US07749537B2
A method of forming a tablet includes the steps of pre-blending an active pharmaceutical ingredient susceptible to tackiness and a blending additive with a first mixing effort to form a pre-blend mixture, wherein the first mixing effort and a second mixing effort, resulting from mixing at least one excipient with the pre-blend mixture, form a blend suitable for direct compression and compressing the blend to form the tablet. One way of achieving the first mixing effort is to pre-blend for an extended period of time. The method allows for directly compressing the blend without the need for a granulation step or roller compression. One such active pharmaceutical ingredient susceptible to tackiness is ibuprofen.
US07749517B2
The present invention provides compositions useful in preparing and/or serving as antitoxins against Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. The present invention also provides polypeptides and polynucleotides relating to the capillary morphogenisis gene 2 (CMG-2), vectors containing the polynucleotides and polypeptides, and host cells containing related polynucleotide molecules, all used in association with the treatment of, or the research and development of treatments for anthrax. The present invention also relates to methods for identifying molecules that bind CMG-2 and molecules that reduce the toxicity of anthrax toxin. Finally, the present invention provides methods for treating human and non-human animals suffering from anthrax.
US07749516B2
The GapC plasmin binding protein genes of Streptococcus dysgalactiae (S. dysgalactiae), Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae), Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis), Streptococcus parauberis (S. parauberis), and Streptococcus iniae (S. iniae) are described, as well as the recombinant production of the GapC proteins therefrom. Also described is the use of the GapC proteins from those species in vaccine compositions to prevent or treat bacterial infections in general, and mastitis in particular.
US07749511B2
The present invention provides an immunogenic conjugate comprising biologically deacylated gram-negative bacterial moieties linked to D. discoideum proteinase 1, as well as novel subunits thereof, and methods of making and using the conjugates in vaccines to treat sepsis and other infectious complications.
US07749509B2
A method of treating autism using a probiotic composition including the bacilli (1) Bacillus subtilis, (2) Bacillus coagulans, and (3) Enterococcus faecium. The composition may further include a carrier medium, such as fructo-oligo-saccharides (FOS), as incorporated in a dose form such as a pill, capsule, powder or sachet. The compositions of the invention may be usefully employed as health or nutritional supplements, food additives, or therapeutic agents for combating a wide variety of physiological disorders.
US07749506B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to proteins derived from white spot syndrome virus, nucleic acid sequences encoding them, and their use in the manufacture of a vaccine for prophylaxis and/or treatment of white spot syndrome in crustaceans.
US07749503B2
The invention relates to a method of removing 3-deoxyglucosone and other alpha-dicarbonyl sugars from skin. The invention further relates to methods of inhibiting production and function of 3-deoxyglucosone and other alpha-dicarbonyl sugars in skin. The invention also relates to methods of treating 3-deoxyglucosone and other alpha-dicarbonyl sugars associated diseases and disorders of skin.
US07749495B2
The invention relates to inducing an immune response toward tumor associated antigens and in particular to the administration of high molecular weight isolates of autologous urine either alone, with adjuvants, or with antigen presenting cells. The antigen presenting cells have been cocultured with isolates of autologous urine. The invention can also be used to treat cachexia in cancer or AIDS patients.
US07749487B2
A convenient to use test method for comparing the relative affinity of surfactants for the skin employs a solid or semisolid matrix for associating a dye or pigment with the skin. The dye or pigment has an affinity to either the skin or a surfactant adsorbed on the skin during personal cleansing. The matrix may include a reagent soluble polymer film or temporary tattoo.
US07749483B2
Disclosed is a processes for the production of relatively high purity alkaline earth metal oxides, such as SrO, from relatively low purity forms of carbonated or other oxygenated forms of such metals, such as strontium carbonate. The relatively low purity material is exposed to conditions under which at least a portion of the metal contained therein is converted to a salt that is more readily solvated in a provided solvent than the starting material, while at the same time not substantially increasing the solubility of at least one or more of the impurities in such selected solvent. This step is then preferably followed by removal of solid or otherwise un-dissolved impurities from the solution. After the removal step, the solution is preferably exposed to conditions effective to form a relatively insoluble salt of the alkaline earth metal, such as a strontium salt. The insoluble salt is also preferably one that can be readily and effectively converted to the desired alkaline earth metal oxide, preferably SrO. A novel preferred thermal decomposition step disclosed.
US07749479B2
The invention is directed to carbon fibers having high tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for making the carbon fibers. The method comprises advancing a precursor fiber through an oxidation oven wherein the fiber is subjected to controlled stretching in an oxidizing atmosphere in which tension loads are distributed amongst a plurality of passes through the oxidation oven, which permits higher cumulative stretches to be achieved. The method also includes subjecting the fiber to controlled stretching in two or more of the passes that is sufficient to cause the fiber to undergo one or more transitions in each of the two or more passes. The invention is also directed to an oxidation oven having a plurality of cooperating drive rolls in series that can be driven independently of each other so that the amount of stretch applied to the oven in each of the plurality of passes can be independently controlled.
US07749469B2
Disclosed is a process for recovery of uranium from a spent nuclear fuel using a carbonate solution, characterized by excellent proliferation resistance of preventing leaching of transuranium element (TRU) nuclides such as Pu, Np, Am, Cm, etc. from the spent nuclear fuel as well as environmental friendliness of minimizing waste generation, wherein a highly alkaline carbonate solution is used to separate uranium alone from the spent nuclear fuel.
US07749461B2
An apparatus for converting gas using gliding plasma. The apparatus includes: a reaction chamber; an electrode member inside the reaction chamber and insulated from the reaction chamber; a power source applying electricity to the reaction chamber and the electrode member; a magnetic field generating unit installed outside the reaction chamber to rotate plasma induced inside the reaction chamber in a circumferential direction of the electrode member for forming a plasma region; and a gas supplying unit supplying material gas into the reaction chamber to allow the material gas to pass through the plasma region for converting the material gas into a different gas by energy received from the plasma. In the gas conversion apparatus, the plasma region can be widely formed in the reaction chamber to increase gas conversion rate.
US07749458B2
This is directed to a honeycomb structure (10) including two or more honeycomb segments (11) having numerous through channels having been partitioned by walls and penetrating in axial direction thereof, the walls for through channels having a filtering function, and one end being clogged at predetermined through channels, and the other end at the remaining ones, and joint layers (12) for joining two or more honeycomb segments (11) each other. It may satisfy at least either that the Young's modulus of material of the joint layer (12) is 20% or less of that of the honeycomb segment (11), or that the material strength of joint layer (12) is lower than that of the honeycomb segment (11). This honeycomb structure shows a less thermal stress during use, has such a durability that no crack is formed, hardly shows a difference in temperature between the central portion and outer peripheral portion, and shows a lower pressure loss of fluid.
US07749453B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a containment device having a flexible first layer and a flexible second layer sealed together to form a hermetically sealed reservoir. The surface area of contact between the first and the second layers can define a frame about the perimeter of the reservoir. The containment device can also include a porous pad located within the reservoir, and a liquid control solution configured to mimic a physiological fluid contained within the porous pad within the reservoir. The containment device can include a third flexible layer presenting a liquid holding surface for a user. A portion of the first and/or second layers can function as a frangible seal that is configured to be torn away by a user.
US07749446B2
A gas cell used in analytical instrumentation directs the flow of the sample gas to the center of the cell, allowing the outlets to be place on the ends, very near the windows and or mirrors of the cell. This reduces contamination by moving the inlet as far from the ends as possible and improves flow by having the outlets close to the ends of the cell.
US07749445B2
Methods and apparatus for analyzing bioprocess fluids are provided. A plurality of particles coated with a plurality of capture agents having an affinity for one or more biological markers is combined with bioprocess fluid to form a plurality of analyte-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample to a sensor surface, and optionally a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of analyte-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface.
US07749442B2
The present invention provides a sample measuring device capable of allowing not only one but more than one kind of samples to react with a reagent, and enhancing a reliability in photometric analysis accuracy by reliably mixing and agitating the sample and the reagent prior to the photometric analysis. The device includes a reagent melting/mixing means, a sample supply chamber positioned on the upstream side of, and communicating with, the reagent melting/mixing means when the sample is allowed to flow into the reagent melting/mixing means, and at least one measuring chamber positioned on the downstream side of, and communicating with, the reagent melting/mixing means, wherein the sample supply chamber, the reagent melting/mixing means, and the measuring chamber are arranged sequentially from the upstream to the downstream directions of the flow passage, with the sample supply chamber positioned on the upstream side with respect to the sample flow by a sample moving means. When a centrifugal machine is used as a reagent moving means and the sample measuring device is installed and used with its imaginary axis kept along the radial direction of a rotor of the centrifugal machine, the sample supply chamber can be provided to be positioned on the radially inner side of the rotor in the centrifugal machine.
US07749430B2
A member for a semiconductor device of low price, capable of forming a high quality plating layer on a surface, having heat conductivity at high temperature (100° C.) of more than or equal to 180 W/m·K and toughness that will not cause breaking due to screwing, and will not cause solder breaking due to heat stress when it is bonded to other member with solder, and a production method thereof are provided. A member for a semiconductor device (1) having a coefficient of thermal expansion ranging from 6.5×10−6/K to 15×10−6/K inclusive, and heat conductivity at 100° C. of more than or equal to 180 W/m·K, has: a base material (11) formed of an aluminum-silicon carbide composite material starting from powder material in which particulate silicon carbide is dispersed in aluminum or aluminum alloy, and the content of the silicon carbide is from 30% by mass to 85% by mass inclusive; and a superficial layer (12) containing aluminum or aluminum alloy starting from a melt material bonded on top and bottom faces of the base material (11).
US07749428B2
A manufacturing method of a clad material composed of a bronze alloy and a steel is provided, including: scattering a bronze alloy powder on a steel back metal; sintering the bronze alloy powder to obtain a bilayer material having a porous bronze alloy layer on the steel; dry-rolling and a sintering the bilayer material so that the bronze alloy layer has a porosity of 3% or less; and wet-rolling the bilayer material with supplying a rolling oil to surfaces of rolling rolls. The clad manufactured according to this method can be heat-treated without an disadvantage in a conventional wet-rolling that entering rolling oil vaporizes in the bronze alloy layer during the heat treatment to form new voids. Therefore, it becomes possible to make a bronze alloy layer high in density in small times of rolling, thus enabling an increase in production efficiency.
US07749427B2
A consumable thermal torch for cutting through materials includes a first elongated generally cylindrical member adapted to receive an associated supply of oxygen into a first end and react with the oxygen at a second end. A second member has a hollow profiled similarly adapted to receive an associated supply of oxygen into a first end and react with the oxygen at a second end. The second member is received radially within the first member and is substantially axially coextensive therewith. At least one first gas flow passage is formed radially between the second member and the first member. At least one second gas flow passage is formed within the hollow profile of the second member and extends from the first end of the second member to the second end of the second member.
US07749420B2
A method and an apparatus facilitate the processing of a core structure for a composite sandwich structure. The core has an open three-dimensional structure and is not self-supporting due to an insufficient strength or stiffness. The method involves temporarily providing a support arrangement on the core structure to mechanically support and stabilize it, then subjecting the supported core structure to the desired processing, and then separating and removing the core structure and the support arrangement from one another. The processing can involve immersion into a processing liquid such as a curable resin, or mechanical machining operations. The support arrangement preferably includes a core impression that is surfacially form-fitting on a structured surface of the core structure. The apparatus includes a support arrangement including a core impression to be disposed on a surface of the core structure. The core impression may be formed of a polymer, a metal, or a casting material.
US07749411B2
A method of producing an optical film comprising the step of: stretching a continuous resinous film by apply tension to a transverse direction of the resinous film while conveying the resinous film, wherein the stretching is carried out with a stretching apparatus comprising right and left edge holding devices which hold right and left edges of the resinous film; and, the right and left edge holding devices of the stretching apparatus each independently controls right and left edge holding distances of the resinous film so that a slow axis of the resinous film is substantially perpendicular or substantially parallel to a film conveying direction, provided that the edge holding distance is defined as a distance between an initiation position and a cessation position of holding of the edge of the resinous film.
US07749408B2
A composite having electro-optic activity including a chromophore compound dispersed in a host material comprising a dendronized chromophore compound, methods for making the composite, and electro-optic devices including the composite.
US07749407B2
There is provided a transparent conductor including conductive nanoparticles and at least one of (a) a fluorinated acid polymer and (b) a semiconductive polymer doped with a fluorinated acid polymer. The nanoparticles are carbon nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, or combinations thereof. The carbon and metal nanoparticles are selected from nanotubes, fullerenes, and nanofibers. The acid polymers are fluorinated or highly fluorinated and have acidic groups including carboxylic acid groups, sulfonic acid groups, sulfonimide groups, phosphoric acid groups, phosphonic acid groups, and combinations thereof. The semiconductive polymers comprise homopolymers and copolymers derived from monomers selected from substituted and unsubstituted thiophenes, pyrroles, anilines, and cyclic heteroaromatics, and combinations of those. The compositions may be used in organic electronic devices (OLEDs).
US07749379B2
Compositions and methods are provided for separating bitumen from oil sands in an efficient and environmentally acceptable manner, and for recovering residual bitumen from existing tailings ponds.
US07749374B2
Methods for conversion of a hydrocarbon feed to a total product are described. Contact of the hydrocarbon feed with one or more catalysts at selected contacting conditions produces the total product. The total product includes a crude product that is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa and has one or more properties that are changed relative to the respective property of the hydrocarbon feed. Selected contacting conditions include a partial pressure of at most 7 MPa. During contact a P-value of a hydrocarbon feed/total product mixture remains at least 1.0. The crude product has a residue content of at most 90% and/or a reduced viscosity of at most 50% as compared to the residue content and/or viscosity content of the hydrocarbon feed.
US07749372B2
A method is disclosed for treating the effluent from a hydrocarbon pyrolysis unit without employing a primary fractionator. The method comprises passing the gaseous effluent to at least one primary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the gaseous effluent and generating high pressure steam, and then cooling the gaseous effluent to a temperature at which tar, formed by reactions among constituents of the effluent, condenses. The gaseous effluent and the condensed tar are fed to at least one knock-out drum, whereby the tar is separated from the gaseous effluent. The gaseous effluent is then further cooled to condense a pyrolysis gasoline fraction from the effluent and to reduce the temperature of the effluent to a point at which it can be compressed efficiently. The condensed pyrolysis gasoline fraction is separated from the effluent and then distilled so as to reduce its final boiling point.
US07749360B2
A vapor based liquid purification system and process utilizes an evaporator for evaporating a liquid into a vapor and a vapor condenser for condensing the vapor into the processed liquid. The vapor condenser has a stator and a rotor, with the rotor disposed for rotation about the stator. The stator and the rotor each have protrusions proximate to an inlet of the vapor condenser. These protrusions cooperate to draw vapor from the evaporator into the vapor condenser. The stator and the rotor each further have at least one axially extending ridge. These ridges cooperate to move a mixture of the vapor and the processed liquid towards at least one drain in the rotor where the processed liquid is communicated to an outlet of the vapor condenser. A multi-level vapor based purification system may also be utilized. With the multi-level vapor based purification system a vertically oriented conduit provides fluid communication between a vented vessel containing liquid and the evaporator, which is at a height greater than the vented vessel such that the vertically oriented conduit has a length effective to create a low-pressure region within the evaporator.
US07749345B2
A fluorine gas generating material composition comprises a fluorine bearing material, the fluorine bearing material releasing fluorine gas at a first temperature, and a coruscative material, a reaction temperature of the coruscative material equal to or greater than the first temperature. In some embodiments, the fluorine bearing material is a nickel-based alloy and the coruscative material includes an element from Group IVB, VB or VIB of the periodic table or a transition metal and a carbon-based material. The fluorine gas generating material composition can be incorporated into a product such as a munition, a flare, a shape charge or an impulse device. The disclosed fluorine gas generating material composition can be used to produce work in applications and methods that include point delivery of fluorine gas, explosives related applications, aerospace applications, and applications in the fields of mining and drilling.
US07749343B2
The present invention provides a steel sheet excellent in workability, which may be used for components of an automobile or the like, and a method for producing the same. More specifically, according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a steel sheet excellent in workability, including in mass, 0.08 to 0.25% C, 0.001 to 1.5% Si, 0.01 to 2.0% Mn, 0.001 to 0.06% P, at most 0.05% S, 0.001 to 0.007% N, 0.008 to 0.2% Al, at least 0.01% Fe. The steel sheet having an average r-value of at least 1.2, an r-value in the rolling direction of at least 1.3, an r-value in the direction of 45 degrees to the rolling direction of at least 0.9, and an r-value in the direction of a right angle to the rolling direction of at least 1.2.
US07749337B2
Process for the passivation of metallic surfaces by treatment of the surface with an acidic, aqueous preparation which comprises at least one water-soluble acid group-containing polymer and Zn, Ca, Mg or Al ions, said process being in particular a continuous process for the passivation of strip metals.
US07749336B2
A technique for increasing the compliance of tin-indium solders is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a lead free solder alloy comprising from about 58.0% to about 99.998% by weight tin, from about 0.001% to about 40.0% by weight indium, and from about 0.001% to about 2.0% by weight at least one rare earth element.
US07749334B2
The invention relates to the use of agents, which contain at least one disinfection system based on selected organic peracids and combinations of peracids, in automatically functioning systems, in which fragile medical appliances, in particular, endoscopes, are cleaned and disinfected. According to the invention, the appliances are brought into contact with an aqueous disinfection agent solution after they have been treated and/or at the same time they are being treated with an aqueous cleaning solution. The invention also relates to cleaning and disinfection agents and methods which are all suited for carrying out this purpose.
US07749329B2
The present invention relates to cleaning compositions and methods employing a water soluble magnesium compound. Such compositions can be used for reducing scale, rinsing, hard surface cleaning, ware washing, and corrosion inhibition.
US07749327B2
Some embodiments include methods for treating surfaces. Beads and/or other insolubles may be dispersed within a liquid carrier to form a dispersion. A transfer layer may be formed across a surface. The dispersion may be directed toward the transfer layer, and the insolubles may impact the transfer layer. The impacting may generate force in the transfer layer, and such force may be transferred through the transfer layer to the surface. The surface may be a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and the force may be utilized to sweep contaminants from the semiconductor substrate surface. The transfer layer may be a liquid, and in some embodiments may be a cleaning solution.
US07749324B2
The present invention includes a method for casting a silicon ingot by using a continuous casting method by means of an electromagnetic induction, and a method for cutting the silicon ingot as a starting material into plural silicon blocks. When the silicon blocks with a square section are cut out, the sectional shape of the silicon ingot is set to be rectangular. Not less than 6 pieces of equal-sized silicon blocks are cut out from the silicon ingot, thereby enabling to enhance the manufacturing efficiency to a great extent. And since the amount of excision of the edge per silicon block is reduced, the production yield can be enhanced. Further, since the proportion of columnar crystals with large grain size inside the ingot can be increased, it becomes possible to enhance the conversion efficiency of a solar battery using the silicon block as a substrate material.
US07749322B2
Aluminium oxide powder produced by flame hydrolysis and consisting of aggregates of primary particles, having a BET surface area of from 100 to 250 m2/g, a dibutyl phthalate absorption of from 50 to 450 g/100 g of aluminium oxide powder, which powder shows only crystalline primary particles in high-resolution TEM pictures. It is prepared by vaporizing aluminium chloride, transferring the vapour by means of a carrier gas to a mixing chamber and, separately therefrom, supplying hydrogen, air (primary air), which may optionally be enriched with oxygen and/or may optionally be pre-heated, to the mixing chamber, then igniting the mixture of aluminium chloride vapour, hydrogen, air in a burner and burning the flame into a reaction chamber that is separated from the surrounding air, subsequently separating the solid material from the gaseous substances and then treating the solid material with steam and optionally with air, the discharge rate of the reaction mixture from the mixing chamber into the reaction chamber being at least 10 m/s, and the lambda value being from 1 to 10 and the gamma value being from 1 to 15. It can be used as an ink-absorbing substance in ink-jet media.
US07749321B2
The present invention is directed to pigment compositions, thick film black pigment compositions, conductive single layer thick film compositions, black electrodes made from such black conductive compositions and methods of forming such electrodes, and to the uses of such compositions, electrodes, and methods in flat panel display applications, including alternating-current plasma display panel devices (AC PDP).
US07749313B2
An air conditioning system for automotive vehicles includes an air conditioning case having an internal passageway and an ionizer for emitting positive ions and negative ions into the internal passageway of the air conditioning case. The ionizer includes a main body and first and second discharge electrodes extending from the main body into the internal passageway in a spaced-apart relationship with each other. The air conditioning system further includes an electric short preventing arrangement for preventing moisture positioned in and around the first and second discharge electrodes from causing electric short between the first and second discharge electrodes. The electric short preventing arrangement comprises a water drainage rib for draining the moisture condensed in and around the first and second discharge electrodes to prevent the electric short between the first and second discharge electrodes.
US07749311B2
A treatment system to efficiently remove lead from dust contained in extracted cement kiln combustion gas while reducing facility and running costs. A treatment system 1 comprising a probe 3 for extracting a part of combustion gas, while cooling it, from a kiln exhaust gas passage, which runs from an inlet end of a cement kiln to a bottom cyclone; a first classifier 5 for separating coarse powder from dust contained in the combustion gas extracted; a dust collector 7 for collecting dust from the extracted gas containing fine powder discharged from the first classifier 5; and a second classifier 8 for dividing dust discharged from the dust collector 7 into fine powder and coarse powder, and others. Since more lead is distributed on the fine powder side classified by the second classifier 8, lead can efficiently be removed without using chemicals and the like. The fine powder classified by the classifier 8 may be desalted by washing; high-lead-level cake obtained after the washing can be recycled; or salt water can be added to a cement mill. The coarse powder may be added to a cement grinding process or returned to cement material grinding process after the desaltation through washing.
US07749307B2
Process for providing a purified gas stream, comprising: providing a crude gas stream comprising an organic impurity; condensing at least a portion of the impurity from the gas stream to form a prepurified gas stream; and subjecting the prepurified stream to adsorption on a first adsorption medium; wherein the first medium is subjected to a regeneration comprising: providing a circulating inert gas stream having a temperature of at least 100° C.; passing the circulating inert gas stream over the first medium to form an organic impurity-loaded inert gas stream; cooling the loaded stream; condensing at least a portion of the organic impurity from the cooled stream to provide a prepurified circulating inert gas stream; subjecting the prepurified gas stream to adsorption on a second adsorption medium to provide a purified circulating inert gas stream; and recycling the purified gas stream to the circulating inert gas stream.
US07749291B2
The invention relates to a process for the generation of electrical energy and byproducts from the gasification of biomass and/or environmental waste materials. Environmental waste and/or renewable biomass is processed by three separate stages of gasification. The first stage is a pyrolysis chamber with firebox which gasifies solid material into gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon compounds at temperatures below 800 F. The second stage is a fixed bed chamber gasifier which produces the acetylene and hydrogen gases at approximately 1400 F. The third stage is a high temperature reactor which produces molten calcium carbide at 3500 F. Various solid, liquid, and gaseous byproducts are produced along the way. The second stage gases include carbon monoxide, methane, hydrogen, acetylene and other biogases which are used to generate electricity in an internal combustion engine. The calcium carbide with water reaction generates acetylene gas and is used to enrich the gaseous fuel to the internal combustion engine or as a storable solid fuel. The energy generated from the partial combustion of the biomass/waste material is used to fuel the three gasification chambers. Air emissions tests shows ultra low pollution levels from this process.
US07749288B2
A method of making a lithium electrochemical cell includes treating the cathode active material with an agent that includes lithium but not sodium. A cathode including the cathode active material, an anode, a separator, and an electrolyte are assembled in a housing to provide a cell containing less than 1500 ppm by weight of sodium.
US07749278B2
Orthopaedic implants, orthopaedic implant sets, and/or methods for making the same. Aspects and embodiments of the present invention may include orthopaedic implants having an elongated insertion region including proximal, distal, and transition portions, wherein at least portions of at least one face each of the proximal and transition portions are defined by spaced apart constant radii of curvature. The same or other aspects and embodiments may include sets of orthopaedic implants in which proximal portions of the implants grow at different rates than distal portions of the implants. The same or other aspects and embodiments may include methods for making implants and/or sets of implants by studying the geometries of differently sized bony anatomies.
US07749277B2
Methods, systems and devices for preventing prosthetic articulating surfaces from separating from each other. A containment system according to one embodiment seeks to prevent an implant stem head from dislocating from a prosthetic component while providing an increased range of motion over conventional contrained components. In one embodiment, an implant structural member includes a cavity and an opening having a lip, including a web along a portion of the lip. An implant stem head has a cooperating surface that corresponds with the web, so that when the cooperating surface of the implant stem head is aligned with the web, the head may be inserted into the implant structural member. The implant stem head is then rotated and the femoral stem component attached, thereby preventing dislocation of the head.
US07749267B2
Expandable devices and methods for treating and enlarging a tissue, an organ or a cavity. The device is composed of a hollow expanding pouch made of a resorbable material or a perforated material that can be attached to a filling element. The pouch can be filled with a biocompatible materials, one or more times in few days interval, after the insertion of the device. While filling the pouch every few days the tissue expands and the filling material if it is bioactive start to function. The devices allow immediate direct contact between the filling material and the tissue. These devices and methods can be used for example for: horizontal and vertical bone augmentation in the jaws, soft tissue augmentation, fixating bone fractures etc.
US07749265B2
A radio frequency antenna is provided for use with a medical device for implantation into an animal. The antenna comprises a coil formed by a wire that includes a core formed of a shape-memory material with an electrically conductive first layer applied to an outer surface of the core. A second layer, of an electrically insulating and biologically compatible material, extends around the first layer. If necessary to reduce friction a lubricant is place between the first and second layers. If second layer is formed of porous material or a non-biological compatible material, a biological compatible outer layer surrounds the second layer thereby providing a barrier that is impermeable to body fluids of the animal.
US07749263B2
Provided herein is a PEA polymer blend and coatings or implantable devices formed therefrom.
US07749261B2
A forced air warming unit has a casing with inlet and outlet openings. The casing encloses a scroll housing with a curved inside surface in which a blower is disposed. A circuit board in the casing encloses the blower in the scroll housing. At least one opening penetrates the circuit board. A heater plate is disposed between the circuit board and the blower. The blower draws air through the inlet opening, along a first side of the circuit board through the at least one opening into the scroll housing. The blower also forces air along a second side of the circuit board which faces the scroll housing, through air passages in the circuit board, along the first side through the at least one opening, into the scroll housing. The blower accelerates air along the curved inside surface and past the heater plate. Heated, pressurized air exits through the outlet opening.
US07749252B2
Systems and method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can includes an implant comprising a first wing, a spacer extending from the first wing, and a distraction guide. The distraction guide is arranged in a first configuration to pierce and/or distract tissue associated with adjacent spinous processes extending from vertebrae of a targeted motion segment. The implant can be positioned between the adjacent spinous processes and once positioned, the implant can be arranged in a second configuration. When arranged in a second configuration, the distraction guide can act as a second wing. The first wing and the second wing can limit or block movement of the implant along a longitudinal axis of the implant.
US07749242B2
This is a device for occluding a space within the body. In particular, the device comprises an expandable member, an inner member and one or more stop elements. The devices may be placed in a desired site within a mammal to facilitate the formation of an occlusion.
US07749238B2
An occlusion device includes a center assembly having a flexible section formed by a polymeric connector. The flexible polymeric connector gives the center assembly improved torque and flexure characteristics, which allows the occlusion device to better conform to the contours of the heart.
US07749237B2
A suture passer comprises a longitudinally extending hollow cannula having a central passage slidingly receivable of a surgical suture; a manually graspable handle connected to the hollow cannula for manipulation thereof, the handle having an upper surface; first guide means, connected to the upper surface of the handle, proximate a distal end of the handle for releasably, guidingly, holding the surgical suture; second guide means, connected to the upper surface of the handle, proximate to the first guide means, for releasably, guidingly, holding the surgical suture. The suture passer can be provided in a kit, for use in the suturing of internal tissue, along with a cannula bender, various hollow surgical needles and surgical suture material. The suture passer finds particular use in the suturing of internal tissues which are at least partially accessible through a body cavity, e.g. arthroscopic surgery.
US07749234B2
An angioplasty and stent delivery system to facilitate introduction and placement of a stent, including a catheter having an expandable distal portion constructed and arranged for expanding the outer diameter of the catheter from a contracted state to an expanded state: a stent positioned around the distal portion of the catheter having a contracted condition and being expandable to an expanded condition, and being sized in the contracted condition to closely surround the catheter in the contracted state, the expandable distal portion of the catheter including a balloon within which or over which there is included on a catheter shaft at least one axially movable or enlargeable body of a diameter larger than the catheter shaft to which the stent and balloon are fitted, as by crimping, for holding the stent in place until it is released therefrom by expansion of the balloon.
US07749228B2
An apparatus for cutting bone is provided, the apparatus includes an elongate member having a central axis. The elongate member includes a tubular portion that extends between a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The distal end portion includes an articulatable head section with a stop surface and a cutting edge projecting from the stop surface. The head section is articulatable about a pivot axis that extends transverse to the central axis. The apparatus further includes a mechanism for articulating the head section relative to the tubular portion.
US07749225B2
A surgical instrument and method for forming a passage in bone having an enlarged cross-sectional portion is provided. The instrument includes an elongate member and a cutting element engaged thereto and transitionable between a retracted configuration for extending through a first portion of the passage and an expanded configuration for forming a second portion of the passage having an enlarged cross-section. In one embodiment, the cutting element is transitioned between the retracted and expanded configurations by axially displacing the cutting element relative to the elongate member. In another embodiment, the elongate member includes a tapping thread configured to cut threads along the first portion of the passage, and the cutting element is a blade configured to form the enlarged cross-section when transitioned to the expanded configuration. In another embodiment, the cutting element is arranged in an axial orientation when in the retracted configuration and an angular orientation when in the expanded configuration.
US07749223B2
A long bone axis finder has a shaft extending along an axis and a first and second end. A tip portion is provided for releasable coupling to the shaft first end. A wedge element having an open side is provided for lateral engagement with said shaft. The wedge element is slidable along said shaft in a direction from the second to the first end. The axis finder is inserted into a long bone medullary canal until the tip portion engages a narrower portion of the canal. The wedge portion which is larger than the tip is laterally placed on the shaft and engages a portion of the canal closer to the shaft second end.
US07749220B2
The present disclosure relates to intravascular thrombectomy systems and methods for ablating a blockage and preventing the introduction of emboli into the blood stream during and after surgery performed to reduce or ablate the blockage in a blood vessel. The system includes a catheter sleeve having electrodes disposed proximate a distal end portion thereof, either at the distal end itself or axially spaced along the length of the catheter sleeve. The system further includes a capture element which is expandable to span the lumen of the vessel. The capture element is deployable downstream of the blockage. The electrodes of the catheter sleeve may be placed on one side of the blockage or on either side of the blockage.
US07749217B2
A method and electrosurgical system for optically detecting blood and controlling an electrosurgical generator are provided. An optical blood detection system is used for optically detecting blood and may be included as an integral part of the overall electrosurgical system's circuitry, or may be designed as a separate unit that connects to, and controls, an electrosurgical generator. The optical blood detection system may be embodied through a variety of analog, digital and/or optical circuit components or arrangements, including software running on computational and memory circuitry. The optical blood detection system controls the output mode and energy of the electrosurgical generator in accordance with the amount of blood detected.
US07749214B2
A disposable medical support undergarment is provided selectively to cover a groin part and selectively to expose thigh arteries of a patient at angiography operation and detachably attach a portion of the undergarment. The undergarment includes a front center sheet, a back panel and an assistant sheet. The width of the front center sheet is predetermined to cover the groin part of a patient and expose the left and right thigh arteries near the groin part, and the back panel includes a pair of front side sheets and a back sheet integrated with the pair of front side sheets. The side end portion of front center sheet and the side end portion of the front side sheet of the back panel can be detachably attached each other.
US07749208B2
An insert for use together with an absorbent article such as a nappy, an incontinence product, a sanitary towel, a panty liner or the like. The insert has an first side, a second side and an essentially non-urine-absorbing spacer element adapted to keep a portion of the absorbent article at a distance from the skin of a wearer during use. The insert also includes an essentially non-urine-absorbing liquid-permeable retaining layer located against the spacer element, the retaining layer being capable of retaining feces.
US07749200B2
An administering apparatus for administering a fluid product, including a casing, a reservoir for the product, a driven device which acts on the product contained in the reservoir to deliver the product, and a drive device which acts on the driven device and performs a delivery stroke in a drive direction from a delivery position up to a delivery stopper to deliver a product dosage to be administered, wherein a priming stopper is provided for the drive device and limits a priming stroke of the drive device, which serves to bleed, in the drive direction, wherein the priming stroke is axially shorter than a maximum delivery stroke, and wherein the drive device can be moved in the drive direction from a priming position up to the priming stopper and transversely to the drive direction as far as the delivery position.
US07749199B2
A catheter clamp includes a body portion and clamp, the body portion comprising a first location portion which receives a catheter which issues from a patient's skin, a second location portion which causes the catheter to be bent through an arc and a third location portion which guides the catheter to an exit of the clamp, the third location portion comprising side walls which flank the catheter so as to form a close-fitting pathway, the arrangement of the clamp being such that in use the clamp is manually operable and can be caused to adopt a clamping condition in which the clamping portion clamps at least one of that portion of the catheter which is located by the third location portion and that portion of the catheter which is located by the second location portion. The inventive catheter clamp is advantageously of a lower profile than known catheter clamps.
US07749188B2
A breast pump, including a housing container, a breast pump body having an attachment and detachment part, a negative pressure generating member attached to the breast pump body, and an operation unit. The breast pump body includes a diameter-expanded milking part, a small valve chamber, and an attachment part communicating with the small valve chamber and attaches thereto the negative pressure generating member that creates the negative pressure needed to express milk; the negative pressure generating member includes a connector to which the operation unit is connected, a comparatively soft attachment and detachment part having elasticity and attached detachably to the attachment part, a wall part having such rigidity that an external shape can be kept, and a deformable part provided on the inside of the wall part integrally with the wall part, is less thick than the wall part, and is deformed to create the negative pressure.
US07749187B2
A needleless injection device with a lower part receiving the agent cartridge and an upper part providing the energy needed for injection. The upper part contains energy store units capable of elastic form-change. Rotating the lower part in relation to the upper part causes the lower part to move along the longitudinal axis toward the upper part, resulting in the tension state of the energy storage structural elements. Furthermore, the device has a lock maintaining the tension of the energy storage units and component to release the lock. Among the energy storage structural parts there is at least one start unit capable of storing at least 60% of the total discharge energy (pressure), with the reversible elastic distortion not exceeding 25% of the internal length of the agent cartridge. The device has separate structural components for stretching the start unit and limiting its relaxation.
US07749177B2
An apparatus and method for detecting swallowing activity is provided. In an embodiment, a method includes receiving an electronic signal from an accelerometer that represents swallowing activity, extracting at least two features from the signal, classifying the signal as a type of swallowing activity based on the extracted features, and generating an output of the classification. Exemplary activities include swallows, aspirations, movement and vocal artifacts. By indicating whether an activity is a swallow or an aspiration, the manner in which a patient afflicted with an increased likelihood for aspirations is fed can be adjusted to increase the likelihood of achieving a swallow instead of an aspiration during feeding. In turn this could reduce hospitalizations for aspiration pneumonia in patients with acute or chronic injury.
US07749175B2
An apparatus for steering a guidewire and for connecting the guidewire to an extension guidewire. The apparatus includes a steering device for gripping an exterior of the guidewire, the steering device defining a passageway therein through which the guidewire may pass; and a connecting device for connecting the guidewire to the extension guidewire. The connecting device is configured for mating with the steering device to form an integral unit. The invention further includes a method of inserting a guidewire in a body and connecting the guidewire to an extension guidewire. The method includes the steps of: providing an integral guidewire holder and tool for connecting a guidewire to an extension guidewire; gripping the guidewire with the integral guidewire holder; inserting the guidewire into a body lumen; displacing the integral guidewire holder and tool relative to the guidewire so that the proximal end of the guidewire is located in a slot of the integral guidewire holder and tool; inserting an extension guidewire into the slot of the integral guidewire holder and tool; and connecting the guidewire to the extension guidewire. The method further includes the step of aligning the guidewire and extension guidewire in the slot prior to the connecting step.
US07749173B2
A combination exo-endocervical sampling device includes a pair of opposing wings disposed transverse to a shaft, and a brush that extends from the wings along a central axis of the shaft. In this regard, each of the opposing wings includes a sampling surface having a staggered array of beads, and the brush includes a multiplicity of looped fibers, where each looped fiber includes a first closed end opposite a second closed end such that the closed ends extend transverse from the central axis of the shaft.
US07749172B2
A pneumatic circuit and other components are provided for the operation of a medical device. The pneumatic circuit provides controlled pressurized air to a medical device for use during a medical procedure.
US07749171B2
In one form of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting an A-wave, the method comprising: applying a series of stimuli to a nerve; recording a series of late responses; creation of a feature space map from an ensemble of late responses; identification of clusters within the feature space that represent A-wave components; consolidation of A-wave components into a discrete collection of A-waves; removal of false positive A-waves; and extraction of A-wave characteristics. In another form of the present invention, there is provided a system for detecting an A-wave comprising: a stimulation electrode; a stimulation circuit connected to the stimulation electrode for applying a series of stimuli to a nerve; a detection electrode; a detection circuit connected to the detection electrode; and an analyzer connected to the detection electrode and adapted to detect an A-wave by: recording a series of late responses detected by the detection circuit; creation of a feature space map from an ensemble of late responses; identification of clusters within the feature space map that represent A-wave components; consolidation of A-wave components into a discrete collection of A-waves; removal of false positive A-waves; and extraction of A-wave characteristics.
US07749146B2
A flexible exercising and massaging apparatus formed from tubular, flexible, web-like material and having a plurality of internal pockets, along with an exercise regimen that includes the apparatus. The pockets located at opposite ends of the tubular material may hold objects such as resilient, hand-graspable orbs, including tennis balls, that aid in gripping the apparatus, and which have also been found to be conducive to self-massage therapy. The objects located within an intermediate pocket or pockets may be removed, and alternative objects inserted, through openings that allow access to a preselected pocket or pockets. The openings may be enclosed with resealable fasteners.
US07749144B2
An exercise machine for strengthening the abdominal and back muscles of a user has a frame that includes a front leg pivotally connected to a rear leg. The exercise machine also includes a seat and a backrest for supporting the back of a user during an exercise routine that is adjustably positioned and secured with respect to the seat. The backrest is adjustably flexible in order to provide resistance to the movement of a user in order to help strengthen the user's abdominal and back muscles. The backrest includes handles to facilitate engagement between the backrest and the user and to encourage the user to move against the adjustable resistance provided by the backrest. The exercise machine includes a non-use, storage mode that facilitates storage of the exercise machine.
US07749140B1
A quick disconnect and re-connect system is provided for exercise apparatus having a connection assembly for connecting a user-gripped handle to a resistance-bearing cable.
US07749139B2
An elliptical cross trainer having a double-recessed crank in match of a load-coupling mechanism installed at the external side of a crank support. In this way, the gap of two pedal planks arranged parallel to each other can be reduced, thereby achieving the natural opening space of both human feet. Meanwhile, a hanging support together with suspension arm is connected with two pedal planks such that the pedal planks can create an optimal exercise path corresponding to the exercise pace of both human feet.
US07749136B2
A method for the adjustment of a gearbox actuation system of an automated gearbox of a vehicle. The gearbox includes a shift finger; a plurality of gearshift rails, each rail in the plurality of gearshift rails in a respective position; a neutral gap with a first portion formed by respective jaws for said each rail and with a second portion formed separate from the respective jaws and open to the first portion; and, a gearshift motor. The method includes the step of performing at least one reference travel with a gear in the automated gearbox engaged.
US07749135B2
The interlock system includes a shaft that defines a longitudinal axis which the shaft rotates about during transmission shift operations. A transmission shift lever is coupled to the shaft, and an inhibitor pin is coupled to the ignition switch by a cable. The inhibitor pin engages the transmission shift lever to prevent shift operations when the ignition switch is in the off position. The inhibitor pin disengages the transmission shift lever when the ignition switch is positioned in the accessory position or a start/run position. The shaft includes a recess into which the inhibitor pin extends when the shaft is in the neutral or drive position to permit disconnection of the accessory circuit by moving the ignition switch to a mid position (between the off position and the accessory position) without placing the shaft in the park position.
US07749134B2
A control module, in particular for a transmission of a motor vehicle, has a substrate part, a control unit situated on a substrate part, which has a first housing part and a second housing part and a housing interior situated between the first housing part and the second housing part, in which an electronic circuit component attached to the first housing part is situated, and has at least one flexible printed circuit foil for electrically connecting the circuit component to electric components situated outside the housing interior on the substrate part, the first housing part of the control unit being situated flat on a contact area of the substrate part and the second housing part being situated within the contact area on the first housing part.
US07749123B2
A differential is provided comprising a rotatable differential housing, first and second output members, a first cycloid disk having an epitrochoid groove, a second cycloid disk having a hypotrochoid groove, a coupling disk connected having a plurality of holes each containing a sphere, wherein the spheres are engageable with the grooves for transferring torque between the cycloid disks. A method is also provided for distributing torque in a vehicle having two axles including at least one drive axle, including attaching one axle to a cycloid disk having a continuous epitrochoid groove, attaching another axle to a cycloid disk having a continuous hypotrochoid groove, attaching a rotatable housing to a center coupling disk having a plurality of holes, and positioning a torque transfer sphere that is engageable with the grooves in each of the holes, wherein the spheres are configured for distributing torque along the drive axles.
US07749119B2
A device for inserting an articulation pin (28) to pivotally connect the outer plates (12) and the inner plates (14) of a chain, particularly a bicycle chain. The device comprises an articulation pin (28) and a guide element (30) which is to be separated from the pin (28) after the insertion of the pin (28) within aligned holes (16, 18) of the plates (12, 14). The pin (28) is provided at one end thereof with a snap engaging portion (38) shaped so as to expand the holes (16) of the outer plates (12) in a radial direction during the insertion of the pin.
US07749118B2
Toothed belt for use in contact with oil and comprising a body and a number of teeth extending from at least one surface of the body; the teeth are coated by a fabric; a resistant layer comprising a plastomer based on fluorine with the addition of elastomeric material, in which the plastomer is present in a larger quantity than the elastomeric material, is applied by adhesion onto the coating fabric. The elastomeric material forming the body of the belt is a copolymer obtained from a dienic monomer and a monomer containing nitrile groups, in which the nitrile groups are between 33% and 49%, preferably 39%, in weight with respect to the copolymer.
US07749109B2
A golf swing posture correction apparatus and method therefor are provided. Provided is the golf swing posture correction system apparatus capable of detecting movement of an anchored leg in a golf swing and notifying a user, thereby correcting a golf swing posture. The anchored leg is a left leg for a right-handed person and a right leg for a left-handed person. The golf swing posture correction apparatus detects the movement of the anchored leg, and processes a detected signal, thereby generating sound via a speaker or vibration.
US07749108B2
The present invention provides a multi-piece solid golf ball having a core, an envelope layer encasing the core, an intermediate layer encasing the envelope layer, and a cover which encases the intermediate layer and has formed on a surface thereof a plurality of dimples. The envelope layer has an inner layer and an outer layer. The core is formed primarily of a rubber material. The inner and outer envelope layers, the intermediate layer and the cover are each formed primarily of the same or different resin materials. The inner and outer envelope layers, intermediate layer and cover have thicknesses which satisfy the following conditions (i) and (ii): (i) cover thickness
US07749105B2
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention a golf club head is provided. The club head includes a heel, toe, front portion with a defined striking face, a back portion, an upper surface and a lower surface. An aperture is defined in the body as extending from the upper surface to the lower surface and extending from the front portion to an inside portion. An insert is further provided and is secured within the aperture. Lastly, an indicia is provided within the insert and is visible through the upper surface and lower surface of the golf club head. Furthermore, the aperture may extend from the striking face such that the insert of mating configuration to the aperture forms at least a portion of the striking face.
US07749104B2
A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may generally include a strike face, a top portion, a bottom portion, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a hosel having a central axis located in an first imaginary vertical plane. A discrete, at least partially curvilinear stiffening element, having generally vertical side surfaces, may be coupled to at least one of the top portion and the bottom portion to improve the dynamic-excitation response of the club head. Preferably, the stiffening element is oriented such that an imaginary horizontal line intersects at least one of the vertical surfaces at least two points. Additionally, the stiffening element may have at least two inflection points located along a non-linear path characterized by the vertical projection of one of the side surfaces onto at least one of the bottom portion and the top portion of the club head.
US07749099B2
This invention provides a golf club head including a plurality of score lines on the face. In the golf club head according to this invention, the score line includes a pair of side surfaces and a bottom portion having a protruding portion protruding toward the face. An angle between the side surface and the face is not less than 60 degrees. A cross-sectional area A (inch2) of the score line, a width W (inch) of the score line measured based on the 30 degrees measurement method, and a distance S (inch) between the score lines adjacent to one another satisfy A/(W+S)≦0.003.
US07749089B1
A multi-media interactive play system has a number of play elements situated in a variety of play environments or play media. The play elements are linked to a common record of participant performance, progress, character attributes, etc. The participant's performance in the play elements determines the play elements to which the participant may proceed as well as the play parameters of the play element in which the participant is currently involved. The play elements are thus interlinked to define a sequence or path network along which the participant advances. By advancing through the play elements the participant carries out a plot, story, theme, etc. that attaches a significance to the successful completion of a given play element or elements. Also disclosed in a variety of play elements suitable for use in the system, an example of a plot or theme that may be carried out by the system, and a send/receive radio frequency network that may be used to track play participants in a play center.
US07749082B2
An apparatus and method for playing a version of a video game is provided. Using a computer terminal connected to a network, a player places a bet. Three faces of a three-dimensional cube are displayed. Each face includes N2 squares arranged in a N×N arrangement. One of an ordinary symbol, a multiplier symbol, or a bomb symbol is displayed in each of the squares. The computer determines whether any winning combinations are present, and provides a credit to the player according to the winning combination. When either a winning combination or a bomb symbol is present, certain squares are eliminated. Eliminated squares are refilled by shifting the remaining squares and then randomly generating new symbols. The game continues until there are no winning combinations and no bomb symbols.
US07749077B2
A system for monitoring and configuring gaming devices interconnected over a high-speed network is disclosed. The system can support a file server, one or more floor controllers, one or more pit terminals, and other terminals all interconnected over the network. Each gaming device includes an electronic module which allows the gaming device to communicate with a floor controller over a current loop network. The electronic module includes a player tracking module and a data communication node. The player tracking module includes a card reader for detecting a player tracking card inserted therein which identifies the player. The data communication node communicates with both the floor controller and the gaming device. The data communication node communicates with the gaming device over a serial interface through which the data communication node transmits reconfiguration commands. The gaming device reconfigures its payout schedule responsive to the reconfiguration commands to provide a variety of promotional bonuses such as multiple jackpot bonuses, mystery jackpot bonuses, progressive jackpot bonuses, or player specific bonuses.
US07749074B2
A game and gaming apparatus include a main game and a bonus game. A player is entitled to participate in the bonus game without an additional wager beyond that required to play the main game. Winning outcomes of the main game determine the indicia used to play the bonus game. In one embodiment upon a winning outcome of the main game, an indicia, such as an image of a winning amount, is transferred to the bonus game. In another embodiment, the bonus event includes categories associated with winning outcomes of the main game, the categories activated based upon wins of the main game. In one embodiment, the main game is a game of video poker. Winning hands are associated with or activate positions of the bonus game. Play of the bonus game comprises selection of at least one of the indicia or positions/categories which have been activated.
US07749073B2
The present invention is a method of conducting a wagering game having a plurality of symbol-bearing reels, comprising allowing a player to select one or more of a plurality of basic paylines (70) to define active paylines and, in response to the player meeting certain criteria, allowing a player to activate an enhanced payline (75). The method further includes randomly selecting a game outcome from a plurality of outcomes in response to a wager input, and displaying the game outcome as symbols aligned along the active paylines and the enhanced payline. Symbol combinations appearing along the active payline indicate awards according to a first paytable, while symbol combinations appearing along the enhanced payline (75) indicate awards according to a second paytable. The second paytable includes at least one winning symbol combination that is different from symbol combinations within the first paytable.
US07749070B2
A gaming device including a rotatable symbol display having a plurality of sections and a plurality of symbol modifying indicators. Each of the sections includes a value which is modified by a modifier generated by an activated symbol modifying indicators. The modified awards are added together and provided to the player in the game. In one embodiment, a selection display including a plurality of selections is displayed to the player. The selections are associated with each of the symbol modifying indicators. The gaming device enables the player to pick one or more of the selections to activate one or more of the symbol modifying indicators. The player picks the selections until the player picks a selection including a terminator.
US07749068B2
A gaming device having a plurality of locations including a destination location, a player symbol and an award associated with a plurality of the locations. The gaming device includes a setback condition associated with one of the locations, wherein when the player symbol moves to the location having the associated setback condition, the player symbol is relocated based on the setback condition to one of the locations further from the destination location and an advance condition associated with one of the locations, wherein when the player symbol moves to the location having the advance condition, the player symbol is relocated based on the advance condition to one of the locations toward to the destination location. The player symbol is moved to at least one and preferably a plurality of the locations and the player is provided any awards associated with the locations of the player symbol until the player symbol is moved to or beyond the destination location.
US07749062B2
An electronic game features captivating animations and rich selection criteria while offering the simplicity that makes the popularity of legacy games such as roulette, wheel of fortune and multi-line fruit machines casino games. One implementation of the present electronic game is configured as a 2D game tailored for slot machines. Solid 3D variants of the game extending beyond the established video slot machine form-factor are also described.
US07749059B2
A poker game offers the possibility of sequential hand play and large payoffs. In one embodiment, a first set of cards is used to form a first poker hand. A draw feature may allow the player to discard cards and obtain replacement cards. If the first poker hand is a predetermined winning set of cards or has a first rank, then the outcome is a winning outcome. Otherwise, the game ends. If the first hand is a winning outcome, the player may be paid winnings or play a subsequent hand in which the player attempts to achieve a hand having a higher rank than the previous hand. If the second hand has a higher rank than the previous hand, the player may be paid winnings or continue playing. In one embodiment, payouts for particular ranks or hands increase as the game continues.
US07749058B2
This invention is a networked board game apparatus and method of playing a customized game for 2 or more players on recursively organized boards, and a method for applying the aforementioned to leadership, communications, and team building education, and further to apply the aforementioned to the specific form of Chess. Applied to form of Chess, the first board is identical to a chessboard. The second board is an 8× multiple of the first board. Tartary boards follow this exponential growth. Players alternate moving pieces to a game-ending condition. Two players lead, the next 32 players play on a second board. Each first board move changes the positions of a second board player's pieces by a uniform transformation where the first board piece's new position is a function moving the second board player's pieces, which then continue from their new positions, potentially affecting deeper levels.
US07749055B2
A dual action corn cob separation and attendant corn cob separator, having a plurality of generally vertical or generally longitudinally elongated slots, and having disposed therebetween at least two of said slots, at least one generally vertical or longitudinal in-line row of smaller slots or openings, whereby whole corn cobs can be more effectively harvested.
US07749042B2
The toy building set comprises interconnectable modular elements that include flat, substantially square bricks, each having two opposite, substantially square main faces, of which a first one is shaped with an array of recesses. Two first, adjacent, narrow side faces bear tabs projecting at right angles from the respective side faces. Two second, adjacent, narrow side faces bear forks projecting from the respective side faces so that the tabs of an adjacent brick can be inserted therein. Each fork is of a size and shape such that it is insertable in one of the recesses with a tight fit. The modular elements also comprise disc-shaped, peripherally toothed bricks, each having transverse openings in which the forks are insertable.
US07749041B2
A portable theater for children that has multiple features of a theater integrated together. The portable theater has a stage, refreshment stand, ticket booth and alternatively a dressing room or puppet theater. Each side of theater has one element for a total of four elements in any given theater. The theater allows children to enact not only a performance, but also other aspects of the theater experience like selling tickets, selling refreshments and changing between scenes.
US07749039B2
An organic light emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. One aspect of the invention provides an organic light emitting display device including a first substrate including a pixel region in which an organic light emitting diode is formed, and a non-pixel region, the organic light emitting diode composed of a first electrode, an organic thin film layer and a second electrode; a second substrate arranged on the first substrate; a first encapsulating material provided between the first substrate and the second substrate of the non-pixel region; and a second encapsulating material provided in at least one side of the first encapsulating material and for reinforcing the first encapsulating material. The first encapsulating material includes at least one of a transparent glass layer and an opaque glass layer. The second encapsulating material includes a transparent glass layer and a reinforcement material, and a sealing substrate is connected with the substrate using the opaque glass layer and the reinforcement material. The organic light emitting display device may be useful to prevent Newton's rings from occurring by easily controlling a gap between a sealing substrate and the substrate in which an organic light emitting diode is formed by controlling a height of a transparent glass layer, and to use a low energy of a laser by adhering to the substrate by means of the opaque glass layer and the reinforcement material, which are applied onto the transparent glass layer.
US07749038B2
A light emitting device fabrication method. The fabrication method of the light emitting device comprises providing a light emitting semiconductor device; positioning a plurality of luminescent particles at the optical path of the light emitting semiconductor device; and reducing the distance between the luminescent particles to enhance the molecular attraction between the luminescent particles, than the luminescent particles is coagulated to a luminescent powder layer by the molecular attraction.
US07749031B2
A battery clamp includes a collar cooperating with opposing compression plates to engage a battery terminal. The clamp further includes a locking mechanism adapted to apply a compression force between the collar and the battery terminal. A method of securing a battery clamp to a terminal includes positioning a clamp around a terminal of a battery, wherein the clamp includes a collar and opposing compression plates. The method further includes engaging the collar to the terminal of the battery by applying a force to the compression plates.
US07749024B2
Disclosed is type THHN cable having a reduced surface coefficient of friction, and the method of manufacture thereof, in which the central conductor core and insulating layer are surrounded by a nylon sheath. A high viscosity, high molecular weight silicone based pulling lubricant for THHN cable, or alternatively, erucamide or stearyl erucamide for small THHN gauge wire, is incorporated, by alternate methods, with the nylon material from which the outer sheath is extruded, and is effective to reduce the required pulling force on the cable during installation.
US07749020B1
A positioning and grounding structure for ring connectors. A cutting part is formed by cutting one side of the ring connector. The connecting base has a grounding part. Using the relative position between the grounding part and the electrical connecting part as well as the cutting part for double positioning, the ring connector can be quickly fixed on a circuit board. The grounding part can quickly connect noises or electrostatics to the ground. The structure solves the problem of connectors in the prior art that lacks positioning and grounding designs. The provided ring connector can quickly position and ground.
US07749013B2
A conductive member is adapted to be attached onto a living tissue to detect a bioelectrical signal. A retainer retains the conductive member on the living tissue. A lead member is partly brought into contact with the conductive member to lead out the bioelectrical signal to a connector. A waterproof sheet covers the lead member in a watertight manner, while exposing a portion of the lead member from which the biological signal is led out.
US07749012B2
A socket connector having a connector body co-molded with its peripheral and cable seals. In the first molding operation, a first tooling is placed into a mold and is configured so that plastic injected into the mold forms the connector body. In the second molding operation, a second tooling is placed into the mold and is configured so that elastomeric material injected into the mold passes through at least one passage of the connector body to thereby form the peripheral seal and, integrally therewith, the cable seal.
US07749010B2
A connector structure that can be less subject to the vibration of the equipment coupled to the connector is provided. In the inverter apparatus side connector structure, a packing, an insulation member, another packing and a terminal housing are fixed at the outer circumference of the inverter apparatus side terminal with its one end being formed as a male terminal structure having an approximately circular solid cylindrical shape, and the terminal housing is fixed at the inverter apparatus side housing with the dissipation member of vibration. The motor side connector structure is fixed at the motor side housing with the packing, etc. at the outer circumference of the motor side terminal with its one end being formed as a female terminal structure having an approximately circular hollow cylindrical shape.
US07748995B1
An USB application device includes a casing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a fixing wall extended from the top wall and towards the bottom wall and an opening formed between the bottom wall and a bottom edge of the fixing wall, a PCB having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front end portion and a rear end portion, contacts disposed on the top surface of the front end portion, and an IC having a printed surface, and fixed on the second surface of a portion of the PCB and between the front and rear end portions. The IC and the portion of the PCB are sandwiched in the opening of the casing. The printed surface of the IC contacts an inner surface of the bottom wall of the casing. The bottom edge of the fixing wall contacts the top surface of the portion of the PCB.
US07748994B1
A board-to-board connector assembly includes a receptacle connector and a plug connector. The receptacle connector includes a receptacle housing, a plurality of first terminals and at least one fixing member disposed in the receptacle housing respectively. Each of the first terminals has a crooked first resilient portion and a soldering portion protruded from a free end of the first resilient portion to further project under the receptacle housing. The fixing member has a pair of crooked second resilient portions and two soldering tails each protruded from a free end of the respective second resilient portion to further project under the receptacle housing. The plug connector includes a plug housing mated with the receptacle housing, and a plurality of second terminals disposed in the plug housing and electrically contacting the corresponding first terminals.
US07748988B2
A card edge connector includes a housing, a first conductive part, a second conductive part, a connecting element, a first harness, and a second harness. The housing has an insertion hole for receiving an electronic substrate therein. The first conductive part and the second conductive part are disposed in the insertion hole and are configured to come in contact with respective terminals disposed on a surface of the electronic substrate. The connecting element is coupled with the second conductive part and extends in a direction approximately vertical to a planer direction of the electronic substrate so as to be away from the surface of the electronic substrate. The first harness is coupled with the first conductive part and the second harness penetrates a penetrated part of the connecting element.
US07748984B2
A tray and a clamp mounted adjustably on the tray and supporting a leg or other limb or simulated limb including an articulated animal joint or a joint from a cadaver, for use in instruction of and practice by surgeons in joint replacement or other orthopedic surgery. A bone mounting device for fastening a joint to an artificial bone includes an expandable engagement member that fits within a cavity formed within a bone to hold the bone securely so that a surgical procedure can be performed on the joint.
US07748960B1
A rotary shaft to hub connection, such as that used between a centrifugal compressor or pump and a shaft. The hub includes inner and outer axial extending members that fit within inner and outer annular grooves formed within the rotary shaft so that a tight fit between the shaft and the hub is maintained during high speed rotation. An inwardly extending projection is formed on the outer axial extending member of the hub that forms a tight fit against the shaft.
US07748957B2
A livewell/baitwell pump includes a replaceable cartridge for arranging in a pump cartridge body of a pump cartridge assembly. The replaceable cartridge is rotatably coupled to the pump cartridge body and locked in place by a pre-loaded locking lever that securely engages a locking edge of the pump cartridge body and holds the replaceable cartridge therein. The pre-loaded locking lever is spring-loaded and pivotally arranged on the replaceable cartridge to snap into place and lock the replaceable cartridge when the locking lever is rotated passed the locking edge, so that the replaceable cartridge may be installed in the cartridge body using one hand. In operation, when the replaceable cartridge is rotated into the pump-cartridge body to a desired locking position, the pre-loaded locking lever engages the locking edge of the pump cartridge body. The locking edge is formed on an annular rim on the pump cartridge body as a raised edge. Moreover, the pre-loaded locking lever is pressed inwardly, then twisted in order to remove the replaceable cartridge from the pump cartridge body, so that the replaceable cartridge may be removed from the cartridge body using one hand. The pre-loaded locking lever includes a bias member, such as a spring or other suitable elastic member or material, for continuously urging the pre-loaded locking lever against the replaceable cartridge.
US07748946B2
A cooling system and method is provided for a wind turbine. The cooling system is used to cool at least one component in the wind turbine, and includes a filter system having at least one primary filter and at least one secondary filter. A switch selects between the primary filter and the secondary filter. A cooling circuit includes at least one conduit and a coolant medium. The filter system can switch from the primary filter to the secondary filter.
US07748943B2
Provided is a lifting system for a vehicle comprising a first track mounted within said vehicle, a second track mounted within said vehicle, a first lifting arm extendable from said first track, a second lifting arm extendable from said second track, a first windable support extendable from said first lifting arm, and a second windable support extendable from said second lifting arm.
US07748919B2
A packaging and applicator device comprising: a body; a block of fluidizable substance that is stationary relative to the body while the substance is in the solid state, said block of substance projecting beyond the body to define at least one surface serving as an applicator surface; and a reshaper member for reshaping the applicator surface, said reshaper member being positionable on the body to co-operate therewith to define at least one cavity into which the substance can flow when fluidized by supplying heat, the substance retaining the shape of the cavity when it returns to the solid state after cooling.
US07748918B2
Disclosed herein is a method that relates to paper waste reduction with a point of sale printer. The method comprising, establishing a length of paper available (PA) estimate during loading of paper into a point of sale printer and tracking a length of paper used (PU). The method further comprising, continuously updating the PA by subtracting the PU from the PA, and alerting an operator to replenish paper in the printer in response to the PA being less than a desired length of paper wasted (DPW). Additionally, the method updates the new roll paper available (NRPA) to ensure that the difference between actual paper wasted (APW) and the desired length of paper wasted (DPW) is minimal.
US07748910B2
An optical system comprising a substrate and an optical waveguide which is formed on the substrate and to which optical fibers are optically coupled. The optical waveguide has a plurality of straight core portions which obliquely intersect each other. The substrate has positioning sections for positioning a plurality of optical fibers optically coupled to two or more of the plurality of the core portions, the positioning sections having grooves on which the respective optical fibers are supported. When the plurality of optical fibers are supported on the respective grooves, offsets between centers of the plurality of the core portions and respective centers of the plurality of the optical fibers coupled to the core portions are equal to or less than 5 μm.
US07748906B2
An engaging device of a linear sliding rail includes a sliding rail and a sliding block. The sliding block comprises a sliding base body, a supporting body and two connecting bodies. The front and rear ends of the sliding base body have a positioning plate respectively. The two locking pieces each comprises hooks. The hook locks the two connecting bodies at the front and rear ends of the sliding base body. The hook abuts against one end of the abutting piece. The other end of the abutting piece abuts against front and rear end faces of the supporting body respectively. Via this arrangement, when the locking piece locks the two connecting bodies at both ends of the sliding base body, it also generating a pre-pressure to press the supporting body, thereby assembling the supporting body and the two connecting bodies on the sliding base body tightly and firmly.
US07748903B2
A container for transferring a product with crossed protection, having a flexible portion connected to an opening provided with a flange in which is mounted a door that is mobile between a closed position and at least one open position, is characterized in that it includes a guide member 15 adapted to cause an internal portion of the wall of the flexible portion to project through the flange 11A or to retract that portion inside the container. A container of this kind is used to transfer a powder, a granular material or small objects, in particular, from the bottom of the container or from another container.
US07748901B2
Systems and methods presented herein provide for the testing and reconfiguration of x-ray devices. In one embodiment, a test bed effectuates testing of an acquired x-ray device to determine a cause of the inoperability of the device. The x-ray device test bed may be provided to test a plurality of x-ray devices and, therefore, readily adaptable to such devices. The x-ray device test bed may include a mount for an x-ray tube. A variable power supply may be coupled to the x-ray tube to provide the requisite high-voltage electrical energy thereto. The x-ray device test bed may also include a mount for an imaging module (e.g., a “flat-panel sensor”). A processor may be coupled to the imaging module to determine the operational characteristics thereof. If certain x-ray components are deemed inoperable, the x-ray components may be replaced such that the x-ray device may be reintroduced to a medical industry segment.
US07748899B2
An X-ray radiology device comprising a rotating and flat lift. For this X-ray device to operate correctly, it is necessary to obtain and maintain, for all the incidence angles, a perfect alignment of the focal point of the X-ray tube, the element observed and the detector. This geometric imperative is achieved in one embodiment by means of a compensation system. The compensation system includes a cam fitted to a free end of the lift. The compensation system includes a lever in contact with the profile of the cam. The lever is in contact with the detector or the tube connected to the lift. Thus, when the lift rotates, the cam pushes the lever, which in return pushes the tube or the detector in order to align it.
US07748897B2
A method for monitoring the proper functioning of a temperature-dependent resistor, particularly a NTC resistor, for measuring the temperature of a medium heated by a heat source. Said medium is preferably the air flow in a clothes dryer for drying clothes. In order to increase the safety of a device, in particular a clothes dryer, where the temperature-dependent resistor is used in combination with a heat source, it is checked, once the heat source is switched on, whether the temperature measured by the resistor after a first predetermined period of time following the switching on of the heat source falls below a predetermined temperature threshold value. If this is the case, monitoring of a resistor-temperature curve characteristic of the temperature-dependent resistor is carried out.
US07748895B2
A method (and system) of predicting a thermal state of a transient thermal system, includes combining sensor outputs and thermal parameters to construct a consistent set of estimates of internal temperature of a transient thermal system.
US07748892B2
An active ingredient, such as particles of a pharmaceutical agent, is uniformly distributed within a transdermal vehicle, such as a gel or other viscous material. The method comprises filling said first container with a non-uniform mixture of a transdermal vehicle and said active ingredient, mounting the first container on a support member, and securing a second container to the first container. The first container has a restricted opening at its proximal end and a piston mounted movably within the first container for movement between a first position proximate said first container distal end to a position proximate said first container proximal end. The second container has a restricted opening at its proximal end and a piston mounted movably within the first container for movement from a first position proximate the second container distal end to a position proximate said second container proximal end. The first container restricted opening and said second container restricted openings are in open communication. The first container's piston is moved from its position proximate the distal end to a position proximate the proximal end and thereby forcing said mixture from the first container into said second container. The positions of the first and second container relative to said support member, are reversed and the process is repeated moving the mixture back and forth between the two containers until a uniform mixture is achieved.
US07748891B2
A drinking water distribution reservoir has a new draft tube mixing arrangement. An intermediate opening in the draft tube enables water to flow between the central passage of the draft tube and an intermediate portion of the tank. Directional walls can provided on the intermediate opening to help direct flow, and a check valve can be used to prevent flow from the intermediate section of the tank into the draft tube or prevent flow from the draft tube into the intermediate section of the tank. A venturi portion can also be provided on the draft tube to help draw water from the intermediate portion of the tank into the draft tube.
US07748880B2
A vehicle lamp with a projection lens; a light source; a shade, which forms a cutoff line; a reflector, which reflects a light from the light source toward the projection lens such that the light passes near an upper end portion of the shade so as to irradiate a forward direction along an optical axis with the light emitted from the projection lens; an overhead sign reflecting surface, which is provided near an upper end edge of the reflector and reflects the light from the light source; and an overhead sign light receiving surface, which is provided near the upper end portion of the shade and reflects the light from the reflecting surface toward the projection lens so as to irradiate upward irradiation light from the projection lens. The overhead sign reflecting surface includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces, which emit reflected light of different patterns.
US07748870B2
A LED lamp bulb structure is disclosed, wherein a lamp controller is installed inside a lamp head and the bottom surface thereof is fixed by an upper cover. At the bottom surface of the upper cover, a heat dispersing fin set, which has at least a heat conducting tube installed therein, and a lower cover are fixed therein. Furthermore, a bulb housing, which has a tray mounted therein, is screwed around the peripheral edge of the lower cover, and at the bottom of the tray, plural LED lamp sets corresponding to plural heat conducting tubes are outwardly extended. Therefore, the heat produced by the LED lamp set can have a heat exchange through plural heat conducting tubes and heat dispersing fin set for achieving a better heat dispersing efficiency and for more effectively dispersing the heat.
US07748864B1
A switch actuating holster and accompanying switched device. When the switched device is withdrawn from the holster, the holster causes the switch to be actuated. The switch has an A position and a B position. The holster has a magnet that is positioned adjacent to the switch of the electrical device. As the device is withdrawn from the holster, the magnet of the holster pulls the switch to a B position and against the stop. As the device is inserted into the holster, the magnet of the holster pushes the magnet of the device against a stop in the A position. The switch may also be manually actuated.
US07748855B2
A projector includes a plane mirror that is disposed at one end side of an end portion of a screen and a projection optical system that is disposed at a position that is separated from a reflection surface side of the plane mirror. A light shielding plate is provided to at least one of two positions; one is between a fourth mirror and the plane mirror of the projection optical system, and the other is between the plane mirror and the screen.
US07748853B2
A lighting device used for an image display device including a light modulator that modulates light emitted from a light source device includes: a diffractive optical element on which the light emitted from the light source device is made incident and that generates diffractive light from the light made incident thereon and lights the light modulator with the diffractive light; and a light shielding member that is arranged between the diffractive optical element and the light modulator and shields 0-th order light emitted to the light modulator.
US07748845B2
A method of maintaining circadian rhythm of a subject comprising selectively substantially blocking retinal exposure of the subject to light having a wavelength shorter than a specified wavelength during the night, and an apparatus for carrying out the claimed method comprising an optical filter that selectively at least substantially blocks light having a wavelength shorter than the specified wavelength.
US07748844B2
A contact lens providing high visual acuity with the comfort of a soft lens includes a thin layer of hard lens material at the front surface of the contact lens; and a second soft lens material layer at the posterior portion of the lens. The soft lens provides a contact area substantially in contact with the central region of the cornea. The first layer is bonded on top of the second layer directly or through a third elastic material layer. Manufacturing methods overcome problems of swelling of the soft lens component during hydration.
US07748837B2
A method for ink jet printing with light-curing ink, which includes the steps of printing a first ink dot of a color, irradiating the first ink dot with light, printing a second ink dot with the same color and which at least partially overlaps with the first ink dot, and irradiating the second ink dot with light.
US07748835B2
An ink-jet recording device for supplying ink to a recording head from at least one ink cartridge having a bottom wall, and first and second side walls connected to each other through the bottom wall and facing each other, the ink cartridge further having an ink supply port at the bottom wall, a first retaining member extending from the first side wall and a recess provided in the vicinity of the second side wall, the retaining member having a first engagement portion displaceable toward and away from the first side wall. The recording device comprises a carriage having at least one ink cartridge mounting region adapted to receive the ink cartridge, a plurality of one identification members that are protruded from a bottom of the ink cartridge mounting region in a direction parallel to an insertion direction of the ink cartridge into the carriage, and that are positioned and configured so that the identification members are received by the recess of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is compatible to the ink cartridge mounting region; an ink supply needle positioned in the bottom of the ink cartridge storage region and configured for connection to the ink supply port of the ink cartridge, and a first engagement portion positioned and configured to engage the engagement portion of the ink cartridge.
US07748833B2
The invention relates to an ink distribution structure for an inkjet printer. The distribution structure has a laminated stack for supplying ink to a plurality of printhead integrated circuits. The stack includes five distinct layers. A first layer has an even number of discrete ink holes per printhead integrated circuit, each group of discrete ink holes arranged in a rectangular array with four aligned rows of ink holes parallel to a respective integrated circuit. The first layer has underside recesses each for discretely communicating with one of the ink holes of the two center-most rows of four holes. A second layer has a pair of slots each for receiving ink from one of the underside recesses of the first layer, the second layer also having ink holes which are aligned with the outer two groups of ink holes of the first layer. A third layer has an even number of ink holes corresponding with each integrated circuit, the outermost of these holes aligned with outermost holes of the first and second layers. A fourth layer has an array of integrated circuit slots each for receiving an upper portion of a respective integrated circuit, and a fifth layer has an array of integrated circuit slots each for receiving the integrated circuit and a nozzle guard assembly.
US07748830B2
A printhead reservoir has an input ink port and a chamber to receive ink from an ink source through the input ink port. The reservoir also has a filter in a path between the input ink port and the chamber. A printhead includes a reservoir having an input ink port, a chamber to receive ink from an ink source through the input port and a filter in a path between the input port and the storage plate. The printhead also includes an array of jets to draw ink from the chamber and control circuitry to control the jets so as to selectively output ink through the jets onto a substrate. A reservoir has a filter to receive ink, a vented chamber to collect ink received from the filter and at least one jet to receive ink from the vented chamber. The vented chamber is between the ink filter and the fluid path to the jets in order to remove the filter portion of the pressure drop to the jets.
US07748827B2
A printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes a wafer assembly defining spaced groups of ink supply channels. Groups of ink ejection nozzle arrangements extend from the wafer assembly and are in fluid communication with respective ink supply channel groups. Each group of nozzle arrangements includes a pair of rows of nozzle arrangements. Each nozzle arrangement includes an ink ejection head from which an actuator tail extends and is arranged so that actuator tails of one group of nozzle arrangements are interleaved with actuator tails of any adjacent groups of nozzle arrangements.
US07748824B2
An ejecting apparatus is provided for readily controlling ejection even when the number of nozzles is increased. In each of N heads in an ejecting apparatus, DA equals a distance between a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, and a distance between the second nozzle array in one arbitrary head of the N heads and the first nozzle array in another head adjacent to this arbitrary head in the Y-axis direction is substantially equal to an integer multiple of DA.
US07748817B2
A liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head having a nozzle, a cleaning mechanism, and a controller. The controller includes a timer device, first memory section, second memory section, power supply, determining section, and tracked time correction section. If determination of the determining section is positive when the power supply is resumed, the tracked time correcting section reads out tracked time information from the second memory section and causes the timer device to start time tracking from the time indicated by the tracked time information that was stored when power supply to the liquid ejection apparatus was stopped. If the controller determines that the difference between the tracked time and the end time indicated by end time information stored in the first memory section is longer than or equal to a predetermined period, the controller operates the cleaning mechanism to carry out the cleaning.
US07748812B2
A liquid jet apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive waveform generator adapted to generate a drive waveform signal, a modulator adapted to execute pulse modulation on the drive waveform signal, a digital power amplifier adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal, on which the pulse modulation is executed by the modulator, with a pair of switching elements push-pull coupled with each other, a low pass filter adapted to smooth the amplified digital signal obtained by the power-amplification of the digital power amplifier, and a modulation period adjustment circuit adapted to adjust a modulation period of the pulse modulation of the modulator in accordance with a reset signal forming a basis of timing for driving an actuator.
US07748807B2
Method and apparatus for printing onto a rotating media is described. According to one embodiment, the printing system includes a print head that is laterally displaced from a radial printing radius, a rotating mechanism to rotate the media, and a controller to print onto an annular print area. The annular print area is defined by an inner hub circumference, two lines substantially parallel to the radial printing radius and tangential to the inner hub circumference, and an outer edge of the media. The print head moves about the annular print area by one or more motion mechanism and prints images onto the media.
US07748806B2
A shelf arrangement is provided which includes a support surface, a frame, and an electrical control interface positioned and accessible at a front of the shelf arrangement, the control interface arranged to transmit a control signal to a location remote from the shelf arrangement. The frame may include a pair of laterally spaced apart front-to-rear brackets supporting the support surface. The support surface may be a part of a shelf member. A pair of rods may extend laterally between the brackets. The frame may be at least partially overmolded with plastic.
US07748803B2
A horizontal dispensing container comprising a base, opposed side structures including vertically spaced support members for slidably supporting removable, hinged shelves, and opposed rectangular frames is provided. The rectangular frames define openings on front and rear sides of the container through which parts may be loaded onto the slidable shelves inside the container. At least some of the movable shelves have front and rear sections separated by a hinge, the front section being pivotal downwardly to allow access to parts on the rear section of the shelf.
US07748799B2
The invention relates to a drive device for a furniture part that is displaceably mounted in relation to a furniture body, in particular for a drawer or similar. The device includes an energy accumulator device, which supports the displacement of the furniture part. According to the invention, the displaceable furniture part can be essentially displaced into a fully open position by the energy accumulator device, thus partially discharging the energy accumulator device. The energy accumulator device is then re-charged during the closing operation of the displaceable furniture part. The energy accumulator device only acts on part of the displacement path of the furniture part.
US07748798B2
Furniture such as bathroom vanities are suitable to be shipped in collapsed form and then readily assembled/erected at the installation site. A back wall folds forwardly as bracing along the front folds vertically in one form. There can be a multi-piece collapsible brace between opposed side walls with four pivot points.
US07748780B2
A juvenile seat pad is adapted to be placed on a juvenile seat such as a juvenile vehicle seat. The pad is configured to be altered to produce either a large-sized infant receptacle suitable for full-term and growing infants or a relatively smaller small-sized infant receptacle suitable for premature infants.
US07748779B2
A vehicle seat has an energy-absorbing device connected to a transverse support member of the seat frame. The device has a plurality of rib members configured to plastically deform in response to an impact between an object and the device, thereby absorbing energy from the object. The device has a shell portion with a pair of intersecting side walls having a generally U-shaped profile defining a recess, and the rib members are connected to each of the side walls within the recess. The shell portion is one piece, and the shell portion and rib members are formed of molded plastic. Each rib member is equally spaced within the recess.
US07748765B2
A sub-assembly of a lift-glass hinge is disclosed. The sub-assembly includes a conductive connection member including a central portion, a first terminal end and a second terminal end; a first conductive lead; and a second conductive lead, wherein each of the first and second conductive leads include a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first conductive lead is connected proximate one of the first and second terminal ends of the conductive connection member, wherein the first end of the second conductive lead is connected proximate the central portion of the conductive connection member. A lift-glass hinge is also disclosed. A vehicle system is also disclosed.
US07748752B2
A pipe connecting device (10) for connecting two pipeline portions (12, 14) of an aircraft pipeline system comprises a bridge portion (16), the cross-sectional form of which is matched to a cross-sectional form of the pipeline portions (12, 14) that are to be connected to each other. The pipe connecting device (10) further comprises a first receiving portion (18), which is constituted by two limbs (20, 22) extending from the bridge portion (16) in a first direction, and which is adapted to receive an edge portion (38) of a first pipeline portion (12) of the aircraft pipeline system, and a second receiving portion (24), which is constituted by two limbs (26, 28) extending from the bridge portion (16) in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and which is adapted to receive an edge portion (40) of a second pipeline portion (14) of the aircraft pipeline system.
US07748742B2
In an energy absorbing steering system including a steering shaft to which a steering member is coupled, and a steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft, at least one of the steering shaft and the steering column includes an impact absorbing portion that contracts when a load equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied, and the impact absorbing portion includes a first impact absorbing portion having a first impact absorption load, and a second impact absorbing portion having a second impact absorption load different from the first impact absorption load.
US07748739B2
Various embodiments of the invention provide a device for protecting the cushion material of an inflatable element from inflator gases and particulate matter. The device along with an inflator and an airbag may be placed in a housing. The device includes a first strip and a second strip. Each of the first strip and second strip includes at least one opening. Each of the openings are surrounded by a plurality of holes. The second strip may be placed above the first strip in a suitable position.
US07748737B2
A method of inflating an airbag with a fluid includes sending a signal to open a first valve and opening the first valve. The method also includes directing a control pressure through the first valve and toward a second valve. The method further includes throttling the second valve in response to the control pressure. The throttling of the second valve produces a variable inflation mass flow rate of the fluid at a second valve outlet. Opening the first valve and closing the first valve are performed as a step function to achieve a desired predetermined variable inflation mass flow rate of the airbag.
US07748730B2
Deployment performance of an airbag may be improved by improving an air tightness of an leg airbag system that includes a knee airbag for restraining occupant's legs and a gas generator that generates a jet of gas to inflate the knee airbag. An end of the gas generator is connected to a gas generator ignition control cable and passes through an insertion opening. The insertion opening has an area smaller than a cross section area of the end of the gas generator.
US07748726B2
A leading or trailing arm vehicle suspension system comprised of a fabricated vehicle axle and an arm assembly. The arm assembly includes an axle bracket attached to the axle and a leading or trailing arm attached to the axle bracket. The arm provides bending stiffness to control axle windup and longitudinal stiffness to control axle position is disclosed. The axle bracket is attached to the vehicle axle with a through-bolt connection. The axle bracket or the arm includes rack and pinion mounting attachment holes and also includes other built-in features providing efficient transfer of loads into the vehicle axle.
US07748710B2
A sheet-conveying device conveys a recording medium to a sheet support surface positioned downstream of the sheet-conveying device in a sheet-conveying direction when recording an image with an image-recording unit. A drive roller and a follower roller define a nip line therebetween. The nip line is positioned above the sheet support surface. A first support member rotatably supports the follower roller. A moving unit moves the first support member from a first position to a second position upstream of the first position in the paper-conveying direction immediately after a trailing edge of the recording medium leaves the sheet-conveying unit.
US07748700B2
Sheet feeding device including: a tray unit having a feeding tray for supporting a loaded-on document's trailing end, and a tilting tray for supporting its leading end; a feeding unit that feeds loaded-on documents from off the feeding and tilting trays; and an elevating mechanism that raises/lowers the tilting tray between the positions where documents are set onto and fed from it. The tilting tray is elevated by a lever that comes out of an opening in a feeding-unit cover, in which state the tray unit, which is pivotable with respect to the sheet feeding unit, is kept from pivoting. Otherwise, when the tray unit is pivoted upward from or returned to the load-on document position, tilting-tray movement, in conjunction with the pivoting action, with respect to the feeding tray is restrained.
US07748692B2
A sheet tray device including (a) a first tray and (b) a second tray which is disposed on an upper side of the first tray and which includes (b-1) a support member which bridges between opposite side walls of the first tray and which is movable relative to the opposite side walls, and (b-2) a supported body pivotably supported by the support member. Each of the opposite side walls includes a first rail portion and a second rail portion that is located on an upper side of the first rail portion. The support member includes (i) a main slide portion that is slidably held in contact with an upper surface of the first rail portion, (ii) a removal-preventing slide portion that extends through a space between the first and second rail portions, and (iii) a rotation-preventing slide portion that is slidably held in contact with a side surface of the first rail portion. Also disclosed is an image forming apparatus including the sheet tray device.
US07748685B2
A winch assembly (10) comprises a winch drum (18) rotatable about a first axis and carrying a spoolable medium, such as wireline (14) for use in deploying and retrieving tooling into and from a well bore. A carriage sheave (30) mounted on a drive screw (34) is positioned adjacent the winch drum (18), wherein the drive screw (34) is rotatable about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis. In use, the carriage sheave (30) engages the spoolable medium and is translated by the drive screw (34) in reverse directions to follow the fleeting motion of the spoolable medium as the medium is paid out and/or in from the winch drum (18). In a disclosed embodiment, the winch drum (18) is mounted vertically on a tubular body (22), through which tubular body (22) the spoolable medium extends into the well bore. In one embodiment the winch assembly (10) forms part of a subsea well intervention system.
US07748683B1
An electrically controlled proportional valve provides for precise control of armature movement using an armature which is positioned at the center of the valve by centering leaf springs. The armature is supported and biased axially by angled leaf springs that support the armature in an orbital fashion. These angled orbital leaf springs support the armature for elastic movement in the axial direction, and hold it biased against a first port, so that the armature functions as a valve element, which normally closes that port. A magnet coil is positioned so that when an electrical current passes through the coil, it exerts a force on the armature which overcomes the bias of the orbital leaf springs and draws the armature away from the first port and toward the magnet coil.
US07748680B2
A stand for a display is provided. The stand can reduce a delivery volume of the display and can provide for adjustment of a rotation angle thereof during use. The stand may include a support connected to a lower portion of the display, a pivot block pivotably coupled to the support, a rear base connected to the pivot block, a swivel that pivotably couples the pivot block and the rear base, and a front base coupled to the rear base.
US07748679B2
A container securing device includes a housing portion, with a cylindrical shape, the top of which is open, and which is intended to house a beverage container. A flap is positioned within a hole that is formed within a surrounding wall of the housing portion, and is installed so as to be capable of moving either out of the housing portion, or into the housing portion, in response to the container being inserted into, or extracted from, the housing portion. An impelling (biasing) component forces the flap toward the interior direction of the housing unit. The flap is capable of moving to a location that secures the container when the container is fully housed within the housing portion.
US07748677B2
A compressed gas cylinder hanger having resiliently flexible engagement with the neck of the compressed gas cylinder to fix or resist rotation of the compressed gas cylinder hanger about neck.
US07748663B1
A mating and connection system for securing adjacent stages of a launch vehicle. The system includes a locking flange connected to each of a first vehicle stage and a second vehicle stage. A compression ring is positioned internal to the first and second vehicle stages. The compression ring is shaped to compress together the locking flanges of the first and second stages upon engagement with the locking flanges. A locking jack is capable of being activated from an exterior of the first and second stages and operates to selectively move the compression ring into and out of engagement with the locking flanges.
US07748662B2
A method and apparatus for aerial fire suppression utilizing a potable fire retardant chemical dispensing system, readily adaptable, without extensive aircraft modification, to various makes of aircraft, for dispensing current types of forest and range fire fighting chemicals. The aerial delivery system is self contained and reusable. It enables cargo/utility aircraft to carry and dump a load, under control. The aerial delivery system is capable of attachment at the wing box, pressurized delivery from the nozzles, and nozzles directed straight downward.
US07748660B2
A spooling tool for paying out a fiber optic cable prewound on a spool region of a drop box or on an associated spool, when installing a cable at a user's premises. In one embodiment, the tool includes a base plate and a stud projecting from one side of the plate. An elongate arbor has one end secured to the stud in such a manner as to support the arbor perpendicular to the base plate. The arbor is dimensioned to pass through an axial passage in the box so that the box pivots on the arbor when the cable is unwound by an installer. A cap mechanism at the opposite end of the arbor retains the drop box on the arbor, and applies enough drag on the box to inhibit it from free wheeling on the arbor.
US07748654B2
A medical waste disposal device having a blade that rotates and chops medical waste into chips and other small particles. The blade includes at least one opening with at least one sharpened edge. The blade also has at least one raised portion adjacent to the sharpened edges. The blade cooperates with a cutting plate to chop or scissor the medical waste. The raised portion pushes chopped medical waste away from the blade and the cutting plate.
US07748653B2
A method and apparatus for treating materials or material mixtures in a treatment apparatus operating on the principle of the double-action impact mill, which includes a discharge conveyor (34), such as a discharge screw. A material layer (40) is maintained between the discharge opening and the discharge conveyor, using the material exiting the outermost ring (16″) of the treatment apparatus through the discharge opening (30), which layer prevents free discharge of the material to be treated from the treatment apparatus.
US07748650B1
The present invention provides an attachment for emitting water from a water source. The attachment comprises an inlet end, a transitional section connected to the inlet end, an outlet end connected to the transitional section opposite from the inlet end, and a reinforcement member attached to the transitional sectional and the outlet end to support the transitional section. The inlet end includes an external cover and an internal sleeve disposed within and spaced from the external cover.
US07748645B2
A crop sprayer, including: a chassis; a number of wheels which support the chassis; an engine for driving at least one of the number of wheels so as to propel said chassis; a chemical receptacle, supported by the chassis, for receiving and holding a chemical solution therein; a boom arm mounted to the chassis including a plurality of nozzles operable for dispersing chemicals; a control handle for controlling the position of the boom arm and the dispersion of the chemicals through at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles, wherein the control handle has an adjustable position to accommodate various size operators.
US07748638B2
An accessed object having a non-contact IC module including a semiconductor device and a module-side antenna formed extending over two sides of an accessed object, wherein the module-side antenna consists of a first module-side antenna and a second module-side antenna continuous to the first module-side antenna, wherein the first module-side antenna secures a necessary antenna effective area by coming into face-to-face relation with a first apparatus-side antenna on communication apparatus to communicate with the accessed object, and wherein the second module-side antenna is disposed close to the second apparatus-side antenna in an access direction different from the direction in which the first apparatus-side antenna makes access to the accessed object.
US07748637B2
A smart card includes a plurality of function blocks, and a laser attack detector configured to detect an external laser attack on at least one of the plurality of function blocks. The laser attack detector may include a plurality of chain blocks connected in a chain configuration, and each of the chain blocks is configured to change the level of a detection value stored therein in response to an external laser attack.
US07748634B1
A handheld electronic book reader device is equipped with dual displays. The device includes a first display for presenting visible representations of textual or graphic content related to the electronic book. The device also includes a second display positioned alongside the first display. The second display includes a plurality of graphic elements that correspond to portions of the first display. Also, the second display is responsive to user input to one of the graphic elements to perform an action on the content that is shown in the portion of the first display that corresponds to the one element.
US07748632B2
A portable data terminal including an elongated housing and a vertical grip. The housing has a battery well that extends traverse to a longitudinal axis of the housing. A battery pack has a longitudinal axis that, when seated in the battery well, extends traverse to a longitudinal axis of the housing, the battery pack having an integrated latch that engages a recess in the battery well.
US07748631B2
A solid-state imager is mounted at a point-of-transaction workstation for capturing images of one- and two-dimensional indicia and is operated at high speed to resist image blurring due to relative movement between the target and the imager. Dedicated hardware assistance and computation resources are allocated to decode multiple, continuous and simultaneous video streams from multiple imagers at the workstation.
US07748621B2
Electronic transaction receipts in remote non-networked sales equipment are sent through infrared or radio frequency means to portable electronic devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA's)/smart cellular telephones that are in the possession of the consumer. These portable devices are possessed by the consumer and are in very close proximity to the POS device transmitting the information. Security procedures also verify the receiving device to avoid inadvertent transmissions and to provide addition security for the transmission. The information and records received by these portable devices may be stored and uploaded into other electronic media at the discretion of the consumer.
US07748619B2
Apparatuses and methods for dispensing magnetic stripe cards, smart cards, other cards, and/or other items from kiosks and other structures are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least a first card hopper and a card transport assembly. The first card hopper is configured to hold a stack of cards that includes at least a first card stacked on a second card. The card transport assembly includes a card carrier moveable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper and a second position spaced apart from the first card hopper. The card carrier is configured to lift the first card off the second card when the card carrier is in the first position. The card carrier is further configured to release the first card toward an outlet when the card carrier is in the second position. In one embodiment, the card carrier can move the first card past a card reader/writer for reading information from, and/or writing information to, the card as it carries the card from the first position to the second position.
US07748618B2
A managed service for a near field transaction that may include a server to register a wireless device with the managed service, provide authentication information to the wireless device for use in establishing an identity of the wireless device. The server may provide authorization information to a register on behalf of the wireless device to establish the identity to the register, where the identity, when valid, allows the wireless device to participate in the near field transaction via a secure near field communication session with the register, receive transaction information from the register or the wireless device, and store the transaction information with a transaction identifier, where the transaction identifier is used to recall the transaction information on behalf of the register or the wireless device.
US07748610B2
This invention relates to a packaging device (1) for packaging a stack of sheet objects that have an attributable monetary value in a container (4), the device (1) comprising means (34, 35) for determining value data relating to the monetary value attributed to a sheet object to be stacked in the container (4), and an RF reader/writer (52) for writing said value data to an RFID device (21) associated with the container (4).
US07748609B2
A client-side application extension executable on a host computer from within a web-browser having the capability of executing at least one web-browser add-on to provide a user access to a smart card, connected to the host computer having a smart card resource manager, via the web-browser. The web-browser extension has instructions to direct the central processing unit to access data on the smart card via a web-browser and platform independent interface module and a web-browser and platform dependent wrapper module connected to the web-browser and platform independent interface module and to the smart card resource manager having a function processing module operable to receive a call to the at least one function for accessing data on the smart card and for transforming the function call into a corresponding call to the smart card resource manager.
US07748608B2
An identification token includes a body and an RFID IC embedded in the body. An antenna is also embedded in the body and is coupled to the RFID IC. A switch is embedded in the body and coupled to at least one of the RFID IC and the antenna. The switch is located at a switch location in the body. The switch is actuatable by being pressed by a user's finger. The identification token also includes a printed indication on the body for indicating the switch location to the user of the identification token.
US07748602B2
Methods and apparatus for a form for a postcard mailer are disclosed. An example form includes a substrate sheet having top and bottom edges, first and second side edges, and first and second faces. The form also includes at least first and second fold lines dividing the sheet into at least first, second, and third panels with a hang tag removably coupled to at least a portion of one of the first, second or third panels. Finally, the form has a first adhesive area provided on the first face of at least one of the second or third panels and a second adhesive area provided on the second face of at least one of the first and second panels, wherein the first and second adhesive areas adhere the third panel to the first face of the second panel and the first panel to the second face of the second panel when the substrate sheet is folded about the fold lines.
US07748594B2
A solder repairing apparatus includes a stage designed to place the surface of at least a specific part of an object along a reference plane within a specific spot defined on the stage. A heating unit applies a thermal energy to the specific spot. A dividing plate is designed to move into the specific spot in a vertical attitude perpendicular to the reference plane. The dividing plate exhibits a low solder wettability. The solder melts in response to the application of the thermal energy. When the dividing plate in the vertical attitude enters the specific spot, the dividing plate gets into the solder. Since the dividing plate exhibits a low solder wettability, the dividing plate repels the solder. The solder is divided into two parts. The division of the solder reliably eliminates a short circuit in the electronic circuit.
US07748593B2
A friction stir welding apparatus and a method of operating the friction stir welding apparatus are disclosed. The friction stir welding apparatus includes a rotary tool whose extremity constitutes a probe, a retaining arm which supports the rotary tool, and a roller provided at a position of the retaining arm opposite the rotary tool. The method includes adjusting the retaining arm so as to position workpieces between the rotary tool and the roller while adjusting the roller to turn in a direction where a joint line of the workpieces extends, rotating the rotary tool and lowering the probe until the probe presses the workpieces, gradually inserting the probe into the joint line, and moving the probe along the joint line.
US07748588B2
A magazine includes guide portions formed at a pair of side walls to be opposed to each other for introducing to guide a portion of a nail shaft portion, an opening portion formed on a base end side of a nose portion relative to the guide portion of one of the side walls, a first attaching portion formed on a front end side of the nose portion relative to the guide portion of the one side wall, a second attaching portion formed on the base end side of the nose portion relative to the guide portion of the other side wall, and a notched portion formed on the front end side of the nose portion relative to the guide portion of the other side wall.
US07748582B2
A combination blanket and seat article is disclosed. The blanket portion comprises a king-size terry cloth sheet with two removable seat cushions installed in pockets. Straps attaché the seat back to the seat cushion and secure the seat for comfort. Weights around the periphery of the blanket secure it in place. The blanket portion can be used separately from the seat portion. When the seat is inserted, the back portion can be rolled to form a pillow. A strap is provided to hold the rolled back in position. Handles are provided for carrying the article. Shoulder straps are also provided to enable carrying the article as a backpack.
US07748581B2
A three-dimensional collar shape retaining hanger prevents collars of a plurality of garments from being crushed and is capable of being stacked in a large number. The hanger has a hook portion and a hanger body. Between the hook portion and the hanger body, a connecting plate part which is a central collar supporting portion body is provided to connect the hook portion and the hanger body. A pair of first curved parts which protrudes toward a rear side of the hanger so as to abut on a rear neck portion of a collar is connected to right and left sides of the connecting plate part. To end portions of the first curved parts, a pair of second curved parts is connected at each distal end thereof. Each base end of the second curved parts is connected to the hanger body. A portion between the distal end and the base end of each of the second curved parts protrudes toward the front side of the hanger so as to abut on an inside of a front portion of the collar. By this structure, a curve on a rear neck portion of a collar is supported by the first curved parts while a curve on a front portion of the collar is supported by the second curved parts, thereby retaining a whole curve of the collar. Therefore, when a large number of garments hung on the three-dimensional collar shape retaining hangers are stacked, the collars are not crushed.
US07748580B2
A fluid dispenser head for associating with a fluid reservoir (1), the head having: a stationary base (2) formed by, or for mounting on, the reservoir; a rotary actuator element (3) mounted in rotary manner on the base (2) so as to turn about an axis of rotation between two extreme abutment positions; and a dispenser orifice (30) that can be closed selectively by turning the element on the base. The two extreme abutment positions define two open positions of the dispenser orifice separated by at least one position in which the dispenser orifice is closed. The dispenser orifice (30) is situated on the axis of rotation of the element on the base.
US07748576B2
A pump assembly with a pressable head includes a push tube, an inner tube, a stop valve, and an outer tube; a top of the push tube passing through the outer tube; the push tube communicates with the inner tube; a bottom of the inner tube is formed with an annular plug; the annular plug of the inner tube has a plurality of via holes defined therein. The via holes have inclined inner walls. A top of the inner tube has a stop valve; the stop valve is a flat structure; an elastic structure is formed on a periphery of the stop valve; by elastic deformation of the elastic structure, the stop valve tightly adheres to an inner wall of the outer tube; an interior of the outer tube has a stepped structure with a greater diameter at an upper side and a smaller diameter at a lower side.
US07748569B2
A hanging spice dispenser comprises a plate assembly and a container assembly for storing spices. The plate assembly comprises a non-magnetic planer plate and a plurality of magnetic elements embedded at pre-determined locations. The container assembly comprises a generally cylindrical spice container, a removable cap and a magnetic element. Magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element of the container assembly and the magnetic element of the plate assembly is exerted when the container assembly is placed in proximity to the plate assembly. The container assembly is capable of detaching from the bottom surface of the plate assembly when force is applied to the container assembly. The removable cap and the plate assembly form self-seal in order to prevent air and moisture from entering into the generally cylindrical container. This invention relates to spice dispensers, and the principal use of the invention is for dispensing spices in a kitchen.
US07748567B2
A single dose dual fluid cartridge for use with a hand-held applicator is disclosed. With the disclosed dual fluid cartridge, a hand-held applicator may be used to dispense and mix two component end products (e.g. an adhesive). Such an ability to dispense a single dose of a two component end product is especially useful in the dental field.
US07748546B2
A rack truss for use in forming shelf-type storage racks which may be assembled at the site using bolts and/or which includes reinforcement at the lower level of the rack truss.
US07748543B2
A dish rack assembly has a dish rack, and a base having a bottom wall on which the dish rack is positioned. The base includes a first edge having a first water outlet provided adjacent the first edge, and a second edge having a second water outlet provided adjacent the second edge. The second edge is adjacent to the first edge. A removable water stopper can be secured to either the first water outlet or the second water outlet. In addition, a first leg can be positioned adjacent a third edge that is opposite to the first edge, and a second leg can be positioned adjacent a fourth edge that is opposite to the second edge.
US07748538B2
A kit for making a holder for a pet food dish or bowl and the holder itself. The holder is arranged to be readily initially assembled from the kit and once assembled to be disassembled and reassembled whenever desired. The holder comprises a base member having an upstanding peripheral sidewall, a pair of side splash-guard members and a rear splash-guard member. The side splash-guard members are arranged to be releasably mounted on respective portions of the peripheral sidewall opposite each other. The rear splash-guard member is arranged to be releasably mounted on another respective portion of the peripheral sidewall between the side splash-guard members. The base member has a bottom wall on which the at least one pet food dish or bowl may be disposed.
US07748536B2
A snack holder includes a generally cylindrical cup sized and shaped lower section and a larger container or multiple container upper or adjacent section for holding snack foods, additional cups and the like. The snack holder is formed from a single sheet of paper or foldable material that is cut and folded into a desired configuration having a lower or bottom frustoconical or truncated cylindrical section, and an upper generally rectangular parallelepiped container section.
US07748529B2
A surgical instrument case which includes a primary case which is substantially rectangular and has a pair of opposite side walls, a pair of opposite end walls and a bottom wall. A secondary case fits within the primary case, and the secondary case has at least one attachment element on an outside surface of the secondary case. The at least one attachment element is configured for connecting to at least one of the side walls and the end walls when the secondary case is mounted on an outside of at least one of the opposite side walls and the opposite end walls.
US07748526B2
The invention relates to a mixing device with a first chamber (1) for a first component, in particular a powder [a liquid], a second chamber (12) for a second component, in particular a liquid [powder], and a divider means (11, 13) separating the first and the second chamber. The second chamber is defined by an inner hollow cylinder (10) which is arranged so as to be moved in a piston-like fashion in an outer hollow body (2) defining the first chamber. According to the invention, the first chamber comprises an evacuation opening (5) which is adapted to be connected with a vacuum source. The invention further relates to a method for vacuum packaging the mixing device.
US07748521B2
A conveyer belt abrasion detecting apparatus which can automatically detect a conveyer belt abrasion quantity easily and accurately during operation. A plurality of magnet sheets (M1-M5) magnetized in a thickness direction are arranged so that polarities on the surface are in the same direction and are embedded deeper stepwise in a longitudinal direction of a belt main body (2). A magnetic sensor (4) for detecting changes of the magnetic forces of the magnet sheets (M1-M5) is arranged at a position where the magnet sheets (M1-M5) pass through.
US07748514B2
A conveyance device suitable for an automobile assembling plant has an object loading and unloading conveyance device between a hanging conveyance line, in which a pallet supporting a door is conveyed while being supported by a hanging hanger, and an object loading and unloading position on the floor side. The conveyance device also has a pallet transferring position set above the object loading and unloading position, a horizontal conveyance device, which conveys a pallet between the pallet transferring position and a hanger stop position, and an elevating conveyance device which conveys the pallet vertically between the object loading and unloading position and the pallet transferring position. The elevating conveyance device rotates a plurality of pallet mounting bases in an endless cyclic elevating path while holding these in erect postures, and the pallet mounting bases are arranged at even intervals equal to the distance between the upper and lower positions.
US07748512B2
A container lock with a housing and, positioned in it, a bolt that can be displaced by actuating a handle, with an insertion shaft for inserting a coin, with a scanning device for scanning the diameter of the coin inserted into the insertion shaft as far as a scanning position, where the scanning device interacts with a blocking device in such a way that the bolt can be displaced only with a coin having a correct diameter. It is proposed that the scanning device should configure a fixing jaw, which securely grips the coin that is inserted in the insertion shaft so that it is partly accessible from outside in the scanning position with the bolt pre-locked to prevent its withdrawal.
US07748504B2
A hydraulic servo for a brake in an automatic transmission has a piston secured against rotation without provision of a protrusion on the piston engaging the transmission casing. The piston of the hydraulic servo has an inner cylindrical surface configured to grasp, along their lengths, return springs compressed between the piston and a return plate to which the return springs are fixed. The return plate is bolted to a bulkhead portion of the transmission case and, thus, the piston member is fixed to the bulkhead portion and thereby prevented from rotating.
US07748503B2
A cable fixing point for fastening at least one cable includes a cable end fastening for the cable end and a rotary mounting for the cable end fastening, wherein the rotary mounting enables rotation of the cable end fastening about an axis and the axis can be aligned by a tension force acting on the cable. In an elevator for transporting at least one load carrier by at least one cable movable in its longitudinal direction wherein the respective cable at the cable end is disposed under a tension force, the direction of which is variable in dependence on a position of the load carrier, this cable fixing point permits rotation of the cable at the cable fixing point about an axis which is aligned in the respective direction of the tension force and/or in the respective longitudinal direction of a cable segment adjoining the cable fixing point.
US07748502B2
In an elevator apparatus, a single car is raised and lowered by a plurality of hoisting machines. An elevator control device for controlling the hoisting machines generates speed commands separately for the hoisting machines. When a current value of one of the hoisting machines reaches a current set value, which is set in advance during acceleration of the car, the elevator control device applies the speed command for that one of the hoisting machines, whose current value has reached the current set value, to the other hoisting machine as well.
US07748499B2
A lubrication flow control mechanism for a power transmission includes a bearing member and a spring biasing the bearing member in a direction. The bearing member and the spring cooperate to sufficiently restrict flow past the bearing to cause increased fluid flow to a lubrication-requiring member located downstream of the bearing. A method of limiting lubrication flow in a transmission is also provided.
US07748490B2
An electrically operable wheelchair having a seat, a base with a pair of motors respectively coupled with the main support wheels, a position detection assembly, and a controller coupled with the position detection assembly and the motors for controlling wheelchair operation in order to effect desired wheelchair movements. The hands-free input device of the invention, which includes the position detection assembly and a position detection device, provides input signals representative of desired wheelchair movements to the controller. The position detection device detects the position of the seat. Movement of the seat, rather than a joystick, creates the voltage signals which are then transmitted to the wheelchair controller.
US07748487B2
This invention provides a device capable of covering the surface of an object situated in a gas with a region filled with a liquid and of moving such region, capable of sucking and collecting such liquid from the surface of the object wetted by the liquid and of drying such surface, and is capable of allowing such region to adhere to and crawl along the surface of the subject, while conducting ultrasonic flaw detection or ultrasonic cleaning of the surface of the object.This invention provides a device comprising a stereoshaped first region having an annular surface A and a stereoshaped second region having an annular surface B wherein the surface A is the boundary surface between the surface of an object and the first region and the surface B is the boundary surface between the surface of an object and the second region, the portion defining the outer boundary of the surface A is provided with an outer seal member, the portion defining the inner boundary of the surface A is provided with an inner seal member, the first region is connected to a gas suction means, the second region is connected to a liquid supply means, the first region is located on the downstream side of the gas surrounding the device, the first region is located on the downstream side of the second region, and the liquid flowing out of the second region reaches the first region and is subsequently transported by suction to the suction means.
US07748486B2
Self-leveling legs are used to accommodate landing a ducted fan hovercraft on a sloped surface such as a roof-top. These legs move to accommodate a variation of slope within their range of motion irrespective to the azimuth of the vehicle body. The configuration and operation of the landing legs allow the hovercraft to land in a stable fashion with the hovercraft vehicle body maintained in a vertical orientation. The basic kinematics of the present invention is the displacement of one landing leg upwards is connected by a horizontal member to the opposite leg and displaces it downwards, and visa-versa. Planar surface contact is accomplished by the unique curvature of the legs and the splay of the legs from the vehicle body.
US07748483B2
The present invention provides an accessory drive system for a parallel electric hybrid vehicle. The apparatus includes an engine and a motor/generator independently connectable to a transmission. At least one torque-transmitting device selectably connects an engine and a motor/generator with a transmission. A drive pulley is connected to an output shaft of the engine. A plurality of driven pulleys are each connected to an accessory. A drive belt connectively couples the drive pulley and the plurality of driven pulleys, and is operable to transfer drive forces between the drive pulley and the plurality of driven pulleys. A controller is operatively connected to the torque-transmitting device, the engine and the motor/generator, and is configured to control the torque-transmitting device, the engine and the motor/generator to ensure the plurality of accessories are adequately powered.
US07748481B2
A hybrid powertrain is provided including an internal combustion engine sufficiently configured for operation in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode of operation. An electric motor and an electric storage device are provided in parallel hybrid combination with the internal combustion engine. A transmission is operatively connected to the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. The engine may operate in one of a two-stroke and a four-stroke cycle.
US07748479B2
A brace or gusset is added to the first and last flight blade of an auger length for stability and reinforcement. The braces are generally box shaped with the flight blade as the box bottom. The brace walls are welded together along with a top panel. The brace is adjacent the auger shaft on one end and complementary shaped on one side to conform to the shape of the flight helix. A deflector is added to the last flight blade to distribute dirt and debris away from the first flight blade on the subsequent auger length. The auger length is reinforced against the twisting torque and compressive forces that occur at the first and last flight blade.
US07748477B2
A boring system and method for same, relating to the boring system and method therefor, in particular to the boring system and method therefor for forming boring holes on the ground, which includes a bit unit for boring the ground, a connecting rod connected with a driving device for transmitting driving force to the bit unit, and a guide unit connected with the connecting rod in a longitudinal direction, the guide unit guiding movement of the bit unit along a guide groove which is formed in a casing inserted into an adjacent boring hole in a longitudinal direction, is disclosed.
US07748476B2
A gripper mechanism for downhole tool is disclosed that includes a linkage mechanism and a flexible toe disposed over the linkage mechanism. In operation, an axial force generated by a power section of the gripper expands the linkage mechanism, which applies a radial expansion force to the flexible toe. For certain expansion diameters, the expansion force can be primarily transmitted to the toe from a roller-ramp interface expanding the linkage. For other expansion diameters, the expansion force can be primarily transmitted to the toe by expansion of the linkage in a three-bar linkage configuration. For other expansion diameters, the expansion force can be primarily transmitted to the toe by expansion of the linkage in a four-bar linkage configuration. Thus, the gripper can provide a desired expansion force over a large range of expansion diameters.
US07748473B2
A top drive system for wellbore operations, the top drive system including motor apparatus, a main shaft driven by the motor apparatus, the main shaft having a top end and a bottom end, a quill connected to the main shaft, a gear system interconnected with the quill and the motor apparatus, and a multi-seal system for sealing against the quill. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).
US07748470B2
Apparatus for trimming grass around sprinkler heads or tending a small garden area includes a tubular member having a plurality of serrations formed on one end for cutting grass around such sprinkler heads. A housing member partially disposed for reciprocal movement within the tubular member. A plate disposed for closing one end of housing member and having an outer periphery engageable with an inner surface of such tubular member for guiding during reciprocal movement. A second guide disposed around outer periphery of such housing member intermediate each end thereof. Another elongated rod like member engages an end of such first elongated rod like member. A caged biasing means is disposed over the second rod like member for absorbing shock during use of apparatus and a mechanism for manipulating the apparatus while trimming such grass around such sprinkler head or tending such small garden area.
US07748466B2
A method for inserting a tool into a wellbore includes uncoiling a coiled tubing into the wellbore to a selected depth therein. When the tubing is at the selected depth, the tubing is uncoupled. A tool is inserted into the interior of the tubing. The tubing is reconnected, and the tool is moved along the interior of the tubing.
US07748460B2
A tubing string assembly for fluid treatment of a wellbore includes substantially pressure holding closures spaced along the tubing string, which each close at least one port through the tubing string wall. The closures are openable by a sleeve drivable through the tubing string inner bore.
US07748457B2
Methods and systems for creating fractures in a geological formation surrounding a well bore. In one implementation, a treatment material may be disposed at the bottom of the well bore. One or more propellant apparatuses may be immersed in the treatment material and a propellant may then be burned inside a first propellant apparatus to create fractures in the geological formation.
US07748455B2
A two part epoxy resin system is surface mixed in a method of primary cementing a well. This surface mixed epoxy resin is then placed in the annulus of the well. Finally, the mixture in situ forms a hard impermeable mass.
US07748451B2
The present invention relates to improved low-quality particulates and methods of making such improved particulates. A method of treating a portion of a subterranean formation, comprising providing a slurry comprising a treatment fluid and low-quality particulates at least partially coated with an aqueous tackifying composition, wherein the aqueous tackifying composition comprises an aqueous tackifier compound and an aqueous liquid; introducing the slurry into a subterranean formation; and, depositing the coated, low-quality particulates into the portion of this subterranean formation. A method of improving particulates, comprising at least partially coating low-quality particulates with an aqueous tackifying composition, wherein the aqueous tackifying composition comprises an aqueous tackifier compound and an aqueous liquid.
US07748446B2
A Seismic source comprising an actuator having a rotary part (104) and a reciprocative part (105), conversion means (109) in the form of corrugated surfaces to convert a rotation of the rotary part (104) into a reciprocal movement of the reciprocative part (105), and a vibrator body (106) that is connected to the reciprocative part (105) of the actuator by means of a spring (107).
US07748435B2
A temperature regulator having a heat exchange unit and a power supply and control unit and providing a heat-exchange apparatus, which can be installed in a minimal space and yet is very easy to handle. The temperature regulator includes a heat exchange unit which has a tank, a pump and a heat exchanger, and circulates a liquid to exchange heat with circulating liquid, and a power supply and control unit which has a power supply and control device, and controls temperature of the circulating liquid. The heat exchange unit and the power supply and control unit are arranged in an interior of a main frame.
US07748432B2
A support assembly for a collapsible automobile shade such as a pleated or folding screen which can be selectively moved between a collapsed position for storage and an open position for placement in a vehicle window. The support assembly consists of one or more arcuate compressible members which extend beyond the perimeter of the pleated or folding screen. Each of the arcuate compressible members is resiliently compressible, for the purpose of conforming to an edge or perimeter of an automobile window in which the shade is installed, while maintaining the screen in an open position, thereby supplying an expansive force to hold the shade in place in the open position. The shade can also be provided with a pocket.
US07748425B2
A method and apparatus are provided, for handling the backing film in a fiber placement process, by winding-up the backing film, into a roll, as the backing film is separated from a fiber tow. The backing film is wound-up in such a manner that it can be fed back out to rejoin the tow, should it be necessary to rewind a portion of the tow during the fiber placement process. The backing film may be wound onto a paper or cardboard core for ease of removal and handling.
US07748421B2
The concept of using a cutting element proximate the end of an excavator or similar device, along with the concept of using a cogged belt pulley configuration, an overhead load adaptor, a single- or multiple-pivoting drum configuration, and other concepts disclosed herein. The present invention also provides an improvement of the prior art by providing a chipping action, which is according to the present invention an improvement over prior art shredding configurations.
US07748412B2
In one embodiment, a hose is provided which includes a tubular inner core layer and a tubular outer layer. A single reinforcing layer is disposed between the tubular inner core layer and the tubular outer layer and is formed strands having a 1-over, 1-under braid pattern, a 3-over, 3-under braid pattern, or a 4-over, 4-under braid pattern. The strands define a coverage of the tubular inner core layer of at least about 75%.
US07748410B2
A first liquid fed into a first flow passage 6 of a fluid handling apparatus travels to the open end thereof on the side of a second flow passage 7 due to capillarity. The movement of the first liquid is uniformed on the cross section of the flow passage by the function of a capillarity promoting portion 220 or 230 of the bottom 21 of the first flow passage 6. Then, the movement of a second liquid fed into the second flow passage 7 is uniformed on the cross section of the flow passage by the function of the capillarity promoting portion 220 or 230 of the bottom 21 of the second flow passage 7. Thus, the movement of the front end of the second liquid is substantially uniformed to surely extrude gas from the second flow passage 7 to the outside via a fourth flow passage 10.
US07748409B2
A fluid carrying system is disclosed including a fluid transport component and an overmold component.
US07748394B2
A dishwasher with a system for filling level recognition may be achieved which reliably determines the fluid level inside the dishwasher without the use of moving parts, whereby the dishwasher is provided with at least one capacitive filling level sensor for recognition of the fluid level of the rinsing fluid contained in the dishwasher, the electrical capacitance of which changes depending on the height of the fluid level. The fluid level in the dishwasher can thus be reliably determined without the need for moving parts and merely by the use of electronic components. The system further permits a non-contact filling level recognition, whereby the filling level sensor and the rinsing fluid do not come into contact.
US07748393B2
A produce cleaning machine provides baskets for holding large and small produce items and water sprayers for directing water jets onto the produce from above and below. One basket is motorized to rotate to more evenly clean the produce, while a further basket can be rolled in and out of the machine to make loading and unloading easier. The force of the spray is adjustable and the rotational speed of the motor is as well to provide for special handling of the produce. Rotation after cleaning is used to help dry the produce, and ultraviolet emission is used to sanitize the produce.
US07748390B2
A stretch comb hair retainer has opposed combs (11, 13) connected together by elastic strands (a-h) that are secured at spaced intervals along the spines of the combs. The elastic strands are interwoven to form a elastic mesh (25) of stretchable openings (27, 29) between the combs which hold down the hair. Hair can be pulled through any of the multiple stretchable openings of the mesh if and as desired to create particular hair styles. The individual elastic strands of the elastic mesh can be used without decorative elements on the strands, or with decorative elements such as decorative beads (31, 33) of various sizes and shapes.
US07748389B2
The present invention relates to apparatus for methods for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. The apparatus includes an expandable anchor with leaflet engagement elements on the proximal end of the anchor and a replacement valve. The leaflet engagement elements can be used to prevent distal migration and insure proper positioning of the apparatus.
US07748388B2
It is disclosed that a long elevation time is obtained and the efficiency of resection can be improved by providing an endoscopic injectable preparation using high molecular weight hyaluronic acid having an average molecular weight of 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 or its salt.In treating early cancer or other neoplastic mucosal lesion, the lesion is resected with handling of an endoscope (“endoscopic mucosal resection”) instead of performing a major surgical operation such as laparotomy, thoracotomy or organ excision. In performing endoscopic mucosal resection, physiological saline, or a solution of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid or its salt is injected into a stratum below the site of lesion scheduled for resection to elevate the site of lesion, thereby increasing the efficiency of resection. To raise the efficiency of endoscopic mucosal resection, however, the development of an injectable preparation presenting a longer elevation time and requiring a low injection pressure has been desired.
US07748383B1
Air filters for use in nostrils, building structures and vehicles. The air filter is washable, reusable, non-toxic, and, for nostrils, comfortable to wear. It filters or stops allergens, while allowing airflow.
US07748379B2
Apparatus, methods, and kits for treating symptoms associated with common ailments, such as headaches, rhinitis, asthma, epilepsy, nervous disorders and the like, are provided. The apparatus comprises dispensers for carbon dioxide and other therapeutic gases. The methods comprise delivering small volumes of these gases to patients in a manner where the gas infuses into a body region in order to bathe the mucous membranes therein. It has been found that even very short exposure of patients to small volumes and high concentrations of such gases can provide significant relief from symptoms.
US07748377B2
A nebulized fluid, generated by vibrating an aerosolization element, is introduced into a breathing circuit during a certain interval of a patient's breathing cycle. In some embodiments, the fluid comprises an antibiotic that is selected to treat a pulmonary infection resulting from mechanical ventilation.
US07748365B2
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 liquified gas in the LPG container is heated and the effective surface area thereof is increased.
US07748364B2
The invention relates to a fuel-injection system (102), in which a rail (120) is provided for each injector between a high-pressure fuel pump (111) and said injectors (116).
US07748361B2
Disclosed is a piston for a combustion engine, comprising a cooling duct with a single inlet port and at least two outlet ports, at least two of which are separated from each other regarding the discharged coolant. Also disclosed is a combustion engine comprising at least one such piston.
US07748358B2
A variable valve train apparatus (20) has a formed on a camshaft, a rocking cam driven by the cam, an intake valve or an exhaust valve driven by the rocking cam, a control shaft provided for rotation and side by side with the camshaft, a control arm having one end held on the control shaft and the other end projecting from the control shaft, an actuator which rotates the control shaft to displace the control arm, a transmission arm connected to the other end of the control arm for rocking motion around a rocking axis in substantially the same direction as an axial direction of the control shaft and transmits a displacement of the control arm to the rocking cam, and an adjustment mechanism which adjusts a distance between an axis of the control shaft and the rocking axis of the transmission arm.
US07748349B2
A submersible rotatable cage for fish farming comprises a central axle, a buoyant structure positioned about the central, a netting attached to the buoyant structure and an actuator in operable communication with at least part of the buoyant structure and adapted to facilitate rotation of the buoyant structure about the central axle while the cage is in a submerged position. The cage can form part of a system, which includes a net cleaning apparatus, a tethering mechanism and sweep net, that can be used for nearly complete underwater fish farming.
US07748344B2
An ion shower system is disclosed and comprises a plasma source operable to generate source gas ions within a chamber. The plasma source further comprises a plurality of conductor segments and a plurality of capacitors, wherein the conductor segments are serially connected through the plurality of capacitors. The plasma source further comprises an antenna drive circuit coupled to the plurality of conductor segments that provides power to the conductor segments and capacitors at a predetermined frequency. The ion shower system also comprises a source gas inlet that provides a source gas to the chamber. The conductor segments, capacitors and antenna drive circuit cooperatively provide energy to charged particles in the chamber, thereby energizing the charged particles and generating a plasma comprising source gas ions and electrons within the chamber due to ionizing collisions between the energized charged particles and the source gas.
US07748340B1
The officiating flag apparatus is partly an air pump having a pump with removably attachable air fitting. An air gauge is disposed on and in communication with the pump. An officiating flag is attached to the pump, thereby combining a pump, an air pressure gauge, and an officiating flag in one apparatus.
US07748337B2
An automatic boat washing system including several brush assemblies mounted on a vertically movable cage supported by a mainframe assembly and side ballast tanks is disclosed. The vertical position of the movable cage and brush assemblies may be adjusted in relation to the mainframe and ballast tanks during operation of the system. Rollers are used for supporting and drawing boats through the automatic boat washing assembly. The automatic boat washing assembly of the present invention may be used to clean powerboats in areas below the waterline in order to improve boat performance.
US07748326B2
A docking station for a monorail carrier system is provided. The carrier system includes a trolley that is configured to repositionably support a payload, and is adapted for interactive movement along a transfer bridge. The docking station includes a receiver plate having a rail-side portion perpendicularly oriented with a first interface portion that has one or more magnets attached thereto. A clamp assembly is attached to the rail-side portion, and operates to fasten the receiver plate to the transfer bridge at a predetermined location. The docking station also includes a docking plate having a trolley-side portion configured to securely attach to the trolley, and a second interface portion perpendicularly oriented with the trolley-side portion. The second interface portion is configured to magnetically cooperate with the first interface portion and thereby temporarily suspend the trolley at the predetermined location.
US07748324B2
A method to ensure payload activation of ordnance independently of a preset period of time including the steps of providing a power source to a clock, a detonator and a trigger circuit; the clock providing an initial count and a terminal count; the initial count providing a trigger signal to the trigger; the trigger circuit providing a terminal count signal to a self-destruct system if a malfunction results in no clock operation.
US07748318B2
A multi-color rotary printing machine has one printing plate support assigned to the colors that are transferred onto the print substrate. This printing plate support supports a printing plate and is attached to a mandrel or a cylinder of a rotary printing machine in order to transfer the print image onto the print substrate. The rotary printing machine has register devices that determine the position of the printing plates with respect to one another and that have sensors to determine the positions of the printing plate support in the printing machine.
US07748317B2
The invention relates to an automatic handling and transportation device for a printer housing. The device comprises a basic mobile unit movable on a first route and at least one handling unit mounted on the basic mobile unit. The handling unit includes a support for guiding and supporting housings born on a second route parallel to a housing-bearing assembly on a printing machine, able to be aligned with the same and an grasping/holding device, adapted to hold a housing and move it on the second route between a transferral position in which the grasping/holding device interacts with the housing installed on the housing-bearing assembly, and a transportation position in which the housing, held by the grasping/holding device is on the support, and vice-versa.
US07748300B2
Pliers, with two arms that are joined together via an articulation pin. One of the arms has a protuberance with a lateral channel that extends via one of the orifices, a pusher being located in the channel and having an inner channel that accommodates a spring that acts between the pusher and the arm. The articulation pin is joined by means of screwing to the pusher in the region of the lateral channel, a toothed claw being arranged coaxially therebetween with mechanical continuity. The pusher is continued as an extension located on the walls of the other orifice in the work position. Applicable to hand tools.
US07748298B2
A self-energizing and de-energizing adjustable gripping tool for engaging a work piece to impart work thereto includes a first element and second element connected for relative movement. The second element includes an actuation portion having a plurality of slots. The first element includes gripping elements which are each associated with a force transfer element which engages one of the slots such that movement of the second element relative to the first element actuates the gripping elements to engage the work piece.
US07748294B2
The present invention relates to a tattoo device having a single DC coil with a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit to control when the single DC coil is energized. Such arrangement eliminates the need for a set screw as in traditional tattoo machines and allows for a lighter device having fewer vibrations, better balance, and improved precision when being used.
US07748285B2
A precision motion transducer is provided in the present invention. The precision motion transducer is provided with a first elastic body. An end of the first elastic body is connected to an end of a second elastic body, while the other end of the second elastic body is fixed to a base via a fixing means. A motion input means is connected to the other end of the first elastic body for inputting motion inputs, while a motion output means is provided at a location where the first elastic body is connected with the second elastic body for outputting motion outputs. The modulus of elastic of the first elastic body is smaller than the modulus of elastic of the second elastic body, whereby relatively large motion inputs can be converted to more precise and finer motion inputs, so as to attain precise positioning control.
US07748284B2
A lubricating element for rolling element tracks, particularly linear motion systems, has a body composed of a lubricant-storing material, which includes an application section capable of being brought in contact with a rolling element bearing surface to supply lubricant; the body has an elongated shape in a first storage region adjacent to the application section, and a lubricant flow through the first storage region triggered via the dispensing of lubricant at the application section is essentially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the first storage region.
US07748274B2
Document inspection system comprising a transport system for transporting documents along a transport path (12) through an inspection station. At least one ultrasonic inspection apparatus at the inspection station, the apparatus including ultrasonic transmitting and receiving transducers (42,44) arranged on opposite sides of the transport path, and a processing system for monitoring ultrasonic signals received by the receiving transducer. An ultrasonic absorbing material (300) is provided around the transducers and facing the transport path for absorbing ultrasound reflected by a document. Document guide apparatus (312,314), having a lower coefficient of friction than the absorbing material, extends partially over the absorbing material (300) so as to prevent documents contacting the absorbing material in use while leaving the absorbing material exposed to the transport path at least adjacent the transducers.
US07748262B2
A coolant flow measurement device includes a coolant flow circuit, a cooling system, a purge system, a variable speed fluid pump, a differential pressure gage and a primary flow meter. The coolant flow circuit may be attached to a an HVAC system of the vehicle such that coolant may be circulated through the HVAC system of the vehicle. The cooling system may cool the coolant in the coolant flow circuit. The purge system may be used to purge air from the coolant flow circuit. The variable speed fluid pump may be operable to balance the fluid pressure between the device inlet and the device outlet. The primary flow meter may be operable to measure the coolant flow in the coolant flow circuit. The differential pressure gage measures a pressure differential between the device inlet and the device outlet.
US07748261B2
An internal combustion engine torque estimation device that accurately estimates the torque of an internal combustion engine without being affected by engine speed changes. A reference signal, which is output at predetermined rotation angle intervals of a crankshaft for the engine, is acquired. In accordance with the reference signal, the amount of change in the rotation speed of the crankshaft is acquired as a rotational fluctuation. A filtering process is performed on the rotational fluctuation in synchronism with reference signal output timing to extract a frequency component synchronized with a combustion cycle of the engine. The torque of the engine is estimated in accordance with the extracted frequency component.
US07748259B2
Systems and methods for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) surface analysis. Exemplary embodiments include systems and methods for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) surface analysis, including a SOFC having a ceramic surface, a scanner adjacent the ceramic surface for collecting data related to the ceramic surface, a structure for retaining the SOFC with respect to the scanner, a device for collecting a processing the ceramic surface data and a process residing on the device, the process for analyzing and presenting the ceramic surface data.
US07748252B2
A phantom device for mimicking anatomical structures, comprising: at least one electronic device layer comprising segmented areas of liquid crystals for forming a graphic layout of an anatomical structure; the segments comprising dyes of various absorbing characteristics for mimicking anatomical structures such as blood vessels; the areas further comprising electrically controllable optical diffuser and/or absorber elements for varying the absorption in the segments so as to mimic dynamical properties of said anatomical structure.
US07748246B1
A handle and housing assembly includes a housing having front and rear sides. A handle is connected on the front side of the housing to a shaft that extends through the housing along a forwardly-rearwardly extending axis. The handle may turn the shaft about the axis to turn components connected to a rear portion of the shaft, and/or the handle may move shaft-connected components forwardly and rearwardly along the axis of the shaft. In some embodiments, the housing defines a forwardly facing recess, and the handle is nestable within and extendable from the recess. In some embodiments, the handle and housing are provided with padlockable formations that extend side by side when the handle is in its nested or retracted position. In some embodiments, rearwardly extending housing-carried formations cooperate with a shaft-connected component to limit the permitted range of turning movement of the shaft about the principal axis, and/or the formations extend along opposite sides of a path of travel followed by a lock bolt to guide the lock bolt as it moves between locked and unlocked positions to selectively prevent and permit turning of the shaft about the principal axis.
US07748242B2
A drum type washing machine includes a water tub, a drum mounted in the water tub so as to be rotatable a wash operation and a dehydration operation are carried out, the drum including an end plate, a drum support provided on the end plate of the drum and including a mount portion on which a shaft supporting the drum is mounted thereon, and a cover covering the mount portion of the drum support so that the mount portion is rendered substantially planar.
US07748232B2
A food container and refrigerator having the same are provided, by which contents accommodated in the food container may be taken out of the food container. The food container includes a main body having an entrance on a top side of the main body, a cover opening or closing the entrance of the main body, and a locking unit having one side connected to the main body and the other side detachably engaged with an upper part of the cover to prevent the cover from being opened.
US07748217B2
A real-time system for modeling a turbo-charged engine includes a model configured to estimate various exhaust states such as turbine inlet pressure, turbine outlet pressure, turbine outlet temperature, turbine mass flow rate and waste-gate valve mass flow rate. The model is dependent only on the availability of normal operating values available in a conventionally-configured automotive controller and one or more measured intake side parameters such as ambient pressure, boost pressure, ambient temperature and compressor mass flow rate. The model is constructed to reflect a high-level application of energy conservation between the turbine (generated power) and compressor (absorbed power). A method for the indirect measurement of turbine and waste-gate flow uses turbine inlet and outlet pressure, inlet temperature and engine mass air flow rate measurements. A method for the indirect measurement of turbine efficiency avoids the need for manufacturer's turbine data.
US07748214B2
An exhaust gas purification system for a hybrid vehicle is disclosed. An internal combustion engine and an electric motor are each arranged for providing power output for the vehicle. An exhaust gas purification device is provided in an exhaust gas passage of the engine to treat exhaust gas components contained in the exhaust gas from the engine. A controller is arranged and configured to selectively perform a regeneration operation of the exhaust gas purification device to burn and remove deposits accumulated in the exhaust gas purification device. The controller is further arranged and configured to control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor such that the exhaust gas purification device is restrained from reaching an excessive temperature during the regeneration operation of the exhaust gas purification device.
US07748212B2
An exhaust aftertreatment system has a side inlet flow diffuser and provides even flow exhaust distribution to an aftertreatment element.
US07748209B1
A small single use gas turbine engine with a twin spool rotor shaft and a bypass fan, the rotor shafts being supported for rotation by bearings in the front and rear compartments of the engine. A portion of the bypass fan air is diverted to flow through the bearings in order to provide for cooling of the high speed bearings. Because a large amount of cooling air is required to cool the bearings, an air in tube is positioned in each of the guide vanes in the turbine section to provide for a cooling air passage leading into the rear bearings. In the front bearings, cooling air from the bypass fan is bled off from a location just upstream from the entrance to the centrifugal compressor. A fuel mist tube supplies fuel mist to the cooling air before passing through the bearings to provide extra cooling for the bearings and to provide lubrication to improve the service life of the engine. Because the cooling air is supplied by the bypass fan, the pressure is high enough and the volume is large enough to provide adequate cooling for the high rotational speed bearings used in such a small and high rotating gas turbine engine.
US07748200B2
A reclosable, tamper-proof, fillable package includes a first side panel and a second side panel joined to each other along a pair of spaced side seals. A bottom wall extends between the first and second side panels with the bottom wall and the first and second side panels defining a package interior. A tamper-evident structure having opposite sides connected to each other extends above a combined zipper closure and slider device, and is connected to the zipper closure. Only one side of the tamper-evident structure is initially connected to one of the first and second side panels so that a fill opening adapted to receive a product is created between the other side of the tamper-evident structure and the other of the first and second side panels.
US07748195B2
A support or jack that hangs from the tabs of a poured concrete wall. The support may include a hook that engages in an opening in the tab, to connect the support to the wall. The support may include a slot in which the tab is received, to connect the support to the wall.
US07748188B2
The present invention is a fastening member formed of a single steel plate for fastening exterior panels to a building frame and a structure using the fastening member. The fastening member includes, a base plate portion functioning as a fastening portion to a building frame side, a central supporting portion to be in contact with the rear surface of an upper exterior panel at the time of the fastening, and an engaging portion extended from a lower end of the central supporting portion, the engaging portion being configured to be engaged with upper and lower ends of exterior panels at the time of the fastening. Between an upwardly extended portion and a downwardly extended portion constituting the engaging portion, a cutout for decreasing the rigidity of the engaging portion is formed.
US07748187B2
A bracket for joining at least two spanning members, such as a board and a supporting member, includes a generally planar unitary body having front and rear sections, and a mid-section. The front and rear sections include locking members, which interlock when two brackets are aligned to each other. The bracket allows building of a structure, such as a deck, from top, where the nail or screw heads are hidden.
US07748185B2
A grid simulating muntins for a multi-sheet unit includes a plurality of interconnected vertical and horizontal elongated members. The ends of the elongated members are shaped to engage interior surface of a spacer frame to position the grid within the spacer frame. Shaping the ends of the elongated members eliminates the need for muntin clips.
US07748178B2
The device which serves for the adjustable mounting of a panel (1) to a frame element (5) provided with a lower assembly profile (51) comprises an anchoring bolt (4) serving to hold the panel (1) which comprises anchoring pins (42) on both sides which are held in grooves which lie opposite each other within the assembly profile (51). The panel consists of two glass panels (1a, 1b) connected to each other which comprise at least two recesses (11a, 11b) corresponding to each other, in which preferably cylindrical, outer eccentric elements (2a, 2b) are held preferably in a clearance-free way, which comprise eccentrically arranged, preferably cylindrical openings (21a, 21b) which are orientated concentrically with each other after assembly and preferably hold the introduced shaft (31) of an inner eccentric element (3) in a clearance-free way, which shaft (31) comprises an eccentrically arranged, preferably cylindrical opening (311), in which the anchoring bolt (4) is held.
US07748177B2
A modular tile configured to interlock with multiple tiles to form a modular floor covering over a floor. The tile includes a top surface having a periphery defining side walls extending downward from the top surface, the side walls having a coupling portion configured to couple with other tiles adjacent thereto to form the modular floor covering. The tile also includes a bottom side, opposite the top surface, having a support grid including an array of downward extending polymeric post structures, at least some of the post structures including at least one resilient end portion with a radial end surface configured to be positioned against the floor to facilitate controlled deflection of the post structures. The post structures may comprise primary and secondary post structures, with the secondary post structures limiting the deflection of the primary post structures.
US07748168B2
A panel mounting system to secure a protective panel to a building including a portal or window having a frame including an inner surface formed about the periphery thereof to receive and secure the panel mounting system thereto so that the protective panel covers the portal or window when the panel mounting system is secured in place, the panel mounting system comprising an elongated cross-bar including end portions formed on opposite ends thereof having a first securing assembly including a first panel attachment device formed thereon telescopingly coupled to one end portion of the elongated cross-bar by a first positioning assembly movable between a retracted position and an extended position and a second securing assembly including a second panel attachment device formed thereon telescopingly coupled to the other end portion of the elongated cross-bar by a second positioning assembly movable between an extended position and a retracted position such that the first securing assembly and the second securing assembly engage the inner surface of the frame on opposite sides of the portal or window when the first positioning assembly is moved from the retracted position to the extended position and the second positioning assembly is moved from the extended position to the retracted position when the first positioning assembly is moved from the retracted to the extended position, the first panel attachment device and the second attachment device configured to secure the protective panel to the panel mounting system when the panel mounting system is secured within the portal or window.
US07748160B1
An elongated tubular pesticide dispersion tube is fixed in place in the outer brick wall of a building having an inner structural wall. The dispersion tube can be installed in the mortar between courses of brick during construction or added to an existing structure by drilling a hole through the outer brick wall. A plug is used to seal the dispersion tube when the appliance is not actively being used as to inject a pesticide, an insecticide, or a chemical through the dispersion tube and into the gap between the outer brick wall and the inner structural wall. The method of using the novel appliance to inject a pesticide, an insecticide, or a chemical product into the gap between the outer brick wall and the inner structural wall, thereby sealing the area formed between them is also described.
US07748149B1
An illuminated dispenser and display apparatus for advertisements provides a solar powered display box for real estate flyers or brochures. The box includes a back panel, two side panels, a transparent front panel, a bottom, and a hinged lid or top panel so that a person can lift the lid open and remove a brochure. An internal bright white LED illuminates the front panel and the contents of the box. Power is supplied by an internal rechargeable battery, recharged by a solar panel mounted on the top of the hinged lid. A photo sensor activates the LED during low light conditions. An optional feature provides the inside wall of the back panel with one or a plurality of shelves or detents to accommodate information-bearing cards, such as business cards.
US07748146B2
A method for configuring a shellfish dredge is described. In an embodiment of the invention, a bag on a shellfish dredge has a front side and a back side and is attached to a tow. The front side of the bag has a pair of end peaks, one or more central peaks and an open area for catching shellfish. The end peaks are attached to the tow and the central peaks are attached to vertical chains connected to the tow. The bag is of a depth to catch and contain shellfish.
US07748144B2
Children's footwear configured to have the appearance of a motor vehicle. The footwear has a light emitting device, a sound emitting device, and a remote transmitter for controlling the light emitting device and the sound emitting device. The footwear may come in a variety of motor vehicle appearances.
US07748136B2
A remote center compliance device is provided. The remote center compliance device includes a measuring sensor disposed at a limiter, a measuring block, or an elastic body to measure a force-insertion force or a location displacement of a force-insertion apparatus.
US07748129B2
An apparatus for displaying or measuring a trigonometric sine or cosine is provided, which includes a planar surface with a circle or a portion thereof and a bisecting line through the center of the circle. Two arms are attached to the apparatus. The circle, bisecting line and second arm include incremental markings that correspond to the degree and/or radian measurements of the unit circle, trigonometric cosine and trigonometric sine, respectively. A method is also provided which includes rotating one of the arms to a position along the circle to form an angle. Based upon the position of the first and second arms the trigonometric cosine and trigonometric sine of the angle can be read. An electronic display device that displays the trigonometric sine and trigonometric cosine of an angle can also be included.
US07748124B1
A scalpel assembly utilizing an ejectable blade allowing easy installation and removal of the blade. Use of an ejectable blade permits a used or contaminated blade to fall freely from the scalpel assembly without direct contact with the blade.
US07748123B2
A hand-held hair cutting appliance has a housing, a first cutting blade, and a second cutting blade. The first cutting blade is capable of reciprocating movement relative to the housing. A drive assembly is operatively connected to the first cutting blade for drivingly reciprocating the first cutting blade relative to the housing. A counter weight is adapted for reciprocating movement relative to the housing in response to reciprocating movement of the first cutting blade. The counter weight has at least one of a mass and a location relative to the first cutting blade to thereby at least partially counter-balance the reciprocating movement of the first cutting blade.
US07748100B2
A pipe joint restraint (16) includes a pocket (74) having a fulcrum (92) a fixed distance from the centerline (26) of an annular retaining gland (22) and about which a gripping element (76) pivots to move a gripping edge (75) toward the centerline (26) so as to grip a pipe (14) engaged by the gripping element (76) in response to thrust forces on the pipe (14). The length of gripping edge (75) is selected for the material of pipe (14). Adjustable element (78) operatively connects to the gripping element (76) and fulcrum (92) to pivot with the gripping element (76). Adjustable element (78) and may be torqued to a common, predetermined torque whether the pipe (14) is metal or polymeric.
US07748096B2
A recycling facilitating system including an item identification data input unit for inputting item identification data, an item disassembly data memory for storing item disassembly data in correspondence with the item identification data, an item disassembly data retrieval unit for retrieving the item disassembly data, a disassembly diagram constructing unit for constructing the disassembly diagram based on the item disassembly data, and a disassembly diagram output unit for outputting the disassembly diagram; the disassembly diagram constructing unit determines the progress status of an operation step of disassembling the item to be recycled by identifying a component that was removed during the operation step, and, in accordance with the progress status, constructs one of a plurality of disassembly diagrams, which can be constructed from the item disassembly data that was retrieved by the item disassembly data retrieval unit.
US07748088B1
An apparatus for securing a pair of trousers about a torso includes a face plate and a flexible member that is attached along three perimeter sides of the flexible member to a rear surface of the face plate. A conventional type of a fastener assembly for a belt is attached to the flexible member. A first end of the belt is attached to a rear of the fastener assembly and a second end of the belt engages with a hook, the hook being attached to an opposite end of the fastener assembly. An opening between the face plate and the flexible member along a side of the flexible member that is not attached to the face plate is provided on the remaining side of the flexible member into which a credit card and a picture-identification card, such as a driver's license can be inserted or removed.
US07748082B2
A damper arrangement is provided for parts of furniture that can be pivoted in relation to each other. The arrangement includes at least one damper having a linear damping course, and at least two abutment parts which can be respectively fixed to one of the parts of the furniture, or can be supported thereon in an especially sliding manner. The abutment parts are interconnected in such a way that they can be pivoted by at least one articulated axis. The damper is arranged in such a way that the direction of the linear damping course thereof is at an angle to a parallel line, deviating (offset) from a vertical line, preferably essentially parallel to the articulated axis.
US07748073B2
The present invention is an apparatus for sweeping the indoor or outdoor floors. In one embodiment the apparatus includes a telescoping elongated handle with an attached sweeping member. The sweeping member is made of several layers of Vietnam Dot' Grass which is secured to the lower end of the elongated handle. The lower edge of the grass is cut in the shape of an arc. In another embodiment of the present invention, the elongated stalk of the grass is secured around the elongated handle. The lower edge of the grass of this embodiment is cut in the shape of an one-half arc shape.
US07748068B2
A decoration solar panel bridge supplying power sources, for commercial and residential applications, incorporates at least one solar panel in a decoration bridge comprising members of frame, cross brace and board. The wide boards including solar panels cover straight beams and cross braces as a partial or full surface of the bridge. The slice boards cover the top arc beams or alternative round beams as partial surfaces of the bridge. Each solar panel output power and dimension can be designed for desired power consumption and needed. The alternative frame members can be used to construct different shapes of the bridge and can replace the curve shape frame members. The decoration bridge includes optional members: safety fence members, supporting members and handrail members. Solar powered lights can be installed at the top of safety poles and solar powered light stands can replace the vertical spindle of handrails.
US07748067B2
Provided is a method of minimizing an unbalanced load of laundry within a clothes laundering machine before a high-speed spinning phase. The method includes rotating a drum of the clothes laundering machine at a suitable rotational speed to initially retain at least a portion of the laundry within the drum against an inner surface of the drum; and determining that an unbalanced distribution of the laundry exists within the drum. In response to determining that the unbalanced distribution of laundry exists within the drum, initiating a laundry distribution phase to redistribute the laundry within the drum to reduce at least one of the unbalance mass to a level that is less than or equal to a maximum allowable mass value, and the elevation torque to a level that is less than or equal to a maximum allowable elevation torque. The laundry distribution phase includes decelerating the rotational speed of the drum to a reduced speed that allows at least a portion of the laundry retained against the inner surface of the drum to separate from the inner surface of the drum to be re-distributed within the drum, and subsequent to said decelerating, accelerating the rotational speed of the drum to a suitable speed that is greater than the reduced speed for retaining the re-distributed portion of the laundry against the inner surface of the drum.
US07748058B2
A clothing system includes a set of first pants having a corresponding set of first cuffs and includes a second of second pants having a corresponding set of second cuffs. The sets of pants have different size ranges, but each set has the same outside circumference on the legs of the pants for that set. Each of cuffs in a set has the same inside circumference that will fit the outside circumference for the legs of the corresponding set of pants. Fasteners on the inside circumferences of the cuffs are used to attach and hold the cuffs to fasteners on the outside circumference of the pant legs.
US07752675B2
A data receiving apparatus having a digital contents copy protection function and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, in which authentication for the digital contents copy protection function is carried out without any error even if time difference occurs due to a communication error of the data receiving apparatus or a problem in initial stability. The data receiving apparatus includes an interface connected with a data transmitting apparatus and transmitting basic information for determining whether authentication for the digital contents copy protection function has been carried out, a display receiving and outputting digital contents if the authentication has been carried out successfully, and a controller determining again whether the authentication has been carried out, after a lapse of a predetermined time period, if the authentication has been failed.
US07752672B2
A communications port of a network communications device maintains capability information indicating that under normal operating conditions a communications link is capable of operating in a secure mode in which communications signals of the communications link are unintelligible to an intruder having an unauthorized physical connection (e.g. tap) to the communications link. During operation, the port detects occurrence of a link event of a type that can invoke an automatic communications-mode control mechanism to change the operating of the communications link to a non-secure mode in which communications signals of the communications link are intelligible to such an intruder. An example is Ethernet auto-negotiation which can change from relatively secure 1000BaseT signaling to relatively non-secure 10/100BaseT signaling. Based on the capability information, the port responds to the link event by preventing the automatic communications mode control mechanism from changing the operating of the communications link to the non-secure mode.
US07752670B2
To detect an attack of a network connection, detection of a message containing a sequence number that is within a valid sequence number range is performed, where the message is intended to cause reset of the network connection. The message is dropped, and a counter is incremented to track a number of occurrences of receiving the message in response to detecting that the sequence number in the message is within the valid sequence number range.
US07752668B2
In this system, a monitor unit monitors outbound communications through a network interface. A process designation unit designates a process 2X which has generated communications. A process tree obtaining unit obtains and outputs process tree information for designation of an upper process to the process 2X. A discrimination unit refers to an illegal rule file for definition of an illegal process by a combination of a process and an upper process which have generated communications, and determines whether or not a process 2X is illegal according to communications information, process information, and process tree information. A process stop unit stops a process 2X determined to be illegal. A notification unit notifies a user of the stop of the process 2X.
US07752661B2
A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product is presented for plugging in a standard authorization system in a manner such that legacy applications can use the authorization APIs and backend remote interfaces of a legacy authorization system. When a legacy application makes a call intended for a routine within the legacy authorization system, the call is redirected to make the appropriate calls to the APIs of the standard authorization system.
US07752660B2
Provided in a reception device (10) for receiving a transmission signal (US) in which, adhering to a communications protocol, reception data (ED) can be transmitted to the reception device (10) from a transmission device (2, 3) are reception means (12) for receiving the transmission signal (US), and evaluation means (16) for evaluating the received transmission signal (US) and for emitting a bit sequence (BFT) received in the transmission signal (US), which bit sequence (BFT) may contain bits of reception data (ED) transmitted from the transmission device (2, 3) but also bits (SB) occasioned by an interference to the transmission signal (US), and checking means (18) for checking whether the received bit sequence (BFT) infringes a rule of the communications protocol, wherein the reception device (10) is designed to continue with the reception of the transmission signal (US) and the checking of the received bit sequence (BFT) following the occurrence of an infringement of the communications protocol.
US07752658B2
Multi-session connection across a trust boundary is described. In an embodiment, a trust boundary can be implemented to restrict access to resources in a secure region from an unsecure region. A connection can be established that is configured as a client-server connection from the secure region to the unsecure region across the trust boundary. A communication engine in the secure region can then control and maintain the established connection as a two-way simultaneous communication link to the unsecure region across the trust boundary such that session messages can be initiated for communication via the two-way simultaneous communication link from either of the secure region or the unsecure region.
US07752656B2
A system and method is provided for using a DNS server operating on a wide area network to enable an authorized reception device to receive (or be provided with) restricted content data associated with a particular wide area network address and redefine the domain name associated with a particular wide area network address. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an authorization application is adapted to provide the reception device with user-verification data, receive from the reception device verification data, and provide the filtering application with authorization data. The filtering application, which operates similarly to prior art DNS server systems, is further adapted to receive filtered data (i.e., password-required data and/or pseudo-domain-name data) and authorization data in order to provide an IP address of the content server to the reception device via a wide area network, such as the Internet.
US07752650B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc.
US07752644B2
There are provided a method and apparatus for providing and receiving a video service in digital audio broadcasting (DAB). The video service providing method includes: storing information related to encoding of a provided video service stream and information related to packetization of the video service stream in a channel different from a service data channel; and multiplexing the information related to encoding of the video service stream and the information related to packetization of the video service stream to create a DAB transmission frame, and transmitting the DAB transmission frame. Therefore, by allowing different types of DAB receivers to uniformly process video services, it is possible to achieve high efficiency in video service processing and controlling.
US07752633B1
A system and method for translating, synthesizing and acting upon disparate event sets is provided. The disclosed cross-platform event engine comprises an event module with information pertaining to various event inputs as they relate to different operating platforms and devices. Logic utilized by the cross-platform event engine determines how to handle a particular event within an operating environment. Methods of updating and training the engine are also provided.
US07752628B2
Objects are assigned to processing units of a cluster of processing units, each of the objects having an object size and an object load, each of the processing units having a storage capacity and a load capacity. The method uses an initial object distribution as a starting point. The smoothness of the initial object distribution is improved by processing the objects in sequential order.
US07752617B2
An apparatus, system, and method are provided for updating a code image. The apparatus, system, and method include a loader for loading a new code image into a temporary memory location separate from the memory location occupied by the old code image. A conversion module of the new code image executes and selectively reconciles incompatibilities between the old code image and the new code image. In one aspect, once incompatibilities are reconciled, a copy module copies the new code image into the memory space occupied by the old code image.
US07752611B2
Various embodiments that may be used in performing speculative code motion for memory latency hiding are disclosed. One embodiment comprises extracting an asynchronous signal from a memory access instruction in a program to represent a latency of the memory access instruction, and generating a wait instruction to wait the asynchronous signal.
US07752601B1
A method and apparatus for enabling interactive programming and/or development environments with the ability to dynamically host ActiveX controls and Java components simultaneously in the same figure window is provided. This type of hosting ActiveX controls is different from the industry standard in that the ActiveX control can be chosen dynamically at runtime. A Java container is disposed in a Java-based operating system window. A plurality of Java canvases are configured in the figure window, such that each Java canvas is supported by the Java container. A plurality of components are positioned on the plurality of Java canvases. Each of the plurality of components can be dynamically added and removed from the plurality of Java canvases without re-creation of the operating system window. Furthermore, at least one of the components does not contain a Java class or a Java interface.
US07752600B2
A method for associating a file type of a file with one or more programs includes the step of receiving a request to store in a configuration store file type association information. From the request, an application program is determined that is to be associated with a file type in the configuration store. An association of the file type with a chooser tool is written to the configuration store
US07752596B2
An application program interface (API) links an interpretive runtime engine to an alternate application development environment. The API includes a generic API layer that is configured to translate an output from the alternate application development environment into a corresponding signal that is recognizable by the interpretive runtime engine. The API also includes a dictionary-specific API layer that is configured to represent a dictionary associated with the interpretive runtime engine in an alternate format that is consistent with operation within the alternate application development environment.
US07752591B2
There is provided a board layout check apparatus for checking whether or not a guard wiring is appropriately formed, wherein a place which must be corrected is clearly displayed.The board layout check apparatus includes a printed board obtained by forming a guard wiring on a printed wiring layer, a check target wiring detecting unit which detects a check target wiring the influence of noise of which must be reduced from the printed wiring layer, a guard wiring exemption region calculating unit which calculates a guard wiring exemption region in which no guard wiring is formed for the check target wiring, a guard wiring detecting unit which detects a wiring portion in which a guard wiring is formed for the check target wiring, an error determination unit which determines whether or not the guard wiring is appropriately formed in a region except for the guard wiring exemption region, and an output unit which outputs a wiring portion determined as an error by the error determination unit.
US07752578B2
To minimize the voltage drops in an electronic circuit, existing instances are moved and decoupling capacitors are automatically inserted according to an algorithm. A model of the voltage drop on a row of gate elements is presented. The model allows for rapid computations of the effect of a particular move or insertion on voltage drop in the circuit.
US07752576B2
An input unit inputs specification description that includes a plurality of pieces of processing information each indicative of a processing performed by a design object and association information indicative of associations among the processing information. A node generating unit generates a node for each of the processing information. A link generating unit generates, based on the association information, a link that couples nodes generated by the node generating unit. A sub-chart generating unit configured to generate a plurality of sub-charts by dividing a chart indicating a content of the specification description, based on the node and the link. A function-module generating unit generates, for each of the sub-charts, a function module that executes a function based on the processing information corresponding to the node in the sub-chart and the association information corresponding to the link in the sub-chart.
US07752566B1
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a transparent overlay of available dropzones may be displayed to assist a user in determining a new configuration for a document utilizing drag and drop.
US07752563B2
A user is enabled to select multiple objects in a document which is opened in an editor and contains selectable objects by presenting each of the objects as an entry of plurality of entries in a separate window; allowing the user to select multiple entries; and selecting multiple objects corresponding to the selected multiple entries in the editor based on the entries selected by the user. An Assistive Technology application may be called to provide related information and selection state of the operated object based on a user's operation on any one of the entries. The multiple objects can be selected in the document with a keyboard to help disabled users, such as low vision users or blind users.
US07752560B2
Systems and methods are described for providing a standard list function to create a graphical user interface list and list manager while allowing the graphical user interface to vary by appearance. An application developer can include a list manager control in an application. Properties are set that link the list manager to display controls, a data source and a scrolling behavior source. The list manager provides the appropriate content to the display controls in response to user selections of the display controls. The display controls and a user interface that contains them may vary without altering the basic functionality of the list manager.
US07752558B2
A plant operation supporting apparatus includes a display section which displays at least one of an operation procedure screen for displaying an operation procedure defined by components and wiring in a flowchart format, or an operation procedure screen for displaying an operation procedure defined by components and wiring in a logic chart format, and an execution section which supports a plant operation in accordance with the operation procedure being displayed, wherein the display section displays an operation procedure screen for displaying an operation procedure defined by components and wiring in a data flow format, in combination with the operation procedure screen in the data flow format or the operation procedure screen in the logic chart format.
US07752555B2
A technology for controlling multiple map application operations with a single gesture is disclosed. In one method approach, data describing a single gesture that was inked on a map application output displayed on a device is received. The data is utilized to control multiple operations of the map application.
US07752550B2
A system and method for providing managed point-to-point services are disclosed. In one embodiment of a system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure, a services management center may be capable of receiving a request for connection to a video content source. A requesting user may be part of one managed network and the content source may be part of another network. The content source may be able output an information stream. In operation, the center may determine an address for the video content source and initiate the formation of at least a portion of a point-to-point communication link between the requesting user and the video content source. In some embodiments, the center may be able to track a metric associated with communication of the information stream and may generate a billing record at least partially based upon the metric.
US07752548B2
A software program for creating features for use with a plurality of media objects in a sequence. The program comprises a feature component specifying a feature having parameters affecting at least one variable aspect of the feature. An indicator component identifies a position of the specified feature relative to the media objects in the sequence. The program comprises a sequence generator for modifying the specified feature by varying its parameters of the specified feature as a function of the position of the specified feature relative to the media objects and/or relative to other features in the sequence. The sequence generator also modifies the specified feature by varying its parameters of the feature as a function of the content of the media objects around it or to which it has been applied. A rendering component renders the specified feature according to the varied parameters at the identified position.
US07752546B2
The present invention is directed towards a system and process for navigating through a large amount of information (e.g., audio files, text files, video files, device functions, etc.) using audio cues representative of the information. The audio cues are arranged in a multi-level tree data structure such that the user can select general categories (e.g., music classification) and navigate down to a specific data segment (e.g., a particular song or song list). Each audio cue is a brief burst of sound (e.g., a lyric from a particular song) representative of a predetermined number of additional audio cues or a particular data segment. The audio cues are selectable by a user and permit the user to navigate through the information or data segments without having to remember visual or alphanumeric elements (e.g., song title, artist name, or track number). The audio cues are stored in a storage device that can be accessed using a wireless device (e.g., a remote control or wireless mouse) or a wired device (e.g., keyboard, trackball, or touch pad). By manipulating the wireless or wired device, the user can navigate through the multi-level tree data structure of audio cues (generated by speakers) until a desired data segment is found.
US07752545B2
A generator sequence is defined and used for providing an enhanced user experience and increased user control. A generator sequence is established as a series of user inputs that trigger an output. User inputs to the generator system managing the generator sequence are employed to define a user performance value for a specific point, or position, in the generator sequence. The user performance value is then used to establish a new user point, or position, in the generator sequence. The user inputs and/or the new user generator sequence point are used to identify one or more feedback effects files and/or functions and one or more benefit effects files and/or functions for producing user output. A user can utilize the feedback effects and/or benefit effects to alter their inputs to control the generator sequence.
US07752542B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system, and article of manufacture for dynamically resolving external entity references in a document managed by a content management system (CMS). In one embodiment, a wrapper transform may be applied to a source transform to generate a modified source transform. The modified source transform may be configured to generate resolvable external entity references when applied to a document being accessed from the CMS. The modified source transform may be applied to the document being checked out to generate an output document, and the output document may be returned in response to an access request.
US07752540B2
The present invention relates to an MFA (Metabolic Flux Analysis) information system using an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and an operating method thereof. More specifically, the invention relates to an MFA information system and an operating method thereof, which generates, edits, stores and visualizes an MFA model feature and an MFA object using XML, and edits, stores and visualizes the result obtained by performing MFA based on the object. The present invention provides the MFA information system and method capable of generating, editing, storing and visualizing MFA model features and MFA objects using XML. Accordingly, MFA can be easily performed by utilizing advantages of XML, such as transplantation, reusability, deciphering, scalability, flexibility and effective data exchange, and thus the present invention can be applied to cell improvement using metabolic engineering.
US07752533B2
A demodulator cancels out the echo signal properties in the received signal to generate a primary signal, and cancels out the primary signal properties in the received signal to generate a separate echo signal. In addition, the demodulator may combine the primary signal and the echo signal in a comparison/combination operation to generate a third combined signal. Error correction operations may then be performed on all three of the primary signal, echo signal and combined signal, with the results of those error correction operations being used to select which of the three signals will serve as the transport stream.
US07752527B2
A microcontroller in which an increase in hardware is suppressed and data correction capability for software error of RAM can be improved is provided. A microcontroller which performs processing according to a program includes a CPU and a RAM for storing data processed by the CPU, wherein multiplexed regions are defined in the RAM, and when these regions are accessed, an access to an address outputted by the CPU and a copy access to an address obtained by adding or subtracting a certain value to or from the address outputted by the CPU are performed. By this means, the same data can be stored in a plurality of regions and the reliability can be improved.
US07752522B2
A method and an apparatus for recovery of particular bits in a frame are disclosed. An origination station forms a frame structure with groups of information bits of different importance. All the information bits are then protected by an outer quality metric. Additionally, the groups of more important information bits are further protected by an inner quality metric; each group having a corresponding quality metric. The frame is then transmitted to a destination station. The destination station decodes the received frame and decides, first in accordance with the outer quality metric, whether the frame has been correctly received, or whether the frame is erased. If the frame has been declared erased, the destination station attempts to recover the groups of more important information bits in accordance with the corresponding inner quality metrics.
US07752518B2
An integrated circuit (IC), a method of testing an IC and a method of reading test results from an IC containing built-in self-test (BIST) circuitry. In one embodiment, the IC includes: (1) an external test bus interface, (2) read-write memory coupled to the external test bus interface, (3) other circuitry and (4) BIST circuitry, coupled to the external test bus interface, the read-write memory and the other circuitry and configured to test the read-write memory to identify a good data block therein, store in a predetermined data block in the read-write memory multiple instances of a pointer to the good data block, conduct a test of at least the other circuitry and store at least some results of the test in the good data block.
US07752513B2
A method and integrated circuit for LSSD testing. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of clock domains supplied with test clocks from separate clock generation circuits. In each clock domain, a scan latch at a clock domain boundary receiving an input from another clock domain includes a master latch for latching an input in response to a first clock, a slave latch for latching an output from the master latch in response to a second clock, a selector for supplying the master latch with a system input when the mode selection signal is at a second level, and a clock control circuit for turning off the first clock when the mode selection signal transits from the first level to the second level.
US07752506B1
A FIFO memory error circuit has a read pointer coupled to a FIFO memory. The read pointer has a logic high output once every FIFO memory cycle. A write pointer is coupled to the FIFO memory and has a logic high output once every FIFO memory cycle. An error detector has a first input coupled to the read pointer and a second input coupled to the write pointer.
US07752495B2
A system, method, and computer program product for reporting and recovering from an internal processor error in a multiprocessor system supporting system management mode. In accordance with the method of the present invention one or more replacement agents are allocated such as during system startup within the multiprocessor system. Machine specific error-reporting registers are monitored for one or more active processor agents during system operation. In response to detecting a faulty agent via the monitoring, a system management interrupt (SMI) request is issued to one or both the faulty agent and a selected replacement agent. In response to receiving the SMI request, the operating state of the faulty agent is copied to the selected replacement agent in system management mode. Operating system processing is then resumed using the replacement agent.
US07752489B2
Data validation systems and methods are provided. Data is recorded in N data chunks on one or more storage mediums. A first validation chunk independently associated with said N data chunks comprises first validation information for verifying accuracy of data recorded in said N data chunks. The first validation chunk is associated with a first validation appendix comprising second validation information, wherein the first validation appendix is stored on a first storage medium independent of said one or more storage mediums.
US07752486B2
Methods for recovery from server-failures wherein servers control a communication initiator's access to a set of resources. A probable server failure leads to a communication initiator performing a discovery operation to identify available servers capable of accessing a required resource. A server checks whether any of the servers has failed. If a server has failed, a server other than the failed server sends the communication initiator an identification of the failed server together with a network address of an identified available server. The identified available server configures itself to respond to resource access requests directed to the failed server. The communication initiator establishes a connection to an available server enabling access to the required resource. The available server uses initiator-provided elements to recreate a reservation identifier, so that replacing server can also manage resources that were reserved by the failed server at the time of its failure.
US07752484B2
A wrapper can receive a request for application data. The wrapper wraps a first reference to a cross-session object and a second reference to a wrapper mapper object. Thereafter, the cross-session object can be accessed using the first reference and the wrapper mapper object is polled using the second reference to access a session-local object. The wrapper mapper object includes a wrapper list references the wrapper and any wrappers contained therein to facilitate recovery after session failover. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US07752483B1
A Heart Beat System (HBS) enables both inertial navigation system (INS) technology and other sensors, e.g., laser radar (LIDAR) systems, cameras and the like to be precisely time-coupled. The result of this coupling enables microsecond control by the HBS to each sensor slave component. This synchronization enables the precise time of each sensor measurement to be known which in turn allows highly accurate world coordinates to be computed from each set of received date, e.g., laser pulses range data. Such precision results in 3-dimensional point cloud data with relative accuracies in the 5-10 cm range and absolute positioning accuracies in the sub 40 cm range. This precision further enables multiple sensors to be used simultaneously with outstanding registration which leads to fused 3D point cloud databases representing a more comprehensive urban scene. Finally, 3D data collected from subsequent missions can be used for precision change detection analysis.
US07752479B2
An exemplary CPU frequency regulating circuit includes a detecting circuit, and a comparing circuit. The detecting circuit receives a PWM signal from a super I/O chipset, and converts the PWM signal to a load voltage responsive to a workload of a CPU. The comparing circuit is coupled to the detecting circuit for receiving the load voltage, and compares the load voltage with a reference voltage, and adjusts a frequency of the CPU according to a result of the comparison.
US07752473B1
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving at a target device a request for a deterministic idle window from an initiator device via an interconnect, determining whether to accept the request, e.g., based on an anticipated time until the target device's next activity, and sending an acknowledgment to the initiator device based on the determination. The initiator and target devices may enter an extended idle state based on the determination. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07752467B2
The integrated circuit device includes a CPU having an arithmetic circuit and a Power Management Unit implementing power control of the CPU through a power IC. The Power Management Unit has no arithmetic circuit. The Power Management Unit includes RAM storing a plurality of commands and a control section implementing power control of the CPU according to the commands stored in the RAM.
US07752466B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node. These techniques may be used to support an all-electronic information distribution, for example, utilizing the “electronic highway.”
US07752461B2
A log region of a memory card includes a plurality of log entries and a plurality of administration information storage units. Each of the plurality of log entries includes a license ID region, a Ks2w region, a status region and a KPcmy region. The status region includes a ST1 region and a ST2 region to store the communication status. The license ID region stores a license ID. The Ks2w region stores a session key. The KPcmy region stores a class public encryption key of a memory card. The administration information storage unit stores the last record sequence number corresponding to the log entry storing history information of the latest communication.
US07752460B2
A general-purpose computer cross-authenticates an external storage medium which is detachably loaded in the general-purpose computer, directly storing copyrighted data from its internal storage means into the loaded external storage medium. An HDD, an internal storage means of the general-purpose computer, holds such data protected by copyright as music data. A memory card driver directly cross-authenticates a memory card, which is an external storage medium, and, upon successful cross-authentication, controls the memory card so that it stores the data from the HDD.
US07752459B2
To protect computer programs against security attacks that attempt to corrupt pointers within the address space of the program, the value of a pointer is encrypted each time the pointer is initialized or modified, and then the value is decrypted before use, i.e., each time the pointer is read. Preferably, the encrypting and decrypting steps are effected by instructions generated by a compiler during compilation of the program. One convenient method of implementing the encrypting and decrypting steps is by XOR'ing the pointer with a predetermined encryption key value, which could be specially selected or selected at random.
US07752456B2
In accordance with certain aspects, data is received from a calling program. Ciphertext that includes the data is generated, using a symmetric cipher, in a manner that allows only one or more target programs to be able to obtain the data from the ciphertext. In accordance with other aspects, a bit string is received from a calling program. An identifier of the calling program is checked to determine whether the calling program is allowed to access data encrypted in ciphertext of the bit string. The integrity of the data is also verified, and the data is decrypted using a symmetric key. The data is returned to the calling program only if the calling program is allowed to access the data and if the integrity of the data is successfully verified.
US07752455B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a trusted database system that leverages a small amount of trusted storage to secure a larger amount of untrusted storage. Data are encrypted and validated to prevent unauthorized modification or access. Encryption and hashing are integrated with a low-level data model in which data and meta-data are secured uniformly. Synergies between data validation and log-structured storage are exploited.
US07752450B1
An intermediate network device includes a local caching module that caches user information from a remote server before a local user requests the information. In particular, the local caching module securely obtains and caches one-time passwords for a local user. The local caching device maintains separate sets of one-time passwords for each user. The local caching module may access the locally cached one-time passwords to authenticate a local user to a resource protected by a one-time password.
US07752448B1
Systems and methods of providing a desktop framework. The desktop framework may include an application framework component that includes a set of core libraries that provide desktop applications access to data and services, a download component that maintains versions of the desktop applications and core libraries installed on a computer, and a license component that tracks data use and access. The application framework exposes APIs to provide the desktop applications with access to the data and services. The application framework serves as a platform upon which the desktop applications share common data and logic.
US07752444B2
A system and method is provided for hiding an initiator's identity (ID), e.g. a ClientID, in a shared key authentication protocol, using authentication based on a hint of the ID. The hint is a function of the ID which cannot be readily inverted to produce the initiator's identity, for example, a hash function over the ID, such as a modular N sum hash of the initiator's identity where N corresponds to N hash buckets in a shared key database; a cryptographic hash over the ID and a corresponding shared key; or a function of the ID which cannot be readily inverted to produce the initiator's identity and a pair of MAC values wherein the MAC values are compared to find a shared key. The resulting hash may be reduced to a required number of bits for identification of a hash bucket in the database. The system and method thereby provide a computationally efficient method of protecting, or hiding, a client ID in a client-server system for shared-key authentication, which avoids the requirement of known systems to send the client ID in clear text early in the message exchange, which leaves known shared-key protocols open to passive and active identity disclosure attacks.
US07752441B2
The present invention provides a method of cryptographic synchronization. The method may include providing information indicative of a first counter to a first one of a plurality of base stations. The first counter is incremented prior to each message transmitted to each of the plurality of base stations. The method may also include authenticating at least one first message received from the first one of the plurality of base stations in response to providing the information indicative of first counter.
US07752434B2
A secure communication module is provided for securing communication between a client application and a network service. The secure communication module comprises an authentication identifier provider for providing the client application a pool of authentication identifiers for use in subsequent communication with the network service, and an authentication identifier validator for checking the validity of an authentication identifiers from the pool of authentication identifiers sent with the subsequent communication.
US07752429B2
A computer system comprising an embedded system and a main computer system is provided. The embedded system comprises a memory device and a virtual firmware hub. The memory device is for storing a boot code of the main computer system. The virtual firmware hub is connected to the main computer system. The virtual firmware hub is for reading the boot code. As the main computer system is booted, the main computer system inputs a loading command to the virtual firmware hub. The virtual firmware hub reads the boot code stored in the memory device according to the loading command and outputs the boot code to the main computer system accordingly.
US07752424B2
A processor 2 is provided with the ability to execute program instructions in the form of Java bytecodes including a dedicated null checking instruction. The null checking instruction reads the top of stack value, compares this with a null value and jumps to an exception handling routine if the top of stack value equals the null value, otherwise the next program instruction is executed.
US07752417B2
A computer system may be configured to dynamically select a memory virtualization and corresponding virtual-to-physical address translation technique during execution of an application and to dynamically employ the selected technique in place of a current technique without re-initializing the application. The computer system may be configured to determine that a current address translation technique incurs a high overhead for the application's current workload and may be configured to select a different technique dependent on various performance criteria and/or a user policy. Dynamically employing the selected technique may include reorganizing a memory, reorganizing a translation table, allocating a different block of memory to the application, changing a page or segment size, or moving to or from a page-based, segment-based, or function-based address translation technique. A selected translation technique may be dynamically employed for the application independent of a translation technique employed for a different application.
US07752393B2
A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage medium for designing, manufacturing, and/or testing a design for forwarding store data to loads in a pipelined processor is provided. In one implementation, a processor is provided that includes a decoder operable to decode an instruction, and a plurality of execution units operable to respectively execute a decoded instruction from the decoder. The plurality of execution units include a load/store execution unit operable to execute decoded load instructions and decoded store instructions and generate corresponding load memory operations and store memory operations. The store queue is operable to buffer one or more store memory operations prior to the one or more memory operations being completed, and the store queue is operable to forward store data of the one or more store memory operations buffered in the store queue to a load memory operation on a byte-by-byte basis.
US07752387B2
A storage system includes a RAID adapter, disk array switches, sub-processors, and hard disk drives. A disk-related operation is initiated in the RAID adapter which dispatches a command to a disk array processor (or sub-processor) in an enclosure for the processor to perform the operation on one or more drives. The adapter may dispatch the command to a processor in a single enclosure through a disk array switch or to processors in multiple enclosures through switches in upstream enclosures. The adapter is then free to perform other functions. The processor commences the specified operation on one or more selected drives. Upon completion of the operation, the results are transmitted by the processor and received by the adapter. Offloading the task to the distributed sub-processors reduces the burden on the RAID adapter, reduces system bandwidth usage, and enables access to other drives to be maintained.
US07752383B2
A method and related system for programming connections between a NAND flash memory controller and a plurality of NAND flash memory modules includes the NAND flash memory controller generating a switch signal and a swap signal according to a condition of one of the plurality of NAND flash memory modules, a remap module selectively coupling the plurality of NAND flash memory modules to the NAND flash memory controller according to the switch signal, and a swap module selectively coupling the plurality of NAND flash memory modules to the NAND flash memory controller according to the swap signal.
US07752377B2
A structure compatible with I2C bus and system management (SM) bus is provided. The structure includes a first device having an I2C bus interface, a second device having a SM bus interface, and a timing buffering apparatus connected between the I2C bus interface and the SM bus interface. The timing buffering apparatus provides a time delay when the first device sends data to the second device so as to meet the requirement of the second device to data holding time.
US07752374B2
Method and apparatus for host messaging unit for peripheral component interconnect busmaster devices
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) device contains Host Messaging Unit (HMU) which is operative to off load host processor and PCI device processor from PCI bus transfer overhead. HMU is configurable to asynchronously retrieve host processor commands from circular buffer, either by using polling or interrupt service techniques. Both host command retrieval methods are operable to remove host processor and PCI device processor from direct PCI bus command transactions, thereby increasing the efficiency of both processors. Interrupt service control of HMU is operative to buffer multiple service requests from PCI device processor, so that a more efficient use of the host processor interrupt service routine is implemented, providing for multiple service requests to be serviced in a single interrupt service request.
US07752363B2
A signal generating circuit of a peripheral device for sending a frame information structure (FIS) to a host via a serial transmission channel to change a busy bit representing the state of the peripheral device. The signal generating circuit includes a trigger generator and a signal generator. The trigger generator generates a trigger signal by monitoring a control signal of the signal generating circuit. The signal generator, coupled to the trigger generator, generates the indication according to the trigger signal.
US07752362B2
A storage system including: a controller connectable to a plurality of computers; and a plurality of storage devices connected to the controller, wherein the plurality of storage devices store a plurality of contents, wherein the controller receives a first request from a one of the plurality of computers which requests access to a first content of the plurality of contents, wherein the controller calculates a first data transfer rate of the first request, and wherein, based on the first data transfer rate, the controller dynamically controls settings of a first storage system resource during performing a first data transfer operation to satisfy the first request, to substantially maintain the access to the first content at substantially the first data transfer rate.
US07752359B2
A wireless-interface module is provided. The wireless-interface module includes a connection unit connected to a standardized connection-terminal unit of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device having a function of performing internal processing on the basis of a predetermined signal input from the standardized connection-terminal unit. The wireless-interface module also includes a wireless signal-transmission-and-reception unit that transmits and/or receives a wireless signal to and/or from a wireless-interface module provided on the host-device side, where the host device makes the semiconductor device execute internal processing, and a control unit that controls an operation performed by the wireless signal-transmission-and-reception unit and that converts a signal transmitted and/or received between the connection unit and the wireless signal-transmission-and-reception unit.
US07752358B2
The invention proposes a storage apparatus and conversion board that can increase the number of hard disk drive heads in a given, limited space for installation of disk units in the storage apparatus, and can consequently improve data read/write performance.A storage apparatus has a plurality of first disk units of a specific size, each removable, and a controller that controls data read/write from/to the first disk units, and the storage apparatus includes: external connectors, each provided in corresponding positions where the first disk units are installed, and physically and electrically connected with the first disk units installed in a specific state; and a removable conversion unit provided in one or more of the external connectors, and used for installing, in the position where one or more of the first disk units are to be installed, a larger number of second disk units, each smaller in physical size, than the one or more first disk units.
US07752348B2
A motherboard includes a first slot arranged for mounting a first type of memory, a second slot arranged for mounting a second type of memory, and a voltage regulating circuit electronically connected to the first slot and the second slot. The first memory and the second memory are alternatively mounted on the motherboard, the voltage regulating circuit detects which type memory is currently mounted on the motherboard and outputs voltages suitable for the type of the memory mounted on the motherboard accordingly.
US07752328B2
In one embodiment, a method that can be performed on a system, is provided for view of transactions with dynamic updates. In one embodiment, the method comprises a portal assigned to a user, receiving one or more syndication feeds; the portal receiving one or more events, the events being non-syndication feeds; a syndication engine filtering the events and syndication feeds based on predetermined set of rules; and the syndication engine presenting at the portal to the user, the events and syndication feeds as syndication feeds in a syndication format.
US07752325B1
A method and system to efficiently transmit streaming media are described. The system includes a network protocol engine configured to receive a request for a data stream from a client system and to transmit data packets from the data stream to the client system; and a packet pacing sub-system, responsive to the request for the data stream. The packet pacing sub-system is configured to wait to receive a plurality of data packets from the data stream, and schedule delivery events for the plurality of data packets.The system may further include a streaming media protocol engine to determine a delivery time for data packets in the data stream. The packet pacing sub-system may be configured to receive an associated delivery time for the data packets from the streaming media protocol engine and schedule the delivery events for the data packets according to the associated delivery times for the plurality of packets.
US07752316B1
This invention is a system and for managing data in a secure manner in a data storage environment that is in communication with a network including an internet-based network. The system includes computer-executable logic or software for securely managing internet client's access to data volumes stored on a data storage system, and may also include logic operating with a file server for providing dynamic access of data available to such client's in a secure fashion.
US07752315B2
A method (200) for providing debug services between two SIP compliant endpoints is presented. The method extends SIP compliance by including a SIP DEBUG message (370). The method (200) extends the SIP protocol for allowing SIP compliant endpoints to configure themselves for providing debug capabilities. The endpoints can be a SIP client (110), a SIP server (120), or a SIP proxy (115). The method can include the steps of sending a SIP INVITE request from a first device to a second device to initiate a SIP session, receiving a SIP INVITE response from the second device, sending a SIP DEBUG request from the first device to the second device to initiate a debug session, receiving a SIP DEBUG response from the second device, and providing encrypted debugging services during the SIP session between the first SIP compliant device and the second SIP compliant device. The SIP DEBUG message can include a debug header field for invoking a method call on a second SIP compliant product which includes a list of variables accessible to the first SIP compliant product as a result of the method call.
US07752299B2
With a continuous source of data relating to transactions, the data may be segmented and processed in a data flow arrangement, optionally in parallel, and the data may be processed without storing the data in an intermediate database. Data from multiple sources may be processed in parallel. The segmentation also may define points at which aggregate outputs may be provided, and where checkpoints may be established.
US07752298B2
A printer (702) manages profile information and communicates with another device across a network (710). The printer (702) receives an acquisition request (1001) of the profile information, issues an acquisition request (1002) of profile information of a display (703), and receives a result response (1003) as the profile information from the display (703). The printer (702) processes the acquisition request (1001) of the profile information in accordance with the profile information managed and the profile information of the display (703), and returns a processing result as a result response (1004).
US07752297B2
An embodiment of a method for use in performing interoperability testing between two network architectures includes forming multiple transaction signatures that each characterizes a communication transaction conducted over the two networks and analyzing each of the transaction signatures to determine if the transaction signature matches a previously classified pattern. The method may further include generating a report identifying each of the communication transactions and indicating that each of the communication transactions is classified with a classification associated with a previously classified pattern or are of unknown classification. Another method includes receiving a transaction signature composed of multiple transaction elements, and determining whether the received transaction signature corresponds to a previously identified transaction signature pattern. If the transaction signature does not correspond to a previously identified transaction signature pattern, a new transaction signature pattern is created, and classified as one of a plurality of classifications indicative of completion or failure of the communication transaction.
US07752287B2
A method, system, and computer program product for automatically generating best practices for configuring a networked system of entities are provided. The method includes identifying a networked system configuration problem and determining a set of problematic entities. The set of problematic entities includes the entities reporting the networked system configuration problem. The method further includes determining a set of problem associated entities, where the set of problem associated entities includes the entities with a common association having a strongest correlation to the set of problematic entities. The method additionally includes classifying the set of problem associated entities on an attribute basis to determine one or more attributes of the entities that contribute to the networked system configuration problem, and reporting the best practices for configuring the networked system of entities as avoiding the one or more attributes of the entities that contribute to the networked system configuration problem.
US07752280B2
A method of detecting response time-out based on master-slave protocol architecture, which calculates the time required for a slave device to respond to a Modbus request sent by a detection device based on Modbus communication protocol. The method is to send a Modbus request to the slave device through a detection device, and to record the Modbus request sent time, and then to have the slave device provide to the detection device a response. The detection device calculates the response time-out based on the request sent time and the response received time By means of calculating the precise response time-out from the response time-outs which are gotten from the slave device respond to a predetermined number of Modbus requests, the user or manager can determine the response time-out required for the slave device precisely so as to give EXECUTE instruction or command at the accurate time point.
US07752268B2
A method and system for presence state assignment based on schedule information in an instant messenger system. In one embodiment, the method may include storing schedule information corresponding to a given user, where the schedule information is indicative of an activity status of the given user at a given time. The method may further include querying the schedule information, and if a current presence state of an instant messenger does not correspond to the activity status indicated by the schedule information, assigning a different presence state that corresponds to the activity status in response to the querying, where the current presence state and the different presence state each correspond to the given user.
US07752260B2
A preferred embodiment of the present invention can accept an indication of a domain name or set of domain names from interested entity. The desired domain names are names that an interested entity desires to register through a domain name registration system or systems, such as that operated by a registry-accredited registrar. The system can closely monitor the domain name registry or registrar databases used to provide domain name resolution or registration over a distributed network, such as the Internet, and determine the expiration or availability of the name or names supplied by the interested entity. When a desired domain name appears to be available, the system can register or re-register the domain name through a domain registration service. If there is more than one interested entity for a domain name, the system can also facilitate an auction for the domain name.
US07752253B2
A set of collaborative contacts may be selected with an invitation user interface. An invitation to participate in a collaborative activity may be sent to the selected contacts from the invitation user interface or from a collaborative application. The invitation may be received by a collaborative services platform. A user of the collaborative services platform may be presented with the invitation along with an ability to choose one of accept, decline and ignore in response to the invitation. The user may choose to accept, decline or explicitly ignore the invitation, and a response may be sent to the sender of the invitation indicating the user's choice. An application programming interface for a collaborative invitation service of the collaborative services platform may include an invitation element, a send invitation element, a respond to invitation element and a cancel invitation element. The cancel invitation element may be used to cancel issued invitations.
US07752249B2
A memory-based Fast Fourier Transform device is provided, which adopts single-port random access memory (RAM), rather than dual-port RAM, as a storage, and the circuit area of the FFT device is therefore reduced. In order to enhance the access efficiency of the memory and the use efficiency of a processor, the transformer adopts a modified in-place conflict-free addressing to achieve similar performance of a traditional Fast Fourier Transform device.
US07752241B1
File system components of a messaged based file system may perform different functions of the file system and may communicate through a file system-independent message interface to fulfill file I/O naming requests. A file system component may receive a message from another file system component and in response may perform a sub-function of the file system and then may send another message to a file system component to perform another function of the file system. File system components may each operate on separate devices or multiple file system components may execute on a single device. File system components may also communicate using messaging components that in turn may communicate with other messaging components according to the file system-independent message interface. A single messaging component may be configured to communicate with multiple file system components on a single device. Alternatively, each file system component may communicate through a single, paired messaging component.
US07752239B2
The embodiments of the invention provide a method, computer program product, etc. for risk-modulated proactive data migration for maximizing utility. More specifically, a method of planning data migration for maximizing utility of a storage infrastructure that is running and actively serving at least one application includes selecting a plurality of potential data items for migration and selecting a plurality of potential migration destinations to which the potential data items can be moved. Moreover, the method selects a plurality of potential migration speeds at which the potential data items can be moved and selects a plurality of potential migration times at which the potential data items can be moved to the potential data migration destinations. The selecting of the plurality of potential migration speeds selects a migration speed below a threshold speed, wherein the threshold speed defines a maximum system utility loss permitted.
US07752224B2
A programmability mode for interacting with data stores within a document allows real time interaction. Data for structuring information associated with a document, such as document metadata, is maintained in the data store where relationships between different pieces of data are maintained in a location distinct from the surface level view of a document. The data store exposes interfaces to the various pieces of data in the data store for allowing different applications to access and operate on one or more of the data pieces. The pieces of data may be structured according to a markup language such as the Extensible Markup Language (XML), and XML schemas may be associated with each piece of data for allowing the data store to validate the structure applied to the data based on an XML schema associated with a given piece of data.
US07752218B1
A system and methods for providing users with comprehensive search results in response to queries entered by the user over a computer network. The user may access the network and enter a query in order to obtain information related to the query. The network is associated with a plurality of electronic files and a metadata database for accessing the files. The key terms of the query will be identified and may be expanded to include additional terms that have been previously identified as related to the key terms entered by the user. The expanded query is used to provide the user with information that contains or is identified by terms that may or may not be included in the query entered by the user, but nevertheless is relevant thereto.
US07752217B2
A search device and a search program for searching an identifier of a site server, which provides information corresponding to a search format including an inputted keyword. Specifically, the search device includes: a search database storage which stores a search database; a conversion program storage which stores a conversion program and the identifier of the site server by associating them with each other; a search unit which reads the search database storage and searches the identifier of the site server corresponding to the inputted search format; and a site search link generation unit which reads the conversion program storage, selects a conversion program while the conversion program is associated with the identifier of the site server, which is searched by the search unit, and uses the selected conversion program to convert the inputted search format into the identifier of the site search server attached to the site server.
US07752212B2
A computer-implemented method of creating a schema specific parser for processing Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents can include receiving an XML schema comprising a plurality of components, determining a hierarchy of the plurality of components of the XML schema, and creating an execution plan specifying a hierarchy of XML processing instructions. Each XML processing instruction can be associated with an XML processing function of a virtual machine that performs an XML document processing task. The hierarchy of XML processing instructions can be determined according to the hierarchy of components of the XML schema. An instruction causing the virtual machine to invoke a de-serialization module that extracts at least one item of information from the XML document can be inserted into the execution plan. The execution plan can be compiled into a bytecode version of the execution plan that is interpretable by the virtual machine. The bytecode version of the execution plan can be output.
US07752204B2
A text summarizer identifies relevant terms in a document, weights the terms and extracts one or more segments to produce a summary or abstract. The various terms in a particular are weighted in relation to an existing document collection. A term weight computer computes term weights for terms in the document, and a threshold comparator compares the term weights to determine if the corresponding terms are relevant to the document collection. Next, a term weight summer adds the term weights for each occurrence of each relevant term in the various segments of the document, and a summation comparator compares the summations to identify a text summarization segment representative of the document. Optionally, relevant terms can be highlighted in the term summarization segment.
US07752203B2
The present invention is a method and system for look ahead caching of personalized web content based upon resource capability. Personalized web content may be delivered to a cache before the web pages are accessed by the user by optimally using the application systems CPU cycles or optionally off-loading the caching to an external system. The system and method of the present invention may employ a resource manager to monitor server usage and off-load the caching process to another dedicated system that may be currently under utilized, while making use of the time period between server response and the actual time the response is seen by the user (network time) and the user think time available for the server.
US07752202B2
Content that is appropriate according to a specification of client equipment is distributed without having to prepare content of a plurality of formats. When a data list request is received from a client, a server sets a content URL and conversion identification information indicating that the content is original content for content that does not require data conversion. In the case of content for which data conversion is necessary, a virtual URL embedded with data conversion specifying information and conversion identification information indicating the necessity of conversion are set the URL and returned to the client. The server then receives the URL from the client for analysis. If there is no data conversion specifying information, the content is transmitted as it. If data conversion specifying information is embedded, the content is sent to the client after data conversion in accordance with the data conversion specifying information.
US07752201B2
Recommendation of related assets based on user search behavior is provided. Relevance classifications assigned to search results in association with search strings that produced the search results may be used for providing a list of one or more searchable assets that may be relevant to a given search query. All pairings of two acceptable assets contained in a given search session may be marked as “See Also” candidates. If a given pairing appears in a search session more than a configurable threshold, the assets in the pairing may be established as “See Also” relationships. Subsequently, when a user conducts a search that produces a search result that is a member of a pairing established as a “See Also” relationship, the other asset in the pairing may be recommended to the searching user within the destination search result page after the user selects the search result for viewing.
US07752200B2
A method and system for identifying search terms for placing advertisements along with search results is provided. The advertisement system selects a description of an item that is to be advertised. The advertisement system then retrieves documents that match the selected description. The advertisement system generates a score for each word of the retrieved documents that indicates relatedness of the word to the item to be advertised. After generating the scores for the words, the advertisement system identifies phrases of the words within the documents that are related to the item. The advertisement system then generates search terms for the item to be advertised from the identified phrases. The advertisement system submits the search terms and an advertisement to a search engines service for placement of a paid-for advertisement for the item.
US07752194B2
A method and apparatus for maintaining a revision history in a Light Weight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) repository. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a query for a version of an attribute associated with an LDAP entry. The method further includes returning a value for the version of the attribute in response to the query.
US07752180B1
A network storage filer implements a four-phase commit protocol to coordinate consistency points among a group of volumes (a “group consistency point”) such that, upon recovery, all volumes of the group reflect consistency points taken at the same time. The filer records progress at each phase while creating the consistency points of the volumes. Upon recovery, the same or a different filer uses the last recorded progress indicator to ascertain whether the consistency points were completed on all of the volumes in the group. If all the volume consistency points of the group consistency point were completed, the filer users the volume consistency points to mount the volumes. Otherwise, the filer uses an earlier group consistency point to mount the volumes. In either ease, the volumes are consistent with each other.
US07752174B2
A computer server system may include a plurality of database modules for storing user data for a plurality of users, and at least one processing module comprising a plurality of processing threads for processing jobs for users based upon respective user data. The computer server system may further include a database pool module connected between the plurality of database modules and the at least one processing module. The database pool module may be for selectively connecting the processing threads to corresponding database modules including respective user data for jobs to be processed, and determining when a database module becomes unresponsive and terminating processing thread connections to the unresponsive database module based thereon. The database pool module may also be for determining when the unresponsive database module becomes responsive and restoring processing thread connectivity thereto based thereon.
US07752164B2
A database system that incorporates numerous features that reduce the total cost of maintaining the database system is provided. The database system includes a database appliance that executes a database server on a platform that includes a special purpose operating system specifically tailored to the services required by the database server. The hardware may also be specially tailored to the services required by the database server. The database sever may be generated from another database server by modifying the code of the other database server optimize the code for execution on said database appliance. According to another aspect, the database appliance includes an operating system and a database server generated from another database server by modifying the code of the other database server optimize the code for execution on said database appliance.
US07752161B2
An access management system includes an access administration apparatus which permits access to a database when the access request satisfies an access permission condition, and a policy determination apparatus which determines whether the access permission condition is satisfied by the access request; in which the access administration apparatus stores decision information containing a decision as to whether the access permission condition is satisfied, determines that the access request satisfies the access permission condition if the decision information has a predetermined inclusion relation with the access request, receives a decision as to whether the access permission condition is satisfied by the access request from the policy determination apparatus if it is determined that the decision information does not have the inclusion relation with the access request, and permits access to the database if it is determined that the access request satisfies the access permission condition.
US07752157B2
A workflow management system with continuous status management includes an apparatus for detecting fuzzy process definitions, an apparatus which controls activity stages in a workflow for the purpose of processing the process definitions, and a device for evaluating the process definitions for each process instance. A method is for implementing a workflow with continuous status management through fuzzy process definitions using continuous instructions and states and logic combinations or continuous mapping operations operating thereon.
US07752155B2
The present invention relates to a system and computer-readable medium for storing a plurality of multi-field classification rules in a computer system. Each multi-field classification rule includes a rule specification that itself includes a plurality of fields and a plurality of field definitions corresponding to the fields. The method of the present invention includes providing a virtual rule table, where the table stores a plurality of field definitions, and for each of the plurality of multi-field classification rules, compressing the rule specification by replacing at least one field definition with an associated index into the virtual rule table. The method also includes storing each of the compressed rule specifications and the virtual rule table in a shared segment of memory.
US07752152B2
A system and method for prediction of a user goal for command/control of a personal device (e.g., mobile phone) is provided. The system employs statistical model(s) that can predict a command based, at least in part, on past user behavior (e.g., probability distribution over a set of predicates, and, optionally arguments). Further, the system can be employed with a speech recognition component to facilitate language modeling for predicting the user goal.The system can include predictive user models (e.g., predicate model and argument model) that receive a user input (e.g., utterance) and employ statistical modeling to determine the likely command without regard to the actual content of the input (e.g., utterance). The system employs features for predicting the next user goal which can be stored in a user data store. Features can capture personal idiosyncrasies or systematic patterns of usage (e.g., device-related, time-related, predicate-related, contact-specific and/or periodic features).
US07752146B2
System and method for integrating multiple customer ordering channels into a single service queue to obtain goods or services from a provider includes enabling customers to request service for goods or services from the provider using multiple ordering channels, and arranging the service requests placed using the ordering channels in a single service queue based on the time at which each is placed regardless of the ordering channel used. The ordering channels may include one or more ticket dispensers which dispenses tickets having the next number in the service queue to waiting customers, one or more computerized ordering systems which enable ordering of goods or services from the provider via a computer or other processing device, and combinations thereof.
US07752134B2
A hybrid credit card transaction system that processes transactions as either virtual standard transactions directed through a clearinghouse or as virtual closed loop transactions bypassing the clearinghouse, is disclosed. The system includes a logic enabled merchant that detects virtual closed loop transactions and directs them to an affiliated acquiring entity which acquires the virtual closed loop transactions and routes them directly to an affiliated card issuing entity so as to bypass the clearinghouse. The affiliated card issuing entity debits virtual standard transactions to a credit card account and virtual closed loop transactions to a private label account. The logic enabled merchant, associated acquiring entity and the associated card entity may be affiliated by participation in an Internet site that promotes transactions between small businesses and merchants selling wholesale goods. A reduction in processing fees accrued when bypassing the clearinghouse promotes issuance and use of the hybrid credit cards.
US07752130B2
Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide real-time customer profile and billing information in an IBPP environment. Specifically, in a bill presentment and payment system with a scheduled time to communicate billing information with a set of billers, customer registration information, including identification information, is received. A request, including the customer identification information, is provided to a biller, outside of the scheduled time for communication. The customer is thus permitted access to the billing information at an unscheduled time.
US07752128B2
The present invention discloses a charging network, including: a service unit, a charging system and a charging agent apparatus; the charging agent apparatus is responsible for connecting the service unit and the charging system, receiving a charging event sent from a service unit, determining a corresponding charging system and generating a charging request according to the information carried in the charging event, and sending the generated charging request to the corresponding charging system. Also, a charging agent apparatus and a charging method are provided by this invention. The charging agent apparatus is added into the charging network, responsible for interacting with service units and charging systems, thus reducing the complexity of the service units as well as the charging network.
US07752124B2
An automated system and method for reviewing and assessing compliance with legal compliance requirements for loan applications. Loan application data is extracted from client loan origination systems and transmitted as a loan information file over a secure communication network to an automated compliance assessment system server where the loan information file is audited for compliance with Federal, state, and local legal compliance requirements. The loan information file is reviewed for legal compliance requirements imposed by Federal, State, and local jurisdictions, as well as licensing requirements that the client loan company and related personnel must satisfy. The results of the audit process are transmitted over a secure communication network to the client loan company, with areas of noncompliance indicated. The automated compliance assessment system server also stores rules data derived from legal compliance requirements, license data derived from regulatory requirements, system setup data and supplemental system application data.
US07752111B2
This invention relates to hedge fund indexing in general and methods and systems for constructing and maintaining investable hedge fund indices in particular.
US07752107B1
A method, program product and system for managing a group of aggregated accounts, each aggregated account held in a different one of a plurality of deposit institutions, each of the aggregated accounts associated with at least one financial entity and holding funds of a plurality of clients of the at least one financial entity, each of the clients having a client asset balance in a respective client account associated with the at least one financial entity, the method comprising: (1) allocating fund deposits to and fund withdrawals from the aggregated accounts, the step of allocating comprising: (a) calculating an aggregated transaction amount based on a total net transaction from among the plurality of the client accounts during a period of time; (b) selecting at least one aggregated account from among the group of aggregated accounts associated with the at least one of the financial entities in the different deposit institutions to which to deposit or to withdraw funds based, at least in part, on determining a relationship between a respective amount of net assets in the at least one of the aggregated accounts and a minimum cap or a maximum cap; and (2) withdrawing funds from or depositing funds to the at least one of the aggregated accounts based on the allocation.
US07752106B1
A weather-based financial index is based at least in part on weather. The index may take into account any of a variety of weather factors, such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, number of sunny or overcast days in a period of time, number of freeze days in a period of time, etc. Weather factor value(s) are combined with one or more financial components to provide the weather-based financial index. The index may be traded on an exchange, such as the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). The value of the index may be calculated based on any period or on any geography (or combination of geographies). Historical values of the index or component(s) thereof may be used to predict future values of the index. Values of the index may provide insight into the direction of a component of the index, a market or industry corresponding to the component, or the index itself.
US07752104B2
Financial instruments are disclosed. The financial instruments include one or more securities and one or more rights for investors to purchase credit. Methods and other applications are also disclosed.
US07752102B2
The system encourages users to not only pay themselves first, but to pay themselves first in the largest amounts possible, even if they are not able to fully pay outstanding debts. In general, the system obtains information related to the user's income, income sources, user's debts (e.g., bills) and user's goals. The system then provides recommendations related to the prioritization of paying certain bills and the amount to pay for each bill based upon, for example, savings goals, minimum amounts due, due dates and available income. The system and/or the user may then determine a payment hierarchy which includes transferring funds to the user's savings account prior to paying all or a portion of certain bills.
US07752100B1
A Life-Time Value system is a data-driven computer-facilitated financial model that provides accurate and consistent profitability projections using current period account level profitability data stored in a Relational Database Management System. The Life-Time Value system performs Net Present Value and Future Value calculations using accounts, amounts and rates retrieved from the Relational Database Management System by a Selector function using selection criteria specified by one or more rules. The results from the Net Present Value and Future Value calculations are integrated to provide a Life-Time Value of one or more customers.
US07752099B2
A factor risk model based method for generating risk forecasts. In one embodiment, the method includes: selecting a set of securities; selecting a set of risk factors; determining the risk factor returns; constructing a risk factor covariance matrix; constructing an idiosyncratic variance matrix; determining, for each risk factor, a factor loading coefficient for each selected security; projecting the risk factor covariance matrix into a future forecast; and projecting the idiosyncratic variance matrix into a future forecast. The factor loading coefficients, the future forecast of the risk factor covariance matrix, and the future forecast of the idiosyncratic variance matrix can be used to determine a forecast of the variance-covariance matrix for the selected securities. In some embodiments, the step of estimating factor loadings includes performing a time series regression to obtain the sensitivity of each stocks' return to variations in the factor's return.
US07752094B2
A data processing system provides a tax scorecard that displays one or more scorecard windows dedicated to a specific tax perspective. Each tax perspective may have at least one corresponding tax objective, and each tax objective may have at least one corresponding tax key performance indicator. The tax perspectives may be directed toward gathering, monitoring, and analyzing tax data, financial data, and employee opinion data and monitoring business processes. Each scorecard may include drill down capability from a top level analysis to more detailed information related to a tax perspective, objective, or key performance indicator. The key performance indicators may be directed toward monitoring effective tax rates, tax budgets, income before taxes, rating agency liquidity ratios, active or completed business processes, documents contributed or accessed, cross-functional collaboration, allocation of time, communication, performance feedback, professional growth, or other data.
US07752092B1
System and method for accessing and displaying previous financial return information in financial return preparation programs. For example, historical tax return information for a taxable entity may be used in the preparation of a current tax return, and some of this information or data may be transferred into a current tax return electronic document, or used in the calculation of a value for a field in a current tax return document. Embodiments may provide a mechanism that enables the preparer to “jump” from a current financial return electronic document, or field on a current electronic document, that is being prepared using a current program to an electronic document prepared using a previous program, and that thus allows the preparer to directly view the source of transferred information or data. Embodiments may thus allow the preparer to identify the specific sources of transferred data or information.
US07752082B2
The embodiments of the present system include a review engine that is connected to support modules and databases that receive, store, and retrieve reviews, based upon the subject and the users' relationship to the authors of the reviews. The review engine comprises a social network engine, a rate and rank engine, a credentials engine and a privacy engine. These engines allow reviews to be sorted, filtered and ordered in terms of relevance when presented to the user. Numerous methods are also provided by the system that receive, store and retrieve reviews.
US07752081B2
The embodiments of the present system include a review engine that is connected to support modules and databases that receive, store, and retrieve reviews, based upon the subject and the users' relationship to the authors of the reviews. The review engine comprises a social network engine, a rate and rank engine, a credentials engine and a privacy engine. These engines allow reviews to be sorted, filtered and ordered in terms of relevance when presented to the user. Numerous methods are also provided by the system that receive, store and retrieve reviews.
US07752078B2
Each user terminal apparatus is connected with a service business enterprise system by a connection business enterprise system in a state that a live image can mutually be transmitted through the service business enterprise system. An user beforehand sets its live image to be appropriately utilized as an advertisement medium, and chooses selling goods to be advertised. A live image transmitted from the user terminal apparatus of the user who performed the aforesaid setting receives a superposed image, for example, by the superposing the T shirt of the user or the like with the image signal of the selling goods as the advertisement object in the service business enterprise system, and then the processed live image signal is transmitted to the user terminal apparatus of a communication companion. When the communication companion clicks this image signal, the user terminal apparatus of the communication companion is further connected with the sponsor system of the selling goods, and can receive a further explanation of the selling goods and can perform the transactions of the selling goods.
US07752077B2
An automated method and system for providing an item comparison includes identifying a first item and a set of one or more other items for comparison with the first item, prioritizing attributes of the first item and the other items, and providing the item comparison with prioritized attributes to a user. Identifying comparable items may involve a multiple step process in which a candidate set of items is first selected for possible comparison with the first item, and thereafter selecting one or more items from the candidate set for comparison. Prioritizing the attributes of the items may include measuring like attributes of the items against each other and arranging the attributes to appear in an order according to the degree the like attributes distinguish the items from each other. A modified item comparison may be prepared and provided in accordance with user feedback.
US07752072B2
Methods and systems for providing advertising content over the Internet through a hierarchical content-specific node structure and pricing advertising delivery over each node independently. Independent delivery and pricing allows an advertiser to pay more for advertisements delivered to a narrowly targeted audience likely to be interested in the goods or services offered by the advertising entity and to pay less for advertisements directed at a more general audience who may or may not have an interest in the goods or services offered. The less content specific the node is, the less targeted the advertisement will be, and therefore, the less valuable the advertisement will be to the advertising entity. Targeted advertising to multiple levels of content specific nodes is enabled.
US07752066B2
Techniques are disclosed for scheduling meetings by exploiting information of the type used with electronic calendars. By leveraging advanced calendaring system information and using location, other context information such as corporate policy, legal constraints, and technology constraints, and/or user-specific preferences to provide a complete picture of a person's availability, the functionality (and therefore the value) of scheduling systems in increased, resulting in an ability to schedule meetings with more accuracy and less rework. Various allowable participation types for meeting invitees may be specified, and each invitee's availability is determined accordingly. Location-sensitive travel times (including optional user-specific travel time adjustments) are used in preferred embodiments when in-person participation is required.
US07752060B2
An Internet-based system involves a database and search capabilities for connecting patients with healthcare providers, e.g., physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, treatment facilities, etc., and further enables such providers to reach patients with whom they may not otherwise come into contact. A patient may access the healthcare provider information through a search conducted using a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, etc. Alternatively, a patient may access the company Web site's predetermined Web page that provides search capabilities on its database. A patient may research a healthcare provider based on criteria specified by the patient. Information provided to the patient may be in the form of a report, profile, ratings, etc., including patient-provided information, physician-verified information, and information verified by an independent third party. The verified information and ratings provided by the Web site enable patients to differentiate among healthcare providers and thereby select the provider that best meets their individual needs.
US07752058B2
A portable terminal carried and owned by each user is provided with a display screen, a communication unit, a memory storing personal information about each user, and an input/output device such as an inhaler. A database that communicates with each portable terminal is provided with a personal information storage unit storing the personal information about each user carrying the portable terminal, a medical information storage unit storing information about a medical facility, a drugstore, a medicine, and the input/output device, and a communication unit for communicating with each portable terminal. In the database, the user of the portable terminal is identified by collating the part of the information transmitted from the communication unit with information stored in the personal information storage unit. When a specific signal is transmitted from the communication unit, communication is performed with a medical facility while information, of the information stored in the medicine information storage unit, which is necessary for the user is provided for the portable terminal as an emergency measure. This makes it possible to properly and quickly handle an emergency.
US07752051B2
A dialog supporting apparatus is provided which can support an on-going dialog so that the dialog is smoothly completed irrespective of the other party in the dialog. The dialog supporting apparatus includes utterance receiving units which receive the utterances of the dialog participants and output utterance information for identifying an utterance. Moreover, the dialog supporting apparatus includes utterance outputting units which output the utterance information from the other participant in the dialog as an utterance, and an utterance processing unit which transforms the utterance identified by the utterance information into an other utterance form. Furthermore, the dialog supporting apparatus includes a dialog history selection unit which selects an optimum dialog history in a dialog history database and an utterance prediction unit which predicts utterances in the dialog based on the selected dialog history.
US07752046B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for providing a spoken dialog system using meta-data to build language models to improve speech processing. Meta-data is generally defined as data outside received speech; for example, meta-data may be a customer profile having a name, address and purchase history of a caller to a spoken dialog system. The method comprises building tree clusters from meta-data and estimating a language model using the built tree clusters. The language model may be used by various modules in the spoken dialog system, such as the automatic speech recognition module and/or the dialog management module. Building the tree clusters from the meta-data may involve generating projections from the meta-data and further may comprise computing counts as a result of unigram tree clustering and then building both unigram trees and higher-order trees from the meta-data as well as computing node distances within the built trees that are used for estimating the language model.
US07752044B2
To increase the robustness and/or the recognition rate of methods for recognizing speech it is proposed to include phone boundary verification measure features in the process of obtaining and/or generating confidence measures obtained recognition results.
US07752038B2
Autocorrelation values are determined as a basis for an estimation of a pitch lag in a segment of an audio signal. A first considered delay range for the autocorrelation computations is divided into a first set of sections, and first autocorrelation values are determined for delays in a plurality of sections of this first set of sections. A second considered delay range for the autocorrelation computations is divided into a second set of sections such that sections of the first set and sections of the second set are overlapping. Second autocorrelation values are determined for delays in a plurality of sections of this second set of sections.
US07752032B2
A Japanese-to-Chinese machine translation apparatus includes, a translation dictionary memory that stores a Japanese-to-Chinese translation dictionary; a thesaurus memory that stores a Japanese thesaurus; a translation dictionary searching unit that searches the Japanese-to-Chinese translation dictionary for a Chinese word associated with an input Japanese word; a thesaurus searching unit that searches the Japanese thesaurus for the synonym associated the input Japanese word when plural Chinese words are hit as a result of search, a similarity calculating unit that calculates a degree of similarity between the synonym and the plural Chinese words for each Chinese word, and a translation selecting unit that selects a Chinese word with a highest degree of similarity as a translation of the input Japanese word.
US07752017B1
A system and method for simulating resource allocation, where the allocation strategies which can be simulated include those of prior art but also include a large class of important allocation strategies that are not possible or not easy to simulate using prior art techniques and systems is described. A location limiting allocation strategy is also described. This strategy supports resource capacity schedules and request priorities as supported by prior art, but simultaneously supports the enforcement of allocation limits applied to a property expressed in the allocation request, namely the location of the work to be performed, or a location, resource pair to perform the work.
US07752016B2
A system includes a monitoring system that provides at least one signal as a function of at least some data provided on a bus. A measure of performance for the at least some data is adjusted based on the at least one signal. An analysis system is operative to perform logic analysis of the data on the bus as a function of the at least one signal.
US07752010B2
There is provided a distance measuring apparatus having system flexibility by varying a distance measuring range and a distance measuring resolution according to an environment and circumstance. The apparatus includes a reference pulse generator and a delay pulse generator capable of controlling frequencies of a reference pulse and a delay pulse and duty ratios of the reference pulse and the delay pulse. The reference pulse generator and the delay pulse generator include a programmable clock generation unit generating a clock of a frequency determined by a frequency control signal and a duty ratio control unit controlling a duty ratio of the clock generated by the programmable clock generation unit.
US07752006B2
Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention may include, for example, devices, systems and methods of performing functional verification of a hardware design. In some demonstrative embodiments, a test generator may include a transaction generator to automatically generate a plurality of manipulated transactions by manipulating one or more test case transactions resulting from a constraint-satisfaction-problem.
US07752004B1
A system on a circuit board includes a plurality of devices designed to access an electronic system on the circuit board, and a programmable logic device (PLD) connected to the plurality of devices. Each of the plurality of devices complies with a test port architecture. The PLD interfaces the plurality of devices with a test port. The PLD is capable of configuring different connectivity among the plurality of devices based on the program implemented and the assertion of input control signals. A method and apparatus configures a plurality of devices on a circuit board into a desired configuration using the PLD. The configuration includes (a) receiving a control signal at the PLD, (b) configuring at least one of the plurality of devices into a chain based on the control signal, and (c) coupling the configured chain to the test port via the PLD.
US07752003B2
A coordinate measuring machine compensates for hysteresis error caused by friction at the non-driven end of the bridge. The bridge may have a single drive and/or a single scale. The methods, systems, and apparatuses compensate for errors in the x-direction and/or errors in the y-direction caused by rotation of the bridge. Some embodiments compensate for hysteresis errors in the x-direction caused by a vertically-movable ram.
US07751985B2
The present invention relates to a process for controllably producing silk particles including the steps of designing a particle size, setting parameters to create the particle size except one unknown parameter, calculating the unknown parameter using algorithm, dissolving a silk peptide in a solvent, adding a cleavage agent, and hydrolyzing the peptide to produce the particle in the desired size.
US07751982B2
Methods for designing an oligonucleotide sequence having a selected duplex stability are provided wherein the oligonucleotide portion comprises at least one modified base selected from universal bases, unsubstituted and 3-substituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines and 5-substituted pyrimidines, and optionally having attached minor groove binders and reporter groups.
US07751981B2
The invention provides an in silico model for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function. The model includes a data structure relating a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactants to a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, a constraint set for the plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, and commands for determining a distribution of flux through the reactions that is predictive of a S. cerevisiae physiological function. A model of the invention can further include a gene database containing information characterizing the associated gene or genes. The invention further provides methods for making an in silico S. cerevisiae model and methods for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function using a model of the invention.
US07751970B2
To safely and easily provide information that an operator needs, when a mobile body has started to move, a first acquiring unit and a second acquiring unit respectively acquire corresponding image information. Using the acquired image information and map information, an extracting unit extracts map information identical to the image information of the scenery around the mobile body. A selecting unit selects, from the extracted map information, an object that coincides with the position of the point viewed by the operator in the image information of the scenery around the mobile body. An output unit outputs information concerning the selected object.
US07751966B2
In an abnormality diagnostic device and an abnormality diagnostic device for an air-fuel ratio sensor that detects the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, a system extending from a fuel injection valve to the air-fuel ratio sensor is model by a first order response delay, and a parameter in the first order response delay is identified based on an input air-fuel ratio that is given to the air-fuel ratio sensor and an output air-fuel ratio that is output from the air-fuel ratio sensor. Then, the presence/absence of abnormality regarding a predetermined characteristic of the air-fuel ratio sensor is determined based on the parameter identified. Thus, abnormality is diagnosed regarding individual characteristics of the air-fuel ratio sensor.
US07751951B2
A method for checking takeoff or landing parameters of an aircraft including a step of determining takeoff or landing parameters on the basis of a series of input conditions. The method includes steps of calculating regulatory data on the basis of determined takeoff or landing parameters; and of comparing the calculated regulatory data with predefined threshold values, with a view to establishing whether the determined takeoff or landing parameters are valid or invalid.
US07751946B2
In a remote control system, the remote control of a vehicle function is executed. The remote control system includes a control terminal and a cancellation device. The control terminal transmits a request for the remote control of the vehicle function to a vehicle. The cancellation device cancels the remote control of the vehicle function if the local control of the vehicle function is requested before the remote control of the vehicle function is executed according to the request for the remote control.
US07751945B2
In a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system, when moving image information is transmitted between vehicles, a delay time acquisition unit determines a delay time that occurs when the moving image information is transmitted from a first vehicle to a second vehicle, and an applicability determination unit determines whether the moving image information transmitted with such a delay time is applicable to an application program running on an in-vehicle apparatus installed in the second vehicle. This makes it possible to transmit only moving image information which is usable by the in-vehicle apparatus.
US07751944B2
Context-aware systems and methods, location-aware systems and methods, context-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same, and location-aware vehicles and methods of operating the same are described. In various embodiments, a context or location service module, implemented in software, determines a vehicle context or a vehicle location based upon information that it receives from various context providers or location providers respectively. Software executing on a vehicle's computer can then cause one or more applications that are associated with a vehicle computer to be modified in a manner that changes their behavior. The behavior modification is based on the current context or location of the vehicle and thus provides a context-specific or location-specific user experience. The context or location can be ascertained through the use of one or more hierarchical tree structures that comprises individual nodes. Each node is associated with a context or location. The nodes are traversable by the vehicle's software to ascertain a more complete context or location.
US07751940B2
A control method for a robot cleaner that includes: driving a driving part to move the robot cleaner by a predetermined distance in an opposite direction to a proceeding direction thereof when a bumper sensor detects a collision with an obstacle, measuring the number of times in which the robot cleaner repeats moving in real-time, comparing the measured number with a predetermined reference number, and stopping the robot cleaner when the measured number is more than the reference number. With this method, the robot cleaner can diagnose a breakdown of the bumper sensor to stop the cleaner, and inform a user of the breakdown.
US07751928B1
A method and system for agent exchange-based materials handling. According to one embodiment, a method of agent exchange-based order fulfillment may include a number of agents moving along respective paths through an inventory storage area of a materials handling facility. While moving through the inventory storage area, a portion of the number of agents may respectively select one or more of a number of items stored within the inventory storage area, where each one of the selected items is specified in a corresponding customer order or materials request. The method may also include conveying the selected items to one or more corresponding processing areas of the materials handling facility in order to fulfill the corresponding customer orders. Further, at least some of the selected items may be exchanged one or more times among the agents in the course of being conveyed to corresponding processing areas.
US07751915B2
For a level correction in a wave field synthesis system having a wave field synthesis module and an array of loudspeakers for providing sound to a presentation region, a correction value which is based on a set amplitude state in a presentation region is determined, the set amplitude state depending on a position of the virtual source or a type of the virtual source, and the actual amplitude state in the presentation region depending on the component signals for the loudspeakers due to the virtual source. The correction value determined is fed to a manipulator manipulating the audio signal associated to the virtual source before feeding to the wave field synthesis module, or the component signals for the individual loudspeakers due to the virtual source are manipulated to reduce a deviation between a set amplitude state and an actual amplitude state at one point or several in the presentation region.
US07751913B2
The present invention provides a method and system for reducing power consumption of a sound processor. Aspects of the invention include providing a sound processor access to at least one register having a plurality of bits corresponding to sound operations capable of being performed by the sound processor; and allowing a host processor to write a value to at least a portion of the plurality of bits in the register during sound processing to selectively disable individual operations performed by the sound processor.
US07751909B2
A system. method and program product that utilizes running profiles and trend groups to analyze streams of event data in real time. A system is provided having a group profile processing system for generating a running group profile from a plurality of data event values, wherein each of the plurality of data event values is obtained from an associated one of the plurality of data streams; an event normalization system for normalizing each of the plurality of data event values based on the running group profile to generate a normalized data event value for the data event values obtained from each of the plurality of data streams; an event profile processing system for generating a running event profile for each normalized data event value; and an analysis system that evaluates each data stream by comparing a normalized data event value with an associated running event profile.
US07751903B2
Decoupling circuits are provided which transfer energy induced from an MRI pulsed RF field to an energy dissipating surface. This is accomplished through broadband filtering or by resonant filtering. In a passive component network for an implantable leadwire of an active implantable medical device, a frequency selective energy diversion circuit is provided for diverting high-frequency energy away from a leadwire electrode to a point or an area spaced from the electrode, for dissipation of high-frequency energy.
US07751899B1
A push-pull amplifier efficiency provides a 4:1 (12 dB) course adjustment of power output by using a single digital control input. The amplifier is provided with an input voltage (VDD) having sixteen steps ranging from 1.25 volts to 3.00 volts. Based on the digital control, an integrated circuit switches between a high power mode and a low power mode. In the low power mode, the output voltage is equivalent to the input voltage. In the high power mode, the amplifier provides an output of twice the input voltage (or four times the power).
US07751897B2
One disclosed embodiment of the present invention is a medical device having an electronic assembly and battery contained within a housing. Sealed in the housing is a heat absorption medium for regulating the temperature of the medial device, wherein said heat absorption medium undergoes a state change at a state change temperature of 36° Celsius or greater.
US07751896B2
An active retina implant has a multiplicity of pixel elements that convert incident light into electric stimulation signals for cells of the retina with which stimulation electrodes are to make contact. Each pixel element is provided with at least one image cell that converts incident light into electric signals, there being provided at least one amplifier whose input is connected to the image cell and whose output is connected to at least one stimulation electrode to which it supplies a stimulation signal. Also provided is an energy supply which provides externally coupled external energy as supply voltage for the image cells and the amplifiers. The image cell has a logarithmic characteristic according to which incident light of specific intensity is converted into electric signals of specific amplitude. The stimulation signal is supplied in the form of analog voltage pulses of specific pulse length and pulse spacings, the pulse amplitude being a function of the intensity of the incident light.
US07751885B2
Methods of medically treating a patient by the use of anti-bradycardia pacing using a totally subcutaneous, non-transvenous system. Some examples include the application of pacing pulses to a patient at a pacing rate that is above a predetermined level. One example of a totally subcutaneous, non-transvenous system includes a capacitor subsystem for storing the anti-bradycardia pacing energy for delivery to the patient's heart; and a battery subsystem electrically coupled to the capacitor subsystem for providing the anti-bradycardia pacing energy to the capacitor subsystem.
US07751880B1
A shielded electrode assembly for sensing electrical signals within a nerve is disclosed. The assembly comprises a generally tubular, electrically insulating shield body, which may be reversibly secured to the nerve. An electrically conducting mesh is positioned on at least a portion of an outer surface of the shield body, defining a region of the assembly within which external electromagnetic radiation is significantly attenuated. The conducting mesh is formed by photolithography, providing substantially precise control over the mesh aperture and thus the frequency of radiation which is shielded. A plurality of electrodes are placed within the shielded region and configured so as to contact the nerve. This design allows the electrodes to sense nerve signals within an environment which is at least partially shielded from electromagnetic radiation, facilitating nerve sensing with reduced need for filtering or signal processing.
US07751870B2
A surgical imaging device and method configured to be inserted into a surgical site. The surgical imaging device includes a plurality of prongs. Each one of the prongs has an image sensor mounted thereon. The image sensors provide different image data corresponding to the surgical site, thus enabling a surgeon to view a surgical site from several different angles. The prongs may be moveable between a first position, suitable for insertion though a small surgical incision, and a second position, in which the prongs are separated from each other. In addition, the prongs may be bendable.
US07751868B2
The invention comprises an integrated skin-mountable multifunction device for use with a computer assisted or image guided surgical system and methods of using the same, wherein the multifunction device includes a patient mountable portion that has at least one position indicating element and at least one imageable pattern whose geometry is known in a coordinate system of the at least one position indicating element, wherein the imageable pattern is visible on an imaging modality. The multifunction device may also include a monitoring device capable of measuring a physiological parameter of a patient for use in gating image or position signals or for other purposes.
US07751865B2
A surgical navigation system for navigating a region of a patient that may include a non-invasive dynamic reference frame and/or fiducial marker, sensor tipped instruments, and isolator circuits. The dynamic reference frame may be placed on the patient in a precise location for guiding the instruments. The dynamic reference frames may be fixedly placed on the patient. Also the dynamic reference frames may be placed to allow generally natural movements of soft tissue relative to the dynamic reference frames. Also methods are provided to determine positions of the dynamic reference frames. Anatomical landmarks may be determined intra-operatively and without access to the anatomical structure.
US07751864B2
A method of operating an electrochemical analyte sensor having one or more electrodes may comprise applying a time-varying input signal to at least one of the one or more electrodes, monitoring a time-varying output signal produced by the sensor in response to application of the time-varying input signal, determining a complex impedance of the sensor based on the time-varying input and output signals, and determining from the complex impedance information relating to operation of the sensor.
US07751861B2
The portable telephone has an optical signal transmission section 100 for performing signal transmission between a first casing 101 and a second casing 102 by optical signals. A need for any complex electromagnetic shield structure can be eliminated. There is no occurrence of electromagnetic-wave noise from an optical signal transmission section 100. Thus, electromagnetic-wave noise of the whole portable telephone can be extremely reduced.
US07751859B2
A plurality of operation portions are arranged at a surface on a sub-display side of a cellular phone with a camera so that various kinds of setting, selection and control can be performed without opening the cellular phone in its folded state, and the cellular phone can achieve improved operability and convenience. Cellular phone includes a first display portion at a surface of a first body opposed to a second body in the folded state, and includes a second display portion, an image taking portion and a plurality of operation portions arranged at a rear surface of the first body remote from the first display portion.
US07751857B2
A device for measuring voltage levels includes a root mean square (RMS) detector. The RMS detector includes a linear multiplier, a log converter, a low-pass filter and a temperature compensator. The linear multiplier multiplies a voltage of an input signal by the voltage of the input signal. The low-pass filter couples to an output of the linear multiplier. The log converter generates a logarithmic signal having a voltage that is logarithmically related to a voltage of an output of the low-pass filter. The temperature compensator adjusts the logarithmic signal based on a temperature of the RMS detector. The RMS detector is capable of determine an RMS voltage level of the input signal.
US07751845B2
An AA communication method using an AA communication device including a plurality of AA communication units includes: receiving a signal transmitted from a receiving terminal in each AA communication unit of UN-A and UN-BF, and measuring a receive level of the signal transmitted from the receiving terminal for each communication unit; calculating a transmit weight vector based on received signals corresponding to the signal transmitted from the receiving terminal for each AA communication unit; calculating a received power based on a measured value of the receive level and the transmit weight vector for each AA communication unit; comparing the received powers of the AA communication units, and, to match the received powers to the received power of the unit having a lowest received power, making a downward correction of an amplitude of the transmit weight vector for each of the other communication units; and transmitting a signal using the transmit weight vector after the correction by each communication unit.
US07751844B2
A radio transmission rate determining part (21) of a radio base station (2), when receiving transmission data transmitted from a base station control apparatus (1), determines a radio transmission rate in accordance with transmission data size and produces rate information. A transmission power changing part (22) decides the change amount of transmission power from the transmission data size received by the radio transmission rate determining part (21) and from an error correction gain difference determined in accordance with the transmission data size. A transmission frame producing part (23) encodes the transmission data into a transmission frame. A transmission part (249 transmits the transmission frame and rate information in accordance with the transmission power decided by the transmission power changing part (22).
US07751843B2
Techniques for reducing interference with a multiple format channel in a communication system are disclosed. In one aspect, a minimum power level is determined for each format transmitted during a transmission interval. The minumum power level for formats that will experience the interference are increased to compensate. The power level selected for transmission during the transmission interval is the most stringent of the minimum power levels. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of mitigating the effects of a known interfering signal, while avoiding unnecessarily increasing transmit power, thus reducing the interference to other users and increasing system capacity.
US07751838B2
A mobile station for operating in a broadcast-centric cellular communication system. The system improves broadcast channel performance by exploiting the benefits of macro-diversity in a cellular communication system having a plurality of base stations that transmit signals within a plurality of associated cells. System-specific control information common to all cells is synchronously and simultaneously broadcast from multiple base stations using a broadcast channel that is identical across the entire system. Cell-specific control information is transmitted individually from each base station. The mobile station uses the broadcast information for initial synchronization to the system, and to obtain most relevant system information. After system synchronization, the mobile station identifies the connected cell through a physical layer characteristic, and performs initial access to the system.
US07751823B2
A level of interference to a wireless receiver may be controlled by determining a set of frequencies to be assigned to a wireless transmitter, responsive to an activity factor associated with the wireless transmitter, other than a transmission power level of the wireless transmitter. The set of frequencies is then assigned to the wireless transmitter. Related systems, methods and devices are also described.
US07751821B2
A method for managing a point-to-point call initiated (702) between a wireless mobile station (114, 400) and a remote party while the mobile is receiving broadcast content via one or more multi-user forward-link broadcast channels (508). The mobile station notifies (704) the network (110) of preferences as to prescribed categories of operating conditions, such as whether to continue receiving the broadcast content, and election between the point-to-point call and the broadcast content should network resources be unable to conduct the point-to-point call and broadcast content concurrently. In accordance with the preferences, communications are conducted (706) in one of the following operating modes: (1) conducting the point-to-point call and discontinuing reception of the broadcast, (2) conducting the point-to-point call and continuing reception of the broadcast, (3) aborting completion of the point-to-point call and continuing reception of the broadcast.
US07751817B2
Scanning neighboring base stations in a wireless access system is provided. In one embodiment, a method of scanning neighboring base stations for assessing channel quality includes receiving from a serving base station information associated with at least one neighboring base station, and transmitting a scanning request message from a mobile subscriber station to the serving base station, wherein the scanning request message comprises a requested scan duration and a requested scan iteration, the requested scan iteration being associated with a requested number of iterations of the scanning of the at least one neighboring base station. The method also includes receiving a scanning response message from the serving base station, wherein the scanning response message comprises an allowed scan duration and an allowed scan iteration, the allowed scan iteration being associated with an allowed number of iterations of the scanning of the at least one neighboring base station.
US07751814B2
The handoff management system maximizes the communications capacity available from terrestrial air-to-ground cellular networks, while also integrating communications capabilities from satellite air-to-ground cellular networks and terrestrial cellular communications networks. The communications capacity is maximized by dynamically allocating communications from the aircraft over multiple communications channels to multiple cells of the terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, and to satellite air-to-ground cellular networks and terrestrial mobile networks. This approach effectively provides an increase in the call handling capacity available to any aircraft and permits a gradual transition of communications from one cell to the next cell, rather than requiring an abrupt handover of all traffic from the aircraft from one cell to the next cell.
US07751807B2
A hosted mobile management service is provided for enabling a user to access a centralized account through a web browser on a terminal in order to manage the user's media information, such as digital music and photos. Any modifications made by user through the web browser are transparently sent to the user's mobile device where a thin client application receives such modification information and interacts with the mobile device's file system to reconcile such modifications.
US07751806B1
Systems and methods for monitoring dispatch communications are provided. A console receives signaling and/or media streams for two or more dispatch talk groups. The console alternatively outputs the two or more media streams. In response to a suspension command, the console will continue to output the current media stream, until a suspension cancel command has been received. The console will skip to a next media stream, out of a group of media streams, in response to receipt of a next media stream command.
US07751799B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to a wireless network. A processor allows only data transmissions from the directions of the authorized users to access the network. Data transmissions from other directions are not allowed to access the network. The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus fore transmitting information only in selected directions, while in directions not selected, information cannot be inferred from the transmitted signal or signals.
US07751798B2
Method and computer-readable medium for managing billing for calls within a user's telecommunications campus. According to the method and computer-readable medium for managing billing for calls within a user's campus, users can make unlimited calls within the campus by determining whether a call from a user begins in a predetermined area of use; determining whether the user is on a predetermined list of users, if the call began in the predetermined area of use; assigning a first billing rate to the call, if the predetermined list of users includes the user; and assigning a second billing rate to the call, if the predetermined list of users does not include the user.
US07751796B2
An in-vehicle emergency report device starts an operation for an emergency report to transmit an emergency report signal to a service center. The operation is interrupted when a battery voltage decreases less than a given voltage. The operation is thereafter re-started when the battery voltage returns to the given voltage or more. This allows all procedures of the emergency report operation to be completed.
US07751787B2
A timing generator and methods thereof are provided. In a first example method, a timing control signal may be produced by generating a base clock signal and a higher delay resolution clock signal, a clock cycle of the higher delay resolution signal being less than a clock cycle of the base clock signal. A first control word output signal may be generated by synchronizing a control word with the base clock signal. A second control word output signal may be generated by synchronizing the first control word output signal with the higher delay resolution clock signal and generating at least one additional control word output signal based on the second control word output signal and the higher delay resolution clock signal, the first, second and at least one additional control word output signal each having different delay resolutions. In a second example method, a timing control signal may be produced by generating a plurality of control word output signals, each of the plurality of control word output signals having a different delay resolution and selecting one of the plurality of control word output signals based on a delay resolution of the selected control word output signal, the delay resolution of the selected control word output signal better suited for interaction with an external device than delay resolutions of other of the plurality of control word output signals. A timing generator may be configured to perform either of the above-described first and second example methods.
US07751776B2
Wireless communication device and method whereby, even in cases where relay stations that transmit control information to terminals and relay stations that do not transmit control information coexist in the same system, the terminals are prevented from interfering with one another's communications. A non-controlling relay station transmits only data, and not control information, to a terminal, and a controlling relay station transmits both data and control information to a terminal. The wireless communication device includes a transmission interval setter for setting, in a downlink subframe of a frame for communicating by wireless with terminals, the non-controlling relay station and the controlling relay station, an interval for transmitting data from the controlling relay station to the terminal communicating therewith.
US07751766B2
A fixing device includes a fixing member for heating a recording medium and fixing an image formed on the recording medium; a pressing member pressed against the fixing member for pressing the recording medium against the fixing member; a frame member for supporting the fixing member and the pressing member; a cover member for covering the frame member; and a discharging member for discharging static electricity accumulated on the recording medium. The discharging member is sandwiched and held between the cover member and the frame member.
US07751761B2
An image forming apparatus includes a belt disposed diagonally with respect to a horizontal direction of the image forming apparatus, and plural image forming units disposed along the belt. Each of the plural image forming units includes a photosensitive drum that faces at least the belt and an exposing device that forms a latent image on the photosensitive drum.
US07751754B2
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an electrophotographic photosensitive member provided with a substantially cylindrical body having outer circumference on which a photosensitive layer with a latent image forming area is formed, and a contact electrification means positioned substantially parallel to the axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. A nip width of a contact area between the photosensitive layer and the electrification means is larger at a middle portion than at end portions of the latent image forming area. Preferably, the nip width becomes larger gradually or stepwise as proceeding from the end portions to the middle portion of the latent image forming area.
US07751749B2
When a lever is pulled upwards, an engaging member comes into contact with a retracted contacting member. An optical writing device rotates with a hooking member at a center and is lifted. As a result, positions of a first reference position component and a second reference position component switches from a contacting position to a retracted position. When the lever is pulled downward, the engaging member separates from the retracted contacting member. The optical writing device rotates in a counter-clockwise direction with the hooking member as the center. As a result, the positions of the reference position components switch from the retracted position to the contacting position. The reference position components come into contact with positioning members.
US07751744B2
A development apparatus has a casing, a regulation plate, a smoky dust prevention sheet and a backup member which are fixed together onto the casing with a screw. The backup member sandwiches a fixed end portion of the smoky dust prevention sheet with the regulation plate. Therefore, the backup member suppresses detachment of the smoky dust prevention sheet from the regulation plate. Thus, the smoky dust prevention sheet is prevented from being detached from the regulation plate when the smoky dust prevention sheet is used in contact with a development roller in the state of being bended.
US07751743B2
A developer cartridge includes a developer roller, a support member and a first seal member. The developer roller has a rotational axis and a peripheral surface. The peripheral surface includes a center zone and an end zone at one end portion in an axial direction. The support member supports the developer roller to be rotatable about the rotational axis. The support member has an opposing surface opposed to the end zone. A protrusion protrudes from the opposing surface, and extends in a direction crossing with the axial direction. The first seal member is disposed between the end zone and the opposing surface in order to prevent developer from leaking out of a space formed between the end zone and the opposing surface.
US07751742B2
An image forming apparatus having a main body unit for forming an image on a recording medium, connectable to at least one post-processing unit for performing post-processing for the recording medium on which the image is formed, the image forming apparatus includes, a current value acquiring portion for acquiring at least one of a calculated value of a current and a measured value of the current as a value of the current flowing through the main body unit, and a control portion for selecting an operation mode from a plurality of operation modes each having a distinct value of current flowing through the main body unit.
US07751732B2
This invention has an object to process color balance adjustment at high speed in an image forming apparatus without depending on different feeding speeds for different printing materials. To accomplish this, an image forming apparatus of the invention detects color balances while a printing material on which toner patches are formed is fed on a second feeding path. Since images are formed on different types of printing materials at different feeding speeds, the image forming apparatus of the invention processes color balance adjustment at high speed without depending on the feeding speed at the time of image formation by switching the feeding speed on the feeding path.
US07751730B2
A black developer is conveyed in a first conveyance chamber in a rotation axis direction while agitating with rotation of a first screw member. A black-toner-concentration detecting sensor detects a toner concentration of the black developer by having contact with the black developer conveyed inside the first conveyance chamber. An average of peak amounts of a pressing force on the black developer, which is conveyed inside the first conveyance chamber by the first screw member, with respect to the black toner-concentration detecting sensor is set within a range of 9.8 15 [N/m2] to 9.8 100 [N/m2].
US07751729B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with an apparatus main body having a casing structure and adapted to perform an image forming operation, a window provided on a casing of the apparatus main body for enabling the interior of the apparatus main body to be seen, and an indicator provided in the apparatus main body for displaying specified indication information. The indicator is arranged at such a position as to face the window.
US07751719B2
An electrical return to zero (RZ) encoder converts non-return to zero (NRZ) data, into of RZ data patterns with a flexibility for duty cycle adjustment so that any RZ data pattern may be provided for a specific application's need. A duty cycle of>50% or<50% may be achieved by selecting between a clock signal or its complement and adjusting its delay.
US07751715B2
An optical transmission system comprises master unit and remote unit, the master unit includes optical transmitter transmits the optical signal to the optical fiber at a fixed averaged output level, the remote unit includes optical receiver receives optical signal via optical fiber, and optical receiver includes light receiving element converts optical signal into electric signal, variable gain amplifier amplifies the electric signal at a gain corresponding to a value of a given adjustment voltage, gain controller supplied power for, a defined control period, controls the adjustment voltage to stabilize an averaged level of the electric signal to a defined value, and feed-forward-controls a gain of variable gain amplifier, a shut off unit shuts off supply of power to the gain control circuit when the control period ends, and a keeping unit keeps a value of an adjustment voltage applied to the variable gain amplifier.
US07751693B2
In an image recording/reproduction method for recording image information on a recording medium by using a computer, a verify mode is set into the OFF state when recording image information on said recording medium. In addition, use as a write or read region a specified region of the recording medium which is greater than or equal to a unitary data size being handled during error correction processing to be performed when writing or reading image information on or out of said recording medium. Additionally, upon reading of image information from the recording medium, any image information that has experienced read errors will never be read again.
US07751677B2
An optical waveguide feedthrough assembly passes at least one optical waveguide through a bulk head, a sensor wall, or other feedthrough member. The optical waveguide feedthrough assembly comprises a cane-based optical waveguide that forms a glass plug sealingly disposed in a feedthrough housing. A seal fills an annular space between the glass plug and the housing. The seal may be energized by a fluid pressure in the housing to establish sealing engagement. Further, the seal may provide bidirectional sealing. The feedthrough assembly is operable in high temperature and high pressure environments.
US07751676B2
A seal assembly is provided to seal the area between a cable, containing optic fibers for example, and the terminal end of a conduit through which the cable runs. The seal assembly comprises an area of a resilient material and a supporting structure. The seal assembly, encompassing a cable, fits into and seals a standard conduit opening/hole in a cabinet or enclosure.
US07751658B2
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip comprising an array of modulated sources, each providing a modulated signal output at a channel wavelength different from the channel wavelength of other modulated sources and a wavelength selective combiner having an input optically coupled to received all the signal outputs from the modulated sources and provide a combined output signal on an output waveguide from the chip. The modulated sources, combiner and output waveguide are all integrated on the same chip.
US07751656B2
An optical modulator comprising; an optical waveguide in which input light propagates; a signal electrode having an end portion in which signal microwave is input and having an interaction area in which the signal microwave interacts with the light propagating in the optical waveguide; and, a ground electrode forming a coaxial structure with the signal electrode, wherein, width of the end portion is greater than width of the interaction area and thickness of the end portion is less than thickness of the interaction area.Also disclosed is an optical modulator, further comprising a substrate having an electro-optic effect; and, a buffer layer on the substrate, wherein, the signal electrode and ground electrode are formed on the buffer layer, and thickness of the buffer layer near the end portion of the signal electrode is greater than thickness of the buffer layer near the interaction area.
US07751652B2
A portion of a digital image is displayed. A change associated with a mask is received, where the mask is associated with a displayed portion of the digital image. A transformation to be applied is determined based at least in part on the received change. A new portion of the digital image is displayed based at least in part on the received change and the transformation, where the new portion that is displayed has the same center point as the previously displayed portion.
US07751651B2
An image registration method and apparatus for automatically registering images of different perspectives, and where a sensor image is registered with a more precise reference image such that the geocoding of the reference image can be transferred to the sensor image.
US07751638B1
A quantizer can be used to adjust the number of bits representing each sample value in a signal. Then, each received sample is allocated to one of a number of bins, with each bin corresponding to one of the possible quantizer output values. The quantizer can be used for providing a digital signal with a required number of bits, and the quantization interval can be adjusted. The quantization is performed in multiple stages. In a first stage, a received signal is compared with a first threshold value. In subsequent stages, the received signal is compared with respective threshold values, with the threshold value for each stage being calculated on the basis of the comparison result of the previous stage, and on the basis of an adjustable quantization interval. The quantized value is formed from the one-bit results from the comparison operations.
US07751637B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for synthesizing a plurality of data that is in compressed format. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of creating a synthesized data by synthesizing a plurality of source data that is in compressed format, the method including the steps of: extracting a portion of one of the plurality of source data; decompressing the extracted portion to create a decompressed data portion; and synthesizing two or more of the decompressed data portions derived from different ones of the source data to create a part of the synthesized data. The extracting, decompressing and synthesizing step will be repeated until the creation of the synthesized data is completed.
US07751631B2
In one embodiment, a method for bypassing transform and quantization steps in a video compression is provided. The method determines one or more threshold values that are computed for a bypass of the transform and quantization steps. A sum of absolute transformed differences (SATD) value from a motion estimation of a signal being compressed using H.26x is received. The SATD value is compared to at least one of the one or more threshold values. It is then determined if the transform and quantization can be bypassed based on the comparison. For example, if the SATD value is less than the at least one of the one or more threshold values, then it may be determined that the coefficients of the transform are expected to be quantized to zero. Accordingly, the transform and quantization steps may be bypassed.
US07751624B2
A method for processing a customer request comprises receiving a request, sending the requests to a data provider; receiving a document image from the data provider, performing pattern data extraction on the document image, and preparing a customized report. Additionally, a system for processing customer requests comprises a receiving module for receiving customer requests, a data acquisition module for receiving data from plural sources, an image distribution module for distributing data to appropriate entities, a pattern data extraction module for performing pattern detection and extraction, and a data output module for formatting data.
US07751622B2
A method for detecting undesirable images within an image sequence, comprising the steps of receiving the image sequence; computing one or more associated image characteristics for a group of images, wherein the group of images includes at least one image from the image sequence; identifying any undesirable group of images based on the computed image characteristics; collecting undesirable groups of images into at least one collection; receiving a threshold value of a minimum number of undesirable images; and flagging as undesirable only images that belong to one or more collections that have at least the threshold value of undesirable images.
US07751617B2
An image compression and decompression method encodes and decodes pixel data based on a color conversion method. Based on the relationships of corresponding color components of two adjacent pixels, the corresponding color components are encoded either by a white and black modification, a down-sampling or an edge modification. Based on the relationships of encoded color components of the two adjacent pixels, the corresponding encoded color components are decoded either by an inverse white and black modification, an up-sampling or an inverse edge modification.
US07751616B2
A coding apparatus includes a color space conversion unit that converts input image data into image data which is represented in another color space, a gradation changing unit that changes gradation of the input image data, based on the converted image data, and a predictive coding unit that performs predictive coding on the image data subjected to the gradation change.
US07751608B2
The present invention relies on a band moiré image layout model capable of predicting the band moiré image layer layout produced when superposing a base band grating layer of a given layout and revealing line grating layer of a given layout. The base band grating layer, the revealing line grating layer and the resulting band moiré image layout may have a rectilinear or a curvilinear layout. Thanks to the band moiré image layout model, one can choose the layout of two layers selected from the set of base band grating layer, revealing line grating layer and band moiré image layer and obtain the layout of the third layer by computation, i.e. automatically. The presented methods may be used for creating an individualized protection for various categories of documents (banknotes, identity documents, checks, diploma, travel documents, tickets) and valuable products (optical disks, medical drugs, products with affixed labels, watches).
US07751606B2
In a method, computer program, and system a dental target, such as a tooth, is located within a digital dental image. A reference object that was placed in the patient's mouth is segmented within a digital dental image to provide a segmented reference. The reference object has a predetermined size dimension. A window is segmented in the dental image at the position of the dental target. The segmented reference defines the relative size and location of the window, prior to the segmenting of the window.
US07751602B2
A method of classifying a test subject comprises collecting imaging data for a plurality of training subjects, control subjects and a test subject. An intensity volume of interest (VOI) and a morphological VOI are selected from said imaging data. Training intensity data and morphological data are calculated for the intensity and spatial VOI. A statistical model can then be created based on the training intensity data and training spatial data to provide a universe of subjects. Control intensity data and spatial data are also calculated for the intensity and spatial VOI. A classifier can then be built dividing the universe into at least two regions. The test subject data can then be applied to the classifier to provide a determination of whether the test subject falls within the first region or the second region. The condition can be a neurological disease state such as temporal lobe epilepsy or Alzheimer's dementia.
US07751601B2
A fingerprint sensing module includes a sensor substrate having a sensing side and a circuit side, an image sensor including conductive traces on the circuit side of the sensor substrate, and a sensor circuit including at least one integrated circuit mounted on the circuit side of the sensor substrate and electrically connected to the image sensor. The sensor substrate may be a flexible substrate. The module may include a velocity sensor on the sensor substrate or on a separate substrate. The module may further include a rigid substrate, and the sensor substrate may be affixed to the rigid substrate.
US07751600B2
The present invention provides a system for identifying an individual provided with a portable communication device. In a system for identifying an individual using a portable communication device with a display, the display is a sensor-incorporated display, the sensor-incorporated display reads the biological information of a user, and, based on the read information, identifies an individual.
US07751598B2
A method for identifying an iris image can include obtaining an iris image of an eye, segmenting the iris image, generating, from the segmented iris image, a normalized iris image, and generating, from the normalized iris image, an iris template. The method can also include generating a modified iris template by extracting a portion of the iris template, comparing the modified iris template with a plurality of previously stored other modified iris templates and matching the modified iris template with one of the plurality of previously stored other modified iris templates. The method can also include generating a modified iris template by extracting a portion of the iris template, comparing the modified iris template with a plurality of previously stored other modified iris templates, and matching the modified iris template with one of the plurality of previously stored other modified iris templates.
US07751597B2
The basic invention uses biometric signals to help identify the name of a family member, acquaintance or newly met individual. The biometric signals include facial and voice recognition. In addition, the invention can interactively produce the name of an individual met for the first time just after that individual shakes your hand and introduces themselves. Most people forget this name since they are concentrating on maintaining a conversation. By touching the portable unit which is inserted into the ear canal, the name is whispered into the canal. All these identification procedures can be used to help eliminate an embarrassing moment which may occur if the user is unable to recall an individual's name.
US07751592B1
A system identifies an image and determines whether the image contains inappropriate content based on first data associated with the image, second data associated with a document that contains the image or refers to the image, and/or third data associated with a group of documents with which the image is associated.
US07751585B2
A system and related techniques provide a platform for encoding high density geometric symbol sets, for example a triangular barcode-type of encoding which may be used to encode drivers' licenses, biometric IDs, passports, or other transaction or identification media. According to embodiments of the invention in one regard, an inkjet, laser or other printer or output device may imprint a paper, plastic or other media with geometric symbols such as triangles in a defined array, to represent, for instance, name, address, or other identifying information, for instance such as digital facial photographs, iris or retinal scans, fingerprints, signatures, or other information. The geometric symbols may in one regard be arranged in a staggered format, separated in embodiments by a white space that may serve to reduce aliasing effects and other distortions. Because triangular symbols may in general be packed more closely together, and the number of distinct individual symbols may scale according to the range of color space employed for the symbol set, information densities high enough to satisfactorily encode biometric iris or retinal scans, digital facial photographs, or other identification or other information may be achieved. In embodiments, error correcting processing such as Reed-Solomon techniques may be employed to enhance scanning accuracy. In further embodiments, a reference palette may be embedded within the imprinted media, to provide a scale against which color fading or other distortion may be measured.
