US07732165B2
The invention provides amino acid sequence motifs (e.g., biomolecule partition motifs) that can direct targeting of intracellular polypeptides to and through membranes, including cell surface membranes.
US07732163B2
The present invention provides a DNA encoding a novel extracellular serine protease termed Tumor Antigen Derived Gene-14 (TADG-14) which is overexpressed in ovarian, breast and colon carcinoma samples. Also provided are vector and host cells capable of expressing the DNA of the present invention, as well as the uses of the DNA and protein of the present invention. Also provided is a TADG-14 protein variant that has a potential role for detecting and targeting of ovarian carcinomas.
US07732162B2
The present invention provides novel physiological substrates of mammalian glutaminyl cyclase (QC, EC 2.3.2.5), new effectors of QC, methods for screening for such effectors, and the use of such effectors and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such effectors for the treatment of conditions that can be treated by modulation of QC-activity. Preferred compositions additionally comprise inhibitors of DP IV or DP IV-like enzymes for the treatment or alleviation of conditions that can be treated by modulation of QC- and DP IV-activity.
US07732161B2
The invention provides a biological method of producing isoprenoids.
US07732154B2
Presence of free insulin receptor α-subunit in blood was discovered. Furthermore, methods for measuring the insulin receptor α-subunit was provided, the method comprising the steps of contacting the insulin receptor α-subunit in a blood sample with an antibody recognizing the insulin receptor α-subunit, and detecting the binding between the two. Measurement of the free insulin receptor α-subunit in the blood is useful for evaluating risk factors for diabetes.In addition, the measurement methods of the present invention showed that concentrations of the free insulin receptor α-subunit in the blood of diabetes or cancer patients are significantly high. Free insulin receptor α-subunit in blood is useful as a marker for diabetes or cancer.
US07732153B2
Assay methods are disclosed involving specific binding reactions which are simplified compared to known methods. A compound capable of producing chemiluminescence is immobilized on a solid support as is a member of a specific binding pair for capturing an analyte from a sample. An activator compound that activates the chemiluminescent compound and is conjugated to a specific binding pair member is added in excess along with the sample to the solid support. Addition of a trigger solution causes a chemiluminescent reaction at the sites where the activator conjugate has been specifically bound. The assay methods are termed non-separation assays because they do not require removal or separation of excess detection label (activator conjugate) prior to the detection step. The methods are applicable to various types of assays including immunoassays, receptor-ligand assays and nucleic acid hybridization assays.
US07732152B2
The present invention is directed to liquid crystalline substrates useful in the culture of cells and methods of their use. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods and devices for imaging changes (e.g., reorganization) of extracellular matrix components by living cells.
US07732148B2
A method treats urogenital and/or intestinal tract cancer and includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one annexion protein, annexin of A3, to a mammal.
US07732143B2
The invention concerns a method for detecting or locating one or several genes of one or several specific A DNA sequence or one or several molecules reacting with DNA on a B DNA characterised in that it consists in: (a) fixing and combing a certain amount of said B DNA on a combing surface; (b) reacting the product of the B combing with one or several probes, linked with the gene(s) or specific A DNA sequences, or with the molecules capable of reacting with DNA; (c) extracting information corresponding to at least one of the following categories: (1) the position of the probes, (2) the distance between the probes, (3) the size of the probes (the total sum of sizes for quantifying the number of hybridised probes) for determining therefrom the presence, the location and/or the amount of genes or specific A DNA sequences. This method can be used in particular for the diagnosis of genetic diseases.
US07732130B2
The present invention relates to an influenza antigen, comprising a fusion product of at least the extracellular part of a conserved influenza membrane protein or a functional fragment thereof and a presenting carrier, which may be a presenting (poly)peptide or a non-peptidic structure, such as glycans, peptide mimetics, synthetic polymers. The invention further relates to a vaccine against influenza, comprising at least an antigen of the invention, optionally in the presence of one or more excipients. The invention also relates to use of the antigen, a method for preparing the antigen and acceptor cells expressing the antigen.
US07732129B1
The present invention addresses the need to improve the yields of viral vectors when grown in cell culture systems. In particular, it has been demonstrated that for adenovirus, the use of low-medium perfusion rates in an attached cell culture system provides for improved yields. In other embodiments, the inventors have shown that there is improved Ad-p53 production with cells grown in serum-free conditions, and in particular in serum-free suspension culture. Also important to the increase of yields is the use of detergent lysis. Combination of these aspects of the invention permits purification of virus by a single chromatography step that results in purified virus of the same quality as preparations from double CsCl banding using an ultracentrifuge.
US07732127B2
The present invention includes devices and methods for dynamically monitoring cell adhesion and cell spreading. Cells are added to a microelectronic cell sensor array operably connected to an impedance analyzer. The device also includes a coating including biological molecule or organic compound capable of interacting with the cell. Cell adhesion and cell mobility is determined by detecting changes in impedance and comparing impedance or cell index values between samples.
US07732125B2
The invention relates to a bioartificial primarily vascularized tissue matrix, a bioartificial primarily vascularized tissue, a method for the production thereof and the use of the same. Said tissue matrix and bioartificial primarily vascularized tissue are obtained by preparing the necessary natural tissue, conserving at least one vessel.
US07732123B2
A method comprises forming a photoresist on a substrate, rinsing the photoresist using a rinse liquid agitated with at least one megasonic source, exposing the photoresist to radiation while immersed in a liquid, and developing the photoresist.
US07732121B2
A near-field exposure method includes closely contacting an exposure mask having a light blocking film with small openings, to a photoresist layer formed on a substrate having surface unevenness, and projecting the exposure light of the exposure light source onto the exposure mask so that the photoresist is exposed based on near-field light escaping from the small openings, wherein the near-field exposure is carried out under a condition that a contact region where the light blocking film and the photoresist layer are in contact with each other and a liquid region filled with a liquid between the light blocking film and the photoresist layer coexist between the light blocking film and the photoresist layer.
US07732105B2
Provided are a photomask and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The photomask includes a photomask substrate including a chip region and a scribe lane region, with an overlay mark formed in the scribe lane region. The overlay mark includes one or more sub-overlay marks. Each of the sub-overlay marks includes a plurality of unit regions sequentially connected to each other and having different widths, where the width of a given unit region is constant.
US07732099B2
A totally solid polymer electrolyte composition with high ionic conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties is provided. This electrolyte composition is produced by polymerizing a monomer composition comprising a molten quaternary ammonium salt having a polymerizable functional group introduced therein and a charge transfer ion source in the presence of a polymeric reinforcing material. The polymeric reinforcing material can be formed into a composite of polymer blend morphology by dissolving the monomer composition and the reinforcing material in an appropriate organic solvent and polymerizing the solution. Alternatively, the composite can be obtained by impregnating a porous sheet or film as the reinforcing material with the monomer composition and effecting polymerization. An electrolyte for lithium ion battery can be obtained by selecting a lithium salt as the charge transfer ion source; an electrolyte for fuel cell by selecting a proton donor; and an electrolyte for dye sensitized solar cell by selecting a redox ion pair. A polymer electrolyte composition not containing the charge transfer ion source is also useful as an electrolyte for electrolytic capacitor.
US07732098B2
A lead acid electric storage battery uses conventional lead-acid secondary battery chemistry. The battery may be a sealed battery, an unsealed battery or a conventional multi-cell battery. The battery has a set of positive battery grids (plates) which are constructed with a body portion of thin titanium expanded metal having a thickness preferably in the range 0.1 mm to 0.9 mm and most preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. Typically the battery would have over 250 grids in a 12 inch long battery case.
US07732095B2
An electrode composition for a lithium ion battery that includes an amorphous alloy having the formula SixMyAlz where x, y, and z represent atomic percent values and (a) x+y+z=100, (b) x≧55, (c) y<22, (d) z>0, and (e) M is one or more metals selected from the group consisting of manganese, molybdenum, niobium, tungsten, tantalum, iron, copper, titanium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, zirconium, yttrium, and combinations thereof.
US07732079B2
A fuel cell stack is provided with a plurality of stacked separators. This fuel cell stack includes: terminals that extend from the separators; packing in which are formed a plurality of through holes through which the terminals are inserted; a packing casing that has a packing housing concave portion that envelops side surfaces of the packing and supports a bottom surface of the packing, and has through holes through which the terminals are inserted; and a connector housing that has a pressing surface that presses a top surface of the packing. Mountain-shaped protruding portions whose apex portions are formed by circumferential edges of apertures of the respective through holes are provided on the top surface of the packing, and the pressing surfaces of the connector housing are formed in a configuration that conforms to the side surfaces of the protruding portions. Internal surfaces of the through holes in the packing are in contact without a gap in between with external surfaces of the terminals. The sealing performance in extraction portions of terminals that are used for cell voltage detection is improved.
US07732078B2
A liquid-absorbent composition, which has a liquid-absorbent crosslinked resin that exhibits excellent absorption of the nonaqueous electrolyte of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cells that constitute a nonaqueous electrolyte battery pack (and particularly a lithium ion nonaqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery pack), contains a powder of a liquid-absorbent crosslinked resin produced by crosslinking a methyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymer with a polyfunctional isocyanate compound, and a binder resin. Also, a liquid-absorbent sheet for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery pack contains supporting substrate and formed on one side of a supporting substrate a liquid-absorbent crosslinked resin layer, produced by crosslinking a methyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymer with a polyfunctional isocyanate compound. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery pack contains a battery case and disposed within the battery pack a nonaqueous electrolyte battery cell, a wiring circuit board, and an electrolyte absorption member formed from the liquid-absorbent sheet for absorbing electrolyte in the event that electrolyte leaks from the nonaqueous electrolyte battery cell.
US07732075B2
A solid oxide fuel cell component (12) comprises a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells (24) arranged in spaced apart relationship, and in electrical series, on a surface of the porous gas permeable support structure (16). Each solid oxide fuel cell (24) comprises a dense gas tight electrolyte member (28), a porous gas permeable first electrode (26) and a porous gas permeable second electrode (30). Each electrolyte (28) is arranged in contact with a corresponding one of the first electrodes (26), each second electrode (30) is arranged in contact with a corresponding one of the electrolytes (28). Each of the first electrodes (26) is arranged in contact with the surface of the support structure (16). The interconnectors (32), the peripheral seal layer (34) and the electrolytes (28) are arranged to encapsulate all of the first electrodes (26) except for the surfaces of the first electrodes (26) in contact with the surface of the support structure (16) to prevent leakage of reactant from the first electrodes (16).
US07732071B2
A patterned perpendicular magnetic recording medium of the type that has spaced-apart pillars with magnetic material on their ends and with nonmagnetic trenches between the pillars is made with a method that allows use of a pre-etched substrate. The substrate has a generally planar surface at the trenches and comprises material that when heated will diffuse into the magnetic recording layer material and chemically react with one or more of the elements typically used in the recording layer. The pillars are formed of material that will not diffuse into the recording layer. After the recording layer is formed over the entire substrate so as to cover both the pillar ends and the trenches, the substrate is annealed. This results in the destruction or at least substantial reduction of any ferromagnetism in the recording layer material in the trenches so that the trenches are nonmagnetic. The annealing does not affect the recording layer on the ends of the pillars because the pillars are formed of material that will not diffuse into the recording layer.
US07732069B1
A disk drive system having a shielded pole write head and media that includes a disk having a soft underlayer (SUL) that is relatively thin in order to save on cost for producing the SUL. The SUL is thin enough that it will become magnetically saturated in the vicinity of the write pole. The thickness of the SUL that will achieve this saturation may be stated as being less than a geometric factor times the ratio of the write pole saturation magnetization divided by the saturation magnetization of the SUL. The geometric factor is the ratio of the write pole area at the ABS to the write pole perimeter at the ABS.
US07732063B2
An organic electroluminescence device having a layer of an organic light emitting medium which comprises (A) a specific arylamine compound and (B) at least one compound selected from specific anthracene derivatives, spirofluorene derivatives, compounds having condensed rings and metal complex compounds and is disposed between a pair of electrodes and an organic light emitting medium comprising the above components (A) and (B) are provided. The organic electroluminescence device exhibits a high purity of color, has excellent heat resistance and a long life and efficiently emits bluish to yellowish light. The organic light emitting medium can be advantageously used for the organic electroluminescence device.
US07732062B1
Provided are organic n-doped electron transport layers comprising at least one electron transport material and at least one electron rich dopant material and organic p-doped hole injection layers comprising at least one hole transport material and at least one electron deficient dopant material.
US07732058B2
A coating includes a porous a first layer comprising metal coated solid lubricant particles partially fused together. A second layer comprising a metal or a composite that conforms to the surface topography of the first layer.
US07732055B2
The present invention relates to two-component compositions containing A) hydroxyl-containing polydimethylsiloxanes having number average molecular weights of 400 to 3000 and an average OH functionality of ≧1.8, and containing at least one structural unit of formula I) wherein R is an aliphatic, linear or branched C1 to C20 radical, R1 is a linear or branched hydroxyalkyl radical having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and R2 is either hydrogen or a linear or branched hydroxyalkyl radical having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, B) polyhydroxyl compounds other than A) or polyamines, and C) polyisocyanates. The present invention also relates to coatings, adhesives or sealants obtained from these compositions.
US07732050B2
This invention provides water-absorbing polymer particles suitable particularly for cosmetics, wherein silicone can be stably present on the surface of a water-absorbing polymer even in various formulations thereby giving dry feeling in use even after water absorption. The silicone-modified water-absorbing polymer particles of this invention comprises water-absorbing polymer particles coated thereon via chemical bonding, with a silicone compound having at least one functional group.
US07732019B2
A solution spray apparatus includes a nozzle which sprays a droplet of a solution such as EL solution, a heater is provided on the nozzle to heat the solution in the nozzle to a temperature lower than a boiling point of the solution in the nozzle, so that the droplet of the heated solution is ejected from the spray to an object.
US07732018B2
A coating composition comprising a binder of a. polyisocyanate crosslinking agent; b. an isocyanate-reactive component having at least one compound having the following formula (I) including isomers and mixtures of isomers thereof: wherein R, R1, R2, X, Y, Z, m, n, p, q, r and s are described in the specification and a two component composition formulated with the above constituents and substrates, such as, automotive and truck bodies and parts coated with the novel composition and novel amine and/or hydroxy amine compounds are also part of the invention.
US07732017B2
Emulsion paint composition for obtaining special textile or suede effect comprising a filler at least partly consisting of pre-pigmented spherical aliphatic polyurethane particles. About 3-10% of the spherical particles has a particle size between 63-90 micrometers and 25-40% of the spherical particles has a particle size between 40-63 micrometers. Before applying the paint as a semi-opaque top coat the substrate is first coated with an opaque acrylic primer of a corresponding color and subsequently dried. The top coat is applied by brush in cross way fashion to obtain a suede effect, or it can be applied by roller, while subsequently a tool is used comprising a flat side provided with stiff parallel projecting fibers such as synthetic grass fibers which are dragged over the fresh paint layer to obtain a linen effect.
US07732013B2
The invention described and claimed herein relates to a chemical vapor deposition process for depositing a zinc oxide coating on a substrate by delivering two gaseous precursor streams to a surface of the substrate, and mixing the gaseous precursor streams at the substrate surface for a time sufficiently short so as to form a zinc oxide coating at a deposition rate greater than 5 nm/second.
US07732007B2
This invention relates to polarizing plates and their manufacturing process. More particularly, this invention provides a method of making a polarizing plate comprising, providing a polarizing film, coating at least one optical film solution to both sides of the polarizing film simultaneously or near simultaneously, and drying the optical film coating solution to form an optical film on each side of the polarizing film.
US07732006B2
A coating composition and coating for ophthalmic lenses and other polymeric substrates having a unique combination of excellent solution stability, rapid cure rate, improved mar resistance, rapid dye absorption, and improved receptivity towards antireflective coatings. The coating comprises an abrasion resistant polymer and a dye-absorption-enhancing oligomer. The coating is tinted after curing with a dye to provide light absorbency in the coating.
US07732005B2
A method for producing a recording medium provides good throughput for mass production and reduces cost. The method facilitates the control of the shape or dimensions of a pattern obtained by microfabrication, allows an accurate pattern transfer, and provides superior uniformity. A magnetic layer is formed on a substrate. A nano-particle film 16 is formed on a desired portion on the magnetic layer. Using the nano-particle film as a mask, the magnetic layer is cut. A micropattern with concavities and convexities is formed on the magnetic layer by removing the nano-particle film.
US07732003B2
Bank forming method, wiring pattern forming method, electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus
Aspects of the invention can provide a bank forming method capable of forming banks having a good shape with excellent productivity. Banks for partitioning a predetermined area of a base member can be formed on the base member by radiating light onto the base member on which a sublimation layer containing a sublimation material is formed and sublimating the sublimation material.
US07732002B2
Precursor compositions in the form of a tape that can be transferred to a substrate and converted to an electronic feature at a relatively low temperature, such as not greater than about 200° C. The tape composition can be disposed on a carrier to form a ribbon structure that is flexible and can be handled in a variety of industrial processes.
US07731994B2
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for protecting neurons or for preventing and treating ischemic neuronal diseases comprising the extract of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. Et Zucc extracted with water, low-alcohols or their mixture or acetylshikonin separated therefrom as an effective ingredient. The extract of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. Et. Zucc or acetylshikonin separated therefrom of the present invention has neuronal protective effect, so that it not only interrupts the development of ischemic neuronal diseases but also is very safe, indicating that the extract or acetylshikonin can be used as a medicinal drug for prevention and treatment of degenerative brain disease caused by neuronal apoptosis such as stroke, apoplexy, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Pick's disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and further can be developed as functional health food.
US07731992B2
The activity of the enzyme aromatase is inhibited by administering an aromatase inhibiting amount of a composition comprising at least one of astaxanthin, black cohosh, echinacea, and phytosterols to a subject.
US07731990B2
A powdery composition for nasal administration, where (1) the composition contains (i) a drug, (ii) a water-absorbing and gel-forming base material such as hydroxypropyl cellulose or hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and (iii) a water-absorbing and water-insoluble base material such as crystalline cellulose or α-cellulose, (2) wherein the amount of the water-absorbing and gel-forming base material is about 5-40 wt % based on the total of the water-absorbing and gel-forming base material and the water-absorbing and water-insoluble base material, and (3) wherein the drug is unevenly dispersed more on/in the water-absorbing and water-insoluble base material than on/in the water-absorbing and gel-forming base material.
US07731988B2
The invention provides a multi-polymer hydrogel article having a first polymeric, water-swellable material and a second polymeric material, organized such that a first region substantially comprises the first polymeric, water-swellable material, a second region adjacent the first region comprises a mixture of the first polymeric, water-swellable material and the second polymeric material, and a third region adjacent the second region substantially comprises the second polymeric material. The article exhibits an increasing concentration gradient of the second polymeric material moving from the first region, through the second region, to the third region. The invention also provides methods for forming a multi-polymer hydrogel article by (a) forming a hydrogel structure using a first polymeric, water-swellable material, (b) creating an aerogel structure having a plurality of open pores by dehydrating the hydrogel structure, (c) contacting the aerogel structure with a second polymeric material to incorporate the second polymeric material into at least a portion of the plurality of open pores to form the multi-polymer hydrogel article, and (d) rehydrating the multi-polymer hydrogel article.
US07731987B2
The present invention relates to implantable medical devices, in particular stents, comprising pro-healing poly(ester-amide)s.
US07731986B2
A therapeutic foam for the treatment of, inter alia, varicose veins comprises a sclerosing solution foamed with a physiological gas such as carbon dioxide, oxygen or a mixture thereof. The foam has a nitrogen content of less than 0.8%. It may be generated using a pressurised canister system incorporating a fine mesh of micron dimensions through which the gas and sclerosing liquid are passed to make the foam. Alternatively, the foam may be generated by passing gas and solution between two syringes through a fine mesh. Techniques are described for minimising the amount of nitrogen in a canister or syringe based product. A technique for generating and delivering foam simultaneously using a syringe based device is also disclosed.
US07731983B2
A method and composition for treating healed wounds including hypertrophic scars so as to prevent scarring or reduce the size and improve the appearance of scars comprises applying to the healed wound or scar a composition comprising a fluid, film-forming carrier which may contain one or more active topical ingredients, the carrier hardening to a solid, tangible, membrane juxtaposed to the skin. Novel compositions using the film-forming carrier are also useful to treat a variety of adverse skin disorders, and internal physiological conditions.
US07731979B2
The unnatural amino acid analogue 2-fluorohistidine (2-FHis) was incorporated into protective antigen to produce a protein which resists protonation at physiological pH by reducing the side-chain pKa. The protein structure was unperturbed by the incorporation of fluorinated histidine residues, and the heptameric (2-FHisPA63)7 could form ion conducting channels, and bind to the PA-binding domain of LF (LFN), but translocation of LFN in planar lipid bilayers was blocked. Further, while (2-FHisPA63)7 could bind to host cells and in vitro to the host cellular receptor, pore formation in the presence of the receptor was blocked, and LFN-DTA mediated cytotoxicity in CHO-K1 cells was blocked. The modified PA is useful as both a vaccine and an antitoxin, providing epitopes for the production of antibodies against PA, but preventing key steps in pathogenesis (pore formation, translocation).
US07731977B2
Methods for treating obsessions and compulsions by local administration of a Clostridial toxin. The obsessions or compulsions can be eye poking, body rocking, finger biting, counting, checking and related disorders treated by low dose, intramuscular administration of a botulinum toxin.
US07731973B2
The invention provides a method of ameliorating a Th1-mediated immune pathology in a mammal. The method is practiced by administering a low dose of estrogen to the mammal. Optionally, an immunotherapeutic agent can also be administered to the mammal. Also provided are kits containing a low dose of estrogen and an immunotherapeutic agent.
US07731971B2
The present invention provides peptides and proteins for use in second generation HIV vaccines and as diagnostic tools in the treatment and control of HIV infection. The antiviral protection shown by compositions of the present invention has not been previously achieved with an HLA epitope-enhanced vaccine. These findings define a critical balance between MHC affinity and receptor crossreactivity required for effective epitope enhancement and also demonstrate construction and efficacy of such a component of a new generation vaccine.
US07731970B2
The invention relates to pharmaceutically important variants of the major allergen Phl p 1 from timothy grass, characterized in that a preparation, hitherto not possible, of monomeric molecules which are soluble and stable in physiological media can be carried out with the aid of prokaryotic expression systems and subsequent purification thereof.
US07731960B2
The present inventors discovered that the PepT-binding antibodies have the ability to inhibit the transport activity of peptide transporters, as a result of dedicated research. These antibodies may be utilized as cell growth inhibitors, for example, for treating and preventing cancer.
US07731953B2
Methods are disclosed herein for specifically inducing proliferation of CD4+ T cells. The methods are of use in treating immunodeficiencies, such as an immunodeficiency produced by infection with an immunodeficiency virus, such as infection with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The methods include contacting isolated mammalian CD4+ T cells with an effective amount of a thymic stromal derived lymphopoietin (TSLP) polypeptide or a therapeutically effective amount of nucleic acid encoding the TSLP polypeptide, thereby inducing proliferation of the T cells. Methods are also disclosed for treating an IgE mediated disorder, such as asthma. The methods include administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of a TSLP antagonist. Transgenic mice are also disclosed herein. The somatic and germ cells of these mice include a disrupted thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TSLP) gene, the disruption being sufficient to inhibit the interaction of TSLP with its receptor, and a disrupted γc gene, the disruption being sufficient to reduce signaling through the γc. The mice exhibit diminished thymic cellularity. Methods of using these mice for drug screening are also disclosed.
US07731952B2
The present invention relates to an avirulent, oncolytic herpes simplex virus modified from a wild-type herpes simplex virus so that both γ134.5 genes of the virus have been deleted and each replaced with an interferon-resistance gene that is expressed as an immediate-early gene. The present invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition that includes the modified herpes simplex virus of the present invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle for in situ administration to tumor cells. Also provided in the present invention are methods for killing tumor cells in a subject and for immunizing a subject against an infectious disease, cancer, or an autoimmune disease that involve administering to a subject the modified avirulent, oncolytic herpes simplex virus of the present invention.
US07731946B2
Methods and compositions for modulating T helper (Th) cell development and function using modulators of IL-21, e.g., human IL-21, activity or level.
US07731940B2
Contemplated substituted arylpiperazinyl compounds, and most preferably 18F-Mefway, exhibit desirable in vitro and in vivo binding characteristics to the 5-HT1A receptor. Among other advantageous parameters, contemplated compounds retain high binding affinity, display optimal lipophilicity, and are radiolabeled efficiently with 18F-fluorine in a single step. Still further, contemplated compounds exhibit high target to non-target ratios in receptor-rich regions both in vitro and in vivo, and selected compounds can be effectively and sensitively displaced by serotonin, thus providing a quantitative tool for measuring 5-HT1A receptors and serotonin concentration changes in the living brain.
US07731928B2
A process for silanizing carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes are oxidized and subsequently exposed to a saturated gas phase including one or more organosilane derivatives which form covalent bonds to the carbon nanotubes with siloxane formation.
US07731927B2
A method by which ceramic nanowires with diameters ranging from several to several tens of nanometers can be synthesized with improvements in the shape retention of the nanowires and the yield of conversion to ceramic, which method comprises the steps of forming a thin film of a silicon-containing polymer usable as a ceramic precursor, irradiating the thin film with ion beams to form cylindrical crosslinked portions, extracting the un-crosslinked portions with a solvent to produce nanowires of the silicon-containing polymer, irradiating the nanowires with an ionizing radiation so that they are crosslinked again, and firing the re-crosslinked nanowires.
US07731926B2
Flue gas of boiler is introduced through gas inlet part of flue-gas desulfurization apparatus, and absorbent liquid sprayed from spray nozzle is trapped in recirculation tank. There, agitation is performed by oxidation agitator to thereby oxidize SO2 absorbed from the flue gas into gypsum. In the tank, oxidation air is fed from posterior air pipe and anterior air pipe behind and ahead of liquid propulsion by the propeller. Thus, even when the amount of oxidation air must be increased in accordance with an increase of boiler load, the oxidation efficiency can be enhanced without increasing the number of agitators. Then the apparatus with which even when the amount of oxidation air fed to the liquid trapping section is increased, highly efficient oxidation can be performed without increasing the number of agitators installed and the operating cost.
US07731924B2
A group of at least two gas-flow reactors (21, 22, 2′2, . . . , 2n, 2′n) preferably with an ascending gas flow (3), are supplied in parallel with gas and with a chemical neutralization and/or sorption agent of the pulverulent material type capable of adsorbing effluents present in the gas flow by bringing the chemical neutralization and/or sorption agent in contact with the gas flow, the at least two reactors having elements (10) for collecting the chemical neutralization and/or sorption agent after contact with the gas flow. At least one of the two reactors has elements (11) for discharging the chemical neutralization and/or or sorption agent, after contact with the gas flow, these discharge elements being connected to the collecting elements, and members (7, 16) for injecting the chemical neutralization and/or sorption agent into at least one other of the at least two reactors.
US07731919B2
A fixed bed reactor for gas-phase catalytic oxidation, the fixed bed reactor, comprising a reaction tube filled with a gas-phase oxidation catalyst, wherein a solid acid is placed in an end portion(s) of the reaction tube or between catalyst layers of the catalyst, or mixed in the catalyst; the solid acid is an oxide or a complex oxide containing at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), titanium (Ti) and zirconium (Zr), and has a shape of sphere, cylindrical column, cylindrical tube, star, ring, tablet or pellet; the catalyst is a complex oxide containing molybdenum (Mo) and bismuth (Bi) or a complex oxide containing molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V); and acid strength(H0) of the solid acid meets an inequality: −5.6≦H0≦1.5.
US07731913B2
The present invention incorporates new and useful improvements in the carbon dioxide sequestering mechanism. The ejector systems are rearranged in a manner that lowers the frictional effects of the resultant flow pattern after the flue gas and ejector spray have impacted in the receiver mechanism. The sequestered carbon dioxide resulting from the collision is retained in the scrubber water matrix for a prolonged period by adding a wedging mechanism designated as a compression band which extends the duration of the sequestering operation for a sufficient period of time for the absorbed gases to exit the receiver with the scrubber water flow into a separator vessel.
US07731911B2
A fluorination reactor having a reaction zone, an inlet for supplying an organic compound to be fluorinated to the reaction zone, an inlet for supplying elemental fluorine to the reaction zone, and an outlet for recovering a fluorinated reaction product, wherein the reaction zone includes a fluoride-adsorbing composition for adsorbing any HF produced as a byproduct of the reaction between the organic compound and elemental fluorine.
US07731901B2
A method and an apparatus for enumerating one or more specific elements within a biologic fluid sample are provided. An embodiment of the method includes the steps of: a) providing a chamber formed between a first planar member that is transparent and a second planar member, which members are separated from one another by a substantially uniform height; b) introducing the biologic fluid sample into the chamber, wherein the chamber height is sized such that the sample extends between the first and second members, and sized relative to the specific elements within the sample such that the specific elements non-uniformly distribute within the sample upon introduction into the chamber; c) examining substantially all of the sample within the chamber and enumerating all of at least one of the specific elements; d) determining the volume of sample contained within the chamber; and e) determining the number of the at least one of the specific elements per unit volume.
US07731886B2
An injection moulding assembly includes a male moulding member surrounded by a female moulding member forming a void between them that upon injection of molten plastics into the mould a container can be formed. The moulding assembly includes a guide rod and ejection flange and a pair of ejection flange guide rods, an air vent valve and an injection passage. The male member includes in this embodiment eight grooves unevenly spaced so that the partially hardened container formed in the injection mould can be pushed from the mould using the ejection flange while the container is sufficiently green to enable the ribs formed in the grooves to move over the surface of the male mould during the ejection process.
US07731864B2
Described herein are embodiments of a slurry used for the chemical mechanical polishing a substrate that includes aluminum or an aluminum alloy features having a width of less than 1 um. The slurry includes a precipitated silica abrasive having a diameter of less than or equal to 100 nm and a chelating buffer system comprising citric acid and oxalic acid to provide a pH of the slurry in the approximate range of 1.5 and 4.0.
US07731845B2
A fuel filter has a filter housing and an annular filter element arranged in the filter housing. Between the bottom of the filter housing and the bottom area of the filter element a water collecting chamber is formed. The filter element has a coalescing element and a particle filter element. Fuel flows radially from the interior to the exterior of the coalescing element and from the exterior to the interior of the particle filter element. A riser tube extends through the clean chamber and the raw chamber from the bottom of the filter housing to the top. The riser tube has a clean channel and a guide channel. A seal on the riser tube separates a clean chamber from a raw chamber of the filter. A water removal tube is arranged inside the guide channel for removing water from the water collecting chamber.
US07731831B2
A composite material useful for the manufacture of a circuit has a support layer, a metal foil layer having opposing first and second sides and a thickness of 15 microns or less and a release layer effective to facilitate separation of the metal foil layer from the support layer, the release layer disposed between and contacting both the support layer and the metal foil layer. A reactive element containing layer, which may be the support layer, effective to react with gaseous elements or compounds to form thermally stable compounds contacts the release layer. The composite material is preferably subjected to a low temperature heat treatment. The combination of the low temperature heat treatment and the reactive element containing layer results in reduced defects including blisters in the copper foil during subsequent processing.
US07731821B1
A method of reducing sulfur-containing gases during conversion of a coal slab into metallurgical coke is disclosed. A sulfur-reducing agent is added to a coal slab, which may contain compacted coal aggregate. The coal slab, including the sulfur-reducing agent, is heated to produce metallurgical coke, which results in a reduced amount of sulfur-containing gases relative to an amount of sulfur-containing gases that would be produced by converting the coal slab into metallurgical coke without adding the sulfur-reducing agent to the coal slab before the coal slab is heated. The sulfur-reducing agent may be applied as a coating to the coal slab. The sulfur-reducing agent may include at least one of calcium carbonate, limestone, lime, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, and the like.
US07731815B2
A method and apparatus for nonlinear laying of components such as elastics on a continuous web is provided. In an apparatus embodiment, the apparatus comprises a diverter and a combining roll. The apparatus can be configured to vary an elastic profile of the elastic member on a continuous web by oscillating a rotation of the diverter. The method and apparatus can be used for making absorbent articles such as diapers and training pants.
US07731804B2
A dishwasher includes an outer housing, a drawer having front, rear, bottom and opposing side walls that collectively define a washing tub, a lid for selectively closing the washing tub and an operating mechanism that raises and lowers the lid as the drawer is shifted into and out of the outer housing. The operating mechanism includes a lifting slider slidably mounted in the outer housing operatively coupled to a lifting spring and a compression slider, also slidably mounted in the outer housing coupled to a compression spring. The lifting slider and compression slider are provided with corresponding lifting rollers and compression rollers that engage the lid. As the drawer is withdrawn from the outer housing, the lifting spring urges the lifting slider upward raising the lid and, as the drawer is inserted into the outer housing, the compression slider forces the lid downward onto the washing tub.
US07731802B2
Methods for processing a substrate with a fluid meniscus are provided. One method includes positioning a transition surface substantially coplanar to a substrate surface. The transition surface is defined to be adjacent to an edge of the substrate. And, moving a fluid meniscus between the transition surface and the substrate surface.
US07731792B2
Disclosed herein is a method for producing a recycled hardened material using waste gypsum. The method comprises treating acidic wastewater generated in the production of copper, zinc or titanium or the production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and chlorine using saline water, with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), so as to precipitate sludge, and mixing the precipitated sludge with pulp sludge ashes having pozzolanic properties.
US07731788B2
An ink set including at least a yellow ink composition, a magenta ink composition, and a cyan ink composition; the magenta ink composition containing as a colorant at least one type of compound expressed by the Formula M-1 in claim 1; the yellow ink composition containing as a colorant at least one type of compound expressed by the formula Y-1 in claim 1; and the cyan ink composition containing as a colorant at least one type of compound selected from the group consisting of compounds or salts thereof expressed by the Formula C-1 in claim 1.
US07731775B2
Several compositions of matter have been discovered that can be used in the manufacture of slow-release fertilizers that contain all of the essential elements needed by plants and humans. Slow-release fertilizers manufactured with these formulations can be used on mineral stressed soils to increase the quality and production of food crops grown on them. Additives, including phosphogypsum, silica sand, natural gypsum, clay, and coal dust, facilitate the timing of the release of the essential elements into the soil.
US07731766B2
A mold for a battery, such as a secondary battery, and a method of molding a battery, such as a secondary battery, using the mold, uses a minimum amount of a molding substance, such as a resin, has its molding time shortened, and has a safety vent of a can being prevented from being fractured by high pressure during a molding process. Runners, through which a resin flows, are arranged parallel to cavities and the safety vent of the can is positioned closest to the gates, into which a resin is injected after the can and a protective circuit board are seated in the cavities. Due to the structure of the runners of the mold and the location of the safety vent of the can, the amount of resin used and the molding time are reduced. A fracture of the safety vent is avoided since a lower pressure occurs at the location closest to the gates during a resin filling process.
US07731764B2
A singulation metal mold for singulating a plurality of semiconductor devices arrayed on a TAB tape has a punch as an upper metal mold of the singulation metal mold, a die block as a lower metal mold of the singulation metal mold, a knockout disposed to be slidable vertically inside a vertical hole formed in the die block, the knockout being operable to press up above the die block each of the singulated semiconductor devices left on the die block after the singulating, a press-up plate positioned under the knockout to support the knockout and linked mechanically to the knockout, and being operable to forcibly move the knockout vertically when the press-up plate moves vertically; and a press-up plate descent forcing mechanism that is operable to forcibly pull down the press-up plate.
US07731763B2
The present invention relates to a method of dyeing a substrate with a reactive dyestuff in supercritical or near supercritical carbon dioxide, said substrate being selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers; modified cellulose fibers; protein fibers; synthetic fibers and any combination thereof, wherein the method comprises dyeing said substrate by contacting the substrate with supercritical or near supercritical carbon dioxide containing a reactive dyestuff and one or more acids in a concentration of at least 0.05 mol. %, calculated on the molar amount of reactive dyestuff that is used in the dyeing method, said reactive dyestuff being a chromophore derivative containing a chromophoric residue and a reactive group, said reactive group comprising a cyclic or heterocyclic aromatic residue that will be protonated under the conditions employed during the contacting, such protonation resulting in enhanced reactivity of the reactive dyestuff towards the plurality of reactive groups contained in the substrate.
US07731759B2
The invention relates to the control of a passive prosthetic knee joint with adjustable damping in the direction of flexion such that a prosthetic unit attached to the knee joint can be adapted for climbing stairs.
US07731755B2
A posterior stabilized mobile bearing knee prosthesis includes a femoral component, a tibial tray, and a bearing. The femoral component is configured to be implanted in a surgically prepared femur, with the tibial tray being configured for implantation in a prepared tibia. The bearing is supported on a platform of the tibial tray and rotates relative to the tray.
US07731751B2
A device for insertion into a spinal (intervertebral or intravertebral) space is expandable from a first circumference to a second circumference through axial compression of segments of the device, particularly once the device has been properly situated within a vertebral space. The interbody/intravertebral body device is characterized by a plurality of axially stacked, individual segments that are provided on a central insertion and deployment rod. Each segment includes a central plate or body to which are pivotally attached plate or leaf structures. Pivoting of the structures provides a collapsed or unexpanded position of the first circumference and an open or expanded position of the second circumference.
US07731742B2
A stent (10) for transluminal implantation comprises a first, second and third stent section (11, 12, 13) for splinting and/or keeping open a hollow organ which are connected to each other via elastic tubular sections (14, 15). The stent (10) combines at least three different stent designs in one stent and can therefore be adjusted to the motion behavior of a hollow organ in an improved fashion (FIG. 1).
US07731740B2
Methods for preparing a polymer-based stent assembly comprising an inflatable balloon catheter and a polymer-based stent resistant to relaxation-related negative recoil are provided. The methods comprise heating a polymeric cylindrical device which is at a final predetermined shape and diameter to a temperature sufficiently above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer and for a time sufficient to erase any memory of previous processing of the polymeric cylindrical device and then quenching the polymeric cylindrical device to provide an educated polymeric cylindrical device having a memory of the final predetermined diameter and shape, mounting the educated cylindrical device on an inflatable balloon catheter, reducing the diameter of the educated cylindrical device by heating to a temperature at or slightly above the Tg of the polymer while evenly applying pressure on the exterior surface of the wall of the cylindrical device, and then cooling the cylindrical device below the Tg of the polymer to provide a stent assembly comprising an inflatable balloon catheter and an expandable, educated, polymeric stent snugly and stably disposed thereon. Assemblies comprising an inflatable balloon and a polymer based stent that is substantially resistant to relaxation related recoil mounted snugly on the balloon are also provided.
US07731735B2
A surgical implant engageable by a surgical tool having spaced apart jaws with inward facing tubular protrusions, is provided. The implant includes a body for interfacing with a bone structure. The implant also includes a head connected with the body having spaced apart posts juxtaposed by a stabilization member receiving area. Each post has an outward side face that includes an upper generally vertical surface intersecting with a generally inward directed under surface that in turn intersects with a lower generally vertical surface. The side face has a generally tubular cylindrical indention intersecting the upper vertical surface and the inward directed under surface.
US07731727B2
A therapeutic instrument for the ergonomic, effective and safe opening and closing of targeted remote tissue sites; includes a pistol grip style handle with a hand activated lever for needle deployment and, optionally, with features to control tissue cutting and guide wire installation; also incorporates a specialized elongated rigid or flexible instrument shaft, which enables vacuum assisted holding of tissue at a uniquely contoured distal tip, where placement of a suture in a purse string configures occurs along with, if desired, tissue cutting and guide wire passage.
US07731724B2
A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and an elongate shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween.
US07731723B2
A medical retrieval device has a multi-prong retrieval assembly. The multi-prong retrieval assembly has a first position, in which the retrieval assembly extends from the distal end of the sheath to form an open ended grasping device, and a second position, in which the retrieval assembly extends from the distal end of the sheath to form a substantially close ended basket-type retrieval device. When the retrieval assembly is used as a basket-type retrieval device, the distal ends of the prongs of the retrieval assembly that form the basket are not connected to each other. Thus, captured objects may be released by the operator, or by applying sufficient force to separate one or more of the prongs.
US07731715B2
Ablation instruments and techniques are disclosed for accessing portions of the heart wall via the coronary sinus. While shielding the major portion of the sinus and/or the circumflex coronary artery from ablative energy, the present invention provides access to the heart wall to treat atrial fibrillation. In particular, the present invention provides instruments and methods for forming transmural lesions in the left atrium, such as the so-called “left isthmus block,” from within the coronary sinus.
US07731712B2
A medical device and procedure is described for occluding a fallopian tube. A tubal occlusion device is inserted into a uterine cavity. The device includes an RF applicator head including an electrode carrier with one or more bipolar electrodes thereon. During insertion, the RF applicator head can be in a closed position. The RF applicator head is positioned at a tubal ostium of a fallopian tube, such that a distal tip of the RF applicator head advances into the tubal ostium. The RF applicator head is deployed into an open position such that the RF applicator head approximates the shape of the uterine cavity in a region of the tubal ostium. Current is passed through the one or more bipolar electrodes to the tubal ostium to destroy tissue to a known depth, which precipitates a healing response in surrounding tissue that over time scars and occludes the fallopian tube.
US07731706B2
The invention relates to a steerable catheter having a distal section with reduced variation in deflection path during deflection. The distal section of the catheter includes stripes of different material hardness along the length of the distal section affecting the directionality of catheter deflection upon the application of a deflection force like that applied by pull wires. The stripes result in preferential bending in a desired path with greater reproducibility.
US07731700B1
A subdermal injection port may include a housing, a first chamber within the housing, and a second chamber within the housing. The subdermal injection port may also include a needle stop between the first chamber and the second chamber. The subdermal injection port may further include an outlet in the housing, with the outlet being in fluid communication with the first chamber and the second chamber.
US07731697B2
A medical apparatus and method of use for implanting a catheter in a patient's body which catheter can be easily positioned, repositioned, and replaced. The apparatus includes an elongate sleeve comprising a wall surrounding an interior passageway extending from a sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end. The sleeve is intended to be percutaneously implanted through an incision in the patient's skin to place the sleeve distal end subcutaneously. The sleeve distal end outer surface carries porous material intended to contact the patient's dermis to promote tissue ingrowth. The sleeve passageway is dimensioned to snugly accommodate the outer surface of the catheter while permitting the catheter to slide relative to the sleeve. A split ring locking member is selectively operable in an unlocked state for permitting axial and rotational movement of said catheter relative to said sleeve and operable in a locked state for preventing such relative movement.
US07731689B2
A medical fluid machine includes (i) a pump that pumps a medical fluid and (ii) a heater that heats the medical fluid, the heater including an electrically insulative housing, at least one flat sheet of electrically conductive material suitable for contacting the medical fluid, the sheet disposed within the insulative housing, the sheet defining a flow path for the medical fluid in which the medical fluid changes direction at least one time, a primary coil of a transformer located outside the insulative housing, the primary coil configured to induce a current into the at least one conductive sheet, creating heat that may be transferred to the medical fluid.
US07731686B2
An apparatus includes a label configured to be coupled to a medicament delivery device. The label includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is configured to be coupled to an outer surface of the medicament delivery device. The second surface includes a textual indicia. The label further includes an electronic circuit system configured to output an electronic signal.
US07731682B2
An apparatus including an elongate body having a lumen extending therethrough and a steering wire, having a distal portion defining a non-circular cross-section, associated with the distal portion of the elongate body.
US07731665B2
An apparatus and method for precisely measuring various biological information of a user's body by using a single measuring apparatus enable precisely and effectively measuring biological information including body fat, pulse and a blood vessel aging degree. By measuring an infrared absorbance or infrared rays irradiated to a measurement target according to a modulation and tuning method and obtaining the information with reference to supplementary biological information obtained from a user, the plurality of biological information can be precisely measured at a low driving voltage through the modulation and tuning method by using a single infrared light source. Also, the measuring apparatus can be reduced in size by simplifying its construction and can be effectively integrated into various device.
US07731653B2
The present invention provides delivery systems for and methods of delivering conduction protein genetic material to cardiac cells in localized areas of the heart to improve the conductance therein. More specifically, there is provided a system and method for delivering connexin proteins or nucleic acid molecules encoding connexin proteins to a site in the heart which has been determined by mapping procedures to have a conduction disturbance. For cases where conduction is impaired, selected genetic material is delivered to cells around the disturbance area, in order to enhance overall conductivity patterns; in other cases, genetic material is selected to slow conduction in affected areas, so as to prevent, e.g., brady-tachy syndrome.
US07731651B2
The preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates a device configured to prepare and deploy a resilient sleeve on to a portion of body tissue. The device expands the resilient sleeve, uses a vacuum system to draw the body tissue in to the resilient sleeve, and releases the resilient sleeve from the expanded state so that it captures and constricts the body tissue.
US07731643B2
An exercise machine for exercising the muscles of the upper body, in which a pushing or pulling movement can be performed in a direction approximately between horizontal and vertical towards or away from the shoulder joint of the user, with the user seated in the same position.
US07731632B2
A rock climbing practice device includes a body which is rotatable 360 degrees about an axle support by a support unit. The body has multiple climbing surfaces and side surfaces, and multiple climbing holds are connected to the climbing surfaces which are formed along the rotational direction of the body. A shaft is connected to the support unit and co-rotated with the axle. A damping unit is connected to the shaft so as to provide proper damping force to the body and an adjustment unit is connected to the damping unit to adjust the damping force. When climbers climb the body which is rotated due to the weight of the climbers and the rotated body provides the climbing surfaces at different inclinations.
US07731628B2
A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an engagement-pressure control portion that increases the engagement pressure to a predetermined pressure for a friction engagement element to be engaged during a torque phase of an upshift in an automatic transmission. When the inertia phase starts, the control apparatus increases the engagement pressure at a predetermined gradient. The control apparatus also includes a torque-boost control portion that executes a torque-boost control that boosts the torque output from the power source during the torque phase; and a torque-boost permission portion that determines whether the torque-boost control should be restricted. When it is determined that the torque-boost control should not be restricted, the predetermined pressure is set to a greater value, and the predetermined gradient is set to a smaller value than when it is determined that the torque-boost control should be restricted.
US07731625B2
The transmission has a plurality of members that can be utilized in powertrains to provide nine forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. The transmission includes four planetary gear sets, six torque-transmitting devices, and four fixed interconnections. The powertrain includes an engine and torque converter that is continuously connected to one of the planetary gear members and an output member that is continuously connected with another one of the planetary gear members. The six torque-transmitting devices provide interconnections between various gear members, and the transmission housing, and are operated in combinations of three to establish nine forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio.
US07731611B2
A portable horseshoe court demarcation device formed of a plurality of engaged pairs of flexible members such as webbing. The ends of the flexible members once engaged to the ground mark a Horseshoe court. Center sections of one pair of flexible members provide a reference point from which to determine where to place horseshoe stakes, or provide flexible members for marking the installation point for the horseshoe stakes.
US07731609B2
A golf green repair tool with a depth limiting feature that has an earth engagement surface that has a forward slant to reposition the raised portion around a crater to the center region of the crater. A prong portion is adapted to be thrusted toward the center region of the crater and the repair tool is adapted to do minimal damage to the turf mat and provides a desirable method to repair craters left by impacting golf balls by properly repositioning of the displaced portions.
US07731603B2
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a golf club head having improved mass distribution characteristics. The golf club head includes a body and a face positioned at a forward portion of the body. The golf club head also includes one or more mass elements positioned at predetermined locations about the head. The mass elements assist in achieving desired relationship between the moment of inertia about a center of gravity x-axis and the moment of inertia about a center of gravity z-axis.
US07731586B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods by which a player may remotely participate in casino gaming activity. Such aspects may include a video camera configured to provide visual data concerning the casino gaming activity to the player, a microphone configured to provide audio data concerning the casino gaming activity to the player, and a data network coupled with the video camera and the microphone. In such aspects, the player may be located in a hotel guest room, the hotel guest room may include a video display coupled with the data network, and one or more buttons of a remote control device associated with said video display may be configured to control said player's remote participation in the casino gaming activity.
US07731582B2
A gaming device that selects one or more offer components and forms an initial offer based on the selected offer components. The gaming device enables the player to accept or reject the initial offer. If the player rejects the initial offer (and the player has at least one offer remaining), then a component number modifier generator selects one of a plurality of component number modifiers. The selected component number modifier alters or changes the number of selected offer components by either adding or subtracting at least one offer component to or from the previously selected offer components. If the selected component number modifier is associated with a negative number or value, then the gaming device deselects at least one of the previously selected offer components. The remaining selected offer components form a subsequent offer which the gaming device enables the player to accept or reject. If the selected component number modifier is associated with a positive value or number, then at least one of the offer components from the provided plurality of offer components is selected. The value or award associated with each of the additionally selected offer components is added or otherwise combined with the values of the previously selected offer components to form a subsequent offer which the gaming device enables the player to accept or reject.
US07731574B2
A vent assembly has a base and a cover connected to the base. The cover moves between a closed and open position. A fan is optionally mounted for rotation in the base. A mechanism, including a strut system, raises and lowers the cover. The strut system is connected with the cover at two positions spaced from one another. When the cover is in its closed position, a retention force is provided by the strut system and is distributed about the cover.
US07731569B2
A pad conditioning apparatus and method for conditioning a surface of a polishing pad which is used in a polishing apparatus for polishing works, having a bending or deflecting or elastic member and a supporting section to support a base end of the bending or deflecting or elastic member, wherein the bending or deflecting or elastic member elastically deforms upon contact of a vicinity of a tip end of the bending or deflecting or elastic member with the polishing pad, so that a pressure necessary to condition the pad is generated. A pad preparation apparatus using the pad conditioner; and a pad preparation method using the same, enable even conditioning of a polishing pad of an elastic body by following a surface of the polishing pad.
US07731565B2
In an eyeglass lens processing apparatus for beveling a peripheral edge of an eyeglass lens, if the high curve lens processing mode is selected by the mode selector, a computing unit acquires a high curve bevel path for locating the bevel apex on a front surface curve of the eyeglass lens or for locating the bevel apex at a position shifted by a predetermined quantity from the front surface curve toward the rear side on the basis of the edge position information acquired by the edge position detector, thereby providing high curve beveling data for the rear surface beveling grindstone, or for the front surface and rear surface beveling grindstones; and a beveling controller bevels the peripheral edge of the eyeglass lens by the rear surface beveling grindstone, or by the front surface and rear surface beveling grindstones on the basis of the high curve beveling data.
US07731558B2
The present device is an illuminated building block device that mimics the look of a laser. The building block includes a non-opaque body comprising at least two mechanical connectors. At least two electrically independent conductors each traverse the body from each connector to each other connector. At least one LED is electrically connected to at least two of the electrical conductors. With at least two building blocks mechanically connected, a power source may be applied to one of the connectors of one of the building blocks to illuminate each LED. Preferably, the body of the building block is generally transparent and is capable of transmitting light from a colored LED to a connected block, thus mimicking the look of a laser. The invention also comprises a set of building blocks that permits light from an LED to pass from one connected block to an adjacent connected block.
US07731553B2
A watercraft propelled by a water jet includes an sealed hull portion including an upper deck and a bottom surface, an engine compartment located behind the sealed hull portion and containing a propulsion and steering system including an engine, a bladed impeller driven by the engine for inducting water and forcing the inducted water away from the craft through a directionally displaceable nozzle, and a control lever located on the upper deck including an engine throttle control and a steering control for adjusting the directionally displacement of the nozzle.
US07731550B2
An electric connector (1) has an attachment portion (2) for attachment to an electric conductor, a connecting portion (3) for connection to a mating electric connector, and a damping portion (4) which joins the attachment portion (2) to the connecting portion (3) and comprises a bottom wall (5) connected to one of the two portions and a top wall (6) connected to the other of the two portions. The bottom wall (5) and the top wall (6) lie on advantageously parallel planes, and are connected by one side wall (7).
US07731541B1
A backplane connector has a housing, a first insulative base, a second insulative base, multiple first terminals, multiple second terminals and multiple third terminals. Each of the insulative bases is mounted in the housing and is formed into one-piece. The first terminals are mounted on the first insulative base. The second terminals are mounted on the second insulative base. The third terminals are mounted on the insulative bases. The one-piece insulative bases excellently reduce their tolerances and raise the structurally strength of the backplane connector. Therefore, the production rate of the backplane connector increases.
US07731536B2
A crimp ring (14) is mounted on a braided wire (13) of a shielded cable (12). On the other hand, a shielding shell (20) connectable with a large diameter portion (14b) of the crimp ring (14) is mounted in a housing (8). Entire touching portions (35) are formed at both upper and lower surfaces of the shielding shell (20) by being bent inward to form mountain-shaped resilient contact pieces (36) that can resiliently contact the large diameter portion (14b) and then being folded back outward near the rear edge of the shielding shell (20). Displacement restricting portions (40) are arranged between the touching portions (35) adjacent in width direction to protect the other touching portions (35) from the interference of the shielded cable (12) being inserted or withdrawn.
US07731530B2
A waterproof plug for a connector, includes an elastically deformable seal member for sealing a housing which houses terminals fixed at edges of electric cables in the inside thereof. The seal member is housed inside the housing by press-fitting, and has at least two elements holding the electric cables by sandwiching from both sides and tightly contacting with outer peripheral surfaces thereof.
US07731526B2
The terminal portions 222a, 222b of the contacts having the contact portions 221a, 221b belonging to (2n/2)-th contact portion tier 2-21 are arranged so as to be alternately allocated to the first terminal portion tier 1-22 and the second terminal portion tier 2-22.
US07731508B2
An adapter board for connecting an electronic controller to the connection leads thereof includes a printed circuit board having at least two pins, which can be inserted into connections for the connection leads of the electronic controller. The adapter board also includes a plug-in connector, which can be plugged into a mating plug-in connector of a socket and which can be brought into a signal connection with the connection leads. The pins are connected to the plug-in connector in an electrically conductive manner via the printed circuit board.
US07731504B2
A printed circuit board according to the present invention is a printed circuit board (4) including a component mounting pin (1) made of a metal wire to connect with a semiconductor chip (10). The semiconductor chip (10) is a surface mounting type semiconductor chip having an electrode pad on its mounting surface for use in a flip-chip mounting system. The component mounting pin (1) is formed by using wire-bonding technology. This printed circuit board (4) is able to decrease malconnections or disconnection caused by a difference between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the semiconductor chip (10) and the printed circuit board (4).
US07731502B2
An electrical connector including a first connector portion and a second connector portion. First and second covers are pivotally attached to the body about a common axis for covering the first and second connector portion.
US07731501B2
An underwater writing and drawing tablet that stretches a length of waterproof (plastic) vellum between two rollers over a flat surface thereby enabling the user to easily draw or write on said vellum and permanently save the drawing and writing.
US07731493B2
Gas burner, in particular for domestic cooking appliances, comprising a bowl-shaped body (10) associated with a gas injector, a toothed crown (12) with a plurality of first flame ports (13) circumferentially arranged along the periphery of the crown (12) and an upper cap (14) to close the burner top. A peripheral step (15) is formed on at least a part of the external surface of the toothed crown (12) and second flame ports (17) of reduced area are circumferentially provided along the periphery of the crown (12) in such a way that adjacent first flame ports (13) are spaced apart from each other by means of a single second flame port (17) disposed therebetween.
US07731492B2
A fuel charge for use with a melting plate candle assembly includes an outer shell of fuel material surrounding an inner core of fuel material having different properties than the fuel material of the outer shell. The outer shell is substantially solid and may contain fuel additive that slows capillary flow of liquid fuel to the flame through the wick. The inner core may include liquid fuel, discrete solid fuel particles, or a solid fuel mass. The fuel additive is disposed in the fuel charge so as to slow migration of liquefied fuel to a flame on a wick only after a substantial portion of the fuel charge has been liquefied by heat from the flame.
US07731484B2
The present invention has an object of controlling power consumption by a vacuum pump by varying the number of revolutions of the vacuum pump in accordance with the operating state of a vacuum device.The condition setting part 4 sets the relationship between the operating state of the vacuum device 10 and the rotational speed of the vacuum pump 2 that evacuates the vacuum device 10. This relationship is set to an appropriate value so as to prevent the rotational speed of the vacuum pump 2 from becoming a higher rotational speed than is required. The control part 6, to which external signals S1 through Sn corresponding to the operating state of the vacuum device 10 are input, reads out from the condition setting part 4 and outputs the rotational speed of the vacuum pump 2 corresponding to the external signals. The inverter 8 controls the rotational speed of the vacuum pump based on the output of the control part 6.
US07731483B2
Third stage turbine buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z′ set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z′ values are non-dimensional values from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z′ values by the height of the airfoil in inches and adding the radius of the airfoil base. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the bucket. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of +/−0.0.060 inches in directions normal to the surface of the airfoil.
US07731482B2
A damping system for a turbine bucket. The damping system includes a damper pocket with a variable tangential depth and a damper pin positional within the damper pocket.
US07731470B2
A reticle rotatable rack is provided at an upper position, and a pod rotatable rack is provided at a lower position in a clean stocker. A clean gas is supplied downwardly. In the stocker, a pod transportation device and a reticle transportation device are elevated and lowered. Load ports, a pod opener, and the pod rotatable rack are connected by the pod transportation device. The pod opener and the reticle rotatable rack are connected by the reticle transportation device.
US07731467B2
Bolt element (10) having a shaft part (12) which is designed at a first end (14) for a rivet connection (16) to a panel element (18), in particular to a sheet metal part, is characterized in that the shaft part (12) has a spherical formation (22) at its other end (20) the ball diameter (D) of which is larger than that of the shaft part (12). In this manner a bolt element with a spherical head can be manufactured in an extremely favorable manner price-wise and it can be ensured that the spherical head has no burr which would lead to the wearing of the socket provided in operation which slides on the spherical head.
US07731466B2
The thread form can provide a controlled thread stiffness which can more evenly distribute loads and can be less sensitive to changes in relative pitch. The controlled stiffness of the thread can provide a desired cantilever bending of the thread under assembled load. The thread form can utilize a traditional thread form at and/or above the pitch diameter, thereby maintaining the area of contact close to that of a standard thread form. Standard gaging implements can be used to ascertain the thread pitch and for quality control. The thread form includes a side extending between the crest and the root. The side has a first portion extending from the crest toward the root and the second portion extending from the first portion toward the root. The first and second portions extend toward the root in different orientations relative to the thread.
US07731460B2
A self-adjusting loading guide and restraint for guiding and restraining aircraft unit load devices includes a base and an arm substantially upwardly extending from the base. The arm includes a vertical restraint portion and guide member having at least one substantially planar guide surface that is pivotally connected to the arm, and is movable between a first guide position and a second guide position. When the vertical restraint portion is engaged with a stowed first unit load device, the guide member assists in guiding a second unit load device away from the first unit load device and the loading guide and restraint and into a stowage location that is adjacent to the first unit load device.
US07731449B2
A flexible marker device comprises a marker body having a bottom end and a top end, and a base for supporting the marker body. The base has an aperture in a center portion thereof and a groove extending about the aperture in an upper surface of the base. The bottom end of the marker body is at least partially disposed within the groove. A cured material, preferably polyurethane, is disposed in the groove to thereby secure the marker body to the base.
US07731445B2
A captured shim head set for a bicycle has a bearing set for mounting on the head tube of a bicycle; a member for axially loading the bearing set and radially affixing the bearing set to a steerer tube of a bicycle front fork; a top cap for covering the bearing set and with which an axial load is applied to the member; and at least one washer-shaped shim for adjusting the spacing between the top cap and member. A lost motion mechanism is formed between the member and top cap and at least one washer-shaped shim is selectively capturable in the lost motion mechanism for limiting the degree of movement between the member and top cap in a manner limiting the distance that the top cap is movable towards the member.
US07731441B2
A ring mechanism for retaining loose leaf pages has a housing and hinge plates supported by the housing for pivoting motion relative to the housing. Ring members are mounted on the hinge plates and are moveable between a closed position and an open position. An actuator is mounted on the housing for movement relative to the housing for causing pivoting motion of the hinge plates. A locking element releasably locks the closed ring members in a locked position and releases the closed ring members to move to the open position in an unlocked position. An intermediate connector operably connects the locking element to the actuator. The intermediate connector is deformable during movement of the actuator.
US07731434B2
An electromagnetic actuator includes; a coil for excitation; a stator excited with different magnetic poles by energization of the coil; a rotor magnetized with different magnetic poles in a circumferential direction thereof, and rotated by a magnetic force generated between the rotor and the stator; and an outputting member rotated in conjunction with the rotor and outputting rotational movement of the rotor to a first blade and a second blade. The rotor and the outputting member are jointed by welding and a welding portion of the rotor lies in a boundary of the magnetic poles thereof.
US07731432B2
Optical transceiver modules with multiple channel connection with connectors on a motherboard of a line card for network devices, such as a switch, router, crossconnect and the like, are presented. The modules have staggered electronic boards which can engage the connectors which are laterally displaced on the motherboard. The connectors are also arranged so that one of them can engage an optical transceiver module in an SFP connection so that the motherboard connectors are compatible with multiple channel and single channel (SFP) connections.
US07731430B2
A sub-mount for mounting optical components includes a recess for mounting whose side wall is tapered. A light transmission and reception module includes the sub-mount for mounting optical component. The sub-mount is manufactured by forming a master mold of the sub-mount formed with projections and recesses including the recess for mounting of the sub-mount, applying liquid silicone rubber to the mater mold, curing the liquid silicone rubber to produce a mold for duplication, filling the curable material into the mold for duplication, curing the curable material, and separating the cured curable material from the mold for duplication.
US07731428B2
A bicycle hub is provided that comprises a hub axle, a hub body rotatably mounted on the hub axle by a pair of bearings and at least one of the bearings having an inner tube. The bearings include an outer ring operatively coupled to the hub body, an inner ring operatively coupled to the hub axle, and a plurality of rolling components disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring. The inner tube is disposed with respect to the outer ring of at least one of the bearings such that at least a portion of the inner tube is disposed about the outer peripheral surface of the hub axle to form a small prescribed radial clearance therebetween.
US07731427B2
A wheel bearing apparatus incorporating a wheel speed detecting apparatus and a method for manufacturing the wheel bearing apparatus has a wheel speed detecting apparatus (21) with a sensor holder (22). The sensor holder (22) includes a steel annular fitting ring (24) to be fit onto the end of the outer member (4). A holding portion (25) of plastic resin is integrally molded with the annular fitting ring (24). A wheel speed sensor (26) is embedded in the resin. An inboard side seal (11) of the seals (11, 12) is arranged between the sensor holder (22) and the outer joint member (14). The maximum diameter of the sensor holder (22) and the constant velocity universal joint (3) is smaller than the inner diameter of the knuckle (N).
US07731426B2
A rotor support includes a first ring disposed around a first axis, a second ring disposed around the first axis downstream from the first ring, and a plurality of beams extending between the first and the second rings. Each beam is configured to provide an axial stiffness, when an axial force is exerted on the first ring, and a radial stiffness, when a radial force is exerted on the first ring. Each beam has a height extending parallel to a second axis and a width extending parallel to a third axis. The beams are distributed around the first ring to provide a substantially uniform circumferential axial stiffness around the rotor support, and the height of each beam is greater than the width of each beam. Damping can be provided by the placement of a damper between the rotor support and the support housing.
US07731409B2
An illumination device for use in display devices produces a spatial pattern of light at different wavelengths using multiple light sources and waveguides. Each light source emits light at a different wavelength. The waveguides define optical apertures that are spatially arranged in a predetermined pattern, and each waveguide is optically coupled to one of the light sources to produce the spatial pattern of light at wavelengths corresponding to the predetermined pattern.
US07731407B2
A display device includes: a light source; a light guide plate including a first plate surface that emits light incident from the light source, a second plate surface other than the first plate surface, and at least two protruding portions formed on the second plate surface; a light source board including the light source arranged thereon, the light source board arranged on the second plate surface; and an optical sheet including a first sheet surface arranged to face the first plate surface, a second sheet surface arranged to face the light source board, and at least two protruding portions formed on the second sheet surface.
US07731405B2
A side-emission type light-emitting diode including: a first substrate having a concavity formed in one of side surfaces of the first substrate, the concavity including an inner surface which is configured to be a first reflecting surface; an LED-element-mounting board of thin plate shape, arranged on the lower surface of the first substrate, the board configured to close the concavity at the lower surface of the first substrate; an LED element mounted on the board and arranged in the concavity; and a light-transmitting resin filled in the concavity and configured to seal the LED element.
US07731404B2
An illuminator (10) for a plurality of optical fibers (12). The illuminator (10) comprises a housing (14) that can be formed of two housing halves, (14a) and (14b) of a suitable material such as an opaque ABS plastic. First and second compartments (16, 18) are provided in the housing. A suitable battery (20) is contained within the first compartment (16) and a light source (22) is contained in the second compartment (18). The light source (22) is preferably a LED. The light source (22) is mounted upon a printed circuit board (24), which, in turn, can be mounted upon a heatsink (24a), for example, a black, anodized aluminum. An optical coupler (26) is associated with the light source (22) and comprises a central body (28) arrayed along a light source axis (30) and has a proximal end (32) with a lens (34) adjacent the light source (22) and a distal end (36). At least one lateral projection (38) (preferably, two) is formed on the central body (28), the lateral projection (38) including mounting means (40). The distal end (36) is formed to accept an optical fiber bundle (42) that has a body (42a) that preferably is polygonal in cross-section.
US07731392B2
A portable light intended for mounting on a garment as support includes two LED light sources spaced apart towards the rear of the portable light. A clipped base below on anchor facilitates locating a garment between the anchor and the base, and a spring action urges the base toward the anchor. A hingedly movable head for the LEDs is mounted on the housing to move to and form the housing. An opening of the housing causes a switch in the housing to move between an opened and closed position such that a circuit actives or deactivates the LED lights when the head opens or closes relative to the housing.
US07731387B2
The present invention relates to a lighting device (1) comprising a lighting unit (2) and a user interface (3) for controlling the lighting color and/or intensity of the lighting unit (2). The user interface (3) comprises a physical object (4), which is shaped as a polyhedron, for instance a cube. Orienting the physical object (4), i.e. choosing which side is up, serves to select the color, and rotating the physical object (4) about the side on which it rests serves to change the intensity setting. The user interface (3) generates an output signal, which is the input for a processing unit (9). This processing unit (9) converts this signal into a driving signal suitable for controlling the lighting unit (2).
US07731381B2
A lighting device includes a light channel disposed in a wall or door of a treatment chamber. A light source cooperating with the light channel is disposed outside of the treatment chamber and provides light beams along a first direction. First and second reflectors are disposed in the light channel to reflect respective portions of the light beams toward the treatment chamber so as to enter the treatment chamber through a transparent area in the wall or door. The second reflector extends further in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, than the first reflector, such that the second portion of the light beams reaches the second reflector in an unhindered manner. The first and second reflectors have reflective surfaces thereon which are configured differently in the second direction and a third direction transverse to the first direction in order to prevent mutual shadowing.
US07731377B2
It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable backlight device with less color unevenness and less luminance unevenness, and a high-performance and highly reliable display device including the backlight device, which can display a high quality image. A light emitting diode (LED) is used as a light source of a backlight device and thermoelectric elements are provided in a chassis for holding the light emitting diode so as to surround the light emitting diode (the thermoelectric elements are provided under the light emitting diode and on the four sides thereof). A temperature in the backlight device is adjusted by cooling and heating by the thermoelectric elements.
US07731375B2
Various phosphorescence charging systems are provided for charging a phosphorescent wheel. The wheel is attached to the frame of a vehicle with nighttime or low light operation capability. The phosphorescence charging system directs electromagnetic radiation, such as ultraviolet light, onto phosphorescent portions of the wheel so as to cause subsequent phosphorescent emission therefrom.
US07731372B2
A projector comprises a light source unit, a light guide element, a first focus element, a second focus element, a micromirror element and an image unit. The light source unit provides a light beam. The first focus element comprises a first focal length f1. The second focus element comprises a second focal length f2, wherein 2.0 < f 2 f 1 < 3.6 . The light beam travels from the light source unit, passing the light guide element, the first focus element, the second focus element and the micromirror element to the image unit.
US07731366B2
An optical system is provided. The optical system comprises a first polarizing beamsplitter (PBS), a first reflecting image-forming device, and a first quarter-wave retarding element. An optical system is also provided that comprises an image-forming device, a reflective polarizing layer, at least a first birefringent element disposed on an optical path between the image-forming device and the polarizing layer, and a quarter-wave retarding element. Further provided is an optical system comprising a color combiner unit, at least two polarizing beamsplitters (PBSs), and a first quarter-wave retarding element. The present application also provides methods of compensating for birefringence in an image projection system.
US07731356B1
Eyeglasses that can be hung around the wearer's neck, without the necessity of a chain or cord, can be rotated between a normal viewing position, a conventional storage position and a hanging position. In the hanging positions, the rear ends of temple arms are spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of a normal wearer's neck. In embodiment in which a hinge between the lens frame and the temple arms can be pivoted about three orthogonal axes, the lens frame will lie flat against the wearer's chest or neck. Two hinge configurations that allow the lens frame to lie flat include a ball and socket joint and a multiple hinge joint. The temple arms can also be extended so that the eyeglasses will more comfortably fit around the wearer's neck in the hanging position.
US07731350B2
A partition is provided at the almost center of a parallel sheet feed tray in a main-scanning direction, and recording paper sheets such as postcards are mounted in two rows in parallel in the main-scanning direction. By bringing upper surfaces of the recording paper sheets into contact with a pick roller, the recording paper sheets are picked one by one per row and fed toward an inside of a housing. While the recording paper sheets are conveyed in a sub-scanning direction with being arranged in parallel in the main-scanning direction, ink drops are discharged to both the recording paper sheets with reciprocation of a carriage with the ink cartridges in the main-scanning direction. Images are formed on the two recording paper sheets simultaneously, thereby shortening time necessary for printing a lot of recording paper sheets.
US07731346B2
The present invention provides an ink-jet recording method for forming an image by applying an ink to a recording medium. The ink contains at least water, a colorant and a surfactant. The content of the surfactant is higher than or equal to the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant, and the ink used has a surface tension lower than or equal to the critical surface tension of the recording medium. The ink is applied on the recording medium, and the surface tension of the ink is increased to a surface tension higher than the critical surface tension of the recording medium after the ink contacts the recording medium.
US07731344B2
Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a liquid vessel including a liquid containing body having a discharge port for discharging liquid, and a liquid residual amount detection device having a liquid inflow port connected to the discharge port, a liquid lead-out portion for supplying the liquid and a vibration detection portion for applying vibration to a flow path between the liquid inflow port and the liquid lead-out portion and detecting a residual amount of liquid in the liquid containing body, the method including: connecting the liquid inflow port of the liquid residual amount detection device to the discharge port of the liquid containing body in which the liquid has been stored in advance and injecting the liquid from the liquid containing body into the liquid residual amount detection device to obtain a state in which the flow path is charged with the liquid.
US07731341B2
A fluid ejection device, a method of cleaning the device, and a method of operating the device are provided. The device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface located opposite the first surface. A nozzle plate is formed over the first surface of the substrate and has a nozzle through which fluid is ejected. A drop forming mechanism is situated at the periphery of the nozzle. A fluid chamber is in fluid communication with the nozzle and has a first wall and a second wall. The first wall and the second wall are positioned at an angle other than 90° relative to each other. A fluid delivery channel is formed in the substrate and extends from the second surface of the substrate to the fluid chamber. The fluid delivery channel is in fluid communication with the fluid chamber.
US07731340B2
An ink-jet head includes a channel unit and a piezoelectric actuator. The channel unit has a plurality of plates made of metal and including a cavity plate which is made of metal and in which a plurality of pressure chambers are formed and a supply plate which is made of metal and in which holes communicating with the pressure chambers respectively are formed, and the plates are diffusion-bonded with each other. The piezoelectric actuator has a vibration plate which is diffusion-bonded with the cavity plate. A groove is formed in a partition wall defining the pressure chambers or in an area overlapping the partition wall of the vibration plate, the cavity plate, and the supply plate. There is provided a liquid jetting head in which air hardly remains in the pressure chambers, and deterioration of jetting performance by the air is suppressed.
US07731334B2
Provided is an inkjet nozzle arrangement which includes a wafer base defining an ink chamber with an ink inlet channel and an ink ejection port. The arrangement also includes an upper electrode plate and a lower electrode plate separated by at least one polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer within the chamber. The upper plate has a corrugated portion which concertinas upon movement of said top plate, wherein ink is ejected from the ink ejection port through the utilization of attraction and related movement between the plates when a potential difference is applied therebetween.
US07731323B2
With this invention, compatibility between an image forming apparatus and a component mounted on the image forming apparatus is precisely checked. A cartridge, as the component, stores its ID (first information) and an ID (second information) of the image forming apparatus that can use the cartridge. The image forming apparatus stores its ID (third information) and an ID (fourth information) of the cartridge that can be used in the image forming apparatus. Then, when the fourth information includes the first information or the second information includes the third information, it is decided that the cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus can be used. When the fourth information does not include the first information and the second information does not include the third information, it is decided that the cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus cannot be used.
US07731322B2
An image forming apparatus can form a high-quality image while acquiring a stable conveyance performance. A conveyance belt (21) conveys a recording medium (12) by attracting the recording medium (12) by an electrostatic force. A recording head (7) discharges liquid droplets toward the recording medium (12) being conveyed by the conveyance belt (21). Alternating positive and negative electric charges are applied onto the conveyance belt (21). A conveyance speed is controlled in accordance with a charge period length of the alternating positive and negative electric charges applied onto the conveyance belt (21).
US07731320B2
An ink jet recording apparatus, which records a image on a recording medium using a recording head provided with a plurality of ink discharge ports, comprises a rotative platen having a plurality of supporting pieces arranged at predetermined intervals; rotation means for rotating the platen; conveyance means for conveying the recording medium; control means for controlling the rotation means to rotate the platen in the conveying direction of the recording medium in synchronism with the conveyance of the recording medium when recording is performed near the edge of the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance means. With the structure thus arrange, this ink jet recording apparatus is capable of performing the entire area recording (no margin recording) on a recording medium without staining the platen that supports the recording medium at the time of recording.
US07731315B2
A refrigerator having a mounting structure capable of easily and conveniently achieving the mounting process for elements to be installed in an inner case. The refrigerator includes a first body including an inner case, an outer case, and a urethane foam filled between the inner case and the outer case, a coupling hole formed through the inner case, a mounting member coupled to the coupling hole at a first outside of the inner case by a first end of the mounting member and provided with a fastening hole, the mounting member being fixed between the inner case and the outer case by the urethane foam when the urethane foam is filled, and a fastening member fastened to the fastening hole at a first inside of the inner case.
US07731313B2
The present invention discloses a locating structure for slide rail, comprising a guide rail which is a rectangular plate disposed with a respective inward-turn slide groove on both sides of its bottom plate, wherein at least two locating holes at the predetermined locating positions are machined to form on the surface of the bottom plate; a slider which is a short frame whose slide plate on top extends to form a respective slide wing on its both sides corresponding to the slide grooves to form a socketingly connection, wherein a respective receiving hole is manufactured to form on both sides of the slide plate, a spring frame, disposed on the bottom of the slide plate and manufactured to form a ball hole on its bottom to socketingly connected with a rolling ball, extends upward an predetermined length from its both sides, respectively, and then bends inward to form a turn portion, respectively, one of which connects downward with a spring plate whose bottom contacts with the rolling ball and the other of which maintains a gap with the spring plate; when the slider slides, the two slide wings slide along the two slide grooves, respectively, and thus the rolling ball compresses the spring plate and moves along the bottom plate until the rolling ball reaches the locating hole to stretch the spring plate, such that the rolling ball falls into the locating hole to form a snapping engagement.
US07731312B2
A retaining mechanism for a slide assembly includes a first rail, a second rail, a holding member, a blocking member and a fixed plate. The second rail is slidably connected to the first rail. The holding member has a fixed end and slots. The fixed end is fixedly connected to the first rail. The blocking member has a fixed end and an engaging section, and is located between the holding member and the first rail. The fixed end of the blocking member corresponds to the fixed end of the holding member and is fixedly connected to the first rail. The engaging section corresponds to the slots of the holding member. The fixed plate is fixedly connected to the second rail and corresponds to the slots of the holding member.
US07731308B1
A medication container is designed for secure storage of medications and other controlled substances. The container top has a sloped configuration which resists the stacking of medical files and other objects atop it (which might obscure view of the container), and it also includes a curved sliding front door allowing both a frontal and top view of medications within the container. The door is locked by use of two separate locks, one intended for a pharmacist or other medication control officer, and one by the personnel administering the medication to patients, whereby either of these parties may independently access the interior of the container. The container is also preferably designed to rapidly have a removable medication tray installed within or removed from its interior, and to rapidly be fixed to a medication cart, patient bedside table, or other structure.
US07731307B1
A guard for the axle seal of a wheeled tractor being an annular steel structure that bridges the plane of the seal between a spindle and final drive including a pair of axially spaced flanges having circular outer peripheries, at least one of the outer peripheries of the flanges being sized to produce a narrow gap seal with a circular interior surface of a wheel rim, a hub extending axially between the flanges and spaced radially inward of said flange outer peripheries, the flanges, hub and interior wheel surface defining an annular space adapted to trap debris.
US07731304B2
The invention relates to an electronically regulatable vehicle brake system with traction control, in which a master cylinder is connected indirectly via a hydraulic unit to at least one wheel brake. The hydraulic unit has electromagnet valves and an externally triggerable pressure generator, for modulating the wheel brake pressure, optionally independently of the driver. For preventing wheel slip, the pressure generator is connected by its intake side to an intake conduit, among other things, that is controllable by an intake valve. To enhance the dynamics and improve the regulatability of a vehicle brake system, a self-aspirating pressure fluid storage unit is connected to the intake conduit and makes an aspiration volume available to the pressure generator.
US07731297B1
A dump apron for a dump truck, the apron pivotally mounted around a lower end of the dump opening at the rear of the dump body, and movable in response to the tilt position of the dump body between a lower flow-channeling position and a raised tailgate-securing position. In the tailgate-securing position the apron serves to seal leaks of the loaded material around the tailgate, and to function as a secondary lock to back up the tailgate's primary latching or locking mechanism. In the preferred form, the apron is held at an acute angle to the closed tailgate in the raised tailgate-securing position, forming a trough for collecting particulate material leaking around the tailgate from the loaded dump bed, and allowing visual inspection of the lower end of the tailgate and the tailgate's primary lock.
US07731285B2
A crank element is arranged rotatably between two support elements so as to prevent removal therefrom. The crank element is formed with a pair of generally inverted-L-shaped end portions each having a horizontal first end region and a vertical second end region bent from that first end region. Each of those two end portions is rotatably secured via retainer bush in each of two through-holes formed in the respective two support elements. The two through-holes each has an elongated hole region and a circular hole region. The retainer bush is resiliently deformable and has: a through-bore in which the first end region of crank element is rotatably support; and a groove portion in which the circular hole region of the through-hole is closely engaged.
US07731277B2
A seating implement has a base frame, a sitting surface, a back rest, and a tablet. The tablet is fastened to a support element provided on one side of the base frame by way of a linkage mechanism, so that the table can swivel between a substantially horizontal position of use and a position of non-use. The tablet is dimensioned to support a notebook computer and the support element has a section running in a substantially horizontal plane, on which the tablet is pivotally fastened by way of the linkage mechanism. The substantially horizontal section is oriented at an angle to the direction of the sitting surface, and the tablet can swivel about an axis substantially parallel to this section.
US07731275B2
The invention relates to a vehicle roof with a roof opening with a flange surrounding the roof opening, on which a roof module with a roof frame comprising at least one frame member can be inserted through the roof opening from above, with guide rails arranged on the roof frame and with at least one roof section supported on these guide rails can be attached. The invention teaches that the roof frame is provided with a sealing frame which surrounds all sides of the roof opening which can be attached onto the flange from above, on which the guide rails and the frame members are attached, and which is sealed by means of at least one seal against the flange, and that furthermore mounting elements are provided through which the guide rails on the underside of the flange can be connected to it.
US07731263B2
A detachable cover for a motorcycle cowling that can be easily switched with a service part is described. The cover includes a cover front edge section that is formed so as to form a generally continuous surface with at least a portion of an outer periphery edge section of a head light, and a cover rear section that is removably attachable to the cowling and that extends to the rear from the cover front edge section when attached to the cowling. A motorcycle that easily allows external appearance to be changed to satisfy a user's requirements is also described.
US07731255B2
An interior vehicle cargo system is provided with an interior cargo structure, bulkhead and a bulkhead attachment assembly. The bulkhead attachment assembly selectively retains the bulkhead in one of a plurality of locations within interior cargo area. The bulkhead attachment assembly includes at least a pair of elongated tracks and at least one fastening structure associated with each of the elongated tracks. One of the elongated tracks is attached to a first one of the vehicle panels, while another elongated track is attached to a second one of the vehicle panels that is opposite the first one of the vehicle panels. The fastening structures are slideably arranged on the elongated tracks to selectively fastening the bulkhead at one of the plurality of locations.
US07731251B2
A sash lock for use with door and window is provided. The lock has a base housing shaped into a laterally extending crib to contain a partially protruding plunger sliding under a forward bias, a large button block that occupies a substantial area at the top of the lock to allow for a unique squeeze release of the plunger and translates in a perpendicular plane with respect to the plunger movement under an expansive bias for normally pushing the button block away from the base housing in cooperation with the biased counteraction of the cam surfaces of the plunger but yielding to a manual depression to activate the plunger through a cam engagement, and a top housing fastened to the base housing to enclose the plunger and button block. The plunger has cam surfaces at a rear end facing forwardly and a beveled lip portion at a front end while the button block has a beveled surface facing the cam surfaces of the plunger. The sash lock further comprises two identical holes formed in the bottom of base housing and a separate keeper for interlocking with the base housing.
US07731239B2
A card forming sheet includes an opaque printing sheet and a transparent film placed over the printing sheet, so that the transparent film can be peeled away from the printing sheet and cannot be re-bonded to the printing sheet. Moreover, the card forming sheet includes a transparent adhesive and a peeling sheet placed over the adhesive layer. The printing sheet is divided into a substantially rectangular address describing part, an information describing part adjacent to one side of the address describing part, and a concealing part adjacent to another side of the address describing part. The card forming sheet is folded along a boundary between the address describing part and the information describing part. The two sides are bonded together so that the printing sheet is placed to the outside, and the card forming sheet is then folded along a boundary between the concealing part and the address describing part and bonded together, removably concealing the information.
US07731238B2
A straddle-type vehicle that reliably leads fuel that overflows from a fuel fill opening away to a safe area without specialist components. A fuel tank includes a recess portion that is formed around a fuel fill opening, and a raised section that is formed to the outer side of the recess portion and that is at a higher position than the recess portion.
US07731233B2
An airbag module comprising a housing with an inflatable airbag cushion disposed therein and at least one vent tube attached to the inflatable airbag cushion, wherein during inflatable airbag cushion deployment with an obstruction, the at least one vent tube remains open, and during inflatable airbag cushion deployment without an obstruction, the at least one vent tube at least partially closes.
US07731225B2
In an airbag provided in a folded condition, a front end of the airbag includes a pulled-out section provided by pulling out the end of the airbag. In the airbag in a stored condition, an oblique path from a front end of the airbag to a fixed point of a front pillar can be reached by the pulled-out section. In the developed condition of the airbag, the pulled-out section can further draw the position of the front end of the airbag to the front side, thereby providing an increased protection range by the airbag.
US07731222B2
An assembly and method for adapting a baby stroller to better travel over unstable ground, such as sand. A sledge is provided that has a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface is flat with a beveled front end that enables the sledge to be easily pulled over sand or mud. Retention features, such as semi-cylindrical depressions, are formed in the top surface of the sledge. The retention features enable a baby stroller to be placed atop the sledge without rolling off. Once the wheels of the stroller are attached to the sledge, the sledge can be pulled through sand and mud more easily. The sledge may be supported by wide wheels to help the sledge roll over unstable ground. Furthermore, the sledge may be collapsible so that it can be easily stored when not in use.
US07731220B2
A frame assembly for a double-seat baby stroller is provided. The frame assembly comprises: a first frame including a first main post, plural first bars, plural second bars, plural third bar, a central post and a first folding device pivotally connected to one another; and a second frame including a second main post, plural fourth bars, plural fifth bars, plural sixth bar, the central post and a second folding device pivotally connected to one another. The frame assembly is characterized by further comprising a linking mechanism connecting one of the bars of the first frame and one of the bars of the second frame, wherein when the second main post of the second frame and the central post become close to each other, the one of the bars of the first frame is driven to move via the linking mechanism by the one of the bars of the second frame, so that the first main post of the first frame and the central post become close to each other.
US07731216B2
A rollover prevention device for commercial tractor/trailers that senses when the tractor portion of the commercial truck has reached the critical height at which rollover of the trailer cannot be avoided. Once this critical height is reached pneumatic cylinders and pins automatically release the trailer from the tractor, thereby preserving human life and minimizing damage to property.
US07731214B2
A suspension for a two-wheeled vehicle includes first and second fork legs. Each fork leg includes a dropout. Each dropout has an opening therethrough. At least a portion of one of the openings is threaded. Each of the dropouts includes a split-clamp pinch bearing defining the opening and operable between an open position and a locked position, and a hand operable actuator pivoted to the bearing for operation thereof. The suspension further includes a one-piece axle. The axle is disposed through the openings. The axle has a threaded first end engaged with the threaded portion. The axle has an ergonomic grip formed at a second end. The bearing tightly engages an outer surface of the axle in the locked position, thereby rotationally coupling the axle to the dropout.
US07731206B2
The invention relates to a fork-lift truck comprising two steering wheels mounted on one axle, provided with a lifting and steering device arranged thereon and a fork-carrier frame mounted on the track rollers, comprising two supporting beams. The fork-carrier frame is mounted in such a manner that it interacts with the lifting and steering device. The fork-lift truck also comprises a set of wheels which can be disposed in the region of the front ends of the fork of the supporting beams on the fork-carrier frame. The aim of the invention is to enable a fork-lift truck to be fitted with an additional set of wheels if desired without having an adverse effect on the advantages of the use thereof. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the fork-lift truck comprises overlapping tracks which extend the supporting beams and which can be detachably fixed to the fork-carrier frame and can be placed onto the supporting beams. The set of wheels are detachably arranged on the front side of the tracks.
US07731205B2
A mobile saw stand brake system incorporates a pair of swing-out legs pivotally connected to a saw stand main frame. A first end of the main frame is supported on a pair of rotating wheels. A pair of brake lever arms, each having a brake shoe end and a distal actuating end, are pivotally connected to the main frame. A tension mechanism is interconnected with the pair of swing-out legs so as to actuate the brake lever arms to engage the wheels when the legs are extended in their swing-out position. The brakes are disengaged when the swing-out legs are folded into a stowed position.
US07731204B2
The combination scooter/backpack is an article carrying device with the capacity to be converted into a wheeled land vehicle, and therefore has two modes of usage. The article carrying device resembles a conventional backpack with two straps positioned to be placed over the user's shoulders, entitled backpack mode. The wheeled land vehicle functions as a popular collapsible scooter, two wheels mounted upon a board member with propulsion means provided by user's contact with the ground, entitled scooter mode. A horizontal handlebar is positioned at the top of the combination and serves to steer the front wheel during scooter mode. Conversion between backpack mode and scooter mode is accomplished with the raising and lowering of said handlebar and the manipulation of releasable fasteners and latches. In both backpack and scooter modes, a cover circumferentially surrounds the combination scooter/backpack to secure and protect components that are not in use.
US07731199B2
A prize acquisition game apparatus is provided which does not require the effort of replacing an interchangeable discharging port structure unit but rather has a discharging port the size of which can be easily changed.The prize acquisition game apparatus comprises: operation means which is operated by a player; a prize housing section for housing a plurality of prizes; prize acquiring means for acquiring a said prize; a discharging port which is formed in the prize housing section for discharging the prize from the prize housing section; control means for controlling the prize acquiring means to operate in response to an operation signal from the operation means; a discharged prize receiving section for receiving the prize discharged through the discharging port by the prize acquiring means which operates under the control of the control means; and sliding means for sliding a frame which is provided on the discharging port to change the size of the discharging port according to a distance the frame is slid.
US07731196B2
A projectile having multiple openings for tossing onto a game field for encouraging and developing hand-eye coordination. The projectiles have plural fingers extending from a central hub of the projectile. The game field includes plural targets sized to fit within the projectile openings. Points are scored by using hand-eye coordination to toss the projectile so that it comes to rest on the field with one or more openings enclosing or partially enclosing a target or targets. This is a game that is safe and can be played indoors or outdoors by the entire family. The tossed projectile is designed to be lightweight and the targets are designed to minimize possible injury. The pegs can fold to a horizontal position in case of an accident.
US07731192B1
The construction and balancing puzzle of the present invention utilizes multiple differently shaped parts which are assembled vertically on a stand to form particular designs. During the assembling or construction, the assembled parts must be balanced at all times. The basic puzzle piece is an injection molded cube and the remaining puzzle pieces are fabricated by joining several cubes together in a single plane. The stand or base includes a flat bottom to be supported on a table and the upper portion is made from two upwardly facing walls that are at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other to form a V. Each of the two walls of the base has a length that is preferably one and one-half times the length of the cube that makes the basic puzzle piece.
US07731191B2
A configurable manual controller (10, 140) for manipulating images or symbols on a display is adapted for construction with matable building elements (122) arranged by a user. The user forms the manual controller to exhibit a customized shape and ornamental appearance reflecting the user's game-inspired, ergonomic, or style preferences.
US07731190B2
A gripper system for controlling the loading and unloading of sheets on a cylindrical sheet guide. The gripper system comprises one or more grippers, which are positioned at an outer edge of the cylindrical sheet guide. Each gripper is coupled to a cam follower. The gripper system further comprises a cam, which is configured for affecting the elevation of the gripper(s) by moving the cam follower(s), and a servomotor, which is adapted for steering the cam. A cam-gripper controller is provided for controlling the servomotor according to a current printing profile.
US07731187B2
A sheet medium adjustment apparatus, e.g., in an image forming system, includes: an ejector to eject a conveyed sheet; a stacking device to stack each sheet ejected from the sheet ejector into a stack on a tray; a moving device to shift the stacking device in a movement direction perpendicular to a sheet-ejecting direction; a sheet aligning member to align ends of the sheets in the stack that are parallel to the sheet-ejecting direction; a stepping motor to move the sheet aligning member; and an evacuation device to evacuate the aligning member by an amount representing an evacuation displacement in the movement direction at a timing of aligning the sheet, the evacuation displacement being determined adaptively according to at least one of an attribute of a given sheet in the stack, an attribute of the stack as a whole and an attribute of the tray.
US07731176B2
A sheet picking system for picking a sheet of media includes a power source having a driveshaft. A first housing arm containing a drive gear is drivably coupled to the driveshaft. The drive gear defines a first pivot axis for the first housing arm, wherein the drive gear is driven by the driveshaft to rotate about the first pivot axis. A second housing arm contains an intermediate gear, a transmission device, and a pick roller. The transmission device is configured to rotatably couple the intermediate gear to the pick roller. The intermediate gear is positioned to be meshed with the drive gear. The intermediate gear defines a second pivot axis for the second housing arm. A link mechanism pivotably couples the first housing arm at the first pivot axis to the second housing arm at the second pivot axis.
US07731171B2
As one embodiment, a paper feeding device is provided with a pickup roller for pulling out an uppermost positioned sheet of loaded sheets, and a paper feeding roller for transporting the sheet pulled out by the pickup roller. Spanning between the pickup roller and the paper feeding roller, a roller belt is provided that is capable of moving relatively in a circumferential direction with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the paper feeding roller. The roller belt obtains rotational drive from the pickup roller.
US07731168B2
An aligning unit is provided with a tray having a placing surface on which sheet-like transfer materials discharged with printing applied thereto are held stacked, a first restricting member movable back and forth along an advancing direction of the transfer material being discharged onto the tray while facing the front end of the transfer material with respect to the advancing direction, and a second restricting member for defining the rear end position of the transfer material with respect to the advancing direction. The transfer materials stacked on the tray are aligned by the first restricting member being moved back and forth along the advancing direction. The first restricting member includes a contact surface extending substantially vertically above the placing surface of the tray, and an inclined surface extending from the contact surface toward the placing surface and inclined downward along a direction opposite to the advancing direction.
US07731154B2
The present invention is directed to novel optical sensors and novel methods for sensing optical radiation. The novel optical sensors and the novel optical sensing methods are used, for example, for controlling the operation of automatic faucets and flushers. The novel sensors and flow controllers (including control electronics and valves) require only small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. A passive optical sensor includes a light detector sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers.
US07731149B2
A casting mold including a first form having a first wall and a second wall, the first and second walls defining a first casting space. The casting mold further including a second form having a base and a wall extending from the base to define a second casting space. The second form is stackable on the first form portion such that the first and second casting spaces can be filled with a casting material when the second form is on the first form. The second form includes a port defining access into the first casting space such that the casting material can be disposed into the first casting space through the port.
US07731145B2
A portable manway cover handling apparatus and method comprises a lightweight support unit having a mounting tab secured to a manway portal flange within portal flange bolt holes by stud bolts projecting from expandable mandrel sleeves. A structural support beam is cantilevered from the mounting tab for attachment of a force line pulling machine. A force line from the pulling machine is attached to the manway cover and all manway flange bolts removed except a single loose hinge bolt proximate of the flange bottom. The pulling machine is operated to control the rotation of the manway cover about the hinge bolt to a stable suspension position whereat the manway portal is open.
US07731136B1
A multifunctional medical equipment supporting apparatus effectively includes a mobile frame, a telescopically adjustable shaft, and a concave base member with an annular outer circumference raised above a ground surface. Such a base member is statically affixed to the female member and spaced from the male member, and a plurality of casters are pivotally coupled to an underside of the base member and equidistantly juxtaposed along the outer circumference. The apparatus further includes a mechanism for receiving and maintaining an existing oxygen tank adjacently positioned to the frame such that the existing oxygen tank is automatically raised from an initial lowered position to an elevated position as an oxygen volume is depleted from the existing oxygen tank. A mechanism for conveniently receiving and suspending a plurality of existing intra-venous fluid-dispensing bags is located adjacent to a top portion of the frame.
US07731117B2
A webbing winding device includes a spool, a pair of leg plates, a torsion shaft, a first locking mechanism, a second locking mechanism, and a control mechanism. A webbing belt is wound onto the spool. The two leg plates oppose one another in an axial direction of the spool. The torsion shaft is provided passing through the spool and deforms when a torque is applied to the spool. The first locking mechanism, at the side of one of the leg plates, restricts rotation of the spool in an unwinding direction. The second locking mechanism, at the side of the other of the leg plates, switches from a lock-release state to a locking state, and restricts rotation of the torsion shaft in the unwinding direction. The control mechanism is provided passing through the spool and causes the second locking mechanism to switch into the locking state.
US07731112B2
Disclosed herein is a shredder having a closure located adjacent an output opening of a shredder housing that is selectively positioned to prevent shredded materials from being discharged from the output opening. The closure may be connected to the shredder housing, and the container may comprise a removable waste bin. The closure may be actuated via an actuator to a closed position in response to the container and the shredder housing being moved out of an operative position relative to each other, such as when the waste bin is being emptied. The closure may assist in reducing or eliminating waste from being distributed in or around the shredder.
US07731110B2
A method of making abrasive compositions, and more particularly, it relates to a method of making precipitated silica abrasive compositions having excellent cleaning performance and lower abrasiveness with post-reactor sizing of the abrasive particles being performed directly via wet comminution and centrifugation, optionally followed by hydraulic chamber press filtering combined with vacuum dewatering and de-agglomeration is provided. By targeting a specific particle size range, it has been determined that higher pellicle film cleaning levels may be achieved without also increasing the dentin abrasion properties of the silica products themselves. As a result, dentifrices including such classified abrasive silica products, exhibiting particularly desirable cleaning benefits, can be provided for improved tooth polishing, whitening, and the like, without deleteriously affecting the hard tooth surfaces. Also encompassed within this invention also are products of this selective process scheme and dentifrices containing such particularly manufactured and classified silica products.
US07731082B2
A reinforced container assembly and method for making the same are provided. The reinforced container assembly comprises a fiberboard container and a first reinforcement strap. The fiberboard container has a lower portion and an upper portion. The first reinforcement strap wraps continuously around a periphery of the container a plurality of times in a spiraling manner from a starting point of the reinforcement strap to a terminating point of the reinforcement strap. The reinforcement strap physically connects to the container at a first location. The reinforcement strap is further physically connected to the container at second location. The reinforcement strap provides structural support to the fiberboard container to increase the strength of the container assembly.
US07731080B2
An anti-sifting polygonal carton stores granulated and powdered products. The carton starts as a single blank with four sections: a side, a front, a side, and a rear. The sides have a side panel with two flanking miter panels and two minor flaps. Each miter panel has two opposite miter flaps with embossing. The front has a front panel with a second major flap having a tear strip and an opposite second major lower flap having a crease. Separated from the front by a side, the rear has a rear panel having a miter tab opposite the side and a first major flap and an opposite first major lower flap. The fold lines continuous with the miter flaps and the miter tab are reinforced with tape or patches. The tear strip and top of the carton have a pattern of cuts to open and to reclose the carton.
US07731074B2
A portable soldering system has a caddy collar atop the rim of a bucket and a torch, the flame end of which may heat the tip of a soldering iron. A gas canister, connected to the torch, protrudes from the bucket through a seating opening in the side wall of the bucket. A torch mount positions the torch and the gas canister. The caddy collar has a cradle that may seat the soldering iron.
US07731070B2
A method and an apparatus are for applying a rotationally driven pressure roller (4) onto a rotationally driven goods guiding roller (3) in stretching equipment for thermoplastic films. The pressure roller (4) is advanced in the direction of the goods guiding roller (3) by at least one first pressurizable piston-cylinder unit (7) in such a manner so that after the advancement an axis-parallel remaining stroke exists between the pressure roller (4) and the goods guiding roller (3). Then at least one second pressurizable piston-cylinder unit (8) operatively connected with the first piston-cylinder unit (7) carries out the remaining stroke, while maintaining the axis-parallelism, until a touching contact exists between the pressure roller (4) and the goods guiding roller (3). Then the pressure roller (4) becomes effective with a nominal pressing force onto the goods guiding roller (3).
US07731067B2
A device for the dosed output of a medium from a container through an opening in an upper housing part. A valve piston tip is associated with said opening for the closing thereof. A piston surface, which is pressed against a spring, is adjacent to the valve piston tip and is used as part of a valve piston, which is sealingly guided in a piston chamber in the upper part of the housing and forms a filling chamber which is connected to the container, between the upper part of the housing and the opening.
US07731065B2
A container or vial (1) for a fluid, the container (1) comprising a casing defining an interior for storage of the fluid and a closure member (2). The closure member (2) comprises a body and at least one resilient projection (7) to seal in a storage condition an outlet of the casing, wherein upon an increase in the pressure of the interior of the container (1) the at least one resilient projection (7) is deflected to accommodate outflow of fluid through the outlet. The pressure in the interior of the container (1) may be increased by displacing the closure member (2) into the container (1) or by displacing some other element such as a bung (61, 82) into the container (1). The container (1) and closure member (2) may be used in a dispenser (90) and the closure element may be used in a valve (110).
US07731056B2
A dispenser for dispensing gloves is provided which includes a housing having an exit port, the housing also formed to include a compartment which is configured to hold a plurality of gloves therein. The dispenser includes a glove pusher movably coupled to the housing. At least a portion of the glove pusher is configured to move within the compartment of the housing and push at least a portion of a glove disposed in the compartment through the exit port. A cartridge configured to be disposed into a compartment of a dispenser is disclosed. The cartridge is formed to permit a portion of a dispenser to move into the internal compartment of the cartridge to move at least one of the plurality of gloves at least partially through the at least one opening in the cartridge. A dispensing assembly also may include a stack of gloves or a cartridge containing a plurality of gloves. A method of using a glove dispenser is also provided.
US07731053B2
A self righting container having a hollow and generally spherical shape and an eccentrically weighted ballast and a method of using the container. Upon rotation or other movement of the container, the weighted ballast urges the container to return to a predetermined orientation, typically determiner such that a container opening would be positioned at a desired location. The weighted ballast may further comprise a magnet such that metallic objects may be contained within the interior of the container and may even be retained in a particular orientation as determined by the magnetic forces. As the container is a highly desirable device, especially for office locations, graphical or advertising material may be imprinted on at least one portion of its outer surface for the purpose of providing advertising or promotion.
US07731042B2
A closure is provided for a container opening. The closure includes a body for mounting to the container and a lid movable between a closed position and an open position. The lid and body are connected by a bistable, snap-action hinge structure having a web between two hinges. Stress-relief recesses are provided at an end edge of either the body hinge or the lid hinge or both.
US07731030B2
A suppository delivery device that allows for the insertion of a suppository without having contact with the suppository or rectum. The suppository delivery device includes a stabilizer to which the suppository is mounted, and a package, which protects the user's hands and fingers from the suppository and rectum and prevents germs from contacting the suppository before being inserted into the rectum.
US07731018B2
A rotary gatherer has drums for delivering printed sheet materials and a conveyor having a conveyor chain and a first pin and a second pin connected to the chain and defining a pocket for receiving the printed sheet materials from the drums. The first pin may include a first section movable horizontally and vertically along a predetermined path with respect to the conveyor chain when subjected to a vertical force. A conveyor, a pin and a related method also are disclosed.
US07731016B2
A bottle inspection machine is disclosed which has a starwheel feeder and an outfeed mechanism for receiving bottles from the starwheel feeder. The outfeed mechanism has an inner belt conveyor which has a pickoff wheel adjacent the starwheel feeder and a second wheel. At least one drive belt is supported by the pickoff and second wheels for defining a linear outfeed belt portion. The outfeed mechanism also has an outer serpentine belt conveyor which has an idler wheel located radially inwardly from the pick off wheel which defines an opening for receiving a bottle displaced by the starwheel feeder and a third wheel. At least one flexible serpentine belt is supported by the idler and third wheels which are located to define a location where a bottle will be discharged from the outfeed mechanism. The serpentine belt is sufficiently flexible so that a bottle displaced into the opening between the pickoff and idler wheels will be conveyed by the serpentine and inner belts with the serpentine belt changing its configuration as the bottle is conveyed to the discharge location.
US07731008B2
A cash drawer insert is disclosed which includes a paper currency receiving and storage area and a coin receiving and storage area, each of which can be selectively reconfigured to accommodate paper currencies and coins of a wide variety of sizes, shapes, dimension and denominations. Each of these areas is provided with opposed ribbed walls that are adapted to removably receive the ends of divider partitions having locking tabs and locking toggles that secure to such dividers at any desired transverse location. Bill weights having mounting flanges with locking tabs for selective placement along a rearwall of the till as well as a pivotable auxiliary paper currency tray that permits storage of two different paper currencies in a single paper currency compartment are also disclosed.
US07731005B2
The present invention provides a lock-up clutch mechanism for a torque converter, in which a plurality of friction materials are arranged concentrically in a radial direction and adjacent friction materials are integrally connected to each other.
US07730994B2
An acoustic panel (1) has a recess (8) extending part or all way down to a facing (7). A panel loudspeaker (11) may be fixed in the recess or a water sprinkler (14) or other device may be mounted in or above the recess.
US07730992B1
A mounting unit is mounted to the frame cross member of a vehicle. The mounting unit includes a bottom unit which is bolted to the frame cross member and a top unit which is bolted to the transmission/transfer case adapter. The top and bottom units are bolted to one another. The mounting unit allows the motor, transmission, and transfer case to move freely with respect to each other during hard use conditions, including extreme four-wheeling, without damaging the mounting unit.
US07730985B2
A motorcycle includes a motorcycle body, which incorporates a frame. An engine is supported by the motorcycle body. The engine includes a cylinder block and a crank case. An exhaust pipe communicates with the engine and has a portion that extends along a side of the engine. A battery is located above an upper surface of the crank case of the engine and to the rear of the cylinder block. The portion exhaust pipe extending along the side of the engine is located to a side of the battery and a heat shield plate is positioned between the exhaust pipe and the battery.
US07730974B2
An underreamer for well drilling comprises pivotally extendible roller cutters that extend slightly beyond the diameter of the pilot drill bit but are retained in their retracted position by the casing. Upon encountering an obstruction, the underreamer is pushed out of the casing, allowing the outer edges of the cutters to contact the obstruction. Continued downward pressure of the drill stem causes the roller arms to pivot outward to a fully extended position in which the cutters enlarge the hole to a diameter larger than the casing by rotation of the drilling stem. The advance of the casing relative to the underreamer forces the cutters to retract into the casing.
US07730972B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a drill bit has a jack element that is substantially coaxial with an axis of rotation of the drill bit and the jack element has an asymmetrical distal end that extends beyond a working face of the drill bit. A turbine is located within a bore formed in the drill bit and a flow valve is actuated by the turbine. The flow valve is adapted to route a drilling fluid in the bore into a porting mechanism adapted to extend the jack element farther beyond the working surface of the drill bit. The turbine is also adapted to rotate the jack element at variable speeds.
US07730971B2
The present invention provides drilling assembles and methods that are especially useful for a bottom hole drilling assembly for drilling/reaming/or other operations related to drilling a borehole through an earth formation. In one embodiment, the drilling assembly utilizes standard drill collars which are modified to accept force transfer sections. In another embodiment, the drilling assembly comprises a tension inducing sub which creates a force that may be used to place the bottom hole assembly or portions thereof in tension. In another embodiment, a reaming assembly is held in tension to provide a stiffer reaming assembly.
US07730956B2
Pressure balanced downhole connections. A well system includes a well tool, a conduit assembly connected to the well tool, the conduit assembly including a conduit and a line positioned within the conduit, the line being connected to the well tool for operation of the well tool, and a device for equalizing pressure between an interior and an exterior of the conduit, the device being positioned downhole. A method of isolating a line in a subterranean well from well fluids in the well includes the steps of: connecting a conduit assembly to a device for equalizing pressure between an interior and an exterior of the conduit assembly, the conduit assembly including a line installed within a conduit; and positioning the conduit assembly and pressure equalizing device in the well.
US07730952B2
A method for hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation comprises introducing into the formation a cross-linking composition which comprises a zirconium triethanolamine complex, a tetra(hydroxyalkyl)ethylenediamine, water, a cross-linkable organic polymer, and optionally, a polyol. The method can be used for cross-linking organic polymers over a wide range of pH. By varying the composition and optionally adding a delay agent, the method provides flexibility in rate of cross-linking.
US07730951B2
Methods and systems that utilize explosive and cryogenic means to establish fluid communication to areas away from the well bore walls are disclosed. A first fracture is induced in the subterranean formation. The first fracture is initiated at about a fracturing location and the initiation of the first fracture is characterized by a first orientation line. The first fracture temporarily alters a stress field in the subterranean formation. Explosives are then used to induce a second fracture in the subterranean formation. The second fracture is initiated at about the fracturing location and the initiation of the second fracture is characterized by a second orientation line. The first orientation line and the second orientation line have an angular disposition to each other.
US07730944B2
A multi-functional completion tool which may be lowered into a wellbore coupled to a length of tubing, and then utilized to test various lengths of the tubing at pressure. The tool may also function as a positive plug and may also be used to set the packer, and is also useable as a tubing self-filling tool. Various retention elements are disposed within the tool and configured to release at predetermined pressures, or within predetermined ranges of pressure, thereby transforming the tool from a first configuration to a second configuration depending on the desired function. The tool may also contain a pressure-regulating assembly for regulating the differential pressure across the assembly. The tool may also include an indicator assembly for confirming that the tool has entered a plugging configuration, typically by altering a pressure within the tubing, such alteration being detectible at a surface location.
US07730935B1
A control system for controlling delivery of either heated or cooled water over a common water line to a plurality of heat exchangers. The control system includes a hydronic system controller which polls the heating or cooling demands of zone controllers controlling the respective delivery of water to the individual heat exchangers. The hydronic system controller is operative to implement a changeover between delivery of heated water to delivery cooled water or vice versa. The implemented changeover preferably includes checking the temperature of the water being returned to the source or sources for heating or cooling the water as well as defining a changeover time period which must occur in the event that the temperature of the water in the return line is not within a predefined range.
US07730923B2
An adjustable hanging apparatus for blind valances is provided. The hanging apparatus includes a hanging device and a mounting device. The hanging device has a hook, which can be slidably hooked over a headrail. In addition, a base of the hanging device has an opening. The opening is disposed with two resilient mounting plates, and each mounting plate has a plurality of troughs. A neck portion is formed therebetween the mounting plates. The mounting device has a joint portion, which can engage with the valance. Also, a jam portion passes through the neck portion and mounted therein. Positioning flanges can be engaged with the troughs of the mounting plates so as to limit the vertical movement of the mounting device, and the mounting device can be inserted through the opening in the vertical direction of any positions to adjust the valance to desired positions.
US07730922B2
Apparatus and method for visualizing air stream by little threads on aerodynamic surfaces such that strips of adhesive tape populated with threads are automatically fabricated.
US07730914B2
A feeding mechanism is adapted for use with a woodworking machine. The feeding mechanism includes a rail unit adapted to be disposed on two sides of a worktable, a feeding unit, and a press roller unit. The feeding unit includes a slidable body adapted to extend across the worktable and disposed slidably on the rail unit, two spaced apart rollers disposed on the slidable body, a belt component trained on the rollers, and a driving component for driving the rollers to rotate along with the belt component. The press roller unit is adapted to extend slidably across the worktable and includes a slidable seat disposed slidably on the rail unit, a press roller connected pivotally to the slidable seat, and a resilient component adapted for biasing the press roller to press the workpiece against the feeding unit.
US07730901B2
A system for securing a hydrant to a roof of a building is provided that includes a hydrant support that rigidly interconnects to the roof deck. In addition, a method of sealingly interconnecting a standpipe of the hydrant to the hydrant support is provided wherein a plurality of seals are employed. In order to enhance the seal provided between the standpipe and a hydrant support, a boot may be used that covers the interface between the standpipe and the hydrant support.
US07730898B2
A novel semiconductor wafer lifter is disclosed for handling wafers during wet bench processing. In particular, the lifter has a plurality of holes formed in its vertical support surface to allow cleaning or rinsing fluid to flow through the vertical support instead of around its sides. These holes facilitates a constant flow of fluid across the wafer during recirculation of the tank contents during etching and rinsing operations, thus ensuring more even etching of all wafers and minimizing the deposition of particulate matter on wafer surfaces.
US07730893B2
An electromagnetic radiation therapy system comprises means for emitting divergent electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength between 950 and 1500 nm and being capable of producing, at the site being treated, a radiation intensity of at least 50 μWatts/cm2. Also disclosed are the use of the system for treating various conditions and the method of applying the treatment.
US07730891B2
An intraoral mandibular advancement device to treat sleep disorders in a user having an obstructed airway includes a maxillary appliance with a main body for removable attachment to the maxillary teeth; a protrusive element distending from the central portion of the main body; and retention means extending from the main body for retention of the device on the maxillary teeth during sleep. A mandibular appliance removably attaches to the mandibular anterior teeth and includes a lingual spacer that extends posteriorly from the mandibular anterior teeth. The anterior aspect of the protrusive element of the maxillary appliance contacts the posterior edge of the lingual space and thereby causes mandibular advancement.
US07730889B1
An implantable sterilization device may include a ring having an inner diameter, a core slidable through the inner diameter of the ring, and a tissue securing element, at least part of which is positioned between the ring and the core. A method of closing a fallopian tube may include providing a closure system including a handle, a flexible shaft connected to the handle, and a sterilization device detachably connected to the flexible shaft, inserting the flexible shaft into the lumen of the fallopian tube and advancing the flexible shaft into the lumen; compressing a portion of the wall of the fallopian tube with the sterilization device to secure the sterilization device relative to the fallopian tube, blocking the lumen of the fallopian tube with the sterilization device; and separating the sterilization device from the tube.
US07730886B2
Methods and apparatus for determining the occurrence of an apnea, patency and/or partial obstruction of the airway are disclosed. Respiratory air flow from a patient is measured to give an air flow signal. The determination of an apnea is performed by calculating the variance of the air flow signal over a moving time window and comparing the variance with a threshold value. One determination of partial obstruction of the airway is performed by detecting the inspiratory part of the air flow signal, scaling it to unity duration and area and calculating an index value of the amplitude of the scaled signal over a mid-portion. Alternatively, the index value is a measure of the flatness of the air flow signal over the mid-portion. One determination of patency of the airway is performed by applying an oscillatory pressure waveform of known frequency to a patient's airway, calculating the magnitude of the component of said air flow signal at the known frequency induced by the oscillatory pressure waveform and comparing the calculated magnitude with a threshold value. Alternatively, the air flow signal is analysed to detect the presence of a component due to cardiogenic activity.
US07730884B2
A diving apparatus includes a support structure (18) that is engageable with a diver's head, the support structure (18) defining a lens opening (262) and an equalization opening (104). A lens (26) is mounted on the support structure (18) to close the lens opening (262) so that the support structure (18) and the lens (26) define a breathing space (30) from which the diver can be supplied with air. A sealing arrangement is positioned on the support structure (18) sealingly to engage the diver's face so that the breathing space (30) is substantially airtight. An equalization assembly (106) is mounted on the support structure (18) to close the equalization opening (104). The equalization assembly (106) includes an access means to permit the diver to gain access to his or her nose so that the diver can carry out an equalization procedure. A gas supply arrangement is in fluid communication with the breathing space (30).
US07730860B2
An actuator control apparatus includes: an actuator that changes a state amount of an internal combustion engine; a sensor that detects an actual operation position of the actuator; a controller that controls the actuator to bring the actual operation position of the actuator to a target operation position set based on the operation state of the internal combustion engine; and a diagnosis portion that diagnoses the operation state of the actuator to be normal if the deviation between the target operation position and the actual operation position has been small for a predetermined time period and the amount by which the target operation position has changed in the predetermined time period is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. A method for controlling such an actuator control apparatus is also provided.
US07730858B2
Hydraulic valve actuation systems and methods to provide variable lift for one or more engine air valves by way of a variable position hard stop. Various embodiments are disclosed, including embodiments controlling lift by providing a choice of two different fixed stops, three different fixed stops, stops continuously variable throughout a range of lifts, and a fixed stop and stops continuously variable throughout a range of lifts. The valves controlled by a variable position hard stop may be a single engine intake or exhaust valve, or multiple valves of any number, and of either intake or exhaust valves or both, or of one intake or one exhaust valve for one or more cylinders in engines having more than one intake or exhaust valve per cylinder. Dashpot deceleration of engine valve velocity on opening to the hard stop and on engine valve closure is disclosed, as are other aspects and embodiments of the invention.
US07730850B2
A spray application system for applying material to a surface of a rotating body such as a beverage can includes a detector that detects the actual speed of rotation of the surface during a spraying operation. This allows a controller to adjust trigger signals for the application device to be adjusted based on speed of rotation to minimize overcoat. A laser sensor may be used as an example. The use of the speed detector also allows for partial wraps as well as full wraps of applying material to the rotating surface.
US07730837B2
The present invention relates to an electropyrotechnic initiator comprising: an ignition support (10); an electrical initiation system (11) connecting the ignition support (10) to a source of electricity; and a cap (2) containing at least one explosive composition, the cap being of generally cylindrical shape presenting an open first end (20) connected to the ignition support (10), an opposite second end that is closed by an end wall (21), and a peripheral side wall (22) which presents at least one zone of weakness (3). This initiator is essentially remarkable in that at least one of the zones of weakness extends along a non-closed trace and over a portion only of the side wall (22), i.e. without reaching its opposite ends.
US07730836B2
A reliable method of aligning a printing plate against a stop includes moving the printing plate and the stop relative to each other, detecting temperature changes occurring at a temperature sensor connected to the stop, when the printing plate comes into contact with the stop, deriving signals indicating the position of the printing plate relative to the stop from the signals of the temperature sensor, and deriving a signal indicating the thermal conductivity between the printing plate and the stop from a speed of change of the temperature sensor signal. A signal indicating incorrect alignment of the printing plate against the stop is output if the thermal conductivity drops below a predetermined threshold.
US07730834B2
The printing apparatus, presented herein, comprises a patterning device having a curved member that supports a stamp on its surface. The curved member is adapted to roll over a substrate to be printed on to transfer the pattern onto the substrate. An illumination system directs light onto the region of the substrate that is being printed in order to set a layer of resist, which has been sprayed onto the substrate. The light is directed via a pattern that is made on the surface of the stamp, thereby transferring the pattern to the substrate.
US07730811B2
An interchangeable head system for tools is provided. The system includes a pair of handles connected at a pivot point. Each handles has two generally parallel walls forming a space therebetween, and a moveable pin attached therethrough. The pin is non-removably attached to one of the walls. A plurality of heads interchangeably connected at the pivot point. Each heads includes two components and each component includes two contact surfaces. The movable pin facilitates securing the head to the handle. The handles are designed to be squeezed together to thereby allow the contact surfaces to move towards one another.
US07730808B2
Ceramic blades and fabrication methods thereof. A ceramic blade comprises a ceramic body having two sides and an edge. A coating layer is applied on the two sides and the edge, wherein the ceramic body is formed using a scraper to create substantially flat surface and to prevent residual stress damage.
US07730790B2
Shear test apparatus for gold and solder balls of a semi-conductor substrate comprises a support element (21) on which is provided a piezo electric crystal (24) in the direct shear load path. The crystal (24) may have a shield (25). The interface between shield and crystal, and crystal and support element may include an epoxy resin layer to distribute force and retain the components as a unit.
US07730788B2
A method of measuring the retention force of a biomedical specimen coupled to a carrier includes the measurement of the force required for magnetically decoupling the specimen from the carrier. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing the specimen with an electrically conductive structure; creating an external alternating magnetic field near the specimen; increasing the amplitude and/or frequency of the magnetic field; detecting the start of the movement of the specimen on the carrier; and calculating the retention force of the specimen by determining the applied magnetic force on the basis of the parameters of the magnetic field. In other embodiments, the magnetic field may remain constant and the biomedical specimen may be moved through the field at varying speeds.
US07730782B2
A sensor device includes a time determining part that determines time point information, and adds the time point information to the output supplied from a part subjected to failure diagnosis and related to generation of a failure detection signal, and to the output related to generation of a sense signal. With this structure, the failure detection signal is correlated with the sense signal by the time point information. Alternatively, the sensor device includes an output circuit that correlates the failure detection signal with the sense signal supplied at the same time point as the failure detection signal, and outputs both signals using a time division method.
US07730778B2
The invention relates to a filling level and/or limit level measuring device having a transmitting and/or receiving device (2) for producing an oscillation or for receiving an oscillation and furnishing a corresponding reception signal, an oscillating element (11) that is coupled to the transmitting and/or receiving device, and a flexible connecting piece (8) that is situated in an area between the transmitting and/or receiving device (2) and the oscillating element (11), wherein the flexible connecting piece (8) is made of a hose-shaped and metallic element (14) or has a hose-shaped metallic element (14) in its longitudinal extension.
US07730775B2
A transplanar liquid transport tester for fabrics, comprising a liquid reservoir; a liquid-permeable support member having a first surface for supporting a fabric test sample, and a second surface for interfacing with liquid in the liquid reservoir; and means for maintaining a constant hydrostatic pressure in the liquid reservoir at the second surface of the support member for replenishing liquid through the support member to the first surface during testing.
US07730774B2
Tracking fluid displacement along a wellbore using real time temperature measurements. A method of tracking fluid displacement along a wellbore includes the steps of: monitoring temperature in real time in the wellbore; and observing in real time a variation in temperature gradient between fluid compositions in the wellbore. Another method of tracking fluid displacement along a wellbore includes the steps of: monitoring temperature along the wellbore; and observing a variation in temperature gradient due to a chemical reaction in the wellbore. Another method includes the step of causing a variation in temperature gradient in the fluid while the fluid flows in the wellbore.
US07730752B2
A theft prevention apparatus for a leisure vehicle including a portable device, a lock device, a lock operation stopper member, a pull-out operation stopper member, a lock operation restricting actuator, a pull-out operation restricting actuator, and a controller including a memory, a receiver, and a processing unit configured to control the lock operation restricting actuator to cause a lock operation stopper member to be moved from the position where a protruded operation and a retracted operation of a lock bar are disabled to the position where the protruded operation and the retracted operation are enabled and to control the pull-out operation restricting actuator to cause a pull-out operation stopper member to be moved from the position where a pull-out operation of the mechanical key is disabled to the position where the pull-out operation of the mechanical key is enabled, when the user identification codes match.
US07730751B2
A lock device for use with a key is disclosed. The lock device includes a locking spindle including a plurality of locking spindle bores and a passage extending axially along an axial length of the locking spindle, and a driver structure including a plurality of driver structure bores. An interface between the driver structure and the locking spindle forms a shear line. The lock device also includes a plurality of combination pins in the plurality of locking spindle bores, and a plurality of driver pins in the driver structure bores in the driver structure, the plurality of driver pins being respectively associated with the plurality of combination pins.
US07730743B2
A gem setting for gemstones includes a channel with walls having grooves for holding a portion of a gem girdle, such that when a gem having a crown is set into the channel, the upper portion of the groove extends over the crown of the gem. The upper part of the channel above the groove can be permanently bent or rolled over the crown of the gem to secure the gem in the ring channel. A method of setting a gem in the channel includes inserting the gem girdle in the grooves, without permanently bending the channel walls, until the gem is positioned within the channel such that if the gem and ring together are placed in an upside down position, the gem will not fall out of the channel. Next, the upper part of each channel is permanently bent over the crown of the gem, to thereby secure the gem in the channel.
US07730738B2
A cool air supply duct of a refrigerator includes a vertical duct unit installed in a freezing chamber or a refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator so that the length of the vertical duct unit can be adjusted in the vertical direction; and horizontal duct units installed on the vertical duct unit so that the length of the horizontal duct unit can be adjusted in the horizontal direction and provided with cool air discharge holes formed therethrough for discharging cool air. Since the cool air discharge holes are changed to positions desired by a user, the cool air supply duct cools a designated space of the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator to a temperature lower or higher than those of other spaces, thus increasing convenience in using the cool air supply duct and improving the cooling efficiency of the cool air supply duct.
US07730733B2
An apparatus for summing capacities of outdoor units in a multiple air conditioner comprises self-capacity storage devices mounted in outdoor units, respectively, for storing self-capacities of the outdoor units and outputting the self-capacities of the outdoor units when necessary, an outdoor unit capacity summing part mounted in one outdoor unit of the outdoor units for receiving the capacities of the outdoor units outputted from the respective self-capacity storage devices to calculate the total capacity of all the outdoor units, and a control device for receiving the result of the calculation performed by the outdoor unit capacity summing part to control the operation of the multiple air conditioner. The possibility of incorrect input of the capacities of the outdoor units is eliminated, and therefore, more accurate control of the multiple air conditioner is accomplished. Furthermore, it is not necessary for an engineer or a user to directly input the capacities of the outdoor units, and therefore, user convenience is improved.
US07730720B2
There is provided a technology that enables, in an exhaust gas purification apparatus regeneration system of an internal combustion engine, to prevent the remaining fuel quantity from decreasing to an unduly small quantity during execution of regeneration control for regenerating the exhaust gas purification ability of the exhaust gas purification apparatus by supplying fuel to the exhaust gas purification apparatus. The system of the invention has command device capable of being operated by a driver for sending a regeneration execution command to cause regeneration control execution device to execute the regeneration control and notification device for notifying the driver to prompt the driver to send the regeneration execution command to the regeneration control execution device through the command device. Time of notification by said notification device is controlled so that it is prevented that the regeneration execution command is sent to said regeneration control execution device by said command device while notification is given to the driver by said notification device and the quantity of remaining fuel becomes equal to or lower than a specified remaining quantity during execution of the regeneration control executed in response to the regeneration execution command.
US07730713B2
Provided is a gas turbine power plant in which a rotor of a generator is journalled by water lubrication bearings into which a part of cooling water for cooling the generator is fed. Since the lubrication water has a viscosity lower than that of lubrication oil, it is possible to provide a gas turbine power plant with less energy loss resulting in lower power consumption for accessories, and in high power generation efficiency.
US07730710B2
Said strap with articulated links, in particular for a watch, comprises at least three adjacent rows of links offset from one adjacent row to another, in which at least one friction surface (3, 13, 23-163) of each joint is made of a material of which the hardness is >800 HV. Said bearing surface (3, 13, 23-163) is in contact with at least one joint element (5, 15, 25-165) having at least one friction surface made of a second material selected from the following materials: ceramic, ceramic-metal composite, amorphous carbon, stainless steel without nickel, cobalt alloy, gold or gold alloy, platinum or platinum alloy, platinoid or platinoid alloy, titanium or titanium alloy, capable of reducing the frictional wear with the friction surface (3, 13, 23-163).
US07730704B2
An agricultural press has material receiver for picking up a swath of crop material from the ground and delivering it to the press chamber. A material hold-down device extends over the material receiver and is mounted for vertical movement relative to the material receiver. During normal operation the hold-down device moves over a first range of movement in response to changing swath thicknesses. If a material jam should nevertheless arise, the material hold-down device can be moved in total or in part, either mechanically or manually, over an second range of movement in addition to the first range of movement in order to be able to liberate the wedged material.
US07730703B1
A disc cutter module mounting structure for an agricultural header that enables one or more disc cutter modules and interconnection spacers to be temporarily laterally displaced a distance sufficient to disengage the transverse drive apparatus from a failed module thereby allowing the failed module to be removed from the header for repair or replacement. The laterally displaced modules and spacers need only be disconnected from the outboard drive shaft; lateral displacement is accomplished by the incorporation of slotted mounting guides on the spacers and a plurality of spaced-apart support tabs on the header frame. The mounting structure also supports the modules and spacers during the removal/replacement process reducing the need for jacks to support modules as they are being repositioned on the header.
US07730699B2
Packaging machine for packaging lollipops provided with a stick and a head in a film/foil sheet, comprising a rotatably driven drum having a series of lollipop holders thereon, the drum furthermore being provided with a series of film/foil folding means for folding a respective film/foil sheet around the head around a longitudinal center axis substantially parallel to the stick, the device furthermore comprising a series of twisters for twisting a film/foil tube section protruding in the longitudinal direction of the lollipop head while continuing to clamp the lollipop head and while the drum continues to rotate.
US07730688B2
A corner bracket member for use in an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) corner block or other form assembly having a pair of opposed inner and outer spaced apart panels for receiving concrete therebetween, the corner bracket member including at least a pair of side members, each side member having at least a pair of spaced apart flange members adapted for receiving and anchoring exterior facade or other surfaces thereto, and at least one concrete engaging member positioned and located so as to extend in a direction completely across the space formed by and between the inner and outer panels associated with the ICF corner block. The side members and flange members of the corner bracket member are encapsulated within one of the inner and outer panels and the at least one concrete engaging member includes a terminal end portion which is encapsulated within the other of the inner and outer panels when attached thereto.
US07730685B1
A mortar and debris collection device for insertion into lower portions of a cavity defined between outer and inner wall structures of a masonry cavity wall employs two relatively rigid mat elements each designed to permit moisture to pass readily therethrough. Bottom edge regions of the two mat elements are hinge connected to permit the mat elements to be folded into closely overlying relationship.
US07730684B1
A system for venting moisture from wall and building structures, especially masonry walls constructed from masonry elements such as of brick, block, stone, faux stone or the like, without weakening the wall or building structure, utilizes open matrix weep vent members that are fabricated, for example from a mass of intertwined and intertangled polymeric filaments that are bonded at a plurality of intersections thereby to form one-piece or unit-handled weep vent members that preferably are inserted in place of mortar at spaced locations along horizontally extending mortar joints between rows of bricks, blocks or other masonry wall elements. Weep vent members that embody the present invention have wider portions at their rearward or intake end regions, and narrower portions at their forward or discharge end regions, with a preferred form characterized by a generally trapezoidal shape that helps to retain the weep vent members in their associated mortar joints, and that provide a funnel-like ducting of moisture from their relatively wider rear end regions toward their relatively narrower forward end regions.
US07730680B2
A modular monolithic metal framed bulkhead panel having an outer frame, an inner frame, a non-metallic composite panel, a panel seal, and a frame seal common to a panel-bulkhead structure interface.
US07730673B2
A window well assembly for buildings and the like include at least a first well unit and a second well unit each having opposite first and second flanges at opposite ends of a retaining wall of each unit for securing the well units to a sub-grade foundation of the building. Preferably, the assembly has a plurality of releasable spacer couplings that are mated and carried between well units when the assembly is in a stored state, and has indexing features that are mated and carried between well units when the assembly is in an assembled state.
US07730671B2
The present invention is a pair of sliding louvered doors consisting of first and second louvered doors. Each of the louvered doors has a frame consisting of a pair of vertical stiles, each stile having a front face and a rear face and a plurality of louvers mounted between the stiles. The doors are mounted to an elongated head member having two parallel support tracks, each louvered door being suspended on a different track such that the first louvered door is mounted parallel to and in front of the second louvered door. The two louvered doors are separated from each other by a distance such that the rear face of the stiles of the first door faces the front face of the stiles of the second door. The louvers of the first door are mounted to the stiles of the first door such that a portion of the louvers extend beyond the front face of the stiles and the louvers do not extend substantially beyond the rear face of the stiles. Finally, the louvers of the second door are mounted to the stiles of the second door such that a portion of the louvers extend beyond the rear face of the stiles and the louvers do not extend substantially beyond the front face of the stiles of the second door.
US07730667B2
A plant pot (1) which, in use, is adapted to be stacked with one or more similar plant pots, the plant pot comprising: (a) cavity (5) including a water reservoir region (7) and a soil holding region (6) located above the reservoir region (7); (b) separation means (10) adapted to separate the reservoir region (7) from the soil holding region (6); (c) an overflow outlet (8) in the reservoir region (7) adapted to enable excess water to flow out the reservoir region (7).
US07730662B2
A method for applying a soil stabilizer, to soil wherein the soil stabilizer is intermixed, impregnated, and/or applied to solid carriers.
US07730661B2
A leader and fish hook combination has eyes or loops formed at both ends of the leader so that the leader can be attached to the fishing line with either the one eye or the other. The fish hook, or more than one fish hook, has the leader threaded through the eye end of the fish hook. The leader passes through the eye of each hook, but is not tied to it, leaving the hook free to slide along the leader. Fastened one way, the hook is presented outward, and if fastened or tied off the other way, the hook presented inward. In that orientation, the lower eye projects over the hook portion so the rig serves as a weedless hook.
US07730659B1
A fish lure constructed of an elongated curvelinear cylindrical body that has a front end and a rear end, two horn-shaped appendages each emanating from the front end of the cylindrical body at 180° apart with horn openings facing the front end, and two horn-shaped appendages each emanating from the rear end of the cylindrical body at 180° apart with horn openings facing the front end.
US07730658B1
A soft plastic fishing lure has an integrally formed body and a thin, relatively long, highly flexible tail portion that combine to form a hybrid worm/tube lure. The body portion is a closed-end tubular body and the tail portion is tapered and concave in cross-section along its entire length. The concave cross-sectional area, which generally has a greater thickness of material at its apex than at its lower edge, is effective for capturing water and giving a lifelike appearance to the tail regardless of angler skill or how the lure is rigged, weighted and fished. The fishing lure may be formed so that it has two colors, with one color forming substantially a stripe on the tail portion. Contrasting flakes may be added to either color.
US07730652B2
In a wear assembly for securing wear members to excavating equipment, a spool is used with a wedge to hold the wear member in place. The spool is formed with at least one laterally extending arm at its upper end in lieu of an axial arm such as used in a conventional C-shaped spool. In this way, the spool can be easily supported in the assembly as the wedge is installed. The spool does not fall through the opening and no special care is needed to prevent it from falling. The spool also holds itself in place when the wedge is driven into the passage. As a result, installation of the wear assembly is easier and less hazardous. In addition, the lateral support reduces the risk that the spool will suffer spreading.
US07730645B2
An assembly for mounting an excavating tooth particularly suited for a dredge cutterhead includes a base, an adapter, and a lock. The base includes a convex, curved bearing surface that abuts a concave, curved bearing surface on the adapter. The curved bearing surfaces are able to maintain substantially full contact with each other under transverse loading. The undersurface of the base is formed with a groove to improve the strength and durability of the weld.
US07730644B2
The left and right sideblades are hinged to the mainblade about vertical axes, and can pivot each through 180°. The sideblades are rotated by means of left and right hydraulic rotary actuators. The actuator includes a piston formed with helical splines, which drive a rotor sleeve of the actuator to rotate in a single-plane-circle when the piston is driven axially. The journal bearings in the rotary actuator are supplemented by bearings provided in a coaxial lower hinge, which are of much greater journal capacity than the bearings in the rotary actuators. The lower hinge protects the hydraulic rotary actuator from shocks due to the sideblade impacting against a kerb. A wheel-protection link blocks the sideblade from contacting the wheel of the vehicle.
US07730639B2
Engaging elements may be included in foot-receiving devices, such as footwear, bindings, clips, or the like. Such elements may include a bimodal spring member movable between two independent stable positions and an arm that moves in response to the bimodal spring member changing between its stable positions. The engaging elements additionally may include a retaining element extending from the arm and/or an arm/bimodal spring interface that induces changes in position of the arm in response to the bimodal spring member changing its stable position. The bimodal spring member, the arm, the retaining element, and/or the arm/bimodal spring interface may form an integral unit. Additionally, methods of engaging a foot-receiving device with a user's foot are disclosed. Such methods may include: (a) orienting a bimodal spring member in a first stable position to place a foot-engaging portion of the foot-receiving device in a foot-accepting position, and (b) moving the bimodal spring member from the first stable position to a second stable position to move the foot-engaging portion of the foot-receiving device to a foot-engaging position.
US07730636B2
A cleated article of footwear includes a chassis assembly having a sole plate having a plurality of bosses extending from a lower surface thereof. A heel counter extends upwardly from a heel portion of the sole plate. An outer assembly is secured to the chassis assembly and includes a sole portion and an upper secured to the sole portion. A plurality of cleats extends downwardly from a lower surface of the sole portion. Each of a plurality of apertures extends downwardly into a corresponding cleat and receives a boss.
US07730635B2
Impact-attenuation members include body portions, optionally with an arched structure, that define a base orientation and an open space; and a spring member extending across the open space and engaging the body portion(s). When a force is applied to the body portion(s) in at least some orientations and/or directions of incident force, e.g., so as to change the impact-attenuation member out of its base orientation, the spring member may exert a force that urges the impact-attenuation member back toward the base orientation. Various example structures for the impact-attenuation member are described. Such impact-attenuation members may be used in articles of footwear or other foot-receiving device products.
US07730633B2
A method and apparatus for agricultural product production with heat and moisture recovery and control. Some embodiments transfer heat and moisture from a warm, moist exhaust air stream to incoming agricultural material, steam condition the material, pelletize the material into warm pellets, cool the warm pellets with make-up air to produce the warm, moist exhaust air used to transfer heat to the incoming material and to produce cooled pellets, wherein the cooled pellets are at a temperature lower than the warm moist air. In some embodiments, the system includes counter-flow devices to transfer heat and moisture. In some embodiments, a controller is used to adjust system devices and overall system flow. In some embodiments a water sprayer, to moisten agricultural product when the product is over dry, and an air flow controller, to slow air flow through the pellet dryer/cooler when ambient temperatures are dryer/cooler, are provided.
US07730629B2
A depth gauge for measuring the depth of a hole in a bone is disclosed having a digital readout for providing the measurement to a surgeon. The depth gauge has a probe with a tip inserted into and positioned proximate to the depth the hole, and has a reference member adjustably positioned relative the probe and against the bone proximate the hole. A measuring device is provided with the depth gauge for measuring the relative distance between the tip and the reference member, and the measuring device has a large, digital display for providing the relative distance.
US07730620B1
A plastic package opener having a body with a generally “V” shaped configured is formed from a memory retention material, by angled first and second legs held together by a portion of material. A sharp edge or blade member is held to an interior surface of one of the legs at an angle to the terminal ends of the legs. A movable blade cover may be provided for safety. A plastic package to be opened is inserted between the open ends of the legs and the blade member brought against the plastic package by squeezing the two legs together and directed across the surface of the plastic package to sever the plastic package and open the same for removal of an item or items held therein.
US07730618B2
A method for working or forming metals which consists in usings an aqueous lubricant containing as water-soluble extreme pressure additive, methanesulphonic acid or water-soluble methanesulphonic acid salt. The water-soluble methane sulphonic acid salt is an alkali or alkaline-earth, ammonium, alkanol amine or ethoxylated fatty amine salt. The inventive aqueous lubricants have good extreme pressure properties and good properties with respect to corrosion.
US07730607B2
An apparatus for assembling cable to connector includes a jig holder and a cable jig. The jig holder has a basic board defining a mounting space capable of locating a connector in the front thereof. The cable jig located in the rear of the mounting space of the jig holder has an upper jig member and a lower jig member disposed beneath the upper jig member. One of the jig members protrudes to form first spaced-apart barriers. A first receiving passage is defined between each pair of adjacent first spaced-apart barriers. The other jig member defines second receiving passages for receiving the first spaced-apart barriers respectively. A second spaced-apart barrier is defined between every two adjacent second receiving passages to space the two adjacent second receiving passages apart. The second spaced-apart barriers are inserted in the first receiving passages respectively.
US07730606B2
A method for manufacturing wireless communication devices for use in tracking or identifying other items comprises a number of cutting techniques that allow the size of the antenna for the wireless communication device. Further, the chip for the wireless communication device is nested so as to be flush with the surface of the substrate of the wireless communication device. Rollers cut the tabs that form the antenna elements. In a first embodiment, a plurality of rollers are used, each one effecting a different cut whose position may be phased so as to shorten or lengthen the antenna element. In a second embodiment, the rollers are independently positionable to shorten or lengthen the antenna element.
US07730594B2
A connector for stretch straps of a chair is mounted on the chair to hold and stretch a stretch strap with an opposite connector mounted on the chair and has a receiving recess formed inside the connector and a connecting slot formed through the top of the connector and communicating with the receiving recess. One end of the stretch strap extends through the connecting slot to be held by a binder in the receiving recesses. A bottom of the stretch strap is propped out by a top edge of the connecting slot so that a top of the stretch strap is protrudent relative to the top of the connector and a sharp edge formed between the top and the front end of the connector. Thus, a user's body is prevented from contacting with the rigid top and the sharp edge of the connector to comfortably sit on the chair.
US07730591B2
An apparatus on a carding machine has a covering comprising work and cover elements lying opposite the clothing of a high-speed cylinder. There is, in succession, an air exhaust opening for the exit of air and an opening for entry of air, past which openings a flow of fibers and air is passed. To allow improved detachment and elimination of short fibers in a simple manner, the spacing of the covering upstream of the exhaust opening is smaller than the spacing of the covering between air exhaust opening and air inlet opening and an airflow flows against the direction of rotation of the cylinder along the surface of the cylinder and flows with short fibers through the air exhaust opening.
US07730590B2
In an apparatus at a spinning preparation machine, especially at a carding machine, cleaner, draw frame, combing machine or the like, having at least one electric motor-driven roller, which is rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis, the roller is caused to rotate by means of forces of an electromagnetic field that act on at least one roller end-face. In order to achieve a substantially increased drive output and braking output and a high torque in a simple manner, an electromotive drive means is present having a rotor and a stator which are integrated into the roller and into an immobile machine element associated with the roller.
US07730585B2
The invention relates to a stop module for the swiveling motion of a rotation body (14) that is swivelably received in a housing (10). The stop module comprises a catch (26) following the trajectory of the swiveling motion on the end of the rotation body and a stop (48) comprising a damping element for delimiting the motion of the catch (26). At least one intermediate element (56) is provided between the catch (26) and the stop (48) and is supported, when impinged upon by the catch (26), on the housing (10) and on the stop (48).
US07730577B2
A control handle assembly (200) includes a rigid handle (202) for grasping by the operator to steer a walk-behind mobile machine (10) and a control portion (220) moveable relative to the handle (202) to control a function of the machine (10). A flexible extension (238) extends between the handle (202) and the control portion (220) and over the separation defined thereby. The flexible extension (238) flexes when pushed or pulled by the operator's hands and particularly when the flexible extension is engaged with both the control portion (220) and the handle (202) and when the operator's hand extends into the separation therebetween.
US07730569B2
A head portion of a nodally mounted rotating toothbrush is removable from a handle portion, which has a driving system therein. The head portion includes a spring assembly, having two spring sections, the spring assembly having a node point between the two ends and a nodal mount member at the node point which is connected to a cover member of the head portion. A driving assembly is arranged to drive the first spring section, the second section rotating in an opposing direction from the first spring section, the second spring section having a drive shaft extending therefrom, upon a free end of which a brushhead is mounted. When the head portion is removed from the handle, the spring assembly is removed therewith.
US07730565B1
An apparatus has segments connected end-to-end so as to form a flexible tube, a base connected to a first segment of the segments, a clamp connected to the base for mounting the base, and a tensioning mechanism for tensioning the segments. A scope adapter can be connected to a last segment of the plurality of segments. An extremity adapter can be connected to a last segment of the plurality of segments. The clamp can mount the base to a mayo stand of a multi-purpose gurney. The clamp can also mount the base to a rail of a multi-purpose gurney.
US07730564B2
A pillowcase display has a skirting attached to and forming the hem of a pillowcase, with a number of display apertures passing through the skirting, the skirting includes a number of fabric pieces which may be any size, shape or color, with co-aligned apertures. The apertures can incorporate an elastomeric material, for placing the display items through, so that a figure such a doll or plush toy can be displayed with the head outside the pillowcase and the body within the pillowcase.
US07730563B1
A head support system that has a fixation arc system that is adjustable both vertically and horizontally and is mounted to a patient support structure. The fixation arc system is positionable adjacent to, and provides lateral support for, the patient's head. A pin support is connected to, and extends from the fixation arc system. A pin is adjustably mounted to the pin support and contacts the patient's head to provide a lateral fixation thereof. The pin has a centerline that is rotatable about two axes of motion substantially perpendicular to the pin centerline.
US07730559B2
A toilet seat is provided for mounting on a toilet bowl (1) and is configured to be placed in communication with a mechanical air extraction system. The toilet seat includes a seat (4) that can be applied in a sealed manner on the toilet bowl. The toilet seat (4) has an air inlet (6) at the front and an air outlet (7) at the rear. The outlet (7) is connected by ducts (8, 9, 10) to the air extraction system (14, 15). A cover (11) is hinged in proximity to the seat (4). The cover (11) is configured to prevent the toilet bowl (1) from being flushed when the cover (11) is in the open position and seals the front air inlet (6) when the cover is in the closed position.
US07730555B2
Lower leg protective apparel, in particular protective socks, against chemical and/or biological noxiants composed of a plurality of plies, comprising an outside leg part (1) and, disposed in the interior of the outside leg part (1), a laminate (2) which comprises a flexible, windproof and water-rejecting membrane (7) which forms the outer surface of the laminate (2) and which forms at least a barrier to biological noxiants, a carbon layer (8) which is disposed underneath the membrane (7) and which comprises carbon in fibrous or particulate form, and an inner textile ply (9) which is characterized in that the outside leg part (1) is fabricated from a plurality of cuts (4, 5, 6) and in that the seams of the laminate (2) disposed in the interior of the outer leg part (1) are sealed off by a waterproof material.
US07735143B2
This invention is directed to a system and method for secure document processing. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method for secure document processing wherein a user has the ability to confidentially generate or print a document without generating a log entry or other information related to the document.
US07735138B2
Disclosed are techniques for performing an antivirus task in a mobile wireless device running an embedded operating system. In one embodiment, calls intended for an application programming interface (API) function code is redirected to an antivirus function code. The redirection to the antivirus function code may be performed by modifying a kernel structure to point to a modified entry list instead of an API entry list. The redirection to the antivirus function code may also be performed by modifying the API function code to allow the antivirus function code to execute before the API function code. The kernel structure or the API function code may be properly restored back to its original form. Software implementations of these techniques may be readily loaded and unloaded, and may not require re-installation of the embedded operating system.
US07735136B2
Protected software, such as an application and/or DLL, is monitored by protective software to guard against attacks, while distinguishing spurious, benign events from attacks. In a 1-touch approach, the protected software is monitored in a testing environment to detect spurious, benign events caused by, e.g., incompatibility or interoperability problems. The spurious events can be remediated in different ways, such as by applying a relaxed security policy. In a production mode, or 0-touch mode, when the protected software is subject to attacks, the corresponding remediation can be applied when the spurious events are again detected. Security events which occur in production mode can also be treated as benign when they occur within a specified time window. The applications and/or DLLs can further be classified according to whether they are known to have bad properties, known to be well-behaved, or unknown. Appropriate treatment is provided based on the classification.
US07735135B1
A system and method for intrusion detection and prevention processing are described. Spin state information associated with a signature may be prefetched by a network device having one or more buffers. The spin state information may be stored by the buffer. Context data may be searched using the spin state information stored by the buffer.
US07735131B2
A CPU of a control unit has an authentication verification function which is an authentication verification unit which verifies a user name and password input from a remote control and a user name and password stored in SRAM, and a registration user setting function which is a login qualifier authorization unit for controlling editing of registration users as well as specifying a user for which login is authorized by a user setting function flag stored in the SRAM.
US07735127B1
A method and system for communicating with at least one managed system located behind a firewall are provided. The system includes an agent computer, located behind a firewall, to communicate with the at least one managed system and a management system. The management system communicates with the agent computer to provide computer related services. The management system is located on an opposed side of the firewall and communicates an envelope including at least one executable task to the agent computer for communication to the managed system. The executable task may be included in a script and the agent computer may poll the management system to determine if there is an envelope for it to receive.
US07735126B2
A method of Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA) in an interworking between first and second networks that do not belong in the same administrative domain, using certificate based transactions. In the method according to the invention, the second network sends a public key to the first network, and a certificate to a mobile device. The certificate includes information regarding the subscription level of the mobile device and is signed with a private key of the second network. Upon detection of the first network the mobile device transmits the certificate and the first network authenticates the certificate using the public and private keys of the second network, and authorizes access to the network in response. The first network then sends a session key encrypted with a public key of the mobile device. The mobile device decrypts the session key with a private key and access the first network using the session key. In this manner, interworking is implemented without requiring the deployment of a special interworking function to bridge between the two different types of networks.
US07735124B2
A password input and verification method is provided to prevent the disclosing of the password from peeping. The method is easy to learn, transparent to the users, and requires no hardware change and only minor software modification. The method allows a user to enter a much longer string of characters when he or she is asked for the password. The user is then authenticated if the actual password is embedded as a whole anywhere within the input string. The method also provides a mechanism called prohibition key. A prohibition key is a predetermined character that, when present in the user input string, the user is not authenticated regardless of whether the actual password is contained in the input string or not.
US07735122B1
Methods, systems, and data structures map credentials. A master credential is established for a user or an application. The master credential is mapped to one or more service credentials associated with one or more services. When a request for a service is received from a requestor, the request is authenticated using the master credential. If the master credential is authenticated, then an appropriate service credential associated with the appropriate requested service is acquired and sent directly (via proxy) to the service on behalf of the requestor.
US07735121B2
A system and method for communicating information over an insecure communications network include one or more computing devices that may access a first server via the communication network. In operation the first server displays an authentication Web page having a virtual pad with a plurality of characters that may be selected directly from a display of the computing device.
US07735106B2
A method for providing subscription-on-demand services for video-on-demand programs within an interactive information distribution system. The method includes associating a plurality of video-on-demand programming packages as a programming bundle and identifying a number of video-on-demand programming packages within the programming bundle that a subscriber has subscribed. When the number of video-on-demand programming packages exceeds a pre-specified number of programming packages, the subscriber is automatically subscribed to all the video-on-demand programming packages in the programming bundle.
US07735102B1
A sequence of cards is stored that graphically represents available options within an information system. In addition, supplemental information related to at least one card may be obtained. In response to a single user action, the sequence of cards is successively displayed within a focus area of the user interface. When a card having supplemental information is displayed, the supplemental information is also displayed, either on or near the card. In response to a subsequent user action, the successive display is discontinued to display a particular card representing a selected option.
US07735100B1
Within the context of a system of networked computers, a remote registry access manager regulates remote registry access. In some embodiments, the remote registry access manager runs on a first computer and detects attempts by processes on the first computer to remotely access a second computer's registry. The remote registry access manager determines whether attempts to remotely access the second computer's registry are legitimate. Legitimacy of a given remote access attempt may be determined based on a number of different criteria, such as whether the first computer and the second computer have an established trust relationship. If a given attempt is indeed determined to be legitimate, the remote registry access manager allows the attempt to proceed. If it is not, then the remote registry access manager blocks the attempt.
US07735082B2
A task management system in an operating system executes a plurality of tasks in parallel. The task management system includes an execution standby state changer configured to generate a verifier of a task from data stored in a task address space and to store the generated verifier in a verifier storage area, when the task is changed from an executed state to an execution standby state; and an executed state changer configured to generate a verifier of the task from the data stored in the task address space and to verify matching of the generated verifier with the verifier of the task stored in the verifier storage area, when the task is changed from the execution standby state to the executed state.
US07735078B1
A system and method for cross-platform patching of applications. The method may include deploying a patch package on a first computer running a first type of operating system, and executing the patching mechanism on the first computer. The patch package may include a patching mechanism operable to execute on a second computer running a second type of operating system. The patch package may also include a first set of one or more new code components, which may replace a first set of one or more old code components in a first application. The patch package may also be deployed on the second computer. The method may also include replacing a second set of one or more old code components in a second application on the second computer with a second set of one or more new code components included in the patch package.
US07735076B2
Disclosed herein are methods for efficient loading of extensions or “plug ins” into a host software program. In a preferred embodiment, extensions registered with the host software program are loaded when the host program is first initialized. During their loading, changes that the various extensions make to the host program are recorded in a cache file, including graphical changes to the user interface and non-graphical changes. Later, when the host program is again initialized, the cache file is read in lieu of loading the extensions, with the affect that it appears to the user that the extensions' functionality are fully present in the host application, although in reality the extensions are not yet loaded. Instead, the extensions are loaded when and if they are called, either by the user or automatically by the computer. This saves time upon host program initialization as the extensions, once cached, need not be loaded until they are called.
US07735075B2
The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for a pseudo DLL linker. In one example, the method includes identifying a plurality of components forming an image and identifying all symbols exportable from each component and all symbols imported by each component from another component. A redirection mechanism is built containing an address of each symbol exported by a component that is imported by another component, and each component is modified to alter each direct reference to a symbol associated with another component to a reference to the redirection mechanism. A linker is called to link a final image based on the modified components.
US07735073B1
Including source-level data object information in code profiling data enhances code optimization because it provides new perspectives to view code behavior. A method provides for identifying an operation instance of code that corresponds to a runtime event, which is detected in execution of the code. The detected event is attributed to a source-level data object that corresponds to a source-level representation of a language construct. The attribution is based on a predefined association between the identified operation instance and the language construct of the source-level representation that corresponds to the source-level data object.
US07735072B1
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for profiling computer program executions in a computer processing system having a processor and a memory hierarchy. The method includes the step of executing a computer program. Profile counts are stored in a memory array for events associated with the execution of the computer program. The memory array is separate and distinct from the memory hierarchy so as to not perturb normal operations of the memory hierarchy.
US07735063B2
A configuration server includes a configuration repository that stores a wide range of configuration information for possible use by application programs. The configuration repository may include configuration parameters, settings for the parameters, and meta-data of definitions and descriptions of the parameters. Configuration information is selected from the configuration repository and stored in a configuration directory for later use by application programs at runtime. The configuration information is accessed from the configuration directory when needed by an application program or a component thereof.
US07735060B2
A system for deploying component-based software systems for the implementation of desired sensor data process flows makes use of a toolset of software components specially tailored for building sensor data process flows. In one or more embodiments, the system comprises a front-end application operative to generate system specifications from user input, each system specification defining a desired component-based software system of one or more sensor components and their corresponding configurations in accordance with sensor component class definitions (e.g., the toolset) for a predefined set of sensor components tailored for building desired sensor data process flows. The system further includes a back-end application operative to store the sensor component class definitions for use in instantiating sensor components as needed, receive system specifications, and dynamically build and run the corresponding desired component-based software systems within a run-time environment provided by the back-end application.
US07735057B2
A software application streamed from a host system to a target system comprises the installation or configuration logic for another software application. In certain embodiments, the installation logic conforms to a well-known installation standard. The described technique allows the use and/or execution of installation logic or other related objects when these objects do not exist in their entirety on the target system. The application installation that results from this process may configure the subsequent application to be delivered only in part (in streamed mode) or in its entirety.
US07735049B2
A method and apparatus for selectively masking off unknown (‘x’) captured scan data in first selected scan cells 220 from propagating through the scan chains 221 for test, debug, diagnosis, and yield improvement of a scan-based integrated circuit 207 in a selected scan-test mode 232 or selected self-test mode. The scan-based integrated circuit 207 contains a plurality of scan chains 221, a plurality of pattern generators 208, a plurality of pattern compactors 213, with each scan chain 221 comprising multiple scan cells 220, 222 coupled in series. The method and apparatus further includes an output-mask controller 211 and an output-mask network 212 embedded on the scan data input path of second selected scan cells 222, or a set/reset controller controlling selected set/reset inputs of second selected scan cells. A synthesis method is also proposed for synthesizing the output-mask controller 211 and the set/reset controller.
US07735045B1
Method and apparatus for mapping flip-flop logic onto shift register logic is described. In one example, a method of processing flip-flop logic in a circuit design for implementation in an integrated circuit is provided. A chain of flip-flops in the circuit design is identified. The chain of flip-flops includes first and second control signals. A shift register is instantiated in a logical description of the circuit design for the chain of flip-flops. A shift register is instantiated in the logical description for the chain of flip-flops. First and second control chains of flip-flops are instantiated in the logical description for the first and second control signals, respectively. A multiplexer is instantiated in the logical description and is configured to select among an output of the shift register, an asserted logic state, and a de-asserted logic state based on outputs of the first and second control chains.
US07735038B2
A design structure to reduce power consumption within a clock gated synchronous circuit, said synchronous circuit comprising at least two successive stages, wherein each stage if activated propagates a data signal cycle by cycle to a succeeding stage the two successive stages comprising at least a control register, a data register and a local clock buffer (LCB) each, wherein each stage if activated propagates a data signal stored within the data register cycle by cycle to a data register of a succeeding stage.
US07735027B2
A system, method, and computer program for identifying a plurality of product representations; formulating a plurality of logical expressions from said plurality of product representations; and aligning each of said plurality of logical expressions with a variance completeness and a consistency and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.
US07734999B2
A system and method for configuring a user formset for display on a user interface of a client computer, the client computer coupled by a network to a formset server, the user formset for providing interaction with a network transaction, the user formset described in a structured definition language. The system and method comprise: requesting the user formset from the server according to at least one formset generation criterion; selecting a first overlay for application to a master formset, the first overlay including first components based on a role of the user; applying the first overlay to the content of the master formset for generating a role based version of the master formset; selecting a second overlay for application to the role based version, the second overlay including second components based on settings particular for the user functioning in the role; and applying the second overlay to the content of the role based version for generating the user formset; wherein the user formset is subsequently rendered on the user interface of the client computer.
US07734991B1
A method of encoding a communication signal by selecting a cyclic code, establishing a generator polynomial, generating a polynomial using the generator polynomial, forming a matrix from the generated polynomial, receiving data to be encoded, appending zeros to the received data, calculating a syndrome of the matrix, calculating check values from the syndrome, appending the check values to the received data, and encoding the received data with appended check values using the generator polynomial.
US07734988B2
A method for puncturing a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC). The method includes a) setting a codeword length and the total number of bit nodes to be punctured; b) selecting a check node (or check nodes) with highest priority excluding check nodes completely checked in a current round; c) selecting a bit node (or bit nodes) with a highest priority excluding bit nodes completely checked among bit nodes connected to the selected check node (or check nodes); d) determining whether the selected bit node is a bit node to be punctured, that is, it is not systematic, not set by a puncturing prohibition flag; e) puncturing an associated bit node if the selected bit node is the bit node to be punctured, setting unpunctured bit nodes connected to the selected check node by a puncturing prohibition flag, decreasing the number of remained bit nodes to be punctured by 1 and increasing the number of connected punctured node of associated check node by 1; f) determining whether the number of remaining bits to be punctured is greater than 0; and g) returning to step b) if the number of remaining bits to be punctured is greater than 0, and ending a puncturing process if the number of remaining bits to be punctured is not greater than 0.
US07734982B2
A first device receives first data that includes a plurality of input vectors, which includes a primary input vector and a set of secondary input vectors and detects uncorrectable errors in the first data based on a quality metric indication. Based on detecting the uncorrectable errors in the first data, the first device substitutes a predetermined codeword for the primary input vector encoded using a non-perfect code, and substitutes a predetermined input vector for the primary input vector. The first device modulates a set of encoded secondary input vectors using the predetermined input vector to generate a modulated set of encoded secondary input vectors and transmits as second data the predetermined codeword and the modulated set of encoded secondary input vectors to a target device, wherein the substituting step creates a first number of errors that is detected by the target device as uncorrectable errors in the transmitted second data.
US07734968B2
Novel structures and testing methods for the FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) embedded in an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Basically, a shift/interface system is coupled between the FPGAs and the ASIC. During normal operation, the shift/interface system electrically couples the FPGAs to the ASIC. During the testing of the FPGAs, the shift/interface system scans in FPGA test data in series, then feeds the FPGA test data to the FPGAs, then receives FPGA response data from the FPGAs, and then scans out the FPGA response data in series. During the testing of the ASIC, the shift/interface system scans in ASIC test data in series, then feeds the ASIC test data to the ASIC, then receives ASIC response data from the ASIC, and then scans out the ASIC response data in series.
US07734961B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for distributed logging. Operating entities and associations between operating entities are registered in a registry by a logging entity registrar. An event notification monitor recognizes operating errors in operating entities. An aggregation module aggregates operating logs from sets of associated entities, which are then stored by a log set recorder.
US07734956B2
There is provided a process management system which, when a crash occurs in execution of a processing process, can immediately restart a processing process while holding data used in occurrence of the crash as much as possible. When a determination unit determines that a detected crash is not a crash caused by data used in a processing process, a processing unit reexecutes the processing process in which the crash occurs. When the determination unit determines that the detected crash is a crash caused by the data used in the processing process, an initialization unit initializes the data used in the processing process.
US07734955B2
A method and system for improving Field Replacement Unit (FRU) isolation in memory sub-systems by monitoring Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) induced memory errors. A comparator compares the output voltage coming from the VRM to memory. If the comparator detects a VRM output voltage transient that is outside a rated threshold, then a counter is increased by one. If the counter exceeds a count threshold, a VRM error is posted. If a memory failure occurs within a predetermined period of time, then the VRM error pinpoints the VRM output voltage transient as being the likely cause of the memory failure.
US07734953B1
Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media for providing a redundant power solution for an expansion card installed within a host computer. The expansion card has a hardware device and a power control mechanism. The power control mechanism provides power to the hardware device from a conditional power source when available, and from computer system standby power when the conditional power source is unavailable. The power control mechanism may comprise a power sensing mechanism to determine when conditional power source output decreases below a threshold level and a switching mechanism to switch from the conditional power source to computer system standby power when this happens. The hardware device may enter a low power mode upon receiving computer system standby power.
US07734946B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed by which communication with a higher degree of accuracy can be achieved with increased easiness. A transmission apparatus transmits base data formed by dividing transmission data and redundant data produced by exclusive OR operation using a coefficient matrix prepared in advance to a reception apparatus. The base data and the redundant data have restoration relating information relating to a restoration process added thereto. The reception apparatus specifies lost base data based on the information added to the received base data and redundant data and aligns the acquired redundant data. The reception apparatus utilizes a coefficient matrix prepared in advance to perform exclusive OR operation to restore the lost base data and produces reception data corresponding to the original transmission data. The apparatus and method can be applied to a communication system.
US07734936B2
A method is described that involves storing active sleep mode software instructions to be executed by a low end central processing unit into an on chip cache of a high end central processing unit that caches normal active mode software instructions executed by the high end central processing unit. The active sleep mode software instructions are to be executed by the low end central processing unit during an active sleep mode. The normal active mode software instructions are executed by the high end central processing unit during a normal active mode. The active sleep mode consumes less power than the normal active mode.
US07734925B2
One aspect of the invention is a method for generating a certified electronic document that includes receiving identification information associated with a signatory user from a computer. From the same computer, identification information associated with a notary user is also received. At least one electronic document that requires certification is identified on a display. A first user command is received from the computer identifying the assent of the signatory user to the execution of the at least one electronic document. A second user command is received from the computer identifying the assent of the notary user to the certification of the at least one electronic document. Official indicia associated with the notary user is applied to the at least one electronic document to create at least one certified document.
US07734922B2
Disclosed are a method, a system and a terminal apparatus for reproducing content purchased by a user in a plurality of terminals. To this end, a Right Object (RO) is received through an authentication process for content and a service registration process, and is stored in a User Identity Module (UIM). If the UIM is used, a user can use corresponding content in a plurality of terminals through one-time registration. Accordingly, the user having completed the registration can reproduce content in multiple terminals owned by the user based on user identification by means of a license acquired through the registration regardless of a specific terminal, instead of reproducing the content only in a single terminal to which a license has been bound.
US07734912B2
A user network station transmits a cookie including a user identifier and an augmenting factor transformed with one key of a first asymmetric crypto-key or with a symmetric crypto-key. A authenticating entity network station recovers the augmenting factor from the transformed augmenting factor with the other key of the first asymmetric crypto-key or with the symmetric crypto-key, and transmits a customized login page corresponding to the user identifier included in the received cookie. The user network station transmits a factor responsive to the transmitted customized login page. The authenticating entity network station generates a first key portion based on the transmitted factor, and validates the generated first key portion based on a second key portion of one key of a second asymmetric crypto-key associated with the user and on the other key of the second asymmetric crypto-key, and the recovered augmenting factor, to thereby authenticate the user.
US07734910B2
A managed device obtains an individual certificate with an ID of the managed device when the managed device is in a direct-managed state and determines that the certificate set as the certifying information for communicating with a managing device is a common certificate without an ID of the managed device.
US07734909B1
A system for remotely servicing a computational component is provided that includes: (a) a firewall 112; (b) a computational component 104 requiring servicing, the firewall 112 analyzing communications to the computational component 104; (c) a data collection agent 116 operable to (i) establish a session with a servicing computational component 100, packets of the session being analyzed by the firewall 112 and the session being of a type permitted by the firewall 112, (ii) receive a packet associated with the session, the packet comprising a machine executable servicing command for the computational component 104, and (iii) forward the servicing command to the computational component 104.
US07734906B2
A security system comprising a plurality of security subsystems each of the security subsystems being discretely located, typically in separate buildings. The security subsystems are interconnected by a system communications bus to enable bi-directional communication between the security subsystems. Each of the security subsystems comprises a user interface, a control panel, a plurality of security devices, a local communications bus, and a panel linking gateway. The panel linking gateway allows data on the local communications bus of each security subsystem to be transmitted to and received from the system communications bus. The security system allows a keypad or other user interface from one security subsystem to access and control a second remote security subsystem.
US07734902B2
According to a method of data processing in a data processing system, a hardware management component receives from a software component of the data processing system a request for management access to a hardware component of the data processing system. In response to receipt of the request for management access, the hardware management component determines whether or not the request contains a parameter indicative of the intended scope of hardware components to be accessed in response to the request. In response to the request, the hardware management component selects a scope in accordance with the determination and issues one or more hardware management commands to one or more target hardware components of the data processing system within the selected scope, such that an operating state of the one or more target hardware components is modified.
US07734900B2
In a logically partitioned host computer system comprising host processors (host CPUs), a facility and instruction for discovering topology of one or more guest processors (guest CPUs) of a guest configuration comprises a guest processor of the guest configuration fetching and executing a STORE SYSTEM INFORMATION instruction that obtains topology information of the computer configuration. The topology information comprising nesting information of processors of the configuration and the degree of dedication a host processor provides to a corresponding guest processor. The information is preferably stored in a single table in memory.
US07734873B2
A processor includes a cache hierarchy including a level-1 cache and a higher-level cache. The processor maps a portion of physical memory space to a portion of the higher-level cache, executes instructions, at least some of which comprise microcode, allows microcode to access the portion of the higher-level cache, and prevents instructions that do not comprise microcode from accessing the portion of the higher-level cache. The first portion of the physical memory space can be permanently allocated for use by microcode. The processor can move one or more cache lines of the first portion of the higher-level cache from the higher-level cache to a first portion of the level-1 cache, allow microcode to access the first portion of the first level-1 cache, and prevent instructions that do not comprise microcode from accessing the first portion of the first level-1 cache.
US07734863B2
Since JFFS, which is used as an existing method of storing data in a flash memory, stores all data sequentially according to a generated order, pure data of a file system and metadata for managing the pure data must be sequentially stored. Thus, when a PC is turned on and mounts the file system, since all metadata must be read to RAM, the entire space of the flash memory must be read, and thus a long time is taken to mount the file system. An increase in the capacity of the flash memory causes an increase in the mounting time. Thus, a booting time taken to turn on and use an embedded system significantly increases. Accordingly, JFFS is not suitable for embedded systems requiring quick access. A data storage space is secured by dividing a free list of segments that are used as a data storage space of a flash memory into a front journaling free list and a rear journaling free list by setting a central point of the segment free list, determining whether enough free segments are secured in the front journaling free list, and if it is determined that not enough free segments are guarantied, collecting garbage data from among stored data with reference to a wear-leveling threshold and a valid data threshold which are set in segments in which data is stored.
US07734849B2
The present invention relates to a wireless mouse system. Particularly, the present invention relates to a wireless mouse system in which includes a controller, which controls a receiver and a flash memory device integrated into an interfacing device, can be performed function of the receiver and the flash memory device smoothly. A wireless mouse system comprises a wireless mouse and an interfacing device with a USB terminal, electrically communicated with a USB port of a information-displaying device. The interfacing device comprises a receiver receiving a signal data transferred wirelessly from the wireless mouse, and transferring the signal data to the information-displaying device, a flash memory device exchanging data with the information-displaying device through the USB terminal and a controller controlling the receiver and the flash memory device, and transferring optionally the signal of the receiver and the flash memory device to the information-displaying device.
US07734842B2
A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for managing direct memory access (DMA) write page faults using a pool of substitute pages. A computer system platform resolves a DMA write page fault for a page that is dedicated to an Input/Output (I/O) adapter. The I/O adapter attempts to write DMA data to the page. A determination is made that the page is unavailable for writing. The DMA data is then written to data locations in a substitute page that was selected from the pool of substitute pages. A flag is then set in a flag location for each one of the data locations. The flag locations correspond to the data locations. When a flag is set, the flag indicates that DMA write data is present in the data location that corresponds to that flag's flag location.
US07734836B2
A field-upgradeable database that is separable from system software contains information about mass storage devices that may be present in a storage array. When an uninitialized device is detected in the array, the field-upgradeable database is consulted to discover which non-standard functions the device supports, and one of the non-standard functions is activated. Software and systems using the field-upgradeable database in a storage server configuration are also described and claimed.
US07734833B2
Provided is a method for scheduling operations called by a task on a real-time or non-real-time processor. Execution durations are provided for operations. A call is received from a task for an operation. A determination is made of a latency requirement for a first processor and of the execution duration of the called operation. The called operation is executed on the first processor in response to determining that the determined execution duration is less than the latency requirement. The called operation is executed on a second processor in response to determining that the determined execution duration is greater than the latency requirement.
US07734832B2
Disclosed is a structured model for developing PIO code and for performing PIO transactions. This model of structured PIO transactions provides a framework with default behaviors. Developers need only provide a minimal amount of configuration information and can then characterize subsequent PIO transactions in terms of a profile, thus reducing the amount of detailed and often redundant information that developers need to provide for each PIO transaction. In some embodiments, the PIO transaction model is expressed in terms of object-oriented programming constructs. In one example, a PIO enabler object captures general PIO operational parameters and manages underlying operating system objects and behavior. When device manager software receives an input/output request that involves a PIO data transfer, the device manager constructs a PIO transaction object that represents the PIO work request. During the processing of the PIO transaction, the PIO transaction object maintains state and status information.
US07734826B2
A server stores files. Distributed clients access the server, to learn about changes made to the files on the server, and to push local changes of the files onto the server. A synchronization application is used to synchronize the clients and server, synchronizing metadata and selected files.
US07734819B1
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for handling data sent from a first public network to a second or same public network via a private network. In general terms, network translation address mechanisms are provided within the edge routers of the private network. When a first processing node sends a request to an edge router to access another processing node which resides in a public network, the edge router forms a binding based on two addresses associated with the first processing node. A first private address is initially associated with the first processing node, and the first processing node uses this private address to communicate with the private network. A second public address is also allocated to the first processing node based on the first processing node's request to communicate with a public node. The first processing node uses the allocated second public address to communicate with the requested public node.
US07734816B2
Methods and apparatus are described for intelligently redirecting and/or processing traffic. In one embodiment, a method of facilitating redirection of traffic sent from a first processing device (e.g., a client) to a second processing device (e.g., a server) is disclosed. At a third processing device (e.g., a router) associated with a plurality of traffic handling systems (e.g., cache systems), traffic information is received from at least a portion of the associated traffic handling systems. The traffic information specifies which data should be redirected to the portion of associated traffic handling systems. It is determined how to redirect data received by the third processing device to a selected traffic handling system based on the received traffic information received from at least one of the associated traffic handling systems.
US07734814B2
A decrypting load balancing array system uses a Pentaflow approach to network traffic management that extends across an array of Decrypting Load Balancing Array (DLBA) servers sitting in front of back end Web servers. One of the DLBA servers acts as a scheduler for the array through which all incoming requests are routed. The scheduler routes and load balances the traffic to the other DLBA servers (including itself) in the array. Each DLBA server routes and load balances the incoming request packets to the appropriate back end Web servers. Responses to the requests from the back end Web servers are sent back to the DLBA server which forwards the response directly to the requesting client.
US07734812B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing packets in a network layer. A packet is received for transmission in which the packet includes a destination address. A routing entry for the destination address is identified. A determination is made as to whether a flag indicating the packet is to be broadcast has been set in the routing entry. Header information is placed in the packet in which the header information indicates that the packet is a broadcast packet in response to the flag being set.
US07734802B1
A collaborative electronic presentation application is disclosed allowing real-time editing of an electronic presentation. The electronic presentation is made up of a plurality of scenes, each having one or more meeting objects or pods that display various information to participating users. Some of the participating users may have presentation rights while other users may have only viewing rights. Presenters may request to edit or prepare one of the scenes that is not currently active within the electronic presentation. When requested, the preparing presenter is shown the requested scene while each of the other meeting participants remain viewing the currently active scene. The preparing presenter may then edit the selected scene or even create a new scene to add to the presentation while the electronic presentation is in progress.
US07734799B1
A file transfer application maintains a secure connection over the Internet with a file transfer gateway. A user selects a file and the file transfer application requests a unique ticket from the gateway. The ticket is stored in both the gateway and the file transfer application. Next, the ticket is then encoded in a URL that can be sent to potential recipients of the file via conventional methods. Upon entering the URL into a web browser, the recipient will navigate to the file transfer gateway. The gateway decodes the URL to recover the ticket and looks up the ticket in the database to determine the associated application instance and file description. The gateway will then request the application instance to start encrypting and streaming the contents of the file identified by the ticket to the gateway, which then retransmits the encrypted stream to the recipient's web browser.
US07734798B2
In a data conversion rule switching device, a data conversion rule suitable for control of a target device assigned to a data communication port is set for each of a plurality of data communication ports. When a data communication port to be used is selected, operation data corresponding to operation of a plurality of controls provided outside or inside the data conversion rule switching device and generated in response to the operation is converted into an operation data suitable for control of the target device in accordance with the data conversion rule set for the selected data communication port, and the converted operation data is sent to the selected data communication port.
US07734795B2
Payload information in a data unit may be translated into the attribute portion of a data unit by receiving a first data unit from a terminal with payload information, identifying attribute information from within the payload information, and translating the first data unit into a translated data unit having an attribute portion corresponding to the attribute information from within the payload information of the first data unit.
US07734792B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection between a server in a private network and a client in a public network. Additional activities include intercepting a socket call from the client requesting resolution of a network address associated with a domain name in the private network, searching a local linked list for the network address, returning the network address to the client if the network address is found in the local linked list, and, if the network address is not found in the local linked list, sending a request to resolve the network address to a domain name system (DNS) server in the private network. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US07734788B2
Methods are disclosed for indirectly monitoring and controlling at least one media peripheral device in a media exchange network by accessing a media management system (MMS) via a first media peripheral (MP) device (e.g., a TV screen) using a user control device (e.g., a remote control). An operation corresponding to a second media peripheral (MP) device (e.g., a digital camera) may be selected via the MMS using the first MP device and the user control device. The operation is then carried out (i.e., performed) by the second MP device. A status of the second MP device may be selected via the MMS using the first MP device and the user control device. The selected status is then displayed on the first MP device.
US07734775B2
A method of semi-automatic data collection, data analysis and model generation for performance analysis of computer networks and software is provided. The invention provides a graphical user interface which indicates the overall data flow in the performance analysis process and guides the user through the proper sequence of steps in that process. Underneath the graphical user interface, the invention provides software tools which include novel data pipeline for transformation of network traces, resource data and application data into organized hash tables, and further into spreadsheets for introduction into computer network simulation programs. The invention also provides novel algorithms for recognizing transaction and parentage between transactions from low level network trace data. The invention further provides novel methods of visualization of trace data and transaction and parentage associations.
US07734774B2
In an in-operation system check processing device, an automatic exploration unit automatically checks presence/absence of devices of the in-operation system and relationship between the devices according to the design data of the in-operation system. A check list storage unit contains information on check conditions concerning problems of the devices constituting a network system found afterward. A system check unit detects a problem existing in the actual in-operation system by collating the design data and the result of the automatic exploration with the check conditions stored in the check list storage unit. A caution information output unit outputs caution information relating to the problem. Thus, it is possible to prevent a failure which may be caused in the in-operation system with a high probability and improve the operation quality.
US07734770B2
A method for monitoring information in a network environment is provided that includes receiving one or more packets from a communication flow initiated by an end user. The information associated with the communication flow is then selectively communicated to a plurality of client-aware network elements.
US07734769B2
A system includes a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network, wherein each apparatus monitors the occurrence of trouble in a monitoring object apparatus which is one of the apparatuses in the system. Further, each apparatus is monitored for the occurrence of trouble in the apparatus by a monitor apparatus which is another one of the apparatuses in the system. The system enables adding and subtracting apparatuses to the system, as well as restoring apparatuses which were previously subtracted due to detected troubles which have been corrected.
US07734764B2
A technique is provided for detecting and responding to serviceable conditions in systems. Following detection of an indicator of a serviceable condition, a service request is generated and transmitted to a service provider. The requests results in consultation of a service knowledge base that contains information on the indicators, potential causes or conditions that could result in the indicators, and responses to the conditions. Responses may then be generated automatically for satisfying the service requests.
US07734763B2
An Information Systems (IS) monitoring approach is described that is capable of monitoring and displaying the availability of various software components, including “foundational” operation features of the IS infrastructure. A further capability is that the availability of the individual software components upon which a specific business logic process depends may each be individually and continuously checked, in a combined fashion that is referenced to the specific business logic process, so that the status of the business logic process itself (e.g., operable or non-operable) can be continuously determined. Moreover, operability or non-operability can be established over a wide range of different business logic processes on a process by process basis. In this manner, an IS administrator can keep abreast of the status of the IS infrastructure and its ability to execute business logic processes dependent on lower level software.
US07734744B1
A system for communicating management information includes a first interface card, a second interface card, and a management card coupled to the first interface card and the second interface card. The management card establishes a communication link between a client and a particular one of the first interface card and the second interface card selected in response to a command communicated by the client. The management card further communicates management information using the communication link.
US07734740B2
An apparatus for managing configuration of an element. The apparatus includes a computer that connects with the element to receive data from the element, and a server in the computer that includes the data in one or more web pages.
US07734738B2
Described is a technology by which a server automatically configures itself for adding to an existing network. Upon connection to the network, the server obtains settings including existing subnet and gateway IP addresses from a DHCP assigned IP configuration (e.g., a router). The server uses the settings to automatically configure itself to dynamically provide addresses similar to the previous scope to clients. In one implementation, the server software sets its network card to a static IP address state while the server is configured, and thereafter sets the network card to a dynamic state. The router is disabled during server configuration, and re-enabled thereafter, whereby the server DHCP service instead of the router DHCP service assigns the addresses. The server may also attempt to automatically connect to the Internet.
US07734732B2
When a user purchases digital rights to a media file, or otherwise obtains the right to have a copy of the media file downloaded to the user's wireless device, a link to the media file that is stored in the media database is stored in a user storage database. When the user desires to have the media file downloaded to the user's wireless device, the user sends a request to the network. The network performs a check to determine whether the user is authorized to receive the requested media file, and if so, causes the requested media file to be downloaded to the user's wireless device where the media file is stored in the local memory of the wireless device for playback by the user on the wireless device.
US07734728B2
The invention relates to a method of addressing a management object in a device management system, wherein at least one management object is added to a manageable client device. The method comprises retrieving a content of a predetermined data element from information in the management object. At least part of the content of said data element is coded using a predetermined coding algorithm. At least part of the content of said data element, in coded form, is assigned as an identifier for the management object. The identifier is used to address the management object.
US07734724B2
Systems and methods for automatically capturing, uploading, and publishing content. The system may include one or more monitoring modules for providing captured content to a remote site.
US07734713B2
A method of arbitrating access to a storage medium that is shared by M first computers operating on a Windows™ operating comprising (1) determining if the SCSI PR-flag has been set; (2) if yes, preventing the N second computers from writing to the storage medium; and (3) setting the SCSI MC-flag for each of said M first computers after one of the second computers writes to the storage medium to notify the M first computers that the contents of the storage medium may have changed.
US07734703B2
A method and system for detecting and preventing bulk messages in real-time is provided. A detection server detects and prevents bulk messages in real-time by analyzing the network traffic pattern of attributes of messages, such as email messages, that are passing through the network against an expected network traffic pattern. The expected network traffic pattern may be specified as a combination of a rate and one or more thresholds, where each threshold has a corresponding status. The rate specifies a quantity of an attribute measured with respect to a quantity of time. A status associated with a threshold is attained when the rate is exceeded the requisite threshold number of times. The status indicates an action that is to be taken in processing the email message containing the attribute. An email message can then be processed in accordance with a status assigned to an attribute of the email message.
US07734700B2
A method and system for organizing and sharing digital images over a communication network wherein an image server at a service provider stores digital images for a customer which may have more two more electronic addresses which may receive e-mail. The server automatically forwarding all electronic mail having an address from one of the registered two or more electronic addresses to the primary electronic address that is received over a communication network. The e-mail includes a link to the share images and/or images folder.
US07734699B2
A system for providing highly automated technical support to the customer while simultaneously capturing the knowledge base associated with recurring customer questions.
US07734697B2
A telecommunications system includes a plurality of network clients including electronic or multimedia messaging clients. The electronic messaging clients are adapted to provide presence information and to display such presence information in association with received messages. The display of messages may then be sorted according to the presence information.
US07734696B2
The present invention is a system, method, and computer program product that provides the capability by which changes in an organization can be automatically reflected in the organization's mailing lists and access lists. The email messaging system comprises a mailing list generator operable to receive information relating to an organizational hierarchy and generate from the received information a plurality of mailing lists, at least some of the mailing lists relating to a member of the organizational hierarchy to whom at one other member of the organizational hierarchy reports and an archiver/forwarder operable to receive an email message including an address identifying at least one of the plurality of mailing lists, access the mailing list to obtain email addresses for members of the mailing list, and send the email message to the obtained email addresses.
US07734692B1
A network collaboration system facilitates collaborations between network clients having access to a digital network. The system uses audio mixes to provide different levels of voice conferences between the meeting participants. In a main collaboration, those participating in the main collaboration receive an audio output that includes audio inputs from the other participants. A subset group of clients may also have a voice chat, in which their audio inputs are removed from the outputs delivered to the clients not participating in the voice chat. Meanwhile, the participants in the voice chat hear each other at full volume, but hear the collaborators who are not part of the voice chat at a reduced volume.
US07734687B2
An environment services architecture for a netcentric computing system is disclosed by the present invention. The environment services architecture includes runtime services for converting non-compiled computer languages into machine code during the execution of an application on the netcentric computing system. System services perform system-level functions in the netcentric computing system are also provided that may be selected from the group consisting of system security services, profile management services, task and memory management services and environment verification services. In addition, the environment services architecture also includes application services for performing common functions in the netcentric computing system. A component framework service provides components of the netcentric computing system with a standard infrastructure for allowing an application running on components to communicate within and across applications in the netcentric computing system. Further, operating system services are provided for providing the netcentric computing system with underlying basic computing services.
US07734681B2
A plurality of virtual circuits, each including at least two network nodes, may be established over a single network connection for inter-process messaging. The network connection may be opened asynchronously via a non-blocking open. A virtual circuit including three or more nodes may be implemented in a star formation or a relay formation. Messages may be sent as unicast or broadcast messages. An additional virtual circuit may be opened for the purpose of transmitting status information regarding the network connection between the networked computer systems.
US07734679B2
A method, system, and program managing analysis of a degraded service in a grid environment are provided. In a grid environment of multiple diverse systems, a service availability management agent is enabled to receive multiple types of error messages generated from the multiple diverse systems within the grid environment. Each error message is parsed to determine a general error indicator. Then, the service availability management agent attempts to resolve the general error indicator and return a solution to each parsed error message. Solutions may include an adjustment of resource usage by a particular service, an explanation of a particular error message, or a recommendation of alternate resources. The service availability management agent preferably specifies the transmission of the solution in a format specified for the requester system.
US07734678B2
A system and method for data distribution is disclosed. A bulletin board is employed to maintain a list of requests from nodes in the system. The requests indicate data requested and identify the node making the request. Nodes are able to post requests for data as long as they maintain a minimum performance level. Additionally, the nodes periodically check in with the bulletin board and receive the list of requests from the bulletin board. On determining to satisfy a particular request by a node, the node (serving node) contacts a requesting node (identified in the request) and transfers the requested data to the requesting node. After successful completion of the transfer, the requesting node reports to the bulletin board that the node has filled the request and the request is removed from the list of requests.
US07734674B2
A system and method Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method in a multi-mode wireless processing system. The method can include loading an input vector into an input buffer, initializing a second counter and a variable N, where N=log2 (input vector size), and s is the value of the second counter, performing an FFT stage, and comparing s to N and performing additional FFT stages until s=N. Performing the FFT stage can include performing vector operations on data in the input buffer and sending results to an output buffer, the data in the input buffer comprising a plurality of segments, advancing the value of the second counter; and switching roles of the input and output buffers. The vector operations can include performing Radix-4 FFT vector operations on the four input data at a time and multiplying the resulting output vectors with a Twiddle factor.
US07734668B2
An information management system comprises: an external device a comprising interactive communication unit that interactively communicates with an interactive communication device through a public telephone line; an information processing device connected to the external device in a communication-practicable manner; and a third storage unit that stores utilization data, which is accessed by the external device and the information processing device. When a period specified by a start and end of a communication performed by the interactive communication unit of the external device and a period specified by the start and end of utilization of the utilization data overlap with each other, the utilization data are correlated with the communication of the interactive communication unit.
US07734666B2
A system and method is provided to inspect memory leaks and analyze contents of garbage collection files. In one embodiment, a garbage collection file is selected from a plurality of garbage collection files at a file system. The garbage collection file includes histograms. Each histogram is compared with other histograms in the garbage collection file to identify objects associated with memory leaks The results of such comparison are provided.
US07734662B2
A level for a hierarchical organizational chart is associated with a virtual attribute and the values for the level are generated from values for the virtual attribute. The organizational chart is derived from distinguished name entries in a lightweight directory access protocol directory and the virtual attribute is not associated with an object in a schema for the directory. The virtual attribute may be a virtual recursive attribute or a virtual reverse attribute.
US07734660B2
A data processor that reads and writes data from/on a storage medium. The storage medium has stored thereon a first data stream being represented by a video signal that has been encoded by a first encoding process. The data processor includes: a controller, which acquires first playlist information to manage playback of the first data stream; a stream generating section for generating a second data stream by encoding the video signal by a second encoding process, which is different from the first encoding process; and a management section for producing second playlist information based on the second data stream and the first playlist information so as to manage an order in which the second data stream is played back.
US07734651B1
A method and apparatus are provided for communicating network information among network devices using protocols based on Universal Resource Locators. In one embodiment, an apparatus for retrieving RADIUS, SNMP or video information in a network, or carrying out remote network access, comprises a first URL interface executed by a client; a second URL interface executed by a server having a plurality of stored values; and means distributed among the first URL interface and the second URL interface for creating and storing a URL that includes an identifier of one or more of the stored values, retrieving that value from the server based on the identifier, and transporting the value from the server to the client. In another embodiment, a method comprises creating and storing a URL that includes a request for the value; communicating the URL to the server; extracting the request from the URL; and communicating a responsive URL, which includes the value of the attribute and an identifier of the attribute, from the server to the requesting client.
US07734649B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for deriving and using data access control information to determine whether to permit requested derivations of data elements. Data access control information is initialized for each of a plurality of data elements, wherein the data access control information for each associated data element includes a user access list indicating authorized users and a data access list indicating at least one data element that may be subject to a derivation operation with the associated data element. A request is received from one user to subject a first data element and a second data element to a derivation operation. The data access control information for one of the first and second data elements is processed to determine whether the user access list and data access list in the processed data access control information permits the user to perform the requested derivations of the first and second data elements.
US07734647B2
The present invention relates to a method and a virtual private network (VPN) gateway server 10 providing rules for wireless access over a secure tunnel connection to a corporate network 20. The corporate network 20 is protected by firewall functionality, with different access configurations for different remote users. The VPN gateway server 10 includes a user database 15 which provides rules specific for each user for the access to the corporate network 20 using the secure tunnel. The rules include specific sets of TCP ports associated with respective specific users. The gateway server 10 limits an authenticated user's access to the corporate network 20, which access is performed by means of the tunnel connection provided by the gateway server 10, to the associated allowed TCP server ports.
US07734646B2
The present invention generally provides methods, articles of manufacture and systems for simplifying a query building process by limiting the number of fields presented to a user for building queries. The number of fields presented to the user may be limited by hiding one or more logical fields from the user based on usage characteristics. For example, a logical field that is rarely used or has not been used within a predetermined period of time may be hidden from the user. For some embodiments, a fallout manager may monitor the use of logical fields in building queries, update usage characteristics, and mark logical fields as hidden based on the usage characteristics. A graphical user interface may not present to a user logical fields that have been marked as hidden.
US07734644B2
A system for information retrieval from a collection of hypermedia data over a distributed network is presented. The system includes a data storage system that is a collection of hypermedia data. The collection of hypermedia data also has a number of hyperlinks to items of hypermedia content, and the hyperlinks are each respectively associated with at least one code value generated based on the content of the respective hypermedia content. The system also includes an application that receives progressive user input and iteratively build a user search code value according to the user input. It matches the user search code value to at least a portion of the hypermedia content code value for the hyperlinks in the data storage to identify each such associated hyperlink to a particular information retrieval data set.
US07734632B2
A method and system of generating a user profile for advertisement over a computer network is disclosed. A webpage identifier that identifies a webpage and a content category identifier that identifies a content category is generated. The webpage identifier is associated with the content category identifier if web content depicted in the webpage is relevant to the content category. A web server then receives a request for the webpage including the webpage identifier and a first user identifier from a client computer connected to the computer network. A user profile is located by determining whether the first user identifier matches a second user identifier corresponding to the user profile. The user profile includes at least one user content category identifier and a corresponding user interest score. The corresponding user interest score is increased by the predetermined amount if the content category identifier matches the user content category identifier.
US07734624B2
Advertisers are permitted to put targeted ads on page on the web (or some other document of any media type). The present invention may do so by (i) obtaining content that includes available spots for ads, (ii) determining ads relevant to content, and/or (iii) combining content with ads determined to be relevant to the content.
US07734619B2
A diagram manager has a diagram handler and a lineage handler.The diagram handler presents to a user a diagram representing relations between query subjects in a metadata model. The lineage handler changes presentation of a selected query subject to show one or more corresponding query subjects that are represented by the selected query subject.
US07734616B2
A storage system for providing a preferable data access performance by performing controls considering database management system (DBMS) execution information or database process priorities, by acquiring static configurational information of a DBMS by means of a DBMS information acquisition and communication program, a DBMS information communication section, and a host information setting program; acquiring DBMS execution information by means of a query plan acquisition program, the DBMS information communication section, and a process performance management program; acquiring information on priorities of database processes given by the process performance management program; and storing them in disk I/O management information with process priorities, DBMS execution information, and DBMS data information, in which cache control section in a storage system control program controls a data cache by referring to the above information.
US07734614B2
The search apparatus of the present invention searches for a document corresponding to a specified search term from among a plurality of documents, and includes a search term pair generation unit for generating at least one search term pair including a first search string with a length equal to the number of index characters and a second search string with a length equal to the number of index characters located at a position shifted by a predetermined number of offset characters relative to the first search string, which are included in the search term, a search unit for searching, for each search term pair, an index database for a document which has both of the first search string and the second search string as indexing terms, a calculation unit for calculating a score of each document on the basis of a frequency of occurrence of the first search string and the second search string of each search term pair included in each document, and a selection unit for selecting a document to be outputted as a search result from among the plurality of documents, on the basis of the respective scores of the plurality of documents.
US07734605B2
Methods and systems for effecting cleanup and other policies for queues and similar data stores, which policies account for preferences of consumers of the data so stored. Queuing policies for local storage of one or more documents for transmission from the local storage to one or more end points for said documents are retrieved from a remote registry. Upon such retrieval, the documents are enqueued according to the queuing policies, unless, prior to such enqueuing the queues into which the documents are to be placed require creation or clean-up, for example according to one or more queue quota policies. In some cases, the documents are queued according to associated qualities of service to be accorded to delivery of said documents. Such qualities of service may be specified in the queuing policy.
US07734596B2
Techniques used in an automatic failover configuration having a primary database system, a standby database system, and an observer for preventing divergence among the primary and standby database systems while increasing the availability of the primary database system. In the automatic failover configuration, the primary database system remains available even in the absence of both the standby and the observer as long as the standby and the observer become absent sequentially. The failover configuration further permits automatic failover only when the observer is present and the standby and the primary are synchronized and inhibits state changes during failover. The database systems and the observer have copies of failover configuration state and the techniques include techniques for propagating the most recent version of the state among the databases and the observer and techniques for using carefully-ordered writes to ensure that state changes are propagated in a fashion which prevents divergence.
US07734583B2
The inclusion of metadata within an application description file allows a virtual machine to create an application descriptor file that may be registered with the mobile device operating system so that an icon associated with the application description file may be displayed in the main ribbon. Execution of an application defined by the application definition file may then be initiated by the selection, by the user, of the icon that is associated with the application definition file. This improves over the situation wherein execution of the application defined by the application definition file would require a selection of the runtime environment for the application and then the selection of the application.
US07734574B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for handling updates. A database is queried to determine an effect of the update on the data processing system in response to detecting an update for the data processing system. A configuration of the data processing system is used in querying the database. A health status of the data processing system is selectively modified using the response to form a modified health status in response to receiving a response from the database.
US07734569B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying a new set of media items in response to an input set (or “query set”) of media items and knowledge base metrics. The system uses a knowledge base consisting of a collection of mediasets. Various metrics among media items are considered by analyzing how the media items are grouped to form the mediasets in the knowledge base. Such association or “similarity” metrics are preferably stored in a matrix form that allows the system to efficiently identify a new set of media items that complements the input set of media items.
US07734565B2
In one implementation, a method is provided for increasing relevance of database search results. The method includes receiving a subject query string and determining a trained edit distance between the subject query string and a candidate string using trained cost factors derived from a training set of labeled query transformations. A trained cost factor includes a conditional probability for mutations in labeled non-relevant query transformations and a conditional probability for mutations in labeled relevant query transformations. The candidate string is evaluated for selection based on the trained edit distance. In some implementations, the cost factors may take into account the context of a mutation. As such, in some implementations multi-dimensional matrices are utilized which include the trained cost factors.
US07734563B2
A system is described for automatically invoking computational resources without intervention or request from a user of the system. The computational resources may operate by searching across a network, or may themselves be located across a network. In the system a query-free information retrieval system is described in which the exact technical documentation contained in existing user or other technical manuals is provided to a user investigating apparatus having a fault. The user enters symptoms based upon the user's analysis of the apparatus, and in response the system provides information concerning likely faults with the apparatus. As the symptoms are entered, to relative value of individual faults is determined and related to the symptoms they cause. The user can then select technical information relating to probable faults in the system.
US07734558B2
A method for the autonomic management of autonomic systems can include monitoring a managed system and recommending a course of action to be performed in the managed system. It can be determined whether the recommended course of action has been performed by an administrator. Responsive to the determination, it further can be determined whether an outcome from the course of action comports with a predicted outcome. If so, a point count can be changed responsive to a further determination that the outcome from the course of action comports with the predicted outcome. Conversely, the point count can be oppositely changed responsive to a further determination that the outcome from the course of action does not comports with the predicted outcome. In any case, when the point count crosses a threshold value, the management of the managed system can be transitioned to an adaptive component.
US07734557B2
The present invention provides computer program products, systems, and related methods of coordinating a knowledge base.
US07734553B2
Secure computation environments are protected from bogus or rogue load modules, executables and other data elements through use of digital signatures, seals and certificates issued by a verifying authority. A verifying authority—which may be a trusted independent third party—tests the load modules or other executables to verify that their corresponding specifications are accurate and complete, and then digitally signs the load module or other executable based on tamper resistance work factor classification. Secure computation environments with different tamper resistance work factors use different verification digital signature authentication techniques (e.g., different signature algorithms and/or signature verification keys)—allowing one tamper resistance work factor environment to protect itself against load modules from another, different tamper resistance work factor environment. Several dissimilar digital signature algorithms may be used to reduce vulnerability from algorithm compromise, and subsets of multiple digital signatures may be used to reduce the scope of any specific compromise.
US07734542B2
Embodiment of the invention describe methods and systems for verifying customer supplied financial account information verification using debit and credit transactions. These methods include electronically transmitting an electronic debit and credit transaction to the customer financial account, based on the customer supplied financial account information. The method also includes electronically transmitting a first statement descriptor, as part of at least one of the electronic debit transaction and the electronic credit transaction, that includes a first verification code. The method also includes electronically receiving, from the customer, a second verification code, and comparing, by the computer system, the transmitted first verification code with the received second verification code with respect to each other. The method also includes verifying, by the computer system, the customer supplied financial account information based on the comparison of the verification codes.
US07734540B2
The MLP Financing System extends the properties of shares in an publicly traded entity that does not generate UBITs to create a new asset class that permits the underlying assets to be specifically structured for financing. MLP Financing System requires a minimum of three markets entering into transactions involving a company, a publicly traded entity, and a third entity in the financial industry. Each market establishes an asset value, price, yield, and risk. Asset price differentials between markets identify arbitrage opportunities. The market asset value, price, yield, risk, and financial constraints of entities operating in those markets provide the initial transaction specifications between company-MLP, financier-MLP, and company-financier.
US07734537B2
A computer-implemented method includes determining, in respect of a loan secured by an asset, a present value of a right of a borrower of the loan to choose during a term of the loan to require an entity to pay the loan in full on the borrower's behalf in exchange for the asset, in response to at least one prediction of whether the borrower will exercise the right. The asset may include realty and the loan may include a mortgage. A further method includes granting, to a borrower of a loan secured by an asset, a right to choose during a term of the loan to require an entity to: (i) pay the loan in full on behalf of the borrower, and (ii) receive the asset in full satisfaction therefor; and receiving valuable consideration from the borrower in exchange for the granting of the right.
US07734526B2
The present invention is directed to an asset classification system based on investment strategy. The investment strategies include capitalization strategy, competitive position strategy, economic conditions strategy, future growth investment strategy, market condition strategy, opportunity strategy, profitability strategy, risk strategy, social considerations strategy, and valuation strategy.
US07734524B2
According to one embodiment, a customized financial instrument, defined by at least a plurality of parameters received from a purchaser, includes an agreement by an issuer to make a stream of payments. The stream of payments is defined by the plurality of parameters received from the purchaser. The plurality of parameters includes a first date defining the date for the first payment; at least one of a second date defining the date for the last payment, a number of payments, and a duration for the stream of payments; and information defining payment amounts for each of the payments. The customized financial instrument is associated with an identification code, the identification code being issued by a third-party organization and the identification code being unique to the customized financial instrument defined by at least a plurality of parameters received from a purchaser.
US07734512B2
A customer-customizable lamp includes a vertical support post mounted to a base plate. The customer selects from five different heights of decorative blocks to be mounted on the post. Each selected block may be provided in any one of five selectable colors or four selectable simulated wood grains. The selection of blocks and finishes are made on a web page with an interactive representation of the customizable lamp being displayed as the design is being created by the customer. The remaining height on the support post to be filled with decorative blocks is displayed. Once the post is filled and the customer has selected finishes for each selected block, the lamp design can be finalized for delivery to the customer. The customer selectable blocks and colors/finishes permit several million permutations so that the customer can create a highly individualized decorative lamp.
US07734510B2
Disclosure includes selecting a merchant from a plurality of merchants, enabling a trial mode for the merchant, during the trial mode, receiving an indication of a first order for the merchant, forwarding the indication of the first order to the merchant, allocating a first payment for the first order to the merchant, and requesting an acceptance of a membership status from the merchant.
US07734498B2
A method (and system) for contact center management contract evaluation including determining a potential profitability/risk for contact center management based upon a proposed contract term between one of a client and a service provider, and a service provider and a vendor.
US07734492B2
A method and system for translating a JDF workflow into a colored Petri net representation. Once the workflow has been converted, the colored Petri net is validated and analyzed. This provides the ability to identify potential deadlock conditions within a JDF workflow. In addition, the model network can be used to simulate throughput and turnaround time of a workflow and the effects of resources arriving at various times.
US07734482B1
A system and method for scheduling pre-admission testing (PAT) appointments and accessing PAT reports through an on-line interface. The system and method allows the input of patient demographic and medical information from a remote location. PAT physicians can access scheduling information and input patient information using an electronic medical record module.
US07734477B2
Systems and methods are provided for facilitating management of health care in medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, etc., for example by monitoring and assessing the quality of patient care. Data is collected and operated on relating to medical conditions, treatment, cost, care, events, outcomes and results of treatments, and data representing the collective experience of similar patients is mined to discover opportunities to improve the quality of health care. Statistical and comparative data and reports including such and other information indicate a quality of care and provide epidemiologically cogent information. Quality of care may be considered as achieving desired or expected norms of performance, including success, in a timely fashion, and can be judged not just by what functionally happens during a patient instigated encounter, but also by long term outcomes evidenced by the patient's passage through the health care delivery system.
US07734474B2
A display configuration associated with displaying information from at least one source is determined using a cost metric. The cost metric is associated with a cost of displaying information from the source.
US07734473B2
A decoder receives (501) a bitstream comprising an encoded mono signal and stereo data. A time scale processor (503) generates a time scaled mono signal. A time-to frequency processor generates frequency sample blocks of the time scaled signal, the block length being fixed and independent of the time scaling. A parametric stereo decoder (509) generates a stereo signal for the frequency sample blocks and these are converted to the time domain by a frequency-to-time processor (511). A synchronization processor (515) synchronizes the stereo data with the time scaled signal by determining a time association between a parameter value and a frequency sample block. The parameter value and time association is used to determine synchronized stereo parameter values for that and other frequency sample blocks. The invention is particularly suitable for low complexity generation of time scaled stereo signals from MPEG-4 encoded signals.
US07734472B2
The invention concerns a speech recognition enhancer (51) and a speech recognition system comprising such speech recognition enhancer (51), an audio input unit (41) and a speech recognizer (61, 3). The speech recognition enhancer (51) is arranged between the audio input unit (41) and the speech recognizer (61, 3). The speech recognition enhancer (51) has a parametrizable pre-filtering unit (511), a parametrizable dynamic voice level control unit (512), a parametrizable noise reduction unit (513) and a parametrizable voice level control unit (514). The parameters of these parametrizable units (511, 512, 513, 514) are adjusted to the characteristics of the specific audio input unit (41) and/or the characteristics of the specific speech recognizer (61, 3) for adapting the audio input unit (41) to the speech recognizer (61, 3).
US07734468B2
A method of rapidly and precisely managing a dialog turn between a user and an agent by using speech information, facial expression information, and delay time information includes generating first dialog turn information using dialog information analyzed from a speech uttered by the user, generating second dialog turn information using facial expression information analyzed from a face image of the user, and determining a final dialog turn using the first and second dialog turn information, information on a status of the spoken dialog system, information on whether the user speech is input, and information on a no-answer time of the user.
US07734464B2
An autocorrelation trigger comprising a correlator detector for producing a correlation coefficient by correlating a signal with a time-delayed version of the signal and generating a trigger in real-time when the correlation coefficient corresponds to a predetermined condition is provided. A method of producing trigger based upon an autocorrelation measurement is also provided. The autocorrelation trigger may be used to produce a trigger based upon the degree to which the autocorrelation relates to an autocorrelation model, such as, the degree of randomness in a signal.
US07734459B2
A method of aligning nodes of dependency structures obtained from a bilingual corpus includes a two-phase approach wherein a first phase comprises associating nodes of the dependency structures to form tentative correspondences. The nodes of the dependency structures are then aligned as a function of the tentative correspondences and structural considerations. Mappings are obtained from the aligned dependency structures. The mappings can be expanded with varying types and amounts of local context in order that a more fluent translation can be obtained when translation is performed.
US07734454B2
A technique for consistently simulating at two different complexities of simulation is described. This technique is particularly relevant to simulation of a creature-like autonomous agent (biological or artificial or hybrid). The model, in the particular case a model of the creature, comprises at least two portions. The first portion contains functions used in both of the different complexities of simulation. The second portion comprises two alternative versions, a first version for use in one complexity of simulation, and a second version for use in the other complexity of simulation.
US07734446B2
A physical object includes a base medium, such as a paper sheet, and a memory tag embedded in it or attached to it. The memory tag stores at least one measure/location data pair including a measurement of a location-dependent characteristic of the base medium originally associated with the tag, and a location in or on the object where the measurement was made. Preferably the measure/location data pair is digitally signed and stored in encrypted form. By checking whether the measure included in the stored data pair matches a current measure of the base medium at the indicated location, it is possible to check whether the base medium is the original medium. Apparatus is provided for originally writing the data pair to the memory tag; apparatus is also provided for subsequendy using the data pair for carrying out the checking operation.
US07734445B2
A device measures a measurement object surface shape, and includes a base to which the measurement object is secured; a slide movable in at least three different directions and secured to the base; a probe holding unit mounted to the slide; and a contact probe resiliently supported by the holding unit so as to be movable with respect to the holding unit. Additional features include a unit measuring the position and posture of the probe with respect to the holding unit; a unit calculating a contact-force vector, which the probe receives from the measurement object, from a measurement result of the measuring unit; and a controlling unit moving the probe along the surface of the measurement object. The controlling unit also controls a position of the holding unit so that a magnitude of the contact-force vector comes closer to a control target value thereof in accordance with the magnitude of the contact-force vector.
US07734443B2
Systems and methods for prediction of gas turbine trips due to component failures such as thermocouple failures. Exemplary embodiments include prediction of gas turbine trips due to component failures, including collecting raw gas turbine operational data and using the raw gas turbine operational data to generate a prognostic indicator for the prediction of a turbine trip due to the failed thermocouples.
US07734439B2
A method and system for calibrating temperature measurement devices, such as pyrometers, in thermal processing chambers are disclosed. According to the present invention, the system includes a calibrating light source that emits light energy onto a substrate contained in the thermal processing chamber. A light detector then detects the amount of light that is being transmitted through the substrate. The amount of detected light energy is then used to calibrate a temperature measurement device that is used in the system.
US07734436B2
The comparative analysis of a sample, derived from a product, with respect to a database comprises the step of determining the class membership of the different characteristics (variables) describing the samples: whether they are characteristics common to the sample under test and the database, they are characteristics particular to the sample under test, or they are characteristics particular to the database. The assignment of the variables to these classes enables parameters to be defined for global comparison of the sample under test and the database, based on: ratios summarizing the values taken by the variables of the different classes, or the distribution of the variables of the different classes. A machine implementation of the analysis is described.
US07734428B2
A process for determining an optimum range of compositions for a nanocomposite thermoelectric material system is provided. The process is performed for a nanocomposite thermoelectric material system having a first component and a second component made from nanoparticles. The process includes selecting a plurality of material compositions for a nanocomposite thermoelectric material system to be investigated and calculating a thermal conductivity value and calculating an electrical resistance value for each material composition selected. In addition, at least one Seebeck coefficient is determined for the material compositions selected. Then, a plurality of figure of merit values are calculated using the calculated plurality of thermal conductivity values, the calculated plurality of electrical resistivity values and the determined at least one Seebeck coefficient. After the plurality of figure of merit values are calculated, an optimum compositional range can be determined within which the largest ZT values may be exhibited.
US07734427B2
A system and method for performing non-binary comparison of biological sequences includes a new measure ω0, which is a non-binary counting measure that is used in a stand alone module called VaSSA-1. This measure obtains substantially more information about sequences and comparisons between them than is gathered by conventional bioinformatics techniques.
US07734426B2
This invention focuses on the marriage of solid-state electronics and neuronal function to create a new high-throughput electrophysiological assay to determine a compound's acute and chronic effect on cellular function. Electronics, surface chemistry, biotechnology, and fundamental neuroscience are integrated to provide an assay where the reporter element is an array of electrically active cells. This innovative technology can be applied to neurotoxicity, and to screening compounds from combinatorial chemistry, gene function analysis, and basic neuroscience applications. The system of the invention analyzes how the action potential is interrupted by drugs or toxins. Differences in the action potentials are due to individual toxins acting on different biochemical pathways, which in turn affects different ion channels, thereby changing the peak shape of the action potential differently for each toxin. Algorithms to analyze the action potential peak shape differences are used to indicate the pathway(s) affected by the presence of a new drug or compound; from that, aspects of its function in that cell are deduced. This observation can be exploited to determine the functional category of biochemical action of an unknown compound. An important aspect of the invention is surface chemistry that permits establishment of a high impedance seal between cell and a metal microelectrode. This seal recreates the interface that enables functional patch-clamp electrophysiology with glass micropipettes, and allows extracellular electrophysiology on a microelectrode array. Thus, the invention teaches the feasibility of using living cells as diagnostics for high throughput real-time assays of cell function.
US07734425B2
Provided are an apparatus and method of searching a protein active site. The apparatus includes a database which stores information on a plurality of reference active sites, a comparing unit which calculates 3D structural similarities according to the number of overlapping residues, with respect to an input active site and the stored reference active site, and a search unit which searches the reference active site with respect to the input active site according to the similarities. Accordingly, similar active sites can be searched with a low computational complexity, thereby be used for a correct new drug design.
US07734424B1
Single copy sequences suitable for use as DNA probes can be defined by computational analysis of genomic sequences. The present invention provides an ab initio method for identification of single copy sequences for use as probes which obviates the need to compare genomic sequences with existing catalogs of repetitive sequences. By dividing a target reference sequence into a series of shorter contiguous sequence windows and comparing these sequences with the reference genome sequence, one can identify single copy sequences in a genome. Probes can then be designed and produced from these single copy intervals.
US07734423B2
A method system, and apparatus for virtual modeling of biological tissue yields virtual multicellular individuals that exhibit adaptive emergent functionality in response to environmental stimuli. Virtual environmental parameters and cells with genomes are generated, and modified by genetic operations. Cells are developed into generations of multicellular individuals, which are evaluated and selected via evolutionary search according to fitness criteria, and individuals exhibiting adaptive emergent functionality, such as self-repair, are developed and identified.
US07734420B2
The present invention provides a method for identifying an operational reaction pathway of a biosystem. The method includes (a) providing a set of systemic reaction pathways through a reaction network representing said biosystem; (b) providing a set of phenomenological reaction pathways of said biosystem, and (c) comparing said set of systemic reaction pathways with said set of phenomenological reaction pathways, wherein a pathway common to said sets is an perational reaction pathway of said biosystem. Also described is a method of refining a biosystem reaction network; a method of reconciling biosystem data sets; a method of determining the effect of a genetic polymorphism on whole cell function; and a method of diagnosing a genetic polymorphism-mediated pathology.
US07734411B2
A surveillance system detects potential hazards and alerts the pilot to them. The alerts can be modified to indicate proximity to the predicted path of the aircraft. An autopilot receives instructions from a flight management system (FMS) regarding a planned path and is subject to constraints preempting the planned path. The surveillance system selects which of the planned and a constrained path will be followed for alerting and hazard coding purposes. Means are disclosed to determine when the constrained path will be followed by evaluating the current position of an aircraft, the planned path, and the constraint data.
US07734406B1
A method, computer usable medium including a program, and a system for braking a vehicle during brake failure. The method and computer usable medium include the steps of determining a brake force lost corresponding to a failed brake, and determining a brake force reserve corresponding to at least one non-failed brake. At least one commanded brake force is determined based on the brake force lost and the brake force reserve. Then at least one command brake force is applied to the at least one non-failed brake wherein at least one of an undesired yaw moment and a yaw moment rate of change are limited to predetermined values. The system includes a plurality of brake assemblies wherein a commanded brake force is applied to at least one non-failed brake.
US07734402B2
A driving-force distribution control device includes a distributing mechanism, a distribution controller, an anti-skid brake system, an acceleration detector, a synthesized acceleration calculator and a control coefficient controller. The distributing mechanism is operable to variably distribute a driving force from an engine to individual drive wheels of a vehicle. The distribution controller is operable to control the distributing mechanism based on a running state of the vehicle. The acceleration detector is operable to detect a first acceleration in a front-rear direction and a second acceleration in a left-right direction of the vehicle. The synthesized acceleration calculator is operable to calculate a synthesized acceleration of the first acceleration and the second acceleration. The control coefficient controller is operable to indiscretely vary control coefficients for restricting the control of the distribution controller when the anti-skid brake system is activated, according to the calculated synthesized acceleration.
US07734400B2
A system and method that provides improved fault detection in turbine engines is disclosed. The fault detection system provides the ability to detect symptoms of engine faults based on a relatively limited number of engine parameters that are sampled relatively infrequently. The fault detection system includes a sensor data processor that receives engine sensor data during operation and augments the sensor data. The augmented data set is passed to a fuzzy logic inference system that determines the likelihood that a fault has occurred. The inference system output can then be passed to a diagnostic system where evaluation of the output may yield a detailed diagnostic result and a prediction horizon.
US07734395B2
Driver-related electrical adjusting components in motor vehicles are regulated. An operator signal is generated based on a user actuating operator elements, to affect a desired movement of a vehicle component. The operator signal is processed in a control unit. An effect of the operator signal on movement of the vehicle component is regulated as a function of vehicle operating state signals so as to prevent the vehicle component from moving into a safety-critical position.
US07734392B2
An information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed in an interior cabin of a vehicle and a video display screen disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly. The video display screen is operable to display information including video images captured by a rearward facing camera of the vehicle for assisting the driver during a reversing maneuver, and the video display screen is further operable to display information including at least one instruction pertaining to an accessory of the vehicle. The display of the instruction includes at least one of (a) text pertaining to the accessory, (b) an icon pertaining to the accessory and (c) an image pertaining to the accessory.
US07734391B2
A communication for a vehicle (10) has a first transmitter (34) for transmitting a first signal relating to a first vehicle system (22) and a second transmitter (42) for transmitting a second signal relating to a second vehicle system (38). (FIG. 1) A single receiver (46) has a first reception mode (50) and a second reception mode (54). The first reception mode (50) is receptive to the first signal while the second reception mode (54) is receptive to the second signal. A control unit (58) switches the receiver (46) between the first reception mode (50) and the second reception mode (54).
US07734390B2
A customer driven process of diagnosing and repairing a vehicle. The process involves temporarily providing a customer with a diagnostic tool that can receive vehicle diagnostic signals from a vehicle on-board computer. The customer then uses the tool to upload diagnostic signals from the car, and returns the tool to the automotive parts/service facility. The vehicle diagnostic signals are communicated to a console, which then accesses a database(s). The database(s) includes information relating to the vehicle malfunction, the repairs needed, and the parts required to complete those repairs. The process also allows automatic scheduling of repairs and purchasing of parts from the automotive parts/service facility. Upon payment of any prescribed fees, the process outputs report information to the customer.
US07734389B2
The present invention relates to a fault information management system and method for implementing fault information management system for a vehicle. The present invention provides a fault information management system for a vehicle comprising: an interface for connecting a fault item; a first memory for storing a fault state; a memory for establishing a management reference for each fault item; a logic which manages fault information and fault history; and a second memory for storing a fault state.
US07734387B1
A motion planner for unmanned ground vehicles capable of traversing at high speeds to reach remote locations in partially known environments. The motion planner comprises a global path planner and a local path planner in communication with the global path planner. The global path planner determines a path to reach a goal location. The local motion planner revises the path determined by the global path planner to generate a motion profile accounting for constraints on the maneuverability of the unmanned ground vehicle. The motion profile provides a revised path for being traversed by the unmanned ground vehicle to reach the goal location.
US07734386B2
A system collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of vehicles having subsystems within an environment. The system includes a mission management component, a communication component, a payload controller component, and an automatic target recognition component. The mission management component plans and executes a mission plan of the team and plans and executes tasks of the vehicles. The communication component plans communication and networking for the team. The communication component manages quality of service for the team. The communication component directs communication subsystems for the team and for the vehicles. The payload controller component directs and executes sensor subsystems for the team and for the vehicles. The automatic target recognition component processes and fuses information from the sensor subsystems and from the vehicles for use by the mission management component.
US07734372B2
A wall-mounted medications cabinet has at least one, and preferably up to four locking drawers, each with a removable bin holding the medications for a given patient. The drawers are each independently openable electronically. This can be accomplished using an incorporated PC with a touch screen monitor, or authorized access can be obtained via a network. The cabinet may be connected using USB or ethernet interface. A key lock can provide access in the event of a power failure.
US07734370B2
A disposal processing system is provided and includes: a disposal section that disposes of a document; a reading section that reads identification information of the document, the identification information being attached to an image on the document; a judging section that makes a judgment whether disposal of the document is permitted on the basis of the identification information; and a controller that controls the disposal section so that the disposal section disposes of the document at least one of: when the judging section makes a judgment that the disposal of the document is permitted; and when the controller acquires information indicating that the disposal of the document is permitted while the judging section makes a judgment that the disposal of the document is prohibited, and so that the disposal section does not dispose of the document when the judging section makes the judgment that the disposal of the document is prohibited.
US07734356B2
Methods and corresponding systems for controlling a light fixture include a memory for storing data and software. A multi-tap capacitor has a plurality of tap capacitors integrated into a capacitor housing. A plurality of switches are each coupled to one of the plurality of tap capacitors for selectively coupling the tap capacitors together to produce a variable multi-tap capacitance. A processor is coupled to the memory and the switches to facilitate: detecting a trigger for changing a lumen level output by the light fixture; determining a new lumen level in response to the trigger; determining a capacitance value that corresponds to the new lumen level; and configuring the plurality of switches to produce the multi-tap capacitance that corresponds to the new lumen level. The processor can record data in the memory that represents times of lumen changes and switch settings, which data correlates to power consumption.
US07734353B2
Methods include determining whether an infection is in proximity to an implanted rechargeable medical device. If an infection is determined to be present, the recharge process is allowed to sufficiently heat the device to facilitate clearing of the infection. Additional methods include monitoring temperature in proximity to an implantable rechargeable device in connection with recharging the device. If the monitored temperature falls outside a desired range, one or more parameters associated with recharge energy are modified to cause the temperature to reside within the desired range. The desired temperature range, may be a range that can facilitate treatment of a condition in proximity to the implanted device without causing undesired damage to the patient's tissue surrounding the implanted device.
US07734348B2
Various embodiments of the present subject matter relate to a lead. Various lead embodiments comprise a lead body including a first portion, a first branch and a second branch. The first portion has an end adapted to connect to an implantable medical device. The first branch and the second branch is connected to the first portion at a bifurcated region. The first branch includes a distal end adapted to be fed into a right pulmonary artery and to securely position at least one electrode within the right pulmonary artery. The second branch includes a distal end adapted to be fed into a left pulmonary artery and to securely position at least one electrode within the left pulmonary artery. Other embodiments are provided herein.
US07734340B2
The present application relates to a new stimulation design which can be utilized to treat neurological conditions. The stimulation system produces a burst mode stimulation which alters the neuronal activity of the predetermined site, thereby treating the neurological condition or disorder. The burst stimulus comprises a plurality of groups of spike pulses having a maximum inter-spike interval of 100 milliseconds. The burst stimulus is separated by a substantially quiescent period of time between the plurality of groups of spike pulses. This inter-group interval may comprise a minimum of 5 seconds.
US07734339B2
An iontophoresis device comprising (A) a working electrode assembly having a working electrode, a medicine-containing portion and an ion-exchange membrane, (B) a counter electrode assembly having an electrode which opposes the working electrode, and (C) a power source unit electrically connected to the working electrode assembly and to the counter electrode assembly, enabling an ionic medicine contained in the medicine containing portion to be permeated into a living body by the electrophoresis through the ion-exchange membrane, wherein the ion-exchange membrane has a structure in which voids of a porous film are filled with an ion-exchange resin. The iontophoresis device using the above ion-exchange membrane makes it possible to administer the medicine in amounts larger than those accomplished by using the conventional devices.
US07734334B2
An assessment of sleep quality and sleep disordered breathing is determined from cardiopulmonary coupling between two physiological data series. An R-R interval series is derived from an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. The normal beats from the R-R interval series are extracted to produce a normal-to-normal interval series. The amplitude variations in the QRS complex are used to extract a surrogate respiration signal (i.e., ECG-derived respiration) associated with the NN interval series. The two series are corrected to remove outliers, and resampled. The cross-spectral power and coherence of the two resampled signals are calculated over a plurality of coherence windows. For each coherence window, the product of the coherence and cross-spectral power is used to calculate coherent cross-power. Using the appropriate thresholds for the coherent cross-power, the proportion of sleep spent in CAP, non-CAP, and wake and/or REM are determined. Coherent cross-power can be applied to differentiate obstructive from non-obstructive disease, and admixtures of the same.
US07734333B2
A method of detecting a cardiac event in a medical device that includes sensing a cardiac signal from a plurality of electrodes, determining amplitudes of the sensed cardiac signal during a predetermined sensing window, determining a noise to signal ratio corresponding to the determined amplitudes, and determining the sensed cardiac signal during the predetermined sensing window is corrupted by noise in response to the determined noise to signal ratio being greater than a noise to signal ratio threshold.
US07734332B2
Systems and methods of increasing blood flow in a blood vessel with ultraluminal plaque. One disclosed method includes inserting an imaging guidewire into the blood vessel to the intraluminal plaque, propelling a catheter with a working head over the guidewire towards the distal end of the guidewire, scanning with the imaging guidewire to generate a cross-section image, radially positioning the catheter using a positioning element, monitoring the image to ascertain that the working head is properly positioned and operating the working head to remove the plaque. A computerized system designed, constructed and configured to perform the methods is further disclosed.
US07734330B2
The present technique utilizes microwave radiometry to detect the presence of vulnerable plaques engrained in the wall of a blood vessel. In accordance with the technique, an intravascular catheter containing at least one microwave antenna is moved along the suspect vessel. The antenna, in combination with an external microwave detection and display unit, is able to detect and display thermal anomalies due to the difference in the thermal emissivity (brightness) of vulnerable plaques as compared to normal tissue even though the two may have a common temperature.
US07734324B2
A combined apparatus for diagnostic imaging an inner part of a body, the apparatus including at least a device for imaging and displaying images according to at least two types of beams, waves or signals transmitted toward a body or a part of the body to be examined, the device including a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging and displaying device and an ultrasound imaging and displaying device in an integrated configuration within the same apparatus.
US07734315B2
A method and system that limits the use of a communication device present in an area controlled by an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller detects any present communication devices in the area and conducts an inventory providing information about each detected device. The intelligent controller compares that information to a standard of use data, which specifies the conditions need to be present for allowing the usage of a communication device. If such conditions are not met, the intelligent controller sends commands to the communication device to restrict its functionality. Else if, the intelligent controller is incapable of restricting the communication device, it can notify authorities of unauthorized usage of a communication device in the restricted area.
US07734311B2
In a multimode communication apparatus that uses a plurality of wireless communication modes, interference between communications under different wireless communication modes is suppressed, a good transmission/reception state in each of the wireless communication modes is ensured. A multimode communication apparatus (100) includes transmitter sections (33), (43) and receiver sections (32), (42) and a plurality of communication units (70), (80) each being compatible with the wireless communication modes independently of one another. The communication unit (70) includes a variable channel band elimination filter (34) for suppressing, among transmission signals from its own transmitter section (33), a band corresponding to a frequency band of a reception channel that is being received by the receiver section (42) of the other communication unit (80). The variable channel band elimination filter (34) is capable of varying the band that is to be suppressed, in response to a change of the frequency band of the reception channel.
US07734305B2
A terminal for a communication network, the terminal being capable of supporting a plurality of applications and communicating user messages. The terminal is configured to receive user messages having data and a header relating to one of the applications and address the data to a respective application according to the header. In an embodiment the user messages are short messages and the data includes characters in the short message.
US07734302B2
Apparatus, and an associated method, for communicating short message service content to a short message service center. The address of an IP-SM-GW (Internet Protocol-Short Message-Gateway) defined in the 3GPP TS 23.204 is provided to user equipment and used to address an SIP request that contains encapsulated SMS content. The address is stored at the mobile station at a storage element, such as at a SIM card, UICC, or management object. A SIP request generator accesses the storage element and uses the address as the address of the SIP request. The SIP request also includes SMS content, in encapsulation, therein.
US07734301B2
A communication system has a main device capable of communicating with a destination station through a line and at least one subsidiary device connectable to the main device. The main device includes an operating state signal transmitting system that transmits an operating state signal representing that the main device is currently performing a predetermined operation when the main device receives, from the subsidiary device, a communication request signal requesting a communication from the subsidiary device through the line, while the subsidiary device includes a first notifying system that notifies that the main device is performing the predetermined operation when the subsidiary device receives the operating state signal from the main device.
US07734299B2
Various devices may include a short-range wireless transmitter and/or one or more short-range wireless readers. When a first device including the transmitter is placed near a second device including the one or more readers, a relative location of the first device may be determined. Information regarding the relative location of the first device, may be used to facilitate use of the first device with a processing device. In one embodiment, the processing device may automatically configure itself, such that the first device may be used with the processing device. In another embodiment, the processing device may provide feedback, such as, for example, step-by-step instructions to facilitate setup and use of the first device with the processing device. In some embodiments, an application program interface may provide information about the device to an application executing on the processing device.
US07734292B2
A terminal supporting peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, wherein a transceiver of the terminal is implemented to support P2P communication with an adjacent terminal in the same cell. Thus, when short-range communication is possible, the terminal performs P2P communication directly with the adjacent terminal, not via a base station. Consequently, when terminals use different mobile telecommunication service providers or there is no base station network, the terminals can be used for short-range communication. More particularly, when a receiving channel state becomes satisfactory while communication with an adjacent terminal is being performed via a base station, the terminal directly switches to a P2P communication mode and performs communication with the adjacent terminal. On the contrary, when the receiving channel state deteriorates while communication with the adjacent terminal is being performed in the P2P communication mode, the terminal directly switches to a base station communication mode and performs communication with the adjacent terminal.
US07734275B2
Systems, methods, and programs of producing and using traffic signal information take, when a vehicle is closely approaching a traffic signal, an image of traffic signal lamps disposed on the traffic signal. The systems, methods, and programs produce image data of the traffic signal lamps, based on the taken image and analyze the image data. The systems, methods, and programs produce traffic signal state information, the traffic signal state information including a state of the traffic signal as of the time of taking the image of the traffic signal lamps. The systems, methods, and programs store traffic signal information, the traffic signal information including the produced traffic signal state information, traffic signal location information, and time information in a memory. The systems, methods, and programs perform a statistical analysis on a correlation in terms of the status of traffic signal lamps among a plurality of traffic signals based on plural pieces of traffic signal information of plural adjacent traffic signals.
US07734270B2
An apparatus for an enhanced receiver for an RFID Tag Interrogator is described. The enhanced receiver has a zero crossing detector, a phase shifter, a pulse generator and a chopper. The zero crossing detector produces a sampling signal from the current transformer. The phase shifter modifies the sampling signal by producing a 90 degree phase shifted sampling signal. The pulse generator increases time duration of each pulse of the phase shifted sampling signal, which is then fed to the chopper. Thus, the chopper samples the backscattered carrier signal every 90 degree phase shift from the time when the backscattered carrier signal passes the zero crossing. This makes isolation of the backscattered signal from the carrier signal more effective.
US07734269B2
Control of receiver antenna diversity is described in relation to apparatuses, user radio terminals, a method, and a computer program. The apparatus comprises an interface configured to obtain information on a power control procedure of a radio receiver and a processing unit configured to switch on/off a receiver antenna diversity branch of the radio receiver on the basis of a comparison between a predetermined condition and the information on the power control procedure.
US07734267B2
An amplifier assembly and also a receiver including such an amplifier assembly is disclosed, wherein the amplifier includes a programming input for setting the gain thereof. The signal level at the output of the amplifier is compared with a reference level and a counter is incremented in a step-by-step fashion such that the gain in the amplifier is reduced for as long as the output level lies above the reference level. The amplifier assembly enables frequency-dependent received field strength fluctuations that occur in frequency hopping methods to be corrected in a manner dependent on the conditions in the current time slot. The assembly is also suitable for modulation methods that use a modulation with phase and amplitude variation.
US07734265B2
In an audio muting circuit, after a short delay from a first time at which a first mute signal generation circuit causes a first mute signal to fall from “H” level to “L” level, a second mute signal generation circuit causes a second mute signal to fall from “H” level to “L” level at a second time. A third mute signal generated by combining the first and second mute signals is caused to fall from “H” level to a predetermined level at the first time, and caused to fall from the predetermined level to “L” level at the second time. Thus, at the start of muting, the level of an audio signal is increased in stepwise manner. In this way, noise generated at the start of muting can be reduced.
US07734263B2
A transmission circuit operates with high efficiency and low distortion. An amplitude and phase extraction section extracts amplitude data and phase data from input data. A phase modulation section phase-modulates the phase data to output a resultant signal as a phase-modulated signal. An amplifier section amplifies the phase-modulated signal to output a resultant signal as a transmission signal. An amplitude control section supplies, to the amplifier section, a voltage controlled in accordance with an AC component represented by a fluctuation component of the amplitude data and a DC component represented by an average value level of the fluctuation component of the amplitude data.
US07734253B2
In some embodiments of the invention, an 802.11-enabled device may fragment an 802.11 packet into smaller packets and transmit the smaller packets instead of the 802.11 to lessen interference with Bluetooth synchronized connection-oriented communication of a collocated Bluetooth-enabled device.
US07734252B2
A system and method for using a consumer wireless device in retail transactions utilizes a fixed communication device that functions as a base station for the consumer wireless device. The fixed communication device has a limited coverage zone. When a consumer wireless device comes within the coverage zone of the fixed communication device, the consumer wireless device selects the fixed communication device as the preferred base station and initiates a registration with that base station. The consumer wireless device is uniquely identified with ID data transmitted by the consumer wireless device to the fixed communication device. The unique identification is subsequently used in the process of completing a transaction.
US07734247B2
A configurable serial interface for a mobile communications device is provided to access audio information (e.g., audio files) stored on a removable memory device. In normal operation, the mobile communications device accesses audio information stored on the removable memory source through a conventional serial interface located in the digital application processor and/or directly interfaced with the main processing device. The interface is configurable to change to a second interface (e.g., Serial Low-power Interconnect for Media or SLIMbus (SLIMbus)) after receiving a command to change the interface. The second interface generally utilizes significantly less power than the first interface because the main processing device is not utilized to convert the digital audio files stored on the removable memory device. Control of the first and/or second interface may be maintained by a control circuit used for controlling the main processing device.
US07734245B2
A combined statistical-deterministic approach to methods and systems for assessing risk associated with natural disasters, in particular, hurricane wind risk. One example of a method of predicting wind speed distribution within a predetermined distance from a point of interest includes steps of statistically synthesizing a large plurality of wind storm tracks that pass within a predetermined radius of the point of interest, running a deterministic simulation of wind intensity along each one of the large plurality of wind storm tracks to produce an output representative of wind speed distribution along each track, and using the output to estimate an overall wind speed probability distribution from a combination of the wind speed distributions along each track within the predetermined distance from the point of interest.
US07734244B2
An image development method implemented on a substrate conditioning unit for the drying and compression of a print substrate in an electrophotographic imaging process. The conditioning unit includes a heating mechanism for maintaining the heat of compression rollers, belts or nip rollers for compressing the substrate by a determined distance between the conditioning rollers, or by direct contact between a compression roller and a nip roller, and having an abhesive layer to prevent adhesion of the conditioning unit to the print substrate.
US07734243B2
In an image forming apparatus of the present invention, an idle roller once stops rotating when a front edge of a sheet conveyed reaches the idle roller. The idle roller restarts rotating at such a timing that a front edge of a toner image on a photoreceptor and a front edge of an image writing position on the sheet are aligned with each other. Then, even if a rear edge of the sheet is still in the idle roller, the idle roller stops rotating when the front edge of the sheet is sandwiched between a transfer roller and the photoreceptor. By carrying out such operations, it is possible to avoid by a very simple way an occurrence of a slip phenomenon that is a phenomenon of slipping of the sheet with respect to the photoreceptor while suppressing a reduction in image quality as much as possible. In addition, it is also possible to surely secure a blank space formed at a rear edge portion of the sheet.
US07734235B2
In an image forming apparatus, an intermediate transfer belt is made of a resin film and is supported by a plurality of rollers. A driving roller that is one of the plurality of rollers, drives the intermediate transfer belt, and also functions as an opposing unit with respect to a secondary transfer roller. The driving roller is made of metal, and applies a bias to at least secondary transfer units, at least at a time of performing primary transfer to a plurality of image bearing bodies.
US07734234B2
A first correction pattern and a second correction pattern are formed on an endless conveyor belt. The first correction pattern is located ahead of the second correction pattern on the conveyor belt with respect to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. A sensor detects positional information of the correction patterns. A timing changing unit (controlling unit) changes a detection timing of the second correction pattern from a time point at which the sensor detects the second correction pattern.
US07734212B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with a rotary image bearing member; a charging roller for charging the outer circumferential surface of the image bearing member by rotating in contact with the image bearing member; a brush roller for cleaning adhered matters on the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller by being held in contact with the charging roller due to its own weight and rotating; a driving mechanism for drivingly rotating the brush roller to have a linear velocity difference to the charging roller; and a moving mechanism for reciprocating the brush roller along the longitudinal direction thereof.
US07734209B2
An imaging device utilizes click count fragmentation to provide separate click counts for service and billing purposes. Click count fragmentation maintains uninterrupted service counts and derives from service counts billing counts that more accurately reflect the number of pages generated that are usable by a customer. Billing counts may be paused, resumed, reset and displayed by authorized personnel via a local or remote imaging device interface. Accesses of billing counts by authorized personnel may be recorded in an audit trail.
US07734203B2
An image formation apparatus including a toner cartridge for holding toner, an image supporting unit, on which an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a toner image is formed, a toner development unit for developing the latent image into the toner image with the toner, a detecting unit for detecting toner concentration of the toner image, and a control unit for controlling an amount of toner adhering to the latent image by adjusting a development bias voltage based on an output of the detecting unit. If control by the control unit based on the detection output of the detecting unit is insufficient, and consumption of the toner is out of a predetermined normal range, the control is carried out by estimating one of toner consumption amount and toner recovery amount in a direction that departs from the predetermined normal range.
US07734201B2
This invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of shortening the user's print waiting time as much as possible when it is determined that image adjustment is necessary during the image forming operation, and a control method therefor. To accomplish this, in a color image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming stations which form toner images with a plurality of toners on the basis of a job, it is discriminated whether adjustment processing is necessary during a continuous image forming operation based on the job. If it is discriminated that adjustment processing is necessary, it is determined whether each of the image forming stations has a non-operating time enough to execute the discriminated adjustment processing during the image forming operation. The image forming station determined to have a non-operating time enough to execute adjustment processing executes the discriminated adjustment processing during the non-operating time.
US07734199B2
Provided are a method, system and program for checking and conditional processing of a print job printed with multiple transfer media. A print job indicates first print content to print using a first transfer medium and second print content to print using a second transfer medium. The first print content is printed onto a print medium with the first transfer medium. The printed first print content is read to determine whether the printed first print content satisfies a quality requirement. The second print content is printed onto the print medium with the second transfer medium in response to determining that the quality requirement is satisfied. Information is printed indicating an error on the print medium in response to determining that the print quality requirement is not satisfied.
US07734197B2
A toner cartridge inserted in an image forming apparatus and supplying toner to the image forming apparatus, the cartridge contains a toner container that contains toner, and a protrusion for showing a type of the toner cartridge, wherein the protrusion forms a ramp inclining toward a direction the toner cartridge is inserted in the image forming apparatus.
US07734194B2
An optical transmission system is provided in which the optimum operating point of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, matched to the optical frequency of the light source on the transmitting side, can be set. The optical receiver (2) has an infinitesimal-modulated signal component detection circuit (222), which uses the signal train output from a balanced detection circuit (221) to detect the infinitesimal-modulated signal component applied to the phase adjustment terminal (201) of an MZI (200) by an infinitesimal-modulated signal oscillation circuit (224); a synchronous detection circuit (223), which synchronously detects the infinitesimal-modulated signals output from the infinitesimal-modulated signal component detection circuit (222) and infinitesimal-modulated signal oscillation circuit (224) and detects the error signal component arising from the shift between the optical signal carrier frequency and the optical frequency characteristic of the MZI (200); and a controller (207), which outputs a control signal to adjust the phase difference between two split optical signals output from the MZI (200) so as to correct the shift amount.
US07734186B2
A method of reducing Raman tilt in a transmission apparatus capable of transmitting a plurality of signals, occupying contiguous channels in a transmission band, through a length of optical transmission cable which exhibits the Raman effect of transferring energy from the shorter wavelength signals at one end of the transmission band towards the longer wavelength signals at the other end of the transmission band, including the transmission of half the maximum number of signals at twice the normal channel frequency spacing at a higher-than-normal level and the transmission signals in selected ones, fewer than all, of the available channels at the normal channel spacing at a normal power level. As new channels are added at the lower frequency channel spacing, the powers of both neighboring channels are reduced to the normal power level.
US07734169B2
There is disclosed a camera having a first imaging medium which acquires subject image data from a subject light flux transmitted through a photographing lens; an optical path branching member which is disposed in an image pickup optical path of the first imaging medium to branch an optical path of the subject light flux; a primary image forming surface on which the subject light flux branched by the optical path branching member forms an image; and a second imaging medium which picks up the subject image formed on the primary image forming surface. When the present camera satisfies at least one of a plurality of optical conditions, the amount of shading of the light flux guided to the second imaging medium is reduced.
US07734163B2
A sensor mounting structure for mounting sensors onto sensor mounting portions formed on a case body includes: an elastically deformable mounting flat spring mounted on the case body so as to cover outer surface part of the case body, allowing the sensors to be mounted on the sensor mounting portions by pressing the sensors from outside. The mounting flat spring includes sensor pressing portions for pressing the sensors, a pair of pressed portions being pressed in directions nearing each other from outer surface sides by predetermined members, and engaging portions for engaging with the case body in a direction orthogonal to the directions in which the pressed portions are pressed.
US07734161B2
An apparatus to facilitate image stabilization with adaptive shutter control is described. An embodiment of the apparatus includes an image sensor, a movement detector, and a shutter controller. The movement detector is coupled to the image sensor. The shutter controller is coupled to the movement detector. The image sensor is configured to obtain image data. The movement detector is configured to obtain movement measurement information during a shutter period having a predetermined duration. The shutter controller is configured to adjust the shutter period of a shutter based on the movement measurement information. The shutter controls the time the image sensor is responsive to light incident on the image sensor. Embodiments of the apparatus provide a smaller and less costly implementation for image stabilization.
US07734155B2
A home entertainment network has a computer with a multi-DVD changer which holds plural DVDs onto which content from an hard disk drive (HDD) can be transferred for storage. Also, DVD content can be ripped to the HDD, and multiple copies of home videos and photographs on the HDD can be made onto several disks simultaneously.
US07734151B2
Disclosed is a method for decoding an image block. The method comprises a step of decoding an image block of a first layer based on a corresponding block of a second layer encoded with an intra mode, wherein a first area is formed with pixels, which are adjacent to a corner pixel positioned in the corresponding block in a diagonal direction and extend in vertical and horizontal directions away from the corresponding block, and data are padded in the first area based on the corner pixel and the pixels positioned in the first area and at least one of first and second blocks, which are simultaneously adjacent to the corresponding block and encoded with the intra mode. Accordingly, a reference block required when a macro block is encoded in an intra base mode or when a macro block encoded in the intra base mode is decoded has more precise values, thereby enabling improvement of a coding efficiency.
US07734150B2
An information recording device according to the present invention includes an HDD 5, a DVD 6 and a VCR 7. During transferring and recording information from DVD 6 onto VCR 7, a transfer control circuit 20 short-circuits between an input node and an output node. Accordingly, an image signal line L1 or L2 is electrically connected to an image signal line L3 through a switch SW and transfer control circuit 20. Namely, information is transmitted to the VCR without providing a direct information transmission path from DVD 6 to VCR 7. The configuration according to the present invention enables bidirectionally transferring information among HDD 5, DVD 6 and VCR 7 with a single switch, thereby enabling dubbing with a simple configuration.
US07734149B2
A recording medium includes moving picture data including first audio or first audio and second audio, and basic unit information including first state information on the first audio and second state information on the second audio. The first state information represents an original audio state in which the first audio is original audio, or a secondary audio state in which the first audio is secondary audio recorded over part or all of the original audio. The second state information represents a state in which the second audio is original audio, a state in which the second audio is secondary audio recorded over part or all of the original audio, a state in which the second audio is dummy audio which is exactly the same as the first audio, or a state in which the second audio is secondary audio recorded over part or all of the dummy audio.
US07734141B2
The present invention provides a video recording apparatus comprising a video inputting device for inputting a video, a video storing device for storing a video inputted by the video inputting device, a keyword inputting device for inputting a keyword, a key image generating device for generating a key image for a keyword inputted by the keyword inputting device, a key image detecting device for detecting a frame containing a key image generated by the key image generating device in a video inputted by the video inputting device, and a video deleting device for deleting a video stored in the video storing device when no frame containing a key image is detected by the key image detecting device.
US07734138B2
There is provided a fiber optic connector holder adapted to selectively retain two or more fiber optic connectors that include a dust cap on the ferrule. The connector holder comprises a boot retainer to selectively retain a portion of the boot of the connector, and the connector holder comprises a dust cap retainer to selectively retain a portion of the dust cap of the connector. The connector holder is provided in a telecommunications enclosure to provide convenient parking for fiber optic connectors that are not optically connected within a distribution field or the like or that are generally not in service at the time. The connector holders may be selectively installed and/or removed from the telecommunications enclosure to assist in the installation of new fiber optic hardware, such as splitter modules.
US07734128B2
The invention provides a fiber collimator array including a fiber array in which a plurality of optical fibers is arrayed and a microlens array in which microlenses are arrayed on positions corresponding to the plurality of optical fibers on a transparent substrate. Each microlens and the transparent substrate are oppositely arranged so that a plurality of projections formed on a bottom face of each microlens intersects with a plurality of projections formed on a surface of the transparent substrate, and each microlens and the transparent substrate are adhered to each other by the adhesive.
US07734126B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for chirp control of a dual arm Z-modulator to minimize dispersion in the fiber plant. The chirp control is based upon a real-time control loop based upon performance monitoring data between a transmitter and a receiver. Advantageously, the present invention enables improved performance in high-speed optical systems, and in some cases can eliminate or minimize the need for external dispersion compensation fiber (DCF).
US07734125B2
An optical communication device is provided that includes a flex-rigid substrate including a flexible substrate provided with an electric wiring, and a pair of rigid sections provided on both sides of the flexible substrate. The pair of rigid sections each includes a lamination formed of a conductive circuit and an insulating layer. The optical communication device also includes optical communication means made of a flexible material and having both end faces substantially perpendicular to its optical path of transmitting, and a pair of optical elements having their respective optical functional portions that are mounted on the rigid sections of the flex-rigid substrate. Both end portions of the optical communication means are disposed and fixed on the rigid sections, and at least one of the end faces is optically coupled with at least one of the optical functional portions of the optical elements through a coupling optical element.
US07734107B2
A system and method are disclosed for performing wavelet-based local texture feature extraction and classification procedures. Image data is initially provided to include a query image and a series of test images. A feature detector calculates image parameters corresponding to the image data. The image parameters include mean absolute values, variance values, and texture angles. The feature detector utilizes the image parameters to calculate distance values that represent texture similarity characteristics between the query image and each of the test images. The feature detector then evaluates the distance values to determine one or more matching images from among the test images.
US07734102B2
A system for screening cargo containers is provided including an image generation device, an apparatus for screening cargo containers and an output module. The image generation device generates an image signal conveying information related to the contents of the cargo container. The apparatus receives the image signal and a list of objects conveying objects expected to be present in the cargo container. A processing unit processes the image signal in combination with the list of objects and a group of target images associated with objects to derive mismatch information data. The mismatch information data conveys at least one distinction between the list of objects and the information related to the contents of the cargo container conveyed by the image signal. Information conveying the mismatch information data is released and conveyed to a user of the system by an output module.
