US08998601B2
Stereolithography machine (1) comprising: a supporting frame (2); a tank (3) suited to contain a liquid substance; a supporting plate (4) associated with the supporting frame (2), suited to support the tank (3); a stopping unit (5) suited to firmly hold the tank (3) on the supporting plate (4) in a resting position; emitter means (6) suited to direct a predefined electromagnetic radiation (6a) towards the tank (3); a holding unit (7) of the tank (3) operatively associated with the supporting plate (4) through first actuator means (8) configured so as to move the tank (3) with respect to the supporting plate (4) according to a predefined trajectory of movement. The stopping unit (5) comprises second actuator means (17) that define for the stopping unit (5) an active configuration for holding the tank (3) and a rest configuration for releasing the tank (3).
US08998599B2
An apparatus for injection molding an opening device on a sheet packaging material having a hole possessing an axis, formed through a first layer and sealed by a cover portion of a second layer; comprises a mold cavity coaxially housing the cover portion and comprising a first chamber adapted to be filled with molten plastic material on a first side of the cover portion, and a second tubular chamber projecting along the axis from the first chamber and adapted to be filled with the molten plastic material coming from the first chamber through an annular peripheral portion of the cover portion to form, on a second side of the cover portion, a spout; an annular rib delimiting a passage connecting the first and second chamber and defining, when filled with the plastic material, an annular tearable membrane connection portion between the spout and the plastic material covering the cover portion.
US08998593B2
A fluid end assembly including a pump housing with a number of interior passages for the flow of fluids. The housing has a plunger bore with a closed inner end and an open outer end. A suction passage intersects the plunger bore. A discharge passage intersects both the plunger bore and the suction passage such that the discharge passage, the suction passage, and the plunger bore radiate outwardly from their point of intersection to define a shape resembling a “Y”. A connector passage branches from the discharge passage. An outlet passage intersects the connector passage and passes through the pump housing at right angles to the plunger bore. A reciprocating plunger is located in the plunger bore. A suction valve is located in the suction passage. A discharge valve is located in the discharge passage. A fluid supply manifold is pivotally secured to the housing and is in fluid communication with the suction passage.
US08998590B2
A cooling apparatus includes a base member, a flat piezoelectric actuator, at least one expansion mechanism, and a blade member. The flat piezoelectric actuator is configured to be connected at one end to the base member. At least one expansion mechanism is configured to be connected to the other end of the piezoelectric actuator and pivot by the swinging of the piezoelectric actuator. The blade member is configured to be connected to the expansion mechanism and swing by the pivoting of the expansion mechanism. The blade member performs a fanning action by the swinging of the piezoelectric actuator and the pivoting of the expansion mechanism if AC power is applied to the piezoelectric actuator.
US08998587B2
A blower unit for a vehicle including a fan, a motor, a scroll case, a cooling chamber, a first partition, and a second partition. The fan is configured to generate airflow. The motor is connected to the fan. The scroll case accommodates the fan. The cooling chamber is connected to the scroll case and defines a cooling path for guiding airflow from the fan to the motor. The first partition is arranged in the cooling path. The second partition is arranged in the cooling path spaced apart from the first partition.
US08998574B2
A vane assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes extending radially between an outer case and an inner case. A spring-tensioned stator restraining strap is provided around the outer case and surrounding outer ends of the respective vanes. The outer ends of the vanes are received in corresponding openings defined in the outer case and project radially outwardly from the outer case. The spring-tensioned strap compresses the respective vanes radially and inwardly in position.
US08998567B2
Methods, systems and apparatus for cleaning turbines, such as power generation turbines, are disclosed. Supplemental piping is connected to existing compressor air extraction and turbine nozzle cooling air piping, to supply water and/or cleaning agents into areas of a turbine not ordinarily accessible by injection of water and/or cleaning agents into the bellmouth of the turbine alone. Pressure and flow sensors, pumps, valving, and a control system to regulate the operation of the pumps and valving are provided to control the introduction of water and/or cleaning agents into the turbine.
US08998566B2
A blade arrangement is provided for a gas turbine, in which blade leaves, having a leading edge and a trailing edge and also a pressure side and a suction side, are assembled sealingly with platforms configured as separate components. A peripheral sealing arrangement is provided between the blade leaves and the associated platforms, which seals off an interspace between the blade leaves and platforms against hot gas flowing around the blade leaves. A directed site-dependent supply of cooling air for purging the sealing arrangement is provided on a side of the sealing arrangement which faces away from the hot gas. A method of operating the above blade arrangement is also provided. The method includes supplying cooling air for purging the sealing arrangement at a pressure which decreases from the leading edge of the blade leaves to the trailing edge.
US08998565B2
Disclosed is an apparatus configured to seal with a turbine blade stage of a gas turbine. The apparatus includes an outer shroud coupled to an inner shroud and configured to circumferentially surround the turbine blade stage. The inner shroud is configured to circumferentially surround the turbine blade stage to seal with the turbine blade stage and includes an attachment element configured to be inserted into the outer shroud to couple the inner shroud to the outer shroud.
US08998564B2
An example method of reducing loads on a connection shaft includes disengaging a connection shaft from a motor-generator such that the connection shaft is not rotatably coupled to the motor-generator. The method communicates a fluid away from the motor-generator through a communication path established within the connection shaft. An example turbomachine connection shaft is configured to selectively rotatably couple a turbomachine rotor and a motor-generator. The connection shaft establishes a communication path that selectively vents the motor-generator.
US08998558B2
The present invention provides a compact wheelchair lift mechanism useable within a relatively small vehicle cabin space, such as a pickup truck with an extended cabin. The wheelchair lift includes a lateral actuator and a vertical actuator that cooperate to move a wheelchair support laterally in and out of a vehicle cabin and vertically between the cabin floor and the ground. The vehicle includes a lowered floor for expanding the vertical opening available to the lift, wheelchair, and vehicle occupant. The lift is positioned within the vehicle cabin such that no loss of seating capacity results from the installation of the lift.
US08998555B1
A lightweight waste gathering vehicle is used to automate trash collection and removal from soft landscapes within recreation venues minimizing or eliminating damage to landscape. The lightweight vehicle can be used in crowded areas or areas where height, width and/or weight restrictions prevent the use of large refuse trucks. The lightweight waste gathering vehicle includes an automated arm, a tow-behind trailer and turf tires. In one implementation, the automated arm includes a lift arm type system. In another implementation, the automated arm includes a transport rail type system where the grabbers are mounted to a carrier and the carrier is mounted to a transport rail.
US08998552B2
To provide a processor and a processing method to make the operation to load and unload workpieces to and from a processing chamber more efficient, and improve workpiece processing efficiency.A processor equipped with a processing chamber 10 wherein a first supply/discharge port and a second supply/discharge port have been provided, characterized by being equipped with a first transport mechanism to perform an operation to supply and discharge workpieces 30 via the aforementioned first supply/discharge port, a second transport mechanism to perform an operation to supply and discharge workpieces 30 via the aforementioned second supply/discharge port, an exchange means to deliver workpieces 30a that have been loaded for processing by the aforementioned first transport mechanism to the aforementioned second transport mechanism, and deliver workpieces 32a that have been loaded for processing by the aforementioned second transport mechanism to the first transport mechanism, and a control unit 22 to drive the aforementioned first transport mechanism and second transport mechanism, and alternately supply unprocessed workpieces from the aforementioned first supply/discharge port and the aforementioned second supply/discharge port to the aforementioned processing chamber for processing.
US08998551B2
A system for delivering a downhole tubular from a rack at an oilfield surface to a rig floor thereat. The system includes a trough for accommodating the tubular that is slidably engaged with a lift frame in a sledded fashion. Thus, for delivery of the tubular, the trough may be sleddingly extended from the lift frame. That is, as opposed to a roller type of coupling between the trough and tubular, a sledded coupling is utilized that may require comparatively less maintenance and mobilization time. This may be particularly the case where lighter weight tubulars of less than about 1,000 lbs., preferably under about 500 lbs., are being delivered.
US08998549B2
A welding stud including a head and a shank extending from the head. The shank has an end region opposite the head and the end region includes at least two angled surfaces which incline towards an axis of the shank in a direction moving away from the head.
US08998546B2
A fixture for attachment of an end of a member, such as a wind turbine tower section, blade or hub for a wind turbine characteristically has an end flange. To enable clamping while being able to compensate for different hole patterns in the flanges, by the invention, the fixture provides for retaining of ends of members with flanges, regardless of flange diameter and hole patterns, and which is also quickly and easily installed. Additionally, it is possible to firmly clamp the flange end to upstanding frame parts of the fixture with fastening elements, thereby providing a stable connection between a console of the fixture and the upstanding frame parts.
US08998538B2
Pipe replacement devices, and systems are shown. Devices and systems may include jointed cutters and floating cutters to navigate difficult pipe replacement conditions. Devices and systems may also include replacement pipe with pre-installed supply hoses, such as lubricant supply and/or pneumatic supply hoses. Methods of pipe replacement are also described, including splitting old pipe and pulling in new pipe behind the equipment as splitting progresses.
US08998527B2
A structural component interconnect assembly includes a first component adapted for interconnection with a second component. A connection component is adapted for securing the first component and the second component together in a secured interconnection. The connection component includes at least two flanges spaced from each other by a first distance. The first component includes a mating surface having at least two slots formed therein and spaced one from another by the first distance. The second component includes a first surface and a second surface spaced one from the other by a distance on the order of the first distance. Engagement of the at least two flanges, via the at least two slots, with the first surface and the second surface secures the first component to the second component.
US08998523B1
A cream dispensing applicator assembly allows an individual to easily, evenly, and cleanly apply cream to hard-to-reach areas of the body. The assembly includes an elongated member having a head coupled to a handle. The elongated member has an interior space configured for holding a liquid. A pad is coupled to the head. A channel extends through the head. A plurality of outlet ports is coupled to the pad and to the channel. A plunger, a shaft, a knob, and a switch are coupled to the handle. The shaft is coupled to and extends through the plunger. The knob is operationally coupled to the plunger wherein manipulation of the knob urges the plunger into the shaft. A valve is coupled to the handle and to the channel. The switch is operationally coupled to the valve wherein manipulation of the switch selectively opens and closes the valve.
US08998516B2
A tandem printing system for imaging a continuous web of material includes a first printer serially coupled to a second printer wherein the speed of the web can be adjusted to maintain image quality and to compensate for a change in a diameter of a driver drum. The change in the diameter of the driver drum can be derived from characteristics of the printing system including the amount of sag of the continuous web of material moving between the first printer and the second printer.
US08998514B2
A method for making an actuator includes forming a substantially planar actuator device of an electrically conductive material, the device incorporating an outer frame, a fixed frame attached to the outer frame, a moveable frame disposed parallel to the fixed frame, a motion control flexure coupling the moveable frame to the outer frame for coplanar, rectilinear movement relative to the outer frame and the fixed frame, an actuator incorporating a plurality of interdigitated teeth, a fixed portion of which is attached to the fixed frame and a moving portion of which is attached to the moveable frame, moving the moveable frame to a deployed position that is coplanar with, parallel to and spaced a selected distance apart from the fixed frame, and fixing the moveable frame at the deployed position for substantially rectilinear, perpendicular movement relative to the fixed frame.
US08998512B1
An articulating camera arm permits a camera to be positioned includes multiple sections connected together in series at joints. At least one of the joints is movable, and each of the joints connects one of the sections to an immediately preceding one of the sections. The articulating arm may also be connected to one or both of a camera and a mounting plate via movable joints such as swivel joints. The arm's interior includes a wiring conduit that allows wiring for the camera to pass through it while being protected by the arm.
US08998510B2
It is an object of the present invention to have a method for aligning the optical axis of an optical fiber with the optical axis of an opto-electronic component and for fastening the optical fiber into the resulting relative position in relation to the opto-electronic component. This method includes the following steps: a slot is cut into a base, an optical fiber is disposed within the slot so that it touches neither the sides nor the bottom, a solidifiable product is deposited onto the optical fiber, a limited polymerization area of the solidifiable product is defined near the opto-electronic component, one part of the solidifiable product is partially solidified so as to allow the optical fiber a limited range of movement, the optical fiber is moved so as to align its optical axis with the optical axis of the opto-electronic component, the solidifiable product is completely solidified so as to fasten the optical fiber within the slot.
US08998509B2
An interconnect module for communicating electrical signals and optical signals is described. In particular, an integrated circuit in the interconnect module receives and transmits the electrical signals with other components in a system that includes the interconnect module via an electrical connector. In addition, the integrated circuit receives and transmits electrical signals to a hybrid silicon-photonic bridge chip that performs electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion. In turn, this bridge chip receives and transmits optical signals via an optical fiber. The interconnect module can be remateably connected to a backplane in the system, and can be arranged in a stacked configuration with other instances of the interconnect module. In these ways, the interconnect module facilitates dense, modular or scalable, and compact electrical and optical communication in the system.
US08998505B2
An optical connector of the present invention comprising a regulating member having regulating portion provided between a lower surface of an operation arm and an upper surface of a retainer. The regulating member movable in a longitudinal direction between a regulating position for regulating downward movement of a front end of the operation arm by the regulating portion and a retracted position for allowing the downward movement of the front end of the operation arm. The retracted position is located behind the regulating position.
US08998501B2
The invention concerns a bearing component (Ia, Ib, 1, 7, 9) for a rolling (13, 14, 16) or sliding bearing (19), wherein the bearing component (Ia, Ib, 1, 7, 9) is one of an inner ring (Ia, 1), an outer ring (Ib, 7), a rolling element (9), a cage, or a guide ring. The bearing component (Ia, Ib, 1, 7, 9) comprises a first material (2), and a second material (3) joined to the first material (2), wherein the second material (3) and the first material (2) having been joined by a semi-solid metal process.
US08998500B2
A bearing seal structure includes: a ridge portion provided on an inner race; a groove portion provided on an outer race; and a grease reservoir that is defined by the ridge portion and the groove portion and contains grease for providing a seal between the inner race and outer race.
US08998498B2
A tapered roller bearing improves durability during a state of insufficient lubrication by sufficiently lengthening the time until rotation becomes impossible due to seizure. Oil retaining concave sections, recessed outward in the radial direction, are formed in portions on the inner circumferential surface of a large-diameter rim section of the retainer whose phase in the circumferential direction coincides with the pockets. A portion of the bottom surface of each of the oil retaining concave sections, open to the inside surface of the pocket, face a concave section formed in an end surface on the large-diameter side of tapered roller that is held inside the pocket. When lubrication becomes insufficient, oil remaining in the concave sections is effectively used for lubricating areas of sliding contact between the end surfaces on the large-diameter side and the inside surface in the axial direction of a large-diameter side flange section.
US08998496B2
An asymmetrical bearing is disclosed for use in a gear pump. The bearing may have first and second opposing faces, and first and second bores in communication with the first and second opposing faces. The first and second bores may be configured to receive first and second shafts of a gear pump. The bearing may have a first flat side surface and a second curved side surface, where the second curved side surface includes first and second curved portions associated with the first and second bores, respectively. The first and second faces and the first flat side surface may also include a plurality of grooves configured to direct a flow of process fluid over the bearing during operation of the pump. Self-aligning features can be provided on one or more sealing elements to ensure desired alignment of the sealing components during assembly. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08998484B2
In accordance with the present invention, a method for forming a watch strap part includes the steps of: placing an insert plate within a mold; and injecting a moldable material into the mold around the insert plate so as to at least partially embed the insert plate and form a body of the watch strap part with the insert plate defining a floor of a recessed portion formed in the body of the watch strap part. The recessed portion is configured to receive a decorative insert that is securely attached to the insert plate and provides a decorative appearance.
US08998474B2
A surface light source device includes a surface light-emitting light-guiding unit; an LED light source disposed at an outside position on a side of a direction of the light incident surface; a plurality of laser light sources disposed at an outside position on a side of a direction of a rear surface of the surface light-emitting light-guiding unit; and a laser-light-ray guiding unit arranged on a side of a rear surface of the surface light-emitting light-guiding unit. The laser-light-ray guiding unit guides the laser light rays emitted from the laser light sources so that the laser light rays enter through a light incident end surface, travel in a direction opposite to a direction in which the LED light source emits the LED light ray, and thereafter are reflected by a light bending part to enter through the light incident surface of the surface light-emitting light-guiding unit.
US08998469B1
A lighted tile assembly illuminates tiles to enhance visibility of a floor or wall surface while enhancing the decorative appearance of the floor surface. The assembly includes a panel having a perimeter edge extending between an upper surface and a lower surface. Each of a plurality of secondary conduits has a first end extending into a primary conduit and a second end extending through the upper surface. A fiber optic trunk line is coupled to the panel and positioned in the primary conduit. Each of a plurality of fiber optic filaments is positioned in and extends through an associated one of the secondary conduits. Each filament has a second end positioned proximate the second end of the associated secondary conduit and a first end operationally coupled to the trunk line. Thus, the second end of the filament provides visible light through the second end of the associated secondary conduit.
US08998465B2
A method for injection molding of plastic-material lenticular bodies for lights; of motor vehicles and similar, the method comprising the steps of coupling a punch half-mold with a first matrix half-mold so as to define, on the surface of the punch half-mold, a first closed cavity that copies in reverse the shape of the first plastic-material sheet; filling said first cavity with a first plastic polymer in a liquid state, injecting the first plastic polymer in the first cavity from an injection point located at said first segment of the peripheral edge of the first plastic-material sheet; and finally separating, after the first plastic polymer has solidified to form the first plastic-material sheet, the punch half-mold from the first; matrix half-mold maintaining the first plastic-material sheet still on the surface of the punch half-mold.
US08998463B2
A light-emitting apparatus is provided with: a light-emitting module; a control circuit unit configured to control the lighting of the light-emitting module; a heat-radiating substrate configured to support the light-emitting module and the control circuit unit in such a manner as to recover the heat produced by the light-emitting module and the control circuit unit; and a connection support unit mounted on the heat-radiating substrate in such a state as to support an electrically conductive member by which to electrically connect the light-emitting module and the control circuit unit.
US08998456B2
An optical transmission apparatus having a temperature control function includes: a package having a cavity; a cooler mounted in the cavity and controlling temperature; and a substrate mounted on the cooler and including a light source mounted thereon to generate light. In spite of the presence of the cooler, the apparatus can be implemented to be compact and have a simple structure.
US08998448B2
A LED tube lamp includes a heat sink, a LED substrate, a pair of connectors, and a cover fixed to the heat sink. The cover includes a first cover and a second cover, at least one optical lens is arranged on the first cover, the at least one optical lens comprises a concave lens and reflective lenses arranged on both sides of the concave lens. The concave lens is configured to refract light beams from the LEDs in a forward direction or in an approximate forward direction, the reflective lenses are configured to reflect light beams from the LEDs in a lateral direction. After the light beams are refracted by the optical lens, the light divergence angle of the LED tube lamp is increased.
US08998447B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and systems for providing illumination for projectors. Two or more sets of reflectors are used to combine light beams emitted by two or more two-dimensional arrays of light sources to provide a combined light beam with high brightness toward a pupil of a projection system. Solid state light sources, such as diode lasers and LEDs, may be used as light sources at relatively low cost and low powers, and with long lifetime.
US08998440B1
The present disclosure provides a rotating signage light fixture which can be mounted on a horizontal surface, such as a ceiling, or on a vertical surface, such as a wall. The rotating signage light fixture includes a housing portion and a sign portion, in which the sign portion is rotatable with respect to the housing portion. The housing portion includes a mounting surface with which the light fixture is mounted. In a first position, the sign is substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface, and the light fixture is suitable for mounting to a ceiling. In a second position, the sign is rotated 90° from its position in the first position, and is substantially parallel to the mounting surface. The sign, a light source, and electrical components of the light fixture all move and rotate together when the sign is rotated.
US08998425B2
An image projection apparatus for projecting an image using light includes a light source configured to emit the light; and an operating unit configured to allow a user to operate the image projection apparatus, the operating unit being disposed above the light source when viewed from a placement surface on which a main body of the image projection apparatus is placed. The image projection apparatus also includes a first flow path in which air flows through the light source; and a second flow path different from the first flow path, the second flow path being formed between the light source and the operating unit.
US08998417B2
A polarization controller adapted to output respective projection lights for a right-eye image and a left-eye image that are incident from a projector to a screen in different polarization directions, includes: a liquid crystal device adapted to change the polarization directions of the projection lights; and a controller adapted to control the liquid crystal device so that the respective projection lights for the right-eye image and the left-eye image have different polarization directions, wherein the controller performs control for mirror-reversing the polarization directions of the projection lights in the liquid crystal device according to a control signal indicating whether the projector performs mirror reversal of the right-eye image and the left-eye image, input from the projector.
US08998411B2
Systems and methods for applying the concept of lightfield sensors to fundus photography are presented. In one embodiment, the ability to isolate specific regions of the collected lightfield are used to reduce the effects of glare in a fundus image. Additional embodiments in which aberrations can be characterized and removed, an image from a particular plane in the collected light field is used to aid in instrument alignment, and dynamic optimization of collection pupil diameter is accomplished are also presented.
US08998408B2
Contact lenses incorporating asymmetric radial power profiles that increase the radial dioptric power from the center to the margin of the optical zone of the lenses may be utilized to prevent and/or slow myopia progression. The power profiles vary along different meridians.
US08998401B2
An image recording device is provided with a plurality of color ink heads, first irradiation units which are disposed between the color ink heads which are adjacent, a second irradiation unit which is disposed more to the downstream side in the transport direction than the plurality of color ink heads and which irradiates light which is stronger than the light which is irradiated by the first irradiation units, and a transparent ink head which is disposed more to the downstream side in the transport direction than the second irradiation unit and which discharges transparent ink onto the image, wherein an interval, where a furthermost downstream color ink head and the transparent ink head are lined up, is wider than an interval where the plurality of color ink heads are lined up.
US08998379B2
An image forming apparatus prevents the problem of reduced utilization efficiency of a waste fluid tank caused by the storage of waste fluids with high and low viscosities in the same open-type waste fluid tank. The image forming apparatus includes a first waste fluid tank for storing waste ink fluid ejected from a recording head, and a second waste fluid tank for storing waste ink fluid ejected into a cap of the recording head. The waste ink fluid ejected into the cap is guided to the second waste fluid tank via a tube. The second waste fluid tank is an airtight structure having an inlet at one end to which the tube is detachably connected via a needle or a valve. At the other end of the second waste fluid tank, there is disposed an opening communicating the inside and the outside of the tank.
US08998378B2
In an ink jet printing method, a recording medium is moved relative to a print head having a plurality of nozzles, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles onto the recording medium in a single pass in accordance with print data supplied to the print head. Spit pattern data is included in the print data A location of an expected ink dot ejected according to the spit pattern data is scanned, providing a scanned image, and such ink dot is searched for in the scanned image in order to determine an actual presence of the ink dot.
US08998375B2
A liquid ejection head includes a recording element substrate provided with elements formed on one surface of the substrate for generating energy for ejecting liquid as well as first and second supply ports each piercing between both surfaces of the substrate for supplying the liquid to the elements; and a support member provided with first and second liquid storage portions, first and second communication paths that respectively allow the first and the second supply ports to communicate with the first and second liquid storage portions, the support member supporting the other surface of the substrate. The length of the first communication path is longer than that of the second communication path. The horizontal cross-sectional area of the first communication path in a direction perpendicular to the liquid supply direction is larger than that of the second communication path.
US08998362B2
A liquid ejection apparatus comprises a head, a conveyor, an image dot controller, a determiner and a non-image dot controller. The determiner determines whether an image dot non-forming period is equal to or longer than a predetermined time period. The non-image dot controller controls the head so that each ejection opening, whose image dot non-forming period is equal to or longer than the predetermined time period, ejects liquid once within a non-image dot forming period in the image dot non-forming period, to form on a recording medium a non-image dot, the non-image dot forming period being a period from a third time point which is after the first time point to a second time point which is the predetermined time period after the first time point, and that a plurality of the non-image dots structured by the liquid ejected from the ejection openings are scattered in a conveyance direction.
US08998360B2
A dot data generating method uses a first inkjet recording device and a second inkjet recording device, in which a first image is printed using the first inkjet recording device based on first dot data which determines formation or non-formation of dots, and second dot data is generated to print a second image based on the second dot data using the second inkjet recording device in which a speed of a relative movement of the inkjet head and a recording medium when printing an image is small compared to the first inkjet recording device. The dot data generating method includes generating the second dot data by converting the first dot data such that data of each dot in which formation of a dot is determined is converted to form a plurality of dots at predetermined intervals between the dots in a relative movement direction in place of the each dot.
US08998359B2
Disclosed are a multicolor overprint control method and device applicable to an intermittent printing apparatus. According to the operating characteristic of the intermittent printing apparatus, the method solves the problems of overlap and inaccurate overprint of various colors during intermittent printing by controlling the relationship between the distance between adjacent color group modules of different colors and the motion distance between uniform segments of the intermittent printing apparatus. In addition, the method also sets different inkjet printing modes in accordance with whether the detected inkjet printing of the same color group module is in a first period, thereby solving the problems of printing media waste and discontinuous printing data. The method achieves multicolor digital inkjet printing by combining the unique motion mode of the printing media thereof, and makes printing contents flexible and changeable on the basis of guaranteeing printing efficiency.
US08998356B2
A fastening device connects two wall parts of a furniture part, in particular a rear wall to a side wall of a drawer. The fastening device has at least one locking projection resilient about an imaginary spring axis on one wall part, which locking projection can be locked—preferably detachably—into a locking receptacle fastened to or formed on the other wall part. The imaginary spring axis of the locking projection is at an angle—preferably substantially at a right angle—from a wall of the wallpart. The locking receptacle is formed on the other wall part as an opening, and an imaginary normal on the opening is substantially parallel to the imaginary spring axis of the resilient locking projection.
US08998355B2
A drawer guide system having a case runner plastic assembly and a drawer guide plastic assembly for receiving the case runner plastic assembly. The case runner plastic assembly includes a case runner plastic adapted to be secured to a drawer frame, and a case runner attached to the case runner plastic and having a pair of cam mechanisms. The drawer guide plastic assembly includes a drawer guide adapted to be secured to a drawer, and a drawer guide plastic secured to the drawer guide. The drawer guide plastic includes a pair of tabs, and the drawer guide includes a pair of side walls, each of which has a window for receiving the pair of tabs. Upon contact with the tabs of the drawer guide plastic, the cam mechanisms automatically rotate into the corresponding windows, temporarily securing the case runner plastic to the drawer guide.
US08998341B2
A dump cart comprises a bed, a bed adapter, a frame, and a lift adapter. The bed is configured to carry a load. The bed adapter is configured to receive a bottom wall of the bed and includes a left adapter rail and a right adapter rail. The frame includes a left frame rail pivotally coupled to the left adapter rail and a right frame rail pivotally coupled to the right adapter rail. These connections allow the bed to dump the load to the rear of the dump cart. The lift adapter assists in lifting an object and includes left and right cradle arms that are configured to couple to one or more features of the object and a stabilizer leg that is configured to contact the ground so as to support a portion of the weight of the object.
US08998339B2
A chair assembly includes a back shell member including a laterally-extending top portion, a laterally-extending bottom portion and a pair of longitudinally-extending side portions extending between the top portion and the bottom portion and cooperating therewith the defined open space therebetween, and a cover having a first surface adapted to support a seated user and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the cover is positioned over the back shell member to cover at least a portion of the open space, and wherein the cover comprises an elastomeric material having a longitudinal direction compliance to lateral direction compliance ration of at least 3:1.
US08998335B2
The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a seat part and with a seat back part for supporting a driver of the vehicle in the sitting position on the vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle seat has an additional vehicle driver's torso support device which can be disposed outside the seat part and the seat back and which can be temporarily disposed at least partially in an otherwise seat-free torso support region in front of the seat back part and laterally and/or above the seat back part, in order to provide support, laterally off-center of the seat back part, at least at the level of the shoulder region of the driver who is sitting on the vehicle seat when he adopts a seated working posture oriented to the side or backwards, and wherein the additional vehicle driver's torso support device comprises a seat back extension device which is disposed on the seat back part (3) so as to be movable in translation along a horizontal axis in order to be able to move the additional vehicle driver's torso support device substantially horizontally from an approximately central starting position into an off-center additional torso support position.
US08998319B2
A seating device is provided. The seating device includes a seat, a post positioned below and attached to the seat, a base positioned below and attached to the post, an inflatable bladder positioned below and attached to the base, and a guard positioned below and attached to the base. The inflatable bladder comprises a portion of a sphere, the portion comprising less than 35 per cent of the sphere. The inflatable bladder covers over 35 per cent of an underside of the base, and the guard comprises a solid circular piece extending downward from the base with a bottom edge located above a bottom of the inflatable bladder when the inflatable bladder is fully inflated.
US08998313B2
A passenger seat has a backrest and a seat which has first and second sections each having a first surface for a seat area and a second opposite surface. The second section pivots relative to the first section between a first position, in which the first surfaces of the first and second sections form a usable total seat area, and a second operational position, in which the second section is folded relative to the first section in the direction towards the backrest. Attached to the second seat section is a holder movable relative to the second surface of the second seat section between a first position, in which the holder extends substantially parallel to the second surface of the second seat section, and a second position, in which the holder extends at from 60° to 120° relative to the second surface of the second seat section.
US08998311B2
A seat frame for a vehicle seat comprises an upholstered seat cushion, a seat frame, an upholstery support structure attached thereto and a fan housing with a radial fan. The fan housing has an axial inlet and a radial outlet for the passage of air. The fan housing is supported in the seat frame by means of a holder which includes at least one frame-shaped receptacle adapted to receive the radial outlet of the fan housing and at least one locking element for connecting itself to the fan housing.
US08998305B2
Disclosed is an automotive rear vehicle body structure which comprises a rear subframe (21) provided with right and left side member segments (22). Each of the right and left side member segments (22) has a rear region provided with a rear fixing section (26) attached to a respective one of right and left rear side frames (7), and a front region provided with a front fixing section (25) attached to a vehicle-body cross member (10). A position of the front fixing section (25) of each of the side member segments (22) is set to be located inward of the respective one of the rear side frames (7) in a vehicle width direction, and each of the side member segments (22) is provided with an arm support section (28) configured to pivotally support a suspension arm (32), at a position rearward of the front fixing section (25).
US08998301B2
A control platform for a road making machine comprises a fall protection for preventing the operator from falling down from the control platform. The disclosure is characterized by the fall protection comprising a pane of laminated glass.
US08998299B2
A bottom plate assembly for securing a bottom plate to an armored vehicle for adding to the existing armor or replacing the existing armor on the underside of the vehicle. The bottom plate assembly secures bottom plate to the vehicle hull by securing the bottom plate to the sidewalls of the vehicle.
US08998289B2
A vehicular door assembly includes a door and at least one hinge structure. Each of the at least one hinge structure includes a knuckle and a bushing. The knuckle extends away from the door. The door and the knuckle of each of the at least one hinge structure are integrally formed as a unitary structure. The knuckle of each of the at least one hinge structure includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and defines a bore extending through the knuckle and opening onto each of the upper surface and the lower surface. The bushing defines a hinge aperture and a hinge axis. At least a substantial portion of the bushing is positioned within the bore defined by a respective one of the knuckles. Each of the at least one hinge structure is configured for coupling with a frame of a vehicle. Vehicles are also provided.
US08998286B2
A soldier restraint system and method secure a soldier in a vehicle. In one embodiment, the soldier restraint system includes a seat assembly comprising a seat and straps. The soldier restraint system also includes a restraint harness belt. The restraint harness belt is secured to the seat assembly. In addition, the soldier restraint system includes mounting assemblies. The straps attach the seat to the mounting assemblies. The mounting assemblies are securable to the vehicle. Attachment of at least one of the straps to the seat is releasable by a release assembly. The soldier restraint system also includes a strap retractor and a retractor strap. The retractor strap is extractable from the strap retractor. The retractor strap is retractable by the strap retractor. The strap retractor retracts the retractor strap upon achieving a strap threshold.
US08998284B1
A fully enclosed and self-propelled ice fishing house is operable from within the enclosure to control a tracked drive, a vertically movable floor, and vertical movement of an exterior auger. The movable floor may be raised for transport and lowered to the surface of the ice during fishing. The exterior auger is preferably in front of the vehicle, and a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle extends from the auger to a fishing opening portal in the movable floor.
US08998271B2
Disclosed is a fixing device for fixing an actuation device with push-push kinematics on a component of a motor vehicle. The fixing device includes a housing with a guiding element and a locking recess on its outer surface, an opening in the component for inserting the actuation device, a guiding element on the component, and a locking projection on the component. The guiding elements of the actuation device and the component corporate such that the actuation device is guided into the opening in a predetermined rotational position, and the locking projection and the locking recess lock with each other upon the actuation device being inserted fully into the opening in the predetermined rotational position, and thus fix the actuation device on the component. The locking can be released again by rotating of the actuation device out of the predetermined rotational position.
US08998270B2
A threaded adaptor has a first end and an opposite second end of a generally hollow cylinder. At least one end has threading for connection to a hose or fitting and the ends form the male half of the connection. Centered upon the adaptor, a collar provides at least two faces for gripping of the adaptor by a tool. Within the adaptor, the two ends open into a smooth chamber that allows for uninterrupted fluid flow. To further seal the adaptor, at least one O-ring and at least one gasket are provided as alternate embodiments. In another alternate embodiment, the adaptor has one threaded end, an opposite barbed end with a clamp, and a collar with six faces. These two ends open into a chamber with a stepped diameter. The adaptor provides for flow of fluid with little turbulence.
US08998266B2
Luer connector including a primary Luer male connector, having a secondary female section extending from a top distal part of the primary Luer male connector back towards a proximal part thereof, the primary Luer male connector including a first inner fluid flow channel extending from a proximal end thereof to the secondary female section, the first inner fluid flow channel having a diameter of approximately d1 increasing at a connection point between the first inner fluid flow channel and the secondary female section to form a neck N the secondary female section having an internal diameter of d2 at a top distal part of the primary Luer male connector, where d1 is smaller than d2, the primary Luer male connector being configured to mate with a primary Luer female connector having a secondary male section including a second inner fluid flow channel ex having an internal diameter of approximately d1.
US08998263B1
A structural support assembly for a vehicle that has a roof and a rocker assembly. The structural support assembly includes an outer panel extending from the rocker assembly to the roof, an inner reinforcement including an upper panel and a lower panel. A seat belt retractor is assembled to the structural support assembly between the upper panel and the lower panel of the inner reinforcement. The upper panel and the lower panel are separate parts that are assembled to the outer panel in a spaced apart relationship.
US08998259B2
A steering apparatus includes an engaging portion movable in a predetermined moving direction at a time of a secondary collision; a fixation portion fixed to a vehicle body; and an absorbing member. The absorbing member includes a fixed portion fixed to the fixation portion, an engaged portion facing the engaging portion, and a connecting portion that includes a curved portion and connects the fixed portion and the engaged portion. An area of a cross-section of the curved portion taken along a plane perpendicular to a creeping direction along the curved portion varies depending on a position in the creeping direction. The connecting portion of the absorbing member is deformed so that the absorbing member absorbs energy of the secondary collision.
US08998258B2
Provided is a steering apparatus for a vehicle including a steering column, a mounting bracket laterally installed at the steering column and having a pair of through-holes formed at each of both sides and spaced apart from each other, a guide block including a base section and a pair of guide sections extending upward from the base section and spaced apart from each other to be inserted into the through-holes, and a capsule including a fixing section fixed to the mounting bracket and configured to be separated from the mounting bracket upon a collision of a vehicle, and a slide section lengthily extending from the fixing section and slidably inserted between the pair of guide sections.
US08998255B1
A vehicle includes a pair of front wheels, at least a pair of rear wheels, a frame portion supported by the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels, a first seat portion and a second seat portion supported by the frame portion and arranged side by side in a width direction of the vehicle, a steering wheel in front of the first seat portion, and a roll-over protection cage supported by the frame portion and covering the first seat portion, the second seat portion and the steering wheel. The first seat portion includes a first seat back portion which has a first backrest surface. The second seat portion includes a second seat back portion which has a second backrest surface. The first seat portion and the second seat portion are adjacent to each other in a width direction of the vehicle. At a height of a lower end of the steering wheel, a center of the second backrest surface is at a more rearward position than a center of the first backrest surface.
US08998233B2
A multi-use vehicle assembly provides a means for entertainment and mobilization. The vehicle assembly includes a frame assembly having a first frame coupled to a second frame. The frame assembly has a center frame coupled to and extending between the first frame and the second frame. A plurality of wheels is coupled to the frame assembly. The plurality of wheels comprises a left back wheel, a right back wheel, and a central front wheel. The left back wheel is coupled to the first frame. The right back wheel is coupled to the second frame. The central front wheel is coupled to the center frame. A steering mechanism is coupled to the frame assembly. The steering mechanism is mechanically coupled to the central front wheel. A drive system is operationally coupled to one of the plurality of wheels.
US08998230B2
Provided is a rear suspension mounting structure for an electric vehicle, which can reduce the overall weight and can enhance steering stability by forming a torsion beam and a trailing arm using different materials. In one embodiment, the rear suspension mounting structure includes a hub fastened to the center of a wheel, a trailing arm including a housing producing an internal space and an arm bush extending to one side of the housing, a torsion beam bolt-coupled to the arm bush through a coupling plate, a motor coupled to the internal space of the housing and supplying a driving force, a motor cover provided in the internal space of the housing, and a driving speed reducer provided at the outside of the motor cover in the internal space of the housing, wherein the torsion beam and the trailing arm are formed using dissimilar metals.
US08998229B2
An axle bearing suspension system and method has a pair of elongated beams having an upper section and lower section with T-shaped cross sections. The T-shaped cross sections are welded together to form beams having an I-beam cross section. The beams have attachment portions which are preferably arc shaped cylindrical portions for fixing the beams to the axle with the upper section being welded to an upper part of the axle and the lower section being welded to a lower part of the axle.
US08998225B2
A skateboard bushing securement system is provided for improvement of skateboard truck stability and performance. Base washers having a raised annular ring are positioned on opposite sides of bushings engaged to the truck hanger. The annular rings are sized to engage around the circumference of the bushings. Sleeve washers having axially located projecting sleeves communicate against the base washers during compression. The projecting sleeves engage inside the axial cavity of the bushings on both sides of the hanger. Stability and performance is enhanced through the stabilization of both bushings axially and about their circumference by the annular rings.
US08998222B2
A foldable rollator includes: a main support frame including two spaced-apart front support rods; a rear support frame including two spaced-apart rear support rods pivotally coupled to the front support rods, respectively; a plurality of wheels respectively installed on the main support frame and the rear support rods for rolling on the ground; an intermediate support frame coupled to the main support frame and the rear support frame, including a front support sub-frame pivotally coupled between the front support rods and a rear support sub-frame pivotally coupled between the rear support rods, the front and rear support sub-frames being further pivotally coupled to an axle; a seat unit disposed atop the intermediate support frame; and a backrest unit pivotally coupled to the axle.
US08998214B2
A sealing method is for sealing a gap between an opening section extending through a wall in a thickness direction thereof and an insertion member inserted in the opening section, and includes a seal-member preparing step of preparing a seal member including an elastic layer, an adhesive layer laminated on a surface of the elastic layer, and a release sheet laminated on a surface of the adhesive layer, and formed with a through hole into which the insertion member is to be inserted along a direction of lamination thereof, an inserting step of inserting the insertion member into the through hole such that the insertion member comes in contact with the seal member to bring the release sheet into abutment with the wall, and a sticking step of sticking the seal member to the insertion member and the wall, while peeling the release sheet from the adhesive layer.
US08998209B2
A rotational motion dice game system is provided. The system includes a circular surface centered around a central vertical axis. Then, a first driving mechanism is connected to the circular surface and configured to move between a first position and a second position along the central vertical axis. A ring surface is positioned above the circular surface and configured for rotational motion around the central vertical axis. A plurality of bumpers is arranged in a circumference along the ring surface. Finally, a controller is connected to the first driving mechanism and configured to cause the movement of the driving mechanism from the first position to the second position, further causing the movement of the circular surface from the first position to the second position in order to cause the movement of at least one die residing on the circular surface.
US08998204B2
A medium carrying device includes an apparatus body, medium guide unit that is detachable with respect to the apparatus body, a carrying roller that is disposed in the apparatus body, and is configured to rotate to carry a print medium passing through the medium guide unit, and a driven roller that is disposed in the medium guide unit at a position corresponding to the carrying roller in a contacting manner so that the driven roller rotates in accordance with a rotation of the carrying roller.
US08998199B2
A sheet stacking apparatus comprising: a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet discharged from a sheet discharge port is stacked; a cover portion configured to move to a closed position for covering the sheet discharge port and the sheet stacking portion and an open position for allowing taking out of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion; a sheet pressing portion configured to move to a press-down position for pressing the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion and an apart position that is distant from the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion; and a movement-linking portion configured to cause the sheet pressing portion to move from the apart position to the press-down position upon an opening movement of the cover portion.
US08998197B2
A sheet stacking device includes a device main body, a sheet discharge unit, a sheet stacking portion and a sheet detector. The sheet discharge unit discharges sheets. The sheet stacking portion includes a sheet stacking surface on which the sheets are to be stacked. The opening is formed in the sheet stacking surface. The sheet detector includes a detection piece capable of projecting upwardly of the sheet stacking surface from the opening. The sheet detector detects a first state, a second state and a third state. The first state is a state where no sheet is placed on the sheet stacking surface. The second state is a state where a first number of the sheets discharged are placed on the sheet stacking surface. The third state is a state where a second number of the sheets larger than the first number are placed on the sheet stacking surface.
US08998196B2
An image forming apparatus includes a first roller to come into contact with a first side of a recording medium and a second roller and a third roller to come into contact with a second side of the recording medium opposite the first side. Each of the first roller, the second roller, and the third roller includes a plurality of increased diameter portions and a plurality of decreased diameter portions alternately arranged in an axial direction of each of the first roller, the second roller, and the third roller to produce an uneven outer circumferential surface thereof. The increased diameter portions of the first roller overlap the increased diameter portions of each of the second roller and the third roller, respectively, with a clearance therebetween.
US08998189B2
A wave washer is used for a shaft supporting device of an electric power steering system. The wave washer has an annular portion and six outward protrusions. The annular portion has first protrusions that protrude in a first axial direction and second protrusions that are formed so as to continuous with the first protrusions and that protrude in a second axial direction. Each outward protrusion protrudes from an outer periphery of the annular portion in a radially outward direction of the radial direction of the annular portion.
US08998182B2
Provided is a damping device including a cylindrical body sealed with an inner cover and an outer cover at both ends, a support rod coupled to one end of the cylindrical body to perform an axial motion, the support rod including a moving plate having a damping orifice in the cylindrical body, the support rod including a nut configured to adjust a length of the support rod at an inner side end received in the cylindrical body, and a buffering device configured to store elastic energy in one of a first spring and a second spring based on a moving direction of the moving plate, the buffering device including the first spring inserted in the inner cover, the second spring inserted in the outer cover, and a lubricant in the cylindrical body.
US08998176B2
The present disclosure relates to apparatus, systems, and methods of use for producing beverages. The apparatus includes components and methods for facilitating beverage production applying water or other liquid in combination with a brewing substance and controlled aeration and pressurization of a mixing vessel or column. The aeration of the water and brewing substance can be accomplished with a vacuum system, a positive pressurization system, and a combination of such systems. The apparatus, systems, and methods can be used with a variety of beverage making devices such as a device which might be used to controllably produce volumes of beverage to a reservoir. The methods include controllable aeration and pressurization of the vessel for brewing which may include controlling extraction time, steep time, active controllable agitation of the brewing substance, as well as other brewing characteristics, features, and actions.
US08998171B2
A control valve for connection unit for flexible pipes, comprising a plurality of sectors, (slices or petals), rotatable between a complete opening position and a complete closing position is described. The aforesaid plurality of rotatable sectors comprises at least two series of rotating sectors of different shape and dimensions disposed in an alternate way along the circumference of the connection unit. The smaller sectors can be controlled in such a way to close slower than the bigger ones. The shape and dimensions of the rotational sectors are such to consent a partial overlapping of the borders of the adjacent sectors for a better tightness between the sectors themselves.
US08998161B2
An apparatus comprises a device cradle being configured to removably retain a portable device. The device cradle comprises a u-shaped frame being configured to receive and hold at least three peripheral sides of the portable device. An easel is in engagement with the cradle. The easel comprises lower attachment points configured to engage carrying apparatuses. The easel is further configured to extend upward from a back bottom of the frame. A junction is in engagement with a top of the easel. A hoop structure is in engagement with the junction. The hoop structure is positionable to have a spring-forward tension towards the easel to form a clip in which the clip may engage a structure and the portable device is removably secured to the structure.
US08998159B2
A locking device for preventing unauthorized retraction of a telescopic prop is made up of an adjustable clamp which can be fitted round the outer circumference of the prop together with a fastener for tightening the clamp, such as a nut and bolt with anti-tamper heads and a shield to prevent access to the head with a gripping instrument. The device can be placed around the outer circumference of an extended prop adjacent to the collar such that once the clamp is tightened the collar is sandwiched between the locking device and the pin. Alternatively the device can be placed around the outer circumference of the inner tube of the prop adjacent to and abutting the end of the outer tube of the prop in order to prevent unauthorized retraction of the prop.
US08998155B2
A threaded rod hanger has quick lock plunger mechanism that includes plunger pieces within a tapered hole in a housing. The plunger pieces have tapered outer surfaces. A spring within the housing presses the plunger pieces toward the narrow end of the bore, with the spring located between the plunger pieces and a back plate that closes off part of a wide end of the tapered bore. The plunger pieces have internally threaded surfaces that engage threads on a threaded rod that is inserted into the bore, between the plunger pieces. Once the threaded rod has been inserted between the plunger pieces and released, the plunger pieces are pushed toward the narrow bore end. This causes the plunger pieces to press inward, automatically causing the internal plunger half threads to engage the external threads on the threaded rod.
US08998152B2
A portable barrier installation system and release mechanism is provided. A support frame comprising a first support arch is coupled on each end to a first and second support base. A second support arch, parallel to the first support arch, is coupled on each end to the first and second support base. A hopper assembly is coupled to the support frame. Rotation of the hopper assembly causes the hopper assembly to be in a fill or storage position. A release mechanism facilitates the release and placement of filled bags.
US08998145B2
A parachute package including a harness, a reserve parachute container attached to the harness, and a main parachute container releasably secured to the harness, wherein the main and reserve parachute containers are releasably fastened together.
US08998142B2
A device for linking a frame and a stringer of an aircraft structure, including a first portion connected to a support surface of a frame, a second portion connected to a support surface of a stringer and a third portion referred to as intermediary portion connecting the first portion to the second portion. The second portion is connected to the intermediary portion by means of an articulation allowing for a relative movement between the two portions along a rotation axis perpendicular to the support surface of the stringer. The first portion is connected to the intermediary portion by means of an articulation allowing for a relative movement between the two portions along a rotation axis parallel to the support surface of the frame and to the support surface of the stringer.
US08998123B2
A dispensing device for adhesive labels, comprising a holder, a roll made from strip material comprising a carrier and adhesive labels adhered to the carrier. The holder made from plastic material and comprises adjacent holder sections connected with each other via at least one elastic hinge and joined on the opposite side by fixing means, such as ‘click’ fixing means. The holder forming a dispensing slot for the adhesive labels and an extended first curved guide for the strip material located between the roll and the dispensing slot. A second curved guide extends out next to the first curved guide. A transition point close to the dispensing slot between both curved guides such that the carrier is guided via both guides and the transition point in such a way that the transition point the adhesive labels are released from the carrier.
US08998105B2
A spray generator (10) including: a membrane (40) having a perforate portion through which, in use, a fluid is caused to flow when the membrane (40) is vibrated; an electronically-driven or a piezoelectrically driven actuator for vibrating the membrane (40); a chamber (18) for storing fluid for supply to a surface of the membrane (40); and a sealing element (13) located in and movable within the chamber (18) between a first position in which fluid flow from the chamber (18) through the membrane (40) is prevented and a second position in which fluid flow from the chamber (18) through the membrane (40) is allowed.
US08998104B2
An injection valve includes an injector component having an injector body including a recess hydraulically coupled to a high-pressure circuit of a fluid, and a nozzle needle moveably disposed injector body recess for preventing fluid flow through at least one injection opening in a closed position, and otherwise for releasing the fluid flow; an actuator unit disposed in the injector body recess and having an actuator element disposed in an actuator housing including an end face at an axial end facing the injection opening, which end face is mechanically coupled to a stage implemented in the injector body via a ring element disposed axially between the end face and the stage. At least two radial through passages are disposed opposite each other in the ring element, designed for hydraulically coupling between a ring interior disposed within the ring element and a ring exterior disposed outside of the ring element.
US08998103B2
A fragrance-dispensing system comprises a wick and diffuser, wherein the diffuser surface in contact with surrounding air is larger than the wick surface in contact with the air, a container for receiving the wick, and a fragrance preparation in the container, wherein the fragrance is transported by the wick to the diffuser by capillary action. At least sections of the diffuser include a color-changing agent that interacts with at least one substance present in the fragrance such that a color change is produced on and/or in the diffuser section when the substance comes into contact with the color changing agent.
US08998099B2
Antennas suitable for use in RFID devices include an insulating substrate and a first conductive micropattern disposed on or in the substrate, the first conductive micropattern defining a contiguous mesh conductor. The first conductive micropattern forms an antenna responsive to at least a frequency of 915 MHz, and includes interconnected traces having a trace width in a range from 0.5 to 20 microns. Furthermore, the first conductive micropattern is characterized by an open area fraction of at least 80% or 90%. RFID devices include such an antenna and an integrated circuit configured to transmit and receive signals using the antenna. Cards, such as financial transaction cards or identification cards, include such an antenna carried by a card layer.
US08998096B2
A thin-client access card has a card body with partial or fully emissive magnetic data tracks. An emissive element is disposed in the card body under the location of the legacy magnetic data tracks. An electronic signal conditioner converts audio signals from a mobile device into magnetic data applied to the emissive element. A swipe sensor detects when the thin-client access card is being swiped by a legacy card reader, and triggers an output of magnetic data from the emissive element while proximal to the POS reader head. A cable attaches the thin-client access card as a peripheral to the mobile device with an audio output jack.
US08998094B2
An ID document includes a document core and a multi-layer laminate. The multi-layer laminate includes at least three layers: a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer. The top layer, in combination with other layers, provides durability to the ID document. The top layer can be made of a material with strong intrusion or scratch resistance and a high thermal softening/deformation point and can also have high resistance to solvents. The middle layer may be made of a material with a low melting point, and may also have high resistance to solvents. The bottom layer helps to facilitate strong binding to the document core or inlay and may be made of a material with a relatively high melting point.
US08998093B2
A product authorization service is described, including receiving, from a first source, an item serial number (ISN) of a product and an item-specific key (ISK) for the product; receiving, from a second source, a product-package serial number (PPSN) associated with the product and information about the second source; storing the received PSN with an authorized indication based on the information about the second source indicating an authorized source; receiving, from the product, the PSN and the ISN; determining whether the PSN is the same as the receive PSN with the authorized indication; and if the PSN is the same as the receive PSN, transmitting the ISK to the product, the ISK enables activation of one or more features of the product.
US08998091B2
A hybrid-type bi-optical bar code symbol reading system has a vertical housing section with a vertical scanning window and a horizontal housing section with a horizontal scanning window from which laser scanning planes are projected and intersect within a 3D scanning volume defined between the vertical and horizontal scanning windows. An automatic object edge-motion detection subsystem is provided for detecting the entry and exit of objects at the edge of the 3D scanning volume and generating control signals in response thereto. A digital imaging subsystem is supported within the system housing and automatically projects a field of view (FOV) within the 3D scanning volume in response to control signals generated by the automatic object edge-motion detection subsystem and timer settings managed by a system controller.
US08998090B1
A standoff for an optical imaging system includes a base, with a target plate coupled to the base and positioned along a central trajectory of the base. The target plate includes a scan window positioned along the central trajectory of the base. The scan window serves to align the optical imaging system with an optical mark on an object. A machine readable code can be positioned on the target plate, the machine readable code including optical imaging system setting information to be read by the optical imaging system.
US08998087B2
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag includes a power supply, a RFID microchip, an enable unit, an adhesive unit, and a conducting unit. The adhesive unit is positioned on a bottom surface of the RFID tag. The conducting unit is secured to the bottom surface of the RFID tag through the adhesive unit. An end of the conducting unit is electronically connected to the power supply or the enable unit. Another end of the conducting unit is connected to the RFID microchip. The power supply or the enable unit switches on/off the RFID microchip through the conducting unit.
US08998085B2
An optical apparatus includes an optical sensor configured to capture a digital image of an animal within a view area, a processor coupled to the optical sensor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to determine a distance to the animal, determine edges of the animal, and calculate measurements of selected portions of the animal in response to determining the edges and the distance. The memory further stores instructions that, when executed, cause processor to automatically calculate a prey score for the animal in response to calculating the measurements.
US08998083B2
A system for the tagging, organization and tracking of evidence during the course of an investigation. The system generally utilizes an onsite handheld mobile computer device which is capable of taking input information including a description of evidence and a photo of evidence, reading a machine readable tag placed on the evidence, and printing an evidence bag label for identification the storage into which the evidence is placed. The handheld device can store this information in onboard memory until it is uploaded to a central server computer.
US08998070B2
A bulk container for shipping product in bulk from one location to another location, wherein the container has a sidewall with a top end and a bottom end, a bottom closure at the bottom end of the sidewall closing the bottom end of the container, a bag liner in the container, and attaching structure on the bottom closure for attaching the bottom end of the bag liner to the bottom end of the container so that the bag liner remains in the container when the container is inverted and product is dumped from the container.
US08998061B2
A surgical stapler is provided. The stapler includes a tubular body portion. A cartridge assembly is disposed at a distal end of the body portion for expelling an annular array of staples. Each of the staples of the annular array of staples has a generally bent backspan. An anvil member disposed at the distal end of the tubular body portion is positioned opposite the cartridge assembly to clinch the staples in tissue upon expulsion of the staples from the cartridge assembly. The anvil member has a corresponding annular array of staple forming buckets. Each of the buckets is configured to accommodate the generally bent configuration of the staples to facilitate formation thereof.
US08998058B2
A detachable motor-powered surgical instrument is disclosed. The instrument may include a housing that includes at least one engagement member for removably attaching the housing to an actuator arrangement. A motor is supported within the housing for supplying actuation motions to various portions of a surgical end effector coupled to the housing. The housing may include a contact arrangement that is configured to permit power to be supplied to the motor only when the housing is operably attached to the actuator arrangement.
US08998057B2
A hook assembly includes an end cap having an outer periphery. The end cap is configured to be connected to a power tool. A hook is rotatably coupled to the outer periphery of the end cap. An O-ring is positioned between the outer periphery of the end cap and the hook. A protrusion is included on one of the outer periphery of the end cap and the hook to frictionally engage the O-ring to secure the hook in at least one selected rotational position relative to the end cap.
US08998055B2
A dispenser for dispensing paper toweling. The dispenser including a towel support that is positionable in a first dispensing position when a drive roller rotates in a first direction, and that is positionable in a second auto-loading position when the drive roller rotates in a second direction. Rotation of the drive roller in the first and second directions automatically loading the paper toweling for subsequent dispense.
US08998048B1
An electronic device holder on a bicycle may include a frame body and a standpipe connection seat, and the frame body is composed of a body, a clamping device, two rotation controls and the nip unit pressing as the combination. The standpipe connection seat is provided with a fine adjustment unit, and the fine adjustment unit, is located on the beam of the glove with the set of risers, and provided to assemble for the anchor of body.
US08998032B2
A dispensing mechanism is adapted to eject a test sensor from a cartridge opening formed in a cartridge containing test sensors. The dispensing mechanism comprises a gear rack, a gear, and a wheel. The gear rack includes a first portion and a second portion located generally parallel to one another. The second portion of the gear rack includes a first plurality of teeth. The gear includes a second plurality of teeth that are adapted to be engaged by the first plurality of teeth upon movement of the gear rack. The wheel is operatively engaged by the gear and is adapted to dispense the test sensor from the cartridge opening and to seal the cartridge opening. The movement of the gear rack in a first direction causes the gear to rotate causing the wheel to rotate. The rotation of the wheel dispenses the test sensor through the cartridge opening.
US08998031B2
A container for disposing of waste includes a receptacle and a first pivoting member functionally associated with the receptacle. The first pivoting member includes a first disposal surface. A second pivoting member functionally associated with the receptacle includes a second disposal surface. The second pivoting member is operatively coupled to the first pivoting member such that waste deposited on either the first disposal surface or the second disposal surface causes concurrent counter rotation of both the first pivoting member and the second pivoting member to dispose of the waste into the receptacle.
US08998030B2
A package includes a container and a lid adapted to mate with a brim of the container. The lid closes a top opening in the container when mounted on the container.
US08998028B2
A container end (20) having a dispensing aperture (50) with a closed position, in which the dispensing aperture is sealed, and an open position, in which product may be dispensed through the aperture (50). The end (20) includes a flexible film (70), which has at least one tongue (75) anchored to the end (20) outside the periphery of the aperture (50) and having a free end, which is visible in the dispensing aperture once the aperture is opened. The free end of the tongue (75) is concealed when the aperture (50) is closed, but becomes visible to a user once the aperture (50) is opened.
US08998026B2
A synthetic resin bottle has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a bottom wall portion that includes a grounding portion located at an outer circumferential edge, a rising circumferential wall portion that is connected from an inner side to the grounding portion and extends upward, an annular movable wall portion protruding from an upper end of the rising circumferential wall portion toward the bottle radial inner side, and a recessed circumferential wall portion between the bottle radial inner side and the movable wall portion. The movable wall portion is free to rotate around a portion connected to the rising circumferential wall portion so as to move the recessed circumferential wall portion in an upward direction. The rising circumferential wall portion extends to be gradually inclined toward the bottle inner side, and an inclined angle thereof is equal to or less than 10° with respect to a bottle axis.
US08998024B2
A device that stores a low molecular gas, such as hydrogen (H2), under high pressure includes having an inner shell and at least one outer sleeve surrounding the inner shell. The region between the inner shell and the outer sleeve is connected via at least one valve with a backflow prevention capability to the region surrounded by the inner shell. The valve is thereby formed so that low molecular gas which has diffused through the inner shell can flow back into the inner shell when there are suitable pressure conditions.
US08998019B2
A system for storing bags adjacent to or within a container with which the bags will be used includes a bag bundle holding assembly, attached to or held adjacent the container and a bag bundle. The bag bundle includes a plurality of bags held in a bundle. The bag bundle is removably coupleable to the holding assembly adjacent to or within the container.
US08998014B2
A resin lid for a container body with an opening in an upper part, including a body part that closes the opening and has an air hole, and a flap that includes a base, a hinge on a first end of the base, and a projection provided on a second end side of the base and fitted in the air hole. The flap is swingable around the hinge between a first position in which the projection fits in the air hole and a second position in which the air hole is open. The body part and flap are integrally formed. When the flap travels from the second to the first position, a tip of the projection comes into contact with a circumferential edge of the opening of the air hole on a side opposite the hinge, and the projection fits in the air hole as the flap elastically deforms.
US08998007B1
A snow ski, snow board and accessory storage device includes a backing plate; a hinge assembly carried by the backing plate, the hinge assembly including at least one hinge rotatable with respect to the backing plate; at least one backing arm carried by the at least one hinge of the hinge assembly, the at least one backing arm having an outer arm segment and an inner arm segment spaced-apart and parallel to the outer arm segment; the at least one backing arm adapted to receive a snow ski or snowboard between the outer arm segment and the inner arm segment; and a spreader and hanging bar carried by the backing plate, the at least one backing arm normally resting by gravity against the spreader and hanging bar and capable of being raised from the spreader and hanging bar as the at least one hinge rotates relative to the backing plate.
US08998005B2
A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed and one or more dividers for separating product into rows. The one or more dividers may be engaged to a front rail in two different conditions, locked and unlocked. In a locked condition, the relationship between the divider and the front rail resists alteration in any direction with respect to each other. In the unlocked condition, the dividers may be freely slid laterally along the front rail, while remaining perpendicular to the front rail. The one or more dividers may lock to the front rail through the use of corresponding teeth, resilient surfaces, a locking tab, a locking bar and/or a cam.
US08998002B1
A rack for holding hair extensions. A vertical member has a plurality of openings arranged along a length of the vertical member. Combs hold the hair extensions. The combs attach in a series of vertically arranged openings along a length of the vertical member. The openings in the vertical member are arranged in a spiral or other pattern as desired for an organization of hair extensions according to where they go on a head and adapt to right or left handed users or different styles and kinds of extensions on one or more heads.
US08998000B2
A mechanical separator for separating a fluid sample into first and second phases within a collection container is disclosed. The mechanical separator may have a separator body having a through-hole defined therein, with the through-hole adapted for allowing fluid to pass therethrough. The separator body includes a float, having a first density, and a ballast, having a second density greater than the first density. A portion of the float is connected to a portion of the ballast. Optionally, the float may include a first extended tab adjacent a first opening of the through-hole and a second extended tab adjacent the second opening of the through-hole. In certain configurations, the separator body also includes an extended tab band disposed about an outer surface of the float. The separator body may also include an engagement band circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the separator body.
US08997998B2
The invention relates to a method and apparatus to continuously monitor and control acoustic energy and vacuum pressure to maintain a net unidirectional flow of multi-phase heterogeneous fluids through a porous filter or membrane. The heterogenous fluid may come form a variety of sources including biological sources such as, blood, bone marrow aspirate (BMA), adipose tissue (lipoaspirate), urine, saliva, etc.
US08997991B2
The invention relates to a packaging unit comprising a container and hygroscopic or humidity softenable film-like materials. For this purpose, said film-like materials are stacked in the container and a separating material which is chemically inert and physically stable with respect thereto is arranged at time between said film-like materials. Each time, said separating material is brought into contact with two film-like materials and does not adheres or adheres less strongly to at least one film-like material that to the other film-like material. Said invention makes it possible to develop a packaging unit provided with a container which guarantees a reliable individual withdrawal of the hygroscopic film-like materials.
US08997986B2
A carton for carrying a plurality of articles. The carton having a plurality of panels at least partially extending around an interior of the carton, the plurality of panels comprising at least one bottom panel and at least one side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The carton further having at least one retention tab foldably connected to the at least one bottom panel. The at least one retention tab is for engaging at least a portion of an article of the plurality of articles, and the at least one retention tab comprises a first portion foldably connected to the bottom panel at a first fold line and a second portion foldably connected to the first portion at a second fold line.
US08997979B2
A package of tobacco articles, having an inner container containing a group of tobacco articles; an outer container which houses the inner container in such a manner as to allow the inner container to slide, with respect to the outer container, between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is partly extracted from the outer container; and at least one lock member which, in releasable manner by user action from the outside, prevents the inner container in the closed position from sliding with respect to the outer container.
US08997978B2
The present disclosure provides a medical device package including a container for receiving a medical device having an area configured for storing at least one agent and a port for permitting the passage of a contact material between the outside the container and the area configured for storing the agent.
US08997969B2
A production cell for automated processing of workpieces has a protective fence and, arranged therein, at least one production device, for example a bending press, and at least one handling device. A workpiece transfer device for part carriers or workpieces is arranged in the production cell which workpiece transfer device forms a supply position and a delivery position. Here, a delivery device of the workpiece transfer device forms a first delivery path and a second delivery path which extends parallel to the former, wherein, furthermore, a conveyor for optional transfer of a part carrier between the delivery paths is provided on an actuating device.
US08997968B2
A device and method for automatically adjusting safety control parameters of a conveyor are disclosed. The safety device may include various sensors and a safety control module. The safety control module may be preprogrammed with a learn-run method configured to learn operational and mechanical characteristics of a conveyor, validate the operational characteristics of the conveyor based on predefined nominal specifications, and determine a safety function with calibrated safety control parameters by which to monitor conveyor operation.
US08997964B2
A load sensitive magnetic clutch device includes: a magnetic pole rotating body having magnetic poles arranged on the circumference thereof and provided with a clutch projection of a claw clutch at an end thereof; a yoke rotating body configured to rotate about an axial center of rotation identical to that of the magnetic pole rotating body; and a high-torque input member configured to rotate about the identical axial center of rotation and having a clutch engaging portion engaging the clutch projection. The clutch projection is formed of a magnetic body. The clutch engaging portion includes a clutch retaining magnetic body configured to attract the clutch projection by a magnetic force. The clutch projection is attracted by the clutch retaining magnetic body by an application of a load torque exceeding a torque which is transferrable between the magnetic pole rotating body and the yoke rotating body.
US08997960B2
A cavity 135 having a closed end wall 135a facing an end of a rotational shaft 71 and receiving the end of the rotational shaft 71 therein is defined in an inner surface of a case cover 55 such that supply oil passages 125, 126 are open at inner circumferential surfaces of the cavity 135. At least one radial joint hole 138 is defined in an end portion of the rotational shaft 71 and extends radially of the rotational shaft 71, the radial joint hole 138 having an inner end connected to another oil passage 111 in the rotational shaft 71 than a particular oil passage 112 in the rotational shaft 71. The radial joint hole 138 is connected to a corresponding supply oil passage 125 of the supply oil passages 125, 126, in the cavity 135.
US08997943B2
A bicycle brake apparatus includes first and second brake arms. The first brake arm includes a first brake arm mounting portion for mounting the first brake arm to a bicycle frame member, a first brake pad mounting portion, and a first control interface portion. The second brake arm includes a second brake arm mounting portion for mounting the second brake arm to the bicycle frame member and a second brake pad mounting portion. A synchronizing link communicates a synchronizing force that arises from one of the first brake arm or the second brake arm to the other one of the first brake arm or the second brake arm so that the first brake arm and the second brake arm move in synchronization.
US08997931B2
A stepladder includes a front section having a first front leg and a second front leg and a step attached to the first front leg and the second front leg and a latch engaged with the step. The stepladder includes a rear section having a first rear leg and a second rear leg and a cross bar attached to the first rear leg and the second rear leg. The rear section has a first stud which extends from the first rear leg toward the second rear leg and separate and apart and not in contact with the second rear leg and not in contact with the cross bar. The latch is engaged with and latched to the first stud to define an engaged position where the first front leg and the first rear leg are in an open position and form an inverted v shape and are prevented from folding together.
US08997919B2
A motor-driven steering controller for controlling a steering wheel of a vehicle. The controller includes a steering torque controlling unit, a braking force estimating unit, a right and left braking force difference estimating unit and an assist steering torque providing unit. The steering torque controlling unit controls a steering torque on the steering wheel depending on a steering operation. The braking force estimating unit estimates braking forces to be imposed on wheels of the vehicle. The right and left braking force difference estimating unit estimates difference between the braking forces to be imposed on the right and left wheels each estimated by the braking forces estimating unit. The assist steering torque providing unit provides an assist steering torque for the steering torque controlling unit on the basis of the difference in braking force between right and left wheels estimated by the right and left braking force difference estimating unit.
US08997918B2
The invention relates to protective device for an articulated vehicle (1) comprising at least a first and second vehicle portion (4, 6); a control gear (8) connected to the respective vehicle portion (4, 6); and an actuating member (16) for, via the control gear (8), changing the relative position of the vehicle portions (4, 6) in relation to one another. The protective device (2) comprises at least one stiffening means (22), which fixes the position of each respective vehicle portion (4, 6) in relation to one another whenever the acceleration and/or speed of at least one of the vehicle portions (4, 6) exceeds a predetermined limit value. The invention also relates to a method for controlling a stiffening means of such a protective device (2) for an articulated vehicle (1).
US08997917B1
A universal interconnection system includes a bushing assembly having one or more bushing member disposed in an operative engagement between the components, wherein each bushing member is individually interconnected between the oppositely disposed components via corresponding bushing fasteners. Each of the oppositely disposed components comprises at least one interconnection aperture through which a portion of a bushing member is disposed prior to being secured therein by a corresponding bushing fastener. Each bushing fastener is removable from the bushing member thereby providing secure yet releasable interconnection of the oppositely disposed components.
US08997916B2
A clutch actuator and a speed change actuator are disposed so as to be adjacent to each other on one side of an engine main body along the axis of a crankshaft. The clutch actuator is provided with a manual clutch operating part capable of being manually operated. The speed change actuator is provided with a manual speed change operating part capable of being manually operated.
US08997910B2
An electric bicycle configured to generate electricity by pedals thereof, the electric bicycle includes a front frame provided with a front wheel and a handle; a center frame provided with pedals and a saddle, a rear frame provided with a rear wheel; a pedal housing provided at the a front frame provided with a front wheel and a handle, a center frame provided with pedals and a saddle, a rear frame provided with a rear wheel, a pedal housing provided at the center frame, a pedal shaft provided with the pedals at both end portions thereof while passing through the pedal housing, an accelerating unit allowing the pedal shaft to pass therethrough and provided with an input side directly connected to the pedal shaft to increase rotational speed, and a generating unit allowing the pedal shaft to pass therethrough and directly connected to an output side of the accelerating unit.
US08997906B2
A method for reversing an air mover to remove debris from a cooling system of a work vehicle. In one embodiment, the largest required fan speed for cooling the engine coolant, hydraulic oil and the charge air is used as the set point speed for a fan. The fan is operated at the set point speed to generate airflow across each of the heat exchangers. Multiple conditions are evaluated for reversing the direction of the fan.
US08997903B2
The present invention provides a device or apparatus for assisting in the operation of a wheelbarrow having a tray, handles and at least one front wheel. The present device may generally include a motor, a power/fuel source, a drive wheel and a drive mechanism for rotationally coupling the drive motor to the drive wheel, the drive wheel able to contact the front wheel of the wheelbarrow in a direct wheel-on-wheel engagement when the present device is attached to the underside of the wheelbarrow tray. The present device may be slidingly attached to the wheelbarrow, such as by one or more slides, to permit its movement forward and backward for the drive wheel to engage or disengage the front wheel. The present invention further includes the present device attached to a wheelbarrow or tray, and methods for assembling and operating the device and attaching it to a wheelbarrow or tray.
US08997900B2
A polycrystalline diamond compact formed in an in-situ boron-doped process. The in-situ boron-doped process includes consolidating a mixture of diamond crystals and boron-containing alloy via liquid diffusion of boron into diamond crystals at a pressure greater than 5 Gpa and at a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the boron-containing alloy, typically less than about 1450° C.
US08997899B2
A cutting element includes a modified gilmoid having two planes defining a plurality of cutting edges thereon, and a first support extending from a central area of a first of the two planes and a second support extending from a central area of a second of the two planes. The supports are sized and positioned such that when the cutting element is resting against a planar surface such that one of the plurality of cutting edges and the first support are in contact with the planar surface the first plane forms an acute angle with the planar surface.
US08997891B2
An earth boring apparatus includes a drill rod, a source for a drill fluid, and a voltage source. The drill rod has a hollow rod casing provided for throughflow of the drill fluid, and a conductor located within the rod casing, with the voltage source being connected with the conductor and the rod casing. The voltage source is so connected as to prevent the electric conductor to act as anode in the event the drill fluid establishes an electrically conductive connection between the rod casing and the conductor.
US08997890B2
A drilling system performs underground boring using a drill rig and a boring tool which is configured for moving through the ground under control of the drill rig to form an underground bore. A monitoring arrangement, forming part of the system, includes a detection arrangement at the drill rig for monitoring at least one operational parameter to produce a data signal relating to at least one of a utility to be installed in the underground bore, the drill rig and the boring tool. A portable device forms another part of the system for receiving the data signal relating to the operational parameter for use by the portable device. A communication arrangement, for example using telemetry, transfers the data signal from the drill rig to the portable device. The operational parameter may be monitored for the purpose of preventing equipment failure.
US08997887B2
A power tool performs a predetermined operation by using a tool bit and has a grip part and a dust suction device. The dust suction device has a dust suction part that extends in an axial direction of the tool bit and sucks and collects dust generated during operation at a tip of the tool bit. The dust suction part can be moved between a first position in which the dust suction part covers a bit tip of the tool bit and a second position in which the bit tip is exposed. The dust suction device further has an operation mode switching mechanism that is capable of switching between a first operation mode in which the dust suction part is allowed to move between the first and second positions and a second operation mode in which the dust suction part is locked in the second position.
US08997886B2
An agricultural machine (101; 201; 301) comprising two mainly parallel, in the direction of travel, cross-running disc implement rows (102a, 102c; 202a, 202b; 304a, 304b), wherein the orientation of the disc implements (102b, 102d; 203a, 203b; 302a, 302b) contained in the mentioned disc implement rows is arranged so that the fore row (102a; 202a; 304a) has disc implements that are mounted on a frame beam (110; 211; 303) and that are angled outwards and backwards towards the sides of the machine and in a dividing line mainly parallel to the direction of travel of the machine form a first point of change (208a, 304c), and the rear row (102c, 202b; 304b) has disc implements (102d; 203b; 302b) that are mounted on a frame beam (110; 211; 303) and that are angled inwards and backwards from the sides of the machine and in the dividing line form a second point of change (208b, 304a), wherein the fore row is adapted to throw soil from the first point of change outwards towards the sides of the machine and the other row is adapted to throw soil from the sides of the machine inwards towards the second point of change. The dividing line with the first point of change (208a, 304c), and with the second point of change (208b, 304) is arranged at a predetermined distance from the centre line of the machine (101; 201; 301) across the direction of travel.
US08997869B2
Disclosed herein are methods for extracting a kerogen-based product from subsurface (oil) shale formations. These methods rely on chemically modifying the shale-bound kerogen using a chemical oxidant so as to render it mobile. The oxidant is provided to a formation fluid in contact with the kerogen in the subsurface shale. A mobile kerogen-based product which includes the organic acids is withdrawn from the subsurface shale formation and processed to isolate the organic acids contained therein. The isolated organic acids are upgraded by a reaction process that make the products suitable as refinery feedstocks, fuel or lubricant blendstocks, reaction intermediates, chemical feedstocks, or chemical intermediate blendstocks.
US08997868B2
Methods of drilling wellbores, placing proppant packs in subterranean formations, and placing gravel packs in wellbores may involve fluids, optionally foamed fluids, comprising nanoparticle suspension aids. Methods may be advantageously employed in deviated wellbores. Some methods may involve introducing a treatment fluid into an injection wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the treatment fluid comprising a base fluid, a foaming agent, a gas, and a nanoparticle suspension aid; and producing hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation via a production wellbore proximal to the injection wellbore.
US08997867B2
A cross-linkable composition with controlled cross-linking as a material is used for fixing and thermally insulating tubes used for casing in drill holes, especially oil drill holes, during exploitation operations, such as oil extraction, in the drill hole. The cross-linkable composition includes at least one diene polyol, at least one polyisocyanate, and at least one heat insulating liquid filler.
US08997857B2
The present invention provides a system for anchoring an expandable tubular to a borehole wall. The system comprises a support member having a first end fixed relative to the outside of the tubular and a second end comprising a ramping surface. An anchor member has a first end fixed relative to the outside of the tubular and a second end extending toward the support member, said second end being movable relative to the outside of the tubular. Said support member includes a ramp surface that tapers in the direction of said anchor member. Expansion of the portion of the expandable tubular between the first support end and the first anchor end causes the axial device length to shorten, wherein the difference in length is sufficient to cause the second anchor end to move radially outward and engage the borehole wall as a result of engagement with said ramping surface.
US08997846B2
A heat dissipation system that includes a structure having a surface with a cavity recessed on the surface. A wing or channel causes a vortex to occur in the cavity. Destabilizers, such as projections or recesses are disposed on the sidewall of the cavity to disrupt the local surface boundary layer that forms in the cavity. Alternatively, a plurality of freely moving bead elements are disposed in the cavity to disrupt the local surface boundary layer. A cover can be included that prevents the bead elements from exiting the cavity.
US08997839B2
A thin heat pipe structure includes a pipe body, a thin-sheet member, and a plurality of bosses. The pipe body internally defines a receiving space, in which a working fluid is provided. The thin-sheet member includes a plurality of open spaces, and the bosses are provided in the open spaces, so that the bosses and the thin-sheet member are disposed in the receiving space of the pipe body at the same time. A method of manufacturing thin pipe structure is also disclosed for manufacturing thin heat pipe structure with reduced time and labor, and protecting a wick structure formed in the thin heat pipe structure against damage. Therefore the thin heat pipe structure can be manufactured with increased good yield and at reduced manufacturing cost.
US08997836B2
A multi-wall ceramic core for casting an airfoil with one or more internal cooling passages is made by preforming at least one fugitive core insert to have a joint-forming surface with a male and/or female joint feature and then forming at least one fugitive core insert in-situ adjacent and integrally connected and fused to the at least one preformed core insert at the joint-forming surface to form an interlocked, fused joint to form a composite core insert that includes features to form internal passage surfaces in the core when the composite core insert is removed. Another aspect involves preforming first and second fugitive core inserts to have respective joint-forming surfaces with respective snap-fittable joint features and assembling the first and second fugitive core inserts to form a composite core insert by snap fitting the snap-fittable joint features together to form an interlocked joint. The composite core insert is placed in a core molding die cavity, and a fluid ceramic material is introduced into the die cavity to form the ceramic core body incorporating the fugitive composite core insert therein.
US08997832B1
A method for manufacturing micrometer scale components comprises depositing a first metal on a substrate, depositing a second metal in a mold, and alloying the first and second metals together to form the component.
US08997829B2
An improvement of roller blinds controller is provided, it mainly comprises a cylindrical rod passing through a side cover and fixing therewith; a bead chain sprocket and a number of torsion springs fitted on the cylindrical rod, and an outer sleeve cover fitted on the outside, wherein: the cylindrical rod has a ridge portion protruded from the circumferential surface thereof, while the side cover has a has a central aperture with a annular edge portion, the cylindrical rod can be fixed with the side cover by the snap-fitting of the annular edge portion between the flange portion and the ridge portion.
US08997826B2
A window covering includes a headrail, a bottom rail, a shading member, two pulley assemblies, and a cord. The shading member is between the headrail and the bottom rail. The pulley assemblies are received in the headrail, each of which has a frame and a pulley. The frame has an opening, and the pulley is connected to the frame. The cord is a woven Y-shaped cord, having a control section and two lift sections. The cord runs over the pulleys of the pulley assemblies, the control section extends out of the headrail to be operated by a user, and the lift sections extend out of the frames via the openings respectively to connect to the bottom rail through the shading member.
US08997822B2
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a substrate inverting device for inverting front and rear surfaces of a substrate is provided. The substrate includes a first holding unit configured to hold one surface of the substrate and a second holding unit disposed to face the first holding unit and configured to hold one surface of the substrate. Further, the substrate includes a moving mechanism configured to relatively move at least one of the first holding unit and the second holding unit to approach each other and stay spaced apart from each other, and a transfer mechanism configured to hold the one surface of the substrate. In this case, a support of the substrate in the first holding unit, the second holding unit and the transfer mechanism is performed by a Bernoulli chuck.
US08997820B2
The method comprises the steps of arranging a bunch of cloths stacked onto one another; taking a label (4) containing a respective identifying code of the upper cloth (30) of the bunch, laying onto the label one end (23), provided with a cavity, of a gripping element (21) and creating in the cavity a pressure lower than an ambient pressure, so that the label obstructs the cavity; laying the label onto a labeling area (3b) of the upper cloth, and fixing the label to the upper cloth; moving the labeling area (3b) of the upper cloth by shifting the gripping element (21), maintaining in the cavity a pressure lower than an ambient pressure; increasing pressure in the cavity of the gripping element until the label gets off it, so that the labeling area (3b) of the upper cloth (30) reaches a firm position away from the respective labeling area (3b) of a cloth (31) lying directly below the upper cloth, so as to enable a subsequent application of a respective label (4) onto the respective labeling area (3b) of the cloth (31) lying directly below.
US08997819B2
A labelling machine for labels printed on pre-pasted continuous film, comprising a rotating carousel provided with elements for supporting the individual containers to be labelled, adapted to turn such containers about their own axis, and alignment elements and tension adjustment elements for the film that unwinds from a reel and a cutting and transfer drum comprises a structure for supporting actuation elements for individual blades designed to cut the labels, the supporting structure being adapted to support a number of circumferential portions of peripheral shells provided with film retention elements and adapted to be inserted in the gaps formed by the blades that are present in each one of the groupings, so as to form a continuous cylindrical surface for supporting the film.
US08997807B2
A tyre for motor vehicles, in particular for rear wheels of motor vehicles, has a tread band including an annular central portion, two first annular side portions and two second annular side portions, each arranged between the annular central portion and a respective first annular side portion and being narrower than the first annular side portion. The tread band has at least one module replicated along a circumferential direction of the tyre and includes grooves inclined with respect to the equatorial plane, at least two first grooves, each extending from a second annular side portion to a first annular side portion; at least two second grooves spaced from the first grooves in the circumferential direction, each extending only on a respective second annular side portion and at least two third grooves arranged along the circumferential direction on the opposite side to the first grooves with respect to the second grooves, each of said third grooves extending from a second annular side portion to a first annular side portion.
US08997795B2
A flexible hose (1) has at least two textile reinforcement inlays or inserts (5, 6, 7) and an inner layer (2) made of elastomeric material. The flexible hose can assume various curvature geometries and, on the other hand, is still pressure-resistant because a textile reinforcement inlay (5) made of a peripherally closed, tubular knitted or woven fabric is applied to the elastomeric inner layer (2). A textile layer (6), which is rubber-coated on both sides, is wound as a further textile reinforcement inlay onto the tubular knitted or woven fabric (5).
US08997794B2
The invention relates to a vibration absorbing pipe for a refrigeration compressor including: a corrugated pipe; a first connection pipe having concavo and convex portions; a wire braided net adapted to be fitted to the outer peripheral surfaces of the corrugated pipe and the first connection pipe; and a first compression ring having concavo and convex portions formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof in such a manner as to be compressed against the front end periphery of the wire braided net located just on the top of the first connection pipe, wherein the first connection pipe has an adjusting groove formed on one side outer peripheral surface thereof, so that through the width adjustment of the adjusting groove, a thickness of one side bonding portion of the first connection pipe is the same as a thickness of one side bonding portion of the corrugated pipe.
US08997790B2
A touch switch outlet mechanism has a fixation unit and a switch unit. The fixation unit includes an inlet waterway connected to the water source, a water diversion cavity connected to the inlet waterway, N number of water diversion holes connected to the water diversion cavity and several outlet functions with same number as the water diversion holes and one to one corresponding to the water diversion holes, N is equal to or more than 2; The switch unit includes N−1 number of sealing balls and N touch buttons, the N touch buttons are separately disposed with a touch end inside the water diversion cavity and a controlled end controlled by the user, the touch ends of the N touch buttons corresponding to N water diversion holes and sliding connected to the fixation unit, the N−1 sealing balls can close N−1 of the N water diversion holes.
US08997780B2
In one example, a fuel system includes a fuel tank having a wall with an opening. A fuel float valve has a float and a seal plate on opposing ends of a beam. The fuel float valve also includes a fulcrum about which the beam is configured to pivot in response to a change in fuel level. The fuel float valve is movable between unsealed and sealed positions in which the seal plate is respectively unsealed and sealed relative to the opening. The seal plate includes first and second portions. The first portion seals against the wall, and the second portion is movable relative to the first portion in the sealed position from a closed position to an open position with respect to the first portion.
US08997779B2
A lockout device that can be used to lock a valve in a closed position, for use particularly with valves that include a stationary member, such as a body, and a rotating member, such as a handle or wheel, for activating and deactivating the valve is disclosed. The lockout device can also be used to provide a connection point for connecting various types of connectors to a hose clamp or other elongate connecting member mounted on and locked onto a body such as a pipe or valve.
US08997772B2
A backflow prevention assembly is disclosed including a backflow prevention valve having a valve housing including a valve inlet end and a valve outlet end; a spool spacer of predetermined length having a first end and a second end; an inlet shut-off valve; and an outlet shut-off valve, wherein the spool spacer extends between the backflow prevention valve and one of the inlet shut-off valve and the outlet shut-off valve. The entire assembly, including the backflow prevention valve, the spool spacer, the inlet shut-off valve, and the outlet shut-off valve, is a certified assembly, certified by a certifying authority prior to installation. Methods of manufacturing a backflow prevention assembly and replacing a backflow prevention assembly are also disclosed.
US08997770B1
A wheelchair covering device extends around a wheelchair to protect a user positioned in the wheelchair against inclement weather, such as rain, snow, sunlight and the like. The device includes a support unit configured for coupling to a wheelchair. A canopy is coupled to the support unit. The canopy is configured for extending over and shading a seat of the wheelchair. A flexible panel is removably coupled to the canopy. The panel is configured to extend around the seat of the wheelchair.
US08997767B2
A portable, insulated shelter consists of flexible inner and outer layers, lightweight fabric panels located therebetween, and connected to each other, a suitable support frame, and a system, such as a HVAC unit and a suitable connector, for actively controlling the interior environment of the shelter. The shelter may be used to protect and provide livable conditions in harsh, remote locations. Methods of selectively installing and removing the fabric panels are also provided, along with methods of setting up and disassembling the shelter.
US08997766B2
A walking stick chair includes a main stick, a seat unit, a support unit, and a linking unit. The seat unit includes a sleeve member connected in a fixed position to the main stick, and a seat member connected pivotally to the sleeve member and operable between a folded state and an unfolded state. The support unit is connected pivotally to the main stick. The linking unit is connected pivotally to the support unit and the seat member. When the seat member is at the unfolded state, the walking stick chair serves as a chair, and when the seat member is operated from the unfolded state to the folded state, the walking stick chair is converted from the chair to a walking stick.
US08997765B2
A device for gently cleaning, sterilizing, and drying large volumes of small parts, having a stationary, preferably spherical treatment container optionally having a cooling device and having a rotating inner basket disposed in the interior thereof. The inner basket is preferably sealed off from the treatment container and driven by a stepper motor or servo motor.
US08997740B2
A humidifier for use with a pressure support system. The humidifier includes a body having an inlet, a fluid holding chamber, and an outlet. The inlet is positioned upstream and in fluid communication with the fluid holding chamber. The outlet is positioned downstream of and in fluid communication with the fluid holding chamber. A back-flow preventing valve is positioned upstream of the fluid chamber. The back-flow preventing valve is movable between an open position, in which the inlet is unblocked, and a closed position in which the inlet is blocked. In the closed position, the back-flow preventing valve prevents fluid, fluid vapor, or both from entering the pressure support via the inlet to the humidifier.
US08997730B2
A grease removal system for a combination oven, requiring venting and condensation of steam, conducts excess grease through the same drainpipe as the steam to a water-filled condenser, then segregates the grease within a reservoir wall. In this way, a single opening may serve to remove both excess steam pressure and grease and temperature-moderated grease may be readily pumped to a convenient location.
US08997722B1
A tunable throttle plate for customizing fuel delivery to a supercharged engine includes a plate that may be coupled to intake manifold of an engine. A fuel aperture extends through the plate. A spray rod is coupled to the fuel aperture. A fuel nozzle is coupled to the spray rod. The fuel nozzle delivers a fuel to the plate through the spray rod. A solenoid is coupled to the fuel nozzle. The solenoid is coupled to a fuel source so the solenoid delivers the fuel to the fuel nozzle.
US08997721B2
An intake apparatus of an engine provided with a fuel supply device for supplying fuel into an intake passage. A guide body is disposed in the intake passage located downstream from the fuel supply device, and the guide body may have at least one hole. The volume ratio of the guide body relative to the intake passage range and the volume ratio of the total holes relative to the guide body are ranged in the preferable volume percent.
US08997704B2
An apparatus for variable setting of control times of gas exchange valves of an internal combustion engine which has a drive element an output element and a side cover. The drive element is brought into drive connection with a crankshaft, the output element is brought into drive connection with a camshaft, and the output element is arranged such that it can be pivoted with respect to the drive element. The side cover, which has a sealing cover with an opening and a mating element, axially delimits the output element and/or the drive element, and is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive or output element by means of a fastening element. The fastening element reaches at least partially through the opening and interacts with the fastening element producing a rotationally fixed connection between the side cover and output element or drive element.
US08997695B2
A casting pet toy for entertaining a pet comprises an elongate rod, a handle grip at a handle end of the elongate rod and a tip eyelet at a tip end of the elongate rod. The casting pet toy can also include a stretchable cord passing through the tip eyelet. The stretchable cord comprises a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end can be secured to the elongate rod at a location proximate to the handle grip. A pet lure can be attached to the free end of the stretchable cord.
US08997690B2
An automated animal feeder may have a pair of traditional pet bowls, one for food and one for water, and the water bowl may be physically lifted and dumped on a timed schedule as the water bowl may be mounted upon a hinged plate which swings up to empty the water bowl at programmed intervals controlled by a programmed logic controller, and the water bowl may be refilled whenever the weight of the bowl is light enough to indicate that the bowl is not full. Food may be metered by means of a portion control hopper located beneath the food supply hopper. The programmed logic controller (PLC) allows the timing of feeding and watering to be controlled by the user.
US08997684B2
A method for meniscus processing a substrate is provided. The method initiates with generating a meniscus spanning at least a length of the substrate. A pre-wetting liquid or vapor is dispensed. A substrate is moved through the dispensed pre-wetting liquid or vapor and the meniscus. The dispensed pre-wetting vapor condenses a pre-wetting liquid over a region of the substrate adjacent to a region of the substrate where the meniscus is generated. The pre-wetting liquid is deposited without substantially generating surface flow of the pre-wetting liquid on the substrate, and the pre-wetting liquid prevents the leading edge of the meniscus from contacting a dry surface region of the substrate.
US08997676B2
A trim vane assembly for amphibious armored vehicles and having a trim vane movable along a generally horizontal path between a deployed position in which the trim vane extends rearward from the vehicle and a stowed position in which the trim vane is positioned beneath the amphibious vehicle. In the retracted position, the trim vane movable is flush against or received within the vehicle bottom such that the trim vane supplements the belly armor. Similarly, the trim vane extends from or overlaps with the bottom of the vehicle when extended into the deployed position to provide continuous bottom face of the vehicle extending from the front of the vehicle to the end of the trim vane. Conventional trim vanes are rotated between a vertical orientation against the rear of the vehicle and a horizontal position extending from the rear of the vehicle reducing viscous drag.
US08997664B2
A two stage refuse gasification combustion system for processing refuse is disclosed. The system may contain features such as an advancer, a first and second gasifier, a gas regulator, and a post combustor. Additionally, methods for regulating gas and advancing refuse through a two stage refuse gasification combustion system are disclosed.
US08997662B2
A support mechanism for supporting an object, such as a table, has at least four legs and an interconnection means connecting the legs. Each leg has a beam portion with an inner end and an outer end. The beam portion of each leg is connected to the interconnection means by a respective pivot having a pivot axis located between the inner and outer ends of the beam portion. Each respective pair of adjacent legs has a protrusion fixed to one of the legs of that pair of adjacent legs and extending from that one leg to act on the other leg of that pair of adjacent legs. In use, the outer end of the beam portion of one leg moves in an upwards direction and the outer end of the beam portions of the adjacent legs moves in a downwards direction to accommodate uneven ground surfaces.
US08997659B2
A furniture element forming a table (1) including a base box (2) and several coplanar main plates mobile in circular translation in a common plane. A mechanism (4) enables synchronized displacement in the common plane, wherein the plates (3) can assume at least two relative configurations, one in which they combine to form a full plate, the other in which the plates jointly define a central space 51. A mobile central plate (5) can be displaced according to an axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the main plates (3), to move from a low position in which the central plate (5) is retracted by the main plates (3) to a high position in which it is placed in the plane of the main plates (3) at the level of the central space (51), forming a full plate with the main plates (3).
US08997653B1
A bullet is formed with a hollow interior compartment which contains particles. The bullet side-wall surrounding the hollow interior compartment breaks after impact with the target to release the particles from the hollow interior compartment. Preferably, each particle in the hollow interior compartment has a core substance and a coating surrounding the core substance. The coating is designed to release the core substance after the bullet contacts a target. The core substance swells when in contact with blood, which may be time delayed in order to enter the blood stream.
US08997651B2
A printing operation assisting device for assisting a printing operation performed by a solder printer configured to print a solder cream on a substrate surface, including: a measure determining portion configured to determine a remedial measure against a deterioration of a print quality specified on the basis of print-result information obtained from an inspecting machine configured to inspect a print result by the printer, in accordance with a kind of the print-quality deterioration; and a measure issuing portion configured to issue a command relating to the remedial measure determined by the measure determining portion to at least one of the printer and its operator, wherein the measure determining portion is configured to determine a remedial measure against a certain print-quality deterioration and to redetermine another remedial measure different from the previously determined remedial measure where the deteriorated print quality is not improved by execution of the previously determined measure.
US08997645B1
A print pad has a nearly spherical tip section having a first radius. A partially spherical first midsection is behind the tip section, the first midsection having a radius less that the radius of the tip section. A frustoconical second midsection is behind the first midsection. A bell shaped third midsection is behind the second midsection, and a frustoconical base is behind the third midsection.
US08997642B2
A device for compacting a contoured elongate composite layup includes flexible first and second fiber reinforced resin flexible sections flexible along their lengths. The first section is flexible within a first plane and the second section is flexible within the first plane as well as within a second plane.
US08997638B2
A steam cooking apparatus includes a steam generating unit to generate steam from a supply of water, a steam container to cook food using the steam from the steam generating unit, a steam supply pipe coupled to the steam generating unit in order to supply the steam container with the steam generated by the steam generating unit, a steam pipe coupled to the steam container in order to supply the steam container with the steam passing through the steam supply pipe, and a steam pipe connection tube including a first connection portion coupled with the steam supply pipe and a second connection portion coupled with the steam pipe, the second connection portion coupled with the steam pipe being formed to have a diameter which is expanded toward the steam pipe so as to guide the steam pipe.
US08997631B2
Disclosed is a wobble plate type variable displacement compressor that uses a constant velocity universal joint mechanism, which comprises an inner ring and an outer ring, balls that are held between guide grooves of the inner ring and the outer ring to transmit power, wherein a wobble plate is connected and fixed to the outer ring. In the compressor, the wobble plate is provided with a cylindrical part which extends in the axial direction of a swash plate, and in the relative rotation structure between the swash plate, and the wobble plate and the outer ring, the swash plate is supported to be able to relatively rotate only in relation to the wobble plate via a bearing interposed at least between the cylindrical part and the inner diameter portion of the swash plate, without being supported to be able to rotate relative to the outer ring. With this wobble plate type variable displacement compressor using the specified constant velocity universal joint mechanism, the relative rotation structure between the wobble plate and the outer ring, and the swash plate, can be improved, workability and productivity can be improved, and the cost and weight can be reduced.
US08997623B2
A locking block device (100) provided in the region of a cartridge chamber (121) of a handgun barrel (120) has a locking block (110) for releasably locking the barrel (120) to a breech prior to firing, and has a control member (111) having a control guide (112) for swinging out the barrel (120), after firing, for the purpose of separating the barrel (120) from the breech, and further has a feed ramp (140) formed in the region of a stop member (130) of the locking block (110) for feeding a cartridge, stored in a magazine of the handgun, into the cartridge chamber (121) following ejection of a fired cartridge. A modular design capable of being adapted to meet specific requirements is achieved in that the feed ramp (140) is formed on a ramp member (150) capable of being separated from the locking block (110) and releasably locked to the locking block (110).
US08997616B2
It is intended in an apparatus for successively making plastic bags that a plastic film 1 is cut by a Thomson blade 3 without making the Thomson blade 3 pressed with a large force. The Thomson blade 3 is brought into contact with the plastic film 1 on one of opposite sides of the plastic film 1 in a direction of thickness thereof while a rolling member 4 is brought into contact with the plastic film 1 and rolled and moved along the plastic film 1 and the Thomson blade 3 on the other side of the plastic film 1 in the direction of thickness thereof. The plastic film 1 is therefore sandwiched between and cut by the Thomson blade 3 and the rolling member 4 to successively make plastic bags.
US08997613B2
With known trimming shears having a pair of scrap-cutting blades on the discharge side, the moving upper scrap-cutting blade must be moved as closely as possible past the trimmed plate edge in order to push the cutoff edge still hanging on the plate downward against the lower fixed scrap-cutting blade, which requires precise adjustment of the upper scrap-cutting blade. To that end, according to the invention, the distance between the upper scrap-cutting blade (2) or the lower scrap-cutting blade (3) and the trimming blade plane (5) is set prior to trimming in accordance with the thickness of each heavy plate (10) to be trimmed by displacement of the upper scrap-cutting blade (2) and/or the lower scrap-cutting blade (3) in a displacement direction with at least one component transverse to the trimming blade plane (5).
US08997608B2
An apparatus for removing a stud is described. The apparatus includes a housing, a cage and a canted coil spring. The housing has an interior sidewall with a three-lobed cam and a groove. Each lobe has a counterclockwise cam inner surface and a clockwise cam inner surface on the opposite side of the lobe center line. The cage has a top surface, a tapered terminus and a groove disposed between the top surface and the tapered terminus. The cage includes a plurality of jaws, in which the jaw outer cam surface of each jaw interfaces with the cam inner surface of the interior sidewall. The canted coil spring rotatably couples the cage to the housing. During stud removal, the housing rotates counterclockwise relative to the cage and the cage rotates counterclockwise to engage the stud.
US08997607B2
In a wave gear device, an annular rigid externally toothed gear is disposed on the inner side of a cup-shaped flexible internally toothed gear. An internal-tooth-formation portion of the flexible internally toothed gear and a pushed portion pushed by a wave generator and flexed ellipsoidally are formed in different positions along the center axis line. The wave generator is disposed on the inner side of the flexible internally toothed gear, the pushed cylindrical portion is pushed from the inner side to the outside along the radial direction thereof by the wave generator, whereby the pushed cylindrical portion is flexed ellipsodially. As the outside diameter dimension of the wave gear device is determined by that of the flexible internally toothed gear, a wave gear device having a small outside diameter dimension can be obtained.
US08997606B2
An assembly that includes a tube mount, a tube, a first fillet weld, and a second fillet weld. The tube mount has a tubular side wall, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart notches formed on a first end of the tubular side wall, and a securing aperture formed through the tubular side wall. The notches form a plurality of teeth. The tube is received into the tube mount. The first fillet weld couples the tube to the tube mount. The first fillet weld is formed about a perimeter the first end such that each of the first welds is formed substantially completely over the entirety of the teeth. The second fillet weld couples the tube to the tube mount. The second fillet weld is formed about a perimeter of the securing aperture such that the second fillet weld is formed substantially completely over an inside perimeter of the securing aperture.
US08997604B2
An anchoring device including a support member having a slot open out at one edge thereof for receiving a first cylindrical portion of the sheath terminal, a retainer for receiving and retaining a second cylindrical portion of the sheath terminal, and a guide for guiding the retainer as the second cylindrical portion of the sheath terminal is received therein, the guide including guide members that are formed integrally with the support member.
US08997598B2
The invention concerns a control wheel (100) for aeronautics constituted of at least two half-shells (10) assembled one to the other, said half-shells comprising reinforcing ribs (11) on their internal surface, positioning and fixing means (12) and locating holes (13) to allow the passage of electrical wires connecting electrical actuating means (20) to a control unit. The control wheel (100) includes a central opening (15) intended to be connected to a control shaft/hub. The wheel comprises an intermediate guide part (50) disposed between the half-shells (10) and positioned inside the control wheel (100), said part including at least one guide conduit (51) adapted to connect on the one hand a locating hole (13) to the central opening (15) of the control wheel (100).
US08997593B2
A nut for a ball screw mainly includes a nut, multiple dual-narrowed paths, multiple micro fans, a control portion, and multiple temperature sensing portions. The nut has a threaded path and the dual-narrowed paths are defined through the central axis of the nut and substantially parallel to the threaded path. Each of the dual-narrowed paths has a high-speed area and the diameter of each of the dual-narrowed paths is gradually reduced from two ends toward the high-speed area. The nut has micro fans which drive the air flows and reduce the temperature to increase the life of use and the precision of positioning.
US08997586B2
A mass flow measuring or controlling device having a base body, a flow channel and a sensor module which comprises a sensor element and which can be coupled to an electronic unit, the flow channel having a measuring channel section which is in fluidic contact with the sensor element is characterized in that the sensor module comprises a sensor support part and a stabilizing element for stabilizing the sensor support part in the region of the measuring channel section.
US08997583B2
An ultrasonic flow sensor for use in a fluid medium is described. The ultrasonic flow sensor includes at least two ultrasonic converters which are situated in a flow tube offset relative to one another, longitudinally with respect to a flow of the fluid medium. The ultrasonic flow sensor also includes a reflection surface, the ultrasonic converters being set up to exchange ultrasonic signals via simple reflection on the reflection surface. In addition, a deflection device is provided between the ultrasonic converters which is set up to essentially suppress parasitic ultrasonic signals, which are reflected from the reflection surface and which strike the deflection device, by deflection away from the ultrasonic converters.
US08997570B2
An acceleration sensor having a high impact resistance to prevent breakage under excessive acceleration, but can stably exert a sensing performance. The acceleration sensor is formed of an SOI substrate of a three-layered structure including a silicon layer (active layer silicon), a silicon oxide layer, and a silicon layer (substrate silicon). The acceleration sensor includes frame parts, a plurality of beam parts, the beam parts projecting inward from the frame part, and a weight part supported by the beam parts. A strain sensing part is provided on each of the beam parts. A width W of each of the beam parts, a length I of each of the beam parts, and an inner frame length L of the frame part satisfy the following relationships of Expressions (1) and (2). 2
US08997569B2
A compound sensor includes a first unit including first and second oscillators symmetrically disposed to each other and being able to be displaced in a driving direction and a detecting direction; a second unit including third and fourth oscillators symmetrically disposed to each other and being able to be displaced in the driving direction and the detecting direction; a drive unit to drive the first through fourth oscillators so as to oscillate the first and second oscillators in opposite phase, and the third and fourth oscillators in opposite phase, and so as to oscillate the first and second unit in opposite phase; and a detection unit configured to detect displacements of the first through fourth oscillators in the detecting direction, wherein an acceleration, angular rate, angular acceleration and centrifugal force are independently detected by canceling unnecessary inertial force components from the displacements of the first through fourth oscillators.
US08997564B2
A module operable to be mounted onto a surface of a board. The module includes a linear accelerometer to provide a first measurement output corresponding to a measurement of linear acceleration in at least one axis, and a first rotation sensor operable to provide a second measurement output corresponding to a measurement of rotation about at least one axis. The accelerometer and the first rotation sensor are formed on a first substrate. The module further includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to receive both the first measurement output from the linear accelerometer and the second measurement output from the first rotation sensor. The ASIC includes an analog-to-digital converter and is implemented on a second substrate. The first substrate is vertically bonded to the second substrate.
US08997544B2
A forming device for cup-shaped hollow bodies having a machine frame, a drive device, a workpiece rotary table for accommodating hollow bodies and a tool holder for accommodating processing tools, wherein the workpiece rotary table and the tool holder face one another and can be turned about a rotational axis in relation to one another and can be linearly moved in relation to one another along the rotational axis, and wherein the drive device comprises first drive means for providing a rotary step movement and second drive means for providing a cyclical linear movement between workpiece rotary table and tool holder to enable the hollow bodies to be formed by means of the processing tools in a plurality of consecutive processing steps. The second drive means has a stroke adjustment arrangement which is designed for adjusting a working stroke of the cyclical linear movement as a function of a control signal of a control device and/or for continuously variably adjusting the working stroke.
US08997542B2
A manufacturing method for a cup-shaped member including a corrugated portion includes a drawing step, a preliminary processing step, and a finishing step. In the preliminary processing step, at least preliminary large diameter portions in a preliminary corrugated portion are each formed to have a width larger than the size of each of the large diameter portions of the corrugated portion, thereby reducing an ironing resistance in the manufacturing of the cup-shaped member.
US08997540B2
A method is described in which a length of hot rolled product is decelerated in the course of being passed through the rotating curved guide of a coiler. The product exits the coiler at a reduced velocity and is delivered to and progressively accumulated on a cylindrical drum as a helical formation of rings. The drum is rotated to continuously unwind the accumulating product at the reduced velocity. The tail end of the product is retained in the coiler until substantially all of the rings previously deposited on the drum have been unwound.
US08997537B2
A door (200) of a motor vehicle has an outer panel (100) and an opening apparatus. The opening apparatus has a door handle (30) and a door lock (20) with a lock barrel (10). The lock barrel (10) and the door handle (30) are arranged completely on the inner side of the outer panel (100) of the door (200).
US08997526B2
A vacuum degassing apparatus for molten glass is comprised of an uprising pipe, a vacuum degassing vessel, a downfalling pipe, an upstream side pit that supplies molten glass to the uprising pipe, and a downstream side pit that receives molten glass from the downfalling pipe. The vacuum degassing apparatus for molten glass is further comprised of a separating mechanism that separates a part of molten glass moving from the downfalling pipe to the downstream side pit, and a returning pipe that returns separated molten glass to the upstream side pit.
US08997525B2
Submerged combustion systems and methods of use to produce foamed glass. One system includes a submerged combustion melter having an outlet, the melter configured to produce an initial foamy molten glass having a density and comprising bubbles filled primarily with combustion product gases. The initial foamy molten glass is deposited directly onto or into a transport apparatus that transports the initial foamy molten glass to a downstream processing apparatus. An intermediate stage may be included between the melter and the transport apparatus. One intermediate stage is a channel that includes gas injectors. Another intermediate stage is a channel that produces an upper flow of a less dense glass and a relatively more dense glass lower flow. The upper flow may be processed into foamed glass products, while the more dense flow may be processed into dense glass products.
US08997524B2
Methods and apparatus for manufacturing high purity polysilicon. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber; first and second electron guns disposed at an upper side of the vacuum chamber to irradiate electron beams into the vacuum chamber; a silicon melting unit which is placed on a first electron beam-irradiating region corresponding to the first electron gun and to which powdery raw silicon is fed and melted by the first electron beam; and a unidirectional solidification unit placed on a second electron beam-irradiating region corresponding to the second electron gun. The unidirectional solidification unit is provided therein with a start block driven in a downward direction to transfer molten silicon in the downward direction and is formed at a lower side thereof with a cooling channel. The start block includes a dummy bar having a silicon button joined to an upper portion of the dummy bar.
US08997523B2
In a method of manufacturing a glass molding, a lower mold includes a recess having a bottom portion and a side portion surrounding the bottom portion, and an outer peripheral planar portion surrounding an upper end of the side portion. A crossing angle between the side portion and the outer peripheral planar portion is set at more than or equal to 45 degrees. A dropping volume of the molten glass drop is such that, when dropped onto the lower mold, a volume of the molten glass drop located above the outer peripheral planar portion is 1.5 times to 6.0 times the volume of the molten glass drop filling the recess.
US08997520B2
A method of producing at least one air gas using cryogenic distillation is provided. The expanded streams coming from the two turbines are combined and then split into two fractions. The first fraction is sent to the medium-pressure column of the system in gaseous form, whereas the second fraction is returned to the cold end of the heat exchange line. At a temperature T4 below −100° C. and above T2, the second fraction is sent to a turbine where it expands up to a temperature T5, forming an air stream. This air stream is then warmed in the heat exchange line before being discharged into the atmosphere, so that the distillation is not disturbed. A liquid product is withdrawn from the column system as final product. The sole liquid product from the apparatus is liquid oxygen, but of course other products may be produced.
US08997513B2
A method for measuring a fluid level in a tank containing a fluid for a transportable temperature controlled space. The method includes providing a temperature control system for the transportable temperature controlled space, providing a fluid level sensor for sensing a fluid level in the tank, generating fluid level signals with the fluid level sensor indicative of the fluid level in the tank, providing a fluid level algorithm for receiving the fluid level signals from the fluid level sensor and computing the fluid level in the tank, and inhibiting nondeterministic fluid level signals from being introduced to the fluid level algorithm.
US08997512B2
A transport refrigeration system for a transportable temperature controlled space includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator fluidly connected to one another, an engine operatively connected to the compressor, and a fuel tank assembly fluidly connected to the engine. The fuel tank assembly includes a fuel tank configured to contain the fuel, a fuel vapor and air, and an ultrasonic fluid level sensor for sensing a level of fuel, the fuel tank having a maximum fuel level. The fluid level sensor includes a transducer having a ring period. The distance from the fluid level sensor to the maximum fuel level is at least half the distance that the sound travels through the fuel vapor and air during the ring period of the transducer.
US08997503B2
A vehicle air-conditioning system includes an HVAC unit that blows air whose temperature is adjusted by a refrigerant evaporator and a second refrigerant condenser. The system includes a heat pump cycle in which a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant circuit changeover section, a first refrigerant condenser, a first expansion valve, and the refrigerant evaporator are sequentially connected. The system includes a second expansion valve and a refrigerant heat exchanger connected in parallel with the first expansion valve and the refrigerant evaporator. The second refrigerant condenser is connected in parallel with the first refrigerant condenser. The system includes a coolant cycle in which a coolant circulating pump, a ventilation-exhaust-heat recovery unit, a motor/battery, an electric heater, and the refrigerant heat exchanger are sequentially connected, and the ventilation-exhaust-heat recovery unit, motor/battery, and electric heater can be selectively used as a heat source.
US08997500B2
A turbine engine includes a shaft, a fan, at least one bearing mounted on the shaft and rotationally supporting the fan, a fan drive gear system coupled to drive the fan, a bearing compartment around the at least one bearing and a source of pressurized air in communication with a region outside of the bearing compartment.
US08997499B2
A system and way for controlling a gas turbine engine in the event of a partial or full load rejection from a generator is disclosed. Upon detection of a partial or full load rejection, the fuel flow of the combustor is directed to a secondary circuit of a secondary fuel nozzle to maintain a flame in a downstream chamber of the combustor. By maintaining the flame in the downstream chamber while the engine speed is controlled, the recovery process to a load condition avoids use of spark ignition system and flame detectors in the upstream chamber.
US08997498B2
A control system is provided. The control system includes at least one sensor that is positioned within a turbine engine and is configured to detect at least one first operating parameter therein. A controller is coupled to the sensor. The controller is configured to receive at least one second operating parameter of the turbine engine. Moreover, the controller is configured to control a flow of a fluid to a rotor assembly within the turbine engine such that at least one of the first operating parameter and the second operating parameter is less than at least one threshold value.
US08997492B2
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for reheating turbine steam, comprising a reheater and a condensate collecting tank, into which condensate is guided from the reheater. A subcooler is provided upstream of the reheater in a common housing with the reheater. The subcooler is arranged beneath the reheater and the condensate collecting tank is connected with the subcooler in order to supply condensate from the condensate collecting tank as heating medium.
US08997485B2
In a turbine for an exhaust gas turbocharger of an internal combustion engine comprising a turbine housing part, which has at least two spiral channels with respective inlets through which exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is directed onto a turbine rotor disposed in the turbine housing part, the turbine housing part is disposed in an accommodating chamber, which is formed by a further housing part of the turbine, and from which accommodating chamber exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine can flow through the channel inlets into the spiral channels.
US08997483B2
A thermal management system and method for split cooling and integrated exhaust manifold applications in an automotive engine is provided. The thermal management system includes a cooling circuit that directs coolant through a plurality of components to warm the engine and passenger compartment efficiently, as well as remove excess heat from the engine and promote a constant operating temperature during vehicle operation. The cooling circuit directs liquid coolant, propelled by a coolant pump, through at least one of an engine block cooling jacket, an engine head cooling jacket, and an integrated exhaust manifold (IEM) cooling jacket, along a variety of cooling paths. The cooling circuit also incorporates a plurality of flow control valves to selectively distribute flow of the liquid coolant between a radiator, an engine heater core, and a return path to the coolant pump.
US08997471B2
A hydraulic system for a machine is disclosed. The hydraulic system may include a fluid tank, a first manifold, a valve body, a second manifold, and a plurality of conduits. The first manifold may be operatively attached to the fluid tank and have at least two inlets and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the fluid tank. The number of the at least one outlet may be less than the number of the at least two inlets. The second manifold may be operatively attached to the valve body and have at least one inlet in fluid communication with the valve body and at least two outlets. The number of the at least one inlet may be less than the number of the at least two outlets. The plurality of conduits may fluidly connect the at least two inlets of the first manifold and the at least two outlets of the second manifold.
US08997465B2
The invention provides a method for purification of exhaust gas from a diesel engine in a system, which comprises a device for selective catalytic reduction and a diesel particulate filter preferably at least partially covered by a catalytic layer installed downstream of the device for selective catalytic reduction. A device for catalytic oxidation is installed upstream of the device for selective catalytic reduction and/or between the device for selective catalytic reduction and the diesel particulate filter. A device for injection of a controlled amount of reductant is installed inlet of the device for selective catalytic reduction, and a device for injection of a controlled amount of hydrocarbon is installed inlet of the catalytic oxidation.
US08997464B2
A waste heat recovery system with an integrated hydrocarbon adsorber for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine that generates exhaust gas containing hydrocarbons, and a catalytic converter, includes an exhaust gas conduit, an exhaust gas heat exchanger, a heat exchanger bypass valve, a coolant circuit with a coolant bypass and a coolant bypass valve, and a controller. The exhaust gas heat exchanger includes at least one channel through which the exhaust gas is flowable, the channel having an interior surface coated with a hydrocarbon adsorbing material configured to adsorb hydrocarbons. The heat exchanger and coolant bypass valves are configured to selectively direct at least a portion of the exhaust gas and the coolant, respectively, to the exhaust gas heat exchanger or to bypass it. They are controlled by the controller such that the hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas are selectively adsorbable by and desorbable from the coating.
US08997461B2
A system and method includes an internal combustion engine capable of producing an exhaust stream and an aftertreatment system operationally coupled to the exhaust stream. The aftertreatment system includes an upstream selective reduction catalyst (SCR) component and a downstream SCR component that are positioned in substantially different thermal environments. The upstream and downstream SCR components are sized to fully treat the entire exhaust stream at a low temperature highest NOx conversion condition, and the downstream SCR component is sized to fully treat the entire exhaust stream at a high temperature highest NOx conversion condition.
US08997460B2
A mixing device comprises a circular disc of fin sections positioned so as to create openings in the inner and outer regions of the mixing device that generate oppositely rotating flows of exhaust gas. Each fin section may be identical, and may be created by a stamping process. The smooth surface of each fin section reduces creases, and thus, is less prone to urea buildup.
US08997459B2
A method and system to reduce NOx emissions from an engine connected to a fuel tank and an exhaust line, the apparatus including, a reformer to reform the fuel into hydrogen (H2); a fuel cell stack to convert the hydrogen into electricity; a reduction unit disposed on the exhaust line to convert the NOx into N2; a first bypass line to provide a fluid communication between the first fuel tank and the fuel reformer; a second bypass line to provide a fluid communication between the fuel reformer and the fuel cell stack; a first reformate line to provide a fluid communication between the second bypass line and the exhaust line. The hydrogen is mixed with the NOx in the exhaust line, and then the reduction unit uses the hydrogen to convert the NOx into nitrogen (N2).
US08997450B2
A filter cartridge assembly includes a first filter including a first cavity defined therein and a second filter coupled to the first filter. The second filter includes a second cavity defined therein in flow communication with first cavity. The filter cartridge assembly also includes at least one pre-filter extending about the first filter and the second filter such that a third cavity is defined between the at least one pre-filter and at least one of the first filter and the second filter.
US08997449B2
A flow restrictor is provided for a lubrication circulation system. The flow restrictor comprises a body configured to obstruct a flow of lubricant within the lubricant circulation system. The body has one or more through holes communicating with upstream and downstream portions of the lubrication circulation system. Each of the one or more holes has a cross-sectional area sufficiently small, and a length sufficiently long, to prevent turbulent lubricant flow therethrough at temperatures below a first predetermined reference temperature. The one or more holes have sufficient aggregate cross-sectional area to allow a desired lubricant flow rate through the body at temperatures at or above a second predetermined reference temperature.
US08997445B2
A shield apparatus is mounted on the header of an agricultural implement which includes a rotatable collecting member to direct collected material rearwardly towards a rear discharge opening. The shield apparatus includes a panel member and a mounting bracket assembly which supports the panel member above the rear discharge opening of the header spanning in a lateral direction transversely to the forward working direction such that the panel member extends from a rear edge rearward of the collecting member to a front edge which is spaced forward and upwardly in relation to the rear edge. The shield apparatus ensures that material thrown upwardly above the rear of the header frame is redirected downwardly into the rear discharge opening of the header for collection by the implement in the usual manner. The shield apparatus does not interfere with the visibility of the operator when the panel member is clear.
US08997436B2
A wall panel system includes a base track and a plurality of interlocking wall panels. Each wall panel includes a continuous and unitarily formed first panel member and a continuous and unitarily formed second panel member. Each panel member includes a first face portion, an edge portion, and a plurality of connection members. The first and second panel members are interconnected by the plurality of connection member on the first panel member engaging the plurality of connection members on the second panel member.
US08997417B2
A door made of polyurethane, including a door body, the door body including a plurality of integrated plates stacked on one another for supporting. A method for preparing the door includes providing a mold, and spraying a parting agent inside the mold; heating the mold to a temperature of 30-70° C., spraying the parting agent, and placing a plurality of plates or a metal skeleton in the mold; mixing raw materials to obtain a mixture; injecting the mixture into the mold to cover the stacked plates, and curing for 30-90 min; demolding, transferring a product from the mold to a thermostatic chamber for shaping at a constant temperature; trimming uneven edges and surfaces of the product; and spraying a paint on the product.
US08997416B2
A composite material includes a polymeric matrix, at least one transparent region including a plurality of optically clear elements provided in the polymeric matrix and at least one opaque region including a plurality of opaque reinforcing elements provided in the polymeric matrix substantially parallel and adjacent to the at least one transparent region. A structural window and a method for reinforcing a composite material are also disclosed.
US08997415B2
A light-conducting component, in particular finished concrete part in the form of a masonry brick, for constructions and buildings. The component is produced in a casting mold by casting into at least one casting building material and the optical waveguide is made of a light-conducting building material, e.g. PMMA polymer or glass, which is accessible at at least two positions on the outer surface of the light-conducting component for the input of light and output of light. The optical waveguide is configured as a self-supporting 2D or 3D lattice body composed of rods having a thickness/diameter of greater than 1 mm. The self-supporting 2D or 3D lattice body has approximately the same or an only slightly smaller width (W), or length (L), or base dimensions (W, L), or total external dimensions (W, L, H) than the casting mold itself.
US08997412B1
Disclosed is a framed glazed door or wall panel that can be utilized in applications requiring structural rigidity of the panel frame such as pivot doors, hinged doors, or glass folding doors. The panel includes marine glaze vertical frame members and horizontal stop glaze frame members. The vertical frame members and horizontal frame members can be joined by corner lugs inserted the body of the horizontal frame members and captively held in grooves on the surface of the vertical frame members.
US08997409B1
A modular building removable coupling device for forming an explosion resistant, forced entry resistant, and/or ballistic resistant facility. The coupling device can include two hollow square or rectangular tubings having hollow top sides, a sealing means disposed between the tubings, a fastener connecting the tubings, a roof plate secured to each tubing, and a roof cap disposed over the roof plates. The coupling device can include sealing tubes secured to inner sides of the roof cap. A plurality of explosion resistant, forced entry resistant, and/or ballistic resistant modules can be connected with a plurality of modular building removable coupling devices to form an explosion resistant, forced entry resistant, and/or ballistic resistant facility.
US08997401B2
A door system includes two bi-parting, center-opening, bi-directional door panels disposed for counter-rotating swinging movement in a doorway. An operator is coupled to the door panels via a synchronizing system such that the door panels may be selectively opened in either direction relative to the doorway, and closed in the opposite direction, and such that the door panels swing through substantially equal angular distances. The synchronizing system may include a linkage, among other systems, and the operator may include an electro-mechanical operator, a mechanical door closer with spring, or a hybrid of both. A person may effect an emergency breakout by manually using a single-motion, low-force push against one of the door panels to simultaneously open both door panels.
US08997395B2
A fishing pole holder mount for mounting to a watercraft or other structure that is capable of holding more than one fishing pole at the same time, wherein the fishing pole holders are horizontally and vertically repositionable relative to one another and the base of the fishing pole holder mount. The fishing pole holder mount of the present invention also allows a user to specify the number of fishing pole holders removably attached thereto.
US08997391B2
A sight for a firearm is provided. The sight is structured to fit within a channel defined within the firearm. In some examples, the channel is defined within the slide of a semi automatic handgun. The sight includes a base that fits within the channel, and a visual index portion extending outward from the base. A removable firearm component blocks an open end of the channel, thereby retaining the sight, when the removable firearm component is installed on the firearm. In some examples, a rear sight may be secured within a channel defined within a slide by a firing pin stop. In other examples, a front sight may be secured within a channel defined within a slide by a barrel bushing. Some examples of the sight may include an adjustment mechanism for moving the visual index portion with respect to the base.
US08997385B1
A rotatable fountain display device rotatably displays an indicia, such as advertisement over a fountain. The device comprises a plurality of spheres immediately adjacent and sequentially connected to each other to rotatably display an indicia, such as an advertisement. The device works in conjunction with a fluid source, such as a fountain, to receive a fluid carrying a fluid pressure. A lower sphere contains a rotation mechanism that harnesses the fluid pressure from the fluid source to generate rotational energy on the lower sphere, which then rotates sequentially connected middle and upper spheres. A central channel runs through the spheres. A nylon elastic member and a rubber band interconnect the spheres and enables multidirectional movement by the spheres. A guide wire passes through the spheres to help counterbalance the movement. An annular bearing apparatus restricts rotation of the central channel and reduces friction during rotation of the rotation mechanism.
US08997372B2
A clothes dryer has a cabinet forming a drying chamber and a drying rack slidably mounted to the cabinet and movable between a retracted position where the drying rack is within the drying chamber and an extended position where the drying rack is exteriorly of the cabinet. A removable dividing panel is retained by the drying rack and divides the drying chamber into two horizontal and vertically extending drying chambers. A control system associated with the dryer has selectable modes to operate the divided drying chambers independently or concurrently as a single large drying chamber. A recycle system associated with the dryer permits recycling of heat air to increase drying efficiency.
US08997371B2
The invention relates to a device for the flow-through treatment of web-shaped, gas-permeable material, in particular for drying woven or non-woven fabrics, having the following characteristics: a sieving drum (5), which is rotatably supported and which is connected to a vacuum generator and which has a permeable outer circumference, wherein the material web (M) to be treated rotates around part of the outer circumference of the sieving drum (5); a treatment chamber (BH), which accommodates the sieving drum and to which the gas to be treated, preferably heated air, is supplied; inside the treatment chamber (BH), a sieving cover (SD) or corresponding flow-conducting elements, which surround the sieving drum (5) in the area around which the material web (M) is wound and by means of which the gas flowing into the treatment chamber (BH) is conducted in the direction of the sieving drum surface. According to the invention, the wall (W) of the treatment chamber (BH) facing the outer circumference of the sieving drum (S) in the area around which the material web (M) is wound has a decreasing distance (a1, a2, a3) from the surface of the sieving drum (S) in said area.
US08997363B2
The system includes a rotation disengagement mechanism configured to disengage a rotatable shaft from a powered drive unit such that upon disengagement the powered drive unit is no longer able to rotate the shaft. After disengagement, the rotatable shaft may reengage the powered drive unit at only one rotational position relative to the rotation disengagement mechanism. A target coupled to the shaft is thus always in a known home position. The systems and methods further comprise smart positioning logic that assigns a number designation to four rotational orientations spaced 90° from one another.
US08997357B2
A utility tool comprising a body having a first end and a second end positioned on opposite ends of the body; a removable device; as well as a first tool and a second tool configured to be selectively coupled to each other or one of either the first end and second end of the body.
US08997354B2
Manufacturing method for toothed member, manufacturing device for toothed member, and toothed member
A manufacturing method for a toothed member includes a thickened tooth shaping process in which a toothed shape is formed on a side wall portion while making a thickness of the side wall portion larger than a thickness of a bottom surface portion by relatively moving the compression die with respect to the restraint die and the pressure receiving member in the axial direction from the side of the opening end of the cup-shaped raw material toward the bottom surface portion. The manufacturing method being such that the thickened tooth shaping process includes applying a load against the restraint die such that the restraint die restrains the first surface and the second surface.
US08997349B2
A manufacturing method for medical equipment involves electron beam irradiating a titanium or titanium alloy substrate surface that has at least been machined, whereby platelet adhesion of the surface to be contacted by blood is reduced. The manufacturing method for medical equipment can also use a specific pre-processing method and an electron beam irradiation method to reduce the platelet adhesion of the surface which is to be contacted with blood, to suppress the formation of minute depressions (craters) in the surface, which can occur due to the irradiation by an electron beam.
US08997344B2
A method for manufacturing an interposer including forming a first insulating layer comprising an inorganic material on a supporting substrate, forming a first wire in the first insulating layer, forming a second insulating layer on a first side of the first insulating layer, forming a second wire with a longer wire length and a greater thickness than the first wire on the second insulating layer, and removing the supporting substrate.
US08997332B2
A method for forming an armature for an electric motor includes: securing a lamination stack having slots therein on an armature shaft, securing a commutator on one end of the armature shaft, winding magnet wires in the slots in the lamination stack and securing ends of the magnet wires to the commutator, the magnet wires having armature lead wires that extend from the slots to the commutator; and molding plastic over the magnet wires to encase at least the armature lead wires in plastic. Alternatively and/or additionally, plastic is molded over the magnet wires to retain them in the slots and to support the armature lead wires and prevent them from vibrating when the armature rotates during operation.
US08997331B2
A matrix analyzer for determining the size and location of a conductive item placed thereon. The matrix analyzer includes plural row conductors and column conductors with a corresponding grid of conductive areas exposed on the surface of the matrix analyzer. When a conductive item, such as an ink droplet, is jetted onto the matrix analyzer, the intersection of various row conductors and column conductors exhibit a low resistance. The rows and columns of the matrix analyzer can be sequentially accessed to find those intersections where the low resistance exists. From such data, the size and location of the ink droplets can be determined.
US08997327B2
A fastener with a breakaway and methods of using the same. In one embodiment the fastener is a screw having a head and elongated stem, adapted to be easily manipulated by a user when using the screw as a fastener in a hinge or joint. A means of holding a screw by providing a breakaway tab or non-threaded portion of the elongated stem which can be used to align and insert the screw into a screw hole in the process of engaging threads in the screw hole with threads of the screw. After engaging the threads in the screw hole, such as after the screw has been essentially completely inserted into the screw hole, the breakaway tab or non-threaded portion of the elongated stem of the screw may be broken off at a breakaway and discarded.
US08997326B2
According to this process for manufacturing a laminated glazing unit so that it withstands predetermined stresses, a reference laminated glazing unit is identified that withstands the predetermined stresses and that comprises at least one substrate and one interlayer having the same chemical compositions as those of the laminated glazing unit to be manufactured; the tear strength (Jc-ref) of the interlayer of the reference laminated glazing unit, and also the interlayer thickness (ei-ref) and the substrate thickness (eg-ref) of the reference laminated glazing unit are then determined; then, using a graph (C4) representative of the minimum interlayer tear strength (Jc-min) required so that any laminated glazing unit, comprising at least one substrate and one interlayer having the same chemical compositions as those of the laminated glazing unit to be manufactured, withstands the predetermined stresses, as a function of the interlayer thickness (ei) and/or of the substrate thickness (eg), a combination of optimum values (ei-opt, eg-opt) of the interlayer thickness and of the substrate thickness is deduced; the laminated glazing unit is then sized with an interlayer thickness (ei-dim) and a substrate thickness (eg-dim) that are greater than or equal to the optimum values (ei-opt, eg-opt).
US08997319B2
A cremation casket includes a lid and a base. The base includes a lower member and an upper member. The lower member includes a base panel and at least first and second upstanding side wall panels. The first and second side wall panels are disposed in planes generally perpendicular to a plane in which the base panel is disposed. The upper member includes first and second upstanding side wall panels that are disposed in planes generally parallel to the planes in which the first and second side wall panels of the lower member are disposed. First and second flap panel members are also provided that are movable between the storage position wherein the base has a relatively reduced height and a used position, wherein the base has a relatively enlarged height.
US08997315B2
A self-locking clip includes a clip body and a rotating cam gripper, the rotating cam gripper pivotally mounted on the clip body. The self-locking clip further includes a spring arm, the spring arm integrated into the clip body, the spring arm configured to provide tension to the rotating cam gripper such that the rotating cam gripper is held against a first gripping surface on the clip body.
US08997313B1
A counterbalance includes a first attachment strap, and an arbor rotatably supported by the first attachment strap. A second attachment strap is attached to the arbor, and is rotatable with the arbor about a winding axis. A spiral spring interconnects the first attachment strap and the second attachment strap. A spring support is attached to the second attachment strap. The spring support includes an annular wall that is disposed circumferentially about and concentric with the winding axis. The annular wall is radially positioned relative to the winding axis to contact an outermost coil of spiral spring, to position the spiral spring in a spiral orientation about the winding axis, such that each coil of the spiral spring moves away from the winding axis with a substantially constant angular velocity to provide a substantially equal radial spacing between adjacent coils of the spiral spring.
US08997306B2
A floor cleaning machine has a housing and a movable hood that covers over vacuum and liquid hoses of the machine that are visible in prior art floor cleaning machines. The vacuum and liquid hoses are each pivotally connected to a wall of the machine housing and are also pivotally connected to a transparent dome provided on the hood. These connections reduce stresses on the hoses when the hood is moved and allow the dome to pivot relative to the hood. The floor cleaning machine also has a pair of slit orifices that eject fan spray patterns of cleaning liquid that are non-coplanar and do not intersect each other. Furthermore, the floor cleaning machine has an oscillating brush assembly that includes a brush that is replaceable without using tools. The brush height can be adjusted via an adjustment member provided on the oscillating portion of the assembly.
US08997301B2
An oral care implement that emits a scent. In one aspect, the invention is directed to a toothbrush comprising: a base component having a gripping region and an oral engaging region, wherein said base component comprises a first scenting agent; and a second component covering at least a portion of said base component in said gripping region, to control a rate of release of said first scenting agent from said base component in said gripping region.
US08997298B2
Apparatuses and methods of using and making apparatuses that may clean concave and convex surfaces are discussed. The apparatus may be capable of substantially contacting and cleaning concave, convex, planar, and non-planar surfaces.
US08997295B1
A teeth cleaning assembly includes a housing. A first wheel and a second wheel are each rotatably mounted to the housing. A belt is continuous and is positioned on the first and second wheels. The belt rotates the second wheel when the first wheel is rotated. A plurality of bristles is attached to the belt and extends away from the first and second wheels such that the bristles extend outwardly of the housing. A handle is attached to the housing and a motor is mounted within the handle. The motor is in mechanical communication with the first wheel. The motor rotates the first wheel when the motor is energized.
US08997278B1
The present invention features a beach towel anchor system for securing a beach towel on a ground surface. The system features a rectangular beach towel and a plurality of towel anchors. The towel anchor features a pivoting clamp having a top clamping interface and a bottom clamping interface. The towel anchor features a first pivoting lever and a flexible pullstrap located on a clamp top lever. The towel anchor features a second pivoting lever located on a clamp bottom lever. The towel anchor features a removable ground projection centrally located on the clamp bottom lever. The removable ground projection is inserted into the ground surface. The pivoting clamp is pivoted into a first open position. The beach towel is inserted into the pivoting clamp. The pivoting clamp is released and clamped on the beach towel in a second closed position via a spring bias.
US08997268B2
A control system for a flush toilet includes a water delivery device for delivering a source of flush water to a bowl. The control system includes a controller and a user interface. The controller is operative to control the toilet through a flush sequence in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the controller opens the water delivery device to deliver a predetermined amount of water to the bowl. In the second mode, the controller opens the water delivery device to deliver a user adjustable amount of water to the bowl. The user interface is in communication with the controller for selecting between the first mode and the second mode. Where the toilet is a macerator toilet, the controller monitors current draw unit when the current draw satisfies a predetermined current condition. The controller may operate in a normal mode and a lockout mode.
US08997266B2
A head gear assembly that includes a shell; a facial protector connectively attached to the shell that further includes a first element; a second element positioned approximately parallel to the first element; a third and fourth element positioned approximately perpendicular to one or both of the first element and the second element; a gap further comprising a gap size defined by the position of a combination of at least two of the first element, the second element, the third element, and the fourth element, wherein the gap size is adjustable between a plurality of gap sizes, wherein the first element is movingly engaged with the second element, and wherein the first element moves freely from the second element as the gap size is adjusted.
US09003560B1
A secured enclosure system and a method for configuring a secured enclosure system are disclosed. The secured enclosure system includes at least one processing module for implementing a processing task, a security module in communication with the processing module for providing a trust anchor functionality to the processing module, a secure backplane in communication with the at processing module for monitoring a connection with the processing module, and a security controller module in communication with the secure backplane for providing a root of trust, for serving as a local system controller, and for serving as a key/certificate manager. An enclosure encloses the components of the system and includes a physical security component for detecting an interference with the enclosure.
US09003558B1
Embodiments are directed towards enabling a portion of a protected content stream to be played in a degraded quality or experience at a client device when a key and/or license for some other portion of the content stream is unobtainable, or is not obtained by the client device. A content stream has a plurality of layers, with a baseline layer having a lowest quality level of the plurality of layers that is unencrypted, while at least one other layer is encrypted. When the key to decrypt the encrypted layer(s) is unobtained, at least the baseline unencrypted layer is allowed to still play at the client device.
US09003545B1
A computer-implemented method to protect against the release of information is described. The processor monitors for a communication with an unverified number. Upon detection of the communication with an unverified number, the processor monitors the communication for a protected string. Upon detection of a protected string, the processor performs an intervention action.
US09003541B1
A method, apparatus and computer program product relating to software license tokens is presented. A client system requests launching of a software application and retrieves a first software license token associated with the software application. The client system determines whether the license token associated with the software application is valid, wherein when the license token is valid, the client system launches the software application. When the license token is not valid then the client system requests a replacement license token. The client system receives the replacement license token and stores the replacement license token. The client system then retrieves the stored license token and determines whether the license token is valid. When the license token is valid, then the software application is launched, when the software license token is not valid then the client system refrains from launching of the software application.
US09003530B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an information processing method, device, and server, relating to the technical field of communications, and solving the problem that a user continuously releasing illegal information in the network. The method comprises: receiving network information; determining, according to the network information, a rating result of a network object corresponding to the network information; controlling the network object according to the rating result of the network object corresponding to the network information. Embodiments of the present invention further provide an information processing device and server. The present invention is applied to the network information management.
US09003522B1
In some embodiments, techniques for electronic messaging may include presenting a message; monitoring an action, wherein the action is associated with scrolling the message; and determining a classification for the message, wherein determining the classification includes evaluating the action.
US09003517B2
Architecture that provides a secure environment in which data (e.g., code, instructions, files, images, etc.) can be opened and run by a client application. Once opened the data can be viewed (in a “protected view”) by the user without incurring risk to other client processing and systems. Accordingly, the architecture mitigates malicious attacks by enabling users to preview untrusted and potentially harmful data (e.g., files) in a low risk manner. Files opened in the protected view are isolated from accessing key resources on the client computer and provides the user a safer way to read files that can contain dangerous content. The protected view also provides a seamless user experience. The user is unaware that the client is operating on data in a different mode and allows for the reduction of security prompts.
US09003512B2
A content protection management system that enables interoperability with other Content Protection and DRM technologies. A managed security domain provides a simple, consistent and reliable experience to whole-home network subscribers. The architectural concept for the whole-home network includes an underlying control plane with an overlaying content security control plane running a particular DRM technology.
US09003510B2
A computer or microchip including a network connection for connection to a public network of computers including the Internet, the network connection being located in a public unit; and an additional and separate network connection for connection to a separate, private network of computers, the additional network connection being located in a protected private unit. An inner hardware-based access barrier or firewall is located between and communicatively connects the protected private unit and the public unit; and the private and public units and the two separate network connections are separated by the inner barrier or firewall. The protected private unit includes at least a first microprocessor and a system BIOS located in flash memory. The public unit includes at least a second or many microprocessors separate from the inner barrier or firewall. The inner barrier or firewall comprises a bus with an on/off switch controlling communication input and output.
US09003506B2
Certain embodiments enable authentication of an application session at a client machine by using authentication values and user-identification values that are received from a mobile communication device. The mobile communication device provides an out-of-band channel for validating the session and enables secure authentication for a variety of applications.
US09003492B2
Functionality for secure client authentication and service authorization in a shared communication network are disclosed. A managing network device of a communication network causes a securely connected client network device to perform an account authorization process with an accounting network device in parallel with a service matching process with the managing network device and one or more service providers of the communication network. The managing network device executes the service matching process and securely matches the client network device with one of the service providers. The accounting network device executes the account authorizing process with the client network device and provides a service voucher to the managing network device authorizing one or more of the service providers to service the client network device. The managing network device transmits the service voucher to the matched service provider to prompt the matched service provider to service the client network device.
US09003481B1
A computer-implemented method, network management system, and network clients are provided for out-of-band network security management. The network management system includes routers, firewalls, and out-of-band interfaces. The out-of-band interface of the network management system transmits access control lists to network clients connected to a trusted network. The trusted network connects the routers, firewalls, and network clients. The firewalls receive access control lists from the network management system to police communications that traverse the trusted network and an untrusted network. The routers receive access control lists from the network management system to police communications that traverse the router within the trusted network. The access control lists for the routers and firewalls are transmitted over a network interface to the trusted network and are transmitted separately from the access control lists for the network clients.
US09003479B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for generating a secure sandbox environment. A computer identifies components of a production environment that utilizes sensitive information during operation. The components of the production environment can include one or more server computers, one or more storage devices, and one or more applications. The computer receives a security policy that defines what constitutes sensitive information, and in response identifies the sensitive information of the production environment. The computer modifies the sensitive information such that the production environment can utilize the sensitive information without error, and such that the sensitive information cannot be identified from the modified sensitive information. The computer generates the sandbox environment, based at least in part, on the identified components of the production environment and the modified sensitive information.
US09003476B2
A method of establishing secure communications between a first computer, eg a client computer, and a second computer, eg a web server, whereby the client computer receives one or more security policies relating to the web server. A client application examines the client computer and preferably configures one or more aspects of the client computer in order to make it comply with the security policies. Once the web server receives the results of this examination and/or configuration process, it can determine whether the secure communications are to be established and whether any restrictions need to be placed on this communication and/or the activity conducted via the communication.
US09003464B2
A method of verifying a blackout event is disclosed that includes receiving blackout event data from an event log database of a video distribution platform at a subscriber event transmission interface (SETI) communicating with an electronic data warehouse (EDW) system. The method also includes creating at least one EDW load-ready file that includes at least a portion of the blackout event data.
US09003460B2
A method of mapping a network path in which a geographic path of cables of a network between a geographic location of a network component and a geographic location of a terminal network element is estimated electronically using Keyhole Markup Language (KML) data. A geographically accurate street map is populated with the geographic location of the network component, the geographic location of the terminal network element, and the estimated geographic path. The map is capable of being displayed with the use of geospatial software implementing KML encoding. A signal processing electronic device for populating a display of an interactive graphical user interface with network path mapping information and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the above referenced operations are also provided.
US09003457B2
The generation of engagement factors sufficient to represent user engagement, attention, recognition, interest and/or responsiveness to media being shown or otherwise access through an output device is contemplated. The engagement factors may be values or other representations sufficient to facilitate categorizing viewer activities during playback of particular portions of the media.
US09003456B2
A method of presenting still image data on multiple display devices using a wireless home entertainment hub comprises obtaining a registration of a plurality of devices with the wireless home entertainment hub, where the plurality of devices includes at least two display devices. An assignment of a zone for each display device of the at least two display devices is received. Still image data is caused to be displayed on a subset of the at least two display devices.
US09003452B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for recording broadband content are provided. A user command to record desired content included in broadband content output by a service provider may be received by a programming processing component configured to receive the output broadband content. The programming processing component may determine whether the desired content will be recorded by the programming processing component. If it is determined that the desired content will be recorded by the programming processing component, then the desired content may be stored by the programming processing component in at least one memory. If it is determined that the desired content will not be recorded by the programming processing component, then a request to record the desired content may be communicated by the programming processing component to a content recording server.
US09003451B2
An Internet television program guide system is provided that allows a user at a multimedia system to access information related to television programs over an Internet communications link. The user can view television program guide listings and related video stills and video clips. The user can perform database searches on the program guide listings (e.g., to search for a particular type of television program). The user can set a reminder message for a television program that is transmitted prior to the transmission time of the program. If desired, the user can select an option that directs the multimedia system to tune directly to a television channel for a selected program or to a related television program guide or movie guide service on a television channel. The user can order pay-per-view events using the system.
US09003445B1
A system and methodology provide for automatic generation of thumbnail images of a video stream of images from a television channel. A still frame image of the video stream of the channel is captured. A plurality of content filters is applied to the still frame image to determine whether the image is suitable for display. Images can be filtered for offensive content, defective content, or advertising content. A filtered image that is appropriate for display is selected and stored. If the still frame image is inappropriate for display, a default thumbnail image is selected. The selected image is stored as a thumbnail image in association with EPG data for the television program. The thumbnail image and EPG data are sent for display to a viewer.
US09003442B2
A method, performed by a computer device, may include receiving content from a first local government entity; associating a virtual channel identifier with the received content; and transmitting the received content and the virtual channel identifier on a shared local government channel, wherein the shared local government channel includes content received from a second local government entity.
US09003434B2
A spindle structure for an optical disc and an optical disc drive employing the spindle structure are provided. The spindle structure includes a spindle motor having a rotation axis, a spindle that is coupled to the rotation axis, and a sliding cone coupled to the spindle and inserted into a center hole of the optical disc. The sliding cone includes a plurality of hook-shaped guide rods extended toward the spindle, and the spindle includes guide holes, to which the plurality of hook-shaped guide rods are inserted into and coupled.
US09003429B2
A system, apparatus, or method for enabling an application developer to access the events, data and functionality of a device, such as a mobile phone, without being limited by the API provided by the device manufacturer. In some embodiments, the present invention utilizes a transparent gateway as a proxy that is inserted into the device stack to enable an application developer to access features and functions of the device beyond those exposed by the manufacturer provided API. For example, the transparent gateway may be inserted into the wireless stack of a mobile phone, in between the Bluetooth stack and the device's API. The transparent gateway may be installed in the mobile phone via an over the air provisioning or another suitable method.
US09003422B2
A microprocessor architecture having extendible logic. One or more customized applications are available to the instruction pipeline. The customizable applications may include software, extension logic instruction or register, dynamically configurable hardware logic, or combinations of these. In order to enable the operating system to interface with the customized extension applications, at least one software extension is provided to the operating system. When a specific extension is requested a software exception is generated by the OS. In response to the exception, the least one software extension is called to handle context switch and dynamic configuration of the extendible logic of the microprocessor.
US09003411B2
A system may receive a request to create a virtual machine, create the virtual machine on a first physical server in response to the request, and receive parameters for configuring a second physical server. The system may also configure the second physical server in accordance with the parameters during an installation of an operating system on the second physical server, and notify a user that the second physical server is ready for use.
US09003410B2
In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and method to abstract a multithreaded processor core to single threaded processor core include performing the steps of: viewing, by an operating system, a first hardware thread and a second hardware thread in a processor core; and viewing, by a user application, the first hardware thread and the second hardware thread as a single CPU object.
US09003408B2
The present disclosure includes methods and systems for providing virtual machine services. A number of embodiments can include a user VM with a virtual workstation, a number of service modules that can provide a number of services without communicating with the user VM and/or the virtual workstation, a communication channel that allows the number of service modules to communicate with each other, a computing device, and a manager. A number of embodiments can also include a virtual machine monitor to enforce an isolation policy within the system.
US09003407B2
Virtual machines are managed on the basis of data obtained from a management information database of a network switch having a plurality of Ethernet links coupled to compute nodes running a plurality of virtual machines. A management entity, such as a provisioning manager, determines the amount of network bandwidth being utilized through each of the Ethernet links. Accordingly, an additional virtual machine may be provisioned to the compute node that is coupled to an Ethernet link identified as having the greatest amount of unutilized network bandwidth.
US09003403B2
Disclosed are operating methods of a server and a node, and apparatuses thereof, and more particularly, to operating methods of a virtual machine server and a virtual machine node, and apparatuses thereof. The operating method of the virtual machine server according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: generating index information of blocks for booting a virtual machine in a virtual machine image; generating list information of neighboring nodes for a target node; and transferring the index information and the list information to the target node.
US09003399B2
A software development service offering of generating and installing software applications packages on computer systems running a set of operating systems including LINUX and UNIX operating systems, by creating a dynamic repository; populating a plurality software packages; running a tool that creates a set of index files, wherein the set of index files includes a menu of the plurality of software packages, wherein each software package in the plurality of software packages contains a set of contents; determining whether a software package is included in a menu of the plurality of software packages; and delivering to a client system the software package requested in a selection request, or delivering to the client system an other software package, when the software package is not included in the menu of the plurality of software packages.
US09003392B2
Maintenance of a virtual appliance is provided. The virtual appliance comprises a set of software components each one installed on a corresponding virtual machine. A maintenance descriptor is provided comprising an indication of a new level of at least each one of the software components to be updated thereto. For each software component indicated in the maintenance descriptor, a current level is determined of the software component that is installed on the corresponding virtual machine. A set of old ones of the software components to be actually updated is determined according to a comparison between the corresponding current levels and new levels. The virtual appliance is then cloned. The cloned virtual appliance is updated by updating each old software component thereof to the new level. The virtual appliance is now replaced by the updated cloned virtual appliance.
US09003384B2
A method and an apparatus that modify pointer values pointing to typed data with type information are described. The type information can be automatically checked against the typed data leveraging hardware based safety check mechanisms when performing memory access operations to the typed data via the modified pointer values. As a result, hardware built in logic can be used for a broad class of programming language safety check when executing software codes using modified pointers that are subject to the safety check without executing compare and branch instructions in the software codes.
US09003383B2
The subject system provides the ability to parallelize pre-existing serial code by importing and encapsulating all of the serial code into an object orientated flowchart language utilizing an analytic engine so that the imported code can be efficiently executed taking advantage of the partially ordered transitive flowchart system. The importation examines the serial code to ascertain what elements may be processed under an atomic time to instantiate them as either Action or Test objects, whereas statements which require more than atomic time are instantiated as Task object, with the Action, Test and Task objects being processable by separate processors to establish parallel processing, or by the multitasking afforded by the partially ordered transitive flowchart system.
US09003377B2
Unsuspended co-routines are handled by the machine call stack mechanism in which the stack grows and shrinks as recursive calls are made and returned from. When a co-routine is suspended, however, additional call stack processing is performed. A suspension message is issued, and the entire resume-able part of the call stack is removed, and is copied to the heap. A frame that returns control to a driver method (a resumer) is copied to the call stack so that resumption of the co-routine does not recursively reactivate the whole call stack. Instead the resumer reactivates only the topmost or most current frame called the leaf frame. When a co-routine is suspended, it does not return to its caller, but instead returns to the resumer that has reactivated it.
US09003376B2
The present invention provides methods for executing instructions in a processor to facilitate the debugging of digital systems. In these methods, a halt identifier field is associated with every instruction that holds an encoding specifying an action to be performed by a processor. As instructions are executed on a processor, actions are performed by the processor based on the value of the halt identifier field of the executed instructions. In an embodiment, when each instruction is executed, the contents of the halt identifier field are compared to a pre-selected identifier value and the processor is halted if the values are the same. In a multiprocessor system, the pre-selected identifier may be a unique value that identifies the processor such that when the halt identifier field is equal to that value, the processor will halt. In a single processor system, the pre-selected value may be used to identify a task, a process, or a thread of execution that is to be halted when a halt identifier field with that value is encountered.
US09003364B2
An approach is provided in which a request is received from a software module to retrieve a value stored in a pre-defined location. Prior to retrieving the value, an override tank is checked for a corresponding override value. When the override tank includes an override value, the override value in the override tank is provided to the software module. When the override tank fails to include a corresponding override value, an actual value is retrieved from a pre-defined storage location and provided to the software module. In one embodiment, the override value is an override system attribute value. In another embodiment, the override value is an override function return value.
US09003363B2
Device flag techniques are described. In one or more implementations, responsive to detection by a computing device that a device has been communicatively coupled to bus of the computing device, a database is queried by the computing device to determine whether one or more flags have been set for the device. Responsive to a determination made as a result of the querying that the one or more flags have been set for the device identifier, information associated with the one or more flags is communicated to software that is associated with the device to configure the software.
US09003361B2
A computer system receives user input indicating uniform resource identifiers (URIs) for a RESTful web service. The computer system identifies a programming language for a RESTful web service software development kit (SDK) client and creates methods for the URIs using programming code format of the identified programming language. The computer system creates the RESTful web service SDK client using the methods.
US09003352B2
A latency adjusting part calculates a necessary delay based on the number of FFs that are required to be inserted between respective modules through high level synthesis of a behavioral description. An input FF stage number acquiring part extracts a pin having an input that receives an FF, and acquires the number of stages of input FFs of FF reception. A latency re-adjusting part obtains an optimum delay based on the above-mentioned necessary delay and input delay. A former-stage module analyzing part detects, based on the above-mentioned synthetic log or HDL, a state having a minimum total number of FFs. An FF insertion optimizing synthesis part subjects an entire circuit to high level synthesis again based on the above-mentioned optimum delay and an FF inserting position obtained based on the state having the minimum number of FFs, to thereby obtain optimized HDL.
US09003348B2
Roughly described, the invention involves ways to characterize, take account of, or take advantage of stresses introduced by TSV's near transistors. The physical relationship between the TSV and nearby transistors can be taken into account when characterizing a circuit. A layout derived without knowledge of the physical relationships between TSV and nearby transistors, can be modified to do so. A macrocell can include both a TSV and nearby transistors, and a simulation model for the macrocell which takes into account physical relationships between the transistors and the TSV. A macrocell can include both a TSV and nearby transistors, one of the transistors being rotated relative to others. An IC can also include a transistor in such proximity to a TSV as to change the carrier mobility in the channel by more than the limit previously thought to define an exclusion zone.
US09003347B2
A system and method for designing integrated circuits is disclosed. An embodiment comprises placing a standard cell with a first cell height into a cell row with a different height. The standard cell may have a height smaller than the cell row or else may have a height that is larger than the cell row. Vertical fillers and horizontal fillers are utilized to extend and connect the standard cell to adjacent cells without having to redesign the entire cell row.
US09003345B2
A method generally comprises arranging a plurality of layer combinations into a plurality of groups such that each of the layer combinations is assigned to at least one group. A shifting analysis is performed on a plurality of benchmark circuits for each of the groups. At least one tuning vector value is calculated based, at least in part, on a plurality of criteria vectors of the benchmark circuits. A shift is applied on each of the groups by the tuning vector value and a technology file, such as a 2.5 dimensional RC techfile, is regenerated.
US09003344B2
A method and apparatus for improving physical synthesis of a circuit design is described. In one exemplary embodiment, preliminary routing information of nets in the circuit design is analyzed. The preliminary routing information includes track assignment information. Timing-critical nets are identified based on statistical distribution of the preliminary routing information of the nets. The identified timing-critical nets are assigned to a set of routing layers and removed from future net pattern matching. The remaining nets are clustered into multiple net patterns based on their physical attributes. The scaling factor for each net pattern is updated based on the scaling factor standard deviation and net length of the net pattern. Nets that are outside multiple standard deviations of a net pattern are assigned to routing layers. The scaling factors of the net patterns and the layer assignments are applied to the next phase of placement-based optimizations.
US09003333B2
A device may be configured to provide a user interface that supports sequential selection of objects displayed on a screen. As configured, the device may display a presentation of multiple objects, and the device may receive a user input that defines a path within the presentation of displayed objects. The device may then determine the sequential order of a selected subset of the displayed objects. Based on this sequential order, the device may select, initiate, and perform an action that is targeted at the selected subset of the objects. In the context of an action game, the user may trace the path through various enemies, and the device may select and perform the action based on the number of enemies, the type of enemies, or the order in which the enemies were selected. Selection and initiation of the action may begin while the user input is still being received.
US09003329B2
A simplified menu includes menu items of a “user menu” in which a user can change and customize a menu, a “user menu selection” for selecting a menu item capable of being set in the user menu, and a “detailed menu switch” for switching the menu from a simplified menu to a detailed menu. The “user menu selection” is displayed in the simplified menu, which is not a menu of a different hierarchy. Accordingly, the user can perform an operation in the simplified menu.
US09003326B2
A GUI conveys the location of input focus to a user by a dynamic focus indicator that displays the path followed by input focus during a transition from one GUI component to another. A focus indicator is displayed at a first location having input focus. In response to the location of input focus shifting from the first location to a second location, a path is indicated from the first location to the second location and the focus indicator is displayed at the second location. The location of input focus may shift due to an input from the user, a request from an application associated with the GUI, or a timing event. The path is indicated by presenting an animation routine in which the focus indicator appears to traverse the path.
US09003322B2
The present invention provides a method for processing multi-touch input in a touch screen terminal in which application programs in form of subordinate sub-windows are displayed by detecting a movement and the number of touch flickings; and switching between sub-windows opened in the corresponding application program or between the application programs depending on the number of touch flickings.
US09003321B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to tabbed browsing and provide a method, system and computer program product for application bar browsing of tabbed-view applications. In one embodiment of the invention a method for application bar browsing of tabbed-view applications can be provided. The method can include populating a pop-up list for a consolidated application bar entry for multiple different instances of a single application with corresponding entries each for a different one of the multiple different instances of the single application. The method further can include associating at least one of the entries in the pop-up list with an instance of the single application configured for tabbed browsing. The method yet further can include configuring the associated at least one of the entries with a tabbed browser view.
US09003318B2
Example embodiments are directed towards graphical user interfaces for declarative specification languages that express the logic of a computation without describing its control flow. These user interfaces are based on a visual representation of specifications where geometric proximity may be the sole determinant of the resulting configuration. Modularity is improved as each proximal grouping is functionally independent of others. Moreover, a system that executes such specifications may treat groupings independently and execute them in parallel.
US09003316B2
The claimed subject matter provides a method for entering technical formulas. The method includes receiving a sequence of inputs on a computing device. The sequence of inputs specifies the technical formula. The method also includes displaying the technical formula in response to receiving the sequence of inputs. Additionally, the method includes determining an alternate sequence of inputs that specify the technical formula. The alternate sequence of inputs may be input to the computing device to display the technical formula. The method further includes displaying the alternate sequence.
US09003309B1
A computer implemented method and apparatus for customizing web page display by receiving a web page comprising content for display upon a display device and receiving a transformation file comprising information associated with transforming an object within the content with regard to at least one of position, scale or rotation. Based upon the information in the transformation file, the object is transformed with regard to at least one of position, scale or rotation, while not transforming content that is not part of the object. The web page is displayed having the object transformed in accordance with the transformation file.
US09003302B1
A method and system for providing anonymous sidebars between participants in a existing conference session such as a push-to-talk session for instance. Each applicable participant in the session has a private handle that represents the participant but that does not reveal the true identity of the participant. Further, the conference server hosting the session maintains or has access to mapping data that correlates each participant's private handle with a participant identifier that is sufficient to allow the conference server to engage in network communication with the participant. The server provides each participant with a list of other participant's private handles, and a given participant can then initiate a sidebar by sending a sidebar-initiation request designating one or more private handles selected from the list. Using its mapping data, the server then identifies the corresponding participants and sets up the anonymous sidebar.
US09003301B2
An image management method and system are disclosed which can increase user convenience by reducing a display time of thumbnails in a DLNA system. The DLNA system includes a digital media server for generating a thumbnail group image using thumbnails corresponding to at least one original image file and transmitting the thumbnail group image, and a digital media player for receiving the thumbnail group image from the digital media server and requesting the digital media server to transmit an original image file corresponding to a selected thumbnail among thumbnails included the thumbnail group image.
US09003295B2
Display regions for representations of results of transformations applied to access control settings for a resource appear integrated with a familiar representation of the resource, e.g. word processor, or Web browser. A number of functions modify layout and transformations, and those functions are available for invocation, e.g. through mouse gestures or key combinations. Users are graphically represented by displays comprising photographic likenesses. Groups can be shown as individual users. Giving someone access to a resource can be as easy as dragging that person's likeness. Access log information can be shown together with access control settings. Reviewing the subset of resources available to a user is made easier. Overflow indicators replace scroll bars. Macros effect snapshots of volatile sets of users. Sections within documents can be omitted automatically if a user lacks authorization. Access control settings for one resource can be linked to be dependent on settings for other resources.
US09003292B2
A topology view of a network is generated on a visual display of a computer system. The topology view includes subnet objects, network device objects, and interface objects within the network device objects. Network flow records are acquired from each device within the network. Separate network flow records acquired from different devices in the network are correlated together into a common network flow record. Each of the separate network flow records shares a common source address and a common destination address. The common network flow record specifies transmission path segments of a communication through the network. The common network flow is rendered in the visual display over the topology view of the network by displaying an arrow for each transmission path segment traversed by the communication through the network.
US09003289B2
Systems and methods are provided herein relating to video classification. A trained classifier can analyze a video for suggested edits. A plurality of features of the video can be analyzed based that determines whether the video is a good candidate for various type of editing. The suggested edits can be performed automatically or with the authorization of a user who submitted the video. The user can review the edited video and either approve or reject the edits. Using an automated process to suggest and perform video edits can improve the quality of videos within a video data store.
US09003287B2
Interaction between a 3D animation and a corresponding script includes: displaying a user interface that includes at least a 3D animation area and a script area, the 3D animation area including (i) a 3D view area for creating and playing a 3D animation and (ii) a timeline area for visualizing actions by one or more 3D animation characters, the script area comprising one or more objects representing lines from a script having one or more script characters; receiving a first user input corresponding to a user selecting at least one of the objects from the script area for assignment to a location in the timeline area; generating a timeline object at the location in response to the first user input, the timeline object corresponding to the selected object; and associating audio data with the generated timeline object, the audio data corresponding to a line represented by the selected object.
US09003280B2
Advertisers specify the size of an ad in pixels or in physical units such as inches or millimeters. The physical square area of an ad specified in pixels will change as the physical size of the television screen or computer display screen varies. The number of pixels of an ad specified in inches or millimeters will also change as the physical size of the television screen or computer display screen varies. The present invention manages the issue of keeping the physical area size of an image constant across television display screens regardless of the physical size of the screen.
US09003277B2
A method is disclosed for presenting specific resources on a computer having a web browser. The method includes accessing by the web browser a specific resource related to an original web page from a web server, obtaining attribute information of the specific resource, and identifying the specific resource contained in the original web page based on the obtained attribute information of the specific resource. Further, the method includes obtaining an independent window being independent from at least a web page window displaying the original web page, and presenting the identified specific resource in the independent window.
US09003261B2
A memory system includes a first nonvolatile memory, a second nonvolatile memory with a longer access latency than the first nonvolatile memory, a first error correction unit, a second error correction unit, and an interface. The first nonvolatile memory stores first data and a first error correction code generated for the first data. The second nonvolatile memory stores a second error correction code which is generated for the first data with a higher correction ability than that of the first error correction code. The first error correction unit performs error correction on the first data by using the first error correction code. The second error correction unit performs error correction on the first data by using the second error correction code. The interface transmits the first data after the error correction to a host.
US09003259B2
In one embodiment, a mechanism for interleaved parallel cyclic redundancy check calculation for memory devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating an index value as part of a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) operation, the index value being a result of a first exclusive-or operation applied to both of input data directly as-is from a data bus and to data in a 64-bit accumulator utilized to store results of the CRC operation. The method also includes indexing an interleaved parallel CRC table with the index value to retrieve a 64-bit polynomial entry from the CRC table, performing a second exclusive-or operation on the retrieved polynomial entry and data in the 64-bit accumulator, storing the results of the second exclusive-or operation in the 64-bit accumulator, and transmitting contents of the 64-bit accumulator directly as-is to the data bus.
US09003258B2
A transmitter inserts parity samples into a stream of information symbols in an inter-symbol correlated (ISC) signal. The inserted parity samples may be utilized to generate estimates of corresponding information symbols when they are received by a receiver. The information symbols may be pulse shaped by a first pulse shaping filter characterized by a first response. The parity samples may be pulsed shaped by a second pulse shaping filter characterized by a second response. The first response and the second response are diverse or uncorrelated. The transmitter may transmit the ISC signal comprising the pulse shaped information symbols and the pulse shaped parity samples. The parity samples may be generated utilizing a non-linear function over a plurality of the information symbols. The non-linear function may be diverse from a partial response signal convolution corresponding to the information symbols and is designed according to a desired SNR value at the receiver.
US09003255B2
An embodiment of a method for automated test pattern generation (ATPG), a system for ATPG, and a memory configured for ATPG. For example, an embodiment of a memory includes a first test memory cell, a data-storage memory cell, and a test circuit configured to enable the test cell and to disable the data-storage cell during a test mode.
US09003251B2
A system and a method for diagnosis flow for a read-only memory (ROM) includes determining whether a window of the ROM is faulty, based on a pre-computed signature and a computed signature corresponding to the window. Based on the determination, the size of the window is reduced to form at least two reduced windows. It is further ascertained whether the at least two reduced windows are faulty based on pre-computed signatures corresponding to the at least two reduced windows and computed signatures corresponding to the at least two reduced windows.
US09003250B2
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for providing expected data, mask data, and control signals to scan test architectures within a device using the falling edge of a test/scan clock. The signals are provided on device leads that are also used to provide signals to scan test architectures using the rising edge of the test/scan clock. According to the disclosure, device test leads serve to input different test signals on the rising and falling edge of the test/scan clock which reduces the number of interconnects between a tester and the device under test.
US09003248B2
Aspects of the invention relate to using fault-driven techniques to generate scan chain configurations for test-per-clock. A plurality of test cubes that detect a plurality of faults are first generated. Scan chains for loading specified bits of the test cubes are then assigned to a stimuli group. From the plurality of test cubes, a test cube that detects a large number of faults that do not propagate exclusively to scan chains in the stimuli group is selected. One or more scan chains that are not in the stimuli group and are needed for observing the large number of faults are assigned to a compacting group. The number of scan chains either in the compacting group or in both of the compacting group and the stimuli group may be limited to a predetermined number.
US09003243B2
A system and method for modulation diversity uses interleaving. Code bits are placed into groups and are then shuffled within each group.
US09003241B2
A method is performed in a requester device that is coupled with a responder device by a serial interface. The method is one of selecting an approach to handle an error in a request-response communication between the requester and responder devices over the serial interface. The method includes transmitting a request packet, of the request-response communication, over the serial interface, based on a request from an application that is executing on a logical processor. The method includes reporting the error in the request-response communication to an application-layer module. The method includes selecting an error handling approach, of a plurality of error handling approaches, which is to be used to handle the error, with the application-layer module.
US09003240B2
A computer implemented method provides efficient monitoring and analysis of a program's memory objects in the operation stage. The invention can visualize and analyze a monitored program's data status with improved semantic information without requiring source code at runtime. The invention can provide higher quality of system management, performance debugging, and root-cause error analysis of enterprise software in the production stage.
US09003227B1
A method is used in recovering file system blocks of file systems. A first read error is encountered upon reading a file system block of a file system. The file system block includes a first set of chunks. A second read error is encountered upon reading a duplicate copy of the file system block. The duplicate copy of the file system block includes a second set of chunks. Each chunk of the first and second sets of chunks is evaluated. Based on the evaluation, the file system block is recovered.
US09003226B2
Computer program product and system to limit core file generation in a massively parallel computing system comprising a plurality of compute nodes each executing at least one task, of a plurality of tasks, by: upon determining that a first task executing on a first compute node has failed, performing an atomic load and increment operation on a core file count; generating a first core file upon determining that the core file count is below a predefined threshold; and not generating the first core file upon determining that the core file count is not below the predefined threshold.
US09003225B2
A processor includes a store queue that stores information representing store instructions. In response to retirement of a store instruction, the processor invalidates the corresponding entry in the store queue, thereby indicating that the entry is available to store a subsequent store instruction. The store address is not removed from the queue until the subsequent store instruction is stored. Accordingly, the store address is available for comparison to a dependent load address.
US09003222B2
Methods and arrangements for fault localization. Structural clusters for an environment are received, and configuration parameters and dependencies for components in the structural clusters are identified. A configuration map is built, and a configuration fault occurrence is ascertained.
US09003219B2
A method and apparatus for mobile terminal power management is provided in this invention, which belongs to communication field. The method comprises: obtaining a reserving condition and power consumption per unit time of an application requiring power reservation, the reserving condition comprising a reserving time; according to the reserving condition and the power consumption per unit time, calculating an amount of power required to be reserved for the application; and reserving power for the application according to the amount of power required to be reserved for the application. The apparatus comprises: an obtaining module, a calculation module, and a power reservation module. Through calculating an amount of power required to be reserved during a reserving period of time for the application requiring power reservation, this invention can guarantee the use of an important application or application of priority as selected by a user.
US09003214B2
The present invention includes a circuit, system and method for selectively turning off internal clock drivers to reduce operating current. The present invention may be used to reduce power consumption by reducing operating current in a memory device. Operating current may be reduced by turning off internal clock drivers that deliver a clock signal during selected periods of time. According to an embodiment of clock control circuitry of the present invention, an internal clock is disabled if a no operation command is detected during periods of time when no read or write burst operation is taking place. Methods, memory devices and computer systems including the clock control circuitry and its functionality are also disclosed.
US09003209B2
Described herein is an integrated circuit which comprises: a switching voltage regulator (SVR), having one or more bridge drivers, to provide regulated power supply to a plurality of power domains; and a power control unit (PCU) operable to adjust switching frequencies of the SVR according to states of the plurality of power domains, wherein drive strength or active phase count of the one or more bridge drivers is also adjusted by a logic unit of the SVR when the switching frequencies of the SVR are adjusted.
US09003206B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for managing a communication and control of power components. The system includes a parallel bus and plural peripheral devices. Each peripheral device is connected to the parallel bus. The system also includes a control module that is connected to the parallel bus, the control module including memory that stores control data and telemetry data associated with each peripheral device, and an interface that controls access to addressable locations in memory over the parallel bus.
US09003200B1
Avoiding encryption of certain blocks in a deduplication vault. In one example embodiment, a method of avoiding encryption of certain blocks during a backup of a source storage into a deduplication vault storage may include analyzing each allocated plain text block stored in a source storage at a point in time to determine if the allocated plain text block is already stored in the deduplication vault storage. If the allocated plain text block is not stored in the deduplication vault storage, the block may be encrypted and the encrypted block may be analyzed to determine if the encrypted block is already stored in the deduplication vault storage. If neither the allocated plain text block nor the encrypted block is already stored in the deduplication vault storage, the encrypted block may be stored in the deduplication vault storage.
US09003197B2
A method, device and system for authenticating a programmable hardware device, such as a programmable hardware chip, and a command received by the programmable hardware device. A secure processor or other trusted source authenticates the programmable hardware chip by verifying, with the secure processor's own verification key, a random number sent to the programmable hardware chip and encrypted using a verification key embedded within the programmable hardware chip, since the nature of the encryption is such that only the original logic function that includes the verification key can encrypt the data correctly. A command received by the programmable hardware chip is authenticated by verifying that a command authentication token received by the programmable hardware chip is generated using the correct command authentication key and consequently verifying that the command is received from the secure processor, as only the party who has the command authentication key can encrypt the data correctly.
US09003179B2
A communication method for a host and a wireless Internet access module, and a data card, are provided so that the host implements wireless Internet access with the wireless Internet access module of a secure digital interface. The method includes simulating each port on a wireless Internet access processing function unit in a wireless Internet access module into a secure digital card partition and reporting the secure digital card partition to a host side; receiving downlink interaction information from the host side encapsulated in a secure digital card interface format, decapsulating the downlink interaction information, and delivering the decapsulated downlink interaction information to a corresponding port; and receiving uplink interaction information reported to the host side from each port, encapsulating the received uplink interaction information in the secure digital card interface format.
US09003173B2
A system that facilitates different levels of operating system (OS) boot so as to provide users with rapid access to certain mobile device functionalities, security, applications, etc. is provided. An OS can be loaded in phases or stages commensurate with policies, preferences, actions, context, etc. Similarly, a particular OS or group of OSs can be loaded to address a particular scenario or requirement.
US09003170B2
Receiving an instruction indicating a source operand and a destination operand. Storing a result in the destination operand in response to the instruction. The result operand may have: (1) first range of bits having a first end explicitly specified by the instruction in which each bit is identical in value to a bit of the source operand in a corresponding position; and (2) second range of bits that all have a same value regardless of values of bits of the source operand in corresponding positions. Execution of instruction may complete without moving the first range of the result relative to the bits of identical value in the corresponding positions of the source operand, regardless of the location of the first range of bits in the result. Execution units to execute such instructions, computer systems having processors to execute such instructions, and machine-readable medium storing such an instruction are also disclosed.
US09003167B2
A data processing apparatus includes a connecting unit that distributes the plurality of processing modules over the stages, and connects the plurality of processing modules such that a plurality of partial data are processed in parallel. The data processing apparatus detects, with respect to at least a part of the stages, a ratio of an amount of data for which processing in the subsequent stage has been executed, as a passage rate, acquires a processing time for a data amount to be processed in each stage, for which the passage rate was detected, based on the passage rate, and determines the number of processing modules distributed to each stage based on the data amount.
US09003165B2
A system in accordance with the invention may include a data memory storing a multi-dimensional (e.g., a two-dimensional) data structure. An address generation unit is provided to calculate real addresses in order to access the multi-dimensional data structure in a desired pattern. The address generation unit may be configured to calculate real addresses by moving across the multi-dimensional data structure between pairs of end points. The pairs of end points (as well as parameters such as the step size between the end points) may be pre-programmed into the address generation unit prior to accessing the multi-dimensional data structure. A processor, such as a vector processor, may be configured to access (e.g., read or write data to) the data structure at the real addresses calculated by the address generation unit.
US09003152B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for optimizing selection of files for eviction from a first storage pool to free up a predetermined amount of space in the first storage pool. A method includes analyzing an effective space occupied by each file of a plurality of files in the first storage pool, identifying, from the plurality of files, one or more data blocks making up a file to free up the predetermined amount of space based on the analysis of the effective space of each file of the plurality of files, selecting one or more of the plurality of files as one or more candidate files for eviction, based on the identified one or more data blocks, and evicting the one or more candidate files for eviction from the first storage pool to a second storage pool.
US09003151B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for optimizing selection of files for deletion from one or more data storage devices to free up a predetermined amount of space in the one or more data storage devices. A method includes analyzing an effective space occupied by each file of a plurality of files in the one or more data storage devices, identifying, from the plurality of files, one or more data blocks making up a file to free up the predetermined amount of space based on the analysis of the effective space of each file of the plurality of files, selecting one or more of the plurality of files as one or more candidate files for deletion, based on the identified one or more data blocks, and deleting the one or more candidate files for deletion from the one or more data storage devices.
US09003140B2
A storage system including first storage devices constituting a first logical storage area, second storage devices constituting a second logical storage area; and a storage control apparatus. The storage control apparatus manages the first and second logical storage areas so that the data stored in the first and second logical storage areas have redundancy, and parity data for the data stored in the second logical storage area are stored in parity storage areas arranged in part of the second storage devices. When part of the first storage devices constituting part of the first logical storage area fail, the storage control apparatus generates part of the data stored, before the failure, in the part of the first storage devices, and stores the generated part of the data in at least part of the second parity storage areas in the second logical storage area.
US09003131B1
System for working with shared memory includes a plurality of contexts, each having executable processes writing and reading data; a ring buffer in the shared memory for writing and reading data by the contexts; a software primitive manages access attempts by the contexts to the ring buffer. Each context, upon writing to the ring buffer, is allocated an amount of space up to a maximum available at that moment. The software primitive guarantees consistency of the data written to the ring buffer. The software primitive permits simultaneous writing into the buffer by multiple contexts. After finishing writing to the buffer, the context updates a state of the buffer by decrementing the count of the active writers and/or by shifting the permitting pointers for communicating with writers and readers. A context can read from the buffer only data is marked as valid for reading by the context that wrote that data.
US09003129B1
A method, performed at a first storage processor (SP) connected to a mirroring second SP, includes (a) receiving a write command at the first SP from a host directed to a particular address of a data storage array, (b) identifying a reference in a first cache that is uniquely associated with the particular address, the reference having a token count field, (c) determining whether the reference is synchronized with a corresponding reference in a second cache, and (d) if the reference is synchronized with the corresponding reference, then (1) performing a cache write operation on a cache page pointed to by the reference if the reference stores a maximum token count value and (2) otherwise, sending a token request message from the first SP to the second SP over a cache mirroring bus to request a token from the second SP prior to performing the cache write operation.
US09003121B2
A multi-ported memory that supports multiple read and write accesses is described herein. The multi-ported memory may include a number of read/write ports that is greater than the number of read/write ports of each memory bank of the multi-ported memory. The multi-ported memory allows for at least one read operation and at least one write operation to be received during the same clock cycle. In the event that an incoming write operation is blocked by the at least one read operation, data for that incoming write operation may be stored in a cache included in the multi-port memory. That cache is accessible to both write operations and read operations. In the event than the incoming write operation is not blocked by the at least one read operation, data for that incoming write operation is stored in the memory bank targeted by that incoming write operation.
US09003120B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatuses for querying for and traversing a virtual memory area. The method includes: determining whether a virtual memory area (vma) corresponding to a query address is in an adjacent range of a cached vma, and if the vma corresponding to the query address is in the adjacent range of the cached vma, querying for the vma by using a thread on a node of a threaded red-black tree. Since an adjacent range of the cached vma can always be determined, the hit rate of accessing the cache is improved, and the time complexity of implementing the whole vma traversal is O(n), thereby improving vma query efficiency.
US09003114B2
Methods and apparatus for cut-through cache memory management in write command processing on a mirrored virtual volume of a virtualized storage system, the virtual volume comprising a plurality of physical storage devices coupled with the storage system. Features and aspects hereof within the storage system provide for receipt of a write command and associated write data from an attached host. Using a cut-through cache technique, the write data is stored in a cache memory and transmitted to a first of the plurality of storage devices as the write data is stored in the cache memory thus eliminating one read-back of the write data for transfer to a first physical storage device. Following receipt of the write data and storage in the cache memory, the write data is transmitted from the cache memory to the other physical storage devices.
US09003113B2
A storage device includes a flash memory-based cache for a hard disk-based storage device and a controller that is configured to limit the rate of cache updates through a variety of mechanisms, including determinations that the data is not likely to be read back from the storage device within a time period that justifies its storage in the cache, compressing data prior to its storage in the cache, precluding storage of sequentially-accessed data in the cache, and/or throttling storage of data to the cache within predetermined write periods and/or according to user instruction.
US09003110B2
Various embodiments for storing a logical object are provided. In one such embodiment, by way of example only, incoming data is divided corresponding to a logical data object into a plurality of independent streams, associating each data chunk of a plurality of obtained data chunks with a corresponding stream among the plurality of independent streams. At least one of the obtained data chunks and derivatives thereof is sequentially accommodated in accordance with an order the obtained chunks are received, while keeping the association with the corresponding streams. A global index is generated as a single meta-data stream accommodated in the logical data object and comprising information common to the plurality of independent streams and related to mapping between data in the logical data object and the obtained data chunks.
US09003102B2
The embodiments described herein provide a controller with an extended status register and a method of use therewith. In one embodiment, a controller is provided with a first interface through which to communicate with a host and a second interface through which to communicate with a plurality of flash memory devices. The controller also comprises a status register, an extended status register, and a processor. The processor is operative to store, in the extended status register, status information of a plurality of events in time across the plurality of flash memory devices. The extended status register stores event status information, whereas the ONFI status register stores command status information. In response to a request from the host, the processor sends the status information of the plurality of events to the host for analysis.
US09003099B2
In a disc device according to the present invention, when a controller 2 abandons a block from a cache memory 4 used as a primary cache, it is determined whether or not the number of readings of data in the block exceeds the specified number of times. Only when the number of readings exceeds the specified number of times, the block is written into an SSD 8 used as a secondary cache. When the number of readings is equal to or smaller than the specified number of times, the block is rewritten into an HDD 7.
US09003097B2
An information transfer apparatus of the present invention is an information transfer apparatus including a network interface connected to a server that distributes data, via a network, and a USB interface connected to an information presentation apparatus that presents the data, the information transfer apparatus transferring the data distributed from the server to the information presentation apparatus; and the information transfer apparatus includes: a switch that enables or disables connection with the information presentation apparatus via the USB interface; and a control section that judges whether or not the data distributed from the server has been updated, enables connection with the information presentation apparatus by the switch to transfer the data to the information presentation apparatus only upon judging that the data has been updated, and, after transferring the data, disables the connection with the information presentation apparatus by the switch.
US09003096B2
A method is provided. A communication is received by an input pin of an IC over a single-wire bus, where the communication includes a command byte. If the command byte is an initialization command byte, a self-addressing operation is performed to identify a bus address for the IC. Alternatively, if the command byte is a data movement command byte, a data movement operation is performed. When data movement operation is performed, the bus interface of the IC is set from the transparent mode to the operational mode if an operation address from the command byte matches the bus address so that a register identified in the command byte can be accessed and data movement with the register can be performed.
US09003083B2
A buffer circuit includes: a register array including registers in a plurality of stages; and a control circuit configured to rearrange a plurality of pieces of received data in the register in a determined transfer order and to control the register array to sequentially output the plurality of pieces of received data as one piece of transfer data when all the received data is stored, wherein the control circuit controls the register array to store stored data in each register in a preceding stage when the register array outputs the received data, and the control circuit determines a write register in accordance with the transfer order when the register array newly stores the received data and controls the register array to store data stored in the write register in a following stage of the write register and to store the new received data in the write register.
US09003081B2
The present invention is a clustered storage system with which, even when access to the processor of another controller is sent from the processor of one controller, the processor of the second controller is able to prioritize processing of this access so that I/O processing is also prevented from being delayed. With the storage system of the present invention, the first processor of the first controller transmits request information which is to be processed by the second processor of the second controller to the second processor by differentiating between request information for which processing is to be prioritized by the second processor and request information for which processing is not to be prioritized, and the second processor acquires the request information by differentiating between request information for which processing is to be prioritized and request information for which processing is not to be prioritized.
US09003080B2
Managed access to one or more peripherals of a service terminal is provided. A master controller controls access to the peripheral(s) by applications of the service terminal, wherein only a single application can access the peripheral(s) at a time, by identifying an application of the applications for placing into an on-focus state in order to enable access to the peripheral(s) by the identified application, and placing the identified application into the on-focus state, where access to the peripheral(s) by the identified application is enabled. The remaining applications of the applications execute in an off-focus state in which the master controller simulates, for the remaining applications, connectivity to the peripheral(s), and in which access to the peripheral(s) by the remaining applications is disabled transparent to the remaining applications while the access to the peripheral(s) by the identified application is enabled.
US09003079B2
A phone-on-file opt-in method is described. A phone-on-file opt-in request is received at the billing server including a msisdn and a merchant supplied unique consumer identifier. The billing server confirms the phone-on-file opt-in with a consumer device and records a phone-on-file opt-in status as active if the first phone-on-file is confirmed. A charge method includes receiving, at the billing server, a charge API call from a merchant server including at least one identifier and an amount, determining a phone-on-file opt-in status corresponding to the identifier at the billing server and transmitting a request to charge a user account to a carrier server if the phone-on-file opt-in status is active, but not if the phone-on-file opt-in status is inactive, the request including an amount corresponding to the amount received in the charge API call.
US09003053B2
A data processing system comprising: a host computing device supporting an operating system and a network protocol stack, the network protocol stack being operable to support one or more transport streams by performing transport stream protocol processing of data packets received over the streams; a network interface device arranged to couple the host computing device to a network and operable to receive data packets over a transport stream supported by the network protocol stack; and a message engine configured to perform upper layer protocol processing; wherein the network interface device is configured to, on receiving a data packet over one of a predetermined set of transport streams, pass the payload data of the data packet to the message engine and the message engine is configured to, in response to receiving the payload data, identify and process any upper layer messages in the payload data in accordance with the upper layer protocol.
US09003051B2
Mechanisms are provided to manage media stream transmissions at a content server. A content server detects that a user on a device such as a mobile device has stopped playing a live media stream. The content server maintains information associating the user with the media stream and time information. When the content server detects that a user wishes to resume playing a media stream, the user can continue viewing the media stream from where stoppage occurred. In many instances, the content server stores many hours of live media stream data and allows a user to select a particular starting point.
US09003038B1
Applications executed out of router memory may acquire additional bandwidth that is not being used by other applications, in order to speed up network traffic. Scavenging may occur up to a point where current congestion is detected, at which point any scavenged bandwidth is relinquished and the application returns to its prescribed limit. After current congestion is mitigated, scavenging may occur up to a limit below the point where congestion was detected. After a predetermined interval, additional scavenging may occur beyond this limit until a preset bandwidth limit is reached.
US09003037B2
Techniques for resource allocation are described. Some embodiments provide a resource allocation manager configured to dynamically allocate physical computing resources amongst multiple virtual machines hosted on a physical computing system. The resource allocation manager receives information about the importance of activities that can occur on the multiple virtual machines. Activities may include or be based on virtual machine states, virtual desktop states, business activities or processes performed by users, or the like. Then, the resource allocation manager determines that an activity is occurring on one of the virtual machines. In response, the resource allocation manager reallocates physical computing resources of the physical computing system that are assigned or available to the one virtual machine, based on the occurring activity and its corresponding importance. The resource allocation manager continually and dynamically reallocates physical computing resources assigned to corresponding virtual machines, in order to match resource allocation to activity importance.
US09003032B2
A method is provided that includes retrieving user interface (UI) analytics data describing interactions with a UI provided by an online service, and retrieving media player state information describing interactions with video data included in the UI. The method further includes generating, based on the UI analytics data and the media player state information, UI data describing how the video data affects usage of the online service and how one or more elements within the UI affect user access to the video data, and presenting a comparison between a first subset of the UI data where the video data is not viewed and a second subset of the UI data where the video data is viewed to facilitate evaluation of how viewing the video data on the UI affects navigation to and from the UI.
US09003030B2
Detecting crowds is provided. A location is selected in a set of locations a user of a client device wants to go to based on data within a profile associated with the user. A set of data inputs is monitored to determine a number of people currently at the selected location. Then, in response to determining that the number of people currently at the selected location is not greater than a user-defined threshold level of people for the selected location, a mapped route to the selected location is sent to the client device of the user.
US09003029B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, an apparatus and a system for joint optimization. The method for joint optimization includes: decomposing the joint optimization of an entire network into the joint optimization performed in each sub-network, regarding a bandwidth requirement for a server off the sub-network as a bandwidth requirement for a virtual server on a port, iteratively performing the joint optimization in each sub-network, and applying results of the joint optimization in the network. In the embodiments of the present invention, the bandwidth requirement for the server off the sub-network is regarded as the bandwidth requirement for the virtual server on the port, the joint optimization is iteratively performed in each sub-network, and the results of the joint optimization are applied in the network, so that the joint optimization of the entire network is performed in parallel.
US09003023B2
A computer implemented method, a cloud system, and a log system provide interactive analytics providing various intuitive mechanisms for interaction with data visualizations of Internet traffic, email, etc. The methods and systems utilize a cloud based monitoring system where all traffic from an organization may be monitored in a location and platform independent manner. The methods and systems include context-aware drilldown with progressively applied filtering and grouping while maintaining workflow history such that a user can go back to any point in the flow and proceed down a new path of investigation.
US09003016B2
An apparatus and method provide logic for formatting electronic content. In one implementation, an apparatus includes an identification unit configured to identify a plurality of devices associated via a network, and a receiving unit configured to receive information corresponding to the associated devices. The information includes a function provided by the associated devices and performance data corresponding to the associated devices. A generation unit is configured to generate a first value of an execution metric describing at least one of an execution of the function by the associated devices or the performance data corresponding to the associated devices, based on at least the received information, and an output unit is configured to output the first metric value.
US09003011B2
A remote management system is able to remotely manage service objects (311) in a bundle (301). The remote management system thereto contains a management platform (302) in a customer device where the bundle (301) is installed, a remote management server (304) somewhere in the network, and a management agent (303) able to expose the service object representation (312) of the service objects (311) via a remote management protocol (307) to the remote management server (304). The remote management system in addition is foreseen with a proxy bundle (305) with a generic interface to populate and export a generic service object representation (351) of the service objects (311) towards the management agent (303).
US09003010B1
A scaleable network monitoring system is discussed. The network monitoring system identifies network monitoring information for the network elements being monitored. By storing only a non-redundant subset of the identified network information in memory, the network monitoring system is able to monitor a much larger group of network elements than is possible with conventional monitoring systems which are burdened by memory constraints. The scaleable network monitoring system also employs a multi-threaded architecture that dynamically spawns an array of multi-technology monitoring sub-systems.
US09003002B2
A central NAT manager efficiently allocates ports to endpoints of a tenant application in a hosting environment for NAT purposes. In some instances, the central NAT manager may pre-allocate ports to endpoints as part of the initial configuration of the tenant application. The pre-allocation process may include persisting pre-allocated port state information in storage and configuring endpoints and a NAT device with the pre-allocated port state information. Additional ports may be dynamically allocated to endpoints during runtime using dynamically determined port allocation sizes. In other instances, the central NAT manager may reserve ports for endpoints during the initial configuration of the tenant application by assigning ports to endpoints and persisting port assignment information to storage. During runtime, endpoints may issue port allocation requests to the central NAT manager, which may allocate ports to the endpoints from the range of ports initially reserved for each endpoint.
US09003000B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for automatically provisioning a diskless computing device and an associated server system. A diskless computing device client incorporates an iSCSI initiator that is used to access resources provided by an iSCSI target that is resident on a server computing device. The iSCSI initiator is implemented in the client firmware, providing INT13 disk services entry points, thereby enabling the client to transparently access virtual storage devices at boot time. The client device conducts an apparently local installation using the virtual storage devices provided by the server computing device. A short signature value is associated with the boot image, uniquely associating the boot image with the specific client hardware configuration. When the client device boots normally, the signature value of the client device is presented to the server computing device to automatically reference the appropriate boot image.
US09002995B2
A method and system are provided for organizing and assembling information and resources for display as part of an electronic space supported on a network. The electronic space preferably resembles a room. The room is decorated with selected images that may be iconic representations that activate links to specific resources such as databases, technical information, word processing applications, etc., that are user selected to support idea conception and evaluation to promote creativity, innovation and improved problem solving. The electronic space enables a user to customize an on-line workplace with decorations as well as active links to selected resources which may include human resources such as colleagues, co-workers or expert.
US09002994B2
In a distributed object computing system, a server application may create multiple, uniquely identified, server contexts that each provide one or more services to a service consumer (client). Instead of creating a connection to a client for each server context, a single connection can be used. A service request handler may be configured to handle service requests for each server context. Service requests may be generated in the client with a service context identity. When a service request is received by the server application, the service request handler resolves the service context identity and forwards the service request to the appropriate server context.
US09002992B2
A technique and apparatus for backing up and restoring game application state across multiple devices are disclosed herein. The method includes running an instance of a game application at a first device. Based on any of various criteria, such as the proximity between the first device and a second device, a computer makes a determination to synchronize the application state between the two devices. The computer causes the application state data, which represents an application state of the game application running on the first device, to be saved and made available to the second device, such as by saving the application state data to cloud storage. The second device receives the application state data and restores the game application state.
US09002984B2
Systems and methods of the present invention allow for a portal website further comprising an online community, storage areas, additional software, email access, etc. accessible via a direct access domain or links which manipulate a domain name to allow a registrant to access a remote computer or server in a hosting provider's data center.
US09002978B2
A content delivery network aggregator system is disclosed. A user requesting content from a content provider has his or her DNS request forwarded to a CDN selector. The CDN selector intelligently selects an optimal CDN from amongst a number of partner CDNs to provide the requested content. The CDN selector selects one of the plurality of content delivery networks for providing content to a user based upon an analysis of a plurality of performance variables for each of the plurality of content delivery networks.
US09002972B2
A computer-implemented for sharing the results of computing operations among related computing systems may include: 1) identifying a need to perform a computing operation on a file, 2) identifying a unique identifier associated with the file, 3) determining, by using the unique identifier to query a shared store that is shared by a group of related computing systems, that at least one computing system within the group of related computing systems has previously performed the computing operation on an instance of the file, and then 4) retrieving the results of the computing operation from the shared store instead of performing the computing operation. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09002968B2
Systems and methods relating to communication within a fabric network are presented. The fabric network includes one or more logical networks that enables devices connected to the fabric to communicate with each other using various profiles known to the devices. A device sending a message may follow a general message format to encode the message so that other devices in the fabric may understand the message regardless of which logical networks the devices are connected to. Within the message format, a payload of data may be included for the receiving device to forward, store, or process the message. The format and the contents of the payload may vary according to a header within the payload that indicates a profile and a message type within the profile. Using the profile and message type, the receiving devices may decode the message to process the message.
US09002957B2
A first user device receives user profile data from a user of the first user device, generates a user profile based on the user profile data, receives profile availability data from the user of the first user device, and designates a user profile availability status based on the profile availability data. A second user device receives target profile data from a user of the second user device, generates a profile message based on the target profile data, and communicates the profile message. The first user device receives the profile message, determines whether the target profile data corresponds to the user profile data of the first user device, generates a user alert when the target profile data corresponds to the user profile data, and enables the user of the first user device to respond to the profile message via a dynamic dashboard.
US09002951B2
Wireless Internet gateway (WIG) providing multicarrier support that allows the gateway to send message to other peer gateways including a Message Distribution Center (MDS) trough which short messages are routed to other carriers based on carrier formats stored in a lookup table. Carrier format tables may be updated rather than employing an Internet gateway program thereby reducing downtime for updating, reducing the complexity of updates, and improving reliability during changes in a subscriber carrier. The WIG communicates with other carrier gateways utilizing different or varying protocols. Information regarding other carriers may be added, changed, and/or removed by modifying a configuration property file relating to the message format for other carriers, rather than by providing each carrier with its own class thereby avoiding a need to reprogram sending gateways.
US09002948B2
A method, apparatus and system for social networking is provided. In an embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of mobile devices that can directly connect to each other via a peer-to-peer connection. The devices can additionally connect to a server. The server maintains a profile schema which can be used to generate profiles for users for each of the mobile devices.
US09002947B2
A display device includes: a display-side communication section adapted to receive image configuration alteration request information related to a configuration of a first image and image information of at least one second image constituting the first image from at least one terminal device; a display-side image generation section adapted to generate the first image based on the image configuration alteration request information and the image information; and a display-side display section adapted to display the first image.
US09002946B2
A method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium enable a dual modeling environment. A client application is created that has proxy modules. Each of the proxy modules is a light weight version of a corresponding precise module in a server application. Commands are executed in the client application to produce client output data. The same commands are transmitted to the server application that is executed concurrently with and independent from the client application and produces server output data. The client output data is synchronized with the server output data.
US09002945B2
Scheduling an online session including: determining desired time slots for an online session; determining potential users to participate in the online session; sending invitations to the potential users; receiving responses to the invitations thereby identifying participants for the online session; and entering the online session into the calendars of the participants of the online session.
US09002944B2
A system, methods, and devices comprising a virtual badge are disclosed. The virtual badge can be displayed on an electronic device or on another linked or unlinked portable device. For use in both emergency and non-emergency scenarios, the virtual badge comprises images and data which can be scanned, and the capability to alternate colors and/or self-destruct on a pre-set schedule. The system, methods, and devices may use a self-destruct mechanism which renders the virtual badge unusable. Using plugin technologies, the system optionally can enable field collected photos and notes on customizable forms to be mapped, tracked, and time/date stamped, including in a 100% disconnected environment. A modifiable virtual badge can aid in credentialing via certifications and qualifications, inventory, accountability, organization, and efficiency. The system, methods, and devices are designed to aid in access control, and other activities, such as data collection, inventory, accountability, payment gateways, and site management.
US09002942B2
The disclosure includes a system and method for processing content spoilers. The system includes a controller, a progress module, a determination module, a warning module and a presentation module. The controller receives activity data describing an activity performed by a first user and content data published by a second user. The progress module determines a first progress stage for a subject associated with the activity based at least in part on the activity data. The determination module determines whether the content data includes a spoiler for the first user based at least in part on the first progress stage. Responsive to the determination that the content data includes the spoiler, the warning module obscures the content data published by the second user from the first user and generates a spoiler warning. The presentation module provides the spoiler warning to the first user.
US09002940B2
To facilitate the sharing of media sessions by users within a social network. In an embodiment, a social networking system provides, for a second user of a social networking system, a reference about a first media session for a first user of the social networking system. The social networking system receives a request to participate in the first media session from the second user. The social networking system facilitates provision of a second media session for the second user that is synchronized with the first media session. The first media session may include media from at least one of an audio application, a video application, and a gaming application.
US09002939B2
A system for communicating information among a plurality of nodes of a network. The system comprises a plurality of disseminating modules installed in a plurality of nodes of a network which hosts a plurality of replicas of data having a plurality of objects, each the disseminating module has access to a dataset defining a plurality of write request dissemination topologies. Each disseminating module is defined to receive a write request from a client, to select dynamically one of the write request dissemination topologies according to at least one parameter of the client, and to disseminate the write request according to the selected write request dissemination topology.
US09002938B2
Described are a system and method for notifying electronic meeting participants of information of interest. For an electronic meeting, a relationship is determined between a first participant and one or more second participants having a relationship with the first participant. A degree of interest by the second participants of a portion of the electronic meeting is determined. A notification is generated for the first participant in response to the determined degree of interest.
US09002937B2
Disclosed herein are example embodiments for multi-party multi-modality communication. By way of example but not limitation, a third communication device may receive first communication data for a first communication flow that is associated with a first communication device or receive second communication data for a second communication flow that is associated with a second communication device. It may further effectuate at least one conversion with respect to at least one of the first communication data or the second communication data to cause a conversion of communication data from corresponding to one type of user interaction communication modality to corresponding to another type of user interaction communication modality. A third communication device may present to a third user thereof a version of the first communication data while the second communication flow is extant or a version of the second communication data while the first communication flow is extant.
US09002935B1
A computer-implemented method of sharing data between computer applications includes receiving, at a server system from a remote computing device, an identification of a first composite document that is arranged to encapsulate a plurality of distinct sub-documents; receiving at the server system an indication of a user intent to copy one of the sub-documents to a second composite document; identifying one or more composite documents stored on the server system to which a user associated with the remote computing device has access; receiving an indication of a user selection of a second composite document from among the one or more composite documents; and causing the indicated one of the sub-documents to be copied to the second composite document.
US09002931B2
An optimized ACK-less (“no acknowledgement required”) communication between the client and the server is enabled. Regardless of distance between the client and server, complete synchronization between the mouse movement, or any other updates to the three-dimensional model, and the rendered result is attained. Maximum frame rate is also attained, without requiring the inefficiency, and resulting latency, of acknowledged packets.
US09002917B2
Provided is a system for generating coefficient values. The system may include a base function generator and a series of accumulators including a leading and a last accumulator. In the series of accumulators, the data output of each accumulator, except the last, may be coupled to the data input of a successive adjacent accumulator. The base function generator may be configured to output, to the leading accumulator, a series of data values that may correspond to a base function that is a specified order derivative of a filter function. Each accumulator may be configured to: add a data value currently at its data input to a currently stored data value to produce an updated data value that may correspond to a respective value of a specified order integral of the base function; store the updated data value in the accumulator; and output the updated data value at its data output.
US09002913B2
Method for fully adaptive calibration of a prediction error coder, comprising a first step of initialization; a second step of reception and accumulation of block-size data samples wherein for each received value, it is added one to the histogram bin associated to that value; a third step of analysis of the histogram and determination of the coding option; a fourth step of analysis of the histogram and determination of a coding table; a fifth step of output a header with the prediction error coder coding table determined; and wherein previous steps are repeated if more samples need to be compressed. It is useful as a data compression technique, with the advantage of being faster and more robust than the current CCSDS lossless compression standard.
US09002911B2
A computer-implemented method enables efficient tracking of fileset IDs and inode utilizing a fileset mask and an internal inode mask. A utility dynamically updates the fileset mask and the internal inode mask to enable mapping of the number of one (1) bits in the fileset mask to a fileset identifier (ID) and mapping of the one bits in the inode mask to an inode number for the fileset, as either the number of filesets or the number of inodes required per filesets increases above a next power of two threshold. The one bits within the fileset mask and the internal inode mask are disjoint relative to each other. An external inode number is mapped to a corresponding fileset and to a corresponding inode number by concatenating individual bits of the external inode number corresponding to each one (1) bit within the fileset mask and the inode mask.
US09002908B2
A system and method for routing and managing documents based on document content comprises obtain a document, determine a classification for the document based on the document content, determine a storage location for the document based on the document classification, determine whether the document is stored in the determined storage location, when the document is stored in the determined storage location, update the document in the determined storage location, when the document is not stored in the determined storage location, determine whether the document is stored in another storage location, when the document is stored in another storage location, add the document in the determined storage location and delete the document from the other storage location, and when the document is not stored in the other storage location, add the document to the determined storage location.
US09002904B1
Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device includes creating new paths to the new storage device, freezing old paths to the old storage device, transferring metadata corresponding to the old storage device to the new storage device, where state information is transferred from the old storage device to the new storage device, and thawing the new paths. Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device may also include creating new volumes on the new storage device and transferring data from the old storage device to the new storage device. Migrating data from an old storage device to a new storage device may also include dismantling the old paths.
US09002893B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for optimizing a clustered virtual computing environment. In exemplary embodiments, performance attributes are identified for a set of operating devices within the clustered virtual computing environment. Historical data of the identified performance attributes is obtained to create a historical data repository. A rulebase is developed using the historical data repository and input from user. A combined correlation pattern repository is generated using a first correlation pattern, a second correlation pattern and a scale-time invariant weight fraction.
US09002888B2
A method, computer program product and system of minimizing epigenetic surprisal data either by comparing epigenetic surprisal data to a fixed baseline epigenetic data, so that all of the comparisons were made to the same baseline epigenetic data or by comparing epigenetic surprisal data to a rolling baseline of epigenetic surprisal data—that is, after each comparison the baseline is changed to the data from the time point which had been compared previously.
US09002886B2
Methods and apparatus to search datasets are disclosed. Example methods include in response to a search request including first and second logically related criteria, determining a first number of records in a database satisfying the first criterion and a second number of records in the database satisfying the second criterion; when the first number is less than the second number, selecting the first criterion as a basis for generating a subset of the records of the database; when the second number is less than the first number, selecting the second criterion as the basis for the identification of the subset of the records of the database; and searching the subset of the records.
US09002879B2
The present disclosure provides a method for making a playlist available to the public. In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for creating a playlist comprising user-defined descriptor information. In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for searching for such public playlists.
US09002877B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a font match technology, and in particular relate to a technology for performing font match with attribute values of a font. A method for font matching may include generating a two-dimensional link matrix based on available fonts and attribute values of the available fonts, receiving a font match query, and determining a font matching the received font match query from the available fonts by using the two-dimensional link matrix. Font matching may be implemented automatically, quickly, and accurately, without the need of manually randomly trying each font of a plurality of available fonts. Meanwhile, this method is independent from text processing software and may be called by any arbitrary text processing software (application). Moreover, this method allows the user to flexibly configure selection of the font attributes so as to perform font match more efficiently.
US09002874B2
In various example embodiments, systems and methods to provide sizing content recommendations are provided. An image of a user is received. The image includes a standard-sized marker. In response, sizing data for the user is determined using the image of the user that includes the standard-sized marker. Using the sizing data, a search is performed to determine items matching the sizing data. The matching items are presented to the user.
US09002873B1
Embodiments relate to a user interface for building queries. The user may select a source or sources to be queried, and establish any number of desirable and undesirable criteria to filter the source or sources. The result set may be named with an identifier. Additional queries may be built that use previous queries as sources. The interface for building queries may be used in conjunction with electronic discovery software or document review software to filter relevant documents.
US09002857B2
A method assigns importance ranks to documents within repositories or databases, such as any database of documents such as books or other printed material, electronic documentation, and pages within the world-wide web. The method uses a corpus of indexed documents that has been annotated to the terms of one or more ontologies in order to assign a semantic similarity score to queries based on terms taken from the ontologies. A statistical model is used to test the significance of matches between query terms and documents or categories. The method results in an acceleration of over 10,000-fold for realistic queries and ontologies, and makes it practicable to calculate P-values dynamically or to keep database annotations and the related P-value distributions up to date by frequent recalculation.
US09002852B2
Methods and apparatus for analysis of semi-structured social media are described. A method comprises classifying a plurality of user-generated content entries into a plurality of categories based at least in part on an analysis of respective structured components of at least a subset of the plurality of entries. The method further includes determining, based at least in part on an analysis of additional components of entries of a particular category, a set of representative content elements of entries of the particular category, and generating a report that comprises one or more representative content elements of the particular category.
US09002851B2
A method for configuring a computer system to provide access to stored electronic resources may be described. The method can include determining a topic framework between stored electronic resources and topic names by determining topic names for topic framework by generating topic names based on names assigned to storage sets and generating topic names based on attributes of resources. Further forming associations between resources and topic names by associating resources with topic names generated based a storage set and associating resources having attributes with topic names generated based on attributes of the resources. Also, storing the framework to provide structure so resources can be accessed using the topic names and using the topic framework to present a group of stored resources associated with topic names so that the group of resources can be selected for access.
US09002843B2
A system and method extract off-topic parts from a conversation. The system includes a first corpus including documents of a plurality of fields; a second corpus including only documents of a field to which the conversation belongs; a determination means for determination as a lower limit subject word a word for which IDF value for the first corpus and IDF value for the second corpus are each below a first certain threshold value; a score calculation part for calculation as a score a TF-IDF value for each word included in the second corpus; a clipping part, for sequential cutting out of intervals from text data that are contents of the conversation; and an extraction part for extraction as an off-topic part an interval where average value of the score of words included in the clipped interval is larger than a second certain threshold value.
US09002841B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for generating feed schemas and validating feeds are provided. A user interface may be provided that displays the schema in one pane, while providing drop-down menus for defining new schema nodes in a separate pane. An interface for validating the schema may show the feed as it will be displayed on a webpage utilizing the feed.
US09002825B2
In an embodiment, a recursive query is received that comprises a first select statement with a seed select statement and a second select statement with a recursive reference, wherein the recursive query further identifies at least two columns in at least one table, wherein the at least two columns have parent-child relationships represented by nodes in a graph, wherein the graph represents the organization of values in rows in the at least one table. A target recursion depth is calculated for the graph based on a fanout of the graph. In an embodiment, the target recursion depth is calculated by summing the fanout at each recursion depth of the graph multiplied by a number of nodes at each recursion depth of the graph. An estimated number of rows that the recursive query will return is estimated based on the target recursion depth.
US09002823B2
Systems and methods according to embodiments provide elasticity for complex event processing (CEP) systems. Embodiments may comprise at least the following three components: (1) incremental query optimization, (2) operator placement, and (3) cost explanation. Incremental query optimization allows avoiding simultaneous computation of identical results by performing operator-level query reuse and subsumption. Using automatic operator placement, a centralized CEP engine can be transformed into a distributed one by dynamically distributing and adjusting the execution according to unpredictable changes in data and query load. Cost explanation functionality can provide end users with near real-time insight into the monetary cost of the whole system, down to operator level granularity. Combination of these components allows a CEP system to be scaled up and down.
US09002820B2
A search engine index measures and tracks one or more numeric indicators of activity at different times, including a most current time, in on-line forums and social networking sites. Such indicators may include, for example, a current volume per unit time of messages or data posted to the site, a moving average of such volume, a moving average of current participants over time, a count of current participants, other indication of site activity, or any combination of such indicators. The search engine is responsive to queries seeking forums ranked by activity for a defined time period, including a most current time. The search engine prioritizes search results to identify the specified sites or locations in order of activity (among other possible criteria) relative to a defined time.
US09002815B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for migrating content items from a source user account to a target user account. A user can specify content items in the source user account to be migrated to an existing or new target user account. A new content entry including an account identifier of the target account and a pointer to the content item can be created for each migrated content item. Further, a determination can be made as to whether a sharing link to each content item exists, and if so, the content pointer of the old content entry is modified to forward or redirect to the new content entry. An active flag associated with the old content entry can be set to false or 0 to indicate that the old content entry is no longer active.
US09002809B2
A computer system for generating a data repository comprising engineering, service, and lifecycle rules related to domain specific objects used by engineering, service and lifecycle software tools, may include for each engineering, service, and lifecycle software tool a software plugin adapted to generate rules arising while interacting with the respective engineering, service, and lifecycle tool, and to store the generated rules in said data repository of said computer system.
US09002792B2
A method for confirming replicated data at a data site, including utilizing a hash function, computing a first hash value based on first data at a first data site and utilizing the same hash function, computing a second hash value based on second data at a second data site, wherein the first data had previously been replicated from the first data site to the second data site as the second data. The method also includes comparing the first and second hash values to determine whether the second data is a valid replication of the first data. In additional embodiments, the first data may be modified based on seed data prior to computing the first hash value and the second data may be modified based on the same seed data prior to computing the second hash value. The process can be repeated to increase reliability of the results.
US09002785B2
Stubbing systems and methods are provided for intelligent data management in a replication environment, such as by reducing the space occupied by replication data on a destination system. In certain examples, stub files or like objects replace migrated, de-duplicated or otherwise copied data that has been moved from the destination system to secondary storage. Access is further provided to the replication data in a manner that is transparent to the user and/or without substantially impacting the base replication process. In order to distinguish stub files representing migrated replication data from replicated stub files, priority tags or like identifiers can be used. Thus, when accessing a stub file on the destination system, such as to modify replication data or perform a restore process, the tagged stub files can be used to recall archived data prior to performing the requested operation so that an accurate copy of the source data is generated.
US09002783B2
A Web site, through the use of a Rules Engine, determines an expertise level of a User for one or more topics on a Web page. The Rules Engine may analyze User related data, such as the search term used by the User to find the Web site, the past products purchased by the User, the path through the Web site taken by the User, the usage history by the User on the Web site, the demographics of the User and/or the self declared expertise level of the User, to determine an expertise level of the User for the topics on the Web page. A Display Engine may customize a Web page based on the expertise levels of a User so that topics on the Web page are presented in a manner most appropriate for the User. An Email Engine may be used to customize emails to the User so that topics in the email are presented in manner most appropriate for the User. A Support Entity Engine may also be used to route an incoming support inquiries from a User to an appropriate technical support person for the User.
US09002774B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating a forecasting model based on a set of measured values. Consistent with certain embodiments, the forecasting model may include a seasonal function and a trend function. Further, consistent with other embodiments, the computer-implemented systems and methods may include computing the forecasting model by minimizing an error function representing the error between the forecasting model and the measured values. In addition, consistent with yet other embodiments, the computer-implemented systems and methods may include a process for outlier detection and removal based on a computation of residuals. Still further, consistent with some embodiments, systems and methods may be provided to filter the seasonality and/or the trend components to eliminate sudden variations in the model predictions resulting from sudden, large variations in the measurement values.
US09002772B2
A system, method and computer program product for scalable, rule-based processing, including an automaton builder for constructing automatons corresponding to trigger rules and word lists that are employed by the trigger rules, and a rule evaluator for evaluating any of the trigger rules with respect to an input document by selecting any of the automatons to evaluate a given one of the trigger rules, parsing the input document using the selected automatons, determining whether conditions of the given trigger rule are met, and identifying any actions that are associated with the given trigger rule.
US09002769B2
A method and system for supporting a clinical diagnosis is provided, the method including the steps of representing a patient by a plurality of initial symptoms, the symptoms including characteristics of the patient; determining, by querying and reasoning in a disease-symptom knowledge model, at least one likely disease for each of the plurality of initial symptoms; mapping the plurality of initial symptoms onto a set of said likely diseases; determining for each disease of said set of likely diseases a plurality of associated symptoms, the associated symptoms being associated to a respective disease of said set of likely diseases in said disease-symptom knowledge model; categorizing each of the plurality of associated symptoms into disjoint categories by mapping associated symptoms with initial symptoms; and representing likely diseases in the context of said categories of associated symptoms.
US09002763B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and program product for predicting the classification of a work-item notification generated by an issue tracking system. A computing device analyzes a new work-item notification using a trained binary classifier that was trained using at least a past and/or current work-item history that was collected as a tuple that includes information reflecting the workitem-ID, actor, timestamp, attribute, work-item start-value, and work-item end-value. The computing device, in response to analyzing the new work-item notification, predicts a classification of the new work-item notification. In an embodiment, the classification is used for display of the new work-item notification.
US09002757B2
A parameter setting apparatus for a control parameter for a wireless communication network including a processor, wherein optimizations for optimizing the control parameter are separated into groups which are unrelated to each other, and the processor executes: a first agent program which are assigned to a group-by-group selects an optimization to be activated according to a first value function; and a second agent program which learns a second value function for determining whether an optimization that affects the first value function is to be activated or not and determines whether the optimization is to be activated or not according to the second value function, and, the activation of the optimization by the first agent program is stopped when the second agent program activates the optimization.
US09002756B2
A method of classifying a sample of values related to the use of a server, including: recording, by the server, use events in a log; configuring a classifier tool with a behavioral model formed of a weighted list of parameters, establishing a sample of values from the log, and supplying it to a classifier tool, which calculates a score representative of the adequacy of the sample to a target category, reading recent use events saved in the log and aggregating them over basic time intervals, storing the aggregation result obtained for each basic interval in a distinct record of a first group; aggregating, when the number of records of the first group reaches a threshold, the contents of the records of the first group in a distinct record of a second group, and establishing the sample from the contents of records of the database.
US09002754B2
A method, apparatus, and system of a campaign in a geo-spatial environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes populating each profile of a geo-spatial social network with an address data, forming a group in support of a campaign in the geo-spatial network when a particular user creates the group in support of the campaign and automatically communicating media to a physical location of a member of the group based on the address data associated with each profile of the geo-spatial network. The method may also include automatically creating the group based on a public data associated with each profile of the geo-spatial social network even prior to certain users associated with each profile registering geo-spatial social network by applying the public data to the each profile.
US09002747B2
A device is enabled to display Internet TV by accessing a management server with a secret unique ID and receiving back from the server, assuming the ID is approved, a user token and a service list of content servers with knowledge of the user token. A user can select a content server which causes the device to upload its user token and in response receive a content list from the content server, from which content can be selected for display. Neither list may be modified by the device and the device can access only content on a content list. The service list may be tailored for the geographic location of the device.
US09002745B2
Novel wager gaming systems, machines, and methods for ensuring that wager game code on a game disc executes on an authorized wager gaming machine are described. To prevent an unauthorized copy of a wager game disc or other storage medium is not able to execute on a gaming machine, the machine checks whether an authorization code has been previously written to the disc. If the disc does not have a code, the gaming machine generates a first segment of an authorization code which is used, along with other data, by a game provider to generate a final authorization code. This is done after the game provider verifies that the machine operator has permission, such as a license, to execute that game code contained on that specific disc. The final authorization code is transmitted to the gaming machine, equipped with a writeable optical disc drive, where it is written or “burned” onto the game disc. At this stage the game disc is tied to or associated with the gaming machine and can execute on that machine.
US09002741B2
A system includes a data collection module that collects data for a plurality of fuels. A selection module selects fuels from the plurality of fuels based on the properties of the fuels to generate sets of fuels. A benchmark generating module that generates fuel commodity benchmarks indicating aggregate qualities of the sets of fuels. A fuel commodity benchmark for a set of fuels is generated based on weighted averages of the properties of the fuels in the set of fuels. A communication module communicates the fuel commodity benchmarks to traders and that receives orders for derivatives contracts from the traders based on the fuel commodity benchmarks. An order processing module processes an order for derivatives contracts based on differences between actual properties of the fuel to be physically delivered under the terms of an operative derivatives contract and the aggregate qualities indicated by an operative fuel commodity benchmark.
US09002737B2
Systems and methods for distributing and activating gift cards and advertising so as to provide a gift card mall in the home of a gift giver are described. The system can include a unitary single-sheet form, a package envelope, an activation system, a delivery system, and a redemption system. The system can also include a publication. A plurality of the forms can be inserted into the package envelope for delivery to the gift giver. The gift giver can select one or more of the gift cards for activation and delivery to a gift recipient. The gift recipient can then redeem the activated gift received from the gift giver for a redemption item sold or provided by a retailer, service provider, or manufacturer. The redemption item can be a good, service, or money. The redemption item can be purchased at an online shopping mall, by telephone, or in a retail store.
US09002734B2
A method and system for procuring and servicing telecommunications offerings, including a customer browser loaded on a customer client computer, a back office browser loaded on a back office client computer, and a server program loaded on a server computer. The customer browser is configured to submit a procurement inquiry, the procurement inquiry specifying a selected telecommunications offering from among voice, Internet and mobile telecommunications offerings. The back office browser is configured to submit a service inquiry, the service inquiry specifying a search criteria with respect to an order for a telecommunications offering, a customer agent assigned for servicing a telecommunications offering order, and a move, change or disconnection (MCD) of a telecommunications offering order. The server program is configured to receive the procurement and service inquiries, generate procurement data pertaining the to the selected telecommunications offering and service data pertaining to the search criteria, and transmit the procurement and service data.
US09002719B2
Disclosed systems and methods automatically assess claims. A device may receive one or more images of a claimed object, such as a building or vehicle, compare the images to reference images and generate an estimate of financial damages to the object. The device may then generate a claim assessment based on previous comparisons and generated estimates. The claim assessment may be sent directly to a client or to an agent for review and/or processing.
US09002710B2
The invention involves the loading and unloading of dynamic section grammars and language models in a speech recognition system. The values of the sections of the structured document are either determined in advance from a collection of documents of the same domain, document type, and speaker; or collected incrementally from documents of the same domain, document type, and speaker; or added incrementally to an already existing set of values. Speech recognition in the context of the given field is constrained to the contents of these dynamic values. If speech recognition fails or produces a poor match within this grammar or section language model, speech recognition against a larger, more general vocabulary that is not constrained to the given section is performed.
US09002700B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for methods and systems of grammar checking comprising a grammar checking facility and a plurality of human proofreaders in a crowd-source population for the detection and correction of grammatical errors in text as received from a computing device with input restrictions including reduced size keyboard and display.
US09002689B2
A particle size distribution creating method includes a particle size range determining step, an integrating step of integrating the frequency of appearance of particles within the particle size range determined in the particle size range determining step, a division point determining step of determining particle sizes that provide division points, using the integral of the frequency of appearance obtained in the integrating step, and a typical point determining step of determining the minimum particle size, maximum particle size and the particle sizes of the division points as typical points. This method is characterized by assuming a particle size distribution which contains particles having the particle sizes of the respective typical points and is plotted such that the frequency of appearance of the particles having the particle size of each of the typical points is equal to the integral over each of the regions defined by the typical points, and obtaining the assumed particle size distribution as a particle size distribution model.
US09002679B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for tracking one or more items. In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a device for tracking one or more items. The device may include a plurality of sensors for detecting light, temperature, humidity, pressure, and acceleration. The device may also include a memory for storing information received from the plurality of sensors.
US09002676B2
A gravity direction calculating apparatus for calculating a direction of gravity with respect to an input device, including: an obtaining logic unit for successively obtaining acceleration data output from a multi-axis acceleration sensor included in the input device; a period detecting logic unit for detecting a period from start to end of movement of the input device, as a movement period, based on the obtained acceleration data; and a gravity direction calculating logic unit for calculating a sum of one or more acceleration vectors corresponding to one or more pieces of acceleration data obtained during the movement period, a direction determined by a vector indicated by the sum being the gravity direction, wherein the acceleration vector is a vector whose components are acceleration values with respect to a plurality of axes of acceleration values with respect to axes indicated by the acceleration data.
US09002674B2
A temperature measurement apparatus for measuring a temperature profile of a substrate mounted on a rotating table, including a radiation temperature measurement unit configured to measure the temperature of plural temperature measurement areas on a surface of the rotating table in a radius direction of the rotating table by scanning the surface of the rotating table in the radius direction; a temperature map generating unit that specifies the address of the temperature measurement area based on the number of the temperature measurement areas measured by the radiation temperature measurement unit for each of the scanning operations in the radius direction of the rotating table, and the rotating speed of the rotating table, and stores the temperature in correspondence with the corresponding address in a storing unit; and a temperature data display processing unit that displays a temperature profile of the rotating table.
US09002673B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to simultaneously, wirelessly test semiconductor components formed on a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor components transmit respective outcomes of a self-contained testing operation to wireless automatic test equipment via a common communication channel. Multiple receiving antennas observe the outcomes from multiple directions in three dimensional space. The wireless automatic test equipment determines whether one or more of the semiconductor components operate as expected and, optionally, may use properties of the three dimensional space to determine a location of one or more of the semiconductor components. The wireless testing equipment may additionally determine performance of the semiconductor components by detecting infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and/or reflected by the semiconductor wafer before, during, and/or after a self-contained testing operation.
US09002671B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for managing testing unit latency and measurement uncertainty in computer-based stimulus-response tests. An estimated latency LE and an associated measurement uncertainty are determined as characteristics of a particular testing unit. LE is used as offset for all measurements taken on the testing unit, and results treated subject to the characteristic measurement uncertainty when determining test-taker performance. Estimated actual response times RTE are processed subject to a confidence value determined from the uncertainty. Uncertainty propagation determines test metrics involving a plurality of estimated actual response times RTE, where cumulative uncertainty is reported as a confidence rating in the metric. Overall test results (e.g., pass vs. fail) based on one or more metrics are also reported according to a confidence rating associated with the cumulative uncertainty propagated through the relevant metrics. Various calibration techniques are disclosed for determining the latency estimate LE and associated uncertainty values.
US09002668B2
A method, system, and computer usable program product for discovering an equipment power connection relationship between an equipment and an electrical power outlet. A workload executing on the equipment is monitored for a period resulting in monitoring data. The Metering data associated with a first power outlet in a plurality of power outlets is searched, the metering data representing electrical power drawn from a power outlet over the period. A determination is made whether the monitoring data matches with the metering data associated with the first power outlet. If a match is determined, a relationship is identified between the equipment and the first power outlet, whereby the first power outlet is known to supply electrical power to the equipment.
US09002667B2
A power meter comprises at least two measurement paths and distribution device. A first measurement path contains at least one pre-amplifier and a first detector. A second measurement path contains at least one direct connection and a second detector. An additional third path alternative to or optional to the second path contains at least one attenuation element and a second or respectively third detector. The distribution device distributes a test signal to the measurement paths.
US09002666B2
A defective-portion detector has a detecting portion which detects a variation in fuel pressure as a fuel pressure waveform based on a detection value of a fuel pressure sensor and a computing portion which computes, based on the fuel pressure waveform, a plurality of injection-rate parameters required for identifying an injection-rate waveform corresponding to the fuel pressure waveform. Further, the detector has a determining portion which determines whether each learning value of the injection-rate parameters is an abnormal value and an identifying portion which identifies a defective portion in the fuel injection system based on a combination of abnormal learning values which the determining portion has determined.
US09002664B2
A flow counter capable of correctly checking an operating state of the flow counter and leakage and correctly indicating a total amount of flow by allowing the rotation of a pointer to be learned accurately in the form of numerical data. In this flow counter (1), rotation of a flow detection driving gear (5) is transmitted to a flow indication section (4) composed of a plurality of digit wheels (4a1 to 4a8) by a main gear train section (2). The rotation of the flow detection driving gear (5) is also transmitted to a first pointer (6) by a branch gear section (3) branched from the main gear train section (2). The first pointer (6) indicates the operating state of the flow detection driving gear (5). The flow indication section (4) indicates a total amount of flow. A rotation detection member, which is a component of a rotation sensor, is integrally rotatably mounted on a rotating shaft of the first pointer (6). An amount of rotation of the rotating shaft is electrically detected by a rotation sensor.
US09002663B2
An electronic sensor employs a strain gauge controlled by a microprocessor on a circuit board. The processor operates software to measure electric impulses from the strain gauge and to convert them into digitally recognizable numbers. Software provides for calibration of the electronic sensor specific fishing rods. The software also controls an LCD read-out device to allow the user to preset a known drag resistance force in suitable units of measure on the fishing reel and to continually read out the amount of force pressure on the fishing line after hook-up so that a user can apply maximum pressure on a fish while fighting the fish without breaking the fishing line.
US09002661B2
Methods and systems are provided for monitoring a structural health of an object. A state of fluorescence of at least one particle associated with the object is identified, and a structural health parameter associated with the object is determined based on the identified state of fluorescence of the at least one particle.
US09002658B2
A computer system (2) is provided which is arranged to receive network data (1) identifying nodes and links between nodes. The computer system (2) processes the input network data (1) to utilise the network topology to identify nodes and links having high importance for network integrity. A report (4) identify the critical components can then be output.
US09002654B2
The present invention relates to methods of measuring biomarkers to determine the probability of a periodontal and/or peri-implant disease. More specifically, the invention provides a panel of biomarkers that, when used in combination, can allow determination of the probability of a periodontal and/or peri-implant disease state with extremely high accuracy.
US09002651B2
A system, method and computer program product for seismic imaging implements a seismic imaging algorithm utilizing Reverse Time Migration technique requiring large communication bandwidth and low latency to convert a parallel problem into one solved using massive domain partitioning. Several aspects of the imaging problem, including very regular and local communication patterns, balanced compute and communication requirements, scratch data handling and multiple-pass approaches. The partitioning of the velocity model into processing blocks allows each sub-problem to fit in a local cache, increasing locality and bandwidth and reducing latency.
US09002645B2
Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for defining travel paths in parking areas. In one embodiment, travel paths in parking areas can be defined by connecting street networking connection points within the parking areas. In another embodiment, such defined travel paths can be merged with actual paths traveled by vehicles in the parking areas.
US09002644B2
In methods and devices for providing a guaranteed quality of service to a subscriber of a service in a cellular radio system, a start position and an end position are received along with a required quality of service, QoS. Cell site positions are associated with possible user geographical/street paths that will take the subscriber from the start position to the end position and search for paths that will guarantee the required QoS. Based on the search the path that best satisfies the entered input criteria is selected and output to the subscriber.
US09002636B2
A computing system is described that can provide a user with alerts based on traffic information related to the user's expected travel route. In some embodiments, a user can be alerted if a traffic delay exists on the user's expected travel route. In other embodiments, a user can be alerted when their usual bus or train is delayed. In further embodiments, a user can be alerted when traffic on an expected route to the user's next event location might impact the user's ability to arrive at that location on time.
US09002623B2
A system for a vehicle includes a mode control module and a valve control module. The mode control module selectively sets a desired ignition mode for an engine to one of a spark ignition (SI) mode and a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode. Using a fully flexible valve actuator, the valve actuator module selectively adjusts closing timing of an exhaust valve in response to: the desired ignition mode transitioning from the HCCI mode to the SI mode; and the desired ignition mode transitioning from the SI mode to the HCCI mode.
US09002622B2
A device for controlling fuel injection in an internal combustion engine of an automobile, the internal combustion engine being connected at an inlet thereof to a fresh air intake pipe and at an outlet thereof to an exhaust gas discharge pipe including a catalytic converter, an exhaust gas partial recirculation circuit connecting the discharge pipe to the fresh air intake pipe. The device includes a mechanism determining the amount of unburned fuel in the exhaust gases, a mechanism determining the amount of fresh air taken into the internal combustion engine, and an electronic controller determining the amount of fuel to be injected depending on signals received of the determined amount of unburned fuel and the determined amount of fresh air taken in.
US09002620B2
An apparatus is provided for controlling an intake valve of a vehicular internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes a variable valve operating mechanism configured to vary a valve lift and a valve phase angle of the intake valve, and a controller. The controller calculates a desired first target value at a current engine operating condition, a reacceleration estimated value based on an engine rotational speed and estimated operating load upon reacceleration, and a second target value at which engine torque is equivalent to engine torque at the first target value. The controller sets the first target value as a control target value, and then switches the control target value to the second target value when a minimum clearance between the intake valve and a piston is determined to become less than a permissible value during variation of the intake valve from the first target value toward the reacceleration estimated value.
US09002605B2
Slipping of a clutch can be minimized with a method of controlling the clutch different, depending on the current traveling status of the vehicle, when reaccelerating the vehicle with both clutches open before stopping the vehicle with a dual clutch transmission (DCT). The method can improve the sense of shifting by optimizing the inclination of an engine speed.
US09002600B2
An example method of operation comprises, selectively shutting down engine operation responsive to operating conditions and without receiving an engine shutdown request from the operator, maintaining the automatic transmission in gear during the shutdown, and during an engine restart from the shutdown condition, and with the transmission in gear, transmitting reduced torque to the transmission. For example, slippage of a forward clutch of the transmission may be used to enable the transmission to remain in gear, yet reduce torque transmitted to the vehicle wheels.
US09002597B2
A system for controlling gear changes in a vehicle. The system may include at least one primary paddle shifter coupled to the steering wheel and/or the steering column. The system also includes at least one auxiliary paddle shifter coupled to the steering wheel, the steering column and/or the at least one primary paddle shifter. The primary paddle shifter may engage a primary function, such as one sequential gear shift up or down and the auxiliary paddle shifter may engage a secondary function, such as an optimal gear shift up or down.
US09002595B2
A method regulates the torque output and/or speed output of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in a manner that may simulate a clutch. The CVT may be incorporated in a machine and maybe operatively coupled to a power source and to a propulsion device. The method utilizes an unaltered torque-to-speed curve that relates the torque output to the speed output of the CVT. The method may receive an operator input signal indicating a desire to change operation of the machine. The torque-to-speed curve may be shifted in response to the operator input signal to limit the torque output available. In an aspect, an under-run curve may be applied to the torque-to-speed curve, the under-run curve corresponding to a target speed. The operator input signal may also shift the under-run curve to reduce the target speed.
US09002591B2
A control system and method is provided for controlling the operational configuration of a spout of a harvester being used to perform unload on the go operations with an associated transport vehicle. The velocities of the harvester and transport vehicle and the lateral and longitudinal distances between the harvester and transport vehicle are used to predict future lateral and longitudinal distances between the harvester and transport vehicle. A control signal is issued to a harvester spout control system if either of the predicted lateral distance or longitudinal distance is outside of an associated acceptable range. The harvester spout control system then either shuts off the spout or changes the orientation of the spout in response to the control signal.
US09002590B2
A first target engine speed N1 and a high-speed control area F1 are set according to a command value commanded by a command unit. A second target engine speed N2 and a high-speed control area F2 defined on a low-speed side are set according to the first target engine speed N1. A pump displacement D and an engine torque T of a variable displacement hydraulic pump are detected so that a target engine speed N corresponding to each of the detected pump displacement and engine torque is detected according to a preset relationship between a the pump displacement D and the target engine speed N and a preset relationship between the engine torque T and the target engine speed N during an engine control at the high-speed control area F2. The drive of the engine is controlled so that the engine is driven at the target engine speed N.
US09002581B2
A materials handling vehicle automatically implements steer maneuvers when objects enter one or more zones proximate the vehicle, wherein the zones are monitored by a controller associated with the vehicle. The controller tracks objects in the zones via sensor data obtained from at least one obstacle sensor located on the vehicle and via dead reckoning. The objects are tracked by the controller until they are no longer in an environment proximate the vehicle. Different zones result in different steer maneuvers being implemented by the controller.
US09002578B2
A vehicle control system configured to judge a vehicle behavior or a driving preference of a driver based on acceleration of the vehicle including at least longitudinal acceleration. An acceleration value used in the judgment is obtained on the basis of a weighted detection value of the actual longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, and a weighted parameter which is varied by an operation to increase a driving force of the vehicle executed by the driver. A weight on the parameter is reduced in case a weight on the detection value of the longitudinal acceleration is increased, and the weight on the parameter is increased in case the weight on the detection value of the longitudinal acceleration is reduced.
US09002577B2
A turn signal cancelling device for a motorcycle includes turn signal cancellation control unit configured to automatically deactivate a second turn signal after a second predetermined time has passed or after the motorcycle has travelled a second predetermined distance since an activation the second turn signal. The turn signal cancellation control unit is configured to automatically deactivate the second turn signal in a case where the activation of the second turn signal is performed before a first predetermined time has passed or before the motorcycle has travelled a first predetermined distance since an activation of a first turn signal is performed when a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed.
US09002565B2
A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and gyroscope control system for vehicle steering control comprising a GNSS receiver and antennas at a fixed spacing to determine a vehicle position, velocity and at least one of a heading angle, a pitch angle and a roll angle based on carrier phase position differences. The system also includes a control system configured to receive the vehicle position, heading, and at least one of roll and pitch, and configured to generate a steering command to a vehicle steering system. A vehicle control method includes the steps of computing a position and a heading for the vehicle using GNSS positioning and a rate gyro for determining vehicle attitude, which is used for generating a steering command. Relative orientations and attitudes between tractors and implements can be determined using optical sensors and cameras. Laser detectors and rangefinders can also be used.
US09002561B2
A hybrid vehicle, a drive control apparatus, and a drive control method to prevent overcharging a battery, and providing an output drive force depending on a driver's request. The drive control apparatus for hybrid vehicles outputs generated power at an internal combustion engine and a motor generator through a power transmission mechanism to drive axles, and includes an output shaft fixing mechanism which fixes an internal combustion engine output shaft to disable rotation. A request drive force setter sets a request drive force depending on a driver's request. A controller executes a control based on a detected battery stored energy level to operate irrespective of a magnitude of the request drive force to stop the internal combustion engine, uses the shaft fixing mechanism to fix the output shaft, and provides travel using generated power from the motor generator.
US09002558B2
After turning a main relay to a full off-state and turning a charger relay to a full off-state or a half off-state only one of a positive-side switch and a negative-side switch is turned of voltage application processing is performed to control a bidirectional DC-DC converter to apply an output voltage of an accessory battery to a power cable after boosting. After the voltage application processing, check processing is performed to check whether a short-circuit is present in the charger relay by comparing a terminal voltage of a first capacitor and a terminal voltage of a second capacitor. After the check processing, discharge processing is performed to control the DC-DC converter to discharge at least the first capacitor.
US09002554B2
Provided is a remote vehicle diagnostic system which utilizes a smart phone as a centralized communication hub between a vehicle and several remote resources. The system includes a program downloadable onto the smart phone to program the phone to perform desired functionality. The smart phone app may allow the smart phone to operate in a diagnostic mode and an emergency mode. In the diagnostic mode, the smart phone may relay vehicle data from the vehicle to a remote diagnostic center. The smart phone may also query the user to obtain symptomatic diagnostic information, which may be uploaded to the remote diagnostic center. In the emergency mode, the smart phone may be configured to upload critical information to a remote diagnostic center, or an emergency response center. The emergency mode may be triggered automatically in response to the vehicle being in an accident, or by user actuation.
US09002549B2
In a multimedia information and control system for use in an automobile, at least one interface is employed which enables a user to access information concerning the automobile and control vehicle functions in an efficient manner. The user may select one of a plurality of displayed options on a screen of such an interface. Through audio, video and/or text media, the user is provided with information concerning the selected option and the vehicle function corresponding thereto. Having been so informed, the user may activate the selected option to control the corresponding vehicle function.
US09002546B2
A vehicle management system for automatic vehicles running on a guideway independent of wayside signals or interlocking devices includes intelligent on-board controllers on each vehicle for controlling operation of the vehicle. The on-board controllers communicate with each other as well as individual wayside devices and a data storage system to identify available assets needed to move along the guideway and to reserve these assets for their associated vehicle.
US09002541B2
Methods, devices, and computer readable media are disclosed for automatic management of configuration and reconfiguration procedures of a plurality of systems of an aircraft, for example and without limitation, for aircraft operational and maintenance uses. In some aspects, a centralized device for automatic management of configuration and reconfiguration procedures of a plurality of systems of an aircraft includes a central unit for automatically generation control commands for automatic control of at least one action to be executed for one or both of the configuration or reconfiguration procedure, data links for automatic dispatch of control commands to corresponding systems for automatic execution.
US09002533B2
A message generation module generates a message that is to be transmitted to a serial data bus of the vehicle once per first predetermined period. A queue manager module resets a timer value when the message is added to a transmit queue and selectively adds the message to the transmit queue when: a number of messages in the transmit queue is less than a first predetermined value; the timer value is greater than the first predetermined period; and one of (i) the first predetermined period is less than a second predetermined period and (ii) the first predetermined period is greater than the second predetermined period and the number of messages in the transmit queue is less than a second predetermined value. The second predetermined value is less than the first predetermined value. A communication control module selectively transmits messages from the transmit queue to the serial data bus.
US09002531B2
Devices, methods, and systems for predictive peak load management via integrated load management comprising the steps of: determining a target peak load based on a capacity of an energy storage device and a value of a load management capacity of a set of one or more manageable load assets, determining for each period of a defined time period, an expected peak load based on the determined target peak load, engaging the energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is engaged based on an energy supply level of the energy storage device and the expected peak load, and performing load management on the set of one or more manageable load assets based on the engaged energy storage device and the determined target peak load.
US09002530B2
A power plant control system determines an augmented operating parameter set point responsive to a life cycle cost (LCC) objective function responsive to a LCC model. The augmented operating parameter value may be responsive to an initial set point determined by a controls model and a performance indicator determined by a performance model. The power plant may include a thermal generator, such as a gas turbine or other fuel-burning generator, and the operating parameter may include firing temperature, fuel flow rate, steam pressure/temperature/flow rate, and/or another suitable operating parameter. An offer curve is generated responsive to the augmented operating parameter.
US09002529B2
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for power control. An apparatus for power control in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can include: a voltage comparing part configured to compute an error voltage by using a measured voltage measured at the generator and a reference voltage that is designated; a control module configured to compute a first reactive power value for power control of the generator by being inputted with the error voltage; and a driving module configured to compute a reference reactive power value by using the first reactive power value and a second reactive power value computed using an active power value of the power converter and configured to control the power converter in correspondence with the computed reference reactive power value.
US09002528B1
A method and system detects and resolves impending failures in a sump pump. The method and system may measure the current water level in a sump basin, which houses the sump pump. The current water level may be determined by a water level sensor placed slightly above the high water level mark in the sump basin. If the current water level is above the high water level mark, the method and system may activate a mechanical shaker that produces vibrations to physically shake the sump pump. If the current water level is below the high water level mark, the method and system may analyze a motor of the sump pump to determine if the run time of the motor exceeds a certain length of time. When the run time is determined to exceed the certain length of time, the method and system may send an alarm to notify a user.
US09002525B2
Apparatus, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for providing software updates to client devices. A client device (such as a thermostat) executes software to perform one or more functionalities of the device. Upon receiving an indicating that a software update is available, the device waits to download the software update until pre-download conditions are satisfied. Once the software update is downloaded, the device then waits to install the software update until pre-install conditions are satisfied. If the software update is non-critical and received during an initial installation of the device, the software update may not be installed until after installation of the device is complete. If the device is a thermostat, the device may delay installation of the software update until a controlled HVAC system in inactive. Control of the HVAC system may be disabled during installation of the software update.
US09002522B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems of building control, are disclosed. One system includes a plurality of building fixtures and at least one sensor interfaced with at least one of the plurality of building fixtures. Further, each building fixture includes a communication port and a controller. For this embodiment, each controller is configured to independently control at least one of an environmental load or a security device, either receive or help designate the building fixture as belonging to a logical group of building fixtures, and share at least one of sensor or state information with other building fixtures within the logical group of building fixtures, through the communication port.
US09002512B2
Disclosed are a robot, which generates a stable walking pattern similar to that of a human, and a method of controlling walking thereof. The method includes generating a walking pattern of a leg connected to a torso of the robot; detecting whether or not a singularity pose of the leg walking according to the walking pattern is generated; and changing the walking pattern by adjusting a yaw direction angle of the torso when the singularity pose is generated.
US09002511B1
An obstacle detector for a mobile robot while the robot is in motion is disclosed. The detector preferably includes at least one light source configured to project pulsed light in the path of the robot; a visual sensor for capturing a plurality of images of light reflected from the path of the robot; a processing unit configured to extract the reflections from the images; and an obstacle detection unit configured to detect an obstacle in the path of the robot based on the extracted reflections. In the preferred embodiment, the reflections of the projected light are extracted by subtracting pairs of images in which each pair includes a first image captured with the at least one light source on and a second image captured with the at least one light source off, and then combining images of two or more extracted reflections to suppress the background.
US09002509B2
An apparatus for writing data to and dispensing one or more of solid-state devices is enclosed. A preferred device herein comprises a write port engageable with a solid-state storage device within a chamber via a hopper. The chamber is further provided for holding the solid-state storage device as the solid-state storage device engages with the write port. Additionally a transfer assembly is provided for moving the solid-state storage device from the chamber to dispense the solid-state storage device.
US09002496B2
Disclosed herein is a device adapted to make a solid object. The device has a surface rotatable around an axis of rotation, and an applicator adapted to apply over at least one portion of the surface a material used to make the solid object. The applicator and the surface are displaceable relative to each other in a direction transverse to the axis. Disclosed herein are also methods of determining instructions for the device.
US09002492B2
Described herein are methods, apparatuses, and systems for determining adaptive predictive algorithms for virtual metrology. In some embodiments, a computer implemented method identifies a plurality of predictive algorithms. The method determines when to use one or more of the plurality of predictive algorithms to predict one or more virtual metrology variables in a manufacturing facility.
US09002490B2
Methods for implementing shared experiences using mobile computing devices comprise capturing audio waves associated with a media using a built-in microphone of a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device including a processor, a memory, a display screen, a built-in battery to power the mobile computing device, and a built-in communication module to enable wireless communication. A signature is generated from the audio waves captured by the microphone. Based on the signature being recognized as a known signature, the signature and positioning information are transmitted to an audio server using the wireless communication. The positioning information identifies a specific moment in the media that a user of the mobile computing device is listening, the audio server and the mobile computing device connected to a network. Activity information is received from the audio server. The activity information is related to the media and associated with a third party server connected to the network. The user of the mobile computing device is enabled to use the activity information to interact with the third party server.
US09002489B2
A signal processing apparatus includes an absolute value unit configured to convert an audio signal into absolute values, a representative value calculation unit configured to calculate representative values of consecutive sample values included in blocks of the audio signal which has been converted into the absolute values using at least maximum sample values among values of the samples included in the blocks for individual blocks, an average value calculation unit configured to determine a section which includes a predetermined number of consecutive blocks as a frame and calculate a maximum value of the representative values of the blocks included in the frame and an average value of the representative values of the blocks included in the frame, and a detector configured to detect click noise in the frame on the basis of a ratio of the maximum value to the average value.
US09002487B2
Disclosed are a system and a method for transceiving data in an audio frequency band. The system includes a data input unit to input data for acoustic communication into an audio signal, a transmitting unit to transmit the audio signal including the data in the audio frequency band, and a receiving unit that receives the audio signal including the data and performs synchronization of the audio signal through a matched filtering using a matched filter in order to extract the data according to predetermined extraction processing. The data to be transmitted are added to an audio signal and the audio signal is transmitted in the audio frequency band, so that the data for the acoustic communication are effectively transmitted to the recipient in the audio frequency band.
US09002486B1
An audio recorder may be configured to automatically send a copy of recorded audio to one or more destinations, such as, one or more default destinations associated with the audio recorder. The audio recorder may be configured to use a wireless connection to send the copy of the recorded audio. For instance, the audio recorder may form part of a wireless communication device that may be configured to send the copy of the recorded audio via one or more wireless connections and/or wireless networks to suitable destinations.
US09002484B2
A system and method is described generally for producing surface deformations on a surface of a body. The system and method relate to a first surface being a surface of the body exposed to the fluid flow and at least one actuator affecting deformation of the first surface. A control system providing control commands to the at least one actuator is provided and a sensor providing environmental characteristic information to the control system is also provided.
US09002482B2
A cleaning robot (1) is provided with: a main body housing (2) that moves along a floor in a self-propelled manner with a suction port (6) and an exhaust port (7) open; a motor fan (22) positioned inside the main body housing (2); a dust collection part (30) driven by the motor fan (22) so as to collect airflow dust that has been suctioned from the suction port (6); an infrared remote controller (60) that specifies an arbitrarily-defined location in space for setting up the main body housing (2) by emitting infrared rays; and an infrared sensor (18) that detects the specified location specified by the infrared remote controller (60). The cleaning robot moves to the specified location detected by the infrared sensor (18) and then carries out a cleaning operation, or carries out a cleaning operation while moving to the specified location.
US09002481B2
A building controller is configured to designate one or more stored parameters as local or global. Parameters that are designated as global may be selectively communicated to remote devices and, parameters that are designated as local, may remain local to the building controller. In some instances, the remote devices may be selectable by a user, include all the other devices on the network, and/or include devices that share a common wireless accessory (e.g. an outdoor temperature sensor).
US09002477B2
In certain variations, systems and/or methods for electromagnetic induction therapy are provided. One or more ergonomic or body contoured applicators may be included. The applicators include one or more conductive coils configured to generate an electromagnetic or magnetic field focused on a target nerve, muscle or other body tissues positioned in proximity to the coil. One or more sensors may be utilized to detect stimulation and to provide feedback about the efficacy of the applied electromagnetic induction therapy. A controller may be adjustable to vary a current through a coil to adjust the magnetic field focused upon the target nerve, muscle or other body tissues based on the feedback provide by a sensor or by a patient. In certain systems or methods, pulsed magnetic fields may be intermittently applied to a target nerve, muscle or tissue without causing habituation.
US09002474B2
Implantable medical leads and implantable lead extensions include a shield. The implantable medical lead is coupled to the implantable lead extension. Stimulation electrodes of the implantable medical lead contact stimulation connectors within a housing of the implantable extension to establish a conductive pathway for stimulation signals from filars of the implantable extension to filars of the implantable medical lead. Continuity is established between the shield of the implantable medical lead and the implantable extension by providing a radio frequency conductive pathway within the housing. The radio frequency conductive pathway extends from a shield of the implantable extension to a shield connector that contacts a shield electrode of the implantable medical lead. The radio frequency conductive pathway may have various forms such as a jumper wire or an extension of the shield within the implantable extension.
US09002470B2
The present invention provides an implantable medical device having at least two electrodes coupled to the device housing. The electrodes may be configured for sensing physiological signals such as cardiac signals and alternatively for providing an electrical stimulation therapy such as a pacing or defibrillation therapy. In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the device housing provides a hermetic enclosure that includes a first housing section that is hermetically coupled to a second housing section. At least one of the at least two electrodes is coupled to an exterior surface of the first housing section that encloses the battery components of the device. The first housing section is electrically insulated from the cathode and anode of the battery.
US09002463B2
The present invention relates to a microelectronics element, such as an optical receiver element, for a medical implant device to be implanted in the human or animal body, particularly for a retinal implant device. The microelectronics element comprises a functional unit including application specific microelectronics, such as a photodiode, for performing a function in the medical implant device, and rectifier means adapted for converting an AC supply voltage into a DC voltage. The DC voltage provided by the rectifier means, or an operating voltage derived from the DC voltage, is configured to be supplied to the functional unit. Further, the functional unit and the rectifier means are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate and configured such that the rectifier means isolates the microelectronics element from application of an external DC supply voltage. The invention also relates to a medical implant device, such as a retinal implant, which incorporates such a microelectronics element.
US09002457B2
An implantable medical device is powered by a battery to deliver one or more therapies including at least one non-life-sustaining therapy such as neural stimulation for enhancing quality of life of a patient. When the battery approaches its end of life, the implantable medical device reduces power consumption of the neural stimulation (e.g., intensity of the neural stimulation) for extending the remaining battery life while maintaining a certain amount of therapeutic benefits for the patient. In one embodiment, the intensity of the neural stimulation is reduced in a tiered manner. In one embodiment in which the implantable medical device also delivers at least one life-sustaining cardiac stimulation therapy, the neural stimulation is disabled or adjusted to reduce its power consumption (e.g., intensity) while the intensity of the cardiac stimulation therapy is maintained when the battery is near its end of life.
US09002454B2
Methods and/or devices may be configured to track effectiveness of pacing therapy by monitoring two or more electrical vectors of the patient's heart during pacing therapy and analyzing at least one feature of a morphological waveform within each of the two or more electrical vectors.
US09002435B2
A system and method of integrating electromagnetic microsensors into interventional endovascular devices such as guidewires for tracking guidewires within vessels of a body with the use of a surgical navigation system.
