of an internal logic of the switch; simulate a plurality of communication sessions using the image; generate a plurality of simulated communication session records corresponding to the plurality of simulated communication sessions; and evaluate a performance of the switch by comparing the plurality of simulated communication session records to a set of expected communication session records, the expected set of communication set of records corresponding to the set of simulated communication sessions.
US08395996B2
Techniques that assist in processing of failure detection protocol (FDP) packets. Techniques are provided that assist a CPU of a network device in processing incoming FDP packets. In one embodiment, only a subset of FDP packets received by the network device is forwarded to the CPU for processing, the other FDP packets are dropped and not forwarded to the CPU. In this manner, the amount of processing that a CPU of the network device has to perform for incoming FDP packets is reduced. This enables the network device to support newer FDPs with shorter periodic interval requirements.
US08395995B2
[Object]To generate a signal pattern generation apparatus capable of performing suitable processing even when an abrupt increase in the number of accesses occurs while the number of accesses is large, having an adequate long-tail characteristic, and capable of providing adequate fractality with respect to a plurality of ranges with respect to time and providing a suitable short-range distribution characteristic.[Solution]A signal pattern generation apparatus of the present invention is constituted by a root signal generation section 12 which generates a root signal of a long-tail distribution having positivity, a statistical self-similarity signal generation section SSSSG which generates a statistical self-similarity signal based on wavelet analysis from the root signal, a general-filter section 20 which decomposes the statistical self-similarity signal into at least two intermediate patterns, a coefficient acquisition section 22 which obtains coefficients for the two intermediate patterns, and a resynthesis section 24 which generates a resynthesized pattern from the two intermediate patterns and the obtained coefficients.
US08395990B2
A method and apparatus are described including receiving a coded packet of content associated with a layer, receiving feedback information regarding channel conditions and applying hybrid automatic repeat request to deliver the packet based on said feedback information. The method and apparatus wherein applying hybrid automatic repeat request layer-wise further includes determining if a resource is exhausted, scheduling delivery of layered coded content packets for a layer, if the resource has not been exhausted, determining if all layered coded content packets for the layer have been transmitted, proceeding to the first determining step, if all layered coded content packets for a layer have not been transmitted, determining if an acknowledgement message has been received from a user device, determining if the resource is exhausted, if no acknowledgement has not been received and scheduling delivery of layered coded forward error correction packets, if the resource has not been exhausted.
US08395987B2
The availability of services to user equipments is increased when the UTRAN temporarily does not work properly, e.g. due to network faults or congestions. For this purpose a first communications network UTRAN (10) provides appropriate status information with regard to the availability of at least a certain range of its services and is capable to re-direct a user equipment (14) to a backup network (11) when the needed service is not available. The network (10) also provides the possibility to continue the usage of services in UTRAN that are still available even if the user equipment (14) intends to apply for a temporarily unavailable service, which the UTRAN (10) can instead arrange to be provided by the backup network (11). This is done by an information element denoting a re-direction retry indication in the RRC Connection Release message including at least the same parameters as a RRC Connection Setup Reject message.
US08395983B2
An optical-pickup apparatus configured to prevent noise caused by return light by superposing a high-frequency signal, generated from a high-frequency signal generation circuit, on a driving signal to be supplied to a laser diode, the optical-pickup apparatus includes: a high-frequency superimposition integrated circuit including the high-frequency signal generation circuit; first wiring connected between an anode of the laser diode and the high-frequency superimposition integrated circuit; and second wiring connected between a cathode of the laser diode and the high-frequency-superimposition integrated circuit, the laser diode and the high-frequency superimposition integrated circuit mounted on a circuit board, the first wiring and the second wiring arranged, for the most part, in a region where the laser diode is arranged, the second wiring configured to pass through between an anode terminal of the laser diode and an anode terminal of a monitor diode.
US08395978B2
A recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a recording and/or reproducing method, and an information storage medium, wherein the recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes: a writing and/or reading unit writing data to or reading data from an information storage medium having one or more information recording layers; and a control unit controlling the writing and/or reading unit to write the data to the information storage medium by referring to one or more disk information structures including recording related parameter information corresponding to recording characteristics of the information storage medium, and recording characteristic information to which the recording related parameters are applied. According to the apparatus and method, parameters of recording characteristics appropriate to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus and compatibility between different specifications can be achieved.
US08395972B2
A thermally assisted magnetic head is formed by performing a head forming process, a mounting part forming process and a light source mounting process in that order. In the head forming process, a planned area is secured on a light source placing surface of a slider substrate, then a magnetic head part is formed on a head area other than the planned area and a spacer for securing a mounting space for the laser diode is formed on the planned area. In the mounting part forming process, a light source mounting part is formed by removing the spacer. In the light source mounting process, a laser diode is mounted on the light source mounting part formed by the mounting part forming step.
US08395970B2
The striking work device of a timepiece (1) includes a gong (2) surrounding a movement and extending in approximately one plane (x, y), and a gong-carrier (3) secured to a watch plate (8). The gong is fixed to the gong-carrier. At least one hammer (5) strikes the gong (2) to cause the gong to vibrate. The hammer (5) strikes the gong at an inclined incidence relative to the plane.
US08395956B2
Embodiments are described including those pertaining to an input buffer having first and second complementary input terminals. One example buffer has a symmetrical response to a single input signal applied to the first input terminal by mimicking the transition of a signal applied to the second input terminal in the opposite direction. The buffer includes two amplifier circuits structured to be complementary with respect to each other. Each of the amplifier circuits includes a first transistor having a first input node that receives an input signal transitioning across a range of high and low voltage levels, and a second transistor having a second input node that receives a reference signal. The first input node is coupled to the second transistor through a capacitor to mimic the second input node transitioning in the direction opposite to the transition of the input signal.
US08395955B2
A memory interface circuit is provided, comprising: a first signal output circuit configured to output a first signal via a first signal line to a first I/O terminal; a second signal output circuit configured to output a second signal via a second signal line to a second I/O terminal; and a noise cancellation circuit having at least one phase adjusting element and at least one gain adjusting element to reduce a noise signal induced on the second signal line due to the presence of the first signal on the first signal line, wherein the second signal line is disposed adjacent to the first signal line.
US08395952B2
A skew signal generator is provided which comprises a fuse signal generating unit for generating a plurality of fuse signals, and an encoder for generating skew signals including skew information of a wafer by encoding the fuse signals.
US08395949B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a current difference sense type of a sense amplifier including: an input line connected to memory cells as a target to be read, a reference line connected to reference cells, and a first pre-charge circuit configured to pre-charge the input line and the reference line; a second pre-charge circuit configured to perform pre-charging of the input line and pre-charging of the reference line; and a control circuit configured to control the second pre-charge circuit so that the second pre-charge circuit may perform both the pre-charging of the input line and the pre-charging of the reference line independently of each other, and start both the pre-charging of the input line and the pre-charging of the reference line earlier than pre-charging by the first pre-charge circuit.
US08395942B2
A method of making a NAND string includes forming a semiconductor layer over a major surface of a substrate, patterning the semiconductor layer into an elongated nanowire shaped channel extending substantially parallel to the major surface of the substrate, forming a tunneling dielectric layer over the channel, forming a plurality of charge storage regions over the tunneling dielectric layer and undercutting the channel using the plurality of charge storage regions as mask. The channel has a narrower width than each charge storage region width, and an overhanging portion of each of the plurality of charge storage regions overhangs the channel. The method also includes forming a blocking dielectric layer over the plurality of charge storage regions, such that the blocking dielectric layer fills a space below the overhanging portion of each of the plurality of charge storage regions and forming a plurality of control gates over the blocking dielectric layer.
US08395941B2
Multi-semiconductor vertical memory strings, strings of memory cells having individually biasable channel regions, arrays incorporating such strings and methods for forming and accessing such strings are provided. For example non-volatile memory devices are disclosed that utilize NAND strings of serially-connected non-volatile memory cells. One such string can include two or more serially connected non-volatile memory cells each having a channel region. Each memory cell of the two or more serially connected non-volatile memory cells shares a common control gate and each memory cell of the two or more serially connected non-volatile memory cells is configured to receive an individual bias to its channel region.
US08395934B2
A phase-change memory device includes: a cell array including at least one unit cell; a current sensing unit sensing data stored in the at least one unit cell; and a power generation circuit supplying a power source voltage to the current sensing unit, in which the power generation circuit is activated while the current sensing unit is performing a sensing operation.
US08395933B2
According to one embodiment, a memory includes first to fourth memory cells aligned in a first direction. Each of the first to fourth memory cells comprises a cell transistor having a gate connected to a word line extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and a resistive memory element having one end connected to a first source/drain region of the cell transistor. A second source/drain region of the cell transistor is connected to one of a first bit line extending in the first direction and a second bit line extending in the second direction. The other end of the resistive memory element is connected to one of the first and second bit lines which is apart from the second source/drain region. The second source/drain regions in the first and second memory cells are shared, and the second source/drain regions in the third and fourth memory cells are shared.
US08395924B2
A non-volatile memory device and a method for programming the same are disclosed. The method for programming the non-volatile memory device includes generating a simultaneous write current based on a program address in such a manner that bit line write cells corresponding to memory cells coupled to the same bit line from among memory cells to be programmed can be simultaneously programmed, and providing the simultaneous write current to the bit line write cells by simultaneously enabling the bit line write cells.
US08395920B2
A static CAM includes a plurality of entries E each including a number of CAM cells B and a summary S. Each CAM cell B is associated with a memory cell M and a comparator C. Generally, the CAM receives as input i number of lookup data lines. When data is received, memory cells M provide compared data for corresponding comparators C in CAM cells B to compare the compared data to the received data. If all compared data match all received data lines for an entry, then there is a hit for that entry. But if any compared data does not match the corresponding data line, then there is a miss for that line and therefore a miss for that entry. Depending on applications, the CAM returns an address if there is a hit for one or a plurality of entries.
US08395915B2
Provided is a DC/DC converter including a power supply unit that includes a transformer having one primary side and a plurality of secondary sides and outputs a plurality of driving voltages for driving a load; and a constant current converting unit that is connected to one secondary side and a low-voltage stage of another secondary side adjacent to the one secondary side among the plurality of secondary sides of the transformer and boosts a driving voltage output from the one secondary side.
US08395906B2
A high-speed transmission circuit board connection structure includes a first high-speed transmission circuit board including a laminated substrate including a first signal transmission wiring formed on a surface thereof and a ground plane formed inside thereof, a second high-speed transmission circuit board including a circuit substrate and a second signal transmission wiring formed on a surface of the circuit substrate, a conductive board connecting member for fixing the first and second high-speed transmission circuit boards to a surface thereof, and a bonding wire for electrically connecting the first signal transmission wiring and the second signal transmission wiring. The ground plane is exposed on a side end face of the laminated substrate, and a conductive film is formed on the side end face such that the ground plane of the first high-speed transmission circuit board is electrically connected to the board connecting member with the conductive film.
US08395902B2
An electronic apparatus includes an electronic component electrically connected to a substrate positioned beneath the electronic component. A member includes a plurality of decoupling capacitors having different voltages, and the decoupling capacitors are electrically connected to the electronic component. A plurality of voltage planes in the member are electrically connected to the decoupling capacitors. The decoupling capacitors, via the voltage planes in the member, provide different voltages to the voltage planes and thus the electronic component.
US08395899B2
An exemplary electronic device includes a housing and a baffle plate. The housing includes first and second side walls with a passage defined therebetween for a functional module to extend through. A flexible plate is secured on the second side wall. A button and a block protrude from the flexible plate towards the passage. A button slot and a positioning slot are defined in the second side wall. The baffle plate has a fixing end pivotally fixed on the first side wall and a free end which is able to reach the second side wall and obstruct the passage. A positioning tab is formed on the free end. When the free end reaches the second side wall, the positioning tab extends into the positioning slot, and the block extends into the positioning slot and blocks the positioning tab to prevent the baffle plate from vibration.
US08395898B1
Apparatuses, systems and methods for effective cooling of electronic devices are presented herein. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention comprise one or more heat pipes thermally coupled to electronic components and to a first heat sink and a second heat sink. The heat pipes are constructed to transfer heat generated at the one or more electronic components to the first heat sink and to the second heat sink. The first heat sink is operable to transfer heat energy to the ambient air using dissipation or advection. The second heat sink is able to transfer heat energy to the ambient air using dissipation. A controller is operable to switch between a passive mode of operation and an active mode of operation. The system can operate in a passive mode only in temperatures less than 25 degrees Celsius, can switch operation between a passive mode and an active mode without throttling in temperatures less than 60 degrees Celsius, can switch operation between a passive mode and an active mode in temperatures greater than 60 degrees Celsius while maintaining about 85% or greater maximum processing speed, and can operate in a passive only mode with minimal throttling.
US08395886B2
An assembly for aligning a top frame with respect to a top portion of a chassis in a home appliance is provided. The assembly includes a top frame and a support plate. The support plate is configured to be secured to a chassis and includes a first set and a second set of protrusions. The first set of protrusions is configured to engage the top frame to align the top frame in fore and aft directions. The second set of protrusions is configured to engage the top frame to align the top frame in transverse directions. A method for aligning a top frame with respect to a top portion of a chassis in a home appliance is also provided.
US08395882B2
In a dielectric ceramic having crystal grains and containing a perovskite in which the A site contains Ba and the B site contains Ti. as a main component, the crystal orientations are aligned in substantially the same direction within the crystal grains. Some of Ba may be replaced with Ca and/or Sr, and some of Ti may be replaced with Zr and/pr Hf. This achieves a dielectric ceramic which has a high dielectric constant and has favorable AC electric field characteristics in which the change in dielectric constant is small even with changes in applied electric field.
US08395875B2
A spark gap for protecting electronic circuits from excessive electrical surges comprises a substrate containing an opening, a dielectric medium occupying the opening, and first and second electrodes. The first electrode is embedded in the substrate, on one side of the opening, and has a first conductive surface that extends through the substrate and is substantially exposed in the opening and to the dielectric medium. The second electrode is embedded in the substrate, on another side of the opening, and has a second conductive surface that extends through the substrate and is substantially exposed in the opening and to the dielectric medium. The first conductive surface is in opposing relation to the second conductive surface, and they are spaced apart by a predetermined distance to establish a gap width. An electrical arc is generated across the opening when a voltage potential difference between the conductive surfaces exceeds a threshold value.
US08395872B2
A current driver circuit comprises circuitry having a current adjustment function and operably coupled to a current driver for providing a current to a current consuming device. The circuitry comprises or is operably coupled to a function arranged to determine a current level being drawn by the current consuming device. The current adjustment function varies an over-load limit applied to the current driver in response to a variation in the determined current level.In this manner, the current level being drawn by a current consuming device, such as a light bulb, is used to continuously or intermittently adjusting the current limit of a current driver circuit, such as a lamp driver, to minimize the energy dissipated in case of an overload condition.
US08395868B2
A device for limiting short-circuit current in a consumer network having at least one supply line with a respective current feed point includes a disconnection point disposed in the at least one supply line so as to provide a first partial line and a second partial line in an event of a short-circuit fault. Each of the first and second partial lines has a respective associated current detector and at least one of the first and second partial lines has at least one current feed aggregate. The device includes a multiphase high-speed short circuiter having a current carrying capacity for short-circuit current intensities in the at least one supply line and a respective power circuit breaker connected in series with the high-speed short circuiter. The respective associated current detector is configured, upon detection of a short circuit in one of the first and second partial lines, to transmit a triggering signal so as to effect a short-circuit switching operation.
US08395867B2
A magnetic sensor has at least a free sub-stack, a reference sub-stack and a front shield. The free sub-stack has a magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the planar orientation of the layer and extends to an air bearing surface. The reference sub-stack has a magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the free sub-stack. The reference sub-stack is recessed from the air bearing surface and a front shield is positioned between the reference sub-stack and the air bearing surface.
US08395860B2
A method to position a head module, where the head module comprises at least one servo element and a plurality of data elements, where the servo element and each of the plurality of data elements can detect a servo signal, wherein the method includes moving a sequential information storage medium having a servo band encoded therein across the head module and detecting the servo band using the at least one servo element or any one of the plurality of data elements.
US08395849B2
Imaging lens, optical apparatus equipped with imaging lens and method for manufacturing imaging lens
An imaging lens SL mounted in a single lens reflex digital camera 1 is composed of, in order from an object side, a first lens group G1 having negative refractive power, a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power, and a third lens group G3 having negative refractive power. Upon focusing on a near-distance object from an infinitely distant object, a configuration is that at least any one of the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2 is moved to the object side to vary a distance between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2. Accordingly, a downsized imaging lens having a small moving amount upon shooting a close range object, in which various aberrations are well corrected is provided.
US08395845B2
A lens arrangement suitable for looking through small holes is provided in which no conventional integral physical lens stop is required. The lens arrangement is relatively insensitive to its position, meaning that it may be set back behind the hole reducing the risk of detection and allowing rapid installation.
US08395841B2
A reflective projection screen for receiving images, for a projector having short focal length of short projection distance, and particularly a reflective projection screen applicable to 2D and 3D imaging. The reflective projection screen has multi-incident angles where every reflection surface is prepared from a projection angle of the projected image and where incident angles are formed differently from each reflection surfaces so that the projection images from different angles are reflected into one direction.
US08395838B1
A display device includes a driving layer and a displaying layer disposed on the driving layer. The driving layer includes a lower substrate, a number of driving segments and a number of conducting wires. The lower substrate has a first surface. The driving segments and the conducting wires both are disposed on the first surface of the lower substrate. The driving segments are connected to the conducting wires in a one-to-one manner. A line width of each of the conducting wires is less than 50 microns. The display device has a high resolution. A method for manufacturing the display device is also provided.
US08395831B2
Methods and systems herein provide for color conversion. Such color conversion may be performed via a color conversion system that includes a converter operable to receive image data and convert color values of the image data to a color space for printing. The system also includes a color identification module operable to identify color regions in the image data for color component limitation and approximate color values in the color regions. The color identification module incorporates color limitations during these approximations computes numerical models based on the approximations that are used by the converter to convert the image data to the color space.
US08395830B2
An image reading signal processing IC includes three circuits which independently process input analog image signals of three primary colors. Each circuit includes an ADC which converts amplified analog image signals into digital image data. Each circuit also includes an LVDS processing circuit which outputs the digital image data in a low voltage differential signaling level. Each circuit further includes a test pattern generating circuit connected between the ADC and the LVDS processing circuit for generating digital data of a test pattern. The image reading signal processing IC additionally includes an operational mode determination information input unit which inputs operational mode determination information to the test pattern generating circuit. Further, the image reading signal processing IC includes a switching unit which switches one of the digital data of the test patterns to any one or more of main scanning direction gradation pattern data and sub scanning direction gradation pattern data.
US08395828B2
A stacking device includes a contact section with which top ends of the recording media in a conveying direction, conveyed into the storage space, make contact so stop the recording media at a storage position, a media move section which comprises a plurality of partition members, forms a plurality of spaces capable of storing the recording media between the partition members, stores the recording media stopped at the storage position into arbitrary one of the plurality of spaces, and moves the partition members thereby to move at least a part of the top ends of the recording media to a pushup position different from the storage position, and a lift section which pushes up, to the carry-out section, the recording media moved to the pushup position by the media move section.
US08395827B2
A scanner includes a platen assembly, a sheet feeder and a scanning module. The platen assembly and the sheet feeder are combined together to form a non-linear paper path. The paper path has a scan region. The sheet feeder includes a feeding mechanism, a transporting mechanism and a discharging mechanism. The feeding mechanism feeds a document into the paper path. The transporting mechanism transports the document from the feeding mechanism to the scan region. The document is transported past the scan region in a direction substantially parallel to a scan plane in the scan region. The discharging mechanism transports the document out of the paper path from the scan region. The scanning module movably disposed in the platen assembly acquires an image of the document transported past the scan region.
US08395821B2
When a light source is in off state, a gray level of image data on a pixel-by-pixel basis is generated as a first black level and an average of gray levels of a portion of the image data corresponding to optical black image portions of sensor chips is generated as a second black level. After that, when an image of an original is read, an average of gray levels of the black image data on a line-by-line basis is generated as a third black level. The first black level is subtracted from a gray level of the image data on a line-by-line basis (an offset correction), and a difference between the third black level and the second black level is added to a gray level of the image data after being subjected to the subtraction on a line-by-line basis.
US08395816B2
Disclosed is a system and method for gradually adjusting a look-up table (LUT) for a print engine in order to improve the regulation of color quality of printed images. The LUT is updated so that a target value for a particular color is achieved. This corrects for a measured or predicted change in a tone reproduction curve. Depending upon the severity of the required adjustment, a series of incremental adjustments rather than a single adjustment can be made to the LUT table over a period of time. Each adjustment in the series can be limited to a predetermined maximum delta so that any corrections made to the LUT following the generation and evaluation of one test image and before the generation and evaluation of the next test image for the same target color are gradually and imperceptibly implemented (i.e., unnoticeable).
US08395813B2
A most used color that is a most popularly used color is obtained in an image. Pixel groups formed of continued pixels having an identical color other than the most used color in the image is extracted as first pixel groups. Pixel groups having a color of which a color difference with respect to the most used color is smaller than a predetermined threshold and having a size thereof that is smaller than a predetermined size is extracted as third pixel groups among the first pixel groups thus extracted. The first pixel groups other than the third pixel groups are taken as second pixel groups. An image is generated by replacing colors of portions, which correspond to the second pixel groups in an image having an area identical with that of an image to be processed and filled with the most used color, with the corresponding second pixel groups, respectively.
US08395812B2
When image data of an original document is detected to include specific information indicating outputting of the original document is prohibited, a selected color component of the image data is applied with concealing processing to make image data of the selected color component to be solid image data. The selected color component is determined based on whether outputting of the original document as a monochrome image is allowed or prohibited.
US08395809B2
A device for positioning a measuring head above a print substrate includes a display device and a motor-driven positioning device for the measuring head. The motor-driven positioning device for the measuring head is controllable by a computer connected to the display device. Measurement locations are selectable on the display device and the measuring head is positioned by the positioning device depending on the selected measurement locations.
US08395806B2
An apparatus selects a cover layout type to be used during bookbinding processing from among a plurality of cover layout types, and determines page data to be laid out in a cover area, from among page data included in original data. The apparatus lays out the determined page data in the cover area according to the selected cover layout type, and generates a print job based on the original data and a result of laying out the determined page data in the cover area.
US08395804B2
A RFID registration system is provided with a reader for reading an ID of an object to be identified by an RFID, an RFID existence position indicating the position of the RFID, and the RFID; an associating apparatus for associating the read RFID with the ID of the object to be identified by the RFID, a position information generation apparatus for obtaining the read position at the same time the position has been read, and a collation apparatus for obtaining an ID of the object to be identified by the RFID based on the read position and the RFID existence position. The RFID registration system can be avoid making the mistaken association between the RFID and the object to which the identification ID is attached.
US08395796B2
A disclosed information processing apparatus enables the output of various information managed by the apparatus in the form of a report adapted to user requirements in terms of format and output method, by generating report data based on data that is not dependent on any particular report output format or method. The information processing apparatus includes a data input unit, a data processing unit, a data output unit, and a user interface (UI). The data input unit generates data that is not dependent on any particular output format or output method, in accordance with report identifying information received via the UI. The data is processed by the data processing unit in accordance with an output format entered via the UI. The processed data is output by the data output unit in accordance with an output method entered via the UI.
US08395789B2
A management server obtains, from an image forming apparatus whose counter type set to be displayed therein is determined to be obtainable, the counter information, specifies a counter type to be assigned in a table of commonly displayed counters specified on the basis of a plurality of counter types set to be displayed in a plurality of image forming apparatuses from the plurality of image forming apparatuses, assigns the counter type in the table of commonly displayed counters, and obtains counter information for the counter type assigned as the commonly displayed counter from an image forming apparatus whose counter type set to be displayed is determined to be unobtainable.
US08395788B2
A print control device for controlling a printing device is provided with a print control unit which controls the printing device to print an image corresponding to print target data on a sheet when the print target data is specified; and a time information acquiring unit which acquires information on a time to be printed on the sheet as an expiration date/time of the printed document. The print control unit is configured to be capable of making the printing device print an image representing the expiration date/time of the printed document on the sheet printed with the image corresponding to the specified print target data based on the information acquired by the time information acquiring unit when the print control unit makes the printing device execute the printing of the image corresponding to the specified print target data.
US08395787B2
An information processing method carried out in an information processing apparatus having a driver program which has previously been installed, and an installation set including a driver program to be customized and an installer, comprises specifying expansion print setting from print settings set in the driver program which has previously been installed, obtaining the specified expansion print setting, and holding the obtained expansion print setting as the installation set.
US08395786B2
When a maintenance agreement has been made based on a contract printing rate and the contract number of printed sheets, an image forming apparatus can determine before an image is actually formed, whether or not terms and conditions will be exceeded. When a user instructs to copy, after all images of original documents are scanned, it can be determined whether or not the number of remaining printable sheets exceeds a certain number, e.g., 100. When the number of remaining printable sheets is not more than 100, after calculating an average per/page printing rate of the scanned image data, the converted number of sheets, which is converted using the contract printing rate, is calculated from the average printing rate, the contract printing rate, and the number of printed sheets for one copy job, and a screen used in inquiring whether or not to print is displayed.
US08395771B2
A light detection value determines concentration of a target component, without using a laser emitter of high laser intensity or a large light collector. By changing orientation of the laser emitter about a horizontal axis, or height of the laser emitter, a laser irradiation position on a ground or water surface is switched between first and second irradiation positions. A photodetector detects first scattered light scattering from the first laser beam at the first irradiation position, second scattered light scattering from the second laser beam at the first irradiation position, third scattered light scattering from the first laser beam at the second irradiation position, and fourth scattered light scattering from the second laser beam at the second irradiation position. A concentration calculator calculates concentration of a target component between the first and second irradiation positions, based on detection values of the first, second, third, and fourth scattered light.
US08395764B2
Device for measuring the line of sight jitter of an optical instrument mounted on an optical platform, includes: an optical measurement path primarily common with the observation path of the optical instrument, a light measurement source arranged essentially at one end of the optical observation path, a detector for measuring the optical beam coming from the light measurement source, arranged such that this beam has passed through the optical observation path at least once, at least one collimation mirror designed for the reflection of the optical beam, arranged essentially on the optical observation path, essentially at the other end of the optical observation path, relative to the light measurement source, whereby this mirror is isolated by at least one passive isolator of lateral vibrations (i.e., inducing a rotation of the perpendicular line of the mirror) generated by the optical platform in a predetermined frequency range.
US08395759B2
The invention relates to a device for optical distance measurement, particularly to a handheld device, comprising a transmission unit (12) with a light source (17, 18) for emitting optical measurement radiation (13, 20, 22) onto a target object (15), and comprising a receiving unit (14) arranged at a distance from the optical axis (38) of the transmission unit (12) and equipped with at least one optical detector (54) for receiving optical radiation (16, 49, 50) reflected from the target object (15). According to the invention, the detector (54) of the receiving unit (14) comprises a detection surface (66), the optical surface of which has varying optical sensitivity.
US08395754B2
An illumination optical unit for EUV microlithography includes a first optical element having a plurality of first reflective facet elements and a second optical element having a plurality of second reflective facet elements. Each first reflective facet element from the plurality of the first reflective facet elements has a respective maximum number of different positions which defines a set—associated with the first facet element—consisting of second reflective facet elements in that the set consists of all second facet elements onto which the first facet element directs radiation in its different positions during the operation of the illumination optical unit. The plurality of second reflective facet element forms a plurality of disjoint groups, wherein each of the groups and each of the sets contain at least two second facet elements, and there are no two second facet elements of a set which belong to the same group. This construction makes it possible to provide an illumination optical unit which can be used to provide a large number of different angle-dependent intensity distributions at the location of the object field.
US08395748B2
An electro-optical display device includes: a reflection-type liquid crystal panel that has a driving substrate, on which a reflective layer is disposed, and an opposing substrate facing each other with a liquid crystal interposed therebetween; and an light-transmissive substrate that is disposed on an outer side of the opposing substrate, wherein any one or more values of thermal expansion coefficients of a plurality of element substrates including at least the opposing substrate and the light-transmissive substrate are negative, and any one or more values of the thermal expansion coefficients of the plurality of element substrates are positive.
US08395740B2
In a liquid crystal display device including a blue phase liquid crystal layer, first and second common electrode layers, which are positioned to face each other, sandwich the blue phase liquid crystal layer therebetween and have opening patterns (slits), and a pixel electrode layer has an opening pattern. The pixel electrode layer is formed over a structure body which projects into the liquid crystal layer from a surface of a first substrate on a liquid crystal layer side, and the pixel electrode layer is positioned between the first and second common electrode layers in the liquid crystal layer. Electric fields are applied between the pixel electrode layer and the first and second common electrode layers, so that the electric fields are formed in the entire liquid crystal layer and liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by using the electric fields.
US08395737B2
An array substrate includes a lower substrate, a switching element and a pixel electrode. In the lower substrate, unit pixel areas are each divided into a plurality of domains. The switching element is disposed on the lower substrate and transmits a pixel signal. The pixel electrode is disposed on the unit pixel area and is electrically connected to the switching element. The pixel electrode includes a plurality of slit portions disposed thereon. A portion of the slit portions is longitudinally extended in a zigzag shape along different directions in correspondence with the domains.
US08395730B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate, liquid crystal sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first red color filter, a green color filter, a blue color filter, a second red color filter disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and arranged in a first direction, a first light blocking film disposed between the first red color filter and the green color filter, a second light blocking film disposed between the green color filter and the blue color filter, and a third light blocking film disposed between the blue color filter and the second red color filter, and drain signal lines, thin film transistors, and pixel electrodes formed on the first substrate. Drain electrodes of the thin film transistors are connected to drain signal lines, and source electrodes of the thin film transistors are connected to the pixel electrodes.
US08395724B2
A display device includes an illumination medium, a display medium, and a conductor. The illumination medium includes a light-emitting element and a connection portion. The light-emitting element includes a first electrode and a second electrode and emits light with the use of power supplied between the first electrode and the second electrode. The connection portion is electrically connected to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The display medium includes a terminal, relay wiring, and an electro-optical element. The relay wiring is electrically connected to the terminal. The electro-optical element controls light that is irradiated by and comes from the illumination medium according to electric energy supplied to the electro-optical element. The conductor electrically connects the relay wiring and the connection portion.
US08395710B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a motion detection system for video signal processing that includes a luminance motion detector, a chroma motion detector, and a smoothness detector. These systems and methods may also include a phase motion detector, a baseband YC separation circuitry for video signal processing, a chip for video signal processing, and a video signal processing system used in an electronic article.
US08395702B2
Systems for transmitting and receiving signals of video digital images for links of the “LVDS” type comprise a transmit module, a transmission link and a receive module. The “RGB” video signal comprises the colour and synchronization signals and a clock signal. The “LVDS” video signal transmitted via the transmission link comprises several primary signals, the first primary signal dedicated to the clock signal, the second primary signal comprising the synchronization information, the other primary signals comprising only the colour encoding information. The function of the “LVDS” transmit module is to encode the “RGB” video signal into an “LVDS” video signal and the function of the receive module is to decode the “LVDS” signal into an “RGB” signal. The system comprises the following particular arrangements: the transmission system having a means making it possible to inlay a graphic recognition pattern in the “RGB” video signal; the receive means operating in oversampling and having a test means capable of identifying the synchronization information and the graphic recognition pattern.
US08395693B2
An image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes: a lens array having a plurality of lenses; a plurality of image pickup regions disposed to correspond to the plurality of lenses one-to-one and each having a light receiving surface substantially perpendicular to a direction in which an optical axis of the corresponding lens extends; a temperature sensor (126) disposed in the vicinity of the lens array to detect a temperature; a movement distance estimating portion (139) configured to estimate movement distances of all the optical axes of the plurality of lenses based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (126); an image pickup signal correcting portion (135) configured to correct an image pickup signal, generated in the image pickup region, based on the movement distances estimated by the movement distance estimating portion (139); and a parallax calculating portion (142) configured to calculate a parallax based on the image pickup signal corrected by the image pickup signal correcting portion (135).
US08395687B2
A method for operating image sensors is provided. The method for operating image sensors includes maintaining a charge transmission unit which transfers charges generated in a photoelectric conversion unit by responding to incident light to a charge detection unit in an inactive state; and toggling the charge transmission unit between an active state and an inactive state while a reset unit resets the charge detection unit, wherein the toggling is repeated multiple times while a reset unit which resets the charge detection unit is maintained in active state.
US08395678B2
A color reproduction apparatus may include a white balance performing unit to perform white balance with respect to an image obtained from a sensor using a white balance gain, an image restoring unit to restore an RGB image from the white-balanced image by interpolating a color filter array image, a first color corrector to correct a color distortion caused by a light source by applying first correction data, and a second color corrector to correct a color distortion caused by a characteristic of a sensor by applying second correction data.
US08395663B2
A positioning system and a method thereof are provided. In the positioning method, a first and a second pose information of a moving device are obtained by a first positioning device and a second positioning device respectively, wherein the first pose information corresponds to the second pose information. In addition, a plurality of first candidacy pose information is generated in an error range of the first pose information. Furthermore, a plurality of second candidacy pose information is generated according to the first pose information respectively. One of the second candidacy pose information having a smallest error derived from the second pose information is selected for updating the pose information of the first positioning device and parameter information of the second positioning device. Thereby, pose information of the moving device is updated and parameter information of the second orientation devices is calibrated simultaneously.
US08395659B2
Systems and methods for identifying moving objects from received images are disclosed. Images are received from a stereo image capture device and from a moving image capture device. Distances from the stereo image capture device to points in a captured image are stored in a stereo distance map and distances from the moving image capture device are determined from pairs of images captured by the moving image capture device and stored in a moving distance map. Stereo disparities are determined from distances in the stereo distance map and motion disparities are determined from distances in the moving distance map. A scale is generated from the stereo disparities and the motion disparities. The scale is applied to the motion disparities and the scaled motion disparities and the stereo disparities are used to identify pixels in an image associated with a moving object.
US08395655B2
The present invention is a video conferencing system that includes: a first display area for displaying content shared between at least a first participant at a first location and at least a second participant at a second location in a video conference; and a second display area for displaying the video captured of the at least first participant, wherein the video captured of the at least first participant is spatially consistent with the video captured of the at least second participant.
US08395640B1
Embodiments provide methods, apparatus, and systems for environmental lighting compensation in imaging devices. Environmental characteristics, including ambient light, may be accounted for in order to optimize an output.
US08395636B2
A method and system are described for adjusting displaying of images to be displayed on a display system. The method is suitable for display systems comprising at least one hardware feature (f1, f2, f3) influencing the display uniformity of the displaying of images, such as e.g. a defect pixel, seams, variations in positions of hardware components, etc. The method comprises obtaining pixelated image information to be displayed on a display system (100), and adjusting the displaying thereof by applying a distributed variation correction signal to the displaying of the pixelated image information. Such a distributed variation correction signal thereby takes into account the at least one hardware feature (f1, f2, f3) of said display system (100) so as to influence the perception of the display uniformity.
US08395635B2
A method for storing interpolation data is provided. The method uses a buffer in a cache memory and the concept of memory overlap record for storing previously calculated interpolation data, so as to avoid repeated interpolation, thereby decreasing the amount of system operation and the frequency of reading integer points for calculating interpolation from an external memory. Furthermore, a method of data storage for the buffer is provided. The storage method uses the concept of memory address rotation to store interpolation data beyond the boundary of the buffer. Moreover, another storage method is provided, which distributes interpolation data into a plurality of regions in the buffer according to different combinations of decimal coordinates of the interpolation points for economizing the use of memory space and simplifying the search of interpolation data in the buffer.
US08395633B2
A scanning type image display apparatus including a light source, a frame buffer, a scanning mirror, a drive controller which outputs a drive signal to the scanning mirror, and a display controller which reads out pixel data from the frame buffer, generates display data for modulating an intensity of a laser beam using the readout pixel data, and causes the light source to emit an intensity-modulated laser beam based on the display data. The display controller calculates a scanning position of the laser beam on the display screen by the scanning mirror based on information relating to the drive signal inputted from the drive controller, reads out pixel data corresponding to the calculated scanning position on the display screen by executing a burst access to the frame buffer, and implements interpolation to generate the display data corresponding to the scanning position of the laser beam on the display screen.
US08395629B1
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes generating intermediate values from an evaluation of one or more static expressions within shader programming code that is configured to modify an appearance of an image, compressing the intermediate values based on a determination of which intermediate values are duplicative, and storing the compressed intermediate values in a buffer accessible to an image rendering application.
US08395626B2
A method and system for interactive simulation of materials. The method and system provide flexible simulation, the ability to combine rigid and flexible simulation, a collision-detection method for simulating objects and other entities, and a system for displaying and interacting with simulated objects which includes a harness for registering the hardware components of the simulation with respect to each other.
US08395625B2
A system and method are provided for displaying a data series. In one embodiment, a graphical interface is provided including at least one axis that is divided into a plurality of axis regions. Preferably, each axis region uses a different linear scale, and the plurality of axis regions forms a continuous non-linear scale. The graphical interface also displays the data series in relation to the plurality of axis regions, and the data series is plotted in relation to each axis region based on a scale resolution corresponding to each respective axis region.
US08395618B2
A computer-implemented method of capturing and processing a series of images incorporating a plurality of digitized markers is presented. A position of a first digitized marker is located in a first image frame. A second, succeeding image frame is searched for the first digitized marker. When the first digitized marker is not found in the second, succeeding image frame, a best guess position of the first marker in the second, succeeding image frame is interpolated by processing translation information of a second marker geometrically interconnected to the first marker. The first image frame may be captured with a first video camera having a first optical position to generate a first image representation. The first image frame may be captured with a second video camera having a second optical position to generate a second image representation.
US08395615B2
Provided is a communication method using a three-dimensional (3D) image display device. In the communication method, motion information is determined using a motion image obtained by photographing a user's motion indicating the user's request in relation to an opposite party, distance information indicating the distance between the user who is moving and the 3D image display device is determined, and then, the user's request is determined based on the motion information and the distance information.
US08395612B2
A display driving circuit includes a timing controller, agate driving circuit, a control unit, a boost converter and a level shifter. The timing controller functions to provide a first start pulse. The level shifter generates a second start pulse by level shifting the first start pulse. The gate driving circuit includes a plurality of shift registers coupled in series and is driven by the second start pulse and the level shifter so as to generate gate signals. The control unit uses the second start pulse and a gate signal generated by a kth shift register to switch a high working voltage provided to the level shifter by the boost converter to a suitable range for driving the gate driving circuit.
US08395609B2
In a testing method for an organic light emitting display device on a mother substrate, a sheet unit test is performed by directly supplying a test signal to a display region, rather than passing through a data distributor. The organic light emitting display device includes: a display region including pixels coupled to scan lines and data lines; a scan driver for supplying scan signals to the scan lines; a data driver for supplying data signals to output lines; a data distributor for supplying data signals to the data lines; a transistor group including transistors each coupled to one or more of the data lines; and a first wire group and a second wire group, wherein one of the wires included in the first wire group and the second wire group is coupled to gate electrodes of various transistors in the transistor group.
US08395608B2
Disclosed is an EL display device by which accurate gray scales can be obtained. The EL display device comprises a source signal line driving circuit which includes an operation amplifier electrically connected to a correction TFT and a source signal line, and a pixel which includes an EL element and a driving TFT. An inputted analog signal voltage is converted into a current, the current is converted into a gate-source voltage of the correction TFT that has the same polarity as the driving TFT, the gate-source voltage is supplied as a source line signal to the source signal line, and the source line signal is applied to a gate electrode of the driving TFT. Thus the EL element can emit light at a luminance linearly corresponding to the inputted analog signal voltage.
US08395606B2
A USB image transmission system is provided. The USB image transmission system may include a content source configured to be operatively coupled to a USB-enabled display device. Image data may be transmitted over the USB connection from the content source for display by the display device. In some embodiments, a USB collaboration hub may enable multiple content sources to be operatively linked through a USB connection to one or more USB-enabled display devices.
US08395603B2
An electronic device including a display device, and a driving method thereof, in which the display device includes a central processing unit, a display device, and a feedback unit. The central processing unit provides image signals and input control signals, and the display device displays an image based on the image signals and the input control signals. The feedback unit is connected between the central processing unit and the display device and transmits a signal, including information on whether static electricity is applied to the display device, to the central processing unit. The central processing unit initializes a driving condition when the static electricity is applied to the display device and a display operation error occurs.
US08395591B2
The present disclosure generally relates to tactile display devices that include a reservoir for containing a driving fluid. A plurality of toxel portions may be sensitively drivable by the fluid for causing toxels to be displayed, and a pump member associated with the reservoir and toxel portions may pump the fluid from the reservoir to selected toxel portions to display a tactile image. The pump member may include an electro-osmotic pump configured to pump the fluid electro-osmotically in response to an applied voltage, and may be configured to selectively pump the fluid to generally activate the toxels independently from each other. The toxel layer may include the plurality of toxels as well as an elastomeric membrane that may have a pattern of the toxels, and may be configured such that the toxels may be expandable generally independently of each other in response to increased pressure of the fluid pumped into association therewith.
US08395590B2
An input device providing integrated contact switch and touch sensor elements is disclosed. A contact switch and touch sensor can be integrated so that they share a common sensor line, achieving space, cost and manufacturing savings over input devices that utilize distinct sensor lines for each of its sensor elements. By configuring a contact switch and touch sensor to share a common sensor line, a controller can use a single pin to scan both the contact switch and touch sensor elements, rather than using distinct pins to scan distinct sensor lines associated with each sensor element. By using fewer pins to scan the same number of sensor elements, a smaller controller can be used which can reduce the size and cost of the input device, and increase manufacturing throughput time associated with the input device.
US08395587B2
A user input for an electronic device includes a haptic feedback layer (100) and a touch sensitive user interface (200). The haptic feedback layer (100) provides a tactile response to a user when the user actuates a user actuation target (301) on the touch sensitive user interface (200) to simulate a popple-style button. The haptic feedback layer (100) includes a chassis (101) and a plurality of oppositely facing, interlaced cantilever beams (105,106) emanating therefrom, further separated by a support beam (113), and spanning at least a portion of the haptic feedback layer (100). One or more piezoelectric actuators (119) are coupled to the cantilever beams and are responsive to a controller (201). When the controller detects user actuation of the touch sensitive user interface (200), the controller (201) causes at least one of the piezoelectric actuators to actuate in accordance with an actuation signal.
US08395586B2
An improved method of learning a context of a segment of text input enables facilitated text input on an improved handheld electronic device. In response to a series of inputs, segments and other objects are analyzed to generate a proposed character interpretation of the series of inputs. Responsive to detecting a replacement of a segment of the character interpretation with another segment, a combination object comprising the another segment and a preceding object is stored. In response to another series of inputs, the combination object can be employed by a processing algorithm to ascertain a preference for the another segment in the context of the preceding object of the combination object.
US08395584B2
A mobile terminal includes a housing, a first user interface located on a first face of the housing, a second user interface located on a second face of the housing different from the first face, and a controller within the housing and coupled to the first and second user interfaces. The second user interface includes a touch sensor configured to be used in tandem with the first user interface. The second user interface is positioned on the housing relative to the first user interface such that, when the mobile terminal is held in the user's hand, the first user interface is operable by a thumb and the second user interface is operable by a finger of the same hand. The first user interface is configured to receive a first user input, and the second user interface is configured to receive a second user input. The controller is configured to detect a combination of the received first and second user inputs, and is configured to perform a mobile terminal function associated with the detected combination responsive to detection of the combination. Related user interfaces and methods of operation are also discussed.
US08395583B2
An input apparatus, a control apparatus, a control system including those apparatuses, and a control method therefor with which a user can feel a linearity between a movement of the input apparatus and that of a pointer and an accurate pointing operation is possible are provided. An MPU of an input apparatus variably controls a gain value in a range from first threshold value to a second threshold value or first range, in which the input apparatus is within a low-velocity range, and controls the gain value to be constant in a range exceeding the second threshold value second range. The gain value is a value multiplied to a velocity value of the input apparatus that is obtained by an operation, the velocity value being obtained through detection of a movement of the input apparatus. Accordingly, in a relatively-low-velocity range, a pointer velocity value becomes smaller by a multi-degree function as movements of the input apparatus and a pointer on a screen become slower. As a result, accurate pointing becomes possible. Moreover, since a linearity is obtained when the input apparatus is in a relatively-high-velocity range, a user can obtain a linear operational feeling.
US08395576B2
An organic electro-luminescence device includes a drive unit having first to fourth transistors and a capacitor, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) controlled by the drive unit, wherein the first transistor has its gate, drain and source connected to a first node, a second node and a power voltage supply line, respectively; the second transistor has its drain and source connected to the OLED and the second node, respectively; the third transistor has its gate, drain and source connected to a first select signal line, the second node and the first node, respectively; the fourth transistor has its gate, drain and source connected to the first select signal line, a data line, and the second node, respectively; and the capacitor is connected to the first node and a predetermined signal line.
US08395569B2
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent display (OELD) device, more particularly, to a dual panel type OELD device and a method of fabricating the same. The OLED structure has first and second barrier walls having a reverse-taper shape with respect to the first substrate and first and second side surfaces, wherein the walls define novel polymer patterns with varying heights relative to each other.
US08395564B2
A display device includes a display area having a plurality of data lines, a plurality of first scan lines, a plurality of second and third scan lines, and a plurality of pixel areas. In addition, the display device includes a first driver, a second driver, and a third driver. At least two pixels sharing a data line and a first scan line are formed in at least one of the pixel areas. At least one of the pixels of a first group among the pixels formed in the at least one pixel area is emitted by a first emission signal in a first field, and at least another one of the pixels of a second group are emitted by a second emission signal in a second field.
US08395563B2
An image display device including an image input means to which image signals are input, an image display means for forming an optical image based on the image signals, and a device adjusting means for adjusting internal conditions of the device is provided with an adjusting operation support means for supporting an operation of the device adjusting means. Because the adjusting operation support means is provided, a user may easily adjust the image display device while confirming adjusting operation support information displayed by the adjusting operation support means.
US08395551B2
This invention provides an antenna module and an electronic device using the same. The antenna module includes a signal feeding part, a ground part, and a first asymmetric meander line. One terminal of the first asymmetric meander line is connected with the signal feeding part, the other terminal is connected with the ground part, and the first asymmetric meander line does not meander toward its inner side. A signal is fed in via the signal feeding part to allow the first asymmetric meander line to excite a first resonance frequency. An area of the antenna module in the invention is smaller than that of a conventional planar antenna, and the antenna module can generate an inductive effect to improve antenna radiation efficiency. Besides, since the area of the antenna module is small, a metal electronic component in the electronic device and the antenna module won't overlap thus to reduce interference.
US08395546B2
A receive only smart antenna with a command pointing option for communicating with geostationary satellites that autonomously detects the directions from which desired signal are received, and steer the multiple beams accordingly. An array feed is used to illuminate a parabolic reflector. Each feed element of the receive only smart antenna is associated with a unique beam pointing direction. As a receiver is switched to different feed elements, the far-field beam is scanned, making it possible to track a geostationary satellite in a slightly inclined orbit. This eliminates the need for mechanical tracking and maintains high antenna gain in the direction of the geostationary satellite. The receive only smart antenna also features capabilities to form multiple simultaneous beams supporting operations of multiple geo-satellites in closely spaced slightly inclined orbits. The designs can support orthogonal beams for enhanced bandwidth capacity via multiple beams with excellent spatial isolation.
US08395540B2
An ADC includes an analog signal input port for receiving analog signals, a reference voltage generation circuit for producing a reference voltage, a controllable switch, a control unit including a counter, an integral circuit, and a comparison circuit. The control unit outputs an on or off signal to turn on or turn off the controllable switch, the counter starts to count when the control unit outputs the off signal. The integral circuit executes an integral action to integrate the reference voltage and output a voltage enhanced gradually when the controllable switch is turned off. The comparison circuit outputs an interrupt signal to cause the counter to stop counting when comparing the voltage output by the integral circuit is higher than the voltage of the analog signals. The control unit determines a digital value corresponding to the analog signals according to a count value of counted by the counter.
US08395539B2
In a double data rate (DDR) counter and counting method used in, for example, an analog-to-digital conversion in, for example, a CMOS image sensor and method, a first stage of the counter generates a least significant bit (LSB) of the value in the counter. The counter includes at least one second stage for generating another bit of the value in the counter. An input clock signal is applied to a data input of the first stage and a clock input of the second stage.
US08395533B2
The invention relates to a method for managing an anti-collision system for aircraft, said system comprising means of detecting collision with a threat and at least one head-up viewing device. The symbol system comprises two display modes dedicated to collision detection which are: on the one hand an “action” mode: a potential collision is detected by the system, the symbol system comprises at least one symbol representative of the limits of the disengagement path of the aircraft to avoid the collision and enabling the pilot to engage his avoidance maneuver, and on the other hand a “control” mode: this mode is displayed when the avoidance maneuver is engaged and the collision avoided, the symbol system comprises at least the symbol representative of the limits of the disengagement path of the aircraft and a plan view representing the air space around the aircraft and including at least one representation of the threat.
US08395532B2
There is disclosed a single space parking meter that includes a low powered radio for communicating with a mobile access point. There is also provided a parking meter management system comprising a single space parking meter and a mobile access point. The mobile access point comprises a coin collection cart, and a mobile data collection terminal including a wireless radio for communicating with the wireless radio of the single space parking meter. Also disclosed is a method of managing single space parking meters comprising the steps of collecting and storing meter information in a single space parking meter, receiving at a main electronics board of the single space parking meter a transmit signal, and transmitting the meter information to a mobile access point using a low powered radio of the single space parking meter.
US08395528B2
Methods and apparatus for computing the carrier frequency of a transmitter using frequency modulated digital data to compensate for frequency shifting of the transmitter and the receiver local oscillators and for bandwidth adjustment of the receiver's filter. In particular, methods and apparatus are disclosed for binary systems transmitting “1” and “0” data using decoded or undecoded received signals.
