US08029125B2
An apparatus for ink jet printing, as well as corresponding method and system are described. The apparatus includes a source of fluid film, a fluid film metering roller supported for contact with the source of fluid film, a variable speed drive arranged to effect movement of the fluid film metering roller in an endless path at different surface velocities, a donor roller supported in contact with the fluid film metering roller, an ink jet printhead configured to emit ink, and a print assembly rotatably supported in the apparatus, the print assembly having a print assembly surface coupled to the donor roller, the print assembly configured to receive ink from the ink jet printhead and produce an image on media using the ink, wherein the donor roller is configured to convey the fluid film from the fluid film metering roller to the print assembly surface at various rates depending on a surface velocity of the fluid film metering roller, and at least one of the following: an amount of fluid film left on the donor roller, a film thickness of the fluid film on the fluid film metering roller, and a speed ratio between the fluid film metering roller and the donor roller, wherein the variable speed drive is operative independently of the print assembly.
US08029123B2
A material set for recording includes: ink receiving particles that include a resin having an acid value of from about 50 mg KOH/g to about 750 mg KOH/g, and have a neutralization degree of from more than 0 to less than 1; and an ink that includes at least a colorant, a water-soluble solvent, and water, a value obtained by multiplying an electrical conductivity σ (S/m) of the ink by a viscosity η (mPa·s) of the ink being from about 0.02 to about 5.0.
US08029122B2
A recording ink containing at least: water; a water-soluble organic solvent; a surfactant; and a carbon black having a hydrophilic group on a surface thereof, wherein at least part of a terminal of the hydrophilic group on the carbon black is substituted with an alkali metal, wherein the carbon black releases humic acid in an aqueous dispersion of the carbon black, which is recovered from the recording ink, a concentration of the humic acid released in the aqueous dispersion containing 20% by mass of the carbon black of is expressed with a maximum absorbance at a wavelength of 230 nm to 260 nm, and the recording ink has the maximum absorbance of 5.0 to 20.0 at the wavelength of 230 nm to 260 nm.
US08029120B2
A liquid container includes: a bubble trapping section, disposed upstream of the upstream buffer chamber. The bubble trapping section includes: a bubble trapping chamber, adapted to trap bubbles upside by allowing the liquid level to be lowered with reduction in an amount of remaining liquid at a time of consuming the liquid; an inlet, communicating at a vertical upper position of the bubble trapping chamber to introduce the liquid at the time of consuming the liquid; and an outlet, communicating at a vertical lower position of the bubble trapping chamber to discharge the liquid at the time of consuming the liquid.
US08029119B2
Ink jet print head comprising a substrate with an upper surface and a lower surface; a plurality of actuators with ejection chambers and ink supply passages, an ink distribution slot formed in the substrate between the lower surface and the upper surface; a manifold formed in the substrate of the upper surface around the slot for the feed to the actuators; and a plurality of bubble prevention elements formed in the feed manifold. The plurality of bubble prevention elements is provided only for a marginal set of actuators remote from the distribution slot.
US08029115B2
A liquid ejection device of a first aspect of the invention includes a sub tank capable of fluid communicating with the main tank removably mountable to the liquid ejection device. The sub tank is configured to satisfy the formula: SH−SL≦MH−MN where SH is a liquid amount in the sub tank in a balanced state at which the liquid has flowed into the sub tank by a hydraulic head pressure on mounting the main tank with the liquid fully filled; SL is a liquid amount in the sub tank in a state where the liquid level is positioned at the outlet of the sub tank; MH is a liquid amount in the main tank when the liquid is fully filled in the main tank; and MN is a liquid amount in the main tank in a state where the liquid level is positioned at a threshold level.
US08029113B2
A printing system is provided having a fluid delivery member, a fluid ejection nozzle integrated circuit, and a fluid distribution member incorporating a laminated stack of layers for distributing fluid from the delivery member to the nozzles of the integrated circuit via distribution apertures. The distribution apertures of each successive layer of the stack from the delivery member to the nozzles having a successively smaller diameter.
US08029106B2
An inkjet printhead having an array of ink chambers is disclosed. Each ink chamber has a nozzle and a heater element for generating vapour bubbles to eject ink through the nozzle. The heater element has multiple current paths connected in parallel. Each current path has at least one portion with a reduced cross-section relative to the remainder of the current path. A cross bracing structure is also provided for connecting intermediate portions of the current paths.
US08029104B2
A liquid droplet transporting apparatus includes a first electrode which is arranged on a surface of a substrate, a second electrode which is arranged apart from the first electrode on the surface of the substrate, an insulating layer which is arranged to cover each of the first electrode and the second electrode, and a liquid repellent property on a surface of the insulating layer changes according to an electric potential difference between the electrode and an electroconductive liquid droplet on the surface, and a third electrode which cooperates with the second electrode to detect the liquid droplet on the second electrode. Consequently, it is possible to transport a liquid droplet between two areas, and also to detect as to in which area out of the two areas, the liquid droplet exists.
US08029102B2
A printhead is provided having chambers for fluid, ejection ports defined in the chambers, and ejection arms positioned in the chambers, each arm having a displacement area which is displaced against fluid in the respective chamber to eject the fluid from the respective ejection port. Each displacement area is greater than half an area of the respective ejection port and less than twice the area of that ejection port.
US08029098B2
A printhead integrated circuit that has an array of ink chambers, each having a nozzle and an actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle. The nozzle has a nozzle rim defining a nozzle aperture and a localized irregularity on the nozzle rim extending toward the centre of the nozzle aperture.
US08029091B2
The present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet head, a conveyor, a printing controller, an image sensor, a blocking object determining unit, and a blocking object dealing unit. The inkjet head has an ejection surface in which plural ejection outlets ejecting ink are formed. The conveyor has a placing member on which a recording medium is placed and conveys the placing member to a position opposing the ejection surface. The printing controller causes the conveyor to convey the placing member to the opposing position and causes the inkjet head to eject the ink towards the opposing position. The image sensor captures an image of at least one of (i) a surface of the recording medium placed on the placing member, (ii) a surface of the placing member, and (iii) the ejection surface. The blocking object determining unit determines, based on the image captured by the image sensor, whether an object which blocks the flight of the ink exists between the ejection outlets and the opposing position so as to obstruct at least two neighboring ejection outlets among the ejection outlets. The blocking object dealing unit carries out a predetermined blocking object dealing operation when the blocking object determining unit determines that the object blocking the flight of the ink obstructs at least two neighboring ejection outlets among the ejection outlets.
US08029089B2
A position detecting device for detecting a position of an object, includes a light emitting portion that emits light, a light receiving portion that receives the light from the light emitting portion, and a scale that is arranged between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and includes a position detecting pattern and a smear detecting pattern. The position detecting pattern has a first light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a first light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged in a detection range of the object. The smear detecting pattern for detecting smear of the scale has a second light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a second light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged.
US08029084B2
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image forming apparatus which can form a stable dot pattern to be used with a digital pen. The dot pattern used by a digital pen can be formed by changing an image forming condition, which is read by the digital pen. The image forming condition can be set based on a reading of an experimental test dot pattern.
US08029077B2
A computer housing includes a frame and a face panel. The frame includes a plurality of pivotally interconnected frame panels such that the frame is convertible between an assembled state and a flattened state. In the assembled state, the frame panels form a rectangular frame for mounting electronic components, such as a motherboard, a disk drive and a hard disk. In the flattened state, the frame can be flattened out so that the frame panels lie in substantially the same plane, thereby reducing the space occupied by the frame.
US08029075B2
A brake control apparatus includes a fluid pressure sensor to sense an actual master cylinder pressure, a pump to suck a brake fluid from the master cylinder through a hydraulic circuit connecting the master cylinder to a wheel cylinder and a controller to perform a brake assist control to supply a discharge pressure of the pump to the wheel cylinder in accordance with the sensed actual master cylinder pressure signal. The controller calculates a modified master cylinder pressure by modifying the actual master cylinder pressure in accordance with an operating condition of the pump, calculates a base pressure in accordance with a variation of the modified master cylinder pressure, and calculates a target wheel cylinder pressure in accordance with the base pressure, to control a braking force by controlling an actual wheel cylinder pressure of the wheel cylinder in accordance with the target wheel cylinder pressure.
US08029074B2
A method for providing anti-skid braking control for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, each wheel including a corresponding wheel speed sensor and brake, wherein when velocity data from at least one wheel speed sensor is lost, velocity data from a wheel speed sensor coupled to a different wheel is used as the wheel speed for the wheel with the non-operational sensor.
US08029070B2
A surface finishing ball of compressible material, adapted to be driven on a rotational axis is made from a layered body of compressible material that is formed in multiple disk-like layers that are separated in planes generally perpendicular to the rotational axis. Layers are also slit on circumferentially spaced planes that extend generally radially from an outside surface to define a plurality of foam fingers. A clamping system is used to compress and hold a center portion of the layered body in a direction along the axis of rotation such that the uncompressed outer ends of the fingers define a generally spherical ball.
US08029066B2
A backrest assembly includes an annular front frame having a front surface on which inner and outer annular flanges are formed, defining a first annular groove therebetween. A plurality of pegs is formed in the annular groove. A net is mounted in front of the front frame in a tightened state and includes a plurality of peg holes. A periphery of the net covers the outer annular flange of the front frame and is received in the first annular groove. Each peg of the front frame extends through one of the peg holes. Inner and annular wall are formed on a front face of an annular rear frame and define a second annular groove therebetween. A plurality of stubs is formed in the second annular groove. Each stub includes a receptacle receiving one of the pegs. Fasteners are extended through engaging holes in the front and rear frames.
US08029049B2
The fender panel structure includes a fender panel formed of resin, disposed above a vehicle's wheel, and forming an outer plate on the side face of the vehicle. The fencer panel has an outer plate part exposed to the side face of the vehicle, and a reinforcement part disposed in the rear face of an adjacent member next to the outer plate part and extending along an edge of the outer plate part, both of which are integrally formed. The fencer plate has a fitting part, into which the adjacent member fits, formed along the interstice between the edge of the outer plate part, and the reinforcement part.
US08029046B2
Dashboard panel, partitioning between an engine compartment and a passenger compartment, includes a reinforcing frame structure or connection member that extends, through the interior space of the dashboard panel, to linearly interconnect a horizontal rear end portion of each of left and right front side frames and a front end portion of a corresponding one of left and right side sills.
US08029043B2
For the reinforcement of a body structure of a motor vehicle which extends adjacent to a front side door of the vehicle, a hollow member structure formed by channel reinforcements is arranged in the body structure. The hollow member structure extends approximately in a horizontal plane from the B pillar into a rear region of the body structure. The channel reinforcements are intended to absorb, in a stable fashion, the forces which enter into the side part via the door in the event of a frontal crash.
US08029035B1
A reach extension device for use inside of motor vehicles intended to provide increased reach is herein disclosed. The device comprises a telescoping handle and an operable spring-style clamping device on its outward end, particularly suited for holding and receiving items often extended out of a car window such as electronic parking passes, tickets, credit cards, paper currency. Additionally, the device is provided with a cup-shaped lower section for paying tolls or receiving change.
US08029034B2
A hand tool for lifting and moving a car stop, the tool having a handle, a rod member with a main section perpendicularly fixed to the handle, and an engagement section angled relative to the main section. A bracing member is fixed to the rod member for prevention of movement of the car stop relative to the rod member. According to one alternative embodiment of the invention, a pointed nosepiece is fixed to the rod member and may be used for clearing the retaining holes of a car stop of debris.
US08029031B2
A motor-vehicle door latch has a housing, a latch mechanism in the housing operable to unlock a vehicle door, and an actuating element. A linkage in the housing is engageable between the actuating element and the latch mechanism and shiftable between a coupled position for operation of the latch mechanism by the actuating element and a decoupled position operatively disconnecting the actuating element from the latch mechanism. A blocking element connected to the linkage is operable to shift the linkage between its coupled and decoupled positions. A drive motor operates the blocking element. A quick-unlock element bears via the blocking element on the linkage.
US08029029B2
A rotary latch for selectively locking a closure, such as a tonneau cover, is provided with a joystick or toggle release lever. The joystick release lever enables the rotary latch to be installed in any position with respect to a remote handle because the joystick can be pulled in any direction, 360 degrees, to release the rotary latch. The joystick includes a trapped base supporting a spherical portion that is nested in a circular opening in the housing of the latch. The joystick is spring loaded, and is movable about its central axis in any direction, causing the base to pivot against the inside of the housing. The base of the joystick is positioned over a spring-loaded catch locking the rotary latch. As the base of the joystick rotates against the inside of the housing, it depresses the spring-loaded catch, releasing the rotary latch.
US08029028B2
A door lock device includes an electrical drive source, which pivots a drive member from a predetermined neutral position, and a return urging member, which returns the drive member to the predetermined neutral position. The drive member pushes a locking lever with a first engagement portion and moves the locking lever to a lock position when the drive member moves from the predetermined neutral portion in a first direction in a state in which the locking lever is arranged at an unlock position. The drive member allows the double lock lever to move to the second position and disengages the first engagement portion from the locking lever when subsequently returned to the predetermined neutral position. The drive member pushes the double lock lever with a second engagement portion when moved again from the predetermined neutral position in the first direction.
US08029026B2
Systems related to threaded connections whereby off-center axial alignment of connected components is maintained. In one embodiment, threads on one connection component are timed to match the timing of the threads on the other connection component. The one component has a connection sleeve screwed thereon. Once the one component and the other component are mated in the desired axial alignment such that the threads on each joint form a continuous, unbroken thread, the connection sleeve is screwed onto the other component to form the threaded connection.
US08029018B2
An airbag module for a motor vehicle includes a gas sack that can be inflated with gas to protect an occupant, a gas generator for generating the gas provided for inflating the gas sack, and an additional cooling device comprising an openable reservoir for storing a coolant. The reservoir is opened when the gas sack is inflated, so that the coolant for cooling the gas used to inflate the gas sack can come into contact with the gas. The cooling device comprises a movement generating device that opens the reservoir to release the coolant.
US08028999B2
An axle boot for joint sealing, in particular on the drive train of motor vehicles, includes a substantially axisymmetric bellows, which is designed as a single piece with a connecting collar. The connecting collar has a plurality of indentations projecting towards the inside that are adapted to radial recesses in the external contour of the joint housing. To the outside of the connecting collar are attached compensating pieces that complete the external contour, forming a cylindrical circumferential surface on which a clamp is located.
US08028997B2
The present invention provides a seal ring which can be prevented from being broken by an expansion and a shock applied thereto when the seal ring is fitted on a rotary shaft and does not have a configurative disadvantage such as a burr. Therefore no post-processing is required. The present invention also provides materials of the seal ring and a method of manufacturing the seal ring. The seal ring is made of resin and having two abutments confronting each other and a gate mark formed in an injection molding operation.
US08028992B2
A recording sheet transporting apparatus includes a first roller which transports a recording sheet, a first transmitting gear to which a drive force is transmitted from a drive source, a second roller which is movable in a radial direction with respect to the first roller, a second transmitting gear which is engaged with the first transmitting gear and which transmits the driving force to the second roller, a universal joint which connects an end portion of the second roller and one end portion of the second transmitting gear, a bearing member which has a cylindrical surface and rotatably supports the other end portion of the second transmitting gear by the cylindrical surface, and a supporting member which tiltably supports the bearing member in a movement direction of the second roller.
US08028978B2
A semiconductor wafer processing system has a carrier including wafer slots. A process robot engages the carrier and installs the carrier into a rotor within a process chamber. The rotor has a tapered or stepped inside surface matching a tapered or stepped outside surface of the carrier. Wafer retainers on the carrier pivot to better secure wafers within the carrier.
US08028977B2
The invention relates to a device for supporting sheet-like materials for at least one separating process in the sheet-like materials, with at least one jet cutter device which may be displaced in the Y-direction during a separation process, with a first and second support surface together forming a support table for supporting the sheet-like material and with a jet trapping device, arranged between the first and second support surfaces and provided to be able to be displaced in the X-direction. The first and the second support surfaces are made from a flexible material forming part of at least one enclosed chamber, filled with a gas under pressure.
US08028974B2
There is provided a fence post having a web and locating elements for engagement with an end portion of a barrier panel. The web has opposite inner and outer surfaces, and is profiled to facilitate alignment of the fence post with another said post when those posts are arranged back to back with the outer surfaces of the webs in abutting relation. The web incorporates at least one longitudinal groove that in use provides a channel between the abutting webs of fence posts for drainage of water from between the posts. There is also provided an intermediate fence post assembly having two of the posts arranged back to back with their respective webs in abutting relation, as well as a fence incorporating a plurality of the fence posts and/or fence post assemblies.
US08028973B2
An electric actuator motor drives an actuator leg between inner and outer limits of an actuator stroke relative to an actuator base. A controller detects when the actuator leg is at one of the inner and outer stroke limits by monitoring and comparing actuator motor power draw to known actuator motor power draw values associated with the operation of an electric actuator when its leg has reached an actuator leg stroke limit. A position sensor senses changes in the position of a monitored actuator component and provides corresponding signals to the controller. The controller calculates the position of the monitored actuator component relative to the position that the monitored actuator component was in when the actuator leg was in a predetermined home position. The controller recognizes and records the concurrent position of the monitored actuator component as indicating that the actuator leg is in the home position whenever the leg reaches a stroke limit.
US08028970B2
A movable iron core unit includes a movable iron core, which is attracted toward a fixed iron core under excitation of a coil, and a guide member made from a resin material and mounted on an outer circumferential side of the movable iron core. The guide member is constructed from a pair of ring members and connecting members that interconnect the ring members. The ring members and the connecting members are mounted in mounting grooves, which are formed on an outer circumferential surface of the movable iron core, and project only slightly from the outer circumferential surface.
US08028951B2
Disclosed is an aircraft, configured to have a wide range of flight speeds, consuming low levels of power for an extended period of time, while supporting a communications platform with an unobstructed downward-looking view. The aircraft includes an extendable slat at the leading edge of the wing, and a reflexed trailing edge. The aircraft comprises a flying wing extending laterally between two ends and a center point. The wing is swept and has a relatively constant chord. The aircraft also includes a power module configured to provide power via a fuel cell. The fuel cell stores liquid hydrogen as fuel, but uses gaseous hydrogen in the fuel cell. A fuel tank heater is used to control the boil-rate of the fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel cell compresses ambient air for an oxidizer, and operates with the fuel and oxidizer at pressures below one atmosphere. The aircraft of the invention includes a support structure including a plurality of supports, where the supports form a tetrahedron that affixes to the wing.
US08028946B2
A refining surface (2) of a refiner stator (4) for a refiner for defibrating lignocellulose-containing material has a feed edge (17) oriented in the direction of the feed flow of the material to be refined, and a discharge edge (16) oriented in the direction of the discharge flow of the material refined. The surface (2) has blade bars (10) with grooves (11) therebetween, and at least one dam (12) in a groove (11). The dam has an upwardly rising guiding surface (13) from the blade groove bottom (15) for guiding the material to be refined and the material already refined out of the blade groove. The upward direction of the guiding surface (13) is from the direction of the discharge edge (16) of the refining surface (2) in the direction of the feed edge (17) of the refining surface (2).
US08028945B2
A refining plate for refining lignocellulosic material including: a radially outer peripheral edge and a substrate surface; a refining zone having a plurality of substantially radially disposed bars and grooves between the bars, wherein the bars protrude upward from the substrate surface and the grooves each have a groove width, and a steam channel traversing the bars and grooves of the refining zone, wherein the steam channel has a radially outer end radially inward of the outer peripheral edge of the plate and the steam channel has a width substantially greater than the groove width.
US08028936B2
A spray nozzle, particularly well adapted for use in compressor spray cleaning systems, has a nozzle body with a right angle fluid delivery bore having a first passageway section extending longitudinally and at least one connected transverse nozzle bore section terminating in a reduced diameter spray bore at a sidewall of the nozzle body. A swirler is mounted in the nozzle bore section, and has a head section with a plurality of passageways formed between swirl vanes arranged about a periphery of the head section to pass fluid to the spray bore and an adjacent neck section of a reduced diameter. The neck forms an annulus between the neck and the nozzle body in fluid-passing contact with the first passageway section and head section to direct fluid from the first passageway through the head passageway for exit through the spray bore. The nozzle can be used in spray systems over a wide range of fluid delivery volumes and pressures.
US08028934B2
An atomizing nozzle for two substances, which is used for spraying a liquid with the aid of a compressed gas, is provided. The atomizing nozzle includes a mixing chamber, a liquid inlet that extends into the mixing chamber, a compressed gas inlet which extends into the mixing chamber, and an outlet located downstream from the mixing chamber. An annular gap is provided which surrounds the outlet and discharges compressed gas at a high speed. The atomizing nozzle is used for purifying flue gas.
US08028931B2
A liquid discharge device (1) has a pressure chamber (3), a nozzle (4), and a communication path (5) that interconnects the pressure chamber (3) and the nozzle (4). A region that has a specific length L1 and lies from the position (8) of the boundary between the communication path (5) of the pressure chamber (3) toward the nozzle (4) is formed as a narrow section (9) that has an opening area S1 smaller than the opening area S0 of a region closer to the nozzle (4) than the narrow section (9). In the liquid discharge device (1), the narrow section (9) functions to damp micro vibration that occurs in liquid in the communication path (5), and this allows liquid drops having a pre-designed volume and flying speed to be discharged from every nozzle (4) on a board (2)
US08028925B2
A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof is disclosed. The coding pattern has target elements defining a target grid. The target grid has cells, wherein neighboring cells share target elements. A plurality of data elements are contained in each cell. Tags are defined by a plurality of contiguous cells and each tag has respective local tag data encoded by a respective set of the data elements. Each tag has at least nine target elements, which facilitates accurate observation of a perspective distortion of the target elements.
US08028921B2
An optical imaging pen configured to detect information encoded on a page with ink which is substantially invisible to the human eye. The pen includes a housing, an electronics chassis mounted inside the housing, and an infrared LED supported by the chassis for providing infrared radiation for projection onto the page. The pen also includes an image sensor for receiving reflected radiation from the surface, a radio frequency circuit having a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver, and a radio antenna mounted within the housing, said antenna in signal communication with the radio frequency transmitter and receiver. Further included are a controller circuit for controlling operation of the LED, sensor and radio frequency circuit, as well as a pair of orthogonal accelerometers mounted in a normal plane of the pen axis, said accelerometers allowing the pen to sense motion without reference to a surface location.
US08028915B2
A current data capture system has a set of configuration parameters operative for enabling the current data capture system to capture transaction data. A configuration host is operative for pulling the set of configuration parameters from the current data capture system, and for pushing a pulled set of configuration parameters to at least one additional data capture system to enable the at least one additional data capture system to capture the transaction data.
US08028907B2
A method of recording receipt of an item, the item comprising a product contained in a package, the package comprising an interface surface having disposed thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the item and of coordinates of a plurality of locations of the interface surface. The method includes the steps of: marking the interface surface using an optically imaging pen having a marking nib; sensing the coded data in the vicinity of the pen; generating indicating data using the sensed coded data, the indicating data including data regarding the identity of the item and positions of the pen relative to the interface surface; and transmitting the indicating data to a computer system.
US08028903B1
The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method, and more particularly to a system and method of pre-approving card holders for expedited security processing using an emerging country's international travel approval control card, i.e. an electronic data card that includes biometric verification means for verifying a biometric identifier stored thereon, used to uniquely identify the card holder to security personnel as pre-approved for expedited security screening at a country's port of entry.
US08028902B2
The present invention is directed to methods for providing stand-in services for transaction card customization, wherein a transaction card franchiser provides the stand-in services for the transaction card issuer with regard to transaction card applicant email notification with respect to approval/rejection decisions and/or billing the transaction card applicant for the cost of a new transaction card on behalf the transaction card issuer.
US08028888B2
A method of joining a plurality of members to be joined together, by piling the plurality of members on one another and joining together the members with one another at end portions of superposed parts of the members, wherein the superposed parts of the members are held by restraining the superposed parts from both sides thereof, while a pressing tool, which is harder than the members, is pressed to end faces of the superposed parts and the pressing tool is rotated and/or moved relative to the superposed parts, so that the end faces of the superposed parts are rubbed to cause a friction heating which leads to cause a plastic flow, whereby the plurality of the members are joined together at the end portions of the superposed parts thereof.
US08028884B2
A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple cartridge and an anvil member. The staple cartridge includes a plurality of surgical fasteners disposed in rows of retention slots. The staple cartridge may have an annular or linear configuration of retention slots. The tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge may be tapered or stepped. The anvil member has a tissue contacting surface that includes a number of pockets arranged for substantially aligning with the retention slots. In addition, the tissue contacting surface of the anvil member may complement the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge.
US08028877B2
A connection device for connecting a bag to a bicycle carriage rack includes a transverse bar connected to a back board of the bag and two hook units are connected to the transverse bar. Each hook unit includes a flexible plate and a stud extends from the flexible plate. The stud can be engaged with one of positioning holes defined in the transverse bar by pulling the flexible plate to position the hook unit to the transverse bar. The hook units hook to a side of the bicycle carriage rack. A lower part is connected to a lower portion of the back board and has a second groove with which a sliding member is slidably engaged. Each sliding member has an I-shaped member which has one end pivotably engaged therewith and the other end of the I-shaped member is engaged with a support leg of the carriage rack.
US08028872B2
A utility pocket is shown for use with a tool pouch or bag, or with such items as a brief case, soft sided cooler, or a backpack. The utility pocket has a clam shell shaped outer member which is biased toward an associated sidewall panel by means of elastic webbing. A pair of mating permanent magnets come into contact as the pocket moves from the open position to the closed position and help to bias the pocket to the closed position, as well as imparting a snap-closure action to the pocket. The material chosen for the pocket helps it to retain its clam shell shape without requiring internal reinforcing members, such as wire springs or other metal reinforcing elements.
US08028871B2
A baby carrier comprising a shoulder harness featuring a detachable adjustable pouch system that may be worn or alternatively fastened to a secured object for supporting an infant. The shoulder harness features retractable shoulder straps that may be used to securely extend the detachable adjustable pouch system away from wearer without having to detach the pouch or remove the infant while simultaneously allowing the wearer face to face access with the infant. The detachable adjustable pouch system may encapsulate and support an infant in a substantially upright sitting position. The detachable adjustable pouch system may be adjusted to accommodate infants of varying sizes. The weight of the infant may be incorporated as a design component of the seat portion of the pouch system.
US08028870B2
In an eyeless sewing needle, a periphery of an axial hole at the base end is heated to make a fibrous structure be a granular structure without directionality, and at least a part of a heat-affected zone made between the fibrous structure and the granular structure due to the heating is within a range that is three times the diameter of the sewing needle and that extends from an effective base of the axial hole towards the needlepoint. This allows provision of a flexible sewing needle so that the hole periphery can be processed while keeping a hard state at the position of the needlepoint slightly away from the axial hole.
US08028866B2
An alcoholic beverage dispenser for receiving individual containers and dispensing alcohol from one or more of the received containers comprising a base having multiple compartments therein each for receiving the individual containers therein. A valve having a valve stem extending therefrom is coupled around the opening of each individual container and each container is in turn connected with a dispensing system within the base. The dispensing system receives liquid from each individual container and dispenses the received liquid through a receiving outlet such as a tap, drink dispenser, or an individual glass.
US08028865B2
A two-way dispenser cap has a main cap member and a toggle valve. The main cap member has two passages that allow material from inside an attached container to dispense. The first passage leads to a trap chamber that is defined by the main cap member and the toggle valve walls. The second passage leads to an outlet passage for continuous pouring dispensation. The toggle valve pivots in relation to the two-way dispenser cap between one of three positions: no dispensation, metered dispensation from the trap chamber passage or continuous pour dispensation. When the toggle valve pivots to open the trap chamber passage, the trap chamber inlet is closed off. When the toggle valve pivots to open the continuous pour passage, the trap chamber outlet remains closed. When the toggle valve pivots to the closed position, both the inlet passages are in fluid communication with the attached container's interior, but both outlets are closed. The main cap member has a recessed top portion.
US08028862B2
A pump intended to be mounted on a bottle, so as to allow the dispensing of a liquid contained in the bottle, includes a needle for closing an ejection orifice that is separate from a dosing sleeve. The needle is mounted on the sleeve by a device for the reversible movement of the needle between a closure position and an ejection position, the device being actuated by interference between the sleeve and a piston when a push button is moved on a hoop.
US08028858B2
A compressed gas cartridge is pierced and dispenses its pressurized gas through a permeation element that serves as a way to regulate the rate of gas dispensed out an outlet in the surrounding housing. It has been found that the use of a permeation element can control the rate of dispensation to an almost constant rate over time, which is valuable in applications such as art preservation for just one example.
US08028856B2
The invention relates to a device for the packaging and dispensing of solid shaped bodies, especially oral tablets or/and capsules, which device has a container sealed with a cap suitable for storing shaped bodies, a dispensing opening, and tools forwarding the shaped bodies from the inside of the container to the dispensing opening. The container (5) is constructed in a house (1) in a way that it can be moved like a piston against elastic returning force. The dispensing opening (35) is situated in the bottom (2a) of the house (1); when the device is in a position when it is not used for dispensing, the end-part of the container (5), with an opening (20) for releasing one shaped body at a time situated opposite the end of the container (5) sealed with a cap, fits into the dispensing opening (35) by sealing it, and it is constructed in a way that in the course of the dispensing operations it makes it possible to dispense favourably one shaped body at a time outside of the house (1).
US08028855B2
A dispenser for storing and dispensing containers having one or more passageways that provides a pathway for the containers. The dispenser includes an outlet for dispensing the containers and an inlet or opening for loading containers into the dispenser. The dispenser may include a plurality of shelves stackable on top of each other. The dispenser may include a housing and a moveable door. The dispenser may further include a stopper mechanism for blocking the movement of the containers within the passageway.
US08028853B2
A cryostat comprises a cryogen vessel suspended within an outer vacuum container, the cryogen vessel is supported by an arrangement that includes at least one housing mounted on an exterior surface of the outer vacuum container and arranged to function as a floor mounting foot, for supporting weight of the cryogen vessel and the outer vacuum container, and at least two mounting points mounted within the housing(s). Each of at least two suspension elements (an upper suspension element and a lower suspension element) extends through a hole in the surface of the outer vacuum container, between the respective mounting point and a respective point on the cryogen vessel.
US08028828B1
An instrument case that is transformable into a stand for holding the instrument includes a base and a movable portion, including of a plurality of panels, attached at one end to the base. To transform the case into a stand, the movable portion is moved toward the base, thereby causing panels to rotate outwardly from a center of the instrument case, creating legs of the stand.
US08028823B2
A detachable stacked attachment for a modular conveyor belt. An attachment, for example, a bucket, comprises a group of components arranged side by side in an aligned stack of parallel layers. Interior components are sandwiched between outermost and end components. The number and widths of the components in the stack define the width of the resulting stack attachment. In this way, an attachment of selected width may be attached to a conveyor belt.
US08028816B1
A bench-supported container handling system includes a bottom panel and a container manipulating device. A container conveying assembly is configured for transporting containers along a first direction while a container part conveying assembly is configured for transporting a part of the container along a second direction that intersects with the first direction. The first direction and the second direction are configured so as to create an area where the container manipulating device can be disposed. Additional aspects include a capping assembly and a labeling assembly.
US08028814B1
Conveyor apparatus and method are disclosed for continuous haulage of coal or ore in an underground mine, including a plurality of floor-supported frame members held in position by belt tension and further held in position optionally by bolts or pins. The novel holding frame provides rapid and efficient extendable, retractable construction in the mine. The novel continuous haulage system handles larger and heavier pieces of equipment and can be pulled to a different position in an underground mine as a complete unit.
US08028810B2
A disk brake having a brake caliper, which engages axially in a U shape around a rotatable brake disk is provided. The disk brake includes a caliper bridge, two caliper limbs and at least one actuating device. At least one brake lining is mounted in an axially movable fashion in the brake caliper. The caliper bridge has, in the peripheral direction, at least three substantially axially extending supports, wherein two of the supports are embodied as a main support and one support is embodied as a central support. These supports connect the two caliper limbs and in the process form two windows and axially project beyond the brake disk. The central support projects both beyond the brake disk and beyond the brake lining in the axial direction.
US08028802B2
A method and system for an acoustic panel system are provided. The system includes a plurality of acoustic panel segments aligned circumferentially about an inner diameter of a fan containment case wherein each segment includes a radially inner surface defining a portion of a fluid duct, a radially outer surface defining a gap between the fan containment case and the acoustic panel segment, and an aft end lip configured to be inserted into a mating groove in the fan containment case. The system also includes at least one damping bumper coupled to the radially outer surface wherein the bumper extends from the radially outer surface to the fan containment case and comprises an energy absorbing elastomeric material configured to facilitate dissipating a forced response of a vibratory stimulus.
US08028797B2
The invention includes a joint assembly for connecting first and second longitudinal edges of portions of an acoustic barrel or panel having an open cell core, a perforated inner skin, and an outer skin. The joint assembly includes at least one strip covering a plurality of openings in walls of cells along the first and second longitudinal edges. The strip is separate from the inner and outer skins. A plate includes a first portion connected to the outer skin proximate to the first longitudinal edge, and a second portion connected to the outer skin proximate to the second longitudinal edge.
US08028789B2
An adaptive control VGR steering system that varies the steering gear ratio between a vehicle hand-wheel angle and the road wheel angle based on vehicle speed and one or more of hand-wheel angle, driver attentiveness and a driver's driving style and skill.
US08028787B2
To provide a work machine in which traveling devices and an implement device can be operated by common operating levers, wherein switching operation is easy and a changeover is easily confirmed. Inside a cab of the work machine, there are provided travel pedals, with which the traveling devices can be operated, and operating levers, with which the traveling devices and the implement device can be operated. A changeover switch is provided on a console positioned in the vicinity of one side of an operating sheet. The changeover switch switches over between a traveling mode, in which traveling operation is possible by the operating levers, and a work mode, in which implement operation is possible by the operating levers. The work machine has a controller which makes it possible to work by the operating levers when the travel pedal is not stepped on in the case where the work mode or traveling mode is selected by the changeover switch, and makes it possible to travel by the operating levers only when the travel pedal is stepped on in the case where the traveling mode is selected by the changeover switch.
US08028786B2
A lower rail is fixed to a vehicle floor, and an upper rail is movable in a rear and front direction with respect to the lower rail. A load sensor is fixed to an upper surface of the upper rail. A rectangular frame is attached onto the load sensor, a rod of the load sensor sequentially penetrates a web of the rectangular frame and a spring holder upward, and a coil spring is wound around the rod. A nut is screwed to the rod, and the nut tightens a bottom of a cup portion of the spring holder. The coil spring is sandwiched between a flange of the spring holder and the web and is compressed by tightening the nut.
US08028785B2
An electric motorcycle in which the disposition space of a motor is downsized, the number of components is reduced, and the power transmission efficiency is improved. In an electric motorcycle, a swing arm is swingably supported by a vehicle body frame and supports a power generating motor. A driving shaft of the power generating motor and a rear wheel axle of a rear wheel are coupled together. A driving force of the power generating motor is transmitted to the rear wheel. In the electric motorcycle, the driving shaft of the power generating motor is disposed generally in parallel to the rear wheel axle of the rear wheel. A driving gear is provided on the driving shaft. A driving gear is in meshing engagement with a reduction gear provided on the rear wheel axle. The driving gear has a smaller diameter than that of the reduction gear. A driving force of the power generating motor is transmitted to the rear wheel axle through a reduction.
US08028777B2
A coaxial two-wheel vehicle with which a rider stably travels without the upper body being swayed left and right in a riding state of the center of gravity being positioned high. The coaxial two-wheel vehicle includes: a step plate for a driver to ride; a vehicle body that supports the step plate to be capable of changing a posture in a roll direction of rotating around a roll axis as the center, when a traveling direction is made the roll axis; a pair of wheels with one wheel disposed on each side of the body on the same axis in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle body and rotatably supported by the vehicle body; a pair of wheel drive means to drive and rotate the pair of wheels independently; and a handle for directly changing a posture of the step plate or indirectly changing the posture through the vehicle body.
US08028766B2
An electrically powered and controlled tractor system includes one or more electric gripper assemblies and one or more electric power train assemblies. Power and control signals for the gripper assemblies and power train assemblies can be delivered from a ground surface via a wireline. The gripper assembly employs a motor-activated lead screw and nut combination to expand passage-gripping elements, preferably by pushing the gripping elements radially outward from locations between opposing ends of the gripping elements. A failsafe mechanism can retract the gripping elements during a power interruption. The power train assembly employs a motor-activated lead screw and nut combination to expand and contract two or more telescoping members. The tractor system can include multiple tractor units that each includes one gripper assembly and one power train assembly. A tractor can include one power train assembly and two gripper assemblies.
US08028761B2
The invention is based on an electric power tool having at least one drive unit and a gear unit, where the gear unit is a drive element for applying force to a piston unit. It is proposed that the drive element and the piston unit be arranged in an axially parallel manner. At least a region of the drive element overlaps axially with a longitudinal portion of the piston unit. The drive unit is arranged approximately centrally in an axial extension of the piston unit and the longitudinal axis of the drive unit is arranged transversely to the piston longitudinal axis.
US08028756B2
A method of curing an inflatable packing is provided that includes providing a packer assembly having an inflatable packer around a mandrel; a polyamide bandage around the inflatable packer; and a sealing layer around both the polyamide bandage and the inflatable packer to from an airtight seal about the inflatable packer, wherein the method further includes curing the assembled packer assembly.
US08028751B2
A signature element is attached to a downhole cable or other protected equipment and the signal from a signature position detector is used, at least in part, to control the orientation of a directed perforating device or other directional device. Signal emitting sources can include a radioactive material added to an encapsulating composition of a downhole cable.
US08028748B2
A control apparatus to receive a tubular member includes a contact member configured to engage the tubular member, and a control mechanism operably coupled to the contact member, wherein the control mechanism is configured to dampen movement of at least one of the tubular member and the contact member as the tubular member engages the contact member.
US08028745B2
A forced convection heat transfer apparatus wherein a large quantity of heat can be efficiently transferred even when a temperature difference is small, by transmitting power to a magnet, which is rotatable along a circulation flow path of a magnetic fluid, and obtaining a magnetic fluid circulation speed in proportion to the rotating speed.
US08028744B2
A heat sink system with reduced airborne debris clogging, for cooling power electronics, the heat sink system including a heat sink having a plurality of fins, a housing configured to direct air flow around the side, top, and/or bottom of the heat sink and then through the fins of the heat sink at a back of the heat sink, and an inlet airway passage formed between a wall of the housing and said side, top, and/or bottom of the finned heat sink to allow air to pass within the housing, wherein said side, top, and/or bottom of the heat sink comprises at least one of said plurality of fins disposed directly in contact with the inlet airway passage.
US08028743B2
A system for passively cooling an electronic component includes a conduit configured to carry a pressurized cooling fluid. The conduit has a plurality of delivery orifices configured to dispense the pressurized cooling fluid from the conduit to cool the electronic component. Each delivery orifice has a hydrogel mechanism associated therewith, which is configured to individually control each of the plurality of delivery orifices to automatically regulate flow of the cooling fluid in response to a variation in a property of an ambient environment surrounding the hydrogel mechanism. The property of the ambient environment is influenced by an operation of the electronic component.
US08028740B2
A twin roll caster including chilled rolls, side weirs, and a molten-metal delivery nozzle. Baffles, contiguous with bottoms of end faces of the nozzle, project in a casting pool toward the side weirs to suppress stream of the molten metal into a nip between the rolls. Thus, hot molten metal just after poured into the pool does not instantly reach the nip along the side weirs, and molten metal decreases in temperature with lapse of time after the pouring streams into the nip as the rolls are rotated. As a result, belated formation of solidified shells at and adjacent to outer circumferential edges of the chilled rolls is eliminated. Thus, a strip delivered from the nip between the rolls has no reduced thickness at regions adjacent to lateral edges of the strip and has uniform thickness throughout the width of the strip.
US08028733B2
A green tire includes a surface layer defining a green tire surface and made up of a plurality of windings of an unvulcanized rubber tape. A part of each of the windings is exposed on the green tire surface so that the exposed part has a width of from 50% to 80% of the width W1 of the rubber tape. Each of the windings has a substantially rhomboid cross section and has one end at an acute angle corner exposed on the green tire surface and the other end at the opposing acute angle corner. An angle theta of a diagonal line of the rhomboid drawn between the one end and the other end is not more than 30 degrees with respect to a tangential line to a profile line of the green tire surface.
US08028731B2
A pneumatic tire has a carcass structure having at least one carcass ply and at least one annular reinforcing structure associated with the carcass ply, a pair of axially opposite side walls on the carcass structure, a belt structure arranged at a radially outer position with respect to the carcass structure and a tread band arranged at a radially outer position with respect to the belt structure, and generally having a first elastomeric material incorporating at least one portion substantially of a second elastomeric material. The tread band has at least one groove defined in the at least one portion substantially of the second elastomeric material, wherein the ratio between the modulus of elasticity under compression at 100° C. of the second elastomeric material and the modulus of elasticity under compression at 100° C. of the first elastomeric material is not lower than about 1.30, and wherein the ratio between the IRHD hardness at 100° C. of the second elastomeric material, measured in accordance with standard ISO 48, and the IRHD hardness at 100° C. of the first elastomeric material, measured in accordance with standard ISO 48, is lower than about 1.10.
US08028730B2
A purse comprising a base formed of rigid transparent or translucent material, and a removable liner that is to be inserted in the base of the purse so as to be visible from outside the base, the removable liner being provided in a plurality of colors and textures and patterns and being made of a pliable, sturdy material, wherein the liner provider a creative, decorative design for the purse.
US08028727B2
A simple design of an actuating device for a rapid coupling used for transferring gaseous and/or liquid fluids includes a tubular housing and a slide which is movably mounted relative to the housing and is coupled to a lever mechanism that is provided with at least one pivoted lever laterally mounted on the housing. At least one connecting lever extends to the slide on the pivoted lever, thus also obtaining safe handling.
US08028723B2
A receiving container is filled with a predetermined target mass mz of a free-flowing substance from a reservoir with the help of a dosage-dispensing device that dispenses measured doses of the substance. The device has a valve for variably setting the mass flow {dot over (m)} from the reservoir into the receiving container. The device is also able to determine the time t that has elapsed since the beginning of the fill cycle, the mass m of the substance present in the receiving container, and a unit for controlling the valve. The controller unit includes estimating and correction modules. At least once during the fill cycle, the estimating module performs an estimate of the mass {tilde over (m)}(t, t2) that is expected to be present in the receiving container at the end of the fill cycle at the time t2. This estimate is based on the assumptions that from the time t onward the valve is being closed according to a predefined closing-down profile and the fill cycle is completed at the time t2. The correction module compares the mass {tilde over (m)}(t, t2) estimated at the time t to the target mass mz. If the estimated mass {tilde over (m)}(t, t2) is smaller than the target mass mz, the valve is controlled so that the aperture associated with the mass flow {dot over (m)} that exists at the time t will be maintained longer by a differential time segment Δt, and/or the mass flow {dot over (m)} at the time t is increased.
US08028721B2
The present invention is related to a heated garden hose that has a flexible hose with an inlet and an outlet. The garden hose has an inlet coupler and an outlet coupler. A heating cable coupler is connected between the inlet and the outlet of the flexible hose. A heating cable has a first end with an electrical plug and extends through the heating cable coupler into the interior of the flexible hose. The heating cable is free floating inside the flexible hose. A thermostat, attached to the exterior portion of the heating cable, controls the heating cable and is designed to turn the heating cable off just above the freezing temperature of water. A clip is inserted into the flexible hose near the outlet to hold the heating cable inside of the flexible hose.
US08028719B2
A control stop for a flush valve for a urinal or toilet fixture includes a housing defining a flow chamber divided by a valve seat into inlet and outlet sections. A valve structure is biased toward the valve seat by a spring applying a valve closing spring force. The housing is sealed by a diaphragm, and the diaphragm covers the movable valve structure, isolating it from water flowing through the housing. The diaphragm does not impede valve structure movement, and the closing spring force establishes a threshold water supply pressure for opening the control stop during increasing pressure following a no or low supply pressure condition. A plurality of control stops may supply a bank of flush valves and fixtures, and open in a cascading sequence during increasing pressure as a result of having springs with different closing spring forces.
US08028718B2
A coupling element including a body for fastening to a support and a coupling member fitted with a closure valve member and mounted in the body such that the member can pivot, a sealing gasket is disposed between the body and the coupling member and the element also includes a spring which exerts a resilient force on a flange portion of the coupling member, which force is directed towards the rear of the coupling element and is suitable for pressing a first surface of the coupling element against a surface of the body, and the coupling member is provided with a second surface for bearing against an axial abutment in the event of the coupling member moves towards a front of the coupling element relative to the body.
US08028708B2
An appliance for personal care, such as skin, dental or hair treatment, comprising a dispensing structure (30) for automatically dispensing a fluid. The dispensing structure (30) includes a fluid reservoir (10), a discharge opening (11) and a fluid drive structure (9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20) for driving the fluid to be dispensed from the reservoir (10) to and out of said discharge opening (11) in accordance with a dispensing rate/time profile (Sx). The fluid drive structure (9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20) is arranged for spurting at least once during said dispensing operation for squirting an additional quantity of the fluid to and out of the discharge opening (11) in addition to the fluid being dispensed in accordance with said dispensing rate/time profile (Sx).
US08028705B2
A tongue retaining system is disclosed herein generally having, in one variation, a two-part system. A covering can be sized to fit at least partially over or upon a tongue of a patient, where the covering has an engagement mechanism positioned thereon. A retaining device, sized to fit within a mouth of the patient, may be positioned upon the teeth and have a corresponding engagement mechanism positioned thereon for temporarily coupling with the engagement mechanism on the covering. Such a system can be used to maintain or hold a natural position of the tongue within the mouth of the patient to maintain patency of the airway passages.
US08028704B2
A bite block that is inserted into a patient's mouth during an endoscopic diagnostic or surgical procedure that has a channel for receiving an endoscope or other surgical instrument through the patient's mouth and additional channels transmitting a gas to the patient and transmitting expired gas from the patient.
US08028698B2
Breathing mask assemblies that include adjustable forehead supports are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a forehead support is adjustably coupled to a central or main body of the breathing mask. A clamp is configured to lock the position of the forehead support relative to the central body and to lock forehead support at multiple different positions. In one exemplary embodiment, the forehead support may be locked at any position along a path of travel between a first position and a second position.
US08028676B2
The method comprises receiving from the vehicle controller, values associated with the engine speed and of another parameter indicative of the engine operating conditions, such as the total fuelling amount, and controlling the fuel injection parameters according to the engine state, which, for example, can include a normal operation mode, a filter regeneration mode, an engine protection mode, high or low transient load modes, and operating at different altitudes, through algorithms implemented in an electronic controller.
US08028668B2
The present invention provides a variable valve lift including a housing, a plurality of swing arms that are rotatably arranged at the housing, and a plurality of latching mechanisms for selectively latching the plurality of swing arms.
US08028663B2
A compliant holder device for constraining an animal includes a device body, a nose cone, and compliant flexure arms having contact surfaces for constraining the animal's head. In use, an animal is placed on the device body, and the nose of the animal is placed in the nose cone to constrain the skull at the nose. The compliant flexure arms are flexed to increase the distance between the contact surfaces of respective compliant flexure arms, and the ears of the animal are placed between the contact surfaces of the flexed compliant flexure arms, wherein the flex in the compliant flexure provides pressure to and constrains the skull at the ears.
US08028661B2
An enclosure is provided having openings for entry of rodents within the enclosure. There is arranged one or more applicators in the form of a suspended flexible web configured to contact rodents entering the chamber and having a chemical on the web for application to the rodents.
US08028660B2
An open-ocean fish-growing platform has a submersible cage structure for growing fish, an antenna for receiving positioning signals transmitted from an external source, a position-correction apparatus for calculating a position error signal from a target geostationary position, and an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system for generating electric power for thruster units to maintain the cage structure in the target geostationary position. The OTEC system inducts colder ocean water from a deeper ocean depth for driving its heat exchange cycle, and is also of hybrid type using a fuel-fired unit as a heat source. The cold water effluent from the OTEC system is directed into the cage for flushing wastes generated by the growing fish. The self-positioning, self-powered open-ocean platform enables unmanned, extended marine deployment in deeper ocean waters without the need for tethering or anchoring to the ocean floor.
US08028658B2
A liquid bird feeder provides a liquid container having a bottom opening, a liquid tray adapted to attach to the liquid container and adapted to immerse the bottom opening in liquid. The liquid tray includes a bottom port passing through the liquid tray and vertically aligned with the bottom opening, and a valve mechanism adapted to selectively couple the bottom port of the liquid tray to the bottom opening for filling purposes, or to close the bottom port and couple the bottom opening to the liquid tray for supplying liquid from the liquid container to the liquid tray.
US08028648B2
A rod cradle for a film, coating, or dam rod includes a frame profile (12) equipped with an insert groove (14), an insert (16) fitted into the insert groove, and the insert having a rod groove (18) and a rod (28) therein. The device has locking elements (24) for locking the insert (16) into the frame profile (12). There are, on the sides of the insert groove, edges (20) through which the insert passes into the insert groove when the rod is not present. On the sides of the rod groove (16) there are opposing lips (22). The lips (22) have vertices (74) through which the rod (28) can pass without damage to the rod or the insert so that the rod can be inserted in to the rod groove (18) and lock the insert (16) in the insert groove (14) of the frame profile.
US08028644B2
A tactor system transforms cable motion to tactor motion. A housing defining a plane is adapted for placement proximate to the skin of a user. A cable is operative to deform a tactor element in the housing, causing a portion of the element to move outwardly from the plane of the housing, thereby imparting a tactile sensation to the user's skin. For example, tension on the cable may cause a strip of flexible plastic or other suitable material to bend at a living hinge that moves outwardly from the plane of the housing. The cable may be driven by an actuator including. Two or more tactor elements may be disposed next to each other or in the same housing, with different elements being activated at different times to enhance the apparent frequency of the stimulus. For example, a reciprocating mechanism may be used to operate a pair of tactor elements out of phase with respect to one another. The cable may be controlled by a remote reciprocating mechanism, with a physical quick disconnect mechanism provided between the reciprocating mechanism and the cable.
US08028643B2
The all-directional fall sensor of the present invention includes a first casing defining a first interior space filled with a liquid and a floater buoyed by the liquid inside the first casing. The floater includes an indicator having indicative materials therein. The indicator includes a body defining a chamber, which is divided into at least a first portion and a second portion with a first sealing member located therebetween. The indicative materials are contained in the second portion of the chamber and are sealed therein with the first sealing member. When the all-directional fall sensor is applied with a force, the first sealing member would be dislocated and thus the indicative materials are dispersed within the chamber.
US08028634B2
A threading device of a sewing machine is provided. The threading device includes a threading hook which moves forward to penetrate through an eye of a needle to capture a thread and which moves backward to insert the thread into the eye, a threading shaft which holds the threading hook at a lower end thereof, a threading movement input mechanism from which an operation for causing the threading hook to carry out a threading movement is input, an up-and-down member which moves, in accordance with the operation to the threading movement input mechanism, in up and down directions to rotate the threading shaft, a thread holding mechanism which holds the thread to be inserted into the needle, and a thread releasing mechanism which releases the thread that is held by the thread holding mechanism. The thread releasing mechanism releases the thread when the threading hook is moving backward.
US08028628B2
A roller assembly call up mechanism for a vehicle wash conveyor having an endless chain with a plurality of spaced roller assemblies attached thereto for pushing a vehicle along a slotted track, is located below the track and includes a power cylinder, a crank arm connected to the power cylinder and an axle connected to the crank arm for rotation with the axle. A ramp in the form of a pair of spaced forks is connected to the axle for rotation therewith. A slotted link is pivotally connected at one end to the ramp and at an opposite end to the entrance trap door whereby when the power cylinder is actuated the ramp and the trap door are pivoted upwardly.
US08028623B2
Disclosed is a contact-pressure adjusting method and a contact-pressure adjusting system, each of which automatically adjusts the contact pressure between two rotors, for a liquid application machine including: a first rotor to which liquid is supplied; a second rotor to which the liquid is supplied from the first rotor; and a contact-pressure adjusting unit for adjusting the contact pressure between the first rotor and the second rotor. By using a temperature measuring unit, measured is: the temperature of at least one of the surfaces of the first and second rotors; the temperature of at least one of the liquid on the surface of the first rotor and the liquid on the surface of the second rotor; or the temperature of at least one of the vicinity of the first rotor and the vicinity of the second rotor. The contact-pressure adjusting unit is adjusted in accordance with the measured temperature.
US08028618B2
A continuous cooker having a conveyor capable of repositioning product and cleaning itself of debris and a method for its operation. The cooker includes a conveyor that transports food atop a conveyor belt to a cooking chamber. Upper and lower diverting rollers guide the belt along an S-shaped product-repositioning path segment. The lower diverting roller is rotated at a speed different from the speed of the conveyor belt to cause the belt to slip on the roller's periphery, which effects a scraping action against the conveying side of the belt to dislodge debris.
US08028600B2
A shift apparatus for a dual clutch transmission includes a plurality of shift lugs and a shift operating module moving the shift lugs. The apparatus provides a simple structure and sufficient rigidity and durability, in addition to a simple shift of a gear. The apparatus further provides an automatic releasing function that automatically releases the prior shift stage and an active inter-lock function that prevents gears connected to the same clutch from being engaged simultaneously, and enables 6-3-stage and 5-2-stage skip shift.
US08028596B2
A transmission device (1) having a switching element, which is actuated by at least one electric component (5, 17) which is part of an actuator (4). The electric actuator component is linked to a countershaft (3) of the transmission and rotates at the speed of countershaft (3) during operation, and is functionally connected through an electric transformer rotary transformer device (15) with further enclosure mounted components of the transmission device (1). Via the transformer device (15), electric energy and/or data can be exchanged, through collector ring contacts, using inductive or capacitive coupling between the enclosure mounted components of transmission device (1) and at least one electric actuator component (5, 17) which is linked with the countershaft (3).
US08028589B2
There is provided a sensor equipped wheel support bearing assembly with rolling elements interposed between outer and inner members and with a strain sensor fixed to a stationary member served by one of the outer and inner members. The strain sensor includes a strain generating member and a sensor element secured thereto. The strain generating member has first and second contact fixing segments respectively associated with a flanged face provided in the outer member and a peripheral surface of the stationary member. These contact fixing segments have a joint region therebetween having a bent portion convexed toward the outer member. A location in the strain generating member where the sensor element is secured is on the first contact fixing segment side of the bent portion and yet in the vicinity of the bent portion.
US08028587B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for testing shafts, such as golf club shafts. In one embodiment, the invention can be characterized as a shaft tester comprising: a frame; a first shaft support supporting a first portion of a shaft at a first fixed position; a second shaft support supporting a second portion of the shaft at a second fixed position; and a third shaft support supporting a third portion of the shaft at a third fixed position. An actuator couples to the third shaft support to displace the third portion relative to the first and second portions to deflect the shaft. A sensor couples to one of the first, second and third supports outputting a signal corresponding to a force exerted by the shaft due. A controller controls displacement of the shaft. In some embodiments, the shaft is rotated while being deflected.
US08028584B2
A pressure sensor includes: a housing having a pressure introduction port; and a connector case integrated with the housing. The connector case includes: a protruding portion that protrudes in the pressure introduction port along with the introduction direction from one end of the connector case, and has a concavity hollowed in a direction perpendicular to the introduction direction; a sensor chip having a pressure gauge on one surface of the chip in the concavity; a terminal having one end inserted and molded in the connector case; and a bonding wire that electrically connects the sensor chip and the one end of the terminal. The connector case seals a connection portion between the bonding wire and the terminal, a connection portion between the boding wire and the sensor chip, and the bonding wire.
US08028583B2
A method for detecting squeaking noises within a sound signal generated during operation of a motor vehicle or during operation of a component thereof is described; in this method the sound signal is detected; an amplitude spectrum of the sound signal representing the amplitude distribution in a frequency range is generated at a minimum of two points in time and the existence of a squeaking noise is detected by analysis of the at least two amplitude spectra.
US08028580B2
The present invention relates to an inertial measurement unit with enhanced resistance to acceleration, and it is characterized in that it comprises at least five accelerometers (Acc1 to Acc5), the sensing axes of which are arranged at various positions on the generatrix of a conical surface, and in that they comprise a device for detecting saturation of the accelerometers and a device for detecting abnormal biases.
US08028579B2
A vibration body for angular speed sensor has a vibrator that includes vibration pieces, a supporting part for supporting the vibration pieces, and a mounting substrate for mounting the vibrator. The mounting substrate has a seat part for fixing the supporting part and supporting the vibrator and a base part. The seat part has a level difference representing a predetermined height from the base part. The predetermined height is set larger than an oscillation width of the vibration pieces. The seat part also has an edge portion that has a shape of a curved line, and each line in a direction perpendicular to each position on the edge portion determines a mounting angle for mounting the vibrator and has an angle in the same direction as a reference direction defined in the mounting substrate or in a direction at least one being different from it.
US08028576B2
A system determines patient's muscle strength of a lever arm comprising a leg, ankle, and foot. A value indicative of the strength is determined based on pressure values associated with the lever arm, as well as at least one weight based value. The values may be entered remotely or locally to a computer that outputs the value indicative of the strength.
US08028573B2
The invention particularly relates to a tool set for setting-up a flow monitoring device (1) in a fluid piping (K).This tool set comprises at least one hollow semi-flexible hose (31) provided with a jack (33) bearing the device (1) in a sheath, a pump (32) monitoring the pressure inside the hose, a support member (4) slidingly crossed by the hose (31), and an introduction airlock (5) carried by the support member and making it possible to sealingly insert the hose in the piping (K).
US08028562B2
Methods and related systems are described for high pressure chromatographic analysis. The described system includes a flowpath adapted to flow a mobile phase and the sample at high pressures, an injector adapted to inject the fluid sample into a flowpath, a separation column adapted to operate at high pressures for separating various components, a detector and a processor that calculates the amount of at least one component of the fluid sample. The system can operate a pressures above 20 atm or even 100 atm, and temperatures above about 100 degrees Celsius. The system can deployed in a wellbore in a subterranean rock formation, and include fluid collection system for obtaining the fluid sample downhole. The system can also be located close to a wellhead and includes a tap in fluid communication with a surface flowline carrying produced fluids and the injector.
US08028556B2
Key ring with tamper-evident closure member, kit for assembling a key ring, and method of using same
A key ring apparatus is designed to provide visual evidence of tampering. The key ring apparatus includes a main loop member having adjacent end portions with substantially equal diameters. The key ring apparatus also includes a hollow tubular sleeve that receives the main loop end portions, and is crimped into place thereon after keys have been placed on the main loop member. The tubular sleeve may have a pair of crimping indication indicators thereon, to show where to crimp the sleeve onto the main loop of the key ring apparatus. One or both of the main loop member and the sleeve may have a unique serial identification number thereon.
US08028555B2
A preassembled cam lock assembly comprising is disclosed which includes a housing defining a throughbore configured to receive an interchangeable lock core. A tail piece is fixedly secured on a rear face of the housing. The tail piece defines a stepped bore including an arc-shaped cutout. Each end of the arc-shaped cutout defines a stop surface. A cam driver is configured to be rotatably retained in the stepped bore of the tail piece. The cam driver includes a first end defining an arc shaped lost motion slot and a second end adapted to engage a cam. The cam driver has a plurality of spaced bores which are dimensioned to receive a driver pin which is movably positioned within the cutout of the tail piece between the stop surfaces. A cam is secured to the second end of the cam driver adjacent the tail piece. A drive member is positioned within the throughbore of the housing and is adapted to engage an interchangeable lock core such that actuation of the interchangeable lock core effects rotation of the cam driver. The drive member includes a drive pin which is slidably positioned within the lost motion slot of the cam driver such that rotation of the drive member moves the drive pin through the lost motion slot such that the driver pin engages an end of the lost motion slot to effect rotation of the cam driver.
US08028554B2
A cylinder lock device including: a body housing having a bore, with a direction of elongation defining an axial direction for the device; a rotatable cylindrical plug in the bore, the plug having an axially extending key slot from at least one end of the plug; a plurality of driver pins configurable substantially perpendicular to the key slot and located within the body housing and substantially outside of the plug; a plurality of tumbler pins corresponding to and positionable substantially collinear with each one of the plurality of driver pins and substantially inside the plug, the tumbler pins displaceable by a key to bias the driver pins to enable rotation of the plug, the driver pins adapted to displace the respective tumbler pins; and a displacement mechanism being deployed within the body housing and adapted to displace the plurality of driver pins thereby selectively enabling rotation of the plug when no key is present in the slot.
US08028551B2
A mountable lock includes a lock body and a retaining member. The lock body is configured to be secured to an external structure by at least one fastening member. The lock body includes a lock interface movable from a locking condition to an unlocking condition in response to proper user manipulation of the lock interface. The retaining member includes a first end receivable in a first opening of the lock body and lockingly engageable with the lock body when the lock interface is in the locking condition, the first end being disengageable from the first opening when the lock interface is in the unlocking condition. The at least one fastening member is accessible through a passageway in the lock body that is blocked when the retaining member is in locking engagement with the lock body, thereby preventing disassembly of the lock body from the external structure.
US08028548B2
A laundry machine includes a height increasing member between a washing tub and an installation surface of a cabinet. The height increasing member includes a housing with an opening to support the washing tub in the cabinet, a body with a storage space that moves in and out of the opening in the housing, and a door panel to hide a servicing section when the body is moved into the opening and to expose the servicing section when the movable body is moved out from the opening. The servicing section may include or otherwise provide access to a filter.
US08028545B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a final optical fiber preform by overcladding, said method comprising the steps of providing a primary preform; positioning said primary preform within at least one tube, wherein the at least one tube partly covers the primary preform to create a zone to be overcladded, being an overclad zone, which overclad zone is located on the primary preform outside the at least one tube; injecting a gas into the annular space between the primary preform and the at least one tube under overpressure relative to the pressure outside the at least one tube; overcladding the primary preform in the overclad zone with an overcladding material using an overcladding device. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method. The invention allows overcladding a primary preform at low cost while maximally limiting the incorporation of impurities into the silica overclad.
US08028543B2
An apparatus for tempering a bent glass sheet is disclosed. The apparatus comprises means for conveying the sheet through the apparatus and a pair of blastheads for quenching the sheet with quench gas. Each blasthead comprises a plurality of spaced elongate plenums for supplying quench gas to an array of quench nozzles, the nozzles being mutually inclined to provide diverging jets of quench gas. The plenums extend transversely to the direction of conveyance of the sheet, and the array of nozzles is curved in at least one direction. The array may comprise rows of nozzles extending along lines which are curved in the direction of elongation of the plenums; preferably the curvature of the rows matches the average local curvature of the bent glass sheet in the corresponding direction. Also disclosed is a production line incorporating the apparatus.
US08028528B2
A combustor assembly includes a convergent segment followed by a divergent segment to advantageously improve combustion. The combustor assembly includes a first segment beginning at a forward end that transitions to a second segment past a transition segment in a direction along a combustor axis toward an aft end. The reduction in cross-sectional area within the first segment provides desirable fuel and air mixing properties. The convergent first segment in combination with the divergent second segment decreases residence time of fuel-air mixture within the combustor chamber that decreases production of undesirable emissions from the combustor assembly.
US08028526B2
A geared fluid drive arrangement in which a constant speed motor is used to start a “full-size” boiler feed pump, and is able to operate the pump at a limited speed and correspondingly limited power adequate to fill, pressurize and feed water to a boiler such as would be used for an electrical generating plant to start-up and to operate stably at part load, but not necessarily full load. After the boiler is operating stably, steam from the boiler or from an extraction point of the main turbine is admitted to a mechanical drive steam turbine in order to drive the same “full-size” pump to the normal operating range.
US08028497B2
Pivotable clipper assemblies for attaching at least one closure clip to a product held in netting include a pivotable clipper mechanism having a clipper body configured to deliver clips to a clip window and attach the clips to netting and a first cutting cartridge mounted to the pivotable clipper mechanism. The first cutting cartridge includes: (a) a knife; (b) an actuation cylinder with a rod in communication with the knife that advances and retracts the knife; and (c) an anti-rotation block attached to a rear of the knife intermediate the knife and rod to inhibit the knife and rod from rotating, wherein, in operation, the first cutting cartridge pivots with the clipper mechanism.
US08028496B2
A beverage bottling plant, a labeling machine for use in a beverage bottling plant, and a glue application device for use with a labeling machine in a beverage bottling plant.
US08028492B2
A wall-forming system including a pair of spaced apart confronting sidewalls defining a wall cavity therebetween. Each sidewall is constructed from a plurality of insulating sheets and upright support members. Each sheet is disposed between a neighboring pair of support members. Each of the neighboring support members has an upright channel that receives an end wall portion of the sheet and thereby maintains the sheet upright. Each support member also includes a slot for receiving one end of a tie that extends between the first and second sidewalls through the wall cavity and connects the first sidewall to the second sidewall. The slot is defined between a pair of walls having a plurality of through-holes extending transversely therethrough and across the slot. The end of the tie disposed inside the slot has a through-hole aligned with one of the through-holes of the walls to receive a portion of a fastener therein.
US08028486B2
Floor panels and floor elements therefore are made of sheet-shaped cores which before application of the surface of the floor panels are formed with sealing means for counteracting changes in the properties of the floor panels caused by moisture.
US08028484B2
A building material anchor including a resilient pad. A resilient, openwork tube is affixed to the top of the pad. An adhesive layer coats the bottom of the pad.
US08028482B2
The invention relates to a device for forming contraction joints in concrete works. The invention comprises a plurality of assemblies which are made from a concrete-separating material and which are mounted to rigid linear elements in an alternate manner on one side and then the other of the surface crack line on the upper face of the concrete work surface, leaving spaces therebetween for cracking. The inventive device enables the adjacent slabs formed by the contraction joint to be fixed, thereby improving the resistance performance thereof. The invention is suitable for in situ concrete works, such as roads, channels, esplanades, sewers, tunnels, railways, dykes, etc.
US08028479B2
Disclosed is an interlocking glazing panel comprising a pair of transparent or translucent lites, and rigid structural spacer located between, and firmly attached to, said lites to define a gap therebetween, said rigid structural spacer extending around at least part of the periphery of said glazing unit and having over at least a portion thereof an interlocking profile to provide a firm interlocking connection to another interlocking panel having a complementary like interlocking profile, wherein said glazing panel can be inserted as a structural member in a wall or roof constructed of interlocking panels.
US08028477B2
A peak gusset for securing a safety line for a workman, a roof truss and an anchoring system incorporating the same. The gusset is a substantially planar plate including an attachment region, a coplanar anchor portion and bendable flaps. A plurality of teeth extends from the attachment region and into the side of a truss member adjacent the peak. The anchor portion extends laterally beyond the peak and a hole defined therein receives the security line. The hole is disposed above an upper surface of the truss member and vertically beneath the peak. The gusset is non-removable and does not need to be cut down before a ventilation cap is applied thereover. A pair of peak gussets can be secured on either side of a truss and a connector member for attachment of the security line can extend between peak gussets on adjacent trusses.
US08028470B2
The different illustrative embodiments provide a method and system for watering plants. A map of an area is received and a determination is made using a processing unit as to whether the area needs water. If the area needs water, current constraints are identified and a determination is made using the processing system as to whether the current constraints allow for watering. If the current constraints allow for watering, a watering solution application plan is generated using the processing system, and the watering solution application plan is executed using a mobile utility vehicle.
US08028451B1
A tag holder (12) formed as a single stamping defines a singular body having a first tab (16), a second tab (24), and a third tab (38). The second tab (24) is cut from the first tab (16) to define an aperture (18) in the first tab for receiving a hanger rod (62) of a product display, and then the second tab (24) is folded from the first tab (16) and aligned adjacent the third tab (38). Protuberant lance portions (30) are formed from a surface (26) of the second tab (24) and extend toward the third tab (38). A hang tag (50) is placed between the second tab (24) and the third tab (38), with the aperture (18) in the first tab (16) aligned adjacent a hanger aperture (54) of the hang tag (50), and then the second tab (24) is pushed toward the third tab (38) with the protuberant lance portions (30) extending through the hang tag (50) and against the third tab (38) to secure hang tag (50) to the tag holder (12).
US08028449B2
A collapsible display arrangement has a base unit for placing against and resting the collapsible display arrangement upon a support surface with a sheet formed from a rollable material. The sheet is rolled or unrolled and has an image. The collapsible display arrangement has a first rod as a support for cooperating with the base unit and for retaining the sheet in an exposed state with the sheet in the exposed state having an upper edge section, a first lateral edge section, and a second lateral edge section. The upper edge section is supported by a second rod provided with end related permanent magnets. Each magnet is oriented and has a magnetization direction and each has an attractive force that will operate between the permanent magnet and an adjacent second oriented permanent magnet. The second permanent magnet is connected to an adjacent second display arrangement, and each of permanent magnet has a magnetization direction causing an attractive force to the second oriented permanent magnet. The first lateral end section of the sheet is oriented adjacent to a second lateral edge section relative to a second display arrangement.
US08028431B2
Methods and systems for a portable metrology device are described. One embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus including a first link, a first probe coupled with the first link by a first coupling operable to move in a first degree of freedom, a second probe coupled with the first link by a second coupling operable to move in a second degree of freedom, a first sensor operable to output a first sensor signal associated with a motion of the first coupling, and a second sensor operable to output a second sensor signal associated with a motion of the second coupling. The embodiment also includes a processor in communication with the first and second sensors and operable to: receive the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, and determine a distance between the first probe and the second probe based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.
US08028429B2
An apparatus for hanging an object from a wall comprises a generally triangular-shaped frame having a horizontal portion, a vertical portion and cross-member between the vertical and horizontal portions. The vertical portion is configured for attachment to a wall stud. The horizontal portion defines an elongate slot that extends a substantial length of the horizontal portion. A hook member is slideably coupled to the slot and is configured to support a weight of an object suspended therefrom.
US08028423B2
A reciprocating-type cutting blade device (1) has first and second driving bodies (15, 16) driven reciprocatingly in opposite directions. First and second cutting blade bodies (13, 14) are driven reciprocatingly by detachably engaging the first and second driving bodies (15, 16). Two detachable guide plates (11, 12) slidably hold these driving and cutting blade bodies. A first boundary (Q1) is formed between engaging portions (31, 33) of the first cutting blade body (13) and the first driving body (15), and a second boundary (Q2) is formed between engaging portions (32, 34) of the second cutting blade body (14) and the second driving body (16). The boundaries intersect only at points in a planar view, and the engaging portions (31-34) of the cutting blade bodies (13, 14) and the driving bodies (15, 16) maintain this state of intersection over a whole stroke of reciprocating motion.
US08028420B2
A novel utility knife in which the parts for securing and replacing the cutting blade are selectively movable in and out of the handle of the knife via a single track system. The blade is secured through a series of elastic metal sheets, one of which contains a projection on a metal tab. The lateral manipulation of the metal tab allows the blade to disengage from the metal sheets. Once disengaged, a user of the utility knife may remove or replace the cutting blade.
US08028414B2
Bearing bores for engine mount components must be periodically repaired. A component is disassembled and a bearing is removed from the bearing bore. An inner surface of the bearing bore is machined to remove any damage. A sizing sleeve is selected to have a press fit with the machined inner surface of the bearing bore and with the outer surface of a new bearing. The bearing is press fit into the sizing sleeve and the sizing sleeve is press fit into the bearing bore. The outer surfaces of the sizing sleeve and the bearing are swaged to assist in retaining and preventing relative movement between the bearing, sizing sleeve and engine mount component.
US08028412B2
A method for making an axle rotating portion including a hub, at least one rolling bearing, and a stub axle, the rotating portion configured to receive a brake disc. The method includes at least one machining of the support surface of the hub, against which the disc is configured to be urged to press, the machining being carried out on a subassembly foamed by assembling at least the hub and the roller bearing and to obtain at least one part of the support surface substantially perpendicular to the axis of the roller bearing in the subassembly.
US08028410B2
A regenerator core for use in a gas turbine regenerator has integral manifold openings formed in the tube plates used to make up the core and has special reinforcing elements which provide high pressure containment in critical portions of the plate-and-fin heat exchanger construction. The reinforcing elements include a series of hoops of U-shaped cross section which are used to bridge the juncture lines of the heat exchanger manifolds. An outer channel region of the hoops is provided with a reinforcing strip of gusset material. The hoops with their reinforcing strips provide structural reinforcement in the region between the manifolds and the conventional side bar reinforcing members in the central core section.
US08028406B2
Methods for fabricating a coplanar waveguide structure. The method may include forming first and second ground conductors and a signal conductor in a coplanar arrangement between the first and second ground conductors, forming a first coplanar array of substantially parallel shield conductors above the signal conductor and the first and second ground conductors, and forming a second coplanar array of substantially parallel shield conductors below the signal conductor and the first and second ground conductors. The method further includes forming a first plurality of conductive bridges located laterally between the signal conductor and the first ground conductor, and forming a second plurality of conductive bridges located laterally between the signal conductor and the second ground conductor. Each of the first plurality of conductive bridges connects one of the shield conductors in the first array with one of the shield conductors in the second array. Each of the second plurality of conductive bridges connects one of the shield conductors in the first array with one of the shield conductors in the second array.
US08028390B2
A spring actuated clamping mechanism has a backer plate with an upper surface and a lower surface. A set of apertures is formed along the periphery of the backer plate. The upper surface of the backer plate has at least one backer plate recess, and preferably four recesses, formed therein. A threaded aperture is also formed in the backer plate. A compression plate is also provided. A second set of apertures is formed along the periphery of the compression plate. The lower surface of the compression plate has at least one compression plate recess, and at least one compression plate aperture. At least one compression spring is disposed between the backer plate and the compression plate. A screw tension release mechanism is screwed into the backer plate threaded aperture and inserted through the compression plate aperture. When the release mechanism is loosened, backer plate is forced downwardly, applying a uniform force to all electrical contacts on the printed circuit board or card to which the clamping mechanism is attached.
US08028389B2
A novel surface acoustic wave device with a decreased velocity dispersion and a low insertion loss as well as the fabrication method therefore is provided. The surface acoustic wave device includes a substrate, an insulating layer with an indentation on the substrate, a silicon layer divided by an etched window with a first portion on the insulating layer and a second portion suspended above the indentation, a piezoelectric layer on the first and the second portions of the silicon layer, and at least an electrode on the piezoelectric layer.
US08028385B2
A tampon including a compressed pledget of absorbent material. The tampon has a body portion and a longitudinal axis, wherein the tampon includes at least one patterned impression with one or more design elements oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein at least one design element is formed by contact with at least one corresponding pattern including at least one lead in portion. A method and apparatus for making the tampon are also disclosed.
US08028384B2
A burial vault base assembly. The assembly includes a front piece, back piece, and first and second side pieces that are connected to one another at a plurality of joints using C-shaped connectors. These pieces form an exterior shell around an interior piece wherein concrete is poured therebetween to form a burial vault base wherein the C-shaped connectors prevent the concrete from breaking at the joints and protruding at the joints.
US08028381B2
A removable load bearing textile clamp including a locking clamp portion configured to accept an internally positioned rod such that a textile sheet can be led around the rod and positioned inside the clamp and secured by closing the clamp and engaging the locking mechanism.
US08028380B2
A method for easy holding of a trash bag in a container: It consists of at least one retainer set and a container having an open end. Each retainer set consists of at least two magnetically coupled pieces which can engage or disengage with each other, with one of the two pieces attached rigidly to an outside portion of the container. Place a portion of a trash bag inside the container with the outside portion of the trash bag folded down along the trash can wall. Engage the two magnetically coupled pieces to fold part of the trash bag around them. The folding(s) reduces the force needed to hold the trash bag in place at the coupling portion of the two retainer pieces. The apparatus can be easily operated with one hand.
US08028377B2
In a block and tackle window balance, the balance shoe holds and upwardly biases the terminal connector in a mounted position. A biasing element of the shoe maintains the terminal connector in a pocket of the shoe during operation of the balance. The terminal connector is prevented from laterally exiting the pocket in the mounted position by a widened portion on the terminal connector and a locating surface extending from the shoe toward the pocket. Manually pressing down on the biasing element or the terminal connector itself to lower the terminal connector in the pocket until the widened portion clears the locating surface allows lateral removal of the terminal connector from the pocket. During operation of the balance, however, the terminal connector does not experience a sufficient downward force to overcome the upward bias such that the widened portion never clears the locating surface.
US08028376B2
A door safety device, comprising: a door clasp, an anti-door-closing member, and a casing. The anti-door-closing member includes an elongated stem having opposite proximal and distal ends, wherein the proximal end comprises a raised spacer, and wherein the distal end of the elongated stem includes a stem button.
US08028374B2
A furniture glide protective device comprised of a laminated material comprised of an exterior surface made of synthetic fibers, a middle neoprene portion, and an interior surface made of nylon web meshing; wherein said laminated material is tubular-shaped having an opening on one end for insertion on the furniture leg and a surface on the opposite end to protect the floor; and a fastening mechanism for securing and locking said tubular shaped material over the furniture glide on the leg of a chair and/or table; and related method for securing a furniture glide and protecting a floor surface from scratching by furniture.
US08028371B2
In a suction device for the intake by suction and/or extraction by suction of chips or dust, comprising a lower part (1) which is preferably provided with rollers (17), a collection container (2) which can be placed on said lower part and an upper part (3) which closes said collection container and has a motor-drivable fan (9) and a filter cartridge (7) which separates said fan from the interior of the collection container (2), an air inlet (4) which opens into the collection container (2) and is provided with a connector (6) and an air outlet (5) which is arranged downstream of the fan (9) being provided, a low transport volume can be achieved in a simple manner as a result of the fact that there is arranged between the lower part (1) and upper part (3) a support means which is configured in the manner of a telescope and with which there is associated a means (14) for receiving the upper end region of the collection container (2), the axial length of which is variable and the base of which can be secured to the lower part (1).
US08028361B2
An infant support device for supporting an infant in a prone position, comprising a base with a front, a back, a top, a bottom and two side members, said base having a support surface extending between the side members on the top of the base; the support surface being defined by two portions: (I) a body support surface disposed proximate the front of the support device and terminating adjacent the front of the device, and (II) a leg support surface extending rearwardly from terminus of the body support surface toward the back of the device; and having a grip for retaining the posterior side of the legs of the infant and extending upwardly from the support surface between the side members; wherein an infant is supported in a prone position on the support surface between the side members, and the legs are supported on the leg support surface and are retained by said grip to minimize infant rollover toward a supine position.
US08028360B2
The pillow includes first and second fabric layers and third and fourth fabric layers, all of which are identical and secured together around the peripheries thereof. Positioned between the first and second fabric layers is a baffle structure which includes first and second lateral baffles extending across the width of the pillow and positioned at approximately one-third and two-thirds of the longitudinal distance (dimension) of the pillow. The baffle structure includes two central baffles, two first end baffles and two second end baffles, arranged to define baffle boxes of approximately equal size. The two central baffles extend longitudinally from one lateral baffle, leaving a space between the free ends thereof and the other lateral baffle to permit filling of the pillow. The first end baffles extend from the one lateral baffle a selected distance, leaving a space between the first end baffles and one lateral edge of the pillow to permit filling of the pillow. The second end baffles extend from the opposing lateral edge of the pillow toward the other lateral baffle, leaving a space between the second end baffles and the other lateral baffle to permit filling of the pillow.
US08032942B2
Systems, methods and machine readable media for configuring virtual platform modules are disclosed. One method includes launching a virtual machine monitor, and determining, with the virtual machine monitor, whether a configuration policy that defines a configuration for a virtual trusted platform module is trusted. The method further includes configuring the virtual trusted platform module per the configuration policy in response to the virtual machine monitor determining that the configuration policy is trusted. The method also includes launching, via the virtual machine monitor, a virtual machine associated with the virtual trusted platform module.
US08032938B2
A method and system to compare rendered publication data. The publication data are accessed from a database and then rendered to produce rendered publication data. The rendered publication data are stored to provide a reference version. After a periodic time interval, the publication data are accessed again and rendered to product a second version of rendered publication data. The reference version and the second version of rendered publication data are compared and a notification is generated when a difference exists.
US08032936B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for applying hard-real-time capabilities in software to software security. For example, the systems and methods of the present invention allow a programmer to attach a periodic integrity check to an application so that an attack on the application would need to succeed completely within a narrow and unpredictable time window in order to remain undetected.
US08032932B2
Described herein are systems and methods for centralizing and standardizing implementation of security tokens so as to provide one token per one user for accessing business applications across an enterprise, providing scalability to support authentication of as many enterprise users as desired or needed, and providing a standardized token management interface that supports both pre-binding and post-binding user registration processes and different types of security token.
US08032920B2
Methods, systems, and machine-readable mediums are disclosed for policy enforcement. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a communication and executing a workflow to apply one or more policies to the communication. The workflow includes a logical combination of one or more conditions to be satisfied and one or more actions to be executed to enforce the one or more policies on the communication.
US08032911B2
According to one embodiment, a relay device includes an address management module which executes processing of acquiring a first physical address assigned to the relay device based on a sink device, processing of acquiring a second physical address assigned to the relay device based on another sink device, determination processing of determining, in the case where it is determined that the command needs to be transmitted to the other sink device, whether to perform conversion of the physical address included in a parameter in the other sink device, and conversion processing of converting, in the case where it is determined that the conversion of the physical address is not performed in the other sink device, the physical address included in the parameter into a physical address based on the other sink device using the first and second physical addresses.
US08032909B2
Electronic program guide (EPG) information is updated based on watermark data conveyed with video. Such systems permit EPGs to be updated automatically to reflect changes to program scheduling caused by sporting events running long, late breaking news, etc. In one arrangement, a system identifies incoming programming by reference to watermark data, and conforms the EPG presentation to match the incoming programming. The electronic program guide paradigm can also be applied to indexing online messaging forums that are related to video programs, and access to such forums can be provided through use of watermark data.
US08032908B2
A system is presented having a graphical indicator in an interface screen of an electronic program guide. The graphical indicator is configured to focus a user's attention on a selectable program instance field. The indicator has a length that depends on the duration of the selectable program instance, thereby conveying the start and stop times of the selectable instance. At least one indicator attribute is controllable by the user. For example, the user may control the indicator height, weight, width or brightness.
US08032907B2
The system enables listeners and viewers of a broadcast to access additional information associated with a broadcast. Listeners and viewers utilize a user device to connect to a database containing program descriptions (e.g. audio, text, video or combination thereof) further describing the programming and ancillary information. The database is indexed by the broadcast's program list or schedule thereby allowing a user of the system to search and select a particular program description of interest. Hearing or viewing program descriptions enables users to preview excerpts and review a broadcast before purchasing an item heard or viewed on a broadcast.
US08032906B2
Methods for slice-based encoding of program guides and user interfaces are disclosed. The program guides include multiple video streams for picture-in-picture and other applications. A method for encoding the program guide includes encoding a first set of slices for each of a plurality of graphics pages; and encoding a second set of slices for each of a plurality of video streams.The user interfaces are multi-functional and may be used for electronic commerce and other applications. A method of generating the user interface includes encoding a set of slices for each of a plurality of objects, each object being characterized by an identity, at least one attribute, and at least one operation. In one embodiment of this method, the plurality of objects include an electronic commerce object, where the electronic commerce object is attributed with a first hyper text markup language (HTML) page.
US08032901B2
An optical disk drive includes a device body. A turntable is disposed on the device body, for rotating a disk. There is an optical pickup head for reading and/or writing of data with the disk. A multi-segment cover assembly is shiftable between a folded position and a spread position. The multi-segment cover assembly, when in the folded position, allows loading and unloading of the disk on the turntable, and when in the spread position, has a larger area than when in the folded position, and contains and protects the disk on the turntable. The multi-segment cover assembly includes a plurality of pie-shaped cover sectors, rotatable about an axis defined concentrically with the turntable, for extending to nest in one another when in the folded position, and for spreading by offsetting from one another when in the spread position.
US08032899B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an operating system and a hypervisor. The operating system includes a kernel. The hypervisor comprising a kernel proxy and a plurality of operating system services of a service type. Providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a kernel policy specifying one of the operating system services of the service type for use by the kernel proxy, and accessing, by the kernel proxy, the specified operating system service. The computing system may also be implemented as a distributed computing system that includes one or more operating system service nodes. One or more of the operating system services may be distributed among the operating system service nodes.
US08032892B2
A method for passing messages in a parallel computer system constructed as a plurality of compute nodes interconnected as a network where each compute node includes a DMA engine but includes only a limited number of byte counters for tracking a number of bytes that are sent or received by the DMA engine, where the byte counters may be used in shared counter or exclusive counter modes of operation. The method includes using rendezvous protocol, a source compute node deterministically sending a request to send (RTS) message with a single RTS descriptor using an exclusive injection counter to track both the RTS message and message data to be sent in association with the RTS message, to a destination compute node such that the RTS descriptor indicates to the destination compute node that the message data will be adaptively routed to the destination node. Using one DMA FIFO at the source compute node, the RTS descriptors are maintained for rendezvous messages destined for the destination compute node to ensure proper message data ordering thereat. Using a reception counter at a DMA engine, the destination compute node tracks reception of the RTS and associated message data and sends a clear to send (CTS) message to the source node in a rendezvous protocol form of a remote get to accept the RTS message and message data and processing the remote get (CTS) by the source compute node DMA engine to provide the message data to be sent.
US08032863B2
A system and method for collecting and correlating information about development of a computer software, including software tools reports. The system and method provides overview of entire software development lifecycle, provides decision support engine for project management, allows estimation of project timelines based upon empirical data, allows evaluation of project quality based upon empirical data, and correlates information from previous projects to estimate progress of current project (confidence factors). The system and method for collecting and correlating information about development of a computer software include collecting data from a plurality of software tools during each point in lifecycle of the computer software; storing the collected data in a database; and correlating the stored collected data to monitor the development of the computer software.
US08032861B2
An extensible object model enables extending the standard methods and/or properties of an extensible object for an application through an extension object proffered at run time by an extension package Information about the extension package is registered in a database when the package is installed, and the database is used to resolve references to the extended methods and/or properties upon execution of the application. In one aspect of the invention, the extension object is cached when first referenced and subsequent references to the extension while the application is executing are resolved to the cache.
US08032859B2
A system for extending data types in software comprises an extension unit that modifies an arbitrary preexisting base data type, the preexisting base data type having at least one member. The system also includes a supplemental member that is included with the extension unit and that provides additional functionality to the preexisting base type. Methods for using the system are also provided.
US08032854B2
A 3-stack floorplan for a floating point unit includes: an aligner located in the center of the floating point unit; a frontend located directly above the aligner; a multiplier located directly below the frontend and next to the aligner; an adder located directly next to the multiplier and directly below the aligner; a normalizer located directly above the adder; and a rounder located directly above the normalizer.
US08032849B2
Disclosed is a procedure or design approach for functional modules that may be used in connection with a multiprocessor integrated circuit chip. The approach includes keeping the dimensions of each module substantially the same and having the bus, power, clock and I/O connection configured the same on all modules. Further requirements for ease of use are to generalize the capability of each module as much as possible and to decentralize functions such as testing to be primarily performed within each module. The use of such considerations or rules substantially eases the design of a given type of custom chips, and based upon an initial chip design greatly facilitates the design of further custom chips, similar in application, but subsequent to the successful completion of the initial chip. The standardization modules and replication of the modules on a given chip also reduces physical verification time in initial chip design as well as redesign time of the initial chip when requirements for chip capability are redefined or otherwise changed. Any subsequent or further custom chips can include more or less of specific modules based upon already established parameters.
US08032845B2
Using phase shifting on a mask can advantageously improve printed feature resolution on a wafer, thereby allowing greater feature density on an integrated circuit. Phase shifting can create an intensity imbalance between 0 degree and 180 degree phase shifters on the mask. An improved method of designing an alternating PSM to minimize this intensity imbalance is provided. Sub-resolution features, called “blockers”, can be incorporated in the alternating PSM design. Specifically, blockers can be formed in the 0 degree phase shifters. In this configuration, the intensity associated with the 0 degree phase shifters approximates the intensity associated with the corresponding 180 degree phase shifters. Intensity balancing using blockers retains image contrast, thereby ensuring printed feature quality.
US08032843B2
Methods and systems for providing graphical user interfaces are described. To provide greater access and consolidation to frequently used items in the graphical user interface, a userbar is established which includes a plurality of item representations. To permit a greater number of items to reside in the userbar, a magnification function can be provided which magnifies items within the userbar when they are proximate the cursor associated with the graphical user interface.
US08032839B2
A method includes determining an initial experience-level of a user based on an initial usage of an application by the user, where the application includes a plurality of selectable features, selecting one or more first features from the selectable features to provide to the user, where the selected first features are based on the initial experience-level of the user, and providing a first user interface to the application to enable the user to utilize the first features. A subsequent experience-level of the user is determined based on the user's interactions with the one or more first features, one or more second features are selected from the selectable features to provide to the user, where the selected second features are based on the subsequent experience-level of the user, and a second user interface to the application is provided to enable the user to utilize the second features.
US08032835B1
Identity plates are described, including importing identity data into an application, the identity data being used to configure one or more identity elements, configuring an identity plate using the one or more identity elements, and presenting the identity plate within an interface associated with the application, the identity plate being configured to display the one or more identity elements in one or more associated positions configured to receive the one or more identity elements.
US08032830B2
The present invention is a system and method for generating quotations from a reference document on a touch sensitive display device or other handheld device, including the following steps: (a) providing a reference document; (b) displaying the reference document; (c) capturing an image of a portion of the reference document; (d) editing the captured portion of the reference document; and (e) generating a quotation comprising an image quotation and a bibliographical reference to a referenced portion of the reference document. The present invention may be used in Apple iPhones®, hand-held devices that inspectors may use to quote reference documents to substantiate statements of problems found during industrial inspections, and in other purposes.
US08032826B2
A method, system and computer program product for mapping and retrieving XML code is presented. Each line of XML code is associated with a node in a node tree. Based on the depth and breadth of the node, the starting and ending positions of the line of XML code are calculated, in order to allow direct access to a particular line of XML code.
US08032806B1
Integrated circuits may include at least an instruction processor and input-output subsystems. Each input-output subsystem includes a wrapper circuit a wrapper circuit controlled by the instruction processor. The wrapper circuit includes two or more scan registers, where a data value stored in each scan register can be shifted out for analysis. The wrapper circuit also includes two or more update registers to transfer stored data values between itself and an associated scan register. The wrapper circuit also includes a set of combinatorial logic coupled to the scan registers, the update registers and the instruction test processor, wherein at least two I/Os of the plurality of I/Os but less than all of the plurality of I/Os couple to an external tester.
US08032801B2
Methods and apparatus for generating and performing digital communications using a randomized generatable interleaver. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a pseudo random interleaver of size n*m with excellent randomness and spread properties may be generated from a set of seed values. The interleaver of size N=n*m is defined by dividing the N possible address in the interleaver (0−N−1) into n subsets. The subsets are preferably generatable from a single value within the subset either using an algorithm or a memory based lookup table. The set of n seeds comprises one value selected from each subset. An improved communication system incorporating the aforementioned interleaver and using turbo codes or other concatenated coding systems is also disclosed.
US08032798B2
Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, methods of retrieving information from a data storage device previously deactivated by modification or degradation of at least a portion of the data storage device are disclosed.
US08032779B2
In an embodiment, a data processing system comprises a repository configured to store a plurality of event message definitions for error messages, syslog messages, or other notification messages that may be emitted by one or more managed network elements; event annotation logic coupled to the data repository and configured to receive and store one or more annotations to each of the event message definitions, wherein each of the annotations specifies event context information to be collected in the managed network elements when an associated event message occurs; event forensics definitions generator logic coupled to the event annotation logic and configured to generate an event forensics definitions file capable of interpretation by one or more managed network elements and comprising event type identifiers and context information identifiers for context information to be collected, and configured to cause distributing the event forensics definitions file to the one or more managed network elements.
US08032777B2
A control apparatus for accessing a memory card includes a bus, a detecting circuit, and an adjusting circuit. The bus is regarded as a signal transmission line between the control apparatus and the memory card. The bus has a power signal transmission line for providing the memory card with a power signal. The detecting circuit detects an operating status of the control apparatus and generates an indication signal when the operating status exceeds a predetermined operating range. The adjusting circuit is coupled to the bus and detecting circuit, and is utilized for adjusting a current passing through the power signal transmission line according to the indication signal without closing the power signal transmission line thereby making the operating status operated within the predetermined operating range.
US08032776B2
A mechanism for controlling the hardware resources on a blade server, and thereby limiting the power consumption of the blade server is disclosed. The enforceable hardware resources that are controlled include the base frequency of the central processing unit (CPU) as well as power to individual banks of physical memory, for example dual-inline memory modules (DIMMs). The hardware resources are tuned in dependence on actual server utilization such that applications running on the blade only have the allocated hardware resources available to them. Deactivated hardware resources are powered off and are so ‘hidden’ from the operating system when they are not required. In this manner, power consumption in the entire chassis can be managed such that all server blades can be powered on and operate at higher steady-state utilization. The utilization of the powered on resources in a blade center is also improved.
US08032774B2
When an operation mode of an image forming apparatus returns from an energy-saving mode to a regular operation mode, a CPU of a main system outputs a power control signal set to High, and determines the necessariness of information display on an LCD of an operation unit control system to output a starting mode selection signal set to High when the result of the determination is positive. A CPU of the operation unit control system detects the state of a power control signal, and detects mode return from the energy-saving mode depending on the result of the above detection. The CPU of the operation unit control system also detects the state of a starting mode selection signal, and determines the necessariness of information display on the LCD depending on the result of the detection to carry out a display process depending on the result of the determination.
US08032772B2
Method, apparatus, and system for optimizing frequency and performance in a multi-die microprocessor
With the progress toward multi-core processors, each core is can not readily ascertain the status of the other dies with respect to an idle or active status. A proposal for utilizing an interface to transmit core status among multiple cores in a multi-die microprocessor is discussed. Consequently, this facilitates thermal management by allowing an optimal setting for setting performance and frequency based on utilizing each core status.
US08032769B2
The controlling apparatus is provided with: a memory that stores application software; a setting part that sets an operational manner related to power consumption of an apparatus running the application software, corresponding to the application software stored in the memory; and a controller that controls the power consumption of the apparatus according to the operational manner set by the setting part.
US08032768B2
A modular enclosure including first, second, third, and fourth servers, and a chassis management controller. The first, second, and third servers each have reclaimable power. The fourth server is configured to request a specific amount of power needed to complete a power-on request received at the fourth server. The chassis management controller is in communication with each of the first, second, third, and fourth servers. The chassis management controller is configured to reassign all the reclaimable power of the first server and to reassign a portion of the reclaimable power of the second and third servers to the fourth server.
US08032764B2
An electronic device (1640) includes a non-volatile store (1620) holding a plurality of encrypted sub-applications (SubApp n), and application-specific identifications (ASIDs) to respectively identify the encrypted sub-applications (SubApp n), and at least one wrapper having a representation of code to call (2220) a function (KPPA2) and supply a said application-specific identification (ASID) to the called function (KPPA2) to determine a storage location (UU) and access (2250) the storage location (UU) for contents and to call (2260) for decryption of the encrypted sub-application (SubApp n) using the contents of the storage location (UU) as a key; and a processor (1660) coupled to said non-volatile store (1620) and operable to access the representation of code and execute the code (2220, 2260). Various electronic devices, information products, processes of manufacture, and apparatus are disclosed and claimed.
US08032761B2
Aspects of a method and system for memory attack protection to achieve a secure interface are provided. An integrated memory within a slave device may be configured into a plurality of memory portions or regions by commands from a host device. The memory regions may be utilized during operations associated with authentication of subsequent commands from the host device. A first memory region may enable storage of encrypted host commands and data. A second region may enable storage of decrypted host commands and data. A third region may enable storage of internal variables and/or intermediate results from operations performed by the slave device. Another region may comprise internal registers that enable storage of information only accessible to the slave device. Access to some of the memory regions may be controlled by a bus controller and/or a memory interface integrated within the slave device.
US08032758B2
The disclosure describes methods for using digital watermarking to authenticate digital media signals, such as images, audio and video signals. It also describes techniques for using embedded watermarks to repair altered parts of a media signal when alteration is detected. Alteration is detected using hashes, digital watermarks, and a combination of hashes and digital watermarks.
US08032757B1
Processes for fingerprinting a document and for preventing information leakage at a deployment point are disclosed. For fingerprinting a document, a sequence of hash values for a document is generated, a portion of said hash values to be selected as fingerprints for the document. A current window is positioned over a portion of the sequence of hash values. The hash values are examined starting from one end of the current window, and a first-encountered hash value that is 0 modulo P is selected to be a fingerprint for the current window. For information leakage prevention at a deployment point, a rolling hash calculation is performed on a target document, and a determination is made if a hash value is 0 modulo P. A first filter is applied if the hash value is 0 modulo P, and a second filter is otherwise applied. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.
US08032755B2
A method for digitally signing information in real-time, based on a user request for the information. In one embodiment, the method is useful in a Web server, and can be implemented using a server-side API filter. One embodiment of the method includes receiving a data request from a user and determining whether the data requested should be marked. If the data should be marked, the method includes marking the data with a signature identifying at least one component of the user request; and storing information identifying the user with the request and the at least one component. Multiple types of marking techniques can be used on a single data file.
US08032747B2
A method of zero-knowledge document comparison between two parties. Each party performs: exchanging a set of random data and a shared hash function, applying the hash function to concatenations of the document and the sets of random data, and comparing the hashes.
US08032738B2
A method for the start-up of a numerical control of machine tools or production machinery, wherein the numerical control includes a main computer and a follow-up device, which are connected with each other via a data transmission network, wherein the follow-up device is addressable by the main computer via a logical address and a hardware address, with information regarding a physical address of the follow-up device in the data transmission network, is allocated to the logical address. The method includes sequentially requesting in a set-up mode of operation of the main computer allocating information regarding a logical address and a hardware address from an operator for the follow-up device and other follow-up devices to whose logical address no hardware address had been allocated. The method further including storing the logical address and the hardware address in a memory unit after the allocating information has been performed.
US08032729B2
Transfer of data and replication of data among several storage devices are executed without imposing a load on the computer connected to the storage system. For example, a first host computer monitors usage rates of transfer groups TG11, TG12 and physical path usage rate on a storage device interconnect physical path 50, and when either a usage rate or physical path usage rate goes above a predetermined value, issues to the first storage device 20 an instruction to allocate a reserved volume R11, R12. The first host adaptor 21 receiving the reserved volume R11, R12 allocation request allocates reserved volume R11 to transfer group TG1, whereby a virtual transfer volume is formed by transfer volume T11 and the reserved volume R11 allocated thereto. Capacity of the virtual transfer volume is increased by the equivalent of the reserved volume R11 capacity, so that additional transfer frames may be stored.
US08032723B2
A proactive, resilient and self-tuning memory management system and method that result in actual and perceived performance improvements in memory management, by loading and maintaining data that is likely to be needed into memory, before the data is actually needed. The system includes mechanisms directed towards historical memory usage monitoring, memory usage analysis, refreshing memory with highly-valued (e.g., highly utilized) pages, I/O pre-fetching efficiency, and aggressive disk management. Based on the memory usage information, pages are prioritized with relative values, and mechanisms work to pre-fetch and/or maintain the more valuable pages in memory. Pages are pre-fetched and maintained in a prioritized standby page set that includes a number of subsets, by which more valuable pages remain in memory over less valuable pages. Valuable data that is paged out may be automatically brought back, in a resilient manner. Benefits include significantly reducing or even eliminating disk I/O due to memory page faults.
US08032718B2
A computerized method for sharing removable storage media in a network, the method comprising associating, in an index entry, a first piece of removable storage media in a first storage device with at least a first storage policy copy and a second storage policy copy; copying, to the first piece of removable storage media, data associated with the first storage policy copy; and copying, to the first piece of removable storage media, data associated with the second storage policy copy.
US08032711B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for prefetching from a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to a static random access memory (SRAM). In some embodiments, prefetch logic receives a prefetch hint associated with a load instruction. The prefetch logic may transfer two or more cache lines from an open page in the DRAM to the SRAM based, at least in part, on the prefetch hint.
US08032707B2
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for managing cache metadata providing a mapping between addresses on a storage medium (e.g., disk storage) and corresponding addresses on a cache device at data items are stored. In some embodiments, cache metadata may be stored in a hierarchical data structure comprising a plurality of hierarchy levels. Only a subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels may be loaded to memory, thereby reducing the memory “footprint” of cache metadata and expediting the process of restoring the cache metadata during startup operations. Startup may be further expedited by using cache metadata to perform operations associated with reboot. Thereafter, as requests to read data items on the storage medium are processed using cache metadata to identify addresses at which the data items are stored in cache, the identified addresses may be stored in memory. When the computer is later shut down, instead of having to transfer the entirety of the cache metadata from memory to storage, only the subset of the plurality of hierarchy levels and/or the identified addresses previously loaded to memory may be transferred (e.g., to the cache device), thereby expediting the shutdown of the computer.
US08032700B2
A hybrid storage system comprising mechanical disk drive means, flash memory means, SDRAM memory means, and SRAM memory means is described. IO processor means and DMA controller means are devised to eliminate host intervention. Multi-tiered caching system and novel data structure for mapping logical address to physical address results in a configurable and scalable high performance computer data storage solution.
US08032695B2
A multiprocessor system includes first and second processors and a multi-path accessible semiconductor memory device including a shared memory area and a pseudo operation execution unit. The shared memory area is accessible by the first and second processors according to a page open policy. The pseudo operation execution unit responds to a virtual active command from one of the first and second processors to close a last-opened page. The virtual active command is generated with a row address not corresponding to any row of the shared memory area. For example, bit-lines of a last accessed row are pre-charged for closing the last-opened page.
US08032689B2
A data storage device comprises virtual storage devices that are each assigned to a subset of data sectors in a non-volatile memory of the data storage device. The data storage device receives configuration metadata for configuring each of the virtual storage devices from a host operating system. The configuration metadata is received in a standard format that is file system independent. The configuration metadata comprises a range of logical block addresses and a virtual storage device number assigned to each of the virtual storage devices. Each of the virtual storage device numbers is a unique identifier used by the data storage device to differentiate between the virtual storage devices. The data storage device uses the virtual storage device numbers and logical block addresses to identify data sectors in the virtual storage devices that are accessible by virtual machine operating systems.
US08032677B2
An aspect of the embodiment utilizes a selection circuit that includes a first storage circuit for storing information of m×n bits each corresponding to a choice. The storage circuit indicates whether the corresponding choice is in a selectable state or not. A first round robin circuit for executing a round robin process on the second storage circuit selects one of the bits contained in the corresponding bit string and indicates that a choice is in a selectable state. A second round robin circuit executes the round robin process on the bit string having the m-bit width to select one of the bits indicating that the corresponding choice, and a control circuit controls the first and the second round robin circuit.
US08032663B2
There is provided an information processing system that includes an integrated circuit chip having stored therein a plurality of file systems, a first information processing apparatus that engages in communication with the integrated circuit chip and a second information processing apparatus that engages in communication with the first information processing apparatus. The first information processing apparatus includes a command packet linking unit that generates a single linked command packet by linking a second command packet generated by the second information processing apparatus within a first command packet and a first command packet transmission unit that transmits the linked command packet to the integrated circuit chip to be directed to the plurality of file systems. The second information processing apparatus includes a second command packet generation unit that generates the second command packet and a second command packet transmission unit that transmits the second command packet to the first information processing apparatus.
US08032657B2
In a distributed computing system containing multiple entities such as servers and clients, an object passed between the entities is attached with metadata identifying the type of the object and/or types and values of properties associated with the object. Before the object is passed to an entity in the distributed computing system, the object may be serialized into a data format that the receiving entity can understand.
US08032649B2
Systems and methods provide for dynamic generation of media content at the point that content is served. The system and method work within the bounds of simple, existing, open protocols and the media files served are playable by standard media playback clients. The method is driven by a request for media content from a client specifying an edit list. The server opens one or more source files and selects portions of one or more files to transmit based on edit list instructions, and sequentially writes those portions to an output for serving to the client. The server sorts the selected portions of one or more source media files, combines the selected portions to form a combined media shot, and serves the combined media shot to the client. The method allows for various modifications of the content before serving.
US08032629B2
A computer terminal connected to a manufacturing apparatus as an object of the maintenance management is connected to a server machine providing a maintenance management service by a network, enabling bi-directional communication. The computer terminal monitors whether or not the object apparatus is restarted and transmits restart information indicating restart completion due to maintenance performed on the object apparatus by the customer to the server machine upon determining that the object apparatus is restarted. The server machine generates a random number within the specific range when receiving the restart information from the computer terminal, retrieves points corresponding to the random number from the lottery point setting storage unit, and stores the retrieved points in the lottery point storage unit. This can encourage the customer to perform maintenance on the object apparatus in order to indicate said restart completion to obtain more points.
US08032627B2
A method of enabling transaction probes used to monitor a transaction or modify a primary application handling the transaction. The method begins with retrieving a token associated with the transaction. The token contains information regarding which transaction probes from a plurality of transaction probes will be enabled with respect to the transaction. The token is then read to determine the set of transaction probes from the plurality of transaction probes that will be enabled. The determined set of transaction probes is then enabled.
US08032614B2
A method for automatically configuring a local network in a windfarm is provided, the method including the steps of (a) automatically assigning an IP address to a device connected to the local windfarm network, (b) automatically receiving an identifier tag from the device, and (c) relating the automatically assigned IP address of the device to a specific wind turbine in the windfarm which is identified by said identifier tag.
US08032607B2
Each of mobile terminals and base stations in a mobile communication system detects the file size of multimedia data from normal command file and calculates the communication costs based on the file size and unit price of the call type, and selects either a packet switched call or a circuit switched call for transmitting the multimedia data file based on the communication costs involved.
US08032606B2
Provided is a disk controller comprising a front end FC I/F to a host, a back end FC I/F to a magnetic disk, a processor, and a main memory section. The front end I/F and the back end I/F are provided for performing information exchange with a network (connected) device that is connected to a network and manages storage. The main memory section stores registered information expressing an attribution of the network (connected) device, access information including security and performance of each network (connected) device through the network, and ranking information assigning a rank to each network (connected) device based on the registered information and the access information. An appropriate network (connected) device is selected from various types of information including the ranking information.
US08032592B2
System and method for data collection and update utilizing surrogate e-mail addresses using a server
A system and method for data collection and update utilizing surrogate e-mail addresses using a server. An e-mail client generates an e-mail message comprising a surrogate e-mail address and data elements conveyed within standard fields of the e-mail message. The surrogate e-mail address also comprises data and instructions directed to a specialized software program. A message server parses the surrogate e-mail address and the e-mail content. Information relating to a specialized software program is extracted and translated into instructions and data elements. The specialized software program operates on the data elements based on the instructions obtained from the e-mail message.
US08032581B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a control unit receives a request to establish a relationship over a fiber channel connection, wherein a first indicator associated with the request indicates that the relationship supports persistent information unit pacing across a plurality of command chains. The control unit sends a response indicating an acceptance of the relationship, wherein a second indicator associated with the response indicates that the control unit supports persistent information unit pacing across the plurality of command chains. An information unit pacing parameter value is retained across the plurality of command chains, in response to determining that the second indicator indicates that the control unit supports persistent information unit pacing across the plurality of command chains.
US08032580B2
A content distribution system is provided to facilitate e-commerce transactions for products and services associated with distributed content. A content stream comprising content blocks, reference content blocks and floating reference content blocks uses metadata to identify products and services associated with content blocks. The metadata and floating reference content blocks are used to substitute dynamically selected content for content blocks based on profiles of user(s), the broadcast station, the advertisement spot defined in the stream and content available for substitution. A market server determines optimal matches to support content substitution, and performs brokerage and bidding functions among suppliers of products or services associated with content selected by users.
US08032579B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for imaging device event notification administration and subscription. Some aspects relate to selective imaging device event notification based on user credentials and/or the occurrence of a specific event. Some aspects may limit notification subscription to authorized credential holders. Some aspects relate to conditional event notification based on the occurrence of a specific event identified in the notification request.
US08032573B2
The disclosure relates to a system and method for managing data from a number of systems. The method comprises: defining a set of objects for the data; defining a set of classes for the data; maintaining a catalog for each instance of the data; in the catalog identifying each instance's source system and its level of harmonization with other data; applying a set of harmonization rules to identify from the data a group of related data and an owner of the group; identifying differences in instantiations within the group; and initiating update requests to affected systems having the identified differences.
US08032570B2
A stacked file system and method for managing a stack are disclosed. In one embodiment, a stacked file system includes a stack and a stack manager. The stack has at least a file system stacked on top of an underlying file system. Further, the stack manager has a logic for managing the stack, where the logic includes an eject operation for ejecting a first file system from the stack.
US08032568B2
A method, system, computer program product, and computer program storage device for performing a memory leak analysis inside a virtual machine is disclosed. By utilizing thread stack(s), class statics, and/or a list of root objects, a DFS algorithm starts execution at root objects in the thread stack(s), class statics, and/or a list of root objects. Upon fully processing an object, a reachability (sum of sizes of all child objects plus a size of the object itself) of the object is calculated. When the reachability of the object is larger than a threshold and when all reachabilities of children of the objects are less than another threshold (i.e., a largest child reachability of the object is less than another threshold), the object is determined as a potential source of a memory leak.
US08032566B2
Tools for defining and using custom analysis modules are presented. A generic graphical user interface (GUI) custom analysis tool is presented to a user. The generic GUI custom analysis tool is adapted to receive selections and inputs from the user that define many-to-many relationships in a data store and that include user-defined measures. The inputs are used to generate an instance of a custom analysis module that is capable of being processed against the data store. The instance of the custom analysis module may be stored, recalled, executed, and/or modified from the generic GUI custom analysis tool.
US08032562B2
Example embodiment of the present invention provide for assisting a user in managing the user's shared persona on a request-by-request basis. Upon requesting to share one or more types of identity information, the user is automatically presented with an interface through which the user can interact in selecting an amount of identity items to share. A subset of the total identity items selected may then be shared with specified entities. In another embodiment, the present invention assists a user in managing identity information that has been shared with others by providing the user with a visual list of entities for which the user has shared specified identity information. Other embodiments of the present invention use shared information about an entity to automatically provide the user with the ability to update identity information that has subsequently been edited.
US08032561B1
A method for high-speed scheduling and arbitration of events for computing and networking is disclosed. The method includes the software and hardware implementation of a unique data structure, known as a pile, for scheduling and arbitration of events. According to the method, events are stored in loosely sorted order in piles, with the next event to be processed residing in the root node of the pile. The pipelining of the insertion and removal of events from the piles allows for simultaneous event removal and next event calculation. The method's inherent parallelisms thus allow for the automatic rescheduling of removed events for re-execution at a future time, also known as event swapping. The method executes in O(1) time.
US08032558B2
In various embodiments, techniques for role management systems are provided. According to an embodiment, a method is provided to allow a role management system to be configured, modified, and restricted. Specific roles assignments may be decorated to be meaningful to an application but which are not generally applicable to an original role specification. A Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) role request response may be modified by an augmentation service, which evaluates a resource association to identify an appropriate resource profile. Resource decorations are identified by the selected profile, and are applied to the role request response.
US08032549B2
An Internet-based system capable of automatically maintaining contact-related information in any computer software application or digital device which stores or manages contact-related information. More particularly, the system allows users to automatically enter and maintain contact-related information in a digital address book or similar application or device (such as a wireless phone or PDA) with minimal or no manual entry of the contact-related information by the user. The system also allows contacts of the user (i.e. people who's contact information or partial contact information is present in the user's address book application) to make corrections to their contact-related information contained in the user's address book, request reciprocal contact information from the user, deny the user access to additional or corrected contact-related information and take other actions relative to managing the contact-related information which others (users) have about them.
US08032545B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for refining the identification of study candidates. In an embodiment, the method may include receiving a plurality of clinical conditions at a user interface. The conditions may generally be tied to codified terms in electronic medical patient records. The method may also include receiving parameters for tailoring a search of electronic medical data for the clinical conditions. For example, the parameters may weight the conditions and may include ranking the conditions, determining whether the conditions are mandatory for the pool, and determining a percentage deviation for numerical ranges. The method may also include executing an optimization function to create a pool according to the specified conditions and parameters. The method may also include displaying the pool in an order from the most optimal results to the least optimal results.
US08032542B2
The present invention provides tools and techniques for distinguishing a file from any or all copies of the file that may exist. One method ascertains (204) the actual physical location of the file (512) and associates (214) that physical location with the file as the claimed physical location (516) of the file. The file's originality status may then be determined (104) by finding (304) the location claim, reading (306) from it the claimed physical location associated with the file, ascertaining (308) the actual physical location of the file, and comparing (310) the locations. If the claimed and actual locations are identical, then the file is the original file it claims to be. If there is disparity between the claimed physical location recited for or by the file and the actual physical location of the file, then it is not the original file it claims to be.
US08032537B2
A method is presented for generating a list of frequently used words for an email application on a server computer. When a request is received for a word frequency list for emails stored in a user's mailbox, a word frequency list is returned if one exists. If the word frequency list does not exist, an asynchronous process is started on the server computer to generate a word frequency list. If the word frequency list exists but it is older than an aging limit, an asynchronous process is started on the server computer to regenerate the word frequency list. The word frequency list is stored in the user's mailbox along with a timestamp indicating the date and time that the list was created or updated.
US08032523B2
A method and system for migrating source data from one or more databases to a destination database, wherein the destination database is selected based on power consumption of the destination database. A data migration server determines which destination database should be selected by selecting a number of candidates and comparing the power consumed, the available space and the maximum monthly power consumption limit. A user intervention policy is created to evaluate which data should be moved to a destination database. A “payback period” is calculated to determine the amount of time that will elapse before savings are realized.
US08032522B2
Parameterized queries are optimized by a transformational optimizer. The optimizer produces a dynamic plan that embeds multiple plan options that may be selected to execute a particular query. Parameter distribution improves query execution efficiency and performance by exploring a sample parameter space representative of the parameter values actually used. The dynamic plans can be simplified while maintaining an acceptable level of optimality by reducing the number of plan options. The reduction is achieved by eliminating switch unions to alternatives that are close in cost. Both approaches of parameter space exploration and dynamic plan generation are deeply integrated into the query optimizer.
US08032521B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to structured content storage and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for managing structured content stored in a BLOB. In an embodiment of the invention, a performance optimized structured content management system can include a content repository, a content manager configured to provide access to structured content in the content repository and multiple different performance optimized containers disposed in the content repository. Each of the containers can store a portion of the structured content, and each of the containers can include a flattened form of original structured content in a primary binary large object (BLOB) and a parsed form of the original structured content in a secondary BLOB, the parsed form of the original structured content in the secondary BLOB indexing the flattened form of the original structured content in the primary BLOB.
US08032518B2
Web crawlers crawl websites to access documents of the website for purposes of indexing the documents for search engines. The web crawlers crawl a specified website at a crawl rate that is based on multiple factors. One of the factors is a pre-set crawl rate limit. According to certain embodiments, an owner for a specified website is enabled to modify the crawl rate limit for the specified website when one or more pre-set criteria are met.
US08032516B2
A method for presenting a user with a unified bill of material from a plurality of bills of materials respectively stored in multiple databases is disclosed. The method includes receiving at least one keyword from the user, querying a taxonomy associated with the at least one keyword, utilizing a semantic based ontology model to generate queries for forwarding to the databases, the queries based on the taxonomy and the at least one keyword, receiving from the databases, a listing of the available information stored in the databases that includes the at least one keyword, presenting the listing to the user, receiving from the user, based on the listing, a selection of the information they wish to retrieve from the databases, generating a query requesting retrieval of the user selected information from the databases, receiving the retrieved information from the databases, and providing the retrieved information in an organized format.
US08032506B1
A facility for generating item recommendations is described. In one embodiment, the facility displays a plurality of item indications each indicating an item. The facility then receives user input selecting one or more of the displayed item indications, and selects as seed items the items indicated by the selected item indications. The facility then uses the selected seed items to generate a list of recommended items, and displays the generated list of recommended items.
US08032498B1
A snapshot copy facility maintains information indicating block ownership and sharing between successive versions by delegating block reference counts to parent-child relationships between the file system blocks, as indicated by block pointers in inodes and indirect blocks. When a child block becomes shared between a parent block of the production file and a parent block of a snapshot copy, the delegated reference count is split among the parent blocks. This method is compatible with a conventional data de-duplication facility, and avoids a need to update block reference counts in block metadata of child blocks of a shared indirect block upon splitting the shared indirect block when writing to a production file.
US08032488B2
A system for improved data sharing within a cluster of nodes having a database management system. The system defines a virtual replicated table as being useable in a hybrid of a shared-cache and shared-nothing architecture. The virtual replicated table is a physically single table sharable among a plurality of cluster nodes for data read operations and not sharable with other cluster nodes for data modification operations. Default owner node is assigned for each virtual replicated table to ensure the page validity and provide requested pages to the requesting node.
US08032481B2
Interactive computing advice facility that infers user profiles from social networking relationships
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for helping a user make a decision through the use of a computing facility, where the computing facility may be a machine learning facility. The process may begin with an initial question being received by the computing facility from the user. The user may then be provided with a dialog consisting of questions from the computing facility and answers provided by the user. The computing facility may then provide a decision to the user based on the dialog and pertaining to the initial question, such as a recommendation, a diagnosis, a conclusion, advice, and the like. In embodiments, future questions and decisions provided by the computing facility may be improved through feedback provided by the user. In embodiments, the present invention may be utilized in conjunction with a third-party application.
US08032480B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for helping a user make a decision through the use of a computing facility, where the computing facility may be a machine learning facility. The process may begin with an initial question being received by the computing facility from the user. The user may then be provided with a dialogue consisting of questions from the computing facility and the answers provided by the user. The computing facility may then provide a decision to the user based on the dialog and pertaining to the initial question, such as a recommendation, a diagnosis, a conclusion, advice, and the like. In embodiments, future questions and decisions provided by the computing facility may be improved through feedback provided by the user. In embodiments, the present invention may be utilized in conjunction with a third-party application.
US08032477B1
The need for a more-readily usable interface for programmable devices is widely recognized. The present invention relates to programmable sequencing devices, or, more particularly, the remote controls for consumer electronic devices. The present invention provides an enhanced interface for facilitating human input of a desired control sequence in a programmable device by employing specialized visual feedback. The present invention also relates to a new interface and method of interfacing with a programmable device, which is usable as an interface for a programmable video cassette recorder.
US08032475B2
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for optimizing the processing of abstract rules. In general, the results of executing an abstract query may be used as data inputs for processing an abstract rule. In one embodiment, query results may be sorted according to input field values required for processing a deterministic abstract rule. If a record of the sorted query results includes the same input values as a preceding record, then the rule output of the preceding record may be reused, rather than processing the abstract rule again. Accordingly, the demand load placed on a rule engine may be reduced.
US08032473B2
A machine classification learning method titled Generalized Reduced Error Logistic Regression (RELR) is presented. The method overcomes significant limitations in prior art logistic regression and other machine classification learning methods. The method is applicable to all current applications of logistic regression, but has significantly greater accuracy using smaller sample sizes and larger numbers of input variables than other machine classification learning methods including prior art logistic regression.
US08032470B1
Systems and methods to facilitate collaborative or cooperative user thinking about an arbitrary problem in formal and informal settings, which may include social networks. Preferred embodiments of the systems and methods include outputs and interfaces to external systems, components and resources.
US08032461B2
A system and method for facilitating, coordinating and managing the operation of a competitive marketplace via the Internet. The system and method collect bids for market services from a plurality of customers, calculators a clearing piece for the market service and calculates settlement information based on the clearing piece calculated and the bids collected.
US08032460B2
A money receiving system receives monetary payments without using cash or placing restrictions on recipients of such payments. This system uses an authentication management apparatus and a store communication terminal. The authentication management apparatus includes a receiver for receiving customer ID information, store ID information, and monetary amount information from a store communication terminal, an authentication device for authenticating the customer ID and the store ID, and a transfer device for transferring money indicated by the monetary amount from an account of a store to an account of a customer. The store communication terminal includes a memory for storing store information, a receiver for receiving customer information, an input device for inputting a monetary amount that a store is to pay a customer, and a transmitter for transmitting the store ID, the customer ID, and the monetary amount to an authentication management apparatus.
US08032451B2
The invention includes a system and process that employs contractual bargaining with agent-based computational methods for the dynamic allocation, optimization, and pricing of contingent rights and obligations between multiple counterparties with overlapping interests. The processes employ a dynamic and endogenous hierarchy or tiering of binding incentive compatible contingent strategies, which may include optimal liquidation policies for matched assets and liabilities based upon stochastic volume/price schedule related to statistically non-stationary supply/demand elasticities and order-flow, as well as variations in market microstructure. The invention includes a dynamic open system with distributed stochastic control of strategic interactions among dynamic optimizing agents across random states, wherein the actions of any one affects the joint costs and benefits for all the agents.
US08032446B2
A method and apparatus for generating a tradable security includes confirming a vendor's compliance with predefined terms of a commercial transaction, such that a buyer is obligated to make a due payment. The method and apparatus further includes electronically rating a financial commitment relating to a receivable account for the commercial transaction. This receivable account is rated based on conditions and factors known to a system facilitating the commercial transaction. Based on the ability for the financial commitment to be rated, a financial exchange is operative to transfer entitlement rights to monies due under the receivable account where the terms for the transfer of the entitlement rights are based at least in part on the electronic rating. Thereby, receivable accounts to commercial transactions may be tradable by one or more investors as properly rated investment.
US08032443B2
Systems and method of enabling trading in currencies are provided. A method of trading a foreign currency option on an electronic trading system according to the invention may include executing a trade of the foreign currency option between a buyer and a seller, locking the trading system with respect to the traded foreign currency option, querying the buyer whether the buyer desires to buy or sell additional volume of the option, querying the seller whether the seller desires to sell or buy additional volume of the option, and authorizing additional participants to join the trade and querying the additional participants whether each of the additional participants desires to buy or sell a volume of the option. The method may also include starting a countdown timer and displaying the timer on the graphical user interface of the buyer, the seller and the additional parties and receiving buy and sell orders from the at least one of the buyer, the seller and additional participants. Following the expiration of the countdown timer, the method preferably includes matching existing buy orders and sell orders for the option. In one embodiment of the invention, the matching occurs according to a predetermined order priority.
US08032442B2
A system 10 for providing logistics for a sale of goods. The system 10 may be implemented over a global computer network 20, and is effective to provide financial logistics for a sale of goods between a seller and a remote buyer, in a manner that does not require interaction between the seller and buyer. The system 10 further implements a geography-based and time-based strategy for executing the logistics of shipping time-sensitive goods from the seller to the buyer.
US08032436B2
Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for facilitating the aggregation of carbon reduction credits resulting from finance loans financing the purchase of energy technology. For example, a credit aggregator may receive from a finance institution estimate parameters describing a loan type. The credit aggregator may calculate a value of a carbon reduction credit associated with each loan of the loan type considering the estimate parameters and display the value to the finance institution. In addition, the credit aggregator may receive bid data and booking data from the finance institution. When a credit is booked, the credit aggregator may receive from the finance institution periodic indications of a status of the intervention technology.
US08032414B2
Systems and methods for performing a consumer advertising transaction at a retail device are disclosed. According to one system and method, an identifier associated with the retail device is provided to a personal communication device. An application-specific user interface specific to the retail device is associated based on the identifier. A selection is received for the consumer advertising transaction made by a consumer interacting with the application-specific user interface executing on the personal communication device. The consumer advertising transaction is performed based on the received selection for the consumer advertising transaction made by the consumer interacting with the application-specific user interface.
US08032413B2
An announcement distributor distributes, or auctions an opportunity to distribute, an announcement to an announcement recipient such as a consumer, issuer, merchant, or acquirer within a payment processing system. The announcement when there has been a satisfaction of an announcement condition, such as the consumer being determined to be located within a predetermined spatial zone. The content of the announcement may, in turn, facilitate a subsequent cashless transaction for resources of merchants. Implementations describe various permutations of the content of the announcement, the announcement condition, and the announcement recipient.
US08032405B2
A system and methods which enable modeling of end consumer interests based on online activity and producing e-commerce reports is described. The method includes scoring and classifying interests and preferences of consumers in relation to various items being offered as function of time and utilizing such scores to predict purchasing activity and revenue yield for n-dimensional combinations of interest for generation of consumer lists for target marketing and merchandising. The method also includes converse modeling of the performance and behavioral profile of items offered as a function of consumer activity. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US08032400B2
Described are techniques used in connection with providing insolvency services in connection with guaranty funds, such as property and casualty guaranty funds, upon the occurrence of an insurance company insolvency. A client/server system provides for creating and maintaining a database of state and insurance company member information. Operations, such as calculations, are performed in accordance with different rules that are associated with varying state laws and rules that may vary with insurance account. A range of functions are performed by the system comprising report generation, unearned premium calculations, assessment calculation, claim entry and management, administrative tasks, and other related operations. The system which provides services and operations in connection with managing insolvency funds may interact with other applications and systems, such as an accounting system, word processing system, and the like by generating data used as input in these other systems. Also described is a database schema representing a relationship between the different data entities that may be stored in a database in connection with performing insolvency operations.
US08032395B2
An imaging and workflow method, system, computer readable medium and user interface for processing information efficiently for the processing of medical prescription orders. The system includes support for document scanning, automated rules-based order processing, statistical reporting, document generation and document storage and retrieval. The present invention takes advantage of imaging technology to assist the user in scanning information into the system and software modules to improve the processing of orders. The present invention also includes database tables that identify to application processing logic the types and sequences of actions to be implemented for orders.
US08032392B2
A business enablement method and system. The method includes identifying and retrieving business management data associated with the business. The business management data is mapped to a structure comprised by a business management model. The business management data is categorized into a standard informational structure. An intranet viewable interactive model of the business management data is generated. The business management data is mapped to key result areas of the business. The business management data is integrated with business computing systems. The business computing systems receive reports comprising the business management data mapped to the key result areas of business. The reports are reviewed to determine a status of the business management data. The business management data is improved and displayed.
US08032384B2
The present invention features a hand-held language translation device comprising a microprocessor configured to receive (i) an audio input signal from a foreign speaker, and (ii) a simultaneous visual input signal generated by a camera which captures the facial expression and body language of the foreign language speaker while the foreign language speaker speaks, wherein upon receiving the audio input signal from the foreign speaker the microprocessor is capable of translating the spoken foreign language into a written form in the language of the user, whereby the written translation segment is stored in a searchable and retrievable manner.
US08032374B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for recognizing continuous speech using search space restriction based on phoneme recognition. In the apparatus and method, a search space can be primarily reduced by restricting connection words to be shifted at a boundary between words based on the phoneme recognition result. In addition, the search space can be secondarily reduced by rapidly calculating a degree of similarity between the connection word to be shifted and the phoneme recognition result using a phoneme code and shifting the corresponding phonemes to only connection words having degrees of similarity equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value. Therefore, the speed and performance of the speech recognition process can be improved in various speech recognition services.
US08032372B1
A computer program product for computing a correction rate predictor for medical record dictations, the computer program product residing on a computer-readable medium includes computer-readable instructions for causing a computer to obtain a draft medical transcription of at least a portion of a dictation, the dictation being from medical personnel and concerning a patient, determine features of the dictation to produce a feature set comprising a combination of features of the dictation, the features being relevant to a quantity of transcription errors in the transcription, analyze the feature set to compute a predicted correction rate associated with the dictation and use the predicted correction rate to determine whether to provide at least a portion of the transcription to a transcriptionist.
US08032371B2
Techniques for determining scale factor values when encoding audio data are described. According to one technique, a particular scale factor value (SFV) is estimated using an audio quality estimator function that is non-linear. After a certain point, a decrease in noise results in a smaller increase in audio quality. According to another technique, an initial SFV is estimated for each scale factor band (SFB). When estimating the cost of transitioning from one SFB to another, only a proper subset of possible SFVs are considered. The proper subset is based, at least in part, on the initial SFV.
US08032367B2
A bit-rate converting apparatus and a method thereof, in which bit-rate conversion is executed by low computational complexity, are provided. The bit-rate conversion is executed in a frequency domain, and psycho-acoustic analysis is not needed by using information included in an inputted bit-stream before the bit-rate conversion is applied. With this, the computational complexity is lowered. And in order that many equal values are not contained in a frequency domain signal, which is inputted to a quantizing means, a quantized value before inverse quantizating is applied is modified, or an inverse quantized value after the inverse quantizing was applied is modified. With this, fine control for the bit-rate is made to be easy.
US08032365B2
A method and corresponding apparatus for coded-domain acoustic echo control is presented. An echo control problem is considered as that of perceptually matching an echo signal to a reference signal. A perceptual similarity function that is based on the coded spectral parameters produced by the speech codec is defined. Since codecs introduce a significant degree of non-linearity into the echo signal, the similarity function is designed to be robust against such effects. The similarity function is incorporated into a coded-domain echo control system that also includes spectrally-matched noise injection for replacing echo frames with comfort noise. Using actual echoes recorded over a commercial mobile network, it is shown herein that the similarity function is robust against both codec non-linearities and additive noise. Experimental results further show that the echo-control is effective at suppressing echoes compared to a Normalized Least Mean Squared (NLMS)-based echo cancellation system.
US08032363B2
A method of processing a decoded speech (DS) signal including successive DS frames, each DS frame including DS samples. The method comprises: adaptively filtering the DS signal to produce a filtered signal; gain-scaling the filtered signal with an adaptive gain updated once a DS frame, thereby producing a gain-scaled signal; and performing a smoothing operation to smooth possible waveform discontinuities in the gain-scaled signal.
US08032362B2
Provided is an audio signal encoding method including transforming an input signal from a time domain to a time/frequency domain using a first transformation method, extracting a stereo parameter from a signal of the time/frequency domain, encoding the stereo parameter, and down-mixing the signal of the time/frequency domain, transforming each of sub-bands of the down-mixed signal to a frequency domain by using a second transformation method, and encoding the signal of the frequency domain in the frequency domain.
US08032359B2
There is provided a method for use by a speech encoder to encode an input speech signal. The method comprises receiving the input speech signal; determining whether the input speech signal includes an active speech signal or an inactive speech signal; low-pass filtering the inactive speech signal to generate a narrowband inactive speech signal; high-pass filtering the inactive speech signal to generate a high-band inactive speech signal; encoding the narrowband inactive speech signal using a narrowband inactive speech encoder to generate an encoded narrowband inactive speech; generating a low-to-high auxiliary signal by the narrowband inactive speech encoder based on the narrowband inactive speech signal; encoding the high-band inactive speech signal using a wideband inactive speech encoder to generate an encoded wideband inactive speech based on the low-to-high auxiliary signal from the narrowband inactive speech encoder; and transmitting the encoded narrowband inactive speech and the encoded wideband inactive speech.
US08032356B2
Spoken translation system which detects both speech from the information and also detects meta information streams from the information. A first aspect produces an enriched training corpus of information for use in the machine translation. A second aspect uses two different extraction techniques, and combines them by lattice rescoring.
US08032352B2
Device, system, and method of storage controller simulating data mirroring. For example, an apparatus for simulating data mirroring includes: a storage controller to control a primary storage unit that has data stored therein, wherein the storage controller is able to simulate a process of mirroring data stored in the primary storage unit in response to a mirroring simulation command.
US08032340B2
In a method for generating a model for modeling at least a portion of the process plant, M process variable data sets, where M is an integer, may be used to determine statistical data that may be utilized to scale process variable data sets. The M process variable data sets are scaled and then utilized to calculate intermediate model terms. For each additional process variable data set, it is scaled using the statistical data and then utilized to update the intermediate model terms. When an adequate number of process variable data sets have been processed, the model may be calculated using the intermediate model terms.
US08032333B2
A system and method for collecting and analyzing information from environmental occurrences that may have an adverse effect on electrical components in the vehicle. The information is passed up through a hierarchical structure to a higher level controller where the information can be used to detect the health of various electrical components and sub-systems on the vehicles. The vehicle may employ sensors that are specifically provided to detect environmental disturbances or abnormal conditions on the vehicle, or may use electrical devices on the vehicle used for other purposes that have the capability of detecting such disturbances and conditions.
US08032330B2
A portable diagnostic apparatus is brought proximal to a device to be diagnosed. While the device to be diagnosed is operating, a radiofrequency interference signal emitted by the device is received at the portable apparatus and a data representation of it is stored. The data representation is submitted for matching to a diagnostic signal pattern stored in a database of predetermined signal patterns. From the matching is identified and output an indication of a fault in the device to be diagnosed. In one embodiment the submitting is to the database stored in the portable apparatus itself, and in another embodiment the submitting is outputting (data cable, wireless link) the stored data representation to a diagnostic computer such as a personal computer, a peer device, or a remote diagnostic center. The RF interference signal may be one stream and the portable apparatus receives at least a second stream and both streams are used for the matching.
US08032329B2
Various methods and apparatuses are described that provide instrumentation and analysis of an electronic design. A performance monitoring apparatus may be located on an interconnect of a fabricated integrated circuit. An event measurement module (EM) includes an event generator sub-module that generates monitoring events and event measurements associated with transactions between initiator intellectual property (IP) cores and target IP cores over the interconnect. The EM further includes a software visible register block that provides software access for controlling the EM on which one or more transactions to monitor and to configure one or more parameters associated with that transaction to track. The EM further includes a filtering sub-module that selects transactions to be monitored based on information received from the software. The performance counter module aggregates events and event measurements received from the EM into quantities of performance metrics associated with transactions between the IP cores over the interconnect.
US08032328B2
The invention provides a novel method of monitoring a process. The method also has the ability to take predetermined actions based on the monitored data. These actions avoid or mitigate process abnormalities or upsets that might impact product quality, production, and/or process efficiencies. The method includes the steps of: obtaining at least one input process variable; determining a comparative process value based on the at least one input process variable using a first method having a first time-based weighting function; determining an expected process value based on the at least one input process variable using a second method having a second time-based weighting function; determining a first deviation value based on the at least one input process variable or historical data; calculating a limit range having a maximum limit and a minimum limit using the expected process value and the first deviation value; and comparing the comparative process value to the limit range.
US08032325B2
The invention produces contactless radial position sensors having an equivalent angular aperture greater than 90°, and substantially eliminates the spurious microvibrations due to the imperfections of the current sensors. For this, the invention uses at least four independent sensors and an electronic device capable of virtually placing in series said sensors in groups of two or three in order to spread the equivalent angular aperture of said groups of sensors.
US08032320B2
A position detection system and method in which the accuracy of position measurement of a device is not decreased with changes in the resonant frequency. The system includes a device having a magnetic induction coil; a driving coil generating an alternating magnetic field, applied to the magnetic induction coil, having a position-calculating frequency in the vicinity of a resonant frequency of the magnetic induction coil; a plurality of magnetic sensors that detects an induced magnetic field generated by the magnetic induction coil; a measurement-reference-value calculating section determining a measurement reference value at the position-calculating frequency when only the alternating magnetic field is applied; a position-analyzing section calculating at least one of the position and orientation of the device and the measurement reference value when the alternating magnetic field and the induced magnetic field are applied; and a redetermining section redetermining the position-calculating frequency at a predetermined timing.
US08032315B2
A system and method for analyzing a device that includes a mass configured for motion. The system includes a tri-axial accelerometer disposed to detect acceleration vectors of the device and to output three channels of acceleration data, and a user interface receiving the three channels of acceleration data. The user interface is configured to correlate the three channels of acceleration data with a reference frame defined by three orthogonal axes intersecting at a vertex, and includes a display and a selector. The display shows sets of options that represent dispositions of the device with respect to gravity, placements of the tri-axial accelerometer with respect to the device, and orientations of the tri-axial accelerometer with respect to the device. The selector selects one device disposition option, one tri-axial accelerometer placement option, and one tri-axial accelerometer orientation option.
US08032307B2
A method for establishing the genotype of the locus is provided in which a series of calibration samples are analysed, the results being one of three indication types, a window being defined relative to the indication for each of the indication types, unknown samples being similarly analysed with the window that they fall within being taken to determine the indication type for the unknown sample and hence the genotype of the relevant locus. The technique provides a robust, reliable and accurate method of genotyping which is suited to automation.
US08032303B2
Methods and apparatus to determine a concentration of nitrogen in a downhole fluid are described. An example apparatus to determine a concentration of nitrogen in a downhole fluid includes a fluid measurement unit to measure a first fluid composition and a density of at least a hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide in a sample of the downhole fluid. Additionally, the example apparatus includes one or more sensors to measure at least a pressure and a temperature of the sample. Further, the example apparatus includes a processing unit to determine a first theoretical density based on at least the first fluid composition, the temperature, and the pressure the sample. Further still, the example apparatus includes an analyzer to determine a first difference between the density of at least the hydrocarbon and the carbon dioxide in the sample and the first theoretical density. The first difference is associated with a concentration of nitrogen in the sample.
US08032302B1
A computer-implemented method of identifying weather events in geographic regions of interest includes monitoring queries to a weather information system. The queries contain at least one field indicative of a geographic region of interest. A signal indicative of the presence of a weather event in the geographic region of interest is generated when the number of queries pertaining to the geographic region of interest is above the statistically determined value.
US08032294B2
The procedure and device of the present disclosure enable an accurate determination of the composition of the fuel mixture at a self-igniting combustion engine on the basis of present sensor signals. The procedure and device of the present disclosure furthermore enable the detection and compensation of a combustion that is unstable due to the composition of the fuel mixture.
US08032290B2
A control device for an internal combustion engine can quickly control, regardless of variation of the quantity of evaporative fuel gas adsorbed in a canister of the engine, the air-fuel ratio to a target value by performing air-fuel ratio feedback compensation control so as not to cause the emission performance of the engine to deteriorate. For the first canister purge performed after the engine is started up, a purge valve is driven for a prescribed period at a prescribed purge flow rate. During the period, the quantity of purged fuel is calculated using an air-fuel ratio feedback factor. Based on the fuel quantity thus calculated, an adsorption quantity estimation section estimates the quantity of evaporative fuel gas adsorbed in the canister. At the same time, a fuel evaporation quantity calculation section calculates the quantity of fuel evaporating from a fuel tank according to the condition of the engine and vehicle, and the quantity of fuel in the canister is estimated based on the balance between the quantities of fuel charged to and purged from the canister.
US08032288B2
An upshift control system and method of an automatic transmission. The system includes a vehicle speed detector outputting a vehicle speed signal; a transmission control unit for receiving the signal, calculating a target hydraulic pressure based on a change of the vehicle speed, and outputting a control signal corresponding to the target hydraulic pressure; and an actuator for controlling an actual hydraulic pressure of an on-coming element based on the control signal. The method includes determining whether a vehicle speed changes during an upshift; calculating the change of the vehicle speed; calculating a target hydraulic pressure based on the change of the vehicle speed; and controlling an actual hydraulic pressure of an on-coming element based on the target hydraulic pressure. The target hydraulic pressure may be calculated by adding a modified hydraulic pressure, proportional to the rate of change of the vehicle speed, to a constant reference hydraulic pressure.
US08032284B2
A seat apparatus for controlling a side support portion on the basis of a road shape includes a control program cooperating with a car navigation system, a self-directed control program, a sensor error detecting program, and a map matching error detecting program, wherein, during the side support portion is executed by the control program cooperating with the car navigation system, when the error is detected, the control program cooperating with the car navigation system is changed to the self-directed control program, and during the side support portion is controlled by the self-directed control program, when the error is not detected, the self-directed control program is changed the control program cooperating with the car navigation system.
US08032280B2
A control system controls a hardware switch which receives a usage command for utilizing an auxiliary function of a vehicle and a software switch displayed with an information portion indicating the auxiliary function and a command portion for input of the usage command through a screen. When either of the hardware switch or the software switch is operated, information is provided for identifying the other switch that corresponds to the auxiliary function commanded by the operated switch.
US08032275B2
A method and a device for side impact detection in a vehicle. A first signal is generated by a side impact sensor system. A plausibility sensor system determines the direction and magnitude of a lateral speed of the vehicle and/or a slip angle as a plausibility signal. A processor is provided which detects the side impact as a function of the first signal and the plausibility signal.
US08032268B2
Methods and systems are provided for indicating whether an aircraft is below a designated minimum safe altitude level for an altitude sector. A method comprises displaying a graphical representation of a first sector on a display device associated with the aircraft. The first sector corresponds to a geographic area having a first minimum altitude criterion. If a current altitude of the aircraft is below the first minimum altitude criterion, the method continues by displaying the graphical representation of the first sector using a first visually distinguishing characteristic chosen to indicate that the aircraft is below the designated altitude level for the first sector.
US08032267B1
The invention provides, in one aspect, aviation navigational and/or flight management systems and methods that accommodate emergencies requiring provide real-time, built-in guidance to a nearest reachable airport. Related aspects of the invention provide such systems as respond to an operator alert, e.g., pressing of a button, by provide a graphical representation of the flight path to a nearest reachable airport. Further related aspects of the invention provide such systems as take geography into account in (i) identifying a nearest reachable airport, and (ii) determining a path to that airport. Still further related aspects of the invention provide such system as take characteristics of the host aircraft, weather and other externalities into account (i) identifying a nearest reachable airport, and (ii) determining a path to that airport. Other aspects of the invention provide systems as described above that, additionally, accommodate real-time radar vectoring operations and/or course deviation information from a predetermined flight plan between an origin location and a desired final destination.
US08032259B2
An electrical circuit for bi-directional power control between two devices, including a first battery-operated device, including a first battery for providing a source of power to the first battery-operated device, a first power management subsystem connected to the first battery, to power on and power off components of the first battery-operated device in response to a first wakeup event, WE1, and a first on/off button for generating WE1, a second battery-operated device, including a second battery for providing a source of power to the second battery-operated device, a second power management subsystem connected to the second battery, to power on and power off components of the second battery-operated device in response to a second wakeup event WE2, a second on/off button for generating WE2, and a switch for generating WE1 simultaneously when the second on/off button generates WE2, and circuitry including a single connection inter-connecting the first power management subsystem, the first on/off button, the second power management subsystem, the second on/off button, and the switch for generating WE1.
US08032257B2
A field equipment includes: a signal processing section; a first calculation control section for generating a first control signal which controls a start of a signal processing of the signal processing section; first and second insulating sections coupled to the first calculation control section; and a second calculation control section coupled to the first and second insulating sections and the signal processing section, the second calculation control section receiving the first control signal and then transmitting a second control signal corresponding to the first control signal to the signal processing section. The signal processing section generates a processed signal based on the second control signal. The second calculation control section receives the processed signal, then transmits data related to the first signal to the first calculation control section via the second insulating section, and then shifts to a low power consumption mode.
US08032255B2
A level sensor, associated with a bin, detects a particular reference level of an agricultural product in the bin and generates a calibration indicator. An input sensor determines an input rate of the agricultural product into the bin. A conveyer is capable of transporting the agricultural product out of the bin. An output sensor provides a status indicator that indicates whether the conveyer is in an active state or in an inactive state during one or more evaluation time windows. A data processor determines an output rate of the agricultural product based on the status indicator. The data processor comprises a level estimator for estimating an estimated bin level of the bin based on the input rate and an output rate. The data processor comprises a calibrator for calibrating the estimated bin level with reference to the particular reference level in response to the calibration indicator.
US08032250B2
A method and system for providing information related to a set of automated resources that may cooperate in an environment to perform an automated process, the method comprising the steps of associating a specific environment location with the automated process, determining the locations of resources with respect to the specific location and, where resources are proximate the specific location, providing information related to the automated process. Also a method for facility communication between distributed resources where location or an attribute akin thereto is used to tag data and to monitor network data for specific required data.
US08032249B1
Method and apparatus for multi-destination pick using motes. In embodiments, each receptacle may be assigned to a destination and may have a sensor that detects when an item is placed in the receptacle to deactivate the indicator and/or to verify that the item was placed in the correct receptacle. The sensor may be coupled via a wired or wireless connection to a mote that may include a communication interface for communicating with a control system and with other motes in an ad-hoc network. In some embodiments, each mote may also include an indicator that may be activated by a control system to indicate to the agent that the receptacle is the destination receptacle for a picked item. The agent may then place the item in the indicated destination receptacle. In one embodiment, the mote on the destination receptacle may be activated when the picked item is scanned by the agent.
US08032248B2
A method for finding the correlation between tool PM (prevention maintenance) and the product yield of the tool is disclosed. The method uses a moving average method to magnify a curve trend that is formed by the product yield data that is captured during a predetermined days before PM and after PM. The magnified curve trend is shown by a Cumulative sum chart. The Cumulative sum chart is analyzed for informing related workers of the effect between the tool PM and the product yield, so as to accurately estimate PM timing. Thereby, via the method, the effect between the tool PM and the product yield may be determined, which serves as an important reference for workers to execute further PM.
US08032241B2
A method of navigating through audio files and an apparatus for playing back audio files using the method are provided. The apparatus for playing back audio files includes an input module which receives from a user a command to switch the apparatus to a navigation mode, a storage module which stores a plurality of audio files, each audio file comprising a highlight section, a control module which extracts the audio files from the storage module in response to the command received by the input module and plays back the highlight sections of the audio files while adjusting a volume level for each of the audio files, and an output module which outputs to the user the highlight sections of the audio files played back by the control module.
US08032240B2
In one embodiment, channel mapping information is added to configuration information for the audio signal. The channel mapping information indicates to which speaker in a reproduction device to map each channel in the audio signal. For example, the channel mapping information may include a plurality of bits where each bit is associated with a speaker and indicates whether a channel exists in the audio signal for the associated speaker.
US08032239B2
A product for controlling physical properties including data processing means with inputs and outputs is provided. The product has approved bounds of behavior. At least one of the outputs includes a control signal disposed to be output by the product. The product is arranged to control an entity for implementing building functionality. The data processing means includes a processing control means, and a software including at least one application, and having a certificate uniquely associated with the application such that authenticity relating to building regulation, standard or directive of the application can be checked. The processing control means includes means for confirming the application by verifying the certificate associated with the application, and means for checking functions of the application and functions of the product as a whole, such that the control signal does not violate the approved bounds of behavior of the product when the application is executed.
US08032235B2
A technique is disclosed for reducing an error in a controlled variable via model predictive control. A predicted error in the controlled variable is determined for a forward-looking control horizon based upon measured or computed variables. The integral of the predicted error is computed. If the error or the integral exceed a tolerance for a determined time period, the model predictive control algorithm is modified to drive the error or the integral to within a tolerance. The modifications to the control algorithm may include changes to coefficients for terms based upon the error and/or the integral of the error.
US08032228B2
A medical device includes a pulse generator, a lead, and an electrode. The lead includes an electrode and a lead conductor connecting the pulse generator with the electrode via first and second conductive paths. The medical device includes first and second switches. The first switch includes a non-conductive state in the presence of a magnetic field, the non-conductive state preventing formation of the first conductive path between the pulse generator and the electrode. The second switch includes a non-conductive state that prevents formation of the second conductive path between the pulse generator and the electrode. The first switch in the non-conductive state and the second switch in the non-conductive state electrically shields the electrode from electromagnetic radiation and induced voltages during a magnetic resonance imaging procedure.
US08032227B2
An implantable microstimulator configured for implantation beneath a patient's skin for tissue stimulation to prevent and/or treat various disorders, uses a self-contained power source. Periodic or occasional replenishment of the power source is accomplished, for example, by inductive coupling with an external device. A bidirectional telemetry link allows the microstimulator to provide information regarding the system's status, including the power source's charge level, and stimulation parameter states. Processing circuitry automatically controls the applied stimulation pulses to match a set of programmed stimulation parameters established for a particular patient. The microstimulator preferably has a cylindrical hermetically sealed case having a length no greater than about 27 mm and a diameter no greater than about 3.3 mm. A reference electrode is located on one end of the case and an active electrode is located on the other end. The case is externally coated on selected areas with conductive and non-conductive materials.
US08032225B2
Method and device for improving blood flow by a series of electrically-induced muscular contractions
A treatment method and device for promoting a localized increase in the flow of blood through a blood vessel in an area of the body, the method including the steps of: (a) providing a system including: (i) at least a first electrode operatively contacting a first portion of body tissue; (ii) at least a second electrode operatively contacting a second portion of body tissue; and (iii) a signal generator, operatively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, for providing a plurality of electrical impulses to the electrodes; (b) applying the electrical impulses so as to subject the muscular tissue to at least one voltage differential, thereby inducing repeated, contracting, directional movement of muscular tissue associated within the blood vessel, so as to produce a localized increase in the flow of blood through the blood vessel.
US08032224B2
Techniques for controlling delivery of a therapy to a patient by a medical device, such as an implantable medical device (IMD), involve a sensitivity analysis of a performance metric. The performance metric may relate to efficacy or side effects of the therapy. For example, the performance metric may comprise a sleep quality metric, an activity level metric, a movement disorder metric for patients with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, or the like. The sensitivity analysis identifies values of therapy parameters that defines a substantially maximum or minimum value of the performance metric. The identified therapy parameters are a baseline therapy parameter set, and a medical device may control delivery of the therapy based on the baseline therapy parameter set.
US08032223B2
A device, system and method for stimulating a digestive organ is provided where the stimulation is randomized.
US08032218B2
In one embodiment an implantable cardiac device is provided that includes an implantable cardiac stimulation device with an implantable satellite device coupled to it. The implantable satellite device has a charge storage device. The implantable stimulation device having a refresh generator configured to generate a charge and voltage balanced multi-phasic refresh signal with a duration less than a capacitive time constant of an electrode-electrolyte interface of the implantable cardiac device and transmit the charge and voltage balanced multi-phasic refresh signal to the implantable satellite device for charging the charge storage device. In various embodiments, the charge and voltage balanced multi-phasic refresh signal having alternating phase signs and null durations between the alternating phases. In some embodiments, the refresh generator is configured to modulate the multi-phasic waveform refresh signal. The multi-phasic waveform refresh signal may be modulated to contain configuration information, status information, or other information.
US08032213B1
Systems and methods are provided for estimating a patient's ventricular defibrillation threshold (VDFT). Stimulation pulses, which are of at least three different energy levels up to 2 Joules, are delivered to the patient's right ventricle during a window defined between an R-wave and a vulnerable period that follows the R-wave. Voltage potentials, induced in response to the delivered RV stimulation pulses, are measured at a location of the patient's left ventricle (LV) where it is predicted that potential gradients induced in response to RV stimulation pulses will be lowest. Potential gradients are computed using the measured voltage potentials. The patient's VDFT can then be estimated by estimating, based on the computed potential gradients, the RV stimulation energy level that would be required to achieve a minimum acceptable potential gradient at the location of the patient's LV where it is predicted that potential gradients induced in response to RV stimulation pulses will be lowest.
US08032212B2
Techniques are provided for monitoring thoracic fluid levels based on thoracic impedance (ZT) and cardiogenic impedance (ZC). In one example, the implantable device tracks the maximum time rate of change in cardiogenic impedance (i.e. max(dZC/dt)) to detect trends toward hypervolemic or hypovolemic states within the patient based on changes in heart contractility. The detection of these trends in combination with trends in thoracic impedance allows for a determination of whether the thoracic cavity of the patient is generally “too wet” or “too dry,” and thus allows for the titration of diuretics to avoid such extremes. In particular, a decrease in thoracic impedance (ZT) in combination with a decrease in max (dZC/dt) is indicative of the thorax being “too wet” (i.e. a fluid overload). Conversely, an increase in thoracic impedance (ZT) in combination with a decrease in max (dZC/dt) is indicative of the thorax being “too dry” (i.e. a fluid underload).
US08032208B2
Systems, devices and methods are provided for displaying statistical distributions of cardiac events. A device embodiment comprises circuitry adapted to communicate with a medical device that is adapted to acquire data regarding cardiac events occurring at two or more cardiac sites, and display means for displaying a histogram of the data as two or more statistical distributions for the two or more cardiac sites. The histogram includes a number of histogram bins. At least one of the histogram bins includes both a representation for at least a portion of a statistical distribution of a cardiac event for a first cardiac site and a representation for at least a portion of a statistical distribution of a cardiac event for a second cardiac site. Other embodiments are provided herein.
US08032207B2
An electrotherapy apparatus has a sensor for detecting periodically recurring signal peaks, in particular the R-R peaks of an electrocardiogram of a person and a processor for deriving from the periodically recurring signal peaks a time delay corresponding to approximately the end of the next T wave. A trigger system or circuit is initiated by an output signal of the processor or is embodied within the processor for applying electrical stimulations to one or more active electrodes provided on the person at a time that is related to the end of the time delay. The apparatus has a plurality of output channels for applying electrical stimulation to the one or more active electrodes on the person.
US08032195B2
A waterproof protection cover and an acoustic component are each disposed inside a portable device provided with a chassis having one or more holes. The acoustic component emits sound. For the acoustic component, an acoustic component having a maximum acoustic output between 0.25 W or more and 0.8 W or less is used. The waterproof protection cover secures an area of 114 mm2 or more as an acoustically transparent portion for transmitting acoustic energy from the acoustic component.
US08032188B1
A cellular phone apparatus that is designed to mount at least one cellular phone and also alert an individual when any one of the cellular phones mounted within the apparatus receives a call. One embodiment of the apparatus can hold one cellular phones, while another embodiment of the apparatus can hold three cellular phones. The phones are preferably placed into “vibrate” mode when being placed within the apparatus. When a phone mounted within the apparatus receives a call, the vibration of that cellular phone will activate the apparatus, causing the apparatus to make a ringing sound and alert an individual of the incoming call.
US08032187B2
Various embodiments are described for a mobile communication device having a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device; a device memory coupled to the main processor for storing a plurality of battery information profiles; and a smart battery coupled to the main processor for providing supply power. The smart battery includes a battery processor for controlling the operation of the smart battery and communicating with the main processor; and a battery memory coupled to the battery processor for storing a Battery ID indicating the model of the smart battery. The main processor is configured to communicate with the battery processor to obtain the Battery ID and select one the battery information profiles based on the Battery ID.
US08032184B2
Techniques are provided for generating downlink beamforming weighting vectors by using channel information about one or more uplink sub-channels in a wireless communications network in the case of frequency mismatch between downlink channels and uplink channels for a specific user. The method comprises calculating an average channel covariance matrix of one or more uplink sub-channels assigned to a specific user, dividing a sector of a cell into a plurality of sub-sectors, transforming the average channel covariance matrix into a plurality of average sub-sector channel covariance matrices and obtaining an average uplink beamforming weighting vector group corresponding to the plurality of sub-sectors, selecting direction of arrival (DOA) sub-sectors from the plurality of sub-sectors by using the plurality of average sub-sector channel covariance matrices, and computing a time delay sequence for the DOA sub-sectors, and generating downlink beamforming weighting vectors by using the average uplink beamforming weighting vectors corresponding to the DOA sub-sectors and the information derived from the time delay sequence.
US08032177B2
The present invention discloses a mobile communication device that allows the user to easily perform simultaneous voice communication and image communication that allows the user to transmit high quality image information to another user and receive high quality image information from another user. The mobile communication device provides multiple cameras and/or display screens that allow a user to easily photograph a subject and view captured images that are received either from a camera located in the device or from another user.
US08032175B2
Aspects of a method and system for using a Bluetooth® PLL/LO to drive FM Transmit, FM Receive, Bluetooth, and NFC functions. A Bluetooth® PLL/LO may be utilized to generate Bluetooth® signal that comprise I and Q components for use in Bluetooth® communication. The Bluetooth® signals may then be utilized by a DDFS to generate FM radio I and Q signals for FM radio reception and/or transmission. The Bluetooth® signals may also be utilized by a second DDFS to generate signals for near field communication (NFC) transmission and/or reception. The Bluetooth® signals may be kept at the same frequency, or reduced in frequency, for use in clocking the DDFS. A frequency word may also be utilized to clock the DDFS. The outputs of each DDFS may be a constant frequency while the inputs to each DDFS may vary in frequency.
US08032168B2
A method, device and computer program product for monitoring data transmission connections. The method comprises monitoring data transmission connections between a cellular radio network and a subscriber terminal with two analyzers. With the first analyzer, first connection information is collected on a first data transmission connection of the subscriber terminal to a first cell. With the second analyzer, second connection information is collected on a second data transmission connection of the subscriber terminal to a second cell. The first connection information is transferred from the first analyzer to the second analyzer. In the second analyzer, the first connection information is used combined with the second connection information for analyzing the second data transmission connection.
US08032164B2
Methods and apparatus for enabling short message service (SMS) and supplementary services (SS) in a long term evolution (LTE) network via evolved packet system (EPS) mobility management (EMM) over the LTE control plane are described. In one embodiment, the radio resource control (RRC) connection signaling radio bearer (SRB) is used for SMS and SS transport over the LTE control plane between a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a mobility management entity (MME). EMM interfaces and primitives are defined for actions towards SMS and SS entities for enabling SMS and SS services in LTE via the LTE control plane media. Message formats for SMS and SS message transport are also disclosed for sending SMS and SS messages within EMM uplink (UL) non-access stratum (NAS) transport and downlink (DL) NAS transport messages.
US08032163B2
A method for performing quick short message functions for a mobile phone is disclosed. The method includes reading short messages from a subscriber identify module card and a memory system of the mobile phone, copying the short messages into a short message status table, if the mobile phone has been started up for the first time, and saving the short message status table into the memory system. The method further includes obtaining the short message status table stored in the memory system if the mobile phone is powered on hereafter, and monitoring the mobile phone to determine if status of the short messages has been changed. The method further includes updating the short message status table and saving the updated short message status table into the memory system, if status of the short messages has been changed.
US08032155B2
Displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes steps of obtaining map data for rendering the map to be displayed on the wireless communications device, determining a rotation that, when applied to the map, will orient a selected path in a selected direction, such as a current direction of travel, generating a corrected rotation by applying a spherical correction factor, e.g. based on a current location, and rendering the map on a display of the wireless communications device by applying the corrected rotation. The spherical correction factor corrects for map distortions that occur at high latitudes for paths that are neither purely north-south or east-west. When such a path is rotated to face upward to show direction of travel, the path needs to be straightened by applying the spherical correction factor.
US08032149B2
A system and method for determining the location of a mobile appliance where the tasking of the system to determine the location of the mobile appliance utilizes a first communications protocol standard and the reporting of the location of the mobile appliance utilizes a second communications protocol standard, where the first and second communication protocol standards are not the same and can include any of the commonly used communication protocol standards including TIA defined standards, ETSI standards, and SMR/ESMR defined standards.
US08032139B2
An approach is provided for selecting, by a multi-mode device, one among multiple networks. A plurality of overlay parameters associated with a plurality of networks are acquired, wherein the networks are different from one another. Each of the networks is rated using the overlay parameters according to one or more selection criteria. One of the networks is selected based on the rating.
US08032129B2
A Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network that stores, in real time, data, such as motion pictures, still images, audio sounds, etc., collected from outside of the home into a storage device located, preferably, in the home. In particular, a data collecting device requests a device search through the home network, receiving an acknowledgement from a storage device, requests device information from the storage device, receives the device information from the storage device, configures a storage path of the data collecting device using the device information, and stores data it collects into the storage device using the storage path. It is accordingly possible to allow the user to conveniently play back the data collected by the handheld device using the household appliances without additional manipulation for transferring the collected data, despite the limited storage capacity of the handheld device.
US08032128B2
Systems and methods for improving software operations on startup. A system and method can provide for the storage of volatile memory contents of an application upon shutdown of a mobile device, and restoration of the contents upon startup.
US08032123B2
A mobile telecommunications handset is provided. The mobile telecommunications handset includes a component operable to measure a level of an air pollutant and a transceiver operable for a user to send and receive communications wirelessly.
US08032121B2
Disclosed herein are a system and method for transferring voice messages. The system includes a voice message server. When a voice message and called terminal information are transmitted from a calling terminal, the voice message server stores the voice message, searches for a connection mute to the called terminal with reference to the called terminal information, and transmits a reception request signal to the called terminal. Furthermore, when the called terminal responds to the reception request signal, the voice message server reproduces the voice message. Furthermore, when the called terminal does not respond to the reception request signal and the reception request signal is forwarded to a different receiving object, the voice message server checks whether the route of the reception request signal has been changed and interrupts the transmission of the voice message. Accordingly, an additional communication charge may be avoided.
US08032119B2
A method and system for sending information in the form of a wireless message to a wireless device subscriber requesting advertising, product, or service information is described. The method includes assigning an information request code by a service provider to the information provided by an advertiser, presenting or displaying the information request code along with an advertisement to potential consumers, receiving the information request code from the wireless device, and sending a wireless message to the potential consumer's wireless communication device. The system includes an advertisement comprising an information request code, a wireless communication device operable for sending the information request code and receiving a wireless data message, a wireless communication center in communication with a wireless network and operable for relaying, storing, and forwarding the wireless data message to the wireless communication device.
US08032118B1
Messages are received at a server and processed to generate data that may include a call back number, envelope information or contact information. Generated data is transmitted to a device that displays a visual notification that includes some of the generated data. The notification may be displayed on the device even if the device is unable to retrieve the message over a data channel. The notification alerts the user that a message is waiting for the user. If the device is subsequently within a data network, the device automatically retrieves the message over a data channel. The device can also establish a voice call with a message server to retrieve the message and can record the message. The device can establish the voice call with the server at a call back number and/or issue a DTMF message request to directly access the message without requiring menu navigation.
US08032114B2
Embodiments of methods for handling a service authorization request (SAR) from a mobile subscriber are disclosed. The SAR represents a request for access to a given prepaid mobile service. The method includes ascertaining, using suspect subscriber list, whether the SAR is associated a suspect subscriber in the suspect subscriber list. The method further includes authorizing, if the SAR is not associated with the suspect subscriber, the SAR without waiting until response-determinative processing is performed on the SAR.
US08032108B2
This invention relates to a method and an emergency call device for transmitting an emergency call including emergency information from a vehicle using a mobile communication system. Further this invention is related to an emergency call system comprising the emergency call device and an emergency call assistance center. To provide a method for transmitting an emergency call which increases the reliability of data transmission this invention provides a method for transmitting an emergency call including emergency information from a vehicle using an mobile communication system. After an emergency call has been triggered at the vehicle, the method establishes a data connection to an emergency call assistance center via the mobile communication system, transmits emergency information to the emergency call assistance center using the data connection, establishes a first voice connection to the emergency call assistance center via the mobile communication system, and transmits a DTMF message including emergency information using the established first voice connection.
US08032104B2
A radio frequency (RF) transceiver includes an RF transmitter that generates an outbound RF signal at a carrier frequency that is based on a transmitter local oscillation. An RF front-end receives an inbound RF signal that includes a desired signal component that is based on the outbound RF signal and that includes an undesired signal component. The RF front-end includes a first RF combiner module that attenuates the undesired signal component to produce a desired RF signal. A down conversion module generates a down converted signal from the desired RF signal based on a receiver local oscillation. A receiver processing module generates inbound data from the down converted signal. A frequency control module controls the carrier frequency, based on an interference rejection signal, to control the attenuation of the undesired signal component.
US08032102B2
A system for correcting a second order intermodulation product in a direct conversion receiver is provided. The system includes a cross-covariance system receiving a data signal and a second order intermodulation estimate signal and generating a cross-covariance value. An auto-covariance system receives the second order intermodulation estimate signal and generates an auto covariance value. A buffer system stores a second order intermodulation product correction factor. A divider receives the cross-covariance value, the auto-covariance value and the second order intermodulation product correction factor and generates a running average second order intermodulation product correction factor.
US08032095B1
A method and circuit for indicating signal faults in wireless transmissions, particularly, a carrier leak, includes an input to receive a wireless signal, a bias detector that detects a bias in a portion of the signal and outputs a bias value indicative of the bias, an evaluator configured to compare the bias value to at least one allowable transmission signal value, and output a signal when the bias value is outside the allowable transmission signal value, and an output, responsive to the evaluator, to indicate a carrier leakage in the wireless signal. A buffer may be provided between the input and the evaluator. The sensitivity of the circuit may be adjusted and a protocol determination may be made.
US08032093B1
Embodiments of circuits, devices, and methods for a power detection arrangement are disclosed. The power detection arrangement may have a coupler coupled with, and in between, a switch and an output to couple a signal to a detector. The power detection arrangement may include a harmonic suppressor coupled with, and in between, the coupler and the detector to reduce an amount of harmonic signals transmitted back to the coupler. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08032090B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes an accessory device for coupling to a portable system having an AM radio receiver. The accessory device includes a housing to house at least one accessory component and an AM antenna.
US08032084B2
A portable data storage device is described, which includes a short range wireless communication interface. The device is configured to communicate with a backup device over a wireless communication link and further comprises an alerting device for initiating an alert procedure on separation of the backup device from the portable data storage device. The alert procedure may include one or more of: disabling at least one function of the portable data storage device, for rendering the portable data storage device at least partially inoperable in the absence of communication from the backup device, locking the portable data storage device, generating an audible, visible or vibrational signal, restricting access to certain functions of the portable data storage device, preventing use of the portable data storage device except to telephone a specified number to report the device as lost or to re-enable the device and/or communicating a unique identifier of the portable data storage device to a network.
US08032081B2
A system and method for allowing vehicle occupants to wirelessly chat with each other over a DSRC channel. A vehicle occupant may initiate a chatting session by wirelessly transmitting a request to speak with an occupant of another vehicle in its vicinity on a certain topic in a multi-hop manner. If the request is accepted by the occupant of another vehicle to enter into a chatting session on that topic, a wireless communications link is established between the two vehicles, where messages may be transmitted through other intermediate vehicles. The chatting session is maintained by monitoring the signal strength of the links between the vehicles in the chain of vehicles and new links are re-established if any of the existing links fail.
US08032079B2
The hearing device is adapted to automatically requesting an establishment of a communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider. The hearing device support provider may comprise a person knowledgeable in hearing devices, at the hearing device seller and/or at the hearing device manufacturer, and it may comprise a computer with a suitable software. Said automatically requesting said establishment of said communication connection will usually happen, when at least one change in internal status of the hearing device occurs, like a failure or a memory overflow or the upcome of a repeatedly occurring event. The hearing device may by itself decide upon the type of change in internal status, which hearing device support provider to connect to. Typically, at least one long-range communication connection is involved.
US08032078B1
An interface device for interfacing a set of wayside systems with a radio transmitter includes a plurality of input ports each having at least one input for receiving a signal representing a state of a corresponding wayside system and first and second parallel data paths coupled to the plurality of input ports. Each data path includes input protection circuitry coupled to the inputs of the input ports for preventing short-circuit and open-circuit conditions from triggering a false input state, a multiplexer for selecting between the input port; and a processor for scanning the input ports with the multiplexer to determine the state of current signals appearing at the inputs. In response to determining the state of the current signals appearing at the inputs, the processor generates a message communicating a current state of the wayside systems for delivery to the radio transmitter.
US08032072B2
A method for recording a clean broadcast free of background, such as fade-ins and fade-outs on a receiver includes providing program data associated with an upcoming broadcast, the broadcast being selected by a broadcaster, on the receiver to describe the upcoming broadcast to a user. The receiver records the upcoming broadcast to an internal memory of the receiver in response to either the broadcast being automatically selected based on the user's preferences or the user manually selecting the upcoming broadcast. Start and stop commands, independent of any manual input, are received by the receiver to begin and end the recording of the clean broadcast.
US08032070B2
To provide an image forming apparatus and a double-sided printing method for the image forming apparatus that can prevent occurrence of an image failure by providing a sheet retracting mechanism in a conveying path of an automatic double-sided printing device and preventing occurrence of temporary stop near a high-temperature fixing device during a double-sided printing operation.The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit 1A that forms images on sheets E and F, a fixing device 17 that fixes the images formed by the image forming unit 1A on the sheets E and F, an automatic double-sided printing device 81 that has a conveying path 82 for conveying the sheets E and F having the images fixed thereon by the fixing device 17 into the automatic double-sided printing device 81 and reversing the sheets E and F conveyed into the automatic double-sided printing device 81 to feed the sheets E and F to the image forming unit 1A, and a retracting mechanism 106 that stops the sheets E and F, which is stopped to be conveyed in the conveying path 82, in a position away from the fixing device 17 to retract the sheets E and F from heat of the fixing device 17, the retracting mechanism 106 being provided in the conveying path 82 of the automatic double-sided printing device 81.
US08032064B2
A developer apparatus, includes: a container which houses toner; a toner carrier roller that is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner supplied from the container on the surface thereof, and a restriction member that abuts on the surface of the toner carrier roller to form a restriction nip, restricts a thickness of the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller in the restriction nip, and removes the toner layer on the convex sections from among the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller at an upstream-side end of the restriction nip in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller.
US08032061B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including first and second photosensitive bodies, first and second exposing units to form electrostatic latent images on the first and second photosensitive bodies respectively charged to a uniform electric potential, a first developing unit to develop an electrostatic latent image of the first photosensitive body by supplying a color toner to the electrostatic latent image of the first photosensitive body, and a second developing unit in which a transparent toner and a white toner charged to different polarities are contained and which develops a transparent toner image and a white toner image by respectively supplying the transparent toner and the white toner to an image portion and a non-image portion of an electrostatic latent image of the second photosensitive body.
US08032053B2
A latch apparatus has a latch base, a latch frame, and at least one flexible bracket connecting the latch frame to the latch base. Connectors are used to connect the flexible bracket to the latch frame and connect the flexible bracket to the latch base. The connectors prevent the outer surface of the flexible bracket from moving along the surface of the latch frame or the surface of the latch base. A biasing member is connected to the latch base and the latch frame. The flexible bracket maintains a gap between the latch base and the latch frame and prevents the latch base from contacting or sliding along the latch frame.
US08032052B2
A developing device containing a developer holding body for executing developing by affixing developer to an image support body, a controlling unit for thinning a layer of developer and disposed to contact the developer holding body, a support unit for supporting the controlling unit, an elastic sealing unit provided with a contact surface contacting the support unit and disposed on an edge side of the controlling unit, and a guiding unit for controlling an installation direction of a developing blade member at a time when the developing blade member is mounted on the elastic sealing unit, provided with a guiding surface formed at a prescribed angle in relation to the contact surface of the elastic sealing unit. The present invention attempts to prevent developer leakage from between a controlling unit and a sealing unit.
US08032043B2
In case new and old toners may be mixed, a developing bias is set as follows. The time is first clocked. The number of times toner is replenished from a hopper into a buffer for a clocked period is counted. If a replenishment amount per clock time is a threshold value or higher, considering that new and old toners are mixed, the setting of the developing bias is changed. An electric field intensity between a developing roller and a photoconductor is set to cause normally-charged toner to fly in an image area but not to fly in a background area. No image fogging is therefore generated in the background area. Thus, an image forming apparatus and method capable of preventing low-charged toner and oppositely-charged toner generated by mixing of new and old toners from adhering to the background area of an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor, thereby avoiding generation of image fogging.
US08032041B2
A pair of registration rollers are provided upstream in a paper transport path from an image forming position, and a paper transport position detection portion is provided upstream in the paper transport path from the pair of registration rollers. When consecutive print processing on a plurality of sheets of paper is performed, a paper transport position in the paper transport path is detected by the paper transport position detection portion for a sheet of paper that has been set in advance among the plurality of sheets of paper. A correction amount of a position for image writing to a photosensitive drum is determined based on the paper transport position, and correction of the image writing position is performed based on the correction amount. Image forming on the sheet of paper is performed at the image forming position based on the image writing position after correction, and image forming on other sheets of paper after the sheet of paper that was set in advance is performed at the image forming position based on the image writing position after correction.
US08032038B2
A developing device includes a storage portion for retaining developer; a light guide member for forming a plurality of optical paths passing through the storage unit to detect an amount of the developer in the storage portion; a plurality of window members formed in a wall of the storage portion for passing the optical paths therethrough; a blocking member disposed to be movable for blocking the window members; and a drive unit for moving the blocking member. The blocking member is disposed on each of the optical paths. When the drive unit moves the blocking member, the blocking member periodically blocks and opens each of the optical paths in a specific cycle.
US08032035B2
A light detecting apparatus receives input light branched and output by a branching device, to calculate transmittance and reflectivity from the input light, acquires a wavelength corresponding to the calculated transmittance and reflectivity to calculate a gain value corresponding to input light intensity, acquires a driving current value corresponding to a calculated gain value and an acquired wavelength, and outputs an acquired driving current value.
US08032029B2
Methods, systems and computer program products for countering the effects of four wave mixing are described. In one implementation, a controller can be used to shift an operating wavelength of an optical transmitter away from a zero-dispersion wavelength through which signals of the optical transmitter are transmitted. The controller can perform the shifting process while allowing sufficient margin for division multiplexing and minimal dispersion. The controller may determine an appropriate offset to be used for shifting the operating wavelength without subjecting the signals to a significant increase in undesirable effects such as dispersion, crosstalk and signal distortion which can impact the overall bit-error rate.
US08032027B2
Optical devices extending the free spectral range and tunability of, and enabling hitless switching of, integrated optical filters suitable for add-drop filters. Devices include (i) a splitter device configured to split an input spectrum among a plurality of output ports, and a combiner device configured to combine at least a portion of the split input spectrum into a single output port, splitter and combiner having respective first and second input and output ports, and a respective transfer matrix, the matrix of the combiner being the diagonal transpose of that of the splitter; (ii) a first optical path coupling the first output port of the splitter and the first input port of the combiner; (iii) a second optical path coupling the second output port of the splitter and the second input port of the combiner, wherein the first and second optical paths are configured to introduce, at least at a wavelength of the input spectrum, a relative phase shift of π radians; and (iv) an optical filter coupled to at least one of the first and second optical paths.
US08032022B2
A method and system for enabling lightpath monitoring in an optical network is disclosed. A single polarization modulator/scrambler introduces a pilot tone signal as an overlay on a plurality of optical signals on a source node and a performance monitoring unit detects the pilot tone signal to enable light path monitoring and identification through the optical network.
US08032016B1
An arrangement is provided for transporting information from a central information distribution center (CIDC) to locations where such information is intended. Upon receiving a request for narrowcast information to be delivered to a node associated with a head end, the CIDC selects the requested information, generates an optical signal encoded with the requested information using information channels dedicated to narrowcast information transport for the node, and sends the optical signal to the head end via an optical fiber. When the head end receives the optical signal, the narrowcast information transport channels dedicated to the node are translated into subcarriers acceptable to the node before the requested narrowcast information is forwarded to the node.
US08032015B2
A heating apparatus including a filament arranged in a vacuum heating vessel comprises a base plate arranged in the vacuum heating vessel to fix the filament at a predetermined position with respect to a conductive heater forming one surface of the vacuum heating vessel. The base plate comprises a plate body having a carbon fiber.
US08032012B2
To provide means for editing a content data stream quickly.A data processor according to the present invention can edit a content that has been written on a medium. The content is stored in a file as a data stream including multiple packets of the same packet size. And a file system for accessing data on a cluster size basis has been established on the medium. The data processor includes: a receiving section, which receives an instruction on a partial deletion range including the beginning of the file; and a media control section for deleting data, the size of which is an integral number of times as large as the least common multiple of the cluster size and the packet size, from the beginning of the file within the partial deletion range.
US08032010B2
An image recording/reproducing apparatus and a control method thereof to provide the functions of recording image files in a recording medium and reproducing and editing the image files recorded in the recording medium. The apparatus and method enables a user to easily select and manipulate functions of the apparatus using a menu display, and can record, reproduce and edit the image files according to the function selected by the user. The apparatus and method, therefore allows the user to easily select and manipulate the functions using a displayed menu, and more efficiently manage and easily search for the recorded image files.
US08032008B2
There is provided a content recording/reproducing apparatus that can restore a deleted content. An MD recording player (1) as an example of the content recording/reproducing apparatus records, each time a content recorded in a mini disk (90) is deleted, information on the deleted content to a deletion history. Since a personal computer (200) as an external device re-records the content deleted in the MD recording player (1) on the basis of the content of the deletion history, so the user has not to re-record the deleted content by remembering what the deleted content was. Also, even if a content checked out to the MD recording player (1) is deleted, the number of times of check-in or check-out is matched with the content data by making deemed check-in on the basis of the deletion history or recording history. Thus, even if checked-out content data is deleted at the check-out destination, a limited number of times of check-out can be assured so that it is possible to prevent the content data from becoming unusable.
US08031999B2
A photonic band-gap fiber comprises a first core having a refractive index that is not higher than a refractive index of a clad; a second core that is disposed so as to surround the first core and has a refractive index that is lower than the refractive index of the first core; a clad that surrounds the second core; and a periodic structure portion that is disposed in the clad in a vicinity of the second core and is constituted by high-refractive index portions that have a refractive index higher than that of clad and form the periodic structure, and the periodic-structure portion functions as a wave-length filter. By the function of the periodic structure portion as a wave-length filter, it is possible to reduce the propagation loss of the transmission wavelength and increase the propagation loss of the cutoff wavelength.
US08031992B2
The invention relates to an optoelectronic module having at least one leadframe, at least one carrier element connected to the leadframe, and at least one optoelectronic component connected to the carrier element, which component can emit and/or receive light. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing an optoelectronic module that includes providing at least one leadframe, at least one carrier element and at least one optoelectronic component, connecting the optoelectronic component to the carrier element and connecting the carrier element to the leadframe, and at least partly encapsulating the optoelectronic component, the carrier element and the leadframe with a plastic.
US08031980B2
A disclosed image processing apparatus includes process components configured to input, process, or output image data; and a registration unit configured to obtain a list of the process components available in the image processing apparatus, to display on a display unit a screen for selecting one or more of the process components from the list and thereby defining a combination of the process components which combination implements an application program for performing an image processing task, and to register the combination with an identifier in the image processing apparatus.
US08031976B2
An image processing circuit includes a processor that receives an encoded portion of a first version of an image. The processor decodes this encoded portion directly into a decoded portion of a second version of the image, the second version having a resolution that is different than the resolution of the first version. Therefore, such an image processing circuit can decode an encoded hi-res version of an image directly into a decoded lo-res version of the image. Alternatively, the image processing circuit includes a processor that modifies a motion vector associated with a portion of a first version of a first image. The processor then identifies a portion of a second image to which the modified motion vector points, the second image having a different resolution than the first version of the first image. Next, the processor generates a portion of a second version of the first image from the identified portion of the second image, the second version of the first image having the same resolution as the second image.
US08031973B2
An original image is converted into a reduced image, based on which a peripheral average luminance image is obtained through a filtering processing. A Retinex image having a smaller size than the original image is obtained from the peripheral average luminance image and the reduced image. The Retinex image is enlarged, and an output image is generated based on the enlarged Retinex image and the original image.
US08031966B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for determining whether backlight exists. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes calculating scattering degrees of luminance values of pixels included in each of images which represent the same photographic subject and have different brightness levels from each other; and determining whether backlight exists on the photographic subject in consideration of the calculated scattering degrees.
US08031962B2
The disclosed implementations relate generally to improved workflows for color correcting digital images. In some implementations, a method of correcting images includes: presenting a user interface on a display device, the user interface including a display area; presenting a digital image in the display area; overlaying a correction interface on the digital image; and performing a correction operation on at least a portion of the digital image in response to a user interaction with the correction interface, where the correction operation is performed with real-time responsiveness.
US08031958B2
An image signal processing apparatus, the method and a camera system are provided, by which highly efficient processing close to 1-path processing can be performed without deteriorating a picture quality or taking too much time for the processing, a capacity required for a compression rate, band and memory in the worst case can be assured and a random accessing property is not impaired when compressing image data: wherein the apparatus has at least a first signal processing unit, a second signal processing unit, and a storage unit accessed by the first signal processing unit and the second signal processing unit; wherein the first signal processing unit includes at its interface part with the storage unit a band compression expansion unit having functions of compressing input image data based on a predetermined band compression method, writing the same in the storage unit, and expands compressed data read from the storage unit.
US08031957B1
A computer-implemented method can provide compression of a digital representation of an object. The digital representation can include a graphical data structure with graphical data defining the object in terms of a definition of respective faces of the object. Each face can be defined in terms of a surface for the face and each edge of the face on that surface. The method can include, for respective faces of the object, accessing the definition of the face in the graphical data structure, generating a compressed definition of the face and replacing the definition of the face in the graphical data structure by the compressed definition of the face.
US08031955B2
An image processing apparatus includes a block setting unit that sets a block having a fixed size to inputted image data; a determining unit that determines whether or not at least a part of an image region included in the block set by the block setting unit is filled with a single pixel value; a pixel value replacing unit that replaces at least a part of the image region included in the block by a single pixel value according to a result of the determination by the determining unit; and a hierarchical process controller that instructs the block setting unit to set a broader block including plural set blocks.
US08031944B2
This invention relates to an image processing method and image processing apparatus capable of accurately cutting out a desired target from a displayed image. A polygonal area including a cutout target is specified from a displayed image. It is determined whether or not each side of the specified polygon contacts with the cutout target. A side that does not contact with the cutout target is selected as a side for starting cutout processing in accordance with the determination result. The pixel value is examined from the selected side in the inward direction of the polygonal area. It is determined whether or not the pixel belongs to the desired target. Finally, the desired target is cut out in accordance with the determination result.
US08031940B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus including computer program products for recognizing text in images are provided. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method for recognizing text in an image is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of images. The method also includes processing the images to detect a corresponding set of regions of the images, each image having a region corresponding to each other image region, as potentially containing text. The method further includes combining the regions to generate an enhanced region image and performing optical character recognition on the enhanced region image.
US08031939B2
A color processing method includes outputting, via an image output device, a chart image in which a plurality of images obtained by applying illuminant corrections corresponding to a plurality of different illuminants to images corresponding to a plurality of representative colors are arranged in a predetermined layout, receiving a user's instruction to select one of the illuminant corrections corresponding to one of the plurality of different illuminants based on the output chart image, and setting the selected illuminant correction to be applied to an original image, wherein the plurality of representative colors are memory colors.
US08031938B2
Method and apparatus for providing improved human observer XYZ functions and calculations for CIELAB
A method for determining color-matching functions includes obtaining spectral data originating from metameric pairs and generating new color matching functions by modifying original color matching functions. The new color matching functions are constrained to be similar to the original color matching functions while reducing calculated perceptual error between the metameric pairs. In another embodiment a method for determining color-matching functions spectral data originating from color matching experiments and from metameric pairs are generated. Color matching functions from a set of parameters and an error function that indicates error due to perceptual differences between the parameterized color matching functions and the color matching experiments are defined. Methods for defining human observer functions, optimizing the definitions of LMS cone response functions as well as other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08031926B2
Locations of the origins of “discrete events,” e.g., photons or other units of radiant energy are acquired from a specimen with reference to a scan frame or other region of interest of the specimen. The location of origin of a discrete event can be determined from the corresponding location datum as derived from a scan-drive signal, a positional feed-back signal, or by a point in time during a unit of sampling time (“image-acquisition period”) at which the event is detected. A probability-density function (PDF) is associated with the detected locations. Summing or other processing of the PDFs is performed to produce imagable data. From the data, images can be produced that require fewer discrete events to converge to an ideal density distribution associated with an image feature than required by pixel-based binning methods. Stored data can be mapped into pixels or voxels of a display or otherwise processed, including post hoc processing.
US08031920B2
A computer system for associating a laboratory report for a patient with a radiology image, such as a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image, is provided. The system comprises at least one image database for maintaining at least one DICOM healthcare image for a patient and at least one laboratory application for documenting one or more laboratory report for the patient. The system further comprises at least one association module for receiving a request from a clinician to associate the one or more laboratory reports for the patient with at least one DICOM image for the patient and for associating the one or more laboratory reports for the patient with at least one DICOM image for the patient.
US08031916B2
The biometric information input apparatus comprises a fingerprint sensor which detects biometric information, and moisture absorbing units and which are arranged adjacent to the fingerprint sensor and absorb moisture. The moisture absorbing units and have a groove structure which generates a capillary phenomenon. The fingerprint sensor is of the sweep type which scans biometric information through relative displacement with the finger, and is formed in parallel with the direction of relative displacement between the groove structure and the finger. The groove structure has a width smaller than the pitch of the ridges of an average fingerprint.
US08031915B2
An image processing device includes a deformation processing unit that deforms at least a portion of an area on a target image, which is generated by photographing, based on a distance between a photographic device and a subject of the target image. A deformation amount adjustment unit uses a distance parameter that correlates with the distance between the photographic device and the subject of the target image when photographing to thereby adjust a degree of deformation to increase as a distance indicated by the distance parameter becomes shorter.
US08031912B2
A biometric sensor apparatus uses an infra red light source and a CMOS image sensor. A platen receives a body part and the image sensor receives light transmitted through the body part. A processor determines from the detected through-transmitted light whether the body part is live or is a spoof body part. This determination is based upon a detected variation of the opacity of the body part due to blood flow through the body part. Digital processing of the collected image signal data is performed, such as by smoothing. The sensor may further function as a pattern (such as a fingerprint) sensor for detecting surface patterns on the presented body part and identifying an individual from those sensed patterns.
US08031911B2
A method for producing mottling in an image includes modifying digital colorant information in a digital image data file for at least one of a plurality of colorants. The degree of modification is based on digital colorant information in the digital image data file, mottling information from a mottling tile, and a colorant gain curve for at least one colorant. The colorant gain curve is obtained by determining a tint percentage, the variation of the tint of the printed at least one colorant when printed at a tint percentage on volume printing stock. The mottling information has a spatial frequency distribution substantially equal to the spatial frequency distribution of the mottling produced by at least one colorant on a volume printing stock. The method allows the digital image to emulate the image that would result if the digital image was printed on a volume printer on high volume printing stock.
US08031903B2
The application discloses a system and methods for remote access and analysis of data collected about items under inspection. The system includes one or more data collection stations, each of which may include an X-ray scanner that scans the items under inspection to obtain data about the items. The data is transmitted to one or more remote stations, where the data is remotely analyzed to determine whether the item contains a potential threat, such as, for example, explosives or other contraband. Data may be aggregated so that correlations between data collected for different items may be used to more accurately detect threats.
US08031902B2
A loudspeaker comprises a diaphragm, an edge operable to support, on a frame, the diaphragm in such a manner that enables vibration thereof, and a voice coil operable to generate a driving force. The voice coil is of an approximate rectangular shape, and a length of a long axis direction of the voice coil is no less than 60% of a length of a long axis direction of the diaphragm. Positions of long sides of the voice coil to be fixed on the diaphragm are positions corresponding to nodes of a primary resonance mode in a short axis direction of the diaphragm, or in the respective vicinities thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a high sound quality loudspeaker having a narrow width (elongated structure), but not easily causing resonance, thereby obtaining a flat frequency characteristic.
US08031901B2
A planar magnetic driver includes covering plates that are maintained under tension to form a buckled or curved surface, thereby providing for a larger magnetic gap, and allowing for a larger excursion of the diaphragm and extended lower frequency response. Another aspect of the driver includes a corrugated region along the periphery of the diaphragm, which provides increased internal dampening.
US08031896B2
An audio device has passive radiators that are driven by acoustic drivers. The passive radiators are arranged so that the net mechanical vibration is minimized.
US08031893B2
Supply of power is ensured on use without requiring troublesome works such as battery replacement work and charging work. Specifically, hearing aids, which collect sound, amplify the collected sound, and output the amplified sound, boosts electromotive force generated by the Peltier module derived from temperature difference between a human-body contact portion and an ambient-air contact portion, and causes sound collecting units, a controller IC, a speaker to operate by the boosted voltage.
US08031891B2
Media may be dynamically rendered by receiving signals from one or more types of sensors sensing in an area, and obtaining from the signals information about one or more locations of furniture, or one or more locations of persons or heads or ears thereof, or identities of one or more persons in common with other data such as time of day, season, or other external metadata. Audio and/or video data may be rendered based on the locations or identities. The identity of a person can be automatically obtained and used to automatically select a rendering profile which is then used to render digital audio and/or video media. A dynamically changing spatial location of a head and/or or ears may be automatically determined and how an audio stream is rendered may be dynamically changed based on the spatial location.
US08031888B2
Two control voltages are generated, one increasing and another decreasing, in response to the rise of the voltage of a condenser of a common time-constant circuit. Based on the two control voltages, a first and a second currents are formed, from which four different combinations of currents are established. By feeding one of four combinations to each of multiple differential output amplifier circuits each having a feedback resistor, the multiple output amplifier circuits can be individually started up or shut down without generating popcorn noise, using only one single time constant circuit.
US08031876B2
Disclosed is an audio system including a group of loudspeakers that form a sound field by delivering into a single space sound signals passed through respective ones of a plurality of sound signal channels. This audio system is comprised of two characteristic-variable equalizers that are cascaded to each other to constitute a part of the sound signal channels; a sound field characteristics detecting part for supplying test signals through the sound signal channels and detecting sound pressure in the sound field and thereby obtaining a sound pressure signal; and a characteristics adjusting part for adjusting, based on the sound pressure signal, equalizing characteristics of the characteristic-variable equalizers individually and with respect to each of the sound signal channels. The sound field characteristics detecting part selectively generates test signals of different bands. The characteristics adjusting part adjusts equalizing characteristics of either one of the two characteristic-variable equalizers according to the band of the test signal.
US08031875B1
A technique for securing information involves encrypting raw data into encrypted data based on an initial key. The technique further involves generating a set of key shares from the initial key via application of error correction code encoding. Each key share has a size which is independent of a size of the initial key. The technique further involves electronically storing each key share on a respective memory device of a set of memory devices (e.g., RFID tags). The initial key is reconstructable from a predetermined number of the key shares read from their respective memory devices to enable decryption of the encrypted data.
US08031871B2
The invention relates to a method of updating an authentication algorithm in at least one data processing device (CARD, SERV) which can store a subscriber identity (IMSI1) which is associated with an authentication algorithm (Algo1) in a memory element of said device (CARD, SERV). The inventive method comprises the following steps, namely: a step whereby a second inactive (Algo2) authentication algorithm is pre-stored in a memory element of the device and a step for switching from the first algorithm (Algo1) to the second algorithm (Algo2) which can inhibit the first algorithm (Algo1) and activate the second (Algo2).
US08031864B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system which supports a dual-purpose aperture for an electronic device. This system includes a first component configured to perform an acoustic function through the aperture and a second component configured to perform a non-acoustic function through the aperture.
US08031860B2
An agent presence application for monitoring target agent resources and rendering agent states to subscribing applications is provided. The presence application has at least one first portion for collecting data regarding states of activity of the target agent resources, and at least one second portion for integrating the data and rendering the agent states to the subscribing applications.
US08031858B2
A call flow guidance system helps a call center agent navigate the maze of complex call flows that apply to an enormous spectrum of caller issues, and further improves adoption rates and training timelines for the call center agents. Through the system, call center agents easily navigate multiple call flows and view information tailored to improve average handle time (AHT) and first call resolution (FCR). The system provides dynamic content attached to call flows and improve call flow navigation by implementing links that bridge nodes between display sections of a particular call flow and links that cross from one call flow to another.
US08031850B2
Systems and methods which collect information regarding users of controlled environment visitation terminals for identification of one or more parties to a visitation conversation are shown. Identifying information may be provided by various means, such as entry of a PIN, RFID, biometrics, etcetera. Embodiments provide a closed circuit visitation communication system in which a single port of a communication control system is used with respect to a pair of visitation terminals. Embodiments operate to prevent communication between a resident of a controlled environment facility and a visitor while identifying information is collected and verified. Thereafter, the resident and visitor may be placed in communication, whilst the identifying information may be utilized for such purposes as associating a recording of the conversation with the resident and/or visitor, issuing an alert to appropriate individuals that a conversation by one or more parties of interest is being conducted, collect investigative information, etcetera.
US08031845B2
A system is provided for viewing extended text information associated with a particular item in place. A user may invoke a text scrolling area in order to view extended text in place without obstructing the view of other screen items. Multiple scrolling areas may be created to view text associated with multiple items.
US08031843B2
A system and method for canceling a message sent to a recipient prior to retrieval by the recipient. A telephone call is received by a network from a calling party who desires to cancel a message left for a recipient through an earlier call from the calling party to the recipient after termination of the earlier call. By mapping the calling party's automatic number identifier (ANI) with at least one call record, a voice mailbox of the recipient may be accessed to determine whether the message has been retrieved by the recipient. If the message is still pending, the calling party is provided with the option to cancel the message. Alternatively, the calling party provides the telephone number from where the earlier call originated to a network server, which looks up the ANI of the originating number and then maps the ANI of that number with the at least one call record to enable the cancellation procedure.
US08031838B2
Systems, methods, and other modalities are described for (a) obtaining an indication relating to an emission module (which may be dangerous, e.g.) or its user (who may be untrained, e.g.) and for (b) configuring the module or causing an irradiation (for imaging, e.g.) in response to the indication.
US08031832B2
A multi-beam x-ray device has a multi-beam x-ray tube with an interior in the form of a circle. Focal spots of the x-ray radiation are arranged along the circle. An x-ray tube control unit controls the x-ray radiation emission such that an x-ray beam is emitted from each segment of the circle in specified sequence. The circle is divided up into at least two segments, and multiple diaphragms, each with at least one diaphragm aperture therein, one mounted to rotate around the center point of the circular path into the beam path of the x-ray tube. A first diaphragm, whose first diaphragm aperture limits the cross section of the x-ray beam emitted from the x-ray tube, is associated with each segment of the circular path. A number of slice images can be acquired without a movement of the x-ray tube.
US08031825B2
Non-destructive testing apparatus may comprise a photon source and a source material that emits positrons in response to bombardment of the source material with photons. The source material is positionable adjacent the photon source and a specimen so that when the source material is positioned adjacent the photon source it is exposed to photons produced thereby. When the source material is positioned adjacent the specimen, the specimen is exposed to at least some of the positrons emitted by the source material. A detector system positioned adjacent the specimen detects annihilation gamma rays emitted by the specimen. Another embodiment comprises a neutron source and a source material that emits positrons in response to neutron bombardment.
US08031824B2
A system and apparatus for controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic topology and conversion of fusion product energies directly to electric power. Preferably, plasma ions are magnetically confined in the FRC while plasma electrons are electrostatically confined in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions ions are fused together by the nuclear force, thus forming fusion products that emerge in the form of an annular beam. Energy is removed from the fusion product ions as they spiral past electrodes of an inverse cyclotron converter. Advantageously, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement and energy conversion system include advanced (aneutronic) fuels.
US08031812B2
The invention relates to a method and a circuit arrangement for deciding a symbol upon the reception of a signal including or coupled with a quadrature signal pair, wherein the decision is made by means of an analysis of the metric of at least one reception point to at least one nominal point in a complex coordinate space, and the metric is analyzed in the non-Cartesian or not exclusively Cartesian complex coordinate space. The decision is made after the analysis, and during the decision process, a second most probable nominal point and a reliability of the decision are determined.
US08031805B2
Beamforming is provided for a wireless MIMO device by using antenna puncturing to reduce the number of transmit antennas that are used to transmit data for certain subcarriers. In a conventional approach, if N spatial streams are being used to provide spatial multiplexing, then N transmit antennas would be used to transmit for each subcarrier. In at least one embodiment of the invention, enhancements in channel capacity are achieved by using less than N transmit antennas for one or more subcarriers.
US08031799B2
Various systems and methods providing high speed decoding, enhanced power reduction and clock domain partitioning for a multi-pair gigabit Ethernet transceiver are disclosed. ISI compensation is partitioned into two stages; a first stage compensates ISI components induced by characteristics of a transmitters partial response pulse shaping filter in a demodulator, a second stage compensates ISI components induced by characteristics of a multi-pair transmission channel in a Viterbi decoder. High speed decoding is accomplished by reducing the DFE depth by providing an input signal from a multiple decision feedback equalizer to the Viterbi based on a tail value and a subset of coefficient values received from a unit depth decision-feedback equalizer. Power reduction is accomplished by adaptively truncating active taps in the NEXT, FEXT and echo cancellation filters, or by disabling decoder circuitry portions, as channel response characteristics allow. A receive clock signal is generated such that it is synchronous in frequency with analog sampling clock signals and has a particular phase offset with respect to one of the sampling clock signals. This phase offset is adjusted such that system performance degradation due to coupling of switching noise from the digital sections to the analog sections is substantially minimized.
US08031796B2
A device for transmitting an information signal having several transmit signals has a modulator for generating a first and a second transmit signal. The first transmit signal is transmittable via a first spatial emitter, and the second transmit signal is transmittable via a second spatial emitter. The modulator has an OFDM control stage to load a first group of OFDM carriers with first information to generate the first transmit signal, and to load a second group of OFDM carriers with second information to generate the second transmit signal. The first group of OFDM carriers differs from the second group of OFDM carriers, and the first information differs from the second information. The present invention further provides a corresponding method and a computer program for transmitting an information signal.
US08031795B2
A method for controlling a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system comprises at a first communication unit, receiving a table from a second communication unit, the table including a plurality of space time processing schemes based on predicted channel state information, selecting at least one of the schemes from the table, and transmitting data from the first communication unit to the second communication unit according to the at least one selected space time processing scheme.
US08031792B2
A trellis processing technique for estimating a transmitted signal from a received signal acquired through a channel achieves a reduced computational structure when implementing a DDFSE-like branch metrics calculation by pre-storing computed values, which can be re-used. The technique involves storing differences between a received symbol and different products, each of which is a product of a channel coefficient corresponding to a least time delay and a different possible transmitted symbol. A summation of products is calculated, each product being a product of a possible transmitted signal symbol and a channel coefficient other than the channel coefficient corresponding to the least time delay, the summation being specific to a branch-start state in a trellis. The summation is combined with different stored differences in a calculation of branch metrics leading to different branch-end states in the trellis.
US08031790B2
A multiband OFDM_UWB transmitting and receiving apparatus is provided in Low-IF configuration to solve problems attributed to a direct-conversion transmitting and receiving apparatus. A Low-IF receiver performs sorting by rotating a sub-carrier after FFT to eliminate the need for frequency conversion using a second local signal and uses the same AD conversion clock as that for a direct conversion receiver. An FFT-free preamble can be detected by using a sequence resulting from previously multiplying an original preamble pattern and an IF frequency together.
US08031779B2
In an external-device control apparatus, a first section extracts a prescribed descriptor from program specific information in a transport stream. A second section analyzes information represented by the extracted prescribed descriptor to obtain an analyzation result. A third section stores information about setting of operation of an external device. A fourth section generates a signal for control of the operation of the external device in response to the obtained analyzation result according to the information stored in the third section. The fourth section sends the generated signal to the external device.
US08031778B2
A picture decoding device (100) comprises a decoding unit (30), a frame memory (40), a deblocking filter (50), a macro block memory (60), and a control unit (70). The macro block memory (60) stores an unfiltered picture data, for which deblock-filtering is not performed, of the macro blocks adjoining a slice boundary. Decoding and deblock-filtering are performed for the macro blocks of each slice in a manner of pipeline processing, and the decoded picture data for the macro blocks is stored in the frame memory (40). After the pipeline processing for all of the macro blocks is completed, the second deblock-filtering is performed to the slice boundary-adjoining macro blocks, and the pixel values of the slice boundary-adjoining macro blocks already stored in the frame memory (40) are replaced. Thereby, the encoded picture data of arbitrary slice order can be completely decoded.
US08031772B2
Disclosed herein is a video decoding system of a mobile broadcasting receiver. The video decoding system of a mobile broadcasting receiver for decoding a compression-coded video signal includes: at least one buffer memory for performing video decoding; a plurality of coprocessors including a data processing unit partitioned into one or more hardware blocks, wherein the data processing unit performs actual video decoding via data input/output from/to the buffer memory; and a DMA (Direct Memory Access) coprocessor for performing a direct access operation to an external memory, wherein, the at least one buffer memory, the plurality of coprocessors and the DMA coprocessor take the form of hardware, and operations thereof are controlled via software in a processor.
US08031771B2
A system and method is provided for dynamically adjusting one or more characteristics of a multimedia transmission between a content provider and a content recipient. In one embod, the system responds to a change in available bandwidth between the content provider and the content recipient.
US08031764B2
In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a digital signal equalizer that includes a plurality of multiplexers. The number of multiplexers defines resolution of equalization. The plurality of multiplexers are configured in groups. The number of groups is based on number of taps, and the number of multiplexers associated with a particular group is based on equalization range for the group. The multiplexers in each group select a digital value associated with the cursor or a non-cursor tap associated with the group.
US08031759B2
Included are embodiments for reducing interference in a communications network. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving data related to an updated Power Spectral Density (PSD) mask and processing a first Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA) request. Some embodiments include processing a second Seamless Rate Adaptation request and implementing the updated Power Spectral Density mask.
US08031749B2
Geometrical design of laser microchips is disclosed that allows variation of the optical path length in the different media by simple displacement of the microchip, the movement having a non-zero projection orthogonal to the pump beam. The concept can be implemented to vary optical loss in the lasing cavity, the absorbed pump power, or the optical length of the cavity. Passively Q-switched microchip laser output performance can thus be controlled by simple transverse displacement of the microchip relative to the pump beam. The above microlaser can be combined with voltage-controlled variable-focus output optics in order to control the peak power density of the laser pulses.
US08031748B2
An apparatus and appertaining method are provided in which a transmission entity eliminates a frame word of a payload data service and transmits in payload data service in a common frame with payload of other services. Additionally, a transmission unit can provide first payload data and second payload data in a payload section of a common frame, where an entity provides an overhead section in the common frame, the overhead section comprising a common eoc channel which comprises control information related to a transmission path and to one or more transmitted services or terminal equipment types. A transmission entity can transmit overhead data in an overhead section and transmit payload data of a service in a payload section, wherein the transmission entity is configured to relocate information content of operational bits of the service transmitted in the payload section to an eoc channel provided in the overhead section.
US08031743B2
A multiplexing pattern generator generates a multiplexing pattern signal indicating the order of types of data to be multiplexed. A video remaining size calculator and an audio remaining size calculator calculate, as a remaining size, the size of multiplexable data of an elementary stream. A video packet generator and an audio packet generator generate a multiplex packet containing transmission data of a predetermined size, based on the multiplexing pattern signal and the remaining size. A multiplexer generates a multiplexed stream. The video remaining size calculator and the audio remaining size calculator calculate the remaining size, based on the data size per access unit and the transmission size of transmission data. The video packet generator and the audio packet generator generate a multiplex packet, if the data type indicated by the multiplexing pattern signal shows matching, and the remaining size is equal to or larger than the transmission size.
US08031740B2
A transmitter node includes a first data transmission portion that transmits data in a first transmission time slot on a first transmission channel and a second data transmission portion that transmits the same transmission data from the first data transmission portion in a second transmission time slot on a second transmission channel that does not superimpose in time on the first transmission time slot. A receiver node includes a first data reception portion that receives data transmitted from the transmitter node in a first reception time slot superimposing in time on the first transmission time slot on the first transmission channel and a second data reception portion that receives transmission data transmitted from the second data transmission portion in a second reception time slot on the second transmission channel superimposing in time on the second transmission time slot. Data transmission and reception can be thus ensured even at a trouble.
US08031732B2
A network interface device (15a) has a mass storage device interface (3a), which emulates a hard disk controller to transfer network traffic between a node (Ia) and the network. As a result, the node (Ia), typically a computer, is presented with a virtual hard disk (4a), which network traffic (e.g. data) can be written to and read from using standard hard disk protocols, e.g. SATA or PATA. In a computer cluster (13), several network interface devices (15a-15c) may be integrated in a router (8) having a switch (9). The router may connect to optional components such as hard disks (17a, 17b), a processor (18) and a Ethernet connection (19).
US08031725B2
The ability to maintain communications between wireless nodes (e.g., devices), moving substantially as a group, as the group moves from one domain to another is provided without the need for each member of the group to separately obtain domain access rights.
US08031719B2
Systems and methods for optimizing resources of a packet service gateway are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a telecommunication system includes a servicing node, a gateway node connecting the servicing node to a data network, and a control node virtualizing the connection of the servicing node to the data network when the connection is inactive for a predetermined period of time. The control node can include a memory storing control information of inactive connections to the data network, and a processor processing and generating requests to and from the servicing node and the gateway node. According to another embodiment, a method of establishing a connection to a data network includes requesting a connection to the data network by a servicing node, connecting the servicing node to the data network via a gateway node, and virtualizing, by a control node, the connection of the servicing node to the data network.
US08031715B1
A network device comprises a service card (e.g., a dynamic flow capture (DFC) service card) executing a communication protocol to receive, from one or more control sources, flow capture information specifying at least one destination and criteria for matching one or more packet flows. The network device includes a network interface card to receive a packet from a network, a packet replication module to replicate the packet, and a control unit to provide the replicated packet from the interface card to the DFC service card. The network device includes a filter cache that caches flow capture information recently received from the control sources. The network device may provide real-time intercept and relaying of specified network-based communications. Moreover, the techniques described herein allow control sources to tap packet flows with little delay after specifying flow capture information, e.g., within 50 milliseconds, even under high-volume networks.
US08031714B2
A process of using a cache of outgoing packet identifiers to recover from a protocol error includes assigning a receive identifier associated with a user entity to a traffic stream at a receive node. The receive identifier is sent to a transmit node. The transmit node is instructed to associate the receive identifier with a receive plurality of data packets of the traffic stream. The transmit identifier associated with the user entity is assigned to the traffic stream at the transmit node. The transmit node identifier, the receive node identifier, and the address of the receive node are stored in a transmit cache at the transmit node for each of the receive plurality of data packets. The receive plurality of data packets is sent from the transmit node to the receive node. An error message is received at the transmit node from the receive node, indicating that the receive identifier was not recognized. The transmit cache is searched for the transmit node identifier using the receive node identifier and the address of the receive node. The user entity associated with the transmit node identifier is identified, and the user entity is removed.
US08031711B2
Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and (c) from the first node, sending a data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request in accordance with the assignment.
US08031707B2
An apparatus for and method of encapsulating Ethernet frames over a Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) transport facility. The VDSL frames are transmitted over a point to point VDSL link where they are subsequently extracted and forwarded as standard Ethernet frames. The VDSL facility transport system comprises an Ethernet to VDSL Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) coupled to a DSL Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) over a VDSL transport facility. The Ethernet to VDSL CPE functions to receive a 10BaseT Ethernet signal and encapsulate the Ethernet frame into a VDSL frame for transmission over the VDSL facility. The DSLAM is adapted to receive VDSL frames, extract Ethernet frames therefrom and generate and output a standard Ethernet signal. Ethernet frames are encapsulated within VDSL frames and transmitted on the wire pair without regard to the state of the SOC signals.
US08031706B2
A network processor for determining one or more network operations to be performed on a packet of data in a network comprises processing circuitry and protocol indicator circuitry. The packet of data contains information populating a plurality of protocol header fields. Moreover, the protocol indicator circuitry comprises a plurality of memory elements, each memory element associated with a protocol header field in the plurality of protocol header fields. The processing circuitry determines the one or more network operations to be performed on the packet of data at least in part by addressing one or more lookup tables with the contents of a subset of the plurality of protocol header fields in the packet. This subset is determined by reference to the memory elements in the protocol indicator circuitry. Each memory element is capable of being programmed to indicate whether the associated protocol header field is to be utilized by the processing circuitry in addressing the one or more lookup tables.
US08031702B2
For controlling charging in an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem, it is detected whether a session initiated in the Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem is associated with a service requiring special charging control, and charging information is added to messages signalling establishment or modification of the session in the Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem in accordance with the detection result.
US08031688B2
A method for the partitioning frequency resources used in the transmission of control signals and data signals by user equipments in a communication system. The control signals and data signals are for periodic transmission and dynamic transmission. Also provided is an apparatus and method for user equipments to determine the first frequency unit available for the transmission of dynamic control signals, such as acknowledgement signals associated respective reception of data signals configured through a scheduling assignment by a serving Node B. The utilization of the operating bandwidth is maximized by avoiding fragmentation and facilitates the achievement of reception reliability targets particularly for control signals.
US08031686B2
Methods and apparatus disclosed maximize the capacity of serving cells and minimize inter-cell interferences due to power emission from serving cells in a multi-carrier, multi-cell communication system. The control methods and apparatus take into account various factors such as cell configuration, frequency reuse, geometry and path-loss information, transmission priority, subchannel configuration, feedback from other cells, or any combination thereof, and produce signals that control the transmission power levels and the modulation and coding of transmitted signals.
US08031679B2
Disclosed is a method of performing softer handover in a broadband wireless communication system. The method includes granting identification numbers to neighbor antennas around a mobile station currently performing communication, and transmitting a neighbor base station advertisement message including the identification numbers of the neighbor antennas, receiving a handover request message including an identification number of a particular antenna from the mobile station, determining if the particular antenna is located within a current coverage area of the base station, and adding the particular antenna to a diversity set and notifying information on multiple antennas included in the diversity set to the base station when the particular antenna is located within the current coverage area of the mobile station; multicasting an identical frame to the multiple antennas included in the diversity set and receiving a handover indication message from the mobile station.
US08031677B1
A method for user detachment when a handover or change occurs in a heterogeneous network is provided. The method includes: a user equipment (UE) is handed over or switched from a source network to a target network; a network element on a network side determines whether to detach the UE from the source network, and if yes, the network element on the network side detaches the UE from the source network. A system and a device for user detachment when a handover or change occurs in a heterogeneous network, and another method for user detachment when a handover or change occurs in a heterogeneous network are also provided.
US08031674B2
A method and a server acting as a Home Agent are provided for packet switched data transmission between a first mobile node and a correspondent mobile node in a mobile communication system comprising a plurality of mobile networks. Each of the first mobile node and the correspondent mobile node are allocated to respective home networks, and a network server is provided as a home agent to each mobile node, respectively. Then, data packets are routed from the first mobile node to the correspondent mobile node, over a first data tunnel from the first mobile node to any first one of the home agents and over a second data tunnel from said first one of the home agents to the correspondent mobile node without passing the respective other home agent.
US08031672B2
A method for connection roaming a Mobile Node (MN) to a Network GateWay (NGW) for providing secure data path using Internet Protocol (IP) security procedure. Also Mobile IP (MIP) is required for providing mobility to the user, when the MN moves from one sub-network to another. However, when the Home Address of the network is not known, a cyclic interdependency is observed between the IP Security (Ipsec) procedures and IP procedures. If the home address of the MN is not known initially during the procedure, IPsec Security Associations (SA's) are formed between the MN and NGW such that only IP packets are passed through. After the IP Registration is completed, the Home Address of the MN is known from the MIP registration Reply. MN now forms a data path tunnel with the NGW by exchanging Create_Child_SA messages.
US08031670B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for choosing the size of the control region of a downlink subframe. For example, an apparatus for selecting the size of the control region based on a set of one or more physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) is disclosed. The apparatus, in some embodiments, includes: a module configured to determine, for each of at least two or more control region sizes included in a set of two or more control region sizes, a subset of PDCCHs from said set of PDCCHs that can be assigned to a control region having a size equal to the control region size; and control region size selector for selecting a control region size for the subframe, wherein the control region size selector is configured to make the selection based, at least in part, on information pertaining to the subset of PDCCHs that can be assigned to a control region having a size equal to the selected control region size.
US08031668B2
In a method for optimizing discontinuous reception mechanism in random access or scheduling request, the user equipment behaves according to a TTI window and a contention resolution timer so that the user equipment is at active time to monitor PDCCH. In the random access, the UE is at active time while a PDCCH indicating a new transmission addressed to the C-RNTI of the UE has not been received after successful reception of a Random Access Response for the non-contention preamble. In the scheduling request, the UE is at active time while an UL grant for the UE has not been received after SR has been sent.
US08031665B1
A wireless communication system allocates connection identifiers into a first group and a second group. The system associates sectors or base stations with a reservation zone, and associates the reservation zone with the first group of connection identifiers. The system associates the first group of connection identifiers with a quality-of-service level. In response to determining that a user has the quality-of-service level, the system reserves at least one of the connection identifiers in the first group for the user and uses the reserved connection identifier to communicate with the first user in all of the sectors or base stations associated with the reservation zone.
US08031664B2
Provided are a channel management method and a channel selection method for a wireless node in a wireless ad-hoc network. The channel management method includes the steps of: (a) when a current mode is a first mode, performing channel selection using a method for evenly distributing a channel within an interference range; and (b) when the current mode is a second mode, performing channel selection based on a channel switching probability. According to the method, by preventing a channel change from being continuously repeated in a wireless ad-hoc network using multi-channel multi-interface, it is possible to prevent data transmission delay and network performance deterioration.
US08031657B2
A location beacon database and server, method of building location beacon database, and location based service using same. Wi-Fi access points are located in a target geographical area to build a reference database of locations of Wi-Fi access points. At least one vehicle is deployed including at least one scanning device having a GPS device and a Wi-Fi radio device and including a Wi-Fi antenna system. The target area is traversed in a programmatic route to reduce arterial bias. The programmatic route includes substantially all drivable streets in the target geographical area and solves an Eulerian cycle problem of a graph represented by said drivable streets. While traversing the target area, Wi-Fi identity information and GPS location information is detected. The location information is used to reverse triangulate the position of the detected Wi-Fi access point; and the position of the detected access point is recorded in a reference database.
US08031648B2
A packet transmission control device relating to the present invention includes: a storage unit configured to store a transmission resource available for use in the packet transmission, radio quality information on the downlink, and a transmission method to be used in the packet transmission while associating them with one another; a determination unit configured to determine a transmission method to be used in the packet transmission on the basis of the radio quality information, on the downlink reported from the mobile stations and the transmission resource available for use in the packet transmission, by referring to the storage unit; and a packet transmission unit configured to transmit the packet by using the determined transmission method.
US08031640B2
A packet transmission system enabling VLAN packet forwarding of the MAC layer at the RPR layer. An address translation table associates with a VLAN identifier a MAC address and a flag showing validity of the VLAN identifier. A flag set valid means that an own node belongs to a VLAN domain with the VLAN identifier. In a case where a received packet is a VLAN packet, a first node searches the address translation table based on the VLAN identifier for a MAC address, creates an RPR packet with the MAC address stored as an RPR destination address, and transmits the RPR packet to an RPR network. A second node searches the address translation table based on the MAC address stored in the RPR packet, and if a corresponding flag is a valid flag, regards the packet as being addressed to a VLAN to which the own node belongs, and transmits the packet to the VLAN after deleting the RPR header therefrom.
US08031634B1
System and method for managing a virtual domain environment to enable root cause and impact analysis
A virtual domain management system is provided which associates application, physical and virtual domains to enable propagation of events, symptoms and other information across the domains. The virtual domain manager collects events and symptom information across multiple domains by correlating domain topology models. Using a causality matrix and codebook technology the virtual domain manager uses the information to perform root cause and impact analysis across domains. Information from the analysis may be fed back into the domains to enhance domain management.
US08031633B2
An adaptable virtual network system comprises a plurality of network elements and a plurality of virtual links. Each network element is communicatively coupled to at least one other network element via at least one physical link. At least one physical link comprises at least two virtual links. The adaptable virtual network system supports at least two virtual networks, each virtual network comprising at least one virtual link communicatively coupling at least two network elements.
US08031619B2
A modem for use in Digital Subscriber Line communications transmits and receives data over the local subscriber loop in common with voice information over the loop, while avoiding the need for voice/data splitters. The modem responds to disruptions associated with “disturbance events” such as on-hook to off-hook transitions and the like by rapidly switching between pre-stored channel parameter control sets defining communications over the loop under varying conditions. In addition to changing parameter control sets responsive to a disturbance event, the modem may also change transmission power levels and other system parameters such as frequency domain equalizer characteristics. Further, provisions are made for reduced bandwidth communications under selected conditions.
US08031618B2
This invention relates to cognitive radio based wireless communications of dynamic spectrum access networks, and more particularly to a method of addressing radio frequency sensing control and dynamic frequency selection control. A method called Cognitive Dynamic Frequency Hopping that is based on the selective Simultaneous Sensing and Data Transmissions is described. The Cognitive Dynamic Frequency Hopping method is further facilitated by a collision avoidance technique. The described method satisfies both reliable and timely RF sensing for guaranteeing licensed user protection, and QoS satisfaction for services of the dynamic spectrum access systems.
US08031617B2
A system and method for detecting path failure in a network are described. The system and method include a network interface which receives packets over particular connections, and an agent able to monitor the network interface and start a no-traffic timer for each particular connection when a packet is received on the connection. The agent is further able, when the no-traffic timer expires, to check for outgoing data on the particular connection, and compare a count of previously sent test packets against a limit. If the count is below the limit the agent sends a new test packet on the particular connection, the test packet provides an indication of the state of a network path associated with the particular connection. If the count is above the limit the agent initiates failover procedures for the associated path.
US08031616B2
Various systems and methods for intercepting transmissions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes an internet protocol media gateway. The internet protocol media gateway is communicably coupled to a soft switch, an acquisition facility, and a communicator. The internet protocol media gateway is associated with a processor and a computer readable medium, and the computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the processor to receive a transmission identified with the communicator, and to direct the transmission to the acquisition facility. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08031615B2
An apparatus and method of propagating a size of a cluster within a wireless mesh network is disclosed. The method includes a gateway within the cluster maintaining information of access nodes within the cluster. The gateway determines a cluster size based on the maintained information, and transmits routing packets that include the cluster size of the gateway. An apparatus and method of balancing clusters of a wireless mesh network is also disclosed. The method includes the gateway of each cluster originating beacons, wherein the beacons include a size of the cluster of the gateway. The access nodes of each cluster, re-broadcasts beacons received from the gateway of the cluster. A connecting access node selects which cluster to connect to at least in part based on the size of each of the clusters.
US08031614B2
A massively parallel nodal computer system periodically collects and broadcasts usage data for an internal communications network. A node sending data over the network makes a global routing determination using the network usage data. Preferably, network usage data comprises an N-bit usage value for each output buffer associated with a network link. An optimum routing is determined by summing the N-bit values associated with each link through which a data packet must pass, and comparing the sums associated with different possible routes.
US08031613B2
An apparatus and method for real-time buying and selling of Internet Protocol (IP) transit is described. Embodiments include a platform for routing IP traffic in real time from at least one network user to a plurality of backbone providers. Embodiments further include sellers specifying a quality, a quantity, and a duration of a contract available, buyers identifying and selecting an appropriate contract, and executing the selected contract. Embodiments further include assigning different ranks to different backbone providers based on network monitoring. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08031612B2
A method includes, at a network interface controller receiving packets from a network connection for a set of multiple coupled processors, distributing received packets to each of a first set of the processors. In response to determining the change in network traffic, operation of the network interface controller is altered to distribute packets to a second set of the processors.
US08031605B2
An ad-hoc network system for computing a proposed number of node-clusters that enable a relative threshold data rate. The ad-hoc network system includes a source terminal, a destination terminal, a plurality of relay terminals, and a cluster determination engine. The source terminal sends a network communication to a destination terminal via a plurality of relay terminals. The cluster determination engine computes a threshold data rate, C, for a number of hops, N, based on a transmission power constraint. The cluster determination engine determines a proposed route for the wireless communication from the source terminal to the destination terminal according to the threshold data rate, C.
US08031604B2
A station grouping mechanism has been presented for a wireless device that collects Multi-hop Relay Base Station (MR-BS) and Relay Stations (RSs) into groups according to their locations in a tree topology and assigns them with a phase. Grouping or partitioning MR-BS and RSs and assigning a distinct phase to the group prevent the MR-BS and the RSs from transmitting and receiving at the same time.
US08031603B1
A technique that allows existing reservations to be partially preempted by higher-priority reservations. An intermediate node receives a request to reserve resources for the higher-priority reservation. The higher priority entitles the reservation to acquire resources allocated to existing lower priority reservations, if necessary. If sufficient unallocated resources are not available on the preempting system to accommodate the higher-priority reservation, an error message is generated and forwarded by the intermediate node towards a receiver associated with the reservation that is to be partially preempted. The error message contains an error code and an amount of resources available on the intermediate node. The receiver processes the error message including selecting a reservation to be torn down, tearing down the selected reservation and re-reserving resources for remaining reservations, as necessary.
US08031600B2
A method for performing a status report procedure in a receiver of a wireless communication system includes forming a STATUS PDU in an RLC layer, forming a Data PDU with a flexible size when a mode of flexible RLC PDU size is configured, combining the Data PDU with the STATUS PDU for forming a concatenated RLC PDU for a MAC layer, forming a MAC PDU for carrying the concatenated RLC PDU, and transmitting the MAC PDU to a peer transmitter.
US08031597B2
A method of processing an error frame that occurs in packet data communication between a mobile station and a communication server which exchanges packets with the mobile station over a radio network may be carried out by a mobile station. The method carried out by the mobile station includes the steps of: a) detecting an error having occurred in received packet data during communication in a radio network; and b) requesting the communication server to retransmit the packet data without reducing the congestion window size. In addition, the method carried out by a communication server includes the steps of: a) detecting an error having occurred in transmitted packet data during communication in a radio network; and b) retransmitting the packet data without reducing the congestion window size.
US08031595B2
A computer-implemented method of predicting a future location of a mobile node can include determining a current location of a first mobile node, determining a location of at least a second mobile node, wherein the second mobile node is associated with the first mobile node via a social network, and generating a list including at least one candidate destination determined, at least in part, according to the location of the first mobile node and the location of the second mobile node. For each candidate destination on the list, a probability that the first mobile node is in route to that candidate destination location can be calculated. A candidate destination can be selected, according to the probabilities, from the list as a predicted future location of the first mobile node. The predicted future location of the first mobile node can be output.
US08031594B2
Disclosed are a system and method of providing communications services. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving data related to an attainable bandwidth of a communications loop coupled to a customer premise equipment (CPE) device, wherein at least one first communications service is provided by a private access network via the CPE device. The method also includes selecting at least one additional communications service to be offered, the at least one additional communications service selected based at least partially on the attainable bandwidth.
US08031593B2
A method, a system and network nodes use an indication of possible duplicates of units, so that these units can be handled differently than other units. The unit is indicated to be a possible duplicate to the entity to which it is resent because no response was received from the entity it was sent to.
US08031589B2
A local access fiber optical distribution network is disclosed in which a dedicated pair of diversely routed optical fibers is routed in the distribution network for each customer. In a preferred embodiment, a dual physical overlay ring core topology is used in the core. The distribution network includes working and protection logical path connectivity. No 802.1D Spanning Tree is required for recovery, providing resilience to any single network failure in any device or link, quick recovery times from failure, and a failure detection/recovery protocol that is not active on any devices other than the devices directly attached to the subscriber.
US08031578B2
An optical head device according to the present invention includes: a light source for outputting laser light; an optical system for allowing the laser light to be radiated onto an optical disk medium; and an aberration correction section for correcting an aberration of the laser light. The aberration correction section includes: a plurality of mirror sections for reflecting the laser light; a plurality of mirror driving sections for displacing the plurality of mirror sections; and a detection section for detecting a physical condition within the optical head device.
US08031577B2
An optical information recording/reproducing device is provided with a first light source 20a for emitting recording light 22a, a second light source 20b for emitting reproducing light 22b, an objective lens 6 for focusing the emitted lights from the both light sources 20a, 20b on an information recording medium including a recording region 3 capable of three-dimensional recording and photodetectors 19a, 19b for detecting reflected lights 7a′, 7b′ from the information recording medium, and records information on recording layers 1a to 1e utilizing a nonlinear absorption phenomenon. At the objective lens 6, an average rim intensity of the recording light 7a is lower than that of the reproducing light 7b.
US08031573B1
Aspects of the disclosure provide a signal processing circuit to reconstruct data from an analog signal. The signal processing circuit includes an analog to digital converter (ADC), an equalizer, a first timing compensation module, a phase-shift module and a second timing compensation module. The ADC receives an analog input signal, samples the analog input signal based on a sampling clock signal, and converts the sampled analog input signal into a digital output signal. The equalizer equalizes the digital output signal. The first timing compensation module detects a first timing error based on the digital output signal, and adjusts the sampling clock signal based on the first timing error. The phase-shift module phase-shifts the equalized digital output signal based on a phase-shift signal. The second timing compensation module detects a second timing error based on the equalized digital output signal, and adjusts the phase-shift signal based on the second timing error.
US08031572B2
The present invention is aimed at providing an optical disc device and a recording condition setting method which can automatically determine an optical recording condition to an optical disc, and the optical disc device comprises an optical pickup which records data on a disc; a data encoder which modulates data to be recorded; a recording timing setting means which sets a timing of recording the data on the disc; a phase error detection means which measures an error amount of a mark recorded on the disc from a position where the mark should be properly located; an error convergence means which calculates error information indicating an optimum position of the mark; a recording timing calculation means which calculates a correction value of the recording timing to be set on the recording timing setting means, based on the error information; and a control means which feedbacks an output of the recording timing calculation means to the recording timing setting means, thereby to optimize the recording timing.
US08031570B2
An optical disk drive according to the present invention has the ability to read data from multiple types of optical disks, each of which includes at least one information storage layer. The drive includes: a driving mechanism 120, which is loaded with a selected one of the optical disks of the multiple types and which rotates the optical disk 102; an optical pickup 30 for irradiating the optical disk 102, which has been loaded into the driving mechanism 120, with a converged light beam, thereby generating an electrical signal based on light that has been reflected from the optical disk 102; and a control section (ODC 50) for controlling operations of the driving mechanism 120 and the optical pickup 30. The control section 50 includes a right/wrong side determining section for determining, by reference to the electrical signal generated by the optical pickup 30, whether or not the optical disk 102 has been loaded into the driving mechanism 120 with the other surface opposed to the optical pickup 30.
US08031567B2
In a data recording method for a write-once type recording medium capable of pseudo overwrite, it is judged whether data to be recorded in the write-once type recording medium exists. If it is judged that data exists, it is judged that the data is to be recorded from the next writable address (NWA) indicating the boundary between a recorded area and non-recorded area. If it is judged that the data is to be recorded from the next writable address, the data is recorded from the next writable address; and if it is judged that the data is not to be recorded from the next writable address, recording of the data is suspended. While data to be recorded exists, the aforementioned steps are repeated. If no data to be recorded exists, the data whose recording has been suspended is recorded.
US08031564B2
The invention relates to a method for evaluating a wobble signal. Also described is a circuit for performing such method and an apparatus for reading from and/or writing to optical recording media using such method or circuit. According to the invention the method includes the steps of: determining the sign of the wobble signal, the sign indicating whether a wobble period of the wobble signal is inverted or non-inverted, generating a filtered signal by a weighted averaging of the sign over two or more wobble periods, the weighted averaging being performed by subtracting a sum of the signs obtained from a second stage of delay lines from a sum of the signs obtained from a first stage delay lines, and integrating the filtered signal.
US08031549B2
An integrated circuit comprises a global power supply conductor, a plurality of circuit blocks, a plurality of voltage converters, and control logic. The global power supply conductor is configured to distribute a supply voltage. The circuit blocks are selectively coupled to the global power supply conductor. The plurality of voltage converters are coupled to the global power supply conductor. An output voltage of individual voltage converters of the plurality of voltage converters are selectively coupled to one or more of the plurality of circuit blocks. The control logic is configured to control the selective coupling of at least one of the supply voltage and the output voltage of individual voltage converters of the plurality of voltage converters to corresponding ones of the plurality of circuit blocks. Also, the control logic controls a magnitude of the output voltage of individual voltage converters of the plurality of voltage converters.
US08031548B2
A voltage stabilization circuit includes a control signal generating unit to generate a control signal that is enabled when a supply voltage is unstable and a voltage level maintaining unit for selectively controlling total capacitance of a plurality of capacitors to stabilize the supply voltage in response to the control signal.
US08031540B2
In some implementations, a memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell storing a plurality of data bits; an input/output interface that is configured to, in response to receiving a read signal and an address value that identifies a specific memory cell in the plurality of memory cells, output a plurality of data bits corresponding to the identified specific memory cell; and a delay controller that is configured to delay the outputting to the input/output interface of at least one of the plurality of data bits based on a randomly selected or pseudo-randomly selected delay value. The memory device can further include a delay block having a plurality delay paths having varying delays, and randomly selecting or pseudo-randomly selecting the delay value can include randomly selecting or pseudo-randomly selecting one of the plurality of delay paths through which to transmit a control signal.
US08031510B2
An ion barrier layer made from a dielectric material in contact with an electronically insulating layer is operative to prevent mobile ions transported into the electronically insulating layer from passing through the ion barrier layer and into adjacent layers during data operations on a non-volatile memory cell. A conductive oxide layer in contact with the electronically insulating layer is the source of the mobile ions. A programming data operation is operative to transport a portion of the mobile ions into the electronically insulating layer and an erase data operation is operative to transport the mobile ions back into the conductive oxide layer. When the portion is positioned in the electronically insulating layer the memory cell stores data as a programmed conductivity profile and when a substantial majority of the mobile ions are positioned in the conductive oxide layer the memory cell stores data as an erased conductivity profile.
US08031495B2
A step wave power converter comprises multiple different bridge circuits configured to convert DC voltage inputs into AC voltage outputs. A controller is configured to estimate an average voltage output from the multiple different bridge circuits for controlling the current output from the multiple different bridge circuits. The number of bridge circuits needed to provide the estimated average output voltage is identified and the identified bridge circuits controlled during a next switching period to generate a combined inverter output voltage that corresponds with the estimated average output voltage.In another embodiment, one or more transformers are associated with the different bridge circuits. Inductors are coupled between the bridge circuits and the primary windings of the associated transformers. The inductors filter the current output from the bridge circuits prior to feeding the current into the transformers.
US08031494B2
The invention relates to a switch-mode power converter including a bias circuit. A power converter power transformer includes a magnetic core. The switch-mode power converter power transformer also includes an initial bias primary winding and an initial bias secondary winding, both wound on the magnetic core, wherein the initial bias secondary winding shares at least one magnetic path in common with the initial bias primary winding. A driver is configured to drive the initial bias primary winding with high frequency pulses when enabled by an enable signal. A rectifier and capacitor are configured to provide a voltage to power a control circuit during a power converter start-up. A method provides an initial bias power for a power converter output side referenced controller, powering the output side referenced controller from the initial bias windings.
US08031488B2
A circuit protection element and a circuit board with the circuit protection element are disclosed. The circuit protection element includes a metal base, and at least one opening slot located at the metal base. The metal base forms a positioning portion. One end of the metal base is fastened onto a circuit board. The bottom of the free end of the metal base contacts a conducting point located on the circuit board to make the circuit be in a conducting status. When the current is overloaded or the circuit is over-heated, the bottom of the free end of the metal base is heated so that the bottom of the free end of the metal base separates from the conducting point and the positioning portion is wedged with the circuit board. Thereby, the circuit becomes a broken circuit. The circuit protection element can prevent the electronic components from being burnt down.
US08031486B2
An electrical distribution system provides a Line Replaceable Modules (LRM) with a printed wire board (PWB) which is of a relatively thick construction. The PWB is manufactured of a relatively thick construction to provide structural support for a multitude of electrical components as well as a board mounted contactor. Each contactor is mounted directly to the PWB. As the primary contactor switch function is board mounted, support functions such as coil drivers, economizing switches, auxiliary switches become PWB mounted components that are assembled to the PWB for communication through the board circuit traces rather than the heretofore required wiring harnesses.
US08031481B2
The present invention is provided a structure for mounting a printed board in which each connector that is attached to each of a plurality of sub printed boards, which are juxtaposed to one another with respect to a main printed board secured to a metal backboard, is inserted into each of a plurality of connectors that are juxtaposed to one another on the main printed board so that the sub printed boards are mounted on the main printed board by the connector connections. Parts of both ends of an area in proximity to a semiconductor-device mounted area on each of the sub printed boards ate pinched between a first metal frame and a second metal frame so that each of the sub printed boards are secured.
US08031477B2
An optical assembly is disclosed which may include a lens having first and second electrodes; and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) configured for placement in proximity to the lens, wherein the FPC may include a bottom insulating layer; a top insulating layer; and an FPC electrode configured to contact the second electrode of the lens, wherein the FPC electrode may include a center portion disposed between the bottom and top insulating layers of the FPC; a post connected to the center portion and extending through the top insulating layer of the FPC; and a contact layer connected to the post and configured to provide the contact with the second electrode of the lens.
US08031474B2
A printed circuit board assembly has plural printed circuit boards that are mechanically and electrically connected to each other with them being stacked, and a connection layer that connects the adjacent two printed circuit boards to each other is provided. The connection layer includes an insulation portion and an electric conduction portion. The insulation portion contains an insulating member and is adhered to each of the adjacent two printed circuit boards. The electric conduction portion passes through the insulation portion and connects electrode terminals of the adjacent two printed circuit boards.
US08031470B2
A method for thermal management is provided. The method includes providing thermal isolation between at least one high-power thermally tolerant electronic component and at least one low-power thermally sensitive electronic component housed within an electrical enclosure, providing a first conductive path from the at least one low-power electronic component to a first heatsink, providing a second conductive path from the at least one high-power electronic component to a second heatsink, dissipating heat generated by the at least one low-power thermally sensitive electronic component and dissipating heat generated by the at least one high-power thermally tolerant electronic component to an environment external to the electrical enclosure by channeling the heat generated by the at least one low-power thermally sensitive electronic component and the at least one high-power thermally tolerant electronic component along the first and second conductive path, respectively. The first and second conductive paths are independent from each other.
US08031463B2
Disclosed herein is an electronic apparatus, including: a base chassis formed as a unitary member from a transparent material and having two faces positioned on the opposite sides to each other and individually formed as first and second mounting face sections; a display unit having a display panel thereon and attached to said first mounting face section; a control circuit board attached to said second mounting face section; a rear cover attached to said second mounting face section and configured to cover said control circuit board; a device mounting board having a semiconductor light emitting element disposed thereon; and a luminous lamp section formed at a position of said base chassis on the outer side of said display unit and configured to receive and emit light having been emitted from said semiconductor light emitting element and passed through the inside of said base chassis.
US08031459B2
A micro-device includes a movable part, a frame and a connecting part. The movable part has a main portion, a first capacitor electrode and a first driver electrode. The capacitor electrode and the driver electrode have electrode teeth extending from the main portion. The frame includes second capacitor and driver electrodes, where the second capacitor electrode has electrode teeth extending toward the first capacitor electrode, and the second driver electrode has electrode teeth extending toward the first driver electrode. The connecting part connects the movable part to the frame. The first and second capacitor electrodes have their electrode teeth overlapped in their initial position. The movable part is rotatable for varying the extent of the overlapping between the first and second driver electrodes.
US08031446B2
A method of detecting an output phase loss (OPHL) for a motor drive detects an abnormal OPHL operation when at least one phase of a three-phase current is continually zero. Each phase of the three-phase current is acquired, sampled, filtered, and compared. Hence, a corresponding zero-current counter value is continually added, and a corresponding abnormal current value is set as logic 1 when a zero-phase current of the three-phase current is continually zero. Finally, an OPHL certified value is set as logic 1 to confirm that the motor driver is operated in the abnormal OPHL operation. Therefore, a direct-current and an alternating-current OPHL can be detected before and after the motor driver is operated, respectively.
US08031445B2
A magnetic sensor, formed from a pair of magnetically free layers located on opposing sides of a non-magnetic layer, and method for its manufacture, are described. Biasing these free layers to be roughly orthogonal to one another causes them to be magnetostatically coupled in a weak antiferromagnetic mode. This enables the low frequency noise spectra of the two free layers to cancel one another. Careful control of the SH/TW ratio is an important feature of the device.
US08031442B2
A magnetic head for a hard disk drive having a CPP read head sensor that includes a layered sensor stack including a free magnetic layer and hard bias elements that are disposed on the sides of the free magnetic layer to provide a biasing magnetization for the free magnetic layer. To increase the coercivity of the hard bias elements, and thereby improve the biasing of the magnetization of the free magnetic layer, the ratio (t/H) of the thickness t to the height H of the hard bias elements is fabricated to be within the range of from approximately 1 to approximately 1/15.
US08031440B2
A voice coil includes a stack of a plurality of layers of aligned windings held between an outer holding portion and an inner holding portion of the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly is formed integrally with the voice coil through injection molding. An outermost peripheral layer is a conductive wire wound a number of turns that falls short of the number of turns required to constitute a complete layer. A step is thereby formed between the outermost peripheral layer and a layer adjacent thereto and inner therefrom. The outer holding portion includes a reinforcement portion formed thereon to cover part of a transverse end face of the voice coil. The outermost peripheral layer opposes a force acting on the outer holding portion from top downward and the reinforcement portion opposes a force acting on the outer holding portion from bottom upward.
US08031438B2
An actuator latch system of a hard disk drive selectively locks in place and releases a rotatable swing arm having a front end portion supporting a magnetic head and a rear end portion on which a voice coil motor (VCM) coil is disposed. The actuator latch system includes a notch in the rear end portion of the swing arm, and a rotatable latch lever having a front end portion including a hook and a magnet. The hook is received in the notch in the rear end portion of the swing arm to arrest rotation of the swing arm in a predetermined direction. The magnet of the latch lever faces a section of the VCM coil such that when the hard disk drive is started, the latch lever is rotated by a force generated due to current flowing through the section of the VCM coil faced by the magnet and the magnetic field generated by the magnet. The rotation of the latch lever prevents the hook from interfering with the rotation of the swing arm in the predetermined direction.
US08031434B2
A magnetic write head for perpendicular magnetic recording. The write head has a secondary flare point defined by magnetic structures that extend from the sides of the write pole, but not over the trailing edge of the write pole. The magnetic structures each have a front edge that defines the secondary flare point. By constructing the magnetic structures so that they only extend from the sides of the write pole and not over the write pole, they can be formed by electroplating, while leafing the mask structure (used to define the write pole) still intact, thereby greatly simplifying manufacture and preventing damage to the write pole during manufacture.
US08031431B1
A novel disk drive includes a top cover having a plurality of integral anchor tabs extending towards a disk drive base. Each of the plurality of anchor tabs includes a hooking surface that faces the top cover. The disk drive base includes a plurality of retention cavities, each of the retention cavities including a catching surface that faces away from the top cover. Each of the plurality of anchor tabs protrudes into a respective one of the plurality of retention cavities, and may be deformed so that the hooking surface of the anchor tab is in contact with the catching surface of the retention cavity.
US08031425B2
A method and apparatus for writing magnetization states in magnetic layers of a multi-layer continuous magnetic recording medium with more than two recording levels and a method and apparatus for reading readback pulse shapes representing a magnetization state transition between such written magnetization states. Writing each magnetization state includes selecting the magnetization state, determining a write current sufficient to write the magnetization state, and applying the write current to a magnetic write head to write the magnetization state, including simultaneously writing associated magnetic states in each magnetic layer of at least one pair of magnetic layers. A readback pulse shape representing a written magnetization state transition is read. The written magnetization state transition is uniquely identified from the readback pulse shape of the transition or from both the readback pulse shape of the transition and the readback pulse shape of one or more contiguous magnetization state transitions.
US08031419B2
An imaging apparatus may comprise a lens assembly including one or more lenses, an image sensor to receive light from the lens assembly, and an actuator to adjust a position of the lens assembly. An actuator may be mounted on an image sensor, wherein a surface area of the actuator need not extend substantially beyond a surface area of the image sensor.
US08031418B2
A lens driving mechanism for an image pickup apparatus capable of being reduced in size, and having excellent driving accuracy and tranquility is provided. The lens driving mechanism is characterized in that vibration of a piezoelectric vibration motor is used as a driving source, and the vibration is transmitted to a motor power transmission ring directly or via a gear structure, to rotationally drive a lens driving ring. In a first lens driving mechanism, the motor power transmission ring is rotated by rotating the first transmission gear by use of the vibration of the piezoelectric vibration motor. In a second lens driving mechanism, a thrust bearing is provided on a gear side for rotating the motor power transmission ring, and the gear is rotated by vertically pressing a vibrator of the piezoelectric vibration motor in an urged state against a plane of the gear. In a third lens driving mechanism, the lens driving ring is rotationally driven by directly pressing a vibrator of each of one or more piezoelectric vibration motors in an urged state against the outer periphery of the lens driving ring.
US08031417B1
An optical mount for an optical element includes a mounting plate, a lever arm pivot coupled to mounting plate, and an adjustment plate. The optical mount also includes a flexure pivot mechanically coupling the adjustment plate to the mounting plate and a lever arm. The optical mount further includes a first adjustment device extending from the adjustment plate to make contact with the lever arm at a first contact point. A projection of a line from the first contact point to a pivot point, measured along the lever arm, is a first predetermined distance. The optical mount additionally includes a second adjustment device extending from the adjustment plate to make contact with the lever arm at a second contact point. A projection of a line from the second contact point to the pivot point, measured along the lever arm, is a second predetermined distance greater than the first predetermined distance.
US08031403B2
The invention provides an apparatus for reducing speckle in a projection visual display (PVD) system, a method of reducing visible speckle in a PVD system and a PVD system incorporating the method or apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a diffuser interposable in an optical path of a PVD system and a diffuser actuator having a single drive axis configured to cause the diffuser to travel in a lissajous curve at least partially transverse to the optical path.
US08031390B2
An illumination source and a method therefor. A light source includes a light circuit configured to process light and direct light, and a lighting element optically coupled to the light circuit to provide multiple colors of light. The light circuit propagates light using light guides. The use of light guides eliminates the use of free space optical elements, enabling the creation of more compact light sources. Furthermore, the use of light guides may enable the creation of light sources with fewer mechanical restrictions, thereby making the light sources potentially more reliable and less expensive.
US08031386B2
A galvano motor 10 includes a motor shaft 1, a coil 5 which rotationally drives the motor shaft 1, and an encoder scale 6 which is joined to one end of the rotating shaft, the motor shaft 1 is configured so that a mirror 9 which is heavier than the encoder scale 6 at the other end opposite to the one end to which the encoder scale 6 is joined, a phase crossover frequency fphase in open-loop characteristics of the galvano motor 10, a torsion resonance frequency fscale between a center part of the motor shaft 1 and the encoder scale 6, and a torsion resonance frequency fmirror between the center part of the motor shaft 1 and the mirror 9 satisfy the relation of fphase
US08031379B2
In a system in which a facsimile apparatus is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) to which a plurality of computer terminals are connected, image data obtained by reading an original image by the scanner of the facsimile apparatus under the control of the operation unit of the facsimile apparatus is transmitted to a destination designated by the operation unit. In this operation, if a user ID is designated, transmitted image data and information (destination, transmission time/date, or the like) related to transmission is transferred to the LAN to notify the information to a user corresponding to the user ID. In this manner, data communication performed by a local operation of the facsimile apparatus and data communication performed by a remote designation from the computer terminal can be managed together.
US08031364B2
A printing system includes a control system which processes an input print job to place it in a form for printing on a print engine. A user interface, in communication with the control system, is configured for receiving, from a user, adjustments to at least one geometric parameter for images of the print job to be applied to front and back sides of a sheet, whereby the geometric parameter is adjustable for the front and back sides independently. A print engine renders the print job on print media in accordance with received adjustments to the at least one geometric parameter.
US08031359B2
Job management information is analyzed to extract post printing process information on a post printing process from the job management information on the basis of the analysis result. A stylesheet corresponding to the extracted post printing process information is selected from a stylesheet storing unit which stores a stylesheet functioning as layout data for laying out and outputting post printing process information in accordance with the output form of an output destination. Work order form data of the corresponding post printing process is generated on the basis of the selected stylesheet and post printing process information.
US08031353B2
A data processing device includes a registering unit, a display unit, a settings-acquiring unit, and a virtual device renaming unit. The registering unit registers a plurality of communicable printers as a plurality of virtual devices. Each of the plurality of virtual devices has a plurality of functions. The display unit displays a plurality of virtual device names for the plurality of virtual devices. The settings-acquiring unit acquires a setting for at least one of the plurality of functions for each of the plurality of virtual device. The virtual device renaming unit changes at least one of the virtual device names for the plurality of the virtual devices to a device name representing the setting of a corresponding virtual device acquired by the settings-acquiring unit.
US08031352B2
In an apparatus capable of handing data received by a communication function, such as facsimile function or the like, information for generating a file name to be set for received data is registered so as to correspond to receiving conditions (for example, in facsimile reception, a sender's telephone number, an F code, a password and the like). When data has been received, receiving conditions are determined, and a file name based on the information registered for the data is set in accordance with the result of the determination. Thus, the receiving side can easily discriminate the contents of the data.
US08031350B2
If a user specifies shutdown of the power supply of an apparatus from a console, another apparatus connected to the same network is notified so as not to issue a request for a new shared job, and it is determined whether a scheduled shared job exists. The display on a display screen is changed in accordance with the result of the determination. If it is determined that a shared job exists, shutdown of the power supply is controlled in accordance with the status of execution of the shared job.
US08031345B2
A sensor system for analyzing a feature in a sensing volume. The sensor system includes a laser source and a sensor. The first laser source projects a laser line into the sensing volume and onto the feature forming a laser stripe on the feature. The sensor images the laser stripe where the laser line intersects with the feature. The relationship between the sensor and the first laser source is precalibrated. The sensor uses the laser stripe to determine the position and/or orientation of the feature.
US08031344B2
A stage configuration is provided, wherein a ceramic plate is used as the z-stage body to decrease the use of the metal plates in the conventional configuration, so that the compact structure of the z-stage may decrease the vibrational movements of the z-stage. Further, two Laser interferometer are used to detect a movement of different points along a vertical line of the z-stage sidewall to calculate a movement of the specimen surface, so that a horizontal movement of the specimen surface can be detected more accurately.
US08031341B2
The invention relates to a plasmon resonance optical detection device including a stack of layers comprising: a metal layer based on a noble metal that will generate said plasmon, a layer of dielectric material, at least one first semiconductor bond layer placed between said metal layer and said dielectric layer, said semiconductor layer covering a face of the metal layer.
US08031330B2
Mixed polarization state monitoring is presented. One method may include selecting a set of total dose values, and for each total dose value: exposing a location on a photoresist using illumination having an x-polarization value with an x-exposure dose ratio value of the total dose value, exposing the location on the photoresist using illumination having a y-polarization value with a y-exposure dose ratio value of the total dose value, and repeating the x-polarization value exposing and the y-polarization value exposing to achieve a range of mixed polarization states and a plurality of dose ratio values that range over extremes for the x-polarization exposure and the y-polarization exposure, each repeating occurring at a different location on the photoresist; and monitoring which mixed polarization states causes a change in an image printed at the different locations in the photoresist.
US08031326B2
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an optical system, in particular an illumination system or a projection lens of a microlithographic exposure system, having an optical system axis and at least one element group including three birefringent elements each of which includes optically uniaxial material and having an aspheric surface, wherein a first birefringent element of the group has a first orientation of its optical crystal axis, a second birefringent element of the group has a second orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein the second orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of the first orientation, the rotation not corresponding to a rotation around the optical system axis by an angle of 90° or an integer multiple thereof, and a third birefringent element of the group has a third orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein the third orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of the second orientation, the rotation not corresponding to a rotation around the optical system axis by an angle of 90° or an integer multiple thereof.
