US07740598B2
The invention relates to a coaxial cannula for extracting samples from tissue comprising a biopsy needle unit provided with a space for sample extraction and a sample separation unit which coaxially encompasses the biopsy needle on an external wall and is longitudinally movable. The inventive coaxial cannula comprises a sealing element which is arranged on the proximal end thereof and closes the space between the internal wall of the coaxial cannula and the external walls of the sample separation unit. The sealing element opens an air outlet when the biopsy needle unit is inserted, and prevents air intake when the biopsy needle unit is positioned and vacuum is produced in the internal chamber of the biopsy needle.
US07740597B2
A biopsy device is provided. The biopsy device includes cutter and a sample tube advancable through the hollow cutter to retrieve a tissue sample severed by the cutter. A vacuum source can be provided in communication with the sample tube. The sample tube can be releasably attached to the biopsy device.
US07740583B2
A method for correcting a time delay between at least two signals in ultrasound systems is provided. The ultrasound system comprises a beamformer processor comprising a summer coupled to the transducer array and configured for performing a complex operation on a first plurality of receive signals to generate a beamsum signal; wherein each of the receive signals comprise a corresponding beamforming delay and a complex filter coupled to the summer and configured to transform the beamsum signal to an analytical signal. The beamformer processor further comprises a plurality of correlator processors coupled to at least one respective transducer element and the complex filter, each correlator processor configured to calculate a correlation sum for at least one receive signal and at least one time delay estimator adapted to receive the correlation sum of at least one receive signal and configured to estimate the corresponding time delay using the correlation sum.
US07740582B2
An ultrasonic operating apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus main body having a vibration driving circuit for generating a driving signal to apply ultrasonic vibrations to a vibration generating portion of a hand piece and having a control portion for generating the driving signal and for systematically controlling the apparatus. An operating and display panel and a water supply pump are arranged to an outer surface of the apparatus main body, and the driving signal is supplied to the hand piece via a connector. Until a user carries out a correct processing routine, the control portion does not perform the above control operation even though the user may execute another control operation. Further, the control portion controls an operation so that an incorrect processing routine is notified to the user on the operating and display panel.
US07740581B2
A region of skin, other than the fingertips, is stimulated. After stimulation, an opening is created in the skin (e.g., by lancing the skin) to cause a flow of body fluid from the region. At least a portion of this body fluid is transported to a testing device where the concentration of analyte (e.g., glucose) in the body fluid is then determined. It is found that the stimulation of the skin provides results that are generally closer to the results of measurements from the fingertips, the traditional site for obtaining body fluid for analyte testing.
US07740578B2
The invention relates to a direct reading endoscopic measuring instrument and, more specifically, to a manually operated measuring instrument that is placed in close proximity to an internal anatomical feature and a related method for operation of the measuring instrument. The direct reading endoscopic measuring instrument includes a distal reticule that is passed through an endoscope in a folded position. When extended past the distal end of the endoscope proximate to an anatomical structure to be measured, a remote actuator unfolds the reticule along an axis perpendicular to the endoscope. Graduations on the reticule can be observed to directly measure the size of the anatomical structure.
US07740563B2
A combined anaerobic and aerobic exercise system comprises a multi-part frame, for example a telescoping frame, or a pivoting frame. The aerobic system may include an elliptical exercise device, while the anaerobic system may include a cable-based system wherein resistance is adjustable. An electronic console system at the exercise system allows a user to view progress in both anaerobic and aerobic workouts, and to send input signals that adjust anaerobic and aerobic resistance mechanisms.
US07740561B2
An exercising device for the hand is disclosed. A securement is secured to an anchoring member comprising a band with a pair of ends configured to extend around and be secured to the hand of the user and configured to support the anchoring member in a position overlying the palm of the hand of a user and is coupled to the hand of the user. A plurality of fingertip engaging members are each configured and dimensioned to be secured to a respective fingertip a plurality of fingertip anchorings. Each of the fingertip anchorings is secured to a respective fingertip engaging member. A plurality of respective palm anchorings are secured to the anchoring member. A plurality of respective elastic members each have first and second ends. The first end of each of the elastic members is secured to the fingertip anchorings. The second end of each of the elastic members is secured to the palm anchorings. Alternatively, the securement and the anchoring member comprise a closed loop elastic strap.
US07740559B2
A shift control device of a vehicular automatic transmission, if during a first shift in a power-off state, a second shift judgment for a second shift that is a power-on downshift is made, performs a second shift control of lowering an input shaft rotation speed to a synchronous rotation speed of a post-second shift gear step through an engagement control of the friction engagement devices, and when the second shift is performed, performs a control of reducing a throttle valve opening degree of the engine to a predetermined degree that causes the engine to output a torque that is able to bring the input shaft rotation speed to a rotation speed that is higher than the synchronous rotation speed of the post-second shift gear step. The control device also executes a retardation control of retarding an ignition timing of the engine when the input shaft rotation speed is dropped through the second shift control.
US07740556B2
A hydraulic control apparatus includes two oil flow control valves (30, 32) each provided with a supply control portion (36, 38, 52, 54) for controlling an oil supply from a pressurized oil source, and a discharge control portion (40, 42, 56, 58) for controlling connection with a discharge passage. One of those oil flow control valves supplies/discharges oil to/from one of hydraulic chambers (22, 24) that are oppositely formed in a hydraulic servo mechanism. An operation direction of the hydraulic servo mechanism is performed by operating one of the oil flow control valves. The other operation direction of the hydraulic servo mechanism is performed by operating the other oil flow control valve.
US07740555B2
An improved sprocket profile for engaging a roller or bush chain smoothly and preventing radial impact with the root of the tooth during engagement. Contact between the sprocket teeth and the roller chain is altered by providing teeth with a root radius equivalent to that of the chain engaging component, with the center point of the root radius located one chordal distance inside the sprocket's pitch circle. This profile allows chain rollers or bushings to impact sprocket teeth tangentially on their flanks rather than radially on their tooth root.
US07740552B2
A play ball comprising an outer casing having a vent and a balloon is provided. The outer casing is substantially non-porous. An uninflated balloon is inserted into the outer casing through an opening. During inflation of the balloon, air from within the outer casing is vented.
US07740551B2
The invention relates to a bladder for an inflatable ball including structure for receiving an electronic device therein. The structure facilitates at least one of cushioning, positioning, locating, and supporting the electronic device. The structure cushions reaction forces arising from a foot strike to the bladder and/or provides a restoring force to the electronic device subsequent to a foot strike to maintain the device in its predetermined position.
US07740546B2
The invention provides a golf ball having a ball component made of a material molded under heat from a rubber composition of (a) a base rubber which includes a polybutadiene of at least 40% cis-1,4 structure, (b) an unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or a metal salt thereof, (c) an organic peroxide, and (d) a halogenated thiophenol, and/or a metal salt thereof, which is prepared by reacting starting materials in a polar solvent then washing with water and drying. The golf ball of the invention uses as a ball component a material of exceptional resilience which is obtained by molding a rubber composition under applied heat. As a result, the ball as a whole has an excellent rebound.
US07740538B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing a bonus award to a gaming player for using a player tracking account associated with a gaming establishment. Provision of a bonus award is based on the access to a player tracking account. Specifically, once a gaming system detects that a gaming player has accessed a player tracking account associated with the gaming establishment, the gaming system can determine whether the player accessed the player tracking account in a manner meeting one or more bonus award criteria. For instance, the bonus award criteria can include accessing a player tracking account within a limited period of time allotted for awarding the bonus award, accessing a player tracking account according to a specified sequence with respect to accesses by other gaming players, or some other criterion. If the player accessed the player tracking account in a manner meeting the bonus award criterion or criteria, then a bonus award is provided to the gaming player for using the player tracking account.
US07740537B2
In accordance with some embodiments, methods, computer readable media and apparatus are provided for processing lottery ticket sales. In one example, a request by a player is received to purchase a set of play indicia for a lottery game and to purchase eligibility for a multiplier for the lottery game. The multiplier may be applied to a winning set of play indicia at a predetermined magnitude if the winning set of play indicia corresponds to a predetermined specific redemption value, and the multiplier may be applied to a winning set of play indicia at a randomly determined magnitude if the winning set of play indicia corresponds to a predetermined range of redemption values.
US07740529B2
A coin dispenser includes a coin canister that automatically locks into the dispenser. A remotely operated mechanism may unlock the canister from the dispenser. The dispenser may serve as a loading stand for the canister. The canister may be adapted for manual loading of coins into the canister without removing the canister from the dispenser. The canister may include a receptacle for coins and an aperture adapted to facilitate loading coins into the receptacle and to retain coins in the receptacle. The canister may include a repositionable handle that covers an aperture of the canister in one position and serves as a carrying handle in another position. A system for dispensing coins includes a controller electrically connected to a coin dispenser. The dispenser includes a coin canister and a latch that locks the canister to the dispenser. The controller can send an electrical signal that unlocks the canister.
US07740521B2
The present invention provides a polishing head 1 comprising a carrier 3, a guide ring 4, a dress ring 5, and a head body 2, wherein the head body 2 is rotatable, and holds the carrier 3, the guide ring 4, and the dress ring 5; the head body 2 has a reversed-bowl shape and has a hollow 8; the dress ring, and at least the guide ring or the carrier are held by being coupled to a lower brim of the head body via a diaphragm 6; the hollow of the head body is sealed. During polishing, the pressure of the sealed hollow is adjusted with a pressure regulating mechanism 9 communicating with the hollow, thereby elastically deforming the diaphragm. As a result, a wafer W can be polished while the wafer and the dress ring are pressed with a given pressing force against a polishing pad 11 on a turn table 12 with rotating the wafer held by the carrier and the dress ring. Consequently, there is provided a polishing head or the like with which excessive polishing in the outer periphery of a semiconductor wafer can be prevented and generation of impressions or scratches in the edge portion of the wafer can be prevented effectively.
US07740510B2
An electrode clamp (10; 100) for making contact with a film electrode and a snap electrode has a first part (12; 112), a second part (14; 114), and a contact element (60; 160). For clamping a film electrode, the two parts (12, 14; 112, 114) can be pivoted toward one another. In an initial state of the electrode clamp (10; 100), the first part (12; 112) and the second part (14; 114) have an offset (36; 136) relative to one another. The offset can be reduced by movement of the second part (14; 114) relative to the first part (12; 112) to such an extent that the snap electrode can be inserted into the electrode clamp. By a reset motion of the second part (14; 114) relative to the first part (12; 112) in the direction of the initial state, the snap electrode can be clamped against the contact element (60; 160) and contact can be made with the snap electrode. The electrode clamp (10; 100) can be connected in a mechanically detachable manner to the snap electrode.
US07740500B2
The invention concerns an electrical plug connector with an insulating contact carrier that contains a number of electrical contacts in the form of contact pins or contact sockets that are arranged parallel to each other, and which can be inserted axially into a plug connector housing, with the contacts being accessible from the front side of the contact carrier, and with the contacts having connecting elements on a rear side of the contact carrier for a connection with electrical power supply lines. The invention proposes to divide the plug connector housing in the insertion direction into a front and a rear housing section that are connected to a hinge joint by means of a swivel axle that is oriented orthogonally to the insertion direction. In a straightened operating position of the plug connector housing, the axially inserted contact carrier that at least partially engages the two housing section and is in lateral contact with said housing sections at least is some sections reliably prevents the swiveling of the housing sections and therefore the opening of the plug connector housing.
US07740486B2
An electronic device, comprising an improved printed circuit board connection for connecting a first printed circuit board to a second printed circuit board in a manner that permits physical engagement at a different position than the electrical engagement, and a method for making the improved printed circuit board connection with precision in alignment. In one embodiment, the first printed circuit board includes an end portion configured to engage with a member of a connector on the second printed circuit board. The end portion and the member engage along concave portions of the end portion and convex portions of the member. When engaged, the end portion and the member align wires of the first printed circuit board with terminals of the connector.
US07740483B2
A portable apparatus and method for demonstrating different characteristics of different fluids that includes different fluid sumps or chambers for receiving samples of the different fluids. A test shaft having different portions that are immersed in the different fluid samples in the chambers is driven by an electric drive motor at a substantially constant speed while substantially the same amount of friction or force is applied to the different portions of the test shaft at different times to increase the resistance presented to the drive motor. The additional amount of current drawn or power absorbed by the motor or strain induced in the motor drive shaft during the application of such friction or force to the different portions of the test shaft is monitored and compared to provide a comparison of the friction or power loss characteristics of the different fluid samples.
US07740475B2
An adjustable orthodontic apparatus formed by at least one base plate having opposing sides, the first side being a tooth engaging side and the second side having a plurality of columns of protrusions and channels created by the columns of protrusions and at least one connecting plate having opposing sides, the first side having a plurality of columns of protrusions and channels created by the columns of protrusions and a front side having a cavity for receiving a wire. The protrusions are designed to travel within the channels during an adjustment stage. A securing device locks the connecting plate to a desired position on the base plate.
US07740471B2
A method for manufacturing products using a mold having at least one mold cavity which is at least partly defined by at least two movable wall parts, wherein the mold is closed and the at least two movable wall parts (35A, 35B) are brought to a retracted position relative to the mold cavity, so that the volume of the mold cavity is enlarged relative to the volume required for a product to be formed, wherein at least partly molten material is introduced into the mold cavity and then in a first step a first one (35A) of the at least two movable wall parts is set into motion in the direction of a forwardly moved position and in a second step a second one (35B) of the at least two movable wall parts is set into motion in the direction of a forwardly moved position, wherein the movable wall parts are moved into said forwardly moved position for the formation of the product.
US07740469B2
Thermoplastic films and laminates are made by extrusion and stretching using differential speed rollers employing a short stretching gap of no more than one inch immediately after the extruded film product is formed. The method and apparatus control the thickness of the stretched film and impart desirable mechanical properties thereto such as film products with a high modulus for handling and suitable tensile for softness.
US07740465B2
A method and a casting mold for producing an optical semiconductor module is provided, wherein a semiconductor body having at least one optically active element on its top is introduced into a leadframe. Then conductive connections are established between the semiconductor body and the leadframe, and then the leadframe and semiconductor body are encapsulated in a casting mold. Wherein provided in the part of the casting mold that faces the top of the semiconductor body are masking bodies, which extend from the top inner wall of the casting mold towards the optically active elements and cover the elements with their respective end face in a way that seals out casting material.
US07740461B2
An electrospinning apparatus is described. The electrospinning apparatus has a rotary nozzle mechanism that moves simultaneously along a non-linear track for forming polymeric fibrils, so that the polymeric fibrils can be piled to form a uniform web on a receiving carrier from any receiving angle. Therefore, the electrospinning apparatus resolves problems of the prior polymeric fibrils, such as various distribution and slow production rate. In addition, a method of manufacturing polymeric fibrils in the aforementioned electrospinning apparatus is further described.
US07740460B2
A controlled-clearance sealing compressor device that provides precision rotor centering directly with respect to the stator housing, vane centering with respect to rotor (not the stator) and the dynamic balance design of the gliders required for practical single and dual vane devices. The devices uses roller bearings to control the radial position of the vane and control rods or pins are used to control axial positioning of the vane, its ‘centralization’ with respect to the rotor and the endplates. The positive displacement rotary vane compressors and vacuum pumps have friction reduction, efficiency enhancement and exceedingly long operating life as a result of the non-contact gas sealing of the process gas within the rotary vane compressors and vacuum pumps. In an embodiment the positive displacement compressing device is used in transportation vehicles.
US07740454B2
A simple structured thermal actuation pump for reducing energy loss is provided. The thermal actuation pump includes: a first chamber having at least one working fluid inlet and at least one working fluid outlet; a second chamber having at least one working fluid inlet and at least one working fluid outlet; and a thermoelectric element arranged between the first chamber and the second chamber and including one side being cooled and the other side being heated according to a direction of current for changing inside pressures of the first chamber and the second chamber.
US07740450B2
A structure for a hub of a rotor includes a space frame having truss members configured to carry primary torsion, bending, and direct loading. The structure also includes a shell on the space frame configured to stabilize the space frame and carry shear loading.
US07740442B2
A method for cooling a shroud segment of a gas turbine engine includes providing a turbine shroud assembly including a shroud segment having a leading edge defining a forward face. A turbine nozzle is coupled to the turbine shroud assembly such that a gap is defined between an aft face of an outer band of the turbine nozzle and the forward face, wherein a lip formed on the aft face is positioned radially inwardly with respect to the gap and extends substantially axially downstream from the gap. Cooling air is directed into the gap. Cooling air exiting the gap impinges against the lip to facilitate film cooling the shroud segment.
US07740441B1
A small twin spool gas turbine engine with a bearing support arrangement in which the bearings are dampened by O-rings secured between the bearing races and the support structure, the bearings are arranged in series so that a cooling air can be passed through the bearings to prevent overheating, and the bearings are dry lubricated. The aft end of the engine includes high speed and low speed ball bearings supported with preload springs to add additional damping capability. The end bearing support assemblies form a cooling air path for the cooling fluid to flow through a passage within one of the guide vanes, through the bearings and a hole in the low pressure turbine rotor disk and out the exhaust of the engine. A snorkel tube extends into the bypass air channel drawing air for the bearings, and has a slanted opening preventing dirt particulates from entering the bearing cooling passage.
US07740439B1
A wheel lifting device for facilitating removal of a flat tire and positioning of a replacement tire includes a base bar being positionable on a support surface adjacent a tire. Each of a pair of arms is coupled to the base bar. Each of the arms has one of a pair of rollers rotatably coupled thereto. Each of the rollers is positioned between the arms to engage a tread of the tire. The rollers permit rotation of the tire to allow a rim to be rotated to properly align the rim with a wheel hub.
US07740435B2
A thread-tapping screw (11) has a thread (21) extending, starting from the screw shaft free end (15), at least along a portion of the shaft length and a height of which constantly decreasing toward the free end (15) of the shaft (12), and a plurality of cutting bodies (26, 36, 46, 56, 66) formed of a material having a greater hardness than hardness of the thread (21), located in recesses (24) formed in the thread (21) and opening radially outwardly and having, respectively, a radial outer profile (27, 37, 47, 57, 67) projecting, at least partially, beyond the thread and a height (A, B, C, D, E) of which decreases toward the free end (15) of the shaft (12) stepwise.
US07740434B2
There is provided a fastener able to prevent damage due to environmental factors such as ultraviolet rays, and impact from sanddust, lumps of ice, and raindrops without obstructing a flow of electric shock current that flows along a top surface of an outer skin. The fastener connects an outer skin of an aircraft to a structural member positioned inside this outer skin, and is provided with a dielectric layer arranged to cover one end surface of a head section, and a conductive layer arranged to cover one end surface of this dielectric layer.
US07740433B2
A waterproof structure for a tightening section where a first member (1) having a screw hole (1a) with a bottom and a second member (2) having a screw insertion hole (2a) are fastened with a screw (4) that is inserted into the screw insertion hole (2a) and screwed to the screw hole (1a). The screw (4) is a flat head screw, and an annular groove (3b) is formed in the outer surface of a spacer (3) having an insertion hole where recessed circular conical surface (3a) is formed. The spacer (3) is fitted in the screw insertion hole (2a) to be in surface contact with a circular conical surface of a head of the flat head screw. The annular groove (3b) is coaxial with the recessed circular conical surface (3a). An O-ring (5) is installed in the annular groove (3b), and the flat head screw (4) is tightened with the spacer (3) placed between first member and the second member, causing the O-ring (5) to be pressed between an inner surface of the annular groove (3b) and a surface of the screw insertion hole of the second member (2). The waterproof structure can be repeatedly used without damaging the members and does not enlarge a necessary space.
US07740420B2
A reinforcing fabric for use in various applications, including retaining walls. Artificial grass is strategically provided on the fabric so that, when the fabric is positioned in the retaining wall installation, the artificial grass is at least visible on the vertical face of the wall.
US07740408B2
A coupling device for coupling optical fiber cables facilitates positioning in a circumferential direction for coupling a connector. When a connector fixing member is inserted into an adaptor fixing member, a protruding section of the connector fixing member slides along an end surface of the adaptor fixing member, and is automatically guided to a notched section.
US07740401B2
A food mixer (10) includes a rotatable shaft (18) which is connected to the shaft (21) of an agitator (20). The agitator (20) includes an upper disk (23) attached to the shaft (21) and a lower disk (28). Slat walls (27, 29) extend from the upper disk (23) to the lower disk (22) and slat walls (27, 29) are curved so as to together forming a parabolic ring. A central blade (33) extends from the upper disk (23) to the lower disk (28) between the slat walls (27, 29). Both the upper and lower disks (23, 28) are circular and are curved upwardly in one direction and curved downwardly in a direction transverse to the one direction.
US07740398B2
A dynamic mixer includes a housing structure having a mixing chamber, having an inlet opening through which a material or materials to be mixed is passed into the mixing chamber and an outlet. A mixer rod has mixing rod portion disposed in the housing structure and a plurality of mixing paddle portions each having a mixing surface. The mixing rod is adapted for attachment to a drive unit which imparts a rotational mixing force to the rod. In one exemplary non-limiting embodiment of a mixer, the housing structure includes a hollow tubular structure with first and second open ends, a hollow T fitting having a first opening attached to the first end of the hollow tubular structure, a second opening opposed to and in alignment with the first opening and a third opening transverse to the first and second openings, and a coupler fitting attached to the second open end of the tubular structure. An end cap structure is attached to the second opening of the T fitting for supporting the rod drive portion for rotation and sealing against material leakage. A support structure is positioned at the second open end of the tubular structure and secured in place by the coupler fitting, to support the drive rod while permitting material flow out the open second end.
US07740394B2
A backlight includes a case, pluralities of light sources, pluralities of needles, pluralities of supporting portions, a first optical sheet, a second optical sheet, and pluralities of first microstructures. The light sources are disposed inside the case, the needles are disposed on the bottom surface of the case, and the supporting portions are disposed on the needles. The first optical sheet is supported on the top of the needles. The second optical sheet placed under the first optical sheet has pluralities of holes, and the needles penetrate the holes. The second optical sheet is supported on the supporting portions. The first microstructures are disposed on the first optical sheet or on the second optical sheet to provide a light condensing function.
US07740390B2
An exemplary embodiment of a segmented light guide includes a light channeling layer having at least one slit dividing the light channeling layer into a plurality of segments, and at least one LED associated with the light channeling layer. The slit substantially prevents light from migrating in the segmented light guide between adjacent segments that are divided by the slit.
US07740387B2
A backlight may include a light guide and a light input. The light guide may have a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input may include a diverging wedge having a narrow end and opposing side surfaces extending to the narrow end. A light source may be disposed adjacent to one of the opposing side surfaces and may emit light into the light input portion. A multilayer polymeric mirror film may be disposed adjacent to the opposing side surfaces but not in intimate contact therewith and may reflect more than 95% of visible light incident on the multilayer polymeric mirror film.
US07740379B2
An illumination module including a first light-emitting element, a first heat dissipation element, a first heat conducting unit, a second light-emitting element, a second heat dissipation element, and a second heat conducting unit is provided. The first light-emitting element is capable of emitting a first color light beam. The first heat conducting unit is connected between the first light-emitting element and the first heat dissipation element. The second light-emitting element is capable of emitting a second color light beam. The second heat conducting unit is connected between the second light-emitting element and the second heat dissipation element. The first heat dissipation element and the second heat dissipation element are disposed separately. The first heat conducting unit and the second heat conducting unit are also disposed separately. The heat dissipation characteristic of the illumination module is better. A projection apparatus having the illumination module is also provided.
US07740378B2
A supporting structure is disclosed for both securing optical elements and for providing optimal cooling of the optical elements and the light source.
US07740369B2
A handheld power tool has a tool holder, which is received displaceably in a housing and is drivable via a drive unit that can be switched on and off upon an axial adjusting motion of the tool holder. A lighting unit on the handheld power tool can be switched on and/or off via the adjusting motion of the tool holder.
US07740365B2
This invention relates to uniform backlighting of surfaces by semiconductor light sources. Various semiconductor light sources are combined into identical illumination groups. These identical illumination groups are arranged so that uniform backlighting of a surface is made possible. For homogeneous color mixing to be achieved, especially at edges, each illumination group in the arrangement has at least one adjacent illumination group in a different orientation.
US07740361B2
The present invention relates to projection systems where one or more projectors are utilized to project a video, a still image, or combinations thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of calibrating and operating such systems. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating an image display system is provided. According to the method, one or more image sensors acquire respective overlapping portions I1, I2 of a projected image. Screen position coordinates for image fiducials in the first and second portions I1, I2 of the projected image are identified and used to establish first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2 for the first and second portions of the projected image. A global point set is constructed from the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2. Global points within a region where the first and second portions I1, I2 of the projected image overlap are derived from only one of the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2. In this manner, a first subset G1 of the global point set will comprise fiducial positions derived from only one of the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2 and a second subset G2 of the global point set will comprise fiducial positions derived from the other of the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2. Alignment of the first and second subsets G1, G2 of the global point set is optimized by adjusting fiducial positions in the global point set in a manner that at least partially accounts for differences between local positional data derived from the first and second sets of distance metrics D1, D2 and global positional data of the fiducial positions in the global point set. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US07740357B2
A deformable mirror device includes a substrate; a plurality of electrodes provided on the substrate; a spacer disposed on the substrate; a support member disposed above the spacer and having an opening passing through from a first face of the support member facing to the substrate to a second face of the support member opposite from the first face; a deformable electrode film formed below the first face of the support member so as to be opposed to the electrodes with a distance and so as to cover the opening; an insulation film provided between the deformable electrode film and the support member; a reflection film provided on a face of the deformable electrode film opposite from the electrodes so as to overlap the opening; and a plurality of through holes passing through the reflection film and the deformable electrode film and disposed so as to overlap the opening.
US07740355B2
The invention relates to a device (10) for determining the optical parameters of a user comprising: at least two image recording devices (14, 16), which are configured and arranged to respectively generate image data of at least sub-sections of the head of the user (30); a data processing unit comprising a user data determination device, which is configured to use the generated image data to determine user data relating to at least one sub-section of the head, or at least one sub-section of a system placed on the head that supports a pair of glasses (38) of the user (30) in a normal position of wear, the user data containing the three-dimensional location information of predetermined points in the head sub-section or the system sub-section and comprising a parameter determination unit, which is configured to determine at least some of the optical parameters of the user (30); a data output device, which outputs at least some of the determined optical parameters of the user (30). The invention also relates to an additional device, a corresponding method and a computer program.
US07740338B2
Provided is a printhead assembly with a pressurised air supply having an elongate ink distribution arrangement that defines a number of inlets, a number of corresponding ink distribution channels and a number of outlets in fluid communication with respective ink distribution channels. The assembly also includes an elongate ink distribution assembly mounted on the ink distribution arrangement, the ink distribution assembly having a plurality of layers together forming a stack, the layers being configured to define a plurality of inlets in fluid communication with the outlets of the ink distribution arrangement and mounting formations with passages opening into the mounting formations, the passages being in the form of ink passage sets in fluid communication with respective ink distribution channels, at least one passage from each set opening into each mounting formation. Also included are printhead integrated circuits mounted in respective mounting formations to receive ink from the passages, and an air duct having a base defining a series of air passages. The assembly further includes an air valve molding formed as a channel with a series of apertures defined in a base thereof, a spacing of the apertures corresponding to the series of air passages, the air valve molding being movable longitudinally within the air duct to facilitate alignment of the apertures with the air passages to allow pressurized air through the laminated stack to the cavity, or moved out of alignment to close off a supply of pressurized air to the cavity.
US07740335B2
A liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of liquid ejection heads, a plurality of elastic wiper blades for rubbing the nozzle formed surfaces of the liquid ejection heads, a blade cleaner for removing liquid adhered to the wiper blade, a cleaning unit for removing liquid adhered to the wiper blades, a wiper blade moving unit for respectively and independently moving the plurality of wiper blades between a rubbing position and a retreating position, and a control unit that controls the wiper blade moving unit so that the cleaning unit can make the blade cleaner and the moved wiper blades rub with each other. Herein, it is possible to maintain cleaning performance, preventing contamination of a wiper blade caused by liquid splashed from a neighboring wiper blade.
US07740333B2
A printhead tolerant of switching noise that occurs when concurrently driving plural printing elements, a head cartridge using the printhead, and a printing apparatus can be provided. The printhead includes plural printing elements and plural driving elements for driving the plural printing elements, and prints using these printing elements. The printhead also includes a shift register which receives print data in synchronism with a clock signal, and a latch circuit which latches the print data input to the shift register in synchronism with a latch signal. The printhead further includes a restriction circuit which restricts input of the print data and clock signal to the shift register and input of the latch signal to the latch circuit in synchronism with input of an enable signal for driving the plural driving elements.
US07740329B2
A server rack assembly for supporting a receiving bracket accommodating a plurality of electronic components, includes a base, a pair of rails mounted on the base, and at least one pair of securing brackets. The base spacedly protrudes two pairs of opposite stands. At lease one first positioning hole is defined in each stand. Each rail spans between the respective stands and is mounted thereon. One of the securing brackets is securely mounted on a rear end of one of the rails, and the other securing bracket is slidably attached to a front end of the rail. Each securing bracket protrudes at least one positioning member for inserting in the at least one first positioning hole. A sliding member attached to each securing bracket elastically abuts against one corresponding stand for preventing the positioning member being disengaged from the positioning hole of the stand.
US07740327B2
A drawer Buffer includes: the base, cylinder and plate with the guide rod projected in the front end; the cylinder of which is fixed in the base and there is a projecting column on the front end of its piston rod; in the middle of the guide rod, there is a sliding chute for the move of piston rod; in the outer side of the guide rod, there is a guideway to coordinate with the projecting column, the front end of the guideway is linked with a positioning slot; on the plate, there is the guiding slot for traction and pushing the projecting column into the positioning slot; the section shape of the mentioned cylinder sleeve and piston rod of the cylinder is similar to the ellipse, the tail of the cylinder sleeve is linked with the head of piston rod via the spring. The buffer can be used with a drawer slide rail for drawer moving reposefully.
US07740324B2
A drainable vehicle wheel having a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from the hub and a rim having tips ends of the spokes connected thereto. Each of the plurality of spokes has a hollow portion and a plurality of water-discharge hole formed therein. The hub has an outer hollow portion formed by a plurality of walls, and one the walls has a drain hole formed therein. The outer hollow portion of the hub is fluidly connected to a hollow portion formed in each of the spokes. A wall of the tip end portion of each of spokes is thickened or reinforced to increase stiffness of the spokes.
US07740317B2
A lock apparatus of a seat for a vehicle includes a striker, a base including a first groove portion, a hook including a second groove portion and pivoting between a lock position and an unlock position, a pawl restraining a pivotal movement of the hook towards the unlock position while allowing the pivotal movement of the hook towards the lock position, a cam member including a cam profile for allowing the pivotal movement of the hook towards the lock position and for restraining the pivotal movement of the hook towards the unlock position, and a first biasing member. When the hook is pivoted to the lock position, the striker is positioned between the rotational shaft of the hook and the rotational shaft of the pawl, and the pawl and the hook are engaged at an opposite position of the rotational shaft of the hook relative to the striker.
US07740289B2
An exemplary housing of a foldable electronic device includes a first cover, a second cover, and a button disposed on the second cover. The first cover includes a lock receiving portion. The button includes a main body, a lock portion, and a resilient portion. The lock portion is configured for engaging with the lock receiving portion. The lock portion and the resilient portion connect with the main body. The main body includes a contact portion and a pivot portion. The contact portion and the pivot portion are separated from each other at a predetermined distance. The main body is rotatably disposed on the second cover by the pivot portion. The resilient portion is located on another end opposite to the pivot portion.
US07740287B2
A flexible joint for transfer of especially a cryogenic fluid includes a first element (3) and a second element (4). The first element (3) comprising an internal, partly curved surface (6), the second element (4) comprising a corresponding outer partly curved surface (8) with at least a sealing element (12,12′) between the curved surfaces (6,8). The first element (3) comprises a first connection part (9) and the second element comprises a second connection part (10) connectable to the first connection part (9) with a flexible part (11, 11′) between the connection of the two connectable parts (9,10) and the sealing element (12). Thereby it is formed a void (16) which may be pressurized with an inert gas at a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure of the fluid to be transferred through the joint.
US07740285B2
A threaded joint for steel pipes comprised of a pin (1) and a box (2) each having a threaded portion (1a, 2b) and an unthreaded contact portion (1b, 2a) exhibits adequate leakage resistance and galling resistance when used for makeup of oil country tubular goods with application of a green dope or even without any dope. The threaded joint has a first plating layer of Sn—Bi—Cu alloy plating formed on the contact surface of at least one of the pin (1) or the box (2). The first plating layer may have a second plating layer selected from Sn plating, Cu plating, and Ni plating on its lower side and at least one layer of a lubricating coating, and particularly a solid lubricating coating on its upper side.
US07740284B2
A vented gas riser for use in a system for conducting pressurized gas through a gas carrier pipe from a gas supply source line located below ground level to a delivery point disposed above ground is provided. A fluid tight gas riser protective casing is disposed around said carrier pipe and creates a gas escape passageway in an elongate annular space between the carrier pipe and the casing. A containment chamber is disposed below ground level which creates a confined space which has, as its only egress, a fluid connection to a gas escape passageway. Any gas which leaks into the containment chamber is directed into the gas escape passageway. A riser transition head, which includes at least one vent passageway, provides a fluid connection with said gas escape passageway and with the atmosphere such that any gas which leaks into said containment chamber is directed through the gas escape passageway and through the at least one vent and into the atmosphere.
US07740283B2
A tube fitting for a tube end has a female member that cooperates with a male member. A tube gripping device in the form of a gripping ring or ferrule is retained with the female member. Upon a partial pull-up, the tube gripping device separates from the female member.
US07740274B2
Certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention provide an airbag having a vent that can adaptively release gas from the airbag upon impact with an occupant. The vent may include a membrane and/or diaphragm that can control the amount of gas released from the airbag based on the pressure in the airbag. During a collision, the airbag can be filled with gas and absorb the energy from an occupant causing the pressure in the airbag to increase. The adaptive vent can release gas from the airbag by opening when the occupant impacts the airbag. In some embodiments, the size of the vents changes depending on the pressure existing in the airbag.
US07740272B2
An airbag apparatus for a small vehicle for preventing an airbag from being inflated uselessly even when a rider is moved significantly on the vehicle. A first airbag module includes impact sensors, an electronic control unit for generating an output signal when an impact force is determined to be excessive from detection signals supplied from the impact sensors, an inflator which is activated by the output signal from the electronic control unit and an airbag which is inflated by gas generated from the inflator that is mounted on a small vehicle. A second airbag module includes an inflator and a wearing type airbag which is inflated by gas generated by the inflator that is mounted on a rider. The electronic control unit and the inflator of the second airbag module are connected by couplers that can input the output signal from the electronic control unit to the second airbag module.
US07740271B2
An airbelt apparatus including a belt guide that is capable of moving so that an expansion portion of the airbelt may expand upward alongside an occupant's head. The belt guide also limits an expanding shape of the expansion portion.
US07740261B2
A retractable vehicle step is attachable to a rear portion of a vehicle or truck. The vehicle step facilitates access to a cargo hold of the vehicle. Advantageously, the vehicle step provides clearance space relative to a tailgate of the vehicle by displacing a stepping member of the vehicle step in a generally lateral direction. The vehicle step desirably has a covered and protected biasing mechanism for transitioning between retracted and extended positions of the stepping member. Another advantage is that the vehicle step is readily attachable to the vehicle using already existing connection members, thereby generally eliminating or mitigating the need for customized retrofitting and avoiding undesirable installation cost and time.
US07740259B2
A materials handling vehicle is provided comprising a frame including an operator compartment having at least one entrance and a floorboard. The vehicle further comprises at least one step capable of being positioned across the entrance a spaced distance from the floorboard such that an operator may stand on the step when the step is positioned across the entrance to gain access to an elevated storage location.
US07740251B2
The hand truck for appliances is a device for moving a water heater and other appliances. The hand truck includes a main frame having a pair of wheels mounted on a lower end rearward of the main frame, and a support plate also mounted on the lower end and projecting forward from the main frame. The support plate has a front edge and a rear edge, with the rear edge being contoured to be received within a water heater drain pan, with the rear edge being positioned adjacent and contiguous to the inner wall of the water heater drain pan. This allows the water heater to be carried on the hand truck for appliances, supported by the support plate, in order to be placed directly into the water heater drain pan.
US07740249B1
A holder for replaceable tools, including a body with an axial opening extending along an axis and for releasably receiving the tools and having two radial openings with balls therein extending into the axial opening. Two ramps are movable on the body and they engage the balls for forcing the balls onto the tool being held in the body and thereby radially and axially stabilize the tool in the body. Two separate springs engage the ramps for movement of the ramps separate from each other.
US07740245B2
In a method of presenting or playing a wagering game, if a winning outcome is received, a first award is awarded and one or more awards associated with one or more winnings outcomes for the game are then enhanced for potential award in a subsequent game or games. In one embodiment, a base paytable or award structure is modified or enhanced, such as by adjusting awards or associating multipliers or bonus values, to create an enhanced paytable or award structure. The enhanced paytable or award structure may remain in effect for one subsequent game, a set number of games or a time, or until the same or another winning outcome is received in a subsequent game. The game which is presented may vary, such as being a wagering game of video poker, video slots or even a table game.
US07740241B2
A sheet transporting device including: a sheet feeding section that feeds plural sheets to a transporting path; three or more roller pairs that are arranged along the transporting path; a double feed detecting section that detects a length of a double feed portion when sheets are fed in an overlapped manner; a selecting section that selects two of the three or more roller pairs based on the length of the double feed portion; and a transport control section that can change a transporting speed of at least one of the selected roller pairs, wherein the selecting section selects two roller pairs that have a space between which the double feed portion can be positioned, and the transport control section controls the transporting speeds of the selected roller pairs such that the speeds differ from each other to separate the delaying sheet from the preceding sheet.
US07740237B2
A post-processing apparatus that is set beside an image forming apparatus and applies staple processing to sheets subjected to image formation and folds the sheets to manufacture a booklet includes a hooking control mechanism that is provided on the opposite side of center folding rollers across a sheet bundle and pushes the sheet bundle in a stapler direction to prevent a bent staple from hooking on an edge of an anvil.
US07740236B2
An elastomer-containing rod end isolator. The isolator includes a handle for connection to a load and inner and outer members. The outer member is a pocket and the inner member is spherical or nearly so. The pocket and the inner member are concentric and the inner member has two continuous exterior legs extending in a circular path. An elastomer fills most of the space between members.
US07740230B2
A pig for installing a cable in a conduit, in which it comprises a body and a seal intended to follow the internal surface of the conduit, the body comprising a radially elastic tubular part on which the seal is mounted, and a support part fixed to or integral with the tubular part, the support part having a guide surface intended to guide the pig in the conduit, the diameter of the guide surface being slightly less than the maximum diameter of the seal, so that the support part radially deforms the tubular part when the pig passes through deformed parts of the conduit.
US07740228B2
A valve assembly comprises a flow control valve including a valve shaft, an electrical actuator comprising an actuator output shaft, and a torsion spring coupling the valve shaft and the actuator output shaft.
US07740227B2
A joint for bringing into communication a first fluid passageway and a second fluid passageway of a nut member includes a push rod and a main body. The main body forms a push rod storage space, a communication path, a seal structure forming part and a male thread part. The push rod storage space houses the push rod so that one part of the push rod protrudes along a push rod longitudinal direction. The seal structure forming part is capable of forming a seal structure by contacting a first tapered part of the nut member. The male thread part is capable of screwing together with a female thread part of the nut member such that the seal structure forming part contacts the first tapered part. The part of the portion of the push rod contacts one part of the nut member.
US07740218B2
A support device for a flat appliance is disclosed. The support device includes a mounting plate having at least one hole defined therein. The mounting plate is adapted for attachment to a side of the flat appliance with a fastener extending through the at least one hole and into at least one corresponding receiving hole in the flat appliance. The device further includes a mounting bracket that is adapted for attachment to a stand structure. The device also includes a brace disposed between the mounting plate and the mounting bracket. The at least one hole in the mounting plate is adapted for accommodating the receiving hole of a variety of different flat appliances.
US07740210B2
A bundling device includes a flexible, frangible strap having a plurality of engagement teeth. Each of the teeth has a notch. A strap engagement portion is connected to the strap. The engagement portion includes flexible wings positioned in opposed relationship and a strap receiving aperture therebetween to receive the flexible strap in a first direction, the flexible wings prevent removal of the strap in an opposite second direction. A raised engagement surface extends from each of the flexible wings, opposed ones of the raised engagement surfaces operable to frictionally contact one of the teeth. The strap is loaded to break at one of the notches, and a portion of the strap is retained between the flexible wings by contact with the raised engagement surfaces.
US07740204B1
An extraterrestrial vehicle propulsion system uses a frusto-conical body member that is spun at high speeds by a drive member. A battery, which is rechargeable by a solar cell array, provides power to the drive member.
US07740202B2
In a wing structure for an aircraft, a rib extends in a chord direction for connecting spars to each other with upper and lower stringer through holes through which stringers of skins pass being formed in upper and lower edges of the rib. A bead is formed on the rib so as to extend between the upper and lower stringer through holes. Upper and lower ends of the bead are formed into arcuate shapes so as to surround the upper and lower stringer through holes, respectively. Thus, it is possible to enhance the buckling strength of the rib against a shear load acting on the wing of the aircraft.
US07740196B2
Device for implementing a method of granulating slag fines including a conveyable removable platform (1) on which there are arranged at least one device for the selective obtaining of fines (10) upstream of a feed hopper (5), a granulator (2) fed with the fines by the feed hopper (5), a storage reservoir (9) for a granulation aqueous phase feeding of the granulator (2) with the aqueous phase, a power source (4) and a monitor and controller (3) for producing granules from the fines.
US07740193B2
A trigger actuated aerosol spray cleaning device has a cleaning head that swivel or be locked in different preset discrete angular positions relative to the device. The cleaning head pivotally mounts onto a swivel part of a coupler at and end of the device. In one position, a sliding swivel lock permits rotation of the swivel and in a locking position it prevents relative rotation by engaging one of several slots in the swivel. The slots are located so that the cleaning head can be centered (perpendicular) relative to the device or held at an oblique angle as may be desired for cleaning corners or other tight spaces.
US07740186B2
An improved shower head having multiple modes of operation. The shower head may include a first turbine and turbine, each disposed within a unique flow channel. The first and second turbines may interrupt water flow through their respective flow channels, thereby providing at least one pulsating water spray emanating from the shower head. The shower head may include a third flow channel having no turbine disposed therein, such that water flowing through the third flow channel is not interrupted and thus emitted from the shower head as a drenching spray.
US07740180B2
The invention concerns a method for making smart cards capable of operating with or without contact called mixed cards and contactless smart cards. In order to avoid the risk of deteriorating the antenna the method consists in producing an antenna comprising at least two turns, on a support sheet, said antenna having its turns located outside the connecting pads, and in providing an insulating bridge so as to connect each of the antenna ends to a connection pad respectively.
US07740157B2
A cargo box has a bottom portion and a lid. The lid is hinged to the bottom to allow opening on one or more sides. Operation of opening and closing multiple latches is coordinated by an external handle and internal bar assembly.
US07740154B2
A pump dispenser has a large ergonomic actuator designed to ergonomically deliver a composition to a substrate in the consumer's hand without the consumer having to pick up the pump dispenser. The ergonomic design allows the composition to be delivered in a proper aspect ratio to the substrate. The composition can be delivered in such a way that the composition is not aerosolized into the air or delivered to an unintended surface. The method of delivery can be made intuitive to the consumer by providing an actuator skirt that suggests the pumping mechanism or by providing a depiction of a hand or substrate over the pump dispenser. The pump dispenser is also useful for compositions or substrates that are not stable together. The pump dispenser may be designed with refill bottle fitment such that only certain refill bottles may fit into the pump dispenser.
US07740145B2
A bottle cap is disclosed, which displays an opened state and cannot contain contents again once it is opened. The bottle cap includes a cap having a screw formed on its inner surface to be engaged with a screw formed on an outer surface of a nozzle of a bottle, a reverse moving means connected to the cap and ascending in a direction opposite to a descending direction of the cap as the cap is rotated downwardly, a rod shaped nut having a screw engaged with the reverse moving means and moving up and down in a screw direction without rotation, and a display installed in the lower portion of the nut, displaying an opened state of the cap by hanging a part of the cap in the nozzle as the cap is moved downwardly by being pushed by the nut if the cap is opened.
US07740143B2
A portable sports equipment rack is provided with two relatively foldable sections. Each section has a top wall and a bottom wall below the top wall. End walls and a rear wall hold the top and bottom walls vertically spaced. Along the front edge of at least one of the bottom walls are located a number of handle receiving structures. At least one hinge joins adjacent end edges of the bottom walls. When the portable sports equipment rack is suspended, chiefly by its ends, the weight of the rack will tend to keep it in an open deployed configuration. The sections can be folded against one another, and held together by a latch. A handle on one of the top walls facilitates carrying of the rack when it is folded. A further embodiment of the sports equipment rack is formed from an assembly of modules, each containing a top wall, bottom wall, sidewalls, rear wall, and handle receiving structures.
US07740137B2
A liquid-container assembly for indicating the contents contained therein is provided. The assembly preferably includes a liquid-container body for holding liquid, with a horizontal base and an outer wall structure extending upwardly from the base, where an upper portion of the wall defines an open top rim; a plurality of liquid-indicia being disposed about the periphery of the outer wall of the container body; and a lid covering the open top rim of the assembly. The lid has a tab that may be used as a pointer for selecting liquid-indicia, and therefore, visually displays the contents contained in the liquid-container.
US07740133B2
A caddy is disclosed for holding at least one marker therein. The caddy comprises a body that has at least one elongated channel therein. Each channel is adapted to receive one of the markers slidably therein. Each channel terminates at a distal end in a fitted cap portion for hermetically receiving a marking end of one of the markers. Preferably the body is comprised of a plastic top shell and a plastic bottom shell each fixed together at a seam along peripheral edges thereof. The body further includes side edges having an ergonomic grip and a substantially flat bottom side for fixing thereto a removable eraser pad. A battery-operated laser pointer device may be further included within the body. An actuator activates the laser pointer device to produce a laser beam that projects through a laser beam aperture of the body.
US07740130B2
A digital processor for use in a conveyor belt rip detector, which provides excitation signals at a selected frequency to inverted and noninverted sensor loops on a conveyor belt and then, detects corresponding received signals from the sensor loops. The digital processor then performs FFTs on the corresponding received signals to provide respective received signal frequency spectrums. Next magnitude and phase values of the selected frequency in the respective received signal frequency spectrums are used to determine a qualitative state of the sensor loops. The selected frequency has a lowest detected ambient noise level, and the magnitude value is a normalized magnitude value.
US07740125B2
The invention relates to methods and systems for transferring a stream of a components (28, 84, 100, 100′), either as individual components (28, 84, 100′) or as a continuous strip (100) or band from which individual components are cut, from a component feeder (62a) to a component receiver (92, 108), e.g., in a processing machine, with controlled, e.g., continuous, motion escapement of the individual components (28, 84, 100, 100′) from the feeder (62a).
US07740122B2
A workpiece transfer apparatus is provided for transferring workpieces throughout an entire transfer path. A workpiece is transferred along a production line and is processed by processing facilities. Workpiece graspers grasp a workpiece. Rails are arranged above the processing facilities and movably hang the workpiece graspers. The rails are arranged so that at least the two of the rails partially overlap with each other above at least one of the processing facilities.
US07740110B2
A control circuit for controlling an electromechanical elevator brake is disclosed. The control circuit includes at least one brake coil (L1), a direct-voltage source (BR1), a semiconductor switch arrangement, a current measuring unit, at least two semiconductor switches, and a control unit (CO1) for controlling operation of the circuit. The current measuring unit (Lm1) produces current data that is passed to the control unit (CO1). The at least two semiconductor switches (SW1, SW2) are controlled by the control unit (CO1) such that operation is alternated between the two so that the working condition of each switch can be checked in its turn on the basis of feedback data obtained from the current measuring unit.
US07740106B2
A mobile mount for attachment of a fall arrest system is provided for example for aircraft and includes a base carried on ground wheels and a support which is adjustable in height upstanding from the base and an arm cantilevered over the base. At least one receptacle is mounted on the arm of the support at a position located over the base for attachment to a personal fall arrest system including a harness for one or more persons, with the receptacle, base and support being designed and arranged to receive a loading from the personal fall arrest system sufficient to accommodate a fall of the person from the elevated structure.
US07740105B2
A sheet metal is rolled double to form a cylinder having an inner plate 2 and an outer plate 3, and form an overlapped portion 4, with their circumferential end portions 2a and 3a crossed in the circumferential direction. Between the inner plate 2 and the outer plate 3, a plurality of line grooves 5 are formed to extend outward of an outer tube 1, with their tip end portions facing with each other to be apart from each other by a predetermined distance from a peripheral edge of one of the inner plate and outer plate, and these line grooves 5 are arranged in parallel with each other along a longitudinal direction of the outer plate 3. And, at least one portion of the overlapped portion positioned between the neighboring line grooves is joined by welding W.
US07740104B1
A non-vented shell earplug for insertion into the ear canal has multiple chambers configured as coupled acoustic resonators. Each chamber is provided with an acoustic element having inertia and resistance coupling the chamber to its neighbor to form multiple resonant chambers. The dimensions of the individual acoustic elements set the frequency response of the earplug, and determine the attenuation characteristics of the resonators. Unlike the single chamber resonator of the prior art, the multiple-resonator earplug provides attenuation in both low and high frequency segments of the noise spectrum.Additionally, the present invention teaches placing loudspeaker and/or sound sensing transducer for sound communication purposes and active noise control within the earplug, with their sound field patterns directed into a chamber for coupling to the ear canal. The use of multiple resonators enhances the high frequency communications response of the earplug.
US07740094B2
A snow groomer having a frame extending along a longitudinal axis; ten supporting wheels connected to the frame by respective axle shafts to form a row of five supporting wheels on each longitudinal side of the frame, each supporting wheel on one longitudinal side of the frame facing a supporting wheel on the opposite longitudinal side of the frame, so that facing pairs of supporting wheels define a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth axle; two tracks, each looped about the supporting wheels aligned along a respective longitudinal side of the frame; an engine assembly of over 430 HP; and a mass distributed as follows: 16%+/−2% on the first axle; 20%+/−2% on the second axle; 20%+/−2% on the third axle; 22%+/−2% on the fourth axle; and 22%+/−2% on the fifth axle.
US07740090B2
A cutter having a base portion, an ultrahard layer disposed on the base portion, and at least one relief groove formed on an outer surface of the cutter. The at least one relief groove is configured to form a relief gap between the ultrahard layer and an inside surface of a cutter pocket.
US07740087B2
A hand power tool has a housing; at least one handle having at least one gripping part; at least one elastic, vibration-damping element; a mounting part mounted on the elastic element; the gripping part being mounted on the housing through the elastic element and through the mounting element; and at least one movable safety element through which the gripping part is connected with the mounting part.
US07740085B2
A vibratory apparatus comprises an eccentric mass disposed within a housing. A shaft and bushing are received by the eccentric mass and couple the eccentric mass to a crankshaft. An internal conduit extends longitudinally within the shaft. Input and output conduits each communicate with the internal conduit to allow a lubricant to flow through the shaft. A bore extends radially through the bushing. Lubricant flowing through the shaft may further flow through the bore and form a lubricating layer between the bushing and the eccentric mass.
US07740081B2
A hazard detection and suppression apparatus and a single-action discharge valve for discharging a vessel's contents. The valve has a valve body with a passage therethrough through which the contents are discharged, a frangible seal held within the valve body and sealing the passage while the seal is intact, and a solenoid including an armature moveable from a first to a second position. A thermopile or a thermopile matrix senses near-infrared energy to detect a fire hazard and actuate the valve. Amplifiers for the thermopile's signal are monitored for failure. A thermostat or a manual pushbutton can also actuate the valve, and an operator's panel monitors failure conditions. Other hazard detectors may be used including a petroleum detector, a chemical sensor, a moisture detector, a radiation detector, a gas detector, and a moving body detector.
US07740074B2
A subsea production tree has an external annular profile formed on an upper portion of the tree. A vertical passage extending from a lower end of the tree to an upper end of the tree for communicating with a string of tubing extending into the well. A lateral passage in the tree extending from the vertical passage. A flow path in fluid communication with the lateral passage extends laterally from the tree, the flow path having an upward facing receptacle. An adapter lands on the upper portion of the tree and connects to the profile, the adapter having a passage that registers with the vertical passage of the tree while the adapter lands on the tree. A flow interface device mounts to and lands with the adapter, the flow interface device having an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit, one of the conduits being connected to the passage in the adapter, the other of the conduits stabbing into sealing engagement with the receptacle as the adapter lands on the tree.
US07740070B2
A method of servicing a wellbore comprising placing a wellbore servicing fluid comprising a density segregation inhibitor composite into the wellbore, wherein the density segregation inhibitor composite comprises a high density additive and a low density additive; and wherein the high density additive comprises barium sulfate, iron oxide, manganese oxide, or combinations thereof. A method of inhibiting segregation of particles in a wellbore servicing fluid comprising preparing a composite material comprising a high density additive and a low density additive, wherein the low density additive comprises an elastomer which can increase in volume by greater than about 300% based on its original volume when contacted with a fluid.
US07740069B2
A process for in situ production of shale oil comprises fracturing the target zone 10 of an shale oil formation using a two step approach. First, an initial set of fractures 18 is developed in the formation by using high pressure gas pulses. Second, a secondary set of fractures 28 extending and further fracturing the initial set of fractures 18 is created using a modified ANFO mix 22 wherein rubber particles acting as solid fuel are blended in with ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. The solid fuel enhances the fracturing characteristics of ANFO while minimizing its crushing and compacting tendencies. Hot high pour point oil is then injected into the formation and forced into the receptor well 16 where it is pumped to the surface. By circulating oil in the formation at carefully controlled temperatures, kerogen can be decomposed at the optimum rate to maximize the amount of oil recovered and yield high quality shale oil. High pour point oil reaching cooler extremities of the fractured formation will solidify creating an impermeable perimeter barrier 34 around the target zone 10.
US07740068B2
A method for treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore that includes injecting an alkali silicate into the wellbore; injecting a solid micronized silicate-precipitating agent into the wellbore; and allowing the alkali silicate and the solid micronized silicate-precipitating agent to react to form a silicate gel is disclosed.
US07740065B2
A process for upgrading whole crude oil utilizing a recovery fluid, depressurizing an extracted whole crude oil/recovery fluid mixture in a step-wise fashion, and subsequently contacting at least a portion of the whole crude oil with supercritical water fluid to produce high value crude oil having low sulfur, low nitrogen, and low metallic impurities for use as hydrocarbon feedstock.
US07740058B2
The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger, composed of trough-shaped heat exchanger plates which are stacked one in the other and whose edges bear against one another. The plates can have flow ducts, located between the heat exchanger plates for a cooling fluid and for another fluid. The flow ducts are fitted with inserts in the form of turbulator plates. The heat exchanger can include at least four inlet and outlet openings in the corners of the heat exchanger plates which form two vertical ducts for the cooling fluid and two vertical ducts for the other fluid in the stack. The inserts in the flow ducts for the cooling fluid are embodied in one part or a plurality of parts. The flow ducts for the cooling fluid are equipped, in the regions around the openings, with plate-like inserts which have guide ducts with a width, and are provided with the turbulator plate in a central region between the plate-like inserts. The openings can be arranged right in the corners in such a way that only a narrow strip remains, which is occupied by a guide duct which is formed in the plate-like inserts and which has a significantly smaller width than the width of the other guide ducts.
US07740055B2
A fan holder is used for securing a fan to a heat sink. The fan holder includes a cover mounting the fan thereon, and a base mounting the cover thereon. The cover includes a plurality of separate claws and at least one jut. The base includes a through hole receiving the claws of the cover therein, thereby rotatably mounting the cover onto the base, and at least one slot. The at least one slot has a first pit and a second pit at two ends thereof respectively. The at least one jut is slidable along the slot between the first pit and the second pit to have the cover rotatable between a first location and a second location.
US07740047B2
A roller blind mounting system including at least one roller, at least one telescopic end plug and at least two brackets. The telescopic end plug is engageable within an end-opening of one of said rollers. The end plug includes a hollow body and a telescopically movable member or plunger co-axially positionable with respect to the hollow body such that a first axial extending length portion of the plunger projects from the hollow body and a second axial extending length portion is held within the hollow body. The plunger is telescopically movable between a first end position in which the first portion of the plunger projects from the cylindrical body and a second end position in which at least part of the first portion is inserted into the cylindrical body.
US07740044B2
The primary roller of an awning assembly has an internal cavity, an opening between the internal cavity and the exterior of the primary roller and a first arresting element. A first awning material is adapted to be unwound from the primary roller when the primary roller rotates in a first direction and wound onto the primary roller when the primary roller rotates in a second direction. A secondary roller is mounted for rotation within the internal cavity of the primary roller. One end of a second awning material attached to the secondary roller extends through the opening in the primary roller. A second arresting element is attached to the one end of the second awning material and is adapted to engage the first arresting element of the primary roller, whereby rotation of the secondary roller in the second direction causes the primary roller to rotate in the second direction together with the secondary roller.
US07740030B2
Weaving machine, method and selvedge forming apparatus for introducing into a shed an end (30A) of a weft thread (30) which has been inserted into a shed, the selvedge forming apparatus (4, 5, 6) being provided with a device (20) for introducing the end of the inserted weft thread into a subsequent shed, wherein the selvedge forming apparatus (4, 5, 6) includes a blowing device (50) having at least one blowing opening (51) which, in use, is positioned at the level of the plane of a selvedge (16, 17) of the woven fabric (2, 3), with the blowing device (50), blowing essentially toward the beat-up line (36) in a direction opposite to the direction of fabric movement.
US07740029B2
A papermaking fabric includes a system of warp yarns interwoven with a system of weft yarns. The system of weft yarns includes groups of weft yarns, each of the groups being formed by a plurality of adjacent weft yarns weaving in the group side-by-side the same weave path with the warp yarns. A method of manufacturing such a papermaking fabric is also provided.
US07740028B1
A composite plug system and a process to repair a hole in a tubular pipe. The process includes the steps of inserting a fastener through an opening in an oblong inner plate having an elongated diameter and a shorter diameter. The oblong plate is inserted into the pipe hole wherein the elongated diameter is greater than a diameter of the pipe hole and wherein the shorter diameter is less than the pipe hole diameter so that the oblong plate is within the tubular pipe beneath the hole. An initially liquid adhesive filler is applied over the oblong inner plate over the pipe hole. An outer plate having a central opening and a diameter larger than the pipe hole diameter is affixed over the pipe hole so that the central opening receives the fastener. The outer plate is secured to the oblong inner plate and the tubular pipe with the fastener until the adhesive filler solidifies. After the filler solidifies, the oblong plate and the outer plate are structurally bonded to the pipe wall through adhesion.
US07740006B2
A fuel-feeding device may preferably include a pressure control valve capable of controlling a pressure of pressurized fuel that includes a housing having an inner cavity, a first movable dividing wall, a second movable dividing wall, a valve unit and a resilient member. The first and second movable dividing walls divide the housing cavity to a pressure controlling chamber, a back pressure chamber, and an open chamber positioned between the pressure controlling chamber and the back pressure chamber. The second movable dividing wall is arranged and constructed to move to a retracted position or an advanced position depending upon whether back pressure fuel is introduced into the back pressure chamber, thereby setting the resilient member to two different set loads.
US07740004B2
Fuel management system for efficient operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. Injectors inject an anti-knock agent such as ethanol directly into a cylinder of the engine. A fuel management microprocessor system controls injection of the anti-knock agent so as to control knock and minimize that amount of the anti-knock agent that is used in a drive cycle. It is preferred that the anti-knock agent is ethanol. The use of ethanol can be further minimized by injection in a non-uniform manner within a cylinder. The ethanol injection suppresses knock so that higher compression ratio and/or engine downsizing from increased turbocharging or supercharging can be used to increase the efficiency of the engine.
US07740001B2
A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine is provided for providing an injection event including a first stage and a second stage via a single nozzle. The nozzle is connected by its inlet port to a source of variable fuel pressure and it includes a needle valve for performing the first stage of injection, and a poppet valve for performing the second stage of injection. The first and second stages of injection are selectable by controlling the fuel pressure in the inlet port which is common for both the needle valve and the poppet valve.
US07739996B2
A gas powered internal combustion engine in which the gas is provided from pressurized liquid gas in an LPG container and in which the LPG container is rigidly mounted adjacent to the internal combustion engine at a preselected angle to be in conductive heat transfer relationship to the internal combustion engine and in vibration receiving relationship to the internal combustion engine whereby the liquefied gas in the LPG container is heated and the effective surface area thereof is increased.
US07739994B2
An internal combustion engine that includes a block, a cylinder head having an intake valve port and exhaust valve port formed therein, a piston, and a combustion chamber defined by the block, the piston, and the head. At least one thermoelectric device is positioned within either or both the intake valve port and the exhaust valve port. Each of the valves is configured to move within a respective intake and exhaust valve port thereby causing said valves to engage the thermoelectric devices resulting in heat transfer from the valves to the thermoelectric devices. The intake valve port and exhaust valve port are configured to fluidly direct intake air and exhaust gas, respectively, into the combustion chamber and the thermoelectric device is positioned within the intake valve port, and exhaust valve port, such that the thermoelectric device is in contact with the intake air and exhaust gas.
US07739987B2
The variable valve gear for an internal combustion engine includes a cam lobe that is rotatably supported by a cam drive shaft, and a variable valve mechanism that includes a drive arm fixed adjacent to one end of the cam lobe in the cam drive shaft, an eccentric shaft member that is swivelably supported at a position opposite to the cam lobe with respect to the drive arm in the cam drive shaft, has an outer circumferential surface eccentric to an axis of the cam drive shaft, and is adjustable in eccentricity, and an intermediate rotary member that is rotatably supported through a bearing member around the eccentric shaft member, and is connected to the drive arm, wherein the drive arm includes an end face that overlaps with an end face of the bearing member, when projecting along the axis of the cam drive shaft, and the end face of the drive arm is protruding further than the end face of the cam lobe toward the bearing member.
US07739983B2
A self-supporting pet barrier comprising a front panel and two side panels, each panel having floor-contacting surfaces preferably to which a friction reducing substance has been applied is disclosed. The front and side panels preferably are attached so that the side panels can be positioned from generally perpendicularly to the front panel in use to a folded position adjacent said front panel for storage or travel. A generally triangular stabilizing leg may protrude forward from the plane of the front panel and can be attached in either the side panel or front panel.
US07739982B2
A squirrel resistant bird feeder having a seed container, a seed tray mounted below the seed container, a shroud extending about the seed member and seed tray, the shroud having openings in a lower portion thereof, with a spring member mounted internally of the seed container and being enclosed by a central tube, the spring member having a first end thereof abutting a portion of the seed tray and a second end acting on the cover and shroud. Any excessive weight placed on the shroud or cover will cause the shroud to move downwardly covering the seed tray.
US07739979B2
A tumble breading system for applying a breading material to a food includes a housing designating an internal clean area, and an infeed belt for conveying the breading material and the food, arranged across the infeed belt in an infeed order, into the clean area. A rotary assembly with a plurality of vertically offset, rotating tumblers accepts and tumbles the food with the breading material as the tumblers rotate, to bread the food. An output belt accepts the breaded food from the tumblers and conveys the breaded foods from the clean area and the housing. The food arrives at the output belt in substantially the infeed order.
US07739972B2
The present invention relates to a simple and inexpensive method for producing a mattress panel or quilt having corners which deviate from an orthogonal pattern. The method renders a material having two stitched seams between two sewn products that are arranged adjacently. The two stitched seams are created by a sewing device, which moves transversely to the conveying direction of the material. The material is cut between said seams by a sewing unit, located within the sewing device. Prior to or during the stitching of the seams, another device removes a sub-area comprising both sewn products, resulting in a mattress panel or quilt with corners deviating from an orthogonal pattern.
US07739964B2
The boat storage container unit is adapted to be supported on a boat. The boat storage container unit has a support unit and a container sized and shaped to store fishing tackle, tools and the like and adapted to slide onto the support unit. The support unit has a vertical support member, an attachment device for attaching the vertical support member to a boat, a base and a connection device at one end of the base to pivotally connect the base to the vertical support member. The connection device is adapted to permit the base to be moveable from a vertical position to a retainable horizontal position. A top surface of the base and a bottom surface of the container have inter-engaging means to permit the container to slide onto and be retainer on the base.
US07739960B2
A running gear, for example, a single-rail lower-flange running gear for hoisting equipment, includes several wheels running on a rail, at least two of which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel of the running gear and adapted to be driven by an electric motor. The driven wheels are joined to at least two shafts, which are oriented coaxially to the axis of rotation of said at least two driven wheels.
US07739958B2
A multi-track multi-vehicle coaster simulates a popular theme of a competition, struggle or conflict taken from history or fiction. The vehicles interact with each other and with the ride scenery in many different ways and vehicle velocity is altered at different points in the ride using multiple motors and brakes. An interactive queue is provided and allows people in the queue to interact with people on the ride. Energy recycling and computer ride control are also disclosed.
US07739957B2
An inflator 10 of the present invention contains: a housing 12, a cold gas chamber 16 within the housing 12 for storage of a stored gas supply, a pyrotechnic chamber 18 within the housing 12, a pyrotechnic charge 20 within the pyrotechnic chamber 18, a wall 22 adjoining the cold gas and the pyrotechnic chambers 16, 18, a first orifice 24 defined in the wall 22 for passage of gas between the chambers, and a perforated flexible member 28 contained within the cold gas chamber 16, wherein the flexible member 28 is fixed about the orifice 24 for modulation or controlled variation of gas flow through the orifice 24.
US07739956B2
An internal pressure relieving device for anti-armour ammunition. The device is mainly adapted for use with barrel-loaded ammunition, that is a naked round including a cartridge case, which normally would be located in its packaging. A plurality of slot formed openings have been cut out through a wall of the cartridge case and the openings have been sealed by inserts of polymeric plastic introduced with a tight fit into each opening. Hence, by the characteristics of the plastic material, the inserts can be configured to open up at a predetermined level of temperature. Alternatively, the inserts open up at a predetermined level of pressure in the cartridge case.
US07739947B2
An apparatus (10) for preparing meals, which is suitable in particular for use on board a commercial aircraft, includes a meal preparation unit (12) and a supply unit (14). The supply unit (12) includes a fuel cell system (16) having a fuel cell (18) and is equipped to supply the meal preparation unit (12) with water produced by the fuel cell (18).
US07739944B2
A fluid operated rotary drive comprises a drive housing (2) and an output shaft (4) able to be caused to oscillate in relation to it and having a pivotal abutment arranged on it which cooperates with a counter abutment (34 and 35). The pivotal abutment is able to be positioned about the longitudinal axis (8) of the output shaft (4) in different abutment settings and is able to be clamped in a releasable manner respectively against a clamping face (56) on the housing by means of a clamping means (53). The counter abutment (34 and 35) has an anchoring structure comprising at least one anchoring projection and opposite to it there is an anchoring face extending at least for some distance about the longitudinal axis (8) of the drive shaft and prior to initial fitting of the at least one counter abutment (34 and 35) being smooth, the anchoring structure being able to bite into the anchoring face on clamping the counter abutment (34 and 35) with the formation of at least one recess structure (61) having an anchoring recess (65).
US07739940B2
In a directional control valve device, a first passage connects a second port with a first port by using a part of a movement path of a moving valve element when the moving valve element is in a position of a first end. A second passage connects the second port with the third port by using an internal passage of the moving valve element when the moving valve element is in a second end. The moving valve element is provided with a first check valve for permitting a flow in the internal passage only in the direction from the third port to the second port. When a fluid pressure is applied to the third port, the fluid pressure presses the moving valve element toward the second end so that the first passage is closed, and the first check valve is opened to open the second passage.
US07739933B2
A method of cutting or trimming a plastic body ejected from a blow mold that is especially suitable for high-output production lines. A log conveyor is continuously moved along a path. The body to be trimmed is placed between holders carried by the conveyor and trimmed by rotating the holders as the conveyor moves past a trim knife extending along the path.
US07739929B2
In a structural component (1), a shielding component in particular, with individual adjacent component sections (21, 23) that can be brought at least partially by a functional unit (25) into a definable three-dimensional position to each other along an action line. The functional unit (25) is divided into component units (27, 29, 31) enabling definable positioning along at least one further action line (29) extending at a definable distance adjacent to one action line (27).
US07739926B2
Embodiments of the invention generally related to a method and apparatus for scanning a v-bank filter. In one embodiment, a method for testing a v-bank filter includes providing an aerosol challenge to an upstream side of a v-bank filter, scanning a downstream side of the v-bank filter with a probe having one or more rectangular sample ports, and providing samples taken through the probe during scanning to a test instrument. In yet another embodiment, a probe for scanning a v-bank filter is provided that includes a body having a plurality of rectangular sample ports. Each sample port is tapered to a port configured to connect to a sample tube. The long sides of the rectangular sample ports are arranged in a stacked parallel orientation.
US07739924B2
A flow head for a gas sensor having a sensing element is provided. The flow head includes a body at least partially defining a cavity in thermal communication with the sensing element. The body includes an inlet port located within an annular surface of the body and an outlet port located within the annular surface of the body. The body also includes an inlet passage offset from and parallel to the cavity, wherein the inlet passage configures the inlet port and the cavity to be in fluid communication with one another. The body further includes an outlet passage offset from and parallel to the cavity, wherein the outlet passage configures the outlet port and the cavity to be in fluid communication with one another.
US07739918B1
The present invention provides a testing apparatus and method for testing the adhesion of a coating to a surface. The invention also includes an improved testing button or dolly for use with the testing apparatus and a self aligning button hook or dolly interface on the testing apparatus. According to preferred forms, the apparatus and method of the present invention are simple, portable, battery operated rugged, and inexpensive to manufacture and use, are readily adaptable to a wide variety of uses, and provide effective and accurate testing results. The device includes a linear actuator driven by an electric motor coupled to the actuator through a gearbox and a rotatable shaft. The electronics for the device are contained in the head section of the device. At the contact end of the device, is positioned a self aligning button hook, attached below the load cell located on the actuator shaft.
US07739912B2
The invention may be embodied as a fingerprint scanner having an ultrasonic wave detector, a platen, an ultrasonic wave generator located between the detector and the platen. The invention may be embodied as a method of scanning a finger. One such method includes providing a platen, a detector and a generator, the generator being placed between the platen and the detector. A finger may be provided on the platen, and an ultrasound wave pulse may be sent from the generator toward the finger. The wave pulse may be reflected from the finger, and received at the detector. The received wave pulse may be used to produce an image of the finger.
US07739903B2
The present disclosure, in one implementation, is directed to a method of estimating composition of fuel in the fuel tank of a vehicle. A refuel event is detected. A determination is made whether a volume of fuel added to the fuel tank satisfies a first threshold. A fuel composition estimation is suspended if the refuel event satisfies the first threshold. A total volume of fuel is accumulated based on a plurality of refuel events satisfying the first threshold. A new fuel composition is estimated based on the accumulated total volume of fuel satisfying a second threshold.
US07739898B2
An exhaust gas sensor system includes an inner chamber disposed around a sensor element. The inner chamber has either a cylindrical shape or a frusto-conical shape. The system further includes an outer chamber disposed substantially around the inner chamber to redirect a flow of an exhaust gas stream having an original direction by allowing the exhaust gas stream to strike a surface of the inner chamber to change the original direction of the flow to a substantially perpendicular direction relative to the original direction, then to substantially reverse the substantially perpendicular direction of the flow to create a substantially reversed flow within the inner chamber. Alternately the exhaust sensor system includes a sintered metal filter that prevents exhaust gas particles from fouling a sensor element. The system further includes an electric source coupled to the sintered metal filter to heat the sintered metal filter to a temperature sufficient to remove the exhaust gas particles from the sintered metal filter.
US07739895B2
A method of determining whether a scale in a fluid handling device needs to be calibrated includes weighing a storage tank of fluid a first time with a scale, transferring the fluid from the storage tank to an area of known volume, weighing the storage tank at a second time with the scale, after fluid has been moved to the area of known volume, determining the pressure of the fluid in the area of known volume with a pressure sensor, calculating a temperature of the fluid in the area of known volume with the determined pressure, calculating the weight of fluid in the area of known volume based on the calculated temperature, calculating the weight of fluid in the area of known volume based on the determined temperature and temperature, comparing a difference in weight of the storage tank between the first and second weighing times with the weight of the fluid in the area of known volume; and sending a first signal to a user indicating a calibration of the scale is not needed if the difference between the compared weights of the fluid is within a predetermined range.
US07739892B2
Seamless pipes excellent in quality features with high productivity is made by a by carrying out piercing-rolling using a piercer provided with a pair of inclined rolls. The piercing-rolling is carried out under conditions such that the plug tip draft (TDFT) or the root of the product of the plug tip draft (TDFT) are controlled along with the number of billet revolutions (N), namely (TDFT×N)0.5. In addition, positions of the inclined rolls are controlled in connection with the gorge draft (GDFT) indicating the ratio of the roll gap (Rg) which is minimal in the gorge section between the inclined rolls to the billet outside diameter (Bd). The piercing-rolling is carried out using a plug having a particular shape.
US07739872B2
An example exhaust duct assembly includes a front liner, an intermediate liner and a rear liner. Each of the front, intermediate and rear liners include an inner liner exposed to combustion gases and an outer liner spaced radially apart from the inner liner. An air passage defined between the inner liner and the outer liner provides cooling air utilized for insulating an inner surface of the exhaust duct assembly. A closeout member is provided between the inner and outer liner and defines a portion of an air passage between the closeout member and the inner liner. Air flowing through the air passage is injected into a joint to provide cooling. The closeout member includes a horizontal leg that is bendable in a radial direction to accommodate relative movement between the inner liner and the outer liner.
US07739866B2
A casing for a gas turbine includes a construction providing improved structural efficiency. Improved load paths and means for transmitting loads in the engine case are disclosed.
US07739865B2
A gas turbine engine comprising a fan section, a compressor, a combustor and a turbine, includes a nacelle having an inner nacelle surface defining an inlet duct designed to reduce an inlet duct area of the inlet duct to increase acoustic attenuation. The gas turbine engine also includes a spinner, disposed forward of the fan section, that includes features to increase acoustic attenuation. In one embodiment of the present invention, the nacelle includes a nacelle contoured surface protruding radially inward from the inner nacelle surface to reduce the inlet duct area. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the spinner includes a spinner contoured surface for reducing the inlet duct area. In other embodiments, the nacelle and/or the spinner include an inflatable bladder, a SMA actuator, a fluidic actuator, or a combination thereof, selectively activated to increase acoustic attenuation during certain conditions of an aircraft.
US07739864B2
A power generation system includes first and second turbines. The first turbine including a low-pressure compressor (14) and a high-pressure compressor (16). A combustion chamber (22) combusts compressed oxidant and a fuel stream to generate a hot flue gas (31). The first turbine further includes a high-pressure expander (20) for receiving the flue gas and generating a CO2 rich exhaust gas. A low-pressure expander (22) generates a first final exhaust (52) and electrical energy. A CO2 separation system receives exhaust gas (38) and provides a CO2 lean gas fed to low-pressure expander (22). The second turbine including a compressor section (64) configured to discharge a recycle stream (71) from a high pressure compressor (70) to a second combustion chamber (72) and supply a split stream (84) from a low-pressure compressor (68) to high pressure compressor (16) of the first turbine.
US07739837B2
An electric power-feeding structure for feeding electric power to a moving body which is driven to be raised or lowered, includes: an arm having a distal end connected to the moving body movably in a horizontal direction and a proximal end rotatably driven to swing, to thereby drive the raising or lowering of the moving body. An electrical wire is routed alongside the arm, and one end of the electrical wire extending from the distal end is connected to the moving body. In a vicinity of a rotating shaft of the arm, the electrical wire is fixed to the arm at a first fixing point and to a base for supporting the arm at a second fixing point. The first fixing point is provided on a straight line defined by the rotating shaft and the second fixing point when the arm is at an intermediate position of its swinging range.
US07739831B2
A plant protection device having a ventilation opening shield that may be protectedly positioned between a housing and a mounting socket. A temperature sensitive actuator may be provided in the socket and the shield may pivotally move about the socket between a position impeding airflow through the ventilation opening and a position facilitating airflow through the ventilation opening. Various embodiments and features are disclosed including a reinforced housing, multi-part housing construction, and a shield mounting structure provided through the shield, among other features.
US07739830B1
A vacuum-creating fly swatter. A blade is flat and a handle is hand-held, slender, elongated, and extends from the blade. The blade has a plurality of through bores that are diamond-shaped and extend in a specific configuration forming a vacuum when the blade is swatted, thereby sucking in a fly. The plurality of through bores include one central through bore and four peripheral through bores. The four peripheral through bores, each of which is 1 cm high and ½ cm wide, are positioned substantially at corners of a rectangle. Two peripheral through bores are ½″ from a forward edge of the blade, are 2¾″ apart from each other, and are ⅝″ from a pair of side edges of the blade, respectively. The other two peripheral through bores are 2½″ back from the two peripheral through bores, are 2¾″ apart from each other, and are ½″ from the pair of side edges, respectively. The one central through bore is central to the four peripheral through bores, is 1½ cm high, and is 1 cm wide.
US07739828B2
Apparatus and method for protecting against and stopping an attack by stinging flying insects. The apparatus is modular and activated by an operator of a mobile conveyance turned victim of an insect attack. A tank contains an insect killing solution, and the tank is fluidly connected by a hose with a delivery system that is characterized by a plurality of spray nozzles. In response to an attack by stinging flying insects, an operator activates an electric pump that delivers the solution from the tank to the delivery system under pressure via the hose. The pump, hose and delivery system are incorporated into the tank, with the hose and delivery system disposed in channels on the surface of the tank, in order to create a modular assembly that may be mounted to the mobile conveyance.
US07739817B2
An inflatable exhibition product includes a primary inflatable product, an auxiliary characteristic inflatable product received inside and communicating with the hollow body of the primary inflatable product and an air blower assembly mounted at the bottom of the hollow body and having a hollow casing provided therein an upper chamber to receive therein a top blade set and a lower chamber to receive therein a bottom blade set. Rotation of the bottom blade set is able to inflate the auxiliary characteristic inflatable product and the primary inflatable product and rotation of the top blade set is able to suck in the particles from the inlet and project them out to the interior of the hollow body from the outlet.
US07739802B2
An undercut saw including a housing, a motor within said housing, a drive shaft rotated by said motor, and a blade mount mechanically linked to said shaft such that a circular saw blade mounted on said mount is rotated when the motor rotates the drive shaft. A fixed blade guard circumscribes a portion of the blade and allows selectable height adjustment of the blade. A stabilization bar on the fixed blade guard may be extended to make the device more stable. On the underside of the fixed blade guard a dust channel allows dust to be swept by the rotating blade into a dust port. The dust channel allows positioning of the dust port away from the leading edges of the fixed blade guard.
US07739800B2
An engine is connected to the upper end of a drive shaft housing and a work head with a string trimmer or blower or both is operatively connected to the lower end of the drive shaft housing and is rotatably driven by an engine rotating a drive shaft inside the drive shaft housing and connected to the working head. The drive shaft housing is rigidly connected to the working head and may be rotated about its longitudinal axis relative to the engine in any desired amount of rotation, but the preferred degree of rotation is 135° to move the working head from a trimming position with the rotating trimmer string in a horizontal position to an edging position with the rotating trimmer string in a vertical position and with the working head being displaced to the operator's right side for better viewing and control and operator comfort. In one embodiment, a gear driven crank handle is rigidly connected to the drive shaft housing and is itself rotated 135° as the drive shaft housing is rotated 135° to place the handle in a position that is comfortable to use. Further, the amount of air flowing through the blower is regulated by an air outlet regulating valve and a separate air intake regulating valve.
US07739792B2
The present invention relates to a resilient material lined stator and method of forming. A method of forming a resilient material lined stator can include disposing a resilient material tube 400 with a profiled helical inner surface 401 into the bore of a body 420. A cast material 410 can be disposed therebetween. The cast material 410 can bond to the body 420 to form a resilient material lined stator or the body 420 can be removed. The cast material 310 can include a conduit 312 or conductor 314 extending therethrough. The cast material 310 can include a pathway 316 formed therethrough. The resilient material can be an elastomer.
US07739779B2
The present invention relates to a press which comprises a pressure vessel having an internal closure. The internal closure comprises a cover, a number of elements for transmitting forces in pressurized operation between the cover and the inner wall of the pressure vessel. Each element has a first contact surface adapted to fit a contact surface of the cover and a second contact surface adapted to fit a contact surface of the inner wall of the pressure vessel. Said elements are movable away from said contact surface of the cover and said contact surface of the inner wall of the pressure vessel in the direction of the longitudinal centre axis of the pressure vessel. The invention also relates to a method for opening a pressure vessel.
US07739772B2
There is provided an upright vacuum cleaner that can be conveniently and stably operated. In the upright vacuum cleaner, an intake nozzle is provided to suck air, dust, and other material, a body is extended upward from the intake nozzle in a rotatable relationship with the intake nozzle, a dust collector is installed in the body to remove the dust and other material from the air, and a cord reel is installed on one side of the body to accommodate a power cord.
US07739766B2
A stay comprises an inclined casing and a bundle of substantially parallel taut reinforcements lodged in the casing and individually anchored in a first and a second anchoring region. According to the invention, the casing and some of the reinforcements are installed by applying substantially uniform tension values to the reinforcements, then several iterations of the following steps are formed: compacting the installed reinforcements, at least at one end of the casing; slipping a further group of reinforcements along inside the casing, in a space left available by the compacted reinforcements; and tensioning each reinforcement of the further group between the first and second anchoring regions so that all the installed reinforcements exhibit substantially uniform tension values.
US07739763B2
An inflatable bed includes a bedstead assembly, a mattress assembly, and an electrical air pump unit. The mattress assembly is disposed on and above the bedstead assembly, and includes a top sheet, a bottom sheet disposed under the top sheet, and a plurality of surrounding sheets interconnecting the top and bottom sheets to form a plurality of air chambers, which are not in fluid communication with each other. Each of the air chambers is defined among the top sheet, the bottom sheet, and a respective one of the surrounding sheets. The electrical air pump unit is disposed on the bedstead assembly, and is operable to inflate the air chambers individually so that air pressures in the air chambers may be different.
US07739762B2
A surgery table utilizing first and second sections which are hingedly attached to one another. First and second sections are also connected to supports apart from the hinged portion. An elevator moves one of the sections upwardly and downwardly at the support. The resultant position of the frame formed by the first and second sections may take the configuration of a flat surface or an upwardly or downwardly oriented “vee”.
US07739757B2
A shower enclosure base has a flow enhancing flush-mounted drain cover that conceals the drain opening and provides a flat stepping surface. Drain flow is achieved through a narrow peripheral passage between the drain cover and the drain well in which it is seated. Despite the reduced flow area of passage, flow enhancing features of the drain cover serve to improve the flow rate through the drain. These features are radially converging ribs at the underside of the drain cover that interrupt the natural tendency for drain water to form a vortex as it passes into and through a circular drain opening. The drain cover can be removably secured to the base by suction cups that attach to the drain well.
US07739752B2
In a gear main body (1), a mouth opening portion (6) through which a mouth portion can be seen is formed in addition to and separately from an eye opening portion (5) through which both eyes can be seen. A part above the eye opening portion (5) covers a forehead portion, a part between the eye opening portion (5) and the mouth opening portion (6) covers cheek portions and a nose portion, and a part below the mouth opening portion (6) covers a lower jaw portion. A surface-side skin material (2) and a back-face-side skin material (3) are split in a vertical direction between the eye opening portion (5) and the mouth opening portion (6) to form a gap (9). At this gap (9), end portions facing each other at the gap (9) are connected by connecting means in such a manner that left and right spaces between the surface-side skin material (2) and the back-face-side skin material (3) communicate with each other. A shock absorbing material (4) is filled also in the communicating space at the gap (9).
US07743423B2
All execution paths of one or more assemblies in managed code are simulated to find the permissions for each execution path. The managed code can correspond to a managed shared library or a managed application. Each call in each execution path has a corresponding permissions set. When the library or application has permissions to execute that are not less than the required permission sets for the execution paths, any dynamic execution of the library or application will not trigger a security exception The simulated execution provides a tool that can be used to ensure that code being written will not exceed a maximum security permission for the code. A permission set can be determined by the tool for each assembly corresponding to an application and for each entry point corresponding to a shared library.
US07743422B2
A portable device for connecting to a host information processing platform includes: a digital information storage medium storing an operating system image, secure data, applications, and system state of an owner of the portable device, wherein the medium is in read only mode until a set of tests are run on the host platform; and a platform validation program for: running the plurality of tests on the host computer to determine whether the host is safe, depending on the outcome of the tests, presenting the owner with a user-identifiable message, prompting the owner to enter decryption credentials, and receiving the decryption credentials. The portable device could also optionally include subsystems that provide additional functionality to the owner such as media playback, communications, and entertainment.
US07743406B2
A system and method for securing data on a wireless device. A secured zone is defined by a boundary sensor. A data processing system is coupled to the boundary sensor and a wireless device. If the data processing system detects that the signal strength of the wireless device has fallen below a first predetermined value for longer than a second predetermined value, the data processing system deletes a digital certificate corresponding to the wireless device from memory. Thus, when the wireless device is reintroduced into the secured zone, in response to determining that a digital certificate corresponding to the wireless device is not stored in memory, the disabling module disables the wireless device from operation within the secured zone.
US07743403B2
A method and system for transparently encrypting (and decrypting) sensitive data stored in a directory (or other database) is provided. Sensitive data, a password for example, may be required by a client in a distributed data processing environment. When the database entry is created, the sensitive data received from a user, or more generally, a client, may be encrypted, and saved in the directory entry in encrypted form. Encryption of sensitive data may be performed in accordance with a predetermined set of policies. When the sensitive information is needed, it may be selectively delivered in encrypted or unencrypted form based on a policy in the set. Policies may include criteria external to the database, and interfaced to the database via a policy engine.
US07743401B2
Systems and methods for decoding and processing back-to-back transactions for an addressable cable television tap. The addressable tap includes an input port for receiving an input signal and output ports for providing outgoing signals to receiving equipment and a controller for providing addressable per port (RF) switching. The controller is adapted to communicate with multiple addressable ports. The controller also includes storage for storing the remaining portions of partially processed commands. Further, the addressable tap includes a relay for enabling or disabling signals to the addressable output ports. Processing commands in the addressable tap includes receiving continuous commands having back-to-back transactions, from a headend and forwarding signals to receiving equipment. For a connect request, the addressable tap accepts the connect request as valid when, upon decoding each transaction, two consecutive transactions out of six are the same, and for a disconnect request, accepting the disconnect request as valid when, upon decoding each transaction, four consecutive transactions out of twelve transactions are the same.
US07743400B2
When transmission of on-demand video data interrupts transmission of broadcast video data from a distribution server 17 to a user terminal 18, the distribution server 17 transmits substitute I frame data to the terminal 18 after on-demand video data transmission in complete and before resuming broadcast video data transmission. The user terminal 18 decodes and displays the substitute I frame data, and then uses the decoded substitute I frame data as a reference frame to decode and display the first several frames of broadcast video data received directly after resumption of transmission.
US07743395B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for displaying a video signal in dependence on a user interaction. The system comprises a display for receiving the video signal, at least one transmitter for transmitting location signals, and at least three transceivers for receiving the location signals from the transmitter and for transmitting modified location signals. The geometric locations of the at least three transceivers are known to a computing device. The computing device is then able to derive a transmit location of the location signals based on the received modified location signals, wherein the computing device is adapted to modify the content of the video signal in response to the derived transmit location in dependence on the user interaction.
US07743394B2
Log processing of channel tunes and channel tune times generated from a television processing device
Reporting data related to content processing devices, e.g., television devices, are processed to identify channel tunes and corresponding tune times of the content processing devices. Automatically generated channel tunes based on the corresponding tune times are identified. Content items that are aired during a time period defined by the corresponding tune times can be adjusted.
US07743390B2
A driving method of a driverless peripheral device with a cross platform overcomes the inconveniences faced by users of prior art in having to install a driver and/or an application program when a peripheral device is connected with their computer. The present invention utilizes an interface of the homepage stored in a driverless peripheral device for driving the peripheral device with a cross platform. The present invention has the advantages that it doesn't require a driver for any peripheral device, nor an application program. Furthermore, it can execute the necessary operations directly and has cross platform functions.
US07743388B2
An application integration driver infrastructure for facilitating the use of a distributed directory running in a computer network is provided. The infrastructure can transform specific directory events into a vendor-neutral data identification system and then use vendor-neutral transformation technologies to transform the neutral data identification into a specific application's data format, and vice-versa. The infrastructure receives an event from the distributed directory into a markup language generation system, such as an extensible markup language (“XML”) generator. The XML generator converts the event into XML data and provides the XML data to a transformation processing system, such as an extensible transformation language (“XSLT”) processor. The XSLT processor transforms the XML data to a predetermined format. The format can be dictated by a stylesheet provided to the XSLT processor, the stylesheet being responsive to requirements of a computer application. The transformed data is then provided to the application for the application to use in a conventional manner. The application may use an application shim to convert the transformed data into a native application program interface (“API”) for the application.
US07743387B2
An inheritance context is created for a graphics primitive object that is a property of a visual element. The inheritance context can be used to make some element information (e.g., information in resource dictionaries, name dictionaries, and inheritable properties that reside in the element tree containing the visual element) available to the graphics primitive object.
US07743384B2
A system for interrupt handling in Java is provided that includes an execution flow class, an execution flow scheduler, a Java virtual machine (JVM), and an interrupt handler class that extends the execution flow class. The execution flow class defines an execution flow execution method and a constructor that creates an execution flow context. The interrupt handler class defines a handler method for an interrupt and an execution flow execution method that overrides the execution flow execution method of the execution flow class. An interrupt handler object is instantiated using the interrupt handler class, the constructor creates an execution flow context for the handler method, and when the interrupt is signaled, the JVM invokes a native execution flow activation method in the execution flow scheduler to switch to the handler execution flow context and the execution flow execution method to initiate execution of the handler method.
US07743377B2
A runtime execution environment may manage resources executing cooperative threading on a single physical thread. One example can scan eligible activation records linked to threads on a method process and can execute one of the activation records. This example can create a new activation record for a new method invoked for the executed activation record and link the new activation record to the executed activation record. Further, this example can loop back to re-start the method.
US07743374B2
There is a problem of making it possible to set up a driver with a simple operation when a driver for a peripheral device on the network is not installed. When a driver setup instruction is given, an instruction is sent to the specified PC to perform an operation to set up the driver specified by the user, and the information processing unit performs the operation to set up the driver based on the instruction. For example, when the peripheral device is a printer, the information processing unit determines whether or not the setup operation has been completed normally, and if the driver has been correctly installed, test printing is executed.
US07743372B2
A first logical partition in a first processing complex of a server cluster is operated at a first level of a software code. Software code in a second logical partition in the same processing complex is updated to a second level. Processing operations are assumed by the second logical partition operating at the second level of software code. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07743371B1
A system and method for dynamically loading object modules is described herein. In one embodiment, the method comprising loading a first set of instructions into a memory unit, wherein the first set of instructions includes an unresolved reference to a second set of instructions, and wherein the loading includes replacing the unresolved reference with an address of a third set of instructions. The method also includes executing instructions of the first set and executing instructions of the third set to determine the address of the second set. The method also includes loading instructions of the second set into the memory unit, after determining the address of the second set. Additionally, the method includes executing instructions of the second set.
US07743367B1
A method is described that comprises receiving from a classfile registration information. The registration information comprises a class name and a different method name for each of the class's methods. Each of the methods are modified with at least one additional byte code instruction to cause, for its respective method, a plug-in module's handler method to provide output function treatment for the respective method. Also, a plug-in pattern is referred to in order to determine which of a plurality of plug-in modules are appropriate for each of the class's methods. The plug-in pattern lists for each of the plug-in modules those of the methods that are to be handled with its corresponding output function treatment.
US07743328B2
A guided process framework includes a process engine, one or more data stores, and one or more user interfaces configured to communicate with the process engine. A user can access a given process instance through any appropriately configured user interface, which contacts the process engine, and which in turn contacts/consults definitions for one or more guided processes at a data store. If the user finishes only part of a given process instance, the process engine can save state corresponding to the progress in the data store. A user can continue work on the process instance through a different user interface (or at a different computer system) by contacting the process engine through the different user interface, and receiving rendering information configured for the different user interface. Thus, the user can stop and start work on a process however desired, and with whatever tools are available at any given time.
US07743323B1
A method and apparatus for generating customized layout and presentation data.
US07743322B2
A method for locating objects, such as images having fixed aspect ratios, within a predefined space, such as a printed page, is provided. The method comprises generating a binary tree structure comprising at least one node and a plurality of leaves, each leaf corresponding to an image and being associated with one node. The method further comprises characterizing a bounding box for each node in the binary tree structure, the bounding box establishing a boundary for all leaves associated with the node. The method also comprises manipulating bounding boxes to fit within the predefined space. The method may be selectively repeated to reposition images within the binary tree structure or to reform the binary tree structure and characterize and manipulate using the reformed binary tree structure. The end result is at least one potential layout having all images located within the predefined space.
US07743321B2
A method of processing data associated with processing options, wherein selected processing options select variants within the data and selected variants are activated, and variants associated with unselected options can be selected in a further iteration of the process.
US07743318B2
The embodiments contemplate a system and method for the application of concurrent edits to the same version of a text. The concurrent edits may occur simultaneously or near simultaneously through collaborative editing schemes, where more than one user, processor, or agent applies edits to the version of the text. The application of the concurrent edits includes modifying or transforming the edits to account for changes made to the version of the text and applying the modified edits to the most recent version of the text. As edits may change the positioning of the text, an evaluation of the changes in the positioning of the text may be part of the modification.
US07743312B2
A method is provided for puncturing a low density parity check (LDPC) code decoded by a parity check matrix that is expressed by a factor graph including a check node and a bit node, being connected to each other at an edge, and includes a parity part having a dual diagonal matrix with a single 3-weight column and the remaining columns being 2-weight columns. The method includes generating a puncturing pattern such that bits of the LDPC code are punctured in an order of a bit mapped to a column with a higher weight from among the columns constituting the parity part; and puncturing the LDPC code according to the generated puncturing pattern.
US07743307B2
In order to select the latest defect management information, the latest selection information first is selected by searching a plurality of selection information areas for a currently active selection information area in which the latest selection information is recorded and subsequently the latest defect management information is obtained by searching a plurality of defect management areas for a currently active defect management area in which the latest defect management information is recorded. If there is no unused defect management area in which defect management information can be alternatively recorded in lieu of the currently active defect management area, recording operation is limited.
US07743305B2
A test apparatus that tests a device under test is provided. The test apparatus includes: a main memory that stores a test data row for testing the device under test; a cache memory that caches the test data row read from the main memory; a pattern generation control section that reads each test data which is not aligned in units of word being a data transfer unit of the main memory and writes the same to cache entries different from each other in the cache memory for each test data; and a pattern generating section that sequentially reads the test data stored of each cache entry in the cache memory and generates a test pattern for testing the device under test.
US07743304B2
A test system for performing tests on devices under test (DUTs) includes a storage device storing test data for performing the tests on the DUTs, a shared processor for generating the test data, storing the test data in the storage device and generating a test control signal including one or more test instructions for executing the tests, and, for each DUT, a dedicated processor configured to receive a test control signal from the shared processor, and in response to the test control signal, transfer the test data for one of the test instructions to the DUT to execute that test instruction and verify the completion of that test instruction.
US07743302B2
The present disclosure describes embodiments of a compactor for compressing test results in an integrated circuit and methods for using and designing such embodiments. The disclosed compactors can be utilized, for example, as part of any scan-based design. Moreover, any of the disclosed compactors can be designed, simulated, and/or verified in a computer-executed application, such as an electronic-design-automation (“EDA”) software tool. Embodiments of a method for diagnosing faults in the disclosed compactor embodiments are also described.
US07743297B2
An integrated circuit with a scan testing circuit which enables reducing power consumption in normal operation mode is provided. A power-supply controller applies a power-supply voltage to internal and external transmission circuits in scan test mode and stops applying the power supply voltage in normal operation mode. Thus, power consumption associated with operations of the internal and external transmission circuits is eliminated, thereby reducing power consumption in normal operation mode.
US07743288B1
A built-in, at-speed BERT is provided that may be part of high-speed serial interface circuitry implemented on an integrated circuit. The built-in, at-speed BERT takes advantage of an existing clock data recovery (CDR) dual-loop architecture and built-in self test (BIST) circuitry. The built-in, at-speed BERT provides a low-cost solution for production testing of high-speed serial links, facilitating jitter analysis and evaluation of pre-emphasis and equalization performance. This further allows adaptation of pre-emphasis and equalization.
US07743286B2
Under the present invention, when an error condition for the computer system is identified, settings for a series of demographical factors of the computer system are determined. These settings are compared to settings for the demographical factors during at least one previous instance of the error condition to identify a similar error scenario. Then any corrective actions that were taken to address the at least one previous instance of the error conditions are determined and possibly used to resolve the current error condition.
US07743284B1
A method for providing data regarding a storage system comprising storage devices is described herein. A storage management module of an operating system of the storage system may be used for servicing (e.g., monitoring or testing) storage devices according to servicing parameters. For each serviced storage device, a reporting module of the storage management module may collect storage device and storage system data upon the occurrence of predetermined events (e.g., when a storage device exhibits an error and monitoring begins, when monitoring ends, and when testing of the storage device ends). The collected data may be saved to a report file in a predetermined format and received by a program configured to automatically extract the data according to the predetermined format for use in storage device and storage system analysis and to determine modified servicing parameters used by the storage management module to service storage devices.
US07743282B2
A diagnostic system in an aspect-oriented data processing environment is provided. The environment comprises a data processing system having an operating system for executing an application, wherein the application comprises an object class. The environment also comprises means for loading the object class at runtime and storage means for storing a diagnostic aspect. An aspect implements concerns (e.g. logging, security) that cross-cut the application. The object class of the application is loaded at runtime and the diagnostic aspect is read from the storage means. The means for loading now combines the object class with the diagnostic aspect, so that for example, diagnostics can be captured and repairs on the application can be carried out.
US07743275B1
Data sets and blocks are stored in a set of independent, functionally equivalent chunks. These chunks are placed on different elements of a distributed network to achieve pre-defined level of fault tolerance. Terms of fault tolerance are defined in terms of amount of unavailable sites in the network allowing receipt and access to the data block. Maximal and minimal number of chunks available are variable method parameters. The minimal amount of data chunks K needed to restore a data block is defined. The size of each chunk is approximately 1/K of the original block size. The maximal amounts of chunks are defined during distribution operation and depend upon a requested fault tolerance level. Redundancy in data storage is minimized and varies dynamically by changing the total amount of chunks available. Significant increase in data transfer rate is possible because all block chunks could be transferred in parallel and independently.
US07743272B1
Precise timing information produced by a block average module may be provided to signal processing circuitry. A sample period value generator may produce samples of the input data period values. A progressive block averaging computation may be applied to the generated input data period value samples. The output of the progressive block averaging computation may be used as the precise input sample rate information. The precise input sample rate information may in turn drive a signal processing application. The precision of the clock information may be increased with an increase in startup overhead.
US07743269B2
A system and method of managing power consumption of communication interfaces and attached devices is disclosed. In one form of the disclosure, a communication module can include a communication interface operable to receive link utilization information of a plurality of communication channels of the communication interface. The communication module can also include a processor operable to determine a percent utilization of the plurality of communication channels using the link utilization information. The processor can also be operable to initiate issuing a power management request of at least one of the plurality of communication channels in response to comparing the percentage of link utilization to a threshold level.
US07743264B2
Methods and systems of controlling power of a computer system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods comprising actuating a power button of a peripheral device coupled to a computer system, sending a message from the peripheral device to the computer system over a message-based communication pathway indicating actuation of the power button, and performing an action by the computer system based on the message.
US07743249B1
An efficient multicast key management is achieved by using seals. A security server generates a seal. In one embodiment, the seal contains a key. In another embodiment, the seal contains information for generating a key. An application server requests the seal from the security server and broadcasts the seal to a plurality of recipients. A recipient wishing to encrypt or decrypt a data stream transmits the received seal to the security server to be opened. If the recipient is authorized, the security server transmits a permit to the authorized recipient. In one embodiment, the recipient generates a key from the permit. In another embodiment, the permit is the key. If the recipient is a sender, the recipient encrypts data using the key and broadcasts the same encrypted data stream to all receivers. If the recipient is a receiver, the recipient decrypts an encrypted data stream using the key. In one embodiment, a seal with a corresponding offset value is sent periodically in a data stream. In another embodiment, multiple instances of identical seals are opened only once. In yet another embodiment, a seal is appended to each datagram packet. In a further embodiment, a seal is appended to any data stream.
US07743244B2
The present invention provides a system and method for generating models of a computer system. The method involves generating an original model of a computer system in an original configuration, and performing an original series of changes of the original model to yield an intermediate model. The original series of changes is recorded. The method further involves tracking the actual configuration of the computer system so as to detect a revised configuration of the computer system. Then, a resultant model is generated that corresponds to the computer system in a potential resultant system configuration that would result from a series of reconfigurations corresponding to said original series of changes or a revision thereof being applied to the system in its revised configuration rather than in its original configuration.
US07743236B2
The present invention provides a reconfigurable processing apparatus enabling clusters to utilize a shared functional unit by using data and a validity signal received from the clusters by way of a network therebetween. In the reconfigurable processing apparatus comprising one or more clusters which are reconfigured based on configuration information, the shared functional unit accepts an input data and an input valid signal from the clusters, the input valid signal starts up the shared functional unit so as to operate the input data received with the input valid signal and output, to the cluster, an output data as the operation result and an output valid signal for notifying of the cluster as an output destination of the aforementioned output data.
US07743234B2
Communication between processors and I/O communications processes is facilitated. During the communication, shared control blocks and input/output queues are updated without using locks. Instead, a lockless capability is provided to update the queues and control blocks, thereby enhancing system performance and minimizing the need for recovery processes.
US07743227B1
In a process to restore a data volume in a first memory, a virtual point-in-time (PIT) copy of the data volume is created. Creating the virtual PIT copy includes creating first, second and third maps in memory. Each of the first, second, and third maps includes a plurality of multi-bit entries. Each of the entries of the first and second maps corresponds to a respective memory region of the first memory, while each of the entries of the third map corresponds to a respective memory region of a second memory for storing data of the virtual PIT copy.
US07743218B2
A cache coherent data processing system includes at least first and second coherency domains. In a first cache memory within the first coherency domain of the data processing system, a coherency state field associated with a storage location and an address tag is set to a first data-invalid coherency state that indicates that the address tag is valid and that the storage location does not contain valid data. In response to snooping an exclusive access operation, the exclusive access request specifying a target address matching the address tag and indicating a relative domain location of a requestor that initiated the exclusive access operation, the first cache memory updates the coherency state field from the first data-invalid coherency state to a second data-invalid coherency state that indicates that the address tag is valid, that the storage location does not contain valid data, and whether a target memory block associated with the address tag is cached within the first coherency domain upon successful completion of the exclusive access operation based upon the relative location of the requestor.
US07743215B2
A cache-memory control apparatus controls a level-1 (L1) cache and a level-2 (L2) cache having a cache line divided into a plurality of sub-lines for storing data from the L1 cache. The cache-memory control apparatus includes a control-flag adding unit, an L1 cache control unit, and an L2 cache control unit. The control-flag adding unit provides an SP flag to each of the sub-lines. The L1-cache control unit acquires an access virtual address, and, when there is no data at the access virtual address, outputs an L2 cache-access address to the L2-cache control unit. The L2-cache control unit switches the SP flag based on a virtual page number in an L1 index and a physical page number in an L2 index. Based on the SP flag, corresponding one of the sub-lines is written back to the L1 cache.
US07743214B2
Systems and methods for generating storage system commands are presented. Logical volumes comprise one or more storage areas. The methods include providing a map of the logical volume from information relating to the types of the storage areas composing the volume. Storage commands referencing the logical volume map are converted to storage area commands by command handlers associated with the type of the storage areas in the logical volume. The storage system comprises clients that access the storage areas by using a command stacks associated with the logical volumes.
US07743208B2
A file memory stores data corresponding to identifiers of an allocated area in an identifier space. A first memory stores a basis position of the allocated area in the identifier space. A second memory stores a weight of the storage apparatus as a performance degree. A first decision unit decides a space width to divisionally allocate the identifier space with another storage apparatus by using the weight and a weight of another storage apparatus. Another storage apparatus allocates a neighboring area of the allocated area in the identifier space. A second decision unit decides the allocated area of an area between the basis position and a basis position of the neighboring area in the identifier space by using the space width.
US07743206B2
Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to provide for obtaining data storage device specific information from a data storage device using standard read/write commands. This method uses a host application to write a unique sequence of records to a logical volume of the data storage device. The data storage device detects the unique sequence of records for the logical volume and writes device specific information to the logical volume allowing the host application the ability to read the data storage device specific information using a read command for the logical volume.
US07743200B1
In general, this disclosure describes techniques of storing data in and retrieving data from a cache of a computing device. More specifically, techniques are described for utilizing a “perfect hash” function to implement an associative cache within a computing device. That is, the associative cache implements a fully associative map between a predetermined set of addresses and data values, employing only a single tag fetch comparison.
US07743198B2
A load balancing method and system for identifying an input/output (I/O) network path from a set off I/O network paths is provided by the invention. The set off I/O network paths connect a host system via a network to a storage subsystem. The host system comprises at least one host bus adapter (HBA) and the storage subsystem comprises at least one I/O device and the network comprises at least one network device. Each of the HBA, the I/O device and the network device comprise at least one I/O port. For each I/O port of each HBA, an HBA port limit is determined. Additionally the set of I/O network paths which connect the I/O port of each of the HBA via the I/O ports of the network device to the I/O port of the I/O device is identified. Then a fabric utilization limit is determined for each I/O network path and a HBA port utilization is determined for each I/O port of the at least one HBA. All network paths are discarded for which the HBA port utilization is greater than the HBA port limit. For each of the remaining paths a network path distance is determined. All I/O network paths for which the network path distance is greater than the path distance limit are discarded. Then for each of the remaining paths a fabric utilization is determined. All I/O network paths for which the fabric utilization is greater than the fabric utilization limit are discarded and the I/O network path is determined from the remaining network paths.
US07743183B2
A client device receives streaming content from a host device. The streaming content is placed in one or more buffers prior to processing. Monitoring as to the capacity and fullness of the buffers is performed at the client device and information is sent to the host device. The host device adjusts the rate or flow of the streaming content based on the information provided by the client device.
US07743174B2
An electronic device has a physical port, and a control circuit coupled to the physical port. The control circuit is arranged to electrically sense the physical port, and operate the physical port as one of an Ethernet port and an RS-232 port based on electrically sensing the physical port. In some arrangements, the physical port operates as an Ethernet port at one time and an RS-232 port at another time. In some arrangements, the electronic device senses for Ethernet signals and RS-232 signals concurrently. In other arrangements, the electronic device senses for Ethernet signals and RS-232 signals at different times in an alternating manner.
US07743166B2
Methods and systems for providing scaleable flow based application control in private and public Internet. A flow table can be used to control the application and subscriber traffic for communication flows in access networks. The flow table entry can provide granular, unidirectional packet transmission of data for all or a subset of all host and application communications originating from or destined to network hosts in the access network. Using a flow table entry for multiple unidirectional packet transmissions of data provides efficient use of flow table entries and allows varying operator control of application communication exchanges between network hosts and applications. By using variable masking techniques, the flow table can be used for varying degrees of control over the packet transmissions in the network.
US07743165B2
Disclosed is a method of distributing data in a telecommunication network, the network comprising a central node, a first target node and a second target node. The method comprises: a) providing a first file comprising at least a first compressed data set addressed to the first target node and a second compressed data set addressed to the second target node; b) identifying in the first file at least a first file portion comprising the first compressed data set and a second file portion comprising the second compressed data set; and c) forwarding the first file portion to the first target node, and forwarding the second file portion to the second target node, wherein the steps b) and c) are performed in the central node.
US07743162B2
The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can transmit and receive data without any process part of an application corresponding to various communication protocols and easily add a communication protocol and an application. An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes connection request mediation means for, in response to a connection notice from a plurality of communication protocol daemons to transmit and receive data in accordance with respective different communication protocols, mediating connection instead of the communication protocol daemons by informing the application that a connection request is provided to the communication protocol daemons and a shared memory being used for delivery of received data and transmitted data between the application and the plurality of communication protocol daemons and being shared by the communication protocol daemon.
US07743149B1
Modifications to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) are made which significantly extend the functionality of SIP. SIP messages are associated with computer software code such as Java byte code, Java applets or mobile autonomous software agents. SIP clients are arranged such that on receipt of a SIP message that has been associated with computer software code, that code is executed by a processor associated with the SIP client. In the case that Java applets are contained in a SIP message these are executed by a Java Virtual Machine associated with the SIP client. If a Java mobile agent is contained in the SIP message this executes on a Java Mobile Agent Virtual Machine associated with the SIP client. Preferably an indicator is put into the header of a SIP message to indicate that it has been associated with computer software code, and SIP clients are arranged to detect the presence of such indicators.
US07743140B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for binding a process to a selected node of a multi-node system. Input/output activity statistics for a process are retrieved from a set of probes. The set of probes detects a flow of data through an input/output device utilized by the process. A topology of the multi-node system that comprises a location of the input/output device is identified. A node is selected according to a decision policy to form a selected node. The process is bound to the selected node according to the decision policy.
US07743129B2
Methods and arrangements to monitor communication components such as a network adapters for activity, and identify components that have lower than normal levels of activity are provided. An identified communication component can become suspect component and a candidate for further testing, including different forms of interrogation. Process for interrogating candidates can include generating and sending test packets having the media access control (MAC) address of the candidate to the candidate and if activity is not detected subsequent to the interrogation, the candidate can be flagged as a failed component. Correspondingly, the component can be deactivated and removed from service. In a further embodiment, a backup component can be activated and assume the role previously held by the failed component.
US07743128B2
Techniques for visualizing and monitoring the quality of service for a computer network. Herein, a method and system monitor network transactions and behaviors for the computing network, which computing network includes one or more client subnets accessing one or more servers, The monitoring may be independent of client site monitors. Statistical data is gathered for relating to at least the network, the server, and the applications for generating a plurality of measurements. The measurements assess at least one quality of service indicator associated with the performance of the computer network. The method and system graphically display the plurality of measurements of the quality of service indicator according to the date and time of gathering the statistical data and further display graphically the degree by which each of the measurements of the quality of service indicator varies from a predetermined threshold quality of service level for the computing network. Also, dynamic quality of service indicators are monitored against average quality of service indicators.
US07743125B1
A multiple port unit includes plural peripheral communications ports and two network ports for connect the peripheral devices with at least one remote controlling computer. Multiple port unit further includes a controller which interrogates network links coupled to the network ports and alternately switching network links. The controller also interrogates computers coupled to the network links and ascertains that a computer controlling devices coupled to the communication ports is working properly.
US07743117B2
The invention relates to a method, system and computer program product for provisioning in a communications network. The provisioning method includes at least a step for sending at least one request for defining measures relating to customers and/or services and/or network elements, the method including processing (20-23) each request, executing tasks according to the results of the processing step, and reporting the results to the requesting entity. In accordance with the invention, the processing steps are performed in functional layers (20-21) and the method steps of at least one layer (22) are performed by independently mountable and dismountable functional modules (30-34).
US07743115B2
Radio communication network software downloading methods wherein terminal unique information pertaining to the downloading transaction is communicated on corresponding dedicated communication channels, for example, download initiation (300), capability exchange (320), digital signature (332) and activation and billing (360) communications, among others. Software content, or data, is transmitted (334) from the network to the plurality of terminals on a shared communication channel. In some applications, the software content includes multiple files multiplexed on the shared communication channel, wherein the content may be adjusted dynamically to optimize spectral efficiency.
US07743108B2
Reducing pool starvation in a switch is disclosed. The switch includes a plurality of egress ports, and a reserved pool of buffers in a shared memory. The reserved pool of buffers is one of a number of reserved pools of buffers, and the reserved pool of buffers is reserved for one of the egress ports. A shared pool of buffers and a multicast pool of buffers are in the shared memory. The shared pool of buffers is shared by the egress ports.
US07743103B2
The invention concerns an electronic mail management (EMM) system for handling electronic mail in a multiple user environment, in which the user's incoming electronic mail is sent and received, said system includes a mail distribution network including a server through which. electronic mail items of the users are exchanged, said system comprising: detecting means for monitoring the flow of in- and outbound electronic mails for a specified set of users, and intercepting the in- and outbound emails; journalizing means for creating a notification record of a set of e-mail information data (metadata) for each intercepted electronic mail; an e-mail manager database (EMM DB) for storing at least said notification record and each electronic mail; and means for establishing a journal of e-mails by defining a search request query and submitting said search request to a search engine for selecting a userdefined series of information data from the notification records in the EMM database.
US07743095B2
A method for providing an alert indication, the method includes: allowing a first user to define an alert to be generated in response to an availability of a second user to participate in an instant messaging session; and sending to the second user an alert indication indicative of the alert.
US07743092B2
A customer for music distributed over the internet may select a composition from a menu of written identifiers (such as the song title and singer or group) and then confirm that the composition is indeed the one desired by listening to a corrupted version of the composition. If the customer has forgotten the song title or the singer or other words that provide the identifier, he or she may hum or otherwise vocalize a few bars of the desired composition, or pick the desired composition out on a simulated keyboard. A music-recognition system then locates candidates for the selected composition and displays identifiers for these candidates to the customer.
US07743087B1
The present invention provides a method and system for the dynamic distribution of an array in a parallel computing environment. The present invention obtains a criterion for distributing an array and performs flexible portioning based on the obtained criterion. In some embodiment analysis may be performed based on the criterion. The flexible portioning is then performed based on the analysis.
US07743079B1
Managing data across a semantic data view and a presentation data view may be provided. A semantic model may be represented in a semantic data view and a presentation model may be represented in a presentation data view. The presentation model may correspond to a graphical representation of the semantic model. In addition, a command may be received directed toward the semantic data view or the presentation data view. The semantic model and the presentation model may be operated upon according to the received command. Furthermore, the semantic model represented in the semantic data view and the presentation model represented in the presentation data view may be updated in response to operating on the semantic model and the presentation model according to the received command. The semantic model and the presentation model may be simultaneously maintained in a volatile memory in a computer.
US07743076B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for creating and executing extensible processes across multiple application components. A declarative feature is provided to allow partially ordered steps in an extensible process spanning multiple application components to be defined in a declarative format. A developer can define the minimum base steps in a first application component. Other application components can then provide additional partially ordered steps and/or actions to the extensible process. The declarative feature allows the partially ordered steps to have an associated step action. A sequencer is provided that assembles the partially ordered steps together from the multiple application components into a computational sequence having a total ordering. The sequencer executes the computational sequence in that total ordering upon receiving an execution request.
US07743072B2
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for providing a device handle database in an EFI environment are disclosed. According to one method, a device handle database is created for storing data identifying the protocols that have been installed on one or more device handles. The database includes a sorted array of elements utilized to store protocol data for a family of protocols having the same GUID. Each element in the array comprises a family data structure including a field for storing the GUID for the family along with a field for storing a pointer to a linked list that stores the protocol instance data for each of the protocols in the family. Each node in the linked list is also a member of a linked list for storing protocol data for all of the protocols installed on a given device handle.
US07743070B1
A system, method, and apparatus is provided for computerized management of a method of corporate, business or sports management by a remote party comprising relating a current database of an entity. For instance, in sports management substantially real time management is possible. Data of a player together with a historical database related to that player and decisions can be transmitted. This is communicated between a central database processing resource and at least one remote party. A remote party is permitted to access the database and access designated data from the database, and input and output data. Voting and other management of the player, team, or business is possible in substantially real time or near real time by the remote party. A remote user can vote on financial compensation for a player, a coach or a team and/or for a bonus for a player, team or game. Similarly hiring and firing decisions can be made. Shareholders, fans or customers of an entertainment business such as sports can be more interactively involved in all aspects of management and ownership duties and thus be more thoroughly entertained.
US07743068B2
A computerized method, system and program product for generating a data mining model. A user can provide objectives for the model and sample data to train, validate, and test the model. A rules system can automatically select a set of algorithms based on the objectives and/or sample data. A plurality of datasets can also be created from the sample data. Using the datasets, the set of algorithms can be optimized for the particular data on which it is intended to be used. The data mining model can then be generated from the optimized set of algorithms.
US07743064B2
A method for managing fixed-area video segments from fixed-area security cameras using a media asset management system includes collecting the fixed-area video segments from the fixed-area security cameras, associating corresponding geospatial data with each fixed-area video segment, and creating a search thesaurus including search descriptors with cross-references therebetween. At least one respective search descriptor from the search thesaurus is associated with each fixed-area video segment. The method further includes storing each fixed-area video segment, its geospatial data and its at least one search descriptor on the media asset management system for later search and retrieval, such as by a security organization. The search descriptors may be geospatial search descriptors that are cross-referenced in a hierarchical relationship.
US07743061B2
Method for carrying out the text content search of a document database utilizing multi-node nets. The nodes of these nets are associated with interactions and are loaded with initially selected criteria, whereupon a potential or distance function calculation is carried out with respect to each document of the database and those criteria containing nodes. The created nets are displayed with document symbols geometrically located with respect to the nodes and interaction lines in correspondence with the computed potentials to provide for an interactive visual evaluation of the search by the user. Such evaluations then may be employed to refine node contained criteria toward useful rule-based nodes.
US07743048B2
A system and method are provided for implementing a geographic search mode in connection with a search engine. The method may include indexing geographic locations for resources available to the search engine in a search engine index. The method may additionally include determining a target location for a particular user upon receiving a user query from the particular user and searching the search engine index for geographic location matches matching the target location.
US07743046B2
A precision information collating device is disclosed. The device comprises means for inputting keywords and key phrases and defining level of traverse for establishing interlinks and interdependencies between keywords and key phrases entered and using previously stored interlinks and interdependencies to form a map. The device facilitates searching for keywords and key phrases and filtering out unwanted results, indexing, rating and posting of the result obtained and means for browsing the result.
US07743042B2
An apparatus and method for providing Remote User Interface (RUI) service are provided. The apparatus includes a service browser module and a virtual RUI server module. The service browser module communicates with a service registry, which is located outside a home network, and provides a service search User Interface (UI) to allow an RUI client, which is located inside a home network, to search for services that are present outside the home network. The virtual RUI server module is responsible for intermediation so that the services present outside the home network can be used through a service UI.
US07743037B2
A system and method to facilitate editing of content data. An update metadata identification block identifies metadata that is affected (or must be updated) by destructive edit processing by a material data destructive edit processing block. If the metadata is required for updating, a realtime metadata update block updates realtime metadata and a nonrealtime metadata update block updates nonrealtime metadata in correspondence with the destructive edit processing. A proxy data update block updates proxy data. A clip information file update block updates a clip information file. A clip write block records the data of each clip updated by the above-mentioned processing to an optical disc.
US07743034B2
In a network system including a server apparatus, client apparatus, and database, when a registration request of catalog data of a catalog is received from the client apparatus, the catalog data is registered in the database as one file of the catalog. When a registration request of merchandise information to be associated with the catalog data is received from the client apparatus, the merchandise information is registered as one page of the catalog data. Hence, the merchandise information of the catalog can be associated with catalog data of each page.
US07743027B2
To provide an interaction information processing apparatus capable of easily performing addition and deletion of a scenario, and of suitably executing processing contents, even when a plurality of events are simultaneously input. The interaction information processing apparatus includes: a net status table 10 which stores a net status of each net; a processing item table 12 which stores groups of {a processing item, an input net of the processing item, and an output net of the processing item}; processing item execution modules 4-i each of which is provided in correspondence with each processing item, executes processing contents of the processing item, and updates a net status of the output net according to the execution result; selection execution means 13 which successively selects all the processing items in the processing item table 12, and executes the processing item execution module 4-i corresponding to the selected processing item; and status change determination means 14 which, when one of the net statuses in the net status table 12 is changed, makes the selection execution means 13 execute the each processing item execution module 4-i.
US07743023B2
Various embodiments introduce the notion of a replication entity which implements a highly scalable file replication system. In one embodiment, the replication entity resides in the form of a scalable replication service. In at least some embodiments, the replication service provides a “drive in the sky” facility that can be used by individuals, such as subscribers, to synchronize their individual machines, such that their files are automatically replicated to a safe and always-on location. Alternatively or additionally, individuals such as subscribers can also access their files via a web-based interface when they are away from their machines.
US07743016B2
An apparatus for processing a signal and method thereof are disclosed. Data coding and entropy coding are performed with interconnection, and grouping is used to enhance coding efficiency. The present invention includes the steps of obtaining index information and entropy-decoding the index information and identifying a content corresponding to the entropy-decoded index information and selecting entropy table.
US07743014B1
One of several methods comprises selecting one or more parameters based, at least in part, on a ranking of a relative desirability of said one or more specified parameters and selecting a subset of a set of electronic content for use in at least a portion of an electroniccompilation, wherein said subset may be selected based, at least in part, on said one or more parameters.
US07743013B2
Multiple Bloom filters are generated to partition data between first and second disjoint data sets of elements. Each element in the first data set is assigned to a bucket of a first set of buckets, and each element in the second data set is assigned to a bucket of a second set of buckets. A Bloom filter is generated for each bucket of the first set of buckets. The Bloom filter generated for a bucket indicates that each element assigned to that bucket is part of the first data set, and that each element assigned to a corresponding bucket of the second set of buckets is not part of the first data set. Additionally, a Bloom filter corresponding to a subsequently received element can be determined and used to identify whether that subsequently received element is part of the first data set or the second data set.
US07743012B2
A configurable controlling device and associated editor program that allows a consumer to modify on a personal computer for downloading to the controlling device configuration data which is used to cause the controlling device to perform a function, such as to transmit a command to an appliance, to change the user interface page being displayed, etc. A central server facility is provided through which the managed exchange of configuration data between the editor program and remotely-located controlling devices may be performed.
US07743011B2
In a weighted finite state network process, a finite state network object is stored. The finite state network object includes arcs, and each arc has an associated weight stored as a weight-defining finite state network object. The finite state network object is applied to an input. The applying includes combining weights of one or more arcs matching the input using finite state network-combining operations.
US07742997B1
A system and methods for management and delivery of content and rules is disclosed. An exemplary method may comprise managing, for an organization, a plurality of data and a plurality of content in separate database entities, wherein the plurality of content is associated with the plurality of data based on a plurality of rules; packaging the plurality of rules with the plurality of content in a carrier that is independent from one or more presentation channels, wherein at least part of the plurality of content is integrated with at least part of the plurality of data; delivering the plurality of data and the carrier to the one or more presentation channels; integrating, at the one or more presentation channels, the plurality of data with the plurality of content based on the plurality of rules; and distributing the integrated data and content through the one or more presentation channels.
US07742993B2
The present invention is an apparatus for the money transactions required in the selling of merchandise or media content on the Internet and uses at least one in-person contact with the buyer. A predefined transaction originating at a real place of business authorizes access to web content or merchandise from a place off the web. Purchasers (end-users) must physically go to a retail location to choose the Internet media or merchandise shopping cart they wish to acquire where age can be verified if necessary and payment can be made with or without a credit card. Content security using a non-audible or invisible code signal sequence(s) can provide traceability as well as absolute anonymity for the purchaser. This apparatus can be used to conduct transactions off the web so that business can be done on the web.
US07742991B2
A method and system for preparing and managing real estate transfers and financing, including a system for preparation, production and storage of relevant documentation and the data contained therein; a system for coordinating, reconciling and transferring funds; and a system of analyzing and tracking the progress of numerous real estate transactions. The invention uses a database to minimize the redundancy involved in the preparation of all documentation needed for real estate closings. Information input into the database is used to generate the documentation necessary to complete real estate transfers, including all forms required by relevant financial institutions and government agencies. Such documentation includes handwritten signatures, which are digitally scanned and incorporated into the documents. Also, ancillary documentation can be scanned into the system and combined with other customer data and documentation. Thus a “closing package” can be compiled which contains electronic versions of virtually any document needed for closing a real estate transaction. Further included are scheduling features for coordinating one or many real estate transactions and management reporting for keeping track of a plurality of real estate transaction.
US07742978B2
A multi-transaction system comprises a transaction module configured to access a set of transaction systems to obtain transaction information to enable procurement of an item. The set of transaction systems includes an automated trading system configured to enable a user to receive the item in a trade for at least one other item associated with the user, and further includes at least one of an auction system configured to enable the user to electronically bid on the item and an online sales system configured to enable the user to purchase the item. A method is provided for performing corresponding functions.
US07742964B2
A convertible financial instrument for raising capital by an issuing business in compliance with Sharia principles includes a sukuk portion and a conversion portion. The sukuk portion represents a non equity ownership interest in the business. The sukuk portion includes a coupon return paid from at least one of profits and capital gains of the business. The sukuk portion is redeemable at a maturity date at a face value of the sukuk portion. The conversion portion is exercisable upon reaching a conversion date. The conversion portion is exercisable to convert the sukuk portion based on a predetermined formula into a converted financial instrument representing an equity ownership interest in the business. The predetermined formula does not include a conventional premium formula that is based on a time value of money and an interest rate since such a conventional premium formula does not comply with Sharia principles.
US07742957B2
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a system and method for ensuring a desired profit percentage in a business that provides a service for fees. Businesses will know what prices to charge for any profit level desired. Three profit areas can be used to arrive at a service fee; labor, equipment, and inventory. Input of a desired profit will automatically recalculate how billable labor is charged out in each billable labor dollar of revenue. Preferably, electronic sales information is received that represents a sum of fees received for providing the service. Further, electronic inventory cost information is received that represents a cost of goods sold during the course of providing the service. Moreover, electronic billable labor cost information is received that represents a cost of billable labor, and electronic non-billable labor cost information representing cost of non-billable labor. Furthermore and in a preferred embodiment, electronic overhead cost information is preferably received that represents a cost of overhead. An electronic profit percentage value is preferably received that represents a percentage of fees charged for the service to be allocated for profit. Also, a portion of the labor fee charged is calculated to represent billable labor, non billable labor, and overhead.
US07742955B2
A method for managing a magazine subscription management service is disclosed. A magazine package is associated with a consumer, wherein the package includes a price based on a number of magazines in the package. Selections for the number of magazines are received from a consumer, each selected magazine having a corresponding publication frequency including a number of issues and a period for delivery. Distribution of issues of each of the selected magazines according to the corresponding publication frequency is enabled.
US07742949B2
A system and method for processing media requests includes receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account. The availability of a slot associated with the subscriber account is determined. The slot includes at least one in-store slot and at least one on-line slot.
US07742947B2
In one embodiment, establishment of transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers is supported in a network-based marketplace. As part of an invoice generation process, multiple transactions to which a first user of the network-based marketplace is a party are identified. Further, one or more subsets of these transactions that satisfy combinable criteria are identified, and an invoice is generated for at least one of the identified subsets of transactions.
US07742946B2
A system for providing an interface that allows access to system used to sell time slots for advertisements in broadcast programming. This system allows a user to access databases to access information needed to sell the advertisements. The system integrates the databases to allow easy access and centralized storage of all needed information for selling time slots for advertisements in broadcast programming.
US07742944B2
The present invention is directed to automating the sending of campaign messages in computing environments. Campaign scores are determined for messaging campaigns and eligible recipients are assigned to campaigns with a higher score. More specifically, eligible recipients are assigned to a particular messaging campaign if the campaign is the “best” campaign for each eligible recipient based on the campaign score. Additionally, a portion of the eligible recipients are reserved as a control group for each campaign. After campaign messages have been sent out to assigned recipients, the behavior of the recipients who received campaign messages and the behavior of the control group members are differentiated to update the campaign's score. Continually updating campaign scores makes it possible to continually update which campaign is best for a particular recipient.
US07742938B2
A method and system to evaluate the maintenance costs of products, having learning and application phases. Each phase is divided into two steps. The first analyzes product characteristics. The second is based on maintenance agreement conditions. During the first step of the learning phase, a first maintenance cost is estimated over the domain of a first variable representing product characteristics. Correction coefficients, based on other product characteristics, may be estimated to improve the first maintenance cost estimation. During the second step new correction coefficients are estimated according to maintenance agreement conditions. During the application phase, a first maintenance cost estimation is done according to the modality of the first variable, and adjusted depending on other product characteristics and maintenance agreement conditions.
US07742935B2
Methods and systems are provided for estimating right of way in an accident. In one embodiment, right of way estimation in a vehicle accident may be based on a plurality of characteristics that describe the accident. The characteristics from an actual accident may be compared to those in a past or theoretical accident.
US07742932B2
The difficulties in incorporating transmission history into medical diagnostic software are non-obvious. These are addressed here with systems and methods for hyper-fractionation of transmission history in a way that allows the full power of this information to be used in medical diagnostic software.
US07742931B2
An order generator for a healthcare information system and a corresponding method includes a user interface and a processor. The user interface includes an input device and a display. The input device receives input information related to format and content of an order form for a patient. The display presents the input information and output information related to the order form. The display includes an order template editor window and an order details window. The order template editor window permits a user to generate an order template responsive to receiving the input information. The order details window permits the user to generate the order form responsive to the generating the order template and responsive to receiving the input information. The processor generates the output information responsive to receiving the input information.
US07742923B2
A numbering scheme is disclosed for implementation in the context of an application display. A user is able to select an item on the display by speaking a number corresponding to a desired control item. In some cases, the screen can include so many numbers that the user loses context and is unable to identify which number they want to select. For this reason, in one embodiment, a temporal switching mechanism is implemented wherein periodic switches (e.g., second-long intervals) occur between showing numbered items and showing a non-numbered screen. In one embodiment, an optional secondary confirmation step is implemented wherein the user sees only the item they just selected and has the chance to (a) learn the programmatic name of the item they selected and/or (b) either confirm and proceed with their selection, or cancel. In one embodiment, the optional secondary confirmation step is omitted if the user speaks a number followed by a predetermined command word.
US07742918B1
Disclosed is a system and method of training a spoken language understanding module. Such a module may be utilized in a spoken dialog system. The method of training a spoken language understanding module comprises training acoustic and language models using a small set of transcribed data St, recognizing utterances in a set Su that are candidates for transcription using the acoustic and language models, computing confidence scores of the utterances, selecting k utterances that have the smallest confidence scores from Su and transcribing them into a new set Si, redefining St as the union of St and Si, redefining Su as Su minus Si, and returning to the step of training acoustic and language models if word accuracy has not converged.
US07742917B2
A high quality speech is reproduced with a small data amount in speech coding and decoding for performing compression coding and decoding of a speech signal to a digital signal. In speech coding method according to a code-excited linear prediction (CELP) speech coding, a noise level of a speech in a concerning coding period is evaluated by using a code or coding result of at least one of spectrum information, power information, and pitch information, and various excitation codebooks are used based on an evaluation result.
US07742907B2
A method of obtaining a resolution-based proof of unsatisfiability using a SAT procedure for a hybrid Boolean constraint problem comprising representing constraints as a combination of clauses and interconnected gates. The proof is obtained as a combination of clauses, circuit gates and gate connectivity constraints sufficient for unsatisfiability.
US07742901B2
An object model of a first type such as an avatar is analyzed, and an object model of a second type, such as a clothing model, is generated. The object model of the first type is analyzed by comparing it to a set of pre-defined object models of the same type and deriving a set of weight values which when used as coefficients in a summation of the predefined object models result in an approximation to the input object model. The derived set of weight values can then be used to sum together a set of predefined object models of a second type to give a new predefined object model of a second type which corresponds to the input object model of the first type. Preferably, the input object model is a user avatar, and the output object model is a virtual item of clothing. The user avatar may then be displayed to a user ‘wearing’ the generated item of clothing.
US07742896B2
A plurality of first measured values (xi) are obtained by respectively measuring a plurality of measuring objects in a plurality of first measuring systems and a plurality of second measured values (yi) are obtained by respectively measuring the plurality of measuring objects in a plurality of second measuring systems, and a combination of a first measured value and a second measured value corresponding to each other is obtained as a sample point (Pi). A transformation function representing a relationship between a first reconstituted system derived from the plurality of first measuring systems and a second reconstituted system derived from the plurality of second measuring system is obtained statistically processing a plurality of sample points of the plurality of measuring objects. Subsequently, a transformed value (τi) is obtained by transforming a second measured value (yi) with the transformation function.
US07742894B2
In the present invention, a multi-person pose recognition system has been developed. This system includes a body pose detection module, a CC2420DBK board and a multi-person pose monitoring software module. The body pose detection module includes a triaxial accelerometer, a Zigbee chip and an 8-bit microcontroller. Several body pose detection modules and the CC2420DBK board form a Zigbee wireless sensor network (WSN). The CC2420DBK board functions as the receiver of the Zigbee WSN and communicates with a robot onboard computer or a host computer through a RS-232 port. The multi-person pose monitoring software monitors and records activities of multiple users simultaneously. The present invention provides a pose recognition algorithm by combining time-domain analysis and wavelet transform analysis. This algorithm has been implemented in the microcontroller of a body pose estimation module. Through the algorithm, the system can recognize seven body poses: falling, standing, sitting, lying, walking, going upstairs and going downstairs.
US07742892B2
The object of the invention is to provide a method of calibrating an optical FMCW backscattering measurement system that improves the precision of the measurement. The problem is solved by a method comprising the steps of A. Converting said received sensor signal to a complex received electrical signal as a function of said modulation frequency fm, said complex received electrical signal being represented by a magnitude part and a phase angle part as a function of said modulation frequency fm; B. Performing a transformation of said received electrical signal to provide a backscattering signal as a function of location between said first and second ends of said sensor and beyond said second end; C. From said backscattering signal as a function of location determining characteristics of a curve representative of said backscattering signal beyond said second end; D. Correcting said magnitude part of said received electrical signal and said phase angle part of said received electrical signal in a predetermined dependence of said curve; and E. Repeating step B) on the basis of the corrected received electrical signal.
US07742890B2
A compensation method for cold junction of temperature controlling console is used to compensate the temperature difference of cold junctions when a plurality of temperature controlling consoles are connected in series, where one temperature controlling console is master temperature controlling console and others are slave temperature controlling consoles. Each of the consoles has a serial input end, a serial output end and a master/slave communication end, where the serial output end of one slave console is connected to the serial input end of next slave console to form serial connection. The master/slave communication ends of all consoles are connected parallel. When the master temperature controlling console at end of the series sends a communication protocol data to all slave consoles, the slave consoles set their communication protocol to judge the positions thereof and then set the temperature compensation according to their position and their built-in program for cold junctions.
US07742887B2
Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to communications. The systems and techniques include determining the temperature and process speed of chips used in communications devices. The systems and techniques include measuring the output of ring oscillators embedded in the chips, and calculating the temperature and process speed therefrom.
US07742886B2
Methods and apparatus for analysis and design of radiation and scattering objects are disclosed. In one embodiment, unknown sources are spatially grouped to produce a system interaction matrix with block factors of low rank within a given error tolerance and the unknown sources are determined from compressed forms of the factors.
US07742884B2
A sampling frequency control method includes a difference calculating step ST1 of calculating the difference between sampled values obtained through sampling of an AC quantity of electricity of a power system at time points that are separated by a prescribed time period of the AC quantity of electricity; an effective value calculating step ST2 of calculating an effective value of the AC quantity of electricity and an effective value of the difference; a ratio calculating step ST3 of calculating the ratio K of the effective value of the difference to the effective value of the AC quantity of electricity; and a control step of controlling the sampling frequency by controlling the sampling period on the basis of the calculated ratio K so that it follows the frequency of the AC quantity of electricity.
US07742880B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for broad spectrum chemical detection. The method includes determining a similarity sequencing scheme. The method includes receiving an ambient air sample and concentrating the ambient air sample. The method further includes providing the concentrated sample to a gas chromatography (GC) column, and detecting chemical elution from the GC column in a series of similarity sequenced samples based on the similarity sequencing scheme. The method includes de-convoluting the elution data to derive arrival peaks, and determining a concentration of a chemical in the ambient air based on the series of constant log-time data samples. In one embodiment, the method utilizes a modified Z-transform to de-convolute the elution data.
US07742876B2
It is described a method for spatially filtering 3D seabed seismic data acquired in a cross-line geometry including methods of how to decompose the data using a filter with two spatial components.
US07742875B2
The present invention is a method of hydrodynamics-based gridding (Hydro-Grids) for creating geologic models of subsurface volumes, such as reservoirs. Vertical grid surfaces may be chosen in an unstructured fashion to provide lateral resolution where needed. Lateral grid surfaces are created to represent surfaces of constant geologic time based on simulation of the depositional processes that created the subsurface volume. The values of geologic properties are then specified within each cell created by the intersections of the vertical and lateral surfaces. The geologic data may include, for example, seismic data, outcrop studies, well log data, core data, numerical modeling data, and interpreted stratigraphic surfaces based on seismic data. The modeled geologic properties of the subsurface volume may include, for example, grain size distribution, connectivity, net-to-gross, porosity, permeability and pore pressure.
US07742862B2
A system and method for estimating agricultural parameters for growing crops is well suited for promoting efficient utilization of agricultural inputs (e.g., water consumption). Sensors collect data via one or more vehicles equipped with location-determining receivers. A transmitter transmits the collected environmental data to a data processing system. The data processing system applies the collected environmental data to an agronomic model for determining an agricultural management parameter. A prescription is made available for application of an agricultural input (e.g., water) to a crop in a particular location consistent with the collected environmental data and the agronomic model.
US07742861B2
A system of wireless electronic devices for construction equipment and a maintenance system thereof are disclosed, in which various information used in an input and output unit, like modules of a construction work vehicle such as a hydraulic excavator, etc., are transmitted and received based on a wireless method, so that the use of wires can be significantly decreased. The wireless electronic system of a construction machine comprises at least one control panel which transmits a wireless signal for controlling each part of a construction machine in accordance with an operator's control; a main control device which receives a wireless signal from the control panel and transmits a wireless control signal for controlling a corresponding device; at least one auxiliary control device which performs input and output control, operation control, error detection, automatic control, etc. of each part of a construction machine in accordance with a wireless control signal from the main control device; and an internal wireless network which is constructed by the main control device for wireless data communication between the control panel, the main control device and the auxiliary control device.
US07742856B2
In a vehicle communication system, a first identifier is uniquely assigned to at least one function for vehicle control, the at least one function is installed in at least one of a plurality of control units. An identifying unit identifies that a target function uniquely assigned with a target identifier is installed in which of the control units based on the first identifier and the target identifier.
US07742850B2
An end of train unit includes a positioning system such as a GPS receiver and is configured to transmit a message including the EOT unit's location when the EOT unit detects a loss of air pipe pressure and/or it is tipped over and/or a low battery condition is detected. In highly preferred embodiments, the EOT unit periodically re-transmits the message until an acknowledgment message is received. In some embodiments, information from the positioning system is used to create a signal as a substitute for a motion sensor. In other embodiments, information from the positioning system is used to determine the speed of the end of the train. End of train unit tracking is also performed.
US07742843B2
A method for structured application of a laminatable intermediate layer (9) to a substrate (1) for a semiconductor module, wherein a separating layer is indirectly or directly applied to the substrate (1) over a large surface, the intermediate layer (9) is applied to the substrate (1), including the separating layer(s), by lamination, over a large surface, the intermediate layer (9) is opened in places on the substrate (1), where recesses are provided for the intermediate layer (9), and the separating layer (8) is removed in these places.
US07742841B2
In an autonomous vehicle, position of a planar obstacle such as a wall or a fence having apertures is determined. A horizontal plane is scanned with a laser range tinder so as to acquire positional coordinates of a plurality of scanning points. An element vector is formed with each two scanning points so that one acquired former is used as a start point and the other acquired later as an end point of the vector. A plurality of continuous element vectors which satisfy predetermined conditions is selected among the element vectors, and a scanning segment vector is formed by composition of the selected element vectors. When a length of the scanning segment vector is equal to or longer than a predetermined length, it is possible to recognize that a planar obstacle exists along the scanning segment vector.
US07742840B2
Disclosed is a space-saving autonomous mobile robot capable of switching two types of light irradiation appropriately. The robot includes a moving mechanism, an autonomous movement controller for controlling the moving mechanism, a self-location recognition unit for sensing a self-location of the robot, a map data storage unit for storing a map data on locations of marks, a slit light device for irradiating a detection area with slit light, an infrared device for irradiating a detection area with infrared rays, and a switch determination unit for comparing a mark-formed region and the self-location, and then, for switching between the slit light and infrared devices, based on the comparison result. Moreover, the infrared device irradiates the detection area when the self-location is within the mark-formed region, while the slit light device irradiates the detection area when the self-location is outside the mark-formed region.
US07742836B2
A control unit for a machine tool at least one vibration detection device attached to a main shaft portion of a machine tool or a movable body; a storage device for storing a vibration signal detected by the vibration detection device being related to operation information of the machine tool; a collision judgment device for judging that a collision has occurred; and an output device for outputting the vibration signal at the time of judging the occurring of the collision. By the above constitution, the control unit is capable of grasping a specific circumstance of collision and quickly determining a cause of collision.
US07742835B2
A profile control method for controlling a profile in the width direction of a sheet by using a plurality of actuators, includes calculating an envelope profile connecting local peaks of the profile; and calculating a manipulated value of each actuator with the objective of optimizing 2σ of the profile and the envelope profile.
US07742834B2
According to the present, there is proved a semiconductor fabrication apparatus management system having:a sensor which monitors and outputs a plurality of apparatus parameters of a semiconductor fabrication apparatus which fabricates a semiconductor device;a measurement unit which measures a dimensional value of the semiconductor device, and outputs the dimensional value as dimensional data;an apparatus parameter storage unit which stores the apparatus parameters;a dimensional data storage unit which stores the dimensional data;an apparatus parameter controller which calculates predicted dimensional data by extracting the dimensional data from the dimensional data storage unit, and controls at least one of the plurality of apparatus parameters on the basis of the predicted dimensional data; andan abnormality factor extraction unit which analyzes correlations between the controlled apparatus parameter and other apparatus parameters, and extracts an abnormal apparatus parameter on the basis of a calculated correlation coefficient.
US07742833B1
Systems and methods that facilitate discovery of history data via a locator component associated with a plant embedded historian(s) of an industrial programmer (e.g., a controller device.) Such locator component can further detect micro historians that are distributed on the back plane of an industrial network. The locator component can be part of applications running on a control unit, which can function as a management control center for the industrial network system. A common data model can be employed to expose functionality and data of the organization to the embedded historian component.
US07742832B1
The present invention discloses methods and systems for providing very high quality audio playback using all-digital wireless paths from a source to speaker transducers and/or headphones located anywhere within a distance allowed by the FCC. Each speaker has a separate digital amplifier dedicated to each transducer within it (e.g. woofer, tweeter). The present invention also discloses a system that provides a data link capable of sending an all-digital, full-bandwidth, signal from the original digital source material to each separate transducer in the system without using sound degrading lossy data compression. This system is designed to read, broadcast, and reproduce with accurate audio loudspeaker time-alignment (<100 uS) and low overall latency (less than 7 milliseconds) all popular audio formats in full-bandwidth and without data compression in the effort to maintain the integrity of the entire audio signal, wherein the audio signal may include an accompaniment to a player piano.
US07742829B2
An electrode arrangement for applying electrical signals to skin of an animal comprising a flexible electrically non-conductive substrate, at least one electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate for applying electrical signals to the skin when placed on the skin, at least one connector connected to a respective electrode for providing electrical signals to the respective electrode and an electrically non-conductive sealing arrangement connected to the substrate for sealing the substrate and the skin to prevent ingress of moisture to the at least one electrode and to the at least one connector at the connection to the respective electrode. The or each electrode comprises a plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements to allow flexion of the electrode arrangement and electrically conductive material between the plurality of spaced electrically conductive elements to form a two-dimensional electrically conductive path across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate.
US07742828B2
A medical electrode, and a method of making a medical electrode. The electrode comprises an electrode member having a top face and a bottom face; disconnected regions of electrically conductive material in electrical contact with the top face of the electrode member, patient contacting layer and an electrical connector in electrical contact with the disconnected regions. The disconnected regions reduce patient skin irritation and burning while optimizing electrical impedance of the electrode.
US07742827B2
An implantable tissue-stimulating device for an implantee. The device comprising an elongate member having at least one electrode. At least a portion of the surface of the elongate member having a configuration that at least partially controls any tissue growth on and/or round the elongate member.
US07742826B2
An intravenous pacemaker electrode comprises an electrode cable featuring a conductor, a duct and an insulating sleeve as well as an electrode head attached to the distal end of the conductor in order to transmit stimulation pulses, with an OCT catheter being moveable in the duct, and comprising a thread-like guide element as well as an OCT measurement element attached to its distal end.
US07742822B2
Embodiments of the invention include channel selection and mapping for medical device communication. The communication system can implement a two-stage listen before talk protocol to choose a channel for communication. The first stage samples the interference of each channel for a relatively short time and chooses the best signal. The second stage samples the channel selected by the first stage and samples it for a relatively longer time to confirm the channel selected by the first stage is the best channel for communication.
US07742819B2
A tissue stimulation system and computer software and method of operating the system is provided. An array of electrodes is placed contact with tissue of a patient (e.g., neural tissue), and electrical current is conveyed within the electrode array, thereby creating a stimulation region in the tissue. Electrical current is shifted between cathodes of the electrode array in incremental steps over a range, thereby causing displacement of the stimulation region at substantially uniform distances over the incremental steps. The electrical current may be shifted between the cathodes in accordance with a sigmoid-like function of a position of the stimulation region. A navigation table containing a series of states and corresponding gradually and non-uniformly changing electrical current values can be accessed, in which case, the electrical current may be shifted between the cathodes by incrementing through the states of the navigation table.
US07742810B2
A method and neurostimulation system of providing therapy to a patient is provided. At least one electrode is placed in contact with tissue of a patient. A sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing, conditioning pre-pulse (e.g., an anodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to render a first region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal root fibers) less excitable to stimulation, and a depolarizing stimulation pulse (e.g., a cathodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to stimulate a second different region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal column fibers). The conditioning pre-pulse has a relatively short duration (e.g., less than 200 μs).
US07742805B2
A catheter includes separate first and second optical channels extending between proximal and distal portion thereof. First and second beam redirectors in optical communication with the respective first and second optical channels each have on-axis stage and an off-axis stage.
US07742803B2
A method of controlling a remote navigation system that remotely orients the distal end of the medical device in order to navigate a medical device through a body lumen, the method comprising: displaying an exterior image of the body lumen; superimposing an indicator of the current position of the medical device in the body lumen; displaying a plurality of segment labels; receiving oral commands and recognizing one of the spoken displayed segment labels; and causing the remote navigation system to orient the distal end of the device in a preselected direction associated with the segment corresponding to the displayed segment label.
US07742802B2
A system and method are disclosed for determining a global position of an anatomical structure. The system utilizes a surgical navigation system and a substrate that is capable of being removably mounted to an outer surface of a user's body. The substrate includes a positional device and a sensor that is tracked by the surgical navigation system. A finger mounted structure capable of communicating with the positional device is also provided. The concatenation of a position of the sensor and a position of the finger mounted structure allows a global position of a point on the anatomical structure to be determined by a computer system.
US07742791B2
In integrally forming a positioning convexity on an inner surface of a case, breakage during a fall and the like is prevented by increasing the strength of the positioning convexity without causing a defective appearance during the molding of the case. In performing the positioning of a top cover and a built-in frame by fitting together a positioning concavity formed in the built-in frame and a positioning convexity which is integrally formed on an inner surface of the top cover, the positioning convexity is formed from a rib in the shape of a box or the like. To lessen stress concentration, the positioning convexity is disposed in the vicinity of a screw fixing section. To improve assemblability, a curved surface or an inclined surface which guides the fitting into the positioning concavity is formed at a leading end of the rib which constitutes the positioning convexity.
US07742789B1
A mobile telephone using a LCD for the display thereof wherein the address data bus connected to the CPU comprises two separate data buses; the one exclusively provided for the LCD, and the other one for the parts other than the LCD, and in the case of accesses other than access to the LCD, the LCD exclusive address data bus is not actuated.
US07742787B2
A wireless data communication card configured in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention includes a low profile antenna arrangement that does not protrude from the housing of the computing device when the wireless data communication card is inserted into the housing. The low profile design is achieved without compromising the radio frequency (“RF”) characteristics and performance of the wireless data communication card by tuning the antenna arrangement to account for conductive ground structure located within the housing of the computing device. In accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention, the wireless data communication card is compliant with IEEE Standard 802.11(b) and compliant with PCMCIA specifications.
US07742785B2
Techniques for generating reference signals for multiple communication systems are described. An apparatus comprises a reference oscillator, a frequency control unit, and a plurality of frequency synthesizers. The reference oscillator generates a main reference signal and may be a crystal oscillator or some other type of oscillator. The frequency control unit estimates the frequency error of the main reference signal and provides a frequency error estimate. The plurality of frequency synthesizers receive the main reference signal and generate a plurality of system reference signals for a plurality of systems. At least one (e.g., each) frequency synthesizer corrects the frequency error of the main reference signal based on the frequency error estimate from the frequency control unit. Each frequency synthesizer may include a sigma-delta modulator used to generate a divider control for a phase locked loop (PLL). The divider control corrects for the frequency error of the main reference signal.
US07742783B2
A mobile electronic device is provided having a display with a display centerpoint; a first softkey and a second softkey, each substantially equidistant from the display centerpoint; and a third softkey and a fourth softkey, each substantially equidistant from the display centerpoint, wherein the first softkey and the third softkey are positioned on opposite sides of the display and on a first axis that passes through the display centerpoint, and wherein the second softkey and the fourth softkey are positioned on opposite sides of the display and on a second axis that passes through the display centerpoint.
US07742777B2
A dynamic arrangement for reducing the presence of ingress noise in the upstream signal path of a two-way cable system utilizes a variable attenuation element and amplifier disposed along the upstream signal path. The amplifier includes a bypass switch so that the amplifier may be switched in to or out of the upstream path. A signal processor associated with the communications gateway functions to calculate the upstream loss present at the gateway and control the operation of the attenuation element, amplifier and bypass switch accordingly. Upstream attenuation is selected to be as large as possible, yet still allow in-building cable devices to communicate with their associated head end (HE) receiver equipment, after accounting for maximum transmit limitations.
US07742776B2
To locate a mobile terminal (MS1, MS2, . . . ) within a mobile communication network comprising at least a radio base station (BTS1, BTS2, . . . , BTSn), a set of physical dimensions are measured, which identify, according to respective functions, the location coordinates (x, y, z) of the mobile terminal. The method comprises the steps of: generating, starting from said set of physical dimensions and respective functions, a global locating error function (φ) which has a minimum for values of said locating co-ordinates (x, y, z) corresponding with the position occupied by said mobile terminal, seeking the minimum of said error function (φ) by varying at least one of said locating co-ordinates (x, y, z), and locating said mobile terminal in correspondence with the value of said at least one locating co-ordinate corresponding to said minimum.
US07742774B2
A method and device is provided for transmitting location-based text messages between electronic devices. A mobile electronic device can determine a device's location, create a map of that location, create a text message, embed the map in the text message and transmit the text message to a recipient. The device can also transmit or create navigational directions and update the map and the directions in real time.
US07742773B2
A system and method are disclosed for determining a position of a wireless communication device. A method includes determining a respective (x,y) position of two wireless communication devices, determining a distance between the two wireless communication devices, and determining a relative elevational differential between the two wireless communication devices. The relative elevational differential is determined based on the determined (x,y) positions of the two wireless communication devices and the determined distance between the first and second wireless communication devices. The (x,y) positions may be determined using GPS receivers incorporated in the wireless communication devices. Determining the distance between the devices may be accomplished using RF ranging. The relative elevational differential may be derived using the Pythagorean theorem.
US07742765B2
A radio network control node acts across an Iur interface as a drift radio network control node (262) for a user equipment unit (UE) in a communications system supporting a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS). The drift radio network control node (262) maintains a first counter for counting a number of events occurring at the drift radio network control node (262). Registration of the drift radio network control node (262) with a core network node (30) is advantageously delayed until the counter has exceeded a first threshold value. In one example mode, the number of events occurring at the drift network control node (262) which is counted by the counter is a number of user equipment units for which a Iur linking procedure is performed for the MBMS session. In another example mode, the number of events occurring at the drift network control node (262) which is counted by the counter are time periods elapsed since an Iur linking procedure for the MBMS session has been performed for a predetermined user equipment unit.
US07742758B2
A method and apparatus is provided for setting up a voice conference call or sharing audio content. The method includes the steps of providing an audio mixer that receives an audio input from each of at least three audio interfaces of the conference call, mixes the audio inputs and provides an equalized audio output to each of the at least three audio interfaces, providing a first local wireless interface between a first audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a first headset, providing a second local interface between a second audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a second headset and coupling a third audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces to a third headset through a base station of a cellular network, wherein the communication paths to the first, second and third persons are all different.
US07742755B2
A method of retrieving a bill using a print medium, comprising the steps of: determining a print media identifier from the print medium using a sensor module of a mobile telecommunications device, the print media identifier having been linked to the bill; and, retrieving, using the mobile telecommunications device and the print media identifier, at least one of the linked bill and information regarding the bill.
US07742752B2
An integrated circuit radio transceiver and method therefor includes a parallel resistive circuit that provides high resolution to resistive circuitry in a hardware efficient manner for use in a plurality of applications including active filters requiring a precise bandwidth, voltage sources that require a precise voltage output, and current sources that require a precise current output source. The parallel resistive circuit includes at least one base resistive device, whose resistive value may be selectable, in parallel with a plurality of selectable circuit paths, each having a plurality of series coupled resistive values formed in an approximate location of the integrated circuit to reduce process variations. The paths are selectable by logic to provide a desired operational characteristic.
US07742746B2
A mobile audio device (for example, a cellular telephone, personal digital audio player, or MP3 player) performs Audio Dynamic Range Control (ADRC) and Automatic Volume Control (AVC) to increase the volume of sound emitted from a speaker of the mobile audio device so that faint passages of the audio will be more audible. This amplification of faint passages occurs without overly amplifying other louder passages, and without substantial distortion due to clipping. Multi-Microphone Active Noise Cancellation (MMANC) functionality is, for example, used to remove background noise from audio information picked up on microphones of the mobile audio device. The noise-canceled audio may then be communicated from the device. The MMANC functionality generates a noise reference signal as an intermediate signal. The intermediate signal is conditioned and then used as a reference by the AVC process. The gain applied during the AVC process is a function of the noise reference signal.
US07742739B2
To reduce the overhead induced by transmitting data between a mobile client and a cellular network via an ad-hoc network extension, the cellular network transmits data dedicated to the mobile relay and dedicated to the mobile client within the same data stream, the mobile relay detects whether data received by the mobile relay contains data that are dedicated to the mobile relay itself and terminates the part of the received data that is dedicated to the mobile relay itself, the mobile relay detects whether data received by the mobile relay contains data that are dedicated to the mobile client and forwards the part that is dedicated to the mobile client to the mobile client, and the mobile relay detects whether data received by the mobile relay contains data that are dedicated to the cellular network and forwards the part that is dedicated to the cellular network to the cellular network.
US07742736B2
A sheet size detecting apparatus having a first arm moved by a moving sheet contacting therewith, a second arm moved by the moving sheet contacting therewith, the second arm being disposed at a location differing from that of the first arm in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the sheet, and a sensor, wherein the output level of the sensor when only one of the first arm and the second arm has been moved is the same as the output level thereof when neither of the first arm and the second arm is moved, and the output level of the sensor when both of the first arm and the second arm have been moved differs from the output level thereof when neither of the first arm and the second arm is not moved. Thereby, the cost can be suppressed and yet, the wrong detection of the sheet size can be prevented.
US07742727B2
An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive member on which a latent image is to be formed, a developing roller for developing the latent image on the photoconductive member by a first bias. A magnetic roller forms a magnetic brush thereon with a two-component developer and forms a thin toner layer on the developing roller by a second bias. The developing roller is aluminum with a surface treated for high resistance. The thickness (T) of the toner layer and the duty ratio (D1) of the first alternating-current bias satisfy relationships of the following equations for calculating the duty ratio (D1) using an application period of a voltage in a direction to transfer the toner from the developing roller towards the photoconductive member as a positive period: 7 μm≦T≦13 μm, and 35%≦D1≦70%.
US07742726B2
A developer cartridge, developing unit, and image forming apparatus are provided. The developer cartridge includes a cartridge cabinet including a developer accommodate chamber, a supply opening, and a return opening. The developer cartridge further includes a rotational shaft that is rotatably supported in the cartridge cabinet, a first agitating blade that is attached to the rotational shaft and that is located in a position opposed to the return opening, a distance from the rotational shaft to a distal end of the first agitating blade being shorter than a distance from the rotational shaft to the return opening, and a second agitating blade that is attached to the rotational shaft and that is located in a position opposed to the supply opening, a distance from the rotational shaft to a distal end of the second agitating blade being longer than a distance from the rotational shaft to the supply opening.
US07742723B2
The invention provides a developing device employing a liquid developer which is capable of effectively cleaning a development roller or the like having an elastic outer layer. The developing device of the invention is provided with an elastic roller such as a development roller for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier. In image forming process, toner particles uniformly dispersed in carrier are agglutinated to the elastic roller side by means of compaction. A cleaning blade is provided for cleaning the agglutinated toner particles. Assuming that an angle of a contact face of the cleaning blade relative to a perpendicular line perpendicular to a generating line of the elastic roller at a contact point where the tip end of the cleaning blade is pressed against and in contact with the elastic roller is θ and an angle of a rising contour of a deformed portion of the elastic outer layer which is deformed by the pressure of the cleaning blade against the elastic roller relative to the perpendicular line is a, a relation a>θ is established.
US07742717B2
A developing device to prevent damage of a memory unit and poor connection between terminals of the memory unit and a main body of an image forming apparatus, by improving a mounting position of the memory unit. The developing device is removably mounted to a main body of the image forming apparatus. The memory unit includes terminals exposed through a rear side of the developing device. The memory unit is disposed closer to a power reception unit formed at one side of the developing device than to a driving force reception unit formed at an other side of the developing device.
US07742716B2
An image forming system includes: an image forming mechanism configured to form an image on a sheet of a transfer material; a post-processor configured to perform post-processing on a plurality of sheets of transfer materials, respectively, there being on at least one of which a respective image has been formed by the image forming mechanism; a transporter to transport the sheets through the post-processor along one or more transport paths; and a controller operable to do the following including, determine a first stopping condition of whether the number of sheets exceeds a reference number, and detect a second stopping condition of whether a cumulative thickness of the sheets loaded in the post-processor exceeds a reference thickness, and stop further image formation by the image forming mechanism when at least one of the first and second stopping conditions is satisfied.
US07742714B2
An image forming apparatus, an image fixing apparatus, and an image fixing method that fix a toner image onto an recording medium in an electrophotographic process capable of effectively controlling an image fixing temperature. In one example, when a narrower recording medium, narrower than a maximum allowable size, is continuously fed at an image fixing temperature, a gap between the conveyed recording mediums is controlled to be longer than a default gap corresponding to a wider recording medium in a feeding direction to avoid an increase of the temperature of the ends of the fixing member in the longitudinal direction, to thereby maintain an allowable temperature limit.
US07742697B2
Network elements are identified as being connected to optical nodes by instructing two network elements in a spectrum group of the CMTS to transmit at frequencies f1 and f2, respectively. Frequencies f1 and f2 are selected such that they produce intermodulation distortions (intermods) in the laser transmitter at f3 when combined. If intermods are produced which exceed a predetermined threshold, then the two network elements are determined to be on the same node. If the total power of the signal by the laser transmitter exceeds an impact threshold, then the test is stopped and new network elements are selected for testing.
US07742691B2
An image stabilizer includes a driver having a coil and magnet, where a correcting lens on a moving frame is moved by the driver in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis of a lens system and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and optical axis, and an optical axis of the correcting lens corresponds with the optical axis of the lens system. The coil and magnet are fixed to the moving frame and a supporting frame; the driver includes first and second coils for moving the correcting lens in the first and second directions, and a magnet applying magnetic force to those coils; and thrust generated from the first and second coils are directed in the first and second directions, each forming an angle of approximately 45° with a line connecting the optical axis of the correcting lens and the center of a lens barrel.
US07742689B2
The invention relates to an apparatus for heating an electrically conductive fluid, such as potable water, and to a method of heating the same. The heating apparatus includes a plurality of electrodes in an array, and a controller for selectively energizing the plurality of electrodes, in different combinations, to thereby adjust the electrical resistance observed across the electrode array, in order to maximize the current drawn by the apparatus.
US07742686B2
A signal processor includes a point setting part that sets a position of a main image signal, as a registration point. A playback control part causes output of an image frame from the registration point used as a starting point in response to a given playback instruction. A capture processing part generates a registration image based on the main image signal and stores the registration image, the at least one image frame being placed in a neighborhood of the registration point. A point recording part writes the registration point into a memory and writes the registration image corresponding to the recorded point into the memory. A point calling part reads out the recorded image and the recorded point in response to a given calling instruction. The point setting part sets the recorded point and the recorded image as the registration point and the registration image, respectively.
US07742684B2
Access point pictures designated as randomly accessible positions are I pictures or P pictures. Information indicating the decoding sequence (I1, P1, B1, B2, B3, B4, P2, . . . ) of pictures functioning as access points and attribute information (picture_type) indicating whether a picture functions as an access point or is necessary for decoding of the access point following a given access point are recorded on the video information recording medium. Random access is possible even if the GOP interval is lengthened.
US07742681B2
An information record apparatus includes: a down-convert device for down-converting a first content information having a first reproduction quality (HD) into a second content information having a second reproduction quality (SD) which is lower quality than the first reproduction quality; a scramble device for generating scramble information by scrambling the first content information, on the basis of a predetermined scramble key; and a first record device for recording the second content information and the scramble information into a first record medium.
US07742673B2
An article includes a stack of display layers including a display layer having a high-shear modulus that is sandwiched between two display layers having a low-shear modulus. The display layers include a light-emitting device that generates heat and light during use. The heat generated by the display layers may form localized heat-sources in the stack. The display layer with the high-shear modulus is a thermal transport layer through which the localized heat-sources-induced guided elastic waves propagate along an acoustic waveguide plane and can transport the heat generated by the light-emitting device away from the light-emitting device. Alternately, a display layer having a high refractive index may be sandwiched between two display layers having a low refractive index. The display layers with low shear modulus or low refractive index may be replaced with thermal transport layers having low shear modulus or low refractive index respectively.
US07742671B2
A silica-based optical fiber includes a core and a cladding that is formed on an outer circumference of the core. The core includes three or more layers including a layer doped with at least one of germanium and fluorine, and a concentration of the germanium or the fluorine in each of the layers is controlled in such a manner that a Brillouin gain spectral peak is spread into a plurality of peaks on a Brillouin gain spectrum. With this scheme, an optical fiber is provided, which has stable characteristics in the longitudinal direction, and which has a high SBS threshold so that generation of the SBS can be effectively suppressed.
US07742665B2
An optical filter and methods of filtering are provided. The optical filter includes a hollow-core fiber including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter. The second portion includes a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter.
US07742639B2
In real-time three-dimensional imaging the choice of the visualization method and orientation is crucial for intervention success. The key question is what to ignore and what to show in real-time applications, where user control is not appropriate. An intervention (caused by a user) to an object of interest is visualized without the requirement of an interactive input by the user. Parameters for a visualization procedure are automatically chosen during data acquisition which may allow for an efficient tracking of the actual orientation and relative position of the structure with respect to the object of interest.
US07742638B2
The present invention provides a video server. In one embodiment, the video server includes a perceptual analyzer configured to analyze frames of a video sequence and provide a video analysis file. The video server also includes a transmitter coupled to the perceptual analyzer and configured to transmit both the video sequence and the video analysis file. The present invention also provides a mobile client. In one embodiment, the mobile client includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) having a backlight and configured to provide a video sequence for the mobile client. The mobile client also includes a display processor, coupled to the LCD, configured to employ a received video analysis file to enhance at least one of a brightness and contrast of the video sequence and correspondingly reduce a backlight intensity of the backlight.
US07742630B2
A method for determining a backflow of a substance along a track of a delivery device includes: a) obtaining parameters that influence the flow of the fluid or substance; b) acquiring information about delivery data; and c) computing the backflow along the delivery device using the information in steps a) and b).
US07742629B2
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ (for example, coronary artery) using a plurality of two-dimensional images. Some of the embodiments may include displaying a first image of a vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the first image a vessel of interest, tracing the edges of the vessel of interest including eliminating false edges of objects visually adjacent to the vessel of interest, determining substantially precise radius and densitometry values along the vessel, displaying at least a second image of the vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the second image the vessel of interest, tracing the edges of the vessel of interest in the second image, including eliminating false edges of objects visually adjacent to the vessel of interest, determining substantially precise radius and densitometry values along the vessel in the second image, determining a three dimensional reconstruction of the vessel of interest and determining fused area (cross-section) measurements along the vessel and computing and presenting quantitative measurements, including, but not limited to, true length, percent narrowing (diameter and area), and the like.
US07742624B2
A system and method for reducing distance-based distortion in a camera image of an object, where the distanced-based distortion is due to differences in distance from the camera to different parts of the object. In one approach, the distortion is reduced by estimating distances to different parts of the object and then generating a reprojected image of the object dependent upon the estimated distances and upon a virtual viewpoint that is more distant than the camera from the object. In a further approach, the image is warped such that points in the image match corresponding points in one or more stored templates. In a still further approach, if excessive distortion is present in the image, the camera zoom is increased and a magnified image is displayed, prompting a person to move farther from the camera thereby reducing the distortion.
US07742623B1
The present invention is a method and system to estimate the visual target that people are looking, based on automatic image measurements. The system utilizes image measurements from both face-view cameras and top-down view cameras. The cameras are calibrated with respect to the site and the visual target, so that the gaze target is determined from the estimated position and gaze direction of a person. Face detection and two-dimensional pose estimation locate and normalize the face of the person so that the eyes can be accurately localized and the three-dimensional facial pose can be estimated. The eye gaze is estimated based on either the positions of localized eyes and irises or on the eye image itself, depending on the quality of the image. The gaze direction is estimated from the eye gaze measurement in the context of the three-dimensional facial pose. From the top-down view the body of the person is detected and tracked, so that the position of the head is estimated using a body blob model that depends on the body position in the view. The gaze target is determined based on the estimated gaze direction, estimated head pose, and the camera calibration. The gaze target estimation can provide a gaze trajectory of the person or a collective gaze map from many instances of gaze.
US07742620B2
A method for identifying potential targets as far away as possible is disclosed. In a simple background scene such as a blue sky, a target may be recognized from a relatively long distance, but for some high clutter situations such as mountains and cities, the detection range is severely reduced. The background clutter may also be non-stationary further complicating the detection of a target. To solve these problems, target detection (recognition) of the present invention is based upon temporal fusion (integration) of sensor data using pre-detection or post-detection integration techniques, instead of using the prior art technique of fusing data from only a single time frame. Also disclosed are double-thresholding and reversed-thresholding techniques which further enhance target detection and avoid the shortcomings of the traditional constant false alarm rate (CFAR) thresholding technique. The present invention further discloses improved spatial fusion techniques for target detection (recognition) employing multiple sensors instead of employing the more conventional single sensor techniques. If spatial fusion is implemented with more than three sensors, then target detection can be enhanced by also using post-detection techniques. Moreover, since the pre-detection and the post-detection technique are complementary to each other, a combination of these two integration techniques will further improve target detection (recognition) performance.
US07742612B2
The training of a hearing aid for individual Situations is intended to be simpler and more comprehensive for the hearing aid wearer. The invention therefore provides for the hearing aid wearer just to have to associate a current acoustic Situation with a predetermined hearing Situation identification (3′). This association is learnt by a classifier, for example a neural network (5). After the training process, the neural network (5) can then reliably associate the corresponding hearing Situation identification (3′) with an acoustic input Signal (2). A current Parameter Set (4′) is varied or supplemented appropriately on the basis of this association.
US07742600B2
A system includes a managing center transmitting a data stream encrypted by control words included in control messages. The data stream is received by at least one user unit linked to a security module identified by a unique address. The security module contains a credit which is deducted according to the consumption of data from the stream. The security module can deduct the credit of an amount related to a product or an amount related to a duration, this amount and/or this duration being defined in the control message or in a management message. The user transmits to the managing center an identifier identifying the unique address and a value code representing an amount of credit to reload, the managing center dealing with and checking the value code and transmitting an encrypted message having the unique address and the amount to reload the credit with, to the security module.
US07742598B2
A parallel processing shrinking key generator is provided. The parallel processing shrinking key generator includes: a selection linear feedback shift register (LFSR); a source LFSR; a selection logic circuit for selecting one of a source bit of the source LFSR and a predetermined input bit according to a selection bit of the selection LFSR; an index counter for assigning an index where output bits of the selection logic circuit are stored at a next clocking of a clock signal; and an output amount register for shifting an output bit of the selection logic circuit according to the assignment of the index counter.
US07742588B2
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for improved audio, video, and data conferencing. The present invention provides a conferencing system comprising a plurality of endpoints communicating data including audio data and control data according to a communication protocol. A local conference endpoint may control or be controlled by a remote conference endpoint. Data comprising control signals may be exchanged between the local endpoint and remote endpoint via various communication protocols. In other embodiments, the present invention provides for improved bridge architecture for controlling functions of conference endpoints including controlling functions of the bridge.
US07742586B1
Service levels for call-processing are enhanced based on the subscriber status of at least one of the calling party and the called party. In one example, a calling party (caller) places a call to a called party (recipient). At least one of the parties subscribes to a call-processing service and the call normally would be processed according to a predetermined service level. However, the service level is enhanced in response to a subscriber status for at least one of the parties, and the call is processed according to the enhanced service level.
US07742584B2
Communication systems and methods are described that enable mobile devices to route telephone calls via an enterprise telephone system. The communication system is configured to receive via a data channel a request from the mobile device. The mobile device corresponds to a user making a call. The server receiving the request includes a private branch exchange (PBX) and one or more other servers hosted by or coupled to the enterprise. A first call leg is initiated over a first voice channel in response to the request. The first call leg is coupled to the server and mobile device. A second call leg is initiated over a second voice channel, and the second call leg is coupled to the server and a client device corresponding to an intended call recipient. A voice conference call is formed between the mobile device and client device by joining the first and second call legs.
US07742577B1
A splicing method and apparatus is provided to facilitate efficient identification of cable wires to be spliced. Multiple wires are coupled to a test circuit, and a test signal is selectively applied to wire pairs with a switch. The wire carrying the signal in the cable to be replaced is then cut and spliced to a corresponding wire in a replacement cable.
US07742574B2
A new device for x-ray optics is proposed which is an analogous to zone plates but works for higher x-ray energies. This is achieved by using both refraction and diffraction of the x-rays and building the new device(s) in a three dimensional structure, contrary to the zone plates which are basically a two dimensional device. The three dimensional structure is built from a multitude of prisms, utilizing both refraction and diffraction of incoming x-rays to shape the overall x-ray flux. True two dimensional focusing is achieved in the x-ray energy range usually employed in medical imaging and may be used in a wide area of applications in this field and in other fields of x-ray imaging. The device can be readily produced in large volumes.
US07742563B2
A system and method for scanning objects using a non-translational x-ray diffraction (XRD) system is disclosed. The system includes a scanning area through which an object to be scanned traverses and a distributed x-ray source having a plurality of focal spot locations. The distributed x-ray source is affixed on the scanning area and is configured to emit x-rays towards the object as a series of parallel x-ray beams. A stationary detector arrangement is affixed on another side of the scanning area generally opposite the distributed x-ray source and is configured to measure a coherent scatter spectra of the x-rays after passing through the object. A data acquisition system (DAS) is connected to the detector arrangement and is configured to measure the coherent scatter spectra, which is utilized to generate XRD data and determine a material composition of at least a portion of the object from the XRD data.
US07742561B2
The present invention is designed to overcome the disadvantages of X-ray imaging having difficulty in high-sensitivity measurement and of optical imaging having difficulty in high-spatial-resolution measurement, when used for diagnostic purposes. The present invention provides an imaging apparatus including an X-ray tube, a detector having sensitivity to X-rays and light, and a processing unit that processes the result of detection. In the imaging apparatus, the processing unit processes, as a first signal, a signal detected by the detector during an irradiation period in which an X-ray source provides X-ray irradiation, and processes, as a second signal, a light signal detected by the detector during a period other than the irradiation period.
US07742556B1
Circuits, methods, apparatus, and systems for recovering a clock from a spread spectrum signal having a periodic modulation profile. The circuits generally include an error detector circuit configured to compare the spread spectrum signal and a recovered clock signal, and to produce a first error signal corresponding to the periodic modulation profile and a second error signal corresponding to phase differences other than the spread spectrum modulation, a record and playback unit configured to record a value to a frequency memory, said value based on the first error signal and produce a third error signal corresponding to a predicted periodic modulation based at least in part on the recorded value, and a signal generator configured to produce the recovered clock signal in response to the second and third error signals.
US07742555B1
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a nuclear reactor during a transient period. The method includes actuating the steam dump system in response to a temperature error signal and a power mismatch signal.
US07742550B2
A wireless communication apparatus which uses fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver which incorporates a beam space antenna array. The beam space antenna array may be implemented with a Butler matrix array. The beam space antenna array may be a circular array, vertical array, or a combination of both circular and vertical arrays, for providing the desired angular antenna coverage. In one embodiment, the antenna array is optimized because the FFTs are linear invariant transform operators, whereby the order of operations in the OFDM receiver can be interchanged.
US07742548B2
A device for Frame Synchronization and coarse frequency offset estimation (CFE) and a method thereof is provided. The method may include the step of receiving a communication signal in a matched filter. The matched filter may be configured for selecting one or more blocks from the communication signal. The matched filter may be further configured for filtering the blocks to obtain an output of the matched filter. The method may also include the step of providing the output of the matched filter to a frame synchronizer and to a coarse frequency estimator. The method may include the step of obtaining substantially simultaneously a symbol boundary using the frame synchronizer and a plurality of metrics using the coarse frequency estimator. Each of the metric may be an indicative of an estimate of coarse frequency offset. The method may further include a step of selecting one of the metric from the plurality of metrics according to the symbol boundary for obtaining an estimate of the coarse frequency offset. The method further provides a step of obtaining the estimate of the coarse frequency offset by performing an inverse tangent operation on the selected metric.
US07742545B2
A method and an apparatus (300) for generating corrected quadrature phase signal pairs in a communication device are provided. The apparatus (300) includes a quadrature phase generator (310), programmable delay elements (320, 330) and a control circuit (360). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) receive a quadrature phase signal pair (signals I 312 and Q 314) from the quadrature phase generator (310). The control circuit (360) generates a control signal (362) based on outputs (325, 335) of the programmable delay elements (320, 330). The control signal (362) configures the programmable delay elements (320, 330). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) are configured to adjust delay between the signals I (312) and Q (314). The programmable delay elements (320, 330) are also used to adjust duty cycle for the quadrature phase signal pair to provide the corrected quadrature phase signal pair.
US07742534B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting user data between a transmitter and a receiver in a multi-carrier radio communication system having a plurality of orthogonal frequency sub-carriers, said method comprising the steps of selecting a set of sub-carriers on which said user data are to be transmitted between said transmitter and said receiver.According to the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: Sending from said transmitter, before transmission of said user data, an indication related to a threshold; Determining at the receiver a quality level for each sub carriers; Selecting at said receiver sub carriers to received said user data as a function of said indication related to a threshold and of said quality levels.
US07742525B1
A method for adaptively performing motion estimation. In some embodiments, the method initially performs a first motion estimation operation. It then determines whether the estimated error in the result of the first motion estimation is greater than a particular threshold. If not, the method uses the results of the first motion estimation operation. Otherwise, the method selects another motion estimation operation. The method continues in this manner until it performs a motion estimation operation that results in an acceptable estimated error, or until it tries all the motion estimation operations at its disposal. When the method cannot identify a motion estimation operation that produces results with an acceptable estimated error, the method selects the result of the motion estimation operation that produced the best results.
US07742522B2
A multi-scanner scans a signal according to several different patterns. A scanning pattern selector determines which scanning pattern produced the most efficient coding result, for example, for runlength coding, and outputs a coded signal, coded most efficiently, and a selection signal which identifies the scanning pattern found to be most efficient.
US07742521B2
The system carries out conversion of digital video signals organized in blocks of pixels from a first format to a second format. The second format is a format compressed via vector quantization. The vector quantization is performed by means of repeated application of a scalar quantizer to the pixels of said blocks with a quantization step (Q) determined in an adaptive way according to the characteristics of sharpness and/or brightness of the pixels.
US07742517B2
A modulator includes a first input configured to input a first bit string; a first modulating device configured to modulate the inputted first bit string at a first bit rate; a second input configured to input a second bit string; a second modulating device configured to modulate the inputted second bit string at a second bit rate which is lower than the first bit rate; and an output configured to output a modulated signal including the modulated first bit string and the modulated second bit string.
US07742509B2
A single longitudinal-mode laser includes a first mirror and a second mirror that define a laser cavity therein that does not include a linear polarizer. A birefringent gain medium can generate a lasing light at a lasing wavelength along a light propagation direction in response to a pump light at a pumping wavelength. The birefringent gain medium has an optical axis substantially perpendicular to the light propagation direction. A first wave plate positioned between the first mirror and the birefringent gain medium is a quarter wave plate at the lasing wavelength and a whole wave plate at the pumping wavelength. A second wave plate is positioned between the birefringent gain medium and the second mirror. The first wave plat and the second wave plate in part produce a single longitudinal mode in the lasing light.
US07742508B2
An electro-optic deflector 51 has an electro-optic material body 519 through which an optical beam 46 is passed. The deflector has no more than three longitudinal electrodes, of which no more than two electrodes 511, 512 have arcuate transverse cross-sections. The electrodes are arranged to create an electric field substantially transverse to a direction of the optical beam to deflect the optical beam passing between the electrodes. The electro-optic deflector has particular application in a Q-switched laser for generating sub-nanosecond optical pulses.
US07742507B1
A method and system for multiplexing a plurality of serialized data signals in which a first integrated circuit device generates a plurality of serialized data signals. A second integrated circuit device is in electrical communication with the first integrated circuit device. The second integrated circuit device includes a multiplexer operable to generate a multiplexed output signal from the plurality of serialized data signals received from the first integrated circuit. A phase data and byte snapshot back channel is transmitted from the second integrated circuit device to the first integrated circuit device. The phase data and byte snapshot back channel carries phase data and periodic snapshots of the serialized data signals. The phase data and byte snapshot back channel is used by the first integrated circuit device to adjust the phase of each of the plurality of serialized data signals to preserve bit and byte alignment. Such a method and system can be implemented as a 4×10 Gbit/Sec. system that is multiplexed to a 40 Gbit/Sec. stream as may be used in optical transmission systems.
US07742503B2
A transmitting apparatus for encapsulating data received from an asynchronous network to a frame of a specified format and transmitting the received data as a synchronous frame to a synchronous network, includes a code generating part configured to generate an error detection code for detecting an error in the received data and add the error detection code to the received data, an inverting part configured to perform bit inversion in which the received data added with the error detection code are converted to bit inverted received data, a selecting part configured to select either the received data or the bit inverted received data according to the number of bit patterns included in the received data and the bit inverted received data, and a transmitting part configured to transmit either the received data added with the error detection code or the bit inverted received data selected by the selecting part.
US07742500B2
A mobile station that includes a smart card associated with a mobile host equipment communicates by means of a protocol that is organized in several layers. These layers include at least a data transport layer of the datagram type that is adapted to transmit integral data packets of a maximum size. The transmission method carries out the step of determining the value of the maximum size of data packets that are capable of being integrally transmitted by the transport layer of the mobile host equipment, and storing that value in the card.
US07742499B1
A packet-based communications system or network is configured into multiple geographically distinct network bandwidth zones having interzone communications links with a configured maximum bandwidth. Adaptive bandwidth management based upon quality of server (QoS) measurement between two zones is utilized to dynamically raise or lower the maximum allowable bandwidth limit for the link between the two zones. When QoS between two zones degrades, the allowable bandwidth for new calls between the two zones is lowered to a point that assists in increasing the QoS back to an acceptable level (i.e., by blocking new calls or rerouting them). In one embodiment, the QoS information takes the form of QoS alarms generated and transmitted by active IP phones in the network bandwidth zone.
US07742498B2
Disclosed is a system and method for routing a call to a dual mode wireless device. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a network node receives a call. The network node determines that the call is associated with a dual mode wireless device. Once this determination is made, the network node then selects one of a plurality of networks (e.g., cellular network or packet-based network, such as a VoIP network) for use in connecting the call to the dual mode wireless device. The network node then routes the call to the dual mode wireless device via the selected network. During the call, the network node re-routes the call to another network if the network node determines that this other network is now better suited for the call.
US07742495B2
A system for transmitting packets over a network of communication channels, the system comprising a set of nodes comprising at least first and second nodes and a network access coordinator operative to coordinate the access of the set of nodes to a synchronous network of channels, wherein, if at least one individual packet has been transmitted from the first node to the second node which did not receive at least one packet, the second node is operative to send a retransmission request to the network access coordinator requesting retransmission of at least one individual packet.
US07742487B2
A method of operating a service provider system comprising receiving first traffic, determining a first traffic type of the first traffic from a plurality of traffic types, selecting the first communication link from a plurality of communication links based on the first traffic type, and transmitting the first traffic on a first communication link to a communication system.
US07742483B2
A method transmits data packets in a radio-communication system. A criterion is associated with a data packet received by a radio station, and a data packet which is correctly received is transmitted to another device and/or protocol layer when the criterion has been met.
US07742481B2
In order to allow the generation of a time stamp in consideration of a frame skip even in the case where the frame skip is generated, a PES generation section of a multiplexer detects the number of skipped frames by analyzing elementary video streams output from a video encoder to determine a PTS on the basis of the time difference between frames calculated on the basis of the number of skipped frames. Then, a frame to which a PTS is to be placed with the above stream analysis is cut out to insert the PTS into a PES header of this frame to be transmitted to the transmission channel.
US07742471B2
A system is provided that includes a hardware forwarding engine that routes data packets. The system also comprises a processor coupled to the hardware forwarding engine, the processor having a software forwarding engine that routes data packets. If data packets are forwarded from the hardware forwarding engine to the software forwarding engine, the hardware forwarding engine provides route lookup results for at least some of the data packets forwarded to the software forwarding engine.
US07742465B2
In one aspect of the invention, audio and video user data are separated. The audio user data is conducted via a TDM loop, where it is tapped and the video user data is fed to the recipient via the packet network, the separated audio and video user data are then combined again.
US07742461B2
A Computer Telephony Integration environment has reduced risk of inadvertent or fraudulent registration of the association of a user's computer terminal with the wrong telephone, i.e. one other than the telephone adjacent to the computer terminal or the user's mobile telephone, a host computer instructs the user via a screen display to call a particular extension of a CTI-enabled communications switching system.
US07742457B2
Systems and methods for reducing multicast IP packet bandwidth in a local area network carrying Internet protocol television (IPTV) traffic are disclosed. One embodiment of a system comprises: a layer-2 switch; a slave digital home communication terminal (DHCT); and a master DHCT. The layer-2 switch has a control channel and a plurality of data ports. The slave DHCT is coupled to a first data port of the plurality. The master DHCT is coupled to the layer-2 switch control channel. The master DHCT comprises logic for requesting the layer-2 switch, over the control channel, operate in a first configuration. In the first configuration, the layer-2 switch associates a layer-2 multicast address with the first data port, examines layer-2 multicast packets, and forwards the examined layer-2 multicast packets on the first data port only if the layer-2 destination address is the first layer-2 multicast address.
US07742456B2
Described is a method for locationing in a communications network. A wireless access point receives a signal corresponding to activity of a plurality of wireless devices on a predetermined bandwidth. The signal is processed to generate a plurality of subsignals using a predetermined signal processing procedure. An energy level of a particular subsignal of the plurality of subsignals is determined. A location of a corresponding wireless device is determined as a function of the energy level and a predetermined locationing procedure.
US07742452B2
A method of operation of a multi-hop wireless communication system comprising operating a first device to communicate with one or more network devices using a preamble sequence; locating the first device within range of a network entity; and switching the preamble sequence of the first device to a second preamble for communicating with the one or more network devices.
US07742446B2
A system and method for cognitive communication device operation. In accordance with the system and method, a node (102, 106, 107) that communicates in a wireless multihopping communication network (100) uses a receiver (302, 402, 502, 602) to acquire a digital sample of a communication signal, and extracts at least one feature of the digital sample. The node (102, 106, 107) employs a classifier (306, 406, 506) to determine the signal type, and a transmitter (108) to send feature vectors including information representing the signal type to other nodes (102, 106, 107) in the network (100).
US07742445B2
In one embodiment, a wireless access point wirelessly receives identification information from a portable computing device, determines a particular communication medium access provider identified in the identification information, wirelessly receives data from the portable computing device, and transmits the data to a destination of the particular communication medium access provider. In one embodiment, the wireless access point communicates with the portable computing device using wireless Ethernet, listens for all types of identification information and answers all queries from the portable computing device even if the wireless access point does not recognize the identification information, and provides the portable computing devices access to a plurality of communication medium access providers. In one embodiment, each of the communication medium access providers wirelessly connects the portable computing device to a network, and the identification information identifies a particular one of the communication medium access providers.
US07742443B2
A method of ameliorating the hidden node problem in wireless local area networks employing power control is disclosed. The illustrative embodiments function in a variety of ways that have a common theme: while the Data Frames are transmitted at lesser potency, at least one of the control frames—Request-to-Send, Clear-to-Send, and Acknowledgement—associated with the Data Frame are sent at a greater potency. This causes at least one of the “loud” control frames to be heard and decoded by all of the potentially contending stations. And because the control frames carry duration information for the virtual carrier sense mechanism, their reception suppresses transmissions by potentially-contending stations that cannot sense the “quiet” Data Frames.
US07742430B2
Methods and systems of managing node migration in a wireless network where nodes may spontaneously migrate from a first communication path to a second communication path. The system includes a first collector disposed within the first communication path and a second collector disposed within the second communication path, a network management server that determines a network state and maintains a database of the network state. When the network management server detects that a node has migrated from the first communication path to the second communication path, information associated with the node is retrieved from the first collector and downloaded to the second collector to ensure the proper operation of the node in the network.
US07742428B1
A communication network comprises a first gateway, a second gateway, a soft switch, and an end device. The end device transmits a first test message to the first gateway and transmits a second test message to the second gateway. The first gateway receives the first test message and transmits a first response message responsive to the first test message. The second gateway receives the second test message and transmits a second response message responsive to the second test message. The end device receives the first response message, receives the second response message, processes the first response message and the second response message to determine a preferred gateway of the first gateway and the second gateway, generates an update message indicating the preferred gateway, and transmits the update message to the soft switch.
US07742427B2
An internal loop-back architecture for a parallel serializer/deserializer (SERDES) includes a transmitter macro including a plurality of transmit elements arranged in a parallel architecture, and a receiver macro including a plurality of receive elements arranged in a parallel architecture, wherein at least a portion of the transmit elements and a portion of the receive elements share a communication channel and wherein any of the plurality of transmit elements in a row can communicate with any of the plurality of receive elements in a row, and wherein each of the plurality of transmit element includes a loop-back arrangement with each of the plurality of receive elements.
US07742421B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products for distributing application or higher layer communications network signaling entity operational status information among SIP entities are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes determining operational status information for an application or higher layer communications network signaling entity. Further, the method includes identifying at least one second SIP entity to receive the operational status information. The method also includes distributing the operational status information to the at least one second SIP entity. The first SIP entity, the at least one second SIP entity, and the application or higher layer communications network signaling entity are associated with network nodes separate from subscriber communication terminals.
US07742420B2
The present invention relates to a transmission device implementing a flow control mechanism for aggregate trunks. The transmission device can be implemented as a router that includes an input for receiving aggregate traffic streams, an output for releasing the aggregate traffic streams to a destination point and a control unit capable to regulate the rate of release of packets from the output. Specifically, the flow control operation effected by the control unit is dependent on receipt of acknowledgement messages issued at the destination point, each acknowledgement message confirming the receipt of one or more particular packets at the destination point. The control unit will continuously increase the packet sending rate until a packet is lost in the network between the transmission device and the destination point. On detection of packet loss, based on the lack of one or more corresponding acknowledgement messages from the destination point, the control unit will reduce the packet sending rate.
US07742414B1
The present invention describes methods, systems, and data structures to create and search index records within a trace of a packet-based communications link that has been compressed by organizing the data packets according to which flow they belong. Index points are inserted within the compressed flow trace file to create frames and index records are created and saved for each index point. Consequently, searching for a particular data packet does not require sequentially reading the compressed flow trace file, but rather locating the appropriate index record and its corresponding frame in the compressed flow trace file.
US07742413B1
A null jitter buffer provides performance and diagnostic information relating to a communications network topology. A method is provided for receiving session traffic having an origin and a destination, multicasting the session traffic to the destination and to a null jitter buffer, receiving session traffic in the null jitter buffer, buffering the session traffic in the null jitter buffer, and analyzing performance metrics of the null jitter buffer.
US07742411B2
A technique for managing traffic within a network processor integrated circuit (IC) involves establishing multiple queue groups, associating a different hardware counter with each queue group, and then using the hardware counters to support rate shaping and scheduling of all of the queues in the queue groups. For example, 512 queue groups of thirty-two queues each queue group are established for a total of 16,384 (16 k) different queues and a different hardware counter is associated with each queue group for a total of 512 hardware counters. The group-specific hardware counters are used to implement hardware-based rate shaping and scheduling of all 16 k queues in a resource efficient manner that supports high throughput, e.g., on the order of 40 Gbps.
US07742390B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for improved long preamble formats in a multiple antenna communication system having N antennas. According to one aspect of the invention, a preamble having a legacy portion and a high throughput portion is transmitted (or received) on each of the N transmit antennas, wherein the legacy portion comprises a legacy long training field and the high throughput portion comprises at least N high throughput long training fields, wherein the N high throughput long training fields are transmitted in N time slots using an N×N orthogonal matrix. The orthogonal matrix can be, for example, one or more of a Walsh matrix and a Fourier matrix. The N time slots can optionally comprise a single symbol.
US07742384B2
The present invention aims to provide an optical head and an optical disk device capable of suitably detecting tracking error signals for different types of optical discs.A polarizing hologram element includes a first area and a second area adjacent to the first area in an area where a beam reflected and diffracted by a BD passes. The first area includes a first transmission area for transmitting many 1st-order diffracted lights from the BD, a second transmission area adjacent to the first transmission area and closer to an optical axis than the first transmission area, and a third transmission area adjacent to the first and second transmission areas. The second area includes a fourth transmission area for transmitting many 1st-order diffracted lights from the BD, a fifth transmission area adjacent to the fourth transmission area and closer to the optical axis than the fourth transmission area, and a sixth transmission area adjacent to the fourth and fifth transmission areas.
US07742370B2
An objective lens, for an optical information read/write device that performs read/write operations on each of a plurality of optical discs using a corresponding one of three laser beams having first, second, and third wavelengths λ1, λ2, and λ3 (nm) satisfying a relationship λ1<λ2<λ3, respectively, includes a phase shift structure having a plurality of ring-shaped refractive surface zones into which at least one surface of the objective lens is concentrically divided. The objective lens is made of material with an Abbe number νd satisfying a condition 40≦νd≦80. The phase shift structure has a step between each couple of the adjacent refractive surface zones that gives an optical path difference to an incident laser beam, so that a condition 2N+1.00<|ΔOPD/λ1|<2N+1.30 is satisfied, where ΔOPD represents the optical path difference (nm) that the step gives to the laser beam with the first wavelength, and N represents a non-negative integer.
US07742369B2
The present invention provides a content reproduction system that can continue reproduction of a plurality of content even if a part of content is unreproducible. The content reproduction system includes a content storage apparatus including a content storage section that stores a plurality of content whose reproduction order has previously been specified based on reproduction order information, and a content reproduction apparatus including a communication section that communicates with the content storage apparatus, a request section that requests the content storage apparatus to transmit content stored in the content storage section in the order according to the reproduction order information, and a reproduction section that reproduces the content, wherein when content that the request section has requested from the content storage apparatus is unreproducible, the request section requests the content storage apparatus to transmit content which is listed as content to be reproduced subsequent to the unreproducible content in the reproduction order information.
US07742362B2
A timepiece with an alarm mechanism having: a power source (24) which is locked when the mechanism is at rest and unlocked when the mechanism is in operation; an adjustment system which can be used to program the alarm time; and a trigger system that includes a control member (16) which controls the unlocking of the power source and a cam (10) which is kinematically connected to the movement and performs one revolution every 24 hours. The alarm mechanism also has a first striking train mechanism equipped with at least one hammer (54) arranged to strike at least one gong (56), and a second striking train mechanism equipped with at least one hammer (70) arranged to strike at least one non-resonant object (72), wherein the power source (24) drives one or the other of the striking train mechanisms.
US07742359B2
A calibration circuit for a semiconductor device and a method of driving the same. The calibration circuit includes a PRBS generator in which a data pattern is generated within an integrated circuit without receiving data from the outside, a PRBS tester that compares output signals of a data latch that strobes and latches an output signal of a data input buffer to determine whether the interlock operation of data and strobe is pass or fail, and a calibration unit that calibrates a delay time using the output signal of the PRBS tester as much as a predetermined unit. Thus, variation in process, voltage, temperature, etc. can be freely calibrated even after package assembly. Accordingly, it is possible to guarantee a set-up/hold value that is necessary for high frequency operation of a system, and to reduce the time and resources necessary for product manufacture and for calibrating these values.
US07742357B2
Securing an integrated circuit, including fabricating the integrated circuit to include a multiplicity of unblown efuses, at least one surrogate efuse that emulates a blown efuse, non-volatile data representing the blown state of the surrogate efuse, and security circuitry; and setting, by the security circuitry when power is first applied to the integrated circuit, a security state of the integrated circuit in dependence upon whether a sensed state of the surrogate efuse is equal to the blown state of the surrogate efuse.
US07742355B2
A technique to reduce refresh power in a DRAM. In one embodiment, all of the DRAM memory cells are refreshed at a first rate and a subset of the memory cells are refreshed a second rate greater than the first rate. In another embodiment, the DRAM has a refresh controller that generates a refresh address and controls the refresh of the memory cells addressed by the refresh address. A marker memory is used by the refresh controller to determine which of the memory cells requires refreshing at a rate faster than the refresh rate of the remaining memory cells. Testing the DRAM uses a method to determine which of the memory cells are to be refreshed at the faster rate and to store the results in the marker memory.
US07742353B2
A solid state semiconductor storage device with temperature control function comprises a non-volatile memory unit, a temperature sensing element, and a control unit. The temperature sensing element is used for sensing the operation temperature of the solid state semiconductor storage device so as to provide a temperature sensing signal to the control unit. According to the temperature sensing signal, the control unit controls the operation mode of the solid state semiconductor storage device for achieving the function of temperature control.
US07742347B2
A voltage generating circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus according includes a data logic voltage generating unit that, when a data output unit outside a semiconductor memory apparatus outputs low-level data, generates an internal data logic voltage at the same potential level as the low-level data in response to an on-die termination signal. In addition, a reference voltage generating circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus that uses the voltage generating circuit includes a reference voltage generating unit that can be configured to generate a reference voltage at an average potential level between a maximum potential and a minimum potential of input data.
US07742346B2
A voltage booster and a memory structure using the same are provided. When a data storage unit in the memory structure is in normal operation, all voltage pumps in the voltage booster are turned on for boosting a supply voltage. However, when the data storage unit is in standby state, in the voltage booster, some voltage pumps are turned on while other voltage pumps are turned off, for boosting the supply voltage. Accordingly, the standby current and power consumption are reduced and the pump efficiency is improved.
US07742344B2
Disclosed are an apparatus, method, and computer readable medium configured for performing a background erase in a memory device. Included is the act of receiving at least one erase command and at least one erasable block address for the memory device. Also included is the act of asserting a background-process-busy flag after receiving the at least one erase command and the at least one erasable block address. At least one block in the memory associated with the at least one erasable block address is erased, wherein the erasing occurs at a time delay after receiving the at least one erase command if a background enable flag is asserted. Finally, the background-process-busy flag is negated after the erasing is complete.
US07742337B2
A semiconductor memory is achieved which allows a reduction in the area of a memory array block without reducing the gate widths of floating gates. A plurality of select gates extend in straight lines in the X direction. Between the upper- and lower-side select gates, two rows' worth of floating gates are arranged. The plurality of floating gates are placed in a staggered arrangement (in other words, in a zigzag pattern). That is, looking at one floating gate in a specific column and another floating gate in a column adjacent to that specific column, those floating gates deviate from each other in the Y direction.
US07742335B2
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for operating non-volatile multilevel memory cells. One method embodiment includes assigning, to a first cell coupled to a row select line, a first number of program states to which the first cell can be programmed. The method includes assigning, to a second cell coupled to the row select line, a second number of program states to which the second cell can be programmed, wherein the second number of program states is greater than the first number of program states. The method includes programming the first cell to one of the first number of program states prior to programming the second cell to one of the second number of program states.
US07742331B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array which includes a memory cell string including a plurality of memory cells each having a variable resistor element and a switching element having a current path with one end and the other end, between which the variable resistor element is connected, the plurality of memory cells having current paths thereof being connected in series, the memory cell array further including a first select element connected to one end of a current path of the memory cell string, and a second select element connected to the other end of the current path of the memory cell string, a bit line which is electrically connected to one end of a current path of the first select element, and a source line which is electrically connected to one end of a current path of the second select element.
US07742329B2
Systems, circuits and methods for controlling word line voltage at a word line transistor in Spin Transfer Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM) are disclosed. A first voltage can be supplied to the word line transistor for write operations. A second voltage, which is less than the first voltage, can be supplied to the word line transistor during read operations.
US07742327B2
Techniques are provided for back-gate control in an asymmetrical memory cell. In one aspect, the cell includes five transistors and can be employed for static random access memory (SRAM) applications. An inventive memory circuit can include a plurality of bit line structures, a plurality of word line structures that intersect the plurality of bit line structures to form a plurality of cell locations, and a plurality of cells located at the plurality of cell locations. Each cell can be selectively coupled to a corresponding one of the bit line structures under control of a corresponding one of the word line structures. Each cell can include a first inverter having first and second field effect transistors (FETS) and a second inverter with third and fourth FETS that is cross-coupled to the first inverter to form a storage flip-flop. One of the FETS in the first inverter can be configured with independent front and back gates and can function as both an access transistor and part of one of the inverters.
US07742317B2
A method and apparatus for precharging a DC to DC power converter system is provided. The system includes a boost circuit for generating a boosted output voltage from an input voltage. The input voltage is monitored. A predetermined current limit is compared to a current in the boost circuit, and the current limited is increased when the input voltage is greater than a predetermined value.
US07742314B2
A wiring board comprising: a board core (11) having a core main surface (12) and a core reverse surface (13); a capacitor (101, 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, 101F, 101G, 101H, 101J, 1101, 1101′, 1101″, 1101′″, 1101″″, 1101′″″) having a capacitor main surface (102) and a capacitor reverse surface (103) and having a structure in which first inner electrode layers (141) and second inner electrode layers (142) are alternately laminated and arranged via a dielectric layer (105), the capacitor (101, 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, 101F, 101G, 101H, 101J, 1101, 1101′, 1101″, 1101′″, 1101″″, 1101′″″) being accommodated in the board core (11) in a state in which the core main surface (12) and the capacitor main surface (102) are oriented on a same side; and a wiring laminated portion (31) having a structure in which interlayer insulating layers (33, 35) and conductor layers (42) are alternately laminated on the core main surface (12) and the capacitor main surface (102), wherein an inductor (251, 252, 253) or a resistor (301, 302, 311, 312, 321, 322) is formed on or in the capacitor (101, 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, 101E, 101F, 101G, 101H, 101J, 1101, 1101′, 1101″, 1101′″, 1101″″, 1101′″″).
US07742310B2
Various apparatus and methods relating to a sequencer for connecting an electronic device to a circuit board are disclosed.
US07742299B2
A cooling system including one or more piezo fans for an electronic assembly is disclosed. The electronic assembly may include heat-generating components coupled with a front side of a printed circuit board (PCB) and one or more piezo fans coupled with a back side of the PCB. One or more piezo fans may be capable of cooling the heat-generating components from the back side. The cooling system may further include a heat sink coupled with the back side of the PCB.
US07742297B2
In an exemplary apparatus for cooling an electronic component, a housing defines an inlet port and an exhaust port and a foam member is disposed within the housing. The foam member has a shape that conforms to a shape of at least one surface of an electronic component such that the foam member is receivable thereon in thermal communication. The foam member has a pore size of no more than around 50 micrometers and a porosity of at least around 80 percent. The foam member is arranged within the housing such that coolant is flowable through the foam member. Pore size may be around 35 micrometers and porosity may be around 90 percent. Foam may be a ceramic foam that includes silica, aluminum oxide, and aluminum borosilicate fibers. In an application, at least one exemplary apparatus may be received in thermal communication on an upper case of an electronic chip.
US07742295B2
According to one embodiment, a cooling device includes a heat diffusion plate, a heat receiving portion, a heat sink and a heat pipe. The heat receiving portion is provided on the heat diffusion plate and thermally connected to an object to be cooled. The heat sink is provided on the heat diffusion plate, and it releases the heat of the heat receiving portion to outside. The heat pipe has a first end portion to be connected to the heat receiving portion and a second end portion located on an opposite side to the first end portion and to be connected to the heat sink.
US07742291B2
A computer enclosure includes a chassis having a rear wall, a transfer card, a mounting bracket, and a PCI card. An expansion slot is defined in the rear wall of the chassis. A detachable shielding cover is formed on the rear wall adjacent to the expansion slot. The transfer card is secured in the chassis. The transfer card has a circuit board perpendicular to the rear wall. The mounting bracket is secured to the rear wall of the chassis and has a width substantially equal to a length of the expansion slot. The PCI card is secured to the mounting bracket and perpendicularly attached to the transfer card. A receiving space corresponding to the shielding cover is defined shielding cover and the PCI card, for receiving a connector between the mounting bracket and the circuit board of the transfer card.
US07742283B2
A gas-insulated equipment such as a gas-insulated switchgear provided according to the invention can efficiently improve dielectric strength of an entire electrode system considering electric field distribution of the electrodes and conductors and improving insulation coordination so that miniaturization of the entire device can be achieved. The gas-insulated switchgear includes insulating gas sealed within an earth metal container and an insulating spacer insulating and supporting high-voltage receiving portions. Surfaces of shielding electrodes having a larger diameter than that of high-voltage conductors are covered with thick dielectric coatings, and surfaces of the high-voltage conductors are covered with thin dielectric coatings.
US07742276B2
The present invention relates to a wiring structure for reducing the equivalent series inductance (ESL) of a laminated capacitor. The laminated capacitor comprises a number of conductive layers, a power via extending along a thickness direction of the laminated capacitor and arranged to extend from the top conductive layer to the bottom conductive layer, and a ground via extending along the thickness direction of the laminated capacitor and arranged to extend from the top conductive layer to the bottom conductive layer. The conductive layers include a set of first conductive layers and a set of second conductive layers. The power via is electrically coupled to the first conductive layers and the ground via is electrically coupled to the second conductive layers. The laminated capacitor further comprises a supplemental via between the power via and the ground via. The supplemental via is shorter in length than the power via and the ground via. The supplemental via is electrically coupled to one of the first conductive layers and the second conductive layer.
US07742273B1
An intelligent, self-protected control module which is a fully protected and configured as a multi-terminal device controlling a number of power field-effect transistors for delivering power to loads. The device can contain a central processing unit or logic, precision Hall-Effect based current sensors for precise measuring of bypass currents, temperature sensors, and input/output circuitry as well as an optional RF receiver. The inputs can incorporate de-bouncing techniques to prevent false turn on/off. Inputs can provide command signals for the processor or logic with built-in watchdog circuitry to monitor the input power supply. The CPU or logic can provide communications with external devices, generate alarms, generate control signals to turn-on/turn-off power MOSFETs, and analyze currents and temperature of each channel. Unlike an electromechanical relay, the present invention is free from arcing and sparking, there are no contact materials to wear, and it is noiseless. The present invention provides over-current protection by shutting down a troubled channel if it is overloaded. It provides protection to the load by limiting the bypass current to the preset value, or shutting the channel off in a case of over-current. The present invention provides over-temperature protection by shutting down an appropriate channel if any of the MOSFET's temperature reaches a predetermined value. The present invention can generate an output signal that is capable of driving an external indicator lamp if a problem has occurred. An optional RF receiver designed to receive a coded signal from a key-chain transmitter can provide a method of enabling the module to accept a control signal from the input remotely.
US07742264B2
Disclosed is provided a hybrid-type superconducting fault current limiter for rapidly limiting a fault current, the fault current limiter having a first circuit and a second circuit which are connected in parallel with each other, wherein the first circuit includes a superconductor and a circuit breaker which are connected in series with each other, and wherein the second circuit includes a driver having a driving coil and an electromagnetic repeller, a short contact connected in parallel with the driver, and a current limiting unit connected in series with a third circuit including the driver and the short contact. The hybrid-type superconducting fault current limiter comprises a power semiconductor element switch connected in series with the first circuit, the power semiconductor element switch normally maintaining an ON state and being activated and changed into an OFF state by a fault sensing signal generated according to an inflow of the fault current.
US07742257B2
A acoustic damping pad is provided. The acoustic damping pad includes a first surface and an opposing second surface that are defined by a periphery. A first set of perforations extend between the first surface and the second surface of the acoustic damping pad. Each adjacent perforation in the first set of perforations is uniformly spaced apart from each other across a first select surface area of the first surface and across a corresponding first select surface area of the opposing second surface to form a uniform pattern.
US07742253B2
A storage device and a control device include a first DSP, a second DSP, and a Servo MPU for controlling a position of a head with respect to a storage medium. The Servo MPU instructs the first DSP and the second DSP. The first DSP carries out calculation of at least any of a demodulation calculation that is a calculation relating to demodulation of servo information and a digital filter calculation based on the instruction from the Servo MPU. The first DSP carries out a correction calculation that is a calculation relating to correction of the position based on the instruction from the Servo MPU. The Servo MPU carries out control of the position based on a result of the calculation carried out by the first DSP and the second DSP.
US07742250B2
The present disclosure is directed to spectral analysis of a position error signal. In a particular embodiment, the method includes analyzing a spectral content of a position error signal. The method also includes comparing the spectral content to a threshold. Further, the method includes determining a result based on the comparing the spectral content to the threshold. In another particular embodiment, the spectral content of the position error signal is determined by performing a discrete fourier transform (DFT) on the error signal, determining a magnitude of the DFT output, and low pass filtering the magnitude.
US07742243B2
An exemplary projection lens includes, in this order from the magnification side to the minification side thereof, a negative lens group of negative fraction power, and a positive lens group of positive fraction power. The projection lens satisfies the formulas of: −2.5
US07742239B2
A method of controlling the point spread function of an image projected with said image being diffused by a filter; said point spread function is a result of the application of spatial filter(s) on said image; with said control of the point spread function effected by varying the distance between such image and said spatial filter(s) and varying the bidirectional scattering transmission function of the spatial filter(s). Said spatial filter may be a holographic diffuser, which by method of manufacture has a well defined bi-directional scattering transmission spread function. Control of said spread function is particularly useful to maintain image quality while abating moiré interference in situations where two periodic patterns are layered causing moiré interference.
US07742236B2
A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group having a negative power, a second lens group having a positive power, and a third lens group having a positive power. At least the first and second lens groups are movable during a change from a wide-angle end state in which a focal length becomes shortest to a telephoto end state in which the focal length becomes longest. The first lens group is constructed of a glass lens and a plastic lens, the glass lens being positioned on the object side and having a negative power, the plastic lens being positioned on an image side and having a positive power. The second lens group includes a single plastic lens having a negative power. The third lens group includes at least one plastic lens having a positive power. The lenses are satisfied predetermined conditions.
US07742234B2
A composite optical-dividing component receives a light beam. There are mixed-bands in the light beam. The composite optical-dividing component includes a first optical-patch and a second optical-patch. The first optical-patch has multiple micro-structural lenses in an identical shape. Each micro-structural lens receives the light beam and generates a deflecting light in some degrees of condense. The second optical patch has multiple polygonal structures. Some polygonal structures are periodic and provide the function of deflection in order to receive the deflecting light and then separate multiple bands from the beam. In accordance with wavelengths in multiple bands, the bands are emitted to a target area (RGB) in a plane, respectively. Another part of the polygonal structures has the capability of light refraction, which receives the deflecting light and deflects and the rest of the bands in the beam. And it is emitted to a target area (W) in a plane.
US07742229B2
System and method for utilizing two prisms spatially separated is provided. The two prisms spatially separated allows the two prisms typically found in a TIR optical relay system to be spatially separated. In an embodiment, one or more optical relay lenses are interposed between the two prisms. The prism positioned on the object side may be integrated into one or more of the optical relay lenses, thereby further simplifying the optical relay design. In another embodiment, the one or more optical relay lenses may have an optical axis that is offset from the optical axis of incoming light to cause a pupil shift. An aspherical lens may be included to correct for the pupil shift and create a more uniform illumination image.
US07742226B2
The present invention concerns an interference microscope and a method for operating an interference microscope, in particular a 4π microscope, standing wave field microscope, or I2M, I3M, or I5M microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided. For determination of the phase position of the interfering light in the specimen region, on the basis of which the interference microscope can be aligned, the interference microscope is characterized in that for determination of the illumination state in the specimen region of the interference microscope, at least one planar area of the specimen support unit is configured to be detectable by light microscopy.
US07742225B2
A reflector for a projector includes a metal reflector that defines an optical surface. An absorptive surface is disposed on the optical surface. A layer of germanium is disposed on the absorptive surface. A band-pass reflective surface is further disposed on the absorptive surface.
US07742223B2
An optical communication system includes a transmission fiber that is operable to receive at least one optical signal and at least one pump signal. The optical signal includes one or more optical signal wavelengths and a power level at approximately a minimum threshold power level. The pump signal co-propagates with at least a portion of the optical signal over at least a portion of the transmission fiber. In one particular embodiment, the pump signal operates to amplify the optical signal to approximately a maximum threshold power level as the pump signal and the optical signal traverse the portion of the transmission fiber.
US07742217B2
An image generation unit with an illumination unit for generating a plurality of coherent sub-beams and for illuminating an image modulator, including a light source, and a projection lens for superimposing each of the coherent sub-beams onto a projection screen plane. An optical set-up introduces angles between each two of the sub-beams, which are chosen to produce uncorrelated speckle patterns in the projection screen plane, resulting in an interference speckle pattern. A phase modulator including a liquid crystal cell changes its directory profile in a lateral manner, thereby being able to change the phase of light of each sub-beam individually.
US07742215B2
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming images on a display utilizing a control matrix to control the movement of MEMs-based light modulators.
US07742213B2
An adaptive scanning optical microscope has a scanner lens assembly for acquiring images from different parts of an object plane and for forming a preferably curved image field having at least some aberration which varies as a function of the part of the object plane from which the image is acquired. A steering mirror selects the field of view and steers light from the object and along a light path from the object plane to a final image plane. An adaptive optics element receives the steered light from the object and compensates for the field position dependent optical aberrations and additional optics are along at least part of the light path for conditioning and focusing the light as it moves from the steering mirror, past the adaptive optics element and to the final image plane.
US07742210B2
An apparatus for replicating holographically recorded data, comprising a holographic master media having holographically recorded data thereon; a holographic copy media; a light source for generating a master reference beam and a copy reference beam, coherent with the first object beam, the first master reference beam incident on the holographic master media, the holographic master media diffracting the master reference beam to provide a first object beam; the copy reference beam incident on the holographic copy media; and a first optical relay system, disposed between the holographic master media and the holographic copy media, for relaying the first object beam from the holographic master media to the holographic copy media, the holographic copy media recording an interference pattern between the first object beam and the copy reference beam, thereby replicating at least a portion of holographically recorded data.
US07742209B2
A monocular holographic storage device or system to provide for compact recording and/or reading of data pages in a holographic storage medium. Also provided are methods for carrying out such data storage and/or data recovery using a monocular holographic storage device or system. Further provided are articles including holographic storage media for recording or for reading recorded data using such devices or systems.
US07742200B2
Disclosed is a method and system for checking and identifying images and other document components that may not be suitably rendered by an output device or process. The method employs a dual-mode analysis of visual image attributes to determine an aggregate confidence while also checking individual image attributes, to determine whether image content requires adjustment prior to being printed or rendered.
US07742195B2
An image printing process of the invention first specifies a pixel group tone value of each pixel group consisting of a preset number of multiple pixels and refers to one of correlation maps selected for the pixel group to convert the specified pixel group tone value to a multivalue code. Each of the correlation maps sets multivalue codes in correlation to pixel group tone values. The multivalue codes of all pixel groups constituting an image are output as control data to an image output device. The image output device determines the dot on-off state in respective pixels of each pixel group according to the received control data and actually creates dots on an output medium to complete an output image. Each correlation map referred to for the multivalue coding has a slightly lower tone resolution in a higher tone value area than in a lower tone value area. This arrangement desirably reduces the data volume of the control data, while preventing deterioration of the picture quality. The technique of the invention enables quick output of the control data and accordingly ensures high-speed output of a high-quality image by this simple procedure.
US07742187B2
An image forming apparatus including: a memory section having a common storage area that temporarily stores data in an intermediate form, which are generated on the way between image data in a form of page description language and data in a bitmap form obtained by interpreting the image data, and the data in a bitmap form; and a control section configured to monitor a first event that the data in an intermediate form stored in the common storage area have been deleted and a second event that the data in a bitmap form stored in the common storage area have been deleted, and to determine presence or absence of area for the data in an intermediate form to be stored when either of the first and second events occurs.
US07742186B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with an attribution information obtaining portion for obtaining application module list information on a function that resides in another image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is connected to the other image forming apparatus via a communication line, an unequipped function determining portion for determining whether or not the other image forming apparatus has a predetermined function that resides in the image forming apparatus based on the obtained application module list information of the other image forming apparatus, and a function expansion commanding portion for instructing the other image forming apparatus to perform a function expansion process to provide the other image forming apparatus with the predetermined function when the other image forming apparatus does not have the predetermined function.
US07742173B2
Arrangements and methods are provided for obtaining data associated with a sample. For example, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to a reference (e.g., a non-reflective reference). A frequency of such radiation(s) can repetitively vary over time with a first characteristic period. In addition, a polarization state of the first electro-magnetic radiation, the second electro-magnetic radiation, a third electro-magnetic radiation (associated with the first radiation) or a fourth electro-magnetic radiation (associated with the second radiation) can repetitively vary over time with a second characteristic period which is shorter than the first period. The data for imaging at least one portion of the sample can be provided as a function of the polarization state. In addition or alternatively, the third and fourth electro-magnetic radiations can be combined so as to determine an axial reflectance profile of at least one portion of the sample.
US07742171B2
Apparatuses and methods for accurately measuring the reflectivity of a target surface, under conditions where the distance between a measuring probe and the target surface is not fixed. At least two measurements of the target reflectivity are taken under different conditions, and then these two or more measurements are combined in order to calculate the target reflectivity in a way which is independent of the probe-to-target distance. In particular, the different conditions are such that each measurement samples radiation reflected from the target surface at a different distribution of angles. The apparatus can also be used to accurately measure the distance between the probe measurement head and a target surface.
US07742165B2
The invention makes it possible to measure binding of a biochemical substance with a high throughput and with high sensitivity using a small cell capable of being filled with a small amount of chemical solution. A space between a first substrate and a second substrate such that probes are immobilized on their mutually facing planes is used as a cell that houses a specimen solution. Light is irradiated from a first substrate side, and reflected light is subjected to spectroscopy. Binding of the target with the probe is detected by a wavelength shift in the reflection spectrum.
US07742157B2
An improved technique for acoustic sensing involves, in one embodiment, launching into a medium, a plurality of groups of pulse-modulated electromagnetic-waves. The frequency of electromagnetic waves in a pulse within a group differs from the frequency of the electromagnetic waves in another pulse within the group. The energy scattered by the medium is detected and, in one embodiment, the beat signal may be used to determine a characteristic of the environment of the medium. For example, if the medium is a buried optical fiber into which light pulses have been launched in accordance with the invention, the presence of acoustic waves within the region of the buried fiber can be detected.
US07742152B2
An optical homodyne detection scheme for FM chirped lidar is described. The system performs de-chirping within a photodetector, and it does not require high-speed photo-detection or RF mixing. Embodiments are also described for dealing with phase noise.
US07742148B2
First pluralities of radiation spots generated by an array of individually controllable elements are exposed on a substrate. The radiation spots are equally spaced across an entire area of the substrate to be exposed. The substrate is then shifted relative to the array of individually controllable elements in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction of the substrate. Second pluralities of radiation spots generated by the array of individually controllable elements are alternatingly formed on the substrate with respect to each of the first plurality of spots.
US07742146B2
A resist film formed on a substrate is coated with a water-repellent protective film and the substrate is subjected to a developing process after the substrate has been processed by an immersion exposure process. The protective film is removed from the substrate after the resist film has been processed by the immersion exposure process, the substrate is processed by a heating process, and then the substrate is subjected to a developing process. The surface of the substrate is cleaned with a cleaning liquid before the protective film is removed and after the substrate has been processed by the immersion exposure process or the surface of the substrate is cleaned with a cleaning liquid after removing the protective film and before the substrate is subjected to the heating process.
US07742141B2
A flat-panel display device comprises: a display panel having a pixel area for matrix imaging; a plurality of driver IC chips mounted in a row on a fringe part of the display panel; extension wirings extended out from wirings within the pixel area and electrically connected to terminals of the driver IC chips; and a marking visible with naked eye, which is disposed between a group of the extension wirings connected to one of the driver IC chips and another group of the extension wirings connected to other one of the driver IC chips, and which indicates boundary between said one group and said another group of the extension wirings.
US07742136B2
A sheet with anti-counterfeit functions for making counterfeiting highly difficult in the case where authentication information is recorded using the properties of cholesteric liquid crystal is provided. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer 110 having a selective reflected wavelength band in at least the visible light region is provided in such a manner that this cholesteric liquid crystal layer 110 is a single layer of which thickness is approximately uniform, and an authentication region 112 of which selective reflected wavelength band is different is provided in at least one place. Preferably, an adhesive layer 130 is provided on one side of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 110. Preferably, a base 120 is provided between the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 110 and the adhesive layer 130. Preferably, a light absorbing layer 140 is provided on adhesive layer 130 of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 110.
US07742135B2
In the liquid crystal display device, a transparent area is formed in a part of the color filter layer which opposes the reflective electrode. A part of the transparent area opposes a part of the structure formed to make liquid crystal molecules incline. The structure and the transparent area are configured to keep a ratio constant, the ratio being a ratio between a size of the transparent area's part opposing the structure's part and a size of the rest of the transparent area.
US07742134B2
In a transflective liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels, each is divided into three color sub-pixels in red, green and blue. Each of the color sub-pixels is further divided into a main sub-pixel and an auxiliary sub-pixel. The main sub-pixel comprises a transflective area and a reflective area. The auxiliary sub-pixel can be entirely transmissive, reflective or partially transmissive and reflective. The liquid crystal display further comprises a plurality of first gate lines for electrically controlling the main sub-pixels and a plurality of second gate lines for electrically controlling the auxiliary sub-pixels. The auxiliary sub-pixels may have a color filter for partially filtering light encountering the auxiliary sub-pixels according to the color of the color sub-pixels.
US07742133B2
A transflective liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a gate line on an inner surface of the first substrate; a data line crossing the gate line to define a pixel region including a reflective portion and a transmissive portion, wherein the transmissive portion has a polygonal shape inscribed in a rectangle, and a circumference of the transmissive portion is less than the circumference of the rectangle; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a passivation layer on the thin film transistor, the passivation layer having a opening corresponding to the transmissive portion; a reflective layer corresponding to the reflective portion on the passivation layer; a transparent electrode corresponding to the pixel region over the reflective layer; a color filter layer on an inner surface of the second substrate; a common electrode on the color filter layer; and a liquid crystal layer between the common electrode and the transparent electrode.
US07742132B2
A method for arranging reflective patterns for a liquid display (LCD) device. A substrate having at least one first pixel region and one second pixel region is provided, in which the first and second pixel regions have a reflector thereon, respectively, and the first pixel region is adjacent to the second pixel region. A first pattern is formed on the reflector on the first pixel region. A second pattern is formed on the reflector on the second pixel region, in which the second pattern is formed by dividing the first pattern into at least two pattern regions according to a predetermined direction and rearranging the pattern regions.
US07742129B2
A manufacturing method of a color filter substrate is provided. In the method, a substrate is provided. A first color layer, a second color layer, and a third color layer are then sequentially formed on the substrate. At least any two of the first color layer, the second color layer, and the third color layer are partially overlapped to form a number of supporters. Next, a common electrode layer is formed on the substrate to cover the first color layer, the second color layer, the third color layer, and the supporters. A light-shielding layer is then formed on the common electrode layer, and a portion of the light-shielding layer is disposed over the supporters. Based on the manufacturing method of the color filter substrate, fewer masks are required.
US07742126B2
Method of fabricating an LCD, including steps of forming a color filter by pressing with a soft mold
There is disclosed a liquid crystal display panel that is adaptive for simplifying its process and reducing its cost by performing a patterning process without using a photolithography process, and a fabricating method thereof.A liquid crystal display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a color filter which is formed by a press forming by a soft mold; and a black matrix to divide the color filter by the cell.
US07742113B2
A liquid crystal display device includes first and second opposed facing substrates and liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween. The first substrate includes a thin film transistor having a first electrode thereof connected to a video signal line and a second electrode thereof connected to a pixel electrode, a first silicon nitride film, an organic insulation film, a capacitance electrode, and a second silicon nitride film. The second silicon nitride film is formed at a temperature lower than a forming temperature of the first silicon nitride film. The second electrode and the pixel electrode are connected to each other via a contact hole formed by the first and second silicon nitride films. A potential different from a potential applied to the pixel electrode is applied to the capacitance electrode, and a holding capacitance is formed by the pixel electrode, the second silicon nitride film and the capacitance electrode.
US07742110B1
I describe and claim a temporal comb filtering system and method. The temporal comb filter system includes a comb filter to temporally process separated luminance and chrominance components from an image field responsive to image data from at least one other image field and a panel to display the processed components. The comb filter includes a cross-chroma detector to detect luminance information within chrominance data from a first image field responsive to chrominance data from at least one other image field and a cross-luma detector to detect chrominance information within the luminance data from the first image field responsive to the luminance data from at least one other image field.
US07742100B2
A portable terminal is provided having a digital camera function that includes a display main body having a display, a camera assembly having a camera module for focusing on a subject and photographing an image of the subject displayed on the display and a turning unit to rotatably couple the display main body to the camera assembly. A terminal main body may have an information processing function and may being movably mounted on the display main body. A speaker unit and a mike unit may transmit or receive voice information. The portable terminal may have the digital camera function and allow the user to perform voice communication and easily photograph a still image or dynamic image of a subject. This may improve the structural intensity in photographing.
US07742098B2
In a digital camera including an electronic flash device using a light-emitting diode as a flash light source, white balance correction is performed by using a white balance correction value corresponding to a color temperature of light actually emitted from the electronic flash device.
US07742090B2
A method of making a curved sensor is described. The method involves projecting portions of a curved three dimensional structure such as a hemisphere onto a two dimensional substrate in an outline pattern. The outline pattern typically serves as a perimeter of a sensor. After forming a sensor in the shape of the outline pattern, the two dimensional substrate is flexed to form a three dimensional sensor structure.
US07742079B2
A digital camera can employ logic to delay capturing a still image after a person has operated the control button until such time as predetermined subject criteria are met, e.g., the subject is smiling with eyes open, three or more players are in the field of view to ensure a good action shot, etc.
US07742077B2
A video image stabilization system includes a camera having an image capturing device capturing a video image. The camera has a selectively adjustable field of view. A processing device is operably coupled to the camera. The processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of the camera and images captured by the camera. The processing device automatically tracks movements of at least one object in the images. The processing device determines a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an unintended change in the field of view of the camera during a time interval between capture of a first image and capture of a second image. The determining is based upon the signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of the first and second images.
US07742071B2
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods that reliably detect defects on centerplane connectors. The apparatus and methods include a visual inspection system. The visual inspection system includes a control box, an inspection cart, a camera jig, and a vision system. The vision system has a light emitting diode (LED) lighting system that provides the necessary lighting for the camera on the vision system. The vision system is mounted to the camera jig via a spring-loaded mechanism. The camera jig has dimensions similar to a daughter card that is used with the centerplane connectors. The camera jig also includes a motor and worm gear assembly that raise and/or lower the camera's view of the centerplane connectors. The control box is mounted to the inspection cart so that an operator can use it to control the up/down movements of the vision system. A timer/relay may be build into the control box to allow controlled/fixed movements of the vision system. The camera is connected to a high resolution color monitor and/or an optional flat screen color monitor. A computer workstation can be used to video capture the camera's image and can be used to send this image to an e-mail alias/webpage or print out a hard copy.
US07742066B2
An organic light emitting diode display and a driving method thereof, has an image displayed with uniform brightness. The method of driving a organic light emitting diode display, includes dividing one frame into one or more sub-frames, and supplying scan signals in sequence to some of plural scan lines provided in a pixel portion per sub-frame. The scan lines receiving the scan signals are differently set per sub-frame. With this configuration, an image is displayed with uniform brightness.
US07742065B2
A controller driver includes an overdrive processing unit generating corrected image data based on image data and image data of one frame previous to the image data, a data line driver generating a liquid crystal driving voltage, a roundabout route bypassing the overdrive processing unit and allowing the one frame previous image data to be input to the data line driver, a second expander outputting the one frame previous image data to one of a connection route to the overdrive processing unit and the roundabout route, a command controller supplying a moving/still image switching signal S1 for indicating switching between moving image display and still image display to the second expander. The second expander selects the connection route to the overdrive processing unit in displaying a moving image and selects the roundabout route in displaying a still image.
US07742061B2
Method and related apparatus for image processing. When projecting a polygonal object in three-dimensional space onto a two-dimensional screen according to a viewing range, faces of the object which intersect boundaries of the viewing range are clipped to form clipped planes. Vertices of all of the clipped planes of the object are recorded in one vertex list according to a triangle-list primitive, so as to increase efficiency of the image processing.
US07742047B2
By means of an image drawing program stored in a storage medium readable by an image processing system, the corresponding image processing system and the corresponding image drawing method, shadows are drawn for a plurality of characters, without imposing a large load on the processor, by referencing a shadow created in advance, and using the shadow for other characters to draw numerous humanoid shadows for display on one screen.
US07742038B2
In a method for detecting overlapped function area on a touchpad with the overlapped function area overlapped by more than two different function areas, when the overlapped function area is touched by an object, a further function can be correctly performed according to touched duration, touched movement, or a terminal touched area pressed onto the touchpad.
US07742021B2
An organic electroluminescent display and a demultiplexer, wherein the organic electroluminescent display comprising: a plurality of pixels displaying an image corresponding to output data current; a plurality of scan lines to transmit a scan signal to the plurality of pixels; a plurality of output data lines to transmit the output data current to the plurality of pixels; a scan driver outputting the scan signal to the plurality of scan lines; a demultiplexer comprising a plurality of demultiplexing circuit; and a data driver outputting input data current to the demultiplexer, wherein the demultiplexing circuit transmits the input data current after applying pre-charging voltage to the output data line selected among the output data lines in sequence. With this configuration, the present invention provides an organic electroluminescent display and a demultiplexer, in which comprises a current programming type pixel circuit uniformizing brightness of a screen even if threshold voltage is not uniform, and the demultiplexer placed between a data driver and an organic electroluminescent display panel, thereby reducing time taken to program data of a current programming type pixel.
US07742017B2
An electro-optical device includes a holding capacitor with a first electrode electrically connected to a transistor and a pixel electrode, a second electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode, and a multilayer dielectric film structure disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The multilayer dielectric film structure includes a low dielectric film and first and second high dielectric films. The first and second high dielectric films sandwich the low dielectric film from a first electrode side and a second electrode side, respectively. Both of the first and second high dielectric films have a permittivity that is higher than that of the low dielectric film.
US07742016B2
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming images on a display utilizing a control matrix to control the movement of MEMs-based light modulators.
US07742015B2
In order to prevent a gradation shift due to variations in the thickness of a film used to form an auxiliary capacitor, a detection capacitor having a layer structure similar to that of the auxiliary capacitor placed for each pixel is provided on an array substrate. Furthermore, the capacitor value of the detection capacitor as a representative of the plurality of auxiliary capacitors is detected, and the potential amplitude ΔVcs of a power supply line connected to the auxiliary capacitor is adjusted based on this detected value.
US07742014B2
A technology for illuminating almost an entire console with a simple structure, even when a display is located at the right or left of the center of the console is disclosed. According to this technology, when a display 1 is located at the center of a console 2, a detection signal of a sensor S1 is turned ON, a light L1 in the center of the display is lit, and the light illuminates the entire console. In addition, when the display is located at the right of the console, the detection signal of the sensor S2 is turned ON, the light L2 on the left-side of the display is lit, and the light can illuminate the entire console. In addition, when the display is located at the left of the console, the detection signal of the sensor S3 is turned ON, the light L3 on the right-side of the display is lit, and the light can illuminate the entire console.
US07742002B2
Disclosed is an antenna device for transceiving a wireless signal. The antenna device includes an antenna element adapted to establish a radiation pattern during transceiving the wireless signal; an antenna signal feeding line coupling to the antenna element for feeding the wireless signals transceived by the antenna element; and at least one radiation pattern adjustment element arranged at an adjacent position with respect to the antenna element and within the established radiation pattern of the antenna element to adjust the radiation pattern of the antenna element.
US07741992B2
Various embodiments are described herein for a moving target detector that processes input data to perform detection for a current range cell. The moving target detector includes a Doppler filter bank module for processing the input data to provide several Doppler outputs for the current range cell, a no-land-clutter path for processing several input data sets related to the several Doppler outputs to provide detection data by performing peak selection on each of the several input data sets and performing detection on the results of the peak selection, a land-clutter path for processing the several input data sets to provide detection data by performing Constant False Alaπn Rate (CFAR) detection on each of the several input data sets and merging the detection results; and a switching logic module for selecting one of the land-clutter path and the no-land-clutter path based on clutter information.
US07741988B2
An analog-digital converter is provided. The analog-digital converter includes: a comparing section for comparing an input signal voltage and an analog ramp voltage in which a voltage level gradually increases; and a latch section for storing a digital value of a digital ramp signal, in which a digital value of a voltage level gradually increases in synchronization with the analog ramp voltage when the analog ramp voltage or a voltage corresponding to the analog ramp voltage and the input signal voltage are equal. A voltage in which part or all of a plurality of analog ramp signals are added is used as the analog ramp voltage so that a gain is selectable.
US07741983B1
The present invention pertains to calibration in current sensing applications. Power conversion systems such as those used in computer architectures may employ step down converters such as buck converters or other types of converters. The present invention provides calibration processes and devices to account for various parasitic resistances which are found in such systems. A calibration circuit may be coupled to the buck converter or other power conversion to determine a calibrated voltage signal for the output of the power converter. An effective DC resistance may be determined and programmed for use by a control device used. In this way, the parasitic resistances are taken into account to obtain an accurate estimate of the actual current. In turn, this enables power converters and other devices to operate within specification requirements.
US07741981B1
A re-configurable circuit acts as an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and as a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). An array of binary-weighted capacitors stores an analog input. Switches connect different capacitors in the array to fixed voltages that cause charge-sharing with a terminal capacitor. The voltage of the terminal capacitor is compared by a re-configurable comparator stage for each different combination of the capacitors. The comparison results are analyzed to determine the closest digital value for the analog input. In DAC mode, the array capacitors are switched based on an input digital value. The switched capacitors connect to a charge-sharing line to generate an analog voltage that is applied to the re-configurable comparator stage. A differential amplifier generates a buffered analog voltage that is fed back to the other input of the re-configurable comparator stage for unity gain. The gain of the re-configurable comparator stage adjusts for ADC and DAC modes.
US07741979B2
Various embodiments provide keyboards that utilize electrically-deformable material as an actuating mechanism to provide haptic feedback to a user of the keyboard. In at least some embodiments, the electrically-deformable material is utilized to impart, to a depressed key or keyboard element, a multi-vectored movement that produces a perceived acceleration of the key or keyboard element thus providing a user with haptic feedback which simulates a snapover movement.
US07741977B2
A method and apparatus for calculating the travel time of a vehicle as it transits through multiple locations. The method and apparatus includes a device for detecting a radio signal from a vehicle, attaching information to the radio signal, and transmitting a message packet with the signal and attached information to a central server. The central server stores the message packet. The central server compares the information in the message packet against other stored message packets received from multiple locations. When matching information is found, an algorithm is run to compute a vehicle travel time between two locations.
US07741964B2
A tire pressure detector employs a reduced power consumption mechanism comprising a PLL circuit including a VCO, that is operated in response to the logic states of an input data stream and a power amplifier configured to be externally located to an integrated circuit. The input data stream includes tire pressure information and is configured to be encoded to have multiple logic states. A micro-controller is employed to control the VCO, turning the VCO, and/or the amplifier, on and off for a certain period, according to the pattern of each data bit of the input data stream thus providing reduced current consumption. This tire pressure detector thus embodies an optimized circuit arrangement in terms of power efficiency.
US07741962B2
An example apparatus for providing an audible signal representative of an environment comprises a sensor system, and an audio system providing an audible signal to a person. The audible signal has one or more audible signal variables from which the person can determine, for example, the location and relative velocity of one or more objects within the environment. The apparatus includes an electronic circuit for converting environmental data into audible signal variables, for example using a mapping algorithm.
US07741958B2
The present technique relates to the distribution of power and data signals throughout a networked system. For example, three-phase power may be conducted to a device over a set of conductors. One of the conductors, however, may be configured to conduct, in conjunction with a neutral conductor, both one phase of three-phase power as well as data signals in accordance with a predetermined data communications protocol. As an alternate example, the present technique may comprise a set of a first power conductors configured to conduct three-phase power and a secondary power conductor which works in conjunction with an auxiliary conductor to conduct power and data-signals. Additionally, the present technique provides for the maintenance data communications and a level of power upon the interruption of three-phase power to a particular component or device.
US07741945B2
The invention is directed to a transformer having a ferromagnetic core with a coil disposed around the core. An insulation layer is disposed over the core and the coil and terminals are connected to the coil. Each of the terminals is formed from cast metal and has a base and a connector. The base is at least partially disposed under the insulation layer. A connector is joined to the base at about a right angle and is located toward the middle of the base.
US07741938B2
A control element is provided having programmable haptics, in particular a programmable central catch, for a motor vehicle, having a control knob which can be accommodated such that it can rotate, the control knob being connected in a force-fitting or interlocking manner to a toothed ring or having an integral design, and it being possible for the toothed ring (to be rotated by means of the control knob, and at least one latching element which can move towards the toothed ring and/or away from the toothed ring by means of an electromagnet.
US07741916B2
A method for changing an effective capacitance of an amplifier circuit having a match transistor and a coupled cascode transistor includes changing an on-state of at least one of a plurality of sub-transistors of the match transistor. The method further includes changing a transconductance of the match transistor as a function of the change of the on-state. The method further includes changing an equivalent resistance, as measured between a source and a drain of the cascode transistor, as a function of the change of the transconductance of the match transistor.
US07741915B2
Disclosed is a power amplification apparatus in a communication system. The apparatus includes a high power amplifier for amplifying an input signal; and a lattice panel, one surface of which is in contact with a ground plane of the high power amplifier, the one surface including a first line and a second line. The first line has at least two first etched portions and at least one first copperplate portion, the first copperplate portion being positioned between the first etched portions, and the first copperplate portion being formed at an interval of λ 0 4 , and the second line has at least two second etched portions and at least one second copperplate portion, the second copperplate portion being positioned between the second etched portions, and the second copperplate portion being formed at an interval of λ 0 ′ 4 .
US07741909B2
A variable gain amplifier (VGA) with a gain thereof exponential to a control voltage thereof. The variable gain amplifier (VGA) comprises an exponential DC converter, and a linear voltage multiplier. The exponential DC converter receives the control voltage and generates an exponential voltage which is exponential to the control voltage. The linear voltage multiplier is coupled to the exponential DC converter and has a gain proportional to the exponential voltage of the exponential DC converter.
US07741893B2
There is a provided a dual mode clock generator that is applicable to a direct current-direct current converter of a power supply. The dual mode clock generator includes a frequency controller for controlling generation of charge and discharge; a current source unit for generating a charge, and generating a charge; a capacitor for charging a voltage according to the charge current generated by the current source unit; an oscillation controller for controlling switch-on or switch-off to charge and discharge the capacitor; a switch for controlling the charging and discharging of the capacitor through the ON or OFF control of the oscillation controller; and a current sink unit for generating a discharge current according to the second current in the first operation mode and generating a discharge current according to the third current and the fourth current in the second operation mode.
US07741890B2
A method and apparatus for generating multi-phase clock signals. The multi-phase generating method includes: generating L reference clock signal groups having predetermined phase delay intervals from an external clock signal, wherein each reference clock signal group includes M sub reference clock signals; averaging phases of sub reference clock signals for each reference clock signal group, and generating L main reference clock signals from the L×M sub reference clock signals; and sequentially delaying the L main reference clock signals, and generating the N multi-phase clock signals having the different phases. Because a plurality of clock signals having equal phase delay intervals between each other are generated regardless of the frequency of a received clock signal, the yield of Delay Locked Loop (DLL) circuits is improved using the multi-phase generating apparatus.
US07741889B2
A phase locked loop (PLL) with phase rotation spreading includes a phase detector, a charge pump, a filter, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a selector. The phase detector receives a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal to thereby produce an error signal. The charge pump converts the error signal into a current signal. The filter converts the current signal into a voltage signal. The VCO produces N clock signals with a same frequency in accordance with the voltage signal, where the N clock signals have phases θ0 to θN-1 respectively, and θj indicates a lead of 2π/N over θj+1, for j=0, 1, . . . , N−2. The selector selects one from the N clock signals in accordance with a predetermined sequence to thereby produce a target clock signal, and finely adjusts a frequency of the target clock signal for a spreading operation.
US07741882B1
An output buffer circuit includes a first output transistor having a source terminal connected to a voltage supply and a drain terminal connected to an output node. The first output transistor is capable of coupling the output node to the voltage supply when the input signal is at a high voltage in the input voltage range. The circuit also includes a second output transistor having a drain terminal connected to the output node and a source terminal connected to ground. The second output transistor is capable of coupling the output node to ground when the input signal is at a low voltage in the input voltage range. The circuit further includes a current-limiting circuit coupled to a gate terminal of the first output transistor and capable of limiting a current flowing through the gate terminal when the first output transistor is turned on. The output node outputs an output signal in an output voltage range, wherein a high voltage of the output voltage range exceeds the high voltage of the input voltage range.
US07741871B2
An integrated circuit device includes a high-speed serial interface circuit that includes a receiver circuit that receives differential signals through a serial bus, first and second guard terminals that prevent radiation, first and second terminals that are disposed between the first and second guard terminals and receive the differential signals, a first power supply terminal to which a high-voltage-side power supply voltage for the receiver circuit is supplied, and a second power supply terminal to which a low-voltage-side power supply voltage is supplied. A first switch element is provided between a line from the first guard terminal and a line from the second power supply terminal, and a second switch element is provided between a line from the second guard terminal and a line from the second power supply terminal. The first and second switch elements are turned ON in a high-speed serial interface mode.
US07741868B2
Described are on-die termination (ODT) systems and methods that facilitate high-speed communication between a driver die and a receiver die interconnected via one or more signal transmission lines. An ODT control system in accordance with one embodiment calibrates and maintains termination resistances and drive currents to produce optimal output swing voltages. Comparison circuitry employed to calibrate the reference resistance is also used to calibrate the drive current. Termination elements in some embodiments are divided into two adjustable resistive portions, both of which are designed to minimize capacitive loading. One portion is optimized to produce a relatively high range of adjustment, while the other is optimized for fine-tuning and glitch-free switching.
US07741863B2
A circuit structure has a circuit portion with negative resistance and a test resonator structure. Furthermore, the circuit structure has a unit for coupling the test resonator structure to the circuit portion with negative resistance during testing and for decoupling the test resonator structure from the circuit portion with negative resistance after testing.
US07741861B2
In the case of a test apparatus for testing electronic components which are present in an assembly, in particular in the form of strips, a slide-like contacting board supporting device, to which the contacting board can be fastened, is mounted on the test head. The contacting board supporting device can be moved parallel to the plane of the contacting board when the contacting nest is docked on the test head, with the result that the contacting board can be brought into different test positions which are laterally beside one another.
US07741856B2
In an immunity test system of the present invention, a boundary point detection device changes a signal level of a transmission signal input to an antenna through a level adjusting device while monitoring an operation of an electronic equipment, and thereby detects a signal level of the transmission signal at a boundary point, at which the electronic equipment is changed from a normal operation state to an abnormal operation state, or vice versa, due to the test wave; and a test result storing device calculates an electric field strength of the test wave at the boundary point by using conversion data based on the signal level of the transmission signal at the boundary point detected by the boundary point detection device, and stores in a storage device a calculation result of the electric field strength as well as a test condition used for obtaining the electric field strength.
US07741842B2
A method for generating a calibrated parallel magnetic resonance image is provided in a manifestation of the invention. A magnetic resonance imaging excitation is applied. A plurality of echoes at different echo times (TE) is acquired. The acquired plurality of echoes from different echo times is used to create a chemical shift corrected calibration map.
US07741840B1
A magnetic probe includes a tubular container, the inside of which can be observed and at least one end of which is closed, a paramagnetic seed which is fixed to an end of the tubular container, and a paramagnetic colloidal particle dispersion liquid that is filled in the tubular container.
US07741836B2
A test handler is disclosed. First and second gripping blocks for respective front and rear test trays to be transferred along a circulation path move together in a circulation direction, but move independently in a direction perpendicular to the circulation path and grip and release independently. The test trays can be transferred by a single power source and interference between an assisting a test and a transferring can be minimized.
US07741824B2
A switching power supply controller includes a comparator to compare a feedback signal to a first limit and a second limit, one of which includes a ramp. Limit generators may be used to generate limit signals in response to power supply signals, control signals, and/or output signals. An error amplifier may be used to generate the feedback signal in response to an output signal and an input control signal. A switching power supply may alternatively include an oscillator that shifts the switching frequency in response to the input control signal.
US07741819B2
In order to reduce the cost of a chopping converter supplying a continuous voltage at the terminals of a load (Z), a circuit with two windings (Lp, Ls) and a single magnetic core is proposed, according to the present invention, which enables the cost and the size of the circuit to be reduced. It is then necessary to add two diodes (D3, D4) to the circuit, but these elements are inexpensive and of small size.
US07741818B2
A voltage regulator is disclosed. The voltage regulator includes an output unit for converting an input voltage provided by a power source into a predetermined voltage, and for outputting the converted voltage, a monitoring unit for determining whether the input voltage provided by the power source is greater than a reference voltage, and a step-up unit for stepping up the input voltage provided by the power source if the monitoring unit determines that the input voltage is less than the reference voltage. The output unit includes a converting unit for converting the stepped-up voltage into the predetermined voltage.
US07741811B2
A parallel monitor circuit having a simple circuit configuration, in which a voltage divider circuit can be formed with resistors having the same resistance value, includes plural capacitors are connected in series, and a bypass device of each of parallel monitor circuits is connected in parallel with each capacitor. Plural voltages Va different from one another by a constant voltage are sequentially outputted from a digital-to-analog converter, and the voltages Va are inputted to plural parallel monitor circuits. When a charging voltage is higher than a monitor voltage determined by the voltage Va, each capacitor discharges through the bypass device, and the capacitor is kept at a predetermined monitor voltage.
US07741806B2
A charging device for transferring electrical charge between a variety of sources and clients comprising charging circuitry and electrical leads with magnetically attaching connectors is disclosed. The magnetically attachable leads are used to connect to external batteries or other sources or clients. The charging circuitry may be a buck, boost, or boost/buck switching ASIC or may be a micro-controller.
US07741802B2
A medical robotic system has a robot arm holding an instrument for performing a medical procedure, and a control system for controlling movement of the arm and its instrument according to user manipulation of a master manipulator. The control system includes at least one joint controller that includes a controller having programmable parameters for setting a steady-state velocity error and a maximum acceleration error for the joint's movement relative to a set point in response to an externally applied and released force.
US07741801B2
The invention provides a device for automatically opening and closing a lid of a trash bin in noncontact fashion disposed in a lavatory unit of an aircraft. On the upper portion of a trash bin 100 disposed in a lavatory unit of an aircraft is attached a lid 50 that pivots via a shaft 250. The reflective infrared radiation sensor 200 attached to a lid frame 60 irradiates infrared radiation IR and detects an object. When the object is detected, a control means drives the DC motor 220 to pivot the shaft 250 via a rotating lever 240 and link arms 242 and 244 to open the lid 50 downward. The fully closed state and the fully opened state of the lid 50 can be detected by position detecting sensors 260 and 262.
US07741800B2
A control apparatus for an adjusting device in a motor vehicle is provided. The apparatus has a sensor, particularly a current sensor (S1), for generating a signal (U1 to U10, I1 to I3, Δt1 to Δt8) which is dependent on a motor movement by a motor in the adjusting device. The apparatus also has a power driver for controlling a motor current, and a processor (RE). The processor is designed and set up (i) to find a position (xm) from the sensor signal (U1 to U10, I1 to I3, Δt1 to Δt8), particularly from the ripple in the motor current, (ii) to associate a reference characteristic (Chref) of orderly signals (U1 to U10, I1 to I3, Δt1 to Δt8) from the sensor, particularly for the ripple, with a reference position (xref), (iii) to correct the position found (xm) on the basis of the reference characteristic (Chref) and the reference position (xref), and (iv) to control the motor current on the basis of the corrected position.
US07741784B2
An apparatus for driving a light source and a liquid crystal display device using the same is disclosed. The apparatus for driving a light includes: a light source unit including a plurality of lamps to emit light; and a light source driving unit that selectively drives the plurality of lamps in response to a luminance control signal and a selection signal.
