US09004713B2

An interior illumination assembly comprising a lamp housing mountable on an interior panel and a lamp removably supportable within the lamp housing. The lamp includes an LED module carrying an LED and removably receivable by the lamp housing into an installed position in the lamp housing. A lens is disposed across the module opening and a reflector carried by the LED module reflects light from the LED through the lens into the compartment.
US09004712B1

The invention disclosed provides a convertible safety body cover with interchangeable light patterns. The safety body cover has an outer front panel permanently connected to an outer rear panel. A first light pattern is mounted to an inner front panel that is removeably mounted to the outer front panel. A second light pattern is mounted to an inner rear panel that is removeably mounted to the outer rear panel. The light pattern panels are removed and replaced with different light pattern panels to create different visual effects.
US09004710B2

A backlight device of the present invention includes: a chassis having a bottom plate; a plurality of LED substrates 25 that are rectangular and that are arranged such that one end face on the short side of the LED substrate 25 faces the short side of the bottom plate; LEDs arranged on the LED substrates 25; first through holes that go through the LED substrates 25; second through holes 42 that are disposed nearer the end face of the LED substrate 25 than the first through holes 41, that go through the LED substrates 25, and that are horizontally longer than the first through holes 41 along the long side direction of the LED substrates 25; plate-shaped through holes disposed in the bottom plate; and securing pins that have a size that enables the LED substrates 25 to be secured in the plate surface direction thereof by the securing pins going through the first through holes 41 and plate-shaped through holes, that secure the LED substrates 25 in the short side direction thereof by going through the second through holes 42 and plate-shaped through holes, and that are a size allowing the LED substrates 25 to move in the long side direction thereof.
US09004709B2

An anti-abrasion optical diffusion film (2), an LCD device and a light source using the anti-abrasion optical diffusion film (2) are disclosed, in order to solve the problem of the prior art that the diffusion particles are abraded or detached in large area, when an optical diffusion thin film receives external force. The anti-abrasion optical diffusion film (2) includes a substrate (21) and a diffusion coating (22); the diffusion coating (22) includes diffusion adhesive layer (24) and diffusion particles (23). The variation coefficient of the diameter of the particles is 10-100%. The invention improves the anti-abrasion ability of the optical diffusion thin film.
US09004696B1

An image projection apparatus includes: a light source; an exhaust fan having a rotary shaft provided with at least one blade, the rotary shaft being rotated to exhaust air inside the apparatus to the outside of the apparatus; a guide having a sloped face that is sloped toward the exhaust fan, the sloped face having a first side surface facing the light source and a second side surface provided opposite of the first side surface; a first flow path, defined by the first side surface of the guide, to guide air heated by the light source toward the rotary shaft of the exhaust fan; and a second flow path, defined by the second side surface of the guide, to guide air having temperature lower than temperature of the air heated by the light source, toward the rotary shaft of the exhaust fan.
US09004689B2

A method of determining a corneal thickness and an apparatus for determining said is provided. The method comprises the following the steps: —illuminating a cornea by a plurality of stimulator point light sources, capturing an image of the cornea comprising reflected images of the stimulator point light sources, obtaining a model representing an anterior surface of the cornea, —constructing a second model representing a posterior surface of the cornea from the image by ray-tracing the reflected images of the stimulator point light sources towards the model representing the anterior surface of the cornea, determining the corneal thickness from the model representing the anterior surface and the second model representing the posterior surface.
US09004687B2

A universal headset-mounted Neuropsychological Testing System utilizes eye tracking, with a single screen fixed with respect to the face and a dot on the screen driven to present an object that both eyes are focused on using a set of prisms, with the prisms eliminating interocular distance considerations. Ultrathin optics cast a virtual image at 40 centimeters and a universal mask against which the test taker's face is placed fixes the single screen with respect to the face so that head movement is not a factor. Additionally, miniature cameras are located in the headset housing beneath the eyes, and a quick release tensioning unit provides easy headset mounting and removal. Moreover, all elements are located in the headset hood to eliminate the effects of head movement as well as environmental distractions.
US09004677B1

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for an adaptive filter scheme in handheld positioning device are described herein. The adaptive filter scheme may determine a direction that the positioning device is traveling and adjust one or more parameters of the filter scheme based at least in part on the determined direction. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09004676B2

A recording apparatus includes: a first housing; a second housing pivotable about a shaft relative to the first housing between a close position and a distant position; and a tank mount portion provided in the second housing such that a mounting direction of a tank with respect to the tank mount portion in a state in which the second housing is at the distant position has a downward component in a vertical direction. The tank mount portion includes a resistance applying mechanism which applies a resistance force to the tank in a state in which at least a part of the tank is inserted into the tank mount portion when the second housing is at the distant position.
US09004675B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for three-dimensional printing directly onto an article of apparel. Disclosed is a method and system for direct three-dimensional printing onto an article of apparel, including receiving an undistorted three-dimensional pattern for display on the article, the undistorted three-dimensional pattern configured for placement on an irregular three-dimensional surface; creating a predistorted three-dimensional pattern from the undistorted three-dimensional pattern for printing onto a simple three-dimensional shaped object; receiving the predistorted three-dimensional pattern in a three-dimensional printing system; and printing the predistorted three-dimensional pattern onto the article.
US09004662B2

A filter, the alignment of which does not need to be adjusted, and an ink-jet recording apparatus having such a filter are provided, the ink-jet recording apparatus capable of avoiding leakage of residual liquids in filter exchange operation. The filter of the present invention includes an upper capsule member, a lower capsule member, and a filter medium. The upper capsule member has a central connecting port and a peripheral connecting port, and also has a pipe section that extends, within the capsule, from the peripheral connecting port to the vicinity of the bottom surface (the deepest section) of the lower capsule member. A liquid supplied from the peripheral connecting port via the pipe section is filtered through the filter medium, and the filtered liquid is output from the central connecting port.
US09004646B2

A rotary inkjet imaging apparatus includes a curved print zone having a longitudinal axis and in which a page of media is held in a curved configuration at a stationary position, a carrier movable bi-directionally along a linear path defined adjacent to the curved print zone and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, and at least one inkjet printhead supported by the carrier for undergoing movement within the curved print zone along a curved path winding about a central axis extending parallel to the guide path and coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the curved print zone such that the inkjet printhead moves about the central axis multiple revolutions and prints on the page concurrently as the carrier unidirectionally moves along the linear path and the printhead moves within the curved print zone and through portions of the curved path in which the printhead faces toward the page.
US09004639B2

A method measures distances between two printed lines on a rotating image receiving member to identify fluid drop mass or fluid drop velocity changes in inkjet ejectors in an inkjet printing system. An initial distance between the two lines is measured at the start of the operational life of the system. During the operation of the printing system, the lines are reprinted and the distance between the two lines compared to the initial distance stored in association with the printheads that printed the lines. If the distance has changed by more than a predetermined amount, a printer parameter is adjusted.
US09004638B2

The present invention provides a color measuring apparatus and a printing apparatus that enable the user to easily keep a backing plate. A color measuring apparatus includes a holder on which a backing plate is capable of being attached, the backing plate having a white portion and a black portion, and a sensor for measuring color patterns on a sheet on the backing plate. Either one of the white portion and the black portion faces the sensor, depending on the attached state of the backing plate on the holder.
US09004632B2

An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head and a driving unit. The recording head includes a plurality of element columns. Each element column includes a plurality of recording elements arrayed in a first direction to discharge ink, and is divided into a plurality of groups including a plurality of continuous recording elements. The driving unit drives the recording head and execute control so that the plurality of recording elements in each group is driven in order at a specific time interval. A number of the element columns is equal to or larger than a number of recoding elements in a group. The driving unit controls driving of the plurality of element columns so that recorded data of one column is recorded within a conveyance width of a recording medium to be conveyed within the specific time interval.
US09004631B1

A mechanism enables inkjets in a printhead to be operated to eject ink in an effort to replace ink exposed to ambient conditions with ink from within the printhead. The mechanism includes a controller configured to operate an intermediate imaging member to rotate to align a plurality of apertures with inkjets on a printhead. The inkjets are operated to eject ink through the plurality of apertures and ink from within the printhead replaces the ejected ink without impacting the formation of subsequent ink images.
US09004625B2

A nail print apparatus, including: a print head which performs printing on a nail region on the basis of image data including a first design and a second design that is a background of the first design; and an image data processing unit which has a second image data processing unit that processes the image data so that the second design covers an entire nail region.
US09004613B2

Two pressure chambers of the master cylinder and brake cylinders provided respectively for front left and right wheels are respectively connected directly to each other by master passages. Provided respectively in the master passages are master cut-off valves each as a normally-closed electromagnetic open/close valve. As a result, when the brake pedal is not operated and when no current is supplied to solenoids of the respective master cut-off valves, the pressure chambers and the brake cylinders are respectively disconnected to each other, preventing an outflow of the working fluid from the pressure chambers, i.e., fluid chambers of a master reservoir to the brake cylinders.
US09004611B2

A wheel-balancing weight mounts to a wheel with a flange. The weight includes a body and a clip. The body is stamped by a punch to define a pocket within which an attaching portion of the clip resides. The defined pocket has a planar base and opposing side walls generally perpendicular to the base. The body as stamped by the punch includes a pre-stake for each side wall external to the pocket and adjacent the side wall, and an undercut for each side wall within the pocket and generally located at a juncture of the side wall and the base.
US09004607B1

A towable cart including an axle, at least one bearing rotatably coupled to the axle, a frame configured for selectable attachment to the bearing, and a container attached to the frame. A tow bar has a first and a second end, and is coupled to the axle at the first end of the tow bar. A first end of a tip structure is pivotally coupled to the container and a second end of the tip structure is fixedly attached to the bearing. An arm is attached to the container and is selectably coupled to the tow bar. The container is in a loading condition when the arm is coupled to the tow bar and is in an unloading condition when the arm is not coupled to the tow bar. The container is movable between the loading condition and the unloading condition over a pivoting range greater than ninety degrees.
US09004606B2

An arrangement is provided for vertically adjusting a bezel and a bezel support defining a webbing guide for a seat belt webbing integrated into a vehicle seat. The adjustment arrangement includes a bearing block arrangement and a slotted latch plate mounted in a frame channel of the seat. A spring biased height adjustment frame extends from the bezel support and a spring biased release member is pivotally mounted within the bezel support and provided with a latching tooth engageable and disengageable with the latch plate for establishing various vertical positions of the bezel and the bezel support relative to an upper end of the frame channel.
US09004601B2

A seat reclining apparatus includes a base plate, a ratchet plate, lock members supported by the base plate to be movable between engaged and disengaged positions, an operating mechanism for moving the lock members between the engaged and disengaged positions, and an unlocked-state forcibly holding mechanism, for forcibly holding each of the lock members, including a forced lock release projection on one lock member and a forced lock release surface on the ratchet plate and which engages with the forced lock release projection to hold the lock members in the disengaged position. The lock members, on which the forced lock release projection is not formed, are subjected to a force so as to be urged downward due to gravity when the seatback is in between the forwardly-tilted position and the first-stage locked position.
US09004594B2

An actuator system for controlling a lumbar support includes a wire fixed and coupled with a lumbar support at one end; a driving motor rotatable in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction; a worm coupled with the driving shaft of a driving motor; a deceleration part having a worm gear and a screw which decelerates the power of the driving motor; a slider connected to the other end of the wire, and having a protrusion portion and a spiral groove so as to carry out rectilinear reciprocating motion according to the rotation direction of the driving motor; and a housing inserted by the slider and having a wire-passing hole, a connection hole, a mounting hole and a guide hole, wherein the bending degree of a lumbar support may be automatically controlled by rotation driving force applied in a set range, thereby providing riding comfort to passengers.
US09004593B2

A child carrier having a carrier pass through which defines a restraint path between opposed carrier sides and having a carrier restraint tensioner coupled at a fixed location on the child carrier which operates to adjust length of a carrier restraint disposed in the restraint path to secure the child carrier in relation to a vehicle seat.
US09004590B2

Described are display assemblies having a display coupled to a passenger seat back, a video shroud coupled to the passenger seat back and with an inner opening positioned adjacent the display, wherein a gap is positioned between an outer edge of the display and an edge of the inner opening, and a light apparatus having at least one lighting element coupled to the passenger seat back, wherein the at least one lighting element is positioned to emit light through the gap. The display assembly may also include a diffuser coupled to the video shroud and positioned adjacent the gap.
US09004588B2

In certain embodiments, a mobile entertainment system includes a screen assembly with a display and a signal generating device. A housing pivotally coupled to the screen assembly can have a lower portion, an upper portion, and a housing cavity sized and shaped to receive the screen assembly. The upper portion can receive at least a portion of the signal generating device. At least a portion of the screen assembly can rotate through an opening in the lower portion. A shell can receive the housing.
US09004585B1

Multiple convertible furniture configurations adapted to provide multiple seating surfaces by interchangeable and removable support cushion units inclusive in a single furniture element. Removably self-supporting cushion seat assemblies are selectively secured to a primary furniture element as auxiliary arms and back surfaces, each of which has internally deployable support legs allowing cushion seat assemblies to be used independently wherein combination with the original chair sofa support unit increasing the number of seating surfaces and arrangement possible.
US09004582B2

In a floor structure of a vehicle body center section, a floor side member is provided at lower portions of a main floor panel, a vertical wall is formed at a front side of a rear floor panel, a rear seat is installed on the rear floor panel, a rear seat leg extends downward along the vertical wall, a lower end portion of the rear seat leg is mounted to a portion of the rear floor panel, a rear seat leg reinforcement member that extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction is disposed on each of upper portions at both left and right sides of the floor panels, a rear end portion of the reinforcement member is connected to the lower end portion of the rear seat leg, and a front end portion of the reinforcement member is connected to the main floor panel and the floor side member.
US09004578B1

A bracket for use in a vehicle includes a base configured to be welded to an interior surface of a vehicle fascia and configured to receive a sensor. The base has a configuration that generally matches a shape of at least a portion of the interior surface. An orientation of the sensor is based at least in part on an orientation of the base relative to the interior surface of the vehicle fascia.
US09004573B2

A convertible top of a cabriolet vehicle includes a convertible top cover, which is adjustable by means of a convertible top rod assembly between a closed position spanning a vehicle interior and a storage position opening the vehicle interior toward the top. The convertible top rod assembly includes a rod arrangement on both sides in relation to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the convertible top. Each rod arrangement includes a main link and a main column, which are pivotably mounted on a vehicle-fixed main bearing. At least one transverse bow connects the rod arrangements with each other. The transverse bow is respectively connected to an auxiliary link on both sides in relation to the vertical longitudinal center plane of the convertible top. Each auxiliary link is pivotably connected to the respective main column on the one hand and to the respective main link on the other hand.
US09004568B2

In a cowling fastening structure (1) for fastening a first cowling member (2) and a second cowling member (3) to each other by using a clip (30), the two cowling members are provided with opposing walls (13, 21) having a mutually aligned through holes (15, 26) formed therein, the clip is provided with a first member (31) and a second member (32) joined by a hinge (33). A free end of the first member formed with an engagement hole (39) is passed through the through holes, and a free end of the second member formed with an engagement claw (44) is passed around the opposing walls so as to engage the engagement claw with the engagement hole.
US09004565B2

A one-piece construction chopsticks including a body having a first portion and a second portion conjoined by a U-shaped back end, the first and second portions having a respective S-shaped center portion and reverse-S shaped central portion disposed in a figure 8 position relative each other, that permits the separation of the front ends to pick up a food particle upon only the application of pressure on the center and central portions. A notch in each of the center and central portions helps to align the first and second portions and limits the size of the opening between the grasping ends.
US09004542B2

A pipe fastening structure includes an end member attached to an end part of a metal pipe, and a nut for fastening the end member attached to the metal pipe to a counterpart. In the pipe fastening structure, the end member has a first spherical part to be brought into contact with a sealing surface of the counterpart, a second spherical part formed integrally with the first spherical part so as to be in contact with a sliding surface formed in the nut, and a neck continuous with the second spherical part and having the shape of a straight pipe.
US09004540B2

The present invention relates to a security element (20) for security papers, value documents and the like, having a feature region (24) that selectively influences incident electromagnetic radiation (30). According to the present invention, it is provided that the feature region (24) includes metallic nanopatterns (28) in which volume or surface plasmons are excited and/or resonance effects are caused by the incident electromagnetic radiation (30).
US09004536B2

A seatbelt tension adjustment device includes an elongated upper body having a downward facing protrusion that is pivotally secured to a lower body having a box-like shape. The lower body including an upper surface for receiving the protrusion and an internal cavity for positioning a rotatable drum therein. The rotatable drum working in unison with the downward facing protrusion to engage a seatbelt in an adjustable manner.
US09004535B2

A chassis for an electric vehicle comprises: a base frame, a front frame, a rear frame, two side frames, four suspension devices and four wheels. The front frame and the rear frame have the front arc-shaped tube and the arc-shaped rear tube fixed to the base frame, the arc-shaped tubes can not only reduce the number of tubes required but also increase the area of thrust force as compared to the straight tubes. Besides, the arc of the arc-shaped tubes avoids a connection point of an acute angle. Moreover, the height is larger than the width, which will produce less torque on the base frame as compared to that if the height is smaller than the width, thus preventing the torque acted on the base frame from damaging the connection points and improving the structural strength of the chassis at the connection points.
US09004533B2

A steering apparatus includes an inner column, an outer column fitted onto the inner column, a vehicle body mounting bracket, a distance bracket fixed to the outer circumference of the outer column and slidably held between left and right side plates of the vehicle body mounting bracket, and a tightening rod. The distance bracket is formed with telescopic slots through which the tightening rod is inserted. The distance bracket includes left and right front tightening portions and left and right rear tightening portions. The axial distance between the pair of left and right front tightening portions and the pair of left and right rear tightening portions is shorter than the axial length of each telescopic slot. The outer column is formed with a pair of left and right through-holes into which the left and right front tightening portions or the left and right rear tightening portions is inserted.
US09004529B2

A vehicle side door structure has: a door outer panel; a door inner panel having a service hole; a door trim mounted to a vehicle transverse direction inner side of the inner panel; an inner pad provided, between the inner panel and the trim, spanning, in a vehicle longitudinal direction, over an outer peripheral edge of the hole as seen in a vehicle side view; and an outer pad between the outer and inner panels overlapping a vehicle transverse direction outer side of the inner pad as seen in a vehicle side view, and having a first region that, at a side collision, is pushed by the outer panel and passes through the hole and pushes the inner pad toward the trim side, and a second region that, at a side collision, separates from the first region and pushes the inner pad toward the trim side via the inner panel.
US09004528B2

A vehicle seat assembly comprises a vehicle seat comprising a rigid frame, one or more resilient portions and a covering material, wherein an openable deployment seam is provided at a portion of the covering material, and wherein the vehicle seat defines a recess. An airbag module is provided within the recess and comprises a housing, an airbag and an inflator system. Also provided is gripping means which is movable between a first position and a second position in which the portion of the covering material is restrained to assist deployment of the airbag through the deployment seam.
US09004526B2

A vehicular passive safety device includes a vehicular seat, a far-side airbag device, and a roof airbag device. The vehicular seat has a seat cushion and a seat back. In the far-side airbag device, a far-side airbag that is accommodated in a lateral portion of the seat back located inside in a vehicle width direction is supplied with a gas from a far-side inflator, and is expanded and deployed forward of the lateral portion with respect to a vehicle. In the roof airbag device, a roof airbag that is accommodated in a ceiling portion of a vehicle body is supplied with a gas from a roof inflator, and is expanded and deployed downward of the ceiling portion, and the expanded and deployed roof airbag abuts on or faces an upper portion of the expanded and deployed far-side airbag from inside in the vehicle width direction.
US09004520B2

In one example, a jack adaptor is mounted to a trailer structure. A jack flange, which can comprise a jack flange extension, of a jack is inserted downwardly through an opening in an upper portion of the jack adaptor. The jack can be rotated to a position that misaligns the jack flange with the opening through which it has been inserted. The jack can then be actuated to raise the jack flange into engagement with the upper portion of the adaptor for use in raising the trailer structure. The process is reversed to disengage the jack flange from the adaptor to permit removal of the jack.
US09004519B1

A switchable mechanism for steering a trailer when towing and backing is disclosed. A turntable having a rotatable upper portion is attached to a front of a trailer, with a slide mounted to the turntable with a center of the slide mounted generally over an axis of rotation of the turntable. A carriage is mounted to the slide, the carriage being movable between a first position and a second position. At least one steering controller is coupled between the carriage and steerable wheels of the trailer. A towbar is coupled to the turntable, with sideways displacement of the towbar steering the steerable wheels in both forward and backward directions. The towbar is connectable to any conventional hitch, meaning that no modifications are needed to the tow vehicle, and any tow vehicle with a conventional hitch can tow a trailer of the instant invention.
US09004511B1

According to a further embodiment, an automotive vehicle including a body frame having opposed side frames and a subframe having opposed side members is disclosed. The subframe includes a stabilizer bar connection assembly comprised of generally U-shaped recess formed in each of the opposed side members and a generally U-shaped bushing disposed within the recesses. The opposed side frames overlie the opposed side members adjacent the recesses and secure the bushings within their respective recess.
US09004510B2

A vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle may include a base portion and a modular portion. The base portion may be a four wheel vehicle having an operator area with seating for at least two occupants in a side-by-side arrangement. The modular portion may be coupled to the base portion resulting in a six wheel vehicle. The wheels of the modular portion may be powered by an engine of the base portion.
US09004508B2

In a movable bed composed by combining a bed main portion and a wheelchair, the wheelchair has chair back bottom rails having cutout portions in a chair back bottom, and a chair back guide portion installed rotatably about a rotation point with respect to a chair base portion, the chair back guide portion having sliding portions engaged with the chair back bottom rails so as to be slidable and arranged to be disengageable from the chair back bottom rails by being located in the cutout portions, and in a fourth state (flat posture), the sliding portions are located in the cutout portions, the chair back guide portion and the chair back bottom are disengaged so as to be separable from each other, and a back lifting posture of the bed main portion and the chair back bottom can be performed over the entire width of the bed, whereas in a first state (chair posture), the sliding portions are engaged with the chair back bottom rails and can slide along the chair back bottom rails.
US09004505B1

A folding device for a golf cart includes a main part to which two side wheels, a handle and a front wheel unit are connected. A tubular portion is movably mounted to a front wheel stem and a connection member is connected between the tubular member and a handle stem. Two rods are connected between side wheel stems. An operation member is pivotably connected to the tubular portion and has notches so that the protrusion of the main part is engaged with the notches to control the main part to connect to or to separate from the tubular member. The tubular member is movable on the front wheel stem so as to fold or expand the front wheel unit.
US09004504B2

A wheel 4 mounted on a vehicle body 2 by a suspension arm 6 can be retained in a raised position by a retaining mechanism 10. The retaining mechanism 10 comprises a latching element 12 which can be disposed in a deployed position by a control element 14. When the control element 14 is moved to a position corresponding to the deployed position of the latching element 12, the latching element 12 is resiliently displaceable towards the vehicle body 2, to allow the suspension arm 6 to rise, for example when the wheel 4 is driven over an obstacle. The latching element 12 can then move to the deployed position to prevent lowering of the arm 6, so retaining the wheel 4 in the raised position. All wheels of the vehicle may be moved to the raised position, so as to reduce the ride height of the vehicle.
US09004503B2

A binding system for snowboards that minimizes leg pain while snowboard users are approaching or are riding on a chairlift. The rotatable binding system enables one of two boot bindings attached to a snowboard to rotate up to 90 degrees placing a user's boot in parallel with the long sides, and sliding direction, of the snowboard. The binding system includes a base plate, which is fixed to the snowboard, and a top plate that is rotatably attached to the base plate by a center screw, and a boot binding harness mounted to the top plate. A hinge plate can connect the base plate to a mid static disk, which can in turn rotatably attach to the top plate. The binding system can include a latch lever that acts as a hands-free locking system that is mounted through an outer ridge of the base plate and connected to a retractable plunger.
US09004497B2

In a device for machining, in particular etching and/or developing, substrates, in particular wafers, in particular etching and/or developing, having a turntable, the turntable has a Venturi gap.
US09004486B1

Devices and methods to collect and align print media sheets. According to a device herein, a tray has a base and receives print media sheets. Registration guides are connected to the tray. The registration guides define a corner in the tray. A tamper mechanism comprises a rotating helical brush extending perpendicularly from the base adjacent to a side of the tray opposite the corner. The tamper mechanism is positioned to tamp the print media sheets against the registration guides causing a stack of the print media sheets to be squared against the corner.
US09004483B2

An image forming system includes the following elements. An image forming apparatus forms images on plural sheets sequentially transported with a spacing therebetween. A sheet transport apparatus includes a transport section which receives and transports the plural sheets farther downstream. The sheet transport apparatus supplies a different type of sheet from a different-type-of-sheet supply device, inserts it into the spacing, and transports the sheets. The sheet transport apparatus includes the following elements. A transport information obtaining unit obtains information concerning transporting of sheets. A different-type-of-sheet stop unit supplies the different type of sheet, on the basis of the information concerning transporting of sheets, and stops the different type of sheet at a position before the transport section. A different-type-of-sheet supply information output unit outputs information concerning the supply of the different type of sheet, the information being obtained regarding a standby state of the different type of sheet.
US09004482B2

A sheet conveyor incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes an attraction/separation unit including an attraction belt, a first tension roller, and a second tension roller, a support member to support the attraction/separation unit, a roller drive unit to rotate one of the first and second tension rollers, a charging member to uniformly charge a surface of the attraction belt, a mechanism to swing the attraction/separation unit to move the attraction belt reciprocally about the support member between a sheet attraction position and a sheet conveyance position being located farther from the sheet stack than the sheet attraction position, and a pressing member disposed inside a loop of the attraction belt to press the attraction belt at the sheet attraction position toward the sheet stack and separating from the attraction belt at the sheet conveyance position.
US09004481B2

In a provided apparatus, an upper roller to be engaged with a sheet upper face and a lower roller to be engaged with a sheet lower face are arranged at a sheet discharging port in a manner capable of being pressure-contacted and being separated, the upper roller is formed with a large-diameter soft roll face and a small-diameter hard roll face, and a pressurization force of roller lifting-lowering means with which the upper roller is pressure-contacted to and is separated from the lower roller is switched to be high or low.
US09004473B2

An articulated work holder for a fractional dimensioned, performance vehicle including a base member and first, second and third, support arms having multiple degrees of rotational movement and a vise member carrying vehicle engagement pads for supporting a fractional dimensioned, performance vehicle between the vise engagement pads.
US09004472B2

A five axis vise includes two separated vise body portions that are supported on a machine tool table or other support that fixes the vise body portions in position. The vise body portions have jaws spaced up from the machine tool table sufficiently to permit machining five surfaces of a work piece held in the jaws. A vise screw is rotatably mounted in one of the vise body portions, and extends to the other vise body portion to actuate a movable jaw on the other vise body portion. The vise screw is threaded into a jaw nut that has a drive surface that engages and drives a driven surface on the movable jaw, with the drive and driven surfaces being inclined relative to the axis of force application to provide a downward force component on the movable jaw as it is tightened. The vise screw is an assembly of a threaded shank or shaft and a hub that is rotatably mounted in one of the body portions, with the threaded shank or shaft being locked in position in the hub.
US09004462B2

Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an ampoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resulting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment. At least a portion of source material including a solid may be dissolved in a solvent, followed by removal of solvent to yield source material (e.g., a metal complex) disposed within the vaporizer.
US09004455B2

A device, system, and associated methods for appliance lifts are disclosed. The appliance lift sits on the bottom of a cabinet, rolls forward and rotates forward and up using four rotating bars and a gear with spring and damper linking them together. This system consists of a platform dimensioned of a size and shape to support most kitchen counter-top appliances or any other like sized items. The platform is supported by a series of linkages housed in a frame. The frame is then on a moveable track. The entire structure is sized to fit inside the lower section of a standard kitchen cabinet.
US09004451B2

A control valve (8) for a medical suction device (1) is provided, with the control valve (8) having an actuating element for freeing and closing a flow path (15) through a valve chamber (11) through the use of a valve plunger (12). Additional air intake openings (16) are formed on the actuating element (10) and define an additional flow path (21) through the valve chamber (11).
US09004439B2

A post anchor for securing a support post for a structure comprises a base with four upstanding sidewalls forming a cavity into which a post is inserted, and means to secure the post inside the cavity. Interior ribs and exterior augmented corners resist deformation under pressure exerted by the post. Interior channels allow water to drain from inside the cavity toward a drain hole. The anchor post is slightly elevated relative to the ground, allowing air and water to circulate around the post and post anchor. The post anchor is made of a thermoplastic polymer which is given a textured surface, and may include an ultraviolet protection additive.
US09004438B2

A display stand includes a base, a leg and a bracket. The bracket is mounted to a backside of the base and includes a bridge for receiving the at least one portion of the leg. The bridge includes a first detent and a second detent. The portion of the leg that is received by the bridge is movable into a first position or a second position. A different portion of the leg mates with the first detent to support the display stand at a first viewing angle when the leg is rotated while in the first position. Yet another portion of the leg mates with the second detent to support the display stand at a second viewing angle that is different from the first viewing angle when the leg is rotated while in the second position.
US09004436B2

A pedestal structure of a cash register display is disclosed, including a base, a supporting arm, a retaining shaft lever, at least one extension spring and a display loading plate. Multiple retaining grooves and an inclined slide walls are arranged on each of two side plates of the base. The supporting arm is pivoted between the two side plates through a first pivot unit, and a first end section of the supporting arm is provided with a slide opening. The retaining shaft lever passes through the slide opening and is positioned in one of the retaining grooves or on the inclined slide wall of each of the side plates. The extension spring is installed between the first pivot unit and the retaining shaft lever. The display loading plate is pivoted on a second end section of the supporting arm.
US09004432B2

A rotatable housing assembly for use in mounting slides to equipment racks has components for different mounting options on different sides of the housing, and a retractable pin for use in positioning the housing. In some embodiments the housing is rotatably mounted to a bracket attached to a slide member, for example approximate a front of the side, and the retractable pin extends into a semicircular slot of the bracket for use in indexing position of the housing. The housing may include a button for use in retracting the retractable pin, and the assembly may provide for toolless mounting of the slide, and do so in a variety of rack configurations.
US09004425B2

A damping device includes a cylinder which is under pressure and which has a connection opening for a mount-on part which is fastened to an outer surface of the cylinder by means of an annular tensioning band element. The tensioning band element encircles the cylinder and the mount-on part on a circumferential region and, by its pretensioning, exerts a holding force on the mount-on part. The tensioning band element is underdimensioned in relation to the cross section of the cylinder and mount-on part and the distance between the two structural component parts and is expanded in a final mounting position in relation to a pre-mounting state in order to apply the pretensioning.
US09004413B2

With respect to each of trains, a ground device 6 detects a train location in the control section on the basis of a propagation time of a radio wave between a vehicle radio set 4 and a wayside radio set 5, in the case in which the ground device 6 determines that the number of trains has reached the controllable number of trains or there is the possibility that the number of trains reaches the controllable number of trains in its own control section, a ground device 6 disposed in an adjacent control section to the control section in which the number of trains is reaching the controllable number of trains, when a train 2 scheduled to travel toward the control section stops in a station 8, prevents departure of the train 2 scheduled to pass through the border of the control section by making the train 2 wait at the station 8.
US09004412B2

A detection system may include a transmitter associated with a first train configured to emit an end-of-train signal. The detection system may include a receiver associated with the transmitter and configured to receive the end-of-train signal from the transmitter. The receiver may also be configured to receive at least one remote signal from a second train and determine whether the second train is a collision threat based on the remote signal from the second train.
US09004401B2

An actuator which is operable in response to one of an electrical and an electro-mechanical input signal is provided. The actuator includes an outer casing defined about a central axis, an output shaft disposed within the casing, the output shaft being axially moveable over a stroke length. Further, the actuator also includes a drive mechanism co-operable with the output shaft to drive the output shaft along a part of the stroke length, wherein the actuator is configured such that the output shaft is drivable along all or part of the remainder of the stroke length by external loading while being unconstrained by the drive mechanism.
US09004399B2

A nacelle assembly for a turbine engine has a cowl for a turbine engine. The cowl has a first surface spaced from a second surface. The second surface defines defining a bypass flow passage. A flow volume is spaced between the first surface and the second surface. A plurality of holes are disposed on the cowl. Each of the plurality of holes are configured to alter local air pressure about one of the first surface and the second surface of the cowl. The plurality of holes are in communication with the flow volume.
US09004390B2

A roll medium holding unit is disclosed that includes a core part configured to be inserted in a core pipe of a roll medium; and plural diameter-increasing members configured to be variably arranged at corresponding first positions provided along a periphery of the core part and arranged at corresponding second positions provided away from the core part. The roll medium holding unit is capable of being set in a first holding state where the diameter-increasing members arranged at an outer peripheral surface of the core part support the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding first positions and capable of being set in a second holding state where the core part of a holding member supports the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding second positions.
US09004385B2

A machine for shredding plastic container including a pressing device having a main housing having an interior space, a first opening for feeding container and a second opening for disposing the shredded pieces, a fixed plate position at one end within the housing and having slits arranged in matrix pattern, facing the interior of the housing, and having sharp edges, a movable plate having plurality of blades connected to at least one arm. The movable plate can move along a central axis within the housing and the blades have edges facing the sharp edges of the fixed plate. The containers are placed between the plates, such that when the movable plates moves along the central axis of the housing toward the fixed plate, the blades crash and cut the container into flakes. Pegs protrude from the blades, such that when the arm moves forward, the pegs punch the container.
US09004375B2

The present invention relates to apparatus and method for generating a mist comprising a conduit having a mixing chamber and an exit; a working fluid inlet in fluid communication with said conduit; a transport nozzle in fluid communication with the said conduit, the transport nozzle adapted to introduce a transport fluid into the mixing chamber; the transport nozzle having an angular orientation and internal geometry such that in use the transport fluid interacts with the working fluid introduced into the mixing chamber through the working fluid inlet to atomize and form a dispersed vapor/droplet flow regime, which is discharged as a mist comprising working fluid droplets, a substantial portion of the droplets having a size less than 20 μm.
US09004373B2

A headlight washer assembly includes a bracket secured to a rear surface of a component of a vehicle adjacent an opening therein through which a headlight washer device is configured to extend and retract. The bracket provides a recessed mounting surface for securing the headlight washer device to the component of the vehicle such that, unlike prior art approaches, the fasteners do not protrude from the front surface of the component of the vehicle. A cap concealing the opening in the component is received within the opening flush with the front surface of the component. In one embodiment, the component is a body panel of a vehicle.
US09004371B2

Systems and related methods involving isolation tubs are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes: an isolation tub formed of fiberglass reinforced plastic resin, the tub defining a reservoir; concrete positioned within the reservoir; and rails extending across the tub and being supported by the concrete, the rails being spaced from each other to form a special trackwork (STW) assembly.
US09004363B2

An apparatus includes a diffusive plate that is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of an imaging lens arrangement and covers a side face of a solid rectangular defining a volume space within which parts of a scan engine are deposited. The parts of the scan engine including at least the illumination light source, the imaging lens arrangement, an imaging sensor, and a controller for controlling both the illumination light source and the imaging sensor. The diffusive plate includes a first opening to allow light enter the imaging lens arrangement through the first opening. The area enclosed by the boundary of the diffusive plate substantially equal to the area of the side face of the solid rectangular.
US09004360B2

A contactless communication device including an energy interface configured to activate the contactless communication device or a contactless communication partner based on a first carrier signal; and a contactless high speed data interface configured to enable data communication between the contactless communication device and the contactless communication partner based on a second carrier signal having a frequency greater than a high frequency (HF).
US09004358B2

Disclosed embodiments, as well as features and aspects thereof, are directed towards providing a system, device and method for calculating comprehensive ballistic solutions, or portions thereof, via a varying magnification optical range determining and ballistic trajectory calculating apparatus referred to as a ballistic solutions device. Advantageously, embodiments of a ballistic solutions device may drastically reduce marksman error in milling targets by employing a measurement component configured to measure angular movement of a projectile launching device, such as a rifle, thus delivering consistently accurate distance to target estimations. Additionally, embodiments of a ballistic solutions device may also comprise features and aspects that enable a user to leverage available real-time field data such that error associated with the measurement of those variables is minimized prior to calculating and rendering a comprehensive ballistic solution derived from stored DOPE.
US09004356B2

A read head system has a housing and a read positioned in the housing with a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a financial transaction card with the slot utilized to enable a financial transaction between a buyer and seller. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. The read head includes an output jack configured to be coupled to at least one of a audio jack or microphone port of a mobile device. The read head provides the signal to the mobile device.
US09004342B2

Hot-rolled high-strength steel elongated structural members and method of making same are disclosed by hot-rolling high-strength steel having a specific chemical composition to provide structural units. The units are then welded together to provide structural members of desired geometrical configuration including a thin web with opposed thicker flanges extending therefrom to increase the load bearing capacity of the members.
US09004335B2

A method and related device for machining a workpiece is provided, wherein material of the workpiece is removed in a machining region by a non-contact removal process. The workpiece is excited by means of an excitation oscillation having a natural resonant frequency of the workpiece, or a composite comprising the workpiece and a coupling element that is rigidly coupled to the workpiece is excited by means of an excitation oscillation having a joint natural resonant frequency of the workpiece and the coupling element. The natural resonant frequency is selected such that in the machining region an oscillation occurs that has a maximum oscillation amplitude in relation to the excitation amplitude of the excitation oscillation.
US09004332B2

A cup holder includes one or two supporting members that support a container inserted into a receiving portion of a holder main body, and is arranged in a circumferential direction of the holder main body. A container having the protrusion and recess pattern on a side surface can smoothly be taken out from the receiving portion with a low risk of the supporting members interfering with other members around the holder main body.
US09004327B2

Disclosed is a paw insertion device. In one embodiment, the device includes two pivotally interconnected arms. Each of the arm can include a paw insertion guide at a distal end. The insertion guides are designed to be inserted into an article of animal footwear. The opposite grip ends of the arms can then be brought together to spread apart the insertion guide and permit the animal paw to be easily positioned within the footwear. A lock subassembly is also included for permitting the insertion device to be locked in the opened position.
US09004324B2

An actuator cap includes a housing and an actuator. The actuator has first and second actuating members and a manifold in fluid communication with a dispensing orifice. The actuator is hingedly attached to the housing at a pivot. The pivot is located on an interior surface of the housing and positioned at or above a base of the manifold. The actuator resiliently deforms about the pivot when one of the first and second actuating members is actuated.
US09004313B2

A stack of hygiene sheet products including first and second webs that are interfolded with each other. The stack includes a top panel of the first web and a top panel of the second web, wherein the top panel of the first web overlays the top panel of the second web but has been cut away so that the top panel of the second web is revealed by the top panel of the first web. An adherence layer is placed on the top panel of the first web and the top panel of the second web and is exposed at the top of the stack so that it can adhere to an adjacent stack so that when the last sheets of the adjacent stack are pulled through a dispenser opening of a dispenser, the first and second sheets are pulled securely through with it as a result of the direct adherence.
US09004308B2

A lined transport tank for mounting to a truck is provided. The tank has a lined tank body. The tank body has an inner surface. A baffle is removably connected to the inner surface of the tank body. A retaining system is removably connecting the baffle to the inner surface of the tank body. The retaining system has a pair of elongated members fixedly connected to the inner surface of the tank body. The pair of elongated members is restraining movement of the baffle in a first direction. A retainer is connected to the pair of elongated members. The retainer is restraining movement of the baffle in a second direction. The second direction is different from the first direction. A retaining system for removably connecting an element to a surface is also provided.
US09004301B2

A container having an first chamber; a second chamber; an upper seal forming a lower portion of the upper chamber; a lower seal adjacent the upper seal, the lower seal forming an upper portion of the lower chamber; a plurality of upper seal apertures in the upper seal; and a plurality of lower seal apertures in the lower seal, the upper seal apertures and the lower seal apertures rotatable between an open position with the upper and lower seal apertures aligned and a closed position with the upper and lower seal apertures nonaligned.
US09004300B1

A display rack and display rack shelf. The display rack includes a frame which supports one or more of the shelves. The frame has first, second and lateral sides and defines a plurality of vertically-spaced pairs of horizontally-aligned apertures. The shelf includes first and second end portions. The first end portion includes a movable support element with a single piece cross member and a pair of movable engagers at opposite lateral sides of the shelf for engagement with a selected pair of apertures along the first or second sides of the frame. The single-piece cross member and each movable engager of the movable support element is slidable toward and, alternatively, away from the second end and is rotatable about a corresponding axis to permit setting of the angular position of the shelf. The second end portion side is configured for pivotal engagement with one of the front and rear sides of the frame. The shelf of the rack is adjustable for a plurality of angular orientations by a selective positioning of the first end portion with respect to the second end portion.
US09004294B2

A feedwell for a gravity separation vessel for introducing a feed stream such as oil sand slurry to the gravity separation vessel is provided comprising a walled member having an upper perimeter edge, a lower perimeter edge and a substantially continuous wall extending from the upper perimeter edge to the lower perimeter edge; an inlet for introducing the feed stream into the walled member positioned adjacent the substantially continuous wall; and a bottom floor having an opening and extending generally beneath the lower perimeter edge; whereby a perimeter of the opening is less than a perimeter of the walled member.
US09004285B2

A classifying apparatus including: a rotor with a plurality of annularly disposed blades, which rotates; and a louver with a plurality of blades which are disposed at an outer circumferential portion of the rotor so as to supply from the outer circumferential portion a fluid for dispersing and classifying a powder material, wherein the powder material is supplied to a gap between the rotor and the louver and centrifugally classified into fine powder and coarse powder, and wherein at least one of the following relationships is satisfied: Relationship (1): α≧50° Relationship (2): D2/D1≧1.17 where α denotes an angle formed between imaginary lines connecting the center of the rotor with both ends of each blade of the louver, D1 denotes a diameter of the rotor, and D2 denotes an inner diameter of the louver.
US09004281B1

An improved reusable protective enclosure system, comprising a protective housing and cap member for jars, bottles and similar receptacles of glass or other fragile material. Its main object is the construction of a housing that renders a vial or jar contained therein resistant from breakage if the housing is allowed to fall or suffers a sudden shock. Another object of the reusable protective enclosure system is the construction of an airtight enclosure, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Other advantages of the invention are that the inner receptacle be it made of glass or other fragile material, can be readily and repeatedly accessed, removed for sterilization or recycling and replaced for continued use.
US09004280B2

In the case of a package (1) for single-dose films (2) containing active substances, comprising an upper packaging material element (3) and a lower packaging material element (4) which are connected together by a peripheral seal area or respectively sealing seam (5) such that a cavity (6) for holding the film (2) is formed, said cavity being enclosed on all sides, wherein the upper packaging material element (3) and the lower packaging material element (4) each have at least one cut (7, 8) in the region of the seal area or respectively, the sealing seam (5), said cuts being congruent, and at least one cut (7, 8) is crossed by a folding or bending line (10), the folding or bending line (10) is formed in a weakened manner.
US09004272B2

An apparatus for transporting and processing a plurality of articles includes a conveyer structured to convey a plurality of articles along a conveyer path and at least one processing station provided along the conveyer path to perform at least one processing operation. The conveyer path includes at least one loop or festoon.
US09004271B2

A conveyor belt module, a conveyor belt, a weighing system, and a method for weighing articles conveyed on a conveyor belt. A conveyor belt includes an array of load cells embedded in belt modules to measure forces normal to the belt's conveying surface. The measurements are transmitted from the belt to a remote controller as part of a vision system that identifies individual articles conveyed on the belt and pressing down on underlying load cells. The vision system determines which load cells underlie the individual articles and combines their measurements to compute the weights of the articles on the fly.
US09004263B2

A drive unit for a roller conveyor assembly having a motor and an integrated motor controller. The controller is mounted on a circuit board and connected to the rear of the motor housing. A cover for the controller substantially encloses the controller. An opening in the cover allows access to a terminal block from the controller. The terminal block receives wiring to external devices and to other zone controllers. Wiring between the circuit board for the controller and the motor is performed as a step in the assembly of the integrated motor and controller. The motor and controller are configured to be mounted below the rollers and between the side frames of a conveyor assembly. An output shaft from the motor is coupled to the rollers to power the conveyor assembly.
US09004255B2

A currency bill processing system includes a transport mechanism that is configured to transport bills from an input receptacle along a transport path that extends generally horizontally past at least one detector. The transport path transitions generally-vertically upward between a first and a second output receptacle. The transport mechanism is configured to deliver some of the bills toward a first end of the system into the first output receptacle and some of the bills toward a second end of the system into the second output receptacle. The system provides access openings in a front side of the system that are proximate the first and the second output receptacles thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side.
US09004253B2

A flow control assembly for an automatic transmission includes a valve for opening and closing communication with a source of pressurized fluid and a rotatable cam secured to a member, contact between the cam and a plunger of the valve causing said communication to open, absence of contact between the cam and the plunger causing said communication to close.
US09004252B2

A transmission may include gears and a clutch to allow the transfer of torque, at a variety of gear ratios, between an input shaft and an output shaft. The clutch may include a cushion piston to decrease the velocity of a transmission piston before the transmission piston engages a clutch element. The cushion piston may be contained within the transmission piston and configured so the cushion piston ceases movement toward the clutch element before the transmission piston. The pistons may be coupled together such that the cushion piston may resist movement of transmission piston toward the clutch element.
US09004251B2

An electromagnetic clutch includes a wrap spring being wound around to be in a pressure bonding state relative to an outer peripheral surface of a tubular portion of a driving-side rotation member. A first end of the wrap spring connects to a driving arm of a driving member, which connects to a driven-side rotation member. A second end of the wrap spring connects to a rim portion of an operating member formed in a disc form. The operating member is rotatable relative to the driven-side rotation member about the rotation axis as the center and movable along the rotation axis. After a rotation of the operating member is restrained, the driving member is restrained from rotation, which operates the wrap spring to twist and cancels the pressure boding state of the wrap spring relative to the driving-side rotation member, which in turn provides a power cutoff state.
US09004243B2

A magneto-rheological damping assembly including a piston (28) defining a core (38). A pair of spaced electromagnets (46) are disposed about the core (38) and are connected to a controller (48) for selectively generating a magnetic flux. A pair of permanent magnets (52) are disposed about the electromagnets (46) and a pole segment (54;154;56;156) is disposed therebetween. A main gap (74) extends through the piston (28) through which magneto-rheological fluid (26) is conveyed. Flux generated by the magnets controls the viscosity of the fluid in the main gap (74) to control the damping force of the assembly. The controller (48) defines an off operating state for cancelling the flux from the permanent magnets (52) across the main gap (74). The core (38) and the pole segment (54;154;56;156) define a closed auxiliary gap (80) extending axially between the electromagnets (46) and radially between the core (38) and the internal pole segment (56) for preventing leakage of flux across the main gap (74) when the assembly is in the off operating state.
US09004242B2

Apparatus for absorbing shock, particularly repetitive shocks, comprises a frame and a shock-absorbing component comprising a shape memory alloy (SMA). In one type of apparatus, one or more SMA rings (65) are mounted on brackets (64) on a frame (62, 63) so that shock received by the frame from one direction changes the shape of the rings into ellipses with major chords in a first direction, and shock received by the frame from the opposite direction changes the shape of the rings into ellipses with major chords in a second direction which is at right angles to the first direction. In other types of apparatus, SMA shock-absorbing components (16, 27, 37, 46, 89) are mounted in a frame (11, 12,13,14,15,17, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32, 34, 35, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47) so that the way in which the shock-absorbing component is deformed is independent of the direction of the shock received by the frame. The shock-absorbing components preferably include a superelastic SMA, optionally in combination with a martensitic SMA. The apparatus is useful for a wide variety of purposes, including the protection from shock of medical devices, electronic assemblies, vehicles, bridges and buildings.
US09004229B2

In order to achieve simple maintenance and/or installation of an elevator system, a marking device has at least one light emitting unit for generating at least one mark on a component of the system.
US09004226B1

In one embodiment, provided is an actively tunable acoustic attenuator having a frame, a membrane within the frame, and a mass secured to the membrane. In another embodiment, provided is an actively tunable acoustic attenuator having a frame, a membrane within the frame, and a mass secured to the membrane. The membrane is coupled, either indirectly or directly, to the frame via a variable stiffness coupler. In another embodiment, provided is an actively tunable acoustic attenuator having a frame and a plurality of membrane layers within the frame. An active material is between at least two of the plurality of membrane layers. A mass is secured to at least one of the plurality of membrane layers.
US09004220B2

A strut suspension is disposed on a vehicle front side of a rotation center of a front wheel. A rack and pinion mechanism is disposed on a vehicle front side of the strut suspension. Since the strut suspension and the rack and pinion mechanism are disposed on the vehicle front side of the rotation center of the front wheel, a foot space can be moved forward to a position where the foot space overlaps the front wheel. A vehicle cabin space can be thereby increased.
US09004217B2

An electric work vehicle is provided in which the length of a high-tension cable connecting an electric motor included in a slewing motor with an inverter for controlling the electric motor can be set to be comparatively short. A region on a main frame is divided into three regions consisting of a center region, a first side region, and a second side region, via a first vertical rib and a second vertical rib. A slewing hydraulic motor and a slew assist electric motor, which constitute the slewing motor, are disposed in the center region, and an inverter for controlling the slew assist electric motor is disposed in a position near the second vertical rib in a second tool chamber provided in the second side region.
US09004216B1

An airbag system mitigates intrusion in the event of an offset rigid barrier impact to a forward corner of a motor vehicle. An airbag is attached proximate a distal end of a front rail. When in the inflated condition, the airbag has an angular leading edge. An impact detection sensor generates a signal upon a corner impact event, whereby a controller processes the signal generated by the detection sensor and electrically actuates an inflator upon a predetermined impact severity. The angular leading edge of the airbag in the inflated condition acts against the offset rigid barrier to generate a lateral force against the offset rigid barrier to push the motor vehicle away from the barrier and thereby redirect impact energy by lateral movement of the motor vehicle.
US09004215B2

A coupling arrangement having a rotational axis, about which the coupling arrangement can rotate, having: a first coupling element with an axially-extending flat-side spur toothing system having radially extending first teeth, a second coupling element with an axially-extending flat-side corresponding toothing system which engages axially into the spur toothing system and has radially-extending second teeth, and at least one means for bracing the first coupling element axially with the second coupling element, which coupling elements are fixedly connected fixedly to one another to rotate together about the rotational axis via the toothing systems to transmit torque. The teeth of at least one of the toothing systems have tooth tip lines that are curved convexly in the axial direction away from a tooth root.
US09004205B2

A multi-vehicle arrangement for heavy haulage includes at least a first tractor unit mechanically connected with a second tractor unit, wherein each tractor unit forms a separately drivable tractor unit including a driver cab), a digital communication device, steering wheels, a braking system, and a power train comprising a power source, a friction clutch, and an automatic transmission, where the friction clutch is arranged to be disengaged or engaged for drive torque transmission from the power source to the automatic transmission, a digital communication link is provided between the tractor units by the digital communication devices, and a control system of the first tractor unit is arranged to control at least a clutch load of the friction clutch of each of the first and second tractor units for the purpose of reducing the risk of over-heating of any of the friction clutches during engagement or disengagement of the friction clutches.
US09004200B2

A robot has a track assembly having tracks configured to move the robot in a first direction and a wheel assembly having wheels configured to move the robot in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A toggling assembly switches between the track assembly and the wheel assembly. The robot modules can mate with each other. The robot module has an elongated shaft with a head and a narrow neck. The shaft extends outward from the side of the robot module. A mating robot module has a clamping mechanism with opposing clamps which in an opened position receive the shaft. In a closed position, the clamps define an opening which matches and engages the cross-section of the neck of the elongated shaft. The clamping mechanism has a drive mode to drive the module, a clamping mode for docking, and neutral mode for alignment prior to clamping.
US09004195B2

A method of forming a wellbore is disclosed. An inner string and an outer string are conveyed downhole. The inner string is attached to the outer string at a first location and the wellbore is formed. The inner stringy is attached to the outer string at a second location us hole of the first location and an annulus between the outer string and the wellbore is cemented without retrieving the inner string from the wellbore.
US09004190B2

A hand held material moving tool is disclosed. The material engaging implement has a material engaging portion adapted for movement of material. A handle is connected to a top surface of the tool. The handle is positioned low and in close proximity to the material engaging portion of the implement. The handle is connected to the tool by a swivel mechanism permitting a predetermined amount of pivot of the implement in relation to the handle about an axis.
US09004184B2

The invention provides a wellbore system comprising an expandable tubular element arranged in a wellbore formed in an earth formation whereby an annular space is present between the tubular element and a wall surrounding the tubular element. The tubular element is provided with sealing means for sealing the annular space, wherein the sealing means includes a foldable wall section of the tubular element. The foldable wall section has a reduced bending stiffness relative to a remainder wall section of the tubular element and is deformable from an unfolded mode to a folded mode by application of a compressive folding force to the tubular element. The foldable wall section when in the folded mode comprises at least one annular fold extending radially outward into said annular space. The wellbore system further comprises a folding device for applying said folding force to the tubular element.
US09004181B2

A system and method is provided for a law profile rotating control device (LP-RCD) and its housing mounted on or integral with an annular blowout preventer seal, casing, or other housing. The LP-RCD and LP-RCD housing can fit within a limited space available on drilling rigs.
US09004165B2

A method and assembly for recovering oil using elastic vibration energy involves placing a downhole apparatus in a well, which downhole apparatus is connected to aboveground power supply units and contains an ultrasonic transducer that provides for the generation of high frequency elastic vibrations, exciting elastic vibrations of different frequencies and then repeatedly applying the elastic vibrations to the oil formation, wherein both high and low frequency vibrations are applied to the formation. The low frequency vibrations are generated with the aid of an electric pulse device which is connected to an aboveground power supply and includes the following electrically interconnected components: a charger, a unit of energy storage capacitors, a discharge unit with electrodes, and two switching devices. The method and assembly make it possible to recover oil from depths of over 2000 meters and to act effectively on the formation being treated.
US09004163B2

The equipment for drilling and reinforcing a borehole of a well comprises a drill pipe string carrying a drill tool at its lowermost end and a downhole treatment device held on the drill pipe string for applying a liner of polymer material at the surface of the borehole. The polymer material is a fusible and/or curable material dissolved and/or emulsified and/or dispersed in drilling fluid or mud circulated through the drill pipe string and an annulus between the drill pipe string and the wall of the borehole. The treatment device is adapted to concentrate energy for fusing and/or curing the polymer material contained in the drilling fluid in a limited space at the vicinity of the wall of the borehole. The treatment device thus focuses its energy in the vicinity of the wall and allows a continuous reinforcing of the borehole simultaneously while drilling.
US09004155B2

Passive completion optimization with fluid loss control. A completion string includes a set of well tools interconnected as a portion of the completion string, the well tools including a well screen assembly, at least one valve which controls fluid communication between an interior and exterior of the string, and two packer assemblies, each of the packer assemblies including at least one swellable seal element, and the packer assemblies longitudinally straddling the valve and the screen assembly. Another completion string includes a set of well tools interconnected as a portion of the completion string, the well tools including two packer assemblies, a well screen assembly, and the screen assembly including an inflow control device which restricts fluid flow through the screen assembly, each of the packer assemblies including a swellable seal element, and the packer assemblies longitudinally straddling the screen assembly.
US09004152B2

A heat exchange device for powdery and granular materials configured to reduce adherence and accumulation of the materials and manufacturing time. The heat exchange device includes at least one substantially hollow disk-shaped heat exchanger among a plurality of heat exchangers that is disposed on the shaft about which the heat exchanger rotates. The hollow disc-shape heat exchanger includes a cutout recess part, plate surfaces extending from one side edge of the cutout recess part and forming a wedge-shaped plate surface, and a smoothly bulging projection formed at a central part of the heat exchanger. In addition, an opening is provided in the hollow disk-shaped heat exchanger at a tip end of the projection, and a shaft is inserted into the opening and joined to the hollow disc-shaped heat exchanger.
US09004143B2

A blinds-between-glass window assembly includes spacers with a thermal break. The assembly is modular in that the same components can be used to form window assemblies of varying thicknesses by replacement of the corner keys. A spring counter-balance mechanism is mounted within a side rail to provide a counter-balancing force against a magnetic follower. Guards are disclosed to reduce scratching or marring that can occur if the blind slats bump against the frame or glass.
US09004140B2

A hollow body batten having sidewalls (2) joined by a transverse wall (4) which divides the hollow body into a fabric cavity (6) and a clip cavity (8). Access to the clip cavity (8) is through a clip slot (10) which extends from end to end of the batten. Access to the fabric cavity (6) is through a fabric slot (12) which extends from end to end of the batten.
US09004137B2

The invention relates to bicycle work stands for making repairs and changing and mounting tubeless tires. There is provided a one-sided wheel work stand with a pivotal upper wheel bracket which allows the user to work unobstructed on the wheel and then acts as a device to lay the wheel flat for better sealing. In related embodiments, the work stand is configured to assist a user in adapting 32 mm 15 QR axle hubs and in truing a bicycle wheel while attached to the work stand.
US09004136B2

A center-folded film splicer is disclosed. The splicer comprises a splicer assembly that is adjustably mounted to a wrapping device such that it can be moved between a storage position and an operating (or splicing) position. The splicer assembly comprises a pair of heat bars, an upper heat bar and a lower heat bar, connected with a synchronized hinge and a back-up pad bar disposed therebetween. In this manner, the upper and lower layers (or “legs”) of the films from a depleted film roll and a fresh film roll can be simultaneously sealed to each other to create a continuous film that does not need to be rethreaded through the wrapping device when replacing film rolls.
US09004126B2

A pneumatic tire for improving steering stability performance on dry and wet road surfaces. The tire tread pattern has circumferential center main grooves, outside and inside main grooves, land sections demarcated by the main grooves, ground contact borders on both sides of the tire, and closed shoulder lug grooves. A ratio Wmax/Wout of a maximum main groove width Wmax and an outside main groove width Wout is at between 1.5 and 2.5 inclusive. A ratio Sin/Sout of a groove area ratio Sin of a region on a tire-widthwise second side of a tire centerline and a groove area ratio Sout of a region on a first side of the tire centerline is at least 1.10 and smaller than 1.25. A groove area ratio of a region on the second side of a tire-widthwise centerline of the intermediate land sections exceeds that of a region on the first side.
US09004120B2

A wheel assembly includes a rim, a rib surrounding and radially spaced apart from the rim, and a resilient member that engages the rib. The resilient member is tied to the rim, such that the rim is resiliently held in relation to the round rib at least in part by tension in the resilient member.
US09004116B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for inflating a chamber within an inflatable avalanche safety system. The method includes providing an inflatable avalanche safety system including an inflatable chamber; receiving a user-triggered action intended to activate the avalanche safety system; transmitting ambient air from an external region to within the inflatable chamber; and inflating the inflatable chamber entirely with the transmitted external ambient air to a particular internal pressure and shape configured to protect the user from burial during an avalanche. The transmission of ambient air within the inflatable chamber may be accomplished with a fan or an electrical component.
US09004101B2

Disclosed is a device for causing turbulent flow in a tank assembly that includes, inter alia, a base portion and a vane element that extends in an axial direction from the base portion. The vane element has a curved surface formed at a distal end thereof which is adapted and configured to redirect fluid traversing the device axially in a non-axial direction. Still further, a plurality of shoulder elements extend radially outward from the axis of the vane element and are adapted and configured for limiting that axial insertion of the device into a fitting associated with the tank assembly. In an embodiment of the present invention, the vane element includes lateral edges which are adapted and configured for press-fit engagement with an inside diameter of the fitting associate with the tank assembly.
US09004098B2

A water pressure regulator includes a sealing member and a body having a diaphragm assembly. The diaphragm assembly is positioned and secured within the body to define first and second chambers. The diaphragm assembly has a force acting thereon from within the second chamber. The first chamber defines first and second zones and a passageway therebetween. An inlet of the body is configured to provide water to the first zone and an outlet of the body is configured to deliver water out of the second zone. The sealing member is positioned within the first zone. The sealing member seals the passageway by a force of the water in the first zone acting upon the sealing member and by a gravitational force acting upon the sealing member. The sealing member is formed in the shape of a spherical ball. The water pressure regulator may be used in a watering system.
US09004088B1

A portable canopy can be deployed either on a vehicle or on a paved area. Depending on the amount of tension of its elastic corner straps, the canopy can be deployed in a convex configuration, so as to arch over the cab of a vehicle, or alternatively in a substantially flat configuration, so as to cover a pavement. A series of coil spring strips within the canopy urge it to curl up around its longitudinal axis, so that, when the corner straps are released on one side, that side is lifted by the contraction of the coil strips, thereby expelling accumulated snow/ice to the other side of the vehicle or pavement.
US09004086B2

A processing chamber for post-wet-etch removing of drying fluid (DF) is disclosed. The chamber includes a chamber wall surrounding a processing volume and a plurality of nozzles disposed annularly about the processing volume and arranged into a set of nozzle rows that includes at least one nozzle row. The chamber also includes a plenum and a set of manifolds coupled to the plurality of nozzles to deliver the supercritical CO2 to the plurality of nozzles. Each nozzle has a nozzle outlet directed toward an interior portion of the processing volume and the nozzles are configured to flow the supercritical CO2 toward the substrates in a manner that minimizes recirculation loops and vortices.
US09004085B2

A dishwashing machine including a dishwasher rack that assumes at least two different height positions; a spraying device to apply washing liquor to items to be washed, wherein the spraying device is assigned to the dishwasher rack; a hydraulic system to supply the spraying device with washing liquor; and a coupling with at least two openings to provide a liquid-conducting connection between the hydraulic system and the spraying device at the at least two different height positions and at at least two tilt positions. The at least two different height positions and the at least two tilt positions are assigned to at least one of the at least two openings to establish the liquid-conducting connection.
US09004079B2

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of drying a substrate to be processed while suppressing the pattern collapse or the occurrence of contamination. A substrate is held in a liquid bath while being immersed in a liquid, and the liquid bath is disposed in a processing space of a processing vessel. A processing of drying the substrate is performed by replacing the liquid in the liquid bath with a supercritical-state fluid. A predetermined mechanism moves liquid bath between a processing location in the processing case and a stand-by location outside the processing case. A heater installed in the processing case changes the fluid to a supercritical state or maintains the supercritical state while cooling mechanisms cool down the liquid bath moved to the stand-by location outside the processing vessel.
US09004077B2

A pubic patch is provided to apply to the pubic area of a woman, particularly the mons pubis (Pubic Mound) area of the pelvic region. The pubic patch includes an adhesive base with a front side and a back side with decorative material attached to the front side, and the back side attached to human body. The pubic patch may further comprise fragrances and/or illuminating devices. The decorative material may be hairs attached to supporting sheet or LED material. Further, a products kit is provided which contains a plurality of pubic patches. The product kit may include an instruction booklet. A method of using the pubic patch is also provided comprises the steps of selecting a pubic patch and applying the pubic patch to the human surface in the pubic area.
US09004072B2

A cannula support assembly capable of supporting a nasal cannula that delivers oxygen or other gas or gas mixtures to a user is disclosed. The assembly has a plurality of retention clips into which cannula tubes are inserted and retained in a manner so as not to interfere or cause discomfort to a user. The front support assembly housing has a left and a right depression that lowers housing elements well below the line-of-sight of the user so that his or her vision is not impaired when using the assembly. The depressions also allow for the user to wear eyeglasses in conjunction with using the assembly.
US09004064B2

A delivery device that includes a cutter for opening a barrier layer to provide fluid access to a dose chamber, and a diverting structure for direct air flow toward the dose chamber.
US09004063B1

An inhaler device having an air canister with a nozzle aperture and a nozzle shaft, the nozzle shaft has a first and second end, the first end is external to the canister and the second end protrudes into the canister, wherein a lip is at the second end, a gasket sandwiched between the nozzle aperture and shaft, a gasket extension extending downwardly, a spray orifice in the shaft at the first end, an external ventilation hole in the shaft external to the canister, an internal ventilation hole in the shaft, and an air channel in the nozzle shaft fluidly connected to each spray orifice, external and internal ventilation hole, wherein the nozzle shaft can move between an open and closed position, the nozzle shaft is biased in the closed position.
US09004058B1

A barbeque grill and outdoor patio accessory system with an automotive theme has a barbeque grill with a multi-component automobile-shaped upper housing. The system has a grill control panel having a general form of an automobile dashboard. Upon activation of a keyed switch the burner igniter provides the ignition spark for the burner, and the audio playback system plays pre-recorded audio themed sounds. The system has an integrated patio lighting assembly with a light housing having a general shape of an automobile wheel and tire assembly. The light housing is located in a general area with respect to the wheel and tire assembly location on a typical automobile. The lighting member can be extended out and away from the first side upper housing via a telescopic pole. The lighting member is pivotally located on a pole second end via a ball and socket joint.
US09004048B2

A gas sensor assembly for sensing a pressure of a gas including a housing, a carrier, an electronic chip, a cap and a biasing apparatus. The housing has a wall defining cavity with a port open to the gas. The carrier is mounted to the wall in the cavity. The electronic chip is secured to the carrier on an opposed side from the port and includes a diaphragm portion exposed to the port. The cap is mounted to the chip on an opposed side from the carrier. The biasing apparatus is located between the cap and the wall of the housing, with the biasing apparatus being configured to bias the cap toward the chip whereby gas pressure acting against the diaphragm is opposed by the biasing apparatus.
US09004047B2

An engine assembly generally includes an engine and an intake manifold. The engine includes a plurality of cylinders. The plurality of cylinders includes a pair of cylinders. The engine is configured to sequentially fire the pair of cylinders. The intake manifold defines a plurality of ports. Each port is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of cylinders. The plurality of ports includes a pair of ports. Each of the pair of ports is disposed in fluid communication with one of the pair of cylinders. The intake manifold further includes a baffle disposed between the pair of ports to restrict fluid flow within the intake manifold between the pair of ports.
US09004040B2

An internal combustion engine includes, but is not limited to an engine block, a crankshaft associated to the engine block, a cylinder head fixed on top of the engine block so as to define an assembly axis of the internal combustion engine, a camshaft, and a housing for a timing device connecting the crankshaft to the camshaft, the housing having a frontal opening which is laterally delimited by two opposite sidewalls belonging to the engine block and two opposite sidewalls belonging to the cylinder head, the frontal opening being closed with a first cover fixed to the sidewalls of the engine block, and with a second cover fixed to the sidewalls of the cylinder head.
US09004039B2

A cylinder lubrication system comprises a cylinder liner defining a cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted in the cylinder for axial travel along a cylinder axis and having a piston skirt that moves in close proximity with the cylinder, an oil supply passage extending substantially circumferentially about an outer surface of the cylinder liner, an oil supply line fluidly connecting the oil supply passage to an oil supply, a series of small holes extending radially through the cylinder liner, from the cylinder to the oil supply passage, and operable as oil passages for lubricating oil from the oil supply to flow to the upper portion of the cylinder.
US09004030B2

A variable valve actuating apparatus includes: a first lock recessed portion; a first lock member; a second lock recessed portion formed in the second rotary member's side; a second lock member; a first lock passage arranged to supply the hydraulic fluid, and thereby to move the first lock member out of the first lock recessed portion; and a second lock passage arranged to supply the hydraulic fluid, and thereby to move the second lock member out of the second lock recessed portion, at least a part of the first lock recessed portion and at least a part of the second lock recessed portion being disposed at a position to be projected in an axial direction when the first lock member and the second lock member are in the lock state.
US09004017B2

A water heater includes a bypass that is formed, on the side of a water supply pipe, branching from a main water path and bypassing a part of the main water path, and a flow path switching unit (a valve and a stepping motor) that is formed at a branching portion of the main water path and the bypass. The flow path switching unit is controlled by a controller and that can selectively switch a flow path between the main water path and the bypass. A microbubble generator generating microbubbles is provided on the bypass, the microbubble generator including a water agitator portion, a compression portion and a decompression portion. When the controller determines that scale has built up, the flow path is switched to the bypass by the flow path switching unit, and water containing microbubbles is caused to flow inside the water heater.
US09004005B2

An apparatus for aligning a dispenser includes a table having a first alignment mark, an alignment plate provided along at least one side of the table, at least one syringe supplying a dispensing material to the alignment plate through a nozzle provided at one end portion thereof to form a second alignment mark, a first image camera provided along a side of the syringe and detecting an image of the second alignment mark, a second image camera detecting an image of the first alignment mark, and an alignment control unit aligning the image of the second alignment mark and a first reference position, and aligning an image of the first alignment mark and a second reference position.
US09004001B2

A co-extrusion device has at least one first inlet port to receive a first material, at least one second inlet port to receive a second material, a first combining channel arranged to receive the first material and the second material and combine the first and second materials into a first combined flow flowing in a first direction. a splitter channel arranged to receive the first combined flow and to split the first combined flow into at least two split flows in a second direction at least partially orthogonal to the first direction, wherein each split flow consists of the first and second materials, and a second combining channel arranged to receive the split flows and combine the split flows into a second combined flow in the first direction, and at least one exit orifice arranged to allow the materials to exit the device as a single flow. A method for depositing a structure comprising interdigitated materials includes merging flows of at least two materials in a first direction into a first combined flow, dividing the first combined flow in a second direction to produce at least two separate flows, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and merging the two separate flows into a second combined flow.
US09003996B2

The present invention of MagDrag relates to methods and apparatus of a magnetic hull attaching sea anchors to slow down and impair the forward motion of sea vessels. The basic MagDrag device includes three major components, a large magnet, a sea anchor bag and a buoy.
US09003995B2

A floating offshore structure is disclosed. The floating offshore structure, which is for drilling or production, includes a semi-submerged platform body in the shape of a cylinder that is extended vertically above and below the sea level. The platform body is formed with a concave part that reduces its cross-sectional area. The concave part is discontinuously formed along an external circumferential surface of the platform body. The depth of submergence of the platform body is adjusted so that the water line is located at the concave part in an extreme marine condition.
US09003982B1

A horticulture apparatus for preparing and seeding a strip of farmland with a tractor includes a front frame fixed with the tractor and including a horizontal tine support bar for holding a plurality of downwardly-projecting tines. The front frame includes a middle frame pivot mount and pivot angle adjustment mechanism. A middle frame is fixed with the middle frame pivot mount and is adapted to be raised or lowered. A longitudinal support bar is fixed with a drill planter roller assembly that includes two drill planter roller frames each supporting at least one adjustable drill planter roller. A U-shaped back frame has two forward arms each pivotally fixed with the middle frame and including a rear drill planter roller. A seed distributing mechanism for fixing with the tractor includes a hopper having an open top end and a bottom end that includes a seed distribution opening and a seed spreader.
US09003981B2

A furniture connector includes a pair of connector blocks disposed in opposing relation. Each of the connector blocks includes: a first end which cooperate to removably secure an end of a longitudinal frame member between the pair of connector blocks; and a second end having a first flange and a second flange extending longitudinally. When the pair of connector blocks are secured to the end of the longitudinal frame member, the first flange of each connector block cooperate to define a proximal transverse channel where a first transverse frame member may be removably secured to the pair of connector blocks. The second flange of each connector block cooperate to define a distal transverse channel where a second transverse frame member may be removably secured to the pair of connector blocks.
US09003977B2

Various methods and systems are provided for a rail vehicle. In one example, a rail vehicle includes a first engine positioned in a central location of the rail vehicle, the first engine configured to combust at least one of a first fuel or a second fuel. The rail vehicle further includes a fuel tank positioned in place of an operator cab, the fuel tank configured to store the second fuel.
US09003971B2

An apparatus for producing proof prints on which the correctness of page impositions can be checked comprises a stand configured to receive a roll of paper. A first printer and a second printer are provided for printing pages on the front side and the rear side, respectively, of a paper web fed from the paper roll. An optical sensor is arranged between the first printer and the second printer. The optical sensor is configured to detect the position of an alignment mark which has been printed by the first printer on the front side of the paper. A control unit modifies the spatial relationship between the rear side of the paper and what is printed on the rear side of the paper depending on the detected position of the alignment mark. This can be accomplished either by electronically modifying the second pages as such, or by mechanically modifying the paper position with respect to a printing head contained in the second printer.
US09003967B2

Embodiments of the present relate generally to devices and methods for separating and removing liquid waste from mixed waste. One embodiment relates to a trash compactor having a suction line for removing collected liquid. A further embodiment relates to a trash compactor having a sloped platen for allowing liquid to collect for subsequent removal or drainage.
US09003966B2

At least part of the side of the crossbeam facing the knotter is inclined at an angle of more than ninety degrees to the upper wall of the baling chamber in order to permit a smooth flow of air from the fan past the knotter.
US09003965B2

Method of baling switchgrass whole stalks into square bales at bulk densities between 12.5 and 20.5 lbs/ft3, optimized for highway transport after dry down to maximize semi-trailer truck payloads.
US09003939B2

Rotary cutting apparatus has a frame, a first rotary device and a second rotary device. Each of the first and second rotary devices has a shaft concentrically arranged about a rotational axis and a drum and are arranged in the frame in such a way that said first and second axes are substantially horizontal and substantially in the same vertical plane. A pair of bearing housings is arranged on either side of each of the drums. A first pair of bearing housings is movable relative to the frame in a transverse direction to the first rotational axis by means of a force means. Means is provided for passive vibration attenuation of at least the first shaft that includes a mass damper having a housing and a damping body movably arranged inside the housing, wherein the mass damper is associated with the first pair of bearing housings.
US09003936B2

A cutting head of a waterjet cutting system is provided having an environment control device and a measurement device. The environment control device is positioned to act on a surface of a workpiece at least during a measurement operation to establish a measurement area on the surface of the workpiece substantially unobstructed by fluid. The measurement device is positioned to selectively obtain information from within the measurement area indicative of a position of the cutting head relative to the workpiece. A control system is further provided and operable to position the cutting head relative to the workpiece at a standoff distance based at least in part on the information indicative of the position of the cutting head relative to the workpiece obtained by the measurement device. A method of operating a waterjet cutting system is also provided.
US09003932B2

A combination tool of the locknut wrench type, which includes a leveling device and a screwdriver blade on the opposite end. The locknut head and screwdriver ends may be interchanged depending on the size locknut wrench needed and the type of screwdriver needed.
US09003931B2

A pair of pliers having replaceable jaws is provided. The first plier member has a handle and a jaw assembly. The first plier member jaw assembly includes a body defining an elongated slot and having at least one guide surface. The second plier member has a handle assembly and a jaw assembly. The second plier member jaw assembly is selectively disposed in one of two configurations, a first configuration, wherein the second plier member jaw assembly is separated from the first plier member, and a second configuration, wherein the second plier member jaw assembly is slidably coupled to the first plier member with the second plier member jaw assembly guide member at least one guide surface slidably engaging the first plier member jaw assembly body at least one guide surface.
US09003926B2

An oil passage structure of a chain-driven oil pump includes three lines of oil passages for supplying oil from the center support to the torque converter, a first oil passage for supplying oil to the torque converter through the inside of an input shaft of the torque converter, a second oil passage for supplying oil to the torque converter through a space defined by the outer periphery surface of the input shaft and the inner periphery surface of a stator shaft, and a third oil passage for supplying oil to the torque converter by bypassing the drive sprocket. The third oil passage is provided on the outer periphery side of the drive sprocket and in a position where it does not interfere with the operation of a chain. Accordingly, it is possible to utilize the flex lock-up to a maximum extent, and to reduce the diameter of the sprocket.
US09003915B2

Regardless of the shift range of the ‘current shift stage’ while the shift lever is at the home position, the shift range is necessarily shifted to N range if the operator presses the first button. Thus, the operator can shift the shift range from N range to R range or D range (N→R, N→D) if, while maintaining the pressed state of the first button, the operator moves the shift lever from the home position, which is at the center of the three shift positions, to A position or B position corresponding to indication R or indication D.
US09003913B2

An operation input device includes: an operation body having a handle portion, the operation body tilting when the user tilts the operation axis line of the handle portion, and the operation body turning when the user turns the handle portion around the rotation axis line; a stopping portion that abuts on and stops the operation body so as to limit a tilting range of the operation body; a first concavo-convex portion disposed on the operation body; and a second concavo-convex portion. The second concavo-convex portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the first concavo-convex portion of the operation body when the stopping portion stops a tilting motion of the operation body. The first concavo-convex portion and the second concavo-convex portion are engaged with each other so as to restrict a turning motion of the operation body.
US09003910B2

An instrumental unit includes: a step motor; a gear including: a gear body rotated by torque of the step motor, the gear body including a first surface formed with a recess and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a rotary shaft projecting from the first and second surfaces; a controlling spring accommodated in the recess, a center of the controlling spring through which the rotary shaft projects, the controlling spring having lengths in long and short axis directions orthogonal to each other and having a line-symmetric shape with respect to each of the long and short axis directions; and a case accommodating the step motor, the gear body and the controlling spring, an inner surface of the case including: a first portion supporting the second surface; and a second portion pressing the controlling spring in the recess of the first surface.
US09003895B2

The present invention pertains to a flow conditioner for displacing and mixing fluid flow to minimize the effects of thermal gradients on the accuracy of a transit time ultrasonic flowmeter and defines an envelope in a cross sectional direction in a pipe having a first ramp adapted to be disposed in the pipe and extending from the outside of the envelope inward toward the center of the pipe in a downstream direction with respect to the fluid flow and forming an angle between 0° and 90° relative to the pipe's inner surface. The conditioner has a second ramp adapted to be disposed in the pipe and in juxtaposition with the first ramp, the second ramp extending from the outside of the envelope inward toward the center of the pipe in an upstream direction with respect to the fluid flow and forming an angle between 0° and 90° relative to the pipe's inner surface. An apparatus for determining fluid flow in a pipe having ultrasonic transducer sites. A method for determining fluid flow in a pipe. A method for affecting fluid flow in a pipe.
US09003889B2

A resonant pressure sensor including one or more resonant-type strain gauges arranged on a diaphragm may include a sensor substrate made of silicon and including one surface on which one or more resonant-type strain gauge elements are arranged and the other surface which is polished to have a thickness corresponding to the diaphragm, a base substrate made of silicon and including one surface directly bonded with the other surface of the sensor substrate, a concave portion formed in a portion of the base substrate bonding with the sensor substrate, substantially forming the diaphragm in the sensor substrate, and including a predetermined gap that does not restrict a movable range of the diaphragm due to foreign substances and suppresses vibration of the diaphragm excited by vibration of the resonant-type strain gauge elements, one or more conducting holes, and a fluid.
US09003888B2

A method for obtaining seismic information about a subsurface formation using at least one fiber optic cable having its proximal end coupled to a light source and a photodetector comprises: transmitting into the cable at least one light pulse; receiving at the photodetector a first and second light signals indicative of the physical status of at least one first cable section and at least one second cable section, respectively, wherein the first and second sections are selected so as to provide first and second information items, respectively; optionally, further processing at least one of the first and second information items so as to produce derivative information; and outputting at least one of the first, second, and derivative information items to a display; wherein the second item differs from the first item in at least one aspect selected from the group consisting of: resolution, area, and location.
US09003886B2

Embodiments of compact micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices are provided, as are embodiments of methods for fabricating MEMS devices. In one embodiment, the MEMS device includes a substrate, a movable structure resiliently coupled to the substrate, and an anchored structure fixedly coupled to the substrate. The movable structure includes a first plurality of movable fingers, and a second plurality of movable fingers electrically isolated from and interspersed with the first plurality of movable fingers. The anchored structure includes fixed fingers interspersed with first and second pluralities of movable fingers in a capacitor-forming relationship. First and second interconnects are electrically coupled to the first and second pluralities of movable fingers, respectively.
US09003883B2

In an angular velocity sensor, an upper electrode of a first piezoelectric element and a lower electrode of a second piezoelectric element are connected to an input terminal of a first Q/V conversion circuit, and a lower electrode of the first piezoelectric element and an upper electrode of the second piezoelectric element are connected to an input terminal of a second Q/V conversion circuit. Thus, vibration noise components of the quantities of charge generated at the first and second piezoelectric elements are cancelled out, and Coriolis components of the quantities of charge generated at the first and second piezoelectric elements are added, whereby only the Coriolis components are extracted.
US09003874B2

A communication system can include a transmitter which transmits a signal, and at least one sensing device which receives the signal, the sensing device including a line contained in an enclosure, and the signal being detected by the line through a material of the enclosure. A sensing system can include at least one sensor which senses a parameter, at least one sensing device which receives an indication of the parameter, the sensing device including a line contained in an enclosure, and a transmitter which transmits the indication of the parameter to the line through a material of the enclosure. Another sensing system can include an object which displaces in a subterranean well. At least one sensing device can receive a signal from the object. The sensing device can include a line contained in an enclosure, and the signal can be detected by the line through a material of the enclosure.
US09003870B2

To address this and/or other needs, the present inventor devised, among other things, a passive moisture detection probe that can be installed and left in place to continuously indicate whether the moisture-content in the wall-cavity of a building is below or above a desirable level. One exemplary moisture detection assembly includes a moisture-absorbent sensor element and an indicator. The sensor element, which can be placed in contact with the inner surface of a home's exterior sheathing, expands and contracts in response to the moisture content of the sheathing. The indicator, for example a rod, moves in responsive to the expansion and contraction of the sensor element, with its relative position corresponding to the moisture in the exterior sheathing and thus providing an on-going and observable sign of moisture intrusion.
US09003867B2

To provide a gas sensor which can stably carry out a retention of a sensor element by a contact member and a reservation of an electric continuity between them. A contact member has an insertion port in which the sensor element is inserted and retained to obtain an electric connection with the sensor element. The contact member is provided with a plurality of sensor element retaining members which respectively have a plurality of abutting parts abutting on the sensor element, at least a part of a plurality of abutting parts is a first abutting part which has a leading end part formed as a linear shape or a point-like shape, and the leading end part of the first abutting part is a free end part which applies an elastic force to the sensor element while having point contact or line contact with the sensor element.
US09003865B2

An in-oil gas concentration measuring system comprises: gas extracting which extracts an in-oil gas from an insulating oil sample; component detecting which detects gas components of the in-oil gas extracted by the gas extracting; extracted-gas concentration calculating which calculates, on the basis of data detected by the component detecting, extracted-gas concentrations of the gas components being detected; extracted-gas concentration storing which stores information on the extracted-gas concentrations calculated by the extracted-gas concentration calculating as a result of two or more extractions performed by the gas extracting, the information being stored in each of the extractions; and in-oil gas concentration calculating which calculates in-oil gas concentrations of the gas components on the basis of the extracted-gas concentrations thus stored in the extracted-gas concentration storing.
US09003864B2

A method for estimating wear resistance of a tread portion of a tire comprises: a tire manufacturing step in which the tire to be evaluated is manufactured; a rubber seat sampling step in which an evaluation rubber seat is cut out from the tread portion of the tire to include a part of the tread surface; an abrasion step in which the rubber seat is subjected to abrasion by the use of an indoor wear testing machine; and a wear resistance estimating step in which the wear resistance of the tire is estimated based on a state of the wear of the rubber seat caused in the abrasion step.
US09003857B2

A current density changing portion is formed in a heating process on an upper base side with respect to a center portion of a flat metal plate in a direction of current flow, by passing current from a lower base side to the upper base side of the flat metal plate which is rectangular when viewed from above. As a result, a quenchable portion is formed on the upper base side with respect to the center portion of the flat metal plate in the direction of current flow, and a non-quenchable portion is formed on the lower base side with respect to the center portion of the flat metal plate in the direction of current flow. The flat metal plate is press-formed after the heating process, so a complex die cooling structure is not necessary during press-forming, which enables the die cost to be reduced.
US09003853B2

Disclosed is a roller hemming device capable of maintaining performance to hem a work at low cost. Specifically disclosed is a roller hemming device for performing preliminary bending to a work placed on a bottom die along a guide surface formed on the bottom die, which includes a roller for hemming the work, and a guide member protruding radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the roller. The guide member is in contact with the guide surface of the bottom die during the preliminary bending.
US09003838B2

A laundry treating appliance having a drum, defining a treating chamber, with a lifter and a balancing system having at least one balancing ring and a reservoir located in the lifter and a liquid supply system fluidly coupled to the reservoir. Liquid may be supplied to the ring and to the reservoir through the ring to offset an imbalance in a laundry load located within the drum.
US09003834B2

The present invention provides a glass substrate for magnetic disk in which surface irregularity of a principal surface is suppressed and a method for efficiently manufacturing a glass substrate for magnetic disk. The method includes the steps of: forming a sheet glass material by performing press forming to molten glass, a principal surface of the sheet glass material having target flatness for the glass substrate for magnetic disk, the sheet glass material having a surface shape to be ground using a grinding abrasive grain; grinding the sheet glass material using a fixed abrasive grain; and polishing the sheet glass material using a loose abrasive grain, the sheet glass material having surface irregularity of the principal surface ground using the fixed abrasive grain.
US09003833B2

This invention provides a porous glass with a varied porous structure that shows an excellent optical performance. A method of manufacturing a porous glass comprising: a first step of forming a surface layer containing a boron compound and an alkali metal compound as main ingredients on a matrix glass containing a silicon oxide, a boron oxide and an alkali metal oxide; a second step of heat treatment the matrix glass and the surface layer for phase separation to form a phase-separated glass; and a third step of acid treatment the phase-separated glass to form the porous glass having pores.
US09003826B2

The motor (1) of the present invention is fed by the mains voltage (Vac), and comprises a main winding (MW), an auxiliary winding (AW), a first triac (2) connected in series to the auxiliary winding (AW) which provides to start up the motor (1) by being actuated at the moment of start up in order to operate the motor (1), a second triac (3) connected in series to the main winding (MW) which provides the motor (1) to continue operating and a control unit (4) which controls the start up and operation of the motor (1) by actuating the triacs (2 and 3) when required.
US09003824B2

An aseptic ice making system includes an ice making system to receive water from a water supply. The ice making system includes an ice producing subsystem to produce ice and a positive air pressure subsystem to maintain a positive air pressure environment within the ice making system.
US09003814B2

A method for operating an air-conditioning system for an aircraft includes compressing ambient air with a compressor driven by a shaft in communication with a motor and a turbine. The method includes forwarding the compressed air to an aircraft cabin for circulation and removing circulated compressed air from the aircraft cabin. The method also includes forwarding the circulated compressed air to the turbine, depressurizing the circulated compressed air in the turbine and capturing energy created by depressurizing the circulated compressed air.
US09003813B2

A water discharge system enhances heat transfer to the atmosphere by limiting the mixing of heated discharge water with the ambient water of a receiving water body. The heated water is maintained near the top surface of the receiving water body which increases the transfer of heat to the atmosphere as compared to a system where the discharge water is mixed quickly with the ambient water.
US09003807B2

The present invention comprises a gas turbine engine and a process for operating a gas turbine engine. A fluid structure receives compressed air from a compressor and extends toward a stationary blade ring in a turbine to discharge the compressed air directly against a surface of the blade ring such that the compressed air impinges on the blade ring surface. The compressed air then passes through at least one opening in the stationary blade ring and into cooling passages of a corresponding row of vanes.
US09003806B2

A method of operating a combustor having a central nozzle and a plurality of outer nozzles surrounding the central nozzle is provided. The method includes providing a liquid fuel to only the plurality of outer nozzles at a specified total energy input. The method includes decreasing the liquid fuel to the plurality of outer nozzles while simultaneously increasing a gas fuel to the central nozzle and the plurality of outer nozzles to substantially maintain the specified total energy input. The method includes supplying a fuel-air ratio of the gas fuel to the central nozzle that exceeds a threshold value such that a central nozzle flame is anchored. An air-fuel ratio of the gas fuel to the plurality of outer nozzles is less than the threshold value such that a plurality of outer nozzle flames are lifted until a purge flow is supplied to the outer nozzles.
US09003802B2

A fuel injector device for an annular combustion chamber of a turbine engine, including a pilot circuit feeding an injector and a multipoint circuit feeding injection orifices formed in a front face of an annular ring mounted in an annular chamber, together with a thermal insulation mechanism insulating the front face and including an annular cavity formed around the injection orifices between the front face of the annular ring and a front wall of the annular chamber and configured to be filled in operation with air or with coked fuel.
US09003795B2

The disclosed subject matter relates to methods and systems for operating a solar steam system in response to a detected or predicted reduced insolation condition (for example, sunset or a cloud condition). In some embodiments, for a period of time, enthalpy stored within a solid material of a conduit via which steam travels en route to a steam turbine is used to heat the steam to drive the turbine. In some embodiments, a net migration of heliostats away from the steam superheater is carried out in response to the detected or predicted reduced insolation condition.
US09003789B2

An energy harvesting system for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a heat engine that operates using a shape memory alloy active material. The shape memory alloy member may be in thermal communication with a hot region at a first temperature and a cold region at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The shape memory alloy material may be configured to selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite to austenite and thereby one of contract and expand in response to the first and second temperatures. A thermal conduction element may be in direct contact with the SMA material, where the thermal conduction element is configured to receive thermal energy from the hot region and to transfer a portion of the received thermal energy to the SMA material through conduction.
US09003772B2

A method for metering fuel from a high pressure system, comprising at least one high pressure pump, one pressure accumulator and one high pressure injection valve, into an exhaust gas duct of an internal combustion engine in order to regenerate a nitrogen oxide storage catalyst (NSC) disposed in the exhaust gas duct, wherein a higher pressure of the fuel is generated by the electrically actuated high pressure pump, which discretely delivers fuel and has a constant stroke volume, wherein the fuel is supplied to the pressure accumulator comprising a pressure measuring device for determining the fuel pressure and wherein the fuel is injected into the exhaust gas duct via the downstream, electrically actuated high pressure injection valve.
US09003771B2

The invention relates to a static mixer for an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine-driven vehicle, with a plurality of flow guide elements which influence the flow of an exhaust gas stream and which are inclined at a given angle relative to the mixer plane and are held in the exhaust gas channel by means of at least one retaining strip. According to the invention the at least one retaining strip is made resilient at least in partial regions and/or is elastically supported in the plane of the mixer.
US09003763B2

An apparatus performs a power cycle involving expansion of compressed air utilizing high pressure (HP) and low pressure (LP) air turbines located upstream of a gas turbine. The power cycle involves heating of the compressed air prior to its expansion in the HP and LP air turbines. Taking into consideration fuel consumption to heat the compressed air, particular embodiments may result in a net production of electrical energy of ˜2.2-2.5× an amount of energy consumed by substantially isothermal air compression to produce the compressed air supply. Although pressure of the compressed air supply may vary over a range (e.g. as a compressed air storage unit is depleted), the gas turbine may run under almost constant conditions, facilitating its integration with the apparatus. The air turbines may operate at lower temperatures than the gas turbine, and they may include features of turbines employed to turbocharge large reciprocating engines.
US09003757B2

A rope assembly that is adapted to extend between first and second attachment points comprises a line arranged to define a plurality of loops and at least one pair of organizers. The at least one pair of organizers is configured to engage the line such that line segments of the line between the at least one pair of organizers are maintained in a desired relationship with each other and such that the desired relationship facilitates transfer of loads through the rope assembly between the first and second attachment points.
US09003751B2

A mower carrying a rotary cutting deck has a height of cut system for adjusting the vertical position of the deck relative to the mower frame for changing or adjusting the height of cut. The height of cut system comprises a pair of parallel cross shafts that carry a plurality of pivotal suspension linkages that connect to the deck, the cross shafts and linkages pivoting jointly with one another and with a pivotal control lever. One of the cross shafts carries a torsion spring to counterbalance the weight of the deck. The control lever is maintained in a plurality of adjusted pivotal positions by a height selection bracket fixed to the frame with the height selection bracket being capable of having its position changed or adjusted relative to the frame by a single adjustment bolt. Each suspension linkage has its effective length adjusted by turning a threaded adjuster carried at the upper end of a connecting rod that is part of each linkage to allow the deck to be leveled relative to a reference plane. The adjustment of the height selection bracket is accomplished without affecting the length adjustments previously made to any of the suspension linkages.
US09003750B2

A debris sweep and dry assist device is for use with a strapping machine. The debris sweep and dry assist device is positioned between the strapping machine and an associated strap supply. The device includes a body having a strap inlet and a strap outlet and defining a strap path therethrough. The body has a first wall at about the strap inlet and a second wall at about the strap outlet. The body has a first manifold and a plurality of first branches extending between the first manifold and the first wall to provide a plurality of flow paths from the first manifold to the environs through the first branches. A compressed is gas directed into the first manifold and flows out of the first branches, and is directed onto strap material at a location at about the strap inlet.
US09003749B2

A form-fill-seal machine includes a vertical sealing mechanism, a first film detection sensor, and a controller. The vertical sealing mechanism has a horn, an anvil, and an ultrasonic transmitter. The vertical sealing mechanism sandwiches a cylindrical film conveyed by a pull-down belt mechanism, by the horn and the anvil, and seals the cylindrical film by applying ultrasonic vibrations to the cylindrical film. The first film detection sensor detects whether the cylindrical film is sandwiched by the horn and the anvil. The controller stops the ultrasonic transmitter in a circumstance in which the first film detection sensor detects that the cylindrical film is not sandwiched by the horn and the anvil.
US09003731B2

Implementations of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for incorporating face- and center-mounted panels into a single wall module to form nested wall modules. For instance, face-mounted panels can nest within the center-mounted panels. Additionally or alternatively, center-mounted panels can nest within the face-mounted panels to form windows.
US09003730B2

A roof vent and a roof structure are described. A roof vent can include a baffle with a cross-section where a first portion extends upward from a bottom plate and a second portion extends from the first portion to define a space between the bottom plate and the second portion. A roof structure may or may not have a roof deck, and comprises a plurality of roof cover elements with a radiant barrier layer underneath the top surfaces of at least some of the roof cover elements. In another embodiment, a roof structure may comprise more sheathing layer vent members than roof cover layer vent members. In yet another embodiment, a roof structure may comprise a layer of roof tiles with at least one vent member, the vent member comprising lateral end portions of a base member with a non-planar profile to engage a similar profile of an adjacent roof cover element.
US09003729B2

A photovoltaic array, including: (a) supports laid out on a surface in rows and columns; (b) photovoltaic modules positioned on top of the supports; and (c) fasteners connecting the photovoltaic modules to the supports, wherein the supports have an upper pedestal surface and a lower pedestal surface such that the photovoltaic modules are positioned at a non-horizontal angle when edges of the photovoltaic modules are positioned on top of the upper and lower pedestal surfaces, and wherein a portion of the fasteners rotate to lock the photovoltaic modules onto the supports.
US09003726B2

Provided are a system and method for a self-aligning system for mounting at least one photovoltaic module to a surface. The system includes a plurality of rails, each rail having a plurality of slideably attached friction locking retainers, and a plurality of anchors with fasteners extending opposite from friction locking retainers. A collapsible separator is coupled between the rails and structured and arranged to align the rails to each other at a pre-defined separation distance. Each friction locking retainer structured and arranged to laterally slide along a portion of each rail and remain as positioned by a user. Each friction locking retainer further structured and arranged to grip and permit adjustment of at least one photovoltaic module during mounting. An associated method of use is also provided.
US09003725B2

Example weather barrier apparatuses for sealing or sheltering vehicles at loading docks are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a first seal to be engaged by a vehicle as the vehicle moves between a departed position and a parked position relative to the first seal. The first seal has a penetration portion movable between a relaxed condition when the vehicle releases the first seal and an activated condition when the vehicle engages the first seal. A second seal is coupled adjacent the first seal. The second seal has an opening to be positioned adjacent the penetration portion of the first seal such that at least a portion of the penetration portion extends across at least a portion of the opening when the first seal is in the relaxed condition, and the opening of the second seal receives at least the penetration portion of the first seal when the first seal is in the activated condition.
US09003723B2

A method of manufacturing a steel pipe stiffening brace member which has a shaft constituted of a main shaft member and an auxiliary shaft member and a stiffening steel pipe obtained by connecting side edges of four flat steels surrounding the shaft to each other. In the stiffening steel pipe, inside nook portions facing a side edge of the main shaft member are formed in stiffening members 25 and 26 having a V- or L-shaped cross section by fillet welding, and outside corner portions 25b and 26b are formed in the stiffening members 25 and 26 by partial penetration welding. Thereafter, side edges of the stiffening members 25 and 26 are abutted against each other, outside corner portions 27b and 28b are temporarily assembled by partial penetration welding, and outside corner portions 25b and 26b and outside corner portions 27b and 28b are subjected to partial penetration welding.
US09003720B2

A lifting apparatus to be embedded within a precast concrete panel or slab to enable the panel to be lifted, positioned atop a road bed, and elevated above the road bed. A lifting apparatus is located at each corner of the panel. Each lifting apparatus has a threaded sleeve extending through the panel to receive a removable threaded lifting bolt by which to establish a lifting point at which a lifting force is applied to lift and position the panel. When the threaded lifting bolt is rotated completely through the threaded sleeve, a pushing force is applied against a base plate, whereby to elevate the panel above the road bed as is necessary to make the panel level with adjacent panels during the construction or repair of a roadway. Grout is pumped through the panel to fill the space between the panel and the road bed.
US09003710B2

A window balance assembly for installation in a window assembly can include a balance portion that is connected to a carrier that may have a first and second side. The balance portion may be arranged to be drawn out of the carrier on the first or second sides of the carrier. The balance portion may be a spring member or element. As the spring element is drawn out of the carrier, contact made between the spring element and the carrier may generate a friction that results in undesired chatter of the spring element and/or audible noise from the carrier. This friction may be reduced by controlling the contact made between the spring element and the carrier. Further, a reduction of friction between the spring element and the carrier may result in a reduction in spring chatter and a reduction in audible noise from the carrier.
US09003692B2

A single use, hermetically sealing mousetrap has an enclosure accessible through a rotatably mounted door controlled by a spring-loaded door opening gear mechanism. Inside the enclosure is a spring-actuated setting axle/kill bar and setting bar combination that is movable between a kill position and a set position by manipulation of a setting handle positioned outside the enclosure. When in the set position, the door opening gear mechanism opens the door and tensions a torsional door spring. When the trap is tripped, the kill bar moves rapidly to the kill position which releases the door opening gear mechanism and allows the door spring to close the door and hermetically seal the trap with the dead mouse inside.
US09003685B1

A hinged trigger guard having a base member that includes a base member body portion; a base member projection extending from the base member body portion and having a base member aperture formed therethrough; an extension member that includes an extension member body portion; two ears extending from the extension member body portion, wherein an extension member recess is defined between at least a portion of the ears, and wherein an extension member aperture is formed through each of the ears. An extension member projection extends from the extension member body portion. The extension member is pivotably attached to the base member when the base member aperture is aligned between the extension member apertures and a pivot/installation pin is positioned within the aligned extension member apertures and base member aperture.
US09003674B2

Disclosed are an evaporator, an evaporation method, and a substrate processing apparatus, which can increase the concentration of generated vapor of an organic solvent and efficiently heat the organic solvent. The evaporator includes a fluid tube, a liquid organic solvent supply device for supplying the organic solvent liquid to one end of the fluid tube, and heating units for heating the fluid tube. The fluid tube has a cross section that increases from the one end to the other end. When the organic solvent liquid supplied to one end of the fluid tube is heated, the organic solvent vapor is discharged from the other end of the fluid tube. The substrate processing apparatus includes the above-described evaporator.
US09003664B2

A shaft material integrally having a shaft portion and a flange portion is formed by a forging process. The end face of the shaft portion of the shaft material and the end face of the flange portion on the opposite side of the shaft portion are ground relative to the corrected face, and the outer circumferential surface of the shaft material is ground relative to the end faces. This renders the cylindricity of the radial bearing faces formed on the outer periphery of the shaft portion of the produced shaft member to be 3 μm or lower. Moreover, a shaft material integrally having the shaft portion and flange portion is formed, while simultaneously thrust hydrodynamic groove regions are formed on both end faces of the flange portion. After the forging process, radial hydrodynamic groove regions are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion.
US09003660B2

Device for securing a first element of a watch 1 having a first threaded portion 11 to a second watch element 2 including a second threaded portion 22, including an intermediate element 3 for the angular orientation of the first element 1 relative to the second element 2. The intermediate element 3 includes a third threaded portion 31, arranged for cooperating with the first threaded portion 11 of the first element 1, and a fourth threaded portion 32, arranged to cooperate with the second threaded portion 22 of the second element 2. The thread pitches of the third threaded portion 31 and fourth threaded portion 32 are different.
US09003657B2

A manufacturing method includes providing a substrate with an outer surface and at least one interior space and machining the substrate to selectively remove a portion of the substrate and define one or more cooling supply holes therein. Each of the one or more cooling supply holes is in fluid communication with the at least one interior space. The method further includes disposing an open cell porous metallic layer on at least a portion of the substrate. The open cell porous metallic layer is in fluid communication with the one or more cooling supply holes. A coating layer is disposed on the open cell porous metallic layer. The coating layer having formed therein one or more cooling exit holes in fluid communication with the open cell porous metallic layer. The substrate, the one or more cooling supply holes, the open cell porous metallic layer and the cooling exit holes providing a cooling network for a component.
US09003651B2

Various pattern transfer and etching steps can be used to create features. Conventional photolithography steps can be used in combination with pitch-reduction techniques to form superimposed, pitch-reduced patterns of crossing elongate features that can be consolidated into a single layer. Planarizing techniques using a filler layer and a protective layer are disclosed. Portions of an integrated circuit having different heights can be etched to a common plane.
US09003650B2

A conductive sleeved fastener assembly includes an electrically-conductive fastener having a fastener head and a fastener shank extending from the fastener head and an electrically-conductive fastener sleeve receiving the fastener shank of the fastener and a fastener sleeve flange provided on the fastener sleeve and disposed in direct contact with the fastener head of the fastener. A method of preparing a conductive sleeved fastener for use is also disclosed.
US09003640B1

A method for fabricating a magnetic recording transducer is described. The method includes providing a pinned layer for a magnetic element. The portion of the magnetic transducer including the pinned layer is transferred to a high vacuum annealing apparatus before annealing the magnetic transducer. The portion of the magnetic recording transducer is annealed in the high vacuum annealing apparatus. A tunneling barrier is provided after the step of annealing the part of the magnetic recording transducer. A free layer for the magnetic element is also provided.
US09003632B2

A thimble mechanism for retention of a shackle in a wire rope loop termination. In one preferred embodiment, a thimble device is provided for a shackle having a pair of opposed legs with each leg having an end with a width smaller than a depth. The thimble device includes a thimble body having an external arcuate edge with a rope groove for receipt of a wire rope therein. A central opening extends through the thimble body with the central opening larger than the width but smaller than the depth of the shackle ends. A keyway is provided in the thimble body extending from the central opening to the arcuate edge of the thimble body.
US09003627B1

A micro-coupling active release mechanism including a shape memory alloy (SMA) cylindrical ring that is fit into a bushing or other mating attachment creating an interference joint held in place by frictional forces. The interference joint can be released upon actuation in which the SMA cylindrical ring is heated causing it to shrink in size, relieving the frictional forces of the interference joint thereby releasing the SMA cylindrical ring from the bushing or other mating attachment.
US09003626B2

A docking station formed of a tray having a clamping portion coupled to a receiver portion for motion along a travel axis therebetween. A lever is coupled for moving the clamping portion between an expanded position spaced away from the receiver portion, and a retracted position adjacent to the receiver portion. The lever includes a preload portion that is adapted for preloading the clamping portion in the retracted position, and a latching portion that is coupled for retaining the clamping portion in the retracted position. The preload portion of the lever is a resiliently bendable member, such as a spring. Optionally, the lever is a second class lever.
US09003622B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling a front panel, a plurality of side panels, a back panel, and a roof panel in a complete body assembly line for various vehicles. The complete body assembling apparatus realizes a new type of a coupling apparatus by which hangers for vehicle models are held in a post buck in a complete body line for a vehicle and the post buck is flexibly movable depending on the changes in various vehicle models. This in turn, allows various vehicle models to be produced in a single process by flexibly coping with various vehicle models and enhancing the efficiency of an entire complete body assembling process.
US09003620B2

A process for producing a liquid ejection head having a piezoelectric body provided with an ejection orifice for ejecting liquid and a pressure chamber communicating therewith for retaining the liquid, wherein an electrode is formed on an inner wall surface of the pressure chamber to deform the pressure chamber by piezoelectric action caused by applying voltage to the electrode to eject the liquid, comprising providing the piezoelectric body in which a surface thereof having the ejection orifice has an arithmetic mean roughness of 0.1-1 μm, forming a dry film resist pattern on the surface of the piezoelectric body so as to expose the ejection orifice and a linear region connected thereto, and forming a metal thin film pattern being connected to the electrode on the inner wall surface and continuously extending from the inner wall surface to the linear region by using the dry film resist pattern as a mask.
US09003616B2

A plastic clip of the present invention includes a clip boss integrally formed in a fixed panel; and a clip main body detachably assembled to the clip boss. The clip boss includes fitting portions provided in two lower side portions of a vertical plate provided with a fitting hole; and locking projections provided in front and back upper ends of the fitting portions. The clip main body includes an inverted triangular input portion provided in a lower end portion; a locking projection provided in an upper end portion of the input portion; a clip-boss input guide hole provided in the center of an upper end; a clip-boss input guide portion provided in the center of an internal upper portion and connected to the clip-boss input guide hole; and an elastic fitting piece provided in a lower end of the clip-boss input guide portion.
US09003607B1

A transmission device applied to rotary shafts for facilitating the assembling process. The transmission device includes at least one rotary shaft, a drive member movable along with the rotation of the rotary shaft, a transversely movable driver, a turning unit and a transmission unit. The turning unit has a first end connected with the driver and a second end assembled with the transmission unit. When the transmission unit is longitudinally moved, a connection section and a carrier body are driven by the transmission unit to lift or lower a base body or a frame in accordance with the operation mode of an electronic apparatus.
US09003606B2

A synchronous movement device applied to dual-shaft system includes a first shaft and a second shaft, which are assembled with each other and synchronously rotatable. The synchronous movement device further includes a driver and a driving rail disposed on the first shaft, a reactor and a reacting rail disposed on the second shaft and a link unit connected between the driver and the reactor. When the first shaft drives the driver to rotate, the driver pushes the link unit to move along the first and second shafts to forcedly push the reactor to rotate in a direction reverse to the moving direction of the driver. Accordingly, the first and second shafts are synchronously rotated.
US09003605B2

A furniture hinge including a toggle-type hinge and a line shock absorber arranged transversely to a major axis of the toggle-type hinge. The line shock absorber is inserted into a holder and the holder is attached to the toggle-type hinge. The holder includes a bearing part and a position part, which are fixed to each other by at least one coupling element in the form of an unreleasable connection or a releasable one.
US09003604B2

In a door checker for automobile which is applicable to vehicles having different full open angles of doors, and which makes no chattering noise by vibration, a free end portion of a check lever plate is provided with a core plate exposed portion where a core plate is exposed from a cover layer, a full open stopper mechanism includes: a stopper pin fitted in the core plate exposed portion, the stopper pin having anti-falling expanded portions; a stopper plate swingably supported on the stopper pin; and a cushion member supported by the stopper plate, and configured to cushion an impact of full opening of the door by receiving a case, and a pressing piece is provide integrally and continuously to the cover layer, the pressing piece configured to press the cushion member toward the stopper pin to thereby keep the stopper plate in contact with the stopper pin.
US09003603B2

In a pivot fixture for pivotable parts, comprising a guide unit with a guide tube and an arrest unit with an engagement rod slidably disposed in the guide tube, the engagement rod is provided with control cam structures and an expansion body with a friction surface is slidably disposed on the engagement rod, the friction surface being arranged adjacent an inner wall section of the guide tube for engagement with the wall section upon expansion of the expansion body by the engagement rod.
US09003601B2

The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleanerA vacuum cleaner of the disclosure includes a body, a dust collecting unit disposed at one side of the body and provided with a dust collecting container storing the dust, a pressurization member compressing the dust stored in the dust collecting container, a driving device operating the pressurization member, and a dust emptying notification unit noticing the dust emptying time by visualizing a storage condition of the dust within the dust collecting container while sliding-moving by operating the pressurization member.In the disclosure, the accommodating condition of the dust for the dust collecting unit can be easily shown.
US09003599B1

A new vacuum cleaner has fence elements with upright arms are easily attachable to caster modules and create an upwardly opening hose space through which a vacuum hose can be wound for storage. The caster modules have sockets that extend throughout the height of the modules. The fence elements have tabs that hook onto lower edges of the modules, and can be clipped onto the caster module by pressing a detent on the fence element downwardly into an upper end of the socket until the tabs snap over the lower portion of the module, locking it in place.
US09003592B2

A pole-cleaning device sleeve having a pole-like member with a proximal end, a distal end, opposite to the proximal end, and a length separating the distal and proximal ends, the pole-like member having a head portion defining a working surface and being coupled to the distal end of the pole-like member, the pole-cleaning device also having a removably couplable sleeve with a distal end substantially adjacent to the head portion, a proximal end terminating at a location along the pole-like member length, and a sleeve length separating the distal and proximal ends, an outer layer being of a substantially deformably-resilient and polymer-based material, an inner layer coupled to the outer layer and contacting an outer surface of the pole-like member, and the outer and inner layers encapsulating at least a portion of the pole-like member.
US09003590B2

A handle section of a small electric device is described that has a handle housing in which a drive unit is disposed, a first connector element extending from the housing being adapted for connection with an attachment section, the first connector element being coupled to the drive unit; a second connector element extending from the housing being adapted for connection with the attachment section, the second connector element being coupled to the drive unit, wherein the first connector element linearly reciprocates relative to the housing during operation and the second connector element linearly reciprocates relative to the housing with a 180 degrees phase shift with respect to the first connector element.
US09003589B2

The subject matter of the invention is a floor of a dome module as an interface between an air passenger bridge or air passenger stairs and the airplane, wherein the floor comprises a stationary floor section and a floor head part, wherein the floor head part exhibits several floor segments, which are connected to one another by a buffer cross-beam that is flexible over at least a portion of its length, wherein several floor segments are horizontally displaceable relative to one another.
US09003582B2

Provided is a pillow and method of marking the pillow to mitigate tinnitus. The pillow includes a first and second portions of fill material, an anchor strip assembly and a pillow casing. The anchor strip assembly is disposed between the first and second portions of fill material. The anchor strip assembly includes an anchor strip and a plurality of speakers secured to the anchor strip at a distance from each other. A first and second edge portions the anchor strip extends beyond edges of the first and second portions of fill material. The pillow casing secures the anchor strip assembly disposed between the first and second portions of the fill material inside the pillow casing such that the first and second edge portions of the anchor strip are secured respectively between a first and second seams of the pillow casing.
US09003580B2

A mattress display includes at least one primary test bed including a head portion and a foot portion; at least one secondary test bed including a head portion and a foot portion; a wall, wherein the at least one primary and secondary test beds are in a spaced apart parallel relationship and positioned perpendicular with respect to the wall, wherein the at least one primary test bed is oriented such that the head portion is distally located from the wall and the foot portion 20 is proximal to the wall, and wherein the at least one secondary test bed is oriented such the head portion is proximal to the wall and the foot portion is distal to the wall; and a barrier disposed in close proximity to the head portion of the primary test bed, wherein the barrier is configured to provide an end user of the primary test bed with at least partial privacy, noise reduction, and/or light reduction.
US09003577B2

Ligature-resistant lavatory assembly incorporating a ligature-resistant adjustable faucet and valve, particularly suitable for use in behavioral health, psychiatric facilities, or prisons. The ligature-resistant adjustable faucet control includes a fixable seating element and a control knob at least partially rotatable received in the seating element. The control knob is connected to a mixing valve so that rotation of said control knob controls the mixing valve and, in turn, adjusts the temperature of water dispensed from the faucet.
US09003576B2

Grab rail assemblies are disclosed for mounting on walls, such as the tiled walls of a showering area or a mud room. The assemblies are designed to aesthetically meld with the surrounding environment by having a front tile mounting panel. They may also be provided with a drainage system to avoid water collecting long term within the rail when the rail is used in a shower.
US09009854B2

Embodiments of an invention for platform-hardened digital rights management key provisioning are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes an execution unit to execute one or more instructions to create a secure enclave in which to run an application to receive digital rights management information from a provisioning server in response to authentication of the application by a verification server.
US09009847B2

An information management apparatus which can set an area in which use of a file is not allowed for each file separately is provided. The existing zone area information acquisition unit 61 acquires existing zone area information that is a condition set for each file and is information used for determination of whether a file is allowed to be used by being compared with a condition about an area in which use of a file is allowed or an area in which use of a file is forbidden. The determining unit 62 compares the existing zone area information and each condition set for each file, and determines whether each file to be a target of use by a user is allowed to be used or not.
US09009839B2

A method of transmitting data over a network, from a sending application to a receiving application, including: coding the data, by the sending application, by implementing a predefined rule; detecting alteration of at least one item of data transmitted, by the receiving application, by implementing the predefined rule; and in case an alteration of a data item is detected, restoring the altered data item. In the course of the coding, in the course of the alteration detection, and in the course of the restoration, a cyclic redundancy check or an encryption can be implemented.
US09009836B1

Among a plurality of virtual machines running on a host system are a set of virtual machines that provide an operating system, a lightweight agent module, and user applications to be executed. Also, a special-purpose virtual machine executes a central security module. The central security module performs security-related tasks on behalf of individual ones of the other virtual machines, and includes a malware remediation module that generates malware remediation instructions to be executed by the respective virtual machines. The central security module also assesses a capability of a first instruction sequence execution module of a first lightweight agent module to effectively execute the malware remediation instructions, and provides an advanced security task execution component to be installed in a first virtual machine corresponding to the first lightweight agent module, in response to an assessment of capability of the first lightweight agent module being insufficient to execute the malware remediation instructions.
US09009832B2

According to one embodiment, a computing device is coupled to a set of web application layer attack detectors (ADs), which are coupled between HTTP clients and web application servers. The computing device automatically learns a new condition shared by a plurality of alert packages reported by the set of ADs due to a triggering of one or more rules that is indicative of a web application layer attack. The computing device automatically generates a new set of attribute values by analyzing the plurality of alert packages to identify the condition shared by the plurality of alert packages, and transmits the new set of attribute values for delivery to the set of ADs for a different rule to be used to protect against the web application layer attack from the HTTP clients or any other HTTP client.
US09009830B2

A method for inline intrusion detection includes receiving a packet at a network gateway, storing the packet, and assigning an identifier to the packet. The method also includes transmitting a copy of the packet and the identifier from the network gateway to an intrusion detection system and analyzing the copy of the packet by the intrusion detection system to determine whether the packet includes an attack signature and communicating a reply message from the intrusion detection system to the network gateway. The reply message includes the identifier and is indicative of the results of the analysis. The size of the reply message is less than the size of the packet.
US09009823B1

A method is described that includes generating a representation of an application that describes specific states of the application and specific state transitions of the application. The method also includes identifying a region of interest of the application based on rules and observations of the application's execution. The method also includes determining specific stimuli that will cause one or more state transitions within the application to reach said region of interest. The method also includes enabling one or more monitors within the application's run time environment and applying the stimuli within the application's run time environment, where, the application's run time environment is existing on a mobile device that the application is installed on. The method also includes generating monitoring information from said one or more monitors. The method also includes applying rules to the monitoring information to determine a next set of stimuli to be applied to the application in pursuit of determining whether the region of interest corresponds to improperly behaving code.
US09009820B1

In certain embodiments, a method includes receiving, at a first malware detection node, from a malware detection system a request to apply a first malware detection technique to a file. The malware detection system is configured to determine whether the file is suspected malware by analyzing a plurality of predefined result states received in response to the first malware detection node applying the first malware detection technique to the file and a second malware detection node applying a second malware detection technique to the file. The method includes receiving at least one result from a malware detection engine of applying the first malware detection technique to the file and determining at least one predefined result state based on the received at least one result. The method includes reporting, by the first malware detection node, the at least one predefined result state to the malware detection system.
US09009817B1

A portable data or information carrier in the form of a smart card with partially or fully virtualized components. To maximize the confidentiality of information stored in the carrier, and more specifically to limit the amount of information available to a potential defrauder, electronic components such as circuits, I/O, cryptographic, memory and dummy objects are built, modified or influenced on demand from physical characteristics of an eligible person or device. Digitized unique biometric or hardware identifiers are read upon start-up and runtime of the device and, in case of an eligible person or device, subsequently supply all values necessary for determination of the characteristics of the user specific virtual smart cards objects, their placement and connections. By multi-factor authentication, the end-user or device will retain sole control of its keys and use them for authentication, signature or encryption purposes as if he had a physical smart card in his hand.
US09009814B1

A computer-implemented method for generating secure passwords may include 1) displaying a user interface for entering a textual password, 2) receiving user input via the user interface to select a color for at least one character of the textual password, 3) displaying the entered textual password via the user interface by displaying the character in the selected color and by displaying at least one additional character in at least one additional color, and 4) generating a modified textual password by encoding the textual password with information relating the selected color to the character. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09009813B2

The present disclosure presents methods, systems and intermediaries which determine an encoding scheme of a uniform resource location (URL) from a plurality of encoding schemes for a clientless secure socket layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) via a proxy. An intermediary may receive a response from a server comprising a URL. The response from the server may be directed to a client via a SSL VPN session and via the intermediary. The intermediary may determine, responsive to an encoding policy, one of a transparent, opaque or encrypted encoding scheme for encoding the URL. The intermediary may rewrite the URL for transmission to the client in accordance with the determined encoding scheme.
US09009811B2

An appliance has a communication network with a plurality of nodes for executing commands to enable operation by components. A firewall is provided to restrict access to the commands by the nodes without a password.
US09009789B2

The invention consists of a new registration and authentication protocol for between a Mobile Node and a Home Agent. The new protocol uses a novel messaging sequence to request registration, authentication and authorization of the Mobile Node when it is located on a foreign network, and the novel protocol will avoid some of the standard registration and authentication protocol messages in order to eliminate the problems associated with re-transmission errors.
US09009787B2

In accordance with various embodiments, systems and methods which allow mapping and protecting communication services and granular access to subscriber information. Such a system can include a plurality of applications, executing on one or more application servers. The system can also include a services gatekeeper which is operable to intercept requests for access to communication services, obtain scoped authorization from a subscriber for access to specified communication services, and enable access to the specified communication services in accordance with the scope authorized by the subscriber.
US09009785B2

A system for managing adaptive security zones in complex business operations, comprising a rules engine adapted to receive events from a plurality of event sources and a security manager coupled to the rules engine via a data network, wherein upon receiving an event, the rules engine determines what rules, if any, are triggered by the event and, upon triggering a rule, the rules engine determines if the rule pertains to security and, if so, sends a notification message to the security manager informing it of the triggered event, and wherein the security manager, on receiving a notification message from the rules engine, automatically establishes a new security zone based at least in part on the contents of the notification message, is disclosed.
US09009780B2

Systems and methods for protecting the privacy of users by controlling access to the users' data. In particular, some embodiments provide for a higher-level declarative language for expressing privacy policies which can be verified using a computer-aided verification tool. The verification tool uses the expressed privacy policies along with language-level assumptions and assertions in the verification process. For example, high-level models of the privacy policies can be reduced to a simpler verification representation (e.g., a Boolean representation) based on a set of assertions. This verification representation can then be submitted to a constraint solver (e.g., Satisfiability Modulo Theories solver) for verification.
US09009777B2

A method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for automatic activation of roles is provided. When a user initiates an action, a set of roles needed for the action is identified. A set of roles assigned to the user is also identified. From the two sets of roles, all roles that are common to both sets are identified in a subset of roles. Roles in this subset are assigned to the user and are sufficient for the action. One or more roles from this subset of roles is selected for activation depending on system policies in effect. Selected roles are automatically activated without requiring any intervention from the user. Once the selected roles are activated, they can become inactive upon completion of the current action, or remain active for subsequent actions by the user during all or part of a user session. System policies can decide how the roles are selected for activation, and the duration of which the roles remain active once activated.
US09009776B2

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a display, a speaker, a connector to output a video signal and audio signal, a display driving module to control outputting of the video signal with respect to the display and connector, a sound driving module to control outputting of the audio signal with respect to the speaker and connector, and an output control module to instruct the sound driving module to output the audio signal from the connector when an event of instructing the display driving module to output a video signal to the connector occurs.
US09009773B1

A novel advanced set top terminal capable of digital decompression, menu generation, interactivity and other advanced functional capabilities for use in a television program delivery system (200) is described. The invention relates to methods and apparatus for upgrading existing set top terminals (220) to provide menu generation capability and advanced functional capabilities. The invention is particularly useful in television program delivery systems (200) with hundreds of channels of programming, providing (i) menu driven program selection through the addition of an upgrade module (300) or menu generation card and (ii) advanced functional capabilities using a set of hardware upgrades (e.g., 130) and/or an expansion card. Specifically, the invention is an upgradeable system that supports advanced set top functionality through the use of internal software, hardware upgrades, an upgrade module and/or expansion cards. The upgraded hardware generally includes a microprocessor, various input/output ports (e.g., 308), processing circuitry (e.g., 108) and memory (e.g., 116). The invention results in an upgraded set top terminal that supports: menu generation; picture-on-picture displays; program catalog services; interactive services; telephone caller identification; digital audio reception; VCR control; HDTV reception; and backyard satellite system interoperability, among other features and capabilities.
US09009759B2

An enhanced television broadcast system may enable the transmission and reception of a real-time event when a new program is about to begin. The real-time event may control access to enhancements from the program that is ending. In some embodiments, these real-time events may constitute triggers that are included within packets transmitted in an Internet Protocol multicast. As one example, the trigger may include a Uniform Resource Locator in the form of a tv: protocol that automatically causes the television display to go to full screen television.
US09009751B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining if a commercial contains one of metadata, close captioning information, recognizable speech in an audio component of the commercial, or a combination thereof. In response to determining that the commercial does not contain metadata, but does contain close captioning information, an advertised show is identified based on the close captioning information. Likewise, in response to determining that the commercial contains neither metadata, nor close captioning information, but does contain recognizable speech in an audio component of the commercial, the advertised show is identified based on the recognizable speech. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09009749B2

A method and system for identifying tune data from set top boxes associated with televisions, video monitors, or other video playback devices that are likely powered off. In some embodiments, survival curves are constructed that predict a length of time before a video playback device is powered off after a tuning event. The survival curves are used to predict the likelihood that a video playback device is powered off. Viewership estimates made from tune data reported from set top boxes can be adjusted to take account of the video playback devices that are predicted to be powered off.
US09009742B1

According to one embodiment, a virtual tape library (VTL) receives a plurality of small computer system interface (SCSI) data objects, and translates the SCSI data objects into a first set of one or more remote procedure call (RPC) data objects having a first size, wherein the first size of the first RPC data set is based on a current limit maintained by the VTL. The VTL writes the first RPC data set and a first RPC commit request to a file system. The VTL receives a first RPC status corresponding to the first RPC commit from the file system, and determines a first latency time between writing the first RPC commit and receiving the first RPC status. The VTL updates the current limit based on the first latency time in order to optimize a second latency time between a second RPC commit request and a corresponding second RPC status.
US09009740B2

In one embodiment, a method for invoking additional processing at a remote computing device using remote procedure calls (RPCs) is provided. In this method, a list of functions supported by the remote computing device is received from the remote computing device. From the list of functions, a function that requires metadata about the function is identified. The metadata and argument required by the function is accessed, and an RPC message that includes the metadata and the argument is composed. The RPC message is then transmitted to the remote computing device. Here, the RPC message is transmitted to call the function with the argument as input and to invoke the additional processing based on the metadata.
US09009737B2

A method for operating a terminal providing a file system function, and a terminal having configured hardware is provided. In the method, a specific command is received from a first application. The received specific command is transferred to a second application regardless of whether the second application is executed. An execution result of the specific command is received from the second application.
US09009733B2

Event-based communication in a media player architecture. The architecture can include a series of modules. The technology can define media player events, at least in part by defining event notifications and event handling processes. The various modules can register as one or both of an issuer of at least one media player event notification, and a subscriber to at least one published media player event notification. When an event occurs in a module, the module issues an event notification that is then handled by a handling process. The event handling process(es) publish the event to subscribing modules, and in some cases perform processing on the event notification before publishing.
US09009727B2

In a computing system having virtualization software including a guest operating system (OS), a method for executing guest OS instructions that includes: replacing each of one or more guest OS instructions with: (a) a translated instruction, which translated instruction is a one-to-one translation, or (b) a trap instruction.
US09009723B2

A method for managing distributed computer data stream acceleration devices is provided that utilizes distributed acceleration devices on nodes within the computing system to process inquiries by programs executing on the computing system. The available nodes and available acceleration devices in the computing system are identified. In addition, a plurality of virtual acceleration device definitions is created. Each virtual acceleration device definition includes attributes used to configure at least one of the plurality of identified acceleration devices. When an inquiry containing an identification of computing system resources to be used in processing the inquiry is received, at least one virtual acceleration device definition that is capable of configuring an acceleration device in accordance with the computing system resources identified by the inquiry is identified. That acceleration device is configured in accordance with the identified virtual acceleration device definition and is used to process the inquiry.
US09009720B2

A method and system for aggregating installation scopes within an isolation environment, where the method includes first defining an isolation environment for encompassing an aggregation of installation scopes. Associations are created between a first application and a first installation scope. When the first application requires the presence of a second application within the isolation environment for proper execution, an image of the required second application is mounted onto a second installation scope and an association between the second application and the second installation scope is created. Another association is created between the first installation scope and the second installation scope, an this third association is created within a third installation scope. Each of the first, second, and third installation scopes are stored and the first application is launched into the defined isolation environment.
US09009712B2

Methods and systems are provided for graphics processing unit distributed work-item queuing. One or more work-items of a wavefront are queued into a first level queue of a compute unit. When one or more additional work-items exist, a queuing of the additional work-items into a second level queue of the compute unit is performed. The queuing of the work-items into the first and second level queue is performed based on an assignment technique.
US09009711B2

The present invention provides a particular efficient system of scheduling of tasks for parallel processing, and data communication between tasks running in parallel in a computer system. A particular field of application of the present invention is the platform-independent simulation of decomposition/partitioning of an application, in order to obtain an optimal implementation for parallel processing.
US09009708B2

A computer-implemented smart recovery system for dynamic workflows addresses a change to a data object during execution of an instance of a workflow by selectively re-executing workflow tasks that are affected by the change, without cancelling the instance and restarting a new instance of the workflow. A determination of whether a task is to be re-executed during the smart recovery process may include examining a re-evaluation label assigned to the task.
US09009707B2

One or more physical RCDs (PRCDs) are shared between one or more workloads in one or more virtual computing environments. Example PRCD sharing operations may include: (1) providing a virtual RCD (VRCD) for one of the workloads, the VRCD being programmed with an IC design representing a hardware implementation of a software hotspot in the workload, (2) allocating one of the PRCDs to the workload by scheduling the programmed VRCD on the PRCD, (3) burning the PRCD with the IC design of the programmed VRCD so that the PRCD becomes a programmed PRCD that is capable of implementing the workload's hotspot in hardware, and (4) invoking the programmed VRCD instead of executing the hotspot as software in order to cause the programmed PRCD to implement the hotspot in hardware.
US09009706B1

A computer-implemented method for sending information to guest systems within virtual machines may include receiving, from a guest system within a virtual machine hosted on a host system, a request for virtual device information about a virtual device which may inaccurately represent to the guest system a state of a physical storage device connected to the host system, gathering physical device information via the host system about the physical storage device connected to the host system, determining a mapping of the virtual device within the guest system to the physical storage device connected to the host system, correlating the physical device information with the mapping to determine accurate information about the virtual device and sending the accurate information about the virtual device from the host system to the guest system within the virtual machine. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09009700B2

In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by a first computer system, a data stream transmitted from a second computer system over a network connection between the first computer system and the second computer system, wherein the data stream comprises executable code of a software program; extracting, by the first computer system, the executable code of the software program from the data stream; allocating, by the first computer system, an amount of dynamic memory for the executable code of the software program; loading, by the first computer system, the executable code of the software program directly into the allocated dynamic memory; and executing, by the first computer system, the software program by launching the executable code of the software program loaded in the allocated dynamic memory.
US09009699B2

A method and apparatus for using a microcontainer as a Plain-Old-Java-Object (POJO) based kernel in an application server. In one embodiment, the method includes dynamically construct deployed objects of a deployment from aspects. The method further includes providing a runtime infrastructure by dynamically constructing kernel objects of an application server from the aspects to execute the deployed objects.
US09009697B2

A hybrid cloud integrator provides a capability for integrating data processing resources provided as services across a hybrid cloud. The hybrid cloud integrator includes a software framework that provides for installing, configuring, activating, and controlling operation of a number of plug-in software components. The plug-in software components are configured to provide for using data processing resources provided as a service to process a consumer workload.
US09009696B2

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating encoded identifications of selected subsets of installed software packages on a client machine. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager tracks the set of installed packages and updates available for the installed set. The package manager can be configured to capture an inventory of the installed packages, and generate an encoded identification of one or more selected subsets of the set of hosted or installed packages based on size, timestamp, and/or other attributes of the subsets and/or constituent files. An administrator or other user can for instance select only that subset or subsets related to a certain project, application, user group, or other selection criteria, and generate encoded identifications of those subsets for package updating, network management, and/or other purposes.
US09009691B1

A system and method for using inline stacks to improve the performance of application binaries is included. While executing a first application binary, profile data may be collected about the application that includes which callee functions are called from the application's callsites and the number of times each inline stack is executed. A context summary map may be created from the collected profile data which shows a summary of the total execution count of all instructions in the callee function for each callsite inlined in the application's normal binary. Using the context summary map, each function callsite's execution count may be compared with a predetermined threshold to determine if the function should be inlined. Then the application's profile may be annotated and a second application binary, an optimized binary, may be generated using the annotated profile.
US09009688B2

Type checking between an object class and a target class may comprise getting an object header from an object, and checking from the object header a result of a first time type checking between a class of the object and a target class specified by a hotspot in the first time type checking.
US09009687B2

A mechanism is provided for de-serializing a representation of a source object of a source software component written in a source language into a target software component written in a target language. A representation of the source object is received and a determination is made of a set of candidate types among a plurality of available types that are in the target language for the target software component, each candidate type being compatible with the representation of the source type. A set of match metrics is calculated, each one for a corresponding candidate type, where the match metric being indicative of a difference in information content between the candidate type and the representation of the source object. One of the candidate types is selected according to the match metrics and a mapping of the representation of the source object onto a target object of the selected candidate type is created.
US09009686B2

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for extracting a memory address offset from a 64-bit type-conversion expression included in high-level source code of a computer program. The technique involves receiving the 64-bit type-conversion expression, where the 64-bit type-conversion expression includes one or more 32-bit expressions, determining a range for each of the one or more 32-bit expressions, calculating a total range by summing the ranges of the 32-bit expressions, determining that the total range is a subset of a range for a 32-bit unsigned integer, calculating the memory address offset based on the ranges for the one or more 32-bit expressions, and generating at least one assembly-level instruction that references the memory address offset.
US09009685B2

An improved method for program building uses predefined source files and predefined build scripts comprising a sequence of build commands; wherein each build command comprises an origin command line interpretable by an operating system and addressed to at least one compiling tool.
US09009678B2

Software debugging with execution match determinations, including: inserting, by a compiler while compiling source code into a debuggable program, a phantom breakpoint at every line of source code; including in the debuggable program, by the compiler, a breakpoint handling module and an exit handler; executing the debuggable program including encountering one or more of the phantom breakpoints and removing, by the breakpoint handling module, each encountered phantom breakpoint; creating, by the exit handler, upon exiting execution of the debuggable program, a copy of the debuggable program that includes only phantom breakpoints not encountered during execution; and providing the copy of the debuggable program to a debugger.
US09009677B2

Application testing and analysis may include performing perturbations to affect an environment associated with the application executing on a user device without affecting other applications executing on the user device. The execution of the application may be traced while the perturbations are being performed to determine an amount of resources of the user device consumed by the application and to determine whether a performance of the application was degraded.
US09009669B2

Various embodiments described or referenced herein are directed to different devices, methods, systems, and computer program products for testing a user interface component. A client-side operation for rendering the user interface component may be performed. The rendered user interface component may be stored as a user interface component test image simulating a visual presentation of the user interface component at a client machine. A user interface component expected image may be retrieved from a storage medium accessible to the server. The user interface component expected image may represent an expected visual presentation of the rendered user interface component. A determination may be made as to whether the user interface component test image matches the user interface component expected image. When the user interface component test image does not match the user interface component expected image, an indication of an error condition may be provided.
US09009668B2

A mechanism for performing dynamic software testing on a computer system using a test entity. A method of embodiments of the invention includes causing a test execution script to run a test based on a first configuration setting as defined in the test execution script. The test execution script is executed in a script execution environment utilizing a software framework of a computer system. The method further includes modifying, in runtime, the first configuration setting into a second configuration setting, and causing, in runtime, the test execution script to rerun the test based on the second configuration setting.
US09009667B2

A Java-based application server supports runtime operations of components that belong to multiple component models. The components may cross-reference each other. A component of a source component model can be integrated into a target component model to form an integrated component. State transitions of the integrated component can be managed according to the target component model with reference to the libraries of the source component model. The integrated component can be installed in the application server for execution by a Java virtual machine.
US09009661B2

Systems and methods which provide platform sensitive application characteristics with respect to multi-platform applications are shown. As application aspects are developed in the application, embodiments include platform sensitivity characteristics for the application aspects in the application to provide for adaptation of application characteristics for multiple platforms. Embodiments provide an application runtime environment which, although independently defining its own user interface rendering attributes, operates to adjust application characteristics in accordance with a host platform. As application aspects of a multi-platform application are to be executed, if there are relevant cross platform differences, application aspect characteristics are adjusted so as to be appropriate to the host platform. The appropriately adjusted aspects are executed to thereby provide platform sensitive application characteristics with respect to the multi-platform application.
US09009658B2

A computer implemented model-driven method to generate platform specific code for a user interface is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes, capturing customer requirements of the software component in a schema, modeling business-software architecture of the software component in a first level of the schema, modeling technical architecture of the software system from the modeled business-software architecture in a second level of the schema, defining events in the schema that connect the first level and the second level of the schema, defining links in the schema that represent interactions between the user interfaces, defining integration services in the schema for each of the events, mapping each element in the first level to a corresponding one of the elements in the second level using the events, links, and integration services in the schema, loading the schema of the software component into a code generation repository.
US09009654B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for mobile device interaction using a shared user interface.
US09009652B2

A method and a system for identifying and resolving conflicts between design results from a parallel software design. The method includes: receiving a design diagram, wherein the design diagram includes a plurality of nodes and arrows connecting different nodes, with each node indicating a design artifact, and an arrow directed from one node to another node indicating that a design artifact corresponds to the one node depends on a design artifact corresponding to the other node; determining a level of a design artifact in the design diagram, identifying different design artifacts at a given level of the design diagram that depend on a common design artifact, and marking them as isomorphic design artifacts; and outputting a design diagram with the isomorphic design artifacts marked. A conflict between relevant designs are automatically identified in a bottom-up approach according to a software design hierarchy to facilitate conflict resolution.
US09009651B2

A system for facilitating management of one or more programs throughout their lifecycle in an organization is provided. The system comprises a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module to create one or more programs, an Order Management System (OMS) module to create one or more tracks, and a program management module to create one or more projects. The system further comprises a resource allocation module for allocating resources for executing the one or more programs. The system further comprises a finance budgeting module for budgeting revenue, costs and profitability of the one or more programs. The system further comprises a program module that displays details of the one or more programs, the one or more tracks, and the one or more projects to one or more authorized users. The system further comprises a central repository to store data associated with the one or more programs.
US09009645B2

Systems and techniques are described for automatically generating a set of non-default routing rules for routing a net in a clock tree based on one or more metrics. The metrics can include a congestion metric, a latency metric, a crosstalk metric, an electromigration metric, and a clock tree level. Next, the embodiments can generate the set of non-default routing rules for routing the net based on one or more metrics. A routing rule can specify how wide the wires are supposed to be and how far apart adjacent wires are to be placed. A non-default routing rule can specify a wire width that is different from the default width and/or specify a spacing (i.e., the distance between two wires) that is different from the default spacing.
US09009636B2

An analog circuit simulator includes a processor that is configured to search design data for analog circuits and an analog node connecting the analog circuits; collect variable information that concerns voltage and current variables and is related to input to and output from the analog node; convert the variable information into time functions; and compute the time functions upon each occurrence of a given event and execute simulation of the analog node.
US09009634B2

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes generating a photomask for forming a DSA directing pattern on a semiconductor substrate. The DSA directing pattern is configured to guide a self-assembly material deposited thereon that undergoes directed self-assembly (DSA) to form a DSA pattern. Generating the photomask includes, using a computing system, inputting a DSA target pattern. Using the computing system, a DSA model, an OPC model, and a MPC model, cooperatively running a DSA PC algorithm, an OPC algorithm, and a MPC algorithm to produce an output MPCed pattern for a mask writer to write on the photomask.
US09009631B2

The invention relates to a lithography system for patterning a target, said system comprising a feedback control system comprising an actuator for displacing the target, a measurement system for measuring a position of said target, and a control unit adapted for controlling the actuator based on the position measured by the measurement system, said feedback control system having a first latency being a maximum latency between measuring and controlling the actuator based on said measuring, a storage system for storing the measured positions, comprising a receive buffer and a storage unit with a second latency being an average latency between receiving measured positions in the receive buffer and storing said measured positions in the storage unit, wherein the first latency is at least an order of magnitude smaller than the second latency, the feedback control system comprising a unidirectional connection for transmitting said measured positions to the storage system.
US09009630B2

A note-capture application is disclosed that allows notes to be displayed on the lock screen. In one embodiment, a note-capture application can be invoked when a mobile device is in an above-lock state. Note data can be captured using the note-capture application, and the captured data can be persistently displayed on the lock screen. A user can perform a unique gesture from the lock screen to invoke the note-capture application. In another embodiment, multiple input modes can be available for note data capture. For example, voice data, text data, camera data, etc. can all be used to capture notes for display on the lock screen.
US09009629B2

The present disclosure relates to motion adaptive user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications network environment adapted for selecting one or more subsets of accessible user interface (UI) functions based, at least in part, on the determined motion of a UE. By selectively employing the one or more subsets of UI functions, a UE can dynamically adapt to the motion of the UE and limit distracting interactions with the UE creating a safer or more compliant wireless environment. Further disclosed are features related to override of UI limitations, auxiliary location sensing aspects, motion rule updating features, and voluntary and involuntary user preference aspects.
US09009626B2

Improved approaches for users to interact with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.
US09009625B2

A system and method for implementing a dynamic menu characterized by a real-time menu architecture. An example method includes determining a menu structure, with reference to a data set, for use with user interface software. A menu is then displayed, wherein the menu includes menu items arranged according to the menu structure. An initial drop-down menu list of the menu includes one or more of the menu items. Each menu item is associated with a data object of the data set. A signal is generated when a change is made to a data set corresponding to a menu item. The menu is then updated based on the signal. In an illustrative embodiment, the example method further includes employing a browser to trigger implementation of the method. The browser communicates with a web server, which communicates with an application that is adapted to analyze the data set and associated data structure and provide an update in response thereto via, the signal, to the web server. The web server includes software for enabling the browser to render an updated menu or graphical representation thereof.
US09009618B2

A method of tracking status and progress of a process is presented and described herein. The method provides a plurality of markers that can be visualized in three dimensions, where each of the plurality of markers represents a respective trackable event. The markers are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration that visually indicates current status of a plurality of trackable events corresponding to the plurality of markers, and the three-dimensional configuration is updated over time to visually indicate an updated status of the plurality of trackable events. The markers and the three-dimensional configuration may be realized using a tangible model or a virtual model that is generated and rendered on a display element.
US09009616B2

A method of configuring a camera to view a sequence of positions comprising the steps of displaying a graphical user interface, displaying a plurality of thumbnails on the graphical user interface with the plurality of thumbnails having associated respective positions of the camera and the respective thumbnails in the plurality of thumbnails providing the field of view of the camera in the respective positions, providing a workspace on the graphical user interface, enabling a user to drag and drop thumbnails to the workspace, and creating a tour for the camera based on the thumbnails in the workspace.
US09009614B2

A method of making an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes the steps of selecting a family of article types, selecting a customized article type, manufacturing an article of footwear with the customized article type and shipping the article of footwear to a pre-designated shipping address. The method may further include the step of limiting the number of articles of footwear manufactured with a customized article type to ensure exclusivity for customized article types.
US09009612B2

A method is performed by an accessible electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface. The method includes: displaying a plurality of user interface elements on the display, wherein a current focus is on a first user interface element; detecting a first finger gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first finger gesture is independent of contacting a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a second user interface element; and, in response to detecting the first finger gesture: changing the current focus from the first user interface element in the plurality of user interface elements to the second user interface element in the plurality of user interface elements; and outputting accessibility information associated with the second user interface element.
US09009610B2

A system and method for managing real estate data using a mobile device, such as a tablet computer. The data is displayed in a manner that facilitates quick analysis suing a mobile device. User interfaces, processing, and other features provide a mobile user with information required to make intelligent decisions on real estate transactions. A tour can be constructed based on a subset of data returned as a result of a database query.
US09009607B2

Recording a user's preference for content is disclosed. An indication of a problem associated with the content is received, in response to only a single action taken by a user interacting with a web page. After receiving the indication, at least a portion of the web page is continued to be displayed.
US09009604B2

According to one embodiment, a display processing apparatus includes an obtaining module, a relevance calculator, a display information generator, and a display controller. The obtaining module is configured to obtain particular information items allowed to be created by users, the particular information being obtained for each of a key content item and other content items. The relevance calculator is configured to calculate one or more relevances between the key content item and each of the other content items, based on the particular information items. The display information generator is configured to generate display information items expressing the key content item and the other content items, based on the particular information items or content-attribute information items peculiar to the key content item and the other content items. The display controller is configured to control to display a list information item in which the display information items are located at predetermined positions.
US09009600B2

An embodiment relates generally to a method of filtering for a browser. The method includes providing a browser with a browser history function, the browser history function configured to store each site web page visited and stored in time sequential order as a browser history. The method also includes providing a filter module for the browser; and applying the filter module to the browser history function to eliminate intermediary web pages from entering the browser history.
US09009599B2

The examples provided teach techniques and devices used to route a request received from a mobile station via a URL link that is independent from the user interface platform used on the mobile device. This request is received at a web server which routes the request to an application server based on the URL link. The application identifies the user interface platform used by the mobile station and determines whether the application is supported by that user interface platform. If the application is not supported by the user interface platform, the application server reroutes the request to another application server having the application that is supported by the user interface platform and the application at the other server carries out the request and sends the response to the mobile station.
US09009597B2

A method for displaying a menu corresponding to one or more devices included in the one or more media signal sources connected to the media signal sink. The method includes checking connection states of the one or more signal sources to the signal sink, displaying menu items of the one or more devices included in one or more signal sources connected to the signal sink in a graphic user interface (GUI) screen, based on a result of the connection state check; selecting a specific one of the menu items displayed in the GUI screen, determining whether a device corresponding to the selected menu item, among the one or more devices included in the one or more signal sources, is in its on or off state, generating a signal for turning-on the corresponding device when it is determined that the corresponding device is in its off state and transmitting the generated turning-on signal to the corresponding device.
US09009596B2

An exemplary method includes a media content presentation system receiving a plurality of timestamped and geotagged media content instances generated during a live event by a plurality of attendees of the live event, detecting input provided by a user specifying a time period associated with the live event and input provided by the user specifying a viewing area within a venue associated with the live event, identifying one or more media content instances that have a timestamp included within the specified time period and a geotagged location within the specified viewing area, and presenting the identified one or more media content instances to the user within a graphical user interface in a manner that is temporally synchronized with an event timeline associated with the live event. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US09009591B2

Architecture that enables a user to perform manual word-breaking by phrase input. Phrase input is where the user inserts a phrase-key (or separator) as a delimiter that indicates to an editor application such as an IME (input method editor) the composition of a specific phrase when entering characters (e.g., Asian). The word-breaking is controlled by the user. The conversion quality is improved as the user knows the desired input and ambiguous cases are reduced. A phrase can be specified while the user is composing the characters. By selecting a phrase-key separator, the user can specify the composing characters before the characters are presented as a phrase. Moreover, the architecture includes a phrase prioritization mechanism wherein each phrase can be treated as a single entity and assigned a character identifier (ID), which is related to the sequence of a candidate list.
US09009585B1

A method of creating a software wizard. The method involves receiving, by a computer, an instruction to create a wizard, displaying by the computer one or more forms, created before receiving the instruction to create the wizard, receiving by the computer one or more customization instructions of at least one of the displayed one or more forms and storing a file defining a wizard including the displayed one or more forms as customized by the one or more customization instructions.
US09009572B2

A method and apparatus are provided for adapting the data blocks to be supplied to a turbo coder, wherein the adaptation of the block length of the data blocks to the minimum required block length of the turbo coder is insured without the disadvantage of the suboptimum termination of the turbo coder.
US09009570B2

A method for improving address integrity in a memory system generates error correction data corresponding to a memory address. The error correction data is transmitted to a memory device over an address bus coincident with transmitting a no-operation instruction over a command bus.
US09009566B2

The present invention provides a method of operating a memory device storing error correcting codes ECCs for corresponding data and including ECC logic to correct errors using the ECCs. The method includes correcting data using ECCs for the data on the memory device, and producing information on the memory device about the use of the ECCs. The method provides the ECC information on an output port of the device in response to a command received on an input port from a process external to the memory device. The present invention also provides a method of controlling a memory device. The method includes sending a command to the memory device requesting ECC information corresponding to data in the memory device, and receiving the ECC information from the memory device in response to the command. The method includes performing a memory management function using the ECC information.
US09009564B2

A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module mapping a set of data partitions to a set of storage regions. For each data partition, the method continues with the DS processing module segmenting the data partition into a plurality of data segments and designating a first data segment. The method continues with the DS processing module generating data storage mapping information. The method continues with the DS processing module encoding the data storage mapping information to produce at least one set of encoded mapping information slices and for each data partition, encoding the plurality of data segments to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the DS processing module outputting the at least one set of encoded mapping information slices and, for each data partition, the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN for storage therein.
US09009555B2

When transmitting retransmission data, MCS information of a control channel for when communicating the new data is replaced with retransmission control information and the control channel is transmitted. When receiving retransmission data, the control channel is received to obtain the retransmission control information, the replaced MCS information is estimated from the control channel received at the time of communication of new data, and a reception process of retransmission data is controlled using the estimated MCS information and the retransmission control information.
US09009554B2

Topology discovery of a target system having a plurality of components coupled with a scan topology may be performed by driving a low logic value on the data input signal and a data output signal of the scan topology. An input data value and an output data value for each of the plurality of components is sampled and recorded. A low logic value is then scanned through the scan path and recorded at each component. The scan topology may be determined based on the recorded data values and the recorded scan values.
US09009544B2

A system and method for diagnosing an error during a user operation in a web application. An example method is executed, at least in part, by a server system, wherein the server system also executes, at least in part, a web application. The example method includes recording user operations during a user's interaction with the web application; storing the user operations in a click history record in a primary memory device; determining that an error has occurred during the user's interaction with the web application; in response to the determining, transferring at least a portion of the click history record to a secondary memory device; including correlation information in association with the click history; identifying at least one other record by using the correlation information; and providing the click history record and the at least one other record to analysis software and accompanying user interface display screen so that the error can be diagnosed.
US09009543B2

A computer system includes multiple hard disk devices, a hard disk device backplane, an information management unit, a middle backplane and multiple motherboards. The hard disk device backplane is coupled to and configured to manage the hard disk devices. The information management unit, coupled to the hard disk device backplane, is configured to acquire statuses of the hard disk devices. The middle backplane is coupled to the hard disk device backplane. The motherboards, coupled to the information management unit and the middle backplane, respectively have a baseboard management controller. When the operating system is loaded for operation on the motherboards, the baseboard management controllers are coupled to the hard disk device backplane via the middle backplane to acquire the statuses of the hard disk devices. When the motherboards are not operated normally, the baseboard management controllers acquire the statuses of the hard disk devices via the information management unit.
US09009539B1

A stack trace associated with an application program is received and at least one recognizable term is searched for in the stack trace. A digital signature is generated from at least a portion of the stack trace that includes the at least one recognizable term. If the digital signature matches a known digital signature among a plurality of known digital signatures, the stack trace is grouped with other stack traces associated with the known digital signature. Method call graphs in grouped stack traces may be analyzed to determine common pathways leading to an error.
US09009537B2

A multithreaded computing environment for capturing diagnostic data includes initiating a trap delay component having a delay threshold in response to a monitor determining that the computing environment is in a predetermined invalid state. The multithreaded computing environment for capturing diagnostic data also includes recording, by a first thread, diagnostic data for the computing environment. The trap delay component delays the step of recording diagnostic data until the monitor determines that the predetermined invalid state has been repeated for at least one of a total count or a period corresponding to a predetermined indicator that it is a state other than a transient state of the computing environment. The transient state corresponds to a transition of the computing environment by one or more other threads from a first valid state to a second valid state.
US09009521B2

Systems and methods for automated failure recovery of subsystems of a management system are described. The subsystems are built and modeled as services, and their management, specifically their failure recovery, is done in a manner similar to that of services and resources managed by the management system. The management system consists of a microkernel, service managers, and management services. Each service, whether a managed service or a management service, is managed by a service manager. The service manager itself is a service and so is in turn managed by the microkernel. Both managed services and management services are monitored via in-band and out-of-band mechanisms, and the performance metrics and alerts are transported through an event system to the appropriate service manager. If a service fails, the service manager takes policy-based remedial steps including, for example, restarting the failed service.
US09009519B2

Provided is a timing control device including: a storage unit that stores multiple pieces of timing control information including identification information and expected value data; a first selector that selectively outputs any of the multiple pieces of timing control information; a second selector that selectively outputs any of data items output from data output devices based on the identification information; a reference data generation unit that generates reference data based on expected value data and a data item output from the second selector in synchronization with a switching of the timing control information; a comparator that compares the reference data with the data item output from the second selector and outputs a coincidence signal when the reference data and the data item coincide with each other; and an output control unit that outputs a timing signal according to the coincidence signal.
US09009517B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a power and trace profiling system. The system includes a microcontroller based device having a voltage regulator. Additionally, the microcontroller based device is configured to receive a supply power. A system analyzer is configured to receive power profiles from the power profiler and trace profiles from the system profiler. The system analyzer is configured to identify power reduction modifications based on the power profiles and the trace profiles.
US09009509B2

A total power saving controller AA06 judges whether two or more predetermined number of virtual computers AA01 are in a power saving state, referring to a virtual computer information table BB01, in the case where the total power saving controller AA06 receives, from one of the virtual computers AA01, a shift request requesting shifting the virtual computer AA01 from the power saving state thereof. A device control changer AA07 decides, out of all devices AA08 corresponding to the virtual computers AA01 in the power saving state, one of the devices to be operated as an operating device, and the rest of the devices as a degraded device, for causing the operating device to perform a degraded control of the degraded device, in the case where the total power saving controller AA06 judges that all the virtual computers AA01 are in the power saving state.
US09009507B2

According to one embodiment, a method controls an apparatus including a sensor which detects an open/close state of a cover, and an power manager which performs power management of the apparatus in accordance with a ordinary state and a power-saving state. The method includes notifying turning on the apparatus in order to change the apparatus to the ordinary state, if the power manager is notified a second notifying and the sensor detects that the cover is opened, and performing an power management corresponding to the power-saving state, if the power manager is notified a first notifying, or if the power manager is notified the second notifying and the sensor detects that the cover is closed.
US09009506B2

Embodiments of a processing architecture are described. The architecture includes a fetch unit for fetching instructions from a data bus. A scheduler receives data from the fetch unit and creates a schedule allocates the data and schedule to a plurality of computational units. The scheduler also modifies voltage and frequency settings of the processing architecture to optimize power consumption and throughput of the system. The computational units include control units and execute units. The control units receive and decode the instructions and send the decoded instructions to execute units. The execute units then execute the instructions according to relevant software.
US09009500B1

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes supplying power to a portion of a data center through a power distribution line. Utilization of a statistically significant sample of the computers is monitored, and an estimated individual power draw for each of the computers based on the utilization is calculated. An estimated total power draw is calculated for different times from the estimated individual power draws to generate a collection of estimated total power draw values for the different times. Actual power draw is monitored at the power distribution line and a collection of actual power draw values is generated. A function is fitted to pairs of actual power draw values and estimated power draw values, each pair comprising an actual draw value and an estimated draw value for the same time, and the function is then stored.
US09009498B1

A method for estimating power consumption by a target host involves estimating a per-workload in-scenario utilization function of time for each workload running on said host in said what-if scenario so as to yield per-workload in-scenario utilization functions of time. The utilization functions are aggregated to yield a target host utilization function of time. The target host utilization function of time is converted to a host power-consumption function of time.
US09009487B2

Provided are techniques for the creation and storage of an archive for binding IDs corresponding to a cluster of devices that render content protected by a broadcast encryption scheme. When two or more clusters are merged, a binding ID corresponding to one of the clusters is selected and a new management key is generated. Binding IDs associated with the clusters other than the cluster associated with the selected binding ID are encrypted using the new management key and stored on a cluster-authorized device in a binding ID archive. Content stored in conformity with an outdated binding ID is retrieved by decrypting the binding ID archive with the management key, recalculating an old management key and decrypting the stored content.
US09009477B2

In various embodiments, a computerized method includes receiving electronic content to be archived. The electronic content comprises a digital signature. The method may include archiving the digital signature, by determining a validity status of the digital signature and storing the validity status in the electronic content. The method may also include archiving the electronic content after the validity status has been stored in the electronic content.
US09009476B2

A multi-application smart card and a multi-application management system and method for the smart card are provided. The multi-application smart card comprises a management device for the application security domain, and the management device is use to manage and maintain the application security domains in the multi-application smart card, and the application security domains comprise a plurality of issuer application security domains which share the control right of the multi-application smart card. Optionally, the application security domains also comprise at least one cardholder application security domain which is subordinate to the issuer application security domain that creates the cardholder application security domain, and wherein the at least one cardholder application security domain is used to manage and maintain the applications created by the cardholder.
US09009466B2

There are a terminal device capable of link layer encryption and decryption and a data process method thereof, and the terminal device includes a link layer processing module including a control module, a data frame encryption module, a data frame decryption module, a key management module, an algorithm module, a transmission port and a reception port; and the control module is connected with the transmission port through the data frame encryption module, the reception port is connected with the control module through the data frame decryption module, the control module is connected with the key management module, the data frame encryption module is connected with the data frame decryption module through the key management module, and the data frame encryption module is connected with the data frame decryption module through the algorithm module.
US09009446B2

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses broadcast-based TLB-sharing techniques to reduce address-translation latency in a shared-memory multiprocessor system with two or more nodes that are connected by an electrical interconnect. During operation, a first node receives a memory operation that includes a virtual address. Upon determining that one or more TLB levels of the first node will miss for the virtual address, the first node uses the electrical interconnect to broadcast a TLB request to one or more additional nodes of the shared-memory multiprocessor in parallel with scheduling a speculative page-table walk for the virtual address. If the first node receives a TLB entry from another node of the shared-memory multiprocessor via the electrical interconnect in response to the TLB request, the first node cancels the speculative page-table walk. Otherwise, if no response is received, the first node instead waits for the completion of the page-table walk.
US09009438B2

An approach to efficient space reclamation in multi-layered thinly provisioned systems. A parent storage volume is thinly provisioned, and uses one or more child storage volumes that are also thinly provisioned for storage. A reclamation command sent to the device providing the parent thinly provisioned storage volume identifies that data has been released, and that the physical storage storing that data can be placed in a free pool and used to satisfy future write requests in the parent storage volume. An identify module identifies which child storage volumes supporting the parent storage volume are thinly provisioned. The data is released at the level of the parent storage volume, and the reclamation command is sent to the child storage volumes supporting the parent storage volume and that are themselves thinly provisioned. The storage is thus released by all affected thinly provisioned storage volumes, and not just the parent storage volume that received the reclamation command.
US09009435B2

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.
US09009434B2

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.
US09009433B2

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for recycling areas of a data storage device by relocating data. In one embodiment, a method may comprise selecting a first storage area based on a quantity of obsolete data in the first storage area, moving valid data from the first storage area to a second storage area, and setting memory spaces corresponding to the first storage area as available memory for storing other data. Another embodiment may further comprise selecting a physical address-based move operation or a logical address-based move operation based on a number of sets of contiguous valid memory spaces in the first storage area, wherein the physical address-based move comprises moving data based on physical data addresses, and logical address-based moved comprises moving data based on logical block addresses.
US09009432B2

In one of the storage control apparatuses in the remote copy system which performs asynchronous remote copy between the storage control apparatuses, virtual logical volumes complying with Thin Provisioning are adopted as journal volumes to which journals are written. The controller in the one of the storage control apparatuses assigns a smaller actual area based on the storage apparatus than in case of assignment to the entire area of the journal volume, and adds a journal to the assigned actual area. If a new journal cannot be added, the controller performs wraparound, that is, overwrites the oldest journal in the assigned actual area by the new journal.
US09009429B2

A source volume and a copy volume are stored, where the copy volume contains data that has been modified by writes to the source volume. In response to a write to a particular location and resource volume, a deduplication data structure is checked to determine whether the copy volume contains data that is the same as data in the particular location. In response to determining from the deduplication data structure that a copy volume contains the same data as the data in the particular location, a reference to the first location of the copy volume storing the same data is added instead of repeating storing of the data of the particular location in the copy volume.
US09009424B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to data placement for loss protection in a storage system. One embodiment includes constructing multiple logical compartments. Each logical compartment includes a placement policy including a set of storage placement rules for placement of storage symbols into a set of physical storage containers. A first logical compartment of said plurality of logical compartments is container-overlapped with respect to a second logical compartment of said plurality of logical compartments. The first logical compartment is data loss independent with respect to the second logical compartment. Each of multiple storage volumes is associated with a logical compartment. The storage symbols that represent a data stripe are placed onto physical storage containers in conformity with the placement policy associated with the logical compartment containing the data stripe.
US09009418B2

A multimedia platform is discussed, which includes a first stacking unit including a first substrate and a multimedia processor, wherein the first substrate and the multimedia processor are stacked on the first stacking unit, a pattern and a via hole are formed on the first substrate, and the multimedia processor is mounted on top of the first substrate; a second stacking unit including a second substrate and a plurality of storage devices, wherein the second substrate and the plurality of storage devices are stacked on the second stacking unit, a pattern and a via hole being formed on the second substrate, and the plurality of storage devices are mounted on top of the second substrate; and at least one solder ball arranged on the first stacking unit, the at least one solder ball allowing the first substrate to be coupled to the second substrate.
US09009404B2

A method for use in viewing compression and migration status is disclosed. A logical volume is selected for compression into a compressed logical volume. A destination storage pool for the compressed logical volume is selected. The logical volume is compressed during migration of the logical volume to the destination pool. Unified status information of progress of the compression and migration is presented. A system for use in viewing compression and migration status is also disclosed.
US09009390B2

A memory system including a non-volatile memory device and a memory controller is provided. When a read operation on a first data initially output from the non-volatile memory device during a first read operation is successful, the memory controller may change a read voltage for reading a second data stored in the non-volatile memory device during a second read operation.
US09009388B2

A method and system for efficiently freeing storage in a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) system. A computer system is coupled to storage devices that are organized as a RAID with block-level striping. Each storage device is partitioned into multiple physical sectors. The computer system receives a request to free a contiguous range of logical sectors that are mapped to the storage devices. In response, the computer system issues, for each storage device, a discard command to free contiguous physical sectors in the storage device that correspond to non-contiguous logical sectors.
US09009383B2

Systems, methods, and devices for dynamically mapping and remapping memory when a portion of memory is activated or deactivated are provided. In accordance with an embodiment, an electronic device may include several memory banks, one or more processors, and a memory controller. The memory banks may store data in hardware memory locations and may be independently deactivated. The processors may request the data using physical memory addresses, and the memory controller may translate the physical addresses to hardware memory locations. The memory controller may use a first memory mapping function when a first number of memory banks is active and a second memory mapping function when a second number is active. When one of the memory banks is to be deactivated, the memory controller may copy data from only the memory bank that is to be deactivated to the active remainder of memory banks.
US09009376B2

A BIOS storage unit of an electronic device is connected to a USB 3.0 extension unit of a USB 3.0 host connector. A microcomputer of a USB compatible device is connected to a USB 3.0 extension unit of a USB 3.0 device connector. The microcomputer of the USB compatible device can write and read the BIOS data to/from the BIOS storage unit of the electronic device through the USB 3.0 extension units. Moreover, the microcomputer of the USB compatible device compares the BIOS data read from the BIOS storage unit of the electronic device with the BIOS data stored in its own storage unit, and notifies a result of the comparison.
US09009363B2

A method for indicating an overload condition of a data storage system, comprises the steps of: defining one or more load indexes, wherein each of the load indexes has an overload threshold; and if one of the load indexes has met its respective overload threshold, providing an indicator of the overload condition of the storage system, else, monitoring the load indexes.
US09009362B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to a variable-width command/address bus (CA bus). In one embodiment, a memory controller includes first logic to determine whether a memory device is in a first mode or a second mode. The memory controller includes second logic to transmit a command to the memory device with a command/address bus having a first width over a first number of clock edges when the memory device is in the first mode, and with the command/address bus having a second width over a second number of clock edges when the memory device is in the second mode.
US09009361B2

According to one embodiment, a video output device includes a first resolution converter and a first determination module. The first determination module is configured to determine whether a first level indicating the performance of resolution conversion processing of the first resolution converter is higher than a second level. The first resolution converter is configured to convert video data with a first resolution into one with a second resolution when the first level is higher than the second level.
US09009351B2

Brokerage transactions servers and related methods are provided having low latency. In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of processing exchange transaction information for exchange brokerage purposes in an inbound digital message stream in a first protocol dialect. One embodiment utilizes canonical FIX messages for processing purposes. A related embodiment includes, for each message in the stream, storing in memory each successive change made to the message and any metadata created by the foregoing processes; and in an encapsulation process, accessing memory and creating an encapsulated version of the message that includes: (i) the message in original form prior to the receiver process, (ii) the metadata, and (iii) each successive change made to the message by any of the foregoing processes.
US09009344B2

A method of sending a data stream of video images between a server and at least one client device in a communication network, employing a rate setting for the sending of data over the communication network, the method comprising the following steps: obtaining (910) an item of information Pc representing a speed of variation over time for a rate setting, said item of information depending on at least one characteristic of the state of the traffic over the communication network, comparing (920) said item of information Pc so obtained with a scheduled time Ev for a set of video image data to send, adapting (930) the rate setting delivered by the server on the basis of at least the result of the comparing step, compressing said set of video image data to send using a compression mode which depends on the adapted rate setting, sending said set of video image data so compressed.
US09009339B2

Media rich content server systems and methods are operable to provide access to supplemental media rich content at a portable media device. An exemplary embodiment communicatively couples a portable media device to a media device that initially receives a media content stream comprising at least one supplemental media rich content trigger, wherein the supplemental media rich content trigger includes access information configured to access at least one media rich content server; receives a portion of the media content stream with the supplemental media rich content trigger at the portable media device; establishes a communication link between the portable media device and the media rich content server based upon the access information in the received supplemental media rich content trigger; receives supplemental media rich content from the media rich content server; and presents at least the received supplemental media rich content on a display of the portable media device.
US09009335B2

A video signal and an audio signal are TMDS transmitted from a source device to a sink device. Through a reserved line and a HPD line provided separately from a TMDS transmission line, an Ethernet™ signal is bidirectionally transmitted, and also, a SPDIF signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device. The Ethernet™ signal bidirectionally transmitted between Ethernet™ transmitter/receiver circuits is differentially transmitted by an amplifier and is received by the amplifier. The SPDIF signal from a SPDIF transmitter circuit is common-mode transmitted from an adder and is received by the adder to be supplied to the SPDIF receiver circuit.
US09009332B1

Transparent proxy services are provided reliably. A TCP/IP input stream is received that includes data and control packets directed to a destination address that is different from a network address of the proxy. Incoming TCP data packets and control packets are intercepted. Intercepted data packets are processed asynchronously with respect to reception of other TCP data packets. At the start of the processing, an indicator is set to represent an active state of the processing; at the conclusion of the processing an output of the processing is sent to a determined destination for the first TCP data packet, and the indicator is set to represent a non-active state of the processing. In response to the state of the indicator representing the active state of the processing, control packets are delayed by the proxy.
US09009331B2

A communication device configured to receive content from a server via a network, comprises a storage unit configured to store content received from the server in a cache, a display unit configured to display the content stored in the storage unit, a control unit configured to switch connection to the network to one of a plurality of communication lines having different communication rates, and a setting unit configured to set the size of the content received from the server and the number of histories stored in the cache, in accordance with the communication line to which connection has been switched by the control unit.
US09009330B2

A proxy server for limiting Internet connection speed of visitors that pose a threat. The proxy server receives from a client device a request to perform an action on an identified resource that is hosted at an origin server for a domain. The proxy server receives the request as a result of a DNS request for the domain resolving to the proxy server. The origin server is one of multiple origin servers that belong to different domains that resolve to the proxy server and are owned by different entities. The proxy server analyzes the request to determine whether a visitor belonging to the request poses a threat. If the proxy server determines that the visitor poses a threat, the proxy server reduces the speed at which the proxy server processes the request while keeping a connection to the client device open.
US09009324B2

A method and system for managing and reconciling naming conflicts in a configuration database. Attributes are collected about a detected resource in a network. Valid names for the detected resource are created based on the collected attributes and a set of naming rules. A valid name is created for each naming rule, and the naming rules have a priority order. A master-alias table is search to locate a match between existing names of known resources recorded in the master-alias table and any of the valid names. A partial match of resource attributes is determined to exist when all of the valid names in the set of valid names do not match an existing name in a matching entry. The detected resource is determined to be a new resource or an existing resource based on a priority of the naming rules used to create the valid names.
US09009314B1

Supporting of multiple concurrent tasks to be submitted via a single web-browser is important because it improves efficiency for user to utilize the web browser for daily works. The supporting of web based multitasking is also an important step towards creating a web based computer user work environment.
US09009306B2

The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communication technologies, and provides a method for locating operation nodes in a communication system. The method includes using an identifier in the received message to obtain an adjusted path from the root node of the management tree of the client to the standard management object corresponding to the identifier, using the message to obtain a relative path between the target operation node and the root node of the standard management object on the management tree, concatenating the adjusted path with the relative path, and locating the target operation node according to the concatenated path. The present disclosure also provides a system for locating operation nodes, a client for locating operation nodes in a communication system, and a server for performing management operations for clients.
US09009305B1

A system and methods for monitoring and determining agent and network health, having a network monitoring and failure detection system that collects data reports and accumulates a set of data defined in terms of a time window. The network monitoring and failure detection system makes a determination of the agent health during the time window. The network monitoring and failure detection system then processes the collected data based on the determined health. The processing of the collected data can include disregarding the data, weighing the data, filtering the data, using the data in a feedback loop, or processing the data using another method or algorithm.
US09009301B2

Improved problem diagnosis techniques for use in accordance with computing systems, e.g., distributed computing systems, are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for diagnosing a problem associated with a computing system comprises the following steps/operations. One or more probes are executed in accordance with at least a portion of a previously selected probe schedule. When a result of one or more of the probes of the previously selected probe schedule indicates, at least, a potential problem associated with the computing system, one or more probes which optimize at least one criterion are selected in real-time. The one or more selected probes are executed so as to diagnose the potential problem.
US09009294B2

The present invention provides a solution (e.g., rules, techniques, etc.) for enabling the dynamic provisioning (e.g., movement) of Cloud-based jobs and resources. Such provisioning may be within a Cloud infrastructure, from Cloud to Cloud, from non-Cloud to Cloud, and from Cloud to non-Cloud. Each movement scenario is assigned a specific technique based on rules, profiles, SLA and/or other such criteria and agreements. Such dynamic adjustments may be especially advantageous in order to balance real-time workload to avoid over-provisioning, to manage Cloud performance, to attain a more efficient or cost-effective execution environment, to off-load a Cloud or specific Cloud resources for maintenance/service, and the like.
US09009287B2

The storage system in the present invention includes: plural control units for controlling data sending/reception independently for each network; a management unit provided between a management computer and the control units, for managing the control units based on a command sent from the management computer; a virtual communication channel creation unit for creating a virtual communication channel between the management unit and the control units; a virtual communication channel connection unit for separately connecting the management unit and each control unit to the virtual communication channel created by the virtual communication channel creation unit; and a sending unit for sending, to each control unit, a command sent from the management computer via the virtual communication channel connected by the virtual communication channel connection unit.
US09009284B2

A communication managing apparatus (CMA) that manages transmission of data employing a token passing system in a network in which a plurality of communication apparatuses (CAs) are connected via a transmission line. The CMA includes a network-presence checking unit performing network presence checking processing for transmitting, by broadcast, a network presence check frame for recognizing the CAs, receiving, from the CAs, frames including thereof, and generating connection information indicating a connection state via the ports. The CMA further comprises a unit determining token circulation order using the connection information, a setup processing unit performing, based on the token circulation order, setup processing for notifying the communication apparatuses of a communication apparatus to which a transmission right is giving next, and a data-fame-communication processing unit performing transmission and reception of a data frame using a token frame.
US09009283B2

A browser request is received at a computing device. A determination is made as to whether to replace the browser request with a push notification based upon characteristics of the browser request. The browser request is replaced with the push notification in response to determining, based upon the characteristics of the browser request, to replace the browser request with the push notification.
US09009281B2

A method of generating a set of composite services is provided herein. The method includes receiving standardized service descriptions of a set of component services from service providers. The standardized description of a component service may be translated to an automaton-based description. A specified goal associated with the set of component services may be received. The set of composite services may be generated based on the automaton-based description and the specified goal. Each of the generated composite services may accomplish the specified goal.
US09009280B2

An equipment management device manages one or more pieces of equipment which are connected to the equipment management device via a network. The equipment management device includes a determining unit which determines whether a non-authenticated software item exists in each of the one or more pieces of equipment, and a license management unit which performs license management of one or more software items installed in each of the one or more pieces of equipment, based on a result of the determination by the determining unit.
US09009278B2

In the field of communications, to solve the problem in the prior art that a device management (DM) server needs to communicate with user terminals for multiple times to obtain Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) of various user terminal DM nodes, a DM server, a DM client, and a method for locating a target operation object are provided. The location method includes: obtaining a management command sent by a DM server; and operating a target operation object according to the management command, in which the management command comprises Management Object (MO) location information, MO instance feature node information, and target operation object information. The present disclosure has the following beneficial effects. A target operation object of a DM client may be located by communicating once, and thus increasing the efficiency of communications between the DM server and user terminals.
US09009277B2

Some embodiments provide a repository that manages configurations for a distributed platform and that automatedly configures servers of the distributed platform with different hierarchical sets of configurations while ensuring integrity and consistency across the servers and in the repository. In some embodiment, the repository includes a data store that stores configurations for a first set of servers that are operated by a first service provider and a second set of servers that are operated by a second service provider. The data store also identifies different sets of configurations to deploy to different sets of servers from the first and second sets of servers. The repository also includes a function processor to automatedly deploy the different sets of configurations to the different sets of servers and to perform functions for updating the configurations in a manner that ensures integrity and consistency.
US09009269B2

In the first embodiment, the mobile phone 20 obtains the PCID from the CCE 10, and sends the PCID and the IMSI of the USIM of the mobile phone 20 to the CAPS 50. The MCC+MNC part of the IMSI is later used as the operator identification information by the mediation server 30, which is operated by the RO, in order to identify the SHO for the CCE 10. The MSIN part of the IMSI is later used as the user identification information by the account managing server 40, which is operated by the SHO, in order to identify the user of the mobile phone 20. The mediation server 30 forwards the account request from the CCE 10 to the account managing server 40 of the SHO identified by the operator identification information. The account managing server 40 generates the MCIM that is associated with the user identified by the user identification information.
US09009263B2

Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.
US09009262B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for using a central server computer system disposed to dynamically manage collaboration between terminal devices and peripheral devices during a virtual session. The central server computer system may associate a peripheral device with a virtual session hosted by a host device. The virtual session may be further associated with a terminal device communicatively coupled with the central server computer system. The central server computer system may establish a connection between the central server computer system and the peripheral device; forward peripheral data between the peripheral device and the host device such that the virtual session perceives the peripheral device as locally connected to the host device; and forward user interface data associated with the virtual session between the host device and the terminal device.
US09009258B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a method for providing content. The method comprises receiving a first login request from a first device used by a user, the request being associated with a first anonymous identifier associated with the first device, and determining a user tag for the user, that does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the user. The method further comprises receiving a second login request from a second different device used by the user, the request being associated with a second different anonymous identifier associated with the second different device, and storing an association between the user tag, the first anonymous identifier and the second different anonymous identifier. The method further comprises receiving a request for content from either the first or second different device and providing content in response to the request using the association.
US09009251B1

An information server computer system may be configured to receive a request for electronic information from a client computer system. In response, a request to the client computer system may be delivered for an automated report of the bandwidth that is available for delivery of the electronic information. The client computer system may provide the automated report in response. In response, the information server computer may select a form of the electronic information which is substantially compatible with the bandwidth specified in the automated report from among multiple forms that are each compatible with a different available bandwidth.
US09009244B2

An image forming apparatus and method includes receiving a plurality of addresses for transmitting mail including URL of a web page provided by the image forming apparatus, transmitting the mail including the URL of the web page to the plurality of addresses, and delivering, in response to a download request from an external apparatus via the web page indicated by the URL, to the external apparatus a setup file of a device driver for the image forming apparatus registered in a storage region of the image forming apparatus.
US09009242B2

A method and computer program product for marking email-read status in an email application is described. A method may comprise defining, via at least one of a client electronic device and a server computer, a marked-read characteristic corresponding to an email. The method may further comprise determining, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, a marked-read preview time based upon, at least in part, the marked-read characteristic. The method may also comprise designating, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, the email as read based upon, at least in part, the marked-read preview time.
US09009240B2

Methods of dynamic control of an electronic message system are described. In an embodiment, a system which is separate from a messaging service within the electronic message system generates an event signal which relates to an event external to the messaging service. The event signal is received by the messaging service and this triggers a dynamic update in one or more electronic messages which are identified based on the event signal received. For example, the dynamic update may result in the message content being displayed in a different manner or the message being delivered or deleted. Examples of external events include a community response to a particular message, based on a subset of information about the message which has been shared, the location of one or more users and a change in membership of a group.
US09009228B2

A method and apparatus are provided for sharing concurrent ad hoc Web content between users visiting the same Web domain, sub-domain, section or page. In one example, the method includes associating a user with a current uniform resource locator and Web domain, sub-domain, section or page being browsed by parsing the current uniform resource locator of the current Web page, creating a Web content sharing group by identifying one or more other users with whom the user would like to share, saving current uniform resource locators of pages being browsed calculating a status of the Web content sharing group by determining if any users in the Web content sharing group are currently browsing on a same Web domain, sub-domain, section or page as the user, and communicating the status of the Web content sharing group with a front-end device.
US09009220B2

Among other things, a method includes a data storage system associated with a provider entity and storing data on behalf of a client entity, the data being accessible from the data storage system by the client entity, a data interface enabling access by the provider entity to the data of the data storage system, and an analysis engine maintained by the provider entity to, at times determined by the analysis engine, access the data using the data interface, analyze the data, and generate results of the analysis for use by the client entity.
US09009217B1

Systems and method for the management of virtual machine instances are provided. A network data transmission analysis system can host virtual machine networks. A component of a hosted virtual machine network is configured in a manner to receive commands directed towards a simulated network device. The component may then execute a process or processes on the hosted virtual machine network which correspond to the received command.
US09009213B2

A computer-implemented method for distributing pre-rendering processing tasks includes: mapping data processing tasks in a real-time visualization to a visualization processing model, the real-time visualization involving data from a backend system to be rendered by a frontend system; receiving a processing cost model derived from processing-node information; determining, using the mapped data processing tasks and the models, an execution plan for the real-time visualization; and for each of the mapped data processing tasks, and according to the determined execution plan, assigning the backend system or the frontend system to perform the task.
US09009211B2

A system for executing services in a distributed way, the execution of each service involving the processing of a plurality of tasks of predetermined types, each task type to be processed being represented by a corresponding type of tuples of data relating to the task type, wherein: the system includes a plurality of peer entities; each peer entity being adapted to store and execute a plurality of worker modules, each worker module being adapted to process at least one task type; each peer entity including tuple handling modules that, for a tuple of a type T, are adapted: a) to check if at least one of the plurality of the worker modules in the peer entity is adapted to process the task represented by the tuple, b) in the positive case of a), to take charge of the processing of the task represented by the tuple, and c) in the negative case of a), to execute a forwarding procedure for forwarding the tuple to another peer entity of the plurality of peer entities of the system.
US09009209B2

A processor for dividing by calculating repeatedly an n-bit width partial quotient includes, a dividend zero count value counter that counts a dividend zero count value, a divisor zero count value counter that counts a divisor zero count value, a correction value calculator that calculates a correction value to a loop count value, a correction loop count value calculator that calculates a correction loop count value, a dividend shift unit that shifts leftward an absolute value of the dividend by the dividend zero count value and shifts rightward the leftward-shifted absolute value of the dividend by the correction value, a divisor shift unit that shifts leftward an absolute value of the divisor by the divisor zero count value, and a division loop operation unit that divides based on an output value from the dividend shift unit, an output value from the divisor shift unit, and the correction loop count value.
US09009203B2

At least one read operation of at least one object of a data container is initiated. The data container includes an anchor object, a first internal data object and a first garbage collection object, the anchor object comprising a pointer to a versioned structure tree. Thereafter, in response to the at least one incompatible write operation, a second internal data object and a second garbage collection object are created for the data container. The second garbage collection object has a reference to the second internal data object. Subsequently, the second internal data object is installed in the anchor object and the first garbage collection object is passed to a garbage collection process so that space used by the first garbage collection object in a database can be reused. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09009196B2

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to database access. In aspects, a request for access to a database is received at a node of a database cluster. Also received at the node is an intent associated with the request. If the intent is to potentially write to the database, a primary instance of the database services the request. If the intent is to read from but not write to the database, an identifier of a secondary instance of the database is sent to the requestor for use in accessing the database.
US09009190B2

Measures, including methods, apparatus and computer program products, are provided for establishing a common identity for a user of a client computer in a network comprising a first domain and a second domain. A method comprises: transmitting a first request from the client computer to the first domain; receiving, at the client computer, a first identity for the user associated with the first domain and a first redirection instruction, wherein the first redirection instruction instructs the client computer to transmit a second request to the second domain; transmitting, from the client computer to the second domain, a second request and information relating to the first identity; and receiving, at the client computer, a second identity for the user associated with the second domain and a second redirection instruction, wherein the second identity is related to the first identity.
US09009188B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing drawing-based search queries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving search request data specifying a search request, the search request comprising a drawing represented by a set of line strokes, each line stroke representing a trace of a moving input point; identifying line segments from the line strokes; comparing the identified line segments to reference line segments, each of the reference line segments representing a portion of a corresponding reference drawing; identifying a candidate reference drawing based on the comparison of the identified line segments with reference line segments; identifying a keyword for the candidate reference drawing, the keyword being a term determined to be relevant to a subject matter of the candidate reference drawing; and in response to receiving the search request, providing search results data specifying search results responsive to the keyword.
US09009185B2

A performance management system leverages an iterative process to provide performance reports, with reduced computing resources. In response to a request for a performance report, a respective subset of performance data records may be received from each of a plurality of sources. It may then be determined whether additional performance data records are to be requested from the plurality of sources for the report. The received data may be processed and the resultant report may be outputted. For example, the iterative process may be applied to generate a top-n report based on network flow performance data in a computer information system.
US09009184B2

A search engine server supports delivery of search results using an international search string option by identifying websites that provide support in English as well as the language of the international search string. The international search string is a search string in any of the languages that are listed/supported by the search engine server. The search engine server delivers web links of websites that provide support in both English as well the language of the international search string by identifying conjugate English terms, strings or phrases for the international search string, that provide exact or approximate equivalent meaning for searching. In addition, the search engine server also provides web links of websites that provide international language support by utilizing a thesaurus in English that provides synonyms for the conjugate English terms. The search engine server also translates websites where there is no support in the language of the search string.
US09009179B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for performing graph aggregation. In use, a graph with a plurality of vertices and a plurality of edges is identified. Additionally, graph matching is performed on the vertices and edges of the graph by computing a graph matching, wherein the performance of the graph matching is optimized.
US09009172B2

The present invention provides a method and system for comparing a first XML document with a second XML document. An XML event is parsed from the first XML document or the second XML document based on a plurality of parameters. The parsed XML event is stored as a node in a first data structure or a second data structure, and compared with one or more nodes stored in the second data structure or the first structure, respectively. A comparison result is outputted, when the one or more nodes is a comparable node of the stored node, and on outputting the comparison result the comparable node and the stored node are deleted from the first data structures and the second data structures. Aforementioned steps are repeated till the first XML document and the second XML document are completely parsed and compared.
US09009171B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for active column filtering. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided for active column filtering. The method includes providing a table having data values arranged in rows and columns, providing a first filter location indicator whose location is visually associated with a first column, and providing a first interface based on a selection of the first filter location indicator, wherein the first interface's location is visually associated with the first column. The method also includes acquiring a first filter input entered into the first interface, filtering the table based on the acquired first filter input, providing the filtered table for displaying, and providing an applied filter indicator, whose location is visually associated with the first column, the applied filter indicator including at least the first filter input.
US09009165B2

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for performing a lookup on a hash table stored in external memory. An index table stored in local memory is used to perform an enhanced lookup on the hash table stored in external memory. The index table stores signature patterns that are derived from the hash keys stored in the hash entries. Using the stored signature patterns, the packet processing node predicts which hash key is likely to store the desired data. The prediction may yield a false positive, but will never yield a false negative. Thus, the hash table is accessed only once during a data lookup.
US09009162B1

In an information searching method, information content records are provided in a computer network, each information content record including a tag indicator forming a subset less than a whole of a context hashtag record. When a search query including at least one search term is received from a user, a search is performed of an index of context hashtag records for the at least one search term. The index of context hashtag records is based on data other than only the subset less than the whole of the context hashtag record. Based on the searching, a list of context hashtag record matches is generated, and a search result is returned to the user. The search result includes a list of information content records, each information content record on the result list being associated with at least one context hashtag record on the list of context hashtag record matches.
US09009159B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for populating and/or animating a spatial visualization, such as a map, a timeline, and/or other 2D and/or 3D visual representations of locations. The spatial visualization may be populated with events extracted from a data source (e.g., real-time events, news events, social network events, etc.), and may include relationships between events (e.g., based upon time, location, contextual similarity (e.g., social network check-in events at a restaurant), events referencing one another (e.g., an article describing a first event may comprise a hyperlink to an article describing a second event) etc.). Filter criteria (e.g., date, event type, location, etc.) may be applied to events and/or relationships when populating the spatial visualization. A sequence of events and corresponding relationships may be animated within the spatial visualization (e.g., as the events unfold over a (user) designated period of time).
US09009154B2

First content configured for generating a media item is identified; a portion of the first content as being configured to obtain second content for presentation on the page is identified; and at least one parameter associated with the identified portion is identified, including determining whether the presentation of the plurality of advertisements in the media item reflects the ranking order.
US09009153B2

Systems and methods for identifying a named entity are described. In one described system, a computer program, such as a query system, identifies an event associated with an article, identifies a named entity within the event, and creates an implicit search query comprising the named entity.
US09009146B1

In general, in one aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a computer-implemented method for providing input to a document ranking process for ranking a plurality of documents, the document ranking process taking as input a quality of result statistic for an individual document in the plurality of documents, the plurality of documents having been identified in response to a query, the quality of results statistic being for the query and the individual document. The method for providing input can include, for a first document identified as a search result of a user-submitted query, scoring one or more other queries based upon a similarity to the user-submitted query, each of the one or more other queries being different from the user-submitted query.
US09009144B1

Dynamic identification and removal of potential stopwords from a search query is provided. A search query comprising plural terms is received. A possible stopword among the terms that appears in a predefined list of possible stopwords is identified. Query splits are determined based on one or more query patterns, each query split comprising a location portion using a first subset of the plural terms and a subject portion using a second subset. Either the location portion or the subject portion of the query splits is modified, by removing the possible stopword from that portion. The search engine is queried with the location portion and the subject portion for each of the query splits, and scored search results are obtained for each of the query splits. The search results returned for at least one of the query splits is selected to return as a response to the search query.
US09009139B2

A query pipeline is created (514) from a query request. The query pipeline includes multiple query operations including multiple query operators. A first query operator and a second query operator perform first and second query operations on a database (526) and on data outside the database (534). A result from the first query operation in the query pipeline is fed to the second query operation in the query pipeline.
US09009137B2

Data is published by publishers to an information service configured to receive data sets and allow consumers to consume the data sets via queries. Structural information of the data sets (e.g., column information) is presented to the publishers to select which information of the data sets can be a search parameter and which information can be returned in query results. Query interfaces are automatically created based on the selections by the publisher, and the back end databases are optimized for such query interfaces, e.g., creation of indexes based on the search parameters or query results selected by the publisher. A query aggregator can automatically combine a given query interface with other query interfaces to form more complicated (but still permitted) queries based on the intersection of permissions for the given query interface and the other query interfaces.
US09009129B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for presenting results of search queries with indications that at least a portion of such results has been endorsed by the user and/or social network connections of the user, are provided. Upon receipt of a search query, Web search results satisfying the query are determined. Satisfying search results that have been endorsed by the requesting user and/or one or more social network connections of the requesting user are identified. Upon presentation of the search results on the SERF, those results that were identified as having been endorsed by the requesting user and/or one or more social network connections of the requesting user are annotated as such. In this way, the requesting user may be able to more readily identify personally relevant results as the annotated results have been indicated to be preferences of the user and/or his or her social network connections.
US09009127B1

In one embodiment, a method for presenting factoids includes receiving a user query concerning an object, providing object information associated with the object for presentation to a user, and providing one or more factoids pertaining to the object for presentation to the user. The factoids are presented independently from the object information, and each of the factoids indicates at least one special characteristic of the object in a distinct area.
US09009125B2

Provided are techniques for using a series of compare and swap operations to assign a Relative Byte Address (RBA) and a Logical Record Sequence Number (LRSN) to a log record. One or more log buffers for storing the log record are identified, and the log record is moved to the one or more log buffers.
US09009124B2

A plurality of indicators representing a plurality of respective candidate database configurations may be obtained, each of the candidate database configurations including a plurality of database queries and a plurality of candidate database indexes associated with a database table. A portion of the candidate database indexes included in the plurality of database indexes may be selected based on skyline selection. An enumeration of the portion of the plurality of the candidate database indexes may be determined based on a greedy algorithm.
US09009120B2

Techniques are described for estimating and managing memory compression for request processing. Embodiments of the invention may generally include receiving a request for data, determining if the requested data contains any compressed data, and sending the requesting entity only the uncompressed data. A separate embodiment generally includes receiving a request for data, determining if the requested data contains any compressed data, gathering uncompression criteria about the requested data, and using the uncompression criteria to selectively determine what portion of the compressed data to uncompress.
US09009119B2

A method, computer program product and system for compressing a multivariate dataset. A dataset is selected that includes a plurality of variates. A first compression method is applied to the values of a first variate of the dataset. A second compression method is applied to the values of a second variate of the dataset, where the second compression method is arranged to compress the second variate values relative to the variation of the corresponding first variate values.
US09009101B2

System, method, computer program product embodiments and combinations and sub-combinations thereof for reducing contention of transaction logging in a database management system (DBMS) are provided. An embodiment includes creating a dependency relationship among private log caches (PLCs) having individual associations with tasks in a DBMS. The dependency relationship is utilized to control buffer pinning and unpinning among the PLCs without involving a flushing of the PLCs during transactions of the tasks.
US09009098B1

A system extracts data from at least one database. The data is extracted into a data set. The system performs a transformation function on the data extracted into the data set. The transformation function is performed for the purpose of determining a preferred version of data from at least one database. The database is capable of being updated with the preferred version of data such that the database is capable of being synchronized with the centralized data store. The system loads the preferred version of data into the centralized data store.
US09009097B2

The invention relates to identifying substances in a sample by similarity comparisons between series of ion mobility spectra of the sample and series of ion mobility spectra of reference samples. The collection of series of spectra of reference samples, termed reference library, are divided into classes, with the class assignment of a series of spectra being calculated from the measured values themselves, and limiting the similarity comparisons to series of spectra with the same class assignment. First and second moments of the spectra have proven to be particularly favorable characteristics for the class assignment.
US09009096B2

According to various embodiments, a ratings matrix including matrix values is generated, each row of the ratings matrix identifying one of a plurality of users, each column of the ratings matrix identifying one of a plurality of items, and each of the matrix values corresponding to a known affinity rating describing a degree of affinity associated with one of the users and one of the items. The ratings matrix may include a missing entry representing an unknown affinity rating. According to various embodiments, a revised ratings matrix is generated by factoring the ratings matrix into a user matrix and an item matrix, the revised ratings matrix being the product of the user matrix and the item matrix and including at least one entry representing a predicted affinity rating in place of the missing entry.
US09009093B1

Techniques for scheduling deals based on predicted user locations are described herein. In particular implementations, a service provider may aggregate location information for multiple users. In one example, the location information comprises check-in information shared by a user through a location-based service. The service provider may utilize the aggregated location information to predict future user traffic for a geographical region associated with a deal or a merchant of the deal. In some instance, the deal comprises an offer of an item for acquisition at a discounted value for a period of time, such as a period of hours, days, or weeks. The predicted user traffic may be used by the service provider, merchant, or others to identify the time period and discounted value at which to offer the deal for acquisition.
US09009084B2

The present invention relates to a system and methodology facilitating automation security in a networked-based industrial controller environment. Various components, systems and methodologies are provided to facilitate varying levels of automation security in accordance with security analysis tools, security validation tools and/or security learning systems. The security analysis tool receives abstract factory models or descriptions for input and generates an output that can include security guidelines, components, topologies, procedures, rules, policies, and the like for deployment in an automation security network. The validation tools are operative in the automation security network, wherein the tools perform security checking and/or auditing functions, for example, to determine if security components are in place and/or in suitable working order. The security learning system monitors/learns network traffic patterns during a learning phase, fires alarms or events based upon detected deviations from the learned patterns, and/or causes other automated actions to occur.
US09009083B1

A mechanism for automatic quantification of multimedia production quality is presented. A method of embodiments includes assembling data samples from users, the data samples indicating a relative production quality of a set of content items based on a comparison of production quality between content items in the set, extracting content features from each of the content items in the set, and learning, based on the data samples from the plurality of users, a statistical model on the extracted content features, wherein the learned statistical model can predict a production quality of another content item that is not part of the set of content items.
US09009082B1

Techniques are described for assessing information supplied by users in various ways, such as to assess the reliability and/or other attributes of the user-supplied information. In at least some situations, the user-supplied information includes votes or other evaluations supplied by users related to items available from an online merchant, such as ratings of usefulness or other attributes of item reviews for the items or of other types of content pieces that are provided by other users. If user-supplied information is assessed as being sufficiently reliable and/or to have other desired attributes of interest, such as based on an automated analysis of the information, the user-supplied information may be used in various ways in various embodiments, such as to rate the quality or other attributes of the evaluated content pieces, and/or to rate quality or other attributes of the content-providing users who provide the content pieces.
US09009081B2

A method for using a mobile communication device to purchase a ticket for an event. The method comprises locating an event of interest to a user through the mobile communication device, displaying a seating map of a venue in which the event of interest is being held, the seating map being displayed on the mobile communication device, receiving user input selecting an available seat on the seating map, issuing an electronic ticket to the user for the seat, and storing the electronic ticket on the mobile communication device.
US09009080B2

Provided is a content protection system, in which: a user terminal judges, when a content is to be reproduced or executed, whether or not the user terminal has a usage right of the content, and makes, if it is judged that the user terminal does not have the usage right of the content, a request to a license management apparatus to acquire the usage right of the content; the license management apparatus generates, when the request to acquire the usage right is received from the user terminal, license information containing information on an expiration date that is set based on a timing when the request is received, and transmits the generated license information to the user terminal; and the user terminal judges that the user terminal has the usage right of the content until the expiration date indicated by the license information received from the license management apparatus arrives.
US09009060B2

An information management and synchronous communications system and method facilitates database equilibrium and synchronization with wired, wireless and Web-based systems, user-friendly and efficient generation of computerized menus and reservations with handwritten/voice modifications for restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment with nonstandard graphical formats, display sizes and/or applications for use in remote data entry, information management and communication with host computer, digital input device or remote pager via standard hardwired connection, the internet, a wireless link, printer or the like. Various operations employing automated telephone calls and/or messaging may, for instance, be performed. For example, desired reservation and/or appointment information may be automatically converted and conveyed to one or more entities via automated telephone call and/or messaging. As another example, information regarding reservation acceptability may be received and automatically converted via automated telephone call and/or messaging. Telephones may, for instance, be the only equipment required by the entities.
US09009050B2

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for generating speech. One variation of the method is from a server side, and another variation of the method is from a client side. The server side method, as implemented by a network-based automatic speech processing system, includes first receiving, from a network client independent of knowledge of internal operations of the system, a request to generate a text-to-speech voice. The request can include speech samples, transcriptions of the speech samples, and metadata describing the speech samples. The system extracts sound units from the speech samples based on the transcriptions and generates an interactive demonstration of the text-to-speech voice based on the sound units, the transcriptions, and the metadata, wherein the interactive demonstration hides a back end processing implementation from the network client. The system provides access to the interactive demonstration to the network client.
US09009045B1

Methods and systems for model-driven candidate sorting for evaluating digital interviews are described. In one embodiment, a model-driven candidate-sorting tool selects a data set of digital interview data for sorting. The data set includes candidate for interviewing candidates (also referred to herein as interviewees). The model-driven candidate-sorting tool analyzes the candidate data for the respective interviewing candidate to identify digital interviewing cues and applies the digital interview cues to a prediction model to predict an achievement index for the respective interviewing candidate. This is performed without reviewer input at the model-driven candidate-sorting tool. The list of interview candidates is sorted according the predicted achievement indices and the sorted list is presented to the reviewer in a user interface.
US09009044B1

Methods and apparatus related to speech recognition performed by a speech recognition device are disclosed. The speech recognition device can receive a plurality of samples corresponding to an utterance and generate a feature vector z from the plurality of samples. The speech recognition device can select a first frame y0 from the feature vector z, and can generate a second frame y1, where y0 and y1 differ. The speech recognition device can generate a modified frame x′ based on the first frame y0 and the second frame y1 and then recognize speech related to the utterance based on the modified frame x′. The recognized speech can be output by the speech recognition device.
US09009039B2

Technologies are described herein for noise adaptive training to achieve robust automatic speech recognition. Through the use of these technologies, a noise adaptive training (NAT) approach may use both clean and corrupted speech for training. The NAT approach may normalize the environmental distortion as part of the model training. A set of underlying “pseudo-clean” model parameters may be estimated directly. This may be done without point estimation of clean speech features as an intermediate step. The pseudo-clean model parameters learned from the NAT technique may be used with a Vector Taylor Series (VTS) adaptation. Such adaptation may support decoding noisy utterances during the operating phase of a automatic voice recognition system.
US09009033B2

A method and apparatus for implementation of real-time speech recognition using a handheld computing apparatus are provided. The handheld computing apparatus receives an audio signal, such as a user's voice. The handheld computing apparatus ultimately transmits the voice data to a remote or distal computing device with greater processing power and operating a speech recognition software application. The speech recognition software application processes the signal and outputs a set of instructions for implementation either by the computing device or the handheld apparatus. The instructions can include a variety of items including instructing the presentation of a textual representation of dictation, or a function or command to be executed by the handheld device (such as linking to a website, opening a file, cutting, pasting, saving, or other file menu type functionalities), or by the computing device itself.
US09009031B2

The embodiments of the present invention provide an output method and electronic apparatus for a candidate phrase and an electronic apparatus. The method includes: analyzing, according to phrase categories in a phrase database, category of a phrase selected from a candidate input list that appeared after a user inputs a syllable, so as to judge whether the category of the phrase is contained in the phrase database; increasing the candidate priority of the category containing the phrase in a candidate input list, if the category of the phrase is contained in the phrase database; and transmitting the phase to a text input server, if the category of the phrase is not contained in the phrase database, so as to update the phrase categories in the phrase database according to an instruction from the text input server.
US09009027B2

Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for determining an overall mood score of a document. For example, the document is received from a computer-readable medium. A text segment in a document is identified to be indicative of a mood of the document. The text segment is mapped to a mood scale among a predetermined set of mood scales. A mood weight associated with the mood scale for the text segment is generated. An overall mood score of the document is determined based at least in part on the mood weight.
US09009026B2

An information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives character sequences, a sorting unit that sorts the character sequences received by the receiving unit into known words and unknown words, and a detecting unit that detects character sequences sorted as unknown words by the sorting unit as incorrect words and detects a third character sequence between a first character sequence and a second character sequence, which have been sorted as unknown words by the sorting unit, as incorrect words when the third character sequence includes words sorted as known words by the sorting unit and the number of the known words is less than or equal to or less than a predetermined number.
US09009024B2

There is provided a computer-implemented method of performing sentiment analysis. An exemplary method comprises identifying one or more sentences in a microblog. The microblog comprises an entity. The method further includes identifying one or more opinion words in the sentences based on an opinion lexicon. Additionally, the method includes determining, for each of the sentences, an opinion value for the entity. The opinion value is determined based on an opinion value for each of the opinion words in an opinion lexicon.
US09009020B1

A facility that for a multithreaded program executing on a root machine causes the threads of the program to be executed in a relative scheduling that produces an interesting result. The facility suspends execution of the program. The facility then tests a plurality of relative thread schedulings on one or more virtual machines and observes the result. Based upon the observed result the facility selects one of the tested relative thread schedulings. The facility then resumes execution of the program using the selected relative thread scheduling.
US09009005B2

The lighting control apparatus has a memory unit, an operation input unit and a control unit. The memory unit stores an outer frame and addresses of luminaires and operating devices. The operation input unit inputs to designate a position where a small area is provided in a predetermined area on a layout drawing. The control unit provides, based on the outer frame and the addresses, a layout drawing that illustrates positions where luminaires and operating devices are arranged in the predetermined range within the outer frame. The control unit determines the luminaire and the operating device arranged in the small area. The control unit gives an operation right of the luminaire arranged in the small area to the operating device arranged in the same small area.
US09009001B2

Processing systems and methods used to identify faults in the operation of one or more field instruments are described and shown. In one embodiment, a sensing system includes one or more field instruments and a processing component configured to process data from the field instruments. This processing may include identifying invalid samples of data using an algorithm; correlating invalid samples of data to specific field instruments; and determining a likelihood of a fault occurring on the specific field instruments. The processing may occur in real-time using an online processing technique, or with an offline processing technique on data maintained in a data store.
US09009000B2

A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine can include a base, a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, an electronic circuit that receives the position signals from the transducers, a first inclinometer coupled to the base, wherein the inclinometer is configured to produce a first electrical signal responsive to an angle of tilt of the base and an electrical system configured to record a first reading of the first inclinometer and a second reading of the first inclinometer, wherein the first reading is in response to at least one of a first force applied to the base and a third force applied to the mounting structure, wherein the second reading is in response to at least one of a second force applied to the base and a fourth force applied to the mounting structure.
US09008997B2

Vibration analysis is performed on a machine having a variable frequency drive by using a tachometer to monitor rotational speed of the drive shaft and a logic device to calculate speed parameters associated with the drive shaft using the tachometer data. The speed parameters include a maximum speed, a minimum speed, and an average speed of the drive shaft. By correlating the vibration spectra of the motor drive with the speed parameters, machine faults can be identified based upon the energy distribution in the spectra. Further, vibration waveforms from two or more locations on the machine can be sequentially acquired through synchronous triggering by using a pulse edge of a stable tachometer signal. The waveforms can be compared to determine a phase difference to help in identifying any machine faults that may be present.
US09008995B2

A method of detecting activity with a MEMS accelerometer stores a value of acceleration, then measures acceleration at a later time, calculates a change in acceleration using the measured acceleration and the stored acceleration, and compares the change in acceleration to an activity threshold to detect activity. A method of detecting inactivity uses a similar technique along with a timer. The method of detecting inactivity with a MEMS accelerometer stores an acceleration value, then measures acceleration at a later time, calculates a change in acceleration using the measured acceleration and the stored acceleration, and compares the change in acceleration to an inactivity threshold. If the change in acceleration is less than the inactivity threshold and, if a predetermined period of time has elapsed, then inactivity is detected.
US09008991B2

An interactive response monitoring tool receives an indication that an input has been received at a computing device. Further, the interactive response monitoring tool determines if a response by the computing device to the input is slower than a predetermined response threshold. In addition, the interactive response monitoring tool determines a cause of a slowdown if the predetermined response threshold has been surpassed.
US09008983B2

Provided are a waveguide capable of suppressing strain and defect caused in a semiconductor in an initial stage or during operation due to a manufacturing process or the like to realize improvement and stabilization of characteristics such as oscillation characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the waveguide. A waveguide includes a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer that are composed of a negative dielectric constant medium having a negative real part of dielectric constant with respect to an electromagnetic wave in a waveguide mode, and a core layer that is in contact with and placed between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer, and includes a semiconductor portion. At least the first conductor layer has a particular depressed and projected structure extending in an in-plane direction.
US09008981B2

Disclosed is a method for design validity verification of an electronic circuit board with regard to power supply noise, wherein with regard to an i-th LSI (i=1 to n) on the electronic circuit board, an input voltage Vin[i] to the LSI from the printed circuit board is given by Vin[i]=VDD−Z1si[i]×VDD/(Z1si[i]+Z11[i]), where Z1si[i] is an input impedance characteristic and Z11[i] is a reflected impedance characteristic viewed from a position at which the i-th LSI is mounted, being a characteristic with the i-th LSI omitted from the whole of the electronic circuit board and a judgment is made as to whether or not a reflected voltage Vr[i]=Vin[i]×(Z1si[i]+Z11[i])/(Z1si[i]−Z11[i]) satisfies |Vr[i]|≦Δ V (power supply variation tolerance range).
US09008980B2

A display is estimating every day working time of a worker involved in a load based on power consumption data in which electricity supplied to the load is measured in a certain period; calculating power consumption of the load during working time a day to calculate an average of the power consumption in a predetermined period; and calculating estimated daily power saving for every day based on a difference between maximum power during working time a day and power for each of the time, in which an index in which a proportion of the daily estimated power saving to a sum of the estimated electric saving and the power consumption serves as a parameter while a proportion of the power consumption a day to an average of the power consumption in a predetermined period serves as another parameter is displayed with the measured power consumption for each of the time.
US09008962B2

A system and method for locating, tracking, and/or monitoring the status of personnel and/or assets (collectively “trackees”), both indoors and outdoors, is provided. Tracking data obtained from any number of sources utilizing any number of tracking methods may be provided as input to a mapping application. The mapping application generates position estimates for trackees using a suite of mapping tools to make corrections to the tracking data. The mapping application further uses information from building data, when available, to enhance position estimates. Indoor tracking methods including sensor fusion methods, map matching methods, and map building methods may be implemented compute a more accurate tracking estimate for trackees. Outdoor tracking methods may be implemented to enhance outdoor tracking data by combining tracking estimates such as inertial tracks with magnetic and/or compass data if and when available, and with GPS, if and when available.
US09008941B2

The present invention relates to an anti-jerk control apparatus and method for an Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).The anti-jerk control apparatus includes a model speed calculation unit for calculating a model speed of the motor in a state in which a vibration of a drive shaft is not considered. A vibration occurrence determination unit detects a speed vibration component while calculating a reference speed difference and an average speed difference from differences between the model speed and an actual speed of the motor, thus determining whether a vibration occurs on the drive shaft. A torque correction value calculation unit calculates a motor torque correction value for anti-jerk required to damp the vibration of the drive shaft, and controls torque of the motor if the vibration occurrence determination unit determines that the vibration occurs on the drive shaft.
US09008930B2

A control apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission configured to selectively establish a plurality of shift positions by respective combinations of frictional coupling devices of a plurality of frictional coupling devices in an engaged state thereof, with output hydraulic pressures of respective ones of a plurality of solenoid valves provided in a hydraulic control circuit, includes a fail-safe control portion configured to perform a predetermined fail-safe function when shifting direction values requiring a shifting control of said vehicular automatic transmission and shifting output values respectively generated according to said shifting direction values are not coincident with each other, said shifting output values being represented by respective electric signals for driving said plurality of solenoid valves.
US09008929B1

A method for controlling a powertrain includes the following steps: (a) determining whether a vehicle is coasting to a stop based on an accelerator pedal position; (b) determining whether an automatic transmission is in first gear; (c) shifting an input clutch from an engaged state to a disengaged state in order to operatively disconnect the automatic transmission from an internal combustion engine if the vehicle is coasting to a stop and the automatic transmission is not in first gear; and (d) shifting the automatic transmission to the first gear in order to allow the internal combustion engine to be shut down while the vehicle is coasting to a stop.
US09008926B2

A powertrain includes an electro-mechanical transmission mechanically-operatively coupled to an internal combustion engine and an electric machine adapted to selectively transmit mechanical power to an output member through selective application of a plurality of clutches. A method for controlling the powertrain includes commanding a shift from a fixed gear operating range state to a second operating range state, commanding decreased reactive torque through an off-going clutch during a torque phase of said commanded shift, and decreasing said reactive torque through said off-going clutch through control of engine input torque.
US09008925B2

A method of controlling a transmission brake of an automated change-speed transmission having a control cylinder, that is pressurized by inlet and outlet valves, and an upstream main cut-off valve by which a nominal pressure, supplied to the control cylinder, is regulated. Functional deviations of the transmission brake can be considered during a shifting operation, when the transmission is in neutral, the motor coupling clutch is disengaged and the transmission brake is engaged. The rotational speed gradient and the mass of the transmission components to be braked are determined and used to calculate the current braking torque of the transmission brake. The current braking torque relates to the current regulated nominal pressure, and the determined values are stored in a control unit and used during subsequent actuation of the transmission brake.
US09008924B2

A transmission control system and method for controlling the level of creep torque supplied by a powertrain. The transmission control system having a controller configured to receive output signals from any one of a driver interface device sensor, a grade sensor, and a brake pedal sensor. Based on the output signals, the level of necessary creep torque and be determined and supplied, reducing unnecessary fuel consumption.
US09008923B2

A bicycle derailleur adjusting apparatus for adjusting a bicycle derailleur includes a controller. The bicycle derailleur includes a base member adapted to be mounted to a bicycle, a movable member, a linkage coupled between the base member and the movable member, and an actuator configured to move the movable member of the bicycle derailleur among a plurality of derailleur positions. The controller is configured to control the actuator based on a travel value indicative of a travel distance of the movable member between adjacent derailleur positions to update the derailleur positions of the movable member.
US09008917B2

A passive entry passive start (PEPS) system is provided for performing at least one PEPS function with respect to a vehicle as an end device (e.g., smart phone or key fob, etc.) approaches the vehicle and comes within range for authorization. The vehicle includes a plurality of sensors and a central module. The central module is communicatively coupled to the end device and to the sensors via short-range wireless connections. The central module can determine, based on signal strength information provided from the sensors or the end device, whether the end device is within range for authorization. When the end device is determined to be within range for authorization, the central module can control performance of at least one PEPS function at the vehicle.
US09008913B1

A trailer includes a chassis having a hitch, an axle having a pair of tractive elements rotatably coupled to the chassis, an actuator coupled to the chassis and positioned to steer the pair of tractive elements, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit has an input for receiving a transmission gear of a tractor vehicle and a variable output for engaging the actuator. The processing circuit is configured to control the steering of the pair of tractive elements according to a control strategy that varies based on the transmission gear of the tractor vehicle.
US09008912B2

Provided are a rear camera system for vehicles and a parking guide system using the same, which displays the minimum width and maximum width of a parking area guideline in consideration of the dimensions of a vehicle in displaying a parking area, and displays a stop position in backing. The parking guide system includes a camera mounted on a vehicle, a display unit disposed inside the vehicle, and a parking guide control unit connected to the camera and the display unit. The parking guide control unit includes a parking logic operation unit receiving a steering angle, a speed, or a parking mode from the vehicle, a parking area guideline display unit displaying a guideline for parking guide on the basis of the result of the logic operation, and an image synthesizer synthesizing the results, displayed by the parking area guideline display unit, and an image obtained by the camera.
US09008908B2

A head-up display light source intensity control for a vehicle can include sensing an ambient light intensity condition and providing ambient light intensity data indicative of the ambient light intensity condition to a controller. A speed of the vehicle is sensed and vehicle speed data indicative of the speed of the vehicle is provided to the controller. The controller is configured to calculate a light intensity output value for the head-up display based on both the ambient light intensity data and the vehicle speed data. The light intensity output of a light source of the head-up display is adjusted based upon the light intensity output value.
US09008903B2

The present disclosure presents a wheel diameter variation-detecting device capable of properly detecting relative variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle. The wheel diameter variation-detecting device can detect variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, can detect rotational speeds of the respective wheels, and can calculate a variation parameter indicative of variation in diameter between the wheels using one of the wheels as a reference wheel, based on a result of comparison between the rotational speed of the reference wheel and that of one of the wheels other than the reference wheel. Further, the wheel diameter variation-detecting device can learn the variation parameter based on a value obtained by averaging a plurality of values of the variation parameter obtained before the detected travelled distance reaches a predetermined distance.
US09008900B2

In a method for determining a height of lift of a working machine, a measurement of height is carried out between a position along an approximately vertical axis of motion of a lifting element of the working machine and a reference point. In order to implement a correct determination of the height of lift even in response to inhomogeneous ground conditions, the ground on which the working machine is located is used as the reference point, and for the height measurement a plurality of measuring signals are ascertained, which are supplied to a mean value formation, the mean value being drawn upon for determining the height of lift.
US09008895B2

A system and method for supplying a corrective maintenance plan for a system includes supplying diagnostic data to a processor. The diagnostic data are representative of a set of two or more potential independent faults within the system, and each of the potential independent faults in the set has a unique corrective maintenance plan associated therewith. The diagnostic data are processed, in the processor, to select only one of the corrective maintenance plans. Maintenance plan data representative of the selected corrective maintenance plan are generated in the processor. For identical sets of two or more potential independent faults, the selected maintenance plan is not always the same.
US09008892B2

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for scheduling aircraft maintenance events. One system includes a user interface and at least one processor. The system is configured to receive an indication that an unscheduled maintenance event for an aircraft is to be scheduled, and to determine, using the at least one processor, a maintenance schedule for completing the unscheduled maintenance event on the aircraft, a modified flight schedule for the aircraft, and a modified aircraft schedule for the aircraft based on the unscheduled maintenance event, an initial flight schedule, an initial aircraft schedule, and at least one selectable parameter indicative of user preferences to reduce a total cost of operating the at least one aircraft. The system is configured to provide at least one of the maintenance schedule, the modified flight schedule, and the modified aircraft schedule to the user interface.
US09008891B2

A method of rationalizing a plurality of temperature sensors associated with a plurality of electrical systems of a vehicle includes: maintaining each of the respective electrical systems of the vehicle in a non-operational state for a predetermined period of time; receiving a temperature reading from each of the plurality of temperature sensors following the predetermined period of time; computing a master-reference temperature value from the plurality of received temperature readings; determining a difference between each of the respectively received temperature readings and the computed master-reference temperature value; comparing each determined difference to a threshold; and providing an indicator if one or more of the determined differences exceeds the threshold.
US09008872B2

A system for configuring landing supports of a load to land on uneven terrain includes a terrain sensor configured to detect a terrain characteristic of the uneven terrain. The system further includes landing supports configured to support the load upon landing. The system also includes a support control device operatively coupled to the landing supports, and a landing support control computer that is operatively coupled to the terrain sensor, landing supports, and support control device. The landing support control computer may determine if landing on the uneven terrain is allowable, based on the terrain characteristic and a load characteristic of the load. Upon determining that landing on the uneven terrain is allowable, the support control device configures the landing supports for landing on the uneven terrain.
US09008868B1

Methods, systems and devices for a cloud based management of aircraft avionics allows a service provider, or equipment owner to place a list of tasks to be performed into a centrally managed “Cloud based’ system where the tasks are queued to be performed when appropriate. These tasks can be from a predefined list such as but not limited to, uploading configuration data, uploading log and or support data, downloading new configuration data, and the like.
US09008862B2

A lid lock controller includes a lid lock unit operable in a lock state, which keeps the lid closed, and an unlock state, which allows for the lid to open. A detection unit detects an unlocking operation performed on the lid lock unit. A key check unit checks whether or not an electronic key is located in the vicinity of the vehicle through wireless communication between the vehicle and the electronic key when the unlock operation is detected. An unlocking unit switches the lid lock unit to the unlock state when the electronic key is located in the vicinity of the vehicle. The unlocking unit switches the lid lock unit to the unlock state even when the electronic key is not located in the vicinity of the vehicle as long as a further lid unlock condition is satisfied.
US09008855B2

An accumulated use time for cargo handling vehicles is accurately displayed by a time measuring device even if the time measuring device fails and is replaced. Units such as a display unit and a control unit of the cargo handling vehicle each include a time measuring device and a storage device. The device may perform in a synchronization mode in which the difference between the accumulated use times of both devices is made the same and a synchronization inhibition mode in which the accumulated use times are not changed. The accumulated use times are communicated between the function units, and the accumulated use time of the cargo handling vehicle and the absolute value of the difference between the accumulated use times of both measuring devices are taken into consideration. The appropriate mode is selected and the time measurement is carried out in the selected mode.
US09008853B2

A system for implementing customized vehicle services includes a vehicle control system including a computer processor, and logic executable by the computer processor, the logic configured to implement a method. The method includes receiving user-selected settings for distributing a communication, the user-selected settings input to the computer processor by a user of a vehicle. The method also includes monitoring vehicle components for a condition specified in the user-selected settings, and distributing the communication pursuant to the user-selected settings when the condition is met in response to the monitoring.
US09008848B2

A method for operating a fluid additive control system to inject a fluid additive into a fluid dispensation system is provided. The method includes receiving a first control signal indicating that a fluid dispensation device within the fluid dispensation system is active, and determining a fluid additive quantity based upon the identity of the fluid dispensation device. The method also includes activating a fluid additive injection system, where the fluid additive dispensation system injects the fluid additive into the fluid dispensation system in response to the activation. The method further includes receiving a second control signal from the fluid additive injection system when the fluid additive quantity for the zone has been injected into the fluid dispensation system, and deactivating the fluid additive dispensation system in response to the second control
US09008846B2

Property-management or lock-setting thermostats have maximum and minimum set points locked in to prevent abuse of management-provided heating and/or air conditioning. An ePROM or similar internal memory device stores heating and cooling limit parameters that are set in by a technician at the time of installation. A plug-in flash memory module contains an unlock code to match the unlock code stored in said ePROM, to unlock the thermostat and allow the settings to be adjusted; when said flash memory module is removed the thermostat reverts to its lock condition. The thermostat can also respond to unusual rates of change of temperature to block furnace or A/C operation temporarily.
US09008836B2

A method and system to optimize the parameters of a robot used in an assembly process. The assembly process is categorized based on its nature which may be cylindrical, radial and multi-stage insertion. The search pattern and search parameters are specified. The parameters are optimized and the optimized parameter set are verified and when a predetermined criteria such as assembly cycle time set and/or success rate is met the optimization process stops. When the optimization stops the verified parameters are used to cause the robot to perform the categorized assembly process. If the parameters do not meet the predetermined criteria, another round of optimization using the same or other parameters can be performed.
US09008833B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for operating a cluster tool including receiving recipe time data; receiving transfer time data; receiving process programs and associated substrate lots wherein the process programs include a plurality of sequences; determining cluster tool chambers associated with sequences that are bottleneck sequences; setting equipment constant values for components of the cluster tool to implement transfer priorities wherein the chambers associated with bottleneck sequences are given highest priority; executing a next sequence based on the transfer priorities; and repeating the determining, setting and executing for each remaining sequence. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
US09008830B2

A system includes a station and a management module. The station includes a queue having a first row and a second row. The management module is operable to instruct a first mobile drive unit to move a first group of connected item holders from the second row to the first row, instruct the first mobile drive unit to move the first group of connected item holders along the station such that one or more items stored by the first group of connected item holders are processed at the station, and after the one or more items from the first group of items are processed, instruct a second mobile drive unit to move a second group of connected item holders from the second row to the first row.
US09008825B2

A container unloading system that is adapted to automatically unload containers from carts while the containers and carts reside in an unloading station. The containers may be off-loaded onto a conveyor. The system includes a frame that is movable along the path of ingress/egress of the carts, and a vertically and horizontally movable lifting device that is supported on the frame and adapted to engage and lift the containers. A number of sensors may be present to gather information about the carts and/or containers and to send corresponding signals to a controller that is programmed to automatically operate the system.
US09008823B2

A cutter chatter monitoring method comprises the steps of capturing a cutting vibration acceleration signal; dividing the cutting vibration acceleration signal in each predetermined time period into a plurality of segments; determining whether the vibration acceleration signal of each segment is increased by a multiple greater than a threshold value; performing a Fast Fourier Transform of the cutting vibration acceleration signal in each predetermined time period; calculating a vibration frequency; determining whether the vibration frequency of the cutting vibration acceleration signal is a multiple of a cutter passing frequency; and increasing a main shaft rotating speed of a cutter to avoid cutter chatters if both aforementioned conditions are satisfied.
US09008820B2

A system and method for positioning a fluid stream for cutting a double contour workpiece includes a compensation module configured to receive information regarding a contour path in at least five degrees of freedom for cutting the double contour workpiece and a velocity of movement of the fluid stream during cutting and configured to provide as an output a modified contour path of said at least five degrees of freedom based on Kerf compensation errors. A motion controller is adapted to receive the modified contour path of said at least five degrees of freedom and the velocity and is configured to provide control signals. A positioner is configured to receive the control signals and position a fluid stream adjacent the workpiece accordingly.
US09008814B2

A method of executing a batch process in a manufacturing environment according to a product recipe, such that the product recipe specifies a plurality of actions and a plurality of parameters, includes performing at least one action of the batch process corresponding to a first version of the product recipe, receiving a second version of the product recipe, such that the second version of the product recipe is distinct from the first version of the product recipe, suspending the execution of the batch process prior to completion of the batch process, and resuming the execution of the batch process according to the second version of the product recipe.
US09008803B2

An apparatus comprising a controller. The controller includes an input/output (I/O) module and a rule module. The I/O module is configured to present a question for a patient when communicatively coupled to a user interface and receive patient information in response to the question via the user interface. The rule module is configured to apply a rule to the patient information and generate a suggested insulin pump setting from application of the rule. Other devices, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09008798B2

This document describes an apparatus or an implantable medical device including an implantably biocompatible case. The apparatus can include a component that can be sealed within the case. The apparatus can include a vibration isolator and an at least a portion of the vibration isolator can be situated between and compressively preloaded to bias against the case and the component.
US09008795B2

A catheter handle assembly includes a holder having a proximal end and a distal end. An electrode sheath carrier is arranged at the distal end of the holder. A shape imparting element carrier is removably mountable to the proximal end of the holder, the shape imparting element carrier having at least one mounting formation for mounting at least a part of a shape imparting element. A slide is displaceably arranged in the holder with a distal end of the slide mounting the electrode sheath carrier and a proximal end of the slide terminating in proximity to the shape imparting element carrier.
US09008777B2

A leadless implantable medical device (LIMD) includes a housing formed from a battery and an end cap. A proximal end of the end cap forms an LIMD proximal end and a distal end of the battery case forms an LIMD distal end. A non-conductive coupler mechanically secures a terminal end of the battery case to a mating end of the end cap, while maintaining the battery case and end cap electrically separated. A first electrode projects from the proximal end of the end cap. An intra-cardiac (IC) device extension projects from the distal end of the battery case. The extension includes a second electrode that is electrically connected to the battery case. The second electrode is located remote from the LIMD distal end. An electronics module is located within an internal cavity of the end cap and communicates with the first and second electrodes.
US09008776B2

Systems including an implantable receiver-stimulator and an implantable controller-transmitter are used for leadless electrical stimulation of body tissues. Cardiac pacing and arrhythmia control is accomplished with one or more implantable receiver-stimulators and an external or implantable controller-transmitter. Systems are implanted by testing external or implantable devices at different tissue sites, observing physiologic and device responses, and selecting sites with preferred performance for implanting the systems. In these systems, a controller-transmitter is activated at a remote tissue location to transmit/deliver acoustic energy through the body to a receiver-stimulator at a target tissue location. The receiver-stimulator converts the acoustic energy to electrical energy for electrical stimulation of the body tissue. The tissue locations(s) can be optimized by moving either or both of the controller-transmitter and the receiver-stimulator to determine the best patient and device responses.
US09008774B2

An exemplary method includes performing a capture threshold assessment using a bipolar electrode configuration, deciding if capture occurred for a maximum energy value of the capture threshold assessment and, if capture did not occur, then performing a lead impedance test for the lead associated with the bipolar electrode configuration. Such a test may aim to detect an insulation defect and/or a conductor defect. Other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
US09008769B2

Methods and devices for reducing ventricle filling volume are disclosed. In some embodiments, an electrical stimulator may be used to stimulate a patient's heart to reduce ventricle filling volume or even blood pressure. When the heart is stimulated in a consistent way to reduce blood pressure, the cardiovascular system may over time adapt to the stimulation and revert back to the higher blood pressure. In some embodiments, the stimulation pattern may be configured to be inconsistent such that the adaptation response of the heart is reduced or even prevented. In some embodiments, an electrical stimulator may be used to stimulate a patient's heart to cause at least a portion of an atrial contraction to occur while the atrioventricular valve is closed. Such an atrial contraction may deposit less blood into the corresponding ventricle than when the atrioventricular valve is opened throughout an atrial contraction.
US09008762B2

A cardiac-based metric is computed based upon characteristics of a subject's cardiac function. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the end of a mechanical systole is identified for each of a plurality of cardiac cycles of a subject, based upon an acoustical vibration associated with closure of an aortic valve during the cardiac cycle. The end of an electrical systole of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal for each cardiac cycle is also identified. A cardiac-based metric is computed, based upon a time difference between the end of the electrical systole and the end of the mechanical systole, for the respective cardiac cycles.
US09008757B2

Systems and methods that utilize optical sensors and non-optical sensors to determine the position and/or orientation of objects. A navigation system includes an optical sensor for receiving optical signals from markers and a non-optical sensor, such as a gyroscope, for generating non-optical data. A navigation computer determines positions and/or orientations of objects based on optical and non-optical data.
US09008755B2

An inventive medical imaging marker includes a base (2) composed of a non-imageable material, three spherical members (10, 11, 12) provided in a predetermined positional relationship in the base (2) and each composed of an imageable material, and auxiliary marker members (20, 21, 22) provided in the base (2) and composed of the imageable material. The auxiliary marker members (20, 21, 22) respectively have linear portions (20L, 21L, 22L) which are disposed parallel to straight lines extending through center points of the three spherical members (10, 11, 12) and each have a predetermined length sufficient to serve as a mark. The center points of the three spherical members (10, 11, 12) can be correctly identified in a captured image with reference to the linear portions (20L, 21L, 22L) of the auxiliary marker members (20, 21, 22) of the inventive medical imaging marker. Thus, reference axes can be correctly defined in the image.
US09008739B2

In a terminal structure of a superconducting cable conductor, a terminal portion of the superconducting cable conductor is connected with a terminal member of a good conductor. The terminal portion includes a superconducting layer disposed on an outer periphery of a central support; and an insulating layer surrounding the superconducting layer. The insulating layer and the superconducting layer are partially removed to expose the central support and the superconducting layer in this order from an end of the superconducting cable conductor. The terminal member includes a metal sleeve which includes a first cylindrical portion whose inner surface is in close contact with an exposed portion of the central support; a second cylindrical portion which is soldered around an exposed portion of the superconducting layer; and a third cylindrical portion into which the insulating layer is inserted.
US09008728B2

A method and system provides a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna arrangement in a wireless communication device. A first antenna element and a second antenna element co-located within a same antenna volume are respectively coupled to first and second antenna feeds proximate to a base perimeter segment of a device chassis. The first antenna feed is at a pre-calculated distance from the second antenna feed. The second antenna element, a first MIMO antenna, is coupled to an antenna ground positioned proximate to the first antenna feed and at a pre-determined distance from the second antenna feed. A third antenna element operating as a second MIMO antenna is placed proximate to a top perimeter segment of the device chassis. The antenna arrangement achieves (a) low correlation between the MIMO antennas and (b) an acceptable or pre-determined level of antenna isolation between the first antenna element and the second antenna element.
US09008727B2

A base station broadcasts a message saying that transmittable ranging codes are limited by antenna IDs to limit antennas and the ranging codes to be searched, thereby reducing a processing load of the search. In a cellular radio communication system in which a base station device is connected to plural antennas, and antenna IDs for identifying the antennas are transmitted from the respective antennas, the base station device broadcasts a message saying that a group of ranging codes transmittable by a terminal device is limited by the antenna IDs, the terminal device receives the message, identifies the antenna ID, selects the ranging code from the group of the ranging codes corresponding to the antenna ID, and transmits the selected ranging code.
US09008719B2

The present invention relates to a method for acquiring radio measurements in a mobile communication system. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of.—within a serving cell (A) operated by a radio access node (eNBA) and serving a particular user equipment (UEX), sending measurement control information (meas_ctrl_info) from said radio access node to said particular user equipment whereby said particular user equipment is configured to perform radio measurements,—within a further serving cell (B) operated by a further radio access node (eNBB) and subsequently serving said particular user equipment, sending a measurement report (meas_report) from said particular user equipment to said further radio access node comprising measurement data (meas_data) as configured by said serving cell and a cell identifier (PCIA) of said serving cell,—transferring said measurement data from said further radio access node back to said radio access node. The present invention also relates to a user equipment and to a radio access node operable to form part of a mobile communication system.
US09008717B2

The invention discloses a method for transmitting energy-saving management information. The method includes: a base station and its neighboring base station encapsulating and transmitting the energy-saving management information through an interface message. The invention further discloses a corresponding method for implementing base station energy saving, a system for transmitting the energy-saving management information, and a system for implementing base station energy saving. The invention can be used to solve transmission of the energy-saving information between base station devices of a network, and avoid the problems, for example, handoff and coverage loss caused by the base station being required to be shut off due to reasons such as energy saving, etc., thus guaranteeing network performance and user experience when the base station is performing the energy saving operation.
US09008713B2

Method of cutting off a transmission signal of a main transmitter relayed by a cell of a base station and associated system. According to this method, the transmission signal is cut off:—if the power of the transmission signal emitted by the main transmitter is greater than the power of each transmission signal of other transmitters relayed by the same cell of the base station, and—if the power of the transmission signal of the main transmitter does not decrease after several identical successive transmitted-power regulating commands (TPC) emitted by the base station.
US09008704B2

A system and a method for communicating selected search results are described. The system identifies items based on a search that is automatically executed. The identifying includes utilizing a criterion to perform the search. The system further generates a first user interface that includes the items and selection functions that are respectively associated with the items. The system presents the first user interface over a communications network and receives two selections that identify at least two items that are deleted from the items. Next, the system generates a second user interface that includes the non-deleted items and selection functions, the non-deleted items are respectively associated with the selection functions. Finally, the system presents the second user interface over the communications network.
US09008683B2

Described are a system and method of managing a real-time communication initiated to a mobile communications device. A communication from an originating communications device is sensed as being directed to a first destination address corresponding to a mobile communications device. Location information of the mobile communications device is determined. The communication is directed to a second destination address based on the determined location of the mobile communications device.
US09008682B2

A method, a device and a system are provided for monitoring Location-based Service of a mobile telecommunications network. A passive monitoring method is applied processing both positioning and Location-based Service information of different interfaces. In the system, a monitoring device is attached at the standard interfaces of the network calculating Key Performance indicators and/or measures of network usage from the combined information. In a preferred embodiment, traffic of Le and Gi interfaces (106, 107) of a 3GPP GPRS network (102) are monitored, however the invention can be applied to both circuit-switched and packet-switched telecommunications network supporting positioning.
US09008668B2

A service handover control apparatus and a method using the apparatus are provided. The service handover control apparatus includes a service handover management unit collecting information associated with a transmitting terminal and a wireless access network, which operate based on an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), and outputting a control signal which controls service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on the collected information; and a service handover controller providing the service handover management unit with the information associated with the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal, and controlling the service handovers of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal based on the control signal.
US09008660B2

A method to perform successful RRC reestablishment across eNB seams in ping pong scenarios without data loss is described. The method includes, during a handover procedure of a UE from a source AP to a target AP, receiving, at the source AP, a reestablishment request from the UE. The reestablishment request includes a temporary identity assigned by the target AP for the UE. The method also includes determining a UE context based on the temporary identity assigned by the target AP and performing a reestablishment procedure between the source AP and the UE. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
US09008658B2

A method for obtaining physiological data from a medical sensor device includes detecting a proximity of the medical sensor device by an electronic computing device. After the proximity is detected, a message is received from the medical sensor device. A determination is made as to whether the received message includes configuration information for a wireless communication link. When the received message includes the configuration information for the wireless communication link, the wireless communication link is used to receive physiological data from the medical sensor device and the received physiological data is processed at the electronic computing device. When the received message does not include configuration information for the wireless communication link, a determination is made as to whether the received message includes physiological data. When the received message includes the physiological data, the physiological data is processed at the electronic computing device.
US09008655B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate notifying and detecting modification of system information in a wireless communication system. A mobile device may receive a first system information block (SIB) in a first time period, obtain from the first SIB at least one parameter related to modification of at least one SIB, and determine whether to receive the at least one SIB based on the at least one parameter obtained from the first SIB. The mobile device may receive a paging message in a second time period and may determine whether to receive one or more SIBs based on information obtained from the paging message. The mobile device may receive the first SIB in the first time period after entering a cell in an idle mode. The mobile device may receive the paging message in the second time period after accessing the cell.
US09008650B2

A system and method that allows mobile device applications to receive changes in registration status from application services that are accessed via an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Applications on a mobile device subscribe to receive notifications of changes in registration status for requested services. When a change to the registration status of a service occurs, a notification message is transmitted to the application on the mobile device. Notifications of changes in status are thereby received by each application on a per-application-service basis. In some embodiments, when a request to register with an application service fails, the corresponding notification message includes a reason for the failure. In some embodiments, notification messages are originated by a registration manager that operates in the IMS and transmitted to an IMS client operating on a mobile device. In some embodiments, notification messages are originated by each application service and transmitted directly to subscribed applications.
US09008643B2

A method and apparatus for supporting machine-type communications (MTC) are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may configure itself to operate in a mobile-originated-only mode. The WTRU may perform no, or a subset of, radio resource control (RRC) idle and/or non-access stratum (NAS) idle/standby state procedures in the mobile-originated-only mode. For example, the WTRU may perform cell reselection but not paging monitoring in the mobile-originated-only mode. Alternatively, the WTRU may perform paging monitoring but not cell reselection and location update. The operation in the mobile-originated-only mode may be triggered explicitly or implicitly. For example, the WTRU may operate in the mobile-originated-only mode if an inactivity timer expires. The WTRU may switch the mode in accordance with a pre-configured schedule. After transition of the operation mode, the WTRU may send a message to the network indicating such mode switch.
US09008642B2

The present subject matter relates to systems and methodologies for communicating between an appliance and a mobile device using audio signaling. An appliance is provided with an audio generating device controlled by a processor to cause the audio device to produce encoded sounds. The sounds may correspond to a series of tones. The tones are sampled using the microphone in a smartphone or other mobile computing device and decoded by an application running on the smartphone or device to provide information and/or instructions to the appliance user.
US09008636B2

The method of operating a multiple SIM phone, the phone being connectable to at least first and second SIM applications includes configuring the phone and operating the phone. The phone is configured by selecting a dual standby mode with a specific master configuration of the first SIM application, registering the second SIM application on a wireless network, activating a call forwarding function from the second SIM application to the first SIM application, registering the first SIM application on the wireless network. The phone is operated by processing standby functions of the first SIM application, receiving any incoming call via the first SIM application, and handling requests for outgoing calls from the first SIM application.
US09008634B2

A system and method using events to traverse a content selection path for the purpose of providing media content selections are provided. In general, events are defined based on one or more stimulus such as, but not limited to, a chronological-based stimulus, a location-based stimulus, a user-based stimulus, a third-party stimulus, or a weather-based stimulus. Each of the events is used to trigger one or more associated content selection paths. A content selection path generally defines a set of media content and a manner of stepping through the defined set of media content. In operation, when an event is detected, the associated content selection path is triggered to step to the next step in the content selection path, thereby identifying the media content selections. Then, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the media content selections are obtained from a remote subscription-based service.
US09008633B2

A command is received at an operating system of a first mobile phone for displaying contact information of a remote user having a mobile phone number of a second mobile phone. In response to the command, a request is transmitted to a remote server from the first mobile phone over a cellular network requesting an operating status of the second mobile phone. The operating status of the second mobile phone is received from the remote server over the cellular network. The operating status of the second mobile phone is displayed on a display of the first mobile phone as a part of contact information of the remote user associated with the second mobile phone, where the operating status includes current locality of the second mobile phone.
US09008631B2

A system and method for providing context information along with a voice call is disclosed. In some examples, a calling device receives context information from a user and transmits the context information when establishing a voice call with the user. The context information may include various types of media, such as pictures or videos taken by a calling device. In some examples, a destination mobile device receives a voice call that does have context information and sends a request to a calling mobile device for information related to the voice call.
US09008629B1

Disclosed are various embodiments employed to generate device notifications based upon ambient conditions associated with a mobile device. To this end, a request to generate a device notification is obtained from a user application. Notification content is extracted from the request and an escalated or de-escalated notification level is applied that is based at least in part upon the ambient conditions of the mobile device and properties about the ambient conditions that can be identified.
US09008623B2

A dynamic device naming and connection in a wireless communication method includes the following steps: firstly, a first device changes a first name of the first device according to a first state, and then a second device searches the device which has a second name according to a second state. Afterwards, whether the second name is equal or relative to the first name or not is determined. If the second name is equal or relative to the first name, the first device may communicate with the second device.
US09008621B2

A method of controlling decompression, wherein the method includes: transmitting, by a first computer that already has stored therein compressed data that are compressed based on compression parameters, identification information for identifying the first computer to a second computer that stores therein the compression parameters; and encrypting, by the second computer, the compression parameters using the identification information received from the first computer. The compression parameters include at least a frequency of appearance and an allocated sign for each piece of character data. The method also includes: transmitting, by the second computer, the encrypted compression parameters to the first computer; decrypting, by the first computer, the encrypted compression parameters received from the second computer using the identification information; and decompressing, by the first computer, the compressed data based on the decrypted compression parameters.
US09008618B1

A system and method for securely bridging mobile-originated Media Resource Control Protocol (MRCP) transactions with at least one Media Resource Server. A mobile device initiates TCP/IP requests to a MRCP Gateway Server over at least one of the wireless and mobile broadband capabilities of the mobile device. The MRCP Gateway Server includes TCP/IP-based ingress, and the MRCP Gateway Server is arranged in front of the at least one Media Resource Server. The Media Resource Server supports MRCP communication. A secure channel may be established between the mobile device and MRCP Gateway Server, and the mobile device may pass authorization credentials, media resource requirements, and additional user-defined data to the MRCP Gateway Server over the secure channel.
US09008617B2

A system, method and computer program product for graphically overlaying multiple types of events in order to facilitate determining one or more courses of action are each disclosed. Events are received from an event detection system or from another source, correlated with an address or location, and representatively mapped on an electronic map configured to be displayed on a display device. Mapped events may include cyber attacks or intrusions, credit card fraud based on the location of use of the credit card, check (and check-card) fraud based on usage location, 911 calls, law enforcement demographic data, and telecommunications based fraud.
US09008615B2

A method and device are provided which may perform a combined attach and communication connection establishment procedure when attaching an equipment such as a mobile station to a mobile communication network. An attach request sent from the equipment may initiate this combined attach and communication connection establishment process. In the Home Location Register, communication connection parameters are set as default values which may be automatically selected, for instance when receiving a combined attach and communication connection establishment request. The combined attach and communication connection establishment process reduces the signaling load in the network and speeds up communication connection establishment.
US09008608B2

In one embodiment, a method includes determining when a first party has initiated contact with a second party, wherein the first party initiates contact with the second party on a communications link. The method also includes identifying identification information of the second party, and updating a presence status indication of the first party to indicate that the first party has initiated contact with the second party. The presence status indication includes information associated with the second party. The presence status indication is provided to a first application arranged to monitor the presence status of the first party. Finally, the method includes presenting the presence status indication of the first party with respect to the first application.
US09008601B2

A circuit for a single differential-inductor oscillator with common-mode resonance may include a tank circuit formed by coupling a first inductor with a pair of first capacitors; a cross-coupled transistor pair coupled to the tank circuit; and one or more second capacitors coupled to the tank circuit and the cross-coupled transistors. The single differential-inductor oscillator may be configured such that a common mode (CM) resonance frequency (FCM) associated with the single differential-inductor oscillator is at twice a differential resonance frequency (FD) associated with the single differential-inductor oscillator.
US09008599B2

A method of listening to radio broadcast in a portable terminal includes reproducing radio broadcasts on a frequency selected by a user; determining a change in a value of a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the selected frequency and analyzing a pattern of the change; and providing a complementary service based on the analyzed pattern when the radio broadcast over the selected frequency is not feasible.
US09008598B2

An apparatus including a memory for associating at least one user defined channel identifier with at least one selection item of the apparatus and a control unit coupled to the memory, the control unit being configured to cause one of the at least one user defined channel identifier to play when a corresponding one of the at least one selection item is activated by a user.
US09008597B2

A direct current (DC)-DC converter that includes a first switching converter and a multi-stage filter is disclosed. The multi-stage filter includes at least a first inductance (L) capacitance (C) filter and a second LC filter coupled in series between the first switching converter and a DC-DC converter output. The first LC filter has a first LC time constant and the second LC filter has a second LC time constant, which is less than the first LC time constant. The first switching converter and the multi-stage filter form a feedback loop, which is used to regulate the first switching power supply output signal based on the setpoint. The first LC filter includes a first capacitive element having a first self-resonant frequency, which is about equal to a first notch frequency of the multi-stage filter.
US09008591B2

An apparatus and method is provided for improving initialization and synchronization of display devices to audio data. Current implementations to retain synchronization between a transmitter and a display use “Keep Alive” silent audio data stream in the format of the latest data stream on an interface between the transmitter and the display even when no data is available. Implementing the above solution in a system where the silent audio data stream is transmitted over a wireless link is bandwidth and power inefficient. The techniques provide an apparatus and method to efficiently generate and transmit silent audio data stream for maintaining synchronization.
US09008589B2

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a wireless-enabled component (WEC) for enabling a wireless bus for intra-chip and inter-chip communication. A WEC encompasses a functional block of an IC (such as, for example, a processing core of a processing unit), an entire IC (such as, for example, a processing unit), or a device that includes a plurality of ICs (such as, for example, a handheld device). According to embodiments, a WEC may be associated with one or more sub-blocks of an IC, a single IC, or a plurality of ICs.
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