US08579832B2
There is a sensor guide wire (1) for intravascular measurements of physiological variables in a living body. The sensor guide wire (1) comprises at least two elongate sections, a first tubular elongate section (2) being tubular in the longitudinal direction of the sensor guide wire (1), and a second elongate section (3) that is adapted to be inserted a predetermined distance (5) into said first tubular section (2), a sensor element (10) provided in the distal part of said sensor guide wire (1), for measuring the physiological variable and to generate a sensor signal in response to said variable, at least one signal transmitting cable connected to the sensor element (10) to transmit sensor signals to a male connector provided in the proximal part of said sensor guide wire (1). The tubular section (2) is provided with at least one through-going opening (4) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide wire (1) and positioned a second predetermined distance (6) from one end of the tubular section (2), wherein the guide wire (1) comprises a locking member (7) to be fitted into the opening (4) in order to join the sections (2, 3) together when the second elongate section (3) is inserted into the tubular section (2).
US08579831B2
A skin penetrating system is provided with a drive force generator and a disposable housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the disposable housing member. Each penetrating member is coupled to the drive force generator. A plurality of analyte detecting members are each associated with a penetrating member and are positioned in the disposable housing member. Each analyte detecting member is positioned in a sample chamber with a volume of less than 1 μL, The sample chambers have openings for transport of a body fluid into the sample chamber. Each analyte detecting member is configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample of less than 1 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber. A user interface is configured to relay at least one of, skin penetrating performance or a skin penetrating setting.
US08579830B2
A neuropathy diagnostic device includes a body having a neutral temperature surface disposed on an exterior of the body, a variable temperature surface disposed on the exterior of the body, and a vibrating surface having a variable vibration amplitude. The vibrating surface extends outwardly from the body. A touch sensor extends outwardly from the body. A processor is disposed within the body. The processor is adapted to set a temperature of the neutral temperature surface, vary a temperature of the variable temperature surface, and vary the vibration amplitude of the vibrating surface.
US08579829B2
A system for monitoring the breathing status of a patient comprises a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor. The first temperature sensor is arranged to measure the temperature of the breathing gas of a patient. The second temperature sensor is arranged to measure an ambient temperature of the patient's surroundings. A controller is included, wherein the controller is programmed to determine a plurality of breathing-gas temperatures over time by way of a first signal received from the first temperature sensor and at least one ambient temperature using a second signal received from the second temperature sensor. The controller is programmed to analyze the plurality of breathing-gas temperatures and the at least one ambient temperature to determine a breathing status of the patient. The present invention may be embodied as a method for monitoring the breathing status of a patient.
US08579827B1
A monitoring device for monitoring the vital signs of a user is disclosed herein. The monitoring device is preferably comprises an article, an optical sensor, an accelerometer and processor. The optical sensor preferably comprises a photodetector and a plurality of light emitting diodes. A sensor signal from the optical sensor is processed with a filtered accelerometer output signal from the accelerometer to create a filtered vital sign signal used to generate a real-time vital sign for a user.
US08579818B2
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body, a support member provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body to support the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body on an installation surface, a movable body provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body in a movable state by a moving member while protruding from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body in a direction away from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body, and a tipping-preventing support member provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body and having a support portion able to support the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body on the installation surface on the protruding side of the movable body with respect to the support member.
US08579815B2
A device, method, and graphical user interface for displaying diabetes related information sets aligned by the occurrence of a particular event are disclosed. After receiving a request for an event-aligned display of diabetes related information based on an event, a search for a plurality of tagged occurrences of the event and retrieval of an information set for each of the plurality of tagged occurrences is provided. Each information set may include diabetes related information chronologically related to the tagged occurrence. The retrieved information sets is displayed on a display, wherein the retrieved information sets are shown on the display aligned by their tagged occurrences such that all diabetes related information is positioned relative the event based on its chronological relationship with the event.
US08579814B2
A method and system for reporting medical data including both current and past medical results for medical tests performed on a patient is provided. The medical data is output in columns, and the current results and past results of the same medical test are presented in the same row. In this manner, the report is provided in a layout that has rows and columns, so that all current results are presented in one column, and all past results are presented in a separate column. In addition, graphs of the medical results can be displayed to illustrate current and past medical results in a view that allows for trend and comparative diagnosis.
US08579797B2
Improved methods and apparatus to secure a urethral sling to pubic bone in a sub-urethral location to support the urethra and alleviate incontinence are disclosed. The urethral sling is preferably formed of a flexible sheet material extending between opposed first and second sling ends and bounded by opposed first and second sling sides. The urethral sling is selectively tensioned in a central portion intermediate the first and second sling ends and/or in one or both of end portions bracketing the central portion. In one embodiment, pre-positioned plicating lines in the central portion are selectively drawn and tied to slacken the central portion and tension the end portions. In further embodiments, bone anchor lines passed through locations displaced from the sling ends are drawn and fixed to tension the central portion between the displaced locations and slacken the end portions.
US08579795B2
Light modulation devices are provided. At least one Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) is used to create an oscillating signal used to drive an intensity parameter, a color parameter or both in a light modulator. The oscillating signal may be mixed with a base signal. The modulated signal driving either of the intensity or color parameters may be simple or complex. Systems having a plurality of light projection devices, each associated with a corresponding light modulation device, are also provided. Such Light modulation systems may be used for a variety of applications.
US08579784B2
Automated treatment planning is provided with individual specific consideration. One or more prognosis models indicate survivability as a function of patient specific information for a given dose. By determining survivability for a plurality of doses, the biological model represented by survivability as a function of dose is determined from the specific patient. Similarly, the chances of complications or side effects are determined. The chance of survivability and chance of complication are used as or instead of the tumor control probability and normal tissue complications probability, respectively. The desired tumor dosage and tolerance dosage are selected as a function of the patient specific dose distributions. The selected dosages are input to an inverse treatment planning system for establishing radiation treatment parameters.
US08579782B2
The method relates to application of a transparent film (3) to a window (2) realized in a portion of paper (1), the portion of paper (1) being defined in a continuous strip (10) destined to be wound in a reel. The film (3) exhibits larger dimensions than the window (2), such that a frame (30) is defined about the window (2), a total thickness of which is given by the portion of paper (1) plus the film (3). The method includes a stage of pressing with which at least a part of the frame (30) is brought to a total thickness which is not greater than an original thickness of the portion of paper (1). This enables the strip (10) to be wound strictly adheringly in the various spires thereof.
US08579780B2
A sheet of side gusset material 3 is folded into halves, superposed into two layers and interposed between webs of panel material 1 and 2. One of the webs of panel material 1 is folded along a longitudinal folded line 8 to make the webs of panel material 1 and 2 open and make an open surface formed on the webs of panel material 1 and 2. One of the layers of side gusset material 3 is folded along the longitudinal folded line 8 to make the layers of side gusset material 3 open along with an auxiliary gusset portion 7 and make an open surface formed on the layers of auxiliary gusset portion 7. A web of bottom gusset material 4 is superposed on the open surfaces of panel material 1 and 2 and auxiliary gusset portion 7. The web of bottom gusset material 4 and the auxiliary gusset portion 7 are heat sealed with each other while the webs of panel material 1 and 2 and the sheet of side gusset material 3 are heat sealed with each other widthwise of the webs of panel material 1 and 2 with the open surfaces kept being formed. The web of bottom gusset material 4 and at least one of the webs of panel material 1 are heat sealed with each other longitudinally of the webs of panel material 1 and 2 with the open surfaces kept being formed.
US08579775B2
A supply roller of a developing device for an image forming apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, which is small and exhibits excellent toner supply properties while preventing occurrence of the ghost phenomenon and toner-filming phenomenon, which cause a deterioration in image quality. The supply roller of the developing device for the image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a shaft, and a conductive resilient member enclosing an outer circumference of the shaft. The conductive resilient member has a density of about 60 kg/m3 to about 120 kg/m3, and an outer diameter of about 8.0 mm to about 10.0 mm.
US08579774B2
A drive roller for flat belts is provided in various embodiments wherein the roller has improved characteristics for maintaining traction of belts, such as lagging applied to the roller.
US08579773B2
An exercise apparatus including a frame, a carriage, a central pulley, first and second frame pulleys, a pull cord, and a locking mechanism. The frame defines a longitudinal axis. The carriage is mounted on the frame and movable along the longitudinal axis. The central pulley is attached to the carriage. The first and second frame pulleys are attached to the frame. The pull cord has first and second handle portions. The pull cord is looped about the pulleys. The central pulley is between the first and second frame pulleys along the pull cord. The first frame pulley is between the first handle portion and the central pulley along the pull cord. The second frame pulley is between the second handle portion and the central pulley along the pull cord. The locking mechanism is configured to engage the central pulley.
US08579769B2
An apparatus comprising, a paddle lever, a hinge joint, the hinge joint pivotally attached to the paddle lever, a hydraulic piston, the hydraulic piston pivotally attached to the paddle lever, a crankshaft, a piston bar, the piston bar pivotally attached to the paddle lever on a first end and to the crankshaft on a second end, a chain assembly, the chain assembly interlocked to the crankshaft, and a wheel, the wheel attached to the chain assembly by a rear axle, wherein a force pushes down the paddle lever hinged on the pivot joint, the force is transmitted to both the hydraulic piston and the crankshaft at the same time therefore rotating the wheel. A method of transportation comprising, using human force to simultaneously move a crankshaft and a hydraulic piston, whereby a wheel is rotated.
US08579765B2
A vehicle powertrain with engine start-stop characteristics is capable of maintaining a vehicle stationary on a roadway with a gradient when wheel brakes are applied to stop the vehicle as the engine is shut down. Vehicle creep and vehicle launch is achieved as the engine is re-started following detection of a brake release signal based on engine speed.
US08579764B2
A control apparatus for an idle-stop system mounted on a manual-transmission-vehicle includes a restart unit performing a restart operation of the engine such that the restart unit drives a starter to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is met. The restart condition includes a condition where a clutch member is operated to allow the motive force to be transmitted between the output shaft of the engine and the driving wheel of the vehicle while the motive force has been blocked by the clutch, and a condition where the brake member is operated to stop applying the braking force to the wheel while the motive force has been blocked by the clutch. A forced stopping means is adapted to stop the wheels by forcibly applying the braking force to the wheels by operating a brake actuator during a predetermined period since the restart condition is met.
US08579761B2
A gearshift control method for a motor vehicle whose drive train comprises a turbo-charged combustion engine, a startup clutch and a shift clutch and an automatic stepped transmission, in which drive engine torque deficiencies, that occur during the build-up of load at the end of a tractive upshift, are avoided without assisting the engine with an additional device or increasing the charge pressure. The method provides that the engine accelerates at the earliest, after the disengagement of the load gear, and at the latest, at the start of the load build-up after the engagement of the target gear up to the boost threshold speed or an engine speed which is slightly above the boost threshold speed, and is loaded, during the load build-up, with a largely constant engine speed beyond the intake torque of the engine to nearly the full load torque, before slipping of the friction clutch ends.
US08579759B2
A hybrid electric vehicle has a first mode in which slippage of a clutch between an electric motor and a driving wheel is allowed and controlled by rotational speed control of the electric motor and a second mode in which the slippage of the clutch is allowed and controlled by rotational speed control of an engine. When the vehicle is stationary in the first mode, a controller reduces a control setpoint of hydraulic pressure of the clutch from an initial point. The controller identifies a reference point of the control setpoint with which actual output torque of the electric motor is substantially constant with respect to the reduction of the control setpoint. Then, the controller increases the control setpoint to a precharge point, and reduces the control setpoint to a corrected point that is lower than or substantially equal to the initial point and higher than the reference point.
US08579755B2
A passive mechanical torque converter includes an input member which is coupled to an input of a first centripetal clutch. The output of the first centripetal clutch is coupled to both one element of a planetary gear assembly and the input of a second, double sided centripetal clutch. Another element of the planetary gear assembly is coupled to one side of a one way (overrunning) clutch, the other side of which is grounded. The output of the double sided centripetal clutch and the third element of the planetary gear assembly are coupled to an output member.
US08579754B2
A locking mechanism for a differential assembly includes an adjusting ring and a retainer. The adjusting ring is rotatable about an axis and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. The adjusting ring is adjustable to set a desired preload. A plurality of pockets is formed within the outer peripheral surface, and the pockets are circumferentially spaced apart from each other about the axis. The retainer has a portion that at least partially extends into one of the pockets to prevent rotation of the adjusting ring about the axis once the desired preload is achieved.
US08579750B2
A transmission for a hybrid electric vehicle may include an input element, an output element, first and second motor generators, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a first clutch and a second clutch, wherein a first rotary elements of the first and second planetary gear sets may be connected with the output element, a second rotary element and a third rotary element of the first planetary gear set may be connected with the input element and the first motor generator, respectively, a second rotary element of the second planetary gear set may be connected with the second motor generator, a third rotary element of the second planetary gear set may be switched by the first clutch, and a fourth rotary element of the first planetary gear set and the second rotary element of the second planetary gear set may be switched by the second clutch.
US08579747B2
A stacked ring 2 that forms a transmission belt is formed by stacking a plurality of elastically deformable ring materials 201 to 206 together. Shot peening is performed on surfaces of the ring materials 201 to 203 of the first layer as the innermost layer to the third layer so that a residual compressive stress in the ring materials 201 to 203 is higher than that in the ring materials 204 to 206 of the fourth to sixth layers. The outer circumferential length of the ring material 203 of the third layer is longer than the inner circumferential length of the ring material 204 of the fourth layer, and the ring material 203 of the third layer is press-fit into the ring material 204 of the fourth layer.
US08579743B2
A sport ball may include a casing that incorporates a plurality of joined panel elements, which include a first panel element with a first edge and a second panel element with a second edge. The first edge and the second edge are welded to each other. In some configurations, the first panel element has a first edge with a projection that extends outward from the first edge, the second panel element has a second edge that is located adjacent to the first edge, and the projection of the first edge is located between the second edge and the bladder. In another configuration, the first edge and the second edge are formed to have a rounded configurations. The sport ball may also include an intermediate layer and a bladder within the casing.
US08579737B2
Goal apparatus comprising a frame, a first pliable goalpost member, a second pliable goalpost member and a pliable crossbar member. The frame presents net connection points and is configured to support each of the pliable goal members in tension between two net connection points such that the goal apparatus presents a substantially rectangular goal mouth. A frame for use in the goal apparatus. A net for use in the goal apparatus comprising first, second and third edges, and a first pliable goalpost member, a second pliable goalpost member and a pliable crossbar member extending along the first, second and third edge respectively.
US08579732B1
A jumping game assembly includes a mat having a plurality of panels. Each of the panels forms a target area configured for being jumped upon by a user. The panels are arranged into rows and columns defining adjacently positioned interior edges of the panels and outer edges of the panels. The outer edges correspond to an outer perimeter of the mat. A plurality of interior strips is coupled to and extends between the adjacently positioned interior edges of the panels. An upper border is coupled to and extends around the outer edges of the panels. A disc is configured for throwing onto the mat to distinguish one of the panels on which the disc lands as a jumping target for a game played by jumping on the mat in accordance with a set of rules.
US08579730B2
A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas comprising at least two groups of areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, the areas being arranged to form a spherical polyhedron shape, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules and such that the first and second groups of areas produce different aerodynamic effects, and the first dimples being of different dimensions from the second dimples.
US08579720B2
A putting stroke training system identifies a preferred putting stroke and facilitates training for a golfer to repeat the preferred putting stroke. The training system includes a grid box with a fixed side wall and a movable side wall. The movable side wall is positionable relative to the fixed side wall into alignment with the preferred putting stroke. The training system also includes an alignment sensor attachable to a putter head. In some embodiments, the alignment sensor signals when the putter head deviates from the preferred stroke.
US08579715B2
Leisure and amusement slide elements and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a waterslide includes a bowl having a curved sidewall, two or more rider entrances for enabling riders to slide into the bowl and to circuit at least a portion of the bowl, and a receptacle for forming a pool of water to receive a rider exiting the bowl. A nozzle is provided for directing a jet of water to bias a rider towards an edge of the pool. Another slide apparatus includes a bowl having upper and lower ends and first and second entrances distinct from one another and spaced apart from the bowl lower end. The first and second entrances are configured to bias all users of the first and second entrances to travel about at least a portion of the bowl in a common direction, whether clockwise or counter-clockwise.
US08579714B2
This new invented mechanism is geometrically defined by two concentric tetrahedrons. Four motors are mounted onto the four vertexes of an outer tetrahedron frame. Four outer arc-links which are driven by these motors are pivotally connected with another four inner arc-links which are pivoted by four vertexes of an inner tetrahedron frame. This mechanism not only extends the range in pitch, roll and yaw three rotational DoF for enlarging the limits of Stewart 6-axis motion platform but also increases two translational DoF for improving the shortage of gimbals type multi-ring mechanism. This mechanism can simulate high maneuvering motion (ex. Barrel roll or fast spin) as high-speed vehicles (ex. fighter or roller coaster) can to stimulate passengers with virtual-but-real and shocked-but-exciting sensation. This mechanism will be chosen as a motion platform or a space orientating mechanism for a theme park game machine or a military fighter trainer.
US08579713B2
A torsional damper assembly for transmitting torque between a prime mover of a powertrain and an input of a transmission is provided. The torsional damper assembly includes an input mass, an output mass, a damping element, a bypass clutch, and a bypass clutch release lever. The damping element is interposed between the input mass and the output mass, and it is operable to translate torque between the masses and to dampen oscillation generated by the prime mover. The bypass clutch is configured to couple the input and output masses together for common rotation when engaged. The bypass clutch release lever is pivotally rotatable with respect to the output mass, and it includes a biasing portion and a weighted end. When rotated, the biasing portion is operable to bias the bypass clutch away from the input mass to disengage the bypass clutch.
US08579710B2
A method is provided for trading virtual goods. A game environment is provided in which a first player can acquire or develop a virtual good. This virtual good has a starting value. At least one rating of the virtual good is received from a second player via the game environment. The starting value is automatically increased or decreased as a function of the at least one rating of the virtual good. The virtual good is then made available for purchase at the new value. A system for trading virtual goods is also provided.
US08579709B2
Methods and gaming units for conducting a wagering game and an associated progressive jackpot in a gaming network having a plurality of operatively coupled gaming units are described. A progressive jackpot award amount may be determined in part based on the amount of the player's wager for the occurrence of the wagering game in relation to a maximum wager amount that may be made on one of the gaming units in the gaming network. The progressive jackpot pool may include a main pool and a reserve pool. Portions of players' wagers being added to the progressive jackpot pool may be apportioned between the main pool and the reserve pool based on calculation performed at the gaming network, with the apportionment being at least partially determined by the amount in the main pool.
US08579693B2
A system and method for providing an additional or end-of-game drawing to players of a lottery game is provided. In one embodiment, unique validation codes provided on lottery tickets can be encrypted using an algorithm and used to create a record of such encrypted codes. A player then participates in the lottery and subsequently submits the validation code from the ticket to a lottery provider. The lottery provider applies the algorithm to the submitted validation code to create another encryption code for comparison with the record of encrypted codes. In the event a match is found, the player is entered into a second-chance or end of game drawing. Upon entry, the player is no longer required to maintain possession of the ticket for subsequent validation.
US08579687B2
Disclosed in this specification is an electronic board game. In use, a primary game (e.g. a card game) is played until one of the players presses an activation button. The other players attempt to quickly react and press their buttons. The faster they react, the more points the players earn. The initial activation of the timers can be done when that player perceives a predetermined event that occurred during the card game. The player may attempt to bluff the other players by pressing the button without having perceived the event but doing so risks the other players issuing a challenge. In certain embodiments, the cards are selected to help players learn basic skills, such as shapes, colors, or mathematical operations.
US08579680B2
A centerless grinding machine includes a frame with an upper base and includes a driven regulating wheel and a driven grinding wheel mounted to the frame. At least one of the wheels is mounted to the upper base and hangs downwardly from the upper base. At least one of the wheels is indexable laterally along an X direction. The wheels are for supporting and grinding a work piece placed between the grinding wheel and the regulating wheel. Preferably the upper base is spaced from and above the at least one wheel and the regulating wheel and the grinding wheel are operably mounted to the upper base such that the wheels hang downwardly from the upper base.
US08579679B2
The present invention provides an apparatus capable of uniformly grinding an polishing pad. Further, the present invention provides a method of grinding an polishing pad by using the grinding apparatus. Specifically, the present invention provides a method of, in a double-side polishing device having a carrier for holding a work, a pair of upper and lower rotating surface plates disposed to face each other to sandwich the carrier therebetween, and the polishing pad provided on each of the facing surfaces of the rotating surface plates for polishing the work, grinding the polishing pad, the method comprising the steps of: separating the upper and the lower rotating surface plates away from each other when the polishing pads on the upper and the lower rotating surface plates are to be ground; inserting, between the separated upper and lower rotating surface plates, an arm having at a front end portion thereof a grinding plate of a diameter smaller than those of the rotating surface plates; and pressing the grinding plate against the polishing pad of each of the rotating surface plates and rotating the grinding plate, thereby grinding the polishing pad of each of the rotating surface plates. The present invention also provides an apparatus which enables the grinding method described above.
US08579672B2
A car 1 for amusement devices comprises a frame (not shown), which is connected to a person-receiving apparatus 10. A running gear 30 is arranged on the frame. Arranged on the running gear 30 and spaced at a distance from the frame and from the person-receiving apparatus 10 are rotatable wheels with coils and illumination elements 33 integrated therein. Between the wheels 31 and the running gear 30 is arranged in each case at least one magnet 32, such that electric current is induced in the coil by rotation of the wheels 31 for feeding the illumination elements 33.
US08579664B1
Manufacturers or vendors may desire to occlude connection ports on a device that are used to upload software onto the device. An implementation discloses inserting two pins into a first cavity of an Ethernet connector and two additional pins into a second cavity of the Ethernet connector. The pins may be bent over the connector and soldered to a printed circuit board. The four pins may correspond to the at least four pins required by a USB specification. Also disclosed is an adapter or cable that may connected.
US08579660B2
A modular jack (100) comprising a housing (200) defining an upper cavity and a lower cavity vertically stacked under the upper port, and a contact module (400) assembled to the housing. The contact module further comprises an upper row of mating contacts (42) extending into the upper cavity for mating with a module plug inserted therein, a horizontal upper PCB (43) bearing the upper row of contacts, a vertical right PCB (47) electrically connecting the upper PCB, a number of right transferring contacts (524) electrically connecting the right PCB, a lower row of mating contacts (44) extending into the lower cavity for mating with another module plug inserted therein, a horizontal lower PCB (45) bearing the lower row of contacts, a vertical left PCB (46) electrically connecting the lower PCB, a number of left transferring contacts (522) electrically connecting the left PCB.
US08579657B2
The invention relates to an electric terminal for leading a conductor through a wall, comprising a first terminal piece (1) to be mounted on one side of the wall, and a second terminal piece (2) to be mounted on the other side of the wall. The first terminal piece (1) has a first connecting element (5) and a holding element (7) for positioning the first connecting element (5), while the second terminal piece (2) has a busbar (4) to be electrically connected to the first connecting element (5). According to the invention, the first connecting element (5) in such an electric terminal for leading a conductor through a wall can be connected to the conductor and/or the busbar (4) in a particularly simple fashion because the first connecting element (5) is positioned in the first terminal piece (1) by the holding element (7).
US08579653B2
The invention relates to an electrical plug connector including a pin-shaped plug and a sleeve-shaped coupling which encloses the plug with an intermediary cavity and open washer shaped spring elastic contact elements which are arranged in the cavity. In order to provide a good electrical contact the invention proposes two inward protruding knobs of the contact elements, wherein the knobs are arranged opposite to one another. Outward protruding knobs limit a maximum deformation of the contact elements and thus prevent a mechanical overload of the contact elements.
US08579641B1
An electrical adapter system includes a housing that includes a receiving portion, the housing including first electrical contacts and second electrical contacts disposed at the receiving portion. The electrical adapter system includes a plug that includes a body, electrical prongs extending from a surface of the body, and electrical contacts coupled to the electrical prongs. The body of the plug is receivable by the receiving portion in at least two orientations such that in each of the at least two orientations, the electrical prongs extend outward from the housing, and one or more of the electrical contacts of the plug engage at least one of the first electrical contacts or at least one of the second electrical contacts.
US08579632B2
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a computer-implemented athletic performance analysis method that includes obtaining, at a computer system, first motion data reflecting motion of a sporting device during one or more drills performed by an athlete. The method also includes creating and storing action data by identifying a plurality of portions of the motion data, where each of the portions correspond to one or more actions by the athlete; comparing the action data for the athlete, with the computer system, to corresponding aggregated action data for a plurality of other athletes to determine a relative skill level for the athlete with respect to the one or more actions; and generating data for a report that reflects the relative development level of the athlete.
US08579628B2
Arrangement comprising an instrument for the preparation or execution of the insertion of an implant
An arrangement including an instrument for the insertion of a dental implant including a template placeable on a bone or surrounding tissue. The template, or a first sleeve arranged within the template, includes a through-recess, through which the instrument can be guided. The arrangement enables exact alignment and guidance of the instrument and easy handling. A second sleeve that is axially displaceable on the instrument is provided, and axially fixed in a base position through automatically releasable connecting elements with predetermined retaining force such that when the retaining force is exceeded, the connecting elements can be automatically released and the second sleeve can be axially displaced. The instrument, together with the axially fixed second sleeve, can be inserted in the continuous recess and is aligned in the template via the outer surface of the second sleeve, the surface being configured relative to the inner surface of the recess.
US08579627B2
A method is provided for controlling the feed of a combustible gas by a valve device placed in a feed pipe which has a gas inlet section and a gas outlet section. The device includes a valve seat in the pipe associated with a membrane-operated plug and a device for returning the plug to a position in which the valve seat is shut off. The method includes the steps of creating a pressure difference in a section of the pipe downstream of the plug with respect to the direction of flow, by a constriction in the pipe having a predetermined cross section, the pressure difference being defined by a first pressure upstream of the constriction and a second pressure downstream of the constriction; collecting the signal formed by the second pressure downstream of the constriction and making the second pressure act on the side of the membrane opposite that on which the first pressure acts; and generating a regulatable load on the membrane of the membrane operating system.
US08579624B2
A system is disclosed for manufacturing multi-wall corrugated polymer pipe. The system includes an extruder configured to co-extrude concentric annular tubes; a corrugator configured to form the concentric annular tubes into a dual-wall pipe having a smooth wall and a corrugated wall; a cross-head die configured to extrude an outer wall of pipe onto the corrugated wall of the dual-wall pipe; a vacuum punch configured to penetrate the outer wall of pipe and draw a vacuum between the corrugated wall and the outer wall, such that the outer wall of pipe deforms inward toward the corrugated wall of pipe between bell and spigot portions of the corrugated wall; and a cutter configured to cut the pipe into sections where the vacuum punch deformed the outer wall between the bell and spigot portions of the corrugated wall. A method of manufacturing multi-wall corrugated polymer pipe is also disclosed.
US08579620B2
Methods and techniques of using 3D printers to create physical models from image data are discussed. Geometric representations of different physical models are described and complex data conversion processes that convert input image data into geometric representations compatible with third party 3D printers are disclosed. Printing templates are used to encapsulate complex geometric representations and complicated data conversion processes from users for fast and simple 3D physical model printing applications.
US08579617B2
An oil pump rotor includes an inner rotor having (n) external teeth, an outer rotor having (n+1) internal teeth, and a casing forming a suction port and a discharge port for drawing/discharging fluid. In operation, fluid is drawn/discharged according to volume changes of cells formed between tooth faces. A tooth profile based on a mathematical curve has a tooth addendum circle A1 with a radius RA1 and a tooth root curve A2 with a radius RA2, a circle D1 has a radius RD1 satisfying Formula (1), and a circle D2 has a radius RD2 satisfying both Formulas (2) and (3): RA1>RD1>RA2 Formula (1) RA1>RD2>RA2 Formula (2) RD1≧RD2 Formula (3) A tooth profile of the external teeth includes a modification either, in a radially outer direction, on the outer side of the circle D1 or, in a radially inner direction, on the inner side of the circle D2.
US08579614B2
A scroll compressor has a housing enclosing a compressor pump unit which includes an orbiting scroll member and a non-orbiting scroll member. Each of the orbiting and non-orbiting scroll members include a base and a generally spiral wrap extending from the base. The wraps interfit to define compression chambers, with a central-most discharge pressure chamber, and circumferentially spaced intermediate pressure chambers being defined. The base of the non-orbiting scroll includes ports associated with the intermediate pressure chambers. At least one port is associated with the discharge pressure chamber. Valves are associated with each of the ports. A discharge plenum is defined downstream of the ports and valves within the housing. A back pressure chamber is defined behind the base of one of the orbiting and non-orbiting scroll members, and taps a refrigerant from the discharge pressure chamber.
US08579611B2
A clamping and seal loading technique for securing the plunger sleeve to the pump housing of a single plunger fuel pump. This is achieved by providing a load ring between a sleeve retainer and the sleeve, such that the axial force applied by the retainer during installation and attachment to the plunger bore wall of the housing, is distributed more evenly on the sleeve and the sealing surface of the sleeve against the housing adjacent to the pumping chamber. The even distribution of force minimizes misalignment of the sleeve and thus maintains concentricity between the sleeve and the plunger.
US08579610B2
A downhole pump has a barrel and a plunger. The barrel has a first one-way valve and the plunger has a second one-way valve. The plunger is of the box end type. The pump prevents or minimizes gas lock by achieving high compression in the compression chamber between the two valves. The second valve is located close to the bottom end of the plunger. In the second valve, the valve seat is in contact with the seat plug, which seat plug has a seal. Alternatively, the valve seat is incorporated into the seat plug, which seat plug also has a seal. The plunger lacks reliefs at the bottom end and thereby achieves tight tolerances with the barrel, further contributing to high compression.
US08579590B2
A method is disclosed that includes providing a turbomachinery blade having an airfoil connected to a platform in a root region of the turbomachinery blade. The airfoil has a trailing edge extending from the root region to a tip distal from the root region. The method further includes forming a blind relief hole in the platform proximate the trailing edge of the airfoil, and forming a plurality of cooling holes in the platform.
US08579585B2
An inlet duct, an induction system, and a system are disclosed for directing an inlet flow into an inlet compressor for use in an internal combustion engine. An example inlet duct may include one or more relief features disposed on an inner surface of the inlet duct. The one or more relief features may be made integral with the inlet duct. The one or more relief features may be disposed to protrude into the inlet flow to cause the inlet flow to swirl before reaching the inlet compressor.
US08579583B2
The present invention relates to a strut for a turbine center frame of a jet engine, in particular a gas turbine, with a first end for disposition on an internal structure of the turbine center frame and a second end opposite the first end for attaching the strut on a housing or an internal boundary wall of the turbine center frame, and on the second end at least one flange-like element with at least one first aperture is removably arranged with at least one first aperture for accommodating or passing through an attachment means. The invention further relates to a turbine center frame for a jet engine, in particular a gas turbine as well as a method for producing a turbine center frame of a jet engine, in particular a gas turbine.
US08579578B2
A fan biasing transmission mechanism includes gearbox affixed to the rear side of the housing of an electric fan's fan motor, a control rod pivotally and axially movably mounted in the gearbox. a power gear fixedly mounted on the control rod and meshed with a motor shaft worm wheel of the fan motor, a driving gear pivotally mounted in the gearbox, a gear-clutch gear fixedly mounted on the control rod and movable with the control rod into mesh with the gear-clutch gear, a first bevel gear fixedly mounted on the driving gear, a second bevel gear meshed with the first bevel gear, a bracket, a crank arm pivotally coupled between the gear shaft and the bracket, and an elastic member connected between the gear shaft and the gearbox.
US08579575B2
A wind turbine has a spindle, a first fan device and a second fan device. The first fan device is rotatably mounted around the spindle and has a first pivot hole and at least two first blades. The first pivot hole is formed through a center of the first fan device and is mounted around the spindle. The at least two first blades are radially mounted on and protrude from an external surface of the first fan device. The second fan device is rotatably mounted around the spindle, abuts with the first fan device and has a second pivot hole and at least two second blades. The second pivot hole is formed through a center of the second fan device and is mounted around the spindle. The at least two second blades are mounted on and protrude from an external surface of the second fan device.
US08579569B2
A retaining cam (20) for a rotatable fastener for connecting components (16, 17) is provided. The retaining cam (20) has a housing (22) pivotally supported on a base plate (24), by which the retaining cam (20) can be fixedly connected to one (17) of the components (16, 17). A screw (30) is secured rotationally fixed in the housing (22). A fastener bolt (40) rotatably connected to another (16) of the components (16, 17) can be screwed onto the screw (30). Spring elements are associated with the screw (30) for generating an elastic pretension for securing the fastener bolt (40) against rotation. The housing (22) is pivotally supported on the base plate (24) by a spherical washer (50). An angle deviation between the center axes of the retaining cam (20) and the fastener bolt (40) can be compensated for by pivoting the retaining cam on the spherical washer (50) while maintaining full-surface contact of the retaining cam (20).
US08579568B2
An exemplary embodiment relates to an expansion bolt component that includes a bolt, an elastic component, and a nut. The bolt includes a necking part at an upper end thereof. The elastic component includes sides parts that include a plurality of ribs symmetrically arranged. Each rib includes a lower part and an upper part, each lower part being connected to a lower part of an associated adjacent rib. The nut is configured to be threaded onto a lower end of the bolt and to move into a lower end of the elastic component due to rotation of the bolt. The lower part of each rib is configured to expand in a radial direction when the nut moves into the elastic component. The upper part of each rib is configured to move simultaneously toward the upper part of its associated adjacent rib, such that the upper parts of the plurality of ribs clamp the necking part of the bolt.
US08579566B2
This invention relates to a blind fastener having a hollow sleeve with high surface hardness and sufficient elongation, and to a novel heat treatment method therefor. The method for the heat treatment of the blind fastener includes austempering. The austempering includes a step in which a hollow sleeve of cold-rolled low carbon steel with a carbon percentage of 0.08 to 0.13% is heated and maintained from 800° C. to 950° C. during carburization, and a subsequent step in which isothermal maintenance is performed from 320° C. to 500° C. The resulting carbon percentage (CP) value is from 0.3 to 0.5%. Even in the case of a low carbon steel blind fastener, the austempering can harden the surface of the sleeve and soften the inner portion other than the surface for suitable elongation in order to provide a blind fastener having a sleeve with high surface hardness and sufficient elongation.
US08579561B2
A spindle device of machine tool includes a pressure sensor (31) that detects a pressing force to a rod (18) by a drive (25), a displacement sensor (32) that detects displacement of the rod (18), a tool clamping-force detector (33) that detects a clamping force to a tool (19) by a collet (20) based on the pressing force to the rod (18) and the displacement of the rod (18), and a spring-replacement-timing determining unit (36) that determines a replacement timing of disc springs (24) based on the tool clamping force and a preset biasing force characteristic value of the disc springs (24), thereby allowing highly accurate determination of a replacement timing of a biasing unit by appropriately detecting a tool clamping force.
US08579560B2
An index device for a machine tool includes a rotary shaft (40) to which a drive object is attached, a housing (30) surrounding the rotary shaft (40), a bearing (BI, B2) secured between the housing (30) and the rotary shaft (40) by a securing member (30b), and a drive (M) provided around the rotary shaft (40) and including a rotor (M1a, M2a) and a stator (M1b, M2b). The stator (M1b, M2b) is attached to the housing (30) and the rotor (M1a, M2a) is attached to the rotary shaft (40). The rotary shaft (40), the bearing (BI, B2), the rotor (M1a, M2a), and the securing member (30b) are connected together to form a built-in unit (22) that can be inserted into and extracted from an enclosure unit including a casing member (30a, 31a) of the housing (30) and the stator (M1b, M2b), thus facilitating connection and disconnection of wiring between the stator of a DD motor mounted in a spindle head of a machine tool and a main body of the machine tool.
US08579558B2
An insert comprises an insert main body having an upper surface and a plurality of side surfaces, a cutting edge located between both ends of a ridge which is between at least one side surface among the side surfaces and the upper surface, a high-positioned portion located at one end of the ridge, and a low-positioned portion located lower in the thickness direction of the insert main body than the high-positioned portion and located at the other end of the ridge. The cutting edge comprises a first flat cutting edge having substantially the same height as the high-positioned portion, and a tilted cutting edge having a height decreasing from the high-positioned portion toward the low-positioned portion. On at least the one side surface, at least one groove extends from the side surface to the upper surface to divide the cutting edge by the groove, and at least the one groove is formed at a region including an intersection of a first extension line formed by imaginarily extending the first flat cutting edge with a second extension line formed by imaginarily extending the tilted cutting edge. This enables reduction in the occurrence of vibration during cutting, and the chipping.
US08579554B2
A hole cutter has a cylindrical blade body including a cutting edge and one or more axially-elongated apertures formed within a side wall of the blade body. The axially-elongated aperture is configured to receive a lever, such as a screwdriver, therethrough. Each axially-elongated aperture includes a first fulcrum axially spaced adjacent to the cutting edge, a second fulcrum axially spaced further away from the cutting edge than the first fulcrum, and a third fulcrum axially spaced between the first and second fulcrums. A lever, such as a screwdriver, can be inserted into the aperture and placed against each of the fulcrums to lever slugs out of the interior of the blade body.
US08579553B2
A method of installing cable through material, for example, concrete, wood, masonry, plastic steel, or the like comprising a drill bit with a distal end having a hollow tip with an attachment mechanism for receiving the cable. The drill bit is drilled through the material, and left in place while the cable is attached to the proximal end of the drill bit. There is no need to remove the drill bit from the aperture or material to attach the cable thereto. After attachment to the drill bit, the cable is inserted through the aperture with the drill bit and removed from the drill bit after it passes through the material so it can be attached to a receiver device.
US08579547B2
A vessel having an elongated shape, and being moored to the sea bed in a substantially fixed orientation. The vessel includes at least along its longitudinal sides, near keel level, two transverse skirts having such a width that the natural roll period of the vessel is above a predetermined period, the natural roll period of the vessel without the skirts being below the predetermined period.
US08579542B2
Arresting beds for decelerating vehicles, especially passenger air-crafts unable to stop on available run-way, including a vehicle arresting system. The vehicle arresting system also includes a bed filled with foamed glass aggregate with particle sizes ranging from 0.25 cm to 15 cm and nominal void fractions from about 70 to 98%, and a top cover covering the upper surface of the bed of foamed glass aggregate.
US08579541B2
Pick hole guards are provided for use in guarding pick holes on manhole covers. In some embodiments of the present invention, the pick hole guards can have a base, biasing member, and guard member. The biasing member can be attached to the base and guard member, and can bias the guard member toward a pick hole on the manhole cover to guard the pick hole. In other embodiments, the pick hole guards do not have movable guard members, but instead have retaining surfaces to serve as a receptacle for catching waste disposed through a pick hole.
US08579540B2
The invention relates to an access control device (20) comprising a first housing (21), an obstacle (25) mounted to move in translation in the first housing, a second housing (23) remote (34) from the first housing and receiving an electric motor-and-gearbox unit (26), a deformable link connected to the obstacle and co-operating with the unit, and a mechanical return device for returning the obstacle towards a position projecting out from the first housing, which return device is connected to the deformable link and is arranged in the second housing.
US08579506B2
A gantry scanner system includes a radiation source, a plurality of detectors and a support frame supporting the detectors. The support frame includes an elongate support member arranged to support the detectors, cable support means arranged to support power cables or signal cables connected to the detectors, and cover means arranged to cover the support member, the cable support means and the detectors.
US08579505B2
A temperature indication structure for a thermometer includes a temperature indication portion made of a heat conductive layer to receive a heat flow. A structure with temperature indication markings is disposed on or above the temperature indication portion. A reversible temperature-sensitive color changing layer is formed on the temperature indication portion to overlap the structure of the temperature indication markings. The heat conductive layer is adapted to conduct the heat flow to the reversible temperature-sensitive color changing layer, producing a sensed temperature and a color changing zone of the reversible temperature-sensitive color changing layer in response to the sensed temperature thereby exhibiting a corresponding temperature value.
US08579504B2
A line is deployed along a landing string or along a marine riser of a subsea well. The line has sensors, such as temperature sensors, distributed along its length. In one embodiment, the line comprises a fiber optic line that includes fiber optic temperature sensors distributed along its length. In another embodiment, the line comprises a fiber optic line used to transmit light, wherein the returned back-scatter light is analyzed to provide a temperature profile along the length of the fiber line. The fiber optic line can be deployed by connecting it to the landing string, pumping it down a pre-existing conduit (such as a hydraulic or chemical injection conduit), or pumping it down a dedicated fiber optic specific conduit.
US08579499B2
A device for winding watches, particularly manually-wound watches, comprising a containment structure which accommodates a motor, transmission means and a motor controller.The transmission means transfer the rotation of the motor, provided with power supply means, to a coupling which can be associated with the crown of the watch to be wound. The rotation is controlled by the controller.The device comprises a seat for stably accommodating the watch to be wound, the seat being defined on a surface of the containment structure.
US08579489B2
An illuminator is provided including: a light source unit composed of a point light source; a light guide plate including an incidence surface into which light emitted from the light source unit is introduced, and an exit surface out which the light that has been introduced from the incidence surface exits; and a prism body where a plurality of prisms are arranged so as to refract the light that has exited out from the exit surface of the light guide plate, wherein the prism body is arranged at a specific area on the entire exit surface of the light guide plate so as to refract part of the light that has exited out from the exit surface of the light guide plate.
US08579456B2
In order to accurately illuminate an object to be illuminated with planar light having little unevenness in intensity, a backlight unit (2) having a simple structure and simple assembly is provided with a reflection sheet (8) which covers a chassis (5) and a substrate (6) and which has through-holes (81) penetrated by light sources (7), wherein the through-holes (811) formed in the center become larger than the through-holes (814) formed at the edges.
US08579452B2
An interface device (100) for controlling light sources (110) includes a target region (205); and a controller (120) that associates a preset with an illumination region, and controls a light source (110) in the illumination region when an indicator (215) associated with the preset and illumination region is moved into the target region (205). The controller (120) associates the preset with the illumination region when the preset is moved to an area of the interface device (100) associated with the illumination region. The controller (120) is further configured to change light attributes of light emitted from the light source (110) when the indicator (215) is moved across the target region (205), such as providing maximum intensity when the indicator (215) is at the center of the target region (205). The light attributes include intensity, color, hue, saturation, beam direction and/or beam width of the light.
US08579450B2
The invention relates to a sighting device, containing an elongate light source (11) and an elongate body (15) made from a material which conducts light and/or collects light. The light source (11) and body (15) are disposed coaxially. A user looking into the device in the viewing direction (3) sees at least one luminous mark under all light conditions. In weak or failing ambient light, at least the light source (11) appears as a luminous dot and in strong ambient light, the face of the body (15) directed towards the user radiates collected light. In the transition range between weak and strong ambient light, both the light source (11) and the luminous face of the body (15) are visible to the user.
US08579448B2
Instrument cluster and pointing device for a car or other vehicle, the pointing device being mounted rotatable about a rotation axis and having a shaft element in the vicinity of the rotation axis, the pointing device further comprising at least one of a light guide element or a mirror element in the region of the shaft element and comprising one of an image forming element or an aperture, wherein the one of the image forming element or the aperture and the one of the light guide element or the mirror element are able to be rotated about the rotational axis with the shaft element, and wherein light incident to the shaft element is directed from the one of the light guide element or the mirror element to the image forming element or aperture and projecting to a visible surface.
US08579446B2
The invention relates to a variable-spectrum solar simulator for characterising photovoltaic systems. The simulator can be used to obtain a spectrum adjusted to the solar spectrum, both for a standard spectrum or a real spectrum adjusted to local irradiation conditions. The simulator also allows the spatial-angular characteristics of the sun to be reproduced. The invention comprises: a broad-spectrum light source, the flux from which is emitted through an aperture; an optical system which collimates the primary source; a system which disperses the beam chromatically; an optical system which forms an image of the dispersed primary source at a given position, at which a spatial mask is placed in order to filter the received irradiance spectrally; an optical system which captures the filtered spectrum and returns, mixes and concentrates same in a secondary source with the desired spectral, angular, and spatial characteristics; an optical system which collimates the secondary source such that it reproduces the angular characteristics of the sun; and a control system.
US08579445B2
A plastic mirror mounting system is proposed with a substrate made of plastic material coated with at least one reflective layer on a first surface. The plastic material has means to be connected to a mounting structure on the second surface of the plastic glass mirror. The plastic substrate includes at least three plastic mirror clips having at least one shoulder of plastic mirror clip that has a distance from the second surface so that no or almost no stress disturbs the reflective surface.
US08579443B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a scanned beam display, comprises a light source to generate a beam to be scanned and a scanning platform to scan the beam into an exit cone. The scanning platform receives the beam at a selected feed angle, and the scanning platform has a surface structure to redirect the exit cone at an exit angle that is less than the feed angle.
US08579442B2
Systems, devices and methods that enable advertisement on mobile computing applications are provided. More specifically, described herein are devices and methods that are capable of delivering relatively more friendly advertising information to a user while causing less interference on graphics-based user interfaces of such devices. Integral projector modules which may be embedded in mobile computing devices are also provided. These modules may be capable of externally projecting advertising content upon most any surface.
US08579440B2
An eyesight testing apparatus includes an imaging device for virtual imaging a test object located within a focal length of the imaging device and imaged at different distances into eyes of a subject located in a focal point of the imaging device, an optical deflection device arranged in a beam path between the imaging device and the test object to deflect the beam path by 180°, wherein the deflection device is displaceable in the direction of the beam path and the test object is not, a monitor device that generates the test object and that comprises a single monitor, optical components lying in the beam path sized so that both eyes are able to take part in a test, and so a partial beam path is formed for each eye, and a blocking device arranged in the beam path, which comprises two LCD blocking elements for the partial beam paths.
US08579432B2
A recording apparatus including: a casing provided with a feed roller for feeding a recording medium; a removable member insertable into and removable from the casing by being moved relative to the casing in an axial direction of the feed roller wherein on the removable member is mounted a nip roller via a shaft thereof extending in parallel with the axial direction of the feed roller, the nip roller; a force applying portion which applies a force to the nip roller in a direction in which the nip roller is moved toward the feed roller; and a moving mechanism which moves the nip roller against the force in a mounting and removing operation in a direction in which the nip roller is moved away from the feed roller.
US08579429B2
A droplet ejection device includes a head that ejects droplets onto a recording medium so as to form an image, an extract unit that extracts a part of the image as a specific image portion, and a control unit that controls a treating-agent application member to apply treating agent to a first section and a second section of the recording medium. The specific image portion is formed in the first section, and at least a part of a non-specific image portion of the image is formed in the second section. When a remaining amount of the treating agent is less than a first amount, the treating-agent application member applies the treating agent to the second section by an amount less than an amount of the treating agent that is applied to the second section when the remaining amount is not less than the first amount.
US08579421B2
A liquid supplying apparatus includes: a table on which a liquid container is placed, the liquid container containing liquid; a needle that can be inserted into the liquid container so as to supply the liquid contained in the liquid container to a liquid consumption side therethrough, the liquid consumption side being a side at which the liquid supplied through the needle is consumed; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the liquid container around one axis in process of the relative movement which is the movement of the table with respect to the needle.
US08579416B2
A droplet discharging head, includes: a discharging chamber; a plurality of nozzle orifices discharging droplets and each of the plurality of nozzle orifices is communicated with the discharging chamber; an actuator; a vibrating plate provided using a bottom wall of the discharging chamber and displaceably driven by the actuator; and a reservoir commonly communicated with each discharging chamber. The discharging chamber, the actuator, and the reservoir are each segmented on separate planes and stacked in this order in a manner that a projection plane in a direction perpendicular to a formation plane of the reservoir is contained in formation planes of the actuator and the discharging chamber.
US08579407B2
An inkjet recording apparatus may include a liquid discharge head and a control unit. The liquid discharge head includes a heat generation resistor to generate thermal energy used for discharging liquid and a protection film disposed in at least one of an upper portion and a lower portion of the heat generation resistor. The control unit measures a minimum energy value required by the heat generation resistor to discharge liquid. In addition, the control unit stops discharge operation of the liquid discharge head when at least one of the energy value and a statistical value of the energy value is less than a threshold.
US08579403B2
A recording apparatus includes a recording unit recording an image, an endless belt which is stretched between rollers such that the inner circumferential surface thereof contacts the rollers and the outer circumferential surface thereof opposes the recording unit, a mark arranged on the profile of the belt, and a mark detection unit which detects that the mark moving in accordance with the travel of the belt is positioned at a predetermined position.
US08579402B2
A hollow plastic container having a curved external surface and a digital image printed thereon by ink droplets is provided. The ink droplets may vary in diameter from about 10 to about 200 microns and the droplets may range from about 200 to about 1200 drops per inch. Methods for digital printing plastic containers are also disclosed.
US08579400B2
An information processing apparatus is provided for a recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium using a recording head. The recording head includes recording element arrays arranged in parallel, and in which recording elements that discharge recording material are aligned. The information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit and a setting unit. The acquisition unit acquires displacement information of an impact position of the recording material recorded by at least one of the recording element arrays. The setting unit sets a distribution rate of the recording material for each recording element array according to the displacement information.
US08579384B2
A vehicle air brake system is presented with an improved service work brake arrangement. The arrangement may provide a service work brake function or both a service work brake function and a parking brake function for the vehicle. The arrangement may provide an improved service work brake arrangement disposed within a housing for reducing the number of components and plumbing required to achieve this functionality versus prior known systems. The arrangement may utilize a pneumatic latching valve to deliver pressurized air for applying a vehicle's service brakes. The pneumatic latching valve opens upon receiving a pneumatic control signal from an electronically controlled valve and closes upon receiving a pneumatic control signal from another source. In addition, a controller and control logic may be provided for controlling the arrangement.
US08579379B2
The present invention relates to a seat for a chair-lift installation composed of a seating part (1) and a back (2) and further including a support arch (3) intended to be connected to a carrier cable, a safety bar (4) mounted to tilt with respect to the seat between a lowered position and a raised position and provided with a horizontal bar (5). According to the invention, the seat includes, at least one of the side flanks a tilting device (8) arranged so that the horizontal bar (5) of the safety bar (4) makes, in a side plane, a non circular motion facilitating the passage from the lowered position to the raised position and vice versa.
US08579372B2
The present invention relates to a child seat for rearward facing use in a vehicle. The child seat includes an inflatable seating cushion chamber; an inflatable back part chamber; and inflatable side part chambers. The chambers are interconnected such that they form a continuous inflatable volume that require only a single port for inflation and deflation. The chambers are constructed out of a non-permeable fabric that maintains a constant separation between at least two non-permeable fabric surfaces when inflated.
US08579371B2
A vehicle seat comprises a reclinable seatback (2), a seat bottom (3) movable in a front-and-rear direction, a pretensioner (41) for moving the seat bottom (3) rearward, and brackets (21, 21) attached to a vehicle body. The seat bottom is attached to the brackets so as to move in the front-and-rear direction, the seatback is rotatably attached to the brackets, and the pretensioner moves the seat bottom relatively rearward with respect to the brackets. When the seat bottom is moved rearward by the pretensioner, a front portion of the seat bottom is moved upward.
US08579369B2
A child restraint includes a juvenile seat and a child-restraint harness coupled to the juvenile seat. The juvenile seat includes a seat shell formed to include a seat bottom and a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom. The juvenile seat also includes a headrest mounted for up-and-down movement on the seat back.
US08579368B2
A seat for a vehicle includes a seat cushion frame reciprocating between seating and retracted positions, a seat back frame rotatable between standing and forward-tilted positions, a head rest movable between stationary and retracted positions, a pair of links provided at both end portions of the seat cushion frame on a floor in a lateral direction of the vehicle, a guide member including a guide groove extending between the seating and retracted positions, a slide member arranged at the seat cushion frame and sliding along the guide groove, a head rest retaining device retaining the head rest in the stationary position, a rotary member supported by the seat back frame and rotated by the slide member, and an interlocking device arranged between the rotary member and the head rest retaining device and releasing the head rest from the stationary position in accordance with a rotation of the rotary member.
US08579362B2
A crash box (10) for a motor vehicle, is made of a polymeric material and has a first open frontal extremity (12) and a second rear extremity (14). The crash box (10) includes a structure (20) substantially alveolar defined by a plurality of channels (30) realized in just one piece, each of which extends internally to the crash box starting form the first open frontal extremity (12) towards the second rear extremity (14). The crash box includes stiffening elements (50) of the second rear extremity, which are able to stiffen the plurality of channels (30) only in proximity of the second rear extremity 14. Preferably the stiffening elements (50) are directly integrated with the second rear extremity (14), in particular internally to the same, and are preferably made of a polymeric material having a good impact strength.
US08579360B2
The present invention is directed to a device for reducing drag on a vehicle. The device comprises a sheet of material and a plurality of depressions/elevations. The sheet of material having a base portion and an apex extending from the base portion.
US08579350B2
The present disclosure provides a modular transit system having a track system and/or modular seating that can be used to modify a transit car. The track system can support a variety of attachments to allow the transit car to be reconfigured. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an adjustable furnishing system is de-mountably mountable to a generally vertical wall. The adjustable furnishing system comprises a mounting structure carried by the wall, a support frame having opposite first and second ends, and a furnishing carried by the support frame. The first end of the support frame releasably attaches to the mounting structure and the mounting structure supports the support frame in a cantilevered position with the second end extending outwardly from the wall with the furnishing carried thereon.
US08579347B2
A vehicle interior component including decorative stitching along a stitch path includes a seam spacer located between a component substrate and an overlying decorative covering. At least a portion of the seam spacer lies along the stitch path and supports the decorative covering therealong, where the covering may include a reduced thickness portion due to the decorative stitching. The seam spacer can have any number of configurations to prevent visual defects along the stitch path and/or to cause the appearance of simulated seams to be more realistic. The seam spacer may be attached to the covering at the same time the decorative stitching is sewn through the covering.
US08579343B2
Disclosed herein are a robot actuator and a humanoid robot having the same. The robot actuator includes a rotation driving source, a ball screw member including a ball screw part connected to the rotation driving source and a nut part connected to the ball screw part, a guide member separated in parallel from the ball screw part, a slider member movably supported by the guide member, and a connection member connecting the slider member and the nut part to move the slider member in connection with movement of the nut part, and the connection member is relatively movably connected to at least one of the nut part and the slider member. Therefore, efficiency in force reflection and back-drivability of the actuator is improved.
US08579334B2
Attachable and detachable joints for use in pipe systems carrying pressured fluids are made using thermoplastics, preferably polyolefin, and provided with an integrally formed male spigot end and a female socket end. The joints are constructed using a push-fit principle. A sealing ring is inserted into the sealing groove of the female socket making the joint leak proof. Plastic or metal clamps are provided to sustain the longitudinal forces imposed on the joint exerted by the pressured fluid. The male spigot is provided with an integrally formed collar that serves as the holding surface to clamp resisting longitudinal forces.
US08579308B2
A suspension module for a vehicle and a method of manufacture. The suspension module may include a subframe assembly having at least one unitary side plate that is configured to be mounted to a vehicle. The subframe assembly may facilitate mounting of an axle subassembly and a suspension subsystem to the vehicle.
US08579304B2
The disclosed technology includes methods for providing a hand truck with a powered lifting feature controlled by an electronic module associated with a scale where such scale is used to determine the weight of an item to be lifted and manually transported. The electronic module is configured for causing a tray rise and lower as desired. The scale is mechanically associated with the tray for measuring the weight of an item placed on the scale. If the item weights more than a stored maximum value, the electronic device will not cause the tray to be lifted.
US08579292B2
A method of playing a three-card draw poker game utilizing at least one deck of cards, wherein one card is a face down hold card for the players wherein low score wins. The game is played against the house with or without a hand. When playing without the house having a hand, the players' hand must beat a hypothetical score set by the house. A bonus bet can be made prior to dealing for increased payout for having a predetermined score, called a bonus pat hand, upon receiving dealt cards additional bonus bets can be made. An electronic system for performing the method is also described.
US08579284B2
Disclosed is a pneumatic table for registering a substrate media sheet. The table including a media platen, a reversible air blower, a registration wall and a sheet biasing element. The media platen having a foraminous upper surface for received the sheet. The reversible air blower selectively generating at least one of a positive air flow and a negative airflow through the foraminous upper surface. The positive air flow forming a gaseous layer of air between the foraminous upper surface and the sheet. The negative airflow encouraging the sheet to remain fixed and engaged upon the foraminous upper surface. The registration wall extending along at least one edge of the foraminous upper surface. The sheet biasing element selectively applying a horizontal biasing force to the sheet encouraging movement of the sheet across the foraminous upper surface for engaging the sheet with the registration wall.
US08579283B2
Provided is an image forming apparatus which enables quick removal of remaining sheets in the image forming apparatus via an orthogonal reverse section in case a jam occurs inside the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a main conveyance section to convey a sheet in the image forming apparatus and to convey the sheet to an ejected sheet section; an orthogonal reverse section to receive the sheet from the main conveyance section and turn over the sheet without swapping a front edge for a rear edge of the sheet by conveying the sheet in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction of the main conveyance section and a sheet ejection section to eject the sheet in the orthogonal reverse section outside the orthogonal reverse section along a direction to turn over the sheet by the orthogonal reverse section.
US08579281B1
A sheet inverter apparatus improves the handling capabilities of high speed printers and copiers. The sheet inverter apparatus includes a rotatable support having an axis of rotation and at least first and second arms radiating outwardly from the axis of rotation. First and second nip assemblies are is mounted to the first and second arms respectively. The support is rotatable to adjust positions of the first and second nips about the axis of rotation. Advantageously, with this arrangement, the support is adjustable so as to permit the first and second nips to receive sheets of paper at one location, be positionally adjusted with the sheets of paper moving therewith, and located at a second location so as to deliver the paper to an outlet feed path. This positional adjustment allows for inversion of the paper.
US08579273B2
An embodiment of a multiple axis positioner comprises a main headstock that has a main hollow bore. A main indexing table is attached to the main headstock. The main indexing table has a through-hole near the its center. The through-hole aligns or is substantially coaxial with the main hollow bore of the main headstock. The embodiment of the multiple axis positioner further includes at least three minor headstocks mounted to the main indexing table. The at least three minor headstocks have minor hollow bores.
US08579266B2
A micro bubble generating system includes a shell having a well for retaining a first liquid to immerse an object. A micro bubble apparatus is provide to the shell for providing a pressurized mixture of a second liquid and a dissolved gas into the well so as to create a plurality of micro bubbles within the first liquid for engaging the object. A micro bubble generating apparatus may include a housing body having a first fluid passage for a pressurized mixture of a liquid and a dissolved gas in a direction towards a fluid flow. An orifice member can be releasably engaged with the housing body and the orifice member may have a second fluid passage being disposed therein; and the second fluid passage being disposed at an angle with respect to the first fluid passage for generating a plurality of micro bubbles from the mixture; and an opening in the housing body for releasing the plurality of micro bubbles.
US08579260B2
A wire guiding device for use with an electrical fitting such as an “LB” fitting is provided. The wire pulling device comprises a frame and two rollers mounted on axles. A first roller allows a wire to be pulled around the angle of the fitting and may be of sufficient diameter to prevent damage to the wire, while a second roller may prevent the wire from contacting the damaging edges of the fitting. The rollers are mounted within a frame which is adaptable to the access port of an LB fitting. Holes may be located in the frame such that fasteners engage the pre-existing threaded holes located in a standard LB fitting.
US08579254B2
An electromagnetic drive for a valve includes a housing comprising at least one electromagnetic circuit comprising a coil wound onto a coil support, a valve closing member, at least one core, at least one magnetizable reflux member, an armature having an annular shape at least on a side facing away from the valve closing member, an adjustment device having an adjustment screw, and a device to fix the armature in a non-energized state. The armature moves between a first end position and a second end position so as to act at least indirectly on the valve closing member. The adjustment device adjusts a magnetic force. The adjustment screw is insertable through the at least the magnetizable reflux member or through the core into the armature. Supplying the coil with an electric current causes the armature to move into the first end position or into the second end position.
US08579248B2
A concrete structure kit comprising a dry powdered concrete mixture contained within a shaped container or packaging is provided. In use, the packaged dry concrete mixture is placed in a desired location, water is added to the dry mixture in an appropriate amount, and the concrete is allowed to set in the shape of the container. After the concrete has hardened, the container may be removed from the outside of the concrete structure and discarded. In a second embodiment, a modular concrete mold system is provided, which includes a series of interlocking pieces having various shapes, such as straight sides, curved sides, corners, acute and obtuse angles, and the like. This arrangement allows a user to form a concrete mold into a variety of different shapes, as desired.
US08579247B2
A smoke ejector hanger is disclosed herein. The hanger includes a flexible pad. Hook and loop fastening means are affixed to the flexible pad for selectively retaining the flexible pad in the form of a tube. A pair of straps is affixed at the midpoints thereof to the flexible pad such that each of the straps has a pair of free ends extending outwardly from the flexible pad. One of a number of releasable fasteners is affixed to each of the free ends. Each of the releasable fasteners has a snap catch.
US08579246B2
An angle adjusting stand contains two bases, each including a hole, at least one limiting aperture, an engaging portion, and plural first locking faces; two adjusting devices, each including a holder, a spring, a bolt, and a nut; two supporting posts, each including a first contacting portion, a second contacting portion, and a connecting portion coupled; at lease one middle post including a top and a bottom horizontal sections, wherein the top horizontal section includes two sides, one of which includes a first extension to retain with the first slot and another of which includes a first recess to retain with the first pillar, the bottom horizontal section includes two sides, one of which includes a second extension to retain with the second slot and another of which includes a second recess to retain with the second pillar so that the middle post is connected between the two supporting posts.
US08579237B2
A system for setting a span load distribution of a wing of an aircraft with a base flap system comprises at least one inboard flap element and one outboard flap element, which elements in the direction of the span are arranged on the trailing edge of the wing, and can be positioned relative to the span direction of the wing. The flap elements are not mechanically coupled with each other and are controlled independently of each other for the purpose of setting the span load distribution.
US08579233B2
An aerial refueling system has a fluid conduit. A plurality of actuators is coupled to the fluid conduit and a refueling aircraft housing the aerial refueling system to move the fluid conduit in a three perpendicular axes system.
US08579232B2
An aircraft includes a part defining an aerodynamic surface against which flows an air stream, with at least one hood able to block an opening made at the aerodynamic surface, kept in the closed position by at least one locking mechanism, and an access flap for the locking mechanism, pivoting relative to the hood around an axis substantially parallel to the flow direction of the air stream and including elements for keeping it flattened against the hood, characterized in that it includes a device for protection of the access flap that includes a coverage plate that pivots around an axis of rotation, and which is able to occupy a first position in which it projects relative to the aerodynamic surface and another position in which after pivoting around the axis of rotation, it is flattened against the outside surface of the access flap such that the protective device limits the appearance of a scoop phenomenon.
US08579228B2
A flying vehicle is provided that comprises first and second rotors respectively mounted in rotation about first and second rotation axes, the first rotor including a first group of blades extending in a first blade plane and the second rotor including a second group of blades extending in a second blade plane, each of the first and second rotors being rotated by a driving means of the machine. The driving means includes at least one engine arranged between said rotors and between said first and second blade planes.
US08579227B2
Novel aircraft for vertical and horizontal flight having powered air acceleration means installed within its structure drawing air thereinto and delivering the resulting airflow upon airfoils installed in opposed pairs on opposite sides of its exterior structure thereby producing lift without forward travel of the aircraft.
US08579226B2
A power assisted flying device is powered via a vector thrust control apparatus supporting the motor where the vector thrust control apparatus includes a gyratory group that allows the motor to pivot up and down and from side to side. At least two servo motors are attached to the vector thrust control apparatus to move said motor up and down and from side to side. Alternatively, the flying device may incorporate a non-rotating outer ring and a rotating inner ring disposed around a shaft. At least two servo motors are connected to the non-rotating outer ring and the rotating inner ring in relation to the rotational axis. At least two linkage rods connect between the rotating inner ring and the propeller. Tilting of the non-rotating outer ring is transmitted to the propeller to effectuate at least one of cyclic pitch modulation or teetering hub modulation of the propeller.
US08579223B2
A self-locking belt retractor for motor vehicles with a vehicle-sensitive and a belt-webbing-sensitive control system for the blocking arrangement of the belt retractor, is characterized in that for the formation of its inertia, an inertial mass is swivellably mounted on a control disk, wherein the inertial mass can be deflected into a blocking position for the control disc. Additionally, a locking lever mounted on the control disc is provided for the cutoff of a vehicle sensor, and by way of a switching process in its cutoff position, the locking lever cuts off the vehicle sensor and secures the inertial mass in a disabling position, the disabling position being different than the blocking position.
US08579221B2
A cover device for a shredding plant, able to cover at least a shredder unit which includes a rotary drum rotatable around its own axis of rotation within a shredding chamber. The cover device includes a plurality of separation means to separate and discharge the materials arriving from shredding. The cover device includes a first element which is pivotable to the frame of the shredding plant, a second element which is pivotable to the first element, and a third element which is pivotable to the first element.
US08579219B2
A combination cheese-grater/music-maker device is provided such that grated cheese and musical notes are produced simultaneously and synchronously. The device uses of one or more cylinders rotatably attached to said device wherein all of the cylinders can be rotated simultaneously and synchronously. The device features with a handle to allow a person's hand to impart simultaneous and synchronous rotation to all said cylinders. Musical note producing elements are attached to the device such that a note is produced when a protrusion on a cylinder contacts one such element. The device also features cheese-grating sections on one or more cylinders and with a surface to impart downward pressure on the cheese to facilitate contact of the cheese with the sections.
US08579217B2
Visual detection of food waste is used to control flow of flushing water to a food waste disposer. When the disposer is turned on, flushing water is also turned on at a low flow rate. The flushing water is directed into the food waste disposer. A visual detection sensor, which is coupled to a controller, is oriented to detect food waste entering the food waste disposer. Upon detection of the presence of food waste, the controller changes the rate of flow of the flushing water from the low flow rate to a high flow rate. The controller maintains the flow rate of the flushing water at the high flow rate for as long as food waste is detected as entering the food waste disposer and for a period after food waste is no longer detected to allow the food waste to be comminuted and flushed from the food waste disposer.
US08579214B2
A vane used on a swirler is provided. The vane includes a thin end and a broad end, the broad end has sharp edges and is arranged on the outside of the swirler, the thin end is arranged on the inside of the swirler. The vane also includes at least one swirl slot side profile, the at least one swirl slot side profile includes a unit providing turbulence to an air flow.
US08579212B2
A spray ring, for wetting char and/or slag in a water bath with a wetting fluid. The spray ring comprises a loop conduit arranged in a loop-line. The loop conduit is at an inlet point provided with an inlet for feeding the wetting fluid into the loop conduit in an inlet flow direction. The loop-line has a plurality of outlet openings for spraying the wetting fluid out of the loop conduit. The inlet flow direction has a component that is tangential to a loop-line flow direction of the wetting fluid through the loop conduit at the inlet point.
US08579208B2
An adjustable height water drinking fountain includes a generally horizontal water drinking fountain body having front and rear ends, and an upper surface containing a water collecting basin. The fountain body is pivotally connected at its rear end with a vertical support for pivotal movement about a horizontal pivot axis. A normally closed water supply valve is operable to supply water to a faucet adjacent the basin via a supply conduit, and a drain pipe serves to remove water from the basin. Each of the water supply and drain conduits includes at least one flexible portion to permit the pivotal movement of the fountain body, whereby the fountain body can be pivoted upwardly of downwardly from a normal horizontal position for use by a standing person or by a person seated in a wheel chair.
US08579196B1
This application relates to a method for increasing the utility and usage efficiency of locally scanned tags including of one or multi-dimensional bar codes, Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, and tags employing other sensory means. My method uses scanner sensed information about at least one of relative orientation, relative position or relative motion, between scanner and local tag when scanning it, to provide a means for directly selecting one of a plurality of predefined scanner activity requests. Prior to this method a single tag scan action always directly resulted in the same scanner activity request. This method can be embodied as the subsystem out of which an efficient single or multiple level scanner activity request selection interface can be advantageously implemented for a wide range of scanner based applications. Typical mobile smart phones and warehouse and retail scanners are examples of scanner device categories that may employ this method.
US08579194B2
The invention relates to a method for determining a favourable moment for triggering the firing of a weapon on a moving target. According to said method, firing commands and expected impact points (P1-P3) of a projectile and the target (2) are calculated with the aid of an algorithm, without actually triggering a firing burst. The target (2) is selected, the algorithm is activated and hypothetical data is determined. The process is aided by a graphical display (4) of the data. In the preferred embodiments, additional information is taken into account and/or is visualised for a user (5).
US08579191B2
An automatic banking machine operates responsive to data read from data bearing records corresponding to authorized user or financial account data. The machine includes a card reader for reading data from user cards. The automated banking machine causes financial transfers related to financial accounts that correspond to data read from user cards. The automated banking machine also includes devices that control the supply of power to included devices to avoid exceeding power supply capacity.
US08579190B2
The invention relates to a device (10) for reading magnetic stripe and/or chip cards, in particular bank cards, EC cards and/or credit cards. The device (10) comprises a display unit (14) and a touch module (16) arranged in front of this display unit for determining a position of a touch of a display area. Further, the device (10) has a security module (18) for controlling the display unit (14) and the touch module (16). The security module (18) transmits first data for displaying a keypad for entry of a PIN to the display unit (14). In response to a touch of the display area, the touch module (16) generates second data with information about the position of the touch, encrypts these data and transmits the encrypted data to the security module (18).
US08579189B2
A mobile user apparatus and associated methods useful for conducting payment transactions wirelessly, such as at point-of-sale locations. In one embodiment, the mobile user apparatus is a cellular-enabled mobile device that includes a short-range passive radio frequency transceiver that when interrogated by a reader at the point-of-sale, issues a reply including information relating to an account of the user of the mobile apparatus that is to be charged for the payment. In one variant, the information stored on the mobile device is further configured to receive transaction data wirelessly in return.
US08579180B2
A mandrel tool probe is provided for performing a friction-stir process. The mandrel tool probe includes a shank and a tip coupled to the shank, where the shank and tip are concentric and rotatable about a given axis. The tip includes a set of a plurality of physically-separate, spiraled surfaces each of which has a linear or curved cross-section that extends along a length of the tip at a constant or varying spiral angle around the circumference of the tip. The tip also has a cross-section with a constant shape along the length of the tip, with the cross-section of the tip including a plurality of major segments each of which is formed of the cross-section of a respective spiraled surface.
US08579178B2
A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple cartridge and an anvil member. The staple cartridge includes a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in rows of retention slots. The staple cartridge may have an annular or linear configuration of retention slots. The tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge may be tapered or stepped. The anvil member has a tissue contacting surface that includes a number of pockets arranged for substantially aligning with the retention slots. In addition, the tissue contacting surface of the anvil member may complement the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge.
US08579177B2
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a surgical instrument for operating on tissue is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member; a gap determination element operatively associated with each of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member; and a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using the surgical instrument.
US08579169B2
A mounting system for removably mounting an accessory on a fender of a motorcycle includes a mounting bracket, mounting tab, and latch. The mounting bracket is configured to be mounted on the fender. The mounting bracket includes a base plate, cover plate, standoff, mounting slot, upper recess and lower recess. The base plate is disposed upon the fender. The cover plate is configured to cover a portion of the base plate. The standoff is sandwiched between the base plate and the cover plate. The mounting slot is disposed between the base plate and the cover plate. The mounting slot is generated by the standoff being disposed between the base plate and cover plate. The upper recess is disposed at an upper edge of the mounting bracket between the base plate and the cover plate. The lower recess is disposed at a lower edge of the mounting bracket between the base plate and the cover plate. The mounting tab is configured to mate with the mounting slot. The mounting tab is affixed to a first accessory. The latch is affixed to a second accessory. The latch includes an upper jaw configured to mate with the upper recess and a lower jaw configured to mate with the lower recess.
US08579168B2
There is provided is an infant carrier having a lumbar belt to enhance the comfort and support during usage thereof. The infant carrier is adaptable to support an infant in a forward facing position or a rearward facing position. The infant carrier may also be configured to allow for easy adjustment to fit the infant carrier to the specific size of the wearer. The infant carrier may also be configured to be connectable with a bib in a variety of configurations to protect the wearer or infant carrier from fluids or objects which may fall from the infant's mouth. The bib may also be connected to the infant carrier in a position to provide shade to the infant. In this regard, the bib may provide three-in-one functionality to the infant carrier to enhance the overall experience of wearing the carrier for both the wearer and the infant.
US08579160B2
A dispensing gun has a gun body, a first component inlet, a second component inlet, a dispense head, a first valve, a second valve, a clamp, and a trigger. The component inlets are attached to the gun body for receiving components. The dispense head is for dispensing the components. The valves are attached to the gun body and there are valve stems for controlling the dispensing of the components. The clamp has an upper portion and a lower portion, with the first and second valve stems positioned in between the upper and lower portions. The two portions are attached such that the first and second valve stems move with movement of the valve actuator in a direction parallel to the axes of the valve stems. The trigger is attached to the gun body and controls movement of the clamp.
US08579153B2
A tablet dispenser includes a device body and a plurality of tablet cassettes disposed on one face of the device body. Each tablet cassette is capable of accommodating a plurality of types of tablets and of dispensing the tablets contained therein in a lateral direction. A plurality of chutes are in communication with the plurality of tablet cassettes. Each chute is disposed on the one face of the device body, adjacent to a corresponding tablet cassette. Each chute retains tablets dispensed from the corresponding tablet cassette and dispenses the tablets in a downward direction into a container.
US08579151B2
A roller shutter storage container includes a container body, a roller shutter accommodating portion, a pair of guide grooves, and a roller shutter. Each of the guide grooves extends linearly in an opening formed in the container body and is curved in the roller shutter accommodating portion. The roller shutter is configured by connecting a plurality of slats each having shafts formed at two ends of the slat with respect to the widthwise direction in a bendable manner. As the two shafts of each of the slats slide in the corresponding guide grooves, the roller shutter slides between an open position for opening the opening and a close position for closing the opening. Each one of the shafts is spaced from a vertical wall surface of the corresponding one of the guide grooves. A projection formed of soft material projects outward from each shaft of each slat in the widthwise direction and contacts the corresponding vertical wall surface in an elastically deformed state.
US08579150B2
A container for storing products includes a tub and a cover which is equipped with a seal positioned in a peripheral groove formed in the inner face of the cover. The tub includes an inner and outer flat peripheral rim, the cover including a vertical peripheral rim designed to cover the outer peripheral rim upon closure of the cover, and in that the inner and outer peripheral rims are in different planes and constitute a shouldered shape, the cover including, between its vertical peripheral rim and its inner face, a clearance with a shape matching the shouldered shape of the tub, the distance between the plane of the clearance and the plane of the inner face of the cover being less than the distance separating the planes of the peripheral rims of the tub.
US08579149B2
A drinking vessel holder includes a drinking vessel receptacle arranged in a housing and a height-adjustable bottom element. The bottom element is arranged in the drinking vessel receptacle and can be displaced between an upper rest position and a lower set-down position, wherein a drinking vessel can be set down on the bottom element in the drinking vessel receptacle. A positionally adjustable supporting element prevents the drinking vessel from toppling over, and wherein the bottom element in the drinking vessel receptacle forms a first piston or else is connected to a first piston and the supporting element forms an annular piston between the housing and the drinking vessel receptacle or else is connected to at least one second piston, wherein movement of at least one of the first piston, the second piston, and the annular piston causes fluid overpressure and fluid underpressure.
US08579148B2
A reusable straw includes a first part having a hollow elongated body that has a first end and an opposing second end and a second part having a hollow elongated body that has a first end and an opposing second end. The second part has a width that allows the first part to be received within a hollow interior of the first part. A first coupling member is formed along an inner surface of the first part proximate the first end; and a second coupling member is formed along an outer surface of the second part at the first end thereof. The first and second coupling members mate together to securely and sealingly couple the second part to the first part. The first coupling member is either a male member or a female member and the second coupling member is complementary and is the opposite member.
US08579146B2
A gas storage apparatus comprises a pressure vessel in the form of a cylinder, closed by a valve, containing a non-permanent gas having under its storage conditions a gas phase and a liquid phase. A jacket formed of plastics sachets surrounds and is in heat transfer relationship with the outer surface of the cylinder. The sachets define closed compartments containing a heat release substance which is liquid at 20° C. On opening the valve, the non-permanent gas is delivered from the cylinder. The liquid phase of the non-permanent gas absorbs heat from the heat release substance which undergoes fusion. The heat release substance may be water.
US08579141B2
A fitting structure for two members includes a body and a lid member. The body includes an open space portion therein, a closed portion closing the open space portion, a fitting portion provided at the open space portion, and a front face. The lid member includes an elastic claw portion. A window portion is provided on the closed portion. A tip portion of the elastic claw portion is viewed through the window portion in a direction opposite to the fitting direction of the lid member to the body under a condition that the lid member is attached to the body. A fitting confirmation portion is provided at a peripheral edge portion of the window portion and indicates position of the tip portion of the elastic claw portion fitted to the fitting portion at a regular fitting position.
US08579128B2
A gripper device for a transport vehicle includes a base plate, a guide rail provided on an upper surface of the base plate, a pair of guide blocks arranged to be movable in a substantially horizontal direction toward and away from each other along the guide rail, and a pair of gripping parts. Each of the gripping parts includes a horizontal portion fixed to an upper surface of one of the guide blocks and arranged to extend substantially parallel to the upper surface of the base plate, a vertical portion arranged to extend downward from the horizontal portion to a position lower than that of the base plate, and a claw section provided on a lower end of the vertical portion and arranged to grip an object.
US08579126B1
A fruit display stand comprises a base; a first post secured to the base; transverse arms secured to an upper end portion of the first post, the transverse arms extending upwardly inclinedly from the first post; a plurality of ring members attached to the transverse arms. The ring members include an outer ring member. Other of the ring members are disposed within the outer ring member in plan view; and the other of the ring members are disposed vertically below the outer ring member.
US08579117B2
The disclosure relates to obstacle array devices (also known as bump array devices) for separating populations of particles by size. Improvements over previous obstacle array devices are realized by causing the fluid velocity profile across gaps between obstacles to be asymmetrical with respect to the plane that bisects the gap and is parallel to the direction of bulk fluid flow. Such asymmetry can be achieved by selecting the shape(s) of the obstacles bounding the gap such that the portions of the obstacles upstream from, downstream from, or bridging the narrowest portion of the gap are asymmetrical with respect to that plane. Improvements are also realized by using obstacles that have sharp edges bounding the gaps. Other improvements are realized by selecting obstacle shapes such that the critical particle dimensions defined by the gaps in two different fluid flow directions differ.
US08579116B2
Tamper evident devices and methods including devices that can be used with pill bottles and other packages to provide evidence of tampering by an unauthorized user are provided.
US08579112B2
The present invention generally relates to a holding device for a phone or other electronic device. The device has an exterior housing and a generally hollow interior. The back of the exterior housing has a plurality of finger receiving finger loops which pivot from a generally parallel position with respect to the back of the device to a generally perpendicular position with respect to the back of the device. The finger loops may move independently and be independently added or removed from the device.
US08579108B2
A cigarette package includes an inner wrapping body formed by folding an inner wrapper having a film material ply sandwiched between a paper ply and a heat seal material ply into a substantially cuboidal shape, including substantially-parallel two half-cut lines extending from a top face into an upper portion of a front face of an inner boxy body each formed of a cut penetrating through the paper ply into the film material ply, a cut line formed of a cut penetrating through an outer layer constituting an overlap on the front face of the inner box body, at an upper location. A heat-sealed part is formed to surround the cut line by heat-sealing inner and outer layers, wherein an outer side of the outer layer is bonded to an inner side of a front lid, in a section above the cut line within a region surrounded by the heat-sealed part.
US08579106B2
The present invention relates to a child safe packaged-product system with multi-operational access control. The invention further relates to packaged-product system that facilitates interaction with the user so as to render child safe state of the package after use. The synergistic operational combination of the said package holding provision, package fixing provision, an assembly of the package and package fixing provision operably connected by the said restrictive means results in a multi-operational access control to access the package after the completion of the child resistant activity obviating the problem of package access as a part of the child resistant activity. Further provision of the said means to remind/alert user of reengaging/repositioning the package in the child-safe state after use renders child resistant state to the package after use enhancing the effectiveness of the child resistant function of the package.
US08579097B2
A clutch release mechanism includes a fixed cam plate having a cylindrical boss portion, and a movable cam plate supported on the cylindrical boss portion through a cylindrical projecting portion thereof. A ball unit is retained on the cylindrical boss portion by a retainer, and a release member disengages a clutch by transmitting a thrust force, generated by relative turning between the fixed and movable cam plates which hold the ball unit therebetween, to a pressure-applying plate. A pressing member is pressed by the movable cam plate to transmit the thrust force to the release member. The cylindrical projecting portion of the movable cam plate projects toward the pressing member, and is fitted a the hollow portion thereof with a gap therebetween. The movable cam plate presses the pressing member so as to be relatively shiftable on a flat surface perpendicular to a pressing direction.
US08579096B2
A switchable free-wheel device for a transmission for a crank-driven CVT of a motor vehicle. The device includes at least one free-wheel unit with a drivable outer ring, an inner ring in the form of an output shaft, and clamping bodies disposed between the rings and rotatable about their longitudinal axes. In the axial direction, each of the clamping bodies includes first and second grooves that are axially spaced from each other and offset relative to each other in the peripheral direction of the clamping body. Annular worm springs surrounding the clamping bodies are displaceable in the axial direction of the body by a switching mechanism, such that the springs engage either in the first groove or in the second groove. The clamping body rotates about its longitudinal axis such that the force applied by the worm spring runs on a side of the longitudinal axis.
US08579073B2
An acoustic energy absorption metamaterial includes at least one enclosed planar frame with an elastic membrane attached having one or more rigid plates are attached. The rigid plates have asymmetric shapes, with a substantially straight edge at the attachment to said elastic membrane, so that the rigid plate establishes a cell having a predetermined mass. Vibrational motions of the structure contain a number of resonant modes with tunable resonant frequencies.
US08579070B2
A speed changer lever and a lift lever are supported to a lever supporting structure that extends from the front end of an armrest disposed laterally of a driver's eat to the forward side of the vehicle body. A speed changer lever guide face portion is provided at a transversely inner portion of an upwardly oriented face of the lever supporting structure. A lift lever guide face portion is provided at a transversely outer portion of the upwardly oriented face of the ever supporting structure. The lift lever guide face portion is set at a disposing height lower than the speed changer lever guide face portion. An upper end of the lift lever is set at a disposing height lower than the upper end of the speed changer lever. A speed changer lever guide groove and a lift lever guide groove are disposed parallel to each other.
US08579069B2
A wheeled forestry tractors design, such as that for a wheel feller-buncher or a site prep tractor, is disclosed. The disclosed design includes a front axle connected to a rear axle by an articulated chassis. A cab is supported between and above the front and rear axles by the chassis. An engine and a hydraulic system are mounted opposite the rear axle from the cab and in a side-by-side relationship with the engine being aligned transversely with respect to the chassis and parallel to the rear axle. The engine is mounted transversely or parallel with respect to the rear axle and slightly behind the rear axle to improve the weight distribution between the front and rear axles or between the front and rear frames. By mounting the engine transversely and on one side of the rear of the tractor and the hydraulic system on the other side of the tractor in combination with placing the fuel tank in alignment with the engine and the oil tank in alignment with the hydraulic system, improved left to right weight distribution is also achieved.
US08579068B2
A system for releasing and lifting an automobile hood includes a sensor located proximate a front location of an automobile that detects impact with an object. Also included is a hood having a striker pin operably connected to the hood for engaging a rotatable latch, wherein such engagement places the hood in the secured position. Further included is a releasing mechanism operably connected to one of the striker and the latch for lifting a front region of the hood in response to a signal from the sensor.
US08579066B2
This seat belt device of a vehicle includes a webbing, a belt reel, a motor, a clutch, detection unit, brake control unit and motor control unit. The motor control unit includes a waiting current control unit configured to conduct a current that can maintain the clutch to be in the connection state in the motor when the brake control unit outputs the operation signal and variable current control unit configured to proceed from current control performed by the waiting current control unit when a change in the movement state of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit during the current control performed by the waiting current control unit and adjusts the amount of conduction in the motor based on the movement state of the vehicle that is detected by the detection unit.
US08579062B2
A fuel tank of a motor vehicle is mounted on a body structure of the motor vehicle via fastening elements. The fuel tank has a glass fiber reinforced shaped plastic part (12) as heat shield that at least partially covers a surface of the fuel tank and is mounted with the fuel tank on the body structure of the motor vehicle via the fastening elements.
US08579061B2
A vehicle compartment cover coupling that moveably couples a vehicle compartment cover to a main body of a vehicle for movement of the vehicle compartment cover between an open position and a closed position. The cover coupling includes a first member that is coupled to the main body of the vehicle. The cover coupling further includes a second member that is coupled to the vehicle compartment cover, wherein the second member is moveably coupled to the first member. The vehicle compartment cover coupling further includes a retaining coupling that is operable to engage the first and second members together during a vehicle impact condition. The retaining coupling engages the first and second members to limit movement of the compartment cover in a first predetermined direction during the vehicle impact condition. The retaining coupling further includes a deformable portion configured and positioned to deform in a second predetermined direction during the impact to limit movement of the vehicle compartment cover in the first direction.
US08579058B1
A ride-on mower including a frame unit supported to the ground through front wheels and rear wheels, a drive unit for supplying drive power to the front wheels and/or rear wheels, a mower unit, and a leaf blower unit. The ride-on mower is also provided with a blade drive power transmission mechanism for transmitting drive power to a blade of the mower unit, and a fan drive power transmission mechanism for transmitting rotational power from the blade drive power transmission mechanism to a fan. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the direction of an air discharge opening of the leaf blower unit. The leaf blower unit is arranged on a mower deck of the mower unit.
US08579054B2
An energy-producing system comprising an axle configured to be driven by an electric vehicle's wheels when in motion. The axle supports a series of wind-catching cups contained within an aerodynamic housing configured to direct air to the cups while also increasing the air speed. During vehicle motion, the cups are acted upon by rushing air causing the rotation of the axle such that the rotation may be transferred into energy via a generator/alternator linked thereto. A series of similarly polarized magnets integrated on said cups and/or spacers and/or housing proximate thereto further maintain the axle in motion during short vehicle stops. The system extends the life of the batteries between charges as well the distance the vehicle can travel between charges.
US08579053B2
A cutting element that includes a substrate; and an outer layer of polycrystalline diamond material disposed upon the outermost end of the cutting element, wherein the polycrystalline diamond material: a plurality of interconnected diamond particles; and a plurality of interstitial regions disposed among the bonded diamond particles, wherein the plurality of interstitial regions contain a plurality of metal carbide phases and a plurality of metal binder phases together forming a plurality of metallic phases, wherein the plurality of metal carbide phases are formed from a plurality of metal carbide particles; wherein the plurality of interconnected diamond particles form at least about 60 to at most about 80% by weight of the polycrystalline diamond material; and wherein the plurality of metal carbide phases represent at least 50% by weight of the plurality of metallic phases is disclosed.
US08579050B2
A reamer bit for use in earth boring operations comprising a body, four cutter mounts, rolling cutters on each mount, and cutting elements disposed on each cutter arranged so adjacent cutting swaths formed by the bit are created by cutting elements on cones of oppositely disposed cutter mounts. The swaths are generally curvilinear, wherein the outermost swaths are formed by cutting element rows on the outer portion of the cutters. The reamer bit can further comprise a pilot bit.
US08579048B2
The invention relates to a drilling device and a drilling method for drilling inside a casing tube with a drilling apparatus, which has a supporting frame with a fastening means for fixation with respect to the casing tube and a drilling tool, which is driven in a rotating manner via a telescopic rod by means of a drill drive arranged on the supporting frame. At the upper end of the casing tube a receiving part is arranged in accordance with the invention, onto which the supporting frame can be fastened. The receiving part is adjustably supported between a drilling position and an offset position, in which the receiving part is laterally offset with respect to the casing tube.
US08579046B2
A pressure compensation assembly for a drill bit having a cavity to receive the pressure compensation assembly, a mud port connected to the cavity, and a lubricant passageway connected to the cavity, is disclosed. The pressure compensation assembly includes a relief mechanism having a selected operating pressure. The pressure compensation assembly is movable from a first position to a second position within the cavity. The pressure compensation assembly may receive lubricant at a pressure exceeding the selected operating pressure to permit the flow of lubricant into the lubricant passageway while substantially preventing the release of lubricant into the mud port while in the first position. The pressure compensation assembly is operable to limit a pressure differential within the drill bit while in the second position.
US08579038B2
A sealing apparatus for sealing an annulus is described. The apparatus comprises a first sealing element (20) adapted for sealing the annulus against fluid pressure from above the sealing apparatus and adapted to be actuated by fluid pressure from above the apparatus and a second sealing element (40) adapted for sealing the annulus against fluid pressure from below the sealing apparatus and adapted to be actuated by fluid pressure from below the apparatus. In use, the sealing elements are arranged such that the second sealing element is above the first sealing element.
US08579037B2
The method and apparatus involves the positioning of an arm of a wellbore tool, such that the tool moves bidirectionally in a wellbore. Techniques also include predicting and acting in advance on the mechanism of an oilfield tool inside a wellbore, enhancing bidirectional movement and operation of the tool inside a wellbore environment typically for logging the well. Such regulation or control between different sensing parts may control placement of the sensors with respect to the wellbore wall.
US08579036B2
A valving system includes a tubular and a sleeve slidably engaged with the tubular having a seat thereon. The sleeve is configured to occlude flow from an inside of the tubular to an outside of the tubular when in a first position, allow flow between an inside of the tubular and an outside of the tubular at a first location upstream of the seat and a second location downstream of the seat when in a second position, and allow flow between an inside of the tubular and an outside at the tubular at the first location and not the second location when in a third position. The valving system also includes a disappearing member in operable communication with the tubular and the sleeve configured to prevent movement of the sleeve to the third position until disappearance thereof.
US08579027B2
A multi-functional completion tool which may be lowered into a wellbore coupled to a length of tubing, and then utilized to test various lengths of the tubing at pressure. The tool may also function as a positive plug, may be used to set a packer, and is also useable as a tubing self-filling tool. Various retention elements are disposed within the tool and configured to release at predetermined pressures, or within predetermined ranges of pressure, thereby transforming the tool from a first configuration to a second configuration depending on the desired function. The tool may use a flapper mechanism to regulate passage of fluids through the housing, and a piston and/or flow tube may also be utilized to lock the flapper in an open or closed orientation within the housing.
US08579026B2
A safety apparatus for catching a test fixture released from a shaft of a downhole tool during the uphole calibration and testing of the shaft force generation capability of the tool. The safety apparatus includes a hollow body having a distal end that will partially envelope the test fixture to catch the test fixture once the test fixture is released from the downhole tool. The safety apparatus further includes a proximal end portion that is releasably securable to the body of the tool. A method for testing and calibrating the tool is also provided.
US08579024B2
A non-damaging slip assembly includes slips having grit on a smooth surface, the slips preferably made from a ductile material, such that the slips do not cause damage to the wall of a tubular when the slips are set. The slips fail under tensile force during setting. The cone used to expand the slips may have slits that narrow during setting of the slips. The slip assembly may be used to anchor a variety or devices inside a tubular. A drillable, non-damaging bridge plug using the non-damaging slip assembly has a threaded mandrel holding the cone by threads inside the cone. When the slips are set, the slits in the cone narrow such that threads in the cone do not allow rotation of the slips as they are drilled. The bridge plug can be drilled by a PDC bit without damaging the tubular.
US08579007B2
An improved hunting blind having a mirrored outwardly facing surface and a camouflaged inwardly facing surface. The blind includes four panels that are hingedly connected together with invisible hinges for allowing the blind to be foldably compacted in the manner of an accordion for conveniently storing and transporting the blind. The top edge of the blind is formed with an irregular, zig-zag shaped contour for allowing the blind to blend in with a natural surrounding environment. When the blind is expanded and erected for use, the mirrored front surface of the blind is tilted forward. A game animal looking onto the front of the blind from a distance therefore sees only a reflection of the terrain surrounding the blind, thereby making the blind substantially indiscernible from the surrounding terrain and effectively obscuring a hunter positioned behind the blind.
US08579004B2
The present application pertains to a system for adjusting the height of a covering, such as window or a wall covering formed of two or more covering segments that are axially aligned. The system includes a link that selectively transmits rotation between two adjacent coverage thereby allowing the two coverings to be controlled, e.g., raised or lowered, simultaneously. The link includes a clutch that allows one of the segments to be rotated with respect to the other so that the bottom end of one of the coverings can be adjusted and aligned horizontally independently of the other. Optionally, the clutch includes an internal member that provides a mechanical advantage while the one covering is adjusted.
US08579003B2
A mechanism for operating a dual shade covering a window with a single handle. The mechanism provides a first glide attached by a pulley system to the first shade of the dual shade, and a second glide attached by a pulley system to the second shade of the dual shade. The first glide and the second glide are slidably disposed within a track assembly, and a master glide is disposed in the track assembly between the first glide and the second glide. The master glide engages the first glide to lower the first shade, and is detached from the first glide along the track assembly by a disengaging plate. The master glide engages the second glide to lower the second shade, and is detached from the second glide along the track assembly by a disengaging plate.
US08578998B2
An apparatus for adhesively bonding a spectacle lens to connecting elements of a bridge and a lug of the spectacles is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame and a holding device for holding the lens. The holding device includes a cylindrical holding pin designed to centrally hold the lens such that a front side of the lens extends substantially perpendicularly to an axis of the cylindrical holding pin. At the frame, two straight supporting strips extend in parallel to each other at a plane perpendicular to the pin axis and are equally spaced apart from the pin axis. The two supporting strips are arranged such that the front side of the lens held by the holding pin faces the supporting strips and one of the connecting elements is adapted to be clamped between the front side of the lens and each of the supporting strips.
US08578993B2
A wafer bonding apparatus of the present invention includes a first sample base configured to hold a first substrate; a second sample base configured to hold a second substrate to oppose to the first substrate; a load transferring section coupled to an outer edge portion of the first sample base and configured to support the first sample base to a first stage; and a drive unit configured to perform pressure bonding on the first substrate and the second substrate by driving the second sample base to the first stage. In the wafer bonding apparatus, it is possible to prevent that a load which is larger than a load applied on the outer edge portion of the first substrate is applied to the center of the first substrate, and to apply uniform load the first substrate and the second substrate, when pressure bonding is performed on the first substrate and the second substrate.
US08578986B2
The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a built-in seamless polyurethane sealant layer and its preparation.
US08578985B2
A pneumatic tire whose steering stability on dry roads is improved with minimizing lowering of on-snow performances and which has round shoulders and comprises tread portion 2 divided by circumferential main grooves 3 and lateral grooves 4 into blocks 5 provided with sipes 6 each having zigzag part 8, the circumferential grooves 3 including at least a pair of axially outermost circumferential grooves 3o to divide the tread portion 2 into shoulder regions Ysh and crown region Ycr, wherein the zigzag part 8 of sipes 6sh disposed in the shoulder regions Ysh has a larger zigzag amplitude Wsh and a larger zigzag pitch Psh than zigzag amplitude Wcr and zigzag pitch Pcr of the zigzag part 8 of sipes 6cr disposed in the crown region Ycr, and angle θsh of the sipes 6sh with respect to the axial direction is smaller than angle θcr of the sipes 6cr with respect to the axial direction.
US08578983B2
This invention relates to a tire having at least one rubber component which contains a cast, extruded, or calendered film of syndiotactic polybutadiene polymer. The syndiotactic polybutadiene polymer film is integral with the surface of the rubber component in a sense of being co-cured therewith. Such film may be added directly to the tire during the building process or involve a separate process of producing a tire component as a composite of the film and a rubber composition (rubber component) prior to the tire building stage. Such composite can be as is or partially pre-cured before being applied in the tire building process. The syndiotactic polybutadiene polymer film is provided to promote both stability and age durability for the tire component.
US08578980B2
Some embodiments concern a groove forming machine configured to form a groove on the golf club face of a golf club head. The groove forming machine can include: a groove forming tool configured to rotate about an axis of rotation at a first angle substantially greater than zero degrees and substantially less than 90 degrees to the golf club face. The groove forming tool is further configured to actuate from a first end of the golf club face to a second end of the golf club face by contacting a first portion of the groove forming tool with the golf club face to cut the groove with a first cross-section into the golf club face. Other embodiments are described herein.
US08578979B2
A collar for a dispensing connector and a fitment assembly are disclosed. The connector collar engages a valved fitment for a container for holding and dispensing fluid. The fitment includes a spout connected to the container and a sliding internal valve body and an external valve body securely positioned within the spout. The connector collar has a fitment end mateable with the fitment so as to compress the top edge of the external valve body so as to form a seal between the external valve body and the dispensing connector.
US08578974B2
A portable fluid exchange system comprises a source container, a liquid and vapor pump for pumping liquid from the source container to the destination container and for pumping vapor from the destination container to the source container. The liquid inlet and vapor outlets of the liquid and vapor pump are connected in fluid communication with the source container. A liquid delivery hose delivers liquid from the pump to the destination container. A vapor delivery hose delivers vapor from the destination container to the pump. A selectively controllable actuation mechanism actuates the liquid and vapor pump to thereby concurrently pump liquid from the liquid and vapor pump through the liquid outlet and vapor into the liquid and vapor pump through the vapor inlet, and concurrently pump vapor from the liquid and vapor pump through the vapor outlet and liquid into the liquid and vapor pump through the liquid inlet.
US08578963B2
In a nonreturn valve having a tubular body, which can be installed in a vertical section of an exhaust line, a valve seat, formed within the tubular body, for at least one float, and at least one circumferential groove, which is open in the downstream direction, the intention is to make available a solution by means of which it is possible to provide a nonreturn valve that is simple, advantageous in terms of production engineering and has a particularly high performance, and to do so in a way which is simple in terms of design and is economical. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the circumferential rim of the at least one float projects radially over the radially inner circumferential wall section and has an axial lip facing upstream, which extends into the circumferential groove in the axial direction when the at least one float is resting on the valve seat.
US08578949B2
A multi-texture dental floss includes distinct and alternating segments having varying textures, including smooth segments and textured segments. The smooth segments are more easily inserted into the spaces between teeth, while the textured segments more effectively remove plaque and other debris therefrom. Methods of making the multi-texture floss are also disclosed, including methods that allow the floss to be made as a continuous thread having a plurality of alternating segments, such that the floss can be wound onto a spool for storage and dispensing.
US08578941B2
A foot garment device to prevent or help prevent or heal pressure ulcers of the foot includes a bumper for positioning around and below an ankle of an individual, and one or more upper adjustable flaps and one or more lower adjustable flaps for removably securing the foot garment to a foot of the individual, wherein the bumper includes a hollow sleeve for receiving padding therein. Also described is a method for securing such a foot garment device to the foot of an the individual.
US08578939B1
A hydraulic device that includes a membrane-covered walled enclosure that enables control of pressure against a body part to be controlled through desired fluid addition or removal from the enclosure. Through pressure control of the membrane a desired traction force is applied to prevent injuries or therapeutically treat a wide variety of medical conditions, including respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and skin disorders.
US08578937B2
Systems and methods for detecting an obstructive sleep apnea event are disclosed herein. The systems and methods may use an electrical output generating ionic polymer metal composite sensor attached to a region in an airway passage in an oral cavity. The electrical output may be wirelessly transmitted as a signal for indication of an obstructive sleep apnea event. The signal may be further processed by a smart mandibular repositioning system for treatment of the obstructive sleep apnea event.
US08578933B2
A device for inhalation of at least one air stream carrying a dose of medicament powder. The device comprises a powder-containing cavity which opens into a flow passage. The flow passage is arranged to direct an inhalation air flow across the cavity opening. A circulating flow is thereby induced in the cavity by the phenomenon of shear driven cavity flow. Powder is entrained in the circulating flow and deaggregated before exiting the cavity and becoming entrained in the flow of air along the flow passage.
US08578930B2
A vacuum solar thermal panel includes a vacuum envelope defining a sealed volume able to withstand atmospheric pressure when evacuated. The envelope includes a first plate made of glass, a second plate facing the first plate, a perimeter frame disposed between the first and second plate close to their edge, a metallic perimeter belt joining the perimeter frame to the first plate, a plurality of spaced apart bearing elements disposed against the edges of the first and second plate, and a plurality of traction rods joining the bearing elements with the perimeter frame to pull the perimeter frame toward the bearing elements, in order to limit the deformation of the perimeter frame under the external atmospheric pressure, when the envelope is evacuated.
US08578929B2
Modular solar collector, comprising a first supporting stand, the first supporting stand having at its upper end a first pivot bearing point defining a pivotal axis, a second supporting stand, having at its upper end a second pivot bearing point of the pivotal axis, an intermediate supporting stand having at its upper end an intermediate pivot bearing point of the pivotal axis, a first solar collector unit comprising at least one solar collector panel and a first unit frame being pivotally mounted to the first pivot bearing point and an intermediate pivot bearing point, and a second solar collector unit comprising at least one solar collector panel and a second unit frame being pivotally mounted to the second pivot bearing point and an intermediate pivot bearing point, a pivotal drive assembly comprising an x-drive unit and an x-coupling wherein each unit frame is, mechanically coupled to its adjacent unit frame.
US08578928B2
The invention relates to improvements in orientable solar panel array systems of the type of solar panel arrays comprising a plurality of panels (1) for capturing solar radiation, arranged on a bearing structure pivotally assembled with respect to a horizontal tube (3), which in turn is rotatably assembled on the end of a support column (2), the structure bearing the panels (1) comprising two parallel trusses (4) on which trusses a series of longitudinal profiles with a C-shaped cross-section are transversely arranged, on which longitudinal profiles sliding profiles (6) with a square cross-section having an open groove in the upper part are perpendicularly arranged, on which sliding profiles the panels (1) are fastened.
US08578925B2
A cooking appliance includes a door assembly having a main frame provided with an inner, central opening. A glass panel is secured to the main frame portion across the inner, central opening and an overlay member is adhesively secured to the glass panel through a plurality of adhesive elements. The overlay member includes top, bottom and opposing side sections that collectively define an outer, central opening. The adhesive elements establish airflow passages that extends longitudinally across the door assembly between the glass panel and the overlay member. The overlay member also includes first and second flanges that are arranged along the top and bottom edge sections respectively. Third and fourth flanges are provided on respective upper and lower edges of the outer central opening. The flanges, together with the adhesive elements, ensure the presence of the airflow passages.
US08578918B1
A crossbow employs bowstring redirecting wheels, over which the bowstring travels, to keep the bowstring aligned with the main force vectors where the bowstring meets the tips of the crossbow power limbs or spring limbs. The bowstring is anchored to a fixed anchor points, which can be on the pylons on which the redirecting wheels are mounted, or may be at the tips of the spring limbs. In one embodiment the bowstring passes over a pulley wheel at the tip of the spring limb. This crossbow arrangement achieves superior acceleration, and can be constructed of smaller transverse dimension than conventional or compound crossbows.
US08578916B2
A crossbow trigger mechanism operable to fire an arrow or bolt. The trigger mechanism includes a trigger operatively connected to a pair of jaws for holding a tensioned crossbow string when the jaws are in a closed position. An arrow or bolt is insertable between the upper and lower jaws.
US08578914B2
A fuel tank valve structure controlling emission gas in a hybrid vehicle may include a housing having one side connected with a fuel tank and the other side connected to a canister, a check valve mounted to the housing and opening or closing a first fluid passage connected between the canister and the fuel tank, a solenoid valve apparatus selectively connected with the check valve to open or close the first fluid passage to adjust an internal pressure of the fuel tank, a fuel limit vent valve apparatus mounted to the housing and selectively fluid-connecting to a space formed between the check valve and the fuel limit vent valve apparatus in the housing, and a relief valve mounted to the housing and selectively fluid-connecting the fuel tank with the canister through a second fluid passage.
US08578912B2
A method and a device for setting an afterglow temperature in a self-igniting internal combustion engine, the afterglow temperature being reduced in a defined operating state of the internal combustion engine until a modification of an operating parameter as a result of the reduction of the afterglow temperature is required in order to maintain the defined operating state, in particular in order to maintain the injected fuel quantity.
US08578901B2
A system and method of actuating one or more engine valves is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises: a valve train element; a rocker arm pivotally mounted on a shaft and adapted to rotate between a first position and a second position, the rocker arm selectively receiving motion from the valve train element; a valve bridge disposed above the one or more engine valves; and a lost motion system disposed in the valve bridge.
US08578900B2
A profile of a cam (33) of a camshaft (32) is set based on a relationship of a stop position of a vane rotor (36) at a most retarded phase relative to a housing rotor (37). In other words, the profile of the cam (33) arranged in the camshaft (32) is set so that a second opening (110B) of a communication passage (100), which opens in a second retardment chamber (52B), is located upward in a vertical direction from the axis C of the camshaft (32) when the camshaft (32) is at a neutral position, that is, when torque applied from the cam (33) to the camshaft (32) is the smallest.
US08578888B2
An animal excrement disposal sheet that can reduce an area of excrement diffusing on a surface of the sheet. The animal excretion disposal sheet includes a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent layer disposed between the top sheet and the back surface sheet that includes a water absorbent resin and a hydrophilic fiber, in which the absorbent layer further includes a hydrophobizing agent having a higher affinity to the hydrophilic fiber than to the water absorbent resin.
US08578883B2
A pet feeder for feeding pets that provides an enclosure that the pet accesses through an entryway having dimensions under the control of the pet owner. The owner sizes the entryway to exclude a pet with allowing a relatively smaller pet to enter.
US08578882B2
A system and method for cognitive enrichment of an animal. At least one display device is configured to display stimuli to an animal. At least one input device is configured to accept input from the animal. At least one reward dispenser is configured to dispense a reward to the animal. At least one processor is communicatively coupled with the at least one display device, the at least one input device, and the at least one reward dispenser. Execution of computer-readable instructions causes the at least one processor to carry out steps including displaying one or more stimuli to the animal using the at least one display device, accepting an input from the animal corresponding to at least one of the one or more stimuli, making a dispensing decision based on the input, and dispensing a reward using the at least one reward dispenser based on the dispensing decision.
US08578880B2
In a method of dynamic milking, is performed a given modulating of values of airflow-forming pressures in a first working zone in a negative drive cycle and in a second working zone in a positive drive cycle of a cyclic drive unit, for providing and energy-physiological optimization of given periodic dynamic in-phase vacuum and mechanical actions on a surface of a milking teat in a two-chamber teat cap with a hermetic chamber connected with a source of a chamber pressure, whose movable part of a wall realizes the mechanical actions only on a lateral surface of the teat without interrupting of a spatial channel for movement of milking milk between an open output of the milking channel of the teat and a constantly open milk output of the teat cup during a dynamic milking process.
US08578879B2
Embodiments of impedance matching networks are provided herein. In some embodiments, an impedance matching network may include a coaxial resonator having an inner and an outer conductor. A tuning capacitor may be provided for variably controlling a resonance frequency of the coaxial resonator. The tuning capacitor may be formed by a first tuning electrode and a second tuning electrode and an intervening dielectric, wherein the first tuning electrode is formed by a portion of the inner conductor. A load capacitor may be provided for variably coupling energy from the inner conductor to a load. The load capacitor may be formed by the inner conductor, an adjustable load electrode, and an intervening dielectric.
US08578868B2
An oxyfuel combustion boiler plant comprising: an air separation unit for manufacturing oxygen by separating nitrogen from air, a boiler having a burner for burning the oxygen supplied from the air separation unit and pulverized coal, and a primary system pipe for supplying the pulverized coal to the burner, an exhaust gas recirculation system pipe for supplying combustion exhaust gas discharged from the boiler to the primary system pipe, and a carbon dioxide capture unit for capturing carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas discharged from the boiler, the oxyfuel combustion boiler plant is further comprising: an oxygen supply pipe for supplying the oxygen manufactured by the air separation unit to the primary system pipe in the burner, and a pipe for supplying the combustion exhaust gas discharged from the boiler to the oxygen supply pipe, wherein an injection port of the oxygen supply pipe is disposed on an upstream side of an injection portion of the burner.
US08578867B2
A security container includes at least one basic module, at least one floor element, at least one ceiling element, side wall elements, and one end piece. The side wall element and end piece are mounted between the floor element and the ceiling element at the basic module, and the basic module is attached to one door section equipped with a lock device in connection to an end piece and/or side wall elements.
US08578866B2
The invention relates to a container for storing objects to be protected from unauthorized access, particularly an automatic teller, vault (1), safe or security cabinet, comprising a housing (2) having a storage space, the housing having a rear wall, two side walls (3) disposed opposite each other, a base (4) and a top (5), wherein the base (4) and the top (5) are disposed opposite each other and connect the side walls (3) to each other, wherein the housing (2) has at least one opening (6) that can be locked using a door (7) and/or flap. In order to improve a generic container such that it is sufficiently protected from unauthorized opening by explosion, while simultaneously being constructed in a simple manner, so that a corresponding container can also be produced in a cost-effective manner, the invention provides that an absorber element (10) is disposed in the storage space.
US08578858B2
The transport installation with an aerial cable (2) for moving along a path, comprises a maintenance vehicle (1) provided with a gondola (4) mounted on a suspending rod (5) connected to the cable (2) by means of a fastener (9). The maintenance vehicle (1) moreover comprises a gangway (6) mounted on the suspending rod (5). A guiding rod (11) is fixed to the gangway (6) at one of its ends, and is connected to the cable (2) at its opposite end. The gangway (6) has a structure extending in the direction of displacement of the maintenance vehicle (1), and is pivotingly mounted on the suspending rod (5) so as to form an articulated bascule.
US08578850B2
A printing machine with at least one inking unit which has at least two cylinders which are set against each other during the printing operation and can be rotated by at least one drive. The printing machine is provided with sensors for recording parameters of the rotary motion of the cylinders such as the torque and speed. A setting mechanism is provided for setting the at least two cylinders against each other in radial direction. The control unit is configured to trigger the setting mechanism to set the at least two cylinders against each other. The at least two cylinders are brought to different circumferential velocities and set against each other. The relative position of the two cylinders is recorded or maintained when at least one parameter of the rotary motion of the at least two cylinders exceeds a threshold value.
US08578847B2
Devices and methods for evacuating fluids from a flexible conduit, particularly to evacuating water from a fire hose. In one aspect, a fluid evacuating apparatus is utilized to evacuate a fluid, such as water, from a flexible conduit, such as, for example, a fire hose. The apparatus may further be utilized to collapse the flexible conduit for storage and/or transport. In exemplary embodiments, a fluid evacuating apparatus may be utilized to evacuate the water from hoses of a wide range of diameters that collapse into a compact form for storage. The apparatus may include a frame with a handle, a mobility mechanism, such as, for example, wheels or rollers, a roller which may evacuate water, and a restraining mechanism which may hold down the hose, such as a roller or rollers.
US08578834B2
A vehicle includes one or more structural vent channels for blast energy and gas and debris dissipation. The structural enclosure of a vehicle includes a hull floor and encloses or defines a compartment for crew, cargo, or crew and cargo. The channel provides a passage through, around, or through and around the vehicle, by which blast energy and debris can be dissipated from explosions beneath the vehicle. Objects can be mounted within, above, or below the channel with breakaway mounting fixtures. The channel can serve as a storage compartment for objects that would be sacrificed during a blast.
US08578830B2
Systems and methods are presented herein that provide for ignition of explosive devices through electric and/or electromagnetic discharge. In one embodiment, an electrostatic discharge is directionally propagated through air to conduct electric current to the explosive device. The electric current may ignite the explosive device via heat, via triggering of ignition circuitry, via induced electric current conduction to the explosive material therein and/or via direct electric conduction to the explosive material therein. Alternatively, or in addition to, electromagnetic energy may be directionally propagated to the device through a waveguide. Such electromagnetic energy may be in the microwave region and may heat and/or induce electric current in the explosive device. In either instance, the directionally propagated energy may be time varying. In one embodiment, a system is configured with a vehicle to distally position the directionally propagated energy to the explosive device such that damage caused by the device is inhibited.
US08578828B2
A separating device for cutting off individual containers (12) from a frame network made of a plastic material, particularly of polypropylene, has at least one punching device at least partially separating the containers (12) from a waste frame. Because the punching device can be moved by a ball screw drive (46) that can be driven by a drive unit, particularly in the form of an eclectic motor (48), along a punching axis (44) from a starting position to a punching position and back again, the separation can be done at high speed, determined by the screw shaft that can be driven by the electric motor.
US08578826B2
Apparatus for dispensing sheet material from a sheet material dispenser are described. Dispenser embodiments include drive and tension rollers supported within a housing forming a nip therebetween. Pulling of sheet material through the nip and against the drive roller rotates the drive roller. Dispenser embodiments may include a cutting mechanism powered by drive roller rotation with an improved carrier-supported blade permitting highly-efficient dispenser operation. Dispenser embodiments may include a sheet material tail length adjuster which permits the attendant to shorten or lengthen the tail length extending away from the dispenser. Dispenser embodiments may further include a sheet material conservation feature which imposes a delay between dispense cycles encouraging use of a single sheet of material and discouraging sheet material waste.
US08578817B2
The invention relates to a modular transmission system, comprising in at least one transmission stage with a housing a plurality of transmissions with different multiplications, each having a first transmission step comprising an annular gear with a pinion offset, said pinion off-set being identical for all transmissions of one transmission stage. The modular transmission system is provided with at least one first pinion of the angular gear with a first serrated crown gear in a crown gear serration and a second pinion with a second crown gear in a spiroplan gearing.
US08578816B2
A connecting and adjusting structure for a crank assembly used in a bicycle contains a first tube of a first connector including a first hollow portion, the first connector including a first bearing seat to receive a first ball bearing, the first bearing seat includes a first engaging tab, a first adjusting rib, and the first tube, a second connector including a second bearing seat to receive a second ball bearing, a dustproof cover, and a retaining ring, the second bearing seat including a second engaging tab, a second adjusting rib, and a second tube, a second crank including a central shank with plural T-shaped teeth and second internal screws, a first crank including a hollow post with a Tee groove fixed to engage with the T-shaped teeth, and a screw is inserted through the hollow post to be screwed with the second internal screws.
US08578804B2
A mechanism with an inner race, which has cams, an outer race and rollers between the cams and the outer race. The inner race has a first notch while the outer race has a second notch with a narrow portion and a wider portion. A member is disposed in the first and second notches. Positioning of the member in the first notch and the narrow portion of the second notch inhibits relative rotation between the inner and outer races and power is not transmitted between the outer race and a power transmitting member, such as a gear. Positioning of the member in the first notch and the wider portion of the second notch permits some relative rotation between the inner and outer races to cause the cams to urge the rollers outwardly so that the outer race frictionally engages the power transmitting member to facilitate transmission of rotary power therebetween.
US08578793B2
A screw fastener testing method for verifying the status of a previously tightened screw fastener with respect to installed torque and actual torque growth per angle of rotation properties includes applying an increasing tightening torque on the fastener, measuring the torque magnitude at the start of rotation, of the fastener, measuring the rotational movement of the fastener after the start of rotation, calculating the torque growth per angle of rotation for a certain predetermined test interval of rotation from the start of rotation, comparing the torque magnitude indicated during rotation and the calculated torque growth per angle of rotation during the test interval of rotation with predetermined reference values (Tstart, KR) or (TE, KP), respectively, characteristic for the actual fastener when tightened to a desired target torque level, and approving or disapproving the fastener status in view of the reference values.
US08578788B2
A continuous atmospheric horizontal dustfall flux measurement apparatus includes: a dust sampling port that includes a ceiling plate, a side wall, and four or more partition plates; a suction pipe; a continuous dust amount measurement device that continuously measures a dust amount per unit time; a blower or a compressor; an exhaust port, wherein the side wall is a plate that has a vertical center axis and has a side surface with a substantially circular or polygonal truncated cone shape widened upward, and wherein the side wall includes a suction port which is formed at the lower end thereof so as to be connected to the suction pipe and an external air inlet which has four or more openings disposed at the same interval in the circumferential direction of the side wall at a constant height near the upper end thereof.
US08578784B2
A method for testing the mechanical properties of a specimen. The specimen is generally characterized by a first contact surface and a second contact surface spaced apart from and opposing the first contact surface. The method involves applying forces to the contact surfaces of the specimen to deform the specimen over a period of time. The response of the specimen to the forces is then measured over time. A spatial distance between the contact surfaces is defined such that the equivalent gauge length of the specimen is greater than the distance between the contact surfaces.
US08578775B2
A microcontroller-based method and apparatus are described for generating one or more amplitude and frequency selectable low frequency pilot tone signals (PT) that are injected into an embedded MEMS sensor (110) and mixed signal ASIC (120) and then recovered at the microcontroller (140) to compute or measure various gyro parameters during operational use of the device with no down time or interference with normal operations.
US08578756B2
In a PM detection sensor with a sensor element having a pair of detection electrodes formed on a substrate, quantity of PM accumulated in the detection electrode is calculated on the basis of a resistance change between the detection electrodes. A series circuit composed of a temperature detection resistance and a capacitor connected in series is formed on a conductive path in the sensor element. A microcomputer in an ECU instructs a power source to supply a DC voltage to the resistance and the capacitor to make a first state in which no current flows in the resistance when a quantity of PM accumulated in the sensor element is detected. The microcomputer instructs the power source to supply an AC voltage to the resistance and the capacitor to make a second state in which a current flows in the resistance when a temperature of the sensor element is detected.
US08578752B2
A prover mounted upon a supporting lower framework includes a piston supporting rod extending longitudinally through a cylinder, which cylinder receives and discharges a fluid to measure the flow rate of the fluid by translation of the piston from the fluid receiving end to the fluid discharging end. Motive means supported on a frame mounted on the prover draws the rod toward the fluid receiving end of the cylinder. An upper framework is attached to the lower framework through a plurality of stanchions. Various I-beams formed as part of the upper framework enhance rigidity to the combination of lower framework and upper framework. The combination of lower framework and upper framework provides support for the prover in a horizontal or a vertical orientation without affecting the operation, repair or maintenance of the prover.
US08578750B2
The invention relates to a hot forming tool (1, 101, 201, 301) for hot forming a metal workpiece (4, 204), having at least two dies (2, 3; 202, 203; 202, 303) which may be moved relative to one another for forming the workpiece (4, 204), and having a cooling device (5) by means of which the workpiece (4, 204) may be cooled in the hot forming tool (1, 101, 201, 301) from a first, higher temperature to a second, lower temperature. To improve the hot forming tool (1, 101, 201, 301), it is provided that the hot forming tool (1, 101, 201, 301) is equipped with a separating device (10, 210, 310) by means of which a separating operation may be carried out on a workpiece (4, 204) present in the hot forming tool (1, 101, 201, 301). The invention further relates to a method for hot forming.
US08578746B2
A ring supporting device is provided with six support shafts capable of approaching and separating from the inner walls of metal rings. Each of the support shafts has an exposed side wall having formed thereon annular ridges and grooves. The side walls of the support shafts each have cushioning materials having a height substantially corresponding to the height of each of the grooves. The cushioning materials deform when the inner walls of the metallic rings make contact with the cushioning materials, and this relaxes a force which tries to expand the metallic rings from the inner wall side to the outer wall side.
US08578744B2
A lock structure for an electronic device includes a housing, a securing element, an entering portion, and a lock body. The housing has a cavity and a first through hole. The securing element has a retaining portion and an extension portion extending out of the housing by the first through hole and together forming a T-shaped structure, wherein the retaining portion has a length and a width. The entering portion is capable of moving back and forth with respect to the housing and the securing portion, and is parallel to an axis of the extension portion. When the lock body is in an unlocked status, the entering portion is moveable along the extension portion; when the lock body is in a locked status, the entering portion extends out of the housing and is fixed beside the extension portion.
US08578740B2
The slider (17) of an improved slider needle (10) comprises a slot guide (24), wherein the slider springs (18, 19) are provided with a dual deformation on their respective cam follower sections (29). The dual deformation is produced, for example, by a double bend and/or by an additional superficial embossing on a partial surface (34) or also by bending over a section (40) close to the edge. Due to this measure, the guiding precision of the slot guide (24) is improved and, if desired, the penetration space between the two slider springs (18, 19) is also enlarged.
US08578738B2
The invention concerns a method for melting a composition of raw materials including introducing the composition in an oven to form a layer (2) at the surface of the molten pool (4). An oxycombustion burner (10) is arranged above the pool and directed towards the composition layer (2) to produce a melting front (3). Parameters of the burner are adjusted to produce a large covering flame (12) causing an essentially radiation-based thermal transfer. Additionally, a plane containing a longitudinal section of the flame (Z-Z) and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axis of the oven (X-X) intersects the melting front (3) at a height (h) included ranging between one third and half of the thickness of the composition (e). Such a method provides for a stable operation of the oven and is particularly adapted to a large-capacity oven.
US08578732B2
The invention relates to a compact sorption cooling unit, comprising at least one adsorber/desorber unit (1) having a heat exchanger and sorption material, at least one condenser heat exchanger (5), and at least one evaporator heat exchanger (6), wherein these building blocks are located in a common, vacuum-tight metal outer housing, and having connection and coupling elements and pipe ducts for the hydraulic interconnection and operation of the unit. The invention provides a sandwich structure, wherein the at least one adsorber/desorber unit (1) is located in an inner or partial inner housing. The condenser heat exchanger (5) and the evaporator heat exchanger (6) are disposed at a distance from each other, and the inner housing having the adsorber/desorber unit (1) is provided in the intermediate space thereof. The separating surfaces (2) of the inner housing directed toward the condenser heat exchanger (5) and toward the evaporator heat exchanger (6) receive steam valves (8, 9). Further, a heat insulating layer (7), or a heat insulating plate, is disposed in the region between the inner housing and the evaporator heat exchanger (6).
US08578722B2
A method for operating a closed circuit vapour compression refrigeration system is disclosed. The system may operate with supercritical pressure on a high pressure side, and includes at least one compressor, at least one heat rejector, at least two in parallel connected heat absorbers, at least one variable expansion means up flow of each heat absorber and at least one control unit for controlling the variable expansion means, connected to a set of sensors. The flow rate of the refrigerant through each of the variable expansion means, is controlled by the control unit, coordinating the flow of refrigerant through each of the variable expansion means to maintain a control parameter within a set range. Any surplus charge resulting from the control is buffered on a low pressure side of the system. Furthermore a refrigeration system based on a closed vapour compression circuit is described.
US08578718B2
The present invention provides a motor powered by an expandable, combustible gas. The motor includes a cartridge for the generation of hydrogen. The cartridge is configured to generate high pressure and high temperature hydrogen. The motor is configured such that hydrogen generated by the cartridge is directed into a series of expandable chambers defined by at least one flywheel. The flywheel is connected to a shaft such that power generated by the hydrogen can be transmitted out of the motor. The motor is configured such that power can be generated by expansion of the hydrogen and subsequent combustion of the hydrogen.
US08578717B2
A method is described for controlling load variations in a gas turbine. The method comprises reducing the flow of gaseous fuel entering the combustor to a predefined minimum value, if an increase is observed in the rotation regime of said turbine above a predefined maximum value and a total reduction in the load, activating a selective feeding sequence of the burners if the turbine is operating in normal functioning or premixed flame mode, modifying the angulation of the adjustable stator vanes, in order to reduce the speed rate of the compressor, and opening one or more anti-surge valves and one or more overboard bleeds, in order to reduce the air flow at the inlet of the combustor.
US08578705B2
A method of controlling a rate of introduction of a NOx reducing substance or precursor to a catalyst component. The method comprises obtaining the amount of NOx entering the catalyst component, modeling the amount of NOx reducing substance or precursor in the catalyst component and controlling the rate of introduction of the NOx reducing substance or precursor to reduce NOx.
US08578703B2
In an exhaust emission purifying apparatus for an internal combustion engine, for adding a reducing agent for NOx to the exhaust gas to thereby purify NOx in the exhaust gas, the mixing of the reducing agent injected by an injection nozzle with the exhaust gas is accelerated. To this end, in the apparatus of the present invention, the injection nozzle for the urea water is disposed to be opposite to the flow of the exhaust gas, or to face upward in a vertical direction.
US08578702B2
A method of storing and delivering ammonia and the use of electromagnetic radiation for desorption of ammonia from a chemical complex. Solid metal ammine complexes are applied for safe and high-density storage of ammonia to be released for use as reducing agent in selective catalytic reduction of NOx in exhaust gases. The compositional formula of the metal ammine complexes is M(NH3)nXz, where M2+ represents one or more metal ions capable of binding ammonia, X represents one or more anions, n is the coordination number (from 2 to 12), and z the valency of the metal ion (and thus the total number of compensating anion charges). Ammonia is released non-thermally by photon-activation using electromagnetic irradiation of the complex bond between ammonia coordinated to the metal ion.
US08578700B2
A gas turbine engine is disclosed which comprises a bypass duct, a core engine, and a fluid mixing arrangement. The fluid mixing arrangement is configured to mix a bypass flow of fluid and a secondary flow of fluid, the secondary flow of fluid being drawn from the core engine. The arrangement comprises a flow-duct terminating with an outlet and being arranged to direct said secondary flow through the outlet and into the bypass flow. The arrangement is characterized by the provision of a delta-shaped wing in the region of the outlet, said wing extending at least partially across the duct and being configured to generate lift from said secondary flow effective to produce at least one trailing vortex extending into said bypass flow. The fluid mixing arrangement can be used as a ventilation arrangement or as part of a bleed valve arrangement in the gas turbine engine.
US08578691B2
A mower for cutting grass includes a platform with a motor located thereon. A door on the platform has a first position blocking a discharge and a second door position away from the discharge. A bag has an inlet that mates to a discharge. A support is connected to the platform and a door prop is movably mounted on the support. The door prop has a first position not in engagement with the door to permit the door to be in the first position and having a second position in which a segment of the door prop engages with the door to retain the door in the second position. A handle extends up from the platform. An operable member is mounted on the handle. A connector extends between the door prop and the operable member to transmit force to move the door prop.
US08578687B2
A ride-on mower can easily lift mower deck up and down so that it remains horizontal. The ride-on mower has driving motors, mower blades spinning for mowing grass, mowing motors for the mower blades, batteries for the driving motors and the mowing motors, a mower deck for covering the mower blades from the above and sides and for setting the mowing motors on, and a mower deck lifting device for lifting up and down the mower deck. The mower deck lifting device has a booster for assisting the mower deck lifting device in lifting the mower deck up and down, and the mower deck lifting device is set at the center on the mower deck.
US08578679B1
Smokestacks are built by constructing a reinforced pad, a reinforced base on the pad, placing a preconstructed smokestack welded base element and the reinforced base. A smokestack constructing machine is positioned on the base with cross beams extending above the welded base. A preassembled top section is placed on the beams. In a lower work area, jacks connected to lower fixtures on the top section raise the top section. Transition sections are inserted laterally on the beams, and the top section is lowered, attached and welded to the transition sections. The jacks are disconnected, lowered and reconnected. The top section is attached and welded to the lower section, which is raised to laterally insert another section. The raising, inserting, lowering, attaching, welding and raising steps are repeated until the smokestack is complete. Ladders and wind screws attachments are attached in an upper work area.
US08578669B2
The invention discloses devices and methods for making building blocks for construction that requires neither mortar nor additional internal or external finishing. A building block includes joining elements for attaching blocks from top to bottom as well as from side to side. Additionally, blocks have internal and external finishes that are complete. Thus, after construction of a structure, there is no additional need to paint, hang wallpaper or otherwise treat the outer and inner walls of the final structure.
US08578668B2
The invention relates to a framing for panels sliding in a opening in particular for windows and French windows. The invention provides a framing in which the different constituent elements of the fixed frame are entirely positioned above or below the outer surface of the opening so that the fixed frame does not disclose any element protruding to the outside of the opening. The opening comprises at least two trough slots. The framing comprises a fixed frame comprising displacement means and an intermediate element fixed to the panel, the intermediate element comprising at least two main longitudinal wings passing through the at least two through slots and cooperating with the displacement means so as to permit the displacement of the panel along the fixed frame.
US08578660B2
A universal skirt board has a base, a top flange section, an overhang section, and a sealing flange attached to the top flange section. The base has at least one ridge extending away from the base in a first direction, and a projection extending in the first direction. The top flange section is attached to the base. The overhang section is also attached to the base and defines a drip edge. The sealing flange is attached to the top flange section. The at least one ridge is formed to rest on a top of a base board. The projection is formed to fit into a slot defined in the top of the base board to provide an interference connection.
US08578655B2
A door structure includes a handle whereon an engaging part, a sunken part, and a baffle part disposed nearby the sunken part are formed. The door structure further includes a cover connected to the handle. The cover includes a main body, a hook disposed on a side of the main body, a rib disposed on the side of the main body for installing inside the sunken part, and a protruding part disposed on the side of the main body for blocking the baffle part so as to fix the handle on the cover with the hook and the rib.
US08578654B2
A window drive mechanism is used to cover and uncover an opening formed in a first window panel. A second window panel is mounted for movement relative to the first window panel. The second window panel is moved by the window drive mechanism between an open position where the opening is uncovered and a closed position where the second window panel covers the opening. When the second window panel is in the closed position, the second window panel is flush with the first window panel. A guide member is mounted for movement with the second window panel and has a notch that defines a first path of movement where the second window panel is moved inwardly of the first window panel. When activated, the drive mechanism moves the second window panel inwardly to a non-flush position via the notch, and then moves the second window panel axially to uncover the opening.
US08578641B2
A thin, illuminatable graphic support assembly comprising an elongated base rail having an elongated first edge and an elongated second edge; an elongated cover rail having an elongated planar portion arranged along one edge thereof, and an elongated “J” shaped portion arranged along a second edge thereof, the elongated cover rail pivotable between an open orientation and a closed graphic or panel restraining position; an elongated receiving channel arranged in the elongated second edge of the base rail, with a biasing member arranged therein, and a fixture support first channel and a fixture support second channel on an outer lower side of the base rail, to enable the illuminable graphic support assembly to be selectively secured to a wall.
US08578636B2
A threadless, hammerless self-aligning geometric device for ground engagement, the device may comprise a wedge mechanism having a pair of laterally spaced holes in a first and second sidewall with a semi-flexible buffer that connects a plurality of load bearings that are axially aligned within the center of the wedge mechanism, wherein a pin that is formed integrally with an indentation is disposed in a rectangular mechanism having a recess with a pair of laterally spaced holes in a first and second sidewall so when fastened by the pin, the laterally spaced holes, the wedge mechanism and the recess are in substantial axial alignment, the pin being held in place by a mechanical fit between the pin and a knob.
US08578627B2
A method of controlling the operation of a clothes dryer with a moisture sensor having a conductivity circuit with spaced contacts.
US08578621B2
A laser alignment system for a drill press includes first and second adjustable laser assemblies mountable on the drill press. Each adjustable laser assembly includes a base firmly affixed to the drill press, a rotatable element mounted on the base and being adapted to selectively rotate relative to the base, a pivotable element mounted on the rotatable element and being adapted to selectively pivot relative to the rotatable element, and a laser mounted on the pivotable element and being adapted to move simultaneously with the pivotable element. The laser alignment system includes a pivot adjusting mechanism coupled with the pivotable element for selectively pivoting the pivotable element relative to the rotatable element, and a rotation adjusting mechanism coupled with the rotatable element for selectively rotating the rotatable element relative to the base.
US08578618B2
According to the present invention, a three-dimensional measuring instrument includes a spindle that moves an object to be controlled in a predetermined axis direction; and a controlling device that controls a position of the object to be controlled by controlling a position of the spindle. The three-dimensional measuring instrument further includes an absolute-type linear encoder that outputs an absolute position of the spindle. With this, it is possible to start measurement by the three-dimensional measuring instrument in a short period of time.
US08578609B2
A manufacturing procedure of a composite material part (11), with an edge region (13) destined to be joined to another part by rivets, making a change in the geometry of said edge region (13) with respect to an initial surface (41) on the part's external face, comprising the following steps: a) providing a laying-up tool incorporating a modified surface (43) according to said change in the edge region (13) geometry; b) providing the composite material plies needed for the laying-up of the part, with the plies (51, 51′, . . . , 51n) destined for the edge region (13) of the part affected by the geometric modification being already cut so that they finish as they reach said modified surface (43); c) laying-up said plies over said tool and curing the resultant laminate. The invention also refers to a lower skin of an aircraft wing (11) manufactured according to said procedure.
US08578597B2
A feed mechanism is provided for a terminal crimping machine that crimps a terminal to a wire. The feed mechanism includes a feed finger configured to move along a feed stroke in a feed direction to feed the terminal into a crimping zone. The feed mechanism also includes a cam having a lift profile, and a push rod that includes a cam follower engaged with the cam. The cam follower travels along the lift profile of the cam, moving the push rod in a lift direction. The push rod is mechanically connected to the feed finger and is configured to move the feed finger along the feed stroke in the feed direction when the push rod moves in the lift direction. A biasing mechanism is operatively connected to the push rod to exert a biasing force on the push rod that biases the cam follower into engagement with the cam.
US08578595B2
A component mounting system and apparatus are provided that include a component mounting apparatus with a substrate holding device, a component supplying device, a head support portion, a mounting head and a forcing means. The mounting head is detachably attached to the head support portion. The mounting head of the system has a recording medium in which information relating to the mounting head is recorded. The system has an external storage portion that stores a plurality of batches of information relating to a plurality of mounting heads. The system further includes a recognizing portion that obtains and recognizes information from the external storage corresponding to the mounting head that is attached to the support portion.
US08578590B2
The wire insertion tool includes a first division block having a first wire insertion guide ditch forming plane where a first wire insertion guide ditch has been formed, a second division block having a second wire insertion guide ditch forming plane where a second wire insertion guide ditch has been formed, and a division block positioning guide. When the first division block and the second division block form a coupling unit by fitting the first wire insertion guide ditch forming plane and the second wire insertion guide ditch forming plane, the first wire insertion guide ditch and the second wire insertion guide ditch form a wire insertion guide hole. The division block positioning guide guides one of these blocks linearly to the other such that these planes approach to each other or separate from each other.
US08578583B2
A windscreen wiper device comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes opposing longitudinal grooves on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apart longitudinal strips of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighboring ends of said longitudinal strips are interconnected by a respective connecting piece, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an oscillating wiper arm, as well as a spoiler, a special feature of which is that the spoiler as a separate constructional element is detachably connected to the wiper blade.
US08578581B2
A system and method of making a part, including capturing an actual tridimensional surface of each part to obtain a corresponding digitized actual surface, performing a tridimensional comparison between the digitized actual surface of each part and a nominal tridimensional surface, generating an actual location and orientation of an operation to be performed based on the tridimensional comparison, and performing the operation on the part based on the generated actual location and orientation of the element.
US08578579B2
A method of repair includes removing a deformed portion of a component to define a native component portion and adding a replacement portion to the native component portion. The replacement portion is adaptively machined based on one or more parameters of the native component portion and based on one or more original design parameters of the component.
US08578577B2
An apparatus for expanding metal and forming tubing combines two metal-forming operations into a single process. Tubing, such as that used for filters, is desirably expanded so that air or liquid may pass thru “diamonds” formed in the tubing. Expanding metal and forming tubing is accomplished in a single, continuous process by first slitting and expanding the metal, and then locking its seams to form a spiral pipe. This avoids depending on vendors for delivery of expanded metal at fluctuating prices, eliminates intermediate steps of handling the coils, and eliminates rusting while the expanded steel coils await formation into tubing. Tubing made from expanded metal may be used for air filters, oil filters, water filters, separators and other types of filters. Double-wall HVAC ducting systems or silencers can also use expanded material for reducing heat transfer and noise.
US08578573B2
A pin fastener includes a cylindrical body into which a pin is inserted, a coil spring wound on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body, and an outer cylindrical body surrounding the outer periphery of the cylindrical body and coil spring. A cut is provided in the cylindrical body, and a linear fastening portion of the coil spring is fitted into the cut, thereby forming a pin fastening narrowed portion between the fastening portion and a wall portion of the cylindrical body opposed thereto.
US08578566B2
A device for gripping a cable is presented that has a retention member rotatably disposed within a cable guide such that upon entrance of the cable within an entrance port, the cable moves between the retention member and a wall, causing the retention member to simultaneously rotate and move toward the exit port and away from the wall until it abuts the exit wall and rotates in place as the cable is pushed out the exit port. When the cable is pulled toward the entrance port, the retention member simultaneously rotates and moves toward the entrance port and the wall, wedging the cable between the wall and the retention member.
US08578554B2
A system and method for capturing dust from power tool operation are disclosed. The system comprises a debris-collecting accessory that includes a body and a nose. The nose has an opening for a toolbit and at least one suction port that opens into an interior volume of the housing. The body has a second end configured to couple to a power tool. An exhaust tube attaches to the exterior surface of the body such that an interior volume of the exhaust tube connects to an interior volume of the housing. An exit passage is coupled to the exhaust tube and is configured to couple to a vacuum.
US08578549B2
Cleaning sheets are provided, which attach to known wet and/or dry cleaning devices such as a mopping device. The cleaning sheets are reusable and have material and/or a geometric configuration that provides efficient cleaning performance, while maintaining a predetermined cleaning force during use.
US08578548B1
An abrasive cleaning glove comprises a cleaning glove. The cleaning glove comprising a hand portion mechanically coupled to a cuff. The hand portion is made of a material. The material comprises a plurality of warp threads around a series of waft threads. The plurality of warp threads and the series of waft threads are in a pattern that reveals several surface heights caused by various needle pitches to enhance cleaning.
US08578539B2
The dental cleaning appliance includes an appliance body (30, 73) which has a bristle field housing (32, 52) and fluid within the housing. A flexible membrane (34) is positioned within the housing, or in a fluid-tight relationship (54) within an opening (60) in the housing. A fluid pressure system involving either a dual piston system (22, 24, 28) or a pump and valve system (70, 68, 68) provides pressure on the fluid, wherein the pistons move alternately, or the valves open and close alternately, in such a manner to produce alternating pressure above and beneath the membrane, moving the membrane and the bristle field toward and away from the teeth.
US08578533B2
A laundry machine and a control method thereof are provided in which laundering ability may be improved while also improving efficiency and noise/vibration. The laundry machine employs a plurality of drum motions by varying drum rotational speed, drum rotational direction, and drum starting and stopping point, to provide different motion of laundry items in the drum.
US08578531B2
Assist handle assemblies and beds with an assist handle assembly are presented herein. In one embodiment, an assist handle assembly includes a mounting frame for attaching to a support platform. A first support arm is pivotably attached to the mounting frame to rotate about a first axis. A second support arm is pivotably attached to the mounting frame to rotate about a second axis, which is different from the first axis. The first and second support arms remain substantially parallel while rotating about respective axes between various positions. In another embodiment, a bed assembly includes a bed frame with a mounting frame attached thereto. First and second support arms are pivotably attached to the mounting frame at first and second locations, respectively, to rotate between raised and lowered positions. A handle with an arcuate body is pivotably attached to the first and second support arms, maintaining a constant concave-down orientation.
US08578527B2
An occupant support includes a mattress 20, a detector 54 and an energy management system comprising thermally conductive pathways and a controller 60. The controller activates one or more selected pathways in response to information from the detector to regulate energy transfer at a detected region of risk 66 on the mattress.
US08578523B2
A floor sink strainer arrangement adapted to fasten to a receptacle body of a floor sink. The strainer arrangement includes a strainer having a body and defining a slot therein for receiving a fastener, and a fastener arrangement attached to the strainer. The strainer is adapted to be received within the receptacle body of the floor sink. The fastener arrangement includes a support base and a longitudinal extending member attached to the base and extending therefrom, wherein the base is adapted to be secured to a drain pipe when the strainer is received within the receptacle body of the floor sink.
US08578522B1
A method and system for controlling, draining, removing, and disposing of liquids and light solids. This enables liquids and/or light solids to be drained centrally, such as underneath a toilet through the sewer pipe, without having to worry about sewerage gasses escaping into the location of the drain. In addition, individuals that may have problems using an ordinary shower and/or bath tub, such as the elderly, the handicapped, and/or disabled may use the system to simplify the bathing process by taking a shower while remaining in a wheel chair and/or by sitting on a toilet without having to get into a tub and/or shower whereby any liquids and/or light solids from the shower will be allowed to drain underneath the toilet.
US08578513B2
A deltoid arm protection system for a ballistic vest including an asymmetrical anatomically shaped deltoid cover having fasteners for attachment to a ballistic vest. The deltoid cover is connected to the vest and prevents any gaps forming between the deltoid cover and the vest during arm movement of the wearer. The deltoid cover includes a weapon gripping pad and attachment loops on an outer surface of the deltoid cover.
US08584260B2
A storage medium includes an ID registration area for storing therein a main body ID which is an ID unique to an information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus has the main body ID stored therein. The information processing apparatus includes copying means for, when the storage medium is attached thereto, copying a program stored in the storage medium thereinto in the case where the main body ID has not yet been registered. When the copy is made, the main body ID is stored into the ID registration area of the storage medium. The information processing apparatus also includes execution program selecting means for selecting, from the copied program and from the program stored in the storage medium, a program to be executed.
US08584259B2
Embodiments provide a system for content distribution and protection. The system first receives an order from a user for a protected document. In response to a successful user authentication, the system generates an access code for the user to access the protected document. In response to a received user reading request, the system validates the access code for a reading session. The system then transfers a set of URLs for accessing a set of pages and associated metadata in the protected document to the user. The set of URLs are valid for a period of time. Responsive to a request for reading a next set of pages, the system again validates the access code for the session and transfers another set of URLs for accessing the next set of pages. The system also logs user activities related to the protected document.
US08584248B2
A method for transforming untrusted applications into trusted executables through static previrtualization is disclosed. For example, the method receives an untrusted application and extracts a system call from the untrusted application. The method then determines if the system call is privileged or non-privileged. If the system call is privileged, the method replaces the system call with a hypercall. If the system call is non-privileged, it is replaced with a library call. The method repeats this process for additional system calls in the untrusted application to create a trusted executable. The method then forwards the trusted executable.
US08584239B2
A suspicious activity capture system can comprise a tap configured to copy network data from a communication network, and a controller coupled to the tap. The controller is configured to receive the copy of the network data from the tap, analyze the copy of the network data with a heuristic to determine if the network data is suspicious, flag the network data as suspicious based on the heuristic determination, and concurrently simulate transmission of the network data to a plurality of destination devices.
US08584238B1
A method and apparatus for identifying data patterns of a file are described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary process includes, but is not limited to, receiving a data packet of a data stream containing a file segment of a file originated from an external host and destined to a protected host of a local area network (LAN), the file being transmitted via multiple file segments contained in multiple data packets of the data stream, and performing a data pattern analysis on the received data packet to determine whether the received data packet contains a predetermined data pattern, without waiting for a remainder of the data stream to arrive. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08584233B1
Providing malware-free web content to a user is disclosed. The web content is any type of web content that may potentially be infected by any type of malware. Upon receiving a request for a piece of web content from the user, the requested piece of web content is obtained from the appropriate source, and a dynamic template for the piece of web content is retrieved. The dynamic template indicates whether the requested piece of web content includes any malware and what actions are to be performed if any malware is included in the piece of web content. The requested piece of web content is cleaned up by performing the actions indicated in the dynamic template. Thereafter, the piece of web content is provided to the user. The dynamic template is updated from time to time based on the currently available information regarding the piece of web content.
US08584228B1
Systems and methods provide logic for distributing cryptographic keys in a physical network comprising a plurality of physical nodes. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for distributing cryptographic keys in a physical network. The method includes receiving information mapping a virtual network address of a virtual node to a physical network address of a physical node. The virtual node may be associated with a virtual network hosted by the physical node, and the received mapping information identifies a virtual network address of the node and the physical network address of the node. The mapping service transmits a current version of a cryptographic key and an identifier of the current version to the physical node.
US08584227B2
A firewall helps a user make a decision regarding network access for an application executing on a computing device by providing “hints” to the user about an appropriate network access policy. If at least one previously set firewall policy for the application exists in a context different from a current context, the user may be presented with information based on a previously set firewall policy. The information may be prioritized based on a source of the previously set firewall policy and other factors, to provide the user with a hint that facilitates making the decision appropriate in the current context. A programming interface to the firewall allows third party applications to specify a format in which hints are provided to the user.
US08584224B1
A system for authenticating a user to a relying party. A user sends an access request to a relying party web application. In response, the application sends a page with JavaScript that detects a plug-in at the user and detects the relying party domain. The plug-in uses its device certificate or other pre-established credentials to sign a challenge along with other site and user information including the site domain, the authentication service URL and user identifier, and send it, along with the data including the domain and the user identifier, to an authentication service. The service authenticates the information and sends back to the plug-in a short ticket that can be passed on to the relying party, which can validate it using the Radius protocol and an authentication service call, thereby authenticating the user.
US08584218B2
One or more user service tickets are obtained (i.e. pre-fetched) from an authentication server and stored in a ticket cache. The user service tickets facilitate a login device communicating with one or more users or group members associated with the login device. Login credentials for the users or group members may be subsequently authenticated against the user service tickets within the ticket cache thereby eliminating the need for immediate access to the authentication server or a previous login session by the users or group members. The user service tickets within the ticket cache may be refreshed as needed. In one embodiment, the user service tickets are refreshed daily and also in response to login attempts if the authentication service is readily accessible.
US08584216B1
A computer-implemented method for efficiently deploying cryptographic key updates may include (1) receiving a request for subscribed cryptographic key material from a client device that includes information that identifies both the client device and cryptographic key material currently possessed by the client device, (2) automatically identifying the client device's subscribed cryptographic key material, (3) determining, by comparing the information received from the client device with the client device's subscribed cryptographic key material, that the cryptographic key material currently possessed by the client device does not match the client device's subscribed cryptographic key material, and (4) deploying at least one update to the client device that causes the client device to update the cryptographic key material currently possessed by the client device to match the client device's subscribed cryptographic key material. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08584213B2
A method receives a user login from a user. The method grants, to the user, access to a user account of the user maintained by a computerized document management system based on the user login. The computerized document management system is accessible to a plurality of users. The method receives a request from the user to provide a requested document and the method determines whether the requested document should be password protected. If the requested document should be password protected, the method generates a unique password for the requested document. The unique password is unique to the user and is based upon information contained within the user account by the computerized document management system. Again, if the requested document should be password protected, the method adds the unique password to the requested document to generate a password-protected document and sends the password-protected document to the first user.
US08584209B1
A method includes detecting a presence of a device on a network associated with a node, where the node is not connected to an authentication server and is configured to communicate with the device using a data link layer authentication protocol; communicating, with another node, using a data link layer tunneling protocol, to authenticate the device as a result of detecting the presence of the device, where the other node communicates with the authentication server, using a network layer authentication protocol, that enables the other node to receive an authentication notification associated with the device; receiving, from the other node, the authentication notification that indicates that the device has been authenticated, where the authentication notification is received using the data link layer tunneling protocol; and sending, to the device, an indication that the device is authorized to communicate with the network, where the sending includes establishing an authentication session that enables the device to communicate with the network.
US08584204B2
Architectures and techniques that allow a firmware agent to operate as a tamper-resistant agent on a host platform that may be used as a trusted policy enforcement point (PEP) on the host platform to enforce policies even when the host operating system is compromised. The PEP may be used to open access control and/or remediation channels on the host platform. The firmware agent may also act as a local policy decision point (PDP) on the host platform in accordance with an authorized enterprise PDP entity by providing policies if a host trust agent is non-responsive and may function as a passive agent when the host trust agent is functional.
US08584203B2
There is provided an identifier authenticating system in which information requesting users can share all predetermined information held in a plurality of information providing servers. In the identifier authenticating system, when an identifier holding user 18 presents an identifier to an information requesting server 16, the information requesting server 16 asks a location managing server 14 about a location of an information providing server 15; the location managing server 14 returns a confirmed IP address of the information providing server 15 to the information requesting server 16 based on the location information; and the information requesting server 16 uses the confirmed IP address to access the information providing server 15 corresponding to the confirmed IP address and receives predetermined information specified by multiplying n pieces of identification information from the accessed information providing server.
US08584192B2
An upstream bandwidth conditioning device is provided that can be inserted into a signal transmission line of a CATV system on a premise of a user. The device includes a tunable low pass filter, a tunable high pass filter connected in series with the tunable low pass filter, and at least one voltage control unit. The voltage control unit is configured to adjust each of the tunable low pass filter and the tunable high pass filter between at least a first intermediate frequency range having a first width and a second intermediate frequency range having a second width. The first width differs in size from the second width.
US08584189B2
A system and method for sending an emergency communication from a set-top box. A user and location of the user is associated with the set-top box. An indicator of an emergency is received through the set-top box. The user and the location associated with the set-top box are determined in response to receiving the indicator. A database returns the user and the location utilizing an identifier of the set-top box. An emergency communication is sent indicating the location through a media network in communication with the set-top box.
US08584188B2
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a system and a method for displaying, among other things, call status information associated with one or more communication devices on a television. In one embodiment, an integrated set top box is disclosed that includes a memory component for storing computer executable instructions; a data storage unit for storing data associated with at least one monitored communication device; a communication interface in communication with a cable head end for receiving communication data associated with the monitored communication device and television media content; a decoder for decoding the television media content; and a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions to generate a user interface using the communication data to depict a call status associated with the monitored communication device on a television couple to the set top box.
US08584182B2
A system is disclosed for providing broadcast programming to subscriber locations including an intermediate video supplier, subscriber location equipment and one or more video sources. The intermediate video supplier includes a video buffer and a video server that processes received subscriber requests and retrieves, according to the subscriber requests, either of currently broadcast programming or broadcast programming previously buffered in the video buffer by the video server. The subscriber location equipment includes a remote control and a local control unit that transmits the subscriber requests to the video server via one or more data links and receives, from the video server, either of the currently broadcast programming or the previously buffered broadcast programming for display on a local video display via the data link. A subscriber may initiate a restart command with a single action via the remote control to restart a currently viewed program from the beginning for viewing the entire program on the local video display even if the currently viewed program was joined in progress.
US08584181B2
An initiating viewer identifies a multimedia channel and submits a request to share the multimedia channel with at least one recipient viewer at another viewer premises. This request is processed by the multimedia receiver of the initiating viewer so as to generate a channel change request for submission to a service provider. In response to the channel share request, the service provider queries the recipient viewer to determine whether the recipient viewer accepts or rejects the offered multimedia channel. If the recipient viewer accepts the multimedia channel, the multimedia channel can be provided to the multimedia receiver of the recipient viewer either for storage for later playback or for immediate playback concurrent with the provision of the multimedia channel to the initiating viewer. Billing for costs associated with the shared multimedia channel is conducted based on billing feedback provided by the initiating viewer.
US08584180B2
A system and method for resource sharing are provided. The method includes storing an electronic programming guide (EPG) application and an EPG, determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the EPG, and communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the other device to download the additional time of the EPG to storage in the other device. The method also includes processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the other device, querying the other device to determine what programming is being viewed, and processing controls included in the EPG application that enable access to the storage of the other device to interact with the EPG stored on the other device through the local video device to schedule a programming event at the local video device.
US08584179B2
An information output apparatus has a first interface to receive an equipment operational signal from a short-range wireless communication apparatus, a second interface to receive broadcast wave data based on the equipment operational signal, a third interface to transmit the equipment operational signal to an information generating apparatus, a fourth interface to receive video data transmitted from the information generating apparatus, a fifth interface to receive a control command transmitted from the information generating apparatus in response to the equipment operational signal transmitted from the third interface part, an information superimposing part to transmit the equipment operational signal from the third interface part to the information generating apparatus and then to superimpose video data updated by the information generating apparatus and received from the fourth interface part with the broadcast wave data to display the superimposed data on a display part.
US08584169B1
A system and method for creating and managing custom media channels within an Interactive Digital Program Guide (IDPG) of a device having a set-top box function associated with a cable or satellite television network. In general, a user interacts with the set-top box function to define a custom media channel. The custom media channel may be defined by a channel name and user preferences. Once the custom media channel is defined, an Internet search is performed based on the user preferences in order to identify media presentations for the custom media channel. Thereafter, when a user selects the custom media channel via the IDPG, the media presentations are played in a substantially continuous stream in either a predetermined or random sequence.
US08584163B2
An integrated DSS/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver downloads graphic images, corresponding to DSS programs, from a DSS communication medium or the Internet into a local memory. The graphic images are periodically updated by the DSS service provider or Internet service provider. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user's navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes a selectable DSS program listing that displays DSS programs that are currently being broadcast or that will be broadcasted in the future. If a user selects a currently broadcasted program, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays the selected program on the television. If the user selects a program that is broadcasted in the future, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays a downloaded graphic image, corresponding to the selected program, on the television. The graphic image may be the selected program's name or logo, still shots from the selected program, short video clips related to the selected program, or advertisements related to the selected program.
US08584144B2
A method for operating a multi-threading computational system includes: identifying related events; allocating the related events to a first thread; allocating unrelated events to one or more second threads; wherein the events allocated to the first thread are executed in sequence and the events allocated to the one or more second threads are executed in parallel to execution of the first thread.
US08584143B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with collection access are described. One example system includes a data store to store a set of listener object identifiers. A listener object identifier identifies a member of a set (or collection) of listener objects. A Listener object initiates an action in response to an occurrence of an event associated with a member of a set of external logics. A member of the set of external logics invokes a notify process to trigger actions. The example system may also include storing the listener object identifiers in an array to allow instances of the notify process to operate in parallel.
US08584142B1
A server side scripting language hosts batch requests from a client for invoking object specific libraries on the client requestor. The requestor executes a user application driven by a web scripting language which may not have facilities or resources for efficiently invoking operations that are provided by the server. A batch script enables the requestor to invoke a set of server operations in batch, without exchanging requests and result for each invocation of a service side operation, thus mitigating the bandwidth that would otherwise occur for individual client/server exchanges for each operation. The server provides a proxy class for expected object types and operations, and a dispatch layer identifies the appropriate proxy class for each operation requested from the batch script.
US08584139B2
A proxy for location on a network between one or more client applications and a server application, comprises an input unit for receiving input data from a first client application and from a server application; a modifying unit for modifying server data by insertion of client data; and a handling unit for submitting the modified content data to the client to allow the client to review and further modify the client data within the server data and submit the modified data back to the proxy for subsequent submission to the server. The proxy thus uses client data to prefill web forms, using mapping and the like, which the client can then review and modify before submission to the server, thus avoiding substantial rekeying.
US08584121B2
A software element database stores software element definitions according to a software element hierarchy. A score is assigned to at least one of the software element based at least in part upon the software element's hierarchy level. Further, virtual machine templates are stored in a library. The virtual machine templates include at least one software element associated with a software element from the software element database. A user enters a specification that specifies desired software elements to be included in the virtual machine via a user interface. After the specification is entered, the a score value is calculated for at least one virtual machine template from the library, based on the scores assigned to the software elements. Using the calculated score, the virtual machine template having the highest score value is selected and the selected virtual machine template is delivered as the virtual machine to a hypervisor.
US08584118B2
A terminal for validating a software application includes a processor capable of operating an operating system (OS) platform (e.g., Symbian™ OS platform), and capable of operating at least one software application above the OS platform. The software application(s) are associated with a permission record that includes permissions identifying services the software application is authorized to receive from the OS platform. The OS platform is capable of receiving a request, from a software application, for a service of the OS platform. The OS platform can determine if the software application is authorized to receive the requested service based upon the associated permission record. And if the software application is authorized, the OS platform is capable of providing the requested service to the software application.
US08584117B2
Systems and methods of providing information from run-time installations of mainframe SMP/E based products. Information is embedded into a fingerprint library. The fingerprint library may then be associated with a product installed via SMP/E. The fingerprint library may then remain with the product when it is copied to its distributed location. A system administrator may later query the run-time installation and retrieve information previously only known to the SMP/E tool in an SMP/E controlled installation. In one embodiment, information may be embedded into a fingerprint library at product build time.
US08584115B2
Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for updating device drivers of an operating system for a server computer system are disclosed. Embodiments may include a method for updating device drivers for a server computer system by a build server. Embodiments of the method may include determining whether device drivers for an operating system image source need to be updated, such as by crawling a vendor website. Embodiments may also include in response to determining that device driver updates need to be downloaded, scheduling a time for download of device driver updates. Embodiments of the method may also include downloading the scheduled device driver updates based on the scheduled time and storing the device driver updates in a device driver update database. Further embodiments of the method may include installing the operating system image source on a target server and installing the device driver updates on the target server.
US08584107B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods of converting data used for shipment rate calculations into executable code. More specifically, certain embodiments if the present invention provide systems and methods of converting data used for shipment calculations into executable code by scanning the data from at least one source file, parsing the data in accordance with a template, and generating the executable code by utilizing the parsed data. As a result, the code may be executed to provide the data used for shipment rate calculations without having to access the original source file. In addition, compiling such data into executable code may improve look-up performance, may provide encapsulation of logic related to the specific nature of the data, and may provide a mechanism by which the raw data is not overtly exposed to end users of the software and third-parties.
US08584105B1
Systems, servers, methods, and media for interfacing first compiled code of first code with second compiled code of second code are provided. The first compiled code includes a first compiled object that corresponds to an original object in the first code, and includes a first API wrapper that associates the first compiled object with the original object. The second compiled code includes a second compiled object that corresponds to a reference in the second code to the original object, and includes a second API wrapper that associates the second compiled object with the reference. When the second compiled object in the second compiled code is executed, the second compiled code calls the second API wrapper, the second API wrapper proxies the call to the first API wrapper, and the first API wrapper proxies the call to the first compiled object in the first compiled code.
US08584101B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for automatically analyzing a program in order to detect window malicious codes that are programmed to perform malicious behaviors when a specific event occurs, when the specific event does not occur, when a specific program execution condition is satisfied, and when the specific program execution condition is not satisfied.
US08584100B2
Method and system for testing software code comprising determining code elements in software code, determining changed code elements in the software code, determining dependencies between code elements, determine dependency changes between code elements based on the determined changed code elements, determining an impact factor for the respective changed code elements based on the determined dependency changes, determine a test relevancy ranking for code tests based on the determined impact factor, selecting tests for the software code based on said test relevancy ranking, and performing the selected tests on the software code.
US08584088B1
A tool for enabling a user, such as a programmer and a designer, to identify patterns in a program or model and to determine duplicated portions of the program or model that have the same or similar pattern is disclosed. The tool may replace the duplicated portions of the program or model with a sub-program or sub-model that can be shared for the duplicated portions. Code for the sub-model may be used for the simulation or generated code for the duplicated portions of the program or model in the simulation or code generation of the program or model. The pattern identification may be used to establish a modeling standard or style by determining common patterns of multiple models provided by a user. The modeling standard or style can then be used to determine whether a block diagram model complies with the modeling standards or styles.
US08584087B2
Various embodiments include at least one of systems, methods, and software for monitoring application instance configurations and deployments. One such embodiment, in the form of a method includes executing, on at least one processor, an application deployment process to deploy at least one set of configuration settings stored in a memory device of an application configuration environment to an application instance in an application execution environment. The method may also include writing and storing data to a deployment log representative of application deployment process actions performed and an indicator of success of each of the performed actions. The deployment log data may then be retrieved from the data storage device and a view may be generated and presented providing a summary of actions performed and actions that were not successful. Other embodiments are described herein.
US08584086B2
A likelihood indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each specification of the existing device is calculated for each version of a software component used in the control software of the existing device, and a prior probability indicating the distribution of the frequency of use of each version is calculated for each software component used in the control software of the existing device. A posterior probability indicating the reusability of each version of the existing software component is calculated for each specification of a device to be developed, on the basis of the likelihood and the prior probability.
US08584085B2
Techniques enabling an end-user to specify complex concepts consisting of code abstractions, design abstractions and architectural abstractions in rule form are disclosed. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface is provided to guide a user through the process of entering concept specification information in order to define concepts, including the provision of one or more code snippets that are subsequently analyzed to assist the user in specifying the concept. The resulting rules or concept signatures are evaluated by a rule engine to determine the degree to which the underlying concepts are reflected in a given set of code. Recommended measures that need to be taken for transforming code to satisfy a concept may be provided subsequent to the analysis of the code. In this manner, code quality may be improved through systematic analysis of targeted code to demonstrate adherence (or non-adherence, as the case may be) to user-defined concepts.
US08584074B1
State retention cells of a test circuit embedded in an electrical circuit are interconnected to form one or more scan chains. The scan chains are interconnected so that unknown states, or X-states, are shifted through the scan chains in an order other than the order in which the states were captured by the state retention cells of the scan chain. Such reordering of response states in individual scan chains may be used to align the X-states across multiple scan chains to achieve higher test compression scan register circuit testing.
US08584073B2
Roughly described, a scan-based test architecture is optimized in dependence upon the circuit design under consideration. In one embodiment, a plurality of candidate test designs are developed. For each, a plurality of test vectors are generated in dependence upon the circuit design and the candidate test design, preferably using the same ATPG algorithm that will be used downstream to generate the final test vectors for the production integrated circuit device. A test protocol quality measure such as fault coverage is determined for each of the candidate test designs, and one of the candidate test designs is selected for implementation in an integrated circuit device in dependence upon a comparison of such test protocol quality measures. Preferably, only a sampling of the full set of test vectors that ATPG could generate, is used to determine the number of potential faults that would be found by each particular candidate test design.
US08584070B2
Global routing congestion in an integrated circuit design is characterized by computing global edge congestions and constructing a histogram of averages of the global edge congestions for varying percentages of worst edge congestion, e.g., 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10% and 20%. Horizontal and vertical global edges are handled separately. Global edges near blockages can be skipped to avoid false congestion hotspots. The histogram of the current global routing can be compared to a histogram for a previous global routing to select a best routing solution. The histograms can also be used in conjunction with congestion-driven physical synthesis tools.
US08584068B2
A storage medium for use in a computer to develop a circuit design. The storage medium recording a software tool that may be readable and executable by the computer. The software tool generally includes the steps of (A) receiving a first user input that identifies a specific cell of a plurality of existing cells in the circuit design, the specific cell having a timing characteristic, (B) generating a replacement display corresponding to the specific cell, the replacement display comprising a plurality of alternate cells suitable to replace the specific cell, each of the alternate cells having a different value associated with the timing characteristic of the specific cell, (C) receiving a second user input that identifies a replacement cell of the alternate cells and (D) automatically generating a first engineering change order to replace the specific cell with the replacement cell.
US08584062B2
A novel set of reconfiguration tools combine the RTL (Register Transfer Language) construct detection of synthesis compilers with a more advanced implementation of expansion syntax. HDL (Hardware Description Language) coding constructs are automatically detected and recoded and/or modified, for both behavioral and structural HDL code. Configuration file(s) may be used to define the transformations, and transformation commands within the configuration file(s) may define where and how to apply RTL changes. The tool may automatically identify sections of code as the file is parsed (e.g. like a compiler). The transformations are written out in RTL, and the resulting reconfigured RTL file(s) may be processed by a synthesis tool, or may be simulated using a suitable simulator. This allows for automated detection and configurable modification of HDL-coding constructs. Design changes may therefore be verified earlier in the design process, since changes are embedded in RTL, instead of being embedded in the netlist.
US08584060B1
A method for decomposing design shapes in a design level into a plurality of target design levels is provided. Design shapes including first-type edges and second-type edges having different directions is provided for a design level. Inner vertices are identified and paired up. Vertices are classified into first-type vertices and second-type vertices. First mask level shapes are generated so as to touch the first-type vertices, and second mask level shapes are generated so as to tough the second-type vertices. Cut mask level shapes are generated to touch each first-type edges that are not over a second-type edge and to touch each second-type edges that are not over a first-type edge. Suitable edges are sized outward to ensure overlap among the various shapes. The design shapes are thus decomposed into first mask level shapes, the second mask level shapes, and the cut mask level shapes.
US08584056B2
The present invention relates to lithographic apparatuses and processes, and more particularly to tools for optimizing illumination sources and masks for use in lithographic apparatuses and processes. According to certain aspects, the present invention significantly speeds up the convergence of the optimization by allowing direct computation of gradient of the cost function. According to other aspects, the present invention allows for simultaneous optimization of both source and mask, thereby significantly speeding the overall convergence. According to still further aspects, the present invention allows for free-form optimization, without the constraints required by conventional optimization techniques.
US08584055B2
The present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to decide an exposure condition in an exposure apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute a step of selecting an evaluation item of interest from a plurality of evaluation items to be used to evaluate an image formed on an image plane of a projection optical system in correspondence with the exposure condition, a step of selecting, as an auxiliary evaluation item, an evaluation item which is different from the evaluation item of interest and changes a value in the same direction as that of a change in a value of the evaluation item of interest upon changing parameter values included in the exposure condition, and a step of setting an evaluation function including the evaluation item of interest and the auxiliary evaluation item as values.
US08584047B2
Hierarchical structures are visualized and navigated using an orbital model. Sibling nodes are orbitally displayed in a generally circular arrangement along an orbital path. Choosing one of the orbitally displayed nodes opens it, moving down in the hierarchy. Nodes which were not chosen are undisplayed, and child node(s) of the chosen node are orbitally displayed. Node movements may be animated. A history displays recently chosen nodes. Choosing a parent node of the orbiting nodes undisplays the child nodes, and the parent node and its siblings are orbitally displayed, thereby moving up in the hierarchy. A user may select nodes from different parts of the hierarchy by moving them into a selection tray. Selected nodes can then be subjected to a specified batch operation. Controls are available for sorting nodes and/or for altering node appearance in the display.
US08584040B2
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile terminal including: an application processor configured to execute application having first mode and second mode, wherein the first mode includes first number of menus and the second mode includes second number of menus smaller than that of the first mode; a mode selection unit configured to input mode switching instruction; and a transition control unit configured to switch one of the first and second modes to another mode within the same application if the mode selection unit is operated.
US08584039B2
The invention makes it possible to select an element from a list of elements represented by icons. A first element is selected by affixing a graphics distinction on its icon. When the user activates and holds a command, said graphics distinction moves from the first icon to a second icon. A second element is selected when the graphics distinction occupies at least one determined area of the second icon representing this second element. According to an improvement, the graphics distinction moves from icon to icon, totally overlapping only a single icon at a time.The invention also relates to a device able to execute the method of selecting an element by moving a graphics distinction.
US08584038B2
Techniques are provided for displaying electronic calendar information. A calendar entry corresponding to a date is selected. In response to selecting the calendar entry, the calendar entry is expanded by increasing a portion of a display area associated with the calendar entry. Other calendar entries are compressed by decreasing a portion of the display area associated with the other calendar entries.
US08584037B2
A process is set forth for viewing an enlarged area of an image. The image is stored on a server and re-sized for viewing on a mobile communication device based on screen size and color display capabilities of the device. The image is enlarged within the server by modifying binary raw data of the original image based on crop rectangle coordinates entered at the mobile communication device. The process allows users to quickly retrieve any relevant part of a large image attachment that has been resized by the server. This minimizes bandwidth usage, device memory/CPU consumption, and request/response latency while still allowing the user to view an image area in its original level of detail.
US08584031B2
In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method performed at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display includes simultaneously displaying a character input area operable to display text character input and emoji character input selected by a user, a keyboard display area, and a plurality of emoji category icons. In response to detecting a gesture on a respective emoji category icon, the method also includes simultaneously displaying: a first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area and a plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category. The method also includes detecting a gesture in the keyboard display area and, in response: replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys with display of a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category, and updating the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons.
US08584024B2
Avatar cloning in a virtual world may include receiving an input indicating that a user desires to access a cloning feature and allowing a cloned avatar to be cloned from the user's avatar.
US08584023B2
Provided is a mobile terminal device that can improve operability for editing a mail with a simple configuration. A cellular telephone device 1 is provided with a control unit 38, which controls so that, when a received mail message is displayed on a display part 21, an unsent mail message associated with the received mail message is read out in response to a predetermined operation by way of an operation unit 11, and the unsent mail message is displayed on the display part 21; and when an unsent mail message is displayed on the display part 21, a received mail message associated with the unsent mail message is read out in response to a predetermined operation by the operation unit 11, and the received mail message is displayed on the display part 21.
US08584016B2
A system for verifying an electronic document, including a first device comprising a first display, a first interface and a first displaying program for displaying the electronic document on the first display, a second device comprising a second display, a second interface and a second displaying program, a communication channel between the first interface and the second interface, wherein the first and the second device are operable to exchange the electronic document and wherein the system comprises a selection function, the selection function for selecting a part of the electronic document and generating position information of the selected part of the electronic document, and wherein the second displaying program is operable to lock the electronic document after the exchange with the first device and display the selected part of the electronic document on the second display.
US08584015B2
Systems and techniques are disclosed for generating a geographically based slideshow of a user's digital media items such as photos or videos. A slideshow framework receives user-specified digital images, ordering them according to time of capture, organizing the ordered images into groups, each group corresponding to a different geographical region, and generating a slideshow of the user-specified images using maps of the different geo-graphical regions and visual transitions between the different geographical regions.
US08584012B1
A computer system can include a processor with access to a computer-readable medium embodying program components and/or instructions to provide a text placement engine. The text placement engine can use one or more software routines or algorithms to position text on a path. For example the text placement engine may access text data to be placed on the path and path definition data defining the path as a line segment extending between a first and a second end of the path. The text data can specify the text as a plurality of glyphs. For example, each letter, space, punctuation symbol, or other unit of a string may correspond to a glyph.
US08584011B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for transitioning between representations of an electronic document. Elements, such as visual elements, common between a first set of elements from a first representation of the document and a second set of elements from a second representation of the document are identified. The non-intersecting elements from the first and second sets are respectively ranked in accordance with a representation relevance. First set non-intersecting elements are removed from an intermediate representation of the document, and second set non-intersecting elements are added to the intermediate representation, while the intermediate representation is not equivalent to the second representation; and respective iterations of the intermediate representation are output, such as to a display to depict a transition from the first representation of the document to the second representation of the document.
US08584007B2
There is provided an information processing method, including the steps of: obtaining a first format document described using a mark-up language; and generating, based on definition data defining a hierarchical relationship of at least two types of tags of the mark-up language in a document structure, a second format document representing a tree structure having at least a node thereof corresponding to the tag or to a text related to the tag from the first format document.
US08584006B2
A mobile communication device, comprising a display, a persistent store, at least one input device, and a processor for executing (i) an invoking application for generating a request for document data responsive to an input via the input device, (ii) an attachment viewer for receiving the request and generating a command for chunks of document data, and (iii) a listener interface for receiving a response to the command and passing the chunks to the attachment viewer for displaying respective chunks of said document data via the display.
US08584004B2
A framework for enabling users to create User Defined Functions (UDFs), which can run simultaneously without using multiple calculation threads, is provided. A calculation engine continues a remainder of calculation operations independent of a pending asynchronous function upon starting to run the asynchronous function without waiting to receive a result. The result value is introduced to the computation at a later time during the calculation cycle, when it is received or completed by the calculation engine. When the results are received, downstream operations such as dependent functions are calculated without changing a flow of dependencies within the operations.
US08584002B2
Enabling a user to create or edit a webpage is disclosed. A content type of a content item to be included in the webpage is determined automatically. Code appropriate to the content type as required to include the content item in the webpage as published is generated.
US08584001B2
A method, data processing system, and computer program product for managing bookmarks. An application program, executed by a processor unit, identifies an external bookmark associated with a function in response to receiving a user input requesting information about the function in an application program executed by a processor unit in a computer, wherein the external bookmark points to a webpage available from another computer. The application program displays the identified bookmark.
US08583974B2
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements in a wireless communication system, and in particular to uplink outer loop power control. A Node B identifies if a UE from which the Node B receives data is in a predetermined set of power challenged situations. The Node B transmits to the RNC an indication to hold the SIR target of the UE if the UE has been identified to be in a power challenged situation. As a consequence, the uplink outer loop power control (OLPC) procedure in the RNC will not change the SIR target of the UE. This implies that the output power level of the UE remains unchanged as long as the UE remains in the power challenged situation. Thus, user and network performance are improved in the wireless communication system.
US08583973B1
An integrated circuit chip that supports stored-pattern (SP) logic built-in self-testing (LBIST) includes a device under test (DUT) and a test controller. System-level SP LBIST testing is performed using an external, system ATE (automated test equipment) that transmits test input data to the test controller for application to the DUT, which generates test output data that is transmitted from the test controller to the system ATE, which performs golden signature comparisons on the test output data. During system-level DUT testing, all communications between the system ATE and the chip are via a single interface, such as a conventional, serial JTAG port.
US08583972B2
A method of controlling a nonvolatile semiconductor memory including a plurality of blocks, each one of the plurality of blocks being a unit of data erasing, includes determining a monitored block as a candidate for refresh operation from among the plurality of blocks based on a predetermined condition. The method includes monitoring an error count of data stored in the monitored block and not monitoring an error count of data stored in blocks excluding the monitored block among the plurality of blocks. The method also includes performing the refresh operation on data stored in the monitored block in which the error count is larger than a first threshold value.
US08583970B2
One embodiment of a Test Signal generated by Test Signal Synthesis 10 being coupled, by a method of Coupling 12, to an Antenna 14, a Receiver 16 and a Method of Verification 18; for the transmission of a Test Signal to verify the operation of the Receiver Chain of equipment in Applications receiving Intermittent Signals.
US08583968B2
According to one embodiment, a data storage apparatus includes a read module, an error detector and a controller. The read module is configured to read data from a flash memory, more precisely from a rewrite area and a write-back area, both provided in the flash memory. The error detector is configured to detect errors, if any, in the data read. The controller is configured to keep rewriting data, without correcting the errors the error detector has detected in the rewrite area of the flash memory.
US08583960B2
When an error occurs while a memory dump performing unit of a processor core is storing in an HDD device data of a memory device which is a shared memory, a memory dump error detection unit detects a memory dump error. A core coordination unit notifies the memory dump error to a core coordination unit of a processor core. Upon being notified by the core coordination unit of the memory dump error in the memory dump performing unit, a memory dump performing unit of the processor core stores in the HDD device the data of the memory device in place of the memory dump performing unit.
US08583949B2
Described are a main host system of the client computer, and a network event notification system, including a networking subsystem that communicates with a network server to act as a proxy for the client computer when the main host system of the client computer is in a sleep state. The networking subsystem may await a synchronization packet initiated by the network server, or may occasionally poll the network server to determine whether data is available. To this end, the computing device operates an associated network subsystem while the main host system of the computing device is in a sleep state, and receives data via the network subsystem indicating that content is available. Policy is then invoked to determine whether to wake at least part of the main host system to handle the content. A target duty cycle mechanism also controls the average power consumption during wake and sleep cycling.
US08583943B2
An approach is provided for securely storing and managing sensitive data. A system and method are provided that include a central device that receives an actual data value from a requestor, encrypts the actual data value, obtains a replacement value for the encrypted actual data value, obtains a secondary replacement value based on the encrypted actual data value, and transmits the replacement value to the requestor for storage by the requestor. The system and method also includes a storage device for storing the secondary replacement value in association with the encrypted actual data value at a secure location. The requestor can later use the replacement value to retrieve the actual data value from the central device.
US08583939B2
A method for securing indirect function calls by using program counter encoding is provided. The method includes inserting a decoding code for an address of a library function stored in a GOT (Global Offset Table) entry into a PLT (Procedure Linkage Table) entry when an object file is built; generating an encoding key corresponding to the decoding code; and encoding the GOT entry corresponding to the library function by using the encoding key when program execution begins.
US08583932B2
[Problem]Provided is an anonymous authentication system which can issue an anonymous authentication certificate that can hold any number of attributes.[Means for Solving the Problem]A signature device of the invention has a means for receiving the input from an authentication authority public key, an anonymous authentication certificate, a signature key, a text, an attribute proof set, and an attribute public key; a means for generating an attribute set representation value which generates an attribute set representation value from the attribute proof set and attribute public key which were input; a means for generating an attribute set representation key which generates an attribute set representation key from the attribute proof set; a means for generating non-interactive zero-knowledge proof which generates non-interactive zero-knowledge proof from the authentication authority public key, anonymous authentication certificate, signature key, and text which were input, and the attribute set representation value generated by the means for generating an attribute set representation value and the attribute set representation key generated by the means for generating an attribute set representation key; and a signature output means which outputs the non-interactive zero-knowledge proof as signature data.
US08583931B2
Methods, apparatus, including computer program products, and systems implement and use techniques relating to electronic signatures. In one implementation, a one-way hash is calculated for an electronic document and a digital watermark representing the one-way hash is embedded in a signature document. Based on a user input, the signature document having the embedded digital watermark is altered, and the electronic document is associated with the signature document. The electronic document and the signature document together comprise a signed electronic document. The user input can include biometric information, such as a handwritten signature or a voice recording. For additional security, the one-way hash can be encrypted before a representation of the hash is embedded in the signature document.
US08583925B2
Each participant apparatus (103) encrypts a plaintext by using a secret key of secret key cryptography, encrypts the encryption key by a public key, and sends the plaintext and public key to a substitution/decryption apparatus (112). With this processing, the limitation on the length of a ciphertext to be processed can be eliminated. In this invention, a verifiable proof text using a public key by each substitution/decryption apparatus is verified by a verification apparatus (109) by using the public key. If one of a plurality of organizations to decrypt and shuffle ciphertexts has not correctly executed the operation, a third party can specify it and prove that the specified organization is unauthorized.
US08583919B2
A method of handling mobility of a sender in a multicast packet sending scenario. The method comprises firstly establishing a multicast tree across a packet data network and transmitting multicast packets from the sender to a plurality of receivers via said multicast tree. Prior to a mobility event in respect of said sender, a suitable transfer anchor node is identified within said network, and the tree re-rooted to that transfer anchor node. Subsequently, multicast packets are transmitted from said sender to said transfer anchor node and injected into the multicast tree at said transfer anchor node. Following said mobility event, said sender continues to send multicast packets to said transfer anchor node for injection into the multicast tree.
US08583917B2
A method and apparatus for distributing certification statements. Digital certificates are stored in a plurality of entries in a repository. Certification statements that include revocation status information for the stored digital certificates are received and stored in corresponding entries of the repository. Upon receiving a client request for a digital certificate, the digital certificate and corresponding revocation status information is sent to the client.
US08583915B1
Systems and methods for client authentication and verification in a distributed client-server system are described. An authentication and verification system may include a plurality of client devices containing private keys, a first server configured to interface with the plurality of client devices, and a second, secure server configured to interface with the first server and store public keys associated with the private keys on the client devices. A method is further described for verifying client devices in conjunction with the first and second servers. The first server may contain secure tokens that can be decrypted in conjunction with the authentication and verification method.
US08583911B1
In one embodiment, a system and associated processes for transparent client-side cryptography are provided. In this system, some or all of a user's private data can be encrypted at a client device operated by the user. The client can transmit the encrypted user data to a content site that hosts a network application, such as a social networking application, financial application, or the like. The content site can store the private data in its encrypted form instead of the actual private data. When the content site receives a request for the private data from the user or optionally from other users (such as social networking friends), the server can send the encrypted user data to a client associated with the requesting user. This client, if operated by an authorized user, can decrypt the private data and present it to the authorized user.
US08583908B2
Techniques and architectures to provide high assurance image invocation in a pre-boot environment. These techniques may augment implementations of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to invoke UEFI images using Trusted Execution Technology (TXT). This can operate to combine pre-boot secure flows, such as UEFI image invocation, with the secure launch instruction set extensions of TXT. This may entail combination of the UEFI StartImage instruction with the SMX leaf SENTER instruction. This may operate to allow original equipment manufacturer (OEM) firmware as a guard and that uses UEFI and TXT access control logic at the same instance to pass control to the operating system (OS).
US08583905B2
Mechanisms for extracting data dependencies during runtime are provided. The mechanisms execute a portion of code having a loop and generate, for the loop, a first parallel execution group comprising a subset of iterations of the loop less than a total number of iterations of the loop. The mechanisms further execute the first parallel execution group and determining, for each iteration in the subset of iterations, whether the iteration has a data dependence. Moreover, the mechanisms commit store data to system memory only for stores performed by iterations in the subset of iterations for which no data dependence is determined. Store data of stores performed by iterations in the subset of iterations for which a data dependence is determined is not committed to the system memory.
US08583900B2
A register renaming table recovery method for use in a processor includes the following steps. Firstly, a flushing operation is performed on a renaming-history table according to a flushed ID. Then, a first renamed ID corresponding to a first register is acquired from an unflushed row of the renaming-history table that is immediately adjacent to the flushed ID. If the first renamed ID is occupied, a register renaming table is updated to rename the first register according to the first renamed ID. Whereas, if the first renamed ID is not occupied, the register renaming table is updated to keep the first register unrenamed.
US08583897B2
A register file comprising a plurality of register entries for storing data values for use in the execution of data processing instructions is provided, and comprises at least one write port and at least one read port, and circuitry responsive to a write request received at said at least one write port to update one of said plurality of register entries identified by an address specified by said write request with a data value specified by said write request. The register file also comprises further circuitry responsive to a received control signal to set at least a portion of a predetermined register entry to a predetermined value. In this way, certain register file updating instructions can be executed in parallel with other instructions without the need for additional full write-ports as would be required for typical dual-issue, thereby reducing area and routing complexity and cost compared with the use of an additional write-port due to the lower gate count required by the proposed further circuitry.
US08583885B1
A method, system and program product for managing data replication in a data replication system, the data replication system comprising a journal and a plurality of spindles configured to store a plurality of Logic Unit Numbers (LUN), the method comprising selecting a LUN of the LUNs to store journal I/O data from the data replication, wherein the selected LUN is configured to be a subset of the plurality of spindles, spinning down the spindles not configured to store the selected LUN, recording journal I/O on the selected LUN, determining to distribute the journal IO from the selected LUN disk to the non-selected LUNs, spinning up the spindles storing the non-selected LUNs, and distributing the journal I/O from the determined disks to the other LUNs.
US08583880B2
A method for secure data reading and a data handling system is provided. The method protects the data reading from fault attacks by repeating read request in an interleaved manner, in particular the method comprises the steps of (M200) dispatching a first read request; (M400) dispatching a second read request; (M600) dispatching a further first read request; and (M1000-a) producing an anomaly signal if a first result produced by the memory in response to the first read request does not agree with a further first result produced by the memory in response to the further first read request.
US08583878B2
Various methods, devices and systems are described for providing distributed storage services. A data storage device is capable of initiating a communication session with an external entity such as a local host computer (and vice versa) coupled directly to the data storage device, a remote server computer, or directly with remote data storage devices with or without intervention by a local host computer.
US08583877B2
A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host devices via a fiber channel. The storage system including a plurality of storage devices, at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices corresponding to a logical unit of a plurality of logical units, the logical unit having a logical unit number (LUN). The storage system also including a storage control device having a cache memory and controlling to store data, addressed to the LUN, into the portion of the plurality of storage devices. The storages system also including an input device being adapted to be used to set information, which is used to prevent an unauthorized access to the logical unit and which corresponds to a relationship between a host device of the plurality of host devices and the logical unit.
US08583874B2
A method is provided for performing caching in a processing system including at least one data cache. The method includes the steps of: determining whether each of at least a subset of cache entries stored in the data cache comprises data that has been loaded using fetch ahead (FA); associating an identifier with each cache entry in the subset of cache entries, the identifier indicating whether the cache entry comprises data that has been loaded using FA; and implementing a cache replacement policy for controlling replacement of at least a given cache entry in the data cache with a new cache entry as a function of the identifier associated with the given cache entry.
US08583869B2
A memory/storage module is provided that implements a solid state drive compatible with Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) signaling on a double-data-rate compatible socket. A detachable daughter card may be coupled to the memory module for converting a memory bus voltage to a second voltage for memory devices on the memory module. Additionally, a hybrid memory bus on a host system is provided that supports either DDR-compatible memory modules and/or SATA/SAS-compatible memory modules. In one example, the memory/storage module couples to a first bus (DDR3 compatible socket) to obtain voltage and/or other signals, but uses a second bus for data transfers. In another example, the memory module may repurpose/reuse electrical paths that typically carry non-data signals for data traffic to/from the memory/storage module. Such data traffic for the memory/storage module permits concurrent data traffic for other memory modules on the same memory bus.
US08583866B2
Data storage reliability is maintained in a write-back distributed data storage system including multiple nodes. Information is stored as a stripe including a collection of a data strips and associated parity strips, the stripe distributed across data and parity nodes. Each data node maintains the data strip holding a first copy of data, and each parity node maintains a parity strip holding a parity for the collection of data strips. A driver node initiates a full-stripe-write parity update protocol for maintaining parity coherency in conjunction with other nodes, to keep the relevant parity strips coherent. Parity is determined directly by computing parity strips for all data strips of a stripe. Any node may function as a driver node.
US08583863B2
A storage expander apparatus for accessing storage units includes first interfaces for accessing the storage units, a second interface for accessing subordinate expander apparatus, and a processor for executing receiving from an external apparatus a first request for obtaining first information indicative of a state of a connection of the storage expander apparatus, transmitting a second request for obtaining second information indicative of a state of a connection of the subordinate expander apparatus, measuring an elapsing time that has elapsed since transmitting the second request, storing a first response corresponding to the second request upon receiving the first response, starting a process for obtaining third information indicative of a state of a connection to be connected with the first interfaces upon the elapsing time exceeding a predetermined time, and transmitting a second response including the third information to the external apparatus upon receiving the third response.
US08583862B2
A recording medium coupled to a drive device includes a management information storage area and a master boot record. Management information used for a mounting process of the recording medium by the drive device is stored in the management information storage area and a starting location and an area size of a drive area is stored in the master boot record.
US08583856B2
According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a nonvolatile memory, a managing unit, an order rule holding unit, a position information storing unit, a list selecting unit, a block selecting unit, a writing unit, and an updating unit. The managing unit holds for each of storage areas of the nonvolatile memory a free block list indicating free blocks. The order rule holding unit holds an order rule used to determine an order of the free block lists. The position information storing unit stores position information indicating the position of the free block list in the order rule. The list selecting unit selects the free block list corresponding to the position indicated by the position information and the block selecting unit selects the free block therefrom. The updating unit updates after the list selection the position information in the position information storing unit with position information indicating the position of the subsequently selected free block list.
US08583844B2
A system and method for optimizing slave transaction ID width based on sparse connection between multiple masters and multiple slaves in a multilayer multilevel interconnect system-on-chip (SOC) architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, slave transaction ID widths are computed for a first processing subsystem and a second processing subsystem including multiple masters and multiple slaves. Further, a slave transaction ID for each master to any slave in the first processing subsystem and in the second processing subsystem is generated based on the computed slave transaction ID width. Furthermore, sparse connection information between the multiple masters and multiple slaves is determined via a first bus matrix in the first processing subsystem. A first optimized slave transaction ID for each master to any slave in the first processing subsystem is then generated by removing don't care bits in each generated slave transaction ID based on the sparse connection information.
US08583842B2
Disclosed herein is a data transfer device to which a master device that issues transfer requests and slave devices each having a function of responding to the transfer request may be connected. The device may include a transfer request counter that counts up or down each time a response signal is inputted thereto from any slave device, and counts down or up each time a data transfer completion signal is inputted thereto; a transfer destination selector that, based on a count value of the counter and information concerning a transfer-target slave device, determines and selects one of the slave devices as a destination of the transfer request, and connects the master device with the selected slave device; and a data transfer monitoring section that monitors completion of data transfer corresponding to the transfer request and, upon recognizing the completion, outputs the data transfer completion signal to the counter.
US08583836B2
A passive cable adaptor for connecting a data source device with a display device is described. The adaptor has a packet-based interface connector at one end, the connector having a positive main link pin, a negative main link pin, a positive auxiliary channel pin, and a negative auxiliary channel pin. Also at the same end is a serial interface connector, such as a serial interface connector. At the other end is an upgraded serial interface connector (e.g., enhanced serial interface) connector having high-speed transmission pins, high-speed receiving pins, and a ground pin, wherein multimedia content is transmitted over the cable adaptor and electrical power is supplied over the cable adaptor simultaneously.
US08583834B2
The invention relates to an assembly comprising a main device and an accessory, which can be connected by a safe connector and a safe detection method. According to the invention, the assembly comprises: —a main device (2), —an accessory (3) connectable to the main device (2), —the accessory (3) comprising an accessory connector (4) for mating with a device connector (5) of the main device (2), —the accessory connector (4) and the device connector (5) each comprising one or more supply contacts (7) for transmitting electric power from the main device (2) to the accessory (3), —the main device (2) comprising a detection device (9), which, if connecting the accessory (3) to the main device (2), receives complex accessory data stored by the accessory (3) and which by positive evaluation of the complex data enables applying a supply voltage at the one or more supply contacts (7) of the device connector (5).
US08583833B2
A method is provided for determining the integrity of a domain defined in a network. The method includes processes and systems to facilitate the discovery a conceptual ring topology of the domain in the network, and the determination of the integrity of the domain based on the conceptual ring topology that was discovered.
US08583830B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for inter-working between a walled garden service such as a push-to-talk service and a communication session outside of the walled garden service. According to one embodiment, a system can comprise a first communication network adapted to provide a walled garden service and support a first communication session of the walled garden service and a second communication network adapted to support a second communication session. The second communication session can occur outside of the walled garden service. The system can also include an inter-working service communicatively coupled with the first communication network and the second communication network. The inter-working service can be adapted to provide an interface between the first communication session and the second communication session.
US08583825B2
A disclosed portable apparatus is connectable to a client terminal connected to a network and has a program stored therein for causing the client terminal to function as a device information acquisition unit and an analysis unit. The device information acquisition unit is configured to obtain operational information on a device that is assigned a network address and connected to the network, and the analysis unit is configured to delete at least a part of information on the network address which information is obtained together with the operational information, to analyze the obtained operational information, and to output results of the analysis of the operational information.
US08583811B2
This disclosure relates to techniques, devices, and systems for using a mobile electronic device to provide multimedia content. One example method of providing multimedia content includes receiving, at an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) enabled first electronic device, multimedia content from a content-providing electronic device via an IMS network, where the multimedia content has a first format. The method also includes converting, at the IMS-enabled first electronic device, the multimedia content from the first format to a second format that is different from the first format. The method further includes transmitting, from the IMS-enabled first electronic device to a second electronic device, the converted multimedia content in the second format, where the converted multimedia content is transmitted from the first electronic device to the second electronic device via a local network that is different from the IMS network.
US08583810B2
A method and apparatus for managing sessions by a load balancer using a session affinity cache to manage common session identifiers and resource node session identifiers. A session affinity manager within the load balancer utilizes a common session identifier to represent multiple sessions to a client. The session affinity manager provided generates a common session identifier for a set of resource node sessions for each client. The relationship between the resource node session identifiers and common session identifier is maintained in the session affinity cache by the session affinity manager. The session affinity manager translates client requests using the common session identifier into requests using the resource node session identifier retrieved from the session affinity cache. The session affinity manager rewrites resource node responses to use a common session identifier in place of resource node session identifiers.
US08583800B2
Methods and systems for offering network-based managed security services are provided. According to one embodiment, an IP service processing switch includes multiple service blades and one or more packet-passing data rings. The service blades each have multiple processors for providing customized security services to subscribers of a service provider. Upon receipt of a packet by a service blade from the one or more packet-passing data rings, a PEID value within the packet is inspected and when the PEID value corresponds to a PEID assigned to a processor associated with the service blade, the packet is steered to a software entity of a VR on the processor that corresponds to an LQID value within the packet. And, when the PEID value does not correspond to any PEIDs assigned to processors on the service blade, the packet is passed to a next service blade on the one or more packet-passing data rings.
US08583796B2
The invention provides for the connection of a plurality of remote applications with a data source, to maximize the speed and reliability of data transfer. An interface module interfaces with a remote application such as a web browser. A port module interfaces between interface module and a data source. A connection manager facilitates the interface between the interface module and the port module. The port module detects the unavailability of the data source in response to an initial request for the data source by the remote application. The port module may then dynamically detect the availability of the data source in response to a subsequent request for the data source and re-connect to the data source to the remote application in response to the subsequent request without having to reinitialize the connection manager.
US08583795B2
A URI-redirection via machine-scannable-code system and method are provided herein.
US08583794B2
The storage unit stores therein authentication IDs that are used for authentication of users and address information in association with one another. The authentication processing unit receives from a PC an authentication message that includes an authentication ID and is used for the authentication of the user of a communication terminal, and performs authentication on the user based on the received authentication message. The SIP address acquiring unit acquires from the storage unit address information that corresponds to the authentication ID included in the authentication message when the user is authenticated. The SIP address registering unit sends the SIP location server a registration request for registering the acquired address information as the address information of the user of the IP telephone terminal associated with the PC that transmits the authentication message.
US08583791B2
The present invention provides a peer-to-peer (P2P) network for providing real time media recommendations. The P2P network includes a central server interconnecting a number of peer devices. In operation, a proxy function of the central server receives media recommendations from one or more peer devices that are active and online as media presentations identified by the media recommendations are played by the peer devices. The one or more peer devices are included in a group of peer devices associated with a first peer device. The proxy function provides the media recommendations to the first peer device. An augmentation function of the central server monitors a recommendation level of the first peer device. If the recommendation level falls below a minimum recommendation level, the augmentation function augments the media recommendations provided to the first peer device to increase the recommendation level to or above the minimum recommendation level.
US08583779B2
Root cause analysis in a communication network includes eliminating candidate events using a computer-implemented method, comprising creating a virtual network model that describes nodes and links of the network at a plurality of time periods; receiving from the network a first event that indicates a problem in the network; receiving a set of second events comprising candidates for a root cause of the first event; determining a network topological indicator from the first event; determining a network implication of the first event based on the topological indicator; based on the network implication and a time value of the first event, retrieving data from the virtual network model that indicates a path between nodes associated with the first event at a time at which the first event occurred; removing, from the set of second events, all events that are not on the path between devices associated with the first event.
US08583777B1
A system and method for providing WiFi operators real-time end-user WiFi quality information is disclosed herein. An application server injects a scriptlet into a content transferred to a web browser of a mobile device during a browsing activity. The scriptlet is configured to run in the background of the browsing activity and configured to periodically test a latency of HTTP requests from the mobile device to the application server to determine a quality of the WIFI network.
US08583776B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for managing CDN service providers are provided. A network storage provider storing one or more resources on behalf of a content provider obtains client computing device requests for content. The network storage provider processes the client computing device requests and determines whether a subsequent request for the resource should be directed to a CDN service provider as a function of the updated or processed by the network storage provider storage component.
US08583775B2
A method and apparatus for tracking and reporting traffic activity on a web site whereby cookie data is compiled at the visitor computer using cookie processing script embedded within the web page downloaded over the Internet and operable on the visitor computer. Data mining code within the downloaded web page is operable on the visitor computer to obtain web browsing data. The cookie processing script operates in consideration of this web browsing data and an old cookie previously stored on the visitor computer and associated with the visited web page to obtain new cookie values. These new cookie values are then stored on the visitor computer and also attached to an image request sent to a data collection server where they are processed and posted for viewing by the web page owner. As cookie processing and writing occurs completely within the visitor computer, cookie-blocking technologies are circumvented.
US08583771B2
A method of describing highly valued traffic in a home network in terms that are meaningful for a human and that are translated to useful network parameters.
US08583765B1
Electronic devices may locate and test wireless networks that are available, and may establish connections with no or minimal user intervention. The electronic device may periodically transmit a datagram to a connection server, providing updated information as to the network address of the electronic device as well as maintaining a pathway through intervening network devices. The connection server may then initiate a connection via this pathway with the information provided in the datagram.
US08583761B2
Provided is a system and method for production of a multi-user network game that may produce and debug a multi-user network game and simply construct a multi-user network game environment using a single game production tool to thereby reduce a game production time. A system for production of a multi-user network game being performed between a game server and a plurality of game clients via a network, may include: a game production module configured to produce and debug the multi-user network game and a multi-user network execution environment; and an emulation module configured to emulate an execution of the multi-user network game by constructing a virtual network execution environment that comprises at least one server virtual machine and at least one client virtual machine configured to execute the produced or debugged multi-user network game.
US08583754B2
This system has plural process servers each having a unit to generate process instances that a series of transaction events are arranged in a time sequence, and a master server that reads out event data from an event data storage unit, and allocates the event data to any one of the plural process servers. Moreover, the master server inquires the holding state of the process instances to the plural process servers, determines a merge destination of the process instance based on replies to the inquiry, and outputs a merge instruction. Then, the process server that is the merge source sends the event data relating to the merge instruction to the merge destination, and the process server of the merge destination receives the event data to merge the received event data to the process instance relating to the merge instruction.
US08583750B1
Systems, methods performed by data processing apparatus and computer storage media encoded with computer programs for receiving user input specifying an alias of an intended communication recipient, comparing the specified alias with identities of one or more potential recipients identified based on implicit connections inferred from explicit information relating to the user, identifying a best matching recipient based on a result of the comparing, and initiating a communication instance with the identified best matching recipient.
US08583742B2
A web-mail system receives from a web server mail IDs assigned to clearly distinguish one e-mail from another among all the e-mails stored in a mail box, and transmits the mail IDs determined according to a scroll position in a list window to the web server, making a request for list information of those mail IDs. The web-mail system receives the requested list information from the web server and stores the list information in a list information storage unit. The web-mail system creates a list to be displayed in a list the list window based on the list information stored in the list information storage unit.
US08583740B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods and the like for the management of filtered messages and filtering settings. Embodiments use the interaction of a user and a notification message to execute commands/requests. In one aspect, a notification message is used to notify a computer user of filtered incoming electronic messages that are stored in a quarantine server and database. In one embodiment, the notification message comprises message data having information regarding incoming messages blocked from reaching the destination server and stored in the quarantine server and database. Also in this embodiment, the message includes user interface data selectable by the user to manage the handling of incoming messages. In addition, the message includes action logic associated with the user interface data and configured to execute the selections made by the user by sending commands from the user's computer to the quarantine server and database via a computer network.
US08583739B2
The sending of mail from a restricted communications network is facilitated. A communications unit external to the restricted communications network periodically pulls the mail from the restricted communications network and forwards the mail to a receiver. The receiver may be the intended recipient of the mail or an intermediary used to further send the mail to the intended recipient.
US08583737B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for tracking real-time communication data within a single contact tracking application for diverse communication providers and applications. A global data store is synchronized with real-time communication data, such as presence, status, unread messages, and unread notifications, from each application/provider. Real-time communication data for contacts dynamically determined to be recent contacts is retrieved from the data store, based on properties such as a most recent communication time, a communication count, and the like. Real-time communication data corresponding to contacts identified as pinned contacts for which display of real-time communication data is preferred, also may be retrieved. A user interface is generated for displaying the one or more recent and/or pinned contacts, which may vary in size based on the number of contacts identified as pinned contacts, from which a contact may be selected for real-time conversation or e-mail.
US08583731B1
A system, method, and program for the processing of large amounts of email based on user-configurable criteria in close to real-time. The invention enables filtering of all journaled emails in an organization for the duration of a regulatory proceeding, or for audit purposes, thus greatly reducing the manual effort required to produce a targeted set of emails. The journaling feature copies all unique emails coming through the distributed email server farm to a smaller set of email mailboxes. The filtering application could run as a batch operation on each of those “journaling” mailboxes at periodic intervals or could run interactively. The user-defined filter criteria are applied to the emails filling up the “journaling” mailboxes, and matches are separated from the non-matches for analysis. The invention can be executed on offline data, such as personal message stores or individual compound message files.
US08583709B2
A file system interface is simulated out of at least a portion of a dormant computer system. File-based discovery is performed on the simulated file system interface to obtain a detailed inventory of at least the portion of the dormant computer system. The detailed inventory includes one or more of software profiles of at least the portion of the dormant computer system, software instances of at least the portion of the dormant computer system, services of at least the portion of the dormant computer system, and data objects used by the services.
US08583705B2
The exchange of documents for signature can be performed efficiently using an automatic routing system that associates a document with appropriate identifying metadata. The routing can be facilitated through facsimile in which the metadata is encoded on a return facsimile cover sheet that is routed with the document. Appropriate central exchange servers have appropriate input and out subsystems to perform the document routing. The executed documents can be conveniently archived for efficient document storage and access, such as network access to one or more of the parties.
US08583702B2
Alternative representations are generated from a user's audible or visual data submission (e.g., user's picture) for use as part of an online account profile or user identification in an online service (e.g., online gaming user profile) or computer device. A specific representation is selected for use with the online account or computing device. Furthermore, a specific representation of the user's audible or visual data that is suitable for a particular display device (e.g., television, cellular telephone) can be generated and presented.
US08583690B2
A system, method, and computer program for generating a social timeline is provided. A plurality of data items associated with at least one relationship between users associated with a social network is received, each data item having an associated time. The data items are ordered according to the at least one relationship. A social timeline is generated according to the ordered data items.
US08583680B2
A system, method and computer program product for integrating, managing and coordinating activities of customers in an enterprise, across a plurality of applications, resources and touch-points. Customer data is obtained during interactions between a customer and an application, a resource or a touch-point. This data is stored in the form of virtual composite objects in cache memory, on a cluster of servers. The virtual composite objects contain customer data, policies and behaviors of the enterprise. The applications query for the virtual composite objects through the server. The server hosting the queried virtual composite object delivers the queried virtual composite object in real time to the querying application. Any updates to the virtual composite object on account of events at the applications, resources or touch-points, is carried out in real time.
US08583679B2
A method of providing a by-viewpoint patent map. According to the method, patent documents to which a by-viewpoint classification codes are assigned are searched and the by-viewpoint classification codes are extracted from the searched patent documents. Then, the searched documents are classified by the by-viewpoint classification codes and the by-viewpoint classification codes are grouped into a first viewpoint and a second viewpoint. Next, a by-viewpoint patent map is generated based on classification titles assigned to the by-viewpoint classification codes; and the generated by-viewpoint patent map is displayed.
US08583677B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating access to multiple facets of data. A registry is maintained for multiple facets for a type of business object. Each of the facets corresponds to a distinct set of properties for the type of business object. Two or more facets are hosted by different data stores. The type of business object has a common identifier for each one of the respective facets. A request for a listing of facets for the type of business object is obtained from a client. The listing of facets is provided to the client. The listing of facets is configured to facilitate access to data for each of the facets in the listing from the data stores for the client.
US08583669B2
Given a set of training documents relevant to a litigation hold, properties common to the documents relevant to the case and not common or missing in the non-relevant documents can be identified and used to generate a litigation hold query to be suggested to a user. After receiving a training set of documents, one or more common properties between the relevant training documents are identified. Based on the common properties, a suggested litigation hold query can be generated to return documents in a larger set that are representative of the relevant documents in the training set. Additionally, a query can be generated by iteratively improving a base query to return documents sharing characteristics of a training set of documents. Suggested queries may evolve as the training set evolves.
US08583668B2
A system and method for Context Enhanced Mapping. A request is received from a user over a network for a map comprising an identification of a physical location, and at least one criteria. The physical location is mapped. Spatial, temporal, topical, and social data available to the network relating to the physical location and criteria is retrieved using a global index of data available to the network and prioritized for inclusion based upon the user and context of the request. The map of the physical location and at least some of the retrieved spatial, temporal, topical, and social data is displayed on a display medium.
US08583666B2
Mechanisms are provided for propagating source identification information from an application front-end system in an application layer to a data layer inspection system associated with a back-end system. An incoming user request is received, at the data layer inspection system, from a gateway system associated with the application front-end system. One or more outgoing statements targeting a back-end system are received at the data layer inspection system. The data layer inspection system accesses a mapping data structure based on the one or more outgoing statements to thereby correlate the one or more outgoing statements with the incoming user request. The data layer inspection system retrieves source identification information associated with the incoming user request based on the correlation of the one or more outgoing statements with the incoming user request. The data layer inspection system performs a data layer inspection operation based on the source identification information.
US08583662B2
A computer-implemented method of managing data storage according to collaborative activity can include determining collaborative activity for each of a plurality of data items associated with a first user and stored within a first data storage device. The method can include calculating a measure of relevancy for each of the plurality of data items according to the collaborative activity and comparing the measure of relevancy of each of the plurality of data items to at least one relevancy threshold. Different ones of the plurality of data items can be selectively migrated from the first data storage device to a second data storage device according to the comparison of the measure of relevancy of each of the plurality of data items.
US08583656B1
A covariance matrix associated for a set of spatial and/or temporal sub-portions of a media object is populated based on a lookup table of relative displacements and sums of covariance values generated from pairs of data elements in the media object. The lookup table is generated in linear time, providing an efficient method of generating the covariance matrix.
US08583651B2
A records management system classifies records according to a file plan. Record are declared, and then classified. Some records have in initially indeterminate classification and classification is deferred, either by request or due to a lack of sufficient information to classify the record according to the file plan. Unclassified records are placed into a temporary container. At some time while in the temporary container a classification event occurs with a given record which allows the records management system to classify the record and place it into a container corresponding to its classification.
US08583647B2
A data processing device provides a result of categorization that is satisfactory to a user. The data processing device: stores model data pieces indicating detection counts of feature amounts; judges, for each target data piece, whether the target data piece is a non-categorization data piece including an uncategorizable object, using the model data pieces and the detection count of each of at least two feature amounts detected in the target data piece; when two or more of the target data pieces are judged to be non-categorization data pieces, specifies at least two feature amounts that are included and detected the same number of times, in a predetermined number or more of the non-categorization data pieces; and newly creates a model data piece based on the at least two specified feature amounts, using a class creation method, and stores the model data piece into the storage unit.
US08583640B2
The present disclosure discloses a search method and system. A method obtains a first search result set of first search results relevant to query data submitted by a client. According to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, a second relevance score of each first search result is calculated. The preset diversity field represents an attribute category of a respective first search result. According to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, a relevance parameter score for each first search result is generated. According to a preset number of second search results and the relevance parameter score, the present number of second search results are extracted from the first search result set to display to the client. The technique achieves lower consumption of system resources, faster computation speed and more flexibility in diversification of search results.
US08583632B2
A computer system and method a computer system and method for processing a search query result includes identifying a plurality of result pages in response to a search query submitted from a computing device directed to a collection of pages, determining a relevancy ranking of the result pages in accordance with a multiple dimension parameter set that includes metrics relating to the search query itself and also includes metrics unique to a subscriber associated with the search query, and providing the result pages in accordance with the determined relevancy ranking. This provides an active ranking process for the search results before they are provided to a user.
US08583629B2
Methods and apparatus to save search data are described. An example method for use in media presentation system includes receiving one or more characters to form a search string to be used in a first type of search; converting the search string to one or more keywords to be used in a second type of search; and storing the one or more keywords in a collection of keyword search data to enable a selection of stored keyword search data to perform a search of the second type.
US08583621B2
A search operation can provide geographically restricted and verified information to a user. A two-step approach is used to perform these searches. The first step is to obtain high relevance search results by searching only in a specific region defined for a search operation. The second step further improves the quality of the search results by performing contact address correlation. If the search server finds a reliable reference address in the search results, then these search results can be presented to the user, whereby search results that are not correlating well with legitimate and registered addresses for the site are removed from the search result lists. Therefore, the region-restricted search does searching in a selected geographical region and only presents legitimate web pages or search results to a user.
US08583618B2
Some aspects include reception of a plurality of search results, selection of a graphical format in which to present the search results from a plurality of graphical formats based on metadata of the plurality of search results, and presentation of the plurality of search results in the selected graphical format.
US08583617B2
A system for automated aggregation, and possible augmentation, of search results generated/provided in response to search queries/requests to multiple network resources, such as search engines, the requests being originated by client devices, at the direction of a server, to the network resources. A user, using a client device, enters a search request which is provided to the server. The server identifies a list of which network resources, of available network resources, are likely to provide relevant results in response thereto and may modify the request to improve the results. The list is then provided to the client device, along with the modified request if applicable. The client device then originates/transmits the request to all or some of the identified resources. The search results may then be received and presented to the user by the client device or they may be passed to the server which processes them and then provides the processed results to the client device for presentation to the user.
US08583616B2
A method for managing storage and access to data files stored in a storage delivery network comprising a plurality of geographically distributed storage nodes, the method including: receiving a file request from a user, wherein the user is associated with a service level agreement (SLA) containing one or more policies governing handling of file requests from the user; determining if the SLA dictates redirecting the file request to a predetermined storage node; if the SLA dictates redirecting the file request to a predetermined storage node, redirecting the file request to the predetermined storage node; otherwise, identifying all storage nodes from the plurality of geographically distributed storage nodes that are not too busy by determining whether a number of current access requests being served by each storage node exceeds a predetermined threshold value; identifying a nearest storage node from among the not too busy storage nodes; and redirecting the user request to the nearest storage node.
US08583605B2
Some embodiments provide a media production application. The application receives a script of a media project and parses the script to identify (i) story sections of the media project and (ii) characters in the media project. The application automatically creates data structures for the story sections and the characters, and associations between the story sections and the characters. The application receives several different types of data related to production of a media project and automatically schedules production activities for the media project based on the different types of data. For each location at which one or more story sections will be filmed, the application receives a photo of the location. The application displays a graphical outline of the media project in which each story section is represented by a thumbnail of the photo of the location at which the story section will be filmed.
US08583601B1
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for backing up or archiving objects in the event of imminent failure, comprising receiving an indication of imminent failure, determining a target, and backing up the objects to the target. The target may be determined by the nature of the imminent failure, and may be selected to be the fastest available target. More than one target may be selected, and more than one connection may be used to transfer objects.
US08583599B2
Data duplication may be reduced in cloud storage. First snapshots of one or more remote volumes may be received via a network. Responsive to and/or based on the first snapshots, unique clusters and duplicate clusters may be identified among the valid clusters of the remote volumes. The unique clusters and single instances of the duplicate clusters may be stored in a backup file, such that the backup file is devoid of duplicate clusters. Second snapshots of the one or more remote volumes may be received via the network. Responsive to the second snapshots, the clusters in the backup file that are no longer valid may be utilized to store the valid clusters in the one or more remote volumes not yet stored in the backup file.
US08583597B2
In an embodiment, a system includes an on-site monitoring (OSM) data archival portion having one or more sensors configured to monitor a machine and generate corresponding monitoring data. The system also includes an on-site monitoring (OSM) archiver configured to receive and store the monitoring data collected by the one or more sensors. The system further includes an export service configured to export a portion of the monitoring data from the OSM archiver into one or more compressed files. The system also includes an export background intelligent transfer service (BITS) configured to establish a secure connection and send the one or more compressed files to an off-site location.
US08583589B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with equivalence reasoning are described. One example method includes constructing a clique map that maps groups of equivalent resources to a representative canonical resource. The clique map is constructed by iteratively inputting batches of equivalence pairs from a semantic model to operating memory and building, in operating memory, one or more cliques for the input batch. Cliques for various input batches of equivalence pairs are merged in memory to produce the clique map for use by the semantic model. Triples associated with the semantic model may be consolidated by replacing resources that are in a clique with their corresponding representative canonical resource.
US08583582B2
An automated hierarchy classification algorithm that searches for a child monitoring device's parent in a utility monitoring system by segmenting the device data measured by a given device pair and calculating a segment correlation coefficient for each data segment. Devices to be placed in the hierarchy are filtered by calculating the variance of their device data and eliminating devices with a low variance. Devices are ranked by computing the sum of squares of their device data and ordering the devices accordingly from highest to lowest. The device data is segmented and segment correlation coefficients are averaged to produce an overall correlation coefficient. Criteria are evaluated to determine whether a device pair is linked. A correlation coefficient is calculated using the complete data series of a device pair, and the solution produced by this approach is compared with the solution produced by segmenting the device data. If the solutions disagree, a likely candidate is determined from a fuzzy logic module.
US08583576B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining a plurality of model representations of predictive models, each model representation associated with a respective user and expresses a respective predictive model, and selecting a model implementation for each of the model representations based on one or more system usage properties associated with the user associated with the corresponding model representation.
US08583570B2
A payment integrity system that processes data, including data associated with a biometric technology. The system includes a discovery module to receive insurance records from a source of data, which includes the data associated with the biometric technology, the records providing information that pertain to at least one transaction. The discovery module includes a query component and an artificial intelligence engine to process the records to identify a second subset of the records having anomalous information, and provide a second analysis output indicative of the second subset. The system also includes an audit module to determine whether to instruct the artificial intelligence engine to analyze the records according to the outputs. The system facilitates resolution of a claim payment based on the first analysis output and the second analysis output.
US08583565B2
Methods and systems for controlling a prosthesis using a brain imager that images a localized portion of the brain are provided according to one embodiment of the invention. For example, the brain imager can provide motor cortex activation data using near infrared imaging techniques and EEG techniques among others. EEG and near infrared signals can be correlated with brain activity related to limbic control and may be provided to a neural network, for example, a fuzzy neural network that maps brain activity data to limbic control data. The limbic control data may then be used to control a prosthetic limb. Other embodiments of the invention include fiber optics that provide light to and receive light from the surface of the scalp through hair.
US08583562B1
A technique for estimating the relative likelihood that specific parcels or groups thereof will sell within a selected time, possibly including such steps as: Responsive to location of each parcel with respect to other parcels that have recently sold, including receiving a 1st kind of information, associated with sales in a neighborhood for each parcel being examined, including a set of attributes. Deriving additional attributes for each parcel based on its attributes and others near it. Determining independently for each neighborhood which of those attributes are more important for estimating relative likelihood of sale. Determining a degree of similarity between each unsold parcel and each recently-sold parcel, in response to those sets of attributes, weighted in response to relative importance. Providing a 2nd kind of information, ordering parcels by a relative likelihood of sale within a selected time.
US08583558B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for a rental service through a computer network. A collection of virtual containers is assigned to a set of users including one or more users. Each virtual container in the collection is configured to identify one or more software products that are rented by users in the set. A user in the set is authorized to access a software product through the computer network based on whether the software product is identified as a rented software product in one or more virtual containers of the collection assigned to the set of users.
US08583551B2
A method for delivering energy to an electric vehicle is provided, wherein the electric vehicle is associated with a customer account. The method includes identifying the electric vehicle at an energy delivery point, and determining a current balance of the customer account, wherein the current balance includes at least a portion of a prepayment amount based on a predetermined amount of energy to be delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point. The method also includes delivering energy to the electric vehicle, metering an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle, and determining a transaction amount based on the actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point.
US08583548B1
A system and method ranks funding sources to make payments according to user preferences, which may be both explicitly provided and learned, and the benefits and costs of using such funding sources, and displays the funding sources in ranked order, allows the user to select one or more funding sources, and makes the payment using the selected one or more funding sources.
US08583545B1
A method, system and program product, the method comprising: accessing, electronic databases, comprising: (i) aggregated account information for a plurality of government backed-insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of program institutions; and (ii) source institution deposit information; obtaining transfer data, by a source institution; obtaining time dimension interest rate data, wherein the time dimension interest rate varies depending on how long the deposit has been held in one or more other of the recipient institutions participating in the program; allocating the deposit funds to one or more other of the recipient institutions; generating data for instructions to deposit/transfer funds and/or to withdraw/transfer funds; calculating a respective interest amount for funds of the respective source institutions, based on time dimension interest rate for the period of time; and generating data for allocating interest.
US08583531B2
Disclosed herein is an energy management decision support system and methods for asset managers of buildings and facilities that can utilize energy usage data captured from meters, such as smart meters, and weather data to provide a systems-based cost reduction and optimization solution for end users. Building system components may be highly inter-dependent and changes to one system element can have substantial effects (positive and negative) upon other system elements. As described in further detail herein, system and method embodiments according to the present disclosure may apply predefined criteria to such building energy usage data to identify energy usage variances, and may graphically present to a user the identified energy usage variances. As a result, facility administrators are provided with more easily interpretable energy usage information. Such information may be applied by the administrators for adjusting operations, upgrading building equipment, or retrofitting building equipment to improve building efficiency.
US08583528B2
A method for adjudicating health care expenses, which includes receiving from the point of service provider purchase transaction data, adjudicating the transaction substantially in real-time to determine whether a health care related purchase is payable from an account associated with a customer, providing an adjudicated purchase transaction to the point of service provider substantially in real-time, and paying a portion of the healthcare related purchase from an account associated with a customer.
US08583518B2
Described are technologies relating to transaction processing. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described herein can be embodied in methods that include the actions of calculating, in relation to a transaction, one or more tax amounts associated with a price of the transaction, obtaining, in relation to a payment source, an approval for at least the price of the transaction and the one or more tax amounts, thereby defining an approved sales transaction, and, subsequent to obtaining the approval, (a) settling at least a revenue portion of one or more approved sales transactions in favor of a first account, and (b) settling the one or more tax amounts in favor of a second account that is different than the first account.
US08583511B2
A real time management system for marketing to customers and vendors with customer purchasing and preference data in specific consumer markets including restaurant, retail, travel, hospitality, entertainment, and combinations thereof. The management database allows the consumer to make Precision Purchasing™ transactions, reservation transactions, and Precision Gifting™ transactions via a web-based interface, POS based touch screen interface, and mobile device-based interface. The consumer profile database is comprised of mainly consumer inputted preference and consumer purchase data which is stored into each customer profile and can be accessed/verified with a GPS recognition of the customer's phone, biometric hand or finger scan, access card, retinal scan, password, key fob, or other terminal kiosk, touch screen, or mobile application of the like. Consumers may also gift dollars to each other's account using the customized, consumer authorized Precision Gifting™ system. All data inputted into the Precision Marketing™ system will be stored in each consumer's personal/business account. Only consumer-authorized parties may access the account holder's personal preference information for the purposes of Precision Gifting™ and Precision Purchasing™, but he/she may never access the customer's confidential information. All changes made to each profile and the purchase preference information will be updated in real-time. All reservations, fund transfers, purchases, and other transactions are stored in the central database system and used for the purposes of Precision Marketing™ and Precision Gifting™.
US08583509B1
A fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.
US08583503B2
A web-enabled user interface is provided to enable the carriers of private networks to interact and to offer services to one another. The web-enabled user interface is integrated to a switch fabric configured to provide interconnection services for the carriers. The web-enabled user interface is configured to enable the carriers to assign different roles to different representatives. Each of the representatives is granted certain rights and permissions by an administrator representative based on the representative's role. The web-enabled user interface is configured to present to each representative a unique interface based on their roles thus providing each representative a unique experience.
US08583493B2
A payment terminal using a mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone, is located on a removable memory card (1) which is adjusted in such a way so it can be inserted into an additional hardware slot which is used to add functionalities that surpasses the basic functions of the mobile communication device. (4). A payment POS terminal application runs on a removable memory card (1), which also contains at least one payment card. The configuration data of the terminal's selected identity and the payment card's data are located in the separate parts of the secure element (3, 31, 32) or in completely independent secure elements (3, 31, 32). The payment card's unit (7) with the card's payment application is located in the secured part of the memory, separately from the terminal's configuration data unit (6). The memory card (1) is of SD type or miniSD or microSD card or an M2 card. The memory card (1) is capable of operating operate as a multi-identity terminal and it can also cooperate with several payment cards. In preferable configuration it is equipped with a contactless communication element. (13).
US08583488B2
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for generating ads using user assets. In some implementations, a method includes receiving one or more assets associated with advertising in at least one printed publication. One or more ads compatible with ad slots in the at least one publication are automatically generated based, at least in part, on the received assets.
US08583485B2
Suppliers of goods and/or services subject to shifts in capacity utilization design and implement marketing campaigns around utilization forecasts, targeting marketing expenditures on periods of excess capacity rather than periods without excess capacity, and in some embodiments also to alter variables such as pricing, consumer targeting, or even the intensity of the campaign itself on a dynamic basis in response to changing market conditions.
US08583460B2
Pricing of a sequence of transportation units includes receiving a set of sellable-units, encoding the set of sellable-units into a context-free grammar that represents possible ways that the sellable-units can be combined to produce valid tickets and producing a ticket from the encoded set of sellable units.
US08583447B2
Product vendors are provided with a system for performing a marketing campaign to mobile communication device users, providing offers as instruments, such as digital coupons, to a selected group of users of the mobile communication devices and validating the integrity of the instruments. The invention has two phases: the selection of the components of the instrument from a menu provided by a social networking organization; and validating the instrument upon redemption from the product vendor. In the first phase, the product vendor selects elements from the menu relevant to the campaign, such as timing, nature of the offer, targeting of the recipients, etc. In the second phase, the instrument is encoded as to the marketing campaign and an arbitrary designation which initiates a pattern as the instrument is redeemed. The product vendor inspects the instrument to ensure that the encoding is correct during the redemption process.
US08583442B2
A method for mimicking the auditory system's response to rhythm of an input signal having a time varying structure comprising the steps of receiving a time varying input signal x(t) to a network of n nonlinear oscillators, each oscillator having a different natural frequency of oscillation and obeying a dynamical equation of the form r . = r ( α + β 1 z 2 + ε β 2 z 4 1 - ε z 2 ) + c x ( t ) cos ϕ - r ε ε r 2 - 2 ε r cos ϕ + 1 ϕ . = ω + δ 1 r 2 + ε δ 2 r 4 1 - ε r 2 - c x ( t ) sin ( ϕ ) ε r 2 - 2 ε r cos ( ϕ ) + 1 ω . = - k x ( t ) sin ϕ ε r 2 - 2 ε r cos ϕ + 1 wherein ω represents the response frequency, r is the amplitude of the oscillator and φ is the phase of the oscillator. Generating at least one frequency output from said network useful for describing said varying structure.
US08583437B2
Service architecture for providing to a user terminal of a communications network textual information and relative speech synthesis, the user terminal being provided with a speech synthesis engine and a basic database of speech waveforms includes: a content server for downloading textual information requested by means of a browser application on the user terminal; a context manager for extracting context information from the textual information requested by the user terminal; a context selector for selecting an incremental database of speech waveforms associated with extracted context information and for downloading the incremental database into the user terminal; a database manager on the user terminal for managing the composition of an enlarged database of speech waveforms for the speech synthesis engine including the basic and the incremental databases of speech waveforms.
US08583434B2
Computer-implemented methods and apparatus are provided to facilitate the recognition of the content of a body of speech data. In one embodiment, a method for analyzing verbal communication is provided, comprising acts of producing an electronic recording of a plurality of spoken words; processing the electronic recording to identify a plurality of word alternatives for each of the spoken words, each of the plurality of word alternatives being identified by comparing a portion of the electronic recording with a lexicon, and each of the plurality of word alternatives being assigned a probability of correctly identifying a spoken word; loading the word alternatives and the probabilities to a database for subsequent analysis; and examining the word alternatives and the probabilities to determine at least one characteristic of the plurality of spoken words.
US08583428B2
Described is a multiple phase process/system that combines spatial filtering with regularization to separate sound from different sources such as the speech of two different speakers. In a first phase, frequency domain signals corresponding to the sensed sounds are processed into separated spatially filtered signals including by inputting the signals into a plurality of beamformers (which may include nullformers) followed by nonlinear spatial filters. In a regularization phase, the separated spatially filtered signals are input into an independent component analysis mechanism that is configured with multi-tap filters, followed by secondary nonlinear spatial filters. Separated audio signals are the provided via an inverse-transform.
US08583427B2
A signal processing system which discriminates between voice signals and data signals modulated by a voiceband carrier. The signal processing system includes a voice exchange, a data exchange and a call discriminator. The voice exchange is capable of exchanging voice signals between a switched circuit network and a packet based network. The signal processing system also includes a data exchange capable of exchanging data signals modulated by a voiceband carrier on the switched circuit network with unmodulated data signal packets on the packet based network. The data exchange is performed by demodulating data signals from the switched circuit network for transmission on the packet based network, and modulating data signal packets from the packet based network for transmission on the switched circuit network. The call discriminator is used to selectively enable the voice exchange and data exchange.
US08583421B2
A method (300 or 400) of key press prediction on a touch-based device or an apparatus (501) can entail registering (302, 402) a position of a touch press attempt on an icon among a plurality of icons presented on the touch-base device, calculating (304, 404) a distance from a center of the icon, calculating (306, 406) a psychomotor probability for each icon in the plurality of icons, calculating (312, 408) a linguistic probability for each icon in the plurality of icons, calculating (314, 410) a predictive index for each icon in the plurality of icons based on the psychomotor probability and the linguistic probability, and registering (310,416) as a user selected icon, an icon with one among a highest predictive index (316, 412) or a probability higher than a predetermined absolute value (308).
US08583403B2
A method for the determination of the diffusion tensor anisotropy or the surface energy anisotropy that does not require the formation of particular structures, and that is capable of being performed in cases of moderate-amplitude perturbations. The invention relates to measuring the temporal evolution of natural or artificial roughnesses, and analyzing the results in the firm of the 2D power spectral density for moderate-amplitude perturbations typically characterized by amplitude/wavelength ratios of the perturbation for a spatially defined perturbation having two wavelengths along two orthogonal directions, the ratios typically being less than 0.3.
US08583399B2
A method for behavior pattern analysis is provided in which the behavior signals of a subject are continuously detected using tri-axis accelerator. The behavior signals are divided as a plurality of time windows based on a predetermined time length. The plurality of time windows are configured as an X-Y matrix, and cross analysis is performed on the time windows as X-axis and Y-axis to obtain a plurality of correlation coefficients as being the preferred correlation values. A pattern with bright spots and dark spots is plotted according to the preferred correlation values, and behavior pattern is evaluated from the number and distribution of bright spots and the pattern. The behavior consistency of a subject can be efficiently evaluated, and his/her behavior abnormality, disease development or other situations can be determined accordingly.
US08583396B2
Method for detecting a change in mass with a quartz crystal impedance-scanning microbalance, which can be connected to an evaluation device, wherein the quartz crystal microbalance is designed to transmit the measurement points recorded at a predetermined data recording rate as raw data to the evaluation device, including at least the following steps: linearly fitting the measurement points of the raw data to a fractional rational function and determining at least one resonance frequency from the fitted measurement points of the raw data, wherein a change in the at least one resonance frequency corresponds to an effective change in mass.
US08583392B2
An electronic device can include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) operative to monitor the movement of the electronic device. The IMU used in the device can be inaccurate due to the manufacturing process used to construct the IMU and to incorporate the IMU in the electronic device. To correct the IMU output, the electronic device in which the IMU is incorporated can be placed in a testing apparatus that moves the device to known orientations. The IMU output at the known orientations can be compared to an expected true IMU output, and correction factors (e.g., sensitivity and offset matrices) can be calculated. The correction factors can be stored in the device, and applied to the IMU output to provide a true output. The testing apparatus can include a fixture placed in a gimbal movable around three axes.
US08583382B1
The apparatus, system, and method provides an instrumented container with a contour similar to that of a production container which includes two portions spaced apart and joined by a torque sensor. The instrumented container also includes a processor which directs the periodic sampling of data measured by the torque sensor during the capping process, and a memory which stores a plurality of data values. The apparatus, system, and method provides a reusable instrumented container form to which a portion of an actual production container may be attached. The instrumented container is indistinguishable, for purposes of the capping line, from a regular production container. It may thus be used to test individual spindles, randomly test application torque, verify set application torques, and provide accurate information as to the impact of a particular dye or other variable on bottle capping.
US08583378B2
A well passing through a geological formation is fitted with a tube, open at its bottom end, that is filled with a fluid. Another fluid is in the annular space between the tube and the wall of the well, the two fluids exhibiting an interface situated in the annular space. A hydraulic balance of the fluids of the well is disturbed and the trend of certain quantities is measured. These measurements are moreover simulated by computer by using different sets of values for the physical parameters, and efforts are made to estimate the geological formation. A comparison of the measurements with the simulation results makes it possible to identify an optimum set of values for the parameters.
US08583371B1
The present disclosure provides systems and methods that improve the pointing accuracy of a spacecraft using temperature-sensitive gyros (e.g., MEMS gyros) by using a temperature bias model to compensate for temperature biases of the gyros and using attitude data (e.g., star tracker data) to automatically and continuously calibrate the temperature bias model over the life of the spacecraft. When star tracker data is unavailable (e.g., due to sun interference), the most recently updated temperature bias model is used in open-loop to provide improved estimation of the gyro biases and improved attitude estimation.
US08583369B2
An electronic apparatus is provided with a user-data storing unit 4 and a radio signal receiving unit 6-11. The user-data storing unit stores plural pieces of usage-environment information in combination respectively with plural pieces of place (location) information, wherein the usage-environment information represents an environment under which the electronic apparatus is used at a place (location) and the place information combined with the usage-environment information indicates the place (location) where the electronic apparatus is used. The radio signal receiving unit obtains present usage-environment information representing an environment, under which the apparatus is used at present. A controlling unit 2 judges a similarity of each piece of usage-environment information stored in the user-data storing unit to the present usage-environment information, and obtains the place (location) information stored in combination with the usage-environment information having the maximum similarity as place (location) information indicating the present place (location).
US08583364B2
A navigation method and apparatus of a mobile terminal capture an image of a road on which a driver is driving a vehicle if the road is a new road which has not been updated on map data, automatically generates guidance information of the captured road, and provide a user preference route in searching a route from a current location to a destination to thereby enhance user satisfaction. The navigation apparatus of a mobile terminal includes a storage unit configured to store map data, a display unit configured to display a route from a current location to a destination on the map data, and a controller configured to store locus information of a vehicle in real time when the vehicle gets off of the route and gives a weight value to a link corresponding to the locus information.
US08583359B2
In a method for the input of a destination, first of all a category selection is made, destinations corresponding to the category selection subsequently being offered for selection, at least a portion of the destinations being assigned to at least one subordinate category that, in each instance, has a superordinate category, characterized in that a category selection is made such that in each case, a superordinate category is displayed for the category selection or the superordinate category is replaced by one or the plurality of categories subordinate to it, and in each instance, a replacement is made when the number of subordinate categories with respect to a superordinate category is less than a predefined first threshold value.
US08583356B2
A method of correcting map data stored on a portable navigation device or navigation system is described, together with an appropriately enabled device or navigation system. A computer program enabling the method is also described. The method includes the steps of displaying map data on a PND or navigation system during a navigation or free-driving mode, and is characterized in that at least one of a plurality of user-selectable graphical indicators is displayed together with said map data adjacent or overlaid on the particular thoroughfare along which the device is currently traveling, the indicator graphically representing a travel restriction pertinent to one of either the current thoroughfare or a subsequent thoroughfare occurring after a thoroughfare intersection towards which the current thoroughfare leads.
US08583350B1
A microprocessor controlled automated, multi-fuel apparatus to blend hydrogen, bio-fuel and/or natural or propane gases. This novel multi-stage apparatus first converts cooking oils into bio-fuel. The system automatically blends the bio-fuel with at least one of or both hydrogen gas, generated by a self-contained on-board hydrogen electrolyzer, and/or natural or propane gases. This blended “Hyenrich” gaseous fuel drives various processes including, but not limited to, cogeneration systems and electrical generators to produce “green” electricity by utilizing an adaptive and predictive learning algorithms to significantly reduce cost per kilowatt and lessen dependency on the over taxed utility grid, while simultaneously reducing emissions of CO, CO2 and NOx, making the method and apparatus an environmentally-friendly energy device.
US08583349B2
A diagnostic system for an engine includes a stage transition module and a control module. The stage transition module generates a command signal based on a fuel control signal. The command signal commands a fuel system of the engine to intrusively transition between rich and lean states during a diagnostic test that includes first, second, and third stages. The first, second, and third stages are defined based on transitions between the rich and lean states. The control module during the second and third stages detects: an error with a first oxygen sensor based on a comparison between the command signal and a first oxygen signal from the first oxygen sensor; an error with a second oxygen sensor based on a second oxygen signal from the second oxygen sensor; and an error with a catalytic converter based on the first and second oxygen signals and a manifold absolute pressure signal.
US08583344B2
A method for controlling glow plugs associated with respective cylinders of a Diesel engine, which includes, but is not limited to the steps of storing data indicative of the activation sequence of the cylinders and activating sequentially each glow plug according to the stored activation sequence of the cylinders.
US08583343B2
A vehicle drive control apparatus for use in a vehicle collects the number of travels in each of road sections in a traveled route for each of travel directions, extracts road sections having been traveled for more than a threshold number for each of travel directions, and stores extracted road sections as control section data maps in a durable storage medium. If the vehicle travels into the road sections stored as the control section data map, the “stored-as-the-map” road sections are identified as a series of road sections of high-travel-probability. In this manner, a series of road sections can be accurately identified as a high-probability section without having a user input of a travel destination or the like.
US08583341B2
A method for the open-loop and closed-loop control of traffic flow by means of the automatic takeover of the longitudinal control a vehicle by a driver assistance system. First, the method detects the occurrence of a special situation. Then, a driver assistance system automatically takes over the longitudinal control of the vehicle. When the special situation ends, the driver regains the control over the vehicle, which he had before the activation of the driver assistance system.
US08583336B2
First and second clutches correspond to systems which include “first gear” and “second gear,” respectively. When the temperature of the first clutch at the time of start of the vehicle is lower than a first temperature, only the first clutch is used as a start clutch for driving the vehicle. When the temperature of the first clutch is not lower than the first temperature but is lower than a second temperature, both the first and second clutches are used as the start clutch. When the temperature of the first clutch is equal to or higher than the second temperature, only the second clutch is used as the start clutch. Thus, the higher the temperature of the first clutch, the smaller the load acting on the first clutch. When the temperature of the second clutch is high, engine torque is reduced, and a warning is issued.
US08583332B2
A prime mover revolution speed control system for a hydraulic construction machine sets the revolution speed of the prime mover in accordance with the operating state invoked by an operating command and as a result of a determination of an excavation state so that that the revolution speed of the engine can be increased for a heavy load (speedup) in the excavation state. When the control lever is fully operated in the direction of arm crowding, the control lever 43 is also operated, and first judgment conditions are all met to conclude that an excavation state has begun. During excavation work, when the control lever 44 is subjected to a half or greater operation in the arm crowding direction, second judgment conditions are all met to conclude that the excavation state persists, and the speedup sequence is continued.
US08583331B2
The present invention relates to monitoring and automatic control systems.
US08583326B2
A GNSS-based contour guidance path selection system for guiding a piece of equipment through an operation, such as navigating a guide path, includes a processor programmed for locking onto a particular aspect of the operation, such as deviating from a pre-planned or original guidance pattern and locking the guidance system onto a new route guide path, while ignoring other guidance paths. The system gives a vehicle operator control over a guidance route without the need to re-plan a pre-planned route. The device corrects conflicting signal issues arising when new swaths result in the guidance system receiving conflicting directions of guidance where the new swaths cross predefined swaths. An operator can either manually, or with an autosteer subsystem automatically, maintain a new contour guidance pattern, even while crossing predefined guidance paths that would otherwise divert the vehicle.
US08583324B2
In a method for determining the angle of inclination of a two-wheeled vehicle of the type of a bicycle, a scooter or a motorcycle with respect to the roadway normal, the angle of inclination is able to be determined simply and accurately if the transverse acceleration of the vehicle is measured using a transverse acceleration sensor and the acceleration in the direction of the vertical axis of the vehicle is ascertained and the angle of inclination with respect to the roadway normal is calculated based on the two acceleration values.
US08583322B2
A mobile crusher includes: a crusher that crushes raw material; a discharge conveyor being disposed on a downstream side of the crusher to discharge the material crushed by the crusher; an engine that serves as a driving source at least for the crusher and the discharge conveyer; a fuel injection quantity controlling unit that controls a speed of the engine; a crusher pressure sensor that determines a change in a load of the crushed material in the crusher; and a pressure sensor that determines presence or absence of the crushed material to be discharged on the discharge conveyor. When the crusher pressure sensor determines that the load on the crusher is reduced and the pressure sensor determines that the crushed material is not present on the discharge conveyor, the fuel injection quantity controlling unit lowers the speed of the engine to a decelerated speed.
US08583320B2
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive from a mobile device a request regarding a stranded vehicle. The request is processed to determine the location of the stranded vehicle. Additional information regarding the stranded vehicle may be retrieved. The location of the stranded vehicle and the additional information may be communicated as a dispatch request. The location of the stranded vehicle relative to a dispatched vehicle is delivered to the mobile device.
US08583319B2
An odometer monitor for monitoring the connectivity status of a mobile data terminal to a vehicle is a software module defined in a data processor of a vehicle tracking device. The monitor is operable to listen for arrival of successive timed poll events from a mobile data terminal connected to a vehicle, listen for arrival of and storing each of successive odometer update values from a vehicle information bus of the vehicle that corresponds to arrival of each of the successive timed poll events, compare next odometer update values to last stored odometer update values, calculate the distances between the compared odometer update values, make a determination of connectivity status of the mobile data terminal relative to the vehicle based on whether or not the values of the calculated distances ascend to above the value of a preset maximum distance, and report the connectivity status to the mobile data terminal.
US08583315B2
A global navigation satellite sensor system (GNSS) and gyroscope control system for vehicle steering control comprising a GNSS receiver and antennas at a fixed spacing to determine a vehicle position, velocity and at least one of a heading angle, a pitch angle and a roll angle based on carrier phase position differences. A vehicle control method includes the steps of computing a position and a heading for the vehicle using GNSS positioning and a rate gyro for determining vehicle attitude, which is used for generating a steering command.
US08583313B2
A robotic vehicle configured for autonomous or semi-autonomous operation in a rail environment is provided. The vehicle can process image data to move about the rail environment and perform one or more actions in the rail environment. The actions can include one or more actions related to decoupling and/or attaching rail vehicles, and can be implemented by performing three-dimensional image processing. The vehicle can be configured to move with any movement of a rail vehicle on which one or more actions are being performed. In an alternative embodiment, the various components configured to perform the action are implemented at a stationary location with respect to a rail line.
US08583310B2
An electric vehicle includes a wheel-driving motor, a motor inverter that supplies electric power to the wheel-driving motor, a pump that delivers a cooling medium to at least one of the motor inverter and the motor, a capacitor that stores a counter electromotive force generated by the pump, and a pump inverter that supplies electric power to the pump to drives the pump. When a vehicle controller receives a signal indicating a collision of the vehicle, the vehicle controller stops a supply of electric power from the pump inverter to the pump and connects the pump inverter to the capacitor. The pump inverter converts AC power generated by the counter electromotive force of the pump into DC power to store the DC power in the capacitor.
US08583305B2
A control system for a vehicle includes a wake-up module and a failure detection module. The wake-up module selectively powers on a vehicle control module, wherein the vehicle control module controls sub-systems of the vehicle. The failure detection module detects a failure of the wake-up module during a period when the vehicle control module is powered off and an enable condition is met, wherein the failure is detected based on (i) whether an internal wake-up is requested or an external wake-up is requested during a first predetermined period and (ii) whether a run/crank (R/C) operation is requested.
US08583303B2
An electric drive system is provided for use in a vehicle that is operated in environments with stringent emissions and ventilation regulations. In one embodiment, the electric drive system comprises a motor capable of propelling the vehicle and an energy storage device coupled to the motor, and selectively couplable to a catenary line, wherein the catenary line is capable of supplying electrical power to the vehicle and to the energy storage device. Additionally, the vehicle includes a mining device that is operable to be powered by energy from one or more of the catenary line and the energy storage device.
US08583301B2
A control strategy is disclosed for regulating speed of an engine in a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain that includes an electric motor and gearing. An electrical power flow path and a mechanical power flow path are established. Electrical power is coordinated with mechanical power to effect an arbitrated engine speed for a given power demand that will result in an acceptable noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristic for the powertrain and an acceptable powertrain efficiency.
US08583300B2
An automatic stabilization unit for watercraft such as boats, yachts and the like. In order to ensure stabilization of the watercraft with a high level of movement comfort at the same time over the entire speed range and in all water conditions, an electronic regulator is provided which stabilizes the water attitude of the watercraft during movement, while moving straight ahead and turning, as a function of the movement-situation-dependent rotation rates and longitudinal accelerations and/or lateral accelerations and/or vertical accelerations, using the actuating elements which are normally available in the watercraft, thus preventing or reducing to a minimum any stress on, damage to or danger to the boat, its occupants and the surrounding are thereof.
US08583299B2
A system for communicating data in a train is provided. The system includes at least one respective router transceiver unit positioned in each of at least two rail vehicles of the train. Each router transceiver unit is coupled to a trainline that extends between the rail vehicles. The trainline is an existing cable bus used in the train for transferring propulsion control data between the rail vehicles that controls at least one of tractive effort or braking effort of the rail vehicles. The router transceiver units are configured to communicate network data over the trainline. In one embodiment, the trainline is an Electrically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) trainline and the propulsion control data is ECP brake data used to control operations of brakes in the train.
US08583281B2
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for remote visualization of the storage compartments in a medication dispenser device, to monitor a patient's compliance with a medication dosage schedule and for verifying the proper loading of medication into the patient's medication dispenser device. The device may include a plurality of storage compartments, each having an interior space for storing at least one medication or medication reminder marker; an image capturing device (e.g., a camera) positionable to capture an image of the interior space of each storage compartment; and a communications module for electronically transmitting the captured image to a central monitoring station.
US08583280B1
A method for using a vending machine nutritional information display system using standard inventory control system components. A vending machine nutritional information display system using standard inventory control system components. An apparatus for implementing a vending machine nutritional information display system using standard inventory control system components.
US08583277B2
In a method for palletizing packages using an automated manipulator, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with programming instructions for implementing the method, a sequence of grip positions is designated for accepting packages with the automated manipulator, and a supply of provided packages is automatically checked with regard to the grip positions of the packages in the supply. The supplied packages are palletized according to a predetermined initial palletizing pattern as long as the packages are supplied in the grip positions in the sequence. The packages are palletized by the manipulator according to an alternate palletizing pattern, different from the initial palletizing pattern, in the event that a package is not supplied to the manipulator in a grip position in the sequence.
US08583276B2
A pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system and a method of storing and retrieving pharmaceutical containers from the system. The system includes a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval and a controller operatively coupled to the device to control storage and retrieval functions of the device. The device includes a gantry assembly, a shelving assembly, a user access assembly, and a user authorization system that function in a coordinated manner to carry out the storage and retrieval functions of the device.
US08583273B2
A laser welding method basically includes providing a robot that is moveably in accordance with predetermined movement data, and controlling the controlling a laser beam emitting section of the robot to emit a laser beam onto a predetermined irradiation position of a workpiece to conduct welding. The laser welding method further includes: measuring a current movement position of the robot with respect to a movement position specified in the predetermined movement data; operating of the robot to change the current movement position of the robot to a prescribed position based on the predetermined movement data; and adjusting a laser emission direction by controlling an emission changing section of the laser beam emitting section based on the current movement position of the robot and the predetermined movement data such that a laser beam is emitted from the laser beam emitting section and strikes the predetermined irradiation position of the workpiece.
US08583268B2
In one aspect, audio streams are added to a mix until the mix is either complete (i.e., all audio streams have been added) or the mix is closed early (i.e., before the mix is complete). In another aspect, audio and video streams are synchronized by playing back the audio stream and then synchronizing display of the video frames to the playback of the audio stream.
US08583265B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, systems and apparatus for computing a voltage advance used in controlling operation of an electric machine.
US08583264B2
Docking stations and docking methods are provided for use with marking devices used for marking the presence or absence of an underground facility in a dig area. The docking station may serve as a home base for storage of a marking device, for charging the battery of a marking device, for transferring data to and from a marking device, and for securing a marking device against unauthorized use and/or theft. The docking station may be a mobile docking station that is installed in a vehicle or may be a fixed docking station that is installed at a central location in the field, at a central office, at a home base facility, and the like.
US08583255B2
A generator for an implantable cardiac prosthesis, having a safekeeping mode of operation during an exposure to a magnetic field. The generator is connected to a lead including a first conductor (18) connected to a distal electrode (14), and a second conductor (20) connected to a proximal electrode (16). The generator to which the lead is connected includes a switch that temporarily switches to the potential of the metal housing of the generator (i.e., the ground potential) a first terminal connection (26) coupled to the external conductor (20) of the lead, and connects to the electronic circuit of detection/stimulation a second terminal connection (24) coupled to the internal conductor (18) of the lead. The first conductor temporarily acts as a shield for the second conductor for the duration of an MRI examination ensuring protection against the deleterious effects of exposure of the lead to the magnetic field generated by the MRI apparatus, notably heating of the electrodes due to induced currents in the conductors.
US08583254B2
This disclosure describes techniques for delivering electrical stimulation at one or more phases relative to an ongoing oscillating signal in a patient, and then mapping the response to the oscillating signal. The techniques may reduce or eliminate the oscillating signal. In one example, the disclosure is directed to a method that includes delivering a set of first electrical stimulation at a plurality of phases relative to an oscillating signal, measuring a response in the oscillating signal to the set of first electrical stimulation after delivering electrical stimulation at each respective phase of the plurality of phases, determining a phase at which to deliver second electrical stimulation based on the measured responses, and delivering the second electrical stimulation to the patient at the determined phase to produce a therapeutic effect.
US08583253B1
In one embodiment, a method, for estimating electrode resistance values, comprises: calculating an aggregate resistance value for each electrode in a group of electrodes of an implantable stimulation lead of the electrical stimulation system, wherein the calculating, for each electrode, comprises: (i) setting a respective electrode in the group of electrodes as an anode; (ii) setting electrodes in the group of electrodes other than the respective electrodes as cathodes; (iii) applying a predetermined electrical signal through the group of the electrodes using a pulse generator of the electrical stimulation system; (iv) measuring current flow or voltage resulting from application of the predetermined electrical signal through the group of the electrodes; (v) calculating the aggregate resistance value for the respective electrode in response to the measuring; calculating an individual resistance value for each electrode of the group of electrodes using the set of aggregate resistance values for the group of electrodes.
US08583250B2
A therapy program is modified to decompose a therapy field generated by therapy delivery by a medical device according to a therapy program into a plurality of subfields based on a comparison between an energy associated with the therapy program and a threshold value. The therapy field defined by the therapy program may be decomposed into a plurality of subfields when an electrical stimulation energy of the stimulation signal defined by the therapy program exceeds the maximum energy output of the medical device or of a channel of the medical device. Therapy subprograms may be generated for each of the therapy subfields. An energy associated with each of the therapy subfields may be less than the energy threshold value of the medical device.
US08583249B2
In one embodiment, a method, of operating an IPG, comprises: generating a variable anode voltage by first circuitry to drive current during pulse generation, the first circuitry being programmable to generate the anode voltage from a plurality of voltages in response to a control signal; providing the anode voltage to a first circuit node; operating a transistor to control current flow between the first circuit node and an output of the IPG, wherein the transistor possesses a gate-to-source breakdown voltage; generating a first supply signal that is maintained at a voltage level equal to the anode voltage plus or minus a predetermined amount; and selectively applying the first supply signal and a second supply signal to a gate of the transistor to connect or disconnect the first circuit node in a circuit path with the output of the IPG.
US08583242B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to utilization of one or more arrays that are placed under the choroid. In this approach, an array is placed under the choroid. To achieve this, a scleral incision can be made without cutting the underlying choroid or retina. The array can then be inserted into the space between the sclera and choroid and is pushed to the desired place. It is possible to make several of such scleral incisions in each quadrant of the eye to insert arrays of similar or different shapes into the subchoroidal space. Following insertion of the electrode array the scleral wound may be sutured around the cable to make the array and the eye more stable.
US08583234B1
Techniques are provided for use with an implantable medical device for delivering left atrial (LA) pacing to address Diastolic Heart Failure, also referred to as Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. In one example, pulse delivery times are selected for delivery of LA pacing pulses sufficient so that activation of the LA occurs when LA pressure (LAP) is lower than would occur in the absence of LA pacing. The pulse delivery times and also set so that subsequent activation of the right ventricle (RV) occurs when LAP is lower than would occur in the absence of LA pacing. LA pacing then is delivered by the implanted device at the selected pulse delivery times to mitigate Diastolic Heart Failure or to address other conditions.
US08583232B2
A system and method for pacing rate control in a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system. The method includes acquiring a pressure signal representative of coronary venous pressure (CVP) from a pressure sensor implanted within a coronary vein of the patient and generating a CVP waveform from the pressure signal. A pacing stimulus is applied to the patient's heart, and the pacing rate is increased in response to increases in patient's metabolic demand. The CVP index is monitored during the pacing rate increase, and the CRM system detects a reduction in the patient's hemodymanic performance based on the CVP index and establishes a maximum rate setting based on the pacing rate corresponding to the reduction in the patient's hemodynamic performance.
US08583228B2
Methods and systems for selecting tachyarrhythmia therapy based on the morphological organization level of the arrhythmia are described. Morphological organization levels of arrhythmias are associated with cardiac therapies. The morphological organization levels are related to cardiac signal morphologies of the arrhythmias. An arrhythmia episode is detected and the morphological organization level of the arrhythmia episode is determined. A cardiac therapy associated with the morphological organization level of the arrhythmia episode is delivered to treat the arrhythmia. For example, the morphological organization levels may be associated with the cardiac therapies based on one or more of retrospective database analysis, patient therapy tolerance, and physician input. The associations may be static or may be dynamically adjusted based on therapy efficacy.
US08583224B2
The invention relates to systems, devices, and methods for detecting infections associated with implantable medical devices. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of detecting infection in a patient including measuring a physiological parameter using a chronically implanted sensor at a plurality of time points and evaluating the physiological parameter measurements to determine if infection is indicated. In an embodiment, the invention includes an implantable medical device including a first chronically implantable sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to a physiological parameter and a controller disposed within a housing, the controller configured to evaluate the first physiological parameter signal to determine if an infection is indicated. Other embodiments are also included herein.
US08583222B2
Measured values of ST segment deviations obtained from a multi-lead ECG are transformed and displayed on a polar ST Circle Display, with zero ST deviation values located on a circle having a diameter that is greater than a maximum absolute ST segment deviation value obtained for any measured or derived lead. An ischemic condition and a location of the ischemia can thereby be easily determined.
