US08267566B2
A planar lighting device comprises: a light guide plate including a concave rectangular light exit plane, two light entrance planes containing two opposite sides of the light exit plane and disposed opposite each other, two symmetrical inclined planes opposing to the light exit plane such that their distance from the light exit plane increases with the increasing distance from the two light entrance planes toward the center of the light exit plane, a curved portion connecting the two inclined planes; two light sources respectively disposed opposite the two light entrance planes for emitting light to enter the light into the light guide plate through the light entrance planes; and sliding mechanisms allowing the light sources to slide in a direction parallel to the light entrance planes of the light guide plate to absorb the expansion and contraction of the light sources along the length thereof.
US08267563B2
A backlight unit includes; a plurality of point light sources, a light guide plate including lateral sides and main planes substantially perpendicular to the lateral sides, and a printed circuit board on which the point light sources are mounted. At least one side of the light guide plate includes a first plane, which does not correspond to the point light sources, and a light incident plane corresponding to the point light sources and having a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the first plane.
US08267562B2
An apparatus, method and system for visually indicating a circuit breaker, such as a multi-pole circuit breaker, has been tripped are provided. An exemplary light guide comprises a plurality of light conduits adapted to transmit light from two or more light sources within a circuit breaker assembly to an exterior of the circuit breaker assembly; a beam that connects the light conduits; and one or more retention features coupled to one or more of the light conduits, wherein each retention feature is adapted to mate with a retention feature interface of the circuit breaker assembly. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08267558B1
A light fixture for and method of rotating a rotatable light source. The light fixture having a flange with a rotating member positioned within the flange. The rotating member houses a light source. A first self-lubricating ring is located proximal to the front of the flange and at least partially encircles the rotating member. A second self-lubricating ring is located distal to the front of the flange and also at least partially encircles the rotating member. A compression device, held in place by a retaining ring, is located behind the second self-lubricating ring.
US08267557B2
A light module, a light-module carrier and an illumination system for an aircraft, which allow intelligent illumination and at the same time easy reconfiguration of cabin illumination. The light module provides information relating to its characteristics, while a control system determines a position of the light module on a light-module carrier, and on the basis of the determined position and of the characteristics of the light module adjusts the light module by way of a bus system of the light-module carrier according to a desired illumination.
US08267554B2
A light emitting diode (LED) device comprises a base and a cover packaging of a rectifier diode chip and a light emitting diode chip connecting in series with a metal wire. The LED device can be plugged directly into the socket of the LED light string without any other external rectifier circuits. Moreover, the device has advantages of small size, easy-to-use and easy-to-change. By adopting different connection methods with the LED device, it can achieve anticipative functions, such as half-wave, full-wave and bridge rectifier, etc.
US08267552B2
A light-transmissive shell capable of intensifying an illuminant and wide-angle light transmission includes a lens body and an extension portion integrally extended from the lens body in a vertical direction or at an acute angle to the vertical direction. The lens body includes an outer top surface structured as a convexity and an inner bottom surface structured as a flat surface or an inner concavity. The extension portion includes an inner surface extending around from the inner bottom surface of the lens body. An arcuate surface is formed as a joint between the inner bottom surface of the lens body and the inner surface of the extension portion. The light emitted by an illuminant is intensified through the lens body and guided into a wide-angle light through the extension portion.
US08267549B2
An illumination device includes a cover, a heat-dissipation module, and a plurality of light emitting units. The heat-dissipation module includes a main body and a mounting plate connected to the main body. The mounting plate is received in the interior of the illumination device. The light emitting units are mounted on the mounting plate and opposite to the cover. Light from the light emitting unit is transmitted through the cover.
US08267545B2
The invention relates to a light-emitting apparatus. The light-emitting apparatus includes a heat-conducting/dissipating module and at least one semiconductor light-emitting module. The heat-conducting/dissipating module includes a substantially cylindrical heat-conducting device having at least one flat portion and at least one heat-dissipating fin mounted on the circumference of the heat-conducting device. The at least one semiconductor light-emitting module includes a carrier, a plurality of exterior electrodes, at least one semiconductor light-emitting die, and at least two conducting wires. The carrier is flatly mounted on the flat portion of the heat-conducting device. The plurality of exterior electrodes is disposed on the carrier. The at least one semiconductor light-emitting die is mounted on the carrier and respectively connected to the plurality of exterior electrodes. The at least two conducting wires are connected to a power source or a grounding by being electrically connected to the plurality of exterior electrodes.
US08267530B2
A video projector including a housing which accommodates a component for projecting and displaying a picture. A cable insertion member is fastenable to an antitheft cable. The cable insertion member is retractable into the housing.
US08267528B2
An illumination source includes a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at a first wavelength. Light from the LEDs illuminates a phosphor material that generates light at a second wavelength. A reflective polarizer transmits light at the second wavelength in a first polarization state and reflects light at the second wavelength in a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. The light at the second wavelength reflected by the reflective polarizer is directed back towards the phosphor material without an increase in angular range. In some embodiments the LEDs, having a conformal layer of phosphor material, are attached directly to the first surface of a liquid cooled plate. A liquid coolant contacts a second surface of the plate.
US08267525B2
An adjusting system for a projector includes a reference point projection unit, an infrared apparatus, a micro controller unit (MCU), and a graphic processing unit (GPU). The reference point projection unit stores reference points. The reference points are projected on a screen to form projection points. The infrared apparatus includes infrared devices mounted on a front surface of a body of the projector. The infrared devices emit infrared signals to the screen and form light points on the screen. When a projection angle of the projector is 0 degrees, the light points overlap the projection points respectively. When the projection angle of the projector is a certain angle, the MCU controls the GPU to make adjustment corresponding to the infrared devices which receive the reflected infrared signals, until the projection points overlap the light points respectively.
US08267523B2
A plurality of projector apparatuses project images based on inputted image signals onto a screen so that the images are displaced relative to one another by a predetermined amount and superimposed. The luminances of an image region composed of a plurality of projected images that have been projected onto the screen are observed. Luminance values of pixels that construct an image to be projected by each projector apparatus are adjusted based on an observation result and are supplied to the plurality of projector apparatuses. The image region composed of the plurality of projected images is presented by superimposing a first projected image and a second projected image that has a higher resolution than the first projected image. Predetermined pixels in the image region are presented by superimposing corresponding pixels in the projected images from n adjacent projector apparatuses.
US08267501B2
A nozzle for a drop ejector is shaped as a plurality of lobes adjoining a central opening region and extending along a radial direction away from the central region. Each lobe increases in width as distance from the central region increases. The nozzles include sidewalls that converge toward the central opening region of the nozzle, giving the lobe a teardrop shape. Because the central part of the nozzle opening is constricted the ink that is ejected pinches off in the center and provides several advantages such as straighter trajectory, shorter tails, better accuracy, smaller ink volume, and less satellite effects.
US08267496B2
In case resolution is set to 360 dpi, each dot is formed on each printing line provided orthogonally to conveying direction at intervals obtained by dividing an inch on a surface tape by 360 lines. Contrarily, in case resolution is set to 180 dpi, each dot array is formed to occupy two printing lines. In case a control unit judges that the number of dot-array-formed printing lines from start of printing till temporary stop of printing with 180 dpi is not equal to that of dot-array-formed printing lines with 360 dpi, a portion of serial arrays of dots to be formed from start of printing till temporary stop of printing with 180 dpi is formed with 360 dpi so that the number of dot-array-formed printing lines from start of printing till temporary stop of printing is made equal to that of dot-array-formed printing lines in printing with 360 dpi.
US08267481B2
A constructed permeability control infrastructure can include a permeability control impoundment, which defines a substantially encapsulated volume. The infrastructure can also include a comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material within the encapsulated volume. The comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The infrastructure can further include at least one convection driving conduit oriented in a lower portion of the permeable body to generate bulk convective flow patterns throughout the permeable body. An associated method of recovering hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure, which defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. A heated fluid can be passed throughout the permeable body in bulk convective flow patterns to remove hydrocarbons from the permeable body. Removed hydrocarbons can be collected for further processing and/or use.
US08267478B2
A vehicle seat includes a backrest connected to a sitting part by a backrest adjustment element. The adjustment element has a part that is connected to the backrest or to the sitting part. At least one means is formed, incorporated, shaped and/or arranged in the backrest, in the part and/or the seat part for securing the position of the part relative to the backrest and/or to the sitting part in at least one direction.
US08267476B2
Each of the pawls that are capable of rotationally locking a reclining device has a hardness greater than a slide cam that is capable of pressing the pawls to engage a ratchet. When a large load capable of forcibly rotationally displacing the ratchet is applied thereto while the pawls mesh with the ratchet, the pawls are pressed by the ratchet in a radially inward direction in which the pawls are disengaged therefrom, so as to press the slide cam with an increased buckling strength and plastically deform the same.
US08267472B2
The general field of the invention is that of seats comprising foldaway trays. More precisely, the seat according to the invention is specifically adapted in order to fold away large-dimension screens. It comprises at least one armrest and a foldaway display screen. The screen comprises an articulated supporting arm mounted on a movable carriage and the armrest comprises a circularly arcuate rail, the top end of the rail being substantially vertical and the bottom portion substantially horizontal, the carriage being secured to said rail and being able to move in translation between a first bottom position for stowage of the screen and a second top position of the screen. The screen may also comprise a cover so that it can be used as a tray.
US08267471B2
A vehicle seat back includes a frame and back support member. The back support member can connect with the frame at a first location and at a second location. The back support member can include a breakaway connection configured to rupture during a crash event to increase an operative length of the back support member.
US08267468B2
A bracket structure is in a vehicle body rear portion. In the bracket structure, an upper bracket 19 and first and second lower brackets 18 and 15 are disposed in such a manner as to be shifted to a right side or a left side in the vehicle width direction from an axis passing through a center of a spare tire housing 5, the second lower bracket 15 is formed in a concave shape and a closed section is formed between the first lower bracket 18 and the second lower bracket 15 by superposing the first lower bracket 18 and the second lower bracket 15, and the upper bracket 19 is attached to a top surface of the rear floor panel 4, and the upper bracket 19 and the first lower bracket 18 are disposed so as to correspond to each other in a vertical direction.
US08267465B2
A structural reinforcing member for motor vehicle wind deflectors has a shaped configuration with at least one curved portion, and a plurality of mutually spaced apart, plastically formed deformation sections which provide structural rigidity to maintain the shaped configuration and geometry of the reinforcing member.
US08267463B2
A door impact beam for a motor vehicle includes a formed metal sheet defined by a longitudinal axis and having a tubular cross section which has a closed circumference in a center portion of the metal sheet, and is configured with open circumference at both end portions of the metal sheet which adjoin the center portion in a direction of the longitudinal axis. Each end portion is defined by an opening angle which continuously increases from the center portion to respective ends of the end portions.
US08267457B2
A vehicular seat device assumes, as seat arrangements, a seating state and in which an occupant can sit, an entry/exit state in which the seat cushion (12) is in a standing state, and a retracted state in which a seatback (14) is superimposed on an upper side of the seat cushion (12). The vehicular seat device has a first linking member (21), a second linking member (22) and a drive mechanism (16) that are capable of changing the posture of the seat cushion (12) synchronously with the tilting of the seatback (14). Since the seat arrangement is changed synchronously with the tilting of the seatback (14), it is possible to reduce the burden of operation on an occupant in changing the seat arrangement, while allowing various seat arrangements.
US08267454B2
A pick-up style utility vehicle with an expandable cargo bed, including a stationary cargo bed part serving as a bottom face and a side face of the cargo bed, a movable cargo bed part serving as the bottom face and the side face of the expanded cargo bed, and a cargo bed support mechanism for supporting the movable cargo bed part at a normal position and an expansion position set on the rear side of the normal position.
US08267453B1
A hard cover roof to cover the open top of a pop-out and is rotatably hingeably affixed to the roof of the trailer and slidably engaged with the pop-out through mating track mechanisms on the underside of the roof and the top exterior rear wall of the poop-out so that the roof track mechanism can slide relative to the track retaining mechanism of the pop-out so that it covers the top opening the pop-out is in the fully extended condition and rests over the exterior rear wall of the pop-out when the pop-out is in the retracted condition within the trailer.
US08267444B2
A door lock apparatus for a vehicle includes a latch mechanism, an open operation lever, an open lever operatively connected to the open operation lever, a locking lever being switchable between an unlocked position and a locked position, a link operation lever operatively connected to the locking lever, a link member operatively connected to the link operation lever, the link member being able to transmit an operation of the open lever to the latch mechanism when the locking lever is in the unlocked position, the link member being unable to transmit the operation of the open lever to the latch mechanism when the locking lever is in the locked position, and a lever member operatively connected to the open lever and the locking lever, the lever member moving the locking lever from the locked position to the unlocked position by means of the operation of the open lever.
US08267441B2
An operating device for a lock includes a mounting plate mounted to an outer side of a door. A frame is fixed in a receiving space of the door. A push member includes a push section operably connected to a latch. The push member further includes a pivotal section having a pivot hole and a sliding groove. A first pivot extends through the pivot hole of the pivotal section and the frame. A second pivot extends through the frame and is slideably received in the sliding groove of the pivotal section. A lever includes a lug received in the receiving space. The lug has a pin hole through which the second pivot extends. When the lever pivots from an upper position to a lower position about a pivot axis defined by the second pivot, the push member pivots about a pivot axis defined by the first pivot for unlocking operation.
US08267434B2
Hose coupling incorporates male part and a female part being provided with elements which in corporation with a slide axially displaceable sleeve on the female part renders possible pressure relief at disconnection. These elements are constituted by an angular locking pawl one portion of which is insert able in an axial groove in the female part and has such length that always at least some part thereof is surrounded by the sleeve. The other inwardly directed part of the locking pawl has such length that it extends into the groove of the male part when locking pawl is influenced by the sleeve. The locking pawl is a combined element. To lock the male part when the coupling is connected and lock the male part in an alternative position when it's pressure relieved.
US08267428B2
An energy absorber for a vehicle includes an elongate member having lateral and longitudinal axes. The elongate member may include one or more channels which are oriented to have walls which extend in the general direction of the lateral axis. An upper surface of at least one of the channels may have an engagement feature that may be configured to engage a stationary member of a vehicle when an impact force brings the engagement feature into contact with the stationary member. The channels may be configured to deform and collapse to absorb at least some of the impact force.
US08267411B2
The present invention relates to a size-adjusting fastening mechanism for stakes comprising fixed locking grooves and a movable locking convex block, whereby when one of the grooves engages with the convex block, tooth position is loosened and toecap is telescopic upon pulling. When the groove and the convex block are rotated to deflect so as not to engage with each other, tooth position is pressed to lock so as to be irremovable. Such a structure requires that the pull handle be pulled horizontally forwards and backwards. Being secured with rivet punching, the claimed device possesses good stability, is simple in structure, low in cost and easy for operation.
US08267410B1
A suspension for a trailer vehicle that allows the trailer itself to be used as a ramp. The suspension has an axle having an axis and wheels at each end of the axle. The axle is pivotally connected to the vehicle at a pivotal connection and the axis of the axle is offset from the pivotal connection to the vehicle. An actuation device having a first and second end is pivotally connected to the axle at its first end. The actuation device is movable between a retracted length and extended length. Shifting the actuation device between its retracted and extended lengths causes the axle to pivot about the pivotal connection on the trailer, thereby changing the height of the vehicle relative to the ground surface. The trailer can be used as a ramp, thus, eliminating the need for separate ramps.
US08267409B2
Apparatus and methods for propelling a multiple-wheeled golf bag cart over a terrain are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to be attached to a handle of the golf bag cart and further configured to be attached to the waist of a golfer. The apparatus includes a belt member for attachment to the waist of the golfer, a deformable member configured to be disposed between the cart handle and the belt member for controlling movement of the cart while the cart is being towed, and a mounting member for attachment to the handle for connecting the deformable member to the handle.
US08267406B2
A retaining ring for a seal ring of a mechanical seal assembly comprises a recess (8) inserted at the side of one of its axial ends for a sealing receipt and force-fit assembly of the seal ring (2). In the recess (8), an engaging ring (10) made of a flexible material and having a corrugated profile at its inner periphery is retained, wherein at least the elevations (15) of the corrugated profile may be brought in a force-fit engagement with the outer periphery of the seal ring, when the seal ring is moved into the engaging ring by an external mounting force. Each elevation has a leading flange in direction (P) of the mounting movement having a inclination angle α2 larger than α1 of a lagging flange (18).
US08267402B2
A medium reversing apparatus, an image forming apparatus and an image reading apparatus that respectively have the medium reversing apparatus are supplied capable of avoiding medium damage and medium load abnormality. In the medium reversing apparatus that conveys a sheet-like medium back and reverses obverse side and reverse side of the medium, a medium ejection opening is used for ejecting at least a part of the medium; an ejecting member at least ejects the part of the medium from the medium ejection opening and conveys the medium back; and a bend forming section is set at the outside edge portion of the ejecting member and bends the medium from a clamp face of the medium clamped by the ejecting member.
US08267399B2
A sheet processing apparatus capable of improving sheet processing performance and productivity is provided. While sheets are conveyed in a piled state toward a rear-end stopper, displacement is produced between the sheets by a pair of discharge rollers. Even if adhesion occurs between the sheets during conveyance thereof, the adhesion between the sheets can be removed before the sheets come into contact with the rear-end stopper.
US08267396B2
A sheet feed device has a tray with holding surface for holding sheets, a feed unit for feeding sheets from the tray, and a separation plate. The separation plate has an inclined surface and two or more separation portions that separate a sheet from the sheets held in the tray. At least one of the separation portions projects a first distance from the inclined surface. The separation plate also has a projection positioned on the inclined surface that projects a second distance from the inclined surface. The second distance is greater than the first distance. A first of the separation portions is positioned upstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction, and a second of the separation portions positioned downstream of the particular projection in the sheet feed direction.
US08267392B2
An inserter device for a document printer and inserter system includes a first container sensor. A belt mechanism includes a flexible delivery belt receiving a printed document from a document printer. A motor rotates the delivery belt in response to an actuation signal from the first container sensor indicating the presence of a container at a document loading position proximate the delivery belt. A support shaft is rotatably connected to a support frame. The belt mechanism is fixed to the support shaft. The support shaft is rotated to achieve a desired belt drive angle and fixed to the support frame to maintain the belt drive angle. A rigid document diverter proximate the delivery belt deflects a document discharged from the delivery belt at the belt drive angle into the container. First and second belt tensioning assemblies are individually positioned in either a belt mechanism drive box or idler box.
US08267387B2
A device (1) for the handling of containers with a mandrel (4), the cross-section of which is adjusted to the cross-section of one of the containers to be handled, whereby the mandrel (4) is displaceable, relative to the support device (30), along a direction of movement (L) between a resting position and a working position. The device has a spacing element (10) which is displaceable relative to the mandrel (4) in a direction of displacement (R) between at least two positions, whereby the direction of displacement (R) and the direction of movement form an angle with one another that differs by 0°, and whereby this spacing element is constructed in such a manner that the working position of the mandrel (4) in the direction of movement (L) is changed through a shifting of the spacing element.
US08267385B2
The invention relates to a holding device (1), especially for fixing a glass substrate during a cutting process. The holding device comprises a housing (2) and a plunger (3) which can be axially displaced in relation to the housing (2). The plunger has a first and a second end section (4, 5), the first end section (4) projecting from the housing (2) and having a suction element (6). The aim of the invention is inter alia to improve a known holding device in such a manner that the substrate can be approached and fixed almost without the application of force. The holding device (1) according to the invention is characterized in that the plunger (3) is received in the housing (2) by a pneumatic spring. A holding system (20) comprising a plurality of holding devices (1) is protected in a support plate (24), the support plate (24) having a vacuum channel collector (21) which is connected to vacuum channels (13) and which is connected to a common vacuum pump (14).
US08267380B1
A retractable fence apparatus which comprises a housings. The housing has a bottom wall, a top wall with a longitudinal slot, a rear wall, a front wall and a pair of side walls. The housing is installed within the ground with the top wall level with the top of the ground. A of lift mechanism is provided. The lift mechanism is installed onto the bottom wall within the housing. A barrier assemblies are also provided. The barrier assembly is installed within the housing of the lift mechanism. A mechanism is for operating lift mechanism, wherein a the barrier assembly can be raised up and lowered down through the longitudinal slot in the top wall of the housing.
US08267378B1
A hydraulic lift system for artificial lift pumping or industrial hoisting comprises a three chamber cylinder, a gas over oil accumulator, a large structural gas accumulator and a large flow pilot operated check valve. A matrix variable frequency drive, a standard variable frequency drive, an electrical squirrel cage motor or a natural gas engines are part of the main prime mover alternatives.
US08267373B2
A single lever control for manually manipulating a hydraulic valve spool of a directional control valve, which comprises an elongate shaft encased within an outer casing and having first and second ends each being fixedly attached to an end cap and a pivot block, respectively. The outer casing comprising a cylindrical cup for housing a biasing element whereupon an applied upward force on the cylindrical cup causes the outer casing to move upwardly to the extent of lifting a latching member pivotally connected to the pivot block and releasing a locking mechanism. The mounting assembly comprising an adapter plate integrally connected to a vertical support member and having a large aperture for receiving a moveable stem associated with the hydraulic valve spool, an arrangement of which allows a valve-actuating stem associated with the pivot block to movably interact with the moveable stem as the single lever control is selectively manipulated.
US08267367B2
The present invention relates to a vacuum pad device used in a vacuum transport system. The pad device includes a housing, a pad unit connected to the housing through a ball joint such that the pad unit is rotatable, and a piston arranged in the housing and controlling the rotation of the pad unit. The pad unit is bonded to an object at a desirable rotation angle, and controlled such that the rotation angle is fixed by the movement of a piston operating via compressed air. Consequently, the object can be transported in an accurate and safe manner. Preferably, the vacuum pad device of the present invention further includes a vacuum pump arranged in the housing unit the piston.
US08267363B2
A slatwall mounting system includes a rail member and a mounting arrangement. The rail member includes longitudinally extending upper and lower edges, a longitudinally extending upper slot portion including a downward extending undercut a longitudinally extending lower slot portion including an upward extending undercut. The mounting arrangement includes a bracket member having a downward oriented hook portion and a mounting aperture, and a cam assembly having a mounting cam assembled with a user graspable cam driver, the cam and cam driver defining an annular groove for securing the cam assembly to the mounting aperture. The mounting cam is rotatable between a slatwall securing position for mounting engagement with the lower slot of the rail member, and a slatwall releasing position, in response to user manipulation of the cam driver.
US08267360B2
A height adjustable holding apparatus for holding an object is provided. The height adjustable holding apparatus includes a support, a moving part, a holding unit, an elastic member, and a linking unit. The moving part is movable along the support, wherein the object connects to the moving part to be movable along the support. The holding unit is disposed at a top end of the support. The elastic member is disposed at a bottom end of the support. One end of the linking unit connects to the moving part and the other end extending around the holding unit to connect to the elastic member. When moving the object along the support to a desired position, the object substantially remains balanced at the desired position by the cooperation of the holding unit, the elastic member and the linking unit.
US08267358B1
A bag holder is provided for holding a bag in an open position to facilitate collection of debris in the bag. The bag holder includes a rigid frame assembly having an outer frame and an inner frame. The outer frame has a perimeter wall. The inner frame is sized to nest within the perimeter wall of the outer frame. Thus, the frame assembly is configured for securing a bag between the outer frame and the inner frame such that the frame assembly holds the bag in an open position. A handle is coupled to and extends from the outer frame to facilitate manipulation of the open bag to a desired location using the handle. Debris may then be scooped or swept into the open bag.
US08267354B2
A fitting for joining a first component to a second component, the fitting comprising a composite part and a reinforcement element. The composite part is formed from a composite material and comprises: a base; an end wall meeting the base at a first corner; and a side wall meeting the end wall at a second corner and the base at a third corner. The reinforcement element is shaped such that it can be fitted to the composite part and engage the end wall of the composite part, the first corner of the composite part; and the second corner of the composite part.
US08267352B2
Load introduction zone in the rear end of an aircraft comprising receiving elements (3, 4) of the loads of the horizontal and vertical tail stabilizers connected to structural elements (2, 8, 9) wherein: a) said structural elements are the cladding (8), two contiguous load-bearing frames (2) with a Π or omega cross-section and, at least, a third frame (9); b) the receiving element of the horizontal tail stabilizer load is a first fitting (3) structured as a torque box, transversely arranged between said load-bearing frames (2) and connected to them, and the receiving elements of the vertical tail stabilizer loads are some second fittings (4) coupled to these frames (2, 9); c) said frames (2, 9) and said first and second fittings (3, 4) are entirely made of composite material.
US08267350B2
An actuator, comprises a housing, a first prime mover for producing rotary motion, a first gearbox arranged to convert in use the rotary motion from the first prime mover into rotary motion having higher torque and lower speed. The first gearbox comprises a casing mounted for rotation relative to the housing of the actuator and a second gearbox arranged to convert rotary motion of the casing of the first gearbox into rotary motion having lower torque and higher speed.A brake is arranged to act on the rotary motion having lower torque and higher speed from the second gearbox. In use when the first gearbox is not jammed, the brake may be applied to resist relative rotation between the casing of the first gearbox and the housing of the actuator.When the first gearbox is jammed, the brake may be released thereby allowing the casing of the first gearbox to rotate relative to the housing of the actuator. The actuator may thereby be jam-tolerant. A second motor may also be provided.
US08267337B2
A particle reduction device with a housing containing an inlet for receiving paper material into a flow chamber, at least two adjacently spaced particle reduction stages through which paper material flows from one stage to the other for reducing the particle size of the material, and an outlet for outputting processed material with reduced particle size. Each particle reduction stage of the paper particle reduction device includes an impact member that rotates about a central shaft for impacting material into smaller particles. At least one of the stages has a screen, located downstream from the impact member, that includes perforations through which particles of a sufficiently small size can pass.
US08267335B2
One aspect is an ultrasonic crusher including a pipe system having at least one elutriator. A pump is configured to pump a slurry through the pipe system and the at least one elutriator. A first ultrasound sonotrode is configured proximate to the at least one elutriator.
US08267333B2
A fuel injector and a method of assembly includes a determination of various flow areas through clearances or openings formed in various components of the injector. With the various flow areas determined, the various components can be classified according to their flow areas such that sets of components can be selected having desirable flow area characteristics for assembly of the fuel injector.
US08267332B1
A self-contained, hand-held paint spray gun apparatus having a paint reservoir on the gun and a turret assembly having a reversible tip for spraying paint from the reservoir through the tip and a swirl chamber adapter located between the gun and turret assembly. The tip is reversible between a SPRAY position and a CLEAN position to enable a user of the paint spray gun to rapidly and conveniently clear an obstruction in the tip and continue spraying without removing the tip. The swirl chamber adapter has a generally planar face opposing a swirl valve in the gun and forming a swirl chamber upstream of the turret assembly and has a centrally located bore extending from the generally planar face to the outlet of the adapter.
US08267331B2
The subject invention relates to a power sprayer that offers flexibility of movement because it can be battery operated and is designed to eliminate the need for cleaning its spray nozzle after being used. Paint colors can be changed quickly by simply changing the media cartridges that are adapted for simple attachment to the sprayer. These media cartridges also eliminate the inconvenience associated with refilling conventional power sprayers with a desired media. The present invention more specifically discloses a sprayer media cartridge system comprising: (a) a media container, (b) a self-cleaning nozzle, (c) a media shut-off means, (d) a primary media atomizing aperture in a configuration relative to the self-cleaning nozzle, (e) a movable media containment member within the media container, (f) a gas transfer interface, and (g) a power unit engagement means.
US08267330B2
A mobile hose winding apparatus, including a case, a hose winding mechanism for hose winding, a sprinkler mechanism and a water inlet and outlet mechanism. One end of the water inlet and outlet mechanism is used to connect to the hose on the winding mechanism while the other end is connected to the water inlet of the sprinkler mechanism; the hose winding mechanism and the water inlet and outlet mechanism are fitted in the case, with the sprinkler mechanism in the front of the case. The mobile hose winding apparatus abandons the wall-mounted connecting mode of the conventional hose winding apparatus, and thus the apparatus according to the present disclosure can be moved as a whole for operation.
US08267329B2
In an expansion valve, in a first passage through which a high pressure liquid refrigerant flows, an inlet port includes a large diameter passage portion formed from one side surface to the other side surface of a valve body, and a small diameter passage portion that provides communication between the large diameter passage portion on the bottom end thereof and a valve chamber. A coil spring provided in the valve chamber biases a valve member toward a valve hole. An O ring that seals between a plug that supports a lower end of the coil spring and the valve body is located below the small diameter passage portion and placed on the opposite side of the bottom end of the large diameter passage. Thus, the plug that closes an opening of the valve chamber can be mounted to an upper position, thereby reducing a vertical size of the valve body to further reduce a size of the valve body, and reducing an amount of use of metal materials for the valve body to reduce weight and cost.
US08267321B2
A method of decoding a two-dimensional enhanced-density barcode. A first and a second barcode are encoded in the enhanced-density barcode. The enhanced-density barcode includes a set of blocks. Each block includes a predefined number of sub-pixels. The blocks of the enhanced-density barcode being arranged relatively to each other in a geometrical lattice having a first and a second lattice direction. The method includes the steps of distorting of the enhanced-density barcode in the first lattice direction, resulting in a first distorted barcode, distorting of the enhanced-density barcode in the second lattice direction, resulting in a second distorted barcode, reconstructing the first barcode by low-pass filtering the first distorted barcode, reconstructing the second barcode by low-pass filtering the second distorted barcode.
US08267319B2
A radio frequency identifying device minimizes a null point area within a radiation pattern by horizontally or vertically vibrating an antenna plate radiating a radio frequency beam by using at least one vibration motor.
US08267313B2
A system, computer product and method are provided for a card issuer providing a prepaid gift card to a purchaser, the gift card usable by a recipient of the card to pay merchants who participate in a financial network. The method includes receiving a payment of a predetermined amount, and loading the predetermined amount received from the purchaser into the prepaid gift card. The method further includes activating the loaded prepaid gift card, the activated prepaid gift card being usable by the recipient for paying any of the merchants in the financial network until the predetermined amount loaded in the prepaid gift card is exhausted, and being usable by the recipient to obtain a benefit beyond what is purchased from at least some of the merchants in the financial network.
US08267312B2
A virtual cash system, method, and apparatus for establishing account records containing a record of money amounts associated with a wireless device and a security code comprising a code portion to verify a deposit of money. Cash transfers between account records may be subject to restrictions associated with the cash amounts. Restrictions may include the specific merchant identifications, product type identifications for which cash transfers may be made. Alternatively, the restrictions may include spending limits on each cash transfer.
US08267311B2
The present invention relates to the use of unique markers in the identification and tracking of objects. The present invention provides large numbers of unique markings for application to items as part of a marking system. The present invention provides a new approach to laboratory analysis and a means of rapid in-field identification of goods using a hand-held scanner. It provides data that can be used as a means of product tracking, identification of counterfeit product and to prove ownership of stolen goods.
US08267303B2
Methods and systems are described for enabling the efficient fabrication of wedge-bonding of integrated circuit systems and electronic systems.
US08267297B2
A portable linear fastener driving tool is provided that drive staples, nails, or other linearly driven fasteners. The tool uses a gas spring principle, in which a cylinder filled with compressed gas is used to quickly force a piston through a driving stroke movement, while a driver also drives a fastener into a workpiece. The piston/driver is then moved back to its starting position by use of a rotary-to-linear lifter, and the piston again compresses the gas above the piston, thereby preparing the tool for another driving stroke. The driver has protrusions along its edges that contact the lifter, which lifts the driver during a return stroke. A pivotable latch is controlled to move into either an interfering position or a non-interfering position with respect to the driver protrusions, and acts as a safety device, by preventing the driver from making a full driving stroke at an improper time.
US08267296B2
A portable linear fastener driving tool is provided that drive staples, nails, or other linearly driven fasteners. The tool uses a gas spring principle, in which a cylinder filled with compressed gas is used to quickly force a piston through a driving stroke movement, while a driver also drives a fastener into a workpiece. The piston/driver is then moved back to its starting position by use of a rotary-to-linear lifter, and the piston again compresses the gas above the piston, thereby preparing the tool for another driving stroke. The driver has protrusions along its edges that contact the lifter, which lifts the driver during a return stroke. A pivotable latch is controlled to move into either an interfering position or a non-interfering position with respect to the driver protrusions, and acts as a safety device, by preventing the driver from making a full driving stroke at an improper time.
US08267286B2
An actuator cap for a pressurized aerosol spray can for the dispensing of marking compositions consists of an outer housing, an inner housing, and a rotatably mounted spray tip. The outer housing employs an annular chime for use with devices for remotely actuating pressurized aerosol spray cans. The inner housing connectively couples to various pressurized aerosol spray cans. The spray tip allows for efficient dispensing of marking composition through the pressurized aerosol spray can valve while also preventing accidental sideways discharge.
US08267278B2
The container includes a base and a detachable cover. To releasably attach the base and cover, the base includes a first closure portion and the cover includes an engagable second closure portion. In one aspect, the first and second closure portions are configured for engagement in both a fully engaged position and an intermediately engaged position. In the intermediately engaged position, the container can be further configured to vent steam during, for example, microwaving. In another aspect, the container including the first and second closure portions can be configured for simplified engagement of the base and cover, preferably by enabling engagement via a downward push applied to the center of the cover. In yet another aspect, the first and second closure portions can be configured with diverging flanges that simplify detachment of the base and cover.
US08267274B2
A dispensing closure system is provided for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The preferred embodiment of the system includes a closure having a closure body for extending from the container at the container opening and a lid hingedly attached to the closure body. The closure body has a dispensing spout, and the lid includes a hollow spud for entering the spout. A spud rim can be provided on the spud, extending inwardly towards the hollow interior of the spud. A lid rim can additionally or alternatively be provided on the inside surface of the lid, positioned within the hollow interior of the spud.
US08267271B2
A collapsible beverage container has a plurality of co-axially oriented, concentric cylindrical wall sections of progressively different diameters. The wall sections are extendable from a collapsed position wherein the wall sections substantially completely overlap in an axial direction to an extended position wherein the wall sections only partially overlap in an axial direction. The collapsible beverage container includes one or more elastomeric gaskets between adjacent cylindrical wall sections, each gasket providing a liquid-tight seal along the entire extension of the adjacent cylindrical wall sections between the extended and collapsed positions.
US08267270B2
A folding container having integrally formed hinge elements. The container including a base portion, first and second lower side wall portions having a snap-fitted hinge connection to a first side and second side of the base portion respectively, first and second upper side wall portions having a hinge connection to the lower side wall portions, and a rim portion having a snap-fitted hinge connection to the first and second upper side wall portions, and end walls having a hinged connection to the rim portion. The hinge elements including hook-shaped snaps having a first ramp segment and a second ramp segment on the outer surface of the hook portion to facilitate connection of a hinge axle to the hook-shaped snaps. A tongue and groove combination in the lower and upper side wall portions to provide structural support for loads placed on the container. The folding container including locking tabs in the base portion for engaging notches in the lower side wall portions when the container is in a folded configuration. A plurality of stanchion ribs extending upward from the rim portion to supports loads on the container. A locking tab having a window for providing visible evidence the end wall is properly positioned in an unfolded configuration. A stamping tab extending downward from the rim to facilitation hot stamping of the tab when the container is assembled.
US08267265B2
Containers with child resistant safety caps are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the cap contains (1) an overlay and (2) a solid base. The overlay fits around at least a portion of the cap's solid base. At an end of the overlay is a thumb tab for facilitating the opening and closing of the cap. The overlay also contains a skirt that is perpendicular to the thumb tab. The skirt of the overlay contains a tab. At the end of the solid base proximal to the location of the tab on the overlay (when the cap is in the closed position) the solid base contains a notch. When the cap is shut, the overlay is secured around the solid base. If an upward force is only applied to the thumb tab, and then the overlay is lifted up, while the solid base of the cap remains secured to the container. If an upward force is applied to the thumb tab while simultaneously, sufficient inward force is applied to tab on the overlay to contact and secure the tubular skirt of the cap, then the solid base of the cap is simultaneously lifted up along with the overlay, thereby opening the container. In one embodiment, the overlay contains a top. In another embodiment, the overlay does not contain a top.
US08267262B2
A pallet rack upright column protection device for the use in preventing and reducing destructive levels of kinetic energy of motion from occurring to a pallet rack upright. The device is made from an assembly of multilateral polymer based elastomeric materials that has a primary external component, and with a synergistic less dense internal component. The device attaches directly to the front and lateral sides of the lower section of a rack upright.
US08267253B2
A carrier having a plurality of support bars for safely transferring a substrate is provided. The carrier includes a frame having a through-hole formed at a center, the center through-hole including a first inner surface and a second inner surface that faces the first inner surface within in the through-hole; and a plurality of support bars joined to the first inner surface and the second inner surface.
US08267241B2
An article support assembly (1) is adapted for movement by a conveyor along a path of conveyance. The article support assembly (1) includes a trolley (5) for engagement by the conveyor and a shackle (3) configured to support an article, and rotatable with respect to the trolley. A turning block (33) is associated with the shackle (3), and rotation of the turning block with respect to the trolley (5) causes corresponding rotation of the shackle relative to the trolley. Yieldable indexing features (23, 27, 29, 31) are operatively arranged between the trolley (5) and the turning block (33) to define at least a first and a second incremental rotational position or orientation for the shackle (3). The yieldable indexing features (23, 27, 29, 31) of the article support assembly (1) are biased into yieldable engagement by magnetic repelling forces. A conveyor system for conveying articles along processing stations is adapted to include the article support assembly (1) and comprises a turning station (43A, 43B, 43C, 43D) for giving a predetermined rotational orientation to the shackle (3) with respect to the trolley (5).
US08267234B2
A force transmitting coupling for drivingly coupling winding devices of adjacent architectural coverings. The coupling includes first coupling member, a second coupling member, and mating engagement means on the first and second coupling members adapted to establish mating engagement between the first and second coupling member to transmit a drive force from one of the first and second coupling members to another of the first and second coupling members. The second coupling member includes a hub and the engaging means on the second coupling member are resiliently connected to the hub.
US08267227B2
The present invention is predicated upon improved vehicle brake assemblies, parking brake assemblies, parking brake actuating mechanisms, or combinations thereof, having simplified attachment features and for assembling a brake cable within the parking assembly with substantially limited or no visual access therein.
US08267223B2
In a drive assembly of the invention, a first catch tank is provided above a casing that keeps lubricating oil accumulated in a bottom thereof for immersion of part of a rotor of a motor MG3 and of part of a differential ring gear of a differential gear. The first catch tank temporarily keeps the lubricating oil scooped up from the bottom of the casing by the rotation of the differential ring gear. The lubricating oil kept in the first catch tank is flowed down by the force of gravity and is fed to peripheral bearings. A second catch tank is arranged to temporarily keep the lubricating oil scooped up from the bottom of the casing by the rotation of the rotor of the motor MG3. The lubricating oil kept in the second catch tank is flowed down by the force of gravity and is fed to peripheral bearings. This arrangement desirably shortens oil paths connecting the respective catch tanks to the peripheral bearings and ensures smooth supply of the lubricating oil to all the peripheral bearings and other oil-requiring sites.
US08267220B2
An electric power steering control apparatus can reduce a steering vibration such as shimmy vibration generated due to the structure of a vehicle without adding new mechanism elements. The apparatus includes a torque sensor for detecting steering torque generated by a driver, a torque controller for calculating an assist torque current for assisting the steering torque based on the detected steering torque, a vehicle speed detector for detecting the speed of the vehicle, a specific frequency detector for detecting a specific frequency from the detected vehicle speed, a motor angular velocity calculator for calculating a motor angular velocity from a motor angle detected by an angle detector, a phase compensator for converting a vibration frequency of the motor angular velocity, and a vibration suppression current calculator for calculating a vibration suppression current to suppress the steering vibration from respective output signals of the phase compensator and the specific frequency detector.
US08267214B2
A motorcycle is provided that includes a drivetrain. The drivetrain includes a transmission having a transmission output shaft and also includes a gearcase coupled with the transmission output shaft. The gearcase has a gearcase output shaft. The transmission output shaft is rotatable in a first direction and the gearcase output shaft is rotatable in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.
US08267213B2
An inverted pendulum type omnidirectional vehicle includes: a pair of wheels; a drive mechanism; a control apparatus; an auxiliary wheel; and a vehicle body. Each of the wheels includes: a rotation member capable of rotating about the wheel axis; a plurality of free rollers which are disposed all around an outer circumference of the rotation member, and each of which is brought into contact with a road surface at a lowest position of the rotation member and is rotatable about a rotation axis diagonal with respect to the wheel axis. The free rollers on both sides in contact with the road surface at ground contact portions each have the rotation axis extending in parallel with the road surface, and are arranged in an orientation in which a distance between the rotation axes of the free rollers is shorter toward a side of the auxiliary wheel.
US08267210B2
A vehicle having a plurality of wheels and elements, to drive at least one wheel to propel the vehicle is provided with a frame and a power supply assembly for delivering power to the drive elements. The power supply assembly includes a battery and a housing structure surrounding the battery. The power supply assembly is removeably supported on the vehicle frame. A latching mechanism is provided having a pivoting actuator. The actuator moves between a locking position and a release position. The actuator movement displacing a pin disposed in combination with the housing between a locking position, wherein the pin fixedly engages the power supply assembly to the frame, and a release position, wherein the pin disengages and permits the power supply assembly to be removed from the frame.
US08267204B2
Methods of forming polycrystalline diamond elements include forming a polycrystalline diamond compact comprising a cavity in a surface thereof. A catalyst is at least substantially removed from the polycrystalline diamond compact, and the polycrystalline diamond compact is secured to a supporting substrate. Cutting elements include a diamond table formed with a cavity in a back side surface thereof and a supporting substrate secured to the back side surface of the diamond table. Earth-boring tools comprise a bit body carrying one or more cutting elements including a diamond table, a supporting substrate and an adhesion layer comprising a superhard material between and bonding the cutting table and the supporting substrate.
US08267202B2
An automatic tensioning system for a chain drive system of a rock drill assembly is disclosed. A hydraulic cylinder is coupled to one end of the feed channel of a rock drill assembly. When pressurized hydraulic fluid is provided to the hydraulic cylinder, a plunger within the hydraulic cylinder pulls on a tensioner sprocket, which in turn provides tension to the chain of the chain drive system. This allows for a constant tension to be applied to the chain throughout a long duration of operation as opposed to a manually adjusted chain drive system in which the chain tension varies during operation in between manual adjustments.
US08267197B2
A method for reducing temperature of a bottomhole assembly during a drilling operation is disclosed, that, in one aspect, may include: drilling a borehole using a drillstring including a bottomhole assembly by circulating a fluid through the drillstring and an annulus between the drillstring and the borehole, pausing drilling, continuing circulating the fluid through the dill string and the annulus. The method further includes diverting a portion of the fluid from the drillstring into the annulus at a selected location above the drill bit to reduce temperature of the bottomhole assembly.
US08267193B1
A valve tester suspension assembly for allowing one person to perform the tasks necessary to test underground valves includes an articulated arm attached to a mobile base such as a vehicle. The articulated arm may be biased such that the biasing assists in supporting the weight of a rotating assembly positioned at a distal end of the articulated arm. The articulated arm is pivoted to permit positioning of the rotating device in a substantially horizontal orientation at a desired position within a three dimensional space adjacent to the base to which the articulated arm is attached. A method of use is also described.
US08267192B2
An ergonomic handle for use with a power tool defines a first region that includes a switch, adapted to receive a thumb and forefinger when the forefinger is actuating the switch, a second region adapted to receive a middle finger, a third region adapted to receive a ring finger; and a fourth region adapted to receive a pinky finger. Each of the second, third, and fourth region includes a generally oval cross section having a major axis and a minor axis. The longest major axis is in the third region, the shortest major axis is in the fourth region, the shortest minor axis is in the second region, and the longest minor axis is positioned in the fourth region.
US08267180B2
A remotely controllable flow control configuration including a body; one or more flow restrictors disposed in the body; and a selector fluidly connected with the body and capable of supplying or denying fluid to one or more of the one or more flow restrictors and method.
US08267167B2
A downhole valve apparatus including a force transmitter configured to move in an axial direction and a valve actuator configured to move in an axial direction. The valve actuator is independently movable relative to the force transmitter and physically isolated from the force transmitter. A first magnetic assembly is disposed at the force transmitter. A second magnetic assembly is disposed at the valve actuator. The first and second magnetic assemblies are configured to repel one another and cause the force transmitter to move the valve actuator when the force transmitter is moved toward the valve actuator.
US08267156B2
A comfort system outdoor unit with a heat exchanger coil and a fan in its top opening has an orifice structure and an insert registerable with the orifice structure to streamline the inward flow of air that passes over a lower end of the orifice structure. The insert may be fastened directly to the orifice structure lower end, or it may be installed so as to extend substantially from an upper edge of the coil to the orifice structure lower end.
US08267150B2
An apparatus for starting the casting of a continuous casting system has a mold (2) and a strand guide (10; 10′) comprising drive and guide rollers (11, 12; 11′, 12′). Moreover, a dummy bar (22) that can be introduced into the mold (2) by the strand guide (10; 10′) and be withdrawn from said mold is provided. A safety device (20; 20′) for the dummy bar (22) has an element (25) that can be engaged, with form fit, with the dummy bar (22) and limiting the speed of the cold bar (22). It is thus guaranteed that a predetermined maximum strand speed can not be exceeded and that the dummy bar does not slide through.
US08267147B2
A dental shield apparatus includes a first portion of flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends. A handle is operably coupled to the distal end of the first portion of flexible tubing. The dental shield apparatus includes a transparent shield. Second and third portions of flexible tubing operatively couple the transparent shield to the handle, the second portion of flexible tubing having a mass per unit length that is less than a mass per unit length of the first portion of flexible tubing. The third portion of flexible tubing includes a mass per unit length that is less than the mass per unit length of the first portion of flexible tubing. The proximal end of the first portion of flexible tubing is attached to an anchor.
US08267138B2
The present application generally relates to methods, materials, and equipment for manufacturing a signs. Some embodiments of the present application relate to methods of manufacturing a digitally printed, multi-panel sign. Some embodiments of the present application relate to a laminator for use in laminating optically active sheeting to a substrate.
US08267135B2
On a tread surface 1 of a pneumatic tire, at least one circumferential groove is formed on an outer-side region 3 in a vehicle width direction, at least three circumferential, which number is two or more larger than the outer-side region 3, grooves are formed on an inner-side region 2 in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of lug grooves 20 are formed on the tread surface 1, open to a tread edge TE1 of the inner-side region 3, extend in a direction toward circumferential groove 11, and terminate without opening to circumferential groove 11. A plurality of continuous lug grooves 21 are formed on the tread surface 1, open to a tread edge TE2 of the outer-side region 3, extend in a direction toward the circumferential groove 13, continue to the central land portion 5 intersecting the circumferential groove 10, and terminate without opening to the circumferential groove 13 which borders the central land portion 5, among the three second-region circumferential grooves 11, 12, 13.
US08267126B2
A mostly cotton yarn terry cloth product is provided with borders having high content polyester yarns. The polyester borders are more rugged, and thus aid in preventing fraying and failure along the edges. In addition, reinforcing ribs, also formed from yarns have a high polyester content, may be provided that extend from a border on one side of the terry cloth product to a border on the other side. This feature anchors the borders in place, limiting failure at the juncture of the border and the adjacent cotton.
US08267123B2
Methods and apparatus to charge accumulators are described. An example system to charge an accumulator apparatus includes a piston disposed within a housing to define a first chamber adjacent a first side of the piston and a second chamber adjacent a second side of the piston. A fill probe having a body and a passageway between a first end of the fill probe and a second end of the fill probe removably couples to the piston to fluidly couple to the passageway of the fill probe to the second chamber of the housing when the accumulator is in a charging condition. A valve is fluidly coupled to the piston to enable fluid flow to the second chamber of the housing via the piston when the fill probe is coupled to the piston.
US08267122B2
A method and system for an integrated ejector valve assembly is provided. The integrated ejector valve assembly includes a first valve assembly configured to control a flow of relatively lower pressure fluid from a first inlet port, a second valve assembly configured to control a flow of relatively higher pressure fluid from a second inlet port, a first actuation chamber configured to close the first valve assembly, a second actuation chamber configured to close the second valve assembly, and a third actuation chamber configured to open the second valve assembly.
US08267115B2
A self-compensated, adjustable fluid emitter includes a casing externally delimiting a volume, which is divided into a first chamber and into a second chamber by a fixed membrane that can be elastically deformed. An inlet communicates with the first chamber and an outlet communicating with the second chamber, causing the first and the second chambers to be in communication one with the other through a communicating duct. In operation, the membrane becomes deformed such that at least a portion thereof changes its position with respect to the outlet, modifying the flow rate of the fluid through the outlet depending on the pressure difference. Therefore, the flow rate of the fluid through the outlet is controlled and kept constant by the membrane in spite of changes in fluid pressure at least at the inlet or the outlet.
US08267109B2
The present invention provides a water vacuum break assembly for use in a washing machine and a method of assembling the water vacuum break assembly. The water vacuum break assembly includes a housing defining at least one water inlet opening, a water cavity fluidly connected with the at least one water inlet opening, and a control system cavity positioned proximate the water cavity, the control system cavity configured for selectively retaining one of at least two differently configured control systems configured for sensing and/or regulating a temperature of water in the water cavity.
US08267088B2
A respirator including a collapse-resistant means for resisting collapse of the respirator main body due to respiration of a user during use of such a respirator is disclosed. Specifically, in various embodiments, the collapse-resisting means may be a deflection member, a stiffening material, fastening components configured to apply an outward-facing deflection force when the respirator is worn, or any combination thereof. Additionally, a dual exhalation vent assembly adapted for use in a collapse resisting respirator is also disclosed.
US08267086B2
A fluid dispenser device including: a body (1) incorporating a dispenser orifice (5); a reservoir (10) containing the fluid; and a dispenser member (15), such as a metering valve or pump, for selectively dispensing the fluid contained in the reservoir (10), the device also including a dose indicator having an electronic display the display including a permanent display member (21) that does not require any energy in order to keep the display unchanged, and that requires only a small amount of energy in order to change the display.
US08267084B2
An adapter for use with a flow generator includes a conduit attachable to the outlet of the flow generator and an identifying element supported by the conduit and providing an identifying feature unique to a specific peripheral component attachable to the flow generator. The identifying feature is communicable to the flow generator so that appropriate operating parameters of the flow generator may be automatically selected by the flow generator to coordinate with the specific peripheral component.
US08267082B2
The invention is a medicament magazine having at least one medicament chamber for use in a powder inhaler, wherein the magazine is formed from two foil strips applied to one another and the at least one medicament chamber is formed between the foil strips as depicted in exemplary FIGS. 1a and 1b. The medicament chambers have an internal structure (3) which comprises in its interior a space for receiving a powdered medicament and stabilizes this inner space against external mechanical influences. In another embodiment in which the internal structure preferably also has a stabilizing function, the structure has means for opening one foil strip. In addition, the medicament chamber contains a retaining device which holds the internal structure on the medicament magazine after the medicament chamber has been opened.
US08267063B2
The present disclosure is directed to injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. These integrated injectors/igniters can include, for example, multiple drivers used to shape charges, controllers used to modify operations based on ionization parameters, and so on.
US08267057B2
An internal combustion engine includes a camshaft, a valve, a cam follower and a rocker arm. The cam follower is coupled between the camshaft and the valve. The rocker arm is coupled between the cam follower and the valve. At least one of the cam follower and the rocker arm is configured so as to move through an adjustable distance prior to transmitting motion for moving the valve.
US08267048B2
A pet crate having a top, a bottom, and a cage between the top and bottom. The cage can be engaged to and disengaged from each of the top and bottom. When engaged to the top and bottom, or when disengaged from either one or both of the top and bottom, the cage is endless and can safely hold a pet therein. When disengaged from the top and bottom, the cage is foldable into a closed, endless and flat configuration such that the cage can be stored between the top and bottom such that the crate as a whole in such stored configuration is generally flat. When disengaged from the top and bottom, the cage is foldable out into a fence configuration by disconnecting two ends of the cage.
US08267036B2
An apparatus for printing active materials, such as adhesives, onto articles, such as absorbent articles or release paper, using a coater with a multitude of applicators. The applicators coat a surface (roll) with a multitude of beads of the active material. The apparatus also includes a specific coating blade, which contacts the surface with the active material at a certain angle and thereby coats the surface even better.
US08267030B1
A method and apparatus which will allow a single person to launch and secure a boat or watercraft to a pier without the user getting into the water and which allows the user to maintain control of the vessel or watercraft. Disclosed is a bracket mounted near the tongue of a boat trailer which has a tube for holding a telescoping pole which pole is removably, insertable into the tube so that when the boat on the trailer is backed into the water in preparation for launching the boat an attachment ring on the end of the boat lanyard is attached to the bow cleat of the boat so as to assist in maneuvering the boat off of the trailer. Thereafter, the pole is removed from the tube and the loop on the end of the pole is connected to a stern cleat on the rear of the boat so as to then allow the user to pull the boat toward the pier.
US08267028B2
A semi-continuous composite rigging system is provided including at least one discontinuous shroud and one continuous shroud. The discontinuous shroud and the continuous shroud are coupled at their end portions to attachment points on a sailboat or other structure by terminal coupling devices. The continuous shroud is further coupled to the sailboat at one or more intermediate locations between its first end portion and its second end portion. These intermediate locations are coupled to the boat by non-terminal coupling devices. A hybrid coupling device may be used in place of a terminal and a non-terminal coupling device at one or more attachment points on the sailboat. The semi-continuous rigging system provides for achieving a desired balance of certain performance characteristics of a sailboat by utilizing a combination of discontinuous shrouds, continuous shrouds, terminal coupling devices, and non-terminal coupling devices.
US08267019B2
A foldable table or bed comprises outer frames 1 and 2, leg frames 1 and 2, and leg frame expanding rods. Each outer side of the outer frames 1 and 2 is a flat panel of rectangular shape. Each inner side of the outer frames 1 and 2 is concave for containing leg frames 1 and 2 and leg frame expanding rods. The outer frames 1 and 2 are connected to each other with hinges on the ends of each adjacent side to form a case which can be folded and unfolded via the hinges. The leg frames 1 and 2 are inverted-square-bottomed-“U”-shaped and set in outer frames 1 and 2. Leg frame expanding rods are installed under each leg frame shaft to increase the height of the table.
US08267018B2
Load supports (10), in the form of pallets, have a front plate (12), a rear plate (14), frame members (20) and an upper surface member (22). Two pallets (10) can come together as shown, one inverted relative to the other and can inter fit which results in space saving when the pallets (10) are not in use. For example, the dimensions of the front and rear plates (12, 14) allow the rear plates (14) to be received in-board of the front plates (12) and resting against the frame members (20) of the other pallet (10). Once inter fitted, the volume of the pallets (10) is less than the sum of the volume of two independent pallets.
US08267014B2
An ejectable device is provided having multiple ejection bays. The ejectable device includes an impulse cartridge having multiple charges that are independently activatable. The ejectable device further includes an orientation adapter that allows reliable connectivity between the impulse cartridge and a signal source.
US08267010B2
A self-contained compactor apparatus which includes a charge chamber and a compacting chamber for compacting and storing waste contained within the chamber. The charge chamber and the compacting chamber are integrally formed as a compacting/storage container. The compacting/storage container has a top wall, a bottom wall, a sidewall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, and a protective coating provided on at least a portion of an interior surface of the bottom wall and on at least a portion of an interior surface of the sidewall.
US08267000B1
A system that guides an airborne weapon toward a target, in order for the weapon to fuze at the target, so as to increase the probability of kill of the target. The system uses a lethality database that lists the various vulnerabilities for each target so that the weapon may fuze at a point that achieves maximum exploitation of the vulnerabilities. The system continually updates during weapon fly out in order to continually update the best achievable aim point for the weapon based on the changing encounter geometry between weapon and target.
US08266993B2
A deflectable lifting device can be mounted to a support form, work surface or other member of a material conveyance system. According to embodiments, the deflectable lifting device can have a base that mounts into the support, and a bendable arm arranged in the pathway of a material conveyance system, such as a paper stripping or paper blanking work station. When a sheet or web of material travels over the deflectable lifting device, the bendable arm can bend and deflect downwards, but still contact the sheet or web with a gently humped or arcuate portion, providing a small margin of elevation or lift to the sheet or web. The sheet or web can therefore be elevated above edges, holes, or other obstructions in the pathway that could jam or snag the delivery of the material. The deflectable lifting device can comprise an arcuate portion or head over which the sheet or web can slide in a bearing fashion.
US08266991B2
A pipe cutter for cutting a pipe includes a cutting head assembly having a first carriage and a second carriage spaced apart to define a cutting area. The first carriage supports a cutting mechanism, and the second carriage is configured to support a pipe within the cutting area. The carriages have a locked state and an unlocked state such that when the carriages are in the unlocked state, the carriages are movable relative to each other and biased into the cutting area. The pipe cutter also includes a drive assembly configured to rotate the cutting head assembly and a locking mechanism configured for changing the carriages from the unlocked state to the locked state and for holding the carriages in the locked state. The locking mechanism includes an actuation member rotatably coupled to the first carriage.
US08266985B2
A device for reducing the drop in tractive force during the gear shifting phase of an automatic transmission comprising an automatically actuated drive clutch. The device comprises a rotary storage device that can be coupled, if necessary via two transmission ratio steps (4, 5) that are each assigned a friction clutch (6, 7), to the output shaft of the transmission or, if the transmission has a downstream range group, to the output shaft of the main friction transmission. Only one of the two friction clutches (6, 7) can be activated at any time, and a step up ratio can be achieved and the rotary storage device can be loaded with one of the transmission ratio steps (5). A step down ratio can be achieved and energy can be released from the rotary storage device to the output shaft using the other transmission ratio step (4).
US08266977B2
A transmission includes an input member, an output member, first and second interconnecting members, first and second countershaft members, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US08266966B2
An exploration operation, in which the transmission/reception position, at which ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received, is changed by a specified pitch distance, is performed for each of a plurality of incident angles. A nonlinear image in which echo signals acquired from harmonic waves of reflected waves are presented is generated for each incident angle. Each nonlinear image is converted into a frame conversion image in accordance with the cross-sectional shape of an exploration-target area. A signal intensity threshold for removing echo signals resulting from an orientation defect is determined in advance. Frame conversion images formed by only echo signals 41a whose signal intensity is the signal intensity threshold or more are overlapped to generate a nonlinear exploration image 35. Exploration of a welded portion 23 stably provides a nonlinear exploration image 35 in which the shape of an interface 25 of the welded portion 23 is shown accurately and clearly.
US08266963B2
A method for generating electrical power from an acceleration of an object is provided. The method including: vibrating a mass-spring unit upon an acceleration of an object; transmitting a force resulting from the acceleration from the mass-spring unit to the one or more piezoelectric elements; converting the vibration of the mass-spring unit to an electrical energy; and calculating at least one of the force and acceleration based on an output of the one or more piezoelectric elements.
US08266953B2
A method and apparatus for detecting an abnormality of a nitrogen oxide purifying catalyst using an NOx sensor, the method including: calculating a detection integrated value by integrating corresponding values corresponding to the NOx sensor output signal obtained until a first predetermined detection period has elapsed after the NOx sensor begins to generate an output signal and subtracting a variation integrated value. The variation integrated value is calculated by integrating corresponding values obtained until a predetermined second detection period has elapsed after the NOx sensor beings to generate an output signal when driven in a gas atmosphere having a constant nitrogen oxide concentration.
US08266949B2
An apparatus and a method for testing a viscosified fluid containing particulate indicate when the particulate is in suspension within the fluid and when it is not. The apparatus and method stir the fluid and particulate mixture for a time during which the viscosity of the fluid changes such that during a first period of the stirring time substantially all the particulate remains suspended in the fluid and during a second period of the stirring time substantially all the particulate settles out of suspension in the fluid. A signal is generated during the first and second periods such that the signal has a characteristic that changes from the first period to the second period to indicate the change in particle carrying ability of the fluid. Other characteristics, including crosslinking time, can also be determined. A test chamber includes projections extending from the inner surface of a cup receiving the fluid and from an axial support extending into the fluid in the cup.
US08266947B2
A cetane number estimating device (1) comprises cylinders which are provided to an internal combustion engine where a part of the exhaust gas can be fed back from the exhaust system to the intake system, injection device (30) for injecting fuel into the cylinders, measuring device (40) for measuring the ignition timings in the cylinders, and estimating device (20) for estimating the cetane number of the fuel according to the measured ignition timing as well as any one of a first correlation between the ignition timing corresponding to the stage at which when one cylinder is in the intake stroke, another cylinder in the exhaust stroke exhausts non-burned gas and the cetane number and a second correlation between the ignition timing corresponding to the stage at which when one cylinder is in the intake stroke, another cylinder exhausts burned gas and the cetane number.
US08266943B2
In a flow rate estimation device of a blood pump, a general flow rate estimation formula which includes a correction term is formed based on a plurality of blood pumps. Measured data obtained from an objective blood pump implanted inside a patient is substituted into the correction term, thus forming a flow rate estimation formula of the objective blood pump. The flow rate Q of the objective blood pump is estimated based on the flow rate estimation formula and the values of the rotational speed N and the consumption current I of the motor of the objective blood pump, and the attribute data Z of the blood of the patient.
US08266935B2
A lock mounting structure for mounting a lock to a part of a container is disclosed. The lock mounting structure comprises an outer part adapted to form an outer portion of the container part and an inner part adapted to form an inside portion of the container part and having a first surface for facing towards the inside of the container. The inner part includes a mounting structure for mounting the lock thereto. The mounting structure extends outwardly from the first surface. The structure also includes an aperture for accessing a key receiving end of the lock. The lock mounting structure is formed as an integral piece.
US08266932B2
A theft deterrent hasp assembly for shrouding the shackle of a pad lock device. The disclosed hasp comprises a hingeable arm having a protective shroud at its distal end and a pad lock hoop engagement hole. The engagement hole is positioned at an angle with regard to the length of the hingeable hasp and along a diagonal within the shroud enclosure to allow improved access for pad lock shackle insertion therein. This access allows the shackle to be more easily inserted into a pad lock hoop protruding through the engagement hole of the hasp after placement thereover, while the protective shroud provides plurality of upstanding members that form a three sided structure for protection against tampering. The shroud members are adapted to cover a majority of the padlock shackle while in use, preventing cutting tools or saw blades from achieving access thereto while in a locked position.
US08266928B2
Provided is a burner for manufacturing a porous glass base material, the burner having: a glass raw material gas ejection port; a burnable gas ejection port provided around and centered on the glass raw material gas ejection port; and one or more sequences of small diameter auxiliary gas ejection ports provided inside the burnable gas ejection port, to be coaxial with respect to the glass raw material gas ejection port, where in each of the sequences, the small diameter auxiliary gas ejection ports have the same focal length as each other, and have a concave portion at an end surface thereof.
US08266926B1
A cigarette urn and method of assembly of same that defines an interior passage for smoking debris to travel when multiple components of the urn are assembled into a self-standing, upright assembly condition. A top one of the multiple components has a sidewall opening. The multiple components may be disassembled from the self-standing, upright assembly condition into an overlapping assembly condition with the multiple components overlapping and taking up less overall volume that in the self-standing, upright assembly condition. A fire retardant or heat resistant material may be lining an interior contour of a base of the multiple components. The top one of the multiple components may be of substantially uniform diameter along a majority of its length.
US08266924B2
This invention pertains to a process of bonding a magnesium aluminate spinel article or articles and a germanate glass article or articles including the step of heating them together above the softening temperature of the glass.
US08266923B2
A refrigeration device comprising at least two storage compartments that are thermally insulated from one another and from the environment. In said device, an evaporator that can be cooled independently of an evaporator of the other storage compartment or compartments, is allocated to each storage compartment. Said device is equipped with elements for switching at least one of the compartments from a freezing mode to a non-freezing mode.
US08266920B2
An object of the present invention is to reduce electrical noise in accordance with the necessity of a countermeasure taken against electrical noise without changing a structure of an expansion valve. In a case where a judgment result as to whether or not the countermeasure against electrical noise is taken is affirmative, a drive timing (interval) of an expansion valve (107) is increased. Further, a driving amount is reduced. Accordingly, a flow of a refrigerant is made slow, whereby it is possible to reduce generated electrical noise while performing instructed temperature control.
US08266897B2
An exhaust system for an engine is disclosed. The exhaust system may have a NOx reducer located to receive exhaust from the engine, and a bypass circuit configured to selectively pass supercharged air to the NOx reducer. The exhaust system may also have a valve disposed within the bypass circuit to regulate the flow of supercharged air, and a controller in communication with the valve. The controller may be configured to move the valve to pass the supercharged air and cool the exhaust received by the NOx reducer. The controller may also be configured to move the valve to reduce the passing of the supercharged air and remove sulfur compounds from the NOx reducer.
US08266895B2
An object of the present invention is to produce O3 to be supplied to the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine while suppressing deterioration of the fuel economy. An O3 production apparatus according to the present invention is an O3 production apparatus that produces O3 to be supplied to the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine by generating a plasma, when the operation state of the internal combustion engine is a decelerating operation state in which the engine load becomes lower.
US08266893B2
An adding time a of a fuel addition to an exhaust system is limited to a guard value G or less during an adding period A of a concentrated intermittent fuel of a catalyst recovery control. Accordingly, a one-time fuel adding amount from an adding valve 46 is limited to be equal to or less than a predetermined value, and it is possible to prevent such a great amount of unburned fuel component that cannot be fully purified by a NOx catalyst from being supplied to the NOx catalyst during the adding period A. Further, if a total amount (GF+Q1)·t of the unburned fuel component supplied to the NOx catalyst during the adding period A reaches an allowable upper limit value UL, the concentrated intermittent fuel addition is canceled and a suspend period B is forcibly started. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a total amount of such a great amount of unburned fuel component that cannot be fully purified by the NOx catalyst from being supplied to the NOx catalyst during the adding period A. Therefore, generation of white smoke in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine by an excessive supply of the unburned fuel component to the NOx catalyst at a time of executing catalyst recovery control can be prevented.
US08266890B2
A method of determining a need to perform regeneration of a diesel particulate filter in a diesel engine exhaust predicts a soot load of a diesel particulate filter with a pressure change based soot load estimate based upon a pressure change across the diesel particulate filter at a first time and a second time. A restriction sensitivity for the diesel particulate filter is calculated based upon the pressure change across the diesel particulate filter at the first time and the second time. The method transitions from the pressure change based soot load estimate to a model based soot accumulation estimate of the soot load of the diesel particulate filter upon the restriction sensitivity falling below a predetermined threshold. Regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is requested after the estimated soot level reaches a preset level based upon the soot accumulation model.
US08266888B2
A cooling system in an aircraft gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger positioned within an annular nacelle space surrounding a bypass duct of the engine. The heat exchanger has a radial coolant passage extending between the bypass duct and ambient air surrounding the nacelle, and a flow passage extending substantially normal to the radial passage for direction of a fluid to be cooled therethrough. A configuration of this nature may assist in defining a no-flow length of the heat exchanger in a third direction normal to the other two mentioned directions, which may allow for improved performance within a given radial envelope.
US08266879B2
A riding mower comprises a raising and lowering mechanism (30, 33, 100), the raising and lowering control lever (27), and a PTO mechanism (17a, 17b) operated by a clutch lever (29). When the raising and lowering mechanism (30, 33, 100) reaches a predetermined height, a operatively connecting mechanism (5) transmits, to the raising and lowering control lever (27), a return-to-neutral displacement for returning the raising and lowering control lever (27) to the neutral position, and transmits, to the clutch lever (29), a disengaging displacement for returning the clutch lever (29) to the disengage position. A first adjusting operation member (55a) adjusts a triggering displacement at which the raising and lowering displacement is transmitted to the raising and lowering control lever (27) as the return-to-neutral displacement. A second adjusting operation member (55b) adjusts a triggering displacement at which the raising and lowering displacement is transmitted to the clutch lever (29) as the disengaging displacement.
US08266876B1
Improved matchbooks having separable message sheets are provided for. The novel matchbooks each comprise a comb of matches having a plurality of matches and a cover. The cover is attached to and folded over the comb such that the cover substantially encloses the comb when the cover is in a first closed position and permits a consumer to access the matches in the comb when the cover is in a second open position. The cover has igniting material on the cover on which the matches may be struck and ignited. The matchbooks also have a message sheet providing a substrate on which a message may be imprinted. The message sheet is separably connected to the cover such that the message sheet is separable from the cover. Thus, the message sheet may be removed from a novel matchbook by a consumer without compromising the integrity of the matchbook.
US08266870B1
Waste disposal device includes a container defining a waste-receiving compartment having an opening, a lid connected to the container and having a closed position covering the opening of the container and an open position in which the opening is exposed, and a twisting assembly that engages with and twists or untwists a bag or tubing that extends through the twisting assembly and into which waste is inserted. A manual actuator or controller has a first position in engagement with the twisting assembly to enable manual rotation of the twisting assembly and a second position out of engagement with the twisting assembly. When the manual actuator is in the first position, the twisting assembly is manually rotatable in at least one direction, and possibly both, and in the second position, the manual actuator is freely movable.
US08266865B2
A device is described for the frontal termination of a floating-laid floor covering (3) having a terminus profile (4) and having a fastener fitting (5) for the terminus profile (4) resting on a subfloor (2). To provide advantageous design conditions, it is suggested that the fastener fitting (5) be connected in a shear-resistant manner to the floor covering (3) and have a rest (8) for the terminus profile (4) butt-jointed on the front face (1) of the floor covering (3).
US08266861B2
A hip, ridge or rake shingle is provided, having a high profile, by using various shingle layers to form a built-up wedge-shaped headlap portion, comprised of a plurality of layers of different dimensions in the headlap portion of the shingle, and the process for manufacturing the same from a single sheet of shingle material is provided.
US08266859B1
A reinforced concrete wall system assembles rigid panels into two form walls in spaced apart relationship to securely hold poured concrete and reinforcing materials there between. The panels may include insulating foam. The panels are held securely side by side within a form wall by elongate connectors that have paired channels into which edges of the panels snugly fit. Each connector has brackets extending into the concrete space. Brackets are provided with perforations to receive tie rods. Each tie rod ties a bracket from one form wall to a bracket extending from the other form wall. This holds the space being filled with concrete together. The perforations are formed to resist releasing the tie rod once it has been inserted. Reinforcing steel is positioned by fastening to the tie rods.
US08266858B2
A waterproof heat-insulation construction method aims to spread a layer of waterproof heat-insulation powder through a waterproof heat-insulation module on a work surface to form waterproof and heat insulation effect thereof. The method comprises the steps of: first, anchoring at least one waterproof heat-insulation module which can be arranged on the work surface; then holding the waterproof heat-insulation powder in the waterproof heat-insulation module in contact with the work surface to form a waterproof heat-insulation layer. The invention also provides a corresponding waterproof heat-insulation module which can be constructed in a modular fashion to achieve waterproof and heat insulation effect for buildings.
US08266857B2
A flooring system includes multiple polymeric panels that are interlocked into a floor system and then covered with a material such as carpet and artificial turf. A top surface of the polymeric panels includes barbs to hold the material from moving laterally during use.
US08266852B2
An ornamental filled glass unit (“FGU”) is manufactured by placing a first glass lite in a horizontally supported position and affixing a spacer frame around a periphery of the first surface, providing a space for filling. A first joiner element centered on the first surface, the joiner element having an upward height that slightly exceeds an intended gap between the first lite and a second lite to be placed on the spacer frame. Additional joiner elements may be used, depending upon the area of the first surface. A filler design is built by arranging a plurality of infill elements in the filling space. The second lite is affixed to an adhesive sealant around a top surface of the spacer frame, and to an adhesive on an upwardly-extending surface of each joiner element. The filler design is spatially maintained when the filler space is sealed by the second lite.
US08266850B2
First and second frame sections are to be joined at a corner of a glazing. Each section has a front base piece, a rear base piece, and a glazing stop piece. The front base piece is anchored to a support structure of a building and has a glazing channel facing the safe side of the window, to receive therein the glazing. The glazing stop piece is secured to the front base piece and thereby holds the glazing in its channel. The rear base piece is secured to the front base piece and thereby laterally closes the frame section. The base pieces are shaped so that an end portion of the front base overlaps an end portion of the rear base and a number of fasteners are installed through these end portions to secure the base pieces to each other. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08266847B2
An assembly for retaining a plurality of photovoltaic modules in a three-dimensional array, the assembly including a plurality of overlapping vertically spaced grid layers each defining a plurality of horizontally spaced positions, wherein the photovoltaic modules are arranged and retained in the positions of successive grid layers in substantially non-overlapping vertical relationship so that none of the photovoltaic modules in any grid layer substantially vertically occludes any other of the photovoltaic modules in any other grid layer.
US08266845B2
Flat panels formed by an assembly of wooden plates include arrangements for integrating rigidity inserts for the assembly thereof. Vertical edges of the panels receive profiles for connecting to adjacent panels in a linear and/or angular alignment manner.
US08266844B2
A paver or landscape edging is provided with enhanced anchoring means. The edging has an elongated, longitudinal strip with a paver-facing surface and an opposed surface, and extensions extending from the opposed surface of the elongated strip, each comprising a first wall edge and a bore for receiving a fastener such as a spike or stake. A strap member extends between neighboring extensions, offset from the first wall edge and defining a gap, or anchoring region, when the edging is placed on a substrate. The installed edging may be anchored by fasteners, and by root systems of a concealing layer placed over the edging that grow around the strap member. In addition, a method for installing pavers provides for the fixing of a portion of the edging on the substrate prior to cutting a strap to allow the edging to be deformed in conformance with a curved or irregular boundary.
US08266843B2
The actuator uses reinforced polyurethane timing belts as a flexible rack member mounted to the slide-out room and a pinion assembly mounted at the top and bottom of the slide-out opening of the main compartment. A pair of timing belts are mounted at the corners of the slide-out room top and floor, each running longitudinally to the direction of the slide-out movement. Each pinion block includes a pinion and two idle rollers. The timing belts pass through the drive block being trained around the pinion between two idle rollers in a serpentine fashion. A reversible electric motor, which is operatively connected to all four pinion blocks, simultaneously turns the pinions to propel the timing belts through the pinion blocks thereby extending and retracting the slide-out room through the slide-out opening.
US08266841B2
A weatherstrip for the outer belt of a an automotive door includes a controllably compliant sealing element configured with tip-conjoined leaves which afford controllable, selectively discontinuous compliance along not only the distance from the roots to the tip of the leaves, but also along the length of the sealing element.
US08266823B2
A system and method for drying cavities loaded with high level waste (“HLW”) is devised. The invention utilizes a non-intrusive procedure that is based on monitoring the dew point temperature of a non-reactive gas that is circulated through the cavity. In one aspect, the invention is a system for drying a cavity loaded with HLW comprising: a canister forming the cavity, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet; and a source of non-reactive gas. The system further flows the non-reactive gas from the source of non-reactive gas through the cavity; and repetitively measures the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity.
US08266821B2
A method for torrefaction of water containing cellulosic materials is performed in an inert atmosphere. The cellulosic material is cascaded through the apparatus between a plurality of rotatable trays vertically stacked within multiple processing zones. Steam being generated from heating of the cellulosic material is recycled back to the apparatus to provide an inert atmosphere. The steam may be superheated in a heat exchanger. Exhaust from the torrefaction zone of the apparatus has some moisture and other volatiles removed prior to being reheated in a burner. The heated exhaust is used in the heat exchanger to superheat the recycled steam.
US08266819B2
An air drying system for use in a concentrated solar power generation system using a fluid heat transfer medium includes a first vent pipe and a first desiccant pack. The first vent pipe extends from the concentrated solar power generation system and includes a first inlet open to ambient air, and a first outlet open to an interior of the solar power generation system in fluid communication with the fluid heat transfer medium. The first desiccant pack is positioned within the first vent pipe between the first inlet and first outlet and is positioned to reduce moisture content of ambient air flowing into the first vent pipe.
US08266816B2
Disclosed are a clothes dryer and a door thereof. The door includes a glass assembly provided with a door glass; and a door cover connected to the glass assembly. The door cover has a vertically symmetrical structure, and is rotated against the glass assembly and then connected to the glass assembly, when the opening and closing direction of the door is changed. Thereby, when the opening and closing direction of the door is changed, only the door cover is rotated, and thus the opening and closing direction of the door is easily changed.
US08266810B2
A system and method for quick and accurate tramming are disclosed. The system includes an apparatus comprising a plurality of indicators spaced apart in a plane perpendicular to a body shank and connected thereto, the body shank configured to be received into the spindle. The system also includes a calibration device configured to temporarily remain fixed in place on the mill table to provide a single point of calibration for each indicator received in the apparatus. The method includes calibrating the indicators one at a time by positioning an indicator shank tip atop the calibration device and adjusting the indicator to read a calibration value common to all the indicators. The spindle is moved toward the mill table until at least one indicator tip touches the mill table and the mill head is adjusted until all indicator tips touch the mill table and all indicators read the same value.
US08266807B2
The present invention relates to measuring apparatus for pulling a measurement from an underlying base structure. In one aspect, the present invention is a measuring apparatus having a rigid body and means for coupling the body to an underlying base structure. The rigid body includes a first laser and is adapted to receive a portion of a tape measure therein. The means for coupling the rigid body to the underlying base structure can be one or more conventional fasteners, such as, but not limited to, a bar clamp, suction cups, screws, bolts, nails, pins, hooks, hook and loop fastener, snaps, clips, brackets, and/or sleeves. Generally, the first laser is oriented such that light emitted from the laser is projected about 90 degrees from the face of the underlying structure.
US08266803B2
A method of releasably connecting a cable to a post in a manner such that the cable will release from the post when the post is deformed toward ground level, the method includes the steps of providing a post having an interior cavity and a slot formed through a post face wall extending from the top end of the post; disposing a cable within a loop formed in an elongated section of a connector; hanging the connector from the top end of the post, the elongated section positioned substantially within the cavity and the loop and the disposed cable positioned exterior of the cavity; and tensioning the cable.
US08266798B2
A method of forming a seal about an electrically conductive core of a cable having an insulative outer cover and a terminal includes the steps of providing a lead of the core extending beyond an axial edge of the insulative outer cover; spraying a conformal coating onto the lead; crimping the terminal onto the cable while the conformal coating is still wet to displace the conformal coating from between the lead and the abutting contact surfaces of the terminal and to cover and seal remaining portions of the lead not in direct contact with the terminal with the conformal coating and curing the conformal coating over the remaining portions of the lead.
US08266791B2
Methods of fabricating microfluidic structures featuring substantially circular channels are provided. The methods involve (a) providing a patterned wafer comprising at least one exposed electrically conductive region and at least one exposed electrically insulating region; (b) electroplating an inverse channel portion with substantially semicircular cross section onto the wafer, thereby forming a first master mold; (c) employing the first master mold so as to emboss a channel portion in a first polymer sheet; and (d) aligning and bonding the first polymer sheet with a second polymer sheet having a corresponding channel portion such as to define a first channel with substantially circular cross section between the polymer sheets.
US08266783B2
A method of manufacture for an end effector assembly is provided. The method includes providing a pair of jaw members. A step of the method includes forming one or more seal plates positionable on one of the pair of jaw members. Etching a dam along a side of the one or more seal plates is a step of the method, wherein the etched dam inhibits the flow of a plastic on the one or more seal plate such that a height of the plastic with respect to the at least one seal plate during an overmolding process may be controlled. The method includes positioning the one or more seal plates on the one of the pair of jaw members; and overmolding the seal plate to one or more of the pair of jaw members.
US08266775B2
An apparatus, system, and method is provided for installing clamps. The system comprises pliers and an awl. The pliers have a pair of bifurcated jaws, each jaw generally narrow and of substantially equal width and thickness. A first jaw is pivotally mounted in relation to a second jaw such that spaces between furcations of the jaws substantially align as the jaws open and close. The distance between the jaws is adjustable, and the jaws can be releasably locked in position. The clamp is placed around a structure and an elongated shaft of the awl is passed through holes in ears of the clamp. The jaws compress the ears. The shaft is bracketed by the furcations of the jaws. The awl is removed, and a fastener inserted through the holes in the ears and secured to the clamp. At least five clamps can be secured together using just one bolt.
US08266768B2
Apparatus for connecting an ornament to the surface of a textile is provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for connecting an ornament to the surface of a textile may include a bottom plate; a plurality of posts coupled to a surface of the bottom plate; and a top plate having at least one connection arm comprising a plurality of hooks moveably coupled thereto, wherein the at least one connection arm and the plurality of hooks are configured to interface with the plurality of posts to removably couple the top plate to the bottom plate.
US08266766B2
A hinge assembly has a pintle, a torque assembly and a resistance assembly. The pintle has a head formed on the pintle. The torque assembly is mounted on the pintle at a first side of the head to provide a force to automatically open the cover relative to the body to a first angle. The resistance assembly is mounted on the pintle at a second side of the head to provide a frictional force to hold the cover at a second angle relative to the body when the cover is closed relative to the body. Accordingly, the cover can be pivoted open relative to the body automatically with the torque provided by the torque assembly.
US08266759B2
The invention relates to a wiper blade (10) of a windshield wiper provided with a protective rail (32, 44, 56, 72, 88), comprising a base body (34) that has an essentially V-shaped cross section and a wiper lip (36) of the wiper blade (10) and that is detachably fixed to the wiper blade (10) with the aid of fixing elements (38, 52, 58, 78, 90). It is proposed that the wiper blade (10) consist of a wiper strip (14) with at least one flat, bar-type, elastic support element (26) and a spoiler (12), wherein the protective rail (32, 44, 56, 72, 88) rests on the support element (26) or spoiler (12).
US08266758B2
An adjustable spatula for forming a smoothly arcuate concave contour in a viscous material and a smoothly arcuate convex contour in the viscous material, independently of each other, with a certainty that the contour of the viscous material is consistent, and with using only one hand. The adjustable spatula includes a blade, a handle, and an apparatus. The handle extends from the blade and is gripped by a user. The apparatus bends the blade to form the blade into a smoothly arcuate convex contour to form the smoothly arcuate concave contour in the viscous material and bends the blade to form the blade into a smoothly arcuate concave contour to form the smoothly arcuate convex contour in the viscous material, independently of each other, without a need for the user to have to manually bend the blade, with the certainty that the contour of the viscous material is consistent, and with using only the one hand.
US08266756B1
A scrubber for lap siding with a profile complementary to the profile of the boards in the lap siding such that when the scrubber is moved side to side in a washing action, an exposed side face and under surface of the siding boards are effectively scrubbed and dirt, dust, mildew, mold and algae are effectively removed.
US08266753B2
The resonator assembly for a power toothbrush includes an elongated solid rod made from stainless steel, having a back assembly which includes permanent magnets which interact with an electromagnet in a drive system in the handle of the toothbrush to produce a transverse motion of the rod. A mount member is connected to the rod at a selected point along its length, and is mounted to a toothbrush housing so that the rod resonates about the mount member at a selected frequency.
US08266741B2
A bed for use with a patient coupled to a medical device via at least one patient care line is provided. The bed includes a frame including at least one movable patient support section and an actuator coupled to the movable patient support section. The actuator is operable to move the movable patient support section. The bed also includes control circuitry that is coupled to the actuator to command operation of the actuator. The control circuitry ceases operation of the actuator in response to receiving a signal indicative of an unwanted condition of the at least one patient care line.
US08266739B2
A remote-controlled vehicle for collecting and transporting bio-waste that is capable of compacting bio-waste, dumping the waste in a variety of ways, and that has a rechargeable battery, among other functions, is disclosed. A system for collecting the bio-waste material also is provided. The system includes a plurality of collection receptacles associated with a structure, each of the plurality of collection receptacles receiving the bio-waste material without the use of water as a carrier. A transport network extends from each of the plurality of collection receptacles to at least one storage receptacle located at the structure. A plurality of vehicles, or carts, is disposed within the transport network and collect the bio-waste material.
US08266731B2
A toilet seat for use with a Western-style toilet bowl. The seat has a generally-oval, endless base that compliments the shape of the toilet bowl rim. A deflector is fixed to the bottom surface of the base and extends downwardly adjacent the inside surface of the bowl rim. The deflector covers the interior gap between the bottom of the seat and the top of the bowl rim.
US08266729B2
The dispenser for a W.C. bowl comprises a support means (40) having a support (41, 42) for containing a first active substance in liquid or solid form and provided with at least one exit aperture (3) for said active substance; and hooking means (43) for supporting said support (41, 42) below the rim (21) of the W.C. bowl (20), in a position exposed to the action of the flushing water flow. According to the invention, at least one pocket (5) is provided, shaped to be associated with the outside of the support means (40), within said pocket (5) there being defined a chamber (6) comprising a perfuming substance or other active substance. Preferably, said perfuming substance is in the form of granules formed of absorbent plastic material. Alternatively, said perfuming substance is liquid and contained in an enclosure with an osmotic membrane.
US08266728B2
Described is a multi-function device for attachment to the tank of a toilet fixture. The multi-function device provides a diffusible air-treatment concentrate for deodorizing or otherwise treating the ambient air surrounding the toilet. At the same time, the multi-function device provides a water-soluble water-treatment concentrate for treating the flush water stored in the toilet tank. The multi-function device has a bellows with a varying cross-sectional area to provide, during a flush cycle, a variable flow of air over the air treatment concentrate and into the air.
US08266726B2
Described is an adsorption filter material, in particular for NBC protective apparel, preferably for wearing next to the skin, in particular as an undergarment (underwear), wherein the adsorption filter material has a multilayered construction, wherein the multilayered construction comprises a first textile sheet material, a second textile sheet material and an adsorption layer disposed between the first and the second textile sheet materials, wherein the adsorption layer includes discrete, in particular grain-shaped, preferably sphere-shaped, sorbent particles, preferably based on activated carbon, adsorbing chemical and/or biological poison and noxiant materials, in particular warfare agents. The adsorption filter material is characterized in that the first textile sheet material and the second textile sheet material are each adapted to be elastic in at least one direction, preferably in both directions, and/or in that the first textile sheet material and the second textile sheet material have at least essentially the same elasticity properties. The adsorption material combines a high wearing comfort with excellent protection with regard to chemical poisons.
US08272068B2
In a near-field scanning microscope using an aperture probe, the upper limit of the aperture formation is at most several ten nm in practice. In a near-field scanning microscope using a scatter probe, the resolution ability is limited to at most several ten nm because of the external illuminating light serving as background noise. Moreover, measurement reproducibility is seriously lowered by a damage or abrasion of a probe. Optical data and unevenness data of the surface of a sample can be measured at a nm-order resolution ability and a high reproducibility while damaging neither the probe nor the sample by fabricating a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having a nm-order optical resolution ability by combining a nm-order cylindrical structure with nm-order microparticles and repeatedly moving the probe toward the sample and away therefrom at a low contact force at individual measurement points on the sample.
US08272059B2
A system and method to protect web applications from malicious attacks and, in particular, a system and method for identification and blocking of malicious code for web browser script engines. The system includes at least one module configured to protect web applications from malicious attacks by detecting an occurrence of heap spraying and blocking the occurrence of heap spraying.
US08272053B2
A physical security system having a plurality of sensors and a sensor report aggregator. The sensors may detect a large number of physical activities. The aggregator may cluster a large number of detected reports to a small number of sets of reports. The sets of reports may be reduced to hypotheses. From the hypotheses, the aggregator may develop hypotheses about the physical environment which the sensors are monitoring in view of a security reference model. The security reference model may include, but not be limited to, facility models, physical security models, and/or attack models. The hypotheses may have probabilities assigned to them according to their certitude of likelihood and severity of danger.
US08272047B2
A receiving unit receives information selected by a user on an operating screen. A detecting unit detects a function executing part corresponding to the information received by the receiving unit. A determining unit determines that the user authentication is required when a function is to be executed, when “the user authentication is required” is set for at least any one of a function allocated to a function executing part that is detected by the detecting unit, the function allocated to another function executing part, and the operating screen that includes the function executing part to which the function is allocated. A function executing unit executes a function allocated to the function executing part selected by the user, wherein the user is authorized to execute the function.
US08272037B2
The invention provides an apparatus and a method for improving the control of access by a terminal device in a WLAN environment having an access point for determining whether the device utilizes an IEEE 802.1x protocol by the access point communicating to the device, a packet, whereby if the devices utilizes a IEEE 802.1x protocol the device appropriately responds and otherwise the access point determines that the terminal device protocol does not employ a IEEE 802.1x protocol and selects an authentication mechanism compatible with the terminal device. If the device is not an IEEE 802.1x client, an IP packet filtering is configured to redirect a user HTTP request to a local server, and when the HTTP requests are thereby redirected, the HTTP server presents the terminal device with information specifically related to the browser based authentication.
US08272031B2
A method is provided in which a permission for running a system software instance alongside another system software instance is issued on the basis of a first policy rule concerning the operation of a first software application and a second policy rule concerning the execution of second software application.
US08272026B1
A method and apparatus for using a dynamic policy to manage a file purging process is described. In one embodiment, a method for using the dynamic policy to purge files comprising processing a dynamic policy for purging files from a computer wherein the dynamic policy comprises one or more metrics and applying the dynamic policy to a plurality of files to identify at least one file to be purged.
US08272023B2
A High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable carries high speed encoded data, which are transmitted differentially over data channels, along with a clock. A Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) cable carries high speed data which are multiplexed to achieve smaller connectors with fewer pins. A MHL-to-HDMI cable is proposed, which includes an embedded MHL to HDMI adapter device for demultiplexing the received MHL-formatted signal and outputting an HDMI-formatted signal. The embedded circuit is powered by a combination of power sources, the power being harvested from the high-speed HDMI signals themselves, including a startup circuit harvesting power from a low speed HDMI signal when power from the high-speed HDMI signals is not available.
US08272022B2
A method of receiving a broadcast signal including a Non-Real-Time (NRT) service and a broadcast receiver are disclosed herein. A method of receiving a broadcast signal including an NRT service, method comprises receiving a broadcast signal including first signaling information and second signaling information, identifying the NRT service based on the first signaling information, identifying an Internet Protocol (IP) address of an NRT service signaling data based on the first signaling information and the second signaling information, receiving the NRT service signaling data by accessing the IP address, and downloading a desired NRT service based on the NRT service signaling data.
US08272011B2
In one embodiment, the invention is a system and method for simultaneously displaying advertisements with an electronic program guide (EPG). The system displays television schedule information in rows of schedule information items including the time and channel for least a portion of the displayed television schedule information items. An advertisement is selected for display from a plurality of advertisements, and the selected advertisement is displayed between two rows of the schedule information items simultaneously with the displayed television schedule information items.
US08272008B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for retrieving audio signals. A video signal is received that is associated with a content identifier and an alternate audio tag. In response to the alternate audio tag, a query is made for an alternate audio source that corresponds to the content identifier. A query result is received that identifies at least one alternate audio signal that corresponds to the content identifier and that is separately available from the video signal.
US08272005B2
An information monitoring and updating method and system for a transport stream is provided. First, a transport stream is received. The transport stream includes a program specific information (PSI) table, and the PSI table is divided into a plurality of sections. Next, by setting a first filtering parameter of a monitor-section filter, the header of each section of the PSI table is filtered out and is then checked whether to be a latest version or not. When all the section headers of the PSI table are of the latest version, each section of the PSI table is filtered by setting a second filtering parameter of a table-section filter.
US08272000B2
A computing system comprises logical and physical layers. In the configuration of this system, operating specific device drivers are decoupled from the installer applications and are instead functionally positioned in the lower logical layer. In this new configuration, the operating system would communicate directly with the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). The BIOS would have the drivers to communicate directly with the hardware components in the computer. This new configuration would eliminate one major step in building a computer. In addition, without this step, the construction of the computer would be faster.
US08271993B2
In an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of facilitating pipelines throughput in a pipeline processor system including at least one producer processor/consumer processor pair. The method includes the step of controlling (22) the producer processor/consumer processor pair to allow them to run out-of-sync without violating dependency (21,23,26).
US08271989B2
The present invention provides a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for mapping and dispatching virtual processors in a data processing system having at least a first partition and a second partition. The data processing system runs a first partition on a virtual processor during a first timeslice. The data processing system identifies an at least one physical page used by the first partition and the second partition. The data processing system maps the at least one physical page to the first partition and the second partition. The data processing system determines a fitness value based on the mapping. The data processing system dispatches the Virtual processor to the second partition on a second timeslice based on the fitness value, wherein the second timeslice immediately succeeds after the first timeslice, whereby the at least one physical page remains in cache during at least the first timeslice and the second timeslice.
US08271982B2
A mechanism is provided for rescheduling jobs for execution by a computing system. The computing system receives job related data associated with a plurality of jobs to be executed by the computing system, time constraint data, and maximum time shift values associated with the time constraint data. The computing system determines that a start time for execution of a first job of the plurality of jobs should be rescheduled. The computing system receives workload statistics. The computing system determines based on the workload statistics, a first start time for the first job. The computing system compares the time constraint data with the first start time to determine if the first start time is in conflict with the time constraint data. The computing system stores the first start time.
US08271979B2
Among a plurality of microprocessors 12, 32, when the load on a microprocessor 12 which performs I/O task processing of received I/O requests is equal to or greater than a first load, the microprocessor assigns at least an I/O task portion of the I/O task processing to another microprocessor 12 or 32, and the other microprocessor 12 or 32 executes at least the I/O task portion. The I/O task portion is a task processing portion comprising cache control processing, comprising the securing in cache memory 20 of a cache area, which is one area in cache memory 20, for storage of data.
US08271978B2
Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for processing virtualization events in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a event logic and evaluation logic. The event logic is to recognize a virtualization event. The evaluation logic is to determine whether to transfer control from a child guest to a parent guest in response to the virtualization event.
US08271971B2
Briefly described, one embodiment is a method comprising communicating with a program update server to determine if a program update is available, communicating a response with the program update server indicating that the program update is available from the program update server, and communicating the program update to the remote appliance at a pre-scheduled update time.
US08271968B2
Information handling system hard disk drive firmware updates are initiated on a hard disk drive without disrupting operations of the information handling system. A firmware update is copied in executable form to the hard disk drive's buffer and executed by the hard disk drive's controller without aborting queued tasks or losing system synchronization. The controller then copies the firmware update to flash memory in parallel with execution of the firmware update so that the hard disk drive operates with minimal degradation in performance.
US08271965B2
A method and apparatus to guarantee type safety in multithreaded programs, and to guarantee initialization safety in well-behaved multithreaded programs. A plurality of bytecodes representing a program are received and examined to identify bytecodes defining object creation operations and object initialization operations. Upon execution of the plurality of bytecodes, memory barrier operations are performed subsequent to the performance of both the object creation operations and the object initialization operations. This guarantees type safety, and further guarantees initialization safety if the program is well-behaved. Optimization algorithms may also be applied in the compilation of bytecodes to improve performance.
US08271962B2
Input from a text editor containing lines of text of a script is received, commands to control objects in a simulation are identified in the lines of text in the editor, a state of the simulation is updated in accordance with the input and the commands, and the simulation is displayed in a graphical display. A computer program enables a user to walk around in a simulation, with the events in the simulation determined by pre-written scripts.
US08271958B2
User script code that has been developed for execution in a host application can be remapped to debuggable script code, based on explicit debugging gestures, allowing for appropriate debugging coverage for the code while mitigating execution (in)efficiency issues. Capabilities of an application virtual machine used for the host application can be determined, and the user script code can be instrumented with guards for detecting explicit debugging gestures based on a virtual machine's (VM') capabilities. The instrumented user script code can be executed in a runtime environment, for example, by a just-in-time compilation service. If an explicit debugging gesture is detected, a function where the gesture was detected can be transformed into debuggable script code, in one embodiment, based on the debuggable gesture detected.
US08271953B2
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, a method is offered that includes supporting requirement validation middleware and capturing global requirements or properties for one or more web applications. A template-based formalism is employed to capture the requirements or properties. A small set of relevant temporal patterns are provided from which to choose in capturing the global requirements or properties. In specific embodiments, the method uses a set of pre-coded semi-configurable checkers. A Java-like syntax is used to specify expressions. A library of atomic entities or events (to compose expressions) is automatically generated. In still other embodiments, a small set of light-weight automatically-customizable checkers are employed in capturing the global requirements or properties. The method can be used with both formal and semi-formal techniques.
US08271950B2
Recorded user actions are combined with captured program status information to automatically generate test sequences which provide greater test coverage than a mere replayed script. A finite state machine is automatically constructed, based on the captured program status information and on user action groups specified by a tester. Test sequences based on the finite state machine are automatically built and executed, to exercise the program being tested.
US08271931B2
A design optimization method for a target circuit design specified by a machine-readable file, comprises providing a computer-implemented model as a function of a set of characteristics of circuit designs of circuit optimization achievable due to a circuit modification procedure, such as timing constrained gate length modification for leakage power reduction. Using values of said set of characteristics for the target circuit design, the computer-implemented model is applied to the target circuit design to produce an indication of susceptibility of the target circuit design to optimization. The model can be produced using Monte Carlo simulations of a set of virtual designs, and fitting a function of said characteristics to the results.
US08271912B2
A method for designing integrated circuits uses clock signal interleaving to reduce the likelihood of a soft error arising from an upset in a clock distribution network. At least two circuits in a circuit description are identified as being sensitive to radiation, and different clock distribution nodes are assigned to the two circuits. Several exemplary implementations are disclosed. The second circuit may be a redundant replica of the first circuit, such as a reset circuit. The first and second circuits may be components of a modular redundant circuit such as a triple modular redundancy flip-flop. The first circuit may include a set of data bits for an entry of a storage array such as a register or memory array, and the second circuit may include a set of check bits associated with the entry.
US08271910B2
A computer-implemented method is provided for generating an electromagnetic field (EMF) correction boundary layer (BL) model corresponding to a mask, which can include using a computer to perform a method, in which asymmetry factor data is determined from aerial image measurements of a plurality of different gratings representative of features provided on a mask, wherein the aerial image measurements having been made at a plurality of different focus settings. The method may also include determining boundary layer (BL) model parameters of an EMF correction BL model corresponding to the mask by fitting to the asymmetry factor measurements. Alternatively, the asymmetry factor data can be determined from measurements of line widths of photoresist patterns, wherein the photoresist patterns correspond to images cast by a plurality of gratings at a plurality of different defocus distances, and the gratings can be representative of features of a mask.
US08271908B2
In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user of a first computing device (e.g., a mobile device) with the ability to utilize the first computing device to control a second computing device (e.g., a television). Specifically, the techniques of this disclosure may, in some examples, allow the user to use drawing gestures on a mobile computing device to remotely control and operate the second computing device. Using a presence-sensitive user interface device (e.g., a touch screen), the user may use drawing gestures to indicate characters associated with operations and commands to control the second computing device.
US08271907B2
A display device including a touch screen, and a corresponding user interface method including displaying a menu, including a plurality of menu elements, on the touch screen; detecting a first touch over one of the displayed menu elements, including detecting a corresponding first touch characteristic; and displaying, within the menu and in response to the first touch characteristic, a sub menu icon associated with the touched menu element. Also, a method including displaying a menu, including a plurality of menu elements, on the touch screen; detecting a first touch over one of the displayed menu elements, including detecting a corresponding first touch characteristic; and determining a user interface mode to be one of a shortcut create mode and a normal selection mode based on the first touch characteristic.
US08271903B2
A system and method for dynamically determining quantity for risk management are described. According to one example embodiment, as a trader positions an order icon at a desired price or price-derivative value on a graphical interface, an order quantity for the order is dynamically determined based on the order price and a selected risk management formula. A trader can change the price or the price-related value for one or more orders by moving the order icons relative to a price axis on a graphical interface. In such an embodiment, the initially calculated order quantity for each order will be dynamically recalculated based on the modified orders for the trading strategy.
US08271899B1
A method and system for self-learning customized application launch whereby a computing system implemented application is provided for use by a given user and the given user's activities and/or interaction with the computing system implemented application are monitored. Data representing the given user's activities and/or interaction with the computing system implemented application is then analyzed to determine one or more use parameters associated with, and/or unique to, the given user's use of the given computing system implemented application. The one or more use parameters are then used to alert the user of the potential need to access the given computing system implemented application to perform one or more specific tasks and/or functions using the given computing system implemented application and/or, upon launch of the given computing system implemented application, to take the user automatically to the interface display, page, or location within the given computing system implemented application the user will need to access to perform the specific tasks and/or functions.
US08271894B1
A system and method for generating a plurality of personas for an account of a user is disclosed. The present invention uses an account engine to receive information for the plurality of personas and to associate the information for the plurality of personas to the account. The information for each of the plurality of personas includes a visibility level. A persona engine receives a selection from the user and transmits the selected persona to the user based on the selection. An authority engine determines an appearance of the selected persona based on the visibility level.
US08271881B2
An automation system operating in a Web Service for Devices environment includes clients and devices, a network comprising a server configured to be connected to the clients and devices with the web services for devices, and a touch screen device coupled to the network and provided a user interface for controlling the devices. The clients and devices are configured with a web services for devices stack protocol to provide automation-based control and communication between the clients and devices.
US08271876B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving user input requesting display of pieces of information associated with user interface elements displayed on a page; analyzing the page for determining the pieces of information associated with the user interface elements; and outputting some of the pieces of information associated with a plurality of the user interface elements for concurrent display on the page with each other and with the user interface elements. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.
US08271867B2
In columns of a table, a list of labels of records of a table referenced by the table as a relation is displayed. A correlational display function of the record of interest enables information on a table involving an operator to be grasped in one table. When a record of the table of the reference origin is selected, a record referenced by the selected record is highlighted. Conversely, when a record of the reference destination is selected, the record of the reference origin referencing the selected record is highlighted and the related record is displayed in the same line or in the neighborhood. The reference, addition or change of a record of the reference destination can be intuitively performed around the table of the reference origin. A new record can be added to the reference destination during the addition of a record to the table of the reference origin. Information on the table of the reference destination is allowed to be grasped and managed with only an operation focusing on one table.
US08271864B2
Disclosed methods, computer-readable media, and systems relate to position-coded products and processing data from such products. In one implementation, a computer-readable storage medium stores a program for a computer to perform a method for creating an electronic representation of a position-coded product. The method may access an electronic document file with a set of document pages and map the document pages, copy for copy, within a selected number of copies, to pattern pages according to an ordering of the pattern pages.
US08271861B2
Techniques are provided for transmitting and receiving a mother code in an incremental redundancy hybrid automatic repeat-request protocol. A set of information bits corresponding to a message is encoded and interleaved to produce the mother code. Each bit position of the mother code is mapped to an output symbol, and each output symbol is mapped to an antenna for transmission. One or more transmissions are performed, where each transmission includes puncturing the mother code by selecting one or more symbols from the output symbols, and transmitting each symbol in the one or more symbols on an antenna corresponding to that symbol. The mother code is decoded, in part, by determining combinable bits contained within a set of received symbols and computing one or more log-likelihood ratio values corresponding to each symbol in the set of received symbols.
US08271846B2
A method for encoding a channel in a communication system using a Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code is provided. The method includes determining a number of parity bits for puncturing; dividing the parity bits at predetermined intervals, and determining a number of puncturing parity bits, which are subjected to puncturing within the predetermined intervals; determining a modulation scheme; determining positions of puncturing parity bits corresponding to the determined number of the puncturing parity bits within the predetermined intervals according to the modulation scheme; repeatedly performing puncturing on puncturing parity bits corresponding to the determined positions at the predetermined intervals; and transmitting remaining bits except for the punctured bits according to the modulation scheme.
US08271840B2
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for allowing response data output from the scan outputs of a circuit under test to be formatted and applied as stimulus data input to the scan inputs of the circuit under test. Also the disclosure described a novel method and apparatus for allowing the response data output from the scan outputs of a circuit under test to be formatted and used as expected data to compare against the response data output from the circuit under test. Additional embodiments are also provided and described in the disclosure.
US08271835B2
The present invention discloses an apparatus and a method for diagnosing abnormal conditions, that quantitatively considers acquisition difficulties between abnormal symptoms provided on a computer screen and quantifies acquisition difficulties of the abnormal symptoms through distinctiveness of measuring devices to exactly diagnose the abnormal conditions even under an improved control environment, making it possible for a user to rapidly and easily diagnose the abnormal conditions that may be generated from a complicated device.With the present invention, the abnormal conditions are diagnosed using the sequential diagnosis technique and the Boolean logic between the abnormal symptoms, making it possible to effectively diagnose the abnormal conditions even under masking effects that may be generated between the abnormal symptoms.
US08271825B2
Apparatus for synchronizing signals. For memory devices, such as SDRAMs, implementing a synchronization device to synchronize one signal, such as an external clock signal with a second signal, such as a data signal, tuning elements may be provided at various points in the signal path of the synchronization device. The tuning elements are designed to be identical, such that a single design may be used to a signal mismatch that is produced in either direction, using a single design. The tuning elements may be implemented to provide uniformity in the access time through a range of conditions, such as drain voltages and temperatures.
US08271822B2
An interactive device having time synchronization capability is provided. In one embodiment, the interactive device has a computer processor that stores an internal clock. The computer processor may be preprogrammed to generate announcements based on a particular time of the internal clock. A user may input and adjust the time of the internal clock. In another embodiment, a setup module is provided which includes a computer processor that stores a setup time. The setup module establishes a connection with an interactive device, and time synchronizes the interactive device such that the internal clock of the interactive device is running the same time as the setup module. The setup module is capable of synchronizing the internal clock of multiple interactive devices, despite the interactive devices being programmed on separate occasions. The interactive device may be synchronized by the setup module via a hard-wired connection or wireless means.
US08271821B2
A first set of configuration logic is configurable to provide a first port input clock signal for controlling input registers of a first port of a memory block. A second set of configuration logic is configurable to provide a second port input clock signal for controlling input registers of a second port of the memory block.
US08271820B2
A micro-processor includes a clock generator configured to generate a fetch clock, a decoding clock, an execution clock, and a write-back clock that are sequentially enabled; a volatile memory device configured to output pre-stored program data in response to the fetch clock; a command decoder configured to decode the program data in response to the decoding clock and generate a decoding command; an arithmetic device configured to perform an arithmetic operation according to the command of the decoding command in response to the execution clock; and a peripheral circuit device configured to be operated according to the command of the decoding command in response to the write-back clock.
US08271813B2
A system, method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium are disclosed for managing workload in a data center. The method includes receiving, at a workload manager, energy consumption information. The method further includes receiving workload information about a second data center that is remote from a first data center, and receiving, as controlled by the workload manager, at the first data center at least a portion of workload associated with the second data center based on at least one of the energy consumption information and the workload information.
US08271808B2
A computer system includes a main device and a subordinate device. Data transmission and reception by means of an optical transmission system are performed by connecting the main device and the subordinate device by an optical transmission cable. The subordinate device, a power of which needs to be cut-off prior to the main device, includes a light reception determination part and a power supply control part. The light reception determination part determines whether the main device is in a power-off state by presence or absence of light reception based on a light-receiving amount received by a photoelectric converter. When it is determined that the main device is in the power-off state, the power supply control part controls a power supply device so as to cut-off the power of the subordinate device.
US08271800B2
Systems and methods that process and protect content are provided. In one example, a system may include, for example, a first device coupled to a second device. The first device may include, for example, an integrated circuit that may include a content processing system and a security system. The security system may include, for example, a digital rights manager. The first device and the second device may be part of a network. The network receives content and control information via the first device. The content processing system processes incoming content based upon at least the control information. The integrated circuit protects the content before placing the content on the network.
US08271799B2
A system and method for generating a disguised password are provided. The method presets a real password via an input device, selects one or more characters from the real password as a verification code. The method further generates an encryption code corresponding to the verification code according to an encryption algorithm, generates a character string based on the encryption code, and displays a verification box on a display screen to receive an input key from the input device. In addition, the method determines whether the input key matches the encryption code of the character string, and generates a disguised password by replacing the verification code with the encryption code in the real password if the input key matches the encryption code of the character string.
US08271794B2
Objects can be extracted from data flows captured by a capture device. Each captured object can then be classified according to content. Meta-data about captured objects can be stored in a tag. In one embodiment, the present invention includes receiving a request to present a previously captured object to a user, accessing a tag associated with the requested object, the tag containing metadata related to the object, the metadata including an object signature, and verifying that the object has not been altered since capture using the object signature before presenting the object to the user.
US08271790B2
In a private network setting in which various computers can be attached, the confidential or sensitive data within the various devices on the private network is vulnerable. The ability to copy such confidential or sensitive data to a storage device communicatively coupled to a client computer on the network is governed and controlled. Only devices that include an authentic stamp or digital certificate can be accessed by client computers. If a device does not have a valid stamp or the stamp has been black listed, then the access to the device can be prevented or greatly limited.
US08271787B2
The invention creates a method for identification of a physical unit (M) in an open, wireless telecommunications network by means of a testing device (P), having the following steps: storing a secret identity (SIMEI) and an open identity (IMEI) in memory in the physical unit (M); generating a first parameter (CHv) in the testing device (P); sending an identity request (IR) with the first parameter (CHv) from the testing device (P) to the physical unit (M); generating an electronic signature (SIGt) by means of a first cryptographic function (F3) from the secret identity (SIMEI) and at least the first parameter (CHv) in the physical unit (M), and sending the generated electronic signature (SIGt) and the open identity (IMEI) to the testing device (P); generating the secret identity (SIMEI) from an open key (EMIGK) and from the sent open identity (IMEI) in the testing device (P); generating a corresponding electronic signature (SIGv) by means of the first cryptographic function (F3) from the generated first secret identity (SIMEI) in the testing device (P); and identifying the physical unit (M) by a comparison of the electronic signature (SIGt) sent and the corresponding electronic signature (SIGv) in the generated testing device (P).
US08271783B2
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with cryptographic key maintenance and/or migration are described. One exemplary system embodiment includes a logic for performing cryptographic key maintenance and/or migration and an interface for operably connecting the system to a trusted platform.
US08271778B1
A system and method for monitoring secure digital data on a network are provided. An exemplary network monitoring system may include a network device in communication with a user and a network. Further, a server may be in communication with the network. A browser and monitoring program may be stored on the network device, and the network device may receive secure digital data from the network. The browser may convert the secure digital data or a portion thereof into source data, and the monitoring program may transfer the source data or a portion thereof to the server. In an exemplary embodiment, the monitoring program may include a service component and an interface program.
US08271777B2
The present patent disclosure describes a system and method for maintaining persistent secure connections between a terminal and a host. The system comprises a session manager component for storing session information associated with a terminal identifier (ID) of the terminal, the session information comprising a client connection ID for identifying a persistent secure client connection and a terminal connection ID for identifying a secure terminal connection. The system also comprises a connection manager component for establishing communication between the persistent secure client connection, identified by the client connection ID, and the secure terminal connection, identified by the terminal connection ID. The method comprises the step of storing session information associated with a terminal identifier (ID) of the terminal, the session information comprising a client connection ID for identifying a persistent secure client connection and a terminal connection ID for identifying a secure terminal connection. The method further comprises the step of establishing communication between the persistent secure client connection, identified by the client connection ID, and the secure terminal connection, identified by the terminal connection ID.
US08271776B2
In a method for mobile printing, a mobile device generates a symmetrical pair of encryption keys and transmits the first encryption key and a print request to an imaging device. When the mobile device receives a request from the imaging device for the second encryption key, the mobile device transmits the second encryption key to the imaging device. The imaging device then uses the second encryption key to decrypt encrypted rendered content and prints the content.
US08271766B2
An information processing device including registers (105) for holding data and an operation device (102) for executing arithmetic and logic operations on input/output data held in the register. The information processing device can issue an inter-register copy instruction for instructing data held in one register to be copied to another register. The information processing device further includes a copy information holding device (113) for reserving for execution of a data copy operation by the inter-register copy instruction from a control unit (108) so as to execute the actual copy operation simultaneously with the succeeding instruction to hide the execution time of the copy operation. Thus, in the inter-register copy instruction execution phase, a reservation for a data copy operation is stored in the copy information holding device so that the execution phase is completed without performing the actual data copy operation.
US08271760B2
Example apparatus, methods, and computers facilitate improving spatial locality of file system block allocations for related items. One example method includes accessing a block allocation request that is configured to control a computer to allocate a block of storage available on a storage device and, upon determining that the block allocation request includes a session key that identifies a session associated with a block reservation pool, controlling the computer to allocate a block of storage from the block reservation pool to satisfy the block allocation request rather than allocating a block of storage from generally available blocks of storage. The block reservation pool includes blocks of storage on the storage device that satisfy a spatial locality relationship determined by a pre-read technique associated with the storage device.
US08271757B1
Technologies are described for implementing container space management (CSM) in a data storage system. Performance may be improved by ensuring that the maximum number of drive spindles is made available to I/O loads. This may be accomplished by distributing data equally amongst all drive spindles, even if the drive spindles are in different logical drives. A workflow analysis may be performed to determine when the I/O load on the storage system is low and thus identify preferred times for background data re-striping. Data may be re-striped in a minimum number of movements using a data placement algorithm and data placement maps to select data to be re-striped. The data may be re-striped such that the most frequently accessed data within a tier is moved first. Such re-striping can be performed in a manner which optimizes the performance of the storage system both during, and after, the re-striping process.
US08271743B2
Automated paging device management is provided for a shared memory partition data processing system. The automated approach includes managing a paging storage pool defined within one or more storage devices for holding logical memory pages external to physical memory managed by a hypervisor of the processing system. The managing includes: responsive to creation of a logical partition within the processing system, automatically defining a logical volume in the paging storage pool for use as a paging device for the new logical partition, the automatically defining occurring absent use of a filesystem, with the resultant paging device being other than a file in a filesystem; and automatically specifying the logical volume as a paging space device for the new logical partition and binding the paging space device to the new logical partition, wherein the logical volume is sized to accommodate a defined maximum memory size of the new logical partition.
US08271737B2
A device, system and method in which data in a write cache, that must at some point be written to non-volatile memory, is written to non-volatile memory after expiration of a threshold time period during which no new host commands are received. If either the last dirty entry is written back or a host command is received during the write-back process, the time threshold time period and auto-flush process is restarted.
US08271729B2
A mechanism is provided in a cache for providing a read and write aware cache. The mechanism partitions a large cache into a read-often region and a write-often region. The mechanism considers read/write frequency in a non-uniform cache architecture replacement policy. A frequently written cache line is placed in one of the farther banks. A frequently read cache line is placed in one of the closer banks. The size ratio between read-often and write-often regions may be static or dynamic. The boundary between the read-often region and the write-often region may be distinct or fuzzy.
US08271725B1
A method and apparatus for providing a host-independent name to identify a meta-device that represents a Logical Unit Number (LUN) is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises processing information regarding at least one storage enclosure that comprises at least one Logical Unit Number (LUN) represented by at least one meta-device and generating at least one host-independent name based on the information regarding the at least one storage enclosure, wherein the at least one host-independent name is used to identify the at least one meta-device.
US08271723B1
Systems and methods are provided for coupling multiple flash devices to a shared bus utilizing isolation switches within a SSD device. The SSD device is operable at a speed of about 400 MT/s or higher with high signal integrity. The SSD device includes a controller, a channel in electrical communication with the controller, a plurality of isolation devices in electrical communication with channel, and a plurality of flash memory devices, wherein each flash memory device is in electrical communication with the channel and controller through the one of the isolation devices.
US08271720B1
A solid-state drive, a solid-state drive access unit allocation/data storage approach, and a solid-state drive access unit access/data retrieval approach are described that improve the efficiency with which data, that has been stored to the solid-state drive in association with a series of logical block addresses, can be retrieved from the solid-state drive. The described access unit allocation approach assures that data stored in the solid-state drive in association with a sequential series of logical block addresses is stored and maintained in solid-state drive access units, i.e., addressable units of solid-state drive memory, that allow parallel read access to the data via parallel memory access I/O channels internal to the solid-state drive. In this manner, the time required to retrieve data associated with a sequential series of logical block addresses from corresponding access units within the solid-state drive is reduced.
US08271707B2
A single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) capable peripheral component interconnect (PCI) device may be operable to configure resources to transparently operate in a non-SR-IOV environment utilizing a physical function (PF) and one or more hybrid functions (HFs). In instances when the SR-IOV capable PCI device is operating in a SR-IOV environment, the SR-IOV capable PCI device may expose a VF configuration space in the hybrid function to an associated PCI driver for configuring the hybrid function as a virtual function. In instances when the SR-IOV capable PCI device is operating in a non-SR-IOV environment, the SR-IOV capable PCI device may hide a SR-IOV extended header in the physical function from the associated PCI driver and expose a PF configuration space in the hybrid function to the associated PCI driver for configuring the hybrid function as a physical function.
US08271695B2
A motor controller for an electronic driving motor, including at least a controlling and processing unit, an interface circuit unit, and an identifying circuit. The controlling and processing unit is disposed on a mother circuit board. The interface circuit unit and the identifying circuit are disposed on a daughter circuit board. The mother circuit board and the daughter circuit board are connected to each other whereby forming electric connection. The identifying circuit inputs an identifying signal to the controlling and processing unit. The controlling and processing unit automatically configured types of input/output ports of the interface circuit unit according to the identifying signal. The motor controller of the invention enables motor manufactures to reduce the number of motor types for management, reduces development cost, development cycle, and product cost, simplifies a production technique, and improves efficiency.
US08271665B2
An Internet Protocol (IP) camera management system and method determines a MAC address of an IP camera corresponding to a communication channel, searches an IP address of the IP camera through the determined MAC address of the IP camera, then establishes connection between the IP camera management system and the IP camera through the searched IP address. Furthermore, video image data are acquired from the IP camera through the communication channel and are displayed on a display interface.
US08271664B2
A method for setting up a peer-to-peer communication link between a first communication medium (3) and a second communication medium (4) by means of a mediation server (5), wherein the first communication medium (3) comprises a multitude of communication ports, which are assigned in dependence on the destination by the first communication medium (3) for setting up communication links, and wherein a first communication port of the first communication medium (3) has been assigned for communication with the mediation server (5). The method further comprises the steps of composing port identification data of a second communication port yet to be assigned of the first communication medium (3), the first communication medium (3) sending the port identification data to the second communication medium (4) via the mediation server (5), and the first communication medium (3) assigning the second communication port for setting up the peer-to-peer communication link.
US08271661B2
The present invention is related to a method for establishing via an appliance a transport layer protocol connection initiated by a server on a first network to a client connected from a second network to the first network via a secure socket layer virtual private network (SSL VPN) connection. The method includes the step of receiving, by an appliance, a transport layer connection request from a server on a first network to connect to a client connected to the first network via a SSL VPN connection from a second network. The transport layer connection request identifies a client destination internet protocol address and a client destination port on the first network. The method includes establishing, by the appliance, a first transport layer connection to the server on the first network, determining, by the appliance, the client on the second network associated with the client destination internet protocol address on the first network, and transmitting, by the appliance, connection information identifying the client destination port to an agent on the client. The agent establishes a second transport layer connection to the client destination port using a local internet protocol address of the client on the second network and establishes a third transport layer connection to the appliance, which it associates with the second transport layer connection.
US08271656B2
According to one embodiment, a method of decreasing latency in an anonymity network includes filtering a list of anonymity routers for a client device based on one of (i) loads of the anonymity routers on the list and (ii) distances of the anonymity routers from the client device.
US08271652B2
DNS name resolution is integrated into each node in a network storage cluster, to allow load balancing of network addresses, using a weighted random distribution to resolve DNS requests. A node in the cluster gathers statistics on utilization of resources, such as CPU utilization and throughput, on nodes in the cluster and distributes those statistics to all other nodes. Each node uses the same algorithm to generate weights for the various IP addresses of the cluster, based on the statistics distributed to it. The weights are used to generate a weighted list of available network addresses. In response to a DNS request, a DNS in a given node randomly indexes into the weighted address list to resolve requests to a network address. The weights are chosen so that the DNS is likely to pick an IP address which has a low load, to balance port and node usage over time.
US08271648B2
There is disclosed in embodiments herein a digital media content duplication system and method that allows digital media data to be duplicated to one or more destinations and verified. In one embodiment, the system may comprise multiple servers and multiple database structures; providing storage, management. processing, coordination, and tracking of the digital media content and the duplication process.
US08271646B2
A client may be configured to access a network by identifying a network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing a networked content source, enabling the client to access the content source using the network bandwidth configuration setting, monitoring client access to the content source, comparing client access metrics to metrics associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting, determining, based on the comparison, whether to adjust the network bandwidth configuration settings for the client, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting if appropriate.
US08271631B1
A system for optimizing the value of communications between communicating parties is provided. The system includes a communication group manager that facilitates specifying policies, preferences and/or automated analysis of ideal communication channels, routing and/or scheduling in terms of communicating party groups that can be pre-populated clusters of communicating parties, assembled based on relationships (e.g., organizational), and/or assembled based on satisfying inclusion criteria (e.g., age, location, competence, communication history, meeting history). The communication group manager maps communicating parties into predefined and/or dynamically created groups that facilitate specifying and/or automatically computing ideal communication actions like selecting a channel, displaying lists of potential channels sorted by communicating party preferences, and (re)scheduling communications to different channels and/or times. Ideal communication actions can be identified by maximizing a measure of expected communication utility, where groups provide simplifying abstractions to facilitate assessment of outcome utilities. The method can employ representations of preferences of the contactor and contactee that allow for group-specific preference considerations that weight differentially contactor and/or contactee preference considerations in communication action optimization. The system includes a group wise communication coordinator that identifies optimal group communication sets. The method facilitates a recipient communicating with a group member where the communication utility is optimized based on a preference, and a context associated with the group to which the member belongs.
US08271629B1
A system that enables a person to monitor and/or control a device via a network, such as the Internet, via an interactive hardware module that interfaces with the device and communicates with a module server located locally or remotely from the placement of the module. The hardware module allows for the transmission and receipt of data between the device interfaced to the hardware module and the module server, thereby enabling the user manually or automatically to control or monitor the device via an access medium, such as an API.
US08271617B2
A network architecture or framework supports hosting and content distribution on a truly global scale. The inventive framework allows a Content Provider to replicate and serve its most popular content at an unlimited number of points throughout the world. The inventive framework comprises a set of servers operating in a distributed manner. The actual content to be served is preferably supported on a set of hosting servers (sometimes referred to as ghost servers). This content comprises HTML page objects that, conventionally, are served from a Content Provider site. A base HTML document portion of a Web page is served from the Content Provider's site while one or more embedded objects for the page are served from the hosting servers, preferably, those hosting servers near the client machine. By serving the base HTML document from the Content Provider's site, the Content Provider maintains control over the content.
US08271611B2
Method and system for invoking MIDlets from a mobile web browser using the push registry mechanism provided by the application management software (AMS) of a local device, such as the push registry socket or push registry SMS, the local device including a mobile terminal, mobile telephone, smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handset and the like.
US08271608B2
The present invention is a system and method for creating, developing and testing cross-platform software for mobile communications devices. The invention enables mobile device software that must be highly-integrated with the operating system on which it runs to be implemented in a cross-platform manner. Security software for mobile devices is a prime beneficiary of the present invention, as a substantial proportion of its functionality is identical between different platforms yet integrated very specifically into each platform it supports. The cross-platform system includes a core platform-independent component, a platform-specific component, and an abstraction layer component, each of which may communicate with each other using a common defined API. The present invention enables the platform-independent component to be completely re-used between platforms and allows the platform-specific and abstraction components to contain minimal amounts of code on each platform.
US08271603B2
A system and method for diminishing false positive classifications of unsolicited electronic-mail is disclosed. An electronic-mail message is received whereby a set of message classifiers are applied the message. One or more signatures indicative of unsolicited electronic-mail based on at least the application of the aforementioned classifiers is generated. The one or more signatures are applied to subsequently incoming electronic-mail messages whereby unsolicited electronic-mail may be more accurately identified and false positive identification of normal electronic-mail messages are reduced.
US08271592B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for transmitting maps via multimedia messaging service (MMS). The methods, systems, and computer program products include acquiring a map, displaying the map on a display screen of a device, initiating an MMS formatting application to format the map in an MMS format, and transmitting the MMS formatted map over a network.
US08271589B2
A method and apparatus for sending messages to a list of members of a group with exceptions to one or more members of the group. In one embodiment, the method comprising creating an electronic mail (email) message having an email address corresponding to a group of email addresses and including a specification of one or more email addresses of the group that is not to be sent the email message, without knowledge of addresses of all members of the group, and sending the email message for delivery to a mail host for the group address.
US08271582B2
A relay device includes a first communication unit that receives a request including processing object data from a client device; a data processing unit that obtains a first processing result by performing a relay-device-side process of equivalent algorithm to that of a server-side process, which is performed by a server, on the processing object data; a second communication unit that transmits the request to the server, and receives a second processing result, which corresponds to the first processing result and is obtained by performance of the server-side process on the processing object data, from the server as a response; and a control unit that determines whether the second processing result has been transmitted to the client device. When the second processing result has not been transmitted to the client device, the first communication unit transmits the first processing result to the client device.
US08271577B2
A computer-implemented method of processing recurring events within personal information management (PIM) clients can include executing a plug-in component within a PIM client. The method can include receiving, within the PIM client, an event update including a recurring event identifier that is natively understood by the PIM client and supplemental recurrence data not natively understood by the PIM client. The method further can include, responsive to the plug-in component detecting the supplemental recurrence data and a user input executing the event update, the plug-in component can locate a recurring event corresponding to the recurring event identifier. The method can include the plug-in component updating the recurring event according, at least in part, to the supplemental recurrence data, and storing the recurring event within the PIM client.
US08271576B2
A number of items of data from a data source (12) can be processed and supplied to a data destination (16, 17). The data can include image data, text data, numeric data or other types of data, or a combination of these types of data. The processing of the data is controlled by a project definition (14, 71, 101), which includes a plurality of modules selected from a variety of available modules (Tables 1-4). The modules have input and output ports which are interrelated by binding information. Where a project definition is complex and/or is assigned to process a large data set, capability is provided to launch multiple instances of the same project definition, each of which processes a respective portion of the data. Further, capability is provided to launch multiple instances of the same or different project definitions on each of one or more computers, in order to efficiently execute project definitions in a centralized processing facility.
US08271573B2
Provided is data structure, system and method for reporting an Event occurred due to a digital item (DI). An Event Report Request data for requesting to deliver an Event Report data, wherein the Event Report data reports an Event occurred in accordance with use of a digital item, the Event Report Request data comprising Delivery Time information describing time for transmitting the Event Report data, wherein the Delivery Time information includes: a specific time; an elapsed time; and a periodic time. An Event Report data for reporting an Event occurred in accordance with use of a digital item, wherein the Event Report data provides information specified in an Event Report Request data, the Event Report data comprising: ER Descriptor describing contents and formats of the Event Report data; and Source Descriptor describing information on a source generating the Event Report data.
US08271568B2
Methods and apparatuses in which a first stage of a digital filter receives input data to be filtered, the first stage of a digital filter operating at a first clock; a second stage of the digital filter outputs filtered output data, the second stage of the digital filter operating on a second clock, wherein a ratio of a frequency of the first clock and a frequency of the second clock is a fractional number, and a frequency of the second clock is higher than a frequency of the first clock; the first stage receives an indication of a ratio of the first clock and the second clock; and the first stage receives an indication of a time offset between (1) a clock pulse of the second clock, which occurs between a first clock pulse and a second clock pulse of the first clock, and (2) the first clock pulse of the first clock.
US08271558B1
Various embodiments of a system and method for creating a unification directory to unify a group of directories are described herein. The system may enable a first directory to be unified with one or more other directories such that when directory operations are performed on the first directory, it appears to them that the first directory includes not only its own files, but also the files of the one or more other directories. This may be accomplished by creating a persistent, re-useable unification directory which includes directory entries corresponding to the names of the files in the first directory and the one or more other directories. The unification directory does not contain complete copies of the files. Instead, the unification directory is used to obtain a listing of the files when needed, and the system then re-directs file operations to the real files in the individual directories as necessary.
US08271557B1
A top-level directory of a virtual file system is created. A hierarchy of directories is created under the top-level directory including creating a first file that contains an architecture description of the multi-device circuit arrangement. The directories have names indicative of the plurality of devices and configurable resources of the plurality of devices of the architecture description specified in the first file. A first set of one or more files is created that contain state data or configuration data for configuring resources of the plurality of devices to perform functions specified by the configuration data. A mapping of the configuration data to the resources of the plurality of devices is determined, and configuration data is stored in the configurable resources according to the mapping.
US08271549B2
A method, computer program product and computing device for receiving a request to load at least one new media content item on a personal media device. The size of the at least one new media content item is compared with the amount of storage space remaining on the personal media device to determine if the personal media device has sufficient available storage space. If the personal media device does not have sufficient available storage space, a relative weight associated with at least one old media content item stored on the personal media device is ascertained, the relative weight corresponding to a likelihood that the at least one old media content item will be rendered on the personal media device.
US08271548B2
Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.
US08271539B2
A hierarchy of nodes is created, each node being one of associated with an item retrieved according to a condition and associated with a category of information including the item. It is determined whether at least one of the nodes is redundant in the hierarchy. The at least one of the nodes is pruned from the hierarchy if the at least one of the nodes is redundant.
US08271530B2
Disclosed is a method, mechanism, and computer usable medium for managing and accessing static and shard data. In one approach, described is a method and mechanism for implementing group dependent keys (GDKs) in a computing system, in which the GDK is visible to all members of a distributed system, but its value(s) and subtree(s) could be different for different groups. Members of each group see the same view of the value and subtree of a GDK. Also disclosed is a method, mechanism, and computer usable medium for implementing group dependent links (GDLs) in a computing system. According to one approach, a data transformation function is used to coordinate changes to different versions of shared data.
US08271526B2
Content items or data defining access to content items for provision to one or more users is respectively maintained. Respective content access data for those users from which content items or data defining access to content items are received is changed and a sub-set of the content items or data defining access to content items is provided to a user, the members of the sub-set being determined in dependence on the content access data of the user. Each content item or set of data defining access to a content item has a property having a value, and the content access data includes a content access value relating to the property, wherein the sub-set of the content items or data defining access to content items is determined in dependence on the respective values.
US08271520B1
An expression editor tool allows a user to build an expression or calculation with a rule that specifies an action programmed to occur during execution of a target application. The expression editor tool allows a user to define an action point definition that specifies an action point located in the target application logic instructions. The expression editor tool determines from the action point definition a dataset that is in-context at the action point, provides an expression definition interface to obtain selected data fields from the dataset, and a selected logical operator to connect the selected data fields used to construct a new expression. The expression editor tool provides an outcome selection interface used to obtain a selected outcome for the new expression in order to create a rule including the new expression and the selected outcome, and store the rule in the database linked to the action point definition.
US08271514B2
A method is provided that includes specifying enabling relationships, which map enabling sets of one or more enabling attribute-value pairs to respective enableable attributes. Responsively to the search query, a current state is designated that comprises current-state attribute-value pairs, and a result set is generated containing some of the items of a corpus. An enableable attribute of one of the enabling relationships is identified as enabled when the current-state attribute-value pairs include all of the enabling attribute-value pairs of the enabling relationship. A populated attribute-value pair is found that comprises the enabled attribute and a value therefor, and which, when added to the search query, results in an extended query that is satisfied by at least one of the items in the corpus. The result set is presented in association with the value of the populated attribute-value pair as a refinement option. Other embodiments are also described.
US08271511B2
The present invention relates to a method for forming a mark reference list using a database including a register of mark-forming objects in the form of a sample array, and a mark array. According to this method, a mark is compared with each sample of the sample array, match indexes of the mark and said each sample are determined based on said comparison, and a list of high match indexes of the mark and the samples is formed. The decision that a mark should be included into the reference list is made, if the match index of a query sample and the mark is higher than the lowest index of the list of high match indexes of the mark and the samples.
US08271510B2
A device may include a memory and a processor. The memory may be configured to store a regular address database and store a translated address database. The processor may be configured to perform a lookup, in the regular address database, of a regular address that corresponds to a working address. In addition, the processor may be further configured to determine whether the working address is qualified to be converted into an address comprising aliases that correspond to terms in the working address when the regular address is not found in the translated address database, and convert the working address to generate a first translated address when the working address is qualified to be converted.
US08271505B2
A method, article of manufacture and system for electronic mail notification including determining that it is a time for at least one of a reminder notification action and a report notification action. For a reminder notification action, all action items within a given range are obtained and the action items are processed into at least one action item report which is e-mailed to at least one designated recipient. For a report notification action, the a list of completed action items in a given range are obtained and the list of completed action items is processed into at least one completed action report that is e-mailed to at least one designated recipient.
US08271493B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with grouping automated search results are described. One embodiment includes a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions operable to perform a method that includes identifying items to group. The method also includes selectively grouping a first item and a second item upon determining that a comparison of a metadata attributes indicates that the first item and the second item are to be treated as members of a group.
US08271487B1
A system for tracking and reporting of user behavior including tracking and recording of media viewed by a user. The media may include hypervideo video-enhanced pages and other media types. The system is operable to create a user-configurable report including data regarding user use of the media, such as indicating the number of times each media has been viewed and indicating the number of times each path has been taken through each hypervideo application.
US08271485B2
A reply conforming to applied search criteria is generated using data obtained by a search based upon the search criteria. A reply generating server includes a storage unit storing a plurality of items of basic data; a search unit for searching and retrieving basic data, which is in line with search criteria that has been input by the user of a terminal device, from the storage unit; a reply generating unit which, in a case where a plurality of items of basic data in line with the search criteria exist, generates anew a reply conforming to the search criteria by utilizing the plurality of items of basic data; and a reply transmitting unit for transmitting the reply to the terminal device.
US08271483B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that detects sensitive content in a document. In doing so, the system receives a document, identifies a set of terms in the document that are candidate sensitive terms, and generates a combination of terms based on the identified terms that is associated with a semantic meaning. Next, the system performs searches through a corpus based on the combination of terms and determines hit counts returned for each term in the combination and for the combination. The system then determines whether the combination of terms is sensitive based on the hit count for the combination and the hit counts for the individual terms in the combination, and generates a result that indicates portions of the document which contain sensitive combinations.
US08271477B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a user interface that allows a user to specify one or more attributes that should be included in a master reference data set, and identify which of these attributes should serve as enterprise specified identifiers that can be used to identify the particular master reference data set in an enterprise data storage. Some embodiments of the invention provide a method that allows the master reference data set to be accessed and updated in the data storage through the use of the enterprise specified identifiers.
US08271474B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for creating a web site based on an emerging subject, which is also a search keyword, by analyzing search activities (or data) of Internet users of a popular Internet search engine. Analysis of search activity data of the Internet search engine can also provide search keywords that are most related to the emerging subject, and Internet sites with content relevant to the emerging subject. To create such a web site that is of interests to Internet users, the emerging subject and related search keywords mentioned above can be searched on Internet sites identified to have content relevant to the emerging subject. The search results are used to populate databases for this web site. After the web site is created and launched, users of the site can contribute to the content of the site. In addition, active users of the web site can engage in basic administration of the site, which reduces the need of intervention by paid administrators. Thus, by obtaining content from Internet sites, coupled with contributions made by users, it is possible to automatically create and maintain new custom created sites with minimal intervention by paid administrators.
US08271472B2
A portal having one or more associated data sources is defined, the portal including one or more portlets for displaying information associated with the one or more associated data sources. An index of the one or more associated data sources is generated. A search query is transmitted to a search engine. The index is searched for data associated with the search query. A result set is received based, at least in part, upon the index and the data associated with the search query.
US08271466B2
A device retrieves information associated with purchases from a purchase database, and provides for display of a last purchase option, a sort purchases option, and a lowest cost option based on the purchase information. The device further receives selection of one of the last purchase option, the sort purchases option, or the lowest cost option, and provides for display of last purchase information when the last purchase option is selected. The device also provides for display of sort purchases information when the sort purchases option is selection, and provides for display of lowest cost information when the lowest cost option is selected.
US08271465B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for supporting parallel nested transactions in a transactional memory system. Multiple closed nested transactions are created for a single parent transaction, and the closed nested transactions are executed concurrently as parallel nested transactions. Various techniques are used to ensure effects of the parallel nested transactions are hidden from other transactions outside the parent transaction until the parent transaction commits. For example, versioned write locks are used with parallel nested transactions. When a transactional memory word changes from a write lock to a versioned write lock, an entry is made in a global versioned write lock map to store a pointer to a write log entry that the versioned write lock replaced. When the versioned write lock is encountered during transaction processing, the global versioned write lock map is consulted to translate the versioned write lock to the pointer to the write log entry.
US08271464B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for supporting parallel nested transactions in a transactional memory system. Releasing a duplicate write lock for rollback is supported. During rollback processing of a parallel nested transaction, a write log entry is encountered that represents a write lock. If the write lock is a duplicate, a global lock is used to synchronize access to a global versioned write lock map. Optimistic read validation is supported. During validation, if a versioned write lock indicates a sibling conflict, consult information to determine if a parallel nested transaction should be doomed. Write lock acquisition is supported. Upon attempting to acquire a write lock for a parallel nested transaction, a transactional memory word is analyzed to determine if the write lock can be obtained. If the transactional memory word indicates a versioned write lock, retrieve a write log entry pointer from a global versioned write lock map.
US08271461B2
Systems and computer-implemented processes for storage and management of information artifacts collected by information analysts using a computing device. The processes and systems can capture a sequence of interactive operation elements that are performed by the information analyst, who is collecting an information artifact from at least one of the plurality of software applications. The information artifact can then be stored together with the interactive operation elements as a snippet on a memory device, which is operably connected to the processor. The snippet comprises a view from an analysis application, data contained in the view, and the sequence of interactive operation elements stored as a provenance representation comprising operation element class, timestamp, and data object attributes for each interactive operation element in the sequence.
US08271453B1
Methods and apparatus, including systems and computer program products, to acquire potential paraphrases from textual input. In one aspect, textual input is received, a first map is generated, where the key of the first map is an ngram identified in the textual input and the value associated with the key of the first map is a unique identifier, a second map is generated, where the key of the second map is an anchor identified from the ngram and the value associated with the key of the second map is one or more middle portions associated with the anchor, and a third map is generated, where the key of the third map is a potential paraphrase pair identified from the middle portions and the value associated with the key of the third map is the one or more unique anchors associated with the potential paraphrase pair.
US08271451B2
A system and method for record archive disposition is implemented with a computer system comprising one or more computer processors operatively connected to memory. Archival records are stored in memory, each archival record being associated with at least one metadata attribute. At least one or more legal holds are stored in memory, each legal hold having legal hold metadata attributes. A deletion candidate list is generated with at least one of the processors for at least one record type by including on the deletion candidate list archival records identified as having one or more archival record metadata attributes corresponding to the at least one record type, and excluding from the deletion candidate list identified archival records if a selected set of legal hold metadata attributes for at least one legal hold corresponds to at least a subset of metadata attributes for the identified archival records. Archival records included on the deletion candidate list are deleted from memory.
US08271436B2
Multi-dimensional surrogation systems and methods are provided that generate at least one data surrogate using information of data and numerous data changes received from at least one data source. Embodiments described herein perform shadowing of production server databases, including creation of synthetic fulls by retrofitting log shipping to enterprise database systems, or other systems, that do not have log shipping capabilities.
US08271422B2
Systems and methods for efficiently detecting and coordinating step changes, trends, cycles, and bursts affecting lexical items within data streams are provided. Data streams can be sourced from documents that can optionally be labeled with metadata. Changes can be grouped across lexical and/or metavalue vocabularies to summarize the changes that are synchronous in time. The methods described herein can be applied either retrospectively to a corpus of data or in a streaming mode.
US08271418B2
A computer-performed method of examining policies for a target system of an enterprise system domain. The policies are represented as policy rules, each rule including a condition having binary operator expression(s), each expression referring to one or more policy attributes. For a pair of expressions, the computer(s) obtain sets of sample values sufficient to represent all values assumable by the policy attribute(s) referred to in the pair. The sample values are combined in a mixed-radix enumeration in which each attribute is represented in a corresponding position of each sample value combination and of the enumeration. Using the enumeration, the computer(s) evaluate each expression of the pair relative to each of the sample value combinations to obtain a truth table. Based on the truth table, a relationship between the pair is detected and the user may be notified as to an anomaly in the rules.
US08271417B2
Techniques for indicating the status or health of a software system in a simple and summarized manner. In one embodiment, a health meter is displayed that displays a status value indicating the status or health of the software system. The status or health of the system as indicated by the health meter may be based upon one or more characteristics or perspectives (or components) of the system, such as performance, resource utilization, reliability, availability, scalability, and status values computed for the components.
US08271413B2
In a computing system, information regarding a plurality of events that use a computing device is obtained, and a time-dependent increase in activity for each of at least some of the events is identified. An observed interest by a user in an event is correlated with an identified increase in activity for the event. Information about the activity at a time related to the event is provided for review by the user.
US08271411B2
Working method for treatment of abstract objects (the thought-substances) of the system of Artificial Intelligence of a cyborg or an android for the pointer-oriented object acquisition method for abstract treatment of information of this system based on a natural language.The working method for treatment of abstract objects (the thought-substances) of the system of Artificial Intelligence of a cyborg or an android for the pointer-oriented object acquisition method for abstract treatment of information of this system based on a natural language, in which an abstract object (an thought-substance) is compared with the other abstract objects (the other thought-substances). The working method is impelled by the system by itself. The abstract objects (the thought-substances) and/or the classes of the objects are processed discretely for each abstract object (each thought-substance). The abstract objects and the classes of abstract objects are classified by the system by itself subjective in a natural language only if the class of the objects is a verb in a natural language. With the working method more than ten internal directives of the abstract subjectivity of the system can be used.
US08271409B2
There are provided methods, computer program products, and systems for indexing a data stream. A method for indexing a data stream having attribute values includes the steps of parsing the data stream, and forming an index of tuples for a subset of attribute values of the data stream. The index is configured for retrieving the top-K tuples that optimize linearly weighted sums of at least some of the attribute values in the subset.
US08271403B2
Method and apparatus for automatic comparison of data sequences using local and global relationships
The invention is concerned with a method and an apparatus for automatic comparison of at least two data sequences characterized in—an evaluation of a local relationship between any pair of subsequences in two or more sequences; —an evaluation of a global relationship by means of aggregation of the evaluations of said local relationships.
US08271402B2
An embodiment of a method for providing technical support service includes generating a plurality of problem resolutions that are determined to resolve an identified technical problem; attributing weights to each of said plurality of problem resolutions according to frequency of use; and in response to a request to resolve said identified problem, selecting a problem resolution from among said plurality of problem resolutions based at least in part on said attributed weights.
US08271391B2
The invention relates to a method for securing an on-line transaction, comprising a proximity test which permits the proximity of the physical presence of the client to the on-line processing station (PT) with the authentication authority (AA) to be verified, an authentication test for the holder of the chipcard (CP) and a non-repudiation test for the transaction.
US08271384B2
Dynamically enabling and facilitating businesses or other entities to locate and transact with payment systems for the purpose of processing payments. A customer interacts with a supplier of an item (e.g., goods or services), selects an item for purchase, and provides the supplier with payment criteria. The supplier queries a payment system directory to locate candidate payment systems for the transaction. The supplier then interacts directly with one or more of the payment systems to partially or fully process payment for the transaction. Alternatively, the supplier interacts with a gateway service, which queries a payment system directory to locate candidate payment systems and then interacts with one or more of the payment systems to process payment for the transaction.
US08271378B2
In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed for generating filters to determine whether a consumer is likely to have a scoreable credit record based on non-credit data, and to determine a potential risk level associated with an unscoreable credit record based on non-credit data. Existing scoreable and unscoreable records are compared to determine factors correlated with having an unscoreable record, and a multi-level filter is developed. Unscoreable records having at least one entry are compared to determine whether they are “good” or “bad” risks, factors correlated with either condition are determined, and a filter is developed. The filters can be applied to records comprising demographic data to determine consumers that are likely to have unscoreable records but represent good risks.
US08271375B2
A system and method are described for the providing securities exchange members increased liquidity for affecting trades. Securities exchange members will have access to both a Dark Trading Facility and securities exchange for trading. When trading on the security exchange, these members will be able to access the Dark Trading Facility using the security exchange infrastructure. Further, when such members enter orders onto the Dark Trading Facility, they will have access to the security exchange display book from the dark pool of the Dark Trading Facility. The trading transactions executed in the Dark Trading Facility or initiated by the Dark Trading Facility, preferably, are automatic and anonymous.
US08271372B1
Systems and methods for grant management are provided. In one example, a computer system tracks grant proposals, calculates a conversion ratio that determines the percentage of grant proposals that are converted into successes and projects future research funding based on past successes that remain active and projected proposal volume and the conversion ratios.
US08271364B2
The tool of the invention is a data gathering and analytical process that uses internal customer data and external CRA data to build a consumer credit market data base and data structure. The internal customer data is classified according to identified Customer Attributes, the CRA data is also classified according to identified Consumer Attributes and the combined data is further classified according to additional Value Added Attributes. The resulting data structure is organized at the individual level such that each individual has associated therewith values for each of the Customer Attributes, Consumer Attributes and Value Added Attributes. The resulting analysis can be used to set institutional strategies and/or to make predictive decisions on individual borrower credit requests.
US08271363B2
In a system according to the invention, a sum of money related to the current or projected cost of pollution remediation associated with the use of a particular mineral resource is banked at the time of the mineral's extraction, first sale or entry into the stream of commerce. Disbursement of the banked monies may be made to downstream processors, end users, effected entities or third parties for remediation, sequestration or conservation activities or simply for recompense. In one embodiment of the invention, dynamic tracking systems may apportion the payout as a function of measured observed winds and precipitation patterns. In this way, the true economic cost of a particular mineral resource may be more accurately reflected in its selling price.
US08271345B1
Systems and methods for conducting multi-item auctions for complex goods that allows bidders to specify budget constraints is disclosed. The system includes a server, a network, a plurality of trader systems and a data store unit. The system allows bidders to work effectively with limited budgets. The server includes an allocation unit performs a sealed-bid auction that enables bidding without the risk of going over budget, and thus, the present invention encourages bidders to place more and higher bids. Sellers will therefore receive higher prices and goods are more likely to be efficiently assigned.
US08271342B2
Disclosed is a delivery management system and method using a smart communicator. The delivery management system includes a selling server for selling articles online; a delivery server for managing delivery of articles sold by the selling server; a mailbox which reads information from an information storage attached to an arrived article at a destination under the control of the delivery server; and a home network server which stores ordered article information, determines whether the arrived article is correctly delivered on the basis of a comparison between the ordered article information and the arrived article information read from the information storage, transmits the result of the comparison to a smart communicator, controls follow-up management of the delivery according to a remote control of the smart communicator. Accordingly, it is possible to check the arrival of an article and control follow-up management on the articles delivered correctly or incorrectly using the smart communicator.
US08271335B2
There is provided a settlement system comprising a mobile communication terminal, a settlement input device configured to output data of a charge, and a settlement device able to transfer money from a first account to a second account. The settlement input device comprises a first transmission unit configured to transmit the data of the charge to the mobile communication terminal, and a second transmission unit configured to transmit the data of the charge, identification data of the mobile communication terminal, and identification data of the settlement input device to the settlement device. The settlement device comprises a control unit configured to transfer an amount of money determined by the data of the charge from the first account to the second account, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the data of the amount of the transferred money to the mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal comprises a first reception unit configured to receive the data of the charge from the settlement input device, a second reception unit configured to receive the data of the amount of the transferred money from the settlement device, and a display.
US08271329B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for tracking user access to an advertisement and user transactions with an electronic commerce computer associated with the advertisement. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed technology, a transaction tracking computer associates an identifier with each access (e.g., click) of an advertisement. Transactions that occur at the electronic commerce computer that are related to the advertisement will be reported to the transaction tracking server together with the identifier. In one embodiment, if the reported transaction is a duplicate of a previously reported transaction, then the reported transaction is determined to be invalid. In one embodiment, if the reported transaction occurs more than a predetermined amount of time after the time the identifier was initially generated, then the reported transaction will also be determined to be invalid.
US08271328B1
Methods and systems to modify the number and/or positioning of advertisements presented to a user based on that user's activity patterns (e.g., previous queries, query result selections, ad selections, etc.) and the order in which events constituting the activity patterns occurred. For example, the methods and systems can be based on a Markov model utilizing the user's activity patterns.
US08271322B2
A system and method for engaging a customer in an enhanced shopping experience. The customer provides customer information which is stored on a database. An identifying token (e.g. a card) is issued to the customer. This identifying token is detected (e.g. by an RFID sensor) when carried by the customer into a retailer's space. This causes at least a portion of the customer information to be accessible from the database to retail personnel while the customer is physically present in the retailer's space, thereby facilitating personal engagement by the retail personnel with the customer.
US08271319B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for structured implementation of business adaptability changes. In some embodiments, a pre-defined resource vocabulary is utilized to assist a decision making entity in selecting an appropriate response to a change trigger event. The pre-defined resource vocabulary provides a mechanism for a plurality of different organizations to consider resource selection for responding to change trigger events in a uniform, repeatable, and consistent manner so as to increase decision agility. In other embodiments, a pre-defined common vocabulary defines a range of business adaptability. The pre-defined common vocabulary provides a mechanism for a plurality of different organizations to consider changes in business adaptability in a uniform manner and provides a mechanism to produce consistent repeatable results for considered changes in business adaptability.
US08271311B2
A system and a method for resource allocation in the semiconductor testing industry are provided. In the system, an industry characteristic conversion module is used to transform the industry characteristic obtained from an input module into a chromosome structure. Next, an artificial intelligence evolution module proceeds to find an optimal solution by handling the chromosome structure until a candidate solution having a maximum final total profit converges to a value.
US08271307B2
A computer-implemented method, system, apparatus, and non-transitory media is directed to providing a graphical user interface for insuring a default of debts specified in financial instruments. A computer system establishes a capital structure which includes an insuring debt related to an insured debt of a debtor based on an insured debt amount representing at least a proportion of the insured debt. A first loss class and a second loss class is allocated for an insuring trust. The capital structure is simulated, including a payment payable from the insuring debt to a first class holder in the first class, wherein the first class holder is entitled to the payment based on a debt to the first class holder of an insuring fund of the insuring trust. An user interface provides a simulation of the capital structure including an insuring scenario based on various alterable inputs.
US08271304B1
The present invention provides a system and method capable of providing an estimated premium without extensive and repetitive questioning. The present invention utilizes unique assumptions to dramatically reduce the amount of information that must be provided by the customer. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes a mainframe computer system, an application server, and an external rules management system to interact with the customer via an attractive graphic user interface. Once logged onto the website of the present invention, the customer may choose to engage in a fast quote process which utilizes assumptions, driver information, and vehicle information to assess the risk associated with insuring the customer and then calculates an estimated cost to insure.
US08271301B1
This disclosure details the implementation of methods for providing a permanent life insurance policy, such as a universal life or variable universal life insurance policy, that may provide a level cost of insurance and may be marketed to clients of an asset manager. A need exists for a life insurance policy that provides level cost of insurance rates for a specific duration, while providing a death benefit and a cash value. The instant invention provides a method and an insurance policy that addresses these and other issues. In some embodiments, the level cost of insurance rate for a universal or variable universal life insurance policy may be provided for a fixed period of time and determined based on the corresponding cost of insurance rate for a comparable term life insurance policy having a term substantially similar to that fixed period of time. In further embodiments, the asset manager may receive compensation for advising the client based on the total value of assets in the insurance policy.
US08271297B2
A computer-implemented method for facilitating placement of health care order entry is provided. The method includes receiving input indicative of a desired healthcare order. The order has certain terms therein that are normalized. The method also finds possible order matches for the normalized terms, and calculates a rough score for the possible order matches. The method refines the rough score with a rough score adjustment, and then ranks the found possible order matches from the most-likely to match the desired order to the least-likely based upon the refined rough score. These possible order matches can then be displayed to the user for selection.
US08271294B2
A Publisher source of healthcare data is configured to communicate with an Internet-based data sharing system, the Publisher comprising a Publisher Gateway configured to electronically receive patient data from a plurality of data input sources, automatically correlate data from the plurality of input sources associated with respective patients into respective electronic patient data records having electronically searchable data fields, and electronically store the patient data records in a Publisher database.
US08271293B2
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for decoding an audio signal from a frame-based bit stream. Each frame includes processing information pertaining to the frame and entropy-encoded quantization indexes representing audio data within the frame. The processing information includes: (i) code book indexes, (ii) code book application information specifying ranges of entropy-encoded quantization indexes to which the code books are to be applied, and (iii) window information. The entropy-encoded quantization indexes are decoded by applying the identified code books to the corresponding ranges of entropy-encoded quantization indexes. Subband samples are then generated by dequantizing the decoded quantization indexes, and a sequence of different window functions that were applied within a single frame of the audio data is identified based on the window information. Time-domain audio data are obtained by inverse-transforming the subband samples and using the plural different window functions indicated by the window information.
US08271292B2
A signal bandwidth expanding apparatus configured to expand a bandwidth of an input signal. The apparatus includes: a time acquiring section configured to acquire time information; a priority holding section configured to hold priority information of processes, each process divided from a process of bandwidth expansion; a controller configured to: sequentially perform the processes from a process having a higher priority using the priority information held by the priority holding section, calculate a time taken for the process using the time acquiring section when the process is ended, and control whether or not a next process having a secondary priority is performed according to the time taken for the process; and a frequency balance correcting section configured to change a frequency characteristic of a signal expanded in a bandwidth according to the process performed by the controller.
US08271291B2
A method for identifying a frame type is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving current frame type information, obtaining previously received previous frame type information, generating frame identification information of a current frame using the current frame type information and the previous frame type information, and identifying the current frame using the frame identification information.And, a method for identifying a frame type is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a backward type bit corresponding to current frame type information, obtaining a forward type bit corresponding to previous frame type information, generating frame identification information of a current frame by placing the backward type bit at a first position and placing the forward type bit at a second position.
US08271285B2
The present invention discloses a payment card that uses speaker identification and verification (SIV) speech processing techniques for activation purposes and to deactivate the payment card based upon the card user input to the payment card. For example, the invention can initially identify a payment card in a deactivated state, which is an internal state of the payment card. Speech input can then be received. Speech characteristics of the speech input can be determined and compared against a voice print of an authorized card user. The payment card can be selectively activated based on comparison results. That is, when the voice print and the speech characteristics match, the payment card can be activated. Otherwise, the card will remain deactivated. An activated payment card is one that has undergone an internal state change from the deactivated state. For example, when activated a credit card number can appear in a display and a magnetic strip can contain payment information, neither of which are present in the deactivated state.
US08271283B2
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus to recognize speech by measuring the confidence levels of respective frames. The method includes the operations of obtaining frequency features of a received speech signal for the respective frames having a predetermined length, calculating a keyword model-based likelihood and a filler model-based likelihood for each of the frame, calculating a confidence score based on the two types of likelihoods, and deciding whether the received speech signal corresponds to a keyword or a non-keyword based on the confidence scores. Also, the method includes the operation of transforming the confidence scores by applying transform functions of clusters, which include the confidence scores or are close to the confidence scores, to the confidence scores.
US08271277B2
A model application unit calculates linear prediction coefficients of a multi-step linear prediction model by using discrete acoustic signals. Then, a late reverberation predictor calculates linear prediction values obtained by substituting the linear prediction coefficients and the discrete acoustic signals into linear prediction term of the multi-step linear prediction model, as predicted late reverberations. Next, a frequency domain converter converts the discrete acoustic signals to discrete acoustic signals in the frequency domain and also converts the predicted late reverberations to predicted late reverberations in the frequency domain. A late reverberation eliminator calculates relative values between the amplitude spectra of the discrete acoustic signals expressed in the frequency domain and the amplitude spectra of the predicted late reverberations expressed in the frequency domain, and provides the relative values as predicted amplitude spectra of a dereverberation signal.
US08271266B2
Computer implemented methods and computing systems wherein relationships of words or phrases within a textual corpus are assessed via frequencies of occurrence of particular words or phrases and via frequencies of co-occurrence of particular pairs of words or phrases within defined tracts of text from within the textual corpus.
US08271265B2
A method for searching for a Chinese character using a tone mark and system for executing the method is provided. The method includes: receiving a search term from a user; verifying a type of said received search term based on at least a portion of said received search term wherein the type includes at least one phonetic Chinese language or at least one Chinese character; and providing a search result based, at least in part, upon the verified type in response to the user's search request wherein the search result include dictionary definition of at least one Chinese character associated with the received search term.
US08271264B2
A system for natural language communication with a computer, comprising a database configures to store at least one table the table configured to store associations between concepts in a text string and associated concept identifiers; and a builder interfaced with the database, the builder configured to construct a concept defined by a text string by performing a process comprising the following steps: assigning a unique identifier to the concept, breaking the concept into sub-concepts, assigning a unique identifier to each sub-concept, using legal joins to join sub-concepts into higher order sub-concepts, assigning a unique identifier to the higher-order concepts, and repeating the steps until the higher order sub-concepts join to form the concept, and storing the concept, sub-concepts, higher order sub-concepts and unique identifiers in a table in the database.
US08271258B2
The emulation of an adapter for I/O to link a host data processing system to a local area network provides advantages of memory to memory transfer which results in higher data transfer rates while at the same time providing a mechanism for working with two data transfer vectors in an overlapping fashion.
US08271257B2
A method and computer product is provided to generate a signal model for use in analyzing a model system including imposing an explicit time assumption for each time instant of the system model. The time assumptions are defined so that any two assumptions contradict each other, thereby separating all inferences into the respective times. A non-monotonic rule is applied to instantiate component models of the model system. Results are defined as not depending on the existence of a previous time instant and, a simplified signal model is generated, wherein the signal model represents the evolution of a value in the model system over time.
US08271256B2
A method of optimizing MOSFET device production which includes defining key independent parameters, formulating those key independent parameters into a canonical variational form, calculating theoretical extracted parameters using at least one of key independent parameters in canonical variational form, physics-based analytical models, or corner models. The method also includes calculating simulated characteristics of a device using the key independent parameters and extracting target data parameters based on at least one of measured data and predicted data, comparing the simulated characteristics to the target data parameters, and modifying the theoretical extracted parameters or key independent parameters in canonical form as a result of the comparison. Then, calculating and outputting the simulated characteristics based on the modified theoretical extracted parameters and the modified key independent parameters in canonical form.
US08271252B2
An efficient and cost effective mechanism for generating test files for automatic verification of a device model is disclosed. Uncompleted coverage goals determined based upon simulating processing of a test file by a design model may be expressed as negative assertions for input to a test data generator, where output from the test data generator may used to create a test file for completing all or some of the uncompleted coverage goals. The test data generator may indicate data which causes a property to fail, and therefore, may indicate test data which causes the uncompleted coverage goal to succeed. The initial test file may represent zero code coverage and/or zero functional coverage, thereby enabling the test data generator to automatically create one or more test files for accomplishing the more extensive code coverage goals and/or functional coverage goals. Functional coverage goals may be automatically generated by the test data generator.
US08271248B2
An improved method that performs downhole fluid analysis of the fluid properties of a reservoir of interest and that characterizes the reservoir of interest based upon such downhole fluid analysis.
US08271229B2
A method for estimating weight of a payload held by load lifting machine 1, wherein the load lifting machine comprises lifting linkage with a boom 5 pivotably connected to a machine chassis 2, the method comprising calculating an estimation using the torque of the boom 5, torque of the boom during calibration lifts for first and second payloads, and dynamic torque adjustment determined for first and second payloads.
US08271226B2
A method of testing an Integrated Circuit (IC) includes: loading a sequence of data into a chain of circuit elements that hold data values, where outputs of at least some circuit elements are connected to inputs of adjacent circuit elements so values move sequentially through the chain between a chain input for loading values and a chain output for unloading values, and a first circuit element includes a retention element for saving values during power variations related to the IC. The method further includes: saving a value from the data sequence in the retention element; and accessing the retention element for verifying an accuracy of the saved value from the data sequence.
US08271225B2
A test system includes a main selector, a first and a second switching connectors, a first and a second sub-selectors, and a processor. The main selector includes a number of first switches, a number of first contacts, and a number of second contacts. Each sub-selector includes a second switch, a third contact, and a fourth contact. The processor sends a first instruction and a second instruction to correspondingly control the main selector and a selected sub-selector.
US08271222B2
Provided is a sampling apparatus that samples a signal under measurement, including a sample processing section that outputs sample data obtained by sampling the signal under measurement with a sampling timing at non-uniform intervals obtained by thinning a reference clock, a storage section that stores the sample data, and a waveform generating section that generates a waveform of the signal under measurement based on the sample data read from the storage section. The sample processing section includes a sampler that samples the signal under measurement in synchronization with the reference clock and a data thinning section that thins the sample data output by the sampler and outputs this thinned data as sample data with the sampling timing at non-uniform intervals.
US08271207B2
Absolute quantitation of protein in a sample is provided by comparing a sum or average of the N highest ionization intensities observed for peptides of a particular protein along with a calibration standard. The calibration standard can be in the form of a table generated by prior protein peptide analysis performed using one or more pre-determined proteins. The comparison is used to determine a corresponding absolute quantity of protein based on the observed sum or average of ionization intensities. A simple conversion factor can be applied to the calibration standard value to determine the absolute quantity of protein in the sample.
US08271206B2
Certain embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for the automated assembly of DNA sequence data into contiguous DNA segments using a computer a system. DNA sequence data is entered into the system. The system indexes and groups a plurality of DNA fragment reads utilizing an anchor sequence and consolidates the fragments into larger sequences by merging the fragment reads within a group.
US08271205B2
A computer-implemented method of analysis of melt curve data comprising the steps of: (a) parameter model fitting the melt curve data; (b) performing a principal component analysis of the melt curve data; and (c) utilizing the principal components for clustering the melt curve data into groups. Such a method allows an efficient analysis of variations in melt curve shape and position and allows to statistically quantify these variations for both supervised and unsupervised data sets. Current melt analysis methods neither allow for statistical measures of each unknown nor do they allow for the determination of unsupervised data sets (i.e., unknown number of groups present). Particularly, the method according to the invention can be advantageous for identifying a specific sequence of dsDNA in a sample after performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
US08271204B2
Provided are a human recognition apparatus and a human recognition method identifying a user based on a walking pattern. The human recognition apparatus includes a detecting unit detecting a vibration according to a user's walking, and outputting an electric signal, a pattern calculating unit acquiring a walker's walking pattern from the electric signal, and a user determining unit comparing the walking pattern with a previously measured reference data by user and identifying the user based on the comparison result. The human recognition apparatus and the human recognition method are robust against peripheral noise and can increase an acceptance rate through a simple structure and procedure by using the waling pattern, which is one-dimensional time information requiring no vast data throughput, as the user identification data.
US08271202B1
Modified host bio-data includes biogenetic modeling, sequence engineering, material manufacturing, gene therapy, embedded sensing, programmable operation, tissue scaffolding, clinical trials, contamination checks, and host monitoring. Bio-data are managed for device malfunction or infectious release. Genetically programmable finite state module having partitions or multi-cavity may be accessed for embedded host biometric application. Electronic computer or functionally equivalent system or distributed systems for processing digital data serves to manage modified host data. Unique host identifier and modification indication are stored or accessed in authenticated manner. Modification may be structural tissue regeneration or genetic therapy. Host condition is monitored by accessing host identifier and modification indication, per sensor signal generated by embedded sensors, accessible by wireless communication, generated per request signal, and generated by silicon or quantum dot devices, each sensor partitioned separately in multi-partition device. Device is programmed to switch states of partitions. Sensor signal may indicate contamination. Sensor set corresponds with state device set of finite state machine, so state device indicates state per first sensor sensing host modification, and other state device indicates other state in response to second sensor sensing modification.
US08271197B2
A portable environmental monitoring instrument comprising: a housing comprising a main body and a cap; a display mounted to the housing; a processing circuit disposed within the main body, the processing circuit electrically connected to the display; a light sensor mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the processing circuit; a humidity sensor electrically connected to the processing circuit; and a probe member extending from the main body and exposed to the environment by opening the cap, the probe member carrying a temperature sensor at a distal end thereof and part of an electrical connection between the temperature sensor and the processing circuit, the processing circuit arranged to process signals received from the light sensor, the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor to obtain an environmental measure indicative of the affect of the environment and control the display to display data indicative of the environmental measure.
US08271196B2
A method of providing data to an external application is provided. The location and time of an object are periodically recorded to form a record of sightings. The record of sightings is then analysed in accordance with at least one criterion specified by the external application to which the data is to be provided. Lists of sightings from the record meeting the at least one criterion are supplied for use by the external application.
US08271195B2
A method for representing linear features in a location content management system is disclosed. A linear feature is represented using a sequence of routing points that define a unique path when routed on a map through those points. A routing point consists of latitude, longitude, and optional stack position. Stack position defines an upper or lower level of a double-decker bridge or road. The data representing the linear feature is stored outside of a geographic database.
US08271178B2
A control apparatus for a vehicular power transmitting system including (a) an electrically controlled differential portion which has a differential mechanism and a first electric motor connected to a rotary element of the differential mechanism and which is operable to control a differential state between a rotating speed of its input shaft connected to a drive power source and a rotating speed of its output shaft by controlling an operating state of the first electric motor, and (b) a switching portion operable to switch a power transmitting path for transmitting power from the drive power source, between a power transmitting state and a power cut-off state, the control apparatus including a control range setting portion configured to set one of two different control ranges of a rotating speed of the output shaft, depending upon whether the power transmitting path is placed in the power transmitting state or said power cut-off state, by the switching portion.
US08271163B2
A method to reduce vehicular sensitivity to torsional smooth road shake (SRS) at the steering wheel provided by selectively increasing reverse driven-impedance of the steering system via an effective dynamic tuned vibration absorber comprising the existing power steering motor inertia supported on the torsional stiffness of the gearing to the rack in the case of a REPS system, or of the column rotary shaft in the case of a CEPS system.
US08271154B2
A method is proposed for controlling a hybrid drive in a rail vehicle in which an electronic route timetable (SPL) is predefined as route-section-related speeds by means of a train control device, route-section-related types of drive for the rail vehicle are predictively determined by means of the electronic route timetable (SPL) before the journey begins, a deviation of the actual position from a setpoint position of the rail vehicle which is obtained from the electronic route timetable (SPL) is determined while the rail vehicle is travelling, a time margin is calculated on the basis of the difference in position, and the current type of drive is retained or changed as a function of the time margin.
US08271153B2
A system for verifying data in a track database comprises a track profile database stored in a memory having data relative to one or more track grades and geographic coordinates or range of coordinates associated with each of the one or more track grades. A vehicle trip plan is developed according to the track profile data that comprises a designated path of travel of the vehicle over the track system and a planned vehicle operating condition associated with each of the one or more track grades and the associated coordinates or range of coordinates of the track grades. A controller is configured to compare a stored current vehicle operating condition of the vehicle and associated geographic coordinates to the planned vehicle operating condition to verify the accuracy of the track grade data at the associated geographic coordinates.
US08271151B2
A flight control system and method includes a control loop control law to bias the collective stick toward a trim reference position with a motor and generate a force gradient with a clutch.
US08271149B2
The difference between a first position of a first pylon of a tiltrotor aircraft and a second position of a second pylon of the aircraft is prevented from becoming too large. An actuator position error for the first pylon is calculated from a difference between the first position and a commanded first position of the first pylon. An actuator position error for the second pylon is calculated from a difference between the second position and a commanded second position of the second pylon. An absolute value of the actuator position error for the first pylon is compared to the preset limit. If the absolute value of the actuator position error for the first pylon is greater than or equal to a preset limit, the actuator position error for the second pylon is calculated from the difference between the first position and the second position.
US08271138B2
Gripper devices for handling syringes and automated pharmacy admixture systems (APASs) that utilize such gripper devices. The gripper devices may include various gripper finger profiles, substantially tapered or angled gripping surfaces and/or gripper fingers interleaving to reduce radial distortion of the syringes to be grasped while opposing axial motion of the syringes.
US08271136B2
An exemplary touch sensitive robot includes a body, a touch sensor, a driver, and a controller. The body includes a control panel. The touch sensor includes a first conductive belt wrapped on the body, a second conductive belt provided around but spaced away from the first conductive belt, a power source applying a voltage to two distal ends of the first conductive voltage, and a voltage sensor interconnected between an end of the first conductive belt and an end of the second conductive belt. The second conductive belt is electrically deformable and contacts the first conductive belt when touched by a user so that a measured voltage of the voltage sensor change dependently of the location of the touch. The controller is for controlling the driver to spin the body based upon the measured voltage to orient the control panel to the user.
US08271135B2
An apparatus for holding a medical device has an arm unit equipped with, for example, a polyarticular arm, which holds the medical device such as endoscope movably in the space. Additionally to a determination unit and a controller, the holding apparatus has an operation unit equipped with a plurality of operation members with which an operator's operation causes the arm unit to be moved spatially. The determination unit determines whether or not operator's operations at the plurality of operation members corresponds to an improper state deviating from a properly operated state in which at least two predetermined operation members have been operated within a predetermined period of time which is set to measure simultaneity for operations. If it is determined that the operation is in the improper state, the controller prohibits the arm unit from moving. As long as the operation is proper, the arm unit can be moved.
US08271133B2
An apparatus, method, and medium for sensing a slip in a mobile robot is provided. The apparatus for sensing a slip in a mobile robot includes a driving motor control unit to control a driving motor that rotates a plurality of driving wheels of the mobile robot, a first rotation sensor to sense a first rotation angle of the mobile robot by using the difference between traveling distances of the plurality of driving wheels, a second rotation sensor to sense a second rotation angle of the mobile robot by sensing a rotation of the mobile robot, and a slip-sensing unit to sense the slip of the mobile robot by comparing the first rotation angle with the second rotation angle. The driving motor control unit controls the driving motor to travel straight in a specified pattern.
US08271132B2
Systems, methods, and user interfaces are used for controlling a robot. An environment map and a robot designator are presented to a user. The user may place, move, and modify task designators on the environment map. The task designators indicate a position in the environment map and indicate a task for the robot to achieve. A control intermediary links task designators with robot instructions issued to the robot. The control intermediary analyzes a relative position between the task designators and the robot. The control intermediary uses the analysis to determine a task-oriented autonomy level for the robot and communicates target achievement information to the robot. The target achievement information may include instructions for directly guiding the robot if the task-oriented autonomy level indicates low robot initiative and may include instructions for directing the robot to determine a robot plan for achieving the task if the task-oriented autonomy level indicates high robot initiative.
US08271129B2
A power-saving robot system includes at least one peripheral device and a mobile robot. The peripheral device includes a controller having an active mode and a hibernation mode, and a wireless communication component capable of activation in the hibernation mode. A controller of the robot has an activating routine that communicates with and temporarily activates the peripheral device, via wireless communication, from the hibernation mode. In another aspect, a robot system includes a network data bridge and a mobile robot. The network data bridge includes a broadband network interface, a wireless command interface, and a data bridge component. The data bridge component extracts serial commands received via the broadband network interface from an internet protocol, applies a command protocol thereto, and broadcasts the serial commands via the wireless interface. The mobile robot includes a wireless command communication component that receives the serial commands transmitted from the network data bridge.
US08271127B2
In a method of sorting mailpieces in a plurality of sorting passes in a postal sorting machine (10) provided with sorting outlets so as to sequence the mailpieces in the sorting outlets for delivery in the order of a delivery round, delivery points defining the delivery round are grouped together into disjoint subsets of delivery points. For the various sorting passes, the delivery points of each subset are associated every time with a common sorting outlet. Statistical data (11) is retrieved from a memory of the machine, which data is associated with respective ones of said delivery points, and is representative of the volume of mail delivered in association with the delivery point in question, and successive delivery points are grouped together into a common subset of delivery points by taking account of said statistical data associated with said delivery points.
US08271126B2
A method and a configuration for handling objects, wherein a multiplicity of objects are stored in a storage container and one or more objects to be processed are divided from objects to remain in storage. Depending on the number of objects to be processed or depending on a differential value between the total number of objects in the storage container and the number of objects to be processed, a decision is made whether the division of the object or objects to be processed from the objects to remain in storage takes place in the storage container by the object or objects to be processed being removed directly from the storage container, the objects to remain in storage remaining in the storage container during said removal operation, or whether the division of the object or the objects to be processed from the objects to remain in storage takes place outside the storage container by all of the objects being removed from the storage container and the division of the objects to be processed from the objects to remain in storage taking place separately from the storage container.
US08271118B2
A method for computer-aided generation determining of a method plan for the manufacture of sheet-metal forming parts by way of forming processes, comprises the following steps: determining a set of geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of a part (10) in a geometry model of the part (10), wherein each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is described by a feature type and by way of geometric parameters for describing the geometric shape of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); determining an associated method standard for each of the geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), wherein a method standard describes one variant for manufacturing the respective geometry feature (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), the selection of the method standards which may be associated with a certain geometry features (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), is dependent on the feature type of the geometry feature (11, 12, 13, 14, 15), and wherein a method standard comprises at least one module, and a module represents a processing unit and describes which processing unit may be executed within a forming operation; producing, using the data processing unit, the method plan for manufacturing the part (10), the method plan comprising a representation of the manufacturing process as a sequence of forming operations, each forming operation being associated with one or more modules as defined by the method standards associated with the geometry features of the part.
US08271112B2
A music information retrieval system of the present invention can retrieve unknown songs including singing voices having similar voice timbres. Voice timbre features of the songs and identifiers for the respective songs are stored in voice timbre feature storage section 2. When one of the songs is selected, similarity calculation section 3 calculates voice timbre similarities between the selected song and the respective remaining songs, based on voice timbre features of the selected song and the other songs. Similar song retrieval and display section 5 displays on a display 10 a plurality of identifiers for songs which are similar to the selected song in voice timbre. Song data reproduction section 6 reproduces song data corresponding to one or more identifiers selected from among the plurality of identifiers displayed on the display 10.
US08271100B2
A medical electrical lead includes a lead body, an inner assembly extending throught the lead body, an outer insulative layer covering the inner assembly, and an electrode mounted outside the exterior surface of the outer insulative layer. The inner assembly includes an elongate inner structure forming a lumen, an elongate conductor extending along an outer surface of the inner structure, and a conductive fitting coupled to the elongate conductor.
US08271086B2
Approaches for adjusting the pacing energy delivered by a pacemaker are provided. Adjusting the pacing energy involves performing a plurality of capture threshold tests, each capture threshold test measuring a capture threshold of the heart. One or more measured captured thresholds are selected, including at least one capture threshold that is higher relative to other measured capture thresholds acquired by the plurality of capture threshold tests. The pacing energy is adjusted based on the one or more selected capture thresholds.
US08271079B2
A method of analyzing a composition of a human body having a plurality of body segments is disclosed. The method can include applying a current signal to a body. The method can further include simultaneously measuring a plurality of voltage signals from a plurality of measuring positions of the body during a predetermined period, and processing at least two of the plurality of voltage signals to determine a composition parameter of a body segment so as to assess or analyze composition of the body.
US08271061B2
A connection arrangement for connecting together two superconductor cables, each having a central conductor comprising at least one superconductive part, a dielectric layer surrounding said central conductor, a shield surrounding said dielectric layer and a cryogenic enclosure surrounding said shield, the connection arrangement has an electrical splicing device for splicing together the central conductors and stripped dielectric layers of the corresponding shields. This connection arrangement has a covering made of semi-conductive material that is placed between the two shield ends and an electrical connection device for connecting together the two shield ends, the connection device surrounding the covering, being contained in the cryogenic enclosure, and comprising two junction elements each electrically and mechanically joined to a respective one of the shield ends, and an electrical splicing arrangement for splicing together the two junction elements.
US08271049B2
A method, mobile terminal, and system for selectively establishing an outgoing caller ID on a mobile terminal served by a wireless network, for identifying a line called on a mobile terminal, and for directing a call from a mobile terminal to a network subscriber based on accessed information of the subscriber in the subscriber's network.
US08271039B2
A system for processing a call from a subscriber in a telecommunication network includes a service-oriented architecture-based orchestrator configured to communicate with legacy communication platforms and next-generation communication platforms, and to an application layer or intelligent network (IN) portion of the telecommunication network. The orchestrator is configured to receive a multi-part service request corresponding to the call from the subscriber, where the multi-part service request includes multiple individual service requests. A service database is configured to provide an identity and network location of multiple control points (service control points, telco control points), where each control point corresponds to an individual service request. Protocol adapters provide a communication interface with each control point, and with the core network. A network service orchestrator simultaneously communicates with each control point and requests processing instructions corresponding to the individual service request. Processing instructions corresponding to the respective individual service request received from each control point facilitate processing the call and implementing the services requested.
US08271032B2
An apparatus and a method for measuring reception power of a base station in a mobile communication terminal having at least two Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first terminal unit associated with a first SIM card and a terminal unit associated with each of the remaining at least two SIM cards. The first terminal unit measures a reception power of at least one base station when the mobile communication terminal operates in an idle mode. The terminal units associated with the remaining at least two SIM cards shares the reception power of the at least one base station measured by the first terminal unit.
US08271031B2
Communication between an integrated device and a mobile application client on a mobile personal communication device is performed using a command being socket based and conforming with a standard network communications protocol. The command is forwarded to an intermediate module implemented as a hardware device on the mobile personal communication device, the intermediate module configured for socket based communication according to the standard network communications protocol, the command addressed to an address assigned to a peripheral device of the mobile personal communication device.
US08271022B2
A wireless device, such as a mobile phone, and a method for operating the wireless device to access a media option. The wireless device may include a media player; a radio signal receiver system configured to receive media signals; a controller comprising a memory comprising a list of different media options, indicating media items the user is interested in taking part of and a media scanner configured to scan the radio signal receiver system to detect media content associated with the media options; a user input interface to select one media item currently indicted as detected; and a media selector configured to pass received media signals relating to the selected media item to the media player.
US08271021B2
A mobile terminal and a method of performing functions using the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal performs various functions using color information acquired through a color sensor, and the method performs functions using the mobile terminal.
US08271015B2
A wireless blood glucose meter (2) has a blood glucose level detector (21), a transmitter (22), a receiver (23), a storage component (24), and a transmission power determiner (25). Whether or not an acknowledge signal has been received and the transmission power when the transmitter (22) has transmitted a blood glucose level are stored as history information in the storage component (24), and the transmission power determiner (25) determines the transmission power when the transmitter (22) transmits on the basis of the history information stored in the storage component (24).
US08271013B2
A method for transmitting data flows between a network element and a number of receivers over a first channel. The method comprises the steps of: performing a link adaptation for the transmission of a data flow by said network element, and transmitting the data flow, transmitting an indication of a channel quality required for reception of the data flow on a second channel, receiving by said receivers said indication of channel quality, measuring a link quality by said receivers by monitoring a pilot channel, comparing said measured link quality with said received indication of the channel quality, and transmitting to said network element result of said comparison of said measured link quality with said received indication of the channel quality, if said result is lower than a predetermined value. The invention also relates to a network element and a user equipment.
US08271010B2
A management device in a wireless communication system including a first communication terminal, a second communication terminal, a base station, includes a storage unit to store information related to an operation state of the second communication terminal associated with the first communication terminal as a communication counterpart, and a control unit that identifies the operation state of the associated second terminal based on the information stored in the storage unit, and changes an intermittent reception period of the first communication terminal to be longer than an existing period, based on the state of the second communication terminal.
US08271009B2
A method for interrupting voice transmissions within a multi site communication system includes operating a repeater to engage in an interruptible voice communication; to identify an open burst location based on a repeat delay when the interruptible voice communication is sourced directly via a wireless network, and to identify the open burst location as irrelevant when the interruptible voice communication is indirectly sourced via a wireless network; and repeat the interruptible voice communication including the open burst location.
US08271005B2
A portable user interface device for performing wireless communications. The device includes a case, a display screen, a speaker, a microphone, a sensor, and a computer. The computer is disposed behind the display screen to define a display side, and the sensor is located adjacent the display side. The computer is programmed to control operation of the display screen and to operate a wireless form-filling module, a wireless data transfer module, and an application module. The form-filling module is of a type adapted to promote source data-type interface with a client server servicing the user interface device and limited data transfer capacity. The data transfer module includes a wireless transceiver and is adapted to communicate with a data transfer service on a non-priority, limited size basis. The application module performs a designated operation via the form-filling module and the data transfer module, displaying indicia immediately adjacent the sensor.
US08271000B1
Disclosed herein is a method for repeat paging in a wireless communication system. In accordance with the method, a RAN controller will send a repeat-paging directive to a plurality of BTSs to cause each BTS to begin broadcast of a series of page messages destined to a target mobile station. While transmitting the series, one of the BTSs will then receive from the mobile station a page response, and the BTS will responsively provide to the RAN controller a notification of the page response. In response to receipt of the notification, the RAN controller will then send a paging-stop directive to at least each other BTS of the plurality, and each BTS that receives the paging-stop directive will responsively discontinue broadcasting the series of page messages before completing broadcast of the entire series of page messages, thereby helping to conserve air interface resources.
US08270990B2
Techniques to provide enhanced message management services are described. An apparatus may comprise a mobile computing device having a radio module operative to establish a wireless communication channel with a wireless resource, and a message manager communicatively coupled to the radio module. The message manager may be operative to receive a message size parameter for a message, determine a first time parameter representing a length of time needed to communicate the message based on an available bandwidth parameter, determine a second time parameter representing a length of time available to communicate the message based on an available power parameter, and send a transmit control directive to the radio module indicating whether to communicate the message over the wireless communication channel based on the first and second time parameters. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08270987B2
A radio base station for a mobile radio network, includes a set of remote units connected with the radio base station, preferably via a radio over fibre arrangement. Each remote unit provides radio cell coverage by means of a set of communication channels, and is equipped with a respective set of antenna elements. The communication channels are distributed over the antenna elements according to an assignment scheme that is dynamically variable.
US08270983B2
Embodiments of an apparatus and methods for selecting a communication line from two or more lines on a communication device are described herein. The communication device comprises a display module, an input module, a line selection module, and a communication module for making a call over a network to a target recipient. In at least one broad aspect, priority rankings are determined based on a number of factors and selection of a communication line accessible at the communication device on which an outgoing call may be placed is made based on the priority rankings. A list of communication lines ordered by priority rankings may also be displayed.
US08270980B2
A method for controlling a handover and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus includes an interface to communicate with mobile units and a processing unit to determine a need for a mobile unit having more than one ongoing service connection to execute a handover and to send a handover command to the mobile unit through the interface, the handover command instructing the mobile unit to handover part of the ongoing service connections to a new network.
US08270974B2
An apparatus for a fast reactive handover in an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) mobile system is provided, in which a message receiver receives a new connection notification message from a point of attachment when the point of attachment makes a new connection with a mobile unit, and a message transmitter sends a router advertisement (RA) message to the mobile unit in response to receiving the new connection notification message.
US08270972B2
A method for selecting an alternate wireless communication system for a wireless communication device is disclosed. The method comprises using a first radio access technology (RAT) by a wireless communication device when scanning (202) for an initial wireless communication network (201). The wireless communication device further registers (215) to the initial wireless communication network (201). Then, the initial wireless communication network (201) determines (206) alternate RAT wireless communication network information for the wireless communication device and sends (235) the alternate RAT wireless communication network information to the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device receives the alternate RAT wireless communication network information and selects (240) a first alternate wireless communication network from within the alternate RAT wireless communication network information, scans for the first alternate wireless communication network using an alternate RAT and registers with the first alternate wireless communication network using the alternate RAT.
US08270969B1
Methods and systems for adjusting the access search window based on the movement of a mobile station (MS) are disclosed. The MS searches for pilot signals using a search window that has an initial size. At a first and second time, the MS determines its position. The MS then determines the distance between the position of the MS at the first time and the second time. When the distance is less than a threshold distance, the MS measures the strength of a pilot signal within the access search window and identifies one or more signal peaks within the access search window that are above a specified signal strength. Next, the MS modifies the access search window into one or more smaller access search windows. The one or more smaller access search windows collectively have a size that is smaller than the initial size.
US08270968B1
Systems and methods for handoff of a mobile node between first and second points of attachment are provided. A communication between a first and second mobile node is optimized and conducted independent of a home agent. During the handoff process the communications directed to the mobile node performing the handoff are routed to the mobile node's home agent. Once the handoff process is complete the communication is again optimized and conducted independent of home agents.
US08270964B1
The communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, an attached file email implementer, a geographic location implementer, a dictionary implementer, a schedule notification implementer, a multiple visual data display implementer, a touch panel implementer, a communication device search implementer, a resume enabled video game implementer, and an eticket download implementer.
US08270963B1
A commercial off-the-shelf smartphone is adapted, through software modifications only, to provide multiple operating domains or domains that provide differing levels of security and reliability. Each operating domain is isolated from the others. Detection of unauthorized modification is provided. Cross domain activity notification is provided.
US08270955B2
A system and computer-implemented method for positioning targeted sponsored content on a mobile communication facility includes the steps of (a) receiving data corresponding to a transaction event having been conducted by a user and correlating the user with their associated mobile communication facility, wherein the transaction event includes transmission of data representative of a first set of products or services having been purchased by the user; (b) selecting advertising content based at least upon a relevance between an advertisement for a second product or a second service and the purchased first set of products or services in the transaction event, wherein the relevance is further based on information relating to compatibility of the advertising content, second product, or second service with the mobile communication facility; and (c) presenting the selected advertising content on a display of the mobile communication facility.
US08270943B2
A charging detail record transmission capability is provided herein. A mobile gateway (MG) generates charging detail records (CDRs) intended for delivery to a charging gateway function (CGF). The CDRs are propagated toward both a first and second charging data function (CDFs). The first and second CDFs buffer the CDRs. The first CDF is configured for propagating CDRs toward the CGF. The second CDF is configured for propagating CDRs toward the CGF when the first CDF fails. The CGF is configured for acknowledging receipt of CDRs to the first or second CDF from which the CDRs are received. The first CDF is configured for acknowledging, to the second CDF, receipt of acknowledgment messages from the first CDF. The second CDF is configured for, upon failure of the first CDF, initiating a process for determining which of the CDRs buffered at the second CDF need to be propagated to the CGF in order to ensure that none of the CDRs generated by the MG are lost due to the failure of the first CDF.
US08270936B2
A method and apparatus for the selection of an emergency number in a mobile station having a geographic indicator, the method comprising the steps of and the apparatus characterized by means for: determining whether a user is attempting to reach an emergency service provider; and if the user is attempting to reach an emergency service provider, connecting to a network if the mobile station is not already connected to a network; looking up an emergency dial string in a look-up table based on the geographic indicator and the network connected to; and sending the emergency dial string.
US08270933B2
A portable device includes a safety feature that prevents some forms of use when the device is moving. The device may detect its speed or movement, compare that to a threshold, and provide a response or blocking function upon exceeding that threshold. The device may be a cell phone configured to disable transmission and reception of voice/text, conceal its display screen, and disable incorporated features and functions, if the cell phone is moving faster than walking speed or the movement is uncharacteristic of walking. The blocking function may be partially overridden based on a safety policy, which can be managed and customized. The introduction of hands-free devices may serve to override a blocking function and enable other functions.
US08270929B1
An RF shielding device for application to mobile devices includes an RF blocking screen material configured to cover a front face of the mobile device. The screen material includes a grounding material that contacts a body portion of the mobile device for grounding the screen material to the mobile device. The RF shielding device allows proper operation of a touchscreen interface. The RF shielding device may be configured as a self-adhesive material dimensioned to cover a substantial portion of the front face of the mobile device. Alternatively, the RF shielding device may be constructed as a case or protective shell.
US08270925B2
An extended antenna module includes an antenna section and an extended wireless interface. The antenna section is operable to receive an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal when an antenna select signal is in a first state and/or transmit an outbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in the first state. The extended wireless interface is operable to wirelessly receive the outbound RF signal from a unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state and wirelessly transmit the inbound RF signal to the unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state.
US08270921B2
Systems and methods for tuning an antenna for a frequency modulation (FM) transceiver are provided. A representative system includes: a network of electrical adjustable passive components that receives and sends radio frequency (RF) signals to a receiver circuitry via the network of electrical adjustable passive components. The receiver circuitry determines the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the RF signal. The system further includes a transmitter circuitry that transmits RF signals via the network of electrical adjustable passive components, and a peak detector circuitry that receives and determines a voltage output of the RF signals from the variable capacitors. An auto-tune circuitry receives the RSSI and output value from the receiver circuitry and the peak detector circuitry, respectively. The auto-tune circuitry is configured to adjust capacitance values of at least one of the serial variable capacitor and the parallel variable capacitor based on the RSSI and the voltage output during the reception and transmission of the RF signals, respectively.
US08270913B2
A transceiver includes an RF receiver section having a plurality of RF receiver stages configured in parallel, and a configurable RF transmitter section. The plurality of RF receiver stages are selectively enabled in response to a control signal. The configurable RF transmitter section is configured to operate in one of: a mixed signal mode of operation and a phase modulation mode of operation, in response to the control signal.
US08270912B2
Aspects of a method and system for a transformer in an integrated circuit package are provided. In this regard, signals may be transmitted and/or received via an antenna communicatively coupled to a transformer embedded in multi-layer integrated circuit package. The windings ratio of the transformer may be configured based on an impedance of the antenna, an impedance of a transmitter coupled to the transformer, an impedance of an LNA coupled to the transformer, and/or a power level of the received and/or transmitted signals. The windings ratio may be configured via one or more switching elements which may be MEMS switches embedded in the multi-layer IC package. The transformer may comprise a plurality of loops fabricated on a corresponding plurality of metal layers in the multi-layer IC package, and the loops may be communicatively coupled with one or more vias. The multi-layer IC package may comprise ferromagnetic and/or ferromagnetic materials.
US08270910B2
The present technology relates to protocols relative to utility meters associated with an open operational framework. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to protocol subject matter for advanced metering infrastructure, adaptable to various international standards, while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field. The present subject matter supports meters within an ANSI standard C12.22/C12.19 system while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field, all to permit cell-based adaptive insertion of C12.22 meters within an open framework. Cell isolation is provided through quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network. Additional features relate to apparatus and methodology subject matters related to Embedded RF environmental evaluation tool features to gauge the performance need of RF transceivers.
US08270903B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for displaying information in a mobile communication terminal using Bluetooth, and more particularly, a method for displaying information about each device to identify the device when searching for devices currently available for Bluetooth communication. The method includes checking whether a content information displaying function is set in a Bluetooth mode of the mobile communication terminal, and acquiring and displaying setting information and content information about devices currently available for Bluetooth communication. The method can discover and identify a device having the desired content by displaying content information about each device when searching for devices capable of performing Bluetooth communication for sharing or exchange of content.
US08270893B2
A questionnaire network in which a mobile device is used by user to create questionnaires and send it to other recipients. The questionnaire is created by user of mobile device using audio inputs for a questionnaire preamble and question preambles. A server in the network incorporates other generic portions of the questionnaire. Thus, a user can make adhoc questionnaires, send them to recipients and receive the results.
US08270890B2
A cleaning device includes: a removing unit that removes a toner on an image holder by coming into contact with the image holder that rotates; a transporting unit provided above the removing unit and adapted to cause the toner removed by the removing unit to be axially transported as the transporting unit rotates; and an accommodating container in which the transporting unit is provided and which accommodates the removed toner, and the transporting unit is movable in a direction in which the transporting unit moves away from the removing unit.
US08270886B2
In a transfer nip roller operative to transfer an image from an image carrier to a recording medium, a ratio (We3/Wt3)/(We30/Wt30) is 0.47 or more, where We3 is an elastic workload and Wt3 is a total workload measured by applying a load on a covering portion under a load push-in condition of 3 mN/10 seconds, and We30 is an elastic workload and Wt30 is a total workload measured by applying a load on the covering portion under a load push-in condition of 30 mN/10 seconds.
US08270880B2
A liquid developer cartridge detachably mounted in an image forming device includes a first accumulating section and a second accumulating section. The first accumulating section accumulates therein first liquid developer to be supplied to the image forming device. The liquid developer contains developing agent and carrier liquid. The second accumulating section accumulates therein one of the liquid carrier and second liquid developer having a developing agent concentration ratio lower than that of the first liquid developer.
US08270877B2
An apparatus includes: a main body; a moving member movable between an accommodation position and a separation position; a driving member rotatably provided in the main body; a passive member rotatably provided in the moving member and is opposed to the driving member in a rotation axis direction; and a driving force transmitting member provided between the driving member and the passive member. The driving force transmitting member is movably supported in the driving member along the rotation axis direction, a first connecting unit is engaged with the driving member and the driving force transmitting member by an unevenness so as to be movable in a first diameter direction, and a second connecting unit is engaged with the driving force transmitting member and the passive member by an unevenness so as to be movable in a second diameter direction.
US08270872B2
An image forming assembly includes a photoreceptor assembly that includes a photoreceptor, and an accommodating container that accommodates at least the photoreceptor and holds the photoreceptor with a part of the photoreceptor being exposed; a developing assembly that includes a developing member, and a developer container that accommodates at least the developer member and holds the developing member so as to position the developing member at a portion opposed to the photoreceptor; a connecting mechanism that connects the photoreceptor assembly to the developing assembly so that a distance between the photoreceptor and the developing member is changeable; a protection member that covers and protects the exposed portion of the photoreceptor; and guide members that are respectively provided on the accommodating container and the developer container, and that detachably guide the protection member with the protection member lying astride the two assemblies.
US08270864B2
Upon registration of such document data that a general affairs department issues a request to print out the document data to a sales department, the document data is registered in a billing management box designated as a registration destination in an MFP allocated to the sales department. The MFP adds a department ID of the general affairs department which is authentication information at this operation, as billing destination information, to the document data. When the general affairs department sets an upper limit of printout of the print data, an upper limit value counter is added to the document data. When the general affairs department issues a request of notification, a fact that the document data is registered is displayed on a panel of the MFP allocated to the sales department; thus, the sales department receives the notification.
US08270862B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus capable of controlling a fuser thereof to operate effectively even with a possible fluctuation in the AC voltage input. The image forming apparatus may include an input for receiving an AC voltage, a detector that outputs a DC voltage corresponding to a level of the AC voltage input, a fuser operable to produce heat according to the AC voltage input, a storage in which fusing temperature control information and a controller that controls the fuser using the fusing temperature control information corresponding to the DC voltage.
US08270859B2
An image forming apparatus and a control method of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium, a charger to charge the photosensitive medium, an exposing unit to expose light to the photosensitive medium to form a latent image on the photosensitive medium, a developing unit which is disposed opposite to the photosensitive medium to develop the latent image into a visible image, a density sensing unit to sense a density of an area of the photosensitive medium, and a controller to determine whether a preset developing condition corresponds to a background image generating condition based on the density sensed by the density sensing unit and to adjust the developing condition based on the determination.
US08270851B2
A system, a control apparatus, a control method and a computer program are provided which are configured to control a printing output in response to characteristics of a printing apparatus when a plurality of printing apparatuses has different characteristics. A host computer acquires apparatus information including characteristics information indicating the characteristics of a printer and thereby determines a priority order of printers in relation to the print data based on the characteristics information. The host computer then determines a printer to output the print data based on the determined priority order and outputs the print data to the determined printer.
US08270849B2
A method and apparatus for correcting of phase errors in a coherent optical receiver are disclosed. Embodiments include a method for calculating a phase error between in-phase and quadrature-phase component signals, multiplying the phase error by one of the component signals and subtracting the result from the other component signal to output a corrected signal.
US08270845B2
A device for processing data being optically transmitted via a LRM connection includes an optical splitter for splitting an input signal into a first output signal and a second output signal, the optical splitter having an operating wavelength with a value that is between 1260 nm and 1355 nm, wherein the optical splitter has an input end for receiving the input signal, a first output end for outputting the first output signal, and a second output end for outputting the second output signal.
US08270843B2
An optical transmission system capable of efficiently reducing waveform distortion of an optical signal. A transmitting-side distortion compensation coefficient storage of a transmitting station stores transmitting-side distortion compensation coefficients for compensating for waveform distortion of an optical signal to be transmitted to a receiving station. A transmit signal processor performs distortion compensation on the optical signal on the basis of a suitable transmitting-side distortion compensation coefficient stored in the transmitting-side distortion compensation coefficient storage. A transmitter transmits the distortion-compensated signal to a transmission path. A receiver of the receiving station receives the optical signal from the transmission path. A receiving-side distortion compensation coefficient storage stores receiving-side distortion compensation coefficients for compensating for waveform distortion of the optical signal received by the receiver. A received signal processor performs distortion compensation on the received optical signal on the basis of a suitable receiving-side distortion compensation coefficient.
US08270842B2
Signal light, pumping light and control light having different wavelengths are input to a nonlinear optical medium. The power of the pumping light is controlled to generate a desired gain in the nonlinear optical medium. The power of the control light is controlled to saturate the gain of the nonlinear optical medium.
US08270836B2
A signal transmitting device includes a transmitter, a receiver, and four optical fibers. The transmitter includes a first electro-optical converter electro-optically converting original electrical red video signal into optical red video signal in original video signal, a second electro-optical converter electro-optically converting original electrical green video signal into optical green video signal a third electro-optical converter electro-optically converting original electrical blue video signal into optical blue video signal, a parallel/serial converter converting original electrical parallel signal having a lower transfer rate than a transfer rate of the original video signal into original electrical serial signal, and a fourth electro-optical converter electro-optically converting the original electrical serial signal transmitted from the parallel/serial converter into optical serial signal. The receiver includes a first optical-electro converter, a second optical-electro converter, a third optical-electro converter, a fourth optical-electro converter, a clock signal generator, and a serial/parallel converter.
US08270835B2
A method for reducing cross-phase modulation in an optical signal includes receiving an optical signal comprising a plurality of channels, wherein the information being communicated in a first set of one or more of the channels is modulated using one or more single-polarization modulation techniques and wherein the information being communicated in a second set of one or more of the channels is modulated using one or more dual-polarization modulation techniques. The method also includes splitting the optical signal into at least a first copy of the optical signal and a second copy of the optical signal and terminating the second set of channels in the first copy. Furthermore, the method includes applying a differential group delay to the second copy, the differential group delay introducing a walk-off between symbols communicated in a first polarization component of the second set of channels and the symbols of a second polarization component of the second set of channels. In addition, the method includes terminating the first set of channels in the second copy, combining the first set of channels in the first copy and the second set of channels in the second copy, and forwarding the combined channels.
US08270834B2
The present invention is directed towards a frequency modulated (FM) burst mode optical system that allows optical signals having a common wavelength provided by a plurality of FM burst mode optical transmitters to be passively combined onto a single optical fiber. A single FM optical receiver receives the combined signals and processes them accordingly. Each FM burst mode optical transmitter includes an FM modulator, a carrier detect circuit and a laser. The FM modulator modulates a carrier signal, such as a 1.21 GHz signal, with received reverse electrical signals. When a subcarrier signal is detected by the carrier detect circuit, the laser is turned and the frequency modulated carrier signal is used to intensity modulate a laser to provide an optical signal. Due to the burst-mode transmission of optical signals, the optical signals can be passively combined and transmitted to a single optical receiver.
US08270827B2
A camera lens accessory holder includes an attachment ring configured to couple to a camera lens accessory such as a lens cap or filter, a base coupled to the attachment ring and a holder mount coupled to the base opposite the attachment ring for removably attaching the holder to an external support structure. The base optionally includes a logo surface facing the attachment ring and optionally includes one or more visual elements such as a logo, text, photograph, or symbol. Some embodiments of a camera lens accessory holder include more than one attachment ring. Other embodiments are provided with means for attaching two holders to each other, one each on opposite sides of a flexible strap or belt. Some embodiments include a clip for attachment of a camera lens accessory holder to a belt, strap, or thin sheet of material.
US08270821B2
A media data playback device is capable of simultaneously parsing and decoding two different sections of streaming media, one of which comprises a replay section. The device shows replay progress of the replay section on a progress bar and allows switching positions during replaying of the replay section.
US08270819B2
Techniques for selecting a picture of a video program for display in accordance with a selected trick play mode of a DVR are described herein. Sometimes, when desired playback speed is faster than normal, a DVR is forced to select some pictures to play and some pictures to skip. Ideally, in order to preserve “smooth” viewing quality, the next picture to be displayed should be temporally close to the currently displayed picture. Since some pictures can take longer to decode than others, accounting for picture decoding costs helps ensure that the best picture can be selected for decoding given playback speed requirements. According to one embodiment of the invention, for each picture of a plurality of pictures in a video data stream, a DVR determines a decoding cost for that picture. Based on the determined costs, the DVR selects a particular picture. The DVR outputs the selected picture for display.
US08270818B2
Systems, methods and media for managing extended program content for a digital video recorder (DVR) are disclosed. Embodiments of a method may include determining an amount of extended program content to record in addition to the program to be recorded, where the extended program content is associated with the program to be recorded. The extended content may include either or both of program pre-content or program post-content. The method may also include recording the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded. In a further embodiment, the method may include receiving an indication that the user desires to view extended program content and playing at least part of the extended program content. Determining the amount of extended program content to record may be based on one or more of available storage space, a specified time, a specified file size, user preferences, or other factors.
US08270817B2
A recording apparatus is for a DVD on which a TS-VOB, and pieces of playback path information each showing a playback path of the TS-VOB are recorded. When extended control with various contents can be executed by an apparatus at the time of playback, an extended attribute section in which extended control is valid is specified in accordance with the contents of the extended control. When an extended attribute section is to be uniformly specified for playback paths of the TS-VOB, a section marker for specifying a location of the extended attribute section of the TS-VOB is generated in VOB information. When an extended attribute section is to be individually specified for one playback path, a section marker specifying a location of the extended attribute section of the playback path is generated in PGC information. The generated VOB information and PGC information are written to the DVD.
US08270815B2
An online video and audio editing method and system can create edited final products by performing video and audio editing via a communication network. The system includes a server, which provides downloadable operator interface software; and a client terminal, which is connected with the server via a communication network. The client terminal downloads the operator interface software from the server to allow selection of target files, and generation of an editing result file by recording the editing information of each selected target file in a text format. The editing information is transmitted back to the server, and includes a priority order, a time to start playback, and a playback length of each selected target file. The server synthesizes all target files in accordance with the editing result file to create the edited final product.
US08270807B2
A pair of main-view and sub-view video streams and a graphics stream are recorded on a BD-ROM disc. Metadata is provided in each GOP in the sub-view video stream. The metadata includes offset information. The offset information specifies offset control for a plurality of pictures constituting a GOP. Offset control is to provide a left offset and right offset for the horizontal coordinates in a graphics plane to generate a pair of graphics planes, and to combine them separately with main-view and sub-view video planes. The sub-view video stream is packetized and multiplexed in a transport stream. A header of each TS packet includes a TS priority flag. TS packets containing the metadata have a different value of TS priority flag from TS packets containing sub-view pictures.
US08270800B2
An information processing apparatus decodes compression-coded video data including I-pictures, P-pictures, and B-pictures. The information processing apparatus includes at least one decoder decoding the compression-coded video data, a supply controller controlling the supply of the compression-coded video data to the decoder, and a controller controlling processing executed by the supply controller and the decoder. The decoder includes a bank memory for storing decoded picture data, and the controller controls the timing at which a picture stored in the bank memory is released by changing the value of a first counter indicating a number of times for which the picture stored in the bank memory is referred to when a P-picture or a B-picture is decoded by the decoder.
US08270794B2
The amount of heat generated at a light input portion of a light guide for endoscopes constituted by a plurality of bundled optical fibers is suppressed. The light guide for endoscopes is constituted by a plurality of bundled optical fibers, for propagating an illuminating light beam, which is focused and caused to enter a light input end facet thereof, to a light output end facet thereof, to emit the illuminating light beam onto a portion to be observed. A transparent member having a sectional shape which is at least as large as the focused spot of the illuminating light beam is provided in close contact with the light input end facets of the optical fibers. The optical fibers are connected to the transparent member in a maximally densely packed state.
US08270790B2
There is provided a planar optical waveguide element comprises a core of an optical waveguide; and first Bragg grating pattern and second Bragg grating pattern that are provided on the core, wherein the first Bragg grating pattern and the second Bragg grating pattern are mutually parallel along a propagation direction of guided light.
US08270784B2
An optical adapter that is arranged to connect two or more optical devices that have different connector layouts, the optical adapter comprising a material through which a plurality of waveguides is formed, the waveguides defining a first connector configuration at one end or face of the material and a second connector configuration at another, or same end or face of the material.
US08270782B2
An optical fiber sensor may include an optical fiber configured to receive a light having a first frequency from a light source and to transmit the light through the optical fiber, the transmitted light having the first frequency and a second frequency which is generated by stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), a photodetector configured to receive the transmitted light from the optical fiber and to convert the transmitted light into an electric signal and a sensing circuit configured to calculate an average squared value of the electric signal received from the photodetector, which is dependent on a frequency difference between the first frequency and the second frequency.
US08270780B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical switch system using optical interference. An optical switch system (1) comprises an input part (2) of an optical signal, a branching part (3) of the signal, a main Mach-Zehnder waveguide (MZC) (7), a first intensity modulator (9) provided on a first arm (4) for controlling an amplitude of an optical signal propagating through the first arm (4), a second intensity modulator (10) provided on a second arm (5) for controlling an amplitude of an optical signal propagating through the second arm (5), and a combining part (6) of the signals outputted from the first arm and the second arm, wherein one or both of the branching part (3) and the combining part (6) are X-branched.
US08270773B2
According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a super-resolution converter, a reducing module, and a restoring module. The super-resolution converter estimates, upon receipt of a first image signal with first resolution, an original pixel value from the first image signal and increases pixels to obtain a second image signal with second resolution higher than the first resolution. The first image signal and the second image signal include a combination of a luminance signal and a color difference signal. The reducing module reduces a first quantization bit rate of the color difference signal in the first image signal to be input to the super-resolution converter to a second quantization bit rate. The restoring module restores the second quantization bit rate of the color difference signal in the second image signal to the first quantization bit rate.
US08270771B2
What is disclosed is a method for iterative seam selection in an image resizing system utilizing a seam carving technique. In one embodiment, an importance map is generated for a received source image. Seams are carved through the image from one edge to an opposite edge. An energy is computed for each seam based on pixel importance values. A distance is computed from each seam to a previously selected seam. A weighting for each seam is computed using a defined weighting function and the calculated seam distances. The weighting is applied to the energy of each seam produce a revised energy for each seam. A seam is selected based on the produced revised energy. The image is resized at a location of the selected seam. The process repeats until the image has been resized to a desired target output dimension. In such a manner, unnatural image resizing results are avoided.
US08270770B1
In one embodiment, a method comprises determining an initial set of feature correspondences for a pair of images of a three dimensional (3D) space; identifying one or more first regions in one of the pair of images and one or more second regions in the other one of the pair of images. The method comprises identifying additional feature correspondences by matching first regions and second regions in the pair of images and generating a motion of a camera in the 3D space responsive to the initial set of feature correspondences and the additional feature correspondences, wherein the camera captured the images. Each of the first regions and the second regions potentially maps to a plane in the 3D space corresponding to the images. Additionally, each of the first regions and the second regions includes at least one feature in the initial set of feature correspondences.
US08270767B2
A system for providing stitched video from a first camera and a second camera to an electronic display system includes a processing circuit configured to associate a view a first camera with an approximate location. The processing circuit is further configured to build relationship data between the first camera and a second camera using the approximate location. The processing circuit is further configured to transform video from the first camera relative to video from the second camera, the transformation based on the relationship data. The processing circuit is further configured to use the transformed video to cause the stitched video to be provided to the electronic display system.
US08270739B2
Several quality-aware transcoding systems and methods are described, in which the impact of both quality factor (QF) and scaling parameter choices on the quality of transcoded images are considered in combination. A basic transcoding system is enhanced by the addition of a quality prediction look-up table, and a method of generating such a table is also shown.
US08270738B2
A method of losslessly compressing and encoding signals representing image information is claimed. A lossy compressed data file and a residual compressed data file are generated. When the lossy compressed data file and the residual compressed data file are combined, a lossless data file that is substantially identical to the original data file is created.
US08270737B2
An image processing apparatus for correcting a dislocation of image, pixels being arranged in a first and second directions perpendicular to each other, including: a section which breaks down a correction amount of the image of each pixel in the second direction into a first shift amount with a unit of a prescribed block, a second shift amount with a unit of the pixel, and a third shift amount less than the pixel size; a minimal shift section which shifts the image data by the third shift amount; a pixel unit shift section which shifts the image data by the second shift amount; and a block unit shift section which shifts the image data by the first shift amount, during compression and storage processing of the image data in the block unit, and executing arrangement of the image data after reading-out and expanding the compressed image data.
US08270736B2
Device, computer readable medium, and method for selecting compression modes to be applied in a depth buffer (20). The method includes obtaining values corresponding to a tile (30) of the depth buffer (20), selecting a first compression mode (34) from a first plurality of compression modes, compressing the values of the tile (30), writing the compressed values into a first block, based on the first mode (34), and using a preset number of primary bits (34) to store information related to at least one of the first mode (34) and a compression size of the first block, selecting a set of secondary compression modes (32) from a second plurality of compression modes, determining a number of sub-tiles (28), that make up the tile (30), compressing values of the sub-tiles, writing the compressed values into a second block, based on the set of secondary modes (32), and using the same preset number of primary bits (34) to store information related to at least one of the set of secondary modes (32) and a compression size of the second block, comparing the compression size of the tile (30) to the compression size of the sub-tiles (28), choosing the first mode (34) or the set of secondary modes (32) and a corresponding tile size based on a result of the comparing, and storing the selected compressed tile or sub-tiles into the depth buffer (20) and writing into the preset number of primary bits (34) information related to the chosen first mode (34) or set of secondary compression modes (32) or a corresponding size.
US08270731B2
A method of identifying an image classification for an input digital image comprising receiving an input digital image for a captured scene; receiving a range map which represents range information associated with the input digital image, wherein the range information represents distances between the captured scene and a known reference location; identifying the image classification using both the range map and the input digital image; and storing the image classification in association with the input digital image in a processor-accessible memory system.
US08270728B2
An information processing apparatus inputs image data including a first pixel group, a second pixel group generated by interpolating the first pixel group and verification data of the first pixel group, verifies whether the first pixel group has been altered using the first pixel group and the verification data, verifies whether the second pixel group has been altered by determining whether the second pixel group and the first pixel group are in a predetermined relationship, and determines whether the image data has been altered based on results of the verification as to whether the first pixel group has been altered and the verification as to whether the second pixel group has been altered.
US08270721B2
In a method for acquiring data from a machine-readable document for assignment to fields of a database, individual data are extracted substantially automatically from the document and entered into the corresponding database fields. If data cannot be extracted from the document with a desired degree of reliability for one or more particular database fields, then the steps are executed of displaying the document onto the display screen, displaying on the display screen the at least one or more database fields for which the data cannot be extracted with the desired degree of reliability, and executing a proposal routine with which string sections in the vicinity of a pointer movable by a user on the display screen are selected, marked, and proposed for extraction.
US08270720B1
The present invention includes a method of secure data entry that enables complex data entry work to be performed by unskilled workers that results in data entry with higher productivity, higher quality and higher security than data entry performed by highly skilled workers. The invention identifies data fields on an electronic image of an identified input page, sequences identified data field images, and individually displays data field images for manual data entry. The invention also provides for extracting data from a data field image and displaying extracted data along with the corresponding data field image for approval or correction. Sequenced data field images are optionally reordered or randomized for display and manual entry.
US08270716B2
Image processing is done by separating image data into foreground image data, background image data, and mask image data. The foreground image data is divided into a plurality of square blocks composed of a plurality of pixels. The difference between maximum pixel values and minimum pixel values in each square block is compared to a threshold value. If the difference is below the threshold, the pixel value data in the square block is averaged. If the difference is above the threshold, the plurality of square blocks may be subdivided into smaller square blocks and the difference calculated again. If the difference is below the threshold, the pixel value data in the smaller square block is averaged. If the difference is above the threshold, the smaller square block is not averaged. Each of the foreground image data, background image data and mask image data are then individually compressed and merged.
US08270704B2
A method for reconstructing a 3D shape model of an object by using multi-view image information, includes: inputting multi-view images obtained by photographing the object from multiple viewpoints in a voxel space, and extracting silhouette information and color information of the multi-view images; reconstructing visual hulls by silhouette intersection using the silhouette information; and approximating polygons of cross-sections of the visual hulls to a natural geometric shape of the object by using the color information. Further, the method includes expressing a 3D geometric shape of the object by connecting the approximated polygons to create a mesh structure; extracting color textures of a surface of the object by projecting meshes of the mesh structure to the multi-view image; and creating a 3D shape model by modeling natural shape information and surface color information of the object.
US08270701B2
Techniques are described in which an image capture device captures image data from web material. The image data comprises pixel values for the cross-web field of view of the image capture device. An analysis computer includes a computer-readable medium that stores parameters for a plurality of different normalization algorithms to normalize a cross-web background signal for the image capture device to a common desired value. The computer-readable medium further stores coefficients specifying a weighting for each of the plurality of normalization algorithms. The analysis computer computes a normalized value for each of the pixels of the image data as a weighted summation of results from application of at least two of the pixel normalization algorithms using the stored parameters.
US08270694B2
A variety of embodiments relate to systems, methods, circuits and devices are implemented to perform location-based correlations. One such embodiment relates to a circuit-implemented method for use with an actual probe within an anatomical structure. For a virtual probe at a virtual location within a model of the anatomical structure, virtual image data captured by the virtual probe is generated. The virtual image data is assessed through a probabilistic comparison of the virtual image data to actual image data captured by the actual probe at an actual location. Based upon the assessment, a correlation is updated between the actual location of the actual probe and a sensed location of the actual probe to provide synchronicity between the sensed location and actual location. For maintaining the synchronicity between a subsequently sensed location and subsequent actual location, the assessment is used to select a new virtual location for the virtual probe.
US08270693B2
A method for deploying a device in a tortuous vessel, comprising: creating a virtual representation of the tortuous vessel; placing a virtual generalized-cylinder within the virtual representation of the tortuous vessel, wherein the virtual generalized-cylinder is placed within the virtual representation of the tortuous vessel by (i) calculating the centerline of the virtual representation of the tortuous vessel, and (ii) generating the virtual generalized-cylinder by defining an extent along the centerline of the virtual representation of the tortuous vessel and constructing the virtual generalized-cylinder about the centerline; measuring length along the perimeter of the virtual generalized-cylinder at a pre-determined number of longitudes, wherein the longitudes extend parallel to the centerline, and further wherein measuring length along the perimeter of the virtual device at a pre-determined number of longitudes comprises marching down the centerline of the virtual generalized-cylinder, incrementally adding to an array of longitudinal length counters as progressing along the centerline; determining the maximum measured length; selecting a device based upon the maximum measured length; and deploying the device in the tortuous vessel.
US08270684B2
A computer-implemented method for automatically sharing media between users is provided. Collections of images are received from different users, where each collection is associated with a particular user and the users may be associated with each other. The collections are grouped into one or more albums based on the content of the images in the collection, where each album is associated with a particular user. The albums from the different users are grouped into one or more event groups based on the content of the albums. The event groups are then shared automatically, without user intervention, between the different users based on their associations with each other and their individual sharing preferences.
US08270681B2
There are provided an imaging unit for capturing an image of a portion of a body surface of a living body with near-infrared light and generating near-infrared light imaging data, a vein pattern extraction unit for extracting a vein pattern from the near-infrared light imaging data by applying a differential filter, which outputs a large value for a pixel having a large difference between the pixel and its surrounding pixel, to a plurality of pixels constituting the near-infrared light imaging data, and a pseudo-vein pattern determination unit for determining presence of a pseudo-vein pattern intentionally formed on a part of the captured body surface based on the extracted vein pattern.
US08270680B2
A body part guidance control is performed in a non-contact biometrics authentication device which performs individual authentication utilizing characteristics of a body part which is a portion of a human body, for guiding the body part so as to capture images without contact. The future position at the time of message display is predicted by using body part positions of n times in the past and the guidance message can be selected according to this predicted position to output an appropriate message. Hence the time for guidance into an appropriate image capture region can be shortened, the output of messages for movement in the direction opposite the body part movement can be prevented, and inducement of confusion in the user can be prevented, so that the speed of authentication can be improved.
US08270678B2
Embodiments of systems, program products, and computer implemented methods to measure the displacement of an object located in a hazardous or otherwise inaccessible location at a long range from an optical device with micron-level accuracy are provided the object being. The objects can be machinery, valves, containers, or any other object whose displacement is to be measured. The object can be located in radioactive, chemically reactive, high voltage, or otherwise hazardous or inaccessible locations that are not accessible for conventional displacement measurement by personnel. A system can comprise an identifier on the object to be tracked, an optical device, an computer with at least processing, storage, and memory facilities, and a communications network.
US08270676B2
A method for the automatic light control for a motor vehicle with a camera sensor for monitoring the environment in front of the motor vehicle is presented. With the camera sensor, an image sequence of the motor vehicle environment in front of the motor vehicle is recorded. The lane of the own motor vehicle is estimated from the image data. At least one evaluation window along the lane is set in the image, so that preceding and oncoming motor vehicles are recorded. Points of light in the image sequence are pursued (tracked). On the basis of the image data, the lights of other motor vehicles are detected, and the front headlights are controlled in such a manner that the drivers of other motor vehicles are not blinded.
US08270674B2
An image processing apparatus for tracking faces in an image stream iteratively receives an acquired image from the image stream potentially including one or more face regions. The acquired image is sub-sampled at a specified resolution to provide a sub-sampled image. An integral image is then calculated for a least a portion of the sub-sampled image. Fixed size face detection is applied to at least a portion of the integral image to provide a set of candidate face regions. Responsive to the set of candidate face regions produced and any previously detected candidate face regions, the resolution is adjusted for sub-sampling a subsequent acquired image.
US08270672B2
A display angle adjustment system includes a display rotation module, an image capture module, a data processing module, and a control module. The display rotation module is configured for driving the display to move. The image capture module is rotatably positioned on the display. The data processing module is electrically connected to the image capture module, for receiving a signal including image information from the image capture module, and calculating an eigenvector using a plurality of feature points according to the signal. The control module is electrically connected to the display rotation module, the image capture module, and the data processing module, respectively, for controlling the display rotation module and the image capture module to rotate according to the eigenvector calculated by the data processing module.
US08270666B2
Methods and apparatus for generating a searchable electronic record of a locate operation in which a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area may be identified using one or more physical locate marks. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area comprising the dig area is received and processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more digital representations of the physical locate mark(s) applied to the dig area during the locate operation are added to the displayed input image(s) as “locate mark indicators” so as to generate a marked-up image. Information relating to the marked-up image is electronically transmitted and/or electronically stored so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation.
US08270665B2
A method of hiding data comprising creating a histogram of an attribute of a first data set. The histogram includes occurrences of the attribute. Two adjacent occurrences are selected where a count of one of the two adjacent occurrences is zero. A second data set is embedded in data of the first data set associated with the selected adjacent occurrences.
US08270659B2
Disclosed herein is a speaker system including a speaker unit with a speaker body incorporated therein; and a speaker panel disposed on the front side of the speaker unit; wherein the speaker panel has a multiplicity of fine holes permitting a sound of the speaker body to pass therethrough, and has an opaque part hiding the presence of the speaker unit, and a transparent part in the periphery of the opaque part.
US08270658B2
An active headworn device that includes a position sensing device used to determine whether the headworn device is in an extended state upon a user's head or in a contracted state off of the user's head. The position sensing device may be coupled with a microcontroller adapted to power up or power down the active headworn device based on a signal from the position sensing device. The position sensing device may various devices such as a Hall-effect device used in combination with a magnet or a LED in combination with a detector. The movement of the headworn device between positions changes the distance between components of the position sensing device such that the device signals the microcontroller to power up or down the active headworn device. The microcontroller may mute a portion of circuitry prior to the powering up or down the active headworn device to prevent undesirable feedback.
US08270652B2
A television mount incorporating an integrated audio system. The mount attaches the television to a wall or a pedestal. The mount includes an electronics/subwoofer enclosure. This enclosure house an audio amplifier and a low-range speaker. One or more external speakers are attached to a speaker assembly which is connected to the mount—preferably by attaching the supports to the electronics/subwoofer enclosure. The speaker supports is preferably made adjustable so that the degree of extension from the mount may be adjusted by the user.
US08270649B2
An in-the-ear technology delivery, positioning and sound management system comprises a body portion that provides support for a conformable fitting element adapted to be positioned in the user's ear canal and which is structured and arranged to anchor sound management technologies and medical instrumentalities at selected positions in the canal for the delivery and control of sound or for the performance of medical procedures therein. In an embodiment, a sound tube is provided which is adapted to deliver sound in close proximity to the ear drum and a method for selectively fitting the system in accordance with the wearer's personal comfort level is provided. In another embodiment, an apparatus and a method for a fitting pressure to be automatically applied along the device or aided by a fitting element that will facilitate placement and a secure fit in the ear canal is presented. A coating element comprising materials selected to manage, acoustically alter, or occlude sound properties and sound at selected depths within the ear canal is disclosed.
US08270641B1
I describe and claim a multiple audio signal presentation system and method. The multiple audio signal presentation system includes a presentation system to present a plurality of audio signals, and a controller to manipulate one or more of the audio signals, where the audio signals, when concurrently presented by the presentation system, are audibly differentiable responsive to the manipulation.
US08270639B2
A thermoacoustic device includes a sound wave generator and an infra-red reflecting element having an infrared reflection coefficient higher than 30 percent. The infra-red reflecting element can be disposed at one side of the sound wave generator to reflect the emitted heat of the sound wave generator.
US08270635B2
The invention provides a microphone circuit. In one embodiment, the microphone circuit comprises a transducer, a biasing resistor, a pre-amplifier, and a switch circuit. The transducer is coupled between a ground and a first node for converting a sound into a voltage signal output to the first node. The biasing resistor is coupled between the ground and the first node. The pre-amplifier is biased with a biasing voltage and coupled between the first node and a second node, and amplifies the voltage signal to obtain an output signal at the second node. The switch circuit is coupled between the first node and the ground, couples the first node to the ground when the microphone circuit is reset, and decouples the first node from the ground after a voltage status of the microphone circuit is stable, thus clamping a voltage of the first node to the ground to prevent generation of a popping noise when the microphone circuit is reset.
US08270626B2
An active noise control system generates an anti-noise signal to drive a speaker to produce sound waves to destructively interfere with an undesired sound in a targeted space. The speaker is also driven to produce sound waves representative of a desired audio signal. Sound waves are detected in the target space and a representative signal is generated. The representative signal is combined with an audio compensation signal to remove a signal component representative of the sound waves based on the desired audio signal and generate an error signal. The active noise control adjusts the anti-noise signal based on the error signal. The active noise control system converts the sample rates of an input signal representative of the undesired sound, the desired audio signal, and the error signal. The active noise control system converts the sample rate of the anti-noise signal.
US08270617B2
A method, medium, and apparatus encoding and/or decoding an audio signal to surround data. While encoding spatial information, which can up-mix an audio signal to a surround signal, to extension data, a length of a payload corresponding to the spatial information is encoded and a payload of the spatial information is decoded using the length of the payload. Accordingly, compatibility of the spatial information can be provided, and the spatial information can be transmitted by effectively embedding the spatial information.
US08270609B2
One or more systems and methods are disclosed to provide secure transmission of signals by a primary wireless communication device that utilizes a secure multi-tier signal encryption mechanism. A secondary signal encryption mechanism of a secondary wireless communication device generates an intermediary algorithmic output required in the encryption processing at a primary signal encryption mechanism of a primary wireless communication device. In one embodiment, the secondary signal encryption mechanism comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card. In one embodiment, wireless signal transmission occurs over a GSM/GPRS/EDGE network.
US08270606B2
A system and method for real-time network communications provides a session identifier as a public key for group communication between clients, and provides a channel identifier representing a private key for each of a plurality of clients. The channel identifier includes client-specific attributes, which function to indicate grouping criteria for the group communication. A dynamic communication link is created over a network between a client and a service based upon the public and private key combination such that group communication is enabled based upon the attributes of the private key and the public key. Communications are translated using a translation service which employs the attributes associated with the private key and the public key combination to provide response information in a designated language to enable multi-lingual real-time communications.
US08270604B2
A system for remote signature acquisition, includes a local computer located in a first position where a document is needs to be executed, a remote computer located at a second position, a camera connected to the local computer, a tablet connected to the remote computer, and a plotting instrument connected to the local computer. The remote computer is connected to the local computer via a network. The camera presents information of the document to the remote computer via the local computer and network for display at the second position. The tablet records the corresponding input thereon and converts the input to a digital signal which is capable of being transmitted to the local computer via the remote computer and network. The local computer directs the plotting instrument to inscribe the corresponding input on the document according to the digital signal.
US08270603B1
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides an efficient means for the production of labels and verification of authenticity, whereby a recording apparatus which includes a recording medium, having anisotrophic optical domains, along with a means for transferring a portion of the recording medium to a carrier, wherein a bulk portion of the recording medium has macroscopically detectable anisotrophic optical properties and the detecting apparatus thereon.
US08270599B2
A network interface includes at least one physical memory, at least one client port, at least one processor accessing the at least one physical memory, and at least one network port. The client port receives data blocks which contain a quantity of bits from at least one first client computer system. The processor temporarily stores the data blocks in the at least one physical memory. The processor interacts with the physical memory and compresses the data blocks to reduce the quantity of bits. The processor further interacts with the physical memory such that the compressed data blocks are encrypted to produce encrypted frames. The at least one network port transmits the encrypted frames across a communication network.
US08270597B2
A microphone assembly includes a microphone array carrier having a top surface and a plurality of side faces adjacent to the top surface. The top surface and the plurality of side faces each have a substantially planar portion. The substantially planar portion of each of the side faces extends substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar portion of the top surface. Each side face has a side opening extending through the side face and the top surface has a top opening extending through the top surface. The microphone assembly also includes a plurality of microphones corresponding to the side faces. Each microphone is mounted with a microphone boot in a side opening and is isolated from the microphone array carrier by the microphone boot. The microphone assembly also includes a housing extending around the microphone array carrier and sound isolating material disposed between the microphone array carrier and the housing.
US08270594B2
A web-based hosted solution (a managed service or system) through which business entities create and manage communications campaigns, such as interactive campaigns that afford target recipients an opportunity to be connected to a call center. To reduce latency of customer-to-agent connections, the system implements an agent stay-on-line function by which a persistent telephony connection is established and maintained between the system infrastructure and an available agent. In this manner, the agent may handle multiple customers while avoiding an ACD hold queue. In addition, preferably a service-side hold queue also is established and maintained on the service-side of the infrastructure. This hold queue maintains calls that are waiting to be connected to available agents. It ensures that any customer abandons (on the service side) do not impair the connections that are being established and maintained to the agents. The managed service carries out a communications campaign on behalf of a client. A “campaign” refers to a series of calls to a contact list using one or more sub-campaigns. A sub-campaign associates a list of contacts, a script, and a timeframe.
US08270589B2
Routing telecommunications to a user including receiving a call, determining that the call is intended for the user, receiving an RFID signal from an RFID tag located with the user, determining the user's location in dependence upon the RFID signal, identifying a plurality of available telephony devices in dependence upon the user's location, identifying a device-based preference for the user, selecting one of the plurality of available telephony devices in dependence upon the device-based preference, and forwarding the call to the selected telephony device. In typical embodiments, determining that the call is intended for the user also includes prompting the caller for the name of the user and receiving from the caller the name of the user.
US08270584B2
A phone having activation by password or control codes that are transmitted by an authorized caller for validation of an incoming call and for control of the phone.
US08270582B1
Methods and systems for processing and routing calls are described. A call processing system receives from a telecommunications system a communication indicating that a first call to a user is in progress. A call routing instruction associated with the user is accessed. Based at least in part on the call routing instruction, a second call to be placed to a first telephonic device and a third call to be placed to a second telephonic device, wherein the second call and the third call are placed at substantially the same time or a second call to be placed to a first telephonic device and a third call to be placed to a second telephonic device, wherein the third call is placed if the second call is not timely answered.
US08270569B2
A modulation system for modulating a radiation beam, including a plurality of cascaded modulators, a positioner operable to change positions of each of the modulators between in-beam and out-of-beam positions, wherein in the in-beam position the modulator is in a path of a radiation beam for at least a majority of a total cross-section of the beam and in the out-beam position the modulator is not in the path of the radiation beam, and a processor in communication with a beam modifier and with the positioner operative to determine operating times or motion speed for changing the respective positions of the modulators between the in-beam and out-of-beam positions, wherein the beam modifier is operable to change during irradiation an aperture of the radiation beam and the positioner is operative to change during irradiation a relative position of the target and the radiation beam.
US08270568B2
During treatment by brachytherapy, radiation passes beyond the target volume and delivers radiation dose to adjacent tissue such as the lungs and, especially in the case of treatment of the left breast, to the heart. The heart is particularly vulnerable to radiation; to minimise the dose it receives in such circumstances, we propose an apparatus for treatment by brachytherapy comprising an X-ray source sized for insertion into a patient, a respiration state monitor, and a control apparatus adapted to receive respiration state information from the respiration state monitor and control the output of the X-ray source; the control apparatus being arranged to operate the X-ray source at a first output level when the respiration state monitor indicates a degree of lung inflation above a first preset threshold and operate the X-ray source at a second and lower output level when the respiration state monitor indicates a degree of lung inflation below a second preset threshold.
US08270565B2
A dual energy inspection system that generates X-rays with an electron beam scanned over targets. A switchable voltage source that can be change its voltage output may cause X-rays to be generated at different energies. This X-ray generation subsystem is controlled by a sequencer that provides beam steering and shaping control inputs that may be dependent on the voltage provided by the voltage source. In another aspect, the dual energy inspection system may use multiple types of detectors, each sensitive to X-rays of a different energy. A relatively small number of detectors sensitive to one energy level is provided. Nonetheless, dual energy measurements may be made on objects within an item under inspection by identifying points that, for each object of interest, provide a low interference path to one of those detectors. Measurements made with radiation emanating from those points are used for dual energy analysis of those objects.
US08270550B2
The disclosed embodiments provide methods and systems for synchronizing a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment, a method for synchronizing a transmitter and a receiver includes the transmitter performing a reset operation, and the receiver responding by performing a reset operation. In another embodiment, a method for synchronizing a transmitter and a receiver includes the receiver performing a reset operation, and the transmitter responding by performing a reset operation. The reset indicator includes toggling a reset indicator.
US08270547B2
A method and system for wireless communication channel estimation. A frequency offset hypothesis is determined. An interchannel interference (“ICI”) matrix based on the frequency offset hypothesis is generated. Pilot channel estimates based on the ICI matrix are obtained. A correlation error of the pilot channel estimates to the frequency offset hypothesis is calculated. The correlation error is compared with a predetermined correlation error value. The frequency offset hypothesis is updated and the aforementioned steps are iteratively repeated if the correlation error is greater than the predetermined correlation error value. The pilot channel estimates are used to estimate the wireless communication channel.
US08270543B1
A method for communication includes receiving a communication signal conveying multiple encoded bits of an Error Correction Code (ECC). Respective N-bit soft decoding metrics are computed with respect to the bits of the ECC. A scaling factor is computed based on at least one characteristic of the N-bit soft decoding metrics and on at least one property of the received communication signal. The N-bit soft decoding metrics are scaled by the scaling factor. The scaled N-bit soft decoding metrics are quantized to produce respective K-bit metrics, K
US08270540B2
A method for detecting an access code in a receiver that does not require an explicit DC-offset interference correction block, comprising: a) projecting a received signal R onto a subspace orthogonal to the DC; b) projecting the access code Ci onto the subspace; and c) detecting the presence and location of the access code Ci and eliminating any DC offset therein when the frequency offset f0 in the access code Ci is orthogonal to the subspace, and is therefore nulled out.
US08270537B2
An antenna device that is placed adjacent to an antenna 5 for receiving a high frequency signal and includes an impedance matching circuit 6 and an amplifying circuit 21 to which a DC control voltage is supplied from a demodulating device 3 through a feeder cable 4 for transmitting the high frequency signal to the demodulating device 3, wherein the DC control voltage is set to a value for adjusting a frequency characteristic of the impedance matching circuit 6 within an allowable range corresponding to a received frequency. A small and inexpensive antenna device having a simple circuit configuration and good reception sensitivity is implemented.
US08270533B2
A transmitter for transmitting data in a communication system includes: a serial/parallel (S/P) conversion unit configured to convert data into an I signal and a Q signal; multiplication units configured to multiply the converted I and Q signals by orthogonal sequences, respectively; conversion units configured to Hilbert-transform the I and Q signals multiplied by the orthogonal sequences; addition units configured to add the I and Q signals multiplied by the orthogonal sequences and the Hilbert-transformed Q and I signal, respectively; and an intermediate frequency (IF)/radio frequency (RF) unit configured to up-convert the added I signal and the added Q signal and transmit the converted I and Q signals.
US08270529B2
A proposed data processing device includes at least two processor units, which each is adapted to process digitized precorrelation navigation satellite signal data as well as to process alternative data and/or signals relating to at least one function being uncorrelated with the satellite signal data. The device includes at least one data buffer adapted to store data sets, where each set includes a number of instances of the satellite signal data. A control module in the device controls execution of a processing job with respect to a stored data set by allocating individual processing tasks to at least one of the at least two processor units based on a current processing load on each processor unit.
US08270528B2
Techniques are disclosed for detecting a packet. One technique includes sampling a received signal to produce a sequence of samples wherein the sequence of samples includes a plurality of subsequences of samples; cross correlating the subsequences of samples with a known form of the subsequence to produce cross correlations; self correlating the cross correlations to produce a plurality of self correlations; summing the self correlations; and processing the sum of the self correlations.
US08270527B2
A SC-QOSTFBC (Single Carrier-Quasi Orthogonal Space Time Frequency Block Code) for 4 transmit antennas in the domain of wireless communication, and coding and decoding schemes useful in the context of MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) or MISO (Multiple Input Single Output) communications especially used in conjunction of OFDM-like transmission schemes. These codes are based on sending on a first antenna a constellation corresponding to what would be sent in a mono antenna scheme, and sending equivalent constellations on the other antennas. The codes are designed to keep a low-PAPR property at each transmit antenna when associated with DFT spread OFDM.
US08270525B2
Digital radio communications method using multi-level modulation scheme and transmitter and receiver
A transmitter for use in digital radio communications systems includes: a bit corrector controls bit arrangement in such a manner that a code having high significance, out of multiple codes obtained by coding, is allocated with high priority to a bit having a tendency that the likelihood enlarges at the time of symbol decision on a receiver; a multi-level modulator allocates the code to the multiple bits in accordance with a predetermined symbol arrangement; and a symbol arrangement controller controls the symbol arrangement from equal distance arrangement to another arrangement in accordance with a ratio of the codes different in significance. To control symbol arrangement increases the effect of bit correction and improves an error rate on the receiver.
US08270518B2
A method of multiple input multiple output downlink communications including mapping complex-valued modulation symbols onto one or more transmission layers by mapping complex-valued modulation symbols onto the layers and preceding the complex-valued modulation block of vectors and generating a block of vectors mapped onto at least four antenna ports. A first embodiment employs a maximum of two layers per codeword. A second embodiment employs no more than two codewords.
US08270516B2
A method of selecting at least one communication link in a wireless communication network is proposed, comprising the steps of transmitting from at least one transmitting node in the network a pilot signal from each of at least two transmitter antennas of the transmitting node, receiving the pilot signals from the at least two transmitter antennas in a receiving terminal, estimating, in the terminal, a covariance matrix of the channel, based on the pilot signals received, determining the pathloss for each antenna based on the covariance matrix, selecting one of at least two possible links for the communication between the terminal and the transmitting nodes. The terminal is enabled to measure on each transmitter antenna individually, which provides a better tool for link selection and cell selection.
US08270512B2
A method and apparatus for radio resources control in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication system are disclosed. Channel metric is calculated for each of a plurality of transmit antennas. Sub-carriers are allocated to each transmit antenna in accordance with the channel metric of each transmit antenna. Signals are transmitted using the allocated sub-carriers at each antenna. Adaptive modulation and coding and transmit power control of each sub-carrier may be further implemented in accordance with the channel metric. Power control may be implemented per antenna basis or per sub-carrier basis. In performing power control, a subset of transmit antennas may be selected and waterpouring may be applied only to the selected antennas. Waterpouring may be based on SNR instead of channel response.
US08270511B2
Communication systems are described that use geometrically shaped constellations that have increased capacity compared to conventional constellations operating within a similar SNR band. In several embodiments, the geometrically shaped is optimized based upon a capacity measure such as parallel decoding capacity or joint capacity. In many embodiments, a capacity optimized geometrically shaped constellation can be used to replace a conventional constellation as part of a firmware upgrade to transmitters and receivers within a communication system. In a number of embodiments, the geometrically shaped constellation is optimized for an Additive White Gaussian Noise channel or a fading channel.
US08270500B2
In a method for selecting modulation and coding scheme for data transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver, the transmitter determines an estimated channel quality value. The transmitter then adjusts the estimated channel quality value in relation to a distribution of estimated channel quality values, and selects modulation and coding scheme based on the adjusted channel quality value. The invention also extends to a transmitter and a computer program product configured to select modulation and coding scheme accordingly.
US08270497B2
Among other things, techniques, systems and apparatus are described for complementing a bitstream error so that a hardware decoder can stably decrypt a bitstream. A method of complementing a bitstream error includes: receiving a bitstream; detecting an error in the received bitstream; and complementing the detected error, before decrypting the bitstream.
US08270496B2
An encoder, a decoder, corresponding encoding and decoding methods, video signal structure, and storage media are provided for scalable video encoding and decoding. A scalable video encoder includes an encoder for encoding a picture to form a base layer bitstream and an enhancement layer bitstream. The base layer bitstream and the enhancement layer bitstream are formed by partitioning the picture into a plurality of image blocks, grouping the plurality of image blocks into one or more slice groups in the base layer bitstream and into two or more slice groups in the enhancement layer bitstream, encoding all of the one or more slice groups in the base layer bitstream and less than all of the two or more slice groups in the enhancement layer such that at least one slice group from among the two or more slice groups is intentionally un-encoded in the enhancement layer bitstream, encoding a syntax element in a header to indicate the at least one intentionally un-encoded slice group in the enhancement layer.
US08270484B2
An information processing apparatus is presented that includes a first determination unit which determines whether a processing target frame is a frame of a predetermined type and a second determination unit which determines whether an interval between the frame and a frame of the predetermined type located temporally nearest in the forward direction, exceeds a predetermined frame count. In addition, a conversion unit is included which converts the processing target frame into a frame of the predetermined type, when the second determination unit determines that the interval exceeds the predetermined frame count.
US08270476B2
Embodiments include a codec for use in a videoconferencing or similar system includes a video encoder pipeline that has a pre-processor component that is optimized to detect faces and compress the facial video data in an optimum manner. The codec has a pre-processing step that analyzes each frame on a per macroblock basis to determine the mathematical activity level per block. The activity level calculation is used as a parameter to the bitrate control module of the encoder to control the quantization, and thus the fine grained quality of the output data. An object detection module (e.g., a face detector) is placed in the pre-processing step. The object detection data is then combined with the activity level and object detection certainty value through a combinatorial algorithm comprising a weighted average or normalized multiplication process.
US08270475B2
An image encoding method for encoding an image in an image encoding apparatus. The encoding method includes: performing, in a quantization unit in the image encoding apparatus, quantization on a chroma component of transform coefficients using a chroma quantization parameter calculated on the basis of a luma quantization parameter weighted by an addition operation that adds a weight parameter; encoding, in an encoding unit in the image encoding apparatus, a chroma component of quantized coefficients and generating a bit stream; and transferring the bit stream and the weight parameter.
US08270474B2
An image encoding and decoding apparatus and method, the image encoding and decoding apparatus includes: an encoding unit adjusting at least one weight value adaptively to the number of bits expressing each pixel of a current image, predicting a pixel value of a block of interest by performing an operation on a pixel value of at least one block having a pixel value similar to the pixel value of the block of interest among blocks included in a previous image and the at least one adjusted weight value, and encoding the pixel value of the block of interest using the predicted pixel value of the block of interest; and a decoding unit adjusting the at least one weight value adaptively to the number of bits, restoring the predicted pixel value of the block of interest by performing an operation on the pixel value of the at least one block having the pixel value similar to the pixel value of the block of interest among blocks included in the restored previous image and the at least one adjusted weight value, and decoding the pixel value of the block of interest using the restored pixel value, wherein the previous image refers to an image displayed prior to a current image, and the block of interest is a target block of interest among blocks belonging to the current image.
US08270463B1
System and method for adaptive signal equalizing in which overlapping data signal equalization paths provide cumulative data signal equalization to provide multiple equalized data signals having different available amounts of equalization. Signal slicing circuitry slices the equalized data signals to provide multiple sliced data signals, from which the sliced data signal selected as an output data signal is dependent upon the data rate of the incoming data signal.
US08270460B2
An apparatus and method for determining if ringing in an output signal from a receiver that processes an input signal is the result of a bandwidth limitation in the receiver that processes an input signal rather than ringing in the input signal is disclosed. The apparatus includes the receiver and a ring suppression filter. The ring suppression filter receives the receiver output signal and generates a ring suppressed output signal therefrom. The receiver and the ring suppression filter provide a first aggregate system response such that the ring suppressed output signal does not include ringing introduced by the receiver. The first aggregate system response is linear in phase.
US08270457B2
A high sensitivity GPS receiver includes an acquisition engine and a tracking engine. The acquisition engine processes GPS satellite data at data rate that is substantially equal to twice the coarse acquisition (CA) code chip rate. This data rate advantageously enables the acquisition engine to process GPS satellite data with relatively less hardware area than traditional GPS acquisition approaches. In one embodiment, the high efficiency acquisition engine may be over-clocked, thereby allowing different phases of a CA code to be correlated quickly. The tracking engine can advantageously processes GPS satellite data at a data rate that does not have an integer relationship to the CA code chip rate.
US08270449B2
A liquid supply device includes a liquid cartridge, which has a liquid chamber that stores liquid, a cartridge mounting portion, and a surface detector. The liquid chamber has a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The liquid cartridge removably attaches to the cartridge mounting portion. The surface detector detects a surface of the liquid stored in the liquid chamber. A horizontal cross-sectional area of the first portion of the liquid chamber is less than each of a horizontal cross-sectional area of the second portion and the third portion of the liquid chamber, and the first portion of the liquid chamber is positioned between the second portion and the third portion of the liquid chamber in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the first portion of the liquid chamber.
US08270436B2
Synchronization between a transmitter and a receiver with respect to the boundary of higher-layer logical data structures is improved by considering both the statistical likelihood of the value of a transmitted boundary indicator and the quality of the channel during the transmission. A boundary indicator received under poor channel quality, that is decoded to a statistically unlikely value, is suspect and one or more retransmission is requested. A reliable value of the boundary indicator is a retransmitted boundary indicator received during good channel conditions; the value of two boundary indicators received successively, both under poor channel conditions, that decode to the same value; or a majority vote of three successive boundary indicators, the first two received under poor channel conditions. The accuracy of the received boundary indicator is increased, at a cost of one, or at most, two, retransmissions.
US08270432B2
Aspects of a method and system for rate selection algorithm to maximize throughput in closed loop multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless local area network (WLAN) system are provided and may comprise computing a maximum number of binary bits to be simultaneously transmitted via an RF channel based on signal quality. A modulation technique may be selected based on the computed maximum, communicating feedback information comprising the selected modulation technique. Subsequently transmitted data may be received via an RF channel which is modulated based on the feedback information. Another aspect of the method may comprise receiving feedback information comprising at least one of a selected modulation technique and coding rate via an RF channel, and transmitting subsequent data via said at least one of a plurality of RF channels which either modulated, or coded, based on the feedback information.
US08270430B2
A device for coupling signals between first and second coaxial cables, the first coaxial cable being connected to carry a first bi-directional digital data signal in a first digital data frequency band, and the second coaxial cable being connected to carry a second bi-directional digital data signal in a second digital data frequency band, and each of the coaxial cables being connected to carry, multiplexed with the respective digital data signal, an analog video signal in an analog video signal frequency band distinct from each of the first and second digital data frequency bands.
US08270429B2
A method of communicating within a mesh network comprises scheduling a mesh access reservation time period for transmission of one or more frames by the mesh device on a channel. During the scheduled mesh access reservation time period: contention for the channel is performed with one or more other mesh devices in the network; and at least one frame is transmitted when the mesh device wins the contention. After the scheduled mesh access reservation time period: when one or more frames scheduled for transmission during the scheduled mesh access reservation time period remain to be transmitted; contention for the channel continues; and the one or more frames are transmitted when the mesh device wins the contention for the channel and when another mesh device has not reserved the channel for the time period.
