US07871413B2
Disclosed is a spine fixation apparatus, more particularly, a pedicle screw implanted into a spine and an operating device for the pedicle screw capable of easily inserting a rod to a head section of the pedicle screw in order to securely fix the spine. The pedicle screw has a head section including a recess part defined by first and second sidewalls, a screw section, and a support unit formed at an upper portion of the recess part of the head section while connecting the first sidewall to the second sidewall. The operating device has a screw coupling rod having an elongated pipe shape, a body having a first side coupled to the screw coupling rod, a rotating member having a first end coupled to a second side of the body in such a manner that a second end of the rotating member rotates about the first end thereof, and a rod receiver coupled to the second end of the rotating member. Due to the support unit, the rod is prevented from being easily separated from the pedicle screw, thereby facilitating minimum incision surgery. The operating device for the pedicle screw allows an operator to easily perform minimum incision surgery while making several incisions for the pedicle screws and the rod in the back of the patient and keeping the size of incisions quite a small.
US07871406B2
A thermal ablation system is operable to perform thermal ablation using an x-ray system to measure temperature changes throughout a volume of interest in a patient. Image data sets captured by the x-ray system during a thermal ablation procedure provide temperature change information for the volume being subjected to the thermal ablation. Intermediate image data sets captured during the thermal ablation procedure may be fed into a system controller, which may modify or update a thermal ablation plan to achieve volume coagulation necrosis targets. The thermal ablation may be delivered by a variety of ablation modes including radiofrequency ablation, microwave therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, laser ablation, and other interstitial heat delivery methods. Methods of performing thermal ablation using x-ray system temperature measurements as a feedback source are also provided.
US07871404B2
A method and system of treating connective tissue to alter the biomechanical and fundamental properties of the connective tissue by forming perforations in the connective tissue to at least 90% of the depth or thickness of the connective tissue and maintaining the perforations in the connective tissue. The method alters the tissue to enhance the fundamental mechanisms involved in the immunology, biochemistry, and molecular genetics of the metabolism of the connective tissue. The connective tissue may be any desired connective tissue. The connective tissue of the eye may be removed to form a first desired pattern of perforations in the connective tissue of the eye at a first distance from the corneal center of the eye. Connective tissue is removed from the eye to form a second desired pattern of perforations in the tissue of the eye at a second distance from the corneal center of the eye.
US07871403B2
A medical support control system comprising a recording device for recording an image signal from a medical device, a medical support control device for synthesizing an image based on the image signal and a prescribed GUI, and a display manipulation device for display the GUI, wherein: on the basis of an input of setting information about the recording device on an administrator setting window of a GUI displayed by the display manipulation device, the medical support control device creates a GUI including device selection means for causing one of the medical devices to be selected, image selection means for causing one of image signals output from the medical devices to be selected, and display means for causing the image corresponding to the selected image signal to be displayed, and causes the created GUI to be displayed on the display manipulation device as a manipulator window.
US07871401B2
A stretchable absorbent article has a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region extending longitudinally between and interconnecting said front and back waist regions, a length, and a width. The absorbent article has a liquid impermeable outer cover stretchable in at least one direction and a liner in opposed relationship with the outer cover and stretchable in at least one direction. At least one of the liner and the outer cover has a width substantially equal to the width of the absorbent article along the length thereof. An absorbent structure is disposed between the liner and the outer cover and extends from the crotch region to at least one of the front waist region and the back waist region of the article. The outer cover is elastic and is configured to improve the fit of the absorbent article.
US07871397B2
A needle tip assembly includes a needle tip, a needle tip cover structured and arranged to facilitate installation of the needle tip onto at least one of a pen needle, a pre-loaded syringe, and an injection device, and at least one of an arrangement for preventing re-installation or re-use of the needle tip, a safety mechanism coupled to the needle tip via a living hinge, and a safety cover non-removably coupled to the needle tip. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
US07871394B2
In a patient controlled analgesia (PCA) system, physiological data is processed and alarms are provided by the controller of the physiological module sensing the data according to a first rule. The physiological data is also processed by a second, separate controller according to a second rule independent from the first controller. According to the second rule, the physiological data may be filtered, processed with physiological data and non-physiological data obtained from another source, such as a remote server, and the PCA delivery device controlled to prevent delivery of medication accordingly. The provided system of multiple processors and rules enables normal alarming by physiological sensor modules while the pausing or prevention of the PCA delivery is controlled by a separate controller. Through this means, not only are false pauses and alarms for PCA delivery reduced, but the normal alarms of the monitors are permitted to function normally.
US07871364B2
A centrifuge includes a housing that defines a fluid inlet port to supply fluid to the centrifuge and an axle cavity fluidly coupled to the fluid inlet port. A bearing is received in the axle cavity. A check valve is disposed in the axle cavity to minimize tampering, and the check valve is configured to control flow of the fluid from the inlet port. A rotor is configured to separate particulate matter from the fluid. The rotor includes an axle rotatably received in the bearing, and the axle defines a fluid passage to supply the fluid to the rotor. The check valve is normally biased towards a closed position where the flow of the fluid is shutoff. The axle is configured to open the check valve when the axle is received in the bearing.
US07871362B2
The invention relates to an exchangeable cylinder jacket-shaped cover made of pile whose threads radially project outward. The aim of the invention is to provide a cover of this type, which has a high cohesive strength both in the axial as well as radial direction and which also has an outer and inner cylindrical contour that is as continuous as possible. To this end, the invention provides that the cover consists of an endless helically wound pile strip whose edges are interconnected by an endless helically running seam without forming a step that disrupts the cylindrical outer contour.
US07871358B2
The disclosure recites an apparatus having a kick plate that is adapted to be stored in an operable position where it is in a substantially vertically orientated manner where the kick plate is in a more vertically orientated or positioned orientation with respect to a frame and a carriage is movably attached in a substantially horizontal direction where a resistance system provides resistant movement of the carriage with respect to the frame. The kick plate is further adapted or operatively configured to be re-orientated in a stowed position where an upper surface of the kick plate operates in conjunction with an upper surface of the carriage to function as a table like support.
US07871352B2
An automatic transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices may be either clutches or brakes.
US07871345B2
A broadhead includes a one-piece elongated ferrule, with a plurality of slots through a central longitudinal axis of the ferrule, at least one of which has an open end, and one-piece blades mounted in the slots. At least one of the blades includes a blade slot in it and the blades having openings through them. A securing member is inserted transversely through the central longitudinal axis of the ferrule and passes through the openings of the blades securing them within the ferrule.
US07871343B2
A spring wire loop is affixed to a tennis racquet to enable a player to conveniently scoop a tennis ball off the playing surface and retrieve it. In one add-on embodiment, the loop can be affixed by mounts secured to the strings of an existing racquet; in another it is held in place by the racquet's bumper guard; in a further alternative, the loop can be secured to mounts built into the racquet at manufacture.
US07871338B2
A golf club head comprises a head main body made of a metal material and having a club face for striking a ball, and a vibration absorber made of a viscoelastic material and attached to the head main body. The vibration absorber is provided with a cut having a width of not more than 1.0 mm. Preferably, the cut is substantially parallel with the club face, and the surface at which the cut is opened, comes into contact with the head main body.
US07871333B1
The present invention relates to a method for determining the effectiveness of a golfer's swing requiring no club contact with the golf ball. The measurement and analysis system comprises an attachable and detachable module, that when attached to a golf club head measures three dimensional acceleration data, that is further transmitted to a computer or other smart device or computational engine where a software algorithm interprets measured data within the constraints of a multi-lever variable radius golf swing model using both rigid and non-rigid levers, and further processes the data to define accurate golf swing metrics. In addition, if the club head module is not aligned ideally on the club head a computational algorithm detects the misalignment and further calibrates and corrects the data.
US07871328B2
A wager amount from a player is received. A programmer input of information based on a specified average value, a specified minimum value, and a specified maximum value is determined. The specified average value is independently specified between the specified minimum value and specified maximum value. A portion of non-gaming revenues is allocated to the progressive prize pool. A random amount is calculated from the progressive prize pool using a function that calculates the random amount using the specified minimum value, the specified maximum value and the specified average value. The calculated random amount is generated between the specified minimum value and the specified maximum value and the function is configured to calculate random amounts that average over time substantially the specified average value. The player is eligible to win the random amount from the progressive prize pool in which the portion of non-gaming revenues was allocated.
US07871326B2
A method, performed by a gaming machine, of displaying performance data. The method includes recording data indicative of the receipt of gaming credit units from a user, wherein the gaming credit units are used as consideration for participation in a chance-based gaming activity provided via the gaming machine. The credit record is updated when a gaming credit unit is used as consideration. The cumulative value of any prize awarded to a user is recorded in a cumulative prize record. The value of the credit used in a used credit record is recorded. During a play session, a first display area displays the value of the credit record to a user. A second display area displays the cumulative prize record; and a third display area displays the value of the used credit record.
US07871325B2
A supplemental bonusing system for an electronic gaming device has been developed. The system includes a gaming device with a processor that generates an outcome for the gambling device and a bonus system that generates payout that is supplemental to the payout of the gaming device. The supplemental payout is generated is response to gaming events in the gaming device.
US07871323B2
A method is disclosed for providing entry into a bonus game at a gaming device, where the bonus games may occur at predictable times and may payout predictable amounts. In one or more embodiments, a gaming device may provide a guaranteed entry into a bonus game every hour on the hour, so long as a player meets one or more criteria. Criteria may include a total amount wagered, a total number of handle pulls completed, or a total amount of time spent at a gaming device. One or more embodiments provide a method for withholding value from a player in order that the value may delivered later in the form of a guaranteed entry into a bonus game. One or more embodiments provide a method whereby multiple gaming devices may provide entry in bonus rounds simultaneously, thereby creating mutually reinforcing sounds and visual displays.
US07871321B2
The present inventions concerns a display system (2) for displaying multiplex information, whereby an individual selection of information is individually addressed to a different user or user groups, whereby the display system for displaying multiplex information comprises at least one display panel of a plurality of light emitting dot-like means and a plurality of sensors (6a, 6b), whereby a user or user groups are located by sensor so that individual information can be individually addressed depending on the position of each sensor-located user or user groups.
US07871319B2
A computer thermal dissipation system comprises a computer device having a base member and a display member where the computer device has at least one airflow door disposed on the base member adapted to be opened to facilitate thermal energy dissipation from the base member.
US07871317B2
An air exit guidance which in particular is provided for arrangement in the personal service unit of an passenger aircraft. The guidance includes an air inlet and an air outlet as well as an adjustable throttle which is arranged at the inflow side of the air exit guidance.
US07871312B2
An adjustable removable grinding arrangement for grinding inside annular openings in bottom portions of water hydrants. The grinding arrangement comprises a router having an energizable motor with a grinding tool attached to an end thereof, a base plate supportively attached to an end of a housing of the router, a support plate pivotally attached to the base plate attached to the router, and an annular guide ring having securement studs for removable securement to a rim of an opening on a lower end of a hydrant. The support plate is rotatable on a plurality of wheel members engaged with the guide ring to permit the grinding tool of the router to remove material from the rim of the hydrant as the support plate is rotated about the guide ring.
US07871308B2
To polish polishing target surfaces of SiO2 insulating films or the like at a high rate without scratching the surface, the present invention provides an abrasive comprising a slurry comprising a medium and dispersed therein at least one of i) cerium oxide particles constituted of at least two crystallites and having crystal grain boundaries or having a bulk density of not higher than 6.5 g/cm3 and ii) abrasive grains having pores. Also provided are a method of polishing a target member and a process for producing a semiconductor device which make use of this abrasive.
US07871307B2
A fluid barrel-polishing device comprises a cylindrical fixed tank (1) and a turntable (2) that is located at the bottom of the tank (1) with a gap (3) that allows it to rotate horizontally, and wherein when workpieces and media are thrown in the fixed tank (1) and the turntable (2) is rotated horizontally, the workpieces and the media circulate and form themselves into a mass (M) and thereby the workpieces are polished, wherein an inner cylinder (4) is rotatably or fixedly placed coaxially on the center of the rotation of the turntable (2) and it allows the workpieces in the mass (M) to be polished with the inside of the mass (M) contacting the wall of the inner cylinder (4) and with its outside contacting the wall of the fixed tank (1).
US07871304B2
A gaming device for enhancing sporting event on television including an assembled unit loaded with a number of pins/flags and a remote control through which the unit receives radio/infrared signals in order to actuate the device. A right arm of the figurine is connected to a stepper motor and can be placed on top of the assembled unit. When the user depresses the button on the remote control the stepper motor makes one revolution and the hand portion of the arm makes contact with the pin/flag and ejects the pin/flag out of the assembled unit in order to signal rule infractions associated with a game. The device simply gives users the satisfaction of calling their own penalties, and or counts the number of actual penalties in the game.
US07871301B1
A decorative light has two conductors mounted in a casing. Two terminals of a bulb are positioned by electrical connectors of the conductors, and the terminals electrically connect with the electrical connectors. The bulb is positioned in the casing without a light seat, so number of elements is decreased. The terminals of the bulb are inserted and positioned by the electrical connectors, so cutting and bending of the terminals is not required and an efficiency of fabrication is increased.
US07871297B2
An electrical connector assembly of the invention comprises a butt plug with a contact portion and an electrical connector capable of matching the butt plug. One side of the contact portion has at least one engaging point. The electrical connector comprises an insulating body and a shield casing with at least one bottom wall. A side wall extends upward from at least one side of the bottom wall and the side wall covers at least one part of the insulating body. An opening, which is located at the front of the bottom wall and the side wall, is used for receiving the contact portion. The bottom wall has at least one fastening hole matching the engaging point. Enable the engaging point to slide into the corresponding fastening hole in parallel. When the butt plug is inserted into the shield casing once, the invention can ensure good electrical connection.
US07871296B2
High-speed backplane connectors systems for mounting a substrate that are capable of operating at speeds of up to at least 25 Gbps, while in some implementations also providing pin densities of at least 50 pairs of electrical connectors per inch are disclosed. Implementations of the high-speed connector systems may provide ground shields and/or other ground structures that substantially encapsulate electrical connector pairs, which may be differential electrical connector pairs, in a three-dimensional manner throughout a backplane footprint, a backplane connector, and a daughtercard footprint. These encapsulating ground shields and/or ground structures prevent undesirable propagation of non-traverse, longitudinal, and higher-order modes when the high-speed backplane connector systems operates at frequencies up to at least 30 GHz.
US07871293B1
A bi-directional audio cable assembly (10) (BACA 10) that functions in combination with an audio amplifier (90), a microphone (92) and a pair of headphones (94). The BACA (10) consists of a single cable that includes an XLR cable (12) that is integrated with a TRS cable (52). The XLR cable (12) has a first end (14) having an XLR plug (44) that is attached to the input of the audio amplifier (90), and a second end (18) having an XLR socket (46) that is attached to the microphone (92). Likewise, the integrated TRS cable (52) has a first end (54) having a TRS plug (64) that is attached to the output of the audio amplifier (90), and a second end (58) that is attached to the pair of headphones (94). The BACA (10) allows a single person to produce an audio signal that is applied via the microphone (92) to the input of the audio amplifier (90) and to hear the same produced audio signal via the pair of headphones (94) without interference from cable-internal noise or external ambient noise.
US07871289B2
A printed circuit cable assembly for top down installation in a disc drive or the like in which a printed circuit cable supporting electrical conductor paths has a body portion, a flex portion and an insertion tab connecting the body portion and flex portion. A PCC support member having a support ramp extending into a slotted gap supports the printed circuit cable with the insertion tab extending into the slotted gap so that the flex portion is extended for attachment to a moveable article, such as the head stack assembly of a disc drive. Preferably, the PCC support member has an indexing bore, and the PCC support member with the supported printed circuit cable is mounted to a support member having an indexing post, the PCC support member positioned so that indexing bore is positioned over the indexing post.
US07871286B2
A flat multi-conductor cable connector comprises a main body and a back plate. Arc-shaped cross-section flat-multi-conductor-cable holding grooves extending parallel to each other are formed in the main body and the back plate in a symmetrical manner. The opposing faces of a flat multi-conductor cable are held in the grooves of the main body and the back plate, so that the cable is sandwiched between the main body and the back plate for electric connection between intended conductors of the flat multi-conductor cable and a device mounted on an upper face of the main body. The number of grooves of either of the main body and the back plate is at least one or more greater than the number of poles of the flat multi-conductor cable. Protrusions are provided in middle portions of alternate grooves of the back plate except the two endmost grooves, and block the alternate groove.
US07871283B2
A semiconductor package socket (1, 101) has a socket base (10, 110) including a package rest (11, 111) on which a semiconductor package (50) having gull-wing leads (52) is put, a cover member (20, 120) movably attached on the socket base, and a plurality of contacts (30, 130) each including a first contact piece (31, 131) capable of making contact, from above, with a horizontal shoulder portion of the lead, a second contact piece (32, 132) capable of making contact, laterally, with a vertical leg portion of the lead and a fixed portion, and formed to advance onto or retract from the package rest due to vertical movement of the cover member. The package rest is formed with a dam wall that allows the leads to be lied thereover, wherein the first and the second contact pieces each have an elastic deforming portion to determine a contact pressure.
US07871280B2
An article of furniture having a construction adapted to efficiently accommodate electrical components. The article of furniture includes a frame or chassis having support leg assemblies, and a beam connected to the support leg assemblies to which a channel is mounted. The support leg assemblies include work surface supports which support work surfaces at adjustable heights above the channel, and a gap between the work surfaces allows access to the electrical system within the channel. The electrical system is modular in design, and includes a series of components that are connected to one another in a manner that the location of electrical outlet modules is easily adjusted. The channel has a plurality of knock-out openings which are selectively used for locating electrical outlets at any desired position along the channel.
US07871276B2
An electrical coupling bar is described. The coupling bar includes an electrically insulating support with two parallel grooves and metallic strips engaged in the grooves. The metallic strips project out of the grooves with opposite interior faces delimiting a free engagement space. The coupling bar further includes metallic strip protection means covering the other faces of the metallic strips.
US07871272B2
An electrical connector for supplying electrical power from a fixed member to a movable member that moves with respect to the fixed member, the movable member bearing an electrical load. The electrical connector has a first connector part fixed to the fixed member and connected to a source of electrical power. A second connector part is fixed to the movable member and is connected to the electrical load. The first connector part and second connector part are movable into electrical engagement when the movable member is moved adjacent the fixed member. The first connector part has a first housing, a movable enclosure in the housing, having first external electrical contacts, and a movable carriage bearing second electrical contacts. The movable carriage has first magnets or magnet attractive components, the second contacts being movable with the carriage by a first magnetic force into electrical engagement with the first contacts.
US07871261B2
The invention relates to an injection molding installation with a fixed and a moveable machine clamping plate, and at least one injection unit as well as an injection molding device which is located between the machine clamping plates for producing profiled parts, elongated at least in sections, by means of closure-side components which are assigned to the one machine clamping plate, and nozzle-side components which are assigned to the other machine clamping plate, as well as a slide module which is located between these components and which has a slide which is arranged in a moveable manner on a closure-side or nozzle-side component, wherein said slide contributes to form an original mould cavity, and a drive module for controlling the movement of the moveable part(s) of the slide module, wherein the part is produced in the intended dimension and shape inside and outside the mold via the movement of the slide. An at least partial functional integration of at least the closure-side components, and/or the drive module, and or the slide module in one or more components in the installation is intended.
US07871259B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for blow-moulding containers from preforms which are previously heated in the region of a heating section and consist of a thermoplastic material. The preforms are transferred to a blowing device following the heating thereof, in which they are shaped to form containers by the application of a blowing pressure inside blow moulds. Said blow moulds respectively consist of at least two blow mould segments. The preforms are transported together with the blow moulds at least along part of a peripheral path of a rotating blow wheel. A separating plane of the blow mould segments is positioned at least in an opened state of the blow station in a rotational direction of the blow wheel, facing forwards, with an angle of inclination in relation to the radial direction of the blow wheel. The blow station is positioned at least in two parts during a transfer process.
US07871254B2
A follower shaft is rotatably supported coaxially with a driving shaft. An inner rotary permanent magnet having poles in a radial direction is fixed around an outer circumference of the end of the follower shaft. On the inner circumferential surface of a cylindrical coupling, an outer rotary permanent magnet is fixed such that opposite poles face each other between the inner rotary permanent magnet and the outer rotary permanent magnet. A fixed permanent magnet is fixed such that like poles face each other between the fixed permanent magnet and the inner rotary permanent magnet. Thus, rotation of the driving shaft is transmitted to the follower shaft without contact.
US07871252B2
A rotary compressor includes a driving shaft rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise, and an eccentric portion of a predetermined size; a cylinder forming a predetermined inner volume; a roller installed rotatably on an outer circumference of the eccentric portion to contact an inner circumference of the cylinder; a vane installed elastically in the cylinder to contact the roller continuously; a first bearing installed in the cylinder, for supporting the driving shaft rotatably; a second bearing rotatably supporting the driving shaft and preliminarily storing the fluid to be sucked; discharge ports communicating with the fluid chamber; and a valve assembly having openings separated by predetermined angle from each other, wherein compression spaces that have different volumes from each other are formed in the fluid chamber according to the rotation direction of the driving shaft so that two different compression capacities are formed.
US07871244B2
A turbine engine ring seal for sealing gaps between turbine engine outer seal segments and turbine blade tips. The turbine engine ring segment may have an inner radial surface that defines a portion of a gap gas flow path where the inner radial surface may be formed of an abradable ceramic coating and includes a plurality of gas flow protrusions that are oriented transverse to the gap gas flow path. The gas flow protrusions may induce vortices in the gas flow in the gap gas flow path. Additionally, the gas flow protrusions may be series of peaks and depressions between two adjacent peaks, where the depressions have an approximate semicircular shape. The distance between two adjacent peaks may be equal or greater than a width of the depression and the height of a single peak may be six percent or greater than the distance between two adjacent peaks.
US07871233B2
A cart lifter is provided that is adapted to be mounted to a refuse container or directly to a refuse collection vehicle. A support is provided that is adapted to be pivotally mounted adjacent to the loading area of either the refuse container or the vehicle. First and second support arms are provided that are carried by the pivoting support. The support arms are movable relative to the support frame between a first position in which the support arms are adjacent the refuse container or vehicle and a second position in which the support arms are relatively angularly disposed with their free ends being spaced outwardly away from the support frame. A container capturer is provided for engaging and releasing a smaller refuse collection cart, and the free ends of each of the support arms are adapted to carry the container capturer. Actuators are provided for pivoting the support frame relative to the container or vehicle to dump or invert the refuse collection cart, to move the support arms between the first position for storage and/or dumping and the second position for capturing or releasing a cart, and an actuator for actuating the container capturer so that it can engage and release the refuse collection cart.
US07871230B2
The mold apparatus has a pair of upper and lower molds being used for forming a score on one side surface of an easy-opening can end fabricated by a laminated metal sheet. The upper mold has a convex part for forming the score, and the cross sectional shape of the convex part at the portion contacting the laminated metal sheet is composed of a curve having a change rate of inclination of 0.08 or smaller to the upper surface of the facing lower mold, or having the curve and a straight line. The formed score has a maximum width of 0.80 mm or smaller.
US07871222B2
A semi-submersible structure. The hull includes four columns that are supported by two pontoons. The columns support the topsides and the topsides structural framing serves as horizontal framing between the columns. A truss frame is attached to the columns. The truss frame preferably includes heave plates. The truss frame extends downward below the pontoons a sufficient distance in the water such that it minimizes motions caused by environmental forces. The hull section and the truss space frame are constructed separately and assembled together at the offshore site where the structure is used for drilling and/or production.
US07871209B1
A camera lens cover has a phosphorescent symbol on its inner surface so that if it is engaged with the camera to cover the lens, the symbol can be recognized by the camera and a warning generated that the lens cover remains over the lens.
US07871202B2
The invention relates to a four-row tapered roller bearing for machine mountings, with an inner ring of two-part design axially and on outer ring of single- or multi-part design axially, with an inner and/or an outer tapered-roller row, being supported in each case by an inner ring part. In order, firstly, to confer a large supporting width on the bearing and, secondly, to ensure as optimum as possible and as uniform as possible a loading of the rolling bodies in the form of the tapered rollers, the tapered-roller rows are arranged in an O-arrangement, and the roller axles or the respectively adjacent outer and inner tapered rollers of the two respectively adjacent outer and inner tapered-roller rows are arranged at an inclination in such a manner that those lines of influence of the tapered rollers which characterize the pressure angles intersect in the region of the axis of rotation of the tapered roller bearing. In addition to other advantages, this bearing can be produced more cost-effectively and, with regard to production quality, more reliably than known four-row tapered roller bearings.
US07871196B2
A juicer safety device includes a sidearm formed with the container and having a groove in a sidewall, a contact member on an upper surface of a chamber, a spring on the contact member, a position guide member in a sidewall of the chamber, and two projecting ridges with a slide groove between them; a push rod kept in position by the contact member, the position guide member and the two projecting ridges and having a push block with a side shoved by the spring and a guide block in the slide groove; a cap having a rotary member. The cap is closed on the container with the rotary member rotated to let a clamp block insert in the sidearm and push the push rod downwards to move a contact rod of the push rod downwards, touching and turning on a micro switch, which turns on the juicer to operate.
US07871194B2
A dilution apparatus suitable for use with particles suspended in a fluid is described. The apparatus comprises a first batch diluter and a second continuous diluter. The first diluter comprises a vessel having at least one inlet, and an outlet, the at least one inlet being arranged to receive diluent so as to mix said sample with said diluent. The second diluter comprises a sample input, a diluent inlet and an output, the diluent input being arranged such that diluent entering the second diluter experiences a pressure drop. The pressure drop is sufficient to entrain at least a portion of diluted sample from the first diluter through the sample input. The outlet of the first diluter is arranged to be in communication with the input of the second diluter such that a sample that has been pre-diluted in the first diluter is arranged to be further diluted in the second diluter.
US07871187B2
The invention relates to a device for controlling diode lamps comprising a lighting module having at least one diode lamp, the diode lamp pertaining to a predefined range, at least one device for transmitting a unique signature representing the range, and an associated control module comprising reception means (for receiving a unique signature transmitted by the lighting module, and current adjustment means for adjusting and supplying, as a function of the transmitted signature, a current to said lighting module to cause the diode lamp to operate.
US07871165B2
A digital image projector includes a first polarized light source; a second polarized light source that is orthogonal in polarization state to the first polarized light source; a polarization beamsplitter disposed to direct light of either the first or second polarization along a common illumination axis; a MEMS spatial light modulator; and projection optics for delivering imaging light from the MEMS spatial light modulator.
US07871153B2
A disclosed liquid jet head includes a nozzle plate having plural nozzles for jetting liquid therefrom, plural flowpaths formed in communication with the plural nozzles, a vibration plate member having a flexible part that forms at least one of the walls of each flowpath, and plural piezoelectric element units having a piezoelectric element member fixed to a base member. Each piezoelectric element unit has plural piezoelectric elements divided by a plurality of slits formed in the piezoelectric element member. The plural piezoelectric element units are arranged in a straight line at predetermined intervals along the plural nozzles.
US07871145B1
A method of printing is described for a page-width printer including a line head having a plurality of jetting modules that are staggered in a page-width direction. In a set up procedure, a test pattern is printed using the nozzles of adjacent jetting modules, and the pattern is analyzed to detect a stitch error in the overlap regions. The results of this analysis is used to calculate a set of correction values to be applied to print data subsequently sent to nozzles of the adjacent jetting modules to make a correction for the stitch error. During a subsequent production run, the print data sent to the nozzles of the adjacent jetting modules is analyzed to sense an image content attribute, such as gray or density level, of the print data. These results of the analysis of the print data is then used to calculate a dynamic adjustment that is used to adjust the set of correction values calculated during the set up procedure. The line head is then used to print the corrected print data by applying the set of adjusted correction values to production print data subsequently sent to the jetting modules.
US07871144B2
An inkjet image-forming apparatus includes an array inkjet head that is formed along a printing path through which a paper on which an image or a test image is formed is discharged, and includes a length corresponding to the width of the paper, and a plurality of nozzles to eject ink, and a missing nozzle detection unit formed along a missing nozzle detection path that is connected to the printing path to scan an image or a test image formed by the array inkjet head by transporting the paper (P), on which the test image is formed, towards the printing path, and a method thereof.
US07871143B2
An inkjet printhead. The inkjet printhead includes a temperature-sensing resistor with a low voltage end which is connected to a ground structure that at least partially encloses the temperature sensing resistor.
US07871141B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head and a driving signal generating device. The liquid ejecting head includes a pressure generating device and a pressure chamber in communication with a nozzle opening. The pressure generating device generates pressure fluctuation in liquid in the pressure chamber. The liquid ejecting head discharges the liquid from the nozzle opening in the form of a liquid droplet. The driving signal generating device generates a driving signal that includes a discharge pulse for discharging the liquid droplet during every discharge period. The driving signal generating device sets, into the discharge pulse, an expansion element for expanding the pressure chamber, a discharge element for discharging the liquid droplet by contracting the pressure chamber, and a vibration damping element for suppressing residual vibration, which occurs in the pressure chamber after the liquid droplet is discharged, by further contracting the pressure chamber.
US07871136B2
A trouble diagnosis device of a vehicle body acceleration sensor by determining that the output fixing trouble of the vehicle body acceleration sensor or the like is not generated at a point of time that the fluctuation width of the output value of a vehicle body acceleration sensor becomes a predetermined value or above during the traveling of the vehicle with the vehicle speed equal to or more than the predetermined speed, and by stopping the trouble diagnosis of the output fixing trouble of the vehicle body acceleration sensor or the like until the vehicle speed is lowered to a value less than the predetermined speed thereafter, it is possible to avoid the trouble diagnosis of the output fixing trouble of the vehicle body acceleration sensor or the like when that the trouble diagnosis of the output fixing trouble of the vehicle body acceleration sensor or the like is unnecessary.
US07871130B2
A biarticulating headrest having a chair mount adapted for attachment at one end thereof to a back support section of a chair. The headrest includes a base plate on the backside thereof. One or more headrest mounts can be attached to the base plate at a first end thereof. A first axis can be attached to a second end of one or more of the headrest mounts and a second axis can be attached to a second end of the one or more chair mounts. The headrest includes a biarticulating headrest locking mechanism, wherein the positioning assembly is movably engaged to the first axis at a first end and to the second axis at the second end thereof.
US07871129B2
A seat assembly having a headrest for supporting the head of a seat occupant. The seat assembly includes a seat back, a support post disposed on the seat back, a headrest being moveably disposed on the support post, and a latch mechanism moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The headrest is simultaneously moveable in multiple directions when the latch mechanism is disposed in the unlatched position.
US07871126B2
The seat depth adjustable vehicle seat has a seat frame that has an adjustable front edge and a padding carried by a seat frame. The padding extends about the front edge and adopts different positions with respect to the front edge. The padding has at least two layers. There is provided one inner and one outer layer. The inner layer is located between the front edge and the outer layer.
US07871123B2
An A-pillar joint configuration where the front end frame rail members are welded to the A-pillar eliminates the seals at the interface between the front end frame rail members and the A-pillars. The front flange of the A-pillar is also eliminated in the hydroformed configuration while the hydroformed frame rail members are formed with rearward ends that mate with the shape of A-pillar to positioned flattened ends against the exterior vertical side of the A-pillars for welding thereto. The resulting joint configuration eliminates the openings in the A-pillar for the passage of the front end frame rail members requiring seals to insulate the passenger compartment from engine and road noises.
US07871110B2
A sealing element that includes a hollow body of metallic material and first and second male sealing members formed at a respective end of the body. The respective male sealing member has an external spherical contact surface designed for mating with a corresponding internal conical contact surface of a female sealing member so as to form a fluid-tight seal between the male sealing member and the female sealing member when their contact surfaces are pressed against each other. Also, a coupling device and a valve device provided with the sealing element.
US07871098B2
Apparatus, methods, and other examples associated with a hitch ball coupler are described herein. In one example, a coupler includes a body and a cap. The body and cap are pivotally connected on a first end. The body includes a first recess and a shoulder. The cap is selectively moveable between a closed position and an open position. The cap includes a second recess that selectively forms a socket with the first recess, and an arm extending from a second end that engages the shoulder when the cap is in the open position.
US07871087B2
A hanger for a skateboard truck that generally comprises a ring-shaped member, a pivot stem, and an elongated barrel that houses an axle. Such elongated barrel defines a plurality of corrugations on the bottom thereof, the longitudinal axis of each corrugation aligned generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of such elongated barrel. Such corrugations are strategically distributed along such elongated barrel to ensure adequate engagement of some number of corrugations with such obstacle during a grind, helping to prevent such hanger from slipping off from such obstacle in a direction generally perpendicular to the general direction of intended grinding motion along such obstacle. Such hanger can be adapted to cooperate with a variety of existing skateboard truck baseplates.
US07871085B2
A rear wheel toe angle control device that ensures a stable steering performance even when the cornering powers of laterally opposing rear wheels are different from each other. When a reduction in the cornering power of one of the rear wheels owing to a drop in the tire pressure or a temporary tire is determined, a control unit changes the toe angle of the other rear wheel in a direction to increase the slip angle of thereof, and additionally changes the toe angle of the one rear wheel in a direction to decrease the slip angle of thereof. The combined cornering power of the two rear wheels is maintained at a normal level, and the steering performance of the turning vehicle remains the same. This also contributes to a stable running performance of the vehicle, and a maximization of the total available cornering power of the rear wheels.
US07871076B2
A sheet conveying apparatus having an excellent performance in jam recovery, and an image forming apparatus provided therewith is provided. The sheet conveying apparatus which may switch the conveying direction of a sheet has: a discharge switching member 60; and a moving unit including a rod 64 and a solenoid 63, which engage with the discharge switching member 60 and moves the discharge switching member 60, in order to switch the conveying direction of a sheet. The discharge switching member 60 and the moving unit may disengage from each other.
US07871056B2
The invention relates to a magnetic valve which is caulked on a caulking area by means of a fluid block. The valve includes a capsule, a magnetic assembly, an anchor and a valve insert which guides a magnetic flux which starts from the magnetic assembly in an axial manner via an airgap in the direction of the anchor. The capsule includes a lower area which is displaced in an overlapping manner on the valve insert. The overlapping area of the capsule extends in the direction of the caulking area, the magnetic assembly guides the magnetic flux via the capsule into the valve insert, the capsule is caulked with a valve bushing on the caulking area by means of a fluid block and a bushing is inserted into the capsule.
US07871053B1
A fixing device used for mounting a storage device includes a support bracket and a buffer structure attached to the support bracket. The buffer structure includes a buffer member and a metal cushion. The buffer member is positioned on a first surface of the support bracket, and the metal cushion is positioned on a second surface of the support bracket. The second surface is opposite to the first surface. The metal cushion has two elastic portions. A bottom surface of each elastic portion faces the second surface. A distance is formed between the bottom surface and the second surface.
US07871050B2
An adjustable tray assembly for engaging a cupholder in a vehicle comprises a tray having a plurality of cuts to form an aperture; and a frustum adapter having a downwardly tapered cylindrical shape, wherein the frustum adapter defines a first cavity for removably receiving an inserted beverage container, and wherein the adapter is removably inserted in the aperture and in the cupholder to bind the tray in place, and wherein the tray is substantially perpendicular with respect to a central axis of the cupholder and is capable of supporting various items, including food items.
US07871049B2
The present invention is a novel device for climbing inside corners, outside corners, and a variety of surfaces. The technology presented herein relies on high friction materials, suction devices, adhesive materials, pneumatic devices, etc. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention are designed to clamp onto inside or outside corners such that the devices weight, and an optional load, can be supported. Further embodiments allow the device to climb up, down, and across corners. Moreover, embodiments that can scale flat, rough, or jagged surfaces are also disclosed.
US07871046B2
A pallet support comprising a support platform secured to a base frame via an intermediate frame, the intermediate frame being longitudinally slidable relative to the base frame and support platform, the support platform having ground engaging wheels whereby the support platform can be rolled off the base frame to pull the intermediate frame to one end of the base frame.
US07871041B2
Leading edge structures for high performance aircraft and the direct manufacture thereof are disclosed. Direct manufacturing technology is used to deposit leading edge structures directly from a digital model to form near-net shape products. This technique permits a wider range of materials to be utilized, such as casting alloys capable of the highest temperature usage that are not available in billet or sheet form. Refractory metals or high temperature ceramics also may be used to form the entire lead edge structure, or just a replaceable tip of the leading edge structure.
US07871037B2
The present invention discloses an apparatus for emergency landing comprising: an extraction vehicle (10), a first adjustable tower and a second adjustable tower (11), a first gearbox (4) wherein said gearbox is mounted on top of said first adjustable tower, a second gearbox wherein said second gearbox is mounted on the top of said second adjustable tower, a third gearbox wherein said third gearbox is mounted on lower right side of said chassis, a fourth gearbox unit wherein said unit is mounted on the lower left side of chassis, a first rubber restrainer (8) wrapped around said first gearbox unit and extended to said third gearbox unit wherein said rubber restrainer is wrapped around said third gearbox unit, a second rubber restrainer wrapped around said second gearbox unit and extended to said fourth gearbox unit, wherein said rubber restrainer is wrapped around said fourth gearbox unit, wherein said first and said second rubber restrainer stabilize said aircraft and reduce initial impact by said aircraft.
US07871031B2
A device having a liftable strap supply reel includes a housing, a liftable mechanism and a pushing force generator. The liftable mechanism is pivoted on the housing and it has a first arm that is disposed with a rotatable strap supply reel. The liftable mechanism contains a home position, a critical position, and a lift-up position. When this lifting mechanism is positioned at the lift-up position, the pushing member generates a force to create a torque so that the strap supply reel stays at a height near a waist of a human. So, the strap supply reel can be lifted up to a height approximately near a waist of a human. It can be operated by one hand. In addition, it is convenient to repair or replace the strap.
US07871029B2
A bale processor, having a support surface for supporting a bale of crop material, a shredding roller positioned at one end of the support surface, the shredding roller having an elongate roller body, the roller body configured to rotate about an axis of rotation, and a feed mechanism positioned on the support surface, the feed mechanism configured for urging the bale towards the shredding roller. The shredding roller includes at least one separating section having at least one impacting member that protrudes outwardly from the elongate roller body, the at least one impacting member configured to impact the bale when the roller body rotates so as to separate the crop material therefrom. The shredding roller also includes at least one conveying section configured to engage a portion of the bale and to direct that portion towards the separating section in a longitudinal direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the roller body.
US07871028B2
A chopper unit for chopping bales of vegetation is particularly well suited for chopping large square bales. The chopper unit mounts on the arms of a transporter unit such as a skid loader. The unit includes a housing having a deck with a window therein. During normal operation, the deck faces upwardly. The housing includes a chopping chamber having the window in the deck at one end thereof, and extending to an opening or window in a side wall of the housing. A bale hopper mounted on the deck can translate along a predetermined path. The bale hopper extends generally upwardly when the unit is in an operating position, and surrounds the window in the deck. A vegetation cutter mounted within the chopping chamber partially projects through the deck's window and into the hopper. Rotating the cutter chops the vegetation into small pieces. The hopper translation allows the cutter to access the entire bottom surface of the bale. A fan preferably forces air into the chopping chamber adjacent to the cutter to sweep chopped bale particles to an opening in a wall of the housing.
US07871020B2
A faucet spray head having a volume control mechanism allowing the user to adjust the flow of water through the spray head from a full-spray to full-stream and to a paused flow and flow levels therebetween. The volume control mechanism illustratively includes a spring-activated safety mechanism that prevents the user from inadvertently leaving the faucet head in an off position, thereby preventing the mixing or backing up of hot water into the cold water supply.
US07871004B2
A wafer stage overlay error map is created using standard overlay targets and a special numerical algorithm. A reticle including a 2-dimensional array of standard overlay targets is exposed several times onto a photoresist coated silicon wafer using a photolithographic exposure tool. After exposure, the overlay targets are measured for placement error using a conventional overlay metrology tool. The resulting overlay error data is then supplied to a software program that generates a 2-dimensional wafer stage distortion and yaw overlay error map.
US07870992B2
A container (100) generally includes an outer shell (102, 108), wherein at least a portion of the outer shell includes a moisture-resistant barrier (902). The container further includes at least one insulating member (104, 106) disposed within the outer shell and having a cellulose-based substrate substantially encapsulated in a polymeric film.
US07870983B2
A facial tissue box holder for automobile includes two supports comprising a rectangular main section having slits at both ends, a rectangular side section hingedly secured to the main section, an engagement section pivotably secured to the side section, and a magnetic strip on inner surfaces of the engagement and side sections; and two straps comprising two hook and loop fasteners at both ends. The engagement sections can be inserted into sides of a tissue box. For each support pivoting the side section to magnetically secure to the engagement section, pivoting the main section to engage the back of the tissue box, looping one end of the strap around a post, securing one hook and loop fastener around the post, inserting the other end of the strap through the slits, and securing the hooks to the loops of the other hook and loop fastener will hang the tissue box.
US07870969B2
A package is provided including a container and a cap attached thereto. The container has an open and a closed end, the former having a dispensing opening surrounded by a shoulder. A pair of first buttresses are molded into the shoulder arranged along a cross-sectional major axis bisecting the opening. A pair of second buttresses are also molded into the shoulder and arranged along a minor axis bisecting the opening. Each of the buttresses have an upper edge tapering downwardly away from the opening. Upper edges of the second buttresses have a steeper taper angle than those of the first buttresses. The cap includes a lid hingedly connected to an edge of a fitment, the latter having a platform surrounded by a skirt wall and a product exit orifice formed in the platform. On a lower surface of the platform are four legs surrounding the orifice, projecting downwardly with each leg being asymmetrically shaped and lockingly fitted between first and second adjacent buttresses.
US07870965B2
Geotextile composite configured to filter liquids The geotextile composites include a pre-filter layer, a post-filter layer and at least two intermediate filter layers disposed between the pre-filter layer and the post-filter layer. At least one fibrous web that includes composite fibers and adsorptive particulates is disposed between the at least two intermediate filters. The fibrous web has a structural component, and a thermally-bondable, polymeric component.
US07870964B2
A system and method for integrating microfluidic components in a microfluidic system enables the microfluidic system to perform a selected microfluidic function. A capping module includes a microfluidic element for performing a microfluidic function. The capping module is stacked on a microfluidic substrate having microfluidic plumbing to incorporate the microfluidic function into the system. An infusion pump for delivering a fluid from a fluid source may be integrated in a microfluidic chip using a capping module having pumping components formed therein.
US07870959B2
A self-sealed medical sterilization pouch comprises the following elements of: a first sheet being pervious to sterilization gases and surrounded by at least one printing domain thereon, a plurality of signs being disposed on the printing domain and located outside of a closed space, the first sheet having at least two sterile processing indicators having color response, one surface of an end of the first sheet having a flap; and a second sheet being impervious to sterilization gases, the second sheet having an opening and being joined with the first sheet by a first seal line, a second seal line and a third seal line at a left side, a right side and an upper side to form the closed space, the sterile processing indicators being disposed between the third seal line and a ladle-shaped end and the third seal line and another ladle-shaped end respectively.
US07870958B1
A motor vehicle window panel or windshield has a lower edge portion with an attached extruded plastic molding having a downwardly projecting portion defining a cavity with an inlet gap for receiving a projecting fin on a cowl panel. A shipping insert of extruded substantially rigid plastics material supports the windshield and attached molding during shipping and handling and includes a base portion adapted to seat on shipping container support members and a tongue portion spaced above the base portion and projecting through the inlet gap into the cavity to support the molding. The insert also has an upper portion supporting a solid locating flange of the molding attached to a bottom edge of the windshield. The base portion of the insert has inclined opposite edge surfaces to facilitate sliding on the support members, and also has an upwardly projecting hook rib for retaining the insert on the molding.
US07870951B1
A disposable single use ink cup holder and hand tray for stabilizing and organizing ink cups. A hand tray adjacent the ink cup holder allows a Tattoo Artist access to all the openings for the ink cups while resting his or her hand on the hand tray so any inks or body fluids on the hand stay on the single use ink cup holder and hand tray.
US07870950B2
A conveyor system includes first and second upstanding posts disposed in longitudinally spaced apart relation to one another. Each post is surmounted by forward and rearward support arms that form a “V”-shape. A forward drive belt is mounted for rotation along a path of travel perpendicular to the forward support arms. A first embodiment cradles a product container between the forward drive belt and a rearward primary support arm. A second embodiment includes the first embodiment structure and adds a rearward secondary support arm. A third embodiment includes the primary but not the rearward secondary support arm, the forward drive belt and a forward secondary support arm. A fourth embodiment includes the rearward primary and secondary support arms, the forward drive belt and a forward secondary support arm. The product container is tilted from vertical so that the conveyor follows a path of travel including curvatures having no guide rails.
US07870946B2
A device for generating a floating state of an object by sound waves includes a rigid support structure having a top surface for absorbing forces generated by the gravitation or acceleration of the levitating object and perpendicularly acting on the top surface. A thin oscillatory element is arranged in parallel to the top surface. Further provided is a vibration generator for making the thin oscillatory element vibrating and levitating above the top surface so that the object is levitating above the thin oscillatory element without contacting it.
US07870940B2
A frictionally engaged free-wheel clutch with an exterior ring, an interior ring approximately concentric in reference thereto, and several clamping bodies arranged in the circular gap between the interior and the exterior ring, which block a rotation of the interior ring relative to the exterior one in one direction and release it in the opposite direction. Here, it is essential that the clamping body and/or the running paths of the interior and/or the exterior ring are provided with a friction-increasing coating.
US07870939B2
A magnetorheologic clutch includes a stationary part, a rotatable primary part having primary discs, a secondary part having secondary discs, and a chamber containing magnetorheologic fluid formed between the primary and secondary parts that is exposed to an adjustable magnetic field. To make a magnetorheologic clutch as small as possible which is capable of transmitting a peak torque at a minimum power consumption and which is easily controlled, at least one magnet coil is axially arranged before or after the discs and encompasses a first U-shaped cylinder head whose two surfaces are arranged on the side of the discs in a parallel thereto. A second cylinder head is disposed on the side of the discs opposite with respect to the first cylinder head. Areas of the secondary part are radially disposed inside and outside the discs which are made of a low-permeability magnetic material.
US07870935B2
A traction drive power transmission device, where a lubrication oil can be stably and continuously applied for a long period to portions at which rollers and a shaft are in contact with each other, shortage of the lubrication oil does not occur at the contact portions, the lubrication oil is not wasted, and which does not impair work environment by contaminating floor surface etc. A traction drive power transmission device has at least one drive roller (12a), a follower roller (12b), and a circular cylinder-like shaft (11). The shaft (11) is held between the drive roller (12a) and the follower roller (12b). When the drive roller (12a) is rotated, rotational force by the rotation is transmitted to the shaft (11) to drive it in its axial direction. The device has a lubrication oil-delivering portion (20) with application bodies (22-1, 22-2) for applying a lubrication oil only to portions where the shaft (11) is in contact with the drive roller (12a) and the follower roller (12b).
US07870925B2
A system and method for managing a powertrain in a vehicle determines a number of vehicle conditions, and compares them to predetermined conditions to determine whether a secondary axle of the vehicle should be automatically connected to or disconnected from the powertrain. In general, if the speed of the vehicle is above some predetermined speed threshold, the secondary axle is disengaged to increase fuel economy. Conversely, if the speed of the vehicle is below some predetermined threshold, the secondary axle is typically engaged to help maximize the capture of regenerative braking energy during a braking event. Additional vehicle conditions may be examined, and exceptions to the general rule utilized, to further enhance the control strategy.
US07870922B2
A forklift truck (10) comprising a truck body, a fork mechanism at one end of the body, and at least one wheel (18) at an opposite end of the body, said at least one wheel (18) being mounted on the body for translational movement relative to the body between a working position and a storage position.
US07870921B2
An electric bicycle having a front cover unit for housing a controller having an indicator is provided. The front cover unit is attached to the body of the electric bicycle substantially near a steering shaft. The controller can be attached to an interior portion of the front cover unit. The indicator can be attached to the controller and can be exposed through a window in the front cover unit. The front cover unit can comprise a front surface cover member and a rear surface cover member. The front surface cover member can be attached to and detached from the rear surface cover member. The rear surface cover member can have a first recessed portion having a first window for exposing the indicator and a second recessed portion having a second window for exposing a power switch.
US07870914B2
This invention relates to a traction assembly for a vehicle which uses an endless traction band and a plurality of wheels for propulsion. More particularly, the traction assembly comprises a sprocket wheel which has a different size and number of sprocket teeth depending on whether the traction kit replaces the front wheels or the rear wheels of the vehicle. The sprocket wheel of the traction kit can also be configured such that its sprocket teeth are laterally offset. The traction kit can also comprise an anti-torque system that prevent physical contact between the traction kit and the vehicle and that can bias the position of the traction kit in order to improve the steering performance. Finally, the traction assembly can comprise a pivotable extension which lengthens the traction assembly and improves its traction capabilities.
US07870909B2
A method of providing zonal isolation in a wellbore completion includes the steps of identifying an anticipated zone for isolation in a wellbore before completing the wellbore; selecting, before completing the wellbore, a completion assembly and a cooperative deployable isolation assembly to isolate the anticipated zone; completing the wellbore with the selected completion assembly; and connecting the selected deployable isolation assembly in the selected completion assembly to isolate the anticipated zone.
US07870902B2
In some embodiments, a method of allowing a subterranean formation to be fractured from an open hole well bore section includes providing a removable coating across substantially the entire surface of the wall of the well bore section, selectively removing the coating at a desired first fracture initiation location and allowing the first fracture to be formed in the vicinity of the desired first fracture initiation location.
US07870901B2
A technique includes running a string into a well bore and inhibiting formation face failure. The well bore extends at least partially through a non-producing layer and a hydrocarbon formation layer. The inhibiting of the formation face failure includes communicating a proppant into the well bore via the string until a well bore pressure exceeds a first formation stress of the non-producing layer, which causes a fracture to form in the non-producing layer, and communicating the proppant into the fracture to create a barrier layer.
US07870900B2
A system and method for controlling the speed of a progressing cavity liquid well pump to increase liquid production from a well while avoiding operation of the well in a pumped-off state. A controller controls a variable speed drive to drive a progressing cavity liquid well pump at a set pump speed while measuring well and system parameters indicative of pumping performance and/or liquid production from the well. The set speed of the pump is changed in steps either increasingly or decreasingly by the controller, acting through the variable speed drive, in response to the measured well and system parameters. The controller, responsive to the measured well and system parameters, challenges the set pump speed by varying the set pump speed so as to increase the production from the well while avoiding pump and well operation in a pumped-off state.
US07870899B2
The present disclosure relates to a pump mechanism driven by differential pressure conditions and method for delivery of materials. In one embodiment, the pump mechanism may be used to deliver treatment chemical to a plunger apparatus or directly to a wellbore by exploiting pressure conditions found at a well. In certain embodiments, the pump mechanism is able to balance high pressure conditions available within a petroleum formation against low pressure conditions present in a common flow line serving the well. In so balancing these pressures, the pump mechanism is able to automatically tune itself to the needs of the well, ensuring continued operation over a wider range of operating conditions. The pump mechanism has the further advantages of lower operation costs and less environmental impact as compared with existing pumps. The pump mechanism can be used in connection with a chemical applicator which can be used to apply chemical into, onto, or below, a plunger or plunger/dispenser apparatus used in plunger lift operations, or to apply chemical directly down the well. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US07870898B2
Flow control systems and methods for use in hydrocarbon well operations include a tubular and a flow control apparatus. The tubular defines a well annulus and includes an outer member defining a flow conduit. Fluid communication between the well annulus and the flow conduit is provided by permeable portion(s) of the outer member. The flow control apparatus is disposed within the flow conduit and comprises conduit-defining and chamber-defining structural members. The conduit-defining structural member(s) is configured to divide the flow conduit into at least two flow control conduits. The chamber-defining structural member(s) is configured to divide at least one of the at least two flow control conduits into at least two flow control chambers. Each of the flow control chambers has at least one inlet and one outlet, each of which is adapted to allow fluid flow therethrough and to retain particles larger than a predetermined size.
US07870886B1
A method of making a treating wash includes mixing brass granules with acetone, mixing carbon nanotube material, iron pyrite granules and copper granules in the acetone brass mixture, and straining the liquid from the remaining solid material. Methods of treating materials such as brass granules, iron pyrite granules, carbon nanotube material, and brass granules comprises washing the materials in the treating wash, followed by straining and drying the materials.
US07870884B2
A method for casting molded parts, comprising the following steps: The mold is prepared by forming a core packet from the cores which are made of molding sand; the metal melt is poured into the mold; the mold is thermally insulated prior to and/or after casting and the thermal process is used in a known manner inside the mold and/or insulation for controlled treatment of the cast molded part and/or the material forming the core packet.
US07870880B2
An optimizing planer infeed system for feeding an array of workpieces downstream to a planer includes an apparatus for setting the size of the gaps between successive linearly aligned workpieces so that each gap between successive workpieces provides enough time for at least one of movable cutting elements in the planer and movable guiding elements to be moved to their optimized position corresponding to the next successive workpiece.
US07870879B2
An automated saw system for cutting a crooked piece of lumber with a mitered end and a length. The saw system includes a saw for cutting the piece of lumber, a lumber feed conveyor for feeding the piece of lumber to the saw, and a sensor that measures a deviation amount by which the piece of lumber deviates from an idealized straight piece of lumber. A controller communicates with the sensor to adjust either the saw or the conveyor in response to the detected deviation amount so that the piece of lumber is cut to correspond to a cut of the idealized straight piece of lumber.
US07870866B2
A valve stem assembly for clamping tire pressure detector has a valve stem and a fastener. The valve stem has an outer section and an inner section. The inner section has a distal end, an outlet hole, a sidewall and a side fixing hole. The distal end has a domical surface. The outlet hole is centrally formed through the domical surface. The side fixing hole is formed in the inner section, is oblique to the outlet hole and communicates with the outlet hole inside the inner section. The fastener corresponds to the outlet hole and the side fixing hole and is selectively and detachably and selectively screwed into the outlet hole or the side fixing hole to hold a tire pressure detector on the valve stem assembly.
US07870860B2
A respiratory mask provides improved sealing through the use of an intraoral mouthpiece with a large sealing area. A tubular extension, configured at one end to accept standard respiratory fittings, is the conduit for gas delivery to the intraoral mouthpiece. The respiratory mask may also include an intraoral oropharyngeal airway which flexes so that it can be inserted without the need for rotation or use of a tongue blade. The respiratory mask may also include an external shield to enhance sealing and provide a barrier of protection for the healthcare provider. The mask's design allows for a novel handgrip technique that allows a single healthcare provider to ventilate with enhanced sealing.
US07870859B2
A seal and a respiraoty mask having a seal adapted for confronting engagement with a surface of a user to form an interface therewith. The seal includes a first portion defined by a gel substance. In one embodiment, the seal includes a selectively formable substance adapted to be molded from a first pattern into a second pattern and to retain the second pattern responsive to being so molded. The seal and mask having the seal in this embodiment is tailored to patient by causing the formable portion of the seal to be placed in a malleable state, applying the seal to the patient while the formable portion is in the malleable state, and causing the formable portion to be placed in a fixed state to retain a shape generally conforming to the portion of the patient underlying the seal.
US07870856B2
An inhaler for administering a medicament in the form of inhalable substances, formulations or mixtures of substances comprises a housing (1) having an inner cavity for holding the medicament, which is coupled to a mouthpiece (2). The housing (1) is rigidly connected to the mouthpiece (2).
US07870852B2
The pneumatically powered projectile launching device has a bolt located within a body. A front gas chamber in the body has an opening through which the bolt extends into the chamber. The bolt can move forward and backward thereby changing the volume of the front chamber. The bolt has a backward facing working surface. A gas valve in the body selectively releases compressed gas into the chamber. The released gas applies pressure on the backward facing working surface of the bolt to move the bolt forward, and then passes through a passage in the bolt to pneumatically force the projectile to leave the device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US07870845B2
A fuel injection control device controls an operation of an injector such that fuel to be injected into a combustion chamber per combustion cycle is divided and injected at least through a first injection and a second injection, which is performed with a larger fuel quantity than the first injection after the first injection. The fuel injection control device includes an acquiring section and a first combustion state estimating section. The acquiring section acquires a sensing value of cylinder pressure in the combustion chamber sensed with a cylinder pressure sensor. The first combustion state estimating section estimates an actual combustion state of the fuel injected by the first injection based upon a second combustion timing cylinder pressure sensing value attributable to combustion of the fuel injected by the second injection out of the cylinder pressure sensing values.
US07870833B2
To provide a slide curtain coating apparatus and method for depositing a curtain of coating liquid onto a running web, the apparatus and method capable of preventing the curtain from being condensed at its center region and preventing the resulting coating from having greater thickness at its edge regions. The coating apparatus includes: a slit for discharging the coating liquid; a slide on which the curtain flows down; and, a slide edge guide along which the curtain flows and which is provided at both edges on the slide and each having auxiliary liquid supply means at the surface facing the curtain; and auxiliary liquid supply means for discharging the auxiliary liquid from all over the surface thereof which touches the curtain at the edge guide. The coating method includes discharging the auxiliary liquid from all over the surface of the auxiliary supply means coating apparatus.
US07870832B2
A pressure indicating device includes a case including a gas passage, and a movable indicator carried by the case. The indicator has an end in fluid communication with the gas passage and an indicator end projectable out of a portion of the case when pressure in the gas passage is at least a predetermined minimum pressure. A spring may retract the indicator when pressure in the gas passage is below the predetermined minimum pressure.
US07870826B2
A seeding apparatus having a furrow opener attached to a first trailing arm, sensor for sensing the amount of ground force to which the furrow opener is being subjected, a second trailing arm, a packing wheel in secure engagement with the second trailing arm and adapted to pack a seeded furrow, an actuator and a control device in communication with the actuator and in communication with the sensor for applying a variable bias force to the packing wheel.
US07870822B2
A system providing for on-site reclamation and re-use of reclaimed antimicrobial solution includes a dispenser, at least one receptacle, piping, and at least one pump. The dispenser sprays antimicrobial solution toward moving raw food products. Unspent antimicrobial solution that did not contact the moving raw food products and rebound antimicrobial solution that did contact the raw food products combine to form a reclaimed antimicrobial solution. The reclaimed antimicrobial solution is collected in the receptacle and is pumped through the piping to a location for reuse.
US07870821B2
Provided is a coffee maker having a structure for preventing water from leaking while a water storage container is unloaded, and a microwave oven having the same. The coffee maker includes: a water storage container storing water for extracting coffee and having a drainage hole formed at one sided portion thereof; a tube guiding water drained through the drainage hole of the water storage container so as to extract coffee; and a connection unit having a first connector of which one end is connected to the water storage container, and a second connector of which one end is connected to the tube and the other end is separatably connected to the first connector. The connection unit communicates the water storage container with the tube and prevents water from leaking from at least one of the water storage container and the tube when the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other.
US07870813B2
A method for broadcasting electromagnetic waves such that user-selected electromagnetic receivers are prevented from receiving an intended electromagnetic communication.
US07870806B2
The invention relates to a ball screw device in which a screw shaft and a nut member are threadedly engaged with each other through a number of balls. In such a ball screw device, an inner surface of a cover plate contacting an end surface of a nut main body is provided with a projecting return piece adapted to be fit-engaged with a recess cut in an inner peripheral surface of the nut main body, the return piece being provided with a scoop portion for dislodging the balls from the ball rolling groove of the screw shaft and a direction switching passage for guiding the dislodged balls to the entrance of a ball return hole. The projecting return piece is divided into a first piece formed integral with the cover plate and a second piece fixed to the first piece by a curved plane including the center line of the direction switching passage.
US07870805B2
A rack-and-pinion steering apparatus in which a steering gear box for transmitting an operation of a steering wheel to road wheels includes a pinion operatively connected to the steering wheel, a rack bar which has a rack meshing with the pinion, and which is operatively connected to the road wheels, a housing slidably supporting the rack bar, a cylindrical rack guide slidably fitted into a guide hole formed in the housing, and a spring member causing the rack guide to abut on a rear part of the rack bar opposite to the rack by biasing the rack guide. A reaction force, which the rack guide receives from the rack bar, acts on the rack guide in such a way as to cause a rotational moment of the rack guide about an axis different from an axis of the rack guide.
US07870801B2
A rotational power transfer device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The rotational power transfer device includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member. The first rotary member has an inner periphery formed with a solid lubricating layer composed of a chemical film and molybdenum disulfide. The second rotary member has an outer cylindrical periphery applied with a layer of grease including a mixture of oil with a higher frictional coefficient than that of lubricating oil and molybdenum disulfide. The second rotary member is press fitted to the first rotary member to allow the outer cylindrical periphery thereof to be placed in face-to-face relation to the inner cylindrical periphery of the first rotary member, enabling a rotational power in excess to be stably absorbed without causing any increase in the rotational power at which the slippage occurs.
US07870782B2
Methods and apparatus to measure flow of a drilling fluid composition include a test housing including a test matrix located between an inlet and an outlet, a test valve connected between the inlet of the test housing and a fluid reservoir, and a pressure assembly configured to apply pressure to drilling fluid contained in the fluid reservoir. The apparatus and methods further include a sample valve connected to the outlet of the test housing and a measurement device configured to measure a filtrate fluid flowing through the outlet. A method to measure flow of a drilling fluid includes measuring an amount of filtrate fluid flowing through the test matrix as a function of time.
US07870777B2
A gas sensor having an axis including a detecting element; a metal shell; an outer cylinder; and a plug member, as defined herein, and the gas sensor includes a first protective member that covers an air vent of the plug member so as to protect the filter member, the protective member having a ventilation portion having an opening smaller than an opening of the air vent and at least partially overlapping the air vent in the axial direction, and at least one of the outer cylinder and the plug member is provided with a locking portion that limits rotation of the protective member around the axis.
US07870775B2
In the case of a drive arrangement for a rolling mill, comprising at least one drive motor (M), a main gear mechanism (HG), a pinion gear mechanism (KWG), a rolling stand (G) with working rolls (AW), and the spindles, couplings and the like which connect these components, the main gear mechanism (HG) is a single-stage one and the drive axis (AN) is spaced apart from the output axis (AB) by an upwardly directed, vertical spacing (vA).
US07870763B2
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a temperature sensor on a steam generator, which enables easy and convenient mounting of a temperature sensor on a steam generator. For this, the present invention provides a structure for mounting a temperature sensor on a steam generator in a drum type washing machine including a case which is an exterior of the steam generator, the temperature sensor provided to the case for sensing a temperature of steam generated by a heater, a bracket for fixing the temperature sensor, a fastening portion provided to the case for fastening the bracket to the case with separate fastening members, and a bracket rotation preventive portion provided to the case for preventing the bracket from rotating at the time the temperature sensor is mounted.
US07870761B2
A garment includes a sensor band of generally smaller dimensions than the garment for holding sensor electrodes incorporated in the band against a user's body while wearing the garment. The sensor band is elasticated to conform against the user's body and the garment is relatively loose fitting. The sensor band may be attached to the remainder of the garment by highly elastic and flexible webbing portions.
US07870754B2
An insulated icemaking compartment is provided in the fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator. The icemaking compartment may be integrally formed with the liner of the fresh food compartment, or alternatively, may be modular for installation anywhere in the fresh food compartment. A removable bin assembly with a front cover normally seals the icemaking compartment to maintain the temperature in the compartment. A cold air duct formed in the rear wall of the refrigerator supplies cold air from the freezer compartment to the icemaking compartment. A return air duct directs a portion of the air from the icemaking compartment back to the freezer compartment. An air vent with a damper in the icemaking compartment directs another portion of air into the fresh food compartment. A control system provides for controlling refrigerator functions in a manner that promotes energy efficiency, including movement of the damper between open and closed positions. An improved latch and seal are provided for the ice bin assembly to allow removal of the bin assembly and to ensure a positive seal between the bin assembly and the front cover of the ice compartment.
US07870748B2
A containment apparatus (10) having a floor wall (12) with four side walls (16) extending therefrom and an opening (13) at the top. Each of the side walls (16) and the floor wall (12) include apertures (20) defined within to allow air to flow freely throughout the containment apparatus. A lid (18) may be provided to place on the containment apparatus to cover the opening (13). A divider (21) made of interlocking wall strips (23) that connect to define a plurality of separate compartments (25). Each interlocking wall strip (23) having multiple apertures (20) defined within to allow for free airflow around, through and between each compartment (25). An alternative embodiment of the divider (31) is comprised of a molded material such as plastic for holding thermosensitive product vials. The alternative divider (31) having a plurality of aligned wells (39). Each well (39) being adapted to support one thermosensitive product vial.
US07870747B1
In the method of using ambient air to vaporize liquefied gas, the steps include transferring heat from a stream of ambient air to a stream of liquefied gas, thereby cooling the air stream, and vaporizing the liquid; transferring heat from a source into the cooled air stream; and then discharging the heated air stream to atmosphere, sufficient heat being transferred to obviate objectionable fog production resulting from step c).
US07870742B2
A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and high pressure (HP) turbine operatively joined together. An interstage cooling circuit is joined in flow communication from an intermediate stage of the compressor to a forward face of an HP disk supporting a row of turbine blades for channeling interstage bleed cooling air thereto.
US07870739B2
A curved diffuser (210) in a gas turbine engine (201) directs a primary portion of air flow from a compressor (202) through a curved discharge opening (213) into a plenum (220). The curved diffuser (210) also comprises ports (217) through which a secondary portion of air passes into confined space (225) that is defined in part by a pressure boundary element that may be comprised of at least one plate (222) or at least one conduit (306). The at least one plate (222) and the at least one conduit (306) respectively comprise apertures (246, 312) through which pass the secondary portion of air to provide impingement-type cooling to transitions (230, 320). In various embodiments the velocity of the air between adjacent transitions (230, 320) may flow at relatively uniform velocity along the longitudinal distance of the respective transitions (230, 320).
US07870737B2
A gas turbine engine pilot assembly includes a swirler having high and low pressure sides. A hood at least partially encloses the swirler on the high pressure side. The hood is secured over the swirler, in one example. The hood includes an aperture creating a tortuous path from the high pressure side to the low pressure side through the swirler. The hood reduces the differential pressure across the swirler by reducing the velocity and pressure of the air before entering the swirler. In one example, the hood includes first and second spaced apart walls interconnected by a perimeter wall. The walls form a generally annular structure, in one example. At least one of the walls includes an array of apertures communicating with a cavity interiorly arranged within the walls upstream from the swirler. Air from the high pressure side flows through the apertures and is slowed before passing through the swirler and into a combustion chamber.
US07870735B2
The invention relates to an apparatus that includes a first heat exchanger for heating a first heat transfer medium in a first form from a first temperature to a second higher temperature to provide an increased pressure gas, a first mechanical device configured to use the increased pressure gas to provide mechanical energy to one or more primary components, and one or more additional mechanical devices configured to use the increased pressure gas to provide mechanical energy to one or more secondary components. The mechanical device produces spent gas, and a conversion device is operably associated with at least one of the mechanical devices to convert the spent gas to the first form for re-use. A method is also disclosed for efficiently generating mechanical or electrical energy by heating a first heat transfer medium which is an expandable gas having a boiling point which is below the freezing point of water from a first temperature to a second higher temperature to provide an increased pressure gas; utilizing the increased pressure gas to provide mechanical energy, thus forming a spent gas; and recycling the spent gas to the heating step for re-use as the heat transfer medium expandable gas.
US07870734B2
A system for generating electricity from steam power, which includes a steam source communicated with a steam load, the steam load requiring steam at a load pressure lower than the steam source; a pressure reduction valve communicated between the steam source and the steam load, and adapted to reduce steam pressure to the load pressure; and a pressure reduction valve bypass circuit including a steam turbine for converting steam to electric power, the turbine being communicated with an electric power load to provide power to the load. The turbine is advantageously positioned vertically above a motor.
US07870730B2
A method to operate and electronic controlled internal combustion engine, and particularly a heavy duty diesel engine, to effect vane cleaning of a variable geometry turbocharger.
US07870728B2
The invention discloses a hydraulic control arrangement for controlling a number of consumers, particularly of a mobile working machine. In addition to the consumers of the control arrangement, an additional consumer should be able to be connected to a power beyond port. All consumers and power beyond consumers are supplied with hydraulic fluid by a pump. An input pressure scale is provided downstream of the pump, and the greater of the load pressures of the consumers or of the at least one power beyond consumer is applied to the control port of said input pressure scale.
US07870720B2
A method to manipulate boundary layer conditions within a ducted fluid flow is provided. This method may be used to attach fluid flow to ducted surfaces bounding the fluid flow. This involves flowing a fluid over the surface wherein the fluid contains positively charged ions and electrons. An electric field accelerates ions and electrons in directions parallel to the electric field. The accelerated positively charged ions accelerate low energy air within lower regions of a boundary layer over the ducted surfaces bounding the ducted fluid flow. A magnetic field at the surface redirects ions and electrons based on their velocity and charge. The magnetic field imparts little force on the relatively heavy and slow moving positive ions but has a significant impact on the relatively fast moving, light weight electrons.
US07870717B2
An auxiliary power unit includes an autothermal reformer for producing a reformate from fuel; a turbine; a combustor for burning the reformate to power the turbine; a recuperator for obtaining thermal energy to improve the efficiency of the auxiliary power unit; a steam generator for using thermal energy from the recuperator to produce steam from a water supply; a condenser for recovering the water from turbine exhaust; and an electrical generator coupled to the turbine for producing electrical power. Recovered heat and water are used with the autothermal reformer to produce rapid and complete combustion of the fuel with a relatively low concentration of emissions.
US07870714B2
An Air-splicing device for splice-connecting two glass-fiber roving strands (1, 3), comprises a strand channel (6) open at its two opposing ends (7, 8), two splice chambers (9, 10) arranged side-by-side in said strand channel, at least three strand clamps (13, 14, 15, 16) two of which are outer strand clamps (13, 15) arranged at either side outside of said two splice chambers and at least one of which is an inner strand clamp (14, 16) arranged between said two splice chambers, and two strand cutters (17, 18) arranged at the opposite ends of the strand channel. Said first and second splice chambers are feedable with pressurised air independently of each other.
US07870711B2
A mower deck is selectively coupled to the front of a propelling vehicle. The deck includes an electric mowing height adjustment assembly to permit the user to vary the cutting height of the mower deck. The deck is movable about a lift shaft from a generally horizontal use position to an upright storage/servicing position while the deck is coupled with the vehicle. An electric actuator and a switch mount of the mowing height adjustment assembly not only provide the user with a way to adjust the cutting height but also cooperate with the remainder of the mowing height adjustment assembly to allow movement of the deck from the use position to the storage/servicing position. Movement of the switch mount from a generally horizontal, engaged use position to a unengaged position permits the deck to be moved from the use position to the upright storage/servicing position.
US07870703B1
A bolster for use in construction has a beam, a pair of spaced apart foot members, a first plurality of leg members on one side of the beam, and a second plurality of leg members on an opposite side of the beam. The first plurality of leg members are connected at one end to the beam and at the opposite end to one of the pair of spaced apart foot members. The second plurality of leg members are connected at one end to the beam and at the opposite end to the other of the pair of spaced apart foot members. The beam, pair of spaced apart foot members and first and second pluralities of leg members are integrally formed together of a polymeric material. Multiple lengths of bolster may be joined together in a snap-fit engagement.
US07870694B2
The panelized roof sheathing construction system includes a plurality of panels attached to a building frame structure in substantially abutting relationship. Each panel includes a water resistant barrier layer secured atop the outward facing surface of the panel. The water resistant barrier layer includes a skid resistant surface. Joints between panels are sealed by strips of water resistant tape or the like. The panels are made of lignocellulosic material. The water resistant and skid resistant surface may include indicia for aligning strips of tape or for aligning fasteners. A method for manufacturing the water resistant building panels is also disclosed and includes the steps of feeding a roll of paper onto a forming belt, depositing lignocellulosic material and the binding agent onto the forming belt so as to form a lignocellulosic mat, cutting the mat and paper into segments of predetermined lengths, transferring the segments onto a loading screen, subjecting the segments to heat and pressure so as to impart the skid resistant surface on the paper, and cutting the segments into panels of predetermined sizes. A method of drying-in a building using the panels of the invention is also contemplated.
US07870693B1
A system for protecting tile roofs that includes a wire mesh assembly that substantially covers the shingle tile roof structure. The wire mesh assembly includes peripheral sides defined by outermost wire members. Strap members with some degree of deformability have two folded ends. One of the ends hooks over the outermost wire member and the other end removably mounts to the distal peripheral end of the drip guard. The system can be readily deployed over the roof structure and removed for volumetrically efficient storage.
US07870690B2
The present invention is directed to a magnetic mouse trap for catching mice including a magnet, a holding member, a trap bar, a spring bar, and a base to allow a person to trap mice without having the mice steal the bait before the trap is released. A person can attach the bait to the holding member using the magnet to prevent mice from stealing the bait without triggering the trap bar.
US07870688B1
A clamping device for coupling optical devices in coaxial, tandem alignment includes a front clamp assembly that has elastically deformable split collar halves tightenable onto a front optical device by a screw tightenable into bores disposed transversely through a pair of arms extending radially from the split collar halves. A rear optical device support protrudes rearward from the front clamp assembly, and has a releasable fastener such as a screw or dovetail joint for supporting a rear optical device in coaxial alignment with the front optical device. Preferably, the arm is mounted to the front clamp assembly by means of a pivotable joint which is latchable in a first, rearward position, and a second, forward position in which the rear optical device is positioned along the side of the front optical device, so that the front device may be used independently of the rear device.
US07870684B2
A method and system for creating a levelling surface for use in levelling a substantially uneven ground surface, optimised for a single plane, row cropping, or dryland cropping with no rows (a surface for row cropping will typically optimise the surface with a defined water flow direction and a surface for dryland cropping will typically optimise the surface to allow water flow in any direction). Terrain data is collected, at least one constraint corresponding to desired surface characteristics is inputted, and a data transformation engine is operated, wherein the data transformation engine optimises the terrain data for at least one terrain variable, generates an optimised terrain model that substantially complies with the at least one constraint, and outputs a levelling surface. The levelling surface may be outputted to a three-dimensional controller for land-levelling machinery which could then shift the soil from the existing terrain to match the levelling surface.
US07870677B2
A lightweight wheel clamp assembly is provided for attaching to a vehicle wheel for performing a wheel alignment on the vehicle. Examples include a wheel clamp having an upper sliding bracket for engaging the vehicle wheel, a lower sliding bracket for engaging the vehicle wheel, a guide bar simultaneously slidably engagable with the upper and lower brackets, and a lead screw threadingly engagable with the upper and lower brackets for adjusting a distance between the upper and lower brackets to rigidly attach the wheel clamp assembly to the vehicle wheel. The lower bracket has a plurality of measuring device mounting locations for adjustably mounting a wheel alignment element. The mounting locations are disposed such that when the wheel alignment element is mounted to one of them, the wheel alignment element can sight to a second wheel alignment element on the opposing side of the vehicle.
US07870668B2
An electrical connector includes a sleeve defining an axis and a contact assembly inserted in the sleeve, the contact assembly including pieces that move axially relative to one another during a fault close operation. An interface between the sleeve and the contact assembly is configured to permit replacement of the contact assembly without replacing the sleeve.
US07870665B2
A conductor circuit and method of manufacturing a conductor circuit. The method includes forming a continuous conductor pattern on an insulating substrate, and connecting a short-circuit wire at a first position on the continuous conductor pattern such that two or more points on the continuous conductor pattern are short-circuited to each other by the short-circuit wire at the first position. An electrolytic plating film is formed on the continuous conductor pattern while the short-circuit wire is connected to the continuous conductor pattern at the first position, and the short-circuit wire is removed from the first position on the continuous conductor pattern to uncover a first exposed portion of the continuous conductor pattern.
US07870662B2
A terminal insertion apparatus having a wire holding unit holding two wires, each wire having a terminal, a connector holding unit holding a connector housing having at least two holes for receiving terminals, and a terminal insertion head is disclosed. The terminal insertion head has a wire gripping unit having a first holder and a second holder. The first holder and second holder are movable in a vertical direction toward and away from the wire holding unit and are movable in a horizontal direction toward and away from the connector holding unit. The first holder has an outer grip and an inner grip that together hold one of the two wires while the second holder has an outer grip and an inner grip that together hold the remaining of the two wires.
US07870661B2
A die machine for manufacturing a laminated iron core includes a first working row for punching out iron core pieces from a steel sheet material and a second working row for punching out electrically insulating sheet pieces from an electrically insulating synthetic resin sheet material. Each iron core piece includes a spindle hole and a plurality of slot holes for receiving coil windings. Each electrically insulating sheet includes a spindle hole and a plurality of slot holes which have a substantially similar configuration to, but are smaller than, the slot holes of the iron core pieces. The die machine includes a stacking die mold for selectively receiving the iron core pieces and the electrically insulating sheet pieces such that successive stacks of iron core pieces are sandwiched between electrically insulating sheet pieces.
US07870651B2
The disclosure provides embodiments for elasticized members used as closures for garments, such as diapers, jacket cuffs, and similar articles, the elasticized member having an elastic body having an attachment region adapted for attachment of the elastic body to a garment and a fastener positioned on a distal portion of the elastic body, wherein the elastic body is structured to reduce curl along longitudinal edges and corners of the elastic body upon application of tension to the fastener.
US07870650B2
A slide fastener slider comprising: a slider body; a pull tab holder body attached to the slider body in a cantilevered state with one end portion thereof fixed to a top face side of the slider body; an opening/closing member disposed slidably on the slider body so as to open and close a gap formed between an other end portion of the pull tab holder body and the upper blade; and an elastic member for urging the opening/closing member to a closing position of the gap, so that a pull tab is detachably held between the slider body and the pull tab holder body, the slider further comprising a fitting sliding structure in which the pull tab holder body is fitted to the slider body from a front or rear end thereof so as to be relatively slidable in a length direction of the slider body.
US07870644B2
An exemplary interference assembly of a hinge includes a first element and a second element. The first element defines a through hole in a center, and a first depression portion in the side. A first raised portion protrudes from the side of the first element. The first depression portion and the first raised portion are opposite each other across the through hole. The second element defines a fixing hole in a center, and a second depression portion in a side facing the side of the first element for engaging with the first raised portion. A second raised portion protrudes from the side of the second element for engaging with the first depression portion. The second depression portion and the second raised portion are opposite each other across the fixing hole.
US07870639B2
A spray extraction nozzle for taking in liquids which have been applied to a surface includes a suction duct which ends in a suction mouth, and a spray nozzle, as well as an adapter for working on surfaces which have different properties. The adapter is connected to the spray extraction nozzle through a pivot axis, and the adapter can be pivoted from a position of rest which is remote from the suction mouth to a position of operation in front of the suction mouth of the spray extraction nozzle.
US07870629B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing a portable docking station function for transferring items. The portable docking station may be suitably sized for the application of interest; however, for the preferred embodiment the portable docking station is about the size of a typical parking space. Embodiments of the invention include devices comprising a ramp with an automatic lowering system, lifting system and electronic modules for performing a variety of functions.
US07870626B2
A mattress includes a chamber defined by upper and lower panels and a peripheral border all constructed from synthetic polymeric/copolymeric plastic material and housing therein a spring unit. The spring unit includes a plurality of springs having upper ends connected to a peripheral border rod. The spring unit is devoid of a peripheral border rod at lower ends of the springs. Upper edges of the spring unit can be deformably gripped by the upper panel, the peripheral border and/or both to prevent “swimming pool” effect.
US07870619B2
A potting training device for preventing a potty-training child's urine stream from passing through the opening formed between the toilet seat and the toilet bowl. The device is made of a flexible, water-resistant, preferably non-porous sheet material, having a folding seam separating a urine-deflecting surface and a plurality of attachment tabs. An adhesive material is applied to the surface of each attachment tab and attaches the attachment tabs to the underside of the toilet seat. The sheet material, in its unattached flat configuration, is manipulated into a curved configuration that matches the curvature of the toilet seat, and is attached thereto. The potty training device is also not visible to the observer unless the toilet seat is lifted up, in a vertical position or viewed from a position to the rear of the attachment point when the toilet seat is down.
US07874011B2
The “identity authentication program” (IAP) creates a custom set of authentication questions in response to a user request to have a user password reset. The IAP accesses a record located in a data source containing information related to the user's recent computer activity and generates an authentication question and a corresponding answer based on the record. In order to reset a user password, the user must correctly answer a designated number of questions from the custom set of authentication questions. In a preferred embodiment, the IAP bases authentication questions on recent e-mail messages sent by the user. Because the questions are generated at the time of the user's request, the answers are unique and can not be memorized. Because the questions are based on recent activities of the user, the questions are hard to guess by an unauthorized person.
US07874008B2
Methods and systems are provided for dynamically altering the capabilities of a software application in response to a request from a user to perform an action in the application. Based on the user's security role, the software application is reconfigured by either granting access to the user to an existing component of the application, or if no suitable component is available, adding an external vendor component to the software application which is suitable for performing the requested action.
US07873999B1
Computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer-readable media for determining (200) an action time when an action is taken regarding an executable content; storing (205) the action time with an indication of the executable content; storing (215) an entry time and an indication of the entered data source when the data processing system enters one of the plurality of data sources; receiving (220) an indication that the executable content is infected with a malicious code; receiving (225) an indication of a data source targeted by the malicious code; scanning the data processing system for the malicious code at a scan time; storing (230) the scan time; determining (245) whether one of the plurality of data sources corresponds to the targeted data source; and when it is determined that one of the plurality of data sources corresponds to the targeted data source, determining (255) whether the entry time occurs after the action time and before the scan time; and when it is determined that the entry time occurs after the action time and before the scan time, sending (260) a warning regarding the potential threat.
US07873998B1
A method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium to detect rapidly propagating threats in a network. A rapidly propagating threat is detected by capturing a series of packets as the packets are communicated to nodes of the organizational network. The rapidly propagating threat can be detected without relying upon a known signature for the threat. Behavior of nodes when sending and receiving packets is examined for patterns typical of worm propagation.
US07873996B1
In some embodiments, techniques for electronic messaging may include various enhancements.
US07873982B2
A system for creating and viewing customized multimedia segments allows a user to create event identification data from in-band data in a program stream. The in-band data is processed and compiled into event identification data associated with the content stream. The event identification data identifies patterns or sequences of in-band data associated with events in the content stream. Metadata are also included in the event identification data. The event identification data is provided to multimedia devices which receive multimedia content streams containing content streams with in-band data. The in-band data are parsed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to identify events or perform specified actions.
US07873979B1
One embodiment of the invention provides a method for receiving Java xlets including receiving an analog service identifier and utilizing the analog service identifier to perform a lookup into a lookup structure containing xlet addressing data. Xlet addressing data associated with the analog service identifier is returned and utilized to request an xlet.
US07873977B2
A multi-tuner signal receiving apparatus enables signal distribution in a household and/or business dwelling, and can be effectively controlled by users via one or more remote control devices. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of tuners and a controller including a memory for storing association data indicating an association between a remote control device and a first one of the tuners. The controller causes the first tuner to tune to a particular channel responsive to a control signal from the remote control device selecting the particular channel.
US07873967B2
Business logic may be separated into pieces and each piece may be pluggable (i.e. replaceable). An event model is created to allow subscribers to listen to business events, the business logic is implemented into a series of strategies that are subscribers to the business events and the business strategies are late bound so they can be replaced. Each strategy is written with granular protected behaviors.
US07873964B2
In a multi-processor system with a high degree of inter processor communication, an operating system extension is described as a kernel function to poll a receive buffer. This is an opportunistic poll that continues to run in the user context after an application process has invoked the kernel with a blocking receive function. It is also running whenever no higher priority task is running. New data packets may be received for the present user application process while avoiding context switches, and for a different user process while avoiding interrupts. A hardware implemented delay timer and a buffer fill monitor generate interrupts when the system is not polling, thus guaranteeing a maximum latency and preventing buffer overflow, but these interrupts are largely avoided by polling when the system is handling a large amount of inter processor data traffic.
US07873963B1
Provided is a method and system for detecting languishing messages of a storage operating system. Requests to access or manipulate data are received as messages by the storage operating system. The messages are processed after the acquisition of resources. If the resources cannot be acquired, then the messages wait on data structures of the storage operating system. An independent thread of the storage operating system identifies messages that are languishing. Information related to the languishing message is recorded and actions to permit messages to continue waiting or cause storage operating system downtime result.
US07873962B2
Respective coordinators are spawned or activated to coordinate activities with regard to respective tasks. Where the respective tasks require cooperative efforts of a plurality of controllers, the respective coordinators ensure cooperative efforts by generating and communicating cooperative commands to the plurality of controllers. The coordinators may act as clearinghouses for system data, selectively requesting and relaying system information to appropriate controllers. For example, a document processing system activates respective coordinators for respective sheets of print media. The respective coordinators orchestrate the transportation of the sheets by sequentially orchestrating the activities of sequentially selected pluralities of transportation actuator controllers. Selected sheet position information from sensors and/or from models maintained by the actuator controllers may be relayed by the coordinators to selected actuator controllers as appropriate to the sheet transportation tasks.
US07873955B1
System and method for solidifying (or “freezing”) the set of software and configuration data available for execution on a computer. Any additional software installed on the computer after the solidification process will not execute, regardless of whether the installation is initiated or otherwise performed by a person with administrative privilege. The ability to allow new or modified software to execute on the computer rests with an integrity server separate from and outside of the solidified computer. The solidification of software and configuration data proceeds on a level of granularity selectable by the integrity server and any operators thereof.
US07873954B2
Stack signature marking segments are inserted into re-entrant programming source code modules prior to compilation of the modules at each code module entry point and at each code module exit point, followed by producing one or more executable programs from the programming source code modules. Upon execution of instances of the executable programs, the inserted segments assign unique, non-duplicated module identifier values to the instances of the code modules, generate an instance count for each instantiation of executable code module in the stack signature for each object instance dynamically created during runtime of a re-entrant executable code module, and push onto a processing stack the module identifier values and the instance counts within stack frames allocated to each of the executable program instances.
US07873939B2
Provides processing logic modeling and executing methods, systems and apparatus. These facilitate collaboration between business analyst and IT staff for process modeling and maintenance of the consistency between business level design and IT implementation design. A task is decomposed into sub-tasks and is represented by a tree. Annotations to the nodes of the tree are used to represent the relations between the sub-tasks. A processing logic is thus completed. When executing the processing logic, traversing the tree follows according to the annotations.
US07873936B2
A method and system for quantifying manufacturing complexity of electrical designs randomly places simulated defects on image data representing electrical wiring design. The number of distinct features in the image data without the simulated defects and the number of distinct features in the image data with the simulated defects are determined and the differences between the two obtained. The difference number is used as an indication of shorting potential or probability that shorts in the wiring may occur in the electrical wiring design. The simulating of the defects in the image data may be repeated and the difference value from each simulation or run may be used to obtain a statistical average or representative shorting potential or probability for the design.
US07873933B2
A computer program for balancing power plane pin currents in a printed wiring board (PWB) provides for reduction in pin counts required for power plane (including ground plane) connections and/or reduction in requirements for connector current handling per pin. One or more slots is introduced in the metal layer implementing the power plane that alter the current distribution in the power plane. The per-pin current profile for connector pins connected to the power plane is equalized by tuning the length of the slot(s). The slots may be dashed or made internal to the power plane metal layer to avoid weakening the metal layer for laminated multi-layer PWBs and may be shaped around a connector end when the power plane pin allocation is not uniform at the connector ends. The resulting equalization reduces either pin count required for carrying the power plane current or reduces connector pin current requirements.
US07873930B2
Methods and systems for optimizing and/or designing integrated circuits. One exemplary method includes routing, as part of a process of designing an integrated circuit (IC), connections on a representation of the IC using a first set of wiring resources and marking wiring resources as used once the wiring resources within the first set have been used for routing and routing, using a second set of wiring resources in the representation, connections on the IC without checking whether wiring resources within the second set have been previously used to route connections, wherein wiring resources in the second set differ, on average, in physical size, from wiring resources in the first set. Other methods and systems for optimizing and/or designing ICs are also described, and machine-readable media containing executable program instructions which cause systems to perform one or more of these methods are also described.
US07873928B2
A placement tool generates an optimal placement for a plurality of device modules within an analog integrated circuit (IC) subject to device matching, symmetry, and proximity constraints by first defining a multiple-level hierarchy of constraint groups, wherein each constraint group consists of elements that are subject to one of the placement constraints. Each element of each constraint group consists of either of one of the device modules or another one of the constraint groups residing at a lower level of the hierarchy. The tool then generates a hierarchical B*-tree representation of a trial placement for the IC including a separate node representing each constraint group of the hierarchy and a separate node for each of device module not included in any of the constraint groups. Each node representing a constraint group defines relative positions within the IC of each the device modules or lower level constraint groups forming the constraint group that are consistent with the placement constraint on the constraint group. The placement tool iteratively perturbs the hierarchical B*-tree to generate a sequence of trial placements for the IC design and then evaluates a cost function for each trial placement to select a best one of the trial placements as the optimal trial placement.
US07873913B2
An exemplary content scrolling system includes a display unit for displaying content, a scroll bar for scrolling the displayed content, and a processing unit for scrolling the displayed content based on a scroll input of the scroll bar. The processing unit includes a scroll amount calculating module and a content scrolling module. The scroll amount calculating module is for calculating for calculating a scroll amount mapping to the scroll input according to a particular formula. The content scrolling module is for scrolling the displayed content according to the scroll amount. Related exemplary content scrolling methods are also provided.
US07873911B2
Methods for providing information services related to visual imagery and operational details of various methods are described. The methods enable the capture of visual imagery, the request and presentation of information services related to the visual imagery, augmentation of visual imagery and continued interaction with the information services.
US07873906B2
A method and system for presenting a visual notification and delaying an action responsive to an onscreen selection. A computing unit displays a presentation of a software application or a web page including a selectable item. The computing unit receives a position of the cursor and a selection of the selectable item. A pre-defined delay is initiated responsive to receiving the selection. A visual notification is presented onscreen to the audience responsive to the initiation of the delay. Presenting the visual notification facilitates detecting the cursor at the received position by the audience and indicates that an action responsive to the selection is to be executed. The delay is determined to be completed. The action is executed responsive to determining the completion of the delay.
US07873896B2
The application discloses storage circuitry with a pulse generator used to control switches on two inputs to the storage circuitry thereby connecting either operational data or diagnostic data to the storage circuitry. Thus, the pulse generator selects the data paths by outputting pulses to a diagnostic output or to a functional output, and these pulses controlling the switches on the two inputs to the storage circuitry.
US07873895B2
An exemplary memory subsystem with fault isolation comprises a first data bus routing data groupings in a lower 72 bits to a first memory expander, and a second data bus routing data groupings in an upper 72 bits to a second memory expander. A first memory module receives all of the data groupings in the lower 72 bits of each memory expander. A second memory module receives all of the data groupings in the upper 72 bits of each memory expander. A failure in any one or more bytes in an ECC word indicate failures in the computer memory system.
US07873892B2
Techniques to perform forward error correction for an electrical backplane are described. An apparatus comprises a physical layer unit having a forward error correction sublayer to perform forward error correction using a single bit to represent a two bit synchronization header.
US07873887B2
A burn-in test circuit according to the present invention includes a scan chain formed by a plurality of scan flip-flips connected in series, a circuit under test input with an output from one of the plurality of scan flip-flops as an activation signal, and a scan chain loop circuit being configured to an output signal of the scan chain determined according to an output of the circuit under test back to the scan chain.
US07873886B2
An interface for converting a traditional scan-chain interface into one where locations in the scan-chain can be read or written to from an addressed interface is provided. The interface of the invention includes a scratch pad memory into which the values at the locations in the scan-chain are copied. Those copies in the scratch pad can be read and written to using an addressed interface and if any are changed the values held in the scratch pad are shifted out to update those in the original locations in the scan-chain.
US07873870B2
A storage controller changes a block size to carry out a shredding process. A data shredder uses a large block size set by a block size setting part to write shredding data in a storage area of a disk drive and erase data stored therein. An error arising during the writing operation of the shredding data is detected by an error detecting part. When the error is detected, the block size setting part sets the block size smaller by one stage than the initial block size to the data shredder. Every time the error arises, the block size used in the shredding process is diminished. Thus, the number of times of writings of the shredding data is reduced as much as possible to improve a processing speed and erase the data of a wide range as much as possible.
US07873868B1
An apparatus for and method of enhancing reliability and performance within a cluster lock processing system having a relatively large number of commodity instruction processors which are managed by a highly scalable, off the shelf platform. Because the commodity processors have virtually no system viability features such as memory protection, failure recovery, etc., the cluster/lock processors assume the responsibility for providing these functions. The low cost of the commodity instruction processors makes the system almost linearly scalable. The cluster/locking, caching, and mass storage accessing functions are fully integrated into a single hardware platform which performs the role of the cluster/lock master. The validity operation throughput of the clustered systems manager is increased by aging out validity entries for each of the process owners via a background operation. This minimizes the number of exclusive locks that must be utilized while performing a validity operation.
US07873860B2
The data is automatically recovered to a desired arbitrary point in an external storage without imposing a burden on the host computer. An application on a host computer instructs data recovery control processing of a disk control apparatus to set a recovery opportunity. It is possible to register arbitrary plural points as a recoverable point by setting a recovery flag included in journal data. In the case in which data is recovered due to occurrence of a failure or the like, the application requests a list showing recovery opportunities which have already been set. The application designates a point to which data is recovered on the basis of the recovery opportunity list. The disk control apparatus recovers the data to the designated point on the basis of a backup disk and a journal disk.
US07873850B2
Embodiments of a system and method for controlling power consumption in a computing device having at least one CPU and memory. Embodiments reduce or increase the amount of memory available to the at least one CPU in response to changes in power consumption and/or changes in temperature. In some embodiments the amount of memory accessible to the CPU is decreased or increased, in other embodiments the power setting applied to portions of memory is decreased or increased.
US07873848B2
Power saving cannot be implemented in the adhoc mode by only the IEEE 802.11 standard. This is because communication partners mutually utilize the power save mode in the adhoc mode, and their states must always be managed. In the adhoc mode, the number of communication partners is not always one, and all stations which join a network are candidates, increasing the load of implementation. To solve this problem, a communication apparatus notifies a change to power save mode by an ATIM packet, RTS packet, or null packet. When the ATIM packet or RTS packet is transmitted, the communication apparatus can notify the partner of a change in mode regardless of whether the partner is in the power save mode. When the null packet is transmitted, the communication apparatus can rapidly notify the partner without waiting for any beacon.
US07873845B2
A method, performed by a power sourcing apparatus is provided. The method includes (a) providing an electronic signal to a powered device (PD) over a wire through a circuit device, the circuit device permitting current to flow at pre-determined frequencies, the pre-determined frequencies forming a first set of frequency components, (b) sensing the electronic signal over the wire to detect frequency components present in the electronic signal, the detected frequency components forming a second set of frequency components, and (c) classifying the electronic signal into one of a plurality of classes according to a pattern of frequency components present in the first and second sets. Apparatus for use in conjunction with the method are also provided.
US07873842B2
A power supplier with combinable power output ports includes plural power output ports which include at least a unit output port, wherein the unit output port has two terminal slots in which two power terminals at different potentials are respectively mounted, and the unit output port can be combined with another power output port to form a combined output port having another voltage output. The power supplier of the present invention, according to the demands of the user, provides different voltage output standards or sets through combining the unit output port with another unit output port or combining the unit output port with the base level output port to transform into the needed voltage output.
US07873840B2
A system, method, and computer program product to automatically eliminate the distribution information available for reconstruction from a disguised dataset. The invention flattens input numerical values into a substantially uniformly distributed dataset, then maps the uniformly distributed dataset into equivalent data in a target distribution. The invention allows the incremental encryption of new values in an encrypted database while leaving existing encrypted values unchanged. The flattening comprises (1) partitioning, (2) mapping, and (3) saving auxiliary information about the data processing, which is encrypted and not updated. The partitioning is MDL based, and includes a growth phase for dividing a space into fine partitions and a prune phase for merging some partitions together.
US07873835B2
Restricting access to a device includes obtaining a passphrase for a user, obtaining access credentials for the user, obtaining a PIN value for the user, one-way encrypting at least the access credentials and the PIN using a secret key provided with the device. The user is allowed access to the device if the result of one-way encrypting equals the passphrase. The user is denied access to the device if the result of one-way encrypting does not equal the passphrase. The device may be a storage device. The access credentials may include a username that identifies the user and may include a role for the user. The access credentials may include a time period for which access is allowed. Access may be subsequently revoked in response to the current date and time being greater than the time period for which access is allowed.
US07873834B2
An image forming apparatus having a network communication function, includes a data input unit which inputs digital data; a data transmission unit which transmits the input digital data to a data management server for management of data; a digest generation unit which generates a digest of the input digital data; a digest storage unit which stores the digest generated by the digest generation unit; a time stamp acquisition unit which acquires a time stamp for authentication of an input time of the digital data from a time stamp station by issuing a time stamp request including the stored digest at a scheduled time; and a data management directive unit which transmits the acquired time stamp to the data management server for management of the time stamp and the transmitted digital data, associated with each other.
US07873828B2
A method and apparatus for encrypting data written to an Enterprise System Connection (ESCON) tape system and reading encrypted data from such a tape system and decrypting the encrypted data is described. One illustrative embodiment, in writing encrypted data to an ESCON tape system, receives from a computer over a first ESCON link a command to write a data block of specified size to the ESCON tape system; requests data constituting the data block from the computer in sub-blocks; compresses and encrypts each sub-block to produce a corresponding compressed and encrypted sub-block; and transmits to the ESCON tape system over a second ESCON link the compressed and encrypted sub-blocks using a series of chained-data write operations, the transmitted compressed and encrypted sub-blocks forming a compressed and encrypted data block on a tape of the ESCON tape system.
US07873819B2
A branch target buffer (BTB) receives, from a processor, a current fetch group address which corresponds to a current fetch group including a plurality of instructions. In response to the current fetch group address resulting in a group hit in the BTB, the BTB provides to the processor a branch target address corresponding to a branch instruction within the current fetch group which is indicated by a control field as valid and predicted taken. The BTB generates the branch target address using an unshared lower order target portion, corresponding to the branch instruction and located within the entry of the BTB which caused the group hit, and one of a shared higher order target portion located within the entry of the BTB which caused the group hit or a higher order portion of the current fetch group address based on a value of the control field.
US07873817B1
A reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor includes a processing core, which is arranged to process a software thread. A hardware-implemented scheduler is arranged to receive respective contexts of a plurality of software threads, to determine a schedule for processing of the software threads by the processing core, and to serve the contexts to the processing core in accordance with the schedule.
US07873811B1
Fabric-based computing systems and methods are disclosed. A fabric-based computing system can include a polymorphous computing fabric that can be customized on a per application basis and a host processor in communication with said polymorphous computing fabric. The polymorphous computing fabric includes a cellular architecture that can be highly parameterized to enable a customized synthesis of fabric instances for a variety of enhanced application performances thereof. A global memory concept can also be included that provides the host processor random access to all variables and instructions associated with the polymorphous computing fabric.
US07873803B2
A nonvolatile memory array includes two or more devices, each device containing data that is scrambled using a different scrambling scheme. When the same data is provided and stored in both devices, different data patterns occur in each device, so that if one of the patterns causes data pattern induced errors, the original data can be recreated from another copy that does not share the same data pattern.
US07873797B2
The present invention relates to a memory controller for an IC with an external DRAM, where the external DRAM has at least one memory bank and communicates with the IC via at least one channel. In line with the invention, the memory controller has a command scheduler which prioritizes the transmission of memory bank commands on the basis of a static priority allocation for commands and a dynamic priority allocation for channels.
US07873796B2
In an information processor system including a memory device (MEM0), a memory control device (SL0) capable of controlling an operation of the memory device, and a plurality of bus masters (MS0 to MS3) capable of giving access to the memory device through the memory control device, the memory control device includes a control circuit (SDCON) capable of giving a notice of information about a time that a data transfer from the memory device can be started to the bus master related to an access request. The bus master can cause the time information thus given to be a judgment factor as to whether an access request is given to the memory device or not. Consequently, each of the bus masters can avoid the generation of a useless access request and a data transfer to the masters to be accessed can be carried out smoothly.
US07873787B2
We provide exemplary systems and methods using structured markup to define objects with cache controls. Examples of structure markup include Extensible Markup Language (“XML”) and Standard Generalized Markup Language (“SGML”). A cache control structure (i.e., the XML-schema) can be added to a variety of levels or layers of granularity in the object. XML data binding, which is the process of converting XML-schema to native object code, may provide an application access to the cache controls of an object. The XML-schema may be accessed using a Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”), for example, for convenient remote access.
US07873781B2
A method for selectively controlling reutilization of space in a virtual tape system (VTS) having a buffer and a multiple volume tape cartridge includes transferring data volume files to the VTS. The buffer transfers the data making up these files as virtual tape volumes (VTVs) to different locations of the cartridge for storage. A file is selectively designated for the VTS to delete from storage after a date included with the file has elapsed by deleting the VTVs corresponding to the file from the cartridge to reuse space of the cartridge. The method includes detecting if a file transferred as VTVs to the cartridge has been designated for deletion. The VTS is prohibited from deleting the file after the date has elapsed if the file was not designated for deletion and is allowed to delete the file after the date has elapsed if the file was not designated for deletion.
US07873777B2
Provided are a multi-channel flash memory system capable of increasing the overall bandwidth by using a plurality of flash memory chips, and a programming method performed in the flash memory system. The flash memory system includes: a plurality of channel units each including at least two flash memory chips, a control unit which controls the flash memory chips, and a buffer unit which stores external data; and a host interface unit which transmits data separated according to the number of the channel units and transmitted by a host to the buffer units of the channel units, wherein the control unit records the data stored in the buffer unit into the at least two flash memory chips.
US07873775B2
A processor-based electronic system includes several memory modules arranged in first and second ranks. The memory modules in the first rank are directly accessed by any of several processors, and the memory modules in the second rank are accessed by the processors through the memory modules in the first rank. The data bandwidth between the processors and the memory modules in the second rank is varied by varying the number of memory modules in the first rank that are used to access the memory module in the second set. Each of the memory modules includes several memory devices coupled to a memory hub. The memory hub includes a memory controller coupled to each memory device, a link interface coupled to a respective processor or memory module, and a cross bar switch coupling any of the memory controllers to any of the link interfaces.
US07873774B2
An apparatus and method in a mobile device having a digital application-specific integrated circuit (DASIC) and a multifunctional integrated circuit (chip) providing additional functions to the mobile device. An internal Universal Serial Bus (USB) link connects the DASIC and the multifunctional chip. In one embodiment, the multifunctional chip is an ultra wideband (UWB) Radio Module. The internal USB link may utilize a USB interface, a USB 2.0 Universal Transceiver Macrocell Interface (UMTI+) and Low Pin Interface (ULPI), or a High Speed InterChip (HSIC) interface. The UWB Radio Module communicates over the air with an external remote wireless device such as a wireless USB Host utilizing a UWB radio link. The internal USB link provides connection and maps logical data streams in the DASIC with logical data streams in the UWB Radio Module or multifunctional integrated circuit.
US07873771B2
A system for communicating between an accessory and an electronic device includes a first interface, a second interface, and a docking station. The first interface is configured to communicate with the electronic device. The second interface is configured to communicate with the accessory. The docking station is coupled to the first interface and the second interface. The docking station is configured to receive a set of preferences from the accessory and forward the set of preferences to the electronic device.
US07873769B2
A method of operating a micro controller unit including maintaining a stop mode operation when a battery level detected in response to a first interrupt signal input from an external source is in a predetermined low voltage level range during the stop mode operation, and performing a normal operation corresponding to a second interrupt signal input from the external when a battery voltage level detected in response to the second interrupt signal is higher than the highest voltage level belonging to the predetermined low voltage level range.
US07873763B2
A system for managing a circular buffer memory includes a number of data writers, a number of data readers, a circular buffer memory; and logic configured to form a number of counters, form a number of temporary variables from the counters, and allow the data writers and the data readers to simultaneously access locations in the circular buffer memory determined by the temporary variables.
US07873760B2
Expedited digital signal decoding. A multicast or unicast data stream is sent from a headend to a set-top box at a natural rate. A decoder buffer in the set-top box begins to fill. Once the buffer is partially full, a decoder begins to decode the data at a rate lower than the natural rate. Images are displayed to the user before the buffer is full, allowing for a faster channel change.
US07873759B2
Provided is an information processing system that communicates with a storage apparatus through a plurality of paths Pi (i=1 to n, where n is a total number of the paths), and that issues an I/O to the storage apparatus through one of the paths Pi. The information processing system sets weights Wi for the respective paths Pi; obtains an I/O issue interval di of each of the paths Pi by dividing a sum total ΣWi of the weights Wi by the weight Wi set for the path Pi; obtains I/O issue timings ti(m)of each of the paths Pi by using the following equation: ti(m)=di/C+m·di (m=0, 1, 2, . . . ) (where C is a constant); and issues the I/Os to the paths Pi in an order corresponding to the an order of the I/O issue timings ti(m) chronologically arranged.
US07873753B2
A controller and a memory subsystem including a plurality of memory banks each having a plurality of memory devices, in which the controller includes a memory device configured to store an identification (ID) of each of the plurality of memory banks; and a control logic configured to read an ID of a memory bank to be accessed among the plurality of memory banks from the memory device, then output the ID, and then output a command. Each of the plurality of memory devices includes an input port, a register configured to store an ID of each memory device, and a determination circuit configured to receive and compare an ID input via the input port with the ID stored in the register and to generate a control signal according to a result of the comparison. The input port is enabled or disabled in response to the control signal.
US07873748B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for displaying information within a browser. Server browser information is stored on a web server. The server browser information includes a set of first category categories and a set of second category categories. An indication of whether a user is on a public system or a private system is received by the web server. Responsive to receiving the indication that the user is on a public system, only the set of public categories of the browser information is displayed to the user.
US07873740B2
The subject matter herein relates to a method to “accelerate” the delivery of a portion of a data stream across nodes of a stream transport network. A portion of a live stream is forwarded from a first node to a second node in a transport network at a high bitrate as compared to the stream's encoded bitrate, and thereafter, the stream continues to be forwarded from the first node to the second node at or near the encoded bitrate. The disclosed technique of forwarding a portion of a stream at a high bitrate as compared to the encoded bitrate of the stream is sometimes referred to as “prebursting” the stream. This technique provides significant advantages in that it reduces stream startup time, reduces unrecoverable stream packet loss, and reduces stream rebuffers as the stream is viewed by a requesting end user that has been mapped to a media server in a distributed computer network such as a content delivery network.
US07873734B1
A method and apparatus for supporting a plurality of user sessions for a plurality of electronic devices with or without cookie technology and transmitting requests and session data to appropriate servers in an enterprise network is provided. In accordance with one example embodiment, a method is provided of supporting a plurality of user sessions for a plurality of electronic devices. The method includes the step of receiving a user request from a client. A user session and a session key are established, the session key having an association with the user session. The plurality of user sessions can co-exist with other user sessions. A method is further provided for converting a plurality of incoming requests from a plurality of electronic devices into a plurality of new requests. The method includes reading one of the plurality of incoming requests and comparing at least one property associated with the request to at least one predetermined value. The one of the plurality of new requests is forwarded to a server device configured in a network, where the server device is determined by the result of comparing at least one property associated with the request to at least one predetermined value.
US07873731B1
Systems detect maliciously formed TCP/IP retransmit packets attempting to pass through an intrusion detection system (IDS) and prevent them from reaching their destination by forcing early flow termination. As each packet arrives in the IDS, the TTL field is monotonically decreased by setting it to the smallest TTL received from the packet flow. Any packet flow that attempts to confuse the sensor with a low TTL will be starved off and will never reach the destination host. Each flow may be periodically reset to a high value or to the current packet value to allow flow recovery. In another embodiment, the TTL decrease mechanism may operate on a contingent basis, determined by the presence or absence of the flow identifier on a pre-determined list of flows that should never be restricted.
US07873720B2
The invention relates to a method for modifying the operating mode of a technical communications group platform (TCGPL) of a telecommunications network (TC network) for at least one driving object 1 which is controlled by a subscriber object (SUBC), by modifying by means of at least one modifying object 2 the operating mode of at least one object 3 which is to be modified or has been modified, and a telecommunications group platform (TCGPL) for producing technical communications group processes (TCGPs). The invention further relates to a method for managing technical communications group processes (TCGPs) with the steps: provision of a driving object which defines at least one further object to be provided; making available of at least one modifying object for the provision of the further object defined by the driving object; generation of an algorithm from the modifying object; and provision of the further object by execution of the algorithm.
US07873718B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for maintaining imaging device (IDev) accounting data in the event that an imaging device's primary accounting server becomes unavailable.
US07873717B1
Rules are arranged as nodes among layers of a hierarchical decision tree. Nodes of the decision tree can be copied and re-used at other locations on the current tree, or on another tree, in a highly efficient manner. When this occurs, corresponding field values from a parent or ancestor node are automatically updated in the newly introduced node. In addition, when a decision tree is used to operate on an event repository, the results of various rules, defined as a “match” or “no match”, are stored in a common event table that is accessible by nodes at other layers of the decision tree. In addition, actions can be initiated, for example command scripts, at designated nodes of the decision tree, for example upon the occurrence of certain conditions.
US07873712B2
A system and method are described for aggregating management of devices connected to a server. In one embodiment, devices connected to a server may be identified by an operating system of the server. The devices may be in communication with one another through a network. The operating system may communicate a network identifier of each device to a service processor of the server. The service processor may aggregately manage the devices independent from the operating system. The service processor may receive management commands from an external source. Each of the management commands may be associated with one of the connected devices, but the connected devices may be incapable of communicating directly with the external source. The service processor may communicate each management command to the device associated with the management command using the network identifier of the associated device. The management command can then be performed on the associated device.
US07873708B2
Rich multimedia content is provided to a wireless device, particularly in response to a request for directory assistance generated by a client application. The multimedia content is provided as a multimedia message including bundled multimedia elements such as images, sound, text, and video files. The multimedia elements are compiled into a single multimedia presentation or deck that includes multiple screens that are automatically advanced for the convenience of the wireless device user. The user can interact with elements of the multimedia presentation, for example by placing orders, providing payment information, controlling playback, and forwarding or saving the deck to the wireless device. Multiple decks may be retrieved by a single request, and the decks are presented in an order determined by a bidding system or according to user preferences. Elements can be presented visually and/or audibly, and the user can interact using voice commands, manual entries, or stored entries.
US07873700B2
A multi-protocol storage appliance serves file and block protocol access to information stored on storage devices in an integrated manner for both network attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN) deployments. A storage operating system of the appliance implements a file system that cooperates with novel virtualization modules to provide a virtualization system that “virtualizes” the storage space provided by the devices. Notably, the file system provides volume management capabilities for use in block-based access to the information stored on the devices. The virtualization system allows the file system to logically organize the information as named file, directory and virtual disk (vdisk) storage objects to thereby provide an integrated NAS and SAN appliance approach to storage by enabling file-based access to the files and directories, while further enabling block-based access to the vdisks.
US07873698B2
Techniques are described for providing alert management messages in a broadcast environment to individual recipients or to identifiable groups of recipients.
US07873679B2
In accordance with an embodiment, an architecture for directly interfacing Business Object Documents (BODs) may include a BOD mapper which employs the BOD for input and output. A model object definable by class is created corresponding to the data contained in the BOD. System logic for the local domain is provided with communication with the BOD mapper through a BOD mapper application programming interface. The logic operates on the model object and a mapping configuration is provided for relating elements of the BOD to the model object. An addressing element communicates with the BOD mapper to define the mapping configuration for the BODs operated on by the BOD Mapper for input/output and mapping for a map call and parsing for a list call is accomplished for the contents from the BOD to the model object as defined by the BOD mapping configuration.
US07873676B2
Techniques are provided for analyzing data called “pivot points” which allows users to instantly generate a report based on all available dimensions for any cell in a tabular report or any data point in a graphical report. In one embodiment, the techniques involve placing a unique UI element or menu next to or on each data point, and clicking on this UI element brings up an automatically filtered list of the valid reports available for just this sub-set of the data. Once the user selects which view they want, a report is automatically generated based on those dimensions with just this subset of data.
US07873671B2
According to the preferred embodiments, a database relationship constraint is defined for a first column that specifies a set of allowable values for the first column that depend on a set of data values in a second column that may be of a different type than data in the first column. In a first embodiment, a database relationship constraint specifies allowable values for one column in a database table based on one or more data values in a different column in the same database table. In a second embodiment, a database relationship constraint specifies a set of allowable values in a first column based on one or more data values in a second column in a different database table. In both cases, the data in the second column may be of a different type than data in the second column.
US07873668B2
A method and apparatus for providing information by merging of an arbitrarily shaped data source with an arbitrary display hierarchy, including binding data in a source data file to application or content code. In one embodiment, the data source is an XML data file and the application is a rich Internet application provided by a presentation server. The method includes the steps of providing a structured data file; and merging the structured data file with a source file, the source file including at least one display element definition including an expression that refers to an arbitrary position or range within the data file. In another aspect, the invention is an apparatus. The apparatus includes one or more storage devices, and one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices. In this aspect, the processors perform a method comprising the steps of: accessing a mark-up language description of said particular content including at least one declaration of data in an XML document; and compiling said mark-up language description of said particular content to create executable code that provides said particular content, said step of compiling is performed at said server in response to said request.
US07873652B1
A method of presenting electronic data includes associating presentation data with data from which the presentation data was selected. The presentation data is associated with the data to permit searching of the presentation data and the data from which the presentation data was selected.
US07873648B2
A method for presenting to a user electronic documents is described. The documents are stored at one or more network sites which are accessible via a network by a computer system, and are registered with a page filter system. The method comprises the steps of determining needs and/or intentions and/or a field of interest of the user, defining a user specification based on the determined needs and/or intentions and/or a field of interest of the user, determining a subset of the electronic documents comprising only those of the electronic documents which comprise content that has a predetermined relation to the user specification, and using the identified subset to amend the presentation of at least one of the electronic documents to the user.
US07873646B2
An embodiment relates to a novel apparatus and method for changing modes of notification in an electronic device. An electronic device includes a calendar application and a variety of other applications such as the message reader application or the daily alarm application. The device is configured to use the calendar application to track whether and how the user is notified of the receipt of an electronic. In one embodiment, the user specifically associates a profile behavior to the calendar entry when the calendar entry is first created.
US07873643B2
The present invention provides mathematical model-based incremental clustering methods for classifying sets of data and predicting new data values, based upon the concepts of similarity and cohesion. In order to increase processing efficiency, these methods employ weighted attribute relevance in building unbiased classification trees and sum pairing to reduce the number of nodes visited when performing classification or prediction operations. In order to increase prediction accuracy, these methods employ weighted voting over each value of target attributes to calculate a prediction profile. The present invention allows an operator to determine the importance of attributes and reconstitute classification trees without those attributes deemed unimportant to further increase classification structure node processing efficiency. An operator can vary instance attribute values via a graphical user interface to explore the domain space of a classified data set, and use the visualization aspect of the present invention to visually contrast data set members with distinguishing features.
US07873641B2
An interface can allow for associating documents with tags. A search system can use connections between the tags and documents to determine search-independent rank values for the documents. The search-independent rank values can be combined with term matching indications to get a total relevance of the document.
US07873640B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product provides for a semantic analyzer to produce and rank semantic terms to reflect their relationship to the theme and topics of a document. The text and the document can have no relationship to any pre-selected keywords before the semantic analyzer performs text extraction. The semantic analyzer extracts text from a document and performs semantic analysis on the extracted text. The semantic analyzer provides a plurality of ranked semantic terms as a result of the semantic analysis and associates semantic terms with the document as semantic keywords. The semantic terms define content to be presented with the document where the content is an advertisement, a link to a remote information resource or a second document.
US07873634B2
There is provided a method for automatic evaluation of target files, comprising the steps of building a database of reference files; for each target file, forming a training set comprising files from the database of reference files and building a test set from features of the target file; dynamically generating a learning model from the training set; and applying the learning model to the test set, whereby a value corresponding to the target file is predicted.
US07873631B2
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for managing access to an abstract database are provided. The abstract database may include a data abstraction model comprising a plurality of logical field definitions, each of the definitions comprising a logical field name, and an access method maps the logical field to a physical data field. Collectively, the physical data fields provide an indirection layer logically disposed between the data abstraction model and the underlying physical database. By providing this layer of indirection using the physical data fields, a number of enhancements to the data abstraction model may be provided. This includes providing enhancements to the security, administration, and usability of an abstract database.
US07873620B2
Content management architecture for a portable wireless device. Caching and fetching techniques are provided to improve content handling for portable devices such as cellular telephones and portable computers. A search component automatically performs searches as a background process, and potentially desired content is received and cached by a content storing component to be available in the future when and if needed, mitigating latency associated with slow download speeds, refresh rates, and other system and/or network impediments. Content from background search results can be trickled into the device as part of the background process so as not to burden system resources for other processes. As part of memory management, aged and/or low priority or low interest content can be selectively removed or archived to increase available cache or memory space, as well as to maintain relevant content within the device. A presentation component facilitates presentation of the pre-stored content.
US07873612B2
A system, method and computer program product for atomically moving a shared list element from a first list location to a second list location includes inserting a placeholder element at the second list location to signify to readers that a move operation is underway, removing the shared list element from the first list location, re-identifying the list element to reflect its move from the first list location to the second list location, inserting it at the second list location and unlinking the placeholder element. A deferred removal of the placeholder element is performed following a period in which readers can no longer maintain references thereto. A method, system and computer program product are additionally provided for performing a lookup of a target list element that is subject to being atomically moved from a first list to a second list.
US07873610B2
Disclosed are methods for creating, applying, using and retrieving profile information that includes attributes that may be stored separately from, or with, the content to which the profiles are being applied. In this manner, profiles can be shared in various environments and across various applications. Attributes that have corresponding attributes in other content can be applied to the other content, as long as each of the attributes is valid. In computer aided design applications, the profile can be stored in a profile repository embedded within the CAD model. In addition, profile controllers are disclosed which control the attributes of a profile that can be used with selected content and other content and send a notification that a profile is available for use by other content.
US07873604B2
A recovery manager detects that a distributed transaction is unresolved for a first participant of said distributed transaction. The recovery manager identifies that the distributed transaction is unresolved for a second participant of said distributed transaction. The recovery manager generates a list of participants for which the distributed transaction is unresolved, the list including an entry for the first participant and an additional entry for the second participant. The recovery manager determines a result of the distributed transaction based on information received from a remote coordinator of said distributed transaction. The recovery manager notifies each participant identified in the list of the result.
US07873603B2
An archival computer system for receiving digital documents from document source computers, archiving such digital documents, and providing the digital documents to client computer systems. The archival computer system is provided with a document database, a supplemental digital media database, a document input device, an archival computer, and a server. The document input device receives digital documents from the document source computers. The digital documents include non-pixalated, non-rastered digital documents, and supplemental media. The archival computer receives the digital documents, and archives data from the non-pixalated, non-rastered digital documents in the document database, and data from the supplemental media in the supplemental digital media database. The server, upon request, outputs a composite document including data stored in the document database and the supplemental digital media database.
US07873602B2
A central database server (10) supports a central database (12) that contains central database content. A first archiving module (30) archives central database content into a content archive (32). A second archiving module (44) archives the content archive (32) and supporting software (18, 46) into an application archive (50). An application server (20) supports a computer code execution environment (60) for executing the application archive (50) to organize the content of the content archive (32) into a database on the application server (20).
US07873600B2
A storage control device uses write management information that manages locations of the occurrence of writing in one or more first storage devices in order to specify one or more locations where writing has occurred, and backs up one or more data elements stored in one or more specified locations to a second storage device. In order to perform a restore operation, write management information at the time of a backup is stored, and data elements stored in the second storage device are restored to one or more locations specified from the write management information at that time of backup, or to one or more new locations specified from new write management information indicating one or more new locations corresponding to the one or more locations.
US07873597B2
Systems and methods store data in records, each record comprising a plurality of fields. The systems and methods receive an update file that contains a stored field specifying structure that specifies a field that is to be updated in a particular record and that contains the updated data for the field that is to be updated. The systems and methods then write, for the particular record, the updated data that has been extracted from the update file into the field that has been specified by the stored field specifying structure of the update file.
US07873594B2
A system analysis program which can accurately analyze the operational status of a system without modifying functions of the system for providing services. A message analysis unit analyzes the contents of collected messages, and determines the times of occurrence of the messages, the process types requested by the messages, and whether or not each of the messages is a request message or a response message. In response to an instruction for model generation, a model generation unit generates a transaction model satisfying at least one limiting condition related to caller-called relationships between processes, based on a set of messages selected in accordance with a selection criterion based on the certainty of existence of caller-called relationships. Then, in response to an instruction for analysis, an analysis unit analyzes the processing status of a transaction based on a protocol log conforming to the transaction model.
US07873591B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products of user-interface architecture for manipulating business models. Embodiments of the invention facilitate efficient generation and extension of business related software applications, including commingled data-centric applications that represent both data elements and business logic in metadata. Modules of the user-interface architecture permit users to enter commands through common metaphors and wizards that abstract underlying (and more complex) modeling commands and data formats from users. The user-interface architecture can automatically search for existing models to provide and extend business related functionality.
US07873585B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for predicting a plurality of unknown parameter values (e.g. overlay error or critical dimension) using a plurality of known parameter values. In one embodiment, the method involves training a neural network to predict the plurality of parameter values. In other embodiments, the prediction process does not depend on an optical property of a photolithography tool. Such predictions may be used to determine wafer lot disposition.
US07873580B2
An online card-present transaction system facilitates card-present type transactions with a merchant over a public network. A host system is configured to accept authentication data from a user via an authentication device. The host system, after authenticating a user is configured to retrieve the user's account information from a user database system and translate a user account number into a temporary transaction number. The temporary transaction number is then transmitted directly from the host system to the merchant, thereby eliminating the need for the user to send to the merchant over the internet, the user's transaction account number.
US07873579B2
An online card-present transaction system facilitates card-present type transactions with a merchant over a public network. A host system is configured to accept authentication data from a user via an authentication device. The host system, after authenticating a user is configured to retrieve the user's account information from a user database system and translate a user account number into a temporary transaction number. The temporary transaction number is then transmitted directly from the host system to the merchant, thereby eliminating the need for the user to send to the merchant over the internet, the user's transaction account number.
US07873570B2
A computer-based method of updating a client loan portfolio with information on secondary liens relatable to portfolio properties includes inputting property data from the portfolio, monitoring a secondary lien database for secondary liens relatable to the property data, and notifying the client if a secondary lien is detected. Notifying the client may include generating a secondary lien report containing an AVM score or a CLTV ratio, and updating the portfolio by generating a new version of the portfolio that includes secondary liens detected during monitoring. A system may include a client station for inputting data for monitoring, an FTP server for uploading the data from the client station, and a mainframe server for standardizing the data, searching databases for secondary liens, calculating the AVM score and CLTV ratio, and generating the secondary lien report for delivery to the client station via the FTP server.
US07873559B2
A method and system is disclosed for managing funds within separate accounts. The invention permits a distributor to market and an investor to purchase a single product that combines the benefits of a family of funds with the protection element of a death benefit or living benefit. To create the product, a legal entity issues an instrument typically stock comprised of a common stock and a preference stock having beneficial rights. The holder of a beneficial right controls the investment allocations over funds within separate accounts. The value of the preferred shares will be based on the value of underlying shares invested in separate account funds. The separate accounts are not available to satisfy the company's general or common stock obligations.
US07873549B1
A computer-implemented method for automatically correcting item dimension values may facilitate operations of a materials handling facility. Such a method may include recommending a container for handling one or more items dependent on currently stored item dimension values and determining if any of the item values are inaccurate dependent on an actual container used to handle the one or more items. In some embodiments, the method may include calculating a volumetric utilization of an actual and a recommended container and comparing the two utilizations to determine if the recommended container was too large or too small. If the recommended container was too large or too small, the method may include flagging one or more of the items for measurement and/or correcting item dimensions for one or more of the items. Items may be flagged for measurement in response to a single mismatch between recommended and actual containers or multiple mismatches.
US07873544B2
An anti-internalization order modifier and related market center and process are disclosed which prevent orders sent from the same trading firm from executing against one another on the posting market center the orders are posted on.
US07873531B2
An example of a solution provided here comprises receiving project-characteristic inputs for a project, receiving major-services inputs for the project, applying analysis rules to the inputs, and outputting, for the project, at least one complexity measure that is usable in an estimation process.
US07873528B2
A method for controlling healthcare claim payment losses including accessing information about a claim after a payer is prepared to pay, but prior to payment, evaluating the information including at least one of determining indications of fraud, validating service coding and editing as indicated, identifying possible payment discounts, and developing analytics indicative of risk for future claims, and providing loss control recommendations based at least partially on the evaluation, prior to paying the claim. Also a loss control system for healthcare claims with a loss control engine and a database in communication with the loss control engine, wherein the loss control engine accesses information about healthcare claims from the database after the claims have been processed for payment and wherein the loss control engine further analyses the claims for potential cost savings and returns a loss control recommendation for each claim to the database before payment of the respective claim.
US07873519B2
An intelligent query system for processing voiced-based queries is disclosed, which uses a combination of both statistical and semantic based processing to identify the question posed by the user by understanding the meaning of the user's utterance. Based on identifying the meaning of the utterance, the system selects a single answer that best matches the user's query. The answer that is paired to this single question is then retrieved and presented to the user. The system, as implemented, accepts environmental variables selected by the user and is scalable to provide answers to a variety and quantity of user-initiated queries.
US07873514B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for quantizing data using a perceptually relevant search of multiple quantization patterns. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing a perceptually relevant search of multiple quantization patterns in which one of a plurality of prototype patterns and its associated permutation are selected to quantize the target vector, each prototype pattern in the plurality of prototype patterns being capable of directing quantization across the vector; converting the one prototype pattern, the associated permutation and quantization information resulting from both to a plurality of bits by an encoder; and transferring the bits as part of a bit stream.
US07873507B2
A high-speed multicore model simulator is realized. A multicore model simulator having a plurality of threads, and a plurality of core models executing the aforesaid plurality of threads is provided. The plurality of core models are a plurality of processor core models, each of which executes one thread, and they are synchronized with each other every predetermined number of execution instructions of each thread.
US07873503B2
Techniques to performing sub-configuration of components of an entity. In one method, the entity is configured via a parent model and each sub-configurable component is configured via one of a number of sub-models. Initially a selection to configure a particular sub-configurable component of the entity is received, and a sub-model for the selected component is identified. One or more values for one or more features of the selected component are received (e.g., from the parent model or via the sub-model) and form a configuration for the component, which is then validated based on the associated sub-model and the received values. Configuration of the entity is also validated based on the parent model and the validated configuration for the selected component. Feedbacks may be provided for each configuration of the parent model and sub-models. The data for the parent model and sub-models may be localized or globalized.
US07873502B2
A system for modeling, simulating and analyzing chemical and biochemical reactions includes a modeling environment for constructing a model of a chemical or biochemical system comprising a plurality of chemical reactions. The system also includes a simulation engine accepting as input the constructed model of the chemical or biochemical system and generating as output an expected result. Each time a chemical reaction executes during a simulation of the chemical or biochemical system, the simulation engine stores the reaction time and an identifier for the reaction that executes at that reaction time to produce a time-ordered history list. The history list can be replayed by simulating the reactions as the reactions occur in the history list to produce the same state sequence as the original simulation.
US07873501B2
The analysis model generation unit generates an analysis model for use in an analysis by a finite-element method. A stress distortion analysis unit analyzes a stress and a distortion occurring in finite elements of a continuum by a load using the analysis model for each load cycle cyclically applied to the continuum by the finite-element method. An element damage evaluation unit evaluates a damage by the distortion on the finite elements of the continuum based on the analysis result for each load cycle. A crack growth display unit displays the growth of a crack occurring in the continuum based on a result of the evaluation of the damage.
US07873498B2
The invention discloses a remote hardware inspection system, including a remote monitor station and a client server. The monitor station includes a hardware inspection unit and a first network interface. The hardware inspection unit is for generating a hardware inspection command which is transmitted to the server by the first network interface. The server includes a second network interface, an input/output unit, and a managing/controlling unit. The input/output unit has an inspection program. The second network interface receives the hardware inspection command and transmits it to the managing/controlling unit. In response to the hardware inspection command, the managing/controlling unit generates and transmits a trigger signal to the input/output unit to implement the inspection program. Thereby, the inspection program writes data into the target hardware of the server according to the content of the hardware inspection command.
US07873483B2
Provided is an analyzer capable of analyzing an analyte with an analytical condition corresponding to a minor classification prepared by subdividing the species (major classification) of the analyte. This analyzer selects a major classification corresponding to the analyte to be analyzed from a plurality of major classifications indicating the types of analytes, preferentially displays minor classifications, belonging to the selected major classification, prepared by subdividing the corresponding major classification, selects one of the displayed minor classifications, and analyzes the analyte on the basis of an analytical condition corresponding to the selected minor classification.
US07873482B2
An analysis of the profile of a non-human animal comprises: a) providing a genotypic database to the species of the non-human animal subject or a selected group of the species; b) obtaining animal data; c) correlating the database of a) with the data of b) to determine a relationship between the database of a) and the data of b); c) determining the profile of the animal based on the correlating step; and d) determining a genetic profile based on the molecular dietary signature, the molecular dietary signature being a variation of expression of a set of genes which may differ for the genotype of each animal or a group of animals Nutrition and pharmalogical assessments are made. Reporting the determination is by the Internet, and payment for the report is obtained through the Internet.
US07873478B2
The invention relates to the determination and visualization of the spatial distribution of tissue states in histologic tissue sections on the basis of mass spectrometric signals acquired so as to be spatially resolved. The invention provides a method which determines the tissue state for the tissue spots as a state characteristic, which is calculated as a mathematical or logical expression from at least two mass signals of this tissue spot, and which indicates the tissue state as a gray-level or false-color image in one or two dimensions.
US07873473B2
A motor vehicle preventive protection system comprises a plurality of safety devices which are actuated as a function of information from at least one vehicle surroundings detection device. The time remaining prior to a collision is determined when the information from the vehicle surroundings detection device represents an anticipated collision with a collision object. Associated activation times for at least two of the actuators assigned to the safety devices are stored and the time remaining prior to the collision is compared with the activation times. At least one safety device is activated if the time remaining prior to the collision is shorter than or equal to at least one of the activation times of the actuators.
US07873472B2
Methods and systems for implementing an iterated extended Kalman filter within a navigation system are provided. In one embodiment, a Kalman filter programmed with time updating error states and measurement updating error states relating to received data sets is provided. The said Kalman filter configured to: iterate both the time updating error states and the measurement updating error states based on a first criteria; and iterate only the measurement updating error states based on a second criteria.
US07873460B2
A fuel pressure sensor is provided to each fuel injector respectively and is disposed in a fuel passage between the accumulator and a fuel injection port of the fuel injector in such a manner as to be close to a fuel injection port relative to the accumulator. Output values of a plurality of fuel pressure sensors are acquired, and an average of the output values is computed. The output values are corrected in such a manner as to agree with the average.
US07873458B2
The device is for monitoring the pitch angle of an accelerating vehicle in substantially real time and using the data or output obtained to affect engine, braking, or suspension changes to correct or otherwise changing the vehicle's pitch angle.
US07873457B2
A power transfer assembly for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle has a torque transfer mechanism equipped with a power-operated clutch actuator for controlling adaptive engagement of a friction clutch and a control system for controlling actuation of the clutch actuator. The control system and its method of operation are adapted to control actuation of the clutch actuator based on whether the vehicle is operating in an engine drive mode or an engine coast/braking mode.
US07873456B2
An agricultural harvesting machine, in particular a self-propelled forage harvester for picking up and processing crop material has a transfer device—which is located downstream from feeder and chopping devices and is swivelable around a horizontal and vertical axis—for transferring the crop material, and at least one dampening device—which is located between the vehicle body and the transfer device—for dampening the vibrations of the transfer device. The dampening device may be adjusted as a function of specified operating criteria in order to dampen the vibrations of the transfer device.
US07873454B2
A method for controlling stability of a vehicle includes the steps of determining a predictive lateral load transfer ratio of the vehicle by evaluating vehicle performance factors over a period of time, and controlling operation of the vehicle based on the predictive lateral load transfer ratio.
US07873448B2
The content of the voice designation of a designator is recognized by a voice recognition part 130 at the time of controlling a robot, and the content of the indication of gesture or the like is recognized by an image recognition part 120. A movement destination and a map around the specific position designated are referred from a map data base 150 registering the position of an obstacle and the current position estimated by a self-position estimation part 140. After movement ease is decided by a movement ease decision part 112, the behavior is decided. When movement designation is given to the robot, correspondence according to a situation can be performed.
US07873439B2
A robot apparatus includes a moving unit configured to move in a moving plane on flooring, and turn in horizontal direction of the flooring about a rotation axis vertical to the flooring; an imaging unit configured to take images in a direction horizontal to the moving plane, and rotate in horizontal direction of the flooring about the rotation axis; a storage unit configured to store the image taken by the image processor when the moving unit receives a turning request of a command angle; a detector configured to detect a rotation angle of the imaging unit relative to the moving unit; a controller configured to control a turning of the moving unit and a rotating of the imaging unit based on a common value which makes the moving unit turn in a direction of the command angle and which makes the imaging unit rotate in an opposite direction, and based on a rate value which changes turning of the moving unit or rotating of the imaging unit so as to compensate a gap determined by comparing the taken image with the stored image; and a stop unit configured to stop the turning of the moving unit and the rotating of the imaging unit, when the command angle corresponds to the rotation angle detected by the detector.
US07873437B2
A control system is provided for navigating an autonomous machine around a working area in a manner that causes the machine to traverse substantially all of the free surface of the working area. The control system is arranged to cause the machine to follow a boundary of the working area and to perform a plurality of movements, each movement comprising the machine travelling away from the boundary of the working area, at an angle to the boundary, and returning again to the boundary. The machine moves along the boundary of the working area between each movement and repeats the movements as the machine follows substantially the entire boundary of the working area.
US07873435B2
To permit a plurality of pharmacists to perform dispensing efficiently and simultaneously despite of simple, low-cost configuration.There are provided: responsible a pharmacist identification means 7 which is provided at each container 14 of a drug rack 3 where a drug D is contained and which identifies a responsible pharmacist; a memory 25 where the pharmacist data is stored; and a control means 24 which, as a result of inputting the prescription data, associates the prescription data and the pharmacist data stored in a memory means 25 with each other to create a prescription table, stores the prescription table into the memory means 25, and then, when the drug is taken out from the drug rack 3, refers to the prescription table based on the pharmacist data of the pharmacist identified by the responsible pharmacist identification means 7, and judges whether or not the pharmacist is permitted to perform dispensing of the drug to be taken out from the drug rack 3.
US07873431B2
By adopting a workpiece transfer apparatus, which grips a workpiece by use of a predetermined grip device and transfers the workpiece between press apparatuses each of which drives a die, including a transfer control device for controlling a position of the grip device based on a resultant target value obtained by combining a die position of a press apparatus located on an upstream side of a workpiece transfer direction (an upstream side die position) and a die position of a press apparatus located on a downstream side of a workpiece transfer direction (a downstream side die position), in which the transfer control device sets a resultant target value so that the grip device moves smoothly, it becomes possible to suppress vibration in a workpiece transfer apparatus in a press line.
US07873422B2
A process model specified using, for example, UML activity diagrams can be translated into an event-based model that can be executed on top of a coordination middleware. For example, a process model may be encoded as a collection of coordinating objects that interact with each other through a coordination middleware including a shared memory space. This approach is suitable for undertaking post-deployment adaptation of process-oriented composite applications. In particular, new control dependencies can be encoded by dropping new (or enabling existing) coordinating objects into the space and/or disabling existing ones.
US07873421B2
An internal nasal dilator or an external nasal dilator is adapted to provide electrical stimulation. The user applies that nasal dilator to the nose. Within the adhesive portion is an electrode deriving energy from a neuromuscular stimulator. The electrical stimulation enhances air flow to the respiratory system. The nasal dilator may also be an internal variety and may also contain a medication delivery or heating element.
US07873411B2
An interface device in accordance with the present claimed invention is an interface device 4 that intervenes between a measuring means 2 that measures brain activities of a subject H and an object 31 to be controlled, and that comprises a reference signal storing part D1 that stores a brain activity signal measured at a time when the subject H conducts predetermined thinking different from direct thinking in order to control the object 31 to be controlled in a desired mode as a reference signal, a discriminating part 41 that compares the brain activity signal measured by the measuring means 2 with the reference signal and discriminates whether or not the thinking of the subject H is the predetermined thinking, and a controlling part 42 that controls the object 31 to be controlled in the desired mode when the discriminating part 41 discriminates that the thinking of the subject H is the predetermined thinking.
US07873404B1
A combination catheter enables performing an angiogram and an angioplasty (and repetitions of one or both) with the same catheter instrument, without removal from and re-insertion into an artery until the procedure is completed.
US07873403B2
A method for determining a three-dimensional form of a body from two-dimensional projection images includes producing at least one projection image of the body and producing corresponding model projection images from a generic model of the body. The body projection images and the model can be input into a computer-assisted processing unit and the generic model can be adjusted to the body by comparing image contents of the body projection images with the model projections images at a two-dimensional level only. The three-dimensional form of the body can be determined from the adjusted generic model.
US07873398B2
A saccharide-measuring fluorescence sensor substance including a copolymer of at least the following two compounds (I) and (II) is provided: (I) a fluorescent monomer compound represented by the following formula (1): formula (1) wherein: Q, Q′ and D3 may be the same or different, may be combined together into a fused ring, and are each a substituent selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, and substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, acyl, oxyalkyl, carboxyl, carboxylate ester, carboxamido, cyano, nitro, amino and aminoalkyl groups; and D1, D2 and D4 each represent a substituent, wherein at least one of D1, D2 and D4 is a substituent group comprising a vinyl group at an end thereof, and wherein the substituent group comprising a vinyl group at an end thereof enables the fluorescent monomer compound to be soluble in water, and (II) at least one hydrophilic, polymerizable monomer having a vinyl group.
US07873393B2
A method and system for determining standby time for a mobile station uses a battery simulator, a base station emulator, a computer to control the test equipment and MSUT for testing a mobile station. The computer includes a module for determining a radio off battery voltage, a module for deriving a battery capacity in dependence upon the radio off battery voltage, a module for measuring battery capacity usage in a predetermined time while the mobile station is in standby mode and a module for determining a standby time for the mobile station in dependence upon the battery capacity and the battery capacity usage, where the predetermined time is less than the standby time.
US07873386B2
A dual mode mobile unit is arranged to communicate in either a first or second data communications standard, such as combined Bluetooth and 802.11 operation. An interface unit converts received Bluetooth or 802.11 format signals into 802.11 frame format data signals to be provided to a digital signal processor which is programmed to process signals in either standard. The dual mode mobile unit can operate in the 802.11 standard to reserve a time interval for Bluetooth activity during which other 802.11 units will avoid transmissions to avoid interference.
US07873379B2
A conference communication system including a conference server which provides a conference for a first and a second communication terminal, a notification device which generates a notification message according to a media data transmission control protocol which is used for signaling whether media data sent out by the first communication terminal have been forwarded to the second communication terminal.
US07873374B1
Restrictions on use of a cellular telephone in a vehicle, such as an automobile, are imposed using a global position system (GPS) device to determine the location of a vehicle in relation to geographic regions in which legal or customer restrictions on cellular telephone use are to be imposed. Network or local short-range wireless transmitters supply information to a cellular telephone describing potentially applicable restriction information retrieved from network databases. In response, a cellular telephone determines applicability of such restrictions and applies them to further use of the cellular telephone while such restrictions continue to apply. Alternative arrangements allow vehicle-based or network based processing of region and restrictions information to yield command messages to cellular telephones to control their further use.
US07873369B2
The invention disclosed is a location blocking service for use in a wireless network that tracks the location and identity of network users, such as networks complying with enhanced 911 standards. The service provides a network user with the ability to prevent the location of her wireless handheld device from being disclosed to parties other than the wireless network provider and PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points). The network user blocks the forwarding of location information by signaling to the wireless handheld device when the location information originates from the wireless handheld device, or by signaling to the network when the location information originates from the wireless handheld device or the network. Primary components of the present invention include at least one user interface and at least one location block processor provisioned in the wireless handheld device and/or the wireless network. The user interface prompts the user of the handheld device to enter the commands that then send the signals to the device or network.
US07873365B2
A subscriber access unit for transferring session context in wireless communication is disclosed. The access unit contains first context establishing circuitry for establishing a first wireless session context associated with a first wireless coverage area; locating circuitry for determining whether the subscriber access unit is located concurrently in the first wireless coverage area and a second wireless coverage area; loading factor receiving circuitry for receiving a first loading factor and a second loading factor indicative of a throughput load associated with the first and second coverage areas respectively; comparison circuitry for comparing the first loading factor with the second loading factor; and second context establishing circuitry for selectively establishing a second wireless session context continuous with the first wireless session context, the second context associated with the second wireless coverage area, based on output of the circuitry comparing the first and second loading factors.
US07873361B2
A method for planning a radiocommunications network includes computing cell coverage in turn including dividing a region around a radio base station into a number of large environment pixels, dividing each large environment pixel into a number of small environment pixels, and, for each target small environment pixel, computing a second quantity indicative of the coverage within the target small environment pixel, wherein each second quantity is computed for the respective target small environment pixel as a function of a mixed environment profile describing the environment between the radio base station and the target small environment pixel along a propagation path of a radioelectric signal radiating out from the radio base station and passing through the target small environment pixel, wherein the mixed environment profile describes the environment within small environment pixels close to the radio base station and the target small environment pixel, and within large environment pixels along the remaining stretch of the radioelectric signal propagation path.
US07873347B2
The invention of present provides for a real-time authentication and billing gateway for WLAN traffic. Notably, the improved method for implementing a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) gateway system enables telecommunications network operators (and like entities) to rate and bill for services accessed by the wireless user. The logic of the invention supports and furthers the art in regards to advanced real-time rating/billing in addition to providing for a variety of replenishment mechanisms for casual users via pre-paid vouchers and credit cards.
US07873340B2
Systems and methods are provided for tracking and compensating for analog gain mismatches or changes in a receiver. In an embodiment, a method is provided to track analog gain step magnitudes during operation of a device. The method includes employing an error signal between an automatic gain control (AGC) output and a reference level as input to a gain step magnitude tracking component. This also includes determining at least one compensation value from the AGC output to update a nominal gain step magnitude that tracks an actual gain step magnitude.
US07873337B2
A portable device that scan s a subset of frequencies, such as the FM band, and displays to user the best carrier frequency for transmissions based on the received signal strengths. This device will find the carrier frequency that can provide the least amount of signal interference due to other transmitters in the area, and display the results to the user and/or reconfigures the receiver to tune to the best carrier frequency detected.
US07873332B2
Methods and systems for mitigating a voltage standing wave ratio in a transmitter are disclosed and may comprise calibrating an output power of a power amplifier integrated within a chip using a resistor that models an impedance of an antenna that is externally coupled to the amplifier while the antenna is decoupled. The gain and output power of the amplifier may be determined utilizing the known resistance and a voltage that is measured at an input of the power amplifier, or at a number of points prior to the power amplifier. When the antenna may be coupled to the transmitter, the transmitter output power may then be controlled utilizing the voltage measurements prior to the power amplifier to avoid measuring reflected waves in instances when the antenna impedance may vary. The power amplifier may be of a design that comprises reverse isolation to reduce reflected waves from the antenna.
US07873330B2
A transceiver circuit and a method in a wireless communication network are provided, where a signal power level for a signal received at the transceiver circuit is measured and compared to a predefined threshold power level. At least two groups of power amplifiers may be used, where one group is optimized for high efficiency above the predefined threshold power level, and one group is optimized for high efficiency below the predefined threshold power level. The amplifiers may be used to amplify the received signal depending on the signal power level in relation to the predefined power threshold level. The signal may then be filtered by duplex filters and forwarded to a diversity antenna or a main antenna where it is transmitted over an air interface.
US07873329B2
A transceiver capable of processing signals having wavelengths of less than 1 millimeter and/or more than 1 millimeter comprising a mixer/filter circuit coupled to an IF filter where said mixer/filter circuit is positioned within a mixer block to receive incoming signals guided into one or more feed horn openings of the mixer block by an optical arrangement. The IF filter is also disposed within the mixer block, but is positioned substantially orthogonal with respect to the mixer/filter circuit for efficient use of space.
US07873325B2
A Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver includes a first RF transceiver group, a second RF transceiver group, local oscillation circuitry, and calibration control circuitry. Each of the RF transceiver group has an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. The local oscillation circuitry selectively produces a local oscillation to the first RF transceiver group and to the second RF transceiver group. The calibration control circuitry is operable to initiate calibration operations including transmitter self calibration operations, first loopback calibration operations, and second loopback calibration operations. During loopback calibration operations, test signals produced by an RF transceiver group are looped back to an RF receiver of another RF transceiver group.
US07873317B2
A wireless communication system includes a wireless peripheral device, a computer device, and a wireless interface capable of communicating with the peripheral device and the computer device. The wireless interface is configured to receive a communication directed to the wireless peripheral device from the computer, transmit wireless signals using a plurality of wireless technology standards at the same time to the wireless peripheral device, and receive an acknowledgement message from the wireless peripheral device. The acknowledgement message identifies at least one wireless technology standard utilized by the wireless peripheral device. The wireless interface is further configured to cancel transmission of any unacknowledged wireless signals, the unacknowledged wireless signals being those wireless signals not utilized by the wireless peripheral device, and forward the communication to the wireless peripheral device using one of the at least one wireless technology standards utilized by the wireless peripheral device.
US07873314B2
A cleaning member includes a cleaning part whose one end portion comes into contact with a surface of an image carrier, and a supporting part that supports the cleaning part and applies a force for pressing the one end portion of the cleaning part to the surface of the image carrier, wherein a surface of a first portion including the one end portion of the cleaning part is bonded to the supporting part with a first adhesive layer, and a surface of a second portion including the other end portion opposite to the one end portion of the cleaning part is bonded to the supporting part with a second adhesive layer having a Type-A durometer hardness which is lower than that of the first adhesive layer.
US07873313B2
An image forming apparatus that includes an image forming component, a flash fixing component and a control component is provided. The image forming component forms toner images using at least two toners respectively having different colors and transfers the formed toner images onto a recording medium. The flash fixing component emits a flash light onto the recording medium onto which the toner images have been transferred by the image forming component and fixes the toner images. The control component that controls the image forming component to form the toner images so that, among the toner images, a second color toner is adhered to a surface of a toner layer formed by a first toner color at a region at which the toner layer formed by the first toner color is formed, the absorbance of the second color toner being lower than that of the first color toner.
US07873308B2
A developer storage case includes: a storage case that includes a discharge opening formed in the horizontal direction side surface thereof, that is formed in a flat shape having a horizontal direction width larger than the vertical direction height thereof, and that stores a developer therein; a delivery member that has a center of rotation disposed shifted to the discharge opening, that is rotatably supported on one end wall of the storage case, and that delivers the developer stored within the storage case; and a drive transmission member that is supported on the end portion of the delivery member, and that drives and rotates the delivery member.
US07873305B2
A developing unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developer cartridge detachably mounted on the developing unit, a developing case in which a developing member and a first supply member are provided, a developer supply passage to supply a developer stored in the developer cartridge to the developing case, and a developer supplement unit mounted in a portion connecting the developing case and the developer supply passage, to agitate the developer supplied through the developer supply passage and to supply the agitated developer to the developing case.
US07873298B2
A cleaning device including a polarity control unit to control a charge polarity of residual toner particles, a cleaning member, a surface of which is movable, to electrostatically remove the residual toner particles, provided on a downstream side from the polarity control unit relative to a surface moving direction of an image bearing member, a toner collecting unit to collect the residual toner particles on the cleaning member, and a neutralizing member to neutralize the image bearing member, provided on a downstream side from the polarity control unit and an upstream side from the cleaning member relative to the surface moving direction of the image bearing member.
US07873294B2
An image forming apparatus includes a placement tray, an image forming unit, a drive unit, a control board, a power supply substrate, a high-voltage board, and low-voltage power supply harnesses. The placement tray holds a recording sheet thereon. The image forming unit forms an image on the recording sheet. The drive unit supplies driving force to the image forming unit. The control board controls the drive unit. The power supply substrate supplies electric power to the control board. The high-voltage board is disposed in one side of the placement tray. In the high-voltage board, voltage is generated higher than voltage in the power supply substrate. The low-voltage power supply harnesses are disposed in another side of the placement tray so as to supply electric power from the power supply substrate to the control board.
US07873290B2
A method and system for controlling an image printing system in the presence of reload defects are provided. The method comprises placing toner images on an image bearing surface moving in a process direction, determining the density of the toner image or a portion thereof being printed on the image bearing surface, and printing a scheduled control patch at a location in the cross-process direction on the image bearing surface, wherein the location where each control patch is printed is dynamically changed based on the density of the toner image adjacent the control patch or a portion thereof.
US07873286B2
A simplified optical receiver architecture capable of tracking and demultiplexing polarization-multiplexed signals, dynamically compensating for PMD using a variety of polarization controller technologies, and reducing the number of delay line demodulators by two for both DPSK and DQPSK modulation is illustrated. Once polarization is stabilized at the first stage of the cascaded system of the present invention, subsequent stages can be simplified and cost reduced.
US07873275B2
A photonic network packet routing method includes the steps of optically encoding destination address information attached to an IP packet using light attributes, discriminating the encoded address information of the IP packet by optical correlation processing, switching to an output path for the IP packet based on a result of the discrimination, and outputting the IP packet labeled with prescribed address information on the output path selected by the switching step. A packet router for a photonic network includes a device for encoding by use of light attributes destination address information attached to an IP packet, a branching device for sending the IP packet having the encoded destination address information onto two paths, an address processing device for subjecting one IP packet received from the branching device to optical correlation processing and outputting a switch control signal based on a result of the discrimination, and a switch device for selectively outputting the packet by switching an output path of the other packet received from the branching device based on the address control signal from the address control device.
US07873264B2
Play list information is recorded on the local storage 200. The play list information contains main-path information and sub-path information. The main-path information specifies one among a plurality of AVClips as a MainClip and defines a main reproduction section for the MainClip. The sub-path information specifies another one among the plurality of AVClips as a SubClip and defines, for the SubClip, a sub reproduction section to be synchronized with the main reproduction section. On the local storage 200, an audio stream specified as the SubClip is recorded. The audio stream includes a plurality of PES packets which are each attached with a packet identifier (PID) that includes an upper field and a lower field. The upper field indicates that the audio stream containing the packet is a secondary audio stream whose reproduction output is able to be mixed with a reproduction output of the primary audio stream.
US07873256B2
A backlight includes a lightguide, a light source disposed with respect to the lightguide to introduce light into the lightguide and a turning film. Optical structures are formed in one of an output surface and a back surface of the lightguide. The optical structures are arranged to extract light from the lightguide. A back reflector is disposed adjacent the back surface. The optical structures are formed to include a varying pattern arranged to mask non-uniformities in the output of the lightguide.
US07873253B2
An adapter panel arrangement including a chassis and a panel of adapters. The adapters defining rearward cable connections and forward cable connections of the panel arrangement. Openings permitting access to the rearward and forward cable connections of the adapters are provided. The chassis further including a removable rear chassis portion to provide access to cable routing areas within the chassis interior.
US07873251B2
A photonic band gap fiber and method of making thereof is provided. The fiber is made of a germanate glass comprising at least 30 mol % of a germanium oxide and has a longitudinal central opening, a microstructured region having a plurality of longitudinal surrounding openings, and a jacket. The air fill fraction of the microstructured region is at least about 90%. The fiber may be made by drawing a preform into a fiber, while applying gas pressure to the microstructured region. The air fill fraction of the microstructured region is changed during the drawing.
US07873245B2
An optoelectric composite substrate of the present invention includes an insulating film, an optical waveguide embedded in the insulating film in a state that an upper surface is exposed from the insulating film, a via hole formed to pass through the insulating film, a conductor formed in the via hole, and a connection terminal on which an optical device is mounted and which is connected to an upper end side of the conductor, wherein the connection terminal is embedded in an upper-side portion of the via hole or is projected from the insulating film.
US07873243B2
Embodiments include a method, a manual device, a handheld manual device, a handheld writing device, a system, and an apparatus. An embodiment provides a device. The device includes an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed analog expression marked on a surface by a handheld writing device. The device also includes a translator circuit operable to decode the digital information. The device further includes a correlation circuit operable to generate a signal indicative of the decoded digital information.
US07873237B2
A method is provided for degrading 3D information such as a 3D image file from its original form so that that the subject matter of the 3D image is altered in a way which prevents one from reverse engineering or manufacturing the subject matter of the 3D image while the degraded image is still identifiable or recognizable as that of the original 3D image. The degrading method selectively alters dimensions or relationships between portions or parts of the 3D image from their original form while maintaining the integrity and recognizablility of the image as that of which was in the original 3D image. The present method can be applied to both original CAD files as well as reduced or lightweight files produced from an original CAD file.
US07873233B2
The present invention is directed to a method and system to render an image that impinges upon a non-planar surface to attenuate, if not abrogate, distortions introduced by the surface that features mapping the image as a plurality of spaced-apart planar cells to coordinates of the non-planar surface to produce a plurality of the inverted planar cells, with each of the cells including multiple pixels of the image, minimizing a distance between the cells while minimizing a change in the distance of each of the plurality of cells with respect to the surface coordinates; and impinging the plurality of planar cells upon the non-planar surface.
US07873232B2
Printing systems and methods are presented for image background and neutral adjustment of luminance-chrominance pixel values corresponding to a scanned image, in which white and black pixels are identified which have luminance values close to whitepoint and blackpoint values for the image, and which have chrominance values close to the chrominance neutral point. The chrominance values of these identified white and black pixels are selectively reduced based at least partially on proximity to the chrominance neutral point and chrominance of one or more neighboring pixels.
US07873217B2
A system for line extraction in digital ink. The digital ink represents handwritten input and is comprised of a stroke sequence. The system comprises a processor configured for: receiving the digital ink from a pen device; segmenting the strokes into a sequence of substrokes; grouping substrokes about a selected substroke into a temporally preceding group of substrokes and a temporally subsequent group of substrokes; calculating a centroid for each substroke or group of substrokes; calculating angular differences between the selected substroke and its temporally neighbouring groups of substrokes; and determining positions of extrema of the angular differences. The extrema correspond to substrokes at line breaks, thereby enabling line extraction in the stroke sequence.
US07873211B1
A video is resized while preserving salient regions within the video. The dimensions of the video are reduced by selectively removing unimportant, or less salient, pixels from the video in a manner that diminishes any resulting spatial and temporal artifacts. More specifically, “seams” of pixels are selectively removed from frames of the video, where a “seam” is a horizontal or vertical chain of pixels through a frame. A seam can be selected from among all possible pixels in a row or column, thereby allowing discontinuous seams. Seams are selected using a technique that encourages the seam to pass through less-salient regions of the frame, and that reduces spatial artifacts when the video is played.
US07873210B2
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to automatically reproduce film grain into a new image. A reference image and new image are obtained. An image of the reference image is subdivided into two or more tiles. A grain simulation tool is then used to automatically determine if an object feature exists in each of the two or more tiles. Response curves are constructed for each of the tiles that does not contain an object feature. Frames of grain are produced/generated based on the response curves and added to the new image.
US07873208B2
Even when only a small number of reference images are available for each object, it is possible to search at high speed a reference image stored in a database from an input image of an object imaged with a different pose and a different illumination condition. A reference image matching result storage section (50) inputs reference images from a reference image storage section (70) and stores in advance results of matching of the input images with representative 3-dimensional object models of a representative 3-dimensional object model storage section (20). According to each representative 3-dimensional object model, image generation means (30) generates a comparison image having an input condition similar to the input image obtained from the image input means (10). Image matching means (40) calculates similarity between the input image and the image generated. Result matching means (60) calculates similarity between the matching result of the image matching means (40) and the reference image stored in the reference image matching result storage section (50), extracts reference images having similar matching results in the descending order of the similarity, and displays them on result display means (80).
US07873197B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a center line determination section which determines a center line of a tubular tissue based on volume data; a direction vector determination section which determines a direction vector; a curved surface determination section which determines a curved surface formed by a set of plural lines, each of the plural lines passing through a certain point on the center line and being parallel with the direction vector; a visualizing section which visualizes the tubular tissue based on the volume data on the curved surface; and a tangent vector determination section which determines a tangent vector of the center line at an attention point on the center line. The direction vector determination section rotates the direction vector such that an angle formed between the direction vector and the tangent vector is maintained, and the rotated direction vector will be a new curved surface.
US07873196B2
A visibility index for medical images. The method includes generating a visibility index from a training set of images; making a number of measurements of a set of features from an image of an abnormality that is not a member of the training set; and combining the number of measurements to generate a visibility score mapped to the visibility index.
US07873190B2
A face feature point detecting device according to embodiments includes a unit inputting an image containing a face of a person, a unit detecting a feature point set candidate comprising plural kinds of feature points, and a unit calculating an error between each feature point of the projected feature point set candidate and each feature point of the feature point set including plural kinds of feature points of the three-dimensional model information; and a unit selecting a feature point set having consistency from the feature point set candidates on basis of the errors of the feature points or an integral value of the errors.
US07873188B2
The invention relates to a device for determining visibility distance in a landscape. The device comprises a camera for taking an image of said landscape; means for storing said image; means for associating each pixel of the image with information representative of the distance between the camera and the point in the landscape corresponding to said pixel, thereby obtaining a map of distances; means for processing the image to detect whether a pixel of the image presents contrast greater than a predetermined value relative to at least some adjacent pixels; means for applying said processing for detecting contrast successively to the pixels of the image beginning from the pixel corresponding to the greatest distance and continuing to the first pixel found to satisfy the contrast condition; and means for associating said pixel with distance information from said map of distances.
US07873182B2
The present invention is an imaging system for detecting concealed objects on an individual. The imaging system includes an imaging zone that is illuminated with millimeter wave energy. A plurality of millimeter wave cameras are focused to fully surround the imaging zone and have the ability to detect millimeter wave frequencies reflected from the imaging zone. As an individual passes through the imaging zone the plurality of millimeter wave cameras detect concealed objects by identifying differences in the millimeter wave energy reflected by the individual's body and a concealed object. A composite image is generated by a central processing unit and displayed on a monitor showing the concealed object on the individual through optical contrast.
US07873180B2
Provided herein is a voice-coil motor that includes a magnetic field having at least two displaced regions of higher intensity separated by a region of lesser intensity and a counter-coil disposed within the region of lesser intensity.
US07873179B2
The speaker according to the present invention comprises: a magnetic circuit; a diaphragm, a part of which is located in a magnetic gap formed in the magnetic circuit; a ring-shaped first voice coil formed on a first vibrating surface of the diaphragm; a ring-shaped second voice coil which is formed on a second vibrating surface of the diaphragm, the second vibrating surface being an opposite surface to the first vibrating surface, and which is electrically conducted with the first voice coil; and an edge firmly fixed on an outer margin of the first vibrating surface and operable to support the diaphragm in such a manner that enables vibration. The first voice coil is formed so as to be located inside of an inner circumference of the edge and also within the magnetic gap. The second voice coil is formed so as to have at least a part of an outermost circumference thereof is located outside of the inner circumference of the edge and within the magnetic gap.
US07873175B2
A multiplexed microphone signal with multiple signal processing paths is disclosed. Each signal processing path has it own priority and other characteristics. A signal path is selected based on the application of the processed signal. Similar processes within different paths may be shared to reduce computation workload.
US07873174B2
A method of controlling an output of an ultrasonic speaker that reproduces audible-frequency-band signal sounds by modulating carrier waves with audible-frequency-band signal waves output from a signal source and driving an ultrasonic transducer with the modulated waves includes: dividing the audible-frequency-band signal waves into a plurality of frequency bands; separately adjusting amplitudes of the signal waves and amplitudes of the modulated waves in the respective frequency bands; and driving a plurality of ultrasonic transducers provided corresponding to the respective frequency bands with the modulated waves generated corresponding to the respective frequency bands. Band-corresponding volume setting data, which is used to set volume of the ultrasonic transducers corresponding to the respective frequency bands by means of a plurality of band-corresponding volume setting units provided corresponding to the respective frequency bands, and overall volume setting data, which is used to set volume in common with respect to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers by means of an overall volume setting unit, are provided. Gains of modulated wave amplitude adjustment units that adjust the amplitudes of the modulated waves in the respective frequency bands are determined corresponding to the respective frequency bands on the basis of a combination of the band-corresponding volume setting data and the overall volume setting data.
US07873171B2
A method and circuit for deriving a set of multichannel audio signals from a conventional monaural or stereo audio signal uses an auxiliary multichannel spectral mapping data stream. Audio can be played back in stereo and multichannel formats from a conventional stereo signal on compact discs, FM radio, or other stereo or monaural delivery systems. The invention reduces the data rate needed for the transmission of multichannel digital audio.
US07873167B2
A system for effectively pre-distributing keys for a distributed sensor network is disclosed, The system includes: a plurality of sensor nodes, each of which has a sensing function, a calculation function, and a wireless communication function; and a base station which is connected to the sensor nodes over a wireless network, receives data from the sensor nodes, acts as a data central station, and distributes keys for inter-sensornode security authentication to the sensor nodes. A key management unit contained in the base station, generates a set of the sensor nodes used for security authentication between the sensor nodes, decomposes the set of the sensor nodes into a plurality of matrices, distributes the matrices to the sensor nodes, and allows the sensor nodes to search for a common private key required for the security authentication using the received matrices. Therefore, the system can always search for a common private key between the sensor nodes.
US07873157B1
A method, apparatus and computer program product for performing predictive dialing is presented. A probability of contact for each customer of a plurality of customers for a predetermined period of time is determined. A number of agents available during the predetermined period of time are also determined. A selection is then made regarding which customers to call based on the number of agents available during the time period and the probability of contact for each of the plurality of customers for a predetermined period of time. The number of calls are then placed to the selected customers.
US07873153B2
Tasks for managing a network can be displayed in a priority task list. Tasks can be selected for inclusion based on rules, such as rules relating to best practices. The rules can be applied against network status, usage status, user profiles, and the like. Upon selection of a user interface element in the priority task list, an appropriate user interface for accomplishing the task can be displayed.
US07873152B1
A rating system, method, and computer program product are provided. In use, a phone call is identified between a caller and a receiver. An offer associated with the receiver is then determined. Thus, the phone call is rated based, at least in part, on the offer associated with the receiver.
US07873150B2
A communications device such as a mobile telephone (1) responds to the input of a dialed number for a call destination (2) by generating and outputting a request message transmitted to a control centre (7) via a telecommunications system (3). The device receives a response message from the control centre containing routing data and credit data representing remaining credit within an account limit of the subscriber. An outgoing communications session is then initiated using the routing data which may for example enable a dialed telephone number to be modified to achieve optimum routing to the call destination via one or more preferred networks. The device also includes a credit control application (83) for limiting the duration of the communication in accordance with the credit data. Mobile telephones may thereby be used with a prepayment subscription account even during roaming operation in which the mobile telephone registers with a network other than the subscriber's home network.
US07873120B2
A method of broadcasting an AM compatible digital audio broadcasting signal includes: producing an analog modulated carrier signal centrally positioned in a radio channel, wherein the analog modulated carrier signal is modulated by an analog signal, producing a plurality of digitally modulated subcarrier signals in the radio channel, wherein the digitally modulated subcarrier signals are modulated using complementary pattern-mapped trellis code modulation (CPTCM) including a code mapped to overlapping partitions including an upper main partition, a lower main partition, an upper backup partition and a lower backup partition, and a non-overlapping tertiary partition, and transmitting the analog modulated carrier signal and the plurality of digitally modulated subcarrier signals. Transmitters that broadcast the signal and receivers that receive the signal, and the reception method are also included.
US07873118B2
An apparatus for controlling PAPR in an OFDM communication system and method thereof are disclosed, by which implementation is simplified and enhanced PAPR characteristics are provided. The present application includes outputting GNb data symbols by oversampling Nb parallel data symbols, spreading the oversampled data symbols using DFT, and mapping the spread signal to subcarriers.
US07873113B2
Of the antenna group composed of multiple ones of the transmission antennas and multiple ones of the reception antennas, the present method selects an antenna group which satisfies a first criterion relating to communication quality. Out of combinations of transmission antennas and reception antennas included in the selected antenna group, combinations which satisfy a second criterion relating to communication quality are selected. Using a part of or all of the selected combinations of transmission antennas and reception antennas, the above-mentioned communication is performed. As a result, selection of optimal transmission antennas and reception antennas according to radio communication environment can be performed with high speed with a smaller amount of operation amount than the previous art.
US07873112B2
In an OFDM receiver, one antenna is selected and two moving average integration values (first moving average integration value AI and second moving average integration value AO) of a non-delay symbol and a delay symbol are calculated. Another antenna is selected and two moving average integration values (first moving average integration value BI and second moving average integration value BO) of a non-delay symbol and a delay symbol are calculated. When a result of an evaluation equation “AI/AO>BI/BO” is true, the C/N ratio of the one antenna is judged to be favorable. When the result of the evaluation equation “AI/AO>BI/BO” is false, the C/N ratio of the other antenna is judged to be favorable.
US07873110B2
An interrupt sensitive extract byte instruction scheme is presented herein. The interrupt sensitive extract by instruction extracts bytes from data, depending on the presence of an interrupt. The extract byte instruction extracts bytes from data in the absence of the interrupt and does not extract bytes in the presence of the interrupt. The interrupt can be triggered by a set of counters that count the number of extracted bytes. By loading the counters with a particular number, the interrupt can be generated when the particular number of data bytes is extracted.
US07873100B2
In a reception apparatus, a matched filter that has conventionally been arranged in a searcher unit is mounted on an acquisition unit together with a large scale memory. The large scale memory once stores reception chip signals, and thereafter outputs them to the matched filter and to the delay profile calculation unit. A setting register receives an acquisition signal and outputs it to the matched filter. The matched filter performs acquisition of the reception chip signals outputted from the large scale memory, and outputs a despread timing signal to a despread circuit, a code generation circuit and the delay profile calculation unit.
US07873096B2
A frequency-division multiplexing transmission apparatus for transmitting data in a frequency spectrum specific to both symbol and mobile station, is disclosed. The apparatus encodes transmission data, modulates the encoded data, compresses the time domains of each symbol of the modulated transmission-symbol sequence, repeats the symbols a specified number of times, rearranges each of the symbols of the obtained repetitive-symbol sequence so that they have the same arrangement as the transmission-symbol sequence, generates each phase that changes at a speed specific to each symbol of the transmission-symbol sequence, performs phase rotation specific to the symbols for each symbol of the rearranged repetitive-symbol sequence, generates phase that changes at a speed specific to a mobile station, performs phase rotation specific to the mobile station for the symbol sequence for which the phase rotation was performed, and transmits the phase-rotated symbol sequence.
US07873094B2
A compact mid-IR laser device utilizes a quantum cascade laser to provide mid-IR frequencies suitable for use in molecular detection by signature absorption spectra. The compact nature of the device is obtained owing to an efficient heat transfer structure, the use of a small diameter aspheric lens and a monolithic assembly structure to hold the optical elements in a fixed position relative to one another. The compact housing size may be approximately 20 cm×20 cm×20 cm or less. Efficient heat transfer is achieved using a thermoelectric cooler TEC combined with a high thermal conductivity heat spreader onto which the quantum cascade laser is thermally coupled. The heat spreader not only serves to dissipate heat and conduct same to the TEC, but also serves as an optical platform to secure the optical elements within the housing in a fixed relationship relative on one another. A small diameter aspheric lens may have a diameter of 10 mm or less and is positioned to provided a collimated beam output from the quantum cascade laser. The housing is hermetically sealed to provide a rugged, light weight portable MIR laser source.
US07873092B2
The present invention provides a laser diode realizing improved light detection precision. The laser diode includes a stack structure in which a first semiconductor layer of a first conduction type, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conduction type are included in this order; a photodetection layer; and a plurality of light absorption layers provided on the corresponding position of antinodes or nodes of standing waves of light output from the active layer.
US07873091B2
A laser diode illuminator device and a method for optically conditioning the output beam radiated from such a device, so that highly-demanding illumination application requirements that call for high output powers within a specified field of illumination can be addressed. At the heart of the device is a two-dimensional stack of laser diode bars wherein the linear array of beamlets radiated by each laser diode bar is optically conditioned through its passage in a refractive-type micro-optics device followed by a cylindrical microlens. The micro-optics device performs collimation of the linear array of beamlets along the fast axis of the bars, and it also acts as a beam symmetrization device by interchanging the divergences of the laser beamlets along the fast and slow axes. The cylindrical microlens is for collimation of the beamlets along the slow axis. The optical conditioning is performed individually for each linear array of beamlets so that the radiance or brightness of the laser diode illuminator can be optimized while any specified field of illumination can be filled with an excellent uniformity of the radiant intensity.
US07873088B2
A primary surface 23a of a supporting base 23 of a light-emitting diode 21a tilts by an off-angle of 10 degrees or more and less than 80 degrees from the c-plane. A semiconductor stack 25a includes an active layer having an emission peak in a wavelength range from 400 nm to 550 nm. The tilt angle “A” between the (0001) plane (the reference plane SR3 shown in FIG. 5) of the GaN supporting base and the (0001) plane of a buffer layer 33a is 0.05 degree or more and 2 degrees or less. The tilt angle “B” between the (0001) plane of the GaN supporting base (the reference plane SR4 shown in FIG. 5) and the (0001) plane of a well layer 37a is 0.05 degree or more and 2 degrees or less. The tilt angles “A” and “B” are formed in respective directions opposite to each other with reference to the c-plane of the GaN supporting base.
US07873087B2
The light sources according to the present invention include a laser oscillator including a semiconductor laser, a drive circuit for the semiconductor laser, an ACC circuit, an APC circuit, and a switch, and a starting drive current storage device, and is controlled in such a manner that the driving current at the start of the laser driving be always constant, and after the start of the lighting, it is switched to the APC operation to carry out the power control of the laser light output.
US07873086B2
In a semiconductor device where a semiconductor element having an asymmetric temperature distribution during an operation is mounted, inner leads on the right and left ends have asymmetric lengths, so that the right and left regions of a semiconductor element mounting part have different sizes. The semiconductor element is mounted so as to have a high-temperature region side in a wide region of the mounting part, and the inner leads are wire bonded at the center to the wide region of the mounting part. It is thus possible to provide a small semiconductor device in which a long semiconductor element is mounted with heat dissipation.
US07873085B2
A method of controlling an optical output of a laser diode includes applying a bipolar current pulse to the laser diode, thereby substantially suppressing the emission tail of the optical output of the laser diode. A device for generating sub-nanosecond intense optical pulses includes a driver unit operative to generate a plurality of bipolar current pulses, and a semiconductor laser diode driven by the bipolar current pulses and operative to emit the intense optical pulses each of which has a substantially suppressed or completely eliminated emission tail.
US07873081B1
A tunable laser cavity utilizes a dispersion compensated acousto-optic tunable filter. The wavelength accuracy and stability is achieved by a wavelength locker utilizing two separate intracavity light beams without the need to use beam splitters to significantly reduce the space typically needed by a conventional wavelength locker, and provide more stable operation and easy assembly. The acoustic optical tunable filter is constructed in such a way that two transducers are bonded on the same crystal opposite to each other to create two counter propagating acoustic waves. Dispersion occurs after the collimated light diffracted by the first acoustic wave and is compensated by the second acoustic wave traveling in the opposite direction. By using different laser gain mediums, acoustic wave driving frequencies and acousto-optical crystals, this invention can be used to make tunable lasers in wide range of optical wavelengths.
US07873071B2
In exemplary embodiments, data with a format compatible with a first protocol standard is received on behalf of a first application. When the format of the data is not compatible with a second protocol standard, the format of the data is automatically transformed to a format that is compatible with the second protocol standard. The data is transmitted to a second application service using the second protocol standard. The data may be received from the second application. When the format of the data is not compatible with a third protocol standard, the format of the data is automatically transformed to a format that is compatible with the third protocol standard. The data is transmitted on behalf of a third application using the third protocol standard. The first and third applications may be in first and second protected enclaves. The second application may include a security gateway service.
US07873067B2
In a floor control system for a network, a floor control server controls a floor-based application for communications between multiple participant terminals. The server carries out a floor determination process that includes an adaptive waiting function. Upon receiving an initial floor request message, the server waits for additional requests before determining the floor winner. The wait time is a function of the floor request load. When the system is lightly loaded, the wait time is generally small. For heavier request loads, the wait time is generally longer, to ensure that a reasonable number of requests are received before awarding the floor. The wait time may be limited by a maximum wait time, which is a function of the floor request load. If a designated number of floor requests is received before the maximum wait time expires, a temporary floor winner is granted the floor if its priority is sufficiently high.
US07873061B2
A technique for improved throughput at an access point (AP) involves when frames are received for transmission by the AP, queuing the frames for a particular station. A system constructed according to the technique may include an aggregation and queuing layer. Station queues may be processed by the aggregation and queuing layer before being given to radio hardware for transmission. In an illustrative embodiment, when frames are received by the aggregation and queuing layer, the packet will be assigned a target delivery time (TDT) and an acceptable delivery time (ADT). The TDT is the “ideal” time to transmit a frame, based on its jitter and throughput requirements. Frames are mapped on to a time axis for transmission by TDT. In an illustrative embodiment, each frame is mapped by priority, so that there are separate maps for voice, video, best effort, and background frames. There will be gaps between frames for transmission that can be used for aggregation.
US07873060B2
Methods and systems are provided for increasing application performance and accelerating data communications in a WAN environment. According to one embodiment, a method is provided for securely accelerating network traffic. One or more tunnels are established between a first wide area network (WAN) acceleration device, interposed between a public network and a first local area network (LAN), and a second WAN acceleration device, interposed between a second LAN and the public network. Thereafter, network traffic exchanged between the first LAN and the second LAN is securely accelerated by (i) multiplexing multiple data communication sessions between the first LAN and the second LAN onto the one or more tunnels, (ii) performing one or more of application acceleration, transport acceleration and network acceleration on the data communication sessions and (iii) performing one or more security functions on the data communication sessions.
US07873058B2
A device for a LAN, containing an integrated adapter that converts digital data to and from analog video signals, allowing the use of analog video units in a digital data network or telephone line-based data networking system, eliminating the need for digital video units or external adapter. The device may include a hub for connecting an analog video signal via an adapter, and retaining the data network connection. In such an environment, the data networking circuitry as well as the analog video adapters are integrated into a telephone device, providing for regular telephone service, analog video connectivity, and data networking as well. In such a configuration, the device would have a standard telephone jack, an analog video jack and at least one data networking jack. Such device can be used to retrofit existing LAN and telephone wiring, and original equipment in new installations.
US07873056B2
A switch device is composed of a switch portion 1-1, input side port mapping blocks 1-4-1 to 1-4-P, output side port mapping blocks 1-5-1 to 1-5-P, and a virtualization controller (central controller) 1-0 so that the switch device can be logically divided into a plurality of switches each having a capacity smaller than a physical switch capacity or the divided switches can be logically integrated. The switch portion has a plurality of first input ports and a plurality of first output ports. Each of the input side port mapping blocks has a plurality of second input ports and inputs the signals input to the plurality of second input ports to the first input ports of the switch portion. Each of the output side port mapping blocks has a plurality of second output ports and outputs the signals output to the first output ports of the switch portion from the plurality of second output ports.
US07873046B1
Detecting anomalous network activity through transformation of a terrain is disclosed. A set of network properties is mapped into a multidimensional terrain. The terrain is transformed into an observation domain in which data events of interest are amplified relative to other data comprising the terrain. The transformed terrain is evaluated for anomalous network activity.
US07873043B2
A method of assigning cells in a superframe using digraph link information in a network of nodes is disclosed. The method comprises determining a total number of desired digraph links in the network of nodes wherein a digraph link is a directional link specifying routing information at each node in the network between said node and a second node, and wherein the network of nodes includes a plurality of nodes each with a plurality of digraph links. The method further comprises selecting a superframe size at least large enough to accommodate the total number of desired digraph links and assigning each desired digraph link to a cell in the superframe wherein each cell in the superframe specifies a synchronized time and frequency communication plan.
US07873040B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for listening to music on the internet. The apparatus includes a memory unit configured to store a plurality of internet protocol addresses of internet radio stations, a communication unit configured to communicate with one of the internet radio stations using a corresponding IP address stored in the memory, a first logic configured to request a data from one of the internet radio stations, a second logic configured to receive a digital data stream from the internet station and store the received digital data stream in a buffer, a third logic configured to decode the received digital data stream, a fourth logic configured to convert the decoded digital data stream into an analog data stream, and a service module configured to extract information regarding a song from the digital data stream and forward the extracted information to an external device.
US07873034B2
Systems and methods for providing feature mediation and orchestration on SIP-enabled networks are shown. In one exemplary embodiment, a method may include providing a first telephony services application, providing a second telephony services application, and combining a feature of the first telephony services application with a feature of the second telephony services application to form a logical telephony services application. In another exemplary embodiment, a system may include an application server platform and a feature mediation layer operable upon the application server platform, where the feature mediation layer provides a subscriber with a feature of the first telephony services application and a feature of the second telephony services application.
US07873032B2
A method of establishing a communication link between a mobile terminal of a wireless network and a subscriber of a network, such as an enterprise network, and/or a residential network.
US07873028B2
The present invention provides a method for a local area network router, that allows communication between a number of remotely located users, and a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the local area network router. Users may access the local area network using wireless devices or the Internet. The peripheral devices, which may include a wide variety of multi-media storage, playback, printing, or other functions, are connected to the router via local interfaces, which communicate with the peripheral devices via established protocols. Each of the peripheral devices is provided with an IP address, which facilitates direct communication of the users with the peripheral devices and permits direct communication with the devices over the Internet. Data packets destined for the IP address of a peripheral device are router through the local interface, which converts the data utilizing compatible communication protocols for the target peripheral device.
US07873027B2
A forwarding table, in a network device such as a router, used to forward packets in a communications network includes indicia whose state determine whether information contained in the forwarding table or information contained in the header portion of a packet is to be used to forward the packet to the next hop (i.e. next point in the route).
US07873024B1
Methods and apparatuses for synchronizing a system clock of a computer via a local gateway are described herein. In one embodiment, a local clock of a gateway device is periodically synchronized with a remote time service facility over an external network. The synchronized local clock of the gateway device is then used to synchronize a system clock of one or more clients over a local network without having the clients individually to access the remote time service facility. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07873016B2
Aspects of a method and system for utilizing tone grouping with Givens rotations to reduce overhead associated with explicit feedback information are presented. In one aspect of the invention, Givens matrices may be utilized to reduce a quantity of information communicated in explicit feedback information via an uplink RF channel. The explicit feedback information may include specifications for a feedback beamforming matrix that may be utilized when transmitting signals via a corresponding downlink RF channel. The feedback beamforming matrix may represent a rotated version of an un-rotated matrix. The Givens matrices may be utilized to apply one or more Givens rotations to un-rotated matrix. The rotated matrix may reduce the quantity of information communicated in the explicit feedback information. The quantity of information communicated in the explicit feedback information may be further reduced by utilizing tone grouping.
US07873011B2
Methods and apparatus operative in a wireless communications system divide a communications resource available for performing information transmission and retransmission operations into a plurality of communication resource units. The units are ordered in a predetermined order. A first group of communication resource units are selected from the communication resource in ascending order and assigned to a first group of communications devices to perform information transmission operations in a first time period. A second group of communication resource units are selected from the communication resource in descending order and assigned to a second group of communications devices to perform information transmission operations in a second time period. At least a portion of the first group of communication resource units is assigned to the first group of communication resource units to perform retransmission operations. In operation often the first group of communication resource units will be available to perform retransmission operations in the second time period. In such a manner a non-adaptive HARQ retransmissions can be accommodated in a 3GPP LTE OFDM based wireless communications system.
US07873004B2
A method for efficiently transmitting and receiving control information through a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is provided. When a User Equipment (UE) receives control information through a PDCCH, the received control information is set to be decoded in units of search spaces, each having a specific start position in the specific subframe. Here, a modulo operation according to a predetermined first constant value (D) is performed on an input value to calculate a first result value, and a modulo operation according to a predetermined first variable value (C) corresponding to the number of candidate start positions that can be used as the specific start position is performed on the calculated first result value to calculate a second result value and an index position corresponding to the second result value is used as the specific start position. Transmitting control information in this manner enables a plurality of UEs to efficiently receive PDCCHs without collisions.
US07872994B2
In one embodiment, a method includes steps of verifying, by a first server, that a user associated with an endpoint is authorized to access a service provided by a second server. The first server then sends a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) out-of-dialog REFER with a Replaces header to the second server. A dialog identification ID of a session between the endpoint and the first server is embedded within the Replaces header. The SIP out-of-dialog REFER causes the second server to send a SIP INVITE with the Replaces header to the endpoint to establish a new session between the endpoint and the second server. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
US07872992B2
When a network system of the present invention performs a bandwidth-guaranteed communication, a terminal device collects information on one or more relay devices on a path to another terminal device via a bandwidth request packet transmitted to the another terminal. When the bandwidth cannot be allocated, a detour path is searched according to the collected relay device information so as to perform the bandwidth-guaranteed communication via the detour path.
US07872990B2
A method and system for providing a multi-level interconnection network is provided. A multi-level interconnection network comprises basic cells that are aggregated into higher level cells at each level of the network. At the first level, the basic cells are aggregated into first level cells. Each first level cell is an aggregation of a number of basic cells that is one more than the number of devices in a basic cell. The basic cells of a first level cell are fully connected; that is, each basic cell has a first level link or connection to each other basic cell. In a first level cell, each device of a basic cell has a first level link to each other basic cell. The multi-level interconnection network has higher level cells that are aggregations of lower level cells in a similar manner.
US07872989B1
An optimized spanning tree protocol (OSTP) minimizes latency and provides high throughput in a full-mesh portion of a network, and is compatible with external networks where a standard spanning tree protocol is used. The OSTP enables traffic traversing the full-mesh portion to take a shortest path from source to destination through use of full-mesh connectivity. In some embodiments, a cluster includes a plurality of servers connected in a full mesh, and the OSTP is used on internal ports of the servers. In some embodiments, the OSTP is configured on a per-VLAN basis. In some embodiments, the servers exchange special messages enabling determination of full-mesh connectivity. In further embodiments, sending of the special messages is suppressed on certain port types, such as external ports. In some embodiments, determination of the full-mesh connectivity disables use of a standard spanning tree protocol and/or enables use of OSTP on the full-mesh portion.
US07872983B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to characterizing reliability associated with a network. To characterize the reliability, an edge-pair reliability metric is determined for service edge point pairs. An end-to-end reliability metric is computed based on a distribution of the edge-pair reliability metric for the service edge point pairs and a threshold value.
US07872982B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for detecting errors on a network. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a network error manager retrieves a network topology from a master subnet manager, wherein the network includes a collection of devices coupled by a first interconnect type. When a connectivity failure is detected in the first interconnect type, the network error manager receives from the master subnet manager at least one event notification via a second interconnect type. An error log analysis component identifies at least one device among the collection of devices as a possible cause of the connectivity failure in the first interconnect type. The network error manager retrieves events from at least one device among the collection of devices that can influence a state of the first interconnect type.
US07872980B2
The aspects of invention relates to determining a bit rate in a communication device, the communication device including a protocol stack for transferring information to a second communication device, the protocol stack including a protocol layer, the protocol layer providing a logical channel for transferring first information through the protocol layer. According to the method, the first information is transferred through the protocol layer via the logical channel and the bit rate in the logical channel is determined on the basis of second information obtainable from the protocol layer. The invention also relates to a method of determining a bit rate when the communication device is receiving information as well as corresponding transmitting and receiving communication devices.
US07872976B2
A system for and method of multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network tuning. In one embodiment, the system includes a hot zone clearing subsystem that recursively identifies label switched paths (LSPs) to be rerouted from a defined hot zone subject to edges to be avoided. In that embodiment, the system further includes an LSP ordering subsystem, which is coupled to the hot zone clearing subsystem, that orders the LSPs to be rerouted to yield a migration sequence. The migration sequence is employable to reduce a load of the hot zone.
US07872970B2
The present invention relates to technology for determining priority when an access to a network, e.g., UPnP-based home network is requested. An illustrative method according to the present invention sets one priority determinator among a plurality of determinators to default one, and asks the default priority determinator priority information on a connection for traffic when the connection is requested to be allowed.
US07872969B2
In Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communications networks, certain congestion control features, such as Partial Packet Discard (PPD) and Early Packet Discard (EPD), operate on ATM cells that have been segmented from ATM Adaptation Layer #5 (AAL5) frames (packets). AAL5 frames are automatically detected by observing transitions of an indicator in the ATM cell header unique to AAL5 traffic. Automatic detection of AAL5 traffic allows enablement of packet-aware cell discarding techniques such as PPD and EPD on a Virtual Channel Connection (VCC) basis, whether in a switch for a VCC or for a Virtual Path Connection (VPC) to which the VCC belongs.
US07872968B2
A method and system for transmitting packets in a packet switching network. Packets received by a packet processor may be prioritized based on the urgency to process them. Packets that are urgent to be processed may be referred to as real-time packets. Packets that are not urgent to be processed may be referred to as non-real-time packets. Real-time packets have a higher priority to be processed than non-real-time packets. A real-time packet may either be discarded or transmitted into a real-time queue based upon its value priority, the minimum and maximum rates for that value priority and the current real-time queue congestion conditions. A non-real-time packet may either be discarded or transmitted into a non-real-time queue based upon its value priority, the minimum and maximum rates for that value priority and the current real-time and non-real-time queue congestion conditions.
US07872967B2
Provided are system and method for multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) label-switched path (LSP) protection switching in an MPLS system employing a working LSP and a protection LSP in a 1:1 mode, The system includes: an ingress node multicasting input MPLS traffic through the working LSP and the protection LSP using a fed-back BDI signal; a transit node relaying the MPLS traffic input from the ingress node, and generating a FDI signal when the failure occurs; and an egress node extracting the MPLS traffic from the MPLS LSP input from the transit node, and when the FDI signal is detected, inserting and feeding back the BDI signal to the ingress node through a return path and performing switching to the protection LSP.
US07872957B2
An optical pickup including a light source, a light focus device, a diffraction element, an optical split element, a ¼ wavelength board, a light reception device and a correction element wherein the correction element is divided into multiple areas in a surface vertical to an optical axis, each area of the multiple areas has a sub-wavelength convexo-concave structure having a pitch equal to or shorter than a wavelength of the outgoing light beam and the sub-wavelength convexo-concave structures of the multiple areas adjacent to each other have groove directions perpendicular to each other, and the filling factors of adjacent areas of the multiple areas are determined to substantially equalize effective refractive indices with regard to the polarization direction of the outgoing beam emitted from the light source and impart a phase difference of π with regard to a polarization direction perpendicular to the polarization direction of the outgoing beam.
US07872947B2
An underwater wireless communication system and method includes a sensor node for transforming measured underwater data into ultrasound signals, and transmitting the transformed ultrasound signals and receiving other ultrasound signals.
US07872926B2
An input buffer having a comparator that receives an input signal, a reference signal and a positive feedback. The comparator compares the input signal relative to the reference signal and generates an output signal transitioning between a first logic state and a second logic state responsive to the magnitude of the input signal transitioning through the magnitude of the reference signal. The comparator intensifies the output signal in response to the positive feedback from the output of the comparator while the output signal transitions from the first logic state to the second logic state.
US07872918B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a comparison unit configured to compare a reference voltage and a voltage of each of a plurality of nodes of a sample memory cell string, a state storage unit configured to store state information of each of memory cells depending on the corresponding comparison result of the comparison unit, and a high voltage generation unit configured to change a program start voltage depending on data stored in the state storage unit.
US07872916B2
Systems, methods, and devices that employ deterministic programming techniques to facilitate efficient programming of memory elements in a memory are presented. A memory component comprises an optimized program component that can divide a group of memory elements selected for programming into a desired number of subgroups based in part on respective current threshold voltage levels (Vt) of the memory elements; apply respective program pulses to each memory element in respective subgroups; measure respective Vt levels of memory elements after the pulse; and verify as passed memory elements that meet a target Vt. The optimized program component can divide a subset of memory elements that do not meet the target Vt into a desired number of subgroups based in part on respective current Vt levels of the memory elements and can continue to perform this deterministic programming process until all memory elements are verified as passing for the target Vt.
US07872912B2
A memory device and programming and/or reading process is described that programs and/or reads the cells in the memory array with higher threshold voltage resolution than required. In programming non-volatile memory cells, this allows a more accurate threshold voltage placement during programming and enables pre-compensation for program disturb, increasing the accuracy of any subsequent read or verify operation on the cell. In reading/sensing memory cells, the increased threshold voltage resolution allows more accurate interpretations of the programmed state of the memory cell and also enables more effective use of probabilistic data encoding techniques such as convolutional code, partial response maximum likelihood (PRML), low-density parity check (LDPC), Turbo, and Trellis modulation encoding and/or decoding, reducing the overall error rate of the memory.
US07872910B2
In a memory cell array, memory cells enabled to store plural-bit data are arranged in matrix. The bit-line control circuit is connected to bit-lines to control the bit-lines. A word line control circuit applies a plural-bit data read voltage as a word line voltage to the word line. The plural-bit data read voltage is larger than an upper limit of one of plural threshold voltage distributions and smaller than a lower limit of another threshold voltage distribution. Furthermore, it applies a soft-value read voltage as a word line voltage to the word line. The soft-value read voltage is smaller than an upper limit of a threshold voltage distribution and larger than a lower limit thereof. The likelihood calculation circuit calculates likelihood of the plural-bit data stores in the memory cells based on the soft-value.
US07872909B2
Provided are memory devices and memory data read methods. A method device may include: a multi-bit cell array; a decision unit that may detect threshold voltages of multi-bit cells of the multi-bit cell array to decide first data from the detected threshold voltages, using a first decision value; an error detector that may detect an error bit of the first data; and a determination unit that may determine whether the decision unit decides second data from the detected threshold voltages using a second decision value, based on a number of detected error bits, the second decision value being different from the first decision value. Through this, it is possible to reduce time spent for reading data stored in the multi-bit cell.
US07872907B2
There is provided a semiconductor device that enables high-speed data read and reduces the area of a drive circuit for activating a word line. By signal transmission through a common word line having a low resistance and coupled at a plurality of points to a word line, it is possible to read data at high speed. Further, since the common word line is provided common to a plurality of memory blocks, a word line driver can be provided common to the memory blocks. Further, by disposing a latch circuit, corresponding to a sub-digit line, for holding the active state of the common word line, it is possible to transmit a row selection signal during data write through the common word line and thereby reduce a metal wiring layer.
US07872903B2
Memory elements are provided that exhibit immunity to soft error upset events when subjected to high-energy atomic particle strikes. The memory elements may each have ten transistors including two address transistors and four transistor pairs that are interconnected to form a bistable element. Clear lines such as true and complement clear lines may be routed to positive power supply terminals and ground power supply terminals associated with certain transistor pairs. During clear operations, some or all of the transistor pairs can be selectively depowered using the clear lines. This facilitates clear operations in which logic zero values are driven through the address transistors and reduces cross-bar current surges.
US07872892B2
In one embodiment of the invention, a memory integrated circuit is provided including a memory array, a register, and control logic coupled to the register. The memory array in the memory integrated circuit stores data. The register includes one or more bit storage circuits to store one or more identity bits of an identity value. The control logic provides independent sub-channel memory access into the memory integrated circuit in response to the one or more identity bits stored in the register.
US07872886B2
Improved regulation and transient response are provided by a power supply architecture providing both unregulated and regulated voltage converters in parallel but deriving input power from separate power supplies connected in series wherein regulated and unregulated branches each provide a substantially fixed and constant proportion of the output current. The series connection of input power sources may provide a further feedback mechanism in addition to feedback for regulation which enhances overall performance. As a perfecting feature of the invention, inductor-less resonant converters which are switched in an interleaved fashion may be used in the unregulated branch while substantially cancelling the characteristic large output voltage ripple thereof.
US07872883B1
In one embodiment, a power converter system includes a switching circuitry having a plurality of switches operable to be turned on and off to cause current to flow to deliver power to a load. A driver circuitry is responsive to an oscillation signal and generates control signals for turning on and off the switches in the switching circuitry. A free-running oscillator circuitry provides the oscillation signal to the driver circuitry. The free-running oscillator circuitry has an operational amplifier. A frequency of the oscillation signal will be higher if the operational amplifier outputs a first value, and the frequency of the oscillation signal will be lower if the operational amplifier outputs a second value.
US07872877B2
A PDP apparatus has a plurality of address driving modules (ADMs) connecting a PDP, a chassis, PDP address electrodes with an address driving circuit of the chassis side. The ADM has a flexible substrate on which wiring and a driver IC are mounted and an address substrate formed by a metal plate for holding/fixing the flexible substrate. With respect to a bracket of an attachment part of the chassis, the two adjacent ADMs are positioned by positioning pins and elongated holes at both ends of the address substrates, and attached and held/fixed by common fastening using a female screw portion, chipped portions, and a screw part. Reduction in the number of required parts and work man-hours, stable holding/fixing, etc. are realized in a driver module of a PDP apparatus.
US07872875B2
An electronic part having mounting terminals made of a thermally-meltable bonding material is mounted on a mounting board. A structural part is used for moving a height-adjusting member to a position under the electronic part in a process of heating and melting the thermally-meltable bonding material so as to maintain a predetermined distance between the electronic part and the mounting board.
US07872874B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided a printed-wiring board with a component in which an electronic component is mounted on a pattern-forming surface of a base material. In the printed-wiring board, a guiding path for guiding, to the outside, a void formed in mounting the electronic component is formed on the pattern-forming surface.
US07872872B2
A computer card comprises a housing insertable into a slot of an electronic device and a power pin configured to provide power to the electronic device.
US07872869B2
Provided is an electron chip module having a heat sink that can increase heat dissipation efficiency. A bottom surface of a module circuit board and an upper surface of a heat sink are in direct contact with each other by using a metal wire, such that heat generated during the operation of a heat-generating device chip mounted onto the module circuit board can be effectively dissipated to the outside.
US07872859B2
A sealed electrical enclosure used in hazardous locations for enclosing circuit breakers having a bottom housing and a top housing with a labyrinth seal or joint formed therebetween, the bottom housing adapted to receive one or more circuit breakers, a first metal bus extending from a point internal to the bottom housing through a first end wall to a point external thereto, and a second metal bus extending from a point internal to the bottom housing through a second end wall to a point external to thereto, where the first and second metal buses are adapted to contact first and second electrical terminals of a circuit breaker when placed within the bottom housing, and a first vent positioned on the top housing for dissipating pressure buildup, wherein the top housing is removably secured to the bottom housing to allow for removal and replacement of a circuit breakers within the housing.
US07872858B2
A method for manufacturing an electrolytic capacitor comprising the steps of: forming a capacitor element having a pair of electrode foils wound with a separator interposed therebetween; impregnating the capacitor element with a dispersion solution containing particles of an electrically conductive solid or aggregates thereof and a solvent to form a planar electrically conductive solid layer having the particles of the electrically conductive solid or the aggregates thereof on the surfaces of the electrode foils and the separator; and impregnating the capacitor element having the electrically conductive solid layer with an electrolytic solution.
US07872855B2
A capacitor having an electrode made from an electroconductive material and activated carbon in combination with quaternary ammonium tosylate, and a method for manufacturing the same. The method enables the preparation of a high capacitance electrode without special facilities. The capacitor exhibits high specific capacitance and a high energy density.
US07872848B2
A method of ionizing a liquid is disclosed herein. The method includes the steps of dispensing an electrically conductive liquid onto an electrically conductive membrane so as to form a liquid film on the surface of the membrane, applying an electrical charge to the liquid film on the membrane, generating ultrasonic waves to vibrate the membrane so as to induce capillary waves in the liquid film, and electrostatically attracting the electrically charged crests in the capillary waves so that electrically charged droplets are extracted from the capillary waves and accelerated therefrom for emission. The method is generally utile in various applications including, for example, spacecraft propulsion, paint spray techniques, semiconductor fabrication, biomedical processes, and the like. In addition to the above-described method, an electrostatic colloid thruster for implementing the method is disclosed herein as well.
US07872844B2
A composite electronic device includes: a coil conductor arranged on at least one of a plurality of insulating layers; a drawing conductor arranged on another insulating layer and partially facing the coil conductor and having one end electrically connected to one end of the coil conductor so as to constitute an inductor in combination with the coil conductor for passing an external signal; an internal conductor having one end formed in the vicinity of a part of the coil conductor on one surface of the insulating layer where the coil conductor is arranged so that static electricity generated in the inductor is discharged to the one end and the discharged static electricity is released from the other end to the ground; and a via electrode for electrically connecting the one end of the coil conductor to the one end of the pull-out conductor. A part of the coil conductor and the internal conductor constitutes a static electricity regulator.
US07872843B2
The present invention provides highly efficient system level EMI filtering in a dual feed Power Distribution Unit (PDU) using custom designed magnetic components that are uniquely designed to provide excellent performance under various load conditions. The PDU of the present invention includes filters for providing the necessary EMI filtering at all frequencies in the range between 200 Hz and 200 MHz under all load conditions including a single feed failure. Additionally, the present invention provides mechanisms for cooling EMI components using a combination of natural convection and conduction techniques at the board level to ensure no loss of EMI filtering performance. The present invention also includes blank panels made of formed Aluminum alloy sheet metal pieces or the like to direct air flow to components on printed wiring boards (PWB's) using air director plates.
US07872841B2
A packaged semiconductor device (200) with a substrate (220) having, sandwiched in an insulator (221), a flat sheet-like sieve member (240) made of a non-linear material switching from insulator to conductor mode at a preset voltage. Both member surfaces are free of indentations; the member is perforated by through-holes, which are grouped into a first set (241) and a second set (242). Metal traces (251) over one member surface are positioned across the first set through-holes (241); each trace is connected to a terminal on the substrate top and, through the hole, to a terminal on the substrate bottom. Analogous for metal traces (252) over the opposite member surface and second set through-holes (242). Traces (252) overlap with a portion of traces (252) to form the locations for the conductivity switches, creating local ultra-low resistance bypasses to ground for discharging overstress events.
US07872828B1
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a disk drive system comprising a disk drive system comprising a disk having a track upon a surface of the disk, the track including a first data-storing sector and a second data storing sector, and a servo sector located between the first data-storing sector and the second data-storing sector, the servo sector including a first flying height (FH) field having a predetermined pattern. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US07872825B2
A data storage drive comprises a storage disk, a read/write head, and signal processing circuitry in signal communication with the read/write head. The read/write head is operative to read data from and write data to the storage disk at a plurality of data transfer rates. Moreover, the signal processing circuitry is powered by a variable power source. The variable power source varies supply voltage to the signal processing circuitry as a function of a current one of the data transfer rates of the read/write head. Power consumption is reduced in this manner.
US07872816B2
A turning mechanism is adapted to a projector including a base and a zoom lens set in a base for turning a zoom bar of the zoom lens. The turning mechanism includes a fixed element and a movable element. The fixed element is suitable to be fastened to the base and has a pair of slide tracks. The movable element has a pair of slide edges, a pair of slide hooks, and a turn portion. The slide hooks lock the slide tracks respectively, and the slide edges are supported by the slide tracks respectively. Therefore, the movable element substantially slides around a light axis of the zoom lens relative to the fixed element, so as to move the turn portion to turn the zoom bar.
US07872815B2
An optical sensor for the monitoring of combustion processes in a combustion chamber comprises a lens system facing the combustion chamber, a waveguide and a sheath surrounding the lens system. The lens system has at least one essentially plano-concave lens and a double concave lens wherein the planar surface of the plano-concave lens is exposed to the combustion chamber. A method for centering one or more lenses and a waveguide in a sheath of an optical sensor for monitoring combustion processes in a combustion chamber is also disclosed that includes filling the gap between the first lens and the sheath with a soldering paste.
US07872812B2
Apparatus, methods, and systems provide emitting, field-adjusting, and focusing of electromagnetic energy. In some approaches the field-adjusting includes providing an extended depth of field greater than a nominal depth of field. In some approaches the field-adjusting includes field-adjusting with a transformation medium, where the transformation medium may include an artificially-structured material such as a metamaterial.
US07872809B2
The invention relates to an optical system that is capable of providing a zoom lens having improved image-formation capability with a reduced number of lenses, and fabricating a slim yet high-performance digital or video camera. The optical system comprises a cemented lens having a cementing surface on its optical axis. Air contact surfaces on the light ray entrance and exit sides of the cemented lens G2 are aspheric, and at least one cementing surface in the cemented lens G2 satisfies condition (1). 6.4<|(r/R)| (1) Here r is the axial radius of curvature of the cementing surface, and R is the maximum diameter of the cementing surface.
US07872802B2
Various embodiments of this invention disclose a retractable projection screen with a tab tensioning system, a textured textile border that is made from a different material as the screen, an adjustable coupling means, and a metal strip.
US07872795B2
A laminated body of the present invention includes a melanin-containing layer, wherein the melanin-containing layer is formed by curing a composition that includes at least a melanin, a polymerizable monomer, and a urethane-derived composition. The composition for the laminated body of the present invention is used for producing the laminated body and includes at least a melanin, a polymerizable monomer, and a urethane-derived composition. The optical product of the present invention is formed including the laminated body.
US07872790B2
The invention relates to light transmissive, transflective, or reflective flat panel display devices and, more specifically, to light emissive flat panel displays constructed from high performance electrowetting light valve (ELV) devices (10a-g). An array of ELV devices (10a-g) is mounted on or adjacent to a backlight (11), employing a reflector (13) allowing for improved transmission. The backlight (11) may be partially diffusely reflective or translucent as to also allow for creation of a transflective display panel.
US07872789B2
An optical device includes a mass section in a plate shape including a light reflector with light reflectivity, a supporting section for supporting the mass section, a pair of elastic sections with elastic deformability for coupling the mass section to the supporting section in a pivotally movable manner, and a driving unit for pivotally moving the mass section, the driving unit including a magnetic section provided to the mass section, magnetized in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the mass section, a pair of magnetic poles with different polarities, provided in a manner to face each other in a direction perpendicular to a pivotal movement central axis with the magnetic portion intervened on the basis of a top view of the mass section in a non-driven condition, and a magnetic field generator having a coil for generating a magnetic force between the pair of magnetic poles. The mass section is pivotally moved upon torsional deformation of the elastic section by operating the driving unit so that a direction of light reflected by the light reflector is changeable. The magnetic generator is structured in a manner to generate a magnetic field between the pair of magnetic poles by applying a voltage to the coil to pivotally move the mass section with respect to the supporting section.
US07872787B2
A holographic multiplex recording method which can keep a recording data rate constant and equalize nonuniformity in recording due to vibrations or the like, and a holographic recording apparatus and a holographic recording medium, which employ the method. In a process of multiplex-recording information, the time of exposure to a laser beam per data page is kept constant, and the laser output power of the laser beam is increased in accordance with a decrease in recording sensitivity of the holographic recording medium.
US07872776B2
Methods, systems and apparatus to control hue variation for multiple marking engine printing systems
Disclosed are methods, systems and apparatus to control hue variation for multiple marking engine printing systems. According to one exemplary method, hue variations associated with two or more color marking engines is controlled by adjusting a color separation error envelope which quantifies color separation error differences between the two or more color marking engines.
US07872775B2
A resolution quality redefinition control system for a multi function scanner/printer controls a plurality of functions executable such as scanning, printing, copying and faxing. Multiple resolution qualities may be selected by a user for any of the functions through a user input in communication with the controller. A designated quality resolution may not be appropriate for a designated function, however. Some of the functions have an optimal resolution and/or a significant range of resolutions. When the designated quality resolution is not appropriate for a designated function, the controller re-defines the designated quality resolution as an execute resolution for each execution of one of the functions. The execute resolution may be a higher one of the multiple designatable resolutions when the designated resolution is below the optimal resolution but within said significant range, may be a lower of the multiple designatable resolutions when the designated resolution is above the optimal resolution but within said significant range, may be a maximum resolution, may be a minimum resolution or may be a single optimal resolution.
US07872767B2
A printing system comprised of a printer, a plurality of processing nodes, each processing node being disposed for processing a portion of a print job into a printer dependent format, and a processing manager for spooling the print job into selectively sized chunks and assigning the chunks to selected ones of the nodes for parallel processing of the chunks by the processing nodes into the printer dependent format. The chunks are selectively sized from at least one page to an entire size of the print job in accordance with predetermined splitting factors for enhancing printer printing efficiency.
US07872740B2
A light-emitting apparatus, for enabling a beam of light to be projected on a desired target located a distance away to project the beam on the desired target without any or substantially any undesired movement. The apparatus may include a housing, a light generating device located within the housing and operable to generate a beam of light, a sensing device or devices for sensing an undesired action of the housing, a control circuit operable to provide a control signal corresponding to the sensed undesired action, and a drive device operable to counter act all or at least some of the undesired action of said housing in accordance with said control signal. The sensing device or devices may be one or more gyroscopes, accelerometers or other such devices.
US07872730B2
An immersion type exposure apparatus comprises: an optical member from which an exposure beam is emitted; a first movable member that is movable while holding a substrate, in a predetermined region including a first region including a position facing the optical member and a second region different from the first region; a second movable member that is movable while holding the substrate independently from a first movable member, in a predetermined region including the first region and the second region; a first connection member that is releasably and alternately connected with the first movable member and the second movable member, and moves one movable member in the first region; a second connection member that is releasably and alternately connected with the first movable member and the second movable member, and moves the other movable member in the second region; and a third movable member that is provided on the first connection member and is movable to a position facing the optical member, and at least one of the first movable member, the second movable member, and the third movable member is moved to the position facing the optical member so that a beam path on the emitting side of the optical member is kept filled with a liquid.
US07872729B2
The invention is concerned with a filter system for a light source in a lithography process for the production of semiconductor devices with a flowing absorber gas for at least one wavelength (λ) in the range between 20 to 250 nm, the flowing absorber gas intersecting the light path emitted by the light source. Furthermore, the invention is concerned with a lithography apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates, the use of a filter system, a method for filtering light and a semiconductor device manufactured by the method.
US07872726B2
An active device array mother substrate including a substrate, a plurality of active device arrays, a plurality of common bus lines, at least one first transparent conductive pattern layer, and at least one second transparent conductive pattern layer is provided. The substrate has a plurality of predetermined areas, and the active device arrays are respectively disposed in the predetermined areas. The common bus lines are respectively disposed in the predetermined areas to surround the active device arrays. The first transparent conductive pattern layer is connected or coupled between adjacent two common bus lines. The second transparent conductive pattern layer is extended to the adjacent predetermined area to be connected or coupled to the adjacent common bus line.
US07872713B2
A pixel structure disposed on a substrate and electrically connected to a scan line and a data line is provided. The pixel structure has a reflective area and includes a common line, a semiconductor lower electrode, an upper electrode, a patterned dielectric layer, a reflective electrode and an active device. The semiconductor lower electrode electrically connected to the common line is disposed on the substrate within the reflective area. The upper electrode is disposed above and electrically isolated from the semiconductor lower electrode. The patterned dielectric layer with the micro-bumps is disposed on the upper electrode and exposes a part of the upper electrode. The reflective electrode is disposed on the patterned dielectric layer and the part of the upper electrode. Besides, the reflective electrode is electrically connected to the upper electrode. The active device is electrically connected to the scan line, the data line and the reflective electrode.
US07872710B2
Disclosed is an LCD device and a method for fabricating the same, capable of preventing defects derived from a defective UV-curing of a sealant while employing one-drop fill technology. The LCD device includes an array substrate having a metal signal line, a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, a color filter substrate having a light shielding pattern and a color filter, a sealant interposed between the substrates and cured in order to fixedly combine the array substrate with the color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate through one-drop fill technology. The shielding pattern is made of resin including a transparent heat-sensitive pigment, in which a color of the heat-sensitive pigment is changed to black through a heat-sensitive reaction and UV light passes through the heat-sensitive pigment.
US07872705B2
A LCD system including multiple light sources optically coupled through different light entry regions to at least one waveguide element positioned to backlight a LCD panel. A LCD system including multiple light sources coupled to light entry regions of two or more waveguides comprising a waveguide system positioned to backlight a LCD panel. Waveguides of various configurations and promoting even lighting of associated LCD panels are provided. Resulting LCD systems enable uniformly lit panels having diagonal measurements in excess of 12 to 14 inches, but the invention is not limited to panels of any particular size.
US07872692B2
A design structure for systems for switching a displayed signal for a display between a plurality of signals are disclosed. In one embodiment, the design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit, and includes: a system for switching a displayed signal for a display between a plurality of signals, the system including: a microcontroller; a chooser for setting a primary signal from a plurality of program-variable signals; a monitor tuner coupled to the microcontroller for tuning the primary signal during switching of the displayed signal from the primary signal to a secondary signal; a detector coupled to the monitor tuner and the microcontroller for detecting a predetermined condition in the primary signal; and a selector coupled to the microcontroller for switching the displayed signal from the secondary signal to the primary signal upon occurrence of the predetermined condition.
US07872688B2
A video layer effects processing system which receives normal video and special effects information on separate layers has been presented. The system selectively mixes various video layers to transmit a composite video signal for a video display such as a television, or a virtual reality system. Special effects include spotlights, zooming, etc. Additional special effects such as shaping of objects and ghost effects are created by masking and superimposing selected video layers. The selective mixing, for example, to enable or disable, strengthen or weaken, or otherwise arrange special effects, can be directed from a remote source or locally by a user through real-time control or prior setup. The video layer effects processing system can also be incorporated into a set-top-box or a local consumer box.
US07872687B2
A scanning-line interpolating circuit is provided which is capable of reducing jaggies on slanting lines and of keeping smoothness of interpolating signals achieved by using slanting lines having multiple angles for interpolation and of suppressing failures in displaying caused by erroneous judgement. When it is judged that there is matching in pixel data between three pixels or more on an upper line and three pixels or more on a lower line, an interpolating angle judging signal is corrected to be another interpolating angle judging signal corresponding to interpolation in up-and-down directions and isolated point is removed and another interpolating angle judging signal is output. Interpolating signals are blended with other interpolating signals corresponding to interpolation in same directions and at different angles and another interpolating signals are produced. One of second interpolating signals is selected based on the interpolating angle judging signal and an interpolating signal is produced.
US07872682B2
An anti-eclipse circuit for an imaging sensor monitors the photo signal level output by a pixel to determine whether the photo signal corresponds to the pixel being operated at a saturated state. If so, there is a risk that the pixel may be susceptible to an eclipse distortion. When the pixel is detected as being operated in a saturated state, the anti-eclipse circuit pulls up the reset signal level previously stored in a sample and hold circuit to an appropriate voltage level in order to prevent an eclipse distortion from arising.
US07872678B2
A method for checking the functional reliability of an image sensor evaluates statistical fluctuations in the grey-scale values provided by the pixels of the image sensor. An actual noise factor, which is derived for light impinging on the pixels, is evaluated. A pixel failure is assumed if the actual noise factor misses a predetermined criterion defined by a reference noise factor. According to one embodiment, the reference noise factor is a dark noise factor. An electronic camera that operates in accordance with the above-described method is also disclosed.
US07872669B2
A mobile deixis device includes a camera to capture an image and a wireless handheld device, coupled to the camera and to a wireless network, to communicate the image with existing databases to find similar images. The mobile deixis device further includes a processor, coupled to the device, to process found database records related to similar images and a display to view found database records that include web pages including images. With such an arrangement, users can specify a location of interest by simply pointing a camera-equipped cellular phone at the object of interest and by searching an image database or relevant web resources, users can quickly identify good matches from several close ones to find an object of interest.
US07872658B2
A method of generating illumination characteristic data around an image display device, includes making predetermined illumination characteristic data around the image display device into a data format comprising a type block and an illuminance block. The type block indicates information on a type of illumination, and the illuminance block indicates information on the illuminance of illumination.
US07872657B1
Systems and methods for addressing memory where data is interleaved across different banks using different interleaving granularities improve graphics memory bandwidth by distributing graphics data for efficient access during rendering. Various partition strides may be selected to modify the number of sequential addresses mapped to each DRAM and change the interleaving granularity. A memory addressing scheme is used to allow different partition strides for each virtual memory page without causing memory aliasing problems in which physical memory locations in one virtual memory page are also mapped to another virtual memory page. When a physical memory address lies within a virtual memory page crossing region, the smallest partition stride is used to access the physical memory.
US07872640B2
Navigating on a display includes tracking motion of an input tool on a display, comparing a motion of the input tool to a threshold, and changing a position of the visible portion of a page of information on the display if the input tool motion exceeds the threshold. The position of the visible portion of the page of information on the display is constrained if the motion does not exceed the threshold.
US07872637B2
A system and method for tracking a laser spot on a projected computer screen image computes a projective transformation matrix using the projected computer screen image electronically captured in a frame of image data. The projective transformation matrix is computed by fitting a polygon to a contour of each graphical object in the frame of image data and determining whether the polygon for each graphical object satisfies a set of predefined parameters to find a candidate polygon that corresponds to an outline of the projected computer screen image in the frame of image data.
US07872623B2
A voltage difference is set between a control electrode and a pixel electrode of a pixel dependent on the gray level of at least one adjacent pixel. A minimum voltage difference, increasing with the gray level of the pixel, is required between the control and the pixel electrodes to prevent disclination. A method of eliminating disclination adjusts the gray level of the pixel and the adjacent pixel to ensure that the voltage difference is greater than the minimum voltage difference, setting the voltage difference into the control and the pixel electrodes, and resetting the potential of the pixel electrode to display the gray level of the pixel without varying the voltage difference between the pixel and the control electrodes. The potential of the control electrode is set to be higher than the potential of the pixel electrode when the polarity of the pixel is positive. The potential of the control electrode is set to be lower than the potential of the pixel electrode when the polarity of the pixel is negative.
US07872603B2
A method for determining a refractivity profile of an atmosphere of the Earth. The method may involve: generating radar signals from a radar device located above the Earth's surface toward the Earth's surface; measuring a time of flight and a reflected intensity of reflected radar signals received back at the radar device; using the measured time of flight and the reflected intensity of the reflected radar signals received by the radar device to determine a distance to a radar horizon where the radar signals are tangent to the Earth's surface; and using the distance to the radar horizon to determine a refractivity profile of the atmosphere through which the radar signals and the reflected radar signals have travelled.
US07872597B2
Systems and methods of storing previously transmitted data and using it to reduce bandwidth usage and accelerate future communications are described. By using algorithms to identify long compression history matches, a network device may improve compression efficiently and speed. A network device may also use application specific parsing to improve the length and number of compression history matches. Further, by sharing compression histories, compression history indexes and caches across multiple devices, devices can utilize data previously transmitted to other devices to compress network traffic. Any combination of the systems and methods may be used to efficiently find long matches to stored data, synchronize the storage of previously sent data, and share previously sent data among one or more other devices.
US07872591B2
A head of train device is configured to examine messages received from end of train units other than the end of train unit attached to the same train and to alert an operator to the presence of an end of train unit from another train that indicates that the end of train unit from the other train has stopped. The indication can take the form of a zero brake pipe pressure.
US07872588B2
The invention provides a monitoring tag for wearing about the appendage of an individual. It includes a self-contained transmitter module that is located in a housing and transmits radio signals to a base unit, for receipt by the base unit if within a predetermined range. If the individual wearing the monitoring tag moves outside this range then the base unit can trigger an alarm or send a warning signal. The housing has an opening for receiving the end of a flexible elongate strap to secure the tag around the appendage of the individual. The strap is attached to the housing inside the opening using a clip, which has structure for fixedly securing it to the strap and structure for fixedly securing it in the opening. Once the clip is attached to the housing it cannot be removed unless a weakened or frangible region between the securing structures is broken.
US07872586B2
A power equipment includes a first internal abnormality detection apparatus comprising a first antenna accommodation pipe which is connected to a first connection pipe formed in a enclosed container and which accommodates a first antenna therein, and a first signal detection circuit which is connected to a first antenna and which detects an electromagnetic wave signal emitted when any abnormality has occurred within the enclosed container.
US07872582B1
RFID tag circuits, tags, and methods are provided for using alternative memory lock bits. A pointer in tag memory is configured to point to one or the other of the alternative lock bits associated with a section of the memory for performing a function in response to a reader command. Upon receiving the reader command, the tag first checks the pointer and performs the function based on which lock bit(s) is selected.
US07872574B2
Disclosed are personal electronic devices (PEDs) having a sensory enhancement (SE) system for monitoring environmental conditions and detecting environmental events, for example but not limited to, changes in acoustic, thermal, optical, electromagnetic, chemical, dynamic, wireless, atmospheric, or biometric conditions. The detection of such events can be used to invoke a notification, an alert, a corrective action, or some other action, depending upon the implementation to the PED user or another party.
US07872572B2
Systems and methods for vehicle mounted infrared wavelength information displays for traffic camera viewers are disclosed. A method includes obtaining vehicle positioning data associated with at least one vehicle and, based upon the vehicle positioning data, selectively emitting infrared wavelength light from a set of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged on exterior surfaces of the at least one vehicle.
US07872568B2
A method for stimulating wheel electronics systems of single tires of at least one tire group in a motor vehicle. The wheel electronics systems are stimulated with a low frequency trigger signal, as follows: a trigger signal is emitted from an LF trigger to the wheel electronics systems of the relevant tire group at a variably adjustable first transmission field strength. Radio frequency signals are transmitted from those wheel-side wheel electronics systems, at which a sufficiently high transmission field strength of the trigger signal has arrived containing an item of trigger information, to a vehicle-side receiving unit. A determination is made of the number of RF signals received by the vehicle-side receiving unit, each containing one item of trigger information.
US07872567B2
A method for transponder access control is disclosed, in which a first identification is stored in the transponder, which is transmitted to a reader unit upon appropriate request by the unit. At least one second identification and an identification selection criterion are stored in the transponder, during a request by the reader unit depending on the identification selection criterion either the first identification or the at least second identification is transmitted and, when the second identification is transmitted, access to the transponder, particularly to the first identification, is released by the transponder when the reader unit transmits a password assigned to the second identification to the transponder.
US07872558B2
A coil device having a bobbin structure, includes a body section, a first flange section and a second flange section. The body section is positioned between the first flange section and the second flange section in a first horizontal direction. The first flange section includes a first lower base and a first upper portion. The first upper portion extends upwardly from the first lower base. The first upper portion is provided with a first upper edge on which at least one guide recess is formed. The second flange section includes a second lower base and a second upper portion. The second lower base faces the first lower base in the first horizontal direction. The second upper portion extends upwardly from the second lower base. The second upper portion faces the first upper portion in the first horizontal direction with the body section interposed therebetween.
US07872555B2
An undulator comprises a first magnetic circuit (11) for forming a periodic magnetic field, a first support body (21) for supporting the first magnetic circuit (11), a second magnetic circuit (12) arranged opposite to the first magnetic circuit (11), for forming a periodic magnetic field, a second support body (22) for supporting the second magnetic circuit (12), a space (13) formed between the oppositely arranged first magnetic circuit (11) and the second magnetic circuit (12), for passing an electron beam, a vacuum chamber (1) for vacuum-sealing the first magnetic circuit (11) and the second magnetic circuit (12), and a refrigerant passing tube (30) for cooling a permanent magnet (m) constituting the first magnetic circuit (11) and the second magnetic circuit (12) below the room temperature.
US07872551B2
A relay includes a contact point block having a support shaft with both ends spanning a contact point base, a plunger having a movable contact at a lower end thereof, and a movable iron piece configured to drive the plunger and to have a plate spring. The relay also includes an electromagnetic unit and a base block having a fixed contact point at a position opposite to the movable contact point. The movable iron piece is supported on the supporting shaft. The plunger is inserted through an operation hole of the contact point base. Upper and lower surfaces of the contact point block are held by the electromagnetic unit and the base block. The electromagnetic unit directly fixes the iron core to an upper surface of the contact point base.
US07872550B2
A vertical coupling structure for non-adjacent resonators is provided. The vertical coupling structure has a first resonator and a second resonator. At least one side of the first resonator is formed as a first bent extension structure, and the first bent extension structure includes a slot. The second resonator is not adjacent to the first resonator, and the side of the second resonator opposite to the first bent extension structure of the first resonator further includes a slot, such that the two sides are electrically connected.
US07872546B1
A dual mode modulator is proposed for driving a power output stage having a serial connection of high-side power FET and low-side power FET. The dual mode modulator includes a PWM modulator operating under a PWM-frequency and a PFM modulator for controlling the power output stage. To improve the dynamic load regulation of the dual mode modulator, a dynamic frequency booster can be added to the dual mode modulator to boost up the PWM-frequency from its normal operating frequency during a PFM-to-PWM mode transition period. Secondly, a dynamic slew rate booster can be added to boost up an error amplifier slew rate of the PWM modulator from its normal operating slew rate during the mode transition period. Thirdly, a dynamic turn-off logic circuit can be added to turn off the low-side power FET during the mode transition period.
US07872545B2
The present disclosure relates to circuits and methods for improving the performance of a polar modulator by maintaining the input to a phase modulator.
US07872537B2
A surface-mount crystal oscillator includes: a crystal blank; an IC chip in which at least an oscillation circuit using the crystal blank is integrated, a plurality of IC terminals are provided on one principal surface, and a plurality of mounting terminals for surface mounting are provided on the other principal surface; and a housing member joined to the one principal surface of the IC chip and formed into a recessed shape. The crystal blank is fixed to crystal connection terminals out of the IC terminals, and is hermetically encapsulated in a space formed by the IC chip and the housing member. At least a power supply terminal, an output terminal and a ground terminal out of the IC terminals are electrically connected to the mounting terminals by a through-electrode provided to penetrate through the IC chip.
US07872535B2
An integrated circuit radio transceiver and method therefor includes capacitive loop filter with selectable capacitive elements that are operable to adjust a signal level provided to a voltage controlled oscillator to control a frequency of an output signal of the oscillator. A plurality of switches are controlled by logic to define a discharge mode, a charge mode and charge sharing mode in which a plurality of capacitive elements share charge while generating the input voltage to the oscillator.
US07872528B2
In one implementation, the present invention includes a diode device to receive an incoming radio frequency (RF) signal to be amplified in a gain device of an amplifier and to provide a pre-distorted signal. Based on this pre-distorted signal, the gain device can output an amplified RF signal having substantial linearity to the incoming RF signal.
US07872516B2
A pulse generator circuit. The pulse generator circuit includes a precharge circuit coupled to receive a clock signal alternating between a first logic level and a second logic level, a storage circuit having a storage node, wherein the precharge circuit is configured to precharge the storage node when the clock signal is at the first logic level, a logic circuit having an output, a first input node coupled to receive the clock signal, and a second input node coupled to the storage node and configured to produce a pulse at the second logic level responsive to the clock signal transitioning to the second logic level, and a discharge circuit configured to discharge the storage node at a predetermined delay time subsequent to the clock signal transitioning to the second logic level, wherein the output of the logic circuit transitions to the first logic level responsive to discharging the storage node.
US07872515B1
A phase interpolation device and a slew rate control device thereof. The slew rate control device comprises a slew rate control circuit, source followers and a comparator. The slew rate control circuit receives clock signals and a control signal, and adjusts slew rate of the clock signals according to the control signal. The source followers each comprise an input terminal and an output terminal. The input terminals of the source followers are coupled to the slew rate control circuit to receive the adjusted clock signals, respectively. The output terminals of the source followers are connected together at a node. The comparator has a first input terminal coupled to the node, a second input terminal receiving a voltage reference, and an output terminal providing the control signal for the slew rate control circuit. The setting of the voltage reference is dependent on the desired slew rate of the adjusted clock signals.
US07872513B2
An apparatus includes a first selector which selects a test data during a first operation mode, and selects a first input data during a second operation mode, a first latch circuit which latches an output signal of the first selector according to a first clock signal, a second selector which selects one from a second input data and an output signal of the first latch circuit, and a second latch circuit which latches the second input data sent from the second selector according to a second clock signal during the second operation mode, and passes through the output signal of the first latch circuit sent from the second selector during the first operation mode.
US07872509B2
The provided delay lock loop delaying an input signal includes a quadrature generator, a voltage controller and a delay cell. The input signal is inputted into the quadrature generator and the delay cell. A phase-changing signal from the quadrature generator and a delay signal respectively from the delay cell are inputted into the voltage controller at the same time so that a control voltage inputted into the delay cell to control a delay time of the delay signal is generated. Also, the provided phase angle generator generates an output signal in an arbitrary phase.
US07872506B2
A gate driver for use in a liquid crystal display has a plurality of shift registers connected in series. Each of the shift registers is used to provide a gate-line pulse to a row of pixels in the liquid crystal display. The gate-line pulse has a front pulse and a rear pulse and the shift register has a front-pulse generating part and a rear-pulse generating part for generating to corresponding pulse. Each of the pulse generating parts has a first pull-up circuit to generate a voltage level to keep a switching element in a second pull-up circuit conducting so as to generate a front or rear pulse, in response to a corresponding clock signal, and two pull-down circuits, in response to the voltage level, to allow the front or rear pulse to be generated only at a pull-down period.
US07872501B2
Arrangement for accepting an input signal in a first voltage range and producing an output signal in a second voltage range. A transition detection circuit (230) detects a transition from a high level to a low level of the input signal and a control circuit (245) operates a first FET to produce the low level of the output signal. A second FET is operated by the high level of the input signal to output the high level of the output signal.
US07872490B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of clock gating circuits, a plurality of flip-flops to which transmission of a clock signal is controlled by a respective clock gating circuit, and a clock gating control circuit that controls an active state and an inactive state of the plurality of clock gating circuits, wherein during a test operation mode, the clock gating control circuit controlling the active state and the inactive state of the plurality of clock gating circuits according to a user logic signal, and controlling setting of an arbitrary combination of clock gating circuits to an inactive state regardless of the user logic signal.
US07872487B2
In the measurement of sensor elements in a wafer composite, whereby non-electric stimuli are to be applied to the sensor elements, a semiconductor wafer having a multitude of sensor elements, each sensor element having a voltage supply connection, a grounded connection, and at least one sensor signal output, is configured such that a bus system is integrated in the semiconductor wafer, to which bus system at least the grounded connections of the sensor elements are connected and via which a supply voltage may be applied to the sensor elements, and that each sensor element is equipped with at least one controllable switching element for selecting the sensor element, so that only a selected sensor element supplies a sensor signal to a diagnosis device.
US07872485B2
A scanning/imaging system wherein an external stimulus is used for exciting a device under test (DUT). A stimulus source is included for providing a stationary stimulus with a controllable spot size to a device under test (DUT), the controllable spot size covering a portion of the DUT for excitation by the stationary stimulus. A sensor is operable for capturing at least one of a functional response signal and an optical image signal emanating from the DUT portion. A linear positioning device is operable to facilitate scanning of remaining portions of the DUT until a predetermined area thereof has been traversed. A controller is operably coupled to the linear positioning device, stimulus source and the sensor for providing the overall control thereof.
US07872478B2
A method and an adaptive distance protection relay for compensating for a remote line end infeed effect during determination of a distance to a resistive fault on a three-phase power transmission line. It is assumed that a fault current flows through the fault resistance. A fault loop impedance is first calculated by a known algorithm from phase voltages and phase currents. A shift of the fault loop impedance is determined from the fault loop impedance, the impedance of the transmission line for the positive current sequence and the phase angle of a complex fault current distribution factor, where the fault current distribution factor is the ratio of the fault loop current to the fault current. The distance to fault is calculated by subtracting the impedance shift from the fault loop impedance and dividing the result by the impedance of the transmission line for the positive current sequence.
US07872474B2
An apparatus and a method is provided based on the Magnetic Resonance techniques to analyze and measure a uni- and/or a bi-directional flow regime of multiphase fluids in a transport and production conduct, in real time and flow-rates, based on a magnetic resonance analytical module, two magnetic prepolarization modules of variable effective length and a control computer of data acquisition and transfer, all associated to each other.
US07872461B2
A reverse current stopping circuit includes a synchronous rectification device, a comparator for detecting a reverse current of an inductor, the synchronous rectification device being turned off when the reverse current is detected by the comparator, a reverse current detector circuit for detecting a switching terminal voltage after the synchronous rectification device is turned off, thereby determining a value of the inductor current to decide whether the inductor current is flowing in a reverse direction or a forward direction, and a memory unit for receiving a predetermined output signal from the reverse current detector circuit in accordance with a result of the reverse current detector circuit, and outputting a control signal for an offset voltage in accordance with the predetermined output signal. The offset voltage is changed in accordance with the control signal so as to adjust the inductor current to zero when the synchronous rectification device is turned off.
US07872457B2
A switching regulator includes a first switching regulator corresponding to a master channel, and a second switching regulator corresponding to a slave channel. The first switching regulator generates first output voltage Vout1 by a constant on-time system in which on-time is constant. On the other hand, the second switching regulator monitors a first switching signal and a second on-time control circuit determines on-time of a second switching signal in accordance with lapse time from the rising time of the first switching signal to the rising time of a second switching signal.
US07872453B2
A power supply compensation, particularly relating to a customer intelligent reactive power automatic compensation energy-saved device, which includes an intelligent reactive power compensation regulator, a plurality of branch capacitor control contactors, a plurality of capacitor banks and a current transformer. The intelligent reactive power compensation regulator is provided with a sampling current input, a sampling voltage input, an external AC contactor power bus and a plurality of output control lines, the sampling current input is connected to the current transformer, the sampling voltage input is connected to the power supply, the external AC contactor power bus is connected to a live wire of the power supply, the capacitor banks are connected to the power supply through the branch capacitor control contactors.
US07872442B2
A power source (212) is disclosed for charging a battery (330) within a portable electronic device (310). An apparatus (422), such as a photovoltaic or thermoelectric cell, for charging the battery (330) is disposed contiguous to and within a transparent housing (412) of the portable electronic device (310). A fluorescent species (416), such as quantum dots or a fluorescent dye, is disposed on a side of the housing (412) opposed to the apparatus (422). Light (430) striking the fluorescent species (416) is converted into photons (432, 434) having a narrower spectrum that passes through the housing (412) to the apparatus (422). An optional layer (418) may be disposed on the fluorescent species (416) that reflects light from the fluorescent species (416) to the apparatus (422). Photonic crystals (415) may be combined with the fluorescent species (416) to increase reflectivity.
US07872440B2
A controller of an electric motor for improving operation efficiency in performing electric conducting control of the electric motor of an axial air-gap type is provided. Therefore, the controller of the electric motor (3) of the axial air-gap type including a rotor (11) having a permanent magnet, a first stator (12a) and a second stator (12b) oppositely arranged through the rotor (11) in a rotation axis direction of the rotor (11), and armature windings (13a, 13b) mounted to the first stator (12a) and the second stator (12b) has an electric current command determining section (30) for switching between a both-side stator driving mode for conducting a driving electric current to both the armature winding (13a) of the first stator (12a) and the armature winding (13b) of the second stator (12b), and a one-side stator driving mode for conducting the driving electric current to only the armature winding (13a) of the first stator (12a) in accordance with a request value Tr_c of output torque of the electric motor (3).
US07872438B2
The present invention provides an initial pole position estimating apparatus and method for an AC synchronous motor without using magnetic pole detector. The initial pole position estimating apparatus includes a thrust force or torque pattern generating portion for generating a thrust force or torque pattern, a pole position command generating portion for generating a pole position command, and a position detecting portion for detecting a position of the AC synchronous motor. The initial pole position estimating apparatus can estimate an initial pole position in a short time with high precision without depending on a fluctuation in a load. The initial pole position estimating apparatus further includes a pole position correcting portion (8) for correcting the pole position command and a thrust force or torque pattern correcting portion (9) for correcting the thrust force or torque pattern, and an initial pole position is estimated through a repetitive correction.
US07872432B2
A MEMS thermal switch is disclosed which couples a hot, expanding beam to a cool flexor beam using a slideably engaged tether, and bends the cool, flexor beam by the expansion of the hot beam. A rigidly engaged tether ties the distal ends of the hot, expanding beam and the cool, flexor beam together, whereas the slideably engaged tether allows the hot, expanding beam to elongate with respect to the cool, flexor beam, without loading the slideably engaged tether with a large shear force. As a result, the material of the tether can be made stiffer, and therefore transmit the bending force of the hot, expanding beam more efficiently to the cool, flexor beam.
US07872430B2
A lighting panel system includes a lighting panel having a string of solid state lighting devices and a current supply circuit having a voltage input terminal, a control input terminal, and first and second output terminals coupled to the string of solid state lighting devices. The current supply circuit is configured to supply an on-state drive current to the string of solid state lighting devices in response to a control signal. The current supply circuit includes a charging inductor coupled to the voltage input terminal and an output capacitor coupled to the first output terminal. The current supply circuit is configured to operate in continuous conduction mode in which current continuously flows through the charging inductor while the on-state drive current is supplied to the string of solid state light emitting devices.
US07872428B1
TRIAC or SCR based dimmer circuits with temperature compensation features to enable them to also function properly with outdoor line or low voltage AC light fixtures. The TRIAC's or the SCR's operate as static switches that are ideal for driving directly resistive loads, such as incandescent lamps, in line or low voltage AC dimmer circuits. The performance of this type of a circuit is very temperature dependent but it can be compensated for temperature related changes in the output or load RMS voltage by means of preventing variations in the trigger angle the circuit is running at. Temperature compensation is achieved by means of zener diodes being incorporated in the trigger circuit section of a TRIAC or an SCR based dimmer circuit.
US07872426B2
A ballast protecting device is connected between an AC input voltage and a ballasted lamp. The device includes a voltage sensing block, a current sensing block, a pulse forming block, a switch block, and a micro-controller unit (MCU). The pulse forming block converts positive half cycles of the voltage and current provided by the voltage and current sensing blocks to square wave pulses, and the MCU performs a phase angle comparison between generated pulses. Upon lamp malfunction, ballast current is phase shifted. Current may also be phase shifted when there is a radical change in the input voltage. As a trend of the phase shift between current and voltage is determined by the MCU, a ballast disconnect decision is made, and the MCU actuates the switch block to disconnect the connected ballast and malfunctioning lamp.
US07872421B2
The present invention relates to a device for fluorescent tube armatures, the device being intended to replace a previously occurring fluorescent tube. The device has a light emitting diode unit (4) comprising at least one electrical drive unit (4.1), which is connected to at least one phase wire, as well as is connected to at least one neutral wire via at least one wire (4.2) comprising at least one light-emitting diode (4.3).
US07872418B2
By using a light emitting device including a substrate and a light emitting unit, the light emitting unit including: a plurality of light emitting elements that are mounted on substrate and electrically connected to external electrodes; a first sealing member layer containing a first fluorescent material, formed to cover light emitting elements; and a second sealing member layer containing a second fluorescent material, formed on first sealing member layer, as well as a method for manufacturing thereof, it becomes possible to provide a light emitting device capable of suppressing color shifts and the like by the fluorescent materials, and of being easily manufactured, as well as a method for manufacturing the same.
US07872398B2
A piezoelectric actuator module having a multilayer structure of piezoelectric elements is proposed as a piezoelectric actuator, wherein a different polarity of an electric voltage is alternately applied to inner electrodes which are arranged between piezoelectric layers of the piezoelectric elements in the direction of the layer structure of the piezoelectric elements, said module having an actuator foot and an actuator head composed of steel and having an elastic insulation medium which surrounds at least the piezoelectric elements in predefined limits. At least one annular groove or recess, into which a material which can be crosslinked with the insulation medium is vulcanized, is provided on the actuator foot and/or on the actuator head, and a flexible, weldable hose or sheath lies encompasses the piezoelectric element, and at least above the grooves or recesses containing the material as an insulation medium the weldable hose is welded to the material in the grooves or recesses.
US07872396B2
The present invention provides systems, devices, and related methods, involving electrochemical actuation. In some cases, application of a voltage or current to a system or device of the invention may generate a volumetric or dimensional change, which may produce mechanical work. For example, at least a portion of the system may be constructed and arranged to be displaced from a first orientation to a second orientation. Systems such as these may be useful in various applications, including pumps (e.g., infusion pumps) and drug delivery devices, for example.
US07872395B2
An actuator 1 according to the present invention includes: a first movable section 5; a second movable section 6 supporting the first movable section 5; and a stationary section 13 supporting the second movable section 6. The second movable section 6 includes: a first conductive portion 6a for applying a first voltage to the first movable section 5; a second conductive portion 6b to which a second voltage is applied; and backlining 15 for stabilizing the first conductive portion 6a and the second conductive portion 6b to each other in an electrically insulated state. The backlining 15 stabilizes the first conductive portion 6a and the second conductive portion 6b from a face of the actuator 1 opposite from the face on which the mirror section 34 is provided.
US07872392B2
A rotating electrical machine, especially a turbogenerator, includes a rotor and a stator, which concentrically surrounds the rotor and is terminated at each of the two axial ends by a laminated press plate (14), which is constructed from a stack of individual press plate laminates (30). The electrical properties are improved by providing the press plate laminates (30) at least partially with slits (26) for reducing the eddy current losses.
US07872391B2
A stator core is disclosed. The stator core is constructed in a structure in which stress and spring back of the stator core are minimized when a stator is manufactured in a spiral fashion, whereby workability is improved. The stator core includes a yoke formed in the shape of a band, a plurality of teeth protruding outward from one side of the yoke, the teeth being arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the yoke, a plurality of notches formed at the inside of the yoke in the shape of a cutout such that the notches are arranged at equal intervals, and guide holes formed in the longitudinal direction of the yoke. The guide holes include holes formed at positions corresponding to the respective teeth and holes formed between the respective teeth.
US07872389B2
The invention relates to an electric drive having a stationary outer and inner stator and a rotor, a plurality of permanent magnet elements being disposed on the rotor for producing an excitation flux and at least one electrical field coil being provided. The rotor comprises at least one bell-shaped part having a cylindrical wall and a base wall. Said base wall is mounted perpendicularly and the cylindrical wall coaxially in relation to the axis of the rotor shaft. The base wall is connected to the rotor shaft for transmitting a force or a torque. The permanent magnet elements rest on one side on the cylindrical wall and are secured side by side to the rotor of the drive in the peripheral direction. The permanent magnets, interact with the outer and inner stator, to give magnetic circuits which completely extend through the cylindrical part of the rotor in the radial direction, the permanent magnet elements being arranged only on the exterior of the cylindrical wall.
US07872386B2
A motor includes a stator core that forms a magnetic path and has a plurality of tooth parts along a circumferential direction; a tooth provided in each tooth part to wind a coil there around; and an extension part alternated with the tooth part along a circumferential direction of the stator core, convexly extending to an inner radial direction.
US07872383B2
A power interconnection piece for a rotary electrical machine, wherein the power interconnection piece comprises at least one power track provided with electrical power terminals intended to cooperate with a power track of at least one electronic module so as to distribute electrical power to the electronic module, the electronic module being integrated on the rotary electrical machine and wherein the power interconnection piece comprises a base plate made from insulating material that at least partially overmolds the power track.
US07872379B2
An electrical distribution control system for a vehicle such as an aircraft may be provided fire-suppression protection without requiring that all control elements are located in a fire-containment enclosure. A primary electric load center (ECL) may be located in a fire-containment equipment bay. Secondary power control centers (SPC's) may be located away from the equipment bay and close to set of loads which are controlled by the SPC's. Each SPC may be provided with a fire detecting sensor that may signal the ECL to interrupt input power to the SPC in the event of a fire in the SPC. The SPC may be constructed from self-extinguishing material. In an absence of input power to the SPC, a fire may self extinguish, thus preventing flame propagation or production of excessive external heat.
US07872364B1
The present invention may be used for converting fluid flow into an alternate energy form. A generally cylindrical enclosure may have a side wall with a plurality of slots longitudinally formed therein and with two opposed ends. Two drive members of a shaft may be spaced apart, positioned longitudinally on a centerline, and rotatably attached each to one of the two opposed ends. Each of the two drive members at an interior end may have an orthogonal member attached and a paddle shaft may be attached at a leverage end of the orthogonal members. Multiple paddles may be circumferentially spaced and radially attached at a first edge to rotate on the paddle shaft with an outer edge disposed to allow extension and retraction through one of the slots.
US07872361B2
A system to a provide a power supply that converts mechanical energy stored in a structure (such as a coil, spiral, or gas spring), to electrical energy to power a vehicle starter motor. After a motorist inputs mechanical energy into the structure (e.g., stresses or winds the spring or compresses a gas), the mechanical energy is released to exert, preferably through a coupled gear mechanism, mechanical energy on a device (such as a generator, dynamo, alternator, or other electrical generating device) that converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy. Such a feature allows for electrical energy to be available to power a vehicle starter motor and thus start a vehicle's engine even when the normal battery is weak or dead.
US07872341B1
A semiconductor package comprises a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips having the same structure. Therefore, the semiconductor chips can be produced using masks of the same design, resulting in a reduction in production cost and an improvement in productivity. Each of the semiconductor chips includes a plurality of through-silicon vias penetrating therethrough. The through-silicon vias of each semiconductor chip include at least one signal pad through which a common signal is delivered to the semiconductor chip and at least one chip enable pad connected to at least one chip enable pin to select the semiconductor chip. The chip enable pin may be connected to or disconnected from the chip enable pad through a conductive line to select the semiconductor chip. The conductive line is sawn to disconnect the chip enable pin from the chip enable pad before stacking of the semiconductor chip. Therefore, the semiconductor chips can be configured to have the same design, thus eliminating the need for troublesome production management and control of the semiconductor chips.
US07872339B2
Prepackaged chips, such a memory chips, are vertically stacked and bonded together with their terminals aligned. The exterior lead frames are removed including that portion which extends into the packaging. The bonding wires are now exposed on the collective lateral surface of the stack. In those areas where no bonding wire was connected to the lead frame, a bare insulative surface is left. A contact layer is disposed on top of the stack and vertical metalizations defined on the stack to connect the ends of the wires to the contact layer and hence to contact pads on the top surface of the contact layer. The vertical metalizations are arranged and configured to connect all commonly shared terminals of the chips, while the control and data input/output signals of each chip are separately connected to metalizations, which are disposed in part on the bare insulative surface.
US07872338B2
A microelectromechanical device package with integral a heater and a method for packaging the microelectromechanical device are disclosed in this invention. The microelectromechanical device package comprises a first package substrate and second substrate, between which a microelectromechanical device, such as a micromirror array device is located. In order to bonding the first and second package substrates so as to package the microelectromechanical device inside, a sealing medium layer is deposited, and heated by the heater so as to bond the first and second package substrates together.
US07872335B2
Methods and apparatus for integrated circuit (IC) packages with improved thermal performance and input/output capabilities are described. An integrated circuit (IC) package includes a leadframe, an IC die, a substrate having opposing first and second surfaces, a first wirebond, and a second wirebond. The leadframe includes a die attach pad having opposing first and second surfaces and a plurality of leads that emanate in an outward direction from the die attach pad. The IC die is coupled to the first surface of the die attach pad. The substrate is coupled to the die attach pad. Contact pads on the first surface of the substrate are electrically connected to bond fingers on the second surface of the substrate. The first wirebond couples a first bond pad on a first surface of the IC die to a bond finger on the second surface of the substrate. The second wirebond couples a second bond pad on the first surface of the IC die to a lead of the plurality of leads.
US07872323B2
A multilayered magnetoresistive device includes a specular layer positioned on at least one sidewall and a copper layer is positioned between the specular layer and the sidewall.
US07872321B2
A hybrid semiconductor-ferromagnet device is a device which has micromagnets (Co) deposited on semiconductor (InAs) two-dimensional electrons, and which has a junction structure of positive and negative magnetic field regions using a stray field resulting from the micromagnets. The magnetoresistance measured in the hybrid semiconductor-ferromagnet device has an asymmetrical hall resistance profile, and a change in magnetoresistance thereof is very large. The measured data is well consistent with the calculated results using a diffusive mode and a ballistic model.
US07872320B2
The present invention improves mechanical strength of a micro-electro-mechanical device (MEMS) having a movable portion to improve reliability. In a micro-electro-mechanical device (MEMS) having a movable portion, a portion which has been a hollow portion in the case of a conventional structure is filled with a filler material. As the filler material, a block copolymer that is highly flexible is used, for example. By filling the hollow portion, mechanical strength improves. Besides, warpage of an upper portion of a structure body in the manufacture process is prevented, whereby yield improves. A micro-electro-mechanical device thus manufactured is highly reliable.
US07872316B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including a gate insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode formed over the gate insulating film, wherein the gate insulating film is so provided as to protrude from both sides of the gate electrode, and the gate electrode includes a wholly silicided layer.
US07872311B2
A method and apparatus is presented that provides mobility enhancement in the channel region of a transistor. In one embodiment, a channel region (18) is formed over a substrate that is bi-axially stressed. Source (30) and drain (32) regions are formed over the substrate. The source and drain regions provide an additional uni-axial stress to the bi-axially stressed channel region. The uni-axial stress and the bi-axially stress are both compressive for P-channel transistors and tensile for N-channel transistors. Both transistor types can be included on the same integrated circuit.
US07872304B2
A control circuit with a high voltage sense device. In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals. A first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an external voltage. A voltage provided at a third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is less than a pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The voltage provided at the third terminal of the first transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is greater than the pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The circuit also includes a control circuit disposed in the first substrate and coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor. The circuit further includes a second transistor disposed in a second substrate. A first terminal of the second transistor coupled to the external voltage.
US07872302B2
A semiconductor device includes a first active pattern protruding from a substrate, a second active pattern on the first active pattern, a gate electrode enclosing a sidewall of the second active pattern, a conductive layer pattern on the first active pattern, a first impurity region in the first active pattern, and a second impurity region at a surface portion of the second active pattern. The first active pattern extending along a predetermined direction may have a first region and a second region. The second active pattern may have a pillar structure and the conductive layer pattern may include a metal or a metal compound.
US07872300B2
A power semiconductor component (1) contains a weakly doped drift zone (9), a drain zone (10) and a MOS structure (12) situated at the front side (2) of the power semiconductor component (1). An edge plate (6) of the first conductivity type is provided at its edge (8) above the drift zone (9). The edge plate (6) is doped more highly than the drift zone (9). Situated above the edge plate (6) is an insulation layer (24) with an overlying field plate (7) made of polysilicon. The field plate (7) forms together with the edge plate (6) a plate capacitor structure which increases the drain-source output capacitance of the power semiconductor component (1), so that fewer radiofrequency interference disturbances are caused by the power semiconductor component (1) during switching.
US07872284B2
An imager having a pixel cell having an associated strained silicon layer. The strained silicon layer increases charge transfer efficiency, decreases image lag, and improves blue response in imaging devices.
