US07771797B2
This invention provides a new photocatalyst material producing apparatus and photocatalyst material producing method that can produce a large quantity of photocatalyst material of high quality by a chemical reaction in light high-field plasma in a highly oxidative high-concentration ozone medium state, instead of systems to produce a photocatalyst material by PVD and CVD, which are conventional dry deposition methods.In a photocatalyst material producing method and photocatalyst material producing apparatus according to this invention, a pair of facing electrodes are provided via a dielectric material in a discharge gap where gas mainly containing oxygen gas is supplied, and an AC voltage is applied between the electrodes to generate dielectric barrier discharge (silent discharge or creeping discharge) in the discharge gap. Thus, oxygen gas containing ozone gas is created and a metal or metal compound is modified to a photocatalyst material by the dielectric barrier discharge.
US07771790B2
A method and system for fabricating nano-scale structures, such as channels (i.e., nano-channels) or vias (i.e., nano-vias). An open nano-structure, is formed in a substrate. Thereafter, a conformal material film may be deposited within and over the nano-structure using an optional first deposition process condition, and then the open nano-structure is closed off to form a closed nano-scale structure using a second deposition process condition, including one or more process steps.
US07771782B2
A method of manufacturing a polarized optical element comprises the steps of: providing a polarizing film comprising free hydroxyl groups; placing the polarizing film within a mold cavity: admitting into the mold cavity a liquid-phase polyurethane-based optical material containing —NCO functional groups reactive with said hydroxyl groups and comprising the following components: A) a liquid polyisocyanate or polyisocyanate prepolymer having a content of —NCO functional groups comprised between 5 and 50% by weight and an average functionality of 2 to 3, B) an isocyanate-reactive component comprising at least one organic compound containing at least two aromatic amine groups, and C) at least one organometallic catalyst; curing the liquid-phase polyurethane-based optical material to form a polarized optical element. The method allows to reliably manufacture a polarized optical element comprising an optical part made of polyurethane-based optical material and a polarizing film integrally bonded to the optical part even using thin freestanding polarizing films, such as PVA films, achieving at the same time improved adhesion properties of the polarizing film to the optical material.
US07771748B2
The present invention is directed to controlled-release (CR) oral pharmaceutical dosage forms of 5,8,14-triazatetracyclo[10.3.1.02,11.04,9]-hexadeca-2(11),3,5,7,9-pentaene, 1, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and methods of using them to reduce nicotine addiction or aiding in the cessation or lessening of tobacco use while reducing nausea as an adverse effect. The present invention also relates to an immediate-release (IR) low dosage composition having a stable formulation with uniform drug distribution and potency.
US07771746B2
A method of improving bioavailability of ergot derivatives administered using sustained-release delivery systems includes combining an ergot derivative or mixture thereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable hydrophilic swelling agent or mixture thereof and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The bioavailability of sustained-release formulations of the present invention is at least equal to the bioavailability of the ergot derivative or mixture thereof administered using a conventional delivery system. Sustained-release compositions that improve bioavailability are also provided. Methods and compositions according to the present invention may provide sustained-release characteristics while improving the bioavailability of ergot derivatives.
US07771738B2
The present invention is to provide a silver-based inorganic antimicrobial agent that has excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance, that gives little resin coloration, and that has excellent processability.It has been found that the object can be attained by a silver ion-containing zirconium phosphate represented by Formula (1) below by limiting the production conditions to wet synthesis, and the present invention has thus been accomplished. Aga MbZrc(PO4)3.nH2O (1) In Formula (1), M is at least one type of ion selected from an alkali metal ion, a hydrogen ion, and an ammonium ion, a, b, and c are positive numbers and satisfy 1.5≦c≦2 and a+b+4c=9, and n is no greater than 2.
US07771734B2
Process to simultaneously color and permanently restructure hair, wherein (a) an oxidative hair colorant is applied to the hair based on at least one developer substance and least one coupler substance, (b) the oxidative hair colorant is left on for 5 to 60 minutes, (c) the oxidative hair colorant is rinsed out of the hair, (d) an acidic intermediate treatment agent with a pH of from 2 to 6 is applied to the hair, (e) after an action period of from 1 to 10 minutes, the intermediate treatment agent is rinsed out, if necessary, and the hair is then rolled up onto curlers, (f) a keratin-reducing permanent restructuring agent is applied to the hair, (g) after an action period of from 1 to 30 minutes, the keratin-reducing agent is rinsed out, if necessary, (h) the hair is fixed with an oxidative material, (i) after an action period of from 3 to 15 minutes, the hair is rinsed with water, if necessary and then treated with an acidic rinse. The process is intended to enable better, faster, and gentler coloring of human hair, particularly natural hair, than was previously possible, as well as to maintain the color intensity of colored hair or to refresh (renew) it, and to improve the hair shine while simultaneously restructuring the hair.
US07771733B2
The present invention comprises a composition, method of enhancing potency and method of delivering corticosteroids in a vehicle comprising at least two penetration enhancers, and solvents and emulsifiers. The propylene glycol and penetration enhancers are present in ratio to the total of the propylene glycol, penetration enhancers, and solvents and emulsifiers of at least about 0.70.
US07771729B2
This invention relates to improved methods of inducing an immune response for the prevention or treatment of HIV-1 infection by using a nucleic acid vaccine in conjunction with a recombinant viral vaccine, e.g., a poxvirus vaccine, to potentiate and broaden the immune response. The present invention further provides a particularly effective vaccine regimen comprising a DNA vaccine used in combination with a poxvirus virus, especially NYVAC or ALVAC.
US07771728B2
Described is a method for identification, isolation and production of hyperimmune serum-reactive antigens from a specific pathogen, a tumor, an allergen or a tissue or host prone to autoimmunity, said antigens being suited for use in a vaccine for a given type of animal or for humans, which is characterized by the following steps: —providing an antibody preparation from a plasma pool of said given type of animal or from a human plasma pool or individual sera with antibodies against said specific pathogen, tumor, allergen or tissue or host prone to auto-immunity, —providing at least one expression library of said specific pathogen, tumor, allergen or tissue or host prone to auto-immunity, —screening said at least one expression library with said antibody preparation, —identifying antigens which bind in said screening to antibodies in said antibody preparation, —screening the identified antigens with individual antibody preparations from individual sera from individuals with antibodies against said specific pathogen, tumor, allergen or tissue or host prone to auto-immunity, —identifying the hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen portion of said identified antigens and which hyperimmune serum-reactive antigens bind to a relevant portion of said individual antibody preparations from said individual sera and —optionally isolating said hyperimmune serum-reactive antigens and producing said hyperimmune serum-reactive antigens by chemical or recombinant methods.
US07771727B2
The invention features conjugates of therapeutic or cytotoxic agents and biologically active peptides and methods of use thereof.
US07771726B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for augmenting an immunogenicity of an antigen in a mammal, comprising administering said antigen together with an adjuvant composition that includes a synthetic glycolipid compound of Formula I, as described herein. According to the present invention, the use of a compound of Formula I as an adjuvant is attributed at least in part to the enhancement and/or extension of antigen-specific Th1-type responses, in particular, CD8+ T cell responses. The methods and compositions of the present invention can be useful for prophylaxis and treatment of various infectious and neoplastic diseases.
US07771719B1
The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides having sequence identity with IL-17, IL-17 receptors and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention. Further provided herein are methods for treating degenerative cartilaginous disorders and other inflammatory diseases.
US07771706B2
Disclosed is a method for monitoring early treatment response of a cancer treatment comprising measuring by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), for example, proton MRS, the amount of Choline present in the tissue adjoining or surrounding the cancerous tissue before and after treatment; the treatment comprises administration of an angiogenesis inhibitor, for example, a VEGF inhibitor, whereby a decrease in the amount of Choline after treatment is indicative of a positive response. The decrease in the amount of Choline represents the decrease in the internal cell membrane as a result of down regulation of the organelles and their secretory granules and their transport vesicles. Disclosed also is a method for determining effectiveness of an angiogenesis inhibitor in the treatment of cancer. Also disclosed are methods of monitoring early treatment response in diseases where an angiogenesis effector, i.e., an inhibitor or promoter of angiogenesis, is employed. Also disclosed is a method for monitoring protein translation related to angiogenesis.
US07771705B2
The present invention discloses a radiographic contrasting agent containing multiple aromatic groups, each of which is substituted with at least three halogen atoms. The radiographic contrasting agent can initiate a polymerization process. The present invention also discloses a radio-opaque polymeric material that comprises a biodegradable polymer having at least one radiographic contrasting moiety covalently attached thereto. The radio-opaque polymeric material provides enhanced contrasting intensity in radiographic imaging. The radio-opaque polymeric material can be applied on at least a portion of one surface of a medical device. The radio-opaque polymeric material can also be used to construct a medical device, a component thereof, or a portion of a component thereof.
US07771702B2
The invention provides active, affordable, durable, and sulfur-tolerant catalysts and related precursors and processes useful in hydrogen production. The catalysts have a wide applicability. For example, in one embodiment, the invention provides sulfur-tolerant catalysts which, when used in a catalytic fuel processor, will facilitate sufficient hydrogen generation within 30 seconds or so of automobile start-up to generate around 50 kW of fuel cell power. Catalysts of the instant invention are made by reducing a catalyst precursor comprising a support phase impregnated with one or more elemental transition metals, wherein: (a) the support phase is formed by dispersion of a monolayer on the surface of a high surface area alumina support; and (b) the monolayer comprises XOnYO2, where (1) XOn is a redox active metal oxide and n is either 1.5, 2, or 2.5 depending on the oxidation number of X, and (2) YO2 is a redox inactive metal oxide. Ni—V2O5—ZrO2/Al2O3 catalysts of the instant invention are preferred.
US07771698B2
A method for making/growing an array of carbon nanotubes includes the steps of: (a) providing a substrate; (b) forming a light absorption film made of a light absorption material on the substrate; (c) forming a catalyst film on the light absorption film; (d) introducing a mixture of a carrier gas and a carbon source gas by flowing the mixture over/across the catalyst film; (e) focusing a laser beam on the light absorption film to locally heat the catalyst to a predetermined/reaction temperature; and (f) growing an array of the carbon nanotubes from the substrate.
US07771696B2
A composition is provided in which carbon nanofibers are functionalized with at least one moiety where the moiety or moieties comprise at least one bivalent radical. The composition can include a nanocomposite, such as polyimide films. Methods for making functionalized carbon nanofibers and nanocomposites are also provided.
US07771690B2
Methods for heating a solid material comprising a granular material are provided. Dust is removed from the granular material before it is heated. The dust is injected into the exhaust gas from the heater. The heated dust is recovered and combined with the heated granular material.
US07771688B2
A method for preparing titanium dioxide particles co-doped with nitrogen and fluorine includes the steps of: mixing boric acid with ammonium fluorotitanate in an aqueous medium to form ammonium oxotrifluorotitanate; liquid-phase depositing the ammonium oxotrifluorotitanate on a silicon-containing substrate; and thermo-treating the ammonium oxotrifluorotitanate on the silicon-containing substrate at a temperature ranging from 300 to 1000° C.
US07771686B2
An inorganic polymer which comprises one or more organic functional groups and which has the following empirical formula: Rm[M2O]x[Al2O3]y[SiO2]zXqPH2O, in which: R represents an organic functional group; M is an alkali metal; X is selected from chlorine and fluorine; m is >0; q is ≧0; x is from 1 to 1.6; y is from 1.0; x/y is from 1.0 to 1.6; z is from 3 to 65; z/y is ≧1.0; and P is from 3 to 5.
US07771676B2
A PROX reactor integrated with a heat exchanger and an operating method thereof capable of effectively controlling temperature of a preferential oxidation reactor so as to obtain optimal activation and yield. The PROX reactor integrated with a heat exchanger of the present invention includes a pipe having an inlet and an outlet, a heat exchanger cooling gas passing through the pipe, a catalyst part positioned at the rear end of the heat exchanger, upon considering the flow of gas, and shifting carbon monoxide contained in the gas into other substances; and a temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the gas coming out through the catalyst part.
US07771674B2
The present invention relates to a multitubular catalytic gas-phase reaction apparatus, comprising a plurality of reaction tubes arranged in parallel, a baffle capable of changing the direction of movement of a heat medium introduced into a reactor shell to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the reaction tubes, a space that is disposed in a region including a part of a section where the heat medium flows in the direction of the face of the baffle and does not have the reaction tubes arranged therein, and flow-adjusting rods, disposed in between the space and the reaction tubes, having the same longitudinal direction as that of the reaction tubes.
US07771670B2
A method for treating air flow containing particulates and oxidized compounds of carbon, sulfur, iron, and other elements. The method includes supplying an air flow to a reaction zone formed between an electrically insulated electrode node having a plurality of point source electrodes and a grounded receptor. A continuous film of electrically grounded water is supplied on the receptor. The water is filtered after traveling over the receptor and collecting elemental materials formed in the reaction zones.
US07771663B2
Water in a fuel cell accumulator is kept above freezing by a hydrogen/oxygen catalytic combustor fed hydrogen through a mechanical thermostatic valve in thermal communication with the container and connected to a hydrogen supply. The system includes an ejector hydrogen/oxygen combustor and a diffusion hydrogen/oxygen combustor for warming a medium within a container such as water in the accumulator of a fuel cell in response to a mechanic hydrostatic valve which conducts hydrogen to a combustor responsive to the temperature of the container.
US07771662B2
A vial-based system and method for handling and processing specimens of particulate matter-containing liquid directly in the vial. A processing assembly, which includes a stirrer and a particulate matter separation chamber, is releasably coupled to the inside of the vial cover. The processing assembly remains with the cover when the vial is opened to insert a specimen therein. Application of a particular external force to the closed vial detaches the processing assembly from the cover so that it remains in the vial, for access by automated or manual laboratory equipment, when the cover is subsequently removed.
US07771625B2
A method for producing a surface-treated silver-containing powder comprises vacuum freeze drying a dispersion liquid, which is obtained by dispersing silver or silver compound particles (a) in a solvent together with a surfactant (b) of an alkylamine type or an alkylamine salt type, or a phosphate type having a phosphorus content of 0.5 to 10% by mass so that the surfactant (b) is adsorbed in the surface of the silver or silver compound particles (a), thereby producing a silver-containing powder (c) whose surface is treated with the surfactant (b). Moreover, a silver paste is produced by dispersing the surface-treated silver-containing powder (c) in a solvent, or in a solvent with a resin.
US07771612B2
In contrast, the alkaline compound included in the composition of the Document D1 is strong alkali, such as sodium hydroxide. Therefore, the oxide of an alkaline earth metal used in the amended invention is not disclosed or suggested in the D1 at all.In addition, the composition of D1 is an oxygen scavenger and it includes compound which enhance the reaction of oxygen with hydrogen, such as catalyst. Therefore, its hydrogen generating ability is lower than that of the claimed invention.
US07771608B2
A plasma processing method using a plasma processing apparatus comprising a vacuum processing chamber, a substrate electrode having an electrostatic chucking film for chucking a material to be processed, an electrostatic chucking DC power supply and a substrate bias high-frequency power supply connected to the substrate electrode, and a plasma generating unit for generating the plasma in the vacuum processing chamber. The high-frequency voltage Vpp applied to the substrate electrode is monitored, and based on the Vpp signal thus monitored, the output voltage of the electrostatic chucking DC power supply is controlled thereby to maintain the voltage applied on the electrostatic chucking film at the desired value while at the same time controlling the output of the substrate bias high-frequency power supply in ramp with time.
US07771606B2
A pulsed plasma system with pulsed reaction gas replenish for etching semiconductor structures is described. In an embodiment, a portion of a sample is removed by applying a pulsed plasma etch process. The pulsed plasma etch process comprises a plurality of duty cycles, wherein each duty cycle represents the combination of an ON state and an OFF state of a plasma. The plasma is generated from a reaction gas, wherein the reaction gas is replenished during the OFF state of the plasma, but not during the ON state. In another embodiment, a first portion of a sample is removed by applying a continuous plasma etch process. The continuous plasma etch process is then terminated and a second portion of the sample is removed by applying a pulsed plasma etch process having pulsed reaction gas replenish.
US07771602B2
According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium includes forming patterns having protrusions and recesses of a ferromagnetic material onto a recording track section and a servo section on a substrate, forming a flattening film, a top surface of which is higher than that of the protrusion of the ferromagnetic material, onto the ferromagnetic material, and performing ion beam etching onto the flattening film up to a top surface of the protrusion of the ferromagnetic material, and determining an end point of flattening etching on the basis of a change in the total number of incident particles by means of an ion counter installed so as to be at an angle θ with respect to a perpendicular direction to the substrate in accordance with a material of the flattening film.
US07771584B2
A process for slurry hydroprocessing, which involves preconditioning a slurry catalyst for activity improvement in vacuum residuum hydroprocessing units Preconditioning the slurry catalyst raises its temperature, thereby reducing shock on the catalyst slurry as it enters the hydroprocessing reactor.
US07771582B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for conducting a chemical reaction. The reaction is conducted in a reaction vessel or mixing occurring in at least a partial liquid environment in which reactants are disposed. The reaction is conducted in the presence of cavitation and an electrical current.
US07771577B2
Processes for forming a coating on electroconductive flat blanks having two major surfaces and sheared edges are provided. Also provided is a process for forming a multi-composite coating on a pre-sheared, electroconductive, flat blank having two major surfaces and sheared edges. Methods for forming and coating metal blanks are also provided. The present invention further provides a pre-sheared, flat electroconductive blank having two major surfaces and coated with a multi-layer composite coating composition on one major surface. The present invention also provides a method for coating a continuous metal strip, optionally, thereafter forming a coated blank therefrom, and, optionally, applying a second coating to the blank.
US07771552B2
A dielectric green sheet containing a dielectric ceramic powder, conductor green sheets containing a metal powder, and firing-assisting green sheets containing an inorganic oxide material powder are prepared, and the firing-assisting green sheet, the conductor green sheet, the dielectric green sheet, another conductor green sheet, and another firing-assisting green sheets are stacked in that order to prepare a laminate. The laminate is then fired. During firing, the bonding strength of the interfaces between the conductor green sheets and the firing-assisting green sheets is decreased and the oxygen partial pressure of the firing atmosphere is changed at least once so that the capacitor portion is separated from the firing-assisting green sheets. In this manner, a method for manufacturing thin film capacitor by which a high-reliability thin film capacitor can be produced at high efficiency and low cost without adversely affecting the characteristics of the thin film capacitor.
US07771524B2
In general, the invention relates to a security ink useful for producing indelible markings.
US07771523B2
The present invention pertains to an aqueous inkjet ink comprising anionic self-dispersing pigment, a certain mixture of alkali metal cations and a certain humectant. The inks exhibit greatly extended latency.
US07771516B2
The present invention provides a method of removing ozone remaining in water by separating residual ozone which remains in water after ozone is mixed in the water and kills microorganisms in the water including the steps of storing water containing the residual ozone in a pressure tank, supplying the pressure tank with compressed air, generating coarse bubbles larger than the residual ozone existing in water in the form of micro bubbles in pressurized condition, making the residual ozone in the form of micro bubbles adhere to the coarse bubbles, separating the residual ozone from water as the coarse bubbles go up, and discharging the micro bubbles from the pressure tank.Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of removing ozone remaining in water to remove ozone remaining in water inexpensively and efficiently.
US07771515B2
A method for treating an aqueous effluent comprising at least one dissolved gaseous compound, by partially separating said compound from said effluent, in order to obtain a treated aqueous phase.In the method, an upflow liquid column of the aqueous effluent is established by injecting and distributing into said column, at the bottom, a gas phase less rich in said compound than the aqueous effluent, for example air or oxygen, said gas phase being distributed in the column in the form of bubbles where the volume increases upward. A mixed liquid/gas stream is obtained at the top. The mixed liquid/gas stream is then separated into a liquid stream constituting the treated aqueous phase, and an offgas stream enriched with said gaseous compound, where the mixed liquid/gas stream is later separated under vacuum by establishing a gas headspace between the liquid stream and the gas stream, and by aspirating the latter.
US07771511B2
The present system is an adsorption system for separating air into a concentrated gas component, which has an air supply, a compressor for receiving and compressing the air supply, providing a compressed air supply, and molecular sieve material for separating the compressed air supply into a concentrated gas component. The adsorption system delivers at least 5 liters per minute (LPM) of concentrated gas component from the molecular sieve material in which the system has a specific total weight per LPM <9 lbs/LPM. Additionally, an output quantity of the concentrated gas is delivered by the adsorption system and a purging quantity of the concentrated gas is dispensed into a sieve chamber of the adsorption system undergoing a purge cycle. The purging quantity has a value equal to or less than the difference between the maximum quantity and the output quantity, and the purging quantity is controlled based on the output quantity.
US07771510B2
The present invention relates to a fixed bed hypersorber having moving ports for injecting and withdrawing fluids which can be used for fractionation of gaseous mixtures in a fixed bed filled with absorbents/adsorbents, where separation is brought about by contacting gaseous mixture in a counter-current fashion. The moving ports may take the form of pistons or pairs of tubes arranged concentrically, where one of the tubes has a straight slot and the other tube has a helical slot. Rotation of the tubes with respect to each other produces the moving port.
US07771508B2
A method and system for the treatment of air, in particular for pneumatic brake systems of utility vehicles, is described. The method includes feeding compressed air to a compressed air storage tank through an air dryer, initiating a regeneration of the air dryer using regeneration air from the compressed air storage tank through the air dryer and discharged via a discharge valve, and calculating a theoretically required regeneration air quantity QReg,th. If a presence of condensate is not detected in a region downstream of the air dryer, a regeneration using the theoretically required regeneration air quantity QReg,th, is carried out. If the presence of condensate is detected, a regeneration is carried out using a corrected required regeneration air quantity QReg,corr, the corrected required regeneration air quantity QReg,corr being greater than the theoretically required regeneration air quantity QReg,th.
US07771493B2
A process for crystallizing amorphous polymers whose Tg lies below the crystallite melting point. According to this process, amorphous or partially crystalline polymer grains are exposed in water for a period of at least 30 seconds to a temperature in the polymer crystallization range.
US07771491B2
Compositions for the oxidation dyeing of keratin fibers, for example of human keratin fibers such as the hair, containing, in a medium suitable for dyeing: a) at least one oxidation dye, b) at least one associative polymer chosen from non-ioninc, anionic, and amphoteric polymers, c) at least one nonionic cellulose-based compound not comprising a C8-C30 fatty chain, and d) at least one cationic polymer with a charge density of greater than 1 meq/g and not comprising a C8-C30 fatty chain.
US07771488B2
Embodiments of low cost prosthetic feet include a footplate with a connection mechanism embedded within a first foam element having a first stiffness. A second foam element is bonded to the footplate and has a recess in a proximal surface and a stiffness greater than the first foam element. The second foam element may have a portion extending past the terminal end of the footplate. A cosmesis encloses the components of the prosthetic foot. A third foam element that extends through the cosmesis into the second foam element may be provided. The third foam element may have a higher stiffness than the first and second foam elements.
US07771487B2
An anchoring system for a transtibial or transfemoral (above or below the knee) prosthesis. A gel liner is inserted into a socket, and the liner has a dual-strap attachment system including an upper strap and buckle attached upwardly to the liner and passing out through the socket, and a lower strap attached distally to the liner. The liner also has a port attached at a lower distal end for introducing a vacuum into the liner and for evacuating fluids (sweat) therefrom. To accomplish the foregoing, an annular centering puck is attached at the distal end of the socket (at the aperture), the puck having a generally concave side in communication with the aperture for seating the liner therein. The centering puck is formed with a dual passage there through that passes both a vacuum tube and lower strap outward from the liner to exterior of the socket. A vacuum pump is coupled to the vacuum tube, and the liner is securely anchored in the socket by total contact induced by the vacuum force of the pump, and further secured by the first strap and buckle inserted through the socket and fastened to the second strap (passing out through the puck and inserted through the buckle, tightened, and closed upon itself to form a suspension fit which prevents lateral, pivotal and proximal shift.
US07771485B2
A ball joint or cap for an artificial hip joint is described that is suitable for carrying out a rotating or pivoting motion in an artificial hip joint socket, with a gap being provided for a natural fluid film (synovial fluid) between itself and the artificial hip joint socket, and with regular depressions without interconnecting channels between them being recessed in areas of its surface. It is proposed that its surface in the polar area is smooth and without depressions, that an area is provided in an intermediate area between the smooth polar area and its equator, in which depressions are recessed with hole widths between 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm, that adjacently in the intermediate area in the direction of its base edge, further depressions are recessed, the hole widths of which become steadily smaller, the closer they lie to the base edge, with hole widths between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm.
US07771481B2
A total disc implant (TDI) is provided for total replacement of a spinal disc or discs in a human patient or other mammal, wherein the TDI is designed to maintain a substantially full range of natural motion (ROM) following implantation. The TDI generally comprises, in one preferred form, upper and lower end plates for affixation to adjacent vertebral bodies, with an intervening insert disposed therebetween. The end plates each include elongated part-cylindrical surfaces oriented generally perpendicular to each other, with one of said surfaces extending in an anterior-posterior direction and the other extending in a medial-lateral direction. The intervening insert defines concave upper and lower part-cylindrical seats oriented for respectively engaging these part-cylindrical surfaces, wherein these part-cylindrical seats are defined by offset radii to include a somewhat flattened central base region merging smoothly with upwardly curving radiused sides.
US07771480B2
A visco-elastic motion-limiting artificial intervertebral disc prosthesis is provided that mimics the physiologic function of a normal spinal disc. The disc comprises upper and lower endplates having therewithin channels or openings for optionally receiving one or more motion-limiting members fitted on each end with an enlarged portion. One or more compression stops is provided between the upper and lower endplates. Additionally, an elastomeric cushion is disposed between the endplates and surrounds the motion-limiting members. Also, force transducers and microelectronics can be utilized to provide data to the surgeon or the patient regarding the load state of the disc.
US07771475B2
Instrumentation is disclosed for inserting an interbody spinal fusion implant for implantation at least in part within and across the generally restored height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies of a human spine. The implant has an external housing and a substantially hollow internal rotatable member having bone engaging projections that are deployable through the housing to penetrably engage the adjacent vertebral bodies.
US07771471B2
An accommodating intraocular lens comprising a flexible body and flexible optic, and a flexible skirt connecting the optic to the body. The body may have extending loop haptics.
US07771464B2
The present invention avoids a patient receiving a double dose of a therapeutic agent when a coated stent is overlapped with another coated stent within a vessel. A stent having a therapeutic coating on a portion of the stent is delivered within a vessel such that the portion of the stent not having a therapeutic coating is inserted within or overlaps a second coated stent. A radiopaque marker on the stent or delivery catheter guides positioning of the stent such that there is minimal or no overlap of the therapeutic coatings on the two stents.
US07771459B2
Disclosed is a medical fastener that can be mounted to a bone of a patient. The medical fastener can include a head portion comprising a recess having a first portion, a second tapered portion extending from the first portion, and a third cylindrical portion extending from the second tapered portion. A threaded body portion can extend from the head portion. The first portion and the second portion can have a Torx geometry or star-shaped configuration. Also disclosed is a driver usable to mount the medical fastener to the bone. The driver can include a tip that is complementary to the recess and an end that enables the driver to mount to a drill or other device that can rotate the driver.
US07771457B2
The present invention relates to an orthopedic plate and screw system and instruments for surgical fixation of a small bone or bones. The plate facilitates three dimensional contouring to provide for a variety of applications and to accommodate individual variation in bone shape. The plate has a modified x shape including a central trunk portion including one or more screw holes along a longitudinal axis and a set of divergent upper and an oppositely extending set of divergent lower arms, each arm including screw holes which are placed at a radially equal distance but which diverging asymmetrically from the longitudinal axis relative to its paired upper or lower mate. The screws of the system are self-starting, self-tapping screws including the option of partial or full cannulation.
US07771437B2
A guide for controlling the orientation of a medical device includes a cannula having a lumen therein for the medical device, and a guide member having a passage therein for receiving and directing the medical device, the guide member being movably mounted in the cannula for movement. The guide member can be magnetically responsive to an externally applied magnetic field, or can be magnetically responsive to an externally applied magnetic field when a magnetic medical device is in the passage, and/or it can be mechanically responsive.
US07771436B2
An adapter can be easily used to assist a surgical navigation system to determine the effector axis or the effector plane of a surgical device. The adapter has a body with a geometrical feature, the geometrical feature has a known relation with a navigation tracker device that can be attached to the adapter. When the adapter is held against a surgical device in a non-fixed manner, the effector axis or the effector plane of the device can be tracked by the surgical navigation system. The method includes a calibration method to determine the known relation between the effector axis or the effector plane and the location of the navigation tracker.
US07771432B2
Instruments for inserting an implant in a space between adjacent bony portions include a pair of parallel guide members extending distally from a proximal frame portion. Tamps and impaction instruments facilitate advancement of the implant between the guide members to the space between the adjacent bony portions.
US07771431B2
A method for delivering material into bone deploys a cannula through soft tissue to establish a subcutaneous path into bone. The method deploys a cavity forming instrument through the cannula to form a cavity in cancellous bone. The method introduces a material into the cavity through the cannula, which includes the advancement of a tamping instrument through the cannula to urge material into the cavity.
US07771407B2
A method of producing disposable under-shorts having a fit gather laminate at high speeds. The method includes disposing an elastic member (1) between a pair of upper and lower non-woven fabric sheets (6, 7) in the width direction, intermittently securing the elastic member (1) to portions of the non-woven fabric sheets (6, 7) and cutting a non-secured section of the elastic member (1). The method also may include cutting the fabric sheets into pieces of a predetermined size and shape, folding the pieces along a center line, attaching together the left edges and attaching together the right edges to form a fit gather laminate. The method may further comprise attaching a reinforcing sheet (3) to the under-side of the fit gather laminate (2), and disposing an absorber (4) on the upper-side of the laminate (2), and a back sheet (5) on the under-side of the reinforcing sheet (3).
US07771402B2
A containment arrangement for safely and effectively treating a wound on a patient without contaminating attending personnel. The arrangement comprises a patient receiving first enclosure having a patient contacting periphery, a pressurizable source in communication with the patient through a wall of the enclosure for enlarging the enclosure, and a sealing means arranged in the patient contacting periphery. A hand manipulable fluid discharge nozzle is extendably arranged through the enclosure for providing controllable treatment fluid to the wound on the patient within the enclosure.
US07771401B2
Renal infusion systems include an infusion catheter having a bifurcated distal end with a first branch and second branch, the branches being biased to deploy laterally when unconstrained. Systems also include a delivery sheath having a lumen which receives the infusion catheter and constrains the first branch and second branch. A distal opening of the delivery sheath is formed asymmetrically to allow one of the first and second branches to open laterally while the other of the branches remains constrained. Methods of using renal infusion systems are also provided.
US07771400B2
An injection device with a travelling clutch which can be shifted between two different positions by the activation of an injection button. In the first position, the injection button and the drive sleeve is allowed to rotate relatively to the piston rod, which is blocked from rotation by the clicker element. In the second position, the drive sleeve and the injection button is axially movable while the piston rod is allowed to rotate.
US07771397B1
A needle cover assembly includes a manually operable member; a rigid needle shield (RNS) provided with an internally arranged resilient cap, in turn arranged to house and protect an injection needle; and a RNS remover assembly including a tubular shaped member surrounding the RNS, in which the tubular shaped member is arranged with at least one grip member capable of gripping the RNS in order to remove the RNS. The RNS remover assembly further includes a spinning attachment member having a distal end fixedly attached to the tubular shaped member and a proximal end rotatably attached to the manually operable member such that the manually operable member can be freely turned in relation to the RNS remover assembly but is locked in an axial direction.
US07771394B2
An intravenous catheter introducing device includes a barrel, a tubular grip member disposed to hold a needle seat in a position of use so as to permit a tip end of a needle cannula to extend forwardly of the barrel, a tubular plunger which is movable along a passage of the barrel, and a tubular receptacle which is retained in an accommodation compartment of the tubular plunger and which has socket and air-permeable ends and a flashback chamber. When the plunger is pressed forwardly to permit engagement of the socket end with a rear plug portion of the needle seat and to release the grip member from the barrel, a rearward movement of the needle seat by virtue of a biasing force of a biasing member will force the receptacle to move rearwardly so as to retract the needle cannula into the passage.
US07771371B2
Apparatus (20) is provided for improving athletic performance of a user, including a flexible insole (40), adapted for insertion into a shoe, the insole shaped so as to define one or more chambers (22, 24). The apparatus also includes a stimulator (50) and a control unit (30). The control unit is adapted to detect respective pressures in the chambers, and to drive the stimulator to apply a stimulation to the user responsive to the detected pressures and a desired parameter of athletic performance.
US07771367B2
A system for analyzing a bodily fluid is described, which contains at least one lancing element, such as a lancet, stored in a first magazine, and at least one test element with a detection area, stored in a second magazine, the detection area containing reagents if necessary for use in detecting the analyte. The system also includes a housing, which encloses at least part of the first magazine and the second magazine and includes an opening for placement of a body part. At least one of the lancing elements and at least one of the test elements are located below the opening, and one of the magazines is located at least partly between the opening and the other magazine. The two magazines may at least partially overlap. The lancing element and the test element may be moved toward the opening so the body part resting on the opening can be lanced with the lancing element and the emerging bodily fluid can be collected using the test element at the same opening.
US07771354B2
A three dimensional ultrasound imaging device, having an interpolator that creates up sampled ultrasound image information from a three dimensional ultrasound image information using interpolation; and a memory that stores at least one of the three dimensional ultrasound image information and the up sampled ultrasound image information. The three dimensional ultrasound imaging device can have a probe that sends ultrasound waves, gathers reflected ultrasound waves and creates ultrasound information and a processor that converts the ultrasound information to three dimensional ultrasound image information. The ultrasound imaging device may also have a display that displays the up sampled image information. The three dimensional ultrasound imaging device may use at least one of 2 image to 3 image interpolation, 2 image to 4 image interpolation, 3 image to 4 image interpolation and 3 image to 5 image interpolation. The three dimensional ultrasound imaging device may use two dimensional solids and three dimensional volumes. The three dimensional ultrasound imaging device may also create up sampled ultrasound image information that has a greater number of frames, a greater number of three-dimensional frames, a greater number of two-dimensional volumes, a greater number of three dimensional volumes and a larger amount of ultrasound information.
US07771351B1
Systems and methods are provided for determining a characteristic of an associated in vivo sensor within a living body. A transmit coil produces an excitation signal, having a first orientation, to excite the in vivo sensor to produce a response signal. A receive coil produces a current in response to the response signal. The receive coil is oriented to interact with signals having a second orientation that is substantially orthogonal to first orientation. The probe further comprises at least one eddy current compensation coil that produces a compensation field. A component of the compensation field along the second orientation has a magnitude at the receive coil substantially equal and opposite to a magnitude of a similarly oriented component of a magnetic field associated with eddy currents induced within the body.
US07771343B2
In a method and system for treating pain or impairment a video imaging device obtains image frames of a continuous portion of the patient's body including a selected impaired member in proper spatial relationship to a facial image of the patient. A processor coupled to the imaging device processes the image frames to form composite image frames in substantially real time wherein the impaired member is replaced by a virtual image of a corresponding healthy member so as to depict the imaged portion of the patient's body performing healthy movement of the selected impaired member. An interface is coupled to the processor for controlling virtual movement of the impaired limb in the composite image frames, and a display screen is coupled to the processor for displaying at least some of the composite image frames in substantially real time synchronism with operation of the interface.
US07771340B2
A balloon brachytherapy applicator has either a single or double chambers, with the capability of “blistering” outwardly at a specified area on one side of the balloon. This is useful to move sensitive tissue farther away from a radiation source within a source guide inside the balloon. In one case a secondary compartment is formed on the primary balloon, and is separately inflatable so as to allow blistering as desired when needed. In another form the balloon comprises a single chamber but with a “window” or area in which the balloon wall is elastic, or substantially more elastic than the main balloon wall, so that inflation of the balloon up to a certain point forms a substantially regular balloon shape, and the addition of further pressure will blister out the elastic area to increase the distance between the shaft and the sensitive tissue in a desired orientation of the balloon.
US07771337B2
An interfolding machine includes a first folding roll with a series of the gripper assemblies and a series of tucker assemblies uniformly and alternately spaced to interact with a series of gripper and tucker assemblies of an adjacent second folding roll. The series of alternately spaced gripper and tucker assemblies interact to grip, carry, and release a sheet of material in a manner so as to generate an interfolded stack of sheets. Each tucker assembly includes an outwardly biased tucker element that is operable to self-center in a slot formed in the folding roll. The tucker assembly further includes a roller mounted by a pin to the tucker element such that the tucker element rolls along a surface defined by the slot. Another embodiment of the tucker assembly includes a pivot spring and bumper to self-center the tucker element in the slot.
US07771331B2
A pivotal axis exercise device which creates opposing forces to provide muscle resistance to selected muscle groups based on a personally selected exercise regime. The device is comprised of metal housing components attached with metal loops and cable loops to provide a pivotal axis point which may be gripped and pulled to provide resistance leveraging the pivotal axis point of the device, or which may be gripped along the metal housing components to vary the exercise regimen and to provide resistance to different muscle groups.
US07771325B2
A unique structure for an indoor exercise bike that provides strength in its design, as well as the flexibility to create an aesthetically appealing frame structure. The monocoque frame design, including two symmetrical halves joined together, forms a very strong, light shell that can take on a variety of shapes and sizes. The seat structure, handlebar structure, drive train and support platforms are all able to be readily attached to the primary frame structure to provide an exercise bicycle that is sturdy, easy to manufacture, and light enough to easily move when necessary.
US07771324B2
An exercise apparatus to simulate climbing is described that includes such features as arm handles that move in synchronism with the motion of foot pedals to provide a total body workout; side handrails; a mounting step; linear foot movement at a simulated climbing angle; a three point support structure using a vertical support column; pedal track covers; a mechanism to provide constant resistance to pedal motion; and pedal impact absorption.
US07771316B2
A control apparatus of an automatic transmission having first and second frictional engagement elements that achieve lower and higher speed gear stages respectively, includes a target value determination section setting a rotation speed difference between input and output sides of the frictional engagement element, a total torque capacity calculation section calculating a total torque capacity, a distribution ratio determination section setting a distribution ratio of the total torque capacity to the first and second frictional engagement elements, an individual torque capacity calculation section calculating individual torque capacities respectively required of the first and second frictional engagement elements, and an engagement control section controlling engagement conditions of the first and second frictional engagement elements in accordance with the individual torque capacity. The automatic transmission realizes an up-shift by changeover between first and second frictional engagement elements based on the individual torque capacity during a vehicle power-on travel.
US07771309B2
A drive apparatus for vehicle is disclosed having a coupling device (switching clutch B0 or switching brake C0) operative to switch a transmission mechanism 10 between a continuously variable shifting state and a step-variable shifting state with both advantages including improved fuel consumption achieved by a transmission, enabled to electrically control a speed ratio, and increased power transmitting efficiency provided by a gear-type transmitting device in which drive power is mechanically transmitted. With the transmission mechanism 10, switching control means 50 allows a differential portion 11 to be maintained in the continuously variable shifting state or the differential portion 11 is preferentially placed in the continuously variable shifting state during a start-up of an engine. This allows an engine speed NE to rapidly increase beyond a given engine speed NE′ to immediately transit a given engine speed area NER, thereby suppressing the occurrence of vibrational noise of the vehicle during the start-up of the engine.
US07771303B2
A chain guide for guiding a chain includes a chain passage formed by an outer side wall and an inner side wall for surrounding the chain passage. A front end portion of the inner side wall is retracted to and is positioned at a rear side of a vehicle body than a front end portion of the outer side wall. Guide ribs are formed on an upper wall and a bottom wall and are brought into sliding contact with upper and lower sides of the chain. A discharge recessed portion which is opened frontwardly from the front end portion is formed in the inner side wall, wherein the chain passage is in communication with the outside through the discharge recessed portion. Mud or the like which is carried into an inlet falls in the inside of a vehicle body disposed outside the chain guide from the discharge recessed portion
US07771300B2
An electrically assisted or actuated continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a first pulley having a first pulley portion for fixed connection to an engine shaft and an axially movable second pulley portion for placement about the engine shaft. A mechanism for assisting a mechanically-actuated CVT includes a nut connected to the movable portion and an electric motor having a screw that is engaged with the nut. The nut is moved axially by rotation of the screw with respect to the nut, assisting mechanical actuators in changing axial spacing between the pulley portions. A variable actuator for actuating a CVT includes a pair of disks coaxially engaged with the pulley portions, and a roller for contacting the disks at varying inclinations. An electric motor tilts the roller along the axis of rotation, causing the disks to rotate at differing rates to effect a change in axial spacing between the pulley portions.
US07771294B2
This invention relates to a device and method for training an athlete to throw a ball, and particularly to a device and method that provides guides for optimally positioning an athlete's throwing hand and elbow prior to initiation of the throwing phase for throwing a ball.
US07771290B2
A golf club head and a removable weight that is received in a receptacle of the golf club head. The weight includes a cap and a slug. The cap is removably coupled to the receptacle and includes a recess that slidably receives a portion of the slug so that the cap and slug are able to rotate relative to each other. The slug includes an anti-rotation feature that prevents relative rotation between the slug and the receptacle.
US07771279B2
On a display screen, a game image including a plurality of target images and a game character image is displayed. The target images moves so as to pass over the game character image. When an input is provided from a player onto a touch panel, input coordinates are detected. In response, display coordinates of each target image at the time of the input are detected. When display coordinates located within a predetermined range from the input coordinates are present, specified coordinates are determined based on at least one of a position represented by display coordinates and a position represented by the input coordinates. The game character has characteristic parameters which are varied in accordance with a positional relation between the specified coordinates and the game character image.
US07771272B2
A gaming system includes a gaming table and a podium. The podium is located adjacent to a back portion of the gaming table and carries one or more optical readers. The readers are configured to read at least one wager placed approximately within a demarcated wagering area on a playing surface of the gaming table. The readers can be optical imagers, optical scanner, and/or video imagers. The podium and/or gaming table can carry a number of gaming automation components such as a card reader, a discard reader, chip tray, etc.
US07771268B2
A gaming device and method where there is a primary game and a bonus game. The player makes a wager and plays the primary game to obtain an outcome. Before, during or after the primary game a bonus game is played, apart from the primary game, which can trigger an separate, unrelated award. A bonus award display displays any award from the bonus game.
US07771267B2
A gaming device and method where there is a primary game and a bonus game. The player makes a wager and plays the primary game to obtain an outcome. Before, during or after the primary game a bonus game is played, apart from the primary game, which can trigger an separate, unrelated award. A bonus award display displays any award from the bonus game.
US07771264B2
A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games. In one example, the online game is a prize wheel game.
US07771263B2
Provided is a swing speed analyzer for mounting on a swinging implement and comprising a first accelerometer, a processor and a shock attenuator. The processor uses an output from the first accelerometer to compute a swing speed of the swinging implement. The shock attenuator is comprised of a material that is sized and dimensioned to dampen an impact shock wave by more than 50% at 125 Hz. The material is preferably sized and dimensioned to dampen the impact shock wave from more than 1000 g to less than 500 g. Suitable attenuators can include viscoelastomeric materials such as foam. The swing speed analyzer can advantageously include any of a releasable attachment mechanism, a liquid crystal or other visual display, a second accelerometer, and a strain gauge. The analyzer can advantageously be attached to a golf club, a tennis racket, a baseball bat, or a hockey stick.
US07771243B2
The present invention is directed to a dual terminal having first contact portion with an aperture formed through the first contact portion. A second contact portion, similar to the first contact portion and also has an aperture formed through the second contact portion and is arranged so that the aperture of the first contact portion and the aperture of the second contact portion are aligned. The dual terminal also has a circuit connector portion that is disposed between the first contact portion and the second contact portion and facilitates the electrical connection to the first contact portion and the second contract portion.
US07771235B2
A shield connector includes a housing that has a metal terminal, a conductive inner shield shell that contains the housing, and a conductive outer shield shell that contains the inner shield shell. The inner shield shell includes a first shell body in a tubular shape for covering an outer face of the housing. The outer shield shell includes a second shell body in a tubular shape, and a fixing portion which fixes the inner shield shell. The fixing portion has an annular wall which is formed inside of the second shell body along in a circumferential direction of the second shell body. An inner face of the annular wall is tightly face-contacted on an outer face of the first shell body of the inner shield shell over an entire circumference of the outer face of the first shell body.
US07771234B2
A (universal serial bus) USB electric connector for transferring data between computers includes an outer shell, a seat body, a terminal set, a bridge circuit board and a lid body. The outer shell has a hollow main body, in which a seat body is provided, on which a terminal set is disposed, one side of which is electrically connected to the bridge circuit board. The lid body is connected by sealing the bottom of the seat body. The electrically conductive legs on the bridge circuit board pass through the lid body and are electrically connected to the motherboard of an electronic device. By applying a USB electric connector for connecting two computers via a traditional USB transmission line, it is possible to inter-transfer data between two computers.
US07771227B1
A circuit board connector assembly adapted for connecting two printed circuit boards includes a receptacle connector having a receptacle insulating housing and two plug connectors each connected with the corresponding printed circuit boards and having a plug insulating housing. Two opposite ends of the plug insulating housing respectively define a holding cavity passing through a side surface thereof. The holding cavity is connected with the side surface by a slope. Two opposite ends of the receptacle insulating housing extend downward to respectively form two connecting arms spaced from each other. A free end of each of the connecting arms is bent inward to form a buckling portion. The printed circuit boards are electrically connected with each other by means of the plug connectors inserted into the receptacle connector. The buckling portions can be buckled into and slide out from the corresponding holding cavities along the corresponding slopes.
US07771223B2
An electrical connector is for electrically connecting an electronic package with a circuit substrate. The connector includes a housing with a plurality of conductive terminals received therein, a fastening device for securing the electronic package. The fastening device includes a pressing member for pressing and securing the electronic package and a retaining member for securing the pressing member. At least one of the pressing member, the retaining member are produced from ferrite stainless steel material, and has a layer of high temperature resistant organic thin film thereon.
US07771222B2
A card edge connector adapted for rotatably receiving a larger daughter board to a mother board includes an insulating housing defining an elongated slot therein, a plurality of contacts received in the housing, a pair of stopping arms setting to the ends of the housing respectively and a supporting wall integrating with the stopping arm and being longer near to the stopping arm. The stopping arms and the supporting walls are immovable when the daughter board rotating.
US07771219B1
An IC socket (1) for receiving an IC package having a plurality of pins extending downwardly includes a base (2), a plurality of terminals (7) received in the base, a cover (5) mounted upon the base (2), and a cam (6). The cover (5) includes a carrying section (50) for carrying the IC package and a cam-receiving section (51). The carrying section (50) forms a plurality of through holes (500) for insertion of the pins of the IC package. The cam (6) is disposed at the cam-receiving section (51) for actuating the cover (5) to move with respect to the base (2) in a first direction A. The cam (6) is offset from a central line CL of the carrying section (50) which extends along the first direction A.
US07771218B2
An electrical coupler mating system includes a chassis having a plurality of walls, wherein a chassis housing is defined between the plurality of walls. At least one of the plurality of walls defines a first guide channel and houses a cam member that is located adjacent the first guide channel. A first electrical coupler is located in the chassis housing. An enclosure includes a second electrical coupler and a cam follower that is moveably coupled to the enclosure, wherein with the cam follower located in the first guide channel, the second electrical coupler is aligned with the first electrical coupler and the movement of the cam follower mates the first electrical coupler and the second electrical coupler.
US07771210B2
The present invention relates generally to interconnections between electrical and electronic devices, such as integrated circuit packages, chips, wafers, substrates or printed circuit boards or similar electronic devices. The invention relates more specifically to springs, used to make connections to electrical elements and to applications of such springs in connectors or interconnection devices. More particularly the springs can be located adjacent to each other on small effective center distances to accommodate high-density electronic devices. Furthermore, the invention relates to connectors that comprise combs that are used in conjunction with such springs, to create and to control the wiping or scrubbing action, which can promote good electrical connection. Moreover, the invention uses such combs that are thermally matched to the electronic devices to improve the performance during thermal cycling procedures. Finally, this invention describes a number of connectors, test heads and test probes that utilize the above springs and combs.
US07771206B2
Horizontal dual in-line memory modules are disclosed. In one embodiment, the memory module includes a circuit board, a plurality of memory chips attached to a top surface of the circuit board, and a plurality of connector contacts disposed under a back surface of the circuit board and extending away from the memory chips, the connector contacts being electrically coupled to the memory chips, the back surface opposite the top surface of the circuit board.
US07771199B2
A surgical tool for preparing a surgical sinus-lift osteotomy has a defined thread geometry in series with an osteotome tip to cut, crack and push bone from the sinus floor upward into the sinus cavity in a tactual, gentle and controlled motion. The apical osteotome tip is driven into a pre-drilled pilot osteotomy after the cutting threads are engaged and rotated until the sinus floor is cracked free. Once the bony sinus floor is cracked free, a fluid passageway can be pressurized with a sterile fluid at a defined pressure to release and push the sinus membrane upward into the sinus cavity to create a desired apical cavity for grafting while minimizing the risk of compromising or tearing the sinus membrane.
US07771195B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for producing a digital model by providing a digital model of a tooth; providing a digital model of at least one attachment device having two or more portions, the digital model of the attachment device having the two or more portions extending through two or more surfaces of the tooth; and positioning the digital model of the attachment device on the digital model of the tooth to produce a combined computerized model.
US07771177B2
This ventilation assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a fan (3), a support (4) for mounting the fan (3) in a motor vehicle and a securement (24) of the fan to the mounting support (4), the fan comprising a helix (6) and a motor (8) for driving the helix (6) in rotation. The securement (24) comprising a collar (26) for the radial clamping of the motor (8). Application, for example, to the ventilation of the cooling radiators of the heat engines of motor vehicles.
US07771174B2
In a two-cylinder slurry pump for the continuous feeding of, in particular, concrete, in which pump two feed cylinders remove the high-viscosity material from a pre-charging tank and deliver it to a feed line, a diverter valve is provided with a cross-section that narrows from an inlet opening assigned to the cylinders to a discharge opening assigned to the feed line, which diverter valve connects, in any position, at least one feed cylinder, over its entire cross-section, to the feed line, a support arrangement (20) and a plate cam (15) securely connected thereto being assigned in accordance with the invention to the diverter valve (11) on its side facing towards the cylinders (3, 5). The plate cam (15) comprises not only the inlet opening (21) of the diverter valve (11) but also an intake opening (23), which is arranged at sufficient distance from the inlet opening (21) to cover an opening of one of the feed cylinders (3, 5) completely. Additionally, a process for controlling this continuous-feed slurry pump is described.
US07771170B2
The hub/blade junction of each rotor blade is placed with respect to the scalloping surface (F1+F2) such that this surface is supported as symmetrically as possible by the rotor blade. The turbine wheel with three-dimensionally curved rotor blades has scalloping in the area of the hub rear wall, and in consequence is subject to reduced stresses caused by scalloping deformation.
US07771167B2
The concealed rotary fan includes a rotary vane, a drive motor and a base. The drive motor is assembled into the base. The first end of the drive motor with the revolving shaft can be assembled onto a front support in a rotary state. The second end of the drive motor is fitted with a crank link, the first end of which can be driven to make the second end rotate. The second end is screwed onto a pivot point on to the base. When the revolving shaft of the drive motor rotates, the second end of the crank link will rotate synchronously, enabling the drive motor and revolving shaft to rotate axially and obliquely along with the rotary vane. Thus, the rotary fan allows automatic change of the outlet direction through the axial rotation of the rotary vane, the outlet area being expanded to improve the actual applicability.
US07771165B2
A fan device includes a fan body having a connecting portion and two corresponding side portions, wherein each side portion is provided with at least a corner edge consisting of an aperture, a fan frame, a frame connecting end connecting with the connecting portion, a side wall for dividing the fan body, and a wrench having a wrench connecting end and an exerting end, wherein the wrench connecting end has two protrusion portions disposed on both side thereof. When installing the fan body in the fan frame, the exerting end is used to exert force to turn the wrench so that is abuts against a side wall thereof, thereby exerting force on the side wall and the exerting end to detach the connecting portion from the wrench connecting end.
US07771157B2
A wafer transfer machine transfers wafers from either of a first wafer cassette (55) and a second wafer cassette (56) having incompatible registration features into the other, and includes a support plate (30) having a top surface (38) for supporting the first and second wafer cassette. A first and second registration bosses attached to the top surface extend upward into registration features of the first and second wafer cassette, respectively. A carriage (1) is supported by and movable in opposite directions along a track mechanism (41A,B) that is attached in fixed relationship to the support plate (30). First and second wafer pushing members (10A,B) are supported by the carriage. Each wafer pushing member can be moved to push wafers in one of the wafer cassettes into the other by moving the carriage in one direction or the other.
US07771156B2
A method for delivering a plurality of reactor monoliths into an interior of a reactor includes providing at least one tubular member having an outer wall defining an interior space adapted to allow sliding movement of reactor monolith therethrough, and providing a plurality of engagement members located within the interior space of the at least one tubular member and spaced along a length thereof, wherein each engagement member is actuable between an extended position and a retracted position. The at least one tubular member is extended into an interior of a reactor such that a first end of the at least one tubular member is located near an opening in the reactor, and a second end of the at least one tubular member is insert into the interior of the reactor. The plurality of engagement members may be controlled such that each engagement member actuates between the extended position, thereby preventing sliding movement of the monolith through the tube, and the retracted position, thereby allowing the monolith to slide past the engagement member within the tube.
US07771153B2
An Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) that allows an overhead hoist transport vehicle to load and unload Work-In-Process (WIP) parts directly to/from WIP storage units included in the system. The AMHS includes an overhead hoist transport subsystem and a vertical carousel stocker having a plurality of storage bins. The subsystem includes an overhead hoist transport vehicle traveling along a suspended track defining a predetermined route running adjacent to the stocker, allowing the vehicle to access a WIP part directly from a storage bin. At least one storage bin includes a movable shelf operative to move laterally from a first position along the carousel path to a second position near the vehicle. The storage unit is partially open to allow the movable shelf to move to the second position, allowing the hoist to access a material unit directly from the shelf for subsequent transport along the track.
US07771152B2
A rack module for, in particular, rod or plate-shaped storage goods accepted in transportation cases as well as a method for repositioning storage goods in a rack module is provided. The rack module is provided with several shelf spaces serving to receive the transportation cases as well as a storage and retrieval unit with a gripping device that can be displaced in reference to the storage and retrieval unit for repositioning the transportation cases. The transportation cases comprise pallets, with at least one lift truck for moving under and repositioning the pallets being provided, and a lifting device for raising and/or lowering one or more pallets, which can be operated by the gripping device of the storage and retrieval unit. Accordingly, the transportation cases in the form of pallets are repositioned by way of at least one lift truck, and for said purpose the lift truck undercuts at least the pallet to be repositioned and parts of the lift truck perform a lifting motion for raising the pallet, with the lifting motion of the lift truck again being caused by a gripping motion of the gripping device of the storage and retrieval unit.
US07771142B2
A cutting insert comprises an elliptical cutting edge. The cutting insert has a mounting hole through which a retention screw may pass, wherein the retention screw makes contact with the mounting hole in a seating plane that is perpendicular to the mounting hole. The cutting insert is adapted for use in a cutting tool comprising a tool body having a pocket partially defined by a floor that is parallel to a seating plane. The insert can have a shape complimentary to a tool body so as to cooperate with the tool body to form a continuous flute. According to one embodiment of the invention, the insert has a flank edge inboard with respect to the tool body. An insert according to another embodiment of the invention has a rake face with a positive cutting geometry.
US07771139B2
A self-propelled concrete finishing trowel has a transport system or dolly that allows the towel to be moved manually. The transport system includes wheels that are connected to a frame of the trowel by a connector such as a rotatable shaft. A single lift device such as a jack is coupled to the connector such that operation of the lift device translates both wheels relative to the frame. The transport system allows a user to quickly deploy the wheels for non-use transportation. The wheels are also located within the footprint of the trowel so as not to interfere with a finishing operation and are positioned to maximize stability.
US07771138B2
A multi-stage modular road building equipment system where a first stage base tractor is coupled to an intermediate stage, such as a spreading screw, and a third stage screed road paving tool attachment or other attachment such as a widener.
US07771136B2
A ball and socket joint is provided, for example, for an axle system of a motor vehicle. The joint has an essentially ring-shaped or pot-shaped joint housing (2). The ball (7) of a ball pivot (1) is received in the interior space of the joint housing (2) in a slidingly movable manner. The joint housing (2) includes a ball pivot-side and a housing cover-side housing half (4, 5). The two housing halves (4, 5) have an essentially circumferential axial stop (9). Based on the axial stop (9), the housing halves (4, 5) can be brought into contact with one another in the axial direction in an exactly defined manner. The reproducibility of tolerances in manufacture can be carefully controlled allowing manufacture at a low cost. The specific load-bearing capacity of the ball and socket joint can be increased or the dimensions of the ball and socket joint can be reduced.
US07771125B2
A retainer for a rolling bearing, which is used for a food machine or a vacuum apparatus, containing an increased amount of a lubricating oil and enhancing a use efficiency of the lubricating oil and rolling bearing is described. The retainer consists of a molding, of a synthetic resin composition, which holds a rolling element of a rolling bearing. The molding is composed of a resinous porous article having an interconnected hole porosity not less than 30% and a lubricating oil which impregnates the resinous porous article. The resinous porous article has an interconnected hole are formed by molding a resin containing a pore-forming substance having a melting point higher than that of the resin and can be used as a food material, and by extracting said pore-forming substance from the molding with a solvent which dissolves the pore-forming substance and does not dissolve the resin.
US07771124B2
A vehicle wheel bearing apparatus has a wheel hub integrally formed with a peripheral wheel mounting flange at one end and a double row rolling bearing. The double row rolling bearing has an outer member integrally formed with a peripheral body mounting flange and with double row outer raceway surfaces. An inner member, including the wheel hub, is formed with double row inner raceway surfaces each arranged opposite to each of the double row outer surfaces. Double row rolling elements are freely rotatably contained between the double row outer and inner raceway surfaces. The double row rolling bearing is adapted to receive a predetermined preload. A separate outer or inner ring is arranged on at least one of the outer or inner members. A preload varying mechanism is arranged at an abutting portion between the outer and inner members to vary the preload applied to the bearing. The preload varying mechanism can be extended or contracted based on an output signal from a detecting sensor to detect the vehicle running conditions.
US07771119B2
Inclined portions 15 which are provided at both end portions of a slider-side rolling element raceway groove 11 are each made up of a first crowning 18 which is formed into a curved surface shape with a large radius of curvature so as to be inclined moderately and continuously from the slider-side rolling element raceway groove, a planar second crowning 19 which neighbors the first crowning and extends towards an inner circumferential surface of a direction turning path and which is steeper in inclination than the first crowning and shorter in axial length than the first crowning, and a slope 20 which is provided between the second crowning and an end face of a slider main body and is formed steeper than the first and second crownings.
US07771115B2
A sensor, device, system and method for sensing temperature includes a pull up circuit coupled to a pull down circuit for generating a variable pull up output current and a variable pull down output current varying according to circuit elements responsive to temperature change. A pull up transistor and a pull down transistor are respectively serially coupled to first and second switches for alternatingly respectively switching additional pull up and pull down current into the pull up output current and the pull down output current. A comparator controls the additional pull up and pull down currents in response to a comparison of a summed output voltage and a reference voltage.
US07771114B2
The installation contains a current conductor producing Joulean heat in the operating state, a cooling element and a monitoring device. The cooling element has a condensable working medium and an evaporator, which can be heated by the current conductor of the installation, and a condenser which has been withdrawn from the heating effect of the current conductor. The monitoring device comprises at least one sensor for detecting a parameter of the cooling element and an evaluation unit, which receives output signals from the sensor. In the evaluation unit, the output signals of the sensors are evaluated and a signal describing the state and/or the functionality of the cooling element is formed there. This installation is characterized by high operational reliability with a high current-carrying capacity and dimensions which are kept small.
US07771106B2
A lamp socket with decreased number of components is presented. The lamp socket includes a socket housing and a power supply member. The socket housing has a connecting hole. The power supply member includes a first lamp connecting terminal and a second lamp connecting terminal. The first lamp connecting terminal is inserted into the connecting hole and includes a first fixing portion that extends through the connecting hole and a first guide portion that extends from an end portion of the first fixing portion toward a first inner wall of the connecting hole. The second lamp connecting terminal is inserted into the connecting hole and includes a second fixing portion that extends through the connecting hole and a second guide portion that extends from an end portion of the second fixing portion toward a second inner wall of the connecting hole.
US07771105B2
Disclosed are a liquid crystal display device and a method for assembling the liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device has a display section for displaying images, a receiving container for receiving the display section, a power supplying section for supplying a power source to the display section, a signal converting section for converting signals from the display section and a fixing section for fixing the power supplying section and the signal converting section to the receiving container. The power supplying section and the signal converting section are disposed between the display section and the fixing section with directly facing to a rear surface of the receiving container. Accordingly, a total thickness and weight of the liquid crystal display device can be minimized and an assembly facility of the liquid crystal display device can be improved.
US07771100B2
A surface light source apparatus including a point light source, a light guide plate which spreads light introduced from the point light source into a planar shape to output the light from a light outgoing plane, and a light blocking member which covers parts of the point light source and the light outgoing plane of the light guide plate. A gap shielding member is projected toward the light outgoing plane from a surface on a side facing the light outgoing plane of the light blocking member. At least a portion facing the light outgoing plane in the gap shielding member is made of a material having a light blocking property.
US07771094B2
Electrical fixtures, such as junction boxes or recessed luminaires, include mounting brackets that support the fixtures from structural members while fasteners, such as screws or nails, are driven through the mounting brackets, thereby facilitating mounting the fixtures. Each of the mounting brackets has a general U-shape that includes at least three generally planar sides. The top side is generally perpendicular to the other two sides, and the top side connects the other two sides and together. The three sides define (in cross-section) a structural member receiver opening. An inside dimension of the structural member receiver opening is such that bracket fits snugly around at least a portion of a commonly sized wood or metal structural member, such as a furring strip or joist, used in ceiling construction. In one embodiment, two of the sides of the structural member receiver opening define an acute dihedral angle to hood around the edge of a metal furring strip.
US07771091B2
A light control film having a refractive index n and an uneven, irregular surface pattern provides a reasonable level of light diffusion without a glare problem provided, for any cross-section perpendicular to the base plane of the film, the average of absolute values of slope θave of a curve along the edge of the cross-section contoured by the rough surface pattern (profile curve) is at least 78-34 n degrees and no higher than 118-34 n degrees, or the average of absolute values of slope θave of a profile curve to the length L1 of a straight line defined by the intersection of the base plane and the cross-section satisfies the following formula (3) or (4) for substantially all cross-sections. θave÷Lr×n2≧40 (3) 50≦θave×Lr×n2≦135 (4)
US07771086B2
A lighting device (1) comprises a lamp unit (10) for emitting light, a reflector (20) for reflecting the emitted light, and a housing (30) for accommodating both the lamp unit (10) and the reflector (20). Much heat is generated by the lamp unit (10) during operation of the device (1) if the lamp unit (10) comprises a lamp operating at a high power level, such as an ultra high performance lamp, which heat needs to be dissipated to the environment of the lighting device (1). For this purpose, the lighting device (1) is provided with a heat sink (40) arranged between the reflector (20) and the housing (30), which heat sink is thermally coupled to both the reflector (20) and the housing (30). The heat sink (40) comprises metal strips (42) which surround the reflector (20).
US07771082B2
A lamp with heat conducting structure includes a lamp cover made of heat dissipating material. The lamp cover has a hollow configuration therein. An interlayer is horizontally arranged in the lamp cover. The lamp cover is divided into a first space and a second space therein by the interlayer. A LED lamp assembly is disposed in the first space of the lamp cover. A power plug is disposed in the second space of the lamp cover. The power plug has a control circuit board in the second space. The control circuit board has an electronic element disposed thereon. A heat conducting tab protrudes from the interlayer of the lamp cover towards the second space. The heat conducting tab has a heat conducting surface corresponding to the electronic element to thermally contact with the electronic element.
US07771081B2
The invention relates to an LED package having a large beam angle of light emitted from an LED, simplifying a shape of a lens and an assembly process, and to a backlight unit using the same. The LED package includes a housing with a seating recess formed therein and at least one LED seated in the seating recess. The LED package also includes a lens having a predetermined sag on an upper side thereof, covering an upper part of the LED. The LED package and the backlight unit using the same can emit light uniformly without bright spots formed in an output screen, uses a simpler shaped lens with an increased beam angle, and minimizes a color mixing region to achieve miniaturization.
US07771077B2
The present subject matter relates to a tail cap for portable lighting device such as a flashlight. The tail cap includes a locking mechanism which secures the tail cap on the flashlight as well as enables or disables the switch that activates, or deactivates the flashlight and/or its various lighting modes. The tail cap with the present multi-purpose locking mechanism allows the user to rapidly replace the battery, and ensures that the switch and contact pins return to the correct position, after the tail cap is reinserted. The combined use of a magnetic switch and O-ring gasket between the tail cap and main housing ensures complete waterproofing. The ambidextrous switch consisting of either a switch bar or dual push-button switch located on the rear wall of the tail cap allows ambidextrous use, even when the flashlight is mounted on a firearm such as a handgun, where the trigger guard would normally interfere with the operation of a switch mounted on the rear face of the flashlight.
US07771070B2
In one embodiment, the invention is an illumination source. In one embodiment, the illumination source comprises an outer sheath formed of a resilient, substantially transparent or translucent material, and a luminous core housed within the sheath. In further embodiments, the illumination source comprises a selvedge for facilitating mechanical attachment and/or a reflective strip to enhance visibility.
US07771069B2
A gauge assembly that is illuminable by a light source is provided. The gauge assembly may include a dial face having a translucent portion forming at least a perimeter of the dial face and a cover disposed behind the dial. The cover may define a plurality of graduated lines, at least one of the graduated lines having a first portion extending behind the translucent portion and a second portion extending outward from the perimeter of the dial face. The first portion may be visible through the translucent portion when the gauge is illuminated by the light source and obscured by the translucent portion when the gauge is not illuminated by the light source.
US07771059B2
The present invention includes conformable retroreflective structures. In some embodiments, the conformable retroreflective structures are also shrink resistant. The conformable retroreflective structures include a transparent plasticized polyvinyl chloride film having a first side and a second side; a first transparent polymer layer overlying the first side of the plasticized polyvinyl chloride film; a second transparent polymer layer overlying the second side of the plasticized polyvinyl chloride film; an array of retroreflective cube-corner elements underlying the second transparent polymer layer; and a plasticizer resistant adhesive underlying the array of retroreflective cube-corner elements. In some embodiments, the first and second transparent polymer layers are transparent, radiation-cured polymer layers.
US07771046B2
In one embodiment, eyewear having a monitoring capability, such as an activity monitoring capability, is disclosed. Activity, such as motion, steps or distance, can be measured by an activity detector. The measured activity can then be used in providing activity-related information to a user of the eyewear. Advantageously, the user of the eyewear is able to easily monitor their degree of activity.
US07771044B2
Eyeglasses and clip-ons are improved by providing housings for magnets for securing the clip-ons in a uniblock also incorporating one or more of the following: part of a closing block, an end piece, and part of a hinge. The structure is more compact, neater in appearance, and of improved quality as compared to eyeglasses incorporating conventional structures, and is less expensive to manufacture than many conventional eyeglasses, especially in large volume.
US07771039B2
An ink jet printer that performs printing by discharging ink droplets from nozzles of an ink jet head onto a print medium includes: a moisture adjusting unit that is provided at a downstream side of the ink jet head in a print medium transport direction and adjusts moisture of the print medium by moving moisture of a printing surface of the print medium, onto which the ink droplets are discharged from the ink jet head, to a surface opposite the printing surface; and a moisture adjustment control unit that controls moisture adjustment of the print medium performed by the moisture adjusting unit in accordance with a ratio of the number of nozzles, from which the ink droplets from the ink jet head are discharged, to the total number of nozzles.
US07771029B2
A inkjet printer that has an ink supply (112), a printhead integrated circuit (IC) (74) in fluid communication with the ink supply via an upstream ink line (67), the printhead IC (74), a waste ink outlet in fluid communication with the printhead IC (74) via a downstream ink line (106), an upstream shut off valve (138) in the upstream ink line (67), and, a downstream pump mechanism (114) in the downstream ink line. With a valve upstream of the printhead and a pump downstream of the printhead, the user has active control of the ink flow upstream, downstream or in the printhead IC. In the event that problems such as ink flooding, color mixing or printhead depriming occur, the user can follow simple troubleshooting protocols to rectify the situation.
US07771024B2
The invention relates to a pagewidth printhead assembly. The assembly includes a molded polymer ink manifold defining a plurality of discrete fluid conduits therethrough. The assembly also includes a plurality of printhead integrated circuits (ICs) each having a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements for operatively ejecting printing fluid onto a printing medium. Each IC defines a plurality of discrete supply channels for supplying the nozzle arrangements with fluid, and has a bonding surface with a plurality of trenches etched therein, the trenches having a width of less than 10 microns to operatively attract a liquid adhesive by capillary action. The assembly also includes a thermosetting sealing film having a heat liquefied adhesive layer to adhere the bonding surface of the ICs to the lower member when said film is heated, so that the conduits and supply channels are in fluid communication with each other.
US07771023B2
A method of ejecting drops of an ejectable liquid from a printhead that has a plurality of nozzles, and a bubble forming chamber corresponding to each of the nozzles respectively. The bubble forming chambers contain a bubble forming liquid and at least one heater associated with each of the bubble forming chambers respectively. The heater has electrodes for connection to a power supply and heater elements configured for thermal contact with the bubble forming liquid. The heater element is supported within the bubble forming chamber by the electrodes such that it does not contact the bubble forming chamber. The method uses the steps of placing the bubble forming liquid into thermal contact with the heater elements, and heating the heater elements to a temperature above the boiling point of the bubble forming liquid to form a gas bubble such that a drop of an ejectable liquid is ejected through the corresponding nozzle.
US07771006B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a capping member sealing a nozzle forming face of the liquid ejecting head, and a suction unit applying a negative pressure to the nozzle forming face of the liquid ejecting head in a state that the nozzle forming face is sealed with the capping member so that the liquid in the liquid ejecting head is exhaust through a suction port of the capping member. The liquid ejecting head includes the nozzle forming face having a plurality of nozzle opening arrays, a plurality of pressure generating chambers communicating with the nozzle openings respectively, and a plurality of pressure generating members applying pressure to liquid in the pressure generating chambers respectively so as to eject the liquid from the nozzle openings. Each of the nozzle opening arrays has plural nozzle openings. The nozzle opening arrays includes at least one main nozzle opening array for ejecting a first liquid and at least one sub-nozzle opening array for ejecting a second liquid which is different from the first liquid in function. A defining member is provided in the capping member which divides the inner space formed in the state that the nozzle forming face is sealed with the capping member into a first liquid receiving portion corresponding to the main nozzle opening array, and a second liquid receiving portion corresponding to the sub-nozzle opening array, and defines the first liquid receiving portion and the second liquid receiving portion so as to communicate with each other.
US07771001B2
Disclosed is a liquid discharge apparatus that allows a discharge head to discharge liquid to a predetermined object. The apparatus includes the following elements. A plurality of discharge heads are detachable independently. A head switching circuit switches a target discharge head to another target discharge head among the discharge heads in a set switching order to allow the target discharge head to discharge liquid. A monitoring circuit monitors liquid discharge conditions of the respective discharge heads. The liquid discharge conditions of each discharge head include the frequency of use of the discharge head and the presence or absence of a failure in the discharge head. A life determining circuit determines the life of each discharge head on the basis of the result of monitoring by the monitoring circuit. A target head setting circuit sets each of the discharge heads having a remaining life to the target discharge head and sets the switching order so that the frequencies of use of the target discharge heads are imbalanced. A notifying circuit provides a notification for urging replacement of the discharge head whose remaining life is lower than a predetermined value.
US07771000B2
A method is provided for setting a target moving velocity of a carriage in an image forming apparatus wherein a recording head is driven at a driving frequency proportional to a moving velocity of the carriage. The method includes steps of: varying the driving frequency of the recording head proportional to the moving velocity of the carriage so as to measure an ejection velocity of ink droplets ejected from nozzles of the recording head; deriving a velocity range where the ejection velocity of ink droplets from the nozzles of the recording head is increased as the moving velocity of the carriage is increased; calculating a control error between the target moving velocity and an actual moving velocity of the carriage; and setting the target moving velocity of the carriage such that the actual moving velocity of the carriage is within the velocity range based on the calculated control error.
US07770998B2
A maintenance pattern forming method includes conveying, generating, and forming. The conveying conveys a transfer member on a surface of a conveying member such that there is a spacing area between two adjacent transfer members on the surface of the conveying member. The generating generates a timing signal for at least one of a plurality of colors formed by a color image forming apparatus. The forming forms at least one of a process control pattern, a position adjustment pattern, and a blade curl suppression pattern onto the spacing area based on the timing signal.
US07770996B2
The invention is a transport method that transports a medium by causing a transport roller to rotate based on a corrected target transport amount, after correcting the target transport amount that is targeted based on a correction value and includes: printing a first pattern on a medium, printing a second pattern after the medium has been transported by causing the transport roller to rotate by a rotation amount of less than one rotation from a rotation position of the transport roller at a time of printing the first pattern, printing a third pattern after the medium has been transported by causing the transport roller to rotate by a rotation amount of one rotation from a rotation position of the transport roller at a time of printing the first pattern, printing a fourth pattern after the medium has been transported by causing the transport roller to rotate by a rotation amount of one rotation from a rotation position of the transport roller at a time of printing the second pattern, calculating a first correction value based on the first pattern and the third pattern, calculating a second correction value based on the second pattern and the fourth pattern, transporting the medium by correcting the target transport amount based on the first correction value or the second correction value depending on the relative position of the medium.
US07770995B2
A mobile telecommunications device comprising: a printhead for printing a sheet of media substrate, the sheet of media substrate having coded data on at least part of its surface; a media feed assembly for feeding the sheet of media substrate along a feed path past the printhead; a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead; and, a sensor for reading the coded data and generating a signal indicative of at least one dimension of the sheet, and transmitting the signal to the print engine controller; such that, the print engine controller uses the signal to initiate the printing when the sheet is at a predetermined position relative to the printhead.
US07770994B2
A shifting amount of color compensation amount is calculated based on a shifting amount of color obtained from a shifting amount of color storage unit for each image forming unit, and shifting amount of color compensation in the pixel unit is performed by executing address conversion using the calculation result. A feature of an image to be processed is detected, and color density conversion compensation for performing shifting amount of color compensation in less than the pixel unit is performed according to the detected feature. Furthermore, half-tone processing or exceptional processing is selectively executed according to the detected feature.
US07770989B2
Element substrate, and printhead, head cartridge, and printing apparatus using the element substrate
An element substrate has a plurality of printing elements, and a block selection unit which divides the plurality of printing elements into a plurality of blocks and time-divisionally drives the blocks. The element substrate includes a plurality of input terminals which divide the plurality of printing elements included in each block into a plurality of groups and supply a driving voltage to the printing elements belonging to each group, a delay circuit which externally receives an enable signal for enabling energization to the printing elements and generates a plurality of delayed enable signals having different delay times with respect to the enable signal, and a wiring which supplies the enable signal and the plurality of delayed enable signals output from the delay circuit to different groups in the order of the different delay times.
US07770985B2
A kitchen appliance includes a door having an outer panel portion and an inner panel portion, with a plurality of mounting members being spaced about the outer panel portion of the door. A glass panel assembly, including a glass panel and a plurality of mounting elements, is detachably mounted to the door through the interengagement of the plurality of mounting elements with the plurality of mounting members. The mounting elements are adhesively secured to the glass panel. Neither the plurality of mounting members nor the plurality of mounting elements are readily visible normally when viewing the kitchen appliance such that the glass panel appears to float relative to the door.
US07770984B2
A machine including: a frame assembly including one or more drive wheels and one or more idler wheels affixed to the frame assembly; a track belt disposed about the drive and the idler wheel; a hydraulic actuator arrangement including a hydraulic cylinder and accumulator affixed to the idler wheel that provides a force to tension the track belt; and a tension management system in operable communication with the hydraulic cylinder that maintains a pressure inside the hydraulic cylinder within a specified range.
US07770977B2
The headrest and side rails of a patient procedures chair are mounted on posts which are slidably received in elongated, self-aligning or floating plastic bearings. With this construction, any misalignment of the posts due to manufacturing tolerances will be accounted for as the bearings readjust themselves. Clamping devices engage the bearings and cause deformation to increase the frictional engagement of the bearings with the posts to the point where the posts are locked into place. In this regard, actuation of the clamps is accomplished by large knobs that protrude from the back of the chair for ready accessibility.
US07770976B2
A multi-functional auxiliary headrest for car seat is disclosed. The auxiliary headrest comprises a body mounted with a suspension strap at the rear side of the seat and one side of suspension strap being stitched and the other side having a male Velcro fastener, and the center of the suspension strap being a female Velcro, characterized in that the auxiliary headrest is provided with a securing strap or a securing strap stitched onto a seat cover, and the securing strap is positioned at the suspension strap at the back of the auxiliary headrest, and the securing strap and the seat cover are secured to the headrest at the car seat, the suspension strap of the auxiliary headrest passes through the securing strap such that the male Velcro can be freely mounted to adapt to the physical size of the driver.
US07770975B2
A locking device, such as a pawl and sector latch for a vehicle seat, is provided. The locking device includes a first fitting part having a body portion and an insert form-fitted in a recess in an outer periphery of the body portion. The insert has an outer contour having a plurality of teeth. The locking device further includes a second fitting part configured to be moved into a releasable form-fitting engagement with the first fitting part.
US07770972B2
An actuator assembly for adjusting first and second comfort features of a seat assembly includes a housing and a shaft mounted for linear and rotational movement in the housing. A main gear is mounted on the shaft and mounted for rotational movement in the housing. The shaft and main gear are linearly movable between first and second positions relative to the housing. A first cable assembly includes a first pinion gear mounted for rotational movement in the housing. A first rack is mounted for linear movement in the housing. The first rack engages with the first pinion gear such that rotation of the first pinion gear linearly moves the first rack. A first cable is connected to the first rack. The first cable is adapted to be connected to a first comfort feature. A second cable assembly includes a second pinion gear mounted for rotational movement in the housing. A second rack is mounted for linear movement in the housing. The second rack engages with the second pinion gear such that rotation of the second pinion gear linearly moves the first rack. A second cable is connected to the first rack. The cable is adapted to be connected to a second comfort feature. When the main gear is in the first position, the main gear is engaged with the first pinion gear. When the main gear is in the second position, the main gear is engaged with the second pinion gear.
US07770970B2
A modular child restraint system for use in vehicles comprises a base and interchangeable attachable seats where the seats are for different stages of childhood development. The system can further comprise additional bases adapted to other uses such as strollers and infant swings. A common engagement mechanism allows the various seats to be moved from one base to another. One such system comprises a base and a seat configured to rotate relative to one another when engaged. The seat can also lock in a position relative to the base. The base includes a visual indicator to show that the seat is secured to the base.
US07770966B2
A passenger seat assembly and method for converting the seat assembly between a three-seat configuration and a two-seat configuration includes a seat assembly base and first, second, and third seats mounted on the seat assembly base. The first and third seats define outboard seats and the second seat defines an inboard seat disposed between the outboard seats. The seat back of the inboard seat includes an upper portion movably mounted to the lower portion. The seat bottom is removable and repositionable between the three-seat configuration and the two-seat configuration to form a convenience area between the outboard seats. A power console movably mounted on the seat assembly base supports the seat bottom of the inboard seat and provides at least one power outlet for supplying electrical power. In particular, the inboard seat is convertible between a seating configuration and a non-seating configuration.
US07770963B2
A cab structure for a construction machine that includes a plurality of pole members and can ensure the rigidity of the cab structure for a construction machine is provided. The cab structure unit includes the rear-right pole member that has a length that is shorter than other pole member (rear-left pole member) and does not reach the level of a floor panel (joint panel) so that the recessed space is formed in the rear side of the cab (10). The rear-right pole member is joined to the first rear panel portion and the plate-shaped member as a reinforcement member that reinforces a part from the lower end of the rear-right pole member to the height position of the floor panel.
US07770960B2
Various embodiments of this invention disclose a biaxial rear door hinge of a vehicle that allows the vehicle door to open outward and then upward. This biaxial hinge system allows the rear door in a sedan to mimic the look of a vertically pivoting front door.
US07770957B2
A seat apparatus for a vehicle, which includes an inner slide rail, an outer slide rail including an outer upper rail and an outer lower rail, a seat cushion provided slidably in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and configured to be flipped up to a wall portion of the vehicle compartment to be in a storage position, a hinge mechanism fixing the outer upper rail to the seat cushion, a bearing smoothly sliding the outer upper rail relative to the outer lower rail, a spring provided around a rotational shaft of the hinge mechanism for biasing the seat cushion in a direction to be flipped up, and at least one rotating member provided between the outer upper rail and the outer lower rail so as to receive a load in a lateral direction of the vehicle applied to the outer upper rail by the spring.
US07770956B1
A cargo bed extender extends the useful length of a cargo bed when the tailgate is open and has an outer shell that is attached to inner side of the tailgate. An end panel slides between the tailgate and outer shell when in a stowed position and is secured on catch hinges when in a deployed position. Side panels are attached to the end panel on hinges that allow the side panels to fold against the end panel and slide as a unit with the end panel between the tailgate and the outer shell. Outer shell end caps slide over the ends of the outer shell adding support and strengthen to the outer shell. Retainers 38 are fastened to the upper rear of the inner side of the pickup truck bed sidewalls to secure the side panel when in a deployed position.
US07770940B2
A coupling part for a plug connector arrangement is provided. The coupling part having a coupling body comprising a receptacle into which a plug-in part can be plugged into in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the receptacle, in order to produce a fluid-tight connection. The coupling part has two spaced-apart locking elements which, in a locking position, penetrate laterally, opposite one another, into the receptacle in order to engage behind the plug-in part and which can be moved into a release position in order to release the plug-in part. A spring element is integrally formed with and connects the locking elements together. In order to develop the coupling part so that it is easier to handle, the coupling part is provided with an actuating element which is adapted to be moved relative to the coupling body. Movement of the actuating element causes the locking elements to be moved out of the locking position into the release position, in which they are spaced apart from one another to a greater extent than in the locking position.
US07770921B2
In at least one embodiment, the present invention provides a side airbag for protection of a vehicle occupant. The side airbag is adapted to be inflated by gas from an inflator. The side airbag comprises a side panel which forms an exterior of the side airbag. The side panel defines a vent hole for venting the gas to outside the side airbag. A closing panel is disposed about the vent hole. The closing panel is configured such that the vent hole is unobstructed to vent the gas during inflation of the side airbag until the side airbag is substantially inflated. The side and closing panels cooperate to obstruct the vent hole with the closing panel such that the gas is substantially not vented. When the side airbag is obstructed from substantially inflating, for example due to the proximity of an out-of-position occupant, the vent hole remains unobstructed to vent the gas.
US07770918B2
A curtain airbag for installation in the roof frame area of a motor vehicle exhibits at least one guide chamber which is located in the upper section of curtain airbag and which is connected with its inflatable area from the point of view of gas flow. The at least one guide chamber can be inflated on the outer side of the curtain airbag when this is in a mounted state. The upper section of curtain airbag is directed downwards when in the mounted state.
US07770914B2
An airbag assembly is described. The airbag assembly includes an airbag housed within an airbag housing and an airbag inflator. A B-ring that engages the airbag housing is also added. The B-ring comprises a base surface, a first stabilizing bracket and a second stabilizing bracket, wherein the first and second stabilizing brackets extend away from the base surface and restrict movement of the airbag housing in a lateral and vertical direction. The airbag assembly may optionally include a vehicle bracket that is capable of being attached to a vehicle structure. The second stabilizing bracket may be secured to the vehicle bracket.
US07770907B2
An all terrain vehicle includes left and right vehicle body frame portions and left and right suspension arms, respectively suspending left and right rear wheels, and capable of moving up and down together with the left and right rear wheels. The left and right vehicle body frame portions have a portion bent toward the center in a vehicle width direction, and a suspension arm support portion connected to the bent portion toward the rear of the vehicle and inclined to the center in the width direction of the vehicle. The left and right suspension arms are connected to the pair of left and right suspension arm support portions. The all terrain vehicle is provided with a more compact frame.
US07770901B2
A chuck (1) for angular offset woodturning including a first member (2) adapted to be secured to a lathe, and a second member (3) adapted to support a work piece and secured to the first member in such that the second member is oriented with respect to the first member between at least two configurations. The first member having a first axis (4) coaxial with an axis of rotation of the lathe and the second member having a second axis (5), and in one of the configurations the second axis is coaxial with the first axis, and in the other configuration the second axis is angularly offset. The chuck further includes a releasable fastening member (12) incorporating alignment members allowing the second member to be secured in one of the two configurations and that in the other configuration the second axis lies relative to said first axis at one of a number of predetermined angular offsets.
US07770897B2
A dynamic shaft seal assembly is provided including a dynamic seal for engaging a rotary shaft. The dynamic seal includes a base portion that is mounted within a casing and has an axially extending barrel portion extending from a radially inner end of the base portion. The axially extending barrel portion terminates in a radially extending leg portion which extends inwardly from an end of the axially extending portion. A generally conically shaped seal portion extends from an end of the radially extending portion and the seal portion includes a radially inner face engaging the shaft and a radially outer face having a stiffening bead integrally formed thereon. The stiffening bead reduces the seal's propensity for “bell mouthing” while the axially extending barrel portion provides improved shaft followability for the dynamic seal.
US07770896B2
A sealing assembly including a sealing member made of elastomeric material and PTFE; a supporting armature; and an annular L-shaped shield cooperating, in use, with the sealing member. The armature has a sleeve portion and a radial flange portion partly supporting a radial portion of the sealing member, projecting towards the axis of symmetry and made of elastomeric material with no supporting armature. The radial portion increases in axial size towards the axis of symmetry, and supports, on its free end, a sleeve made of PTFE, the sleeve having a cylindrical first end portion projecting axially, and a conical second end portion projecting axially on the opposite side to and by a greater amount than the first end portion to form an elastically deformable axial sealing lip extending, in undeformed conditions, farther away from the axis of symmetry as it comes away from the flange portion.
US07770894B2
Provided is a prize acquisition game device in which a control unit constituted from a microcomputer controls a prize acquisition unit that moves in a game space with a plurality of prizes disposed therein, and controls the acquisition of the prize. The control device moves the prize acquisition unit to the target prize based on an operation signal, judges the success of the acquisition of the prize, and moves the prize acquisition unit that acquired the prize to apposition where the prize can be paid out to the player. And an obstruction unit for obstructing the prize while it is being transported, or when the prize is to be dropped in the prize payout slot has been provided.
US07770888B2
A paper-feeding device for use in an image forming apparatus that includes a tray on which a recording sheet is configured to be stacked, the tray having an upper surface and a lower surface both being exposed to outside. Two side fences that are movably attached to the upper surface are used for adjusting a position of stacked recording sheet. Two side-fence position indicators indicate a position of the side fences.
US07770887B2
The present invention relates to a paper money guide apparatus of an ATM, and more particularly, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper money guide apparatus of an ATM that can adjustably guide various kinds of paper money having different widths by a simple structure.In order to achieve the object, according to an aspect of the present invention, a paper money guide apparatus of an automatic teller machine guides ends of paper money when paper money stacked in a paper money stacking space is moved by a transfer plate. The paper money guide apparatus includes paper money guide plates that each include a guide piece guiding an end of the paper money and a positioning part being detachably positioned in a width direction of the paper money depending on the width of the paper money.
US07770883B2
A printer comprising: a support structure; a feed arrangement positioned on the support structure and configured to feed an endmost sheet of print media from the stack and including a movable pick-up assembly, the pick-up assembly having an array of spaced apart nozzles configured to direct air on to respective locations along said topmost sheet so that said topmost sheet can be picked-up from the stack by moving said pick-up assembly;a pair of rollers configured to engage with said endmost sheet fed from said feed arrangement; a printing station configured to print ink upon said endmost sheet engaged by said rollers; and an air displacement mechanism connected to the nozzles to displace air out of some expulsion nozzles and into some other suction nozzles, wherein said pick-up assembly is capable of rotational movement.
US07770882B2
A method and apparatus are provided for processing sets of sheets. The apparatus includes a frame, a hopper for moving a stack of sheets, a pre-singulator for separating a portion of a sheet from the stack, a sheet peeler for peeling part of a pre-singulated sheet from the stack, a sheet picker for gathering peeled sheets into a set, and a sheet discharger for clearing the set of sheets. The sheet peeler may include at least one rotating drum. The sheet picker may include one or more augers.
US07770880B2
A technology for selecting a sheet feeding source in an image forming apparatus including a plurality of sheet feeding sources is disclosed. A rank is acquired for each of the sheet feeding sources from a search order. The search order defines ranks for possible setups of sheet feeding sources. Each acquired rank represents a setup of a sheet feeding source, which setup is available in the image forming apparatus. A sheet feeding source that satisfies a user specification and whose rank is highest is selected from among the sheet feeding sources.
US07770878B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including: a plurality of paper feed trays in which paper sheets are to be stacked; paper feed units each provided to each of the plurality of paper feed trays, the paper feed units sucking or discharging air in accordance with setting values corresponding to types of paper sheet to carry the paper sheets stacked in the respective paper feed trays toward a paper path; a storage unit to store the setting values for the paper feed units according to the types of paper sheet; an input unit to input a change instruction value for changing at least one of the setting values; and a control unit to change the at least one of the setting values stored in the storage unit into the change instruction value and to store the changed at least one of the setting values into the storage unit.
US07770875B2
An aspect of the invention is provides a clamping shell for placement about an elongate pipe for accommodating a chain vise thereover, the clamping shell having: a pair of elongate generally arcuate half-shells, each half shell having an internal portion for engagement with the pipe, the internal portion including a non-uniform surface for frictional engagement with the pipe; and at least one of the half-shells of the pair including a pocket formed on an external surface thereof for supporting the chain vise therein.
US07770870B1
A portable winch system mounted to a standard trailer hitch tow ball of a vehicle permits steep incline pulling angles of the winch without cutting into the neck portion of the tow ball. To achieve a broad range of inclination angles, the cup plate (socket that fits over the tow ball) and/or the ball-locking portion of the winch system includes relieved neck-clearance areas. In some embodiments, the cup plate and/or ball-locking mechanism includes neck contact points that are softer than the material of the tow ball.
US07770863B2
A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor and an upper rail slidably supported relative to the lower rail and having a U-shaped cross section opened downward. The seat apparatus includes a supporting member integrally formed with a bottom wall portion and fixed, at both longitudinal ends thereof, to an upper portion of the upper rail and a side wall portion extending upward from at least one width directional end of the bottom wall portion. The supporting member supports a vehicle seat. The supporting member includes a curved portion integrally formed at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the bottom wall portion of the supporting member and curved upward to be distant from the upper rail.
US07770833B2
A centrifugal brake device capable of preventing backlash of a bait cast reel by using the centrifugal force generated from a spool is disclosed. The centrifugal brake device includes a shoe housing engaged to one side of a spool and including a plurality of brake shoes disposed in a radial direction, a stopper positioned on an upper portion of the shoe housing to restrict the brake shoes, a stopper controller engaged to an upper portion of the stopper to control a lifting position of the stopper, a spool cover enclosing the shoe housing and including a brake ring engaged to an inner surface of the spool cover, the brake shoes coming into contact with the brake ring when the brake shoes are released from the stopper, a slide cam engaged to one side of the spool cover to control a lifting position of the stopper controller, with a spring being interposed between the slide cam and the spool cover, and an adjustment dial for gradually adjusting a lifting degree of the slide cam, the adjustment dial being provided with displacement portions on a surface thereof contacting the slide cam.
US07770832B2
A chipper device for chipping one or more metal ingots. The chipper device includes a cutter head and a guide mechanism associated with the cutter head. The guide mechanism includes a chute having a passageway. A feed mechanism is adapted to move one or more ingots sequentially through the passageway of the chute into engagement with the cutter head, whereby the cutter head chips the ingots into a plurality of particles.
US07770828B2
Method of manufacturing resin particles capable of manufacturing resin particles of controlled particle size stably and efficiently by removing bubbles from the surface of a molten kneaded product as the raw material for resin particles thereby sufficiently ensuring action sites for a surfactant on the surface of the molten kneaded product, is provided. The method includes a coarsely-pulverizing step of pressurizing a mixture of a molten kneaded product containing a synthetic resin and an aqueous medium containing a surfactant to 15 MPa to 120 MPa thereby removing bubbles attached to the molten kneaded product containing the synthetic resin, and a finely-granulating step of finely granulating, by a high pressure homogenizer method, an aqueous slurry containing coarse particles of a molten kneaded product passing through a pressure proof nozzle in the coarsely-pulverizing step and in a state where bubbles attached to the surface are removed.
US07770827B2
An apparatus and method for dry treatment of grain comprises a grain peeler for mechanically treating pre-cleaned grain to remove flour bran and coarse bran to a peeling depth of about 4% to 9% with simultaneous separating of the flour bran; an aspiration separator separating coarse bran based on particle velocity and size; a grain mill; and sieve separator separating the husk bran of between 2%-3% of the grain kernel mass from endosperm flour by differences in particle size. An apparatus and method for mash preparation from the endosperm flour comprises mixing tank for mixing endosperm flour with water, enzymes, etc; a colloid mill for processing the batch using mechano-activation with oscillation frequencies between 1 and 200 kHz and with impulse duration of between 0.05 and 1.0 seconds and for 2 to 20 processing cycles, coarse particle sifter for separation of the coarse batch particles form the mash.
US07770819B2
A line marker includes a main body and a rod. The main body has a wheel axle set at a bottom of its front side and rear side respectively and the wheel axle has two wheels fitted at its two ends. The main body also includes a paint-spraying base having a positioning hole and a pressing block located below and paralleled the positioning hole with a proper distance for pressing a spraying head to start spraying. The rod is connected with the main body by its lower portion, having a lever fixed at its upper end, connected with a pulling line by its one end. The pulling line has its other end connected with the pressing block to activate it to move. So, controlling the lever to pull the pulling line, the pressing block can be moved to activate the paint spray can to carry out spraying.
US07770813B2
A spray penetration control method that controls penetration of fluid injected as a spray from an injector. The control method uses multiple successive injection events instead of single injection events to reduce overall spray penetration. Dwell times may be fixed or varied between successive injection events to reduce overall spray penetration. Also, the mass of fluid spray injected by the injector may be fixed or varied during each multiple successive injection event to reduce overall spray penetration and the number of successive injection events may be adjusted so that a desired total amount of mass is delivered in accordance with a desired penetration.
US07770805B2
The invention relates to a method for coding a two dimensional (2D) optical identification (OID) with the same gray level and a printing product thereof. The printing product includes a 2D-OID, which includes a positioning block and a plurality of data coding blocks. The positioning block has a plurality of specific patterns arranged as an N×M matrix, wherein the specific patterns along a first edge thereof and the specific patterns along a second edge thereof are filled. The data coding blocks are disposed around the positioning block and include the specific patterns arranged as the N×M matrix, wherein the specific pattern in a center of the data coding blocks is filled. A specific number of the remaining specific patterns in each data coding block are filled to serve as a code for representation of data.
US07770801B1
A reward or retailer's card and a method of making a card having an overall recycle code of no greater than about 5. The card includes a core card stock made of a material having a recycle code of less than about 5. Variable indicia is printed on the card stock. A hot stamped substantially transparent foil layer is applied to at least the variable printed indicia on the card stock to protect the printed indicia.
US07770797B2
Disclosed in this specification is a method for processing barcode data from one or more barcode scanners. The decoded data is reformatted in accordance with selected reformatting instructions and thereafter supplied to a software application for subsequent use. Preferably, the reformatting instructions can be customized by the end users, thus permitting the end users to adjust their system to receive previously unknown barcode formats.
US07770792B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing stock visibility during transportation of stock from between storage facilities. Such systems and methods can provide information identifying the location of stock while it is being transported to a new location and can provide the ability to alter the destination of stock while it is in transit to a new location. Upon the removal of stock from a warehouse, an inventory management system may be updated to indicate a transport unit of a vehicle that is being used to move the stock and, thus, provide visibility of the stock while it is in transit. In addition, through identification of the transport unit moving the stock to a new location, the vehicle transporting the stock may be rerouted to transfer the stock to an alternate location.
US07770788B2
A method and system for managing the creation and delivery of an electronic group message is disclosed. The electronic group message can be provided to two or more (i.e., a group) of signers to sign the electronic group message. Once signed, the electronic group message can be provided to one or more recipients. Alternatively, the electronic group message can be provided from a signer to a plurality of recipients, where different recipients receive different messages. One type of electronic group message is an electronic card known as a care card.
US07770782B2
A system which allows healthcare providers to monitor hand hygiene compliance includes a data reader adapted to be worn by a healthcare provider. The system includes a portal trigger disposed at each door portal of a patient room which activates the reader to record an entrance event when the provider enters the patient room. The system includes a dispenser trigger disposed at each cleaning dispenser having cleanser in or at the entrance of each patient room which activates the reader to record a dispensing event when the provider causes the dispenser to dispense cleanser, the reader having a display which displays a number of dispensing events and a number of entrance events. A method which allows healthcare providers to monitor hand hygiene compliance. A system which allows a person to monitor hand hygiene compliance. A method for allowing a person to monitor hand hygiene compliance.
US07770778B2
A hemming working is performed by a positioning step of positioning a first panel formed with a projected portion for welding on a second panel formed with a flange portion; a first bending step of bending the flange portion; and a second bending step of pressing the flange portion on an outer side of the projected portion.
US07770762B2
This invention is a collapsible flexible pouch that fits into a rigid bottle that is connected to a pump such that the pouch collapses while the bottle remains rigid as the contents of the pouch are pumped out. The pouch has a rigid upper part that serves as a seat for the collapsing pouch, the pouch also having one and only one contraction forming an annular concertina that seats on the upper rigid part of the collapsible pouch which collectively prevents blocking and clogging of the exit opening very effectively. An air inlet is provided in the rigid bottle to prevent a vacuum from forming around the collapsing pouch as its contents are dispensed.
US07770759B2
A liquid dispenser device for being associated with a liquid reservoir, said device comprising: a chamber (10) provided with an inlet valve (5, 15), an outlet valve (27, 32), and a piston (3) that is suitable for varying the volume of the chamber (10); a liquid dispenser orifice (25); and a pusher (2) that is axially displaceable down and up between a rest position and a depressed position; the dispenser device being characterized in that the piston (3) includes an elastically-deformable portion (31) that is deformed by the pusher (2) in its depressed position, in such a manner as to open the outlet valve.
US07770734B2
To provide a packing implement for goods transportation that facilitates packing in the transportation of the goods and is a combination of a baseboard and a holding sheet. The baseboard is a rectangular board for supporting an article to be transported at a fixed position, and has rising parts, falling parts and shape retaining parts. The rising parts are folded back upward from both end edges of a short side of the baseboard, the falling parts are folded back downward from both side edges of a long side of the baseboard, respectively, the falling part is constituted by a leg part orthogonal to the baseboard and a bottom part which is bent parallel with the baseboard, and a buffer space corresponding to a rising height of the leg part of the falling part is formed by the leg part bent so as to be orthogonal to the baseboard and the bottom part bent parallel with the baseboard. The shape retaining part is a corner part of the baseboard left between an end edge of the rising part and an end edge of the falling part. The shape retaining part is continued to the ring part and the falling part, is folded back parallel with the rising part when the end edge of the falling part is bent to a lower surface side of the baseboard, and is erected to hold the falling part bent when the rising part is folded back upward. The holding sheet is bridged over a surface of the baseboard and attached to both the falling parts, covers a surface of the article on the baseboard, is tensed by bend of the falling part, and presses and fixes the article to the baseboard.
US07770725B2
In a storage case for accommodating a capsule endoscope in which a power supply can be operated by a predetermined magnetic force, when the capsule endoscope is retained by both a retaining portion provided in a blister pack and a hole portion provided in an inner cover portion while accommodated in the storage case, the blister pack, the inner cover portion, a sterilizing sheet, and a shield of the storage case are configured to cover an operable range for power supply of the capsule endoscope, and the storage case prevents malfunction of the capsule endoscope accommodated therein even if a magnet is unintentionally approximated.
US07770719B2
A self-correcting conveyor facility has a conveyor belt for transporting flat objects, in particular mail items. The self-conveying correcting conveyor facility has an elastic conveyor belt for transporting flat objects, in particular mail items. The conveyor belt rests on a correction roller, which is supported in a rotatable manner in a roller support. The roller support is supported in a fixed support in such a manner that it can be rotated about a support rotation axis. The fixed support is arranged in such a manner that an angle results between the support rotation axis and the belt axis of the conveyor belt. Displacement of the conveyor belt causes rotation of the correction roller. This rotation stretches the conveyor belt. The rotation produces a restoring force, which displaces the conveyor belt back.
US07770718B2
A conveyor includes a conveyor belt, a plurality of rollers, and a flight. The rollers have lower surfaces configured to engage a roller-engagement surface, and upper surfaces that substantially form a plane, such that the rollers engage the roller-engagement surface and rotate to move an object supported by the rollers over the plane. The flight includes a cam configured to engage a cam surface below the conveyor belt to impart a moment on the flight, and a projection that responds to the moment by rotating from a retracted position to an extended position.
US07770715B2
A conveyor displaces a succession of identical screens along a closed annular path having a generally horizontal upper stretch and a lower return stretch spaced below the upper stretch. Particle mats are formed on the screens on the upper stretch. A press along the upper stretch downstream of the mat-former compresses the mats into rigid panels. A screen changer includes a unit for removing a bad screen from the conveyor and a unit for feeding a fresh screen to the conveyor and thereby replacing the bad screen with the fresh screen. One of the units is generally entirely within the path, below the upper stretch and above the lower stretch.
US07770706B2
Embodiments of the present invention include strut based overrunning pulleys that provide one or more of greater durability, lower heat generation, high torque loads carrying capability, potentially tunable vibration dampening, tunable to maximum permissible torque loads before elastic (repeatable) slippage, and/or ease of end of life assessment. In some embodiments, a pulley assembly includes a shaft; a pocket plate having a plurality of pockets; a notch plate adjacent the pocket plate and having a plurality of notches facing the pockets of the pocket plate; a plurality struts disposed in the pockets; a resilient member disposed within the pockets and biasing the struts towards the notches; and a body disposed about the shaft, pocket plate, and notch plate; wherein one of the pocket plate or the notch plate is rotationally coupled to the shaft and the other of the pocket plate or the notch plate is rotationally coupled to the body.
US07770704B1
A multiplate torque converter clutch system, which is adapted for installation in torque converters of different automatic transmission manufacturers, namely, BORG WARNER, ALLISON, FORD, GENERAL MOTORS, and CHRYSLER transmissions. The present multiplate torque converter clutch system is provided in kit format including a hybrid lock-up piston/damper plate subassembly, multiple clutch plates including friction rings, a set of outer damper springs, and a set of inner damper springs. The present multiplate torque converter clutch system also includes a torque converter cover subassembly and a turbine hub subassembly configured to adapt the present torque converter clutch system to different vehicle engines and transmissions respectively. The hybrid lock-up piston/damper plate subassembly can be tuned to match a peak engine torque value by changing the number of damper springs. Advantageously, the present hybrid lock-up piston/damper plate subassembly is disassembled by removal of a single retaining ring to facilitate changes to the damper springs.
US07770703B2
A torque converter having an internal lock-up clutch which is activated by the elastic expansion or ballooning of the torque converter housing. This ballooning occurs due to the increased internal fluid pressure within the torque converter.
US07770695B2
A vehicle lift device and method are provided wherein the lift device has upper and lower platforms that may receive vehicles for parking or storage. The lower platform may be selectively raised or lowered between two levels of a parking structure. The upper platform is mounted on telescoping supports. When the car lift device is raised to place the lower platform at the upper level of the parking structure, the telescoping posts retract allowing the upper platform to lower, thereby providing clearance between the upper platform and a ceiling of the parking structure. The posts retract by the weight of the upper platform, and no hydraulic assist is required. When the lift device is lowered to place the lower platform at the lower level of the parking structure, the upper platform engages the floor of the upper level of the parking structure and thereby covers the opening in the floor. The telescoping posts then extend as the lower platform travels to its lowered position at the lower level.
US07770693B2
An acoustic equipment mat is formed by arranging plural grain pieces of inexpensive silica gel in a single layer. When the mat is disposed under an acoustic equipment, the grain pieces have their upper ends in point contact with a bottom or the like of the acoustic equipment and have their lower ends in point contact with the underlying floor or the like. Hence, the mat 1a is notably reduced in the area of contact with the acoustic equipment or the like, so as to reduce the reflection of vibrations. In addition, the mat 1a is capable of extremely quickly dissipating, in the atmosphere, the vibrations directly propagated to the upper-end side thereof and the vibrations indirectly propagated thereto as reflected by the lower-end side thereof.
US07770685B2
A hydraulic drive circuit for a work vehicle including a positive displacement flow divider positioned intermediate a hydraulic pump and a plurality of hydraulic motors.
US07770678B2
A hybrid vehicle drive control system has a first clutch interposed between an engine and a motor/generator, a transmission including several gear position clutches arranged between the motor/generator and a drive wheel, and a controller. The controller selectively starts the engine using torque from the first clutch during a mode drive change from an electric drive mode to a hybrid drive mode. When an engine start command occurs during the drive mode change, the controller selects the engaged gear position clutch that has the maximum torque transfer capacity from the engaged clutches constituting a vehicle running gear occurring during an engine starting process as a second clutch to be controlled. Then the controller executes a slip control of the second clutch when the first clutch is being connected to start the engine during the mode change from the electric drive mode to the hybrid drive mode.
US07770673B2
A battery powered shuttle car (10) incorporates features and components that facilitate use and operation and effect efficient application in a mining environment. The shuttle car (10) incorporates at least one battery (20) that is secured to the vehicle frame (11) between one of a left front wheel (17) and a left rear wheel (17) or the right front wheel (17) and the right rear wheel (17). A battery change-over mechanism (51) facilitates battery replacement. Additionally, the shuttle car (10) may be provided with an integral discharge end (81) having a substantially fixed height (82). A full load indicator mechanism (83) provides an indication when the conveyor (16) is substantially full to maximize use and operation of the shuttle car (10).
US07770665B2
A system for preparing a slurry in-transit including a first cuttings storage vessel disposed on a transport vehicle, a module configured to operatively connect to the first cuttings storage vessel, and a fluid supply line in fluid communication with the first cuttings storage vessel, the module including, a grinding device configured to facilitate the transfer of fluids and reduce particle size of drill cuttings, wherein the system is operated while the transport vehicle is moving. A method of operating an in-transit slurrification system including using a first vessel disposed on a moving transport vehicle for cuttings storage, and operating the first vessel in a slurrification process while the transport vehicle is moving.
US07770656B2
A system for delivering a cable through a tubing string to a downhole location in a well, includes a plug and a receiver. The plug includes a first connector configured to be operably connected to the cable and further includes a plug housing adapted to fit within the tubing string. A check valve operably associated with a passage in the plug housing restricts fluid flow through the passage in a downhole direction and allows fluid flow through the passage in an uphole direction. The receiver is configured to be positioned at the downhole location and includes a receiver housing and a second connector configured to be operably connected to a downhole device. The second connector is adapted to communicate with the first connector when the receiver and plug housings are engaged.
US07770651B2
A submersible process environment for sub-sea processing is provided. Such environment can include a modular encapsulated unit having an interior volume and one or more processing units disposed therein, a first valve in fluid communication with the interior and exterior of the unit, and a second valve in fluid communication with the interior and exterior of the unit. The first valve and the second valve can be in fluid communication with the processing unit, and the processing unit can receive a fluid from the first valve and discharges the fluid to the second valve.
US07770648B2
A completion method isolates a lower zone while circulation at high rates takes place above to clean debris out of the wellbore. Pressure fluctuation sensitive equipment in a lower completion is isolated with a tubing valve during circulation. This further prevents debris from clogging inlet pressure passages to equipment below the isolation valve during circulation to get the debris out. After circulation the packer is unset and the tubing valve is opened and a wellbore filter tool directs well fluids through a screen and captures the debris as the string is pulled toward the surface.
US07770641B2
A method for enhancing oil recovery includes the step of providing a subsurface reservoir containing hydrocarbons therewithin. A wellbore is provided in fluid communication with the subsurface reservoir. A surfactant-polymer solution is formed for injection into the reservoir. The surfactant-polymer solution is formed by mixing a composition with at least one surfactant, at least one polymer, and at least one co-solvent or co-surfactant such that the surfactant-polymer solution is clear and aqueous stable. The surfactant-polymer solution is injected through the wellbore into the reservoir. A chaser solution is formed for injection into the reservoir. The chaser solution has an additional predetermined quantity of the co-solvent or co-surfactant. The chaser solution is injected through the injection wellbore into the reservoir to increase the production of hydrocarbons from the reservoir while maintaining the clear and aqueous stability of the surfactant-polymer solution.
US07770640B2
A process for enhanced oil and gas recovery. An enriched flue gas is synthesized from utility plant flue gas. The enriched flue gas is customizable for specific requirements; however, the gas is formed to have a high concentration of carbon dioxide. This is used as an injectant for enhancing the liberation of gas and/or oil from subterranean formations. The injection elevates recovery while sequestering carbon dioxide from the power plant source.
US07770634B2
A gas lift production apparatus is provided for use in flushing and snubbing well operation. The apparatus comprises upper production string and lower production string. The upper production string includes at least one side pocket mandrel carrying a gas lift valve, tubular strings connected with every side pocket mandrel, a sliding sleeve installed as part of the production string below side pocket mandrels and a latch seal assembly threaded in the tubular string below the sliding sleeve. The lower production string includes a single bore packer below the latch seal assembly, tubular strings, a landing nipple and a bell mouth at the bottom of the production string. The upper production string are run in and removed as a single unit from the packer which is anchored within the well casing. It is emphasized that this apparatus is provided with three functions such as producing a gas lift well, flushing well and snubbing well operation. Application of the apparatus will prevent flushing or killing fluid from polluting the reservoir and increase production efficiency.
US07770623B2
The invention relates to a shutter for a roller shutter assembly, the shutter comprising a series of shutter panels (10) and a plurality of connecting arms (20). The shutter panels (10) each have an upper edge (11) and a lower edge (12), a first face (13) and a second face (14), and the first faces (18) all face to a first side of the shutter and the second faces (14) all face to an opposite second side of the shutter. The connecting arms (20) each have a lower edge (21) and an upper edge (22), a lower one of two adjacent shutter panels in the series is pivotally connected to a higher one of the two adjacent shutter panels by at least two of the connecting arms (20). The lower edge (21) of each of the at least two connecting arms (20) is pivotally connected to an upper pivotal connection on the first face (13) of the lower of the two adjacent shutter panels, the upper pivotal connection being spaced below the upper edge of the lower shutter panel (10). The upper edge (22) of each of the at least two connecting arms (20) is pivotally connected to a lower pivotal connection on the second face (14) of an upper of the two adjacent shutter panels (10), the lower pivotal connection being spaced above the lower edge (12) of the upper shutter (11) panel (10). The at least two connecting arms (20) are spaced apart along the axes of the pivotal connections between the at least two connecting arms (20) and the upper and lower shutter panels (10).
US07770621B2
According to the invention, a processing aid is used to improve processing in a green (uncured) rubber composition, such as in downstream in-plant processing of an innerliner compound, and maintaining, or more preferably, reducing the air permeability of the cured composition, e.g., innerliner compound. In embodiments, another of the advantages of the present invention is that the processing aid according to the invention can be used in very low levels relative to the other processing aids and oils.
US07770613B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for filling solid particles into a vertical tube by conveying the particles downwardly into the tube along a loading tool that softens the fall of the particles and provides even filling of the tube. The loading tool includes a center member and a plurality of damper members that can be adapted in particular cases to the actual type of particles and the tube diameter. The damper members can be stiff or flexible since they do not occupy a substantial portion of the cross section of the tube at any particular axial location. In operation, the center member can be jerked during the filling operation while simultaneously being lifted up gradually as the tube fills or it can be sequentially lifted. The damper members reduce the falling velocity of the particles and divert the particles from falling in straight downward paths. This avoids bridge formation and breakage of the particles during filling.
US07770612B1
A pressure-actuated air gun having an actuating port in the nozzle of the gun such that, when the actuating port becomes blocked, as by inserting the nozzle of the gun into a coupling on an article to be inflated or deflated, air is caused to pass from a source of pressurized air to the gun. When the actuating port becomes unblocked, as by disengaging the nozzle of the gun from the coupling, air is inhibited from passing from the source of pressurized air to the gun. An air pilot actuated valve is interposed between the source and the gun, and is controlled by air pressure that builds up when the actuating port becomes blocked by the coupling.
US07770611B2
The present invention provides a peelable seal for a multi-chambered container including a first edge and a second edge. At least one of the first edge or second edge includes a stress bearing portion and a non-stress bearing portion.
US07770603B2
A flexible tubular conduit for transporting hydrocarbons comprising at least two metal sheathing covers which are separated by a plastic anti-wear layer. Each cover is produced by helically winding a metal longitudinal element. The anti-wear layer is produced by helically winding a plastic material strip. The plastic material comprises an amorphous polymer with a glass transition temperature ranging from 175 to 255° C.
US07770592B2
A valve comprises a valve body having a fluid inlet and fluid outlet, a valve seat located in the valve body between the fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a valve member movable towards and away from the valve seat for controlling the flow of fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, and a PTC heater in thermal contact with the valve seat for heating the valve seat. The heater is integrated in the valve in a manner where the valve seat is used as an electrical conductor to facilitate operation and assembly of the valve, and a unique valve construction is provided for enabling self-draining to avoid accumulation of water or other liquid in the valve that might negatively impact performance of the valve.
US07770587B2
A case for storing a cosmetic is provided. The case has a base with a first latch portion and configured to support the cosmetic, a cover securable to the base and having a second latch portion, and an applicator for applying the cosmetic and having a third latch portion. The third latch portion engages the first latch portion and the second latch portion to secure the cover to the base when the case is in a closed position.
US07770585B2
Apparatus for applying an additive to cigarette filter tow material which is in, or exiting, a filter tow funnel, the apparatus comprising a flavor inlet, a valve, and a hollow needle positioned downstream of at least a portion of said filter tow funnel, the needle being in fluid communication controlled by said valve with said flavor inlet, whereby, in use, a flavoring is delivered by said needle into the path of said filter tow material.
US07770580B2
A device is provided for respirating a patient by means of high-frequency ventilation, which has at least one device for setting a desired tidal volume by a user, and which has at least one regulating device for regulating an amplitude of the respiration pressure and/or at least one regulating device for regulating the oscillation frequency on the basis of the tidal volume determined. A corresponding method is provided for regulating a device for respirating a patient by high-frequency ventilation and a method is provided for respirating a patient.
US07770579B2
A method and a CPAP apparatus for characterizing a plurality of different mask systems, e.g., masks and hoses, are provided. The CPAP apparatus can be calibrated for different mask systems and hoses by including sensors configured to measure flow and pressure at a flow generator of the CPAP apparatus. When the flow generator is fitted to a new mask system, or any changes are made to an existing mask system, mask or patient interface and/or hose, a method for calibrating the flow generator for the new mask system, mask and/or hose is provided. The method includes determining air flow characteristics using flow measurements made during a first test period when the flow through the mask system is open, measuring or estimating pressure in the mask system during a second test period when the flow through the mask system is blocked and determining air flow characteristics of the diffuser of the mask system using the air flow characteristics of the air delivery hose determined during the first test period and the pressure measurements made during the second test period.
US07770575B2
The sawing machine according to the invention comprises a double portal structure (11) with two pairs of uprights (11.1), along which slides a respective ram (13). The rams (13) bear four support shafts (15), superposed in pairs and each supporting a coaxial roller, respectively a plurality of coaxial pulleys (18), mutually juxtaposed in packet fashion, having coplanar races according to respective vertical planes. A shaft (15) rotates integrally with the respective roller, or with the respective packet of pulleys (18). The other rollers, or packets of pulleys (18) are idle. On sets of four coplanar races is wound a corresponding wire or cutting tool (19) in closed loop, to execute the cut in a corresponding vertical plane of a block of material (B).
US07770573B2
What is disclosed is a portable hunting screen. The hunting screen comprises a frame, camouflage material, and an opening through which a weapon can be fired.
US07770569B2
The procedure for feeding balls (14) to the projectile chamber (11) of a handgun (1), in particular to the projectile chamber of a paintball weapon, whereby the balls (14) are fed by means of a motor from a ball container (3), through a feeder tube (2) into a projectile chamber (11), is characterized by the fact that the motor is controlled as a function of the movement of the balls (14) in the feeder tube (2). The feeding of the balls (14) to the projectile chamber (11) is controlled in accordance with the procedure which is the subject of the invention. The invention has the advantage that the motor is controlled as a function of the actual conditions prevailing inside the feeder tube (2).
US07770559B2
A diaphragm carburettor comprises a diaphragm dosager (2) provided with a diaphragm (3) that separates a first chamber at constant pressure (4) from a second fuel dosaging chamber (5) intercepted by a valve controlled by the diaphragm, said valve being operatively connected with said diaphragm (3), the aforementioned carburettor also foreseeing an electromagnetic actuator (1) associated with said diaphragm (3) to control the opening and closing of said valve, where said actuator (1) also comprises at least one mobile coil (6) directly fixed to the diaphragm, and a fixed magnetic field generator (7) suitable for guiding said coil (6).
US07770557B2
A throttle body (2) includes a resin main body (3) defining a bore (7) through which intake air flows, a valve body (60) having a shaft part (20) rotatably supported by the resin body (3) and a valve part (4) for opening and closing the bore (7) of the main body (3), and a resin cover body (40) attached to the main body (3). The cover body (4) is attached to the main body (3) by welding.
US07770553B2
In order to provide a handheld work machine that does not require expensive start circuitry for the critical start-up phase of the combustion engine, and in which nevertheless the required constant supply voltage for the engine is present in order to achieve optimum starting behavior, a handheld work machine is provided with at least one combustion engine which in operation requires a supply voltage, and with a voltage generator that supplies a generator voltage that depends on the rotary speed of the combustion engine, which generator voltage is used to generate the supply voltage, wherein the handheld work machine is electrically connected to an additional voltage source that prior to starting the combustion engine provides the required supply voltage that at this point in time is not yet present.
US07770540B2
A collapsible and scaleable floor to ceiling post forming an exercise and perch system for domestic cats. Using integral platforms (37,44) that function as steps and perching areas (35). The post may be adjusted to different ceiling heights by adding or removing interchangeable sections (41,44) and provides fine adjustment with a telescopic section that is spring biased (28) to limit forces on the ceiling. The step/platforms are rotationally spaced by 120 degrees for an optimal rise to run ratio resulting in climbing comfort, ascend and descend speed, safety, and contemporary appearance. The post has a cross-section that forces step and loft mounting at 120° intervals using multiples of three cross-sectional facets. The assembly provides for a removable scratching area near the bottom of the post and padded perch area nearest the ceiling.
US07770539B1
An exercise wheel is configured to support canines and provide an apparatus that will enable the canine to exercise within a confined space. The exercise wheel is supported on a three bearing stance that can be configured in a freestanding configuration or in a configuration that is mounted to the exterior wall of a dog kennel. In the mounted configuration, the dog will have an unrestricted access to exercise without leaving the confinement provided by the dog kennel. The exercise wheel is freely rotatable from a frame affixed to the kennel wall with a gap between the wheel periphery and the kennel wall being covered by a plastic seal. The circumferential periphery of the exercise wheel is formed of wire mesh to allow waste and debris to pass through.
US07770537B2
The present invention is a method and device, which is suitable for use in an operating theater just prior to implantation, for selectively applying a medical coating to an implantable medical device, for example a stent. Disclosed is a device for use with a stent deployed on a catheter balloon. The device is configured to apply a medical coating of a desired thickness to the surface of a stent only. This is done by use of a drop-on-demand ink-jet printing system in association with an optical scanning device. The device is further configured so as to, if necessary, apply a plurality of layered coats, each layered coat being of a different coating material, and if appropriate, different thickness. The section of the housing in which the stent is held during the coating procedure is detachable from the housing base. The detachable housing section may be easily cleaned and re-sterilized or simply disposed of.
US07770534B2
A system and method for indication of temperature exposures beyond a set of predetermined limits employs the salts of weak acid-strong base or of a strong acid-weak base compound as reactants. A device includes a housing and capsule. A first reactant and a liquid are included within the capsule. The liquid is chosen such that it expands upon freezing. The capsule is sized such that when the liquid freezes and expands, the capsule fractures. A second reactant is provided within the housing. The location of the second reactant and the method of attaching (if any) the second reactant to the housing may take various forms. When the liquid within the capsule freezes, it expands and fractures the capsule. Upon thawing, the reactant within the capsule escapes and mixes with the reactant located outside the capsule. A second embodiment is a time-temperature indicator. A flexible housing is used, allowing the user to manually deform the housing to fracture a capsule enclosed therein. The reactants combine to produce a color. The color is chosen to be a different color than the housing, allowing a person viewing the indicator device to quickly and easily determine the status of the object being monitored. The threshold temperature at which the device will indicate a changed condition may be varied. Exemplary temperatures include below the freezing temperature, at the freezing temperature, and above the freezing temperature. The capsule composition may be varied such that it melts at a predetermined temperature. Thus, the device may also be used to indicate whether a high temperature has been met or exceeded.
US07770531B2
A system for protecting a modular barge, which includes a plurality of modular barge sections assembled together using male and female connections, is provided. Each modular barge section has a top surface, a bottom surface, a side wall extending between the top and bottom surfaces, and at least one male connector projecting from the side wall. Some of the male connectors are exposed at an outer peripheral of the barge. A bumper is coupled with the at least one exposed male connector. The bumper extends between the top and bottom surfaces of the modular barge section to which it is attached.
US07770530B2
Combination quilted patterns of which at least one component pattern is continuous are sewn on a multi-layered web of material with the sewing heads on one bridge as the material is advanced longitudinally. The bridge might or might not also move longitudinally. Simultaneously, different patterns, either continuous or discontinuous, are sewn with another independently moveable bridge. The continuous patterns extend substantially the lengths of quilted panels on a web, and may extend without thread cuts or tacks along the web across the lengths of more than one panel. One pattern can be changed while the other pattern continues along the web. New patterns, intermediate quilted products and methods for quilting them are provided.
US07770528B2
A solid fuel burner and its combustion method suited for encouraging fuel ignition and avoiding slugging caused by combustion ash, wherein a gas of low oxygen concentration (exhaust combustion gas) is used as a carrier gas of such a low grade solid fuel as brown coal. An additional air nozzle for jetting additional air having a velocity component in the circumferential direction of a fuel nozzle is provided in the fuel nozzle, thereby encouraging mixing between the fuel and air in the fuel nozzle. Further, the amount of air supplied from the additional air nozzle is adjusted in response to the difference in combustion loads. Under light load, the amount of air supplied from the additional air nozzle is increased so as to increase the oxygen concentration of the circulating flow formed downstream of the outside of the outlet of the fuel nozzle, whereby stable combustion is ensured. Under heavy load, by contrast, the amount of air supplied from the additional air nozzle is decreased, and a flame is formed away from the fuel nozzle in such a way that burner structures and furnace wall will be less subjected to radiant heat.
US07770526B2
A lift-assist system for a man-way cover includes a unitary spring mounted to the axis of rotation for the man-way cover. The spring includes a coil portion on either side of the axle of rotation, with a unitary bridge portion spanning between the coil portions. The bridge portion of the spring presses down on a cantilevered extension of the man-way cover, called a duck bill. A first predetermined spacing is provided between the coil portions and the axle and second predetermined spacing is provided between the ends of the coil portions and the mounting of the axle. These predetermined spacings accommodate the variations in the coil geometry as the man-way cover moves from a fully shut position to a fully open position and vice versa.
US07770521B2
A method and apparatus for incorporating nanophase elemental materials and metastable interstitial composite materials into projectiles, projectile fragments, ordnance casings, warheads and structural components. The projectile, fragments and casings include an elemental material capable of oxidizing. A coating material that is capable of preventing oxidation of the elemental material and an oxidizing agent may be present and be capable of reacting with the elemental material so that a self-propagating high temperature synthesis reaction from a stabilized solid material is yielded for the purpose of rendering terminal effects or thermal impact to a target at impact.
US07770518B2
Various embodiments of a web are disclosed.
US07770514B1
An improved outdoor cooking apparatus features a pot with multiple cooking inserts and burner frame that supports a burner element. One insert can be used for cooking an entire poultry carcass. Other inserts are perforated baskets that can be used to fry items.
US07770513B2
An apparatus for making an expanded food product from a starch-containing raw material includes a heatable pressure-baking and expansion mold and a raw material supply system. The heatable pressure-baking and expansion mold comprises at least one movable mold element connected to powered driving system that moves the mold element upwardly and downwardly in a vertical direction. The raw material supply system comprises a sliding plate system for transporting a given quantity of raw material from a raw material source into the mold. The driving system comprises a hydraulic cylinder directly attached to the mold element. The vertical axis of the mold element and of the hydraulic cylinder falls substantially along the same vertical line. The hydraulic cylinder is connected to a central high-pressure oil feed line of a hydraulic oil pressure generator system that continuously delivers oil at a constantly high-pressure to the hydraulic drive cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder is connected to a central oil return line which flows the utilized oil back to an oil reservoir of the oil pressure generator.
US07770510B2
An apparatus for making and dispensing a plurality of beverages, the dispensing apparatus comprising; a plurality of beverage dispensing modules (32), each beverage module having a container (68) and a brewing assembly (30) for making a respective beverage and delivering the respective beverage to the container, and a housing (34) associated with the plurality of beverage dispensing modules and defining a chamber containing a liquid for supply to the beverage making assemblies to make respective beverages.
US07770492B2
A bicycle sprocket crank assembly is comprised of first and second crank arms joined to a spindle. One of the crank arms and the spindle may be fabricated as a unitary structure, or both cranks arms may be formed as separate structures and joined together. In either case the spindle has at least a first coupling end with an internally tapped axial bore defined therein and the second crank arm forms at least a first socket at its axle end. At least a first wedging sleeve is provided and is disposed about the first coupling end of the spindle. The first wedging sleeve conforms to the shapes of both the first coupling end of the spindle and the hollow cavity in the first socket. Either the coupling end of the spindle or the hollow cavity is axially tapered, and the wedging sleeve is tapered to match. The wedging sleeve is split in an axial direction, so that as the first socket is drawn onto the first coupling end of the spindle, the wedging sleeve is increasingly forced in between the inner radial surface of the hollow cavity of the socket and the outer radial surface of the coupling end of the spindle.
US07770488B2
A tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus includes a plate bracket, an outer tube, a distance bracket, an outer block, and a fastening arrangement. The plate bracket surrounds an outer surface of an outer tube and has tilt adjustment holes formed on both sides of the plate bracket. The outer tube surrounds an inner tube and has telescopic adjustment hole formed in at least one side thereof. The distance bracket surrounds the outer surface of the outer tube and has fastening holes formed through both sides of the distance bracket. The outer block is positioned between the plate bracket and the distance bracket, and fastens the distance bracket according to the operation of a control lever. A fastener couples the plate bracket, the outer block, and the distance bracket to each other.
US07770472B2
In a pedal operation amount detecting apparatus, a brake pedal and a clevis secured at an end portion of an operating rod are pivotably connected by a connecting shaft, a bush is arranged between the brake pedal and the connecting shaft, detectors are attached on an outer circumferential surface of an elastically deformable bush main body of the bush, and an ECU calculates a pedal tread force based on loads detected by the detectors, whereby a simplified structure, an improved mountainability, and a highly accurate detection of an operation amount can be realized.
US07770469B2
A differential pressure (dP) measurement device for use in flow measurement including a first microwave resonator (1) having a flexible or yieldable part or member (4) deformable or yieldable when subject to a differential pressure in such a way as to alter a resonant frequency of said resonator, and an electronic unit (12, 14) which is coupled to the resonator (1), and where the electronic unit is adapted to produce an output depending on a resonant frequency of the resonator (1).
US07770464B2
The invention is a device for dynamically load testing a sample that comprises a bearing, to which the sample can be directly or indirectly connected in a detachable manner, as well as a counter-bearing that can be effectively connected to the sample by means of at least one actuator element. The at least one actuator element introduces dynamic mechanical loads into the sample which Act along a load path that is directed between the bearing and the counter-bearing and extends through the sample. The at least one actuator element features a multifunctional solid body conversion material system that undergoes deformations due to the supply of energy, and wherein the deformations are at least one cause for the mechanical loads occurring within the sample. The device according to the invention uses at least one actuator element that may be configured in two alternative forms.
US07770463B2
A shear stress sensor for measuring the shear force of a fluid flowing along a wall. A floating member, flush with the wall, senses a shear force of the flowing fluid. The floating member is mounted by support means to a base element that is placed in the wall, so that the floating member is flush with the wall and a shear force, sensed by the floating member, is translated via the support means to a micro-resonator. The force acting on the micro-resonator changes the shape and the refractive index of the micro-resonator, thereby changing the resonant frequency of the micro-resonator and causing a shift in the spectrum of wavelengths of light that is introduced to the micro-resonator. This shift in the spectrum of wavelengths is representative of the shear force of the flowing fluid.
US07770457B2
The invention relates to pseudo porosity standards, and methods for their manufacture and use, which substantially mimic the effect porosity has on ultrasonic sound as it passes through a composite laminate, such as a metallic interleaved composite laminate. An ultrasonic inspection reference standard for composite materials having porosity may include a member having at least one thickness, at least one metallic shim, and at least one mesh. A plurality of metallic shims and meshes may be disposed in alternating layers within the member. The member may be manufactured from a fiber-free polymer resin using a stereo lithography process. Use of the mesh may produce a standard which transmits ultrasonic energy, with the mesh scattering and attenuating the energy. Use of the metallic shim may aide in modeling a metallic laminate. The manufactured reference standard may replace more costly porous, fiber-reinforced, composite reference standards, such as porous metallic interleaved composite laminate reference standards, in the aircraft industry and in other non-aircraft applications.
US07770456B2
An acoustic sensor comprises at least one resonant element. A driver comprises an electrical coupling means and an electromagnetic field source arranged such that the electrical coupling means transfers currents to the electromagnetic field source. The electromagnetic field source produces an electromagnetic field that drives the resonant elements to produce acoustic waves directed to a predetermined part of a test sample. Also provided is an electromagnetic detector for receiving the acoustic spectrum omitted from a test sample and an electrical circuit connected to the drive around detector.
US07770449B2
A resistive-type humidity sensing structure with microbridge includes a substrate, a sensing portion, and two measuring electrodes. An isolated layer and a bridge are respectively formed on the substrate. The sensing portion includes a resistive and humidity sensing layer. Two measuring electrodes are formed on the resistive sensing layer corresponding to the bridge, so as to fix the sensing portion on the first isolated layer for measuring resistance values of the resistive sensing layer. The material of the humidity sensing layer changes its volume according to humidity, the length of the resistive sensing layer covered by the humidity sensing layer is warped, and the changes of the length of the material for the resistive sensing layer causes variations of the resistance value. Finally, two measuring electrodes are used to measure the humidity value.
US07770437B2
An article is provided for immobilizing functional organic biomolecules (e.g. proteins, DNA, and the like) through a covalent bond to a thiolate or disulfide monolayer to a metal surface wherein an extra activation step of the surface layer or an activation step of the functional biomolecules or bioreceptors could be avoided. The article comprises mixed self-assembled monolayers of thiol or disulfide molecules of formula X1—(CH2)c—O—([CH2]t—CH2—O)n—R1—S—X2 incorporating poly(ethylene oxide) groups and two functional groups, X1 and X2. Preferably, one functional group resists nonspecific adsorption and the other functional group directly (without activation) reacts with functional groups on the biomolecules. The functional group X1 is selected from the group consisting of flurophenyl, fluorobenzoyl, fluorophenoxycarbonyl, nitrophenoxycarbonyl, C2-12 alkenyl, sulfonyl halide, isothiocyanato, isocyanato, carbonyl halide, haloalkylcarbonyl, and diazonium carbonyl. The poly(ethylene oxide) groups resist nonspecific adsorption and enhance the specific affinity interactions. A particularly preferred molecule is 2-(2-{2-[2-(2-{2-[2-(11-mercaptoyldisulfanyl-undecyloxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy} acetic acid pentafluorophenyl ester. A sensor device including these monolayers is also provided to perform reproducible, sensitive, specific and stable bioanalysis.
US07770431B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that include adjusting a pressure level of a sample gas in a testing chamber, for example, using a pressurized inert reference gas, and determining a composition of the adjusted sample gas. By adjusting the pressure level of the sample gas, the composition of the sample gas may be determined more accurately than otherwise possible. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
US07770420B2
A door has a doorknob, and is hingedly mounted in a door frame having at least one vertical member. The door is capable of selective rotational movement between a closed configuration and an open configuration. The door has a first side and an opposed second side. The first side is oriented in a direction toward which the door opens. A barricade bar includes a flange member for selectively engaging the doorknob to prevent the separation of the flange member from the doorknob. The barricade bar also includes a frame member for coordinate engagement with the at least one vertical member. The frame member is rigidly coupled with the flange member. The barricade bar can be oriented adjacent the second side of the door so that the frame member engages the vertical member and the flange member engages the doorknob to prevent the opening of the door.
US07770417B2
A magnetic actuator, particularly for selection devices in hosiery knitting machines or the like, comprising a main magnet, which has at least two poles arranged side by side and separated by a discontinuity, and a selection electromagnet, which is provided with at least one pole arranged in alignment with the discontinuity and spaced laterally with respect to it. The selection electromagnet can be actuated to generate or eliminate or reduce a magnetic attraction force at the pole of the selection electromagnet.
US07770413B2
Various jewelry devices are provided for use in a pierced body part, such as the naval, and/or with devices implanted in a pierced body part. In one embodiment, a ring-shaped member is provided and it includes a first semi-circular member having first and second terminal ends, and a second semi-circular member having a first portion that is hingedly connected to the first terminal end of the first semi-circular member and a second portion that is fixedly mated to the first portion and that includes a terminal end that is adapted to removably mate to the second terminal end of the first component. The present invention also provides a connector for easily removably mating various jewelry ornaments to a jewelry device that is worn in a pierced body part.
US07770402B2
A system and method of cooling a CCD camera may employ a composite material housing design that allows the cold side of a TEC to be mounted relatively close to the CCD and the hot side of the TEC to be isolated from the housing cavity in which the CCD resides. An efficient heat transfer path may facilitate cooling the CCD to a predetermined or selected operating temperature and isolate the CCD from the heat loads generated by operation the TEC.
US07770400B2
A method for controlling the rate of transfer between operation with gas and liquid fuel types to minimize the time in undesirable operational mode, thereby preventing excessive wear and damage to gas turbine hardware. The method includes completing a fuel prefill for the oncoming fuel type through the fuel system and determining if a total fuel demand for the oncoming fuel type is greater than a predetermined flow rate for the oncoming fuel type. The method also includes selecting a fuel transfer rate and transferring from the offgoing fuel type to the oncoming fuel type at the selected fuel transfer rate. Further, the method includes determining if the offgoing fuel flowrate has decreased below a predetermined flow rate for the offgoing fuel type, selecting a final fuel transfer rate and completing the transfer from offgoing fuel type to oncoming fuel type at a selected final fuel transfer rate.
US07770392B2
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine has an exhaust-gas turbocharger regulator which, as a function of a setpoint boost pressure and an actual boost pressure, determines a controlled actuating-variable exhaust-gas back-pressure. An exhaust-gas recirculation regulator determines, as a function of a setpoint air mass flow and an actual air mass flow, a controlled actuating-variable exhaust-gas recirculation mass flow. A first decoupling unit determines a decoupling mass flow in an exhaust-gas section. A second decoupling unit determines a decoupling exhaust-gas back-pressure. A first conversion unit determines a signal for the exhaust-gas turbocharger actuator as a function of the pilot-control actuating-variable exhaust-gas back-pressure, the controlled actuating-variable exhaust-gas back-pressure and the decoupling mass flow. A second conversion unit determines a signal for the exhaust-gas recirculation valve as a function of the pilot-control actuating-variable exhaust-gas recirculation mass flow, the controlled actuating-variable exhaust-gas recirculation mass flow and the decoupling exhaust-gas back-pressure.
US07770390B2
A wave energy harvester (100A) includes an element (120A) that converts forward and/or backward of water in a wave (102A, B, C) passing the harvester (100A) into upward and/or downward movement to thereby increase the vertical amplitude of the harvester (100A) relative to the sea floor (104A, B, C). In most preferred aspects, the element (120A) is a hydrofoil that is coupled to the harvester (100A). Further preferred aspects include those in which part of, or the entire harvester (100A) has a neutral buoyancy, and where energy is extracted from the downwards movement of the neutrally buoyant part (100A) after a wave has lifted that part (110A).
US07770389B2
A empty tank submersed in a body of liquid will float to the surface, as the tank floats up it will do work. It is the goal of this machine to empty the tank after the tank has been submersed, and in the process of emptying the tank do less work than the empty tank does when it floats up.
US07770373B2
The presence/absence of a core fiber in a core yarn is reliably detected to prevent production of a core fiber-free core yarn. In a method for producing a core yarn C by wrapping a fiber bundle S around a core fiber F, the core yarn C is spun with a core fiber F content being changed from that of normal spinning for a predetermined time period after the start of spinning, in order to detect whether the core fiber F is present. The core yarn C may be spun with a core fiber made of a drawn elastic yarn to detect whether the core fiber is present based on a thickness fluctuation of the core yarn that is caused by slackening the core yarn.
US07770361B2
Powder, e.g. of a medicament, is compacted and enrobed to produce compacted powder slugs by preferably mechanically compacting a powder and forming a film of material, preferably hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose, by vacuum or pressure differential, about the surface of the powder thus compacted.
US07770351B2
A housing with a front frame which covers a housing opening, wherein the front frame is assembled from four frame legs and four corner elements. The corner elements connect the frame legs which meet each other at right angles at the corner elements, with each other. The corner elements can have two walls, extending at right angles in relation to each other, with fastening receivers for screw connections with screw receptacles in the front faces of the frame legs of the front frame. The outsides of these walls facing the frame legs have plug-in and/or snap-in elements, which can be introduced and/or snapped into the plug-in and/or snap-in receptacles of the frame legs. The walls are connected with an outer wall and a rear wall, which complete the outside and rear of the front frame, a simple assembly of the front frame and the rear wall or the basic housing structure is achieved.
US07770349B2
A clip for bridging a longitudinal gap between a pair of grid tee lengths, the clip having a cruciform shape in plan view formed by a set of four integral arms, one pair of the arms extending along a first line in opposite directions from a center of the clip, and another pair of arms extending along a line perpendicular to said first line in opposite directions from the center of the clip, said arms when oriented for installation having an inverted U-shape cross-section proportioned to fit over a respective one of four intersecting lengths of grid tees having an inverted T-shape with a reinforcing hollow bulb at its upper edge, at least one of said arms having a longitudinally extending fastener receiving slot and other of said arms having locations for receiving respective fasteners, said slot and receiving locations each being arranged to receive a fastener and allow the fastener to be anchored into the bulb of an associated tee, said slot being arranged to allow its respective grid tee length to telescope within the associated arm.
US07770343B2
Prefabricated modular tower of the kind used as a support for wind generators and other applications uses reduced-thickness prefabricated elements which are reinforced with an internal structure of horizontal and vertical stiffeners, preferably made of reinforced concrete. The elements are tensioned both horizontally and vertically by flexible metal cables. The main advantages of the invention are that it enables fast construction of very high towers using a limited number of elements. The elements are not heavy and are easy to transport, all of which leads to savings in manufacturing, transport and installation costs.
US07770342B2
A stress-optimized structural support which may be utilized as a beam or assembled with similar supports to form a building floor or roof panel or a bridge deck utilizes an open core element, made preferably of suitably treated fluted paper, upper and lower thin skin sheets, preferably steel skins, and a layer of concrete poured over the top skin. Modules comprising the hollow core element and the upper and lower skin sheets are fabricated to lengths required for building floor, roof or bridge spans and, when joined by welding or otherwise joining the upper and lower skin sheets of adjacent elements along their full lengths, provide a floor or roof deck structure of a large span with horizontal stresses distributed omnidirectionally. A post-stressing tensile system redistributes and reduces the load on the roof deck by about one-half. Small building decks utilizing the stress redistribution system can be combined to build a large span roof in which multiple tensioning systems are coordinated to simultaneously effect the load redistribution.
US07770339B2
A modular enclosure, such as a shed, may include sidewalls and a roof. The roof, for example, may include first and second roof panels that are separated by a seam. The roof may also include a truss that is sized and configured to support the roof panels. The truss may include a channel that allows any moisture entering the shed from between the roof panels to be removed from the shed. In particular, a portion of the first roof panel and a portion of the second roof panel may be at least partially disposed within the channel. Advantageously, the truss may be constructed from metal, which may allow a strong and sturdy shed to be constructed, and the roof panels may be constructed from blow-molded plastic, which may allow a lightweight and generally weather resistant shed to be produced.
US07770338B2
Triangular elements for forming geodesic structures each have three elongated leg members arranged end-to-end to form three apexes. At least one of the apexes is formed with a curved-shaped indentation which extends along an outer surface and perpendicular to the opposing side surfaces. The legs of each triangular element also include one or more outer grooves extending longitudinally along the outer surface. Each outer groove is sized to receive a seal member. An inwardly raised shoulder extends longitudinally along the inner surface. An inner groove is formed along a side edge of the raised shoulder and each inner groove is sized to receive a seal member. Panels are positioned over the opposing sides to form double-walled triangular element. Channels extend through the outer surface and raised shoulder of the inner surface. The triangular elements are arranged to form a geodesic structure and fasteners extend through the channels to secure adjacent triangular elements.
US07770336B2
A multi-tiered rotary workstation comprises at least two rotary work spaces supported at different levels, with associated workstation floors, substantial increasing the amount of work space available within a fixed floor space.
US07770334B2
A modular enclosure, such as a shed, may include a door assembly. The door assembly may include a door constructed from blow-molded plastic and a hinge member receiving portion may be disposed on one side of the door. Advantageously, the hinge member receiving portion may be integrally formed with the door as part of a unitary, one-piece construction. A hinge member may be disposed within the hinge member receiving portion and the hinge member may pivotally connect the door to the shed. The door may include a reinforcement member, which is preferably constructed from metal and disposed proximate the second side of the door. If desired, the reinforcement member may be at least partially exposed on an outer surface of the door. In addition, the door assembly may include a flange that is sized and configured to prevent water from unintentionally entering the shed.
US07770331B2
The present invention relates to a stand alone system for generating electrical power using hydraulic supports on which a weighted object is mounted. A pump injects fluid into the supports to raise the weighted object and thereby store energy in the elevated object. A valve can be opened to deliver fluid under pressure to a turbine or hydraulic motor driven generator to generate electricity.
US07770319B2
The invention is a device that allows a marksman to easily rotate and position a gun from the elevated position of a deerstand. The invention utilizes displaced parallel axes of rotation so that the marksman can maximize the mobility of the gun during shot selection while at the same time minimizing both noise and personal bodily displacement.
US07770318B2
A recoil reduction system for the front end of a firearm, such as a shotgun or a rifle. In a first embodiment, the recoil reduction structure is mounted in a handgrip member secured to the bottom surface of the forend member. Various types of springs and cylindrical elastomer members can be utilized in various handgrip members. In a second embodiment the recoil reduction system is mounted in the forend member. In a third embodiment, the recoil reduction structure is utilized with a rifle having a long gun stock. The long gun stock has a butt portion, a middle portion and a front portion. The front portion is located forwardly of the receiver. A primary recess is formed in the bottom wall of the front portion and the recoil reduction structure is mounted therein. A cover member positioned over the primary recess hides the recoil reduction structure from view. A handle member may be secured to the bottom surface of the cover member and it may retractable or rigidly positioned upright.
US07770314B2
An outdoor advertising system to support and selectively display an inside panel assembly or an outside panel assembly comprising a substantially rectangular outer frame having a plurality of interior support members attached thereto, a plurality of stringer coupling assemblies to couple a plurality of stringer members to the plurality of interior support members and a plurality of adjustable attachment panel assemblies to attach the inside panel assembly and the outside panel assembly to the substantially rectangular outer frame.
US07770311B2
A mounting system for excavator attachments or implements (10) having a pair of spaced mounting ears (12, 13) extending from implement includes a mounting pin receptor (19) engaged in each of at least one aligned pair of holes (14, 16) in the ears (12, 13), the pin receptors (19) each having an eccentric pin receptor hole (23) adapted to receive one of the mounting pins (17, 18). The pin receptors (19) are rotatable about their axes to vary, relative to the ears (12, 13), the position of the engaged mounting pin (17, 18). A locating plate (24) engaged with the mounting pin (17, 18) has one or more locating surfaces (32) to engage a cooperating surface on the ears or the attachment. The locating surfaces (32) and their engagement with the cooperating surfaces determines the relative position of the mounting pin (17, 18) engaged with the pin receptor holes (23).
US07770308B2
Described herein is a covering for an elasticized band for a shoe provided with a tongue; the shoe is of the type in which the upper, in a position corresponding to the instep of the foot, has a tongue contained between two sides flaps of the upper, and, inside the shoe, an elasticized band extends between the two flaps of upper in a position facing the tongue; the covering is constituted by a lining, which lines in bridge-like fashion the elasticized band from inside the shoe, and is fixed, on one side, to the upper, in the proximity of the edge of attachment of the tongue and, on the other side, to the end edge of the tongue itself.
US07770303B2
A marking template comprising a planar body portion having a central aperture, and a plurality of sets of apertures in the body portion, each set of apertures located a predetermined distance from the central aperture which enable rectangular patterns to be marked on a workpiece.
US07770297B1
An electronically actuated first down marking system and associated method includes first and second marking assemblies positioned on a first sideline of a playing field, and third and fourth marking assemblies positioned on a second sideline of the playing field and opposite of the first and second marking assemblies. A mechanism determines a distance between the first and second marking assemblies, and a mechanism aligns the first and second marking assemblies with the third and fourth marking assemblies. The aligning mechanism and the distance determining mechanism are independently and simultaneously operable during game conditions. A mechanism determines whether a mobile game ball has penetrated a first down plane defined by the second and fourth identification marking assemblies.
US07770295B2
A cigar cutter has a body formed of a pair of plates having aligning orifices defining a passage for the head of a cigar to be cut. A pair of opposed cutting blades, movable toward and away from each other within the body each have a cutting edge, which cooperates with the opposing cutting edge during toward movement to cut the cigar head. Each of a pair of bridges is affixed to one of the cutting blades and moveable therewith. A spring engages the bridges and biases them toward an extended position wherein the cutting edges are moved away from each other within the body. A latch automatically engages both of the blades approximate the inward terminus of their toward movement and maintains the blades in a retracted storage position wherein the edges are not exposed. The cutting edges are each inwardly tapered to cause the edges and the cigar to cooperate to force the opposing blades together during their toward movement to automatically sharpen the blades. Each of the bridges has a guide for receiving and guiding the other of the cutting blades during their toward movement.
US07770283B2
A multi-step process for notching the P1 pole of the write head element of a magnetic head. In a first step following the fabrication of the P2 pole tip, a layer of protective material is deposited on the approximately vertical side surfaces of the P2 pole tip. Thereafter, a first ion milling step, utilizing a species such as argon, is performed to mill through the write gap layer and to notch into the P1 pole layer therebelow. The removal of redeposited material from the side surfaces of the P2 pole tip is thereafter accomplished and the protective material formed on the side surfaces of the P2 pole tip protects the P2 pole tip during the redeposition clean up step. Thereafter, the protective material is removed from the side surfaces of the P2 pole tip, and a second ion milling step is performed to further notch the P1 pole material.
US07770282B2
A magnetic sensing device for use in a magnetic head includes a sensor stack structure having a sensing layer structure and an insulator structure formed adjacent the sensing layer structure. The insulator structure includes a plurality of oxidized metallic sublayers, a plurality of nitrided metallic sublayers, or a plurality of oxynitrided metallic sublayers. The insulator structure may be a capping layer structure of a giant magnetoresistance sensor or, alternatively, a tunnel barrier layer structure of a tunneling magnetoresistance sensor or a magnetic random access memory. Advantageously, each treated metallic sublayer is sufficiently uniformly treated so as to increase the magnetoresistive effect and improve soft magnetic properties of the magnetic sensing device. A method for use in forming the magnetic sensing device of the present application includes the steps of forming a sensor stack structure which includes a sensing layer structure; depositing a metallic layer; performing, on the metallic layer, either an oxidation, nitridation, or oxynitridation process; and repeating the steps of depositing and performing one or more times to thereby form an insulator structure.
US07770272B2
A clamping-effective yarn cylinder comprises a yarn cylinder having a trench about 350 degrees around an outer periphery of the yarn cylinder; each of two ends of the trench being formed with a cambered wall; the trench being divided into four sections so that four molds can enter into the trench from the four sections which are divided by four radius lines; each section having teeth which are tilt to different directions so as to enhance the force for clamping the yarns; and the teeth for each section extending from two lateral walls of the section and having identical orientation; extensions of the teeth of adjacent sections will intersect to one another so that yarns can be captured effectively in the trench.
US07770237B1
A baby garment for accessing and protecting the umbilical cord for allowing the cleaning of and protecting a baby's umbilical cord. The baby garment for accessing and protecting the umbilical cord includes includes a piece of material having front and back portions and also having an umbilical-exposing hole being disposed through the front portion and about the baby's umbilical cord to allow a user to effectively clean the umbilical cord without the user having to remove the baby garment from the baby, and an oversized cover being hingedly attached to the front portion and being fastenably closeable and loosely disposed over the umbilical cord to effectively protect and not to irritate the umbilical cord.
US07770234B2
A garment for protecting at least the upper portion of the body. The garment includes a sleeveless vest to cover the torso and made of a thermally insulating and ventilated material, and a short jacket with sleeves, such as a bolero-type jacket, covering only the upper portion of the torso and made of an impermeable material.
US07774857B2
A computer-implemented method of protecting content includes receiving a request from a user to access the content. The user is enabled to perceive the content based on the request received from the user. The user is prevented from capturing the content when perception of the content is enabled. The method may be performed by a Java applet running in a network environment.
US07774845B2
A computer security system for use in a network environment comprising at least a plurality of user computers arranged to communicate over a network, the system comprising a warning message exchange system operable to allow the communication from the user computers of warning messages relating to suspect data identified as a possible security threat; a message counting system operable to maintain a count for every particular piece or set of suspect data based on the number of warning messages communicated relating thereto; and network security means operable to act against any particular piece or set of suspect data for which the count maintained therefor exceeds at least one threshold value.
US07774841B2
The present disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for protecting network resources from denial of service attacks. In one exemplary embodiment, a responder stores an access filter value used to determine whether an incoming message frame has been transmitted from an authorized user. In this regard, a user communication device includes logic for determining the access filter value stored at the responder and includes the access filter value in a message frame transmitted from the computer to the responder. The responder compares the received access filter value to the stored access filter value. If such values match or otherwise correspond, the responder authenticates the message frame. However, if such values do not match or otherwise correspond, the responder discards the message frame. Thus, the responder processes authenticated message frames and discards unauthenticated message frames thereby preventing denial of service attacks from malicious users.
US07774833B1
A system and method that provides for protection of a CPU of a router, by establishing a management port on a router. Hosts which are connected to a non-management ports of the router are denied access to management functions of a CPU of the router. The system and method can utilize an application specific integrated circuit, in conjunction with a CAM-ACL, which analyzes data packets received on the ports of router, and the ASIC operates to drop data packets which are directed to the CPU of the router. This system and method operates to filter data packets which may be generated in attempts to hack in to control functions of a network device, and the operation does not require that the CPU analyze all received data packets in connection with determining access to the control functions of the router.
US07774824B2
Method and apparatus for device authentication with multiple factors. In one embodiment a combination of attributes and/or identifying values known by the device and the authenticator are presented for authentication. The combination of attributes may be presented together, or separately. Invalidity of one of the combination of attributes may result in a more restricted than may be granted for validity of all factors of the authentication.
US07774821B2
A method of installing a network device is disclosed that includes downloading installation data at a portable computing device from a communications provider server via an Internet Protocol (IP) network connection. The installation data includes a script that is adapted to establish IP connectivity between a first network device and at least a second network device. The method also includes determining, at the portable computing device, when the first network device is configured according to a communications provider specification while the portable computing device is disconnected from communicating with the communications provider server. The communications provider specification relates to providing at least one communications service to one or more customer premises. In addition, the method includes sending the script from the portable computing device to the first network device via the local connection after determining that the first network device is configured according to the communications provider specification.
US07774819B2
A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate to an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving through a series of displays to the end subject of interest. For example, the higher-order display may be a product ad and the lower-order display may be an ad for a local retailer of the product. Similarly, a viewer can navigate from national product to local product ad, or classified ad category to specific classified ad, or bulletin board topic category to specific posting. In another embodiment, the VOD content delivery system is used to deliver consumer-generated classified ads on TV. A web-based Content Management System receives consumer-generated content uploaded online in industry-standard file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area, and displays a requested classified ad in response to viewer selection.
US07774818B2
To effectively utilize the bandwidth of a cable TV network, which is limited, analog TV program material is digitized and compressed before its transmission over the network. The resulting signals consume only part of the analog TV band traditionally needed for transmission of the analog TV program material. The newly available bandwidth in the analog TV band may be utilized for other cable TV services, e.g., video-on-demand (VOD) services. A reception gateway is employed at a user location to frequency-translate any VOD signals, transmitted through the analog TV band, to another frequency band, thereby avoiding disturbing the normal operation of a set-top terminal in receiving the analog TV program material through the analog TV band at the user location.
US07774809B1
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. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US07774805B2
To provide a disk clamping device which can reduce a required space for performing disk clamping in the disk device. The disk clamping device comprises: a pick arm 130 which is swung into and swung out of a space created by splitting trays 250 capable of housing a plurality of disks D; a drive unit which is mounted on the pick arm 130 and plays the disk D; a turning table 123 on which the disk D is mounted; a clamp arm 124 provided so as to be able to move up and down in substantially parallel with the disk D; and a clamper 125 which is attached to the clamp arm 124 and holds the disk D with the turning table 123.
US07774803B2
There is provided a disk loading apparatus capable of improving the stability in the centering operation at low cost only by changing the shape of the guide groove without adding extra parts or complicated structures. The disk loading apparatus includes a feed roller 2, a disk arm 4 adapted to move back and forth between an initial position where a disk 100 that is drawn by the feed roller 2 is received and a retracted position that corresponds to a chucking position for the disk, and a guide groove 5. The feed roller 2 has a function of centering the disk 100. The guide groove 5 includes slant wall surfaces 57 with the groove width therebetween decreasing progressively in the retracting direction of the disk arm 4, and receiving surfaces 58 for limiting the tilt angle of the disk arm 4.
US07774796B2
Methods of factoring operating system functions into one or more groups of functions are described. Factorization permits operating systems that are not configured to support computing in an object-oriented environment to be used in an object oriented environment. This promotes distributed computing by enabling operating system resources to be instantiated and used across process and machine boundaries. In one embodiment, criteria are defined that govern how functions of an operating system are to be factored into one or more groups. Based on the defined criteria, the functions are factors into groups and groups of functions are then associated with programming objects that have data and methods, wherein the methods correspond to the operating system functions. Applications can call methods on the programming objects either directly or indirectly that, in turn, call operating system functions.
US07774795B2
A printer receives image information from a host computer and performs printing based on the image information. When an optional unit is newly attached to the printer, the printer changes the device ID which is selected from an ID ROM in accordance with the optional unit. Then output from an interface circuit is changed so that the host computer detects the change of the output from the interface circuit. The host computer makes a device-ID request to the printer to obtain the device ID corresponding to the optional device. Then the host computer determines whether or not a printer driver which is currently operative corresponds to the printer with the newly-attached optional device.
US07774791B1
A system, method and computer program product for providing data event processing and application integration is provided. The present invention provides a novel application integration and event processing server that creates unified and personalized applications on demand out of existing Web services, communications systems, legacy assets, and databases for several types of applications without invasive programming. The present invention also provides a novel XML-based open markup language that allows real-time composite applications (for execution on the server of the present invention) to be easily created and changed while minimizing low-level coding by using a set of pre-defined templates, thus saving the time and expense typically required to create similar solutions from scratch.
US07774790B1
An event logging and analysis mechanism which creates an event object for event of an application to be logged. The event logging mechanism logs into the event object the start time, end time and other information regarding the event. The analysis of the collected event objects may include hierarchical and contextual grouping as well as aggregation of events considered to be identical. The mechanism operates independent of the application whose events it logs and can be turned on and off independently. A user may define the levels of hierarchy and contexts upon which to analyze the event objects.
US07774781B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify and prioritize application processes in one or more subsystems. Some embodiments identifying applications and processes associated with each application executing on a system, apply one or more priority rules to the identified applications and processes to generate priority information, and transmit the priority information to a subsystem. The subsystem then matches received requests with the priority information and services the processes according to the priority information.
US07774779B2
A timeout helper main thread is created for an outbound call associated with a container. The main thread creates a timeout helper worker thread. A local timer is started to detect a first timeout condition based on a first timeout interval. The worker thread initiates a client Object Request Broker (ORB) to detect a second timeout condition based on a second timeout interval. If the outbound call completes within the first timeout interval, a result object is returned from the main thread. Otherwise, the main thread throws a timeout exception. If the outbound call has not completed within the second timeout interval, the client ORB throws an exception to the worker thread and one or more resources associated with the outbound call are reclaimed. As an alternative to the client ORB, an HTTP client can detect the second timeout condition.
US07774766B2
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for optimizing an intermediate code in a compilation logic. The intermediate code is optimized by performing reassociation in software loops. The intermediate code includes at least one critical recurrence cycle. The performance of reassociation in software loops can reduce a critical recurrence cycle in them, which can speed up their execution. The subject method can include the determination of one or more critical recurrence cycles in a software loop. The method can also include the determination of at least one edge in a critical recurrence cycle, with respect to which reassociation can be performed, if one or more pre-determined criteria are met. The method can further include performing reassociation of a dependee and a dependent of an edge. In an embodiment, when one or more pre-determined criteria are met, the logic of the software loop is maintained after performing reassociation of the dependee and the dependent of the edge. Consequently, the number of cycles in a critical recurrence cycle of the software loop is reduced. The execution time of the software loop is also decreased.
US07774765B2
A method and apparatus for use in compiling data for a program shader identifies within data representing control flow information an area operator definition instruction statement located outside the data dependent control flow structures. The method identifies within one of the data dependent branches at least one area operator use instruction statement that has the resultant of the area operator definition instruction statement as an operand. After identifying the area operator use instruction statement, the area operator definition instruction statement is placed within the data dependent branch.
US07774762B2
This invention discloses a system for enabling a first software application, which is designed for execution on a first computer platform, to be executed on an incompatible computer platform in which the software application is not intended to execute. A first group of files that are distributed with or are specific to the first software application intended to run on the first computer platform are preferably isolated from other software applications by way of being capsule or encapsulated so as to provide an isolated first group of files; capsule runtime software manages a dynamic state and file location of the isolated first group of files and includes capsule runtime software including a kernel module and application libraries for modifying the behavior of the local operating system residing on the incompatible computer platform, so that execution of the first software application requires access of the isolated first group of files in place of operating system files and providing capsule specific values instead of values related to the identity of the incompatible computer platform.
US07774760B2
An error tracing analysis tool applies static code analysis to software source code to identify error paths in the code and determine how many of these error paths have trace statements.
US07774758B2
The present disclosure describes methods and systems for secure debugging and profiling of a computer system. Some illustrative embodiments may include a system including a processor with a first processing stage and a first attribute register associated with the first processing stage, and including a memory system coupled to the processor. An instruction and an attribute value are stored within the memory system, wherein the instruction is loaded into the first processing stage and the attribute value is loaded into the first attribute register. Export of debug and profiling data from the first processing stage is disabled if the attribute value in the first attribute register indicates that the instruction in the first processing stage is a secure instruction, and further indicates that secure emulation is disabled.
US07774757B1
A system and for dynamic verification of application portability may include an application server configured to support a debugging interface, an application deployed on the application server, and a portability verification tool. The portability verification tool may be configured to invoke the debugging interface during an execution of the application to determine whether the application violates one or more specified portability criteria during the execution.
US07774753B1
Systems and methods communicate data selected from one program to another program or component of another program. A system can receive an identifier of at least one type of data each of a plurality of programs can receive. The system can store the identifiers and can receive a data selection command relative to one of the plurality of programs via a user interface. The system can also receive, in response to the obtained data selection command, data associated with the data selection command and an identifier of the type of the data associated with the data selection command. The system can also identify at least one other program in the plurality of programs whose identifier matches the identifier of the type of data received, and can provide, based on input, the data received to at least one of the at least one other program in the plurality of programs identified.
US07774751B2
Traditional control systems are first designed by subject matter experts that create business rules and scenarios. Then, the systems are developed by system developers, people who translate business rules and scenarios into technology. The invention allows business rules and scenarios to be directly included in a control system and via the Scenario Player and other components directly drive the controlling services, providing for knowledge-driven architecture control systems. These systems can easily adjust its controlling behavior, improving flexibility to a variety of control systems including but not limited to video and audio systems, distributed networks and their combinations for medical, military and transportation applications. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.
US07774749B2
A technique is provided by which a JMX management console can be created that reduces the time and expense needed to create the console, and which reduces the likelihood of errors being introduced. A method for providing an interface comprises providing a software object including a representation of a graphical user interface, requesting from the software object the representation of the graphical user interface, and displaying the graphical user interface.
US07774748B1
The present invention is directed to a system and method for adding programmer visible features to a microprocessor by using partially-explicit ISA constructs. The system includes a language for expressing the partially-explicit ISA constructs that describe VLIW instruction formats, slots, and operations. These partially-explicit instruction set constructs are used in conjunction with prior art instruction set constructs to describe a complete instruction set. The system also includes a method for converting a partially-explicit instruction set to an explicit instruction set, which can then be used as described in prior art processor generation systems to generate fully-pipelined micro-architectural implementations in the form of synthesizable HDL, and to generate software components for extending software development tools for the microprocessor. Because the partially-explicit instruction set constructs are easier to write, modify, and maintain than prior art instruction set constructs, the invention significantly simplifies the process of describing an instruction set.
US07774733B2
A user interface method and apparatus which allow a user to intuitively control electronic devices connected to a home network by using a virtual 3D space layout diagram, and electronic devices and storage media therefor are provided. The user interface method includes: generating a virtual 3D space layout diagram based on 3D position information regarding at least one electronic device connected to a home network; displaying the generated virtual 3D space layout diagram; receiving an input signal based on the displayed virtual 3D space layout diagram; and performing a user interface function corresponding to the received input signal.
US07774719B2
The present invention provides a method and system for preventing unsolicited bulk email (UBE). Spammers sending UBE typically capitalize on the weakness of SMTP. The present invention affixes a subscriber key value to the local part of an email address. The email and associated key value are sent to a server where the subscriber key value, and subscriber and recipient email addresses are associated and stored into a database. Once stored, the email is sent to the ultimate recipient. A recipient is in possession of a subscriber key value can use this key value to sign an email they intend to send to the original subscriber/sender. Recipient will then send this signed email to a server where the association between the subscriber and the subscriber key value is verified. Once verified the email is sent to the subscriber. In some embodiments, the verification process is not controlled by a server.
US07774715B1
The invention relates to a computerized method for a user to create an advertisement by displaying a plurality of advertising formats for selection by a user; displaying a template corresponding to a selected advertising format; displaying a plurality of product references for selection by the user; displaying on the template a selected product reference to create a proposed advertisement; and creating a preview of the proposed advertisement, all of which may be implemented using the Internet. The invention further relates to a computerized system for creating an advertisement that comprises a template database for storing advertising formats; a product database for storing product references; and a computer to access the databases. Preferably, the user has a network interface such as Internet access that permits access via a remote location, software to permit a user to specify specifications such as quantity, printing information, ship date, paper type, pricing information, and payment information, and may be configured to receive images and text for new products.
US07774713B2
Semantic rich objects for a dynamic user experience. One or more actions in the process are represented by semantic rich objects (SROs) for exposing functionality of the process. Each of the SROs includes metadata associated with an action and an execution environment therefor. In response to an interactive gesture from a user selecting at least one of the SROs to perform a desired action in the process, metadata is extracted from the selected SROs to determine whether the desired action is available in the execution environment of the process.
US07774711B2
Entries within a participant list of an electronic communications system may be categorized automatically into one or more groups based on attributes of users represented in the participant list. Categorizing users includes maintaining a list of identifiers that are selected by a first user and for which online presence information is made perceivable through the list. The list includes one or more categories into which the identifiers are categorized. At least one attribute associated with an identifier for which online presence information is to be made perceivable through the list and attributes stored relative to at least one of the categories are accessed. The attributes associated with the identifier are compared to the stored attributes. Based on results of the comparison, at least one category within the list that corresponds to the identifier is identified, and the identifier is categorized into the identified category.
US07774705B2
Techniques for an iterative design process of determining a visual representation for an input media object are provided. One or more visual representations are determined from the input media object based on a set of encoding parameters. An output media object is created from the visual representation(s) based on a set of decoding parameters. The visual representation(s) and/or the second media object may be displayed to a user. An indication indicating whether the visual representation(s) and/or the second media object are acceptable or unacceptable is received. If the visual representation(s) and/or the second media object are not acceptable, then at least one parameter in at least one of the set of encoding parameters and the set of decoding parameters may be changed. The process described above is repeated until the visual representation(s) and the second media object are determined to be acceptable.
US07774702B2
Computer-implemented method, computer system and computer program product for providing and processing a human interface description. A user submits data 170 by using an human interface description 160. The data 170 comprise status information of at least one layout element of human interface description 160. The computer system receives 480 the data 170. Optionally, the computer system stores 485 the data 170 in a data instance 150. The data instance 150 can be modified by an application program via interface 155. Preferably, the computer system provides the human interface description 160 by merging 470 a layout template 140-1 with the data instance 150. Preferably, the data instance 150 is instantiated from a data description 140-2.
US07774697B2
A system and method for accepting a communication, comprising providing the communication to a controller, associating a model with said communication, determining a state of the model based on said communication, providing a view based on the state of the model, and wherein the view is a page in a page group.
US07774695B2
An improved solution for presenting data to a user is provided. In particular, the data can include multiple instances of a dataset, which are displayed in a three-dimensional table. The three-dimensional table allows the user to perform various manipulations on it. For example, the user can rotate the table, scroll through the table, simultaneously view at least two instances of the dataset, and the like. Additionally, the three-dimensional table can enable the user to perform various operations on the data to further customize the presented data.
US07774691B2
A data adapter including method and apparatus is presented. In one embodiment, the data adapter is a method. The method includes finding a set of records of a relational database matching an object instance of an object type. The method further includes updating the set of records of the relational database based on a first set of instances of components of the object instance, the instances of components of the first set corresponding to the records of the set of records. The method further includes inserting new records in the relational database corresponding to a second set of instances of components of the object instance, the instances of components of the second set not matching records of the set of records. The method also includes recursively repeating the finding, updating and inserting with respect to child components of the components.
US07774685B2
Modified HDD sector formats have multiple sets of preamble data. The preambles are well separated so that any defect long enough to wipe out both preambles would also overwhelm the ECC.
US07774683B2
Improved memory devices, circuitry, and data methods are described that facilitate the detection and correction of data in memory systems or devices in combination with a stored record of known flaws, errors, or questionable data bits of a read memory row or block to allow for more efficient processing and correction of these errors. An embodiment of the present invention utilizes an erasure pointer that can store the location of N bad or questionable bits in the memory segment that is currently being read, where for each bit stored by the erasure pointer the embodiment also contains 2N ECC generators to allow the read data to be quickly checked with the known bad bits in each possible state. This allows the read data to then be easily corrected on the fly before it is transferred by selecting the bad bit state indicated by the ECC generator detecting an uncorrupted read.
US07774679B2
Techniques are provided for performing Galois field arithmetic to detect errors in digital data stored on disks. Two 12-bit numbers or two 10-bit numbers are multiplied together in Galois field using tower arithmetic. In the 12-bit embodiment, a base field GF(2) is first extended to GF(23), GF(23) is extended to a first quadratic extension GF(26), and GF(26) is extended to a second quadratic extension GF(212). In the 10-bit embodiment, the base field GF(2) is first extended to GF(25), and GF(25) is extended to a quadratic extension GF(210). Each of the extensions for the 10-bit and 12-bit embodiments is performed using an irreducible polynomial. All of the polynomials used to generate the first and the second quadratic extensions of the Galois field are in the form x2+x+K, where K is an element of the ground field whose absolute trace equals 1.
US07774678B2
An apparatus and method for decoding a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code having a maximum error correction capability and an error detection capability. In the apparatus, a decoder receives a signal, and decodes the received signal according to a second parity check matrix having parity check expressions obtained by selecting a predetermined number of dependent parity check expressions among dependent parity check expressions generated by combining, with a predetermined scheme, parity check expressions representing rows of a first parity check matrix obtained by encoding information data into a block code having an optimum minimum distance considering a predetermined coding rate, and adding the selected dependent parity check expressions to the parity check expressions of the first parity check matrix. An error detector determines if there is an error in a signal output from the decoder.
US07774665B2
An apparatus for interfacing a phase locked loop in a field programmable gate array. The apparatus comprising a phase locked loop cluster. The phase locked loop further comprising a plurality of RT modules, a plurality of RO modules, at least one TY module, a plurality of receiver modules and at least one buffer module. A phase locked loop selectively coupled to the RT modules, the RO modules, the TY modules, the receiver modules and at least one buffer module in the phase locked loop cluster.
US07774662B2
A method (and structure) of at least one of testing, diagnosing, and monitoring an operation of an electronic circuit, includes interrupting a clock signal used to provide a clocking for a normal operation of the circuit and using a second clock signal to repeatedly cycle through a predetermined cycle of operations for the circuit.
US07774654B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for preventing soft error accumulation. A number of cycles between references to a register are counted. Instructions are injected that reference the register for preventing soft error accumulation in response to a determination that the number of cycles is greater than a threshold.
US07774651B2
A system is disclosed that includes a component, a fault table configured to receive fault information associated with the component, and a diagnosis processor configured to read the fault information from the fault table and initiate corrective action as a function of the fault information. A method for handling faults in the system is also disclosed.
US07774644B2
Provided is a method, system, and program for processing Input/Output (I/O) requests to a storage network including at least one storage device and at least two adaptors, wherein each adaptor is capable of communicating I/O requests to the at least one storage device. An error is detected in a system including a first adaptor, wherein the first adaptor is capable of communicating on the network after the error is detected. In response to detecting the error, a master switch timer is started that is less than a system timeout period if the first adaptor is the master. An error recovery procedure in the system including the first adaptor would be initiated after the system timeout period has expired. An operation is initiated to designate another adaptor in the storage network as the master if the first adaptor is the master in response to detecting an expiration of the master switch timer.
US07774638B1
Methods and systems for containing data errors in a computing system are disclosed. One method includes receiving data from an endpoint at the communication interface in response to a data request. The method also includes detecting an error in the data. The method further includes ignoring subsequent data received from the endpoint.
US07774633B1
Cycling power in a computer to clear hang-up conditions may include disabling low voltage DC signals between an output of a standby DC power supply and standby-powered circuits in response to a power cycle request. In response to a disable signal, a power cycle module (PCM) may disable standby power being supplied to standby circuits in a computer, server, or router, for example. In addition, the PCM may disable power to main circuits by, for example, generating logic-level control signals to the power supply, or by opening a series-connected switch through which main current flows. In response to a re-enable signal, the PCM may re-enable the supply of standby and/or main power to a computer.
US07774628B2
An Ethernet switch includes 12-Volt and 48-Volt power sourcing modules, system software, Ethernet interface modules and optional power over Ethernet (PoE) modules. The Ethernet interface modules are motherboards that include the circuitry required to implement a non-PoE system. The PoE modules are daughter boards that include the circuitry required to supply powered devices in a PoE subsystem. A PoE module may be connected to a corresponding Ethernet interface module. During start up, all of the Ethernet interface modules are first powered up in response to the 12-Volt power sourcing module. If the system software subsequently determines that the 48-Volt power sourcing module is operational, then (and only then) the system software attempts to detect the presence of any PoE modules. Upon detecting one or more PoE modules, the PoE modules are initialized and configured, thereby enabling PoE operation.
US07774627B2
A temperature sensor in a microprocessor monitors its operating temperature Operating point data includes a first temperature being the maximum temperature at which the microprocessor will reliably operate at a first frequency and first voltage, the first frequency being the maximum frequency at which the microprocessor will reliably operate at the first temperature and the first voltage. Operating point data also includes a second temperature at which the microprocessor will reliably operate at a second frequency and a second voltage, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency and the second temperature less than the first temperature. A control circuit causes the microprocessor to operate at the second voltage and frequency rather than the first voltage and frequency in response to detecting that while operating at the first voltage and the first frequency the operating temperature dropped below the second temperature.
US07774611B2
A method and system of enforcing file authorization access. The method may include generating an authorization combination at a metadata server and encrypting the authorization combination. The authorization combination may include a block combination including a block list for accessing user requested data from a storage server system and an authorization prefix. The authorization prefix may indicate at least one operation which the user requesting data access is authorized to perform. The method may further include receiving the encrypted authorization combination at the storage server, and decrypting the encrypted authorization combination to recover the block list for retrieving the user requested data.
US07774610B2
A file system in a storage system allows a user to designate data as write-once read-many (WORM) data. The WORM data are stored in a first set of storage media of the storage system. Signature data are generated from the WORM data. Using the signature data, the integrity of the WORM data can be verified.
US07774604B2
Objects can be extracted from data flows captured by a capture device. Each captured object can then be classified according to content. Meta-data about captured objects can be stored in a tag. In one embodiment, the present invention includes receiving a request to present a previously captured object to a user, accessing a tag associated with the requested object, the tag containing metadata related to the object, the metadata including an object signature, and verifying that the object has not been altered since capture using the object signature before presenting the object to the user.
US07774603B2
An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to register a client to a server for communication. A message containing an identification (ID) code is transmitted to a server. If the key is stored in the server, the key encrypted with the ID code is received from the server via a network. The encrypted key is decrypted using the identification code. Otherwise, the key is encrypted using the ID code. The encrypted key is transmitted to the server via the network. Information is exchanged with the server via the network. The information is encrypted and decrypted by the key.
US07774596B2
A mechanism that allows firmware to be updated in a secure manner is discussed. Two attributes are used in the actual ROM to refer to a Virtual ROM module. The two attributes are a version attribute and a reference to a separate module that is capable of validating updates. The update process updates the message digest associated with the first Virtual ROM module and the version attribute associated with the first Virtual ROM module. The update process also produces a new copy of the corresponding file (that may be located on the local disk) that when hashed will “match” the new message digest.
US07774592B2
A DNS Proxy unit (A12a) holds the domain name of an encrypted communication target node in a CUG setting table (A125a), intercepts a name resolution request for a communication partner node output from an application (A11x) to a DNS server (B1a), determines by looking up the CUG setting table (A125a) whether the communication partner is an encrypted communication target node, and if the communication partner is an encrypted communication target node, registers the IP address of the name-resolved communication partner in an encrypted communication path setting table (A142a). A data packet sent from the application (A11x) to the IP address is intercepted by a data transmission/reception unit (A14a). A data packet to an IP address registered in the encrypted communication path setting table (A142a) is encrypted by a communication encryption unit (A141a) and transmitted to the communication partner. In this way, in executing encrypted communication with a plurality of communication partners by using a communication encryption function provided by an OS, setting of the encrypted communication target node can be done by using a domain name.
US07774587B2
A method and system for checking data stored in a memory of in a computer system is disclosed. The memory includes a plurality of memory addresses. The method and system include providing a signature generator coupled with the memory, providing a checker memory coupled with the signature generator and separate from the memory, and providing an address remapper coupled with the checker memory and the memory. The signature generator provides at least one signature corresponding to the data, which resides in a protection window of the memory. The protection window includes at least one memory address of the plurality of memory addresses. The checker memory stores the at least one signature in at least one checker address, which corresponds to the at least one memory address. The address remapper for translates between the at least one memory address and the at least one checker address.
US07774583B1
A processing bypass register file system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment a processing bypass register file includes a rotating head pointer, and a plurality of write ports, storage cells and read ports. The write ports receive processing result information. The head pointer identifies which entries are written by the write ports. The plurality of cells store the processing result information. The read ports forward results to the processing data path, and to an architectural register file for retirement.
US07774575B2
A method according to one embodiment may include discovering at least one data block comprising logical block address information. The method may also include mapping logical block address information from a first domain into a second domain. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US07774568B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to assign a plurality of managing nodes to manage a corresponding plurality of groups of blocks forming a portion of a snapshot volume for copy-on-write execution and snapshot write execution. Further operations include coordinating the copy-on-write execution and the snapshot write execution using a write completion map accessible to the managing nodes. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US07774567B2
In a copy control method, during a process for the acquisition of a data copy at a designated time, a recovery period of time can still be reduced when an input/output request is issued for copy source data at the designated time. For a system that includes a first storage device in which data are stored, a second storage device that obtains a data copy, and a host computer that writes data to the first storage device, the second storage device obtains blank input/output requests that are issued at predetermined time intervals if the host computer does not generate an input/output request for the first storage device, and the second storage device determines that a time closest to a predetermined data copy acquisition time, which is a target time for the acquisition of a data copy, is a copy execution time for the acquisition of a data copy.
US07774561B2
A method, system, and program key-controlled object-based memory protection are provided. A processing unit includes an authority check for controlling access by the processing unit to pages of memory according to whether a hardware protection key set currently loaded in an authority mask register allows access to the pages. In particular, each page of memory is assigned a page key number that indexes into the hardware protection key set. The currently loaded hardware protection key set specifies those page key numbers that are currently accessible to the processing unit for the execution context. Each hardware key within the hardware protection key set may be associated with a particular data object or group of data objects. Thus, effectively, the currently loaded hardware protection key set identifies which data objects or groups of data objects are currently accessible. Software keys are assigned to data objects and dynamically mapped to hardware protection key sets, such that when a module is called, the software keys assigned to that module are mapped to the hardware protection key set to be loaded for controlling current access to memory.
US07774558B2
Embodiments include a device and a method. In an embodiment, a method applies a first resource management strategy to a first resource associated with a first processor and executes an instruction block in a first processor. The method also applies a second resource management strategy to a second resource of a similar type as the first resource and executes the instruction block in a second processor. The method further selects a resource management strategy likely to provide a substantially optimum execution of the instruction group from the first resource management strategy and the second resource management strategy.
US07774554B2
A system and method to provide injection of important data directly into a processor's cache location when that processor has previously indicated interest in the data. The memory subsystem at a target processor will determine if the memory address of data to be written to a memory location associated with the target processor is found in a processor cache of the target processor. If it is determined that the memory address is found in a target processor's cache, the data will be directly written to that cache at the same time that the data is being provided to a location in main memory.
US07774553B1
A multicore processor comprises a plurality of cache memories; a plurality of processor cores, each associated with one of the cache memories; and a plurality of memory interfaces providing memory access paths from the cache memories to a main memory, at least some of the memory interfaces providing access paths to the main memory for multiple of the cache memories. Each of the memory interfaces is associated with a corresponding portion of the main memory, and includes a directory controller for the portion of the main memory.
US07774539B2
Systems and methods for managing adjacent track interference in a hard drive. An adjacent track interference potential is ascertained in a region of the hard drive, and data corruption is averted via scrubbing data in the region with ascertained adjacent track interference potential, wherein limits of this region are defined.
US07774538B2
Provided are a method for Ternary Contents Address Memory (TCAM) table management and a computer-readable recording medium for recording a program that implements the method. The method includes the steps of: a) dividing a memory area of TCAM into fixed-size blocks depending on priority to configure a lookup table; b) assigning a priority to each routing entry being inputted to the lookup table based on prefix length; c) storing the routing entry having been assigned with the priority in a lookup table block of a corresponding priority; and d) when a modification occurs in the lookup table, modifying the lookup table to maintain an arranged state for a longest prefix match.
US07774535B2
According to one embodiment, a first memory device is configured to receive write data from a controller and transmit read data to the controller via a first data pin included in the first memory device. The second memory device is configured to receive write data from the controller and transmit read data to the controller via a second data pin included in the second memory device. A redelivery module within the first memory device is configured to receive an address and a command output from the controller via a predetermined signal line, and output the address and the command to the second memory device via remaining first data pin.
US07774533B2
When initializing a card-shaped device inserted in a card interface, operation mode acquiring means incorporated in an electronic device acquires operation mode information, stored in a register file incorporated in the card-shaped device, by a predetermined procedure using a predetermined pin. Operation mode setting means incorporated in the electronic device executes signal assignment on a plurality of data pins peculiar to an operation mode indicated by the acquired operation mode information, thereby switching a data transfer width, and allowing the card-shaped device to operate in the operation mode.
US07774530B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for arbitration of memory transfers in a digital signal processing system. In one embodiment, a digital signal processing system includes a plurality of DSP's having an external memory. The DSP's are further configurable to act as a master processor and a slave processor relative to another DSP. The system also includes an arbiter configured to maintain DSP status data and arbitrate requests between master processors and slave processors in the system.
US07774526B2
A method for improving the speed and efficiency of transmitting data between two components in which the transmitted data is sent, at least partly, through a serial bus is shown. According to the method, the fields in the data frames being transmitted between the components are of a fixed length regardless of the amount of data that the receiving device can receive at one time. The data bits of the fixed-length frame correspond to the signals accepted as input by the receiving component.
US07774525B2
Zoned initialization of a solid state drive is provided. A solid state memory device includes a controller for controlling storage and retrieval of data to and from the device. A set of solid state memory components electrically coupled to the controller. The set is electrically divided into a first zone and a second zone, wherein the first zone is at least partially initialized independent from the second zone. An interface is coupled between the controller and the set of solid state memory components to facilitate transfer of data between the set of solid state memory components and the controller.
US07774524B2
A communication device may receive successive key inputs, determine an average time duration between successive key inputs, start a timeout, determine if a timeout was successful and adjust the timeout period based on the determined success of the timeout.
US07774522B2
A system and method have been provided for pushing cacheable control messages to a processor. The method accepts a first control message, identified as cacheable and addressed to a processor, from a peripheral device. The first control message is allocated into a cache that is associated with the processor, but not associated with the peripheral device. In response to a read-prompt the processor reads the first control message directly from the cache. The read-prompt can be a hardware interrupt generated by the peripheral device referencing the first control message. For example, the peripheral may determine that the first control message has been allocated into the cache and generate a hardware interrupt associated with the first control message. Then, the processor reads the first control message in response to the hardware interrupt read-prompt. Alternately, the read-prompt can be the processor polling the cache for pending control messages.
US07774520B2
A new audio playback architecture may be used, which allows the use of much larger buffering than that used by a typical audio subsystem in a computing system to improve power efficiency of the system and at the same time allows to maintain the quality (e.g., fidelity and responsiveness) of the audio playback. The audio controller in the new architecture may be made to report back to the host system a more accurate indication of which audio frame is being set to the audio codec than a currently available audio controller does. Additionally, the controller is capable of re-fetching previously buffered (but not yet transmitted) data. Furthermore, buffers in both the audio controller and the main memory may be dynamically adjusted during playback of audio data and/or for different applications.
US07774512B2
Methods and apparatus provide for assigning an identifier to a DMA command, the identifier for association with an entry of a DMA table containing status information regarding the DMA command; receiving an indication that a DMA data transfer defined by the DMA command has been completed; and updating the status information of the entry of the DMA table associated with the DMA data transfer to indicate that the DMA data transfer has been completed.
US07774508B2
An electronic apparatus that transmits error information about setting of a block size to a host device includes an interface section that transmits and receives a command, a response and data to and from the host device. When the data is a predetermined length or more, the interface section executes multi-block transmission. Moreover, the electronic apparatus includes a data buffer, and a storage section that stores information about a block size. When the interface section receives a block size setting command transmitted from the host device and the block size is larger than a capacity of the data buffer, it transmits a response including error information about incapability of accepting the block size at the time which has a predetermined relation to the block size setting command.
US07774507B2
An apparatus for providing inter-processor communication (IPC) using transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) in a communication system, including: an Ethernet interface module for providing an interface between an Ethernet device driver and an interprocessor communication (IPC) module, determining a type of a received message, transmitting the received message to a message process module if the type of the received message is non-frame data, and queuing the received message in a corresponding mailbox corresponding to frame data if the type of the received message is the frame data; a message process module for queuing the non-frame data received through the Ethernet interface module in a corresponding mailbox; and a common application programming interface (API) module for providing an interface for basically performing data transmission and reception through the message process module, mailbox management, interprocessor communication (IPC) buffer management and an interprocessor communication (IPC) control function.
US07774506B2
Systems, methods, devices and techniques can be used in networks including resilient packet ring networks and other types of ring topology networks to adjust the flow of data traffic to MAC clients associated with stations on the network. In one example, adjusted fairness rates and/or messages associated with a network communication protocol are used to reduce traffic destined for a particular station and/or a MAC client associated with that station. In another example, station MAC clients or other components implement virtual destination queues and transmit information associated with the rate at which they receive data. The information and queues are used to reduce traffic destined for a particular station and/or a MAC client associated with that station.
US07774504B2
A system for capturing data via an extensible markup language form is disclosed comprising a policy-based mobile content engine, a mobile-forms application client, and a transport engine. The policy-based mobile content engine is adapted to process a plurality of definitions from one or more mobile-forms application definition files. The policy-based mobile content engine translates the mobile-forms application definitions into policies and actions enforced by the policy-based mobile content engine. The mobile-forms application client has a plurality of rendering engines targeted for a mobile user device to render form controls and to process the forms-based application. The mobile-forms application client is operable on a mobile user device and is adapted to capture the data as an extensible-markup-language document. The transport engine is adapted to transport the mobile-forms application definition files and captured data through a transport layer between the policy-based mobile content engine and the mobile-forms application client.
US07774502B2
A valid destination address is determined. An availability request is sent to each destination address from a set of destination addresses. The destination addresses are correlated with a destination party. At least one response to the sent availability requests is received. Each received response is uniquely associated with its own destination address from the destination addresses. Each received response indicates either a valid destination address or an invalid destination address. For each received response, a value associated with the destination address that is associated with that received response is recorded. The value indicates either a valid destination address or an invalid destination address based on the received response associated with that destination address.
US07774500B1
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for deriving at least one router configuration of at least one datacenter edge router and at least one provider edge router to support at least one datacenter managing at least one customer virtual private network. Specifically, the method comprises assigning at least one datacenter profile to the at least one datacenter, and assigning a datacenter profile route-target to the at least one datacenter profile.
US07774499B1
There is disclosed a method for accelerating network communications. The method may be implemented on a server computer or other computing device. The method may exist as a software program and may be stored on a storage medium. The method may include receiving a request, forwarding the request to a server, receiving a response from the server, and reviewing the response to determine whether the response includes a native expiration. When the response does not include the native expiration, a calculated expiration for the response may be computed. The calculated expiration may be inserted into the response creating an amended response. The amended response may be forwarded to the client. When the response includes the native expiration, the response may be forwarded to the client. The amended response may be stored and provided to other requesters.
US07774498B1
A security agent extends the trust barrier, or trust point, from network gateway nodes to end user devices. A security agent operable to scrutinize network traffic executes on the user device and compares QoS marking attempts with the established QoS marking policy in effect. The security agent examines network traffic attributes deterministic of connection attempts by user processes. Attempts to apply inappropriate or disallowed QoS markings, as dictated by the QoS marking policy, are detected and disallowed. Therefore, only user connections consistent with the QoS marking policy are permitted into the network. Network admission control (NAC) mechanisms ensure that the security agent is the only access point from the user device to the secure network, and the security agent communicates the establishment of the trusted access point to the network gateway, thus ensuring that the network gateway may trust service level designations emanating from the user device executing the security agent.
US07774487B2
A system and method for communicating between a secondary content provider and a user device includes a user device locator module and a primary service provider providing primary service content to the user device. The user device communicates a user device identifier, an IP address and a port number to the user device locator module. A secondary service content provider in communication with the user device locator module provider has a healthcheck module receiving the IP address and the port number from the user device locator module. The healthcheck module communicates a healthcheck signal to the user device using the port number and the IP address of the user device through a network. The secondary service content provider communicates secondary content to the user device through the network.
US07774486B2
A communications system may include data storage devices each using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols, and mobile wireless communications devices (MWCDs) for accessing the data storage devices and each using at least one of the different operating protocols. The system may further include a protocol interface device, which may include a protocol engine module for communicating with the data storage devices using respective operating protocols. The protocol interface device may further include a front-end proxy module coupled to the protocol engine. The front-end proxy module may include a respective proxy module for communicating with the MWCDs using each different operating protocol. The front-end proxy module may also include one or more common core service modules coupled to the proxy modules and communicating therewith at a first layer, and communicating with the protocol engine module at a second layer lower than the first layer.
US07774485B2
A system, method and media for service infrastructure that enables dynamic service composition and orchestration. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures and the claims.
US07774479B2
First program code is executed at a content recipient so as to identify a content provider having posted content of interest to the content recipient. Second program code is executed at the content recipient so as to automatically access the content provider and initiate receipt by the content recipient of the posted content.
US07774477B2
A device hosting framework provides hosting for software-implemented logical devices (including peripheral devices bridges) on a computer to expose their services as controlled devices per a peer networking protocol. The device hosting framework encapsulates discovery, description and control protocol operations of the peer networking protocol, which frees the developers of the hosted devices from having to individually implement the peer networking protocol in the hosted devices' software and need implement only the core functionality of the hosted device. The device hosting framework operates as a host supporting device interoperability via the peer networking protocol for multiple hosted devices.
US07774473B2
An upstream device, such as a load balancer or router within a server farm, may perform sticky routing of session requests to the servers handling those sessions by generating unique ID(s) identifying how requests may be routed through the server farm. Upstream devices through which travels a request that is not associated with a session on a server of the server farm may generate one or more unique IDs identifying how the request is routed through the server farm. The server handling the request may form a session ID and return that session ID and the unique ID(s) to the client that originated the new request and session. Clients may then send the session ID and unique IDs with clients requests for that session. Upon receiving requests corresponding to established sessions, the upstream devices may then identify routing information from the unique ID(s) and route the request accordingly.
US07774471B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, computer readable media, and compute environments for establishing a schedule for processing a job in a distributed compute environment. The method embodiment comprises converting a topology of a compute environment to a plurality of endpoint-to-endpoint paths, based on the plurality of endpoint-to-endpoint paths, mapping each replica resource of a plurality of resources to one or more endpoints where each respective resource is available, iteratively identifying schedule costs associated with a relationship between endpoints and resources, and committing a selected schedule cost from the identified schedule costs for processing a job in the compute environment.
US07774460B2
An example of a certification process for an application to be made available to a plurality of Hosting Customers within a Web Hosting Community starts with a partner, from a Partner Web Site, submitting the application to a Hosting Provider. The Hosting Provider may perform a test on the application to verify the application conforms to a predetermined standard. The Hosting Provider may perform one or more manual or automated test and look for viruses, worms, Trojen horses, adware, malware, reliability/compatibility issues or other problems with the application that may adversely impact the Web Hosting Community. If the application passes the test, the Hosting Provider may make the application available to the plurality of Hosting Customers. In preferred embodiments, the Hosting Customer may purchase the application thereby triggering the Hosting Provider to automatically make the application available for use by the Hosting Customer's Hosted Web Site.
US07774459B2
A network can be explored to investigate exploitive behavior. For example, network sites may be actively explored by a honey monkey system to detect if they are capable of accomplishing exploits, including browser-based exploits, on a machine. Also, the accomplishment of exploits may be detected by tracing events occurring on a machine after visiting a network site and analyzing the traced events for illicit behavior. Alternatively, site redirections between and among uniform resource locators (URLs) may be explored to discover relationships between sites that are visited.
US07774458B2
A system architecture and a method for managing using a cellular architecture to allow multi-tier management of events such as the managing of the actual impact or the potential impact of IT infrastructure situations on business services. A preferred embodiment includes a high availability management backbone to frame monitoring operations using a cross-domain model where IT component events are abstracted into IT Aggregate events. By combining IT Aggregate events with transaction events, an operational representation of the business services is possible. Another feature is the ability to connect this information to dependent business user groups such as internal end-users or external customers for direct impact measurement. A web of peer-to-peer rule-based cellular event processors preferably using Dynamic Data Association constitutes management backbone crossed by event flows, the execution rules, and distributed set of dynamic inter-related object data rooted in the top data instances featuring the business services.
US07774456B1
Methods, apparatuses and systems that facilitate the classification of web services network traffic. In one implementation, the present invention processes interface definitions corresponding to a given Web service to construct a traffic classification configuration for the Web service, including one or more traffic classes and corresponding matching rules or attributes for each traffic class. In one implementation, the present invention automatically creates traffic classes and matching rules that allow for differentiation between the operations supported by a Web service. Implementations of the present invention provide a mechanism allowing for classification of Web services network traffic on a granular basis to enhance network monitoring and analysis tasks, as well as network control functions, such as bandwidth management, security and other functions.
US07774438B2
A method of self-configuring a network device. The method includes transmitting non-unique structure information of a network device, from the network device to a configuration server, receiving, by the network device from the configuration server, one or more configuration parameter values responsive to the transmitted structure information and configuring the network device with the configuration parameter values.
US07774434B2
By using a support program for a web application server according to the present invention, it is possible to completely control an order of executing processes of a processing flow including a transition of a plurality of screens in a web application by a side of the server, and to describe the processing flow as “one unit of executable program code”. Also, it is possible to record, point by point, respective items or the like of an entry form included in an HTML document to be sent to a client in the server as a form ledger, compare and verify the respective items with the items in the form ledger at the time of receiving input data corresponding to the entry form from the client, and thereby to automatically discard an unauthorized input or the like without depending upon the application program, by using the support program for the web application server.
US07774427B2
The invention provides a system and program product for caching dynamic portal pages without changing the existing caching proxy infrastructure or the transportation protocol used by providing an advanced caching component. An advanced caching component provides the functionality that additional dynamic page specific cache information is provided as part of the response including the portal page. Each component in the portal that dynamically contributes page fragments to be aggregated to a portal page provides dynamic component specific cache information which includes component specific cache scope and expiration values.
US07774424B1
A method and apparatus for determining a set of common link rates for communication between two storage network elements in a storage network system. During the speed negotiation process, a controlling storage network element receives supported link rate information from a connected storage network element without providing any information in return. By not providing such information, although the speed negotiation process may not be completed, the controlling storage network element is still able to determine the supported link rates of the connected storage network element.
US07774418B2
A system, client and method for transmitting preview message in an instant messaging system are disclosed by the present invention. And the system includes: a receiver (400) including a first preview message processing module (401), a first preview message display module (402) and a first receiving module (403); a sender (100) including a second preview message processing module (101) and a second sending module (104); an instant messaging server (200) for transmitting an instant customized message between the sender (100) and the receiver (400); and an Internet (300) for transmitting an instant message between the sender (100) and the receiver (400); wherein the second preview message processing module (101) is configured to convert the preview message received into a code, and transmit the code to the second sending module (104); the second sending module (104) is configured to send the code to the first receiving module (403) via the Internet (300); the first receiving module (403) is configured to send the code to the first preview message processing module (401); the first preview message processing module (401) is configured to convert the code into a prompt message indicating the preview message, and send the prompt message to the first preview message display module (402) for prompt.
US07774417B2
A method for electronic mail (email) distribution and collaboration, the method includes: composing an email message; designating one or more recipients for the email message; assigning a status to each of the one or more recipients; specifying an order of delivery of the email message to the one or more recipients; specifying a required response time period to the email message by the one or more recipients; and specifying a priority order of responses to the email message by the one or more recipients.
US07774409B2
The present invention relates to a process for discovering contacts common to a sender and a recipient of an electronic message (e-mail). The method can include identifying an attachment to the e-mail wherein the attachment includes a list of contacts personal to the sender. A list of contacts personal to the recipient can be retrieved. Each of the lists of contacts can be parsed and compared to identify common contacts. A common contact list can be populated with the identified common contacts.
US07774404B2
In one embodiment the present invention includes a method for managing versions of various software components in a service-oriented architecture. A software component representing a service provider includes a message dispatcher to analyze a service request message received from a service consumer, and to determine whether the service request message specifies version mapping information. If the message does include version mapping information, a conversion algorithm is selected based on the version mapping information specified in the service request message. The message is then converted according to the selected conversion algorithm before being processed by the processing logic of the service provider. A service reply message is similarly converted before being sent to the service consumer.
US07774400B2
The present invention relates to a method for performing calculation operations using a pipelined calculation device comprising a group of at least two pipeline stages. The pipeline stages comprise at least one data interface for input of data and at least one data interface for output of data. In the method, data for performing calculation operations is input to the device. Selective data processing is performed in the calculation device, wherein between at least one input data interface and at least one output data interface a selection is performed to connect at least one input data interface to at least one output data interface for routing data between at least one input data interface and at least one output data interface and for processing data according to the selection. The invention further relates to a system and a device in which the method is utilized.
US07774398B2
A set of complex rotations are used to implement a unitary “Q” matrix in which each complex rotation is a set of real rotations, where the minimum number of real rotations to perform the complex rotation is three, and where the minimum number of angles to characterize the real rotations is two. The index-angle sets for each successive rotation can be provided by a complex rotor calculation unit, which may be collocated with the complex rotor computational unit, located in a controller such as a DSL optimizer, or located in any other suitable device or apparatus that has performed the QR factorization upon supplied matrix MIMO transfer functions for the vectored channel.
US07774384B2
A content provider has an associated database. The database is indexed with a plurality of content items available in a domain. The database includes a field to indicate an availability of each of the content items from the content provider. The database is searched based on a search query entered by a user to generate a search result list. The search result list may include a content item that is identified as being unavailable from the content provider based on the field. If so, the search result list is provided to the user to indicate the content item and to indicate that the content item is unavailable from the content provider. A user feedback control associated with the content item is also provided to the user. The user feedback control is to provide feedback from the user if the user desires the content provider to make the content item available.
US07774373B2
In a system and method for fulfilling a service query for a user, a processor may parse the query into a set of operations, identify a set of service providers that each provides functionality for performing at least one respective operation of the set of operations, and, for each of the set of operations, select a respective one of the set of service providers to perform the operation, and interface with the service provider selected for the operation to cause the service provider to perform the operation.
US07774362B2
A multimedia client/server system, prior to transmitting multimedia data over an RF communication link, shares secure access data between the client module. The secure access data is used to securing communication between the server transceiver module and the client transceiver module over the RF communication link.
US07774359B2
System and method for notifying a user of an occurrence of a defined condition in a process. The process includes a plurality of event records associated with the process; each of the plurality of event records includes a plurality of data fields having data relating to the process. A subset of the plurality of event records is defined where the subset relates to the defined condition. The data in the defined subset is updated at a predetermined time interval. The user is notified when the updated data of the defined subset indicates that the defined condition has occurred. The subset may alternatively be defined as a function of a current time, a last run time and the defined condition.
US07774354B2
Method and system for providing results for task list queries to Workflow Management Systems (WfMSs) and Human Task Management Systems (HTMSs). In one aspect, a method for providing the result of a task list query to a human task database includes caching data from the database in a plurality of materialized views. A new request for a list of tasks from the database is received, and a new query is created when the new request applies to the data in a particular materialized view. When the particular materialized view includes data that requires updating from more recent data in the database, the materialized view is so updated. The new query is executed against the data in the materialized view instead of executing the new query against the data in the database.
US07774348B2
A system and method are disclosed for utilizing local intent to provide geographically relevant information in response to a search query. The search query results and advertisements may be chosen based at least in part on the local intent and geographic range of the search query. The search query may be assigned a location identifier based on the local intent that is used to expand the geographic range for ranking and selecting relevant content and advertisements.
US07774346B2
A database management system that has bitmap values in which set bits in a representation of a bitstring specify a set of objects whose definitions are built into the database management system. The database management system further includes user-accessible operations on the bitmap values. The bitmap values are represented by means of a mapping specifier that specifies a range of the set of objects and a representation of a string of bits that has been mapped onto the set of object specified by the range specifier. Objects containing bitmap values may be indexed by means of an index tree that includes summary bitmap values.
US07774344B2
Systems and methods are provided to enable viewing and computation of differential data for an item or item subset when compared with other items or subsets. A score may be determined for an item or subset where standard deviations and distance metrics are computed to determine differentiators. In one aspect, a system for comparing data items is provided. The system includes a weighting component to determine a score for an item or subset of items. A differentiator component determines a comparison metric for the item or subset of items based in part on a distance metric to at least one other item or subset of items. A user interface can be provided to display the comparison metrics.
US07774343B2
A content distribution system receives data describing media content available from one or more vendors. The content distribution system generates data that describes an offer and associates the media content data with the offer. The content distribution system provides data describing an offer to a client device. The client device receives a request for a media content offer. The media content offer may include one or more instances of media content. Each instance of media content is available from a media vendor. For each media content instance associated with the offer, the client determines a vendor able to provide the media content, and submits a request for the media content to the vendor.
US07774335B1
A method and system for determining interest levels of online content navigation paths. A method may include determining each of a plurality of navigation paths among a plurality of online content sources, and for each of the navigation paths, determining a corresponding path weight, where a given corresponding path weight is indicative of user activity along a corresponding navigation path. The method may further include identifying a particular aggregate path within the online content sources, where the particular path includes some of the navigation paths, where an aggregate path weight corresponding to the particular path is dependent upon the path weights corresponding to the navigation paths included in the particular path, and where the aggregate path weight satisfies an optimization criterion relative to other aggregate paths. A given navigation path included in the particular aggregate path may correspond to a possible user traversal from a first to a second online content source.
US07774333B2
The invention provides a system and method of associating results from a query from a user directed to a search engine to advertisements associated with the search engine. In the method, there are the steps of: obtaining advertisement keyword senses associated with the advertisements; disambiguating the query to identify query keyword senses associated with the query; expanding the query keyword senses to include relevant semantic synonyms for the query keyword senses to create a list of expanded query keyword senses; using the expanded keyword senses to search the advertisement keyword senses to locate relevant advertisements correlating to the query; and providing the relevant advertisements to the user. The system incorporates modules conducting steps of the method.
US07774327B1
A storage server maintains an active file system and at least one read-only, persistent point-in-time image (RPPI) of the active file system. The booting time of the storage server is reduced by delaying the mounting of the RPPI(s) until the storage server receives a request to access a corresponding RPPI after the storage server has already booted.
US07774324B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that tracks progress on a plan. The system starts by receiving a one or more completed plan templates (which constitute plans) from a set of plan providers. The system then stores the plans in a plan database. Next, the system receives a request for a plan, for which the plan database contains one or more plans that can be used to fulfill the request. The system then provides a user interface (UI) to display the plans that fulfill the request. Next, the system receives a selection signal that selects a plan to fulfill the request. The system then displays the selected plan through the UI, which involves initially displaying projected progress on the plan at one or more intervals on a timeline.
US07774323B2
An apparatus for delivering managed services to remote locations, the apparatus comprising a delivery policy, and a repository containing pairs of executables and pairs of configurations intended for delivery platforms and for remote appliances. The apparatus further comprises a delivery platform, responsible for delivering the executables and the configurations to one or more servers and one or more remote appliances.
US07774315B1
Backup system for backing up basic data elements accessible via a network, the backup system comprising a controller, a communication interface, a backup storage unit, for storing backup versions of the basic data elements and a comparator, for comparing between a list of basic data elements from a storage area of the network and a respective list of backed up basic data elements, thereby detecting new basic data elements listed in the list of basic data elements and absent from the respective list of backed up basic data elements, modified basic data elements listed in the list of data elements differently than in the respective list of backed up basic data elements and deleted basic data elements absent from the list of basic data elements and listed in the respective list of backed up basic data elements, wherein the controller backs up the storage area of the network by copying the entirety of the new basic data elements and the modified basic data elements into the backup storage unit, and wherein the controller produces a deleted-element indicator respective of each of the deleted basic data elements, in the backup storage unit.
US07774312B2
A self-managing workload repository (AWR) infrastructure useful for a database server to collect and manage selected sets of important system performance statistics. Based on a schedule, the AWR runs automatically to collect data about the operation of the database system, and stores the data that it captures into the database. The AWR is advantageously designed to be lightweight and to self manage its use of storage space so as to avoid ending up with a repository of performance data that is larger than the database that it is capturing data about. The AWR is configured to automatically capture snapshots of statistics data on a periodic basis as well as purge stale data on a periodic basis. Both the frequency of the statistics data capture and length of time for which data is kept is adjustable. Manual snapshots and purging may also be performed. The AWR captured data allows for both system level and user level analysis to be automatically performed without unduly impacting system performance, e.g., by eliminating or reducing the requirement to repeat the workload in order to diagnose problems.
US07774311B2
The invention relates to a method and apparatus of distributing data in portioned databases operating on a shared-nothing architecture. The invention provides two independent streams of data, where a first stream sends table data, and the second stream sends LOB data, to a receiving partition. The receiving partition re-couples the LOB data with the table data. Using two independent streams to distribute LOB data can increase data redistribution since large amounts of input/output is not performed to handle the sending of LOB data in a coupled fashion.
US07774307B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of changing information in a first database and a second database. The method includes receiving new information. The method also includes receiving a first record from the first database, the first record corresponding to the new information. The method further includes receiving a second record from the second database, the second record corresponding to the new information. The method also includes merging the new information, the first record, and the second record into a final record.
US07774300B2
A system and method for data model and content migration in content management applications is disclosed that facilitates data migration by utilizing a markup-language format to preserve dependency and enable compatibility among various platforms, applications, devices, etc. The method generally includes retrieving a plurality of objects, determining a dependency of the plurality of objects, extracting object definitions from the objects, forming a markup-language user document with the extracted object definitions utilizing the determined object dependency, and exporting the markup-language user document.
US07774286B1
Multiple thread functionality in a general purpose set theoretic processor (GPSTP) is implemented by addition of a thread memory for processing multiple interleaved data input streams to enable state save-and-restore functionality. The thread memory is functionally distributed among three parts of the GPSTP that change state during execution. The system structure minimizes the number of bits required to be saved and restored, and cell structures are configured implement the multi-thread functionality.
US07774278B2
A communication system having a wireless trunk for connecting multiple phone lines over wireless communication links to a cellular network comprises a central telephone switch, such as a private branch exchange or key system, connected through one or more trunk lines to a wireless access communication unit. The wireless access communication unit preferably comprises a separate subscriber interface for each trunk line from the central telephone switch. The wireless access communication unit collects data from each of the subscriber interfaces, formats the data into a format compatible with an over-the-air protocol, and transmits the information over one or more wireless channels to a cellular base station. The wireless access communication unit thereby connects calls received from the central telephone switch's trunk lines over a wireless trunk to a network.
US07774268B2
A system, method, and apparatus for identifying and authenticating the presence of high value assets at remote location includes associating an identification tag with the asset. The identification tag includes identification information that can be electronically read and sent to a remote location for verifying the authenticity of the asset.
US07774261B1
A system and associated methods are provided for use of fractional pay-up ticks in relation to offset orders being sent for a trading strategy that involves trading a first tradeable object and at least a second tradeable object. According to one example method, when an indication is received that a quantity at a first price for the first tradeable object is filled, a plurality of offset orders for the second tradeable object is sent to an electronic order book of the second tradeable object. The plurality of offset orders is placed at a plurality of price levels determined based on at least one fractional pay-up tick value, the first price, and the desired spread price. A quantity for each order is determined based on a quantity divider rule that is applied to an offset quantity to offset the fill.
US07774255B2
A system for modeling a basket of securities containing a plurality of securities is provided and includes a default/recovery model database for storing default/recovery data regarding the plurality of securities. Also included is a default simulation engine for calculating a default time for at least one of the plurality of securities based on the default/recovery data. Finally, a cash flow engine is included for generating cash flows for the basket of securities based on the default times.
US07774244B2
Methods, systems, and products track all equipment used in a surgical suite through the use of RFID tags. A database is queried for a surgical procedure associated with a patient. An allowable zone is determined on the patient's body in which surgical items may be used during the surgical procedure. When an RFID tag indicates that a surgical item is moving outside the allowable zone, then an alarm is triggered. The alarm indicates that the surgical item is moving outside the allowable zone and towards an area of the patient's body in which the surgical item may not be used.
US07774239B2
An Internet-based purchasing system and associated method, including: (i) a remote terminal for use by a consumer; (ii) an on-line purchasing system, wherein the system further includes a system database in communication with the remote terminal for storing both consumer information and ticket and merchandise information; (iii) a user interface between the remote terminal and the on-line purchasing system for allowing the exchange of information and commands between the remote terminal and the on-line purchasing system; (iv) at least one source system in communication with the on-line purchasing system for allowing vendors of tickets or merchandise to sell items on-line, wherein the source system further includes a source database for storing current ticket and merchandise information; (v) a communication interface between the on-line purchasing system and the source system for allowing data exchange between the systems; (vi) software means for allowing the on-line purchasing system to monitor the source system for current ticket or merchandise information and communicate the information back to the on-line purchasing system; (vii) software means for allowing the on-line purchasing system to execute the purchase of tickets or merchandise from the source system based on the current information; and (viii) software means for allowing the source system to communicate with the remote terminal to indicate the completion of the purchase to the consumer.
US07774235B2
Method and apparatus, including computer program products, for producing a sequence of data request user interfaces that are rendered on a display, including receiving a request for a data request user interface included in the sequence of data request user interfaces, receiving data from a file for constructing the data request user interface, constructing the data request user interface, which when displayed the constructed data request user interface includes a step of the user activity, receiving a request based on the first data request user interface for another data request user interface included in the sequence of data request user interfaces, receiving data from the file for constructing the other data request user interface, and constructing the other data request user interface detached from the first data request user interface, which when displayed the constructed other data request user interface includes another step of the user activity.
US07774227B2
A method and system that utilizes OLAP and supporting data structures for making predictions about business locations. The method includes providing a spatial map and analyzing heterogeneous data having a spatial component to find utilizable data. Relationships are automatically extracted from the utilizable data by employing machine learning. The step of automatically extracting relationships includes generating a composite indicator, which correlates spatial data with unstructured data. The extracted relationships are presented on a spatial map to make a prediction about at least one business location. Preferably, the predictions are presented as a rank-ordered list on the spatial map and a heat map overlays the spatial map to indicate predictions about particular regions.
US07774226B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for developing an optimal sales plan for multiple products with multiple price classes contingent on different possible realizations of uncertain demand over multiple time periods with the objective of maximizing expected revenue over a constrained capacity. The present invention formulates a multistage stochastic program that generates a quantity of each of the multiple products to be sold in each of the multiple time periods and a recommendation for when realized demand for at least one of the multiple time periods exceeds a planned sales volume; estimates a likelihood that the realized demand for the at least one of the multiple time periods exceeds the planned sales volume; and collects realized order data for each of the multiple time periods; and executes the multistage stochastic program using the likelihood and the realized order data to generate a sales plan.
US07774225B2
Production planning systems and methods are described that enable production planners to see how capacity decisions affect total production costs and to understand the cost trade offs between excess capacity and inventory and, thereby, enable them to make appropriate manufacturing capacity level and inventory level decisions. In one aspect, a graphical user interface separates the presentation of production planning information from the underlying representation of production planning calculations and interrelationships. The graphical user interface frees a production planner from having to handle the underlying references directly and, thereby, allows the production planner to focus instead on the contexts and concepts of production planning (e.g., making strategic decisions regarding excess capacity levels and inventory levels).
US07774219B1
A method for executing a schedule in a workflow application is provided. The method includes selectively storing a schedule state to a storage medium based on a latency attribute associated with the schedule. Also provided is a method of executing a workflow application comprising long running transactions. This method includes selectively storing a schedule state to a storage medium based on a latency attribute associated with the schedule, and selectively compensating certain actions within the schedule according to a compensation parameter associated with an action, based on failure or abortion of another action within the schedule. In addition, there is provided a method of executing a schedule comprising selectively compensating certain actions or transactions within the schedule according to a compensation parameter associated with an action or transaction, based on failure or abortion of another action or transaction within the schedule.
US07774216B2
A computer-implemented method for profiling medical claims to assist health care managers in determining the cost-efficiency and service quality of health care providers. The method allows an objective means for measuring and quantifying health care services. An episode treatment group (ETG) is a patient classification unit, which defines groups that are clinically homogenous (similar cause of illness and treatment) and statistically stable. The ETG grouper methodology uses service or segment-level claim data as input data and assigns each service to the appropriate episode. The program identifies concurrent and recurrent episodes, flags records, creates new groupings, shifts groupings for changed conditions, selects the most recent claims, resets windows, makes a determination if the provider is an independent lab and continues to collect information until an absence of treatment is detected.
US07774213B2
A system and method are disclosed for managing prescription benefits. Case records containing information regarding patients and prescription coverage activities for the patients are stored in the system. Users are allowed access to the system via an appropriate electronic communication network. The user can subsequently perform various tasks in order to maintain and review coverage activities. The user can also enter additional prescription coverage activities into the case records, as well as verify that information entered into the case records has been updated.
US07774205B2
An audio encoder/decoder provides efficient compression of spectral transform coefficient data characterized by sparse spectral peaks. The audio encoder/decoder applies a temporal prediction of the frequency position of spectral peaks. The spectral peaks in the transform coefficients that are predicted from those in a preceding transform coding block are encoded as a shift in frequency position from the previous transform coding block and two non-zero coefficient levels. The prediction may avoid coding very large zero-level transform coefficient runs as compared to conventional run length coding. For spectral peaks not predicted from those in a preceding transform coding block, the spectral peaks are encoded as a value trio of a length of a run of zero-level spectral transform coefficients, and two non-zero coefficient levels.
US07774202B2
A speech activated control system for controlling aerial vehicle components, program product, and associated methods are provided. The system can include a host processor adapted to develop speech recognition models and to provide speech command recognition. The host processor can be positioned in communication with a database for storing and retrieving speech recognition models. The system can include an avionic computer in communication with the host processor and adapted to provide command function management, a display and control processor in communication with the avionic computer adapted to provide a user interface between a user and the avionic computer, and a data interface positioned in communication with the avionic computer and the host processor provided to divorce speech command recognition functionality from vehicle or aircraft-related speech-command functionality. The system can also include speech actuated command program product at least partially stored in the memory of the host processor and adapted to provide the speech recognition model training and speech recognition model recognition functionality.
US07774194B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for seamlessly transitioning text into sign language. The apparatus comprises an encoding module and a translation module. The encoding module includes a camera for recording visual images of a model signing words and phrases, a video box for providing each of the images with a position code, and a processing unit with a memory for storing each of the recorded images so as to create a database of sign language video clips. The translation module includes a processing unit, a monitor associated with the processing unit for displaying a visual output in seamless sign language and a textual output, and a memory containing the database associated with the processing unit.
US07774177B2
Techniques are provided for controlling an exoskeleton actuator at a joint of a human-exoskeleton system by receiving system parameters for the human-exoskeleton system, receiving generalized coordinates for the human-exoskeleton system, and determining an equivalent joint torque for the exoskeleton actuator to compensate for a selected force. While providing partial or complete compensation of selected gravitational and external forces, one embodiment of the present invention mitigates the amount of interference between voluntary control and assist control, thereby allowing humans to quickly humans adapt to an exoskeleton system.
US07774170B2
According to one embodiment, a design/verification aid system adapted to aid design of a product and verification of the design, includes a design processing unit that executes a CAD process, which includes a part generation process to generate a part geometric model, a part addition process to add a part geometric model corresponding to another part to generate a whole geometric model corresponding to a product under design, and a part movement process to move a position of a predetermined part geometric model, an analytic model generation unit that generates an analytic model corresponding to a part geometric model, an analytic model edition unit that edits the generated analytic model in accordance with a content of the part addition or movement process and generates a whole analytic model, and an analysis unit that executes an analysis process to analyze the whole geometric model and displays an analytic result.
US07774169B2
A maintenance system for an apparatus that is a maintenance target enables reduction in cost related to maintenance services and reduction in downtime of the apparatus. The maintenance system acquires information related to a visit interval that prescribes a time interval at which a visit should be made for maintenance operation for each consumable part and a replacement interval that prescribes a time interval at which each consumable part should be replaced, acquires a counter value that indicates actual use of the consumable parts, and calculates the time for the next maintenance visit and the consumable part that should be replaced at that time, on the basis of the information related to the visit interval and the replacement interval, and the counter value.
US07774163B2
A method, system and computer program product for a database management system to be operatively coupled to a data processing system. The data processing system includes memory for storing a data table. The method, system and computer program product for determining frequency of updating a histogram of the data table. The method includes determining sampled histograms for sample portions of the data table from time to time, computing a difference between at least two of the determined sampled histograms, and determining a frequency with which to update the histogram of the data table depending on the amount of the computed difference.
US07774162B2
A system LSI including a semiconductor chip which receives power from a power supply, and an electronic timer which measures a time from an interruption of power supplying to the semiconductor chip to a resumption of power supplying to the semiconductor chip.
US07774158B2
The invention is related to methods and apparatus that use a visual sensor and dead reckoning sensors to process Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used in robot navigation. Advantageously, such visual techniques can be used to autonomously generate and update a map. Unlike with laser rangefinders, the visual techniques are economically practical in a wide range of applications and can be used in relatively dynamic environments, such as environments in which people move. One embodiment further advantageously uses multiple particles to maintain multiple hypotheses with respect to localization and mapping. Further advantageously, one embodiment maintains the particles in a relatively computationally-efficient manner, thereby permitting the SLAM processes to be performed in software using relatively inexpensive microprocessor-based computer systems.
US07774151B2
An electronic battery tester and method includes generating battery test data from an electronic battery test. The battery test data is transmitted over a wireless communication medium. In another aspect, a method and apparatus is provided for receiving battery test data from a wireless communication medium.
US07774150B2
A meter electronics (20) for a flow meter (5) is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The meter electronics (20) includes an interface (201) for receiving a vibrational response and a processing system (203). The processing system (203) receives the vibrational response, vibrates at least one flowtube (130) of the vibratory flow meter (5) and generates a first tube period τm1 for a first flow material m1, vibrates the at least one flowtube (130) and generates a second tube period τm2 for a second flow material m2, and determines one or more of a stiffness coefficient C1 or a mass coefficient C2 from the first tube period τm1, a first density ρm1, the second tube period τm2, and a second density ρ2.
US07774148B2
In an embodiment of a method, the method includes measuring currents and voltages that are coupled to a motor that includes an internal permanent magnet and determining a reactive power in response to the measured currents and voltages. The method further includes estimating a first flux orthogonal to an axis of the internal permanent motor and estimating a second flux aligned with the axis of the internal permanent motor. Additionally, the method includes estimating a torque in response to the measured currents and the first and second fluxes.
US07774147B1
Systems and methods are provided for upgrading a software artifact having accumulated data flaws. The software artifact may be accessible, for example, by a plurality of software components for backend services. Issues that cause the data flaws and corresponding fixes are tracked and evaluated to determine dependencies, if any, between the fixes. The fixes are applied to the software artifact as individual transactions. If there are no dependencies among a subset of fixes, the fixes in the subset are applied regardless of whether the other fixes in the subset were successfully applied. For subsets having dependencies between fixes, the fixes that depend from a prior unsuccessfully applied fix are discarded. The software artifact is rolled back to remove unsuccessfully applied fixes.
US07774140B2
A refracture-candidate diagnostic test is an injection of compressible or slightly compressible fluid at pressures in excess of minimum in-situ stress and formation fracture pressure with pressure decline following injection test recorded to detect a fracture retaining residual width from previous stimulation treatments. The diagnostic consists of small volume injections with injection time being a small fraction of time required for compressible or slightly compressible reservoir fluid to exhibit pseudoradial flow. The fracture-injection portion of a test can be considered as occurring instantaneously. Data measurements are transformed into a constant rate equivalent pressure transformation to obtain adjusted pressures or adjusted pseudovariables which are analyzed to identify dual unit-slope before and after closure periods confirming a residual retaining width.
US07774137B2
The operator of a third vehicle trailing a second, host vehicle is alerted of a potentially hazardous deceleration of a first vehicle forward of the host vehicle. The road-speed of the first vehicle is ascertained by the host vehicle. Any significant deceleration of the road-speed of the first vehicle is determined. A luminous signal is provided to the third vehicle by the host vehicle when such significant deceleration has occurred. According to some methods a radar device carried by the host vehicle may be used to determine the relative speed between the first and second vehicles.
US07774136B2
When an accessory switch of a vehicle is turned on, a TFT display device in an instrument panel is in a magnified display mode, where a navigation image is displayed in a magnified area of a navigation display area with no meter images displayed. A driver is therefore allowed to attentively view the navigation image in order to perform a route set or to change scales of a displayed map. When the driver further turns on an ignition switch, the magnified display mode is switched to a normal display mode. In the normal display mode, a meter display area and a vehicle state display area coexist with the navigation display area in the TFT display device; a navigation image is displayed in a normal area of the navigation display area with a meter image, e.g., a speed meter image, and a warning indicator image displayed simultaneously.
US07774128B2
A method of measuring an initial hydrocarbon concentration in a canister includes opening a purge control valve thereby introducing hydrocarbons from the canister to a cylinder; calculating an amount of air introduced into the cylinder; and calculating the initial hydrocarbon concentration based on the amount of air. A method of controlling fuel injection includes measuring an initial hydrocarbon concentration in a canister by opening a purge control valve in a fuel cut-off mode; determining a driving state of a vehicle; calculating an air inflow to a cylinder according to the driving state of the vehicle; calculating a λ set-point according to the driving state of the vehicle; and calculating fuel injection amount based on the air inflow and the λ set-point. Also, a system for controlling fuel injection.
US07774127B2
A method for controlling a motor vehicle. According to the method, a volumetric filling efficiency for air in the motor is determined using a network of artificial neurones.
US07774121B2
A system and method for detecting a road curve as a vehicle approaches the curve, automatically providing road curvature information and controlling vehicle speed. The system uses a locating device and a map database to know the vehicle's position. Depending on the speed of the vehicle, the system generates a curvature profile for different curvature data points at or around the curve in front of the vehicle. The system then generates a desired speed profile for the curvature points. The desired speed profile and the actual vehicle speed are compared to determine whether the vehicle is traveling too fast for the target speed at each profile point. The acceleration computation can be enhanced by providing a driver cornering mode input that the vehicle operator can select based on how aggressively the driver wants the system to act to slow down the vehicle.
US07774120B2
A control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes a control section having a normal control section configured to actuate the step motor at a first speed by using a feedback control including an integral control in accordance with the target pulley ratio and the actual pulley ratio, a high speed control section configured to actuate the step motor at a second speed higher than the first speed by an open loop control based on the target pulley ratio, a judgment section configured to judge whether there is a high speed operation request, and a switch section configured to select the normal control performed by the normal control section at a normal condition, and to switch to the high speed control when a switch start condition is satisfied, the switch start condition including a first condition that the judgment section judges there is the high speed operation request.
US07774113B2
A method of calculating the heading angle of a vehicle using a camera associated with the vehicle, the method comprising capturing at least two images with the camera, calculating the lateral speed of the vehicle from the images, calculating the ground speed of the vehicle and calculating, from the ground speed and the lateral speed, a first heading angle of the vehicle. The method may also include calculating a second heading value from the images and from that a misalignment value indicative of the alignment of the camera from some datum. The misalignment value may be used to correct the first heading angle and the process repeated iteratively. The method may also include fitting features that follow features that follow the direction of travel of the vehicle. A camera system and data carrier embodying the method are also disclosed.
US07774099B2
A programming device for making a program for returning a robot to its waiting position when the robot is stopped by an error. A robot control device is connected to the programming device via a network line. When the robot during operation is stopped by the error, information including data of a position where the robot is stopped is transferred to the programming device. The programming device makes the returning program, based on layout data, the received information and data including teaching positions and attribute data of the positions, by which the robot may be returned from the stop position to the waiting position without interfering with peripheral devices. The returning program is executed by using an offline simulation function of the programming device. The program is transferred to the robot control device after it is judged that interference will not occur. The robot may be safely returned to the waiting position by executing the returning program.
US07774067B2
Techniques for automatically generating neurostimulation therapy program groups are disclosed. The techniques may include receiving rating information and information describing actual therapy effects for a plurality of tested programs, and receiving target therapy data describing target therapy effects. The techniques may include automatically generating plurality of program groups based on the rating information and a comparison of actual effects to the target therapy effects. Actual effects and target therapy effects may be, for example, actual paresthesia areas and target paresthesia areas. The techniques may also include determining whether a sufficient number of programs have been tested to generate a desired number of programs groups and, if a sufficient number have not been tested, automatically generating additional programs based on the tested programs, and automatically generating program groups from the tested and automatically generated programs.
US07774064B2
Methods and devices for classifying a cardiac response to pacing involve establishing a retriggerable cardiac response classification window. A first cardiac response classification window is established subsequent to delivery of a pacing pulse. A cardiac signal following the pacing stimulation is sensed in the first classification window. A second cardiac response classification may be triggered if a trigger characteristic is detected in the first classification window. The cardiac signal is sensed in the second classification window if the second classification window is established. The cardiac response to the pacing stimulation is determined based on characteristics of the cardiac signal. The cardiac response may be determined to be one of a captured response, a non-captured response; a non-captured response added to an intrinsic beat, and a fusion/pseudofusion beat, for example.
US07774060B2
A basic life support system (BLSS) includes a processing element and an output element, such as a display screen or an audio output element, for providing an individual with real-time instructions on providing emergency medical care to a patient until paramedics or other healthcare professionals arrive to take over care for the patient. The instructions may be provided as graphics, including animations, as text, audibly, or as a combination of visible and audible elements. The BLSS may be configured for providing emergency medical care to individuals who have suffered from ventricular fibrillation. Accordingly, the BLSS may also include a defibrillation apparatus, an air or oxygen supply, a respiratory interface, one or more sensors, or a combination thereof.
US07774042B2
A three-dimensional thermoacoustic imaging system uses dye markers. Thermoacoustic signals are produced by the dye markers when light from an external source is absorbed by the dye. Thermoacoustic images with and without dye stimulation may be generated using excitation frequencies both inside and outside the frequency band of fluorescence of the dye marker, and these may be combined, and/or combined with conventional ultrasound images for image enhancement. An apparatus for carrying out this method on mice, uses a commercially available array of transducers positioned opposite to the body of the mouse, which is immersed in a coupling media. A source of illumination such as a laser directs light to the mouse through the coupling media, and resulting acoustic waves are captured by the array and reconstructed to form an image.
US07774034B2
A signal switching device including a plurality of transmission paths connected to an input path, the signal switching device outputting a signal from the input path through one of the transmission paths, including a first variable impedance unit connected to a first transmission path, the first variable impedance unit including a first section formed from a superconducting material, the first section being set to a non-superconducting state when the signal is to be output through a second transmission path, the first section including a portion of a predetermined length at an input end, the portion having an area of a cross section less than an area of a cross section of the first section at an output end.
US07774023B2
A source electronic device, system and method that is configured to associate a digital image with the source electronic device that generated the digital image is described. The source electronic device comprises a camera, a source identification module, a processor and a memory module. The camera captures at least one unprocessed image. The source identification module identifies the source electronic device with one or more source identification information. The processor processes the captured unprocessed image, and generates a processed digital image. The processed digital image comprises an image header having the source identification information. The memory module stores the processed digital images having the source identification information in the image header. The system comprises a network server and the source electronic device, which further comprises an encryption module configured to encrypt the source identification information. The network server communicates with the source electronic device and assists in decrypting the image header having the encrypted source identification information.
US07774021B2
A communication terminal apparatus which improves the a quality of an additional function such as image processing, music reproduction etc. over repressing power consumption is provided. The communication terminal apparatus has a transmission and reception unit adapted to transmit or receive a signal including a voice signal or an image signal, a decode processing unit adapted to decode a received signal, a first control circuit for controlling the transmission and reception unit and the decode processing unit, a second control circuit for processing an image signal which is outputted from the decode processing unit, a first power supply unit adapted to supply electric power to the first control circuit, and a second power supply unit adapted to supply electric power to the second control circuit, and in case that the communication terminal apparatus is not operated for a given length of time, the second power supply unit reduces electric power to the second control circuit.
US07774019B2
A transconductor input circuit for a down converting quadrature mixer stage of a direct-conversion receiver comprises a pair of common-gate input transistors whose source electrodes are coupled to a differential radio frequency (RF) input signal outputted from an interstage RF filter. The transconductor circuit further comprises a pair of equally-sized biasing transistors for biasing the pair of common-gate input transistors. Source electrodes of the biasing transistors are coupled to the source electrodes of the transistors to sense the differential radio frequency input signal for canceling intermodulation distortion.
US07774015B2
A power control device (18), for use with a WPAN host device (10), and a method (30) for supporting seamless mobility in transferring content between a WPAN-enabled device and the host device, such as between a Bluetooth-enabled information source and a Bluetooth-enabled host device. The host device includes a WPAN module (14), an on/off control module (16) and the power control device or module (18). The power control module (18) includes a power source (24) for powering a controller (22) that instructs the on/off control module to turn on the host device if the host device is turned off and if a WPAN information source has a WPAN master/slave relationship with the host device. The controller also can instruct the on/off control module to turn off the host device if the WPAN information source no longer has a WPAN master/slave relationship with the host device.
US07774010B2
A group management framework and methodology for managing symmetric groups using peer-to-peer network communications. Group management is distributed throughout the group members of the peer-to-peer network, and group information is mirrored in each of the members of the group. The framework facilitates management of group member lists, provides group communication capabilities for external applications, and security for the group communication without the need for intermediary servers to provide services.
US07774006B2
An apparatus and a method for improving short message service dependability by reducing the risk of an SM being loss due to failure in a network having both an SMS routers and an SMSC and in which forward and store delivery or Early-Ack is enabled in the router.Alternative apparatus and methods are presented which mitigate the possibility of losing an SM before it is delivered to a recipient or received and persistently stored by the SMSC by placing the SM in a survivable storage medium before acknowledgement of the SM is sent to the submitter of the SM and by providing a recovery mechanism that can re-attempt a delivery or a forwarding of the SM, based on the content of the survivable storage medium, in the case of a failure.
US07774000B2
Methods and apparatus for use in controlling the loading of wireless access points (APs) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) in support of legacy terminals are disclosed. The WLAN has at least a first AP and a second wireless AP adjacent the first wireless AP. An indication which indicates whether a loading of the second wireless AP is greater than a predetermined threshold is identified. When the indication indicates that the loading is greater than the predetermined threshold, a first nominal radio frequency (RF) transmission power of the first wireless AP is increased in order to increase a first RF coverage area of the first wireless AP. A second nominal RF transmission power of the second wireless AP is correspondingly reduced in order to reduce a second RF coverage area of the second wireless AP. In response, some of the mobile communication devices initially operating with the second wireless AP are switched to operate with the first wireless AP in order to reduce the loading of the second wireless AP. The techniques may be embodied in a centralized approach where transmission control equipment of the WLAN controls each wireless APs in this manner, or alternatively in a distributed non-centralized approach where each wireless AP acts independently and autonomously in the same or similar manner. Preferably, the techniques do not require the functional requirements of mobile devices to modified and therefore are suitable for use with existing legacy devices.
US07773988B2
A network entry method in a wireless mobile communication system is disclosed. An initial network entry method by a Mobile Station (MS) in a wireless mobile communication system includes sending a ranging request message including a Medium Access Control (MAC) address in a predetermined format to a Base Station (BS) and receiving a ranging response message including information associated with basic capability negotiation and information associated registration from the BS.
US07773986B2
A mobile communications terminal divides a plurality of multipath signals associated with radio signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations using an S-CCPCH into groups by base station, i.e., by transmit source, maximum-ratio-combines a plurality of multipath signals associated with each same base station which is a transmit source into a composite signal, decodes the composite signal, and selects a composite signal having a good decoded result from among decoded composite signals.
US07773982B2
A method to remotely control a wireless unit, includes receiving an activation/deactivation request from a user. It is determined if the user is authorized to activate/deactivate the wireless unit. If the user is authorized to activate/deactivate the wireless unit, a signal is sent to the wireless unit causing the wireless unit to power-on/power-off in response to the signal.
US07773980B2
A method for transferring data based on an event function is provided. The method includes receiving an event function from an event initiator. The event function is distributed to one or more destinations associated with event performers. A response message is received as a function of destination and time. It is determined whether the time is less than or equal to a limit time, and it is further determined whether an event parameter is greater than or equal to an event constant if the time is less than or equal to the limit time. Data is transferred from a data origination system accessible by the event initiator to a data destination system accessible by the event performer if the event parameter is greater than or equal to the event constant and if the time is less than or equal to the limit time.
US07773978B2
Provided are a device and a method for processing message-related events generated in a portable terminal. The method for processing message-related events in a portable terminal comprises the steps of storing message-related events generated in the portable terminal, confirming specialists set in advance, so that the message-related events can be processed by the specialists, respectively, calling the confirmed specialists and processing the message-related events, and displaying the processing results set in advance with respect to the specialists with a text/avatar, according to the processing results which are processed by the specialists.
US07773972B2
Individual wireless devices communicate amongst each other exchanging identity information, authentication-state or both, thereby forming a collaborative-collection of wireless devices. This collaborative-collection of wireless devices offers improvements over individual wireless devices in three areas. First, device functions are affected by the group of devices that are active-members of the collaborative-collection, enabling improved functionality. Second, the times-of-membership and times-of-non-membership of the devices in the collaborative-collection are monitored and this information is used to affect the function of individual devices in the collaborative-collection, including improved security and authorization policies. Third, the authentication-state of the active-member devices in the collaborative-collection affects the function of the active-member devices in the collaborative-collection, also adding to improved security.
US07773971B1
A wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, will transmit into a network an indication of a person's health status, such as a quantity of exercise in which the person engaged or a measure of some aspect of the person's body systems, as determined by a health status sensor provided separate from or integral with the wireless communication device. Based on the reported health status information, the network will then register a discount on the price that a wireless service provider charges for providing the wireless communication device with wireless communication service.
US07773966B2
A mobile terminal capable of breaking a phase-noise signal caused by a high power transmission signal of a mobile phone such as GSM when receiving digital TV broadcasting such as DVB-H and a method of reducing interfering phase-noise in the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal includes a first RF transmitter/receiver; a first signal coupler; a phase-noise filter; a phase shifter; a VGA amplifier; and a signal combiner.
US07773960B2
A method is provided for transmitting a signal in a signal transmission apparatus of a communication system. Upon receiving a signal, the signal transmission apparatus determines a mode of the received signal, in which a power amplifier should amplify the signal; generates a mode control signal corresponding to a single mode, if the mode of the received signal is determined as the single mode; amplifies and transmits the received signal in the single mode according to the mode control signal; generates a mode control signal corresponding to a multi-mode, if the mode of the received signal is the multi-mode; and amplifies and transmits the received signal in the multi-mode according to the mode control signal.
US07773959B1
The present invention provides a quadrature RF amplifier output network that includes a quadrature RF combiner and impedance transformation circuitry. The output network is coupled between a quadrature RF amplifier and an antenna, or other downstream circuitry to optimize net RF power transfer and improve overall power efficiency. The quadrature RF combiner phase-shifts and combines quadrature RF signals from the quadrature RF amplifier into a single combined RF signal that feeds the impedance transformation circuitry. The impedance transformation circuitry transforms an impedance that is presented to the output of the quadrature RF amplifier output network into a desired quadrature impedance that is presented to the outputs of the quadrature RF amplifier. Termination circuitry is coupled to the quadrature RF combiner to capture improperly phased signals, reflected signals, or imbalanced signals.
US07773956B2
A high-frequency circuit comprising a switch circuit for properly switching the connection of an antenna terminal and four input/output terminals; a first received-signal output terminal being connected to a receiving circuit of a first communications system via a filter circuit; a second received-signal output terminal being connected to a receiving circuit of a second communications system via a filter circuit; a first transmitting-signal input terminal being connected to a transmitting circuit of a first communications system; and a second transmitting-signal input terminal being connected to a transmitting circuit of a second communications system via a power amplifier circuit, the high-frequency circuit further comprising a bandpass filter circuit disposed in any one or more paths between the antennas and the transmitting-signal input or received-signal output; and a detection circuit having a voltage detection terminal for monitoring the output power of the power amplifier circuits.
US07773949B2
The invention relates to a multi-transmission/reception antenna device and a multi-transmission/reception method in a multi-user and multi-cell environment. When a plurality of spatial subchannels having a multi-user and a multi-transmission/reception antenna are allocated to users (that is, user terminals), a user group to be supported and the number of users are selected in consideration of an influence of interference signals from adjacent cells. Accordingly, variability and independence of channels for users and interference signals from adjacent cells can be effectively used, thereby improving a transfer rate of a wireless communication system. The invention allows data transfer at higher speed with limited wireless resources. In particular, an influence of interference from adjacent cells that is inevitable in a multi-cell environment primarily used for the efficient use of wireless resources can be removed using a multi-transmission/reception antenna, while a transfer rate of each user can be effectively increased.
US07773947B2
A method for terminal-assisted interference control in a mobile communication system employing multi-carrier techniques such as OFDM, the mobile communication system comprising a network with a plurality of base stations controlled by a central entity, and the base stations having means for communication with user terminals located inside their cell service area, wherein the central entity schedules time-frequency groups available, for data communication purposes between the terminals and the base station, for the base stations under its control and the terminals involved in the scheduling process, each time interval.
US07773943B2
A mobile station (100) that includes a processor (212) that selectively disables at least one station component to reduce electromagnetic noise generated by the station in the frequency range below 20 kHz when the mobile station is operated in the hearing aid compatible mode. The component can be, for example, a display (204), a light (206) or a wireless interface (208). The processor also can optimize characteristics of audio signals transmitted from the mobile station to the hearing aid for reproduction by the hearing aid. For instance, the processor can selectively adjust filter parameters (216) and/or a signal gain (218) applied to audio signals. A user interface (220) having a soft-key can be provided to cycle through various HAC options.
US07773939B2
A broadcast response system provides, e.g., a radio broadcast listener with the ability to obtain media content such as music or speech while listening to the radio. The user can respond to items in the radio broadcast such as advertisements, fund raising drives, or interactive listener polls during the broadcast. Data such as song title and artist, author or publisher and the IP address for the location where the digital version of the content is stored, can be transmitted using, e.g., the RBDS/RDS data stream. A reference number representing song title and artist, author or publisher and the IP address for the location where the digital version of the content is stored can also be employed for ease of implementation. This reference number can reside in a lookup table to be accessed by broadcast response server.
US07773937B2
A method and system for detecting satellite signal lock in a satellite receiver system is disclosed. The system may include a first filter that isolates a noise frequency from the satellite signal, and/or a second filter that isolates a service frequency from the satellite signal. A comparator may then determine whether the output of the first and/or second filters is greater than a threshold level associated with an incipient loss of lock on the broadcast signal. The method includes the steps of filtering a received broadcast satellite signal to generate a service signal having a center frequency between a first transponder center frequency of a first transponder band and a second transponder center frequency of a second transponder band that overlaps the first transponder band, and comparing the output of the filter to a threshold value. In either the method or the apparatus, a command may be issued if the signal value is below the threshold value, thereby informing the user of the loss of signal lock.
US07773931B2
A fusing device includes a pressure unit, a belt unit to rotate in outer contact with the pressure unit, a nip forming unit to form a nip over a contact portion between the pressure unit and the belt unit, a heating unit to heat the nip forming unit and the belt unit, and a support unit to press and support the nip forming unit constantly and having a plurality of heat transmission portions defined in a parallelogrammic shape of an oblique direction with respect to a traveling direction of the belt unit.
US07773917B2
A toner conveying apparatus comprising: a toner conveying member which discharges toner outside a toner accommodating portion; toner conveying passage which receives toner discharged from the toner accommodating portion; and a screw constituted such that a pitch in its region downstream in the toner conveying direction is wider than a pitch in its region upstream in the toner conveying direction; and a drive device which drives the toner conveying member and the screw; wherein if a toner feeding amount per unit drive time of the toner conveying member is defines as V1, and a toner feeding amount per unit drive time in the region of the screw upstream in the toner conveying direction is defined as V2, and a toner feeding amount per unit drive time in the region of the screw downstream in the toner conveying direction is defined as V3, a relation equation of V2≦V1
US07773916B2
A method comprising generating a clear layer on a first surface using a transparent liquid toner, generating a color layer using a pigmented liquid toner over the clear layer on the first surface, and transferring the clear layer and the color layer from the first surface to a substrate is provided.
US07773908B2
In an image forming apparatus including a cleaning device having a cleaning blade arranged so as to make contact with and separate from a cleaned surface, an occurrence of excessive cutting when the cleaning blade makes contact with the cleaned surface is prevented. The image forming apparatus includes the cleaning blade for making contact with and separating from the cleaned surface and scraping off toner adhered onto the cleaned surface and a regulation member for regulating a movement of the cleaning blade in the direction of contact with the cleaned surface up to a position where a pressing force to the cleaned surface by the cleaning blade does not exceed a predetermined pressing force.
US07773905B2
A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a movable member supporting a plurality of process cartridges in juxtaposition and movable between positions inside and outside a main assembly in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of a drum of the cartridge when cartridges are supported, a common electroconductive member extended on the movable member in the movement direction thereof and being provided adjacent to longitudinal ends of the supported cartridges, an electrical contact provided on the movable member, connected with the common electroconductive member, and electrically connectable with a cartridge electrical contact provided on each of the cartridges, and a main assembly electrical contact electrically connectable with the common electroconductive member to supply electric power to the common electroconductive member and each of the cartridges from the main assembly.
US07773901B2
An image forming apparatus includes a transport unit having a transport belt which transports a printing medium in a transport direction along a transport path, an image forming unit which transfers toner to the printing medium to form an image, a density evaluation unit which is provided on the transport path of the transport belt and evaluates a density of the image formed by the image forming unit, and a controller which controls the image forming unit to form a test image which has a length in a transport direction that is determined by a position deflection of the transport belt, controls a characteristic of the image forming unit based on a density evaluation of the test image, and controls the transport unit to make the transporting speed of the transport belt a predetermined value or less during the density evaluation of the test image by the density evaluation unit.
US07773894B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing belt configured to bear a toner image, a driving roller configured to rotationally drive the image bearing belt, first and second image forming units configured to form toner images on the image bearing belt. To correct color misregistration, the image forming apparatus uses a mark detecting unit including a plurality of sensors provided at different positions in a rotation direction of the image bearing belt to detect a mark on the image bearing belt, and adjusts a rotational speed of the driving roller, based on detection results of the mark detecting unit and temperature detected within the image forming apparatus.
US07773893B2
A printer is provided that is capable of accurately detecting whether a recording medium is remaining even where a temperature changes rapidly. The printer has a fusing unit rotating to fuse a developer attached to a recording medium P onto the recording medium P with heat, a heater applying heat to the fusing unit, a temperature detection element detecting a temperature of the fusing unit heated by the heater, a timer measuring a time duration, a temperature gradient calculation unit calculating a temperature gradient of change in the temperature of the fusing unit based on a detection result of the temperature of the fusing unit detected by the temperature detection element, and a CPU determining whether the recording medium P is remaining on the fusing unit based on the temperature gradient calculated by the temperature gradient calculation unit and a time duration of the temperature gradient measured by the timer.
US07773892B2
An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section for forming an image, the image forming section including a photoconductor, a charging unit, a developing unit, a toner supply unit which supplies a toner to said developing unit, and a developing bias power supply section which supplies a developing bias voltage to said developing unit; and a controller that activates said image forming section, determines a target value of a charging potential of said photoconductor and/or a developing bias voltage, for forming the image, and controls the charging unit and/or the developing bias power supply section in accordance with a determined result, wherein when an absolute value of the determined target value of the charging potential or an absolute value of the determined developing bias voltage is larger than a prescribed value, said controller controls replacement of a prescribed amount of a toner in the developing unit.
US07773887B2
A single wavelength bi-directional RoF link apparatus for signal transmission in a TDD wireless system includes a main donor for receiving an RF signal of downstream data from an upper layer, electrooptic converting the received RF signal to an optical signal, and transmitting the converted optical signal via an optical fiber in response to a TDD switching signal received from the upper layer, or receiving an optical signal of upstream data via the optical fiber, opto-electric converting the received optical signal to an RF signal in response to the TDD switching signal received from the upper layer, and transmitting the converted optical signal to the main donor; and a remote for receiving the optical signal of the downstream data via the optical fiber from the main donor, opto-electric converting the received optical signal to an RF signal, and emitting the converted RF signal to a terminal via an antenna in response to a TDD switching signal generated by a switch timing signal generation circuit, or receiving an RF signal of upstream data from the terminal, electro-optic converting the received RF signal to an optical signal in response to the TDD switching signal generated by the switch timing signal generation circuit, and transmitting the converted optical signal to the main donor via the optical fiber.
US07773871B2
A retractable photographic lens including a photographing optical system includes a plurality of optical elements including at least two radially-retractable optical elements; wherein the plurality of optical elements are aligned with an optical axis in an operating state of the retractable photographic lens. When the retractable photographic lens moves from the operating state to a fully retracted state, the two radially-retractable optical elements of the plurality of optical elements are radially retracted to respective radially retracted positions thereof away from the optical axis in different radial directions and moved rearward in the optical axis direction to be positioned adjacent to each other in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.
US07773861B2
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface.
US07773860B2
A video data recordable having integrated channel guides allowing a user to control recording and storage of television signals into personal channels for later playback and viewing. In the described embodiment, the user may specify criteria for recording of shows from an input source such as a broadcast signal and shows are then selected based on the user specified criteria and recorded for later playback. Storage of the shows may be organized into personal channels in order to facilitate later playback, e.g., the user may specify a channel of action movies, a channel of nature programming, a channel for sports, etc. The shows to be recorded may also have a predefined format which may be used to ease playback of recorded programming by allowing the user to easily locate and playback sections of programming of interest.
US07773848B2
Optical waveguide fiber that is bend resistant and single mode at 1260 nm and at higher wavelengths. The optical fiber includes a core of radius R1 and cladding, the cladding having an annular inner region of radius R2, an annular ring region, and an annular outer region. The annular ring region starts at R2, and the ratio R1/R2 is greater than 0.45.
US07773846B2
Microstructured optical fiber for transmitting optical signals comprised of light, the optical fiber including a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, the cladding region including at least one annular region having an index of refraction lower than that of the remainder of the cladding. The optical fiber provides an absolute SBS threshold in dBm greater than about 9.3+10log[(1−e−(0.19)(50)/4.343)/(1−e−(α)(L)/4.343)], wherein L is the length in km and α is the attenuation in dB/km at 1550 nm, and a fiber cutoff wavelength of less than 1400 nm.
US07773831B2
A method for generating an output image by reducing the size of an input image by determining for a pixel location (i,j) in the output image a corresponding areaxy in the input image, fetching the input image areaxy pixel values, calculating an output pixel value Dij for the pixel location (i,j) using a size reducing algorithm, inserting Dij in the output image and repeating the previous steps for each pixel location (i,j) in the output image. The value Di,j is obtained by adding to the lower resolution background representation A of the input image area pixel values with a value obtained by amplifying MED, representing the pixel value in the input image area that most deviates from said lower resolution background representation A, by means of a significance factor SF.
US07773827B2
A method of calibrating a multi-projector image display system is provided. According to the method, non-parametric calibration data for the display system is recovered and used to generate a non-parametric model of the display system. Local parametric models relating to the display surface of the projection screen are generated and are compared with data points defined by the non-parametric calibration data to identify one or more local errors in the non-parametric calibration data. The local errors in the non-parametric calibration data are converted to data points defined at least in part by the local parametric models and the projectors are operated to project an image on the image projection screen by utilizing a hybrid calibration model comprising data points taken from the non-parametric model and data points taken from one or more local parametric models. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US07773818B2
A DVD recorder connected to a DV camera via an IEEE 1394 serial bus comprises: an image selector for selecting a moving image, as a candidate image for an opening/ending screen, from moving images contained in stream data received from the camera; a moving image extractor for extracting the selected moving image from the moving images; a storage unit for temporarily storing the extracted moving image; an image converter for converting the stored moving image into a still image; a title screen selector for selecting, from the still images, a still image to be an opening/ending screen for a file of stream data recorded in the recorder; and a data associating unit for associating the selected still image with the file of stream data. This recorder can be more convenient to use, and can reduce the required recording area of a DVD for creating the opening/ending screen.
US07773817B2
A JPEG image processing circuit, capable of performing a JPEG process at high speed, and with low power consumption, and of automatically recovering from a slight trouble, has been disclosed. In the JPEG processing circuit, a JPEG processing section is configured so as to comprise a plurality of JPEG processing cores and a plurality of data storage regions provided in correspondence with the plurality of JPEG processing cores, and when each of the JPEG processing cores performs the process in parallel, the unprocessed data required for the process of each of the JPEG processing cores is stored in each of the data storage regions, corresponding to each of the JPEG processing cores, via a common bus connected to an image memory.
US07773815B2
A method for compressing compressed data. Compressed files are accessed. At least a portion of the compressed files are partially decompressed into partially decompressed files in an intermediate representation. The partially decompressed files are compared. The partially decompressed files are compressed.
US07773804B2
An apparatus for adjusting specific color attributes is provided. Wherein, the color space transforming unit receives a color input signal with R, G and B color attributes, and transforms it into a color middle signal with separated luminance (Y) and chrominance color attributes (Cb and Cr). The color controlling unit computes the hue of the color input signal to generate a hue signal and generates a hue signal, a saturation signal and an intensity fine-tune signal according to the hue signal, and computes the color input signal to generate an adjustment parameter and generates an adjusted saturation signal and an adjusted intensity fine-tune signal from the saturation signal and the intensity fine-tune signal according to the adjustment parameter. The color adjusting unit adjusts the color middle signal to output a color output signal according to the hue signal, the adjusted saturation signal and the adjusted intensity fine-tune signal.
US07773803B2
A method and system is provided for segmenting scanned image data in accordance with mixed raster content processing for more efficient processing of non-uniform color page borders. A first processing method partitions the border so that resulting segments can be coded efficiently by cutting the border into segments along cut lines disposed in optimum position for minimizing a total area of bounding boxes for the page border segments. Another embodiment determines the color variance within the page border window and compares the variance against predetermined color variance threshold. A window width of the page border window is also determined and compared with a predetermined width threshold. When the variance and window widths are smaller than the thresholds, a uniform color is assigned to the non-uniform color page border and the border is coded in accordance with a foreground layer compression algorithm.
US07773800B2
A system, methods, and algorithms for content-based image retrieval and recognition system, useful in all types of images and image formats. An image(s) or an image segment(s), which is specified by the user in two clicks (the first in the upper-left corner and the second in the bottom-right corner), specifies the content-based sample. The sample image(s) is used to teach the system what to look for via the ABM (Attrasoft Boltzmann Machine) algorithm and APN (Attrasoft PolyNet) algorithm; the system then searches through one or many directories, which is specified by the user, and presents the search results. The search result consists of pairs of matched images and its Weight (score), which specifies the similarity between the sample and matching images. These weights are also being used to classify images in the cases of the classification problem. The users are able to view the retrieved images in the result via a single click.
US07773795B2
Methods for altering one or more parameters of a measurement system are provided. One method includes analyzing a sample using the system to generate values from classification channels of the system for a population of particles in the sample. The method also includes identifying a region in a classification space in which the values for the populations are located. In addition, the method includes determining an optimized classification region for the population using one or more properties of the region. The optimized classification region contains a predetermined percentage of the values for the population. The optimized classification region is used for classification of particles in additional samples.
US07773784B2
Techniques, systems and methods relating to cryptographically secure revocable biometric signatures and identification computed with robust distance metrics are described. Various biometric cryptographically secure revocable transformation approaches are described that support a robust pseudo-distance computation in encoded form, thereby supporting confidence in verification, and which can provide for verification without identification.
US07773779B2
A system for providing global biometric identification services to a plurality of remote parties, the system comprising: a template receiver, which comprises: a registration input configured to receive from at least one remote registering party at least one registration template of a biometric sample of an end user of the remote registering party, associated with a tag relating the template to the end user, and an enquiry input, configured to receive from a remote inquiring party at least one test template of a biometric sample of a person. The system also comprises a verifier, associated with the inputs, configured to determine a degree of match between the registration template and the test template, thereby to verify the person as an end user, using the determined degree of match.
US07773769B2
An apparatus for characterising a subject's visual response, comprising a data processor, a display and an input device, wherein the data processor is arranged to present evaluation images at different positions on the display such that they occur at different positions within the subject's field of view, and wherein each evaluation image comprises a contribution of at least two items selected from a list comprising: a base image, a test image, and a noise image, and wherein the data processor is responsive to the input device such that the subject can indicate whether they can see the test image in the evaluation image, and the data processor is further arranged to evaluate the subject's responses so as to give an indication of one or more of visual efficiency, internal noise and visual sensitivity as a function of position within the subjects field of view.
US07773743B2
Acoustic echo cancellation, residual echo suppression and sound-source localization/microphone array processes are combined in a two-way voice communication system that uses a microphone array to capture local speech. The processes can be configured according to various alternative architectures and enhancements made to the processes to avoid the adverse effects of non-linear operations in the residual echo suppression on the sound-source localization/microphone array process.
US07773740B2
A method and apparatus are provided for assigning a call to one of a plurality of agents. The method includes the steps of providing a description of the call to each of the plurality of agents, receiving a bid to handle the call from each of the plurality of agents and assigning the call to an agent of the plurality of agents with a highest relative received bid.
US07773739B2
Techniques are disclosed for automating the process of configuring a telephone system. More specifically, the techniques disclosed herein enable a telephone system to monitor the behavior of users of that system and to configure the users' preferences based on their observed behavior. For example, the system may observe that a particular user frequently dials a particular telephone number manually. In response to this observation, the system may automatically configure the frequently-dialed telephone number as a speed dial number for that user. As a result, the user may dial the number in the future by pressing a speed dial button rather than by entering the number manually. Such an automatic configuration process may enable the telephone system to be adapted to its users' needs more quickly and accurately, and with less effort on behalf of the users, than is possible using conventional systems that require their users to perform configuration manually.
US07773736B2
The present invention provides a method for determining an authorization for a call based on an Originating Station Number (OSN) in a Primary Rate Interface (PRI) in a virtual private network (VPN) customized dialing plan. A new access type is defined enabling first authorization levels to be assigned at the level of the OSN. A service logic database at a Service Control Point stores second authorization level required to complete the call. A combination of a Switch ID (SwID) of the Service Switch Point (SSP) through which the call is being made and the Trunk Group Number (TGN) of the Private Branch Exchange (PBX) along with the OSN or range of OSNs serves as a primary key to the database. The first authorization level is compared to the second authorization level required to proceed with a call, and an action is selected based on the results of the comparison.
US07773730B1
A voice record integrator receives information to be acknowledged by a user such as a statement of facts, an electronic document, or other record. The system creates a document identifier that may be used to identify the information being acknowledged and uses the document identifier to present a voice script for the user to read. The system records the user reading the voice script and creates a voice record. The voice record may be stored and later used to verify the user's acknowledgement of the statement of facts, electronic document, or other record.
