US07699808B2
An infusion device including a site and a set for delivery of a substance to a patient. The site can include a cannula that is introduced into a subcutaneous layer of skin of the patient. The set can be coupled to the site by, for example, placing the set over the site and moving the set from an unlocked to a locked position. The substance can then be delivered through the set to the site, and from the site into the patient through the cannula. The set can be oriented at multiple rotational orientations with respect to the site, and can be coupled and uncoupled with the site multiple times.
US07699805B2
A surgical apparatus for delivering a conductive fluid to a target site for subsequent formation of a virtual electrode to ablate bodily tissue at the target site by applying a current to the delivered conductive fluid. The surgical apparatus includes an elongated device forming a helical needle. The helical needle is configured to engage bodily tissue and is hollow for delivering conductive fluid from a fluid source. Finally, the helical needle terminates in a needle tip. In one preferred embodiment, an electrode is associated with the helical needle for applying a current to conductive fluid delivered from the helical needle. During use, following delivery of conductive fluid, the electrode applies a current to the delivered conductive fluid for creating a virtual electrode. The virtual electrode ablates bodily tissue contacted by the conductive fluid.
US07699804B2
A fluid ejection system (20) comprising a cartridge (24), an ejector (32, 300) and, optionally, a fill station (28) for filling the cartridge with a fluid, such as a vaccine. In some embodiments (52), the cartridge includes a transfer passageway (96) for receiving fluid from the fill station. In other embodiments (200, 400), the cartridge includes a vented fluid reservoir (208, 408) offset from an ejection chamber (224, 420). In yet other embodiments (500, 600), the cartridge includes a vented fluid reservoir chamber (512, 636) inline with the ejection chamber (508, 644). In still other embodiments (700, 1000, 1100), the cartridge includes first and second chambers (728, 736, 1036, 1048, 1136, 1148) initially fluidly sealed from on another by a valve, e.g., either a traveling valve (704, 800, 900, 1200, 1300) or a temporarily stationary valve (1004, 1104).
US07699801B2
Reagents useful in nucleic acid immunization techniques are described. More particularly, adjuvanted genetic vaccine compositions are described, as are methods of using those compositions for inducing an enhanced immune response against a selected antigen.
US07699800B2
An implantable shunt device having a primary catheter and at least two secondary catheters extending from the primary catheter is provided. The primary catheter includes a connecting end, an open end, and an inner lumen extending therebetween. Each of the secondary catheters extend from the connecting end of the primary catheter and include a fluid passageway formed therein in fluid communication with the inner lumen of the primary catheter. Each secondary catheter also includes at least one fluid entry port in fluid communication with the fluid passageway. In an exemplary embodiment, the fluid entry ports are disposed on an inwardly facing portion of each of the secondary catheters. The shunt device can be used for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including for the removal or introduction of fluid to a treatment site.
US07699782B2
An ultrasound imaging probe for real time 3D ultrasound imaging from the tip of the probe that can be inserted into the body. The ultrasound beam is electronically scanned within a 2D azimuth plane with a linear array, and scanning in the elevation direction at right angle to the azimuth plane is obtained by mechanical movement of the array. The mechanical movement is either achieved by rotation of the array through a flexible wire, or through wobbling of the array, for example through hydraulic actuation. The probe can be made both flexible and stiff, where the flexible embodiment is particularly interesting for catheter imaging in the heart and vessels, and the stiff embodiment has applications in minimal invasive surgery and other procedures. The probe design allows for low cost manufacturing which allows factory sterilized probes to be disposed after use.
US07699781B2
A system for ultrasonic imaging utilizing multiple sets of transmit pulses differing in amplitude, frequency, phase, and/or pulse width. One embodiment has phase differences between the k transmit signal as 360 k degrees providing for constructive interference of the kth order harmonic pulse, while an amplitude modulation of each transmit profile is constant between sets. These sets of pulses are transmitted into media of interest and received echoes from these pulses are combined to form an averaged signal. The averaged pulses represent the net common mode signal received from each of the transmit sets. This combined signal set is used to reconstruct an ultrasound image based on broad beam reconstruction methodology.
US07699776B2
A hand held ultrasonic instrument (10) is provided in a portable unit that performs C-Mode imaging and collects 3D image data. In a preferred embodiment a transducer array (60), display unit (20), beamformer (40), power system, and image processor are integrated in one enclosure weighing less than three pounds. In operation, the portable unit is scanned across a target and the displayed image is conveniently presented to the operator whereby the displayed image corresponds exactly to the target, or a scaled fashion if desired.
US07699771B2
A catheter introducer system for endoscopy is disclosed which includes a steering section and a propulsion section located near the end of the catheter that is introduced in a body cavity, and a non-collapsible sheath defining a working channel. The propulsion section is designed to pull the rest of the catheter inside the body cavity, so there is no need to push the catheter along. The propulsion section further includes gripping members, such as inflatable balloons, that are axially movable relative to the catheter. The catheter can thus be made very flexible in bending, and a larger diameter catheter can be used without discomfort to the patient.
US07699767B2
The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.
US07699763B2
Exercise apparatus, comprises a first support means for the user's legs, a platform mounted on the support means to support a user's legs, there being a hinge connecting the platform to the support means and defining a generally horizontal hinge axis to allow pivoting of the user's trunk about a generally horizontal axis as the user relatively bends his body and his legs means, and extending in spaced, a second support means for the back of the user's body, and means for indexing said second support means at selected angularity relative to the hinge axis.
US07699759B1
An aquatic weight assembly includes a handle and at least one resistance panel assembly having at least one aquatic resistance panel carried by the handle.
US07699756B2
An apparatus for removably mounting an exercise apparatus to a supporting structure such as a ladder-like structure. Various types of mounting apparatus with specially designed brackets having multiple interchangeable parts, attachments and accessories, are used to facilitate easy and quick mounting of several types of exercise apparatus to the supporting structure.
US07699753B2
A method for creating a virtual online gym for providing members with a shared workout experience and decreasing the feeling of isolation when members are not all working out at the same physical location. The method including the steps of receiving a request for access to the virtual online gym and receiving a selection for a first exercise program from a plurality of available exercise programs from the first member. The method also includes the steps of determining a program length based on the selection of the first exercise program; presenting updated status information during a length of the program length; and, providing a notification when the program length has been reached. An apparatus and system for implementing the method are also disclosed.
US07699751B2
A method for inhibiting automatic actuation of an electric parking brake (EPB) system of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle has an ignition switch for receiving an ignition key so as to mobilize or immobilize the vehicle. The EPB system includes an EPB mechanism for applying an actuating force to a park brake of the vehicle, an EPB control module for automatically applying the force when at least the ignition key is detected as removed from the ignition switch and an EPB control switch. The EPB control switch can be moved towards two instable positions from a neutral position respectively a brake release position and a brake apply position so as to apply or release the park brake. To inhibit the automatic actuation of the park brake, the driver has to complete within a specific time period the cycle of turning the ignition from off to on to off, pressing and maintaining the EPB control switch into the brake release position, removing the ignition key and releasing the EPB control switch after at least a predetermined time period. Such cycle of actions will be interpreted by the EPB control module as a wish to not apply the park brake.
US07699750B2
A method for controlling a partially unsynchronized manual transmission, which realizes the increase of a rotational speed of a transmission part to be synchronized during a gear change procedure by connecting one element of the transmission, via a shiftable clutch, to a drive motor and by making available to this drive motor the required rotational speed as well as the necessary torque at its output shaft. It is also provided that when the rotational speed and/or the torque made available by the drive motor is not sufficient to ensure the synchronization of the manual transmission within a fixed time period, a shifting strategy is pursued, which prevents an unintentional holding of the manual transmission in its neutral position or idle position.
US07699749B2
A powertrain control apparatus that controls a powertrain including a lock-up clutch, which connects an engine, in which fuel supply may be cut off, directly to an automatic transmission. The control apparatus includes an output unit, a control unit, and a setting unit. The output unit outputs an instruction to lower engagement pressure for the lock-up clutch from a value at which the lock-up clutch is engaged to a value at which the lock-up clutch is disengaged. The control unit resumes the fuel supply to the engine when a predetermined lag time has elapsed since the instruction is output. The setting unit sets the lag time so that the lag time is shorter when a temperature of a combustion chamber of the engine is a first temperature than when the temperature of the combustion chamber of the engine is a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature.
US07699740B2
A friction coupling assembly includes: a ball ramp assembly (2) with two coaxial discs (6, 7), wherein the faces (8, 9) of the two discs (6, 7) each have ball grooves (12, 13) of increasing depth, wherein pairs of opposed ball grooves hold balls to axially support the two discs (6, 7); a plate package (3) arranged coaxially relative to the discs (6, 7) and having outer plates (24) for fixing to a coupling carrier (40) and inner plates (25) for fixing to a coupling hub (56); and a plate spring (5) for introducing force into the plate package (3), the plate spring (5) is arranged coaxially relative to the discs (6, 7), is axially pretensioned and, functionally, is arranged in series with the plate package (3).
US07699739B2
A sliding block type stepless autoshift speed changer includes a holder sleeve affixed to a main transmission shaft and holding two weights by means of two torsional members, an eccentric block radially movably coupled to the holder sleeve; a driving wheel supported on a ring round the eccentric block and having radial sliding grooves on two sides, two clutch wheels respectively fastened to a wheel hub and a secondary power output shaft, each clutch wheel having an annular sliding groove respectively facing the driving wheel, sliding blocks respectively sliding in the annular sliding grooves of the clutch wheels, each sliding block having a roller respectively coupled to and movable along the radial sliding grooves of the driving wheel, a plurality of beveled guide surface portions, and a plurality of rolling cylinders rotatably supported on and movable along the beveled guide surface portions.
US07699737B2
A drive unit for transmitting power to wheels of a motor vehicle includes an input driveably connectable to a first power source, a final drive gear set driveably connectable to the wheels, a motor/generator including a stator and a rotor arranged about an axis, the rotor being able to rotate about the axis and to move along the axis relative to the stator, a gear unit arranged about the axis and driveably connected to the gear set for driving the gear set at a speed that is less than a speed of the rotor, and a coupler secured to the rotor for alternately coupling the rotor and the gear unit mutually and transmitting power therebetween and decoupling the rotor and the gear unit mutually.
US07699721B2
A golf tee setting device includes a generally cylindrical body having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a passage extending between the top portion and the bottom portion. The passage is sized to allow a golf tee to pass therethrough. The body has at least one opening therein between the top portion and the bottom portion. The opening defines a surface such that a line extending through the passage traverses the surface at two locations. A kit having a plurality of the devices of different lengths is also provided. Additionally, a method of manufacturing the device is also provided.
US07699719B2
A golf club head comprises: a hollow main body provided with an upper opening located in a crown portion of the head; and a crown plate fitted in the upper opening and having a specific gravity less than that of the main body, wherein the main body is provided around the upper opening with a crown plate support supporting a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the crown plate. The crown plate support has a width of not more than 5 mm. The minimum distance between the upper edge of the club face and the crown plate in the back-and-forth direction of the head is not less than 10 mm. The thickness of the crown plate is not more than 0.7 mm.
US07699718B2
An apparatus for selectively adding weight to the hollow shaft of a hand-held implement. One embodiment includes an upper cylindrical member, a lower member, and an expansion ring that fits between the upper and lower members. These components are sized slightly smaller than the inside diameter of a hollow shaft, such as a golf club shaft. Each component includes an axial bore, through which a screw with an elongated barrel extends. The axial bore of the upper member is enlarged at its upper terminus to receive the cap of the screw, and the axial bore of the lower member is threaded to receive the screw. This assembly is inserted into a hollow shaft, and as the screw is tightened, the lower member is drawn into the upper member, compressing the expander ring axially causing it to expand radially until a friction fit with the inside surface of the hollow shaft is achieved.
US07699717B2
A golf club incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft, a shaft sleeve, a club head and a fastener. The shaft sleeve is coupled to an end of the shaft and is received in a hosel included in the club head. The fastener retains the shaft sleeve in the hosel. Hosel and shaft sleeve alignment features are provided that provide discreet orientations between the shaft and club head.
US07699716B2
A set of iron clubs where each club in the set has the same or substantially the same ground roll. The set is produced by adjusting at least two club design characteristics of the clubs based upon measured or assumed player swing data. The design characteristics of the clubs include club length, static clubhead loft, location of the center of gravity, shaft flexibility, and groove volume. Preferably, club length and static clubhead loft are adjusted for coarse adjustments, while the other characteristics are used to fine-tune the design.
US07699709B2
A shaft coupling mechanism includes a coupling base body coupled to a rotating shaft; a coupling base body coupled to a steering shaft; rotation transmitting members which are disposed between the rotating shaft and the steering shaft through the both coupling base bodies and transmit the rotation of the rotating shaft in an R direction to the steering shaft; an intermediate interposed member disposed between the rotation transmitting members; and a coupling means for coupling the rotation transmitting members to each other.
US07699707B2
A method of playing a fantasy sport that relates to forming at least two fantasy teams, in which each team is associated with at least one actual player from an actual sport that is played over a multiple-game schedule, selecting a plurality of scoring statistics based on actual scoring statistics associated with the actual sport to measure the performance of the fantasy team, selecting a series corresponding to a portion of an actual schedule of the sport, and determining and evaluating the scoring statistics accrued by the fantasy team during the course of the selected series. The series includes a number of games that is less than the total games in the schedule of the actual sport over a season. A system and an article of manufacture for playing the fantasy sport are also provided.
US07699705B2
First, the coordinate position on a game screen of each point is calculated (S501). Then, a path which circulates through the coordinate positions (or their vicinities) of all the points is obtained (S502). A line segment is drawn to extend from the barycentric position of the points in a direction corresponding to an input direction, and the coordinate position of the intersection point of the obtained line segment and the path is calculated as a position on the path through which a cursor passes (S503). Finally, the image of the cursor is moved to the calculated intersection point coordinate position and is displayed (S504).
US07699704B2
Game system playable by plurality of players, game apparatus and storage medium storing game program
A game system includes, for example, a game console and a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses functioning as an operating means. In the game system, a game for causing a plurality of player characters simultaneously displayed to find a hidden item in a game field is performed. Then, when a distance between a non-displayed item hidden, which is an object to be found, and the player character comes within the range of the predetermined distance, a notification sound that varies depending on the distance, for example, is output from a speaker of the hand-held game apparatus that operates the player character.
US07699689B2
An electrical discharge produces an acoustic impulse, and a reflection of the impulse from the upper coin in a coin stack is sensed so that the level of the coin stack can be determined from the time taken for the reflection to be received. Alternatively, or additionally, the acoustic impulse can be used to detect coin jams, the presence and/or width of a coin store, the state of a coin routing gate or the quantity of a vendible product.
US07699681B2
An arc tube is composed of an arc tube body that is formed by winding a straight glass tube. Two portions of the straight glass tube are spirally wound around an imaginary conical surface. The spiraled portions of the glass tube are sandwiched between a pair of movable fixed plates. The spiraled portions of the glass tube are heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a point at which the glass tube is deformable and yet lower than the softening point of the glass tube. The spiraled portions are flattened by the movable plate moving downwardly under its own weight.
US07699680B2
Disclosed is a method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element comprising a substrate and provided thereon, a light emission layer and at least one layer of a hole injecting layer, a hole transporting layer, an electron injecting layer, and an electron transporting layer, two layers of the light emission layer and the at least one layer being adjacent to each other, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing a first coating solution employing a first organic solvent for one layer of the two layers and a second coating solution employing a second solvent for the other layer of the two layers, the first solvent being immiscible with the second solvent; (b) simultaneously coating the first and second coating solutions on the substrate so that the first coating solution is in contact with the second coating solution; and (c) drying the coated.
US07699675B1
An exhaust system of a marine propulsion device is provided with a bifurcated cooling passage in its elbow structure in order to limit the effect of cold water being disposed in thermal communication with exhaust gas passing through the elbow structure. This thermal communication between a stream of cold water and exhaust gas passing through the elbow structure is minimized in order to reduce the likelihood that water vapor will condense out of the stream of exhaust gas as it passes through the elbow structure. An obstruction, or water dam, is used to bifurcate the coolant chamber within the elbow structure while allowing passage of coolant through the obstruction.
US07699673B2
A controller for a boat propulsion system has an adjusting device arranged to adjust an inclination angle in the vertical direction of the boat propulsion system by a drive unit, the controller arranged to perform drive control of the adjusting device, a storage section provided in the controller and arranged to store a limit value of the inclination angle, and a connector arranged to communicate with a service tool, wherein the controller is arranged to set the limit value from the service tool and stop the drive unit when the inclination angle reaches the limit value.
US07699664B2
A multipurpose accessory having a multipurpose connection mechanism is provided. The multipurpose accessory of the present invention includes a case, a multipurpose connector extruded at one side of the case for electrically connecting a multimedia device to the multipurpose accessory, an audio connector extruded near the multipurpose connector for connecting an audio output of the multimedia device to the multipurpose accessory, a first cord extended at an opposite side of the case and connected to the audio connector, a second cord extended at the opposite side of the case and connected to the audio connector and having a USB connector at a distal end, and a pair of earpieces electrically connected to the first and second cords for outputting audio signals in the form of audible sound waves.
US07699660B2
An adapter assembly is disclosed that enables a memory card having a smaller length than a standard ExpressCard to be compatible with the standard ExpressCard slot. The adapter assembly includes an adapter having side rails configured to disable the ExpressCard slot ejector mechanisms. The adapter assembly further includes a tongue provided for rigidly connecting the adapter to a finger grip, which gets positioned outside of the opening of the ExpressCard slot upon insertion of the adapter assembly into the slot. The adapter allows a memory card having the approximate size, look and feel of a conventional CompactFlash card to be used in a conventional ExpressCard slot.
US07699653B2
A rubber stopper for a waterproof connector includes: a first elastic member including a first contact face, and first wire fitting grooves each having an arc cross-section; and a second elastic member including a second contact face and second wire fitting grooves each having an arc cross-section. When the first contact face contacts the second contact face, circular cross-section is formed by the arc cross-sections of the first and second wire fitting grooves to fit wires into the first and second wire fitting grooves. Arc length of the arc cross-section of the first wire fitting groove is different from arc length of the arc cross-section of the second wire fitting groove so that a center of the circular cross-section is disposed away from the first and second contact faces in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the first and the second contact faces.
US07699650B1
An electrical device includes a conductive member and a voltage-resistant connector to be mounted to the metal enclosure. The conductive member such as a metal enclosure, includes a pair of clasping portions separated from each other. Each of the pair of clasping portions includes a pair of fixing arms. The voltage-resistant connector includes a main body to electrically connect a high-voltage output and a load of the electrical device, and an insulated member between the main body and the conductive member to increase a beeline distance between the voltage-resistant connector and the insulated member to avoid arcing therebetween. The insulated member defines a pair of holes corresponding to the clasping portions. The pair of fixing arms of each of the pair of clasping portion extends through a corresponding hole and clasps the insulated member to fix the voltage-resistant connector on the conductive member.
US07699643B1
An electrical cord management device includes an elongate housing having open first and second ends, an open side, and an open interior area extending between the open ends and open side. A first friction fit clip is positioned in the open interior area and coupled to the housing for attachment to a first electrical cord. A second friction fit clip is positioned in the open interior area and coupled to the housing for attachment to a second electrical cord. The first and second clips are sufficiently spaced apart to allow an end of the first electrical cord to be coupled to an end of the second electrical cord while the first electrical cord is coupled to the first friction fit clip and the second electrical cord is coupled to the second friction fit clip. A lanyard is positioned adjacent the housing first end.
US07699628B2
An electrical connector (200) adapted for electrically connecting an electronic package with a circuit substrate, comprises an insulative housing (3), a plurality of terminals (4) and a reinforcement member (5). The housing (3) comprising an upper surface (32) for supporting the electronic package and an opposite bottom surface (31) for being mounted to the circuit substrate. The terminals (4) comprising a soldering portion (42) extending beyond the bottom surface (31) of the insulative housing (3) adapted for electrically connecting the circuit substrate, a spring arm (41) with a mating portion (411) extending beyond the upper surface (32) of the insulative housing (3) adapted for electrically connecting the electronic package at a free end thereof. The reinforcement member (5) is made of material different from that of the insulative housing (3) and attached to the bottom surface (31) of the insulative housing (3). When heated, the reinforcement member (5) will not distort together with the insulative housing (3). Thus, the reinforcement member (5) can reinforce the insulative housing (3) to prevent the distortion of the housing (3).
US07699623B2
An electrical junction box, which is assembled by first inserting a circuit board assembly into a primary housing via an opening of the primary housing, and after that inserting a secondary housing into the primary housing, includes a connector block that has a projection that widens the opening that has been narrowed. A plurality of ribs are formed on front and rear walls of the thin primary housing from the side of the opening in an insertion direction of the circuit board assembly. A concave groove formed between a pair of the projections engages with the rib of the front wall. The ribs on the rear wall are close to a circuit board of the circuit board assembly. The connector block has protuberances that abut against the ribs.
US07699616B2
An apparatus including a substrate having a plurality of through holes and a plurality of cables, including wires and/or coaxial cables, extending through respective ones of the plurality of through holes of the substrate. Each of the cables comprises a conductor and terminates about a surface of the substrate such that the conductors of respective ones of plurality of cables are planarly aligned and available for electrical contact. A system including a cable interface extending through respective ones of a plurality of through holes of a body of the interface; an interconnection component comprising a first plurality of contact points aligned with respective ones of conductors of the plurality of cables and a second plurality of contact points aligned to corresponding contact points of a device to be tested. Also, a method of routing signals through the conductors of the plurality of cables between electronic components.
US07699611B2
A device for fastening an orthesis or prosthesis, having a length-adjustable substantially rod-shaped bar assembly, which is pivotably connectable by two ends on exposed first ends of two implants fastened by a second end at a distance from each other in or onto a bone. With this bar assembly, a three-dimensional angle between the longitudinal axis of the bar assembly and the longitudinal axis of at least one implant can be set, so that, irrespective of the distance between and the relative position of the implants, each time, a fitting, preferably stress-free connection between these implants can be effected.
US07699609B2
A device for the treatment of periodontal disease. The device includes a handle that has a configuration familiar to dental professionals and a cartridge that is locked into the handle when use, typically delivery of a composition to a periodontal pocket, is desired. The cartridge provides for effective delivery of compositions, such as agents, as its tip is deformable, typically from a circular to an oval shape so as to flatten. The deformation may be made either manually, by the dental professional, or upon contact with teeth or other tissues, whereby this flattened tip can penetrate deeply into periodontal pockets for quick and direct application of the composition, for example, therapeutic agents.
US07699606B2
A method and apparatus for generating a orthodontic template that assists in the placement of an orthodontic apparatus includes processing that begins by obtaining a digital model of an orthodontic structure of an orthodontic patient. The processing continues by obtaining a selection of one of a plurality of orthodontic apparatuses for the orthodontic structure to produce a selected orthodontic apparatus. The processing then continues by obtaining a digital model of placement of the selected orthodontic apparatus on the digital model of the orthodontic structure. The processing then continues by retrieving a digital image of a tooth mounting apparatus (e.g., a bracket, a band, a headgear tube, etc.) of the selected apparatus for a given tooth. The processing then continues by generating a orthodontic template for holding a physical embodiment of the tooth mounting apparatus based on the digital image of the tooth mounting apparatus, the digital model of the placement, and at least a portion of the digital model of the orthodontic structure.
US07699605B2
The present invention is directed to dental compositions that can be used as adhesives for bonding a dental material to a dental structure surface and/or as a dental restorative material. The dental composition is preferably applied to a dental structure surface under conditions effective to etch the dental structure surface.
US07699587B2
A centrifugal blower comprising a cooling air path having an inlet communicating with a blower space and an outlet communicating with the inlet of the motor airflow path, the cooling air path having an upstream portion that extends axially in the direction from the opposite end of the motor toward the drive end of the motor, and the cooling air path having a downstream portion that extends axially in the direction from the drive end of the motor toward the opposite end of the motor.
US07699585B2
In a swash plate type compressor, refrigerant in a discharge pressure region is introduced into a crank chamber through a supply passage while the refrigerant in the crank chamber is drawn out to a suction pressure region through a bleed passage for controlling pressure in the crank chamber, whereby inclination angle of a swash plate is changed. A heat-generating sliding portion is provided in the crank chamber. The supply passage includes a communication port that communicates with the crank chamber and a first throttle portion for throttling the refrigerant. At least parts of the supply passage and the bleed passage are formed in a drive shaft. A part of the bleed passage formed in the drive shaft is located between a part of the supply passage formed in the drive shaft and an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft.
US07699580B2
A stable portable air moving device capable of generating an air stream elevated above a support surface allowing the air stream to be directed as desired by the user is provided. The device includes an air blower assembly located within an elongate housing generating an exhaust air stream that exits the elongate housing at an elevation above the air blower assembly.
US07699579B2
An improved mechanical seal and repair method can be used with mechanical pump seal assemblies. The improved seal utilizes rotating and non-rotating sections of improved configuration, each of which can form a seal using a standard size carbon-face O-ring. The mechanical seal can be in the form of replacement parts that replace the old parts without modifications to the overall seal and assembly.
US07699568B2
A screw attachment (10, 10′, 10″) disposed around a fastening piece (17) secured to a main fastening body (25a), the screw attachment sandwiched between a head (17b) of the fastening piece and a securing object (22) so that the screw attachment bears a securing force of the fastening piece to press the securing object. The screw attachment includes a pair of arms (12, 13) made of a shape restoring material. Each arm has a fore end, and the fore ends are joined to each other with an adhesive material that is softened when heated. The arms expands radially such that the screw attachment is released from the head of the fastening piece when heat or force is applied to the arms.
US07699561B2
A method for improving the recovery efficiency of storing fresh water into an aquifer, the storing includes injecting the fresh water and extracting the injected fresh water by a single water storage system that includes at least one well penetrating into the aquifer, the method includes: providing a plurality of screens, each screen being located alongside a wall of at least one well, and each screen respectively allowing a flow of fresh water between an associated storage zone in contact with the screen and the well on which the screen is located; controlling the flow of fresh water through each one of the plurality of screens according to parameters provided from a storage model of the aquifer, the storage model describing a behavior of each storage zone.
US07699557B2
A concrete structure for replenishing an aquifer and a method for constructing the same is provided. The structure is comprised of a pavement layer with surface drains that extend through the pavement layer and into an aggregate leach field. The leach field includes leach lines spanning the leach field. An aggregate drain extends from the leach field into a sand lens. Precipitation which falls upon the structure thus flows through the surface drain, absorbed into the aggregate leach field, and transported to the aggregate drains by way of aggregate leach lines. The water is then absorbed into the sand lens, ultimately replenishing the aquifer. Existing conventional pavement structures are retrofitted by the removal of a section of the pavement, and filling the same with porous concrete.
US07699554B2
A bonnet assembly for a blowout preventer uses a seal carrier that is removable so as to allow for efficient and easy seal replacement. The seal carrier has: a recess adapted to at least partially embed a seal for sealing the bonnet assembly to a body of the blowout preventer; and a first connecting rod coupled to and extending from an inner surface of the seal carrier, where the first connecting rod has a fastening structure proximal to a distal end of the first connecting rod, where the fastening structure is adapted to engage with a first fastening device, and where the seal carrier is removable from the bonnet assembly when the first fastening device is disengaged from the fastening structure.
US07699550B2
A modular printer having a media take-up assembly, a support block assembly, a printhead assembly, a stepper motor assembly and a display assembly is provided. A support housing having a plurality of recesses formed on an internal wall of the modular printer is also provided. Each of the recesses is configured to receive and align one of the modular printer assemblies with the other modular printer assemblies. Each of the assemblies is configured as a module which can be easily accessed and quickly secured to or detached from the support housing. The support housing is adapted to receive assembly modules for both thermal ink printers and ribbon ink printers such that the modular printer can be easily converted from one to the other.
US07699549B2
An ink ribbon cartridge includes spools each including a ratchet gear in one end portion. A cartridge body includes integrally formed resilient engagement pieces each including a ratchet portion that engages and disengages the ratchet gear of the respective spool and a compressed portion that is compressed by a compressing portion of a thermal transfer printer apparatus. When the ink ribbon cartridge is installed in the thermal transfer printer apparatus, the resilient engagement pieces behave such that the compressed portions are compressed by the compressing portions of the thermal transfer printer apparatus. Thereby, engagement between the ratchet gears of the respective spools and the ratchet portions is released, and the spools become rotatable in the cartridge body.
US07699531B2
A wheel end assembly includes a carrier and a wheel bearing assembly, and an outside inner race is integrally formed with a spindle of the wheel bearing assembly. The wheel end assembly includes: a carrier having a cylindrical member on its one side and a second through pipe on its other side; and a wheel bearing assembly comprising a spindle integrally formed with an outside inner race on its one side and having an insert groove on its other side, a hub having an outer race having ball receiving members receiving balls, an inside inner race provided on the inner side of the outer race by pressurization, and a seal member sealing a gap between the inside inner race and the outer race.
US07699528B2
A dynamic bearing device is provided, which can prevent abrasion powder generated when a sealing member is pushed into an inner circumference of a housing from entering the housing. A sealing member is inserted into an inner circumference of an opening of a housing with an adhesive interposed therebetween The adhesive moving forward in a pushing direction of the sealing member is retained by a capillary action in a lower tapered space between an outer circumference of the sealing member and the inner circumference of the housing. Abrasion powder is captured by the adhesive in the tapered space so as to be confined in the adhesive as a result of the setting of the adhesive.
US07699527B2
Disclosed is a fluid dynamic bearing device in which it is possible to prevent detachment of the shaft member reliably and at low cost without involving any increase in the device size. In a thrust bearing portion T, the lower end surface of the shaft member is held in contact with a thrust plate, and the shaft member is rotatably supported in the thrust direction. Protrusions extending radially inwards are provided on a sealing portion attached to an opening of the housing, and these protrusions are engaged with a small diameter portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft member, thereby preventing the shaft member from coming off.
US07699513B2
A lamp unit includes a projection lens disposed on an optical axis, a light source disposed on a rear side of a rear focal point of the projection lens, a reflector configured to forwardly reflect light emitted from the light source toward the optical axis, and a shade configured to shield a part of the light reflected by the reflector. The lamp unit is configured to form a light distribution pattern having a cutoff line. An incidence plane of the projection lens includes a vertical diffusing portion which regulates the cutoff line. The vertical diffusing portion includes a plurality of lens elements extending substantially parallel to a horizontal portion of the upper edge of the shade. A vertical section of each of the lens elements is convex or concave with respect to a reference surface of the incidence plane.
US07699509B2
The fixed light for bends for a motor vehicle comprises at least two light sources, means sensitive to the path of the vehicle for supplying a signal dependent on the nature of the road followed by the vehicle, and means for controlling successive switching on the sources according to the signal delivered and providing an effect of light sweeping towards the inside of the bend. Each light source consists of one or more modules with light-emitting diodes.
US07699508B2
A pole-suspended flag illumination system positions a lighting fixture located in close proximity to a flag on a flagpole to provide illumination to the flag. The lighting fixture can slide up and down the flagpole in unison the flag using the same halyard that is used for the flag, or by other means. Further, flags often rotate about the flagpole as the wind shifts. As such, the lighting fixture can rotate about the flagpole in alignment with the flag so as to maintain illumination on the flag at it rotates. The flag and the lighting fixture may be attached to a reinforced electrical cable that acts as a halyard and raises and lowers them both along the flagpole. Further, the electrical cable can be connected to a power source to power directional lights in the lighting fixture and any other electrical devices on the flagpole.
US07699504B2
The present invention relates to a light source package structure, which comprises: an accommodating space for accommodating a light source, a first refraction surface, and at least a second refraction surface. The first refraction surface receives light discharging from the light source while refracting the same to form a first refracting light, the upper part of the first refraction surface further comprising a refracting structure for refracting the light emitted from the light source. The second refraction surface receives and refracts the first refracting light to form a discharging light being emitted out of the light source package structure. Wherein, an included angle is formed between the normal vector of a portion of the second refraction surface and the central axis of the light source package structure. It is noted that the aforesaid package structure can be used in various packaging for improving refraction. In a preferred embodiment, a light source of light emitting diode (LED) is packaged by the light source package structure of the invention for enabling the light emitted from the LED to be discharged out of the package structure by a large angle after being refracted multiple times, so that the LED package structure can be adopted as a flat light source for diverse purpose applied in industry.
US07699502B2
An optical member (3) has an entrance bottom surface (6) opposed to LED chips (1) and the entrance bottom surface (6) is configured to receive light from the LED chips (1), an exit top surface (7) opposite to the entrance bottom surface (6) and the exit top surface (7) is configured to emit the light outside the optical member(3), and an outer peripheral side surface (8) disposed between the entrance bottom surface (6) and the exit top surface (7). The outer peripheral side surface (8) has a plurality of circumferentially extending grooves (9) each having a V-shaped sectional configuration. The grooves (9) are set at an angle at which the entered light can be totally reflected inwardly in the optical member (3).
US07699501B2
An LED illuminating device includes an optical section (10), an electrical section (30), and a heat dissipation section (20) arranged between the optical section (10) and the electrical section (30). The heat dissipation section is provided with a heat dissipation device (200) which includes a heat sink (23), a mounting seat (24), and a heat pipe (22) connecting the mounting seat with the heat sink. The heat sink includes a solid base (231) and a plurality of fins (232) extending radially and outwardly from the base. The base is provided with a through hole (233). Alight source (11) is provided in the optical section and attached to the mounting seat. The heat pipe includes an evaporating portion (222) attached to the mounting seat, and a condensing portion (221) fittingly received in the through hole of the base.
US07699492B2
A lighting device is disclosed. The lighting device can be battery-powered and can include one or more LEDs within a light source housing. The device can also include a base connected to the light source housing, and a clip removably connected to the base. The base can act as a stable support for the lighting device when the lighting device is positioned upright over a flat support surface with the clip disconnected from the base. Similarly, the clip (or the clip in conjunction with a portion of the base) can act as a stable support for the lighting device when the lighting device is positioned upright over a flat support surface with the clip connected to the base. The clip can be configured to releasably connect to the base in a first orientation and a second orientation substantially opposite to the first orientation.
US07699491B2
A flashlight mounting arrangement may comprise a flashlight body having a source of light therein, and a mounting saddle for detachably affixing the flashlight body on an object, the mounting saddle detachably engaging the flashlight body. Optionally, the flashlight may have a rotatable lamp head, and the lamp head may also include a reflector having one or more sources of light, e.g., an incandescent lamp and a light emitting diode, therein. Also optionally, a battery charger may be provided to recharge a battery for the flashlight.
US07699486B1
An illuminated eyeglass assembly includes one or more temple members having an integral lighting assembly structured and disposed to provide an illumination region proximate a user, for example, to illuminate an item within an arm's length of the user. Each integral light assembly includes at least one light source interconnected to a power source via a switch mechanism. Each of the light sources produce a light beam, and the light sources are structured and disposed such that the light beams provide an illumination region immediately proximate the user, thereby permitting the user to perceptively view an item in a low light environment, such as, to permit the user to read menu or a check in a restaurant or nightclub. A system is provided to retrofit an existing eyeglass assembly with one or more temple member having an integral lighting assembly.
US07699485B1
A light adapted to be attached to an article of clothing, comprising a power supply casing, an illuminator casing, having therein an illuminator adapted to emit a beam of light when electrically powered, said power supply casing and illuminator casing being attachable and detachable to the article of clothing means of a clamping force applied by a clamp with at least one extension, said at least one extension providing mechanical interconnection and a clamping force between the light and the article of clothing to retain the article of clothing therebetween.
US07699482B2
The light-emitting element emits light itself. The element includes a light-emitting portion having a higher refractive index than a refractive index of air and a diffraction grating structure provided to a light-emitting side surface of the light-emitting portion. The function that a minimum light-emission value is equal to or less than 50% of a maximum light-emission value when white light is emitted from the light-emitting portion is realized. The function is obtained by further including a color-separation filter provided between the light-emitting portion and the light-emitting side surface and making a minimum value of a spectral product obtained from a light-emission waveform of the white light emitted from the light-emitting portion and a spectral transmittance of said color-separation filter equal to or less than 50% of a maximum value thereof, or by adjusting a light-emission ratio of the light-emitting materials for said at least two primary colors among the light-emitting materials for the three primary colors.
US07699480B2
The present high positioning reproducible mirror-actuator interface disclosed herein overcomes the deficiencies associated with conventional interface systems and offer a number of advantages that are disclosed herein. Generally, the mirror mounts provide a reliable and robust interface between the mirrors and actuators, that serve to move and position the mirrors, as wells as providing an interface between the mirrors and gravity compensator pins. The mirror mount is characterized as having a body that has an outer peripheral wall that includes a plurality of flexible elements around the perimeter of the body, each having a high stiffness in plane and a high flexibility out of plane. The body is open at the first end to allow flexing of the flexible elements. The flexible elements providing a direct coupling interface between the mirror mount and the mirror. The flexible elements of the mirror mount provides a number of advantages and increases the performance capabilities of the first mechanical interface between the mirror mount and the actuator.
US07699475B2
An optical projector system is provided. The optical projector system includes light source device, an optical system, a lens set, and a photoelectric conversion device. The optical system has a light entrance end corresponding to the light source device and a light exit end corresponding to the lens set. The light source device includes a light source and a hood enclosing the light source. The light source device, the optical system, and the lens set together form a light passage. The photoelectric conversion device is disposed on a deviating light zone outside the hood for receiving the light deviating from the light passage.
US07699473B2
An image display apparatus for a viewer to view a two-dimensional image demonstrated on an image display device as an enlarged virtual image by a virtual-image optical system. The image display apparatus includes a prism and a reflective transmitting surface for reflecting or transmitting image light incident from an incident optical surface. The image display apparatus also includes a reflective optical component for reflecting image light reflected from the reflective transmitting surface and radiated from a first planar optical surface towards the reflective transmitting surface as a collimated light beam and a phase difference optical component arranged on a light path between the first planar optical surface and the reflective optical component to the state of polarization of the image light.
US07699469B2
Detecting position information related to a face, and more particularly to an eyeball in a face, using a detection and ranging system, such as a Radio Detection And Ranging (“RADAR”) system, or a Light Detection And Ranging (“LIDAR”) system. The position information may include a location of the eyeball, translational motion information related to the eyeball (e.g., displacement, velocity, acceleration, jerk, etc.), rotational motion information related to the eyeball (e.g., rotational displacement, rotational velocity, rotational acceleration, etc.) as the eyeball rotates within its socket.
US07699462B2
A scuba diving mask with corrective lenses comprising a frame with a plurality of rings joined to one another by a bridge, each of the rings having an internal flange on which the lip of a flexible skirt, a corresponding lens and a lens-retaining collar rest. The collar is attached by snap action to the corresponding ring. A seat is formed in a bridge substantially in the lying plane of, or coplanar with, the lenses and extending laterally to an upper internal portion of the rings. The seat includes a locking plate slidable between opposing end stroke positions - a locking end position and a release end positions respectively. When the locking plate is in the locking position, the lateral sides of the plate extend inside the rings and are engaged with corresponding notches in an upper internal rim of the lens-retaining collars.
US07699461B2
Systems and methods for producing permanent ink-jet images are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a media substrate coated with a porous media coating, wherein the porous media coating having inorganic porous particulates, and wherein at least a portion of the inorganic porous particulates have a first reactive group covalently attached thereto. The system further includes an ink-jet ink containing a dye, wherein the dye includes a second reactive group, and wherein the first reactive group and the second reactive group are configured to react with one another upon contact to form a covalent bond. In an alternative embodiment, a method of producing permanent ink-jet images can includes the steps of covalently bonding a first reactive group to an inorganic porous particulate; coating the inorganic porous particulate onto a media substrate to form a coated media substrate; ink-jetting a dye-containing ink-jet ink composition onto the coated media substrate, wherein the dye includes a second reactive group. The first reactive group and the second reactive group, upon contact, can interact to form a covalent bond.
US07699460B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method which can perform an appropriate printing operation on a print medium while keeping an ink ejection range to a minimum required even when the print medium transported is deviated from a theoretical position, and which can also reduce a running cost and ink mist. Thus, the present invention is characterized by determining the actual position of the print medium transported to the printing position; based on the determined print medium position, setting an area slightly larger than the print medium lying area as a print area; and performing the printing operation on that area.
US07699458B2
A method of providing a surface of a material with an image, includes applying to the surface an image sheet included (i) a flexible layer of a Shape Memory Polymer, and (ii) an image bonded to said layer by means of an image key coat. The image sheet is bonded to the surface by means of an adhesive and a process which involves heating of the Shape Memory Polymer to a temperature above its Glass Transition Temperature.
US07699456B2
The invention relates to a printing method according to which, during the printing process, one or more narrow nozzles eject a printing liquid, and to a printing liquid suitable for such a method. The invention is particularly suitable for forgery-proof printing on papers or articles. According to the invention, the printing liquid contains nanoparticles that can be induced to fluoresce or phosphoresce. Said nanoparticles are small crystalline particles that can be induced to fluoresce or phosphoresce on their own or when mixed with dopants. Individual dots (10, 12) can be printed by means of a printing liquid that contains said nanoparticles. Due to their small size of from 1 to 1000 nanometers, preferably in the range of 300 nanometers or even much smaller depending on nozzle diameter, there is no risk of very narrow ink jet nozzles getting plugged. The induction and fluorescence emission frequency ranges are narrow-band so that for a security control of the print the respective wavelength-specific induction or detection is required, thereby increasing protection against forgery.
US07699455B2
An inkjet recording apparatus comprises a main body, a print head, and a cable. The main body includes an ink container for storing ink, an ink supply pump for supplying the ink, and an operation control section. The print head includes a nozzle for expelling the ink supplied from the main body as ink particles, charging electrodes for charging the ink particles, deflecting electrodes for deflecting the charged ink particles, and a gutter for collecting ink particles that have not been used for printing. The cable includes an ink supply path through which the ink is supplied from the main body to the print head, an ink collecting path through which the ink particles collected in the gutter are returned to the ink container, signal lines interconnecting the operation control section and the print head. An ink collecting pump for transferring the ink particles collected in the gutter to the ink container is disposed in the print head.
US07699451B2
A pressure retaining device for retaining a pressure in a communication passage which are communicated between a supply tank for supplying a first fluid and a nozzle for ejecting the first fluid, comprises a compressing unit provided across an intermediate of the communication passage for compressing the first fluid transferred from the supply tank to the nozzle, and a pump for supplying to the compressing unit a second fluid on which a pressure is loaded thereby. In the construction above, the second fluid is supplied by the pump to the compressing unit to compress the first fluid in the compressing unit, and the first fluid in the nozzle is then compressed by a pressure loaded on the first fluid in the compressing unit.
US07699450B2
An ink supplying container is disclosed. In the ink supplying container, when the internal pressure of an ink container is made a positive pressure which is higher than atmospheric pressure so that nozzles of a recording head are cleaned and recovered by discharging a small amount of ink, a volume control unit restrains a flexible member of the ink container from expanding. When the internal pressure of the ink container is made a negative pressure optimal for printing which is lower than the atmospheric pressure so that a letter and/or an image is printed on a recording medium by the recording head, the volume control unit does not restrain the flexible member from expanding, and the volume of the ink container is maintained at almost the same volume as that at the time when the internal pressure of the ink container is made the positive pressure.
US07699433B2
A method of maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a chassis having mounted thereon: a maintenance roller having an elastically deformable contact surface and an ink removal system for removing ink from the maintenance roller; (ii) moving the chassis towards the printhead such that the contact surface is sealingly engaged with an ink ejection face thereof; (iii) moving the chassis away from said printhead such that the contact surface is disengaged from the face; and (iv) rotating the maintenance roller such that ink is removed from the contact surface by the ink removal system.
US07699431B2
An ink jet printing apparatus is provided in which ink absorbers, capable of performing their function to the fullest extent to quickly absorb an ink that tends to coagulate, are installed to prevent an interior of the printing apparatus and the back of a print medium from being contaminated. To this end, the printing apparatus has an ink absorber that contains a coagulation inhibitor capable of inhibiting the coagulation of colorant contained in the ink. This arrangement inhibits the coagulation of the colorant on the surface or in the interior of the absorber, allowing the colorant to be absorbed quickly and uniformly into the interior of the absorber. Therefore, problems caused by a deposition of the colorant on the surface of the absorber or by a degraded absorbing capability can be alleviated, thus keeping the image output in good condition.
US07699417B2
A recording unit according to the present invention includes a holding member, a recording element held on the holding member, an ink supply section held on the holding member, and a guiding portion provided in the holding member. The guiding portion guides a recording medium so as to prevent the recording medium from contacting the recording element. An image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveying mechanism having a conveying member on which a recording medium is placed for conveyance, a recording unit, and a fixing member which fixes the recording unit. A guiding portion of the recording unit guides the recording medium to the conveying member so as to prevent the recording medium from contacting the recording element. The guiding portion also maintains a constant gap between the recording medium and the recording element to achieve high-quality image recording.
US07699412B2
A locker is provided. The locker comprises a base defining a storage space, a door coupled to the base and rotatable relative to the base between an open position and a closed position, and a latch bar supported at an interior side of the door by at least one projection that engages at least one guide slot in the latch bar. The latch bar is moveable parallel to the door between an extended position and a retracted position. The latch bar is biased toward the extended position to secure the panel in the closed position. The extended position is horizontally and vertically offset from the retracted position.
US07699411B2
An ABS control apparatus employs a normally-open linear solenoid valve as a pressure-increasing valve, and repeatedly performs ABS control composed of pressure-reducing control and linear pressure-increasing control. This apparatus determines an initial value Pw0 of an estimated wheel cylinder pressure value Pw in consideration of brake operation time before start of ABS control Tstp and vehicle body deceleration at the start of a first-time ABS control, and then determines the estimated wheel cylinder pressure value Pw during the ABS control on the basis of the value Pw0 and the pressure-reducing characteristic of a pressure-reducing valve. This apparatus determines instruction current supplied to the pressure-increasing valve during the linear pressure-increasing control, while using an estimated differential pressure Pdiff (=(Pw0−Pw)+Pup1+Pup2), wherein Pup1 and Pup2 are set in accordance with the time Tstp and additional brake operation during the ABS control, respectively.
US07699405B2
A wheel end assembly for a vehicle includes an axle tube and a housing secured to the end of the axle tube. A hub includes a drive flange located axially outward from the housing and a spindle projecting from the drive flange into the housing. The hub spindle has a substantially solid body with drive splines about an external surface of the spindle. Rolling elements are located between the hub spindle and the housing for enabling the hub to rotate about an axis. The hub includes an inner race defining an inner raceway located around and carried by the hub spindle for engagement with the rolling elements. An axle shaft is positioned within the axle tube and includes splines that are coupled to the external drive splines of the hub. The axle shaft includes a substantially hollow end positioned within the housing having the shaft splines positioned within an inner surface of the hollow end of the axle shaft. The hollow end is configured for receiving a portion of the hub for coupling the shaft splines with the drive splines of the hub for transferring torque from the axle shaft to the hub.
US07699404B2
Various exemplary embodiments are provided of wheel assemblies and tires. In one exemplary embodiment, a wheel assembly generally includes first and second wheel pieces attachable to each other. The first and second wheel pieces may include respective first and second rim portions. Each of the first and second rim portions may include an arced portion that defines only a portion of a circumference of a rim, such that the arced portions collectively define the circumference of the rim when the first and second wheel pieces are attached. The first and second wheel pieces may be slidably engagable in a first axial direction that is substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the wheel assembly. The first and second wheel pieces may be slidably disengagable in a second axial direction that is generally opposite the first axial direction.
US07699397B2
In a seat reclining device, reclining mechanisms that are respectively provided on right and left sides of a seat are constructed such that locking and unlocking motion thereof can be performed in synchronism with each other via a connection member. A connection structure of the connection member and a operation shaft is constructed as a transmission preventing mechanism for preventing transmission of the unlocking motion between the reclining mechanisms when a load is laterally disproportionately applied to the seat back in which the reclining mechanisms are in a locking condition such that a relatively different rotational displacement that permits to release the locking condition is generated between the reclining mechanisms that are arranged in rotationally synchronism with each other.
US07699395B1
The high chair apparatus focuses on safety by providing no sharp edges. External edges and features of the apparatus are rounded to avoid potential injury to a child, whether in or around the apparatus. The seat prevents a child's escape from the chair via the harness and the divider. The built-in vacuum has a substantially selectively hidden hose so that the hose is out of the way except during use. The hose extends sufficiently to clean the apparatus and any area around the apparatus. The removable tray cover and chair back cover further aid in cleanup by providing removable washability. The pedestal housing the vacuum components is insulated to negate excessive noise. Triangularly positioned wheels provide mobility.
US07699394B2
A vehicle seat with an active head restraint system is provided with a seatback frame having a pair of side members. An armature extends transversely between the side members with a pair of lateral ends each pivotally connected to one of the side members. A head restraint rod extends from the armature for supporting a head restraint. An actuator is mounted to the seatback frame for actuating the armature. A bushing is mounted to the frame, the armature or the actuator. A rivet is mounted to the bushing and another of the frame, armature and actuator. The rivet preloads the bushing to minimize inadvertent movement at the connection. A method for assembling a vehicle seat is provided wherein the bushing is preassembled to the rivet. Another method for assembling a vehicle seat is provided wherein the rivet preloads the bushing to minimize inadvertent movement at the connection.
US07699389B2
A lift-recliner chair includes a base portion, a seat portion pivotally connected to the base portion, and a back portion pivotally connected to the seat portion. The chair further includes an actuator assembly for altering the configuration of the chair including a first actuator for moving the seat portion with respect to the base portion and second actuator for moving the back portion with respect to the seat portion. The actuator assembly is substantially enclosed on an underside of the chair, the first actuator is fixed in relation to the base portion, and the second actuator is fixed in relation to the seat portion.
US07699385B2
Provided is an automotive vehicle body structure which is light weight but demonstrates an improved mechanical strength during a frontal collision. A pair of front side frames extend in a fore-and-aft direction in a mutually spaced relationship in a front part of a vehicle body, and a pair of floor frames having forward ends joined to rear ends of the corresponding front side frames, respectively, extend in the fore-and-aft direction. A front cross member is provided with a pair of lateral ends that are joined to inboard sides of the rear end portions of the corresponding front side frames, and is arch shaped. A middle cross member is placed behind the front cross member and extends across the floor frames. Tunnel frames extend in a fore-and-aft direction in a central part of the vehicle body to join a dashboard lower panel, front cross member and middle cross member.
US07699382B2
An aerodynamic cargo container with rounded rear doors is disclosed. The aerodynamic cargo container includes an angled rear area that reduces base drag when the container is transported. The rear sliding door allows for partial opening of the door and allows for operation of the door when the rear of the container is in close proximity to another object. The crash attenuating skirt deflects vehicles away from the cargo container. A pair of cargo doors may define the curved contour of the trailer rear section. These doors may have a plurality of pivoted and segmented sections that assume the curved contour of a stationary edge when the doors are moved to a closed position.
US07699377B2
A vehicle includes a ceiling with a headliner and a cradle is secured within the ceiling of the vehicle such that it is substantially flush with the headliner. The cradle is shaped and dimensioned for selectively receiving and securely holding a video system. A cover for selective attachment to the cradle when the video system is not in use.
US07699358B2
High localized loading, galling, and high torque forces have been generally eliminated or greatly reduced in a two ferrule tube fitting assembly through suitable modification of the rear ferrule so as to redirect the reaction forces acting between the front ferrule and the drive nut. The rear ferrule has a cylindrical interior wall that closely surrounds the tube end and is provided on the interior cylindrical wall with a circumferentially continuous radial recess that is located between the nose and rear wall of the rear ferrule. The rear ferrule also has a radially external wall that is substantially conical and additionally shaped to extend radially outward toward the enlarged diameter portion or flange of the rear ferrule. The rear ferrule further includes a contoured face on the rear driven surface of the ferrule that engages the drive surface of the drive nut.
US07699346B2
A force redistributing system operably attached to a vehicle. The system includes a first cross-car member, a first side load distributor and a second side load distributor. The first and second side load distributors are parallel to and spaced apart from each other and are attached at respective first ends to opposing ends of the first cross-car member. The system includes a second cross-car member having opposing ends, which are attached to second ends of the first and second side load distributors. The system establishes cross vehicle loading of force from a rear impact wherein the force from the rear impact on the vehicle is transferred along an upper path and a lower path.
US07699341B2
A planing boat, particularly of a small size, is provided with an airbag system. The airbag system includes at least one bag-shaped airbag body, a housing which accommodates the airbag body, a detector for detecting a collision of the boat, an expanding unit which inflates the airbag body at the time of collision of the boat, and a controller for controlling the detector and the inflation of the airbag body. In a preferred embodiment, the airbag system includes a first airbag body in the handle cover which is blown up from the handle bar to a rear side of the boat and a second airbag body in the handle cover which is blown up toward a front side of knees of a rider.
US07699338B2
A passenger airbag module removably connectable to an automotive interior component. The passenger airbag module may include a front bracket engageable with an automotive interior component and a rear connector having a detent or an aperture. A rear bracket may be removably connectable with the rear connector by an aperture or detent for respectively receiving or insertion into the detent or aperture of the rear connector. The rear bracket may be further configured to engage the automotive interior component.
US07699336B2
An anti-theft device for a towed trailer vehicle wherein a pivotable cover housing is mounted to the tongue of the trailer in spaced relation to the socket lock mechanism of a conventional ball socket attachment of a trailer hitch bar. The protective housing adapts to all standard ball and socket arrangements, does not require extensive rework of the tongue of the trailer, has adequate securing means, is low cost, and provides anti-theft protection while the trailer is in tow, as well as when the trailer is parked and/or unhitched from the towing vehicle.
US07699331B2
A motorcycle-stance alteration kit is described. The kit includes a handlebar clamp, a fork clamp, and a footpeg extension. The handlebar clamp is formed to connect with a motorcycle's fork clamp and reposition the motorcycle's handlebar to alter a user's riding stance. The fork clamp is configured to be attached with motorcycle forks to the motorcycle's frame. The fork clamp includes a horizontal mounting surface that is formed to offset the fork's rake angle to cause the horizontal mounting surface to rest in a substantially horizontal alignment with respect to a ground surface. Finally, the footpeg extension is formed to connect with and between a motorcycle frame and footpeg. Thus, the footpeg extension effectively repositions the footpeg to alter the user's riding stance.
US07699330B2
A shock-absorbing suspension device includes a mounting rod mounted on a wheeled vehicle frame, a wheel rod mounted on a vehicle wheel axle and forward of the mounting rod, a counteracting member pivotally mounted on the mounting rod and having upper and lower linked ends disposed forward of the wheel rod, upper and lower linking bars coupling the upper and lower linked end to the wheel rod to thereby form a four-bar linkage mechanism, a cantilever arm extending forward from an upper end of the mounting rod to terminate at a bearing end, and a force transmitting member coupled with the four-bar linkage mechanism to thereby minimize the impact of shock to the mounting rod.
US07699329B2
A bicycle transmission assembly that is mountable to a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle frame. The bicycle transmission generally includes an input crank assembly, an output chainring, a planetary gear mechanism, a control system and a mounting system. The output chainring engages a bicycle drive chain that includes a plurality of chain links. The planetary gear mechanism includes a ring gear and provides a plurality of transmission paths. The planetary gear mechanism is mounted coaxially about the shell axis. The control system is operatively connected to the planetary gear mechanism for selecting one of the plurality of transmission paths. The mounting system mounts the planetary gear mechanism and the control system to the bottom bracket shell. At least one chain link overlaps the ring gear as viewed along the shell axis. The at least one chain link engages the output chainring.
US07699328B2
A retractable step assembly (400) for a cab (C) for a mobile machine includes a leg (450) slideably received in a through-hole (408) in a platform (58) of a cab (C). An upper end (452) of the leg (450) is fixed to a lower end (434) of a stretchable spring (430) whose upper end (432) is fixed. A step (470) is mounted to the lower end (454) of the leg (450). The leg (450) is movable between a retracted position and an extended position in which the step (470) is nearer to the ground than in the retracted position. The step (470) can be stepped on by an operator to move the leg (450) to the extended position to thereby allow the operator to exit the cab (C) by stepping on the step (470). The leg (450) can be unlatched by the operator in the cab (C) to return to the retracted position under action of the spring (430).
US07699327B2
The invention relates to a wheel suspension, which has at least one transverse link and one wheel carrier. The wheel carrier has a connecting element, through which a bolt extends, for connecting to the transverse link. The connecting element has a stop on a limb which is assigned to a bolt head, with the bolt head having a counterstop which corresponds to the stop.
US07699325B2
A steerable stroller including a rear frame assembly supporting two rear wheels and a front frame assembly, which may take the form of a boom or other frame work, pivotally coupled with the rear frame assembly and supporting a front wheel. A centering mechanism is provided that elastically couples the front frame assembly with the rear frame assembly so that the boom and front wheel are normally in a straight orientation with respect to the rear wheels, and when a user imparts a turning force the centering mechanism acts to return the boom and front wheel to the straight orientation when the force is reduced or removed. It is also possible to include a pivoting front wheel in conjunction with or separate from the pivoting boom, with pivoting wheel also including a centering mechanism. Finally, the steerable running stroller may include a removable seat assembly.
US07699318B1
A method of wagering for games where there can be more than one player hand dealt and each player hand is compared to a Dealer hand. The method of wagering adds an option to wager that the Dealer hand will beat a particular player hand, a wager that the Dealer hand will push with or tie a particular player hand, or both additional wagers. The method of wagering may be supported by a special layout for wagers on the Dealer hand, and this layout may be able to move around the table or it may be stationary.
US07699308B2
An apparatus for diverting sheet material, in particular bank notes (BN), includes a diverting plate (4) with a first diverting edge (7) disposed on a slant and preferably a second diverting edge (8) disposed on a slant. The sheet material is guided and transported from the rear side (6) of the diverting plate (4) around the first diverting edge (7) to the front side (5) and further around the second diverting edge (8) back to the rear side (6). If the diverting edges (7, 8) are aligned relative to the transport direction (1, 2, 3) of the sheet material e.g. in each case at a slant angle of 45°, this apparatus permits the sheet-material transport direction to be diverted by 180°, whereby the transport path is shifted parallel. Thus, a continuous bank-note stream can be diverted uninterruptedly while retaining the sheet-material orientation relative to the transport direction. By means of a gate (12) the sheet material can be guided to a downstream diverting edge (13) instead of to the second diverting edge (8).
US07699304B2
A paper feed cassette incorporates a storage portion for standard-sized paper and a storage portion for small-sized paper that has an area smaller than the standard-sized paper, further includes paper conveyance paths for guiding the standard-sized paper and small-sized paper from the respective storage portions to an image forming portion, and these paper conveyance paths share a common vertical portion.
US07699297B2
A method of operating a clamp (100) that includes a first clamping jaw (102), a support element (104) to which the first clamping jaw is attached and a trigger handle (118) pivotably mounted to a clamp body (112). The method includes actuating the trigger handle causing the first clamping jaw to experience incremental motion and varying the incremental motion as a function of a load encountered by the support element by varying an effective lever arm of the trigger handle by moving a fulcrum point into contact or out of contact with the trigger handle based on the load.
US07699296B1
A micromachined actuator including a body or platform mounted to a suspension system anchored to a substrate. In one embodiment, the suspension system is comprised of a set of one or more spring flexures connecting the actuator body to the substrate with strain relief provided via connecting torsional elements. In another embodiment, the suspension system includes a first set of one or more spring flexures each with one end anchored to a largely rigid intermediate frame and the other end attached to the body. A second set of one or more flexures is attached between the intermediate frame and the substrate. A third actuator embodiment maximizes force electrode area to minimize voltage required for electrostatic actuation. A fourth embodiment provides electrical interconnect to an actuator or an actuator array using polysilicon with silicon nitride isolation.
US07699283B2
A unitary support bracket facilitates secure and efficient support of an electrical box, and one or more associated conduits. The support bracket includes a central portion, and a plurality of leg portions which extend integrally therefrom. Each of the leg portions includes a downwardly deformable distal portion, which in turn each include at least one resiliently deformable tab engageable with a respective one of the conduits. By this arrangement, the efficient support of an electrical box, and one or more associated conduits, can be provided, with minimal assembly of various components required, thus facilitating convenient and efficient installation of the associated electrical system.
US07699282B2
An article holder is provided for supporting a sheet of material on a vertical surface. The article holder includes a backing plate connectable to the vertical surface and a clip operatively connected to the backing plate. The clip includes a face plate and an upper wall interconnecting the upper edge of the face plate and the upper edge of the backing plate. A retaining leg extends from the lower edge of the face plate. The retaining leg moveable between a closed position wherein the terminal end of the retaining leg engages the inner surface of the backing plate and an open position wherein the retaining leg is spaced from the inner surface of the backing plate. The inner surface of the backing plate, the inner surface of the face plate and the inner surface of the upper wall define a cavity for receiving a portion of the sheet.
US07699279B2
A slide bracket includes a main body having an end plate and at least one hanging block. The end plate is provided with a locating holder and a corresponding opening. The locating holder contains a chamber containing a spring. The hanging block has a first post and a second post, and is disposed into the chamber to hold against the spring to expand in relation to the opening and the chamber so to allow the first and second posts penetrating through the opening of the end plate for securing the bracket to a support without relying upon tools.
US07699275B2
A stand for a display device is provided. The stand prevents a viewer located at a side of the display from experiencing the problems of a narrow viewing angle by allowing the display device to be pivoted in a wide angle without interference from a wall behind the device. The stand includes a base, a swivel hinge, a fixed unit, a telescopic unit, and a movable unit. The swivel hinge is fixed to the base. The fixed unit is rotatably fixed to the swivel hinge. The telescopic unit includes one member fixed to the fixed unit. The movable unit, to which the other member of the telescopic unit is fixed, is capable of being translated in left and right directions of the base and being rotated.
US07699274B2
A temporary attachment for use with pipe hangers is disclosed which includes an elongated angle member which is supported upon the lower end of a pipe hanger and which has a plurality of ball transfer units positioned thereon which support the pipe being hung. The ball transfer units not only permit the longitudinal movement of the associated pipe with respect to the pipe hanger but also permits the pipe to be rotated about its longitudinal axis with respect to the pipe hanger.
US07699273B2
There is provided a removable holding device for accommodating a mobile terminal and/or a screen in the passenger region of a vehicle. The holding device comprises at least one bar with a first end for insertion into fitments of a vehicle and a second end for accommodating the mobile terminal and/or the screen. That holding device has proven to be advantageous insofar as it is easy to remove/insert.
US07699271B2
A railroad crossing gate drive mechanism has an adjustable gate arm support in the form of a split hub mounted on the external portion of a drive shaft. A fixed section of the split hub is keyed to the drive shaft and has threaded bolt holes therein. A moveable section of the split hub mounts a gate arm connector and has arcuate slots cut on the same bolt circle as the fixed section's bolt holes. Cap screws extend through the arcuate slots and into the bolt holes. The horizontal position of the gate arm connector can be adjusted due to the loose fit afforded by the arcuate slots on the cap screws. When the gate arm connector is located in the desired horizontal position, the cap screws are tightened to lock the split hub sections together.
US07699267B2
An aircraft for carrying at least one rigid cargo container includes a beam structure with a forward fuselage attached to the forward end of the beam structure and an empennage attached to the rearward end of the beam structure. Wings and engines are mounted relative to the beam structure and a fairing creates a cargo bay able to receive standard sized intermodal cargo containers. Intermodal cargo containers of light construction and rigid structure are positioned within the cargo bay and securely mounted therein. The beam structure is designed to support flight, takeoffs and landings when the aircraft is empty but requires the added strength of the containers securely mounted to the beam structure when the aircraft is loaded. The aircraft is contemplated to be a drone.
US07699258B2
A device for controlling the feed of a yarn to a textile machine operating intermittently on the yarn, there being provided elements to sense the tension of the yarn and elements for measuring and modifying its feed speed, all connected to control and regulator elements for the tension and speed parameters, which continuously measure the values of both parameters during the feed of the yarn to the textile machine so as to act on a rotary member in order to modify the tension of the yarn when necessary. The rotary member is movable in a controlled manner in the two opposing directions of rotation to feed the yarn to the textile machine or to rewind it in order to prevent its accumulation in correspondence with the machine, the tension of the yarn fed or rewound being maintained at constant values.
US07699249B2
The invention relates to a method for defining the degree of fullness in a mill and the load toe angle (φk), where there are used oscillations directed to the mill electric motor, in order to define the toe of the mill load composed of the mass to be ground. According to the invention, from the obtained measurements (P(n)) related to the mill draw or torque, there is defined the phase (θ) of the mill oscillation by using a frequency domain analysis, and that by means of the mill oscillation phase (θ), there is defined the load toe angle (φk).
US07699248B2
A method for recycling comprises a pulverization step (S1) of pulverizing thermoplastic resin molded articles, each having a different softening point in a resin substrate and having a metal part and a coupling film, a metal-material selection-removal step (S3) of selecting and removing a metal material from pulverized pieces, a pulverized resin-material selection step (S5) of selecting a target pulverized resin material for recycling by allowing the pulverized pieces from which the pulverized metal material has been removed to drop and by ejecting gas towards either one of the target pulverized resin material and a non-target pulverized resin material for changing a drop direction thereof, and a coating-film peeling step (S7) of peeling the coating film from the resin substrate by applying a shearing force to the target pulverized resin material under the softening point of the resin substrate of the target pulverized resin material for recycling.
US07699237B2
A baking oven and a method for controlling the exhaust flow from a cooking chamber of the baking oven, the flow being discharged by a fan. The method includes increasing a speed of the fan during a first time interval after. A first temperature of the baking oven is measured using a first temperature sensor during the first time interval. At the same time a second temperature of the baking oven is measured using a second temperature sensor. An electronic controller is used to determine the temperature difference between the temperatures during the first time interval. At a selected fan speed, the determined temperature difference varies from an initial temperature difference measured at the beginning of the first time interval. The controller sets at least one of the fan speed and a position of a bypass damper as a function of the selected fan speed.
US07699234B2
A method for selecting between a multi-hop transmission route and a single-hop transmission route for transmitting data from a smart item in a network of smart items to a base station includes receiving signals at the smart item from neighboring smart items in a vicinity of the smart item, measuring a density of neighboring smart items around the smart item based on information in the received signals, and parameterizing a loss of energy in a signal transmitted between a neighboring smart item and the smart item as a function of distance between the neighboring smart item and the smart item. The parameterization is based on information in the received signals. Based on the measured density and on the parameterization of the loss of energy, a multi-hop transmission route or a single-hop transmission route is selected for transmitting data from the smart item to the base station.
US07699233B2
A system and method for initializing secure elements for use in mobile devices. A mobile device manufacturer embeds uninitialized secure elements into mobile devices. An issuer-specific seed value is securely passed into an initialization routine in the operating system of the secure element. The initialization routine diversifies the initial root keys on the secure element with the issuer seed and the unique chip serial number to create master and chip keys for use in secure communications between the issuer and the mobile device user.
US07699231B2
A non-contact reader/writer for an IC card includes an antenna substrate provided with a loop antenna and a capacitor on its upper surface, a control substrate provided with a transmitting/receiving circuit and a chip coil on its upper surface, and a magnetic sheet disposed between the antenna substrate and the control substrate. A magnetic flux generated by the chip coil on the control substrate passes through the loop antenna to cause magnetic coupling, so that the loop antenna and the transmitting/receiving circuit need not be connected to each other through a communication cable.
US07699226B2
An electronic plan-o-gram system and method for determining plan-o-gram data are provided. In accordance with the method, identifiers associated with each of more than one product located in at least one storage area in a storage facility are sensed and a product type and product location of each product is determined based upon the sensed identifiers. A configuration of the at least one storage area in the storage facility and a location of each product in the storage facility is determined based upon the configuration and the determined product locations. A plan-o-gram data is stored indicating the location of products in the storage facility.
US07699215B2
A carton includes a bottom receptacle defined in part by the bottom panel, the side panels, and gusseted end panels. The bottom receptacle can be constructed without glue seals so that the receptacle is liquid-tight.
US07699213B2
Cartons have dispensing features that enable containers or other articles to be selectively dispensed from the cartons while preventing inadvertent escape of the articles from the cartons.
US07699205B2
A surgical fastener applying apparatus including an anvil half-section having a distal end and a longitudinal axis; a cartridge receiving half-section having a distal end and operatively couplable with the anvil half-section such that the distal ends of the half-sections are in juxtaposed relation; and a deflection control system operatively engaged with and reinforcing the distal end of the anvil half-section when a force is applied to the distal end of the anvil half-section in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.
US07699203B2
A surgical staple inserter is disclosed and can include a shaft and a staple engagement arm pivotably engaged with the shaft. Further, the surgical staple inserter can include a spring that can be connected to the shaft and the staple engagement arm. The surgical staple inserter can be moved between a straight position and a bent position. In the straight position, the staple engagement arm can be substantially aligned with the shaft. In the bent position, the staple engagement arm can be rotated with respect to the shaft.
US07699202B2
A continuous cap feed mechanism for use with fastener driving device includes a housing for receiving a coiled strip of interconnected caps removably mounted the fastener driving device. The housing includes a passageway for guiding the strip of caps from the coil to a position beneath a fastener to be driven by the fastener driving device and an advancing mechanism for moving the leading cap on said strip from the passage to the position beneath the fastener to be driven after the fastener driving device drives a prior fastener into a cap and as it is moved away from the previously driven fastener. The advancing mechanism includes a driver movably mounted in the housing for movement between an extended and retracted position adjacent the location on the fastener driving device at which the fastener driving device drives fasteners. The driver is moved from its extended to its retracted position as it engages a work piece to which a cap is to be fastened is biased towards its extended position and includes a pusher mechanism for engaging a cap in the strip in the housing and urging the strip in the passageway towards the fastener driving device as the driver returns to its extended position when the housing is moved away from the work piece.
US07699189B2
A dispensing assembly adapted for dispensing gloves, which includes a dispenser. The dispenser has a housing which forms an inner surface and an internal compartment configured to hold a stack of gloves, and at least one dispensing opening. A stack of gloves disposed in the dispenser on a glove positioner and the glove positioner biases the stack of gloves toward the dispensing opening and a portion of the housing such that the glove positioner controls the stack of gloves and space in the internal compartment of the dispenser to prevent gloves from moving out of the stack and into the space to permit easy and reliable withdrawal of each glove therefrom.
US07699187B2
An end fitting for a cylindrical high pressure vessel made from components all having thin walls, thereby tripling the practical diameter of such pressure vessels. The end fitting includes a toroidal shell defining a hole; centrally disposed piece for closing the hole comprising a pipe and a center end fitting and structural members. In a first embodiment, the structural members comprise slices of an end of the pipe welded to the outer cylindrical wall of the vessel. In a second embodiment, the structural members are plates connecting the pipe to the outer cylindrical walls. In the third embodiment, the plates connect an extension of the outer cylindrical wall beyond the toroidal shell to an extension of the outer cylindrical wall of the pressure vessel. The center end fitting may be hemispheric or ellipsoidal.
US07699183B2
Disclosed herein are bottle-shaped containers having a trunk portion approximating a square. The trunk portion comprises four tabular side walls arrayed about a center axis and four corner walls connected to adjacent side walls in a corner-cutting form. The width of the corner walls expands from the top end and the bottom end toward a position about midway between the top end and the bottom end. By making the widths of the side walls and the corner walls about equal at a location about midway between the top portion and the bottom portion, the distance between the corner walls in mutual opposition with respect to the center axis can be decreased, forming a waist portion.
US07699181B2
A storage apparatus and method involves a wheel storage assembly having adjustable pockets for storage therein of an article. The wheel storage assembly generally includes a pocket assembly and opposite wheel assemblies. The pocket assembly may include a core, at least two dividers installed in an offset relationship on the core, the dividers being configured to project substantially radially outwardly from the core to form a free end of each divider, and a clip mounted at the free end of each divider. A base assembly may be employed to rotatably support the wheel storage assembly. A hub of each wheel assembly may be formed with an outer, substantially rounded surface and with a tension belt installed on a base connector of the base assembly and looped around the rounded surface to control the rotational speed of the wheel storage assembly as mounted on the base assembly.
US07699178B2
The purpose of the invention is to prevent accumulation of particulates on the outside of a net body of a particulate sifter having a cylindrical net body and to extend the lifetime of the net body. To achieve the purpose, in a particulate sifter which is provided with a sieve 21 having a cylindrical net body 26 extending in a horizontal direction and a booster having rotating blades which rotate along the inner surface of the net body 26 and which separates particulates that pass through the net body 26 from particulates and/or foreign substances that do not pass through the net body 26 while agitating the particulates that have flowed inside the sieve 21 with the booster, the sieve 21 is located rotatably around the central axis of the cylindrical net body 26. The sieve 21 may be rotated forcibly by an electric motor as a driving source or may be rotated by kinetic energy of particulate-air mixture agitated by rotating blades without a driving source.
US07699175B2
A puzzle storage and transport system including a puzzle including one or more puzzle pieces and a puzzle board and a container to store and transport one or more puzzle pieces. The container includes a pouch defining a cavity to contain the one or more puzzle pieces and including a closure to provide access to the cavity and one or more straps coupled to the pouch to bind the container to the puzzle board.
US07699171B2
Stackable containers that, in various embodiments, are adapted to be vertically and/or horizontally interlocked with other, like, containers to, for example, increase the stability of stacks of the containers. In one embodiment, a stackable container comprises: (A) a top surface comprising a shoulder portion that extends upwardly from the top surface and that is substantially disposed within a perimeter defined by the top surface; (B) a bottom surface defining a stacking recess; (C) a plurality of substantially vertical side surfaces that extend between the top surface and the bottom surface. In various embodiments, a recessed portion of the bottom surface adjacent the stacking recess is adapted to substantially mate with at least a portion of a shoulder portion of a like container.
US07699169B2
An elongate article holding package for a wiper blade having a pair of package panels with at least one of the panels including a blade beam receiving seat and a support flat upon which part of the blade rests during packaging. When closed, the flats position and can clamp the blade therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, both panels are so configured and preferably include one or more longitudinal stiffeners that oppose bending moments created by force transmitted to the package by the blade beam. The package preferably is of tri-fold construction having a spine that is spaced from and protects the wiper element. The spine preferably includes at least a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending stiffeners. One or more stiffening flanges preferably are also provided. When closed, the panels and spine advantageously cooperate with each other to increase package crush and bending resistance.
US07699167B2
A container for goods having an axial dimension is provided, comprising a first end support having four corners and being oriented in a first plane, a second end support having four corners and being oriented in a second plane spaced axially from the first plane, at least two connecting rails having first and second ends, the first ends being removably connected to the first end support and the second ends being removably connected to the second end support, each rail being connected to a different corner of the first end support and a corresponding corner of the second end support, wherein at least one good may be suspended between and supported by the first end support and second end support.
US07699162B2
An ophthalmic lens package that contains an ophthalmic lens and its packaging solution including a frangible pouch and side members which contain the packaging solution when the ophthalmic package is opened and methods of using the package.
US07699161B2
An ophthalmic lens package comprises a shell having an internal cavity accessible through an opening in the shell and a drainage member that divides the internal chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The drainage member is permeable to aqueous liquids and is arranged to allow drainage of liquid from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. This arrangement of the ophthalmic lens package allows the consumer to retrieve the lens from the upper chamber without handling any significant amount of saline solution.
US07699159B2
A belt unit includes a plurality of rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller; a belt being supported by the plurality of rollers; a specified roller; and a shift restraint member restraining the belt from shifting toward one end side of the specified roller. The specified roller is at least one roller of the plurality of rollers. The specified roller has such a shape that an outer diameter thereof on each of both end sides thereof is continuously enlarged toward a central part thereof in an axial direction thereof, and has such a shape that a region where the outer diameter thereof is the largest is shifted onto one end side thereof with respect to the central part thereof in the axial direction thereof within a belt suspension range.
US07699158B2
A conveying device is provided in systems for safety checking items of luggage or cargo, comprising at least one baggage switch with at least two horizontal conveyors, which are parallelly arranged one above the other at a fixed distance and which can be vertically displaced with the aid of an elevator.
US07699147B2
A regulable dashpot with shock-absorption force controls, especially intended for motor vehicles, with at least one flow-regulating system including one or more shock-absorption components for the compression phase and/or for the decompression phase. The object is to allow the dashpot to shift continuously between the hard and soft phases, whereby the valve-adjustment intervals can be varied at intervals that are not unnecessarily short or even unattainable. At least one valve assembly is accordingly supplied with variable flow impedance by a regulating valve (5 or 6).
US07699145B2
An elevator brake assembly (16) includes a plate (26) having damper assemblies (28) including at least one spring (30) for controlling movement of the plate (26) relative to a magnetic field generator (20). A biasing member (36) forces the plate (26) into engagement with a disk (22) fixed to a rotating shaft (18). A force created by the magnetic field generator (20) overcomes force of the biasing member (32) to draw the plate (26) into contact with the magnetic field generator (20). The impact between the plate (26) and the magnetic field generator (20) is controlled by the damping assembly (28) to substantially reduce impact noise.
US07699138B2
A flangeless mounting system, suitable for in-wall speakers and other objects, includes a panel that replaces a substantial section of wallboard instead of being installed behind the wallboard. In preferred embodiments a rim extends outwardly from a first surface of the panel by a distance of less than ½ inch, and preferably by only ⅛ inch or even 1/16 inch. The face of the object can be quite large, up to 40 in2 or more, and still be relatively small with respect to the panel. Panels are contemplated that have a width at least two, three or more times that of the face of the object, and along with optional wings are wider than the stud separation in the wall.
US07699136B2
A steering device for a vehicle includes a first sun gear connected to a steering member, a second sun gear which is operated according to operation of the steering member and connected to a steering mechanism for turning vehicle wheels, a first planet gear which is meshed with the first sun gear, and a second planet gear which is rotated integrally with the first planet gear and meshed with the second sun gear. The steering device is constructed in such a manner that at least one of the first and second sun gears is a profile shifted gear, and the first and second planet gears are formed as a cylindrical body which has internal teeth of the same number at both end parts thereof.
US07699134B2
A motorcycle has an exhaust system configured to extend below the engine while providing a sufficient length and a sufficient angle of through which the motorcycle can lean. A muffler unit comprises a first muffler connected with the exhaust pipe unit and disposed between the engine and a rear wheel. The muffler unit also comprises a second muffler that is connected with the first muffler and that is disposed near the side of the rear wheel. The first muffler comprises inclined portions that are formed on the left and right sides of the first muffler when viewed from the front of the vehicle. The second muffler has inclined portions that extend at an angle approximately equal to that of the inclined portions of the first muffler.
US07699131B2
An electric wheelchair comprises: a chair assembly and a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is mounted at the bottom of the chair assembly. The chair assembly includes a seat, a first frame, a second frame, and a third frame, which are pivotally connected to form a four-bar linkage mechanism, so that the seat and the respective frames of the electric wheelchair will be folded synchronously in the same direction when the electric wheelchair is being folded, and the folding direction of the chair assembly is vertical to the axis of the drive wheels of the wheel assembly, thus allowing the disabled user to fold the chair assembly and to disassemble the wheel assembly quickly and effortlessly.
US07699127B2
A hydrogen fill inlet structure for a fuel cell vehicle includes a hydrogen cylinder for filling hydrogen gas from a hydrogen fill inlet. A fuel cell is provided for generating electrical power utilizing hydrogen gas supplied from the hydrogen cylinder. A motor is provided for generating propulsive power for supply to a drive wheel based on electrical power generated from the fuel cell. The hydrogen fill inlet is separate from a source port of the hydrogen cylinder, and is installed in the vicinity of the source port. The hydrogen fill inlet structure may be installed within the diameter of the hydrogen cylinder as viewed axially along the tank. In addition, a cover member is provided for covering the hydrogen cylinder. A lid is installed on a section in proximity to the source port and hydrogen fill inlet of the cover member.
US07699116B2
An anti-skipping sprinkler includes a frame defining a central longitudinal axis, the frame including a base portion defining an orifice, and first and second arms extending away from the base portion and joining at a lower end of the frame; a deflector located at the lower end of the frame; an orifice plug held over the orifice by a trigger element including a heat sensitive element; and an anti-skipping shield extending circumferentially around the heat sensitive element. The anti-skipping shield has an upper end and a lower end. The anti-skipping shield is open at the upper end and at the lower end to permit airflow to the heat sensitive element around the upper end and the lower end of the anti-skipping shield.
US07699115B2
A method is provided of applying an annular seal to a tubular element (7) for use in a wellbore (1). The method comprises the steps of: a) providing at least one flexible seal layer (20) at the wellbore site, each seal layer having a pair of opposite longitudinal edges movable relative to each other between an open position wherein the seal layer can be radially applied to the tubular element, and a closed position wherein the seal layer extends substantially around the tubular element, the seal layer being made material susceptible of swelling upon contact with a selected fluid; b) partially lowering the tubular element (7) into the wellbore (1); c) radially applying the seal layer (20) in the open position thereof to a portion of the tubular element extending above the wellbore; d) moving the seal layer (20) to the closed position thereof; and e) further lowering the tubular element (7) with the seal layer (20) applied thereto into the wellbore (1) until the seal layer is located at a selected location in the wellbore (1).
US07699108B2
Piston bore distortions in a sub-surface safety valve are reduced or eliminated when valve body is subjected to high working pressures. In one embodiment, a piston is disposed in a sleeve that is disposed in a piston bore. The bore can distort but the sleeve within will not distort to the point of losing sealing pressure around the piston. In another approach additional bore or bores are provided adjacent the piston bore to make the pin end of the connection for the valve housing more uniform in the region of the piston bore so that pressure loading does not result in sufficient distortion of the piston bore to lose the piston sealing relation in its bore.
US07699107B2
A device useful for conducting lateral or transverse excavating operations within a wellbore comprising a rotating drill bit with jet nozzles on a flexible arm. The arm can retract within the housing of the device during deployment within the wellbore, and can be extended from within the housing in order to conduct excavation operations. A fluid pressure source for providing ultra high pressure to the jet nozzles can be included with the device within the wellbore. The device includes a launch mechanism that supports the arm during the extended position and a positioning gear to aid during the extension and retraction phases of operation of the device.
US07699098B2
Drilling apparatus for receiving, moving and aligning pipe sections as they are added to a string of pipe on a drilling rig when using an iron roughneck. After the iron roughneck is moved to well centerline and engaged with the box connection of the pipe suspended in the well bore, a hydraulically controlled pipe engagement mechanism is extended radially away from the iron roughneck and in the general direction of the pipe rack. The pipe engaging mechanism receives the lower end of the next stand of pipe to be added and is hydraulically retracted to lock around the pipe stand and bring the pipe stand into alignment with the pipe string suspended in the well bore.
US07699093B2
A tube support device for a tube bundle having a plurality of elongated tubes with a U-shaped bend portion is disclosed. The tube support device includes an elongated longitudinally extending strip having a pair of opposing faces. A plurality of tube engaging members extend from the pair of opposing faces. The tube support device includes an engagement assembly formed on one end of the tube support device. The engagement assembly is adapted to engage the anchor assembly positioned within the tube bundle, whereby the tube support device can be rotated into the desired orientation between the tubes to prevent vibration damage.
US07699085B2
There is provided a laminating apparatus laminating an object to be laminated in a laminating part which has a diaphragm on an upper side and a heater panel on a lower side, by melting a filler in the object to be laminated and pressing the object to be laminated sandwiched between the diaphragm and the heater panel, the apparatus including: a sheet conveying the object to be laminated placed thereon to/out of the laminating part; and a lift mechanism lifting up/down a support part capable of supporting the sheet from the lower side.
US07699081B2
An accumulator arm for a felling head has inner and outer arms which are hydraulically driven open and closed. The inner and outer sides of the outer arm are curved away from an accumulation pocket and toward a harvesting arm, wherein the accumulator arm can be pulled around a newly cut tree to add the tree to the accumulation pocket with a lesser amount of hydraulic force and with lesser damage to the trees.
US07699075B2
A choke valve for use in reverse flow when mounted on a wellhead or manifold. The choke valve includes a valve body forming a T-shaped bore to provide a vertically extending bottom opening and a horizontally extending side opening. Flow trim is positioned in the T-shaped bore, optionally in a tubular sleeve or removable cartridge. The flow trim includes a tubular cage having a side wall forming an internal bore aligned with the body bottom opening, and a single flow port or a plurality of flow ports, each of the single flow port or plurality of flow ports being positioned for alignment with the body side opening. In reverse flow mode in the valve body, fluid from the bottom opening enters the cage and exits through the single flow port or plurality of flow ports directly into the body side opening.
US07699074B2
A double block and bleed valve assembly having a valve body with a bore. The bore has an opened and closed position by two valve arrangements to control fluid flow along a pipeline.
US07699069B2
A valve apparatus has a valve (1), an actuator (2) and a leakage sensor (3). A body (4) of the valve has first and second valve chambers (6, 8) connected to respective valve ports (10 & 12, 14 & 16) and joined by an intermediate passage (18). The valve can be set by the actuator to any one of three valve configurations. In an ‘open’ configuration the intermediate passage is open to interconnect the first and second chambers. In a ‘closed’ configuration, the intermediate passage is closed by first and second seals (24, 26) seated at respective locations in the passage to seal respectively between the first and second chambers and a leakage chamber (28) at the portion of the intermediate passage between the two seals. In a ‘cleaning’ configuration one of the seals is unseated to connect a respective one of the first and second chambers to the leakage chamber, while the other seal remains seated. The leakage sensor is connected to the leakage chamber to provide a signal indicative of a leakage flow from the leakage chamber.
US07699067B2
An exemplary clamping apparatus (10) for optical members (50) includes a base (11) and a positioning frame (13). The base has a plurality of receiving grooves (122) defined therein. Each receiving groove is configured for receiving one optical member therein. The positioning frame is mounted on the base. The positioning frame has a cavity (132) defined therein for receiving the optical members.
US07699055B2
A tracheotomy cannula apparatus with a shield plate is provided for fixedly gripping the cannula with a housing assembly portion of the apparatus. A pair of wing structures form a portion of the apparatus and are attached to the housing assembly, which wing structures assist in holding the cannual apparatus to a patient. The housing assembly includes a housing member through which the cannual is passed. A shield plate is affixed to one side of the housing member, which side is intended to face a patient, and whereby the cannula passing through the housing member also passes through the shield plate. A prestressed spring structure is positioned within a housing member to normally apply pressure against the cannula, thereby holding it in fixed relationship to the housing member. This spring structure has a release actuation member which when operated permits a slide movement of the cannula through the housing member. The wing structures each include an interlocking structural portion, which may be unlocked from each other. This interlocking portion holds the two wing structures in fixed positional relationship to each other when engaged.
US07699047B2
A paintball marker with a barrel that is coupled to a receiver. A valve arrangement is provided to selectively vent gas to propel projectiles through the barrel responsive to actuation of a firing mechanism. The marker may include a tool box that is capable of being coupled with the receiver. In some embodiments, the tool box resembles a magazine that feeds projectiles into the receiver.
US07699033B2
A method and system to distribute high-power laser pulses to create sparks in individual cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine are provided. A laser provides laser output pulses. A distributor includes a linear array of mirrors with a respective mirror associated with one of the laser plugs. Each mirror is operatively controlled to move into a laser beam path to direct individual laser output pulses the associated laser plug for providing spark generation. The system enables correct cylinder firing order for predefined multi-cylinder firing sequences and allows for individual cylinder timing variation.
US07699028B2
The invention relates to a system which is used to cool at least one piece of motor vehicle equipment to a low temperature, comprising a heat transfer fluid circulation loop. According to the invention, a low-temperature heat exchanger (60) and at least one equipment exchanger (102) are mounted to the aforementioned circulation loop. The heat exchange surface of the equipment exchanger (102) is divided into at least first and second heat exchange sections (104, 106). A first flow (Q
US07699026B2
An insulation kit for use with a water heater is provided. The kit includes an insulating cover configured to be wrapped about an exterior surface of the water heater. The insulating cover includes a substantially rectangular body with opposed edges configured to overlap or abut one another when the insulating cover is wrapped about the exterior surface of the water heater and at least one downwardly facing flap configured to provide selective access to the water heater. The kit further includes a fastener packaged with the insulating cover and configured for fixing the opposed edges together, thereby securing the insulating cover adjacent the exterior surface of the water heater.
US07699024B2
A milk temperature monitor helps determine the health or physiological condition of a lactating animal (e.g., cow, goat, sheep, camel, etc.). It does this by comparing the temperature of the animal's milk to an acceptable temperature range that is automatically adjusted to compensate for a varying ambient air temperature. In some embodiments, the acceptable temperature range is adjusted based on the average milk temperature reading of the most recent series of animals that were milked. The average reading is preferably a rolling average of a limited sample size. In calculating the rolling average, the monitor disregards temperature readings that are beyond a reasonable range. The monitor can record and display historical peak temperatures rather than real-time temperatures. In some cases, the monitor's microprocessor and power supply are hermetically encapsulated within a clear permanent cast housing. Proximity switches within the housing provide a means for inputting user-selectable parameters into the microprocessor.
US07699021B2
Embodiments generally provide an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, substrates processed in the cluster tool have a more repeatable wafer history. In one embodiment, non-orthogonal robot trajectories are used to assure reliable and high speed substrate transfer. In another embodiment, at least one buffering station is used to avoid collision and improve throughput. In another embodiment, optimal positioning of the robots are used to improve throughput.
US07699017B1
A personal water craft propelled on the water's surface by the user pedaling a pedal crank that in turn rotates a propeller thrusting the craft in a forward or rearward direction. Steering is accomplished by an operator-controlled rudder at the aft of the craft. The craft is of unique design lending to persons who desire to snorkel observing undersea life in a comfortable prone position of appropriate pedal posture while enjoying the ease of navigating by pedal propulsion with less expenditure of effort than swimming.
US07699014B1
The present invention may be used for anchoring a watercraft. A mooring device may have a ground penetrating device attached at a first end of an elongated rod and a slide hammer attached at a second end of the elongated rod. A mooring line may be attached at a first end of the ground penetrating device and may be attachable at a second end to a boat and fixed in length by a rope lock.
US07699011B2
A personal watercraft has a hull and sub-deck (HSD) assembly. The sub-deck defines at least one first opening therein. A deck is disposed above the sub-deck. A suspension member passes through the at least one first opening and is disposed at least in part inside the HSD assembly. The suspension member has a first end pivotally connected to the deck. The suspension member has a second end pivotally connected to the HSD assembly. The suspension member has a fixed length. A suspension element has a first end connected to one of the deck, the HSD assembly, and the suspension member. The suspension element has a second end connected to another one of the deck, the HSD assembly, and the suspension member.
US07699006B2
The invention relates to a carrier (11) and a magnetic levitation railway provided with said carrier. The inventive carrier (11) comprises a sliding surface (14) and the sliding skates of a vehicle travelling along said magnetic levitation railway. According to said invention, the sliding surface (14) is provided with a coating (15, 16, 17) which comprises at least on the external area thereof an additional material which is compatible with the material for skates and reduces friction and ware.
US07699000B2
A cylinder of a printing press is mounted using a bearing block. A radial bearing is movable in spaced linear bearings along an adjustment direction of the cylinder. The bearing is embodied as a modular bearing unit which may be a one piece assembly. The linear bearing is included in the modular assembly which permits movement of the bearing block along with the radial bearings.
US07698987B2
The invention comprises an improved recoil control device comprising a bolt head and an inertia block for use in a variety of firearms. In one embodiment, the bolt head and inertia block are articulated so that the displacement of the bolt head results in a force component outside the firing axis of the barrel of the firearm. The device can be incorporated into firearms of a variety of sizes and configurations to produce recoil reduction and/or weight reduction advantages.
US07698985B2
A modular energy barrier system has at least one energy barrier module. The module has a substantially rigid casing and an energy absorbing filler material. The casing has at least one frangible side. The filler material is disposed inside the casing. The casing is adapted to be connected to a base support so that the module is interposed between the base structure and an energy source and the at least one frangible side of the casing is oriented to face energy released by the energy source.
US07698979B2
A biasing assembly for a punching device that includes a punch support member adapted to support a punch and including a head portion and a main portion extending from the head portion. The main portion has a recessed surface. A retaining member is coupled to the punch support member with the punch support member being slidable with respect to the retaining member. A coupling member is disposed between the main portion of the punch support member and the retaining member. A portion of the coupling member engages the recessed surface. A biasing member is supported between the head portion of the punch support member and the retaining member. The punch support member is movable between at least first and second positions with respect to the coupling member.
US07698974B2
A device and method for pipe replacement is shown. A pipe replacement device is shown that includes at least one scoring wheel to provide a more progressive cut that provides consistency in the split of the pipe. A pulling force is reduced using pipe replacement devices and methods in a splitting operation. A pipe replacement device is shown that includes at least one skid structures with a long and consistent profile. In methods shown, friction between a pipe replacement device and the pipe being split is reduced.
US07698966B2
The control unit includes an arm (21) sliding inside of a sheath (20) the angle of which can be varied and which is supported by three tensed cables (25; 26; 27) arranged in a triangle and unwinding with a certain degree of resistance from force feedback motors (16; 17; 18). The wrist (23) of the control unit can be moved according to at least the three degrees of translational freedom, without having to be afraid of encountering the cables; the control unit is simple, inexpensive and possesses a satisfactory degree of stiffness. A friction-creating means, possibly consisting of another tensed cable and dependant on a motor, is placed between the sheath (20) and the arm (21).This unit can be used for telemanipulation, telesurgery, CAD, games, etc.
US07698963B2
A force-sensing device has a yoke having a location of force introduction for a force to be measured acting in a predetermined direction. A measuring spring has a first end rigidly connected to the yoke and is elastically deformable by the force to be measured. The measuring spring has a second end arranged on a support rigidly connectable to a machine frame. First predetermined measuring locations are provided that detect and evaluate a deformation of the measuring spring caused by the force to be measured. Parallel and spaced apart bending springs are connected to the yoke in such a way that the yoke is always guided in parallel in a transverse direction that is transverse to the predetermined direction of the force to be measured. Second predetermined measuring locations are provided on the bending springs and detect a transverse deformation caused by a force in the transverse direction.
US07698962B2
A sensor interface is disclosed including a flexible substrate in which are embedded sensors for measuring physical parameters such as temperature, displacement, velocity, acceleration, stress, strain, pressure and force present between objects such as a railcar bearing and a truck side frame. The substrate is positioned between the objects of interest Electronic components such as a data processing unit, a data storage device, a communication device and a power source may also be embedded within the substrate. The electronic devices communicate with one another and the sensors to process signals generated by the sensors indicative of the parameters being measured.
US07698947B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods for inspecting a structure are provided which use a sensor holder constructed from rapid prototyping, such as stereolithography, and which is configured to support a plurality of inspection sensors typically arranged in an ordered matrix array and possibly with one or more additional inspection sensors aligned for inspection of difficult to inspect features of a structure such as radius corner or edge features. Rapid prototype integrated matrix array inspection apparatus, systems, and methods provide fast and efficient methods of constructing custom inspection devices.
US07698932B2
The present invention provides a device for measuring uneven wear of starter brushes for a vehicle which can accurately measure and compare the lengths of the starter brushes and easily determine whether or not eccentricity of an armature occurs, the device comprising: a hollow support; a receiving plate formed integrally with the outer circumferential surface of an upper portion of the hollow support to accommodate a plurality of brushes; a lifting body liftably inserted into the inside of the hollow support; a plurality of detection rods slidably connected to the outer circumferential surface of an upper portion of the lifting body and moving forward or backward toward the brushes; a lift driving means for driving the lifting body; a plurality of measuring sensors for measuring the lengths of the brushes by means of the detection rods; and an LCD panel for displaying the measured lengths; and a control unit for controlling the lift driving means, the measuring sensors and the LCD panel.
US07698927B2
Methods and systems for measuring atmospheric water content, are provided. The method includes measuring a first air temperature and a first air pressure at a first location in a compressor, measuring a second air temperature and a second air pressure at a second location in the compressor, computing a ratio of specific heats from the first and second air temperatures and the first and second air pressures, and determining an atmospheric water content from the ratio of specific heats.
US07698922B1
A permanent invisible magnetic marking and positioning system of unfinished ferrous rods, bars, workpieces, and the like. A midpoint, center or other point of the workpiece is automatically located and a high-energy pulse is applied for installing an embedded magnetic marker. The magnetizing heads can also be repositioned to various points on a workpiece for imparting digital manufacturing and product identification in a data strobe pulse, that is analogous to a picket fence, where each picket provides a weighted binary representation in a data array comprised of data cells.
US07698920B2
The portability of a mechanical key and a locking/unlocking key having the mechanical key is improved. The mechanical key is housed in a portable device in such a manner that a key plate is folded into two at a portion formed with an inner groove. Thus, the housing space for housing the mechanical key can be reduced and the portable device can be made smaller. Accordingly, the portability of the locking/unlocking key can be improved.
US07698917B2
An electronically controlled lock with a single throw acting as a passage lock and also as a deadbolt lock is provided by the invention. The lock is equipped with an electronic activation device on its exterior housing and a door lever on its internal housing. A user unlocks the door from outside by touching an electronic key against the electronic activation device. After the door is unlocked, the throw acts as a passage lock. The door can be locked internally by moving the door lever from a horizontal position upwardly to a vertical position.
US07698910B2
A door for a washing appliance is provided. The door includes an inner frame and an outer frame joined with the inner frame where one of the frames couples with a cabinet of the washing appliance. The door also has a glass door between the inner frame and the outer frame and a recess portion disposed in an inner circumferential surface of the outer frame.
US07698906B2
An evaporative chiller cooling water to below ambient wet bulb temperature. Sub-wet bulb chilling is achieved by pre-cooling incoming air upstream of the saturator. The incoming air is ambient air at ambient air temperature that is cooled using the coolness of the lower temperature outgoing air exiting the saturator. The pre-cooling lowers the temperature of the incoming air and lowers its wet bulb temperature below that of ambient air. The saturator water is chilled to below the ambient wet bulb temperature. The air in the saturator flows across the water as it gravity drips or flows from the top to the bottom of the saturator. The pre-cooled air flows across the saturator with the coolest air directed across the bottom of the saturator where the coldest water is flowing and with the hottest air directed across the top where the hottest water is flowing to provide gradient chilling.
US07698902B2
The present invention discloses a defrost operating method for a refrigerator which performs a defrost operation by controlling operations of a compressor and a fan on the basis of a continuous operation time of the compressor and surface temperatures of evaporators to prevent frost from being formed on the evaporators, when cool air is generated in a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber by circulating refrigerants through a refrigeration cycle built in a refrigerator main body and forcibly circulated bX rotating the fan. The defrost operating method for the refrigerator can omit a general defrosting heater by performing the defrost operation by using the compressor and the fan. In addition, the defrost operating method for the refrigerator improves heat exchange efficiency and reduces power consumption by efficiently performing the defrost operation.
US07698895B2
The invention relates to an actuator comprising an actuator element movably supported at an actuator housing, a pyrotechnic pressure element to move the actuator element and a control means to control a force exerted onto the actuator element by the pressure element to move the actuator element.
US07698882B1
A harvesting device for nuts and similar small objects having a handle which receives a manually reciprocable push rod having a spreader on its lower end. Tubular collection chambers are secured to the handle. A continuous coil spring extends between the lower, open ends of the collection chambers. The spreader engages the coil spring within the interior area at the end of the handle. In use, downward pressure applied to the handle at the grip will cause the openings between the coils of the coil spring to separate sufficiently to allow objects on the ground to pass into the interior of the spring and into one of the collection chambers. The collection chambers are emptied by holding the device over a receptacle such as a bin with one hand and operating the push rod in a reciprocating or pumping motion causing the openings between the coils to open and close, facilitating rapid emptying of the collection chambers.
US07698877B2
Packaging machine and discharging device for a packaging machine, and a method for filling bags by means of a packaging machine, wherein a bag to be filled is filled by means of a filling element and the filled bags are taken off by means of a bag take-off device and transferred to a discharging device. The discharging device comprises a conveying device for conveying off the bags filled with bulk goods, wherein at least one monitoring device for monitoring the tightness of the filled bags is provided which is associated with the conveying device. Said monitoring device comprises a weight sensor which captures a measure for the bulk material escaping from a bag to determine a parameter for the bag leakiness.
US07698875B2
A method of manufacturing a cake-shaped decorative accessory made of a towel by setting a mount, which becomes a framework for forming a towel cloth in a cake shape, on a towel cloth, and folding the towel cloth together with the mount into a cake shape. More specifically, a cake-shaped decorative accessory made of a towel is obtained by: setting a polygonal shape mount, which has a folding piece extending from each one of sides thereof, on a towel cloth which is larger than the mount; folding the towel cloth together with the folding piece of the mount to form a folded item; and placing the folded item in a cake cup with a top face portion of the mount facing above, thus forming the folded item into a cake shape.
US07698870B2
In a frame consisting of longitudinal and transverse frame members which are used as bearing units, a frame bearing mount for the frame and an aggregate bearing mount are vertically arranged one upon the other and the frame areas between the frame bearing mounts and the aggregate bearing mounts are made of a vibration absorbing material in the form of blocks so as to provide a lightweight frame in a simple and economical manner and ensure an efficient attenuation of vibrations.
US07698869B2
Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling.
US07698867B1
A siding trim clip having a substantially N-shaped profile is formed having a first gripping portion and a second biasing portion. The gripping portion includes a curved upper arch having an interior with opposing inwardly and upwardly oriented gripping fingers, arranged for accepting and securing an edge location of a siding member by way of a triangular gripping pattern. The biasing portion includes a lower inverted arch and linear portions for providing an outward biasing of the edge location of a siding member to hold it away from a wall structure and up against an outside edge of a pre-established finishing cavity. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope and meaning of the claims.
US07698865B2
A building product includes a pultruded part that constitutes exterior siding of a building. In one example, the building product includes a pultruded part that constitutes siding and the structural sheathing of a building. In one example, the building product includes a pultruded part that constitutes siding and the structural sheathing of a building and is configured to be weather-tight.
US07698863B2
A window assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth frame pieces connected together to form a rectangular frame. Each of the frame pieces has an inside face defining a glass-receiving groove and a muntin-engaging face orthogonal to the inside face and defining a muntin-receiving channel. A first muntin is oriented in the first frame piece muntin-receiving channel and the second frame piece muntin-receiving channel, and a second muntin is oriented in the third frame piece muntin-receiving channel and the fourth frame piece muntin-receiving channel. The first and second muntins cross over to engage at a first half lap joint. The frame pieces are connected to each other with rabbet joints. The window assembly can be part of a garage door arrangement. A method of making a window assembly includes connecting together the frame pieces with rabbet joints and orienting first and second muntins to engage at a lap joint. Methods of retrofitting existing windowless garage doors to include windows includes cutting a hole in the garage door and dropping a window assembly into the hole. The window assembly can then be removably secured to the garage door with fasteners.
US07698861B2
A masonry block wall bracing wall anchor having a threaded portion connected to an intermediate portion of the wall anchor with the intermediate portion having a vertical cross-section generally sized to fit between and substantially bridge the vertical thickness of a bed joint between two successive courses of masonry blocks and the threaded portion available for connecting by means of a washer and a nut to a side support that braces a masonry block wall during construction. The preferred embodiment has an upper transverse fracture groove and a lower transverse fracture groove through which after completion of the wall selectively can propagate a fracture line when the masonry block wall is completed. The fracture grooves can facilitate selective fracturing of the wall bracing wall anchor thereby allowing removal of a protruding threaded portion of the anchor that extends beyond the outer face of the masonry wall.
US07698857B2
A frame is constructed to support a roof. A plurality of panels can be slid into position on the frame from the ground. A mating channel joint is formed between adjacent panels that allows one panel to be slid over the adjacent panel into the proper position. The panels engage frame members to properly position the panels on the roof. The roof panels are formed with mounting structures located on the interior or underside thereof. The mounting structures include holes or other receptacles for receiving a rigid connector member. The frame members are also provided with receptacles for receiving the connector member. The connector member is inserted through the first mounting structure, through the receptacle in the frame member and through the mounting structure of the adjacent panel.
US07698852B1
A fishing lure has retractable hooks. A spring has a coiled portion mounted around a pin in the lure body, two energizing leg extending from the coiled portion, and a foot extending laterally from each energizing leg. The feet engage a rearward side of the shank of each hook. A trigger has a rod on a forward end that extends from the body for attachment to a line. The trigger has a trigger body that engages a forward side of each of the shanks. The trigger and the lure body have mating detent surfaces to releasably retain the hooks in a cocked position. A forward pull on the rod releases the trigger to move forward, freeing the coiled portion of the spring to unwind, causing the energizing legs to rotate the hooks to the extended position.
US07698850B2
An ice fishing line protection device, for protecting micro fishing line as light as one or two pound test, comprising an elongated tube with an internal passageway through which a fishing line may pass. The protection device floats in an ice fishing hole protecting the line from abrasions. The protection device opens to release the line or it can be extracted from the ice hole entirely when a fish is caught.
US07698842B2
A plate, e.g., a license plate for motor vehicles, includes a base body which is made of an electrically conductive material, or has an electrically conductive layer applied either directly or via a further layer. Thus, the electrically conductive base body or its electrically conductive coating forms a first electrode of a flat capacitor. A layer having an electroluminescent pigmentation is applied on the base body or the electrically conductive layer. The electroluminescent coating may be applied by various methods, e.g., spray painting, brushing, special screen-printing methods, etc. To create the electrical field, it may be necessary to apply to the electroluminescent layer an electrically conductive layer for forming the second electrode.
US07698838B1
In one embodiment of the invention, a hoe equipped excavator includes a base, a boom pivotally mounted at one end on the base, a stick pivotally coupled at one end to the other end of the boom, a tool pivotally coupled to the other end of the stick, a boom link plate pivotally coupled to the boom, a lift cylinder coupled between the base and the boom link plate and an adjustment cylinder coupled between the boom link plate and the boom. The lift cylinder is operable to pivot the boom through a first circumferential range, and the adjustment cylinder is operable to pivot the boom beyond the first circumferential range.
US07698836B2
A system and method for securing accessories to shoes and other articles of clothing is described. One illustrative embodiment is a system for attaching a decorative accessory to a shoe, the system comprising a shaft having first and second ends; a first shoulder secured to the first end of the shaft, the first shoulder being configured for insertion through an expandable hole in an upper portion of the shoe and configured to engage an inner surface of the upper portion of the shoe; a second shoulder secured to the second end of the shaft, the second shoulder being configured to engage the shoe; and a third shoulder adjacent to the second shoulder, the third shoulder comprising the decorative accessory. Another illustrative embodiment is a system for securing a decorative accessory to a shoe, the system comprising a shoe having an upper portion, the upper portion having an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one stretchable hole; a shaft having first and second ends; a first shoulder secured to the first end of the shaft, the first shoulder being configured for insertion through the at least one stretchable hole in the upper portion of the shoe and to engage the inner surface of the upper portion of the shoe; a second shoulder secured to the second end of the shaft, the second shoulder being configured to engage the shoe; and a third shoulder adjacent to the second shoulder, the third shoulder comprising the decorative accessory.
US07698831B2
A tile spacer for a plurality of tiles arranged on the surface with spaces in between. The tile spacer has a first set of elongate members, each having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal ends are connected together and the distal ends are spaced-apart for setting the spaces between the tiles. The spacer has a body having a portion which is spaced-apart above the tiles when the distal ends of the members are fitted within the spaces between the tiles, thereby facilitating removal of the spacer when tile spacing is completed.
US07698829B2
A device for determining a measureable variable on a measurement object has a baseplate mounted on a plurality of machine feet. A measuring head is arranged on a frame structure. The frame structure can be moved on the baseplate. A workpiece table can be placed over the baseplate in order to support the measurement object. The machine feet may project upward from the baseplate in order to hold the workpiece table with a reduced deformation of the baseplate regardless of the workpiece weight.
US07698822B2
A personal care apparatus having a hair trimmer, a main part and a head part. The head part being connected to the main part in a region of the main part that is adjacent to the head part and is pivotable relative to the main part. A personal care tool is provided on the head part and comprising a toothed cutting mechanism that has at least one drivable toothed blade and a spring of a U-shaped configuration has a cross-member connected to the head part and two sides co-operating with at least one position extension connected to the main part in the region of each of its two sides. The spring acts between the head part and the main part, and the head part is pivotable by the spring in synchronization with varying displacing forces that act on the head part in the course of a personal care process.
US07698821B2
The folding knife of the present invention includes a handle having first and second handle members that are maintained in spaced, parallel relation to one another by spacing elements that define a groove therebetween. The blade is pivotally attached to the handle at its tang portion and is movable into and out of the groove between its fully open and fully closed positions. A coil spring, or equivalent, may be interconnected between the tang and handle to provide an assisted opening mechanism. A blade lock includes a user actuated button that passes through an elongated slot formed through one of the handle members and through a circular opening formed through a bias plate that is positioned within the handle, and a plunger element that is spring biased in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the blade.
US07698820B2
Disclosed is a high speed link type reciprocating electric shaver in which an outer cutter and an inner cutter reciprocate in the right-to-left direction oppositely to each other so that reciprocating effect can be doubled due to only same vibration speed of a motor. The electric shaver includes an outer cutter to reciprocate, and an inner to reciprocate. The inner cutter is connected to a side of vibrator connected to an eccentric shaft of a motor and reciprocates, and the other side of the reciprocating vibrator is connected to the outer cutter by a connecting linkage such that the outer cutter reciprocates in the direction opposite to that of the inner cutter by fixing a center the connecting linkage to a case.
US07698817B2
A method of manufacturing an article such as vehicle interior trim component including a decoupler layer is disclosed. The method comprises the conveying of materials into an enclosure to form a preform having a shape of the enclosure, heating the preform to a temperature such that adjacent materials may bond to one another upon cooling and forming the heated preform into a predetermined three-dimensional decoupler configuration via a mold. The enclosure has a perforated portion and at least one panel movable relative to the enclosure so as to selectively expose portions of the perforated portion. The density of the preform may be varied as the at least one panel is moved to expose the perforated portion of the enclosure. A system for manufacturing articles such as a vehicle interior trim component including a decoupler layer is also disclosed.
US07698810B2
A connector removal system includes a connector housing (1) forming contacts (10) therein and a contact extraction tool (3) for removing the contact of the connector housing. The connector housing has a mating face (200), a plurality of cavities (22) receiving corresponding contacts and a plurality of cantilevered flexible latches (26) retaining corresponding contacts. The latch forms an external side face of the housing. Each cavity has an open cavity entrance (220) located at a distal end thereof on the mating face and an opening (222) formed adjacent the entrance between the cavity and the external side face. The contact extraction tool includes a pair of registration posts (34) formed from an end edge thereof for positioning inside the entrances and an ejecting member (36) for deflecting said cantilevered flexible latch to disengage from said contact.
US07698806B2
The application discloses processes for fabricating a slider or head for a data storage device. The processes disclosed provide a transducer portion that is separated from a slider body by a gap. In an illustrated embodiment, actuator elements are fabricated in the gap to adjust a position of the transducer portion relative to the slider body.
US07698804B2
A fully transposed composite superconductor of the Roebel bar type is produced. The superconductor is formed from combines superconductors. The process step for forming the subconductors, which are being configured with a lateral projection into a region of a neighbouring subconductor, is separated from the stranding step. Carrier strips, which are coated with the superconductive material, are used as the conductors.
US07698803B2
A method of manufacturing a laminated stator core includes: forming a band-shaped yoke core piece having a shape that a yoke of the laminated stator core is developed in a straight line and having concave connection portions in the inner circumferential edge thereof by punching a metal plate; forming a laminated yoke body by winding and laminating the band-shaped yoke core piece in a spiral shape and coupling the laminated band-shaped yoke core piece in a caulking manner; forming a magnetic core piece having a convex connection portion at the base end thereof by punching a metal plate; forming a laminated magnetic body by laminating and coupling a predetermined number of the magnetic core pieces to each other in a caulking manner; and coupling the laminated yoke body and the laminated magnetic body to each other by winding a coil around the laminated magnetic body and then inserting the convex connection portions into the concave connection portions.
US07698797B2
An apparatus and method for joining adjacent members, wherein the members are placed in an overlapping layered relationship. The members are clamped between a die and a blank holder. Once clamped, a clinching operation is performed on the members to create at least a partial bond between them. In addition to the clinching operation, a level of vibrational energy is imparted to at least one of the members to reduce clamping force requirements, promote material flow and deformation and provide increased joint strength.
US07698794B2
A load control mechanism for use with a pull type tool (also called a riveter), wherein the mechanism includes a telescopic housing and a compressible element, such as a polyurethane compression spring, which works to limit the ultimate load which is applied by the pull type tool during operation, such as during removal of a rivetless nut plate from a hole in parent material. Also provided is a method of removing a rivetless nut plate by using a pulling head which includes a shock absorber and load limiting device, a resetion cup and a mandrel. The load control mechanism provides that a riveter can be used to safely remove a rivetless nut plate without causing damage or undue wear on components of the tool. This load control mechanism also absorbs operating shocks, protecting expensive work parts (ex: aircraft structure) and the operator during operation, resulting in a safe and ergonomic operation.
US07698779B2
A hand-guided portable vacuum/blower device has a blower unit with a blower and a motor unit with a drive motor. The blower unit is rigidly connected to the motor unit. The drive motor is drivingly connected to the blower. A grip part is connected with antivibration elements to the motor unit and the blower unit. The grip part is at least approximately ring-shaped and has a first handle. The grip part is arranged in a plane that is positioned perpendicularly to an axis of rotation of the blower and, when viewed in the direction of the axis of rotation, is located between the motor unit and the blower unit.
US07698776B1
A balanced cleaning apparatus that advantageously contains a carrying handle, a dust pan and a bucket wherein the dustpan and the bucket are carried at the two ends of the carrying handle in a balanced position.
US07698772B1
A toothbrush with a head having at least one pair of twisted wire brushes secured to the head's top surface in a position that creates a narrow and substantially uniform trench between the bristles of opposing brushes. Head construction may be solid, curved, blunt, tapering, or have a forked distal end. When a user's brace hardware and/or orthodontic wires are placed within the trench, bristles adjacent to it reach tooth surfaces behind the orthodontic wires to gently remove plaque without wire or hardware breakage. The twisted wires of opposing conical brushes are not parallel so as to create a uniform trench. The twisted wires in narrow end of conical brushes are also angled toward the distal end of the toothbrush head to facilitate reaching crowded back teeth without orthodontic wire breakage. The toothbrush handle can be laterally angled relative to its head and brushes are optionally replaceable by the user.
US07698757B2
A fitted sheet for a mattress comprises a rectangular panel of knit material having a central rectangular area extending from one end of said panel to the other end thereof. Side margins flank the central area, and folded under said central area and joined thereto by seams extending across each end of the central rectangular area. The sheet is characterized in that the seams at each end of said central rectangular area are arcuate.
US07698754B2
A flat ribbon-shaped waterfall for a portable spa is caused to flow out of the top rim or top side of a spa. A narrow elongated spout forms the output end of a plenum chamber that has a water inlet. The plenum chamber is constructed to baffle surges in the inlet water flow. A light source is placed close to the mouth of the elongated spout to light the ribbon of water flowing from the spout in multi-color, if desired.
US07698752B2
An improved goggle strap is provided. The strap allows for comfortable use through the employment materials such as high density polyester materials that can encase elastic materials. These straps may also contain traceability elements that allow for the easy association of the strap and goggles with user.
US07698748B2
A reversible necktie according to one embodiment includes first and second fabric pieces that have matching necktie shapes. Each of the fabric pieces has a finished face side, a wide end, longitudinal edges and a narrow end. The fabric pieces are superimposed in mating relationship with the finished sides facing outward, wherein each of the first and second fabric pieces is formed of a first section that has a first appearance and a second section that has a second appearance that is visually different from the first appearance. The first and second sections are joined together along a seam. The first section of first fabric piece overlies the second section of the second fabric piece and the second section of the first fabric piece overlies the first section of the first fabric piece.
US07703147B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for fabricating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) nanoneedle probe using an ion beam, a SPM nanoneedle probe, a method of fabricating a critical dimension scanning probe microscope (CD-SPM) nanoneedle probe using an ion beam, a CD-SPM nanoneedle probe, and uses thereof. A disclosed method can comprise: positioning the probe so that a tip of the probe on which the nanoneedle is attached faces toward a direction in which the ion beam is irradiated; and aligning the nanoneedle attached on the tip of the probe with the ion beam in parallel by irradiating the ion beam toward the tip of the probe on which the nanoneedle is attached.
US07703145B2
A method is described for controlling customer installations of software or data by providing to the customer an encrypted list of authorized installation targets, whereby the installation program reads and decrypts the list, and only allows installation to proceed if the customer's installation target has a serial number that matches one of the vendor-provided serial numbers in the authorization list. Provision is also made for allowing customers to add serial numbers to the list, within constraints predetermined by the software vendor. Also provided is a method for a customer to perform a predetermined number of installations, whereby the software maintains and decrements a counter in an encrypted file on a storage medium, keeping track of how many remaining installations a customer may perform.
US07703143B2
An information processing apparatus deleting, from a second recording medium, a copy of electronic data once recorded in the second recording medium, an original of the electronic data being recorded in a first recording medium different from the second recording medium, includes: an electronic data deleting part deleting the copy of the electronic data from the second recording medium, which copy can be used when authentication is succeeded in based on medium identification information which is prepared for identifying the first recording medium; an electronic data validating part validating the electronic data once invalidated when the copy of the electronic data was created in the second recording medium; and a medium identification information deleting part deleting the medium identification information of the first recording medium which was recorded in a predetermined storage area when the copy was created in the second recording medium.
US07703142B1
An authorization system is described that includes a first interface, a processing system, and a second interface. The first interface is configured to receive an authorization instruction from an enterprise and receive an authorization request from a user device. The authorization instructions indicate authorization parameters. The user device transfers the authorization request each time the application is selected for execution. The authorization instructions are based on a license obtained by the enterprise for an application and wherein a user device operated by a user has the application. The processing system is configured to process the authorization request and authorization parameters to determine if the execution of the application is authorized. The second interface is configured to transfer an authorized message to the user device if the execution of the application is authorized and transfer an unauthorized message to the user device if the execution of the application is not authorized.
US07703139B2
A method for suppressing the generation of an event includes checking an in-kernel cache to determine if data relating to a file is within the in-kernel cache. Determining whether the file has been modified since a last time an event was generated for the file where data relating to a particular file is found to be within the in-kernel cache. Suppressing the generation of an event for the file where it is determined that the file has not been modified since the last time an event was generated for the file.
US07703132B2
The invention comprises three extensions of the IEEE 802.1Q VLAN bridge model. The first extension is the cryptographic separation of VLANs over trunk links. A LAN segment type referred to as an encapsulated LAN segment is introduced. All frames on such a segment are encapsulated according to an encryption and authentication code scheme. The second extension is the division of a trunk port into inbound and outbound ports. The third extension is a protocol that automatically infers for each outbound port in a bridged VLAN, a set of LAN segment types for the port that minimizes the number of transfers between encapsulated and unencapsulated segments required to transport a frame in the bridged VLAN.
US07703128B2
One aspect relates to a process and associated device for managing digital ID lifecycles for application programs, and abstracting application programs for multiple types of credentials through a common Digital Identity Management System (DIMS) and Application Programming Interface (API) layer.
US07703124B2
A network security system is provided comprising a plurality of network bubbles wherein each bubble includes bubble members configured to transmit and receive data. Bubbles have network security policies that may be enforced by a plurality of network control point devices. The system further includes a private virtual backbone configured to interconnect the plurality of network control points connected to known bubbles. The privacy of the private virtual backbone is maintained by an inter-bubble device and/or set of two network control points. The inter-bubble device and set of control points enforce the network security policies of any connected bubble and relay data packets between address spaces. The private virtual backbone may operate in private address space. The system also includes an instance-specific virtual backbone that interconnects only bubble partitions from the same network bubble, thus simplifying the enforcement of a network security policy.
US07703101B2
Incoming work units (e.g., requests) in a computing workload are analyzed and classified according to predicted execution. Preferred embodiments track which instrumented wait points are encountered by the executing work units, and this information is analyzed to dynamically and autonomically create one or more recognizers to programmatically recognize similar, subsequently-received work units. When a work unit is recognized, its execution behavior is then predicted. Execution resources are then allocated to the work units in view of these predictions. The recognizers may be autonomically evaluated or tuned, thereby adjusting to changing workload characteristics. The disclosed techniques may be used advantageously in application servers, message-processing software, and so forth.
US07703097B2
A DLI call from the batch application is intercepted, wherein the DLI call is made for the purpose of accessing a hierarchical database. It is then determined if the access to the hierarchical database is a checkpoint trigger event. A segment counter for a trigger segment in a checkpoint trigger for the checkpoint trigger event is incremented if the trigger segment is identified by the DLI call. The segment counter is compared to a segment commit threshold in the checkpoint trigger and commit point processing is performed on behalf of the batch application if the segment counter is in a predetermined relation to the segment commit threshold.
US07703092B1
Remote installation of an application program is provided via a configuration of the application program corresponding to a particular user of the local application. The configuration is defined and stored on a remote server. In response to a user request, a determination is made that the stored configuration corresponds to the requesting user, the user is authenticated, and data is downloaded from the remote server according to the stored configuration. This stored configuration is also encrypted and stored in a manifest file which is also downloaded. Responsive to the user authentication, the manifest file is decrypted, and the application program is constructed pursuant to the configuration decrypted from the manifest file.
US07703087B1
A code placement technique that organizes code units to at least reduce layout conflicts among caller/callee code units. A code preparation environment determines those code units of a code representation that have overlapping memory mappings with their counterpart caller/callee code units. To at least reduce the layout conflicts, or overlapping memory mappings, the code preparation environment arranges the caller/callee code units to eliminate the layout conflicts among the caller/callee code units.
US07703085B2
A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation. The driver invokes a hardware description language (HDL) compiler to produce a netlist file that can be used to start the place-and-route compilation needed to produce a bitstream for the reconfigurable computer. The programming environment then provides support for taking the output from the compilation driver and combining all the necessary components together to produce a unified executable capable of running on both the instruction processor and reconfigurable processor.
US07703079B1
Overall system performance improvements resulting from improvements to individual system components may be predicted by analyzing the effects of artificial performance degradations inserted into the individual components. Measuring and analyzing a negative overall system effect caused by negative changes to an individual component may predict a positive overall system performance improvement resulting from an improvement to the individual component of similar magnitude to the inserted negative changes. System performance prediction may be used to analyze and predict system performance changes related to various computing resources, such as execution time (speed), memory usage, network bandwidth, file I/O, and/or disk storage space, among others. Additionally, by comparing predicted system performance improvements resulting from potential improvements to various components of a software system, the individual components may be ranked according to the amount of improvement required to realize the predicted system performance improvements.
US07703073B2
Device interoperability format and method for assembling self-contained executable device interoperability software application package conforming to an interoperability format that is completely self-contained and sufficient to carry out an intended purpose of the application on a plurality of connected or intermittently connected devices, the executable device interoperability software application package when executed allowing the plurality of devices to interoperate with each other. Method of forming a linearly contiguous binary encoded part images, and packaging the formed part images together into an executable device interoperability software application package. Computer program product for execution on a computer, information appliance, or other device. Data structure for self-contained executable device interoperability software application package.
US07703068B2
Photomask patterns are represented using contours defined by level-set functions. Given target pattern, contours are optimized such that defined photomask, when used in photolithographic process, prints wafer pattern faithful to target pattern. Optimization utilizes “merit function” for encoding aspects of photolithographic process, preferences relating to resulting pattern (e.g. restriction to rectilinear patterns), robustness against process variations, as well as restrictions imposed relating to practical and economic manufacturability of photomasks.
US07703067B2
A memory is encoded with a data structure that represents a pattern having a range for one or more dimensions and/or positions of line segments therein. The data structure identifies two or more line segments that are located at a boundary of the pattern. The data structure also includes at least one set of values that identify a maximum limit and a minimum limit (i.e. the range) between which relative location and/or dimension of an additional line segment of the pattern in a portion of a layout of an integrated circuit (IC) chip, represents a defect in the IC chip when fabricated. In most embodiments, multiple ranges are specified in such a range defining pattern for example a width range is specified for the width of a trace of material in the layout and a spacing range is specified for the separation distance between two adjacent traces in the layout.
US07703054B2
A synthesizer processes a register transfer level (RTL) netlist description of a circuit to produce a non-optimized gate level netlist preserving all signals referenced by the RTL netlist. The gate level netlist is then processed to identify the circuit's memory devices and to determine logical relationships between its internal signals (all signals other than circuit and memory device input and output signals) and its other signals (circuit and memory device input and output signals). The synthesizer then again processes the RTL netlist to produce an optimized gate level netlist that preserves the identified memory devices, but which omits reference to some or all of the internal signals. A circuit verification system then processes the optimized gate level netlist to produce waveform data representing time-varying behavior of the other signals of the circuit. The waveform data is then processed to produce additional waveform data representing behavior of the internal signals referenced by the RTL netlist in accordance with the determined logical relationships between the internal signals and the other signals.
US07703051B2
There is described methods and circuits for trimming a temperature coefficient of change of a parameter of at least one electrical component while maintaining a substantially constant parameter value, the method comprising applying a heating cycle to trim said parameter value away from a target parameter value and back to said target parameter value, whereby the temperature coefficient of change is modified after applying said heating cycle.
US07703047B2
A notepad computer with a page display region displaying a page of a document on which a user can write using a pen or stylus type writing tool is provided. Associated with the page is an interface that can be used with the pen. The interface includes a core task tool region adjacent to the page where tool icons are partially visible until the pen is brought near one of the icons. The tool icon becomes fully visible when the pen is within the region of the icon. The tool when activated can pop-up a radial pop-up menu located at an edge of the document where all the menu choices are located in a semi-circle away from the edge so that the users hand while holding the pen and making a selection does not block the choices. A page flipping tool is located in a corner of the page and is an explicit two-stroke menu allowing selection of a next or previous page. A page scrolling tool is located along an edge of the page, the scrolling tool when activated is an implicit button allowing scrolling in one implied direction. The interface also includes a stack region adjacent to said page display region having one or more stack icons each representing a stack of documents. The icon is also an explicit two-stroke radial pop-up menu having forward and backward choices for selecting documents in the stack and a stack document list display displaying a list of documents in the stack when the stack icon is touched by an input pen. The interface also includes a typing tool overlaying a portion of the page and including a writing zone where a user handwrites strokes and, a page zone comprising part of the page where typed text corresponding to the handwritten strokes is displayed as the handwriting occurs.
US07703043B2
A graphical user interface is disclosed which achieves an easy search for a desired item upon scrolling. Plural first icons representing first items of a high hierarchy are arrayed along a direction of a display screen, and plural second icons representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to a selected one of the first items are arrayed along an intersecting direction with the selected first item positioned at the intersecting position. The selected noticed icon from among the plural second icons is displayed emphatically at a fixed position on the display screen, and explanation information of the noticed item icon is displayed in the proximity of the display position of the noticed icon. In response to a scrolling instruction, scrolling is executed while explanation information of the second icons other than the noticed item icon is displayed.
US07703033B2
Access to information instances is administered using selectively activatable rules. A computer program product includes rules establishing authorizations to information instances in a computer system, each of the rules authorizing a predefined subject to perform a predefined action on a predefined object. The computer program product includes an activation function for an administrator to selectively activate at least one of the rules, the activated rule to be applied upon a user seeking to perform an action on any of the information instances.
US07703029B2
A graphical user interface (GUI) includes a graph with vectors and nodes for visualizing a computer grid, the nodes representing computers running grid managers and the vectors representing relations between pairs of grid managers, each of the relations defining a first grid manager to be superior to a second grid manager and a vector points from a node representing the first grid manager to a node representing the second grid manager. The GUI also includes, for each node, an expandable structure showing computer grid applications running on a computer represented by the node, and an event handler configured to receive a request to view management services running on a computer and to generate a display showing the management services running on the computer.
US07703019B2
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for a visual administrator for specifying service references to support a service. According to one embodiment, a hierarchical tree structure having one or more tree nodes is displayed in a graphical user interface. Each of the one or more tree nodes may represent a resource of an application server. In an embodiment, at least one of the tree nodes represents a service of the application server. The tree node representing the service may be selected via a cursor control device. In one embodiment, upon selecting the tree node, a list of one or more service references associated with the service is displayed in the graphical user interface. Each listed service reference may include, for example, a server reference name, a service reference type, and/or a relationship value. In one embodiment, the relationship value specifies whether the listed service reference is to be automatically started when the service represented by the selected tree node is started.
US07703016B2
A method of mirroring Lotus Notes Domino documents to a non-Domino web server, while preserving document sections. Each request for expansion or collapsing of a section is handled at the client end when serving the mirrored copies of the original document. The number of fetches is reduced during retrieval of each state of the Lotus Notes Domino document. Each fetch resides on a mirrored document of a non-Domino web server in a form that does not require a unique html document for each fetch.
US07703015B2
Method, system and computer program product for delta-handling. A server stores a page-document that comprises at least one component. The page-document is translated into a browser-document that is displayed by a client. The server receives a request from the client resulting in an update of a specific component of the page-document with an application-delta. The specific component has a writer-function. The server generates a browser-delta by applying the writer-function to the application-delta. The server sends the browser-delta to the client for updating the browser-document on the client.
US07703014B2
A music score display data arranging unit provides music score display data for displaying a music score by placing music score notational elements on a given display area in one or more staff tiers, each staff tier containing one or more measures of variable lengths based on inputted music performance representing data. The sizes of the music score notational elements and the size of the display area are determinable. A measures apportioning unit calculates, for each measure based on the sizes of the music score notational elements, a minimum horizontal length for placing at least one kind of notational elements in the measure without an overlap in the horizontal direction, and apportions a number of measures in each staff tier such that the notational elements of each measure shall be placed on the apportioned staff tier in a length of the calculated minimum horizontal length or more.
US07703003B2
An apparatus may be configured to generate document data representing a document for use in providing a service comprising a number of different activities that are to be carried out in providing the service. The apparatus may enable a user to retrieve previously stored document portions in accordance with the activity to which the document portion relates so that it is not necessary for the user to identify a specific document portion, a specific filename or an inventory part number allocated to that document portion. In one embodiment, an apparatus may be configured to generate a document that enables a user to assemble a document in accordance with the activities to which the document relates rather than to the actual content of the document. Thus, the user wishing to assemble a document may be concerned with the activities instead of which precise document portions to include in the document.
US07702997B2
A system architecture integrates spreadsheet functionality into text. The architecture allows insertion of discrete individual fields, referred to as “free floating fields”, inline with normal textual sentences. In an HTML document, for example, the free floating fields are elements constructed along with text elements and rendered together as an integrated document. Once rendered, the free floating fields present contents that resemble normal text consistent with the surrounding text. The free floating fields offer spreadsheet functionality, including the ability to handle complex formulas, reference values in a separate free floating field or table, and automatically recalculate the formulas when a source value changes.
US07702988B2
Presented herein are systems and methods for checking the integrity of data transmissions between or within one or more digital processing systems by identifying a data characteristic that is likely to change if there is an error in transmission. According to one embodiment, data messages are modified to achieve a selected characteristic according to a predetermined protocol, and changes to the data are recorded in a longitudinal check code (LCC) word, which is used by the receiver to decode the data message and restore the original data.
US07702981B2
A boundary scan technique to generate toggling waveform such as a square wave signal to perform structural testing is disclosed. An instr_extesttoggle command is provided that enables IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan cell to selectively generate the toggling signal on the pre-specified output pads of the integrated circuit. The frequency of the toggling signal may be controlled by the JTAG clock signal and the frequency of the toggling signal may be independent of the length of the boundary scan chain. Such an approach circumvents provisioning test points on the interconnects of a printed circuit board.
US07702978B2
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that detect whether a soft error that occurs in stored configuration data is a false positive that can be ignored such that reloading configuration data or other remedial measures are not unnecessarily performed. One example provides an integrated circuit including an error detection circuit and a sensitivity processor. The error detection circuit detects the presence of errors. The sensitivity processor determines whether a detected error can be ignored, or whether remedial action, such as providing an error flag, reconfiguring the device, or correcting the error, should be commenced. The sensitivity processor may make this determination based on whether the error occurred in a memory cell that configures unused circuitry. The sensitivity processor may make use of an error log to track known errors that may be ignored, so that this determination does not need to be done each time the configuration data is checked.
US07702977B1
In one embodiment, a programmable logic device includes a first multiplexer; a first memory adapted to store an identification code of the programmable logic device; and a second memory adapted to store an identification code of the programmable logic device. Inputs of a second multiplexer are coupled to the first memory and the second memory, and an output of the multiplexer is coupled to an input of the first multiplexer. The second multiplexer is adapted to select between the identification code stored in the first memory and the identification code stored in the second memory to provide the selected identification code to the first multiplexer.
US07702975B2
A method, an integrated circuit structure, and an associated design structure for the integrated circuit structure have a plurality of logic blocks, at least one of which is a redundant logic block. In addition, the structure includes a logic built-in self test device (LBIST) operatively connected to the logic blocks that determines the functionality of each of the logic blocks. An array of memory elements is included within the structure and is operatively connected to the logic blocks. At least one of the memory elements comprises a redundant memory element. The structure also includes an array built-in self test device (ABIST) operatively connected to the array of memory elements that determines the functionality of each of the memory elements. One feature is the use of a single controller operatively connected to the register, the logic blocks, and the memory elements. The single controller repairs both the logic blocks elements that have failing functionality and the memory elements that have failing functionality.
US07702968B2
Embodiments disclosed herein address the need in the art for an efficient multi-symbol deinterleaver. In one aspect, a plurality of memory banks are deployed to receive and simultaneously store a plurality of values, such as soft decision values determined from a modulation constellation, in accordance with a storing pattern. In another aspect, the storing pattern comprises a plurality of cycles, a selected subset of the plurality of memory banks and an address offset for use in determining the address for storing into the respective memory banks indicated for each cycle. In yet another aspect, the stored values may be accessed in order with a sequentially increasing index, such as an address. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of allowing multiple symbol values to be deinterleaved in an efficient manner, thus meeting computation time constraints, and conserving power.
US07702961B2
A recording medium for storing start position information for each zone and a method of managing data using the information. In a disc having a plurality of zones which form a group, and a spare area which is allocated at the start portion or the end portion of the group for replacing defects, when start logical sector numbers of each zone are changed by slipping replacement during initialization or reinitialization, the information is stored in the defect management area to thereby increase the compatibility of the medium. In particular, by the method of managing data using information stored in a defect management area, generation of errors is prevented in reading or writing due to the change of a physical position of a real-recorded file which are caused by wrong calculation of the start logical sector numbers for each zone.
US07702956B2
A system on chip processor, that is, a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a processor, a cache memory and the like are integrated into one chip, includes a test controller, and a trace memory. The test controller generates test control signals in response to test flag signals generated from a processor. The trace memory stores a transmission data signal between the processor and a cache memory, a device under test, in response to the test control signals. Since the trace memory is provided within the integrated circuit, an operation of the device under test, which is configured in the integrated circuit, can be tested without disassembling the integrated circuit even after the integrated circuit is completely manufactured.
US07702954B2
A stored data processing apparatus comprises: a calculation section that performs calculation for each bit position using data of all first blocks in a second block that has been specified as an update target on a storage medium and outputs a result of the calculation as calculation data; a write section that writes the calculation data in the third block associated with the update target; and a read section that reads out data from the first block specified as a read target. In the case where it is determined that a plurality of data can be read out from the read target, the read section sets the read target as a duplication block, reads out data from the first blocks other than the duplication block which belong to the second block including the read target so as to set the read out data as determination data, reads out data from the third block corresponding to the read target so as to set the read out data as redundant data, sets one of the plurality of data that can be read out from the duplication block as selection data, and determines whether the selection data is correct data using the determination data, redundant data, and selection data.
US07702953B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein synchronous replication of data is initiated from a first site to a second site. At least one part of the data is sent asynchronously from the second site to a third site, wherein the asynchronously sent at least one part of the data is stored at the second site while the at least one part of data is in flight from the second site to the third site. The at least one part of the data stored at the second site is deleted, in response to the at least one part of the data being securely stored at the third site.
US07702950B2
A gaming machine may include memory, a software program loaded into the memory and a trusted cache. The trusted cache may include a context data save engine, a context data recovery engine and a restart engine. The context data save engine may be configured to save the context and state of the gaming machine at least upon sensing a failure condition. The context data recovery engine may be configured to load the context and state from the context data save engine back into memory, and the restart engine may be configured to restart the gaming machine and restore execution of the software program, and may be further configured to carry out a multi-stage recovery process that may include a soft reboot, a hardware reset and a power-off and, after a predetermined delay, a power-on of the gaming machine, attempting to restart the software program between each stage of the process.
US07702949B2
A mechanism and method for maintaining a consistent state in a non-volatile random access memory system without constraining normal computer operation is provided, thereby enabling a computer system to recover from faults, power loss, or other computer system failure without a loss of data or processing continuity. In a typical computer system, checkpointing data is either very slow, very inefficient or would not survive a power failure. In embodiments of the present invention, a non-volatile random access memory system is used to capture checkpointed data, and can later be used to rollback the computer system to a previous checkpoint. This structure and protocol can efficiently and quickly enable a computer system to recover from faults, power loss, or other computer system failure.
US07702948B1
A computer-implemented method of automatically configuring a platform of storage devices includes querying components of the platform to gather information about the capability of the platform, locating one or more storage devices within the platform, automatically determining one or more RAID levels that are supported by the platform, and automatically configuring one or more storage devices within the platform as a RAID system having a particular RAID level, where the particular RAID level is selected based on the capability of the platform.
US07702947B2
A system and method for enabling site failover in an application server or clustered environment. In addition to providing HTTP session state replication across servers within a cluster, the invention provides the ability to replicate HTTP session state across multiple clusters. This improves high-availability and fault tolerance by allowing clusters to be spread across multiple geographic regions, power grids, and Internet service providers.
US07702939B2
A method and system for controlling computer operation time is provided for counting how long the time for using the computer lasts. The steps of the time counting method are as following. First step is counting an operation time period for using the computer at the computer powered on; second step is determining the operation time period equal to a predetermined operating-time limit; third step is controlling the computer into an interrupted operating state when the operation time period is equal to the predetermined operating-time limit, wherein an interrupted time period for the computer stayed in the interrupted operating state is counted; fourth step is determining the interrupted time period equal to a predetermined suspension time; and fifth step is controlling the computer back to a normal operating state when the interrupted time period is equal to the predetermined suspension time, wherein the operation time period is re-counted.
US07702935B2
Apparatus and associated systems, methods and computer program products relate to using information stored in a flash memory to adjust the operating voltage supplied to the flash memory. The voltage information indicates a minimum operating voltage at which to operate the flash memory device. In general, operating a flash memory device near a minimal operating voltage may substantially minimize power consumption. The minimum operating voltage for individual flash memory devices may vary from IC to IC, by manufacturing lot, and by manufacturer. In a product, the minimum operating voltage for a particular flash memory may be determined, for example, by a controller built-in to a flash memory reporting (automatically or in response to a query) the minimum operating voltage (e.g., 2.5 V, 3.15 V) to a memory controller or microprocessor. The stored voltage information may further include information to adjust the operating voltage based on temperature.
US07702934B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a basic module having a memory cell unit composed of first nonvolatile memory cells or a processor unit on a part of the substrate, an authentication module which has second nonvolatile memory cells in an area different from that of the basic module on the substrate, and stores an authentication code, and a lifetime control module which has aging devices configured by third nonvolatile memory cells in an area different from those of the basic module and the authentication module on the substrate, and which is turned on for a fixed period by storage of charges and permits reading of the authentication module only during an on-period of the aging devices.
US07702928B2
A memory module includes memory devices and a power tracker for monitoring power consumption by the memory devices. The power tracker generates digital power consumption data that can be stored and used to anticipate and/or diagnose of power-related problems. The invention allows accurate monitoring of conditions that could otherwise lead to failure and provides a source of diagnostic data in the event of system failure related to excessive power consumption. Modules that self-monitor power consumption can provide highly accurate data to the user and/or the system, which has significant advantages over error-prone theoretical measurements or estimations.
US07702925B2
In some embodiments, the invention is a personal digital network (“PDN”) including hardware (sometimes referred to as Ingress circuitry) configured to transcrypt encrypted content that enters the PDN. Typically, the transcryption (decryption followed by re-encryption) is performed in hardware within the Ingress circuitry and the re-encryption occurs before the decrypted content is accessible by hardware or software external to the Ingress circuitry. Typically, transcrypted content that leaves the Ingress circuitry remains in re-encrypted form within the PDN whenever it is transferred between integrated circuits or is otherwise easily accessible by software, until it is decrypted within hardware (sometimes referred to as Egress circuitry) for display or playback or output from the PDN. Typically, the PDN is implemented so that no secret in Ingress or Egress circuitry (for use or transfer by the Ingress or Egress circuitry) is accessible in unencrypted form to software or firmware within the PDN or to any entity external to the PDN. Other aspects of the invention are methods for protecting content in a PDN (e.g., an open computing system) and devices (e.g., multimedia graphics cards, set top boxes, or video processors) for use in a PDN.
US07702924B2
Reliable end-to-end messaging in which tracking and acknowledgement information are contained in the electronic message that is visible to layers above the transport layer, thereby being independent of what transport protocols, and whether different transport protocols, are used to communicate between the two end points. Furthermore, acknowledgment messages may identify multiple ranges of sequence numbers corresponding to received electronic messages, thereby permitting further flexibility and completeness in acknowledging received messages.
US07702917B2
The described systems, methods, and data structures are directed at data transfer using Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) query strings. A block of data is partitioned into sections. Each section is encoded in a query string of a HTTP message. Each HTTP message is sent to a server by redirecting through a client. Multiple redirected messages are sent until the entire block of data is transferred to the server. The data block may be stored as a cookie on the client so that the data block does not have to persist on any server. Data transfer using HTTP query strings may be implemented to transfer a security token from a security token service (STS) server to an application server.
US07702912B2
To effect a change to the system, a user process makes a request. An interface receives the request, and attempts to authenticate the user. Assuming the user is authenticated, the interface determines the user's UID. The interface determines a provider process that can make the requested change, and forwards the request to the provider process. The interface also assigns the user's UID to the provider process's eUID. The provider process then attempts to make the change, provided the change can be made given the eUID assignment. The provider process then attempts to run under the new eUID, enabling the system to prohibit it from doing something that is not authorized for that user. This protects the system from inadvertently executing management operations by one provider process that is not expected or intended by the user of another provider process.
US07702910B2
A method of processing a message to determine a tag value from the message and from a key according to a message authentication code. The method including the steps of selecting one of a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols forming a codeword encoding a data item derived from the message, the codeword encoding the data item according to an error correcting code, wherein said key determines which one of said plurality of symbols is selected; and determining the tag value to be the selected symbol.
US07702906B1
A system for securing kernel metadata communication in environments employing distributed software services includes a first and a second host linked by a network, where a distributed software service stack at each host includes a respective user-mode software layer and a respective kernel-mode software layer. The first host may be configured to establish a user-mode connection with the second host, e.g., using a secure user-mode communication protocol such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). The first and the second hosts may then exchange respective security keys over the secure user-mode connection, upload the security keys to the respective kernel-mode software layers, and use the security keys to secure communication over a kernel-mode connection between the two hosts.
US07702905B2
Method for distributing keys for encrypted data transmission in a preferably wireless sensor network
In a method for distributing keys for encrypted data transmission in a sensor network, nodes store a subset of keys from a set of keys. A sink node triggers the key election procedure and sensor nodes choose from a locally broadcasted keyID list, with one key to be stored on each node. All other initially stored keys are subsequently deleted. The process is repeated until the edge of the network is reached. Such key predistribution is suitable for the encryption of reverse multicast traffic to the sink node which is the predominant traffic pattern in wireless sensor networks.
US07702902B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling encrypted communication capabilities for a Subscriber's Web Site, thereby allowing Customers to access the Subscriber's Web Site in a secure manner. The Subscriber may register a domain name associated with the Subscriber's Web Site using a proxy domain name service, thereby hindering its Customers ability to verify the owner of the Subscriber's Web Site. A Hosting Provider hosts the Subscriber's Web Site and a Certificate Authority (CA) verifies the identity of the Subscriber. In combination the Hosting Provider and CA provide the Subscriber's Web Site with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypted communications capability. The Hosting Provider and CA communicate directly with each other as needed, typically via the Internet, without using the Subscriber as an intermediary in their communications.
US07702898B2
A method for operating a first computational device to facilitate the secure transfer of a message between the first computation device and a second computational device is described. The method comprises operating the first computational device according to the following steps: forming an encrypted message from the message on the basis of a key derived from one or more codes associated with the second computational device; transmitting the encrypted message to the second computational device; purging the message and the encrypted message from the first computational device; receiving the encrypted message and said one or more codes from the second computational device; upon decrypting the message on the basis of the one or more codes transmitting the decrypted message to the second computational device.
US07702897B2
The present invention provides a system and method to quarantine in the storage operating system and configuration information in which the storage operating system is stored in a designated partition on a removable nonvolatile memory device, such as a compact flash or a personal computer (PC) card that is interfaced with a motherboard of a filer system server. By providing for separate partitions, a failure or error arising during an upgrade to the storage operating system will not corrupt the other partitions.
US07702896B1
Firmware is interactively recoverable prior to loading an operating system on a computer. Rather than proceeding through a recovery without user input, user input about a recovery is solicited after determining that an update is needed. Prior to recovering the firmware, users may be able to, for example, specify configuration options about the recovery, cancel the update altogether, and specify a firmware image location. Once input is received, the firmware recovery proceeds.
US07702890B2
A information processing apparatus and a program are disclosed which make it possible to perform processing of an application on a secondary memory apparatus without the necessity for alteration to an OS incorporated in the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes a central processing unit, a main storage apparatus and a secondary storage apparatus, and starts and executes a program on the main storage apparatus under the control of an OS incorporated therein. Even where the OS does not provide a function of handling an application on the secondary storage apparatus, a first program for performing supporting for copying the application into the main storage apparatus and executing the application is provided in the mains storage apparatus. A second program including place information of the application on the secondary storage apparatus and a starting code for starting the first program is produced on the first storage apparatus. A launcher can operate the second program similarly to the other applications on the main storage apparatus.
US07702888B2
An apparatus for executing branch predictor directed prefetch operations. During operation, a branch prediction unit may provide an address of a first instruction to the fetch unit. The fetch unit may send a fetch request for the first instruction to the instruction cache to perform a fetch operation. In response to detecting a cache miss corresponding to the first instruction, the fetch unit may execute one or more prefetch operation while the cache miss corresponding to the first instruction is being serviced. The branch prediction unit may provide an address of a predicted next instruction in the instruction stream to the fetch unit. The fetch unit may send a prefetch request for the predicted next instruction to the instruction cache to execute the prefetch operation. The fetch unit may store prefetched instruction data obtained from a next level of memory in the instruction cache or in a prefetch buffer.
US07702884B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a reconfigurable circuit including a plurality of computing units interconnected in a reconfigurable manner, a processing circuit including at least one of a fixed logic circuit configured to perform predetermined processing and a parameter-defined special-purpose hardware unit configured to change processing specifications according to parameter settings, a network having reconfigurable connections and coupled to the reconfigurable circuit and to the processing circuit, and at least two interfaces each coupled to the network to provide external coupling for the network.
US07702867B2
A method and system of data backup for a computer system is disclosed. Full and incremental backups of data stored to a first storage device coupled to the computer system are stored to a backup storage device coupled to the computer system. The backup storage device may be remotely located and coupled via a network. Data representative of the relationship of each incremental backup to its respective parent backup is stored in a dependency data structure, preferably a tree-like structure. Different types of incremental backups may be performed to provide different data granularity. When two or more storage media are used in a rotational manner, each medium always contains a complete backup. The backup storage device is automatically managed by paring at least one of a full and incremental backup at the backup storage device automatically in accordance with a plan. The plan is preferably configured to manage an amount of available storage space at the backup storage device. When restoring data from a backup, data to be restored that is stored in a parent backup is automatically located and restored. Stored backups may be encrypted and decrypted when restored.
US07702859B2
A new and useful DMA-like arrangement provides fast inter-system transfers of large data volumes. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a data-transfer-out system and further includes a data-transfer-in system. At least one of the systems has a dual ported memory structure configured in a way so that data can move out of a memory module of the structure from one port while other data can independently move into the memory module through the other port. The systems are detachable with respect to each other, and the memory modules of both systems are correspondingly paired with compatible specifications such as module sizes. Furthermore, these memory modules are physically configured in a way so that inter-system data transfer occurs in a parallel (i.e., module to module) manner without the aid of the CPU of the system that has the dual ported memory structure.
US07702856B2
The prefetch distance to be used by a prefetch instruction may not always be correctly calculated using compile-time information. In one embodiment, the present invention generates prefetch distance calculation code to dynamically calculate a prefetch distance used by a prefetch instruction at run-time.
US07702854B2
An apparatus for processing information, includes a memory storing a plurality of content items different in type and metadata containing time information of the content items, a cache processor for fetching from the memory the content item and the metadata of the content item to be displayed on a display and storing the fetched content item and the metadata thereof on a cache memory, a display controller for displaying on the display the metadata of the content items from the cache memory arranged in accordance with the time information and a selection operator selecting metadata corresponding to a content item desired to be processed, out of the metadata displayed, and a content processor for fetching from the cache memory a content item corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operator by referencing the cache memory in response to the selected metadata, and for performing a process responsive to the fetched content item.
US07702852B2
A consumption value of each storage medium and an upper limit related to writing are managed. Respective consumption value and the upper limit of each of two or more storage media out of a plurality of storage media constituting a storage media group are specified, and a remaining use period value is computed for each of the storage media using the upper limit and the consumption value. Based on each of the computed remaining use period values, data in at least one storage medium out of a plurality of storage media belonging to the selected storage area group is shifted to a storage medium which is different form the storage area group.
US07702849B2
The invention relates to a method for storing data (DATA) on a memory medium (MEM). The data (DATA) forms a file totality (FILE) and the memory medium (MEM) includes several unit-storage areas (U1-U10). At least one first bookkeeping (FDE, FAT) is maintained of the storage state of the memory medium, which consists of information of the location in the unit-storage areas of the data belonging to each file totality. In the storing process—the data is stored in the unit storage areas and—the said first bookkeeping, for example, concerning the location of the data in the unit storage areas, is updated. The data forming the said file totality is stored as file parts (file1, file2, fileN), on the data (data1, data2, . . . , dataN) of which the said storing process is performed.
US07702847B2
A digital Storage Element is described. A device is configured including a Storage Element for access by a user responsive to a native control code. A processing arrangement executes a control program for controlling the overall device and executing at least a portion of the native control code as part of the control program for interfacing with the Storage Element. A programming arrangement is provided separate from the device for customizing a read channel within the Storage Element. Command, user interaction and data transfer execution are discussed for mitigation of potential mechanical shock effects. Status indications relating to the Storage Element are provided including head position and mechanical shock. Calibration, test and operational monitoring procedures, for using head position status, are described. Failure configuration monitoring is provided in tracking overall performance and design considerations.
US07702845B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for managing blocks according to the update type of data in block-type memory. The method includes receiving data to be stored from an application; determining an update frequency of the data; extracting information of nonvolatile memory space in which the data will be stored according to the update frequency of the data; and transmitting information about the data and the space to the nonvolatile memory so that the data is stored in the space using information of the extracted space.
US07702841B2
An ASIC includes a receiving unit, a transmission interface, a reception interface, a buffer, and a control unit. When the receiving unit receives a second write request while the transmission interface is in process of transmitting to a transmission line a first write request and write data, the control unit causes the receiving unit to store the second write request in the buffer. When the receiving unit receives a read request while the second write request is present in the buffer, the control unit causes the receiving unit to send the read request to the transmission interface prior to the second write request.
US07702837B2
A portable computer adapted for electrical connection to a docking station having multiple power modes of operation is described. The portable computer has one or more CPU chips which have at least two power modes of operation, a low power mode and a high power mode. When the portable computer is operated as a stand-alone computer, it operates in the low power mode. When the portable computer is operated while electrically connected to the docking station, it operates in a high power mode. The docking station has greater cooling capacity than the portable computer alone to provide enhanced cooling of the high power mode of operation.
US07702830B2
A data backup system comprises a USB flash drive that includes an emulation component and a flash memory. The emulation component is configured to represent the flash memory as if it were an auto-launch device. Accordingly, a data source, such as a personal computer, will interact with the flash memory as if it were the auto-launch device. As some operating systems are configured to recognize auto-launch devices upon connection and automatically execute applications stored thereon, merely connecting the USB flash drive to a data source running such an operating system will cause a backup application stored by the flash memory to automatically execute on the data source. Here, the backup application is configured to selectively back up data files from the data source to a networked storage such as a server of a commercial service provider.
US07702829B2
This invention relates to a method, system and computer program product for reading data from a storage controller in storage area network. A read data instruction is received from an application requesting data from the storage controller using a primary data path. If the data on the primary data path is not transferred in a defined time interval using the primary data path, data is requested from the storage controller using one or more alternative data paths. Data is received from the storage controller on one of data paths and into a buffer. When the read instruction has completed and that the data is in the buffer, the application is notified. Each data path is associated with a buffer and the data is received into a buffer associated with the path. The application is informed which buffer holds the data and the application accesses the data from this buffer.
US07702826B2
An apparatus and method related to performing Remote Direct Memory Access Request (“RDMA”) is presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises Remote direct memory access (“RDMA”) logic that executes a direct memory access (“DMA”) request from the remote peer. The apparatus further comprising a protection checking logic to verify a key and a target address in the DMA request and conversion logic to convert the target address to an input/output virtual address (“IOVA”) if the conversion is required. The IOVA is to be translated to the host physical address by an address translation unit at another hardware subsystem.
US07702824B2
A system and method for low impact backup. In one embodiment, a method may comprise monitoring utilization of a system resource and a data management process selectively performing I/O operations dependent upon the monitored utilization of the system resource. The data management process may include functionality to backup desired data from a storage medium to a backup medium. In one particular implementation, the I/O operations may be allowed to be performed in response to the utilization of the system resource falling below a predetermined threshold. In another embodiment a method may comprise performing a plurality of I/O operations to complete a data management process executed by an application. The application separates said plurality of I/O operations with intermittent delays to achieve time-slicing of the data management process with respect to one or more other applications.
US07702816B2
A technique that facilitates application synchronization with a reservation protocol at a sender without application receiver participation in a computer network. According to the novel technique, the sender sends a path request message to a reservation receiver and may include a request for fast path failure notification to be returned to the sender. The reservation receiver (e.g., a reservation receiver proxy upstream from the application receiver) receives the path request, and in response, returns a reservation request message to the sender, including a request for fast reservation failure notification also to be sent to the sender (e.g., in response to detecting the fast path failure notification request, local policy/configuration, etc.). In the event that an intermediate node between the sender and reservation receiver detects an error during the path request or reservation request, the intermediate node sends corresponding fast failure notification to the sender. The sender may then synchronize, e.g., an application with the reservation protocol, based on receipt of a fast failure notification or a successful reservation request message.
US07702814B2
A method for downloading HTML formatted Web pages is provided. The method includes the steps of writing a URL of a Web page to be downloaded to an XQuery script; analyzing the XQuery script to obtain the URL of the HTML Web page and saving the downloaded Web page in a database as the local Web page; analyzing the contents of the local Web page to obtain target contents; converting the relative URLs of all image files to the absolute URLs; downloading all the image files according to the absolute URLs; replacing the absolute URLs of the image files with an local image file path; converting the relative URLs of the embedded links to the absolute URLs of the embedded links; saving all the converted absolute URLs in the database, creating identifiers; replacing the converted absolute URLs of the embedded links with an embedded link local path. A related system is also disclosed.
US07702812B2
An address allocation system including a client and a server is provided. The server includes a setting module, a detecting module, and a converting module. The setting module is for setting a filtering code. The detecting module is for detecting whether a physical-layer address of the client corresponds to the filtering code. The converting module is for converting the physical-layer address into a network-layer address if the physical-layer address corresponds to the filtering code, and for allocating the network-layer address to the client. An address allocation method is also provided.
US07702802B2
A sharing infrastructure is directed at providing a framework for sharing resources between initiators and participants. The sharing infrastructure is designed to manage and direct various sharing providers, articulate information about sharing relationships, and to provide a framework for pluggable data sharing, data discovery, schema translation, and conflict resolution. The infrastructure allows for common sharing operations to be implemented in a more centralized fashion, and eases the cost of implementing new sharing providers. An extensible and pluggable provider model eases remote and local configuration; schema mapping; and protocol handling. A sharing protocol is defined that relates to establishing and managing a sharing relationship.
US07702784B2
A method and system for balancing server work load for cellular phone client-proxy applications in an environment where the clients change position within a given geographic area is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of mapping, monitoring, automatically re-mapping the system when required, updating a map address book, and updating a client address book. The system has a mapping system and a communication system connected to a plurality of servers, proxy servers and applications by an internal network. The proxy servers are connected to a plurality of clients by the Internet. If a threshold is exceeded, the monitoring program sends a message to a mapping program. Upon receipt of the message, the mapping program uses a rules engine to calculate a new map graph to remove load from an overloaded server (or servers) and to adjust communication requirements for data by reconfiguring partitions.
US07702783B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium for selectively monitoring transactions in a cluster computing environment are disclosed. A transaction is received by a load balancer. A transaction monitoring manager determines if the received transaction is a candidate for monitoring. If it is, then the resource thresholds defined in the transaction's corresponding TMP are determined. The load balancer is then interrogated to determine which application server instance is assigned to process the transaction. Once determined, resource usage information is collected from the target application server instance and provided to the transaction monitoring manager. The collected resource information is compared to the transaction's corresponding TMP. If resource usage exceeds resource threshold values contained in the TPM, then the transaction is monitored. Otherwise it is not.
US07702772B2
A device, system, and method are directed towards determining network information. A network address is determined for a possible proxy. A determination is made whether a port on the possible proxy is open and/or if the port supports an HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) proxy request. A request is sent to the possible proxy over the port, the request being configured to be forwarded to a network device. A type of the possible proxy is determined based in part on a behavior of the network device. The behavior may indicate whether the request is received by the network device, or whether the possible proxy obscures an origin of the request. The proxy type may include whether the possible proxy is a non-proxy, an anonymous-proxy, a controlled-proxy, and/or an open-proxy. Various types of network analysis may then be performed using the possible proxy and the determined proxy type.
US07702771B2
An electrical power distribution unit can include a power distribution unit enclosure, a power input associated with the power distribution unit enclosure, and a plurality of power outputs associated with the power distribution unit enclosure. At least certain power outputs can be connectable to one or more electrical loads external to the power distribution unit enclosure and to the power input. In some embodiments, an intelligent power section can communicate with at least one of the power outputs and can connect to a communications network external to the power distribution unit enclosure.
US07702763B2
A management data distribution apparatus has, a control unit, a buffer memory element, at least one input port, and a telecommunications output. The at least one input port is arranged to receive management data from devices located within a network and to pass the management data to the control unit. The control unit is arranged to control output of the management data via the telecommunications output to a remote monitoring site over a telecommunications network. The control unit is also arranged to store management data arriving at the at least one input port when the said telecommunications output is in use in the buffer memory element, temporarily.
US07702758B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that allows secure deployment delegation and management of applications in a distributed-computing infrastructure. During operation, the system assigns a deployment-role to a user, which enables the user to deploy an application in the distributed-computing infrastructure. Moreover, by assigning the deployment-role to the user, the system also delegates the privilege to assign a run-time-role to the application. Note that the set of run-time roles a user is allowed to assign (or grant) can depend on the deployment role that has been assigned to the user. Furthermore, assigning the run-time-role to the application grants permission to the application to access a resource in the shared infrastructure, which allows the application to operate properly. Furthermore, note that by delegating to users the privilege of assigning roles to applications simplifies the secure deployment and management of applications in the distributed-computing infrastructure.
US07702757B2
A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing control to a networked storage architecture is disclosed. A networked storage device is provided. Controllers are coupled to the at least one networked storage device for controlling input/output operations of the networked storage device. The networked storage device includes a file system for storing data provided by a first of the controllers for retrieval by the other controllers.
US07702744B2
A semantic information-oriented network provides delivering network of an event comprising semantic information and data. For delivering event information, the semantic information-oriented network comprises an apparatus that provides an event place that is a place for comparing an event from an event sender with a filter being information related to an event receiver, and that is the smallest unit required to guarantee a common ontology system, and is an event delivery range.
US07702740B2
A system for deploying applications that comprises a data storage component capable of containing at least one application to be deployed and an administration component capable of deploying the application from the data storage component to a managed component. The managed component is capable of receiving the application from the data storage component preparing the received application for deployment on the managed component; and activating the deployment once the managed component is prepared. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.
US07702738B2
A method of selecting a recipient of a message on the basis of data identifying access to previously transmitted messages, wherein each said message includes content data for display within a display area of a receiving terminal and control data including data indicative of a user selectable portion within the display area. The method includes receiving content data having one of a plurality of different types for use in creating said message, accessing tracking data corresponding to a previously transmitted message containing content data of a given type, the tracking data being indicative of selection of said user selectable portion upon display thereof at said receiving terminal, and selecting a recipient of the message on the basis of the received content data and the tracking data.
US07702736B2
The present invention relates to workflow systems and methods. In one embodiment, the invention relates to integration of a calendar system with a workflow system where a calendar event can initiate a workflow by sending a message to a form route manager. The completion of a workflow or step in the workflow can result in sending a message to a calendar system to generate an event. In another embodiment, the invention relates to the integration of workflow with a project management system that includes project segments, which are processes that can be defined and controlled by workflow routes. The project management system sends a message to the workflow system to initiate workflow and the workflow system sends a message to the project management system, for example, at the completion of the workflow route. The relationship between the workflow routes can maintain the relationship between the project segments. If the relationships between project segments change, the relationship between the workflow routes changes without added effort.
US07702735B2
The present invention discloses a method and a corresponding system for controlling delivery of information in a forum. In the method (300a, 300b) of the invention a user provides (306) the text of a new message to be submitted to the forum. The user then selects (315) every confidential portion of the text, and inputs (318) corresponding replacement information. A confidential version of the message (consisting of the original text) is made available (345, 351) only to a specific subset of the participants in the forum; a public version of the message, obtained substituting (366) the replacement information for the corresponding confidential portions of the original text, is made available to all the other participants.
US07702732B1
An autoconfiguring data router is connected to a communications network subnet having a second network data router. The autoconfiguring data router includes a configuration determination module that determines configuration attributes for operably connecting the autoconfiguring data router to the subnet, and an autoconfiguration module that configures the autoconfiguring data router according to the configuration attributes so that the autoconfiguring data router is operably connected to the subnet.
US07702726B1
A system and methods are shown for providing presence state services in an Internet Protocol network. One exemplary system includes a central presence element configured to track and provide user presence state information, and a local presence element in communication with the central presence element and further in communication with a signaling entity. According to one embodiment, the local presence element is configured to create and manage local presence state authorization data generated based on user presence state information being received from the central presence element. Further, the local presence element is configured to authorize a user service request using the local presence authorization data before providing access to a service requested by the user in the user service request.
US07702724B1
A web services message broker architecture. In one embodiment, a system may include a server system and a plurality of applications, each configured to implement one or more enterprise functions and to execute on the server system. The system may further include a web services message broker configured to execute on the server system and to present a central web services interface to the plurality of applications, through which a given one of the plurality of applications is configured to communicate with a web service. In one specific implementation of the system, the web services message broker may be further configured to receive an incoming web service request and to convey the incoming web service request to one of the plurality of applications.
US07702721B2
A method and apparatus for providing music information for a wireless CD player is disclosed. The CD player may transmit a substantially unique CD tag to a music information service computer system across a network via a wireless communications protocol. The music information service system then matches the CD tag to music data stored in a database. This music data is then transmitted to the CD player to be displayed to the user.
US07702720B1
A method and system for conducting multiple Internet-based conventions, events, conferences, trade shows and meetings (“conventions”) includes a plurality of meeting planner clients (102), exhibitor/sponsor clients (103) and attendee clients (101), all using web browser computers and a central website server (200) on the Internet (104). The system receives and stores initial convention data, and control parameter rules from meeting planner clients (102). Then the system receives and stores exhibit booth display data and control parameter rules for said convention from exhibitor/sponsor clients (103). Based on search criteria provided by the participating attendee client (101), the central website server (200) releases stored database convention information and provides a wide array of convention activity simulated with the program instructions and the databases. Thus, the system allows the creation of a “virtual convention venue” for conventions that exist only on the central website server (200) and available using the Internet (104). Additionally, the system supports and augments a convention being held in a physical or venue-based center (e.g., Moscone Center in San Francisco).
US07702719B1
In accordance with a dual-MVC (Model-View-Controller) approach of the invention, the client machine maintains part of the Model, eliminating many round-trips to the server. The invention provides an implementation approach for constructing the frame(s) contained in the client's browser software to allow it to be refreshed locally. The invention addresses development and maintenance by specifying a library of functions that a programmer can use to construct the View and Controller on the client machine. When part of the Model is maintained on the client, the client has the ability to respond to user interaction without paying the performance penalty of continually interacting with the server.
US07702716B2
An analogue multiplier circuit has an input coefficient voltage dependent adjustment of its frequency response. The multiplier contains a multiplier cell (MC) with an RF input (Vin+, Vin−) and a coefficient signal input (Vcoeff+, Vcoeff−), one or more capacitors (Cp1, Cp2) as peaking capacitors, which one contact connects to the multiplier cell (MC) and the other to a variable resistance (Mp1, Mp2), i.e. a MOS transistor, and a control circuit (CT) for controlling the variable resistance (Mp1, Mp2). The control circuit (CT) is connected to the coefficient signal input (Vcoeff+, Vcoeff−) of the multiplier. In the case of a four-quadrant multiplier a rectifier (RT) is connected between the coefficient input (Vcoeff+, Vcoeff−) of the multiplier and the control circuit (CT).
US07702714B2
The present invention provides a system for evaluating a correlation between a plurality of time-series data. The system includes a calculating section which calculates characteristic quantities indicating symmetry of a diagram drawn by a graph, on which data values included in the plurality of time-series data are plotted in a multidimensional space in which each coordinate axis represents the data value of each time-series data; and an evaluating section which evaluates the correlation between the plurality of time-series data, based on the calculated characteristic quantities.
US07702708B2
An apparatus employing control words to present a synthesized output signal having an output frequency and a delay with respect to an input signal includes: (a) A multiplexer receiving the input signal and having an output and an address input. (b) An output unit generates the output signal in response to a drive signal from the multiplexer. (c) A first register coupled with the multiplexer output. (d) A second register coupled with the multiplexer and the first register. The first register responds to a multiplexer output signal to provide a first control signal to the second register based upon the control words. The second register responds to the multiplexer output signal to provide a second control signal to the address input based upon the first control signal and the control words. The multiplexer presents the drive signal in response to the second control signal.
US07702706B2
The state transition of a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) controlled by a clock (310) with length N and step size W, W being at least two, is accomplished via a next-state function (320). The next-state function deploys a state transition matrix (350). The state vector (330), which represents the contents of the LFSR, is either multiplied sequentially by the state transition matrix or multiplied by the state transition matrix to the power of W (multiple state transition matrix). The method and the LFSR according to the invention are characterized in that the multiple state transition matrix is decomposed in a first matrix (360) and a second matrix (370), the first matrix comprising at most N+W+1 different expressions and the second matrix comprising at most N+W+1 different expressions. The LFSR further comprises means to multiply the state vector by the second matrix and the first matrix, and means for computing the first matrix. The invention overcomes the shortcomings of configurable multi-step linear feedback shift registers because the amount of time needed to generate the output can be reduced significantly.
US07702705B2
A random number generation circuit has a ring oscillator which has odd number of inverting amplifiers connected in ring shape, a delay control circuit which generates a predetermined clock signal by delaying a reference clock signal, a first sampling circuit which samples an oscillation signal generated by the ring oscillator with the predetermined clock signal, a first logical equalization circuit which equalizes occurrence frequency of “0” and “1” of a sampling signal sampled by the first sampling circuit, a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) which generates random serial data based on an output signal of the first logical equalization circuit, and a serial-parallel converter which generates random parallel data used for controlling a delay amount of the delay control circuit by converting the random serial data from serial to parallel.
US07702704B2
A random number generating method for an electronic device including a plurality of unit circuits each first and second logic circuits, each logic circuit having a same shape and being formed through a same fabrication process, and an amplifier circuit for forming a binary signal by amplifying a noise superposed on the differential voltage of threshold voltages of the first and the second logic circuits; and a signal variation detecting circuit for forming an output signal in response to a variation in any of a plurality of binary signals outputted from the plurality of unit circuits, wherein a plurality of binary signals outputted from the signal variation detecting circuit are combined to generate a random number.
US07702693B1
A method and system for role-based access control enforced by an Operating System filesystem are provided. A file representing a resource is created and stored in the Operating System filesystem. A user requests access to the resource and provides user-identifying information and a resource identifier. An access identifier is created based on the user-identifying information and the resource identifier, and is formatted as the file attribute used by the Operating System to manage file access. A system call to the Operating System is made to perform an operation on the file representing the resource, where the system call uses the access identifier to gain access to the file. The user is granted access to the resource only if the operating system successfully performs the operation on the file representing the resource.
US07702690B2
The invention comprises a set of complementary techniques that dramatically improve enterprise search and navigation results. The core of the invention is an expertise or knowledge index, called UseRank that tracks the behavior of website visitors. The expertise-index is designed to focus on the four key discoveries of enterprise attributes: Subject Authority, Work Patterns, Content Freshness, and Group Know-how. The invention produces useful, timely, cross-application, expertise-based search and navigation results. In contrast, traditional Information Retrieval technologies such as inverted index, NLP, or taxonomy tackle the same problem with an opposite set of attributes than what the enterprise needs: Content Population, Word Patterns, Content Existence, and Statistical Trends. Overall, the invention emcompasses Baynote Search—a enhancement over existing IR searches, Baynote Guide —a set of community-driven navigations, and Baynote Insights—aggregated views of visitor interests and trends and content gaps.
US07702686B2
Systems and methods that enable consistent navigation (for a database and memory environment) in object relational mapping. This typically ensures fidelity of object graph via restrictions on collections of persistent objects (e.g., entity sets, entity refs . . . ). Moreover, a tracking component can detect changes as they occur, and only a copy of the objects that have changed can be created, to optimize operation.
US07702685B2
A data model models a social network. The data model can be embodied as a person profile schema and a connector profile schema. The person profile schema defines properties of persons in the social network. The connector profile schema defines connectivity properties of persons that connect a searcher to the persons in social network that the searcher desires to find. Query languages can be based on the data model and can be used to express queries of social networks. Queries can be for persons, for connecting persons, or for both.
US07702682B2
A search query may be run against a plurality of container registers encapsulated and logically defined in a plurality of containers to identify one or more container registers responsive to the search query. Thereafter, a list characterizing the identified containers may be provided. Related methods, apparatus, computer program products, and computer systems are also described.
US07702681B2
An image query system, and associated method and computer program product are disclosed that enhance and accelerate image-based querying. To this end, the present invention presents a digital image query with implict and explicit associated metadata and retrieval of visually similar images or other pertinent information from a large collection of images stored on local, networked, or web-linked repositories.
US07702676B2
A system and method for managing a domain comprised of a plurality of database systems, wherein each of the database systems performs database queries to retrieve data stored by the database systems. There are one or more virtual regulators for managing the domain and one or more closed-loop system management (CLSM) regulators for managing each of the database systems in the domain. Both the virtual regulators and CLSM regulators perform parallel virtual optimization of the database queries performed by the database systems.
US07702673B2
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). In one particular embodiment, the MMR system includes an MMR user, a MMR computer, a user printer that produces a printed document, a networked media server, an office portal, a service provider server, an electronic display that is electrically connected to a set-top box, a document scanner, a network, a capture device, a cellular infrastructure, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, Bluetooth® technology, infrared (IR) technology, wired technology, and a geo location mechanism. The MMR system of the present invention provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types, such as printed paper as a first medium and a digital photograph, digital movie, digital audio file, or web link as a second medium. Furthermore, the MMR system of the present invention facilitates business methods that take advantage of the combination of a portable electronic device, such as a cellular camera phone, and a paper document.
US07702672B2
A method and system are disclosed for displaying a search result list in response to a search request from a searcher using a computer network. Ranks in the search result list are auctioned for a search term for a determined display period. A database is maintained to include search listings, where the search listings are associated with a winning bidder for a specified rank in the search result list, the search term and the determined display period. The search result list displayed to the searcher includes search listings ordered in accordance with respective ranks, for the determined display period.
US07702670B1
This invention is a system and method for assisting the performance of incremental copying of data in a data storage environment and includes a tracking mechanism. In one embodiment, the tracking mechanism is implemented in such a way that it is able to track changes while allowing access to production data by carrying out unique methodology. In other embodiments, implementations include a system, a computer program product, or an apparatus, wherein each embodiment is configured for carrying out the steps involved in the methodology.
US07702668B2
A system and method facilitating asset composition based, at least in part, upon metadata (e.g., asset specification) describing compositional property(ies) of the asset(s) is provided. Asset specification(s) (e.g., metadata) that describe asset(s) to efficiently search and/or match asset(s) are employed. The system can facilitate matching (e.g., automatically) the particular software component to available server(s). Thus, the system can provide a flexible manner of describing asset(s) and an efficient way of locating matching description(s).
US07702667B2
Systems and processes for determining and validating accessibility and currency, i.e., the actual status, of data replicated in a networked environment are disclosed. According to the disclosed process, a replicated-data policy for replicating data is defined, and access paths between network devices or between applications running on the network devices are monitored, for example, by a replicated-data monitor. Also monitored are the data replication activities in the network. The currency, i.e., timeliness, and accessibility of a replica by a network device is then compared with the requirements in the replicated-data policy and discrepancies with the replicated-data policy are identified, optionally accompanied by a notification.
US07702663B2
A garbage collection system that needs to meet real-time requirements utilizes a read barrier that is implemented in an optimizing compiler. The read barrier is implemented with a forwarding pointer positioned in a header of each object. The forwarding pointer points to the object unless the object has been moved. The barrier is optimized by breaking the barrier and applying barrier sinking to sink the read barrier to its point of use and by using sub-expression elimination. A null-check for the read barrier is combined with a null-check required by the real-time application. All objects are located and moved with the collector to minimize variations in mutator utilization.
US07702662B2
A system for managing a file system. In response to a user selecting an image of the file system to perform a rollback operation, each data block in the file system that is owned by the image is searched for. Then, it is determined whether a data block owned by the image is marked in a first map and a second map. In response to determining that the data block owned by the image is marked in the first map and the second map, the data block is marked in a third map. In response to determining that the data block owned by the image is marked in the third map, a new data block is allocated in the file system. Subsequently, data from the data block owned by the image is copied to the new data block in the file system prior to performing the rollback operation to avoid a collision that causes data corruption.
US07702659B2
A method of managing a data storage medium. One portion of the medium is reserved for storing data files and directories. Another, separate portion of the medium is reserved for storing allocation information related to the data in the first portion. Upon beginning a change of one of the data files or directories in the first portion, that data file or directory is flagged robustly until the change is completed. As needed, for example when the medium is mounted on a host system, the incomplete changes to the flagged data files and directories are undone or completed.
US07702648B1
The present invention provides a localization entity in association with a business entity requested by a requester. During instantiation of the requested business entity, a localization event is triggered which causes a policy handler to implement a localization policy to identify localization values (found in the associated localization entity) for attributes in the business entity. The localization values are received from the localization entity associated with the business entity and are placed in the business entity, as localized values.
US07702647B2
A structure and method are provided which can model and use information in a systematic, domain-independent manner, which can flexibly represent declarative data such as concepts, instances, relations and contexts and data views, and which may serve as a middleware module for user applications. The invention teaches a syntax and functionality of a set of software objects that represent, store and dynamically retrieve information on behalf of user applications.
US07702646B2
A thin-client user interface includes a user interface and an application server. The user interface is executed on a client device, such as a personal computer having a display. The user interface includes a client application for displaying data. The application server is coupled with the user interface and with a remote database via an electronic data network and is configured to receive a request for data from the user interface, to generate a query request based on the request for data, to access the database and submit the query request to the database, to receive results from the database in response to the query request, and transmit a portion of the results to the user interface.
US07702643B2
A system and methods for comparing differences and similarities of at least two models including generating corresponding metamodel maps, visual representation of the models, and conducting a series of phases of comparison of the models using a mapping index, wherein the mapping index includes the metamodel maps and the visual representation of the models to produce a comparison output.
US07702640B1
According to one embodiment, a system may include a number of computing nodes configured to implement a number of index data structures each configured to map ones of a plurality of input values to one or more corresponding data items. Each of the index data structures may include a respective plurality of index nodes arranged hierarchically and each having an associated tag value, where each of the data items corresponds to a respective one of the index nodes, and where for a given one of the data items having a given corresponding index node, each tag value associated with each ancestor of the given corresponding index node is a prefix of a corresponding input value mapping to the given data item.
US07702638B2
Systems and methods consistent with the invention may analyze a business application's data, operations, and relationships and create a corresponding object oriented programming (OOP) model corresponding to the business application entities. In one embodiment the OOP model may be realized in the Java programming language and may include OOP objects, functions, and operators. Each OOP model accurately represents the data, relationships, and rules associated with the corresponding business entity. Once converted to an OOP model, systems and methods consistent with the invention may use standard OOP tools to understand, manipulate, design, redesign, analyze, and modify the business application. This can be done independently of the native business application system, as the OOP model is separate and independent from the business application entities. Modifications made to the OOP model may then be converted back into business application entities and installed in the native system.
US07702637B2
A method and system for fragment-based serialization places one or more object members in fragments. Fragments may comprise a header and a payload. A header can provide useful information about the fragment, such as an indication of fragment type and an indication of fragment length. A payload may comprise one or more members of an object. Primitive members may be stored in a Binary Fragment with a record format payload. LOB and FS members may be stored in fragments that have a Value Type field for setting forth additional properties of the fragment. Collections may be stored in a series of fragments, a first fragment to indicate a start of a collection, one or more second fragments to serialize collection elements, and a Terminator Fragment to indicate the end of a collection. Fragment-serialized objects minimize storage overhead while providing fast instantiation and low-cost location and updating.
US07702634B1
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for supporting direct write access from many nodes of a multi-mode network to a file managed by a single node file system. The network includes first and second nodes coupled to each other via a first communication link, and a peripheral data storage device coupled to the first and second nodes via a second communication link. In one embodiment, the method includes the first node receiving data. The first node transmits a first message to the second node via the first communication link in response to the first node receiving the data. A software module such as a single node file system, executing on the second node, allocates storage memory of the peripheral data storage device for the data received by the first node in response to the second node receiving the first message. The first node writes the data to the allocated storage memory via the second communication link such that the data is written to the allocated storage memory without the data first transmitting through the first communication link.
US07702630B2
A method and apparatus are used for finding the longest prefix match in a variable length prefix search when searching a direct table within a routing table structure of a network processor. The search through the routing table structure is expedited by hashing a first segment of an internet protocol address with a virtual private network number followed by concatenating the unhashed bits of the IP address to the result of the hash operation to form an input key. Patterns are compared a bit at a time until an exact match or the best match is found. The search is conducted in a search tree that provides that the matching results will be the best possible match.
US07702624B2
A facility for navigating an electronic document is described. The facility receives user input selecting a portion of the content of a rendered document that constitutes a sentence fragment. In response to receiving the user input, the facility identifies an electronic document contained in a corpus of electronic documents, the identified electronic document containing the selected document portion. In response to receiving the user input, the facility further identifies a position within the identified electronic document at which the selected document portion occurs.
US07702619B2
A method for identifying joined rows in a database comprising a plurality of tables. The method comprises selecting a group of tables directly or indirectly joined with each other, selecting an order of the group based on relationships among the tables, generating an intermediate data structure which identifies the group of tables, a number of virtual tables equal to one less than the number of tables in the group, and an indication of an adjacent table, and a common table and key for at least some of the group of tables and the virtual tables, generating indexing data structures for the group of tables and virtual tables, and, inserting information from rows of the group of tables into the indexing data structures using the intermediate data structure. The indexing data structure for one virtual table indicates which of the rows of the tables have common data elements.
US07702618B1
An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents. Phrases are identified that predict the presence of other phrases in documents. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases. Index data for multiple versions or instances of documents is also maintained. Each document instance is associated with a date range and relevance data derived from the document for the date range.
US07702613B1
Software-based systems and methods that may be used to validate and distribute test data are disclosed. In some embodiments, the data distribution method comprises combining data requests from multiple users into a single request, copying test data from enterprise databases in response to that request, and storing the data in a test data database. The data distribution method further comprises selecting test data contained in the test data database and copying that data to an output file in response to a user's access, and may further include deleting the test data copied from the test data database. The data distribution method may further comprise validating the test data and deleting erroneous test data from the test database. Copying selected test data to an output file may be performed in accordance with a user-selected format and a user-defined output file name and path.
US07702610B2
A usage model and the underlying technology used to provide sequence analysis as part of a relational database system. Included components include the semantic and syntactic integration of the sequence analysis with an existing query language, the storage methods for the sequence data, and the design of a multipart execution scheme that runs the sequence analysis as part of a potentially larger database query, especially using parallel execution techniques.
US07702604B1
A method for constructing an agent in an execution environment that utilizes a set of supplied canonical rules and a set of environment resident canonical rules comprising retrieving a first canonical rule set for the agent, retrieving a second canonical rule set for the agent and merging the two rule sets.
US07702589B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a method for storing a normal scrambled digital program is provided. The method includes receiving a scrambled program, and receiving a plurality of access requirements. Each access requirement can descramble the scrambled program. The method also includes selecting at least one of the access requirements, and storing the scrambled program and the selected requirement.
US07702585B2
A system and method for determining and displaying a payment lead time or expected payment delivery time in an electronic payment system is disclosed. A payee associated with a payor is identified. Prior to receiving a payment request to pay the payee on behalf of the payor, an expected payment delivery time for a payment to fulfill the payment request is determined. The expected payment delivery time is based on at least one payment attribute associated with the payee and at least one payment attribute associated with the payor. An interface screen is then generated for displaying the determined expected payment delivery time.
US07702579B2
An automated electronic invoicing and payment consolidation system for providing remote customer review of customer account information from at least two invoicers. In the preferred embodiment, the system includes three primary components: a consolidated invoicer interface; a remote customer interface for accessing the consolidated invoicer interface; and a payment engine. In the preferred embodiment, the consolidated invoicer interface provides at least one access point to each of the invoicers; sets the access point of each of the invoicers for at least one customer; authenticates each of the customers; and automatically requests account information for the customers directly from each of the invoicers. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the payment engine sends the customer payment instructions from the customer directly to each of the invoicers.
US07702578B2
A method, system and computer readable medium for managing a user online financial transaction at a destination ecommerce web site using a credit or debit card account of the user, including a) transmitting an activation command to a financial institution processing financial transactions for activating the credit or debit card account of the user; b) submitting a charge request for the credit or debit card account to the financial institution via a destination e-commerce web site to which the user is logged in while the credit or debit card account is in the activated status; and c) transmitting a de-activation command to said financial institution for de-activating the credit or debit card account, wherein the financial institution only accepts and processes charge requests received from e-commerce web sites while the credit or debit card account is in the activated status and wherein the financial institution declines charge requests while said credit or debit card account is in the de-activated status, and wherein steps a) to c) are repeated at least once.
US07702566B2
A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuate. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently. The price consolidation feature of the present invention, as described herein, enables a trader to consolidate a number of prices in order to condense the display. Such action allows a trader to view a greater range of prices and a greater number of orders in the market at any given time. By consolidating prices, and therefore orders, a trader reduces the risk of a favorable order scrolling from the screen prior to filling a bid or ask on that order at a favorable price.
US07702557B2
A portfolio of debt instruments, managed by an asset manager according to the terms of an asset management agreement between the asset manager and a sponsor, is a debt index. Multiple deals, as collateralized obligations, are linked to the debt index. Changes to the index by the asset manager are reflected in the linked deals. A break in the linkage to the index can be triggered by different events.
US07702554B2
A method for assessing the performance of a company includes: receiving financial data about the company; determining a future value of the company; decomposing the future value into a plurality of future value components, where the plurality of future value components includes an economy component that defines an implied amount of growth of the company attributable to the growth of the economy in general; and displaying at least one of the future value components.
US07702549B2
The invention concerns a method of sharing state information. In the method, data presented to a user from a template file of a referring site of a distributed computer network is presented to the user in a style dictated by the referring site. During interaction between the user and the referring site, user entered data is captured at the referring site where it is used to modify data of the template file as part of a transaction. At a point in the transaction at which it is desired or required to transfer transaction data to a nominated site to further process the transaction, state information comprising both data from the template file and style data concerning the style of the referring site are transferred by the referring site to the nominated site. Thereafter, the nominated site when continuing processing of the transaction utilises the style data of the referring site.
US07702544B2
A method is provided for use in connection with build ahead configurations (BAC's), for enabling a manufacturer to quickly identify the available BAC that is most suitable for use in completing a product order. In one embodiment, directed to a method for increasing efficiency in constructing individual products of a particular product type, each individual product has an associated specification set. A number of BAC's are initially constructed, wherein each BAC comprises an at least partially complete product of the particular type, and likewise has an associated specification set. An order is received for an individual product of the particular type, wherein the order defines each specification in the specification set for the ordered product. Respective specifications for the ordered product are compared with the specifications of each BAC, in order to calculate a metric for each BAC, wherein the metric for a given BAC represents the effort required to modify the given BAC to conform to all specifications set of the ordered product.
US07702539B2
A picture order receiving apparatus is provided with a monitor constructed by a touch panel unit for displaying order screens including operation descriptive texts describing methods for inputting a print order or the like and displaying operation keys used to input various operation commands by touching corresponding parts of the order screens; an order screen information storage for saving the operation descriptive texts prepared in a plurality of languages, a selecting screen displaying section for causing the monitor to display a language selecting screen, and an order screen displaying section for reading the operation descriptive text in the language selected on the language selecting screen from the order screen information storage and causing the monitor to display it. The operation descriptive texts can be displayed on the monitor in the language selected by an orderer when an order is received by the picture order receiving apparatus.
US07702533B2
A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.
US07702532B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a method, system, and storage medium for providing a disciplined approach to business management activities. The method includes developing an activity list of tasks and behaviors that relate to an identified opportunity, performing a time study of observable behaviors associated with the activity, and collecting data resulting from the time study and the performance of work activities. The method also includes identifying issues presented as a result of analyzing the data, generating and implementing a roadmap for resolving the issues, and training individuals affected by the roadmap in accordance with action items contained in the roadmap. The method further includes forecasting future resource requirements based upon reports generated as a result of collecting the data and identifying the issues.
US07702521B2
Providing improvements in searching, identifying, and publishing information over computer networks, and on individual computers or other information access devices, by creating and sharing link relationships between documents distributed on the network, computers, or other devices. Further providing methods for billing for the use of link relationships to relate and search document objects. Methods for enabling users of a network to provide other users with access to link relationships between documents are described. In one example, this is accomplished by creating link directories for storing link relationships between documents and making the link relationships accessible to users. The users may populate the link directories with link relationships. Furthermore, the methods include a step of billing users based upon the link directories created and/or a step of billing users based upon the activity of users accessing the link directories.
US07702502B2
The present invention provides a system and method for representing quasi-periodic (“qp”) waveforms comprising, representing a plurality of limited decompositions of the qp waveform, wherein each decomposition includes a first and second amplitude value and at least one time value. In some embodiments, each of the decompositions is phase adjusted such that the arithmetic sum of the plurality of limited decompositions reconstructs the qp waveform. These decompositions are stored into a data structure having a plurality of attributes. Optionally, these attributes are used to reconstruct the qp waveform, or patterns or features of the qp wave can be determined by using various pattern-recognition techniques. Some embodiments provide a system that uses software, embedded hardware or firmware to carry out the above-described method. Some embodiments use a computer-readable medium to store the data structure and/or instructions to execute the method.
US07702500B2
A method for processing natural language includes receiving an information input string. Referent tridbits corresponding to stimuli in the information input string are generated. Assert tridbits defining relationships between the referent tridbits are generated. A language processing system including a rules database and a meaning engine. The rules database is operable to store a plurality of syntax rules. The meaning engine is operable to receiving an information input string, generate referent tridbits corresponding to stimuli in the information input string based on the syntax rules, and generate assert tridbits defining relationships between the referent tridbits based on the syntax rules.
US07702497B2
Method and computer program product for recommending cost effective upgrades for a computer system. At least one performance parameter is determined for an existing computer system. Up to date performance specifications for available upgrade components are obtained. A variety of potential systems are modeled utilizing at least one upgrade component, and at least one component from the existing system to create upgrade scenarios. At least one performance parameter is predicted for each upgrade scenario. The performance parameters for the upgrade scenarios are compared to the performance parameters of the existing computer system. The cost-effectiveness is determined for each upgrade scenario, and upgrade recommendations are made when the cost-effectiveness meets or exceeds a target value.
US07702487B2
A system management human-machine interface application for use in a process control system is described herein that enables users to view/monitor information regarding system status and performance and to initiate changes to the operation of system equipment, checkpoint control stations and execute diagnostics. A system management graphical user interface includes a number of features that address the accessibility of system status information to users. Such features include rendering selectable diagnostic information (e.g., online/offline status) on a system component navigation view. The GUI also provides access to a variety of system information including: alarms, messages, watched system management parameters, and a legend for symbols displayed in a system management navigation tree. Other features include: a search function for locating a device in the system to render detailed information, a navigation tree that displays equipment status via icons, and propagating fault statuses up to a highest level of the navigation tree.
US07702484B2
An apparatus and method for monitoring the status of a steam trap include a device for sensing a process condition of the steam trap and a device for processing the sensed condition. The apparatus can include a processor positioned on a steam trap. The connection of the monitoring device to the steam trap can be to the trap itself or to an adjacent pipe or other apparatus.
US07702482B2
Based on the time series data from multiple components, the systems administrator or other managing entity may desire to find the temporal dependencies between the different time series data over time. For example, based on actions indicated in time series data from two or more servers in a server network, a dependency structure may be determined which indicates a parent/child or dependent relationship between the two or more servers. In some cases, it may also be beneficial to predict the state of a child component, and/or predict the average time to a state change or event of a child component based on the parent time series data. These determinations and predications may reflect the logical connections between actions of components. The relationships and/or predictions may be expressed graphically and/or in terms of a probability distribution.
US07702481B2
The present invention provides a diagnostic and control system for a patient support, wherein the patient support includes one or more of a plurality of electronic elements. Such elements may include load sensors, tilt sensors, actuators for adjusting patient support angles, in addition to other electronic elements. The diagnostic and control system can enable the specific control of each of these electronic element for desired operation thereof and further can enable monitoring of the operating conditions of these electronic elements and additional patient support conditions.
US07702480B2
A manufacturing test and programming system (100) is presented including providing a PCB tester (108), providing an in-system programmer (102) electrically attached to the PCB tester (108), mounting a device under test (114) having a programmable device (116) attached thereon and programming the programmable device (116) with the in-system programmer (102).
US07702476B2
A system for controlling the quality of industrial processes including the steps of: having one or more reference signals relating to the industrial process, acquiring one or more real signals which are indicative of the quality of said industrial process, obtaining a transformed signal from the reference signal, obtaining a transformed signal from the real signal, calculating energies of the transformed reference and real signals, comparing the one or more reference signals to the one or more real signals to identify defects in the industrial process. Also, the comparing step includes: comparing the energies of the transformed reference and real signals to each other to extract corresponding time frequency distributions for selected frequency values, calculating energies of the time frequency distributions, and comparing the energies of the time frequency distributions with threshold values to identify energy values associated to defects.
US07702475B2
An inspecting method includes registering a pre-obtained relationship between contact time of probes with a target object having a predetermined temperature and tip positions of the probes which vary in accordance with the contact time. The method further includes inspecting one or more chips at a time by estimating the tip positions of the probes based on the relationship and the contact time of the probes with the one or more chips and then correcting the tip positions of the probes from previous tip positions based on the estimated tip positions until the probes are stable without being extended or contracted.
US07702474B2
A method for testing a data transfer rate of an electronic device includes: receiving data transmitted from the electronic device and converting the data into test data; analyzing the test data; encoding the analyzed data to generate output data; and displaying a state of the data transfer rate based on the output data.
US07702470B2
Techniques for displaying chromatographic data using a graphical user interface are provided. Chromatographic separation data that represent a series of measurements for multiple samples at a detection location over time can be displayed on a display device as a series of bands, the bands being arranged to resemble output from an electrophoresis gel. Additionally, the chromatographic separation data may be displayed in the form of measured intensity at the detection location versus time.
US07702466B1
Probe selection techniques are based, at least in part, on empirical evidence concerning the hybridization of candidate probes across a panel of diverse biological isolates. Various principles concerning the behavior of the most preferable probes across a panel of diverse biological isolates are applied to select from among a set of candidate probes or to eliminate candidate probes from further consideration.
US07702461B2
A method and system for locating aircraft with respect to airport runways and taxiways, generating and annunciating situational awareness advisories as a function of aircraft state parameters relative to a determination of the aircraft location.
US07702460B2
A first navigation unit of an apparatus in one example comprises a hybrid global positioning system (GPS)/inertial navigation system (INS) component. The hybrid GPS/INS component provides first GPS information and first INS information for the first navigation unit. The first navigation unit is configured to receive second GPS information and second INS information from a second navigation unit. The second navigation unit comprises a GPS component configured to determine a double-differenced GPS carrier phase measurement through employment of the first GPS information and the second GPS information. The first navigation unit comprises a relative Kalman filter configured to update an INS error estimate for an estimate of a relative position between the first and second navigation units based on the double-differenced GPS carrier phase measurement and the first and second INS information.
US07702455B2
A location tagged data provision and display system. A personal communication device (PCD) with electromagnetic communication capability has a GPS receiver and a display. The PCD requests maps and location tagged data from data providers and other for display on the PCD. The data providers respond to requests by using searching and sorting schemes to interrogate data bases and then automatically transmitting data responsive to the requests to the requesting PCD.
US07702453B2
A method for guiding an aircraft toward a stopping position within an aircraft stand of an airport includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is carried by the aircraft. The RF signal comprises aircraft-type data that is retrievably stored in an integrated circuit of the RFID tag, the aircraft-type data being indicative of a type of the aircraft. A current location of the aircraft is sensed, and based on the aircraft-type data and the sensed current location of the aircraft, instructions are determined for guiding the aircraft from the current location thereof to a predetermined stopping position for the type of the aircraft. Using a visual docking guidance system (VDGS) associated with the aircraft stand, the instructions are displayed in human-intelligible form for being viewed by a user aboard the aircraft.
US07702448B2
A driving amount controller for reducing a response delay or erroneous deviation in control of a driving amount of a controlled system. The driving amount controller includes an ECU that increases an add-in amount to a duty ratio DUT of a control signal according to an increase in the speed variation ΔDTHR of a target opening DTRH of the throttle valve 16 when the speed variation ΔDTHR is positive. In addition, the ECU increases the add-in amount to the duty ratio DUT of the control signal according to a decrease in the speed variation ΔDTHR when the speed variation ΔDTHR is negative. A throttle valve on a vehicle is an example of the controlled system.
US07702447B2
An isolation method and system is described for distinguishing between turbine case cooling (TCC) and high pressure turbine (HPT) performance faults. A trend is observed in gas path parameter data during cruise and a resulting percent Δ signature across the shift in the gas path parameters is assignable to either an HPT or TCC performance fault. During either fault, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) will shift upward. Since take-off EGT margin is calculated from take-off data, the shift, or lack of shift in EGT margin may be used to differentiate between TCC and HPT faults.
US07702442B2
A control device for a vehicle is equipped with a vehicle model motion determining device for determining a motion of a vehicle (a vehicle model motion) on a vehicle model expressing the dynamic characteristics of a vehicle on the basis of drive manipulated variables, such as an angle of steering by a driver, and a state amount error reaction control device for determining control inputs to an actuator control device of the actual vehicle and the vehicle model motion determining device according to a feedback law on the basis of a difference between a state amount of a vehicle model motion (model state amounts, such as a position or a posture of a vehicle) and a state amount of a motion of the actual vehicle 1 (a state amount error). Based on a state amount error, not only a motion of an actual vehicle but also a vehicle model motion is manipulated, thereby enhancing robustness against disturbance factors or their changes while conducting actuator operation control that is suited to a behavior of the actual vehicle as much as possible.
US07702436B2
A method of determining a preferred order of implementing maintenance tasks and determining a plurality of maintenance tasks related to a received maintenance request is disclosed. A first expected cost of implementing the plurality of maintenance tasks in a first order and a second expected cost of implementing the plurality of maintenance tasks in a second order are determined. An implementation order for the plurality of maintenance tasks is selected based at least in part on the first and second expected costs. Expected costs may be determined based at least in part on the cost of implementing each maintenance task and based on the probability that the problem has not yet been addressed by preceding tasks.
US07702432B2
A regeneration control portion sets a torque command value (in general, a negative value) of a motor generator at a time of regenerative braking. A braking cooperative control portion calculates a total braking force (power) required for the entire vehicle based on a brake depression force BK of a driver and also controls the shares of the output of the total braking force between a hydraulic brake and the motor generator. An MG-ECU drives and controls the motor generator so that a regenerative torque is generated according to a torque command value. The regeneration control portion puts a limitation such that the absolute value of the regenerative torque is smaller at a time of downhill travel than at a time of flat-road travel, for the same brake operation.
US07702427B1
Method and system for evaluating and implementing air traffic management tools and approaches for managing and avoiding an air traffic incident before the incident occurs. The invention provides flight plan routing and direct routing or wind optimal routing, using great circle navigation and spherical Earth geometry. The invention provides for aircraft dynamics effects, such as wind effects at each altitude, altitude changes, airspeed changes and aircraft turns to provide predictions of aircraft trajectory (and, optionally, aircraft fuel use). A second system provides several aviation applications using the first system. These applications include conflict detection and resolution, miles-in trail or minutes-in-trail aircraft separation, flight arrival management, flight re-routing, weather prediction and analysis and interpolation of weather variables based upon sparse measurements.
US07702421B2
An HVAC control system that accommodates and/or facilitates control from a remote location. The HVAC control system may include a web-enabled building control appliance having a controller, a first port and a second port. The controller may implement a web server that is coupled to the first port for serving up one or more web pages on a first network and for receiving a number of responses. The controller may be coupled to the second port so as to communicate with one or more communicating thermostats via a second network. The web server may provide one or more web-pages via the first port that display a graphical floor plan of the building, and permit a user to drag and drop individual building control device images that correspond to the one or more building control devices onto the floor plan.
US07702416B2
A system and method for utilizing a drawing specification for motion control. A plurality of elements in the drawing specification may be automatically identified. The elements may include one or more lines, polygons, arcs, splines, alphanumeric characters, and/or ellipses. Additionally, the drawing specification may be a drawing or digital drafting file, such as an AutoCAD file, among others. An order of the plurality of elements may be automatically determined according to a sorting algorithm. The sorting algorithm may include a geometric and/or radial sorting algorithm. The radial sorting algorithm may specify the order of the elements according to nesting and/or distance from the center of the drawing specification. Code may be automatically generated for implementing motion control based on the identified elements and the determined order. The generated code may include inserted operations such as raise, lower, and move operations, among others.
US07702415B2
A method and an arrangement for placing an embroidery in the desired position on a sewing material for embroidering on a sewing machine which has a memory for embroidery elements and a processor for reading stitch data for a selected embroidery element and for manoeuvring the sewing machine to execute stitches associated with the selected embroidery element on the sewing material, in which pattern points are assigned to the embroidery element and registered in the processor, and in which fabric points are marked on the sewing material at points where corresponding pattern points are to be located when embroidering, the sewing machine processor automatically orienting and scaling executed patterns of the embroidery element on the sewing material.
US07702409B2
Graphic elements and graphic displays are provided for use in a process environment to display information to one or more users about the process environment, such as the current state of device within a process plant. The graphic elements and display may be associated with various logical and physical elements within the process plant during configuration of the process plant, and may be configured and downloaded to the hardware within the process plant along with other configuration items, such as control routines. In particular, the graphic elements and graphic displays may be created and stored in a library, and may then be configured by being associated with various logical or physical entities within the plant. During the configuration process, the graphic elements and graphic displays may be associated with areas, equipment, process modules, control routines or control strategies of the plant as defined elsewhere in the plant configuration, or may be associated with interfaces or display devices, to define the hardware on which the graphic displays will execute during runtime, as well as to define the process entities to which these displays will be bound for display purposes. Still further, each of the graphic displays may be defined with a role or a functional use, such as an operator view, a maintenance view, etc., and these roles may be used to defined the proper access and use of the graphic displays within the runtime environment.
US07702408B2
A system and method for playing audio material is described. The audio material is illustratively downloaded from a network, or from a storage media, each coupled to a loudspeaker through a speaker drive unit. A speaker authorization signal is provided to the speaker drive unit from the network or storage media. The speaker drive unit provides an audio signal to the loudspeaker if the authorization signal indicates that the loudspeaker is authorized to play the audio material. The speaker drive unit does not provide an audio signal to the loudspeaker if the authorization signal indicates that the loudspeaker is not authorized to play the audio material. The system and method includes a monitoring unit to furnish a signal indicating the sound generated by the loudspeaker, to be stored, and to determine whether the loudspeaker has played the audio material.
US07702403B1
A system and method that allows digital audio files, either streaming or stored to be controlled and selected and provides an analog audio signal for broadcast by a radio or amplifier without interfering with the operation of the host PC. A remote device is provided which facilitates control of the system.
US07702402B2
When, from a standby screen of a terminal device, a user depresses a motion key (S11) and performs a registered movement (S13), a sensor unit observes the movement of the terminal device, and a movement parameter calculation unit calculates a movement parameter. A movement parameter change decision unit decides (S15 and S16) whether or not a change of the movement parameter which is calculated, and a change of the movement parameter corresponding to a predetermined function registered in advance, agrees with one another. If the result of this decision is affirmative, a function control unit starts the corresponding function (S17). As a result, it is possible to set the terminal device to a state in which the predetermined function can be employed, with a simple and easily remembered actuation.
US07702401B2
A system for preserving process variable data relating to the operation of a process is provided. The system is adapted to preserve process variable data obtained before, during, and after the occurrence of an abnormal situation or event. The preserved process variable data maybe communicated from smart field devices or other intelligent equipment relating to the control of the process to a process controller or other higher level control device. The process controller or other higher level control device may then cause the preserved data to be displayed for an operator or other maintenance personnel. The preserved data may also be provided to other process control modules or abnormal situation prevention systems for further analysis to develop methods for preventing the abnormal situation from recurring in the future, or for taking additional steps based on the abnormal situation data to minimize or prevent a further deterioration of the process operation.
US07702399B2
An implantable subcutaneous device includes a lead and electrode for cardiac monitoring and intervention. The device has an implantable lead including a lead body, a subcutaneous electrode supported by the lead body and a pharmacological agent impelled from the device using phoresis. The pharmacological agent provides a therapeutic treatment to subcutaneous non-intrathoracic tissue. A method of implanting subcutaneous leads involves providing a lead including a lead body, a subcutaneous electrode, and a pharmacological agent and using phoresis to impel the pharmacological agent into subcutaneous non-intrathoracic tissue surrounding the lead.
US07702379B2
A system and method for hybrid tracking in surgical navigation is disclosed. A plurality of tracking technologies is used in a medical procedure where a reconciler determines an active tracking technology. The reconciler determines the active tracking technology during the medical procedure. A switch may then activate one or more tracking technologies. The determination of which technology or technologies are to be activated may be based, for example, on metrics measured by each of the technologies, such as an accuracy measurement. In addition, a display may present representations based on at least data obtained by one or more of the tracking technologies. The switch may employ weighted switching to gradually switch the display of a first representation corresponding to a first tracking technology to the display of a second representation corresponding to a second tracking technology, where the first technology is deactivated and the second technology is activated.
US07702376B2
Method for ECG triggering a measuring sequence of a magnetic resonance device, with ECG signals of a patient being detected over two channels, with the triggering of the measuring sequence being carried out when the ECG signal of at least one channel, said ECG signal being subjected to a digital signal processing, exceeds a threshold value, and at the same time the derivation of the ECG signal or the norm of the derivation of the ECG signal lies within a defined interval in both channels.
US07702368B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a speaker's volume of a push-to-talk (PTT) phone avoid an undesirably loud volume sound from the speaker that may be caused due to inadvertence of the user during a PTT call mode. While in a PTT call mode, physical contact between the user and a contact sensing unit, provided at a PTT button or at an earpiece, is sensed. The speaker volume is automatically adjusted according to how the user is holding the phone, as determined by the contact sensing unit. Thus, the emanation of undesirably loud sounds from a loud speaker of the phone (e.g. as occurs during a PTT session) can be prevented when it is determined that the user has the earpiece adjacent to their ear (e.g. as occurs during a normal mobile telephone conversation).
US07702367B2
Provided are a method for switching between screens using an abbreviation key in a mobile telecommunication and a mobile telecommunication capable of switching between screens using an abbreviation key. The present invention makes it possible to read again the received short message during the time of composing a short message by pressing at least one abbreviation key, and to switch to the composing-unfinished short message to resume the composing of the short message by pressing at least one abbreviation key. This provides the user with an advantage of promptly switching between screens in comprising the short message.
US07702366B2
Terminals #1 to #3 which have already been connected and a terminal #4 which wants to make a new connection send packets to a base station in that order. The base station queues the packets from the terminals #1 to #3 at a non-priority queue and the packet from the terminal #4 at a priority queue. For example, a predetermined amount of packets from a new connection is queued at the priority queue. Packets in the priority queue are dequeued with priority. Therefore, the packet sent from the terminal #4 is first sent to a base-station controller, and then the packets sent from the terminals #1 to #3 are sent to the base-station controller. As a result, the base-station controller first receives the packet sent from the terminal #4, and the period of time required for the terminal #4 to establish a connection is reduced.
US07702365B2
The invention relates to a method and system for multiple access wireless communication system using transmitter-receivers supported by remote, software-configured, signal processing devices. An illustrative embodiment of the downlink transmission system includes a method and for receiving signals from the internet, PSTN, or other networks and assigning the signal to one of several shared, software configured, signal processing devices that processes these signals, digitizes them, and compresses them before forwarding them to a thin client transmitter. This thin client transmitter system decompresses the received signals, and transmits it to remote users using the appropriate wireless protocol. The embodiment also comprises an uplink transmission system that includes: an antenna for receiving analog RF signals transmitted by remote users; an analog to digital convertor that converts these analog signals into digital signals; a method for compressing the digital signals; and a method and for transporting the compressed digital signals to a remotely located, software configured, shared signal processing system. The shared remote signal processing system decompresses these signals; assigns the decompressed signal to one of several shared, software configurable signal processing devices that processes these signals and transmits the signals onwards via the internet, switched telephone, or other networks.
US07702364B2
A base station in a wireless communication network saves connection information that enables it to recognize currently authenticated mobile stations. The base station carries out localized connection management processing for authenticated mobile stations, at least for certain types of packet data connection events. By carrying out localized processing, the base station skips the connection management signaling between it and a supporting mobile switching center that would otherwise be required for processing such events. Thus, in a cdma2000 base station embodying such localized processing, the MSC's involvement in packet data connection state transitions, short data burst deliveries, etc., can be eliminated or at least greatly reduced, thereby minimizing the MSC's role in supporting packet data services. In conjunction with localized processing, the base station still may require MSC-based re-authentication by individual mobile stations according to some timed schedule, or according to some form of packet data activity monitoring.
US07702356B2
A keypad assembly for a mobile station comprises a base pad adapted to support a plurality of keys, the plurality of keys comprising a plurality of first keys and a plurality of second keys. The keypad assembly also comprises the plurality of first keys and the plurality of second keys arranged on the base pad, the plurality of second keys defined by horizontal center lines and vertical center lines of the plurality of first keys. The plurality of second keys may be further defined by outer perimeters of the plurality of first keys. The keypad assembly may further comprise a strength reinforcing plate coupled to the base pad, adapted to mechanically strengthen the keypad assembly. An alphabetic character may be assigned to each of the plurality of first keys. A numeral may be assigned to at least one of the plurality of second keys.
US07702350B2
Techniques to quickly adjust an SIR target toward a final value needed to achieve a specified target BLER for a data transmission. The outer loop may be implemented with multiple modes. The SIR target may be maintained fixed in a hold mode, adjusted in large down steps to speed up convergence in an acquisition mode, and adjusted by a small down step and a large up step for good and erased blocks, respectively, in a tracking mode. Various schemes may be used to adjust the SIR target by larger down steps in the acquisition mode. These schemes may be used even if data is transmitted intermittently, the target BLER is set to a low value, and/or one or multiple transport channels are used for data transmission. The SIR target may be boosted by a particular amount upon transitioning from the acquisition mode to the tracking mode.
US07702340B2
A system and apparatus to create text messages and the like on a standard computing device keyboard and the like and then send the messages to destinations via a cell phone has been presented. The text messages are created with a standard keyboard and transmitted via the computing device's wireless port or a wired port to a user's cell phone for sending to the recipient(s) using telephony standards such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). The system provides an “off-line” solution where the user does not have to be connected to a network. Interfaces are provided for users to enter the destination number, to select a port from available ports, enter the text, and select options.
US07702339B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a base station 10, a mobile station 11 and a radio network controller 50 which can reduce the load on the radio network controller 50 during multicast communication. The base station 10 supporting multicast communication comprises a response signal relay 10b configured to transfer response signals transmitted from a plurality of mobile stations 11, 12, 21, 41, 42 to a radio network controller 50. The response signals respond to a control signal for a multicast group. The response signal relay 10b transfers only a predetermined number of response signals to the radio network controller 50. Any following response signals are retained.
US07702331B2
Disclosed is an enhanced system and method for bridging calls across telecommunications networks, including an illustrative application of the invention as it relates to international roaming among prepaid wireless subscribers. For instance, whenever wireless subscribers roam internationally they may invoke the system by keying in an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) short code followed by the number to be dialed. Said subscriber's prepaid account is then decremented in real-time (until such account is fully depleted). A key feature of the disclosure generally is the bridging of the call legs between the wireless subscriber initiating the telephone communication and that of the receiving party through a series of general purpose databases and computers without requiring modifications to existing core network or handset infrastructure.
US07702312B2
A car telephone system having a telephone module (3) which has a telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5), can be connected to a transmitting and receiving antenna (7), can be connected to a central control bus (1) of the vehicle and can be controlled by a central controller (2) via the control bus (1) enables telephone operation, via the telephone module (3), using user-specific data from a mobile telephone (9) by virtue of the fact that the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5) is provided with a wireless data and signal transmission unit (6) which can be used to transmit user-specific data from a mobile telephone (9) to the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5), and by virtue of the fact that the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5) is also connected to a separate card reader (11) for a memory card which contains the user-specific data from the mobile telephone (9).
US07702303B2
A wireless local area network includes multiple access points with overlapping coverage, and modes of different power consumption are available to the access points. It is assessed whether the traffic load of the network may be adequately supported using fewer access points in an active mode. If so, the traffic load is redistributed from certain active access points among the remaining access points in the active mode. The certain access points are switched into a mode of lower power consumption than the active mode. Similarly, it is assessed whether the traffic load of the network is adequately supported by the current number of access points in an active mode. If not, certain access points which are in a mode of lower power consumption are switched to the active mode. The traffic load is redistributed among the access points in the active mode including the certain access points.
US07702300B1
In an embodiment of the invention, a system provides for efficient polar and linear signal modulation. The system has a controller coupled to a voltage converter and a modulator. The system also has an amplifier coupled to the voltage converter and the phase modulator. The controller is for receiving an input and providing a polar signal. The voltage converter is for receiving the polar signal, receiving a voltage input, and providing a power signal. The amplifier is for amplifying the modulated signal based on the power signal. The voltage converter provides a feedback signal to the controller, and the controller adjusts a scale of modulation, such as a peak of the modulation signal, based on the feedback signal, such that the output power and the amplification by the amplifier are based on the feedback signal.
US07702298B2
Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for spatial processing in a radio receiver. One embodiment is a radio receiver for operation in a wireless communication system. The radio receiver may include a receive processing unit to process signals received by an antenna array by applying a selected spatial processing mode of a plurality of spatial processing modes. The modes include one or more modes of one or more spatial processing methods. The receiver also includes a selector to select the spatial processing mode from the plurality of spatial processing modes. The selecting includes selecting the spatial processing method in the case that the set of spatial processing modes are of more than one spatial processing method.
US07702296B2
A radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive switch. The transmit/receive switch comprises an impedance matching circuit and a voltage scaling circuit. The impedance matching circuit matches an incoming RF signal to a low noise amplifier and an outgoing RF signal from a power amplifier. The voltage scaling circuit, coupled to the impedance matching circuit, the power amplifier, and the low noise amplifier, attenuates the outgoing RF signal to a scaled signal within a breakdown voltage of a transistor device in the low noise amplifier during transmission of the outgoing RF signal.
US07702288B2
In order to compensate for performance degradation caused by inferior low-cost analog radio component tolerances of an analog radio, a wireless communication transmitter employs a control process to implement numerous digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to compensate for deficiencies of such analog components so that modern specifications may be relaxed. By monitoring a plurality of parameters associated with the analog radio, such as temperature, bias current or the like, enhanced phase and amplitude compensation, as well as many other radio frequency (RF) parameters may be implemented.
US07702282B2
Interactions with a trigger device and/or body motions, such as motions detected with an accelerometer, may be used to augment user input interaction with a mobile terminal. In one implementation, logic senses when a first trigger device enters close proximity to the mobile terminal. A command for the mobile terminal is then executed based on the trigger device. The trigger device may be, for example, integrated with jewelry or clothing.
US07702277B2
An image forming apparatus and a maintenance method thereof are provided to enable rotation and replacement of a peeling claw at a suitable timing before the peeling claw is deformed or damaged. Several peeling members are disposed in a width direction of a drum-shaped photoreceptor. Each peeling member is disposed with a peeling claw and a collision sensor detecting that the peeling claw collides with a sheet. A collision history value of each peeling claw is stored and managed based on a collision detection signal from the collision sensor; if the peeling claw reaching a preset rotation request value exists in the read collision history values of the peeling claws, a rotation request of the relevant peeling claw is reported; the collision history value of the rotated peeling claw is rewritten; and if the peeling claw reaching the rotation request value does not exist, a print process is performed.
US07702271B2
An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a charger; a light irradiator; a developing device; a transfer device; an image bearing member's cleaner; and a fixing device, wherein the fixing device includes a fixing member configured to fix a toner image upon application of heat and pressure thereto; a pressing member configured to press the recording material toward the fixing member; and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the fixing member and/or the pressing member, wherein the cleaning member has an outermost layer including a reactive material which increases viscoelasticity of a binder resin of the toner by reacting with the binder resin.
US07702269B2
The present invention provides an endless belt for an image forming apparatus having at least two layers of an inner layer and an outermost layer, in which the average regular reflectance of the surface of the outermost layer is 5.0% or more and the fluctuation of the regular reflectance of the surface of the outermost layer is kept within ±10%, and an image forming apparatus having the endless belt for an image forming apparatus.
US07702266B2
One embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus provided with a one-component development apparatus having a toner layer regulating blade for regulating a thickness of a toner layer on a surface of a developer bearing member that contacts a photosensitive body, wherein at a non-development time after completion of operation of the developer bearing member, the developer bearing member is caused to rotate slightly in a direction reverse to that during development.
US07702265B2
A developing unit for transferring toner onto a latent image on an image carrier so as to develop the latent image includes a toner carrier, an electric field generator and a separating force applicator. The toner carrier including a plurality of electrodes disposed along the surface thereof and insulated from each other transports the toner to a developing area facing the image carrier. The electric field generator applies a periodic voltage to the plurality of electrodes of the toner carrier so that an electric field is generated on the toner carrier surface to cause the toner charged to a given polarity and borne on the surface of the toner carrier to hop. The separating force applicator applies a separating force to separate the toner on the toner carrier from the surface thereof outside the developing area. The separating force applicator is disposed separately from the electric field generator.
US07702259B2
Provided are a multi-pass image forming apparatus and an image forming method using the same. The multi-pass image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developers for forming a plurality of electrostatic latent images using toners having different polarities and colors in one development process and for forming a multi-color image in at least two development processes; an exposure unit for forming the plurality of the electrostatic latent images on a photosensitive medium; and an intermediate transferring unit for having a toner images transferred thereon from the photosensitive medium that overlap to form the multi-color image, wherein the toner image may overlap another toner image on the intermediate transferring unit.
US07702246B2
An optical label-switching method and apparatus in which a payload signal is modulated on an optical carrier through differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) by a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), and a label signal is imposed on the DPSK signal by the same MZM through an optical amplitude change effected by modulating the DPSK drive signal or MZM bias.
US07702245B1
Utility data modulation is superimposed on a payload data modulator optical signal by exploiting spread spectrum techniques by virtue of one embodiment of the present invention. Utility data transmission rates of e.g., 200 Kbps, can be achieved without impairment to payload data transmission. The utility data modulated signal spectrum overlaps or is entirely within the payload data modulation spectrum, therefore, overcoming problems with optical amplifier gain control and pink noise.
US07702243B2
Optical node (1) comprising at least one input port (PA, PC, PE) and a plurality of output ports (PB, PD, PF), at least one add unit (3B, 3D, 3F) for adding at least one signal on an output port (PB, PD, PF), a broadcasting unit (8) for broadcasting on at least two output ports (PB, PD, PF) the express traffic received on an input port (PA, PC, PE), characterized in that the broadcasting unit (8) is configured for broadcasting at least one added signal on at least two output ports (PB, PD, PF).
US07702241B2
A regenerator (7.x, 7.1-7.3) for regenerating optical signals on optical transmission links (4), in particular for use in a Dense Wavelength Division Multiplex (DWDM) optical transmission system. The regenerator (7.x, 7.1-7.3) comprises optical amplification means (7.xa, 7.xd) for compensating optical power losses, and a deterministic adaptation unit (7.xb) comprising means being adapted to compensate deterministic transmission impairments of the optical transmission link (4), in particular optical dispersion compensating means being adapted to compensate for chromatic dispersion of said link (4). The proposed regenerator (7.x, 7.1-7.3) further comprises a non-deterministic adaptation unit (7.xc) comprising means for compensating time variant non-deterministic transmission impairments, in particular polarisation mode dispersion. In this way, the proposed regenerator overcomes transmission limitations and improves robustness of long and ultra-long-haul multi-span DWDM transmission systems with respect to deterministic and non-deterministic transmission impairments.
US07702236B2
A digital image acquisition device has an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, an aperture and optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor. The device includes a light source located in the body of the device. The light source is periodically activated with one of the aperture or shutter closed, and the device derives a map of defects on the surface of the sensor from a calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by the light source.
US07702233B2
An image photographing apparatus for automatically focusing a photographed image to improve the image quality. The image photographing apparatus automatically focuses the image through a zoom actuator for changing a zoom ratio and a focus actuator for controlling the focus to thereby enhance the image quality. Also, the image photographing apparatus adds a zooming function to diversify the application fields of image photographing.
US07702230B2
To provide a digital camera capable of causing a focus sensor to detect a focus while outputting to an image sensor image data for providing appropriate exposure after having adjusted an aperture ratio of an aperture in an image capture optical system such that appropriate exposure is achieved. A digital camera divides light from a subject having passed through an aperture into two beams of light; causes one of the beams to enter the image sensor to thus cause the image sensor to capture a subject image; and causes the other beam to enter the focus sensor to thus cause the focus sensor to detect a focus from the other beam of light. The digital camera adjusts an aperture ratio of the aperture such that the quantity of the other beam reaches the minimum quantity of light at or above which the focus sensor can detect a focus.
US07702214B2
An information storage medium includes: a video zone for recording audio/video information including video information and audio information associated with the video information; an audio zone for recording audio information; first navigation information for a video player which can reproduce the audio/video information; second navigation information for an audio player which can reproduce the audio information in the video zone and the audio information in the audio zone; and third navigation information for a compatible player which can reproduce both the audio/video information and the audio information. The first navigation information, the second navigation information and the third navigation information are recorded separately from each other.
US07702213B2
The present invention provides remarkably improved availability in a data recording method and apparatus, a data recording medium, and a data reproducing method and apparatus. By recording additional information for data reproduction in each sector on a data reproducing medium as a subcode separately from data when the data is recorded in the unit of sector, reproduction of data can be controlled using the subcode, thus making it possible to remarkably improve the availability of the data recording medium.
US07702211B2
A method of storing multi angle data. Data for a plurality of angles of a scene are stored in interleaved blocks. Sizes of the interleaved blocks are integral multiples of sizes of integral numbered aligned units that include packets. Angle change points are included in each of the interleaved blocks, allowing a reproducing apparatus to seamlessly jump from one angle to another angle during reproduction of the multi angle data. A number of the angle points recorded on the information storage medium is computed so that a jumping distance required by the data during reproduction does not exceed a maximum jumping distance of a reproducing apparatus.
US07702201B2
An optical amplifier is disclosed having a substantially uniform spectral gain. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical amplifier comprises a planar waveguide including a substrate, which includes a region doped with rare earth element. The optical amplifier also comprises an optical fiber including a core doped with the rare earth element. The optical fiber is optically coupled to the planar waveguide.
US07702197B2
In an SOA array optical module, the central axis of a beam output from each intra-SOA waveguide is oblique by 22.3 degrees to a normal to an end face of an SOA array on the output side (the same applies to the input side) of the SOA array having intra-SOA waveguides of 8 channels. First and second lens arrays are arranged for the SOA array so that the central axis of the beam that is output obliquely by 22.3 degrees from the SOA array, the optical axis of a lens convex part of each channel of the first lens array, and the optical axis of a lens convex part of each channel of the second lens array agree with one another. Level differences are provided respectively on faces opposite to the lens convex parts of the first and the second lens arrays.
US07702196B2
A laser handpiece is disclosed, including a shaped fiber optic tip having a side-firing output end with a double bevel-cut shape. The shaped fiber optic tip can be configured to side-fire laser energy in a direction away from a laser handpiece and toward sidewalls of a treatment or target site.
US07702194B2
An optical system comprising two or more optical switches co-packaged together comprising discrete sets of input fiber ports (N per set) and an output fiber port (1 per set), wherein λn from said set of multiple input fiber ports (N) is focused on λn mirrors via the use of shared free space optics, wherein said beam steering elements steers λn from any point in the optical path to any other point; and discrete arrays of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors in a shared array, wherein a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the first set of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port of the same set, and wherein a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics as the first MEMS array is utilized to produce yet another fiber optic switch.
US07702183B1
Methods and systems for detecting the insertion, removal, and change of objects of interest through the use of imagery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes performing a scene registration including aligning image patterns in the first image to those in the second image; performing a feature content analysis to determine a likelihood of change for each pixel in the first and second images; performing a region identification to group pixels within the first and second images into one or more image regions based upon their likelihood of change; and performing an image region partitioning to prioritize the one or more image regions according to an image region score for each of the one or more image regions, the image region score being indicative of at least one of insertion, removal, and change of an object of interest within the common area of interest. Embodiments of the invention may advantageously provide an autonomous capability to detect the insertion, removal, and change of objects of interest.
US07702182B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates creating a high-fidelity glyph prototype from low-resolution glyph images. The system operates by receiving a plurality of glyph images, wherein a glyph image specifies a characteristic shape of a character in a font, and wherein each glyph image in the plurality of glyph images is a separate instance of the same glyph image. Next, the system determines an average blackness for the plurality of glyph images, wherein the blackness of a given glyph image is the number of black pixels in the given glyph image. The system then creates a composite grayscale glyph image from the plurality of glyph images. Finally, the system creates a monochrome glyph image from the composite grayscale glyph image, wherein the monochrome glyph image has the same blackness as the average blackness of the plurality of glyph images.
US07702181B2
A method is provided of producing a multiple focus stack image of a target. The stack image has a plurality of images of the target, each image having a corresponding focal range or position. The method utilizes relative scanning movement between the target and an array of light detectors, the array being used to repeatedly receive image information as scan lines from the target during the scan. During the scan the relative focus between the target and the array is modified between the focal range or position of the respective images so as to obtain the images in the stack. Each image is thereby formed from the image information obtained at the respective focal range or position during the scan. Apparatus for performing the method is likewise provided.
US07702180B2
Disclosed are an imaging method and an arrangement for the computer-assisted evaluation of projected object trajectories obtained from a computer-tomographic measurement. According to the inventive method, the trajectories are arranged in a previously known sequence into a projection matrix as traces of the respective voluminous elements, and the following steps are iterated until a sufficient reconstruction quality has been attained; (a) at least one of the traces is selected; (b) a reconstructed element that is true to the original position is formed from each of the selected traces so as to be added to a reconstructed image; (c) the selected traces are removed from the projection matrix.
US07702173B2
An image processing method, for extracting a base component from image data including a detailed component and the base component, containing the steps of extracting the base component by application of an edge preserving filter to the image data; and correcting the portion, of the extracted base component, corresponding to a predetermined frequency component of the original image data.
US07702160B2
A transferring system for huge and high quality images on network and a method thereof are disclosed, wherein various individual image data are converted into high quality image data to be converted into layered image data, and classified into a plurality of sub cells, then stored in database as a compressed form. A client system connected to a server requires information, immediately downloads the required information, releases the compression, and then displays on a screen real time. In the present invention, a user can fast see only his wanted part since images of a newspaper and a magazine are converted as they were. Also, various additional information is provided with image, thereby providing multimedia digital publication services on wire or wireless network.
US07702158B2
Plural window elements are set in one edge window, and edge detection is performed every each the window element, and calculation and determination about its result are made inside an image processing apparatus. A user can freely set a width of the window element and a distance between the adjacent window elements.
US07702149B2
An image correction method comprising the steps of: specifying a region including the face of one person in an image of people displayed in a screen of image display means in response to an input from an operator; extracting a correction target region including at least the face of the person in the image, based on information on at least one of hue, saturation, lightness, and a position of an outline of the specified region; setting a degree of correction to be carried out on each position in the correction target region in such a manner that the degree of correction becomes lower from the inside of the correction target region to the outside thereof near a boundary of the correction target region; and correcting at least one of hue, saturation and lightness in the correction target region based on the degree of correction.
US07702146B2
A method for correcting a color value generated by a forward model for a color input device. A color value generated by the forward model is mapped into a color space. The color value is clipped to a locus of a visual gamut in the color space if the color value falls outside of the visual gamut. Clipping the mapped color value ensures that the color input device generates color values that represent colors within the human visual system. Clipping may be accomplished by clipping a color value to an intersection of a locus boundary and a vector between the color value and a white point. The locus used may be the CIE spectral locus projected into the color space. Any number of standard color spaces may be used in the method, such as CIEXYZ, CIELUV, or CIELAB.
US07702144B2
An improved method for accurately and correctly encoding and printing complete checks on blank paper sheets from graphic check images. The method includes inputting into a computer a graphic image of a check. Scanning the graphic image, in computer memory, and identifying the MICR character codes with their locations. Printing said MICR codes with magnetic ink in MICR fonts in a designated “clear band”. Reformatting the scanned graphic image with the MICR images deleted and printing the reformatted graphic image above the “clear band” to provide a negotiable check instrument.
US07702143B2
A method and apparatus for reading MICR characters is disclosed, in which both magnetic and optical data may be read and stored. Each type of data is analyzed to identify possible character values. In one disclosed analysis method, the data is first evaluated in a coarse analysis then analyzed using a fine analysis which may lead to the identification of characters. The analysis of characters may involve generating frequency spectrum data from scanned data and assigning character values based on the frequency spectrum data.
US07702142B2
A method and a system for using tomosynthesis projection images of a patient's breast to reconstruct slice tomosynthesis images such that anatomical structures that appear superimposed in a mammogram are at conforming locations in the reconstructed images.
US07702141B2
A computer-implemented method for quantifying an object in a larger structure using a reconstructed image obtained from an imaging apparatus includes identifying an object boundary in a region of interest of the image and a region of exclusion, and determining a mean value of intensity in a neighborhood of the object to estimate a background value, excluding the region of exclusion. The method further includes determining an interior region, a transition region, and a background region of the object using the object boundary and a transfer function of the imaging apparatus, and determining and displaying a measure of object quantification utilizing intensities of at least one of the determined interior region or the transition region a method for quantifying an object in a larger structure using a reconstructed image obtained from an imaging apparatus.
US07702129B2
The present invention relates to a device and a method for displaying images. To combat the copying of images by a camcorder in a cinema auditorium, modulating the luminance of the pixels of a pattern around the value to be displayed to a high frequency which makes the pattern invisible to the human eye but which generates artifacts on the sequence filmed by the camcorder is known. According to the invention, it is proposed to temporally modulate the pattern only in the fixed areas (background or indoor scenes) or, where appropriate, the areas with weak movements. Thus, rather than degrading the image in the areas with movement by applying to them the temporal modulation processing, a decision is taken not to temporally modulate the pattern in these critical areas.
US07702128B2
A system and method for scanning a business card or a driver's license from within MS Outlook directly into the address book of MS Outlook. The system includes a scanning device and a program application that is integrated with MS Outlook. The application controls the card scanner connected to the personal computer, stores the acquired image of the scanned card, extracts the text data and image data using an OCR module, opens a new contact in the MS Outlook address book and inserts the extracted textual and image data into said contact each in its appropriate field.
US07702124B2
The penetration of moisture and dirt often leads to a premature failure of electroacoustic miniature transducers that are used in hearing aids. A transducer membrane of a miniature transducer is provided at least in part with a hydrophobic and/or oliophobic and/or biofilm-inhibiting coating that, because its layer thickness is less than 10 μm, does not significantly influence the acoustic characteristic of the miniature transducer, and that prevents degradation of the transmission characteristic due to moisture, or moisture-caused damage to the miniature transducer. In addition, the adherence of dirt particles is prevented.
US07702119B2
A method and apparatus for selecting and mixing electronic signals. The circuit has an operational amplifier and two or more ganged, tapped-resistors in which the tap divides the resistance into a first and a second resistance. The tapped-resistors are connected so that either the first or the second resistance provides the effective input resistance for that signal at the operational amplifier. The second resistance of one of the tapped-resistors provides the output resistance for all signals at operational amplifier. As the tapped resistors are equivalent and their taps ganged, when the signals are mixed, those signals whose effective input resistance at the operational amplifier is selected to be the second resistance have unit gain, while those signals whose effective input resistance at the operational amplifier is selected to be the first resistance have a gain equal to the second resistance divide by the first resistance.
US07702117B2
The present invention relates to a method of adjusting the sound levels originating from several audio sources, within a television receiver. The audio components originating from at least two audiovisual or audio sources are received in an audiovisual receiver and mixed so as to generate a single audio signal. The levels assigned to each source can be adjusted by the user with the aid of an icon displayed on a screen. The icon comprises at least two points representing the two sources and a cursor which moves along two dimensions, the distance between this cursor and the point representing a source being proportional to the sound level assigned to this source. The present invention also relates to the audiovisual terminal for the implementation of the method.
US07702110B2
A document protection method may include retrieving a document from a memory device, encrypting the document using an encryption tool, imaging a decryption key on an imaging medium, and reading the decryption key to decrypt the document. A document protection system may include at least one controller configured to control imaging of a decryption key on a medium, a memory storage device configured to store a document, an decryption tool configured to encrypt the document, and a decryption tool configured to read the decryption key to decrypt the document.
US07702102B2
The invention relates to a method for data transmission, comprising the following steps: first data from a stochastic process is inputted into at least a first and a second subscriber of a communication network; and a symmetrical key is produced on the basis of the first data in both the first and the second subscriber, and stored in the same, for an encoded data transmission between said subscribers.
US07702100B2
An apparatus for generating round-key words in accordance with a Rijndael algorithm. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes (a) a key expansion register block, having a key expansion register adapted to receive a final cipher key of a key expansion schedule in accordance with the Rijndael algorithm; (b) a round constant generator; (c) a first XOR adder adapted to add a first word of the key expansion register to a second word to generate and provide a first sum to the key expansion register block; (d) a transformation block adapted to generate a transformed word based on the first sum and the current round constant over four counts of a first cyclical counter; and (e) a second XOR adder adapted to add the transformed word to the first word of the key expansion register to generate and provide a second sum to the key expansion register block.
US07702097B2
A method and apparatus for authentication of data includes inputting of data into a first layer of a hashing function for rotation based hashing, then inputting results from the first layer to a second layer of the hashing function for substitution based hashing. Feedback is provided from the second layer to the first layer and digests are output from the first and second layers.
US07702093B2
A call center environment is provided that allows a customer service representative to populate a workstation display screen with data using either keystrokes or voice input. The voice input is provided to the workstation using a voice overlay and voice platform to convert audio into data usable by the workstation to populate the screen.
US07702087B2
An apparatus equipped with Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) reader and LAN/WAN access reads an RFID tag attached to a Video and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone. The apparatus retrieves phone information, including such information as an Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) address from the RFID tag and requests that a VoIP call server register the phone automatically. A VoIP service operator can register multiple phones without opening phone packaging. Additional information such as a directory number (DN) or a phone user name can be associated with the phone during the registration process using the apparatus.
US07702086B2
A method for verifying access authorization for voice telephony in a fixed network line or mobile telephone line, as well as a communications network having such access authorization verification are described. The access authorization is verified by analysis of a voice signal which was entered by the subscriber placing the call, before or during a call in progress. In one variant, the voice signal is entered as a password before the connection is established; in another variant, voice signals are analyzed for voice recognition and subscriber identification, the same voice signals also being transmitted to the person being called, making concealed access verification possible which does not hamper the normal flow of conversation.
US07702078B2
A method for analyzing automatic line insulation testing (ALIT) data comprising inserting ALIT error data into an ALIT database that includes records for exceptions located in the error data. A number of exceptions occurring on a selected summary date is calculated in response to receiving a summary request from a user including the selected summary date. Input to the calculating is the selected summary date and the ALIT database. The number of exceptions occurring on the summary date is transmitted to the user in response to the calculating. The user records located in the ALIT database that include a selected detail date are transmitted to the user in response to receiving from the user a request including the selected detail date. The ALIT database is updated with repair package information in response to receiving an add repair package request.
US07702077B2
A modular insulator assembly for an x-ray tube includes an annular insulator having a cylindrical perimeter wall, the insulator constructed of an electrically insulative material. A wall member is fixedly attached to and extending beyond the cylindrical perimeter wall, and a first shield positioned adjacent to the wall member and having an end extending proximate a corner formed by the wall member and the insulator.
US07702073B2
A method for developing a secondary collimator is described. The method includes orienting a plurality of collimator elements in a plane such that a gap is defined between a first collimator element and a second collimator element. The first collimator element has a first curved end, and the first curved end faces the second collimator element across the gap.
US07702062B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic sensor including capture means producing a signals comprising x pulses during a given capture time, such that a′
US07702056B2
A system and method for synchronizing a system clock in accordance with a program clock reference of a content data stream includes application of incremental delays to a local clock signal having a higher frequency than that specified by the program clock reference. The delay is made over a period defined by phase comparison between a system clock signal and a minimum delay value. Delay values are incremented proportionally to a number of clock cycles over the period. The subject system allows for display of jitter free audio or video decoded from the content data stream, and is realized in circuitry that is readily implement on an integrated circuit.
US07702050B2
Various aspects of a system for an adaptive VBLAST receiver for wireless MIMO detection may comprise utilizing log likelihood ratios (LLR) to selectively cancel interference in a received signal when information contained in one or more layers is encoded. Following the selective cancellation of interference, further computations may be performed on the residual received signal. Various aspects of the invention may comprise a linear detector with improved performance in comparison to some conventional VBLAST receivers. Performance may be measured by, for example, a packet error rate (PER) for a given signal to noise ratio (SNR) associated with the received signal.
US07702047B2
An RF receiving apparatus and method which can remove a leakage component in a received signal are provided. In the RF receiving apparatus, a noise removing unit estimates a signal corresponding to a noise component introduced into a received RF signal RXIN by controlling a gain and a phase of a local signal LOI and removes the estimated noise signal from the received RF signal RXIN. An RF signal in which the noise is removed is frequency-down converted in a receiving unit. Also, the noise removing unit utilizes a Q signal of the local signal LOI, LOQ, to control the phase of the local signal LOI.
US07702045B2
Method for the estimation of channel parameters in a wireless communication system. In accordance with the method several levels of the wireless channel parameters estimation take place to address the specific requirements of the channel. Based on the level of estimation required an appropriate estimation algorithm is selected to achieve the desired results. The evaluation of the channel state and thereafter determining the appropriate parameter estimation requirements provide for a superior overall performance of the wireless system.
US07702042B2
An arrangement (300) and method, for iterative channel impulse response estimation in a system such as a GSM/EDGE system employing a transmission channel, by: producing (310) from a received signal (y) a channel impulse response estimate signal (p); and producing (320) from the received signal (y) a noise estimate signal (w) which is iteratively fed back to improve the channel impulse response estimate signal (p). The noise estimate signal comprises a matrix (w) respresenting the inverse of noise covariance; the matrix may be calculated at each iteration or may be selected from predetermined values corresponding to statistics of expected noise. This provides the advantages of reduced complexity, independence of the equalization method used to produce the channel impulse response estimate signal, and consequent performance improvement.
US07702030B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for incorporating secondary data for transmission as part of or concurrently with network data. In one embodiment, the secondary data comprises communication system data for use in controlling or monitoring a communication system. In one example embodiment, the secondary data is utilized to control the transmit timing of the network data to thereby jitter modulate the secondary data into the transmission of the network data. By monitoring the timing variation, or jitter, of the received network data signal, the secondary data may be recovered. In one embodiment, the secondary data is encoded to reduce the amount of time variation, i.e., jitter, that occurs when transmitting the network data. Decoding may occur upon reception of the time adjusted network data signal. In one embodiment, the encoding comprises CDMA type encoding utilizing one or more orthogonal codes.
US07702027B2
In a transfer apparatus to which MIMO-OFDM is applied, a data transmission method and a data reception method are provided in which, even when there are frequency errors varying among transfer paths, the precision of estimation of an inverse propagation coefficient function can be improved, thereby making it possible to suppress a degradation in characteristics. Among symbols composed of a plurality of subcarriers orthognal to each other, the transfer apparatus uses, as a synchronization symbol, a symbol in which predetermined amplitudes and phases are assigned to a plurality of subcarriers spaced at predetermined frequency intervals. The synchronization symbol is divided into transmission antennas to generate a plurality of synchronization subsymbols, which are in turn simultaneously transmitted from a plurality of transmission antennas. A reception apparatus estimates a frequency error for each transfer path based on synchronization subsymbols included in signals received by a plurality of reception antennas, and based on the estimated frequency errors, corrects the received signals.
US07702018B2
A video encoding method comprises selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations each including a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture, generating a prediction picture signal in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination, generating a predictive error signal representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal, and encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination.
US07702017B2
In a moving picture encoding apparatus 10, as an embodiment of the present invention, a predicted image generator 16 generates a predicted image with respect to a target image, using a reference image stored in a frame memory 20. A difference image generator 18 performs a difference operation between the target image and the predicted image to generate a difference image. An encoder 22 encodes the difference image to generate an encoded difference signal. A decoder 28 decodes the encoded difference signal to generate a decoded difference image. A reproduced image generator 30 performs a summation of the decoded difference image and the predicted image to generate a reproduced image. An image updater 32 performs a weighted summation of a first image which is one of the reproduced image and the reference image, and a second image which is the other of the reproduced image and the reference image, to generate an updated image. The updated image is stored into the frame memory 20 to be used as a reference image in encoding of another target image.
US07702014B1
A system for processing video segments is disclosed. The system includes a descriptor instantiator for creating a descriptor and ascribing at least one value thereto for a corresponding video segment. The system also includes a video constructor for assembling an output video production from at least two video segments, including means for selecting the at least two video segments according to values of at least one descriptor corresponding to the at least two video segments and means for sequencing the at least two video segments according to values of at least one descriptor corresponding to the at least two video segments.
US07702013B2
The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding.For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
US07702011B2
Serial data signal receiver circuitry for inclusion on a PLD includes a plurality of equalizer circuits that are connected in series and that are individually controllable so that collectively they can compensate for a wide range of possible input signal attenuation characteristics. Other circuit features may be connected in relation to the equalizer circuits to give the receiver circuitry other capabilities. For example, these other features may include various types of loop-back test circuits, controllable termination resistance, controllable common mode voltage, and a controllable threshold for detection of an input signal. Various aspects of control of the receiver circuitry may be programmable.
US07702004B2
Bidirectional differential point to point simultaneous high speed signalling is provided between integrated circuits with highly effective echo canceling. Each integrated circuit comprises a transmitter for transmitting a first signal to another integrated circuit and a receiver for receiving a second signal from the other integrated circuit. The transmitter has an output buffer; a receiver has a receiver buffer and is co-located on the same integrated circuit; and a differential buffer is coupled between the input of the transmitter buffer and the output of the receiver buffer. To increase the quality of receiving the second signal, a third signal adjusted in phase and amplitude is coupled at the output of the receive buffer, so that the echoing of the first signal is canceled. Preferably, the rise time of the third signal is also adjusted.
US07702000B1
The present invention comprises a method and system for weight generation in an adaptive array with spread spectrum signals. Signals received by each antenna are amplified, weighted and summed. Complex weighting is achieved by splitting the signal into inphase and quadrature components, and adjusting the gain of each of these components before combining these weighted components. The output signal after combining of the weighted signals from each antenna is downconverted to baseband, creating inphase and quadrature baseband components. The baseband components are multiplied by the spread spectrum sequence to despread the output signal and reduce the bandwidth of the desired spread spectrum signal to the original desired signal bandwidth. The signals received by each antenna are also downconverted to baseband inphase and quadrature components. Each of these components is multiplied by the spread spectrum sequence to despread the output signal and reduce the bandwidth of the desired spread spectrum signal to the original desired signal bandwidth. The despread/filtered individual antenna signals are multiplied by the despread/filtered output signal to generate antenna weights.
US07701997B2
A novel and useful fast hopping frequency synthesizer and transmitter associated therewith. The frequency synthesizer and transmitter incorporates a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) adapted to operate open loop. Instantaneous frequency switching is achieved by changing an oscillator tuning word (OTW) to imitate the three oscillators of a UWB transmitter. In one embodiment, the DCO can change the frequency instantaneously within the 1/fT of the varactor devices used to construct the DCO. An all digital phase lock loop (ADPLL) is used for offline calibration prior to the start of packet transmission or reception. Any phase shift during the switching is tracked by a digital circuit in the transmitter. In a second embodiment, additional frequency accuracy is provided by use of a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) that functions to generate a fine resolution complex exponential waveform which effectively shifts the synthesized frequency. A mixer applies the waveform to the I and Q data samples prior to conversion to the digital domain.
US07701987B1
Apparatus and method for generating controlled-linewidth laser-seed-signals for high-powered fiber-laser amplifier systems. In some embodiments, the natural chirp (frequency change of laser light over a short start-up time) of a DBR laser diode when driven by pulsed current is used to broaden the linewidth of the laser output, while adjusting the peak current and/or the pulse duration to obtain the desired linewidth.
US07701986B2
Disclosed is a laser light source apparatus. The laser light source apparatus includes a pumping light source and a pair of resonator mirrors. In the laser light source apparatus, the pumping light source includes at least a laser medium and a wavelength conversion element, and the laser medium is pumped by light having a multi-transversal mode pattern and the wavelength conversion element are irradiated with a line beam of fundamental wave obtained by the oscillation by the laser medium to output a line beam of converted wave. The laser light source apparatus further includes at least one reflector bending light path is provided in the resonator such that a longitudinal direction of the line beam of fundamental wave is approximately perpendicular to an incident plane of the reflection unit.
US07701981B2
The invention relates to interpreting the change in the increment of the RTP TS field as occurring either due to silence suppression for a voice flow or a change in sampling/frame rate of a video flow. By interpreting this change correctly, the value of the TS_STRIDE field in robust header compression may be correctly calculated leading to efficient header compression performance. In one aspect, there is disclosed a method of improving ROHC between an Access Network (AN) having a compressor and an Access Terminal (AT) having a decompressor, comprising providing flow information to the compressor relating to a change in the increment of an RTP TS field of a header; determining the change in the increment of an RTP TS field as occurring either due to silence suppression or due to a change in a sampling/frame rate; and taking appropriate action for TS_STRIDE.
US07701972B1
Included are methods for facilitating routing of control data associated with a communication to a plurality of recorders. One such method, among others, includes receiving control data related to a communication and routing the received control data to at least one recorder via a layer 3 protocol.
US07701971B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for addressing compatibility in a session protocol environment is provided that includes a communications platform operable to communicate with a first endpoint and a second endpoint and to recognize signaling capabilities of the first and second endpoints. The apparatus also includes a media termination point (MTP) operable to communicate with the endpoints and the communications platform, the media termination point being provisioned by the communications platform in a stream that involves the first and second endpoints if a signaling compatibility issue is present amongst the endpoints. If an out-of-band digit from the first endpoint is received by the communications platform, the out-of-band digit is sent to the MTP, which is operable to inject a digit associated with the second protocol into the communication session such that a mapping occurs between the digits for the first and second protocols.
US07701969B2
An IP-to-PLMN gateway (IPG) enables extension of the PLMN messaging domain into IP domains. Enhanced service functions in a PLMN (such as store and forward, message waiting) are carried over into the messaging service available in the IP domains. The IPG has an SME interface which interfaces on the mobile network side with an SMSC. A presence management function detects and maintains data relating to presence status of users in the IP domain.
US07701968B2
A device and a method for transmitting a MAC service data unit (MSDU) in a network system are disclosed. The MSDU has a plurality of pieces of frame data. The method includes receiving the pieces of frame data of the MSDU; and when finishing receiving each piece of frame data, even if not all of the pieces of frame data of the MSDU have been received, converting the received piece of frame data into a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) and outputting the MPDU.
US07701965B2
The communication device according to the present invention includes a communication condition detection unit that detects communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not link adaptation needs to be executed in correspondence to the communication conditions, a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation when the link adaptation is judged to be necessary, a transfer rate decision-making unit that makes an advance decision as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become, lower compared to the pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the selected link adaptation parameter and a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation based upon the selected link adaptation parameter if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower.
US07701963B2
Micro-tunnels are used to provide multiple data service sessions to the same mobile node in a wireless communications system. Further, the flexibility of the micro-tunnels optimizes the resources of the system. On request for a data service, an encapsulation configuration record is generated. An encapsulation header is created in response to the encapsulation configuration. The encapsulation header includes a packet service identifier and a micro-tunnel identifier.
US07701960B2
An apparatus and method of assigning a public long code mask (PLCM) to a mobile terminal in a mobile communications network is provided. The invention comprises assigning a first PLCM type, when the PLCM for the mobile terminal is based on an international mobile station identification number that is based on a mobile identification number (MIN) associated with the mobile terminal and assigning a second PLCM type, when the PLCM for the mobile terminal is provided by a service provider.
US07701958B2
This disclosure is directed to techniques for supporting transition between network communication protocols in a communication network. The techniques may be applicable to different network communication protocols, but are especially useful in the transition from the IPv4 communication protocol to the IPv6 communication protocol in a wireless communication network. In general, to reduce consumption of scarce IPv4 address during the transition period, a network communication device implementing a dual IPv4/IPv6 stack acquires an IPv4 address only when necessary to communicate with IPv4 resources on the network. The network communication device uses an IPv6 address at the start of a communication session, and does not acquire an IPv4 address unless a need arises later in the session for communication with an IPv4 resource. The IPv4 address may be acquired for a limited period of time, such as fixed period of time or a period of actual usage, to further promote availability of IPv4 addresses.
