US08403524B2
A lighting system for a vehicle maintenance platform includes a frame structure, a plurality of light sources and a rechargeable power source. The frame structure is capable of being detachably coupled to the vehicle maintenance platform. The plurality of light sources is disposed on the frame structure and is configured to illuminate a target region underneath a vehicle. The rechargeable power source is coupled to the frame structure and is electrically connected to the plurality of light sources. The rechargeable power source provides electrical power to the plurality of light sources. Further, a vehicle maintenance apparatus including the lighting system and the vehicle maintenance platform is also provided.
US08403522B2
An exemplary LED lamp includes a heat dissipation module, a light source mounted on the heat dissipation module, a cover engaging the heat dissipation module and covering the light source, a reflective layer mounted on the cover, and two connectors secured at two corresponding ends of the cover and the heat dissipation module. The cover has an inner surface and a convex outer surface. The inner surface includes a first concave surface and two second concave surfaces at lateral sides of the first concave surface. The second concave surfaces face the LEDs and configured as light incident surfaces; light emitted by the LEDs incidents onto the second concave surfaces and travels through the cover to an outside for lightening. A part of the light is reflected by the reflective layer before travelling to the outside.
US08403521B2
A structurally improved flashlight includes a handle coupled to a main body at a bottom of the main body. The handle has a trigger assembled between a pair of housing parts. The trigger is formed with a zigzag room that is communicated with openings formed at two laterals of the trigger for accommodating a safety mechanism. A magnet provided at an upper surface of the trigger is to removably engage a reed switch installed on the flashlight main body. A spring is deposited between the trigger and the two housing parts, so as to enable the trigger to resiliently move to and fro. The trigger is for conveniently switching the flashlight among different illumination phases, such as light intensity, blinking and on/off status. The structurally improved flashlight is also designed to be held in a certain illumination phase temporarily, so as to prevent unintentional change of the set illumination phase.
US08403509B2
An LED lamp includes a housing, a conducting ring mounted on the housing, a shade swivelably mounted on the housing, an LED module mounted on the shade, and two conducting pins each electrically connected with the LED module and each electrically connected with the conducting ring. Thus, when the LED module is moved in concert with the shade, each of the two conducting pins is slidably in contact with the conducting ring to connect the LED module electrically with the conducting ring and to connect the LED module electrically with the metallic base and the power contact plate through the conducting ring so as to form an electrical circuit so that the LED module can be rotated through three hundred and sixty degrees (360°) so as to change the lighting direction of the LED module.
US08403504B2
In a projection type display apparatus for enabling to display an image, by projecting an image on an image display element(s), enlargedly, upon a nearly horizontal surface, such as, a table, a reflection mirror for reflecting a light from a light source is so disposed that an optical axis of the light source is nearly perpendicular to an optical axis of a lens group having a plural number of lens elements, which are disposed symmetric with respect to the optical axis.
US08403497B2
The invention discloses a projector including a casing, an optical module, a light source module, a blowing fan, and an axial fan. The casing has a first air-outlet, a second air-outlet, and an air-inlet. The blowing fan and the axial fan are disposed corresponding to two sides of a light axis of the light source module respectively. When the blowing fan operates, an initial airflow into the casing from the air-inlet flows through the optical module and then a predetermined airflow generated by the blowing fan on a first air-outlet surface of the blowing fan cools the light source module. An angle is formed between the axial fan and one side of the casing. The axial fan directly sends the air around the light source module out of the casing through the first air-outlet and/or the second air-outlet.
US08403495B2
The present invention is directed to an illumination system. The illumination system comprises a plurality of modules such that each module comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) adapted to emit light. The illumination system further comprises a plurality of lens elements disposed subsequent to the LEDs. Further, a number of the lens elements corresponds to a number of LEDs; such that the plurality of lens elements is adapted to redirect the light emitted by the LEDs on a plurality lenses. The illumination system further comprises a plurality of imagers disposed subsequent to the plurality of lenses, such that each of the imagers forms an image from the light provided by each of the lenses, respectively. Further, the images formed by the plurality of imagers are combined by a device, such as an X-cube, to form a single image that is further provided to a light pipe of a display system.
US08403494B2
An image formed on a reflecting optical modulator is magnified by a projection optical system and projected on a backside of a transmission-type screen. The projection optical system is constituted so that a product of an F-number and a projection magnification of the projection optical system is less than 400.
US08403490B2
A beam scanning-type display device used as a head-mounted display (HMD) or a head-up display (HUD) includes a light source which emits a beam, a scanning unit which performs scanning using the beam emitted from the light source, a deflecting unit which deflects the beam used for the scanning by the scanning unit in the direction toward an eye of a user, and a wavefront shape changing unit which changes the wavefront shape of the beam from the light source so that the beam spot size falls within the predetermined allowable range, and emits the beam to the wavefront shape changing unit.
US08403489B2
Spectral separation filters for channels of a 3D image projection incorporate passbands of primary colors. In at least one of the filters, passbands are present in more than 3 primary colors. A set of two filters include a first filter having passbands of low blue, high blue, low green, high green, and red, and a second filter having passbands of blue, green, and red. The additional primary passbands of the first filter allow for an increased color space in projections through the filters compared to filters only having red, green, and blue primaries. The added flexibility of the increased color space is utilized to more closely match a color space and white point of a projector in which the filters are used.
US08403480B2
Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The system includes a computer control system and an environmental light source that is controlled by the computer control system such that an amount of light provided by the environmental light source is adjusted by the computer control so that ocular parameters of an examinee are within a targeted range. Further, the system includes an irradiation system that provides multiple angle and axial eccentricity illuminations and selective wavelength irradiation based upon instructions received from the computer control system, wherein the computer control system instructs the irradiation system to provide different irradiation characteristics for different screening procedures. Also, the system includes an image detection system that captures ocular images of the examinee, wherein the computer control system analyzes captured images and provides results of in-situ analysis. The system can further include a device, for example a lens or lens system, positioned in the system to be between the eye of the examinee and the image detection system during photoscreening for shifting the neutralization of the system to a desired region for a specific population of examinees. Other systems and methods are also provided.
US08403472B2
An inkjet image forming method includes: applying, onto a recording medium which is held by suction on a support base, an ink composition including a pigment and a polymerizable compound using an inkjet; applying, onto the recording medium, a treatment liquid that includes an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components in the ink composition and that has a viscosity of 2 mPa·s to 5 mPa·s at 20° C. and a surface tension of 25 mN/m to 45 mN/m at 25° C.; and irradiating the ink composition applied to the recording medium with an active energy ray, thereby performing polymerization.
US08403470B2
A solid phase change ink melter assembly in a phase change ink image producing machine includes an array of a plurality of spaced apart fins, the array defining a top face for receiving the solid pieces of phase change ink, a bottom face for discharging melted ink, and opposite melter surfaces for melting the solid pieces in contact therewith. The assembly further includes a number of heat transfer devices extending through and in heat transfer contact with the plurality of fins, the heat transfer devices including a heating element for heating the device. The bottom edge of the fins defines a plurality of apexes which serve as drip points for molten phase change ink.
US08403468B2
An inkjet printer cartridge refilling system is described. The system may include a plurality of fixtures or adapters that are configured to hold inkjet printer cartridges. The adapters allow a variety of different configurations of inkjet printer cartridges to be refilled and cleaned by mating the cartridges to universal stations on the refilling system.
US08403461B2
According to one embodiment, an aqueous inkjet ink includes a dispersion medium that contains water and a water-soluble polyhydric alcohol having a weight average molecular weight of 400 or more, and a pigment. The pigment accounts for less than 5 mass % of the total amount of the aqueous inkjet ink. The aqueous inkjet ink has viscosities (mPa·s) measured using a cone-plate type viscometer at 20 rpm and satisfying the following relationships: VA/VB≧1.5 VA≧10 mPa·s 3 mPa·s≦VB≦15 mPa·s, where VA is the viscosity at 30° C., and VB the viscosity at 45° C.
US08403456B2
A fluid droplet discharge device executes a head cleaning process to quickly remove bubbles that have entered the fluid supply path when it is likely that bubbles have entered in a flushing process. If the ink cartridge cover 2b is opened during flushing and it is possible that bubbles have entered the ink supply path, ΔN1 is added to the count Na of the cleaning intensity setting counter N. If the count Na exceeds a threshold value Nmax in a head cleaning operation performed when a defective nozzle is detected, cleaning (CL4) with the highest cleaning intensity level is applied. Because ΔN1 is added to the count Na if the ink cartridge cover 2b is opened when flushing, the timing when this cleaning operation (CL4) is applied is accelerated. Bubbles that have entered the fluid supply path can therefore be removed sooner.
US08403454B2
At a front-end side opposite to a head-fixing-member-attachment side, a protection member has an inclined plane sloped up from a head side toward the opposite outer side in a direction in which liquid ejecting heads are arranged in a row. The surface of the front end is located at a position that is not closer to a head-fixing member in comparison with the nozzle surface of each of the liquid ejecting heads attached to the head-fixing member or level therewith. A recess is formed at a part of the inclined plane. In a state in which one of the caps faces the protection member and, in addition, each of the remaining caps is in contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid ejecting head, a part of the cap facing the protection member is in the recess, which ensures that the cap is not in contact with the protection member.
US08403453B2
The method for forming an inkjet image provides a high-resolution image with a stable ink ejection and the image exhibits excellent curability, The image is formed using an inkjet recording head comprising a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of nozzles in communication with the pressure chambers and positioned on one side of the pressure chamber, and an ink chamber in communication with the pressure chamber and positioned on an opposite side of the pressure chamber. The ink composition in the ink chamber has a photo-initiator, a polymerizable compound and a gelling agent. The temperature of the ink composition in the ink chamber is kept at 70° C.-140° C. during an image recording and during standing-by. The ink composition is forced to flow in the ink chamber.
US08403447B1
Among other things, the disclosure features a system for use in fluid jetting. The system comprises a first print module comprising a first row of nozzles, a second print module comprising a second row of nozzles, and a controller to receive a first data packet from a remote device at a first moment and a second data packet from the remote device at a second moment after the first moment. Upon receipt of the first data packet, the controller is configured to cause at least some nozzles in the first row, at a third moment, to eject fluid droplets onto a line on a substrate. Upon receipt of the second data packet, the controller is configured to cause at least some nozzles in the second row, at a fourth moment separated from the third moment by a time delay, to eject fluid droplets onto the line on the substrate.
US08403444B2
According to the present invention, a recording apparatus is provided which is capable of recording a plurality of patterns, on a recording medium, for detecting an amount of displacement between a recording position of a first discharge port array and a recording position of a second discharge port array in a conveyance direction and acquiring an amount of inclination based on the amount of displacement without conveying the recording medium.
US08403434B2
A mounting apparatus for mounting a slide rail to a bracket with through holes includes a retaining member and a locking member fixed to the retaining member. The retaining member includes a positioning portion, and defines a through slot. The locking member includes an engaging portion and an operating portion extending through the through slot. The positioning portion engages in a through hole of the bracket from a first side of the bracket, the engaging portion engages with a second side of the bracket. When releasing the slide rail from the bracket, the operating portion is operated to deform the locking member to make the engaging portion be disengaged from the second side of the bracket, and the positioning portion is readily released from the through hole of the bracket, to release the retaining member from the bracket.
US08403428B2
A check valve having a spherical valve body received in a valve chamber, a valve seat for blocking the flow of fluid from the valve chamber toward an inflow port when having the spherical valve body seated thereon, and a plate-like resilient member arranged across the valve chamber. The resilient member has an annular fixed portion fixed on a circumferential wall of the valve chamber and a tongue piece portion radially extending from a radial one side of the annular fixed portion to extend an end thereof beyond an inner edge on a radial other side of the annular fixed portion. The tongue piece portion is formed to be deflected toward the valve seat side from the fixed portion and is resiliently contacted with the spherical valve body at a center part thereof for disengageably pressing the spherical valve body against the valve seat.
US08403418B2
A chair, includes a seat structure and a backrest structure arranged pivotally to the seat structure. An armrest is arranged pivotally to the backrest structure through a pivotal connection, and a link mechanism is journalled to the structures of the seat and the backrest, respectively, the link mechanism actuating and controlling the armrest to maintain its pivotal orientation in any pivotal position of the backrest relative to the seat. The armrest is adjustable in the length direction of the backrest through the pivotal connection which is arranged displaceable on the backrest structure, and the pivotal orientation of the armrest is controlled via a sliding engagement between a lever arm, adjoining the armrest at an angle thereto, and an actuator link included in the link mechanism and displaceable thereby with respect to the backrest so as to extend substantially in the length direction of the backrest in all its positions of displacement.
US08403408B2
A personal support device includes a single elongated non-linear shaft having a support attached to a top end thereof and a tip attached to a bottom end thereof. The shaft is arced or includes a bend that defines upper and lower portions of the shaft which are angularly offset from one another. The support is configured to be at least partially disposed below the pelvis and extend between the legs of the individual supported by the device, with the shaft extending to a support surface either in front of or behind the individual.
US08403406B2
A deflector apparatus for a vehicle including a fixed frame provided at the roof portion, a movable frame positioned at an upper side of the fixed frame and being rotatable between a raised position and a retracted position, a mesh member connected to the fixed frame and the movable frame and brought to a raised state and a retracted state by a rotation of the movable frame, the mesh member extending above a surface of the roof portion in the raised state, and a spring member biasing the movable frame to the raised position. The fixed frame includes a connecting portion connected to the mesh member and provided at an upper side of a drain portion that is formed along a front-inner periphery of the opening. The connecting portion is arranged to have a clearance relative to the drain portion.
US08403385B2
An automobile bumper structure reduces damage to a vehicle body in an offset collision by having a bumper member in an offset collision area formed by a separate member.
US08403381B2
The present invention relates to a latch mechanism for securing a movable panel member such as a door to a stationary panel member such as a wall. The latch mechanism has a receiver member attached to one of the panels and a latch member attached to the other pane and which engages the receiver member to secure the two panels together.
US08403376B2
Disclosed is a convertible motorized latch that may be configured in either of a slam latch or a dead bolt latch configuration, just by desired selection and replacement of a minimal number of components, and which may be used on new (oem) equipment or in retrofit applications. In either preferred configuration, an electric motor contained within the latch housing operates to open or unlock the latch. Latch closure may be provided by spring actuation in a slam configuration or by further motor operation in a dead bolt configuration. Either present configuration may make use of an electrical feedback switch for signaling latch retraction while the dead bolt configuration may also include a second electrical feedback switch for signaling latch extension. A gear train may be incorporated within the latch housing to provide reduced speed and increased torque from the electric motor.
US08403372B2
A reinforcing ring and a plastic fitting incorporating such a reinforcing ring are disclosed. The reinforcing ring and plastic fitting have particular utility with respect to fire sprinkler heads in buildings. The reinforcing ring has a single starter thread which is integrally formed with a guide portion which guides a male part to be axially in line with the female fitting.
US08403362B2
A restraint system having support elements can be transferred from a storage position to a restraint position. Flexible casing elements are disposed between the support elements and have air flow openings, such that the support elements having the flexible casing elements enclose a restraint volume in the restraint position. A resistance element is disposed at each of the air flow openings in order to impede or prevent the escape of air from the restraint volume compared to the inflow at the respective air flow opening. Such resistance elements may be formed by a second layer, displaced fabric threads, flexible fabric web sections and other elements such that a check valve function is provided.
US08403351B2
This invention relates to an external bicycle stand in which an axle is inserted in the stand body, a locating member for locating the axle being assembled on the stand body, an assembling member engaged with bicycle pedal being fastened on one end of the axle extending to the outside of the stand body, and a support member being pivotably hinged on the stand body. In bicycle parking, the assembling member is combined with the bicycle pedal, then the stand body supports under the pedal and in turn the support member pivotably hinged on the stand body can be moved down vertically to support on ground so as to finish the parking effect. This invention is adaptable to the cases having pedal of various sizes by providing a stand locating member capable of adjustment.
US08403344B2
The present invention provides a dolly (10) having a deck (12) including a plurality of rotatable members (14) secured thereto to support the deck (12) relative to a support surface (16) and enable the dolly (10) to move on the support surface (16). Each rotatable member (14) has a skirt element (24) located adjacent thereto. The or each skirt element (24) is movable relative to the deck (12) between a first position in which each rotatable member (14) is exposed beyond the adjacent skirt element (24) to a first extent and a second position in which each rotatable member (14) is exposed beyond the adjacent skirt element (24) to a second extent. The second extent is less than the first extent. Movement of the or each skirt element (24) between the first and second positions selectively engages a brake (50) to inhibit movement of the dolly (10) relative to the support surface (16).
US08403343B1
A shopping cart attachment device for securing a shopping cart to a vehicle featuring a clamp base having a generally U-shaped cross section formed from a first panel and a second panel connected together, the base snugly wraps around an end of the shopping cart; an arm pivotally attached to the base via a pivot mechanism, the pivot mechanism allows the arm to pivot side-to-side, the arm has a first end and a second end, the first end is engaged in the pivot mechanism and the second end extends outwardly from the base and pivot mechanism; a pad component disposed on the second end of the arm; and a hook extending upwardly from the pad component and second end of the arm, the hook functions to hook onto a part of a vehicle.
US08403339B2
A chuck with a generally cylindrical body having a tail section configured to receive a drive shaft of a driver and a nose section having an axial bore formed therein. A plurality of jaws is movably disposed with respect to the body. A threaded spindle is rotatably connected to the body and operatively engages the jaws. A first ring is fixedly mounted about the body and has a first plurality of teeth. An inner sleeve is rotatably mounted about the tail section and has an open portion. A second ring that has at least one protrusion that mates with the corresponding open portion and extends outwardly from the inner sleeve and the ring has a second plurality of teeth. An outer sleeve is placed concentrically around the inner sleeve and contains a lock groove that the protrusion of the second ring is situated inside the lock groove.
US08403330B2
A ball net of box type comprises a front loop, a rear loop, and first and second side loops. The enclosing net portion are for covering a top hole formed by top portions of the loops, two side holes formed by the side loops, and a rear hole formed by the rear loop, so as to enclose the box-type space from four sides. The vertical side straight portions of neighboring loops are hold together by fabric holder portions. The top curved portion of the front loop protrudes above the top straight portions of the other loops, such that a front opening defined by the front loop provides a receiving area larger than the other holes defined by the other loops especially in a upper portion of the receiving area. The front loop has a larger area than the other loops in a lower portion of the receiving area.
US08403316B2
There is disclosed an elevator for holding a workpiece, the elevator comprising a turntable and adapted to slide along a support chain to thereby vertically displace the elevator. There is further disclosed a method of assembling a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of stacking first and second workpiece sections on a turntable elevator; and sliding the elevator along a support chain to thereby vertically position the workpiece.
US08403304B2
A vehicle misting device and method that is operable is dry and humid environments are provided. The device may also include a payment system and fan.
US08403296B2
A gate valve seat has structure formed on it to provide a sealing edge or lip which flexes when loaded. The lip forms a dual seal against portions of the gate valve body when the seat is placed under load.
US08403291B2
A slide clamp for use with an infusion pump and infusion set provides finger grips and support members for supporting the infusion tubing. The finger grips make the slide clamp easier to use while reducing the risk of error. The tubing support members reduce the likelihood of improperly loading the tubing and reduce the risk of kinking the tubing during use. An infusion set is provided wherein the slide clamp may be coded through the use of colors, holes, or the like so as to identify the type of infusion tubing used therewith. The infusion pump can identify the code on the slide clamp and thereby determine the type of infusion tubing, and thereby allow access only to infusion programs for drugs or infusion solutions which are compatible with the particular type of infusion tubing.
US08403290B2
A hydraulically-operated annular blowout preventer, for controlling a wellbore and comprising a wiper seal assembly, is described. The wiper seal assembly comprises a discrete wiper seal, for preventing debris and/or contaminants from the wellbore from entering the hydraulic fluid chamber of the blowout preventer, a discrete pressure seal, positioned below and abutting the wiper seal in the same seal groove, for isolating the hydraulic chamber, and a retainer member for preventing both radial and axial movement of the wiper seal.
US08403288B2
A supporting mechanism for supporting a device includes a rotating member rotatably coupled to the device, and a supporting member rotatably coupled to the rotating member and being foldable on the device. The rotating member is capable of being rotated from a first position to a second position. When the rotating member is rotated to a first position, the unfolded supporting member supports the device in a first orientation; when the rotating member is rotated to a second position, the supporting member supports the device in a second orientation different from the first orientation. A device having the supporting mechanism is also provided.
US08403279B2
A fastening device includes a fixing bracket and a fastener. The fixing bracket includes a fixed arm and two adjusting arms respectively connecting at two ends of the fixed arm. Each of the two ends of the fixed arm defines a plurality of spaced retaining slots. The retaining slots are located at different positions along the fixed arm. Each of the two adjusting arms has a sliding end retained selectively in one of the retaining slots and an opposite fixing end. The fastener extends through the fixing end of each of the two adjusting arms.
US08403264B2
The present invention provides an air intake valve for an aircraft and a method for the production of an air intake valve. The air intake valve has an opening region for letting ambient air through into a fuselage inner region of the aircraft and a flap for opening and closing the opening region, the opening region and the flap each having a shape which is capable of forming air vortices on edges of the opening region when ambient air flows through the air intake valve.
US08403261B2
The method of fabricating an aircraft comprises the following steps: fastening two lateral floor portions, each firstly to a fuselage element and secondly to supports that are connected to the fuselage element; and then bringing a middle floor portion between the lateral portions and connecting it to the lateral portions.
US08403259B2
The invention provides a method of taxiing an aircraft having at least one nose undercarriage at the front of the aircraft and main undercarriages, each undercarriage having wheels, the method comprising the steps of: fitting at least one of the wheels carried by the nose undercarriage with a main taxiing motor member, and fitting at least one of the wheels carried by the main undercarriages with an auxiliary taxiing motor member; and in response to a taxiing order, powering the main taxiing motor member to cause the aircraft to taxi, and in particular if the driving force developed by the main taxiing motor member on the aircraft is insufficient, powering the auxiliary taxiing motor member, as required.
US08403253B1
An active IR signature target simulation system which includes: a platform having a known temperature profile and a preplanned flight trajectory; a heat source carried onboard the platform, capable of producing heat following a controlled heating plan; and a control unit connected to the heat source and configured for initiating the heat source, thereby modifying the known temperature profile and generating a desired temperature profile required for sensing a simulated target IR signature during a simulation time window at a desired line of sight from the platform to an observing sensor, wherein the platform is an exo-atmospheric missile which includes an inner shell and a perforated outer shell, and wherein the heat source is a thermally active material disposed between at least a part of the inner shell and a part of the outer shell.
US08403245B2
A cushioning element suitable for use in a liner assembly for a grinding mill, the liner assembly including a mounting element having a recess therein, the cushioning element being located within the recess, and a wear element operatively connected to the cushioning element, the cushioning element including a cushion body of elastomeric material including a side section and opposed end sections, a plurality of cavities within the cushion body and extending from at least one of the end sections towards the other end section.
US08403244B2
A mobile rock crushing vehicle with a detachable electronic control box which can be automatically lifted, by a pair of hydraulic pivoting arms, off the vehicle, lowered and set upon any vibration damping and isolating mass, such as the earth, all by moving a hydraulic lever. The pair of pivoting arms further automatically configures a reduced-vibration transmitting connection when the electronic control box is set upon the ground.
US08403242B2
A system for producing snow incorporates a snow-making machine with ice supplied externally or manufactured on-site. The snow-making machine has one or more multi-bladed impellers fitted blades which impact ice blocks, pieces or tubes fed to the inlet of a snow-making chamber. The impact of the blades with the ice in a velocity range 150-300 Km/h produces artificial snow, with characteristics very similar to natural snow, suitable for ski-fields or other applications for snow. The blades may incorporate serrated or jagged cutter portions the break the latter ice pieces to sizes suitable for conversion to snow.
US08403239B2
A liquid storage system includes a liquid container having a plurality of through holes of a nano-size from which volatile liquid contained in the liquid container is led outside by capillary action, and photocatalytic films provided on surfaces of the through holes, the photocatalytic films being hydrophilic during light irradiation, an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the photocatalytic films with light, and a control unit configured to control the irradiation unit in accordance with an amount of the volatile liquid to be led outside.
US08403238B2
A portable waterfall feature is provided for use on a fireplace having a mantle and a fireplace opening, and includes a water reservoir; tubing connectors and connectable tubing pieces, which may be assembled to extend upward from the water reservoir when the reservoir is placed at the bottom of the fireplace opening and around the one end of the mantle to be connected to a dispensing tubing piece connectable at the top of the mantle. A flexible curtain hangs down over the front of the mantle and in front of the fireplace opening over the water reservoir so that water that is pumped from the water reservoir flows upward through the assembled tubing pieces, is dispensed from the dispensing tubing piece along the top side of the flexible curtain; and flows down the flexible curtain and back into the reservoir.
US08403237B2
The present invention relates to an articulated nozzle system comprising a nozzle cap for directing water exiting the nozzle cap, wherein the water exiting the nozzle cap has an average flow direction away from a nozzle cap base plane. The articulated nozzle system further comprises a nozzle cap driver for orienting the nozzle cap about a central pivot point to adjustably define the average flow direction, wherein the nozzle cap driver is linked to the nozzle cap. The nozzle cap driver can be moved along a plane, referred to as a driver support plane, by a drive module. Changing the location of nozzle cap driver along the driver support plane can change the orientation of the nozzle cap about the central pivot to adjust the average flow direction of the water exiting the nozzle cap.
US08403231B2
To provide a semiconductor device, which is capable of supplying a stable voltage to a memory and communicating wirelessly in writing data into a memory, and a driving method thereof. The semiconductor device is operated with periods which are divided into a period for receiving a signal wirelessly from a reader/writer, and a period for boosting up electric power received wirelessly from the reader/writer before being supplied to the memory. The signals transmitted from the reader/writer include timing for completion of signal transmission as information. The timing for completion of signal transmission is known by receiving the signals. After completion of signal transmission from the reader/writer, electric power received from the reader/writer starts to be boosted up, and then it is supplied to the memory in the semiconductor device.
US08403229B2
Improved secure card packaging is provided which includes a concealed region within which an activation data field corresponding with a transaction card is located. The corresponding transaction card may be retainably disposed so that a proprietary account data field thereupon is not readable when the concealed region is selectively accessed. Upon accessing the concealed region, the activation data field may be read to activate the transaction card, e.g. at a point-of-sale location. Locating the activation data field within a concealed region reduces tampering risks. Tampering is further reduced by retained disposition of the transaction card so that the proprietary account data field is not readable prior to a purchase and card activation transaction.
US08403228B2
A computer readable universal authorization card system including a card having a computer readable non-volatile memory portion for conducting communications over a global network and a magnetic stripe for interfacing with card readers is disclosed. Here, the magnetic stripe has a stripe length and a stripe width, the card has a card length and a card width, and, in one embodiment, the stripe length is shorter than the card length.
US08403227B2
A security device is removably affixable to an article. The security device includes a housing having a securing pad, a locking element and a strap. The locking element is disposed within the housing. The strap includes a first end having a latching region that is insertable into the housing and a second end having a securing region. The strap is slidingly movable between an open position and a locked position. The locking element engages with the latching region of the strap. An eccentrically mounted wheel may be mounted on one of the securing region of the strap and the securing pad. When in the locked position, the eccentrically mounted wheel secures the article between the securing pad and the securing region of the strap.
US08403226B2
An exemplary chip card holder for holding a chip card includes a base member, a card receiving frame and a cover. The card receiving frame is mounted on the base member and defines an accommodating space for receiving the chip card therein. The accommodating space has an inserting opening for inserting the chip card into and removing the chip card out from the accommodating space. The cover includes a resisting block protruding therefrom. The cover is detachably latched to the base member in such a way that the resisting block is aligned with the inserting opening and located adjacent to an end of the chip card to hold the chip card within the accommodating space.
US08403211B2
Systems, program product, apparatus and method for transmitting and processing the sale of a transaction card product over an existing payment network using partial authorization messaging, are provided. An example of such a system can include a merchant POS apparatus equipped to support partial authorization messaging, a transaction card issuer server in communication therewith, and a transaction card product. The transaction card product can include a conventional transaction card securely wrapped within a tamper evident container that can carry its own magnetic strip. The container magnetic strip can store an assigned unique card identifier linked to, but different from, the card identifier normally associated with the card. The container card identifier stored in the container magnetic strip is compatible with the merchant POS card reader and is usable to activate the card without the merchant or consumer having access to the card, the card identifier, or the card magnetic strip.
US08403202B1
A method for soldering an LED to a circuit board includes firstly providing a solder-applying pattern overlaying the circuit board. First holes and second holes are defined in the solder-applying patter. Then, solder pastes are filled in the first holes and the second holes. The solder-applying pattern is removed and a plurality of first solder poles and second solder poles are remained on the circuit board. An LED is then put on the first solder poles and the second solder poles. The first solder poles and the second solder poles are heated to form a first solder ball and a second solder ball respectively after the heated first and second solder poles are cooled. The first and second solder balls electrically connect positive and second electrodes of the LED with the circuit board.
US08403196B2
The present disclosure describes a surgical fastener applying apparatus that includes an elongate body portion having proximal and distal ends, an end effector including a first movably coupled to a second jaw that is positioned at the distal end of the elongate body portion, and an introducer member. The introducer member has proximal and distal portions, and is configured and dimensioned for releasable connection with the end effector. The introducer member is at least partially formed from a flexible material, and is configured and dimensioned to separate target tissue from collateral tissue prior to positioning of the target tissue between the first and second jaws of the end effector.
US08403192B1
A vehicle-mounted real estate sign carrier assembly includes a U-shaped rack having front, back and side walls, and an L-shaped support rail. The support rail may be adapted to directly connect to a vehicle trailer hitch and locked with a pin when in use. A flexible strap directly mated to a top end of the support rail wraps about each of the stakes such that the real estate signs remain vertically stacked while the display screens are seated within the rack in a stable manner. The carrier assembly may transport multiple real estate signs to various locations, safely and easily by providing a quick-assembly, sturdy, compact and stable construction. Constructed with a low center of gravity the assembly allows a user to travel over bumpy and winding roads without the risk of dislodging his real estate signs from his vehicle.
US08403189B2
A baby carrier has a harness and a harness-carried front piece which forms a baby-carrying pouch. The front piece includes two laterally separated parts at a variable spacing relative to one another. The laterally separated parts of the front piece are mutually connected to a strip-like piece of material whose lateral stretchability is much greater than the lateral stretchability of the separated parts of the front piece.
US08403186B2
A composite spout obtained by injection forming a spout body in a state where a sleeve having a functional resin layer disposed as an intermediate layer is fitted as a core onto the core member of an injection-forming metal mold such that the inner peripheral surface only of the sleeve is substantially exposed on the inner peripheral surface of the spout body. A tilted surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface at one end of the spout body in at least a portion thereof in the circumferential direction, the tilted surface being tilted outward in the radial direction from a position in agreement with the inner peripheral edge at the one end of the sleeve or from the inside thereof in the radial direction facing the one end of the spout body.
US08403184B2
For acoustic sealing of a spray cap (7) for an aerosol can or spray can, the spray cap includes a push button (6) and a nap body (7a) and is provided with an acoustic seal (49) between the push button (6) and the cap body (7a). The acoustic seal (49) includes a sealing lip (8) on a rim (7b) of the cap body (7a) and another sealing lip (9) on an adjacent rim (6a) of the push button (6). A pleasing sound is produced when product is discharged from the aerosol or spray can by manually actuating the push button, since the push button (6) is configured integral with a spray channel (10) connecting a valve stem (11) with a discharge opening (3) provided in the cap body (7).
US08403183B2
A device for that places a fluid container in fluid communication with a sprayer is disclosed. The device includes a container adapter that allows a dip tube to be attached to the fluid container rather than the sprayer. When the sprayer is removed from the fluid container, the dip tube stays in the fluid container. Refill fluid containers may come with the container adapter and dip tube installed. When the sprayer is attached to the fluid container, the adapter seals against the sprayer allowing fluid to be pumped from the fluid container by the sprayer. A sprayer connector with geometry that matches an inner or outer shape of the adapter is attached to and/or built into the sprayer. The sprayer connector is constructed to allow easy alignment of the sprayer to the fluid container. The sprayer connector and the container adapter also provide a unique attachment geometry to insure only containers with formulae compatible to the sprayer are pumped through the sprayer.
US08403180B2
A chemicals mixing container includes: a cylinder (8) having a tubular shaped outer tube (10), and an end wall (11) which seals one end of the outer tube; an elastic partition wall (12) placed inside the outer tube to define a mixing chamber (5) within the cylinder; and an ejection auxiliary member (13) placed inside the outer tube and outside the mixing chamber, and which has an end face swollen toward the mixing chamber and moreover which is enabled to press the elastic partition wall against the end wall. The chemicals mixing container is enabled to reliably mix a liquid material and a powder material together and discharge a mixture (18) of the liquid material and the powder material without waste.
US08403169B2
A tank for cryogenic liquids, which is intended for installation in motor vehicles and which consists of an outer container and of an inner container suspended in the latter in tension or compression struts. In order to take the contrasting requirements in motor vehicles into account in an optimum way, between the outer container and inner container abutments and supporting faces are additionally provided, which can be spaced apart from one another when the vehicle is at a standstill and can be brought to bear when the vehicle is driving. The abutments inside the outer container Co.-operate with supporting faces on the inner container and can be displaced by means of an actuator.
US08403167B2
A container including a bottom and a plurality of walls that form a storage cavity. A primary lid is disposed over the storage cavity. The primary lid includes a top surface that defines a dispenser portion through which items within the storage cavity may be dispensed. A dispenser lid is pivotally attached to the primary lid. The dispenser lid has a closed position in which the dispenser lid is pivoted downwards relative to the primary lid to cover the dispenser portion and an open position in which the dispenser lid is pivoted upwards relative to the primary lid to expose the dispenser portion. The dispenser lid includes a pivot end portion and an opposite free end portion, and a biasing pin extending from the pivot end portion. The biasing pin has a longitudinal end portion anchored to the primary lid so that the biasing pin urges the dispenser lid towards the open position. The biasing pin and a main dispenser lid portion are formed as a unitary structure.
US08403166B2
A sealable storage container is described and which includes a container bottom having a continuous sidewall, a container lid for mating cooperation with a container bottom; a rotatable member received in, and cooperating with the container lid; a moveable pressure plate cooperating with the rotatable member; and a resilient sealing member mounted on a moveable pressure plate and extending in the direction of the container lid, and wherein rotation of the rotatable member causes the resilient seal to deform, at least in part, laterally outwardly so as to releasably sealably engage the container bottom to affect sealable attachment of the container lid to the container bottom.
US08403161B2
The invention relates to a package suitable for containing a perishable product, comprising a first shell element provided with an upright circumferential edge and a central portion for accommodating said perishable product, as well as a closure element provided with a circumferential edge which closure element is placed with its circumferential edge on the upright circumferential edge of said first shell element in an adhering and closing manner and wherein said closure element is provided at its circumferential edge with a protruding lip, which lip does not adhere to the circumferential edge of said first shell element, for the purpose of peeling off said closure element from said first element. Near said lip the two circumferential edges are provided with a closed channel being in communication with said central portion, and wherein at least one of said circumferential edges is provided with a fracture line extending substantially perpendicularly to said channel.
US08403158B2
A feeding bottle comprising a bottle, which has an opening and an external thread surrounding the opening, a teat, which has a nipple carrier with a fastening edge and, on the nipple carrier, a teat nipple with a drinking hole in a side surface, a ring nut, which has an internal thread for screwing onto the external thread and means for connecting with the fastening edge of the teat, in order to keep the teat from the bottle opening, and a covering cap, which can be placed on the teat and, whereas the covering cap in its placed position presses with the inside of its side wall against the side surface of the teat nipple having the drinking hole and form a seal and, with the inside of its bottom, presses against an opposite side surface of the teat nipple.
US08403148B2
A method of sorting documents of value includes a) forming a stack of documents of value, the including two or more batches of documents of value, each batch of documents of value being provided with first and second separators to separate the batch from an adjacent batch; and, b) sequentially feeding all the documents in the stack through a sorting machine to inspect the documents and to sort the documents into one or more output stations in dependence upon the results of the inspection, and sorting all first separators to a separator output station.
US08403141B2
A tool bag including a tool bag body having a surface with a high-density, secure-storage pocket is disclosed. The high-density, secure-storage pocket is formed from a reinforcing sheet, a base fabric sheet over the reinforcing sheet, a primary pocket layer over the base fabric sheet, a primary elastic retention strip over the primary pocket layer, and a plurality of vertically-oriented attachment regions. The base fabric sheet, the primary pocket layer and the primary retention strip are attached together by the vertically-oriented attachment regions. The base fabric material and said primary pocket layer are attached along the lower edges of each. The vertically-oriented attachment regions can be separated such that a space between the base fabric sheet and primary pocket layer between adjacent vertically-oriented attachment regions defines a primary high-density, secure-storage pocket. The primary elastic retention strip can extend horizontally and proximate to an upper edge of the primary pocket layer.
US08403139B2
An apparatus and system for retaining and installing rivets into a belt fastener includes a collated rivet strip comprising connected upper and lower strips and retaining a predetermined configuration of rivet heads therebetween. The rivet strip is used in conjunction with a guide block assembly having top and bottom portions interlocked together. The top portion contains studs aligning with the rivet heads to assist the release of the rivet head from the rivet strip, seating the rivets in pilot holes of the lower portion of the guide block assembly for further driving through the belt fastener and into the belt material.
US08403138B2
In order to improve the fixing of the surgical clips in the housing member in a surgical clip cartridge with a housing member and with a plurality of C-shaped surgical clips stored therein, having two limbs connected to one another by a web, the housing member comprising a plurality of compartments each to receive a surgical clip, with a support face adapted to the contour of the surgical clip in each compartment, against which support face a respective surgical clip abuts with its inner face, with holding members arranged on the housing member, which can be pivoted from a holding position into a release position and, in the holding position, fix the surgical clip in its compartment and, in the release position, are removed from the surgical clip, it is proposed that openings are provided in the limbs, in which the holding members engage in the holding position.
US08403128B2
A screw conveyor to move media includes a first feed screw having a first end portion, a second feed screw having a second end portion, and a support hanger assembly to support the first feed screw and the second feed screw. The support hanger assembly includes a hanger bracket having a vertical support member and an inner hub secured to and extending perpendicularly from the vertical support member, a shaft portion disposed within the inner hub, an inner sleeve configured to be disposed between the shaft portion and the inner hub, at least one outer hub coupled to the shaft portion, and an outer sleeve configured to be disposed between the inner hub and the at least one outer hub. The first feed screw and the second feed screw are coupled to the at least one outer hub. The inner sleeve and/or the outer sleeve may be fabricated from low coefficient of friction material.
US08403120B2
A double clutch transmission having a wet-running double clutch, a dual mass flywheel and a centrifugal force pendulum. The dual mass flywheel is arranged in a dry chamber between a drive and the double clutch and the centrifugal force pendulum is arranged in a wet chamber of the double clutch.
US08403118B2
A torque converter, including: turbine and pump shells; a turbine hub; a drive hub including a first orifice; and a lock-up clutch. The clutch includes: a clutch plate directly engaged with the turbine hub, fixed with respect to rotation to the turbine hub, and sealed with respect to the turbine hub; an apply plate the rotation of which is fixed to the rotation of the pump shell; and a piston plate. The converter includes a first fluid chamber at least partially formed by the piston, clutch and apply plates; and a second fluid chamber partially formed by the clutch and apply plates and the turbine and pump shells. When the lock-up clutch is closed, the first chamber is sealed except for the first orifice and one of a second orifice through the apply plate or a first fluid flow path through the lock-up clutch to the second fluid chamber.
US08403108B2
A moldable acoustic facing comprises cellulosic fibers and synthetic fibers entangled together. The acoustic facing has a basis weight of from about 1.5 to about 5.0 ounces per square yard (osy), a thickness of less than about 0.050″, a mean pore size of between about 8 microns and about 40 microns, and an elongation at break of at least twenty percent. The acoustic facing includes less than about five percent synthetic microfiber and has an acoustic resistance of at least about 250 Rayls.
US08403106B2
A man-portable non-lethal pressure shield provides both a physical as well as pressure shield. The pressure shield addresses the concerns of military, police and human rights organizations and international law as regards effectiveness, efficiency and safety and efficiency. A folded acoustic horn is incorporated into the physical shell of the shield. The horn couples acoustic pulses from a sonic pulse generator to an acoustic aperture to output a pulsed pressure beam that approximates a plane wave to produce a pressure barrier. The operator may specify a desired effect on its human target that is maintained as range-to-target changes or a desired effect at a specified perimeter range. The shields may be networked to facilitate coordinated action among multiple pressure shields as a force multiplier or to provide a more sophisticated pressure barrier.
US08403102B2
An apparatus and method move a speed control lever of an engine automatically in response to movement of a manual actuator to engage a driven member.
US08403101B2
A user interface for managing energy from multiple energy sources on a hybrid vehicle displays information on the amount of energy available from a battery pack and liquid fuel tank, and allows the user to select when and how much stored energy is used from each energy source. The user interface may include an operator actuated control and a pair of gauges showing the amount of stored energy for the battery pack and the liquid fuel tank. The operator control may move the control between end settings that disable the internal combustion engine or minimize battery pack use.
US08403094B2
A power unit includes an engine, a belt transmission driven by the engine, and a second transmission driven by the belt transmission. The engine includes an engine output shaft having an end portion projecting outward from the engine. The second transmission includes a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft having respective end portions projecting outward from the second transmission. The belt transmission includes a drive pulley provided on the end portion of the engine output shaft, a driven pulley provided on the end portion of the transmission input shaft, and a belt looped over the drive and driven pulleys. The belt has first and second portions between the drive and driven pulleys. The first portion runs from the drive pulley to the driven pulley. The second portion runs from the driven pulley to the drive pulley. The end portion of the transmission output shaft is extended through a portion of the belt transmission between the drive and driven pulleys and between the first and second portions of the belt so as to project outward from the belt transmission.
US08403092B1
A motorcycle suspension for a motorcycle, the motorcycle having a frame member, a swingarm member, and a pivot point about which the swingarm member rotates with respect to the frame member, the suspension system comprising an airbag mounted above the swingarm member pivot point and interposed between the frame member and the swingarm member and a shock absorber/dampener in a position below the swingarm member pivot point as used in the traditional Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company® SOFTAIL® motorcycle type suspension position. The system optionally can be connected to an air compressor to adjust the pressure in the airbag member so as to control ride height, ride quality, payload capacity, or a combination thereof. The system optionally can also be connected to a controller, such as a microprocessor, that automatically adjusts the system to predetermined values in response to environmental and road conditions.
US08403082B2
A vehicle equipped with a double wishbones and double tandem members suspension system to suspend the vehicle, the double tandem members being operatively interconnected together and adapted to receive idling wheels adapted to support and guide an endless belt thereon to provide significant suspension travel and prevents an endless belt disengagement from the idling wheels. A suspension and a kit thereof are also provided.
US08403076B2
A power tool includes a grip, a connecting part, an elastic element, an electrical switch and an operating member. The connecting part connects the grip to the power tool body. The elastic element is disposed between the connecting part and the power tool body. The operating member is switched by a user between an energizing position and a de-energizing position. The operating member is retained in the position to which it is switched. The operating member is disposed in the connecting part in such a manner as to be slidable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the power tool body and to the extending direction of the grip.
US08403070B1
A cover system and method of automated deployment for protecting structures from fire dangers uses water pressure to force fire resistant rolls and folded arrangements of materials to deploy when a water valve is triggered by high heat. Water then is forced through sprinkler hoses on the interior of the deployed materials to maintain a wet condition on the interior surface of the deployed covers and also on the exterior of the building that is being protected. The water is collected in pockets of the deployed material which anchors it in place and pumps within the pockets return the water to a distribution manifold on the roof of the structure.
US08403069B2
A method for enhanced oil recovery contacts a gas and an alkylene carbonate with a subterranean formation. The gas may be selected from any gas that is suitable for injection into a subterranean formation and has properties that allow for enhanced recovery of petroleum from a subterranean formation. The alkylene carbonate may be cyclic, straight chained, or combinations thereof.
US08403066B2
A hybrid junction assembly is provided. The hybrid junction assembly may comprise a junction body configured to sealingly couple to a first control line and a second control line. In addition, the assembly may include a transfer conduit configured to fit within a hybrid control line such that an annulus is formed between the transfer conduit and the hybrid control line. The first control line and the transfer conduit may form a first communication pathway and the second control line and the annulus may form a second communication pathway. The transfer conduit and the hybrid control line may be sealingly coupled to the junction body.
US08403065B2
A riser for use in boring a subsea wellbore having a gooseneck assembly connected onto the riser. The gooseneck assembly has an outlet that couples with a flowline on the riser and a connector assembly that selectively decouples the gooseneck assembly from the flowline. A release member, such as a wire, cable, or rod, is attached to the connector so the connector assembly can be actuated by manipulating the release member from a remote location.
US08403062B2
Method, system and apparatus to produce hydrocarbons includes a packer apparatus with a swellable packer element around primary and secondary flow paths, the packer is configured to block flow in a portion of a wellbore annulus. The method includes disposing sand control devices having shunt tubes and a packer within a wellbore adjacent to a subsurface reservoir. The packer is then set within an interval, which may be an open-hole section of the wellbore, and gravel packing the sand control devices in different intervals. Hydrocarbons are produced by passing hydrocarbons through the sand control devices with different intervals providing zonal isolation. In some embodiments, intervals may be alternatively packed and plugged, wherein the plugged intervals are not packed.
US08403056B2
A system and method for verifying support hanger orientation within a wellhead housing. In an example, a profile is included at a designated location on an inner surface of the wellhead housing. When the support hanger is landed in the wellhead housing, an impression is taken of the inner surface of the wellhead housing from a reference location. Analyzing the impression can indicate the position of the support hanger within the wellhead housing. A running tool that can land the support hanger within the wellhead housing can be equipped with an impression block for taking the impression of the profile in the wellhead housing.
US08403055B2
A hydraulic coupler for providing fluid communication between adjacent members that includes a two way check valve formed from a double headed poppet set in a hollow cylinder with corrugated bellows like walls. Contoured bores are provided in the cylinder ends and the poppet heads are profiled to match the contour of the bores. When the heads are seated in the bores they form a sealing surface to block fluid from flowing through the coupler. Compressively preloading the cylinder before assembly provides a sealing force between the heads and the bores. Axially compressing the cylinder with respect to the poppet unseats the heads from the bores to form a flow path through the coupler.
US08403048B2
A tubing cutter is run in with a bottom hole assembly that includes a seal and support within the tubing to be cut. A ported sub allows pressurized fluid pumped from the surface to enter the bottom hole assembly above the sealed support location and to be directed to set an anchor and to a fluid driven motor such as a progressive cavity motor that is in turn connected to the tubing cutter at the rotor of the progressive cavity motor. The rotation of the cutter with its blades extended cuts the tubular as the fluid exiting the stator goes to the lower end of the tubing being cut and can return to the surface through an annulus around the tubing to be cut. Other configurations such as cutting casing or cutting casing through tubing are also envisioned.
US08403046B2
An apparatus for use in a wellbore is described, the apparatus having a tubular body and a throughbore which defines a primary fluid path through the apparatus. An expanding element is disposed around the tubular body and is configured to provide an annular barrier in a space between the tubular body and a surrounding wall. A conduit defining a secondary flow path through the apparatus is provided, and is configured to be in fluid communication with at least one alternate path, such as a shunt tube. The conduit is arranged to vary the secondary flow path along a longitudinal direction of the apparatus, for example to redirect the flow path to a radial position closer to the tool body. The conduit is configured to have a reduced effect on the operation of the expanding element, while still allowing the conduit to be coupled to alternate flow paths of adjacent apparatus.
US08403045B2
An embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of cementing comprising: placing a settable composition into a well bore, the settable composition comprising unexpanded perlite, cement kiln dust, and water; and allowing the settable composition to set. Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of cementing comprising: placing a settable composition into a well bore, the settable composition comprising ground unexpanded perlite, Portland cement interground with pumicite, and water; and allowing the settable composition to set. Yet another embodiment of the present invention comprises a settable composition comprising: ground unexpanded perlite; cement kiln dust; and water.
US08403039B2
A system and method for accessing an annulus within a wellhead assembly while the annulus is pressurized. The system includes a tubular body with an attached valve assembly and adapter. The adapter to the wellhead assembly with a sealed annular fitting. The body houses a selectively extendable plunger assembly rotatable by an attached motor. A bit or milling device is provided on the end of the plunger assembly, so that selectively extending the plunger assembly through the valve assembly and adapter contacts the bit against the wellhead assembly. An opening is formed through the wellhead assembly with the rotating bit allowing access to the annulus.
US08403035B2
A sealing and/or anchoring element for use in pipelines. The sealing and/or anchoring element includes at least one helical element disposed around a string section, with the helical element being configured so as to be able to expand radially towards an inner wall of the pipeline as the circumferential diameter thereof is increased.
US08403030B2
A cooling manifold and a method for manufacturing the cooling manifold are provided. The cooling manifold includes a housing that defines an interior region having a serpentine flow path therein. The housing has a first plurality of grooves extending from a first surface of the housing into the housing. The grooves do not fluidly communicate with the interior region. The first plurality of grooves receive a portion of a thermally conductive member therein to conduct heat energy from the thermally conductive member to the housing. The cooling manifold further includes a top cap configured to seal a first end of the housing and a bottom cap configured to seal a second end of the housing.
US08403025B2
In a process for the preparation of inorganic sample disks for analysis, the sample, in powdered form, is mixed with a powdered reagent flux which has been pre-melted. In an inert gas atmosphere, the mixture is placed in a graphite crucible and heated to a temperature slightly above 1000° C. After the flux dissolves the sample, a homogenous mix is produced. This mix is then poured into a graphite mold, the bottom of which contains a molten pool of an inert metal, such as gold, which acts as a smooth receiving surface. Upon cooling, the material in the mold solidifies, resulting in a glassy disk that can be analyzed. Cooling can be accelerated by making use of a cooling fluid that has a substantially higher thermal capacity than air.
US08403021B1
A portable partition system for dividing spaces and which can easily be changed in appearance, function and size has at least one frame that includes interior grooves suitable for receiving rigid or flaccid panels. More frames may be connected with lift-off or removable pin hinge sections, which allows a user to add to or remove rigid rectangular frames from the system simply. Dowels may suspend fabric panels, or rigid flat panels may be slid down through an opening at the top of and into each frame along with removable bars to create a structure notably different in appearance or purpose. All of the components, including dowels, fabric panels, flat panels, and horizontal bars, are insertable into the rigid rectangular frames and are removable, reversible and replaceable at will, generally without tools, to achieve many different visual effects using the same set of frames.
US08403018B2
Equipment of manufacturing a wearing article includes a plurality of units movably arranged on a unit basis for transferring a half-completed product of the wearing article. The plurality of units is configured to perform the steps of shaping pulverized pulp into an absorbent body, sandwiching the absorbent body between first and second sheet members to obtain a continuous body of an absorbent main body, producing at least apart of a belt element, severing the continuous body to obtain the absorbent main body, affixing a pair of the belt elements to end sections of the absorbent main body, folding the absorbent main body in two, and superposing the belt elements on each other, joining the superposing belt elements at intervals at a to-be-joined portion to obtain the waist-belt section, and severing the continuous body corresponding to the to-be-joined portion for each waist-belt section to obtain the wearing article.
US08403007B1
A repair process for a puncture through a plumbing pipe, the process initiates with a step of machining a puncture hole to a uniformly shaped hole having a diameter for receiving a repair rivet. The process continues by inserting and securing a blind rivet through the hole. The rivet can be sealed via any of a variety of methods, including using a solderable rivet and soldering the rivet to the pipe, utilizing a sealed blind rivet, combined with a gasket assembled between a rivet flange and the pipe surface. For two punctures, a section of coupling material can be utilized, sized to cover both punctures. The section is assembled to the pipe by inserting the rivet through both the section and the pipe, securing the rivet, then soldering the coupling to the pipe. A rivet end seal can be assembled to an end of a common blind rivet creating a watertight seal.
US08403004B2
A variable flow rate controller is provided herein. The controller may have a linearly traversable switch such that the controller is primed to flush air bubbles out of the fluid system of the controller prior to administering fluidic medication to a patient. Moreover, the controller may have a plurality of valves which may be independently opened and closed by a caming surface. To close the valve, a first seal may be disposed between offset inlet and outlet to prevent fluid from flowing from the inlet to the outlet. To open the valve, the first seal is disposed on one side of both of the inlet and outlet. Fluid if permitted to flow from the inlet to the outlet.
US08403001B2
A connector for a fuel tank includes a cylindrical main body; a connecting cylinder body including an attachment portion of a pipe connecting the fuel tank and an external portion, and assembled with the cylindrical main body; and a reinforcing cylinder body housed inside the connecting cylinder body. By a stopper portion formed on an inside of the connecting cylinder body, and a holding end portion of the cylindrical main body positioned inside the connecting cylinder body by the above-mentioned assembling, the reinforcing cylinder body is sandwiched from both sides so that the reinforcing cylinder body is positioned on an inside of the attachment portion of the connecting cylinder body.
US08402998B2
Systems and method for delivering materials to a tool are disclosed. A material delivery system utilizes two or more sources of the material to be delivered to the tool. One or more of the sources of the tool may be a batch mixer. The material delivery system also includes at least two material delivery recirculation lines providing material to at tool. The material delivery system may be manually or automatically controlled to switch supply of the material from one source to another, and/or to switch from one material delivery recirculation line to another.
US08402995B2
A flow-volume regulator has an elastic throttle body which delimits, between itself and a housing wall, a control gap that changes under the pressure of a fluid flow, and at least one associated bypass and/or cleaning channel that has at least one channel inlet arranged upstream of the control gap and at least one channel outlet arranged downstream of the control gap. The bypass and/or cleaning channel contains a valve which can move against a restoring force under the pressure of the oncoming fluid, from an open position into a closed position, and seals the bypass and/or cleaning channel in its closed position. The flow-volume regulator allows an additional volume of the fluid through the bypass channel when the oncoming fluid is at low pressure, so that its flow curve is significantly increased in the low pressure range.
US08402993B2
A system for providing a constant flow of cooled hydraulic fluid to a dual clutch assembly of a transmission of a motor vehicle includes a hydraulic fluid cooler, a pressure control valve and a logic valve. The system is also capable of providing additional hydraulic fluid to the dual clutch assembly. The hydraulic fluid cooler provides hydraulic fluid to each clutch of a dual clutch assembly and to a logic valve. The logic valve is operable to divert additional fluid flow to either of the clutches of the dual clutch assembly.
US08402987B2
A Schrader (American) valve /Presta (French) valve dual-mode valve cap includes a casing having an axle hole and a through hole kept in communication, a rotating device rotatably mounted in the axle hole and having two opposing heads respectively disposed outside the axle hole with a respective screw hole defined therein for the connection of a Schrader (American) valve or Presta (French) valve, an accommodation chamber in communication between the two screw holes, an annular air passage defined in between the rotating device and the casing, a through hole in communication with the annular air passage and the accommodation chamber and two seal rings mounted on the periphery thereof at two sides of the annular air passage, a valve block movable back and forth in the accommodation chamber and having a seal ring mounted on the periphery thereof to divide the accommodation chamber into two spaces, and a spring member stopped between the valve block and a part of the rotating device to force the valve block toward the screw hole for Schrader (American) valve.
US08402976B2
An electrically heated smoking system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate. includes at least one heating element for heating the substrate to form an aerosol, a power supply for supplying power to the heating element, electrical hardware connected to the power supply and the heating element, and an interface for establishing a communications link with a host. The communications link may be a USB link and the host may be a personal computer.
US08402965B1
A mass oxygen distribution system (“MODS”) for mass delivery and distribution for of breathing oxygen has a mobile unit that stores a large amount of on board LOX and controls distribution of oxygen from the enclosure at safe pressure to one or more patient end users. An on board oxygen converter source within the enclosure stores preferably up to 75-liters of LOX, ready to be volatilized to provide gaseous oxygen for many hours. The enclosure being supported by wheeled support members, allowing the enclosure to be moved to and through premises where mass distribution to said one or more end users is required and quickly put into use. LOX in the pressurized vessel is provided to one of a dual set of vaporizers converts the liquid oxygen to cold gaseous breathing oxygen. A dual coil heat exchanger warms the cold breathing oxygen to safe breathing temperature. A warning system monitors temperature and pressure of the breathing oxygen. Dual auxiliary oxygen sources can be connected to the mobile unit and continuous oxygen supply can be maintained for hours or days by switching between the auxiliary sources such as of the VGL type. The dual vaporizer sets allow continuous vaporizing. The oxygen is distributed by specialized hose assembly to multiple patient distribution kits even if patients are scattered in various locations.
US08402964B2
A neonatal colorimetric carbon dioxide detector has a colorimetric carbon dioxide detector membrane having a pH-sensitive chemical indicator that undergoes colorimetric change in the presence of carbon dioxide. The detector has a patient orifice in fluid communication with the baby's airway and a respiration equipment orifice connected to a breathing system. The patient orifice is connected to a breathing tube and when the breathing tube is inserted correctly into the trachea, as the baby exhales, carbon dioxide interacts with the colorimetric membrane which changes color based upon the concentration of carbon dioxide. The internal volume of the neonatal colorimetric carbon dioxide detector is reduced to properly function with low-birth-weight (neonatal) infants.
US08402944B2
Methods and systems are provided to address engine pre-ignition. One or more cylinders are alternately rich and lean operated for a duration to reduce engine thermal loading while maintaining an exhaust air-to-fuel ratio around stoichiometry.
US08402940B2
An engine assembly may include an engine structure, a piston, and a direct injection fuel system. The engine structure may define a cylinder bore and the piston may be disposed within the cylinder bore for reciprocal displacement between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position. The direct injection fuel system may include a fuel injector that provides a fuel spray to a combustion chamber defined by the piston and the cylinder bore. The fuel flow may extend generally tangential to a circumference of the combustion chamber and may define a centerline extending in a direction radially across the combustion chamber.
US08402918B2
A showerhead electrode includes inner and outer steps at an outer periphery thereof, the outer step cooperating with a clamp ring which mechanically attaches the electrode to a backing plate.
US08402915B2
A composite coating apparatus includes a first device configured for forming a nanoscale metal particle layer on an electrically conductive workpiece and a second device configured for forming metallic film on the nanoscale metal particles. The first device includes a Q-switch laser source for providing impulse laser light beams, a first liquid-ejecting member configured for ejecting electrolyte liquid contained therein onto the workpiece, and a first hollow light guide conduit for guiding the impulse laser light beams through the first liquid-ejecting member onto the workpiece. As such, an electrochemical reaction occurs on the workpiece. The electrolyte liquid forms a metal film and is then vibrated into nanoscale particles by the impulse laser light beams.
US08402905B2
A kite ship contains a ship and a kite for pulling the ship, wherein the kite includes a kite main body, the upper and the lower ends of which are respectively connected with an upper and a lower end ropes, the other end of the upper end rope is fixed on a traction apparatus, the other end of the lower end rope is fixed on a connector, a traction apparatus pulling rope is fixed on the traction apparatus; the other end of the traction apparatus pulling rope is wound on a stranding cage connected with a motor through a speed reducer; a tension dynamometer is fixed on the connector; the tension dynamometer connects with a connector pulling rope; the other end of the connector pulling rope is wound on another stranding cage connected with the motor through the speed reducer; a buoyant balloon is arranged on the kite main body.
US08402893B2
The invention provides a combustion chamber (3) for launching a fireworks projectile which comprises a container (4) having top wall, bottom and side walls, wherein the top wall which comprises venting holes (1). The invention further provides a launching system', a method for launching a fireworks projectile, and a kit of parts comprising the combustion chamber (3) or launching system in accordance with the present invention and a propellant charge (7) for use in the combustion chamber (3).
US08402887B2
A lever for binding items with a strap may not be attached to the item and function to tension a strap around the item. The strap may engage the lever by bending an end of the strap to secure the strap through a plurality of apertures in the lever, by friction, by pressure, by any combination of the foregoing, or other suitable manner. A lever may lock in a closed position using a locking device, such as an over-center mechanism, a retaining clip, or a strap engaging portion.
US08402885B2
A cooking device comprises a rotatable food basket disposed within the cooking device and a damping mechanism configured to reduce a vibration generated by the rotatable food basket rotating within the cooking device. An aspect of the cooking device includes a basket partition in the rotatable food basket, and the basket partition is configured to maintain a substantially equal distribution of a food within the rotatable food basket. The cooking device includes a motor in a hood for rotating the rotatable food basket, and it further includes a lifting plate and a lifting mechanism operable to move the rotatable food basket between a cooking section and a spinning section. The cooking device may also comprises a first basket portion and a second basket portion configured to be disposed within a first section and a second section of the rotatable food basket. The hood of the cooking device may also comprise a motor gear that includes a plurality of teeth configured to receive a motor key on a central shaft of the rotatable food basket. The motor key may be configured to automatically seat with the plurality of teeth in the motor gear via an electromagnetic coupling in response to an instruction from a microprocessor controller.
US08402879B2
The present invention relates to a tool for screwing a piston onto the piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder, in particular of a hydraulic cylinder with a piston diameter of more than 200 mm, comprising a first tool element with connecting elements for releasable connection with the piston and a second tool element with connecting elements for releasable connection with the piston rod, which is rotatable with respect to the first tool element, wherein the torque necessary for screwing together piston and piston rod can be applied onto the piston and the piston rod via the connecting elements by rotating the first tool element against the second tool element.
US08402876B2
An armor uses optimally shaped ceramic cross-pellets and a matrix for containing the cross-pellets. The armor comprises front and back plates and an array of interlocking ceramic cross-pellets of repeating shape between front and back plates. Each cross-pellet may have a horizontal cross-section in the shape of a cross and comprises a center and four fingers projecting therefrom. Each cross-pellet in a non-peripheral portion of the array may be supported by fingers of other cross-pellets which may include two fingers from each of four other cross-pellets. The result is lightweight, composite hybrid structure. The dense, hard armor has good fracture toughness, hardness and a high capacity to absorb impacts for ballistic protection particularly suited to tactical ground vehicles. Valley spaced is minimized. A polymer resin may be situated in spaces between the ceramic cross-pellets and between the array and at least one of the back plate and front plate.
US08402872B2
A hybrid towel dispenser is provided that can be operated in an automatic dispensing mode and a manual dispensing mode. The dispenser includes a drum having a retractable knife that extends out of the drum when the drum rotates past a selected position and severs a towel segment from a towel sheet. The dispenser also includes a motor, a manual advance assembly, and a one-way rotational coupling that couples the motor to the drum such that the motor rotates the drum in the automatic dispensing mode and a user can rotate the drum in the manual dispensing mode separately from the motor, using the manual advance assembly.
US08402871B2
A receiving and guiding device for receiving a work piece and guiding a cutting tool has a receiving frame with a bearing surface for the work piece, a guide rail for the cutting tool, which guide rail is displaceable between a functional position and a non-functional position, and in the functional position is located above the bearing surface and the receiving frame, and a support arm supporting the guide rail in the functional position, wherein the support arm and the guide rail are moveable relative to one another.
US08402868B2
A slab shaping system includes a slab shaping device. The slab shaping device includes a cutting device and de-burring device, wherein the cutting device and the de-burring device, respectively cut and de-burr a slab. According to an embodiment, the slab shaping system may include a plurality of spaced apart slab support beams that form at least one slot therebetween. According to an embodiment, the cutting device and de-burring device may be axially-aligned. A method for operating a slab shaping system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of positioning a plurality of slab support beams on a table to form at least one slot; positioning a slab over the slab support beams; positioning a cutting device and de-burring device of a slab shaping device in axial-alignment; and cutting and de-burring the cut in the slab along a length of the at least one slot.
US08402867B2
A cutting element adapted for removing a chip from a surface of a workpiece has at least one cutting edge defined by an intersection line between a rake and a relief surface and is formed with one or more workpiece deforming protrusions. At least a portion of the protrusions is spaced from the cutting edge such this portion protrudes, along a plane perpendicular to the relief surface and passing through the cutting edge, in a direction transverse to the relief surface beyond the cutting edge. At least the projecting portion of at least one of the protrusions is constructed so as to deform the workpiece before its contact with the cutting edge.
US08402864B1
A wrench gripping assist apparatus includes an elongated member having a first end, a second end and a peripheral surface extending between the first and second ends. The elongated member has a slot therein extending into the peripheral surface and through each of the first and second ends. The slot is configured to receive a handle of a wrench so that opposite heads of the wrench extend away from the first and second ends. The peripheral surface has a plurality of finger grips therein.
US08402853B2
A linear motion device has a first assembly and a second assembly which is linearly movable relative to the first assembly; a row of rolling elements that may circulate endlessly is located between the first and second assemblies, the first assembly including a rotatable threaded spindle that extends parallel to the longitudinal direction, and that is engaged in a screw-type manner with a threaded nut, the threaded nut being a component of the second assembly; the first assembly also includes an electric motor that is connected to the threaded spindle in a rotationally driving manner, and the rotational axis of which extends parallel to the threaded spindle; the first assembly includes a single-pieced, first body. The threaded spindle and the electric motor are located next to one another in the region of the first body, the electric motor extending along a first longitudinal section of the first body, while a first rolling surface for the rolling elements extends across a second longitudinal section—which differs from the first longitudinal section—of the first body; the threaded spindle extends over the first longitudinal section and at least in sections over the second longitudinal section of the first body, and the rolling elements are capable of circulating endlessly in the first assembly.
US08402848B2
A probe holder has a manipulator, a probe arm arranged on the manipulator, and a probe needle that is at least indirectly connected to the probe arm. To increase the number of contacts of a substrate to be tested and to make it possible to test a plurality of contacts in etched trenches of semiconductor elements in a group of wafers, the probe arm is connected to a needle support on which the probe needle and at least one second probe needle are arranged.
US08402845B2
An apparatus for deploying two fluids separately into a reaction chamber is provided. The apparatus includes a first distribution network that is formed on a plate having a distribution face and a dispensing face. The first distribution network is defined by a plurality of recessed channels on the distribution face. The plurality of recessed channels includes a plurality of thru-ports that extend from the plurality of recessed channels to the dispensing face. The apparatus further includes a second distribution network that has passages formed below the plurality of recessed channels and above the dispensing face. A first set of ports extends from the passages to the distribution face and a second set of ports extends from a top surface of the distribution face to the dispensing face.
US08402843B2
A sample collection vial and process of using a vial is provided. The sample collection vial has an opening secured by a dissolvable plug. When dissolved, liquids may enter into the interior of the collection vial passing along one or more edges of a dissolvable blocking member. As the blocking member is dissolved, a spring actuated closure is directed towards the opening of the vial which, when engaged, secures the vial contents against loss or contamination.
US08402840B2
A device for sensing fluid flow within a pipe, which pipe has a pipe wall, is provided. The device includes a sensor housing and a fluid flow meter. The sensor housing includes at least one pressure vessel enclosure and hardware for mounting the enclosure on an exterior surface of the pipe wall. The enclosure includes a base, side walls, and a cap. The enclosure base has a pipe-side surface that mates with the exterior surface of the pipe wall. The enclosure base and the pipe wall have substantially similar resonant frequencies and acoustic impedance. The sensor housing is adapted to be attached to the pipe wall such that the pipe-side surface of the base is mated with the exterior surface of the pipe wall. The fluid flow meter includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors disposed within the at least one pressure vessel enclosure. Each sensor has a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitters are adapted to transmit signals at one or more frequencies, including frequencies that are substantially equal to the resonant frequencies of the base and pipe wall.
US08402839B2
Provided is a jig for a compression test in a heating furnace capable of variously changing boundary conditions such as a both-end hinge, a both-end fixing, or one-end hinge and one-end fixing through simple attachment and detachment of a holder. Therefore, it is possible to easily implement hinge and fixing conditions of a test sample installed in a heating furnace using one jig, remarkably reducing time and cost consumed to install the test sample.
US08402834B1
A temperature correcting pressure gauge which has a substrate having at least one surface coupled to a source of pressure to be measured, the substrate first surface having a first fiber Bragg grating from a first optical fiber attached in an appropriately sensitive region of the substrate, a fiber Bragg grating from a second optical fiber attached to the opposite surface from the first fiber Bragg grating, the first and second fiber Bragg gratings reflecting or transmitting optical energy of decreasing or increasing wavelength, respectively, in response to an applied pressure. The first and second fiber Bragg gratings have nominal operating wavelength ranges that are adjacent to each other but are exclusive ranges and the fiber Bragg gratings also have closely matched pressure coefficients and temperature coefficients.
US08402833B2
A gauge includes a housing and a fitting having an inlet, an internal flow path, and an outlet. A sensor is in fluidic communication with the internal flow path and measures a characteristic of a fluid in the flow path. A control unit is in electrical communication with the pressure sensor, receives an output from the pressure sensor and generates a command based on the output received. A stepper motor has a rotor shaft with an indicator needle operatively connected thereto, and is in electrical communication with the control unit. A power supply is in electrical communication with the pressure sensor, the motor and the control unit for supplying power thereto. The control unit transmits the command to the stepper motor, which receives the command from the control unit and drives the rotor shaft according to the command, displaying the sensed characteristic via the needle.
US08402827B2
A sensor element, in particular a multichannel acceleration sensor having a substrate and a seismic mass, the sensor element having a detecting element for detecting a deflection of the seismic mass relative to the substrate, and the sensor element having an excitation element for exciting a deflection of the seismic mass perpendicular to the main extension plane.
US08402806B2
Installation/processing tools may be used to install one or more expandable structures in a workpiece. An installation/processing tool may include an expansion mandrel, a processing tool, and an expansion assembly having an expansion jaw movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. An expandable portion of the expansion jaw is sized to fit within a passageway of an expandable member. When the mandrel is moved through the expansion assembly, the expansion jaw is moved between the collapsed and expanded configurations to cause expansion of the expandable member. The installation/processing tool can also be used to cold work a workpiece.
US08402796B2
A laundry machine includes a first laundry treatment apparatus, second laundry treatment apparatus including an air supply unit, a first course selection part for a user to select a treating course for the first laundry treatment apparatus, and a second course selection part provided together with the first course selection part, the second course selection part for the user to select a treating course for the second laundry treatment apparatus.
US08402791B2
A method of manufacturing microchannel plate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first step of fabricating a multifiber having a polygonal cross-section by bundling a plurality of fibers; a second step of fabricating a microchannel plate base material by use of a plurality of the multifibers; and a third step of fabricating a microchannel plate out of the microchannel plate base material. The plurality of fibers include: a first fiber whose predetermined-thickness outer circumferential part surrounding a center part including a core is formed of a predetermined-component glass material; and a second fiber whose both center part including a core and outer circumferential part surrounding the same are formed of the predetermined-component glass material. The second fiber is arranged at, at least, one corner of a polygonal cross-section of the multifiber.
US08402785B2
An apparatus for measuring a shape profile of a surface of a sheet of material includes a light source for providing a light beam to be directed at the surface of the sheet of material, a linear translation stage coupled to the light source for translating the light source over the surface of the sheet of material such that the light beam, when directed at the surface, is incident on the surface at multiple positions and produces a reflected light beam at each of the multiple positions, a plurality of light receivers located at predetermined positions for selectively intercepting the reflected light beam produced at each of the multiple positions, a data acquisition device configured to receive information related to position difference between the light source and a selected one of the plurality of light receivers intercepting the reflected light beam produced at each of the multiple positions, and a data analysis device configured to correlate the position difference information to a shape profile of the surface of the sheet of material.
US08402780B2
A heating/cooling system design enabling one to maintain a superheat level of more than 1 degree F. and up to 10 degrees F., incorporating a specially designed accumulator, optional special oil return means, a specially designed receiver, and, when utilized in a DX geothermal system application, a preferable sub-surface liquid refrigerant transport line insulation design, as well as a design enabling the utilization of at least two compressors to increase heat transfer temperature differentials together with special oil separators.
US08402776B2
A dual mode, thermal management system for use in a vehicle is provided. At a minimum, the system includes a first coolant loop in thermal communication with a battery system, a second coolant loop in thermal communication with at least one drive train component (e.g., electric motor, power electronics, inverter), a dual mode valve system that provides means for selecting between a first mode where the two coolant loops operate in parallel and a second mode where the two coolant loops operate in series, and a coolant reservoir that is coupled to both coolant loops when the two coolant loops are operating in series and only coupled to the drive train coolant loop when the two coolant loops are operating in parallel.
US08402769B2
A section of a gas turbine engine including a radial spoke is provided. The spoke includes an aerodynamic shape with a leading side and a trailing side and, extending from the leading side to the trailing side, a first side and a second side, opposite the first side. The spoke also includes at least one flow guiding element arranged on at least the first side.
US08402768B2
The disclosure relates to a burner for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine, with an injection device for the introduction of at least one gaseous and/or liquid fuel into the burner, wherein the injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the at least one fuel into the burner, the at least one body being configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at or in a trailing edge of the streamlined body, and with reference to a central plane of the streamlined body, the trailing edge is provided with at least two lobes extending in opposite transverse directions.
US08402763B2
A combustor for a gas turbine includes a plurality of nozzles provided in an array; a baffle plate configured to provide a desired air flow distribution to the array of nozzles; and a casing comprising a plurality of holes in an outer surface. The casing extends from a headend of the combustor to the baffle plate. A method of distributing an air flow in a combustor of a gas turbine includes providing an air flow to the outer surface of the casing; directing the air flow around the baffle plate; and distributing the air flow through the baffle plate to the array of nozzles.
US08402761B2
A hydrostatic system for step less rotary movement transmission having two hydrostatic motors with radial pistons connected in a push-pull configuration, an oil distribution system and a system for elimination of air and other volatile substances from the working spaces. The input of the gear box is connected to the engine and the output is connected to the external load. In this push-pull configuration of both hydrostatic motors, the stators of both hydrostatic motors are the active part of the gear box, while rotors of both hydrostatic motors are the passive part of the system. Additionally, the hydrostatic system has both hydrostatic motors having the same rotary speed but moving in the opposite direction. While the first stator is connected to the engine, the common driven shaft of the both hydrostatic motors is connected to the external load on the output of the system.
US08402757B2
The waste heat control apparatus is used in a heat recovery system for recovering and reusing waste heat of an engine. The waste heat control apparatus includes a plurality of waste heat amount adjusting sections activated to increase an amount of the waste heat of the engine, and a control section which performs waste heat control in accordance with a heat utilization demand to increase the amount of the waste heat of the engine by activating at least one of the plurality of waste heat amount adjusting sections.
US08402753B2
This invention is to reduce NOx occluded in a NOx catalyst in a more appropriate manner. In this invention, in case where an amount of NOx occluded when an execution condition for NOx reduction control holds is more than a predetermined amount of occlusion, NOx reduction control is performed by lowering the O2 concentration of the exhaust gas by means of said O2 concentration lowering means and at the same time supplying a reducing agent to the NOx catalyst by a reducing agent supplying means. In addition, in case where the amount of NOx occluded when the execution condition for NOx reduction control holds is equal to or less than the predetermined amount of occlusion, NOx reduction control is executed by supplying the reducing agent to the NOx catalyst by the reducing agent supplying means without lowering the O2 concentration of the exhaust gas by the O2 concentration lowering means.
US08402752B2
The present invention has its object to suppress heat transfer from an adapter 19 to an injector 11 so as to ensure a high level of reliability of the injector 11 over a long time. In a mounting structure for an injector 11 fitted at a mixing pipe 9B (exhaust passage) via an adapter 19 for addition of urea water into exhaust gas 3, an inner surface of the adapter 19 to be exposed to the flow of the exhaust gas 3 is shielded by a heat-resisting plate 22 to interpose a heat insulating layer 23 between the plate 22 and the inner surface.
US08402742B2
Gas turbine engine systems involving tip fans are provided. In this regard, a representative gas turbine engine system includes: a multi-stage fan having a first rotatable set of blades and a second counter-rotatable set of blades, the second rotatable set of blades defining an inner fan and a tip fan and being located downstream of the first set of rotatable blades; and an epicyclic differential gear assembly operative to receive a torque input and differentially apply the torque input to the first set of blades and the second set of blades.
US08402739B2
A nacelle assembly includes an inlet section having a plurality of discrete sections. Each of the plurality of discrete sections includes an adaptive structure. A thickness of each of the plurality of discrete sections is selectively adjustable between a first position and a second position to influence the adaptive structure of each of the plurality of discrete sections.
US08402737B2
An embodiment of the present invention takes the form of a system that may recirculate a portion of the exhaust of at least one turbomachine where it may be mixed with the inlet air and re-enter the turbomachine without affecting reliability and availability of the unit. An embodiment of the present invention provides an inlet system for an exhaust gas recirculation system. This inlet system may take a variety of forms and may optimize the direction that the portion of the recirculated exhaust stream flows within the inlet system.
US08402716B2
An insulating spacer for creating a thermally insulating bridge between spaced apart panes of a multiple pane window unit comprises in one embodiment, a solid fiber-stabilized aerogel insulation material, hardened with a desiccant-impregnated hot melt adhesive. The spacer defines a thermally insulated space between the panes. Several embodiments of the insulating spacer of the present invention are disclosed. Insulated glass units using the disclosed insulating spacers and windows employing these insulated glass units have significantly better thermal performance than prior art insulated glass units and windows.
US08402715B2
A structural member (100), particularly for lightweight construction, is described, comprising a two-dimensional extent, and a plurality of adjacent arranged hollow shaped elements (11, 11A) extending across the two-dimensional extent of the structural member, wherein the hollow shaped elements (11, 11A) each have a continuous peripheral side wall (12) and the adjacent hollow shaped elements are connected to each other at their side walls, and wherein two structural spacing parts (15,16), which extend in parallel to the two-dimensional extent of the structural member and form arrangements of the hollow shaped elements (11, 11A), wherein each of the structural spacing parts (15, 16) has a base layer (13, 14) on which the hollow shaped elements (11, 11A) belonging to this structural spacing part (15, 16) are arranged at mutual intervals, and the structural spacing parts (15, 16) are arranged in opposite orientation so that the hollow shaped elements (11, 11A) of the first structural spacing part (15) protrude into the spaces between the hollow shaped elements (11, 11A) of the other structural spacing part (15). Furthermore, a method of manufacturing the structural member is described.
US08402711B2
Multistable shape-shifting surfaces that retain their effectiveness as physical barriers while undergoing changes in shape and that can remain stable in the various shapes. The shape changes include any motion that makes the surface more effective at performing its function, such as expansion, shrinkage, twisting, encircling, wiggling, swallowing or constricting. The shape-shifting surfaces include tiled arrays of polygonal cells, each cell including specifically-designed compliant flexures attached to specifically-shaped overlapping thin plates or shells. The surfaces remain stable by leveraging them during deformation to an extent that they cannot spontaneously return to the unstressed shape. Applications for such surfaces include micro-scale cellular engineering and macro-scale biomedical applications, recreational uses, national security, and environmental protection.
US08402708B2
A modular block apparatus including a block having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a generally cylindrical core passage extending between the top and bottom surfaces, and a locking assembly received in the core passage including a core having a through-bore extending therethrough defining alternating core grooves and lands, a locking rod having an array of alternating rod grooves and lands complementary to the core grooves and lands, and a rod key positioned between the locking rod and the core for retaining the locking rod in engagement with the core.
US08402705B2
A building element includes a glass panel defining an outer circumferential rim including at least two rectilinear segments, a first one of which defines a first length and a second one of which defines a second length. The glass panel is made of hardened glass and has a specific coefficient of thermal expansion. The building element further includes a first pultruded element having a length corresponding to the first length, and a second pultruded element having a length corresponding to the second length. The first and second pultruded elements are adhered in a high strength integral adhesion to the hardened glass panel along the first and second rectilinear segments, respectively, and the pultruded elements have a content of reinforcing fibers for providing a coefficient of thermal expansion of the pultruded elements substantially corresponding to the specific coefficient of thermal expansion.
US08402697B1
A gutter protection system is disclosed. The system includes a gutter cover having, as viewed in cross-section when the gutter cover is installed, a front section configured for engagement with the rearward-projecting flange of the gutter, a center section covering the gutter, and a rear section configured for engagement with the hanger. The rear section has a novel compound bend configuration.
US08402692B1
A plant pot for growing plants in an inverted orientation is provided. The plant pot comprises a soil chamber for retaining soil, and an open end for filling the soil chamber. An end cover releasably couples to the open end to retain the soil. A base end opposes the open end and comprises an aperture through which a plant is planted. An aperture cover releasably couples to the aperture and comprises an adjustable opening. The adjustable opening encircles the stem of the plant and enlarges as the stem grows.
US08402688B2
A lure of the present invention comprises a lure body formed as a hollow body by using a transparent material, wherein a plurality of long projections are arranged parallel at predetermined intervals on an inner face of the hollow lure body, a first coloring part is provided on one side face of the long projection, and a second coloring part expressing a color different from the first coloring part is provided on the other side face of the long projection.In the lure of the present invention, the first and second coloring parts provided on the inner face of the lure body can be seen through via the lure body.For example, in the case of viewing the lure from one direction, only the color of the first coloring part can be seen through. On the other hand, in the case of viewing the lure from the other direction, only the color of the second coloring part can be seen through.Since the color of the lure of the present invention can be changed depending on the viewing directions, an excellent fish collecting effect is produced. In addition, the long projections of the lure do not come into contact with a foreign matter at the time of use, so that adhesion of water stain to the first and second coloring parts or peeling off of these coloring parts can be prevented.
US08402686B1
A light emitting fishing teaser with a translucent lure head, an enable terminal, a charging terminal, a ground terminal, an energy source, a control circuit board, a light emitting circuit board, a convex lens formed by an outside surface of the translucent lure head, a leader secured to a fishing line and extending through the cylindrical lure cavity and connecting to a fishing lure, and a lure skirt. A plurality of light emitting fishing teasers disposed on a leader forming a daisy chain of light emitting fishing teasers.
US08402682B2
An advertising display system including a bleacher having a seating surface and support beams below the seating surface and defining a primary chamber, and an advertising panel assembly mounted within the primary chamber and defining a secondary chamber. The primary chamber has a first end and a second end and the advertising panel assembly may include an intermediate advertising panel between a first and second advertising panel that define the sides of the secondary chamber. Additionally, a ceiling panel may extend between the top edges of the first and second panels.
US08402674B2
The slipper has an upper composed of woven material having a warp which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slipper and a weft which extends normal to the weft. The weft has a larger degree of elasticity than that of the warp. The opening for a wearer's foot is defined by a margin which lacks any means for biasing the margin into contact with a wearer's ankle such that minimal pressure is exerted on the ankle by the margin.
US08402673B2
A method for drying a fibrous web, especially a paper, cardboard or tissue web, the moving web is treated with hot air from a hot air hood in the area of a upstream pre-defined drying zone, and is subsequent carried to the drying zone in a downstream drying cylinder, especially a Yankee-Cylinder, to which an additional hood is allocated and in whose area the fibrous web is dried further. The hot air for the hot air hood allocated to the upstream drying zone is recovered, at least partially, from the exhaust air of the hood allocated to the downstream drying cylinder.
US08402671B1
A device comprising a body, having a cavity extending therethrough from a top surface to a bottom surface, may comprise a massive core enclosed by a cover. A recessed area on the top surface adjacent the cavity extends from the cavity to a perimeter of the body. A designated edge between the cavity and the recessed area is located a predetermined distance from an opposite perimeter. A releasable fastener or clamping device may be provided at the recessed area. A top and bottom post may be coupled together in a center hole in the body, to provide a center post from which to measure. Markings may be provided on the top surface of the body for measuring at an angle from the center. Small grooves may be provided in side surfaces of the body for aligning the device with lines or markings on the floor.
US08402669B2
An articulated arm CMM comprises a plurality of transfer members, a plurality of articulation members connecting at least two transfer members to each other, a coordinate acquisition member at a distal end, and a base at a proximal end. At least two of the articulation members can include at least one encoder and the at least two encoders can both be enclosed within a single monoblock housing.
US08402658B2
A compressor pulley having a partially cold forged base of improved strength and a bridge of improved strength is easily manufactured. Metal is heated to a predetermined temp and then hot forged into a pulley shape. A piercing step then forms a through hold in a center portion of the pulley. The heated pulley is then cooled to room temperature. Then the pulley is rough guided. A partial cold-forging step forges the base at room temperature. A slot is then pierced in the base portion. During a finishing step, groove working and grinding are performed on a surface of the pulley.
US08402655B2
Disclosed herein is a method for processing an orifice capable of processing recessed portions and orifices, each having a unique hole diameter different from each other, to high positioning accuracy and in a short time.A press includes: a B-axis angle indexing device 3 disposed on a base 2b, the B-axis angle indexing device 3 including a table B; an A-axis angle indexing device 25 disposed on the table B, the A-axis angle indexing device 25 including a table A; a chuck 32 disposed on the table A, the chuck 32 for holding a work; a base Z 6 disposed on a base, the base Z 6 being operable in an axis Z-direction; a base X 8 disposed on the base Z, the base X 8 being operable in an axis X-direction; a punch holding portion 13 disposed on the base X, the punch holding portion 13 being operable vertically in an axis Y-direction; and a plurality of punches 19, 22 held on the punch holding portion in parallel with the axis Z. The press is used to perform a pressing cycle at a desired position by changing a posture of the work and moving the punch in the Z-direction continuously using punches having different leading end diameters and shapes with the work held in the chuck.
US08402648B2
A printed circuit board includes a through hole constituted by a hole penetrating through the front and rear surfaces of the printed circuit board. A fabrication method of the printed circuit board, includes applying conductive material plating to the inner wall surface of the hole to form a through hole electrically connecting the front and rear surfaces of the printed circuit board, and removing the conductive material plated on the hole inner wall surface at least at a portion between the front and rear surfaces of the printed circuit board is carried out to thereby fabricate a printed circuit board having a through hole electrically isolates the front surface of the printed circuit board from the rear surface thereof.
US08402646B2
A method of manufacturing complex electronic cards is provided, each card including an electronic device or assembly formed of a first electronic unit at least partially arranged in a window in a solid bottom layer of the card and a second electronic unit, incorporated in the body of the card, at least partially formed by resin provided on the solid bottom layer. In order to prevent the resin from flowing into a slit between the lateral wall of the window and the second unit inserted therein, a protective film is arranged to cover the edge of the rear face of the first unit and a zone peripheral to the aperture in the solid layer. The electronic device or assembly is first formed and then placed on the bottom solid layer. The protective film is arranged between the two units after or when the electronic device or assembly is formed.
US08402644B2
A method of manufacturing an electronic parts packaging structure including the steps of preparing a plurality of sheet-like units each of which is constructed by a first insulating layer, a wiring formed on one surface of the first insulating layer, electronic parts connected to the wiring, a second insulating layer formed on an one surface side of the first insulating layer to cover the electronic parts, and a connecting portion for connecting electrically the wiring, and stacking mutually the units to arrange directions of unit adjacent in a thickness direction alternately oppositely, and bonding the units such that electronic parts of respective units are electrically connected mutually via connecting portions.
US08402642B2
In a pocket coil spring structure assembling apparatus, a row-of-pocket-coil-springs auxiliary feed stock mechanism and a row-of-pocket-coil-springs delivery mechanism are connected together in series so as to form a row-of-pocket-coil-springs supply unit, a plurality of row-of-pocket-coil-springs supply units are disposed on an upstream side with respect to a sealing/cutting mechanism, a control apparatus is allowed to alternatively select a row-of-pocket-coil-springs supply unit to face the sealing/cutting mechanism from the plurality of row-of-pocket-coil-springs supply units, and a row-of-pocket-coil-springs supply unit alternatively selected is moved to face the sealing/cutting mechanism.
US08402632B2
A method for crimping an insert to be clinched in a support by means of a placing apparatus having an anvil, in an area where the support comprises superposed first and second panels at a distance from one another, wherein the shank is inserted axially in the support and the anvil is brought up against the distal end of the shank, and the second section is then axially compressed against the anvil to create a securing edge, axial compression of the second section then being continued to create a crimping rim delineating an anchoring groove, in combination with the securing edge, surrounding the second panel, axial compression of the second section then being continued to bring about clamping of the support between the securing head and the securing edge in conjunction with clamping of the second panel between the securing edge and the crimping rim.
US08402628B2
An apparatus for securing an article, a carrier including the apparatus, and a method involving the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a base having a channel and a pivot post, an engagement member for selectively engaging the article, a rotatable actuation member having a pivot feature corresponding to the pivot post, and a positioning member secured to the base. The engagement member is slidably positionable in the channel of the base, the positioning member establishes travel limits for the rotatable actuation member, and the positioning member urges the engagement member toward the article. Rotation of the rotatable actuation member slides the engagement member along the channel of the base, thereby securing the article by the force provided by the positioning member.
US08402615B2
A hook, in a mechanical fastener, includes a hook body having a base, at least one hook arm and a hook body side-curved portion corresponding to the at least one hook arm, the at least one hook arm including a hook end and a neck portion between the hook body and the hook end, the neck portion having an inner curved portion opposing to the hook body side-curved portion. The hook body side-curved portion is defined by a portion of a circumference of a first circle, the inner curved portion of the neck portion is defined by a portion of a circumference of a second circle and the hook end is defined by a portion of a circumference of a third circle.
US08402613B2
A slide fastener is provided. A pair of coupling elements provided along adjacent edges of a pair of fastener tapes. A slider is configured to engage or separate the pair of coupling elements with or from each other. An end stop is secured to the pair of fastener tapes at an end portion of the pair of coupling elements. The pair of coupling elements are secured to each other at one region of the end portion of the pair of coupling elements. The one region extends between a rear end portion of a diamond of the slider and a base portion of the slider in a state where the base portion of the slider comes in contact with the end stop.
US08402609B2
A self-lock hinge is mounted between a cover and a base of an electronic device and has a resilient sleeve and a pintle. The resilient sleeve has a tubular body with a positioning protrusion formed on an inside wall thereof. The pintle has a rod. The rod is mounted rotatably through the tubular body and has a flat wall selectively abutting the positioning protrusion. When the cover is closed relative to the base, the flat wall of the rod abuts the positioning protrusion to lock the cover. Therefore, the cover is self-locked when closing.
US08402608B2
A hinge is mounted between a cover and a base of an electronic device and has a supporting bracket, a rotating bracket, a mounting bracket and a pintle. The supporting bracket is connected to the base, and the rotating bracket is connected to the cover. The mounting bracket is attached to the supporting bracket and has a positioning wing and two sleeves. The pintle is attached to the rotating bracket, is mounted through the mounting bracket and has a flat wall. The flat wall of the pintle selectively abuts against the positioning wing of the mounting bracket to hold the cover at a desired position. The abrasion between the sleeves and the pintle balances torque.
US08402602B2
An accessory unit of a vacuum cleaner, alone, with a vacuum cleaner conduit, and with a vacuum cleaner. The accessory unit has a housing, a first tool end, and a second tool end for releasable connection to a vacuum cleaner conduit. The first tool end has a first nozzle for vacuum cleaning, and the second tool end has two pivotable arms for forming second and third nozzles. Each arm has distal and proximal ends. The distal ends are arranged to be brought together for forming the second nozzle, and to be spread apart for forming the third nozzle. Furthermore, the arms are folded together to bring the distal arm ends in vicinity of each other for releasable connection of the second tool end to the vacuum cleaner conduit by at least partial insertion into said vacuum cleaner conduit.
US08402599B2
A dirt cup for a vacuum cleaner including a container, a tube, a lid, a first chamber, a second chamber, and a seal. The container includes an open bottom end. The lid is coupled to the container. The lid includes an aperture that extends through the lid. The lid is movable between a closed position where the lid covers the open bottom end and an open position for emptying the container through the open bottom end. The seal is coupled to the lid and includes a flange and a post that extends from the flange. The post extends into the aperture of the lid to couple the seal to the lid. The seal is positioned between the lid and the tube when the lid is in the closed position to inhibit airflow between the first chamber and the second chamber.
US08402597B2
A steam appliance having a water pump controlled by a motion switch response to movement of the appliance is provided. In one embodiment, a micro-switch is turned ON and OFF by movement of a micro-switch actuator in operative engagement with the towel frame at the base if the appliance. In another embodiment, the actuator is operatively connected to a mechanical pump to activate the pump. The motor switch or actuator will be displaced whenever the unit is moved by a user, thus causing the pump to pump water to the boiler. Steam is then fed to a steam pad that may have a replaceable fabric pad fit snugly on the frame to distribute clean steam to a surface to be steamed.
US08402588B2
A multi-layer surface treating pad is disclosed. It has an upper layer suitable to serve as one part of a hook/loop type fastener system, a bottom layer which comprises an abrasive or polishing material, and a cleaning or other surface treating formulation positioned between the upper and bottom layer in the form of a bump which is positioned mostly in a central region of the pad. The bump of the formulation causes the upper layer to bulge upwardly so as to provide a visual indication as to where one optimally should attach a motorized device thereto.
US08402583B1
A multipurpose health care professional tool assembly for providing in one convenient package the specific tools used on a daily basis by health care professionals includes a housing having a top face, a front slot and a rear slot. A calculator is positioned on the top face of the housing. A light is coupled to the housing. A pen is provided having a connection end and a writing end. The connection end is pivotally coupled to the housing in the rear slot such that the pen is extendable from the rear slot of the housing to facilitate writing using the pen. A hemostat tool is pivotally coupled to the housing and extendable from the front slot into a use position.
US08402582B2
An air mattress is provided. The air mattress may comprises: a top sheet and a bottom sheet, the top and bottom sheets being made of a flexible airtight material and being connected to form an airtight inflatable compartment; and at least one vertical connecting unit, being disposed within the compartment, wherein the vertical connecting units are attached to respective inner surfaces of the top and bottom sheets to form connecting areas. The air mattress may also comprise a side sheet and at least one horizontal connecting unit.
US08402579B2
A climate controlled seat, bed or other assembly configured to receive a person includes a blower and two or more thermoelectric devices or other conditioning fluid modules. According to one embodiment of an operational scheme, a control system for the seat or bed is configured to continuously discharge air from the blower through the thermoelectric devices. In one arrangement, the thermoelectric devices are sequenced between an activated and a deactivated position. Consequently, the desired cooling and/or cooling effect can be maintained while reducing energy consumption of the climate control system.
US08402576B2
The invention relates to a patient lifting frame for use with an invalid hoist for lifting and supporting an invalid patient. Such a lifting frame can be used in conjunction with a wheeled or overhead mechanical or electrical hoist unit, to assist nursing staff, healthcare staff or carers in lifting and moving disabled patients. This lifting frame may also be used in many different areas to carry able bodied people in safety for operations such as air sea rescue service.
US08402574B2
A bath has a drain outlet at the end of the bath which is also that end designed to be the most comfortable for reclining against by a user. The bath may also comprise a removable cover having one part which when the cover is in place in the bath fits over the drain outlet and is substantially flush with the floor of the bath and another part which extends up an adjacent wall section of the bath substantially to a rim of the bath, for assisting in supporting a person sitting in the bath over or adjacent the drain outlet and reclining against the wall of the bath.
US08402573B2
A toilet unit for use in a supine position comprises: a substantially oblong support casing formed in a substantially boat shape; and a treating body housed in the support casing and formed in a substantially T-shape by a urination and defecation container, serving as a lateral casing, of which the inside is formed a boat shape and a washing nozzle retainer, serving as a vertical casing, which stands upright on the downstream side of the urination and defecation container, wherein a head section of the urination and defecation container is provided with an injection nozzle for crushing stools of a patient, the washing nozzle retainer is provided with a washing nozzle and a bidet nozzle, and a domed cover body for covering the private parts of the patient is pivotally provided to be openable and closable at an upper edge of the washing nozzle retainer.
US08402571B1
A handle mechanism for lifting a toilet seat and its cover. The handle mechanism is affixed to the toilet seat cover, and selectively engages the toilet seat to lift the cover and the seat individually or together. Because the handle mechanism is affixed to the front of the cover, when the toilet is being used, with the seat up or down, the handle mechanism is well away from the toilet, such that the handle mechanism remains clean and sanitary.
US08402570B2
A toilet freshener for releasing a preparation into a toilet bowl includes a dispenser, at least one container couplable with the dispenser for storing the preparation, a release element for releasing preparation into the toilet bowl and connected in communicating manner to the container via a line so that the bottom of the container is arranged above the release orifice of the release element in the direction of gravity, such that a difference in level is formed between the bottom of the container and the release orifice of the release element, and a pin connected to the line, which interacts with the couplable container such that, during coupling of the container with the dispenser, the pin displaces a volume of preparation in the container, whereby a pressure is produced in the container, which pressure conveys the preparation over the difference in level into the line.
US08402565B1
A zippered pant system for providing a user easy access to his/her legs or knees featuring a pair of pants having a first leg, a second leg, a waist opening, and a front opening region; and a zipper disposed in at least the first leg and the second leg of the pair of pants, the zipper has a first end and a second end wherein the first end is positioned at a bottom edge of the first leg and the second leg of the pair of pants, the zipper can be unzipped upwardly. The zipper may be positioned along the inseam of the first and second leg of the pair of pants up to the middle, of the thigh.
US08407811B2
In a scanning probe microscope, a nanotube and metal nano-particles are combined together to configure a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having an optical resolution on the order of nanometers as a measuring probe in which a metal structure is embedded, and this plasmon-enhanced near-field probe is installed in a highly-efficient plasmon exciting unit to repeat approaching to and retracting from each measuring point on a sample with a low contact force, so that optical information and profile information of the surface of the sample are measured with a resolution on the order of nanometers, a high S/N ratio, and high reproducibility without damaging both of the probe and the sample.
US08407808B2
Disclosed herein is a system and method for protecting copyrighted media content. The copyright and playback management information is embedded into at least one data field of the media content. The media content is then encoded for a serial copy management system (SCMS) that utilizes the copyright and playback management information to ensure the appropriate copyright protection of the media content based at least in part on the embedded copyright and playback management information.
US08407802B2
A method of providing web site verification information to a user includes receiving a DNS query including a host name and a seal verification site name, parsing the DNS query, and extracting the host name from the DNS query. The method also includes accessing a DNS zone file including a list of Trust Services customers and determining if the host name is associated with a Trust Services customer in the list of Trust Services customers. The method further includes transmitting a positive identifier to the requester if the host name is associated with a Trust Services customer and transmitting a negative identifier to the requester if the host name is not associated with a Trust Services customer. In a specific embodiment, the Trust Services include issuance of digital certificates.
US08407801B2
In a security countermeasure function evaluation apparatus, an estimator operates an input unit, whereby an evaluation point calculation unit makes an evaluation as to whether each item of countermeasure information representing a security countermeasure function in detail satisfies each item of sufficient condition table information, and the evaluation point is calculated from the evaluation result of each item, whereby the transition probability calculation unit calculates a transition probability based on the evaluation point.
US08407792B2
A method for maintaining computer security comprises receiving an incoming email destined for an email server, determining whether the received incoming email is infected with malicious code and blocking the incoming email determined to be infected with malicious code from reaching the email server.
US08407781B2
It is an object to provide an information providing support device which is capable of encouraging a person having an intention or an obligation to provide information to provide safe and good quality information. An information providing support device of the present invention includes: an information storage unit for memorizing at least information input by a user of the information providing support device; an information providing request receiving unit for receiving the information providing request without intermediation of a user operation; an internal information retrieval unit for retrieving relevant information from the information storage unit in response to the information providing request received by the information providing request receiving unit, the relevant information being information relevant to the information providing request; and an information providing request presenting unit for presenting a predetermined information manager with the information providing request for which the relevant information has been retrieved by the internal information retrieval unit and the relevant information in association with each other, the information manager being authorized to permit the provision of the information stored in the information storage unit.
US08407775B2
The disclosure describes various systems and methods for access control. One such method includes providing an access control module that includes a base portion and an update portion. The update portion is electrically coupled to the base portion via a detachable electrical connector, and wherein operation of the access control module is based at least in part on an interaction between the base portion and the update portion.
US08407773B1
An apparatus conveniently provides a user with access to applications and data that the user accesses on other devices in a secure and authenticated manner. The apparatus detects the presence of a second device, such as a mobile phone. The apparatus authenticates a user based at least on identifying information provided by the second device. The apparatus locates one or more applications based on resource access information provided by a server based on the identifying information. While the second device remains present, upon authenticating the user, and further upon successfully locating the application(s), the apparatus provides the user with access to the one or more applications. User data for the one or more applications is made available from the second device and/or a server. The data is synchronized across all sources. The data is encrypted at the apparatus, and rendered unreadable when the second device is no longer present.
US08407767B2
A system and method for provisioning digital identity representations (“DIRs”) uses various techniques and structures to ease administration, increase accuracy, and decrease inconsistencies of a digital-identity provisioning system. Various methods are provided for creating new DIRs, requesting DIRs, notifying principals of available DIRs, and approving issuance of new DIRs.
US08407760B2
Disclosed is a method for transitioning access rights, in a remote station with role-based access control, for an unknown role having access rights defined by a central access control management module. In the method, a role capability table is maintained in the remote station specifying centrally-defined access rights of roles that are interpretable in the remote station. An access request associated with an unknown role that is not interpretable in the remote station is received. The access request includes a role transition list that relates the unknown role to other centrally-defined roles. At least one of the other centrally-defined roles is interpretable in the remote station. A role is selected, from the role transition list, that is interpretable in the remote station for interpreting the unknown role of the access request. Access is granted based on the access request associated with the unknown role using the access rights of the interpretable role selected from the role transition table.
US08407756B2
Systems and methods are disclosed which relate to browsing through search results on a handheld communications device, and displaying a desired search result on an external display device. The system includes a handheld communications device having a user interface to search for a plurality of media resources, an application server to deliver the media resources, and a set-top box to receive a request to display a desired media resource on a display device coupled to the set-top box, such as an IPTV. The user interface presents novel methods to send the desired search result to the IPTV via the application server. The user may “throw” the media resource to the set-top box using a hand gesture to invoke an accelerometer in the handheld communications device.
US08407752B2
This disclosure describes methods and systems for synchronizing broadcast and network content, such as web content. It also describes related technology for facilitating linking from broadcast content to related information and e-commerce on a network. One method detailed in this disclosure synchronizes broadcast content with dynamic network content at a network address. This method embeds an identifier in a broadcast, extracts the identifier embedded in broadcast content, and uses the identifier to identify corresponding network content. The method then posts the corresponding network content on a network device located at the network address (e.g., a web page at the URL of the broadcaster). The network device (e.g., web server) is responsive to requests sent to the network address to provide the network content over a network. Using this method, the broadcast content is synchronized with the corresponding network content. This approach enables the content at the broadcaster's fixed web site URL to change dynamically with the broadcast. This approach is transparent to the user, who simply visits the same URL to get more information about current programming or purchase a product currently advertised in current programming.
US08407744B2
A system may include logic to provide a video program to a video display, logic to provide interactive content to indicate that a snapshot of the video program can be captured, and snapshot capturing logic to capture a video frame of the video program.
US08407743B2
A method of processing additional information related to an announced service or content in a Non-Real Time (NRT) service and the broadcast receiver are disclosed herein. A method of providing a Non-Real Time (NRT) service in a broadcasting receiver includes receiving a service map table (SMT) and a first descriptor through a service signaling channel, identifying an image identifier and an image type of an image for an NRT service based upon the first descriptor, receiving the image via a flute session and displaying the image when corresponding service is played, wherein the image is logo or icon data for the NRT service. The method may further include connecting a service signaling channel, parsing the received SMT and the first descriptor, determining whether a service is the NRT service based upon the parsed SMT and storing the received image.
US08407742B2
There is provided a preference event reservation system of a broadcasting program including: a head end inserting event information into a broadcasting program sued broadcasting the broadcasting program containing the event information and an event information list; and a client terminal. The client terminal includes a controller displaying the event information list transferred from the head end, controlling a reservation for a preference event out of the event information list, and controlling execution of the reservation when event information that corresponds to the preference event is transferred from the head end; and a memory storing the reservation for the preference event.
US08407738B2
A method includes requesting most-watched program information from a subscription television service and identifying the most-watched program for a current time slot. The method further includes receiving a channel identification for the most-watched program for the current time slot, automatically tuning to the most-watched program based on the channel identification, and displaying the most-watched program. The most-watched program may be tuned at the start of a set-top box initialization sequence to give perception of a fast start time.
US08407723B2
A computing system and method is a specification of user-defined business logic is provided as JAVA program instructions (or another programming language) which does not natively provide for specification of full transactionality, to accomplish a fully transactional application, including executed managed objects. The managed objects are persisted in a shared memory of the computing system, such that a scope of the objects is global to the fully transactional application. Furthermore, a catalog of the managed object is maintained. A query interface is provided for querying the managed objects, in order to receive a query from an application, to process the catalog, and to provide a result indication of at least one of the managed objects back to the querying application. Thus, for example, the application may process the managed objects that are indicated in the query result.
US08407710B2
Systems and methods for scanning ports for work are provided. One system includes one or more processors, multiple ports, a first tracking mechanism, and a second tracking mechanism for tracking high priority work and low priority work, respectively. The processor(s) is/are configured to perform the below method. One method includes scanning the ports, finding high priority work on a port, and accepting or declining the high priority work. The method further includes changing a designation of the processor to TRUE in the first tracking mechanism if the processor accepts the high priority work such that the processor is allowed to perform the high priority work on the port. Also provided are computer storage mediums including computer code for performing the above method.
US08407709B2
A batch scheduling apparatus that performs a scheduling of a parallel program to be executed as a batch job by a parallel computer includes a priority determining unit that determines a priority of the parallel program based on an index that indicates a level of utilization of the parallel computer by the parallel program; and a scheduling unit that schedules the parallel program based on the priority determined.
US08407701B2
A facility is provided for processing to distinguish between a full conventional (or total system) quiesce request within a logically partitioned computer system, which requires all processors of the computer system to remain quiesced for the duration of the quiesce-related operation, and a new early-release conventional quiesce request, which is associated with fast-quiesce request utilization. In accordance with the facility, once all processors have quiesced responsive to a pending quiesce request sequence, the processors are allowed to block early-release conventional quiesce interrupts and to continue processing if there is no total system quiesce request in the pending quiesce request sequence.
US08407700B2
A computer-implemented method may include identifying first and second sublayers of a virtualized application. The first and/or second virtualization sublayers may include a read-write sublayer, a read-only sublayer, a virtual-reset-point sublayer, and/or a patch sublayer. The computer-implemented method may also include merging an instance of the first virtualization sublayer with an instance of the second virtualization sublayer. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08407694B2
A system and method for facilitating installing software includes steps and means for identifying whether the phase of a software installing process changes and, responsive to the identifying a change in the phase of the software installing process, executing an additional task of the current phase of the software installing process.
US08407692B2
Described is processing a manifest associated with a software component (such as for installation purposes) to determine whether the manifest has errors, and if so, providing a corrected manifest. To process the manifest, an identifier associated with the manifest is used to consult a correction data store to determine whether the manifest is known to require correction. The identifier may be generated via a hash (e.g., of the manifest contents) if one is not appropriately associated with the manifest. If the manifest is known to require correction, a corrected manifest is used, such as from a substitute corrected manifest, or a set of deltas that modify the manifest into the corrected manifest. The substitute manifest or deltas may be in the data store or obtained via a link. A corrected manifest may also be provided by evaluating the manifest for rule violations, and fixing any rule violations that are found.
US08407679B2
A method, system, and computer readable article of manufacture to enable parallel execution of a divided source code in a multiprocessor system. The method includes the steps of: inputting an original source code by an input device into the computing apparatus; finding a critical path in the original source code by a critical path cut module; cutting the critical path in the original source code into a plurality of process block groups by the critical path cut module; and dividing the plurality of process block groups among a plurality of processors in the multiprocessor system by a CPU assignment code generation module to produce the divided source code. The system includes an input device; a critical path cut module; and a CPU assignment code generation unit to produce the divided source code. The computer readable article of manufacture includes instructions to implement the method.
US08407678B2
An apparatus and a method for Java array interception using bytecode manipulation and data flow analysis. In one embodiment, a user-provided object class is identified. An array access operation of the user-provided object class is intercepted. The intercepted array access operation is translated with an emulator class of a native Java array. The translated array access operation is sent to an emulator class to determine whether to dispatch to the native Java array or an alternate data source.
US08407669B2
Software device groups allow owners and administrators to be defined for various intelligent devices, instead of tracking by primary user. A software license compliance management system obtains discovery information for these devices to determine software installed or active on these devices. The management system also obtains the number of licenses for each software package and determines whether the software is in compliance, or if the number of instances exceeds the number of licenses. This determination is flexible and can handle various license types, such as per user, per device, and per processor. For any exception, the group owner is informed and then can re-allocate licenses, purchase additional licenses, or request the uninstalling of a software instance(s). Device groups also can include sub-groups with sub-group owners responsible for handling any exception in that sub-group.
US08407660B2
The connection architecture of a network on a chip (NoC) is described in which (a) nodes in octahedron sections are connected in an arc Benes network, (b) a hierarchy of node clusters are connected using a globally asynchronous locally asynchronous (GALA) configuration, (c) a double wishbone 2D torus ring is applied to connection between network layers and (d) data is routed using buffer modulation.
US08407658B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for using direct memory access (DMA) to initialize a programmable logic device (PLD) are provided. A method includes manipulating a control line of the PLD to configure the PLD in a programming mode, receiving PLD programming data from a DMA control at a DMA speed, and writing the PLD programming data to a data buffer. The method also includes reading the PLD programming data from the data buffer, and transmitting the PLD programming data to a programming port on the PLD at a PLD programming speed.
US08407653B1
Approaches for estimating a derating factor for a plurality of potential soft errors in a circuit implementation of a circuit design. A plurality of respective estimated toggle rates are determined for a plurality of circuit elements for implementing the circuit design. A derating factor of the circuit design is determined as a function of the estimated toggle rates of the plurality of circuit elements. The derating factor is an estimation of a fraction of the plurality of potential soft errors that would cause functional failure of the circuit design.
US08407652B2
A task-based multi-process design synthesis methodology relies on a plurality of child processes to assist a parent process in performing optimizations on an integrated circuit design. Objects from an integrated circuit design are grouped into subsets and assigned to child processes, with each child process performing a transform on each of the objects in the subset assigned to that child process and determining which of the objects in the subset are candidate objects for which performance of the transform has been successful. The child processes then notify the parent process of those objects that qualify as candidate objects, so that the parent process only has to perform the transform on the candidate objects, thereby relieving the parent process from the overhead associated with performing the transform on non-candidate objects for which the transform has been determined by the child processes as not being successful.
US08407639B2
Systems and methods for mapping state elements of digital circuits for equivalence verification are provided. One method for mapping state elements for equivalence verification between a first circuit and a second circuit includes (a) determining a first sequential depth from primary inputs and primary outputs of the first circuit and the second circuit to each state element thereof, wherein the first sequential depth is a minimum count of state elements along any path between two points of a circuit, (b) identifying and mapping first state elements of the first circuit and the second circuit having a unique first sequential depth, (c) determining a second sequential depth from the identified first state elements of the first circuit and the second circuit to the remaining state elements, (d) identifying second state elements of the first circuit and the second circuit having a unique second sequential depth, and (e) repeating (c) and (d) unless the process is no longer generating new unique mappings of state elements.
US08407638B2
In a first aspect, a first method of designing a circuit is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a model of an original circuit design including a latch; (2) providing a model of a modified version of the original circuit design, wherein the modified version of the original circuit design includes a set of latches associated with the latch of the original circuit design and voting logic having inputs coupled to respective outputs of latches in the latch set; and (3) during Boolean equivalency checking (BEC), injecting an error on at most a largest minority of the inputs of the voting logic to test the voting logic function.
US08407619B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, article of manufacture and storage medium, provide the ability to select and highlight objects. A rendered image (containing one or more rendered objects) is displayed in a client browser on a client computer. A run length encoded (RLE) selection buffer is received, from a server across a network, into the client browser. The selection buffer provides a mapping of each pixel from the rendered image to rendered objects. User input is accepted that identifies a location of a cursor with respect to the rendered image. A determination is made, on the client computer, regarding which of the rendered objects has been selected based on the user input and the RLE selection buffer. The selected rendered object is then displayed in a visually distinguishable manner.
US08407610B2
Techniques for decoupling models created during design-time from the runtime environment. A declarative and executable representation for GUIs for applications is provided that is independent of any particular runtime platform, GUI framework, device, or programming language and which acts as an interface between the design environment and the runtime environment.
US08407604B2
A method, computer program product, and computing system for defining text to be included within a first text message. One or more tags are assigned to the first text message. The one or more tags are chosen from a plurality of available tags. The first text message, including the text and the one or more tags, is transmitted to one or more recipients.
US08407600B2
An interface for identifying one or more contacts is used to access and provide contact information to one or more interested parties or applications in a controlled manner. Various criteria can be used to identify which contacts will be presented to a user and how they will be presented in such a way as to facilitate access to the corresponding contact information. An API is used to handle and pass contact information on to requesting applications.
US08407587B2
A document processing system for actively processing a document targeted for one system on another system. The system of processing a document having associated field definitions targeted for a system operating in a first encoding scheme in a text editor operating in a second encoding scheme includes determining if a change to the document in the second encoding scheme violates one of the field definitions associated with the document and providing an indication to the text editor when a field definition violation is determined. The processing functions include creating, inserting, editing, deleting and formatting. The document processing system can be used when editing RPG documents in a Unicode editor for ultimate processing by a non-Unicode system such as EBCDIC DBCS. The indications can include setting a flag, which can be used by the text editor to drive visual indicators of violations, deny changes and the like.
US08407582B2
There is provided a method of laying out contents targeted for a first device having a first screen size on a screen of a second device having a second screen size smaller than the first screen size. The method includes analyzing a table width of the table in accordance with a predetermined criterion; and performing in response to a result of the analyzing step one of layout operations of: (p1) laying out the table using a typical technique in accordance with the second screen size, and (p2) laying out a row of cells in the table so that at least two cells arranged adjacently in a horizontal direction in the row of the table are aligned horizontally on the screen of the second device based on a predetermined algorithm.
US08407579B2
A system and method for managing a spreadsheet are disclosed. The method may include determining a portion of a digital image of a data statement, determining data of the data statement based on the portion of the digital image, and mapping a data cell of a standardized spreadsheet to the portion of the digital image based on the data of the data statement. The data of the data statement may be determined by applying an optical character recognition process to the digital image. The data cell may be mapped to the portion of the digital image based on a label or key included in the data of the data statement, a set of coordinate values, a mathematical equation, and/or the like. The method may further include determining a location of a second data statement based on the mapping data.
US08407570B1
Systems and methods for encoding user information and decoding signal vectors using fractional encoding/decoding and set partitioning. A fractional encoder can select a coset for transmitting or storing user information based on one or more deterministic bits and on encoded user information. The deterministic bits limit the encoder to using only a subset of the available signal vectors in a modulation scheme. A fractional decoder can receive a signal vector, and can find at least two nearest neighbors in each dimension. The fractional decoder can form a set of potential signal vectors using only the at least two nearest neighbors. The decoder may determine which of these potential signal vectors are valid within the fractional signaling scheme, and can decode the received signal vector based on the valid potential signal vectors.
US08407569B1
Circuitry and methods can be provided to correct errors in decision bits. A plurality of error event syndromes can be computed for a first plurality of error events. For each of a plurality of error event syndromes, two best error events can be selected. A cross-syndrome second best error event can be selected from among the first plurality of error events. A global second best error event can be selected from among the cross-syndrome second best error event and the second best per-syndrome error events. A second plurality of error events can be selected from among the global second best error event and the best per-syndrome error events. The second plurality of error events can be used for data post-processing.
US08407563B2
A system and method for correcting errors in an ECC block using soft-decision data. In an embodiment, a soft-decision ECC decoding method, uses “soft” data indicative of how reliable bits of data are when read out. Such reliability information may be used to identify particular symbols with a higher likelihood of error such that these symbols may be changed in an attempt to reduce the total number of errors in the data. In an embodiment, a soft-decision ECC decoding path may include a reliability checker operable to receive bits of data read from a data store and operable to associate a reliability factor with each bit of data. Then, an update module may iteratively change bits or groups of bits based upon an ordering of the reliability factors.
US08407556B2
LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) coding and interleaving implemented in multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. As described herein, a wide variety of irregular LDPC codes may be generated using GRS or RS codes. A variety of communication device types are also presented that may employ the error correcting coding (ECC) using a GRS-based irregular LDPC code, along with appropriately selected interleaving, to provide for communications using ECC. These communication devices may be implemented to in wireless communication systems including those that comply with the recommendation practices and standards being developed by the IEEE 802.11n Task Group (i.e., the Task Group that is working to develop a standard for 802.11 TGn (High Throughput)).
US08407545B2
A communication device is provided with a partial Fourier transformation circuit that calculates a correction parameter for quadrature errors correction. The partial Fourier transformation circuit is programmed to calculate a single one of frequency bins.
US08407540B2
A data processing circuitry includes a data input, a data output and a processing path arranged between the data input and the data output. The circuitry includes a plurality of retention circuits arranged in parallel with the processing path. At least one potential error detecting circuit including a potential error detecting path for transmitting the data signal pending at an input of one of a plurality of synchronization circuits to one of the retention circuits where the potential error detecting path includes delay circuitry for delaying the data. Also included is comparison circuitry for comparing a value of the data signal captured by one of the synchronization circuits with a value of the data signal captured by a corresponding one of the retention circuits. A comparison circuitry is configured to signal a potential error in response to detecting a difference in the captured data values.
US08407537B2
An integrated circuit includes a plurality of processing stages each including processing logic 1014, a non-delayed signal-capture element 1016, a delayed signal-capture element 1018 and a comparator 1024. The non-delayed signal-capture element 1016 captures an output from the processing logic 1014 at a non-delayed capture time. At a later delayed capture time, the delayed signal-capture element 1018 also captures a value from the processing logic 1014. An error detection circuit 1026 and error correction circuit 1028 detect and correct random errors in the delayed value and supplies an error-checked delayed value to the comparator 1024. The comparator 1024 compares the error-checked delayed value and the non-delayed value and if they are not equal this indicates that the non-delayed value was captured too soon and should be replaced by the error-checked delayed value. The non-delayed value is passed to the subsequent processing stage immediately following its capture and accordingly error recovery mechanisms are used to suppress the erroneous processing which has occurred by the subsequent processing stages, such as gating the clock and allowing the correct signal values to propagate through the subsequent processing logic before restarting the clock. The operating parameters of the integrated circuit, such as the clock frequency, the operating voltage, the body biased voltage, temperature and the like are adjusted so as to maintain a finite non-zero error rate in a manner that increases overall performance.
US08407531B2
A technique for collecting and correlating locking data collects and correlates information on a plurality of programs waiting on or holding a plurality of resources in a multi-computer database system. The technique identifies a program executing on one computer of the multi-computer database system that is waiting on a resource. The technique also identifies a second program, executing on another computer, as the ultimate holder of the resource. An operator display screen displays information corresponding to the first program and the second program. The operator display screen may be switched between a multiline display format and a single line display format. The collection, identification, and display of the locking data is performed periodically, to allow the operator to discover locking problems and take a desired corrective action.
US08407530B2
An application attempts to use a first protocol stack to send a first message to a server. After attempting to send the first message to the server, the application attempts to use a second protocol stack to send a second message to the server. After attempting to send the second message to the server, the application performs a timeout activity before a timeout period for the second message expires when the first message timed out. Alternatively, when the timeout period for the second message expires and the first message did not time out, the application performs the timeout activity. When the client device received a response to the second message from the server before the timeout period for the second message expires, the application performs a different activity.
US08407529B2
A data processing apparatus having one or more trace data sources. At least one of said trace data sources includes a trace data generator responsive to activity in monitored circuitry to generate trace data representing said activity. A synchronization marker generator is coupled to the trace data generator and operates to generate a synchronization marker and insert the synchronization marker into the trace data stream. A controller is coupled to the synchronization marker generator to generate and insert a synchronization marker into the trace data stream. The controller controls initiation in dependence on behavior of the data processing apparatus downstream of the trace data generator. In this way, the downstream behavior of the data processing apparatus can be made to influence the rate and timing of insertion of synchronization markers into a trace data stream.
US08407519B2
According to the invention, a managing server, using a snapshot-appended information table which stores management information for identifying snapshots of a virtual server, a setting change table which stores setting change information on the virtual server, and a policy table which stores policies to be met by the virtual server, acquires the setting change information from the setting change table, selects the setting change information items from the acquired setting change information matching policies stored in the policy table, acquires management information on the snapshots of the virtual server from the snapshot-appended information table, identifies a snapshot of the virtual server with reference to the acquired management information, changes the identified snapshot of the virtual server based on the selected setting change information items, and rolls back the virtual server according to the changed snapshot.
US08407509B2
A method for compensating for variations in timing of data sent to a processor on data bit lines relative to a strobe clock sent to the processor on a strobe clock line that can be used in a dual data rate (DDR) memory identifies discrete minimum and maximum time offset values for test data in selected data bit patterns for the data bit lines. The discrete minimum time offset value is the minimum timing adjustment required to allow the processor to receive the data in a steady-state condition during a data valid window of the strobe clock and the discrete maximum time offset value is a maximum timing adjustment required to allow the processor to receive the data in a steady-state condition during a data valid window of the strobe clock. The discrete minimum and maximum time offset values identify a valid range when the data bit lines supply data in a steady-state condition for latching into the processor by the strobe clock.
US08407508B2
A serial bus clock frequency calibration system and a method thereof are disclosed herein. The system utilizes a first frequency calibration device, a second frequency calibration device and a third frequency calibration device to share the same oscillator as so to perform multi-stage clock frequency resolution calibrations for different frequency-tuning ranges. This can bring an optimal frequency resolution, greatly reduce system complexity and save element cost.
US08407504B2
In some embodiments, provided is a way for devices to request S0ix (or the like) entry and exit.
US08407503B2
A technique for making a free-running grace period counter safe against lengthy low power state processor sojourns. The grace period counter tracks grace periods that determine when processors that are capable executing read operations have passed through a quiescent state that guarantees the readers will no longer maintain references to shared data. Periodically, one or more processors may be placed in a low power state in which the processors discontinue performing grace period detection operations. Such processors may remain in the low power state for a complete cycle of the grace period counter. This scenario can potentially disrupt grace period detection operations if the processors awaken to see the same grace period counter value. To rectify this situation, processors in a low power state may be periodically awakened at a predetermined point selected prevent the low power state from extending for an entire roll over of the grace period counter.
US08407495B2
According to one embodiment, an information processor, which is capable of supplying power to an external device, includes a connector, a storage module, and a power supply control module. The connector connects the external device to the information processor. The storage module stores a plurality of power supply modes each defining conditions of respective modules of the information processor to make the external device connected to the connector chargeable. The power supply control module selects a power supply mode effective for the external device from the power supply modes when the external device is connected to the connector, and sets the respective modules of the information processor according to the conditions corresponding to the power supply mode selected.
US08407487B2
A method for security monitoring of an electronic device includes determining whether a storage system of the electronic device is a secured storage system according to a signal of a first switch of the electronic device, determining whether an encryption key of the secured storage system is modifiable according to a detected signal of a second switch of the electronic device. Decrypting the secured storage system using a decryption key if the decryption key is the same as a preset decryption key in the secured storage system.
US08407481B2
Provided is a secure apparatus for protecting the integrity of a software system and a method thereof. The apparatus comprises: a template repository for storing templates required for generating an agent module; a template generator for randomly selecting one template from said template repository and generating a new agent module according to the selected template; and a transceiver for sending said new agent module to an external apparatus communicating with said secure apparatus to update a current agent module which is running in said external apparatus, wherein said current agent module is used to verify the integrity of said software system running in said external apparatus. The secure apparatus can protect software in an insecure environment with a high software protection level to prevent the software from being tampered or bypassed.
US08407472B2
A device receives, from a target user device, a request for encrypted content, where the request is sent via a wireless access network. The device identifies a donor user device that is available to provide the encrypted content via a local wireless network connection, where the donor user device has previously downloaded the encrypted content. The device sends, to the target user device and/or the donor user device, instructions to establish a peer-to-peer connection, via the local wireless network, to provide the encrypted content to the target user device, where the encrypted content is decrypted by the target user device using a license key provided over a different network than the local wireless connection.
US08407471B1
The Domain Name System (DNS) can be used to query for security information in real time. A security module on a client detects a network connection and sends a test probe as a DNS resolution request to a DNS server associated with a security server via the network connection. The test probe requests resolution of a domain name for which the DNS server is authoritative. The security module analyzes a response to the test probe to determine whether the response is valid based on testing information included in the DNS response. Responsive to whether a valid response to the test probe is received, the security module selects a network service for subsequent communications via the network connection.
US08407470B2
A control device being a control device communicating with a controlled device to control the controlled device includes: a first memory to store first authentication information for authenticating the controlled device; a second memory to store second authentication information for making the controlled device authenticate itself; a determination unit to compare third authentication information sent from the controlled device for specifying the controlled device with the first authentication information; a calculator to perform calculation processing on the first authentication information or the third authentication information using the second authentication information to generate a calculated value; a transmitter to transmit, when the determination unit determines that the first authentication information and the third authentication information are the same, the calculated value to the controlled device; and a memory controller to update the first authentication information.
US08407469B2
Files are protected against intrusion. A first embodiment protects certain files against changes. A second embodiment encrypts the files that are stored using user's personal information.
US08407463B2
A method of authentication of users in a data processing system is provided. The method includes a “Challenge” univocally associated with a user to be authenticated; processing the “Challenge” to generate an expected answer code, to be compared with an answer code that the user has to provide for authentication; encoding the generated “Challenge” for obtaining an image displayable through a display device; sending the image containing the “Challenge” to the user; displaying the image containing the “Challenge”; through a user device provided with an image-capturing device, optically capturing the displayed image; through the user device, processing the captured image for extracting from the captured image the “Challenge”, and subsequently processing the obtained “Challenge” for generating the answer code; receiving the answer code from the user and comparing it to the expected answer code; and, in case of positive comparison, authenticating the user. One among the actions of generating a “Challenge” and an expected answer code, and the action of processing the captured image that generates the answer code exploit secret information univocally associated with the user.
US08407462B2
A method for implementing network security access control is provided, including: receiving and decrypting terminal identity information that is encrypted in a bi-directional encryption mode and forwarded by a switch, and authenticating the decrypted terminal identity information; returning an authentication result to the switch so that the switch controls access of a terminal to a network according to the authentication result; encrypting the decrypted terminal identity information in a solo-directional encryption mode and authenticating the encrypted terminal identity information; returning an authentication result to a security access control gateway so that the security access control gateway controls access of the terminal to network resources according to the authentication result; delivering a security policy to a security control module on the terminal so that the security control module controls the terminal according to the security policy. A server is provided, including a first authentication module and a second authentication module. A system for implementing network security access control is provided, including a server, a switch, a security access control gateway and a terminal.
US08407458B2
An embedded device, for implementing a boot process on a host, is provided. This embedded device includes servers supporting various industry-standard Internet protocols and services related to the boot process. This embedded device also includes a storage medium that stores boot options for multiple Operating Systems (OSs).
US08407456B2
A method includes identifying a first register with M bits and a second register with N bits. The process also includes shifting K bits, where K<=N, from the second register into the first register. The shifting operation executes a left shift operation including reading bits K . . . N−1 from the first register, writing bits K . . . N−1 into bit positions O . . . N−K−1 of the first register, reading K bits from the second register, and writing K bits from second register into bit positions N−K . . . N−1 of first register, or a right shift operation including reading bits O . . . N−K−1 from the first register, writing bits O . . . N−K−1 into bit position K . . . N−1 of the first register, reading the K bits from the second register, and writing K bits from second register into bit positions O . . . K−1 of first register.
US08407454B2
There is provided a method and processor for processing a thread. The thread comprises a plurality of sequential instructions, the plurality of sequential instructions comprising some short-latency instructions and some long-latency instructions and at least one hazard instruction, the hazard instruction requiring one or more preceding instructions to be processed before the hazard instruction is processed. The method comprises the steps of: a) before processing each long-latency instruction, incrementing by one, a counter associated with the thread; b) after each long-latency instruction has been processed, decrementing by one, the counter associated with the thread; c) before processing each hazard instruction, checking the value of the counter associated with the thread, and i) if the counter value is zero, processing the hazard instruction, or ii) if the counter value is non-zero, pausing processing of the hazard instruction until a later time. The processor includes means for performing steps a), b) and c) of the method.
US08407451B2
An information handling system includes a processor with multiple hardware units that generate program application load, store, and I/O interface requests to system busses within the information handling system. The processor includes a resource allocation identifier (RAID) that links the processor hardware unit initiating a system bus request with a specific resource allocation group. The resource allocation group assigns a specific bandwidth allocation rate to the initiating processor. When a load, store, or I/O interface bus request reaches the I/O bus for execution, the resource allocation manager restricts the amount of bandwidth associated with each I/O request by assigning discrete amounts of bandwidth to each successive I/O requester. Successive stages of the instruction pipeline in the hardware unit contain the resource allocation identifiers (RAID) linked to the specific load, store, or I/O instruction.
US08407445B1
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for triggering and coordinating pool storage reclamation are disclosed. According to one example, the method includes receiving an issued hint triggered by the execution of a data storage optimization operation applied to a mapped logical unit (MLU), wherein the MLU is one of a plurality of MLUs residing in a storage array, and computing an unused portion amount of an allocated storage space in the MLU, wherein the allocated storage space comprises a plurality of slices. If the unused portion amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value, detecting at least one of the slices to be released from the allocated storage space. The method also includes transferring data contained in a detected slice to at least one of the remaining slices in the allocated storage space, and removing the detected slice from the allocated storage space in the MLU to a common storage pool in the storage array, wherein the removed slice is allocated to any one of the plurality of MLUs.
US08407443B1
Systems and methods for dynamically allocating memory for thread processing may reduce memory requirements while maintaining thread processing parallelism. A memory pool is allocated to store data for processing multiple threads that does not need to be large enough to dedicate a fixed size portion of the memory pool to each thread that may be processed in parallel. Fixed size portions of the memory pool are dynamically allocated and deallocated to each processing thread. Different fixed size portions may be used for different types of threads to allow greater thread parallelism compared with a system that requires allocating a single fixed portion of the memory pool to each thread. The memory pool may be shared between all of the thread types or divided to provide separate memory pools dedicated to each particular thread type.
US08407440B2
A system includes a storage device and a scheduler. The scheduler determines if deadlines of requests for accessing the storage device fall within first and second sliding windows. The scheduler issues requests that are in the first sliding window in a first order of execution and requests that are in the second sliding window in a second order of execution.
US08407437B1
A system, method and computer program product for scalable metadata acceleration with datapath metadata backup as disclosed includes providing a plurality of metadata comprising variable block pointers for the physical location of system data. The method also includes storing at least a first and a second metadata in two or more solid state memories accelerated with respect to a read and a write of a memory in a datapath, each solid state memory configured as a logical copy of the other. The method additionally includes interleaving a backup metadata in a datapath memory at a variable interval based on a table of block pointers. The method further includes querying the accelerated metadata for an accelerated datapath operation of the system and querying the interleaved metadata and/or a logical mirror of the accelerated metadata for a rebuild operation of the accelerated metadata, each query determinable by the table of block pointers.
US08407433B2
In an embodiment, an interconnect for an integrated circuit communicates transactions between one or more initiator Intellectual Property (IP) cores and multiple target IP cores coupled to the interconnect. Two or more memory channels make up a first aggregate target of the target IP cores. The two or more memory channels populate an address space assigned to the first aggregate target and appear as a single target to the initiator IP cores. The interconnect implements chopping logic to chop individual two-dimensional (2D) transactions that cross the memory channel address boundaries from a first memory channel to a second memory channel within the first aggregate target into two or more 2D transactions with a height value greater than one, as well as stride and width dimensions, which are chopped to fit within memory channel address boundaries of the first aggregate target.
US08407431B2
A storage arrangement including: a first storage system having one or more first logical storage devices and a second storage system having one or more second logical storage devices, configured to: a) determine whether two or more identical contents hash values are contained in a plurality of contents hash values of said plurality of files; and b) change an access destination of a first file corresponding to a first contents hash value from among said two or more identical contents hash values, to a position of a second file corresponding to a second contents hash value if there are said two or more identical contents hash values, c) do not migrate said first file to said second storage system, and migrate said second file to said second storage system to store in any of said one or more second logical storage devices.
US08407426B2
Technologies are generally described for a system for sending a data block stored in a cache. In some examples described herein, a system may comprise a first processor in a first tile. The first processor is effective to generate a request for a data block, the request including a destination identifier identifying a destination tile for the data block, the destination tile being distinct from the first tile. Some example systems may further comprise a second tile effective to receive the request, the second tile effective to determine a data tile including the data block, the second tile further effective to send the request to the data tile. Some example systems may still further comprise a data tile effective to receive the request from the second tile, the data tile effective to send the data block to the destination tile.
US08407423B2
Read-ahead of data blocks in a storage system is performed based on a policy. The policy is stochastically selected from a plurality of policies in respect to probabilities. The probabilities are calculated based on past performances, also referred to as rewards. Policies which induce better performance may be given precedence over other policies. However, the other policies may be also utilized to reevaluate them. A balance between exploration of different policies and exploitation of previously discovered good policies may be achieved.
US08407417B2
Multiple storage area groups into which multiple storage areas provided by multiple storage devices are classified with reference to storage area attributes are managed. The multiple logical volumes to which, in accordance with a write request to at least one address included in multiple addresses in the logical volume, at least one storage area included in the multiple storage areas is allocated are provided. In accordance with the access condition of the at least one address in the logical volume, the data written to the at least one address by the write request is migrated from the at least one storage area included in one of the multiple storage area groups to at least one storage area in another storage area group included in the multiple storage area groups.
US08407410B2
Performing wear-leveling and bad block management of limited lifetime memory devices. A method for performing wear-leveling in a memory includes receiving logical memory addresses and applying a randomizing function to the logical memory addresses to generate intermediate addresses within a range of intermediate addresses. The intermediate addresses are mapped into physical addresses of a memory using an algebraic mapping. The physical addresses are within a range of physical addresses that include at least one more location than the range of intermediate addresses. The physical addresses are output for use in accessing the memory. The mapping between the intermediate addresses and the physical addresses is periodically shifted. In addition, contents of bad blocks are replaced with redundantly encoded redirection addresses.
US08407404B2
A method, computer program product, and computing system for record sorting is described. The method may comprise splitting an incoming record into a separate key block and payload block. The method may further comprise storing the key block in a first memory. The method may also comprise assigning the payload block an address in a second memory at the beginning of a sort. Moreover, the method may store, with the key block in the first memory, the address of the payload block in the second memory. Additionally, the method may store the payload block at the address in the second memory.
US08407397B2
A block management method for managing a mapping relationship between a plurality of logical blocks and a plurality of physical blocks of a flash memory is provided. The block management method includes: grouping the logical blocks into a plurality of logical zones; recording the mapping relationship between each logical block in each logical zone and all the data physical blocks among the physical blocks in a corresponding logical zone table in unit of the logical zones; and recording all the no-data physical blocks among the physical blocks with a single no-data physical block table. Thereby, the logical blocks can be mapped to all the physical blocks so that frequent access to specific physical blocks can be avoided when a user writes data into a specific logical zone frequently, and accordingly the lifespan of the flash memory can be prolonged.
US08407395B2
A memory system architecture has serially connected memory devices. The memory system is scalable to include any number of memory devices without any performance degradation or complex redesign. Each memory device has a serial input/output interface for communicating between other memory devices and a memory controller. The memory controller issues commands in at least one bitstream, where the bitstream follows a modular command protocol. The command includes an operation code with optional address information and a device address, so that only the addressed memory device acts upon the command. Separate data output strobe and command input strobe signals are provided in parallel with each output data stream and input command data stream, respectively, for identifying the type of data and the length of the data. The modular command protocol is used for executing concurrent operations in each memory device to further improve performance.
US08407394B2
This document discusses, among other things, an example system and methods for memory expansion. An example embodiment includes detecting a memory command directed to a logical rand and a number of physical ranks mapped to the logical rank. The example embodiment may also include issuing the memory command to the number of physical ranks based on determining that the memory command is to be issued to the number of physical ranks.
US08407392B2
A cache unit multiple memory towers, which can be independently addressed. Cache lines are divided among multiple towers. Furthermore, physical lines of the memory towers are shared by multiple cache lines. Because each tower can be addressed independently and the cache lines are split among the towers, unaligned cache access can be performed. Furthermore, power can be conserved because not all the memory towers of the cache unit needs to be activated during some memory access operations.
US08407391B2
It is provided a computer system comprising a plurality of computers; a PCI switch; and a plurality of I/O devices connected to the PCI switch, wherein the communication path includes a virtual switch and virtual bridges, and the PCI switch comprises a communication path generating module for setting the virtual switches and the virtual bridges, a virtual switch group management module for creating a virtual switch group including the at least one of the virtual switches, and setting an enabled flag to one of the virtual switches included in the virtual switch group, and a port management module for managing relation between each of the generated communication paths and the plurality of ports included in the each of the generated communication paths.
US08407381B2
An apparatus and method for de-bouncing keypad inputs is disclosed including interrupting a processor upon detecting a key press, reading input signals from the key pad to determine an initial port value and starting a timer. A keypad interrupt is disabled and processing resumes until expiration of the timer. The timer interrupts the processor and the input signals are read a second time and combined with the initial port value to determine a key identifier. The timer is started again and processing resumes. Upon expiration of the timer the processor checks for key release. If release is not detected, the timer is again started. If release occurs, the timer is disabled and the keypad interrupt is enabled.
US08407373B2
An Extended Input/output (I/O) measurement word facility is provided. Provision is made for emulation of the Extended I/O measurement word facility. The facility provides for storing measurement data associated with a single I/O operation in an extended measurement word associated with an I/O response block. In a further aspect, the stored data may have a resolution of approximately one-half microsecond.
US08407371B2
A plurality of memory devices of mixed type (e.g., DRAMs, SRAMs, MRAMs and NAND-, NOR- and AND-type Flash memories) are serially interconnected. Each device has device type information on its device type. A specific device type (DT) and a device identifier (ID) contained in a serial input (SI) are fed to one device of the serial interconnection. The device determines whether the fed DT matches the DT of the device. In a case of match, a calculator included in the device performs calculation to generate an ID for another device and the fed ID is latched in a register of the device. The generated ID is transferred to another device of the serial interconnection. In a case of no match, the ID generation is skipped and no ID is generated for another device. Such a device type match determination and ID generation or skip are performed in all devices of the serial interconnection. In cases of different device types being separately provided to the interconnected devices, sequential IDs are generated in each of the different device types and also the total number of each device type are recognized. In a case of a “don't care” code is provided to the interconnected devices, sequential IDs are generated and also, the total number of the interconnected devices is recognized, regardless of the type differences.
US08407369B2
Embodiments provide unique and novel systems and methods for deleting data on removable drives. In embodiments, the removable drives store data that may be erased such that the data is considered destroyed but that allows the removable drive to be reused. The archiving system can determine which data should be erased. Then, the data is digitally shredded on sector boundaries of the removable drives such that the reclaimed memory cannot be read to decipher the erased data. In alternative embodiments, data is written across sector boundaries such that two or more files may occupy a single sector. A journal area allows for copying the data in a sector with two or more files, digitally shredding the sectors in the removable drive, and rewriting the data that was not to be digitally shredded to the original location of the data.
US08407358B1
A client receives streaming data from a server at a first data rate and buffers the streaming data in a buffer having a finite size. The client consumes the streaming data from the buffer at a second data rate. The second data rate is variable. Based on a data depth of the buffer relative to a reference data depth, the client generates a sequence of signals and sends the sequence of signals to the server to dynamically adjust the first data rate. The sequence of signals influences the data depth of the buffer toward the reference data depth.
US08407357B2
Provided is a group management method and system for group communication in an in-terworking system of an Instant Messaging and Presence Services (IMPS) system and a Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions Instant Messaging (SIMPLE IM) system. In the group management method, a client currently connected to one of the IMPS system and the SIMPLE IM system requests the retrieval of the group properties of a group included in the other system to which the client is not connected. The group property retrieval request is converted into a protocol format supported by the other system and is forwarded to the other system. The other system retrieves the group properties of the group, generates a group property response including the retrieved group properties, and forwards the group property response. The group property response is converted into a protocol format supported by the currently connected system and is forwarded to the currently connected system. The currently connected system forwards the group property response to the client.
US08407356B1
A computerized human communication arbitrating and distributing system, including a controller digital computer and a plurality of participator digital computers, each of the participator computers including an input device for receiving human-input information from a human user and an output device for presenting information to the user, each said user having a user identity. A connection, such as Internet, links the controller computer with each of the participator computers. Controller software runs on the controller computer to arbitrate in accordance with predefined rules including said user identity, which ones of the participator computers can interact in one of a plurality of groups through the controller computer and to distribute real time data to the respective ones of the groups. Participator software runs on each of the participator computers to handle a user interface permitting one said user to send a multimedia information message to the controller computer, which arbitrates which of the participator computers receive the multimedia information message and conveys the multimedia information message to the selected participator computers to present the multimedia information to the respective user.
US08407355B1
A backup device detects that a session timer associated with a session in a session table of the backup network device has expired and ages out the session from the session table based on whether a first message has been sent to a master network device regarding the session and whether a second message has been received from the master network device regarding the session.
US08407353B2
The sharing of objects may be executed by performing various share type administrations. Objects may be shared directly to a site or may be made available indirectly for reuse by a site. The objects shared and made available for reuse may be added to the site to which they are shared and made available for reuse. References to the objects shared and made available for reuse are stored in repositories in response to, and in accordance with, the share type administration performed. The storage of the references to objects is based on privileges associated with at least one of a repository, a site and a user. Objects made available for reuse by, and shared to, a site may be made unavailable for reuse by, and unshared to, the site through the execution of a share type administration.
US08407349B2
A computer-executable method for allocating resource discovery and identification processes among a plurality of management tools and resources in a distributed and heterogeneous IT management system includes providing at least one authoritative manageable resource having minimal or no responsibility for reporting its identity, minimal or no responsibility for advertising any lifecycle-related creation event for the resource, and minimal or no responsibility for advertising any lifecycle-related destruction event for the resource; using a service oriented architecture (SOA) to define one or more services needed to manage the resource within the management system; and using a component model to define one or more interfaces and one or more interactions to be implemented by the manageable resource within the management system.
US08407348B2
A method of determining whether a user has complied with a service level agreement (SLA) with a network operator, comprising collecting a set of data values representative of the user's service usage and comparing the set of data values to the service level agreement. The data values collected provide the operator with sufficient information so that it can determine whether a SLA is being complied with and to plan provision of network services. A method of monitoring a user's usage of a network service and a service usage indicator is also disclosed.
US08407331B2
Managing resources. A resource manager includes programmatic code for managing resources in the computing environment. Resources available from resource systems within the computing environment are managed. Methods may include receiving user input indicating one or more of that a new entity should be added to the resource manager, that an entity represented by an entity object of the resource manager should have permissions removed at the resource manager, or that an entity represented by an entity object of the resource manager should have permissions added at the resource manager. In response to receiving user input, events may be generated and objects created or removed from the resource manager for from downstream resource systems. The events may specify workflows that should be executed to perform synchronization between objects at the resource manager and objects at a downstream resource system by adding or changing rules in an expected rules list.
US08407322B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing software code capable of automated runtime negotiation of computation block execution between different computers. In one aspect, a method includes storing, on each of multiple devices, code blocks for a software application that performs a particular set of functions and assigning at runtime of the software application which of the devices is to execute each of the code blocks. Each of the code blocks is executed on the assigned devices and data is communicated between the assigned devices to facilitate executing different code blocks on different devices.
US08407312B2
The problem to be solved by the invention is to deliver the contents corresponding to the same master content to a plurality of terminals having different display functions, without beforehand preparing a plurality of contents of different protocols (formats) depending on the display functions, respectively. A data delivery apparatus according to the invention converts master content information into respective converted contents by using conversion parameter information selected based on information notified from respective terminals.
US08407311B1
A computer-implemented method of introducing users of a service includes sending a suggestion to a first user of a service and suggesting an introduction of a second user to a third user of the service. The second and third users are both identified as contacts of the first user in a contact list of the first user and the second and third users satisfy predefined selection criteria with respect to shared contacts, comprising users identified in contact lists of both the second and third users. The method also includes receiving, from the first user, a response to the suggestion; and upon receiving a positive response to the suggestion from the first user, sending the introduction to at least one of the second and third users.
US08407309B1
Techniques are provided for automating determination of properties information for a portal entity. The properties information for a portal entity is determined from attributes specified for items upon which the portal entity is based. The properties information may be provided to a portal and used by the portal to execute the portal entity.
US08407296B2
Multiple and multi-part message methods and systems for handling electronic message content for electronic communications devices are presented. An exemplary method for handling electronic message content for an electronic communications device includes: receiving a first electronic message that includes default message content at the communications device; receiving a second electronic message that includes alternate message content at the communications device; determining at the communications device whether the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content; and if the first received message indicates availability of the alternate message content, automatically providing the alternate message content of the second received message instead of the default message content of the first received message, in response to a user using the communications device to open the first received message indicating availability of the alternate message content or in response to the user using the communications device to open the second received message.
US08407284B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for transporting data to a cloud network. In aspects, an administrator of a data payload may wish to transport the data payload from a data distribution service to a candidate cloud provider to leverage cost, security, redundancy, consolidation, or other advantages. The data distribution service can identify candidate cloud providers that are able to host the data payload. Further, the data distribution service can examine any relationships between the administrator and the candidate cloud providers, and, based on the relationships, can present the administrator with respective offers from the candidate cloud providers to host the data payload. The administrator can review the offers, make a selection, and the data payload can be transported to the selected candidate cloud provider for hosting.
US08407283B2
A method is intended for disseminating content data in a peer-to-peer mode between peers connected to at least one communication network. This method comprises the steps of: i) making peers exchange neighboring information between them to build a bipartite peer overlay comprising a first group, comprising peers having a complete content to be disseminated, and a second group, comprising peers having not this content or only a part of it and having links therebetween, ii) disseminating the data defining the content (and preferably encoded with erasure correcting codes) from peers of the first group to first peers of the second group according to the bipartite peer overlay, iii) disseminating the data received by the first peers to other peers of the second group according to the bipartite peer overlay, and iv) updating the bipartite peer overlay when a peer of the second group has fully completed the content.
US08407280B2
A method of data streaming over a Peer-to-Peer network including server agents and client agents is provided. The method includes: assigning, responsive of a client agent request for a specified file, a sub streams set, being a set of server agents configured each to partition the specified file into frames whose size is configured based on the specified file, wherein the sub streams set comprises a plurality of active server agents and further includes a plurality of redundant active server agents selected based on network properties, such that a minimal number of excessive packets are sent to the client agent; managing the sub streams set asynchronously such that each server agent streams frames independently on other server agents in the sub streams set; and employing a rate-based congestion control per sub streams set such that a bit rate associated with the sub streams set is maintained above a specified threshold.
US08407279B2
A portable terminal to provide social network service using human body communication includes a human body communication unit to transmit or receive data through a human body, a memory unit to store at least one of social data, user data, reference data, and any additional data collected, a contact object identifying unit to identify a contact object by using the data received by the human body communication unit, and a pattern analyzing unit to analyze a pattern of contact with the contact object using the data stored in the memory unit. A method for providing social network service using human body communication includes sensing a human body contact, identifying a contact object, and analyzing a pattern of contact with the contact object using at least one of social data, user data, reference data and any additional data collected.
US08407268B2
A method for determining an optimum sampling frequency to be performed by a power analyzer includes the following computer-implemented steps: sampling a time domain signal to obtain a sampling signal according to a predetermined sampling frequency; obtaining two reference sampling signals using higher and lower sampling frequencies compared to the predetermined sampling frequency; transforming the sampling signal and the reference sampling signals to frequency domain signals; computing a sum-of-amplitudes for each of the three frequency domain signals; estimating a minimum sum-of-amplitudes value and a corresponding re-sampling frequency; obtaining a new reference sampling signal using the re-sampling frequency; transforming the new reference sampling signal to a frequency domain signal, and computing a sum-of-amplitudes therefor; and re-estimating the minimum sum-of-amplitudes value and the corresponding re-sampling frequency. The re-sampling frequency that conforms with a predetermined convergence standard is the optimum sampling frequency.
US08407251B2
An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.
US08407248B2
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer-readable media for authentication using a shared table. The method receives an authentication challenge from a first entity including an accumulator with an initial value, lists of elements in a shared table, and a list of sorting algorithms, each sorting algorithm is associated with one of the lists of elements and modified to include embedded instructions operating on the accumulator. The method then generates a temporary table for each list of elements in the shared table by copying elements from the shared table as indicated in each respective list of elements, each temporary table being associated with one sorting algorithm in the list of sorting algorithms. The method sorts each generated temporary table with the associated sorting algorithm, thereby updating the accumulator with the embedded instructions. Finally, the method transmits the updated accumulator to the first entity for verification.
US08407243B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for presenting a user interface. In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a scrollable list of characters associated with a character set, and detecting a selection of a displayed character of the scrollable list of characters. The method may further include displaying a search query based on the selection, updating a character set of the scrollable list based at least in part on the search query and index elements of a dataset, and displaying a result listing based on the search query, wherein the result listing identifies one or more index elements including a matching character sequence relative to the search query. Generating a search query may be based on adaptive updating of a list of characters that may be employed for generating search queries. Display of a result list may include an identification of matching character sequence.
US08407240B2
A system and method capable of obtaining information dynamically of assets residing on a network. The system and method further capable of comparing a device identifier to the dynamically obtained information of assets and policies at a time of a request to access the network and determining whether the device identifier matches at least one of the dynamically obtained information of assets and policies. The system and method further capable of quarantining the device from the network or a portion thereof based upon the determining.
US08407236B2
Described is a technology in which new words (including a phrase or set of Chinese characters) are mined from a query log. The new words may be added to (or otherwise supplement) an IME dictionary. A set of candidate queries may be selected from the log based upon market (e.g., the Chinese market) and/or by language. From this set, various filtering steps are performed to locate only new words that are frequently in used. For example, only frequent queries are kept for further processing, which may include filtering out queries based on length (e.g., less than two or greater than eight Chinese characters), and/or filtering out queries based on too many stop-words in the query. Processing may also include filtering out a query that is a substring of a larger query, or vice-versa. Also described is Pinyin-based clustering and filtering, and filtering out queries already handled in the dictionary.
US08407235B2
Concepts and technologies are described herein for exposing and using metadata and for exposing meta-metadata in a tabularized format. Metadata associated with one or more ERP services is collected, parsed, and loaded into one or more sets of tables. The tables of metadata are exposed to software and/or devices to provide various functionality. The tables of metadata and meta-metadata data exposed in tabularized format are used at runtime, design time and/or at other times, and are used to provide various functionality. The tables of metadata and meta-metadata also are used to identify and track modifications made to one or more application objects associated with the ERP services, and to apply the modifications to new versions of metadata associated with the application objects.
US08407232B2
With respect to retrieving documents of interest using a search system, it is made possible to provide a document search system for retrieving documents of interest efficiently and intuitively. Along with a display of a list of search results, new query candidates as well as the hit counts returned with those queries are presented. Specifically, there is provided: a related word dictionary in which related words of search keywords are gathered; a related word query generation processing part configured to extract from the related word dictionary a related word of a search keyword contained in a first query that has been entered, and to generate a second query, which is a new query, using the related word; a search execution part configured to calculate an increase/decrease between the hit count for search results returned with the first query and the hit count for search results returned with the second query; and a search result display processing part configured to simultaneously display on a display part: the first query; the search results returned with the first query; the hit count for the search results; the second query; the hit count for the search results returned with the second query; and the increase/decrease.
US08407227B2
Method for extracting and storing records of data backup activity from a plurality of backup devices
A method and system for requesting, cross-referencing, extracting and storing historical records of data backup activity by using a software component that interfaces to a plurality of data backup software devices is disclosed. In the first aspect, a method of storing automated request-for-historical records of data backup activity schedules is disclosed. In the second aspect, a method for invoking requests through a component that interfaces to a plurality of data backup software devices is disclosed. In the third aspect, a method for receiving historical records of data backup activity from said component is disclosed. In a fourth aspect, a method for making alterations to said historical records of data backup activity is disclosed. In a fifth aspect, a method for inserting said historical records of data backup activity into a data table located in an open, relational database is disclosed. In a sixth aspect, a method for inserting subsets of said historical records of data backup activity into tables related to said central data table is disclosed. In a seventh aspect, a method for removing completed historical records of data backup activity refresh requests is disclosed. Through the use of a system and method in accordance with the present invention, the aforementioned database can be made self-refreshing, requiring minimal ongoing intervention subsequent to initial configuration. In addition, the aforementioned data refreshes can be manually invoked at any time.
US08407225B2
A method of accessing an image database containing location data and determining one or more clusters of the digital images based on their location data. A hotspot location is determined for representing the cluster of the digital images and the results are stored for later access. The computer is connected to a network and receives data from a device including data identifying a current location. After determining that the device is within a selected notification distance from the hotspot location, a notification is transmitted over the network.
US08407219B1
Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer program products, for collaborative filtering are provided. A method is provided. The method includes clustering a plurality of entities with respect to one or more latent variables in a probability distribution model of a relationship between a set of entities and a set of items, the probability distribution model comprising a probability distribution of the set of items with respect to the latent variables. The method also includes, as new items are added to the set of items, updating the probability distribution of the set of the items with respect to the latent variables, and generating an updated relationship score for an entity with respect to the set of items based on the entity's fractional membership in the clustering with respect to the latent variables and based on the updated probability distribution of the set of the items with respect to the latent variables.
US08407213B2
An apparatus for identifying a location for naming includes a monitoring module that is configured to monitor actions taken by a user via a mobile communication device and to monitor a location of the mobile communication device when an action is taken by the user and at predetermined time intervals. The apparatus also includes a data store for storing user-specific location information and user-specific action information associated with the location monitored by the monitoring module and a location naming module that is configured to calculate a relevance rating of the location based on the user-specific action information associated with the location and on the user-specific location information, and to prompt the user to name the location based on its relevance rating.
US08407208B2
A system for providing answers to questions presented in the form of electronic signals representing natural language words conveyed to said system by way of a network connected to a computer. The system includes a plurality of search indexes relating to a field of knowledge, each in a specific natural language. A store house of natural words is associated with each one of the search indexes, in which a list of natural words is maintained in an order reflecting the usage frequency of said words in that list. In addition, a language storehouse of natural words common to each of the search indexes associated each with a specific natural language. The search index includes a list of score ordered keywords, indexed answer items each associated with an internal list of references (ILOR) pointing to it, and a list of ordered numerical references associated with each of the ordered keywords. Each such reference represents quantitatively an association between the keyword and an indexed answer item.
US08407205B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for automating sharing data between subscribers of a multi-tenant database service. Users or customers associated with one organization that is a tenant of the multi-tenant database system are enabled to share data objects such as leads, opportunities, accounts, contacts, cases, tasks and custom objects, (or other data objects) and other information with their business partners (e.g., users or customers associated with a different organization that is a tenant) and get real-time updates on the shared data.
US08407202B2
A methodology is disclosed for improving searches of a distributed Internet network. A distributed Internet network is searched for a particular information type, searching for a field identified using a predetermined identifier indicating that the field comprises information of the particular information type. When the field identified using the predetermined identifier is found, an association of the contents of the field with the search results is made, and repeated using the same predetermined identifier. Information of a particular information type may then be served in a field identified using a predetermined identifier that identifies the field as containing information of the particular information type.
US08407196B1
A system and computer program product for implementing an object-oriented hierarchical database architecture that supports functionality of an emulator. The hierarchical data architecture is created for implementing a files system and/or a system registry inside the emulator, where malware components are emulated and tested. The data architecture supports the emulator and provides for effective recovery of a database fragments after modifications of the fragments by the emulated malware. The non-relational object-oriented database consists of database objects. Each of the database objects has various data fields. Special user types are assigned to the database objects. Each user type is defined by a selected set of data fields. The database objects have a parent-child relationship. Each database object has a unique parent object and a unique set of index fields. The unique set of the index fields is a unique set of data fields of an object. The database has a root object which is unique for the database.
US08407195B2
A transaction creates a wait for dependency on a version in a main memory database implementing a multi-version concurrency control scheme. The wait for dependency allows the transaction to update the version while other transactions are reading the version. The multi-version concurrency control scheme also allows commit dependencies to be implementing concurrently with wait for dependencies. Commit dependencies allow a transaction to read an updated version before the updated version is committed.
US08407188B1
Providing data form management may comprise receiving form definition data, transforming the form definition data into an internal data structure, and storing the internal data structure in a form definition data table. In addition, providing data form management may comprise creating a form input data table corresponding to the form definition data table and notifying a form datastore that caches the internal data structure stored in the form definition data table. Furthermore, receiving the form definition data may further comprise providing a data page including at least one form component being user arrangeable on the data page and providing the ability to move, add, or delete at least one form component on the data page. The form definition data may define one of the form component or the location of the form component on the data page.
US08407186B1
A computer-implemented method for data-selection-specific data deduplication associated with a single-instance-storage computing subsystem may comprise: 1) detecting a request to store a data selection to the single-instance-storage computing subsystem, 2) identifying a data-selection-specific fingerprint set associated with the data selection and stored on a storage device, and 3) utilizing the data-selection-specific fingerprint set associated with the data selection for data deduplication associated with the request to store the data selection to the single-instance-storage computing subsystem. Other exemplary data deduplication methods, as well as corresponding exemplary systems and computer-readable media, are also disclosed.
US08407185B2
When a deletion request to delete a file system is made and a retention period of the file system to be deleted has not expired, the retention period end date and time is displayed at high speed.A CPU 11 gives a retention period attribute to each file of a file system 16 and manages the furthest future retention period end date and time, from among the retention periods of the files, as a retention period end date and time of the file system. If a deletion request to delete the file system 16 is made and the retention period end date and time of the file system 16 is future time ahead of the current time when the deletion request is made, processing for deleting the file system 16 is stopped and the retention period end date and time of the file system 16 is displayed on a screen 235.
US08407184B2
In a method for maintaining applications that are occasionally connected to an online services system, metadata describing at least a portion of an online services database is retrieved and the portion of the online services database is authorized for replication at a software application, information for an entity for an application database in accordance with metadata is determined, information is sent for the entity to an application data management service, data for the software application is retrieved from the online services database in accordance with metadata, at least a portion of the data for the software application is sent to the application data management service and the portion of the data for the software application should be synchronized with the online services database, a request for information is received for rendering a component of a user interface, and information is provided for rendering the component of the user interface for the software application.
US08407182B1
A computer-implemented method for facilitating long-distance live migrations of virtual machines may include: 1) identifying a request for a live migration of a virtual machine from a primary site to a secondary site, the primary site including a primary storage device used for storage by the virtual machine being configured for active-passive replication to a secondary storage device at the secondary site, 2) initiating a failover of the active-passive replication from the primary storage device to the secondary storage device in response to the request, 3) intercepting each write attempt made by the virtual machine at the secondary site to the secondary storage device before completion of the failover, 4) buffering each intercepted write attempt, 5) determining that the failover is complete, and 6) applying each buffered write attempt to the secondary storage after determining that the failover is complete. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08407173B2
Embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods establish quantitative relationships between system features and system objectives. In some embodiments, the features have a plurality of feature values related to the objective and the methods comprise analyzing a mathematical functional relationship between the plurality of feature values and the objective to create a plurality of objective values reflecting the ability of the feature values to satisfy the objective, selecting a feature value and analyzing the relationship to create an objective value; and generating an objective measure reflecting the objective value. In some embodiments, the mathematical function comprises a polynomial interpolation. In some embodiments, the features are a fidelity dimension and the feature values are values of fidelity in a processor based aircraft simulator.
US08407170B2
A method for determining a root cause of a problem in a multiple-element system includes correlating an incoming alarm signal with an element x in a multiple-element system and accessing an implication list comprising a list of all elements upstream of element x. At least one element on the implication list is weighted with data relating to the at least one element. Taking into account the weighting step, a probability is calculated that an element on the implication list comprises a most-probable root cause of the subsequent alarm signal. The identified most-probable root cause of the incoming alarm signal is output.
US08407159B2
Described herein are techniques for automatically batching GUI-based (Graphical User Interface) tasks. The described techniques include automatically determining whether a user is performing batchable tasks in a GUI-based environment. Once detected, the described techniques include predicting the next tasks of a batch based upon those detected batchable tasks. With the described techniques, the user may be asked to verify and/or correct the predicted next tasks. Furthermore, the described techniques may include performing a batch and doing so without user interaction.
US08407152B2
A computer system that is configured to: (A) define a geofence surrounding a geographic area; (B) gather information associated with the geofenced area; and (C) assign one or more parameters to the geofenced area based on the information gathered, wherein at least one of the assigned parameters is used to monitor the performance of a delivery vehicle driver while the delivery vehicle driver is operating a delivery vehicle within the geofenced area. In particular embodiments, the parameters include a backup limit defining a number of times a delivery vehicle operating within the geofenced area is permitted to back up while operating the delivery vehicle within the geofenced area (e.g., during a particular delivery cycle). In other embodiments, the parameters include a maximum speed limit for the geofenced area. The system may be adapted to automatically generate an alert in response to the delivery vehicle operating outside of the defined parameters.
US08407151B1
Embodiments may include a forecasting component that, for each of different service levels offered to customers, generates a projection of the quantity of shipments to be shipped according to that service level during a time period. Based on an aggregate quantity of shipments projected to be shipped, projected quantities of shipments for the multiple service levels may be modified. The forecasting component may, for each service level, receive information specifying a distribution of different shipment methods that are projected to be utilized to ship shipments of a particular priority designation to meet requirements of that service level. Based on the distribution for each service level and the modified projected quantity of shipments for each service level, a forecast specifying quantities of shipments that are to be shipped during the time period according to each of the different shipment methods may be generated.
US08407146B2
A portable secure storage device provides a means to transport media from one media player to another while maintaining the security of and the rights associated with the content stored in the portable secure storage device. The device contains a security engine for managing digital rights associated with content stored in the device. The device can also include a hard disk drive memory and a real time clock. The hard disk drive memory provides ample storage of media and versatility of digital rights management. The real time clock maintains secure time. The device can be use to provide a thumbnail, a snapshot, a trailer version, or a table of contents of contents stored therein based on the security level of the receiving device. The portable secure storage device can query the receiving device to determine the current status of rights and can provide content in accordance with current rights.
US08407133B2
Systems and methods for monitoring the trading of financial instruments are provided. Trading messages are received at a live alert server. The messages are analyzed with a set of predetermined limits and rules. When a predetermined limit or rule is violated, an email message is sent to a regulator or other trading entity. The email message may include a hyperlink that may be selected to generate a real-time report relating to the limit or rule. When hyperlink is selected, a query is sent to a query server where the real-time report is generated and transmitted back to the requesting party.
US08407125B2
The system facilitates portfolio advising and planning for a client. The system includes a portfolio integration module configured to receive and integrate data, wherein the data includes a client's goals, assets, savings and risk tolerance, wherein the portfolio integration module is further configures to compute a customized strategy based on the received data. The portfolio reconciler module is configured to compare a customized strategy to at least one of the other strategies, based on the received and integrated data in order to further facilitate the financial portfolio planning of the client, wherein the financial portfolio planning analyzes both planned hypothetical events and unplanned hypothetical events. The stochastic modeling module is configures to further analyze proposed situation portfolios based on future uncertainties, wherein future uncertainties include the unplanned hypothetical events. The simulation module is configured to compute the probability of meeting the client's goals.
US08407123B2
An exemplary aspect comprises a computer system comprising: (a) one or more servers that receive electronic data describing prices for a first category of futures positions; and (b) one or more processors that calculate an index value at a specified time based on one or more weighted price changes for said first category of futures positions, wherein said index value has a target exposure to one or more yields for said first category of futures positions. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the computer system further comprises one or more processors that receive electronic data describing prices for a second category of futures positions, wherein the index value at the specified time is based on one or more differences between weighted price changes for the first category of futures positions and the second category of futures positions. Other exemplary aspects comprise related methods and software.
US08407117B2
The present invention enables a user to receive a financial service anywhere through a mobile terminal equipped with a UIM (User Identification Module) electronic card. In the present invention, a user enters his or her password to a mobile terminal with a UIM card including subscriber telephone number, finance, authorization, and personal information, then, if the entered password is correct, authorization is processed with a remote authorizing server based on the authorization information. After authorization, user's requesting service, e.g., payment service, transaction particulars inquiry service, prepaid card recharging service is conducted through a mobile network.
US08407114B2
A method to manage employee benefits (100) using a computer (30) in order to reduce employee cost. The method includes establishing an employee cash account (2) on a database (8) for disposing on a medium (31). Benefit hours (4) of the employee are accrued over a period of time to provide earned benefit hours (40). The employee's wage rate (10) during the period of time (6) is multiplied by the earned benefit hours (40) to provide a monetary benefit (12). The monetary benefit (12) is added to the employee cash account (2). When the employee uses the cash account (2), at least a portion of the monetary benefit (12) is subtracted from the employee cash account (12).
US08407111B2
In one aspect, embodiments of a method of correlating information and location comprise establishing a reference point for an entity. A three-dimensional coordinate is assigned to a device that comprises the entity. The assigned three-dimensional coordinate is relative to the reference point. Information about the device is correlated with the assigned three-dimensional coordinate and stored in a computing device. The computing device receives secondary information, and in response to the secondary information received by the computing device, the computing device provides at least one of the three-dimensional coordinate of the device or at least a portion of the information about the device.
US08407110B1
Various embodiments of a method and apparatus whereby a single action may control fulfillment services are described. Various embodiments may include an inventory management system associated with a fulfillment services provider. The inventory management system may be configured to implement a fulfillment services management interface configured to generate a user interface providing an indication of item(s) listed for sale by a merchant. In various embodiments, order fulfillment services for such items may not be provided by a fulfillment services provider. Additionally, the user interface may provide a single action user interface element for the merchant to register the one or more items for fulfillment by a fulfillment services provider. The inventory management system may, in response to receiving an indication of activation of the single action user interface element, register the item(s) for fulfillment by the fulfillment services provider.
US08407108B2
A method and system are disclosed for determining the locations of parts in a warehouse. The method comprises the step of generating for each part an associated designator having first and second components, including the steps of, for each of the parts, (i) determining the first component of the associated designator based on physical dimensions of the part, and (ii) determining the second component of the associated designator based on a pick velocity of the part. These designators are used to identify locations in the warehouse for the parts. In a preferred embodiment, the first components of the designators are used to determine the distances of the identified locations for the parts from an entrance/exit of the warehouse, and the second components of the designators are used to determine the heights of the identified locations for the parts in the warehouse.
US08407101B2
Various systems and methods that may relate to referral and/or delivery services are described. Some embodiments may include communication using a payment processing device. Various other embodiments are described.
US08407099B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing travel suggestions. In one aspect, a method includes the action of providing a travel search interface, the travel search interface including one or more travel parameters and a suggestion of one or more people to visit from among a specified collection of individuals; receiving a user selection of a suggested person; providing one or more date range and price combinations for traveling to a city associated with the selected suggested person; and generating a travel itinerary for the selected travel date range.
US08407093B2
A method for purchase of goods and/or services comprising the steps of,(a) a user placing a personal advertisement through a service provider or vendor with a image or picture which is blurred on partially blurred as to body portions or plurality of body portions, or to which contains text which is strategically blurred, and(b) the service provider or vendor alerting the user to one or more responses to the advertisement or other message, optional with blurred and/or partially obscured images on pictures of a respondent or text by way of e-mail, television, written or printed material, SMS, EMS and/or MMS messaging.
US08407089B2
A method and means by which a mobile phone can participate in a promotional offer that is sponsored by an interested party is disclosed. The sponsor creates a promotional campaign and defines its parameters using promotional offer code (POC) data. The POC data is then pre-provisioned into the mobile phone. If a mobile phone user becomes aware of the promotional campaign and wishes to participate, he navigates his mobile phone menu structure to a “promotions” menu and inputs a POC that was included in the sponsor's advertisements. The mobile phone then links the input POC to the pre-provisioned POC data. Another function in the mobile phone then constructs a promotional offer entry (POE) that conforms to the parameters set out in the pre-provisioned POC data. The POE is then transmitted to the sponsor. The sponsor reviews all valid entries and chooses one or more winners. The sponsor can then broadcast a status message to all entrants to inform them whether they won anything from the promotion.
US08407082B2
At each of a plurality of merchant Point Of Service terminals (POS), for each of a plurality of consumers, where each consumer seeks to conduct a transaction with the merchant for a good or service by using a payment device issued by an issuer in a payment system, data is read from the payment device. The data can include an identifier for an account issued by an issuer. The consumer is permitted to receive the good or service from the merchant prior to validating the account with the issuer. Transaction information for each transaction is stored during a predetermined aggregation criteria, such as time period, number of transactions, monetary volume, etc., into an aggregation set of said transactions. During the predetermined aggregation criteria, an evaluation is made, by communication with the corresponding issuer, whether the accounts in the aggregation set of transactions are valid.
US08407080B2
A method for managing performance of an IT service delivery process to ensure the changes meet service performance objectives. Key performance metrics (KPIs) of a service delivery process are collected in a continuous manner at defined time intervals, both before a change to improve performance is applied to the process (baseline measurements) and after a change is applied to the process (post-change measurements). A process behavior graph is generated comprising each baseline and post-change performance measurement at the time interval collected, the time interval at which the change was applied to the process, and the performance objectives for the process. The graph is displayed to a user to enable the user to determine the impact the change has on the service delivery process in view of differences between the baseline and post-change performance measurements, and to determine whether the process meets performance objectives in view of the performance objectives.
US08407078B1
Method of and system for managing projects, programs and portfolios throughout the project lifecycle
In one embodiment, a project-management method includes implementing, on a server computer having a processor and memory, a universal framework for engaging projects within an enterprise. The project-management method further includes optimizing, via the server computer, at least one project via an integration of a standardized set of process-related project-management assets, a standardized set of project-management assets related to at least one of selecting, assigning, developing, certifying, and managing human resources involved in project management, and a standardized set of project-management assets comprising a plurality of technological tools.
US08407072B2
A method for managing a complex project is provided. A plurality of phases is established for the complex project, wherein each phase of the plurality of phases has a definite duration and wherein each phase of the plurality of phases has distinct goals. The complex project is divided into a plurality of sub-projects, wherein the plurality of sub-projects is manageable by a central core team and wherein each sub-project is the responsibility of at least one team. The designation of which team is responsible for the sub-project is dependent upon the particular phase in which the sub-project is being performed.
US08407065B2
A method and/or system allowing patients to receive consistent, effective and convenient reliable wound care by applying customized wound dressings fabricated at automatic wound dressing fabricators deployed in medical facilities. Wound dressing specifications are generated with the aid of a computer-based configuration algorithm based on characteristics of the wounds. The generated wound dressing specifications are communicated between the medical facilities to provide consistent and reliable wound dressings without duplicative diagnosis of the wound. Further, telemedicine for wound care may be implemented by communicating the wound dressing specifications to automatic wound dressing fabricators that are remotely located.
US08407063B2
A method for monitoring a physiological condition of a user with an apparatus in a computer network is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) storing authorization information in a nonvolatile condition within the apparatus, the authorization information being suitable for identifying at least one of (i) one or more authorized patients among a plurality of medical patients of a health monitoring service and (ii) one or more authorized types among a plurality of patient types of the health monitoring service, (B) sensing biometric data from the user of the apparatus and (C) identifying the user as a particular patient from at least one of (i) the authorized patients and (ii) the authorized types in response to matching the biometric data to the authorization information.
US08407062B2
A system and method for automatically determining library patrons' interests without having to identify the patron or otherwise invade his/her privacy based on the library patron's current use of library assets. The system and method involve categorizing the library's assets using broad mapping user interest categories, associating a user interest category with a specific library asset that is checked out, reserved or otherwise used by a library patron and providing that patron with a confirmation item containing that user interest category, providing the library patron with feedback about the library assets and the broad mapping user interest categories, allowing library patrons to access and register for a library rewards program using the user interest category number and having advertisers provide relevant information and rewards to library patrons who request such additional information.
US08407061B2
A network system includes integrated radio transceivers and digitizers, integrated baseband processors and device controllers, digital interfaces there between, and architectures and partitions for same. Licensing methodologies are provided for implementing the features described herein, and for other products and services.
US08407060B2
An audio decoder for decoding a multi-audio-object signal having an audio signal of a first type and an audio signal of a second type encoded therein is described, the multi-audio-object signal having a downmix signal and side information, the side information having level information of the audio signals of the first and second types in a first predetermined time/frequency resolution, and a residual signal specifying residual level values in a second predetermined time/frequency resolution, the audio decoder having a processor for computing prediction coefficients based on the level information; and an up-mixer for up-mixing the downmix signal based on the prediction coefficients and the residual signal to obtain a first up-mix audio signal approximating the audio signal of the first type and/or a second up-mix audio signal approximating the audio signal of the second type.
US08407059B2
A method to audio matrix encode/decode, which encode and decode audio signals of two or more channels into an audio signal of one or more channel while preserving the direction of a sound image includes extracting pieces of sound image information from audio signals of multi channels, encoding and allocating the extracted sound image information to an inaudible frequency domain except an audible frequency domain, and adding the sound image information allocated to the inaudible frequency domain and matrix-encoded stereo signals of the audible frequency domain.
US08407058B2
A food processor with phonetic recognition ability is disclosed, which comprises: a phonetic recognition module and a food processing module. The phonetic recognition module is capable of receiving sound signals so as to identify a content of characters containing in the received sound signals. The food processing module is capable of producing food products containing characters corresponding to the phonetic recognition result of the phonetic recognition module.
US08407057B2
A machine, system and method for user-guided teaching and modifications of voice commands and actions to be executed by a conversational learning system. The machine includes a system bus for communicating data and control signals received from the conversational learning system to a computer system, a vehicle data and control bus for connecting devices and sensors in the machine, a bridge module for connecting the vehicle data and control bus to the system bus, machine subsystems coupled to the vehicle data and control bus having a respective user interface for receiving a voice command or input signal from a user, a memory coupled to the system bus for storing action command sequences learned for a new voice command and a processing unit coupled to the system bus for automatically executing the action command sequences learned when the new voice command is spoken.
US08407049B2
This invention description details systems and methods for improving human conversations by enhancing conversation participants' ability to: —Distill out and record core ideas of conversations. —Classify and prioritize these key concepts. —Recollect commitments and issues and take appropriate action. —Analyze and uncover new insight from the linkage of these ideas with those from other conversations.
US08407043B2
The present invention provides a computationally efficient technique for compression encoding of an audio signal, and further provides a technique to enhance the sound quality of the encoded audio signal. This is accomplished by including more accurate attack detection and a computationally efficient quantization technique. The improved audio coder converts the input audio signal to a digital audio signal. The audio coder then divides the digital audio signal into larger frames having a long-block frame length and partitions each of the frames into multiple short-blocks. The audio coder then computes short-block audio signal characteristics for each of the partitioned short-blocks based on changes in the input audio signal. The audio coder further compares the computed short-block characteristics to a set of threshold values to detect presence of an attack in each of the short-blocks and changes the long-block frame length of one or more short-blocks upon detecting the attack in the respective one or more short-blocks.
US08407038B2
A method for simulating a telecommunications network through objects that model respective network devices provides for simulating through the objects, the supply of network services according to respective quality of service profiles, by selectively identifying at least one quality of service profile, and dynamically configuring the objects to simulate the supply of the service corresponding to the selectively identified quality of service profile. In the simulation of networks having mobile terminals, the quality of service profile preferably has parameters chosen from traffic class, maximum transfer time of a data unit, guaranteed transfer speed for data transmitted by mobile terminal toward the network, maximum transfer speed for data transmitted from mobile terminal toward the network, guaranteed transfer speed for data transmitted by the network toward mobile terminal, and maximum transfer speed for data transmitted by the network toward mobile terminal.
US08407037B2
A method for clock modeling in a simulation tool is described. An internal time (I) may be defined that governs the simulator tool's clock period. An external time (E) may be defined. The internal time may have a smaller resolution than the external time. A calibration period (C) may be defined for the clock. The calibration period may be smaller than 0.5E and greater than I. The largest inaccuracy of any clock edge may be monitored, and the clock may be calibrated if the largest inaccuracy is greater than (C−1).
US08407036B2
A method and apparatus models one or more electromagnetic field modes of a waveguide. The method includes calculating a first matrix having a plurality of elements and having a first bandwidth using a refractive index profile of the waveguide. The plurality of elements of the first matrix represents an action of Maxwell's equations on a transverse magnetic field within the waveguide. The method further includes rearranging the plurality of elements of the first matrix to form a second matrix having a second bandwidth smaller than the first bandwidth. The method further includes shifting the second matrix and inverting the shifted second matrix to form a third matrix. The method further includes calculating one or more eigenvalues or eigenvectors of the third matrix corresponding to one or more modes of the waveguide.
US08407032B2
A system and method for assessing thermal comfort in an enclosure is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes performing a numerical analysis on a calibration enclosure including a thermal manikin in a uniform thermal environment to obtain a surface heat transfer coefficient (hcal) for each body part of the thermal manikin. The method also includes performing a numerical analysis on an enclosure including one or more thermal manikins in a non-uniform thermal environment to obtain a total heat flux (q″T) for each body part of the one or more thermal manikins. The method further includes computing an equivalent temperature (teq) of each body part of the one or more thermal manikins using the obtained associated hcal, the obtained associated q″T, and an associated surface temperature of the body part. Furthermore, the method includes evaluating thermal comfort in the enclosure based on each computed teq.
US08407030B2
A method for determining a time course of an accident which occurs inside an installation in which takes place at least one risk-prone process, characterized in that it comprises: (a) a step (MS) for determining a source term (S(t)) which identifies a source at the origin of the accident and which comprises rate data of a harmful substance emitted by the identified source, (b) a step (Mcd) for calculating in real time, amounts of the harmful substance present in different points of the installation, from said rate and from geometrical data (GI1) of the installation, and (c) a diagnostic step (MD) at the end of which a datum (dInt) of feasibility or non-feasibility of intervention in the installation is delivered, after analysis of the time-dependent variations of the amounts calculated in the calculation step.
US08407029B2
A first graph embedded in a Euclidean space is modeled by a globally rigid first model graph that includes all vertices and edges of the first graph and has a preselected maximum clique size. The modeling is configured to maintain the preselected maximum clique size by employing an edge adding process that replicates a vertex of a vertex pair connected by an edge. A mapping between vertices of the first graph and vertices of a second graph is computed by optimizing a mapping between vertices of the first model graph and vertices of the second graph.
US08407021B2
A delay analysis device includes an acquisition section that acquires circuit information relating to a path through which signal propagation can be delayed, a determination section that sets up an assumed fault for each of pins disposed in the path, and determines whether a signal change output from a beginning latch can be propagated to an ending latch for each of pins for which the assumed faults are set up, and an analysis section that calculates a delay distribution by accumulating delay distributions expressed by probability density functions of delays that occur in individual delay elements included in the path determined that a signal change output from the beginning latch can be propagated to the ending latch, and by not accumulating the delay distributions at a pin through which it has been determined that the signal change cannot be propagated to the ending latch based on the acquired circuit information.
US08407018B2
A method of estimating battery lifetime includes monitoring a charge characteristic of a battery during a first time period, monitoring an operating condition of the battery, determining a first battery life value for the first time period based on the operating condition of the battery, the charge characteristic, and a duration of the first time period, determining an overall battery life value using the first battery life value and a second battery life value for a second time period, and estimating a remaining battery lifetime for the battery based on the overall battery life value.
US08407012B2
Methods and systems of DNA sequencing that compensate for sources of noise in next-generation DNA sequencers are described.
US08407010B2
The present invention provides methods for rapid forensic analysis of mitochondrial DNA by amplification of a segment of mitochondrial DNA containing restriction sites, digesting the mitochondrial DNA segments with restriction enzymes, determining the molecular masses of the restriction fragments and comparing the molecular masses with the molecular masses of theoretical restriction digests of known mitochondrial DNA sequences stored in a database.
US08407009B2
A disclosed molecular communication system includes a molecular transmitter configured to transmit an information molecule in which prescribed information is encoded, a molecular receiver configured to receive the information molecule, and a molecular capsule configured to carry the information molecule from the molecular transmitter to the molecular receiver. Each of the molecular transmitter, the molecular receiver, and the molecular capsule has an artificial cell membrane in which at least one kind of molecular switch is embedded, the molecular switch being responsive to an external input signal so as to control association and separation between the molecular transmitter and the molecular capsule, and association and separation between the molecular capsule and the molecular receiver, upon application of the external input signal.
US08407006B2
Methods, computer programs, and systems for detecting at least one downhole condition are disclosed. Forces are measured at a plurality of locations along the drillstring. The drillstring includes a drillpipe. At least one of the forces is measured along the drillpipe. At least one downhole condition is detected based, at least in part, on at least one measured force.
US08407004B2
An airflow detecting device includes a pivot rod, a first vane portion hingedly secured to the pivot rod and a second vane portion hingedly secured to the pivot rod. The airflow detecting device further includes a sensor assembly coupled to the first vane portion and the second vane portion. The sensor assembly generates a signal when the one of the first vane portion and the second vane portion is moved relative to the other of the second vane portion and the first vane portion when effected by airflow. The airflow detecting device further includes a control module secured to the pivot rod and coupled to the sensor assembly to receive the signal from the sensor assembly. The control module is configured to determine the direction and the amount of airflow based on the signal from the sensor assembly. Other embodiments of airflow detecting devices are further disclosed.
US08406997B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing improved generation of textual directions based on positional information. In an implementation, textual directions for traversing a path are generated based on positional information associated with the path. According to a method, positional information that specifies a longitude and latitude at a plurality of times is received and processed to generate a routing graph. The generated routing graph includes nodes and route links that connect the plurality of nodes. Textual directions are generated for traversing a path associated with the positional data, based in part on link information associated with the links of the generated routing graph.
US08406995B2
A method of providing time table information and navigation instructions comprises receiving position data associated with a number of pre-determined positions along a transportation route, receiving time table data, receiving position data associated with a reference position, and determining a number of connection routes from the reference position to at least one of the pre-determined positions. Corresponding device and computer program product are also provided.
US08406993B2
A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.
US08406988B2
A computer-implemented method and product ensures the privacy of a user and the utility of data communicated by a device, such as a vehicle telematics device, to a server, comprising receiving data at the device during the time period; processing, by the device, the received data; summarizing, by the device, the processed data in a matrix, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix define circumstances of movement of the device, wherein the matrix includes a plurality of matrix-entries, and wherein each matrix-entry includes a distance covered by the device during the time period under predefined circumstances of movement; and transmitting the summarized data from the device to the server.
US08406985B2
A method automatically starts an internal combustion engine having variable valve lift. The internal combustion engine is shut down temporarily in certain driving operating states in order to save fuel and being re-started in the event of a change in the driving operating state. During the engine run-down, the inlet valve is actuated such that the closing time is shifted, with the cylinder being opened via the inlet valve until a pressure compensation has taken place in the cylinder in which an under-pressure would prevail during the engine run-down.
US08406982B2
A fuel injection detecting device computes a maximum-fuel-injection-rate-reach timing and a fuel-injection-rate-decrease-start timing based on a falling waveform of the fuel pressure and a rising waveform of the fuel pressure. The falling waveform represents the fuel pressure detected by a fuel sensor during a period in which the fuel pressure increases due to a fuel injection rate decrease. The rising waveform represents the fuel pressure detected by the fuel sensor during a period in which the fuel pressure decreases due to a fuel injection rate increase. The rising waveform and the falling waveform are respectively modeled by modeling function. In a case of small fuel injection quantity, an intersection timing at which lines expressed by the modeling functions intersect with each other is defined as the maximum-fuel-injection-rate-reach timing and the fuel-injection-rate-decrease-start timing.
US08406979B2
A method for operating an internal combustion engine, especially an internal combustion engine that is operable, at least in a part-load range, in an operating mode with auto-ignition, in which, at an abrupt change in load and/or at a changeover between an operating mode with auto-ignition and an operating mode without auto-ignition, a parameter of the combustion process correlating with the combustion noise is adapted stepwise over a plurality of combustion cycles from a first parameter value before the abrupt change in load or the changeover to a second parameter value after the abrupt change in load or the changeover, by influencing a combustion position of the combustion process.
US08406978B2
Provided is a gas turbine control method and control device whereby a design performance and an operating state based on ideal fuel flow rate and air flow rate simulated at the time of designing can be maintained by preventing an operation deviated from an operating condition that is based on ideal fuel flow rate and air flow rate simulated by initial design values, in a gas turbine control method designed to search optimal operating conditions automatically using control inputs such as a pilot ratio. The gas turbine controller comprises a second database that stores load sensitivity, i.e. the correlation between the load amount of a gas turbine and control inputs such as a fuel flow rate, air flow rate, pilot fuel ratio, and top hat fuel ratio in the gas turbine, wherein the amount of load variation for at least one of control inputs, a fuel flow rate or an air flow rate supplied to a combustor is predicted according to operational conditions obtained by searching using the load sensitivity, regulation is made according to the prediction results, and the regulation results are stored in the second database.
US08406973B2
The present invention provides a driving force control unit for a vehicle having an accelerator opening degree detecting unit for detecting accelerator opening degree, a driving condition detecting unit for detecting engine driving condition, a driving force setting unit for setting a driving force indication value according to a plurality of different driving force characteristics based on the accelerator opening degree and the engine driving condition, a selector for selecting a driving force characteristic from the plural of different driving force characteristics by manipulation. The driving force setting unit setting the driving force indication value according to the selected driving force characteristic.
US08406972B2
When a read-ahead vehicle speed is calculated using an integrator and a delay element, a predetermined gain used for an integral calculation is made small if a result of the integral calculation greater than a predetermined value based on an actual vehicle speed.
US08406941B2
An adaptive brake system for a distributed power train responsive to an interruption in a communication system for the train and a brake application initiated at the lead locomotive, reduces the brake pipe fluid pressure at a lead locomotive and a remote locomotive to a predetermined pressure level to reduce in-train forces that may occur as a result of the pressure differentials in the brake pipe line of the lead and remote locomotives.
US08406939B2
Methods, systems and device are provided for smoothing a required time of arrival (RTA) speed transition for an aircraft in a multi-segmented speed profile including at least one preceding region with a first predetermined speed pad and at a speed constrained region with a second predetermined speed pad. Exemplary methods include, but are not limited to determining whether a speed constrained region is engaged by a preceding region based at least in part on a speed of an aircraft. If the speed constrained region is engaged, the instructions determine a revised second speed pad for the speed constrained region. If the speed constrained region is not engaged then the instructions assign a default speed pad as the second speed pad for the speed constrained region. The instructions also compile a new speed profile that is defined by one of the revised second speed pad and the default speed pad for the speed constrained region and transmit commands that accelerate the aircraft to a new speed based on the new speed profile.
US08406934B2
An active power regulation process and system of a wind farm comprising an array of aerogenerators (AI), a communications network (RS), and a monitoring and control system (ST). The system of the invention comprises: means for connecting to said monitoring and control system (ST), means for receiving data relative to the apparent power Pout put out by the farm at all times, and data relative to variables and states of the aerogenerators (Ai) from said monitoring and control system (ST), means for comparing said output apparent power Pout with a preset apparent power set-point Pcons of the farm, means for continuously adjusting said output apparent power Pout, such that this output apparent power Pout approaches at all times the preset power set-point Pcons.
US08406925B2
A robot using less storage and computational resources to embody panoramic attention. The robot includes a panoramic attention module with multiple levels that are hierarchically structured to process different levels of information. The top-level of the panoramic attention module receives information about entities detected from the environment of the robot and maps the entities to a panoramic map maintained by the robot. By mapping and storing high-level entity information instead of low-level sensory information in the panoramic map, the amount of storage and computation resources for panoramic attention can be reduced significantly. Further, the mapping and storing of high-level entity information in the panoramic map also facilitates consistent and logical processing of different conceptual levels of information.
US08406922B2
A system for calibrating a robotic tool includes a housing including an aperture for receiving the robotic tool, an image generating device disposed in the housing and positioned to generate an image of the robotic tool received through the aperture of the housing, wherein the image generating device generates an image signal representing the image of the robotic tool, a light source disposed in the housing to backlight the robotic tool received through the aperture of the housing, and a processor responsive to the image signal for calculating and monitoring a configuration of the robotic tool.
US08406912B2
System and method for data mining and feature tracking for fab-wide prediction and control are described. One embodiment is a system comprising a database for storing raw wafer manufacturing data; a data mining module for processing the raw wafer manufacturing data to select the best data therefrom in accordance with at least one of a plurality of knowledge-, statistic-, and effect-based processes; and a feature tracking module associated with the data mining module and comprising a self-learning model wherein a sensitivity of the self-learning model is dynamically tuned to meet real-time production circumstances, the feature tracking module receiving the selected data from the data mining module and generating prediction and control data therefrom; wherein the prediction and control data are used to control future processes in the wafer fabrication facility.
US08406906B2
A computer-implemented method of predicting outcomes of hypothetical events which can occur during a game of baseball, includes: accumulating and storing in a computer memory a statistical database of the cumulative effects of latency and engrams specific to an individual batter having individual batter capabilities and an individual pitcher having individual pitcher capabilities; selecting a pitch, by a user, from amongst pitches compatible with the individual pitcher capabilities; selecting a swing, by a user, from amongst swings compatible with the individual batter capabilities; computing in a computer processor a statistical performance of the individual pitcher of the selected pitch; computing in a computer processor a statistical performance of the individual batter of the selected swing; and matching in a computer processor the statistical performance of the individual pitcher with the statistical performance of the individual batter so as to compute an outcome.
US08406905B2
Controller scaling and parameterization are described. Techniques that can be improved by employing the scaling and parameterization include, but are not limited to, controller design, tuning and optimization. The scaling and parameterization methods described here apply to transfer function based controllers, including PID controllers. The parameterization methods also applies to state feedback and state observer based controllers, as well as linear active disturbance rejection controllers. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the application. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08406898B2
One example includes an implantable lead with an elongate lead body including a proximal portion and a distal portion. The lead includes a coupler configured to be coupled to an implantable medical device, a conductor, extending through the coupler, a first electrode, and a first electrostimulation capacitor located at the distal portion of the lead body, the first electrostimulation capacitor including a capacitance value that is large enough to store an electrostimulation charge of an electrostimulation energy that is large enough to perform electrostimulation of tissue. The lead includes a first switch located at the distal portion of the lead body and coupled to the conductor, the first switch configured to selectively couple the first electrostimulation capacitor to the first electrode during a stimulating state and to selectively couple the first electrostimulation capacitor to the conductor during a charging state.
US08406895B2
An implantable medical device lead includes an insulative lead body, an outer conductive coil extending through the lead body, and an inner conductive coil extending coaxially with the outer conductive coil. The outer conductive coil is coupled to a proximal electrode at a distal end of the outer conductive coil, and the inner conductive coil is coupled to a distal electrode at a distal end of the inner conductive coil. A cooling assembly is thermally coupled to the distal electrode to dissipate heat generated at the distal electrode during exposure to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fields.
US08406887B2
The present invention is an improved hermetic package for implantation in the human body. The implantable device includes an electrically non-conductive substrate with electrically conductive vias. A flip-chip circuit is attached to the substrate using conductive bumps and electrically connected to a first subset of the vias. The flip-chip circuit can contain one or more stacks or a folded stack. A wire-bonded circuit is also attached to the substrate and electrically connected to a second subset of the vias. A cover is bonded to the substrate. The cover, substrate, and vias form an improved hermetic package for implantation.
US08406883B1
A multi-contact connector includes a connector body having a substantially-tubular shape with a longitudinal surface and a distal end. The connector body includes at least one lumen and defines at least one port. At least one of the lumens extends from the distal end of the connector body to at least one of the ports disposed on the longitudinal surface of the connector body. The multi-contact connector also includes a flexible-circuit sleeve with a substantially-tubular shape and an exterior surface. The flexible-circuit sleeve includes a plurality of contact terminals disposed on the exterior surface and at least one slot extending through the flexible-circuit sleeve to allow contact with at least one of the contact terminals from inside the flexible-circuit sleeve. The flexible-circuit sleeve is configured and arranged to be disposed over at least a portion of the connector body.
US08406881B2
A system for providing stimulation current in implantable medical devices is provided. One aspect of this disclosure relates to an apparatus including a power supply terminal adapted to be connected to a power supply. The apparatus embodiment also includes circuitry connected to the power supply terminal and adapted to detect a parameter dependent on tissue/electrode impedance. The apparatus embodiment further includes a current output pulse generator adapted to deliver electrical therapy. The current generator includes an adjustable compliance voltage source connected to the power supply terminal. The compliance voltage source has a programmable amplitude and is adapted to provide different potentials for different tissue/electrode interface impedances. According to various embodiments, the apparatus embodiment also includes at least one stimulating electrode, and the current generator is adapted to deliver electrical therapy using the electrode. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US08406876B2
Various aspects of the present subject matter relate to a method. According to various method embodiments, cardiac activity is detected, and neural stimulation is synchronized with a reference event in the detected cardiac activity. Neural stimulation is titrated based on a detected response to the neural stimulation. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US08406873B2
A high voltage switching and control circuit is provided for an implantable medical device (IMD). The circuit includes a high voltage positive (HVP) node, configured to receive a positive high voltage signal from a high energy storage source, and a high voltage negative (HVN) node, configured to receive a negative high voltage signal from a high energy storage source. Additionally, the circuit includes first, second and third output terminals that are configured to be connected to electrodes for delivering high voltage energy. First and second SCR switches are connected to the first and second output terminals, respectively. The first and second SCR switches are connected in series with one another and are connected to one of the HVP and HVN nodes. The first and second SCR switches have gating terminals. A control circuit is connected to the gating terminals and delivers first and second gating signals to turn ON the first and second SCR switches, respectively. The control circuit temporally offsets the first and second gating signals to turn ON the first and second SCR switches in a serial delayed manner.
US08406870B2
Chemotherapeutic treatment for certain cancers may be combined with low intensity, intermediate frequency alternating electric fields that are tuned to a particular type of target cell. When the tuned fields were combined with Paclitaxel, Doxorubicin or Cyclophosphamide, excellent results were obtained against human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and non-small cell lung (H1299) carcinomas in culture. More specifically, cell proliferation inhibition similar to that obtained by drug alone was reached by exposure to the combined treatment at drug concentrations between one and two orders of magnitude lower than for drug-only regimens of treatment.
US08406865B2
A sensor assembly and/or systems for bioimpedance measurements may provide information related to the lean body water of the patient's tissue. The information related to the patient's lean body water may be determined by spectroscopic methods for determining water fraction. The patient's fat-free hydration levels may be incorporated into determinations of physiological parameters that may be determined by bioimpedance, such as cardiac output, hemtocrit, or body fat percentage.
US08406861B2
A device for measuring light scattering and absorption properties of a tissue, the device comprising: a probe comprising first and second optical fibers for irradiation and detection. The optical fibers are substantially parallel to each other at the distal end, and are separated by a distance of less than 2 mm, wherein said first and second optical fibers are arranged in said probe at an angle, 6=10 deg. to 45 deg., to the plane perpendicular to the distal end of said probe and wherein the tips of the optical fibers at the distal end are polished parallel to the plane perpendicular to the distal end of said probe.
US08406857B2
RF signals in predetermined time regions are extracted respectively from a plurality of RF signals which are produced when an examinee is scanned by an ultrasonic wave, and respective IB values are calculated in the time regions. A variance value of the calculated IB values is calculated, and information based on the calculated variance value is output.
US08406856B2
For optically interrogating substances overlaid by turbid media a method of wavefront manipulation by means of binary phase masking is disclosed. Through altering the degree of mode conformity between the fields reaching the collection optics and the field distributions of the propagation modes of optical waveguides the disclosed method can be used to suppress the collection of short-range light originated near the collection optics while permitting unimpeded collection of light originated from sites substantially behind turbid media.
US08406855B2
A controller for a contrast agent-based, dual energy or two-spectrum tomosynthesis, has a control module that is designed for synchronized control of an injector and the mammography system. The control is based on measured, patient-specific values.
US08406844B2
A method of contoured-anatomy dose repositioning (CADR) as a means to automatically reposition a patient to better recover the planned dose distribution without reoptimizinq the treatment plan. CADR utilizes planning CT images, the planned dose distribution, and on-line images for repositioning dose distribution on a given day. Contours are also placed upon the images using manual, automatic, template-based, or other techniques. CADR then optimizes the rigid-body repositioning of the patient so that the daily dose distribution closely matches the planned dose distribution.
US08406843B2
A self-prepping ECG electrode assembly is provided. The electrode assembly includes an electrode element, an electrode stud, an abrasive member, an electrolyte gel, a cover member and a securing member. The electrode element and electrode stud are adapted to be rotatable within the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly may be used with a drive tool. The electrode assembly may be placed on the skin of a patient. The skin of the patient may be prepped for an ECG by inserting the drive tool into a bore formed in the electrode stud and turning the drive tool to achieve an oscillating rotation. In this manner the abrasive pad preps the patient's skin for the ECG procedure.
US08406839B2
The present invention provides a method of measuring the concentration of a compound and a value of oxygen saturation in the blood of a part of a subject. Also provided is a device for carrying out the disclosed method. The method relates to measuring the concentration of a compound and a value of oxygen saturation in the blood part of a subject, and correlating the measured concentration of the compound and/or the value of oxygen saturation in the blood to a specific clinical condition. The device comprises a polychromatic light source, a receptor, a detector, and a processing system comprising a calibration algorithm.
US08406838B2
The apparatus for evaluating biological function of the present invention has living body probes 1, a behavioral information measuring part 2 and an apparatus body 3, and it utilizes near-infrared spectroscopy to evaluate biological function; apparatus body 3 has a controller 8 for calculating (based on light information from living body probes 1) a variety of parameters derived from two-dimensional diagrams showing relationships between changes in oxyhemoglobin and changes in deoxyhemoglobin and two-dimensional diagrams showing relationships between absolute amounts of oxyhemoglobin and absolute amounts of deoxyhemoglobin, a behavioral information input part for entering behavioral information measured by means of behavioral information measuring part 12, and a display part 10 for performing various types of image displays based on various parameters calculated by means of controller 8 and/or behavioral information entered in the behavioral information input part.
US08406828B2
Disclosed is a mobile terminal including a terminal main body formed with an accommodation chamber for accommodating a battery, a cover combined with the main body to cover the accommodation chamber and formed with a conductive material to transmit and receive radio electromagnetic waves, a circuit board formed with an electrical ground to process a signal corresponding to the radio electromagnetic waves, a feed connection portion electrically connecting the circuit board with the cover to allow the circuit board to feed power to the cover, and a ground connection portion electrically connecting the cover with the electrical ground to make a ground to the cover.
US08406823B2
A power transmission control device is provided in a contactless power transmission system that supplies electric power to a load of a power reception device such that a primary coil and a secondary coil are electromagnetically coupled to each other so as to transmit the electric power to the power reception device from the power transmission device. The power transmission control device includes a controller that controls the power transmission control device, and a storage section that stores information about a power transmitting side coil. The controller performs a collation process for collating the information about the power transmitting side coil with information about a power receiving side coil received from the power reception device, and determines whether or not the information about the power transmitting side coil is compatible with the information about the power receiving side coil.
US08406809B2
On the interface side (7), a removable memory card (2), on which at least one payment card unit is located (5), appears to be a removable memory card (2) for the extension of the mobile communication device's (4) memory capacity up till the moment when the payment purpose button (1) is physically pressed. Then the removable memory card (2) switches into the payment function's access mode and is made accessible on its interface (7) as a card with a Secure Element (3) having at least one payment card unit (5). After the termination and/or interruption of the payment process, the removable memory card (2) switches into the access mode for the memory capacity extension function of the mobile communication device (4). This configuration and method increase the security of the payment process while retaining high level of manipulation comfort. At the mobile communication device with a payment purpose button (1) it is possible to switch the access mode exclusively by physical press of the hardware payment button (1) by which the unauthorized start of the payment application without the user's knowledge is prevented.
US08406799B2
A hosted inter-radio frequency subsystem interface (HIF) maintains a list of affiliated radio frequency subsystems (RFSSs), the list identifies at least one serving RFSS. An affiliation request is transmitted from the HIF to the home RFSS, which is a home RFSS of the group. The HIF receives from the serving RFSS a request to initiate an inter-RFSS group call to the group using HIF addressing. The HIF transmits a request to the home RFSS to initiate the inter-RFSS group call using serving RFSS addressing. A data packet from the home RFSS or the serving RFSS is received at the HIF. Upon receipt, the HIF transmits a copy of the data packet to the serving RFSS if the data packet was received from the home RFSS; otherwise, the HIF transmits a copy of the data packet to the home RFSS if the data packet was received from the serving RFSS.
US08406788B2
Systems and methods for locating a user of a wired or wireless communication device allow a communication device to respond to a location request with its current location or a default location. A request for the location of a target wireless communication device is sent to the network where the request is responded to by the network or forwarded to the target device. When the request is received by the target device, the device can deny the location request or respond to the location request with the actual location of the device (as determined by GPS or the network) or with a default, predetermined location. The type of response (denial, actual location, or default location) can be selected by the user of the target device on a granular, per request basis so that the user of the target device can selectively respond to location requests in an appropriate fashion.
US08406785B2
A method of and system for estimating the range of a mobile device to a wireless installation is disclosed. A method of estimating the position of a mobile device includes receiving signals transmitted by fixed-position wireless communication stations in range of a mobile device. One of the wireless communication stations from which signals are received by the mobile device is designated as a serving station and location information is retrieved for said serving station and at least one other neighboring station from which signals are received. For each of the at least one other neighboring stations, a corresponding distance between the serving station and said neighboring station is determined based on the location information. A position of the mobile device is estimated based on the location information for the serving station and said neighboring stations and further based on the distances between the serving station and said neighboring stations.
US08406780B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for efficient reassignment of a secondary communication channel (having a first priority) within a white space, upon arrival of a conflicting primary user signal (having a second priority higher than the first priority). In particular, the method comprises reassigning a secondary communication channel to unused portions of one or more white spaces remaining after the arrival of one or more primary users. For example, in one embodiment wherein one or more secondary communication channels are operated at contiguous secondary frequency ranges within a white space, a primary/incumbent user may arrive at a frequency range that conflicts with the secondary frequency range and that generates unused frequency portions of the white space(s). The secondary communication channel may be reassigned to the unused frequency portions of the white space (e.g., forming a non-contiguous secondary communication channel, forming a secondary communication channel having a reduced bandwidth).
US08406776B2
This invention relates to a method of searching for free band using a cognitive telecommunication terminal operating in a zone covered by a primary telecommunication system using a plurality of frequency bands (B). The terminal classifies said bands as a function of their conditional probabilities of being available (p(bmax|Bocc,Bopp)), knowing a first set of bands already occupied by the primary telecommunication system (Bocc) and a second set of bands not occupied by this primary telecommunication system but already used by another cognitive terminal (Bopp), said terminal beginning its search by the band with the highest conditional probability (bmax).
US08406773B1
Methods and computer-readable media are provided to enable the selection of a cell tower sector that is used by the mobile device to provide higher quality signals in a current frame. Signal quality data is retrieved for a previous quantity of frames, and indicates the signal quality of signals communicated from multiple sectors to a mobile device during soft handoff. A sector that has been communicating higher quality signals is then selected. Loading, signal-to-noise ratio, and a number of traffic channels may be used independently or in conjunction to determine which sector to select. For time slots of a current frame, an overall power control command is communicated to each sector that corresponds to a power control command assigned to the selected sector.
US08406762B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to controlling registration on a multi-technology handset. By controlling registration on a multi-technology handset, efficient handoffs between different technologies can occur. In one embodiment, the multi-technology handset operates using a first technology and at least one second technology. The second technology can be wireless fidelity (WiFi) or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), for example. The multi-technology handset includes at least a dual mode controller (DMC), a first technology controller, a second technology controller, as well as radios for the first and second technologies.
US08406761B2
A device includes a first type of cellular capability for connecting to a first cellular network and a second type of cellular capability for connecting to a second cellular network. The device terminates advertising of the first type of cellular capability after determining that the device is not initialized. The device also transmits a request to the second cellular network by using the second type of cellular capability; receives a name of a carrier, associated with the device, from a server and via the second cellular network; and initializes the device based on the name of the carrier.
US08406759B2
A networked computing system, including multiple radio access nodes (RANs), multiple radio communications controllers (RCCs), and a data communications network facilitating communications amongst the RANs and the RCCs of the system. A regional RAN receives a default eMIB associated with a first type of RAN (e.g., a macrocell, microcell, picocells, or femtocell RAN types) from a RCC, in response to a registration event of a RAN initialization process. The regional RAN maintains a dynamic eMIB comprising network operating parameters determined by various self-optimization processes. The network operating parameters of the dynamic eMIB are selected to fall within a range designated by the default eMIB. During a network failure condition, the regional RAN is configured to use a temporary eMIB comprising failure level operating parameters in order to mitigate network deficiencies caused by the network failure condition.
US08406754B2
An apparatus and method for beamforming in a wireless communication system are provided. The base station apparatus includes a calculator, a plurality of formers, and a plurality of adders. The calculator calculates a beam coefficient considering interference to a neighbor sector to be applied to transmission signals to mobile stations. The plurality of formers performs beamforming for a transmission signal to each mobile station within a corresponding sector using the beam coefficient. The plurality of adders adds the sector-based beamformed signals each provided from the plurality of formers, on a per-transmission-antenna basis.
US08406752B2
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit; a touchscreen configured to display an input menu for inputting information and including an input option displayed as a thumbnail representing input items that can be selected; and a controller configured to automatically provide candidate options to be input into a selected second input field based on characteristics of an input item input into the first input field.
US08406750B2
A method for establishing a communication connection between a control center and a terminal is described, the control center (preferably a server) transmitting a request to establish a connection to a terminal (preferably a client), and in the case of a correct request, the terminal automatically establishing a connection (client-server communication) to the control center.
US08406747B2
The communication system has service providers arranged to receive service requests. In order to obtain a user friendly solution the system further has a service gateway that has a data storage configured to route a received service request to one of the service providers based on information included in the service request, a personal communication proxy that has a memory, a receiver for receiving a service request over a short-range radio system, and a processor identifying a service provider selected by the subscriber for the service in question, and for sending the service request to the identified service provider, and at least one subscriber apparatus for transmitting a service request.
US08406746B2
The invention relates to a voicemail short messaging method (10, 20, 30) and means and a subscriber terminal (500). In particular it concerns a method and means for instantaneous packet switched voicemail between Internet compatible computers, personal digital assistants, telephones and mobile stations. In particular the inventive subscriber terminal (500) concerns a hardware and a software setup that allows the combined use of audio and/or video devices (550) with both the normal cellular or fixed telephony network (520) and with an Internet connection (510). The inventive subscriber terminal (500) allows the flexible use of both the Internet and telephony network with numerous advantages, one of which is the inventive voicemail short messaging method under study. The inventive voicemail messaging method (10), comprising at least one subscriber terminal is characterised by server independence.
US08406745B1
A wireless communication device comprises a processing system, a user interface, and a wireless communication interface. The processing system is configured to receive a first email auto-reply instruction through the user interface, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the first email auto-reply instruction for delivery to an email server, convert the first email auto-reply instruction into a voice mail greeting, and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a first voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to a voice mail server. The processing system is further configured to receive a second voice mail greeting instruction through the user interface, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the second voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to the voice mail server, convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an email auto-reply, and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a second email auto-reply instruction for delivery to the email server.
US08406738B2
A method and system of authenticating a mobile terminal may include using a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) authentication device managed by a mobile virtual network operator, receiving an authentication request sent from the mobile terminal from a relay device via a MVNO base station configured to provide a service of the mobile virtual network operator, where the relay device is located between the MVNO base station or a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) base station configured to provide a service of a mobile network operator and the MVNO authentication device or a MNO authentication device managed by the mobile network operator, and determining whether or not access from the mobile terminal, as a MVNO mobile terminal registered as a user of the mobile virtual network operator, based on the authentication request is permitted.
US08406736B2
A method of locating a wireless device being operated by an unauthorized user is provided. The method comprises examining biometric information of an operator of the wireless device, determining if the operator is authorized based on the biometric information, and transmitting a message to a remote recipient in response to determining the operator is not authorized. In certain embodiments, the message can include the location of the wireless device.
US08406733B2
Devices and methods for receiving control-plane communications from a network element over a secure service control link are disclosed. The network element includes a service control server link element that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of servers. The device includes a plurality of device agents communicatively coupled to a service control device link agent through an agent communication bus. The service control device link agent receives an encrypted agent message from the service control server link element over the secure service control link, uses an encryption key to obtain a decrypted agent message comprising a particular agent identifier and message content for delivery to the particular device agent, and, based on the particular agent identifier, delivers the message content to the particular device agent over the agent communication bus.
US08406731B2
A method for performing charging in a telecommunications system, comprising: storing at a subscriber information store subscription information including charging arrangement information indicative of the charging arrangement for a first communication terminal operating in the telecommunications system; providing by means of packet data interface apparatus packet data communication services to the first terminal, the packet data interface apparatus being capable of interfacing between the first communication terminal and a packet-switched data link to another communications terminal; generating by means of packet data interface apparatus charging messages indicative of the usage of the packet data communication services by the first terminal; transferring the charging messages to charging apparatus; and performing by means of the charging apparatus a charging operation to attribute to a subscriber for the first communications terminal a charge for use of the communication services by the first terminal; the method further including the steps of: transferring the charging arrangement information to the packet data interface apparatus; and storing at the packet data interface apparatus the charging arrangement information for the first communication terminal; and wherein the stop of generating charge messages comprises generating the said charging messages dependant on the charging arrangement information for the first communication terminal.
US08406729B2
A report message may be transmitted with collaborated information related to the occurrence of an emergency event. A plurality of devices, such as mobile communications devices, that are out of range of a communications network can communicate via direct communication, such as device-to-device communication, to corroborate characteristics that are indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event. Information related to the occurrence may be collaborated amongst the plurality of devices. A transmitting device, which may be one of the plurality of devices that corroborates characteristics or collaborates information, may generate and transmit the report message comprising the collaborated information. A receiving device may provide the message over a communications network, or the report message may continue to be handed off between devices capable of direct communication, the message eventually reaching a device that is within range of the communications network.
US08406723B1
Systems and methods which provide DC current path circuitry, such as for providing a DC bias, in association with a filter circuit such that parasitic attributes of the DC current path circuitry combines with the filter component attributes are shown. According to embodiments, the parasitic attributes of the DC current path circuitry components are added into the associated filter circuit network design. A parasitic capacitance of the DC current path circuitry may, for example, be aggregated with a capacitor of the filter circuit to eliminate or mitigate the effect of the presence of the DC current path circuitry on the associated filter frequency response. Embodiments implement an active inductor configuration for providing a DC current path in association with a filter circuit. An active inductor of embodiments is provided using a transistor, appropriately biased to actively exhibit low impedance at DC and high impedance at RF frequencies.
US08406722B2
A method, apparatus and system are described for adjusting the frequency of one or more clock signals used by a device. The one or more clock signals are adjusted by a determined amount when a channel quality metric of an RF channel in use by the device indicates a degradation in the reception quality.
US08406715B2
A method of operating a single-tuner radio includes tuning into a first frequency. A pause in a first signal associated with the first frequency is detected. Tuning is switched from the first frequency to a second frequency. A signal quality metric for the second frequency is measured. Tuning is switched from the second frequency to the first frequency.
US08406709B2
A communication apparatus includes transmission circuitry and a frequency conversion unit. The transmission circuitry is configured to down-convert an input Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal using a transmit (TX) Local Oscillator (LO) signal so as to produce a TX baseband signal, to up-convert the TX baseband signal to produce an output Radio Frequency (RF) signal, and to send the output RF signal to an antenna. The frequency correction unit is configured to estimate a frequency of the TX baseband signal or of the input IF signal, and to adjust the TX LO signal based on the estimated frequency so as to cause the transmission circuitry to down-convert the input IF signal to a predefined target frequency.
US08406705B2
Implementations related to circuits including an oscillator and a switch-mode DC/DC converter are presented herein.
US08406703B2
A portable device has lower and upper casings. A sliding hinge has a stationary frame attached to the lower casing, a sliding frame attached to the upper casing and a resilient positioning assembly mounted between the stationary and sliding frames. The sliding frame has multiple pushing pins protruding toward the stationary frame. The resilient positioning assembly has two sliders and multiple resilient elements disposed between and abutting the sliders. When the upper casing slides relative to the lower casing, the pushing pins move along and push corresponding sliders and pressing the resilient elements. As long as the pushing pins are moved to the other sides of the corresponding sliders, the resilient elements push the sliders back and the upper and lower casings of the portable device are open relative to each other.
US08406702B2
A clock signal generating arrangement for a communication device generates a system clock signal at an output for use as a timing reference. The clock signal generating arrangement comprises a reference clock generator for generating a reference clock signal, a main clock generator for generating a main clock signal having a greater accuracy than the reference clock signal, a clock adjust circuit coupled to the reference clock generator for generating a compensated reference clock signal to compensate for error in the reference clock signal and a clock signal selector coupled to the reference clock generator the main clock generator and the clock adjust circuit. The clock signal selector selectively provides to the output of the clock signal generating arrangement as the system clock signal the compensated reference clock signal when an error in the reference clock signal reaches a first predetermined threshold and until the error in the reference clock signal has been compensated and otherwise the reference clock signal when the communication device is operating in an idle mode or the main clock signal when the communication device is operating in an active mode.
US08406681B2
A sheet processing apparatus includes: a punch portion which is capable of punching a hole of a different type in a sheet; a sheet stack portion on which a punched sheet is stacked; and a determining portion which determines the hole type; wherein stack limit number of sheets to be stacked on the sheet stack portion is changed in accordance with the hole type determined by the determining portion.
US08406664B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, a latent image forming unit, and a plurality of developing units. Each of the developing unit forms an image to have a color difference of equal to or less than about five with respect to an initial unicolor image formed by using a toner not containing a reversely-transferred toner of another color when a toner contained in a toner container is consumed by about 70%.
US08406661B2
A developing device includes: a developing roller incorporating a fixed magnet body having a plurality of magnetic poles in a circumferential direction; a regulating member for regulating an amount of toner on the developing roller by means of a magnetic field formed by the regulating member and the fixed magnet body; and a magnetic-field generating member for scraping off, on an upstream of the regulating member in a rotational direction of the developing roller, toner which is not used for development on the developing roller. A relation Bm/Br>1 is satisfied, where Br represents a magnetic flux density of a distal end portion of the regulating member facing a surface of the developing roller and Bm represents a magnetic flux density of a distal end portion of the magnetic-field generating member facing the surface of the developing roller.
US08406653B2
An image-forming apparatus comprises: a body having a mount/remove opening; a removable component that can be mounted on or removed from the body via the mount/remove opening, the removable component being operable when mounted on the body; a door attached to the mount/remove opening; a mounting unit, on which the removable component is mounted, attached to the body; a connecting member that connects the door and the mounting unit, a position or attitude of the mounting unit in accordance with an opening/closing operation of the door, causes the removable component to move to a first position in which the removable component is operable when the door is closed, and causes the removable component mounted on the mounting unit to move to a second position, which is more easily accessible when the door is opened.
US08406649B2
In an image forming device an apparatus is provided that supplies a continuous flow of an electrical charge between a photoconductive drum and a power supply. In one embodiment, an electrically conductive member receives a shaft of the photoconductive drum. An electrically conductive cap disposed on a first side of the electrically conductive member, aligned with an aperture of the electrically conductive member, and capable of being electrically coupled with the shaft via the electrically conductive member. There is also an electrically conductive resilient member having a leading end and a trailing end electrically couple with the electrically conductive member and the shaft in a manner that the leading end is disposed on the first side of the electrically conductive member and the trailing end is disposed on the second side of the electrically conductive member with at least a portion of the trailing end extending across the aperture of the electrically conductive member.
US08406645B2
Developing bias is set as follows. An electric field intensity between a developing roller and a photoconductor is set to cause normally-charged toner to fly in an image area and not to cause the toner to fly in a background area. Thus, the normally-charged toner does not fly in the background area. The normally-charged toner caused to fly is therefore unlikely to flick low-charged toner and oppositely-charged toner. The low-charged toner and the oppositely-charged toner will not adhere to the background area and cause image fogging. Accordingly, an image forming apparatus can be provided to prevent the low-charged toner and the oppositely-charged toner from adhering to the background area of an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor and to avoid the occurrence of image fogging in the background area on a printed material.
US08406640B2
A toner cartridge for an image forming apparatus includes: a toner container; a toner feed port for supplying toner to a developing device; a toner feeding blade structure for feeding the toner from the toner container to the developing device; and a recording chip for recording history information on the toner container. The toner container includes a toner feed motor for rotationally driving the toner feeding blade structure. The recording chip includes a supplied toner quantity totalizer for summing the amounts of toner supplied and a residual toner quantity display controller for displaying the residual toner quantity in the toner container on a display portion of the image forming apparatus.
US08406629B2
One or more overlay wavelengths are applied to a GPON architecture to provide sufficient, cost-effective forward bandwidth per home for targeted, unique narrowcast services to allow traditional HFC operators to use a PON architecture with their existing HFC equipment. A separate return path capability using a separate coaxial cable with RF signals to the GPON may also be used. This return capability may be provided either by a fiber optic link or coaxial link from the home.
US08406624B2
An optical hub node apparatus can be configured to include N+1 or more route units (10) by connecting N or less route units (10) selected from among the N+1 or more route units (10) to a route unit (10) including N (N:integer of 2 or more) ports to which other route units (10) are detachably connected. As a result, as compared with a case where N+1 route units (10) are completely interconnected in a meshed manner, the number of the route units (10) can be increased. Thus, the number (degree) of optical transmission apparatuses connectable to the optical hub node apparatus can be increased.
US08406618B2
A camera according to the present invention includes a camera body where an image pickup mechanism is mounted, and a strobe unit is provided in the camera body. A wiring board to which a lead wire to be electrically connected to the strobe unit is connected, and a capacitor connected to the wiring board to feed power to the strobe unit are incorporated in the camera body. The wiring board and the capacitor are provided in a vertically movable manner in the camera body, and a cantilever portion for biasing the wiring board and the capacitor downward, and a lower projection portion for receiving movement of the wiring board and the capacitor due to a biasing force of the cantilever portion are provided in the camera body.
US08406609B2
The present invention relates to a method for creation of a sound series of photographs. A sound series is produced by a camera and is audible to the user of the device. At various instants of the sound series, the user takes photographs and the device records the instant when the photograph was taken. A table is created associating each photograph with the instant of the sequence when it was taken. The sound sequence terminates then ending the series of photograph takes. Then, the photographs are assembled to form a single panoramic image, a part of the panoramic image is then displayed by an animation. The panoramic image thus created, the sound sequence and the table are assembled to form a panoramic sound image. During the reproduction of the panoramic sound image, each photograph is displayed at the instant associated by the table.
US08406606B2
A playback apparatus that divides the content into scenes; specifies a scene played back after a fast-forward operation or a rewind; calculates a first feature value of the scene specified by the specifying unit; divides content different from the video content into scenes and calculates second feature values, each of which corresponds to one of the scenes obtained by the second feature-value calculation unit; compares the first feature value with the second feature values and extracts a scene whose second feature value differs from the first feature value by a predetermined threshold or less; and outputs the scene extracted by the extraction unit.
US08406605B2
The present invention relates to a method for recording and managing a multi-channel broadcast stream. The present method records on a recording medium such as a BD-RW a multi-channel broadcast stream where a plurality of channels are multiplexed, and creates and records management information for individual search and reproduction control of the plural channels. Consequently, this method ensures fast random access and various trick play of individual subchannel streams multiplexed in a recorded multi-channel stream at user's request.
US08406603B2
Systems and methods for recording of channels are provided. In a particular method, a first window of the plurality of windows is designated to display a first program of a first channel and a second window of the plurality of windows is designated to display a second program of a second channel. The first channel and the second channel are each included in a set of channels. The method also includes automatically recording the first program associated with the first channel while the first program is in progress and automatically recording the second program associated with the second channel while the second program is in progress. The method further includes sending a start of program option to a display device. In response to a selection of the start of program option, a recorded displayed program in progress is automatically replayed from a beginning of the displayed program at the display device.
US08406586B2
This invention provides a balanced thermal approach to the tuning of an optical time delay device in order to eliminate any long-term time response of the device performance due to thermal time constants of the device, its mount, packaging or electronic temperature control circuits. The invention provides multiple ways to improve the thermal tuning speed of the balanced thermal approach. Additionally, the invention overcomes an issue of microresonator non-uniformity by operating a large group of microresonators as a ‘super-ring’ by tuning the large group together to provide a controllable group delay with large bandwidth.
US08406581B2
A photoelectric composite wiring module, being superior in performances and mass-productivity thereof, and a transmission apparatus of applying that therein are provided.Optical devices 2a and 2b are disposed on a circuit board 1, so that they are optically coupled with optical guides 11 formed on the circuit board 1, wherein a filet-like resin is formed on a side surface of a bump, which is formed on side surfaces or/and upper portions of the optical devices, on an upper layer thereof being compressed a resin film to be adhered thereon, thereby forming an insulation film 31, and an electric wiring layer 3 is laminated, so that the electrodes of the optical devices 2 and wirings of the electric wiring layer are electrically connected with, and further thereon is mounted a semiconductor element 4; thereby obtaining the structure for brining the transmission speed to be high per channel, and for preventing the power consumption from increasing. Also, it has the structure of not causing deterioration of the optical devices due to ill influences of moisture, thereby achieving high reliability. Further, it also produces an easy connecting method with a transmission apparatus, and high productivity thereof.
US08406579B2
A wavelength division multiplexing and optical modulation apparatus includes at least two modulation region-added grating-assisted cross-state directional coupler units and a modulation region-added cross-state directional coupler. The modulation region-added grating-assisted cross-state directional coupler units and the modulation region-added cross-state directional coupler unit are connected to one another in serial. Each of the modulation region-added grating-assisted cross-state directional coupler units each includes a modulation region-added cross-state directional coupler, a grating and a modulation region. The modulation region-added cross-state directional coupler unit includes an output waveguide, an input waveguide and a modulation region.
US08406577B2
An optical modulator includes a substrate that is formed of a material having an electro-optic effect, an optical waveguide 2 that is formed on the substrate 1, the optical waveguide 2 having at least an input waveguide 21 leading the optical wave input to the optical modulator, branch waveguides 23, 24, 27, and 28 branching from the input waveguide, and an output waveguide 30 coupling the branch waveguides and leading the optical wave to the outside of the optical modulator, modulation electrodes 61 and 62 that are formed on the substrate to modulate an optical wave propagating on the waveguide, modulation means 25 and 26 that are provided at apart of the branch waveguides to modulate the optical wave propagating on the branch waveguide, where at least a part of the modulation electrodes is provided, polarization plane selection means 4 that is provided at a part of the optical waveguide up to a part where the branch waveguides are coupled, and controls the polarization plane of the optical wave modulated by the modulation means, and polarization plane adjustment means 5 that is provided at a part of the optical waveguide up to a part where the branch waveguides are coupled, and adjusts the polarization planes such that the polarization planes of the optical waves propagating on the branch waveguides are made orthogonal effectively.
US08406576B2
An optical modulator including: a substrate which has electro-optic effect; a Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer which is formed in the substrate and which includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide; a signal electrode which applies an electrical field to the Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer through being supplied with an electric signal corresponding to a signal for optical modulation; a ground electrode formed apart from the signal electrode; and a conductor section which is narrow in a middle thereof along the light propagating direction and which gradually becomes wider towards the starting end and the terminating ends thereof along the light propagating direction in an interacting portion at which the electric field applied by the signal electrode interacts with light propagating through the first waveguide and the second waveguide.
US08406571B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for improving images. At an image management system for storing a plurality of images from a plurality of users via a computer network, a new image is received and stored. So as to generate a new improved image, each patch of the new image is changed into an improved image patch based on selecting one or more selected mappings for converting one or more low-quality patches into one or more high-quality patches. The one or more selected mappings are determined from the images stored by the image management system. The new improved image is provided to the user.
US08406568B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an image-processing system is capable of receiving an image containing text, applying optical character recognition to the image, and then audibly reproducing the text via text-to-speech synthesis. Prior to optical character recognition, an orientation corrector is capable of detecting an amount of angular rotation of the text in the image with respect to horizontal, and then rotating the image by an appropriate amount to sufficiently align the text with respect to horizontal for optimal optical character recognition. The detection may be performed using steerable filters to provide an energy versus orientation curve of the image data. A maximum of the energy curve may indicate the amount of angular rotation that may be corrected by the orientation corrector.
US08406563B2
A photometric calibration method includes: obtaining a target image and a reference image by a light field camera and transforming the reference image into a revised target image corresponding to the target image; calculating a photometric calibration ratio according to a function for correlating the target image and the revised target image by using a numerical algorithm; and the intensity of the target image is divided by the photometric calibration ratio to obtain a calibrated target image. A light field of a scene is formed by all of the calibrated target image so as to improve the quality of the light field.
US08406561B2
Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for determining light source characteristics from an image. An image having pixels is received that is affected by a light source. A silhouette boundary is received. The image may be filtered to decrease diffuse reflectivity. The presence of light sources is estimated by identifying a local maxima pixel around the silhouette boundary. The local maxima pixel may be associated with the light source. A slant angle that is associated with the light source is estimated using the silhouette boundary. A tilt angle associated with the light source is estimated using the slant angle and local maxima pixel intensity. The relative intensity of each light source may be determined. The ambient light intensity of the image may be determined. The characteristics, such as the slant angle and tilt angle, may be provided to a user.
US08406560B2
There is provided a method of and an apparatus for generating high sensitivity images in a low light level environment, the method including correcting an image acquired through short-time exposure in a low light level environment to an image corresponding to a reference exposure time defined for the low light level environment, the corrected image including a plurality of channels, detecting respective black levels for each of the channels, the detecting of the respective black levels being based on a black level intensity for the reference exposure time, adjusting the respective black levels for each of the channels of the corrected image to respective target black levels for each of the channels, and aligning a value of each of the channels using the respective target black levels.
US08406558B2
According to one embodiment, an imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit, a focusing quantity calculating unit, a detail compensation amount calculating unit, and a detail adding unit. The focusing quantity calculating unit calculates a focusing quantity for every position in the subject image from a detail component. The compensation amount calculating unit calculates the detail compensation amount from the focusing quantity. The detail adding unit adds the detail component, which is compensated according to the detail compensation amount, to a low-frequency component of the image data.
US08406553B2
A map encoding module is described for creating a sample map in which sample values are placed within respective cells of an organizing grid structure, as governed, in part, by a Poisson disk distribution. The map encoding module efficiently represents the locations of the samples using respective integer values. A location determination module can determine a location of a sample value within a particular cell using a decoding algorithm. The decoding algorithm receives selection information and uses a cryptographic hashing algorithm to transform the selection information into location information which identifies the location of the sample value within the particular cell. Various graphics applications can use the map encoding module and the location determination module to reduce aliasing in displayed images.
US08406552B1
A method of filtering a pixels along a block edge during decoding of compressed VC-1 video includes loading edge segments with pixels along the sides of a block edge into registers, calculating a selection mask for a third pixel pair, and filtering the pixels in the edge segments simultaneously in the registers, if the selection mask meets a predetermined criteria. In another embodiment, a method of filtering pixels along a block edge during decoding of compressed VC-1 video includes loading edge segments with pixels along the side of a block edge into registers, swapping a first pair of the pixels with a second pair of the pixels, where each of the pairs of pixels are third pixel pairs of their respective segments, filtering the pairs of pixels simultaneously in the registers, and filtering the remaining pixels of the respective edge segments, if the results of filtering the third pixels pairs meet a predetermined criteria. The registers may be single instruction multiple data (SIMD) registers used with a Wireless MMX processor.
US08406549B2
An image processing apparatus is disclosed that includes an input unit that inputs data subject to image processing, an input filter that controls data input operations of the input unit, an output unit that outputs processed data resulting from the image processing, an output filter that controls data output operations of the output unit, and at least one processing filter arranged between the input filter and the output filter that processes the input data. An interruption process or a termination process for stopping the image processing is successively performed within the output filter, the processing filter, and the input filter starting with the output filter.
US08406538B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an intermediate code generating unit that, when a data string that matches an input data string of image data is found from data string of the image data input in the past, outputs a length and a position of the found data string and, when a data string that matches with the input data string is not found, outputs the input data string as escape data; and an encoding unit that performs encoding with the length of the found data string, the position of the found data string, and the escape data. When a plurality of the escape data are successively output from the intermediate code generating unit, the encoding unit encodes the plurality of escape data collectively by adding, to the plurality of the escape data, information representing a count value obtained by counting a number of the plurality of the escape data.
US08406536B2
When encoding each element in numeral string data, a code-string data creating unit creates code string data by assigning a code to a focused element to be encoded based on a magnitude relation between the focused element and an element adjacent to the focused element. An control unit stores primary data and the code string data as registration information in an associated manner into a storage unit. When searching for the primary data, a data extracting unit and the code-string data creating unit create code string data from image data, and a searching unit searches data stored in the storage unit based on the created code string data as search information for data having registration information that matches the search information.
US08406525B2
A method is disclosed for recognition of high-dimensional data in the presence of occlusion, including: receiving a target data that includes an occlusion and is of an unknown class, wherein the target data includes a known object; sampling a plurality of training data files comprising a plurality of distinct classes of the same object as that of the target data; and identifying the class of the target data through linear superposition of the sampled training data files using l1 minimization, wherein a linear superposition with a sparsest number of coefficients is used to identify the class of the target data.
US08406523B1
A system, method and computer program product are provided for detecting unwanted data. In use, data is rendered, after which it may be determined whether the rendered data is unwanted, utilizing either a neural network or optical character recognition.
US08406520B2
A method for improving detail detectability in x-ray images is provided, whereby by means of an x-ray inspection device a positive x-ray image of an object is made, the x-ray image is subdivided into an object region and an empty region, and the empty region of the x-ray image is darkened.
US08406519B1
A head image from a source image based on a model of the source image as a mixture of at least two image layers. One or more of the image layers are components of a foreground corresponding to the source head image and one or more other ones of the image layers are components of a background corresponding to parts of the source image outside the source head image. The source head image is color-adjusted based on skin regions of a target head image in a target image. The color-adjusted source head image is geometrically transformed to conform to the target head image in pose and size. A composite image is generated. In this process, the geometrically transformed and color-adjusted source head image is composited into a version of the target image at a location corresponding to the target head image.
US08406508B2
A method of reproducing a three dimensional (3D) image by counter-distorting a two dimensional (2D) image prior to vacuum forming. A captured or obtained image of a subject is digitalized into 3D and 2D formats and used to create a 3D surface using a CNC machine. A standardized grid pattern with numerous reference points is printed on a vacuum formable material and vacuum formed on the 3D surface representing a subject. The reference points on the grid are displaced during the vacuum forming process due to the 3D nature of the surface. If the image of the subject were printed on the vacuum formable material, it would appear distorted. The displaced reference points are observed and the data is entered into the inventive software which generates a new image with compensated morphological changes. When the new image is vacuum formed on vacuum formable material under the same conditions, the new image would not appear distorted and would accurately depict the subject in 3D.
US08406497B2
A new method for the identification of body landmarks from three-dimensional (3D) human body scans without human intervention is provided. The method is based on a population in whom landmarks were identified and from whom 3D geometries were obtained. An unmarked body (subject) is landmarked if there is a landmarked body in the population whose geometry is similar to that of the subject. The similarity between the surface geometry of the subject and that of each individual in the population can be determined. A search is performed using the mesh registration technique to find a part-mesh with the least registration error; the landmarks of the best-matched result are then used for the subject.
US08406490B2
This invention relates to a system and methods for determining the initiation and/or the termination of an autonomous in vivo imaging procedure, such as by a capsule imaging the gastro intestinal tract.
US08406483B2
Techniques for face verification are described. Local binary pattern (LBP) features and boosting classifiers are used to verify faces in images. A boosted multi-task learning algorithm is used for face verification in images. Finally, boosted face verification is used to verify faces in videos.
US08406480B2
A solution for visual credential verification. The solution includes an apparatus, system, and method embodiment. The apparatus for visual credential verification includes an input module, a comparison module, and a response module. The input module receives from a security official an image of an unverified credential, such as a badge, that an individual has presented to the security official. The comparison module determines whether or not the unverified credential is valid or invalid. The determination includes comparing the image of the unverified credential with known good images of valid credentials. The comparison module may also compare authentication information such as a photo of the individual, a name, or a badge number, with known good authentication information. Based on the comparison module's determination, the response module notifies the security official that the unverified credential is either valid or invalid. A system for visual credential verification may be implemented with a server in communication with a security official's electronic device, such as a cell phone.
US08406477B2
A method includes receiving into a computer processor a building control subsystem design drawing, and identifying a plurality of objects in the building control subsystem design drawing by comparing the objects to a template of objects. The template of objects includes one or more of a representation of a shape, a color, and a texture. A physical relationship among the plurality of objects is determined, and a three dimensional representation of the plurality of objects is retrieved from a three dimensional device library. A three dimensional building control subsystem graphic is generated by mapping the three dimensional representation of the plurality of objects into a three dimensional user interface as a function of the physical relationship. The three dimensional user interface is animated and interactive to monitor and control a building subsystem.
US08406472B2
A method for processing image data representing a segmentation mask, comprises generating two-dimensional shape representations of a three-dimensional object on the basis of a plurality of parameter sets; and matching motion blocks of the segmentation mask with the two-dimensional shape representations to obtain a best fit parameter set. Thereby, for example, a distance between the three-dimensional object and a camera position may be determined.
US08406469B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for progressive band selection for hyperspectral images. A system having module configured to control a processor to practice the method calculates a virtual dimensionality of a hyperspectral image having multiple bands to determine a quantity Q of how many bands are needed for a threshold level of information, ranks each band based on a statistical measure, selects Q bands from the multiple bands to generate a subset of bands based on the virtual dimensionality, and generates a reduced image based on the subset of bands. This approach can create reduced datasets of full hyperspectral images tailored for individual applications. The system uses a metric specific to a target application to rank the image bands, and then selects the most useful bands. The number of bands selected can be specified manually or calculated from the hyperspectral image's virtual dimensionality.
US08406468B2
A method for adjusting a position of a lens of an image capturing device obtains a plurality of images of a monitored scene by the lens, detects a motion area in the monitored scene, and detects if a human face is in the motion area. The method further moves the lens according to movement data of the human face if the human face is detected, or moves the lens according to movement data of the motion area if the human face is not detected.
US08406460B2
A method for producing an image template having one or more openings for displaying images. The openings as well as the images are each associated with a season. The images are automatically analyzed to determine which season they most likely depict. Images are then selected to be placed in a template opening designated for a particular season. This method can be used to automate calendar production.
US08406451B2
There is provided a capacitive electro-acoustic transducer comprising an active diaphragm (20) and a first and a second diaphragm carrier (60). The active diaphragm (20) is accommodated between the first and second diaphragm carriers (60). The first and second diaphragm carriers (60) each have a respective flat electrode (30). The diaphragm carrier and the electrode are connected together in such a way that the diaphragm carrier projects beyond the electrode by a predetermined amount.
US08406450B2
A thermoacoustic device includes at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode, a thermoacoustic element, a base and a plurality of fins. The at least one second electrode is spaced from the at least one first electrode. The thermoacoustic element is electrically connected with the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode. The base supports the thermoacoustic element and the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode. The fins are in thermal engagement with the base.
US08406443B2
The invention relates to a bone anchored bone conductive hearing aid which has a bone implantable screw (3) with an implant axis (25) intended to be generally perpendicular to a bone surface at an implant point and a skin penetrating abutment (5) which is connected to the implantable screw (3) through a contact surface (16) at a contra-lateral end thereof where the abutment (5) at a lateral end thereof has a coupling surface (15) whereto a hearing aid is detachably coupled along a hearing aid coupling axis (20) the implant axis (25) and the hearing aid coupling axis (20) are arranged at an angle α with respect to each other.
US08406432B2
An apparatus and a method for automatically controlling a gain using phase information are provided. The apparatus includes a frequency conversion unit converting each of input signals received from a plurality of acoustic input apparatuses to frequency input signals, a factor determination unit determining a scaling factor according to a gain difference between the input signals based on a phase difference of the frequency input signals, and a scaling performance unit performing scaling for gain compensation between the input signals based on the scaling factor.
US08406427B2
A communication network includes a local area network (LAN) and a wireless access point coupled to the LAN. In one embodiment, each access point includes a medium access control (MAC) stage, and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver for communicating unsecure message data via RF links with users of associated wireless devices. An optical transmitter/receiver in the access point enables the users to communicate secure message data over the LAN via free space optical (FSO) links with the users. The MAC stage operates (i) to direct unsecure data from the LAN to the wireless device users and to direct unsecure data from the users to the LAN, via the RF transmitter/receiver; and (ii) to direct secure data from the LAN to the wireless device users and to direct secure data from the users to the LAN, via the optical transmitter/receiver. An integrated VoIP/FSO portable handset is also disclosed.
US08406426B2
A set top box is provided that includes a receiver/tuner for receiving programming content over a broadband communications network, an encrypter/decrypter for encrypting and decrypting the programming content, and a secure memory configured to store at least a first cryptography key to be used by the encrypter/decrypter to encrypt and decrypt the programming content. The set top box also includes a digital storage medium for storing encrypted programming content, a multimedia processor operationally associated with the receiver/tuner, the decrypter, and the digital storage medium, and a user interface operationally associated with the multimedia processor. The multimedia processor is configured to: encrypt decoded programming content using the first cryptography key stored in the secure memory and uniquely associated with the set top box; store the encrypted content on the digital storage medium; encrypt the first cryptography key using a second cryptography key to form an encrypted first cryptography key; and store the encrypted first cryptography key on the digital storage medium.
US08406425B2
An approach is provided for minimizing co-channel interference in a communication system is disclosed. A header of a first frame is scrambled based on a first unique word. A header of a second frame is scrambled based on a second unique word. The first frame including the corresponding scrambled header and the second frame including the corresponding scrambled header are transmitted, respectively, over adjacent co-channels of the communication system. Each of the frames further includes a payload and a pilot block. The payload and the pilot block of the first frame are scrambled based on a first scrambling sequence. The payload and the pilot block of the second frame are scrambled based on a second scrambling sequence. The above arrangement is particularly suited to a digital satellite broadcast and interactive system.
US08406423B2
A system and methods are provided for transmitting an encrypted data word of two or more bits. This involves identifying a random key word comprising two or more bits for encrypting the data word and identifying a set of unique orthogonal codes. This also involves selecting a code from the set of unique orthogonal codes that corresponds to a result of an exclusive-or (XOR) operation between the two or more bits of the data word and the random key word. This also involves encoding a signal with the code and transmitting the encoded signal as encrypted data.
US08406419B2
The present invention relates to a slide hinge apparatus and comprises a base frame wherein a space part is formed; a first slider that forms a space part to overlap with said space part of the base frame, and is furnished at the top of said base frame; a second slider that slides following said first slider; a hinge module that connects said first slider with the second slider so that these support each other elastically; a blocking plate furnished between said base frame and the first slider to move following a guide part and block the space part; and a first arm and a second arm that connect said hinge module with the block plate to rotate according to the motion of the hinge module and cause said block plate to slide. According to the present invention, both the slider and the block plate are effectively caused to slide simultaneously using the hinge module and a plurality of arms, thereby closing off the bottom of a liquid crystal screen (FPC) that is opened during sliding.
US08406403B2
A participant may join a conference call whenever a person specific attribute is read by an interrogator and verified as being authorized to participate in the call. The interrogator may be integrated into a telephone and manually activated or periodically activated. The attribute is an RFID tag, bar code, fingerprint, etc. Conference calls may be joined and rejoined when moving from room to room. Further, real-time participant lists may be accessed during the call and archived.
US08406399B2
A system is disclosed for enabling communication between server resources and a wide spectrum of end-terminals to enable users access to the resources of both converged and non-converged networks via voice and/or electronically generated commands. An electronic personal assistant (ePA) incorporates generalizing/abstracting communications channels, data and resources provided through a converged computer/telephony system interface such that the data and resources are readily accessed by a variety of interface formats including a voice interface or data interface. A set of applications provide dual interfaces for rendering services and data based upon the manner in which a user accesses the data. An electronic personal assistant in accordance with an embodiment of the invention provides voice/data access to web pages, email, file shares, etc.
US08406396B2
A communication system shares terminal identification information (TII) used for identifying a terminal that sends a spam phone call, with another communication system belonging to another network provider, and includes: a storage section that stores the TII of a terminal that sends a spam phone call; a transmission section that transmits the TII stored in the storage section to the other communication system; a reception section that receives the TII used for identifying the terminal that sends the spam phone call; a registration section that registers the TII received by the reception section in the storage section; and a spam phone call determination section that determines whether there is a match between terminal information indicating information of an outgoing call terminal that sends a connection request, and the TII stored in the storage section, thereby determining whether the outgoing call terminal sends a spam phone call.
US08406390B1
Methods and products are described for facilitating a method of controlling participation in a teleconference call. One embodiment of the method includes connection to a teleconference call so that a user of a communications device is capable of participating in the call. Any real-time inbound audio and real-time outbound audio is recorded and stored. At some point during the call, a pause command is received that indicates a desire to suspend real-time participation in the teleconference call and that starts a pause process. One embodiment of the pause process includes continuing to record the real-time inbound audio but preventing it from being presented via the communications device until a resume request is received, preventing the real-time outbound audio from being sent to other call participants until a resume request is received, and enabling a resume option that allows the user to re-engage in real-time participation in the teleconference call.
US08406387B2
An apparatus and method for the remote request of information stored in telecommunication devices. In operation, an initialization message is transmitted to a telecommunication device, which initiates the remote request of stored information. The initialization message can also be used to notify the telecommunication device of an authorization code authorizing the remote inquiry and dial-in information for providing a transmission address of the requested information. After verifying the authenticating code and evaluating the dial-in information, a telecommunication connection is established to another telecommunication device corresponding to the dial-in information. The stored information is then transmitted to a requester via the telecommunication connection.
US08406386B2
A system may include servers. The servers may include memories including a first database to store voicemail message information associated with a voicemail mailbox and a user device, and a second database to associate a plurality of user devices with a voice-to-text transcription service; and a receiver to receive a new voicemail message associated with the voicemail mailbox. The servers may also include a processor to query to the second database to determine whether to request a voice-to-text transcription of an audio file associated with the new voicemail message and to determine whether to notify the user device of the new voicemail message before or after receiving the voice-to-text transcription of the audio file. The servers may also include a transmitter to send a notification of the new voicemail message to the user device according to the determination of whether to notify the user device of the new voicemail message before or after receiving the voice-to-text transcription of the audio file.
US08406385B2
One embodiment of a method for translating a message can be broadly summarized by the following steps: generating an electronic message in an understood language of an originating party; receiving instructions to translate contents of the electronic message to another language; converting the electronic message to the another language in accordance with the instructions; and delivering the converted electronic message to the receiving party. Other methods and devices are also provided.
US08406380B2
The invention provides a test phone whereby the test phone comprises means to communicate to a server, means to generate SIP signaling towards the server, whereby the test phone by means for SIP signaling may request the server to set-up a test call using specific resources for routing said test call.
US08406378B2
This invention relates to the use of thick target materials 50 microns and thicker for an x-ray transmission tube; to possible target material compositions including various elements and their alloys, eutectic alloys, compounds, or intermetallic compounds; and applications for utilizing such thick target transmission x-ray tubes. The target comprises at lease one portion of the target with a thickness of 50 microns or greater. The target can be optionally attached to a substrate end-window essentially transparent to x-rays or be thick enough so that no such substrate is required. Applications include producing a high percentage of monochromatic line mission x-rays of said thick target for use in reduced dose medical imaging and other non-destructive testing applications.
US08406376B2
An air grid is constructed such that absorbing foil strips, which absorb scattered X-rays, are arranged in a direction parallel to the direction of rows of detecting elements, and that spacing between adjacent shadows among shadows of the absorbing foil strips formed on a flat panel X-ray detector (FPD) as a result of the absorbing foil strips absorbing X-rays is larger than spacing between pixels forming an X-ray image. An image data acquiring unit, a transmittance smoothing unit, a grid data acquiring unit, a shadowless pixel calculating unit, a shadow total quantity calculating unit, a transmittance correcting unit and an X-ray image acquiring unit are provided to remove the shadows with high accuracy by using corrected image data (X-ray transmittances) which constitutes a profile of shadows occurring at an actual time of X-ray imaging of a subject.
US08406364B2
In the following B cycles, the second frequency-divided signal fA is maintained at a low level, while the third frequency-divided signal fB is maintained at a high level. The three-modulus prescaler 13 has a frequency division value (M−1) if the pseudo random values are negative values, and a frequency division value (M+1) if the pseudo random values are positive values, in accordance with the signs of the pseudo random values outputted from the ΣΔ modulator 8. After that, the frequency division value becomes M. A frequency division value of (MN+A+Bx) including the pseudo random value Bx is obtained in the comparison frequency divider 4. A fractional frequency division operation can be realized through ΣΔ modulation by using the pseudo random numbers including negative values, as they are.
US08406361B2
A data communication system has a transmitter with a first clock-generation circuit, and a receiver with a second clock generation circuit. At least a specific one of the clock-generation circuits is powered-down between consecutive data bursts. The system expedites the starting up of operational use of the system upon a power-down of the specific clock-generation circuit. The system presets at a predetermined value an operational quantity of the specific clock-generation circuit at the starting up.
US08406359B2
Techniques for filtering noisy estimates to reduce estimation errors are described. A sequence of input values (e.g., for an initial channel impulse response estimate (CIRE)) is filtered with an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter having at least one coefficient to obtain a sequence of output values (e.g., for a filtered CIRE). The coefficient(s) are updated based on the sequence of input values with an adaptive filter, a bank of prediction filters, or a normalized variation technique. To update the coefficient(s) with the adaptive filter, a sequence of predicted values is derived based on the sequence of input values. Prediction errors between the sequence of predicted values and the sequence of input values are determined and filtered to obtain filtered prediction errors. The coefficient(s) of the IIR filter are then updated based on the prediction errors and the filtered prediction errors.
US08406357B2
A filter circuit including first and second real filters of a zero-IF scheme. The first and second real filters receive an I component and a Q component separated from a reception signal, respectively; and a switch section for producing a complex filter by switchably connecting the first and second real filters through interconnection elements. The switch section further receiving a switching signal for connecting the first and second real filters, thereby switching from the zero-IF scheme to a low-IF scheme.
US08406356B2
Embodiments of the invention comprise a continuous-time equalizer for reducing ISI in data received from a communication channel, and methods and circuitry for tuning or calibrating that equalizer. Selected coefficients for a transfer function of the equalizer circuit are fixed, while other coefficients are tuned by an adaptive algorithm. The adaptive algorithm minimizes errors associated with the tunable coefficients based on one or more training signals sent by the transmitter and received by the equalizer circuit at the receiver. The training signals allow for a variety of error terms to be calculated, from which the tunable coefficients are updated so as to iteratively minimize the error terms and simultaneously tune the equalizer to more accurately compensate for the degrading effects of the channel.
US08406352B2
A communications system includes RF hardware (104) configured for receiving an input data signal includes a modulated carrier encoded with information symbols and modulated using a sequence of discrete time chaotic samples. The system also includes a chaotic sequence generator (340) configured for generating the sequence of discrete-time chaotic samples and a correlator (328). The correlator is configured for synchronizing the input data signal with the sequence of discrete-time chaotic samples and obtaining normalization factor values for each of the information symbols based on comparing a received symbol energy for the information symbols and a symbol energy of the discrete-time chaotic samples associated with the duration of transmission of the information symbols.
US08406346B2
A code error detecting device that can more precisely detect a code error due to a delayed wave is disclosed. The code error detecting device includes a receiving antenna (121) for receiving a on-off keying modulated pulse and its code-reversed pulse, a pulse detector (124) for outputting detected data in accordance with the pulses, a code comparing unit (128) for comparing each code of first received data (R1) with one of second received data (R2), wherein the first and second received data are derived from the output detected data, and an error detecting unit (129) for detecting an error of each code from a comparison result (D2) indicative of a result compared in the code comparing unit (128).
US08406339B2
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.
US08406335B2
The present disclosure includes techniques to process signals in a communication system, in which multiple signal processing units process signals received from multiple antennae. The signal processor units are controlled by operational-mode control signals, which are generated using an estimated Carrier-to-Interference-Noise-Ratio (CINR). The estimated CINR is generated using an equalized and combined signal, which is generated from the received signals and the estimated channel responses using the processed signals according to an operational mode. In another embodiment, a controller generates sub-carrier allocation signals using an allocation base. A channel status information (CSI) and multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) controller generates sub-carrier CSI signals and operational-mode control signals using the sub-carrier allocation signals, estimated channel responses, and estimated CINR. The operational-mode control signals select one of multiple antenna paths. A transmitter-diversity processor generates transmitter-diversity signals as a function of at least a mapped signal, sub-carrier CSI signals, and operational mode control signals.
US08406333B2
A signal transmission method in a multiple antenna system is described. The signal transmission method includes, upon receiving channel state information from a receiving end, estimating a channel according to the channel state information, determining a precoding matrix according to the estimated channel and modifying the signal of the transmitting end using the precoding matrix in a process of mapping a symbol of the signal to a subcarrier, and transmitting the signal to the receiving end. According to the present invention, pre-equalization of a transmission signal can cause a receiving end to perform coherent combination, reduce pilot density by decreasing unnecessary pilots, and reduce interference within a cell or between cells.
