US08491844B2
The invention relates to a method for removing nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx with x>1) from a gas stream, implementing a device including a catalytic bed for converting a portion at least a part of the NO into NOx with x>1, and a unit for reducing the NOx with x>1, and in which the gas stream is placed into contact with the catalytic bed before entering the unit for reducing the NOx with x>1.
US08491831B2
A method for forming a concrete wall structure is provided. The method includes providing a frame having a plurality of spaced-apart wall studs interconnecting opposing frame members within a casting bed. A plurality of blocks are positioned proximal the frame within the interior area of the casting bed. Concrete is poured and finished within the casting bed.
US08491830B2
A print-forming method is disclosed which provides a method to engineer and design boundaries between the materials used in devices. The boundary includes primarily a first material on one side and primarily a second material on the other side. At least some of the second material is located on the first material side of the boundary and at least some of the first material is located on the second material side of the boundary in a precise pattern that achieve the objectives of the design. This approach is then extended to 3-dimensional shapes with any number of materials. Material properties that differ from each other thus do not exhibit an abrupt transition within the overall structure, but rather are accommodated within the boundary region. Various different exemplary boundary region configurations are disclosed, as well as techniques for optimizing this print-forming manufacturing within boundary regions.
US08491818B2
An economic, direct synthetic method for producing water soluble ZnS QDs that are ready for bioconjugation is provided. The method can produce aqueous ZnS QDs with emission wavelengths varying from 400 nm to 700 nm. Highly luminescent metal sulfide (MS) QDs are produced via an aqueous synthesis route. MS QDs are capped with thiol-containing charged molecules in a single step. The resultant MS QDs exhibit the distinctive excitonic photoluminescence desired of QDs and can be fabricated to avoid undesirable broadband emissions at higher wavelengths. The aqueous ZnS QDs are stable in biological fluids over a long period of time. In addition, non-toxic ZnS QDs have been produced with good photoluminescence properties.
US08491817B2
A luminescent material which is featured in that it exhibits an emission peak at a wavelength ranging from 490 to 580 nm as it is excited by light having a wavelength ranging from 250 to 500 nm and that it has a composition represented by the following general formula (2): (M1-xRx)a2AlSib2Oc2Nd2 (2) (In the general formula (2), M is at least one metallic element excluding Si and Al, R is a luminescence center element, and x, a2, b2, c2 and d2 satisfy the following relationships: 0
US08491812B2
Compositions for cleaning, sanitizing and maintaining contained bodies of water such as swimming pools, wading pools, fountains, ornamental ponds, etc. The compositions include pre-determined percentages of hydrates of copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, and aluminum sulfate by weight. The composition uses hydrates of copper, zinc and aluminum sulfates instead of the anhydrous metal salts. The hydrate forms can be mined, transported, processed, mixed and packaged without climate controlled conditions necessary for anhydrous metal salts. Hydrates in the composition can gain additional water molecules or lose attached water molecules during manufacture, processing, transportation or use of the composition, without negatively affecting the physical format of the composition or reducing its effectiveness. The compositions reduce amounts of chlorine and an amount of labor associated with the cleaning, sanitization and maintenance of contained bodies of water.
US08491800B1
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for designing and manufacturing hard masks used in the creation of patterned magnetic media and, more particularly, patterned magnetic recording media used in hard disk drives (e.g., bit patterned media (BPM)). In some embodiments, the hard mask incorporates at least one layer of Ta (tantalum) and at least one layer of C (carbon) and is used during ion implantation of a pattern onto magnetic media. The hard mask can be fabricated with a high aspect ratio to achieve small feature sizes while maintaining its effectiveness as a mask, is robust enough to withstand the ion implantation process, and can be removed after the ion implantation process with minimal damage to the magnetic media.
US08491798B2
Processes for selectively eliminating hydrogen sulfide from liquid ammonia, either anhydrous or aqueous, are described herein. The processes generally include contacting a first liquid stream, anhydrous or aqueous, comprising ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, with a solution comprising sulfur dioxide to convert the hydrogen sulfide to thiosulfate.
US08491795B2
An apparatus and methods for converting seawater to drinking water at room temperature include using the processes of osmosis, vacuum stripping, nanofiltration, ion exchange, and breakpoint chlorination, to provide a low-cost alternative to prior seawater conversion methods.
US08491780B2
A biocomponent feedstock can be hydroprocessed using an FCC off-gas as a hydrogen source. A relatively low cost catalyst, such as a water gas shift catalyst and/or spent hydrotreating catalyst, can be used as a hydrogenation catalyst for the process. The hydroprocessing can allow for olefin saturation and/or deoxygenation of the biocomponent feed by using a relatively low value refinery stream.
US08491769B2
A technique for embedding a nanotube in a nanopore is provided. A membrane separates a reservoir into a first reservoir part and a second reservoir part, and the nanopore is formed through the membrane for connecting the first and second reservoir parts. An ionic fluid fills the nanopore, the first reservoir part, and the second reservoir part. A first electrode is dipped in the first reservoir part, and a second electrode is dipped in the second reservoir part. Driving the nanotube into the nanopore causes an inner surface of the nanopore to form a covalent bond to an outer surface of the nanotube via an organic coating so that the inner surface of the nanotube will be the new nanopore with a super smooth surface for studying bio-molecules while they translocate through the nanotube.
US08491761B2
A portable device includes a substrate, a number of electronic components, and a battery having an anode and a cathode for energizing at least some of the components. The application further relates to a method of protection a portable device against corrosion and to the use of a portable device. An object of the present application is to protect selected metallic parts of a bodyworn electronic device against corrosion in a flexible and controlled manner. The problem is solved in that the portable device includes a sacrificial anode in the form of a component adapted to be surface mounted on the substrate. This has the advantage that corrosion can be contained at a specific location. The device may e.g. be used for portable listening devices, e.g. hearing aids or headsets or earphones including a part adapted for being worn at or in an ear of a user.
US08491760B2
A coated article that can be used in applications such as insulating glass (IG) units, so that resulting IG units can achieve high visible transmission of at least 70% (e.g., when using clear glass substrates from 1.0 to 3.5 mm thick), combined with at least one of: (a) SHGC no greater than about 0.45, more preferably no greater than about 0.40; (b) SC no greater than about 0.49, more preferably no greater than about 0.46; (c) chemical and/or mechanical durability; (d) neutral transmissive color such that transmissive a* is from −5.0 to 0 (more preferably from −3.5 to −1.5), and transmissive b* is from −2.0 to 4.0 (more preferably from 1.0 to 3.0); and (e) neutral reflective color from the exterior of the IG unit (i.e., Rg/Rout) such that reflective a* is from −3.0 to 2.0 (more preferably from −2.0 to 0.5), and reflective b* is from −5.0 to 1.0 (more preferably from −4.0 to −1.0). In certain example non-limiting embodiments, coated articles herein comprise: substrate/TiOx/ZnOx/Ag/NiCrOx/SnOx/ZnOx/Ag/NiCrOx/SnOx/SixNy.
US08491758B2
A process for inhibiting polymerization of (meth)acrylic acid and/or (meth)acrylic esters by introducing an oxygenous gas into the (meth)acrylic acid and/or the (meth)acrylic ester, in which the (meth)acrylic acid and/or the (meth)acrylic ester has a degree of purity of at least 95% and is in the liquid state.
US08491755B2
The use of filler for the manufacture of paper and board products the air permeability of which does not substantially change as a function of the amount of filler, the filler being at least in part made up of cellulose or lignocellulose fibrils on which there have been deposited light-scattering material particles the proportion of which is 67-85%, preferably approx. 70-82%, of the weight of the filler.
US08491752B2
A substrate mounting table includes a plate shaped member provided with a mounting surface for mounting a substrate thereon, a plurality of gas injection openings opened on the mounting surface to supply a gas toward the mounting surface, and a gas supply channel for supplying the gas through the gas injection openings; and a thermally sprayed ceramic layer covering the mounting surface. At least inner wall portions of the gas supply channel are formed in curved surface shapes, the inner wall portions facing the gas injection openings.
US08491743B2
A stabilizing mechanism for resisting relative movement of upper and lower laminates of a composite structure having a core comprises a lower grip strip and at least one upper grip strip. The lower grip strip may be mounted to a tool upon which the composite structure may be processed. The lower grip strip may include an outer surface having at least one engagement feature for engaging at least one of the upper and lower laminates which make up the composite structure. The upper grip strip may have opposing outer surfaces which may include at least one engagement feature for engaging the lower strip and at least one of the upper and lower laminates.
US08491735B2
The present invention relates to a steel sheet for Vitreous enameling excellent in enameling properties (bubbling and black spot resistance, enamel adhesiveness and fish scale resistance) and workability, and a method for producing the same, and is characterized in that the steel sheet contains, in mass of, C: 0.010% or less, Mn: 0.03 to 1.3%, Si: 0.03% or less, Al: 0.02% or less, N: 0.0055% or less, P: below 0.035%, and S: over 0.025% to 0.08%; and the density change of the steel sheet from before an annealing to after an annealing at 850° C. for 20 hours, in a hydrogen atmosphere is 0.02% or more.
US08491733B2
An aluminum alloy of the AlZnMg type, which is suitable for producing low-stress, high-strength aluminum input materials, and to a method for producing such aluminum input materials.
US08491732B2
A hot-rolled steel bar or wire rod consisting of C: 0.1 to 0.3%, Si: 0.05 to 1.5%, Mn: 0.4 to 2.0%, S: 0.003 to 0.05%, Cr: 0.5 to 3.0%, Al: 0.02 to 0.05%, and N: 0.010 to 0.025%, the balance being Fe and impurities, and the impurities containing P: 0.025% or less, Ti: 0.003% or less, and O: 0.002% or less, wherein the structure thereof is composed of a ferrite-pearlite structure, ferrite-pearlite-bainite structure, or ferrite-bainite structure; the standard deviation of ferrite fractions at the time when randomly selected 15 viewing fields of a transverse cross section are observed and measured with the area per one viewing field being 62,500 μm2 is 0.10 or less; and in a region from the surface to one-fifth of the radius and a region from the center to one-fifth of the radius in the transverse cross section, the amount of Al precipitating as AlN is 0.005% or less, and the density in terms of the number of AlN having a diameter of 100 nm or larger is 5/100 μm2 or less. In the hot-rolled steel bar or wire rod, even if hot forging is performed in various temperature ranges, austenite grains can be stably prevented from being coarsened at the time of heating for carburization.
US08491724B2
A method is provided enabling a dishwasher to be operated with variable wash programs, wherein the filter systems of the dishwasher do not become overloaded with protruding wash residues in the rinsing fluid. The method makes it possible to vary the pressure used to convey the rinsing fluid from the circulating pump to the at least one spray device. The advantage thereof is that protruding wash residues in the rinsing liquid can be reduced or flattened in order to prevent the filter systems in the dishwasher from becoming overloaded so that the cleaning effects of the filter system can remain functional.
US08491721B2
A sealed storage vessel containing volatile organic vapor over a bottom sludge layer is cleaned by (a) determining the level of free oil in the vessel and then using (b) either a two-stage or one-stage treatment regime, adding a cleaning agent thereto. If the free oil is greater than 2 volume percent the two-stage regime is used where an oil release agent is initially mixed with the sludge to separate the oil from solids in the sludge. The separated oil floats on the surface of water and is removed without substantially exposing the vessel's interior to the atmosphere, leaving within the vessel a mixture of water, solids, and trace amounts of hydrocarbons. Next, a predetermined amount of an emulsifying agent is added to substantially emulsify the trace hydrocarbons, so the level of volatile organic compounds remaining in the interior of the vessel is no greater than 5,000 ppmv, measured as methane, at least one hour after adding the emulsifying agent. If the free oil is less than 2 volume percent, the one-stage treatment regime is employed by only adding the emulsifying agent to achieve this same level of volatile organic compounds.
US08491720B2
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to an HVPE chamber. The chamber may have two separate precursor sources coupled thereto to permit two separate layers to be deposited. For example, a gallium source and a separate aluminum source may be coupled to the processing chamber to permit gallium nitride and aluminum nitride to be separately deposited onto a substrate in the same processing chamber. The nitrogen may be introduced to the processing chamber at a separate location from the gallium and the aluminum and at a lower temperature. The different temperatures causes the gases to mix together, react and deposit on the substrate with little or no deposition on the chamber walls.
US08491718B2
A method is disclosed for making semiconductor films from a eutectic alloy comprising a metal and a semiconductor. Through heterogeneous nucleation said film is deposited at a deposition temperature on relatively inexpensive buffered substrates, such as glass. Specifically said film is vapor deposited at a fixed temperature in said deposition temperature where said deposition temperature is above a eutectic temperature of said eutectic alloy and below a temperature at which the substrate softens. Such films could have widespread application in photovoltaic and display technologies.
US08491707B2
A fluid storage tank including an entrained air removal mechanism is provided. The entrained air removal mechanism assists in consolidating small air bubbles entrained within the fluid into larger bubbles such that the air bubbles have sufficient buoyancy to escape the fluid flow. The entrained air removal mechanism may be in the form of a plurality of saw toothed slots communicating different chambers within the fluid storage tank. The fluid storage tank can also be configured to direct fluid flow towards the sidewalls of the fluid storage tank as the fluid transitions from one chamber to another to promote heat transfer out of the fluid storage tank and to avoid the fluid within the tank acting as a thermal insulator.
US08491706B2
An apparatus for recovery of solids from a vapor, the apparatus including: a vessel comprising a cylindrical portion on top of an angled portion; a vapor inlet located in the cylindrical portion for introducing a solid-vapor mixture tangentially to the cylindrical portion; at least one inlet nozzle disposed in a top of the vessel for spraying a hydrocarbon fluid into the vessel; an indirect heat exchange device disposed concentrically within the cylindrical portion, thereby providing an annulus for vapor and hydrocarbon flow; a heat exchange device disposed at an exterior of the angled portion; an outlet located at a bottom of the angled portion to recover the vapor having a reduced solids content and a solid-hydrocarbon mixture. Also disclosed are processes to clean an oil vapor using such an apparatus.
US08491702B2
A system for controlling moisture content in ambient airflow in a substantially enclosed structure having components. The system includes at least one humidity control apparatus and a plurality of sensors for detecting moisture content in airflow in a plurality of locations of the substantially enclosed structure. The plurality of sensors are located remotely from the at least one humidity control apparatus and are situated in relatively close proximity to the components that the at least one humidity control apparatus is configured to affect. The system also includes a controller configured to receive moisture content levels detected by one or more of the plurality of sensors and to control the at least one humidity control apparatus based upon the detected moisture content levels to vary the moisture content in the ambient airflow around the plurality of locations.
US08491697B2
[Problem]To provide a method for producing an electrocatalyst having no compositional scatter, wherein nano-level alloy catalyst molecules with an ordered particle size are supported in a highly dispersed state. [Means of Solution]The method includes the steps of preparing a reverse micelle solution by mixing two or more catalyst precursors selected from among metal salts and/or metal complexes, a solvent having hydrophilic groups and a non-aqueous solvent, forming alloy particles in the reverse micelle by adding a non-aqueous solution having a reducing action to the reverse micelle and heating, and supporting the alloy particles on a carrier.
US08491678B1
A system and method of recovering some of the latent heat of vaporization in a system having a heated environment that adds heat to liquid material and converts the liquid material into gaseous material. The latent heat of vaporization is partially recovered using a unique heat exchanger. The heat exchanger preheats the liquid material entering the heated environment with heat energy from the gaseous material exiting the heated environment. The heat exchanger has a gas flow path. A volume of a gas medium fills the gas flow path. A pump causes the gas medium to flow through the gas flow path at a predetermined mass flow rate. The gas medium and its flow rate are selected to ensure that the specific heat of the gas medium surpasses that of the gaseous material exiting the heated environment.
US08491667B2
A modular prosthesis system that can be inexpensively manufactured using modern technology and advanced polymer materials. The modular prosthesis system will be immediately fit on the residual limb and aligned for optimal gait without specialized tools or labs, alleviating the many steps involved with conventional labor-intensive and costly prosthesis construction. The modular prosthesis system also accommodates the changing in size and shape of the limb, eliminating the need for multiple prostheses and adjustments to an existing prosthesis during the lifetime of an amputee.
US08491651B2
The present invention is directed to an intraocular lens, an intraocular lens system and a method of producing and/or implanting the lens or system in an eye wherein at least one intraocular lens includes a coating that aids in resisting interlenticular opacification (ILO). The material of the coating is preferably hydrophilic or super-hydrophobic.
US08491642B2
Disclosed is a spinal transconnector device for coupling longitudinal spinal rods on either side of the mid-sagittal plane. The device includes two interconnected rod engagement elements, a first rod engagement elements having a vaulted surface adapted to secure to a first longitudinal spinal rod via an interference fit comprising compression of the first longitudinal spinal rod against the generally vaulted surface; and an interference pin that advances into a bore of the first rod engagement element forming an interference fit between the interference pin and the rod engagement element. The interference fit can be associated with elastic deformation of the first rod engagement element occurring as a consequence of the interference pin being advanced through the bore in the engagement element and contacting a surface of the first longitudinal spinal rod.
US08491641B2
The present invention may include a pedicle screw with a multifunctional adaptor, a strain reliever, and a dual-surface cap. The multifunctional adaptor may include a convex pivot ring for improving multi-axial movement and locking stability, an integrated locking mechanism for improving maneuverability, and an integrated compression member for improving the assembly process. The strain reliever may be formed along a neck of the pedicle screw for relieving mechanical stress asserted thereto, and thereby preventing a breakage thereof. The dual-surface cap may provide a slightly sloped surface for reducing the tension of the stabilizing rod. The present invention may also provide for a dynamic adaptor for flexibly connecting two stabilizing rods, which may be versatilely adapted to various pedicle screw configurations.
US08491637B2
A rod-shaped implant element is provided for connecting at least two bone anchoring elements. Each bone anchoring element includes an anchoring section to be anchored in the bone and a receiver member to be connected to the rod-shaped implant element. The rod-shaped implant element includes, a longitudinal axis, at least one first length of a rigid section that is configured to cooperate with and be received in the receiver member, a second length of a flexible section adjacent to the rigid section, a bore coaxial to the longitudinal axis and extending through the rigid section and the flexible section, and a core accommodated in the bore, the core having two opposite ends. At least one end of the core is freely movable in the bore when said flexible section is extended or compressed in a direction of the longitudinal axis.
US08491632B2
An anchor assembly for retaining a graft in an anatomy. The anchor assembly includes an anchor body, a flexible connector, and a graft holding member. The anchor body includes a first connector bore defined by the anchor body. The flexible connector extends through the first connector bore. The graft holding member is attached to the flexible connector and is configured to hold the graft.
US08491629B2
A surgical delivery instrument for delivering a vascular hole closure device having first and second flexible members and a first and second engagement members extending from the respective flexible member. The delivery instrument includes a housing having first and second longitudinally extending openings and first and second projecting surfaces, the first projecting surface extending into the first opening for engagement by the first engagement member and the second projecting surface extending into the second opening for engagement by the second engagement member. The first engagement member is held by the first projecting surface until a predetermined force is applied to the first engagement member during placement of the closure device at a target site.
US08491617B2
The present disclosure relates to a forceps that includes a housing, a cutting assembly, and an actuator. The housing has a shaft attached thereto that extends therefrom and is configured to support a pair of jaw members at a distal end thereof. The jaw members are movable to grasp tissue therebetween. The cutting assembly includes a spring element that has proximal and distal ends. The proximal end of the spring element is fixed to a boss disposed within the housing and the distal end of the spring element includes a cutting edge. The spring element is coiled at a proximal end thereof to create a spring bias against the boss. The actuator is operably coupled to the spring element and is configured to selectively advance the cutting edge of the spring element into the jaw members against the spring bias to sever tissue disposed therebetween.
US08491616B2
The present invention includes a corneal marker having an adjustable element providing for orientation of the marker to the astigmatic axis of a patient's eye under examination, a handle secured to the corneal marker and a stem secured to and extending below the handle. The stem is weighted to facilitate alignment of the corneal marker to the corneal surface of the patient's eye under examination during corrective eye surgery according to the corneal light reflex from the eye in response to an illumination source.
US08491614B2
Over-the-wire self-sizing, self-centering valvulotomes sufficiently designed to cut valves through a wide range of vein diameters and adjust to the internal diameter of a vein as the valvulotome is being drawn through the vessel, and methods of use thereof during certain medical procedures that involve splitting valves, are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, an over-the-wire valvulotome includes a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, wherein a first portion of a plurality of cutting tools engage the catheter at the distal end, and wherein an actuation mechanism engages the catheter at the proximal end; a retainer for temporarily shielding a second portion of the plurality of cutting tools, wherein the second portion includes cutting blades; and a sheath slidably moveable over the plurality of cutting blades, wherein the catheter and the retainer have internal diameters configured for passing over a guidewire.
US08491604B2
A manipulator, such as for use in medical procedures, is provided. The manipulator includes a body and a first actuator system connected to the body at a first attachment point and capable of moving the first attachment point with at least three degrees of freedom. A second actuator system is connected to the body at a second attachment point and capable of moving the second attachment point with at least three degrees of freedom. A third actuator system is integrated with the body and is capable of moving at least a portion of the body with at least one degree of freedom.
US08491603B2
The present invention provides a surgical manipulator including a manipulator arm, an end-effector held by the robotic arm, surgical tools held by the end-effector and manipulator joints, particularly right-angle drive devices for transmitting rotational motion in one axis to a perpendicular axis.
US08491598B2
The present invention provides a surgical positioning assembly that is used to place a spinal implant device or the like within an intervertebral space or the like of a patient and associated surgical methods. Advantageously, the surgical positioning assembly allows access to the implantation site to be gained along a first axis, with the implant device subsequently being placed along a second axis that is disposed at an angle or substantially perpendicular to the first axis via the actuation of the surgical positioning assembly. Thus, for example, a surgeon may use an anterior or posterior approach to place an implant device laterally, or vice versa.
US08491595B2
Devices and methods are provided for positioning and forming bone tunnels. In one embodiment, a surgical drill guide apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a first guide member having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough for aiming a first guide pin along a first path to form a first bone tunnel. The apparatus can also include a second guide member having a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough for aiming a second guide pin along a second path to form a second bone tunnel. The first and second guide members can extend at an angle relative to one another and they can be offset such that axes of the guide members do not intersect.
US08491587B2
An orthopaedic instrumentation having an intermediate piece that has an opening for receiving an intramedullary reference. The intermediate piece such as a tibial template or a cutting guide is located on the resected tibia or femur in a manner that it optimally covers the resected surface of the tibia or the femur. A bushing guide is provided for mounting on the intermediate piece. The bushing guide has a circular opening. An offset bushing is rotatably mounted in the opening in the bushing guide. A trigger flange is slidably mounted on the offset bushing. The trigger flange can slide back and forth relative to the offset bushing. An indicia is formed on the upper surface of trigger flange. The indicia when aligned with one of the indicia on the offset bushing body measures the offset of center of a bore in the trigger flange from center of the offset bushing. The offset bushing can rotate around its longitudinal axis in the opening in the bushing guide. Indicia on the offset bushing may be used to measure the orientation of the center of the hole in the trigger with respect to the center of bushing body.
US08491581B2
A method for powering an electrosurgical instrument includes the steps of inserting a removable battery assembly into an electrosurgical instrument and activating the power control circuit to power the electrosurgical instrument. The removable battery assembly includes a power control circuit powered by at least one energy storage cell, a radio-frequency-signal-generation assembly communicatively coupled to the power control circuit and operable to selectively produce a radio-frequency signal, and a battery assembly/instrument interface operably coupled to the radio-frequency-signal-generation assembly. The battery assembly/instrument interface includes a first plurality of connectors removably connectable with at least one corresponding connector coupled to the electrosurgical instrument, at least one of the first plurality of connectors being operable to supply the radio-frequency signal to the electrosurgical instrument.
US08491577B2
The invention relates to a system for ophthalmic laser surgery, comprising a source (110) of pulsed laser radiation with radiation parameters matched to the making of an incision in an ocular tissue, particularly in the cornea, a scanner (160) for deflecting the laser radiation, an electronic control unit (190) which has been set up to control the scanner in accordance with a predetermined incision geometry, and a modulator unit (170) for modulating the laser pulses emitted from the source (110). The control unit (190) has furthermore been set up to control the modulator unit (170) in accordance with a beam-deflection pattern established for the incision geometry in such a manner that in predetermined parts of the beam-deflection pattern at least some of the laser pulses have a reduced pulse energy or are suppressed.
US08491569B1
A catheter and method of use for bladder intermittent catheterization that helps equalize pressure between the catheter and the bladder and prevents air from traveling back into the bladder when the catheter is removed. The catheter has a distal tip that includes a reservoir which retains some urine drained from the bladder by the catheter that blocks the passage of air. Bladder spasms and pain upon removal of the catheter are avoided.
US08491562B2
The present invention relates to a multilayer film for medical solution container and a container comprising the same, more particularly, to the multilayer film for medical solution comprising an outer layer comprising polypropylene, polypropylene copolymer or a mixture thereof; an intermediate layer comprising a mixture of 30˜70% by weight of propylene-based polymer including polypropylene, polypropylene copolymer or a mixture thereof, and 30˜70% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer; and an inner layer comprising a mixture of 50˜70% by weight of propylene-based polymer including polypropylene, polypropylene copolymer or a mixture thereof, 5˜20% by weight of polyethylene, and 10˜45% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer. The multilayer film has such improved flexibility, transparency, heat resistance, sealing property and durability, as well as easy peelability and peel strength with non-temperature sensitive that can be applied to a pouch type container for packaging and administering of medical solutions or blood.
US08491560B2
A diaper comprising a garment facing side and a wearer facing side, the diaper further comprising closure elements, at least one closure element comprising: a carrier layer (1) comprising a nonwoven or woven material, and comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a first side edge and a second side edge opposite the first side edge, and a first end edge and a second end edge opposite the first end edge, the first surface of the carrier layer (1) comprising a bonding layer (2), the bonding layer (2) not extending over the entire first surface of the carrier layer (1) and the first surface of the carrier layer (1) further comprising an anchoring layer (3) suitable for the attachment of a hook patch (5), the second surface of the carrier layer (1) comprising a separation layer (4). A closure element and a method of manufacture are further aspects of the invention.
US08491559B2
An absorbent article having a longitudinal centerline and adapted to be worn in an undergarment having a crotch portion bounded on opposite sides by portions of curved leg openings. The absorbent article comprises a main body portion, the main body portion comprising a liquid pervious body-facing surface, a liquid impervious garment facing surface, and an absorbent core positioned between the body-facing surface and the garment-facing surface. The absorbent article comprises at least one indicator marker visible from the body-facing surface, the indicator markers disposed to indicate proper alignment of the absorbent article with respect to undergarment-specific features such as the curved leg openings.
US08491553B2
An individually wrapped absorbent article 1 comprising an absorbent article 2 and a wrapping sheet 3, said absorbent article having a shape being relatively long in a longitudinal direction having a liquid-pervious top-sheet, a liquid-impervious back-sheet and a liquid-retentive absorbent core, on one hand, and said wrapping sheet 3 having a shape being also relatively long in the longitudinal direction arranged to cover the back-sheet of the absorbent article 2, on the other hand, so as to be folded back in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 2 by a predetermined fold length dimension L1, respectively, with the top-sheet inside. The wrapping sheet 3 is provided with a first display region 33 having a predetermined length dimension L3 as measured from one end of the wrapping sheet 3 in the longitudinal direction and the length dimension L3 of the first display region 33 is set to be smaller than the fold length dimension L1.
US08491552B2
An external catheter device is disclosed which prevents infection arising from bacterial and/or yeast growth within the external catheter. To achieve such result, the external catheter device is coated with an antiseptic agent that is able to effectively kill and prevent the growth of bacteria and yeast. Additionally, the external catheter device may have an adhesive agent coating on its inner surface to prevent the condom from shifting while on the patient's penis.
US08491549B2
An ophthalmic microsurgical system is described for treatment of eye diseases, such as glaucoma, using minimally invasive surgical techniques. The microsurgical system includes a thin walled outer sheath microcannula 1 slidably disposed about an inner member 4, which extends slightly beyond the distal end of the microcannula 1. The inner member 4 may be straight or curved and may optionally include a surgical instrument and/or a sensor or signaling beacon. The microsurgical system is used in a surgical procedure for opening Schlemm's Canal to provide drainage of aqueous fluid in order to relieve excess intraocular pressure that results from glaucoma and other diseases of the eye.
US08491547B2
A system for monitoring an implantable medical device. The system includes an implantable therapeutic substance delivery device for delivering a therapeutic substance, along with a temperature sensor and an indicator device. The delivery device includes a housing maintaining a reservoir for containing the therapeutic substance. Further, the delivery device includes a fill port assembly having a port chamber in fluid communication with the reservoir and including a septum fluidly sealing the chamber. The temperature sensor is associated with the fill port assembly. Finally, the indicator device is adapted to indicate presence of a needle within the port chamber based upon information from the temperature sensor.
US08491539B2
An aspiration apparatus includes handles with two members. Each of the handle members includes a proximal actuation end and an opposite distal connection end. The members of the handles are associated with one another (e.g., pivotally, etc.) in such a way that movement of the proximal actuation ends in first directions (e.g., toward one another, away from one another) causes the distal connection ends to move in opposite second directions (e.g., away from one another, toward one another). The distal connection end of the first member may configured for association with the barrel of a syringe, while the distal connection end of the second member may be configured for association with the plunger of the syringe. Association of one or both of the distal connection ends with its respective syringe element may be pivotal. Aspiration methods, including, but not limited to, methods of using such an aspiration apparatus, are also disclosed.
US08491538B2
An injection device including a drive unit, a delivery unit, a dosing unit, a trigger for triggering an injection, a first coupling mechanism between the drive unit and the delivery unit, and a second coupling mechanism between the dosing unit and the drive unit, wherein the drive unit is tensioned by a rotation of the dosing unit and when the drive unit is tensioned the first coupling mechanism is disengaged and the second coupling mechanism is engaged, and wherein when an injection is triggered first the first coupling mechanism is engaged and then the second coupling mechanism is disengaged. In some embodiments, the device may include a third coupling mechanism which only releases the delivery unit after the engagement and disengagement which follow a triggering.
US08491530B2
The invention relates to an automatic injection device (1) for a product contained in a container (50), comprising: a housing (8, 19) receiving the container (50), the container being movable between an initial position and an insertion position, triggering means (23) for initiating the movement of said container (50) from its initial position to its insertion position, said triggering means (23) being in one of a passive state, in which application of a force on said triggering means does not initiate movement of said container (50), and an active state, in which application of said force on said triggering means does initiate said movement, and a safety shield (10) movable with respect to said housing (8, 19) between a first position and a second position, movement of said safety shield (10) from its first position to its second position placing said triggering means (23) in its active state, characterized in that said device comprises: an indicator (19c, 13) that provides an indication to a user of the device (1) that the safety shield (10) has reached its second position.
US08491519B2
The present invention provides bariatric therapy systems. One system includes a gastrointestinal implant device and a delivery mechanism therefor. The device can include a sleeve for placement into a small intestine and to minimize absorption of nutrients by its walls. An anchoring mechanism coupled to a proximal end of the sleeve and designed to be secured within the stomach can be provided. A passageway extending through the anchoring mechanism and the sleeve can also be provided, along which food can be directed from the stomach to the small intestine. The delivery mechanism can include a housing for accommodating the device, and a deploying balloon situated within the housing and which can be actuated to direct the sleeve of the device from within the housing to the site of implantation. Methods for providing bariatric therapy are also provided by the present invention.
US08491518B2
A tubular medical fluid flow set comprises a pressure sensing chamber connected in flow-through relation to fluid flow tubing of the set. The pressure sensing chamber defines a movable, flexible, impermeable diaphragm dividing the chamber into two separate compartments. The fluid flow tubing communicates with one of the compartments and is isolated from the other of the compartments. A port is carried on the chamber, the port having a seal therein, and communicating with the other of the compartments. Thus, the other of the compartments is hermetically sealed until the port is opened for connection with a pressure measuring device, to keep the flexible diaphragm in a desired, initial position prior to opening of the seal.
US08491514B2
Provided is a therapeutic compression apparatus that includes a compression material. In one example, the apparatus includes a large surface area of a single sheet of compression material. The apparatus may include indicia that allow it to be trimmed to fit a patient.
US08491504B2
In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a device for monitoring sit to stand transfers is provided. The device includes an electromechanical sensor and a computer, wherein the electromechanical sensor is configured to signal sit to stand transfers to the computer and the computer is configured to determine if the sit to stand transfers deviate from a normal sit to stand transfer pattern.
US08491495B1
Many diseases with origin in human gut are of unknown causes, so only symptoms are treated. Endoscopic devices leave about 15′ of gut unexplored other than by autopsy. Thus, a substance and microbe simultaneous sample collecting, testing, evaluation, and characterization system has been invented that will provide data for evaluating functions, macro, and micro processes taking place along entire length of the human digestive and intestinal tract from mouth to anus. The entire digestive process including biochemical reactions and microbe roles, and consequences, as pertain to diseases and illnesses can be ascertained through applications of the system, which includes protocols, for collection and preservation of digestion products for external analysis, measurements of many in vivo conditions, and internally processing data and making decisions based upon said processed data, including administration of medications. The system serves clinical diagnostic, treatment and research purposes, and is a dream tool for gastroenterologists.
US08491481B2
A method of measuring the instantaneous period of a quasi-periodic signal includes determining an initial template, performing a cross-correlation between the initial template and a quasi-periodic signal and selecting portions of the signal that correspond to the peaks of the correlation signal. The selected portions are then averaged and another cross correlation is performed between the quasi-periodic signal and a template including the averaged selected portions. The instantaneous period is then measured from the correlation signal.
US08491473B2
A medical procedure mat for supporting a patient. A mat having a cushioned substrate and one or more physiological monitoring lines, the physiological monitoring lines having guided portions along the outer edge of the cushioned substrate, and flexible portions operatively coupled to the guided portions, the flexible portions being adapted to extend toward the patient. A draping system for use during medical procedures, including a top and/or bottom drape. A bottom drape including an absorbent material and/or a privacy shield. A top drape including a workbench surface. A mat and draping system in which a bottom and top drape mate to each other and/or to the mat. A draping system providing openings or holes to allow passage of one or more physiological monitoring lines when used in conjunction with the mat.
US08491468B2
A tubular body has a vent hole VA and a suction opening. The piston body is in a state in which the inside of the tubular body in an enclosed space is divided into a front chamber and a rear chamber. The piston body includes piston portion which reciprocate in a position on its front end side from the suction opening, a shaft portion which supports this piston portion on its front end side and whose external diameter is smaller than the internal diameter of the tubular body and a pressing portion provided on a rear end side of this shaft portion. A vent passage is formed in the shaft portion so as to couple a vent hole VB of this pressing portion and a vent hole VC on its front end side of the shaft portion. Further, a spring is provided to return the pressed pressing portion to its original position.
US08491453B2
The invention relates to a crumpled paper tube for use as a cushion in packing items, and to a method and apparatus for producing the same.
US08491448B2
A hemispherical grip member has an outer hemispherical surface and a grip layer and a grip member opening. A length of aircraft cable having a first cable end extends through the opening and is crimped in position onto the grip member with a cable nut. A connector is provided on an opposite cable end. A length of a soft flexible tubing surrounds the cable between the grip member and the connector. When a user grasps the hemispherical surface of the grip member, the first cable end is located inside the grasp of the user and the cable and tubing passes between two fingers of the user.
US08491445B2
The clutch control apparatus includes a first reference value setting portion for setting a first engagement amount reference value of the first and the second clutches and to obtain a target transmitting torque by calculating a target inertia torque by multiplying a target rotation speed change rate of the engine at a speed change operation by an inertia of the engine and subtracting the target inertia torque from the current output torque of the engine to be the target transmitting torque of the first and the second clutches and a second reference value setting portion for setting a second engagement amount reference value by correcting the first engagement amount reference value based on the vehicle speed and the turning radius.
US08491443B2
A lock-up clutch of a hydrodynamic torque converter remains disengaged during shifts of a downstream transmission, when the drive motor is operated in the partial load range, and remains engaged during shifts of the downstream transmission, when drive motor is operated in a full load range.
US08491428B2
A bicycle structure is provided with a crankset and a front derailleur. The crankset includes a plurality of chain rings, with a largest chain ring of the plurality of chain rings having a plurality of teeth with teeth bottoms interposed between adjacent ones of the teeth. The front derailleur includes a chain guide having a chain guide slot partially defined by a first chain engagement surface with a protruding part that protrudes outwardly from the first chain engagement surface into the chain guide slot. The protruding part is located away from the teeth bottoms of the largest chain ring in a radial outside direction of the largest chain ring by a prescribed distance in a range from eight millimeters to sixteen millimeters.
US08491423B1
A training aid for a batter, which can include a barrel, a handle, and a connection assembly, wherein the connection assembly can be configured to allow the barrel to pivot to form an angle of one hundred eighty degrees between the barrel and the handle when a batter uses proper swing mechanics. The connection assembly can be configured to allow the barrel to pivot to form an angle different than one hundred eighty degrees between the barrel and the handle when a batter swings with improper swing mechanics, such as a “flying lead elbow”, “casting”, a “wrap swing”, a “hitch”, or “barring out”.
US08491419B2
A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into first and second areas each containing a plurality of dimples, the first and second areas being of different shapes, each first area containing first dimples and each second area containing second dimples, at least some first dimples being of different types from the second dimples, and the first areas being formed of circular paths around the outer surface of the ball, the second areas being formed by the intersection of the circular paths.
US08491417B2
Golf ball 2 has spherical main body 4, mark layer 6 and paint layer 8. The main body 4 has spherical core 10, and cover 12 provided to cover this core 10. The cover 12 does not include titanium oxide. The cover 12 includes a fluorescent colorant. The main body 4 has a chroma saturation of equal to or greater than 25. The paint layer 8 is constituted with a resin composition. This resin composition includes composite particles. The composite particle has a nucleus, and a coat layer provided to coat this nucleus. The nucleus is constituted with mica, while the coat layer is constituted with titanium oxide. The amount of the composite particles is 2 parts by weight or greater and 30 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of the base resin of the paint layer 8.
US08491409B2
A grip for a golf club is provided. The grip comprises an elongated flexible sleeve that slips onto the shaft of a golf club and an elongated flexible panel of silicone material wrapped around and integrally bonded to the sleeve. The flexible panel comprises opposite first and second surfaces, opposite first and second edge portions joined together to define a longitudinal seam, and printed indicia on the panel first surface, wherein the printed indicia comprises silicone ink.
US08491404B2
A golf practice bat is provided for practicing golf swings such as driver shots, iron shots, and the like. The location and timing at a top position during a back-swing, timing at the point of impact, and location and timing of the finish in a follow-through swing, are indicated through an impact sound so that a user can practice swings while estimating the positions of a club head and the timing from a backswing to impact and through to the finish of the follow-through swing. Further, a metal weight is integrated inside the golf practice bat such that loads are not distributed to the head portion, but are concentrated on a lower portion during golf swing practice. Therefore, a fixed weight is formed such that muscular strength is increased and a swing trajectory is naturally created during a golf swing.
US08491403B2
An amusement ride system combines about six or more different ride elements from different types of amusement rides available to the public today into a single design. The amusement ride system may bring customers back time and time again for a new ride experience on the same ride design. This may allow amusement ride operators to provide varying ride experiences without requiring a completely different ride, thus saving cost and space. The amusement ride system may include a plurality of pods adapted to house riders. The pods may be adapted to move up and down, spin about a central tower, and spin and swivel about the pod's axes.
US08491396B2
Systems and methods that deliver game supplies are described. In some embodiments, a method receives a request for in-game supplies from a first player in an interactive social game. The method presents multiple supply options where each supply option has an associated processing time. A supply option selection is received from the first player that indicates selection of one of the multiple supply options. A supply fulfillment invitation is distributed to a second player of the interactive social game. An in-game benefit is provided to the second player in response to acceptance of the supply fulfillment invitation. The first player is notified upon completion of the processing time for the selected supply option, which indicates availability of the requested in-game supplies to the first player.
US08491394B2
A squad versus squad shooter video game receives input from one or more players via their respective use of controllers in communication with one or more console-based video game systems. The input from each controller is interpreted as a command to a squad in a competition against one or more other squads that are respectively commanded by one or more players via their respective use of controllers. Each squad includes a plurality of characters. Each player is assigned to one of the squads. Actions of each character in the video game are a function of commands given to that character by one of the players. Players can join or exit their assigned squad during game play.
US08491392B2
A gaming system and method including a tracking system or a player tracking system and plurality of gaming machines. The gaming machines include at least one display device and a plurality of player preferences selections. These player preference selections enable a player to choose one or more elements of the background or an entertainment setting of the gaming machine while they are playing a game at the gaming machine. The gaming machine enables the player to enter identification information at the gaming machine and choose at least one preference. The gaming machine tracks all of the preference selections made by the player. Upon meeting certain promotional criteria, the gaming machine determines a promotion to provide the player based on the preferences of that player. That is, the player does not directly select any promotions. The gaming system determines personalized promotions for the player based on the preference selections made by that player.
US08491368B2
A game device capable of enhancing excitement in operating a game character is provided. The game device includes a microprocessor configured to acquire an operation value input by a user, read a parameter condition corresponding to the operation value, read an ability parameter of a player character corresponding to the parameter condition, and control the player character based on a determination of whether the ability parameter satisfies the parameter condition.
US08491360B2
The present disclosure is directed at a chemical-mechanical planarization polishing pad comprising interconnecting elements and a polymer filler material, wherein the interconnecting elements include interconnecting junction points that are present at a density of 1 interconnecting junction point/cm3 to 1000 interconnecting junction points/cm3, and wherein the interconnecting elements have a length between interconnection junction points of 0.1 microns to 20 cm.
US08491346B2
An electrical contact assembly made from a stamped housing, having a first end with a spring groove housing formed over a canted coil spring in order to provide spring retention to a pin or post inserted into the housing. On the other end of the stamped housing, a wire/cable crimp assembly is formed. The spring, groove housing may be formed having an opening for insertion of the pin or post that is either substantially parallel or perpendicular to the base of the housing.
US08491335B2
There is provided a waterproof connector in which swing of electric wires inside a rear holder can be prevented, and insertion of the rear holder into a connector body can be easily performed with a small force. The waterproof connector includes a connector body 2 having a terminal containing room 21 in which a terminal metal fitting 9 of an electric wire 7 is contained, a waterproof plug 3 which is fitted to the electric wire 7 at a wire withdrawing side 23 of the connector body 2 and assembled to the wire withdrawing side 23 of the connector body 2, and a rear holder 5 which is mounted on the wire withdrawing side 23 of the connector body 2 thereby to prevent drop of the waterproof plug 3 from the connector body 2. The rear holder includes a pair of half bodies which are separated as a first holder body 51 and a second holder body 52, wire containing recesses 53, 54 which contain respective semi-circular portions of the electric wire are respectively formed in the first holder body 51 and the second holder body 52, and the first holder body 51 and the second holder body 52 are individually mounted on the wire withdrawing side 23 of the connector body 2 to be combined together.
US08491331B2
A telecommunications patch panel is provided having a plurality of connector modules rotatably mounted to a frame member. Each connector module has a front face and an opposite facing rear face, and each front face includes a plurality of connector jacks. Each rear face includes a plurality of wire termination blocks. The wire termination blocks are electrically connected to the connector jacks. Each connector module is rotatable about a rotation axis relative to the frame member. A lock selectively locks each connector module to the frame member as desired. The connector jacks and the connector modules are arranged in linear arrays perpendicular to the axis of rotation.
US08491329B2
An electrical outlet assembly includes: a housing having an upper casing and a bottom casing, the upper casing having a plurality of openings, the upper casing and the bottom casing being assembled with each other to form a receiving room; a switch module, having a switch, a surge arrester and a first casing, the switch being electrically connected with the surge arrester; at least one electrical outlet module, having a second casing; a cable set disposed in the receiving room, the cable set being electrically connected with the switch module and the electrical outlet module; wherein the switch module and the electrical outlet module are respectively disposed in the openings, and the switch module and the electrical outlet module are arranged on the housing.
US08491324B1
A lamp holder connector adapted for connecting with a lamp includes a first holder, a second holder, a connecting part, at least two buckling ears, a first terminal assembled in the first holder and a second terminal assembled in the second holder to electrically connect with the first terminal. Two opposite sides of the first holder defines two restraining arms. The second holder defines an accommodating chamber for receiving the connecting part therein. The connecting part defines an accommodating space for receiving the first holder therein. The two buckling ears are pivotally fastened to two sides of the connecting part. Two tops of the two buckling ears are matched with the restraining arms. Each buckling ear has at least one propping portion projecting into the accommodating space to prop up the first holder under rotating actions of the buckling ears when the lamp holder connector is disassembled.
US08491322B2
For connecting devices, an electromagnetic interference (EMI) connecting portion includes a conductor connected to a first EMI shield. An electrostatic discharge (ESD) contact portion electrically connects to a second EMI shield through a high-impedance element. The ESD contact portion electrically connects the EMI connecting portion to the second EMI shield through the high-impedance element as the ESD contact portion initially contacts the EMI connecting portion during hot docking. The ESD contact portion subsequently moves in response to the initial contact to contact a low-impedance element electrically connected to the second EMI shield and connect the EMI connecting portion to the second EMI shield through the low-impedance element.
US08491319B1
An electrical cord including a plug on a first end and at least one socket on a second end opposite the first end, a protective shutter assembly disposed within the at least one socket, the shutter assembly including a first and second shutter members positioned proximate the cover assembly and each of the first and second shutter members is at least partially aligned with separate cover openings in the cover assembly and being configured to move from a closed position to an open position in response to engaging at least one plug blade, a third shutter member positioned behind the first shutter member, a fourth shutter member positioned behind the second shutter member, and wherein the first and second shutter members pivot from the closed position to the open position and the third and fourth shutter members slide from the closed position to the open position.
US08491315B1
A micro via adapter socket (12) is provided by a printed circuit board (30) having an upper layer (32), a lower layer (40) and intermediate interconnect layers (34, 36 and 38). The lower layer (32) has an array of mini vias (60) formed therein for receiving respective ones of mini-springs (62). A top plate (42) is secured above the upper layer (32). The top plate (42) has a plurality of micro-pin recesses (54) spaced apart for registering with respective ones of the micro vias (48) and receiving micro-pins (52). A bottom plate (44) is secured beneath the lower layer (40). The bottom plate (44) has a plurality of mini-pin recesses (66) for removably receiving respective ones of the mini-pins (64). The intermediate interconnect layers (34, 36 and 38) have conductive tracks (76) which electrically connect between the micro vias (48) and the mini vias (60).
US08491313B2
A two-piece mezzanine connector for high speed, high density signals. One piece of the connector may have conductive elements with beam-shaped mating contacts. The beams may include openings to control mechanical properties while allowing edge to edge spacing between adjacent beams to be selected to provide desired electrical properties. The openings may be teardrop shaped, with a larger width at a distal end of the beams. Beams associated with signal conductors may have openings that are shaped differently from openings of beams associated with ground conductors. For a first connector piece, mating contact regions of signal conductors may be wider than mating contact regions of ground conductors. For a second connector piece adapted to mate with the first connector piece, mating contact regions of signal conductors may be narrower than mating contact regions of ground conductors. These contact shapes may provide float while maintaining a high contact density.
US08491307B2
An interventional procedure simulation system includes a control unit and an interface unit, the control unit communicating with the interface unit to simulate handling of a number of nested instruments simultaneously interfaced by said interface unit and, the instruments being arranged to move and rotated independently of each other and the movements and rotations being propagated to the other instruments. The control unit further includes an instruction set having a first instruction set for handling and processing input from the user, based on the input, generating a second instruction set for controlling the interface, a first data set that has characteristics for the instruments, a second data set that has data on a body part to be stimulated, and a third instruction set for generating control signals relating to an interaction between instruments and a surrounding geometry relating to a part of the simulated body part.
US08491302B2
A dental implant with a coarsely threaded portion suitable for nesting within the cortical bone, and a finely threaded portion suitable for nesting within the cancellous bone. A primary thread with a constant pitch and a constant major diameter, runs along both the finely threaded portion and the coarsely threaded portion, and has a large thread height in the coarsely threaded portion, and a small thread height in the finely threaded portion. At least one secondary thread, having the constant pitch and the small thread height, runs along the finely threaded portion at an offset from the primary thread.
US08491301B2
A guide block for a dental implant procedure, a guide block assembly, and a dental implant procedural technique using the guide block, which enable a dental implant procedure to be accurately performed by allowing one or more surgical holes to be quickly and accurately bored during a boring process in which the one or more surgical holes are bored in an alveolar bone in a dental implant procedure.
US08491300B2
An ultrasonic dental insert having at least one light source. A first transducer generates ultrasonic vibrations. A connecting body has a proximal end and a distal end having a tip attached thereto. The proximal end is attached to the first transducer so as to receive the ultrasonic vibrations therefrom and to transmit the ultrasonic vibrations toward the tip attached to the distal end. A second transducer is disposed substantially proximate to the connecting body for generating a voltage signal in response to movement of a portion of the connecting body according to the ultrasonic vibrations. A magnetic material including a source of a magnetic field is present in close proximity to the insert. At least one light source substantially proximate to the tip is connected to and receives the voltage signal from the second transducer to generate light. The ultrasonic dental insert may be inserted into a handpiece for providing electromagnetic energy to the first transducer to generate the ultrasonic vibrations.
US08491291B2
In order to allow for aligning a relative position between a transferred object and a stamper with high accuracy without providing an alignment pattern in the transferred object, there are provided: a pattern transfer method, including: when adjusting the relative position between the stamper and the transferred object, a step of detecting at least two or more edge positions of the transferred object and calculating an arbitrary point from the detected edge positions; a step of detecting a position of the stamper from an edge of the stamper or an alignment mark formed in the stamper; and a step of adjusting the relative position between the transferred object and the stamper from the arbitrary point and the position of the stamper; and an imprint device using the same.
US08491290B2
A mold for molding an injection molded article comprises a mold cavity with a non-symmetrical portion. At least one flow leader in the non-symmetrical portion of the cavity produces a symmetrical flow boundary in a multilayer flow downstream of the non-symmetrical portion of the mold cavity. The at least one flow leader may be a variable thickness flow leader or may alternatively be a plurality of flow leaders having a flow path length that differs from the flow path length of an adjacent flow leader by no more than about 15%. The multilayer flow comprising an inner layer, an outer layer, and an interior layer. Co-injection molding apparatus and methods that may use the foregoing mold are disclosed. Similarly, co-injection molded articles and containers that may result from the foregoing mold, apparatus, and methods are disclosed.
US08491284B2
A micropump including a tube unit including an elastic tube disposed in an arc shape, a plurality of fingers disposed radially from the arc shape of the tube, and a guide frame, which holds the tube and the plurality of fingers. The micropump also includes a control unit including a cam that presses the plurality of fingers, a drive section that applies torque to the cam, a control circuit that carries out a drive control of the drive section, and a machine casing that holds the cam, drive section, and control circuit. The tube unit is mountable in and removable from the control unit in a direction approximately parallel to the plane of rotation of the cam, and is mounted inside a space provided in the machine casing.
US08491276B2
A pump includes: a branch pipe extending from a pump body for branching a part of raw water introduced from outside through a raw water inlet; a first tank having an exhaust pipe of an engine accommodated therein, the raw water supplied via the branch pipe being evaporated by heat of the exhaust pipe; a second tank provided over the first tank and having the branch pipe accommodated therein, vapor produced by evaporation of the raw water in the first tank being condensed into water droplets in the second tank; and a communication pipe interconnecting the first and second tanks in communication with each other.
US08491273B2
The present embodiments relate to ballast systems for marine structures. The ballast system comprises a ballast tank and a pump. The pump comprises a low side and a high side and the ballast system comprises a first inlet conduit assembly adapted to provide a fluid communication between the ballast tank and the low side. The ballast system is adapted to provide a first operating condition in which first operating condition a fluid is pumped from the low side to the high side.
US08491261B2
A blower includes an impeller and a housing. The housing has an accommodating portion, a throat portion and a concave portion. The impeller is disposed within the housing and rotates via the shaft. A first axial line and a second axial line are perpendicular to each other, and both intersect at a position where the shaft is located to divide the housing into four regions. Both of the throat portion and the concave portion are disposed adjacent to the outlet and disposed in the first region.
US08491255B2
A Pelton hydraulic machine through which a main flow of water passes including at least one Pelton turbine manifold with at least a turbulent zone or a reduced-pressure zone being formed close to the manifold and wherein a secondary flow drawn from the main flow, and unaltered in relation to the main flow, is injected into the turbulent or reduced-pressure zone so as to alter the main flow locally or increase the pressure in the zone.
US08491253B2
A turbine is operatively connected to load structure, to transmit rotary drive thereto, with two-phase flow nozzle receiving pressurized flow to rotate the turbine, the nozzle structure configured to expand flow consisting of two or more of the following phases: i) gas ii) liquid iii) gas and liquid mixture iv) supercritical gas and liquid mixture, and with efficient conversion of enthalpy.
US08491252B2
A transport method for disk-shaped semiconductor wafer workpieces has a horizontally movable transport arm with two elongated carrying elements at one end, for receiving the workpiece. A cassette which includes a comb structure at each side for receiving several workpieces, is inserted free of contact between two adjacent combs with workpieces therein for vertically lifting a workpiece. The carrying elements are disposed such that during a cassette engagement they are each positioned substantially adjacent and parallel to the comb structure along a comb, and in this region along and between two adjacent comb planes on one side of the cassette, a scanning beam is provided for workpiece acquisition. The scanning beam is relatively height-positionable with respect to the cassette and is tilted about a small angle with respect to the horizontal workpiece plane.
US08491251B2
A gripping device includes a gripping-device body mounted to an end of a working arm; two gripping members pivotably supported by this body in an opening-closing direction; and a driver that drives the gripping members to open and close them. At least one of the gripping members includes one of various kinds of detachable sections each including a gripping segment; a holding section pivotably connected to the gripping-device body about a central pivot shaft and selectively holding the detachable section in a detachable manner; and a coupling member for detachable coupling. The detachable section has a restrained segment having a detachable-section through-hole extending parallel to the central pivot shaft. The holding section has an opening-closing-direction restraining segment that restrains the restrained segment in the opening-closing direction and a holding wall to which the restrained segment is fastened with the coupling member from a direction parallel to the detachable-section through-hole.
US08491250B2
A palletizing robot includes a lifting frame, an end-effector, an extensible mechanical arm, and a balancing mechanism. The extensible mechanical arm is rotatably connected to the lifting frame. The balancing mechanism and the end-effector are located on opposite ends of the extensible mechanical arm. The balancing mechanism includes a threaded rod, a sliding member, a driving member, and a counterweight. The threaded rod is located on the extensible mechanical arm. The sliding member receives the threaded rod. The driving member is fixed on an end of the threaded rod. The counterweight is fixed on the sliding member. The driving member rotates the threaded rod such that the sliding member slides relative to the threaded rod.
US08491243B2
A variable grip blind rivet includes a tubular rivet body and a mandrel. The rivet body has a first shank, insertable into a hole in a workpiece, and a flange at a first end of the first shank for abutting the workpiece when so inserted. The mandrel has a head, for engaging a second end of the first shank, and a second shank adapted to extend through the axial bore of the rivet body. The head has an abutment portion for abutting the first end of the first shank, and the second shank has a first reduced diameter portion adapted to break when a predetermined tensile is loaded applied. At least one protrusion adjacent the abutment portion defines a recess for receiving the first end of the first shank during setting of the rivet.
US08491236B2
Provided is a method for machining a tooth plane that is formed on a circumferential surface of a cylindrical toothed member and that extends along a center axis of the toothed member. The method includes: cutting the tooth plane by a peripheral cutting edge of an end mill while keeping a rotation axis of the end mill at a predetermined steady orientation and moving the end mill parallel to the center axis of the toothed member; rotating the toothed member by a predetermined angle around the center axis of the toothed member; and cutting the tooth plane by the peripheral cutting edge of the end mill while keeping the rotation axis of the end mill at the steady orientation and moving the end mill parallel to the center axis of the toothed member.
US08491230B2
An insert clamp secures a cutting insert having a central hole to a tool holder. The clamp includes a forward protrusion to be received in the central hole of the insert, a central body portion provided with a pressing part to press down the upper surface of the insert and a screw hole for a clamping screw to pass through, and a rear protrusion having a rear contact surface to come in contact with a rearward slanting surface of the tool holder. The forward protrusion is formed on the forward end of the insert clamp, an inside surface of the forward protrusion extends downward in a spaced state apart from the inner wall of the central hole of the insert, and a distal portion of the inside surface the forward protrusion is provided with a protuberance of convex curved surface to come in tangential contact with the inner wall of the insert. The pressing part is formed on the bottom surface of the central body portion of the insert clamp, and has convex curved surfaces to come in tangential contact with the upper surface of the insert on both regions of the bottom surface of the central body portion which is bisected by a central line passing through the forward protrusion and the screw hole.
US08491229B2
Provided herein are pneumatic carriers for use in high speed and/or heavy payload pneumatic carrier transport applications. The carriers incorporate thermally conductive wear bands to remove heat from areas of high friction to areas of low friction and thereby reduce the wear rate of the wear band. In one arrangement, the wear band includes a metallic wire impregnated cloth having metallic wires woven into the matrix of a textile, which forms the wear band. In one embodiment, the wire impregnated within the textile may extend around at least a portion of a carrier such that the wires can transfer heat from a location of high friction (e.g., a bearing surface beneath a carrier) to a location of low friction.
US08491222B2
A vibration tamper for compacting subsoil comprises a superstructure and a substructure, with the superstructure comprising a motor and an eccentric disk which is driven by the same. A connecting rod is eccentrically mounted on the eccentric disk, which connecting rod converts the rotational movement into a linear movement. The substructure comprises a tamper foot with a tamper plate which is driven by the linear movement of the connecting rod into a tamper movement along a tamper axis. As a result of the bent portion of the connecting rod, the tamper axis is disposed in a plane which is disposed parallel to a plane opened up by the bearing of the connecting rod on the eccentric disk against a direction opposite of the advancing direction of the vibration tamper.
US08491220B1
A mechanized asphalt comb device and method of mechanized asphalt raking in which a mechanized asphalt comb comprised of a rake attachment and an arm is attached to an engineering vehicle via a terminating end of the arm. The engineering vehicle can control and manipulate the mechanized asphalt comb into a raised inactive position, a lowered active position, and a plurality of positions between the raised inactive position and the lowered active position. When in the lowered active position, the mechanized asphalt comb applies a fixed downward pressure and depth of penetration to the applied surface.
US08491209B2
A keyboard apparatus includes: a plurality of keys; a switching section that detects depression of each of the keys; a top cover that is integrally formed with a partitioning portion separating adjacent keys from each other; a frame member that includes a plurality of key receiving portions which, in a case where the frame member is attached to the top cover, support the keys in a manner that the keys are placed in spaces surrounded by the partitioning portion; a first coupling section that couples the top cover with the frame member; and a second coupling section that couples a first surface portion of the keyboard apparatus including the switching section, with a second surface portion of the keyboard apparatus including the top cover and the frame member with which the top cover is coupled by the first coupling section.
US08491207B2
According to one embodiment, a page turning apparatus includes a conveying mechanism to convey a booklet to a page turning position, a page pickup mechanism to pick up a page of the booklet conveyed to the page turning position by the conveying mechanism, a drive mechanism to move the page pickup mechanism to pick up the page of the booklet at a predetermined angle in an opening direction around a bound edge, a shaft provided to come into contact with the page of the booklet picked up at the predetermined angle to bend the page, a contact roller portion to move and go under the page picked up at the predetermined angle, and a controller to make such a control as to convey the booklet after the contact roller portion goes under the page and open the page by bringing the page into contact with the contact roller portion.
US08491204B2
A shutter base plate is formed with a first shaft parallel to an optical axis of a photographic light flux, and a drive lever rotates around the first shaft to drive a first blade and a second blade. A mirror lever rotates around a second shaft parallel to the first shaft to drive a main mirror. A second cam gear rotates around a third shaft parallel to the first shaft to charge a mirror lever drive spring and a blade drive spring.
US08491198B2
An optical fiber adapter according to the present disclosure includes a main body, two inner housings, a cover plate and an elastic shutter member. The main body has an axial accommodation room defined by a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall, wherein the first wall faces the third wall and connects with the second and fourth walls. The accommodation room has a first opening and a second opening opposing to the first opening. An access opening is provided on the first wall for the inner housings to place within the accommodation room. The cover plate is positioned to cover the access opening on the first wall. The shutter member includes a fixing portion, at least one first hook, a shutter plate and a connecting portion. The fixing portion is positioned on the cover plate and within the accommodation room. The first hook is provided at the fixing portion for the fixing portion to be fixed on the cover plate. The connecting portion connects the fixing portion with the shutter plate. The shutter plate extends from the connecting portion and is positioned within the accommodation room.
US08491178B2
A receptacle having interconnected chambers arranged to permit multiple process steps to be performed independently or simultaneously. The receptacles are manufactured to separate liquid from dried reagents and to maintain the stability of the dried reagents. An immiscible liquid, such as an oil, is included to control loading of process materials, facilitate mixing and reconstitution of dried reagents, limit evaporation, control heating of reaction materials, concentrate solid support materials to prevent clogging of fluid connections, provide minimum volumes for fluid transfers, and to prevent process materials from sticking to chamber surfaces. The receptacles can be adapted for use in systems having a processing instrument that includes an actuator system for selectively moving fluid substances between chambers and a detector. The actuator system can be arranged to concentrate an analyte present in a sample. The detector can be used to detect an optical signal emitted by the contents of the receptacle.
US08491163B2
According to one embodiment, a lighting apparatus includes a main body including a flat thermal conduction surface. The thermal conduction surface contacts a back surface of a board. Light-emitting devices are mounted on a front surface of the board. An optical member is opposed to a peripheral part of the board on the front surface side of the board. The optical member is fastened to the main body by fastening members, to push the peripheral part of the board against the heat conduction surface of the main body.
US08491162B2
An LED lamp has a metal housing, a sintered heat pipe and an LED. The metal housing has an outer surface, an inner surface, a bottom and an opening defined by an inner edge. The sintered heat pipe engages the inner surface and the bottom and the inner edge of the metal housing. The LED is attached to a flattened area of the bottom portion of the sintered heat pipe. The sintered heat pipe rapidly transports heat generated by the LED to the metal housing which then transfers heat to the environment. The sintered heat pipe makes effective heat transportation possible and allows the use of high-power LEDs or multiple LED's within one lamp.
US08491161B2
The invention relates to a lighting device comprising a light source (31) which is mounted on a heat sink (32) having an outer contour (34). Furthermore, it comprises a cooling device (35) for dynamically cooling the light source via cooling of the heat sink by means of a fluid flowing alongside the contour of the heat sink, the cooling device having one or a plurality of cooling openings (36, 43). The cooling device is a vibrating membrane cooling system for generating a sequence of fluid pulses (39). The cooling openings are arranged alongside the heat sink. The light source comprises optical means (33) for collimating and directing light originating from the light source during operation, while the contour of the heat sink has a shape similar to that of the optical means.
US08491157B2
To provide a method for manufacturing a plurality of types of illuminating devices having different specifications while reducing cost. A substrate includes a common flexible portion and a plurality of units bendable with respect to the common portion, where the common portion includes a pad that is extended in the horizontal direction in the plane of the drawing and that is arranged for every predefined interval. In the present manufacturing method, a substrate piece is created by cutting the substrate mounted with the light emitting element in a first direction, the common portion in the substrate piece is formed according to the illuminating device to be manufactured, the relative position of the individual portion with respect to the formed common portion is respectively positioned, and the wiring for supplying power to the pad in the substrate piece is formed.
US08491156B2
A lighting device includes a light source module and a housing mated to a heat sink and covered by a cover. The housing has a first shell portion encircled by an inner sidewall of the heat sink. Alternatively, the housing may further has a second shell portion arranged between the first shell portion and the inner sidewall of the heat sink. The respective ends of the first and second shell portions are covered by a first plate portion and a connecting portion. A cavity is defined by the first shell portion and the first plate portion for accommodating the light source module. A plurality of first thru-holes, second thru holes, third thru holes, fourth thru-holes, and fifth thru holes are formed on the circuit board, the connecting portion, the cover, the first shell portion, and the first plate portion, respectively.
US08491155B1
A solid state lighting system and components therefor are provided that are modular, rugged, reliable and energy efficient. Heat dissipation with respect to solid state light fixtures may be addressed by inverting the solid state lights on a circuit board to project light through apertures in the circuit board, so that heat need not be dissipated through the circuit board itself. In addition, solid state light fixtures may be coupled to one another along with a power supply in modular strands that incorporate AC/DC multi-wire cords that carry both AC and DC signals. Additional functionality, such as support for multiple lighting modes, may also be included, e.g., to support blackout lighting in addition to standard lighting. The multiple lighting modes may be selected, for example, by adjusting an electrical parameter of the AC power signal supplied to the lighting system, e.g., by rectifying the AC power signal.
US08491151B2
A lighting device is generally illustrated having a light body having forward facing light sources including a visible white light source, visible colored light source and an infrared light source. Additionally, a side facing light source is provided. The light body also includes switches for activating the visible light sources and a three-position switch for activating the IR light source and the side facing light source. At least one switch is provided for turning at least one of the light sources on and off and further adjusting light intensity of the light source. The light source of the lighting device may further be controlled based on a detected chemistry composition of the power source.
US08491150B2
A solar light assembly includes a plurality of housings each having a light, a frame receiving the plurality of housings, and a solar panel substantially positioned over the frame. Each housing including a face, sides and a lip, such that the face and lip lie in intersecting planes. Each housing is removable from the frame to be rotated and repositioned within the frame. A pole could be used to support the frame.
US08491139B2
A member configured to absorb a predetermined wavelength range for light having an incident angle is located on the first electrode side of a light emitting device and settings are made so that the hue of light emitted in a direction having an angle with respect to the front becomes yellow when the light emitting device emits white light.
US08491134B2
A light emitting apparatus includes a first rod integrator and a second rod integrator supported by a support substrate and a light emitting device disposed between the first rod integrator and the second rod integrator. The light emitting device emits a plurality of light beams to be incident on the first rod integrator and a plurality of light beams to be incident on the second rod integrator. Each of the rod integrators has a light incident surface on which the plurality of light beams are incident, a bent portion that changes the propagating direction of the plurality of incident light beams, and a light exiting surface through which the plurality of light beams mixed with each other exit.
US08491118B2
Lighted eyewear is described that projects light forwardly thereof. The eyewear includes a cross frame portion with temple arm portions extending rearwardly therefrom. Light mounts at forward portions of the temple arm portions include a forward opening and an interior space. Light emitting diodes are received in the interior space of the temple arm light mounts are mounted to project light through the forward openings thereof to a position forwardly of the cross-frame portion. A mounting surface of each light mount orients the light emitting diodes at a predetermined inwardly canted angle relative to normal from the lateral axis of the cross frame portion with the temple arm portions extending rearwardly from the cross frame portion.
US08491117B2
The present invention describes spectacles of the type that remain securely in place without the need for a frame that has arms, providing the corresponding optical features required in each case and being able to be formed by a single, continuous element in the preferred embodiment thereof, or by a number of pieces, the securing thereof being achieved by means of a system for adaptation to the users anatomy based on the clip effect.
US08491113B2
Disclosed is an ink set including: an ink composition containing at least water, a pigment, and a resin at least partially coating a surface of the pigment and having a structural unit represented by the following Formula (1) and a structural unit having an ionic group; and a treatment liquid containing a cationic polymer having reactivity to the pigment at least partially coated with the resin, wherein, in Formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or a halogen atom; L1 represents *—COO—, *—OCO—, *—CONR2—, *—O—, or a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group; R2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; the symbol “*” in the L1 represents a bond linked to the main chain; and L2 represents a single bond or a bivalent linking group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms.
US08491112B2
An ink jet printhead cartridge includes a cartridge body including a base and a plurality of side walls extending upwardly from the base. A filter tower having a tower wall has an interior surface that defines a location of a tower passageway. A printhead chip assembly is attached to the base of the cartridge body in fluid communication with the tower passageway. A filter is attached to the filter tower at a distal end thereof. An ink fill access port is formed through a side wall of the plurality of sidewalls, and through the tower wall of the filter tower, to define a fluid path from the atmosphere external to the cartridge body to the tower passageway of the filter tower to facilitate the injection of ink directly into the filter tower during an ink filling operation for the ink jet printhead cartridge.
US08491105B2
A production method of a piezoelectric element which includes an insulating film, a first electrode provided on the insulating film, a piezoelectric layer that is provided on the first electrode and is made of a composite oxide having a perovskite structure containing lead, zirconium, and titanium, and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer on the opposite side to the first electrode, includes: forming and patterning the first electrode on the insulating film; forming island-shaped lanthanum nickel oxide portions over the insulating film and the first electrode; and forming a piezoelectric precursor film over the insulating film and the first electrode, and forming the piezoelectric layer having a piezoelectric film that is crystallized by baking the piezoelectric precursor film.
US08491102B2
Provided are a droplet-ejecting head having good displacement and a droplet-ejecting apparatus. The droplet-ejecting head includes a pressure chamber; a piezoelectric element which includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the piezoelectric layer being made of a lead zirconate titanate; and a nozzle plate having a nozzle orifice communicating with the pressure chamber. The first electrode includes at least one lanthanum nickelate layer which is located on the piezoelectric layer side. The piezoelectric layer has a distribution in which the concentration of lanthanum and nickel decrease from the interface between the lanthanum nickelate layer and the piezoelectric layer toward the second electrode. Lanthanum is locally distributed in the piezoelectric layer. Nickel is globally distributed in the piezoelectric layer so as to have a plurality of peaks. At least one of the peaks is split.
US08491098B2
A thermal bend actuator includes: a first active cantilever beam for connection to drive circuitry, the first beam having a bent planar beam element; a second passive cantilever beam fused to the first beam; a conduction pad sandwiched between the first and second beams; and first and second adjacent electrode contacts positioned at one side of the actuator. A first end of the beam element is connected to the first contact and a second end of the beam element is connected to the second contact. The conduction pad is positioned at a bend region of the planar beam element so as to facilitate electrical conduction around the bend region.
US08491095B2
Disclosed is a fluid ejection device that includes a nozzle plate. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of nozzles for fluid ejection. Further, the fluid ejection device includes a substrate disposed below the nozzle plate. The substrate includes a top surface adapted to adhere to the nozzle plate. The substrate also includes at least one fluid via configured within the substrate for providing fluid to the plurality of nozzles of the nozzle plate. Furthermore, the fluid ejection device includes at least one supporting structure configured within each fluid via of the at least one fluid via. The at least one supporting structure is further configured at a predetermined depth from the top surface of the substrate to regulate the flow of the fluid from the at least one fluid via to the plurality of nozzles. Further, disclosed is a method to fabricate the fluid ejection device.
US08491094B2
A loss of print quality is suppressed even when the recording medium is skewed by the paper feed roller. A distance D2, which is the length of separation between a black nozzle line BT of an upstream head unit and a yellow nozzle line YT of a downstream head unit, is a distance corresponding to the distance offset the conveyance distance of the recording medium when the paper feed roller turns a half revolution from the conveyance distance of the recording medium when the paper feed roller turns an integer number of revolutions.
US08491091B2
An inkjet image forming apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head having an ejection surface in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged two-dimensionally; a scanning device which conveys at least one of the liquid ejection head and an image formation receiving medium on which liquid ejected from the plurality of nozzles is deposited, to cause relative movement between the image formation receiving medium and the liquid ejection head in a first direction; a drive force generating device which generates drive force for driving the scanning device; and a meshing transmission mechanism which transmits the drive force generated by the drive force generating device to the scanning device by a meshing mechanism, wherein: when Pv represents a spatial period obtained by converting a pitch of meshing teeth of the meshing transmission mechanism to an amount of the relative movement in the first direction on the image formation receiving medium, and when OSy represents an offset distance in the first direction of a pair of nozzles which form dots that are mutually adjacent in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the image formation receiving medium, of the plurality of nozzles arranged two-dimensionally, then relationship of OSy≈k×Pv (where k is a natural number) is satisfied.
US08491088B2
A maintenance apparatus that removes bubbles from a nozzle is provided in a printer that includes a recording head having a nozzle capable of ejecting ink from a nozzle opening formed in a nozzle formation surface. The maintenance apparatus includes: a pressurizing pump that pressurizes the ink in the nozzle in a direction in which the ink is discharged from the nozzle opening; and a contact member having an upper surface that makes contact with the nozzle formation surface so as to cover the nozzle opening, and that has, formed therein, a flow channel whose pressure loss is greater than that of the nozzle and that allows air to pass through from the side of the upper surface. The ink within the nozzle is pressurized by the pressurizing pump in a state in which the contact member is in contact with the nozzle formation surface.
US08491083B2
A mechanism for fabricating microfluidic channels uses a three-dimensional inkjet printing unit to print the channels layer-by-layer on a substrate. In one embodiment, for each layer, an inkjet head deposits droplets of a hydrophobic material on a surface the substrate in a pattern lying outside a two-dimensional layout of the channels, and another inkjet head deposits droplets of a mixture of poly(tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate) PTHPMA (or another hydrophobic material which hydrolyzes to form a hydrophilic material) and a photoacid generator (PAG) on the surface of the substrate in a pattern lying inside the two-dimensional layout of the channels. After all layers are printed, flood exposure of the entire substrate to UV radiation releases acid from the PAG which hydrolyzes PTHPMA to form hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid) PMMA, thereby rendering the PTHPMA regions hydrophilic. The layers of these now-hydrophilic patterned regions together define the microfluidic channels.
US08491081B2
A printer includes a plurality of a plurality of printheads and a plurality of rolls positioned opposite the printheads along a media path in the printer. Print media contact and move over the rolls as the printheads eject ink onto the print media moving along the media path. A controller is configured to generate a signal to operate a printhead with reference to an angular position of a roll positioned opposite to the printhead that receives the signal to compensate for flight time errors due to backer roll eccentricity.
US08491074B2
An ejection head driving circuit that supplies a driving voltage waveform to an ejection head has ejection nozzles that cause fluid to be ejected. A target voltage waveform output unit outputs a target voltage waveform to the ejection head. Power source units generate electric power at different voltage values. Negative feedback control units supply electric power from the respective power source units to the ejection head and perform a negative feedback control of the voltage values so that the voltage value to be applied to the ejection head matches the target voltage waveform. A power source connecting unit selects one of the power source units on the basis of the voltage value applied to the ejection head or the voltage value of the target voltage waveform, connects the selected power source unit to the ejection head, and disconnects the remaining power source units from the ejection head.
US08491073B2
An inkjet printing device includes: a flow path plate, a piezoelectric actuator and an electrostatic force applicator. The flow path plate includes an ink inlet, a pressure chamber and a nozzle. The piezoelectric actuator is configured to provide a first driving force, and the electrostatic force applicator is configured to provide a second driving force. The disclosed inkjet printing devices and methods combine piezoelectric and electrostatic techniques.
US08491072B2
An inkjet printing apparatus includes: a conveyer belt with a plurality of belt holes formed therein, the conveyer belt suctioning and conveying a recording medium with a negative pressure acting on the belt holes; a platen with a plurality of through holes formed therein; a pressure-reducing unit for generating the negative pressure on a side of the platen opposite from the side thereof supporting the conveyer belt; inkjet nozzles disposed to face the platen; a distance-changing unit for changing a distance between the inkjet nozzles and a surface of the conveyer belt on which the recording medium is suctioned; and a size-adjusting unit for adjusting, when the distance is large, a size of at least one through hole in a through hole group, which includes the through holes positioned in the vicinity of the inkjet nozzles, such that the size of the at least one through hole is reduced.
US08491066B2
A computer case includes a housing, a first dust screen and a second dust screen. The housing defines two openings at opposite ends of the housing. The first dust screen and the second dust screen each include a piece of nonwoven fabric and a bracket, and are respectively covered on the two openings. The nonwoven fabric is covered on the bracket. The bracket includes a rim and a plurality of reinforcement ribs connected to an inner side surface of the rim.
US08491055B2
An armrest for a motorcycle passenger, which permits one or both armrests to swing out to a side thereby accommodating a boarding passenger. Optionally, the armrests can be pivoted to rearward-facing orientation in order to form a rack behind a sissy bar of a motorcycle.
US08491053B2
A camouflage hunting blind system comprising a hanger with a distal and a proximate end, the proximate end of the hanger comprises an S-hook for suspending a hammock chair which is then cloaked within a camouflaged covering. The distal end of the hanger is positioned against tree with the proximate end pointing upward and away from the tree at a 45 degree angle wherein both ends are secured using a tether. The camouflage hunting blind system is positioned so a user's feet may touch the ground to rotate hammock chair for (through) 360 degrees of view. The hammock chair may be reversible, having a first side with natural (nature camouflage) colorings and a second side with hunter orange or other suitable coloring (dark or other.) Camouflage hunting blind system may have a camouflage coloring on the outside and a dark coloring on the inside, and weigh less that 10 lbs, and sets up in a very short time. Camouflaged covering encapsulates hammock chair, concealing scent and providing warmth for its user(s).
US08491052B2
A head restraint for a vehicle seat includes a first subsection facing the occupant's head, and is displaceable due to application of a predetermined force. A third subsection includes a central hub portion that supports the second subsection. The second subsection is arranged between the first subsection and a third subsection, and is mounted to the central hub portion of the third section and the first second and third subsections are rotatably displaceable about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the direction of displacement (C). A blocking device includes a toothed portion complimentarily engaged with a spacer device on the third subsection and having a resilient member preventing engagement of the toothed portion by the spacer device when the first subsection is not subjected to the application of the predetermined force, and also controls movement of the first subsection counter to a direction of displacement.
US08491048B2
A vehicle body structure which is subject to a small deformation amount at the time of offset collision and a large deformation amount at the time of full-wrap collision. A floor panel includes a groove which extends from a flat portion to a lower dash panel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and an upper floor member having an approximate U-shaped cross-section is accommodated inside the groove, so that a closed cross-section is formed. The upper floor member and the flat portion of the floor panel are connected to each other by being respectively welded to brackets. A floor cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle is fixed to the flat portion across the groove.
US08491045B2
A vehicle body side structure includes an outer side panel and an inner side panel. The outer side panel has an outer window area and a window sash formed adjacent to and surrounding the outer window area. The outer window area includes a removable portion that spans the outer window area. The inner side panel has an inner window area and an attachment flange formed adjacent to and surrounding the inner window area. The attachment flange is rigidly attached to the window sash along a connection area to prevent movement of the inner side panel relative to the outer side panel. The removable portion of the outer window area is located adjacent to the connection area.
US08491044B2
A system for storing cargo or other items within a vehicle enclosure having a plurality of walls is disclosed. In one aspect, the system for storing cargo comprises a plurality of support posts. In an additional aspect, each support post defines a plurality of U-shaped receiving channels. In a further aspect, the support posts can be selectively secured within the vehicle enclosure. In one aspect, the system comprises means for retaining the cargo within the vehicle enclosure. In an additional aspect, the means for retaining the cargo within the enclosure can be attached to the receiving channels of the support posts.
US08491037B2
A dashboard assembly that includes a cross-car beam extending across at least a portion of the width of the automobile. Also included is a cross-car beam post secured to the cross-car beam. Further included is an energy absorbing bracket operably connecting the cross-car beam post to a glove box assembly, where the energy absorbing bracket comprises a plurality of apertures for permitting deflection of the bracket in the event of movement of the cross-car beam post.
US08491032B1
A retractable tarp system having automated closing mechanisms used in conjunction with the front and rear of a truck or vehicle-pulled trailer. The automated system of closing the tarping system may include air cylinders, hydraulics or electric motor with closing mechanisms for the dual closing system. The rear system may include linear actuators on each side adapted to pull a cable with a distal hook that may selectively engage the tarp structure. For redundancy, the front system may be air-operated while the rear system is electric. The truck driver operates a switch or button to open and close the closing mechanisms of the retractable tarp system, and may connect and disconnect a hook on a rear closing mechanism that pulls the tarp tightly closed.
US08491023B2
A lock assembly for use with a latch movable from an extended position to a retracted position, and the lock assembly includes an interior assembly and an exterior assembly. The interior assembly includes an interior handle manually movable to retract the latch and a locking member manually operable such that the locking member is movable from an unlocked position to a locked position. The exterior assembly includes an exterior handle manually operable to retract the latch when the locking member is in the unlocked position and inoperable to retract the latch when the locking member is in the locked position. The exterior assembly further includes a biasing member that biases the locking member toward the unlocked position. When the locking member is in the locked position, movement of the interior handle to retract the latch causes the biasing member to move the locking member to the unlocked position.
US08490999B2
A trailer hitch system for improving the speed and safety of attaching the trailer to a tow vehicle. The hitch may include a shank that may be attached to the trailer through a ball hitch. A receiver may be provided on the tow vehicle such that attachment of the trailer to the tow vehicle may be accomplished by introducing the shank into the receiver when the tow vehicle is backed to the trailer. A funnel shaped guide member may be provided to facilitate aligning the shank with the receiver. Also, friction reducing rollers may be used with the shank or the receiver. Moreover, a height adjustment and visual guidance system may be included to facilitate connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle. The shank includes a stop in a fixed position for limiting the depth the shank extends within the receiver.
US08490998B1
A handlebar assembly includes a handlebar, a parking brake actuator, and a dual-purpose actuator. The parking brake actuator is pivotally coupled to the handlebar and is pivotable between an activated position and a deactivated position to facilitate selective activation of a vehicular parking brake. The dual-purpose actuator is movably coupled with the parking brake actuator and movable together with the parking brake actuator to facilitate enablement of a reverse gear of a vehicle.
US08490991B2
A method for controlling the regeneration cycles for an air dryer in a closed ride height control system for vehicles. Compressed air chambers and a compressed air storage reservoir are charged with compressed air and ventilated via a compressed air line, or are charged via a compressed air intake line connected to the compressor and ventilated via the compressed air line. Compressed air quantity delivered through the dryer by the compressor, and temperature and/or the humidity of the air sucked in from the atmosphere are measured. The dryer is considered saturated under the assumption that air sucked in by the compressor and delivered through the air dryer is at the highest possible ambient temperature and humidity. Regeneration air quantity required for the compressed air quantity for the dryer to attain the desired dew point is determined as a function of the ambient temperature and/or the humidity of the intake air.
US08490987B2
There is provided a stabilizer bar in which through holes are not positionally offset even if the attachment portions are bent after the through holes are formed therein.A stabilizer bar is composed of a steel pipe material bent to an approximate U-shape and has attachment portions formed by deforming the free ends of the steel material in a flat plate shape. Through holes are formed in the attachment portions to fix them to a vehicle body, and each of the attachment portions has a cross section configured as a three-layer structure that is partitioned by first and second overlapping surfaces of a folded hollow portion. That is, the three-layered structure is composed of an upper layer portion positioned on the first overlapping surfaces, an intermediate layer portion positioned between the first and second overlapping surfaces, and a lower layer portion positioned under the first overlapping surfaces. Here, the first and second overlapping surfaces are disposed such that the cross section thereof is formed in an X-shape.
US08490983B2
A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle includes a support element on the wheel-side rotatably mounting a vehicle wheel and a carrier element on the axle-side, wherein the carrier element on the wheel-side can be adjusted for setting a toe and/or camber angle relative to the support element on the axle-side, wherein the carrier elements on the axle-side and on the wheel-side are coupled to a universal joint in which webs of the carrier elements on the wheel-side and on the axle-side are articulated on a gimbal ring element by means of bearing points. The webs of the support elements are articulated on the gimbal ring element at the bearing points by means of ball joints.
US08490980B2
A seal arrangement (1, 101) for maintaining an axial pressure differential between relative high and low pressure stages along a rotating element (2, 102), the arrangement comprising: i) a plurality of leaf or brush seal members (5) forming a circumferential seal-pack (4, 104) around the rotating element (2, 102), in-between said low and high pressure stages, for limiting leakage of fluid between said low and high pressure stages; ii) a baffle (6, 7, 106, 107) positioned on the upstream or downstream side of the seal-pack (4, 104) for regulating such leakage through the seal pack (4, 104); and iii) a control arrangement for adjusting the position of the baffle (6, 7, 106, 107) hereby to control the regulation of said leakage through the seal-pack (4, 104) and hence control the consequent blow-down effect on the seal-pack (4, 104) caused by that leakage.
US08490975B2
A method for playing a multi-player table game similar to craps includes use of a point generation device capable of randomly selecting one outcome from a group consisting of thirty-seven or thirty-eight possible outcomes. Betting locations similar to the game of craps are provided on a betting surface (12). Twelve common betting locations (22) allow proposition bets based on the sum of two six-sided dice, together with an additional possible outcome comprised of a wild non-die depiction. Player positions (18) are designated about the betting surface (12), with replicas (48) of each player position (18) affixed within each of the twelve common betting locations (22), as well as at respective first (54) and second (56) color bet locations distributed about the betting surface (12). Game play enables a dealer to handle only value cheques. The game method can utilize a variety of point generation devices (14, 14′) thereby making the game suitable for many jurisdictions and interesting for players.
US08490973B2
A semi-automatic gaming table system comprises: a gaming table surface, at least one playing card delivery device, the playing card delivery device comprising a card storage area, an internal processor, a card-moving system, a delivery end and a card-imaging system, and a plurality of electronic player interfaces mounted in the gaming table surface that communicate with a game controller, wherein the game controller is programmed to communicate with the internal processor and the player interfaces, to detect at least one condition and respond by instructing the card-handling system to stop delivering cards to the delivery end. A method of monitoring play of a casino card game comprises: a player electronically making a wager on a semi-automatic gaming system, a dealer dealing physical cards to each player from a card-handling device, automatically sensing a rank and/or suit of cards being delivered, automatically determining a number of cards dealt to each player, and, when a predetermined condition is sensed, directing a card-handling device to cease moving cards to a delivery end, wherein one card is available for removal until the condition is cleared.
US08490963B2
An image forming apparatus capable of printing a non-standard size image on a sheet of a size as desired by the user as possible, and preventing stoppage of printing the image even when there is no sheet of the size desired by the user in a sheet feeder. When image data is for a non-standard size, if there is a sheet feeder accommodating recording sheets of which vertical and lateral lengths corresponding to vertical and lateral lengths represented by the image data are designated, a control unit feeds the sheets from the sheet feeding cassette. If there is no such a sheet feeder, the control unit feeds recording sheets of a free size from a manual feed tray accommodating the recording sheets of the free size.
US08490962B2
A recording apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes a sheet feeding cassette that can accommodate a stack of recording materials; a pick-up roller that comes into contact with the top recording material of the recording materials accommodated in the sheet feeding cassette to feed the recording material; a roller holder that is supported at a base end so as to be rotatable and has the pick-up roller at a tip, the pick-up roller being pressed against the recording material; and a lever that is supported at a base end so as to be rotatable and has a pressing portion at a tip, the pressing portion being pressed against the recording material. The lever is disposed on the roller holder and is supported coaxially with the roller holder.
US08490956B2
A fixture assembly for retaining a workpiece during a coining process includes a mounting block. The workpiece includes an airfoil portion, a platform, and feet extending from the platform opposite the airfoil portion configured to engage a retention slot in a gas turbine engine, each foot defining a substantially arcuate engagement surface. The mounting block includes a first portion having a slot defined therein between opposite first and second lateral edges and having an exposed front face, first and second retaining structures positioned adjacent to the first and second lateral edges, respectively. Each of the first and second retaining structures overhangs the slot and defines an engagement surface facing the slot, such that during engagement of the workpiece the substantially arcuate engagement surfaces of the feet contact the engagement surfaces of the first and second retaining structures to provide a pivotable engagement.
US08490948B2
An apparatus for flow control and shutoff comprises a body having a chamber, an inlet and an outlet, the inlet and the outlet in fluidic communication with the chamber; the said apparatus for flow control and shutoff further comprises a flow regulator comprising a channel and the flow regulator rotatably fit in the chamber, such that the flow regulator is rotatable between a first rotational position and a second rotational position and that the channel is in fluidic communication with at least one of the inlet and the outlet; the said apparatus for flow control and shutoff further comprises a lever operably connected to the flow regulator such that the lever urges the flow regulator to rotate between a first rotational position and a second rotational position in the chamber when a user of the apparatus pushes the lever. At the first rotational position, the channel is not in fluidic communication with at least one of the inlet and the outlet, such that fluidic communication between the inlet and the outlet is blocked. The flow regulator is operable to regulate a flow rate between the inlet and the outlet when the flow regulator is rotated between the first and the second rotational positions.
US08490935B2
Some embodiments generally relate to a hook assembly, including a pivotable hook body adapted to rotate about a pivot axis running in a generally vertical direction. According to some embodiments, the hook assembly can further include at least one hook portion including a generally vertical recess defined by a portion of the top side of the hook body extending downwardly toward a bottom side. The assembly can further include a pivot member for pivoting the pivotable hook body about the pivot axis; and a frame member adapted to receive the pivotable hook body in a stowed configuration or one or more deployed configurations. Furthermore, frame member is adapted to fix the hook body in a pivotal relation about the pivot axis and can include an indexing opening or seat for defining one or more indexed orientations such as a stowed orientation or a deployed orientation.
US08490914B2
An aircraft noise reduction apparatus includes an aircraft landing gear assembly and a noise reduction fairing 12. The landing gear assembly includes a landing gear 10 arranged to be moveable between a stowed position and a fully deployed position. The noise reduction fairing 12 may include a wrap-around fairing which, when the landing gear 10 is in its fully deployed position, wraps around the landing gear 10 and extends along the majority of the length of a landing gear leg 11. A landing gear bay door assembly 16, 17 including at least one door may also be provided. The fairing 12 may have a recess 24 for accommodating one of landing gear bay doors when the door 16 is in its fully open position.
US08490905B2
A horizontal shaft impact crusher includes a crusher housing having an inlet for material to be crushed and an outlet for material that has been crushed. An impeller is mounted in the crusher housing for rotation about a horizontal axis. A curtain disposed in the crusher housing is arranged so material accelerated by the impeller is crushed thereagainst. An adjustment device, which adjusts the position of the curtain relative to the impeller, is slidable connected to guide rods. The adjustment device includes a locking device positionable selectively in either a holding state in which the locking device is de-energized and arranged to apply a holding force for holding the adjustment device in a crusher operation position relative to the guide rods, or an adjustment state in which the locking device is energized and arranged to release the holding force, thereby enabling displacement of the adjustment device relative to the guide rods.
US08490904B2
One aspect is a method of recovering minerals. The method includes heating aggregated minerals with microwave energy. The aggregated minerals consists of at least a first and a second mineral bound together, the first and second minerals each having different differential thermal expansion rates such that fractures occur between the minerals of the aggregated minerals. The fractured minerals are subjected to microwave heating to induce fractures between and separation of the at least first and second minerals, and also to ultrasound energy causing further size reduction. The fractured and size-reduced minerals are heated with microwave energy. The fractured and size-reduced minerals consist of metal-containing materials, such that metal-containing materials are heated to at least the melting temperature of one of the metals in the metal-containing materials.
US08490895B2
An apparatus for controlling a flow of fluid in an emergency fixture includes a body; and a control element at least partially located in the body and configured to impart rotation into the fluid flow. The control element includes a first substantially cylindrical member defining a first outlet portion, the first outlet portion configured to guide a first portion of the fluid flow out of the control element as an axial flow; a second substantially cylindrical member coupled to the first member; and a plurality of radially extending members extending between the first member and the second member, each of the plurality of members comprising a deflection surface angled relative to a second portion of flow and configured to cause rotation of the second portion of flow.
US08490893B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for dispensing toners. In one aspect, a toner dispensing system includes a toner container; a cap and valve assembly coupled to the toner container, the cap and value assembly including: a movable valve assembly, the movable valve assembly having a first position and a second position, a toner path, and an air inlet path, where in a first valve assembly position the toner path and the air inlet path are closed, and in a second valve assembly position the toner path and the air inlet path are open; an air assembly including a first air supply coupled to the air path of the cap and valve assembly and a second regulated air supply coupled to the toner container; and a control assembly for controlling the second air supply.
US08490886B2
A modulating boiler system for heating a structure including a controller, a boiler operatively connected to the controller, and a thermostat operatively connected to the controller and boiler. The controller assesses a level of thermostat activity over a predetermined measuring period and adjusts the boiler in response to the level of activity to increase the boiler's efficiency.
US08490874B2
The described embodiments relate generally to methods and systems for fingerprint authentication for a computing device. In one embodiment, the method comprises: storing a default finger swipe scan direction; receiving a finger swipe scan; authenticating the received finger swipe scan; determining a received finger swipe scan direction; and configuring the default finger swipe scan direction. The computing device may comprise a mobile device.
US08490866B1
The invention enables to improve flexibility, reliability and service life of a payment card having embedded ornamental elements. In order to achieve the technical effect, the device includes a foil layer, a first layer and a second layer, all being made laminating. The foil layer is fixed between the first layer and the second (outer) layer. The card is provided with a plastic plate, a magnetic strip, an adhesive layer, an insert made with a thickness greater than that of the foil layer and made of the same material as the foil layer. The ornamental element is fixed within the insert and flush to it. The outer surfaces of the second layer and the insert are located in a single plane, and the insert and the ornamental element are free from the second layer on the outside and are fixed in the plastic plate with the adhesive layer.
US08490862B1
Disclosed herein is a transformation system for at least one component of a single or multi-component nutritional substance. The transformation system obtains information regarding the nutritional substance to be transformed, the desired transformation, and the desired properties, including nutritional content, of the transformed nutritional substance, and dynamically modifies the transformation in response to this information.
US08490859B1
The rotating mailbox device is provided in varying degrees of complexity, with each embodiment thereof focused on as basic a design as is possible while still retaining the important features of the device. Even the most basic design provides illuminated address, illumination strips within the mailbox assembly, and exterior indicators for indicating mail received via sensing of door opening. Of importance is that the basic design of the device dictates that the dished tray is rotateably affixed directly atop the post and may also be affixed off-center regarding the tray. The direct post-to-tray attachment negates the need for further attachment devices such as horizontal arms, for example. Lateral attachment of the mailbox assembly to the platform elevated section provides for easiest disassembly of part of the device and also for the elevated section to be a floor for the mailbox assembly.
US08490857B2
A reflow apparatus, where formic acid is used for cleaning a surface of a solder electrode on a processing target, is disclosed. The reflow apparatus includes a processing chamber, a formic acid introduction mechanism for supplying an atmosphere gas containing formic acid to the processing chamber, and a shielding member that is made of a material having corrosion resistance against formic acid. The shielding member is arranged between a reflow processing section of the processing chamber and an inner wall of the processing chamber. In place of or in addition to the shielding member, the reflow apparatus may include a heater for decomposing residual formic acid.
US08490856B2
A joint apparatus of the present invention includes: a pre-thermal processing unit including a first thermal processing plate mounting and thermally processing a superposed substrate where substrates are superposed on each other with joint portions of the substrates in contact with each other, and a first pressure reducing mechanism; a joint unit including a second thermal processing plate mounting and thermally processing the superposed substrate processed in the pre-thermal processing unit, a pressurizing mechanism pressing the superposed substrate on the second thermal processing plate toward the second thermal processing plate side, and a second pressure reducing mechanism; and a post-thermal processing unit including a third thermal processing plate mounting and thermally processing the superposed substrate processed in the joint unit, and a third pressure reducing mechanism, wherein each of the pre-thermal processing unit and the post-thermal processing unit is hermetically connected to the joint unit.
US08490855B2
A method is taught for creating a hollow sphere that is created by joining two cylinders together that have a semispherical hollow formed in the ends being joined together, wherein a metallic reinforcing disk is inserted at an interface between the two ends of the cylinders, wherein the two cylinders and reinforcing disk are joined using friction stir welding to create an inner sphere from the two hemispherical hollows that is bisected by the metallic reinforcing disk, and wherein the joined cylinders and reinforcing disk are machined to thereby create an outer spherical surface that is centered around the inner sphere.
US08490851B2
A surgical device includes a loading unit having proximal and distal portions. The proximal portion of the loading unit is configured to be attached to an actuation apparatus. The surgical device further includes a flexible shaft interconnecting the proximal portion and the distal portion of the loading unit. Additionally, the surgical device has a tool assembly disposed in mechanical cooperation with the distal portion of the loading unit. The tool assembly is configured to articulate upon activation of the actuation apparatus. In a further embodiment, the surgical device includes a guiding member operatively connected to the tool assembly. The guiding member has a body and a bore extending through the body. The bore slidably receives a suture.
US08490835B2
A container cover assembly that has at least two states. In the first, closed state, the removal of the contents of the container through the opening of the container is prevented. In the second, open state, the removal of the contents of the container through the opening of the container is possible. The cover assembly comprises a mechanism for preventing the transfer of the cover assembly from the first state to the second state, unless at least a predetermined number of shaking motions is applied to the container and cover assembly.
US08490831B1
A squirting toy is comprised of a cylindrical housing and a piston that slides within to force water into or out of the housing via a hole therein. The housing is encased within a shell creating a water impervious volume sufficient for the toy to float in water. The shell is soft, so that the gun is not a safety hazard when left floating in a swimming pool. The squirting toy can further include bellows that can provide safety benefits as well as other benefits.
US08490824B1
A garbage can for controlling an explosive charge generating an explosive force having an outer shell having vertical walls and a bottom; an inner shell attached to the bottom having vertical walls and a middle wall attached to the bottom between the outer shell and inner shell. A first layer of compressible material between the outer shell and middle shell and a second layer of compression material is between the middle shell and the inner shell. The compression material itself may different from one layer to the other. The walls and material are shaped to direct the explosive force upward.
US08490823B2
A reversible food plate comprising a first surface, a second surface, and an edge, wherein each of the first surface and the second surface has a slope, which optionally comprises at least one depression at the bottom of the slope and adjacent to the edge, wherein (i) at least each portion of the edge that is adjacent to the bottom of the slope forms a rim or (ii) substantially all or all of the edge forms a rim and at least each portion of the rim that is adjacent to the bottom of the slope is pronounced or more pronounced than a portion of the rim that is not adjacent to the bottom of the slope, and wherein the bottom of the slope of the first surface is on the opposite end of the plate from the bottom of the slope of the second surface; and a method of making a reversible food plate.
US08490817B2
The present invention generally relates to a device for sealing a container, and serves to alleviate disadvantages commonly associated with use of plastic wrap, cling wrap, and similar products. The device generally comprises a flexible sheet and sometimes a perimeter support member connected to the flexible sheet. The flexible sheet is positioned over and seals the opening of the container. The perimeter support member is then removed from the flexible sheet so that the support member does not interfere with use of the container. The flexible sheet may be comprised of more than one material, permitting the flexible sheet to adhere to the container while being compatible with the contents of the container. The device may also comprise a mechanical sealing mechanism, as well as an internal support structure. The device may be folded for storage and other purposes. The invention also includes methods of using and manufacturing the device.
US08490812B2
A fuel tank, in particular for a motor vehicle, has a filler neck for filling fuel into the fuel tank. It is important that a recirculation device having a tube element is provided, which tube element is arranged substantially coaxially with respect to, and so as to be axially at least slightly spaced apart from, the filler neck, such that fuel which is filled into the fuel tank through the filler neck flows as a free jet into an inlet of the tube element. The inlet is situated above a fuel level and the tube element is configured so as to generate an effect of sucking in fuel vapor as fuel is filled into the fuel tank.
US08490796B2
A probe card container having a main case consisting of upper and lower case portions for storing therein a prove card, a handle provided on one side surface of the main case, one or more members for preventing the movement of the main case provided on a mounting surface of the main case, and one or more rollers for assisting the movement of the main case provided on the mounting surface or a corner formed between the mounting surface and the other side surface of the main case so as to project obliquely downward from the corner.
US08490786B2
The invention provides a dispensing closure to supply a dose with an inverted dome having a housing, the housing having a septum, a convex dome, and an end plate seal. A main vessel can be attached to the inverted dome dispensing closure, and a user-actuated means for dispensing from the inverted dome dispensing closure into the main vessel is also provided. The invention provides a point of use dispensing device that will supply fresh healthy ingredients that are stored inside the closure.
US08490783B1
A protective cover is provided, including a carrier unit and a protective lid. The carrier unit is for fixing an electronic device. The protective lid is foldable in segments, with one side engaged to the second surface of the carrier unit, and the other side covering the first surface when folded. When folded, the protective lid forms a shape able to shield or support. As such, the electronic device can be clamped by a device holder with taking off the protective cover, and the protective cover provides further capabilities of shielding form sunray and supporting to stand on a flat surface for convenient viewing.
US08490782B2
A packaging system for the storage of an ionic, hydrogel contact lens employs an aqueous packaging solution including a phosphorylcholine polymer. Preferably, the solution has an osmolality of at least about 200 mOsm/kg, a pH of about 6 to about 8 and is heat sterilized.
US08490776B2
The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for the transportation and synchronous distribution of packaging units, wherein the packaging units are continuously supplied on a transportation apparatus and distributed to two further transportation apparatuses (16, 16′). The packaging units are centered on the first transportation apparatus by means of two flaps (20a, 20b) wherein, according to the present invention, the movement of the flaps is mechanically coupled.
US08490774B2
A loading station for transport bags transported in an overhead conveyor system comprises an upper supply rail for the transport bags, a vertical conveyor which adjoins the supply rail for moving the transport bags into a lower loading position, a device for opening the transport bags in the loading position and a lower discharge rail which adjoins the vertical conveyor for discharging the transport bags from the loading position.
US08490771B2
In a coin recognition apparatus, when an oscillator control unit applies a synthesized signal containing signals of a plurality of designated frequencies to an oscillator coil, an AD (Analog-to-Digital) converting unit converts an output signal from a receiving coil into a digital signal. A frequency expansion unit expands the digital signal on a frequency axis. A coin recognition unit recognizes a coin based on an amplitude of each signal of the designated frequency extracted from the expanded signal. Furthermore, if the coin recognition apparatus detects a coin center, which is a substantially central line on a surface of the coin, has reached a magnetic sensor based on the output signal from the receiving coil when a single frequency signal is applied to the oscillator coil, the synthesized signal is applied to the oscillator coil.
US08490767B2
An embodiment of a multidisk oil-bath clutch having: a housing mounted to rotate; at least one hub mounted to rotate and housed inside and coaxially with the housing; a number of drive disks housed inside the housing and angularly integral with the housing or the hub; a number of driven disks housed inside the housing, alternating with the drive disks, and angularly integral with the hub or the housing; at least one oil inlet into the housing; and at least one oil outlet from the housing. Each drive disk has a number of first circulation channels extending radially from an inner edge of the drive disk; and each driven disk has a number of second circulation channels extending radially from an inner edge of the driven disk.
US08490756B2
An electric parking brake apparatus having an emergency releasing function for a vehicle, includes an actuator having a driven member, and an emergency release mechanism releasing a parking brake without relying on an electric motor and including an emergency driving member, and an operation mechanism, which is provided between an operation portion provided at the vehicle interior and the actuator and drives the emergency driving member, wherein the operation mechanism includes an operation driving member, which is movable relative to the emergency driving member so as to be engageable with and disengageable from the emergency driving member and drives the emergency driving member in a case where the operation driving member is engaged with the emergency driving member, and a positioning mechanism, which normally maintains an disengaged state of the emergency driving member and is provided at an end portion of the operation mechanism positioned closer to the actuator.
US08490754B2
In an elevator control device in which, when a verified person is authenticated as a registered person by an person authentication device, a security gate is opened to enable the movement into an elevator hall, even when a user cannot ride on an assigned car for some reason after passing through the security gate, the user is enabled to use an elevator. For this purpose, a hall destination floor registration device is provided in the elevator hall so that the user who is present in the hall registers his/her destination floor. A destination call is always registered automatically interlocking with the security gate, and when a predetermined condition is met, the destination floor registration of user made using the hall destination floor registration device is validated.
US08490749B2
A device for enabling access to a structure above ground or sea level, in particular a rotor blade of a wind turbine, by lowering and/or lifting the device in relation to the structure, the device including a frame structure,—means for supporting the device in relation to the structure, and—means for lowering and/or lifting the device in relation to the structure, where at least part of the frame structure includes a track portion, the track portion being adapted to guide an, in relation to the track portion, movable object along the track portion, where the means for supporting the device in relation to the structure are configured for positioning the device in relation to the structure, and the means for supporting the device in relation to the structure are configured for facilitating a movement of the device essentially in the longitudinal direction of the structure.
US08490748B2
A folding step stool includes a front rail assembly. The step stool includes a rear rail assembly, pivotally connected to the front rail assembly, having a crossbar. The step stool includes a step pivotally attached to the front rail assembly having notches which fit over the crossbar when the stool is in an open position. The step stool includes a linkage assembly pivotally and fixedly attached to the step and pivotally and fixedly attached to the crossbar. The linkage assembly compresses to allow the notches to fit over the crossbar and the linkage assembly exerting a force to maintain the crossbar in the notches when the stool is in the open position. A method for securing a step stool includes the steps of moving the notches of a step against a crossbar of a rear rail assembly pivotally connected to a front rail assembly of the step stool. There is the step of compressing a linkage assembly pivotally and fixedly attached to the step and pivotally and fixedly attached to the crossbar to allow the notches to fit over the crossbar. There is the step of exerting a force with the linkage assembly to maintain the crossbar in the notches when the stool is in the open position.
US08490721B2
A polycrystalline diamond (PCD) material 10 comprising at least 88 volume percent and at most 99 volume percent diamond grains 12, the mean diamond grain contiguity being greater than 60.5 percent. The PCD material 10 is particularly but not exclusively for use in boring into the earth.
US08490713B2
A handle assembly for operating an articulatable surgical instrument is provided and includes a housing; an actuation shaft translatably and rotatably supported in the housing; a first trigger supported on the housing and connected to the actuation shaft, the first trigger being configured to translate the actuation shaft to operate a first function of the surgical instrument; a second trigger supported on the housing and connected to the actuation shaft, the second trigger being configured to rotate the actuation shaft to operate a second function of the surgical instrument; and a second-trigger release supported in the housing, the second-trigger release having a first position blocking actuation of the second trigger and a second position permitting actuation of the second trigger, where the second-trigger release is actuated from the first position to the second position upon and complete actuation of the first trigger.
US08490707B2
The subject disclosure relates to apparatus and methods that are particularly suited for creating a seal in a borehole annulus. More particularly, the subject disclosure relates to a seal with enhanced sealing capability. In one embodiment the subject disclosure relates to a reinforced and permanent swellable packer device.
US08490705B2
A hydraulic control system for operating a subsea blowout preventer includes a surface manifold configured to convey hydraulic power to the blowout preventer, a surface actuation valve hydraulically connected to subsea valves and configured to operate the blowout preventer, and a control system monitoring apparatus. The control system monitoring apparatus includes a surface manifold pressure transducer hydraulically connected to the surface manifold, an electronic readback system, and a surface control line pressure transducer hydraulically connected to the surface end of at least one control hose and the surface actuation valve. The control system monitoring apparatus is configured to read, record, and process pressure data supplied by the surface manifold and surface control line pressure transducers.
US08490696B2
A method and apparatus for the enhanced recovery of hydrocarbon fluids from subterranean reservoirs using cryogenic fluids. Using the Earth's geothermal energy to warm cryogenic flood fluids injected into subterranean reservoirs, the pressure within the subterranean reservoir is increased. This rise in pressure due to the injection of the cryogenic fluid leads to the production of fluids from to the subterranean reservoirs.
US08490695B2
A method for drilling and completing multiple wellbores in a subsurface rock formation includes drilling a first wellbore along a first selected trajectory through the rock formation. The first wellbore is fracture treated and then abandoned. A second wellbore is drilled along a second selected trajectory through the rock formation. The second trajectory is laterally spaced from the first trajectory. The second wellbore is then fracture treated and abandoned. A third wellbore is drilled along a third selected trajectory through the rock formation. The third trajectory is disposed between the first and second trajectories. The third wellbore is fractured treated such that a fracture network extending therefrom hydraulically connects to fracture networks extending from the first and second wellbores.
US08490689B1
A bridge style fractionation plug for use in a wellbore to separate a lower fractionation zone from an upper fractionation zone with no communication between the zones.
US08490686B2
A method of mitigating perforating effects produced by well perforating can include causing a shock model to predict perforating effects for a proposed perforating string, optimizing a compliance curve of at least one proposed coupler, thereby mitigating the perforating effects for the proposed perforating string, and providing at least one actual coupler having substantially the same compliance curve as the proposed coupler. A well system can comprise a perforating string including at least one perforating gun and multiple couplers, each of the couplers having a compliance curve, and at least two of the compliance curves being different from each other. A method of mitigating perforating effects produced by well perforating can include interconnecting multiple couplers spaced apart in a perforating string, each of the couplers having a compliance curve, and selecting the compliance curves based on predictions by a shock model of shock generated by the perforating string.
US08490673B2
A method for deburring a ceramic foundry core obtained by injecting a ceramic paste, the paste including a binder having a predetermined glass transition temperature, into a mold and having at least one surface portion with a surplus of material forming a burr to be eliminated. The method includes the following stages: a) disposing and attaching the molded, unfired foundry core onto a mounting; b) placing a milling tool, having an elongated shape with a helically cut edge, onto a tool holder; c) causing the tool to rotate around its axis and touching the milling tool to the surface portion to be deburred; and d) freezing the surface portion to be deburred such that the foundry core is maintained at a temperature lower than a glass transition temperature during the deburring operation.
US08490669B2
Insulated tracks for use with loading dock doors are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an insulated door track configured in accordance with the present disclosure includes a first insulator, such as a plastic material, applied to a surface of the door track that extends adjacent to the loading dock door in the closed position. A second insulator, such as a radiant barrier comprised of a thin film of a reflective material, such as aluminum, can be applied to an opposing surface of the first insulator to prevent or at least reduce radiant energy losses through the track. A gap between the first insulator and the door jamb can be sealed with a third insulator, such as a suitable strip of foam.
US08490668B2
A retractable barrier system includes an example gear assembly that can be manipulated for rapidly deploying a flexible barrier, exerting high torque for the initial tightening of the barrier, maintaining high static tension in barrier when in use, and/or rapidly retracting barrier for storage. In some examples, the gear assembly is a worm drive with a worm that can be selectively disengaged from a worm gear. Other optional features of the barrier system include selective right-hand/left-hand configurations, an electric switch that can be added to indicate whether the barrier system is in use, an intermediate coupling that joins the distal ends of two barriers for creating an extra long barrier system, and removable vehicle-mounted posts for certain loading dock applications.
US08490661B1
In at least one implementation, a filler neck for a fuel tank may include an outer tube attached to the fuel tank through which fuel is discharged into the fuel tank during a refueling event, and an insert. The insert may be carried by the outer tube and have a passage adapted to receive a refueling nozzle during a refueling event, a first barrier adapted to engage a refueling nozzle inserted in the passage and having one or more gaps through which fluid may flow between the refueling nozzle and first barrier, and a second barrier adapted to engage the first barrier to reduce the size of the gaps when the first barrier is engaged with a refueling nozzle.
US08490647B2
A fluid pressure regulating apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a chamber having a first bore diameter, a second bore diameter, a fluid inlet for receiving fluid at an unregulated pressure, and a fluid outlet for discharging fluid at a regulated pressure. A shuttle assembly is located in the chamber, the shuttle assembly including a valve that is in fluid communication with both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and a first sealing member located at an upper portion of the shuttle assembly and a second sealing member located at a lower portion of the shuttle assembly. An unregulated pressure zone communicates with the fluid inlet, a regulated pressure zone communicates with the fluid outlet and a fluid pressure control zone communicates with a portion of the shuttle assembly, the fluid pressure control zone controlling the regulated pressure at the fluid outlet.
US08490645B2
In a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of liquid flowing in a main fluid flow path, a pressure measuring unit is installed by providing a pressure measuring space at a position branching from a straight-pipe portion of the main fluid flow path, and, in addition, the main fluid flow path and the pressure measuring space are connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe whose pipe diameters are smaller than the main fluid flow path.
US08490643B2
A diverter valve controlling input of two different extruded materials has a valve body having an axially extending opening, and a valve piston axially movable in the opening between first and second positions. The body defines a first inlet for receiving a first material, and a second inlet for receiving a second material with first and second outlets opposite the inlets. The piston has first and second through channels and first and second cross-over channels, each with inlet side and outlet side ports. A first flushing channel communicates with the first inlet and end ports, a second flushing channel communicates with the second inlet and end ports, and a third flushing channel opposite the first two communicates with the second outlet and includes a plurality of ports, with all the ports, inlets and outlets open to the axial opening.
US08490640B2
A system for regulating pressure supplied to a transmission control element, includes a control pressure source and line pressure source, a latch valve that opens and closes communication with the line pressure source in response to control pressure, and a regulator valve including a spool for regulating line pressure and producing control element pressure when the latch valve is closed, and an auxiliary piston responsive to line pressure and contacting the spool for connecting line pressure to the control element when the latch valve is open.
US08490636B2
An ultrasonic cleaning device includes a drain connecting member adapted to be engaged with a drain hole of a sink, and having a valve seat, a valve member having a valve portion angularly movable relative to the valve seat between an opened position to be disengaged from the valve seat to thereby allow for liquid communication between a reservoir of the sink and the drain hole, and a closed position to be engaged with the valve seat for interrupt the liquid communication, and an ultrasonic generating unit disposed in the valve member for exerting ultrasonic vibration on liquid within the reservoir.
US08490630B2
Disclosed herein is a hookah accessory comprising: a top tray configured to hold tobacco; a bottom tray configured to hold hot coal; a hollow tube in fluid communication with the top tray; and attachment means for attaching the accessory to the hookah.
US08490610B2
An EG-ECU suspends fuel cutoff when the fuel cutoff is being carried out and the engine speed NE becomes lower than or equal to the resumption engine speed NErtn. The EG-ECU forcibly opens and closes an EGR valve when the fuel cutoff is being carried out, and performs abnormality diagnosis for an EGR device based on a change amount of pressure in an intake pipe caused by opening and closing the EGR valve. The EG-ECU suspends the diagnosis when the diagnosis is being carried out and the engine speed NE becomes lower than or equal to a forcible suspension engine speed NEoff. When the diagnosis is being performed, the EG-ECU sets the forcible suspension engine speed NEoff to a smaller value when the EGR valve is not in a forcibly opened state than when the EGR valve is in the forcibly opened state. Specifically, the EG-ECU sets the forcible suspension engine speed NEoff in such a manner that an allowance ΔNEallw of the forcible suspension engine speed NEoff with respect to the resumption engine speed NErtn has a smaller value when the EGR valve is not in the forcibly opened state than when the EGR valve is in the forcibly opened state.
US08490606B2
An exhaust gas re-induction apparatus includes conduits and an outer housing, which receive exhaust gas from an exhaust system of an engine, and passively recirculate a portion of the gas to an air inlet of the engine while transferring another portion of the gas through orifices in the apparatus and via a return conduit to the exhaust manifold. An exchange of heat occurs between the exhaust gas, the various components and chambers of the re-induction apparatus, and the environment. Fuel efficiency is increased and harmful toxins and emissions are reduced. A system includes the re-induction apparatus and a recirculation conduit, which connects the re-induction apparatus to the air inlet of the engine before the vacuum, via a water separator or soot filter device depending on engine type. The amount of exhaust gas recirculated can essentially depend on the operating speed of the engine and the size dimensions of the apparatus.
US08490605B2
An actuating drive for a bi-directionally adjustable actuator for at least on of an exhaust gas recirculation device and an exhaust gas turbocharger. The actuating drive includes an electric motor; a toggle lever, which articulates with the actuator via a first toggle lever bearing; and a gear mechanism, connecting the electric motor with the toggle lever, wherein the gear mechanism includes a toothing element on an output side mounted in a pivot bearing, wherein the toggle lever is articulating mounted via a second toggle lever bearing, wherein in a starting state of the actuating drive is associated with a starting position of the actuator, and wherein an acute angle exists between a first straight line extending through the first toggle lever bearing and through the second toggle lever bearing, and a second straight line extending through the pivot bearing and through the second toggle lever bearing.
US08490603B2
A fuel tank valve device equipped with a casing, and a valve mechanism. The valve mechanism has a first valve unit having a first valve connecting hole, and a second valve unit that opens and closes the first valve connecting hole. The first valve unit completely closes the valve flow path by moving by the force in the valve closing direction when the pressure of the second communication path exceeds a preset first pressure value. In a state when the first valve unit is closing the valve flow path, when the pressure of the second communication path exceeds a preset second pressure value that is greater than the first pressure value, the second valve unit receives the pressure from the first valve connecting hole and moves to open the first valve connecting hole, communicating with the valve flow path.
US08490594B2
An outboard motor includes an engine including a vertically extending crankshaft, a rope reel, a transmitting member, a force accumulation spiral spring, and an engine cover arranged to cover these components. The rope reel includes a plate portion arranged to be rotatable about the rotational center axis of the crankshaft and a rope winding portion provided integrally with the plate portion at the peripheral edge thereof and arranged to be wound with a rope to start the engine. The transmitting member is arranged to be rotatable about the rotational center axis of the crankshaft and to transmit rotation to the crankshaft. The force accumulation spiral spring is disposed on the opposite side of the engine with respect to the plate portion of the rope reel. The force accumulation spiral spring is arranged to accumulate a torque applied to the rope reel and transmit the torque to the transmitting member, first and second ends of the spring being fixed, respectively, to the rope reel and the transmitting member.
US08490592B1
A removable torque transfer starter for engine that includes a housing releasably attachable to an engine, wherein torque is transferred to a crank axle of the engine internally relative the housing, whereby an operator need not apply an external torque to start the internal combustion engine, but may depress a start button and securely support the device being started instead.
US08490588B2
There is provided an actuator device for a variable valve apparatus. The variable valve apparatus has a control shaft to vary operation characteristics of an engine valve by an axial movement thereof. The actuator device has a rotatable screw shaft, a movable member axially movable with rotation of the screw shaft and a transmission mechanism unit that converts an axial movement of the movable member to the axial movement of the control shaft. An amount of the axial movement of the movable member is larger than an amount of the axial movement of the control shaft.
US08490576B2
The invention relates to a milking parlor and a method for manufacturing same, the milking parlor comprising a work area for an operator and a platform elevated relative to the area, which forms a standing and walking area for the animals to be milked, the platform comprising a substructure on its side facing the work area where a utility space is left open beneath the standing and walking area, and wherein the substructure is formed by load-bearing elements positioned one after the other in the lengthwise direction and configured to be substantially identical.
US08490573B2
Broadly speaking, a method and an apparatus are provided for depositing a material on a semiconductor wafer (“wafer”). More specifically, the method and apparatus provide for selective heating of a surface of the wafer exposed to an electroless plating solution. The selective heating is provided by applying radiant energy to the wafer surface. The selective heating of the wafer surface causes a temperature increase at an interface between the wafer surface and the electroless plating solution. The temperature increase at the interface in turn causes a plating reaction to occur at the wafer surface. Thus, material is deposited on the wafer surface through an electroless plating reaction that is initiated and controlled by varying the temperature of the wafer surface using an appropriately defined radiant energy source.
US08490572B2
A rotary electrostatic atomizer uses shaping air and pattern control air. Shaping airflow is supplied from shaping air holes aligned along outer one of concentric circles that are concentric with the rotation axis of the bell cup and located behind the front end of the bell cup. Pattern control airflow is supplied from pattern control air holes aligned along inner one of the concentric circles. Both the shaping air flow and the pattern control airflow are expelled in circumferentially twisted directions substantially with an equal twist angle opposite from the rotating direction of the bell cup. The shaping airflow passes a circular line near to and radially outwardly apart from the outer perimeter of the bell cup. The pattern control airflow intersects the shaping airflow from radially inside at the position near to and radially outwardly apart from the outer perimeter of the bell cup. Thereby, the pattern control airflow gives the shaping airflow a radially outward force to enhance the centrifugal force of the shaping air and enlarge the coating pattern regulated by the shaping airflow.
US08490566B1
A method for offloading a liquefied natural gas from a floating liquefaction vessel to a transport vessel for storage and transport, wherein the method can include using a connecting device to attach and hold the transport vessel to the floating liquefaction vessel, and using a ram to move a telescoping walkway of the connecting device from a transport position to a deployed position. The method can include connecting the telescoping walkway to a variety of bow configurations of transport vessels by securing an inner walkway to the transport vessel. The inner walkway can extend and retract from an outer walkway to accommodate for motions. The method can include transferring the liquefied natural gas to the transport vessel. The method can include monitoring receipt, storage, and offloading of the liquefied natural gas and dynamically positioning the transport vessel in proximity to the floating liquefaction vessel.
US08490560B2
A cover for use with an elongated opening associated with a transportable barge. The cover includes a number of inter-engageable cover sections, each exhibiting a plasticized construction and extending in both widthwise and lengthwise fashion relative to an upper lip edge defining an open perimeter of the barge. Each cover section exhibits pairs of opposing lifting eyes and associated locking pins, these being defined along outer extending side edge locations of each cover section and is adapted to securing the cover section upon the barge perimeter defining edge. Each cover further includes a four point locking and unlocking feature activated by a lift handle for selectively opening a cargo carrying interior associated with the barge. A plurality of structurally strengthening trusses are also incorporated into each individually assemble-able barge section in combination with an in molded ladder associated with each end wall section.
US08490557B2
A balance maintaining equipment for a floating body includes a driving device for rotating a driving shaft; a first eccentric rotating body positioned at one side of the driving device and connected to the driving shaft to rotate around the driving shaft by the rotation thereof; and a second eccentric rotating body positioned at the other side of the driving device and connected to the driving shaft to rotate around the driving shaft by the rotation thereof, while having a phase difference of 180 degrees from the rotation of the first eccentric rotating body. The balance maintaining equipment generates the moment in the opposite direction to the roll of the floating body. Furthermore, when the roll period of the floating body is changed, the balance maintaining equipment varies the angular velocity of the driving shaft to interwork with the roll period of the floating body.
US08490555B1
A height adjustable table is disclosed wherein all horizontal supports that span between legs have been eliminated to increase storage space and knee space in the area under the table work surface. A unique telescoping leg arrangement is disclosed.
US08490532B2
A launcher comprising multiple barrels arranged on a rotatable plinth, each barrel configured such that its longitudinal axis can be moved through an arc from a first position where the axis is moveable through a plane substantially orthogonal to the plane in which the plinth and barrel assembly rotates to a second position and wherein one or more of the barrels can be moved independently of others carried on the plinth.
US08490530B2
Disclosed is a corrugated plastic composite spring for a vehicle suspension and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the same. The apparatus includes a corrugated extrusion part, a braiding part, and a pultrusion part. The corrugated extrusion part forms a preform having a hollow corrugated structure. The braiding part weaves a three-dimensional woven fabric on the preform. The pultrusion part impregnates the three-dimensional woven fabric with thermosetting resin.
US08490528B2
A cutting device includes a positioning mechanism for positioning a cutting unit at a plurality of tilt angles including a first tilt angle and a second tilt angle in a left direction and/or a right direction. The first tilt angle is larger than the second tilt angle. A setting state for the first tilt angle is reset to a setting state for the second tilt angle when a positioning state at the first tilt angle is released.
US08490525B2
A torque application device according to aspects of the present invention comprises (1) a collar for engaging a fastener, (2) a grip coupled to the collar, the grip preferably configured to magnify torque applied to it and to transfer all or part of the magnified torque to the collar, and (3) a slip mechanism to help avoid applying more than a predetermined, maximum amount of torque. The device may further include an indicator (such as a visual, audible and/or tactile indicator) to indicate when a predetermined maximum torque has been reached.
US08490524B2
An apparatus for use in adjusting an endplay of a bearing of a wheel hub assembly includes an outer circumferential surface configured to be received within an annular space around the nut attached to a shaft of the wheel hub assembly and retaining the bearing on the shaft. An engaging surface is coupled to the outer circumferential surface and configured to engage the nut. A stopping surface is coupled to the engaging surface and configured to abut an outer surface of the nut opposite the bearing such that the engaging surface is positioned in an engaging position to engage nut engaging surfaces of the nut. An arm is connected to the stopping surface and extends out of the annular space away from the bearing and substantially parallel to an axis of the shaft when the stopping surface abuts the outer surface of the nut.
US08490523B2
A locking folding tool is disclosed. The folding tool comprises a housing having a pair of sidewalls in spaced relation to each other, and a support extending transversely between the pair of sidewalls. The folding tool may further have a plurality of work tools pivotally supported by the support. As such, the support may define a pivot axis for the work tools. Each work tool may further have an associated lock engaging member. The folding tool may also include a lock member movable between a first position and a second position. When the lock member is in the first position, it may engage the lock engaging members so that each of the work tools is inhibited from pivoting about the support. When the lock member is in the second position, it may disengage the lock engaging member so that the work tools are pivotable about the support.
US08490519B2
An attachment is described that is configured for attachment to an arm of a piece of heavy construction equipment. The attachment is configured to rotate a section of pipe during break out (i.e. disconnection or disassembly) from another section of pipe and/or make up (i.e. connection or assembly) with another section of pipe. The attachment is configured to break the joint or torque the joint to a predetermined torque value, unthread or thread pipe, and lift the pipe under the power of the heavy construction equipment.
US08490512B2
In one implementation, a shifter assembly for a vehicle transmission, may include a shifter adapted to move between at least two positions corresponding to different modes of operation of the transmission, a cable connection feature associated with the shifter, and a cable connected to the cable connection feature and adapted to be connected to the transmission such that movement of the shifter is transmitted to the transmission by the cable. The cable may include a conduit, a core received within the conduit, and a dampener connected to the conduit. The dampener in the preferred embodiment bends the conduit and engages the core with the conduit.
US08490509B2
An actuating device for a gear shifting transmission. The actuating device includes a selector lever which has stable selector lever positions, and a detent mechanism with a detent element and notched gate, the detent element is connected to the selector lever. The notched gate is disposed on a gate shaft that rotates when actuated. The gate shaft includes at least one helical return groove for the detent element. Due to rotation of the gate shaft, the detent element can be transferred from a start position, along the return groove, into a target position. The selector lever position always reflects the actual gear stage of the transmission, even with shift-by-wire-controlled gear shifting transmissions. The driver is provided with reliable visual and tactile feedback about the gear state of the transmission. The actuating device is structurally reliable, has low energy consumption, produces minimal noise, and requires minimal construction space.
US08490504B2
Prostheses are fatigue tested using an apparatus under simulated physiological loading conditions. A fluid housing defines an entrance chamber having fluid outflow ports and an exit chamber having opposing fluid inflow ports and a central flow conduit in communication with the entrance chamber and the exit chamber. A plurality of housing tubes into which prosthesis are deployed may extend between the fluid outflow and inflow ports. Alternatively, tubular prostheses may be connected directly between the inflow and outflow ports. A reciprocating linear drive pump having a flexible diaphragm is provided to cyclically pressurize fluid through a common closed loop within the fluid housing and drive the pressurized fluid through the prosthesis being tested. The test system is capable of rotation independent of the motor drive for accurate diameter measurements of all test samples at elevated frequencies.
US08490497B2
A pressure transducer for measuring pressure may include an all-polymer chamber that has no dimension greater than 1 mm. There may be fluid within the chamber, a gaseous bubble trapped within the fluid, and electrodes in contact with the fluid. The electrodes may enable a measurement of changes in the impedance of the fluid caused by changes in the volume of the gaseous bubble caused by changes in the pressure to be measured.The pressure transducer may be made by depositing the chamber, placing the fluid within the chamber, and generating the gaseous bubble within the fluid with electrolysis.
US08490493B2
Provided is a method for detecting composite defects between a first material and a second material, comprising the steps of: (a) introducing horizontally polarized low-frequency transverse waves into an upper surface of the composite material; (b) detecting an ultrasound echo of the emitted low-frequency horizontally polarized transverse waves; (c) displaying the detected ultrasound echoes on a display device.
US08490491B2
A method and apparatus for effecting ultrasonic flaw detection of an object processes an echo signal received from the object being tested in at least three signal channels, wherein the echo signal is scaled to different degrees along each channel to increase and extend the dynamic range of an associated A/D converter system, in a manner which dispenses with the need for using numerous analog high pass and low pass filters and a variable gain amplifier. This reduces complexity and avoids performance limitations. The digital to analog converters sample the differently scaled input signal and a selection circuit selects the output of the digital output obtained from that analog to digital converter which has the highest gain, but which has not overflowed. The digital outputs are seamlessly merged to produce an output that can be displayed as a scan display which shows the location of faults.
US08490487B1
An omni-directional mechanical acceleration sensor is disclosed for use in applications including, but not limited to, vehicular seat belt systems, aircraft safety harness systems and initiation of airbag safety systems. The mechanical acceleration sensor incorporates at least two masses which, upon an acceleration event occurring, will cause a lever, to pivot thereby releasing the lever from engagement with an actuating means which would then initiate the applicable safety system.
US08490485B2
A resonator for an angular parameter sensor, the resonator comprising a bell of electrically-insulating material provided with a central stem and an electrically-conductive layer, the conductive layer comprising branches extending from a central portion of the bell to a peripheral edge of the bell, the number of said branches being a prime number not less than seven.
US08490470B1
A parallel-plate system collects data used to determine viscosity. A first plate is coupled to a translator so that the first plate can be moved along a first direction. A second plate has a pendulum device coupled thereto such that the second plate is suspended above and parallel to the first plate. The pendulum device constrains movement of the second plate to a second direction that is aligned with the first direction and is substantially parallel thereto. A force measuring device is coupled to the second plate for measuring force along the second direction caused by movement of the second plate.
US08490468B2
Provided is a failure diagnosis system which can diagnose whether or not a sensitivity adjustment part is in failure. The failure diagnosis system includes: a plurality of sensors; various sensors that detect operating conditions of a device; a plurality of sensitivity adjustment parts that adjust receiver sensitivities of sensor signals from the plurality of sensors based on the detected operating conditions; and a failure diagnosis part that diagnoses whether or not the plurality of sensitivity adjustment parts are in failure. The failure diagnosis part detects a failure condition of a sensitivity adjustment part when a difference between a comparison value calculated based on a maximum value of the adjusted sensor signals from the plurality of sensitivity adjustment parts at a given interval, and a maximum value of the adjusted sensor signal from the sensitivity adjustment part to be diagnosed at the given interval is larger than a given amount.
US08490459B2
A device for shaping a blank into a hollow profiled element can include at least one base plate, onto which the blank that is to be shaped can be placed, at least one die core for the hollow profiled element, and at least two die halves for shaping the blank into the hollow profiled element. A method can include producing a hollow profiled element with at least one molded-on stiffening and/or functional element made from a blank. Hollow profiled elements can be produced at low cost, but at the same time ensure high reliability of a process where different hollow profiled elements are joined together by a generic device, wherein at least one form punch is provided for introducing an element structure into the planar blank that can be shaped and/or fixed into a stiffening and/or functional element.
US08490450B2
A retract mandrel mill, comprising a mandrel mill and an extractor, the mandrel mill including a mandrel bar and being configured to roll a tube blank into which the mandrel bar is inserted, the extractor being configured to extract the mandrel bar from the tube blank that has been rolled in the mandrel mill, wherein the distance between the mandrel mill and the extractor is adjustable, and a method for rolling a tube blank by using the retract mandrel mill. As the result of the adjustable distance, even when a tube blank which is shorter than usual is rolled, there is no need to add an extra extension to the length of the tube blank to be elongation-rolled, and the wear of the mandrel bar can be suppressed so that the tube blank can be rolled efficiently and with high yields.
US08490445B2
A door lock includes a first driven wheel connected drivenly to a motor and having two resilient driving elements, and a second driven wheel connected drivenly to a rotary handle and the first driven wheel. The second driven wheel has a driven element disposed between and driven by the driving elements so that the second driven wheel moves to a first or second position to place a latch bolt in a latching or unlatching position. When the latch bolt is jammed, the second driven wheel is inoperative. However, as the driving elements are resilient, the first driven wheel can continue its rotation without being obstructed.
US08490435B2
There is provide an optical fiber end processing method, for processing an end portion of an optical fiber having a core and a clad surrounding the core, comprising: fixing two places of the optical fiber; firstly heating a part at a tip end side of the optical fiber between fixed parts fixed at two places, thereby melting the optical fiber at the heated part at the tip end side; secondly heating a part at a base end side of the optical fiber between the fixed parts away from the heated part at the tip end side in a state that the optical fiber is fixed at two places, thereby forming an expanded core region which is formed by expanding a diameter of the core by diffusing the dopant included in the optical fiber; and removing at least the heated part at the tip end side.
US08490432B2
A method and apparatus for forming a glass sheet using a fusion down-draw process, wherein the heating powers of the heating elements are managed such that in case of a failure of one heating element, the heating power of the adjacent heating element is immediately increased. The method decreases the thermal stress the forming body is exposed to due to the failure of the heating element.
US08490431B2
An optical device has a substrate, an optical element mounted on the substrate, a first glass member sealing the optical element and the substrate, and a second glass member formed on the first glass member and having a mold separation property higher than the first glass member.
US08490424B2
A refrigerated display case for maintaining food product at a desired temperature includes a product display area adapted to support and to display the food product such that the food product is accessible from the front of the case through an opening. An interior top wall is positioned above the product display area and includes an outlet adjacent the opening. An air passageway internal to the case and in fluid communication with the outlet permits refrigerated air from a refrigeration system to be supplied to the product display area through the outlet. The air discharged from the outlet defines an air curtain adapted to maintain the food product at the desired temperature. A light source is disposed adjacent the interior top wall and inside the air curtain and is adapted to illuminate the food product within the product display area.
US08490419B2
Dissipating heat and apparatus therefor from a heat dissipation surface is described. In an embodiment, first jets are streamed along the heat dissipation surface in a first direction and are spaced apart from one another. Second jets are streamed along the heat dissipation surface in a second direction at least substantially opposite the first direction and spaced apart from one another. Coolant used to provide the first jets and the second jets is exited away from the heat dissipation surface. The first jets and the second jets are offset from one another in a transverse direction with respect to the first direction and the second direction, and the first jets and the second jets pass side-by-side with respect to one another.
US08490408B2
A compressor shroud has a continuous slot defined in a gaspath side surface thereof for communicating through the body of the shroud. Spaced-apart structural bridges span a rear portion of the slot in the shroud to maintain structural rigidity of the shroud. The method of forming the continuous slot is also described.
US08490401B2
An annular combustion chamber for a gas turbine engine includes radially inner and outer walls connected together by a chamber end wall including openings, each of which receives a fuel injection system. Heat protection deflectors are fastened to the chamber end wall. Holes are formed through the chamber end wall to pass cooling air onto an upstream face of each deflector. The inner or outer edge of a deflector presents a sealing rim engaging the respective inner or outer wall of the chamber.
US08490398B2
The disclosure relates to a burner for a single combustion chamber or first 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, wherein the at least one body is located in a first section of the burner with a first cross-sectional area at a leading edge of the at least one body with reference to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner, wherein downstream of said body a mixing zone is located with a second cross-sectional area, and at and/or downstream of said body the cross-sectional area is reduced, such that the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross-sectional area.
US08490394B2
The invention refers to a supercharging system (6) for an internal combustion engine (1) incorporating in combination, a turbine (7), a compressor (8) and an electrical driven system (20) that is connected by any power transmission system (16, 19) to the crankshaft (4) or any other vehicle drive shaft of an internal combustion engine, where the turbine inlet is subjected to exhaust gases, causing the turbine wheel to rotate and thereby via the drive shaft causing mechanical rotating power.
US08490391B2
The invention relates to a hydrostatic actuator, having a master cylinder including a housing and a piston, which is axially mountable in the housing and which pressurizes a pressure chamber filled with pressure medium, a planetary rolling-contact gear system that converts a rotary drive into an axial motion and that has a sleeve, a gear-driven spindle, and planetary rolling elements that roll therebetween, and an electric motor that drives the planetary rolling-contact gear system and that has a stator rigidly connected to a housing and a rotor that can be rotated relative to the stator. In order to optimize the installation space, the pressure chamber is annular and the planetary rolling-contact gear system is arranged radially within the pressure chamber.
US08490388B2
An oxidation catalyst temperature control system and method for an engine having an exhaust means including an oxidation catalyst is provided. A post fuel calculation means calculates a value representing a post quantity of fuel to be introduced to generate an exothermic reaction in the oxidation catalyst based on a pre-determined desired outlet temperature of the oxidation catalyst, the calculation using a steady state model of the oxidation catalyst, the steady state model utilizing the exhaust mass flow rate and the inlet temperature of the oxidation catalyst and instruction means to instruct the post quantity of fuel to be introduced to the engine.
US08490383B2
The present invention discloses an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine that provides diesel particulate filter (DPF) failure detection and/or monitoring of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) for an internal combustion engine. The system can include a main exhaust duct and a secondary exhaust line operative for exhaust gas to pass therethrough. The system has an oxidation catalyst and a main particulate filter located in line with the main exhaust duct. A monitoring particulate filter is also included and located within the secondary exhaust line. The secondary exhaust line and the monitoring particulate filter are located downstream from the main particulate filter.
US08490380B2
A continuous combustion system for an internal combustion engine includes a reaction vessel external to the engine cylinders. The reaction vessel contains a combustion chamber for sustaining continuous combustion of an air fuel mixture during the operation of the associated engine. The reaction vessel contains an incoming air chamber and an exhaust gas chamber that are each in communication with the combustion chamber. Injected fuel vapor is mixed with scavenged exhaust gas for pre-heating and with compressed air from each cylinder provided during the compression stroke of each piston. The compressed air and fuel vapor mixture sustains the ignited combustion continuously, while exhaust gas is fed to the cylinders to provide working fluid to the engine during the power stroke of each piston. A valve mechanism is provided to control the flow of air from and working fluid to the cylinders at the appropriate times in order to sustain operation of the engine.
US08490374B2
A mower apparatus includes a mower deck having a first deck section, a second deck section pivotable relative to the first deck section, and a latch. The latch is actuable between a first position in which the latch maintains the second deck section in a lowered position and a second position in which the latch maintains the second deck in a raised position.
US08490373B2
A push mower comprises a mower main body, at least one arm extending upward toward a rear side from the mower main body, and a grip located at a tip end of the at least one arm. Each end of the grip is located on one plane side of an arm plane, a center of the grip is located on an opposite plane side of the arm plane, and therefore the grip extends so as to intersect with the arm plane. Here, the arm plane means a virtual plane on which the at least one arm is located and that is parallel to a left-to-right direction of the mower main body.
US08490372B2
A robotic tree trimmer has a hydraulic system adapted to be mounted to a tractor and comprising an extendible vertical mast. A first hydraulic motor attached to the vertical mast and adapted to linearly extend and rotate the vertical mast 180 degrees around a first vertical axis. An extendible horizontal boom attached to a distal top end of the vertical mast and having an extension member on an end opposite the distal top end of the vertical mast; a second hydraulic motor attached to the extension member and used to rotate a trimming apparatus 360 degrees around a second vertical axis variably spaced from the first vertical axis by the extendible horizontal boom.
US08490371B2
An electric motor-driven rotary disc cutter module for a cutterbar in an agricultural harvester. In one embodiment, each rotary disc module includes an electric motor driver. Individual cutterhead modules are staggered fore and aft along the cutterbar to provide continuous cutting across the lateral width of the cutterbar without requiring synchronized rotation of the cutterheads. Individual speed and/or rotational direction adjustment of each cutterhead enables optimized crop cutting performance and/or crop movement within the header. A control system may be included to monitor performance and manage individual operation of the cutterhead modules. In a second embodiment, a pair of cutterheads are powered by a single electric motor wherein rotational input for the second cutterhead is transferred by a simple geartrain. The pair of cutterheads is combined into a modular arrangement with the modules being staggered fore and aft on the cutterbar to provide a continuous lateral cutting swath.
US08490364B2
A batten system includes a stud, at least one removable flange and at least one closure strip. The at least one removable flange is secured to the stud by the closure strip without the use of a screw. The stud includes a neck opening with at least one receiving trough. The stud also includes a hammerhead-nut channel. The hammerhead-nut channel has a predetermined profile. In some embodiments, the screw-less batten system includes a hammerhead-nut.
US08490360B2
Floor panels are shown with discontinuous surface layers, which are mechanically connectable to each other along one pair of adjacent edges, said floor panels comprising at least two floor elements whereof at least one of the floor elements is non rectangular.
US08490355B2
A ventilated structural panel comprising a first sheet, having edges that define a horizontal axis with a first horizontal edge and a second horizontal edge, and vertical axis with a first vertical edge and a second vertical edge, a second sheet being of substantially the same planar dimensions as the first sheet and having edges that define a horizontal axis and vertical axis, with a first horizontal edge and a second horizontal edge and a first vertical edge and a second vertical edge, the first and the second sheet being parallel in plane and matched in at least one of the vertical axis and the horizontal axis, a plurality of spacing structural elements, fixedly attaching the first sheet to the second sheet, such that the yield strength of the combined panel is greater than the combined individual yield strengths of the first and the second sheet; and the plurality of spacing structural elements being arranged such that a plurality of unobstructed pathways are created for air to move from at least one edge of the panel to at least one of an opposite and an adjacent edge of the panel, and being arranged to provide integral ventilation through the materials and between the first and the second sheet.
US08490347B2
A corner joint for a window or door frame includes first and second frame members each having a mitered end, at least one cavity in each mitered end and at least one side wall opening into each cavity. A screw boss is disposed in the cavity of the first frame member, and a detent lug on a flexible resilient portion of the screw boss is received in the side wall opening of the first frame member. A corner key has a first leg received in the cavity of the first frame member over the screw boss to hold the screw boss in place, and a second leg received in the cavity of the second frame member. A screw extends through the side wall opening in the second frame member and through the corner key, and is threaded into the screw boss to clamp the mitered ends of the frame members together. A sealing gasket may be captured between the mitered ends of the frame members.
US08490346B2
An internal anchor board-up system for windows is disclosed. The internal anchor board-up system may include an exterior window cover, one or more interior clamping beams, and bolts or fasteners connecting the cover to the beam. The exterior cover is preferably transparent, such as a plexiglass cover, so that the internal anchor board-up system is substantially more aesthetically pleasing than traditional board-up systems relying upon plywood. Further, a transparent plexiglass or acrylic cover is stronger and harder to cut through than plywood.
US08490339B2
A sunshade for mounting to a building structure has first and second extruded outriggers spaced apart from each other and louvers extending from the first outrigger to the second outrigger. The first and second outriggers have an elongated body, an upper leg extending from an upper portion of the elongated body, and a lower leg extending from a lower portion of the elongated body. The outriggers of adjacent sunshades face each other such that the upper legs face each other and the lower legs face each other. A pocket is formed between the adjacent outriggers. The outriggers also have a mounting notch at an end which is mounted to the building structure. The outrigger notch engages a hook on a sunshade anchor mounted to the building structure.
US08490336B2
A method comprises forming a generally u-shaped bend in flashing, installing the flashing on a roof between converging surfaces of the roof, and with a clamp comprising an attachment portion having two sections spaced apart by a gap, attaching the clamp to the bend of the flashing by positioning the bend in the gap between the two spaced apart sections and biasing at least of the sections against the bend. The heating cable may then be secured to the clamp.
US08490335B2
The removable seats system has a first vertically movable platform defining opposite upper and lower sides, a seat member comprising at least one seat and first and second complementary male-female engagement members respectively provided on the first platform and on the seat member. The seat member may be removably installed in an operative position on the upper side of the first platform through a releasable engagement of the first and second male-female engagement members with one another.
US08490328B1
A Christmas tree stand includes a water-retaining pan and a plurality of legs for holding the pan. The radially inner end of each leg terminates in an upwardly extending tree stabilizer. A split ring is secured to the radially outward side of each tree stabilizer and the split rings collectively hold a cable that is disposed in surrounding relation to the tree after the tree is centered in the pan. A circular plate is centered on the bottom of the pan and has an upstanding sidewall mounted about its periphery. A disc fits atop the circular plate and an upstanding screw is secured to the center of the disc. Manual rotation of the disc advances the screw into the bottom of the tree trunk. The disc and tree trunk are guided into overlying relation to the circular plate and the cable is brought into encircling relation to the tree trunk.
US08490326B1
A combination hydro straw mulch is used for hydroseeding and hydromulching for seed establishment and erosion control. The formulation of the mulch is preferably, but not limited to, approximately 85% hammermilled straw, approximately 10% hammermilled paper, and approximately 5% processed jute fibers. The hammermilled straw is preferably Kentucky Bluegrass straw. The hammermilled paper particles are used for its water holding capacity. The paper aids in pumpability and reduces the amount of water required for pumping a quantity of mulch. The processed jute fibers tangle the straw fibers on the ground to produce a secure ground covering. The hydro straw mulch of the present invention may include other additives as well. Tackifiers and flocculants aid pumpability and help tack the straw fibers to the ground and aid in water infiltration and water clarity. A surfactant ensures wettability. Other additives include green dye.
US08490324B2
Provided is a system and method for dispensing bait for the monitoring or control of pests. A garbage container includes garbage a storage member and a wheel assembly, which supports the storage member. The wheel assembly includes at least one wheel member and an axle joining the wheel member to the garbage storage member. A bait holding station is located inside the wheel member. Pests may enter the interior of the wheel member through an entrance aperture formed in a wall of the wheel member, such as an axle-engaging portion of the wheel member.
US08490323B2
A trap with a housing having a first wall, an entrance, and a base; a latch mechanism coupled with the base; a pivoting platform pivotally coupled with the housing adjacent a juncture of the base and first wall and adapted to releasably engage with the latch mechanism; and a trigger plate assembly including a first trigger plate and a second trigger plate that are pivotally coupled with the pivoting platform. The first trigger plate is operably coupled with the latch mechanism and the second trigger plate is operably coupled with the first trigger plate. When the trap is triggered by an animal, the pivoting platform disengages from the latch mechanism and the pivoting platform and trigger plate assembly pivot toward the first wall of the housing, moving the rodent toward the first wall of the housing and trapping the rodent between the trigger plate assembly and the first wall of the housing.
US08490320B1
A fishing lure comprises a rear end enabled to be attached to a fishing line or leader and a front end having a plurality of outer tines with wires for attaching bait and a plurality of inner tines for retaining a fishing hook. The lure further comprises an attached spring-loaded weed guard. A lure skirt is placed over the tines and hook. The body of the lure is reflective and combines with the bait and lure skirt to catch the attention of nearby fish.
US08490309B2
A trigger assembly for a firearm includes a trigger and a trigger spring. The trigger assembly is mounted and retained in a frame of the firearm and, more specifically, in an elongated recess defined by the frame. The frame further defines lateral annular grooves and retaining lips near an opening of the elongated recess. The trigger includes an upper trigger piece and a lower trigger piece that are connected to each other. The upper trigger piece is mounted to the lateral annular grooves and retained by the retaining lips. The lower trigger piece is configured to fit in the opening and protrude from the frame. The trigger assembly also includes a trigger spring, mounted in a spring recess defined in the upper trigger piece, that spring biases the trigger into a resting position by abutting and engaging a trigger bar of the firearm under a torsional compression.
US08490307B2
A recipient verification system including a band having a pocket coupled to a strap. The pocket includes a first layer opposite a second layer. Seals are formed between the second layer and opposing side edges of the first layer to form an interior region. An end seal is formed adjacent a trailing end of the first layer and a liner covered adhesive coating is provided along an inner face of one of the layers. In an open arrangement, the liner is disposed over the adhesive coating, and a leading end of the first layer is free of the second layer to define an opening to the interior. In a closed arrangement, the liner is removed. The system can further include a separated insert. In an assembly state, the insert is insertable into the interior pocket, and a positive identification state, the insert is permanently affixed to the pocket.
US08490300B1
Disclosed is a readily removable molded insert for footwear, including dress or casual shoes and sneakers. The insert may be manufactured from a variety of resiliently compressible, semi-rigid, and/or resiliently deformable materials and is designed for the purpose of maintaining the general shape and appearance of the upper section of a shoe. Embodiments of the insert are specifically designed to adapt to and conform to the shape of footwear and also to adapt to the contour of a user's foot while the footwear is being worn. The insert may be further cut, trimmed, or separated to fit a range of shoe sizes, by use of perforations along the outer rim of certain embodiments of the insert. Another embodiment of the insert may remain adhesively attached to the inside of the shoe, or it may be removed and repositioned within the shoe, as necessary.
US08490297B2
A force-responsive, bladder filled with a flowable, non-gaseous material, and disposed mainly within a recess having an opening presented at a foot-engaging surface of a substantially-inclined, aesthetically-oriented shoe. A compliant, resilient lamina is typically disposed at the foot-engaging surface, overlying at least a portion the opening. In response to a force applied by a user's foot, the bladder deforms both downwardly away from relatively projecting and/or relatively unyielding, pressure-applying portions of the foot, and upward toward other portions of the foot, providing conformal support to the contour of user's foot and attenuating the effects of cumulative forces incurred by the foot.
US08490289B2
A handle for a hand held engine powered tool may include at least one lever or button for controlling the tool. The handle is made of at least two handle sections joined together. The lever or button for controlling the tool is however only secured in one of the handle sections in order to reduce the required grade of precision between the handle sections without affecting the performance of the lever or button.
US08490286B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a method for manufacturing an aircraft fuselage section of composite material that comprises the following operations manufacturing a one-piece section; cutting the section longitudinally; spreading apart two edges located on the two sides of the cut; reassembling the section and making a longitudinal joint with the two edges overlapping. The disclosed embodiments also relate to a section made in accordance with this method.
US08490285B2
Compression springs, such as helical compression springs, include end portions with selectively contoured inner contact surfaces. The selective contours of the inner contact surfaces may take the form of planar, grooved, concave, or other shaped, non-circular surfaces. In addition, enough of the inner contact surface is contoured to reduce the contact stress and/or stress concentration effects on the adjacent coils when the compression spring is placed under load and the adjacent coil engages or contacts the respective end portion. The selective contouring of the end portions may be accomplished by holding the spring in a holder and moving a cutter relative to the end portion of the spring to remove the desired amount of material from the end portion.
US08490284B2
The present invention discloses a gear and a method for forming a tooth profile thereof. In the method of the present invention, a cubic curve is used to modify a basic tooth shape of a standard rack to obtain an amended basic tooth shape, wherein the cubic curve contacts tangentially with the basic tooth shape at the midpoint of a dedendum, a midpoint of a lateral and a midpoint of an addendum of the basic tooth shape. The amended basic tooth shape is reproduced to obtain an amended rack, and the amended rack is further used to generate a tooth profile of a desired gear.
US08490282B2
According to one feature of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a porous catcher includes providing a catcher face material layer; forming pores in the catcher face material layer using a first etching process that is controlled by a first photolithographic mask; providing a reinforcing structure material layer that is in mechanical contact with the porous catcher face; forming openings in the reinforcing structure material layer using a second etching process that is controlled by a second photolithographic mask; and fluidically connecting the openings in the reinforcing structure and the pores of the catcher face using a material removal process.
US08490265B2
A brake includes an annular boot which can be expanded and contracted according to movements of a piston and is assembled to an opening part of a cylinder and to an annular groove on an outer peripheral face of the piston. The boot is assembled by: engaging one end of the boot with the opening part of the cylinder in a state where the piston is contained in the cylinder; moving the piston so that at least a part of the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder and that the other end of the boot is pressed by a pressing face of the piston; and fitting the other end of the boot into the annular groove of the piston, while a movable range of the other end of the boot is restricted by an expanding allowance of the boot whose one end is engaged with the opening part of the cylinder.
US08490251B2
A handle includes a bottom wall and two side walls extending up from the bottom wall. Ribs extend between the walls and define upwardly open recesses. The smooth surfaces of the side walls and bottom wall provide a more comfortable handle for the user.
US08490239B2
The present invention relates to a wiper blade system that includes a wiper blade assembly having a wiping element, at least one elongated beam and a carrier that is operatively engaged to the elongated beam. The wiper blade assembly further includes an airfoil and a coupler that is removably engaged to the carrier and adapted to releasably attach the wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm attachment member. The coupler is universal in that it is used for connecting the wiper blade assembly to various styles of wiper arms.
US08490234B2
The present invention is a modular deck system with height adjustable leg assemblies. The deck modules each have a top panel, a support frame, and a leg receptacle. The leg assemblies include a base foot, an adjustment bolt and a leg bracket with four legs extending perpendicularly from a bracket plate. A height adjustment bolt is fixed to the base of the leg assembly and extends perpendicularly from the base through an aperture in the bracket plate. The deck modules are placed adjacent to each other, side-by-side and end-to-end in the desired layout, then secured with the leg assemblies. Leveling of the deck modules is achieved through rotation of the adjustment bolts.
US08490233B2
A mattress, in particular for use in the care and hospital sector, has a base layer and a top layer arranged thereon. The top layer is formed by a resilient knitted spacer fabric, which is covered by a top layer cover. The top layer cover has a liquid-impermeable top layer cover lower part and a liquid-permeable top layer cover upper part. The mattress allows simple and frequent reprocessing.
US08490231B1
In many aspects the systems and methods described herein provide handles for furniture and the furniture that has these improved handle systems. In particular, various embodiments include furniture handles, such as handles for mattresses, cushions, futons and the like, where the handles have a suitable shape and are disposed at select locations and orientations along one or more sidewalls and/or the sleeping surface and/or bottom surface of the mattress.
US08490225B2
A sanitary unit comprises a toilet having a bowl (3) provided with a seat (4), and a wash basin (12) supported above the toilet bowl. The wash basin is mounted for sliding movement between a retracted position in which there is access to the toilet bowl, and a forward position in which the wash basin is to be used. The toilet bowl is mounted for simultaneous sliding movement between a retracted position and a forward position in which the toilet bowl is to be used, under the action of a mechanism (56) which interconnects the toilet bowl and the basin.
US08495761B2
According to one embodiment, a planar positioning device includes a first actuator displaceable in a first axis direction, a second actuator displaceable in a second axis direction perpendicular to the first axis, a first displacement magnifying mechanism configured to magnify a displacement of the first actuator, a second displacement magnifying mechanism configured to magnify a displacement of the second actuator, a stage arranged in a plane, a first drive support mechanism including a parallel link connected between the first displacement magnifying mechanism and the stage to transmit the magnified displacement in the first-axis direction to the stage, a second drive support mechanism including a parallel link connected between the second displacement magnifying mechanism and the stage to transmit the magnified displacement in the second-axis direction to the stage, and a stabilizing support mechanism configured to apply tensions in the first-axis direction and the second-axis direction to the stage.
US08495755B2
Tracing traitor coalitions and preventing piracy of digital content in a broadcast encryption system
Embodiments of the invention relate to finding coalitions of receivers who collude to produce pirated protected content, then evaluates the confidence that particular members of each identified coalition are traitors versus innocent receivers incriminated by chance. Typically, each file in a group of original files is modified to include variations of critical file segments. The group of files is then broadcast with individualized codes that enable particular authorized receivers to properly process the modified files. The modifications in a pirated version of a file can identify which traitorous receivers contributed to its piracy. Candidate coalitions of differing size are first evaluated to determine if they cover observed file variations with greater than a predetermined likelihood that an innocent coalition is falsely incriminated by chance. Individual members of satisfactory coalitions are then evaluated. Traitors may be cryptographically revoked.
US08495747B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for prioritizing asset remediations. One method includes generating a risk metric for an asset and a threat, generating a remediation availability metric for the asset and the threat, and determining a remediation prioritization metric for the asset and the threat according to the risk metric and the remediation availability metric. The remediation prioritization metric specifies a priority of applying the remediation to the asset.
US08495745B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for asset risk analysis. One method includes receiving threat definition data for threats, vulnerability detection data for assets, and countermeasure detection data for assets. The method further includes determining a respective risk metric for each of the assets for each of the threats. This includes analyzing the vulnerability detection data for an asset to determine whether the asset is vulnerable to a threat, determining from the threat definition data and the countermeasure detection data whether the asset is protected by one of the countermeasures identified for the threat, and determining the risk metric for the asset for the threat according to whether the asset is vulnerable to the threat and whether the asset is protected by one of the countermeasures identified for the threat.
US08495742B2
A framework identifies malicious queries contained in search logs to uncover relationships between the malicious queries and the potential attacks launched by attackers submitting the malicious queries. A small seed set of malicious queries may be used to identify an IP address in the search logs that submitted the malicious queries. The seed set may be expanded by examining all queries in the search logs submitted by the identified IP address. Regular expressions may be generated from the expanded set of queries and used for detecting yet new malicious queries. Upon identifying the malicious queries, the framework may be used to detect attacks on vulnerable websites, spamming attacks, and phishing attacks.
US08495741B1
A computer has a storage device that is infected with malicious software (malware). The malware uses stealth or rootkit techniques to hide itself in the storage device. A security module within the storage device detects the malware by comparing the files read from the storage device to those reported by the operating system. Upon detecting the malware, the security module prepares the computer for malware obfuscation by storing information describing the location of the malware, deploying an executable file, and configuring it to run on reboot. The executable file executes upon reboot and locates the data on the storage device associated with the malware. The executable file obfuscates the data so that the malware no longer loads at boot time, thereby disabling the rootkit technique. The computer reboots and the security module remediates the malware infection.
US08495738B2
A method, a network node, and a set of instructions are disclosed. A network interface 260 may have a precedent network address to represent the network node 104 in the network 100. A processor 210 may recognize an address hop trigger. The processor 210 may change to a successor network address to represent the network node 104 in the network 100.
US08495734B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for executing, by a processor, a program read in a program memory, comprising steps of: detecting a program memory read address jump; providing prior to a jump address instruction for jumping a program memory read address, an instruction for storing the presence of the jump address instruction; and activating an error signal if an address jump has been detected and if the presence of a jump address instruction has not been stored. The present disclosure also relates to securing integrated circuits.
US08495731B1
A commercial off-the-shelf smartphone is adapted, through software modifications only, to provide multiple operating domains or domains that provide differing levels of security and reliability. Each operating domain is isolated from the others. Detection of unauthorized modification is provided. Cross domain activity notification is provided.
US08495729B2
A system for authenticating a device and a user in a home network. The home network manages one or more devices through a home server. The system includes a service device for providing service contents according to the control of a control device. The system includes a home server for containing authentication information for the respective devices. The home server performs a network configuration for the respective devices according to the authentication information. A permission server is connected with the home server. The permission server contains service permission information according to the characteristics of the respective control devices. The control device performs a network authentication through the home server, and is provided with service contents from the service device according to whether the permission server allows the requested service contents. The system can perform an authentication procedure and a network configuration for the control devices.
US08495712B2
This invention relates to a peer-to-peer access control method of a triple-unit structure for safely implementing bidirectional authentication between the terminal and the network. According to the method, on the basis of the access control method of the existing double-unit triple-entity structure, the authenticator function is implemented in the access controller, and the authentication protocol function is implemented in the terminal and the access controller, so that the terminal, the access controller and the server all participate in the authentication, and the trust relationship is established between the terminal and the access controller directly, which renders security very reliable. The invention not only solves the technical problems of the access control method of the existing double-unit double-entity structure that the access flexibility is limited and the extension of the number of the access controllers is inconvenient, but also solves the technical problems of the existing access control method of the double-unit triple-entity structure that the process for establishing the trust relationship is complicated and the security of the network may be influenced, thus achieving advantages of high security performance, no requirement of changing existing network structures and relative independency of the authentication protocol.
US08495709B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a system, method, and computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for secure communication among enterprise users who are members of social networking sites. Software implemented on a server within the enterprise that handles all traffic to and from the social networking sites may encrypt a post intended for a social networking site and forward the encrypted data or may save the post locally and send a placeholder to the social networking site. The server may receive a request containing the encrypted data or placeholder and determine that the recipient is authorized to view the original post. The server may then decrypt the data or retrieve the original post for servicing the request. In this way, authorized users of the enterprise can utilize the social networking site, which is independent of and external to the enterprise, to communicate with each other in a secure manner.
US08495708B2
A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for obtaining a resource authorization dependent upon apparent compliance with a policy of causing an emulation environment to isolate a first software object type from a second software object type and signaling a decision whether to comply with the policy of causing the emulation environment to isolate the first software object type from the second software object type.
US08495702B2
The invention provides a method and system for securing information for a virtual world environment. The method includes creating information for a virtual world environment, transmitting the information to the virtual world environment from the memory, selectively removing the information from the virtual world environment, and selectively storing the information on a memory external to the server to prevent access from the server.
US08495701B2
In one embodiment, a computer implemented method for indexing security policies is provided. The computer implemented method determines a policy vocabulary to form a set of policy elements, and creates an index from the set of policy elements. The computer implemented method further receives a request to form requested policy elements, locates requested policy elements in the index to form a set of returned policy elements, and identifies a rule for use with the returned policy elements.
US08495698B2
A method of intelligently degrading the quality of content, such as video clips and music, stored on a mobile device over time. The method takes into account the probability of a user watching each item of content and either encodes the content at a lower bit-rate, or under certain circumstances, restores the content to its original quality by side-loading the content from a network content store. The bit-rate at which the content is to be encoded is linked to the probability of a piece of content being watched. If the probability of an item of content being watched is high, then the item is stored at a high bit-rate, and conversely, for low probabilities of watching, a low bit-rate is used. If required, in order to restore an item to a higher bit rate, the original high bit rate item can be requested from a network content store. The aim being to store as much content as possible in a given finite memory, but to ensure that content which is likely to be watched is not degraded.
US08495690B2
A system and method for image information processing are disclosed. The system for image information processing includes: at least one image pickup terminal for providing image data picked up through a camera; an image information processing server for processing data collected from at least one image pickup terminal into data of a new format; and an application server for receiving the processed data from the image information processing server and providing the same to at least one user terminal. The amount of transmission data can be reduced and the reliability of information security can be increased since it is possible to allocate unique IDS to a plurality of image pickup terminals and application servers and identify the image pickup terminals and application servers only by their unique IDs without containing any particular information upon data transmission.
US08495680B2
The method and system for TV user profile data prediction and modeling allows accurate and narrowly focused behavioral clustering. A client-side system classifies television consumers into representative user profiles. The profiles target individual user advertising and program preference category groups. A contextual behavioral profiling system determines the user's monitor behavior and content preferences, and the system may be continually updated with user information. A behavioral model database is queried by various system modules. The programming, including targeted advertising for television and interactive television is based on the profile data prediction, modeling and preference determination. The system is enabled to present a complete program sequence to the viewer based on the preference determination and stored programming. The latter is referred to as automatic program sequence (virtual channel) creation and the virtual channel can be presented as a separate channel in an electronic programming guide (EPG).
US08495677B2
A broadcasting receiving apparatus includes: a receiver which receives a broadcasting signal of one of a plurality of broadcasting channels, the broadcasting channels belonging to at least one of a plurality of channel categories; and a controller which deletes a broadcasting channel having the channel category selected by a user from a memory channel group including memory broadcasting channels among the plurality of the broadcasting channels, and controls the receiver to receive a broadcasting signal of one of the broadcasting channels selected by a user from the memory channel group excluding the broadcasting channel.
US08495676B2
Changes to spot blocks to be broadcast via terrestrial stations can cause paid spots to be removed from corresponding spot blocks on a streaming station. If the streaming station has other spot blocks that are under-filled, the bumped spots can be automatically placed in under-filled spot blocks, allowing the bumped to be placed in an under-filled spot block faster than if human intervention was required. A media traffic system can keep track of the bumped spots, and in response to a request by a media automation system, provide a list of potential spots available for inclusion in the under-filled spot blocks. The automation system selects desired spots for placement in under-filled spot blocks, and notifies the traffic system about which potential spots have been placed. The traffic system removes the spots from its list of available spots to prevent selected spots from being included in future responses.
US08495674B1
A network system provides delivery of customized target content, such as advertising, to individual users. A profile is produced at a home client user having parameters with values associated with the home client user, such as geographic and demographic infonnation. The receiver software at the home client matches the spot content flame for each spot content to the profile of the user to select those spot content units which have a match. These selected spot content units are stored at the home user and are blended into the media stream at the locations of the spot markers to produce an information data stream for the user that is customized for that user. A spot auditor at the home client measures the type and quantity of play back of the spot content received by the home user and this is reported to the spot content provider for measurement of the effectiveness in the distribution of the spot content.
US08495655B2
Messaging in a parallel computer using remote direct memory access (‘RDMA’), including: receiving a send work request; responsive to the send work request: translating a local virtual address on the first node from which data is to be transferred to a physical address on the first node from which data is to be transferred from; creating a local RDMA object that includes a counter set to the size of a messaging acknowledgment field; sending, from a messaging unit in the first node to a messaging unit in a second node, a message that includes a RDMA read operation request, the physical address of the local RDMA object, and the physical address on the first node from which data is to be transferred from; and receiving, by the first node responsive to the second node's execution of the RDMA read operation request, acknowledgment data in the local RDMA object.
US08495651B2
An information processing system periodically performs a real-time operation including a plurality of chained tasks. The system includes a plurality of processors, a unit for dividing the chained tasks into a first task group and a second task group based on a relationship in order of execution among the tasks, the second task group being executed after the first task group, and a unit for performing a scheduling operation of periodically assigning each of the first task group and the second task group to at least one of the processors to periodically execute the first task group at regular time intervals and periodically execute the second task group at the regular time intervals with a one-period delay relative to the first task group.
US08495650B2
A method for determining a number of threads to maximize system utilization. The method begins with determining a first value which corresponds to the current system utilization. Next the method determines a second value which corresponds to the current number of threads in the system. Next the method determines a third value which corresponds to the number of processor cores in the system. Next the method receives a fourth value from an end user which corresponds to the optimal system utilization the end user wishes to achieve. Next the method determines a fifth value which corresponds to the number of threads necessary to achieve the optimal system utilization value received from the end user. Finally, the method sends the fifth value to all running applications.
US08495647B2
A method, system, and program for recording an object allocation site. In the structure of an object, a pointer to a class of an object is replaced by a pointer to an allocation site descriptor which is unique to each object allocation site, a common allocation site descriptor is used for objects created at the same allocation site, and the class of the object is accessed through the allocation site descriptor.
US08495631B2
I/O operations between a virtual machine (VM) and a device external to the VM are monitored by a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Data passing between the VM and the external device is transformed by the VMM, in some cases only when a predetermined filtering or triggering condition is met. Because the VMM, and thus the transformation operation, is transparent to the VM, the transformation cannot be prevented or undone or even affected by any action by a user of the VM. Examples of the non-defeatable transformation of I/O data include generating display overlays such as banners, masking out portions of a display, encryption, compression and network shaping such as bandwidth limiting.
US08495620B2
A system and method allow a user to extract the set of customizations performed on an application and use these to estimate the time and effort and cost of (a) migrating to a new version of the application and/or (b) consolidating systems. The user can browse the extracted data and select configuration elements for re-use. After downloading the one or more configurations and comparing them, the user selects elements of the configurations for re-use. The first step is to scan one or more application systems and extract the configuration data using a surveyor. The method according to the invention automatically identifies configuration differences. The user then selects configuration elements for re-use. A graphic user interface (GUI) can be provided which allows the user to make these selections by dragging and dropping selected elements to a “To Be” configuration. The selected configurations are then uploaded and installed on an instance of the application.
US08495603B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for generating an executable version of an application using a distributed compiler operating on a plurality of compute nodes that include: receiving, by each compute node, a portion of source code for an application; compiling, in parallel by each compute node, the portion of the source code received by that compute node into a portion of object code for the application; performing, in parallel by each compute node, inter-procedural analysis on the portion of the object code of the application for that compute node, including sharing results of the inter-procedural analysis among the compute nodes; optimizing, in parallel by each compute node, the portion of the object code of the application for that compute node using the shared results of the inter-procedural analysis; and generating the executable version of the application in dependence upon the optimized portions of the object code of the application.
US08495601B2
A shared memory architecture is disclosed to support operations associated with executing shared functions from a shared memory space in such a manner that separate pieces of software can execute the shared functions.
US08495598B2
An operating system may be configured using a control flow graph that defines relationships between each executable module. The operating system may be configured by analyzing an application and identifying the operating system modules called from the application, then building a control flow graph for the configuration. The operating system may be deployed to a server or other computer containing only those components identified in the control flow graph. Such a lightweight deployment may be used on a large scale for datacenter servers as well as for small scale deployments on sensors and other devices with little processing power.
US08495590B2
User-specific software debugging with user-specific step commands that includes: receiving a command to step execution to a source code module associated with a user; identifying routines in a call stack associated with the user; inserting, for each identified routine, a breakpoint at each source code line of the routine; inserting, for each source code module associated with the user and not in the call stack, a breakpoint at an entry point of the source code module; and executing the debuggee until the debuggee encounters one of the inserted breakpoints thereby halting execution of the debuggee. User-specific debugging with user-specific Dynamically Linked Library (DLL) load processing modes including: receiving a selection of a user-specific DLL processing mode; upon loading a DLL, retrieving a user identification; determining whether the DLL is associated with the user; and processing the DLL in accordance with user specific DLL processing mode only if the DLL is associated with the user.
US08495589B2
A debugger includes a thread holding mechanism that analyzes the code being executed by multiple threads, and delays holding each thread that is currently executing system code external to the program until the thread is no longer executing the system code external to the program, or until some threshold is exceeded. Delaying holding of a thread that is executing system code external to the program avoids potential conditions that could lock up the debugger.
US08495583B2
A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to receive one or more risk factors, receive one or more contexts, identify one or more context relationships and associate the one or more contexts with the one or more risk factors. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to map the one or more risk factors for an associated context to a software defect related risk consequence to determine a risk model and execute a risk-based testing based on the risk model to determine a defect related risk evaluation for a software development project.
US08495576B2
A method of estimating testing efforts for software unit testing, has at least the steps of assigning each element of a software system present in a development environment a complexity factor, calculating a complexity factor of the software system present in the development environment, and estimating an effort needed for performing testing of a unit under test in the development environment.
US08495573B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for checkpoint and restart of a process. In one embodiment, a process shell representing a restartable process is created on an arrival server in response to identifying a process on a departure server that is a restartable process. The process shell is frozen. A name of the restartable process, an identifier of the restartable process, and an identifier of a parent process of the restartable process is assigned to the process shell. The process shell is then unfrozen and exits. A parent process restarts the restartable process when the process shell exits.
US08495570B2
Architecture that facilitates the package partitioning of application resources based on conditions, and the package applicability based on the conditions. An index is created for a unified lookup of the available resources. At build time of an application, the resources are indexed and determined to be applicable based on the conditions. The condition under which the resource is applicable is then used to automatically partition the resource into an appropriate package. Each resource package then becomes applicable under the conditions in which the resources within it are applicable, and is deployed to the user if the user merits the conditions (e.g., an English user will receive an English package of English strings, but not a French package). Before the application is run, the references to the resources are merged and can be used to do appropriate lookup of what resources are available.
US08495562B2
A graphical development environment for developing the program flow of an application, The environment is controlled by a plurality of icons, some of which are detailed sub-routines used to control the proper returns in systems in which speech recognition is utilized. In one embodiment, a loop construct is used with branches arranged by the sub-routine icons to ensure that a proper return is achieved based upon an expected grammar for that branch.
US08495559B2
A system and method for extracting a platform independent model (PIM) from the existing implementation artifacts of a composite application via an intermediary platform specific model (PSM) using model-driven transformations. Meta-models for the PSM and PIM are prepared and mapping rules are specified therebetween. The mapping rules can be created manually or derived automatically via ontology mapping techniques. Once specified, model driven transformations that codify the mapping rules generate the PIM which may include the structural, behavioral and user experience models of the composite application. To enhance the reusability of the extracted PIM, a business level service model along with a service dependency model is generated rather than IT level classes. These higher levels of abstraction enable the models to be linked with business objectives, which is important for companies to understand and maintain their service portfolios.
US08495550B2
This invention comprises a layout method to effectively protect electronic circuits against soft errors (non-destructive errors) and circuit cells, which are protected against soft errors. The invention applies a layout method to sequential and combinational logic to generate specific circuit cells with netlists and layouts which are hardened against single event generated soft-errors. It also devices methods of how two or more such cells should be laid out and placed relative to each other, in order to have the best global soft-error protection.
US08495547B2
An integrated circuit (IC) design with multiple metal layers containing cells requiring secondary power supply. After placing the cells and stripes of a primary power/ground grid in metal layers of the IC design, specific cells are provided with secondary power stripes in a first metal layer. The secondary power stripes are designed in such a way that each secondary power/ground stripe exhibits a full overlap with a stripe of a corresponding primary power/ground grid in a different metal layer. Subsequently, signals from the IC design are routed, and power vias between the primary power/ground grid stripes and the secondary power/ground stripes are generated.
US08495540B2
A computer system selects a signal conductor from an electronic circuit design layout and assigns a first potential to the selected signal conductor. Next, the computer system assigns a second potential to other signal conductors included in the electronic circuit design layout. The computer system then selects a metal fill from the electronic circuit design layout, which is void from carrying an electrical signal, and generates a zero charge equation for the selected metal fill. The zero charge equation establishes that a total charge residing on the selected metal fill is equal to zero. The computer system includes the zero charge equation in a system of equations, which includes grid point potential equations, and solves the system of equations. In turn, the computer system computes capacitance values for the signal conductors based upon the system of equation solutions, and simulates the electronic circuit design layout using the computed capacitance values.
US08495532B2
A method includes approximating a physical characteristic of a semiconductor substrate with a frequency-dependent circuit, and creating a technology file for the semiconductor substrate based on the frequency-dependent circuit. The physical characteristic of the semiconductor substrate identified by one of an electromagnetic simulation or a silicon measurement. The technology file is adapted for use by an electronic design automation tool to create a netlist for the semiconductor substrate and is stored in a non-transient computer readable storage medium.
US08495525B1
A library of waivable images with corresponding waiver constraints is generated. Each of the waivable images is an image of a region of a reference design layout including a raw error as determined by an optical rule checks (ORC) program and does not require a correction for printability on a photoresist layer. A list of raw errors is generated by running the ORC program on a target design layout. Error region images corresponding to the list of raw errors are generated by selecting a region of the target design layout around points corresponding to the raw errors. A list of matches between the library of waivable images and the error region images is generated. By removing a subset of raw errors that correspond to a subset of the list of matches from the list of raw errors, a list of real errors is generated.
US08495515B2
Disclosed is a method of configuring a medical device through utilization of a computing device that includes a user interface, a processor and memory. The method includes the steps of determining whether a configuration file contains a focal modified parameter, displaying the focal modified parameter, prompting a manual re-entry of the displayed focal modified parameter, receiving through the user interface the manual re-entry of the displayed focal modified parameter, and utilizing the processor to automatically determine whether the manual re-entry of the displayed focal modified parameter matches the displayed focal modified parameter.
US08495501B2
An out of office auto-response system that generates a calendaring user interface through which multiple out of office periods can be managed. The calendaring user interface enables a user to define, simultaneously view, and/or modify, multiple out of office periods during which auto-response messages will be generated. The out of office periods of the disclosed system are manageable as a specific type of calendar entries, and/or as a settable attribute of various types of calendar entries (e.g. vacation type calendar entries, meeting type calendar entries, etc.). The system generates user interface objects that allow a user to define an out of office period as repeated. The repeated office action may be defined as repeated a user-specified number of times, and over a user-specified interval, e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.
US08495494B2
A system and method for mapping input elements with actions performed by a mobile device is described. In some cases, the system creates an input map that is accessible by a generic guide script running on a mobile device. The guide script may access the input map in order to present tutorial information specific to the mobile device.
US08495489B1
Disclosed herein are computer-implemented systems and methods for allowing an end-user to create and share annotated comments, modify published images, and/or otherwise interact with images published on digital content platforms (e.g., images published on a webpage, mobile application, etc.). The systems and methods may include: (1) providing an annotation interface to allow a first end-user to create an annotation on a published image; (2) providing a comment entry interface to receive a comment from the first end-user; (3) linking the annotation and the comment; (4) identifying when a second end-user accesses the image or comment on the digital content platform; and (5) displaying the comment and/or annotation to the second end-user.
US08495488B2
This invention concerns a document markup tool, that is an application where existing authored documents can be marked or annotated. For instance, formative or summative assessment submissions authored by students might be graded by a teacher using the markup tool. The tool itself is operable by a user at a computer user interface to: Recognize the members of a set of existing documents. Open one of the existing documents in a set and display its contents to a user together with a toolbar. And, select locations in the document and, using the toolbar, add commentary and scores to the document. Wherein the markup tool is automatically operable to: Total the scores made in a document. Display the scores in a graphical report in the document. Display a moderation panel which enables visual and statistical comparisons of the scores made in a document to the scores added to all the documents of the set. And, reflect changes to the scores made in a document in the displayed moderation panel.
US08495484B2
Computer apparatus, system and method maintain a database of hyperlinks associated with activities and inactions in the past of a user. From a current work space of the user, a recommendation engine searches the database to retrieve hyperlinks based on user-specified context and topic. The recommendation engine displays recommended hyperlinks (candidates) and enables the user to filter the recommended hyperlinks by original source, activity metric or other relevance. To form and maintain the database, a context analysis engine captures activity content links. Each activity content link has a respective hyperlink associated with an activity/inaction of the user. The context analysis engine generates a metric based on the activity and records the respective hyperlink in the database along with the metric. The recommendation engine and context analysis engine may, on user command, further search social media or social networks in order to make hyperlink recommendations to the user.
US08495479B1
A defect detection and correction system includes a decoder module configured to decode data received from a data storage device and output the data and a plurality of confidence indicators associated with respective bits of the data. A digital defect detection module is configured to compare each of the confidence indicators in a window of W bits of the data to a confidence threshold, identify a number of bits in the window of W bits as defective based on the comparison, mark all of the bits in the window of W bits as defective if the number of bits is greater than a bit threshold, and generate a defect indicator identifying the window of W bits as defective.
US08495477B2
A method of processing a digital broadcast signal is provided. Signaling data for signaling of mobile service data is encoded. Data groups are formed, the data groups including a first data group, a second data group and a third data group. The digital broadcast signal including the data groups is transmitted, the signaling data including first information indicating whether a segmented known data sequence of the second data group is concatenated to a segmented known data sequence of the first data group to form a known data sequence, and/or second information indicating whether a segmented known data sequence of the second data group is concatenated to a segmented known data sequence of the third data group to form a known data sequence.
US08495476B2
System and method for coding and interleaving for short frame support in visible light communication
A transmitter is capable of performing both Galois Field (GF) (16) and GF (256) encoding in a visual light communication system. The transmitter includes a GF (256) encoder. The transmitter also includes a first bit mapper configured to map a first number of bits to a second number of bits. The Galois Field (256) encoder is configured to receive and encode the second number of bits. The transmitter also includes a second bit mapper configured to map the second number of bits to the first number of bits. The transmitter also includes an interleaver unit that can pad bits based on a frame size and puncture the bits after interleaving and prior to transmission.
US08495473B2
A transceiver is designed to share memory and processing power amongst a plurality of transmitter and/or receiver latency paths, in a communications transceiver that carries or supports multiple applications. For example, the transmitter and/or receiver latency paths of the transceiver can share an interleaver/deinterleaver memory. This allocation can be done based on the data rate, latency, BER, impulse noise protection requirements of the application, data or information being transported over each latency path, or in general any parameter associated with the communications system.
US08495466B2
A method begins by a processing module determining a performance based indication regarding storage of a data segment as a set of encoded data slices and comparing the performance based indication with a performance threshold. When the performance based indication compares unfavorably with the performance threshold, the method continues with the processing module decoding the set of encoded data slices to reproduce the data segment, adjusting error coding dispersal storage function parameters based on the unfavorable comparison of the performance based indication with the performance threshold to produce performance adjusted error coding dispersal storage function parameters, encoding the reproduced data segment in accordance with the performance adjusted error coding dispersal storage function parameters to produce a second set of encoded data slices, and selecting a storage set of encoded data slices from the set of encoded data slices and the second set of encoded data slices.
US08495465B1
A method for data storage includes encoding each of multiple data items individually using a first Error Correction Code (ECC) to produce respective encoded data items. The encoded data items are stored in a memory. The multiple data items are encoded jointly using a second ECC, so as to produce a code word of the second ECC, and only a part of the code word is stored in the memory. The stored encoded data items are recalled from the memory and the first ECC is decoded in order to reconstruct the data items. Upon a failure to reconstruct a given data item from a respective given encoded data item by decoding the first ECC, the given data item is reconstructed based on the part of the code word of the second ECC and on the encoded data items other than the given encoded data item.
US08495443B1
An apparatus and method for protecting the contents of a secure register from scan accessibility is disclosed. The secure register may include a number of scannable elements within a scan chain. During a normal scan test mode, the scannable elements of the secure register may be accessibly, as data may be shifted to, from, or through these elements. During certain other modes (e.g., a scan dump or memory dump), a bypass circuit may be invoked to effectively separate the scan elements associated with the secure register from the remainder of the scan chain. During operation in one of these modes, no data may be shifted to, from, or through the scan elements of the secure register. Accordingly, the bypass path may protect secure data stored in the secure register from unauthorized access.
US08495442B1
A system including a first plurality of memory cells to store data, and a memory controller to read the first plurality of memory cells and to identify one or more of the first plurality of memory cells in response to the one or more of the first plurality of memory cells being defective. A second plurality of memory cells stores information regarding locations of the one or more of the first plurality of memory cells. The second plurality of memory cells stores the information at a lower density than the first plurality of memory cells. The information read from the second plurality of memory cells has a lower probability of error than the data read from the first plurality of memory cells.
US08495440B2
A pseudo random bit stream generator is disclosed which has a fully programmable pseudo random polynomial up to the supported width of the CSRs, fully programmable tap selection for providing any specified combination of generator state taps, and fully programmable parallel sequence generation which determines the number of sequential bits calculated and how much the sequence generator advances per clock.
US08495431B2
A method, system and computer program product for generating device fingerprints and authenticating devices uses initial states of internal storage cells after each of a number multiple power cycles for each of a number of device temperatures to generate a device fingerprint. The device fingerprint may include pairs of expected values for each of the internal storage cells and a corresponding probability that the storage cell will assume the expected value. Storage cells that have expected values varying over the multiple temperatures may be excluded from the fingerprint. A device is authenticated by a similarity algorithm that uses a match of the expected values from a known fingerprint with power-up values from an unknown device, weighting the comparisons by the probability for each cell to compute a similarity measure.
US08495429B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for detecting anomalies in a message log. A log message is parsed from an unstructured text string to a structured form, comprising messages signature and parameter values. Structured log messages that contain a same parameter value of a same program variable are grouped together. One or more invariants for are identified from respective types of log message groups. Invariants are applied to log sequences of respective log types.
US08495414B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are provided for failover responses to configuration node failures in SVC clusters. An SVC cluster manages a plurality of storage devices and includes a plurality of SVCs interconnected via a network, each SVC acting as a separate node. A storage device event log is saved, with an original configuration node. An entry is made in the storage device event log each time the original configuration node receives storage device events and setting the entry to a negative value indicating a storage device event has not been handled. The entry is set to a positive value indicating the storage device event has been handled after the original configuration node notifies respective subscribed clients about those of the storage device events the original configuration node receives. A new configuration node is activated in response to configuration node failures.
US08495413B2
An apparatus for providing a computing environment in a computing system includes a first node, a second node, an operations server, and a communication link. The first node is capable of supporting a production computing environment and has a first disk storage. The second node is capable of supporting a second operational computing environment, independent of the production computing environment and has a second disk storage. The operations server manages the first and second node and can switch the production computing environment from the first node to the second node. The communications link allows communication between the first node, the second node, and the operations server. The second node can take over the production computing environment from the first node upon a failure of the first node by providing the second node with access to the first disk storage and rebooting the second node from the first disk storage. A method of switching a production computing environment from a first node, having a first disk storage, to a second node in the event of a failure on the first node includes determining if the first node had a failure and if the first node had a failure: reassigning ownership of the partition definition to the second node; restoring communications configuration on the second node; and booting the second node from the first disk storage.
US08495411B2
An apparatus, program product and method for detecting nodal faults may simultaneously cause designated nodes of a cell to communicate with all nodes adjacent to each of the designated nodes. Furthermore, all nodes along the axes of the designated nodes are made to communicate with their adjacent nodes, and the communications are analyzed to determine if a node or connection is faulty.
US08495410B2
One embodiment provides a host controller which performs a phase shift correction of a sampling clock when sampling a signal received, includes a phase shift judging section which judges whether or not it is necessary to shift a phase of the sampling clock, and up/down counts a counter in accordance with a shift direction when judging that it is necessary to shift the phase, a limit value storage section which stores a variance range limit value of the phase shift, and a shift limit judging section which judges whether or not a value of the counter exceeds the limit value of the phase shift, notifies a host device of an error when judging that the counter value exceeds the limit value, and shifts the phase of the sampling clock in accordance with the counter value of the counter when judging that the counter value does not exceed the limit value.
US08495409B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a host controller, which samples reception data in a VDS mode and an FDS mode, includes a VDS phase register which holds a phase shift amount in the VDS mode, an FDS phase register which holds a phase shift amount in the FDS mode, a mode setting unit configured to indicate in which of the VDS mode and the FDS mode data is sampled, a sampling position setting unit which selects the phase shift amount set in one of the VDS and the FDS phase register in accordance with a setting value of the mode setting unit, and provides the selected phase shift amount as a sampling position, and a clock phase shift unit which shifts a phase of an input clock signal in accordance with the shift amount, and provides the shifted input clock signal as a sampling clock.
US08495399B2
A communication apparatus which is connected to an information processing apparatus so as to operate dependent on the information processing apparatus and connects the information processing apparatus and an external apparatus, includes a judgment unit which judges instruction information transmitted from the external apparatus, a storage unit which stores the instruction information, a transmission unit which detects whether the information processing apparatus is in a normal state in which power is consumed normally or a power-saving state in which power consumption is reduced, and transmits the instruction information stored by the storage unit to the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is in the normal state, and a switching unit which switches the communication apparatus to the normal state if the judgment unit judges that the instruction information is an instruction for directing the operation when the communication apparatus is in the power-saving state.
US08495395B2
A system includes a plurality of processor cores and a power management unit. The power management unit may be configured to independently control the performance of the processor cores by selecting a respective thermal power limit for each of the plurality of processor cores dependent upon an operating state of each of the processor cores and a relative physical proximity of each processor core to each other processor core. In response to the power management unit detecting that a given processor core is operating above the respective thermal power limit, the power management unit may reduce the performance of the given processor core, and thereby reduce the power consumed by that core.
US08495393B2
A remote power management technology for a cluster system of the present invention can monitor and control the power status of multiple hosts of the cluster system individually, thereby decreasing power consumption of the cluster system. A remote power management system includes a plurality of management nodes, a power proxy server, and a power management server. The management nodes, which manage power of the hosts of the cluster system respectively, are divided into groups. The power proxy server manages each group, monitors the power status of each management node of the group to generate proxy monitoring information, and transmits a power setting command to the management node of the specific host requiring power setting. The power management server monitors the power status of the hosts using the proxy monitoring information and transmits the power setting command to the power proxy server of the group including the management node of the specific host.
US08495379B2
A method and system manage a hierarchy of passwords for users accessing a hierarchy of access control devices. First, a codeword is acquired and a syndrome of the codeword is determined. Next, the codeword is randomly modified with a probability p to produce a modified codeword. The modified codeword is selected and assigned to a user as a password, if the modified codeword is recoverable.
US08495368B1
Content to be scanned for confidential information may be identified. A determination is made if the content includes confidential information. The determination may be based on at least one data loss prevention policy. When the content includes confidential information, a content management recommendation is created. The content management recommendation may comprise at least one of a recommendation pertaining to a storage of the content and a recommendation pertaining to a backup of the content. The content management recommendation may be provided to a content management system.
US08495360B2
A method and an arrangement are provided wherein a newly added mesh node does not require a link to the AAA server for the purpose of authentication. Authentication is carried out using a node which is already present in the mesh network and which has a link to the AAA server.
US08495354B2
Systems and methods of securely updating BIOS are disclosed. One such system comprises a reprogrammable memory, a first and a second register, and comparison logic. The reprogrammable memory comprises a first portion and a protect input. The protect input is configured to disallow writes to at least the first portion when the memory protect input is at a first level, and to allow writes to at least the first portion when the protect input is at a second level; The comparison logic is configured to drive a comparison output to a third level responsive to the first and second registers having equal values, and to drive the comparison output to a fourth level responsive to the first and second registers having different values. The comparison output is electrically coupled to the memory protect input.
US08495338B2
The present disclosure includes methods for transaction log recovery in memory. One such method includes examining a number of entries saved in a transaction log to determine a write pattern, reading the memory based on the write pattern, updating the transaction log with information associated with data read from the memory based on the write pattern, and updating a logical address (LA) table using the transaction log.
US08495331B2
A storage apparatus is connected via a network to a plurality of host computers requesting data writing. The storage apparatus includes: a volume creation unit for creating virtual volumes to be accessed by the host computers; an allocation unit for allocating a storage area of the storage apparatus to a data storage area of the virtual volumes in response to a data write request from the host computers; and a capacity management unit for managing the capacity of data written from the host computers; wherein the capacity management unit adds the data written from the host computers with regard to each host computer and judges whether a total value of the added data exceeds a specified threshold or not.
US08495329B2
An object reference is tagged with an isolation permission modifier. At least two permissions can be included, and in an example three permissions are included. In implementing the permissions, type modifiers for controlling access to type members through references pointing at an object are defined. One of the type modifiers is associated with each occurrence of a type name. Each of the of type modifiers defines a different access permission to restrict operations on the object to which the reference points.
US08495323B1
A system, method, and medium for implementing I/O fencing in a virtual machine cluster sharing virtual storage objects. A volume manager driver receives access requests from virtual machines directed to a virtual storage object such as a volume. The volume manager driver then translates the access request to point to a storage device underlying the volume. The access request includes keys and/or other group reservation data required to implement an I/O fencing method so as to prevent access to shared data by malfunctioning or non-responsive virtual machines.
US08495320B1
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for programming a flash memory having a plurality of memory blocks, wherein each memory block of the plurality of memory blocks is either a single-level cell (SLC) memory block or a multi-level cell (MLC) memory block, the method comprising assigning a weighting factor to each memory block of the plurality of memory blocks based on whether the memory block is an SLC memory block or an MLC memory block, tracking a number of write-erase cycles for each memory block, and selecting one or more memory blocks for writing data based at least in part on the weighting factor and the tracked number of write-erase cycles of each memory block of the plurality of memory blocks. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08495316B2
In one embodiment, a backup application is disclosed which is configured to detect that one or more incremental virtual disk files are provided in a virtual machine image. The backup application may invoke a merge function in the virtual machine monitor, and may merge the incremental virtual disk files into the base virtual disk file. Redundant data is thus eliminated, and may reduce the amount of archive media needed to store the backed-up virtual machine image.
US08495310B2
A system and method utilize a memory device that may be accessed by a plurality of controllers or processor cores via respective ports of the memory device. Each controller may be coupled to a respective port of the memory device via a data bus. Each port of the memory device may be associated with a predefined section of memory, thereby giving each controller access to a distinct section of memory without interference from other controllers. A common command/address bus may couple the plurality of controllers to the memory device. Each controller may assert an active signal on a memory access control bus to gain access to the command/address bus to initiate a memory access. In some embodiments, a plurality of memory devices may be arranged in a memory package in a stacked die memory configuration.
US08495299B2
A cache controller in a computer system is configured to manage a cache. The cache controller receives commands from a processor. In response, a cache mapping maintaining information for each block in the cache is modified. The cache mapping may include an address, a dirty bit, a zero bit, and a priority for each cache block. The address indicates an address in main memory for which the cache block caches data. The dirty bit indicates whether the data in the cache block is consistent with data in main memory at the address. The zero bit indicates whether data at the address should be read as a default value, and the priority specifies a priority for evicting the cache block. By manipulating this mapping information, commands such as move, copy swap, zero, deprioritize and deactivate may be implemented.
US08495293B2
A storage system writes a data element stored in a primary volume to a secondary volume constituting a volume pair with the primary volume in accordance with a selected storage mode, which is a data storage mode selected from a plurality of types of data storage modes. This storage system is provided with a function for switching the above-mentioned selected storage mode from a currently selected data storage mode to a different type of data storage mode.
US08495292B2
An apparatus and system are disclosed for an in-server storage area network (“SAN”). A first storage controller is included within a first server. The first storage controller controls at least one storage device. The first server includes a network interface shared by the first server and the first storage controller. A storage communication module is included that facilitates communication between the first storage controller and at least one device external to the first server, where the communication between the first storage controller and the external device is independent from the first server. An in-server SAN module is included that services a storage request using at least one of a network protocol and a bus protocol. The in-server SAN module services the storage request independent from the first server, the service request received from a client.
US08495290B2
Embodiments provide systems and methods for storing data on two or more removable disk drives. The two or more removable disk drives are inserted into a modular drive bay having two or more drive ports. Embodiments of the modular drive bay include a switch to redirect operations to a drive port. By arraying the drive ports, the removable disk drives may be replaced without needing to readdress the removable disk drives when new removable disk drives are inserted. Thus, the modular drive bay does not require configuration changes when new removable disk drives are inserted.
US08495289B2
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for detecting misalignment in a data storage stack by opening a first storage layer in the data storage stack, performing a plurality of accesses of the first storage layer, each of the plurality of accesses starting at a different offset, and determining an optimal offset based on a performance benchmark of each of the plurality of accesses.
US08495273B2
In versions 1.1a and 1.2 of the DISPLAYPORT™ standard, capacitors are used between a sourcing circuit and a switch for the auxiliary channel. As a result, these capacitors are generally uncharged when the switch activates the auxiliary channel, which can result in errors. Here, a switch is employed that uses precharge circuits to precharge these capacitors. Thus, errors due to charging of these capacitors can be reduced.
US08495265B2
Processing within a device is controlled in order to avoid a deadlock situation. A local request engine of the device determines prior to making a request whether the port of the device that is to service the request is making forward progress in processing other requests. If forward progress is being made, then the request is forwarded to the port. Otherwise, the request is held. This avoids a deadlock situation and allows the device to remain operative even in partial recovery situations.
US08495261B2
Input/output (I/O) interrupts are avoided at the completion of I/O operations. A task requests (implicitly or explicitly) an I/O operation, and processing of the task is suspended awaiting completion of the I/O operation. At the completion of the I/O operation, instead of an I/O interrupt, an indicator associated with the task is set. Then, when the task once again becomes the current task to be executed, the indicator is checked. If the indicator indicates the I/O operation is complete, execution of the task is resumed.
US08495260B2
Managing a data transfer from one or more source storage devices to one or more target storage devices. The data transfer comprises concurrent transfer of a multiplicity of data units pursuant to respective data transfer commands. The concurrent transfer of the multiplicity of data units is currently in-progress. A computer determines a currently-overloaded storage component involved in the data transfer. The computer determines a plurality of the data transfer commands that involve the overloaded storage component. The computer determines an approximately-minimum number of the data transfer commands to cancel to stop overload of the overloaded storage component. In response, the computer cancels the minimum number of the data transfer commands.
US08495255B2
A computer program product is provided for performing a method comprising: receiving, by the host processor, physical configuration information including identification of a location of each physical endpoint connected to the host processor and a plurality of communication paths associated with each physical endpoint; sending at least one message to each physical endpoint on each of the plurality of communication paths in response to receiving the physical configuration information, the at least one message requesting identification of a logical entity at the endpoint, and receiving logical configuration information identifying the logical entity; and generating a data collection accessible by the host processor, the data collection including the physical configuration information and the logical configuration information for each logical entity, and identification of a location of each physical endpoint connected to the host processor and a plurality of communication paths to each logical entity.
US08495254B2
The computer system includes a server being configured to manage a first virtual machine to which a first part of a server resource included in the server is allocated and a second virtual machine to which a second part of the server resource is allocated. The computer system also includes a storage apparatus including a storage controller and a plurality of storage devices and being configured to manage a first virtual storage apparatus to which a first storage area on the plurality of storage devices is allocated and a second virtual storage apparatus to which a second storage area on the plurality of storage devices is allocated. The first virtual machine can access to the first virtual storage apparatus but not the second virtual storage apparatus and the second virtual machine can access to the second virtual storage apparatus but not the first virtual storage apparatus.
US08495250B2
Asynchronous file operations in a scalable multi-node file system cache for a remote cluster file system, is provided. One implementation involves maintaining a scalable multi-node file system cache in a local cluster file system, and caching local file data in the cache by fetching file data on demand from the remote cluster file system into the cache over the network. The local file data corresponds to file data in the remote cluster file system. Local file information is asynchronously committed from the cache to the remote cluster file system over the network.
US08495241B2
Provided are a communication apparatus and a method therefor that are capable of executing a checksum attachment processing without increase of a circuit scale. A data generating unit (for example, a CPU) that forms a communication apparatus generates data, and stores the data in a memory. A checksum processor calculates a checksum for the data read from the memory, and writes the checksum into a predetermined position in the data stored in the memory. A data sending unit (for example, a transmission processor, a MAC processing circuit, and a PHY processing circuit) reads the data having the written checksum from the memory, and sends the data to a network.
US08495240B2
A method and apparatus for enhancing the current data communication capabilities of the North American Terrestrial System (NATS) Network is presented. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an airborne data server (ADS) is added to the airborne architecture of the current NATS Network and a ground data gateway (GDG) is added to the ground-based architecture of the current NATS Network. The ADS functions as a router/gateway connected to many local area networks (LANs) aboard the aircraft. The ADS provides for the automation of data services such as scheduling, routing and translation. The GDG is the central hub for the network and dispatcher of data to customer premises or to the aircraft.
US08495230B2
A wireless local area network (WLAN) includes at least one hybrid coordinator (HC) and at least one Quality of Service Station (QSTA). The HC transmits a schedule frame element (SEF). The WLAN also includes a clocking mechanism that sets a substantially absolute start time of a service interval. A method of synchronizing the HC and the QSTA includes transmitting a schedule element frame (SEF), and setting a substantially absolute start-time of a service interval, and a first transmitted frame element.
US08495226B2
A network controller may receive a communication session request from a user device via a network gateway. The communication session request may include a request to establish a communication session between two or more devices. The network controller may also determine that a communication session corresponding to the communication session request requires a network boarder controller, access a data structure that associates network gateways with network border controllers according to distance, and use the data structure to identify a network border controller that is located nearest to the network gateway. The network controller may establish a communication session comprising a data transport path between the network gateway and the network border controller, of a plurality of network border controllers, nearest to the network gateway.
US08495225B2
The present invention relates to a solution for including CS media information to be able to also offer CS media in addition to PS media by using SIP and hence being able to utilize the advantages of SIP for CS. The solution is achieved by a method and arrangements for handling at least a first c line (140) in a SDP (170) and for inserting a CS address (150) into the first c line and means for indicating in said first c line that the address is associated with a CS connection (160).
US08495221B1
Methods and systems for coordinating provisions of storage service for clients are provided. For each storage provider of a set of storage providers, a service-provider database stores a metric characterizing a property of a service provided by the service provider. The storage providers are independently owned and operated relative to each other. The metrics are repeatedly updated. A selection engine repeatedly selects a service provider from the set of service providers to store a content object of a client of the content delivery system. The selection is based on the repeatedly updated metrics for the set of service providers. For each service provider selected by the selection engine to store the content object of the client, a service manager coordinates with the service provider such that the service provider stores the content object of the client.
US08495204B2
One or more events occurring within a client-side web application are logged at a remote server using a script-based invocation mechanism. The mechanism comprises a client-side script, and associated server-side code. Upon occurrence of an event to be logged, a script object is created on the client and used to pass logged data to the server, which then issues a response to destroy the script object. In this manner, the script object is created and persists in the client only as long as it is needed to log the event.
US08495196B2
A networked computing system for coordinating the distribution of burdensome media content using historical usage patterns. The networked computing system includes multiple network resources (e.g., wireless and wireline network access points) that provide communications service, user equipment, and data communications network facilitating data communications. Within the networked computing system, a current reference to a communications location of a user equipment can be evaluated to determine if a schedule for a media content transfer session should be modified based on a comparison of the current reference with historical references to one or more prior communications locations of the same user equipment. When it is determined that the schedule for the media content transfer session should be modified, a preferred network resource or a preferred device state, facilitating a less burdensome media content delivery, is determined for subsequent communications.
US08495195B1
Cookies differentiate users and maintain data related to a user during navigation. Cookies are used for activities such as authenticating, session tracking, and maintaining specific information about users. An embodiment facilitates a method of preserving cookies associated with a first mobile device operated by a user who begins using a second mobile device. Includes receiving a plurality of cookies associated with the first mobile device and storing the cookies in a data store associated with a gateway server. A cookie request is received from the second mobile device and the cookies are provided to the second mobile device.
US08495194B1
Efficient and highly-scalable network solutions are provided that each utilize deployment units based on Clos networks, but in an environment such as a data center of Internet Protocol-based network. Each of the deployment units can include multiple stages of devices, where connections between devices are only made between stages and the deployment units are highly connected. In some embodiments, the level of connectivity between two stages can be reduced, providing available connections to add edge switches and additional host connections while keeping the same number of between-tier connections. In some embodiments, where deployment units (or other network groups) can be used at different levels to connect other deployment units, the edges of the deployment units can be fused to reduce the number of devices per host connection.
US08495193B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are disclosed for configuring and managing a remote presentation session server farm. In an example embodiment, a central management server (CMS) receives a task to be carried out on a server farm (e.g. make an otherwise unused server operate as a remote presentation session server). The CMS then validates this request against a model of allowed tasks, and the current configuration of the server farm. Once validated, the CMS converts the task into operations to be carried out by one or more servers of the server farm. The CMS then sends these operations to the respective servers, where the operations are received by an agent process executing on the server. Each agent performs the received operations on the server upon which it executes, and sends an indication of whether the operations were completed successfully to the CMS. The CMS may then update its model and current configuration to reflect the current configuration of the server farm.
US08495170B1
A computer-implemented system and method for managing service requests are disclosed. The system includes a service provider, having a number of server devices, that provides a service response in response to a client service request. The service response includes a service instance ID associated with a server and a connection lease. A communication processing component routes a first client service request to one of the servers. Subsequent client service requests and responses are transmitted directly between the client device and the server device associated with service instance ID included in the first service response for the duration of the connection lease.
US08495155B2
Techniques are described that enable enterprise management of public instant message (IM) communications. When a user requests a connection with a public IM service, the connection request is redirected to a gateway server that is associated with a domain specified in the user's user ID. The gateway server acts as a pass through server between the user's IM client application and the public IM service. The gateway server may be configured to log IM communications in which the user participates. The gateway server may also be configured to control whether or not the user is able to participate in point-to-point communications through the user's IM client application. An enterprise routing server may also be implemented in a geo-distributed enterprise to route a redirected public IM connection request to an enterprise IM gateway server based on a geographic location associated with the user.
US08495148B2
A method, system, and computer program product for implementing community messaging services is provided. The method includes calculating a receiver pool for receiving a broadcast message, the receiver pool being a subset of a messaging community. The method also includes transmitting the broadcast message to the receiver pool and tracking any feedback from the receiver pool to determine if a satisfactory response has been received. A satisfactory response results when a response is received that addresses or resolves an issue or question presented in the broadcast message. The method further includes re-calculating the receiver pool to receive the broadcast message if the satisfactory response has not been reached after a specified period of time, the re-calculated receiver pool being a subset of the messaging community that has not yet received the message.
US08495143B2
User profile information for a user of a social networking system is inferred based on information about user profile of the user's connections in the social networking system. The inferred user profile attributes may include age, gender, education, affiliations, location, and the like. To infer a value of a user profile attribute, the system may determine an aggregate value based on the attributes of the user's connections. A confidence score may also be associated with the inferred attribute value. The set of connections analyzed to infer a user profile attribute may depend on the attribute, the types of connections, and the interactions between the user and the connections. The inferred attribute values may be used to update the user's profile and to determine information relevant to the user to be presented to the user (e.g., targeting advertisements to the user based on the user's inferred attributes).
US08495141B2
A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for maintaining a membership view of a distributed computing system comprising a multitude of members, wherein each of said members sends out a message indicating that said each of the members is available in the system. In one embodiment, the method comprises maintaining a first list of at least some of the members in the distributed system; and over a period of time, when one of the members sends out the message indicating that said one of the members is available in the distributed system, adding said one of the members to a second list. At defined times, the first list is replaced with the second list. In an embodiment, the method further comprises at said defined times, starting a new, empty second list.
US08495136B2
A system and method is provided for initiating batch processing on a computer system from a terminal. The method generates a message from the terminal, where the message defines a transaction to be performed on a computer system. The transaction schedules and runs a program that extracts data from the message. The message is then transmitted to the computer system. The data is then used to generate batch job control language and a batch job is run on the computer system. The output of the batch job is then routed back to the terminal.
US08495132B2
Provided is an information processing system, in which: a server (2) transmits processing result identification information to a client (3), and records the transmitted processing result identification information as transmitted identification information; the client (3) receives the processing result identification information from the server (2), records the processing result identification information, executes predetermined processing in a state where the received processing result identification information is recorded, irrespective of a state of a communicative connection with the server (2), records processing result information indicating an execution result of the predetermined processing, and transmits the recorded processing result information to the server (2), along with the processing result identification information; and the server (2) performs acceptance processing for the processing result information received in a case where the received processing result identification information corresponds to the transmitted identification information which has been recorded, and nullifies the transmitted identification information.
US08495123B2
A method and apparatus for including in a processor instructions for performing multiply-add operations on packed data. In one embodiment, a processor is coupled to a memory. The memory has stored therein a first packed data and a second packed data. The processor performs operations on data elements in said first packed data and said second packed data to generate a third packed data in response to receiving an instruction. At least two of the data elements in this third packed data storing the result of performing multiply-add operations on data elements in the first and second packed data.
US08495120B2
Methods for increasing the processing speed of computational electromagnetic methods, such as the Method of Moments (MoM), may involve using efficient mapping of algorithms onto a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) architecture. Various methods may provide speed/complexity improvements to either or both of: (1) direct solution via Lower-Upper (LU) factorization; and (2) iterative methods (e.g., Generalized Minimal Residual (GMRES) method).
US08495114B1
In a computational device, a method is provided for determining attributes for results of arithmetic operations with fixed-point numbers, in an environment for fixed-point algorithm development. An indication is received of a plurality of possible word lengths to be used for storing a plurality of digits representing a result of arithmetic operation with fixed-point numbers. An indication is received of how a placement of a radix point is to be determined in the plurality of digits representing the results of the arithmetic operation with fixed-point numbers. When calculating a selected fixed-point arithmetic operation, one of the word lengths in the plurality of possible word lengths is employed for storing the plurality of digits representing a result of the selected fixed-point arithmetic operation. A placement of a radix point in the plurality of digits representing the result of the selected fixed-point arithmetic operation is based on the received indication of how the radix point is to be determined.
US08495112B2
Management of a file hierarchy for a clustered file system can be distributed across nodes of the cluster. A cluster file hierarchy is accessed to determine location of a file in response to a request to write to a file. A first node maintains the cluster file hierarchy. It is determined that management of a fileset object, which represents a fileset that includes the file, has been delegated to a second node based, at least in part, on said accessing the cluster file hierarchy. A node file hierarchy maintained by the second node is accessed responsive to determining the delegation. The cluster file hierarchy represents filesets of the clustered file system and the node hierarchy represents a subset of one or more of the filesets. Location of the file is determined based, at least in part, on said accessing the node file hierarchy.
US08495101B2
An information processing method for defining a data structure for pattern matching, the method executed by an information processing apparatus, comprises generating, by the apparatus, an ordered tree structure by defining transition edges between nodes using, as transition conditions, respective constraints from one or more constraint patterns each including plural constraints; searching, by the apparatus, for a second substructure similar to a first substructure from a root node by determining a set relation between transition conditions of respective transition edges; and defining, by the apparatus, an additional transition link from a tail node of the second substructure to a child node at a tail end of the first substructure, the additional transition link adding a constraint to be met by an indeterminant identified from the set relation.
US08495098B1
Embodiments of systems and methods disclosed may serve to normalize digital content into a canonical format to in a way that decouples the digital content from a format that may be required by consuming devices. Specifically, certain embodiments may create a container for storing the digital content and store structured representations and metadata associated with that digital content in that container.
US08495097B1
Methods and apparatus implementing systems and techniques for traversing a hierarchical layout template to accelerate a constraint-driven backtracking search for a solution of the layout template. In general, in one implementation, the techniques include identifying a shared content element constraint that defines a content requirement common to all layout structures possible in a choice substructure in a hierarchical layout template, and associating the shared content element constraint with a root node of the choice substructure in the hierarchical layout template. In another aspect, the techniques include receiving content elements to be presented according to a hierarchical layout template that includes a choice substructure including a root node having a shared content element constraint that defines a content requirement common to all layout structures possible in the choice substructure, and traversing the hierarchical layout template to generate a layout structure that accommodates the content elements, said traversing including traversing the hierarchical layout template based at least in part on the shared content element constraint associated with the root node.
US08495096B1
A decision tree for classifying computer files is constructed. Computational complexities of a set of candidate attributes are determined. A set of attribute vectors are created for a set of training files with known classification. A node is created to represent the set. A weighted impurity reduction score is calculated for each candidate attribute based on the computational complexity of the attribute. If a stopping criterion is satisfied then the node is set as a leaf node. Otherwise the node is set as a branch node and the attribute with the highest weighted impurity reduction score is selected as the splitting attribute for the branch node. The set of attribute vectors are split into subsets based on their attribute values of the splitting attribute. The above process is repeated for each subset. The tree is then pruned based on the computational complexities of the splitting attributes.
US08495091B2
Methods and apparatus relating to dynamically routing data responses directly to a requesting processor core are described. In one embodiment, data returned in response to a data request is to be directly transmitted to a requesting agent based on information stored in a route back table. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08495086B2
Distinguishing the background musical soundtrack from a secondary musical soundtrack of a licensed musical recording; mapping a sequential pattern of background musical fingerprints for the background musical soundtrack of the licensed recording; mapping a sequential pattern of secondary musical fingerprints for the secondary musical soundtrack of the licensed recording; and storing the background musical fingerprint patterns and the secondary musical fingerprint patterns in a database of licensed musical recordings.
US08495084B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for searching chemical compounds referenced in chemical literature. References to chemical compounds in the documents may be transformed to corresponding references using a standard notation for representing chemical compounds. Criteria specifying desired molecular characteristics may be received. A regular expression may be generated based on the received criteria. The chemical documents may be searched using the regular expression. Based on the search, a chemical document may be determined that references a chemical compound satisfying the received criteria. Further, the regular expression may be generated based on the received criteria and a received mutation rule. Based on the generated regular expression and the chemical documents, one or more chemical compounds may be discovered that satisfy both the received criteria and the received mutation rule, but that is are not referenced in the chemical documents.
US08495077B2
Disclosed are a system for, and method of, determining whether records correspond to the same individual. The system and method provide such a determination with a known minimum level of confidence. That is, the system and method provide an indication that records correspond to the same individual along with an associated confidence level. The system and method may be used to link records in a database that correspond to the same individuals, creating entity representations in the database.
US08495073B2
Systems and methods for processing content packages such as human-readable documents identify and analyze content type. Structural and logical evaluation of a Content package is performed, followed by analysis and indexing of concepts within the package. Analysis and identification of concepts and sub-concepts may be an iterative process. Concepts are indexed in accordance with different rule sets representing Different consumer needs and perspectives. Customers can then use the indices to navigate large groups of content packages based on the concepts contained within those packages and also on keywords associated with concepts.
US08495060B1
The raw data for a plurality of numerical reports (distributions or histograms) concerning malware infection in a computer network are stored in a data source. The data source is queried to produce any number of reports. Each report's content comes from a distribution of data within a time interval, and a baseline distribution is formed for comparison by the corresponding historical data. The shape change for the distributions is determined by using Kullback-Leibler divergence. The change of volume (i.e., total sample count) for the distributions is determined using the L1 norm ratio. A cutoff threshold is determined for the K-L divergence and the volume ratio threshold is determined for the count change. A measure value for each report is determined by multiplying the shape change by the volume change (modified by raising it to a particular power). The reports are ranked based upon their measure values. A report is determined to be important if its shape change is greater than the cutoff threshold, if it's volume change is greater than the count ratio threshold, or if the measure value is greater than a measure threshold. The invention can be applied to all kinds of reports suitable for a distribution or histogram, and also provides one approach to detect anomalous behaviors.
US08495055B2
A method and apparatus for resolving conjunctive queries, comprising relational predicates and external predicates, such as XML predicates. The method and apparatus obtain results from a relational engine or from an external engine, and then use the obtained results as input for the other engine, so as to optimize the activity of the other engine. The process may repeat further times, with the results obtained by the other engine being input to the first engine. The method and apparatus further disclose handling value, being isomorphic hierarchical subtrees.
US08495047B2
A method and system for automated intelligent electronic advertising. The method and system parse electronic information messages (e.g., e-mail, IM, SMS, MMS, social networking messages, etc.) using information theory for keywords and make search engine queries or database queries for electronic links based on the identified keywords. Hierarchical electronic links are added to the electronic information messages creating a modified electronic information message. This allows additional electronic information to be accessed from the modified electronic information message based on information content of the original electronic information message via pre-determined hierarchy.
US08495043B2
A system and method for allowing flexible and simultaneous updates to database objects from one or more users is disclosed. The system may receive a change request to the object from the first user and then from a second user. The system may determine if the object is locked and, if so, informing the first user. If an edit request is received from the second user, the second user may be provided with multiple options, such as incorporating changes made by first user and overwriting changes made by second user with changes made by first user, incorporating changes made by first user and overwriting changes made by first user with changes made by second user, and cancelling changes made by second user.
US08495040B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing an automated validity check of transaction data postings. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes entering at least one code for specifying at least one posting to be performed for a transactional data processing operation. The method may also include starting the transactional data processing operation, sending a request to a service component for performing a validity check of the at least one code, buffering one or more posting requests resulting from execution of the transactional data processing operation. Further, the method may include sending, in response to receipt of a first signal indicative of code validity from the service component, the one or more buffered posting requests with the at least one code to a posting component.
US08495026B1
A computer-implemented method for migrating archived files may include (1) identifying a file system including a plurality of placeholder files that reference corresponding archived files stored on a first archival system, (2) identifying a request to migrate the archived files from the first archival system to a second archival system, (3) making the second archival system available to the file system for archival, and, while both the first archival system and the second archival system are available to the file system, (4) locating each placeholder file within the plurality of placeholder files on the file system, and, for each located placeholder file, (5) retrieving a corresponding archived file from the first archival system, and (6) archiving the corresponding archived file on the second archival system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08495025B2
Instead of adding resources into a folder by specifying a list of identifiers, client applications add resources to a folder by specifying a search query that matches the resources to be added. The virtual folder is, therefore, a collection of search queries rather than a collection of resource identifiers. This allows the data archive systems to easily store folder information in a database. A client application can then search by specifying the folder as its search criteria to list all content associated with the folder. Additionally, to ensure that the list of results associated with a particular query does not change after the query is added into a folder, the data archive system also captures generation information associated with the particular query (i.e., the iteration of the search indexes at the time the query is received) and stores the generation information with the query as part of the folder.
US08495023B1
A method and mechanism for performing data backups in a computing system. A “delta” catalog is utilized for the maintenance of data backups. The delta catalog includes a backed up object table and an extent map. For a given backup, the backed up object table update stores entries which identify only those objects backed up during that backup. The backed up object table is further configured to store entries which identify objects which were deleted between the time of a prior backup procedure and a current backup procedure. The extent map is configured identify all objects present in the system at the time of a particular backup. The extent map identifies the objects which were present as one or more sequences of entries in the backed up object table.
US08495019B2
The system and method for providing assured recovery and replication described herein may recover a master data source from a replica data source without impacting the master data source or the replica data source, and without having to install a standby version of an application associated with the master data source. In particular, a master snapshot may be created to copy application data stored in the master data source, wherein a replication server confirms that the replica data source can recover the master data source if the master snapshot and the replica data source are consistent. The replication server may create a replica snapshot to copy the replica data source and assign an identity associated with the master data source to the replica data source to recover the master data source. As such, replication may be resumed on a virtual machine disk file associated with the replica snapshot.
US08495017B2
A method and a system for maintaining consistency of replicated files distributed over a plurality of independent processing slave nodes part of an application tier of a multi-tier client/server data processing system are described. The replicated files are distributed from a master node of a master tier. Upon reception of an update request to update a master database a new version of a replicated file is first generated and stored in a shared file system. A notification of availability of the new version is forwarded to a synchronizing slave node and broadcasted to all slave nodes. Each slave node preloads the new version of the replicated file from the shared file system and acknowledges successful completion. Upon reception of all acknowledgments in the synchronization slave node a notification of preloading achievement is forwarded to the master server which updates the master database.
US08495016B2
This invention uses a storage device more effectively than ever before to store image data in a predetermined storage device for future security chasing. A determination unit (203) determines whether related image data which can be considered substantially identical to image data acquired by an acquisition unit (210) is stored in a predetermined storage device (202) for future chasing. If related image data is stored, link information to the related image data is written instead of writing the acquired image data to the storage device (202). On the other hand, no related image data is stored, the acquired image data is written to the storage device (202).
US08495013B2
A distributed storage system and a method for storing objects based on locations. The distributed storage system may include a plurality of data nodes, at least one selection agent, a client, and a proxy server. The plurality of data nodes may be configured to be grouped into a plurality of zone groups based on locations of the plurality of data nodes and configured to store a target object and replicas of the target object. The at least one selection agent may be configured to select multiple target zone groups and select one target data node for each one of the selected multiple target zone groups.
US08495012B2
There is provided a system including a cluster 11, a cluster 12 and an image server 20. A host 101a constituting the cluster 11 has a root file system 111a used to operate the host 101a in a local disk. The image server 20 has a root file system 221a used to operate the host 101a, and the host 101a virtually constructs a root file system 121a by mounting the root file system 221a. When the root file system 111a is varied, the host 101a synchronizes the root file system 111a with the root file system 121a. The same applies to host 102a constituting the cluster 12.
US08495006B2
A computer-readable, non-transitory medium stores the system analysis program which can accurately analyze the operational status of a system without modifying functions of the system for providing services. A message analysis unit analyzes the contents of collected messages, and determines the times of occurrence of the messages, the process types requested by the messages, and whether or not each of the messages is a request message or a response message. In response to an instruction for model generation, a model generation unit generates a transaction model satisfying at least one limiting condition related to caller-called relationships between processes, based on a set of messages selected in accordance with a selection criterion based on the certainty of existence of caller-called relationships. Then, in response to an instruction for analysis, an analysis unit analyzes the processing status of a transaction based on a protocol log conforming to the transaction model.
US08495002B2
A software tool for creating, training and testing a knowledge base of a computerized customer relationship management system is disclosed. The software tool includes corpus editing processes for displaying and editing text-based corpus items, and assigning selected categories to individual corpus items. Knowledge base construction processes construct a knowledge base by analyzing a first subset of the corpus items, and testing processes test the knowledge base on a second subset of the corpus items. Reporting processes generate reports containing indicia representative of the testing results, which may be utilized to edit the corpus items and retrain the knowledge base so as to improve performance.
US08494995B2
Methods and arrangements for managing and enhancing workflow. A work item is accepted and the is routed from a first node to a second node based on a predictive analytics model. The predictive analytics model is validated, and is reconfigured responsive to the validating.
US08494986B2
An information processing apparatus for generating an algorithm determining a similarity between a pair of data. The apparatus includes: a feature-quantity-extraction expression list generation mechanism generating a feature-quantity-extraction expression list including a plurality of feature-quantity-extraction expressions including a plurality of operators by updating the feature-quantity-extraction expression list of a preceding generation; a calculation mechanism inputting first and second data given as teacher data into each of the feature-quantity-extraction expressions included in the feature-quantity-extraction expression list to calculate a feature quantity corresponding to each of the first and the second data; an evaluation-value calculation mechanism calculating the evaluation value of each of the feature-quantity-extraction expressions using the calculated feature quantities and a similarity between the first and the second data given as the teacher data; and a similarity-calculation expression estimation mechanism estimating a similarity calculation expression for calculating a similarity between the first and the second data given as the teacher data.
US08494980B2
A method for the computer-assisted exploration of states of a technical system is provided. The states of the technical system are run by carrying out an action in a respective state of the technical system, the action leading to a new state. A safety function and a feedback rule are used to ensure that a large volume of data of states and actions is run during exploration and that at the same time no inadmissible actions occur which could lead directly or indirectly to the technical system being damaged or to a defective operating state. The method allows a large number of states and actions relating to the technical system to be collected and may be used for any technical system, especially the exploration of states in a gas turbine. The method may be used both in the real operation and during simulation of the operation of a technical system.
US08494973B1
An existing distribution of reviews for an entity across a plurality of review sites is evaluated. A determination is made, on behalf of the entity, that the existing distribution should be adjusted. An indication of at least one review site on which the placement of at least one additional review should be targeted is provided as output.
US08494972B2
A method of appraising the value of a property based on obtaining a credit score of an owner of a property and assigning an ownership responsibility indicator to the property. The ownership responsibility indicator provides insight into the condition of the property without performing a complete inspection. A more accurate value of the property can then be determined.
US08494969B2
The invention is a cryptographic server providing interoperability over multiple algorithms, keys, standards, certificate types and issuers, protocols, and the like. Another aspect of the invention is to provide a secure server, or trust engine, having server-centric keys, or in other words, storing cryptographic keys on a server. The server-centric storage of keys provides for user-independent security, portability, availability, and straightforwardness, along with a wide variety of implementation possibilities.
US08494965B2
A content distribution system for transporting audio or video licenses between content players that use digital rights management (DRM) is disclosed. The content distribution system includes at least a second license repository and an authentication engine. The second license repository receives second information describing a second plurality of content licenses. A first license repository stores a first plurality of content licenses. The first plurality of content licenses enable use of a plurality of content objects with a first content player within confines of DRM. The second license repository is geographically distant from the first license repository. The authentication engine authorizes the second plurality of content licenses of the second license repository. The second plurality of content licenses enable use of the plurality of content objects with the second content player within the confines of DRM.
US08494960B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, program products, and methods of loading a loan on a pre-paid card. A bank receives authorization from a lender to credit loan proceeds from the lender to an approved borrower on a pre-paid card associated with the pre-paid card processor so that release of the loan proceeds is pending an activation of a pre-paid card. Next, the bank receives notice of an activation of a pre-paid card associated with the pre-paid card processor responsive to an activation request on behalf of the approved borrower. Then the bank credits the pending loan proceeds to the pre-paid card processor for the activated pre-paid card so that the loan proceeds are released to the approved borrower and are immediately available.
US08494959B2
A payment card comprises a processor, a trigger source coupled to the processor, and a display for outputting at least a portion of a dynamic account number under control of the processor responsive to the trigger source. The dynamic account number is determined based at least in part on a seed stored in the payment card and an output of the trigger source. In an illustrative embodiment, the dynamic account number is generated utilizing a time-based or event-based one-time password algorithm. For example, in a time-based embodiment, the trigger source may comprise a time of day clock, with the dynamic account number being determined based at least in part on the seed and a current value of the time of day clock. In an event-based embodiment, the trigger source may comprise an event counter, with the dynamic account number being determined based at least in part on the seed and a current value of the event counter.
US08494945B2
A system for creating a service provider group including selecting a reference item, selecting a specification of the reference item, evaluating the specification against alternatives to the reference item, determining interchangeability between the reference item and alternatives based on evaluating of the specification in relation to the alternatives, where the determining of interchangeability is based on or includes determining at least one of quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility. The method further including forming at least one set based on the determined interchangeability and creating a service provider group based on or including at least one of the set and at least one member of the set.
US08494941B2
In one embodiment, first, second, and third inputs are received. The first input specifies a first market instrument and the second input specifies start and end dates of a first time series for the first market instrument. The third input specifies a feature set computer and the values of zero or more parameters thereof. A first feature set of the first market instrument is determined by applying the feature set computer to the first time series. A second feature set of a second market instrument is determined by applying the feature set computer to a second time series for the second market instrument, where the second time series is bounded by the start and end dates. The second feature set is correlated to the first feature set to determine a similarity score for the second market instrument, where the similarity score is a measure of the relationship between the second market instrument and the first market instrument.
US08494938B1
Systems and methods for processing insurance claims using a claims card are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, a notice of loss is received. The notice of loss can contain information regarding the insured property, policy information, member information, witness names and contact information, witness statements, police report numbers, date of loss, time of loss, nature of the loss, and/or other information. A determination of liability coverage can then be made by accessing a membership database to retrieve the insurance policy. If the loss is determined to be covered by, or at least within the coverage of, the insurance policy, a claims card can be activated, delivered, or given to an insured accident victim under conditions where liability coverage, claims record, and the liability issues for the accident are sufficiently clear that to indicate that the insurance company will be paying for loss related items.
US08494932B2
Sub-metering of fluid use is performed using a single acoustic transducer positioned at a common supply point. A computer attached to the transducer determines when each consumption point is active and measures the respective amount of fluid drawn by each. Acoustic signatures of each consumption point differ depending on the length of piping runs, location of elbows, tees, and other structures which cause acoustic energy as the fluid flows through. The acoustic signatures are recorded by the computer and are used to simultaneously differentiate fluid use at each consumption point.
US08494931B2
A management application implemented in a computational device maintains priorities corresponding to a plurality of resources coupled to the computational device. Indications for actions to be performed corresponding to occurrences of events are stored to a calendar, wherein the calendar is configurable by a user. A selected indication for an action to be performed is stored to the calendar. In response to an occurrence of an event associated with a selected resource, a priority of the selected resource is determined. The action is performed, based on at least the determined priority of the selected resource and the selected indication for the action stored in the calendar, wherein different actions are performed in response to occurrences of a selected event at different times.
US08494928B2
Data validation techniques are provided. For example, such techniques complement user entries associated with events of interest through context. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for processing one or more user entries associated with one or more events of interest includes the following steps/operations. Context associated with the one or more events of interest is obtained. At least a portion of the obtained context is associated with one or more user entries representing events of interest. At least a portion of the one or more user entries is evaluated, responsive to at least a portion of the context. An indication of the one or more events of interest is provided, responsive to the evaluation.
US08494927B2
A method for providing payroll processing software as a service to payroll providers such as payroll vendors and end users. The software developer contracts with the payroll provider to provision, administer and support the payroll processing software thereby allowing the payroll provider to concentrate on its core business of payroll processing.
US08494915B2
Mechanisms are provided to facilitate buying and selling products utilizing social pricing. Sellers initiate sale of a product with volume discounts for a limited time. In other words, the more people that buy a product, the lower the price for the group. Buyers have a real incentive to become prosumers that not only purchase a product but also promote purchase by others. A social pricing system brokers interaction between sellers and buyer groups, and provisions mechanisms to aid promotion of products by consumers utilizing social networks and other online activities.
US08494908B2
A near field communication (NFC) based checkout system comprises an NFC enabled mobile telephone that reads product data from an NFC tag associated with a product. The mobile telephone updates a shopping list when the consumer scans an item. The consumer uploads the shopping list at a payment terminal at the checkout via an NFC link. The payment terminal connects with a price look up (PLU) database and downloads the price data for the items in the shopping list to provide a total price. The payment terminal requests authorization of the total price from the consumer's financial authorization.
US08494899B2
Methods and systems for dynamically scheduling a talk radio program include registering potential participants of a talk radio program service and receiving participant preferences for each of the potential participants, wherein the participant preferences include at least one topic of interest and a time availability; scheduling a talk radio program for production when a combination the participant preferences reach predetermined thresholds; and sending the potential participants a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program.
US08494886B2
Two configurable user interface building blocks, an analytics list building block and a search building block, may interface with business planning data in both business intelligence systems and enterprise resource planning systems through an application controller to provide business planning models and applications. The search building block may include parameters to select fields from queries, filters, planning functions, and sequences to filter data included in the planning model. The analytics list building block may provide an interface for customizing components of business planning models. The application controller may ensure application integrity, execute a planning function on the data in the business planning model, and populate an interface with data.
US08494884B2
A system is provided that enables customers to search for event tickets for purchase. A computer interacts with the user to allow the user to specify criteria for event tickets the user wishes to purchase. The system presents relevant event ticket results, and provides filters for the user to further refine those search results. The user selects an event, and then selects tickets for that event. Ticket availability is shown, with seat locations indicated directly on an interactive venue map. For purchase, the user is directed to the selling ticket provider.
US08494883B2
A system for the adjudication of insurance claims, such as automobile repair claims, by an insurance provider is provided. A claim submitted by a policyholder is received is received by the insurance provider. The claim is assigned to an insurance adjuster. The insurance provider receives a determination of a dollar value of the claim from the adjuster, and uses this information to determine how much money to disburse to the policyholder. The insurance provider then issues an account funded with the dollar value of the claim to the policyholder, accessible by the policyholder through a card. As the card is used, the insurance provider collects purchase information, such as information relating to the date, place, and amount of each purchase made on the account. The insurance provider may then collate the purchase information in a database and analyze the data for mathematically significant trends and relationships.
US08494881B1
A method and system for allowing a user to select a healthcare services package is disclosed where a central server generally receives personal information data from the user over the Internet regarding the user's preferences with respect to healthcare service providers and the user's sponsor, i.e., the party responsible for paying for all or part of the user's healthcare costs (such as an employer, an insurance company or the user himself). The server thereafter provides a list comprising a plurality of healthcare service providers and information regarding the healthcare service providers (e.g., specialty, rate, location, hospital affiliation, etc.) to the user for selection by the user of a healthcare services panel. Once the server has received the selected healthcare services panel from the user comprising at least one of the listed healthcare service providers, the server determines a healthcare services package and provides the determined healthcare services package to the user for selection by the user. The method and system also provides for registration with the server by healthcare service providers that are interested in being listed for selection by the user, wherein the healthcare service providers are paid according to their registered rates.
US08494865B2
An audio decoder for providing a decoded audio information on the basis of an entropy encoded audio information includes a context-based entropy decoder configured to decode the entropy-encoded audio information in dependence on a context, which context is based on a previously-decoded audio information in a non-reset state-of-operation. The context-based entropy decoder is configured to select a mapping information, for deriving the decoded audio information from the encoded audio information, in dependence on the context. The context-based entropy decoder includes a context resetter configured to reset the context for selecting the mapping information to a default context, which default context is independent from the previously-decoded audio information, in response to a side information of the encoded audio information.
US08494859B2
DEAF-core technology converts inputs to outputs accessible to people with disabilities. Communication is improved with DEAF-core technology by using data storage and transmission format that includes both semantic information and content. User-defined input, responsible for conveying semantic information, and raw analog input, such as text, are converted into a unique XML format (“gh XML”). “gh XML” includes standard XML encoded with accessibility information that allows a user to communicate both verbal (text) and non-verbal (semantic) information as part of the input. “gh XML” is a temporary format which is further converted using XSLT (extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) into individual versions of XML specific to each output. After the “gh XML” is converted into the desired XML format, custom rendering engines specific to the desired output convert the individual version of XML into a viable analog format for display.
US08494857B2
Techniques are described for automatically measuring fluency of a patient's speech based on prosodic characteristics thereof. The prosodic characteristics may include statistics regarding silent pauses, filled pauses, repetitions, or fundamental frequency of the patient's speech. The statistics may include a count, average number of occurrences, duration, average duration, frequency of occurrence, standard deviation, or other statistics. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an audio sample that includes speech of a patient, analyzing the audio sample to identify prosodic characteristics of the speech of the patient, and automatically measuring fluency of the speech of the patient based on the prosodic characteristics. These techniques may present several advantages, such as objectively measuring fluency of a patient's speech without requiring a manual transcription or other manual intervention in the analysis process.
US08494853B1
Examples of methods and systems for providing speech recognition systems based on speech recordings logs are described. In some examples, a method may be performed by a computing device within a system to generate modified data logs to use as a training data set for an acoustic model for a particular language. A device may receive one or more data logs that comprise at least one or more recordings of spoken queries and transcribe the recordings. Based on comparisons, the device may identify any transcriptions that may be indicative of noise and may remove those transcriptions indicative of noise from the data logs. Further, the device may remove unwanted transcriptions from the data logs and the device may provide the modified data logs as a training data set to one or more acoustic models for particular languages.
US08494842B2
The technology disclosed relates to audio signal processing. It includes a series of modules that individually are useful to solve audio signal processing problems. Among the problems addressed are buzz removal, selecting a pitch candidate among pitch candidates based on local continuity of pitch and regional octave consistency, making small adjustments in pitch, ensuring that a selected pitch is consistent with harmonic peaks, determining whether a given frame or region of frames includes harmonic, voiced signal, extracting harmonics from voice signals and detecting vibrato. One environment in which these modules are useful is transcribing singing or humming into a symbolic melody. Another environment that would usefully employ some of these modules is speech processing. Some of the modules, such as buzz removal, are useful in many other environments as well.
US08494841B2
Conference bridge (1) for managing an audio scene comprising two or more participants, the conference bridge comprising a mixer (2) and several user channels (3a, 3b, 3N). The conference bridge is arranged to continuously create a 3D positional audio environment signal for each participant as a listening participant, by rendering the speech of each participant as a 3D positioned virtual sound source and excluding the speech of the listening participant, and to distribute each created 3D positional audio environment signal to the corresponding listening participant. Further, the conference bridge is arranged to place the virtual sound source corresponding to each participant at the same spatial position relative the listening participant in every created 3D positional audio environment.
US08494840B2
The invention relates to audio signal processing and speech enhancement. In accordance with one aspect, the invention combines a high-quality audio program that is a mix of speech and non-speech audio with a lower-quality copy of the speech components contained in the audio program for the purpose of generating a high-quality audio program with an increased ratio of speech to non-speech audio such as may benefit the elderly, hearing impaired or other listeners. Aspects of the invention are particularly useful for television and home theater sound, although they may be applicable to other audio and sound applications. The invention relates to methods, apparatus for performing such methods, and to software stored on a computer-readable medium for causing a computer to perform such methods.
US08494828B2
A method is provided for simulating a physical process such as fluid flow in porous media by performing a fine-grid calculation of the process in a medium and re-using the fine grid solution in subsequent coarse-grid calculations. For fluid flow in subsurface formations, the method may be applied to optimize upscaled calculation grids formed from geologic models. The method decreases the cost of optimizing a grid to simulate a physical process that is mathematically described by the diffusion equation.
US08494827B2
A method for predicting localized damage and naturally occurring fractures in a subsurface region is provided. This invention uses a hybrid FEM-DEM (i.e. finite-discrete element) framework combined with a fracture risking analysis and fracture initiation and propagation criteria, to model the transition of rock from a state of continuum to discontinuum. The risking analysis combines results from other natural fracture prediction tools (e.g. displacement discontinuity method, restoration analysis, curvature analysis, analytical solutions, continuum analysis) to augment FEM-DEM solutions, such as by providing remote and local boundary conditions and identifying potential regions of anticipated damage and fracturing. Natural fractures and damage information is extracted from the modeling results and may be used directly for predictions or used as input into other fracture analysis tools or techniques. The FEM-DEM and risking techniques can be incorporated into a variety of numerical simulation software packages that use a finite-discrete method solver.
US08494826B2
A computer implemented method may be used for analyzing equipment failures and maintenance schedules. An equipment maintenance system generates a model of equipment and components of each piece of equipment. In one embodiment, the model is a tree representation. The equipment maintenance system may then determine estimated failure information for each component based on a selected statistical model. The equipment maintenance system may also generate a maintenance schedule based on the determined estimated failure information for each component of the equipment. In one embodiment, the equipment maintenance system displays the equipment maintenance information.
US08494825B2
A method for determining the orientation of a first object in space, wherein the first object is interactive with a second object, the method comprising the steps of: using kinematic action to generate a first data set reflective of the current spatial relationship between the first object and the second object; and comparing the first data set with a database of known data sets reflective of known spatial relationships between the first object and the second object in space so as to identify the current orientation of the first object in space.
US08494821B2
The present invention describes a method for joint modeling of a mean and dispersion of data. A computing system derives a loss function taking into account distributional requirements over the data. The computing system represents separate regression functions for the mean and the dispersion as stagewise expansion forms. At this time, the stagewise expansion forms include undetermined scalar coefficients and undetermined basis functions. Then, the computing system chooses the basis functions that maximally correlate with a corresponding steepest-descent gradient direction of the loss function. The computing system obtains the scalar coefficients based on a single step of Newton iteration. The computing system completes the regression functions based on the chosen basis functions and obtained scalar coefficients.
US08494820B2
A computing device and a method measures scattering parameters (S-parameters) values at ports of a circuit at different signal frequencies, and creates a non-common-pole rational function of S-parameters by applying a vector fitting algorithm to the S-parameters. A matrix of the non-common-pole rational function is converted to a state-space matrix, and the state-space matrix is substituted into a Hamiltonian matrix. The device and method further analyzes if eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian matrix have pure imaginaries, to determine if the non-common-pole rational function of the S-parameters satisfies a passivity requirement.
US08494815B2
A method for designing a sound waveguide surface is described. The method includes the steps of forming a parametric model of the sound waveguide surface where the parametric model has at least one input parameter and then simulating a sound field that is formed by the sound waveguide surface. A frequency dependent spatial distribution measure is then determined for the sound field associated with the sound waveguide surface and the at least one input parameter is varied to change the sound waveguide surface to adjust the value of the frequency dependent spatial distribution measure.
US08494814B2
A method of modeling an opening of a hearing aid vent includes defining a trimming surface through a tip of the vent as one of a planar surface or a non-planar surface, and trimming the shell along the trimming surface to the expose the interior of the shell to create the vent opening. The tip includes an endpoint of the vent and the hearing aid shell fits inside an ear of a patient.
US08494812B2
A machine monitoring system and method uses a machine monitoring device (MMD) which is connected to the monitored machine. Outputs from the machine are attached to input connectors on the MMD. The MMD receives inputs from the machine and performs desired transformations. Results of the transformations are stored in an on-board database system. Reports on machine status, quality, maintenance, production, and performance are generated by consulting the database system. Reports can be generated at fixed intervals or on demand and may be transmitted over a network. The MMD makes reports remotely viewable from client computing devices via web page interfaces and also allows for remote configuration of the MMD via such interfaces. The MMD also has output connectors for transmitting MMD output signals that may be used for activating buzzers, lights or email notifications that can be escalated, or pausing or stopping machines.
US08494803B2
A device for testing an electrical component is provided, having a simulation device for generating a simulation signal, a testing device for connecting the electrical component, at least two connecting devices, and a selection device for selecting the connecting device, wherein the simulation device and the testing device can be connected in an electrically conducting manner to at least one of the connecting devices by the selection device and the individual connecting devices differ from one another in at least one electrical property. Thus, a device for testing an electrical component is provided with which in a simple manner the testing accuracy can be increased by minimizing the signal corruption due to a parasitic property of the connecting device.
US08494794B2
Methods and systems for determining information about a vascular bodily lumen are described. An exemplary method includes generating an electrical signal, delivering the electrical signal to a plurality of excitation elements in the vicinity of the vascular bodily lumen, measuring a responsive electrical signal from a plurality of sensing elements in response to the delivered electrical signal, and determining a lumen dimension. Specific embodiments include generating a multiple frequency electrical signal. Another embodiment includes measuring a plurality of responsive signals at a plurality of frequencies. Still other embodiments include using spatial diversity of the excitation elements. Yet other embodiments use method for calibration and de-embedding of such measurements to determine the lumen dimensions. Diagnostic devices incorporating the method are also disclosed, including guide wires, catheters and implants. The methods and systems described herein are advantageous as they do not include injecting a second fluid for the measurements.
US08494791B2
Methods and systems for improving correlation of shear displacement waveforms are presented. The method includes delivering one or more reference pulses to a plurality of target regions to detect corresponding initial positions. Further, a plurality of pushing pulse segments are delivered to one or more pushing locations, where one or more parameters corresponding to the plurality of pushing pulse segments are adapted for generating a shear displacement waveform with a desired wave shape. Additionally, one or more tracking pulses may be delivered to the plurality of target regions for detecting displacements of at least a subset of the target regions as a function of time. Particularly, the displacements are determined as time samples of the shear displacement waveform. Subsequently, a shift between the shear displacement waveform detected at least two different target regions in the subset of the plurality of target regions is detected.
US08494788B2
An apparatus and method is provided for determining the static gas pressure in a gas/liquid flow. The apparatus and method may be non-invasive relative to the flow to be analyzed. The apparatus and method may include swirling a multiphase flow so that the flow is separated into a gas core and a liquid outer layer, measuring flow parameters, including the liquid layer tangential velocity, the liquid holdup, and the static pressure of the flow at the wall of conduit, and determining the static gas pressure in the gas core from the measured flow parameters.
US08494786B2
Methods and systems are provided that include sampling a light intensity signal at different frequencies based on the waveform of the signal to produce a more accurate digitized signal. The light intensity signal is an analog signal proportional to the intensity of light received at a detector of a pulse oximetry system. In one embodiment, the signal may be sampled exponentially during pulse width periods, such that the end of the pulse width periods where the signal reaches a maximum amplitude may be sampled more frequently. The signal may also be exponentially sampled or oversampled during periods when the signal is expected to near maximum amplitude. Further, the signal may be sampled less frequently during low amplitude periods of the signal, and during dark periods, such that processing power may be conserved.
US08494782B1
Method and system for rapid and accurate determination of each of a sequence of unknown polymer components, such as nucleic acid components. A self-assembling monolayer of a selected substance is optionally provided on an interior surface of a pipette tip, and the interior surface is immersed in a selected liquid. A selected electrical field is impressed in a longitudinal direction, or in a transverse direction, in the tip region, a polymer sequence is passed through the tip region, and a change in an electrical current signal is measured as each polymer component passes through the tip region. Each of the measured changes in electrical current signals is compared with a database of reference electrical change signals, with each reference signal corresponding to an identified polymer component, to identify the unknown polymer component with a reference polymer component. The nanopore preferably has a pore inner diameter of no more than about 40 nm and is prepared by heating and pulling a very small section of a glass tubing.
US08494777B2
A method for the detection and localization of microseismic events is proposed which operates in real-time. It provides hypocenters in three spatial dimensions along with an estimate of the event origin time. Sensor positions may be distributed in 3D space, and are not confined to linear arrays in vertical wells. The method combines and improves two existing approaches. For detection and localization purposes the method makes use of the generalized beam-forming and forward modeling properties defined in the “CMM” algorithm. For location refinement, the method uses a stabilized version of the generalized “Geiger” approach.
US08494772B2
Methods for accurately and conveniently calculating the inventory of hydrogen storage in a stationary storage vessel using the external ambient temperature and the internal pressure are disclosed in the present invention. To account for the delay in the heat transfer from the ambient air to the storage vessel and then to the hydrogen gas a first order filter can be used on the external ambient temperature. Following the application of the first order filter on the external ambient temperature, an empirical equation is used to calculate the mass of hydrogen in the stationary storage vessel.
US08494771B2
Optimum journeys in public transportation networks are determined. The determination of Pareto optimal journeys from one stop to another stop in a public transportation network uses the criteria travel time and minimum transfers. A technique for bi-criteria journey planning using the aforementioned criteria in public transportation networks operates in rounds (K rounds at most), where after round k (k≦K), arrival times are computed for the stops that can be reached with up to k trips.
US08494765B2
A distance measuring system comprises a vehicle and an electronic key. The vehicle includes a user interface system. The portable electronic key includes a distance data gathering component configured to determine a distance travelled by the electronic key and create distance data based on the distance travelled, and a communication component configured to communicate the distance data to the user interface system which is configured to output distance information based on the distance data.
US08494764B2
The data exchange between two or more navigation devices allows a highly automated coordination of routes of navigation devices. The calculation of a route may be based on the GPS data and additionally on the positional data received from another navigation system to provide, for example, for a rendezvous function with a minimum activity from the users of the navigation devices.
US08494752B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an engine having a revision means which regulates rotation speed of each of cylinders while reflecting specific unevenness of rotation of each of the cylinders. With regard to an engine 2 having a plurality of cylinders wherein opening timing of each of injectors 3 can be controlled respectively, comprising an individual standard rotation speed output unit 30 which outputs individual standard rotation speed Nstdi of each of the cylinders following fuel injection of the corresponding injector 3 when all the injectors 3 are in normal state, an engine rotation speed sensor 6 which detects individual actual rotation speed Ni of each of the cylinders following the fuel injection of the corresponding injector 3, and a revision amount calculation unit 50 which calculates revision amount of fuel injection amount to each of the cylinders from the corresponding injector 3 based on difference between the individual standard rotation speed Nstdi stored in the individual standard rotation speed output unit 30 and the individual actual rotation speed Ni calculated by the engine rotation speed sensor 6.
US08494748B2
The present invention provides a method for controlling engine torque in a hybrid vehicle, in which a point of time when an intake cam is activated is determined such that an engine demand torque is controlled to a level at which system efficiency is maximized within a limited engine output range before activation of the intake cam and the engine demand torque is controlled to a level at which the system efficiency is maximized after activation of the intake cam.
US08494747B2
A method for stabilizing an unstable driving state in a single-track vehicle, in particular a motorcycle, wherein a prespecified driving situation, in particular braking, particularly while driving in a straight trajectory or a nearly straight trajectory, is detected; at least one yaw rate ({dot over (ψ)}) and/or one side slip angle (β) of the vehicle is determined for the detection of an unstable driving state of the vehicle; the determined yaw rate ({dot over (ψ)}) and/or the determined side slip angle (β) is/are evaluated; and when an unstable driving stat is detected, the braking torque of one wheel, in particular the front wheel, is reduced. A device for stabilizing an unstable driving state in a single-track vehicle is also disclosed.
US08494744B2
A method and control unit determines a fuel efficient acceleration behavior of a motor vehicle for a predetermined road section. The determination of the acceleration behavior is based on a determined initial speed of the motor vehicle in a first position in the road section, and a determined target speed of the motor vehicle in a determined second position in the road section, the second position being separated from the first position by an acceleration distance. The first position is determined such that the acceleration distance is less than or equal to a maximal acceleration distance Sacc, the maximal acceleration distance Sacc being dynamically determined based on at least one first road condition for the road section and on at least one characteristic of the motor vehicle.
US08494740B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling rotation speed of at least one rotary element in the drive line of a vehicle. A first control model and a second control model are defined. The first control model calculates a permitted slip of at least one of the ground engagement elements of the vehicle at its ground contact point, which ground engagement element is driven via the rotary element. The second control model calculates a torque to said ground engagement element. The result of one of said control models is used for controlling the rotation speed of the rotary element.
US08494733B2
A prime mover rotation speed control system for hydraulically driven vehicle includes: a hydraulic pump driven by a prime mover; a hydraulic motor for traveling driven with pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic pump; an operation member that outputs a travel command in accordance with an amount of operation by the operation member; a flow control device that controls one of a flow of the pressure oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor and a flow rate of the pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic motor, based on the travel command that is output in accordance with the amount of operation by the operation member; a target rotation number outputting device that outputs a target rotation number of the prime mover based on a command; a rotation number control device that controls a rotation number of the prime mover to be the target rotation number; a vehicle speed detection device that detects a vehicle speed; and a vehicle speed calculation device that calculates a target vehicle speed in accordance with the amount of operation by the operation member. The rotation number control device includes a correction device that adjusts the target rotation number based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection device and the target vehicle speed calculated by the vehicle speed calculation device.
US08494727B2
In order to achieve a solution which assists a farmer in working land in a way which reduces the risk of soil compaction of the land there is, among others, a method of determining a work trajectory to be followed by an agricultural work vehicle. The method includes accessing a soil carry capacity map of an area of land to be worked by the agricultural work vehicle, receiving load data of the agricultural work vehicle so as to determine the agricultural work vehicle load and determining the work trajectory to be followed by the agricultural work vehicle. The work trajectory is determined by correlating the soil carry capacity map and the load data of the agricultural work vehicle, so as to optimize that the area to be worked with low carry capacity is worked with low agricultural work vehicle load.
US08494724B2
A sensor system and method for detecting particles, in particular dirt particles or water droplets on a vehicle windscreen, comprising an optical sensor (3). The sensor (3) operates on the basis of light transit time and receives light signals (S) that are emitted by an emitter element and that are at least partially reflected, wherein the emitter element and the sensor (3) are located and aligned on the exterior of the vehicle, on or in the vicinity of a tailgate, hatchback or trunk lid (2) of said vehicle (1) in such a way that particles on the tailgate, hatchback or trunk lid (2) can be detected by means of the sensor (3) by sensing the part of light signals (S) emitted by the emitter element that is backscattered by the particles.
US08494720B2
Provided is a vehicle motion stability control system that combines the VSA and RTC devices in a favorable manner, and is able to effectively control the behavior of the vehicle over an entire operating range including an extreme operating region and a normal operating region. An output of the RTC is transformed by a certain transfer function, and the front wheel steering angle δf inputted to the actual vehicle model for the first control device (VSA) is modified according to the output of the transfer function. It means that the input front wheel steering angle is modified according to the thrust angle or toe angle of the RTC. Thereby, a harmonized control of the VSA and RTC is enabled, and such a harmonized combination can be effected without making changes to the structure of an existing VSA.
US08494719B2
A controller of an active rear steering (ARS) control system includes a processor and a software module. The software module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine rear steering angles, determine a vehicle state, determine shaping functions, and determine a rear steering command.
US08494712B2
A hybrid drive of a compressor (3) for an air conditioning unit in an automotive vehicle with a thermal engine, which is implemented by a coupling assembly including a rotating electric machine (2) adapted to be mechanically coupled to the thermal engine and to the compressor. First disengageable coupling assembly (6) are provided for connecting the rotating electric machine to the thermal engine, and second coupling assembly (8) are provided for coupling the rotating electric machine to the compressor.
US08494696B2
A method is provided including determining a first power level required from a diesel powered system. The first power level corresponds to a first proportion of a maximum power. The method also includes determining an emission output for a mission based on the first power level. The method further includes determining a second power level corresponding to a second proportion of the maximum power, wherein alternate use of the second power level and at least one of the first power level or a third power level results in a lower emission output for the mission, with the overall resulting power being proximate the minimum power required. The method also includes automatically controlling operation of the diesel powered system by using the second power level alternately with at least one of the first power level or the third power level.
US08494689B1
A method of controlling movement of an agent operating within an autonomous system includes determining, using a processing device associated with the agent, a highest attraction point for the agent on a line of optimal transmission between a detected event within an area of surveillance by the autonomous system and a base station within the autonomous system, and calculating an attraction force for the agent, based on the line of optimal transmission and location of the detected event; determining proximity of the agent to one or more additional agents operating within the autonomous system, and calculating a repulsion force for the agent so as to maintain a minimum separating distance between the agent and the one or more additional agents; calculating a resultant force for the agent based on the attraction force and the repulsion force; and changing a direction of the agent based on the resultant force.
US08494682B2
A method of increasing the efficiency of an irrigation system includes measuring an inline pressure of an irrigation system via an inline pressure gauge. The method also includes adjusting the inline pressure of the irrigation system to a value closer to a predefined optimal design pressure of a water outlet of the irrigation system and calculating a desired run time using at least the predefined optimal design pressure.
US08494681B2
A system is provided for controlling at least one climate control apparatus for conditioning a space. The system includes a controller mountable to a climate control apparatus that is segregated from the space to be conditioned. The controller has a plurality of selectable setting parameters for configuring the controller to operate at least one of a plurality of climate control apparatus, and a plurality of visual indicators for visually indicating the selection of at least one selectable setting parameter. A user interface is adapted for installation in the space, and has a display for displaying selectable setting parameters for configuring the controller. The user interface includes user input controls for enabling selection of at least one displayed selectable setting parameter, where the controller responsively activates at least one visual indicator for indicating the selection of at least one selectable setting parameter by the user-interface.
US08494680B2
Guard lock for a component for closing an opening having a fixed part and a movable part, with a bolt, which is guided movably between a locking and an unlocked end position in the longitudinal direction of the bolt, a drive implementing a movement for moving the bolt and a transmission device between the drive and the bolt, wherein the drive is an electric motor, and the drive, the transmission device and the bolt are coupled in terms of movement in such a way as to directly transfer kinetic energy, it being possible for the bolt speed to be regulated via a control, and it being possible for monitoring of the movement of the drive, which is coupled in terms of movement to the bolt, to be implemented by the control, and the control being connected to at least one sensor for determining the position of the movable part relative to the fixed part.
US08494670B2
For application to analog, mixed-signal, and custom digital circuits, a system and method to extract circuit-specific process/environmental corners that is yield-aware and/or specification-aware. Simulation data from previous Monte Carlo-based verification actions can be re-used.
