US08678571B2
A fluid ejection cartridge for a fluid ejection device includes a print head, having a plurality of fluid ejection nozzles, a fluid reservoir, configured to hold a fluid to be ejected from the print head, and a selectively breachable isolator mechanism, separating the fluid reservoir and the print head.
US08678569B2
A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein the recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with the apparatus electrical contacts, the liquid container includes a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts; an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the liquid container; a light emitting portion; a controller for controlling emission of light of the light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through the container electrical contact and the information stored in the information storing means.
US08678568B2
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head including plural nozzles discharging liquid droplets; a head tank supplying liquid to the recording head; plural head holders each holding one or more recording heads and head tanks; a carriage exchangeably supporting the plural head holders; a main tank storing liquid to be supplied to the head tank; and plural liquid supply tubes supplying the liquid from the main tank to the head tank. Further, the plural liquid supply tubes are branched into plural groups corresponding to the plural head holders at the carriage and are connected to corresponding head tanks.
US08678564B2
In an inkjet print head an actuation chamber substantially extends in a first direction and the actuation chamber is associated with a piezo actuator arranged to generate a pressure wave in the actuation chamber. The pressure wave propagates in said first direction. A nozzle is associated with the actuation chamber such that a droplet may be expelled through the nozzle upon generation of the pressure wave in the actuation chamber. A reservoir is in fluid communication with the actuation chamber via an inlet and an outlet of the actuation chamber. A pump means is provided for pumping ink from the reservoir, via the inlet, through the actuation chamber, via the outlet back into said reservoir. The print head is provided with a means for reflecting the pressure wave at the outlet of the actuation chamber for enabling to generate a sufficient pressure at the nozzle for expelling the droplet.
US08678562B2
Provided is a piezoelectric material including a bismuth barium niobium oxide-based tungsten bronze structure metal oxide having a high Curie temperature and being excellent in piezoelectric property. The piezoelectric material includes a metal oxide having a tungsten bronze structure represented by the following general formula (1), in which the metal oxide having a tungsten bronze structure includes Li, and a content of the Li is 0.015 weight percent or more and 0.600 weight percent or less in terms of metal with respect to 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide: AxB10O30 (1) where A represents Ba and Bi, or at least one kind or more of elements selected from the group consisting of: Na, Sr, and Ca in addition to Ba and Bi; B represents Nb, or Nb and Ta; and x represents a numerical value of 4.5
US08678555B1
A method for preparing an integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample for ion cross-section polishing is provided. The method includes preparing a polymer coating formulation. The polymer coating formulation includes a novolac epoxy resin, a bisphenol-A/epichlorhydrin epoxy resin, a photoacid generator, an adhesion promoter, and a mixture of acetophenone, cyclohexanone and butyrolactone organic solvents. The integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip sample is encapsulated by the polymer coating formulation, wherein the chip sample is then ready for ion beam cross-section polishing. A cross-section sample of integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip is prepared by polishing the obtained polymer encapsulated integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip with ion beam cross-section polisher. The disclosed method allows the cross-section sample to be obtained at a reduced polishing time. Moreover, a good quality and larger cross-sectional area of the sample is obtained, thus allowing for accurate inspection or analysis of the integrated circuit or micro-electro-mechanical system chip.
US08678551B2
A printing apparatus includes a print head that is able to apply light-blocking ink that blocks light and metallic ink that creates a metallic look on a printing medium, a metallic look control unit that determines the ink amount per unit area of the light-blocking ink that the print head applies based on the created metallic look, and an ink application control unit that controls the print head, applies the metallic ink and the light-blocking ink based on the determined ink amount on the printing medium, and laminates the metallic ink and the light-blocking ink such that the side that is viewed has the metallic ink.
US08678549B2
A printhead integrated circuit includes: an elongate silicon substrate having a frontside and a backside; a row of nozzle chambers disposed at the frontside of the substrate, each nozzle chamber having a respective nozzle opening defined in a roof thereof and a respective inlet defined in a floor thereof; a row of inlet channels defined in the substrate, each inlet channel having a first end defining the inlet of a respective nozzle chamber and an opposite second end; and an ink supply channel defined in the backside of the substrate, each ink supply channel having a depth sufficient to meet with the second ends the inlet channels. Each ink supply channel is elongate and extends longitudinally along a length of the substrate so as to provide fluidic communication between the backside and the nozzle chambers.
US08678548B2
An image recording apparatus includes: a recording head which records an image to a recording surface of a recording medium; a scanning mechanism which reciprocates the recording head along a scanning direction; a recording direction deciding unit which decides a recording direction along which the recording head scans with respect to the recording surface of the recording medium to record the image, from a first direction along the recording surface and a second direction intersecting with the first direction and along the recording surface; and a changing unit which changes one of the scanning direction of the recording head and a direction of the recording medium to bring the recording direction with respect to the recording surface decided by the recording direction deciding unit and the scanning direction of the recording head in line.
US08678535B2
An apparatus for printing surfaces, for example of three-dimensionally shaped vehicle body parts, includes movable print heads having actuable, preferably inkjet, nozzles, and at least one printing position and one parking position into which the print heads can be moved or rotated. At least one first and one second print head have mutually different nozzle configurations, sizes or shapes. In a first mode, the first print head is in a printing position and the second print head is in a parking position, and in a second mode, the first print head is in a parking position and the second print head is in a printing position. The print heads can be on a rotation apparatus which can be on a robot arm. Surfaces of any shape, having curvatures and/or undercuts, can be printed in one or multiple colors (in image terms). A system having the apparatus is also provided.
US08678531B2
According to one embodiment, a driving apparatus of an inkjet head includes a drive signal output unit, an ejection pulse number decision unit, a pulse addition determination unit, and a drive signal generation unit. The ejection pulse number decision unit decides the number of ejection pulses based on a gradation value of print data. When the pulse addition determination unit has determined that the control pulse is not to be added, the drive signal generation unit generates a drive signal including ejection pulses whose number has been decided by the ejection pulse number decision unit. When the pulse addition determination unit has determined that the control pulse is to be added, the drive signal generation unit generates a drive signal including ejection pulses whose number is smaller than the number decided by the ejection pulse number decision unit.
US08678530B2
A manifold receives and distributes insulating foam to an interior of a consumer appliance case. The manifold includes an inlet attachable to a source of insulating foam exterior to the consumer appliance case, at least two outlets disposed at different locations within the consumer appliance case, an inlet passageway leading from the inlet further into the consumer appliance case interior, and at least two outlet passageways, each outlet passageway providing communication between the inlet passageway and a respective one of the outlets. Insulating foam received by the inlet is distributed to the interior of the consumer appliance case via the inlet passageway, outlet passageways and outlets. Related foamed-in case designs and methods of foaming-in a case are also disclosed.
US08678527B2
A combined tool carrier and work table comprised gull-wing covers. The gull-wing covers are dimensioned such that when the tool carrier is closed and the gull-wing covers are down, the height of the tool carrier is low enough so that it will fit underneath a tool bench with a waist high surface. When the tool carrier is moved to a remote job site and the gull-wing covers are opened, their sides become work surfaces elevated to about waist high, similar to the work bench. The gull-wing covers can then be locked into place to provide a secure work table.
US08678524B2
A spring-loaded door device that fastens to the front of a server rack in order to prevent airflow from exiting through an unfilled space in the server rack. An equipment module can then be inserted through the spring-loaded door device and mounted to the server rack. When the equipment module is removed from the server rack, the spring-loaded door closes to prevent airflow from exiting through the unfilled space in the server rack.
US08678519B2
Large impacts act on a spoke wheel and spokes fastened by nipples tend to be loosened when a racing off-road motorcycle and the like repeatedly jumps and lands. A hub is connected with a rim by using deformed spokes each having a deformed portion. The deformed spoke is fastened while being elastically deformed so that the deformed portion extends by the nipple. As compared to a straight spoke, the deformed spoke has low longitudinal elastic modulus and substantially the same stiffness with a spoke having an equal diameter.
US08678518B2
A wheel assembly includes: (a) a hub adapted to be mounted for rotation about an axis and defining a housing for enclosing a gear set, the hub having a generally cylindrical outer surface; (b) a ring surrounding the outer surface of the hub; and (c) a generally cylindrical rim surrounding at least a portion of the hub, the rim adapted to carry a tire and having a radially inwardly extending mounting flange. The mounting flange is fastened to the ring.
US08678514B2
A method for producing hydrocarbons wherein hydrates are excavated from the sea bottom and mixed into a transportable slurry, the slurry being pumped to a support vessel, using near sea bottom positive displacement hydraulic pumps, where the hydrates are converted into a hydrocarbon containing stream, with excavation tailings being pumped down to hydraulic motors to drive the hydraulic pumps.
US08678513B2
In-situ solution mining method of an ore bed, particularly containing trona, which comprises exposing to a solvent an ore region inside a borehole drilled in the ore, and dissolving a desired solute within the exposed region to provide a liquor and create a voided ‘undercut’, such undercutting making the ore susceptible to gravitational loading and crushing. Unexposed ore falls into the undercut by gravity without breaking the ore roof resulting in exposure of fresh ore to the solvent and in preventing solvent exposure to contaminating material near the roof. The desired solute is eventually dissolved away in the entire bed from its floor up to its roof. Solvent injection may be delivered through a conduit positioned inside the borehole, and may be moved by retracting or perforating the conduit. The method may employ an advancing undercut initiated up-dip and traveling down-dip, or a retreating undercut initiated down-dip and traveling up-dip.
US08678510B2
An anchor plate (12) and an inner lap anchor (14) disposed at left and right sides of a vehicle seat are connected to an inner side cable (20A) and an outer side cable (20B), respectively. The anchor plate (12) and the inner lap anchor (14) are pulled substantially at the same time by a pretensioner device (21) when acceleration of a predetermined degree or more is applied to a seat (1). A support device (40) is provided between the inner lap anchor (14) and the inner side cable (20A) so as to support load applied to the inner lap anchor (14) in a distributed manner.
US08678508B2
The invention relates to a vehicle vibration apparatus with a horizontal spring device for the horizontal springing of a seat element and/or a driver's cab with respect to a base element, wherein the horizontal spring device is arranged between the seat element or the driver's cab respectively and the base element, and comprises at least one spring element, the longitudinal axis of which extends substantially parallel to a surface of the base element, and at least one adjustment element, which reacts automatically to inclinations of the seat element with respect to a horizontal plane and which first increases the spring pre-stressing of the spring element in order subsequently to position the horizontal spring device in the centre of the spring path.
US08678507B2
In an operating lever structure for a vehicle seat in which an opening through which a seat belt extends is provided adjacent to a seat cushion lifting and lowering mechanism and a fixed end portion of the seat belt is connected to a seat cushion frame, a lifter lever includes a plate-like extending portion that is coupled to the lifting and lowering mechanism and a protrusion portion. The plate-like extending portion extends toward a front of the seat. The protrusion portion extends from the front end of the plate-like extending portion toward the outside in the seat width direction. The protrusion portion protrudes from an outer shield through a first exposing port of the outer shield, installed to a side portion of the seat cushion.
US08678495B2
A vehicle seat is provided comprising: a seat back frame having a side frame; a headrest for supporting a head of a seat occupant; a load receiving member disposed behind the seat occupant and movable rearward in response to a load from the seat occupant; and a link member mounted to the seat back frame and rearwardly movable; wherein: a rearward movement of the load receiving member moves the link member rearward and reduces a distance between the head of the seat occupant and the headrest; the load receiving member is provided with a first through-hole and a second through-hole; and the first through-hole and the second through-hole are disposed in a same horizontal plane.
US08678494B2
There is provided a vehicle seat that includes a seat back frame having a pair of side frames disposed in a spaced manner in the right and left direction, a plate-like support body disposed between the pair of side frames to receive a load placed by the rearward movement of a passenger, a transmission section connecting the plate-like support body to a headrest via a link mechanism, and a holding member disposed in the link mechanism. The holding member is disposed at a position separating from a rotating shaft of a lower link by a predetermined distance to connect the lower link to the side frame, and keeps the distance between the lower link and the side frame at a predetermined value.
US08678492B2
A DC powered refrigeration package supplies refrigerant to an evaporator coil that is incorporated into the driver's seat of a race car. The DC-powered compressor, condenser and condenser fan are contained within an enclosure that can be situated behind the driver's seat. The refrigeration circuit chills the seat to below freezing, favorably to about 20° F. or below.
US08678491B2
In the specification and drawing, a hook-on chair is described and shown with a clamping mechanism and a display mechanism, wherein the display mechanism is positioned to reflect a clamping or loosing situation of the clamping mechanism.
US08678486B2
A damping stop for damping the rotation of two members connected by a hinge shaft is formed by a block of elastomeric material. The damping stop includes a fastening zone inserted forcibly into a seat situated between the first member and the hinge shaft, a contact zone that enters into contact with the second member after pivoting thereof around the hinge shaft in the direction of the first member, and a compression zone formed by a material void in the interior of the block of elastomeric material. The material void extends over the entire length of the damping stop in a direction parallel to the hinge shaft when the damping stop is inserted into the seat. The damping stop is used in a hinge of a vehicle.
US08678482B2
A motor vehicle hood having a non-functional air scoop that appears to be a functional air scoop is provided. The motor vehicle hood can have a module with an opening and a top wall, a bottom wall and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls extending in a first direction away from the opening and providing an enclosure thereof. A grid can be attached to the module across the opening and the grid, top wall and bottom wall can be operatively arranged such that an appearance of an open passageway through the motor vehicle hood is provided when an individual stands a distance away from the hood and looks at the module.
US08678476B2
A shock absorber assembly includes a shock absorber, a utility part, and a flexible member. The shock absorber is provided to a vehicular interior part that is mounted on a compartment inner side of a body panel, and the shock absorber includes a mounting portion that is mounted to a compartment outer side surface of the vehicular interior part. The utility part is provided to the vehicular interior part. The flexible member covers a peripheral surface of the shock absorber, and a part of the flexible member is held by the vehicular interior part and the utility part to support and mount the shock absorber to the vehicular interior part.
US08678475B2
A motor vehicle (1) has a rear air guiding device (2) and a mechanism (3) for receiving and fastening the air guiding device (2). The mechanism (3) has a pin (6) in one end region for hooking-in at a socket (14) in the air guiding device (2). Thus the air guiding device (2) can be pivoted relative to the mechanism (3). A connector (18) connects the air guiding device (2) and the mechanism (3) at a position spaced from the pin (6) and the socket (14). An adjustable spacer (8, 10) is between the air guiding device (2) and the mechanism (3) near the connector (18).
US08678471B2
An in-line jack includes a body, an extendable shaft, drive mechanics, and a motor. The body has first and second distal ends. The extendable shaft is movably disposed within the body and has a distal end extending out of the second distal end of the body. The drive mechanics are disposed within the body and are adapted to move the extendable shaft with respect to the body. The motor is mounted at the first distal end of the body and is adapted to selectively drive the drive mechanics. A coupling mechanism can be provided to selectively alternately couple: (i) a planetary gear system associated with the motor to a drive shaft of a jack screw assembly and (ii) a manual crankshaft to the drive shaft to operate the jack manually. The body and the motor each has a generally cylindrical outer surface with an outer diameter equal to or less than about three inches. The body, the jack screw assembly, the coupling mechanism, the planetary gear system, and the motor are substantially axially aligned with each other.
US08678468B2
A check assembly portion of a visor assembly for a vehicle is generally fixedly coupled with the headliner of the vehicle roof near a center portion of the vehicle, away from the vehicle door or windows. Adapting a clip to a check assembly portion of a visor assembly to secure small lightweight items will deter such items from being exposed to weather or wind conditions near a vehicle door, a vehicle sunroof, or an exposed top, which a visor portion of a visor assembly typically becomes closer to such locations. The visor portion may also be operable between a deployed and a non-deployed position, wherein the clip on the check assembly may be concealed in the non-deployed position.
US08678449B2
A pipe joint for plastic pipe includes a bell member and a spigot member. The bell member includes a tubular plastic body wall having a metal reinforcement ring. The spigot member, which is insertable into the bell member, includes a tubular plastic body wall having an internal surface and an external surface and a longitudinal axis and metal reinforcement encased within the tubular plastic body wall. A plurality of plastic ribs extend from the external surface of the tubular plastic body wall and form a gasket channel.
US08678446B2
A tubular member has one end inserted in a fluid passage of a passage member through an insertion hole. The tubular member includes a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion therebetween having a step defining an inclined portion. The inclined portion is inclined from the radially outside toward the radially inside. A lock member is held by a holding portion located outside the insertion hole relative to the radial direction of the insertion hole. The lock member urges the inclined portion radially inward and applies force to the inclined portion in the axial direction to cause the outer surface of the tubular member to urge a regulating portion to cause the regulating portion to restrict movement of the tubular member in the axial direction.
US08678431B2
An apparatus (10) for helping to control deployment of an inflatable protection device (14) includes a tether (150) having a first connection with a first portion (100, 104) of the protection device and a second connection with a second portion (102) of the protection device. A guide (156) is connected to the protection device (14). The tether (150) extends through the guide (156). The tether (150) is configured to move through the guide (156) in order to translate movement of the first portion (100, 104) of the protection device (14) in a first direction to movement of the second portion (102) of the protection device in a second direction different from the first direction.
US08678429B2
There is provided an occupant protection device. An airbag device includes an airbag that is stored in a center pad of a steering wheel of a vehicle and is expandable toward an occupant side upon a collision of the vehicle. The center pad is disposed to have a non-rotating structure independent from the steering wheel. The airbag includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion which are disposed at opposing edges of the airbag in a width direction of the vehicle and are expandable to extend toward a rear side of the vehicle.
US08678425B2
A rollator wheelchair is provided comprising a frame provided with at least two wheels, a first chair section mounted to the frame and a second chair section mounted to the frame, the first chair section comprising a back support and a first seat portion, and the second chair section comprising a second seat portion, wherein the first and second chair sections provide a seating arrangement, wherein the first chair section is detachable and wherein the second chair is arranged such that when the first chair section is detached a free walking space is present between the at least two wheels.
US08678407B2
The present invention provides a trailing beam for supporting a trailer axle. The trailing beam has a generally rectangular cross section, the top, bottom and sides of which are fabricated from steel plate or channels, with the individual components being welded together at their junctures. The trailing beam incorporates a novel axle wrap which provides a curved sided window enabling weld securement of the axle wrap to the axle without the weld extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the axle.
US08678404B2
A stroller chassis includes a frame and a wheel that are connected to each other by a hinge defining a pivoting axis extending perpendicularly to the wheel's axis. The chassis can also include a bearing for guiding the frame and the wheel in free rotation about the axis. The chassis can include two plates, each including an annular body substantially centered with respect to the pivoting axis and arranged externally around the bearing. The two annular bodies are connected rotatably about the pivoting axis to the frame and the wheel and define substantially planar surfaces on the plate surfaces, the planar surfaces being mutually adjoining along a plane that is transverse to the pivoting axis. The plates cooperate with one another through sliding and frictional contact. The Chassis can also include resilient member for pressing the annular bodies against each other to maintain contact between the planar surfaces.
US08678402B2
A portable wheelchair is easily convertible between a conventional or street wheelchair and a specialty wheelchair through the use of conversion components, some of which are mounted permanently to the wheelchair and some of which are received by the mounted conversion components. In one form, the portable specialty wheelchair is a portable beach wheelchair while in another form the portable specialty wheelchair is an all-terrain wheelchair or trail chair. Preferably, but not necessarily, the portable convertible wheelchair is foldable in order to provide added versatility.
US08678392B1
A card game and methods for playing a card game are provided played by a plurality of players. A pre-determined number of cards are included in the card deck of the card game. Upon a determination of a dealer, a preset number of cards from the card deck are dealt to each player. Each card has a face with a number, picture/icon, special character, or combination number with picture/icon. An object of embodiments of the card game is to gain a pre-determined total of points, a designated winning sum, based on the numeric value of cards of a player with consideration to the operations and/or instructions of non-numeric cards that will adjust the numeric value of a player's cards. Once one player obtains the pre-determined total of points corresponding to the designated winning sum and has a winning combination of cards, that player wins and the game is over.
US08678391B1
A method and apparatus for playing a poker-style game including dealing cards to an initial dealer hand with one card face up and one card face down, and dealing cards to an initial player hand. The method may include receiving a further wager from the player that comprises a call wager from the player or a surrender by the player of a fraction of the raise wager, and dealing at least one community card face up. The method may include determining a player hand ranking by forming a best player hand as a subset of the initial player hand and the at least one community card, determining a dealer hand ranking by forming a best dealer hand as a subset of the initial dealer hand and the at least one community card, and comparing the player hand ranking and dealer hand ranking to determine a winner.
US08678386B2
Image forming apparatus having sheet transport device transporting sheet through nip between pressing and drive members by applying rotational force to drive member via power transmission mechanism that includes: first and second rotational shafts connected to drive member and drive source, respectively; first and second rotation transmitting members attached to first and second rotational shafts, respectively; holding member including first and second contact parts disposed on opposite sides of second rotation transmitting member; and rotational move member switching to power non-transmission and transmission states by moving holding member rotationally to first and second positions in conjunction with opening and closing operations of opening/closing member of apparatus housing. Power is not transmitted between rotational shafts in power non-transmission state and transmitted in power transmission state. Rotational move member moves holding member causing contact parts to move second rotation transmitting member toward first and second directions, respectively.
US08678376B2
A sheets-separating module and a multifunction printer using the same are provided. The sheets-separating module includes a body, an elastic element and a plurality of sheets-separating structures, in which the body has an opening, the elastic element is disposed in the opening of the body and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the elastic element connects the body, the second end thereof is a free end, and a section modulus of the elastic element is gradually descending from the second end to the first end. The sheets-separating structures are disposed on the elastic element.
US08678371B2
An adjusting member is positioned in a sheet feeding opening. The adjusting member is adjusted according to the size of the paper sheet. The adjusting member does not jut out of an exterior surface of an apparatus body.
US08678369B2
A skew correction device for aligning a booklet that is a folded bundle of sheets on a conveying path includes a first member against which a leading end of the booklet abuts in a conveying direction; a second member configured to push a trailing end of the booklet in the conveying direction so that the leading end of the booklet abuts against the first member; and a deflection generating member configured to deflect the booklet downward when the trailing end is pushed.
US08678364B2
A precision leveling vice includes a vice body having a fixed jaw and an end wall. A moving jaw moves toward or away from the fixed jaw to frictionally retain or release a member. The vice assembly is connected to a swivel plate. A fixture plate is positioned oppositely about the swivel plate with respect to the vice assembly. A pivot pin is positioned in a partial circular slot of each of the swivel plate and fixture plate permitting the swivel plate and vice assembly to move in a rocking motion with respect to the fixture plate by rotation about the pivot pin. First and second adjustment fasteners positioned in through apertures at swivel plate opposite ends threadably engage the fixture plate. Opposite axial rotation of the first and second adjustment fasteners causes a head of one of the adjustment fasteners to contact the swivel plate inducing the rocking motion.
US08678362B1
A link clamp for holding a part on a fixture has a housing with a bore with a longitudinal axis; a piston received in the bore and shiftable between retracted and extended positions; a clamping lever pivotally connected to one end of the piston; and a link assembly coupled for shifting the clamping lever between clamped and released positions. The clamping lever is configured to rotate relative to the housing in a single plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore so that the clamping lever may be positioned on any side of the housing without altering the distance between the contact point of the clamping lever and the mounting flange of the housing.
US08678360B2
In a liquid-sealed type vibration isolator having a first orifice flow channel 56 and a second orifice flow channel 60, a valve member 66 formed of a rubber elastomeric membrane for opening and closing the second orifice flow channel 60 is provided on a partitioning member 40 so as to be orthogonal to the direction of flow in the second orifice flow channel. The valve member is held at the outer peripheral portion thereof by a wall surface of a valve housing chamber 68, and includes inside the outer peripheral portion thereof a membrane portion 66B which is subjected to the flexural deformation by the liquid flow in the second orifice flow channel to close openings 60C and 60D of the second orifice flow channel. Communicating holes 76 which bring the second orifice flow channel into communication are provided at positions not overlapped with the opening of the membrane portion 66B. Accordingly, the switching of characteristics is enabled with an inexpensive structure.
US08678352B2
An apparatus for controlling tension in a wireline (4), the apparatus comprising a reel (3) mounted on a vessel or surface platform for controlling a wire in a wireline operation, a primary drive means (5) between the reel and a subsea installation around which the wireline is wound and control means for synchronizing the operation of the driver with the reel.
US08678342B2
An air-operated valve which can keep the impact at the time a valve part sits on a seat from causing material from shedding and thereby generating particles which contaminate a controlled fluid and thereby can maintain a high cleanliness of the controlled fluid, that is, an air-operated valve which is provided with a valve chamber body which has a valve chamber which forms a seat, a valve mechanism which is provided with a valve part which seals the seat and with a diaphragm in the valve chamber, and a housing body which houses a drive mechanism which uses working air to make the valve mechanism advance and retract to drive and control it to open and close the seat, the drive mechanism provided with a first piston, a first spring which biases the first piston, a second piston which is slidably housed in the housing body and slidably houses the first piston inside it and which pushes the first piston, and a second spring which biases the second piston, the spring force of the second spring being made larger than the spring force of the first spring.
US08678330B2
A hub assembly for supporting a portion of a flexible sprinkler assemblage within a ceiling, the hub assembly including a primary support mounted to a ceiling support member, and a secondary support member rotatable relative to a primary support member between an open position and a closed position. In the closed position, portions of the supports are overlapping and cut outs formed in the primary support cooperate together with cut outs formed in the secondary support to define a hub opening configured to receive the portion of the flexible sprinkler assemblage. The hub assembly also includes a locking mechanism configured to selectively connect the primary support to the secondary support, and an adjustment mechanism disposed on the primary support that is configured to secure the position of the portion of the flexible sprinkler assemblage within the hub opening, and is separate from the locking mechanism.
US08678329B1
A device for transporting a ladder has first and second frame positions, the lower ends of which are pivotally mounted on an axle that also mounts a wheel for rolling along the ground. The upper ends of the frame portions are moveable toward and away from each other allowing the device to collapse for storage. A hook is mounted on the upper end of each of the frame portions for attachment to adjacent rungs of the ladder. A strap connects the upper ends of the frame portion to prevent them from separating from each other beyond a given distance.
US08678325B2
A bracket for carrying pipes on an underside of a vehicle includes a molded body laterally spanning a recess in the underside of the vehicle. The molded body can have an angled forward face for deflecting underside road debris. The bracket can additionally include an integrally molded carrying structure extended upward from the molded body for carrying one or more longitudinally extending pipes within the recess.
US08678320B2
An aircraft fuel tank that is capable of suppressing the occurrence of sparks on a pipe caused by a lightning current through the pipe during a lightning strike, and also suppressing static electricity charging of a pipe caused by flow electrification generated by the fuel. An aircraft fuel tank (1) in which a storage section is formed using a conductive upper skin (5), a conductive lower skin (7) and conductive spars (9), the tank comprising: pipes inside the tank, such as a refuel pipe (17), an engine feed pipe (19) and an inert gas pipe (21), which are disposed inside the storage section and are earthed (27) at a plurality of locations, and pipe outer surface layers (31) having semiconductor properties that are formed in an integrated manner on the outer surfaces of the pipes inside the tank such as the replenishing pipe (17), the supply pipe (19) and the gas pipe (21).
US08678319B2
The present invention relates to a de-icing device of an aircraft gas-turbine engine with an engine cowling enclosing at least one inflow region, with the engine cowling having a double-walled design and including at least one annular tube element extending in the circumferential direction and being provided with outlet openings for passing hot air to an inflow region, in order to de-ice it, with the tube element in the circumferential direction including multiple individual tube segments which can be attached relative to one another.
US08678317B2
A fastening assembly for the fastening of systems in an aircraft comprising frames, a skin, and clips between the skin and the frames. The fastening assembly includes: ramps, that extend between two consecutive frames of the aircraft; brackets for fastening the ramps to two of the clips situated respectively on two consecutive frames of the aircraft; system supports, fastened to the ramps, each system support being able to receive at least one system.
US08678310B2
A ducted ram air turbine may be used to drive a generator to provide power to an aircraft. The ducted ram air turbine may be used in a pod attached to the aircraft, where the pod is fully powered, cooled and lubricated by devices attached to the ram air turbine. A gearbox may be deployed to control the speed of the turbine for driving various pumps and the like. The speed of the turbine may be controlled by inlet and exit actuators driving inlet and exit doors.
US08678306B2
A grinder includes a generally vertical, rotatable shaft having at least one set of cutter blades driven thereby and a fan assembly mounted on the shaft below the cutter blades in position to receive output therefrom. The fan assembly includes a fan disc secured to the shaft and rotatable therewith. Fan blades are secured to the fan disc in a generally radial orientation. Each fan blade includes a bottom flange secured to a top surface of the fan disc, a web extending upwardly from the bottom flange and a top flange extending outwardly from the web in a direction of rotation of the fan disc. The fan blades are preferably moveably mounted to the fan disc such that the angle of the fan blades relative to a true radial orientation can be adjusted.
US08678300B2
Dosing structure (30) is provided for supplying diesel fuel to an exhaust passage (12) of a diesel system. The dosing structure includes an electrically operated dosing valve (32) constructed and arranged to receive a supply of diesel fuel and to deliver the fuel to the exhaust passage. A water jacket (34) surrounds at least a portion of the dosing valve so as to provide direct water-cooling of the dosing valve. The dosing valve is preferably an electrically controlled fuel injector.
US08678294B2
A smartcard using a combination of secure virtual terminal emulation implemented by the smartcard and Federated ID information stored on the smartcard (and optionally on a transaction processor server) to provide secure verification of the personal identity of the cardholder. The Federated ID information provides a high level personal identity verification for the cardholder while secure virtual terminal emulation by the smartcard prevents the Federated ID information from being exposed to the microprocessor and memory resources of a host computer station when the smartcard is used with the host computer station to engage in transactions. The Federated ID smartcard provides a flexible, dynamically adjustable, highly efficient and secure system for personal identity verification for online commerce and a wide range of other application involving personal identity verification.
US08678290B2
An article identifier or code including at least one photo-responsive dye and a method of encoding or embedding information in same. A reader device for decoding or extracting information in an article identifier or code and verifying or authenticating that information and the associated extraction and authentication methods.
US08678284B2
A method for creating a highly accurate nanostructure is provided, the method includes: (i) creating a highly accurate nanostructure prototype, wherein the highly accurate nanostructure prototype, when illuminated with a predefined illumination, provides a unique optical pattern; (ii) creating at least one highly accurate nanostructure mold from the highly accurate nanostructure prototype, wherein each highly accurate nanostructure mold enables a creation of a highly accurate nanostructure that is substantially similar to the highly accurate nanostructure prototype and which, when illuminated with the predefined illumination, provides the unique optical pattern; and (iii) molding the highly accurate nanostructure using the highly accurate nanostructure mold, wherein the highly accurate nanostructure, when illuminated with the predefined illumination, provides the unique optical pattern.
US08678282B1
Systems, apparatus, and methods are provided which: (a) receive wired or wireless transmission of information regarding an orientation of a weapon; (b) receive wired or wireless transmission of information regarding an orientation of a viewing area of a head-mounted display apparatus; (c) process ballistic information of ammunition to be fired by the weapon and the information regarding the orientations of the weapon and the viewing area to obtain a calculated endpoint of the ammunition to be fired by the weapon; and (d) display an icon (e.g., a crosshair) representative of the endpoint of the ammunition in the viewing area of the head-mounted display apparatus.
US08678278B2
A removable-medium apparatus that outputs data, which is stored on a removable medium that can be freely mounted or removed. The removable-medium apparatus comprises: a judgment unit that determines whether or not ID information that is entered matches ID information that is stored on the removable medium; and a control unit that outputs the data stored on the removable medium when the judgment unit determines that the entered ID information matches the ID information stored on the removable medium, and does not output the data stored on the removable medium when the judgment unit determines that the ID entered information does not match the ID information stored on the removable medium.
US08678276B2
An electronic transaction device with a microprocessor generates digital signals that are converted into at least two tracks of analog signal wave form and two waveform signals are driven on two analog tracks such that the two waveform signals cancel each other out and a simulated magnetic field is generated along a target area located on the transaction device that can contain a transaction specific data packet readable by a magnetic stripe read head.
US08678271B2
In one disclosed embodiment, the present method for preventing void formation in a solder joint formed between two metallic surfaces includes forming at least one slit in a layer of solder to form a slit solder layer, positioning the slit solder layer between the two metallic surfaces, and heating the slit solder layer to form the solder joint, wherein the at least one slit forms an outgas alley to prevent void formation in the solder joint. Where solder joint width is a concern, the present method includes applying external pressure concurrently with heating. The outgas alley is formed to provide a ready avenue of escape for flux gasses produced during formation of the solder joint.
US08678267B2
A unitized assembly comprises a fiber metal laminate having at least one additive layer deposited thereonto such as by friction stir welding. The fiber metal laminate comprises metallic and non-metallic plies and having an innermost metallic ply. The innermost metallic ply and the additive layer are each sized and configured to facilitate the generation of thermal energy sufficient to deposit the first additive layer to the innermost metallic ply during the friction stir welding process. The additive layer is sized and configured to minimize thermal loads in the innermost metallic ply during deposition thereof. The unitized assembly may be formed using a stock member such as a metallic plate from which the innermost metallic ply may be machined. The metallic and non-metallic plies may be laid up over the innermost metallic ply. The substructure elements may be machined from the metallic plate.
US08678266B2
A wire bonding method for bonding a ball 11 which is formed at a tip end of a bonding wire to a pad 2 that is a first bond point to form a first bonding part 12 and bonding the wire 10 to an interconnect wiring 4 that is a second bond point to form a second bonding part, thus connecting the pad 2 and the interconnect wiring with the wire, wherein after the ball is bonded to the first bond point and a capillary 6 is ascended, examination is performed to find any bonding failure of the first bonding part; and when the bonding failure at the first bond point is found, then the capillary is caused to descend to execute bonding to bond the first bonding part to the first bond point.
US08678247B2
A creamy foam beer dispensing system includes a coupler removably securable with a keg, a transportation tube, and a faucet having a handle coupled with a plunger communicating with the transportation tube. The handle is movable among a closed position, an open position, and a creamy foam position. In the closed position, the handle maintains the plunger squeezed against the transportation tube such that no beer flows from the faucet. In the open position, the handle lifts the plunger substantially, completely off the transportation tube such that beer flows smoothly from the faucet. In the creamy foam position, the handle lifts the plunger off the transportation tube a distance such that an aperture created in the transportation tube produces creamy foam flow from the faucet.
US08678239B2
A flush system for a dispenser nozzle may include a flush diverter and a carrier. The flush diverter may include a dispense position and a flush position. The carrier maneuvers the flush diverter to either the dispense position or the flush position with respect to the beverage dispenser nozzle.
US08678232B2
A vending arrangement for computerized vending machines, retail displays, automated retail stores, utilizes a centralized, robotic gantry associated with companion modules for vending selectable products. The modularized design enables deployment of half-sized or full-sized machines. The robotic gantry is deployed in a centralized module disposed adjacent display and inventory modules. The inventory modules can be fitted to both gantry sides, and doors can be fitted to the gantry front or rear. The gantry comprises an internal, vertically displaceable elevator utilizing a central conveyor for laterally, horizontally moving selected items from associated display and inventory positions to a vending position. The inventory modules comprise dispensing modules adjustably configurable to adjust the storage density of items to be vended. Computerized software enables the display and vending functions, and controls movement of the gantry elevator and dispenser module conveyor to dispense products from twin sides of the gantry by controlling the gantry conveyor.
US08678226B2
The invention relates to a fuel tank (1) consisting of thermoplastic, with at least one continuous seam (3), with a filler orifice, with means for aeration and venting and with means for the conveyance and extraction of fuel which are in the form of at least one fuel conveying unit (11) arranged inside the fuel tank (1). In the fuel tank (1) according to the invention, with the exception of the filler orifice, no orifices or perforations which are substantially larger than the diameter of the line to be led through are provided in the tank wall, instead the fluid lines and/or electrical lines led out of or into the fuel tank (1) pass through the seam (3) of the fuel tank (1) so as to extend at an angle with respect to the profile of the seam (3), and/or are led partially through the filler orifice and, if appropriate, a filler neck adjoining the filler orifice.
US08678217B2
A child 's activity and storage case contains a top portion having a front side and a back side and a bottom portion having a front side and a back side. The back side of the bottom portion is connected to the back side of the top portion by at least one hinge. A clasp is positioned to latch the front side of the top portion to the front side of the bottom portion. A stylized clip is attached to the top portion.
US08678216B2
A housing unit for medical imaging devices is proposed. The housing unit has at least two housing shell units and a support frame unit for the purpose of mounting the at least two housing shell units. The at least two housing shell units in each case has at least one overlapping element. An overlap between the at least two housing shell units can be achieved in a region of the overlapping elements when the at least two housing shell units are in an assembled position on the support frame unit.
US08678215B2
A container for containing a flowable substance includes a container body, a substantially elliptical opening in the container body, and a resealable closure affixed over the opening. The container body defines an internal cavity that is adapted to contain the flowable substance therein. The opening is adapted to allow the flowable substance to flow therethrough. The resealable closure is adjustable between an open position, where the flowable substance can flow through the opening, and a closed position, where the closure obstructs the opening to prevent the flowable substance from flowing through the opening. When the closure is in the open position and the container is substantially filled with the flowable substance, the flowable substance can flow through the opening without interrupting airflow through the opening when the container is tilted over a range of tilt angles of approximately 35 degrees.
US08678211B1
A pressed double layer lip hydration bottle is taught that incorporates a single wall stainless steel cylindrical body having an enclosed bottom, an open top, and a reduced diameter neck. The neck includes formed threads which protrude inwardly within the neck, A stainless steel ferrule is tightly fitted onto the outside surface of the neck. A top weld bead joins the bottle neck to the ferrule forming a smooth joint, with the weld bead having a ground smooth and polished surface eliminating all irregularities and sharp edges permitting a liquid to be sipped from the bottle comfortably. A bottom weld bead joins the bottom of the ferrule to the bottle forming a homogenous juncture creating a hermetic seal between the ferrule and the bottle preventing entry of foreign matter and growth of any microorganism's therebetween.
US08678207B2
A coupling member includes two members that are fitted to each other to hold a post from either side, each of the two members including a first tapered section that gradually increases in diameter in a downward direction, and a second tapered section that gradually slopes inward in the downward direction, and the first tapered section of one member among the two members and the second tapered section of another member among the two members being disposed within the half area of the coupling member in the diametrical direction when viewed from the front side when the coupling member is fitted to the post. An assembly shelf includes the coupling member. Since the assembly shelf is configured so that one shelf board member is supported within the half area of the coupling member in the diametrical direction when viewed from the front side, the assembly shelf can be easily assembled, and a middle shelf board member can be removed from the assembly shelf.
US08678205B2
Cycle storage and locking system for locking plural cycles in at least one storage station. The system includes plural locking and storage points each structured and arranged to lock one of the cycles at the at least one storage station. Each of the plural locking and storage points comprises two arms and a space arranged therebetween sized and configured to receive therein a front wheel of one of the cycles. A locking arrangement is structured and arranged to lock one of the cycles to one of the plural locking and storage points. The locking arrangement includes two laterally movable lateral locking projections arranged on the one of the cycles and two locking recesses arranged on the one of the plural locking and storage points.
US08678198B1
A measuring cup or measuring spoon, the bottom of which has a plurality of openings through which particles can be sifted and a top edge of which has a tab that when tapped allows a user to control the pattern that the particles are sifted.
US08678193B2
A pneumatic flotation machine (100) has a housing (1) with a flotation chamber (3), at least one nozzle arrangement (4) for feeding gas and a suspension into the flotation chamber as well as at least one gassing arrangement (5) for feeding further gas into the flotation chamber (3), which arrangement is disposed within the flotation chamber (3) and below the at least one nozzle arrangement (4), wherein there is furthermore at least one adjusting device (9) for changing a position of the at least one gassing arrangement (5) in the flotation chamber (3).
US08678185B1
A tool box contains a body including a receiving area formed therein and a stop area, the body also including two slots defined on two opposite sides thereof, and each slot having a cutout defined on a top end thereof and communicating therewith; a cover including two retaining portions arranged on one end thereof and sliding in the two slots, and each retaining portion having a locking recess defined on a bottom end thereof, the cover also including two projections mounted on two inner surfaces thereof; a stopping unit secured in the stop area of the body and moving between an engaging position and a releasing position of the body.
US08678183B2
A method and system for liquid dispensing provides an additive to a base liquid in a container. The additive may be enclosed by an additive bladder that is contained in a container cap and supported by a retaining element having an additive dispensing hole. When the cap is screwed down, a convex element in the cap may press the additive bladder and dispense the additive. The cap may then be removed and may be configured to internally retain the retaining element and the emptied additive bladder. In certain instances, the additive bladder may be omitted from the method and system.
US08678177B2
A combination slider block and pusher lug for mounting on a base plate mounted on a transfer chain includes a flanged channel having a latch and a base plate receiving cavity for snugly fitting over the base plate. A pair of flanges extend inwardly in opposed facing relation over the cavity from the sides of the channel so as to define a slot sized to receive the mount such as the weld between the base plate and the chain. The web of the flanged channel has a lug mounted orthogonally thereto. The cavity has an opening at one end, sized to receive the base plate therethrough. An opposite end of the cavity includes a stop to arrest sliding translation of the base plate through and along the cavity. The latch is mounted adjacent the opening. The latch operates to selectively lock the base plate in the cavity.
US08678172B2
A rotary device (10), especially a transfer star, for the transport of articles (15) from a first processing device (1) to a second processing device (5). The rotary device (10) includes a plurality of gripping devices (60) for gripping and holding of articles (15) that are preferably electronically controlled. The distance between the articles (15) in the first processing device (1), e.g. in a heating unit, is different from the distance between the articles (15) in the second processing device (5), e.g. a blow molding device. An electronic control device (30) is located on top of the rotary device (10). This control device (30) controls the distance between the articles (15) fed into the second processing device (5). A method is also provided.
US08678168B2
A buffer store for storing containers having a container axis has rotor that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis. The rotor includes storing units distributed around the machine axis. Each one forms a storage region extending extends along an axial direction thereof in the rotor's longitudinal direction to accommodate containers in a storage position. Each container is oriented with its axis in either square or radial to the machine axis. A transport system introduces containers into and causes them to issue from the storage regions. The transport system swivels a container into storage position upon introduction of the container from a normal container position in which its container axis extends in a vertical direction. It also swivels a container out of storage position and into the normal position as the container is issued from a storage region.
US08678167B1
A work transfer device is capable of moving a carriage in any direction and easily changes processes even with a simple configuration. The work transfer device includes a frame having a slit in a transfer direction, a ribbon body stored in the frame such that an upper portion is guided by the slit, a carriage coupling part connected to an upper end of the ribbon body and protruding from an upper side of the frame, a driving part feeding power to move the ribbon body in the transfer direction, and a tool carriage, which has a support part supporting a work W and has a coupling part coupled to the carriage coupling part, travelling on the frame.
US08678159B2
A compelling-type centrifugal clutch device with C-shaped joint structure, in which a C-shaped joint structure assembly (100), which can be bended for displacement, is installed between an active rotary part (101) and a passive rotary part (201) of a centrifugal clutch device with a radial arrangement device and is driven by the active rotary part (101). A joint axial core of C-shaped joint structure (113) is also provided for connecting an active arm of C-shaped joint structure (111) and a centrifugal compelling arm of C-shaped joint structure (112) having a centrifugal force actuation clutch device (119) at one distal end, and a recovery spring (114) is installed between the mentioned two arms, so that an inward-bending prestressed force is formed between the two arms for performing the angular displacement through bending at difference angles.
US08678158B2
A torque transmission arrangement including a primary shaft, a friction clutch, a housing in which the primary shaft is rotatably supported by a roller element bearing including an inner ring and an outer ring. An actuator is disposed in the housing between the friction clutch and the roller element bearing for actuating the friction clutch. The actuator comprises a fixed support element, an adjusting element axially offset from the support element and displaceable for engaging the friction clutch, and an actuating mechanism designed for displacing the adjusting element relative to the support element in an axial adjusting direction away from the roller element bearing. The roller element bearing is designed as a tapered roller bearing, and the support element is operationally connected to the tapered roller bearing.
US08678154B2
An apparatus for adjusting the height of a vehicle seat. The apparatus includes an input shaft for inputting a torque by using a lever installed at one side of the seat; an output member connected to a link means to output the torque for adjusting the height of the seat; a clutch drum interposed between the input shaft and the output member on a torque transfer path; a torque transfer unit comprising a plurality of neighboring engagers wherein the engagers disposed at two ends of the torque transfer unit are spaced apart from each other, and wedge-combined between the input shaft and the clutch drum to transfer the torque; and an elastic member for providing an elastic restoration force for moving the torque transfer unit to its initial position. According to the present invention, since a conventional retainer may be omitted, backlash caused by a retaining clearance and an operation clearance may be prevented and thus an operational efficiency may be increased. Also, an inversely input torque applied to an output member may be weakened and thus conventional problems of a reduction in operational efficiency and generation of noise may be solved.
US08678150B2
An electrical assembly for a ground vehicle moving along a lane of a road comprises an elevated support, an arm extending transversely across the lane of the road, and a movable portion upon the arm which is moved from a lowered unpowered rest position to a raised powered rest position when a ground vehicle engages the movable portion of the arm. Electrical contacts are spaced from each other so as not to conduct electricity when the movable portion of the arm is disposed at the lowered position and are disposed in contact with each other when the movable portion of the arm is disposed at the raised position.
US08678149B2
A gas spring is described, which comprises a first part which defines a cylinder, which comprises a longitudinal axis and which is closed at a first end along the longitudinal axis. The gas spring further comprises a piston, which is arranged to be movable along the longitudinal axis in the cylinder, a piston rod which is connected to the piston and which projects out through a second end of the cylinder, a separating piston which is arranged to be movable in the cylinder along the longitudinal axis between the piston and the first end, gas which is contained in the cylinder between the separating piston and the first end, and liquid which is contained between the separating piston and the piston. Moreover, the gas spring comprises an expansion chamber for the liquid and a pressure regulating device, which is adapted to control the liquid transport between the cylinder and the expansion chamber in dependence of the temperature, thereby keeping the force characteristics of the gas spring substantially independent of the temperature.
US08678148B2
A shock absorber having a cylindrically shaped housing including a piston dividing the housing into a compression chamber and a rebound chamber. The piston presents a plurality of apertures for allowing oil to flow between the compression and rebound chambers. A rebound resilient disc is disposed in the compression chamber for obstructing the flow of oil from the rebound chamber to the compression chamber. A two-spring adjustable valving system is disposed in the compression chamber for extorting a biasing force against the rebound resilient disc. A sleeve extends between the first and second springs to interconnect the first and second springs. An actuator is connected to the second spring through a spindle for selectively compressing or expanding the second spring to adjust the biasing force on the rebound resilient disc.
US08678138B2
A materials handling vehicle is provided comprising a power unit, a mast assembly and a fluid supply system. The mast assembly is coupled to the power unit. The mast assembly comprises a weldment, a movable element and a ram/cylinder assembly coupled to the movable element to effect movement of the element. The fluid supply system includes manifold apparatus and at least one fluid line coupled to the manifold apparatus and the ram/cylinder assembly. The manifold apparatus provides pressurized hydraulic fluid to the ram/cylinder assembly via the fluid line to raise the movable element. The manifold apparatus is mounted to the mast assembly.
US08678135B2
An aerial work apparatus comprising a mobile chassis having a longitudinal centerline, a lift mechanism such as a scissors lift having a lower end connected to the chassis and an upper end which supports a work platform. The work platform has a longitudinal centerline which is laterally spaced from and parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the chassis such that the platform is laterally offset relative to the chassis and lift mechanism for substantially stabilizing the apparatus when handling heavy loads positioned at one side of the platform.
US08678132B2
An exhaust system includes a muffler, an inlet pipe, and an exhaust pipe. The muffler includes an inlet hole adapted to receive the inlet pipe and an outlet hole to receive the exhaust pipe. The inlet pipe has a first and second linear portions extending from a radiused portion, the first and second linear portions being generally perpendicular to one another. The radiused portion and the first linear portion of the inlet pipe are positioned within the muffler. Portions of the inlet pipe and exhaust pipe located within the muffler may optionally include perforations and be closed off.
US08678127B2
A work vehicle limited in a mounting space is adapted to have an engine, which is provided with an exhaust gas cleaning device, easily arranged therein. An engine device, which is to be mounted on the work vehicle, is provided with the engine mounted on a machine body and covered with a hood, an air cleaner for cleaning air introduced into the engine, and an exhaust gas cleaning device for cleaning exhaust gas from the engine. The exhaust gas cleaning device is arranged on a flywheel housing fitted on one side portion of the engine.
US08678124B2
An inverted pendulum type vehicle includes a first control processor that adds up a basic velocity command in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction based on an operation through a joystick and a desired center of gravity velocity addition amount in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction based on the movement of the body weight of the rider, thereby determining a desired velocity. A longitudinal travel velocity command limiter sets a desired center of gravity velocity addition amount, which is based on the basic velocity command based on a longitudinal manipulated variable of the joystick and a center of gravity offset influence amount based on the movement of the body weight of the rider, to a smaller value as a basic turn angular velocity command value increases.
US08678123B2
An electric vehicle wherein a seat post is provided as one of the components of a body frame for housing a battery. The body frame includes a main frame, a seat frame, a roof frame, and a shield support part. The main frame includes a battery case which is continuously integral with a rear portion of a head pipe wherein the battery is housed. The seat post is continuously integral with a rear portion of the battery case. The seat frame is configured to be connected to the upper end of the seat post for positioning a seat. The roof frame rises from the rear end of the seat frame and supports the rear end of a roof. The shield support part is provided on to project from a head pipe and, together with the windshield, supports a head lamp disposed on the front surface side of the windshield.
US08678110B2
A mud saver valve, positionable at the bottom of the drill string, above the bit, which includes an elongated body portion; portion of the valve housing a compressible spring a pressure; a valve mechanism which is a sliding sleeve moveable between open and closed positions within the valve; while in the closed position, drilling fluid cannot pass through the valve; when a combination of static and pump pressure exceeds the setting pressure of the dome, the sleeve will be moved by actuation pistons to the open position, at which drilling fluid is allowed to through the valve. Also, wherein when the valve is normally closed, as long as the fluid column pressure is less than the setting pressure, the valve remains closed, and allows the drill string to be disconnected and a section of pipe can added without the fluid draining from the drill column above the bit, and thus saving fluid.
US08678106B2
A rotary impact tool includes: a hammer rotating by receiving a rotational force of a motor; an anvil rotating by receiving a rotational force of the hammer; and an end tool attached to the anvil, the rotary impact tool being constructed such that when a torque of a value not less than a predetermined value is applied to the anvil from the outside, the hammer is disengaged from the anvil to rotate idle and applies an impact to the anvil in a rotational direction after rotating idle by a predetermined angle, the rotary impact tool including an impact detector configured to detect impacts and a speed switching device configured to switch the rotational speed of the motor, and when the impact detector detects an impact during rotation of the anvil in a tightening direction, the speed switching device switches the rotational speed of the motor from a normal speed to a low speed.
US08678102B2
A seeding implement is provided that includes a depth adjustment mechanism configured to facilitate rapid reconfiguration of a ground engaging tool for varying penetration depths. In an exemplary embodiment, the seeding implement includes a ground engaging tool and a packer arm pivotally coupled to a packer support structure. The seeding implement also includes a packer wheel rotatably coupled to the packer arm, and configured to rotate across a soil surface to limit a penetration depth of the ground engaging tool into the soil. The seeding implement further includes a depth adjustment assembly including a slot within the packer support structure, a corresponding slot within the packer arm, and a fastener disposed through the slots. In this configuration, the penetration depth of the ground engaging tool is varied by adjusting a position of the fastener within the slots.
US08678097B1
A system for circumferentially aligning a downhole latch subsystem in a wellbore. The system includes an outer tool assembly including a latch coupling having a latch profile and a slot subassembly having an axially extending slot profile. An inner tool assembly is positionable within the outer tool assembly. The inner tool assembly includes a latch assembly having a plurality of latch keys and an orienting subassembly having a plurality orienting keys. In operation, after axial alignment of the orienting subassembly with the slot subassembly, rotation of the orienting subassembly causes operable engagement of at least one orienting key with the slot profile and, thereafter, axial alignment of the latch assembly with the latch coupling causes operable engagement of the latch keys with the latch profile.
US08678092B2
A multilateral completions assembly having selectively isolated lateral legs during hardware installation. The assembly includes a variety of isolation sleeves disposed interior of the main bore casing and adjacent corresponding pre-located windows through the casing. Thus, lateral legs may be sequentially created through the formation at each window in a manner that allows for follow-on isolation. As a result, fluid losses from newly formed legs may be avoided during completions operations. That is, as each leg is formed it may also be isolated in advance of forming of the next leg thereby enhancing the efficiency of completions operations as well as follow-on production.
US08678088B2
Apparatuses and methods to cut a control line and/or to run a control line on a rig may include a movable cutting apparatus to cut a control line, a load transfer member to engage a control line, a load measuring device to measure a load imparted to a load transfer member, and a drive member to engage and drive a control line. The apparatuses and methods may be used with a control line positioning apparatus, a pipe engaging apparatus, and/or may be used by themselves.
US08678087B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for producing fluids from a wellbore wherein fluids may be communicated through an aperture in a wall of the wellbore. A laser can then be used to seal the aperture in the wall of the wellbore. The wall of the wellbore may include a casing, and the laser can be used to seal the aperture in the wall of the wellbore by fusing apertures in the casing shut. Fusing the aperture in the casing can involve heating the casing such that opposite sides of the aperture fuse together or can involve selectively laser sintering fusible powders. The wall of the wellbore can be an open hole and using a laser to seal the aperture can include sealing the aperture in side surfaces of the open hole by glazing the surface of hole extending into a subterranean formation.
US08678082B2
A pumping arrangement employs a compensating type hydraulic pump, a directional valving arrangement and a proportioning valving arrangement. When the directional valve is energized, oil is directed to the rod end of the hydraulic cylinder. The rod or piston part of the hydraulic cylinder will then elevate until a first limit switch is actuated which then will de-energize the directional valve and send a current signal to the proportional valve. This current signal to the proportional valve forces it to open to a point at which the cylinder rod would extend at the desired velocity until it reaches a second limit switch. The current signal to the proportional valve is then decreased, creating a choking arrangement that forces the cylinder rod to decelerate. Upon reaching the third limit switch, the signal is removed from the proportional valve so that it closes.
US08678077B2
A plate type heat exchanger having a plurality of stacked plate pairs made up of first and second plates. Each plate pair has opposed manifold members that form respective inlet and outlet manifolds for the flow of a first fluid through a first set of fluid channels formed by the plate pairs. The manifold members space the plate pairs apart to form a second set of transverse flow channels for the flow of a second fluid. A protrusion member is formed at an end portion of the plates and proximal to each of the manifold members and has a mating surface, such that the protrusion members on the second plate of one plate pair align and abut with the protrusion members on the first plate of an adjacent plate pair thereby reinforcing and strengthening the manifold region of the heat exchanger to prevent deformation of the manifold under pressure.
US08678074B1
A continuous casting furnace is configured for efficiently continuously casting ingots, including titanium alloy ingots. The furnace is configured with an internal cutter for cutting an ingot within the furnace interior chamber. The furnace typically includes a first interior chamber in which a continuous casting mold is disposed and a withdrawal chamber which is separable from the first interior chamber to facilitate withdrawal of finished ingots therefrom while casting continues within the first chamber.
US08678072B2
A cutting tool having a monolithic construction includes an injection molded shank, and an extruded fluted portion extending forwardly from the shank, the shank and the fluted portion having a monolithic construction. The process for making the cutting tool includes forming a cutting tool green body by injection molding a shank of the green body and extruding a fluted portion of the green body such that the shank and the fluted portion have a monolithic construction; and then sintering the cutting tool green body.
US08678068B1
A bracket designed to reduce mounting system failures was designed, having a mounting surface and an angled clip on the lower edge of the mounting surface providing backward pressure for any hardware mounted onto the bracket. The sides of the mounting surface may include cut-outs for aligning multiple brackets. An optional screw-mounting system comprising corresponding holes in the clip, or a tab-mounting system, provide for connecting accessories to the bracket. A cornice centered around a spine element mounted to the bracket. The cornice has a front face and returns attached to either side of the front face, forming the structure. The spine is designed to fit into a plurality of brackets bent to provide backward pressure on the cornice, pulling it toward a mounting surface. The cornice is mounted by fixing the brackets onto a mounting surface and placing the spine of the cornice onto the brackets.
US08678062B2
A collection bobbin is provided on a vertical line that travels a center of a supply bobbin. A pair of connection mechanisms is provided at front both sides of a tape housing chamber. An adhesive tape transport carriage with connection portions at a forward end of a carriage frame is connected to the connection mechanisms in the apparatus body. Loading of a master roll of an adhesive tape to the supply bobbin and unloading of a roll of a residual cut tape may be performed at the same position.
US08678061B1
A method and apparatus for the attachment of file fastener to a backboard is disclosed. Backboard, usually pressboard is resistant to attachment by hot melt glue. This problem is overcome by providing deflector for increasing the heat retention angled to provide a chimney effect, pressing the fastener at its tangs toward the heating element, and providing an elastic anvil and hammer which distribute force over a longer period of time.
US08678058B2
This invention relates to a novel thermoplastic profile roofing strip and an apparatus for welding the thermoplastic profile roofing strip to a thermoplastic roofing membrane.
US08678055B2
A pneumatic tire comprises a plurality of protect ribs extending at an angle α of 0 to 20° with respect to a tire radial direction line and provided on outer surfaces S of sidewall portions at distances from each other in a circumferential direction of a tire. Each of the protect ribs includes a maximum height portion whose height from the outer surface S is maximum. A vertical cross section shape which passes through the maximum height portion is of substantially triangular shape. This s substantially triangular shape includes an outer end-side inclined portion having the height which is gradually reduced from the maximum height portion to a radial outer end Ra, and an inner end-side inclined portion having the height which is gradually reduced from the maximum height portion to a radial inner end Rb. A distance La between the maximum height portion and the radial outer end Ra in the length direction is in a range of 0.1 to 0.3 times of a distance LR in the length direction between the radial outer end Ra and the inner end Rb of the protect rib, and a tire radial distance Ha between the radial outer end Ra of the protect rib and a bead base line is in a range of 0.6 to 0.8 times of a tire cross section height HT.
US08678050B2
An overflow protection system for an oil tank trailer which automatically monitors and controls the level of oil within said trailer. The system comprises a float sensor, a cable assembly, a shutoff valve, a temperature sensor, and a control box. The float sensor comprises an inductive float sensor which monitors the level on the tank gauge of an existing trailer body, which provides electrical signals via the cable assembly. The cable assembly provides electronic connection between the float sensor, valve, temperature sensor, and control box. The shutoff valve is closed when the float sensor is triggered, preventing flow into and out of the tank in order to eliminate overflow spillage. The control box includes a plurality of manual user controls for operating the system as well as information displays including interior temperature and the like.
US08678045B1
Garden torches, hurricane lanterns and other oil lamps can be refueled through a flexible hose terminating in a tube or hollow needle insertable into the lamp's fuel reservoir through a wick slot. This method avoids skin contact with fuel and with soot deposited on the oil lamp reservoir.
US08678044B2
A mostly cotton yarn terry cloth product is provided with borders having high content polyester yarns. The polyester borders are more rugged, and thus aid in preventing fraying and failure along the edges. In addition, reinforcing ribs, also formed from yarns have a high polyester content, may be provided that extend from a border on one side of the terry cloth product to a border on the other side. This feature anchors the borders in place, limiting failure at the juncture of the border and the adjacent cotton.
US08678040B2
A vertically compactable fluid transfer device (10) can include a lateral fluid transfer conduit (12) to convey a fluid transfer fluid therethrough and to be supported by particles (16) packed to a first density. Additionally, the device (10) can include a riser (14) coupled to, and in fluid communication with, the lateral fluid transfer conduit (12). The riser (14) can be vertically compactable by at least 20% while maintaining structural integrity when the lateral fluid transfer conduit lowers as the supporting particles (16) pack to a second density, which is higher than the first density.
US08678032B2
A method and apparatus for fluid storage and pumping comprising a fluid storage tank incorporating a housing cavity.
US08678022B2
A water monitor includes a stationary portion having a fluid inlet. A movable portion having a fluid outlet is coupled to the stationary portion. A fluid flow path extends between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and is configured to communicate fluids from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. A power transmission is coupled to the movable portion such that the fluid flow path bypasses the power transmission. The movable portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion to position the fluid outlet.
US08678016B2
A low sidestream smoke cigarette comprises a conventional tobacco rod, and a combustible treatment paper having a sidestream smoke treatment composition. The treatment composition comprises in combination, an oxygen storage and donor metal oxide oxidation catalyst and an essentially non-combustible finely divided porous particulate adjunct for said catalyst.
US08678003B2
A vent assembly for use with a mask assembly includes a first vent, a second vent and a selector to switch the flow of exhaled gas from a patient between the first and second vents.
US08678001B2
A rebreathing apparatus has a clothing article wearable on a person. The clothing article defines a channel configured to be fluidly connected to at least one tube. The tube is configured to be fluidly connected to a mouthpiece. When the person exhales, the exhaled breath enters one end of the channel and passes through the channel while being scrubbed of CO2. When the user inhales, the scrubbed air is drawn from the channel.
US08677999B2
Methods, systems and devices are described for providing mechanical ventilation support of a patient using an open airway patient interface. The system includes gas delivery circuit and patient interface configurations to optimize performance and efficiency of the ventilation system. A ventilation system may include a ventilator for supplying ventilation gas. A patient interface may include distal end in communication with a patient airway, a proximal end in communication with ambient air, and an airflow channel between the distal end and the proximal end. A gas delivery circuit may be adapted to attach to the patient interface without occluding the patient interface to allow ambient air to flow from outside the patient interface to the patient airway. The ventilation gas may entrain air from ambient and from the patient airway.
US08677997B2
A method and CPAP apparatus characterizes different mask systems, e.g., masks and hoses. The CPAP apparatus can be calibrated for different mask systems and hoses by including sensors that measure flow and pressure at a flow generator of the apparatus. When the generator is fitted to a new mask system, or any changes are made to an existing one, a method calibrates the generator for the mask system. The method includes determining air flow characteristics using flow measurements from a first test period when flow through the mask system is open, measuring or estimating pressure in the mask system during a second test period when flow through the mask system is blocked and determining air flow characteristics of the diffuser of the mask system using the air flow characteristics of the air delivery hose determined during the first period and the pressure measurements made during the second period.
US08677990B2
An inexpensive, endo-tracheal intubation device is disclosed. Methods of making and using the inexpensive, endo-tracheal intubation device are also disclosed.
US08677988B2
An eccentric telescopic portable outdoor heater includes a burner assembly, a base, and a connecting assembly provided between the burner assembly and the base. The connecting assembly is an arched telescopic curving-arm assembly adjusting the height of the burner assembly, which has a lower curving-arm, an upper curving-arm inserted into the lower curving arm, a lock device and a locating device. The base is a subassembly convenient for a gas bottle to be put in or taken out, which includes a supporting assembly, a gas bottle cover assembly, a door and sliding track assembly, a gas bottle cover assembly, a door and sliding track assembly. The base, the connecting assembly, and the burner assembly form the eccentric telescopic portable outdoor heater with smooth arched configuration.
US08677986B2
An electrodeposited wire tool has a core wire extending in a longitudinal direction, a plating layer provided on an outer peripheral surface of the core wire, superabrasive grains held by the plating layer and coating layers covering the outer peripheral surfaces of the superabrasive grains. The coating layers are constituted of electroless Ni—P platings. The coating layers are heat-treated, and the electroless Ni—P platings are partially or entirely crystallized.
US08677984B2
A method and apparatus for cutting rigid, brittle articles such as tile used as a building material is improved by the capability to make both straight and curved cuts in tile on a single machine. The machine has both circular and plunge cutting tools and a table for moving the tile in both curved and straight lines in relation to the cutting tool, thereby achieving both curved and straight cuts.
US08677982B2
An air intake tract arrangement for an internal combustion engine includes an exhaust gas inlet device arranged at the inlet side of a charge air cooler and configured to direct injected EGR exhaust gas substantially in a direction towards an inlet of said charge air cooler, thereby enabling the use of plastic intake tract components.
US08677979B2
Provided is a method for controlling evaporation gas treating apparatus that can effectively prevent evaporation gases from leaking out of a vehicle with minimizing power consumption of a battery in the vehicle and improving efficiency of purging the evaporation gases, by selectively operating a heater for when a large amount of evaporation gases are contained in active carbon of a canister.
US08677971B2
A pressure driven apparatus comprising a housing, at least one flexible membrane located within the housing dividing the interior of the housing into at least two chambers. At least one input or exhaust cam assembly operates in conjunction with the at least one flexible membrane to provide an expansion zone within the housing. Fluid enters the housing producing movement of the flexible membrane. The flexible membrane is connected to a drive member such that the movement of the fluid within the expansion zone results in the membrane imparting a force to the drive member. The flexible membrane includes seals used to maintain a dynamic and movable seal with respect to the housing.
US08677970B2
A piston and an engine are provided that includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of combustion chamber features. More particularly, configuration parameters for a piston crown and a piston bowl located within the piston crown are provided. The piston bowl configuration results in a combustion process that yields decreased heat transfer to a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine as well as reduced NOx emissions.
US08677961B2
A camshaft phaser includes a housing. A harmonic gear drive unit is disposed within the housing and includes a circular spline and a dynamic spline, a flexspline disposed within the circular spline and the dynamic spline, a wave generator disposed within the flexspline, and a rotational actuator connectable to the wave generator. One of the circular spline and the dynamic spline is fixed to the housing. A hub is rotatably disposed within the housing and attachable to the camshaft and fixed to the other of the circular spline and the dynamic spline. A lock pin is provided for selective engagement with a lock pin seat such that engagement of the lock pin with the lock pin seat prevents relative rotation between the circular spline and the dynamic spline.
US08677957B2
There is provided, in one aspect of the present description, an internal combustion engine system. In one example, the system comprises a controller configured to control an intake valve closing timing varying mechanism to vary a closing timing of the intake valve to regulate air charged in a combustion chamber in accordance with engine operating conditions and, in a first engine operating condition where a least volume of air is required to be charged into the combustion chamber, retard a closing timing of the intake valve to a most retarded crank angle which is after bottom dead center during a cylinder cycle and satisfies the following formulas: α≧−0.2685×ε02+10.723×ε0+15.815 and ε0≧11.0, where α is the most retarded crank angle and ε0 is a geometric compression ratio of the engine.
US08677953B2
A split-cycle air hybrid engine includes a rotatable crankshaft. A compression piston is slidably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slidably received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. A crossover passage interconnects the compression and expansion cylinders. The crossover passage includes a crossover compression (XovrC) valve and a crossover expansion (XovrE) valve defining a pressure chamber therebetween. An air reservoir is operatively connected to the crossover passage. An air reservoir valve selectively controls air flow into and out of the air reservoir. In an Air Expander and Firing (AEF) mode of the engine, the engine has a residual expansion ratio at XovrE valve closing of 15.7 to 1 or greater, and more preferably in the range of 15.7 to 1 and 40.8 to 1.
US08677951B2
An opposed piston engine has an outer piston and an inner piston, which are disposed in a cylinder and are driven in opposite directions and delimit a common combustion chamber. The inner piston drives a crankshaft via a connecting rod and the outer piston drives the crankshaft via a pair of traction connecting rods. The outer piston is supported by a connecting rod that is guided linearly in a guide block, and the connecting rod protrudes from a bridge that is connected at both end portions to a traction connecting rod. Accordingly, it is provided that each traction connecting rod contains a U-shaped curved piece of tube, preferably with parallel legs, which with its U-shaped curved portion encloses a part of the circumference of the pivot bearing supported by the bridge and is fixed, especially bolted, with its leg ends onto a traction connecting rod bearing mounted on the crankshaft.
US08677950B2
A combustion chamber in an opposed-piston, internal-combustion engine is disclosed in which the pistons tops are designed so that when they approach each other, they induce a tumble flow in one or two hemispherical spaces defined in the piston tops. The combustion chamber further includes injectors side mounted in the cylinder wall. In one embodiment, the tumble flows in the two hemispheres are in the same direction and in another embodiment, in opposite directions. In yet another embodiment, there is only one injector and one hemisphere in which a tumble flow is induced.
US08677945B2
A boiler has an upper header, a lower header and a heat-transfer tube. The heat-transfer tube connects the upper header with the lower header. The hear-transfer tube is provided with projections such that a heat-transfer area per unit length of the heat-transfer tube is smaller in an upstream region than that in a downstream region of combustion gas.
US08677942B2
The present invention relates to an aquaponics system and method. There is provided an aquaponics system including a tank (10) for housing at least one aquatic animal species; a plant growing apparatus (18) for housing one or more plant species growing in an aqueous environment; and a biofilter module including a solids removal means (12) and a biological waste digestion unit (14) including a biological species for digesting solids to produce plant nutrients. Plant nutrients are transferred to the plant growing apparatus (18) and at least a portion of the water is returned to the tank (10).
US08677941B2
A system and method for tracking the health of a group of livestock. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the vital signs of a small number of sentinel animals is tracked and used to assess the existence and/or progress of a disease in the group. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the vital signs are assessed using a vitality sensor, for example, an accelerometer which provides signals indicating the type and/or other properties of movements made by the sentinel animals.
US08677933B2
According to one embodiment, a film forming apparatus includes: a stage on which a coating object is placed; a rotation mechanism rotating the stage; an application nozzle supplying a coating material to the coating object; an application moving mechanism moving the application nozzle; a controller which controls the rotation mechanism and application moving mechanism to rotate the stage and move the application nozzle between the rotation center and the outer edge and controls the application nozzle to apply the coating material to the coating object; and a sound wave generator which generates a sound wave. The film forming apparatus projects the sound wave onto the surface of the coating film.
US08677929B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for masking of substrates for deposition, and subsequent lifting of the mask with deposited material. Masking materials are utilized that can be used in high temperatures and vacuum environment. The masking material has minimal outgassing once inside a vacuum chamber and withstand the temperatures during deposition process. The mask is inkjeted over the wafers and, after deposition, removed using agitation, such as ultrasonic agitation, or using laser burn off.
US08677905B2
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a load maneuvering system that includes a pair of runway rails, a bridge that is movable on the runway rails and that includes a single bridge rail, a carriage that is movable on the single bridge rail, and a manipulator supported by the carriage. The bridge rail is configured to support the assembly of the carriage and manipulator when a load is carried by the manipulator and a resultant moment is imposed on the bridge rail. The moment may be imposed in a direction about the bridge axis, in a direction about the runway axis, or a combination of the two. By providing a single bridge rail with an enclosed member as part of (or the entirety of) the bridge rail, the overall system is lighter and requires less power for movement of the bridge on the runway rails, and requires less power to move the carriage on the bridge. Additionally, the assembly is simplified relative to some load maneuvering systems of the prior art thereby making it less expensive to manufacture.
US08677902B1
A precision coaxial water jet disruption explosive device system that holds a blasting cap precisely to the surface of a cylindrically cut positioned plastic explosive that couples a detonation shock wave into water surrounding a hollow forming cavity. A pressure relief vent enables the water filled system to be assembled without deforming the thin walled hollow jet forming cavity, enabling forming repeatable supersonic jets on centerline axis. This system is positioned with two triangular pivot legs and aligned with two fan light beams or a line sight to define a projected jet route to deliver a water jet that can cut through over 1 inch of steel and disrupt target objects more than 9 feet away. This system is used to disable improvised explosive devices, and other dangerous objects, without detonating the targeted explosives and electronic devices such that the contents are destroyed without explosion sequences occurring.
US08677895B2
A food processor defining a food processing path comprises a frame having a first compartment located within the food processing path and a second compartment located out of the food processing path and at least one dicing element configured to be received in both of the first and second compartments. When the dicing element is received in the first compartment, the dicing element dices food passing through the food processing path, and when the dicing element is received in the second compartment, the dicing element is stored out of the food processing path.
US08677879B1
A firearm cooling device that includes a briefcase with a lockable lid, an adjustable firearm mount disposed upon the briefcase lid, an air pump disposed within a compartmentalized housing disposed within the briefcase, a rechargeable battery disposed within the compartmentalized housing, said battery in circuit with the air pump, an air vent disposed upon the briefcase in open communication with the air pump, an outlet port disposed upon the briefcase in open communication with the air pump, and an air hose releasably connectable to the outlet port, wherein an extant firearm is supportable within the adjustable firearm mount and air forcibly expelled by the air pump through the air hose is directable proximal the barrel of said firearm to more efficiently radiate heat therefrom whereby said firearm is more rapidly cooled thereby.
US08677877B2
A railgun launcher with principle rail energization and fielding derived from a co-traveling energy pulse associated with a close-coupled parallel transmission line structure. Enhanced system efficiency, plus amelioration of simple railgun negative features, is enabled via the induction hybrid railgun methodology proposed.
US08677874B2
A method of braiding a stent includes braiding a number of elongate filaments around a mandrel using tensioned braiding carriers without spooling the filaments to the tensioned braiding carriers to form a braided stent having atraumatic ends.
US08677868B2
An attachment is mated to a power screwdriver by use of an adapter that is first fixed onto the screwdriver. The attachment includes an automatic fastener driver that receives a collated strip of fasteners, and drives them into a working surface. The attachment is mated to the adapter; the attachment contains a radial type of mechanical coupling that can be rotated without dismounting the attachment from the power screwdriver. In this manner, the angular orientation between the attachment and the power screwdriver can be changed “on the fly” by the user. This combination allows the user to keep his or her hands at their operating positions throughout this procedure, thereby allowing the user to re-commence using the combination tool quickly after readjusting the operating angle.
US08677867B2
A lockable pipe support holding device of the plier type is provided, having large flat jaws for gripping pipe straps, shoes, hangers and materials. The jaws have a textured inner surface and notched grooves along the lateral edges to promote firm grip on metal and bending of the same. A “U” shaped recess along the front edge of the jaws allows fasteners to be inserted into a strap or similar object being securely held by the tool. A user may adjust the gap between jaws by means of an adjustment screw in a handle. In addition the jaws may be locked in place and then unlocked by means of a lever housed in a handle. Consequently, a user may insert fasteners into a working area of an object without having to hold onto the tool while doing so.
US08677866B2
A pliers that includes a jaw member removably coupled to a head of the pliers. The jaw member includes a grip surface and a flange including an aperture. The pliers further includes a fastener that extends into the aperture of the flange and an aperture of a longitudinal side of the head to removably couple the jaw member to the head. The jaw member is slidable along the jaw surface of the head from the first longitudinal side toward the second longitudinal side to uncouple the jaw member from the head when the fastener is uncoupled from at least one of the jaw member and the head.
US08677858B2
A steering wheel and steering wheel manufacturing method are provided in which misalignment of the relative position of the wood member and the metal core can be prevented or suppressed in the period until the elastic adhesive is cured.A wood member and a rim metal core portion are bonded by an elastic adhesive being present between the wood member and the rim metal core portion. Spacer members are disposed between the wood member and the rim metal core portion so as to position the wood member relative to the rim metal core portion. Consequently, misalignment of the relative position of the wood member and the rim metal core portion is suppressed by the spacer members during the period until the elastic adhesive is cured.
US08677853B2
In a robot arm is provided with a closed link mechanism between a base and a hand, and a temperature of a first link member from among a plurality of link members constituting the closed link mechanism is to reach a first temperature T1, and a temperature of a second link member is to reach a second temperature T2, the first link member and the second link member formed from differing materials. An elongation ratio of the first link member, in which a length of the first link member at the first temperature T1 is divided by length of the first link member at a pre-operation temperature T0 is approximately equal to an elongation ratio of the second link member, in which a length of the second link member at the second temperature T2 is divided by a length of the second link member at the pre-operation temperature T0.
US08677850B2
A gear spindle includes a shaft having a first gear cavity at a first end, an oil delivery path for delivering oil to the first gear cavity and an oil return path for carrying oil away from the first gear cavity. A first seal assembly is associated with the first end of the shaft for limiting leakage of oil from the first gear cavity, the first seal assembly including a sealing interface having one side in fluid communication with the first gear cavity and an opposite side in fluid communication with a fluid delivery path. The fluid delivery path may be connected to a source of pressurized air for reducing pressure differential across the sealing interface.
US08677847B2
A 7-speed transmission for a motor vehicle, in particular for a sports car, includes an input or primary shaft, an output or secondary shaft, a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth and a seventh forward speed, as well as a reverse speed. In order to obtain a compact constructional design with a small transversal size and allow a sporty drive mode in the upshift from the first to the sixth speed, in which the shift process occur in an overlapping manner and almost without any interruption of the drive force, the eight speeds are combined in pairs into four shift groups, two of the four shift groups are arranged on the input or primary shaft and two on the output or secondary shaft, respectively, and at least between the first speed and the sixth speed adjacent speeds are arranged in different shift groups.
US08677846B2
A mechanical gearbox for motor vehicles presenting: a first shaft; a second shaft; a plurality of gear pairs, each of which mechanically couples the first shaft to the second shaft, defines a corresponding speed and comprises a first gear mounted on the first shaft and a second gear which is mounted on the second shaft and permanently meshes with the first gear; a plurality of synchronizers, each of which is mounted coaxially to a shaft between two gears of two gear pairs and is adapted to be actuated to alternatively engage the two gears to the shaft; and an actuation system for displacing each synchronizer alternatively in the two senses along the respective shaft and comprising a plurality of forks, each of which envelops a corresponding synchronizer; the gear pair of two consecutive speeds are arranged so as to be engaged by two different synchronizers; and the actuation system independently actuates the synchronizers.
US08677843B2
A sample acquisition device includes a capillary array configured to draw in a sample and retain the sample by capillary action. The capillary array may be coupled to an elongated member, such as a stem or a hollow tube, which defines a longitudinal axis extending in a first direction. In some embodiments, the capillary array defines a major sample acquisition surface that extends in a second direction different than the first direction. A ratio of the major sample acquisition surface area to maximum volume retained by the capillary array may be selected to minimize physical binding between the capillary array and sample. In some embodiments, the device may include a feedback mechanism to indicate the relative pressure applied to a sample source with the sample acquisition device. In addition, in some embodiments, the sample acquisition device may include a suction source to help draw the sample into the capillary array.
US08677841B2
An apparatus for carrying well samplers including a tubular carrier housing, a crossover sub connected to the housing, and a pair of adjacent single phase samplers set off from the tool centerline axis thereby providing an offset interspatial through-bore region to support wireline operations. The pair of single phase samplers are removably disposed between upper and lower positioning inserts. The inserts have recessed sampler seats and through-bores that align with the interspatial through-bore region. A conduit fluidly connects one pair of recessed seats to the tool exterior so as to port annulus pressure to the pressure-activated triggering mechanisms of the samplers. A rupture disk housing is removably connected to the triggering conduit from an exterior recess in the crossover sub. The other positioning insert includes a clamping mechanism to removably secure the samplers within the carrier. Multiple assemblies of crossover subs and carrier housing can be connected in tandem.
US08677836B2
A torque sensor includes a driving rod, a driving body connected fixedly to the driving rod, and a driving block extending from the driving body and having two opposite pushing surfaces, a driven body permitting the driving body to rotate relative thereto as a result of application of a torque to the driving rod, a driven rod extending from the driven body, and a block-receiving groove formed in the driven body. A first measuring module is connected to the driving block. A second measuring module is connected to the driven body, and cooperates with the first measuring module so as to measure the torque. Two resilient members flank the driving block. Each of the resilient members is disposed between and abuts against the corresponding pushing surface and the driven body.
US08677828B2
Provided is a device capable of easily and accurately detecting a vibration period when, for example, an earthquake occurs. When a quartz-crystal plate bends upon application of a force, capacitance between a movable electrode provided at its tip portion and a fixed electrode provided on a vessel to face the movable electrode changes, so that an oscillation frequency of the quartz-crystal plate changes according to this capacitance. Therefore, when the vessel is vibrated, there appear a first state where the quartz-crystal plate ends to approach the fixed electrode and a second state where the quartz-crystal plate is in an original state or bends to be apart from the fixed electrode. Accordingly, an oscillation frequency corresponding to the first state and corresponding to the second state alternately appear, and therefore, it is possible to find the period (frequency) of the vibration.
US08677823B2
An acoustic apparatus adapted to operate in a gas filled space from a first side of an object to be measured for making a non-contact thickness measurement thereof includes an electro acoustic transducer, a transceiver coupled with the electro acoustic transducer and adapted to excite electro acoustic transducer to output an acoustic signal towards the object to be measured and receive an acoustic response signal therefrom, and a signal processor adapted to process the response signal and determine a thickness of the object. The electroacoustic transducer has a transducer-to-gas acoustic interface, and the transceiver is adapted to operate the electroacoustic transducer so as to emit into a gas filled gap an acoustic broad band pulse towards the object and to receive an acoustic resonance response signal in the acoustic response signal at a level that allows acquisition of the resonance response signal above a predetermined signal to noise level.
US08677817B2
An air dam deployment and retraction system includes an air dam, a compressor, an air reservoir, a first switch, a second switch, and a third switch. The air dam is configured for moving between a deployed position and a retracted position. The compressor is configured to compress fluid. The air reservoir defines a chamber that is configured to receive a volume of the compressed fluid. The first switch is configured to selectively move between a first inactive position and a first active position. The first inactive position is configured to provide the compressed fluid to the atmosphere. The first active position is configured to provide the compressed fluid from the compressor to one of the chamber of the air reservoir and the air dam. The air dam is configured to move from the retracted position to the deployed position upon receiving the compressed fluid.
US08677814B2
A device (53) comprises an enclosure (63) and means (65, 67) for circulating a drilling mud in the enclosure (63). The inventive device is also provided with means (69) for introducing a gas carrier into the enclosure (63), which comprises a pipe (113) provided with a unit (121) for adjusting the gas carrier flowrate. The device (53) comprises a gas extracting pipe (71) open into the enclosure (63). The gas introducing means (69) comprise a sensor (123) for measuring a pressure at a point located downstream of the adjusting unit (121) and means (117) for controlling the flowrate of the gas carrier injected through said adjusting unit (121) according to the difference between a pressure measured by the sensor (123) and a determined gas extraction pressure.
US08677810B2
Monitoring method of a variable speed wind turbine (11) comprising control means for a pitch regulation tracking a power vs. generator speed curve (21) in function of the wind speed expressed by a transfer function (TF) applied to the wind speed measured by a wind sensor placed in a location where the wind flow is disturbed, that comprises the following steps: a) providing an optimum relationship function (F1) between a wind speed dependant variable (V) such as the blade pitch angle, and a wind turbine performance variable (P) such as the generator speed; b) measuring continuously said variables (V, P) and obtaining a relationship function (F2) between them; c) obtaining continuously a parameter (D) indicative of the differences between said relationship functions (F1, F2); d) generating a warning message when the value of said parameter (D) is greater than a predetermined value.
US08677809B2
Apparatus and techniques for extracting information carried in higher eigenmodes or harmonics of an oscillating cantilever or other oscillating sensors in atomic force microscopy and related MEMs work are described. Similar apparatus and techniques for extracting information from piezoelectric, polymer and other materials using contact resonance with multiple excitation signals are also described.
US08677804B2
To provide a gas sensor which can stably carry out a securement of an electric continuity between a sensor element and a contact member. A contact member in which an electric connection to a sensor element is obtained by pinching and fixing the sensor element in an inserting port formed by a pair of housing members includes a constraint member which is provided in an outer periphery of a pair of housing members. The constraint member constrains a displacement of a pair of housing members within a predetermined range before the sensor element is pinched and fixed by a pair of housing members, and exists in a state of being pinched between the annular member and a pair of housing member without generating any reaction force with respect to the external force, after the sensor element is pinched and fixed.
US08677800B2
A prover mounted upon a supporting lower framework includes a piston supporting rod extending longitudinally through a cylinder. 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.
US08677789B2
A plastic suds tub for a washing machine includes a cylindrical casing, an end face wall closing off the casing with a hollow-cylindrical, solid bearing mount, a stabilizer on the end face wall of a more solid and higher-quality plastic than the casing, and reinforcement ribs molded into the stabilizer or end face wall. The reinforcement ribs being radially-aligned from the bearing mount and branching along their radial extent.
US08677778B2
A refrigerator in which a right door that a user more frequently opens has a width less than that of a left door and a dispenser and a display unit are mounted at the center of a front surface of the refrigerator, resulting in enhanced usability. In the refrigerator, furthermore, a door handle is hidden and a drawer type storage container is installed below the dispenser and the display unit to enhance usability of the refrigerator.
US08677777B2
A flow-down-type ice making machine in which ice cubes reliably separate and drop from the lower end of an ice making plate, an ice guiding member can be placed close to the ice making plate, and the amount of ice storage is increased. An ice making section (10) is made up of a pair of ice making plates (12, 12) placed opposed to each other in a substantially vertical position and of evaporation tube (14) provided meandering between the ice making plates (12, 12). The ice guiding member (32) attached to an ice making water tank (22) is placed right under and close to the ice making section (10). The ice guiding member (32) is formed in a reverse V-shaped cross-section and is placed so that the top of the ice guiding member is located in the middle between the back sides of the ice making plates (12, 12). A slope (32a) tilting from the top of the ice guiding member (32) to one side of the top faces below one ice making plate (12), and a slope (32a) tilting from the top of the ice guiding member (32) to the other side of the top faces below the other ice making plate (12). An outwardly projecting lower end projection (20) is formed on each ice making plate (12), at the lower end of its surface facing each ice making region (12) of the ice making plate (12). Because of the presence of the lower end projection (20), an ice cube (M) running onto the lower end projection (20) is separated from an ice making surface.
US08677776B2
A refrigerator including a main body having a storage chamber, a door provided to the main body to selectively open or close the storage chamber, the door including an outer door defining a front external appearance of the door, and a door liner defining a rear external appearance of the door, the door liner including support steps vertically extending along both sides of the door liner, a liner plate interconnecting the support steps, and a seating step horizontally extending from the door liner, the support steps and the seating step defining an installation space, an ice bank removably located on the door liner, and an ice maker cover located above the ice bank.
US08677759B2
A gas turbine combustor includes a liner having a forward end and an aft end; a flow sleeve surrounding the liner, the flow sleeve also having forward and aft ends, the aft end of the flow sleeve supporting an annular ring formed with a plurality of cooling bores and extending through the flow sleeve, at least some of the plurality of cooling bores formed at an acute angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the liner.
US08677758B2
A turbofan engine includes an engine core and a ducted fan assembly, with the ducted fan assembly including an annular cowling and a dilating fan duct nozzle. The nozzle includes continuous nozzle sections with intermeshing tiles. The tiles include drive tiles that are pivotal between nominal and dilated positions and driven tiles that intermesh with the drive tiles and shift with the drive tiles between the positions. The intermeshing tiles cooperatively adjust an orifice size of the nozzle by shifting between the positions and thereby affect the thrust and noise developed by the ducted fan assembly.
US08677756B2
A burner, such as for a secondary combustion chamber of a gas turbine with sequential combustion having first and second combustion chambers, includes an injection device for introducing at least one gaseous fuel into the burner. The injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the gaseous fuel into the burner. The body is configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at or in a trailing edge of the streamlined body. The body has two lateral surfaces substantially parallel to the main flow direction. At least one vortex generator is located on at least one lateral surface upstream of the at least one nozzle.
US08677751B2
Disclosed is a super-turbocharger system that increases power and efficiency of an engine. The system uses the exothermic properties of a catalytic converter to extract additional energy from exhaust heat that is used to add power to the engine. Compressed air is supplied and mixed with exhaust gases upstream and/or downstream from a catalytic converter that is connected to an exhaust manifold. The gaseous mixture of exhaust gases and compressed air is sufficiently rich in oxygen to oxidize hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the catalytic converter, which adds heat to the gaseous mixture. In addition, a sufficient amount of compressed air is supplied to the exhaust gases to maintain the temperature of the gaseous mixture at a substantially optimal temperature level. The gaseous mixture is applied to the turbine of the super-turbocharger, which increases the output of said super-turbocharger, which increases the power and efficiency of said engine. The engine throttle is used to control the pressure level of the compressed air to ensure proper flow of cooling gases and oxidation gases.
US08677747B2
A method controls a supercharged internal-combustion engine and comprises steps of: establishing predetermined lower-limit and higher-limit speeds (PLLS, PHLS) of a turbocharger; calculating a reduced lower-limit speed (RLLS) according to the PLLS and an absolute temperature upstream of a compressor; calculating a reduced higher-limit speed (RHLS), according to the PHLS and temperature, higher than the RLLS; determining an “over-speed” interval (OSI) between the RRLS and RHLS; calculating a current reduced-limit speed (CRLS); controlling the turbocharger to bring the CRLS back to no greater than the RLLS every time the CRLS is detected and within the OSI; establishing in a preliminary adjustment and set-up phase a threshold value; and controlling the turbocharger to bring the CRLS back to no greater than the RLLS after a time interval, which is equal to the threshold value, has elapsed from a moment in which the CRLS is detected and within the OSI.
US08677744B2
In various embodiments, heat is exchanged with a gas being compressed or expanded within an energy storage and recovery system without the use of flexible hoses.
US08677741B2
A vehicle driving apparatus includes: a torque converter having a pump vane wheel, a turbine vane wheel, and a stator vane wheel, the stator vane wheel rotatably disposed between the turbine vane wheel and the pump vane wheel; an electric motor that drives the stator vane wheel; a 25 first connecting and disconnecting means capable of connecting and disconnecting the electric motor and the stator vane wheel to/from each other; and a second connecting and disconnecting means capable of connecting and disconnecting the electric motor and a output shaft to/from each other.
US08677738B2
An exhaust gas treatment system for reducing emissions from an engine includes an exhaust conduit adapted to supply an exhaust stream from the engine to an exhaust treatment device. The conduit includes an aperture. An injector injects a reagent through the aperture and into the exhaust stream. A flow modifier is positioned within the exhaust conduit upstream of the injector. The flow modifier includes a diverter for increasing the velocity of the exhaust gas at a predetermined location within the conduit relative to the injected reagent.
US08677731B2
A hybrid combustor combines two distinct fuel injection sources to spray fuel in the combustor. The combustor combines a rotary fuel slinger for spraying fuel in a first combustion zone during high power level and cruise conditions and a set of fuel nozzles for spraying fuel in a second combustion zone during lower power level and starting conditions.
US08677728B2
A gas turbine engine (10) comprises a diffuser (14) and a nozzle (16) affixed to an annular housing (12), a bearing assembly including first and second bearings (24,26) mounted on a support tube (28) affixed at one end (28a) in cantilever fashion to a radially inner portion (16c) of the nozzle, a compressor (18) and a turbine (20) affixed to axially spaced apart ends of a shaft (22) rotatably mounted in the bearings, and an annular combustor (32) disposed between the compressor and turbine and concentric to the shaft. The diffuser is adjustably attached to the housing external threads (14e) on an outer annular surface of the diffuser and received in internal threads (12e) in an internal annular surface of the housing. An electric generator (42) is disposed radially inward of the annular combustor axially between the diffuser and nozzle. A fuel slinger (30), affixed to the shaft, receives fuel from an air/fuel annulus (88) defined by a stator (44) and a rotor (46) of the generator. An air/fuel mixture in the annulus also lubricates and cools the bearings, and cools the stator and a hub portion (20a) of the turbine. A fuel/air connector assembly (38) connects the engine to a source of metered fuel (39) and connects compressor discharge air to a fuel reservoir (43).
US08677717B2
Methods and structures for a composite truss structure are provided. The structure includes a web formed of a plurality of sheets of composite material, each sheet including a first face and an opposing second face and each face including a length and a width. Each of the plurality of sheets are coupled to at least one other of the plurality of sheets face to face such that the length and width of each face substantially match the length and width of a face of an adjacent sheet. The plurality of sheets are formed to include an upper chord member, a lower chord member, and a plurality of web members extending therebetween. The structure also includes at least a first flange plate coupled to the web proximate an outer periphery of the web.
US08677701B2
Methods and apparatuses described herein provide for the attachment of solar collectors to a structural framework in a solar array assembly. A flexible clip is attached to either end of each solar collector and utilized to attach the solar collector to the structural framework. The solar collectors are positioned to allow a member of the framework to engage a pair of flexible clips attached to adjacent solar collectors during assembly of the solar array. Each flexible clip may have multiple frame-engaging portions, each with a flange on one end to cause the flexible clip to deflect inward when engaged by the framework member during assembly and to guide each of the frame-engaging portions into contact with a surface of the framework member for attachment.
US08677700B2
A foundation system for electrical utility structures is provided that minimizes impact on the chosen construction site, minimizes labor and minimizes associated installation costs. The foundation system comprises a structure to be supported at its base which has a plurality of arm members secured to the base and a plurality of helical piers or micropiles which are inserted into the ground and distally attached to the base of the structure by attaching to the arm members.
US08677699B2
A rotary supporting member supports a parallel member rotatably with respect to an upper beam. A first brace connects an opposite-end side of the parallel member with an opposite-end side of a lower beam. A second brace connects another opposite-end side of the parallel member with another opposite-end side of the lower beam. An intersection position of the first brace with the second brace is positioned more adjacent to a side of the upper beam than where an intermediate position between the upper beam and the lower beam is present. Damper members dispose respectively so as to be interposed between the parallel member and the upper beam, connecting the parallel member with the upper beam, and being disposed to make a pair at least on both sides each of which is separated away from the rotary supporting member to interpose the rotary supporting member therebetween.
US08677689B1
A sliding power lift and locking assembly for lifting and locking an object includes a motor, a first drive shaft, a first drive block assembly, a first drive housing, and a link arm. The first drive shaft has a body and a cylindrical axis and is rotationally driven by the motor. The first drive block assembly includes an aperture configured to engage the body of the first drive shaft, a latch dog with a first slot configured to engage a dog catch pin associated with the object, and a slider. A portion of the first drive housing and a portion of the first drive block assembly are provided in a track of the first drive housing, and the track of the first drive housing is configured such that the first drive block assembly is configured to move in a path relative to the first drive housing. The link arm includes a first end and second end. The first end of the link arm is configured to move with the slider of the first drive block assembly, and the second end of the link arm is configured to connect to the object.
US08677684B1
An injector plug for use with an injector for injecting liquid chemical into a tree. After the tree has been injected, the plug remains in the tree.
US08677682B2
The device is provided for collecting sap from a tapped hole of a tree. It includes a collector having a substantially frustoconical outer peripheral wall surface and an inner peripheral wall surface. The collector also has a portion that is removably insertable into the tapped hole with a frictional engagement. The material between the peripheral wall surfaces at the removably-insertable collector portion is elastically and temporality deformable in response to a peripheral pressure exerted inwardly on the outer peripheral wall surface when the removably-insertable collector portion is inserted with a forced frictional fit into the tapped hole.
US08677677B2
An insect trap and lighting device for an insect trap suitable for trapping light-attracted insects, in particular indoor nuisance insects that overwinter indoors, including true bugs, lady beetles, and flies. The lighting device may be attached to the base or the top of the trap, and includes light-emitting elements that are directed towards the trap, and are configured to lure target insects toward the trap entryway. In an embodiment, the trap includes an entrapment chamber with an internal cone with an opening at both ends, and a collar over a distal end. A vanes assembly extends toward entryways. In an embodiment, the light fixture comprises a cap that fits over the trap and directs light into the trap through the entrapment chamber wall. The lighting elements may be selected to emit light in a narrow band selected to attract the target insect.
US08677673B2
The object of the invention is to realize further improvements of a telescopic-sight mounting system.Said object is achieved by a telescopic-sight mounting system 3 for a firearm 1 for mounting a telescopic sight 2 on the firearm 1, said telescopic-sight mounting system 3 having a locking retainer 7 that can be fixed on the firearm 1 and a locking foot 6 that can be fixed on the telescopic sight 2. The invention is characterized by an improved contact geometry between the locking retainer 7 and the locking foot 6.
US08677669B1
An adapter is described for use in attaching a shoulder stock to a handgun with a bottom opening handgrip recess. The adapter includes an upright member having upper and lower ends and a longitudinal slot to attach a stock. A lower arm extends forward from the upright member lower end, and a brace arm extends forward from the upright member upper end. A recess insert extends upwardly from the distal end of the lower arm. A latching member releasibly secures the insert in the handgrip recess. Also described is a grip plate module to replace the grip plates on a handgun handgrip that does not include a recess. The module includes first and second replacement grip plates for attachment in place of the original grip plates, and a replacement grip plate connector extending between the replacement grip plates. The connector includes a bottom opening recess to receive an adapter insert.
US08677668B1
A firearm locking apparatus has a casing body which lodges within the chamber of a firearm, a rod which extends through the length of the barrel of the weapon, and a lock body which attaches to an outward end of the rod extending from the muzzle of the weapon. The lock body is attached such that there is not a sufficient length of exposed portion of the rod between the muzzle of the weapon and the lock body to allow attachment of any commonly known tool to the exposed portion of the rod. When the lock body is locked, it cannot be removed from the outward end of the rod, and the lock body freely spins on the rod. This configuration prevents removal of the rod and casing body from the weapon until the lock body is unlocked and removed, which allows removal of the rod and casing body from the weapon.
US08677663B1
A sign assembly includes a mount adapted to be fastened to a vertically oriented surface and a horizontal support having one end affixed to the mount and extending therefrom in cantilevered fashion. A first vertical rod is affixed to and extends vertically upward from the horizontal support, and a second vertical rod is affixed to and extends vertically upward from the horizontal support and laterally disposed from the first vertical rod. A placard having at least one surface adapted for the display of an advertising message thereon is affixed to the first and the second vertical rods.
US08677662B2
An LCD destination sign is provided that provides a high resolution image and operates in at least two modes. One mode is a destination message mode that is used when a destination message (i.e., a route number and/or destination name in substantially static alphanumeric or symbols) is to be displayed on the destination sign. The second mode is a non-destination mode wherein graphic images are displayed on the destination sign, wherein such graphic images do not provide a destination message and may include video feeds, weather forecasts or newsreels.
US08677661B2
The invention relates to a container assembly with a box- or bowl-shaped container bottom part (2), comprising a container base (4) and at least one container wall (5) running around the edge of the container base (4), together with a container lid (3) designed for closing the container bottom part (2) so as to define with the container bottom part (2) a volume of space. According to the invention it is provided that on an outer surface of the container bottom part (2) and/or of the container lid (3), a locating slot (15, 16, 17, 18) is formed to hold an information carrier card (19) in cheque card format, wherein the locating slot (15, 16, 17, 18) has guide means (20) for the temporary fixing of the information carrier card (19), together with a viewing window designed so that a card surface (21) of an information carrier card (19) inserted in the locating slot (15, 16, 17, 18) opposite the outer surface of the container bottom part (2) or the container lid (3), is visible from the outside.
US08677656B2
A heel counter 4 includes: a support section 43 extending in a forward direction from a back side 1b of an upper 1; a rib 40 extending in the forward direction generally in parallel to the support section 43 at a position above the support section 43 from the back side 1b of the upper 1 along a medial side 11 and extending in the forward direction generally in parallel to the support section 43 at a position above the support section 43 from the back side 1b of the upper 1 along a lateral side 12; and first and second bridge means 41a, 41b and 42 connecting the support section 43 and the rib 40 to each other allowing the support section 43 to support the rib 40, wherein: a foremost one 46b of a plurality of connection portions 46b, 46c and 46e by which the rib 40 and the bridge means 41a, 41b and 42 are connected to each other is provided on the medial side of the upper 1; and the foremost connection portion 46b is located forward of a rear end of a talus bone B8.
US08677653B2
An insert system for an article of footwear includes an outer assembly, a first insert assembly and a second insert assembly. The outer assembly is configured to interchangeably receive the first insert assembly and the second insert assembly. The first insert assembly includes a first sleeve member and a first midsole configured to provide enhanced cushioning and support. The first sleeve member includes a tongue and a fastening member that wraps around the tongue. The second insert assembly includes a second sleeve member and a second midsole configured to enhance speed.
US08677638B2
The invention relates to an adapter top for adapting a drilling with 3D-coordinate measurement technology, which may be placed on drilling adapter with a first housing for a first retroreflector with a first diameter, and the adapter top comprises a second housing for a second retroreflector with a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. The invention further relates to a positioning element for adapting a drilling with 3D-coordinate measurement technology by adjusting the relative position of a first standard drilling adapter with a first housing for a first retroreflector with a first diameter and an adapter fitting which is designed such that by combination of the first standard drilling adapter with the positioning element and the adapter fitting a standard drilling adapter with a second housing for a second retroreflector with second diameter can be emulated.
US08677635B1
A point-to-point measurement tool performs the measurement of the distance between the outside surfaces of the shoulders across the back of an individual, which is associated with tailoring custom clothing and utilized to determine both the top-of-sleeve points and used to assist in determining the sleeve length measurements in tailoring custom clothing. Various embodiment of the point-to-point measurement tool can be folded, collapsed, or broken down to enable increased portability and ease of storage of the tool.
US08677626B2
An installation device for installing a windshield in a vehicle. The device includes a pivot assembly including a pair of suction cups that attach to the door glass of a vehicle door, and a depending member that extends upwardly and forwardly adjacent a windshield opening. A support assembly includes a pair of suction cups that attach to a windshield, and a support rod that is axially and rotatably moveable with respect to the suction cups. The support rod includes an end that pivots on the depending member of the pivot assembly. The device moveably supports the windshield such that a single technician can install the windshield on a vehicle.
US08677625B2
A process for cutting out a damaged area of an aircraft fuselage, in particular so as to repair the damaged area, includes in making at least one cut-out in the fuselage (20) so as to delimit a cut-out area (24) that encompasses the damaged area and that includes at least one flare-out, characterized in that it includes making a hole (34) at the flare-out of the cut-out area (24) with a tool whose diameter corresponds to that of the desired flare-out.
US08677622B2
On an intake cone made of fiber compound material for a gas turbine engine, the conical part, the attachment part and the fairing part are manufactured as one piece from a plurality of mutually crossing and covering winding layers (1) forming an interlace (2). The winding layers include parallel, alternately adjacent glass fiber strands and carbon fiber strands of equal thickness. The one-piece intake cone is producible and mountable cost-effectively and is characterized by elasticity, stiffness and impact resistance.
US08677614B2
Provided are a chip mounting method and device. The chip mounting device comprises: a bonding head on which a device is loaded; and a controller which places the bonding head at a preparation height above a board, determines a search height at which a mounting position on the board, on which the device is to be mounted, is searched for by the controller, and lowers the bonding head from the preparation height to a bonding height via the search height and mounts the device on the mounting position on the board, by controlling movements of the bonding head, wherein the controller determines that the device touches the board if at least one of a plurality of conditions is satisfied.
US08677609B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method for producing a circuit-breaker pole part by molding an external insulating sleeve with insulation material, mounting a vacuum interrupter insert inside the insulating sleeve, electrically connecting the vacuum interrupter insert with an upper electrical terminal and a lower electrical terminal arranged in the wall section of the insulating sleeve The method also includes molding the external insulating sleeve, wherein only the upper electrical terminal is embedded in the insulation material, coating the vacuum interrupter insert with an extra layer made of insulation material for thermo extension compensation, mounting the coated vacuum interrupter insert by screwing on a threaded bolt onto the upper electrical terminal.
US08677606B2
Method for assembling a rotor with permanent magnets, including the steps of introducing the magnets in 10 recesses of a non-ferromagnetic holder; combining the holder and the permanent magnets with a non-ferromagnetic support plate; attaching the permanent magnets to the support plate; and removing the holder and providing lamellae over the permanent magnets attached to the support plate. A holder and rotor obtained by the method are described.
US08677601B2
A method of forming a leaflet of a prosthetic valve includes placing a first piece of material on a working surface. A leaflet mold is placed on the first piece of material, and provides a outer peripheral shape comprising a curved portion. A second piece of material is placed over the first piece and the leaflet mold. The first and second pieces of material are stitched to one another along at least a portion of the curved portion of the leaflet mold. The leaflet mold is removed from first and second pieces of material.
US08677598B2
A clutch assembly for a torque converter, including: a cover; a piston plate including a hole; and a rivet in the hole. The rivet includes a rivet head. Prior to applying pressure to the rivet to fix the rivet to the piston plate, the rivet head is clamped between the piston plate and the cover. A clutch assembly for a torque converter, including: a cover; a piston plate with a hole; a leaf spring with a first end fixedly attached to the cover and a second end; and a rivet connecting the second end of the leaf spring to the piston plate. The rivet includes: a head disposed between the leaf spring second end and the cover; and a shaft in the piston plate hole. The piston plate or the cover is deflectable to clamp the rivet head between the cover and the piston plate before the shaft is expanded.
US08677585B2
An alignment mechanism is used for assembly of a diffuser inside a pressure reducing and conditioning valve, said valve having a body, an inlet port, an outlet port, a pressure reducing section between the ports, and a diffuser in an internal cavity of the pressure reducing section. The alignment mechanism comprises at least one alignment assembly having an alignment port disposed in the valve body in the pressure reducing section. The port has a passageway passing through an outer wall of the valve, and has a removable closure member adapted to close one end of the passageway. A removable alignment rod is adapted to be inserted through the passageway in the alignment port to contact an outer surface of the diffuser when the diffuser is inserted into the internal cavity of the pressure reducing section of the valve. A method of use of the alignment assembly is disclosed.
US08677580B2
A method of forming a sheet metal casket comprises providing a sheet metal casket shell having at least a portion of an end wall and at least a portion of a side wall and a round corner between the portion of the end wall and the portion of the side wall, and forming a generally planar corner oriented at about a 45° angle relative to the portion of the end wall and the portion of the side wall.
US08677579B2
A kit including (a) an article having a plurality of pairs of opposing eyelets, including a first pair of opposing eyelets near a top of the article and a second pair of opposing eyelets disposed beneath the first pair of opposing eyelets; (b) a first lace that is threadable through respective eyelets of the first pair of opposing eyelets and fixable at insides of the eyelets, said first lace having (i) a first elastic body; and (ii) one of a stop or openable stop on one end of the first body; and (iii) an openable stop on an opposite end of the first body; and (c) a second lace that is threadable through respective eyelets of the second pair of opposing eyelets and fixable at insides of the eyelets, said second lace having (i) a second elastic body; and (ii) one of a stop or openable stop on one end of the second body; and (iii) an openable stop on an opposite end of the second body; and wherein at least the openable stop on the opposite end of the first body can interlock with the openable stop on the opposite end of the second body with the first and second laces threaded through the first and second pair of eyelets respectively. Also, a method for using the kit.
US08677574B1
A zipper pull extender to assist a user in gripping and operating zippers on clothing includes a durable sleeve body which slides over an existing zipper pull tab. A hollow interior portion of the body includes a spring with a hooked end which engages a zipper pull aperture when slid over the zipper pull tab. The sleeve also includes a small detachment aperture for receiving a removal tool. When inserted into the tool aperture, the tool presses against the spring to disengage the hooked end from the zipper pull aperture for removal of the zipper.
US08677573B2
A serviceable safety clip for retaining an automotive trim panel to an inner panel. The serviceable safety clip includes a pin secured to the trim panel, wherein the pin includes a plurality of blades that each include a low retention detent and a high retention detent. The serviceable safety clip also includes a receiver that is secured to the inner panel, wherein the receiver includes an angled face to facilitate insertion of the pin detents and a holding face that retains the pin detents.
US08677568B2
A furniture hinge is provided for pivotally connecting at least two parts of a piece of furniture. The furniture hinge includes at least two fastening pieces which can be fixed to one part of the piece of furniture, respectively, and can be hingedly joined to each other via at least one articulated shaft. The inventive furniture hinge further includes at least one motor, preferably an electric motor, for swiveling the fastening pieces.
US08677567B2
Provided is a hinge that can be manufactured easily in a short time. The hinge rotatably connects a first member and a second member, and is provided with two brackets that are rotatable against each other and mounted to the first member and the second member, respectively, and a friction-torque-generating member that generates friction torque by directly or indirectly pressing the two brackets against each other. A first of the two brackets is configured from an integral structure that includes a shaft part that passes through the second bracket and supports the rotation, and a mounting part that is mounted to the first member or the second member, with the shaft part and the mounting part being produced from a plate material.
US08677550B2
A wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length and an active material actuator provided along a portion of the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material actuator is configured to impart a degree of motion to a portion of the wiper blade in response to an electrical actuation signal.
US08677544B1
A hand-worn debris removal device for cleaning fabric, upholstery, carpet, and other textiles comprises a pocket having a longitudinal axis, a first debris collecting element having unidirectional fibers having a first directional orientation, a second debris collecting element having unidirectional fibers having a second directional orientation opposite the first directional orientation and a gap formed between the first and second debris collecting elements along the longitudinal axis. Movement of the device in a first direction and a second direction across a surface to be cleaned collects debris removed by the first and second debris collecting elements in the gap.
US08677537B1
A breaching tool for use by law enforcement or emergency personnel has at one end of its handle a sledge hammer and a multi-toothed rake effective to scrape and clean broken glass from a window frame of a building or an automobile. At an opposite or rear end of the handle a tapered chisel tail, preferably with a claw for pulling nails or other fasteners.
US08677534B2
A portable changing table includes at least one extendable arm assembly moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. The at least one extendable arm assembly is removably securable to a support structure. The portable changing table further includes a collapsible frame with a first frame member assembly having a first telescoping member. A portion of the first frame member assembly is moveable relative to the first telescoping member into at least first and second positions. The collapsible frame further includes a second frame member assembly having a second telescoping member, wherein a portion of the second frame member assembly is moveable relative to the second telescoping member into at least first and second positions. A flexible support member is secured to a portion of the collapsible frame.
US08677532B2
A portable, unitary, lightweight, weather-proof support mat to reduce physical stress on a user caused by standing, sitting or kneeling on a hard surface for prolonged periods. The support mat provides a non-slip surface and an integral handle opening. The support mat is manufactured of rubber or other resilient material and may be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes.
US08677518B2
The reusable, portable toilet seat has a planform congruent with a conventional toilet seat and includes a base of corrugated sheet material with a sheet of air-filled plastic wrap thereover and a layer of non-woven batting overlying the air-filled material. The core materials are covered on their upper and lower surfaces with thin plies of flexible, liquid impervious plastic. The cover sheets are heat sealed to one another along their inner and outer edges to prevent contamination and deterioration of the internal structure. At least one ply of cover material extends outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the core materials to drape over the toilet seat and rim of the bowl when the portable seat is secured to an existing toilet seat by suction cups extending from the base material. The portable toilet seat is washable for convenience, and may be folded for compact storage within a provided storage bag.
US08677517B1
A visor mounting apparatus for mounting a face shield to a helmet includes end portions mounted to the helmet and connecting ends of the shield to the helmet and a front attachment between the helmet and the shield comprising a mounting portion for attaching to the shield and an engagement portion having a tapered slot configured for clasping a brim of the helmet. In another embodiment the front attachment is a gasket that extends for the entire width of the shield and seals against liquid entering between the shield and the helmet. The face shield can have a varying thickness profile to correct for optical aberrations, the thickness profile taken from a center toward one lateral end that has a first region that sinusoidally decreases, and then an adjacent second region that sinusoidally increases to a third region adjacent the second region that sinusoidally decreases.
US08677513B2
A protective garment, such as a surgical gown, includes a garment body defining sleeves. A cuff may be secured at respective ends of the sleeves. A circumferentially extending coating is disposed on the sleeves beginning at the sleeve or cuff. The coating has a high friction surface such that an end of a glove pulled over the coating is inhibited from rolling or sliding back over the coating and down the sleeve. The coating may be formed of a low-tack surface modifier and may include a dye or colorant that may be used to indicate the fluid protection level of, for example, a surgical gown.
US08677512B2
Articles of apparel include: (a) a garment structure having one or more fabric elements structured and arranged to provide a close fit to at least one predetermined portion of a body (e.g., area(s) of the body for which enhanced position sensing and/or feedback are desired); and (b) a body position feedback system engaged with or integrally formed as part of the garment structure. The body position feedback system may apply higher tensile or constricting (compressive) forces to selected portions of the wearer's body and/or stretch resistance, which can help stimulate or interact with nerves and deep tissue receptors located in various portions of the body. The increased forces at selected locations of the body give the wearer sensory feedback regarding the position or orientation of these parts of the body and can improve or accelerate development of “muscle memory.”
US08683609B2
A system, method and program product for controlling access to a restricted item. A method is provided that includes: receiving a request for access to a restricted item at a computer system associated with a provider, said request originating from a client system; determining an IP address of the client system; determining a mobile phone number of a mobile phone associated with the requester; transmitting to a third party service provider the IP address and mobile phone number; and receiving back from the third party service provider a confirmation message indicating whether or not the IP address and mobile phone are located within an acceptable range of each other.
US08683605B1
Long-Term Validation (LTV) of a digital signature status indicator is disclosed. In some embodiments, the Long-Term Validation of a digital signature status indicator includes automatically determining whether a digital signature of a digitally signed document is LTV enabled based at least in part on LTV information; and generating an LTV status indicator that displays whether the digital signature of the digitally signed document is LTV enabled.
US08683600B2
Embodiments of converting or translating electronic data from a first format to a second format with an applied electronic data security policy in mechanisms are described generally herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08683599B2
Static analysis for verification of software program access to secure resources for computer systems
Computer program products and apparatus are disclosed. Using a static analysis, a software program is analyzed to determine whether the software program accesses a secure resource for a computer system without verification that the secure resource can be accessed by the software program. In response to an access by the software program to the secure resource without verification that the secure resource can be accessed by the software program, a result is output indicative of the analyzing. An apparatus is disclosed that includes a user interface providing a security report to a user, the security report indicating a result of an analysis of whether or not a software program accesses a secure resource for a computer system without verification that the secure resource can be accessed by the software program.
US08683593B2
A mobile device compares a receipt of data against data stored in a database. If no positive match is obtained, the data is provided to a server for the server to compare. Based on the comparison by the server, the mobile device may or may not be allowed to process the data.
US08683587B2
A system for monitoring a service provided in a service-oriented architecture may include a computing device configured to submit a subscription request to a plurality of intermediaries in the service-oriented architecture from which to receive monitored data related to the service. An application operating on the computing device may determine which ones of the plurality of intermediaries to rely upon for monitoring the service based at least in part on a probability value associated with each intermediary. The probability value is a function of at least a frequency of messages associated with the service processed by the intermediary and a time period since a last message associated with the service was processed by the intermediary. The system may also include an output device to present the monitored data in response to the monitored data being received by the computing device from the determined ones of the plurality of intermediaries.
US08683586B2
A fraud detection and protection method and system are disclosed. The method and system utilize a fraud detection and protection server to monitor online commercial transactions between a webserver and a client computer, and generate a risk assessment of a user associated with the client computer. The system and method further utilize a number of beacon servers geographically dispersed in an area. Each beacon server is configured to receive packet header information associated with the online commercial transactions, analyze the packet header information for authenticating information, and send the authenticating information to the fraud detection and protection server for the risk assessment.
US08683585B1
File reputations are used to identify malicious file sources. Attempts to access files from external sources are monitored. For each monitored attempt to access a file, a reputation of the specific file is determined. Responsive to a determined reputation of a file meeting a threshold, the file is adjudicated to be malicious. Attempts by sources to distribute malicious files are tracked. Responsive to tracked attempts by sources to distribute malicious files, reputations of file sources are determined. Responsive to a determined reputation of a source meeting a threshold, the source is adjudicated to be malicious, and files the source distributes are analyzed to determine whether they comprise malware. Malicious sources are blocked. Malware and malicious sources are analyzed to identify exploits and distribution patterns.
US08683580B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an authentication unit that can execute a login process and a logout process; an operation unit that receives an instruction for the logout process from the user; a user attribute storage unit that stores the identification information of a non-logged-out user; a determination unit that determines whether a logged-in user, who is a user for whom the login process is executed by the authentication unit, is the non-logged-out user, based on the identification information stored in the user attribute storage unit; and a forced logout processing unit that, in a case in which the logged-in user is determined to be the non-logged-out user by the determination unit, instructs the authentication unit to execute the logout process when a predefined particular process among the plurality of processes is executed and completed by the processing unit.
US08683579B2
Systems and methods are provided for activation of software that uses digital licenses. In some embodiments, a software vendor may securely deliver at least one digital proof-of-purchase to an OEM (e.g., to avoid piracy of software licenses). The OEM may install an associated software copy on a computer system, and store the at least one digital proof-of-purchase on it. The OEM may communicate the proof(s)-of-purchase stored on the computer system and its system identifier to the software vendor. A user of the computer system may attempt to activate the OEM pre-installed software by sending an activation request to a software vendor, who may verify whether or not the digital proof-of-purchase and system identifier in the activation request match those previously reported by the OEM, and may either grant or deny the activation request.
US08683578B2
Methods, systems and articles of manufacture consistent with features of the present invention allow the generation and use of derived user accounts, or DUA, in a computer system comprising user accounts. In particular, derivation rules define how a DUA is linked to or created based on an existing original user account, or OUA. Derivation transformations may also update the state of a DUA based on its corresponding OUA or give feedback from the state of a DUA to the state of its corresponding OUA.
US08683573B2
Provided are techniques for the prevention of certain types of attacks on computing systems. The current disclosure, which describes one particular type of attack, is directed to the detection and prevention of an attack rather than the mechanics of the particular described attack. The claimed subject matter both detects and prevents an attack without exposing a network to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by being too restrictive.
US08683570B1
An improved technique provides scheduled data transfer between a mobile device and a server. The mobile device combines token codes generated by a soft token with sequences of auxiliary bits and displays the combinations to users as passcodes. Users may then copy the passcodes to their computers for authenticating to a server on a remote network. As the passcodes include both token codes and sequences of auxiliary bits, a communication channel is established whereby the auxiliary bits as well as the soft token codes are transmitted from the mobile device to the server.
US08683569B1
A system for application access control is disclosed. First, a business coordinator needs to register a user developed tool (UDT) containing an application to be protected with the system via a software program. After registration, a random encrypted password is generated by the application access control server and stored in its back-end database as well as a local break-glass database corresponding to the UDT. When an entitled user accesses the application in the registered UDT later on, the system will check whether he/she is entitled to access the requested application. If yes, the system will retrieve the encrypted password for that application and thus launch the application.
US08683568B1
Techniques for using a network analyzer device connected to a network include (a) sniffing packets traversing the network between a web-based application server and a user machine, the user machine being operated by a user, (b) analyzing the sniffed packets to extract event information relating to interaction events between the user machine and the web-based application server, and (c) sending the extracted event information to an authentication server for risk-based authentication of the user.
US08683566B1
A system is provided. The system comprises a computer system and an application that, when executed on the computer system, creates a virtual private site in response to a request from a first portable electronic device, the site storing and displaying electronic content posted by the first device. The application also receives a first message from the first device containing a request to authorize a second portable electronic device to access content from the virtual private site and associates a unique identifier for the second device with a credential for the second device. The system also receives a second message containing a request from the second device to access electronic content from the virtual private site. The system also verifies the unique identifier received in the second message, verifies the credential received in the second message, and transmits the electronic content to the second portable from the virtual private site.
US08683555B2
Systems and methods are presented to prevent denial of service attacks through the use of an interleaved pseudo-random sequence that is generated from two or more pseudo-random codes. Portions of the pseudo-random codes are interleaved with each other using a pre-determined instruction pattern. A message incorporating the interleaved sequence is transmitted to a receiver, which identifies the interleaved bit sequence in the message and, if the interleaved bit sequence is identified in the message, allows access to the service.
US08683550B2
The disclosure provides a system and method of authenticating a user to a network. For the method, if a request for a resource initiated by the device is related to a restricted resource, then the method: redirects the request to the authentication server; initiates an authentication process at the server to request a user account and a password from the device to authenticate the device if it has not been authenticated; automatically provides the device with access to the restricted resource if the device previously had been authenticated to access the restricted resource; and provides a signal to the device indicating whether it has been authenticated to allow the device to update its graphical user interface to indicate an access status for the restricted resource. If the request relates to a non-restricted resource, then the method automatically provides the device with access to the non-restricted resource.
US08683545B2
One aspect of the present invention can include a system, a method, a computer program product and an apparatus for federating policies from multiple policy providers. The aspect can identify a set of distinct policy providers, each maintaining at least one policy related to a service or a resource. A federated policy exchange service can be established that has a policy provider plug-in for each of the distinct policy providers. The federated policy exchange service can receive requests for policies from a set of policy requesters. Each request can include a resource_id or a service_id used to uniquely identify the service or resource. The federated policy exchange service can dynamically connect to a set of the policy providers to determine policies applicable to each request. For each request, results from the policy providers can be received and processed to generate a response. The federated policy exchange service can provide the response to each policy requestor responsive in response to each response.
US08683544B2
A flexible rule engine allows a network operator to dynamically create and modify business rules that govern a subscriber's access to a communications network. The flexible rule engine governs subscriber transitions between various session states by testing for subscriber conditions, network conditions, and then performing specified actions based on these conditions. A rule editor provides the network operator with the ability to compose, edit and delete one or more rules in real time, using an appropriate user interface.
US08683541B2
Audiovisual reproduction system comprising a central unit managing a sound control circuit, and a telecommunications modem connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server, through a multitask operating system created around a tools and services library, characterized in that the operating system comprises a function that adjusts the sound control circuit to couple volumes in the various areas in which the loudspeakers in the audiovisual reproduction system are used, this function being accessible through a management mode of the multitask operating system, the coupling maintaining the ratios between the various volumes in each area when the volume in one area is modified.
US08683540B2
A system includes a network interface to receive video packet data encoding video data from a remote server. The system includes a hardware decoder operable to decode a first type of encoded video data but not operable to decode a second type of encoded video data. The system also includes a software decoder to decode the second type of encoded video data. The system also includes a controller to determine whether the received video packet data includes the second type of encoded video data and to route the video packet data to the software decoder when the video packet data includes the second type of encoded video data.
US08683536B1
Provided is a method and system for receiving and displaying video from both an Internet and a broadcast video source. Also provided is a frame controller for receiving video data from an Internet video stream and from a cable broadcast video stream, the frame controller further in communication with a television display and causing the Internet video stream and the cable broadcast video stream to each be displayed in a separate frame on the television display.
US08683533B2
The present invention provides a video transmission apparatus including a connection terminal to which a video reproduction device is connected; a wireless transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting a video signal input through the connection terminal; a transmission quality detection unit for detecting transmission quality of when wirelessly transmitted by the wireless transmission unit; and a reproduction control unit for controlling the video reproduction device to stop the reproduction of the video when degradation of the transmission quality is detected and to resume the reproduction of the video when the transmission quality is recovered.
US08683527B2
A system and apparatus for supplying media content to portable communication devices is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, a Set-Top Box (STB) having a cellular transceiver and a controller element to direct the cellular transceiver to transmit a media guide for the STB to a terminal device for presentation on a display unit of the terminal device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08683525B2
An interactive television program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide is implemented on user television equipment containing a memory. The system allocates the memory among different categories of program guide data used by the program guide. When new channels are added to the channel line-up, the program guide adjusts its memory allocation accordingly. When it is desired to install a new non-program-guide application on the user television equipment in addition to the program guide, memory can be reallocated to accommodate the new application.
US08683521B1
A suggestion server generates suggestions of videos. The suggestion server analyzes log data to create co-watch data identifying pairs of co-watched videos and containing generate values representing the number of times the pairs of videos were co-watched. The suggestion server uses the co-watch data to create feature vectors for the co-watched videos. The suggestion server uses the feature vectors to train a ranker for each video. When trained, the ranker can be applied to a feature vector for a video to produce a ranking score. To produce suggestions for a given video, a set of candidate videos is defined. The suggestion server applies the feature vectors for the candidates to the ranker for the given video to produce ranking scores. The candidate videos are ranked based on their ranking scores, and the highest-ranked candidates are provided as suggestions for the given video.
US08683514B2
An exemplary method includes a media content delivery system transmitting an enhanced media content transport stream that includes at least a single program stream that carries data representative of multiple video content programs. The enhanced media content transport stream further includes data specifying multiple video program identifiers for the multiple video content programs, each of the multiple video program identifiers configured to be used by an access subsystem that receives the enhanced media content transport stream to selectively access a different one of the multiple video content programs. In certain embodiments, the multiple video content programs comprise a first video content program including video data for a main media content program and a second video content program including video data for an advertisement. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08683513B2
A method includes detecting a substitution signal at a set top box device. The method includes inserting an advertisement into a media stream in response to detecting the substitution signal and determining an advertising fee associated with insertion of the advertisement into the media stream. A first advertising fee is determined when the advertisement is a local advertisement for a provider of a product or service and is to be inserted at a first location in the media stream that follows a national advertisement for the product or service. The first advertising fee is higher than a second advertising fee that is associated with insertion of the local advertisement for the provider of the product or service at a second location in the media stream.
US08683511B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for presenting advertisements. In one aspect, audiovisual content is presented to a user. An indicator is presented together with the audiovisual content to the user. The indicator is associated with one or more tags. Input selecting the indicator is received from the user. An advertisement, associated with the indicator and dynamically selected based at least in part on one or more of the tags, is presented to the user.
US08683509B2
A method of managing distribution of multimedia content is disclosed. The method includes receiving multimedia content from a communications network at a communications gateway associated with a customer premises. The communications gateway encodes the multimedia content based on a heartbeat signal that is superimposed on an alternating current (AC) electrical power signal associated with an electrical wiring system of the customer premises. The communications gateway wirelessly transmits the encoded multimedia content.
US08683505B1
An interactive system for viewing music videos on the go that includes at least one processor, at least one display device electronically connected to the at least one processor, at least one communications means electronically connected to the at least one processor, and computer executable instructions readable by the at least one processor, and operative to display at least one music video channel selection function on the display device, display at least one music video on the display device, and display at least one instant messaging function on the display device, wherein the at least one music video channel selection function, the at least one music video, and the at least one instant messaging function are displayed simultaneously.
US08683501B2
A method and system to permit TV viewers to interact with program content broadcast over a subscriber network, such as cable, satellite, internet, or cellular telephone. The details of the ability for the viewer to interact is embedded as data in the program signal. The subscription provider broadcasts a visual indicator as a small icon during programming that informs the viewer that interaction is permitted. The viewer then uses a remote control to purchase products, vote on events, respond to polls, download files, request information, and request callback actions. The TV viewer uses the remote control to send information to a set-top box front-end application, and to iteratively create transactions that are batched and then sent to a back-end core application and database which then handles fulfillment.
US08683495B1
An information processing system in an illustrative embodiment comprises a sync point coordinator providing resilient high throughput job processing via coordinated resource scheduling across a distributed virtual infrastructure. In one aspect, a processing device of the information processing system comprises a processor coupled to a memory. The processing device implements a controller configured to coordinate interaction of each of multiple sync point components of the information processing system with distributed virtual infrastructure of the information processing system. The controller is coupled between each of the sync point components and the distributed virtual infrastructure. The controller may comprise, for example, a sync point coordinator having a schedule optimization module, and the sync point components may include, for example, a throughput scheduler, a resource manager, a job management system and a snapshot management system.
US08683486B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for creating and using persistent connections in SAS networks. A persistent connection may be a connection that persists for longer than the usual SAS connection. More specifically, it is a connection that is not subject to periodic tear downs by SAS devices according to existing SAS protocols (such as, by using CLOSE or BREAK primitives). Instead, persistent connections may be removable by a link reset. Persistent connections may be used in situations in which the overhead associated with the usual tear down and re-establishment of connections in a SAS network may be considered too high in comparison with its intended benefits. Persistent connections may also be used to provide virtual direct attachment between two different SAS connected devices or between a SAS connected device and an expander.
US08683485B2
A method for more effectively distributing the I/O workload in a data replication system is disclosed herein. In selected embodiments, such a method may include generating an I/O request and identifying a storage resource group associated with the I/O request. In the event the I/O request is associated with a first storage resource group, the I/O request may be directed to a first storage device and a copy of the I/O request may be mirrored from the first storage device to a second storage device. Alternatively, in the event the I/O request is associated with a second storage resource group, the I/O request may be directed to a second storage device and a copy of the I/O request may be mirrored from the second storage device to the first storage device.
US08683477B2
A model is constructed to determine performance of each computing application based on allocation of resources (including at least one hardware resource) to the computing applications. How the allocation of the resources to the computing applications affects the performance is unknown beforehand. The resources are allocated to the computing applications based at least on the model. Where the resources are overloaded as allocated to the computing applications, performance degradation of each computing application is performed based at least on priorities of the computing applications relative to one another and on the model. Performance degradation reduces usage of the resources by the computing applications so that the resources are no longer overloaded. How the priorities of the computing applications affect the performance degradation in a relative manner to one another is known and predictable beforehand.
US08683441B2
Two programs are checked for equivalence. Based on concrete states, a control path in each program is determined. A symbolic representation of the output is determined for each program and verified that for every input that would execute the programs on the determined control paths, the outputs are the same. Based on this operation, iterative processing may be performed to verify equivalence for all inputs of the program.
US08683434B2
Implementations include methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for receiving a lifecycle model, the lifecycle model including a representation of a lifecycle of an entity, the lifecycle including a plurality of states and transitions between states, receiving one or more artifacts, the entity including the one or more artifacts, each artifact of the one or more artifacts being associated with at least one state of the plurality of states, receiving a generic lifecycle management toolset, processing the lifecycle model and the one or more artifacts to configure the generic lifecycle management toolset and to define an adapted lifecycle management toolset that is specific to the entity, the adapted lifecycle management toolset including a lifecycle management interface, and providing the lifecycle management interface for display on a display device, the lifecycle management interface displaying representations of states of the plurality of states and a status of each state.
US08683430B2
The disclosure provides a solution for associating deployed executables with source code. In the solution, source code of a development environment can be mapped to a deployed executable of a runtime environment. The mapping can ensure that a version of source code from which the deployed executable was produced is always known. The mapping can occur within digitally encoded data stored in a non-transient storage medium. The development environment and the runtime environment can be two distinct and separate computing environments that are isolated from each other.
US08683429B2
Methods for runtime control of hierarchical objects are provided. Certain embodiments provide kinematics procedures in a media content, runtime environment. Making these procedures available in the runtime environment allows the variables of the kinematics procedures to be specified at runtime, for example by the end user or by a runtime-executed script. One exemplary method comprises receiving a hierarchical object for a piece of media in a media content authoring environment and providing the piece of media to one or more runtime environments. The piece of media provided to the runtime environments comprises both object information about the hierarchical object and kinematics procedural information for performing kinematics on the hierarchical object, such as procedural classes for performing inverse kinematics procedures based on runtime-provided end-effector and target point variables.
US08683423B2
A method for finding sequential patterns of attributes in a directed graph includes constructing a directed graph comprising multiple nodes and edges between the nodes. Each of the nodes may be assigned one or more attributes. Similarly, each of the edges may be assigned a weight value which may indicate the probably the edge will be traversed during traversal of the directed graph. The method may further include finding sequences of attributes in the directed graph that have some minimum amount of frequency and/or time support. In performing this step, the frequency support of each individual instance of a sequence of attributes may be calculated by multiplying the weight values along the edge or edges of the instance. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.
US08683422B2
Layout information indicating a layout of circuits on a print circuit board is obtained. With reference to the layout information, a connection portion, which electrically connects a ground pattern of the print circuit board and an external ground of the print circuit board, is specified, and a pin, which is included in a connector laid out on the print circuit board and is connected to the ground pattern, is identified. Then, a discharge route between the pin and connection portion is determined.
US08683421B2
It is possible to optimize the time required for a success/failure determination step and the accuracy of the success/failure determination step by determining region-based connector/wiring information to be created and increasing or decreasing the number of patterns of the region-based connector/wiring information. When a wire harness is arranged in each partitioned area of a vehicle space, specifications satisfied by the vehicle are referenced, region-based connector/wiring information described for a wire harness arranged in each partitioned area realizing a predetermined specification is created, and the presence/absence of errors in connections of electric wires is inspected for the created region-based connector/wiring information.
US08683413B2
A multi-layered ceramic package comprises: a signal layer with identified chip/device area(s) that require a supply of power; and a voltage power (Vdd) layer and a ground (Gnd) layer disposed on opposite sides directly above or below and adjacent to the signal layer and providing a first reference mesh plane and a second reference mesh plane configured utilizing a hybrid mesh scheme. The hybrid mesh scheme comprises: a full dense mesh in a first area directly above or below the identified chip/device area(s); a half dense mesh in a second area that is above or below the edge(s) of the chip/device area; and a wider mesh pitch in all other areas The Vdd traces are aligned to run parallel and adjacent to signal lines in those other areas. Wider traces are provided within the mesh areas that run parallel and adjacent to signal lines.
US08683411B2
A global placer receives a plurality of regions, each region occupying a sub-area of a design area. receives a plurality of movebound objects, each movebound object associated with a region. The global placer receives a plurality of unconstrained objects, each unconstrained object associated with no region. The global placer receives a tolerance, wherein the placement tolerance defines a coronal fringe to at least one region. The global placer initially placing the plurality of movebound objects and unconstrained objects. The global placer iterates over objects without preference to region-affiliation to select an object, wherein the objects are comprised of the plurality of movebound objects and plurality of unconstrained objects. The global placer determines whether movebound object is within the tolerance of a region associated with the movebound object.
US08683408B2
Techniques and systems for optimizing a circuit design are described. In some embodiments, a sequential cell is selected for optimization. Next, the system iterates through a set of candidate sequential cells that are functionally equivalent to the sequential cell that is being optimized. The system evaluates the global timing impact of each candidate sequential cell in a highly efficient manner. For each candidate sequential cell that is evaluated, a non-timing metric and a timing metric for a candidate sequential cell are compared with the corresponding non-timing metric and timing metric for the current best sequential cell. If a candidate sequential cell improves the timing metric, or maintains the timing metric and has better non-timing metric(s), then the candidate sequential cell is stored as the current best sequential cell. Once the process completes, the current best sequential cell is the optimized cell size for the sequential cell.
US08683402B2
A timing analysis mechanism allows defining a clock alias that correlates a clock that is not present in an integrated circuit design to a real clock in the integrated circuit design. In a first implementation, when an existing user assertion references a clock alias, the timing analysis mechanism generates a new user assertion that references the real clock specified in the clock alias. The new user assertion is then used in the timing analysis and the existing user assertion is not. In a second implementation, when an existing user assertion references a clock alias, the timing analysis mechanism generates a duplicate clock in the timing database, preserving all its attributes, and then passes the assertion using the alias name as well as any assertions using the corresponding real clock name to the timing engine to be used in the timing analysis.
US08683387B2
A system and a method are provided for visualizing virtual objects on a mobile device. A computing device is in communication with the mobile device. The computing device generates a 3D virtual world of one or more virtual objects corresponding to one or more physical objects in a real world. The computing device then associates information with the one or more virtual objects and generates one or more static images based on the 3D virtual world. The mobile device receives the one or more static images and the associated information associated from the computing device, and then displays the one or more static images.
US08683385B2
A mobile terminal and a method of displaying a menu thereof are provided. The method includes displaying a list of upper-level menus in an order on a display screen, displaying a first upper-level menu at an upper end of the display panel, a second upper-level menu that is next to the first upper-level menu in the order at a lower end of the display screen, and lower-level menus of the first upper-level menu in a list between the first upper-level menu and the second upper-level menu in response to selection of the first upper-level menu from the list of upper-level menus, and executing a selected lower-level menu in response to selection of one of the lower-level menus.
US08683383B2
Unused menu items are automatically removed from a TV menu such as a cross-media bar (XMB).
US08683381B2
A drug delivery safety system includes a programmer with a display and a communications device adapted to communicate with an ambulatory medical device. The programmer has access to a database of information, and is adapted to receive and process the information and a user input and to control the display to provide a graphical user interface that prompts a user of the programmer to provide an additional user input when the user input requests a drug delivery protocol for the ambulatory medical device that is not already stored in the database as a clinician-approved drug delivery protocol.
US08683375B2
An approach is provided for improved messaging user interfaces. A subset of available messaging services is selected based, at least in part, on a touch control area of a user interface of a device. The user interface includes, at least in part, tabs corresponding to each of the available messaging services. Presentation of the user interface is caused, at least in part, at the device. The tabs presented in the user interface correspond to the subset.
US08683374B2
In one or more embodiments, a Web browser is configured to enable a user to open a new tab and, responsively, display one or more activities in a new tab page for the user. The user can then select, from the new tab page, one or more activities to be performed. In at least some embodiments, a user can select an object in a first tab page, open a new tab page, and select an activity on the new tab page that is to be performed relative to the selected object.
US08683373B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus and computer usable program code for managing files. A set of origination locations for a plurality of files is identified to form a set of identified origination locations in response to a request to view the plurality of files. Each origination location in the set of identified origination locations identifies a location from which a file in the plurality of files has been received. A representation of the plurality of files is presented using a set of graphical indicators based on the set of identified origination locations.
US08683365B2
Provided is a system and method for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing equipment by means of a user interface. The control system connects at least one controller through a network to a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing equipments. The controller includes a superordinate controller such as a host for remote control and a subordinate controller such as a cluster tool controller. The controller includes a user interface application for controlling, monitoring and managing the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The user interface application provides a navigation menu in one side region of a screen to display menus, accessed by a user, in the order of history. The navigation menu is provided in the type of menu bars corresponding to the menus accessed by the user. The navigation menu is configured to automatically store data corrected by the user, prior to conversion to another menu. The menus accessed by the user can be rapidly selected by means of the user interface, and the loss of the corrected data in the accessed menu can be prevented.
US08683360B2
A redrawing area displaying unit sets a redrawing area SD based on an area redrawn by a drawing processing unit in each frame, and displays an image representing the set redrawing area SD by overlapping the image on a GUI. Each time a frame of the GUI is updated by the drawing processing unit, a target redrawing area displaying unit measures a drawing processing time TS of the updated frame, and when the measured drawing processing time TS exceeds a predetermined reference processing time TR, calculates a target redrawing area MD that is drawable within the reference processing time TR, and overlaps an image representing the calculated target redrawing area MD on an excess frame and displays this image.
US08683348B1
A technique for modifying a user experience associated with a software product is described. During this modification technique, behavioral metrics that are associated with a user's emotional state are collected while the user is using the software product. For example, the behavioral metrics may include: usage patterns, user gestures and/or user tactile inputs. Furthermore, using the collected behavioral metrics, the user's emotional state is determined. Then, the user experience is modified based on the determined emotional state.
US08683345B2
An apparatus for controlling a multimedia device and a method for providing a graphic user interface are disclosed. In the apparatus, a network interface transmits and receives data to and from the at least one multimedia device. A display displays a screen. A controller controls to display at least one place selection menu indicating a place in which the at least one multimedia device is located on the screen, display, upon selection of the at least one place selection menu, at least one player selection menu indicating a player located in the place, on the screen, and display at least one source selection menu indicating a source capable of outputting contents to the player on the screen, upon selection of the at least one player selection menu.
US08683341B2
A method by which a multimedia presentation editor for use on a (typically handheld) communication or computing terminal (10) interfaces with a user so as to allow the user to create or edit a presentation (20), including: a step (51) in which objects to be displayed successively when a slide (21) is displayed in play mode, are instead assembled by the editor one under another in a column (25a), and objects (22) to be displayed continuously are also assembled in a (one-object-long) column (25b); and a step (52) in which the editor displays each column (25a-b) side-by-side, corresponding to the side-by-side arrangement of respective objects in the different columns (25a-b) when the slide (21) is displayed in play mode, thus allowing some parts of the slide (21) to be fixed, and some parts (23a-c) to change—the parts having columns with more than one object. Corresponding equipment is also provided.
US08683340B2
A digital signage content management system is provided that uses existing interfaces such as web interfaces and turns existing commercially available graphics programs such as web based tools or locally run programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint® into a digital signage platform to facilitate developing and managing digital signage applications through the creation of smart objects and intelligent templates that are easy to create and easy to modify to suit different applications. This enables digital signage content to be professionally created without requiring custom programming for each and every stream of new and/or changing content. The smart objects and intelligent templates can also be used to provide content with changing elements in real-time.
US08683338B2
There is provided an information processing device, comprising: a display unit configured to display at least one of a plurality of data files; an information providing unit configured to transmit, to a host computer, first information enabling a client device accessing the host computer to display information contained in the first information; a display switch unit configured to switch onscreen representation on the display unit between images corresponding to the plurality of data files; and a data changing unit configured to transmit, to the host computer, second information concerning an image corresponding to one of the plurality of data files currently displayed on the display unit in response to a fact that the onscreen representation on the display unit is switched.
US08683336B2
There is provided an inter-device operation interface that is displayed on a display unit of a device control terminal that controls an operation between devices connected through a network, including: a contents display area to display information of contents held by a device; an operation display area to display information of an operation executed to the contents; and a device display area to display information serving as a target of the operation, and wherein, when information displayed in each of the display areas is selected by using the operation unit of the device control terminal, a service provided by the device connected through a wide-area network is displayed in the device display area as the candidate of the target.
US08683329B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for translation of markup language documents with display replacement. In some implementations, a method includes displaying a markup language document in an original language by rendering an internal representation of the document, sending a data structure containing the texts from the text nodes of the internal representation, as distinct data entities, to a translation service, replacing the texts with translated texts received from the translation service resulting in a translated representation, and displaying a first translation of the document by rendering the translated representation. In some implementations, partial, incremental translation is performed. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a notification that a phrase in a markup language document has been selected, requesting translation of the text of the selected phrase, and then displaying a received translation in a user interface.
US08683318B1
A method for facilitating the processing of markup language documents, e.g., XML documents, uses a code generator that creates programs configured to read dynamic XML documents at run time, avoiding many of the complexities arising from the use of conventional “XML Parse” statements. In one embodiment, this process involves (1) creating a template document using the markup language, wherein the template document includes a set of tags associated with the markup language documents; (2) parsing the template document to determine a data structure corresponding to the tags in the template document; and (3) generating an application program in the programming language (e.g., COBOL), wherein the application program includes a definition of the data structure, and is configured to read, during run-time, the markup language document and generate a corresponding set of data elements corresponding to the data structure.
US08683313B2
A method, medium and implementing processing system are provided for book marking a combination of frame URLs within a frameset and allowing the sharing on multiple PCs the saved form data that may have been filled in. The system uses an image as a hotspot, containing a complex target destination in the form of an XML structure with multiple URLs for multiple frames as well as captured form data. This system combines file types such as XML and JPG, e.g. as in sample file name ‘MyCapturedFramesAndFormData.XML.JPG’ or ‘MyCapturedFramesAndFormData.XML.GIF’. This combination provides a surprising effect compared to the prior systems, namely, launching the image in an enhanced web browser or in a web browser containing a new plug-in, displays the frame just as it was when saved, including frame set and data input to displayed forms.
US08683306B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, a data processing system is disclosed that includes a channel detector circuit. The channel detector circuit includes a branch metric calculator circuit that is operable to receive a number of violated checks from a preceding stage, and to scale an intrinsic branch metric using a scalar selected based at least in part on the number of violated checks to yield a scaled intrinsic branch metric.
US08683304B2
Subject matter, for example, disclosed herein relates to an embodiment of a process, system, device, or article involving error correction codes. In a particular embodiment, an error-correcting device may comprise an input port to receive an error correcting code (ECC) based, at least in part, on contents of a memory array; a nonlinear computing block to process the ECC to provide a plurality of signals representing a nonlinear portion of an error locator polynomial; and a linear computing block to process the ECC concurrently with processing the ECC to provide a plurality of signals representing the nonlinear portion of the error locator polynomial, to provide a plurality of signals representing a linear portion of the error locator polynomial.
US08683299B2
In one embodiment, a turbo equalizer has a channel detector that receives equalized samples and generates channel soft-output values. An LDPC decoder attempts to decode the channel soft-output values to recover an LDPC-encoded codeword. If the decoder converges on a trapping set, then an adjustment block selects one or more of the equalized samples based on one or more specified conditions and adjusts the selected equalized samples. Selection may be performed by identifying the locations of unsatisfied check nodes of the last local decoder iteration and selecting the equalized samples that correspond to bit nodes of the LDPC-encoded codeword that are connected to the unsatisfied check nodes. Adjustment of the equalized samples may be performed using any combination of scaling, offsetting, and saturation. Channel detection is then performed using the adjusted equalized samples to generate an updated set of channel soft-output values, which are subsequently decoded by the decoder.
US08683296B2
An accelerated erasure coding system includes a processing core for executing computer instructions and accessing data from a main memory, and a non-volatile storage medium for storing the computer instructions. The processing core, storage medium, and computer instructions are configured to implement an erasure coding system, which includes: a data matrix for holding original data in the main memory; a check matrix for holding check data in the main memory; an encoding matrix for holding first factors in the main memory, the first factors being for encoding the original data into the check data; and a thread for executing on the processing core. The thread includes: a parallel multiplier for concurrently multiplying multiple entries of the data matrix by a single entry of the encoding matrix; and a first sequencer for ordering operations through the data matrix and the encoding matrix using the parallel multiplier to generate the check data.
US08683293B2
An error locator unit for correcting two bit error. The error locator unit includes a plurality of operational units, a normalized basis transform unit, and a conversion unit. The plurality of operations units calculates coefficients of the polynomial based on the generated syndromes in a first basis of a Galois Field. Operating on the coefficients produces a root definition value vector in the first basis. The normalized basis transform unit transforms the root definition value vector to a normal basis to produce a plurality of roots. The conversion unit converts the plurality of roots to the first basis. A scaling factor calculated based on the coefficients is applied to the output of the conversion unit to produce a plurality of scaled roots for said polynomial in the first basis. The plurality of scaled roots is added to produce error locations for the polynomial.
US08683292B2
A multiple access scheme is described. One or more encoders are configured to encode a plurality of bit streams using Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding. The bit streams correspond to a respective plurality of terminals. The plurality of bit streams are converted to provide a multiple access scheme for the terminals.
US08683291B2
Described embodiments provide for a frame check sequence (FCS) module with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) unit that receives a data block (padded, if necessary, to a maximum width) and a first state vector and computes an internal vector based on an extended CRC transition matrix. The FCS module further includes a set of matrix units, each matrix unit configured to multiply the internal vector by a corresponding correction matrix wherein the multiplications result in a set of products. A multiplexer selects, by a control signal determined by a maximum number of bytes and the original width, a second state vector from the set of products.
US08683280B2
Aspects of the invention relate to low power BIST-based testing. A low power test generator may comprise a pseudo-random pattern generator unit, a toggle control unit configured to generate toggle control data based on bit sequence data generated by the pseudo-random pattern generator unit, and a hold register unit configured to generate low power test pattern data by replacing, based on the toggle control data received from the toggle control unit, data from some or all of outputs of the pseudo-random pattern generator unit with constant values during various time periods. The low power test generator may further comprise a phase shifter configured to combine bits of the low power test pattern data for driving scan chains.
US08683273B2
Method and application server for providing an asynchronous error notification from an application server to an application server controller in a network is provided. The method at the application server includes generating an error message when an error occurs at/during Open Service Gateway initiative (OSGi) framework runtime. The method also includes converting the error message as a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) event. Moreover, the method includes providing the UPnP event comprising error information to the application server controller. The application server includes a receiver configured to receive a command from an application server controller to install an application in an Open Service Gateway initiative (OSGi) framework available at the application server. The application server also includes a processor configured to generate an error message when an error occurs during installation of the application in the framework and convert the error message as a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) event. Moreover, the application server includes a transmitter configured to provide the UPnP event comprising the error information to the application server controller.
US08683261B2
Instructions within a processor are managed by receiving, at a recovery unit of the processor, an instruction that modifies a control register residing within the recovery unit. The recovery unit receives a first set of data associated with the instruction from a general register. A second set of data associated with the instruction is retrieved from the control register by the recovery unit. The recovery unit performs at least one binary logic operation on the first set of data and the second data.
US08683258B2
A method for fast I/O path failure detection and cluster wide failover. The method includes accessing a distributed computer system having a cluster including a plurality of nodes, and experiencing an I/O path failure for a storage device. An I/O failure message is generated in response to the I/O path failure. A cluster wide I/O failure message broadcast to the plurality of nodes that designates a faulted controller. Upon receiving I/O failure responses from the plurality of nodes, an I/O queue message is broadcast to the nodes to cause the nodes to queue I/O through the faulted controller and switch to an alternate controller. Upon receiving I/O queue responses from the plurality of nodes, an I/O failover commit message is broadcast to the nodes to cause the nodes to commit to a failover and un-queue their I/O.
US08683257B2
One aspect of the present invention provides a system for failover comprising at least one client selectively connectable to one of at least two interconnected servers via a network connection. In a normal state, one of the servers is designated a primary server when connected to the client and a remainder of the servers are designated as backup servers when not connected to the client. The at least one client is configured to send messages to the primary server. The servers are configured to process the messages using at least one service that is identical in each of the servers. The services are unaware of whether a server respective to the service is operating as the primary server or the backup server. The servers are further configured to maintain a library, or the like, that indicates whether a server is the primary server or a server is the backup server. The services within each server are to make external calls via its respective library. The library in the primary server is configured to complete the external calls and return results of the external calls to the service in the primary server and to forward results of the external calls to the service in the backup server. The library in the secondary server does not make external calls but simply forwards the results of the external calls, as received from the primary server, to the service in the secondary server when requested to do so by the service in the secondary server.
US08683253B2
An apparatus that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus, including a resistor network, a transmitting device, and a receiving device. The resistor network indicates an amount to advance a synchronous data strobe associated with a data group. The transmitting device has a core clocks generator and a synchronous strobe driver. The core clocks generator advances a data strobe clock by the amount. The synchronous strobe driver employs the data strobe clock to generate the synchronous data strobe, where the synchronous data strobe is advanced also by the amount. The receiving device has a composite delay element and delay-locked loops (DLLs). The composite delay element equalizes delay paths within the receiving device, where the delay paths correspond to the synchronous data strobe that is received from the transmitting device.
US08683251B2
Methods, system, and computer program products are provided for determining redundancy of power feeds connecting a server to a power supply. Embodiments include receiving, by a redundancy monitoring manager, from each of a plurality of redundancy monitoring interposers, connection information, wherein each redundancy monitoring interposer comprises a device that provides an electrical contact between a power circuit and one of a power supply, the server, and another power circuit; in dependence upon the connection information, determining, by the redundancy monitoring manager, for each power feed provided to the server, which power circuits supply the power feed; determining, by the redundancy monitoring manager, if any of the power feeds are supplied by the same power circuit; and indicating, by the redundancy monitoring manager, that the server has at least one non-redundant power feed when multiple power feeds of the server are supplied by the same power circuit.
US08683235B2
An electrical apparatus includes a main unit which consumes electrical power; a power supply unit which supplies electrical power from a commercial power source to the main unit; a secondary battery to be charged with electrical power supplied from the power supply unit; and a power source control unit. In a state where a power source of the main unit is the power supply unit, when power consumption of the main unit exceeds a first threshold, the power source control unit changes the state to another state where the power source of the main unit is the power supply unit and secondary battery.
US08683233B2
The invention relates to a method for protecting at least one motor vehicle component against manipulation in a control device, which comprises at least one microcomputer (μC) and at least one memory module (2, 3), characterized in that the microcomputer (μC) reads out a specific original identifier (ID) of at least one memory module (2, 3) from the memory module (2, 3) and stores it. Furthermore the invention relates to a control device for a motor vehicle component which comprises at least one microcomputer (μC) and at least one memory module (2, 3), characterized in that at least one memory module (2, 3) has at least one specific identifier (ID) and the microcomputer (μC) has at least one area (11) in which at least one specific original identifier is stored.
US08683229B2
A portable data sensor tag includes a memory, a data communication circuit which receives a wireless activation signal from an external terminal, and, in an operation using electromotive force generated by the received activation signal, receives an encryption key from the external terminal and stores the received encryption key in the memory. A power source supplies power, an insulator which switches a power supply from the power source from off to on, and a sensor circuit reads the encryption key from the memory, encrypts measured data using the read encryption key, and stores the encrypted measurement data in the memory. The sensor circuit operates using the power supplied from the power source after the power supply from the power source is switched on.
US08683222B2
Use of cryptographic key-store hardware security modules is optimized in a system having a first scarce high-security key storage device and a second more plentiful low-security key storage device comprising securing a cryptographic key to the higher security level by initially storing the key in the first storage device, then responsive to an event, evaluating the stored key against one or more rules, and subsequent to the evaluation, reclassifying the stored key for relocation, encrypting the reclassified key using a key-encryption key; relocating the reclassified key into the second, lower-security storage device, and storing the key-encryption key in the first storage device.
US08683220B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes detecting database activity associated with a statement having a signature, validating the signature; and evaluating the statement as a signed statement if the signature is valid. In more particular embodiments, the signature may include a unique script identifier and a hash function of a shared key. In yet other embodiments, validating the signature may include checking a session variable and comparing the statement to a list of signed statements.
US08683219B2
A method checks the integrity of data stored in a predetermined memory area of a memory of a first device. The first device is coupled to at least one second device by a network The method involves providing at least one parameter which is suitable for influencing a hash value of at least one predetermined hash function. At least one hash value is calculated on the basis of the data stored in the predetermined memory, the at least one predetermined hash function and the at least one parameter. The second device checks the integrity of the data stored in the predetermined memory area of the first device on the basis of the calculated hash value or values.
US08683213B2
Techniques for performing progressive boot to reduce perceived boot time for a wireless device are described. Program codes to be stored in a bulk non-volatile memory may be partitioned into multiple code images. A first code image may include program codes used to support basic functionality of the wireless device. A second code image may include the remaining program codes. For progressive boot, the first code image may be loaded first from the bulk non-volatile memory. Once the first code image has been loaded, the wireless device may be rendered operational and may appear as functional to a user. While the wireless device is operational, the second code image may be loaded from the bulk non-volatile memory as background task and/or on-demand as needed.
US08683211B2
A method of protecting a secure USB key comprising: a step of obtaining at least one parameter concerning the use of a function that can be executed on said key; a step of detecting at least one blocking condition that depends on said parameter, and where appropriate, a first check step suitable for preventing the execution of said function; a step of detecting at least one determined event independent of said function; and a second check step suitable for authorizing the execution of said first check step only in the event of said determined event being detected, said second check step being active even when said blocking condition is not satisfied.
US08683201B2
A computer-implemented method is provided, including storing, in an authentication server system, a URL identifying at least one web page, and providing a secure zone browser-side script to be placed on the web page. Upon opening of the web page in a browser, the secure zone browser-side script triggers execution of a server-side script at the authentication server system. The server-side script creates, on the web page, an inline frame, which is controlled by the authentication server system during a session that is associated with the inline frame. The authentication server system retrieves a referrer address from the session, and compares the referrer address with the stored URL. Upon finding a match between the referrer address and the stored URL, the authentication server system delivers web content to or via the inline frame. Other embodiments are also described.
US08683180B2
A method, processor, and computer program product employing an intermediate register mapper within a register renaming mechanism. A logical register lookup determines whether a hit to a logical register associated with the dispatched instruction has occurred. In this regard, the logical register lookup searches within at least one register mapper from a group of register mappers, including an architected register mapper, a unified main mapper, and an intermediate register mapper. A single hit to the logical register is selected among the group of register mappers. If an instruction having a mapper entry in the unified main mapper has finished but has not completed, the mapping contents of the register mapper entry in the unified main mapper are moved to the intermediate register mapper, and the unified register mapper entry is released, thus increasing a number of unified main mapper entries available for reuse.
US08683179B2
A method and a processor load/store unit (LSU) are described for performing store-to-load forwarding (STLF) from an interlocking store. STLF is performed when a starting address of the store and the load do not match, or when a data size of the store is smaller than a data size of the load. The LSU detects a load that interlocks with a store, and determines whether all or only a portion of data bytes needed by the load can be provided by the interlocking store. If it is determined that only a portion of the data bytes needed by the load can be provided by the interlocking store, then that portion of the data bytes is provided by a store data buffer (SDB) and the remaining portion of the data bytes needed by the load is provided by a data cache (DC). Otherwise, the SDB provides all of the data bytes.
US08683172B2
A computer system includes a server system and a storage system. The server system is configured to manage a plurality of virtual machines, each of which has a virtual machine interface. The storage system is configured to manage a plurality of virtual storage systems, each of which has a virtual storage interface. A first virtual machine is related to a first virtual storage system of the plurality of virtual storage systems. If the first virtual machine issues a first command to the first virtual storage system through a first virtual machine interface of the first virtual machine, the server system adds information of a first identifier, which is assigned to a first virtual storage interface of the first virtual storage system related to the first virtual machine, to the first command, and sends the first command to the storage system.
US08683171B2
A storage system connected to a computer and a management computer, includes storage devices accessed by the computer, and a control unit for controlling the storage devices. A first-type logical device corresponding to a storage area set in at least one of the storage devices and a second-type logical device that is a virtual storage area are provided. The control unit sets at least two of the first-type logical devices different in a characteristic as storage areas included in a storage pool through mapping. The first-type logical device stores data by allocating a storage area of the second-type logical device to a storage area of the first-type logical device mapped to the storage pool. The characteristic of the second-type logical device can be changed by changing the allocated storage area of the second-type logical device to a storage area of another first-type logical device.
US08683166B1
A programmable integrated circuit device (IC) can include a configuration controller configured to assert a suspend request signal responsive to an input triggering suspend mode within the programmable IC and a memory controller block coupled to the configuration controller and a memory device. The memory controller block can be configured to place the memory device in self refresh mode in response to the suspend request signal and assert a suspend acknowledgement signal subsequent to placing the memory device in self refresh mode. The configuration controller can continue implementing suspend mode within the programmable IC in response to assertion of the suspend acknowledgement signal.
US08683162B2
In an embodiment, a storage system includes pools each of which includes storage resources and is separated into tiers different in access performance. A management system monitors access performance of the pools to detect a risky pool expected to become unable to satisfy predetermined access performance requirements. The management system estimates access performance of each of one or more candidate pools in the pools in the case where a storage resource migrates from the candidate pool to the risky pool, by simulation based on variations in data arrangement in the pool caused by evacuating data held in the storage resource in the same pool for the migration of the storage resource. The management system determines that a storage resource migrates from a source pool of which the estimated access performance satisfies predetermined performance requirements to the risky pool.
US08683160B2
An apparatus for providing memory energy accounting within a data processing system having multiple chiplets is disclosed. The apparatus includes a system memory, a memory access collection module, a memory throttle counter, and a memory credit accounting module. The memory access collection module receives a first set of signals from a first cache memory within a chiplet and a second set of signals from a second cache memory within the chiplet. The memory credit accounting module tracks the usage of the system memory on a per user basis according to the results of cache accesses extracted from the first and second set of signals from the first and second cache memories within the chiplet.
US08683155B2
A virtualization control apparatus includes a selection unit that, when receiving a copy request, conducting an access test corresponding to the copy request on each of the virtualization switch units and selects one of the virtualization switch units of the highest performance among the plurality of the virtual switch units, and a sending unit that sends the copy request to the selected virtualization switch unit.
US08683154B2
Operation of an environment that supports both host-based replication and array-based replication is realized. According to the present invention, data in the first storage area is copied first to the second storage area using an array-based replication engine. In this case, the execution result of the replication is managed using a flag from which the copy timing can be known. In addition, data in the first storage area is copied to the third storage area using a host-based replication engine, and further, data in the third storage area is copied to the fourth storage area. Then, when data in the second storage area is restored to the first storage area, data in the fourth storage area is returned to the third storage area so that the third storage area has data of the same time as the second storage area (see FIG. 12).
US08683153B1
A method is used in iterating for deduplication. A collection of data is selected from a set of storage extents. The collection of data is comprised of respective subset of the contents of each storage extent of the set of storage extents. A deduplicating technique is applied to the collection of data.
US08683149B2
Embodiments of a memory controller are described. This memory controller includes signal connectors, which are electrically coupled to a communication path that includes multiple links, and an interface circuit, which is electrically coupled to the signal connectors. In a first operating mode, the interface circuit communicates with a first memory device via the communication path using spatial multiplexing, in which there are dedicated command/address links and dedicated data links in the communication path. Moreover, in a second operating mode, the interface circuit communicates with a second memory device via the communication path using time multiplexing, in which at least some of the links in the communication path time interleave command/address information and data.
US08683144B2
Machine readable instructions, methods, and systems of causation of a data read against a first storage system to optionally store a data write to preserve the version to allow viewing and recovery are disclosed. In an embodiment, a system for providing secondary data storage and recovery services for one or more networked host nodes includes a server application for facilitating data backup and recovery services; a first data storage medium accessible to the server application; a second data storage medium accessible to the server application; and at least one client application for mapping write locations allocated by the first data storage medium to write locations represented in a logical view of the first data storage medium.
US08683142B2
Technique and apparatus for identifying cache segments for caching data to be written to main memory
A memory apparatus having a cache memory including cache segments, and memorizing validity data indicative of whether or not each of the sectors contained in each cache segment is a valid sector inclusive of valid data; and a cache controlling component for controlling access to the cache memory. The cache controlling component includes a detecting component for detecting, when writing a cache segment back to the main memory, areas having consecutive invalid sectors by accessing validity data corresponding to the cache segment, and a write-back controlling component issuing a read command to the main memory, the read command being for reading data into each area detected, making the area a valid sector, and writing the data in the cache segment back to the main memory.
US08683141B2
In a semiconductor memory computer equipped with a flash memory, use of backed-up data is enabled. The semiconductor memory computer includes an address conversion table for detecting physical addresses of at least two pages storing data by designating a logical address from one of logical addresses to be designated by a reading request. The semiconductor memory computer includes a page status register for detecting one page status allocated to each page, and page statuses to be detected include the at least following four statuses: (1) a latest data storage status, (2) a not latest data storage status, (3) an invalid data storage status, and (4) an unwritten status. By using the address conversion table and the page status register, at least two data s (latest data and past data) can be read for one designated logical address from a host computer.
US08683140B2
A method of processing store requests in a data processing system includes enqueuing a store request in a store queue of a cache memory of the data processing system. The store request identifies a target memory block by a target address and specifies store data. While the store request and a barrier request older than the store request are enqueued in the store queue, a read-claim machine of the cache memory is dispatched to acquire coherence ownership of target memory block of the store request. After coherence ownership of the target memory block is acquired and the barrier request has been retired from the store queue, a cache array of the cache memory is updated with the store data.
US08683139B2
A cache is provided for operatively coupling a processor with a main memory. The cache includes a cache memory and a cache controller operatively coupled with the cache memory. The cache controller is configured to receive memory requests to be satisfied by the cache memory or the main memory. In addition, the cache controller is configured to process cache activity information to cause at least one of the memory requests to bypass the cache memory.
US08683135B2
Techniques are disclosed relating to prefetching data from memory. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit may include a processor containing an execution core and a data cache. The execution core may be configured to receive an instance of a prefetch instruction that specifies a memory address from which to retrieve data. In response to the instance of the instruction, the execution core retrieves data from the memory address and stores it in the data in the data cache, regardless of whether the data corresponding to that particular memory address is already stored in the data cache. In this manner, the data cache may be used as a prefetch buffer for data in memory buffers where coherence has not been maintained.
US08683134B2
Upgrade of low priority prefetch requests to high priority real requests in shared memory controller
A prefetch controller implements an upgrade when a real read access request hits the same memory bank and memory address as a previous prefetch request. In response per-memory bank logic promotes the priority of the prefetch request to that of a read request. If the prefetch request is still waiting to win arbitration, this upgrade in priority increases the likelihood of gaining access generally reducing the latency. If the prefetch request had already gained access through arbitration, the upgrade has no effect. This thus generally reduces the latency in completion of a high priority real request when a low priority speculative prefetch was made to the same address.
US08683131B2
A storage device is provided for direct memory access. A controller of the storage device performs a mapping of a window of memory addresses to a logical block addressing (LBA) range of the storage device. Responsive to receiving from a host a write request specifying a write address within the window of memory addresses, the controller initializes a first memory buffer in the storage device and associates the first memory buffer with a first address range within the window of memory addresses such that the write address of the request is within the first address range. The controller writes to the first memory buffer based on the write address. Responsive to the buffer being full the controller persists contents of the first memory buffer to the storage device using logical block addressing based on the mapping.
US08683127B2
A cache management method using checkpoint tags in checkpoint mode includes steps of: receiving a request to save data; fetching at least one cache block including the data from cache memory; writing the data from the at least one cache block into the data array; writing a physical address and metadata of the cache block into an array of cache memory tags; and upon receipt of a restore request: fetching an identifier for the at least one cache block stored in the checkpoint tag array; reloading the cache memory with the at least one cache block in the checkpoint tag array; and switching to normal mode.
US08683123B2
A data storage network is provided. The network includes a client connected to the data storage network; a plurality nodes on the data storage network, wherein each data node has two or more RAID controllers, wherein a first RAID controller of a first node is configured to receive a data storage request from the client and to generate RAID parity data on a data set received from the client, and to store all of the generated RAID parity data on a single node of the plurality of nodes.
US08683119B2
A method begins by a processing module receiving a data storage request that includes data and determining dispersed storage error encoding parameters for dispersed error encoding storage of data. The method continues with the processing module dispersed storage error encoding the data in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices and establishing access control information for each encoded data slice of the set encoded data slices in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding parameters to produce a set of access control information. The method continues with the processing module appending a corresponding one of the set of access control information to each of the set of encoded data slices to produce a set of appended slices and outputting the set of appended slices to a set of dispersed storage units.
US08683115B2
A memory management and protection system that manages memory access requests from a number of requestors. Memory accesses are allowed or disallowed based on the privilege level of the requestor, based on a Privilege Identifier that accompanies each memory access request. An extended memory controller selects the appropriate set of segment registers based on the Privilege Identifier to insure that the request is compared to and translated by the segment register associated with the master originating the request. A set of mapping registers allow flexible mapping of each Privilege Identifier to the appropriate access permission.
US08683112B2
A method performed by two or more devices of a group of devices in a distributed data replication system may include receiving a group of chunks having a same unique temporary identifier, the group of chunks comprising an object to be uploaded; creating an entry for the object in a replicated index, the entry being keyed by the unique temporary identifier, and the replicated index being replicated at each of the two or more devices; and determining, by an initiating device of the two or more devices, that a union of the group of chunks contains all data of the object. The method may also include calculating a content-based identifier to the object; creating another entry for the object in the replicated index, the other entry being keyed by the content-based identifier; and updating the replicated index to point from the unique temporary identifier to the content-based identifier.
US08683110B2
Virtual Functions (VFs) 602-1 to 602-N of an I/O device are separately allocated to a plurality of computers 1-1 to 1-N. In an address swap table 506, a root domain that is an address space of the computer 1 and mapping information of an I/O domain that is an address space unique to the I/O device 6 are registered. Mapping is set with the VFs 602-1 to 602-N as units. When accessing the VFs 602-1 to 602-N of the I/O device 6 to which each of the computers 1-1 to 1-N is allocated, an I/O packet transfer unit 701 checks the address swap table 506 to swap source/destination addresses recorded in packet headers.
US08683108B2
A method for implementing connected input/output (I/O) hub configuration and management includes configuring a first I/O hub in wrap mode with a second I/O hub. The hubs are communicatively coupled via a wrap cable. The method further includes generating data traffic on a computing subsystem that includes the hubs. Generating traffic includes: converting, via the first hub, a request to implement a transaction into an I/O device-readable request packet and transmitting the request packet over the wrap cable; converting, via the second hub, the I/O device-readable (IODR) request packet into a system readable request and transmitting the request over a system bus; converting, via the second hub, the response to an IODR response packet, and transmitting the response packet over the wrap cable; and converting, via the first hub, the IODR response packet into a system readable response packet, and transmitting the response packet over the system bus.
US08683107B2
In an embodiment, a north chip receives a secondary bus identifier that identifies a bus that is immediately downstream from a bridge in a south chip, a subordinate bus identifier that identifies a highest bus identifier of all of buses reachable downstream of the bridge, and an MMIO bus address range that comprises a memory base and a memory limit. The north chip writes a translation of a bridge identifier and a south chip identifier to the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, and the MMIO bus address range. The north chip sends the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, the memory base, and the memory limit to the bridge. The bridge stores the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, the memory base, and the memory limit in the bridge.
US08683104B2
Exemplary method embodiments for hierarchy multi-tenancy support for configuration of a plurality of host attachment through a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, multiple data storage subsystems are configured with multiple operators for configuration and management of multiple host attachments to multiple logical volumes. A logical operator is designated with the responsibility of designating authority to a host attachment operator and the ability to configure multiple logical volumes. Limited authority is provided for the host attachment operator to configure multiple volume groups and multiple host ports to a specific user.
US08683103B2
Exemplary system and computer program embodiments for hierarchy multi-tenancy support for configuration of a plurality of host attachment through a plurality of resource groups in a computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, multiple data storage subsystems are configured with multiple operators for configuration and management of multiple host attachments to multiple logical volumes. A logical operator is designated with the responsibility of designating authority to a host attachment operator and the ability to configure multiple logical volumes. Limited authority is provided for the host attachment operator to configure multiple volume groups and multiple host ports to a specific user.
US08683084B2
A method of performing an input/output (I/O) processing operation includes: generating at least one address control word (ACW) specifying one or more host memory locations for transfer of data between a host computer system and a control unit, and storing the at least one ACW in the local channel memory; generating an address control structure for each data transfer specified by the I/O operation and forwarding each address control structure from the at least one channel to the network interface; forwarding an I/O command message to the at least one I/O device via a network interface; receiving a data transfer request from the network interface that includes the address control structure; and routing the data to at least one host memory location specified by the corresponding ACW or routing the data from a host memory location specified by the ACW to the network interface.
US08683082B2
A removable memory device is provided. The device includes a plurality of re-programmable non-volatile memory cells; and a controller including a processor and a controller memory, wherein an application is launched from the removable memory device and executed on a host system when the removable memory device interfaces with the host system, and the application launches a display window on a display device, wherein the display window is controlled by the application and is used to display advertisement content that is stored in the plurality of memory cells or from a server that is accessible by the host system.
US08683072B1
A method for controlling frequency of data transfer of an electronic device is disclosed. A time stamp is fetched over a network connection, wherein the time stamp is not modifiable at the electronic device. The time stamp is stored at the electronic device. In response to a request to transfer digital content, it is determined whether a predetermined time interval since a most recent transfer of the digital content has elapsed.
US08683071B2
A method and an apparatus for supporting time shift playback in an adaptive HTTP streaming transmission solution are disclosed. The method includes: sending a live MPD request message to a media server; receiving a response message that includes MPD for a current time period, where the MPD further includes media presentation information for another time period; determining that a moment of a media segment to be requested currently exceeds a time range corresponding to the MPD; acquiring the corresponding MPD according to the media presentation information corresponding to the media segment, and requesting, according to the acquired corresponding MPD, the media segment. In this manner, a client supports time shift playback of a larger time range, and at the same time, the size of the MPD is capable of remaining in an acceptable range.
US08683068B2
The present invention is geared generally towards the transmission of data, such as images, audio, video, or text, as a continuous stream via a network to recipients. In particular, the present invention relates to enabling the transmission of data to recipients and enabling the recipients to interact and influence the content of the transmission.
US08683064B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for interactive property communication. In various embodiments, an interactive property communication system includes two or more property communication nodes (PCNs) each adapted for coupling to an electrical service. PCNs include a radio transceiver for communications with a broker service adapted for controlling communications with one or more PCNs.
US08683060B2
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method for receiving a request, from an application in an application execution environment, to play a media asset that has associated media information. The application has associated application information and is restricted to an isolation environment provided by the application execution environment. In response to the request, content of the media asset is provided to a component of a computer system for playing. Access by the application to the content of the media asset during the playing is restricted based on the media information and the application information.
US08683051B2
A system and method for analyzing traffic to a website is provided that is based on log files and that uses both server-side and client-side information channeled through one source to create a more complete picture of activity to a website. In one preferred embodiment, a sensor code is embedded in a requested web page, and sends information back to the web server where the website resides. This additional information is logged along with normal requests.
US08683049B2
The present invention provides a method for sending a message to a network device with a specific MAC address, in an IP network implementing a interne group management protocol IGMP, comprising: sending, by a network terminal, to the network device, a multicast group management status message including a destination address set as the specific MAC address.
US08683045B2
A method for receiving a first indication from a host device is comprised. The device is a first port of the host device that has been reserved fro a network device. The method also poses as the host device at the network device in response to a receipt of the first indication.
US08683036B2
A distribution server includes an analysis unit for analyzing basic data used in statistics to generate statistical data, a control unit for receiving an acquisition request for the basic data and the statistical data from a communication terminal, a bandwidth monitoring unit for monitoring a bandwidth of a communication line connected to the communication terminal, a degree-of-multiplex calculation unit for calculating a degree of multiplex for simultaneously transmitting the basic data and the statistical data to the communication terminal via the communication line based on a data size of the basic data and the statistical data and an available bandwidth of the communication line, a separation unit for separating the basic data and the statistical data into prescribed units based on the degree of multiplex, and a transmission unit for transmitting the basic data and the statistical data separated into the prescribed units to the communication terminal.
US08683033B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to failover to a standby server when a primary server is under broadcast storm or denial-of-service (“DoS”) attack. A primary attack sensing module is included to monitor a rate of incoming data from a computer network to a primary server and to determine if the rate of incoming data is above a primary data rate threshold. A standby contact module is included to request a standby data rate status from a standby server in response to the primary attack module determining that the rate of incoming data to the primary server is above the primary data rate threshold. The standby server is connected to the primary server over a private network. The standby data rate status includes a determination by the standby server of whether a rate of data received by the standby server is above a standby data rate threshold. A standby receiver module is included to receive a standby data rate status from the standby server over the private network. A switchover module is included to deactivate the primary server and to send a command to activate the standby server as a primary server in response to the received standby data rate status indicating that the rate of data received by the standby server has not exceeded the standby data rate threshold.
US08683031B2
The invention addressed methods and systems of scanning and monitoring network locations and resources such as websites and webpages. The method scans the webpages for content and compliance with predefined standards, and reports the results in a non-technical format. The method can also scan and monitor any website on the Internet, categorize its content, and validate its compliance with application, presentation or content standards, or any combination of the above.
US08683022B2
Apparatus and methods of assigning a physical adapter local to a computer to a virtual adapter in a computer through which the virtual adapter may receive and transmit data is provided. The apparatus and methods may include (1) providing a system including a plurality of computers coupled via a network, wherein a first computer of the plurality of computers includes a plurality of physical adapters and at least one virtual adapter; (2) for each virtual adapter in the first computer, assigning a rank to each physical adapter in the first computer; and (3) based on the ranks, testing one or more of the physical adapters in the first computer for connectivity to a physical adapter in a second computer with which a first virtual adapter is likely to communicate. Connectivity tests are started in a staggered manner that favors highly ranked physical adapters. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08683019B1
Network address translation allows hosts within a private network (“internal hosts”) to access the Internet through a single or a limited number of public IP addresses. When an internal host accesses the Internet, NAT translates the internal host's private IP address into a temporary public IP address for a given session. A method and media are provided for enabling a host external to the private network (“external host”) to initiate communication with an internal host. The internal host requests that a global address be mapped to its private address. The internal host receives the global address and sends it to a server where it is available to an external host. The mapping between the private address and the global address is maintained in a NAT system so that an inbound connection request from an external host can be forwarded to the internal host.
US08683014B2
A system and method are described herein that leverages an IP (and in particular IMS) mobile network and a fixed network to provide a next generation social networking experience to the users of mobile terminals.
US08683009B2
Improved techniques for interaction between a host computer (e.g., personal computer) and a media player are disclosed. According to one embodiment, interaction between a host device (e.g., host computer) and a media player can be performed over a wireless channel. The interaction over the wireless channel can be used to automatically synchronize media contents stored on the media player with media contents stored on the host device. According to another embodiment, interaction between a host device and a media player, such as automatic synchronization of media contents stored on a media player with media contents stored on a host device, can be restricted. In still another embodiment, synchronization can be automatically performed when the media player is placed in a docking station that supports wireless communications.
US08682998B2
The present invention refers to a method for MapReducing the processing of an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) document (1, the method comprising the following steps: a. mapping the EDI document (1) into a plurality of intermediate documents (10, 11); b. processing the intermediate documents (10, 11) to produce a plurality of intermediate results (20-23); c. reducing the plurality of intermediate results (20-23) to produce a plurality of reduced intermediate results (30, 31); and d. reducing the reduced intermediate results (30, 31) to produce a final result (2) representing the processed EDI document (1).
US08682989B2
Document changes are sent within a body of an electronic message to reviewers that are collaborating on the document. The document may be any type of document to which changes/comments are made, such as word processing documents, spreadsheets, slides, and the like. A reviewer receiving the electronic message may accept/reject changes and/or make comments/modifications to the document changes that are contained within the electronic message. For example, a reviewer may edit the document changes that are included within the body of the electronic message to add a comment and/or make changes to the change. A reviewer may also have the option to accept/reject changes directly from within the electronic message. After making any changes, the reviewer replies to the electronic message and the changes that are included within the electronic message are applied to the document.
US08682984B2
A method of transferring content via multiple communications mediums. The method includes, in a processing system, and for each of a number of recipients, selecting at least one available communications medium and transferring content to each recipient using the selected at least one available communications medium.
US08682975B2
A system and method for identity managed collaboration (IMC) that in various embodiments can provide for: identity management of participants within a collaboration session to set entitlement; identity security for participants to allow participants to determine what identity is projected; participation in a collaboration session in a monitoring mode via a browser without the need to install client software on an access appliance; audio collaboration via a plurality of communication media; and Leave Existing & Add Preferred (LEAP) capability to allow participants to dynamically changes access appliances.
US08682971B2
Managing relationships in a social network service implemented by at least one processor includes: establishing with the at least one processor a quantified interaction goal for at least a first party and a second party corresponding to a period of time; determining with the at least one processor, prior to an expiration of the period of time, that a current quantified accumulated interaction between the first party and the second party is inconsistent with the quantified interaction goal; and automatically performing a remedial action with the at least one processor to facilitate adjusting the quantified accumulated interaction between the first party and the second party to a level consistent with the quantified interaction goal.
US08682957B2
The current invention is directed to embedded, wireless cloud-connector devices and systems that allow the embedded, wireless cloud-connector devices to be deployed in a variety of embedding devices, applications, and uses. The embedded, wireless, cloud-connector devices to which the current application is directed are implemented using a single integrated circuit, or set of integrated-circuit chips, and each interfaces to a device, product, or system in which the cloud-connector devices are embedded as subcomponents as well as to a communications-services provider. The cloud-connector devices provide data exchange between devices, products, and systems in which they are embedded and cloud providers that provide cloud-computing services, data-message routing, and wireless services through wireless carriers. Embedded, wireless cloud-connector devices, and the systems that interconnect and manage them, allow cloud-providers to extend the cloud-computing domain into many different types of low-cost and geographically dispersed markets and areas of use.
US08682951B2
A data processing method, whereby an element is subjected to a first operation with a given operand. The method includes a step of updating by a second operation a first variable (B; a0; S′p, S′q) or a second variable (A; a1; Sp, Sq), depending on whether a corresponding bit of the operand=0 or 1; and a step of testing a relationship between a first value (B; a0; S′) derived from the first variable and a second value (A; a1; S) derived from the second variable. A related device is also disclosed.
US08682940B2
The disclosed technology involves the use of relational databases in conjunction with declarative language and network-wide, database abstractions to manage and operate networks. The data model creates a logically centralized database abstraction and access point for managing data relevant to network management. Exemplary managed data includes router configurations, network status and provisioning data. This information resides in a single database system which is tightly integrated with the operational network. Transactional write operations are used to change network configurations, and enforce constraints to detect and prevent policy violations during operation. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed technology, a network operation is implemented by means of a series of database commands—read and/or write—from and to database view tables.
US08682931B2
The present invention re-renders data center visualizations at different levels of abstraction based on roles or activities of an avatar. Morphing of data center objects is accomplished by either combining or decomposing existing data center objects in a manner that will result in a new object that maintains its relationship to the original objects. An example of this would be when creating an application object by combining an existing infrastructure objects (e.g., a server, a network and storage) used to support the application object runtime environment. This allows for the avatar to not only relate the application object to the supporting infrastructure objects, but also provides a view of how the application object is impacted whenever the supporting infrastructure objects change or break.
US08682926B1
A system, system, method, and computer program product are provided for augmenting a user profile utilizing data collected in association with a social network service profile. In use, a first profile of a user managed by an entity is identified. Additionally, a second profile of the user maintained by a social network service separate from the entity is identified. Further, data associated with the second profile of the user is collected. Moreover, the first profile of the user is augmented utilizing the data.
US08682922B2
A method for processing requests includes receiving, from a requestor, a first read request to read a portion of a seismic cube. The first read request includes a virtual location of the portion. The method further includes querying a seismic cube index to obtain a mapping parameter and a storage location of a section including the portion of the seismic cube. The mapping parameter maps virtual locations in the seismic cube with data locations in the section. The section is identified using the virtual location of the portion. The method further includes calculating, on a computer processor and using the mapping parameter, a data location in the section corresponding to the virtual location of the portion, and transmitting a second read request to the storage location of the section. The second read request includes the data location. The requestor receives the portion from the storage location.
US08682917B2
A method, system and computer program product includes transmitting over a network a user's request for a history of a currency bill. A serial number, a location, a date and an indication of possession is transmitted, where the serial number is used in a partial matching search, and mistaken alpha characters of the serial number are included in the partial matching search. First results of the partial matching search are received. Further identifying information is transmitted, where the identifying information is used in a matching search of the first results. Second results of the matching search are received. Additional information regarding the currency bill is transmitted for inclusion in the database where the indication of possession at least, in part, determines entries. A notification request of a next finding of the currency bill is transmitted, where registration of the user is verified. The history of the currency bill is received.
US08682905B2
A system and method for managing media advertising enterprise data including a process for learning enterprise data matching. An EDM (Enterprise Data Management) application module can be configured to include a set of rules at an enterprise level to manage disparate and disconnected records associated with an entity. A number of unmatched and enterprise entities that matches with respect to an active entity can be returned based on a fuzzy logic associated with various matching options stored in an EDM database. A matching process can then be performed to accurately match similar records regardless of manual input, location, and format of the records in a distributed system. Each unmatched record can then be assigned with a parent enterprise entity. Such an optimization mechanism can interactively manage and report records at the enterprise level in a simple and efficient manner.
US08682899B2
An apparatus generates configuration group information by classifying, based on first log information storing messages outputted by a first plurality of configuration items of a first system, into first configuration groups each including one or more configuration items that have outputted messages having a commonality. The apparatus generates relation class information that defines, in association with the first configuration groups, first one or more message propagation relations. The apparatus classifies a second plurality of configuration items of a second system into second configuration groups included in the first configuration groups, based on the configuration group information and second log information storing messages outputted by the second plurality of configuration items, and applies second one or more message propagation relations that are associated, by the relation class information, with third configuration groups included in the second configuration groups, to the second plurality of configuration items.
US08682887B2
A computer readable storage medium comprises executable instructions to generate a stream cube to store data received from multiple data sources. A plurality of multi-dimensional data streams are generated to represent the received data. A materialization strategy is repeatedly determined for the stream cube. The stream cube is materialized according to the materialization strategy to record the multi-dimensional data streams.
US08682877B2
Constrained transactional processing is provided. A constrained transaction is initiated by execution of a Transaction Begin constrained instruction. The constrained transaction has a number of restrictions associated therewith. Absent violation of a restriction, the constrained transaction is to complete. If an abort condition is encountered, the transaction is re-executed starting at the Transaction Begin instruction. Violation of a restriction may cause an interrupt.
US08682869B2
Exemplary method, system, and computer program product embodiments for increased in-line deduplication efficiency in a computing environment are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only hash values are calculated in nth iterations for accumulative data chunks extracted from an object requested for in-line deduplication. For each of the nth iterations, the calculated hash values for the accumulative data chunks are matched in a nth hash index table with a corresponding hash value of existing objects in storage. The nth hash index table is exited upon detecting a mismatch during the matching. The mismatch is determined to be a unique object and is stored. A hash value for the object is calculated. A master hash index table is updated with the calculated hash value for the object and the calculated hash values for the unique object. Additional system and computer program product embodiments are disclosed and provide related advantages.
US08682867B2
A system includes a data storage device for storing storage volumes, logic adapted for associating an indicator with a data set on the storage volumes, the indicator being in a first state indicating that the data set is accessible, logic adapted for storing the indicator in a data set descriptor record that is stored in at least one mapping of the storage volumes, logic adapted for receiving a request to delete the data set, logic adapted for changing the indicator to a second state indicating that the data set is inaccessible in response to the request to delete the data set, with the proviso that the data set is unchanged, logic adapted for receiving a request to restore the deleted data set, and logic adapted for restoring the indicator from the second state to the first state in response to the request to restore the deleted data set.
US08682865B2
A process for staging file assets on a live Web server is described that includes detecting an index page of the Web server, creating a staging folder on the Web server, wherein the staging folder does not default to a directory listing when accessed, inserting a randomized string into a name of file assets containing content to be staged, and storing the file assets in the staging folder. By creating the staging folder that does not default to a directory listing when accessed, a system is enabled where users may access the file assets while other users may not.
US08682861B2
Techniques for recovering Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) session(s) of a mobility agent in a Mobile IP network are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, for each mobility session associated with a mobility agent, the mobility agent distributively backs up mobility agent specific information to the mobility agent peer associated with that mobility session. The mobility agent specific information is not used by the mobility agent peer. Upon the mobility agent inadvertently losing at least one mobility session, the mobility agent recovers the stored mobility agent specific information associated with those sessions from the mobility agent peers respectively associated with those sessions. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08682855B2
Systems and physical computer storage media are now provided that improve backing up data sets. Each database transaction is registered to a central repository prior to starting the database transaction, each database transaction comprising a plurality of writes to be executed for a database application on a database, receiving a first signal indicating a start of a backup application on the database, and quiescing all database transactions registered to the central repository to thereby wait for all ongoing writes of the database transactions registered to the central repository to complete and to release control of the database to the database application.
US08682853B2
A system and method for enhancing data throughput in data warehousing environments by connecting multiple servers having local storages with designated external storage systems, such as, for example, those provided by SANs. The system and method may preserve a full reference copy of the data in a protected environment (e.g., on the external storage system) that is fully available. The system and method may enhance overall I/O potential performance and reliability for efficient and reliable system resource utilization.
US08682849B2
A system and method for implementing personalization, mapping and status management in a network-based address book. A subscription function (SF) subscribes to personal contact information of specific users to personal contact card (PCC) servers and receives updates to the contact information of the subscribed user(s). The SF retrieves the personalization rule document of subscribing user and applies personalization rules to the updated contact information. The personalized contact information is handed over to a data synchronization (DS) client so that the DS client may synchronize the information with the address book of the subscribing user in a converged address book (CAB) server. The personalized contact information of the subscribed contacts is propagated to other devices or web portals. A new or existing attribute/parameter may be provided and/or used for each contact entry for use in uniquely identifying each contact. The SF may maintain a document outlining the status of entries in the address book. All of the contact entries (with all or a subset of contact information) of an address book may be synchronized between the DS client coupled with the SF and a CAB server at the beginning and later when there is a change in the address book.
US08682847B2
A method for accessing information in a replicated database includes receiving a request for information in a database. The request is associated with a table in the database. The table includes a plurality of identifiers each identifying a portion of the information in the table. The method also includes executing a logical structure associated with the table to produce a logical view of the table. The logical view contains at least a portion of the information from the table without containing the identifiers. The method further includes identifying the requested information in the logical view, and communicating the identified requested information in the logical view.
US08682846B2
A source configuration management database (CMDB) is of an information technology (IT) infrastructure that includes an IT resource represented by a configuration item (CI). A target CMDB is of the IT infrastructure that includes the IT resource, too. The given CI is recursively reconciled to the target CMDB from the source CMDB.
US08682840B2
Establishing relationships between data instances and characteristics of the data by associating each of data instance with at least one qualifying schema node. A unique relationship ID is assigned to relationships between any two nodes of the qualifying schema which are both associated with the same data instances. The relationship IDs can be sorted and queried. The qualifying schema, at least some of which are instantiated, serves the dual purpose of qualifying the data instances as well as establishing relationships between them. Relationships between instances can be changed by moving the instances to other nodes of the qualifying schema.
US08682838B2
Methods for conducting a virtual simulation are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request to generate a virtual simulation between a user and a virtual character, generating the virtual simulation for the user that includes the virtual character, and determining a desired outcome from the user within the virtual simulation. The method also includes selecting a strategy, from among a plurality of strategies, for achieving the desired outcome from the user, selecting an enactment for the selected strategy, from among a plurality of enactments, for the virtual character to execute to achieve the desired outcome from the user in the virtual simulation, and controlling the virtual character to execute the selected enactment for the selected strategy to achieve the desired outcome from the user in the virtual simulation. Systems, graphical user interfaces, and machine-readable media are also provided.
US08682836B2
A method or system for detecting associations between nodes of a communications network. “Node events”are defined as being communications from one node to another, each event having an origination time. For a given node, and for a number of time windows, event originations from other nodes after the occurrence of an event from that node are counted. Then for that node, these counts may be used to determine the probability that any other node is in a time window of that node. The probability data may then be used to determine the likelihood of a communications link with that node. The process may be repeated for a number of nodes to determine links within the network.
US08682824B2
This invention provides method for detecting advance signs of anomalies, event signals outputted from the facility are used to create a separate mode for each operating state, a normal model is created for each mode, the sufficiency of learning data for each mode is checked, a threshold is set according to the results of said check, and anomaly identification is performed using said threshold. Also, for diagnosis, a frequency matrix is created in advance, with result events on the horizontal axis and cause events on the vertical axis, and the frequency matrix is used to predict malfunctions. Malfunction events are inputted as result events, and quantized sensor signals having anomaly measures over the threshold are inputted as cause events.
US08682822B2
A system, method and computer program product produce spike-dependent plasticity in an artificial synapse. A method includes: an electronic device generating a pre-synaptic pulse that occurs a predetermined period of time after receiving a pre-synaptic spike at a first input. The electronic device generating a post-synaptic pulse that starts at a baseline value and reaches a first voltage value a first period of time after receiving a post-synaptic spike at a second input, followed by a second voltage value a second period of time after the post synaptic spike, followed by a return to said baseline voltage a third period of time after the post-synaptic spike. The generated pre-synaptic pulse is applied to a pre-synaptic node of a synaptic device in series with a rectifying element that has a turn-on voltage based on a threshold. The generated post-synaptic pulse is applied to a post-synaptic node of said synaptic device.
US08682818B2
A method of optimizing a plurality of objectives includes the steps of initializing a set of simplices; selecting a simplex from the set of simplices; computing one or more weights based at least in part on the selected simplex; and generating a point on a tradeoff surface by utilizing the one or more weights in a weighted-sum optimization.
US08682816B2
A server system stores time series data for a data source. The time series data comprises a plurality of time-value pairs, each pair including a value associated with an attribute of the data source and a time. For a particular attribute, the server system generates a plurality of forecasting models for characterizing the time-value pairs, each model including an estimated attribute value and an associated error-variance. For a time-value pair, the server system determines a plurality of differences between the value of the time-value pair and respective estimated attribute values of the plurality of forecasting models and tags the time-value pair as an anomaly if the differences for at least a first subset of the forecasting models are greater than the corresponding error variances. In response to a request from a client application, the server system returns at least a subset of the time-value pairs tagged as anomalies.
US08682809B2
Methods and systems for content aggregation and distribution are described. Video content may be received from a plurality of sources. The video content may be associated with metadata identifying items included within the video content. A video player may be provided which enables video content to be displayed on a user terminal, and a control may be provided enabling the user to quickly navigate to specific portions of the video content. A viewer of the video content may, in turn, author and provide additional video content. The video player may be embeddable.
US08682806B1
A computer implemented method of effectuating an employment application, comprising: receiving at a computer server system a mobile message (SMS text message) from a job seeker containing an application request comprising of a employment code (employer code, store/location code, or job code) sent by a job seeker mobile device operating independently of the computer server system; merging the job seeker profile data with the employment code and creating an electronic job application for a hiring company that is independent of the computer server system.
US08682802B1
A user may request a payment token from a host. The payment token may be a unique one-time use identifier linked to one or more payment accounts associated with the user. The payment token may be subject to conditions of use. To redeem the payment token, the user device may generate an image code to visually present the payment token for access by a recipient's camera. The recipient may then record the image code. The user may also provide a security identifier to the recipient. The recipient may then transmit the image code and the security identifier to the host as a payment request. The host may verify the payment request and verify compliance with any associated conditions. When the payment token is valid, funds are available, and the conditions are satisfied, then the host may transfer the funds to an account of the recipient.
US08682800B2
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating control of access to technology to authorized parties. A licensor provides licensure information to an application developer that includes a private key and a license, the license including an application public key and an identifying mark associated with the licensor, e.g., a digital signature. The licensor additionally provides a licensor public key to an implementation developer. The application developer and the implementation developer subsequently write the received information into the respective application and implementation. At runtime, the application adds ephemeral data and an identifying mark associated with the application to the application license and forwards the marked extended application license to the implementation. The implementation then validates the ephemeral data, the licensor's identifying mark and the licensee's identifying mark. Once all information is validated, the marked extended application license is validated and the licensed application may expose the licensed technology to a user.
US08682798B2
A universal ID and biometrics systems and methods are disclosed. A method includes receiving an authentication request message originating from a user. The authentication request message includes a first identifier and a second identifier, where the second identifier includes biometric data. The method further includes determining a third identifier based on the first identifier and sending the second and third identifiers to a first server computer to determine if the second and third identifiers have a predetermined correlation. The method further includes receiving confirmation of user authentication if the identification system determines that the second and third identifiers have the predetermined correlation.
US08682797B1
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for distributing digitally encoded information. In one embodiment of the present invention, a licensee desiring to purchase digitally encoded information from a copyright owner posts collateral with a third party entity. The third party entity then provides authentication information to the licensee. The licensee transmits proof of knowledge of authentication information to the copyright owner. The copyright owner sends proof of the licensee's knowledge of authentication information and digital media to the third-party entity. The third-party entity embeds the authentication information in the digitally encoded information, and delivers the digitally encoded information with embedded authentication information to the licensee.
US08682794B2
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide an electronic marketplace that matches units of content from secondary content providers with suitable vacancies from primary content providers. Vacancies may constitute, or be included in, any digital transmission containers, such as a television or radio programming, web pages, and the like. Specifically, the electronic marketplace automatically matches content offered by secondary content providers with vacancies offered by primary content providers thus filling the vacancies in these containers through a real-time content trading, placement, and distribution system. To do so, attributes associated with the vacancies and with units of secondary content are used to trade and match suitable vacancies with suitable content. This invention enables both secondary content owners and vacancy owners (primary content providers) to obtain the full commercial benefit of their secondary content and containers.
US08682790B1
The present invention provides for flexibility regarding the posting of point of sale transactions to particular billing cycles within an account. Embodiments comprise posting a point of sale transaction to a first billing cycle and then transferring the point of sale transaction to a second billing cycle, whereas a variation first selects a billing cycle and then posts the point of sale transaction to the selected billing cycle.
US08682787B1
An online merchant system provides a merchandise trade-in program that includes advance payment for items traded-in by qualified customers. When a request to trade-in an item is received from a customer, a determination is made as to whether an advance payment can be made for the item. If an advance payment can be made for the item, an advance payment for the total estimated trade-in value of the item is made to the customer. The advance payment may be made prior to shipment of the item to the merchant or when the merchant is notified that the item has been shipped. When the item is received by the merchant, the customer is debited if the actual value of the item is less than the advance payment and credited if the actual value of the item is more than the advance payment.
US08682785B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for providing a consumer with information about the balance of the consumer's credit or debit account after a transaction, such as a purchase transaction, is made using the credit or debit account. In one embodiment, the issuing bank attaches a number representing the balance of the consumer's credit or debit account and/or other information about the balance to the authorization code when authorizing a purchase transaction so that, when a vendor provides the consumer with a purchase receipt that has the authorization code on the receipt, the balance information is automatically included on the receipt with the authorization code. In this way, the consumer can keep track of spending by knowing the total balance of the consumer's credit and/or debit account and/or other balance information after each credit or debit card purchase.
US08682784B2
A system, to process credit card payment transactions initiated by a merchant, includes an interface to receive a merchant-initiated request for a transfer of funds from a buyer credit card account. A credit card processing application initiates the transfer of funds from the buyer credit card account to a third-party merchant bank account, held by a third-party payment service. The third-party merchant bank account receives funds from the buyer credit card account on behalf of the merchant. A funds allocation application allocates the received funds to a receiving account of the merchant, the receiving account being maintained by the third-party payment service. The credit card processing application may be virtual point of sale (POS) terminal application, hosted at a server computer system operated by the third-party payment service, and accordingly may be accessible by the merchant via a network.
US08682783B2
In an Exchange which assigns only a whole number/integer approximate of a computed number of futures contracts to a covered order for one or more option contracts, the disclosed embodiments relate to factoring a residual number of futures contracts, remaining after fulfillment of an incoming covered order counter to a resting covered order for a quantity of options contracts less than the resting quantity and approximation of the computed number of futures contracts assigned thereto, into the approximation of the computed number of futures contracts assigned to fulfillment of a subsequent order from the same trader counter to the same resting order for less than or equal to the remaining resting quantity of options contracts. This may have the effect of increasing or decreasing the number of futures contracts assigned to the subsequent order.
US08682778B2
A system and method for linking and managing linked orders are described. According to one method, a trader may first link two or more orders into a linked order, and then one or more parameters associated with one of the orders may be dynamically changed based on user inputs or information being received from an exchange. For example, a trader may link any two orders as an order cancel order, and each linked order may be associated with the same or different tradable objects, order quantities, and may be submitted to one or more exchanges. The order quantities may be then dynamically updated based on updates being received from the one or more exchanges and further based on a quantity ratio between the two orders. Further, the linked order may be submitted upon detecting a fill for another order.
US08682772B2
The present disclosure describes an approach to constructing and implementing risk rating products that provides a number of advantages. Instead of hard-coding attributes of a risk rating scheme, which requires the assistance of a trained programming specialist for any modifications, adjustments, or new products, the present invention provides a set of modular tools that assist non-specialists in on-the-fly generation and implementation of risk rating products. The modularity of this approach facilitates the modification and/or updating of a system component without affecting the operation of other components. Described herein are embodiments of system tools configured to read a risk rating scheme data-structure and generate a user interface whereby a user may enter information characteristic of an insurable risk and receive risk assessments, evaluations, and/or financial metrics associated with a candidate insurable risk.
US08682770B2
Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Private equity firms and other investors of small businesses can use the CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to more accurately evaluate small and privately held companies, both during investment and for evaluating prospective investments. Over-the-counter securities trading systems can also use this modeling approach to provide more accurate information and/or rankings of listed companies to their customers.
US08682763B1
A system for valuation of pooled financial products contracts comprises receiving or extracting or generating data elements regarding financial products contracts, determining valuations of the financial products contracts data elements by calculation or comparison methods, creating a data report in a standard data format, storing the data report in the one or more data storage devices, receiving new data items relating to nonfinancial risk or financial risk affecting quality or risk of one or more of the financial products contracts, performing calculations with respect to the new data items to determine an updated valuation of the financial products contracts; and adding to or modifying the data report to create a risk updated data report incorporating updated financial products contracts valuation, and storing the updated data report in the one or more data storage devices.
US08682752B2
A computer-readable medium, computer-implemented method, and financial close management system are provided that includes a integration framework that allows an end user to leverage services or interfaces from external applications as part of a business process, such as a financial close process, of a financial close management system. The integration framework can integrate a task that requires the user to interact with a user interface of an external application (identified as an “end user task”) with the financial close management system. The integration framework can also integrate a task that runs without any user interaction required, and that interacts with a web service of an external application (identified as a “system automated task”) with the financial close management system.
US08682741B2
A method is provided for determining a website user behavioral portrait based on navigation on the website and dynamically reconfiguring web pages based on those portraits. In accordance with the method, data relating to the progress of a user through a website is recorded, and an ongoing behavioral portrait of the user is built based on the data. The portrait is then used to dynamically reconfigure web content.
US08682738B2
A device includes a communication module and a display. The communication module is configured to communicate with a personal database and to receive a plurality of digital images associated with a respective piece of clothing and/or an outfit from the personal database. The display is coupled to the communication module, and configured to display a first digital image associated with a recommended outfit based on a plurality of daily events associated with a user of the device. The display is also configured to display a second digital image associated with an advertised piece of clothing, and configured to enlarge the first digital image associated with the recommended outfit if the first digital image is selected or to enlarge the second digital image associated with the advertised piece of clothing if the second digital image is selected.
US08682735B2
Conducting a video conference as part of the operation or demonstration of an appliance.
US08682733B2
A product in the form of a household appliance has an internal communications network connecting two or more components, and software architecture implemented on the network that identifies the components, communicates the capabilities of each identified component, communicates the status of each identified component, provides a command interface for operating the components, and facilitates communication between the components and devices external to the product. An external smart device having demonstration software communicates with the internal communications network and is in control of at least one of the components to effect a demonstration of features of the product.
US08682730B2
A linked account instrument is used to access funds in an existing demand deposit account held at a financial institution. Merchant or other transactions are first processed against a demand deposit account via an electronic authorization network. If the demand deposit account does not have sufficient funds, the transactions may be processed as a credit charge against an designated credit account. The demand deposit account may subsequently be swept at predetermined times in search of funds to defray the overdraft. If adequate funds are present, they will be withdrawn from the demand deposit account, and the credit account will be cleared. Otherwise, the instrument holder's daily purchasing abilities may be temporarily suspended until the credit account is settled. The processing of overdraft amounts may be on a FIFO, smallest-first or other basis.
US08682711B2
Method and apparatus for analyzing a proposed service feature in a communication network is described. In one example, a call flow for supporting the service feature in the communication network is created, where at least one network component supports the call flow. First cost data for internally developing the at least one network component is determined. Second cost data for procuring the at least one network component from third party entity is determined. The first cost data and the second cost data are processed to generate a recommendation for either internally developing or externally procuring the at least one network element.
US08682707B2
Scheduling software that provides both a deterministic schedule, such as shown in a Gantt chart or a work-to list (the role of traditional FCS software), along with additional information that can be used to judge the risk of the schedule when taking into account both the variations in task times, as well as the unplanned events. One embodiment of the present invention is a simulation model of a facility that incorporates the variations in task times and randomly generated events to provide stochastic estimates of risk measures. Another embodiment of the present invention may be the same model that is used to generate the deterministic schedule, however when generating the schedule the random variations and events are turned off, thereby generating a deterministic schedule. The same model can then be reused with the variations and random events turned on to generate risk measures for the associated deterministic schedule.
US08682705B2
Management of a customer's IT environment is facilitated by correlating events that occur within the environment, obtaining information relating to those events, and performing actions, such as environment tuning or recovery actions, based on the information. Discrete phases of processing are used to obtain the information and/or perform the actions. One or more of these discrete processing phases have tunable time intervals associated therewith. That is, at least one time interval is dynamically adjusted based on the runtime state of the environment.
US08682703B2
A system and method for facilitating consistent management of a repeatable procurement process within an organization is disclosed. The system enables various members of the organization to follow a set of defined core processes to engage stakeholders by understanding the stakeholder's business and building a trusted advisor relationship. Further, the core processes define an analysis stage that includes an opportunity assessment, development of a strategic plan, development of a commodity profile, and finalizing a sourcing plan. Sourcing includes obtaining sponsorship, assembling a sourcing team, selecting suppliers for an RFP, and selecting a supplier based on a proposal. The core process for performing negotiations and contracting includes developing a negotiation strategy, performing the negotiation, selecting suppliers, and obtaining funding.
US08682702B1
An instrument for measuring and presenting customer impressions of a company uses weighted response values of survey questions to develop a customer experience score and a customer interaction score. The two scores are added to produce a composite score. The three scores for a company may be presented with other score sets for other companies to provide a simple and consistent comparison of companies. When different businesses or even different industries have different customer experiences and interactions, weighting of response values can be adjusted to more accurately reflect the importance of that factor on the overall customer experience, which models customer satisfaction.
US08682700B2
A computer-based method for determining a set of equity-indexed crediting parameters E for a lifetime-income equity-indexed deposit product provided to a set of owners having a set of dates of birth B, a rider charge C, a lifetime income percentage scale L, a set of profitability requirements R, a principal amount P, and an account value A. The method can include the steps of: establishing the values of C, L, R, P, A and E at a time when said deposit product is purchased; generating a set of yield curve and equity index scenarios consistent with valuation parameters; setting a trial value Ei for E; calculating the observed distribution D of profitability; comparing D with R; and, computing a revised trial value Ei+1 for E, where the steps of establishing, generating, setting, calculating, comparing, and computing are performed by at least one general purpose computer.
US08682696B1
A computing system implemented method, system and/or computer program product for visualizing healthcare or other transactional relationships is provided which allows a user to visually track in a graphical presentation all the transactions associated with a particular insurance claim, for example a cumulative payment. The graphical presentation further allows the user to select a particular claim record and display the associated financial transaction records as a chronologically arranged lineage of separately selectable waypoints.
US08682692B2
A system and method used to create a longitudinal medical record for an injured person that in at least one embodiment begins a location remote from a medical facility. The system includes in at least one embodiment a plurality of mobile computing devices. In at least one embodiment, the mobile computing devices provide an interface for receiving information from a first responder or a medic.
US08682688B1
The present inventor(s) conceived of, among other things, a consumer healthcare portal to help consumers make well-informed healthcare decisions. One exemplary portal incorporates existing healthcare claims data from payers to provide personalized offerings around health plan selection and treatment options guidance. This data also provides the ability for consumers to assess the effectiveness of various physicians in their plans. Additionally, the exemplary portal provides a consumer messaging capability that facilitates automatic transmission of personalized healthcare communications geared to change individual consumer behavior.
US08682685B2
The present invention relates to a system and methods for facilitating the improvement of data quality generated during drug and medical device clinical trials. In one embodiment, the invention includes a system and method for generating an ideal subject suitability score for one or more interaction points of a clinical trial. One or more individual subject suitability scores may then be generated from actual subject interaction with the clinical trial for each of the interaction points of the clinical trial. For each interaction point for which an ideal subject suitability score is generated, the one or more individual subject suitability scores may be compared to the ideal subject suitability score to determine the deviation there between. The quality of data collected from actual subject interaction with the clinical trial may be a function of the difference between the individual and ideal subject suitability scores.
US08682682B1
A method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are disclosed that determine a likelihood that an appraisal for a property is accurate. The method may include receiving borrower information and property information. The method may further including calculating, based on the received borrower information and property information, a score for the appraisal of the property, the score providing an indication of the accuracy of the appraisal. The method may further include establishing a plurality of ranges within which the score may fall, each of the ranges providing a relative indication of the accuracy of the appraisal. The method may further include analyzing the score to determine within which of the plurality of ranges the score falls. The method may further include determining, based on the analysis of within which range the score falls, whether to request further review of the appraisal.
US08682678B2
Automatic correcting of user's speech impairment in speech may include obtaining the audio signal of a given user's speech, and analyzing the obtained audio signal to identify artifacts caused by the user's impairment. The obtained audio signal may be modified by eliminating the identified artifacts from it. The modified audio signal may be provided, e.g., to be played or broadcast or transmitted.
US08682658B2
The equipment comprises two microphones, sampling means, and de-noising means. The de-noising means are non-frequency noise reduction means comprising a combiner having an adaptive filter performing an iterative search seeking to cancel the noise picked up by one of the microphones on the basis of a noise reference given by the other microphone sensor. The adaptive filter is a fractional delay filter modeling a delay that is shorter than the sampling period. The equipment also has voice activity detector means delivering a signal representative of the presence or the absence of speech from the user of the equipment. The adaptive filter receives this signal as input so as to enable it to act selectively: i) either to perform an adaptive search for the parameters of the filter in the absence of speech; ii) or else to “freeze” those parameters of the filter in the presence of speech.
US08682656B2
A codebook generation system and associated methods are generally described herein. A method of generating a precoding matrix during closed-loop spatial multiplexing of wireless data may comprise selecting a vector from among vectors stored in a memory based on a received index, applying a Householder transformation to the selected vector to produce an output matrix, forming the precoding matrix from one or more columns of the output matrix, and precoding data for transmission over a wireless channel using the precoding matrix. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08682654B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media having programs for classifying sports video. In one embodiment, a method includes: extracting, from an audio stream of a video clip, a plurality of key audio components contained therein; and classifying, using at least one of the plurality of key audio components, a sport type contained in the video clip. In one embodiment, a computer readable medium having a computer program for classifying ports video includes: logic configured to extract a plurality of key audio components from a video clip; and logic configured to classify a sport type corresponding to the video clip.
US08682641B2
A computer implemented method, system, and product for finding correspondence between terms in two different languages. The method includes the steps of: creating a technical term set and a general term set for each of i) a first language and ii) a second language, creating two bipartite graphs, where each graph corresponds to one of the two languages, and connects the technical term set and general term set of each language, respectively, with weighted links based on corpus information, creating a third bipartite graph by creating weighted links between general terms in the first language and general terms in the second language by using a translation dictionary, creating an association matrix M corresponding to the three bipartite graphs, calculating a similarity matrix Q by calculation of an inverse matrix, and outputting correspondence between the technical term sets of the first and second language on basis of the similarity matrix.
US08682637B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for comparing results of performing a plurality of operations with results of simulating the plurality of operations. These mechanisms and methods for comparing results of performing a plurality of operations with results of simulating the plurality of operations can enable optimized performance of operations, reduced processing time, increased confidence in processing results, etc.
US08682636B2
Computer-implemented methods, systems, computer programs and data files implement and use techniques for recording and recreating user interactions with an application program. User actions performed in interacting with an application program in a first user interface environment are detected, and an abstract representation of the user actions is recorded. The user actions access one or more components of the first user interface environment, which implement user interface elements of the application program. The abstract representation describes the user actions in a format independent of the components of the first user interface environment. The abstract representation is usable in a second user interface environment to recreate results of the user actions in the application program. The abstract representations can be used to test application programs in different user interface environments.
US08682634B2
Techniques are presented that include accessing results of forward simulations of circuit yield, the results including at least circuit yield results including simulated device shapes. Using the circuit yield results, high-level traits of at least the simulated device shapes are determined. Based on the determined high-level traits and using the circuit yield results, a compact model for predicted yield is constructed, the compact model including a plurality of adjustable parameters, and the constructing the compact model for predicted yield including adjusting the adjustable parameters until at least one first predetermined criterion is met. An optimization problem is constructed including at least the compact model for yield, an objective, and a plurality of constraints. Using the optimization problem, the objective is modified subject to the plurality of constraints until at least one second predetermined criterion is met.
US08682632B1
A machine implemented method and a system for simulating an electronic design is provided. The method includes determining a clock period based on a first clock having a first clock period and a second clock having a second clock period used for digital applications of an electronic system. The clock period is a repeating decimal or a value that exceeds a resolution of a simulator. The method further includes using the first clock with the first clock period for simulating the electronic system; determining a third clock for a third clock period and a fourth clock for a fourth clock period such that the third clock and the fourth clock when used in simulation provide an average that is substantially similar to the second clock having the second clock period; and using the third clock and the fourth clock, instead of the second clock for simulating the electronic system.
US08682626B2
A method and system for patient-specific modeling of the whole heart anatomy, dynamics, hemodynamics, and fluid structure interaction from 4D medical image data is disclosed. The anatomy and dynamics of the heart are determined by estimating patient-specific parameters of a physiological model of the heart from the 4D medical image data for a patient. The patient-specific anatomy and dynamics are used as input to a 3D Navier-Stokes solver that derives realistic hemodynamics, constrained by the local anatomy, along the entire heart cycle. Fluid structure interactions are determined iteratively over the heart cycle by simulating the blood flow at a given time step and calculating the deformation of the heart structure based on the simulated blood flow, such that the deformation of the heart structure is used in the simulation of the blood flow at the next time step. The comprehensive patient-specific model of the heart representing anatomy, dynamics, hemodynamics, and fluid structure interaction can be used for non-invasive assessment and diagnosis of the heart, as well as virtual therapy planning and cardiovascular disease management. Parameters of the comprehensive patient-specific model are changed or perturbed to simulate various conditions or treatment options, and then the patient specific model is recalculated to predict the effect of the conditions or treatment options.
US08682625B2
Method, system, and computer readable medium are disclosed for analyzing electrical properties of a circuit. The method may comprise: providing a network model including at least one network parameter, the network parameter being defined over a frequency range; converting the network parameter into an intermediate network parameter having first and second portions; identifying first and second frequencies defining a frequency sub-range; replacing the first portion of the intermediate network parameter with a DC value when a frequency associated with the intermediate network parameter is lower than the first frequency; replacing the first portion of the intermediate network parameter with a transitional value when the frequency associated with the intermediate network parameter is within the frequency sub-range; and converting the intermediate network parameter with the replaced first portion into an updated network parameter.
US08682620B2
A method of designing a die cavity that may include performing a flow analysis using characteristics of a predetermined die cavity, density and rheological properties of a material, and a flow rate of the material to calculate the pressure distribution exerted on the die cavity and cross-sectional flow profile. The method further includes a structural analysis using the calculated pressure distribution and structural characteristics of the die cavity to calculate a deformed die cavity. The flow analysis is repeated using the characteristics of the deformed die cavity to calculate a pressure distribution exerted on the die cavity and cross-sectional flow profile. The outcome is compared to determine if the pressure distributions and/or cross-sectional flow profiles converge. These steps are iteratively repeated until convergence of the pressure and/or cross-sectional flow profile is observed. The variation of the cross-sectional flow profile is analyzed to determine if it is below a predetermined tolerance.
US08682614B2
A system, method, and computer program that provide demand weighted average power information. The information may be communicated to management in both graphical and report form. The information provides management with an immediate understanding of energy consumption in a time frame where the energy usage can be associated with underlying causes. The result is that the need to devote considerable time and expertise to obtain and understand important energy consumption data are eliminated.
US08682599B2
A road surface friction coefficient estimating device includes a lateral force detecting section for detecting the lateral force of a wheel during traveling, a slip angle detecting section for detecting the slip angle of the wheel during traveling, and a road surface μ calculating section for estimating the relationship between the detected lateral force and the detected slip angle on the basis of the ratio between the detected lateral force and the detected slip angle, the correlation between the lateral force and the slip angle in the case of the reference road surface, and at least either the detected lateral force or the detected slip angle.
US08682596B2
Disclosed is a method for detecting one or both of the native material in an object and any foreign material in the object by parallel-mode spectroscopy, comprising parallel-mode data acquisition, signal processing and data reduction and providing results. Parallel-mode data acquisition comprises producing an interrogating signal simultaneously containing electromagnetic radiation of sufficient bandwidth in the range of approximately 10 GHz to approximately 25 THz to allow simultaneous detection of a plurality of signals at a plurality of frequencies, each signal being at some amplitude, which collectively provide a unique spectral signature of a material whose detection is desired. The signal processing and data reduction comprises processing a signal resulting from exposing the object to the interrogating radiation to produce a three-dimensional data matrix representative of at least any foreign or native material associated with the object. Correlation technique is used to compare the data matrix to a reference library.
US08682594B2
Disclosed is a method to achieve digital quantification of DNA (i.e., counting differences between identical sequences) using direct shotgun sequencing followed by mapping to the chromosome of origin and enumeration of fragments per chromosome. The preferred method uses massively parallel sequencing, which can produce tens of millions of short sequence tags in a single run and enabling a sampling that can be statistically evaluated. By counting the number of sequence tags mapped to a predefined window in each chromosome, the over- or under-representation of any chromosome in maternal plasma DNA contributed by an aneuploid fetus can be detected. This method does not require the differentiation of fetal versus maternal DNA. The median count of autosomal values is used as a normalization constant to account for differences in total number of sequence tags is used for comparison between samples and between chromosomes.
US08682588B2
A method and apparatus for geobaric analysis. The method may include acquiring an in situ gas volume of a subterranean formation, acquiring a drilling fluid characteristic, determining a volume of gas excavated from the subterranean formation utilizing the drilling fluid characteristic, and estimating the formation pressure utilizing the in situ gas volume and the excavated gas volume.
US08682586B1
A system to create a well log by using a processor connected to data storage on a network that creates and executive dashboard of well log information using computer instructions to (a) form an editable well log template, (b) import user information, well sensor information, well event based observation data; well fluid testing data, (c) scale the imported data, forming scaled values, (d) computing a microview and a macroview log plot using the scaled values; (e) creating an executive dashboard, (f) inserting the log plots onto the executive dashboard and other real time well logging information allowing viewing of the log plots simultaneously with the other information on a real time basis, enabling safety interpretations for drilling, geological interpretations for drilling, operational interpretations for drilling, and combinations of these interpretations, in real time.
US08682584B2
Embodiments of a method for assessing potential nitrogen concentration of plant available nitrogen in soil comprises collecting soil samples, analyzing one or more of the soil samples to compute the amount of nitrate and the amount of ammonium, analyzing one or more of the soil samples to compute the amount of mineralizable nitrogen using a soil respiration method, obtaining a total plant available nitrogen value in the soil samples by summing the computed nitrate value, the computed ammonium value, and the computed mineralizable nitrogen value, and calculating a potential nitrogen assessment value by subtracting from the total plant available nitrogen value an amount of nitrogen applied at time of planting not represented within the soil sample and further subtracting an amount of nitrogen required to achieve the crop yield goal multiplied by the yield crop goal.
US08682582B2
Disclosed herein is a radiodetermination technology, a radiodetermination device according to one embodiment of the disclosure comprising a positioning mode determination part and position Information generating part, thereby enhancing accuracy and speed of positioning in a resource-limited mobile terminal environment and also further improving energy efficiency and user conveniences.
US08682575B2
A method of operating a navigation system in a vehicle may entail invoking an off-road mode of the navigation system; displaying a first off-road terrain on a navigation system display; displaying a first present location of the vehicle on the display, inputting a first user-input off-road destination into the navigation system; inputting a first user-input off-road waypoint into the navigation system; displaying straight line trajectories between the start point, the first user-input off-road waypoint and the destination on a display of the navigation system and displaying a first real-time path of on-screen breadcrumbs as the vehicle travels off-road in current or real-time; shifting on the display, each user-entered off-road waypoint to a closest on-screen breadcrumb of the first real-time path; shifting on the display, the user-entered destination to the closest on-screen breadcrumb; and storing the first real-time path in a memory of a navigation control unit.
US08682569B2
A system for diagnosing a switchable roller finger follower (SRFF) and an oil control valve (OCV) includes a signal monitoring module and a fault detection module. The signal monitoring module receives at least one of an individual cylinder fuel correction (ICFC) signal and an air/fuel ratio imbalance (AFIM) signal when: an engine speed signal is within a predetermined range of speed; an engine load signal is within a predetermined range of load; and a charcoal canister vapor signal is within a predetermined range of flow rate. The fault detection module detects a fault of at least one of a SRFF and an OCV based on an exhaust gas recirculation value and at least one of the ICFC and AFIM signals. The ICFC and AFIM signals are generated based on: an engine position signal; and at least one of an oxygen signal and a wide range air fuel signal.
US08682566B2
Various methods are described for controlling engine operation for an engine having a turbocharger and direction injection. One example method includes performing at least a first and second injection during a cylinder cycle, the first injection generating a lean combustion and the second injection injected after combustion such that it exits the cylinder unburned into the exhaust upstream of a turbine of the turbocharger; and adjusting at least the first injection based on engine speed, where the at least first and second injection are performed responsive to turbocharger speed.
US08682564B2
A method is provided for sensing the position of a camshaft in an internal combustion engine having a camshaft phaser for controllably varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and the camshaft, the camshaft phaser being actuated by an electric motor and having a gear reduction mechanism with a predetermined gear reduction ratio and a sensor for determining the rotational position of the electric motor. The method includes generating a rotational position signal indicative of the rotational position of the electric motor by using the sensor to determine the rotational position of the electric motor and calculating the position of the camshaft based on the rotational position signal and the gear reduction ratio of the gear reduction mechanism.
US08682559B2
The application of braking force to drive components that move a vehicle is controlled. As consistent with one or more example embodiments, an integrated circuit chip is located at each of two or more drive components (e.g., wheels) of a vehicle for controlling the application of a braking force to the drive component independently of the application of braking force to other drive components. Each of the integrated circuit chips communicate with one another over a vehicle network, with brake control (e.g., using an algorithm to limit wheel slip) being carried out separately at each drive component.
US08682557B2
One or more embodiments of the present application may provide a system and method for monitoring driver inputs and vehicle parameters, assessing a driver's braking deceleration behavior, and providing short-term and/or long-term feedback to the driver relating to the driver's braking deceleration behavior. The braking deceleration behavior feedback can be used to coach future braking deceleration behavior that may translate into better long-term driving habits, which in turn may lead to improvements in fuel economy or vehicle range. Moreover, the braking deceleration behavior feedback can be adapted to a driver based upon how responsive the driver is to the feedback.
US08682549B2
Is provided herein a torque-limiting electronically controlled CVT comprising a drive portion having a drive pulley including two opposed sheaves adapted to be actuated with an electric motor to set a transmission ratio between an engine and a ground contacting rotating member of a vehicle, an input module adapted to receive a signal indicative of whether a ground-contacting rotating member is airborne, a processing module adapted to determine a desired CVT ratio, and an output module adapted to actuate the electric motor to obtain the desired CVT ratio to match the circumferential velocity of the vehicle's airborne ground-contacting rotating member with the speed of the vehicle in order to limit a mechanical peak torque sustained by a drive system of the vehicle. Also provided hereby is a vehicle equipped with the CVT, a kit including such a CVT and a method of managing the CVT to limit the mechanical peak torque sustained by a drive train of a vehicle.
US08682547B2
At an actual engine rotary speed corresponding to a partially engaged state of a starting clutch, a target gear ratio control of a continuously variable transmission is performed by determining a target gear ratio from a target engine rotary speed. At an actual engine rotary speed corresponding to an engaged state of the starting clutch, the gear ratio is controlled in a manner such that the actual engine rotary speed converges with a target engine rotary speed. Accordingly, when it is intended to start the vehicle with a comparatively large throttle opening, it is possible, at the partially engaged condition, to obviate a rise in the actual engine rotary speed with the gear ratio position sticking to a desired position, so that a predetermined driving force is attained when the starting clutch is engaged.
US08682542B2
Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for controlling the operation of an industrial machine including one or more components. A method of controlling the industrial machine includes determining a position of at least one of the one or more components of the industrial machine during a digging operation, determining a hoist bail pull setting based on the position of the at least one of the one or more components and a relationship between component position and hoist bail pull, and setting a level of hoist bail pull to the hoist bail pull setting. The level of hoist bail pull early in the digging operation is greater than the level of hoist bail pull later in the digging operation.
US08682537B2
A posture control apparatus is provided. More specifically, a memory stores positional information of a seat corresponding to a sex, a stature, a sitting stature and a body type of a driver. An information collector receives the sex, the stature, the sitting stature and a weight of the driver and a sitting stature section determinator determines a sitting stature section of the driver based on the received stature and sitting stature of the driver. A Body Mass Index section determinator determines a body type section of the driver based on the received sex, stature, and weight of the driver. A controller then determines a position of the seat corresponding to the sex, the stature, the sitting stature section and the body type section of the driver based on the positional information of the seat stored in the memory.
US08682536B2
When an occupant's sight line detected by sight line detector is directed to any one of multiple onboard units (a side mirror, a rear view mirror, a navigation system, an in-vehicle phone, an air blowout port, and a meter panel), a controller allows the onboard unit, to which the sight line is directed, to be operable. Thus, the occupant can select the onboard unit, which the occupant wishes to operate, by the sight line without using the hand and further can operate the onboard unit by use of a common steering switch, thereby enhancing the convenience of operation. In addition, a corresponding one of pilot lamps notifies the occupant that the corresponding one of the onboard units, to which the sight line is directed, is operable. Accordingly, the occupant can avoid operating a wrong onboard unit while reliably recognizing the operable onboard unit even if the multiple onboard units are arranged close to one another.
US08682530B2
A suspension system for a vehicle, including: an electromagnetic actuator configured to generate an actuator force and including a sprung-side unit connected to a sprung portion, an unsprung-side unit connected to an unsprung portion, and an electromagnetic motor; a connecting mechanism; and a controller including a target-actuator-force determining portion, the determining portion being configured to determine a target actuator force based on: (a) a required acting force that is a force required to act between the sprung and unsprung portions; and (b) an inertial force of one of the sprung-side and unsprung-side units, while utilizing: a first transfer function by which is outputted an amount of a displacement of the one of the sprung-side and unsprung-side units when the actuator force is inputted; and a second transfer function by which is outputted an actual acting force which actually acts between the sprung and unsprung portions when the displacement amount is inputted.
US08682520B2
A controller for a vehicle including two inverters determines whether a detector currently performs an insulation determination process, and if not, the controller performs random control to randomly vary carrier frequencies corresponding to the two inverters, respectively. In contrast, if the insulation determination process is currently performed, the controller prohibits the random control and fixes the carrier frequencies at reference frequencies, respectively. The reference frequencies are previously set to have a difference Δfs larger than a predetermined value f1.
US08682513B2
A communication management system for a vehicle includes a control module, a communication module, and a management module. The control module is disposed on-board a lead powered unit of the vehicle. The control module is configured to automatically change propulsion energy settings of a remote powered unit of the vehicle. The communication module transmits instructions to the remote powered unit to automatically change the propulsion energy settings of the remote powered unit. The communication module identifies communication gaps that represent interruption in one or more communication connections between the lead powered unit and the remote powered unit. The management module compares the propulsion energy settings of the lead powered unit and of the remote powered unit during the communication gaps and, based on the propulsion energy settings, prevents the control module from switching from automatic control of the propulsion energy settings of the remote powered unit to manual control.
US08682495B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program product is provided for configuring a microgrid. A first configuration of the microgrid having a set of microgrid elements is initialized. An address for each element in the set of microgrid elements of the microgrid is verified. In response to receiving status data from the set of microgrid elements connected in a peer-to-peer network indicating a reconfiguration of the microgrid, the set of microgrid elements is re-aligned to form a second grid configuration. The second grid configuration is executed.
US08682488B2
Disclosed herein are a humanoid robot that compensates for a zero moment point (ZMP) error during finite state machine (FSM)-based walking to achieve stable walking and a walking control method thereof. The humanoid robot compensates for a joint position trajectory command or a joint torque command using compensation values calculated based on situations divided according to the position of a calculated ZMP and the position of a measured ZMP in a stable region of the robot.
US08682483B2
During a carrying operation, the position, transportation origin, and transportation destination of a carrier or a boat can be easily checked. A carrying system is configured to carry a substrate, a manipulation unit is configured to display an operation state of the carrying system on a manipulation screen, and a control unit is configured to control an operation of the carrying system. The manipulation unit displays a carrying system icon indicating the carrying system which is a carrying target object and a carrying-out icon at predetermined positions of the manipulation screen corresponding to a transportation origin of the carrying system, and a carrying-in icon at a predetermined position of the manipulation screen corresponding to the transportation destination of the carrying system.
US08682482B2
The working support robot system of the present invention includes: a robot arm (11); a measuring unit (12) for measuring the worker's position; a work progress estimation unit (13) for estimating the work progress based on data input from the measuring unit (12) while referring to data on work procedure, and for selecting objects necessary for the next task when the work is found to have advanced to the next procedure; and an arm motion planning unit (14) for planning the trajectory of the robot arm (11) to control the robot arm (11) based on the work progress estimated by the work progress estimation unit (13) and selected objects. The working support robot system can deliver objects such as tools and parts to the worker according to the work to be performed by the worker.
US08682473B1
Disclosed are various systems, methods, and other embodiments involving assignment and use of sort bins in a materials handling center. A manifest is generated in a computer system that directs a picking of a plurality of items from a plurality of inventory locations in a materials handling center in fulfillment of a plurality of orders for the purchase of the items. Sort bin assignments are generated in the computer system before picking the items. Each sort bin assignment corresponds to a respective one of the items, and each of the sort bin assignments specifies a corresponding one of a plurality of sort bins designated to coalesce together the items associated with respective ones of the orders for packing. The sort bin assignments are stored in memory for use in sorting the items.
US08682472B2
In a transfer system, a storage data and a specific equipment data indicating a specific equipment are generated. When a transfer command indicates the specific equipment as one of a previous location and a subsequent location, a priority level of the transfer command is increased. A transfer command having a highest priority level is selected. When an available carrier that is not assigned with a transfer command is not accessible within a previous area in which the previous location of the transfer command selected belongs to, when the priority level of the transfer command selected has been increased, and when an alternative carrier that is assigned with the transfer command and is transferring without carrying the cassette is accessible within the previous area, the transfer command selected is assigned to the alternative carrier.
US08682470B2
A system and computer program product are provided for utilizing target of opportunity to perform at least one special operation while a removable storage medium is mounted within a data storage drive for another purpose. The system for recognizing a target of opportunity comprises a tape drive. The tape drive receives a command to mount a tape cartridge in the tape drive, and in response the tape drive mounts the tape cartridge in the tape drive. The tape drive determines if at least one special operation may be performed. If it is determined that at least one special operation may be performed, the tape drive recognizes that a target of opportunity exists. In response to determining that at least one special operation may be performed, the tape drive sends a first notification that the tape drive is to remain in a not ready state. The tape drive performs the at least one special operation, and in response to performing the at least one special operation, the tape drive sends a second notification that the tape drive is in a ready state or an error state.
US08682469B2
A first servomotor drives a first portion in a moving radius rotational direction. A second portion is supported by the first portion such that the second portion is movable in a moving radius direction. A second servomotor drives the second portion in the moving radius direction. The second portion supports a tool for processing a work. A control device generates measurement data indicating relationships between coordinates in the moving radius rotational direction of a plurality of points on a reference surface of the work and distances from the plurality of points to a distance sensor based on a distance signal from the distance sensor, determines a coordinate range in the moving radius rotational direction of a step formed on the reference surface based on the measurement data, generates control data indicating a locus of the tool based on the measurement data and the step coordinate range, and numerically controls the first and second servomotors based on the control data. The control device selectively uses a plurality of offset values based on the coordinate range of the step when generating the control data.
US08682466B2
A method to enable wafer result prediction includes collecting manufacturing data from various semiconductor manufacturing tools and metrology tools; choosing key parameters using an autokey method based on the manufacturing data; building a virtual metrology based on the key parameters; and predicting wafer results using the virtual metrology.
US08682459B2
There is provided a device information setting apparatus. The apparatus includes: a storage format storing unit configured to store a first storage format of first device information in a first field device and a second storage format of second device information in a second field device; an acquiring unit configured to acquire the first device information based on the first storage format; a conversion unit configured to convert the first device information into the second device information, based on the second storage format; and a writing unit configured to write the second device information in the second field device.
US08682454B2
A method and system for controlling a multivariable system. The method includes: (a) generating bias data as a function of model error in an on-board model; (b) updating a dynamic inversion algorithm with one or more model terms generated by the on-board model; (c) generating effector equation data by processing reference value data with the updated dynamic inversion algorithm, which effector equation data is indicative of one or more goal equations and one or more limit equations, and which reference value data is indicative of one or more goal values and one or more limit values and is determined as a function of predicted parameter data; (d) at least partially adjusting at least one of the reference value data and predicted parameter data for the model error using the bias data; and (e) generating one or more effector signals by processing the effector equation data with an optimization algorithm.
US08682453B2
A method and system allow users to interactively formulate and solve multivariable feedback control problems. Users can solve problems where a plurality of control elements are distributed over one or more feedback loops and need to be jointly tuned to optimize overall performance and robustness of a control system. The method and system allow users to specify design requirements and objectives in formats familiar to the user. The method and system can operate on tunable parameters to solve the control problem in a manner that satisfies the design requirements and/or objectives provided by the user.
US08682442B2
A wound healing system comprising an array of electrodes incorporated in a device for applying an electrical signal to a wound. The electrodes are configurable to form at least one composite electrode and the electrical signal is applied to the wound via the composite electrode(s). The system preferably includes means for determining the state of the wound, the electrode composition of the composite electrode(s) depending on the determined state of the wound. Advantageously, the electrode composition of the composite electrode(s) is adjustable in response to changes in the determined state of the wound.
US08682427B2
A single-chamber heart stimulator has an electrically conductive housing, first and second detection units, and a VT/SVT discrimination unit. The first detection unit is connected to an electrode pair of a ventricular electrode lead for obtaining a first electrocardiogram signal recorded in bipolar fashion, and is designed to sense and classify ventricular heartbeats. The second detection unit is connected on one side to an electrode of the ventricular electrode lead, and on the other side to the electrically conductive housing, for obtaining a second electrocardiogram signal containing signal features characteristic of atrial heartbeats. The VT/SVT discrimination unit is connected to the first and second detection units, and effects discrimination between ventricular and supraventricular tachycardias based on ventricular heartbeats measured through the first detection unit, and on atrial heartbeats measured through the second detection unit to the extent the rate of measured ventricular heartbeats exceeds a threshold value (VT zone threshold).
US08682425B2
An electroacupuncture system for measuring and treating meridian energy balance in a patient. The system can include a pressure sensitive probe and return path contact, both of which are connected to an electrical potential source. The probe and contact are meant to be applied to a patient to diagnose and treat meridian energy imbalances. The system also includes a processing apparatus connected to the electrical potential source capable of interpreting the readings taken by the electrical potential source and probe and affecting operation of the system based on the readings. The processing apparatus may also use measurements to calculate an overall meridian energy balance number.
US08682414B2
A radiation control method includes: calculating degrees of similarity corresponding to matching target areas; calculating a specific image position where a specific image area corresponding to a maximum value of the degrees of similarity out of the matching target areas is positioned in a radiographic image; and calculating a drive amount with which a therapeutic radiation ray irradiation device is driven, based on the specific image position. Further, calculating one degree of similarity corresponding to one matching target region out of the degrees of similarity includes: referring to a template table in which the matching target areas are associated with sets of templates to calculate a set of templates corresponding to the one matching target area out of the sets of templates; and detecting, from the set of templates, a similar template most similar to a matching target image displayed in the one matching target area of the radiographic image.
US08682410B2
A medical device including a catheter having a shaft with a distal portion; a first plurality of substantially hemispherical electrodes coupled to the distal portion; a second plurality of substantially hemispherical electrodes coupled to the shaft proximal of the first plurality, where the second plurality of electrodes are oriented substantially orthogonal to the first plurality of electrodes; and an additional electrode coupled to the shaft. A console may have a processor in electrical communication with the first and second plurality of electrodes and the reference electrode, the processor programmed to obtaining a monophasic action potential recording from at least one of the first and second plurality of electrodes.
US08682409B1
MR conditional needle and surface electrode assemblies. The surface electrode utilizes a disc or cone-shaped structure with a bore with a concave bottom surface for receiving a conductive gel and an insulated wire with a connector for an EEG. The needle electrode assembly utilizes a cylindrical-shaped structure and is constructed of an MR conditional material having a needle and an insulated lead wire structure with a connector for an EEG.
US08682397B1
The caller's device which displays a list of multiple sound data and the sound data selected from the list is output from the caller's device as ringback tone.
US08682396B2
Disclosed is a vibration module for a portable terminal that includes a housing, a magnetic moving part movable in a first direction within the housing; an elastic member supported between the opposite ends of the magnetic moving part and inner walls of the housing, and a solenoid coil provided in the housing. The vibration module is positioned at one end of the moving section by the magnetic force of the magnetic moving part and an object around the magnetic moving part, allowing the vibration module to provide a user with a feeling similar to a click feeling via the acceleration produced at a stopping instant. In addition, when vibrating, the vibration module generates sufficient vibration power through acceleration at the instant of changing moving direction at the ends of the moving section, to provide an alarm function, such as an incoming call notification.
US08682395B2
A communications device includes a housing and a wireless transceiver and processor carried by the housing and operative with each other. An input screen is carried by the housing and comprises a plurality of spaced transceivers positioned at the input screen and connected to the processor and each configured to transmit a millimeter wave RF signal and receive reflected signals from an object positioned close to the input screen. The processor is configured to determine the location of the object relative to the input screen based on the reflected signals received at each transceiver.
US08682394B2
A handheld wireless communication device includes features to send and receive text messages. The handheld wireless communication device is further equipped with a microprocessor configured to run software programs on the device such as text message management program. The text message management program displays a listing of a plurality of received text messages on a display screen and color differentiates at least a portion of the display-listed plurality of received text messages based upon a characteristic common to each received text message. The characteristic common to each display-listed received text message may be a host name that is included in an identification code for the respective text message's sender.
US08682393B2
A communication device includes a communication unit, a speech recognition module, and a processor. The communication unit builds a communication between the communication unit and an external communication device. The processor records speech between the communication device and the external communication device. The speech recognition module compares each word of the recorded speech with voice samples to determine whether numbers have been spoken. The processor further determines if successive numbers are recorded in a predetermined period, and stores the successive numeric in a storage unit.
US08682392B2
A base station includes multiple transmitter-receiver elements coupled to multiple antennas. The activation of additional baseband signal processing resources, dynamically mapped via a programmable digital interface module to a subset of the original transmitter-receiver sets in the base station to double capacity of the system or facilitate simultaneous operation of multiple air interface technologies with minimal or no hardware modifications to the base station or cell site. With a base station having four transmitter-receivers, the system transmits and receives the same signal on all transmitter-receivers to provide a 4×2 downlink and a 1×4 uplink. The system can be reconfigured by splitting the transmitter-receiver sets into two logically separate units. An additional base station modem resource is activated to double the capacity of the radio system or to implement a different communication protocol allowing transition between technologies.
US08682387B2
A mobile device interface platform. The platform is configured to latitudinally receive any of a variety of mobile device sizes and shapes while being integrally associated with a stationary apparatus that is to communicate with the mobile device. Where wireless mobile devices are accommodated by the platform, the latitudinal reception affords a user a degree of imprecise placement and allows any number of wireless device types to be employed without regard to precise pin configurations or other non-wireless communicative coupling features. Nevertheless, a physically secure unitary association of the mobile device and stationary apparatus is present allowing for a functional and user-friendly manner of employing them together.
US08682385B2
Methods and arrangements for managing mobile transactions. A mobile number of a customer is registered with a mobile telephone network operator. An alternate mobile number is assigned to the customer, and the mobile number is associated with the alternate mobile number. The alternate mobile number is employed in communication between the customer and a service provider.
US08682383B2
The present disclosure is suitable for use in a mobile communication terminal, and provides a data account management method for a mobile communication terminal. The method comprises the following steps of: a. choosing one of SIM (subscriber identity module) cards of the mobile communication terminal when an application of the mobile communication terminal needs to use a data account; b. searching for a corresponding data account group of the SIM card, and choosing data accounts, which are stored in the data account group, in sequence according to priority orders of the data accounts; and c. activating the data accounts that are chosen.
US08682382B2
A portable terminal capable of reliably carrying out reselection even though power consumption is reduced and thereby increasing the chance to wait for connection to the upper-layer communication system so as to realize a long-time communication system so as to realize a long-time standby and to enable an increase of the traffic efficiency. A portable terminal communication method and a wireless network system are also disclosed. The portable terminal (10) has control section (8) which acquires neighboring base station information from the base station with which the terminal (10) is communicating through a communication section (1), monitors the signal intensity in the communication system which the terminal (10) is using, carries out hand-off from the communication system being used to another communication system included in the neighboring base station information if the present signal intensity decreases below a predetermined one, releases the session of the communication system being used, tries to capture the another communication system, selects a first mode to inhibit reselection if information representing the another communication system different from the one being used, is included in the neighboring base station information, and executes reselection to select a second mode not inhibiting reselection if the information is not included in the neighboring base station information.
US08682364B2
A system and method for sending binary data via a short message service (SMS) over a wireless communication system. The method provides the capability to send and receive binary data to a vehicle telematics unit using a text SMS message. The binary data is converted to encoded text according to an encoding scheme supported by a wireless communication system. Then, the encoded text is sent as an SMS message over the wireless communication system. Once, the SMS message containing the encoded text is received at its destination, it is converted back to binary data.
US08682363B1
A system and method for providing notification to a recipient of an arrival of a vehicle at an instant when the vehicle's estimated time to a destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a location status module that determines the location of the vehicle. An appointment module determines the vehicle's estimated time to a destination and then determines if the estimated time to destination corresponds to a recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval. If the vehicle's estimated time to destination corresponds to the recipient-defined pre-arrival notification interval, the appointment module sends a notification to the recipient. According to embodiments, the appointment module determines if the vehicle's estimated time to destination equals a pre-arrival notification interval. If the estimated time to destination equals the pre-arrival notification interval, a notification is sent to the recipient.
US08682360B2
In a method for transferring a message containing audio and/or voice information from a transmitting communication terminal (20) to a receiving communication terminal (30), said message is depending on a setting of said receiving communication terminal (30) either directly played back at said receiving communication terminal (30) or temporarily stored and played back at a later time point. The user of the receiving communication terminal (30) is thus free to decide whether the communication is direct or asynchronous.
US08682359B2
A base station management method according to the present invention is a method for managing an operation mode of a base station, and includes determining whether a terminal exists in a cell managed by the base station and operating in a low duty operation mode (LDM) when no terminal exists in the cell.
US08682357B2
Paging in a wireless network is described. A user equipment (UE) in idle mode is paged by sending a message on a control channel having an allocation of resources for a shared channel and a radio network temporary identity (RNTI) associated with other UE's including the UE. The paging message may include an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI).
US08682340B2
An embodiment provides a method for communicating location-based information between an application server and a mobile device in response to an information query, the mobile device and the application server communicating via a communication network, the method comprising the steps of: initially transmitting a subset of the location-based information to the mobile device in response to the information query; transmitting further subsets of the location-based information as required; and pre-caching a predefined amount of location-based information at the device in response to a pre-cache trigger notification, the pre-cache trigger notification being generated when it is determined that the mobile device may lose contact with the communication network.
US08682336B2
An apparatus for transferring a complete copy of media designated as time-sensitive over a network. The apparatus includes a sending node including a transmitter configured to transmit media designated as time-sensitive to a receiving node. The sending node also includes a network-ascertaining element that is configured to receive receipt reports from the receiving node, the receipt reports identifying any missing media designated as time sensitive lost during the transmission. In response, the transmitter of the sending node retransmits the media corresponding to the identified missing media, the retransmission occurring when bandwidth on the network in excess of what is needed to transmit time-sensitive media becomes available. A complete copy of the media is eventually received at the receiving node after the retransmission.
US08682331B2
Various systems and methods for interference beacon transmission are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for initiating cell reselection in a wireless communication device, such as a HNB, comprises a processor configured to determine a first frequency at which one or more wireless communication devices communicate with a first cell and a transceiver configured to transmit an interference beacon at the first frequency configured to at least partially interfere with communications at the first frequency and initiate a cell reselection process by at least one of the wireless communication devices.
US08682328B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for facilitating handover to closed subscriber group cells. A method may include reading, when operating in idle mode, one or more information blocks broadcast by a closed subscriber group cell. The method may further include extracting one or more routing parameters and/or closed subscriber group identifier for the closed subscriber group cell from the one or more read information blocks. The method may additionally include storing a mapping of the one or more routing parameters and/or closed subscriber group identifier to a physical layer identifier and to a carrier frequency for the closed subscriber group cell. Corresponding apparatuses and systems are also provided.
US08682316B2
A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least one person having a personal electronic device (PED) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft includes a communications network, at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs, and a transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the communications network. A data traffic controller is for selectively allocating data communications channel capacity between the PEDs and the communications network based on a data communications channel capacity usage of the PEDs. The data communications channel capacity usage corresponds to bandwidth of the data communications with the PEDs, and when the bandwidth of the data communications for a given PED exceeds a predetermined portion of the data communications channel capacity, then appropriate action is taken.
US08682312B2
A method, a system, and a service control point (SCP) for realizing call management are provided. The method for realizing call management includes: inquiring user information of a calling terminal according to a call request message of the calling terminal; sending the user information of the calling terminal, over a called terminal; and exercising a corresponding call control according to a response made by the called terminal to a call carrying the user information of the calling terminal. With the method, system, and SCP for realizing call management provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the called terminal may selectively answer the call according to the user information of the calling terminal, thereby avoiding disturbing the work due to answering some unnecessary calls.
US08682292B2
A GSM or UMTS mobile telecommunications network is disclosed. In addition to the conventional radio access network comprising the base stations, one or more additional access points are provided. An access point is connected to the network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point is configured to appear to the mobile terminal as a conventional base station—that is, it communicates with the mobile terminal using GSM or UMTS transport protocols and does not require any modification to a standard GSM or UMTS mobile terminal. Access Points are typically not under the direct control of the network provider. Arrangements are disclosed which allow the network provider to verify that the access point a mobile terminal is about to commence communicating through is at a particular location. Differential charging may be performed in dependence upon a subscriber's location.
US08682283B2
Methods, apparatuses and computer readable media are described that adjust connection states between a mobile wireless device and a wireless network upon detection of a connection state synchronization failure. After an interruption of a connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network, the mobile wireless device responds to a paging message received from the wireless network to establish a new radio resource control (RRC) connection or to re-establish an RRC connection with the wireless network, when an internal state of the mobile wireless device an at least a portion of contents of the paging message indicate the connection state synchronization failure.
US08682277B2
A controlling method and a controlling system for a handheld communication device are provided. In the present method, a tilting state of the handheld communication device is detected by using a G-sensor when a notice is activated. Then, whether the tilting state is changed from a face up state to a face down state is determined. The handheld communication device is controlled to perform a function when the tilting state is confirmed to be changed from the face up state to the face down state. Accordingly, the handheld communication device may be controlled to perform a function timely according to the positioned state of the device without going through complicated procedures, so as to provide a more intuitive and convenient way to control the handheld communication device.
