US08568656B2
The present invention provides an environment-friendly manganese brass alloy, which comprises 55˜65 wt % of Cu, 1.0˜6.5 wt % of Mn, 0.2˜3.0 wt % of Al, 0˜3.0 wt % of Fe, 0.3˜2.0 wt % of Sn, 0.01˜0.3 wt % of Mg, 0˜0.3 wt % of Bi and/or 0˜0.2 wt % of Pb, the balance being Zn and unavoidable impurities. The alloys not only have superior mechanical properties, castability, cutability and corrosion resistance, especially stress corrosion resistance properties, but also have the advantages of low manufacturing costs and simple manufacturing process etc, which is suitable for making components through forging, casting, cutting and other manufacturing methods, especially suitable for making water tap bodies and valves through forging, casting and cutting processes.
US08568639B2
In order to provide a mold and an imprint apparatus which permit adjustment of a depth of an imprint pattern after the imprint pattern is formed, the mold is constituted by a mold substrate including a first material and a surface layer, constituting a projection of the mold and including a second material, for forming a pattern on the photocurable resin material. The first material is more etchable than the second material. The first material and the second material have optical transmittances capable of curing the photocurable resin material with respect to at least a part of wavelength range of ultraviolet light.
US08568637B2
A method of forming a fiber made of peptide nanostructures is disclosed. The method comprises: providing peptide nanostructures in solution, and fiberizing the solution thereby forming at least one fiber of the peptide nanostructures. Also disclosed are methods of forming films and other articles using the peptide nanostructures.
US08568633B2
Thermoplastic particle foams which have cells having a mean cell size in the range from 20 to 500 μm and in which the cell membranes have a nanocellular or fibrous structure having pore or fiber diameters below 1500 nm, and also processes for producing them.
US08568620B2
A method for preparing a electrode composite material includes providing an aluminum nitrate solution and introducing a number of electrode active material particles into the aluminum nitrate solution, mixing the plurality of electrode active material particles with the aluminum nitrate solution to form a mixture, and adding a phosphate solution into the mixture to react with the aluminum nitrate solution and form an aluminum phosphate layer on surfaces of the electrode active material particles. Lastly, the electrode active material particles with the aluminum phosphate layer formed on the surfaces thereof are heat treated.
US08568612B2
A silicate negative electrode material comprising a smectite wherein, when the smectite is measured with a powder x-ray diffractometer, a peak is found in a case where 2θ is in a range from 7.45° to 9.18°.
US08568610B2
A chemical mechanical polishing composition is provided, comprising, as initial components: water, an abrasive; a diquaternary substance according to formula (I); a derivative of guanidine according to formula (II); and, optionally, a quaternary ammonium salt. Also, provided is a method for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises silicon dioxide; providing the chemical mechanical polishing composition of the present invention; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad; creating dynamic contact at an interface between the chemical mechanical polishing pad and the substrate; and dispensing the chemical mechanical polishing composition onto the chemical mechanical polishing pad at or near the interface between the chemical mechanical polishing pad and the substrate; wherein the chemical mechanical polishing composition has a pH of 2 to 6.
US08568609B2
A lubricating oil composition for refrigerator is formed by adding an organic compound that includes a double bond in the molecule such as α-olefin or conjugated diene to a base oil. Capable of being stably used for a long time in the presence of oxygen, the lubricating oil composition for refrigerator according to the invention is suitable for an open-type car air-conditioner, an electric driven car air-conditioner, a gas heat pump, an air conditioning device, a refrigerator, a vending machine, a showcase, various hot-water supply systems or a heating/cooling system.
US08568608B2
This invention relates to the use of ionic liquids as lubricants in vapor compression systems for cooling or heating. This invention also relates to an apparatus for adjusting temperature that operates a vapor compression cycle.
US08568603B2
A method of manufacturing a transparent conductive film has the steps of: preparing a laminated body in which a transparent conductive layer that is not patterned is formed on a flexible transparent base, removing a part of the transparent conductive layer to form the pattern forming part having the transparent conductive layer on the flexible transparent base and the pattern opening part not having the transparent conductive layer on the flexible transparent base, and heating the laminated body in which the transparent conductive layer is patterned. The absolute value of the difference H1-H2 of the dimensional change rate H1 of the pattern forming part and the dimensional change rate H2 of the pattern opening part in the heat treatment step is preferably less than 0.03%.
US08568595B2
A method for determining or predicting the adequacy parameters that will be achieved at the end of a kidney substitution treatment during said kidney substitution treatment wherein the kidney substitution treatment is provided by a machine, which has an extracorporeal blood system pumping the patient blood through the blood chamber of a dialyzer, wherein the dialyzing fluid collects the waste products from the patient after flowing through the dialyzing fluid chamber of the dialyzer and wherein a device able to measure a adequacy parameter is coupled with the kidney substitution treatment machine and wherein the slope of a preferable linear guideline for the adequacy parameter is compared to the slope of the delivered adequacy parameter and if the slope of both are equal a linearization is performed to determine or predict the adequacy parameter at the end of the kidney substitution treatment.
US08568591B2
A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support an environmentally-friendly, “green” thermophilic anaerobic digestion system. The system includes a thermophilic anaerobic digester as well as various independent modular anaerobic units to generate bio-methane from certain organic energy sources, including but not limited to, among other things, green municipal waste, restaurant and organic waste and effluents from industries such as breweries, grocery stores, food processing plants, granaries, wineries, pulp and paper mills, ethanol and biodiesel plants, fat and animal rendering, agricultural field crops, organic sludge accumulation within lagoons and waterways, marine organic matter and animal manure.
US08568584B2
A method is described for controlling instability of operation in a de-ethanizer tower (13) in the gas recovery unit in fluid catalytic cracking units and delayed coking units. The method comprises the step of intervening in the de-ethanizer tower (13) when instability occurs in it, and adjusting the material balance of water in such a way that the excess of water in the feed load stream (9) is removed only as an azeotrope. The intervention is performed by introducing into the feed load stream (9) of the de-ethanizer tower (13) a volume fraction (18) of a flow of hydrocarbon, which may be either dry hydrocarbons or hydrocarbons with a low level of water content.
US08568583B2
The described invention discloses an innovative hydroconversion-processing configuration for converting bitumen or heavy oils to produce a transportable synthetic crude oil (SCO). The innovative processing scheme disclosed herein maximizes the synthetic crude oil yield at a minimal investment compared to currently known methods.
US08568579B2
A biosensor includes a working electrode 101, a counter electrode 102 opposing the working electrode 101, a working electrode terminal 103 and a working electrode reference terminal 10 connected to the working electrode 101 by wires, and a counter electrode terminal 104 connected to the counter electrode 102 by a wire. By employing a structure with at least three electrodes, it is possible to assay a target substance without being influenced by the line resistance on the working electrode side.
US08568573B2
The present disclosure is generally directed to devices and methods of treating aqueous solutions to help remove or otherwise reduce levels, concentrations or amounts of one or more contaminants. The present disclosure relates to an apparatus comprising spaced-apart electrode structural support members extending from a first sidewall to a second sidewall, the spaced-apart electrode structural support members each having at least one photoelectrode and counterelectrode coupled to respective terminals adapted to be electrically coupled to a power supply, and at least one ultraviolet light source between the spaced-apart electrode support members.
US08568572B2
A method and apparatus are described for very low pressure high powered magnetron sputtering of a coating onto a substrate. By the method of this invention, both substrate and coating target material are placed into an evacuable chamber, and the chamber pumped to vacuum. Thereafter a series of high impulse voltage pulses are applied to the target. Nearly simultaneously with each pulse, in one embodiment, a small cathodic arc source of the same material as the target is pulsed, triggering a plasma plume proximate to the surface of the target to thereby initiate the magnetron sputtering process. In another embodiment the plasma plume is generated using a pulsed laser aimed to strike an ablation target material positioned near the magnetron target surface.
US08568571B2
A method of fabricating a layer of a thin film battery comprises providing a sputtering target and depositing the layer on a substrate using a physical vapor deposition process enhanced by a combination of plasma processes. The deposition process may include: (1) generation of a plasma between the target and the substrate; (2) sputtering the target; (3) supplying microwave energy to the plasma; and (4) applying radio frequency power to the substrate. A sputtering target for a thin film battery cathode layer has an average composition of LiMaNbZc, wherein 0.20>{b/(a+b)}>0 and the ratio of a to c is approximately equal to the stoichiometric ratio of a desired crystalline structure of the cathode layer, N is an alkaline earth element, M is selected from the group consisting of Co, Mn, Al, Ni and V, and Z is selected from the group consisting of (PO4), O, F and N.
US08568557B2
A compact and portable liquid concentrator includes a gas inlet, a gas exit and a flow corridor connecting the gas inlet and the gas exit, wherein the flow corridor includes a narrowed portion that accelerates the gas through the flow corridor. A liquid inlet injects liquid into the gas stream at a point prior to the narrowed portion so that the gas-liquid mixture is thoroughly mixed within the flow corridor, causing a portion of the liquid to be evaporated. A demister or fluid scrubber downstream of the narrowed portion removes entrained liquid droplets from the gas stream and re-circulates the removed liquid to the liquid inlet through a re-circulating circuit. Fresh liquid to be concentrated is also introduced into the re-circulating circuit at a rate sufficient to offset the amount of liquid evaporated in the flow corridor.
US08568552B2
In an outer covering sheet of an absorbent product, first, second and third adhesive layer elements each extending in a left-right direction are formed on a second covering sheet by spiral spray application. Each of these adhesive layer elements has wide width parts and narrow width parts which are continuous with the wide width parts, respectively. Therefore, hot melt adhesive can be stably discharged across the entire length of the adhesive layer element, unlike in the case where only wide width parts are formed intermittently. As a result, it is possible to obtain the outer covering sheet which is a sheet member having the adhesive layer elements with desired shapes where unevenness is decreased. In the absorbent product which is manufactured with use of the sheet member, the comfort level of the wearer can be prevented from decreasing due to unevenness of thickness of the adhesive layer elements.
US08568547B2
A molded product and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed, in which the insulating layer of uniform thickness is formed in a narrow clearance between plural metal bodies. Surroundings of metal plates spaced at specified intervals are covered with insulating polymer to insulate them electrically. A spacer polymer which consists of insulating polymer whose melting point is T1 is arranged between the metal plates, and a molded part which consists of insulating polymer whose melting point is T2 (
US08568541B2
A reactive material that includes at least one of a fuel, an oxidizer, and a class 1.1 explosive and is formulated for use in a reactive material projectile. The reactive material is formulated to provide at least one of an overpressure of greater than approximately 9 pounds per square inch at a radial measurement of 12 inches from a point of impact on a target, a hole greater than approximately 2 square inches at an optimum penetration level in a target, and pressure, damage, and a flame when the reactive material bullet impacts a target. The fuel may be a metal, a fusible metal alloy, an organic fuel, or mixtures thereof. The oxidizer may be an inorganic oxidizer, sulfur, a fluoropolymer, or mixtures thereof. A reactive material projectile having the reactive material disposed therein is also disclosed.
US08568537B2
An epitaxial wafer comprises a silicon substrate, a gettering epitaxial film formed thereon and containing silicon and carbon, and a main silicon epitaxial film formed on the gettering epitaxial film, in which the gettering epitaxial film has a given carbon atom concentration and carbon atoms are existent between its silicon lattices.
US08568524B2
Provided are compositions comprising stamp sand granules embedded in asphalt, where the stamp sand granules comprise a silane coating. Additionally provided are methods of making a silane-coated stamp sand, the methods comprising combining stamp sand granules and a silane solution to form a mixture and drying the mixture. Additionally provided are methods of covering a surface, the methods comprising combining silane-coated particles and asphalt to provide a mixture and distributing the mixture on the surface.
US08568518B2
A method of making a crystalline silicoaluminophosphate-34 (SAPO-34) membrane. The method comprises the steps of providing a porous support having a pore size distribution such that a small proportion of its pores are larger than 10 microns, seeding the porous support with SAPO-34 seed crystals by capillary suspension infiltration to give a seeded support, and growing a SAPO-34 membrane layer on the surface of the seeded support.
US08568507B2
In a method for processing and/or reducing solid or molten materials and/or pyrophoric materials, in particular shredder light fractions, the solid or molten materials are charged onto an at least partially inductively heated graphite body, wherein a reducing agent different from the carbon of the graphite is introduced, and the flowing-off reduced and/or degassed melt is collected, wherein the reducing agent is introduced together with the solid or molten charging materials, and, as the reducing agent, natural gas, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and/or ammonia are introduced along with water vapor, oxygen, carbon dioxide and/or halogens or hydrogen halides.
US08568503B2
It is an object to provide a vent filer that can reduce contaminants diffusing through the vent filter into the inside of a housing, and has high diffusion efficiency and low pressure loss. The vent filter has an adhesive layer 1 having a through-hole 1a at least in one area; a flow path member 2 provided with a flow path 2a in communication with the through-hole 1a; and an air-permeable membrane 3 covering the flow path member 2 and part of the adhesive layer 1, wherein the peripheral portion 3a of the air-permeable membrane 3 is fixed to the adhesive layer 1 and the flow path member 2 is held within a hollow portion formed between the adhesive layer 1 and the air-permeable membrane 3.
US08568502B2
A spring clamp for providing a compressive load to a compression seal in an air filtration system for a vehicle. The spring clamp may be made of a plastic composite and includes an arch-like arm wherein elastic deformation is distributed throughout the arch while providing a compressive load. The spring clamp may include a head piece with a greater thickness than the other parts of the spring clamp to provide greater material strength at a point of contact between the spring clamp and an air filter housing.
US08568495B2
An evaporator (e.g., a small-sized high-efficiency evaporator) and a fuel reformer having the same. The evaporator has multi-stage structure (e.g., a four-stage disk structure), in which the respective disks are filled with fin structures. The first two disks through which exhaust gas passes and the second two disks through which water passes are stacked alternately with each other. Also, the first two disks are coupled with each other by a first pipe penetrating through one of the second two disks, and the second two disks are coupled with each other by a second pipe penetrating through one of the first two disks.
US08568483B2
An intervertebral implant component includes an inlay which fits into an endplate, where the inlay is prevented from moving relative to the endplate. Various embodiments of locking mechanisms for preventing movement are disclosed. In some preferred embodiments, a surgeon is able to see that the locking mechanism is properly engaged.
US08568471B2
A medical device includes a polymer scaffold crimped to a catheter having an expansion balloon. The scaffold, after being deployed by the balloon, provides a crush recovery of about 90% after the diameter of the scaffold has been pinched or crushed by 50%. The scaffold has a pattern including an asymmetric closed cell connecting links connecting the closed cells.
US08568470B2
A guide wire includes a distal core member made of a ferrous alloy which has shape memory properties and superelasticity. The ferrous alloy preferably includes substantially two phases, and has a difference of 100° C. or less between an Af point and an Ms point in a thermal hysteresis of martensitic transformation and reverse transformation. The guide wire may include a proximal core member made of an iron-containing alloy and having a higher modulus of elasticity than the distal core member. The two core members may be joined together by welding to form a core of the guide wire.
US08568464B2
Methods and apparatus for preventing myocardial infarction, or lessening the size/severity of an evolving myocardial infarction, by cooling at least the affected area of the myocardium using an intravascular heat exchange catheter. The heat exchange catheter may be inserted into the vasculature (e.g., a vein) and advanced to a position wherein a heat exchanger on the catheter is located in or near the heart (e.g., within the vena cava near the patient's heart). Thereafter, the heat exchange catheter is used to cool the myocardium (or the entire body of the patient) to a temperature that effectively lessens the metabolic rate and/or oxygen consumption of the ischemic myocardial cells or otherwise protects the ischemic myocardium from undergoing irreversible damage or infarction.
US08568463B2
A modulating light having a wavelength of 600 nm to 1000 nm excluding a range of 870 nm to 910 nm is irradiated to a portion around hair roots such that a light absorptive component existing in a human body around the hair roots absorbs the light for modulating hair growth. The light having the wavelength in the above range enhances hair growth free from causing inflammation, yet safely and gentle to skin.
US08568459B2
An apparatus for stabilization of a patient's head relative to the patient's neck joint includes an occi-cervical base member having a shaped “C”-shaped central part and first and second attachment rods respectively connected to and extending transversely from free ends of the central part. An occiput attachment has a first end slideably engaged to the central part and a flat, straight second end that extends radially outwardly relative to the first end. First and second polyaxial screw heads are adapted to be implanted in first and second occipital condyles of a patient, respectively. The first and second polyaxial screw heads are adapted to engage first and second stabilizing rods, respectively, that are placed in-line with the cervical spine of a patient and to engage the first and second attachment rods, respectively.
US08568448B2
Wound closure methods and apparatuses are provided which utilize blood fluid by activating the clotting cascade of the blood fluid outside the body within a substantially enclosed sterile container then introducing the blood fluid to the wound site. Methods and apparatuses for providing ways of inhibiting anticoagulants and slowing fibrin clot degradation are also disclosed. Kits for practicing the invention singularly or in combination with and/or associated with preferred procedures are also disclosed.
US08568444B2
An endoscopic surgical instrument includes an elongated shaft, which may be articulated to facilitate positioning of an end effector. The instrument accommodates reactionary forces associated with closing the end effector without substantial disruption to the position of the end effector. The instrument includes an elongated shaft housing generally defining distal and proximal shaft axes, and a torsion member extending through the shaft housing. The torsion member transmits rotational displacement from a handle portion of the instrument to the end effector to selectively move the end effector between open and closed configurations. The torsion member comprises a flexible shaft exhibiting a plurality of generally radial slots spaced longitudinally along a length of the flexible shaft.
US08568439B2
A method of treating a constricted sinus passageway of a patient includes traversing the canine fossa region of the patient so as to form a passageway in the sinus cavity. An elongate member is inserted through the passageway, the elongate member having an inflation member such as a balloon disposed thereon. The inflation member is positioned within the constricted passageway. The inflation member is expanded so as to expand at least a portion of the constricted sinus passageway.
US08568437B2
A medical balloon may be configured by at least partially inflating the medical balloon and forming at least one primary lobe in the balloon. The primary lobe extends from a central portion of the balloon. The primary lobe may be manipulated to form at least two secondary lobes therefrom. The balloon may then be deflated and the secondary lobes wrapped around the balloon.
US08568424B2
A hysteroscopic tissue removal system having improved fluid management and/or monitoring capabilities. According to one embodiment, the system includes a hysteroscope and a tissue removal device, the tissue removal device being selectively operable and being removably mounted in an operating channel of the hysteroscope. The system also includes a fluid source and a fluid pump, the fluid pump being coupled to the fluid source and to a fluid input channel of the hysteroscope so as to pump fluid from the fluid source to the fluid input channel, the fluid pump being selectively operable. The system further includes a selectively operable switch, coupled to both the tissue removal device and the fluid pump, for actuating both the tissue removal device and the pump. If desired, a delay mechanism may be interposed between the switch and the tissue removal device to delay operation of the tissue removal device relative to the pump.
US08568421B2
Apparatus for handling of at least one implant for a body is provided. The apparatus has a radio translucent portion and a radio-opaque marking. The apparatus can optionally comprise a jig affixable to an intramedullary nail, which can be used to determine the position of holes to be drilled through a bone which align with holes in the nail. The radio-opaque marking will appear on an x-ray and can be used to indicate the relative alignment of the jig and the nail.
US08568416B2
Described herein are methods and systems for precisely placing and/or manipulating devices within the body by first positioning a guidewire or pullwire. The device to be positioned within the body is coupled to the proximal end of the guidewire, and the device is pulled into the body by pulling on the distal end of the guidewire that extends from the body. The device may be bimanually manipulated by pulling the guidewire distally, and an attachment to a device that extends proximally, allowing control of both the proximal and the distal ends. In this manner devices (and particularly implants such as innerspinous distracters, stimulating leads, and disc slings) may be positioned and/or manipulated within the body. Guidewire exchange systems, devices and methods are also described. A guidewire may be exchanged between different surgical devices and may be releaseably or permanently coupled.
US08568408B2
A forceps includes an end effector assembly having first and second jaw members. One (or both) of the first and second jaw members is moveable relative to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position for grasping tissue therebetween. One (or both) of the jaw members includes a jaw frame a disposable jaw housing and an elastomeric ring member. The disposable jaw housing is releasably engageable with the jaw frame. The elastomeric ring member is removably positionable about a distal end of the jaw housing. The elastomeric ring member is configured to define a gap distance between the first and second jaw members upon movement of the first and second jaw members to the approximated position.
US08568405B2
Electrosurgical wand. At least some of the illustrative embodiment are electrosurgical wands including: an elongate housing that defines a handle end and a distal end; an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing the aspiration aperture fluidly coupled to a first fluid conduit, the first fluid conduit within the elongate housing; a discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, the discharge aperture fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit, and the second fluid conduit within the elongate housing; a first active electrode of conductive material on the distal end of the elongate housing, the first active electrode between the discharge aperture and the aspiration aperture; and a conductive plate that abuts the discharge aperture, at least a portion of the conductive plate disposed over the discharge aperture.
US08568402B2
A system for providing feedback during an electro surgical procedure on a target tissue is provided. The system includes an electrosurgical energy source; an electrode probe assembly connected to the electrosurgical energy source, wherein the electrode probe assembly includes at least one electrode assembly having a needle configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to the target tissue; at least one thermal feedback assembly connected to the electrosurgical energy source, wherein each thermal feedback assembly includes at least one temperature sensor assembly; and a hub configured to selectively support the electrode probe assembly and each thermal feedback assembly such that the needle of the electrode probe assembly and each temperature sensor assembly of each thermal feedback assembly are proximate one another when disposed proximate the target tissue.
US08568400B2
An electrosurgical instrument is provided which includes a housing and an electrocautery blade supported within the housing and extending distally. The housing has a treatment portion attached and defining a chamber therein for retaining an activation circuit and a control circuit. The activation circuit is operably coupled to at least one activation element that is activatable to control the delivery of electrosurgical energy from a generator to tissue proximate the treatment portion. The control circuit includes a microprocessor to enable bidirectional communication between the electrosurgical instrument and the generator relating to usage information of the electrosurgical instrument. The usage information includes serial number of the electrosurgical instrument, instrument type, number of times the electrosurgical instrument has been activated, overall time the electrosurgical instrument has been used, operating parameters of the at least one activation element during each activation, operational status of the treatment portion during each activation, and power settings.
US08568399B2
According to some embodiments, a method of treating a subject having diabetes or symptoms associated with diabetes is provided. The method includes delivering a neuromodulation catheter within a vessel (e.g., hepatic artery) having surrounding nerves that innervate the liver (e.g., sympathetic nerves of the hepatic plexus). The method may also include modulating (e.g., disrupting, ablating, stimulating) the nerves by mechanical compression, energy delivery, or fluid delivery.
US08568395B2
A light diffuser (10), which is particularly suitable for introducing diffuse light into a tissue, is produced by interpenetration of a diffuser material in a liquid state into a boundary layer (4) of a porous shaping material, by which process a diffuser surface is formed having a surface structure which represents essentially a negative of the pore structure of the shaping material and includes undercut structures induced by a surface tension. The light diffuser (10) is e.g. produced by introducing a diffuser blank (1) including material which is liquefiable through mechanical vibration into the shaping material and simultaneously stimulating it with mechanical vibrations, such that the liquefiable material liquefies at least there where it is in contact with the shaping material and is pressed into the shaping material. An in situ production of the diffuser is particularly advantageous for photodynamic therapy in bone tissue (20).
US08568393B2
A system and method of performing therapy on target eye tissue. A light source produces a beam of light, and a scanning device deflects the light beam to produce an pattern of the light beam. An ophthalmic lens assembly includes a mirror for reflecting the light beam pattern onto the target eye tissue. The mirror is rotatable to angularly align the light beam pattern to the target tissue. Control electronics control the scanning device to apply the light beam pattern onto the reflective optical element at first and second angular orientations separated by a predetermined angle RA. The predetermined angle RA is set such that light beam patterns applied to the target tissue at the first and second angular orientations, which are also angularly aligned to the target tissue through rotation of the mirror, automatically are adjacently abutting to each other on the target tissue.
US08568389B2
A number of parameters related to the operation of a fluid delivery device are determined based on pressures within the device sensed using multiple pressure sensors. In one example, the volume of therapeutic fluid within a reservoir of a fluid delivery device is estimated based on a measured pressure differential. In another example, the rate at which a therapeutic fluid is added to or removed from the reservoir is estimated based on the measured pressure differential.
US08568387B2
The present invention provides an arrangement (200) adapted for enhanced continuous flow of urine in a catheterized patient, the arrangement comprising a catheter tube (204) having an inner diameter of less than six millimeters, said tube having an inner surface which is hydrophobic at least along a first segment thereof and being adapted to provide a continuously negative fluid pressure therein.
US08568382B2
Absorbent articles having a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet are disclosed. The backsheet has a physical variation along at least one axis, wherein said physical variation defines a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, and at least one elastomeric element having at least one primary direction of stretch, said elastomeric element at least partially overlapping and joined to first and/or second backsheet zone, wherein a relaxed pathlength of said elastomeric element in the primary direction of stretch is less than a total pathlength of said backsheet in the region of overlap. The physical variation is a measurable difference as measured by a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness, density and tensile modulus.
US08568381B2
A tampon is proposed, with an insertion end and a rear end, made from a pressed absorbent strip (2) and a withdrawal string (3) running out of the rear end. In order to achieve short production times during manufacture of the tampon, the withdrawal string (3) is placed around the strip (2) in the shape of a loop 4, and the strip (2) is provided with a fold (16, 17) at each side of the loop (4).In terms of a method suitable for producing a tampon, the following steps are proposed: a) cutting the absorbent strip (2) to size, b) placing a withdrawal string (3) around the strip (2) in the shape of a loop (4), c) pressing the strip (2) between jaws (7) which can be moved towards one another forming a fold (16, 17) in the strip (2) on each side of the loop (4).
US08568363B2
Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to compositions, methods, devices, systems, and products regarding frozen particles. In certain embodiments, the frozen particles include materials at low temperatures. In certain embodiments, the frozen particles provide vehicles for delivery of particular agents. In certain embodiments, the frozen particles are administered to at least one biological tissue.
US08568358B2
The invention relates to a device (1) for delivering two predetermined doses of a product (3), comprising: —a container (2) for containing said product, said container having a distal end (2d) through which the product is delivered under the distal pressure of a piston, —a pusher (7) movable with respect to said container for causing said piston (4) to move in the distal direction from an initial position, in which none of said product has been expelled to a first position, in which a first dose of said product has been expelled, and to a second position, in which a second dose of said product has been expelled, —a holder body (15) receiving said container and said pusher (7), —biasing means (22) for urging said pusher (7) in the distal direction, from the initial to the first position, and to the second position, —first and second retaining means (9, 11, 19) for maintaining said pusher (7) in said initial position, and in said first position, —first and second actuation means (18) to deactivate said first and second retaining means (9, 11, 19), characterized in that said first and/or second actuation means (18) are at least rotationally displaceable, said rotation causing at least part of the deactivation of said first and/or second retaining means (9, 11, 19).
US08568355B2
A catheter for delivering an agent to an injection site in a wall of a patient's body lumen, with an elongated shaft having a needle-through lumen slidably containing a needle therein, and an expandable member on the distal shaft section which has a collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration. In the radially expanded configuration, the expandable member supports the shaft in a position spaced away from the body lumen wall, and the needle slidably exits the needle-through lumen in the extended configuration through the port spaced away from the body lumen wall as a portion of the expandable member maintains the position of the port section of the shaft in the body lumen. The expandable member typically has an open-walled, helical, or lobed configuration providing a perfusion path along the expandable member.
US08568352B2
A nursing device for feeding infants with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate includes upper and lower portions. The upper portion includes a bottle with an opening in its top for containing a liquid, a nipple and a screw cap for maintaining the nipple in sealing engagement with the opening. A submersible pump is disposed in the bottom of the bottle and connected to an opening in the nipple by a tube. A lower portion of the device includes a motor and a magnetic coupling for activating the pump. A microprocessor control timer includes means for regulating the timing and flow of a feeding cycle with a display for help in regulating the feeding cycle. Alternatively, the motor, pump, controls, and power supply may be disposed at the top of the bottle as a removable unit.
US08568351B2
A nursing device for feeding infants with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate includes a nipple body and a tube operatively attached at one end to a pump for pumping liquid and operatively attached at the other end to the nipple body. The tube passively regulates the amount of liquid being pumped, ensuring that the infant can feed with minimal mess from the infirmities of cleft lip and/or cleft palate. The nipple body includes an outer flange and a cap for sealing engagement with the top of a nursing bottle. A shield can be used to cover the nipple body, which serves to protect and form a temporary reservoir for the liquid dispensed through the nipple body.
US08568349B2
An injection device for injecting a fluid into an organism, in particular a human or animal body, which can comprise a fluid providing section including a container for storing the fluid and a supply means for supplying the fluid. The fluid injecting section for injecting the fluid provided by the fluid providing section into the organism includes a catheter means and is characterized by the fluid injecting section being provided with a pressure recognition arrangement which can be located close to and/or in the catheter means for detecting a pressure increase and/or a pressure loss.
US08568348B2
An ear medication delivery device for delivering a treatment fluid and retaining the treatment fluid within an ear canal of a patient. The ear medication delivery device can retain the treatment fluid in contact with the ear canal or an eardrum of the patient for a desired time period to provide a therapeutic benefit.
US08568342B2
Devices and systems for facilitating the flow of menses through the cervix and for shortening the duration of menstruation include a pressure oscillations generating unit insertable into a vagina and configured for delivering pressure oscillations and/or acoustic waves and/or shock waves to the vagina and cervix to change the flow properties of menses fluid. The pressure oscillations generating unit may include one or more vibratable or movable members for generating pressure oscillations which may be powered by an internal or external power source. The devices may optionally include an absorbing member or a menses collecting member. A method of menstruation duration shortening includes placing the device within the vagina and applying pressure oscillations to the vagina or to a vaginal chamber formed within the vagina for increasing the flow rate of menses and shortening menstruation duration.
US08568335B2
A biopsy device and method are provided for obtaining a tissue sample, such as a breast tissue biopsy sample. The biopsy device includes a disposable probe assembly with an outer cannula having a distal piercing tip, a cutter lumen, and a cutter tube that rotates and translates past a side aperture in the outer cannula to sever a tissue sample. The biopsy device also includes a reusable hand piece with an integral motor and power source to make a convenient, untethered control for use with ultrasonic imaging. External vacuum holes along the outer cannula (probe) that communicate with a vacuum and cutter lumen withdraw bodily fluids while a hemostatic disk-shaped ring pad around the probe applies compression to an external hole in the skin and absorbs fluids.
US08568333B2
A biopsy system with a grid plate used as either a lateral or medial compression plate of a localization fixture used with a breast coil includes a rotatable guide cube that may be inserted into a desired rectangular recess in the grid plate after rotating to position a selected guide hole in the desired spatial orientation. Versions of a guide cube include those rotatable in two axes to provide additional hole positions, angled holes, enlarged circular holes that function with a rotating guide to support a noncircular biopsy instrument cannula (e.g., trocar/sleeve combination, core biopsy probe of a biopsy device) for rotation. A rotating guide may have an unlocked state for easily sliding to a selected longitudinal position thereon. Thereafter, the rotating guide is locked to serve as a positive depth stop (e.g., quarter turn locking elastomeric rings, triangular and scissor clips, and shutter depth stops).
US08568328B2
An electronic sphygmomanometer, which measures blood pressure in accordance with the volume compensation method, detects a cuff pressure inside a cuff attached to a measurement site of the blood pressure. An arterial volume detection circuit detects an arterial volume signal of the measurement site. A drive control unit, after setting the cuff pressure to an initial cuff pressure, servo-controls a cuff pressure adjustment unit so that a volume of an artery becomes constant, based on the detected arterial volume signal. While the servo control is being performed, an arterial volume change amount is detected based on the detected arterial volume signal. In the servo control, when it is detected that the change amount in the arterial volume is minimal, a volume change elimination rate calculating unit calculates a volume change elimination rate (an amplitude of the arterial volume signal during the control/an amplitude of the arterial volume signal before the control) to output the same as a barometer of arteriosclerosis.
US08568325B2
A medical imaging system with a scanning subsystem configured to acquire imaging data is provided. Also provided is a controller configured to selectively control power to at least one component of the system based on a mode of operation of the scanning subsystem.
US08568322B2
The invention relates to a head for imaging and treating an organ or tissue of a living organism, which is suitable for the treatment of thyroid or prostate tumors. The head comprises: an ultrasound probe for emitting waves or radiation in order to supply an image of the tissue or organ to be treated and a treatment mechanism for treating the tissue or organ locally, where the treatment mechanism emits waves or radiation to treat same. The ultrasonic probe divides the treatment mechanism into two parts that are substantially symmetrically identical in relation to the ultrasonic probe.
US08568320B2
A system and method for using orthogonally-coded active source signals for reflected signal analysis, such as in seismic exploration, sonar, and/or ultrasound applications. One method comprises inputting an orthogonally-coded active source signal to a target site, where the orthogonally-coded active source signal is sufficiently random to not interfere with a delayed version of itself. A reflected signal is received from the target site, and based at least in part on the sufficiently random orthogonal coding of the active source signal, a determination is made whether the received signal is a reflection of the input active source signal.
US08568318B2
Methods for enhancing ultrasonic reflection imaging are taught utilizing a split-step Fourier propagator in which the reconstruction is based on recursive inward continuation of ultrasonic wavefields in the frequency-space and frequency-wave number domains. The inward continuation within each extrapolation interval consists of two steps. In the first step, a phase-shift term is applied to the data in the frequency-wave number domain for propagation in a reference medium. The second step consists of applying another phase-shift term to data in the frequency-space domain to approximately compensate for ultrasonic scattering effects of heterogeneities within the tissue being imaged (e.g., breast tissue). Results from various data input to the method indicate significant improvements are provided in both image quality and resolution.
US08568311B2
Cognitive assessment systems and methods that provide an integrated solution for evaluating the presence or absence of cognitive impairment. The present invention is used to test cognitive functions of an individual including information processing speed, working memory, work list learning and recall, along with variations of these tasks. Immersive and non-immersive systems and methods are disclosed. Testing and results feedback using the present invention may be completed in real time, typically in less than 15 minutes.
US08568310B2
A mobile device monitors accelerations using one or more inertial sensors. A user activity is identified based on the accelerations. A first estimation is made of a user activity statistic associated with the user activity based on the accelerations. Location information is obtained by one or more location based sensors. A second estimation is made of the user activity statistic based on the location information. The user activity statistic is calculated based on the first estimation and the second estimation.
US08568304B2
An illuminated suction apparatus including a hand-held surgical device combining a high-performance non-fiber optic optical waveguide with suction. This device is useful in a wide array of surgical procedures including open and minimally invasive orthopedics.
US08568294B2
A body implantable penile prosthetic assembly includes a pump and a release mechanism. The pump is connectable to a pressure reservoir and a penile implant, where the pressure reservoir contains a pressurized liquid at a first pressure when implanted. The release mechanism is connectable between the pressure reservoir and the penile implant and is configured to release the pressurized liquid from the pressure reservoir to inflate the penile implant to a second pressure that is less than the first pressure. The pump is operable to transfer the pressurized liquid from the penile implant to the pressure reservoir to deflate the penile implant, and pressurize the pressurized liquid in the pressure reservoir from the second pressure to at least the first pressure.
US08568290B2
An infant warmer (10) includes a heater canopy (18) comprising a. heater (30) configured to generally uniformly distribute radiant energy over a fixed region. The heater canopy (18) may also include a lamp (32) configured to selectively generate light. The heater canopy (18) may also include a stencil (34) positioned relative to the lamp (32) such that at least a portion of the light passes through the stencil (34) to generate a projected image (56). The projected image (56) is configured to highlight the fixed region.
US08568288B2
Provided is a slide device which can reduce a frictional force more than a conventional slide device when used in an aqueous liquid containing a blood component. In a slide device which includes: a fixed-side slide member having a slide surface; and a rotary-side slide member having a slide surface, the slide device being used in an aqueous liquid containing a blood component in a state where the slide surface of the fixed-side slide member and the slide surface of the rotary-side slide member face each other in an opposed manner, at least one of the fixed-side slide member and the rotary-side slide member is formed of a member which is made of a material which contains silicon and has hydrate of silicon oxide on the slide surface thereof.
US08568287B2
A transcranial magnetic stimulator according to the present invention includes fixing means for detachably fixing a magnetic field generating means and contains a fixture of a head which covers a head of an examinee to be fixed engaged with a shape of the head that is inherent to an examinee; and characterized in that: a relative position of the magnetic field generating means with respect to the head of the examinee is held constant so that the highest point of an intensity of an electric current to be induced by a magnetic field to be generated by the magnetic field generating means is constantly arranged on a target spot of a diameter not more than 10 mm, which depends on each of the examinees and is located within a cranium, by fixing the magnetic field generating means to the fixing means and a direction of a magnetic field to be generated by the magnetic field generating means and a direction of the target spot are made into a fixed relation.
US08568285B2
An apparatus and method for in vivo and ex vivo control, detection and measurement of radiation in therapy, diagnostics, and related applications accomplished through scintillating fiber detection. One example includes scintillating fibers placed along a delivery guide such as a catheter for measuring applied radiation levels during radiotherapy treatments, sensing locations of a radiation source, or providing feedback of sensed radiation. Another option is to place the fibers into a positioning device such as a balloon, or otherwise in the field of the radiation delivery. The scintillating fibers provide light output levels correlating to the levels of radiation striking the fibers and comparative measurement between fibers can be used for more extensive dose mapping. Adjustments to a radiation treatment may be made as needed based on actual and measured applied dosages as determined by the fiber detectors. Characteristics of a radiation source may also be measured using scintillating materials.
US08568284B2
A method for brachytherapy in a lumpectomy cavity of a breast including, positioning a distal end of a brachytherapy device within the cavity, expanding an expandable surface portion located between proximal and distal ends of the device within the cavity, the source lumen tubes defining a curved configuration within the cavity; and positioning a source of radiation sequentially within one or more source lumens of the source lumen tubes according to a brachytherapy treatment plan. The device includes an inner tube, and a plurality of source lumen tubes located around the inner tube and including distal ends secured together with the inner tube at the distal end disposed within the body cavity, the source lumen tubes comprising proximal portions sufficiently long to extend outside the breast.
US08568280B2
The present invention is a separable weight adjustable medicine ball, which can be used in a variety of exercise routines. The present invention is primarily comprised of two pieces, which can either be separated to perform exercises that involve dumbbells or push-up handles or be combined to perform exercises that involve a medicine ball. The present invention allows a user to incrementally increase the exercising load with a plurality of weights. The plurality of weights is separated between the two pieces and held in place with a pair of weight supports. The plurality of weights is secured on the pair of weight supports with a pair of collar clamps. The collar clamp is an user-friendly device that can be opened by squeezing the sides of the collar clamp and can be closed by releasing the sides of the collar clamp.
US08568276B2
A method for engagement of an impeller clutch includes a process for decreasing a back pressure relative to a clutch engagement pressure by decreasing an internal pressure of a torque converter in a case where the impeller clutch is brought into an engaged state, the impeller clutch enabling a driving force of an engine to be transmitted and disconnected to and from a pump impeller of the torque converter, transmission and disconnection of the driving force between the engine and the pump impeller being controlled by the clutch engagement pressure that is applied to the impeller clutch through an independent oil passage.
US08568269B2
Linearly adjustable torque transmission systems and methods for a power driven machine are provided. The system can include a first wheel adapted to be rotatably driven. The system can further include a second wheel positioned proximate the first wheel that can engage the first wheel such that rotational movement of the first wheel can impart rotational movement to the second wheel. The second wheel can be coupled to a shaft with bearings between the second wheel and the shaft such that the second wheel is movable along the shaft in a lateral direction while the second wheel is coupled to the shaft wherein rotational movement of the second wheel rotationally moves the shaft.
US08568267B2
A planetary-gear automatic transmission, in particular a planetary-gear automatic transmission includes at least eight forward gear positions. For shifting the individual gear positions, shifting devices formed by clutches and/or brakes are provided. For actuating the shifting devices, shift actuators are provided which generate assigned actuating forces. The planetary-gear automatic transmission is constructed such that all shift actuators can be arranged or are arranged directly on or directly in the area of the assigned shifting devices.
US08568264B2
Through holes are formed in a revolving gear which revolves while being engaged with a ring gear, and penetration pins which are configured to extract rotation of the revolving gear are inserted in the through holes. The ring gear and the revolving gear are divided into halves in the thickness direction. Two sheets of ring gears are biased to rotate in reverse directions.
US08568260B2
Toothed belt for use with oil comprising a body and a plurality of teeth extending from at least a surface of the body; the teeth are covered by a coating fabric. The toothed belt comprises a plurality of resistant inserts produced from at least a first and a second material. Preferably, the resistant inserts are constituted by glass fibers and carbon fibers. Preferably, a resistant layer is made to adhere over the coating fabric, said layer comprising a fluorine based plastomer with the addition of an elastomeric material, wherein the plastomer is present in a greater amount than the elastomeric material. The elastomeric material forming the body of the belt is preferably a copolymer obtained from a diene monomer and a monomer containing nitrile groups, wherein the nitrile groups are between 33% and 49%, preferably 39 weight % with respect to the copolymer.
US08568259B2
A belt tensioner for a starter generator drive is provided. The belt tensioner comprises a carrier having a pivot defining a first pivot axis at a first end and a carrier arm extending from the pivot to terminate in a second end. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted to the carrier for rotation about the first pivot axis and a tensioner pulley is rotatably mounted to the carrier at the second end of the carrier arm for rotation about a second axis. The second axis extends parallel to and is arcuately moveable relative to, the first pivot axis. A tensioner is in communication with the second end of the carrier arm for biasing the carrier arm and the tensioner pulley against a drive belt for tensioning the drive belt engaged by the idler pulley and the tensioner pulley.
US08568256B1
A method and apparatus for increasing the visual performance of athletes. For example, a baseball hitter is taught to recognize the spin of a thrown baseball and thus become a better hitter. A hitter wears eye glasses having lenses which are tinted in a color which is complementary to the a baseball being all or partially tinted in a complementary color. For example, the hitter may wear green tinted lenses to make the red seams of the thrown baseball become much more apparent. Various complementary color schemes are disclosed. Several examples of specific practice for use of the method and apparatus are disclosed. Examples of sporting activities in which color recognition is useful include baseball, shooting, soccer, racquetball, handball, volleyball, tennis and others.
US08568255B2
A blocking sled includes an arm movable relative to a sled frame and a blocking pad movable relative to the arm.
US08568253B2
A golf swing training device and method. First and second tension members, such as tension cords, have first ends respectively attached to opposite sides of the upper body of a golfer and opposite ends attached to anchor points. The first tension member extends in a substantially rearward direction and the second tension member extends in a substantially forward direction from a shoulder line of the golfer when the golfer is in a ball address position. The tension members provide equal resistance to rotation of the shoulders and torso of the golfer throughout the backswing, and also provide an equal release of the resistance through the downward swing, thereby encouraging consistent and fluid golf swing mechanics.
US08568252B2
The present invention is directed to a golf ball possessing an overall unique and perceptibly pleasing multi-color appearance and being constructed of at least two layers wherein each layer has at least two color regions which contribute substantially to the golf ball's overall color appearance, the inner and outer layers being strategically positioned and aligned in relation to each other to create the overall golf ball color appearance. A resulting superior overall golf ball multiple color appearance is achieved by the positioning and aligning of one layer about another.
US08568247B1
A golf club head comprising an aerodynamic hosel is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the hosel may have an airfoil cross-section with a high thickness to chord ratio. In a further embodiment, the thickness to chord ratio may increase from a hosel head connection point to a hosel shaft connection point. In another embodiment, a shaft connection point of the hosel is closer to a club face vertical plane than to a head connection point vertical plane, e.g., is swept. In yet another embodiment, the hosel has an endplate proximate a shaft connection point. In yet another embodiment, the exterior surface of the hosel is rough, comprises at least one vertex generator, comprises a fillet, or comprises at least one trip step.
US08568232B2
Acceleration data which is output from an acceleration sensor included in an input device is obtained, and a support position coordinate set, in a virtual game space, of a support provided on an object is calculated based on the obtained acceleration data. An inclination of the input device in the real space is calculated based on the obtained acceleration data. A parameter representing an object inclination at which the object is inclined in the virtual game space is calculated in accordance with the calculated inclination of the input device. Using the support position coordinate set and the parameter representing the object inclination, the object is located in the virtual game space and displayed on a display device.
US08568228B2
A gaming machine includes gaming electronics for projecting a game image onto a gaming machine display associated with the gaming machine. The gaming machine is coupled over a network to a host computer that keeps track of data corresponding to a casino patron such as loyalty bonus information, player ID, and so forth (“player tracking data”). The player tracking data is transmitted from the host computer to a gaming machine responsive to identification of the casino patron operating the machine via an electronic card reader. The player tracking data is received by a machine communication interface within the gaming machine and further processed for display by a video overlay device that combines the game image with the player account display information. Accordingly, both the game (e.g. slot machine) and the player account information can appear on the same display monitor.
US08568221B2
Multi-player games that foster cooperation or competition between players. A multi-player wagering game system includes a first display to display a first wagering game; a first input device corresponding to the first display to accept input from a first player; a second display to display a second wagering game, the second display being adjacent to the first display; a second input device corresponding to the second display to accept input from a second player; and a bonus display to display a bonus game. The bonus game receiving input from both the first and the second input devices. Computer software causes the first wagering game and the second wagering game to be executed. A multi-person seating device is configured to permit the first player and the second player to sit side-by-side in front of the first display and the second display, respectively.
US08568214B1
An arcade type amusement game is disclosed having a housing with a playing field therein, the game further comprising a turntable and a counter rotating pointer. A pair of motors control the rotation and counter rotation of the turntable and pointer, initiated and stopped by player controls. The coincidence of the pointer over the turntable's sectors determine a reward for the player, modified by a quadrant of the playing field to which the pointer comes to rest.
US08568208B2
A deboner and method of deboning poultry parts is provided. An exemplary embodiment includes an infeed for the poultry parts moving in a conveying direction, and a conveyor line that is synchronized with the infeed and having a series of carriers for receiving each single poultry part in a single carrier while the poultry parts are moving in their conveying direction. Each of the carriers can be embodied with two movable, preferably swivable arms, having an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position of the carrier ensures that a poultry part is accurately received in said carrier. The closed position of the two movable arms of the carrier ensures a fixing in position of the poultry thigh received in the carrier to promote an accurate, subsequent deboning of the poultry part.
US08568203B2
In a method for multiple cutoff machining a rare earth magnet block, a cutting fluid feed nozzle having a plurality of slits is combined with a plurality of cutoff abrasive blades coaxially mounted on a rotating shaft, each said blade comprising a base disk and a peripheral cutting part. The slits in the feed nozzle into which the outer peripheral portions of cutoff abrasive blades are inserted serve to restrict any axial run-out of the cutoff abrasive blades during rotation. Cutting fluid is fed from the feed nozzle through slits to the rotating cutoff abrasive blades and eventually to points of cutoff machining on the magnet block.
US08568197B2
A pocket (6) is machined into the surface of a component (9) by pressurising a fluid (1) and directing a jet (11) of the pressurized fluid (1) at the surface to be machined. Continuous relative movement is provided between the component (9) and the pressurized jet (11) of fluid (1) during machining. Material is removed from the component (9) in a series of layers, whereby the path of the fluid jet (11) in one of the layers is perpendicular to the path of the fluid jet (11) in the subsequent layer. The fluid jet (11) operates continuously until the required amount of material has been removed from the component (9).
US08568193B1
A mechanical toy apparatus operated by a lever structure transforming a removable symbolic structure in a way that is simple yet unique and exciting for a user. A symbolic structure having a plurality of sections is configured to shift between a first collapsing position and a second rising position and is mounted at a base including a mounting portion for receiving the symbolic structure at the base. A support structure is mounted at the base for contacting and shifting the symbolic structure to the rising position and a lever structure is affixed to the base to traverse between an engaging position and a non-engaging position at the support structure. A guide structure including a cam and a slider linkage is mounted at the base with the symbolic structure contacting with the cam to move the slider linkage, the support structure is positioned into contact with the lever structure to shift the symbolic structure to the second rising position.
US08568187B2
The invention relates to a construction set made of a plurality of different members interacting together for assembly, characterized in that one so-called connector member (100) among said members has an essentially cylindrical body with a cylindrical surface (110) that is preformed in order to interact for assembly with the correspondingly preformed bases (120, 130) of other connector members (100). The construction set includes a plurality of other constitutive members.
US08568174B2
A card connector for receiving a micro-SIM card and a micro-SD card therein includes an insulating housing, a plurality of signal terminals and conductive terminals, and a supporting tray. The insulating housing defines an accommodating chamber. The signal terminals are disposed in the insulating housing with contact portions thereof projecting into the accommodating chamber. The conductive terminals are disposed in the insulating housing with touching portions thereof projecting into the accommodating chamber. The supporting tray defines a first receiving space and a second receiving space for receiving the micro-SIM card and the micro-SD card therein respectively. The supporting tray together with the micro-SIM card and the micro-SD card is inserted into the accommodating chamber. Bottoms of the first receiving space and second receiving space are opened freely to make the micro-SIM card electrically contact with the contact portions and the micro-SD card electrically contact with the touching portions.
US08568173B2
A cable connector assembly (100) comprises an insulative housing (1), a plurality of contacts (2) received in the insulative housing, a metallic shell (3) enclosing the insulative housing and a spacer (5) assembled to the insulative housing and supporting the contacts. The insulative housing includes a base portion (11), a first tongue (121) and a second tongue (122) extending forwards from the base portion. The contacts comprise a plurality of first contacts held in the first tongue and a plurality of second contacts held in the second tongue. The spacer (5) comprises a primary portion (51) and a pair of rectangular protrusions (53) extending forwards from a front end of the primary portion, the insulative housing defines a pair of outlets (116) recessed forwardly from a back end thereof, the protrusions are accommodated in the corresponding outlets.
US08568170B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes an insulating housing having a base body and a tongue portion protruding forwards from a front of the base body. A substantial middle of a rear of the base body is concaved forward to form a receiving space. A fixing body is assembled in the receiving space of the insulating housing. A plurality of terminals is molded in the fixing body. A metal shell sheathes rearward the insulating housing together with the fixing body and the terminals. The metal shell has a rear plate curved downward by an external jig to cover a rear side of the fixing body after the metal shell sheathes the insulating housing.
US08568168B2
A waterproof connector has a housing (10) with a rearwardly open stopper accommodation part (20). A rubber stopper (50) is accommodated in the stopper accommodation part (20) and has wire insertion holes (52). A holder (70) is mounted on the housing (10) for preventing the rubber stopper (50) from being removed from the stopper accommodation part (20). A positioning part (58) is formed on the rubber stopper (50). A positioning receiving part (26) is formed on the stopper accommodation part (20) and mates with the positioning part (58) when the rubber stopper (50) is in a correct posture so that the rubber stopper (50) can fit in the stopper accommodation part (20). The positioning part (58) interferes with the positioning receiving part (26) when the rubber stopper (50) is in an incorrect posture so that the rubber stopper (50) cannot fit in the stopper accommodation part (20).
US08568166B2
A high-voltage coaxial cable and a connector are provided. The connector includes inner connector electrode, a connector dielectric enclosing an inner connector electrode, and an external connector housing. The inside electrode of a connector is provided with a tapped hole in one side thereof. The tapped hole corresponds to the threaded single core of a high-voltage coaxial cable. The inside electrode of a connector is selectively assembled with and separated from the high-voltage coaxial cable by selectively screwing the threaded single core into and away from the tapped hole. The connector dielectric is formed along the circumferential surface of the inside electrode, and is provided with a coupling portion. The coupling portion couples the connector with another connector, and is formed to a preset depth in a corrugated shape. The connector housing is formed in a shape that surrounds the connector dielectric.
US08568151B2
A concealable connector disposed in a housing of an electronic device includes two upright sidewalls, a guiding groove, a guiding rod, and a sliding module. The upright sidewalls are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in the housing. The guiding groove is formed in the housing and is interposed between the upright sidewalls. The guiding rod has a first end extending slidably into the guiding groove, and a second end connected to the sliding module. The sliding module has input/output connectors disposed therein. The sliding module is slidable relative to the upright sidewalls between a slid-out state, in which the sliding module projects outwardly of the housing and the input/output connectors are exposed from the housing, and a concealed state, in which the input/output connectors are concealed by the housing.
US08568150B1
A socket for a central processing unit (CPU) includes a housing, a bottom base, a slide base, and a number of resilient members. The bottom base is received in and fastened to a lower portion of the housing. The bottom base defines a number of accommodating holes which are slanted. A number of slanting pins extends up from a top of the bottom base. The slide base is slidably received in the housing and above the bottom base. The slide base defines a number of through holes, which are also slanted, for receiving the pins. The slide base includes a number of slanting protrusions for engaging in the accommodating holes. A receiving hole is defined in a bottom surface of each protrusion. Each resilient member is received in the receiving hole and accommodating hole.
US08568147B2
A tissue mimicking phantom is disclosed, in which the tissue-mimicking phantom comprises: at least an upper gelatin layer, each configured with at least a sunken area; at least a lower gelatin layer, each disposed beneath the at least one upper gelatin layer while being configured with at least a microchannel network having blood-mimicking fluid flowing therein; and at least a micro-heater. By the use of the sunken area of the at least one upper gelatin layer to simulate shapes and depths of different trauma wounds, the healing of anyone of the trauma wounds can be accessed clinically through a physical properties test while subjecting the trauma wound under different negative pressures and different dressings.
US08568144B2
A reading comprehension system and method that uses language micro-variables is disclosed. The system provide training using these language micro-variables in order to provide reading comprehension training. This training also is highly impactful for the instruction and improvement of reading fluency and vocabulary.
US08568138B2
A self-ligating orthodontic bracket for captivating an archwire with a tooth. The bracket includes a bracket body mountable to a tooth and a self-ligating mechanism having an archwire slot and a ligating slide. The ligating slide is movable between an open position in which an archwire is insertable into the archwire slot and a closed position in which the archwire is retained in the archwire slot. The bracket body may be formed from a non-metallic material, such as a polymer, a filled polymer composite, or a ceramic, and the self-ligating mechanism may be formed from a metal. The bracket may include a resilient engagement member with a detent positioned to engage an aperture or throughhole extending through the ligating slide when the ligating slide is in the closed position.
US08568134B2
A gas burner apparatus for discharging a mixture of fuel gas, air and flue gas into a furnace space of a furnace is provided. The burner tile includes at least one gas circulation port extending though the wall of the tile. The interior surface of the wall of the tile includes a Coanda surface. Fuel gas and/or flue gas conducted through the gas circulation port follows the path of the Coanda surface which allows more flue gas to be introduced into the stream. The exterior surface of the wall of the tile also includes a Coanda surface for facilitating the creation of a staged combustion zone. Also provided are improved burner tiles, improved gas tips and methods of burning a mixture of air, fuel gas and flue gas in a furnace space.
US08568127B2
The invention relates to a device for forming moulded bodies from a mouldable mass comprising a matrix grid (19) in which at least one receiving chamber (21) is accommodated, and at least one tool (17, 18) with which the mouldable mass can be pressed into the receiving chamber (21). Said claimed device is characterised in that the tool (17, 18) can be displaced along a guide path (3A, 3B) that comprises a moulding section (A), in which a constant pressure is exerted upon portions of the mouldable mass on the strip by the tools (17, 18), said mass being disposed in the receiving chamber (21). The invention further relates to a method for forming moulded bodies, in which a mouldable mass is formed and is guided to at least one receiving chamber of a matrix grid (1). At least one tool (17, 18) then presses one portion of the mouldable mass into the receiving chamber (21), in which the tool (17, 18) is displaced along a guide path (3) that comprises a moulding section (A), wherein a constant pressure is exerted upon the portions of the mouldable mass on the strip by the tools (17, 18), said portions being disposed in the receiving chamber (21).
US08568123B2
The invention relates to a universal auxiliary controller for an injection molding machine, comprising an operating panel, a machine controller coupled to the operating panel, a converter acted on by the machine controller, a controllable electric motor that can be actuated by the converter, and a resolver. According to the invention, the controllable electric motor is coupled to a standardized shaft interface, which can selectively be connected to a complementary shaft interface of a mechanical operating element or a hydraulic operating element.
US08568120B2
A tire vulcanization mold manufacturing method can manufacture a tire vulcanization mold having an exhaust mechanism capable of ensuring sufficient exhaust with fewer processing steps. When a mold having a surface of a gypsum mold transferred to the mold is to be manufactured by pouring molten metal onto the surface of the gypsum mold and solidifying the molten metal, a tubular body having a slit allowing hollow inside to communicate with the outside is disposed in such a way that the slit is brought into contact with the surface of the gypsum mold. Thereafter, the molten metal is poured onto the surface of the gypsum mold in such a way that the tubular body is buried in the mold while the slit is exposed on a tire molding surface of the mold.
US08568118B2
A compressor includes orbiting and non-orbiting scrolls forming first and second fluid pockets therebetween. First and second ports are disposed in the non-orbiting scroll and radially spaced apart from each other. The first port communicates with the first pocket at a first radial position and the second port communicates with the second pocket at a second radial position. A blocking device is movable between a first position preventing communication between the ports and a fluid source and a second position allowing communication between the ports and the fluid source. The first and second pockets have first and second pressures, respectively. One of the pressures may have a disproportionate pressure change compared to the other of the pressures after at least one of the pockets communicates with the fluid source through at least one of the ports. The disproportionate pressure change biases the orbiting scroll relative to the non-orbiting scroll.
US08568114B2
A reciprocating pump having: a pump body including a suction path and a discharge path for a fluid; a pair of diaphragms; pump shafts which are attached to tip end portions of the diaphragms; a pair of pump flanges which slidably support the pump shafts, and which are integrated with the pump body through connection bodies that are placed outside the diaphragms; connecting rods which connect connecting plates attached to projecting tip-end portions that are projected from the pump flanges in the pump shafts, to each other in a state where the connecting rods are passed through the pump flanges to be placed outside the diaphragms; and a cover cylinder. The connecting rods are slidably supported through slide bearings which are supported by the pump flanges.
US08568110B2
A blower fan includes a rotor arranged to rotate about a rotation axis together with a shaft, a stator arranged radially outward of the rotor and opposite the rotor, a motor support portion arranged to support the shaft through a bearing such that the shaft is rotatable, and an impeller arranged to rotate together with the shaft. The motor support portion includes a base portion, a bearing support portion arranged to support the bearing, and a stator support portion arranged to support the stator. Each of at least a portion of the bearing support portion which is in contact with the bearing and at least a portion of the stator support portion which is in contact with the stator is defined by a metallic member coupled to the base portion, which is made of a resin, preferably through, for example, insert molding.
US08568102B2
A fan blade anti-fretting insert is described whereby to reduce wear between the root portion of a fan blade and the root slot of the rotor fan hub of a turbo fan engine to which the fan blade are secured. The anti-fretting insert can be formed of a composite spring material having a memory and is dimensioned and shaped to be fitted between the fan blade platform and the outer surface portion of the rotor fan hub between adjacent fan blades, whereby to apply a pushing force against the platform and consequently to the fan blades secure thereto thereby applying a resulting pulling force on the root portion of the fan blades to prevent rocking of the root portion in their root slots formed in the rotor fan hub.
US08568100B2
Embodiments of a bi-axial compliant bearing assembly and methods of assembling the bi-axial compliant bearing assembly are disclosed. A bi-axial compliant bearing assembly employs a transition bearing race. The transition bearing race comprises a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface is configured to rotatably engage a rotational bearing element and to slidably engage the rotational bearing element along an axis. The transition bearing race also includes a spherically-compliant surface. The spherically-compliant surface is configured to engage a spherically-compliant element and to enable the spherically-compliant element to rotate transversely to the axis.
US08568094B2
A gas turbine includes a rotor rotated by combustion gas produced by a combustor that burns fuel, and a casing that is formed by connecting a plurality of casing members divided in plurality, the casing storing the rotor in an inside thereof, and including a second upper-side second vertical inner flange and a third upper-side first vertical inner flange for connecting a second upper casing member with a third upper casing member different from the second upper casing member among the casing members at the inside.
US08568092B2
A turbocharger including a sealing device for prevention of fluid leakage from high to low pressure sides through a radially extending annular gap formed between a shroud and a shroud-confronting portion which constitute the turbocharger is provided. The sealing device includes a frustoconical disc spring seal member arranged in a pressed manner in the gap between the shroud and the shroud-confronting portion. Accordingly, fluid leakage from high to low pressure sides through an annular gap formed between constructional members of a turbocharger and extending radially of a turbine shaft may be prevented.
US08568087B2
The present technology relates generally to a device for the detection of a shaft fracture in a rotor of a turbine, for example a medium pressure turbine such as a gas turbine, in particular an aircraft engine, whereby at least one stator-side sensor element is positioned downstream from the turbine in the area of a stator-side guide vane ring of another turbine in particular, a low pressure turbine; and whereby a radially inner section of the last rotor-side moving blade ring (as seen in the direction of flow) of the turbine cooperates with at least one sensor element directly and/or proximally in the event of a shaft fracture in the rotor of the turbine to generate an electric signal corresponding to the shaft fracture.
US08568086B2
A cooling system for an open rotor gas turbine engine is provided. The system comprises an engine exhaust, and a row of open rotor propeller blades located rearwardly of the exhaust such that hot exhaust gases impinge on the propeller blades. Each blade has an internal cooling network through which cooling air flows to cool the blade in respect of the hot exhaust gases. Each blade also has one or more intakes which provide cooling air to the cooling network. The or each intake is located radially outwardly of the position of impingement of the hot exhaust gas on the blade.
US08568085B2
A turbine vane for a gas turbine engine with an airfoil portion including a perimeter wall having first, second, third and fourth sets of cooling holes defined therethrough, including the holes numbered HA-1 to HA-13, HB-1 to HB-13, PA-1 to PA-9, and SA-1 to SA-3, respectively, and located such that a central axis thereof extends through the respective point 1 and point 2 having a nominal location in accordance with the X, Y, Z Cartesian coordinate values set forth in Table 3.
US08568083B2
A gas turbine engine is provided that includes a low pressure spool, a high pressure spool, a stationary support frame, and at least one support arch. The low pressure spool extends between a low pressure compressor and a low pressure turbine. The high pressure spool extends between a high pressure compressor and a high pressure turbine. The spools are rotatable about a center axis of the engine. The support arch has a stationary support mount disposed between a low spool mount and a high spool mount. The support arch is disposed relative to the spools and the stationary support frame so that a load from each spool caused by the rotation of that spool can be transferred to the stationary support frame through the support arch. The support arch can freely rotate about the center axis of the engine relative to the spools and the stationary structural frame.
US08568075B2
A wall anchor is provided and includes a nose cone structure including a body and a primary cone, which is rotatably coupled to the body and manually urgeable to penetrate a substrate, a detent assembly, disposed on the nose cone structure, which is engageable to maintain the primary cone in a first position and a trigger integrally coupled to the nose cone structure and actuatable to selectively disengage the detent assembly such that the primary cone is permissively rotatable about the body into a second position.
US08568071B2
A railcar safety system utilizes a flexible net system removably secured across an open end of the railcar.
US08568069B2
A machining method for machining a superficial portion of a laminate using machine tool having a depth limiter which restricts a maximum depth of the machine tool. A guide frame having an inner guide contour restricts a maximum dimension of the superficial portion, and is secured over the superficial portion. The superficial portion is machined while the machine tool is guided by the guide contour. From another point of view, a machining apparatus for machining a superficial portion of a material is provided. The machining apparatus comprises a guide frame, an inner guide contour for guiding a machine tool, an attachment member for securing the guide frame to an attachment member, adjacent to the superficial portion, of the material.
US08568064B2
The present invention relates to a substrate plate for a double-sided indexable cutting insert, which is to be fixed within a tool to be equipped with at least one cutting insert, where the tool has at least one seat for at least one indexable cutting insert, where the substrate plate has a plate-like fundamental shape with a round or polygonal outline and with a lower contact area, generally planar, which can be placed in contact with one area of the seat, and with an upper support area bearing the indexable cutting insert, where the contact area and support area have connection to one another via side walls defining the periphery of the substrate plate. The invention proposes, in order to provide a substrate plate and appropriate combinations composed of substrate plates and indexable cutting plates, and also to provide appropriate tools which ensure very precise seating of the indexable cutting plate and nevertheless also give better protection of the cutting edges on that side of the cutting insert facing towards the substrate plate, with respect to disadvantageous contact and damage via swarf impact, that the support area, has, at a distance from the side areas, a plateau arranged parallel to the contact area, and that the upper edges formed on the substrate plate at the transition between the side walls and the support area have a varying distance from the plane of the lower contact area.
US08568055B2
An adjustment system for connections between metal structures which consists of two plates. The adjustment system comprises a first plate (1) provided with four radial slits (4), where one part of the structure to be connected can be joined, and a second plate provided with four circular slits (5) where another part of the structure to be connected can be joined. Joining screw pins (3) pass through the radial slits in plate (1) and through the circular slits in plate (2) in order to join the two parts by means of the corresponding nuts (6) which tighten the said plates together. The adjustment system makes it possible to adjust the position of the two plates (1 and 2) with respect to their movement on axes X, Y and Z.
US08568053B2
A release device having a multi-segment split spool with a central bore adapted to axially restrain a tensioned member. A tensioned tape is overlappingly wound around the spool segments thereby preventing radial movement of the spool segments. The overlapping winding allows for a low profile housing for the release device. The multiple segments require less radial motion for release of the tensioned member.
US08568050B2
An ink application tool that allows users to accurately mark surfaces for cutting without the need for measurements. The ink application tool makes use of an applicator with a uniquely designed dispensing mechanism that allows users to evenly mark surfaces that need to be cut by outlining the object to be fitted into the cutout.
US08568036B2
A vehicle wheel bearing apparatus has an outer member, an inner member and double row rolling elements freely rollably contained between the outer raceway surfaces and inner raceway surfaces, respectively, of the outer member and the inner member. Either one of the outer member or inner member, on its outer side end, is integrally formed with a wheel mounting flange to mount a wheel. A plurality of bolt apertures is formed in the wheel mounting flange. The wheel is secured on the wheel mounting flange by a plurality of bolts. Cut-out portions are formed between the bolt apertures. The cut-out portions avoid the vicinity of each bolt aperture. Each cut-out portion is formed with a circular arc configuration so that its deepest portion is positioned closely to a pitch circle diameter of the bolt apertures.
US08568030B2
A utility bag having a closure arrangement coupled with opposing first and second panels of the utility bag. The first closure member coupled to the first panel at about an entrance of the utility bag. The first closure member includes a pair of parallel bulbous elements which form a longitudinal channel parallel to the entrance of the utility bag. A second closure member includes a third bulbous element having an interfacing surface complementary with an interfacing surface of the longitudinal channel to form an overlapping closure arrangement. Counterpart strips of hook/loop fasteners coupled to complementary interfacing surfaces associated with the first and second closure members are used to maintain the utility bag in a closed state. The bulbous elements may be formed from deformable materials disposed in sleeves which surround the entrance to the utility bag.
US08568017B2
A radial flow steam injection heater that injects a selected amount of steam into a product flow to heat the product flow. The steam injection heater includes a mixing tube that receives the product flow to be heated. The mixing tube includes a series of steam injection holes that are positioned within a steam chamber defined by the heater body. Pressurized steam within the steam chamber flows into the mixing tube in a direction transverse to the flow axis through the steam injection holes. A regulating member is selectively movable relative to the mixing tube to expose the steam injection holes to the steam chamber to control the amount of steam utilized to heat the product flow.
US08568016B2
What is disclosed is a plurality of prepaints which are used in any combination to produce base paints and/or colored paints of varying end-use application characteristics. Additionally, a mobile paint factory for producing a plurality of lines of paints from a plurality of prepaints en route to and/or at various locations is disclosed, which may include a vehicle having a paint production system, a spectrometer and a gloss meter. Furthermore, a method of producing a plurality of lines of user-selected paints from a plurality of prepaints en route to and/or at various locations is disclosed. The method may include: providing a mobile paint factory; prompting a user to select a value for a paint attribute on a slider; and automatically dispensing predetermined amounts of appropriate prepaints. The method may also comprise storing information about the reflectance of produced paints in a local data storage device.
US08568010B2
In accordance with certain embodiments, interior spaces are illuminated with a combination of harvested sunlight and artificial light emitted by one or more light-emitting elements.
US08568008B2
An illumination unit for a vehicle comprising: a light emitting element; an outer housing including an opening, on which the light emitting element is mounted; a prism disposed between the light emitting element and the opening, the prism including a tip portion which is disposed at the opening, a body portion which continues from the tip portion, a flange portion which continues from the body portion, and a stage at a boundary between the tip portion and the body portion.
US08568002B2
Certain embodiments of the invention may include system apparatus for providing a light diffusion and condensing fixture. According to an example embodiment, a light fixture is configured for illuminating subjects and it includes an enclosure cavity. The enclosure defines a cavity with an opening and one or more reflective inner surfaces. The light fixture also includes a frame structure defining an optical aperture and the frame structure is disposed proximate to the opening. The light fixture also includes two or more film tensioners associated with the frame structure. The light fixture also includes at least one light source positioned between the one or more reflective surface and a plane defined by the optical aperture. The light fixture further includes at least one optical film comprising at least one lenticular lens surface and the at least one optical film is suspended substantially parallel to the optical aperture by the two or more tensioners.
US08568000B2
The annular-arranged lamp capable of backward projecting by concave sphere provided by this invention is mainly provided with a side of an annular heat dissipation device being installed with light emitting devices (102) wherein the lamp is installed with two or more than two light emitting devices (110) arranged in a circular or polygonal means, and the light projecting axial line of each light emitting device (110) is projected towards a reflection device with concave sphere (103) disposed above the annular heat dissipation device (101), light beams of the light emitting devices (110) are reflected by the reflection device with concave sphere (103) then refracted to a preset projection range, thereby forming a unified light source.
US08567994B2
The present invention relates to a street lamp which uses LEDs as a light source and has a freely adjustable lighting direction and an adjustable lighting range. The street lamp of the present invention includes a housing 1; LEDs 10 arranged in the housing 1; heat radiation fins 20 formed on an upper surface of the housing 1; a lighting direction adjuster 30 arranged on the bottom surfaces of the heat radiation fins 30 in the housing 1; and a lens case 40 attached to an upper surface of the lighting direction adjuster 30 and equipped with a lens moving means for positioning a lens 49 arranged in the lens case wherein the lighting direction adjuster 30 includes a spherical rotating body 32; a receiving body 34 having a groove 35 for accommodating the spherical rotating body 34; and a cover plate 36 arranged on the rotating body 32.
US08567988B2
An efficient LED array. In an aspect, an LED apparatus includes a metal substrate having a reflective surface, and LED chips mounted directly to the reflective surface to allow for thermal dissipation, and wherein at least a portion of the LED chips are spaced apart from each other to allow light to reflect from a portion of the reflective surface that is located between the portion of the LED chips. In another aspect, a method includes configuring a metal substrate to have a reflective surface, and mounting a plurality of LED chips directly to the reflective surface of the metal substrate to allow for thermal dissipation, and wherein at least a portion of the LED chips are spaced apart from each other to allow light to reflect from a portion of the reflective surface that is located between the portion of the LED chips.
US08567985B2
An illumination device including a lighting device, a detecting module and a display is disclosed. The detecting module is configured for detecting information of the lighting device. The display is configured for receiving the information and displaying the information thereon. Therefore, the user could know the information of the lighting device timely.
US08567973B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward white light illumination systems (so called “white LEDs”) that comprise a multi-chip excitation source and a phosphor package. In a two-chip source, the two LEDs may be UV-emitting and blue emitting, or blue-emitting and green-emitting. The phosphor package is configured to emit photoluminescence in wavelengths ranging from about 440 nm to about 700 nm upon co-excitation from the first and second radiation sources. The photoluminescence emitted by the phosphors is at least 40 percent of the total power in the white light illumination, and the portion of the total power in the white light illumination contributed by the first and second radiation sources (LEDs) is less than about 60 percent. This ratio can vary in alternative embodiments, and includes 50/50, 60/40, 70/30, and 80/20, respectively. The white light illumination emitted by the system has in one embodiment a color rendering index (CRI) greater than about 90.
US08567966B2
The universal sphere mount provides a spherically mounted retro-reflector conical nest mount having a base, a body of lesser diameter than the base, and a precise nest in the body that receives a retro-reflector target. The body steps inwardly from the base or has bevel. The body has a lesser diameter than the base so the reflector achieves an orientation below a horizontal plane at any horizontal rotation upon the body. The nest receives a spherically mounted retro-reflector and positions it with high precision over the shank. The nest has at least three oblique clearance areas, equally spaced, that permit a maximum negative acceptance angle for incident light to a mounted spherically mounted retro-reflector without occlusion and at any angle of rotation upon the body. The universal sphere mount achieves tolerances, within 0.0005 inch of the centerline and of the height of a spherically mounted retro reflector placed therein.
US08567964B2
A waveband selective retroreflective article, comprising a body layer having a plurality of concave retroreflective elements, each said concave retroreflective element forming a cavity having open-face surfaces and an additional layer that includes particles of a wave-band selective material.
US08567958B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing projection areas on a surface. A search module is configured to search for one or more markers defining one or more projection areas on a surface. An area module is configured to select a usable projection area from the one or more projection areas on the surface. A boundary module is configured to determine a boundary for the usable projection area. A constraint module is configured to constrain a projection from a projector onto the surface within the boundary of the usable projection area in response to the boundary module determining the boundary of the usable projection area.
US08567950B2
A method and apparatus for treating visual field loss by disassociating and differentiating between the ambient and focal visual information of a patient. This is achieved by providing a stationary target for the patient to focus on and a moving, spinning or rotating background relative to the stationary target.
US08567949B2
An ophthalmic device and method actively correcting possible movement of the eye of a patient with respect to the correct positioning during the examination are described. An illumination light beam is provided, that passes through a cross-section of the anterior chamber of the eye to capture an image on the corneal vertex.
US08567948B2
A device for examining the eye fundus and photoreceptors includes an illumination beam path having optical beam forming and/or guiding components, at least one illumination unit for providing a continuous illumination and a flash illumination, and an observation and imaging beam path having optical beam forming and/or guiding components and a device for varying the magnification, including a beam splitter for splitting the observation and imaging beam path. A rotatable diffraction grating is disposed in a plane in the observation and imaging beam path that is conjugate to the object plane and the movement of the grating is synchronized with the illumination unit that serves as the flash illumination so that an image recording sensor records a rapid sequence of images of the eye fundus at different positions of the grating and said sequence is forwarded to an existing evaluation unit.
US08567947B2
An ophthalmic imaging apparatus divides a frame image obtained by capturing a moving image into a plurality of regions grouping pixels, and acquires photometric values corresponding the plurality of the regions. Further, the ophthalmic imaging apparatus determines acknowledgement or dis-acknowledgement of capturing a still image based on temporal variation of the acquired photometric values or distribution of the acquired photometric values on a fundus image. The ophthalmic imaging apparatus inhibits to execute a still image capturing of the fundus if the dis-acknowledgement of capturing is determined.
US08567946B2
Methods for filling an internal volume of a liquid filled lens mechanism with fluid are provided. In some embodiments, the methods include creating a vacuum within the internal volume, de-aerating the fluid, filling the vacuum in the internal volume with the de-aerated fluid, and sealing the internal volume. In some embodiments, the methods include elevating a temperature of the fluid prior to sealing the internal volume. In some embodiments, the internal volume is formed by a structure having at least one flexible component.
US08567937B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus including: a first discharge head which discharges, toward the recording medium, an ink containing a coloring agent; a second discharge head which discharges, toward the recording medium, a liquid which improves image quality and which contains a component for coagulating or depositing the coloring agent; an energy emitting device which emits active energy; and a transport mechanism which transports the recording medium to a position opposed to the first discharge head and the second discharge head, wherein: at least one of the ink and the liquid contains a curable substance which is curable by being irradiated with the active energy.
US08567936B2
An enhanced printing system comprises a drum structure, a print carriage for delivering LED curable ink there from, such as from one or more print heads, and one or more LED light sources for curing the delivered ink. Some embodiments may preferably further comprise one or more LED pining stations, such as to control, slow or stop the spread of ink drops. As well, some printer embodiments may comprise a mechanism to deliver any of an inert gas, e.g. nitrogen, or other gas that is at least partially depleted of oxygen, between the LED energy source and the substrate. The disclosed LED printing structures typically provide higher quality and/or lower cost as compared to prior art systems, for a wide variety of printing matter output, such as for but not limited to super wide format (SWF) output, wide format (WF) output, packaging, labeling, or point of sale displays or signage.
US08567935B2
A polymeric dispersant having a hyperbranched polyurethane architecture obtained by reacting a polyisocyanate core with a mixture of: a) 40 to 65 mol % of an anchor represented by Formula (I) and/or (II): wherein n represents an integer selected from 0 to 7; and X and Y each independently represent a primary amine group or a hydroxyl group; b) 5 to 25 mol % of a polypropylene oxide crosslinker; c) 15 to 40 mol % of a polypropylene oxide graft; and wherein the amount of the crosslinker and the graft taken together is at least 35 mol %; and wherein 100 mol % of the mixture corresponds with the total amount of isocyanate groups in the polyisocyanate core.
US08567934B2
A printhead including a jetstack configured to include a multi-plane filter laminate. The multi-plane filter laminate includes a first rock screen subassembly and a second rock screen subassembly. Each subassembly is configured to include an upstream pocket layer, a downstream pocket layer aligned with the upstream pocket layer, and a rock screen plate sandwiched between the upstream and downstream pocket layers, the rock screen plate configured with through holes over an entire exposed surface area thereof. A portion of the rock screen plate of the first subassembly is configured to overlay the rock screen plate of the second subassembly.
US08567933B2
A liquid dispenser is provided that includes a liquid supply channel, a liquid dispensing channel, and a liquid return channel. The liquid dispensing channel includes a wall. The wall includes a surface. A portion of the wall defines an outlet opening that includes a downstream edge relative to a direction of liquid flow through the liquid dispensing channel. The downstream edge is perpendicular to the surface of the wall of the liquid dispensing channel. A liquid is provided that flows from the liquid supply channel through the liquid dispensing channel to the liquid return channel. A liquid drop is caused to be ejected from the outlet opening of the liquid dispensing channel by selectively actuating a diverter member to divert a portion of the flowing liquid through the outlet opening of the liquid dispensing channel.
US08567928B2
A configuration of an image display apparatus which can reduce a pump exclusive for solvent is provided. The image display apparatus of the present invention is provided with an ink chamber in an ink supply path from an ink container to a printhead and a solvent chamber in a solvent supply path from a solvent container to the printhead. The ink chamber and the solvent chamber are formed by dividing a liquid chamber by an elastic member (diaphragm), and volumes (capacities) of the ink chamber and the solvent chamber are changed by a pressure of the ink.
US08567922B2
A piezoelectric actuator unit includes: a wiring board; a piezoelectric actuator which is provided with a piezoelectric layer, a plurality of individual electrodes provided to the piezoelectric layer, a common electrode which faces the plurality of individual electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric layer between the common electrode and individual electrodes, and which is divided into a plurality of split electrodes, a plurality of individual contact points which are in conduction with the individual electrodes, and which are to be connected to the wiring board, and a plurality of reinforcing contact points which are connected to the wiring board to reinforce a connection with the wiring board; and a conduction mechanism which brings the plurality of split electrodes into conduction. Each of the split electrodes is in conduction with at least one of the reinforcing contact points.
US08567918B2
A piezoelectric element includes a substrate; a first conductive layer disposed on or above the substrate; a piezoelectric layer covering a top and a side of the first conductive layer; a relaxing layer disposed on or above the piezoelectric layer and along an edge of a top surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a second conductive layer covering at least the relaxing layer and the piezoelectric layer.
US08567913B2
An ink jet print head includes an ink chamber defined by an electrostatically actuated membrane and a nozzle plate opposing the membrane. The nozzle plate includes a nozzle hole and a group of priming holes, the priming holes configured to maintain a substantially ink free surface on the nozzle plate during a freeze thaw cycle of ink in the ink chamber. A method for accommodating expansion and contraction of ink during a freeze thaw cycle of ink in an ink chamber is also provided. The method includes providing a group of priming holes in a nozzle plate of the ink chamber, the group of priming holes maintaining a substantially ink free surface on the nozzle plate during the freeze thaw cycle.
US08567912B2
An inkjet printhead die for an inkjet print head, wherein the inkjet printhead die comprises a composite substrate that includes a planar semiconductor member, a planar substrate member and an interface at which the planar semiconductor member is fused to the planar substrate member.
US08567911B2
A print module and a method of forming the same, the print module including a substrate, an ink jet die, and an interposer between the substrate and the ink jet die. The substrate includes an ink channel and an air vent, and the die includes a plurality of ink apertures. The interposer includes etched openings therein of a truncated pyramid shape; the openings of the interposer reconfiguring the ink channel and air vent passages between the substrate and die to allow for greater tolerance in alignment and manufacture of the print head module.
US08567908B2
A liquid supply member for supplying a liquid to a liquid discharge head having a discharge port which discharges a liquid, includes: a first member consisting of a resin material; a second member consisting of a resin material; and a supply path formed by joining the first member and the second member to each other, the supplying path supplying a liquid to the liquid discharge head, wherein at least a part of an internal surface of the supply path is a smooth surface smoothed by melting the resin after being molded.
US08567906B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of heads and a head support member. Each head has multiple nozzles arrayed in at least one row to eject liquid droplets. The support member has first and second positioning portions to position each head. Each head has a first positioning face to position each head in a nozzle array direction and a second positioning face to position each head in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle array direction. The first positioning face and the second positioning face are cut faces formed by cutting. Each of a first distance between the first positioning face and a first reference nozzle and a second distance between the second positioning face and a second reference nozzle is uniform between the heads. Each head is mounted to the support member with the first and second positioning faces contacting the first and second positioning portions, respectively.
US08567902B2
A waste liquid recovery apparatus includes a container body; a liquid absorbing body which is accommodated in the container body and absorbs liquid discharged as a waste liquid; and a sealing member which seals the container body, wherein a first space into which liquid is discharged from a liquid ejecting head and a second space which links with the outside through a ventilation hole formed in the sealing member are formed in a space closed by the container body and the sealing body, and the first space and the second space are connected with each other at the ventilation hole side.
US08567896B2
A defective recording element correction parameter selection chart which is output by an image forming apparatus that performs image formation on a recording medium by a plurality of recording elements included in a recording head while conveying at least one of the recording head and the recording medium so as to cause relative movement between the recording head and the recording medium, the chart being used, in a case where there is at least one defective recording element which is not able to perform recording among the plurality of recording elements, in order to determine a defective recording element correction parameter expressing an amount of correction for correcting image formation defects caused by the at least one defective recording element, with image formation by a recording element other than the at least one defective recording element.
US08567890B2
A method is for controlling a droplet discharge device including at least a droplet discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging droplets of a functional liquid, a plurality of drive elements provided corresponding to each of the nozzles, and a vibrating plate which is vibrated by the drive elements to discharge the functional liquid from the nozzles; and a flushing unit in which the vibrating plate undergoes microvibration when the droplet discharge head is in a standby period. The method for controlling a droplet discharge device includes selecting one of a plurality of predetermined microvibration control programs for causing the vibrating plate to undergo microvibration in accordance with information relating to the functional liquid, and controlling the drive elements to cause the vibrating plate to undergo microvibration when the droplet discharge head is in the standby period in accordance with the selected microvibration control program.
US08567887B2
An inkjet recording apparatus includes a heating unit configured to produce thermal energy for discharging ink, and two electrodes which electrically connect with each other through the ink. Voltage is applied between the two electrodes, and a current value flowing through the ink is measured. Whether the ink is discharged or not is determined by determining whether the current changes when the heating unit is driven.
US08567882B1
A rack assembly for an appliance is provided. The rack assembly includes a sidewall and a rack adjustment assembly. The rack adjustment assembly includes an engagement cam that selectively engages a member of the sidewall in order to permit the sidewall to be moved upwardly and downwardly along a vertical direction relative to the rack adjustment assembly.
US08567881B2
A container data center includes a rack and a cabinet. The rack includes a base and two spaced posts perpendicularly extending up from the base. A shockproof device is mounted to each post. The shockproof device includes an installing member embracing the post, a number of first shockproof members sandwiched between the installing member and the post, and a second shockproof member sandwiched between a bottom of the installing member and the base. The cabinet is mounted to the installing members.
US08567879B2
Cabinets adapted for non-level garage floors and out-of-plumb garage walls with leveling controls operated from inside each cabinet. The cabinets have in common that they are attachable to a garage wall and each has at least one adjustment panel forming a part of the back of the cabinet. Each adjustment panel has a hand screw for extending behind the cabinet to engage the wall to provide back-to-front leveling and to prevent installation of fasteners, such as screws, from pulling the cabinet closer to the wall during installation. Each adjustment panel also has horizontal slots in a staggered arrangement in two horizontal rows for receiving fasteners. Floor-standing cabinets have feet that are adjustable from inside the cabinet. Wall-hanging cabinets have a top bracket that provides side-to-side leveling form inside. Floor-standing cabinets are modular and stackable, using an included adapter and door-handle coupler to enable stacked cabinet doors to open as one.
US08567875B2
An anti-skid control device or an automatic brake control device gradually increases a W/C pressure for a boost control valve for a front wheel FR or FL on a high-μ surface, by repeating a cycle in which the differential pressure for the boost control valve at the high-μ surface side is kept at the first differential pressure for a first period, and after that kept at the second differential pressure for a second period. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the individual variation in the capability for W/C pressure boosting, and accordingly to suppress the difference of the W/C pressures between the right front wheel and the left front wheel. Thus, it is possible to suppress the yaw torque applied to the vehicle and therefore to suppress the spin of the vehicle.
US08567871B2
A method for automatically producing a defined face opening in a longwall mining operation, in underground coal mining, having a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine and hydraulic shield support frames. Inclination sensors are disposed on at least three of the four main components of each shield support frame, such as floor skid, gob shield, support connection rods and gob-side area of the top canopy. From ascertained inclination data, by comparison with base data defining a geometrical orientation of the components and a movement thereof during stepping, a respective shield height of the shield support frames perpendicular to a bed thereof is calculated. From further sensors on the extraction machine, a cutting height thereof is acquired as a face opening. In terms of a location-synchronous analysis, for possible adjustment purposes the cutting height is compared with the shield height when the shield support frame, which trails the extraction machine with a time delay, has reached the position to which relates that cutting height which was used in the comparison.
US08567870B2
A method for maintaining, in a controlled manner, a top canopy/coal-face distance expedient for rock mechanics, in longwall mining operations in underground coal mining, using a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine, and a hydraulic shield support frame. Inclination sensors are disposed on at least three of the four main components of the shield support frame, including floor skid, gob shield, support connection rods and gob-side area of the top canopy. An inclination of the top canopy and floor skid are ascertained via the sensors. From the ascertained inclination data, in a computer, the effects on a top canopy/coal face distance are determined when changes in an angle of inclination of the top canopy occur. An automatic adjustment of decisive cycle parameters of the shield support frame are carried out, wherein the work cycle comprises retraction, advancement and setting processes.
US08567861B2
A seat comprises a cushion member, a seat heater, and a skin material. The seat heater has a planar base member disposed on the cushion member, a heater wire fixed to the base member, and a temperature control that controls the temperature of the heater wire. The skin material covers both the cushion member and the seat heater. The cushion member includes a seat cushion surface portion for a sitting person and a recess formed in a surface located on the side opposite to the seat cushion surface portion. The base member includes a seat cushion surface-side portion disposed on the seat cushion surface portion. The heater wire includes a seat cushion surface-side heater wire disposed in the seat cushion surface-side portion and an insertion portion heater wire extended from the seat cushion side heater wire. At least a part of the temperature control is connected to the insertion portion heater wire and is disposed within the recess of the cushion member.
US08567859B2
A sliding roof system, in particular for motor vehicles, with at least one guide rail, a carriage which is shiftable in the guide rail, a guide element located at the front, which can cooperate with a cover of the sliding roof, and a swing-out lever located at the rear, which likewise can cooperate with the cover and can be moved by the carriage from a starting position into a position swung out, is wherein the swing-out lever is mounted on the guide rail with a fixed swivel axis and that at least in the starting position the end of the swing-out lever associated to the cover lies on the side of the swivel axis facing the carriage.
US08567855B2
A front structure for a vehicle is provided, the structure including (i) a pair of front rails (i.e., front left hand rail and front right hand rail) spaced apart in a widthwise direction with each rail extending lengthwise, and where each rail is comprised of a polygonal-shaped upper hollow channel and a polygonal-shaped lower hollow channel with the upper and lower channels sharing a common wall; and (ii) a pair of bumper mounting plates, where one bumper mounting plate is interposed between the end portion of each channel of each rail and the vehicle's bumper, and where each bumper mounting plate aligns the upper rail channels with the vehicle's bumper while transferring impact loads to both the upper and lower rail channels.
US08567842B2
A vehicle having a door opening defining a threshold. A slide system includes a track operably connected to the vehicle. A slide is linearly moveable relative to the track. A seat is operably connected to the slide. The slide is laterally movable between a retracted position that corresponds with the seat being positioned inside the vehicle and an extended position that corresponds with the seat being disposed in the threshold. The seat may translate from a rearward position to a forward position in order to facilitate the clearance of the seat through the threshold. A portion of the seat may rotate downward to facilitate clearance of the seat through the threshold. Alternatively, a forward portion of the seat may move forward and rearward relative to a rearward portion of the seat.
US08567839B2
An equipment piece includes first and second components, such as a vehicle door armrest and a vehicle door. The first component is insertable in a recess, such as a slot, in the second component. The second component may be secured in the first by deformation of a projecting portion configured as a tab having a wall thickness smaller than its longitudinal extension. The tab is anchorable non-positively in the second component after inserting into the recess and pending about a longitudinal axis of the tab.
US08567830B2
An auto cam lock is disclosed here. The disclosed auto cam lock comprises a lock housing assembled with a cam and an actuator; a cam adapted to rotate between an extending position and a retracted position, the cam being adapted to be engaged with and retained by the lock housing when the cam is in the retracted position; a cam resilient means for giving the cam a resilient force adapted to drive the cam to rotate from the retracted position to the extending position; an actuator operatively coupled with the cam, said actuator being adapted to move between an extending position and a retracted position, and said the actuator being adapted to release the cam from the cam's retracted position retained by the lock housing when the actuator moves from the actuator's extending position to the actuator's retracted position; and an actuator resilient means for giving the actuator a resilient force adapted to drive the actuator to move from the retracted position to the extending position.
US08567823B2
A quick-mounting adapter is axially forced upon and then twisted relative to threaded targets for connection. A rotatable hub has a threaded portion for connection to a hose and an integral flange fastened to a tubular sleeve coaxially within the adapter. A rotatable handle assembly comprises a rigid ring with an internal orifice and at least two outwardly projecting handle segments. A multi-segment thread assembly secured within a ring groove to the sleeve is displaceable radially inwardly and outwardly in response to a rigid, cylindrical collar secured to the handle assembly. Each segment comprises an outer tapered portion contacted by and compressed by the collar. Pushing and subsequent rotation of the handle assembly attaches the thread assembly on the threaded target to connect the adapter.
US08567821B1
An aluminum tubular beam is assembled to a steel box frame rail with a steel sleeve. The sleeve is connected by a crimp joint or by a hem flange to the tubular beam. The steel sleeve may be effectively welded to the steel box frame rail to which it is assembled. An adhesive may be provided between the sleeve and the beam.
US08567818B2
A vibration damping structure for a steering wheel includes an airbag mounted in the steering wheel, an inflator arranged forward of the airbag, and a support member elastically supporting the inflator at a position forward of the inflator. The inflator includes a peripheral wall portion and gas ports formed in the wall portion. The support member has a hole facing the inflator. A sealing portion is provided to surround the hole. Through contact between the inflator and the support member at the sealing portion, gas leakage via the hole is prevented. The inflator has a pressure receiving portion in the vicinity of the gas ports to change the flow direction of gas, which is discharged outward from the gas ports in the radial direction of the wall portion, to a direction toward a rear side. The pressure receiving portion produces force acting forward by receiving pressure from the gas.
US08567817B2
A side airbag has a high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber with a pressure lower than the pressure in the high-pressure chamber. An inflator is provided in the low-pressure chamber with a gas discharge section facing the high-pressure chamber. In a side collision, gas from the inflator is supplied mainly toward the high-pressure chamber and is supplied also to the low-pressure chamber. The high-pressure chamber and the low-pressure chamber are partitioned by a partition wall. A check valve mounted to the partition wall is opened by the pressure gas supplied from the inflator, which is provided in the low-pressure chamber, toward the high-pressure chamber, and thus the cheek valve permits the gas to flow from the low-pressure chamber to the high-pressure chamber. When the inflator completes the discharge of the gas, the check valve restricts such flow of the gas from the high-pressure chamber to the low-pressure chamber.
US08567814B2
A panel for use over a vehicle airbag includes a skin layer with a plurality of stress concentrators formed in an inner surface in a uniform two-dimensional pattern. A deployment opening may be formed through the skin layer with no pre-determined tear seam location. Multiple possible tear seam locations may be defined along stress concentrators arranged in such patterns. One method of forming stress concentrators in the desired pattern or arrangement includes a calendering operation that may be the same or similar operation used to form decorative grain patterns on the outer surface of the skin layer.
US08567813B2
A saddle-type vehicle equipped with an airbag apparatus in which an increase in the number of component parts can be restrained. A motorcycle is a vehicle in which seat rails are included in a rear portion of a body frame with a rider seat having a front end portion upwardly inclined towards the front side of the vehicle that is mounted on the seat rails. An airbag module accommodating an airbag therein and fixed by an airbag mounting stay extending upwardly from the body frame and is disposed on the front side of the rider seat. A seat hook for holding the front end portion of the rider seat extends from the airbag module or from the airbag mounting stay.
US08567804B1
A mobile device for supporting a user in a standing, sitting, or kneeling position such as to increase the mobility of paraplegic persons or other users incapable of moving as desired. The mobile device includes a drivable base having wheels and/or track members, a platform pivotally connected to the base and movable from a horizontal position to a forwardly-angled position, an actuator connected to the platform for angular adjustment of the platform, a pair of leg supporting assemblies connected to the platform and being hinged along a lengthwise axis, a pair of actuators connected to the leg supporting assemblies for pivoting the leg supporting assemblies, and a securing assembly connected to the leg supporting assemblies for securing a user to the device. The device also includes a wireless handheld controller for operating the drive unit and actuators.
US08567800B2
Pair of runners for walking and/or travel movement characterized by the fact that the secondary beam (1b) contains at least two sets of wheels (5), one in the rear of a runner and the second the front of a runner, while the main beam (1a) includes at least two feet (6a) made of flexible material or at least two rolling sets (6b); at least one set of wheels (5) in every runner is equipped with mechanism for locking of the wheels rotation and runners are connected by a stabilization rod (8).
US08567794B2
A skate frame comprises a lower frame portion comprising gliding means for running on a gliding surface and an upper frame portion comprising one or more support surfaces for supporting the user's boot. Both the frame portions comprise protruding arms that are mechanically coupled. The mutual interlock between the coupling surfaces of said protruding arms prevent relative movements between the frame portions along predefined directions.
US08567790B2
A metal gasket has a primary bead formed on an area positioned between a cylinder bore and a cooling water passage. A second bead is formed on an area corresponding to an opening of one or more cooling passages. A base member of the metal gasket comprises bead plates that have a rubber coating layer. The base member also comprises a shim member disposed between the bead plates. The primary bead is formed by defining a space respectively between the bead plates and the shim member. The secondary bead is formed by defining a space on a given area between the bead plates.
US08567783B2
A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game includes a gaming cabinet, a first surface, a video display assembly, and a first blower. The gaming cabinet includes an intake port and an exhaust port. The first surface is within the cabinet and divides the cabinet into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The video display assembly includes a video display having a display area and a display housing. The video display assembly is positioned adjacent to the upper chamber of the game cabinet at an angle between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal. The display housing forms a longitudinal channel along a substantial portion of a back side opposite the display area. The first blower is disposed in the upper chamber. The longitudinal channel is at least partially sealed such that the first blower creates a negative pressure within the longitudinal channel.
US08567779B2
An apparatus for pressing flat materials onto a transport module with a transport belt includes a holding carrier for pressing elements being disposed under a feed table. At least one of the pressing elements is mounted on the holding carrier with a multiplicity of individual resilient or sprung constituent parts, or a multiplicity of pressing elements are disposed on the holding carrier below the transport belt in a transport direction. The pressing elements can protrude through an opening in the feed table, in order to provide suitable pressure from below on the transport belt of the transport module.
US08567763B1
A tire lift is provided for lifting and supporting a tire to facilitate the task of changing tires on a vehicle. The lifting apparatus includes a base frame, an upper frame, and a lifting assembly. The lifting assembly is coupled to and extends between the base frame and the upper frame. The lifting assembly is extendable or retractable to urge the upper frame away from the base frame or draw the upper frame towards the base frame. Support rods may extend across an open top of the upper frame to support a tire in an upright position on the upper frame.
US08567754B1
Tunable valve assemblies attenuate valve-generated vibration at one or more predetermined assembly resonant frequencies which are typically altered to correspond to specific pump housing resonant frequencies. Each tunable valve assembly comprises a valve body having a peripheral groove spaced radially apart from a central reservoir. An adjustable flange may be coupled to the valve body for imposing a predetermined shear preload by partially constraining a viscoelastic element in the reservoir. One or more valve assembly resonant frequencies are thus predictably altered. Further, the associated valve-generated vibration spectrum is narrowed, and its amplitude is reduced through hysteresis loss of closing impulse energy at each predetermined assembly resonant frequency. Assembly resonant frequencies are additionally or alternatively altered through choice of viscoelastic elements and inclusions (e.g., shear-thickening materials) in the reservoir and/or peripheral groove. Peripheral groove fenestrations increase valve assembly responsiveness to longitudinal compressive force while stabilizing peripheral groove elements.
US08567752B2
Rotary valve actuators having partial stroke damping apparatus are described herein. An example rotary valve actuator described herein includes a housing containing a first piston and a second piston opposite the first piston, where the pistons move in opposite directions to rotate a shaft of the rotary valve actuator. A damper is operatively coupled to at least one of the first piston or the second piston to slow the movement of the piston for only a portion of a stroke of the rotary valve actuator.
US08567746B2
A mounting apparatus for securing a fan module comprises a chassis, two mounting members, and an installing member rotatably secured to the fan module. The enclosure comprises two substantially parallel sidewalls. Two mounting members are rotatably secured to the two sidewalls. Each of two mounting members is provided with a limiting portion. A pivot is defined in the installing member. The limiting portion is received in the pivot hole for engagement or disengagement from the pivot hole by rotating the installing member.
US08567740B2
A support unit for supporting readable material at a convenient angle and height for facilitated viewing. The support unit is deployable between a collapsed and generally flat non-deployed position, and a deployed position with a support platen at an adjustably selected angle and height for comfortable viewing. In one embodiment, the support platen is pivotally mounted onto an intermediate bracket plate which in turn is pivotally mounted onto a base plate, with an upper support strut adjustably set to accommodate support platen positioning relative to the base plate and bracket plate in one of multiple angular settings. The support platen may include or support a digital device such as an electronic touch pad, computer or reading device. In a preferred form, the upper support strut is adapted to overlie and protect the support platen and device thereon in the non-deployed position.
US08567729B2
A locking mechanism provides a base connected to a column. The base, generally square, receives the round column. The base has feet and an opposite lower plate. Within one foot, a pedal extends into the base and engages the column to raise it. Upwardly from the lower plate, the column has an upper plate, a side plate outwardly from the upper plate, and a plurality of bolts secured through the pattern of apertures in the two plates. The side plate has an aperture that receives a stem that has a handle upon one end and a tab upon the opposite end. Turning of the handle places the tab beneath the lower plate, locking the column to the base while turning the handle in the opposite direction moves the tab away from the lower plate so that the column may elevate.
US08567724B2
An extraction force transfer coupling device is particularly adapted for use with certain cargo aircraft systems for aerial delivery of a load. The extraction force transfer coupling device employs a drop arm which prevents inadvertent actuation of the actuator arm. Prior to aerial delivery, the actuator arm is obstructed by the drop arm. When the platform is forwardly extracted from the aircraft, the drop arm slides along and eventually disengages from the aircraft floor which eventually results in actuation of the cable release to provide for opening of a suspension parachute.
US08567722B2
A splice and an associated method are provided in order to efficiently join structures, such as adjacent fuselage sections. A splice for joining fuselage sections may include a strap configured to bridge the fuselage sections, a shear tie overlying the strap and a fitting positioned between the strap and the shear tie such that the strap and the shear tie are spaced apart. At least the strap and the fitting may be formed of a composite material. The fitting may have an H-shape and may have first and second longitudinally extending sections that extend beyond opposite sides of the strap. Each longitudinally extending section is configured to overlie at least two stringers of a respective fuselage section. The fitting may also have a medial portion upon which the shear tie is seated.
US08567695B2
There are provided a piezoelectric device, an inkjet print head, and a method of manufacturing the same. The piezoelectric device includes piezoelectric ceramic powder containing 90 parts by weight or more to less than 100 parts by weight of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3, and more than 0 part by weight to 10 parts by weight or less of glass frit, based on 100 parts by weight of a piezoelectric substance composition for the piezoelectric device, wherein the glass frit contains 10 to 20 parts by weight of ZnO, based on 100 parts by weight of glass frit.
US08567692B2
A sprinkler includes an oscillating tube that receives water from a supply, and the tube oscillates about a longitudinal axis through a range of radial angles. A plurality of nozzles spaced along the oscillating tube distribute water generally upward and outward from the oscillating tube to create a water distribution pattern on the ground. The longitudinal angles of at least some of the nozzles are automatically selectively regulated as a function of the radial angle of the oscillating tube, controlling the impact locations on the ground of the water emanating from the respective nozzles. The longitudinal angles may be automatically regulated such that the water emanating from the respective nozzles reaches parallel, rectilinear, evenly-spaced impact locations on the ground. The ranges of radial angles traversed by at least some of the nozzles may be automatically regulated such that the ends of the water distribution pattern are rectilinear. A rectangular or square water distribution pattern may be thereby automatically produced.
US08567686B2
The present invention features a multizone conversion system for converting a single zone system into a multizone system. The multizone conversion system is designed to require minimal renovations and does not require extensive new wiring. Each room within the new multizone system has its own thermostat controls and each room can be set to its own specific temperature. The multizone conversion system does not require new piping to and from the boiler. Each thermostat is equipped with a temperature sensing device, temperature setting controls, an LCD monitor or display and an RF circuit that includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. Each heating element within the room is outfitted with an input device that contains an RF circuit, a switching valve and a battery compartment. The thermostat communicates wirelessly with the output device located in the room and control the flow of the heated water through the existing heating element or alternatively through a bypass pipe if heat is not required.
US08567684B2
Payment devices and methods for forming payment devices are provided. A payment device may include a front cover, a back cover, and at least one insert, and at least one payment mechanism. The at least one insert may be disposed or situated between the front cover and the back cover, and the front cover, back cover, and the at least one insert may be hinged together along a respective common edge. The at least one payment mechanism may be integrated into one or more of the front cover, the back cover, or the at least one insert.
US08567682B2
A portable terminal, handheld computer and handle are provided. The portable terminal includes a handheld computer operable as a stand-alone device, including operational components having a display and a scanner, and an expansion connector capable of detachably coupling to a peripheral. The peripheral includes at least a handle held by an operator of the portable terminal. The handheld computer is electrically and mechanically coupled to the handle so that the angle between the viewing area of the display and a scanner beam from the scanner is optimized without tilting the viewing area of the display. The portable terminal includes: a handheld device operable as a stand-alone device, including: one or more operational components; and an expansion connector being capable of detachably coupling to a peripheral directly or via an external device connectable to the peripheral, the handheld device being electrically coupled to the peripheral via the expansion connector and identifies the peripheral. The handle for a handheld device, includes: a housing including a grip held by an operator of a handheld device, the handheld device being operable as a stand alone device; a coupling assembly being capable of mechanically and operationally coupling to the handheld device directly or via an external device connectable to the handheld device; and an actuator coupling to the coupling assembly for actuating at least one function of the handheld device, the actuator being configured so that the user operates the actuator while holding the grip.
US08567670B2
A system and method for providing card verification values for card-not-present transactions is described. In one example, a user's computing device stores single-use CVVs to be provided from a secure wallet. The secure wallet may be software running on the user's computing device. Alternatively, it may be an external device connectable to the user's computing device, which accesses the external device to obtain the single-use CVV.
US08567669B2
A merchant profile builder (MPB) is provided. The complete merchant profiling process is split into three pieces: Data Preprocessing, Weekly Summary Calculation, and Merchant Profile Calculation. In the Data Preprocessing stage, authorization data and daily fraud data are processed on a weekly basis to yield: an authorization extract file and fraud authorization data, each of which are sorted by a merchant key. In the Weekly Summary Calculation stage, the files output by the Data Preprocessing stage are used as input to compile basic statistics for each merchant based only on data for one week. There are separate weekly summaries for authorizations and fraud authorizations. In the Merchant Profile Calculation stage, the weekly summaries from the 16 most recent weeks are combined together and averages are calculated and output a set of merchant profiles and a set of default profiles.
US08567658B2
A method of removing oxidation from certain metallic contact surfaces utilizing a combination of relatively simple and inexpensive off-the-shelf equipment and specific chemistry. The method being a very rapid dry process which does not require a vacuum or containment chamber, or toxic gasses/chemicals, and does not damage sensitive electronic circuits or components. Additionally, the process creates a passivation layer on the surface of the metallic contact which inhibits further oxidation while allowing rapid and complete bonding, even many hours after surface treatment, without having to remove the passivation layer. The process utilizes a room-ambient plasma applicator with hydrogen, nitrogen, and inert gasses.
US08567651B2
A cargo rack apparatus for removable attachment removably attachment to the vertical supports of a boat tower. The boat tower including at least one port vertical support and at least one starboard vertical support, each vertical support including an upper end and a lower end, the apparatus including a cargo rack member providing storage. The boat tower also including a plurality of connectors releasably suspending cargo rack member within the vertical supports of the boat tower, wherein the cargo rack member is removably and pivotally attached to each port and starboard vertical supports at a location between the upper and lower ends thereof, and wherein the cargo rack member can tilt down within the said vertical supports of the boat tower for access to stored equipment.
US08567650B2
A storage box and a supporting bracket assembly are provided for use in the bed of a pickup style truck. The storage box has a base with a bottom and a plurality of side walls. The bracket assembly includes a box engaging portion, a hook portion and an adjustable support leg. The box and bracket have an installed position wherein the hook portion engages the upper rail of a bed of a pickup style bed, the outer end of the adjustable support leg engages a wall extending downwardly from the upper rail of the bed and the storage box is supported on the bracket assembly adjacent the wall of the bed.
US08567649B1
A holder for eyewear which removably attaches to a standard sun visor within a motor vehicle, comprises a spring clip releasably attachable to the sun visor, further having a decorative vehicle motif enclosure to clamp and secure the eyewear between protective pads. The vehicle motif comprises an upper and lower portion hingedly attached and latched to each other. The holder further comprises enhancements including the capability to broadcast pre-recorded audible sounds or messages, an integral flashlight, and a spray nozzle which propels a stream of a cleansing fluid. The holder may be introduced having different vehicle motif embodiments, such as a big rig, a truck, an automobile, or the like.
US08567646B1
A nozzle assembly for a portable fuel can has the following. A cap provision for generally sealing vapors inside a contained volume inside the combined nozzle assembly and portable fuel can. A spout to dispense liquid fuel. A main valve for the liquid fuel which automatically closes in the absence of manual operation. A manual operator for manually and selectively opening the main valve. Porting providing vacuum venting whereby gases are admitted into the contained volume as the liquid fuel level pours out of the can, whereby the vacuum venting allows for gaseous exchange between the can as liquid fuel empties therefrom and the target container liquid-fuel fills in and flushes out gases due to the rising fuel level therein. Wherein the vacuum venting comprising and intake port disposed to provide automatic overflow cutoff. At least one over-pressurization relief break, and at least one under-pressurization relief break.
US08567645B1
With a force actuated valve operator utilizing a base member. The base member holds and orients a tap and connected container to allow accessibility of a force actuator valve operator of the same. The base member includes a passageway for conducting liquid from the tap to a spout. A holder positions the base member on the first side of a partition such that the force actuated valve operator of the tap lies adjacent the first side of the partition. The spout linked to the passageway of the base member extends to the second side of the partition. An arm is operated by a handle. The arm and handle are supported by the partition such that the arm contacts the force actuated valve operator of the tap to release liquid from the container to the spout.
US08567640B1
A portable carousel assembly for storing and facilitating access to medicine containers, such as plastic bottles commonly used for prescription or over-the-counter medications. Each medicine bottle is housed in a station that includes an aperture formed in a top plate of a rotatable receptacle. The rotatable receptacle is coupled to a stationary base. An ejection mechanism, such as a lever, cam track or ramp is operable to partially eject a selected medicine bottle from the receptacle so that it can be viewed or removed from the receptacle. The medicine bottle is maintained in the partially ejected condition by grasping means, such as flaps, gaskets, or webbing, or by operation of the cam track or ramp, so that the user need only use one hand to operate the carousel assembly and remove the medicine bottle.
US08567637B2
A mobile device is disclosed. A battery housing cover mechanism (80) of the mobile device comprises a cover member (81), a pivot shaft module (90) having a pivot shaft (92), and a pivot shaft module support mechanism (I00). The module (90) is movably supported by the module support mechanism (I00). The pivot shaft (92) is located in the recessed section (107). When the cover member (81) is opened excessively beyond the normal open position, the module (90) is moved to pull the pivot shaft (92) out of a recessed section (107). Therefore, the pivot shaft (92) is prevented from receiving an excessive force.
US08567630B2
A receptacle having a lid which has a pair of dampers configured to slow the movement of the lid from an open position toward a closed position. The dampers are provided at opposite ends of a pedal connected to the receptacle body at opposite lateral positions relative to a side of the receptacle body. The receptacle includes an air filtration device mounted in its lid which guides air through the filter device during the downward motion of the lid. The receptacle also includes at least one damper which provides dampening forces against the motion of the lid in both opening and closing directions. The receptacle also includes an anti-sliding device which increases the receptacle's resistance to sliding across a floor when a user steps on a pedal to actuate the lid.
US08567629B2
The packaging for a food product is provided with a container having an upper opening. An annular frame that is mounted as a close fit on the container has an upper face provided with an annular projection extending in the continuation of the interior face of the frame. A lid mounted articulated with respect to the frame is adapted to close off the opening, the lid having a top wall, a side wall and an interior skirt, a continuous groove being defined between the side wall and the interior skirt. A measuring utensil with a bowl is stored between the opening of the container and the lid in the closed position. The annular projection is inserted into the continuous groove and the interior skirt presses at least partially against said interior face of the frame in the closed position of the lid.
US08567628B2
A fuel cap includes a filler-neck closure including a pressure-relief valve and a vacuum-relief valve and a handle arranged to overlie the filler-neck closure. The fuel cap also includes a torque-transmission ring arranged to lie between the handle and the filler-neck closure.
US08567626B2
A fastening device for fastening a tube to a bearing structure, particularly a horizontal mesh frame tube of a mesh cage attached to a transport pallet used to hold a liquid container. To form the fastening device the tube has a fastening section with a zone flattened by compression and provided with a fastening hole to accommodate a fastening bolt connecting the fastening section to the bearing structure. The fastening hole has a perimeter shaped such that the perimeter defines a force application plane between a bolt head and the fastening section that is inclined at an angle α relative to a fastening plane in which the fastening section is connected to the bearing structure. The perimeter has a hole embrasure formed by an annular collar extending in the direction of a fastening axis, and which defines a bearing surface for the bolt head disposed in the force application plane.
US08567619B2
A vent valve, and a vent valve assembly, for a liquid dispensing container, employ a vent disc having small open vent holes in cooperation with an overlying thin flexible flap that covers and closes the vent holes to limit liquid pressure on the holes when the container is upright, yet require little suction pressure to move the flap to draw liquid or vent through the holes. The vent valve can be used in a bottom cap that is attachable to the bottom open end of the container. The vent valve assembly includes such a bottom cap, a sealing member for sealing the bottom cap to the container, and a vent valve. The vent valve and/or bottom cap have an elevated vent disc and a top portion having the thin flexible flap.
US08567610B2
A fuel filter system having a fuel filter (14) and water separation device (20), a water collecting chamber (24) with a drain line (26, 28) and controllable water discharge valve (30). A cleaning component (32) is disposed in the drain line behind the water discharge valve (30). A suction line (38) connects a fuel tank (40) with the fuel pump (18). Between the water collecting chamber (24) and cleaning component (32) a connecting line (36) branches to suction line (38) having a pressure controlled stop check valve (44).
US08567607B2
A folding box with a blister pack held therein is produced from a one-piece blank, having a first tab which starts integrally from a narrow side wall and in the use position inside the folding box rises obliquely inwards from this edge toward the opposite wall and is supported resiliently against the latter. A second tab is bent back from the support point of the first tab and in the use position comes to lie between the first wall and the first tab or the second wall, and in turn carries at its edge a locking tab which in the use position engages in a hinged fashion between two blister cavities or cavity rows arranged one behind the other in the insertion direction, and thereby secures the blister pack in locking fashion without the need for beads or other deformations that affect the surface on the folding box.
US08567606B2
A book-like packaging structure for receiving at least one blister pack having at least one receptacle. The book-like packaging structure includes at least one inner blister pack retainer for receiving the at least one blister pack, the at least one inner blister pack retainer having an inner edge, an outer edge, a first retainer portion and a second retainer portion, said second retainer portion adjacent an inner spine panel having a width equal to or greater than the depth of the at least one receptacle; and a cover for enclosing the at least one inner blister pack retainer, the cover having a first cover portion having an inner edge, a second cover portion having an inner edge and a spine, the spine joined to the inner edge of the first cover portion and the inner edge of the second cover portion, wherein the inner spine panel rests against the spine such that the inner edge of the at least one inner blister pack retainer is positioned adjacent to the spine of the cover. A method of making a book-like packaging structure is also provided.
US08567600B2
An apparatus for holding portable electronic device is provided, including a receiving seat, an upper cover, at least a resilient element and at least a stopping cover. The receiving seat and the upper cover are coupled together on one side. The resilient element is to provide a force to pull the upper cover and the receiving seat together face to face. The stopping cover is located at the bottom of receiving seat. Furthermore, a viscosity anti-slippery layer is located at the bottom surface of the receiving seat. In this manner, the apparatus can hold a portable electronic device in a vehicle and facilitate one-hand operation to improve convenience.
US08567594B2
Device for recovering fines constituted by a dragging conveyor/loop elevator equipped with scrapers/collecting cups (4) moved by a catenary link according to a closed path and associated to a plate conveyor supported by chains or metallic belt, which conveyor is equipped with pendula/pushers hinged to the transport plates themselves.
US08567592B2
An example adjustable part loader system includes a first loader adjacent a base and adjustable along the base having a first motor and a second loader adjacent the base and adjustable along the base having a second motor. The second loader is aligned with the first loader along the base in a position relative to a dimension of a first part to be loaded. The first loader and the second loader each carry a distinct portion of the same part. The first loader is adjustable relative to the second loader. A controller system in communication with the first loader and the second loader and controls both simultaneously.
US08567584B2
A friction plate, including: a ring-shaped piece of friction material with an inner circumference, and first and second surfaces facing in first and second opposite axial directions, respectively; a first core plate with a first ring-shaped body, a first plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the first ring-shaped body and imbedded in the first surface, and a second plurality of protrusions extending radially inward from the first ring-shaped body; and a second core plate with a second ring-shaped body, a third plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the second ring-shaped body and embedded in the second surface, and a fourth plurality of protrusions extending radially inward from the second ring-shaped body. The first and second bodies are at least partially disposed radially inward of the inner circumference. The second and fourth pluralities of protrusions are for engagement with a rotatable element.
US08567574B2
A brake caliper has a brake pad having a backplate with a friction material attached to one side and a loading face on an opposite side. The caliper further includes a piston that applies a force to the loading face. The brake pad is releasably attached to the piston, thereby eliminating a separate brake pad retaining structure in the caliper.
US08567567B1
A winding tool for tightening a torsion spring for a sectional overhead door. The winding tool features two half hub assembles that wrap around an overhead door shaft, wherein a translational sprocket is disposed on the hub assemblies. The hub assemblies connect to the winding cone of a torsion spring via fingers that engage the hub assemblies. A winding box is removably attached to the hub assemblies. The winding box features a worm gear that engages the translational sprocket. A handle bar can be rotated with a drill to cause rotation of the worm gear. Rotation of the worm gear causes rotation of the translational sprocket and ultimate winding of the torsion spring.
US08567561B2
The invention presents devices for controlled descent from buildings. Such a device includes a housing having a primary spool about which a cord is wound, a payload coupler for attaching a harness assembly to the housing, and an unwind control assembly for controlling the rate of exit of the cord from the housing. An inventive device kit may include a convertible storage unit used to protectively store a device and which, upon deployment, may be used as a protective helmet. In using an inventive device, a user attaches the device to a fixture in a building, dons a harness and the converted helmet, attaches the device to the harness, and exits the building from a window or roof.
US08567555B2
A canalphone system may include a high frequency sound bore carried within a canalphone. The system may also include a low frequency sound bore adjacent to the high frequency sound bore to form a single unit, the low frequency sound bore and the high frequency sound bore being sized so that the low frequency sound bore and the high frequency sound bore each deliver sound with similar time and phase. The system may further include a high acoustical driver carried within the canalphone where the high acoustical driver delivers sound through the high frequency sound bore. The system may additionally include a low acoustical driver carried within the canalphone where the low acoustical driver delivers sound through the low frequency sound bore.
US08567552B2
A steer-by-wire steering device includes a steering wheel connected with a steering shaft, a steering angle sensor, a steering reactive force motor, and a steering control unit for controlling a steering shaft drive motor and the steering reactive force motor. Provided is a power transmitting mechanism for transmitting the power from the steering shaft drive motor to the steering shaft. A changeover unit for selectively connecting and disconnecting the power is disposed on the way thereof. The changeover unit includes a clutch mechanism comprised of an input member and an output member juxtaposed in an axial direction for movement in the axial direction and, also, rotatable relative to each other, a clutch groove provided in one of those members, and a clutch rolling element provided in the other of those members and biased in a radial direction by the clutch groove so that it can be selectively engaged and disengaged.
US08567551B2
A work machine (10) comprises an operator input device (28), an electro-hydraulic system (64), and a controller unit (46) that communicates with the operator input device (28) and the electro-hydraulic system (64). The controller unit (46) is programmed to operate the electro-hydraulic system (64) in a manual-control mode and an auto-control mode, and is adapted to activate the auto-control mode in response to displacement of the operator input device (28) to an activate-auto position relative to a neutral position (42) of the operator input device (28), and both deactivate the auto-control mode and activate the manual-control mode in response to displacement of the operator input device (28) from the neutral position through a non-responsive deadband (72) about the neutral position (42) to an activate-manual position. An associated method is disclosed.
US08567547B2
A neighborhood electrical vehicle (NEV), including provisions for improved deceleration during regenerative braking, in which the vehicle momentum is converted to electrical energy stored in a capacitor bank. The capacitor bank includes alternate configurations for charging or discharging of the capacitors.
US08567541B2
An electric vehicle and a range extender engine are shown including the controls to operate the same.
US08567538B2
A hydraulic system includes a split shaft power take off assembly or a transfer case powered by a vehicle drive train. One or more hydraulic pumps are driven by the split shaft power take off assembly or transfer case and supply hydraulic fluid to one or more hydraulic users.
US08567536B1
A tracked climbing vehicle containing a compliant suspension apparatus to prescribe the distribution of forces on the adhering members in the tracked climbing machine capable of negotiating irregular surfaces. The compliant suspension apparatus is configured to negotiate irregularities in a climbing-surface without its tracks losing full surface contact and adhesion. It does this by distributing the loads from the climbing machine chassis to the adhering traction members in a specific prescribed fashion to avoid exceeding the allowable force in any adhering traction member and thus significantly improve the performance of the climbing machine.
US08567527B2
A system and method is provided for drilling a wellbore using a rotary drill bit with a bit body having a plurality of mechanical cutters to cut away formation material as the wellbore is formed; and a directed energy mechanism to direct energy into the formation. The energy from the directed energy mechanism is used to enhance the cutting of the mechanical cutters by fracturing surrounding material to facilitate drilling in the direction of the directed energy.
US08567526B2
A method of steering a drilling operation of a well using rock stress measurements. The method includes obtaining well data from at least one logging while drilling tool in the well, where the well data includes stress direction information, generating, using a central processing unit (CPU), a well trajectory using survey data from the well, where the well trajectory includes a borehole direction, determining, using the CPU, a direction of minimum horizontal stress using the well data, and comparing, using the CPU, the direction of minimum horizontal stress to the borehole direction to determine that a directional criteria is not satisfied. The method further includes in response to determining that the directional criteria is not satisfied, generating an updated well trajectory that satisfies the directional criteria and adjusting the drilling operation using the updated well trajectory.
US08567515B2
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to tools and methods for hanging and/or expanding liner strings. In one embodiment, a method of hanging a liner assembly from a previously installed tubular in a wellbore includes running the liner assembly and a setting tool into the wellbore using a run-in string. The setting tool includes an isolation valve and the liner assembly includes a liner hanger and a liner string. The method further includes sending an instruction signal from the surface to the isolation valve, wherein the isolation valve closes in response to the instruction signal and isolates a setting pressure in the setting tool from the liner string; and increasing fluid pressure in the setting tool, thereby setting the liner hanger.
US08567514B2
A method and apparatus are provided for installing control lines and pipe into a well. The pipe-holding spider that is normally mounted on the rig floor is adapted for easy disassembly and reassembly when the pipe slips within the spider are not engaged with the outer surface of the pipe string so that upon disassembly, a control line guide becomes vertically movable. The control line guide is adapted for being controllably elevated to a distance above the rig floor, thereby providing personnel access to a portion of the length of the pipe string below the elevated control line guide and above the rig floor for securing control line to the pipe string using a fastener.
US08567508B2
A change-out flange suited for use at an existing head casing of an oil or gas production well. The change-out flange is devised to replace standard hammer caps atop a well casing. By the present invention, with comparative ease a variety of wellhead equipment can be removably and interchangeably secured to the wellhead using an existing casing bowl or spool. The change-out flange has a casing hub that can be screwed unto a known casing bowl, and an integral connection flange provided with a plurality of connection holes arrayed in a manner consistent with the connection hole arrays of an assortment of conventional wellhead devices such as valves. A variety of well head devices thus can be more readily removed from, and securely replaced upon, the change-out flange. Lockdown pins are insertable into the change-out flange in a manner which secures the tubing hanger in place within the casing bowl. The disclosed change-out flange apparatus according can be installed on the wellhead casing without the need to remove pre-existing production tubing.
US08567505B2
When injecting liquids into the ground, imposing pulses on the injected liquid is effective to increase penetration and saturation of the ground. Imposing suckback onto the pulses is effective to make the liquid in the ground behave as a coherent unitary body, surging out and back each pulse, and to super-saturate the ground. The tool includes a suckback-chamber, which is timed to open to the ground formation just as the pulse-valve closes. A biasser (e.g a spring) drives the chamber open and sucks in some of the liquid from the ground. The chamber is then emptied, back to the ground, by the rising pressure as the pulsing tool is recharged. The suckback-chamber can be added to any type of pulsing tool.
US08567491B2
Device for lining the wall of a wellbore as it is being drilled using a drill string having a drill bit on the lower end thereof. The device has a receptacle for a cylindrically gathered pack of flexible tubing capable of being supported around the outside of the drill string near the lower end thereof on a plurality of bearings, a radially expandable locking device attachable to one end of the flexible tubing and being capable of being expanded against the wellbore wall to lock the end of the flexible tubing in place in the wellbore, and a conduit having an inlet upstream of the receptacle and an outlet downstream of the receptacle. A pump is located in the conduit or abutting the inlet or outlet thereof, and pumps the drilling fluid so that a fluid pressure inside the liner is greater than a fluid pressure at the drill bit.
US08567483B2
One embodiment provides a heatsink having a flexible base and height-adjusted cooling fins. The flexible base includes a single base plate, with cooling fins and heat pipes secured directly to an upper surface of the single base plate. The use of the single base plate allows the length of the cooling fins to be increased. The use of a single base plate also allows the base to flex when mounted at the outer region of the base plate to a circuit board using fasteners. The flexure of the base biases the heatsink against the heat-generating component. The flexure also displaces the outer cooling fins, and the length of the outer cooling fins is further increased to compensate for the anticipate displacement.
US08567473B2
Wire mesh with warp and weft wires on a mesh surface with tube means spaced apart from each other being woven in on the mesh surface on which slat elements are located in order to serve for shading of the incidence of light. The slat elements can be provided with photovoltaic cells.
US08567470B2
A tool and method for removing a film from a surface is provided, wherein the tool can include a frame, a handle operably coupled to the frame, a number of wheels operably coupled to the frame, a cylinder rotatably coupled to the frame, an arm rotatably coupled to the frame, and a number of separating devices operably coupled to the arm. In some embodiments, the wheels can rotate about one or more axes parallel to the surface. The cylinder, which collects the removed film, rotates about an axis that can also be parallel to the surface. The arm can rotate about an axis that can also be parallel to the surface.
US08567469B2
A laying device (28) that is configured to lay fiber pieces (40, 40′, 40″) has a flexible surface (164) that applies and presses the fiber pieces against a preform surface.
US08567467B2
A process and apparatus for producing perforated composite structures, such as acoustic skins suitable for aircraft engine nacelle and duct components. The process includes placing a mat member, a non-impregnated fabric member, and a resin film on a tool surface so that pins disposed on the mat member project through the fabric member and resin film to define holes therein. The fabric member is between the mat member and resin film, and the fabric member and resin film define a stack that conforms to the mat member and tool surface. A caul member is then placed on the stack so that apertures in the caul member are penetrated by the pins. The stack is heated to melt the resin film and cause molten resin to infuse the fabric member and yield a resin-infused fabric stack, after which the molten resin within the resin-infused fabric stack is at least partially cured.
US08567466B2
A welding carriage which is movable in two directions of travel opposite one another comprises at least one welding device possessing at least one welding nozzle for welding two overlapping webs of material and having at least one pressing device for applying pressure to the upper web of material after the welding operation. The welding carriage is operable in both directions of travel, wherein in each direction of travel the welding nozzle is arranged or arrangeable ahead of the pressing device.
US08567465B2
A pneumatic tire comprises a carcass with a reinforcing ply structure extending between a pair of bead portions and a pair of sidewalls, a tread, a belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of the carcass and radially inward of the tread, and two inserts. Each insert is located in each sidewall. Each sidewall is located radially outward of one of the pair of bead portions. Each insert has a first material and a second material. The first material has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the second material.
US08567461B2
A non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly incorporates a tire tread and a conventional vehicle wheel with an elastomer tire body element and integral wall elements extending radially inward from the tire body element for sealing engagement with the wheel. The tire body element includes multiple concentric layers with alternating spokes. A bonded multilayer cover may be employed which is received within a recess in an outer surface of the tire body element from the tire tread. An attachment plate is engaged to the cover and attached to the wheel.
US08567459B2
An electromagnetic shielding carrying case comprising a front panel hingedly connected to a middle and rear panel. The front and middle panels each comprise an electromagnetic shielding member with a card holding means affixed to each. The carrying case has a closed position wherein upstanding walls of the front and rear panels are brought into engagement with one another so as to form an enclosure around the middle panel, thus shielding contactless smartcards contained within from being scanned by an RFID reader. A releasable locking means holds the front panel closed against the rear panel, and can be unlocked so the front panel pivots open, creating a first open position wherein contactless smartcards can be accessed in both card holding means. The middle panel can also be pivoted open to reveal a receptacle within the rear shell that holds paper currency or one additional card.
US08567457B2
An apparatus for a vehicle having a fluid reservoir fillable with fluid from a container includes a fill tube that empties into the reservoir. A funnel is fixed to the fill tube. The funnel collapses to a stowed position and extends to a use position. The funnel collapses and extends only outside of the fill tube. A cap is connected to the funnel and seals the fill tube opening when the funnel is in the stowed position. The cap is removable from the fill tube opening and has an extension that opens a seal of the container when the funnel is in the use position to permit filling of the reservoir through the funnel and the fill tube.
US08567452B2
A syringe for holding fluids susceptible to void formation when frozen and thawed before use. The interior surface of the syringe sidewall may be roughened, which serves to prevent or significantly reduce the incidence of void formation in the fluid. The required level of surface roughening for counteracting void formation may be reduced by increasing the sidewall flexibility. Alternatively, the flexibility of the syringe sidewall may operate over certain thickness ranges to prevent or significantly reduce void formation in the fluid without intentionally roughening the interior surface.
US08567446B1
The present invention provides, in part, a valve assembly and method that maintains balance of flow to pressure in fluid and gas piping system applications. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a main body component adapted to retain a chamber body component, a fluid control plate and seal, and a chamber cap. The chamber body component is slidably maintained within the main body component. A resilient gland member is securably attachable to one end of the main body component and the chamber body component, and acts as a seal and a memory for returning the chamber body component to a standard operating position upon fluid pressure environment shifting the chamber body component towards a shut off position.
US08567444B2
An accumulator assembly for a motor vehicle powertrain includes an armature and a follower. Together the armature and the follower can selectively lock together. The accumulator assembly may include a biasing member and a solenoid. When the solenoid is de-energized, the biasing member pushes the armature towards the follower to lock the armature and the follower together. When the solenoid is energized, the armature is magnetically drawn towards the solenoid and away from the follower to unlock the two components and to compress the biasing member.
US08567443B2
A tapered face whose hole diameter is gradually reduced toward a riding-on direction is formed at a valve-seat end of a supply valve seat or an discharge valve seat where a seal member of a spool slides and rides onto from a side with a low fluid pressure to a side with a high fluid pressure, while the other valve-seat end is kept as a cylindrical surface with a constant hole diameter, by which two tapered faces are formed in a valve hole, and an inner diameter of a portion located between the two tapered faces of the valve hole is formed equal to an inner diameter of a small diameter end of the tapered face, while an inner diameter of a portion located on a hole end side rather than the two tapered faces of the valve hole is formed equal to or larger than the inner diameter of a large diameter end of the tapered face.
US08567442B2
In a soft start device for pneumatic systems comprising a primary inlet where compressed air can be supplied at primary pressure, wherein the primary inlet is, via a valve circuit, connected to at least one secondary outlet which can be coupled to a load and where compressed air can be discharged at secondary pressure, the secondary pressure being lower than or equal to the primary pressure, wherein a main valve is installed between the primary inlet and the secondary outlet, a restrictor device being installed in the bypass, wherein the main valve and the restrictor device together with further directional valves of the valve circuit are interconnected such and the valve circuit can be switched into a standard switching position for venting such that the secondary outlet is vented, the valves of the valve circuit are interconnected such that several further switching positions for venting are possible.
US08567440B2
A solenoid operated valve is provided for controlling liquid or gaseous media, the valve comprising at least two media ports opened and closed by an armature and a solenoid with a yoke and a coil, wherein the armature includes a magnetizable material is movably arranged inside a valve body housing having a non-magnetic material, wherein the media ports empty into the valve body housing, and wherein the valve body housing is arranged between the yoke and an additional element for magnetically interacting with the armature.
US08567437B2
Provided is a system and method for producing resin cartridges that can be used in mine roof bolt applications. The system and method can be used to produce resin cartridges that contain a first portion that includes a resin and a catalyst that cure at a first speed when mixed together and a second portion that includes a resin and a catalyst that cure at a second speed when mixed together. The system can include a base material supply source, a plurality of branch lines, at least one altering material supply line in fluid communication with at least one branch line, a valve arrangement, a product line, and a packaging machine.
US08567428B2
Using as a raw material solid fertilizer housed in a tight container (1) with a hermetic closure and having a container holder in which said container can be housed in a tight-fitting manner, connected to a bypass (10-11) of the general irrigation pipe (13), such that the water diverted by said bypass penetrates the container (1), dissolves the fertilizer and exits in order to be directed back to the irrigation pipe, the invention is focused on providing a pressure regulator assembly, based on a pressure controller (23), a check valve (24), a safety valve (25) and a small pipe which opens out into a normally closed depressurization valve (26), this pressure regulator feeding a “Venturi” type fertilizer solution injector element (27), which is also connected to the upper portion of the container holder for the evacuation of air (39). A constant working pressure during the injection is thus achieved, it being furthermore possible for the injection flow rate to be regulated as desired through an injection regulator valve (12) established in the sector of the irrigation pipe (13) comprised between the branches (10) and (11) forming the bypass. The danger that the pressurized compressible fluids (38-39) may involve is also eliminated.
US08567426B2
A method of manufacturing a valve assembly for a fuel tank includes forming a valve housing with a recess that is sized to retain a component inserted into the recess. The component is detectable by a sensor located outside of the fuel tank when the valve assembly is mounted in the fuel tank. A valve assembly includes a valve housing having a recess. The component is retained in the recess by the valve housing.
US08567424B2
A tent frame includes a plurality of structural members (PSM), each having a first end portion and a second end portion. The tent frame also includes a connecting member having a first part and a second part. The first end portion of each of the PSM couples to the first part, and the second end portion of each of the PSM couples to the second part, such that at least one of a tensional force, a bending force, a compressive force, and a torsional force is exerted on each of the PSM. One of the PSM and the connecting member form a first side of a tent frame. Another of the PSM and the connecting member form a second side of the tent frame. When the at least one of the tensional force, the bending force, the compressive force, and the torsional force is decreased, the tent frame expands longitudinally.
US08567423B1
A pole mount is adapted for locating an elongated pole adjacent a supporting surface. The pole mount includes an enlarged base with an elongated flexible neck. The flexible neck has a proximal end adjacent the base, and a distal end extending outwardly substantially perpendicular to the base. The neck may define a range of universal flexibility between its proximal and distal ends. The distal end of the neck defines an open top adapted for receiving a free end of the elongated pole. A cam lever operates to releasably lock the free end of the elongated pole inside the flexible neck of the pole mount.
US08567420B2
A cleaning apparatus for a semiconductor wafer includes: a gas jet device including a gas nozzle which jets a first gas onto the surface of a semiconductor wafer to thin the thickness of a stagnant layer on the surface of the semiconductor wafer; and a two-fluid jet device including a two-fluid nozzle which jets droplet mist onto a region where thickness of the stagnant layer of the semiconductor wafer is thinned, the droplet mist being mixed two-fluid of a liquid and a second gas.
US08567419B2
An apparatus capable of cleaning a material includes pipes arranged in a first barrel; and through holes defined in a second barrel. The second barrel is received in the first barrel. The apparatus further includes a driver comprising a drive shaft, the drive shaft extending through the first barrel and being connected to the second barrel. A fluid container is included store fluid, an air controller is provided air-dry the material. Before washing the material, the second barrel is driven by the driver to cause each of the through holes to disengage from a corresponding pipe. After washing the material, the second barrel is driven by the driver to cause each of the through holes to engage with the corresponding pipe.
US08567416B2
A hair styling tool includes a body, a cylinder extending from the body, the cylinder rotatable relative to the body, a motor for rotating the cylinder, a heater to heat the cylinder, and a styling arm pivotally attached to the body. The hair styling tool may have a generally clam shell configuration, wherein the styling arm is movable between an open position in which the styling arm is distant the cylinder and a closed position in which the styling arm is proximate to the cylinder, such as contacting the cylinder. The styling arm may also include a brush head with fixed or retractable bristles and/or a smoothing plate.
US08567410B2
The present invention relates to aerosols containing magnetic particles, wherein the aerosols comprise magnetic particles and a pharmaceutical active agent. The invention furthermore relates to the use of such aerosols containing magnetic particles for directed magnetic field-guided transfer of the active agents contained therein in aerosol therapy.
US08567409B2
The invention relates surgical abdominal methods of treating a reflux disease in a patient by implanting a movement restriction device that, when implanted in a patient, restricts the movement of the stomach notch in relation to the diaphragm muscle preventing the cardia to slide up through the diaphragm hiatus opening. Also disclosed is a laparoscopic instrument for providing a movement restriction device to be invaginated in the stomach fundus wall of a human patient to treat reflux disease.
US08567408B2
Oral appliances adapted to for spacing the occlusal surfaces of the teeth of a user are disclosed. The oral appliances have an integral retention band interconnecting a first bite pad and a second bite pad. The first bite pad can include a first spacer and the second bite pad can include a second spacer that are configured to maintain the spacing of the occlusal surfaces of opposing teeth of a user during clenching or upon an impact to the jaw. Methods for the manufacture of composite oral appliances are also disclosed. The methods include forming a composite oral appliance over a model of a user's mouth.
US08567400B2
An nCPAP device for assisting patient breathing includes a generator body forming an inlet, a chamber, and first and second flow circuits. The chamber directs pressurized gas from the inlet to the flow circuits. The flow circuits each include a first and second jets, a flow director and an exhaust conduit. The jets emit a jetstream into the flow director in a direction of a patient side thereof. In some embodiments, the flow director forms a first tapered wall section directing inhaled air toward the patient and a second tapered wall section directing exhaled air toward the exhaust conduit. The generator body requires reduced driving pressures to achieve target CPAP levels and reduces total imposed WOB as compared to conventional designs.
US08567393B2
The present invention comprises a user interface for systems and methods for sedation and analgesia delivery. The user interface receives input from a user of a sedation and analgesia delivery system and relays information regarding the system, the administration of sedation and analgesia, physiological conditions to the user in a context sensitive manner. The information relayed may be displayed to the user on a touch sensitive screen or multi-layer display device. The display may be segregated geographically or may be color coded on the display device where the geographic location and/or color of the displayed information relates further information to the user.
US08567387B2
An unvented gas fireplace in which air flow through a closed combustion chamber is controlled by means of a restriction in the air flow path through an outer plenum chamber surrounding the combustion chamber. The restriction in the air flow path through the plenum causes a pressure differential between the plenum and combustion chamber, forcing air from the plenum into the combustion chamber, where it is combusted and mixed with the cool air that has passed the restriction in the plenum, before the air mixture is exhausted into the surrounding room, thereby heating the room.
US08567383B2
In a method for multiple cutoff machining a rare earth magnet block, a cutting fluid feed nozzle having a plurality of slits is combined with a plurality of cutoff abrasive blades coaxially mounted on a rotating shaft, each said blade comprising a base disk and a peripheral cutting part. The slits in the feed nozzle into which the outer peripheral portions of cutoff abrasive blades are inserted serve to restrict any axial run-out of the cutoff abrasive blades during rotation. Cutting fluid is fed from the feed nozzle through slits to the rotating cutoff abrasive blades and eventually to points of cutoff machining on the magnet block.
US08567378B2
An air path and improved safety valve combination for toy air guns including a housing in the shape of a gun, multiple barrels mounted to the housing, a piston, cylinder and spring combination for generating blasts of compressed air mounted to the housing, an air passageway structure with an air path channel mounted in the housing, and multiple valve elements movable in the air path channel between open rearward positions and closed forward positions. When in the rearward position, each valve element directs a blast of compressed air to an associated barrel because the barrel is loaded with a soft foam dart of proper shape. When the valve element is in a forward position indicating an empty barrel, the valve element causes the blasts of compressed air to cascade to the next valve element of a dart-loaded barrel in sequence and in a very efficient manner.
US08567366B2
An intake manifold assembly for an internal combustion engine that has a modular construction and includes a base member, a runner, and a shell, wherein the base member removably attaches to the engine, and the runner and the shell each separately and independently removably attach to the base member. In another aspect, the assembly further includes a fastener for attaching the runner to the base member, wherein the shell is formed so as to retain the fastener between the shell and the base member when the shell is attached to the base member. In another aspect, the assembly further includes a bumper affixed to a surface of the base member, wherein the bumper abuts a surface of the internal combustion engine. In another aspect, the base member includes a sealing ridge that mates with a sealing groove provided on the shell.
US08567362B2
A vehicle engine includes a cylinder head, a cam housing fixed to a top of the cylinder head, a cam cap fixed to a top of the cam housing, a camshaft rotatably supported between the cam housing and the cam cap, the camshaft supporting a cam, a rocker arm configured to be pushed by the cam, and a valve configured to operate by being pushed by the rocker arm. The vehicle engine has an oil pipe that is formed integrally with the cam housing.
US08567338B2
A medical instrument including an indicator of exposure to fluids applied to the medical instrument.
US08567337B2
A flag pole device includes a pole, an upper rotary barrel and a lower rotary barrel rotatably mounted on the pole for securing a flag, and a connection rod connected between the upper rotary barrel and the lower rotary barrel. The upper rotary barrel and the lower rotary barrel each have a side column at the periphery, which has a through hole for receiving the connection rod. The connection rod has opposing flat top and bottom end portions disposed in the same plane and respectively inserted through a flat bottom hole portion of the through hole of the upper rotary barrel and a flat top hole portion of the through hole of the lower rotary barrel and positioned in a respective crossed hole portion and stopped at a respective step in the side column of the upper rotary barrel and the side column of the lower rotary barrel, assuring synchronous rotation of the upper rotary barrel and the lower rotary barrel and avoiding tangling of the flag on the pole.
US08567330B2
The present disclosure relates to a method of assembling and installing a very large floating barge (1) and includes manufacturing each side portion (10) and each connection portion (15) separately, placing each side portion (10) on the water, moving the connection portions (15) between the side portions (10), moving the connection portions (15) vertically, fixing the connection portions (10) to the side portions (15) and taking the barge (1) to the operation site.
US08567328B2
Conveying device to be mounted on a sewing machine comprising a plate to be constrained to a base of the sewing machine, a conveyor belt mounted on two rollers constrained to a supporting structure so as to rotate, the supporting structure being coupled with the sewing machine, so that the conveyor belt is adjacent to the plate, and motor means connected with the conveyor belt and suited to put said belt in motion so that a cloth arranged between the plate and the conveyor belt translates when the conveyor belt is put in motion. The conveying device comprises at least a pressing element actuated by a piston of a cylinder which comprises elastic means and is constrained to the supporting structure of the conveyor belt, said cylinder being connected with a pressure control system. The pressure control system adjusts the pressure acting on the cloth to be conveyed since the elastic means are adjustable through the same system and the pressing element is in contact with the portion of the plate and/or belt.
US08567327B1
A manually operable seeding device comprises an elongate body portion having a trough section formed therein, and a plurality of openings formed through the body portion in or adjacent the trough section. The plurality of openings is spaced one from another a distance that corresponds to a spacing at which it is desired that plants germinating from the seeds will grow. A method of manually seeding a plant bed is also provided, including: obtaining a seeding device that comprises an elongate body portion having a trough section formed therein and a plurality of openings formed through the body portion in or adjacent the trough section; positioning the seeding device atop or partially below the ground surface; and delivering at least one seed through each of the openings to bed the seed within or atop the ground surface.
US08567321B2
A fixing device for a table top. The table top having a profile installed into the table top. The profile can be cast-in into the table top, or the table top can be laminated around the profile. The profile includes a through bore having a number of longitudinal grooves. A shaft is arranged to be directed through the bore. A sleeve terminates the shaft at one end. The sleeve includes a number of locking lugs arranged to engage into the grooves of the profile.
US08567311B2
A method and apparatus are provided for applying preservative to agricultural crops during baling. More particularly, a baler has a preservative application system and a crop moisture sensor array. The crop moisture sensor array is in communication with the preservative application system so that the application of preservative to the crop can be controlled in response to a moisture content sensed by the crop moisture sensor array that exceeds both a moisture content threshold value and a threshold value relating to the percentage of crop material having a moisture content above the moisture content threshold value.
US08567304B2
A delivery head for a beverage preparation machine comprising a clamping member and a base, wherein the clamping member is movable relative to the base, the clamping member being sequentially movable from an open position, through a clamping position to an ejection position, the clamping position being intermediate the open position and the ejection position, in the open position the clamping member being positioned to enable loading of a cartridge into the delivery head, the clamping member being clampable against said cartridge in the clamping position, the clamping member being movable relative to the base from the clamping position to the ejection position to enable transportation and ejection of said cartridge.
US08567297B2
Penetrators and methods of manufacturing penetrators are disclosed. One method of manufacturing a penetrator having arrowhead geometry and base geometry includes the steps: (a) cold heading a piece of material to form a blank; (b) machining the blank to create the arrowhead geometry; and (c) roll forming the blank to create the base geometry. Another method of manufacturing a penetrator having arrowhead geometry and base geometry includes the steps: (a) machining a piece of material to create the arrowhead geometry; and (b) roll forming the piece of material to create the base geometry. Yet another method of manufacturing a penetrator from a blank includes the steps: (a) machining the blank to create a first surface feature of the penetrator; and (b) roll forming the blank to create a second surface feature of the penetrator.
US08567296B2
A manually operated vegetable cutting utensil having a stand for keeping it in an inclined position on a horizontal worktop, where a support bracket, in particular in the form of a stirrup, installed at the bottom of the stand of the utensil is provided to butt, in the use position, against an edge of the worktop so as to stabilize the utensil even if the worktop is wet or greasy.
US08567295B2
A blade removal mechanism is moveable between a first position and a second position for engaging a band saw blade. The blade removal mechanism includes a first member for positioning adjacent a blade-receiving space of the band saw, the first member engageable with the band saw blade when the blade removal mechanism is in the second position. The mechanism also includes an actuator coupled to the first member for transmitting movement to the first member and a biasing member for biasing the actuator and the first member to the first position and away from the band saw blade.
US08567290B2
A retrofit system for tethering a hand tool includes a tool collar having a collar body, a first body end, a second body end, and a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, and a tethering tab having a first tab opening and a second tab opening transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tethering tab. The bore of the tool collar has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of a first tool portion of the hand tool providing a snug fit of the tool collar on the first tool portion. The second tab opening of the tethering tab being spaced from the first tab opening and the first tab opening having a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the first tool portion providing for free rotation of the tethering tab around the first tool portion.
US08567288B1
A belt wrench for a cam gear comprising a linear timing belt section wherein a first end is formed into a closed loop configuration. Whereas primarily intended for automotive use, the belt wrench is equally useful in the installation or removal of the gears of any timing belt mechanism. The looped end is designed to be installed onto a fixed gear location while the linear portion of the belt wrench immobilizes the appropriate gear by being partially wrapped around.
US08567276B2
An engine unit includes a multi-speed transmission provided with a plurality of clutches, and enables assembly and maintenance of clutches and a sprocket wound with a drive chain to be easily performed. In an engine unit chassis, a drive shaft arranged to output a drive to a rear wheel via a sprocket provided at one end in the lateral direction, and a second main shaft are arranged parallel or substantially parallel to a crankshaft provided in approximately a lateral direction of the vehicle. A second clutch that transfers rotation power from the crankshaft to the second main shaft is detachably connected to one of the second main shaft, which projects from the engine unit chassis beyond one end of the drive shaft, in a position to overlap with at least portion of the sprocket axially sideways with respect to the drive shaft.
US08567273B2
A dual clutch transmission having improved packaging and reduced spin losses provides a five, six or seven forward speeds and reverse. An input shaft includes two or three gears which are in constant mesh with and directly drive associated gears freely disposed on a pair of parallel quills. Synchronizer clutches associated with these driven gears selectively synchronize and connect the gears to the quills which are, in turn, connected to countershafts residing within the quills. Additional gears which are in constant mesh with a pair of ring (output) gears are synchronized and connected to the countershafts by additional synchronizer clutches. Activation of two synchronizer clutches and one input clutch provides a selected gear ratio and transfers torque from the input shaft to the output ring gears.
US08567271B2
A vertical movement device for an examining table includes a driving wheel, a nut and screw pair and a direction-converting synchronization belt. The driving wheel is disposed on the examining table. The rotation axis of the nut is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the driving wheel, and the nut moves vertically on the screw when the nut rotates so as to carry the examining table to move vertically. The direction-converting synchronization belt converts the rotation of the driving wheel into the rotation of the nut so as to realize the vertical movement of the examining table. The self-locking vertical movement device reduces the noise and manufacturing costs, simplifies the structure, increases the maximum lifting weight and speeds up the lifting/lowering process.
US08567266B2
A method and device is provided for measuring dust in a flowing gas, particularly atmospheric air. The device includes an intake nozzle which is configured such that aerodynamic forces continuously position the intake nozzle along the direction of gas flow. The velocity of the measuring stream in the inlet of the intake nozzle is compared with the velocity of gas flowing around the intake nozzle. The possible difference between the measured velocities is compensated by changing the velocity of the measuring stream in a mechanical way such as with a suction pump.
US08567265B2
A fiber optic force sensing assembly for detecting forces imparted at a distal end of a catheter assembly. The structural member may include segments adjacent each other in a serial arrangement, with gaps located between adjacent segments that are bridged by flexures. Fiber optics are coupled to the structural member. In one embodiment, each fiber optic has a distal end disposed adjacent one of the gaps and oriented for emission of light onto and for collection of light reflected from a segment adjacent the gap. The optical fibers cooperate with the deformable structure to provide a change in the intensity of the reflected light, or alternatively to provide a variable gap interferometer for sensing deformation of the structural member. In another embodiment, the gaps are bridged by fiber Bragg gratings that reflect light back through the fiber optic at central wavelengths that vary with the strain imposed on the grating.
US08567263B2
The submarine phenomenon can be prevented and the accuracy of a passenger's weight measurement is improved. A vehicle seat includes a pair of fixed lower rails fixed on the floor of a passenger compartment, a pair of movable upper rails that are engaged with the fixed lower rails so as to be slidable in a front-and-rear direction with respect to each of the fixed lower rails, a sub frame which is disposed at an upper side of the movable upper rails, load sensors and that lie between the sub frame and the movable upper rails, brackets and which are disposed so as to erect them on each of the movable upper rails, and a submarine pipe 11 which is crossed between the brackets. The submarine pipe is disposed to be slidable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right bracket.
US08567249B2
An embodiment of a nanomechanical frequency detector includes a support structure and a plurality of elongated nanostructures coupled to the support structure. Each of the elongated nanostructures has a particular resonant frequency. The plurality of elongated nanostructures has a range of resonant frequencies. An embodiment of a method of identifying an object includes introducing the object to the nanomechanical resonance detector. A resonant response by at least one of the elongated nanostructures of the nanomechanical resonance detector indicates a vibrational mode of the object. An embodiment of a method of identifying a molecular species of the present invention includes introducing the molecular species to the nanomechanical resonance detector. A resonant response by at least one of the elongated nanostructures of the nanomechanical resonance detector indicates a vibrational mode of the molecular species.
US08567243B2
A method for a fill level measurement in which a first and/or a second fill substance can be located. A rest position can be ascertained, when the entire amount of each fill substance in the container forms a single layer containing only this fill substance, wherein the first fill substance has a smaller specific weight than the second fill substance, and the two fill substances have different dielectric constants. An electromagnetic signal is sent into the container, wherein a part of the signal is reflected. A capacitance between a capacitive probe and a reference electrode is measured, dependent on the amounts of the fill substances located in the container, and, on the basis of the measured capacitance and the measured travel times for each fill substance present in the container, the rest position of its fill substance upper surface is ascertained.
US08567242B1
A pressure sensor venting system for efficiently and accurately measuring a liquid level. The pressure sensor venting system generally includes a housing, a pressure transducer within the housing, a diaphragm, a pressure passage fluidly connecting the pressure transducer and a pressurized liquid from the diaphragm, and a first vent tube that is fluidly connected to the pressure transducer opposite of the pressure passage. The distal end of the first vent tube extends outwardly from the housing and extends a distance into a second vent tube. The second vent tube is fluidly connected to liquid resistant vent that is positioned within the interior space of the liquid container and above the liquid level.
US08567241B2
An adapter assembly for attaching a tire pressure monitor onto an inflation valve which incorporates a distal end flange. An adapter is included in the assembly that consists of a collar having a configuration sized to fit over and be internally retained by the valve distal end flange. An O-ring is positioned on the flange contiguously engaging the collar. A tire pressure monitoring cap is threadably attached to the collar which is disposed above and compresses the O-ring between the cap, collar and valve end flange. The adapter permits the tire pressure monitor to be attached, for use with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and also prevents minor air leaks. A fourth embodiment incorporates an outward-extending integral arm formed with the collar for mounting the TPMS sensor on the drop center of the wheel.
US08567239B2
A method for detecting leaks within a vacuum system is described. The method may detect vacuum system leaks responsive to vacuum pump speed. The method can compensate for changes in barometric pressure so that a single leak threshold may be provided for all altitudes and barometric pressures.
US08567230B2
An impact test fixture includes an arm, a testing actuator connected to the arm, and an impactor supported by the testing actuator. The testing actuator is actuatable to propel the impactor at a predetermined speed with respect to the arm. A mass dampener is associated with the arm for reducing deflection of the arm as a result of actuation of the testing actuator.
US08567223B2
An electro-hydraulic forming tool having one or more electrodes for forming parts with sharp corners. The electrodes may be moved and sequentially discharged several times to form various areas of the tube. Alternatively, a plurality of electrodes may be provided that are provided within an insulating tube that defines a charge area opening. The insulating tube is moved to locate the charge area opening adjacent one of the electrodes to form spaced locations on a preform. In other embodiments, a filament wire is provided in a cartridge or supported by an insulative support.
US08567214B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing a glass body containing: hydrolyzing a silicon compound and a compound containing a metal serving as a dopant, in a flame projected from a burner to form glass fine particles; and depositing and growing the formed glass fine particles on a base material, in which a raw material mixed gas containing a gas of the silicon compound, a gas of the compound containing a metal serving as a dopant, and either one of a combustible gas and a combustion supporting gas is fed into a central nozzle (A) positioning in the center of the burner; the other gas of the combustible gas and the combustion supporting gas is fed into a nozzle (B) different from the central nozzle (A) of the burner; a combustible gas or a combustion supporting gas is arbitrarily fed into a nozzle different from the nozzles (A) and (B); and a flow rate of the raw material mixed gas is 50% or more and not more than 90% of the largest flow rate among flow rate(s) of the combustible gas(ses) and the combustion supporting gas(ses) fed from other nozzle or nozzles than the central nozzle (A).
US08567210B2
Provided is a refrigerator configured to improve the structure of an ice-making chamber provided to a refrigerator door, thereby efficiently supplying cool air into the ice-making chamber. The refrigerator includes a main body including a storage chamber, a refrigerator door rotatably coupled to the main body, an ice-making device provided to the refrigerator door and configured to make ice, an ice-making unit provided to the ice-making device and including a cool air introduction part, a freezing core vertically arranged in the ice-making unit and cooled by cool air, and an ice tray configured to receive at least one portion of the freezing core therein, wherein the cool air introduction part is provided on an upper side of the freezing core. Cool air is efficiently introduced into the ice-making chamber, thereby increasing the amount of ice made.
US08567202B2
A cam-type apparatus is included in a support link between outer and inner cases of gas turbine engines for centering the cases one to another. The cam-type apparatus is lockable to allow locking an adjusted position of the cam-type apparatus.
US08567198B2
An injection nozzle (10), especially for injecting liquid fuel, preferably crude oil, into the combustion chamber of a gas turbine, includes an inner chamber (16) which extends along a nozzle axis (19), conically tapers to a concentric nozzle orifice (17), and to which the medium which is to be injected is fed from outside through a plurality of inlet ports (18) which are arranged in a distributed manner around the nozzle axis (19). The inlet ports (18) are oriented perpendicularly to the nozzle axis (19) and each lead tangentially into the inner chamber (16). With such an injection nozzle, an improved spray cone is achieved by the fact that a pin (14), which extends in the axial direction, is concentrically arranged in the inner chamber (16) and passes through the region of the mouths of the inlet ports (18) and extends right into the nozzle orifice (17).
US08567192B2
A system is provided for controlling an air handling system for an internal combustion engine. A dual-stage turbocharger includes a high-pressure compressor and variable geometry turbine combination fluidly coupled to a low-pressure compressor and variable geometry turbine combination. A control circuit includes a memory having instructions stored therein that are executable by the control circuit to determine a target low-pressure compressor ratio, a target high-pressure compressor ratio, a target high-pressure compressor inlet temperature and a target high-pressure compressor inlet pressure as a function of a target outlet pressure of the high-pressure compressor and a temperature, a pressure and a target flow rate of air entering the air inlet of the low-pressure compressor, and to control the geometries of the low-pressure and high-pressure turbines as a function of the target low-pressure compressor ratio the target high-pressure compressor ratio respectively.
US08567184B2
A system for recovering energy in a gas compression plant. The system comprises at least one centrifugal compressor configured to suck the gas, at a certain inlet pressure, from a suction conduit and configured to deliver the gas, at a certain outlet pressure that is greater than an inlet pressure, through a delivery conduit The system also includes at least one gas recirculation system configured to redirect the gas from the delivery conduit to the suction conduit when the gas flow rate entering into the compressor is below a certain limit value. In the portion of the plant arranged downstream of the compressor, at least one turbo-expander and at least one valve are installed in parallel so that they cooperate with each other and are controlled by electronic devices so as to protect the compressor and to produce useful energy during recirculation mode.
US08567181B2
A procedure for metering a reagent into an exhaust duct of a combustion engine, which is required for a catalytic conversion of NOx in a SCR-catalyzer and a device for implementing the procedure are suggested. Determined is the difference between a calculated and a measured NOx-concentration each downstream after the SCR-catalyzer. The difference is compared to a difference threshold. After an exceeding of the difference threshold a lowering of the metering rate on to a sinking metering rate is undertaken, which is higher than zero. After a waiting time, a comparison of the calculated and the measured NOx-concentration is provided each downstream after the SCR-catalyzer. If the measured NOx-concentration is above the calculated NOx-concentration the metering rate is increased. If the measured NOx-concentration is below the calculated NOx-concentration the metering rate is lowered. The approach according to the invention enables an adaptation of the metering, at which it is ensured that a NOx-conversion can always take place.
US08567169B2
An agricultural bale accumulator includes a load bed, a bale transfer module, and a bale discharge module. The load bed includes center, right and left load beds, adapted to receive and accumulate thereon first, second and third bales, respectively, from a bale chamber of an agricultural baler along a bale-receiving axis. The bale transfer module alternately transfers the bales across the load bed from the center load bed to the right load bed or the left load bed along a bale transfer axis, transverse to the bale receiving axis, responsive to a bale transfer signal to accumulate the bales on the center, right, and the left load beds in a side-by-side relationship. The bale discharge module moves between a bale accumulating position and a bale discharging position responsive to a bale discharge signal. The bale discharge module moves to the bale accumulating position to accumulate the bales on the load bed. The bale discharge module moves from the bale accumulating position to the bale discharging position to discharge at least the first bale received and accumulated on the center load bed to the ground surface.
US08567168B2
Crop header with lateral fingers and hood articulated which particular structure facilitates time reduction during the task of inspection of the transport commands or auger activations of the crop header thereby contributing to the rotation or turn of aforementioned lateral fingers, enabling an easy access to the commands or auger activations. In the machine the lateral fingers (A) and hood (8) are arranged in an articulated form in relation to the piece that contains the transport auger, and preferably, lateral fingers (A) and hood (8) articulate in a way that their longitudinal axles (A1) are displaced on a substantial horizontal level.
US08567164B2
Process of hot-filling a plastic container comprising a side wall connected to a neck and to a base, with a liquid or viscous product; process consisting in at least filling the container with a product at high temperature, hermetically sealing the container, cooling the container and its contents; process characterized in that a plastic container is used for which the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the side wall is greater than 0.00014 m/(m.K) and in that the container is allowed to expand and shrink at least as much as its contents.
US08567162B2
The present disclosure relates to a dynamic bioactive bone graft material and a method of handling the material to prepare an implant. In one embodiment, a method of preparing a dynamic bioactive bone graft implant is provided. The method includes the step of providing a porous, fibrous composition of bioactive glass fibers, wherein the fibers are characterized by fiber diameters ranging from about 5 nanometers to about 100 micrometers, and wherein the porosity of the matrix ranges from about 100 nanometers to about 1 millimeter. The porous, fibrous composition is introduced into a mold tray, and a shaped implant is created using the mold tray. The composition may be wetted with a fluid such as saline or a naturally occurring body fluid like blood prior to creating the shaped implant. In another embodiment, the porous, fibrous composition is provided with the mold tray as a kit.
US08567160B2
A method for gas filling a handle portion of a container of a collapsible type. The handle portion being defined by two opposite side walls of the container and communicating, via a duct defined by the side walls, with an opening formed in one of the side walls. The method including the steps of supplying, at a gas filling station, a gas to the handle portion via the opening and the duct, blocking the duct by squeezing action to retain the gas supplied to the handle portion, transporting the container to a sealing station while maintaining the squeezing action and, at the sealing station, sealing the duct while maintaining the squeezing action, so as to permanently enclose the gas in the handle portion. The disclosure further concerns a container of a collapsible type.
US08567159B2
An apparatus for making inflated containers from a film web having two juxtaposed film plies generally includes (a) a first sealing device for producing a series of transverse seals that bond the film plies together, (b) an inflation assembly for directing gas between the film plies, (c) a second sealing device for producing one or more longitudinal seals that bond the film plies together, the transverse seals and the longitudinal seals intersecting to enclose the gas between the film plies to thereby form one or more inflated containers, and (d) at least one intermediate sealing element for producing one or more intermediate seals within each inflated container, the intermediate seals partitioning the containers into two or more compartments and providing at least one flow passageway between the compartments to allow the compartments to fluidly communicate with one another.
US08567143B2
A fortified flashing laminate including a polymeric layer having an uncured portion and a cured portion forming a fortified area. The fortified area strengthens the flashing laminate at an area of known vulnerability or increased stress to prevent damage to the flashing laminate during installation and prior to curing of the remainder of the polymeric layer. The fortified flashing laminate may also include a layer of adhesive tape covering at least a portion of the bottom surface of the polymeric layer.
US08567141B2
A panel assembly for mounting to the façade of a building which includes a panel member having a longitudinal axis, at least one opening through the panel member for receiving a fitting which is operatively engaged to a connection assembly, and an anchoring assembly receiving the connection assembly and securing the same to the façade.
US08567131B2
A method of mounting elements in a wind turbine tower, whereby the elements are partly or completely attached to the wind turbine tower by means of magnetic attraction forces. Wind turbine suspension units may be attached to the wind turbine tower, preferably completely or partly to the inner wall by means of magnetic attraction forces, which present structure-weakening attachments to the tower or part of the tower.
US08567129B2
A vehicle door control method includes operating a vehicle door handle to disengage a door lock device of a vehicle door, beginning to count time upon the operation of the door handle, if the vehicle door has moved from a fully closed position after the door lock device has been disengaged, operating a power assist mechanism to move the vehicle door in an opening direction, if the vehicle door has not moved from the fully closed position, operating the power assist mechanism to urge the vehicle door to move in the opening direction, if the vehicle door moves while being urged by the power assist mechanism, the operation of the power assist mechanism is continued to move the vehicle door in the opening direction, if the vehicle door does not move while being urged by the power assist mechanism, the power assist mechanism is operated in a direction which urges the vehicle door to move to the fully closed position.
US08567121B2
Nutrient application forecasting system (NAFS) in particular for AFO/CAFO liquid manure applications
The invention relates to methods, using a computer and software system, for providing real time running forecasts during an agronomic period of a capacity for absorbing nutrients by a plurality of fields according to an agronomic standard, and/or for providing a running real time forecast for a plurality of fields of capacity for absorbing nutrients by current status versus agronomic limit of a targeted substance.
US08567119B2
A support structure is configured to be pierced by stems of flowers to hold the flowers in place and to retain moisture. The support structure extends along a longitudinal path and has front and rear surfaces and two opposite side surfaces. A backplate overlies the support structure's rear surface. A frame overlies the support structure and is attached to the backplate to hold the support structure against the backplate. The frame includes longitudinal bands that extend along the longitudinal path along the support structure. The frame further includes cross bands that extend about the support structure's front and side surfaces in directions that are perpendicular to the longitudinal band. Each cross band crosses the longitudinal bands at crossing points at which the longitudinal band is perpendicular to and adjoined to and underlying the respective longitudinal band.
US08567116B1
An herbicide delivery device comprises a cane-type structure that applies herbicide directly to unwanted foliage, comprising an ergonomic handle at a top end and a dauber mechanism at a bottom end further comprising a rotating spherical foam rubber applicator. An interior of the cane structure houses a replaceable vessel of liquid herbicide. The dauber mechanism can be removed to access and refill the tube. The dauber dispenses a small amount of herbicide as the applicator is pressed against a surface. In use, the user walks around an outside area and directly places the foam rubber applicator against foliage to dispense the herbicide without endangering any nearby plant life. A protective cap is attached over the dauber mechanism when not in use.
US08567115B2
An apparatus for controlling or eradicating nematodes or other soil-borne pests having a heated metal roller having surface-mounted blades to heat the soil to a desired temperature and depth sufficient to effect control of the relevant species in the soil under the roller. The roller is heated with one or more burners firing across the surface of the roller. The apparatus further includes a heat exchanger through which the combustion products generated by the burner or burners are exhausted and in which the combustion air is preheated. In accordance with one embodiment, the heat exchanger condenses water vapor in the combustion products which water vapor, together with any water that evaporates from the soil during heating, may be captured and returned to the soil.
US08567113B2
A method of pest control for burrowing animals involves loading a machine-conveyed dispensing apparatus with a fumigant product, and using the machine to make one or more passes across an area of ground beneath which the burrow system is situated. A ground engagement tool of the dispensing apparatus is engaged in the ground to pass through or nearby sections of the burrow system, and fumigant product is dispensed into the ground behind a leading portion of the ground engagement tool. Fumigant is widely spread over the burrowed area of ground for effective results, while the human exposure and manual effort associated with conventional hand-placed fumigant techniques is greatly reduced.
US08567111B2
A deterrent device for delivering an electric shock to an animal, pest or bird to be deterred, having the typical components of a non-conductive base to which the electrically conductive elements are attached. Instead of the typically-used copper wire, however, the braided elements comprise smaller strands of a conductive material, such as copper, aluminum or stainless steel wire, is used and is mechanically attached to the non-conductive base. The braided elements can be mechanically attached using a simple sewing operation in which the braid is sewn to the base. Because of the mechanical attachment and the ability of the braided elements to flex in both contraction and extension, the device of this invention can be used in tight corners and other contorted locations without having the wires of the typical prior art device pull free of the base.
US08567098B2
An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper attached to the sole. The sole includes a hard sole base forming an outline of the footwear and a mid sole resting on the sole base, the mid sole made of a softer material than the sole base to provide comfort to a wearer. The upper has sock like construction using stretchable materials to conform to shapes of the foot. The upper is attached to the sole by straps passing through the upper allowing a degree of independent motion of the upper to conform to a foot.
US08567094B2
A shoe construction comprising an outsole constructed from a slip resistant material and a wedge shaped cushion member having a rounded and beveled shaped lower surface bonded to the outsole. A midsole body member is bonded to the cushion member having a torsion spring member secured to the midsole body member. The torsion member assists in stabilizing the shoe construction by directing an outer surface of the outsole to a preferred position, while the lower surface is constructed and arranged to provide a curved rocker-like surface whereby the outsole remains in contact with the ground, and requires muscle control, throughout a walking step.
US08567090B2
Humid waste air is produced in heated laundry machines. This humid waste air has a still relatively high temperature. In order for the energy contained in the humid waste air to be recovered, at least in part, the humid waste air is directed through a heat exchanger (12). Condensate is produced in the heat exchanger (12), and it has proven difficult, in the case of known heat exchangers (12), for this condensate to be directed away. Moreover, the humid waste air contains accompanying substances, for example fluff from the treated laundry. These accompanying substances are deposited in known heat exchangers (12), which adversely affect the efficiency of the heat exchanger (12) over time. The invention makes provision for the heat exchanger (12) to be equipped with upright heat-exchanger plates (13), from which the condensate can run off. The condensate can then be discharged in a specific manner out of the heat exchanger (12). The invention further provides for the accompanying substances to be separated from the humid waste air at least in part in the heat exchanger (12) and to be directed away together with the condensate. It is thus no longer possible for the accompanying substances to settle in the heat exchanger (12) and adversely affect its effectiveness.
US08567087B2
A mop wringer comprises a housing supporting a first roller and a second roller. The first roller is supported by the housing in a first position where the first roller is spaced from the second roller a first distance and in a second position where the first roller is spaced from the second roller a second distance. The second roller is supported on an arm where the arm moves relative to the housing to move the second roller toward and away from the first roller between a third position and a fourth position. A drive mechanism moves the arm between the third position and the fourth position and rotates the roller in the fourth position.
US08567086B2
The inner space of a drying tank 4 is made up of a mixing and drying zone MZ to mix and dry supplied material 3 by swirling the material 3 upward onto rotor blades 5 and pressing the material centrifugally against a heated cylindrical inner surface of the tank wall 2, and a drying zone DZ beneath the mixing and drying zone MZ. An upper screw conveyer 15, connected to the upper part of the mixing and drying zone MZ transfers material 3 out of the drying tank 4. A lower screw conveyer 13, connected to the bottom of the mixing and drying zone MZ transfers material received from the upper conveyor 15 through a vertical transfer pipe 17 back into the drying tank 4 along with new material to be dried. A discharge screw conveyer 21 is connected to the drying zone DZ to discharge out dried material continuously.
US08567082B2
A method of monitoring wear of a slew bearing system includes steps of assembling a slew bearing system having a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring concentrically positioned relative to each other forming at least upper and lower raceways, a plurality of bearing rollers positioned in each raceway between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring, and an index system having a first reference connected with the first bearing ring and positioned relative to a second reference on the second bearing ring to provide a measurable distance between the first reference and the second reference, where the measurable distance changes with wear of the slew bearing system; and monitoring a change in the measurable distance between the first reference and the second reference to monitor wear of the slew bearing system.
US08567074B2
A grass-cutting head (10) including a spool (11) for winding at least one cutting line and a housing (12) for the cutting line. The housing (12) includes a first part (13) and a second part (14) coupled to each other so as to allow at least one reciprocal angular movement around the axis (X) of rotation of the grass-cutting head. The housing (12) presents at least one passage (31) towards the outside for the cutting line. On the spool (11) is defined at least one inserting portion (33) for inserting the cutting line so that to a rotation of the spool corresponds a winding or an unwinding of the line. Elements (25, 26, 27, 28, 29) are present for winding the cutting line on the spool (11) and matching elements (35, 36) for matching the angular position of the portion (33) of insertion on the spool (11).
US08567071B2
A utility knife comprises a blade carrier movable between retracted, extended and positions. A latch is movable with the blade carrier for locking the blade carrier in position. The blade carrier comprises a locking tab movable between a first position where the locking tab is engaged with the blade and a second position where the locking tab is released from the blade. An actuator moves the locking tab from the first position to the second position when the blade carrier is in the intermediate position and the actuator is moved to the unlocked position. The latch is engageable with a holder when the blade carrier is in the intermediate position. A retention member holds the blade on the plate where the retention member cannot be inserted into a notch on the blade. A blade guide guides the blade between the retention member and the plate.
US08567069B2
A folding utility knife with a blade lock and release mechanism is provided, and the knife comprises: a handle pivotally connected to a blade holding compartment, the handle comprising at least two side walls forming a space, the space of the handle is designed to encase at least a portion of the blade holding compartment during a folded position, the blade holding compartment comprising at least one side wall having at least two internal cavities, the first cavity for holding a blade with at least two indentations, at least a portion of the blade holding compartment designed to be situated within the space of the handle during a folded position, the blade holding compartment comprises a front end, a rear end and a faceplate for covering the internal cavities, the front end of the blade compartment holder and at least a portion of the faceplate forming an opening at the front end of the blade holding compartment which allows a portion of the blade to protrude from the blade holding compartment; and a blade lock and release device comprising a moveable arm having front and rear portions, and the rear portion of the arm is pivotally attached adjacent to the rear end of the blade holding compartment, the arm is designed to fit within the second cavity of the blade holding compartment, the front portion of the arm having at least two protrusions for engagement and disengagement with the blade, the protrusions of the arm contacting the indentations of the blade during a locked position, the protrusions of the arm being moved away from the indentation.
US08567066B2
A method of forming a rib-spar joint during assembly of an aircraft wing, the method comprising: providing a spar with a fixedly attached rib post, the rib post having a first coordination feature; providing a rib having a web with a first tooling feature; providing a tooling component having a second tooling feature for cooperating with the first tooling feature, a second coordination feature for cooperating with the first coordination feature, and a plurality of drill bushings; fixedly attaching the tooling component to the rib web by aligning the first and second tooling features; aligning the rib with the spar by aligning the first and second coordination features; drilling fastener holes in the rib and the rib post off the drill bushings of the tooling component; removing the tooling component from the rib web; and fastening the rib to the rib post using the fastener holes to form a rib-spar joint. The method may be applied to form front and/or rear rib-spar joints.
US08567054B2
An ACF attachment method includes supplying an electronic component from a component supply unit, suctioning the electronic component, simultaneously attaching a first ACF to a first terminal surface of the electronic component and a second ACF to a second terminal surface of the electronic component, and providing an ACF attachment device which includes two ACF attachment units for attaching the first ACF and the second ACF. The first terminal surface is disposed on a first edge portion of the electronic component and the second terminal surface is disposed on a second edge portion of the electronic component. The two ACF units are positioned according to a space between the first terminal surface and the second terminal surface of the electronic component, and attaching the first and second ACFs is performed using the two ACF attachment units.
US08567049B2
An electrical assembly (300, 400) includes a power IC such as a MOSFET (112, 412) attached to a substrate module (114, 214). The MOSFET includes a top surface comprising first and second conductive device surfaces (A, B), associated with first and second device ports, and a bottom surface comprising a third conductive device surface C associated with a third device port. A first foil element is bonded to the first conductive device surface(s) A and to each of the first conductive substrate surfaces (A1, A2) and provides a continuous conductive pathway from each conductive surface (A) to each other conductive surface (A) and to each conductive surface (A1, A2). A second foil element is bonded to the second conductive device surface(s) B and to the second conductive substrate surface B1 and provides a continuous conductive pathway from each device conductive surface (B) to the substrate conductive surface (B1). A third foil element may be installed to electrically interconnect the discrete second device surfaces (B). The foil elements reduce interconnection parasitics and reduce charge and thermal energy density at device conductive surfaces as compared to wire bonded electrical interconnections. The foil elements may be comprised of formed metal elements that are flexible but sufficiently rigid to hold a formed shape or flexible foils supported on a flexible dielectric substrate.
US08567041B1
A heated resonator includes a base substrate, a piezoelectric piece having a thickness and a top side and a bottom side, a first electrode on the top side, a second electrode opposite the first electrode on the bottom side, an anchor connected between the piezoelectric piece and the base substrate, and a heater on the piezoelectric material. A thermal resistor region in the piezoelectric piece is between the heater and the anchor.
US08567038B2
The invention relates to a vertical axis wind turbine, and in particular to an apparatus and method for transporting the vertical axis wind turbine. The method for transporting the vertical axis wind turbine, including the steps of: employing an apparatus to be a box or frame; situating a generator horizontally in the apparatus; fixing an upper flange and lower flange to a vertical shaft; fixing the base of the generator on the corresponding surface of the apparatus through holes at the base of the generator; and supporting the other end of the vertical shaft by a supporting object.
US08567037B2
A flange design providing improved strength, fracture resistance, and the like using corrugations extending substantially radially from an arbot aperture toward a rim portion. A spool or reel may include a tubular member to receive a stranded material wrapped therearound. A first flange comprising a core portion and an outer portion may secure to one end of the first flange engaging the tubular member. A second flange may secure to the other end of the tubular member. The core portion of a flange may comprise an arbor wall defining the perimeter of an arbor aperture. The arbor wall may be directly contacted and supported by a plurality of corrugations extending radially therefrom. The outer prortion of a flange may contact the core portion and extending radially away therefrom to an outer edge to restrain the stranded material in an axial direction.
US08567034B2
Method for the permanent connection of workpieces, pressing tool, and attachment for a pressing tool
The invention relates to a compression tool (2) for the permanent connection of workpieces (14, 16, 18, 30, 34) having two pivot elements (4), which each have a compression jaw (10), and having at least one rotational axis (6), on which the pivot elements (4) are hinged, wherein the inner contours of the opposing compression jaws (10) form a receiving area (12). The present invention is based on the technical problem of disclosing an alternative compression tool (2), with which a permanent connection can be provided between workpieces (14, 16, 18, 30, 34) by axial compression. The technical problem is solved in that the inner contours have at least one sliding face (22), which is inclined relative to the receiving area axis (20). A compression tool (2) can thus be provided which, starting from a radial inward movement, performs a compression in the axial direction, nonetheless requires little installation space, and offers weight advantages due to a smaller axial extension, for example. Furthermore, the invention relates to an attachment for a compression tool (2) and to a method for the permanent connection of workpieces using a compression tool.
US08567029B2
An apparatus for removing a knockout region from a saw blade includes an elongate body having a center axis. A distal end of the elongate body can include a head, having a concave region, wherein the concave region has a fulcrum section. A slot includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the second surface. The first surface and the second surface preferably are separated be a width greater than the thickness of the saw blade. The slot is positioned rearward of the concave region and is angled at a substantially acute angle relative to the center axis. The concave region is sized and shaped such that the fulcrum section contacts a first face of the saw blade and the slot is sized and shaped such that the first surface of the slot contacts a second face of the saw blade. Preferably, the fulcrum region engages the first region and the slot engages the second portion at the same time.
US08567025B2
A work roller (1) is detachably attached to a housing (2). The work roller (1) is positioned on a pin between a pin head (7) and a lid (20) allowing it to rotate freely, while the housing (2) provides a recess (6) for the deep rolling tool (1), a receptacle (10) for the pin head (7) and a receptacle (19) for the lid (20). The receptacle (10) for the pin head (7) is shaped like a subarea (11, 14) of a truncated cone and has a concentric collar (23) around the rotational axis (24) of the work roller (1) while the receptacle (19) for the lid (20) is shaped like a subarea (16, 17) of a circular cylinder.
US08567019B2
A semi-automatic slider assembly having a slider body, a lock pin, and a pull tab. When the pull tab is in a first orientation, the lock pin engages with elements of the tape and the slider assembly is in a locked configuration that prevents the slider assembly from moving along the tape. When the pull tab is in a second orientation, the lock pin does not engage with the elements of the tape and the slider assembly is in an unlocked configuration so that the assembly is permitted to move along the tape. The slider body has a recess for receiving a portion of the lock pin, and the lock pin has an opening that reduces interference when the pull tab is in the second orientation.
US08567015B2
A cable termination system and method of assembly is provided that clamps strength members of the cable after they have been wrapped around a winding member. The clamping force required is therefore reduced by the capstan effect of the winding member. The winding member is preferably a torus that encircles the cable, and the system may comprise a number of progressively larger tori arranged in sequence along the cable to provide sufficient room for wrapping all of the strength members around them.
US08567007B2
An air flow sensing unit, which may sense an amount of air flowing or an pressure for air flown into the cleaning apparatus by a suction motor or an impeller and inform a user of a time for emptying a dirt collecting receptacle of dust or dirt and/or a time for cleaning or replacing a filter with a new one, and a cleaning apparatus having the same are provided. The unit may include an air flow pipe to fluidly communicate an air flow passage of a cleaning apparatus with the outside, and an indicator positioned in the air flow pipe to be lifted based on a change in amount of air flowing or air pressure generated by air movement in the air flow passage and to be lowered due to a weight thereof.
US08567001B2
A vehicle windshield wiper motor including an output shaft and an attachment device for attaching a mounting structure onto a tube, the attachment device including an attachment base and a plate. The base includes at least five attachment members for attaching parallel rods therebetween, three attachment members forming a first group being spaced around the output shaft of the motor, and two attachment members forming a second group being placed at a sufficient distance from at least one of the three attachment members of the first group to form a cavity capable of holding the tube, the cavity being closable by the plate. A mounting structure can mount such a windshield wiper motor.
US08566990B2
A laundry machine and a method of controlling the laundry machine are disclosed. The laundry machine includes a steam generator (300) which generates steam to supply the steam into a drum (130), a water supply line (320) which supplies water into the steam generator (300), a filter (360) installed in the water supply line (320) to filter water, a regenerating unit (382) which regenerates the filter (360), and a controller which controls operations of the steam generator (300) and the regenerating unit (382).
US08566988B2
A mattress pad assembly for use with a child containment area is disclosed. The mattress pad assembly includes a mattress pad having a plurality of panels each of which is coupled to at least one other panel along a flexible seam, wherein the mattress pad is reconfigurable between a non-planar configuration and a planar configuration defined by the cooperation of the plurality of panels to form a flexible top surface and a substantially rigid bottom surface. The mattress pad assembly further includes a support assembly coupled to the bottom surface of the mattress pad when the mattress pad is in the planar configuration, the support assembly having one or more support connectors coupled to at least two of the plurality of panels, and a brace configured to removably cooperate with the one or more support connectors, wherein the brace is configured to engage each of the plurality of panels to prevent bending along the flexible seam.
US08566972B2
A liquid aroma injector for a spa having a reservoir comprising an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and a subchamber, a plunger assembly comprising a plunger button, a shaft, and an annular flanged gasket. The shaft extends through said upper and lower chamber of the reservoir. The liquid aroma injector further comprises a hose through which liquid aroma travels to the liquid aroma diffuser that releases liquid aroma into the water of a spa.
US08566970B2
Improvements to a hydraulic drive device for raising and lowering the lid and seat of toilettes, characterized by a left and right modules comprising a casing with a central transverse shaft whose ends protrude, each said casing is divided into three recesses; the left shaft end is attached to the lid and the right shaft end to the seat, the opposite end of each shaft being fixed to a drive plate of three flaps, one of each flap housed in each recess of the casing, with each recess also housing a cylindrical diaphragm, which when filled with water press simultaneously against the flaps to cause a partial rotation of the shafts, to raise or lower the lid and seat together or separately by rotary displacement; said diaphragms are fed through a check valve that allows the passage of feed water to fill the diaphragms and to discharge the water from the diaphragms through a duct into the toilet tank when the toilet flush button is actuated; the left and right floor actuation valves are connected to a general water distributor element connected to the water supply duct.
US08572740B2
A system, method and computer program product for detection of the previously unknown malware, the method comprising: (a) receiving event information and file metadata from a remote computer; (b) identifying whether the event information or the file metadata are indicative of the already known malware presence, indicative of the unknown malware presence, or indicative of malware absence; (c) if the event information or the file metadata are indicative of the known malware or indicative of malware absence, filtering out the event information and the file metadata; (d) performing a risk analysis and risk assessment for the remaining event information and the remaining file metadata to determine if the event and the file metadata are indicative of the previously unknown malware presence; and (e) where performing a risk analysis and risk assessment includes a “parent-child” hierarchy of the files, and the risk assessed to the parent is based on the risk associated with the child.
US08572738B2
A method and apparatus are provided for performing periodic virus scans on a computer system that mitigates utilization of system resources. All objects designated as non-recently used are placed in an archived format and rendered un-executable. The archived objects are omitted from periodic virus scans. At such time as a request for an archive object is received, or access to an archived object is otherwise required, the archived object is converted to a non-archived state. In addition, before the returned object is made available to a requester, the recently converted object is subject to a virus scan on-demand. Accordingly, the periodic virus scan omits all archived objects, which will only be subject to a virus scan upon receipt of request to the archived object.
US08572736B2
The present invention provides a system and method for identifying anomaly in information requests. The information requests are modeled into a plurality of basic elements and association among the basic elements are tracked. The association of one information request is compared with a plurality of bitmap tables and counters representing a baseline information from a historical behavior information. If the association of this information request differs from the baseline information, an alert is issued.
US08572733B1
A network security system comprises a plurality of sensors, a management server, and a data collection module. The plurality of sensors receive first data associated with potential attacks on the system. The manager server is coupled to at least one sensor and correlates at least a portion of the first data to detect potential attacks on the system. The data collection module is coupled to the manager server and generates at least one request for second data based upon at least one of the first data and the correlated data. The data collection module communicates the request to at least one source different from the plurality of sensors.
US08572728B2
Example embodiments relate to initiation of storage device scans based on a record of existing scans of the storage device. In particular, example embodiments include a mechanism that maintains a record of existing scans of the storage device including an entry for each scan initiated by one of a plurality of scanning processes. In some embodiments, the record of existing scans may then be accessed in determining whether to initiate or permit initiation of a new scan.
US08572711B1
A system for in-person identity verification comprises a computing device, an identity broker, a verifier system and a network. The user computing device sends a request for identity verification to the identity broker and it responds with a verification ticket including a unique identification number. The user presents the ticket to a clerk using the verifier system. The clerk inputs the unique identification number to the verifier system, the verifier system sends it to the identity broker and the identity broker sends user information that the verifier system presents to the clerk. The clerk compares the information to a photo government ID of the user and inputs whether the information presented by the user matches the information presented by the verifier, and whether the person is the person in the photo ID. Based on the clerk's input, the identity broker sends to the user computing device a message indicating whether the verification was confirmed or declined.
US08572702B2
An exemplary password recovery method is applied on a server. The server is connected to one user terminal. The server stores email addresses and email boxes associated with the corresponding email address. Each email box includes emails sent to each corresponding email address. Each email may be a registration email that includes a website and a username. The method receives a password recovery request for a submitted email address of a user, and determines whether there is a registration email in the email box. If yes, the method obtains the website and the username. The method then controls the user terminal to display the prompt information corresponding to the obtained website. Further, the method receives the input username, and determines whether the input username matches the obtained username. If yes, the method generates a new email password, and controls the user terminal to display the new email password.
US08572700B2
Method and system for exchanging setup configuration protocol information in beacon frames in a WLAN
Certain aspects of a method for enabling exchange of information in a secure communication system may comprise configuring at least one 802.11 client station via authentication enablement information comprising data that specifies a time period during which configuration is allowed. The data that specifies a time period during which configuration is allowed may comprise a configuration window open field, which indicates a period when a configuration setup window is open. At least one client station may be configured via the authentication enablement information comprising recently configured data, which indicates whether at least one configurator has configured at least one other client station within the time period during which the configuration is allowed.
US08572698B1
A direct connection mechanism can be implemented for legacy wireless network devices to securely connect to a WPS-enabled access point. A legacy wireless network device can connect to the WPS-enabled access point and can provide a PIN of the WPS-enabled access point and a predefined keyword that indicates that the wireless network device is not a WPS-enabled wireless network device. In response to determining that the wireless network device is not a WPS-enabled wireless network device, the WPS-enabled access point can switch from a WPS authentication mechanism to a legacy authentication mechanism compliant with legacy wireless network devices. Such a direct connection mechanism enables legacy wireless network devices to connect to the WPS-enabled access point using the same connection model as would a WPS-enabled wireless network device (without a user having to manually configure underlying protocols and without changing implementation of the legacy wireless network device).
US08572694B2
An approach to handling integrated security roles is presented. An upstream application includes one or more role-mapping requirements that correspond to an upstream security role and a downstream security role. The upstream security role is expanded by adding an upstream security role identifier in a downstream application's role-mapping table or by adding upstream user-to-role mappings to a downstream application's role-mapping table. When an upstream security role is expanded, a user assigned to the upstream security role automatically has access to role-mapped downstream applications.
US08572692B2
A method and system for a platform-based trust verifying service for multi-party verification. In one embodiment, the method includes a client platform accessing an service provider over a network. Upon accessing the service provider, the client platform receives a request from the service provider for platform measurement and verification. The client platform collects platform information and performs measurement and verification, including performing an integrity manifest comparison. If the integrity manifest comparison indicates a good client platform posture, then the client platform signs the client platform posture and sends an approval notification to the service provider indicating that the client platform has not been compromised. The client platform may then receive the service of the service provider. If the integrity manifest comparison indicates that the client platform posture is not good, then the client platform will send a failure notification to the service provider indicating that the client platform has been compromised.
US08572686B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus may store a plurality of token-based rules. A token-based rule may facilitate access to a resource. The apparatus may further store a plurality of tokens. The apparatus may receive a first token indicating that a transaction associated with the resource has been requested. The apparatus may determine at least one token-based rule based at least in part upon the first token. The at least one token-based rule may condition access to the resource upon a second token. The apparatus may determine that the plurality of tokens includes the second token associated with the at least one token-based rule and generate a session token based at least in part upon the first token and the second token in response to the determination that the plurality of tokens includes the second token. The apparatus may then allow the transaction.
US08572681B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for identity verification. The method includes transmitting from a customer system to a customer connector server an identity verification request containing identification information for an individual. At the customer connector server, at least one verification service required for the request is identified and a data manager server is selected for each service. A verification service request is transmitted to each data manager server. At each data manager server, at least one data access service is identified and one data connector server is selected for each service. A data access service request is transmitted to each data connector server. At least one data source is accessed from each data connector server for each request. The identification information provided is then verified against identity information stored within the at least one data source and a response is generated and communicated to the customer system.
US08572669B2
A method and apparatus for recognizing and synchronizing to in-band data at a multimedia device is provided. A content stream includes in-band data. The in-band data is processed and in-band data pattern data associated with the content stream are created. Metadata are attached to the event identification data. The event identification data are provided to multimedia devices which receive broadcasted multimedia content streams containing video programs with in-band data. The in-band data are processed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to perform specified actions.
US08572655B2
A system collects a user's television (TV) program viewing activity and uses the collected TV program viewing activity to make video on demand (VOD) recommendations to other users via a VOD recommendation service. The system receives an indication that the user wishes to turn on a VOD recommendation service and deletes previously collected TV program viewing activity for the user based on the received indication. The system collects the user's recent TV program viewing activity, which occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the previously collected TV program viewing activity, and uses the user's collected recent TV program activity to make other VOD program recommendations to the user via the VOD recommendation service.
US08572638B2
There are provided a motor capable of preventing scratches from occurring on an outer surface of a rotor case thereof, a method for manufacturing the same, and an optical disk drive using the same. The motor includes a shaft rotatably inserted into a bearing assembly; and a rotor case fixedly fastened to the shaft and rotating together with the shaft, wherein the rotor case is provided with a chamfered part along the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface thereof. The rotor case includes a rotor hub fastened to an end of the shaft; an extending part extending in an outer-diameter direction from the rotor hub; and a vertical extending part formed to be vertically extended downwardly in a shaft direction from an outer peripheral edge of the extending part and having the chamfered part formed on the bottom end surface thereof.
US08572635B2
One or more message signaled interruption requests from one or more input/output (I/O) adapters are converted to I/O adapter event notifications. Each I/O adapter event notification includes the setting of one or more specific indicators in system memory and an interruption request, the first of which results in a pending I/O adapter interruption request. While a request for an I/O adapter interruption is pending, subsequent message signaled interruption requests are converted to I/O adapter event notifications, but do not result in additional requests for I/O adapter interruptions.
US08572629B2
Data communications in a parallel active messaging interface (‘PAMI’) of a parallel computer, the parallel computer including a plurality of compute nodes that execute a parallel application, the PAMI composed of data communications endpoints, each endpoint including a specification of data communications parameters for a thread of execution on a compute node, including specifications of a client, a context, and a task, the compute nodes and the endpoints coupled for data communications through the PAMI and through data communications resources, including receiving in an origin endpoint of the PAMI a data communications instruction, the instruction characterized by an instruction type, the instruction specifying a transmission of transfer data from the origin endpoint to a target endpoint and transmitting, in accordance with the instruction type, the transfer data from the origin endpoint to the target endpoint.
US08572627B2
In one embodiment, a computer system instantiates a queue manager configured to process a plurality of existing queue manager commands on messages in a message queue. The computer system instantiates a virtualized instance of a queue manager in a virtual layer associated with the queue manager in the computing system. The a virtualized queue manager instance provides supplemental queue manager commands usable in addition to existing queue manager commands, such that the queue manager can be used to implement the supplemental commands without substantial modification. The computer system receives an indication that a message in a message queue is to be accessed according to a specified command provided by the instantiated virtualized queue manager instance that is not natively supported by the queue manager and the virtualized queue manager performs the specified supplemental command as indicated by the received indication by performing one or more existing queue manager commands.
US08572624B2
A system, method and computer program product for providing multiple quiesce state machines. The system includes a first controller including logic for processing a first quiesce request. The system also includes a second controller including logic for processing a second quiesce request. All or a portion of the processing of the second quiesce request overlaps in time with the processing of the first quiesce request. Thus, multiple quiesce requests may be active in the system at the same time.
US08572622B2
A system efficiently dispatches/completes a work element within a multi-node, data processing system that has a global command queue (GCQ) and at least one high latency node. The system comprises: at the high latency processor node, work scheduling logic establishing a local command/work queue (LCQ) in which multiple work items for execution by local processing units can be staged prior to execution; a first local processing unit retrieving via a work request a larger chunk size of work than can be completed in a normal work completion/execution cycle by the local processing unit; storing the larger chunk size of work retrieved in a local command/work queue (LCQ); enabling the first local processing unit to locally schedule and complete portions of the work stored within the LCQ; and transmitting a next work request to the GCQ only when all the work within the LCQ has been dispatched by the local processing units.
US08572621B2
A management machine according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes a receiver that receives, from a first server, server information on the first server and AP information on a plurality of applications located in the first server, and a selector that selects a candidate application from the plurality of applications for each of a plurality of algorisms referring to the AP information and the server information, and that performs a relocation of one of the candidate applications from the first server to a second server.
US08572617B2
Processor-implemented systems and methods are provided for synchronization of a thread, wherein the thread waits for one or more events to occur before continuing execution. A processor-implemented system and method can include a wait data structure which stores event conditions in order to determine when the thread should continue execution. Event objects, executing on one or more data processors, allow for thread synchronization. A pointer is stored with respect to a wait data structure in order to provide visibility of event conditions to the event objects. The thread continues execution when the stored event conditions are satisfied.
US08572616B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing computer jobs with prerequisite jobs in a main frame computing system. A determination module is included that determines a job grouping of jobs for processing by a computer with a mainframe operating system. A grouping module is included to generate generating a job grouping structure associated with the job grouping. The job grouping structure comprises one or more prerequisite jobs and a dependent job that depends on successful completion of each prerequisite job associated with the dependent job. A management module is included to submit the jobs in the job grouping structure to the computer for processing. The jobs are submitted such that each prerequisite job of the dependent job successfully completes prior to submission of the dependent job.
US08572609B2
Network devices include hosted virtual machines and virtual machine applications. Hosted virtual machines and their applications implement additional functions and services in network devices. Network devices include data taps for directing network traffic to hosted virtual machines and allowing hosted virtual machines to inject network traffic. Network devices include unidirectional data flow specifications, referred to as hyperswitches. Each hyperswitch is associated with a hosted virtual machine and receives network traffic received by the network device from a single direction. Each hyperswitch processes network traffic according to rules and rule criteria. A hosted virtual machine can be associated with multiple hyperswitches, thereby independently specifying the data flow of network traffic to and from the hosted virtual machine from multiple networks. The network device architecture also enables the communication of additional information between the network device and one or more virtual machine applications using an extended non-standard network protocol.
US08572605B1
Stitching a proxied connection between a first core virtual machine (VM) and a second core VM is disclosed. Stitching includes determining that a stitched connection should be generated between the first core VM and the second core VM and generating the stitched connection between the first core VM and the second core VM.
US08572591B2
Creating and executing platform portable code. A method includes declaring an object as being a dynamic object in a program. The program is a program compiled using a static language, except that the dynamic object is excluded from static analysis on the object when the program is compiled. The dynamic object includes a dependent call to a platform specific API. The platform specific API is available on one or more platforms to which a compiled version of the program will be deployed, but not available on one or more other platforms to which the compiled version of the program will be deployed.
US08572590B2
Methods, apparatus and computer software product for source code optimization are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a first custom computing apparatus is used to optimize the execution of source code on a second computing apparatus. In this embodiment, the first custom computing apparatus contains a memory, a storage medium and at least one processor with at least one multi-stage execution unit. The second computing apparatus contains at least two multi-stage execution units that avow for parallel execution of tasks. The first custom computing apparatus optimizes the code for both parallelism and locality of operations on the second computing apparatus. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US08572586B2
Mechanisms for optimizing scalar code executed on a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) engine are provided. Placement of vector operation-splat operations may be determined based on an identification of scalar and SIMD operations in an original code representation. The original code representation may be modified to insert the vector operation-splat operations based on the determined placement of vector operation-splat operations to generate a first modified code representation. Placement of separate splat operations may be determined based on identification of scalar and SIMD operations in the first modified code representation. The first modified code representation may be modified to insert or delete separate splat operations based on the determined placement of the separate splat operations to generate a second modified code representation. SIMD code may be output based on the second modified code representation for execution by the SIMD engine.
US08572573B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for performing interactive debugging of shader programs using a non-preemptible graphics processing unit (GPU). An iterative process is employed to repeatedly re-launch a workload for processing by the shader program on the GPU. When the GPU encounters a hardware stop event, such as by reaching a breakpoint in any thread of the shader program, encountering a hardware exception, or failing a software assertion in the shader program, the state of any executing threads is saved, graphics memory is copied to system memory, and any currently executing threads are killed to enable the GPU to process graphics data for updating a display device. Each pass of the workload may result in incrementally more data being processed. In effect, the changing state and variable data resulting from each pass of the workload has the effect that the debugger is incrementally stepping through the shader program.
US08572562B2
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program products for implementing non-function logic extensibly and independently of functional logic, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring association relationship between a policy and a required plug-in based on a loaded policy demand configuration; generating a plug-in context definition according to the acquired association relationship, the plug-in context definition being part of a plug-in context associated with the plug-in, wherein the plug-in context defines services provided by the plug-in and reference to other plug-ins related to the plug-in; and generating a plug-in context object based on the plug-in context definition, wherein the plug-in context object is an instantiated plug-in context definition. According to the method of the present invention, it is possible to perform inexplicit invocation of infrastructure service plug-ins according to application configuration without querying plug-in registry, and better performance is acquired in the process of invoking plug-ins.
US08572561B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for Multiple Java ME MIDlet Execution in Single-Instance CLDC JVM. A subMIDlet manager may be an instance of the MIDlet class and may be capable of managing the lifecycles of component subMIDlets. SubMIDlets may contain the functionality of a MIDlet and may be configured to operate within a subMIDlet manager in a JVM and not to operate in a JVM without a subMIDlet manager. An exemplary method includes executing a single JVM that is capable of executing a single MIDlet at a time and using the JVM to execute a subMIDlet manager. Such a JVM may be present on a MIDP device. The subMIDlet manager may coordinate the activities of multiple subMIDlets executing simultaneously while appearing to the JVM as a single MIDlet.
US08572557B2
To obtain a program code generation support device, method, and the like, capable of generating a new program code, in particular, generating in accordance with an incorporating apparatus, by performing a further optimization on a program code. The device includes storage means for storing as data, an optimization rule that is composed of a conversion condition for converting data of a program code and a conversion content thereof, and code optimization means that includes a code analysis unit for analyzing the program code, a condition search unit for search a part matching the conversion condition in the program code through a collation with the optimization rule stored in the storage means on the basis of the analyzed program code, and an optimization unit for generating data of a new program code by converting the part matching the conversion condition on the basis of the conversion content.
US08572552B2
A software development practices expert system and method is described. The expert system utilizes control systems engineering designs, as well as dynamic systems models to inform and guide the selection, assembly, composition, publishing and presentation, enactment, assessment, learning and analysis, refactoring, improvement and simulation of software development practices into approaches or methods to software development. The expert system collects software endeavor result data to correlate efficacy of software development practice usage, and to recalibrate dynamic systems models and control systems engineering design parameters. Such designs and models configure and improve an inference-based rule engine to provide advice to users contained within a rule repository and knowledge base.
US08572549B2
Tools and techniques are described for estimating web accessibility and remediation efforts. One or more web accessibility standards can be indicated to be included in the effort estimate. A user can indicate which individual guidelines are to be included in standard test effort estimates by selecting individual guidelines, sub-guidelines or priority or success criteria levels. Standard test effort estimates are calculated based on test factors associated with the indicated individual guidelines or sub-guidelines. A total test effort estimate is calculated based on the standard test effort estimates and one or more web page counts, and a web accessibility and remediation effort estimate is calculated based on the total test effort estimate. A framework implementing the effort estimation methods can comprise multiple spreadsheets for use within a spreadsheet application running on a computing device.
US08572541B2
A method is provided that includes performing a free placement of a system design comprising a plurality of power domains, wherein the power domains are not constrained to physical regions, assigning a physical region to each of the power domains based on the free placement of cells in the power domains, performing a soft cluster placement of the system design with each power domain and corresponding physical region defined as a soft cluster, refining at least one physical region based on the soft cluster placement, redefining cells in at least one power domain based on the soft cluster placement of the cells and the corresponding physical region, and performing a hard cluster placement of the system design with each power domain and corresponding physical region defined as a hard cluster to generate final power domains.
US08572540B2
Disclosed are method, system, and computer program product for a method and system for a fast and stable placement/floorplanning method that gives consistent and good quality results. Various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for approximate placement of various standard cells, macro-blocks, and I/O pads for the design of integrated circuits by approximating the final shapes of the objects of interest by one or more probability distribution functions over the areas for the objects of interest with improved runtime and very good stability. These probability distributions are gradually localized to final shapes satisfying the placement constraints and optimizing an objective function.
US08572539B2
A system for automatically transforming a given synchronous circuit description into an equivalent and provably correct desynchronized circuit description. Included in the automated transformation are techniques for synthesizing a variability-aware controller using a two-phase protocol, techniques for synthesizing a variability-aware controller using gated clocks and testability circuits, techniques for synthesizing a variability-aware controller optimized for performance, techniques for initializing the synthesized controller, techniques for dynamically minimizing power requirements, and techniques for interfacing the desynchronized circuit with external synchronous circuits. Also disclosed are techniques for implementing a system for automatically transforming a synchronous circuit description into an equivalent and provably correct desynchronized circuit description within the context of an electronic design automation design flow. Exemplary circuits used in the application of the aforementioned techniques are provided. Application of mathematical models and techniques used for proving equivalence between the input description and the resulting desynchronized circuit are presented and explained.
US08572535B2
Methods and apparatuses for circuit design to reduce power usage, such as reducing temperature dependent power usage, and/or to improve timing, such as reducing temperature dependent delay or transition time. At least one embodiment of the present invention reduces the power dissipation and improves the timing of an integrated circuit to optimize the design. A thermal analysis is used to determine the temperature dependent power dissipation of a circuit and the temperature distribution of the circuit resulting from dissipating the heat created by the temperature dependent power dissipation. Then, the components of the design are selectively transformed to reduce the power dissipation and to improve timing based on the temperature solution. The transformation may include placement changes and netlist changes, such as the change of transistor threshold voltages for cells or for blocks of the circuit chip.
US08572530B1
A method for designing a system including optimizing path-level skew in the system and analyzing path-level skew in the system. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08572523B2
A method for performing leakage analysis includes receiving information specifying an integrated circuit. A neighborhood of shapes associated with the integrated circuit is then determined. Leakage information associated with the integrated circuit is generated based on the neighborhood of shapes. The neighborhood of shapes may be determined by determining a first set of spacings to a boundary of a first cell from an internal shape. A second set of spacings may be determined from the boundary of the first cell to a shape of a second cell. A lithography process may be characterized using the first and second set of spacings.
US08572508B2
A method for displaying applications of a touch-controlled device includes the steps of: generating an electronic signal according a gesture applied on a touch panel of the touch-controlled device; generating a detection result according to the electronic signal, wherein the detection result includes a first position of the gesture corresponding to the touch panel; when the detection result indicates that the detected gesture is a multi-fingered grab gesture, starting an application container; and outputting a control signal to the touch panel according to the application container, in order to display the application container at the first position.
US08572504B1
In an embodiment, degree of comprehensibility of a graphical representation of a model is identified. The model is provided in a graphical modeling environment. The degree of comprehensibility of the graphical representation of model is identified based at least in part on one or more visual characteristics of one or more elements in the model. The one or more elements in the model include at least one of entities in the model, or relationships in the model. The degree of comprehensibility assigned to the model is communicated, for example, to a user.
US08572501B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products and computer readable media, for rendering graphical objects. A context of a user interface element in a graphical user interface is identified. The identified context is mapped to one or more effects. A graphical object associated with the user interface element is rendered using the effects.
US08572489B2
A vehicle audio system having handlebar mounted controls that permit an operator to control the audio system utilizing finger controls mounted on the handlebars.
US08572487B2
The present invention is directed to a method and system for applying ratings to digital music and for playing back digital music conforming to a rating level. A method for playing back digital music conforming to a rating level, includes: sending a request for metadata from a music player to a metadata service; receiving metadata sent back from the metadata service in response to the request, the metadata comprising information regarding at least one explicit interval of the track; playing the track on the music player; and selectively applying an edit to each explicit interval of the playing track identified in the metadata, based on a predetermined rating level.
US08572476B2
A mobile terminal and a method may be provided for controlling an operation of the mobile terminal. This may include displaying a first webpage on a display module, and if a second webpage is chosen to be displayed, determining whether the second webpage is provided by the same website that provides the first webpage. If the second webpage is provided by the same website that provides the first webpage, the first and second webpages may be merged into a third webpage and the third webpage may be displayed on the display module. Therefore, a plurality of webpages provided by a same webpage may be displayed at a same time by merging the webpages into a single webpage.
US08572475B2
An information processing apparatus includes: an operation input unit; an electronic information display control unit; an electronic information operation control unit; an annotation operation control unit; and an electronic information data holding unit, wherein the annotation operation control unit, in a case where the at least one annotation object is pasted on a page, holds a displaying magnification of a page on which the at least one annotation object is pasted and a displaying position on the page on which the at least one annotation object is pasted, as annotation data, and the electronic information display control unit, in response to a fact that the at least one annotation object has been selected through the annotation operation control unit, displays a page of the electronic information on a screen based on the displaying magnification and the displaying position held in annotation data corresponding to the at least one annotation object selected.
US08572473B2
A content management system (CMS) uses a simulated containment report generation mechanism to generate a simulated containment report for elements in the repository based on logged properties that represent potential use of the element during dynamic content delivery that are not represented in formal relationships in the content management system. Properties such as probability, popularity, and recent usage that are not explicit relationships between parent documents and child elements are logged and used to determine which document maps may potentially reuse a selected element. In this manner a simulated containment report can be created for an element that allows the user to see the document maps that are most likely to include the element.
US08572471B2
Decoding is performed on input data to obtain first decoded data using a first error correction decoder. If decoding by a second error correction decoder on the first decoded data fails, decoding is performed using an output of the second decoder and using the first decoder. A reservation request is sent from the second error correction decoder to a memory prior to completion of the decoding on the first decoded data. Space is reserved in the memory in response to receiving the reservation request from the second decoder.
US08572470B2
A memory efficient, accelerated implementation architecture for BCJR based forward error correction algorithms. In this architecture, a memory efficiency storage scheme is adopted for the metrics and channel information to achieve high processing speed with a low memory requirement. Thus, BCJR based algorithms can be accelerated, and the implementation complexity can be 5 reduced. This scheme can be used in the BCJR based turbo decoder and LDPC decoder implementations.
US08572466B2
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining that a portion of a memory is at least partially non-functional, replacing the portion of at least partially non-functional memory; and adjusting an error detection and/or correction process responsive to determining that the portion of the memory is at least partially non-functional and/or replacing the portion of at least partially non-functional memory.
US08572463B2
In processing quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) data, an input signal is received which includes decision and reliability information corresponding to unpadded data. Decision and reliability information corresponding to padded data is introduced into the input signal. Message passing is performed one or more times to obtain decoded data. This includes using (1) the decision and reliability information corresponding to the unpadded data and (2) the decision and reliability information corresponding to the padded data, where a preference is given to the decision and reliability information corresponding to the unpadded data over the decision and reliability information corresponding to the unpadded data during message passing. Zero padding is removed from the decoded data.
US08572462B2
A decoding apparatus for performing decoding processing of encoded data by using non-binary LDPC codes, includes: a logarithmic Fourier transform processing section, a variable node processing section, an edge coefficient processing section, and a check node processing section, wherein the logarithmic Fourier transform processing section performs Fourier transform processing and logarithmization processing on a probability vector of a symbol of an encoded frame data to output an initial value of logarithmic Fourier domain probability vector, and the variable node processing section, the edge coefficient processing section, and the check node processing section perform iteration processing by using a logarithmic Fourier domain probability vector.
US08572456B1
Interleaving and deinterleaving schemes for operating in parallel on sections of a data block to load memories with respective segments of a reordered version of the block, in a manner which can avoid memory conflicts.
US08572440B1
A system and method of identifying a memory includes detecting defects in regions of the memory, comparing the detected defects with defects contained in a previously-created defect map associated with the memory and stored in another memory of a device accessing the memory, confirming the identity of the memory where a result of the comparison indicates the detected defects match defects contained in the previously-created defect map; and denying the identity of the memory where the result of the comparison indicates the detected defects do not match the defects contained in the previously-created defect map.
US08572435B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for suppressing managed endpoint (MEP) child events in a network. A MEP multicast message is broadcast by an originating MEP. Responses received from peer MEPs within a selected time interval are processed to determine their respective IP address, MAC address, and VLAN. If this information is not currently stored in a table of peer MEP device information associated with the originating MEP, then it is added. The responding MEP is then marked in the peer MEP device table as having responded. Peer MEP devices that have responded to previous multicast messages, but have now failed to respond within the selected time interval, are determined. A MEP network event is generated, comprising the IP address of the device containing the MEP, the MAC address for inward-facing MEPs, the MAC address of the associated bridge, the port addresses for outward-facing MEPs, and associated VLAN information. If another MEP network event occurs, the MAC address of the MEP and its VLAN information is determined. If the VLAN associated with the current MEP network event contains a MAC address associated with a prior MEP network event, then the MEP network event is designated as a child MEP network event and suppressed. Otherwise, the MEP network event is designated as a parent MEP network.
US08572433B2
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for improving the operation of a TAP architecture in a device through the use of Command signal inputs to the TAP architecture. In response to a Command signal input, the TAP architecture can perform streamlined and uninterrupted Update, Capture and Shift operation cycles to a target circuit in the device or streamlined and uninterrupted capture and shift operation cycles to a target circuit in the device. The Command signals can be input to the TAP architecture via the devices dedicated TMS or TDI inputs or via a separate CMD input to the device.
US08572427B1
The present application discloses systems, computer readable media, and methods for determining the operational status of network resources based on failed attempts by communications devices to access the network resources. In some embodiments, error messages are analyzed, and status data is associated with hostnames corresponding to network resources based on the analysis. The status data may include status identifiers that indicate the apparent operational states of network resources and geographic accessibility information associated with network resources. Some embodiments may include sending status messages to users and/or network managers based on the status data. Still other embodiments may include sharing the status data with a search engine configured to generate, display, format, and/or rank search results based on the status data.
US08572422B2
An object of the present invention is to improve safety. A disk array apparatus of the present invention includes: CHE and MEM for temporarily storing data which is transmitted/received between a host device and a disk enclosure; CPU, RAIDC, and NVMC for controlling transmission/reception of data; power supply units for supplying power, which is supplied from an external power supply, to disk array control units; batteries for supplying power to the disk array control unit when the power being supplied from the external power supply is shut OFF without executing power supply shut down processing; an insertion/extraction detection unit for detecting insertion/extraction of a connector used for connecting the disk array control unit with the power supply unit; and battery monitors for stopping power supply by the battery when extraction of the connector is detected while the battery is supplying power to each device of the disk array control unit.
US08572419B1
A dynamic clock frequency module includes a request evaluation module configured to generate a sum of requests to utilize a system bus from a plurality of modules. A frequency assignment module is configured to calculate a clock frequency for the system bus in response to the requests and adjust the clock frequency between at least two non-zero frequency values. A pulse stretch module is configured to increase a period of time that at least one of the requests is asserted in response to the sum.
US08572417B2
In a storage system that includes two or more file servers each including an arbitrary number of operating virtual file servers, a management server: holds a load information table regarding a load on each virtual file server for each time period and redundancy information table for the storage system; judges, with reference to the load information table and redundancy information table, whether or not the loads on the virtual file servers can be handled by a smaller number of file servers than the number of currently-operating file servers; selects, if the judgment result is positive, a power-off target file server and makes another file server fail over a virtual file server in the power-off target file server; and turns off the power-off target file server.
US08572404B2
A system includes a multi-core computer processor. One or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a security co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor, and one or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a safety manager co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor. An operating system of the security co-processor and an operating system of the safety manager co-processor are independent of operating systems of the other cores of the multi-core processor. The security co-processor and the safety manager co-processor are configured to boot before the other cores and to enforce security policy and/or safety policy on the other cores.
US08572397B2
Authentication of a user to an electronic device in a communication network is described. The method comprises obtaining a biometric characteristic of the user, transmitting, to a social networking service, information that specifies at least one primary user of the device, receiving, from the social networking service, information that specifies a group of persons who have a social relationship with the at least one primary user, obtaining information that specifies a result from a biometric matching operation with the biometric characteristic of the user and biometric characteristics of persons in the specified group of persons, the result indicating whether or not the user is authenticated to the electronic device. By narrowing down the size of the searching space-needed during a matching operation by utilizing information regarding a group of persons in a social network, the false acceptance rate is reduced and biometric authentication of a user to an electronic device is thereby facilitated, e.g. to access desired functionality of the device or access a desired service.
US08572394B2
A system and method is provided for generating a one-time passcode (OTP) from a user device. The method includes providing a passcode application and a cardstring defined by a provider account to the user device. The passcode application is configured to generate a passcode configured as a user OTP for the provider account, using the cardstring. The cardstring is defined by at least one key camouflaged with a personal identification number (PIN). The key may be camouflaged by modifying and encrypting the modified key under the PIN. The key may be configured as a symmetric key, a secret, a seed, and a controlled datum. The cardstring may be an EMV cardstring; and the key may be a UDKA or UDKB. The cardstring may be an OTP cardstring, and the key may be a secret configurable to generate one of a HOTP, a TOTP, and a counter-based OTP.
US08572390B2
A method for transmitting data, a receiving method, related devices, and an aircraft equipped with the devices. The method includes determining an authentication word of the data; processing the data to obtain processed data; and transmitting the processed data on a transmission channel.
US08572383B2
A key exchange apparatus according to the present invention includes storage 250 and arithmetic controller 260 and performs a key exchange process with an external companion apparatus through a network, as follows: When arithmetic controller 260 is supplied with a random number, a private key, an own public key, a companion public key, an initial session number, and a start command, the arithmetic controller generates a starter message including a first session number and a first hash value, and sends the starter message to the companion apparatus. When the arithmetic controller receives a responder message including a second session number and a third hash value from the companion apparatus, if a generated fourth hash value and the third hash value are in agreement with each other, the arithmetic controller generates and stores a fifth hash value as a key in storage 250.
US08572372B2
Users of mobile terminals in a communication network are provided controlled access to files in a file system through the steps of configuring the files as a file body containing a file content and a file header containing content profile information; providing a security identity module and a secure agent; storing in the security identity module user profile information identifying a set of content profiles allowed for access to the file system; extracting, via the secure agent, the content profile information from the headers of the files; retrieving, via the secure agent, the user profile information stored in the security identity module; checking the user profile information and the content profile information; and providing the user with access to those files in the file system for which the user profile information and the content profile information are found to match.
US08572365B2
A host computer adds a keycode to e-mail and a terminal unit leads an information gathering candidate to add reply information to the e-mail. When the host computer receives the e-mail to which reply information has been added, the host computer stores the reply information in one of data storage areas having a memory address corresponding to a memory address associated the keycode of the e-mail.
US08572358B2
Methods and apparatus for restoring a meta predictor system upon detecting a branch or binary misprediction, are disclosed. An example apparatus may include a base misprediction history register to store a set of misprediction history values each indicating whether a previous branch prediction taken by a previous branch instruction was predicted correctly or incorrectly. The apparatus may comprise a meta predictor to detect a branch misprediction of a current branch prediction based at least in part on an output of the base misprediction history register. The meta predictor may restore the base misprediction history register based on the detecting of the branch misprediction. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08572356B2
Techniques and structures are disclosed for a processor supporting checkpointing to operate effectively in scouting mode while a maximum number of supported checkpoints are active. Operation in scouting mode may include using bypass logic and a set of register storage locations to store and/or forward in-flight instruction results that were calculated during scouting mode. These forwarded results may be used during scouting mode to calculate memory load addresses for yet other in-flight instructions, and the processor may accordingly cause data to be prefetched from these calculated memory load addresses. The set of register storage locations may comprise a working register file or an active portion of a multiported register file.
US08572349B2
A network processor or other type of processor includes translation configuration circuitry which allows programmable configuration of logical-to-physical address translation on a per-client basis for multiple clients of the processor. In one aspect of the invention, the processor stores translation configuration information for a client. A read or write request from the client includes a logical address. The logical address is processed utilizing the stored translation configuration information for the client to generate a physical address. The physical address is utilized to access an internal or external memory.
US08572339B2
In one aspect of the present description, a data preservation function is provided for preserving a set of data on a source storage device at a point in time, and includes identifying as a function of prior update usage, such as input/output usage, of the data to be preserved, a portion of the data which is more likely to be the subject of updates during at least a portion of the data preservation operation as compared to the remaining portion of the data to be preserved, and copies the identified portion of the data to be preserved to a target storage device. In another aspect, the size of the portion of data to be identified is variable. In one embodiment, the size of the portion of data to be identified is a function of a parameter of the command, such that a user can specify the command parameter which affects the size of the portion of data which is prewritten to the target storage device. The parameter may be, for example, a percentage of the data to be preserved, such that a user can specify the percentage of the point-in-time data which is prewritten to the target storage device. Alternatively, the parameter may be, for example, a probability of a collision occurring, such that a user can specify a probability of a collision occurring. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application.
US08572338B1
A computer-implemented method for creating space-saving snapshots may include: 1) identifying a parent volume on which to perform a snapshot, 2) allocating at least one thin-provisioned volume for the snapshot, 3) identifying an attempt to write to a region of the parent volume, and then 4) copying the region to the thin-provisioned volume. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08572331B2
A method is disclosed for reliably updating a data group in a read-before-write data replication environment. The method reliably updates the data group by receiving an updated data group sent from a first storage medium to a second storage medium, comparing the updated data group with a previous data group previously existing on the second storage medium and writing the updated data group to the second storage medium. The read-before-write and differencing method disclosed maintain reliability by storing multiple copies of changes made to the second storage medium during and after the write process.
US08572328B2
A device, comprising a single-ported first memory slice accessible only to a plurality of clients and including a plurality of blocks configured for storing information on behalf of the plurality of clients. The device further comprises a dual-ported second memory slice having a plurality of blocks for storing links and accessible to the plurality of clients and to a list manager that maintains a data structure for allocating memory blocks from the first memory slice and the second memory slice to the plurality of clients. In response to a client request, the list manager allocates a block of the first memory slice and a block of the second memory slice to the client, and stores a link for a next available memory block at the second memory slice.
US08572326B2
A method and system for dynamic distributed data caching is presented. The method includes establishing a cache community of members for data storage. A request for data at a particular member of the cache community is generated. A cache location in the cache community where the data would be located is determined. A determination is made as to whether the data is stored at the cache location. The data is requested from a source of the data in response to the data not being cached at the cache location. A determination is made as to whether the source is currently unavailable to provide the data. The data is continuously requested from the source while waiting for the source to become available. The particular member is allowed to request other data while waiting for data to become available from the source.
US08572323B2
Each level of cache within a memory hierarchy of a device is configured with a cache results register (CRR). The caches are coupled to a debugger interface via a peripheral bus. The device is placed in debug mode, and a debugger forwards a transaction address (TA) of a dummy transaction to the device. On receipt of the TA, the device processor forwards the TA via the system bus to the memory hierarchy to initiate an address lookup operation within each level of cache. For each cache in which the TA hits, the cache controller (debug) logic updates the cache's CRR with Hit, Way, and Index values, identifying the physical storage location within the particular cache at which the corresponding instruction/data is stored. The debugger retrieves information about the hit/miss status, the physical storage location and/or a copy of the data via direct requests over the peripheral bus.
US08572317B2
A memory device having a resume function is provided. The memory device provides the resume function that generates and stores reproduction history information when reproduction of data is stopped due to the generation of an interrupt, providing the production history information to a newly connected reproducing apparatus, and resuming reproducing of the data from a location where the reproduction of the data had previously been stopped. Since the reproduction history information is stored in the memory device, the data reproduction may be resumed from the location where reproduction of the data was stopped when the memory device is moved from one reproducing apparatus to another reproducing apparatus.
US08572316B2
A first storage system includes a plurality of first storage devices and is coupled to a computer. A second storage system includes a plurality of second storage devices and is coupled to the first storage system. A first controller provides a thin provisioning logical volume (LU) to the computer. A second controller provides an external thin provisioning LU to the first storage system. The first controller provides pool areas associated with the thin provisioning LU, including a first pool area mapped to the external thin provisioning LU, and allocates the first pool area to a first region in the thin provisioning LU to store a write data to the first region in the thin provisioning LU. The second controller allocates at least one of a plurality of pool areas to store the write data to the first region in the thin provisioning LU.
US08572312B2
Example methods and apparatus concern identifying placement and/or erasure data for a flash memory based solid state device that supports de-duplication. One example apparatus include a processor, a memory, a set of logics and an interface to connect the processor, the memory, and the set of logics. The apparatus may include an SSD placement logic configured to determine placement data for a de-duplication data set. The placement data may be based on forensic data acquired for the de-duplication data set. The apparatus may also include a write logic configured to write at least a portion of the de-duplication data set to an SSD as controlled by the placement data. The forensic data may identify, for example, the order in which sub-blocks are accessed, reference counts, access frequency, access groups, and other access information.
US08572311B1
A method for data storage includes, in a memory that includes at least N memory units, each memory unit including memory blocks, defining superblocks, each superblock including a respective set of N of the memory blocks that are allocated respectively in N different ones of the memory units, such that compaction of all the memory blocks in a given superblock is performed without any intervening programming operation in the given superblock. Data is stored in the memory by computing redundancy information for a selected portion of the data, and storing the selected portion and the redundancy information in the N memory blocks of a selected superblock.
US08572303B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a portable device comprising at least one processor. The portable device also comprises a memory coupled to the processor comprising data. Further, the portable device comprises a detector configured to detect at least one external device. The at least one external device is configured to connect to the portable device. Further, the portable device comprises an interface to connect to the at least one external device. The interface is configured to transmit or receive one or more control signals excluding the data. Furthermore, the portable device comprises a controller configured to enable controlling of the portable device from the at least one external device; and controlling of the at least one external device from the portable device through the interface.
US08572299B2
A hardware accelerator module is driven by a system processor via a system bus to sequentially process data blocks of a data stream as a function of a parameter set defined by the processor. The module includes a register block adapted to receive parameter sets from the system processor, an accelerator core adapted to receive streaming data, to process data blocks of said streaming data in a manner defined by a parameter set, and to output processed streaming data, and a parameter buffering block adapted to consecutively store a plurality of parameter sets and to sequentially provide the parameter sets to the hardware accelerator core as a function of a busy state of the hardware accelerator core. The parameter buffering block enables to reduce downtimes of hardware accelerators, to increase data throughput, and to reduce the risk of a processor overload in a processor which drives several hardware accelerators.
US08572295B1
Methods and systems for analyzing bus traffic in a target device, such as a system on-a-chip (SOC) comprises capturing a processor event and generating an interrupt based on a threshold associated with the processor event. Based on at least the interrupt, a instruction pointer associated with the processor event that generated the interrupt is identified. An instruction analyzer identifies a memory address of the instruction associated with the processor event that generated the interrupt. At least the processor event and a associated instruction information are collected by a sample collector and transferred to a host for performance profiling.
US08572291B2
The invention relates to an electronic board (C) comprising: a microcontroller; a first interface means (11) with a communication bus (BUS); and a second interface means (12) with a supervisory computer (SUP); said microcontroller being programmed for: receiving first commands across said second interface means; extracting, from said commands, a piece of addressing information and, on the basis of said information, executing said first commands or moreover transmitting them over said communication bus; and receiving second commands from said communication bus and executing them. The invention relates to a system comprising: a communication bus; a plurality of electronic boards such as described above, connected to said communication bus, at least one of said boards also being connected to a respective supervisory computer. The invention also relates to a robotic system comprising such a built-in control system.
US08572287B2
A method of determining, at a mobile device, side information including compression state information. The method includes receiving, from a server, a unique side information identifier identifying a unit of side information used by the server for compressing data, determining, based on the side information identifier, if the unit of side information is resident on said device, and if the unit of side information is resident on the mobile device, loading the side information for decompressing the data. Otherwise, if the unit of side information is not resident on the mobile device, the method includes requesting the unit of side information from one of the server and another device.
US08572280B2
A method and system are directed to serialization of hierarchically defined objects for communication over a network. A change associated with an object, a field within the object, and the like, may be flagged. Such flagged changes between one game frame and another frame may be included into a frame delta of changes. The frame delta data may include an object identifier, field identifier, and a value associated with the change. The frame delta data may be serialized and sent across a network, employing any of a variety of network protocols.
US08572278B2
A switch having a first communications interface to receive a stream of data units, a buffer to store the payload portion of the data unit, a replicator to duplicate at least the payload portion of the data unit, and a second communications interface to enable access to the stream of data units by two or more terminals.
US08572276B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for effecting a desired collective operation on a parallel computing system that includes multiple compute nodes. The compute nodes may pipeline multiple collective operations to effect the desired collective operation. To select protocols suitable for the multiple collective operations, the compute nodes may also perform additional collective operations. The compute nodes may pipeline the multiple collective operations and/or the additional collective operations to effect the desired collective operation more efficiently.
US08572270B2
A method for backing up a TCP connection includes a data transmission process and a data receiving process. The data transmission process includes obtaining, by an AMB of a transmitting end, boundary information of data; and backing up the data and the boundary information of the data to a SMB of the transmitting end. The data receiving process includes backing up, by the SMB, data received from a peer side of the TCP connection and the boundary information of the data received by the peer side to the AMB; and deleting the data received by the peer side from the data backed up by the SMB during the transmission process according to the boundary information of the data received by the peer side. The disclosure also provides an apparatus for backing up a TCP connection.
US08572258B2
The invention relates to a method of establishing a session between client user terminals accessing IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, networks. At least one of the IMS networks implements the use of Quality of Service, QoS, preconditions, and at least one of the client user terminals does not use QoS preconditions. The method includes receiving, at an inter-working function, IWF located in one of the IMS networks, an IMS session initiation request originated by an originating client, the request indicating a terminating client for the session. A decision is made, based on the session initiation request, that one of the originating client and the terminating client is not using QoS preconditions. A set of QoS preconditions is inserted into a procedure for establishing the IMS session on behalf of the client that is not using QoS preconditions. Session establishment is completed only after QoS resources complying with the set of QoS preconditions have been established.
US08572250B2
Allocation information is transmitted in a communications system in accordance with at least one allocation rule for indicating allocation of sets of transmission resources to communications devices. The at least one allocation rule is defined for associating sequences of sets of transmission resources with communications devices, and a communications device monitors allocation information of sets of transmission resources associated with it. Communications devices are informed of their respective allocation rules. Transmission resources for the communications devices are allocated based at least on said allocation rules.
US08572244B2
A monitoring tool deployment module comprises an interface, a memory, and a processor. The interface receives a plurality of monitoring deployment requests, each monitoring deployment request identifying one or more monitoring tools to be deployed for one or more monitoring targets. The memory is coupled to the interface and stores the plurality of monitoring deployment requests in a queue based at least in part upon the order that the monitoring deployment requests are received by the interface. The processor is coupled to the memory and accesses a particular one of the plurality of monitoring deployment requests stored in memory, and determines a monitoring tool to be used based at least in part upon the particular monitoring deployment request. The processor further determines a monitoring target based at least in part upon the received monitoring deployment request, and executes commands to initiate the deployment of the determined monitoring tool for the determined monitoring target.
US08572237B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for distributed process execution. In one aspect, the computer-implemented method may provide an indication announcing that a structural change to the cluster will occur. The indication may enable at least one node of the cluster to respond with an existing view. The existing view may include a first set of authoritative data representing existing processes handled at the at least one node. The method may also include providing, to at least one of the nodes, an index representing a subsequent view of the cluster after the structural change. The subsequent view may include a second set of authoritative data representing processes handled at the at least one node after the structural change. The method may also activate the subsequent view of the cluster. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US08572229B2
Distributed computing is described. In an embodiment a user drags and drops an icon representing specified functionality into a graph layout view of a distributed computing graph in order to control a distributed computing system. For example, the distributed computing graph controls currently executing processes in a distributed computing system. In an embodiment a dynamic mapping between the graph layout view and the distributed computing graph occurs such that the functionality of the icon is implemented. For example, the icon may represent a data bus connecting some of the currently executing processes and used to implement check pointing and/or caching mechanisms. In other examples the icon represents any of a spooler-player mechanism, debugging tools, multi-scale visualization tools, and data driven visualization tools.
US08572228B2
Each service in a computer network may have a connection rate limit. The number of new connections per time period may be limited by using a series of rules. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a counter is increased each time a server is selected to handle a connection request. For each service, connections coming in are tracked. Therefore, the source of connection-request packets need not be examined. Only the destination service is important. This saves significant time in the examination of the incoming requests. Each service may have its own set of rules to best handle the new traffic for its particular situation. For server load balancing, a reset may be sent to the source address of the new connection request. For transparent cache switching, the connection request may be forwarded to the Internet.
US08572225B2
In one embodiment, a router generates a notification message that indicates the router is to be gracefully removed from service. The router sends the notification message to peers of the router in a network. The router then continues to forward packets for a grace period after sending the notification message, to permit backup paths to be propagated to peers, and to be put into service, prior to withdrawal from service of paths through the router. Thereafter, the router is removed from service at the expiration of the grace period.
US08572221B2
An online social network is managed using one server for database management tasks and another server, preferably in a distributed configuration, for CPU-intensive computational tasks, such as finding a shortest path between two members or a degree of separation between two members. The additional server has a memory device containing relationship information between members of the online social network and carries out the CPU-intensive computational tasks using this memory device. With this configuration, the number of database lookups is decreased and processing speed is thereby increased.
US08572217B2
Methods and apparatuses for providing clientless IP services for subscribers on a network interface that does not require either explicit client subnet configurations or explicit routes from the interface to the client subnets.
US08572208B2
A method of processing requests for resources in a system in which a plurality of content providers provide multiple resources. Content providers offload the serving of some of their resources to a shared content delivery network (CDN) formed by a plurality of servers. The CDN is shared among the content providers. Some of a content provider's content may be served from an origin server associated with that content provider, while requests for other content from that content provider are served from the shared CDN.
US08572206B2
A multi-processor computer system is described in which transaction processing in each cluster of processors is distributed among multiple protocol engines. Each cluster includes a plurality of local nodes and an interconnection controller interconnected by a local point-to-point architecture. The interconnection controller in each cluster comprises a plurality of protocol engines for processing transactions. Transactions are distributed among the protocol engines using destination information associated with the transactions.
US08572205B2
A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided, the proxy apparatus first determines if a version of the media information encoded for the user device's connection bandwidth has been stored in the proxy apparatus. If a version of the media information encoded for the user device's bandwidth is not available from the proxy apparatus, the proxy apparatus sends a request to a media server for the media information. If the version of the media information has missing packets, the proxy device sends retransmission requests to the media server to obtain the missing packets, thereby building-up a good quality version of the media information.
US08572202B2
Method and computer program product for collecting information on the Internet are disclosed. The method includes parsing contents of a web page to form a plurality of collectable objects, selecting one or more objects from the plurality of collectable objects, storing the one or more objects to one or more saving portals, annotating the one or more objects in accordance with user-specified data, and annotating the one or more objects in accordance with implicit data of the one or more saving portals. The method further includes annotating the one or more objects automatically, without manual intervention, using user-specified data, and annotating the one or more objects automatically, without manual intervention, using implicit data of the one or more saving portals.
US08572185B2
A communications system includes a network engine that communicates with a plurality of user subscribed mobile wireless communications devices via a communications network for sending and receiving emails therefrom. A direct access server is operative with the network engine for polling electronic mailboxes of the user belonging to an email source hosted by an email provider and obtaining email from the electronic mailboxes and pushing any email through the network engine to selected user subscribed mobile wireless communications devices. It includes an internal SMTP server that is configured for outgoing email and operative for specifying an SMTP server for communication belonging to an email provider given a SMTP server and protocol combination for the email source of the email provider to which communication is desired such that the internal SMTP server of the direct access server is not used.
US08572182B2
To reduce the communications in an IM conversation between two devices, two or more IM events of the conversation at the first device are confirmed by sending to the second device a single IM communication that confirms the most recent of the events. In order that the user of the second device not experience undue delay in receiving the confirmation, the method may be applied where the time interval between any two consecutive ones of the events is less than a predetermined time.
US08572176B2
The Forward Path Multi-Media Management System architecture enables end user devices to share a common wireless forward path of a multicast communication architecture in which the forward path delivered content is dynamically changed or modified based on a real-time, near-real-time, or delay-time basis via aggregated reverse path feedback from at least one of a plurality of end user devices. The Forward Path Multi-Media Management System periodically or continuously aggregates the feedback input received via the reverse path (having wired and/or wireless connectivity), modifies the forward path multi-media content, and delivers this dynamically modified multi-media content to the then connected population of end user devices via a wireless forward path multicast in a repetitive closed loop fashion.
US08572174B2
A user device requests a web page from a web server of a third-party website, which is separate from a social networking system. The web server from the third-party website sends a markup language document for the requested web page to the user device which includes an instruction for a browser application running on the user device to incorporate information obtained from the social networking system within the web page. Based on the instruction in the received markup language document, the user device requests personalized content from the social networking system, which generates the requested personalized content based on social information about the user. The user device then renders the web page with the personalized content contained in a frame and displays the rendered web page and the frame to the user.
US08572169B2
A system, apparatus, and method to assist in the discovery of music or other content by members of a social network. The present invention permits network members to network together and share information about their music collections and listening habits with a processing platform and with each other. The processing platform processes music library content and playback related data to produce similarity and compatibility measures between artists (that is, an artist-to-artist measure) and between network members (that is, a network member-to-network member measure). By combining the content and playback related data with filtering mechanisms, recommendation techniques (which may be based on the calculated measures), and set membership concepts, the present invention provides network members of the network with tools to discover artists and/or songs that are likely to be of interest to them.
US08572157B2
Brokering requests between a user and a content provider. Methods include receiving, at the middleware system, a request for data from a user that is formatted in a first request format and requests data from a content provider. The request is translated to a second request format that is compatible with the content provider and sent to the content provider. A response is received from the content provider that includes hierarchically-structured content. The hierarchically-structured content is converted into tabular content by performing first queries on the hierarchically-structured content to identify repeating nodes, and mapping the repeating nodes to rows in the tabular format, and by performing second queries on the hierarchically-structured content to identify individual columns in the tabular format.
US08572155B2
A method and apparatus for providing a virtual sensor in real-time have been described. In one embodiment, a method to provide a virtual sensor in real-time includes identifying data indicating desired functionality. The method further includes executing the virtual sensor in real-time based on the identified data to generate an output of the virtual sensor with the output being used by at least one data analysis module in real-time for statistical process monitoring.
US08572147B2
In a data processing system, a first instruction is received at an input of a processor. A specifier indicates both a first portion of a value and a second portion of the value. The first portion of the value is identified to be modified by the processor and the second portion of the value is identified to remain unchanged. The first instruction is decoded, and in response the processor modifies the first portion of the value by performing a bit-reversed increment to form a modified first portion. The modified first portion is combined with the second portion of the value which remained unchanged to form a first address. The first address is stored in first storage circuitry. A second instruction is decoded and in response the processor accesses data located at the first address which is assigned to a second storage circuit.
US08572146B2
According to certain embodiments, a first characteristic function representing a first set of samples and a second characteristic function representing a second set of samples are generated. The first characteristic function and the second characteristic function are transformed to a first arithmetic function and a second arithmetic function, respectively. A first hash code and a second hash code are calculated from the first arithmetic function and the second arithmetic function, respectively. If the first hash code equals the second hash code, the first set of samples and the second set of samples are designated as equivalent; otherwise, the first set of samples and the second set of samples are designated as not equivalent.
US08572144B2
A circuit includes a signal processing circuit for accepting an input and for generating a set of outputs. The input is provided in an input range that has a set of representative values, and each output represents a measure of an association of the input with one or more of the representative values. The signal processing circuit includes a group of output sections, each output section being responsive to the input of the signal processing circuit. Each output section includes one or more sigmoid generators. Each sigmoid generator is responsive to an input of the output section to generate an output that represents a sigmoid function of the input of the output section. Each output section also includes a circuitry for combining the outputs of the one or more sigmoid generators to form one of the set of outputs of the signal processing circuit. An input transformation circuit is coupled to the plurality of output sections. The input transformation circuit is configurable to transform the input of the signal processing circuit for controlling a mapping characteristic from the input to the set of outputs.
US08572143B2
An output signal is generated from a received input data stream representing a sequence of digital data values. For each group of successive data values in the sequence of data values, a respective waveform pattern is assigned in dependence of the data content of the respective group of successive data values. The output signal is generated by generating the assigned respective waveform patterns corresponding to the input data stream.
US08572134B2
A system for storing messages in an on-disk database (ODDB), comprises an interface operable to receive a first message comprising first data from an execution venue, wherein the first message is one of a group of associated messages related to a financial transaction, a processor communicatively coupled to the interface, the processor is operable to load the first message into an in-memory database (IMDB), identify a second message in the group of associated messages, transform the second message with the first data from the first message, and determine whether all messages in the associated group of messages have been loaded into the IMDB, and the interface is further operable to transfer the first message to the ODDB.
US08572128B2
A method of managing map-type tour information, which allows a travel-lover to record each trip. A plurality of scenic spots passed through in the trip is labeled on a map. By linking the plurality of scenic spots, a tour route is formed and shown clearly on the map. Set a link to each of the scenic spots, click the link to each of the scenic spot, and input the introduction, related web addresses, and appraisals to the scenic spots.
US08572125B2
A method and system for providing a scalable storage scheme for native hierarchically structured data of relational tables, includes a base table with indicator columns with information pertaining to hierarchically structured data of a document, data tables for storing the hierarchically structured data corresponding to the indicator columns, and node identifier indexes corresponding to the data tables for mapping between the indicator columns and the hierarchically structured data in the data tables. In an embodiment, actual data for each hierarchically structured data (such as XML) column is stored in a separate data table, and each data table has a separate node identifier index. The node identifier index is searched with a key containing the document identifier and a logical node identifier is used, and a record identifier of a record in the data table containing the node assigned the logical node identifier is retrieved.
US08572118B2
Computer method and apparatus manages and navigates computer implemented information. A first source information and second source information are related as parent-child information. Keywords are extracted from the first and second source information and are used to relate second source information to the first source information. This produces dynamic sets or groupings of second source information related by keywords. Display of a listing of the keywords enables user navigation of the information especially according to the groupings of second source information.
US08572114B1
The present disclosure includes a system and method for determining proximity to topics of content items (e.g., an advertisement or “ad”). In some implementations, a method includes identifying search criteria associated with keywords of a content item. The keywords used in determining whether or not to embed the content item in Web pages including search results. Numerical scores for the search criteria is determined based, at least in part, on a topic of the content item, the numerical score indicative of proximity to the topic of the content item.
US08572109B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating visual media search results are provided. A first search query in a first language and a second search query in a different second language are received. The first search query is a translation of the second search query into the second language. A quality of results statistic for the second search query is obtained. A final search query is created using the first search query, the second search query, and the quality of results statistic. The final search query is sent to a search engine and a final group of visual media search results responsive to the final search query are received from the search engine, where visual media search results in the final group that are responsive to the second visual media search query are assigned a ranking based in part on the quality of result statistic.
US08572098B2
Client playlist generation is described. In embodiments, relationships between media assets are determined to identify similar media assets that can be included in an automatic playlist of the similar media assets. Projection vectors of the asset-to-asset relationships can be generated for each of the media assets, where a projection vector for a media asset identifies the similar media assets. The projection vectors are then communicated to a client device that utilizes the projection vectors to generate the automatic playlist for any one of the media assets that is selected as a starting media asset of the automatic playlist.
US08572086B2
In one embodiment, a method of generating annotation tags (28) for a digital image (22) includes maintaining a library (16) of human-meaningful words or phrases organized as category entries (72) according to a number of defined image description categories (70), and receiving context metadata (20) associated with the capture of a given digital image (22). The method further includes selecting particular category entries (72-1, 72-2) as vocabulary metadata (24) for the digital image (22) by mapping the context metadata (20) into the library (16), and generating annotation tags (28) for the digital image (22) by logically combining the vocabulary metadata (24) according to a defined set of deductive logic rules (30) that are predicated on the defined image description categories (70). In another embodiment, a processing apparatus (12), such as a digital processor (18, 26) and supporting memory (14), etc., is configured to carry out the above method, or to carry out variations of the above method.
US08572080B2
The present disclosure discusses a dashboard application that compiles values across a set of records, each of the records having fields which include data pertaining to user-defined criteria. The user enters a query into the system, and the set of records is returned and analyzed according to the criteria. The results are numerical and are displayed in components of the dashboard. A user can customize the application and define components. Multiple users can view and subscribe to the dashboard and can select specific components to follow. Some components can have user-defined threshold values and can provide graphics displaying breakpoints of those values. When the system refreshes, or the user manually refreshes the dashboard, an alert is generated if the threshold value is traversed. The alert, including the component graphic, is posted in the subscriber's feed and a feed of the dashboard.
US08572079B2
The present invention is a system and method for shortening response time and reducing resource utilization in an electronic advertising and customer enquiry system, operating in an interactive communications and distributed database environment. The system is designed to enable customers (01) to easily find product and service offerings that match their requirements for immediate local accessibility (A1), as well as the customer's (01) specific product desires. Where a perfect match does not exist, slightly less satisfactory solutions are offered. Such product offerings and customer (01) desires have static and dynamic characteristics that effect their electronic publication, enquiry, matching, and subsequent response.
US08572072B1
A method involves classifying a financial transaction of an item. The method steps include receiving a text description of the item, processing the text description to generate a search term, selecting a set of named categories, conducting a first search for the search term and each named category, processing first results of the first search, calculating an affinity score for each named category, identifying a first target affinity score, identifying a target category from the set of named categories, presenting the text description and the target category, receiving feedback that the target category is incorrect, generating a revised set of named categories by removing the target category from the set of named categories, conducting a second search for the search term and each of the revised set of named categories, and presenting a revised target category.
US08572067B2
A method to estimate the number of distinct value combinations for a set of attributes in a database system is disclosed. The method comprises utilizing frequency information within the set of attributes to provide a best estimate for the number of distinct value combinations. In a preferred embodiment, the utilizing step comprises estimating the number of distinct value combinations utilizing frequency information of the set of attributes based upon probability theory and further includes providing bounds on the distinct value information combinations utilizing the frequency information of the set of attributes. In so doing, an estimate for the number of distinct value combinations is provided.
US08572066B1
A method for extracting content from a data store includes creating a file identifier mapped to an item. The method includes receiving a request that seeks cached access to the item and that is not directed to the item. In response to the request, contents of the item are provided using the file identifier without caching the contents. A system for extracting content from a data store includes an indexer. The system includes a data store containing at least an item. The system includes a redirector containing a file identifier mapped to the item. When the redirector receives a request originated by the indexer that seeks cached access to the item and that is not directed to the item in the data store the redirector provides contents of the item using the file identifier without caching the contents in the system.
US08572064B2
Method/system for visualizing biological information. The system receives a user query relating to biological information and determines which database contains related biological information. A database query is sent to the database and the result indicates biological/chemical entities and relations. A network is created based on the result; biological/chemical entities are mapped to network nodes and relations to network connections. A distance matrix indicates a multi-dimensional distance for several pairs of network nodes. A dimensionality reduction function is adjusted based on a research context, to bias the search toward a relevant focus. The number of dimensions in the distance matrix is lowered by the dimensionality reduction function. Neighbors of a selected node are searched (2-18) based on the distance matrix to elucidate a biological role of the selected node. A re-created network is visualized (2-20) based on the adjusted dimensionality reduction function.
US08572062B2
Provided are techniques for retrieving a document that includes for each page an area that is ignored by applications that process the document and that includes a different internal index set associated with each subset of pages of the document, wherein each different internal index set is associated with an area and stores indexes, and wherein each of the indexes consists of a name-value pair. Then, for each page in the document, it is determined whether the page is associated with an internal index set; and, in response to determining that the page is associated with an internal index set, one or more name-value pairs from the internal index set are extracted, wherein each of the one or more name-value pairs provides specific information about the document for use in identifying the document.
US08572061B2
An information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a search request sent from an external apparatus, a search unit configured to search for a device matching a search condition included in the search request, a determination unit configured to determine an attribute of a device, and a transmission control unit configured to perform control so that information regarding the device is sent to the external apparatus as a search result in response to the search request when the device matching the search condition has a first attribute and so that the information regarding the device is not sent to the external apparatus as a search result in response to the search request when the device matching the search condition has a second attribute.
US08572030B2
Embodiments are provided for synchronizing file partitions utilizing a server storage model in a client-server computer network. Edits to content of an electronic document may be received at a client computer. The content may be included in a first partition of a file stored on a server computer. The first partition may include a first stream which includes the electronic document content. The file may include multiple partitions with each partition including one or more streams. The client computer may generate metadata in a second partition of the file. The metadata may be associated with the edits to the electronic document content in the first partition. The second partition may then be individually synchronized with the server computer to store the metadata. The first partition may then be individually synchronized with the server computer to store the edits made to the electronic document content.
US08572026B2
A synchronization unit examines the packets on a network to determine the changes being caused to a database server, and propagates the same changes to corresponding backup server(s). As the synchronization is implemented in a separate unit, the throughput performance of database servers may not be impeded due to the synchronization requirement.
US08572024B2
Systems and methods for extracting information from structured documents are provided. The systems and methods relate to selecting a centroid document from a group of structured documents, selecting a subset of the group of structured documents in order to form a cluster of the subset of documents about the centroid document. The selecting the subset is preferably based on the relative similarity between each of the selected subset and the centroid document. Then, systems and methods according to the invention include marking a data element on the centroid document. The systems and elements also include identifying a data element on each of the subset of documents, the data element that corresponds to the marked data element on the centroid document. Finally, data may be extracted from the subset of documents based on the identifying step.
US08572015B2
A system, method and computer program product for interfacing a decision engine and a marketing engine in order to provide vendor-related data in response to decision-related data is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the system and method may include providing a decision engine on a user-accessible network; interfacing a marketing engine with the decision engine on the network; receiving a plurality of user inputs with the decision engine; processing decision-related data with the decision engine in accordance with the plurality of user inputs; sharing the decision-related data with the marketing engine; processing the decision-related data with the marketing engine; and transmitting vendor-related data via the network.
US08572013B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for the identification and assignment of classifications for items. One of a plurality of classifications are identified in at least one computing device based at least in part on a plurality of tokens associated with the item and a data dictionary. An identified classification is thereby produced, and the identified classification is associated with a confidence score. The identified classification is automatically assigned to the item when the confidence score meets a threshold. A manual confirmation of the identified classification is obtained when the confidence score is below the threshold. The manual confirmation indicates whether the identified classification is erroneous.
US08572010B1
A method of deciding whether an observed received signal is a particular signal of interest (SOI) includes the steps of: providing a statistical model of the particular signal of interest and a statistical model of the environment when the particular signal of interest is not present, and processing the observed received signal in accordance with a decision rule that uses the provided statistical models to decide whether the observed received signal is the particular signal of interest. The decision rule is: decision = { SOI if LLR ( y ) > + λ ~ SOI if LLR ( y ) < - λ unsure otherwise where LLR ( y ) = log P ( a 1 ( y ) · a 2 ( y ) , … | SOI ) P ( a 1 ( y ) · a 2 ( y ) … | ~ SOI ) , where LLR is log likelihood ratio, P denotes a probability, a1(y) and a2(y) are functions of first and second attributes of the observed signal y in a sequential order that said attribute functions are presented for computation of LLR(y), and +λ and −λ are real numbers, wherein the statistical model of the particular signal of interest includes functions of attributes that individually have a probability distribution function f1 when the observed received signal is the particular signal of interest such that KL(f1,f0)>0, where f0 is a probability distribution function of the respective individual attribute when the observed received signal is not a signal of interest.
US08572009B2
A method and apparatus for determining a health of the system. Groups of vibration data are identified for the system. A group of vibration data in the groups of vibration data comprises data for vibrations of the system at different frequencies over time. The groups of vibration data for the system are stored in a number of associative memories in a computer system. The health of the system is identified based on the groups of vibration data in the number of associative memories. The groups of vibration data include images of the vibrations of the system.
US08572006B2
The present invention relates to a method for multi-layer classifier applying on a computer readable medium for classifying multiple image samples. The method at least comprising the following steps: (a) receiving a plurality of samples; (b) providing a plurality of attributes, and evaluating a significance of the attributes by a selection criterion; (c) selecting at least one cut-point to establish a discriminant analysis model; (d) proceeding a step of evaluating a performance of the discriminant analysis model by adding the attributes to the discriminant analysis model; and (e) providing a stop criterion. The present invention also provides a computer readable medium for classifying multiple image samples by using the method for multi-layer classifier.
US08572000B1
A terminal may be configured to display a list of recruiting events. In response to selection of one of the recruiting events, the terminal may be configured to display a list of a plurality of candidates associated with the selected one of the recruiting events. The terminal may be configured to select one of said candidates from the list of candidates based on an identifier read, by the terminal, from a computing device associated with the selected candidate. The terminal may be configured to, subsequent to the selection of the candidate, display a profile of the selected candidate. The terminal may be configured to display an interactive form via which a user of the terminal can input an assessment of the selected particular candidate.
US08571993B2
Technologies are disclosed to transfer responsibility and control over security from player makers to content authors by enabling integration of security logic and content. An exemplary optical disc carries an encrypted digital video title combined with data processing operations that implement the title's security policies and decryption processes. Player devices include a processing environment (e.g., a real-time virtual machine), which plays content by interpreting its processing operations. Players also provide procedure calls to enable content code to load data from media, perform network communications, determine playback environment configurations, access secure nonvolatile storage, submit data to CODECs for output, and/or perform cryptographic operations. Content can insert forensic watermarks in decoded output for tracing pirate copies. If pirates compromise a player or title, future content can be mastered with security features that, for example, block the attack, revoke pirated media, or use native code to correct player vulnerabilities.
US08571991B2
A system and method for connecting remote player devices to regulated host gaming devices in a network to provide remote game play. A host gaming device is configured to provide game information to a plurality of remote player devices to allow remote play of the host game device. Whether each remote player device is permitted to receive gaming data is based upon, at least in part, the geographic location of the remote player device.
US08571987B1
The invention provides a system, method, and computer readable medium for conducting micropayment transactions between consumers and merchants. A merchant offers micropayment transactions to a consumer. The micropayment transaction is authorized, and the micropayment transaction is executed between the merchant and the consumer. A value parameter associated with a prepaid instrument, such as a prepaid calling card, is decremented by an amount corresponding to the value provided by the merchant. A payment is transferred to the merchant to settle the micropayment transaction. In a system of the invention, at least one prepaid calling card is issued to a consumer in exchange for a payment from the consumer. A merchant site conducts micropayment transactions and accepts the prepaid calling card as payment. A clearinghouse receives data associated with the prepaid calling card from the merchant site and processes the data to settle the micropayment transaction.
US08571986B2
The present invention provides embodiments of a dependent payment device, such as a credit card, for allowing a primary customer to control and monitor the transactions made by a dependent customer who is authorized to use the account of the primary customer. The primary customer can control the maximum limit that the dependent customer can spend on the dependent card up to the maximum amount that the financial institution has approved for the primary customer. The primary customer can also block/approve purchases that the dependent customer can make at store or on products by adding MCCs, store names, store types, UPCs, or other product or store identifiers to a list of blocked/approved transactions. The primary customer can set monetary and time limits on the amount and frequency of the transactions the dependent customer can make at stores or on products that have been blocked/approved.
US08571983B1
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for enabling gift card combination. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with a first gift card; associate the first gift card with an account; receive information associated with a second gift card; associate the gift card with the account; and enable combining the first gift card and the second gift card into an asset determined by a user of the account.
US08571982B2
A multi-stage filtering process and system for fraud detection is disclosed. The multi-stage filtering process allows for the ability to dynamically increase/decrease server capacity, as well as application capacity to support fraud detection activities. The system monitors the queues of the transactions being made using various channels, and responds by adjusting the server and application resources needed for performing pre-filtering on the transactions in the queues. The invention allows for the fraud detection systems to maintain the capacity necessary to examine, at some level, if one or more of the transactions being processed by a financial institution are potentially fraudulent. The capacity can be changed during times of high and low volumes, thus allowing the allocation of resources based on transaction volume, which reduces the computing, energy, labor, etc. costs associated with fraud detection systems without losing the ability to detect almost all of the fraudulent transactions occurring.
US08571979B1
In an example application, a banking institution implements a computer-automated arrangement with another corporate entity that is independent of the banking institution. The arrangement permits the other corporate entity to render funds to corporate designees associated with the corporation's bank account via an account-management specification that defines and tracks funds under sub-accounts. The arrangement includes banking-sponsored-corporate-activatable (BSCA) articles; a communication arrangement for communicating an association command from the other corporate entity that associates activated BSCA articles with respective sub-accounts according to the specification, the activated BSCA articles facilitating redemption of pre-paid corporate funds in response to the other corporate entity both issuing the activated BSCA articles to designated card recipients and communicating the association command; and a tracking arrangement for tracking the redemption efforts resulting from uses of the activated BSCA articles by tracking the respective sub-accounts by the banking institution in response to communicating of the association command.
US08571978B2
A system for conducting commercial transactions between buyers and sellers is disclosed. The system includes a transaction processing system for facilitating payment for transactions between buyers and the sellers. In addition to the buyer and the seller, the transaction processing system also interacts with issuers and acquirers. The transaction processing system monitors and manages payment information relating to transactions conducted between buyers and sellers. Using such information, the transaction processing system further offers a number of additional financing services including, for example, buyer payment assurance, buyer bank payment assurance, buyer bank payable discounting, buyer bank payable discount aggregation, seller/receivable financing and seller bank receivable discount aggregation.
