US07971833B2
A cable protection and guide device in which wear damage in mounting portions of a mounting bracket is avoided and the mounting bracket is reliably and strongly mounted so that the cable is smoothly protected and guided. The mounting operation of the bracket is easy. A cable protection and guide device includes a mounting bracket having a mounting hole which surrounds and accommodates a tap bolt. A threaded portion 162 of the tap bolt includes a metallic bush 170 and the length H1 of the metallic bush 170 in a bolt inserting direction is shorter than the length H2 of the mounting hole 143 in a bolt inserting direction.
US07971828B2
An inerting system for an aircraft fuel tank (10) uses an air separation device (12) to produce a supply of nitrogen-enriched air to replenish the fuel tank on consumption of fuel and to maintain the pressure difference across the walls of the tank (10) below design limits. The air separation device (12) provides substantially the whole of the mass of the gas required and so there is substantially no inward venting. This provides a substantially homogenous nitrogen content in the air in the tank (10).
US07971827B2
A bird collision prevention device with a plurality of circular interior support members with decreasing diameters concentrically disposed along an axis, a plurality of outer ribs welded tangentially to the circular interior support members forming a like conical shape mesh body, a plurality of bolts or latches securable to the circular interior support member with the largest diameter and the cowling, and wherein the mesh body is secured to the cowling of the turbine engine enabling a tapered end of the mesh body to extend away from the turbine engine.
US07971819B2
A wire depositing apparatus of the type providing for deposition of the wire, such as welding wire, steel wire with low carbon content, stainless steel wire, core wire or aluminum wire wrapped in a loop, inside a drum. The wire depositing apparatus consists essentially of two parts and more precisely a first part wherein are positioned the capstans for driving and drawing the wire, as well as a device, known as a flyer, which provides for depositing and winding the wire inside the drum. The drum to be filled with the wound wire is set and manipulated in the second part of the depositing apparatus. The flyer, in addition to a rotation movement about its vertical axis, is provided with a vertical reciprocating rectilinear movement.
US07971816B2
A crushing apparatus for demolition works includes a main body having a connecting portion intended to be connected to the end of a handling arm, and at least a swingable jaw articulated to the main body at a distal portion with respect to the connecting portion, which is adapted to allow, during a demolition work, that a member to be demolished is grasped. Actuator devices are interposed between each swingable jaw and the main body, which are intended to control the movement of the respective jaw. The apparatus also includes percussion devices adapted to carry out an action of percussion on a member to be demolished, which it is grasped by said at least one jaw.
US07971807B2
A gas jet nozzle 1 is provided that has a relatively simple mechanism capable of jetting high-pressure gas for a long period. The nozzle 1 jets high-pressure gas from a high-pressure gas bottle 12. The nozzle 1 has a jet port 2 for jetting high-pressure gas by communicating with the gas bottle 12. The nozzle 1 further has a jet passage 3 for directing to a target the gas jetted from the jet port 2 and jetting the directed gas from the front end 4 of the passage. The nozzle 1 includes an air suction part 5 for sucking atmospheric air into the gas jetted from the jet port 2.
US07971805B2
The invention relates to an atomizer and method of operation for an atomizer having an application element for applying a spray of coating medium on a component to be coated and at least one integrated shroud air nozzle for delivering conditioned shroud air which at least partially surrounds the spray of the coating medium.
US07971799B2
Heating assembly for a heating, ventilating and/or air conditioning installation for a vehicle cabin
The invention is directed to a heating assembly comprising, in combination, a main radiator (1) for fluid flow and an electric radiator. The latter is disposed on one face of the main radiator (1) defining its general plane, and consists of a plurality of independent heating elements (6). Each of these heating elements (6) comprises an elementary electrical heating body (7), having connecting means (31, 31′) for connection to an electrical power source, and a finned element (8). These heating elements (6) are assembled on a connecting structure of the electric radiator on the face of the main radiator (1).
US07971798B2
A resettable thermal pressure relief device (TPRD) is disclosed. The TPRD includes a piston, a housing adapted to receive the piston and allow movement between an open and a closed position. The housing includes an actuator having a temperature sensitive material disposed therein. The temperature sensitive material volumetrically expands, increasing a length of the actuator and forcing a lever from a first position to a second position. The piston is held in the closed position by the lever in the first position. When the lever moves to the second position, the piston is allowed to move to the open position, allowing a fluid to flow through the TPRD from a high pressure vessel in communication therewith.
US07971797B2
A thermostatic valve comprising a valve head and a flat, annular, elastomeric sealing element at the valve head, a valve spring mechanically biasing the valve member against a valve seat and a temperature-sensitive expansible element the valve member displacing the valve member against the valve spring, characterized by the valve head comprising at its circumference an annular groove, the flat annular sealing element being stamped out of an elastomer which swells in the presence of water, in particular an EPDM material, and exhibiting a thickness which is equal to or slightly less than the width of the annular groove.
US07971796B2
The control device for conserving energy for heating water contained in a water heater (30) comprises an electronic detection device (21) for measuring the quantity of hot water remaining in the tank (2), the electronic detection device (21) consisting of a capillary tube (10) containing a heat transfer fluid and an amplification device (15) placed outside the tank (2) of the water heater (30) and connected to an electronic control card (26), the amplification device (15) being suitable for transmitting a variation in resistance to the electronic control card (26) under the effect of the expansion of the fluid contained in the capillary tube (10) and control means (50) connected to the electronic control card (26) for determining the hot water consumption profile of the users in order to control the period or periods of resumption of the heating of the water in the tank (2).
US07971795B2
A manufacturing method of products attached with a RFID label in a mold includes a first step of forming a thin substratum by injecting molding, pushing molding, vacuum molding, blowing molding or sword molding in a first mold, a second step of making a substratum label composed of the substratum and an RFID label adhered with the substratum, and a third step of placing the substratum label in a second mold, in which a plastic product is to be formed and also to be attached with the substratum label inside the product during molding process. Thus, protected by the substratum and the plastic product. The RFID cannot be broken or damaged to always maintain its capacity to be identified, with the plastic product enhanced in its value.
US07971789B2
A document with indexes is constructed by printing plural pixels and divided into plural areas. Each of the areas has plural indexes respectively consisting of a group of indexing dots to represent an area code corresponding to the area. The indexes and the pixels have different optical reflection features.
US07971786B2
Metal-containing transaction cards, useful for the purchase of goods and/or services are disclosed. The metal-containing transaction cards may be standard-sized (i.e., about 3⅜ inches by about 2 14 inches) or any other size yet still usable as a transaction card. Moreover, the metal-containing transaction card may include a pocket having characters embossed therein. Further, the metal-containing transaction card may include a fill panel disposed within the pocket. The metal may be titanium or stainless steel.
US07971770B2
A friction stir method includes providing a joining tool, a mold comprising a top surface and a cutout defined from the top surface, and a workpiece comprising a treatable layer and arranged on the top surface of the mold. The joining tool resists the workpiece, and rotates and moves to agitate the treatable layer of the workpiece along an extending direction of the cutout of the mold, until a protrusion integrated with the workpiece is formed in the cutout of the mold.
US07971768B2
A fastener driving tool for driving fasteners toward a work surface comprises a body having a forward end, a rear end, and a cylinder with an axis, a piston mounted within the cylinder, a power source for driving the piston axially forwardly, a driver blade extending axially forwardly from the piston, a nosepiece extending axially forwardly from the front end of the tool body, wherein the nosepiece encloses a drive bore for guiding the fasteners and the driver blade toward the work surface, there being an opening into the drive bore for the fasteners, a magazine for guiding the fasteners to the opening. In one aspect, the magazine and the nosepiece are fixed with respect to each other, and the tool includes a fastener guide that extends axially forwardly from the nosepiece and moves with respect to the nosepiece between an extended position and a retracted position. In another aspect, the opening into the drive bore provides a small clearance through which the tips can pass, wherein the opening is long enough to accommodate fasteners of at least two different lengths.
US07971767B2
When a push lever is brought in contact with a member to be driven, a second trigger stopper slides and a first trigger stopper slides via a second spring. After a third trigger stopper turns ON a push switch 18 according to sliding of the first trigger stopper, the first trigger stopper further slides and a projecting portion and a projecting portion of a trigger are disengaged from each other, so that the trigger is made rotatable. A trigger switch is turned ON according to rotation of the trigger.
US07971756B2
A filtering device includes an isolation substrate including a first plane and a second plane, a micro-strip line deposited on the first plane of the isolation substrate for transmitting signals, and a ground metal layer deposited on the second plane of the isolation substrate for providing grounding. A meander-shaped resonating cavity is formed in an area of the ground metal layer corresponding to an area of the micro-strip line, for generating a rejection band on the micro-strip line.
US07971740B2
A pressure vessel arranging and integrating a plurality of vessel structures each including a cylindrical liner opened at both ends and a fiber reinforced resin layer covering the outer periphery of the peripheral wall of the liner. Dome-shaped communicating members bulging outward are fixed across both respective ends of the liners of the vessel structures, thereby making the interiors of these liners communicate with each other and closing the open ends of these liners. This pressure vessel can be installed with no wasted space, and also allows an increase in capacity.
US07971738B2
A squeeze and lift child resistant safety closure for attachment to a container having a conventional container closure on its top includes: an inner member for attachment to either the container or its closure, the inner member having an outer member interlocking component, being one of a circular track and a circular rail, the circular track having inside and outside ledges with a track space between the inside and outside ledges, the track space having a predetermined track space width, the circular rail having inside and outside protrusions adapted to ride inside the track space and under the ledges, the protrusions having widths less than the track space width and greater than one half the track space width; and an outer member being an outer closure having a circular bottom that is semi-flexible, and at its circular bottom, having the other of the one of a circular track and a circular rail. When the inner member is attached to a container under its conventional closure and the inner member and the outer member are interconnected, access to the convention closure is denied. However, if a user squeezes the outer member at the squeeze indicia to flex the outer member from circular to oval, the outer member can be removed to expose the conventional container closure for normal opening.
US07971733B2
A pallet for holding at least one window frame includes a base and movable sides pivotally attached to the base. The movable sides are positionable to be substantially perpendicular to the base and are configured to hold the window frame. Connectors attached to the base and the movable sides, respectively, prevent the first and second movable sides from moving away from each other. A method for using the pallet is also disclosed.
US07971732B2
A grit removal unit for a waste water system, including a round grit removal chamber with an input for waste water and an output, a grit storage chamber beneath the grit removal chamber, and an opening between the grit storage chamber and the grit removal chamber. A vertical drive shaft extends through the grit removal chamber into the grit storage chamber, and is rotatable to facilitate waste water flow in the grit removal chamber whereby grit in the waste water is directed toward the opening. A grit size restrictor includes a shear secured to the drive shaft for rotation therewith (the shear including a plate extending radially from the drive shaft above the opening), a first set of bars extending across the opening, and a second set of bars secured to the bottom of the shear plate with the second set of bars positioned adjacent the first set of bars.
US07971726B2
A screening apparatus for processing excavated material from a ditch into fines and roughs is disclosed. The screening apparatus includes an inclined lift conveyor for moving the excavated material upward and depositing the excavated material onto a convex vibrating screen surface. A transfer conveyor having an arcuate belt path as disposed below the separator for introducing the fines to the excavation. The separator includes a reversible motor for providing a first vibration and a second vibration to the separator.
US07971718B2
A package assembly includes individual elongate consumable products. The package assembly includes a plurality of products arranged in a side-by-side array. The package housing supports the array of products. The package housing includes a back wall and a foldable front wall. The front wall includes an adhesive location therealong for releaseably adhesively retaining the array of products in the package housing.
US07971709B2
A workpiece carrier system for the loose support on a friction conveyor comprises a displacement element. The displacement element has a friction surface adjacent to drive elements, such as drive rollers of the friction conveyor for displacing the workpiece carrier system. The displacement element is connected with a carrier element for receiving a workpiece. Support elements are connected with the carrier element for absorbing part of the workpiece weight.
US07971705B2
A method comprises a step of accessing a conveyor belt system that has a belt, a return roller, and a return roller support assembly. The return roller is supported by the return roller support assembly. The return roller is engaged with the belt from beneath the return run. The method also comprises operating the return roller support assembly in a manner causing the return roller to lower relative to the belt to a position where the return roller is no longer engaged with the belt, without requiring any person to reach beneath the belt. The method still further comprises removing the return roller from the return roller support assembly by sliding the return roller out from under the belt after the return roller has been lowered, without requiring any person to reach beneath the belt.
US07971701B2
In one embodiment, a conveyor system includes a conveyor belt having a plurality of conveyor belt rollers configured to divert articles on the conveyor belt, and a drive mechanism that engages the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being configured to drive the conveyor belt rollers, the drive mechanism being adjustable such that the conveyor belt rollers can be selectively driven in a first angular direction and, optionally, a second, opposite angular direction so that articles can be selectively diverted to either side of the conveyor belt at a desired diverting angle. One version of the drive mechanism has drive rollers mounted in cartridges and rack gears engaging pinion gears on the cartridges to adjust the orientation of the drive rollers relative to the belt rollers to drive them in selectively opposite angular directions. Such a conveyor system with a series of sequential roller actuation zones driven by separately actuated drive mechanisms is arranged diagonally to an infeed conveyor and a multi-lane outbound conveyor to realize a switch conveyor.
US07971697B2
A clutch device for a motor vehicle has friction elements around which coolant flows and which, by way of a piston, can be pressed against one another for torque transmission. The first piston side is acted on with operating pressure, and the second piston side is acted on with coolant pressure. A valve, by which the operating pressure can be set, and a device which makes a reaction of the coolant pressure on the operating pressure possible are provided. The device is designed as a hydraulic resistance cascade and is connected between coolant supply and coolant return lines of the friction elements. A return pressure line branches off in the center of the hydraulic resistance cascade and is connected to the valve.
US07971694B2
A shaft system for an automatic transmission includes a stator support shaft having an internal axial bore for receiving an input shaft, a forward engagement portion for engaging a stator of a torque converter of the automatic transmission and an integral stator support flange extending radially outward for engaging a stator support of the automatic transmission and transferring to the stator support substantially all of a torque load imposed on the stator support shaft by the stator. The stator support flange includes at least one oil flow bore positioned therein to supply oil between different components of the transmission.
US07971692B2
An antiseismic support pad having a base for supporting and holding the pad on a support surface, at least one spherical rolling element mounted to rotate freely about a center of rotation in a bearing secured to the support base, and a support plate resting on the spherical rolling element via a concave bearing surface, the pad being characterized by the fact that the support base comprises a soleplate secured to at least one bearing, configured to rest freely on the support surface and to hold the pad in place on the support surface without a fastener, and that the support pad includes an arrangement configured to suspend the support base from the support plate and move the base resiliently in radial directions about a support plate axis that is substantially perpendicular to the soleplate, the arrangement connected firstly to the support plate and secondly to the support base comprising the soleplate and the bearing.
US07971691B2
A danger for movable furniture parts includes a housing and a cylinder disposed in the housing, in which a piston with a piston rod is movably supported. At least one set of gears is supported movably on the housing, by which the cylinder and/or a stop for the piston rod can be adjusted relative to the housing.
US07971688B2
A system and a method for the adaptation of parameters in a transport system involve a power model which describes power flow in the transport system by means of transport system parameters, which include input parameters and status parameters. The system and method also involve the determination of at least a first and a second input parameter, and the power model is updated on the basis of at least the first input parameter. At least one transport system status parameter is adjusted using at least the updated power model and the second input parameter thus determined.
US07971680B2
An acoustic housing, a light fixture, a suspended ceiling system, and a method of decreasing sound transfer from a light fixture in a suspended ceiling are disclosed. An acoustic hood for a light fixture in a suspended ceiling may include a partially enclosed space formed between a plurality of wall portions. A light fixture may include first and second layers that are coupled to one another and form a partially enclosed space. A suspended ceiling system may include the acoustic hood or light fixture. The method relates to disposing an acoustic housing spaced from the light fixture.
US07971677B2
Disclosed are work machine vehicles having an operator protective structure with a seat mounted in the operator protective structure. In disclosed embodiments, first and second adjustable armrest assemblies are mounted to a structure of the seat such that the first and second armrest assemblies can be adjusted in fore and aft directions relative to a seatback of the seat. Vehicle controls are integrated with the first and second adjustable armrest assemblies such that adjustment of the first and second adjustable armrest assemblies adjusts positions of the vehicle controls relative to an operator sitting on the seat. After adjustment, the vehicle controls and the operator sitting on the seat are maintained at constant relative positions with respect to each other even as the work machine vehicle moves over rough terrain and the seat moves up and down. A nested seatbar is pivotably mounted to a structure of the work machine vehicle such that the nested seatbar can be moved to a down position in which portions of the nested seatbar are located between the first and second adjustable armrests.
US07971670B2
A fuel cell electric vehicle includes a driving motor, a fuel cell and first and second supply/discharge manifolds. The driving motor is disposed between a pair of wheels. The fuel cell is disposed above the driving motor and has a plurality of unit cells stacked in a vertical direction of a vehicle. The fuel cell includes a plurality of through-manifolds configured and arranged to distribute a fuel gas, an oxidizing gas and a coolant to the unit cells. The first and second supply/discharge manifolds are disposed adjacent to first and second lateral end portions of the driving motor, respectively, with respect to a lateral direction of the vehicle. The first and second supply/discharge manifolds include a plurality of fluid connection ports for transporting the fuel gas, the oxidizing gas and the coolant at positions that substantially overlap with positions of the through-manifolds.
US07971666B2
A method of generating brake force to decelerate a vehicle is provided. The method includes during a deceleration condition, generating brake torque via a downstream electric energy conversion device to generate electric energy storable in the battery; and rotating the internal combustion engine via torque output from an upstream electric energy device to deplete electric energy from the battery.
US07971663B1
PDCs including a barrier receptacle that holds a thermally-stable PCD body at least partially within a substrate, and methods of fabricating such PDCs are disclosed. A PDC comprises a substrate including a substrate recess formed therein, a barrier receptacle defining a receptacle recess, and a thermally-stable PCD body including an upper surface, a back surface, and at least one lateral surface. The barrier receptacle is received by the substrate recess. The thermally-stable PCD body is at least partially received by the receptacle recess. Other applications include utilizing the disclosed PDCs in various articles and apparatuses, such as rotary drill bits.
US07971661B2
The drill bit system may include a chassis, a head, and a first plurality of gauge pads. The chassis may be configured to be operably coupled with a first rotational motion source. The head may include a first plurality of cutters coupled with an end of the head, and the head may be rotatably coupled with chassis. The head may be configured to be operably coupled with a second rotational motion source. The first plurality of gauge pads may include a second plurality of cutters, and the first plurality of gauge pads may be fixedly coupled with the chassis.
US07971655B2
The invention relates to a hand machine tool (2), particularly a percussion drill and/or percussion hammer, comprising a housing (4) having two parallel appendages (20, 22), a hollow, U-shaped, rounded handle (10) with a yoke (24) and two parallel legs (26, 28), said handle being movably supported on springs in relation to the housing (4) for the purpose of damping vibration. The appendages (20, 22) of the housing (4) extend into both hollow legs (26, 28) of the rounded handle (10). The invention also comprises two coupling elements (34, 36) situated in the hollow yoke (24) of the rounded handle (10) which serve to synchronize the movements of both legs (26, 28). The external end faces of the coupling elements (34, 36) are flexibly connected to the appendages (20, 22). The coupling elements (34, 36) are connected on the other end faces thereof to the rounded handle (10), and cross each other, and are flexibly connected to each other at the crossing point.
US07971654B2
A rotary impact tool includes a drive shaft rotationally driven by a rotational drive power source, a hammer arranged around the drive shaft, a ball engaging with a cam groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft and a cam groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the hammer, an anvil engageable with the hammer along a rotational direction and a spring for biasing the hammer toward the anvil. The hammer is designed to rotate along a rotational locus decided by the cam groove of the drive shaft and the cam groove of the hammer. The rotational locus of the hammer as seen in a development view describes a curve in which the lead angle of the rotational locus varies continuously with the change in hammer rotation angle.
US07971651B2
An actuator for use in actuating a valve to control the flow of fluids through the valve, the valve having a valve member movable between positions opening and closing the valve. The actuator comprises one or more shape memory alloy elements each being transformable from a martensitic to an austenitic state by applying heat energy to achieve an austenitic transformation. The one or more shape memory alloy elements are connected to the valve member such that austenitic transformation of the one or more shape memory alloy elements induces movement of the valve member from its closing position to its opening position.
US07971640B2
The invention refers to a device for sealing an annular space formed between an outer cylindrical element (4) having an end closure (16) and an inner pipe (1) extending within the outer element and having a free end. The invention incorporates a packer element (2) being slidably disposed around said pipe (1), an actuation element (6) adapted for telescopic assembly around the outer surface of the pipe (1) and slidable from a first position to a second position, a conical ring (12) adapted for installation on the pipe (1), where the actuation element (6) comprises an abutment element (10) designed for abutment against said packer (2), and an actuation pipe (8) extending beyond the pipe (1) first end when the actuation element (6) is in said first position. The invention also refers to a method for sealing the annular space.
US07971639B2
The present invention relates to a cementing or inflow regulation valve for conducting cementing operations or inflow regulation in a wellbore comprising a casing or tubing (2), wherein the cementing or inflow regulation valve (1) is inserted between the casing or tubing (2), wherein the cementing or inflow regulation valve (1) comprises an inner sliding sleeve valve (3) which in a closed position covers a number of openings (4) through an outer pipe (5) of the casing or tubing (2) and which in an open position uncovers said openings (4), the sliding sleeve valve (3) comprising a releasing means (6) requiring a certain force to be released both from the closed position to the open position, and vice versa. The invention is characterized in that between the sliding sleeve valve (3) and the outer pipe (5) of the cementing or inflow regulation valve (1), when the sliding sleeve (3) is in a closed position, a sealed chamber (12) is formed being filled with a fluid preventing ingress of undesired drilling and formation fluids and solids, sealing elements (10) being provided in the openings (4) of the outer pipe of the cementing or inflow regulation valve (1), preventing ingress of any solids, fluids and cement located inside or outside the casing or tubing (2).
US07971630B2
A method for detecting a crater end of a continuously cast product, including installing an ultrasonic shear wave sensor for transmitting an ultrasonic shear wave to the continuously cast product and receiving the transmitted ultrasonic shear wave in a continuous casting machine, detecting based on variations of an ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic shear wave sensor that the crater end of the cast product is matched with the installed position of the ultrasonic shear wave sensor, calibrating a physical property value used in a calculation based on a heat condition equation such that the crater end computed based on the heat condition equation using casting conditions at that time is matched with the installed position of the ultrasonic shear wave sensor, and after the calibration, determining the crater end by the calculation based on the heat condition equation under respective casting conditions by using the calibrated physical property value.
US07971615B2
The tire includes a first and second axially-spaced bead core, a carcass having at least one belt extending under a tread, and a first ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located axially outside and adjacent a first bead core, and a second end that is located axially outside and adjacent a second bead core. The carcass further comprises first and second shoulder ply layers each shoulder ply layer having first and second ends, a first end is located under the tread belt, the shoulder ply extending down the side wall region with the second end folding from a position axially outside a respective bead core to a position axially inside and around the bead core. The carcass further comprises an additional reinforcement layer which wraps around the bead and is preferably positioned between the shoulder ply and the first ply layer, although not required.
US07971612B2
A floor planks production method, for producing wood flooring from raw lumbers, by surfacing top and lower faces of the lumbers to a final thickness of the lumbers; optimizing the lumbers along a length thereof to determine lengths of best faces; and profiling edges of the optimized lumbers. The system comprises a surfacing unit processing both top and lower faces of each lumber to final dimensions; an optimizing unit receiving lumbers from the surfacing unit; and a profiling unit processing edges of each length of best faces positioned by the optimizing unit.
US07971608B2
A breathable low pressure accumulator includes a housing with a cylindrical bore formed therein. A piston slides within the bore and includes an elastic piston head. A biasing member urges the piston towards a first end of the bore. At least one passage communicates between an exterior of the housing and a volume that is enclosed by the bore and the elastic piston head. The elastic piston head is formed of rubber. The elastic piston head is molded into the piston.
US07971597B2
A wire tray and tent frame structural members are provided. The structural members include a utility channel or C-shaped channels to which wire trays can be mounted. More particularly, mounting structures of the wire tray insert into or otherwise engage the utility channel or engage the C-shaped channels and secure the wire tray to the structural members. The utility channel or C-shaped channels can include at least one undercut to prevent removal or disengagement of the mounting structure of the wire tray from the structural member. Similarly, methods of using the wire tray including resiliently biasing mounting structure of the wire tray to attach it to the structural member are provided.
US07971595B1
A central shaft control structure is provided for a self-opening/closing umbrella and is arranged in a handle of the umbrella for self-opening/closing of the umbrella, including a safety device composed of a reversal prevention wheel having a toothed surface, an operation bar comprising a pawl, and a barrel fit over the operation bar. The reversal prevention wheel comprises a safety rope wrapped therearound and having an end fixed to a third central shaft segment. When errors occur in the course of compression in closing the umbrella, the central shaft that is being compressed can be held in position, so that instantaneous spring back of the central shaft caused by an umbrella opening spring that is in a compressed condition can be prevented to ensure safety of operation and control of the self-opening/closing umbrella.
US07971588B2
A method of treating a patient with a pulmonary disease, where the method includes delivering a dose of aerosolized medicament intermittently to a ventilator circuit coupled to the respiratory system of the patient. Also, a method of treating a patient with a pulmonary disease, where the method includes taking the patient off a ventilator, and administering to the patient, a nebulized aerosol comprising from about 100 μg to about 500 mg of a medicament. Additionally, an aerosolized medicament for the treatment of a pulmonary disease, where the medicament includes amikacin mixed with an aqueous solution having an adjusted pH from about 5.5 to about 6.3. The pH is adjusted by adding hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide to the aqueous solution.
US07971582B1
Rigging for a compound archery bow including first and second pulley assemblies disposed at ends of opposite first and second bow limbs. Each pulley assembly includes an integral pivot axle, mounted to rotate about an axis at the tip of a limb on which it is mounted. Each pulley assembly also includes a string pulley component fixed to the axle, and having a non-circular peripheral string groove; a cable pulley component fixed to the axle, and having a peripheral cable take-up groove; a bowstring with opposite ends connected to the first and second pulley assemblies such that, at rest condition of the bow, the peripheral string grooves are substantially occupied by wrapped bowstring; a first cable segment, extending from the entry of the peripheral cable take-up groove of the first pulley assembly to an attachment carried by the second limb; and a second cable segment, extending from the entry of the peripheral cable take-up groove of the second pulley assembly to an attachment carried by the first limb.
US07971580B2
Startability of an internal combustion engine using a mixed fuel of gasoline and alcohol is improved. An intake passage of the engine has a main flow channel provided with a throttle valve and a bypass flow channel for bypassing the throttle valve. A bypass quantity adjusting mechanism adjusts the bypass quantity in the bypass flow channel. A control device detects or estimates the mixing ratio of alcohol of the fuel and controls the bypass quantity adjusting mechanism so that a bypass quantity before a first explosion is smaller than a bypass quantity after the first explosion when the mixing ratio of alcohol is equal to or more than a predetermined value.
US07971568B2
A piston of a gasoline direct engine may include a protuberance portion protruding along a circular arc shape having a radius (R1) equal to the piston diameter to have a predetermined height (T) from the upper surface thereof, and the edge of the protuberance portion is rounded to be connected with the upper surface; a bowl (B) having a bottom surface (F1) having an asymmetrical ellipse shape from the center of the protuberance portion to the intake side direction thereof, wherein the bottom surface thereof becomes deeper in the exhaust side direction to have a predetermined slope angle (θ1), and the inner wall portion thereof has a circular arc shape to form a predetermined rising angle (θ2) at the upper part thereof; and trumpet portions (TR) of which edge ends (E) thereof are expanded in the intake side direction of the protuberance portion to be connected to the bowl (B).
US07971567B2
An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.
US07971565B2
The invention relates to an intake manifold (1) for a primary air system of an internal combustion engine, especially in a motor vehicle. The inventive intake manifold (1) comprises a pipe section (2) that is composed of at least two pipe parts (3, 4) which are produced as injection-molded parts and are joined to each other by means of a connection (12). Said connection (12) is formed by a material that is sprayed on or injected in the area of a dividing line (5) between the pipe parts (3, 4).
US07971561B2
An exhaust emission control apparatus for diesel engines is offered which is capable of achieving better power performance and exhaust emission purification efficiency in an optimally reconciled manner, and from which torque deficiency during hill climbing on a steep slope is eliminated. Emulsified fuel including light oil, water and emulsifier supplied respectively from a light oil tank 4, a water tank 5 and an emulsifier cartridge 6, of which the water ratio is adjusted by flow variable control valves 11-13, is supplied to a combustion chamber 4. The water ratio is normally set to a basic water ratio corresponding to the signal of an accelerator opening sensor 39 (Step S32). However, when a difference between target acceleration and actual acceleration of a vehicle corresponding to the accelerator pedal opening exceeds a predetermined value (Step S36), the basic water ratio is corrected so as to reduce the water ratio (Step S37).
US07971545B2
The invention relates to a water craft comprising a kite element, which is connected to the water craft by a traction cable. The water craft is characterized in that the kite element is equipped with adjusting devices and an energy generation unit, which delivers energy when the tractive force that is exerted on the traction cable is modified.
US07971541B2
A device for use in cutting plugs of submerged substrate and particularly seagrass plugs for the purpose of transplanting using a corresponding transport receptacle and method. The device utilizes a hollow cutting member with a serrated bottom edge capable of being placed over a targeted area and forced into the submerged substrate, created vacuum pressure in the hollow cutting member, and compressed air injected between the exterior of the hollow cutting member and the submerged substrate to accomplish cutting of a submerged substrate unit. Vacuum pressure in the hollow cutting member is released to transfer the collected unit to the corresponding transport receptacle with a removable bottom. A corresponding method for transplanting a collected seagrass plug is further accomplished by creating a hole at recipient site using the device and removing the transport receptacle's removable bottom to release the plug into the created hole.
US07971536B2
A conveyance device using a carriage having an object support base movable vertically controlled by cam rails on the floor side, has an automatic lock for locking the object support base at a rising limit position. Unlocking cam follower rollers of the automatic lock are provided higher than a conveyance carriage supporting level of a carriage traveling path. A cam follower roller for elevating the object support base is positioned higher than the conveyance carriage supporting level when the object support base is at the rising limit position. In an area in which the carriage traveling path and the aisle cross each other, a crossing aisle floor member is laid at the same level as the conveyance carriage supporting level, and the conveyance carriage can pass through this aisle crossing area in a state that the object support base is locked at the rising limit position by the automatic lock.
US07971534B2
The present invention is directed to a mobile platform for the delivery of bulk explosives to a blast hole. One embodiment of the platform provides a tank for holding an explosive composition and a rotary shaft that supports a mixing blade that mixes the explosive composition within the tank. The platform further comprises bearing structure for supporting the rotary shaft that is located to deter any of the explosive composition from entering the bearing.
US07971526B2
Facetted impression elements are disclosed. The impression elements can be located, for instance, on an anvil roll and may be used during an embossing or bonding process. The impression elements include at least two chamfered surfaces that at least partially surround the top surface. The chamfered surfaces are at an angle to the top surface that lower and reduce drag that may occur between the impression element and a sheet of material as the impression element enters and exits the sheet. In one embodiment, the impression element includes a first chamfered surface having an angle of from about 5° to about 40° and a second chamfered surface having an angle of from about 40° to about 70°.
US07971521B2
A handle and latch assembly for a flatbread maker, which includes a handle rotatably mounted to an upper heating plate of the flatbread maker. A roller plate extends downward from the handle, adjacent the peripheral edge of the upper plate, the roller plate having a roller rotatably mounted near the lower end thereof. A latch member is secured to a lower portion of the body of the flatbread maker, beneath the lower heating plate. The latch member has a lower surface configuration which includes at least two curved or notched areas therein. The handle is pressed downwardly so that is the roller engages one or the other of the two curved areas, flatbreads with two different thicknesses are produced.
US07971509B2
A dual screwdriver is provided for connecting and disconnecting a connector assembly having first and second jackscrew guideposts. In one embodiment, the dual screwdriver includes a housing, a user input rotatably coupled to the housing, first and second manually-bendable shafts each rotatably coupled to the housing, and first and second bits mounted to the distal end portions of first and second manually-bendable shafts, respectively. The first and second bits are configured to matingly engage the first and second jackscrew guideposts. A gear train is disposed in the housing and mechanically couples the user input to the first and second manually-bendable shafts. The rotation of the user input drives the rotation of the first and second manually-bendable shafts and, therefore, the rotation of the first and second jackscrew guideposts when matingly engaged by the first and second bits, respectively.
US07971508B2
A device to extract a fastener from a workpiece. The device includes a shaft having first and second end portions and, a cutting end tool adapted to engage and bore into the fastener as the shaft is rotated, a drill bit portion proximal to the cutting end tool and adapted to engage and bore into the fastener, and a socket disposed about the shaft and a collet collar disposed about the socket.
US07971502B2
An assembly including a polymeric member and a unitary metal casting wherein the metal casting relatively moveably captures the polymeric member on the metal casting. The assembly can be adapted for use as a crank arm in a transmission shift mechanism. In some embodiments of the assembly, the polymeric member includes an opening defining a rotational axis of said polymeric member. The metal casting extends into the opening and includes at least one enlarged diameter portion with the polymeric member being rotationally disposed on the metal casting and axially captured on the metal casting by the at least one enlarged diameter portion of the metal casting. A method of manufacture is also disclosed.
US07971501B2
A shift lock assembly including a shifter base and a shift lever having a pivot member that is associated with the shifter base. A detent member having an upper portion including engaging features is coupled to the pivot member. A lock lever having opposing sides and a first end pivotally attached to the shifter base and a second end adapted to contact the engaging features of the detent member is also included. At least one solenoid is connected to the lock lever for pivotally moving the lock lever relative to the detent member wherein the at least one solenoid moves the lock lever between low, middle and high positions in response to control parameters.
US07971492B2
A method for inspecting characteristics of bended flexible unit is disclosed, which comprises steps of: (a) providing a clip unit, an observing unit, a characteristic-inspecting unit and a controlling unit; said clip unit, observing unit, and characteristic-inspecting unit are electrically connected to said controlling unit which stored a predetermined radius; (b) the clip unit clips a flexible unit and bends the same; (c) the observing unit gets the lateral profile of the flexible unit and sends it to the controlling unit which calculates the bending radius thereof accordingly; and (d) the controlling unit determines if the bending radius is the same to the predetermined one; if positive, the clip unit stops and the characteristic-inspecting unit inspects the characteristic of said flexible unit; if negative, the procedure returns to step (b).
US07971489B2
A robust, stand-alone load cell comprises a block of aligned carbon nanotubes with parallel electrodes on opposing sides of the block and an electrical circuit connected between the electrodes for measuring the electrical resistance of the block. The nanotubes are preferably aligned perpendicular to the electrodes. Carbon nanotube-based load cells may be incorporated into a wafer assembly for characterizing semiconductor processing equipment. Such a wafer assembly includes two parallel wafers with a plurality of carbon nanotube load cells positioned between and attached to both wafers. The load cells are independently electrically connected to a device which monitors and records the resistivity of the load cell. According to further aspects of the invention, each of the load cell's parallel electrodes may be comprised of many small electrodes, where each small electrode on one side of the block has a corresponding small electrode on the opposing side of the block; corresponding pairs of small electrodes are connected in series to form a chain; an electrical circuit, connected to both ends of the chain of opposing pairs of electrodes, is used to measure the electrical resistance of the chain.
US07971486B2
The invention is an apparatus and a method for carrying out a vibroacoustic inspection of a motor vehicle that features at least a front and a rear axle, with a test stand that is directly or indirectly connected to at least one of the two axles by means of a force flow and relative to which the motor vehicle is tied, wherein at least one vibration generator of a first type is provided along the force flow in order to generate vibrations below 50 Hz. The invention includes at least one second vibration generator of a second type, which is provided along the at least one force flow or parallel to the force flow, for generating vibrations above 30 Hz, preferably above 100 Hz, and the at least one second vibration generator is operatively connected to the motor vehicle.
US07971479B2
A fluid flow rate measurement apparatus prevents accumulation of pollutional substances in a sub-passage to enable high-accuracy fluid flow rate measurement. A heater pattern is formed on the surface of a cylindrical rod. When electricity is conducted in the heater pattern and heat is generated, the heat is transmitted to the sub-passage through an insulating layer. The heat is gradually transmitted up to the leading end of the sub-passage, and burns out pollutional substances adhering to the sub-passage. In this way, accumulation in the sub-passage of pollutional substances can be prevented, thus attaining a fluid flow rate measurement apparatus that enables high-accuracy fluid flow rate measurement.
US07971474B2
Internal combustion engine system and engine misfire detection method for internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine system of the invention calculates a time constant of a high pass filter for eliminating a resonance component of a damper as a distortional element from a rotation speed of an engine, and sets the high pass filter with computation of a transfer function from the time constant. The set high pass filter is applied to a 30-degree rotation time representing a rotational variation of the engine to obtain a filtered 30-degree rotation time with elimination of the resonance component of the damper. The occurrence of an engine misfire is detected, based on a 30-degree rotation time difference and a misfire detection base difference computed from the filtered 30-degree rotation times. This arrangement ensures highly-accurate detection of the occurrence of a misfire in the engine constructed to output power via the damper as the distortional element, irrespective of the rotation speed of the engine.
US07971456B2
A tub assembly and a washing machine including the same are disclosed. A tub assembly of a washing machine includes a front tub having an entrance formed in a front portion thereof for introducing the laundry, and a rear tub having a front portion vibration-welded to a rear portion of the front tub by a vibration-welding device and a rear portion with a bearing housing provided therein. A washing machine includes a cabinet for defining an exterior thereof, a tub assembly provided within the cabinet for holding wash water and the laundry, and a motor for transmitting power to the tub assembly. An object of the present invention is to provide a tub assembly which can be manufactured without any difficulties in spite of a front tub having a complex structure.
US07971455B2
The present invention relates to a dosing and dispensing device (1) comprising a double wall structure having an inner wall (10) and an outer wall (20), wherein the inner wall (10) defines a dosing chamber (12) with an opening (14) for filling and dispensing, and the outer wall (20) circumscribes the inner wall (10) at a line of intersection (30) so that an upper part of the dosing chamber lies on one side of the line of intersection (30), within the outer wall (20), and a lower part of the dosing chamber lies on the other side of the line of intersection (30), outside of the outer wall (20).The present invention further relates to a method dosing and dispensing a laundry product, preferably a liquid or gel detergent product, into a washing machine, comprising the steps of: a) providing the dosing and dispensing device (1); b) transferring a measured dose of a laundry product into the filling opening (14) of the dosing chamber (12) to fill, or partly fill, the dosing chamber (12); c) placing the dosing and dispensing device (1) containing the laundry product into the drum of an automatic laundry washing machine; d) running a washing cycle of the automatic laundry washing machine so that the laundry product is dispensed into the drum through the dispensing opening (14) of the dosing and dispensing device (1); e) recovering the empty dosing and dispensing device (1) for re-use after the end of the wash cycle.
US07971450B2
Deep-freezing apparatus for foodstuffs comprising a deep-freezing compartment, signal display means, sensor means adapted to detect the temperature inside the foodstuffs stored in said deep-freezing compartment, processing means for the signals generated by said sensor means, wherein the apparatus further comprises a neural network adapted to receive the signals issued by a temperature sensor situated inside the foodstuff being deep-frozen and by an information on the time elapsed from the beginning of the deep-freezing process, and further adapted to provide a signal representative of the residual time needed to reach a pre-set (deep-freezing) temperature, as well as processing means adapted to receive the signal output by said neural network and provide in response an information representative of the predicted time needed for a pre-determined temperature to be reached on said first temperature sensor.
US07971447B2
A cooling system for a vehicle battery is described. The system has a cooling loop in heat transfer communication with the battery, for removing heat therefrom with a coolant, a first cooling device selectively coupleable to the cooling loop, using a refrigerant fluid to transfer heat with the coolant, and a second cooling device selectively coupleable to the cooling loop, using ambient air to transfer heat with the coolant. Various temperature sensors for sensing an ambient temperature and a battery temperature are provided, and connected to a controller that implements a coolant flow bypass function by commanding operation of a valve to bypass the selected one of the cooling devices in response to the battery and the ambient temperatures.
US07971445B2
A cableless control system for an automobile air conditioner includes a slide pot potentiometer assembly for connection to an actuator arm on the back of a dashboard mounted control assembly. The position of the slide pot potentiometer assembly creates an electrical resistance signal which governs the position of the devices which moves the variable mechanical portions of the automobile air conditioner. The shape of the linear slide pot potentiometer assembly allows for the use of existing hardware and eliminates the need to run sheathed cables from the dashboard mounted control panel assembly to the mechanically variable portions which govern the operation of the automobile air conditioner.
US07971444B2
In an electric refrigeration appliance having at least one refrigeration compartment, a refrigerating arrangement having an evaporator, and a control device that controls the refrigeration compartment temperature and that has a temperature sensor; the temperature sensor is located away from the evaporator and in a portion of a refrigeration compartment volume selected with the exclusion of a first top portion of the refrigeration compartment having a volume equal to roughly 8-10% of the total internal volume of the refrigeration compartment, and with the exclusion of a second front portion of a depth equal to at least 10% of the total inside depth of the refrigeration compartment.
US07971435B2
A hydraulic transmission comprises a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor, which are mounted onto a center section to be fluidly connected to each other through a closed fluid circuit formed in the center section. A neutral valve is connected to the closed fluid circuit. The neutral valve is fitted into an outward opened end of a vertical slanted oil hole of the closed fluid circuit. Alternatively, the neutral valve is fitted into an outward opened end of a straight oil hole having an opposite outward opened end into which a charge check valve is fitted.
US07971421B2
A walk reel mower includes a pair of inclined rigid links for mounting the reel cutting unit to the reel mower frame for rolling about a longitudinal axis, and a pair of vertical support arms for mounting the reel cutting unit to the reel mower frame for pitching about a transverse axis. An integrated gearbox houses both the traction and reel drives, including the differential that is part of the traction drive, as well as a parking brake. A flexible drive shaft powers the cutting reel from the gearbox and is made from materials that do not require petroleum based lubricants to avoid the possibility of damage to the turf or grass. A single control handle located on the handle of the mower actuates both the reel and traction drives. The reel cutting unit includes a back plate which has a portion formed as a hollow beam for strength. The reel cutting unit also has a pivot axis for the bedknife allowing adjustment of the bedknife relative to the cutting reel without changing the longitudinal location of the front edge of the bed-knife to ensure consistent cutting of the cutting unit. Finally, an improved mounting for the grass basket used on he cutting unit is disclosed which mounting avoids inadvertent disengagement of the grass basket from the cutting unit.
US07971417B2
An elective down pressure system for cutting units of a grass mowing machine with lift and lower mechanisms connected to the lift arms with lost motion couplings that may be set to either a downforce position in which the lift and lower mechanisms urge the lift arms to apply downforce to the cutting units while they are on the ground surface, or a no downforce position in which the lift and lower mechanisms discontinue urging the lift arms to apply downforce once the cutting units are on the ground surface.
US07971411B2
A method for securing a building to a foundation provides hold-down units that perform double-duty by acting as a compressive load on a floor immediately therebelow due to the force of a seat or base portion thereof. Meanwhile, a flange portion of each hold-down device extends upward to fasten to the upright members in an upper floor applying tension thereto. Thus, an anchoring rod extending through multiple floors of the shear walls may reduce the number of total hold-down devices by an amount approaching half that otherwise required. Likewise, the number of more expensive, automatic, take-up devices used is reduced by approximately half.
US07971410B2
A unitary framing tie is provided for use in securing framing members in wood framed construction. The tie comprises a generally U-shaped base having: a pair of longitudinally spaced apart coplanar plates; a pair of substantially parallel, opposed flanges depending downwardly from the plates; and a pair of substantially parallel, opposed sidewalls extending upwardly from the plates. In operation, the tie provides an apparatus capable of securing two framing ties together bilaterally, which may be installed before or after the framing members are affixed together.
US07971402B2
A stack of a plurality of thin film adhesively bonded members are removably coupled to a ceiling. The adhesive is configured to allow an exposed layer to be removed without removing the entire stack of square members.
US07971397B2
A tuned liquid damper comprising a housing with a hollow cavity within said housing and a first fluid which partially fills said hollow cavity. The inner surface of said hollow cavity is essentially spherical. The tuned liquid damper further comprises first fluid damping means arranged within the essentially spherical cavity of the housing. In this way, a tuned liquid damper is provided which has a response which is constant and independent of the orientation of the tuned liquid damper. Damping means are provided in order to be able to control the damping effect of the tuned liquid damper.
US07971396B1
A medical services unit for use in health care facilities where high security is required, such as in prison and psychiatric hospitals. The unit comprises a floor-to-ceiling column with an internal medical services section to provide a plurality of medical services. The medical services section is protected by a rotating steel door that prevents access to the enclosed services. The medical services section also includes a sub-door made of a transparent, shatterproof polymer, such as polycarbonate. Thus, the clear cover panel permits visual access to the gauges and controls for the services, but prevents unauthorized physical access to them. The column is entirely enclosed in a protective casing made out of rolled steel. Doors are provided in the casing for providing access b authorized personnel only to the internal medical services section.
US07971395B1
A multipurpose adjustable panel system having support beams continuously adjustable between zero pitch and a pitch exceeding zero, wherein support beam pitch is influenced by vertical adjustment of support post assemblies and by horizontal spacing of support post assemblies. Multiple mounting fixtures are incorporated to accommodate beam pitch adjustment including pivotable beam support fixtures adjustably and positionably secured along the bottoms of the beams and pivotable panel support node fixtures adjustably and positionably secured along the tops of the beams, the pivotable beam support fixtures and the pivotable panel support node fixtures enabling ready adjustment of the pitch of the beams.
US07971388B2
According to the present invention, there is provided a fungal bed cultivation method of a hon-shimeji mushroom, wherein induction of primordia of a fruit body is conducted by illumination under incubation conditions, and an ongoing culture for fungal bed cultivation of a hon-shimeji mushroom, wherein primordia of a fruit body have been formed thereon during incubation. The culture medium is maintained in a clean state and it is advantageous because the formation of primordia of a fruit body can be carried out in a clean environment and the culture medium wherein primordia of a fruit body have been formed can be transferred to distant mushroom cultivation facilities under clean conditions as such.
US07971386B2
A system is disclosed that includes a selectively positionable brake for a towed fishing body. Additionally, a system is disclosed that includes a speed control for a planer board. The planer board is used for fishing by being towed through water. Moreover, a method is disclosed including positioning a brake attached to a towed fishing body.
US07971383B2
A panel system for covering a lengthwise segment of an elongate firearm mounting rail. The panel system comprises at least one pair of identically shaped panel halves. Each panel half comprises a body having a top, a bottom, an abutting proximal edge and a distal edge. At least one axial tongue extends from the abutting proximal edge and a corresponding axial groove having a groove mouth is defined in the body. A cantilevered clip extends from the abutting proximal edge. A clip receptacle is defined by the body. A proximally extending lip extends from the body bottom near the distal edge. Each panel half is configured so that with the abutting proximal edges brought into abutment, each axial tongue of each panel is received in a corresponding axial groove of the other and each cantilevered clip engages the clip receptacle of the other.
US07971378B2
The invention relates to an electronic advertising panel for playing fields. The inventive panel is formed by modules consisting of a functional sandwich-type assembly comprising a metal plate (3), at least one polycarbonate sheet (4) and at least one PCB plate (5) which is equipped with LEDs (5.1). The components of the aforementioned assembly are joined using bolts (6) which are inserted into the metal plate (3) and which extend through the polycarbonate sheet(s) (4) and the PCB plate(s) (5). Said functional assembly is housed in a casing which is equipped with coupling means for joining modules and with support feet which can be rotated between a folded position and a use position.
US07971373B2
A support sleeve for high heels on ladies's shoes with a sleeve body to accommodate a heel, the sleeve body having a substantially larger base than the base of the heel to be accommodated, and a fixing arrangement (36, 38, 46) for attaching it to the heel.
US07971369B2
A method and apparatus for drying floors and carpets using a fan for generating a pressurized air stream within a vertical cylindrical shroud that is spaced two to five inches away from the floor on a set of legs such that an opening is formed between the shroud and the floor. The air stream is directed along the cylindrical shroud vertically toward the floor. At least a peripheral portion of the air stream is exhausted from the shroud in a substantially laminar flow at an angle that is inclined from the vertical and is exhausted radially into ambient air as a substantially laminar air stream.
US07971367B2
A distance-transferring device comprising a plurality of interconnected rails. Each rail, when extended, is self-supporting. Once the rails are extended and locked in place between two points, two planes, or one point and one plane, an accurate representation of a distance between the two points, two planes or one point and one plane is obtained. This distance can be transferred to another location without having to memorize a numerical measurement. Opposing abutting angled ends provide for both easy access into corners and a clear visual for when the abutting angled end contacts a plane or mark. A rotating component allows for operating the invention in more than one plane. A movable catch hooks onto an object such as wood moldings to facilitate the measurement transfer without adding any error to the distance being transferred. Extension stops prevent the rails from longitudinal separation. Bubble vials are provided for leveling both horizontally and vertically.
US07971366B2
An alignment tool removably attachable to a bit (e.g. a drill bit) for aligning a workpiece to the bit. The tool has a bit grip or a bit clamp which may have a pair of bit grippers, an aligner, which may be a pointer supported by a pointer mount, a stylus or a laser, and a mechanical linkage of the bit grip to the aligner. When the aligner is aligned with a target, a tip of a bit clamped by the bit grip would also be aligned with that target. A first stylus link may be movably connected to a second stylus link at the pointer mount. The first and second stylus links may be pivotally connected to the bit clamp. The bit clamp, the first and second stylus links may cooperate to align a central axis of the pointer with a central axis of the bit.
US07971364B2
The invention relates to a monitoring device (20) of the position of an assembly containing nuclear fuel (4) in a housing of a storage basket (2). According to the invention, it comprises at least one mobile stop device (24, 26, 28) and a position indicator (30) suitable for being held at a stop by the mobile stop device in a first position indicating that the assembly occupies a first position, said mobile stop device being arranged so as to be able to be placed, by means of contact with the assembly located in a second position in its housing, in a position enabling it to release the position indicator devised to move automatically from the first position to a second position indicating that the assembly occupies the second position.
US07971356B2
The invention relates to a method for contour grinding wide blades at high speed, according to which a wheel (1) is used the grinding contour of which has a width dimension that is less than the width of the tip of the blades to be ground, said contour being defined by a straight area followed by an arched area at one end, with the straight area of which a straight grinding is carried out to deburr the tip of the blades, whereas with the arched area the contour grinding is carried out by the interpolation of axes.
US07971353B2
A wired circuit board that can provide improved reliability on connection between the terminal portions and the external terminals while ensuring high productivity and cost reduction, and a production method thereof. After a conductive pattern 3 including terminal portions 6 to connect with external terminals 22 of an electronic component 21 and criterion marks 8 to determine presence or absence of an inhibitory portion 23 that may be formed due to formation of an insulating cover layer 4 to inhibit connection between the terminal portions 6 and the external terminals 22 are formed on the insulating base layer 2 simultaneously, the insulating cover layer 4 to cover the conductive pattern 3 and an opening 7 from which the terminal portions 6 and the criterion marks 8 are exposed is formed. Thereafter, the presence or absence of the inhibitory portion 23 is determined with reference to the criterion marks 8 exposed from the opening 7 of the insulating cover layer 4.
US07971351B2
The objective of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that allows individual molding of plural semiconductor chips carried on a surface of the substrate. It includes the following process steps: a process step in which plural semiconductor elements 102 are arranged on the surface of substrate 100; a process step in which the inner side of substrate 102 is fixed on lower die 130; a process step in which liquid resin 114 is supplied from nozzle 112 onto each of the semiconductor elements in order to cover at least a portion of each of semiconductor chips 102; a process step in which the upper die having plural cavities 144 formed in one surface is pressed onto the lower die, and liquid resin 114 is molded at a prescribed temperature by means of plural cavities 144; and a process step in which cavities 144 of upper die 140 are detached from the substrate, and plural molding resin portions are formed individually.
US07971350B2
A shielding assembly is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding and environmental protection to one or more electronic components coupled to a substrate. The shielding assembly includes a non-conductive mold compound layer, such as a dielectric epoxy. The mold compound layer is applied to a top surface of the substrate, thereby covering the electronic components and providing protection against environmentally induced conditions such as corrosion, humidity, and mechanical stress. The shielding assembly also includes a conductive layer applied to a top surface of the mold compound layer. The conductive layer is coupled to a ground plane in the substrate, thereby enabling the electromagnetic shielding function. The conductive layer is coupled to the ground plane via one or more metallized contacts that are coupled to the substrate and extend through the mold compound layer.
US07971345B2
A reconstituted battery pack producing method comprises an obtaining process for obtaining, by use of one of a first charged-state control device having ever controlled a charged state of a used battery pack when it was used before and a second charged-state control device arranged to control the charged state of the used battery pack as with the first charged-state control device, a reference-time charge amount charged in each used secondary battery constituting the used battery pack; a selecting process for selecting more than one of the used secondary batteries close to each other in the reference-time charge amount from a group of the used secondary batteries whose reference-time charge amounts have been obtained; and an assembling process for combining and assembling the selected used secondary batteries into a new reconstituted battery pack.
US07971344B2
A device for assembling a lens assembly includes a base, a barrel having a bottom, a universal joint disposed between the base and the bottom of the barrel, a push rod, and a resilient member. The universal joint is configured for allowing the barrel to tilt in any direction. The push rod is configured for depressing the lenses received to the barrel to form a lens barrel. The resilient member is disposed between the base and the bottom of the barrel. In process of assembling lenses, when the push rod presses the lenses received in the barrel, the lens assembly can hold the axis of the lenses in coaxial alignment under the cooperation of the universal joint and exert a uniformity force on a surface of the lenses. The lens assembly can eliminate the risk of breakage of the lenses and accurately position the lenses.
US07971343B2
The invention provides a method for producing a connection grid with integrated fuse includes the steps of forming a concave portion that is suitable for forming a cradle for receiving one of the longitudinal ends of a fuse on each of the arms of a pair of arms of a connection grid in order to fix the fuse to the grid via these longitudinal ends, and molding a support formed by molding plastic onto the connection grid after the concave portions of the arms have been produced, wherein the support has a housing that is suitable for receiving a portion of the fuse in a space formed between the at least one pair of arms.
US07971340B2
An inductor may include a planar ferrite core. A first group of one or more grooves is formed in a first side of the ferrite core. A second group of two or more grooves is formed in a second side of the ferrite core. The grooves in the first and second groups are oriented such that each groove in the first group overlaps with two corresponding grooves in the second group. A first plurality of vias communicates through the ferrite core between the first and second sides of the ferrite core. Each via is located where a groove in the first group overlaps with a groove in the second group. A conductive material is disposed in the first and second groups of grooves and in the vias to form an inductor coil.
US07971333B2
Methods and systems of fabricating a polymeric stent are disclosed herein. Methods are disclosed that include forming a polymeric tube using extrusion, radially deforming the formed tube so that the deformed tube comprises a target diameter, forming a stent from the deformed tube, and forming a stent from the deformed tube. The stent is formed by laser machining a stent pattern in the deformed tube with an ultra-short pulse laser. Disclosed methods further include crimping the stent on a support element, wherein a temperature of the stent during crimping is above an ambient temperature.
US07971332B2
An adjusting mechanism adjusts a boat to be parallel to a furnace having an opening and a receiving space, which has a first symmetrical line. When the boat having a second symmetrical line is inserted into the space, a first gap area is formed between sidewalls of the space and the boat. The mechanism includes an adjusting element and an adjusting tool, which is removably disposed in the opening and has a wide part, a narrow part and a through hole. The narrow part blocks the opening. When the boat is inserted into the space, a second gap area smaller than the first gap area is formed between the sidewalls of the boat and the through hole at the narrow part. The adjusting element adjusts the first and second symmetrical lines to be parallel to each other according to the second gap area.
US07971327B2
A process for sub-dividing a laminated flooring substrate into a plurality of laminated flooring planks and a system therefore are described. The process can include providing a laminated flooring substrate having a decorative pattern on a core wherein the decorative pattern can include a plurality of indicators, and independently detecting the indicators with a plurality of detecting devices, each assigned a respective indicator. The detecting devices can individually obtain the position of the detected indicators and a control unit can align a separate saw blade per each position detected. The system includes a cutting unit with individually adjustable saws or an alignment device configured to align the laminated flooring substrate with the saws, to cut the laminated flooring substrate along positions relative to the detected indicators, for example, in the center thereof or off-set therefrom.
US07971324B2
A card and currency carrying device is shown. The device includes a first side member assembly and a spaced second side member assembly. Each side member assembly has a flexible member, preferably stainless steel, having an undeflected position and a deflected position which is responsive to a compression deflection force applied concurrently to flexible members. A first pair and a second pair of support members are operatively connected to the flexible members. An elastic fabric material, preferably a woven elastic fabric material, having a thickness which reduces in dimension in response to a longitudinal tension force and which maintains its width dimension in response to a longitudinal tension force is operatively connected to the support members.
US07971321B2
A hinge is mounted between a cover and a base of an electronic device. A lid covers the hinge and is attached securely to the base. The hinge has an arced surface and a rotating shaft. When the cover is pivoted to a certain angle, the rotating shaft abuts the arced surface to lift up the cover so the cover is selectively distant away from the lid. Therefore, the shape of the electronic device does not need to be disfigured and the cover still does not bump against the lid.
US07971319B2
A hinge for doors or windows may include two parts that are rotatable about a hinge axle. A catch device, arranged inside of the hinge, may have a catch element and a catch recess. The catch element may engage the catch recess in a catch position. Both the catch element and the catch recess may be arranged along the hinge axle.
US07971318B2
A hinge assembly and a mobile terminal are disclosed. The hinge assembly can include: a torsion spring; a shaft, which penetrates through the torsion spring; a bushing, coupled to one end of the torsion spring and to one side of the shaft; a holder, which is coupled to the other end of the torsion spring, and which the shaft penetrates through; a sliding cam, which is coupled to the other side of the shaft, and which may move in linkage with the shaft; a fixed cam, which engages the sliding cam; a compression spring, which is positioned between the holder and the sliding cam, and which may place the sliding cam in close contact with the fixed cam; and a housing coupled to the holder and the fixed cam. Thus, the mobile terminal can be unfolded automatically using just a few number of parts without requiring energy consumption.
US07971305B1
Methods and apparatus for cleaning according to various aspects of the present invention include a cleaner and a lighting system. The cleaner, such as a handheld cleaner like a brush or lint roller, cleans the item or area to be cleaned. The lighting system illuminates the area or item to be cleaned. In one embodiment, the lighting system generates ultraviolet light to illuminate debris having phosphor materials.
US07971300B2
This disclosure describes a patient support surface having a cover defining an interior region, with a plurality of inflatable zones and a plurality of control nodes located within the interior region. Each control node comprises an air control system including an air supply and a processor.
US07971296B2
Stimulation actuators that exert any desired movements on the underspringing arrangement. The underspringing arrangement has lifting members (11) that are mounted elastically by means of elastic elements (14). The elastic elements (14) are arranged such that at least a main direction of work extends at an angle with respect to the direction of the movement of the lifting member. In this way, the lifting member (11) can have a particularly low overall height. The supporting surface of the underspringing arrangement can be moved up and down by the lifting member (11) and the elastic element (14), thereby permitting an individual stimulation and movement of a person lying on the mattress.
US07971294B1
Method for changing a pillow in a pillowcase includes providing two members unattached to one another and each having opposed smooth surfaces, inserting the members at least partially into the pillowcase containing a pillow such that the members are each between a respective side of the pillow and an adjacent side of the pillowcase, and then causing relative movement between the pillowcase and the members until the pillow is at least partially outside of the pillowcase. Thereafter, the pillow is grasped and withdrawn from between the members and then without removing the members from the pillowcase, a new pillow is inserted between the members. Then, the individual causes relative movement between the pillowcase and the members until the new pillow is inside of the pillowcase; and withdraws the members from the pillowcase.
US07971287B2
An apparatus for lifting a cover from a spa or other housing includes a frame member having one end that is pivotally attached to the exterior of the housing. Another end of the frame member is pivotally and slidably coupled to the cover. In one embodiment, the frame member is pivotally and slidably coupled to the proximate cover portion via a pin attached to the proximate cover portion and extending through a slot defined by the frame member. A motor is likewise attached to the exterior of the housing and is pivotally coupled to the frame member. The motor causes the frame member to rotate thereby lifting the cover off of the housing.
US07971282B2
Earmuffs for use with protective headgear, primarily helmets for use in outside sports such as bicycling, skiing and the like, wherein the earmuffs are in the form a sleeves with flaps that overlap the edges of the sleeves, include a base element that spans a wearer's head and couples left and right sleeves, and include a chin cover that receives the portion of a chin strap that extends beyond the sleeve.
US07971281B2
A shock absorbent device capable of securely protecting physical parts such as the lumbar part and femur part from a shock even imparted intensively to a narrow area of the physical part to be protected. Also, the shock absorbent device or a protective pad and protective clothes using the shock absorbent can be brought into close contact with the physical part to be protected while improving air permeability around the physical part covered with the protective pad or clothes and vary the area contacting with the physical part to be protected. The shock absorbent can be used for a protective pad for protecting physical parts such as the lumbar part and femur part from an external shock exerted thereto and includes a shock dispersing member (2), embedded in a shock absorbing member (1), for absorbing the external shock.
US07971273B2
A drag harness for use with a protective garment for a fire fighter or emergency worker is provided. The protective garment includes an outer shell having a main body portion and at least two limb covering portions. The drag harness includes a wearer loop and at least two gripping portions. A first gripping portion is located at a first limb covering portion while a second gripping portion is located at a second limb covering portion. Each of the gripping portions is located adjacent the outer shell in a non-deployed state and extend away from the outer shell in a deployed state whereby a rescuer can drag a wearer.
US07975315B2
There is provided an atomic force microscope (AFM) with increase the speed and sensitivity of detection of the resonant frequency shift in a cantilever. An AFM (1) extracts a reference signal and a phase shift signal from a detection signal from a displacement sensor of the cantilever. The reference signal is restrained from a phase change in accordance with the resonant frequency shift. The phase shift signal has a phase shifted in accordance with the resonant frequency shift. The AFM (1) determines the phase difference of the phase shift signal from the reference signal, as the resonant frequency shift. The AFM (1) may detect the phase difference between a plus-minus inversion point on the reference signal and a corresponding plus-minus inversion point on the phase shift signal. The AFM (1) may adjust phase before phase detection. The phase adjustment may move the detection point for the resonant frequency shift defined on the oscillation waveforms to the plus-minus inversion point. The detection point is set at a position where the cantilever and a sample are closest to each other on the oscillation waveform.
US07975314B2
There is provided a scanning probe microscope that allows active damping to be advantageously carried out.A Z scan control section functions as a driving control section to control a Z scanner that is a controlled object. Driving control is performed by supplying the controlled object with a driving signal processed by an adjustment function. The adjustment function adjusts the driving signal by using a simulated transfer function that simulates an actual transfer function indicative of an actual frequency characteristic of the controlled object so that executing processing of the simulated transfer function on the adjusted driving signal results in decrease of vibration of an output signal from the simulated transfer function. The adjustment function processing is configured so as to execute processing of the simulated transfer function G(s) on the driving signal, to execute processing of an inverse target transfer function K(s) corresponding to the inverse of the target transfer function on an output from the G(s), to determine the difference between the driving signal and the output of K(s), to apply a gain g to the difference, and to add the signal after the gain is applied to the driving signal. Therefore, the output from the G(s) approximates to the target transfer function which is the inverse of the K(s).
US07975313B2
A system and method is provided for identifying the source of an unauthorized copy of content. The method includes embedding a unique user fingerprint code to into each of a plurality of authorized copies of content and identifying an unknown fingerprint code in an unauthorized copy of the content. Each member of the unknown fingerprint code is compared to each corresponding member in each of the user fingerprint codes. A score is assigned to each of the user fingerprint codes based on the comparison and users associated with scores exceeding a threshold are identified as a source of the unauthorized copy.
US07975312B2
A digital rights management (DRM) system for distribution of digital content such as audio or video uses a token passing scheme to enhance security of the content from unauthorized access and use, including access by unauthorized players. The token is requested from the central content or DRM server by a host device such as a user's computer, using security related information. The token is then passed to a media player associated with the host device, the token being encrypted using a key special to that particular player. Upon receipt of the token, the player transmits back to the server certain related security information confirming receipt of the token and in return receives keys for decryption of the associated digital content. In the absence of proper passing of the token, player access to the content, or further access to other content, is denied. This also allows the player to communicate directly with the server for obtaining the keys.
US07975310B2
Enforcing rendering of advertisements and other predetermined media content in connection with playback of download selected media content. Playback of selected media content is made conditional on acquisition of a locally cached playback token in response to playback of the predetermined content. The playback token may be implemented as a digital rights management (DRM) license acquired from a local cache in response to playback of the predetermined content. Another aspect involves a downloading ads or other predetermined content with associated playback tokens in a local cache.
US07975305B2
A security system for scanning content within a computer, including a network interface, housed within a computer, for receiving content from the Internet on its destination to an Internet application running on the computer, a database of rules corresponding to computer exploits, stored within the computer, a rule-based content scanner that communicates with said database of rules, for scanning content to recognize the presence of potential exploits therewithin, a network traffic probe, operatively coupled to the network interface and to the rule-based content scanner, for selectively diverting content from its intended destination to the rule-based content scanner, and a rule update manager that communicates with said database of rules, for updating said database of rules periodically to incorporate new rules that are made available. A method and a computer readable storage medium are also described and claimed.
US07975300B2
The present invention, among other things, obviates the effects of an attack on a wireless network through appropriate isolation and recovery. An aspect of the present invention can include a system and method of isolating a victim of malicious behavior in a wireless access network, and in particular WLAN networks. By having software on the victim's device, the system provides the capability of recovering the victim from the effects of the intruder, and prevents the victim from being affected by subsequent attacks by the intruder. The preferred embodiments include two key components: a local monitor and a global monitor.
US07975299B1
An identity monitoring system notifies legal guardians of potentially fraudulent activity associated with their children's identities. The monitoring system may determine if credit files for respective enrolled minors exist and monitor any credit files of the enrolled minors, such as via periodic requests for credit data and comparison of certain returned credit data, in order to determine if potentially fraudulent activity associated with the minor has occurred. The monitoring system provides periodic notifications, such as via email and/or Internet-accessible user interfaces, regarding potentially fraudulent use of their children's identities. In one embodiment, the monitoring system also provides legal guardians with useful information and resources for how they can further protect the identity of their children.
US07975293B2
Provided are an authentication method, authentication system and a terminal device in which the authentication of a non-participating third node is can be simplified and can be executed in the case of multicast by using an authentication ticket in a distributed processing network system, the non-participating third node being intended to access each of the nodes, including a first and a second node, constituting a workgroup. The first node that has already participated in the workgroup authenticates the third node intended to participate in the workgroup and issues the authentication ticket including the signatures of both nodes, and when the authentication ticket is submitted to the second node, the second node permits the third node to access, without password-based-authentication, by authenticating the first node and the second node which have signed the authentication ticket.
US07975290B2
A certificate registry system is configured to issue authentication certificates to each one of a plurality of information providers and to maintain a root certificate corresponding to all of the authentication certificates. Each one of the authentication certificates links respective authentication information thereof to identification information of a corresponding one of the information providers. Each one of the authentication certificates includes a respective Instant Messaging (IM) screen name information of the information provider. The authentication certificates of the certificate registry are associated in a manner at least partially dependent upon at least one of a particular type of information that the information providers provide, a particular organization that the information providers are associated with, a particular type profession in which the information providers are engaged and a particular geographical region in which the information providers are located.
US07975284B2
An image capturing apparatus is configured so that optimal one of usable position detecting sensors is selected. Specifically, among a plurality of position detecting sensors usable by the image capturing apparatus, e.g., a GPS, a direction sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a velocity sensor, the GPS detects position information at a position where GPS signals can be received, whereas another of the sensors detects position information at a position where GPS signals cannot be received, in accordance with an environment where an image is captured. The position information detected by the optimal sensor is added to an image captured by a camera in a specified form and is displayed or stored.
US07975272B2
In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to generate a thread and supplying a request to a queue in response at least to the received request. The method may further include fetching a plurality of instructions in response at least in part to the request supplied to the queue and executing at least one of the plurality of instructions. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a storage medium having stored therein instructions that when executed by a machine result in the method. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes circuitry to receive a request to generate a thread and to queue a request to generate a thread in response at least to the received request. In some embodiments, a system includes circuitry to receive a request to generate a thread and to queue a request to generate a thread in response at least to the received request, and a memory unit to store at least one instruction for the thread.
US07975269B2
Methods and apparatus for parallel processors are disclosed. A policy module is loaded from a main memory of a processor into the local memory of a selected secondary processing element under control of a policy module manager running on the secondary processing element. A selected one or more work queues are assigned from a main memory to a selected one or more of the secondary processing elements according to a hierarchy of precedence. A policy module for the selected one or more work queues is loaded to the selected one or more secondary processing elements. The policy module interprets the selected one or more of the selected one or more work queues. Under control of the policy module, work from one or more of the selected one or more work queues is loaded into the local memory of the selected secondary processing element. The work is performed with the selected secondary processing element. After completing the work or upon a pre-emption, control of the selected secondary processing element is returned to the policy module manager.
US07975262B2
Trace messages generated during execution of programming code are logged in a trace log. The logged trace messages logged during execution of a portion of the programming code are deleted from the trace log when the portion of programming code executes without an error. The logged trace messages are kept in the trace log when an error occurs during execution of the portion of the programming code. The trace log is output when the execution of the programming code ends.
US07975256B2
Metadata describing common Java classes is extracted and utilized to optimize a Java program's performance based on the code requirements of the application. Data mining techniques extract metadata and other information about different sets of JVM byte code written by multiple vendors to determine the design choices and optimizations made by each vendor in implementing their JVM. Then, byte code in a Java application being programmed is analyzed in comparison to each vendor's JVM metadata and information. Based upon the application's requirements (for example footprint, performance, etc.), recommendations are generated that yield a newly compiled rt.jar that combines the best practices of each vendor together or recommends a particular vendor's standard JVM that is best suited for the application.
US07975253B2
An object is to simplify a power supply noise analysis model of a circuit board. CAD data of the circuit board is obtained from a CAD apparatus, and overlapping power supply islands among power supply islands existing in different layers of the circuit board are extracted as a power supply pair. Nodes are arranged in the extracted power supply pair, and the nodes of the power supply pair are projected on the power supply islands to which the power supply pair belongs. A mesh region which encloses each node is determined for each power supply island, and impedance (L, R, C) between nodes is calculated. Then, a power supply noise analysis model is created based on the impedance between nodes in each layer, and a capacitance between layers.
US07975242B2
In some embodiments, a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display performs a method that includes: displaying a phone call user interface on the touch screen display, wherein the phone call user interface includes: a first informational item associated with an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, a second informational item associated with a suspended phone call between the user and a second party, and a merge call icon; upon detecting a user selection of the merge call icon, merging the active phone call and the suspended phone call into a conference call between the user, the first party, and the second party, and replacing the phone call user interface with a conference call user interface. The conference call user interface includes: a third informational item associated with the conference call, and a conference call management icon.
US07975232B2
A method of document generation includes, in response to a call from an application, getting an interface and interface description of a template used to create a document, determining whether a method exists for filling all elements of the interface, making a dynamic call to invoke the method for filling all elements of the interface if the method exists, decomposing the interface into further elements if a method does not exist for filling all elements of the interface, repeating the steps of determining whether a method exists, making a dynamic call and decomposing the interface, until all elements of the interface are accounted for.
US07975225B2
Techniques enable locating a position within a file that corresponds to a desired seek time without having access to an index specifying the desired seek time's position. An iterative process may be used to estimate the position that corresponds to the desired seek time. The process may iterate through multiple estimations until a difference between a time corresponding to an estimated position and the desired seek time is within an acceptable amount or until the process reaches an iteration threshold. The file may then be played beginning at or near the desired seek time. The techniques may therefore allow a user to seek within a file while the user progressively downloads or streams the file.
US07975213B2
A process for analyzing a sub-model associated with a full system model as often depicted as an influence diagram. The process includes defining the sub-model as a collection of entities where some entities are calculation entities and some are data entities. The process converts the calculation entities in the sub-model that depend on entities in the fall model outside of the sub-model to temporary data entities. Further, the process deletes any data entity in the sub-model from which any converted temporary data entity depends. The process also determines if there are any isolated cycles in the sub-model, and, if so, which of the entities in the isolated cycle will be an output entity.
US07975212B2
A sequential decoding method and a decoding apparatus are provided. According to the method, an open stack is adopted for storing a plurality of paths. When the codeword generated by an internal decoder in the decoding apparatus is incorrect, a codeword is generated again by using the paths stored in the open stack. Accordingly, the complexity of decoding is reduced.
US07975210B2
An embodiment of a telecommunications device includes means for providing a set of words, each word including a plurality of digital symbols; a first memory area for storing the set of words, the first memory area including a first sequence of memory locations each one for storing a symbol; a second memory area for storing a composite frame including a predetermined number of symbols, the second memory area including a second sequence of memory locations; conversion means for converting the set of words in the first memory area into the frame in the second memory area, the conversion means including reduction means for reducing each word by removing a set of symbols from the word according to a puncturing algorithm, and expansion means for expanding each word by adding a set of additional symbols to the word according to a repeating algorithm; and means for transmitting the frame.
US07975201B2
The present invention provides a method that protects symbol types by characterizing symbols as one of two types—DATA or NON_DATA, generating a symbol characterization bit, placing the symbol characterization bit at both ends of the symbol, and transmitting the symbol with the symbol characterization bits at both ends. Thus, a single byte error may affect a type bit in two consecutive symbols, and will affect one or the other of the type bits in a single symbol, but cannot affect both type bits in a single symbol.
US07975195B1
A non-fighting fully clocked scan latch is described that is dynamically configurable to support both logic data latching and scan data latching. The described scan latch circuit design reduces a load placed on a logic data latch portion of the described circuit by a scan latch portion of the described circuit, and thereby increases the speed of the described scan latch to that of an output latch without scan capability. Power required to drive the described scan latch is reduced by clocking the circuit to avoid fighting and by reducing the number of transistors included in transistor stacks internal to the scan latch. By reducing drive power requirements, eliminating internal latch fighting, and increasing latch response, a versatile scan latch is achieved that may be successfully implemented in a wide range of circuits despite the use of different supply drive voltage, threshold voltage, source-to-drain voltage, and transistor technology combinations.
US07975193B2
Described embodiments provide for end-of-life (EOL) checking for NAND flash devices. An exemplary implementation of a computing environment comprises at least one NAND data storage device operative to store one or more data elements. In the illustrative implementation, the EOL data processing and storage management paradigm allows for the storage of data according using a selected EOL enforcement algorithm that can utilize current and/or historical correction levels. The NAND data storage EOL checking module can be operable to cooperate with one or more NAND data store components to execute one or more selected EOL operations to protect stored data.
US07975191B2
A method and circuitry for checking the programming (P) and deletion (L) operations of memory cells (5) in a nonvolatile memory device (1). Parallel to the programming (P) or deletion (L) operations of the actual memory cells (5) the respective programming or deletion process is carried out on at least one similar checking cell (4.1, 4.2, 4.3), with the programming (P) or deletion (L) operations being less favorable by a defined extent than the programming (P) or deletion (L) operations of the actual memory cells (5). From the content of the checking cell (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) an evaluation device (6) determines whether the programming (P) or deletion (L) operation was successful or not, and a corresponding output signal (ak) indicative thereof is produced.
US07975188B2
A restoration device for restoring a system when the BIOS falls in a stall failure includes a first watchdog timer and a second watchdog timer, a setter for setting timer values respectively in the first watchdog timer and in the second watchdog timer, a suspender for suspending the decrement of the timer value of the first watchdog timer when the BIOS is started and also execution of a BIOS process is started, a switch for switching the BIOS data region for starting when the timer value of the first watchdog timer becomes equal to 0 or a prescribed number, a resetter for resetting the system when the timer value of the first watchdog timer becomes equal to 0 or a prescribed number, a suspender for suspending the decrement of the timer value of the second watchdog timer when the BIOS of the system starts and a resetter for resetting the system when the timer value of the second watchdog timer becomes equal to 0 or a prescribed number.
US07975182B2
There is provided a method, system and computer program product for generating trace data related to a data processing system event. The method includes: receiving an instruction relating to the system event from a location in the system; determining a minimum number of trace segment records required to record instruction information; and creating a trace segment table including the number of trace segment records, the number of trace segment records including at least one instruction record.
US07975181B2
A device is disclosed for testing the function of a display port. The device includes a display port transmitting part, a field programmable gate array, and a memory. The display port transmitting part transmits connecting signals to a display port timing controller mounted on a display panel. The field programmable gate array applies a test signal to the display port timing controller, and controls the connecting signals applied from the display port transmitting part to the display port timing controller. The memory has software that determines acceptance or rejection of the display port function based on data output from the display port timing controller in response to the connecting signals or the test signal.
US07975180B2
Apparatus and method of detecting a fault in a network service includes an Ethernet access network domain in which a heartbeat message is broadcast at a periodic interval by each of a plurality of edge devices associated with an instance of the network service. Each of the edge devices also receives the heartbeat messages broadcast at the periodic interval from other edge devices. A fault occurrence is identified when the edge device fails to receive an expected heartbeat message at the periodic interval from one of the other edge devices.
US07975173B2
Fault tolerant operation is disclosed for a primary instance, such as a process, thread, application, processor, etc., using an active copy-cat instance, a.k.a. backup instance, that mirrors operations in the primary instance, but only after those operations have successfully completed in the primary instance. Fault tolerant logic monitors inputs and outputs of the primary instance and gates those inputs to the backup instance once a given input has been processed. The outputs of the backup instance are then compared with the outputs of the primary instance to ensure correct operation. The disclosed embodiments further relate to fault tolerant failover mechanism allowing the backup instance to take over for the primary instance in a fault situation wherein the primary and backup instances are loosely coupled, i.e. they need not be aware that they are operating in a fault tolerant environment. As such, the primary instance need not be specifically designed or programmed to interact with the fault tolerant mechanisms. Instead, the primary instance need only be designed to adhere to specific basic operating guidelines and shut itself down when it cannot do so. By externally controlling the ability of the primary instance to successfully adhere to its operating guidelines, the fault tolerant mechanisms of the disclosed embodiments can recognize error conditions and easily failover from the primary instance to the backup instance.
US07975160B2
The present invention is a system and method for precise absolute time event generation and capture. One embodiment of the present invention is a programmable hardware module for TTL pulse generation and capture in absolute time. The nominal accuracy of the programmable hardware module is 25 ns. The time reference is an on-board GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The hardware embodiment of the present invention can generate eight independently programmable outputs and capture the times on eight independently programmable inputs. An exemplary application for the present invention is triggering external light sources, and flash-lamp pumped lasers in particular, at specific times for calibration of cosmic-ray observatories. A software embodiment of the present invention is implemented in a Linux software device driver interface featuring an extensive set of user commands.
US07975152B2
A control apparatus controls a supply of power to a second apparatus that operates independently of a first apparatus, and includes a notifying part to make a notification that notifies a need to control the power supplied to the second apparatus if needed, based on a preset timer time and a present time acquired from a Real Time Clock (RTC) within the first apparatus, and a supplying part to supply information related to a time for controlling the power supplied to the second apparatus, based on the notification from the notifying part, wherein the notifying part and the supplying part are operable with a power that makes only limited functions within the first apparatus operable.
US07975149B2
Software protection using data structures is described. In one implementation, an engine between the processor and the memory of a computing device encrypts and stores data and program variables in blocks of memory that correspond to nodes of a tree-like data structure. When accessed, the nodes of this search tree are rearranged according to various schemata to obscure memory access patterns from being detected by cache attacks or side-channel attacks. In one implementation, the data structure is a splay tree that self-rearranges upon access and increases efficiency while providing security.
US07975145B2
A time stamp updating apparatus includes: a time stamp obtaining unit configured to transmit hash value calculated from certification target data to an apparatus for time stamp authority when certification target data is input, to receive time stamp data from the apparatus for time stamp authority, to relate the received time stamp data to certification target data, and stored them in an evidence data storage unit; and a time stamp verification unit configured to calculate logical OR of a validity period of the time stamp data related to certification target data, and to output a period that can go back from time of verification as a period when the certification target data can be certified.
US07975144B2
A method for processing security communication protocol compliant signed receipts at a mobile communication device linked to a host system is provided. The host system receives an email message linked to a digital signature, and a signed receipt. The host system redirects the signed receipt to the mobile communication device. The host system determines if the email message is available at the mobile communication device, and if not, the host system retrieves the email message and redirects the email message to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device can then verify the signed receipt based on the email message. Optionally, rather than the email message, the host system retrieves and/or recalculates data elements associated with the email message and required to verify the signed receipt, and redirects these data elements to the mobile communication device. A related system is provided, as well as server computer program for the host system, and device computer program for the mobile communication device.
US07975129B2
Controlling a reorder buffer (ROB) to selectively perform functional hardware lock disabling (HLD) is described. One apparatus embodiment includes a unit to enable an ROB to selectively disable a lock upon Identifying a lock acquire operation (LAO) associated with a critical section (CS) entry point, a unit to selectively retire the LAO, a unit to cause the ROB to selectively disable the lock, and a unit to snoop a buffer. The apparatus may, based on the snooping, selectively abort a transaction associated with the CS.
US07975125B2
A ROM comprises several bit output lines and X address decode lines, and stores a data set. Each address decode line stores a unique data word. Addresses in the data set that have the same data word are mapped by the decoder to the same address decode line. Each address decode line is electrically connected to a bit output line as determined by the data set. An initial design of the ROM uses N connecting devices to respectively electrically connect N of the address decode lines to a bit output line. If N exceeds X/2, then an optimization process is performed. The optimization process involves electrically disconnecting each address decode line that was connected to the bit output line, and electrically connecting each address decode line that was not connected to the bit output line. The output of the bit output line is then run through a logical inverter to provide the correct output data bit.
US07975124B2
A system and method of media library access that utilizes distributed mapping of media library partitions. A first controller can be connected to a data transport element of a media library and a second controller can be connected to a media changer of the media library. The first controller can maintain a media library partition representing a portion of the media library, receive a command from a host application based on the media library partition and forward the command to the second controller. The first controller can further translate logical addresses referenced in the command to physical addresses before forwarding the command to the second controller. The second controller can receive the command from the first controller and forward the command to the media changer. The second controller can also prioritize the command on using a FIFO or other prioritization scheme.
US07975123B2
To provide a computer system, a management computer and a storage system, and a storage area allocation amount controlling method for improving I/O performance of the host computer. In a computer system comprising a storage system comprising one or more storage devices with storage areas, a host computer which uses a storage area of the storage device, and a management computer for dynamically allocating the storage area in response to an input/output request from the host computer; wherein the management computer monitors dynamic allocation of a real storage area to a storage area in the storage system, and calculates allocation increment amount to the allocated storage area based on the allocation frequency and the total amount of allocation.
US07975122B2
A memory hub having an integrated non-volatile memory for storing configuration information is provided. The memory hub includes a high-speed interface for receiving memory access requests, a non-volatile memory having memory configuration information stored therein, and a memory controller coupled to the high-speed interface and the non-volatile memory. The memory controller includes registers into which the memory configuration information is loaded and is operable to output memory requests in response to receiving memory access requests from the high-speed interface and in accordance with the memory configuration information loaded in the registers. A method for initializing a memory sub-system is also provided. The method includes loading configuration registers of a plurality of memory hubs with the configuration information provided by a respective one of a plurality of embedded non-volatile memories integrated in the respective memory hub.
US07975121B2
Embodiments that facilitate type checking of assembly language instructions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a low level language instruction in a memory. The instruction includes a word having a first type. The memory includes either a stack or a heap. Each of the stack or heap includes a plurality of positions. The method also includes labeling the plurality of positions in one of the stack or the heap as one or more specified positions and one or more unspecified positions. The method further includes assigning a second type to the memory, the second type including the first type of the word. The word is stored in a specified position or an unspecified position. The method additionally includes determining whether the instruction is well-typed by applying one or more rules to the instruction and to the second type.
US07975106B2
An MFP that is configured to receive instruction sets for processing documents, such as workflows, from a portable memory device. The MFP may be part of a larger network computer system and may also be able to receive workflows for processing documents from other components of the system in addition to the portable memory device. The portable memory device may comprise a memory stick, or any other portable electronic device that has memory functionality. The system may also be able to filter files on the portable memory device so that the MFP only receives workflow files related to processing documents.
US07975104B2
A method of breaking a redundant array of independent disks level 1 (RAID 1 ) for preservation of data integrity is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for breaking a RAID 1 to preserve data integrity of the RAID 1 includes breaking a redundancy of the RAID 1 when a size of data stored in the RAID 1 exceeds a storage capacity of the RAID 1, where the RAID 1 includes a first disk and a second disk mirroring the first disk. Further, the method includes writing a portion of the data exceeding the storage capacity of the RAID 1 to the second disk, and restoring the redundancy of the RAID 1 by using two additional disks implemented to the RAID 1.
US07975097B2
A method may include counting the number of times each of a plurality of entries in a content addressable memory (CAM) matches one or more searches; grouping entries in the CAM into a first subset and a second subset based on the number of times each of the plurality of entries in the CAM matches one or more searches; and searching the first subset for a matching entry and, if no matching entry is found, searching the second subset for the matching entry.
US07975095B2
A cache device comprises a hard disk, cache control unit and at least one flash memory, whereby the cache control unit controlling and regulating the flash memory as the hard disk cache device. The present invention method is defined by setting up a management table to manage each corresponding logical block address of the flash memory through a cache data read-out step and cache data write-in step in order to manage the cache read or write action of the flash memory on the hard disk. In addition, the step of recycling a cache space and replacing cache temporary data storage is to remove and replace temporary cache and storage space within the flash memory on the hard disk. Moreover, the step of reconstruction management table is provided to reconstruct management table loss or damage caused by power outage or irregular shut-down of the computer and will be able to provide flash memory on the hard disk cache control.
US07975094B2
The invention provides an architecture and method for implementing a programmable I/O interface. The primary function provides a generic reconfigurable interface for serial communications between a laser printer controller and the print mechanism. The design also supports vertical page synchronization (top of page detection).
US07975079B2
A method and apparatus are provided for an embedded wireless interface that is embedded in, for example, one of an input and output controller device for controlling input and output communications with off-board devices, within a memory controller device and a processor motherboard. The embedded wireless interface may be utilized as a wireless test access point to provide signal stimulations for test purposes or to monitor communications over a specified wired communication link.
US07975078B2
A peripheral device, connected to a computer, has either a first or second interface. The first interface communicates over a differential data connection and the second interface communicates over a clock conductor and a single ended data connection. The peripheral device has first and second communication conductors that are either connected to the differential data connection when the computer includes the first interface or to the single ended data connection and the clock conductor when the computer includes the second interface. The peripheral device has an interface detection component that detects which of the first and second interfaces the peripheral device is connected to. The peripheral device also has a controller that communicates according to a protocol corresponding to the detected interface.
US07975077B2
One data processor is provided with an interface for realizing connection with the other data processor. This interface is provided with a function for connecting the other data processor as a bus master to an internal bus of the one data processor, and the relevant other data processor is capable of directly operating peripheral functions that are memory mapped to the internal bus from an external side via the interface. Accordingly, the data processor can utilize the peripheral functions of the other data processor without interruption of the program being executed. In short, one data processor can use in common the peripheral resources of the other data processor.
US07975073B2
Disclosed herein is a middleware server for interfacing a Multipoint Conferencing Unit (MCU) with a communication system and/or a management system within the context of an organization. The middleware server uses modular architecture, making the middleware server highly adaptable to different types of communication systems and management systems. The middleware server is useful for interfacing a MCU with communication devices including Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) telephones, Internet Protocol telephones (IP-phones), and multimedia endpoints and with management applications such as exchange servers and databases. The middleware server is useful for managing multimedia sessions according to organizational policies.
US07975070B2
A network system uses a management routing instance to route management information between elements involved in management of the system. The system registers each element in the management routing instance when the element comes on line. Based on the management routing instance, the system creates management forwarding tables. The system then uses the management forwarding tables to route management information between the elements. Multiple systems, for example systems connected by a network, may exchange management routing instance information to allow elements in different systems to communicate management information with each other.
US07975064B2
A mechanism provides for sending an envelope and replying to an envelope. A transmitter is configured to send an envelope. A receiver is coupled to the transmitter, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the envelope and generate a reply envelope. A send buffer is coupled to the transmitter. A receive buffer is coupled to the receiver. A retry timer is coupled to the transmitter, wherein the retry timer is configured to reset upon the receipt of a reply envelope correlated to the transmit envelope. The transmitter is configured to retransmit an envelope if the transmitter does not receive a corresponding reply envelope within a selected time period as determined by the retry timer. This leads to a decrease in the total number of envelopes, transmitted from both the transmitter and the receiver.
US07975063B2
A server for data streaming encodes multimedia signals at bit rates compatible with a connection of time-varying conditions and informs a client receiving a multimedia signal of changing bit rates and causes of change. The server supports several clients and includes a flow controller and at least one encoder. The flow controller derives metrics from measurements to determine a permissible transmission rate from the server to each active client. An encoder adapts individual transmission rates of signals according to respective permissible transmission rates. An overlay module, coupled to a multimedia signal source, the flow controller, and an encoder, superimposes informative insertions indicating permissible transmission rates and associated metrics on a multimedia signal to inform a client of changing transmission rates and causes of change. An informative insertion has a predefined duration and is sent either periodically or following a substantial change of network conditions.
US07975059B2
A generic application-level protocol analyzer (GAPA) is adaptable to model an application and its response to messages in different protocols, including multiple, layered protocols in a network context. One mode of a GAPA includes an analysis engine having a plurality of objects adaptable to model an application and its response to messages. The objects may include a session dispatching object, a state machine object, a message parsing object, a protocol layering object, and a handler object. The analysis engine may be used to evaluate real-time network streams or to evaluate recorded network traces. The GAPA is adapted to specific applications using a generic application-level protocol analyzer engine language (GAPAL). The GAPAL uses a high-level syntax similar to those in existing protocol specification descriptions. The GAPAL supports binary and text-based protocols. Using the GAPAL, objects are described without writing low-level code to model specific objects or specify message formats.
US07975058B2
A proxy server according to an embodiment includes a memory and a communication unit. The memory is configured to store and retrieve a client device identifier and an associated client device transport address, while the communication unit is configured to send and receive messages. The communication unit is configured to receive an identification message according to a first protocol from a client device through at least one intermediate network address translator (NAT). The identification message includes the client device identifier and conveys the client device transport address. The communication unit is configured to receive a request message from an admin device including the client device identifier. The proxy server is configured to retrieve the associated client device transport address and instruct the client device to open a connection with the proxy server according to a second protocol that is different from the first protocol.
US07975057B2
An entity of the smart card type has an application layer linked to a communication protocol layer. A time manager containing a timer interfaces with the protocol layer. The time manager substantially periodically constructs waiting time extension requests transmitted to a terminal through the protocol layer as long as data are being processed in the application layer. The application layer is thus freed from any time constraint.
US07975053B2
The present invention provides the benefits of negotiated network resources to session-unaware applications. When a session-unaware application runs on a mobile device, the device, knowing that the application is session-unaware, negotiates appropriate network-policy parameters for the application. The application remains unaware, but it receives the benefits of the network-policy parameter negotiation. The network-policy parameter negotiation is carried on between the mobile device and a “network policy mediator” in the network. Together, they reserve the appropriate network resources and secure the appropriate guarantees. In some embodiments, a software “shim” runs in the network-protocol stack on the mobile device. By intercepting network-access attempts sent by the session-unaware application, the shim knows to begin the network-policy parameter negotiation. In some embodiments, the mobile device downloads information about session-unaware applications from the network. This information includes a list of which network-policy parameter guarantees would be most beneficial to each application.
US07975050B2
In a conditional access network a provider distributes valuable contents such as digital TV over the network and end-users are allowed to access such valuable contents in function of individual access rights defined by a user license. The valuable contents are made available to the end-users, by way of a plurality of different conditional access systems, each end-user is provided with a generic conditional access component having a basic functionality common to all conditional access systems, and particular conditional access systems are selectively enabled on each conditional access component subject to a successful verification of a corresponding license.
US07975048B2
A computer network including: at least one switch connecting at least one edge device to the remainder of the network, said at least one switch including: snooping apparatus using DHCP to monitor the signal traffic through the switch to or from the each edge device to determine, without changing the traffic signals, for each edge device, the MAC address, the IP address, and the port of the switch to which it is connected, and a dynamic table within said switch of, for each edge device, the MAC address, the IP address, and the port which it is connected, the contents of the table being provided by said snooping apparatus.
US07975045B2
Exemplary embodiments include methods and systems for monitoring, analyzing, and troubleshooting of control plane dynamics of a network including collecting state data from the one or more routers of one or more protocols at discrete time intervals, the state data being associated with one or more routers of a network, analyzing corresponding state data collected at two or more discrete time intervals, and outputting a result of the analysis of the state data collected from the one or more routers of the network.
US07975041B2
A method and system can be used to automatically manage a digital asset, from development to deployment, to control change within a network environment in a comprehensive and efficient manner. Digital assets can be tracked for progress and inaccuracies, mistakes, and incompatibilities can be addressed prior to deployment. Stages can be used to formalize and automate the flow of digital assets along the process. Further, metadata regarding the digital asset can be captured at any time to provide an audit trail for the digital asset from development all the way through deployment. Any stage may have access to any or all metadata captured for the digital asset.
US07975038B2
An application management program, application management method, and application management apparatus, which are capable of controlling the start of server computers with taking relations between multilevel applications into consideration. When receiving a request for starting provision of a service, a selection unit refers to server definition information to select a start-target server computer that should start an application, in accordance with an order of starting applications predefined based on relations in processing requests. Then, a confirmation unit refers to status information to confirm whether an associated application that should be started before the application installed on the start-target server computer selected by the selection unit has been started correctly. In the case where it is confirmed that the associated application has been started correctly, a start control unit instructs the start-target server computer to start the application, and registers the success or failure of the start in the status information.
US07975036B2
Methods and systems for adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization in wireless communication systems are provided. Adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization allows for conventional cross-layer optimization coupled with the ability to adaptively optimize cross-layer interactions across node boundaries. In one aspect, adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization includes adaptively and dynamically shifting functions/layers among nodes in a network, so that a global network objective is achieved. In another aspect, adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization includes adaptively and dynamically distributing functions/layers across a network, according to changes and/or events in the network. In a further aspect, adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization includes dynamically defining or changing individual node functions within a network, so that a global network functionality may emerge.
US07975032B2
A cache module (26) at a client computer (12) controls a cache portion (28) on a storage device (24). The cache module communicates with other cache modules at other clients to form a cache community (15). The cache modules store World Wide Web or other content in the cache portions for retrieval in response to requests (32) for content from browsers (30) in the cache community. When the requested content is not available in the cache community, the requested content may be retrieved from an origin server (19) using the Internet.
US07975023B2
A computer system including a processor and a memory for retrieving digital media content, storing the digital media content in the memory, and providing the digital media content to a thin media client is provided.
US07975020B1
A page update handler, which may be loaded by a web browser as part of a web page, adds functionality for dynamically updating the web page with content supplied by a content server. In one embodiment, when a mouse-over event occurs with respect to a recognized item on the web page, such as a hyperlink that matches a particular link signature, the page update handler displays a corresponding overlay display object within the web page. The overlay display object displays information about or associated with the recognized item, and may provide functionality for the user to further interact with the content server. In one embodiment, an operator of a web site that is separate from the content server can enable overlay display objects within its web pages by merely adding an update handler tag to one or more corresponding HTML documents.
US07975019B1
A page update handler, which may be loaded by a web browser as part of a web page, adds functionality for dynamically updating the web page with content supplied by a content server. The content may be related to a particular item detected on the web page by the page update handler, such as a link that matches a link signature, or a recognized keyword or phrase. The content server may operate in a different Internet domain from the server that servers the original web page, and may supply content for display on web pages of many different independent web sites. In one embodiment, an operator of a web site that is separate from the content server can enable the display of content from the content server on the site's web pages by merely adding an update handler tag to one or more corresponding HTML documents.
US07975015B2
The present invention relates to a system and methodology to enable a variety of information associated with one or more notification sources to be directed to one or more notification sinks via a notification platform architecture. The architecture includes a context analyzer for determining a user's state such as location and attentional focus, wherein the user's state is employed by a notification manager to make decisions regarding what, when and how information generated by the notification sources should be forwarded to the notification sinks, for example. These decisions can include a cost benefit analysis wherein considerations are given as to whether the benefits of notifying the user are outweighed by the costs of disrupting the user. Decision-theoretic policies and/or somewhat less formal heuristic policies can be employed to enable the decision-making process within the notification manager.
US07975014B2
A method for compressing electronic mail messages each having a message thread for storage in a storage device, comprising: identifying one or more sections of each message thread; assigning a respective identifier to each section; storing one occurrence of each section in the storage device for retrieval using its identifier; replacing each section in each thread by its identifier to thereby compress the messages; and, storing the messages in the storage device.
US07975012B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for inferring the read status of instant messages. One embodiment of the inventive method involves displaying the instant message on the receiver's computing device and sending a message to the sender indicating a probability with which the receiver has viewed the instant message. In one embodiment, this probability is based at least in part on an amount of the instant message that is in view on the receiver's computing device and on user input that is received by the receiver's computing device, e.g., from the receiver.
US07975006B2
Managing cluster membership and providing and managing locks in the switches forming the interconnecting network. To manage the cluster membership, a zone is created, with indicated members existing in the zone and the zone being managed by the switches. The nodes communicate their membership events, such as alive messages, using an API to work with the switch to which they are attached. The desired membership algorithm is executed by the switches, preferably in a distributed manner. Each switch then enforces the membership policies, including preventing operations from evicted nodes. This greatly simplifies the programs used on the nodes and unburdens them from many time consuming tasks, thus providing improved cluster performance. In a like manner, the switches in the fabric manage the resource locks. The nodes send their lock requests, such as creation and ownership requests, to the switch to which they are connected using an API. The switches then perform the desired lock operation and provide a response to the requesting node. Again, this greatly simplifies the programs used on the nodes and unburdens them from many time consuming activities, providing improved cluster performance.
US07975004B2
A method is provided for the transmissions of information between at least a first and a second communication means. The method includes in saving at least one set of information in an intermediate element. The method also includes defining a plurality of client groups, using an identifier in order to designate at least one group of clients that are authorized to access the information set, and at least one filtering step, which is intended to prevent a user that does not belong to the group from accessing the information. The method enables the integrity of the contained in the intermediate element to be substantially secured, by selecting clients that are authorized to access the information.
US07975002B2
A system and method for accumulating a historical context of interactions between components is presented. A plurality of components that each have a component context and which include at least one of a requester component and at least one of a service component are maintained. An interaction including the requester component requesting an operation to be performed by the service component is identified by sending the component context of the requester component to the service component. The component context of the requester component is recorded into the component context of the service component as contextual metadata.
US07974999B2
A method and system for developing portable network processor applications and/or managing heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network includes host processor(s) utilizing system configuration application(s) that are network processor independent. In one aspect, the method and system include using standardized interface(s) for each network processor, using a standardized transport layer compatible with the interface(s), and providing a generic message application layer. The generic message application layer defines generic payload(s) and message type(s) for configuration communications between the network and host processors. In another aspect, the method and system include providing packet processing shell(s) and generic protocol software that is coupled with the packet processing shell(s) through standard interface(s), network processor independent, and performs operations for packet processing. The method and system also include providing a library that includes network processor specific information for performing the operations and providing block(s) for performing other network processor specific operations.
US07974992B2
A data warehouse may include a data set of items associated with a plurality of attributes. An input handler may be configured to receive selections of attributes and filter options and a placement of an attribute icon representing each selection within a segmentation model displayed within a results portion of a graphical user interface (GUI). A view generator may be configured to provide the segmentation model in the results portion, the model including a data set icon representing the items, provide an attribute list in a segmentation portion of the GUI including a list of the attributes, provide the attribute icon within the segmentation model based on the placement, and provide a flow indicator corresponding to the filter option associated with each attribute icon. A filter may be configured to obtain a subset of the plurality of items corresponding to each selection based on the placement and filter option.
US07974991B2
A word processor including a native XML file format is provided. The well formed XML file fully represents the word-processor document, and fully supports 100% of word-processor's rich formatting. There are no feature losses when saving the word-processor documents as XML. A published XSD file defines all the rules behind the word-processor's XML file format. Hints may be provided within the XML associated files providing applications that understand XML a shortcut to understanding some of the features provided by the word-processor. The word-processing document is stored in a single XML file. Additionally, manipulation of word-processing documents may be done on computing devices that do not include the word-processor itself.
US07974989B2
A computerized system which implements a method for obtaining an improved set of relevant keywords from an initial set of relevant keywords and their associated relative ratings, utilizing the proven expertise and reliability of existing keyword expansion tools and the accumulated experience of search engines. The method comprises iterating over keyword seeds, search engines' results and keyword suggestion sources' results, merging lists of keywords and combining their scores by means of an optimization method and learned effectiveness of result sources. Keyword relevance scores may be effectively used to distribute a content provider's resources amongst keywords thereby to achieve inclusion and optimization in search engines' results. The system input is a set of one or more seed keywords and the system produces an expanded list of unique keywords, each keyword typically accompanied by a computed relevance score.
US07974983B2
Website network and advertisement analysis using analytic measurement of online social media content
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for generating a website network graph to model one or more networks of websites relevant to subject matter of interest in a category, wherein generating the website network graph includes performing one or more searches relating to the subject matter of interest in a search engine API using one or more relevant keywords in combination with the subject matter of interest, extracting search results from the one or more searches, and identifying online social media websites with content most relevant to the subject matter of interest based on the website network graph.
US07974980B2
In a data processing device, an input form processing program is executed, and an input form obtaining unit obtains input form data for inputting data to be transmitted to a server. Transmission data processing description data included in the input form data and defining a method of accessing the server is passed from the input form obtaining unit to a transmission data processing unit, and UI description data displaying a user interface is passed to an UI processing unit. When the input data for each item included in the user interface is already input and stored, the UI processing unit extracts required input data from storing unit, and passes it to the transmission data processing unit via a data storing unit. The transmission data processing unit creates transmission data according to the defined access method and transmits it to the server.
US07974966B2
In one embodiment of a computing system, a client supplied binding is received from a client, wherein the client supplied binding includes an XQuery or a script. A predefined binding is stored in a server, wherein said predefined binding includes an XQuery, a script, or a program, allowing the client to select the predefined binding. An exchange receives an Extensible Markup Language (XML) message from a publisher application and sends the XML message to each message queue whose binding matches the XML message.
US07974964B2
A context based search and document retrieval application is disclosed. The application uses context data that is generated by a document analysis component based upon context information from various sources, including for example, document collections available on the world wide web. The context data is provided to a search query generator. The search query generator is configured to generate a contextually annotated search query based upon a user query and context data. Bookmarks having an associated context are generated for documents retrieved in response to the contextually annotated search query. The application then provides access to the bookmarked documents when the user is browsing other documents with similar contexts to the context of the original document for which the context based search was executed and the bookmark created. The bookmarked documents are hyperlinked to terms in the browsed document.
US07974952B1
In some embodiments, a method for tracking changes comprises reviewing a file system, wherein an entry is associated with the file system; providing a first record file, wherein a record is associated with the first record file; comparing the file system entry with the record; providing a second record file; and merging the first record file with the second record file.
US07974950B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for applying a policy criteria to files in a backup image. A backup image of files in a file system is maintained. A policy is applied to the files in the backup image to determine files satisfying a policy criteria. A list is prepared indicating the determined files. The determined files in the file system are accessed and a deferred operation indicated in the applied policy is applied to the accessed files in the file system.
US07974949B2
By limiting a backup object to a particular one, it is possible to reduce the system load and perform effective automatic backup. By using a hard disc device or the like, a first storage unit (40) and a second storage unit (70) are prepared. When the system is started, a spreading and storing unit (30) formed by a device driver spreads an OS program and an application program A on a memory (20). The programs are executed by a program execution unit (10). An application to be backed up is registered in advance in an application registration unit (50). A backup management unit (60) monitors operation of the spreading and storing unit (30). Only when particular data in the memory (20) is stored in the first storage unit (40) according to the storing instruction by the registered application, the backup management unit (60) performs a backup process, i.e., stores the particular data also in the second storage unit (70).
US07974944B2
The present invention discloses methods and systems for managing data in user-centric environment. In this environment an entity is authorized to receive user data based on the relationship between the entity and a user. A user provides message data for communication to a selected entity by one or more communication channels. Based on privileges assigned to the entity, user data may be retrieved, including a contact method for the entity. In addition a communication template is retrieved based on the communication channel. By populating the template with the first data and the user data; a communication is created and transmitted to the selected entity using the communication method.
US07974942B2
A system and method for data masking target data fields of a data record uses an original database with data records having at least one target data field and a copied database including a copy of at least a portion of the original database. Data masking consists of adding a row-identifier column with an index to a primary data record to form a primary row-identifier data record, creating empty delta data records, performing data transformations on the target data fields to form masked delta data records, merging the masked delta data records with the primary row-identifier data record to form a masked primary data record, copying a related data record and joining with said primary row-identifier data record to form a related row-identifier data record and then merging the related row-identifier data record with the masked primary data record to form a masked related data record.
US07974937B2
Systems and methods that aggregate history data collected via embedded historians with additional data that is supplied by third parties. Triggering events can be defined for initiating aggregation of such history data with additional data, which enable a process/application to retrieve the operational metric data of the industrial unit/entity from any of a plurality of systems operatively coupled to such industrial unit/entity.
US07974935B2
A processing device and a method of providing learning capability thereto are provided. A list containing a plurality of listed items with an associated item probability distribution is generated. The item probability distribution comprises a plurality of probability values corresponding to the plurality of listed items. One or more items are selected from the plurality of listed items based on the item probability distribution, a performance index indicative of a performance of the processing device relative to the objective is determined, and the item probability distribution is modified based on the performance index.
US07974934B2
A method of segmenting a webpage into visually and semantically cohesive pieces uses an optimization problem on a weighted graph, where the weights reflect whether two nodes in the webpage's DOM tree should be placed together or apart in the segmentation; the weights are informed by manually labeled data.
US07974925B2
A content bank for objects hosts all information regarding an object and serves as a proxy for that object. The content bank comprises at least one instance of a digital identity corresponding the object. Object identity modules or services are available through the digital identity instance. Via the content bank system, the digital identity instance receives object-related information from a source and targeted to a specific service. Conversely, the digital identity instance also serves to determine when object-related information should be provided to a third party by a given service, or when object-related information needs to be manipulated by one or more services. A multi-mode interface is available for third parties to communicate with the digital identity instance. In this manner, third parties are not only able to access data regarding an object, but are actually able to communicate with an object via the digital identity instance.
US07974924B2
A method for securing patient medical information for communication over a potentially vulnerable system includes separating patient's medical file into a demographics layer and a data layer, separately encrypting the demographic layer and data layer using different encryption keys, and providing servers in a communication and processing system with a decryption key for the layer processed by such server. Medical file data may be separated into more than two layers. Users accessing the system are authenticated using standard techniques. By separately encrypting different parts of a patient medical record, processing and communication of patient medical files by intermediary servers is enabled without risking disclosure of sensitive patient information if such servers are compromised.
US07974918B1
A credit risk framework and systems and methods for using the same. The credit risk framework provides information regarding the eligibility of loans to be sold (delivered) to a purchaser, such as in the secondary mortgage market. The credit risk framework includes determining categories of potentially eligible loans. At least one risk segment is determined and an eligibility grid associated therewith. The eligibility grid is organized using two data elements as axes and forming boxes representing ranges of the two data elements. Each box is then further associated with additional information regarding any restrictions on loans that would fall in the box. Each risk segment may have its own level of delegated authority so as to tie risk to a delegation structure.
US07974908B1
A system and method for promoting competitive bidding in an online auction that has a bidder, a favored bidder, and a sponsor, including receiving bids from the bidder and the favored bidder, deriving a relative spread, determining a market position for the bidder and the favored bidder, and displaying feedback information to at least one of the favored bidder or the bidder. The relative spread represents a minimum premium amount required before the sponsor awards a contract to a non-favored bidder. The market position reflects a comparison of the bid of the favored bidder to the bid of the bidder using the relative spread and the feedback information shows the market position.
US07974906B2
A method and system for forecasting the transaction cost of a portfolio trade execution that may be applied to any given trade strategy or an optimal trade strategy that minimizes transaction costs. In preferred embodiments, a server comprises one or more computers that act as an automated forecaster whereby it accepts user-defined input variables from customers and generates a transaction cost estimation report based on those variables. The server is programmed with specific transaction cost estimation and optimization algorithms that model the transaction costs of a specific trade execution based on the user's trading profile and market variables.
US07974895B1
A system and method for providing finance rates are provided. According to the system and method, rate request information is acquired. Once the rate request information is acquired, it may be stored in a tracking database for statistical purposes. The acquired request information is submitted to a rate generation system that generates rates based at least upon the acquired request information. The generated rates are used to populate a template rate sheet that is then output in response to a rate request.
US07974892B2
A method for expense management. An expense data record is retrieved from a trusted source and two or more sub-transactions are identified. The expense data record is then added to an expense report as two or more expense items corresponding to the two or more sub-transactions.
US07974889B2
The social networking interactive shopping system includes a portable wireless user interface for use by a store customer when shopping. A merchant server is provided, the server having market survey, advertising, promotions, security, social networking services, web server capability, a quantitative prediction modeling system predicting behavior of the customer, a predictive response marketing/advertising system that targets advertising messages to the customer based on a predicted customer response to the advertising messages, and payment application software. The merchant server is capable of wired or wireless communication with the portable wireless user interface. A database is provided, and can be stored on site or off site. The database includes information associated with items for sale at the store, and is in operable communication with the merchant server. Using the portable wireless user interface, the store customer can purchase user selected store items thereby obviating necessity for travel through a store check-out line.
US07974887B2
Systems and methods for the efficient and convenient provision of pool services, equipment and supplies. The system incorporates a network between a pool distributor, pool regional dealer and pool customer. The system allows for the distributor to increase market share by providing benefits to pool customers who sign up to the network, i.e., provide profile information. In exchange for passing the business to regional dealers, regional dealers agree to promote and employ distributor's products.
US07974875B1
A method for executing a transaction related to an item or a service using a telephone includes providing information identifying the item or the service, providing a query as to a transaction to be performed in which the transaction is related to the identified item or service, and sending to a server system a request to execute the transaction related to the identified item or service in response to a user answer. The transaction is executed without the user performing a single action on a computer interface.
US07974872B2
A system (and method) assists consideration of selection that recommends selection candidates to a considerer who is considering selection in a certain field in order to assist determination of selection with which the considerer is satisfied. A question concerning the field is sent to a considerer and answer data is received from the considerer by the system. A degree-of-significance of each evaluation item in the field is estimated from the answer data. A degree-of-recommendation representing to which degree each selection candidate can be recommended to the considerer is calculated from evaluation data for each evaluation item with respect to each piece of selection candidate data in the field and the degree-of-significance of the considerer with respect to each evaluation item. Then, degrees of recommendation of selection candidate data in the field are presented to the considerer without change or after processing the data.
US07974866B2
A system and method for managing a workflow are provided. A system for managing a workflow in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: a storage unit for storing, as an access history for each of at least one artifact, identification information of a business process that has accessed the artifact; a request reception unit for receiving an access request to an artifact from a user; a first notification unit for retrieving an access history corresponding to a first artifact from the storage unit on a condition that a first access request received from the user corresponding to a first business process is an update request of the first artifact, and for notifying a user corresponding to the business process that is identified in the retrieved access history that the first artifact is to be updated; and a history adding unit for adding identification information of the first business process to the access history corresponding to the first artifact in response to an accessing of the first artifact based on the first access request.
US07974863B2
Techniques are described for using predictive pricing information for items to assist in evaluating buying and/or selling decisions in various ways, such as on behalf of end-user item acquirers and/or intermediate item providers. The predictive pricing for an item may be based on an analysis of historical pricing information for that item and/or related items, and can be used to make predictions about future pricing information for the item. Such predictions may then be provided to users in various ways to enable comparison of current prices to predicted future prices. In some situations, predictive pricing information is used to assist customers when purchasing airline tickets and/or to assist travel agents when selling airline tickets.
US07974858B1
Systems and methods to provide bridging insurance coverage are described. The apparatus may comprise, a receiver module to receive a request for a financial service from a requestor and an underwriter module to underwrite a bridging financial service. The method may comprise, receiving from a requestor a request for a financial service, underwriting a bridge financial service at the time of the request, and initiating the external processes required for the approval of a final insurance policy. The method may additionally include, completing the external processes, underwriting a final financial service based on the external processes and terminating the bridge financial service.
US07974856B2
The present disclosure relates to computational systems and methods related to nutraceuticals.
US07974851B2
A price planning workbench includes an automated pricing engine, a manual pricing engine, and a user interface. The user interface is configured to receive price planning information from one of the automated pricing engine and the manual pricing engine to generate a price planning schedule. The automated pricing engine may comprise a slow seller engine, a promotion management engine, or some other automated engine capable of providing the price changes used to generate the price planning schedule.
US07974845B2
Stuttering treatment methods and apparatus which utilize removable oral-based appliances having actuators which are attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a dental or oral appliance are described. Such oral appliances may receive the user's voice and process the voice to introduce a time delay and/or a frequency shift. The altered audio feedback signal is then transmitted back to the user through a tooth, teeth, or other bone via a vibrating actuator element. The actuator element may utilize electromagnetic or piezoelectric actuator mechanisms and may be positioned directly along the dentition or along an oral appliance housing in various configurations.
US07974830B2
A tape management method capable of easily using a file on a virtual tape from a plurality of programs in a system virtually emulating a magnetic tape apparatus by a disk apparatus. When a use request is generated from other program to a volume of a virtual tape used by one program, a host computer generates and uses a volume of a temporal virtual tape and can thus permit the use of the temporal tape volume from a plurality of programs without drastically changing the specification of an existing tape interface. The volume of the virtual tape temporarily generated is generated in a virtual tape management table and a virtual tape file uses a file of the same type.
US07974828B2
A simulation device for a programmable controller is formed by realizing by software on a computer a virtual PLC for emulating operations of a real PLC, a tool that functions as a development aid device for the virtual PLC and an error simulator for emulating an error that occurs in the virtual PLC. The virtual PLC and the error simulator are structured such that the simulation device is adapted to set, without any operations by the tool, a specified condition at a corresponding address in an error memory of the virtual PLC by carrying out a specified error selection operation and a specified operation regarding presence and absence of error generation, based on a list display of error items on the computer screen, after causing desired PLC type data stored in a PLC type memory in the virtual PLC through the tool.
US07974827B2
Operational resource modeling is usable to analyze application and computer system performance over a wide range of hypothetical scenarios. Operational resource modeling involves creating and training one or more resource models, and/or simulating hypothetical scenarios using resource models.
US07974824B2
To perform seismic inversion, a model representing a subterranean structure is provided. Simulated seismic data is generated using the model, where the simulated seismic data includes surface-related multiples. The model is iteratively updated based on comparing the simulated seismic data with the observed seismic data collected by a seismic survey.
US07974812B2
A method for determining the total temperature of the air stream surrounding an aircraft, including the following operations; measuring a parameter of static temperature, measuring a parameter of total temperature, determining a value of speed of the air stream, determining a total temperature computed from the parameters of measured static temperature and measured total temperature as a function of the speed of the air stream.
US07974810B2
A portable diagnostic device. The portable diagnostic device includes a housing, a processor located within the housing, an input device located on the housing and coupled to the processor, and a display screen located on the housing and coupled to the processor. The processor includes a microbrowser module configured for communicating with an external source of information and a diagnostic module configured for analyzing information received from the external source of information.
US07974808B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for using black box data to analyze vehicular accidents. The methods include obtaining information from an event data recorder associated with a vehicle and using the data obtained therefrom in determining and analyzing the vehicular accident. Attributes to be analyzed include impact severity, change in velocity, and other desired parameters. Further disclosed are methods to securely communicate the downloaded black box information to a secure location for later analysis and processing.
US07974807B2
Techniques for adaptively calibrating a TDC output signal in a digital phase-locked loop (DPLL). In an exemplary embodiment, a calibration factor multiplied to the TDC output signal is adaptively adjusted to minimize a magnitude function of a phase comparator output signal of the DPLL. In an exemplary embodiment, the calibration factor may be adjusted using an exemplary embodiment of the least-mean squares (LMS) algorithm. Further techniques for simplifying the adaptive algorithm for hardware implementation are described.
US07974806B1
A method for compensating axial misalignment between wheel-mounted alignment sensors and an axis of rotation for an associated wheel. The method compensates sensors mounted to each wheel of a vehicle simultaneously, without requiring jacking of the vehicle wheels above a supporting surface, and which only requires wheel rotational movement over an arc of 60 degrees or less. The method utilizes measurements of a change in a wheel toe angle and measurements of a change in a wheel camber angle, during a measured rotational movement of the wheel, to identify sinusoidal variation in the respective toe and camber angles during the wheel's rotational movement, from which a measure of axial misalignment between the wheel-mounted alignment sensor axis of rotation and the wheel axis of rotation is identified.
US07974804B2
A registration detection system realizes both substrate-by-substrate correction and highly accurate correction of an exposure process. Therefore, the registration detection system includes: the first detection apparatus installed on a pathway to a collection in a transport container of substrates taken out of the transport container, after passing at least an exposure process and a development process, registration-detects the substrates after passing the development process at multiple points; the second detection apparatus outside the pathway, and performing registration-detecting the substrates at more points than the first detection apparatus when the substrates after passing the first detection apparatus and collected in the transport container are taken out from the transport container again; and a generation unit (image processing parts of the aforementioned detection apparatuses) that generates compensation data for the exposure process based on detection results by the first detection apparatus and detection results by the second detection apparatus.
US07974801B2
By performing a two-step approach for predicting a quality distribution during the fabrication of semiconductor devices, enhanced flexibility and efficiency may be accomplished. The two-step approach first models electrical characteristics on the basis of measurement data, such as inline measurement data, and, in a second step, an appropriate distribution for the electrical characteristics may be established, thereby obtaining modeled wafer sort data which may then be used for predicting a quality distribution of the semiconductor devices under consideration.
US07974799B2
A substrate unit and other substrate unit are mounted with integrated circuits and are connected to a backboard via respective connectors. The substrate unit monitors a signal wave passed between the substrate unit and other substrate unit and detects a delay time and a gain of a reflected wave with respect to a signal wave, performs delay adjustment with respect to a cancellation wave based on the detected delay time, performs gain adjustment with respect to the cancellation wave based on the detected gain, and superimposes the processed cancellation wave on the signal wave thereby canceling the reflected wave.
US07974797B2
A method and apparatus is used to confirm the charge amount and degradation state of a battery. Various cycle test battery measurements are conducted at prescribed time intervals until the end of the battery life, and the measured values are used to generate a determination table or determination tables showing relationships between battery charge amount and degradation state. To establish the charge amount and degradation state of a subject battery, the subject battery is measured and the results compared with determination table values. The existing charge amount and the state of battery degradation are estimated in accordance with a determination table location of matching values.
US07974796B2
A fully-charged battery capacity detection method detects first and second no-load voltages (VOCV1, VOCV2) of a battery at first no-load timing and second no-load timing, respectively. Further, first and second remaining capacities (SOC1 [%], SOC2 [%]) of the battery are determined based on the first and second no-load voltages, respectively, when the first no-load voltage (VOCV1) falls within a predetermined voltage range. Moreover, a fully-charged capacity (Ahf) of the battery is calculated based on a remaining capacity variation rate (δS [%]) and a capacity variation value (δAh) of the battery. Also, the variation rate of the remaining capacity is calculated based on a difference between the first and second remaining capacities. The capacity variation value of the battery is calculated based on an integrated value of the charging current and discharge currents of the battery to be charged/discharged from the first no-load timing to the second no-load timing.
US07974794B2
An electric energy meter comprises a terminal unit and a measurement unit. The terminal unit includes plural electric lines each of which carries an electric current supplied from an external power source to a load, and a coil which is provided to at least one of the plural electric lines and converts the electric current flowing to the load into a magnetic field directly proportional to the electric current. The measurement unit includes a hall element which generates a voltage directly proportional to the magnetic field converted by the coil, a voltage detector which detects voltages of the plural electric lines, and a processing unit which calculates electric energy consumption based on the voltage generated by the hall element and the voltages detected by the voltage detector. The electric energy meter can facilitate the replacement.
US07974793B2
Methods and systems for controlling the synchronization of diagnostic cycles and data conversion for redundant I/O applications are provided. An exemplary system comprises a first analog input module adapted to request mastership with respect to a second analog input module, output a synchronization pulse to said second analog input module, initiate a diagnostic cycle of said second analog input module, and initiate a data conversion cycle, and wherein said second analog input module, said second analog input module are adapted to assume a slave role with respect to said first analog input module. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07974788B2
The present invention also relates to natural language processing and extraction of relational information associated with genes and proteins that are found in genomics journal articles. To enable access to information in textual form, the natural language processing system of the present invention provides systems and methods for extracting and structuring information found in the literature in a form appropriate for subsequent applications.
US07974778B2
In a vehicular control object determination system, locus correlation degree calculator calculates a degree of correlation between a future travel locus of a vehicle estimated by first travel locus estimator based on a vehicle speed and a yaw rate and a future travel locus of the vehicle estimated by second travel locus estimator based on a past travel locus of the vehicle calculated by travel locus calculator. When control object determiner determines a control object based on the travel locus estimated by the first travel locus estimator and predetermined control object determination conditions, the control object determination conditions are modified according to the degree of correlation, that is, the degree of reliability of the travel locus estimated by the first travel locus estimator, thereby achieving both accuracy with which the control object is determined and determination of the control object at a distance.
US07974776B2
A system for providing origin and destination guide information selects an origin position of a vehicle, and selects a destination link that is a road near the destination in consideration of a position and a type (crossroads, apartment complex, park, or superhighway) of the destination that the vehicle reaches, generates a path from origin to destination based on the selected origin link, the destination link, and real-time traffic information (or map link information), generates guide information including an adjacent map of the generated path and speech information, and provides the guide information to the vehicle terminal. According to the present invention, the system generates the optimized path from the current position to the desired destination and provides the optimized path to the user.
US07974771B2
A commuter groups service (CGS) allows commuters to join commuter groups so that they are able to socialize while commuting. Through the commuter groups, the users may share commuting routes, traffic updates, road conditions, and other information. Group members may arrange car pools, short term riding arrangements, and may anonymously or directly contact each other. The CGS may collect group member position information, e.g. GPS information, to enable the CGS to calculate traffic conditions and to select location specific information for group members. The system may include an on-line service accessible through a computer or wireless networking device. The user may log into the CGS, create or modify a user profile, and join groups of their choosing. Groups may be associated with specific events or with getting to/from work. Commuter groups may be formed for commuters that use private vehicles and/or public transportation.
US07974759B2
A drive force control portion firstly changes a front wheel command torque (Tfcm) and a rear wheel command torque (Trcm) so that each command torque reaches a torque in a predetermined range. The drive force control portion releases the restriction on the change of the rear wheel command torque (Trcm) after the front wheel command torque (Tfcm) and the rear wheel command torque (Trcm) have entered the predetermined range. Therefore, it becomes possible to improve the vehicle stability in a vehicle that includes a plurality of power sources that drives a plurality of wheels.
US07974757B2
An agricultural harvester includes a first power unit which is couplable with a first primary load. The first primary load includes a threshing system load. A first motor/generator is mechanically coupled with the first power unit. A first clutch is mechanically coupled between the first power unit and the first primary load. A second power unit is couplable with a second primary load. The second primary load includes a propulsion load. A second motor/generator is mechanically coupled with the second power unit and electrically coupled with the first motor/generator. A second clutch is mechanically coupled between the second power unit and the second motor/generator.
US07974750B2
The present invention is directed toward a cellular phone that connects to an existing vehicle data link to perform the functions of an off-board device, such as a scan tool, for displaying diagnostic information relating to vehicles. In addition, the cellular phone connects to a starter/charger system and/or a battery to perform the functions of a starter/charger/battery testing device. Such a device allows a user to connect the cellular phone to a data link connector located in a vehicle, download software to either an adaptor or the cellular phone, retrieve information relating to diagnostic tests on the vehicle and view the results on the cellular phone display, and/or communicate the results to another person or device.
US07974742B2
The invention relates to a method of coordinating and stabilizing the delivery of wind generated power, such as to a power grid, or a facility having pneumatically driven equipment, so as to avoid sudden surges and spikes, despite wind speed fluctuations and oscillations. The method preferably uses a plurality of windmill stations, wherein energy can be used directly, and/or stored for later use when demand is high or wind availability is low. The method contemplates forming an energy delivery schedule, to coordinate the use of energy from storage, based on daily wind speed forecasts, which help to predict the resulting wind power availability levels for the upcoming day. The schedule preferably sets a reduced number of constant power output periods during the day, during which time energy delivery levels remain substantially constant, despite fluctuations and oscillations in wind speed and wind power availability levels.
US07974732B2
A control system for a modular reconfigurable numerically controlled machine comprising at least one memory storage device associated with each of a plurality of detachable modular components to store kinematic and connection information about the modular component. The information in the memory storage devices is read and processed by a main processing unit when the modular component is attached to a primary structure of the numerically controlled machine. The control system further comprises a plurality of component actuators, which receive control signals from the main processing unit, to actuate the modular components attached to the numerically controlled machine. A hardware component connector may provide at least one of a physical, electrical, communications, and pneumatic connection between the primary structure of the numerically controlled machine and the modular components.
US07974731B2
The disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for stacking wood products. In some embodiments, the disclosure the steps of designing at least two types of engineered wood products via a software application; producing the at least two types of engineered wood products based on the designs utilizing a saw in conjunction with the software application; designating, via the software application, at least two bins to hold the at least two different types of engineered wood products; selecting a first bin for depositing a first type of engineered wood product; selecting a second bin for depositing a second type of engineered wood product; automatically placing the first type of engineered wood product into the first bin; and automatically placing the second type of engineered wood product into the second bin. The at least two types of engineered wood products are at least two of: panels, I-joists, headers and dimensional lumber.
US07974730B2
Method for the chip-removing machining of the tooth flanks of a gear wheel having n teeth and n tooth gaps on a multiaxis grinding machine. A grinding disc which may be dressed is used for the machining and one of the n tooth gaps after another is machined using this grinding disc in the single indexing method. The grinding disc plunges into each of the n tooth gaps up to a predefined plunging depth (T1). If it is a freshly dressed grinding disc, the grinding disc is plunged using a predefined first restraint in relation to the normal predefined plunging depth into m of the n tooth gaps at the beginning of the machining of the gear wheel, to pre-machine these m tooth gaps (for this purpose: m=1, 2, or 3 and m
US07974729B2
A server device is provided with a measurement information storage unit 1201 which can store plural measurement information, i.e., information having a measurement value and time information indicating time; an instruction receiving unit for receiving an output instruction of the measurement information; a measurement information acquisition unit for acquiring, from the measurement information storage unit, the measurement information designated by the output instruction; an output information composing unit for composing output information by using the acquired measurement information; and an output unit for outputting the output information composed by the output information composing unit. The output instruction includes an instruction for designating one or more desired number of times of execution of a sub-recipe among plural number of times of execution of the sub-recipe in the recipe and the measurement information acquisition unit acquires measurement information corresponding to the sub-recipe designated by the output instruction.
US07974723B2
A yield prediction is received by a scheduling and dispatch controller, wherein the yield prediction is associated with a manufacturing tool and a product. A weighting of the manufacturing tool is adjusted in a routing algorithm based on the yield prediction. A cost-benefit analysis is computed that identifies a cost and a benefit of manufacturing future products on the manufacturing tool. A determination is made regarding whether to process a future product on the manufacturing tool based on the cost-benefit analysis.
US07974722B2
A computer-based method for defining a surface of a part for placement adjacent a mating surface of a base part is described. The method includes receiving raw data which defines the mating surface of the base part, smoothing the raw data, generating a stable reference frame consisting of at least one of a substantially smooth curve and surface based on the smoothed raw data, calculating a dimensional offset curve or surface using the smoothed raw data and the stable reference frame curve or surface by referencing any peaks in the smoothed raw data within a predefined range of a corresponding point in the stable reference frame curve or surface, smoothing the dimensional offset curve or surface, and outputting the dimensional offset curve or surface for utilization in fabricating the part that is to be adjacent the base part.
US07974712B2
An implantable electrode array (30) that can adopt a first configuration selected to allow the array (30) to be inserted into a cochlea (12) of an implantee and at least a second configuration in which the array can apply tissue stimulation. The array (30) comprises an elongate carrier (31) having a proximal end (37), a distal end (34), and an inner surface (35) conformable with the inner wall of the implantee's cochlea (12). A plurality of electrodes (36) are supported within the carrier (31) at respective spaced locations thereon in a region between the proximal end (37) and the distal end (34) with at least one of the electrodes having a surface that is at least adjacent the inner surface (35) of the carrier (31). The carrier (31) is formed in the second configuration from a first layer (32) and at least a second layer (32) of resiliently flexible material. A method of forming an array (30) is also described.
US07974708B2
Calibration of adaptive-rate pacing by a cardiac rhythm management system using an intrinsic chronotropic response. The cardiac rhythm management system may include an adaptive-rate pacing device. The adaptive-rate pacing device may include an adaptive-rate sensor module for measuring an activity level of the individual. A monitor module may be coupled to the adaptive-rate sensor module, the monitor module monitoring an intrinsic chronotropic response. A calculator module may be coupled to the monitor module, the calculator module calculating a calibrated parameter for the adaptive-rate pacing device based on the intrinsic chronotropic response. An adjuster module may be coupled to the calculator module, wherein the adjuster module adjusts the adaptive-rate pacing device based on the calibrated parameter. The parameters of the adaptive-rate pacing device adjusted by the adjuster module may include a sensor rate target, a maximum sensor rate, and a response factor.
US07974704B2
A lead body of an implantable medical electrical lead includes a first filler and a second filler, each extending within a proximal portion thereof. The first filler may have a stiffness that is less than that of the second filler, and may surround and isolate a plurality of conductors which are coupled to a connector terminal of the lead, which connector terminal extends proximally from a proximal end of the lead body. The second filler extends along a limited length, alongside the first filler, wherein the limited length extends distally from the connector terminal; the second filler may further extend into the connector terminal.
US07974699B2
A vision regeneration assisting device for regenerating vision of a patient, comprising: a plurality of electrodes which are stuck and placed into an optic disc of the patient; a storage unit which stores a generation position of a phosphene specific to the patient in association with the first output conditions for the stimulation signal that has caused to generate the phosphene, the storage unit storing various first output conditions for the stimulation signals and the generation positions of the phosphenes caused by the stimulation signals based on the various first output conditions in association with each other; a processor which sets second output conditions for the stimulation signal based on image data obtained by an external photography unit and the generation positions of the phosphenes stored in the storage unit, and converts the obtained image data into data for the stimulation signal based on the set second output conditions.
US07974697B2
A method, system, and apparatus are provided for performing an adaptive stimulation process using medical imaging feedback data for affecting an operation of an implantable medical device. The first stimulation signal is applied to a neural structure for modulation of a target portion of the patient's brain associated with a disorder. Medical imaging data is acquired that is indicative of whether the target portion of the brain is modulated as a result of the first stimulation signal. The first signal characteristic is modified to generate a second stimulation signal in response to a determination that said target portion of the brain is not modulated as a result of said first stimulation signal. The first and second stimulation signals may be used to navigate an effect of the first and second stimulation signals until a targeted portion of the human body is stimulated according to a predetermined threshold.
US07974693B2
Apparatus is provided including an implantable sensor, adapted to sense an electrical parameter of a heart of a subject, and a first control unit, adapted to apply pulses to the heart responsively to the sensed parameter, the pulses selected from the list consisting of: pacing pulses and anti-arrhythmic energy. The apparatus further includes an electrode device, adapted to be coupled to a site of the subject selected from the list consisting of: a vagus nerve of the subject, an epicardial fat pad of the subject, a pulmonary vein of the subject, a carotid artery of the subject, a carotid sinus of the subject, a coronary sinus of the subject, a vena cava vein of the subject, a right ventricle of the subject, and a jugular vein of the subject; and a second control unit, adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to the site a current that increases parasympathetic tone of the subject and affects a heart rate of the subject. The first and second control units are not under common control. At least one of the control units is adapted to coordinate an aspect of its operation with an aspect of operation of the other control unit. Other embodiments are also described.
US07974688B2
A method sensing at least two physiological parameters and, for each of the at least two physiological parameters, generating a first series of signals representative of the physiological parameter sensed over a first time period, storing each of said first series of signals as a time sequence data stream, and determining when a physiological event has occurred in a patient. The method further comprises analyzing each of said time sequence data streams for a predetermined time interval preceding the occurrence of a physiological event to determine at least one marker as a predictor of the event, and again sensing the physiological parameters. Furthermore, the method comprises generating a second series of signals representative of the physiological parameter sensed, analyzing each of the second series of signals to determine whether the marker is present, and stimulating a cranial nerve when the marker is present in the second series of signals.
US07974686B2
A multi-channel bio-med electric signals capturing device includes: a detection channel unit, a control unit, a voice signal generator and a computer device. The detection channel unit is provided to detect bioelectric signals produced from human body and amplify the same. The control unit is provided to capture the amplified bio-med electric signals based on a frequency conforming to a computer acceptable audient signal. The voice signal generator transmits the captured amplified bio-med electric signals to a microphone of the computer device, whereby a recording program built in the computer device records the input audient signal as a voice file. Accordingly, the user is able to monitor the bio-med electric signals by easily and simply using a computer device.
US07974684B2
Electrocardio-graphic (ECG) signals such as the standard 12-lead are synthesized from a novel reduced electrode set. Signals are received from a group of electrodes connected to predetermined locations on a human body, and deriving at least one further ECG signal using predetermined transformation(s) (130) on said first set of ECG signals. This forms a desired set of signals. The group of electrodes may comprise the standard 12 lead electrode sites V2 and V5 plus one electrode positioned substantially level with V5 on the right anterior axillary line, and a further electrode on each of the right hand side and left hand side of the body. In an alternative arrangement the electrode position V2 is replaced by an electrode position Vc on the sternum directly between the standard electrode sites V1 and V2. Also disclosed is a method of improving accuracy of synthesized signals by detecting body posture and modifying the transformations.
US07974677B2
A method and system to assist in a selection and planning of procedure and assist in selecting a prosthetic for the procedure. Generally, the system allows for image acquisition of a selected area of the anatomy. A model may be formed of the anatomy from the acquired images. The system may also allow for navigational tracking of the procedure to ensure that the procedure is substantially carried out relative to the selected plan.
US07974673B2
A multi-element probe array suitable for sensing or stimulating is disclosed. In one embodiment, the multi-element probe array includes a plurality of microfibers extending longitudinally and oriented substantially parallel to form a bundle. Probe elements are defined by a first subset of the microfibers displaced in a forward direction along the longitudinal axis relative to spacer elements defined by a second subset of the microfibers. Interface elements and communication elements are disposed on the probe elements.
US07974669B2
The objective of the present invention is to provide a method and instrument for measuring glucose concentration in blood using infrared spectroscopy. Glucose concentration in blood is measured based on an integrated value obtained by measuring an absorption spectrum that includes the wavenumber range of 1020-1040 cm−1, and by integrating the intensity of absorption of the wavenumber range of 1020-1040 cm−1 within the absorption spectrum. Alternatively, a glucose concentration in blood is measured based on an integrated value through measuring an absorption spectrum including the wavenumber range of 1010-1050 cm31 1; obtaining a second-derivative spectrum by calculating a second derivative of the absorption spectrum that includes the wavenumber range of 1010-1050 cm−1 in the absorption spectrum; determining an integration range based on the second derivative spectrum; and then obtaining the integrated value by integrating the intensity of absorption based on this determined integration range.
US07974666B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide an opening/closing hinge device which can be produced simple in construction and inexpensive in production by reducing the number of the parts forming part of the mobile device and to provide a mobile device small in size, reduced in cost and sufficiently reliable in the hinged members. The second member is rotated with respect to the first member toward the opening operation direction through the movable cam (150) by the urging force of the urging means (170) when the operation cam (130) is displaced in the predetermined operation direction by the external operation force. The fixed guide member (110) has inclined guide portions (115) each inclined at an advance angle in a predetermined inclination direction with respect to the surface perpendicular to the guide center axis to have the second rotation cam (140) rotated around the guide center axis in response to the displacement of the second rotation cam (140) along the guide center axis. The second rotation cam (140) being driven to rotate by the inclined guide portions (115) under a pressing force from the movable cam (150) to have its engagement state with the movable cam (150) changed and to have the urging direction of the second member by the urging means (170) changed when the operation cam (130) is operated to cause the first rotation cam (160) to be rotated from the operation starting position.
US07974662B2
A detachable connection mechanism is to establish an electrical connection between a mobile phone and a notebook computer. The detachable connection mechanism is designed at a housing board. The housing board has an opening. A load board is pivotally connected with the housing board, and in contact with or away from the housing board in parallel. When the load board is in contact with the housing board, the load board is fitted within the opening. Two rotatable members are pivotally connected with housing board. Several resilient arms are respectively pivotally connected with the housing board at one end and with the load board at the other end. The mobile phone is selectively connected or disconnected with the notebook computer by interacting the rotatable members, movable members, resilient arms and the load board.
US07974656B2
An electronic apparatus has a storage part to store a plurality of screen information, including incoming call screen information, a display part to display the screen information, and an output control part to output to an outside of the electronic apparatus arbitrary screen information that is to be output to the outside, of the screen information stored in the storage part, and to display the arbitrary screen information on the display part, when an external output function is set to an ON state. The output control part continues outputting the arbitrary screen information to the outside and displays on the display part the incoming screen information stored in the storage part, when an incoming call is received in a state where the external output function is set to the ON state.
US07974653B1
Methods and systems are provided for manually configuring low-cost Internet-base-station (LCIB) coverage using an associated mobile station. In an embodiment, an LCIB receives a user command of a first type, responsively enters a coverage-configuration mode, and then receives from a mobile station a series of user commands of a second type, each instructing the LCIB to engage in a power-calibration call with the mobile station. Responsively, the LCIB engages in a respective series of power-calibration calls with the mobile station, each call comprising the LCIB identifying a minimum transmission-power level at which a forward-link frame error rate (FFER) for the mobile station is less than a FFER threshold. The LCIB sets a transmission-power level for a pilot beacon (i.e. configures its coverage) based at least in part on the maximum transmission-power level among the minimum transmission-power levels identified while engaging in the series of power-calibration calls.
US07974652B2
The invention concerns a method for coordination of the interference in the uplink between cells (B1,B2) of a single frequency network with the frequency band used for uplink being subdivided into at least two subsets(F1 F2. . . FR), whereby a resource related to a dedicated subset is allocated to a mobile terminal (T1) located in a first cell (B1) of said cells in the border area to a neighbor cell (B2-B4), the based station of the cell (B2) with the highest interference damage caused by the mobile terminal (T1) accepts a high interference level on said dedicated subset dependent on network criteria, and the usage of said dedicated subset in the cell (B2) with the highest interference damage caused by the mobile terminal (T1) is restricted under observation of the interference level, a base station, a mobile terminal and a mobile network therefor.
US07974650B2
An exemplary gateway apparatus provides push-to-talk (PTT) communications between users in one network with users in another network where the networks utilize different communication protocols. It includes two protocol modules that interface with the two networks, respectively. The protocol modules are capable of receiving and transmitting messages compatible with the communication protocols used by the associated networks. An interoperability module, connected between the two modules, converts PTT control messages received from one of the networks into PTT control messages compatible with and transmitted to the other network. The PTT control messages received from the one network have a protocol that differs from the protocol of the PTT control messages transmitted to the other network.
US07974649B2
A mobile user terminal, which transmits downlink quality information indicating downlink channel quality and an uplink pilot signal to a base station, in which a carrier frequency used for transmitting the downlink quality information and a carrier frequency used for transmitting the uplink pilot signal are selectable respectively from among a plurality of carrier frequencies assigned to a mobile user terminal, a mobile user terminal comprising of a radio transmitting unit, which transmits said downlink quality information and said uplink pilot signal by using the same carrier frequency among a plurality of carrier frequencies or by using adjacent carrier frequencies among a plurality of carrier frequencies.
US07974647B2
A mobile apparatus and method of timing synchronization. The mobile apparatus comprises a timing synchronization controller, a frame detector, a decoder, and a clock generator. The timing synchronization controller determines a number of times of the mobile station clock switching from a first clock speed to a second clock speed, and compares the number of times of the mobile station clock switching the clock speed with a predetermined number of clock speed switch. The frame detector, coupled to the timing synchronization controller, receives a control channel block when the number of times of clock speed switch reaches the predetermined number of clock speed switch. The decoder, coupled to the frame detector, decodes the control channel block to compute a timing error between the base station clock and the mobile station clock. The clock generator, coupled to the decoder, receives the timing error to compensate for the mobile station clock.
US07974637B1
A method and system of Passive Mode Tracking of an item, object or cargo associated with a wireless communication device through existing and future wireless networks is described. The method builds on the observation that for many applications, cargo tracking included, an exact GPS or comparable accuracy method of location is not always necessary, however, the progress or rough movement, is. Therefore it is possible to utilize the tracking units' geographical location based on the registration process of a wireless service and its associated networks to locate the tracking unit. This method improves the size, weight, power consumption and complexity of the tracking unit by removing work from the tracking unit and utilizing the information collected by the wireless system(s) and the network(s) it attaches to. The location of the tracking unit is determined by inquiring of the wireless network the location of the wireless communication device.
US07974636B2
A method and system are provided for paging a mobile device in the intersection of logical areas of two or more different subsystems using information indicative of the logical areas of each subsystem in which the mobile device is likely located. In some embodiments, only those cells which belong to at least two of the different logical areas in which the mobile device is likely located are used to page the mobile device. In some embodiments, the intersection area is used to provide paging access to a first network on which a mobile is not active, by sending a first network page or a request to listen for the page over the second network.
US07974632B2
A method and a system for the localization of a mobile WLAN client, located within a WLAN network of multiple WLAN stations. Static reference points are ascertained by measuring field strengths of the WLAN stations at spatial coordinates, aided by WLAN client(s), and assignment of the measured field strengths to the spatial coordinates in terms of data records. Self-learning ascertainment of further dynamic reference points is obtained by measuring field strengths of the WLAN stations, aided by WLAN client(s) moving through the region of the network, and assignment of the measured field strengths in terms of data records to the respective spatial coordinates calculated for this purpose, in the database server. This may be done to localize a WLAN client by selecting a plurality of nearest matched data records of static and dynamic reference points whose subsequently calculated center of gravity corresponds to the estimated position of the WLAN client.
US07974631B2
A method and system for efficient resource allocation based on distributed scheduling in a wireless communication system including heterogeneous mobile stations. The method includes receiving, by a base station, a first message including resource request quantity information from at least one heterogeneous mobile station using different resource allocation schemes; calculating, by the base station, a shadow price for a corresponding mobile station based on the resource request quantity information associated with the corresponding mobile station; and transmitting a second message including resource allocation quantity information determined based on the shadow price to the corresponding mobile station.
US07974630B1
A network element, such as a radio network controller, for use in a communication network (e.g. UMTS), the network element being arranged between an end station and an end element, for example an SGSN, wherein connections are established between the end station and the end element via the network element, the network element determining if the connection between the end element and the end station is to be released.
US07974617B2
A method and apparatus adapted to permit an internal handover from 1900 MHz to 900 MHz under controlled circumstances. Using the method of the present invention, the amount of time needed to disconnect a call of a user equipment (UE) under test, remove the 1800 MHz cell and setup a GSM 1900 MHz cell, allow the UE to perform a search for the 1900 MHz cell, register and establish a new call and then perform tests on GSM 1900 MHz is reduced by several seconds. On a production line in which millions of UEs are manufactured, the time saved by the present invention allows for significant savings in production costs.
US07974604B2
A method of authentication in an IMS includes: after receiving a Register message from a UE, locating, by a P-CSCF, a CLF according to information contained in the Register message and a pre-configured relationship; querying, by the P-CSCF, the CLF about NASS attachment information of the UE to obtain a query result, and sending the Register message carrying the query result to an I-CSCF; forwarding, by the I-CSCF, the Register message carrying the query result to a S-CSCF assigned by a UPSF or the HSS; authenticating the UE and sending an authentication result to the UE by the S-CSCF. In embodiments of the present invention, the UPSF or the HSS in the service layer determines the authentication mechanism of the user, and the S-CSCF implements the authentication, which is more reasonable. Embodiments of the present invention also provide combinations of NBA with other authentication mechanisms, thereby guarantees the authentication of the user after the NBA authentication fails.
US07974592B2
A transmission chain comprises a power amplifier adapted for receiving as input a signal to be amplified Sw(t) and for providing as output an amplified signal Dw(t); a predistortion module comprising a linearization unit adapted for applying a predistortion coefficient W(t) to an input signal S(t), and a unit for determining said predistortion coefficient. The input signal S(t) is received and the amplified signal Dw(t) is received through a return pathway, at the level of the unit for determining the predistortion coefficient, and the predistortion coefficient is determined on the basis of a comparison between the input signal and the amplified signal. Next, at the level of the linearization unit, the predistortion coefficient is applied to the input signal to provide as output the signal to be amplified. The determining unit determines the predistortion coefficient on the basis of a first-order approximation of the input signal.
US07974591B2
A programmable transmitter generates a frame preamble to train a receiver with respect to a communication link format that corresponds to a transmission mode wherein the transmission mode may comprise transmitting the communication link over one or more antennas. Generally, the invention includes generating a preamble with an arrangement that depends upon whether a Greenfield (high data rate) or mixed mode transmission is to occur and that depends upon a number of spatial streams that are to be generated. One format for high data rate transmission includes a short training sequence, a long training sequence and a signal field. The mixed mode transmission further includes a legacy prefix.
US07974588B2
A disclosed transceiver includes a case; a transceiver module housed in the case and configured to send and receive a signal; and a battery holder configured to hold a battery supplying electric power to the transceiver module. In the disclosed transceiver, the battery holder is formed using a part of the case and is disposed alongside the transceiver module so as not to overlap the transceiver module.
US07974586B2
A passive directional coupler is receptive of VoIP, Internet, and video/data signals, and is used in a CATV amplifier device to couple the video/data signals from a cable drop input port to the input terminal of an amplifier, and to passively bypass the VoIP and Internet signals to a modem port, for insuring continuous connection of the VoIP and Internet signals to the a modem of a user connected to the modem port, regardless of the loss of power to the amplifier or the failure of the amplifier, in one embodiment of the invention. In another embodiment, a switching circuit is responsive to the loss of power to the amplifier, for electrically connecting a 75 ohm resistor between a source of reference potential, and the common connection between the directional coupler and the amplifier, for maintaining a 75 ohm impedance at the directional coupler output to the common connection. In a preferred embodiment, the switching circuit also opens the common connection between the directional coupler and amplifier, upon the loss of power to the amplifier.
US07974583B2
A technique for real-time formation of optimal power spectral density masks is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for real-time formation of optimal power spectral density masks. The method may comprise sensing line conditions in a communication medium, wherein the communication medium is capable of carrying signals in a plurality of tones. The method may also comprise determining, in real-time, one or more power spectral density masks that substantially optimize transmissions of the signals in the plurality of tones. The method may further comprise transmitting the signals in the plurality of tones based on the one or more power spectral masks.
US07974579B2
A single host device, comprising a plurality of Bluetooth devices, estimates bandwidth requirements such as maximum rates and/or an average data rate expected by each of a plurality of Bluetooth applications to be run on the single host. For each Bluetooth device, available frequencies utilized are determined based on the estimated bandwidth requirements. Each of the plurality of Bluetooth applications is allocated to corresponding one or more Bluetooth devices based on the determined available frequencies so as to, for example, concurrently run corresponding Bluetooth applications on the single host. The determined available frequencies are assigned to corresponding Bluetooth devices based on the estimated bandwidth requirements. The determined available frequencies and the plurality of Bluetooth applications may be reassigned and reallocated, respectively. Each of plurality of Bluetooth applications is allocated to the corresponding one or more Bluetooth devices based on the assigned/reassigned available frequencies and/or the estimated bandwidth requirements.
US07974576B2
In a telecommunication network where a wireless path is provided between a transmitter and a receiver via a satellite relay forming a multi-hop relayed signal path, a method and system are provided for furnishing adequate signal at a user terminal, which may be in motion, along the propagation path, the method including an open loop component that uses measurements of fading in a received signal at a first terminal to adjust transmit power from the first terminal and further includes a closed loop component that uses measurements of fading in the received signal at a second terminal along with an acknowledgement message and power correction.
US07974570B2
The present invention provides a method of doing cognitive diagnosis of mental skills, medical and psychiatric diagnosis of diseases and disorders, and in general the diagnosing of latent properties of a set of objects, usually people, for which multiple pieces of binary (dichotomous) information about the objects are available, for example testing examinees using right/wrong scored test questions. Settings where the present invention can be applied but are not limited to include classrooms at all levels, web-based instruction, corporate in-house training, large scale standardized tests, and medical and psychiatric settings. Uses include but are not limited to individual learner feedback, learner remediation, group level educational assessment, and medical and psychiatric treatment.
US07974567B2
An image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the same to improve a transferring path of a document to prevent curl from being generated in the document and to prevent interference between a document having both surfaces scanned and a previously discharged document. The image reading apparatus includes a scan path having one end connected to a document supplying unit and the other end connected to a document discharging unit, a scan unit to read information recorded on a document passing through the scan path, a two-sided document branch path to branch from the scan path so that the document whose first surface is scanned by the scan unit passes through the two-sided document branch path before the document is reversed for a two-side scanning process, and a two-sided document transferring path having one end connected to the two-sided document branch path and other end connected to the scan path. A two-sided document guide is provided between the document supplying unit and the document discharging unit in a vertical direction to guide the document discharged from the two-sided document branch path.
US07974566B2
An image forming apparatus including: a toner cartridge to store toner; a developer to develop an image on a printing medium using the toner from the toner cartridge; and a waste toner container to store waste toner removed from the developer, wherein the waste toner container includes: a first transporting unit provided near a waste toner inlet; and a second transporting unit provided at a point where the waste toner transported by the first transporting unit falls to transport the waste toner to a farthest point from the waste toner inlet.
US07974565B2
The present invention relates to a cleaning device that allows the obtaining of a high level of removal performance while reducing wear between a plate-shaped elastic member and a cleaning-targeted surface moving member, while also being able to stably maintain the contact status between the surface moving member and the plate-shaped elastic member, and an image forming apparatus and a process cartridge provided therewith. A plate holder retains a blade via warping restriction means, a bearing and a support shaft engage at an engaging portion with a degree of freedom due to the presence of a gap therebetween, the plate holder is able to be displaced relative to a frame of the device body, the support shaft is arranged on the device body in the direction of surface movement of a photosensitive element downstream a normal line of the surface of the photosensitive element at a portion contacted by the blade, and a foreign object infiltration prevention member is provided on the bearing or the support shaft of the engaging portion to prevent entry of foreign objects into the gap.
US07974564B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device that causes a toner image to be fixed onto a recording medium; an opposing unit that is disposed opposing the fixing device and forms a conveyance path in between the fixing device, the recording medium being conveyable on the conveyance path; a holding member for the recording medium that is disposed at the opposing unit and positioned between the recording medium conveyed on the conveyance path and the fixing device; and a withdrawal mechanism that causes the opposing unit to be withdrawn in a direction away from the fixing device.
US07974562B2
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device in which a width of a slide member is larger than a width of a pressurizing belt while both ends of the slide member are positioned outside of both ends of the pressurizing belt. The above-structured slide member makes it possible to prevent lubricant on the slide member from leaking out of the ends of the slide member and coming around the inner surface of the slide member, and thereby to prevent a pressing member beneath the slide member from swelling, resulting in avoidance of wrinkle generation on recording materials.
US07974561B2
A belt fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material in a nip portion having: an endless fixing belt and a pressing device to press the fixing belt to a fixing member so as to form the nip portion between the fixing belt and the fixing member, wherein the pressing device is structured from an aggregate of a plurality of metal members arranged in a conveyance direction of the recording material.
US07974560B2
A separation mechanism of a fixing device includes a separation member extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper convey direction and arranged opposite the fixing member in a state apart from the fixing member by a predetermined gap, a support shaft member extending in a direction orthogonal to the paper convey direction and rotatably supporting the separation member, a first gap adjustment unit capable of rotating the separation member around the support shaft member to adjust the predetermined gap in the rotation direction, and a second gap adjustment unit capable of moving the separation member in a direction in which an imaginary surface from the support shaft member towards the fixing member extends, to adjust the predetermined gap in the surface direction.
US07974558B2
The present general inventive concept relates to a toner cartridge locking apparatus, which includes a rotation handle rotatably disposed at a first end of a toner tank, and having a locking blade formed at an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a hooking portion disposed at a developing unit to which the toner tank is mounted, wherein when the rotation handle is rotated in a predetermined angle, the locking blade of the rotation handle is inserted into the hooking portion.
US07974557B2
A replenishment and image mottle reduction system for adding carrier particles to a developer housing in a two-component developer toner imaging machine. The replenishment system includes (i) a carrier-only hopper for receiving and containing a first quantity of carrier particles; (ii) metering valves connected to a discharge end of the carrier-only hopper; (iii) a pneumatic plenum connected to the metering valves; (v) an air blower connected to the carrier-only hopper and to the pneumatic plenum for pressurizing the carrier-only hopper and for pneumatically conveying a metered quantity of carrier particles in an air stream from the pneumatic plenum; and (vi) a carrier separator assembly connected to the pneumatic plenum, located above each developer housing and including a carrier current collector, for separating fresh carrier from the air stream, and for allowing the carrier separated as such to drop by gravity into the developer housing.
US07974551B2
A developing device is provided for an image forming apparatus that has a photoreceptor. The developing device has a housing with upper and lower housing pieces that are snap fit together. A developer opening is formed in an upper portion of the upper housing piece for supplying a developer and a bottom opening is formed in a bottom part of the upper housing piece. A developer carrier and a developer agitating member are supported rotatably in the upper housing so that an axis of the developer agitating member is below an axis of the developer carrier and below the developer opening. The lower housing piece is configured to seal the bottom opening of the upper housing piece. However, the snap fit housings can be separated for cleaning as necessary.
US07974546B2
A system and method for outputting finished image receiving medium in an image forming device are provided. The systems and methods include receiving an image forming operation in an image forming device. The image forming operation is evaluated to determine a number of pages required. Image receiving medium information relevant to an image receiving medium available to the image forming device may be accessed. Stacking thickness may be estimated based on the determined page count and the image receiving medium information. The image forming operation is processed based on the estimated stacking thickness. Processing may include comparing the estimated stacking thickness to an available stacker space and determining, from amongst a plurality of available stackers, a target stacker to deliver finished image receiving media to based on the results of the comparison.
US07974542B2
An OTDM-DPSK signal generator includes an optical splitter, a first and a second phase modulator, an optical coupler, and a monitor signal splitter. The optical splitter splits an optical pulse string into a first and a second optical pulse string. The first and second phase modulators generate a first and a second channel DPSK signal, respectively. The DPSK signals are provided with one bit delay to generate another DPSK signal, which enters the optical coupler, which outputs an OTDM-DPSK signal, which enters a monitor signal splitter. The monitor signal splitter splits from the OTDM-DPSK signal a monitor signal and inputs the monitor signal to an optical carrier phase difference detector. The detector generates an optical carrier phase difference detection signal as a function of an optical carrier phase difference between optical pulses. The optical carrier phase difference can thus be detected between optical pulses in an OTDM-DPSK signal.
US07974541B2
A filter conducts the round trip by using the return optical signal that has been shifted in frequency, and measures the transmission optical signal and the return signal in phase by the principle of the Michelson interferometer at the same time, independently, and splits the two optical signals. A polarization state in which transmission and reception optical signals within an optical phase shifter which enters one route of the two optical signals are made orthogonal to each other is provided, to thereby distinguish the transmission and reception signals of the round trip from each other. The light is allowed to pass the shifter in incoming and returning to remove the polarization rotation of the shifter by using the reversibility of the light. Then, the phases of the transmission signal and the return signal are measured and synchronized with each other to conduct the transmission phase compensation.
US07974535B2
A quick selection of a depression key provided with a remote controller is impeded, so that controllable characteristics of the remote controller are deteriorated, and a lifetime of a cell provided on the side of the remote controller is reduced in order to acquire transport motional information.While a remote control system is equipped with the remote controller and an infrared communication apparatus 33, a pattern for reflecting diffraction light by illumination light is provided with the remote controller, whereas a transmitting/receiving unit 37 and a control unit 39 are provided with the infrared communication apparatus 33. A light emitting unit 11 for emitting light to the pattern, and a light receiving unit 17 for receiving reflection light from the pattern are provided with the transmitting/receiving unit 37. A detecting unit 41 for detecting intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit 17, a calculating unit 43 for binary-processing the intensity of the detected light to obtain binary information in response to the intensity of the detected light, and a converting unit 45 for converting the binary information into a control signal for a main appliance are provided with the control unit 39.
US07974534B2
An apparatus and method is disclosed for producing and filtering optical and electrical waveforms. The apparatus includes an electro-optical modulator, an optical filter capable of modulating at least two spectral regions within the bandwidth of the electrical waveform, and an optical-to-electrical converter. The optical filter includes a spatial dispersion means, a spatial modulating means having the capability to substantially independently modulate a characteristic of each of a pair of optical spatial elements.
US07974525B2
The present invention is a heat processing furnace comprising: a processing vessel for accommodating an object to be processed and performing thereto a heat process; and a cylindrical heater disposed to surround a circumference of the processing vessel, for heating the object to be processed; wherein: the heater includes a cylindrical heat insulating member, ribbed shelf sections that are axially formed in a tier-like manner on an inner circumference of the heat insulating member, and heating resistance wires of a helical pattern that are placed along the respective shelf sections; and pin members are arranged in the heat insulating member at suitable intervals therebetween, the pin members holding the heating resistance wires such that the heating resistance wires are movable in a radial direction of the heater, while preventing dropout of the heating resistance wires from the shelf sections.
US07974522B2
The present invention is directed towards reducing hard disk drive (HDD) activity by reducing the activity of an internal time shift buffer (TSB). The HDD may be included in a digital host communications terminal (DHCT). The TSB can switch between buffering a high definition quality to a standard definition quality of a streaming program. Additionally, the TSB can be disabled to prevent buffering of the streaming program. The reduced buffering of the TSB is determined by several factors including the temperature of the HDD, the health of the HDD, a set-up menu including TSB options, and/or whether there is a high definition television connected to the DHCT.
US07974520B2
A method of optically recording data on a disk-like information recording medium from the center side to the peripheral side thereof, dividing the information recording medium into a plurality of recording divisions, includes the steps of: (a) recording the data in an initial recording division; (b) recording terminal end information successively after the step (a), the terminal end information indicating the end of the initial recording division; (c) determining whether the terminal end information recorded on the information recording medium reaches a specified region beyond a predetermined range from the center of the information recording medium; and (d) extending and recording the terminal end information in the step (b) so that the terminal end information reaches the specified region if the step (c) determines that the terminal end information does not reach the specified region.
US07974507B2
Disclosed is a fiber-optic cable that possesses a high cable filling coefficient (and/or a high cable fiber density) yet ensures that its enclosed optical fibers demonstrate improved attenuation performance when subjected to temperature variations between about −40° C. and 70° C. The fiber-optic cable is suitable for efficient installation into ducts, such as via blowing.
US07974500B2
A force sensor particularly suited for use in an electronic stylus that senses the contact force on its nib for recording pen strokes and handwriting recognition. The sensor has a load bearing member movably mounted for receiving an input force to be sensed, the load bearing member being biased against the direction of the input force. The sensor also has a light source, a photo-detector for sensing levels of illumination from the light source and circuitry for converting a range of illumination levels sensed by the photo-detector into a range of output signals. During use, the illumination level sensed by the photo-detector varies with movement of the load bearing member such that the output signal from the circuitry is indicative of the input force. Using an optical sensor avoids the need to use a delicate piezo-resistive sensor that requires careful tolerancing during production.
US07974499B2
Disclosed is an algorithm for applying a morphological operation to an image. In one embodiment, the morphological operation is iteratively applied to a focal pixel of the image and to another pixel of the image. The other pixel is located at an offset with respect to the focal pixel. The offset is based on an operation count. In another embodiment, the algorithm includes performing a morphological operation on an image using a convex structuring element. A work structuring element having dimensions corresponding to the outer-most dimensions of the convex structuring element is iteratively applied to the image. The dimensions of the work structuring element are then adjusted to correspond to the remaining outer dimensions of the convex structuring element not yet covered by the previous work structuring element. The applying and adjusting steps are repeated until a predetermined number of morphological operations have been performed.
US07974492B2
When a transition is made from display of one image of a subject to display of another image of a subject in a slideshow, the transition is made in a natural manner. A first enlarged image is obtained by cropping and enlarging a portion of a subject image so as to include a face-image portion. A plurality of first enlarged images are obtained in such a manner that a cropping zone gradually decreases and the enlarging rate of the cropped image gradually increases. A first enlarged image in which the face-image portion is displayed in close-up is obtained. When a plurality of enlarged images are displayed one after another and a first enlarged image prevailing at the time of image transition is displayed, a second enlarged image in which a face image contained in a second subject image is shown in close-up is displayed. Second enlarged images that gradually zoom out from the face-image portion are displayed one after another to thereby make a transition to display of the second subject image.
US07974489B2
An optical imaging system with dynamic buffer management is described. Embodiments of the optical imaging system include an image sensor, a buffer, and a buffer mode controller. The image sensor includes a pixel array to read out a plurality of pixel lines for a frame of an image. The buffer is configured to store a plurality of buffer values corresponding to a plurality of pixel values for each of the pixel lines. The buffer mode controller is configured to dynamically switch between an accumulation mode and an averaging mode. The accumulation mode facilitates a computation of each buffer value according to a sum value of the corresponding pixel value and a corresponding previous buffer value. The averaging mode facilitates a computation of each buffer value according to an average value of a normalized value of the corresponding pixel value and the corresponding previous buffer value.
US07974486B2
A method and apparatus for allowing applications to access edited image data from an image editing application are disclosed herein. When the user desires to export edited images, the user causes the image editing application to display a plug-in user interface (UI). The plug-in UI may allow the user to enter exporting parameters, although this is not required. After the user selects an “export” button in the plug-in UI, the image editing application confirms with the plug-in on an image-by-image basis which of the images should be exported. The image editing application then generates an export version of the image. If necessary, the image editing application applies image adjustments to the master image to generate the export version. The image editing application then makes the export version available to the plug-in.
US07974482B2
An image distribution apparatus divides image data of a single frame into a plurality of blocks, orthogonally transforms the blocks and calculates transformation coefficients, quantizes the calculated transformation coefficients, codes the quantized transformation coefficients, and distributes the coded image data. The image distribution apparatus acquires the quantized transformation coefficients, stores the acquired transformation coefficients in a storage unit, calculates differences between the transformation coefficients of a first frame and the transformation coefficients of a second frame stored in the storage unit in a unit of block, counts blocks whose difference values calculated above are equal to or greater than a predetermined value as changing blocks of the first frame, and determines that the first frame has changed when the counted number of blocks is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
US07974477B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed toward reversible/invertible and lossless, image data hiding that can imperceptibly hide data into digital images and can reconstruct the original image without any distortion after the hidden data have been extracted in various digital image formats including, but not limited to Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG). In particular, embodiments of the invention provide a lossless data hiding technique for JPEG images based on histogram pairs. that embeds data into the JPEG quantized 8×8 block DCT coefficients and achieves good performance in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) versus payload through manipulating histogram pairs with optimum threshold and optimum region of the JPEG DCT coefficients. Furthermore, the invented technology is expected to be able to apply to the I-frame of Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) video for various applications including annotation, authentication, and forensics.
US07974475B1
This invention relates generally to a system and method for correlating two images for the purpose of identifying a target in an image where templates are provided a priori only for the target. Information on other objects in the image being searched may be unavailable or difficult to obtain. This invention treats the design of target matching-templates and target matched-filters for image correlation as a statistical pattern recognition problem. By minimizing a suitable criterion, a target matching-template or a target matched-filter is estimated which approximates the optimal Bayes discriminant function in a least-squares sense. Both Bayesian image correlation methods identify the target with minimum probability of error while requiring no prior knowledge of other objects in the image being searched. The system and method is adaptive in that it can be re-optimizing (adapted) to recognize the target in a new search image using only information from the new image.
US07974471B2
To identify pixels constituting image elements for generating a labeled image in which pixels are labeled with identification information, a pixel block including four pixels adjacent to one another in two dimensions is inputted as a unit from data including pixels that form an image. All of the on-pixels that are subject for grouping, included in the pixel block are labeled with the same identifier. Since the on-pixels that are included in a pixel block are consecutively connected, such pixels can be labeled with the same identifier without having to calculate whether such pixels are connected.
US07974468B2
An image processing apparatus for performing a white balance correction for RAW data obtained by an image capturing unit, includes a storage, operable to store a RAW file to which the RAW data and developed data obtained by performing a development processing to the RAW data are attached, and a corrector, operable to perform the white balance correction for the RAW data based on the developed data stored in the storage.
US07974466B2
A method for obtaining a target color measurement using an electronic image capturing device comprising the steps of: (1) determining one or more of a field correction array, level correction vectors, a color correction matrix, and a calibration correction and; (2) adjusting a target color measurement based upon one or more of a field correction array, level correction vector, a color correction matrix, and a calibration correction to obtain a corrected color target measurement.
US07974463B2
Systems and methods using an unstructured pattern for three-dimensional model construction, such as may be used for processing images of documents are disclosed. The method generally includes projecting an unstructured infrared pattern onto a target object, capturing a pair of stereoscopic images of the pattern projected onto the target object, such as with infrared cameras, performing signal processing on the pair of stereoscopic images to cross-correlate portions of the stereoscopic images in order to identify corresponding portions in the stereoscopic images, and constructing a three-dimensional model of the target object. The three-dimensional model can be utilized to rectify, e.g., de-warp, an image of the target object, e.g., a page or both facing pages of a bound document.
US07974462B2
In a method of calibrating an image capture environment based on a captured image obtained by capturing an image of a physical space by an image capturing unit that captures the image of the physical space, an image of the physical space is captured using the image capturing unit, an index serving as a reference for calibration is detected from the captured image of the physical space, the position and orientation of the image capturing unit are calculated from the detected index, and image capturing unit unique information, geometric information associated with the physical space, or the relationship between the image capturing unit and the physical space is calibrated using the obtained data.
US07974460B2
A method and system for obstacle mapping for navigation of an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises providing an autonomous vehicle with an image capturing device, and focusing the image capturing device at a predetermined number of different specified distances to capture an image at each of the specified distances. The method further comprises identifying which regions in the captured images are in focus, and assigning a corresponding lens-focus distance to each of the regions that are in focus. A composite image is formed from the captured images, with each of the regions labeled with the corresponding lens-focus distance. A three-dimensional obstacle map is then produced from the composite image. The three-dimensional obstacle map has an x, y, z coordinate system, with x being proportional to pixel horizontal position, y being proportional to pixel vertical position, and z being the lens-focus distance.
US07974444B2
One camera having a horizontally wide view angle is installed at each of the left and right rear ends of a tractor. The visual field of the left camera includes the road surface located to the left side of the tractor and a trailer, and the like. The visual field of the right camera includes the road surface located to the right side of the tractor and the trailer, and the like. The left and right cameras have a common visual field at the rear side of the trailer. A panorama image obtained by synthesizing images respectively obtained by the left and right cameras is displayed on a display device located in the interior of the tractor.
US07974441B2
An object detection apparatus for detecting a specific object in an input image includes a specific object detection module for performing a specific object detecting process of setting the input image or a reduced image of the input image as a target image, and of determining whether or not the specific object exists in a determination region while scanning the determination region in an edge feature image of the target image. The specific object detection module includes a determination module for determining whether the specific object exists in the determination region, based on an edge feature amount of the edge feature image corresponding to the determination region, and a previously determined relationship between an edge feature amount and a weight indicating object likelihood for each predetermined feature pixel in an image having the same size as the determination region.
US07974440B2
A person estimation device (10) includes an identification unit (200) for identifying a person in video. A person displayed in a smaller display area than the area defined by an identification enabled frame of the identification unit (200) is estimated by a CPU (110) in combination with the person identification by the identification unit (200). Here, statistic data concerning the person or the relationship between the persons is acquired from the statistic DB (20) and given as an estimation element. The person is estimated according to the estimation element.
US07974429B2
A wireless microphone includes a tubular housing having top and bottom open ends. The housing has an outer surrounding wall and an inner partition wall. The inner partition wall cooperates with an upper portion of the outer surrounding wall so as to define a battery-receiving space. A battery module is received in the battery-receiving space. A head unit is mounted on the top open end of the housing, and covers the battery module. A positioning unit is disposed at an outer surrounding surface of the battery module and an inner surrounding surface of the outer surrounding wall of the housing for positioning the battery module in the battery-receiving space.
US07974422B1
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and apparatuses for adjusting audio content when more multiple audio objects are directed toward a single audio output device. The amplitude, white noise content, and frequencies can be adjusted to enhance overall sound quality or make content of certain audio objects more intelligible. Audio objects are classified by a class category, by which they are can be assigned class specific processing. Audio objects classes can also have a rank. The rank of an audio objects class is used to give priority to or apply specific processing to audio objects sin the presence of other audio objects of different classes.
US07974421B2
An audio signal processing method includes: controlling the volume of a digital audio signal according to a latest value of an adaptive gain value which is adjustable; detecting whether data carried by the digital audio signal satisfies a specific criterion and utilizing a pendulum counter to count a number of times the data carried by the digital audio signal satisfies the specific criterion; if the counter value of the pendulum counter reaches an upper bond, selectively decreasing the adaptive gain value according to a decrement to decrease the volume of the digital audio signal; and if the counter value of the pendulum counter reaches a lower bond, selectively increasing the adaptive gain value according to an increment to increase the volume of the digital audio signal, where the magnitude of the decrement and the magnitude of the increment are different from each other.
US07974416B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method to establish a secure pre-boot environment in a computer system; and perform at least one secure operation in the secure environment. In one embodiment, the secure operation may be storage of a secret in the secure pre-boot environment.
US07974411B2
Techniques for protecting information in an audio file are provided. The techniques include obtaining an audio file, detecting information bearing one or more segments in a speech signal, wherein the information comprises information sought for protection, encrypting the information sought for protection by scrambling the one or more segments using a scrambling filter, and selectively decrypting an amount of the encrypted information, wherein the amount of the encrypted information to be decrypted depends on user access privilege, and wherein selectively decrypting the amount of the encrypted information protects said amount of the encrypted information. Techniques are also provided for protecting information in an audio file.
US07974407B2
A computer implemented method for performing a privacy enhanced comparison of a plurality of data sets includes allocating a private encryption key to each of the data sets; performing an encryption operation for each of the data sets, the encryption operation comprising generating a commutatively encrypted data set of the respective data set, wherein the commutatively encrypted data sets are generated by successively applying a keyed commutative encryption function on the respective data set with the private encryption key of the respective data set itself and with the private encryption keys of the other data sets; and comparing the commutatively encrypted data sets.
US07974399B2
An enhanced whisper feature enables a user to engage simultaneously in disparate telephonic communication sessions by isolating audible input of the user from a select one of the telephonic communication sessions while providing audible output from each of the telephonic communication sessions to the user. The whisper feature can be further enhanced using a presence system that maintains presence information indicating the availability of the user. The presence system can enable the whisper feature of the user upon determining that the user is currently engaged in a first telephonic communication session when a request for the user to engage in a second telephonic communication session is received. In addition, the whisper feature can include a silent ring mode that is activated upon receipt of the request for the user to engage in the second telephonic communication session.
US07974396B2
A disclosed method allows service subscribers to modify service subscriptions online. Operations within the method may include receiving an order for a service package from a subscriber, wherein the service package includes multiple features. In response to the order, the features in the service package may automatically be cross referenced with a list of existing features for the subscriber to detect any overlap between the features in the service package and the existing features. In response to detecting an overlap, a subscription change request may automatically be computed, wherein subscription change request includes only the features in the service package that do not overlap the existing features. The subscription change request may then be submitted for implementation by a service provider, possibly after receiving confirmation of the change request from the subscriber.
US07974390B2
A method and system for transferring audio content to a telephone-switching system is provided. The telephone-switching system receives the audio content from a source. Thereafter, the telephone-switching system authenticates the source. The telephone-switching system also authenticates the audio content. Thereafter, the telephone-switching system stores the audio content in a file directory of the telephone-switching system.
US07974388B2
An enterprise network includes at least one communication device 208-1, an Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Layer 2 switch 206, and a corresponding enterprise switch 208. The communication device 208-1 is connected to at least one of an access point 904-1 and a respective port 207-1 of the Layer 2 switch 206. The enterprise network includes a plurality of Emergency Location Information Numbers (ELINs) corresponding to differing segments of the enterprise network. The Layer 2 switch 206 serves at least one of the differing segments. The communication device 208-1 includes a discovery agent 252 operable, when a predetermined first event occurs, to obtain from the Layer 2 switch 206 at least one of an access point identifier, a switch identifier from the Layer 2 switch 206, and a port identifier identifying the respective port 207-1.
US07974386B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for testing failure rate of newly installed network elements within a predetermined amount of time prior to customer use of the network elements are provided. An order report including information regarding one or more network elements is accessed, and based on the information provided by the orders report, a network element from the one or more network elements to be tested is determined. Information regarding the network element to be tested is retrieved from the orders report and included on a ticket created for the network element to be tested. The ticket created for the network element is then forwarded to a test device for testing of the network element associated with the forwarded ticket.
US07974380B2
An integrated fluidic circuit includes a substrate layer and a first structure coupled to the substrate layer and including a plurality of channels. The first structure is configured to provide for flow of one or more materials through the plurality of channels. The integrated fluidic circuit also includes a second structure coupled to the substrate layer. The second structure includes a plurality of control channels configured to receive an actuation pressure. The integrated fluidic circuit is characterized by a thickness of less than 1.5 mm.
US07974379B1
A metrology system that uses an imaging system to monitor alignment features on the sample or sample holder of an X-ray laminography or tomography system. the metrology system has the capability to provide both sample shift and sample rotation movement data to a data acquisition system. These shift and rotation data can be used in alignment routines to produce 3D reconstructions from the X-ray images/projections. The metrology system is based on an imaging and focusing measurement of intrinsic feature of the sample or artificial features fabricated on the sample or sample holder.
US07974376B2
High precision continuous time gmC BPF (Band Pass Filter) tuning. A novel approach is presented by which a continuous time signal serves as a BPF control voltage for tuning of a BPF within a communication device (e.g., transceiver or receiver). A PLL (Phase Locked Loop) tunes the center frequency of the BPF using this continuous time signal, and the PLL oscillates at the center frequency of the BPF. The BPF is implemented as a gmC (transconductance-capacitance) filter, and the PLL is implemented using a number of gm (transconductance) cells as well. The PLL's gm cells and the BPF's gm cells are substantially identical in form. All of these gm cells are operated within their respective linear regions. This similarity of gm cells within the PLL and the BPF provide for substantial immunity to environmental perturbations including temperature and humidity changes as well as fluctuations of power supply voltages.
US07974371B2
A radio communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving modulation signals of a plurality of channels in the same frequency band via a plurality of antennas. A communication method is based on information on electric wave propagation environment corresponding to each antenna of the communication partner and transmission is performed by selecting a transmission method for transmitting modulation signals of channels in the same frequency band from a plurality of antennas or a transmission method for transmitting a modulation signal of one channel from one antenna. Thus, it is possible to multiplex a plurality of modulation signals so as to be transmitted and to demultiplex and demodulate the transmitted multiplexed modulation signals at a reception unit, thereby improving the data transmission rate.
US07974369B2
In one embodiment, a (hard-drive) read channel has a phase detector used in a timing recovery loop. The phase detector utilizes the sign bit and confidence value from a received log-likelihood ratio (LLR) signal to generate a mean value. The mean value is convolved with a partial response target to generate an estimated timing error signal. When implemented in a hard-drive read channel, the phase detector allows for timing recovery with lower loss-of-lock rates.
US07974356B2
A hybrid transmitter includes first and second up-conversion modules, a combining module, and a power amplifier circuit. The first up-conversion module is operably coupled to generate a first up-conversion signal based on a normalized in-phase (I) symbol, an in-phase local oscillation, and phase or frequency information. The second up-conversion module is operably coupled to generate a second up-conversion signal based on a normalized quadrature (Q) symbol, a quadrature local oscillation, and the phase or frequency information. The combining module is operably coupled to combine the first and second up-conversion signals to produce a radio frequency (RF) signal. The power amplifier circuit is operably coupled to adjust amplitude of the RF signal based on amplitude information to produce an amplitude and phase modulated RF signal.
US07974351B1
In detecting a signal, angle information is generated based on a complex signal having a periodic portion. An autocorrelation signal is generated based on the angle information and not based on magnitude information associated with the complex signal. The periodic portion is detected based on the autocorrelation signal.
US07974347B2
A mechanism for automatically determining an optimal temporal interval for displaying data is provided. The mechanism receives information indicating a temporal range. The mechanism determines the size of a display area in which data corresponding to the temporal range is to be displayed. The mechanism further determines, based at least partially upon the size of the display area, how many data display elements can be displayed within the first display area. The mechanism then determines, based at least partially upon the temporal range and how many data display elements can be displayed within the display area, a temporal interval by which the temporal range is to be divided for purposes of displaying the data corresponding to the temporal range. Each data display element corresponds to a particular instance of temporal interval.
US07974345B2
An image data processing apparatus is provided and includes a variable length decoding section to decode and extract quantized DCT coefficients from an encoded signal input thereto and extract encoded information from side information added to the encoded signal. Classification adaptation processing sections use the input signal supplied from a decoding section and a creation signal supplied from a signal storage section to determine the reliability of each of motion compensating vectors of the encoded signal supplied from a coded information storage section, selects that one of the motion compensating vectors which has the highest reliability as a selected vector, and produces a creation signal based on the selection vector.
US07974344B2
A “rounding to zero” method can maintain the exact motion vector and can also be achieved by the method without division so as to improve the precision of calculating the motion vector, embody the motion of the object in video more factually, and obtain the more accurate motion vector prediction. Combining with the forward prediction coding and the backward prediction coding, the present invention realizes a new prediction coding mode, which can guarantee the high efficiency of coding in direct mode as well as is convenient for hardware realization, and gains the same effect as the conventional B frame coding.
US07974341B2
Methods and apparatus for efficient encoding multimedia data, such as live video streams are disclosed. The multimedia data is pre-encoded into multiple layers and characteristics of the pre-encoded data are determined. Based at least in part on the determined characteristics, the multimedia data is encoded into multiple layers.
US07974335B2
A decision feedback equalization apparatus includes a channel estimation unit estimating a channel on received signal based on the received signal and a training sequence; a channel matched filter maximizing SNR from the channel estimated by the channel estimation unit changing channel characteristics of the received signal; a noncausal filter approximating the changed channel; an equalizer input signal storage unit storing received symbols passed through the channel matched and the noncausal filters; a channel equalization unit performing a decision feedback equalization; a Trellis decoder detecting symbol from a channel-equalized signal; a mode selection unit selecting a specific mode; an error signal calculator comparing an output signal of the selected mode with an output signal of the channel equalization unit to calculate an error signal; and a tap coefficient updater updating tap coefficients to the channel equalization unit, an output signal from the storage unit, and an output signal from the Trellis decoder.
US07974330B2
The multi-carrier code dividing multiplex transfer system of the present invention includes a direct demodulator that discriminates transmitted signals according to a receiving signal point composed of a combination of receiving values in a spread state of sub-carriers in a range where one modulated symbol is spread, and according to reference signal composing values that can be taken by the combination of the receiving values in the spread state of the sub-carriers. As a result, it is possible to prevent from affects of inter-code interference, and improve receiving characteristics as well.
US07974329B2
A method for performing symbol timing estimation is disclosed herein. In one approach, the method includes defining a search space in a plurality of estimated magnitudes of channel taps; defining a search window in the search space; and locating a symbol timing estimate index in the search space corresponding to a maximum value of an energy of the plurality of estimated magnitudes of channel taps within the search window. A computer program product having code and a wireless communications apparatus for performing the method are also described herein.
US07974307B2
In a method of decoding data that contains payload data, start codes and stuffing data that prevents emulation of start codes within the data, and correspondingly in a method of encoding data that contains payload data and start codes, data is read or written. Substantially simultaneously with reading or writing the data, the data is checked for the presence of stuffing data which are to be discarded or the need to insert stuffing data as the case may be. In preferred embodiments, one or more state machines are used to track the need to discard/insert stuffing data.
US07974303B2
Different polling rates are applied to high priority BE service flows depending on whether the service flow contains, or is about to contain, traffic packets. A high priority service flow is identified upon boot-up of a user device, and defaults to a slow polling mode. A trigger causes the service flow to be serviced as a fast polling mode. The fast polling mode lasts for a predetermined period of time. If traffic continues at the end of the predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time is reset so that the fast-polling mode continues until traffic flow on the high priority service flow ceases.
US07974302B2
Provided is a distributed and asynchronous implicit token carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol guaranteeing quality of service for both real time and non-real time traffic. The implicit token CSMA/CA protocol allocates a band in an entire bandwidth to voice traffic and allows the remaining bands to be used for data traffic. The implicit token CSMA/CA protocol includes applying a token passing protocol to transmit voice traffic in real time by having a band in an entire bandwidth allocated using a predetermined data frame and applying a CSMA/CA mechanism to transmit data traffic in non-real time by employing remaining bands not allocated to the voice traffic using another predetermined data frame.
US07974299B1
Methods and apparatus for switching transmission channels that include monitoring a number of packets within a transmitter buffer of a transmitter, determining that the number of packets within the transmitter buffer exceeds a pre-determined threshold, and changing a transmission channel used by the transmitter for transmission based at least upon the number of packets within the transmitter buffer exceeding a pre-determined threshold.
US07974298B2
A method and system for automatically trunking ports connecting network devices arranged in a stacked configuration is provided. The method includes sending a packet, from a sending network device to at least one other receiving network device, through each of a plurality of ports of the network device. The packet includes at least an identifier for identifying the sending network device. The receiving network device maintains a table identifying which ports are connected to a neighboring network device. The network device automatically trunks the ports which are connected to the same network device.
US07974276B2
For use with a user communication device (UCD) that communicates over a packet network by alternately transmitting and receiving streams of associated continuous media communication data packets, systems and methods for providing call processing features, such as call forwarding and call blocking, to the communication device. In one advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the call processing system: (1) determines that a call composed of a stream of continuous media communication packets and associated with the UCD requires a specified alternative processing and (2) causes the continuous media communication data packets associated with the call to be processed in accordance with the specified alternative processing.
US07974273B2
This invention relates to a data transmitting apparatus and a data receiving apparatus, which multiplexes and transmits HD-SDI signals, and which receives the multiplexed and transmitted HD-SDI signals. The data transmitting apparatus is characterized by being equipped with a parallel data forming section which forms word string data De based on HD-SDI signals DHS of n channels, a data multiplexing section which obtains multiplex word string data Dm based on De, a multiple channel data forming section which forms bit string data DSX of m channels from Dm, a data multiplexing and P/S converting section which forms bit string data DTG based on DSX and in which a bit rate is set to 10 Gb/s or more, and an electric photo converting section which sends away DTG.
US07974270B2
Media routes may be optimized in network communications, such a radio telephony communications networks. In one embodiment, the description includes identifying a first network controller corresponding to a first media communications client, identifying a second network controller corresponding to a second media communications client, determining whether the first and second network controller coincide, and if the first and second network controller coincide, then establishing a direct media communications connection between the first and the second client.
US07974267B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a telephone system comprises a plurality of telephone terminals and a main unit. The main unit comprises an authentication processing unit performs login authentication MAC address authentication, and a mode specification unit receives specification of a plural terminal registration mode. The MAC address authentication refuses logins from telephone terminals differing in MAC address from a telephone terminal that has been allowed to log in firstly even if the logins are made by the same extension numbers. The plural terminal registration mode exclusively allows the simultaneous login by the same extension numbers from a plurality of telephone terminals having different MAC addresses. The authentication processing unit gives priority over the plural terminal registration mode higher than the MAC address authentication and makes the MAC address authentication void in the plural terminal registration mode.
US07974265B2
A remote parking meter monitoring system is provided. The system has a plurality of radio transceivers. Each transceiver communicates with at least one other transceiver within a transceiver communication region. The transceivers are integrated to parking meters. A separate aggregate point has a transceiver and a communication network that is connected to a computer. The aggregate point communicates with at least one proximal transceiver and communicates to the computer through the network. The system has a mesh communication arrangement, and a signal routing architecture, where the information is communicated along any path of adjacent communication regions. The computer is able to communicate information through the network to the aggregate point, and the aggregate point transceiver sends the information to the proximal transceiver. The information is communicated to any one of the transceivers in the mesh using the routing architecture by communicating the signal through any path between adjacent communication regions.
US07974262B2
A telecommunications network participant, comprising means for digitising, as a series of samples, a received signal containing a succession of symbols, means for measuring time misalignment between the symbols and the samples and means for applying a fractional delay to the positions of the samples to reduce the misalignment.
US07974259B2
A method of polling in a wireless communications system includes prohibiting polling within a predetermined period and triggering a poll function while polling is prohibited. After the predetermined period has expired the method determines that there are no protocol data units (PDUs) scheduled for transmission or re-transmission and that the poll function was triggered by a “Every Poll_SDU SDU” trigger, and selects a PDU to schedule for re-transmission to fulfill the poll function.
US07974258B2
An adaptive mode transmitter enables either OFDMA or SC-FDMA modulation schemes to be used during transmission of a wireless signal, such as during mobile phone use. The modulation scheme is selected automatically, and is based on characteristics of the transmitting entity, such as bandwidth allocation, selected modulation order, and transmit power.
US07974255B2
A method and apparatus increase the time and frequency diversity of a multi-stream signal in a DAB system. A plurality of audio streams are divided into four (4) digital sub-streams, C00, C01, C10, and C11. Each sub-stream C00, C01, C10, and C11 is assigned a unique frequency band, and time slot. A first core sub-stream C10 is mapped to one frequency partition and a second core sub-stream C00 is mapped to another frequency partition and delayed relative to the first core sub-stream. Similarly, two enhancement sub-streams C11 and C01 are mapped to different frequency partitions and are time delayed relative to each other and the core sub-streams. The two core sub-streams C00 and C10 can have a maximum separation across both the time and frequency axes.
US07974246B1
A method for exchanging information within a radio communications system includes establishing communications between radio systems utilizing a carrier sense multiple access mode during a period of lower traffic load on the radio communications system and establishing communications between the radio systems utilizing a time division multiple access mode during a period of higher traffic load on the radio communications system.
US07974241B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for providing cellular handoff. According to embodiments, a method for providing a cellular handoff is provided. According to the method, a first group of users is associated with a first class of service and a first cellular tower. A second group of users is associated with a second class of service. Whether to hand off the first group of users from the first cellular tower to a second cellular tower is determined based on real-time quality of service provided to at least one of the first group of users and the second group of users. In response to determining to hand off the first group of users from the first cellular tower to the second cellular tower, a handoff of the first group of users from the first cellular tower to the second cellular tower is performed.
US07974237B2
An operational mechanism enables frequency re-use techniques, including selective frequency hopping and channel aggregation, on very low-cost transceiver hardware.
US07974232B2
Some embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for managing communications within a distributed network. According to some embodiments of the invention, the apparatus may include a communication management module and a synchronization module. The communication management module may be operatively coupled to a communication module belonging to the distributed network. The communication management module may be adapted to allocate for each communication within the network a communication frame comprised of a predetermined number of timeslots. The communication management module may configure the communication module coupled thereto to repeat a communication at one or more of the timeslots of the frame allocated for the communication. The timeslots may, for example, be equal in length and may each correspond to a predetermined fraction of the length of a communication frame. The synchronization module may be adapted to synchronize frames across the distributed network, either directly or indirectly. According to further embodiments of the invention, the synchronization module may be adapted to bit synchronize the communication module.
US07974223B2
A method for communication via a ring network that includes a plurality of nodes. The method includes receiving at a first node in the ring network a data packet transmitted over a virtual private LAN service (VPLS), the data packet including an identification of the VPLS. The first node reads the identification from the data packet. Responsively to reading the identification, the first node forwards the data packet to at least one second node in the ring network that is associated with the VPLS.
US07974221B2
In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: providing an abstract tree structure having a root node, tree nodes, and leaf nodes, each leaf node corresponds to a portion of data; mapping first network nodes of a distributed network to the tree nodes; mapping second network nodes to the leaf nodes; assigning unique identifiers to the root node, tree nodes, and leaf nodes; storing, at each first network node, the unique identifier of the corresponding tree node, the unique identifier of a parent, and the unique identifiers of children; storing, at each second network node, the portion of data and path information; providing a distributed hash tree wherein the DHT includes a hash value for each node of the ATS signing the top hash value for the root node; and storing, at each second network node, the corresponding hash value of the tree node and the hash values of children.
US07974216B2
The real time availability of a group of network elements is determined based upon both a real time availability value for each of the network elements and cooperation relationships between the network elements. The cooperation relationships reflect both the topological relationships between the network elements, i.e., how the network elements are connected, and the extent to which network elements interact with each other effectively. For relatively small groups of network elements, where the cooperation relationships are not overly complex, the real time availability is determined directly from the real time availability value for each of the network elements and cooperation relationships between the network elements. Decomposition and recombination are used to determine the real time availability of large groups of network elements based on specific formulas for basic network element topology models.
US07974215B1
Embodiments provide systems and methods for diagnosing a network and identifying problems in a network which reduce the data transfer rate of data through the network. One embodiment of a method for network diagnosis may include infusing data into a network upstream and downstream of a portion of the network relative to a library drive, querying the drive at intervals over time for drive data to determine the data transfer rate at the drive and comparing the data transfer rate of the data infused upstream of the device or network portion with the data transfer rate of the data infused downstream of the device or network portion to determine throughput. By comparing the data transfer rate of data infused upstream and downstream of a network device or network portion, problem devices in a network may be identified.
US07974213B2
Methods and apparatus to select composite link cost-out thresholds are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises collecting traffic statistics for a communication network, computing, based on the collected traffic statistics, a plurality of flow rates for a composite link of the communication network for respective ones of a plurality of potential fault conditions for the composite link, computing a plurality of remaining capacities of the composite link for respective ones of the plurality of fault conditions, computing a plurality of differences between respective ones of the plurality of flow rates and the plurality of remaining capacities, and selecting a cost-out threshold for the composite link based on the plurality of computed differences.
US07974212B2
Performance of endpoints, client devices and servers within a communication system, is monitored by collecting call quality data from each endpoint. The collected metric data is retrieved periodically from a database, categorized based on endpoint location and metric type, and compared to predefined thresholds for different endpoint types, metric categories, and call configurations. If an alert condition is met indicating a problem with quality of experience in the system, an alert is issued to an administrator.
US07974211B2
A method of baselining a network topology including at least one network device and one application node from and to which data from the network device may be sent using a network protocol. The method includes the steps of providing a network-wide time reference ensuring clock synchronicity of all the network devices and at the application node with the network-wide time reference. The method further includes causing configuration information to be collected at the application node from all network devices at a particular time or within a predetermined time slot, determining the number of networks supplied such configuration information and comparing this number against a stability threshold value. Finally, the method includes storing the configuration information together with an indication that such is stable, and thus usable in providing a reliable baseline, only if the stability threshold value is met or exceeded.
US07974201B1
A technique is provided for managing VPN packet flows over shared access data networks. Each node in the shared access network typically has an identifier or ID associated with it which is used at a Head End of the shared access network to uniquely identify that particular node from the other nodes in the network. According to the technique of the present invention, the node ID may be used at the Head End of the network to identify not only the corresponding node, but also to identify any virtual private networks (VPNs) of which the corresponding node is a member. Using the technique of the present invention, nodes which are members of the same VPN within a shared access network may exchange packets in a manner which does not require the packets to be routed outside the shared access network.
US07974199B2
A method (400) for optimizing bandwidth utilization in a communications network (100). The communications network can include a data source (105) and a data client (110). Responsive to a measurement of at least one communication parameter (120) of a commutated bitstream (115) which is transmitted to the client, the data source can change a commutation format of the commutated bitstream. The communication parameters can include a data receive time (TRx), a data latency and/or an effective receive data rate (DEff) of the commutated bitstream. The communication parameters can be transmitted to the data source as telemetry. The change of commutation format can occur in an open systems interconnection (OSI) layer such as a session layer and/or a transport layer.
US07974198B2
Apparatus and method for guaranteeing a Quality of Service (QoS) traffic rate in a mobile communication system are provided. The scheduling method for guaranteeing a QOS traffic rate in a mobile communication system includes calculating a total sum of traffic rates based on a channel change and a total sum of sustained traffic rates; calculating a weighted traffic rate using the traffic rate based on the channel change and the sustained traffic rate when the sustained traffic rate does not meet the QoS traffic rate; and determining a service priority using the weighted traffic rate. Therefore, the minimum reserved traffic rate and the maximum sustained traffic rate can be assured.
US07974195B2
The present invention is a delay based model and in fact uses queuing delay as a congestion measure, providing advantages over prior art loss based systems. One advantage is that queuing delay can be more accurately estimated than loss probability. This is because packet losses in networks with large bandwidth-delay product are rare events under TCP Reno and its variants (probability on the order 10−7 or smaller), and because loss samples provide coarser information than queuing delay samples. Indeed, measurements of delay are noisy, just as those of loss probability. Thus, another advantage of the present invention is that each measurement of queuing delay provides multi-bit information while each measurement of packet loss (whether a packet is lost) provides only one bit of information for the filtering of noise. This makes it easier for an equation-based implementation to stabilize a network into a steady state with a target fairness and high utilization. In addition, the dynamics of queuing delay provides scaling with respect to network capacity. This helps maintain stability as a network scales up in capacity.
US07974180B2
The present invention relates to transmitting/receiving apparatuses of a wideband radio channel measuring device using a multi-carrier. The wideband radio channel measuring device using the multi-carrier may measure radio channel characteristics at a frequency domain. Since the radio channel is measured at the frequency domain by the wideband radio channel measuring device using the multi-carrier, the channel characteristics may be simultaneously measured while maintaining a maximum Doppler measurement frequency at a predetermined level regardless of increase of the number of transmitting and receiving antennas, in an MIMO configuration.
US07974174B2
A method and an apparatus for detecting a number of variation in resistance within a material stack in response to a scanning and injection of a non-contacting electron stream into a material stack, the material stack having a first conductive contact layer, a variable resistive layer, a fixed resistive layer, and a second conductive contact layer, and the variations in resistance within the material stack being based on one of a plurality of resistive states of the variable resistive layer. The method also includes generating two magnetic fields within a transformer, the transformer being operatively coupled to the first and second conductive contact layers and generating a differential output signal within the transformer based on the two magnetic fields, the differential output signal being associated with one of the plurality of resistive states.
US07974168B2
A reproducing device includes a detection circuit and an integration circuit. The detection circuit detects a push-pull signal PP. The integration circuit carries out integration processing with respect to one or greater frames of the push-pull signal, and carries out binarization processing with respect to integration results thus obtained, thereby detecting sub data. In the integration circuit, the more the frames to be used for detecting sub data is, the higher the accuracy of the detected sub data is. The reproducing device further includes a control circuit for controlling the total number of the frames to be used for generating valid sub data in the integration circuit. The control circuit controls the total number of the frames in accordance with a result of an error correction made by an error correction circuit.
US07974166B2
Information recording device and information recording method generating a copy preventing structure
User data is recorded onto a DVD by the incremental recording method and by using padding when closing a recording zone, read error data is recorded onto the DVD. The read error data is generated by making a sector error detection code or a PI/PO error correction code in the ECC block different from a correct value.
US07974164B2
An information recording apparatus (2) is for forming a record mark corresponding to a recording signal by applying a laser beam to a recording medium, and is provided with: a light source (21) for emitting the laser beam; and a signal generating device (22) for generating a recording pulse signal for driving the light source on the basis of the recording signal, the recording pulse signal includes a mark period and a space period, a level of the recording pulse signal corresponds to a recording power by which waveform distortion is greater than or equal to an upper limit (L) or is less than or equal to a lower limit (−L) of an amplitude limit value on a limit equalizer (15), in the mark period corresponding to a long mark.
US07974159B2
A tray control method for a disk drive including a tray for carrying a disk, a detect switch movable to different inclined positions for detecting different positions of the tray during tray ejection operation, a firmware for receiving signals transmitted by the detect switch upon reaching the different inclined positions. The voltage applied to the DC motor for moving the tray is adjusted based on the time difference between the signals.
US07974143B2
The memory system, memory device, memory controller and method may have a reduced power consumption. The memory system, memory device, memory controller and method may transition a data strobe signal to a valid logic level during a standby state. The valid logic level may be less than a logic level associated with a higher impedance level, such as when a bus may be turned off or connected to a ground voltage. A delay locked circuit need not be used in the memory device.
US07974142B2
A semiconductor memory device includes: a data transferrer configured to transfer data; a main driver configured to apply the data to the data transferrer in response to a control signal; and a pre-driver configured to decrease a voltage level of the data transferrer when the voltage level of the data transferrer is higher than a logic threshold voltage, and to increase the voltage level of the data transferrer when the voltage level of the data transferrer is lower than the logic threshold voltage prior to activation of the control signal.
US07974140B2
A semiconductor device includes a mode register and a plurality of voltage generators in connection with a plurality of banks. Based on an operation mode set to the mode register, the voltage generators are selectively driven in response to an access to each bank and a CAS latency number defining a delay time between the input timing of an external command and the input/output timing of data of each bank. The number of voltage generators being driven is controlled based on the CAS latency number so that an adequate internal voltage is supplied to the peripheral circuitry, thus adjusting the current consumption without increasing the power consumption.
US07974138B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a selector line selection circuit for selecting, in a read operation, a selector line for connecting a first main bit line connected to the sense amplifier with a sub-bit line to which the memory cell being read is connected, a selector line for connecting the first main bit line with a sub-bit line of at least one sector different from the sector to which the memory cell being read belongs, a selector line for connecting a second main bit line connected to the sense amplifier with a sub-bit line to which the reference cell is connected, and a selector line for connecting the second main bit line with a sub-bit line of at least one sector different from the sector to which the memory cell being read belongs.
US07974137B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises a comparing unit that comprises a potential of a memory cell with a reference potential supplied by a reference cell to read data of the memory cell; first and second bit lines connected to inputs of the comparing unit; a first memory cell connected to the first bit line; a second memory cell connected to the second bit line; a first reference cell acting as the reference cell; a second reference cell acting as another reference cell; a potential line that supplies the reference potential to the first and second reference cells; and a dummy cell comprising a coupling capacitor that stabilizes potential of the potential line.
US07974136B2
A flash memory cell is of the type having a substrate of a first conductivity type having a first region of a second conductivity type at a first end, and a second region of the second conductivity type at a second end, spaced apart from the first end, with a channel region between the first end and the second end. The flash memory cell has a plurality of stacked pairs of floating gates and control gates with the floating gates positioned over portions of the channel region and are insulated therefrom, and each control gate over a floating gate and insulated therefrom. The flash memory cell further has a plurality of erase gates over the channel region which are insulated therefrom, with an erase gate between each pair of stacked pair of floating gate and control gate. In a method of erasing the flash memory cell, a pulse of a first positive voltage is applied to alternating erase gates (“first alternating gates”). In addition, a ground voltage is applied to erase gates other than the first alternating gates (“second alternating gates”). In a second method to erase the flash memory cell, a pulse of a first positive voltage is applied to the first alternating gates and a negative voltage is applied to the second alternating gates and to all control gates.
US07974128B2
A flash memory device including a high voltage generator circuit that is adapted to supply a program voltage having a target voltage to a selected word line is provided. The flash memory device is adapted to terminate the program interval in accordance with when the program voltage has been restored to the target voltage after dropping below the target voltage. A method for operating the flash memory device is also provided.
US07974127B2
A method for programming a first memory cell in a memory array. In a specific embodiment, each memory cell has a drain, a source, a channel, and a control gate overlying a charge storage material and the channel. The source of the first memory cell is coupled to the drain of a second memory cell. A voltage is applied to the drain of the first memory cell, and the source of the second memory cell is grounded. The method includes floating the drain of the second memory cell and the source of the first memory cell and turning on the channels of the first and second memory cells, effectively forming an extended channel region. Hot carriers are injected to the charge storage material of the first cell to program the first memory cell. The extended channel lowers electrical fields and reduces punch through leakage in unselected memory cells.
US07974124B2
Selecting circuits for columns of an array of memory cells are used to hold read data or write data of the memory cells. In a first set of embodiments, a shift register chain, having a stage for columns of the array, has the columns arranged in a loop. For example, every other column or column group could be assessed as the pointer moves in first direction across the array, with the other half of the columns being accessed as the pointer moves back in the other direction. Another set of embodiments divides the columns into two groups and uses a pair of interleaved pointers, one for each set of columns, clocked at half speed. To control the access of the two sets, each of which is connected to a corresponding intermediate data bus. The intermediate data buses are then attached to a combined data bus, clocked at full speed.
US07974123B2
Using a synthetic molecular spring device in a system for dynamically controlling a system property, such as momentum, topography, and electronic behavior. System features (a) the synthetic molecular spring device having (i) at least one synthetic molecular assembly each featuring at least one chemical unit including at least one: (1) atom; (2) complexing group complexed to at least one atom; (3) axial ligand reversibly physicochemically paired with at least one complexed atom; and (4) substantially elastic molecular linker; and, (ii) an activating mechanism directed to at least one atom-axial ligand pair; and, (b) a selected unit operatively coupled to synthetic molecular assembly, and exhibiting the system property. Activating mechanism sends an activating signal to atom-axial ligand pairs, for physicochemically modifying atom-axial ligand pairs, thereby activating at least one cycle of spring-type elastic reversible transitions between contracted and expanded linear conformational states of substantially elastic molecular linkers, causing dynamically controllable change in the system property.
US07974116B2
A variable resistance memory device includes a variable resistance memory cell array including a plurality of variable resistance memory cells; a plurality of global word lines configured to drive the variable resistance memory cell array; and a plurality of local word line decoders. Each of the plurality of local word line decoders includes a first transistor having a gate connected to the global word line. A voltage greater than an operation voltage of one or more of the plurality of local word line decoders is applied to a selected one of the plurality of global word lines.
US07974114B2
In an embodiment, a memory cell arrangement is provided. The memory cell arrangement may include a first memory cell and a second memory cell, a first source/drain line coupled to a first source/drain region of the first memory cell and a second source/drain line coupled to a second source/drain region of the first memory cell, and a third source/drain line coupled to a first source/drain region of the second memory cell and a fourth source/drain line coupled to a second source/drain region of the second memory cell, wherein the third source/drain line is disposed proximate to the second source/drain line, and wherein the third source/drain line is disposed in the same metallization level as the second source/drain line.
US07974100B2
A retaining device for a PCI card (30) includes a chassis (50), a retaining plate (20) configured for retaining the PCI card, and a mounting apparatus (10). The chassis has a rear wall (52). The rear wall has two clipping portions (526) and a perpendicular portion (52). The retaining plate includes an end (22) abutting on the perpendicular portion of the rear wall of the chassis. The mounting apparatus includes a mounting strip (11), and a mounting bracket (13) resisting on the end of the retaining plate. The mounting strip includes an elongated main body (12) with a handling portion (127) formed in the middle thereof and two arms (15) extending from two ends of the main body for engaging with the clipping portions respectively. The mounting strip abuts on the mounting bracket.
US07974087B2
A cartridge type HDD unit 20 is mounted on the outside of a back plate panel 2 of an exterior cover rear portion in an image forming apparatus 1. An HDD main body is detachably attachable into a unit case 21. When the HDD main body is attached into the unit case 21, the HDD main body is substantially horizontally inserted from a sideways case opening 22. In the conventional art, there is the problem that the HDD main body is caused to fall carelessly in attachment working in which the HDD main body is mounted to a housing case such that the HDD main body drops into a housing case in a vertical direction. However the problem above described is eliminated, and the attachment working of the HDD main body can be performed easily and safely. With reference to security protection of information stored in the on-board mounted built-in HDD, the information stored in the built-in HDD can be transferred to and stored in the cartridge type HDD.
US07974084B2
Multi-sectioned arms are used as a basic mechanism for coupling the display and the base of a portable electronic device. With this mechanism, one single portable electronic device can support all of the following capabilities. The display can move continuously, relative to the back edge of the base, along any combination of up and down, left and right, and forward and backward directions. The display can be tilted up and down as well as sideways and also set to portrait and landscape orientations. The base can be tilted forward for typing comfort and better heat dispersion. There is also an anti-tipping mechanism. When the display is in conventional open or close positions, each arm can be folded and parked alongside, parallel to, and away from the edge of the base. The arms can be detached from the computer. The base and the display can overlay each other in four ways.
US07974083B2
A displaying apparatus includes a displaying panel having a plane and being surrounded by an external margin of the displaying panel, with the plane comprising a central region closer to a center position of the displaying panel than the external margin and a peripheral region positioned between the external margin and the central region, and a support member supporting the displaying panel by having a first portion opposing the central region and a second portion opposing the peripheral region. In addition, an adhesive member is provided between the displaying panel and the support member, with the plane being bonded to the support member by the adhesive member, and a cushion material is provided between the displaying panel and the support member. The plane of the displaying panel is bonded to the first portion by the adhesive member only at its central region, and the cushion material is provided between the peripheral region of the plane and the second portion.
US07974080B2
A computer system that has an outer shape that is round in outer cross-section. The computer housing can be formed of first and second housing parts that are each round in outer cross-section where one unscrews relative to another like taking the lid off a jar. The inside of the housing can store various kinds of nonvolatile memory and a processor. The user's entire processing environment may be stored within the memory and processor, and part of that environment may include stylesheet that represents specific styles of the user.
US07974073B2
An electric double-layer capacitor includes: a positive electrode containing a carbon material; a negative electrode containing a carbon material and a titanium oxide; and an electrolytic solution containing an ammonium salt. A weight ratio of the titanium oxide to the carbon material contained in the negative electrode is 2% by weight or more but not more than 50% by weight.
US07974070B2
An NTC capacitor comprises a capacitor body having a plurality of insulator layers laminated therein, first to third inner electrodes arranged within the capacitor body, and first to third terminal electrodes arranged on outer surfaces of the capacitor body. The first inner electrode is connected to only the first terminal electrode. The second inner electrode is connected to only the second terminal electrode. The third inner electrode is connected to only the third terminal electrode. The third inner electrode opposes none of the first and second inner electrodes in the laminating direction of the insulator layers.
US07974055B2
A protection circuit network includes one or more protection devices, used to protect one or more devices in an integrated circuit (IC) design. The protection devices are globally coupled together, for connection to an internal or external power supply. During manufacture of the IC, the protection circuit network protects the at-risk devices. During operation of the IC, the protection circuit network is powered down, such that excessive current leakage is avoided.
US07974051B2
An interface circuit is provided between a first circuit block and a second circuit block that operates using a power supply system differing from that of the first circuit block. An electrostatic discharge protection circuit that include a PN diode and a diffused resistor is formed in order to prevent electrostatic discharge destruction of a gate insulating film of a transistor that forms the interface circuit. The electrostatic discharge protection circuit may be formed using the remaining basic cells of a gate array that forms the second circuit block. An electrostatic discharge protection circuit formed of a bidirectional diode may be connected between a first low-potential power supply and a second low-potential power supply.
US07974046B2
The present invention provides a thin-film magnetic head which surely improves the writing and reading characteristic with reducing the flying height and surely handles the contact or collision with the magnetic recording medium.A thin-film magnetic head is provided, which includes, an substrate with ABS; a read or write head element provided on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one protrusion adjustment portion whose end reaches a slider end surface on the ABS side, which provides on an element-formed surface of the substrate; at least one heating portion provided rear at least one protrusion adjustment portion viewed from the slider end surface on the ABS side.
US07974043B2
A thermally assisted magnetic head has a slider having a medium-facing surface, and a light source unit having a light source support substrate, and a light source disposed on the light source support substrate; the slider has a slider substrate and a magnetic head portion disposed on a side surface of the slider substrate; the magnetic head portion has a magnetic recording element for generating a magnetic field, first and second waveguides, for receiving light through an end face and guiding the light to the medium-facing surface, and a near-field light generator disposed on an end face; the light source support substrate is fixed to a surface of the slider substrate so that light emitted from the light source can enter the end face of the first waveguide.
US07974042B2
The present invention relates to a thin-film device whose bump has an improved surface property. A thin-film element of the thin-film device includes at least one of an electromagnetic conversion element, a passive element and an active element. A lead conductor film containing Cu as a main component is connected to the thin-film element. The lead conductor is provided with a bump. The bump includes a first conductor film and a second conductor film. The first conductor film is adhered onto the lead conductor film and is a Ta film or made of a material having a comparably fine crystal structure. The second conductor film is a plated film which is directly or indirectly formed on the first conductor film and contains Au as a main component.
US07974024B2
A lens drive apparatus includes a base, a lens frame, a nut movable with the lens frame while being threadably engaged with a lead screw, a main guide shaft for guiding the lens frame along an optical axis, an auxiliary guide shaft for guiding the lens frame along the optical axis while inhibiting the lens frame from rotating, and a cover, arranged so as to oppose the base for mating with and securing the main guide shaft and auxiliary guide shaft. The lens frame has a lens holding part projecting out of the base and cover. The base and cover have a first positioning pin and a first positioning hole, which are provided near the main guide shaft, and a second positioning pin and a second positioning hole, which are provided at a position distanced from the main guide shaft. The foregoing can yield a lens drive apparatus having high optical performances, which can be assembled with a high precision.
US07974022B2
A lens module includes a barrel, a first lens, an annular retaining member and three driving devices. The retaining member is arranged in the barrel. The driving devices are arranged on the retaining member. Each of the driving devices has a base attached on the retaining member, a plurality of first electrodes formed on the base and a comb-shaped carrier. The carrier has a beam attached on the base and a plurality of second electrodes extending from the beam and suspended above the first electrodes at a first position. The first lens is carried by the second electrodes. When a first voltage is applied on the first electrodes and a second voltage is applied on the second electrodes, an electrostatic force is generated between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and the second electrodes are moved down, such that the first lens is brought to a second position.
US07974016B2
A fixed focus lens includes, numbered in order of location from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens. The first lens is a biconvex lens with a positive refractive power, and the second lens is a convex-concave lens with a negative refractive power. The third lens is a concave-convex lens with a positive refractive power, and the fourth lens is an aspherical lens having a negative refractive power in the centre portion thereof and a positive refractive power at the periphery portion thereof. The fixed focus lens satisfies the condition: 1.0>|(1/r2−1/r1)|>0.6, where r1 denotes the radius of curvature of a front surface of the second lens and r2 denotes the radius of curvature of a rear surface of the first lens.
US07974014B2
An optical system for taking image comprises three lens elements with refractive power, wherein a first lens element with positive refractive power includes at least one aspheric surface, a second lens element with negative refractive power, and a third lens element with negative refractive power includes at least one aspheric surface, which are mounted orderly from the object side to the image side. By such arrangements, the volume of the lens assembly can be reduced, and can obtain high resolution.
US07974010B2
The present invention relates to pigments comprising or consisting of a layer made of a material with an index of refraction that is higher than the index of refraction of the adjacent material by at least 0.25; whereas said layer has a zero-order diffractive micro-structure; whereas said layer acts as an optical waveguide and whereas said layer has a thickness between 50 nm and 500 nm; to processes for its manufacture and to its use. These pigments show a color effect upon rotation and/or tilting, and it is believed that this color effect is based on zero-order diffraction.
US07974007B2
A display device comprising: a display cell including at least two color regions, each of the at least color regions including a right-eye pixel and a left-eye pixel corresponding to a right eye and a left eye of a viewer, respectively; and a lenticular cell including at least two lenses corresponding to the at least two color regions, wherein the at least two lenses having different focal lengths.
US07974006B2
The present invention serves to provide a stereoscopic sheet structure in which a three-dimensional design appears to be changing by changing the angle of observation. The stereoscopic sheet structure has a convex lens assembly which is formed on one surface of a sheet member and in which a plurality of convex lenses are arranged; and a repeating design portion in which a plurality of design units are arranged on a focal plane of the convex lenses at arrangement intervals and/or in arrangement directions different from those of the convex lenses, and which has a continuously deformed design portion in which the arrangement intervals and arrangement directions of the design units regularly change.
US07974002B2
An optical communication system is operable to communicate a plurality of wavelength signals at a bit rate of at least 9.5 gigabits per second over a multiple span communication link spanning at least 400 kilometers without optical regenerators. The plurality of wavelength signals include a bandwidth of more than 32 nanometers separated into at least 160 optical channels. The system includes a plurality of optical transmitters implementing a forward error correction (FEC) coding technique. The FEC encoded wavelength signals comprise a bit error rate of 10−09 or better after FEC decoding. The system also includes at least five (5) optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs), each coupled to one or more spans of the multiple span communication link. The system further includes a plurality of amplifiers each coupled to one or more spans of the communication link, at least a majority of the amplifiers comprise a distributed Raman amplification stage.
US07973996B2
An optical system for a digital light projection system is provided. The optical system comprises a plurality of LED arrays, wherein each LED array comprises a plurality of LEDs. The optical system also comprises an optical concentrator element positioned substantially adjacent to each of the LED arrays, wherein each concentrator element totally internally reflects light emitted from the plurality of LEDs within the corresponding LED array so as to provide substantially uniform light at an output surface of each concentrator element, and wherein the concentrator element has a complex conic shape. The optical system preferably further comprises an optical combiner element, wherein the output surface of each concentrator element is positioned substantially adjacent to a corresponding side of the combiner element, and wherein the combiner element spatially combines the substantially uniform light provided at the output surface of each concentrator element so as to form substantially white light at an output surface of the combiner element.
US07973995B2
A nanostructured optoelectronic device is provided which comprises a nanostructured material and a host material intermingled with the nanostructured material. The host material may have a higher index of refraction than the nanostructured material. The host material's index of refraction may be chosen to maximize the effective active area of the device. In an alternative embodiment, the host material comprises scattering centers or absorption/luminescence centers which absorb light and reemit the light at a different energy or both.
US07973991B2
An oscillator device includes an oscillation system 115 having a plurality of oscillators and a plurality of torsion springs, a supporting member for supporting the oscillation system 115, driving members 114 and 1152, a signal output device 121 and 122, and a drive control unit 101-113, 123 and 124, wherein the driving member drives the oscillation system 115 so that the oscillator provides oscillation presented by an equation including the sum of a plurality of periodic functions, wherein the signal output device produces a signal corresponding to the displacement of the oscillator, and wherein the drive control unit controls the driving member based on an output signal of the signal output device and by use of a driving signal which is expressed by an equation including the sum of a plurality of periodic functions, the drive control unit including a driving signal generation circuit 109 for generating a driving signal using a trigonometric function table 110.
US07973981B2
A scanner includes a first illuminant device having a first power associated therewith, and a second illuminant device having a second power associated therewith. The first power is greater than the second power, and each of the first illuminant device and the second illuminant device is configured to selectively scan a document. The scanner is configured to select one of the first illuminant device and the second illuminant device based, at least in part on, a level of power supplied to the scanner via a power source, and perform a single scan of the document using only the selected one of the first illuminant device and the second illuminant device.
US07973974B2
A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for modifying printing based upon direct on-the-fly media characteristic parameters is disclosed. The present invention on-the-fly directly measures a media characteristic parameter and performs real-time print modification in response thereto. The measured characteristic parameters include paper texture and composition, as well as adhesion and penetration of print. The modification of print in response to these measured parameters may allow a customer to maintain observed print quality with lower-cost materials. Adjustments may include the addition of coating, hot rolling, or adjustment of toner concentration. Measured parameters may include mottle, paper texture, and bleed through.
US07973972B2
An image processing method generates a halftone image by forming a halftone dot represented by a set of one or plural output dots corresponding to an intensity of an input image signal while making a part of the dots constituting the halftone dot to be an actual non-output dot so as to reduce an amount of a coloring material of a halftone-dot portion. The image processing method includes holding in a predetermined storage medium halftone-dot profile data for forming the halftone dot corresponding to the intensity of the image signal and gap-size profile data representing a size of a set of the non-output dot; and generating the halftone dot comprising a gap having a size based on the gap-size profile data, a size of the halftone dot being based on the halftone-dot profile data.
US07973968B2
A method of automatic white balance for an image capture system is disclosed. The automatic white balance mechanism ascertains the illuminant source of an image by analyzing the number of white pixels within a predefined white area in a color space diagram. The automatic white balance mechanism also determines gain adjustments based on the evaluating the average RGB values to achieve white balance.
US07973965B2
A digital camera comprises an image sensor for sensing an image; a card reader configured to read a removable data card carrying distortion information; a printer configured to print a distorted image on print media, the printer including a replaceable print roll carrying both the print media and ink to be printed upon the print media; anda controller for controlling the communication of the distorted images to the printer. The print roll includes an ink reservoir section and the ink reservoir section includes a plurality of bladder type containers for storing respective types of ink. A cavity is provided in the ink reservoir section for receiving an integrated circuit device storing information associated with the print roll.
US07973964B2
A computer-readable recording medium recorded with a printing program causes a processor of a computer to calculate a rendering area of print data stored in a storing section of the computer as a primary area based on the print data, and to calculate a rendering area of commentary string data to be attached to the print data as a sub-area. The program then judges whether the primary area and the sub-area overlap, and whether the sub-area deviates from an effective printing area. The commentary string data can be changed so that the primary area and the sub-area do not overlap, and so that the entire sub-area is within the effective printing area, if at least one of the judgment results in the judging step is affirmative. The changed commentary string data then is attached to the print data.
US07973962B2
Approaches for the optimized printing of electronic documents are provided. The approaches are applicable to a wide variety of contexts and implementations and include generating an estimated processing time for an electronic document and reporting the estimated processing time back to a client device. Generating an estimated time to process includes processing at least a portion of the print data. Further, the approaches include re-ordering a processing queue based on the estimated processing time for the electronic document, and additionally based on an in-queue time for each print data in the processing queue. Further, any user-designated priority may be factored into the re-ordering of print data in the processing queue, or in the alternative, bypass the optimization process entirely. These approaches may be implemented on a printing device, a print server, a client device or any other device capable of utilizing these approaches.
US07973945B2
A printer for printing an interface is provided. The printer has a coded tag generator configured to generate coded tags based on identity data indicative of an identity associated with the interface and position data defining a relative position of each tag on the interface, and a printhead for printing the interface with the coded tags at the positions defined by the position data and having the identity data.
US07973940B2
An optical object measurement apparatus includes a light source for generating a low-coherent light beam, which is swept via an array of pinholes on a Nipkow disk that rotates about an axis. A beam splitter splits the swept light beam into a probe light beam toward an object to be measured and a reference light beam toward a reference optical path. The probe light beam from the object and the reference light that has traveled along the reference optical path are combined in the beam splitter to produce interference light. A two-dimensional image-capturing device detects the interference light and produces a video signal to provide reflection intensity information of the interior of the object. This allows an interference optical system to be readily realized and tomographic images of an object to be observed at high levels of resolution and contrast.
US07973934B2
The plasmon resonance sensor (1) comprises a chip (2) of transparent plastic with a gold layer (3) made up of narrow part surfaces (4), arranged in a row, on the inner side of which light from a planar light source (12) is convergently guided. A Fourier lens (24) integrated in the chip (2) forms the reflected angular spectrum on the detector (23), arranged at a focal separation (F) from the integrated Fourier lens (24) for temporal determination of the incident angle with a resonant intensity minimum of reflected light. An incident lens (13) brings about imaging of the planar light source (12) in the form of lines of light on the part surfaces (4), which are further imaged in the form of lines of light on the detector (23).
US07973921B2
An optical inspection system or tool can be configured to inspect objects using dynamic illumination where one or more characteristics of the illumination is/are adjusted to meet the inspection needs of different areas. For example, the illumination intensity may be increased or decreased as the tool inspects areas of memory and periphery features in a wafer die. In some embodiments, the adjustment can be based on data obtained during a pre-inspection setup sequence in which images taken based on illumination with varying characteristics are evaluated for suitability in the remainder of the inspection process.
US07973920B2
A defect inspection apparatus includes a movable stage for mounting a substrate having circuit patterns as an object of inspection, an irradiation optical system which irradiates a slit-shaped light beam from an oblique direction to the circuit patterns of the substrate, a detection optical system which includes an image sensor for receiving reflected/scattered light from the substrate by irradiation of the slit-shaped light beam and converting the received light into a signal, and an image processor which processes the signal. The irradiation optical system includes a cylindrical lens and a coherency reduction optical system, which receives the light beam and emits a plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams which are spatially reduced in coherency in a light-converging direction of the cylindrical lens. The cylindrical lens focuses the plurality of slit-shaped light sub-beams into the slit-shaped light beam irradiated to the surface of the substrate.
US07973910B2
A stage apparatus includes: a moving stage, which moves along a movement plane; a first moving table, which holds a specimen while being able to move with respect to the moving stage; and a second moving table, which is provided on the moving stage and, when the first moving table has moved from a first position to a second position, is positioned at the first position.
US07973908B2
The invention relates to a projection system for guiding light with wavelengths ≦193 nm from an object plane to an image plane, comprising at least a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a fourth mirror, a fifth mirror and a sixth mirror centered around an optical axis and being arranged along the optical axis, with the light traveling from the object plane to the first mirror, then from the first mirror to the second mirror then from the second mirror to the third mirror, then from the third mirror, the fourth mirror, then from the fourth mirror to the fifth mirror and then from the fifth mirror to the sixth mirror. The invention is characterized in that the first mirror is arranged along the optical axis geometrically between the fifth mirror and the sixth mirror, and the third mirror is a convex mirror.
US07973895B2
An antiglare film includes an antiglare layer having a binder matrix, and particles A and particles B therein on a transparent substrate. A difference in density between the particles A and particles B is 0.2 g/cm3 or less. The quotient value (RA/H), which is obtained by division of the average diameter of the particles A (RA) by the average thickness of the antiglare layer (H), is in the 0.40-0.80 range. The quotient value (RB/RA), which is obtained by division of the average diameter of the particles B (RB) by the average diameter of the particles A (RA), is in the 0.20-0.60 range. The quotient value ((wA+wB)/wM), which is obtained by dividing the sum of the content of the particles A (wA) and that of the particles B (wB) in the antiglare layer (wA+wB) by the content of the binder matrix in the antiglare layer (wM), is in the 0.10-0.40 range. The quotient value (wB/wA), which is obtained by division of the content of the particles B (wB) by that of the particles A (wA) in the antiglare layer, is in the 0.50-1.50 range.
US07973885B2
Disclosed is a display substrate including a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor formed thereon. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, and the pixel electrode is formed by extending the drain electrode thereby reducing the required number of process steps and photo masks.
US07973878B2
An optical structure placeable between a backlight array of point light sources and a planar display. The structure distributes light emitted by the point light sources to uniformly illuminate the plane of the display, without introducing significant viewing parallax. The emitted light is partially collimated within a preferred angular viewing range, maximizing the display's luminance when viewed from the normal direction. The structure is highly reflective, such that a substantial portion of any non-emitted light rays are internally reflected by the structure, increasing the likelihood that those rays will be subsequently emitted by the structure.
US07973869B2
A liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line and a data line on the first substrate, the gate line and the data line crossing each other to define a pixel region; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode; a first shielding layer covering a space between the source and drain electrodes; a color filter layer on the first shielding layer; a pixel electrode on the color filer layer; a black matrix on the second substrate, the black matrix corresponding to the gate line and the data line; a common electrode on the black matrix; a patterned spacer on the common electrode, the patterned spacer corresponding to the black matrix; and a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the common electrode.
US07973854B2
An image pickup apparatus which permits reduction of the thickness of a mechanism for holding an optical filter component and prevents failure of the optical filter component. A CCD is configured to convert an object image having passed through the photographic lens into an electric signal. A CCD plate holds the CCD. A CCD rubber is disposed on the object-side surface of the CCD, and an optical LPF is disposed on the object-side surface of the CCD rubber. An LPF cover is opposed to the CCD rubber in a manner sandwiching the optical LPF between the CCD rubber and the LPF cover itself. The LPF cover is supported by the CCD plate such that the CCD, the CCD plate, the CCD rubber, the optical LPF, and the LPF cover are combined into a unitary assembly.
US07973853B2
An image pickup device provided with an automatic exposure function includes an image pickup unit configured to input image data corresponding to a subject, a face detection unit configured to detect a human face from the image data input from the image pickup unit, a photometric unit configured to measure optical intensity, designating the human face detected by the face detection unit as a photometric area, and an exposure control unit configured to calculate the exposure based on the photometric result of the human face by the photometric unit, and to perform exposure control based on the calculated exposure.
US07973851B2
An auto-focus system comprising an AF area indicating device for indicating a range of an AF area in the shooting screen, an AF area changing device for changing a range of an AF area to be set in the focus controlling device to a range of an AF area indicated by the AF area indicating device, and a switching device for switching a change of a range of an AF area by the AF area changing device between possible and impossible, wherein the change at least relates to the location of an AF area, and wherein the switching device switches a change of a range of an AF area to impossible when the view finder controlling device has no function of displaying the AF area information on the view finder.
US07973842B2
The invention provides a new method and apparatus for NTSC and PAL image sensors which employs fusion of adjacent row pixel charge samples to generate image data for a row. A variety of fusion schemes are possible for fusing the pixel signals from the adjacent rows. The rows of pixels are scanned so that each scan takes an odd row signal sample and, in some cases, an adjacent even row signal sample when specified conditions are met. One sampled row of the two adjacent rows integrate an image with a first integration period while the other adjacent row integrates an image with a second integration period.
US07973840B2
A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, the matrix defining columns of the pixels, and each of the pixels outputting an analog signal by performing photoelectric conversion; an analog-digital converter provided for each of columns which sequentially converts a plurality of analog signals outputted from the pixels in a column into a plurality of digital signals; a memory circuit provided for each column which includes memories and performs, in parallel, a process of storing a one of the digital signals in one of the memories and a process of outputting another of the digital signals previously stored in another of the memories; and data buses connected to the memory in each column.
US07973830B2
In a digital camera (10), an imaging sensitivity setting circuit (61) selects a pair of distance range selection parameters “A” and “B” according to a zoom position of a zoom lens (41), to compare an in-focus position of a focusing lens (43) with these parameters “A” and “B”, wherein the parameters “A” and “B” correspond to a farther distance and a nearer distance respectively. If the in-focus position is farther than the parameter “A”, the imaging sensitivity is set to a high level. If the in-focus position is in between these parameters “A” and “B”, the imaging sensitivity is set to a middle level. If the in-focus position is nearer than the parameter “B”, the imaging sensitivity is set to a low level. Based on the set imaging sensitivity level and a measured subject brightness value, a system controller (41) controls the exposure value and the flashlight volume.
US07973826B2
There is provided a program creation apparatus with improved operability in checking an operation of a created control program, including: a program generating section for acquiring a camera image from a camera based upon an image pick-up trigger signal, to extract a measurement result from the acquired camera image as a control program for the image processing controller; a simulation part for executing the control program; and a communication section for transferring the control program to the image processing controller, wherein the simulation part includes an offline simulation section for extracting a measurement result from a camera image previously held as a registration image, and an online simulation section for acquiring a camera image from the camera through the image processing controller when executing the control program, to extract the measurement result from the acquired camera image.
US07973819B2
An apparatus for determining the present position of a vehicle, by utilizing a visible-light communication system. The apparatus uses a visible-light communication beacon and video data representing an image photographed by one camera. The beacon emits a visible optical signal, thus transmitting position data. The visible-light communication beacon comprises a road-illuminating lamp and a visible-light communication apparatus, both secured to a lamp post. The vehicle has the camera and a vehicle position determination apparatus. The vehicle position determination apparatus demodulates the visible optical signal, there restoring the position data, and calculates the present position of the vehicle from the position data.
US07973817B2
A pixel clock and pulse-modulation-signal generating device includes a high-frequency-clock generating unit that generates a high-frequency clock; a modulation-data generating unit that generates, based on pixel control data that specifies a pixel length and image data, phase data that indicates a transition timing of a pixel clock and modulation data that indicates a desired bit pattern that corresponds to the image data; a pixel-clock generating unit that generates a pixel clock based on the high-frequency clock, the phase data, and a horizontal synchronization signal; and a serial-modulation-signal generating unit that inputs the modulation data, and outputs a pulse modulation signal in a serial pulse string based on the high-frequency clock.
US07973812B2
Movement of platen rollers are started at a predetermined timing considering the distance from a paper sensor to thermal heads, and a paper feeding speed, so that the movement of the platen rollers is completed at the time when the thermal paper reaches the thermal heads.
US07973810B2
An object of the invention is to provide a display device that allows its useful life to be prolonged without letting the user of the device conscious of changes in the display state of the display device, and the power consumption to be prevented from increasing, and the usable time without charging to be prevented from being shortened even when a light emitting display device is used. The display device is driven by a power source chargeable by connection with an external power source and includes a display portion (4), a display control portion (31) that switches between an inverted display state and a non-inverted display state of said display portion (4), and a power source detection portion (5) that detects a connection with said external power source. The display control portion switches between the inverted display state and non-inverted display state of said display portion (4) when said power source detection portion (5) detects a connection with said external power source.
US07973809B2
A driving circuit of an electro-optical device wherein one field is divided into p (p is an integer that is equal to or more than two) groups and each group is divided into two sub-fields. The p groups each are set to have the length of a time period that is equal to one another. The 2p sub-fields that constitute the one field are set to different lengths of time periods in such a manner that a boundary between two sub-fields of each group is shifted by a predetermined interval compared to the boundary between the two sub-fields of the preceding group. The different gray scale values are expressed by turning on a single sub-field or n (n is an integral number that is equal to two or more and that is equal to or less than 2p) sub-fields that are adjacent to each other.
US07973798B2
A “texture generator” uses an inverse texture synthesis solution that runs in the opposite direction to traditional forward synthesis techniques to construct 2D texture compactions for use by a graphics processing unit (GPU) of a computer system. These small 2D texture compactions generally summarize an original globally variant texture or image, and are used to reconstruct the original texture or image, or to re-synthesize new textures or images under user-supplied constraints. In various embodiments, the texture generator uses the texture compaction to provide real-time synthesis of globally variant textures on a GPU, where texture memory is generally too small for large textures. Further, the texture generator provides an optimization framework for inverse texture synthesis which ensures that each input region is properly encoded in the output compaction. In addition, the texture generator also computes orientation fields for anisotropic textures containing both low- and high-frequency regions.
US07973794B2
A method and system are disclosed for rendering animated graphics on a browser client based upon a stream of runtime data from a manufacturing/process control system. The graphics animation is based upon an animated graphic display object specification and runtime data from a portal server affecting an appearance trait of the animated graphic display object. The client browser receives an animated graphics description from the portal server specifying an animation behavior for an identified graphical display object. The client creates a data exchange connection between an animated display object, corresponding to the animated graphics description, and a source of runtime data from the portal server affecting display of the animated display object. Thereafter, the client applies runtime data received from the source of runtime data to the animated display object to render an animated graphic display object.
US07973786B2
A first viewer (310) is activated to define and render a visualization of a first interactive virtual reality experience to a user. At least one first application (320, 330, 340) is selected for use with the first interactive virtual reality experience and at least one first event handler (321, 322, 323, 331, 341, 342) associated with the at least one first application is responsively activated. State information is responsively stored in the viewer concerning the objects in the virtual reality experience, the selected at least one first application (320, 330, 340) and the at least one first event handler (321, 322, 323, 331, 341, 342) in a memory. The first viewer (310), the at least one first application (320, 330, 340), and the at least one first event handler (321, 322, 323, 331, 341, 342) are then deactivated and a second viewer (350) associated with a second interactive virtual reality experience is activated.
US07973784B2
A drive circuit of an electro-optical device includes: plural rows of scanning lines; plural columns of data lines; a plurality of common electrodes; pixel switching elements, pixel capacitors; and pixels. Here, the drive circuit includes a scanning line drive circuit; and first transistors corresponding to the plurality of common electrodes. Each of the first transistors includes: a common electrode drive circuit for connecting the common electrode to a power supply line, to which a predetermined voltage is applied, when the scanning line is selected, a common signal output circuit having a voltage for allowing a detection voltage of the common electrode corresponding to a scanning line to become a reference voltage when the scanning line is selected, and a data line drive circuit having a voltage according to the gray scale level of the pixel to the pixel corresponding to the selected scanning line via the data line.
US07973782B2
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus including: an available pixel section having a plurality of available pixel circuits; a plurality of scan lines; a plurality of capacitor lines; a plurality of signal lines; a driving circuit; and a monitor circuit wherein each of the available pixel circuits laid out on the available pixel section includes a display element having first and second pixel electrodes and a storage capacitor having first and second electrodes, in each of the available pixel circuits, the first pixel electrode and the first electrode are connected to one terminal of a switching device, in each of the available pixel circuits provided on any individual one of the rows, the second electrode is connected to the capacitor line provided for the individual row, and the common voltage signal with the level changing at time intervals determined in advance is supplied to the second pixel electrode of each of the display elements.
US07973781B2
There is provided an image display device with a two-modulation optical system for displaying an image corresponding to input image signals. The image display device includes a first optical modulation element for turning on or off pixels every subfield in the unit of plane; and second optical modulation elements for displaying gradation of the pixels in the unit of line, the first optical modulation element and the second optical modulation element are arranged optically in series; a second optical modulation element drive unit for driving the second optical modulation elements in a line-sequential manner; and a first optical modulation element drive unit for generating a control signal for controlling the pixels in lines disposed to correspond to the unit of single or several lines of the line-sequential driving of the second modulation elements with a driving interval in the unit of single or several lines and controlling the first optical modulation element in synchronism with the unit of single or several lines.
US07973777B2
A display apparatus may include touch detection circuitry including a light sensing circuit and a physical parameter sensing circuit (e.g., a pressure sensing circuit). The display apparatus may further include processing circuitry implementing a power-saving mode and a normal mode, and configured to generate touch information. An display driver may include a photo sensing circuit and a pressure sensing circuit. An embodiment of the display driver may include: an amplifying unit amplifying a photo sensing signal and a pressure sensing signal; a parallel-to-serial converting unit converting the amplified photo sensing signal and the amplified pressure sensing signal into serial sensing signals; and an analog-to-digital converter converting the serial sensing signals into digital sensing signals, wherein the amplifying unit, the parallel-to-serial converting unit, and the analog-to-digital converter operate in one of a normal mode and a power saving mode according to the pressure sensing signal.
US07973775B2
A system for enabling user interaction with computer software which includes a printer for receiving print data, printing a form, using the print data, by printing information related to at least one text field coincident with coded data indicative of the text field, receiving indicating data from a sensing device and transferring the indicating data to a computer system to allow the interaction to be interpreted. The sensing device when moved relative to the text field senses the coded data and generates the indicating data using the sensed coded data to be indicative of the relative movement of the sensing device. The computer system determines a handwritten signature using the movement, determines a predetermined signature using a user identity, and verifies the user by comparing the signatures.
US07973768B2
An optical navigation device for operation in a surface navigation mode and a free space navigation mode. The optical navigation device includes a microcontroller, a first navigation sensor, and a second navigation sensor. The first navigation sensor is coupled to the microcontroller, and the second navigation sensor is coupled to the first navigation sensor. The microcontroller processes a movement of the optical navigation device. The first navigation sensor generates a first navigation signal in a first navigation mode. The second navigation sensor generates a second navigation signal in a second navigation mode and sends the second navigation signal to the first navigation sensor. By implementing a navigation sensor to process signals from multiple navigation sensors, the cost and size of the optical navigation device can be controlled, and a small packaging design can be used.
US07973764B2
The present invention is directed to a method for switching a data entry mode, when editing data displayed on a limited input device. The method comprises evaluating a first input point, in relation to a second input point, positioned in an input window of the limited input device, wherein the first point is associated with a first data entry mode and the second input point is associated with a second data entry mode.
US07973758B2
An apparatus and method for display backlight control are disclosed. The method includes: finding statistics characteristics of pixels in a frame; using statistics characteristics to refer to a table for outputting representative gamma value; using a user setting value and representative gamma value for calculating a backlight setting range; starting from the user setting value, using a backlight adjusting value obtained from subtracting or adding a predetermined value from current backlight setting value to control a backlight module in each predetermined time period; using boundary value of the current backlight setting range as backlight adjusting value when the backlight adjusting value is beyond the backlight setting range; using current backlight adjusting value and user setting value to refer to an image compensation table for finding an image compensation value; performing compensation operations on input image data according to the backlight adjusting value and the user setting value of backlight luminance.
US07973753B2
An image display device corrects image data, which are used for displaying an image, using a gray scale value assigned to each pixel and also controls the amount of source light emitted from a light source. The image display device includes a source light amount control device and an image correction device. The source light amount control device determines the amount of source light and then controls the amount of source light. The image correction device corrects a signal used for changing saturations of the image data so as to reduce a change in the saturations due to a change in the amount of source light, the change in the amount of source light being performed by the light source amount control device.
US07973752B2
The present invention is so arranged as to include (a) gradation reference potential generating means including a group of output terminals whose voltages are determined in accordance with a voltage division ratio of one ladder resistor, so as to output gradation reference potentials, for example, of 1024, which is a 16 multiple of a required 64-gradations; (b) output terminal designating means including a memory for designating, among from the output terminals, an output terminal for each of the 64-gradations required, in accordance with the display modes; and (c) selecting means for selecting an output terminal that corresponds to an input gradation signal, among from the output terminals designated by the output terminal designating section, and for applying a voltage via the thus selected output terminal to a display screen. With this arrangement, it is possible to attain very similar gradient signal-brightness characteristics for respective display modes with high accuracy, in order to prevent a gradient display from being changed due to switchover of the display modes.
US07973739B2
An electronic book includes a housing defining a card slot on a first face thereof, the housing including first and second housing portions; a spine member pivotally coupling the first and second housing portions, the spine defining a cavity therein; a screen display mounted on the housing on a second face thereof opposite the first face; microprocessor circuitry positioned in the housing, in between the card slot and the screen display, the microprocessor circuitry controlling an operation of the electronic book; and a card scanner mounted in the housing between the microprocessor circuitry and the card slot, and facing away from the screen display, the card scanner configured to scan a card inserted into the card slot and to convert a two-dimensional pattern on the card into data signals, the card scanner being connected to the microprocessor circuitry. The microprocessor circuitry is configured to convert the data signals into image data to be viewed on the screen display.
US07973731B2
The conical monopole antenna includes a conical antenna element having an apex and a base, a conductive base member coupled across the base of the conical antenna element and a ground plane antenna element, e.g. a disc antenna element, adjacent the apex of the conical antenna element. A fold conductor is coupled between the conductive base member and the ground plane antenna element. The fold conductor may include at least one impedance element, such as a resistive element or inductive element. An antenna feed structure is coupled to the ground plane and conical antenna elements. The antenna may have reduced gain above a cutoff frequency being traded for low VSWR below the cutoff frequency to get increased usable bandwidth. The folded resistive termination is preferential to driving point attenuation and edge loading, and the conical monopole antenna provides low VSWR at most radio frequencies.
US07973719B2
A semiconductor package includes an insulating substrate configured to be provided for mounting a semiconductor chip which processes a signal with a frequency in a radio frequency band. The insulating substrate includes a first external connecting electrode, a second external connecting electrode, and a partial antenna wiring. The first external connecting electrode and the second external connecting electrode are connected with the partial antenna wiring. Each of the first external connecting electrode and the second external connecting electrode is an electrode to be connected with an external antenna pattern.
US07973717B2
A system and method for an antenna which is constructed into or conforming onto the roof or wall of a cargo container is provided. The antenna system may have multiple antennas for short range wireless, cellular, global positioning, or satellite built into a single functional element. The antenna system may utilize a patch or phased array design. The method of construction of the antenna system may as part of the container fabricated or installed at the factory, applied as an adhesive film kit, or applied as a successive spray coating and etching process.
US07973696B2
Methods and apparatus for providing a tunable absorption-emission band in a wavelength selective device are disclosed. A device for selectively absorbing incident electromagnetic radiation includes an electrically conductive surface layer including an arrangement of multiple surface elements. The surface layer is disposed at a nonzero height above a continuous electrically conductive layer. An electrically isolating intermediate layer defines a first surface that is in communication with the electrically conductive surface layer. The continuous electrically conductive backing layer is provided in communication with a second surface of the electrically isolating intermediate layer. When combined with an infrared source, the wavelength selective device emits infrared radiation in at least one narrow band determined by a resonance of the device. In some embodiments, the device includes a control feature that allows the resonance to be selectively modified. The device has broad applications including gas detection devices and infrared imaging.
US07973686B2
An integrated circuit device includes a plurality of data line driver circuits, a first correction D/A conversion circuit, and a plurality of D/A conversion circuits. Each of the data line driver circuits includes an operational amplifier, an input capacitor, and a first correction capacitor. Each of the D/A conversion circuits outputs an output signal to the input capacitor. The first correction D/A conversion circuit outputs a correction output voltage to the first correction capacitors to correct data signals output from the data line driver circuits.
US07973680B2
A system and computer readable storage medium for creating an in-memory physical dictionary for data compression are provided. A new heuristic is defined for converting each of a plurality of logical nodes into a corresponding physical node forming a plurality of physical nodes. Each of the physical nodes are placed into the physical dictionary while traversing the dictionary tree in descending visit count order. Each physical node is placed in its nearest ascendant's cache-line with sufficient space. If there is no space in any of the ascendant's cache-line, then the physical node is placed into a new cache-line, unless a pre-defined packing threshold has been reached, in which case the physical node is placed in the first available cache-line.
US07973674B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a vehicle-to-vehicle traffic queue information communication system, a traffic queue information communication device, and method. The system and method embodiments incorporate the use of multiple vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with a traffic queue information communication device. Each traffic queue information communication device can be used to determine if its corresponding vehicle has entered or exited a queue in a single lane of traffic. When the vehicle is in a queue, the device can communicate with the immediately adjacent vehicles in front and behind. Specifically, it can receive data from the preceding vehicle in the queue and use the received data to determine its position in the queue as well as the estimated time it will take to travel through the queue. Revised data can then be transmitted by the device to the next vehicle in the queue for making the same determinations.
US07973671B2
A wireless breakage indicator for a shear pin having an axial bore. The indicator (10) comprises a stem (20) having a head (22) and a foot (24) at opposite ends thereof; a sleeve (32) around a portion of the stem between a first (28) and second (30) axial positions, the stem (20) and sleeve (32) adapted to be broken by the shear pin (12) in the event of its breakage; a spring (26) compressed between the head (22) of the stem (20) and a first end (34) of the sleeve (32); the foot (24) of the stem (20) being retained to the second end (36) of the sleeve (32). The breakage of the stem (20) frees the head (22) to be displaced by the spring (26) and indicate breakage of the shear pin (12). The indication can be direct, by visual inspection of the displaced head, or indirect by the displacement of the head activating a transmitter.
US07973654B2
A system and method for detecting impending failure of a component of a disc cutterhead of a cutterbar of a plant cutting machine, the components will generate at least one indicator of an impending failure thereof, utilizing a plurality of sensors distributed among the cutterheads, each of the sensors being configured and operable for sensing at least one of the indicators of impending failure and outputting signals representative thereof to a controller automatically operable for processing the signals, to enable identifying an individual location or one of the cutterheads in which an impending failure of one or more of the components is present, and outputting a signal representative thereof to a warning device. The indicators can include, but are not limited to, temperature, sound, and vibration. The controller is also operable for determining comparative threshold values for the indicators, to adapt to changing conditions and norms.
US07973652B1
A personal safety system is designed for a user of a vehicle. The system includes body-protective gear adapted for wear by the user of the vehicle. A sensor determines a positive or negative functional state of the body-protective gear. In the positive functional state, the body-protective gear is presumed to be properly applied to a body part of the user; and in the negative functional state, the body-protective gear is presumed to be improperly applied to the body part of the user. A transceiver is operatively connected to the sensor, and communicates the functional state of the body-protective gear to the vehicle. When the body-protective gear is in the negative functional state, operation of the vehicle is restricted.
US07973648B2
When a television receiver is connected to a DVD player via an HDMI cable, HDMI authentication is carried out. EDID data is then acquired from the television receiver and a manufacturer name is determined. When the manufacturer name is determined to be, for example, “company A”, a table indicating a correspondence relationship of manufacturer names and remote control codes is referred to and remote control codes corresponding to the determined company A are selected. The selected remote control codes are then transmitted after selection of remote control codes of the company A is carried out. Remote control codes corresponding to the manufacturer name of the company A received from the DVD player are then stored in a memory in a manner corresponding to operation key numbers allocated in advance to a plurality of operation keys at a remote control unit.
US07973642B2
A system and method for managing food production, inventory and delivery in a restaurant by automatically monitoring the types and quantities of food types that have been cooked and are in a cooked food holding area. Food holding trays are equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and holding cabinets are equipped with RFID interrogators. The type and quantity of food items are determined manually or by machine vision or weighing systems, and the data is stored on the RFID tags and in a controller. The system manages the use of food items on a first-in, first-out basis, alerts operators when the inventory of an item is nearing exhaustion, and alerts operators when food items in the holding area must be discarded. The system manages movable trays of food no matter where in the facility they are located.
US07973641B1
An radio frequency identification (RFID) tag parking system to control a gate to allow a patron in a vehicle to enter and exit a parking facility without stopping, the system comprising: a first antenna for reading an RFID tag in a first area contained within a lane 215 associated with an entrance or an exit of the facility; a second antenna for reading the RFID tag in a second area, separate from the first area, contained within the lane 215 associated with the entrance or exit; an RFID reader 250 connected to the first and second antennae to read an identification (ID) associated with the RFID tag when the RFID tag passes through one of the first and second areas; and a processing device to determine that the read ID is valid and may access the facility and to control the gate to open. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second antennae are sequentially activated as a vehicle enters the first area and the second area, respectively. The system also may include a registration unit 120, a payment unit, a driver information unit, and a reservation unit.
US07973640B2
An output management system includes a terminal device and an output device, wherein the output management system includes an area management device for managing an access of the user to an area in which the output device is located and a shutoff device for shutting off the access of the user to the area. The area management device has a storing unit for storing registered authentication data, an inputting unit for inputting input authenticated data, a checking unit for checking the input authenticated data and the registered authentication data, and a shutoff releasing unit for releasing the shutoff by the shutoff device when the input authenticated data and the registered authentication data conform to each other.
US07973631B2
A method for manufacturing an inductive component which is formed from a plurality of layers, wherein the method comprises the steps of a) arrangement of an electrically conductive material as a winding of the component on a first non-magnetic, dielectric ceramic layer; b) formation of at least one cutout which passes all the way through in the non-magnetic, dielectric ceramic layer; c) arrangement of a first magnetic ceramic layer on an upper face and a second magnetic ceramic layer on a lower face of the non-magnetic, dielectric ceramic layer; and d) carrying out a process step in which at least one of the magnetic ceramic layers is plastically deformed such that contact is made with the two magnetic ceramic layers in the area of the cutout, and the two magnetic ceramic layers form a magnetic core of the component.
US07973630B2
A thin film magnetic device is provided, in which magnetic permeability in a high frequency range can be easily improved. Scratch-like grooves extending along an extending direction of a coil (for example, a Y-axis direction being an extending direction of a second coil part) are formed at least one side of a surface and a back of each of a lower magnetic film and an upper magnetic film. A magnetization direction of anisotropic magnetization is controlled in each of formation areas of the scratch-like grooves (formation areas of lower magnetic films and upper magnetic films), and therefore displacement (rotation) of the magnetization direction of the anisotropic magnetization is pinned by the scratch-like grooves. Consequently, certain magnetic permeability is kept even in a high frequency range. Moreover, such formation of the scratch-like grooves may not cause complexity in manufacturing process.
US07973621B2
A HOM attenuated high frequency resonator provided with a cylindrical resonator cavity on the outer surface of which are arranged three circular tapered waveguides with two symmetrically arranged ridges each, the cut-off frequency of the waveguide base mode being kept constant over the length of the waveguides by varying the height of the ridges, and the ridge waveguides being provided at their end of the smaller diameter with an impedance transformer each for the broadband adjustment of the coaxial line is to be cost-efficiently manufacturable as a compact structure and is to be of improved attenuation properties while at the same time having, relative to prior art arrangements, a high shunt impedance for the fundamental modes.
US07973620B2
A power amplifier filter for radio-frequency signals having an outphasing type architecture comprising a first stage (2) capable of generating, from an input signal s(t), two signals s1(t), s2(t) having an identical amplitude but phase shifted relative to each other, a second amplifier stage (3) for said signals s1(t), s2(t), and a third recombining stage (4) capable of summing the two signals s′1(t), s′2(t) obtained from second stage (3), characterized in that recombining stage (4) includes an assembly of acoustic wave resonators coupled to each other, some of these resonators referred to as “input resonators” being connected to the outputs of second stage (4) and others of these resonators referred to as “output resonators” being connected to the output terminals of the filter.
US07973606B2
The present relates to a fractional-N frequency synthesizer improving noise characteristics and a method thereof. The fractional-N frequency synthesizer includes a reference oscillator that generates a reference frequency signal; a sigma-delta modulator that generates a desired decimal value based on the reference frequency signal; a divider that divides a voltage controlled oscillation frequency signal; first to M phase/frequency detectors that detect a difference in phase and frequency between the reference frequency signal and the divided voltage controlled oscillation frequency signal; first to M charge pumps that are connected to each of the phase/frequency detectors in series and charges or pumps charge amount according to output signals from each of the phase/frequency detectors; a loop filter that controls the amount of supplied current based on output signals from the charge pumps to filter low-pass frequency components; and a voltage controlled oscillator that is oscillated in response to the output signal from the loop filter and generates voltage controlled oscillation frequency signals.
US07973604B2
The present invention relates to a tunable filter device for providing a tunable band pass characteristics for the receive path of a multi-band front-end module. According to the invention is proposed, a distributed, wide-band amplifier with a low-frequency cut-off and a high-frequency cut-off in combination with a LCR network, of which wide-band amplifier the DC blocking capacitors define the low-frequency cut-off of the filter device, whilst the high-frequency cut-off is determined by the cut-off frequency of the artificial input and output transmission lines of the LCR network. In one embodiment, additional capacitors are coupled in parallel to the DC blocking capacitors of the LCR network, switchable by MOS transistors as switching elements. Accordingly, in a certain embodiment it is proposed to allow tuning of the low- and the high-frequency cut-off by programming with a digital control command.
US07973603B2
A low-noise amplifier includes a first resistor that receives a first signal of a differential input signal, and a second resistor that receives a second signal of the differential input signal. The amplifier includes a first transconductance device coupled to the first resistor that provides a first signal of a differential output signal, and a second transconductance device coupled to the second resistor, that provides a second signal of the differential output signal. The receiver also includes a first capacitor coupled between the first resistor input and a control electrode on the second transconductance device, and a second capacitor coupled between the second resistor input and a control electrode on the first transconductance device. The low-noise amplifier can include additional gain stages.
US07973598B2
An audio power amplifier includes a pre-amplifier, an error amplifier, a comparator, a bridge circuit, and a feedback circuit, in which the gain of the pre-amplifier gradually increases when the audio power amplifier is powered on. The comparator generates a PWM signal by comparing a reference signal and an amplified audio signal. The bridge circuit has switches controlled according to the PWM signal such that a driving current alternately flows to and from a load. The feedback circuit generates the feedback signal indicating a condition of the load.
US07973588B2
An analog insulation multiplexer not causing magnetic saturation even if a small transformer is used and having a wide use temperature range. The analog insulation multiplexer includes: a first switching element for generating a drive control signal in accordance with an external signal; a drive insulation transformer for receiving the drive control signal on a primary side via a first resistor and for delivering an insulated drive control signal from a secondary side; a second switching element for chopping an analog signal input in accordance with the insulated drive control signal; and an analog signal insulation transformer for delivering an insulated chopped analog signal on a secondary side. The analog insulation multiplexer further includes a secondary side output adjusting circuit having a second resistor connected, on the primary side of the drive insulation transformer, in parallel to the first resistor and a capacitor having one end connected to a ground and another end connected in series to the second resistor.
US07973587B2
A mixer having high linearity and an associated transconductor combining programmable gain amplifier and mixer functions are provided. The transconductor includes first and second resistors, a differential amplifier, first and second feedback circuits, and first and second transistors. A differential voltage signal is inputted to first and second input ends of the differential amplifier via the first and second resistors. The first and second feedback circuits are provided between a first output end and the first input end, and a second output end and the second input end of the differential amplifier, respectively. The first output end outputs a first output signal for controlling a first current passing through the first transistor. The second output end outputs a second output signal for controlling a second current passing through the second transistor. The first current and the second current determine a differential current.
US07973585B2
A driver circuit including a pre-driver B1 that operates by receiving operating power from a first power supply VDDI, and a main-driver B2 that receives operating power from a second power supply VDDE, amplifies an output signal from the pre-driver B1, and outputs the amplified signal. It also includes a first switch B4 between the first power supply VDDI and the pre-driver B1. It also includes a second switch B5 between the second power supply VDDE and the main-driver B2. A overvoltage protection sequence circuit B3 controls the On/Off states of the first switch B4 and the second switch B5 to controls the On/Off order of the pre-driver B1 and the main-driver B2. By doing so, the overvoltage protection sequence circuit B3 prevent an overvoltage from being applied to the driver circuit, especially to the main-driver B2.
US07973580B2
A semiconductor device includes: a voltage-control-type clock generation circuit having a plurality of stages of first delay elements and whose oscillation frequency is controlled according to a control voltage applied to the first delay elements; a delay circuit having a plurality of stages of second delay elements connected serially; and a selection circuit selecting one from pulse signals output by the plurality of stages of respective second delay elements. The first delay elements and the second delay elements have a same structure formed on a same semiconductor substrate, and a delay amount of the second delay elements is adjusted according to the control voltage.
US07973576B2
A voltage controlled oscillator comprising first and second differential delay cells. The first differential delay cell has a first control voltage input terminal. The second differential delay cell is coupled to the first differential delay cell in a loop and has a second control voltage input terminal. The second voltage input terminal is disconnected from the first voltage control input terminal. The first voltage control input terminal receives a first voltage signal, and the second voltage control input terminal receives a second voltage signal different from the first voltage signal.
US07973566B2
A logic gate implements logical expressions. A least one logic gate input receives at least one input logic gate signal and at least one control signal. At least one output for produces a logic gate output signal. A nonlinear updater operates as a dynamically configurable element to produce a plurality of different logic gates as selected by the control signal. The nonlinear updater includes a nonlinear updater output. The nonlinear updater is configured to apply a nonlinear function to the input logic gate signal to produce the nonlinear updater output signal representing a logical expression being implemented by one of the plurality of different logic gates on the input logic gate signal. A comparator includes a comparator input that is adapted to receive a reference threshold value for producing the logical gate output signal based on a comparison of the nonlinear output signal to the reference threshold value.
US07973554B2
A method of configuring application-specific functional blocks embedded in a user programmable fabric, the user programmable fabric comprising configuration data control means having an input and an output and the application-specific functional blocks comprising configuration memory means having an input and an output. The method comprises the steps of sending configuration data to configure the application-specific functional block to the configuration control means of the user programmable fabric, routing the output of the configuration data control means of the user programmable fabric to the input of the configuration memory means of the application-specific functional blocks, transferring the configuration data to the configuration memory means of the application-specific functional blocks and configuring, using the configuration data, the application-specific functional blocks.
US07973553B1
A circuit includes first transistors and a comparator. The comparator compares a reference signal and a signal that is based on conductive states of the first transistors. A control circuit generates first control signals based on an output signal of the comparator. The conductive states of the first transistors are determined based on the first control signals. An arithmetic circuit performs an arithmetic function based on the first control signals and second control signals to generate calibration signals. Second transistors provide a termination impedance at an external terminal of the circuit that is based on the calibration signals.
US07973539B1
A method is disclosed for calibrating a capacitance of an apparatus for measuring dielectric properties of a part. The apparatus includes an electrically grounded chamber, a lower electrode disposed within the chamber and connected to a radiofrequency (RF) transmission rod, an electrically grounded upper electrode disposed within the chamber above the lower electrode, and a variable capacitor connected to control transmission of RF power through the RF transmission rod to the lower electrode. A method is also disclosed for determining a capacitance of a part through use of the apparatus. A method is also disclosed for determining a dielectric constant of a part through use of the apparatus. A method is also disclosed for determining a loss tangent of a part through use of the apparatus.
US07973534B2
A protection device for an assembled battery includes a sampling unit which individually samples voltages of batteries of the assembled battery to generate sampled voltages, a holding unit which holds the sampled voltages to generate a plurality of holding voltages, a multiplexer which sequentially reads the holding voltages and outputs each voltage to a common output node, a measuring unit configured to measure the individual voltages and the state of charges of the batteries based on a voltage of the node in a measuring period within a constant measuring cycle, and a control unit configured to turn on/off the sample switches at the same time within the measuring period and repeatedly turn on/off at least one sample switch selected from the plurality of sample switches in accordance with the state of charge in a term other than the measuring period.
US07973528B2
A sensor device for detecting a relative movement including a transmitter unit configured to generate a field. The transmitter unit includes first transmitter elements and second transmitter elements, wherein the first transmitter elements and the second transmitter elements, configured to generate a spatially varying field, are arranged alternately one behind another along a line at predetermined positions, and at a reference position, which corresponds to at least one of the predetermined positions of a first or second transmitter element along the line, at least one value of the field is altered by a positive factor with respect to a corresponding other position of a first or second transmitter element. Furthermore, a pick-up unit is configured to generate an alternating output signal depending on the field generated by the first and second transmitter elements, wherein the transmitter unit and the pick-up unit can be moved relative to one another.
US07973526B2
A reference voltage generator for improving setup voltage characteristics without an increase in a standby current and a method of controlling the same, in which the reference voltage generator includes: a reference voltage generation unit including a resistor connected between a power supply voltage and an output node, for dividing the power voltage, and generating a reference voltage fed to the output node thereof; a voltage detector receiving a feedback of the reference voltage and detecting a level of the reference voltage; and a bypass circuit connected in parallel to the resistor of the reference voltage generation unit and bypassing the resistor in response to an output signal of the voltage detector.
US07973524B1
A regulated power supply includes an inverter comprising an upper switch and a lower switch that are connected in series. A control module selectively controls the upper switch and the lower switch in one of a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode and a discrete control mode (DCM), receives a feedback signal from an output of the regulated power supply, and switches between the PWM mode and the DCM based on the feedback signal.
