US07879102B2
A minimally invasive spinal disc defect repair method is disclosed. The method relates to insertion of disc defect repair materials that are substantially two-dimensionally shaped and which allow for insertion and preferably self retention within the disc defect with plugging of the annulus fibrosis.
US07879097B2
Methods of performing procedures within an intervertebral disc are disclosed. The methods include performing procedures such as implant delivery, tissue manipulation, tissue diagnostics, and therapeutic and diagnostic agent delivery at selected locations within intervertebral discs. In one embodiment, a method includes delivering an anchor and an implant within a functional spinal unit using a surgical device having at least one depth stop.
US07879094B2
A soft tissue fixation system, most typically applicable to orthopedic joint repairs, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee repair procedures, comprises an implant which is placeable in a tunnel disposed in a portion of bone, wherein the tunnel is defined by walls comprised of bone. A first member is deployable outwardly to engage the tunnel walls for anchoring the implant in place in the tunnel, and a second member is deployable outwardly to engage tissue material to be fixed within the tunnel. The second member also functions to move the tissue material outwardly into contact with the tunnel walls to promote tendon-bone fixation. Extra graft length is eliminated by compression of the tendon against the bone at the aperture of the femoral tunnel, which more closely replicates the native ACL and increases graft stiffness. The inventive device provides high fixation of tendon to bone and active tendon-bone compression. Graft strength has been found to be greater than 1,000 N (Newtons), which is desirable for ACL reconstruction systems.
US07879091B1
An inflatable prosthetic breast assembly may include a pliant body. The assembly may also include a single and uniform outer layer that contiguously extends along an anterior face of the body as well as a rear wall removably attached to a posterior face of the body and a core permanently intercalated between the outer layer and the rear wall. The body may further include a mechanism for selectively modifying the shape of the body which may include a plurality of hollow pockets formed within the core and extending forwardly from the posterior face. A plurality of inflatable bladders may be removably seated within the pockets respectively. Each bladder preferably has an air-inlet orifice formed at a posterior side thereof. The body shape modifying mechanism may also include a hand-operable air pump to introduce volumes of air into the bladders respectively.
US07879090B2
An IOL injector kit comprising a first body portion having a first lumen disposed therethrough, a proximal end, a distal end configured to deposit an IOL into an eye, a second body portion having a second lumen disposed therethrough, a proximal end and distal end, a container comprising a wall defining a container lumen, a first open end configured to receive the proximal end of the first body portion into the container lumen, and a second open end configured to receive the distal end of the second body portion into the container lumen, and an IOL disposed inside said container.
US07879089B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of designing an intraocular lens (IOL) to address variations of at least one ocular parameter in a population of patient eyes. The method can include establishing at least one eye model in which the ocular parameter can be varied over a range exhibited by the population. The eye model can be employed to evaluate a plurality of IOL designs in correcting visual acuity for eyes in the patient population. An IOL design that provides a best fit for visual performance over at least a portion of the parameter range can then be selected.
US07879081B2
A self-expanding endoluminal device comprising a tubular filamentary member having a hollow core for receiving a guidewire, the tubular member having a straightened configuration with the guidewire in the hollow core, a shape memory configuration without the guidewire in the hollow core, and an extension, optionally severable, accessible from outside of the body. The hollow core may be adapted to contain and elute or permanently contain a substance, which may be injected through the extension. A delivery system includes the guidewire, and a deployment method includes deployment with a proximal end of the extension accessible from outside of the body.
US07879076B2
Enhancing the effectiveness of therapeutic ionizing radiation and other treatments of disease in which cells are to be destroyed or modified, by subjecting cells in need thereof to low-dose radiation to increase the sensitivity of the cells to subsequent subjection with a lethal dose of high dose radiation (HDR), a chemotherapeutic agent, or other type of therapeutic treatment.
US07879066B2
A luminal occlusion device comprises a tension member, an elongate shaft, and a flat film having an axial receptacle which is received over a distal portion of the tension member. The flat film has proximal and distal ends which are attached to the distal ends of the tension member and the elongate shaft, respectively. Thus, distal advancement of the tension member relative to the shaft will cause the flat film to assume a low profile configuration, while proximal retraction of the tension member relative to the elongate shaft will cause the flat film to assume a foreshortened, compacted configuration. The film usually includes one or more radioopaque markers which help shape the compacted film.
US07879061B2
A balloon catheter for treating a constricted sinus passageway of a patient includes an elongate flexible shaft defining a lumen therein, the elongate flexible shaft having a proximal end and distal region. The elongate flexible shaft may include a kink-resistant coil in the distal region. A hub is affixed to the proximal end of the elongate flexible shaft, the hub including a port in communication with the lumen. An expandable member is disposed on the distal region of the elongate flexible shaft, wherein an interior portion of the expandable member is in communication with the lumen.
US07879058B2
An incision device capable of preventing inadvertent firing, and including a covered attached to the device. The incision device comprises a housing, and a lancet guide assembly having lancet guides and a lancet body. The lancet body further comprises a lancet blade. The lancet blade is covered by a removable protective cover having a stopper which prevents a trigger arm from being moved so as to fire the lancet blade.
US07879055B1
A method and apparatus for sizing a member. The apparatus may include a first member and a second member movable relative to one another to impinge the member. The apparatus may be used in a small area to achieve a selected sizing of the member.
US07879053B2
A catheter balloon may include a proximal waist portion, a proximal cone portion, a first body portion, a second body portion, a third body portion, a distal cone portion and a distal waist portion. The second body portion may comprise a stepped-down section. An inflated diameter of the second body portion may be less than an inflated diameter of the first body portion or the third body portion. An outer surface of the second body portion may be provided with at least one implement, such as a blade or stiffening member.
US07879051B2
A surgical device is provided for use in joining a first tissue layer forming a first hollow region and a second tissue layer forming a wall of a second hollow region, to produce an anastomosis. The device comprises a needle capable of passing from the first region to the second region by penetrating the tissue layers, a tag removably carried by the needle, the tag having a trailing portion, and means for separating the tag from the needle after the needle has penetrated both layers, to leave the tag in the second hollow region, but with the trailing portion extending into the first hollow region. Anastomosis forming articles are described which comprise a pair of components for compressing the tissue layers between them.
US07879047B2
Surgical connection apparatus comprises a support having a proximal portion with a distal end and a proximal portion. The support forms a pathway between the proximal and distal portions. A plurality of self-closing clips are slidably disposed in the pathway and a pusher is arranged to slidably move in the pathway and push the clips in a distal direction. The apparatus facilitates partial ejection of a clip after which the remainder of the clip is withdrawn therefrom. In one embodiment, the support comprises a tubular needle with the distal end being pointed. The needle can be used to penetrate the tissue or material to be joined and to manipulate or approximate tissue or material to be joined before the clip is partially ejected.
US07879045B2
A system and procedure for using the system are disclosed for guiding instruments of varying sizes. The instruments can be guided into various portions of the anatomy for performing a procedure, providing a treatment, measuring a physiological response, or the like. Two or more instruments of varying sizes can be driven or guided relative to one another with the same system.
US07879043B2
A method and system for monitoring impaction of a femoral component of a hip prosthesis into a femur in which impaction data generated during the impaction of the femoral component into the femur is received from at least one measurement transducer attached to the femoral component and is normalized by a data acquisition and analysis device. An impaction monitoring metric is calculated based on the normalized impaction data, and femoral component fit and stability data is then generated and output to a user interface based on the impaction monitoring metric.
US07879040B2
A system for harvesting an implantable graft from the femur of a human having a cartilage overlying a condyle, according to which an overlay extends over the femur and is positioned relative to the femur by an articulating arm assembly.
US07879030B2
Virtual-electrode catheters and methods for using such virtual-electrode catheters are disclosed. For example, bipolar and multipolar, virtual-electrode catheters having at least one internal electrode and at least one surface electrode, and methods of using these catheters for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias via, for example, radiofrequency (RF) ablation are disclosed. The catheters may comprise a catheter body with an internal lumen extending within it and adapted to flowingly receive a conductive fluid. An exit feature defining a flow path from the internal lumen to the catheter's outer surface may exist through a sidewall of the catheter body. A conductor is mounted within the internal lumen adjacent to the exit feature and is adapted to deliver treatment energy to the tissue via the conductive fluid in the internal lumen. At least one surface electrode is mounted on the outer surface of the catheter body adjacent to the exit feature.
US07879019B2
A method is provided for selectively opening a containment reservoir. The method includes providing a device which comprises a substrate in which at least one reservoir is located and covered by a reservoir cap; and directing laser light to the reservoir cap to cause the reservoir cap to disintegrate or become permeable. The device may be an implantable medical device. The reservoirs may contain a drug for controlled release or a biosensor.
US07879013B2
An intravenous catheter anchoring assembly is disclosed and includes a patient-contacting membrane, a platform, and a retaining strap for securing a catheter or tubing of an administration set to a patient. The strap is attached to the platform with adjustable pull-tabs that permit a variety of catheter shapes and sizes to be secured. The strap is also elastomeric so that the strap is stretchable and thereby grabs the secured catheter. The strap and platform further define a plurality of passageways that permit the catheter to be secured in a plurality of non-aligned directions.
US07879011B2
Described herein are methods and devices for selectively applying fluids (particularly anesthetics) to a target tissue from within a blood vessel while minimizing the amount of fluid applied to non-target tissue. The injection catheters described herein may include an elongate body, a directional injector, and one or more holdfasts for securing the catheter before extending the injector. The methods of selectively applying anesthetic to a target structure generally include the steps of inserting an injection catheter into a body vessel, positioning the injection catheter within the body vessel near the target structure, anchoring the injection catheter before extending a directional injector from the injection catheter, and applying anesthetic from the injection catheter to the target structure.
US07879010B2
A device for inserting a cannula into tissue, including a cannula, a protective element which can accommodate said cannula, an operating element for moving the cannula out of the protective element, and a holder fixedly connected to the cannula. The invention encompasses a system for connecting a liquid supply to the cannula.
US07879007B2
An injection appliance including a housing, a product container received by the housing and containing a product, a piston received in the housing in such a way that it can be displaced in a forward direction to dispense the product, a piston rod which acts on the piston in the forward direction, and a spring which acts on the piston rod in the forward direction, wherein, in one embodiment, the spring includes at least two adjacent spring sections each having a different buckling resistance in relation to the same length when the piston rod is a forward position and, in another embodiment, the appliance includes a spring guiding structure that is entrained or in use during a forward movement of the piston rod and secures the spring against buckling, wherein, when the piston rod is in the forward position, the guiding structure extends past an end of the rod.
US07879006B2
The present invention is an ophthalmic injection aid having a positioning member and a needle assembly. The injection aid facilitates the creation of an anterior juxtascleral depot of an ophthalmic drug.
US07879003B2
A multichannel catheter for extracorporeal circulation of blood to a patient undergoing cardiovascular treatments or surgery has three independent channels, an obturator and an expandable balloon. The first channel is the largest and is of a size that allows for delivery of blood through outlet parts in the wall of the first channel to a patient in an amount sufficient to maintain the patient's metabolism and perfusion throughout the treatment or surgery. The obturator is longitudinally insertable into the first channel. The second and third channels are integrated into the wall of the first channel. The second channel is suitable for delivering a biologically active fluid to the heart and/or venting the left heart. The third channel is suitable for delivering a fluid to the balloon for its expansion. The catheter provides an improved means of preparing for or performing cardiovascular surgery on a patient using a cardiopulmonary machine for extracorporeal circulation of blood.
US07879000B2
The invention concerns a method of collecting a biological fluid, in particular blood, with an anticoagulant and/or preservation solution added, in which the biological fluid is collected by natural flow and the anticoagulant and/or preservation solution is added by pumping, the method making provision for measuring the flow of fluid collected and slaving the pumping speed to the measured flow, so as to obtain continuously during collection a given ratio between the quantity of fluid collected and the quantity of anticoagulant and/or preservation solution added. The invention also concerns a collection machine and bag system for implementing the method.
US07878991B2
Device and methods for the treatment of wounds using ultrasound energy are disclosed. The portable wound treatment device may deliver ultrasound energy to a wound through direct contact with the ultrasound tip and/or through a liquid coupling medium. Several ultrasound tips specially designed to concentrate and focus ultrasound energy onto a wound are also disclosed. The ultrasound tip may also possess an abrasive peripheral boundary to aid in debriding the wound and/or removing necrotic tissue. The disclosed invention may have multiple beneficial effects in treating a wound such as sterilizing a wound, reducing external bleeding, and/or providing pain relief.
US07878990B2
A gait training device includes a pair of weight sensors with one of the sensors placed under each foot of an individual. The device also includes a microcomputer and a pair of electrical cables connecting each of the weight sensors to the microcomputer. A control panel/display is connected to the microcomputer and includes a pair of monitors for displaying target loads and/or actual loads averaged over a number of gait cycles for each foot. An audio alarm is also provided and sounds each time that a target load is exceeded. Methods for analyzing and correcting excess forces on an injured limb are also disclosed.
US07878988B2
A method of measuring healing strength of bone includes a bone fixation plate (14) implanted at the healing area between bone segments (12). The bone fixation plate (14) includes high aspect ratio material with electric current conduction properties responsive to strain. This method causes an induced, or directly applied, electric current to pass through the high aspect ratio material. Analysis of the change in this current by a series of increasing loads placed on the healing body part indicates what level of load produces strain on the bone fixation plate (14). As healing strength increases, evidence of strain on the bone fixation plate (14) occurs at a greater load. Physicians determine thereby the strength of bone healing and safe levels of activity for patients while bone healing progresses.
US07878981B2
Improved assemblies, systems, and methods provide safeguarding against tissue injury during surgical procedures and/or identify nerve damage occurring prior to surgery and/or verify range of motion or attributes of muscle contraction during reconstructive surgery. A stimulation control device may incorporate a range of low and high intensity stimulation to provide a stimulation and evaluation of both nerves and muscles. A stimulation control device is removably coupled to a surgical device or is imbedded within the medical device to provide a stimulation and treatment medical device. A disposable hand held stimulation system includes an operative element extending from the housing, the housing includes an operative element adjustment portion and a visual indication to provide feedback or status to the user.
US07878978B2
The present invention provides methods for increasing arterial compliance. The methods generally involve administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of relaxin. The present invention further provides methods of increasing arterial compliance in individuals who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The present invention further provides methods of increasing arterial compliance in perimenopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women. The present invention further provides methods of increasing arterial compliance in individuals who have or who are at risk of developing age-associated arterial stiffness.
US07878976B2
The present invention is directed to a method and system of TCT imaging whereupon an exact inversion formula is used for reconstruction of TCT data. The present invention utilizes inversion formulae that are of the filtered backprojection and ρ-filter types.
US07878965B2
This invention provides methods for treating a variety of disorders using localized electromagnetic radiation directed at excitable tissues, including nerves, muscles and blood vessels. By controlling the wavelength, the wavelength bandpass, pulse duration, intensity, pulse frequency, and/or variations of those characteristics over time, and by selecting sites of exposure to electromagnetic radiation, improvements in the function of different tissues and organs can be provided. By monitoring physiological variables such as muscle tone and activity, temperature gradients, surface electromyography, blood flow and others, the practitioner can optimize a therapeutic regimen suited for the individual patient.
US07878963B2
A smoking article filter includes a flow restrictor and a cavity downstream of the flow restrictor. The flow restrictor includes an orifice or flow channel for directing smoke into the cavity. The filter is attached to the tobacco rod with tipping paper and includes an air-admissible ventilating zone at a location downstream of the restrictor.
US07878962B2
Improved delivery of additive materials to cigarettes is provided through the use of one or more capsules containing additive materials, such as flavor components, in the filter section of a cigarette. The capsule or capsules are provided between first and second absorbent members and the capsules are subjected to an external force, such as squeezing, by a smoker prior to or during smoking of the cigarette in order to release at least a portion of the additive material and expose the additive material to mainstream smoke passing through the filter. The capsules provide a barrier between the additive materials and other cigarettes components, such as sorbents or filter materials, in order to reduce additive material migration into the other cigarette components prior to desired use. An outer cover which is impermeable to the fluid within the capsules is provided about the capsule or capsules and the first and second absorbent members.
US07878957B1
A multi-functional exercising machine has a supporting device, a rotating device and a handle device. The supporting device has a base and a pivotal mount. The pivotal mount is formed on the base and has a positioning panel. The rotating device is connected to the supporting device and has a mounting frame, two guiding bars, a limiting rod and a sliding mount. The mounting frame is connected to the pivotal mount and has a pivotal shaft, a connecting panel and a positioning post. The guiding bars are connected to the mounting frame. The sliding mount is mounted on the guiding bars and has a sliding frame and a hassock. The sliding frame is mounted on the guiding bars and has two rollers, two limiting arms and a connecting pin. The hassock is mounted on the sliding frame. The handle device is connected to the supporting device.
US07878940B2
A 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 a sun gear member, a planet carrier member, and a ring gear member. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes arranged within a transmission housing.
US07878935B2
A continuously variable transmission includes: (a) at least one external, three-dimensional cam; (b) at least four follower assemblies, each including a planet pulley, a roller shaft, and at least one follower roller, the roller shaft being mounted on the planet pulley, the roller shaft being connected to the follower roller; (c) at least two sun assemblies, each including a sun pulley, at least one sprag clutch, and a differential pulley, the differential pulley being mounted to the sun pulley, the sun pulley driving the sprag clutch; (d) an input assembly including a sun pulley shaft, the sun pulley shaft being connected to the at least two sun pulley assemblies through the respective sprag clutches; and (e) at least one differential mechanism connecting each of the sun pulleys to at least two of the planet pulleys; wherein the cam is external to the follower assemblies.
US07878926B2
A golf ball including a composition having an unsaturated polymer, a cross-linking agent, a peptizer, and an accelerator. The composition can be incorporated into the golf ball's core, intermediate layers, and cover layers, and can provide optimal performance and durability properties. The golf balls incorporating the composition are easy to manufacture.
US07878914B2
A constant velocity joint includes: a hollow housing fixed to a first rotating shaft, an inner face of the housing including a plurality of guide grooves; and a tripod disposed at an end of a second rotating shaft, having a plurality of trunnions each positioned in a corresponding guide groove; and an inner roller mounted to each trunnion, an outer roller mounted on each inner roller. Each trunnion includes an a spherical surface in a circumferential area subjecting to the load, and a cylindrical protrusion protruded from the spherical surface of the trunnion, the cylindrical protrusion having an spherical contact surface at its distal end with a gap between the trunnion and the the respective inner roller, and the inner face of each inner roller includes a pair of guide grooves for receiving the cylindrical protrusions.
US07878899B2
A tournament feature is herein disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of providing the tournament feature comprises receiving a tournament participation authorization for a player to participate in said tournament feature; assigning a handicap to a tournament participation in said tournament feature; providing said player on one game machine with said tournament participation comprising a tournament play sequence depending on which a tournament score is obtained; storing said score in storing means with a plurality of scores throughout conduct of said tournament feature; evaluating stored scores upon or after detection of the conduct of said tournament feature having ended to establish a winning score and a winning player who obtained said winning score; and awarding a prize to said winning player.
US07878898B2
A gaming machine includes: a CPU 106 which determines whether or not the game state is to be switched to a special game state advantageous to the player; mechanical reels 30A through 30C formed of a translucent material and operative to display multiple kinds of indicating information variably and statically; a motor driving circuit 120 which controls the display operation of the mechanical reels 30A through 30C; a water tank 500 formed of a translucent material and provided behind a display screen 10 to retain liquid; an acid/base solution supply device 710 which injects a substance, which is capable of changing the color of the liquid stored in the water tank 500, into the liquid; and a drive control circuit 300 which controls the acid/base solution supply device 710 according to the determination made by the CPU 106.
US07878895B2
A gaming apparatus and method of play including a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the value input device. The controller receives wager data in response to a wager made by a person on a game, with the wager data including a first plurality of indicia of a first type, a second plurality of indicia of the first type, where the second plurality of indicia potentially randomly selected to replace one or more of the indicia of a first type in at least one of the first plurality of indicia, and the second plurality of indicia also having an indicia of a second type. A winner is determined from matching any of the first plurality of indicia of the first type with any of the second plurality of indicia of the first type, including any replaced indicia, and a value payout is associated with the level of matching.
US07878892B2
Systems and methods for playing live casino games. The systems have changeable displays which portray virtual playing cards or symbols to live participants. Shuffling, cutting, dealing and return of playing cards are accomplished using data processing functions within an electronic game processor or processors which enable these functions to be performed quickly and without manual manipulation of playing cards. The invention allows casinos to speed play and reduce the risk of cheating while maintaining the attractive ambiance of a live table game. The systems can also be multi-user slot machines using the processor to associate or assign one or more symbols either with the virtual playing cards or as slot symbols in participant subsets. The participant subsets are compared to a predetermined list so that payoffs can be awarded on the basis of winning symbols or combinations of symbols.
US07878882B2
An apparatus for planarizing is disclosed. A methods of planarizing are disclosed. The methods and apparatus, can help improve yield and lower the cost of manufacture for planarizing of workpieces having extremely close tolerances such as semiconductor wafers. Cost of manufacture information are used for control. Methods to determine preferred changes to process control parameters are disclosed. Cost of manufacture models can be used and are disclosed. Process models can be used and are disclosed. A method to use business calculations combined with physical measurements to improve control is discussed. Use of business calculations to change the cost of planarizing and finishing semiconductor wafers is discussed. Activity based accounting can be used for some applications. Electro-planarizing and electro-processing for adding and removing material is disclosed. Use of current cost of manufacture information including activity based accounting information for improving manufacture, cost of manufacture, and profitability is discussed.
US07878877B2
An inflatable device designed to provide safety information to a plurality of people. The inflatable device includes at least one meeting venue and at least one at least one physical activity feature. The meeting includes an inflatable structure.
US07878864B2
An audio jack (1) includes an insulative housing (2) defining an insertion opening (213), and a plurality of contacts (3) retained in the insulative housing (2); each contact (3) has a contact portion (313, 3212) extending into the insertion opening (213) and a tail portion (311, 3221) for connecting with a circuit board; at least a contact (32) comprises a mating section (321) for contacting with a corresponding audio plug (8) and a transmission section (322) separated with the mating section (321) for connecting with the circuit board which the mating section (321) does not connect; at least a contact portion (3212) is arranged on the mating section (321) to electrically connect with the transmission section (322) when the audio plug (8) is fully inserted into the insertion opening (213).
US07878861B2
An energy storage module includes a motherboard and a connector that may convey power, ground, and I/O signals to and from the motherboard. The connector includes a non-metallic housing that includes a plurality of sections, each having a corresponding connector contact portion. A first contact portion includes a first non-metallic protrusion and a first plurality of metallic blade contacts positioned thereon, and the first metallic blade contacts may convey backup power. A second contact portion includes a second non-metallic protrusion and a second plurality of metallic blade contacts positioned thereon, and the second metallic blade contacts may convey a circuit ground return path for the backup power. Further, a third contact portion includes a third non-metallic protrusion and a plurality of metallic pin contacts positioned thereon, and the metallic pin contacts may convey input/output (I/O) signals, input power, and a circuit ground return path for the input power.
US07878847B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a number of first and second contacts retained therein. The insulative housing defines a first receiving cavity with a first tongue extending thereinto and a second receiving cavity with a second tongue extending thereinto. The second receiving cavity communicates with the first receiving cavity in an up to down direction. The first contacts are disposed on opposite first and second surfaces of the first tongue. Each first contact has a first contact portion protruding into the first receiving cavity and a first tail portion. The second contacts are disposed on a mounting surface of the second tongue. Each second contact has a flat second contact portion exposed to the second receiving cavity and a second tail portion. All first tail portions and second tail portions extend out of the insulative housing and are arranged in a row.
US07878845B2
An electrical system (500) is positioned beneath an access floor (30) and includes a number of access floor modules (502) for providing electrical power locations for energizing electrical devices. Cable assemblies (578) electrically interconnect the modules (502) to the power source and to each other. Junction blocks (518) are mechanically connected to the access floor modules (502). Electrical receptacle blocks (562) are electrically interconnected to the junction blocks (518) for supplying power to interconnected electrical devices.
US07878835B2
An electrical connector (100) for electrically connecting a central processing unit to a printed circuit board, including a rectangular insulative housing (40) having a plurality of receiving channels; a number of contacts received in the receiving channels; a cover (10) rotatably covering on the insulative housing so as to press the central processing unit; a lever (50) comprising an operating portion (504) and two pressing portions (503) to lock the cover; and a stiffening frame positioned under the insulative housing. Wherein said stiffening frame is formed with a first and second stiffening plates (30,31) and two stiffening beams (20), each stiffening beam has two engaging portions (212) extending longitudinally, each stiffening plate comprises a first and a second fixing plates (301,311) on two sides thereof to fix the engaging portions transversely to form a frame structure. The stiffening frame is formed by joint to avoid wasting the material of the central as the stiffening frame is formed by punching an integrated metal plate.
US07878834B2
A connector device for maintaining a desired spatial relationship for spatially and securely connecting to a platform, such as a circuit board, in an efficient manner. The connector device generally includes a body portion separated from the secondary device, a plurality of legs extending from the body portion for removably attaching the body portion to the secondary device, wherein the plurality of legs each include a foot member insertable within an opening of the secondary device for grasping the secondary device and at least one contact pin extending from the body portion to contact the secondary device on an opposite surface as the foot member. The contact pin maintains the separation between the body portion and the secondary device and includes a spring for providing a counter force against the secondary device with respect to the foot member.
US07878830B2
An electrical connector assembly includes a housing, a receptacle and a receptacle contact. The housing has an interior chamber between a cable end and an interface of the housing. The interface is configured to receive a mating end of a mating electrical connector. The receptacle contact is disposed within a slot of the receptacle and is configured to engage a corresponding contact in the mating electrical connector. The receptacle contact is pivotally mounted in the receptacle and configured to pivot about a pitch axis and along the slot of the receptacle to align with the corresponding contact in the mating electrical connector. Optionally, the receptacle is mounted so as to pivot in the interior chamber and is configured to pivot about a yaw axis within the interior chamber over a predetermined limited range of travel to align the receptacle contact with the corresponding contact in the mating electrical connector.
US07878813B2
The invention relates to a connection device for transmitting electric current, in particular for a steering wheel heater of a motor vehicle, between a stationary housing part and a rotor which can rotate with respect to the housing part, comprising a flat ribbon cable and end plug connectors which are provided in the region of the free ends of the flat ribbon cable. The invention is characterized in that the flat ribbon cable has a central plug connector which is placed between the end plug connectors and is intended to be arranged on the rotor side or housing side, from which central plug connector at least one line runs to one end plug connector and one line to the other end plug connector, wherein the two end plug connectors are intended to be arranged on the housing side or rotor side. The invention also relates to a steering column/steering wheel transmission unit with a connection apparatus of this type.
US07878812B2
An improved chalkboard marking surface comprises a rollable, flexible sheet of polypropylene having two sides that are opposite one another, each having a generally flat surface. On one side, a layer of adhesive is applied to the polypropylene substrate. On the same side of the polypropylene substrate, a selectively removable release sheet is preferably applied to the layer of adhesive for the purpose of keeping foreign materials from attaching to the adhesive when the chalkboard surface is not in use. On the reverse side of the polypropylene substrate, a layer of ink is applied which forms an abrasive surface after it dries, and importantly, results in a chalkboard surface that is lighter in weight.
US07878810B2
A method for evaluating at least one cognitive and/or non-cognitive ability of a user is disclosed herein The method comprises receiving performance data from at least one associated activity, transmitting said performance data to an analysis engine, receiving, from the analysis engine and based on the new and pre-existing performance, an evaluation and diagnostic feedback, wherein the evaluation and diagnostic feedback are the product of at least one mathematical model, and wherein the evaluation describes the at least one cognitive and/or non-cognitive ability, and transmitting to the user report text, wherein the report is based on both the evaluation and the diagnostic feedback.
US07878807B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus for removing enamel from a person's tooth includes a blade portion and a handle portion. The blade portion includes an abrasive surface adapted to remove enamel from the tooth in response to reciprocating movement of the abrasive surface against the enamel of the tooth. The handle portion is coupled to the blade portion, has a substantially solid cross-section, and is adapted to be inserted into a corresponding opening in a driver mechanism that is adapted to drive reciprocating movement of the blade portion to provide the reciprocating movement of the abrasive surface.
US07878805B2
Embodiments include dental appliances, dental appliance systems, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a dental appliance includes a number of tooth apertures for the placement of teeth therein and a tab representing a position of a tooth that has not fully erupted and oriented to be received over the position of the tooth that has not fully erupted.
US07878802B2
The present invention provides designs for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket. The self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot, a rotary ligating cover permitting access to the archwire slot, and one or more locking features for holding the rotary ligating cover in a closed position. In one embodiment, the bracket includes one or more locking tabs on the rotary ligating cover aligned in coplanar relation to and cooperatively mating with cutout portions in the base. In one embodiment, the bracket includes at least one resilient retention mechanism which may include one or more relief channels permitting flexing of at least portions of the rotary ligating cover adjacent to the one or more locking tabs.
US07878796B1
A candle flame candle which is constructed of a center wick and a body of wax surrounding the center wick except a tip portion of wick wherein the wick is impregnated with at least one of a coloring agent and a color enhancer.
US07878788B2
A technique for extruding a strip of rubber having filaments embedded therein. The rubber is channeled to an extrusion orifice for forming the strip. The outline of the extrusion orifice presents first and second orthogonal planes of symmetry that intersect at a straight line that is substantially parallel to a direction in which the strip is extruded through the extrusion orifice. The channeling of the rubber can be done with an upstream main channel having the first plane as a plane of symmetry, and extended by two downstream secondary channels that are substantially symmetrical to each other about the first plane. The main channel and the two downstream secondary channels also have the second plane as a plane of symmetry.
US07878787B2
The invention relates to a forming tool 1 for forming fiber products. The forming tool according to the invention comprises a permeable shell 3 with an internal cavity 5 that is filled with loose objects 6 such as spheres. The cavity 5 is enclosed by the shell 3 and a permeable cover 7.
US07878782B2
The present invention relates to a screw compressor and a method for operating the compressor primarily for gaseous refrigerants, comprising a compressor housing (4) and a male (8) and a female (10) screw rotor arranged in screw rotor bores in the compressor housing (4), which male and female rotor are co-rotatingly drivable and interacting for compressing the refrigerant, which screw compressor comprises at least one slider (22) movable in relation to the male and the female rotor, where movement of the slider controls the internal volume ratio of the screw compressor, which slider is moveable in a slider housing (20) in a direction sideways to the plane formed by the rotational axes of the male and the female rotor, which slider, interacting with the male and the female rotor, comprises at least two surfaces (152, 154) cooperating with subsequent surfaces (156, 158) placed in conjunction with the slider housing for controlling the angular and linear placement of the slider in its forward position.
US07878773B2
An improved peristaltic pump whereby the elastomeric tubing communicates with the peristaltic pump in a way that allows for axial movement of the tubing thereby extending the flex life of the pump tubing. A tubing element is fitted with a flange that allows tension to be applied to the tubing in a way that changes depending upon the location of the rotor at any given time. The tension can be applied via an elastic material located between the flange and the housing or between the housing and a device that communicates with the flange. The dynamic tension reduces the amount of stress on the tubing material when the rollers first engage the tubing on the suction side of the pump and when they depart the tubing on the discharge side of the pump. The invention is particularly useful for materials that have limited axial flexibility and for those with very large axial flexibility.
US07878765B2
Systems and methods for monitoring operation of a pump, including verifying operation or actions of a pump, are disclosed. A baseline profile for one or more parameters of a pump may be established. An operating profile may then be created by recording one or more values for the same set of parameters during subsequent operation of the pump. The values of the baseline profile and the operating profile may then be compared at one or more points or sets of points. If the operating profile differs from the baseline profile by more than a certain tolerance an alarm may be sent or another action taken, for example the pumping system may shut down, etc.
US07878758B2
An exemplary thrust collar for a turbocharger includes a substantially annular body that includes an axis of rotation, a bore, opposing end surfaces where one of the end surfaces is substantially normal to the axis of rotation and capable of seating a back end of compressor wheel, and a surface disposed in the bore where the surface is substantially normal to the axis of rotation and capable of seating a surface of a turbocharger shaft. The axial distance between the end surface for seating a back end of a compressor wheel and the surface disposed in the bore for seating a surface of a turbocharger shaft is selected to improve balancing of a rotating assembly. Various other exemplary devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US07878752B2
A bearing for use between components of a construction machine, particularly on a boom on excavators, loaders, cranes, and related equipment having a first component articulated to a second component by the bearing and in which a third component acts on the bearing. The bearing assembly having a pin extending in the direction of a swiveling axis of the bearing, borne in a bearing tube.
US07878741B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for shaving the inside of barrels. In particular, the present invention relates to reconditioning used wine barrels by shaving the inside surface to a predetermined depth, ready for re-crozering, toasting, and re-use. Conventional shaving methods typically involve routing the internal surface by hand, but this technique is problematic in that it is a very slow process, the quality of the wood is often adversely affected, and there is no way of ensuring that the surface will be shaved to the same depth across the entire surface. Therefore, the resultant internal dimensions of the barrel are not reflective, relatively, of the original barrel surface. The apparatus of the present invention includes a scanning device adapted to scan the internal dimensions of the barrel, and a cutting device adapted to shave the internal surface to a predetermined depth relative to the scanned internal dimensions.
US07878720B2
A shutter for a micro camera module includes a substrate made from silicon wafer and a light absorbing layer covering the surface.
US07878719B1
A sliding lens cap has a base, a driven cover, a driving cover, a linking bar and a sliding bracket. The base is mounted in front of the lens and has a lens hole aligning with the lens. The driven and driving covers are mounted pivotally to each other and selectively cover the lens hole. The linking bar and the sliding bracket are mounted pivotally to each other and are connected to the driven and driving covers. With such connection, a user opens and closes the covers by actuating the sliding bracket without touching the covers. Therefore, contact with the lens is prevented.
US07878708B2
A temperature sensor arrangement in an automatic transmission in which the temperature sensor (1) is arranged such that oil leaked from the hydraulic system permanently flows around it.
US07878702B2
A baby food maker (100). Baby food maker (100) comprises a jar (102) having an open top and an open bottom for holding food, a top cap (104) for closing the open top of jar (102), a bottom cap (106) sealingly engaged with the lower end of jar (102) for forming a cooking chamber (103), a blending or stirring mechanism (114) installed inside cooking chamber (103) for blending/stirring food, a heating tube (116) fixedly installed on the bottom of bottom cap (106) for heating food, a blender base (112) disposed underneath cooking chamber (103) for supporting cooking chamber (103), a motor (124) installed inside blender base (112) and removably coupled with mechanism (114) for driving mechanism (114) to blend or stir food, and an adapting member (110) engaged with the lower portion of jar (102) for adapting cooking chamber (103) to stand on blender base (112).
US07878701B2
The present invention is concerned with an apparatus for preparing food (10), in particular baby food made from fresh vegetables or the like, the apparatus comprising a body (12) and heating means (32) adapted to heat and/or cook food placed within the body, preferably by steaming, the apparatus (20) also comprising a blending assembly (18) which is operable to blend food located within the body (12), preferably after said food has been cooked using the apparatus (10).
US07878700B2
A method and apparatus for controlling the removal of polymer from a mixer using an outlet gate that is coupled to an actuator by way of a pair of flanges, one flange carrying a protuberance and the other flange carrying a depression into which the protuberance fits in a sliding manner.
US07878692B2
A light fixture assembly including an illumination assembly in the form of one or more light emitting diodes is interconnected to an electrical energy source by control circuitry. A mounting assembly supports the illumination assembly and a cover structure is disposed in heat transferring relation to the mounting assembly, wherein both the mounting assembly and the cover structure are formed of conductive material, thereby effectively dissipating the heat generated by the LED illumination assembly. The illumination assembly is connected to a source and electric energy by a conductor assembly comprising one or more conductive material connectors mechanically interconnecting components of the light fixture into an assembled orientation. A non-conductive insulation assembly isolates each of the one or more conductive connectors from the mounting assembly to avoid electrical contact there between.
US07878679B2
A fluorescent light fixture is suspended by a longitudinally extending trapezoidal pendant bracket/stabilizer. The trapezoidal pendant bracket/stabilizer includes a horizontally extending top brace and a pair of obliquely extending arms extending downward in opposite directions from the top brace in a trapezoidal crossection. Each obliquely extending arm has a flat, horizontally and outwardly extending attachment foot extending longitudinally along a flat top surface of the fluorescent lamp fixture, wherein each attachment foot is attached to the flat top surface of the fluorescent lamp fixture. The horizontally extending top brace is attachable to a ceiling mounted fastener, such as a toggle hanger or other downwardly extending fastener.
US07878677B1
A novelty ceiling fixture includes a housing mounted within a ceiling having a hub depending therefrom. The hub is formed of two independently rotating segments each having an angled, truncated end adjoining the other. Attached to the lower segment is a fixture configured to resemble a skateboard mounted on wheels. Each wheel includes a translucent or transparent outer surface superimposed on a plurality of peripherally-disposed LED'S. A remote unit controls the operation of the LEDs and hub segments so that the fixture simulates the movement of a conventional skateboard.
US07878674B2
A method and apparatus of lighting a marine habitat for growth utilizing an LED light system. The light system includes an LED light source, a power supply for such light source and a controller for controlling the activation status and the intensity of the LED light source.
US07878673B2
A spa speaker mounting and illumination receptacle includes a light transmitting circular flange and a circular light transmitting sidewall perpendicularly disposed to and supporting the flange, the sidewall including at least a first lamp receptacle and at least a first tapered portion, the first lamp receptacle being disposed to direct illumination from a lamp disposed therein into said first tapered portion, the first tapered portion being tapered to enhance the uniformity of distribution of illumination around the flange.
US07878672B2
The door knob contains a body assembly having a transparent cap member, a touch-sensitive member, and a connection member, joined together in this order along an axial direction of the door knob. The cap member is filled with a fluid of high viscosity dispersed with spangles. The touch-sensitive member contains a power element, a switch element that is turned on by electrostatics or vibration, and at least a light generating element. When the door knob is touched by hand, the switch element is closed by the electrostatics of the hand or the vibration of the door knob. By the received electricity from the power element, the light generating elements are turned on and the light penetrates through the transparent cap member to provide illumination.
US07878671B2
A file system for a stage lighting system that maintains the different files associated with the stage lighting system. Each of the files that can represent an effect are maintained within the system within a configuration file. The configuration file can be updated on each start of the system so that the system can maintain information indicative of current configuration files. A test mode can also be entered in which a pre-formed show can be tested against the current state of the configuration files.
US07878669B2
A knob deco for a laundry machine is provided. The knob deco may include a knob guard in which a dial knob is inserted, and a lamp window main body mounted at a rear surface of the knob guard. Lamp windows may be formed in the knob guard for transmitting light emitted from a rear side of the knob guard to a front side of the knob guard, and lamp window shielding members may be provided at the lamp windows to partially shield light transmitted through the lamp window.
US07878667B2
A novel latch for pivoted optical elements of a solar concentrator and other equipment latches them in position between orientation operations. The mirrors may be on a universal pivot that can rotate or tilt in any direction; or on gimbal pivots. The orientation power can be turned off between alignments with the mirrors remaining in alignment orientation during this off-power period. Turning off the alignment power between alignments, saves on both energy resources and on expensive apparatus. It permits a great reduction in power supply as the optical elements can be aligned sequentially. This not only reduces operating costs, but also capital investment because smaller power supplies can suffice. A preferred embodiment utilizes the freezing of a liquid material. Since this involves no moving parts for latching, the instant invention is ideally adapted for fabrication from the nano- to the mini-realm.
US07878660B2
A method for controlling a cooling device within a projecting system is provided. The cooling device cools the projecting system with a predetermined period after the illumination device of the projecting system is turned off. Then, after the projecting system is restarted, it is detected that whether the illumination device is lighted or not. As the illuminating device is not lighted, the predetermined period is extended.
US07878659B2
An illumination optical system configured to guide a light flux from a light source unit onto an illuminated surface includes a compression system configured to compress the light flux at a different compression ratio in a first cross section and a second cross section which are orthogonal to each other, and a polarized light splitting unit including a polarization split surface. The second cross section includes a line normal to the polarization split surface. Where a compression ratio for compressing a light flux in the first cross section is α, a compression ratio in the second cross section is β, and an F number smaller of F numbers calculated according to a maximum angle of a light flux incident on an illuminated surface in the first and the second cross sections is Fno, the following conditions are satisfied: −0.18*(Fno)+1.245*(Fno)−1.260<α/β<1 1.4≦Fno≦3.6.
US07878658B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a prism capable of being utilized in a scanned beam projector comprises a first window disposed on a first surface through which the beam is capable of passing to impinge upon a scan engine at an angle of incidence off axis from an axis normal to a plane of the scan engine, and a second window disposed on a second surface through which the beam is capable of passing. The first surface of the prism is disposed at a non-parallel angle with respect to the second surface to reduce distortion of the scan pattern or image from the scan engine. The prism may further comprise one or more internal surfaces capable of reflecting the beam onto the scan engine off axis, where such reflecting may impart a desired polarization state to the beam reflected onto the scan engine.
US07878654B2
The present invention relates to a multi-purpose ophthalmological apparatus, comprising first optical means, provided with one or more first mires, and sensing means for acquiring along a first optical path an image comprising said one or more first mires reflected by a patient's eye, characterised in that it comprises separating optical means for separating the first optical path from at least one second optical path, and in that it further comprises second optical means, provided with one or more second mires, located along the first optical path between the separating optical means and the sensing means, whereby said image further comprises said one or more second mires reflected by the patient's eye.
US07878652B2
Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The system includes a computer control system and an environmental light source that is controlled by the computer control system such that an amount of light provided by the environmental light source is adjusted by the computer control so that ocular parameters of an examinee are within a targeted range. Further, the system includes an irradiation system that provides multiple angle and axial eccentricity illuminations and selective wavelength irradiation based upon instructions received from the computer control system, wherein the computer control system instructs the irradiation system to provide different irradiation characteristics for different screening procedures. Also, the system includes an image detection system that captures ocular images of the examinee, wherein the computer control system analyzes captured images and provides results of in-situ analysis. Other systems and methods are also provided.
US07878647B2
A frame for eyeglasses, an associated temple, and a method of making the same are provided. The temple includes a receiver, a pliable support member, and a flexible ear piece. The receiver extends from a proximal end of the temple to a second end. The proximal end is configured to rotatably connect to a support section of an eyeglasses frame. The receiver defines a cavity that extends from second end toward the proximal end. The support member has a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion of the support member is within the cavity. The distal portion of the support member extends out and away from the second end of the receiver. The ear piece extends around the support member and the second end of the receiver. The flexible ear piece and the pliable support member form an integrated ear piece that is shapeable by a wearer.
US07878640B2
A method of priming one or more inkjet printheads, the method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a printhead assembly comprising: an ink distribution manifold having an ink inlet and an ink outlet; one or more inkjet printheads mounted on the manifold, each inkjet printhead comprising an array of nozzles; an upstream ink line connected to the ink inlet; and a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet; (ii) providing an ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink inlet via the upstream ink line; (iii) providing an air pump having a pump outlet in fluid communication with a headspace of the ink chamber, and a pump inlet in fluid communication with the downstream ink line; (iii) actuating the air pump so as to draw ink from the ink chamber, through the manifold and into the downstream ink line, thereby priming the inkjet printheads; (iv) receiving the ink in an expansion chamber in the downstream ink line; and (v) deactuating the pump.
US07878639B2
A printer comprising: an inkjet printhead having a plurality of ink inlets, a plurality of ink outlets and an array of nozzles; a plurality of ink chambers, each ink chamber having an outlet port connected to a corresponding ink inlet via a respective upstream ink conduit; a single air pump having a pump outlet communicating with a headspace in each ink chamber, the pump being configured to positively pressurize each headspace during a printhead priming operation; and a plurality of downstream ink conduits, each downstream ink conduit being connected to a corresponding ink outlet, and each downstream ink conduit communicating with a pump inlet of the pump.
US07878638B2
The invention provides a liquid ejecting head which is capable of introducing liquid from a liquid storage member to a pressure chamber through a liquid flow channel and discharging the liquid in the pressure chamber from a nozzle opening as liquid drops by an operation of pressure generating means including: a filter chamber in the middle of the liquid flow channel, the filter chamber having a diameter larger than other portions of the liquid flow channel and having a filter disposed therein for filtering the liquid in the liquid flow channel, wherein the filter chamber includes a liquid repellent area having a static contract angle with respect to liquid larger than that of the inner wall on the downstream side of the filter formed on the inner wall in the vicinity of the filter on the upstream side thereof.
US07878626B2
A printing method includes: preparing a printing apparatus provided with a carry unit that carries a medium in a carrying direction, and a plurality of nozzle groups that have respectively a plurality of nozzles lined up in the carrying direction; and printing an image to be printed on the medium by alternately repeating a dot forming process for forming dots on the medium by ejecting ink from each nozzle of a plurality of the nozzle groups that move in a moving direction, and a carrying process for carrying the medium in the carrying direction, and forming a plurality of rows of dots, lined up in the carrying direction, that are configured by a plurality of dots lined up in the moving direction, wherein in a case a certain row of dots is formed by a plurality of the nozzles, if, of a plurality of the nozzles that form the certain row of dots, the number of nozzles of a certain nozzle group is smaller than, of a plurality of the nozzles that form the certain row of dots, the number of nozzles of another nozzle group, each nozzle of the certain nozzle group forms a larger number of dots configuring the certain row of dots than each nozzle of the another nozzle group.
US07878625B2
A printhead positioning system is provided wherein the shuttle assembly is split up in a printing shuttle, having a high accuracy positioning capability and a utility shuttle needing only a low accuracy positioning system. Due to this split-up the mass of components which have to be positioned accurately is greatly reduced and therefore making it easier to position the lighter load accurately and allowing for use of cheaper drive systems while maintaining the high accuracy in printing.
US07878613B2
Mask patterns to be used for multi-pass printing make it possible to make a print with a higher quality at a higher speed. Specifically, by performing a swapping process with adjacency forbiddance, two points in the horizontal direction, or the scanning direction of a printing head, are selected in a buffer in which codes for each scan pass are set depending on printing ratios of a gradation mask. Subsequently, codes are swapped between the two points. By this swap, adjacencies between print permitting areas are eliminated in the mask pattern. As a result, when driving frequencies set for the printing head is kept constant, the scanning speed can be doubled at minimum.
US07878604B2
A damping force generating mechanism (V) comprises a front valve body (6) which allows working oil to flow from a first oil chamber (R1) to a second oil chamber (R2) under a predetermined resistance when lifted, and a rear valve body (7) which is disposed on the rear side of the front valve body (6) and allows working oil to flow from the second oil chamber (R1) to the first oil chamber (R1) under a predetermined resistance when lifted. An oil passage (5c) and a check valve (10) are provided to serve as a part of a flow path from the second oil chamber (R2) to the first oil chamber (R1). By disposing the oil passage (5d) in parallel with a center axis of the front valve body (6) and the rear valve body (7), the size of the damping force generating mechanism (V) can be reduced.
US07878600B2
Wheels including one or more retention elements for affixing a polyurethane tire to a hub of the wheel are disclosed. The polyurethane tires of the wheels disclosed are manufactured separate from the hub and affixed to the hub via the retention elements thereby enabling additional manufacturing processes for the polyurethane tires and reuse of the hub portion of the wheels. Such manufacturing processes also allow for more complex polyurethane tire design and combinations of polymers to produce composite wheels allowing for increased comfort and durability. The wheels are particular suitability for use with industrial vehicles, such as lift trucks.
US07878596B2
A head restraint system includes a vehicle seat comprising a seat back and a seat bottom. The system further includes a head restraint guide positioned in the seat back. The head restraint guide is adapted to hold a head restraint at a selectable position. The system further includes a first and second gear rack and a gear system adapted to contact the first and second gear racks and move said gears tracks in a relative linear manner. The first gear rack is attached to the head restraint guide while the second gear rack is fixed relative to the seat back. An actuator system drives the gear system such that positioning of the seat back in a folded position causes the head restraint guide and the head restraint positioned therein to be lowered.
US07878581B2
The invention relates to a vehicle roof comprising a liftable covering element that can be displaced above a fixed roof section. A control mechanism for the covering element is respectively provided on both sides of the covering element. According to the invention, the control mechanism comprises a drive carriage, a rear release lever which is connected to the covering element in the region of the rear edge thereof in an articulated manner, a front release lever which is connected to the covering element in the region of the front edge thereof in an articulated manner, and a coupling lever which is rotatably connected to the front release lever, co-operates with the drive carriage, and can be displaced in a release position in relation to the drive carriage in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The displacement of the drive carriage in the direction of the rear of the vehicle causes firstly an outward pivoting of the rear release lever from a closing position of the covering element, and an outward pivoting of the front release lever when an abutment is reached between the drive carriage and the coupling lever.
US07878570B2
A passenger weight measurement device for a vehicle seat which can be assembled to prevent the occurrence of the initial deformation and the initial load. The passenger weight measurement device 1 comprising a pair of left and right fixed lower rails 3 fixed on the floor of a vehicle, a pair of movable upper rails 4 disposed to be movable in a front-and-rear direction on each of the fixed lower rails 3, load sensors 50 and 60 fixed on an upper surface of the left movable upper rail 4, load sensors 70 and 80 mounted on the movable upper rail 4 to be movable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right movable upper rail 4, and a rectangular frame 110 mounted on the load sensors 50, 60, 70, and 80.
US07878566B2
A mounting system for motor vehicle audio components is described. The mounting system comprises a chassis and at least one vibration damping element. The vibration damping element is mounted within the chassis in a position to support and secure an audio component. The vibration damping element has a slot receiving a fastener that is connected to the audio component. The fastener secures the audio component in a first position and translates along the fastener slot under a predefined load.
US07878560B1
An electric lock for remote access control to a container wherein a U-shaped latch is mounted on a door in alignment with a slot in a housing mounted in the container. Upon closure, the latch enters the housing to engage a slotted keeper therein and causes rotation of the keeper. Rotation of the keeper causes a release lever to engage a stepped protrusion on the keeper and secures the keeper and latch. Activation of a solenoid or drive motor coupled to the release lever permits withdrawal of the latch from the housing. The axes of rotation of the keeper and release lever are located to greatly reduce the impact of pre-release forces to the door.
US07878556B2
A safety release adapter for making a sealed fluid connection with a male connector that is disconnected when a pulling force is applied between the adapter and the connector. The safety release adapter includes a base and a socket. The base receives and secures a first male connector. The socket includes a cavity with a lip at the distal end of the socket. The socket releasably secures a second male connector with the lip inside the socket opening engaging a neck of the second male connector. The first male connector extends into the socket in a sealed interface with the socket such that when the second male connector is secured in the socket with a sealed interface with the socket, the valve buttons of each connector are mutually depressed so the two connectors are in sealed fluid communication.
US07878552B2
An insert coupling more preferably intended for use with fuel lines consists of a sleeve-like coupling body (2) and a tubular insert part (1) carrying a retaining rib (3) on the outside. Via a coupling element (22) axially fixed in the coupling body (2) on to which engagement hooks (4, 4′) are molded which are intended for engagement with the retaining rib (3), a ring shoulder (23) is formed at the same time which together with a ring shoulder (24) of the housing (8) of the coupling body (2) axially spaced from said ring shoulder and the radially spaced cylindrical faces of the housing (8) facing each other and the insert part (1) define a ring space (11) in which a sealing arrangement consisting of two sealing rings (5, 7) and a support ring (6) arranged in-between are accommodated. As a result of the unambiguous axial fixing of the sealing arrangement in the housing (8) the function of the sealing arrangement is not impaired through the removal of the insert part (1) from the coupling body (2) and through inserting said insert part in the coupling body (2). A simple construction of the insert coupling is obtained in that said coupling factually consists only of three substantial components plus the sealing arrangement and can be employed with insert parts (1) which are smooth-walled except for a retaining rib (3).
US07878549B2
A method for embedding covert information on a printed substrate is provided. The method can include the steps of printing overt indicia on a substrate and generating a pattern of microtext representative of at least a portion of the overt indicia. Such microtext is capable of being printed in at least two distinct fonts, including a first font and a second font. The method can further include steps of varying the pattern of microtext such that at least one character of the pattern of microtext is configured to be printed in the first font and at least one character is configured to be printed in the second font, thereby providing a font variation which corresponds to a covert code, and printing the pattern of microtext which includes the font variation on the substrate.
US07878548B2
A pretensioner for restraining an occupant with a seat belt by pulling the seat belt when an impact on a vehicle is generated. The pretensioner comprises a retaining ring having a ring to be in contact with an end of a seal member facing a protective member and a plurality of projections to be in press contact with the inner wall of a housing that project radially outwardly from the periphery of the ring, wherein the retaining ring is press fitted into the housing so that the seal member is fixed to the inner wall of the housing by the retaining ring.
US07878541B2
An airbag module to protect the automobile occupant, which includes an inflatable bag (11) from the gas that is produced by a generator when a dangerous situation to the occupant is detected, which includes a number of internal straps (15, 17 and 19) with different lengths and with each having a predetermined resistance to traction, which are joined at their ends to two areas (21 and 23) of the bag (11), limiting its deployment in the direction of the occupant. The length and resistance to traction of these straps are calibrated so that they break in succession during the deployment of the bag (11) until it reaches the occupant.
US07878538B2
An airbag is constructed such that a gas-discharging amount from a venthole becomes largest when an occupant contacts a center portion, in the left and right direction, of an occupant-facing surface of the expanded airbag. In the airbag, a hanging strap couples a center portion of a front panel and a rear panel. A lid body covers an open-and-close venthole from outside the airbag, and the hanging strap is coupled by a tether. In a case that the airbag is expanded, the hanging strap and the tether are tensed, and the lid body is brought to a state to close the open-and-close venthole. A loosening amount of the hanging strap and the tether becomes largest when an occupant contacts the center portion of the front panel to retreat, and an opening amount of the open-and-close venthole also becomes largest.
US07878533B2
There is provided an airbag device for allowing a holding member to firmly hold an outer circumference part and a peripheral edge part of an airbag during the airbag assembling work and to reduce the assembling work time. The airbag device comprising a holding member (14) for holding an airbag (10) in a state as folded and contained therein, and pressing down a side face of the airbag (10) on the outer circumference thereof. The holding member (14) is made of a woven cloth, and an anticipated rupture part (14k) to be ruptured by a gas generated from an inflator (30) is formed at the position corresponding to the part of the airbag (10), inflating in the initial stage of the expansion thereof.
US07878531B2
To provide a seat device that can provide a smooth and stable deployment performance of an airbag.A seat device includes a backrest 1B, an airbag 11, and an upper guide member 41 and a lower guide member 42. The backrest 1B includes a tear line at an upper portion thereof. The airbag 11 is formed of a bag member, in which base cloths are joined to each other, and is provided in an interior of the backrest 1B so that, during inflation, the airbag 11 cleaves the tear line 44 and is deployed to an upper side of the head of an occupant. The upper guide member 41 and the lower guide member 42 are provided in the interior of the backrest 1B so as to guide a deployment direction of the airbag 11 towards the vicinity of the tear line 44 while restricting the deployment direction during the inflation of the airbag 11.
US07878519B2
An electric slide step for a recreational vehicle assists users in entering and existing the vehicle. A step housing is mounted to the vehicle beneath the exterior door. The housing has steps that are movable on inclined slides between a retracted position when not in use and an extended position for assisting uses while entering and exiting the vehicle through the exterior door.
US07878516B2
Axles and spindle assemblies for wheeled vehicles. More particularly, in at least one embodiment, this invention relates to a substantially curvilinear axle for wheeled vehicles, alone or in combination with a spindle assembly, having a substantially continuous radius of curvature extending from one end of the axle to the other. In at least one additional embodiment, this invention relates to fabricated spindle assemblies having gusset arms for mechanical attachment to axle ends.
US07878512B2
An alignment changing control device that includes: a motor drive section which adjusts electrical power supplied to a motor of the electric actuator according to an operation command and, when receiving an operation inhibiting signal, limits or stops supplying the electrical power to the motor; a motor temperature estimating section for calculating an estimated temperature of the motor from at least a current supplied to the motor, an outside air temperature and a vehicle speed, based on heat balance relationship; and a comparator which transmits the operation inhibiting signal to the motor drive section when the estimated temperature of the motor calculated by the motor temperature estimating section is higher than a predetermined temperature, which is equal to or lower than an operation allowable temperature of the motor.
US07878498B2
A medium transport apparatus including a medium detection sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit that are arranged apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and that changes the signal level of a detection signal output from the light-receiving unit according to the presence/non-presence of a medium between the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, and a medium guide member that is arranged in the middle of a transport path for the medium to guide the medium, and that has a medium guide face for guiding the medium, and a sensor attachment so that the medium guide face may be arranged at a position closer to either the light-emitting unit or the light-receiving unit.
US07878497B2
The image forming apparatus including a sheet conveying path which is arranged at the sheet inserting device and which conveys the sheets on which the images are formed at the image forming apparatus main body and the insertion sheet to the post-processing device and a sheet conveying portion which is arranged at the sheet conveying path and which conveys the sheets being capable of accelerating and decelerating is controlled to accelerate sheet conveying speed of the sheets from the image forming apparatus main body from a predetermined conveying speed at the sheet conveying path, to insert the insertion sheet so as to follow a preceding sheet which is accelerated, and to convey the sheets from the image forming apparatus main body and the insertion sheet to the post-processing device after being decelerated to the predetermined conveying speed.
US07878495B2
Timing information for use to determine the timing to discharge a sheet from an image forming apparatus is transmitted. The timing information is relayed, by being edited repeatedly, from a first sheet processing apparatus connected directly with the image forming apparatus to a second sheet processing apparatus which actually processes the sheet. The timing information is edited on each sheet processing apparatus by considering, for example, transit time of the sheet, processing time of the sheet, preparation time for the sheet to get ready to be processed, and the like. The second sheet processing apparatus transmits the timing information to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus determines the discharge timing of the sheet based on the received timing information and discharges the sheet with the determined discharge timing.
US07878493B2
A cutting board has a main cutting surface and a handle extending from the main cutting surface and vertically spaced above the main cutting surface.
US07878489B2
In order to control vibrations of two parts of a piece of machinery, a variable force may be generated to oppose the vibrations, with the variable force being generated under control of a controller on the basis of an iterative relationship, the iterative relationship being such as to generate the force of one iteration using a controller output signal in frequency domain vector form derived from the controller output signal of the immediately previous iteration in frequency domain vector form plus a frequency domain vector quantity derived from the resultant vibration of more than one previous iteration.Where these two parts are connected by multiple (f) mounting devices, the controller output signals a previous iterations are taken into account, and the frequency domain vector quantity derived from the controller output signals and more than f previous iterations.The information corresponding to the vibration frequency may be derived from a rotating shaft, where the two parts are the engine and chassis of a vehicle.It is also possible generate a force between the two parts which is a harmonic of the frequency of vibration being suppressed.
US07878480B2
A solenoid valve, particularly of the type to be used for controlling a hydraulic system for variable actuation of the valves of an internal-combustion engine, has a valve element co-operating with a valve seat and a pusher element, separate from the valve element, which is pushed against the valve element by the movable core of the solenoid valve when the solenoid of the solenoid valve is energized in order to bring the valve element into contact with the valve seat. After de-energization of the solenoid, the time necessary for bringing back the pusher element into the resting condition in contact with the valve element is reduced thanks to the application of a braking current to the solenoid of the solenoid valve during the stage in which the movable core and the pusher element associated thereto displace in the direction opposite to the direction of the movement generated by the magnetic field of the solenoid, following upon de-energization of the solenoid valve.
US07878471B2
A unitary support for a flat panel video monitor includes a yoke that may be attached to a back side of the monitor in two or more different orientations, and handles extending from opposite side ends of the yoke. The handles may extend diagonally from the side ends of the yoke, imparting the support with a general appearance of the letter “W.” The yoke is also configured to be secured directly to a coupler at the end of an extension arm. A coupler attachment element of the yoke and a support attachment element of the coupler may have engagement features that are configured complementarily to each other to prevent undesired movement of the support relative to the coupler and the extension arm. The complementary engagement features may also enable attachment of the coupler to the support in two or more discrete orientations.
US07878470B2
A motorized mount attaches a monitor to a wall and is able is able to reposition the angle of a monitor through motorized action. The motorized mount can extend the and then swivel and/or tilt the monitor.
US07878469B2
A novel adjustable screed bar holder used to support screed bars used in concrete finish work. The holder moves along a supporting device such as a stake, pin, or post. A lever on the holder is coupled to a cam wheel such that movement of the lever will disengage the cam wheel from the stake. When the cam wheel is in the disengaged position the holder is free to move along the stake until the lever is released and the cam wheel secures against the stake. Typically the holder will be used to hold a piece of lumber, pipe, rebar, or tubing parallel to the forms used in concrete placement. A screed may then be run over the concrete while it rides on the screed bar supported by the adjustable holder.
US07878464B2
Disclosed herein is a mounting structure of a coupler for a sprinkler. The mounting structure is constructed so that a coupler to which a sprinkler head and a water supply line are connected is fitted into a clamp in a lateral direction and is secured at a predetermined position by a snap part, and a support structure having a shape corresponding to the cross-section of the coupler is provided so as to prevent the coupler from rotating in the clamp.
US07878459B2
Aircraft systems with shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, and associated methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes an airfoil, a deployable device coupled to the airfoil, and a shape memory alloy actuator coupled between the airfoil and the deployable device. In one embodiment, the deployable device can be coupled to the airfoil with a hinge having a hinge load path supporting the deployable device relative to the airfoil, and the actuator can be movable along a motion path different than the hinge load path between a first position with the deployable device deployed relative to the airfoil, and a second position with the deployable device stowed relative to the airfoil. In another embodiment, an activatable link can be positioned between the actuator and the deployable device, and can have an engaged configuration in which motion of the actuator is transmitted to the deployable device, and a disengaged configuration in which motion of the actuator is not transmitted to the deployable device.
US07878452B2
An ejection seat includes a headrest that, upon initiation of the ejection seat, moves forward to support the pilot's head in a tilted-forward position. By holding the crewmember's head in a tilted-forward position, windblast forces are controlled to prevent the helmet from pulling upward and backward on the crewmember's head. The headrest may include a pair of struts that extend forward around the sides of the crewmember's helmet to support the crewmember's head against flailing from the windblast. A flexible panel extending between the struts and the headrest panel may also be included to further support the crewmember's head against windblast flailing.
US07878444B2
A two-roll dispenser is disclosed for a plurality of rolls of products, in one embodiment a plurality of toilet paper rolls. The operation of resetting the device to accept replacement rolls of product is achieved by opening the casing. The seer mechanism is also disclosed maintaining a secondary roll of product in a reserve position until a primary roll of product is substantially consumed. In one form, rolls of product having a partial or split core are utilized to achieve the objects of this disclosure.
US07878432B2
A plunger can for a roller assembly within a pulverizing mill has a body which contains a compression spring. A stub shaft transfers the force generated by the compression spring to the roller assembly. A bushing in cooperation with a locking guide in the fore end of the plunger can, along with the stub shaft in an aft end of the plunger can, contains the compression spring there between. The locking guide has an annular flange that fits within an annular channel within the plunger can body. A plurality of extensions spaced around an outside perimeter of the annular flange cooperates with a plurality of extensions around an inside perimeter of the plunger can body such that both sets of extensions clear each other when the locking guide is inserted into the plunger can body. When rotated, the sets of extensions are aligned with each, forming a mechanical lock.
US07878428B2
The invention relates to a device for filling a chamber with a divided solid comprising a divided solid feeder hopper (1), an exhaust chimney (2) fixed to said hopper or connected thereto by a supply conduit (3), a motor unit (4) rotatably driving a shaft (5) which is substantially disposed in the direction of the exhaust chimney and at least one deflector member (8) which is mounted downstream of the output orifice(s) (6, 7) of the exhaust chimney and is pivotable about sail shaft (5) in such a way that it angularly moves away therefrom due to a centrifugal force when said shaft (5) rotates. The shaft (5) is embodied in such a way that it is hollow and shaped in the form of a tube whose internal diameter is sufficient for passing a functional device (9) therethrough.
US07878426B2
A sanitary outlet unit (1) is provided, including an outlet armature (2), with a flow regulator (4) in a region of the water outlet (3) thereof, wherein an aeration device is provided for aeration of the water flow. The outlet unit (1) provides that the aeration unit (5) is located in the outlet armature (2) and/or in at least one water line leading to the outlet armature (2) separately from the flow regulator (4). Through the spatial separation of the functions of flow shaping or water discharge and the aeration of the water flow, there are many possible embodiments for optionally providing the water outlet (3) of the sanitary outlet unit (1) with an extremely thin design.
US07878415B2
A segmented circular bar code is made-up of inner and outer locator rings, one or more data rings, two large orientation cells, an even number of radially-extending gaps dividing the bar code into a corresponding number of segments, and gap locator cells straddling each radially-extending gap. Each of the locator rings and the data rings is circular and has a finite width. All rings are concentric and there is no circumferential space between the rings.
US07878407B2
A POS-based digital image capturing and processing system for illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing illumination technique. The system comprises an area-type illumination and imaging station for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. The area-type illumination and imaging station includes an illumination subsystem for producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible LEDs, and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs. wherein the first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and are substantially coextensive with the FOV of the image sensing array. An automatic object motion detection subsystem automatically detects the motion of an object moving through the 3D imaging volume, while an illumination control subsystem controls the relative power ratio (VIS/IR) of visible illumination and invisible illumination during system operation so as to minimize the amount of visible illumination energy required to capture sufficiently high-contrast images of said objects and successfully process the same.
US07878399B2
In one aspect, the invention provides a device for facilitating the acquisition of media assets. In some embodiments, the device includes: a housing; a USB connector projecting outwardly from an end of the housing; a card reader housed in the housing; non-volatile memory housed in the housing and coupled to the USB connector and the card reader; and a barcode disposed on a major surface of the housing, said barcode encoding an identifier that is associated with customer information.
US07878390B1
Relatively ranking items based on subjective attributes of the items, and for discovering these relatively ranked items. A voting server as described may include a voting application that receives an indication of an item of interest to a customer. Based on preferences indicated by customers, the voting application may rank the item and one or more other items for the subjective attribute. The voting application may also send data representing a user interface to a client system, with the user interface including representations of the item and the other item. The user interface may arrange the representations of the items along an axis corresponding to the subjective attribute.
US07878377B2
A plunger for a syringe of a liquid dispenser comprises a tapered front end section 12 having at its rear end 16 an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the syringe, a cylindrical drum section 14 continued to the rear end 16 of the tapered front end section 12, having a maximum outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the syringe and opening there, and a collar member 24 (30, 32) slidably formed by coupling with an outer circumferential surface in the vicinity of an opening 22 of the drum section 14 and maintaining the close contact with an inner wall surface 26 of the syringe 18, thereby inclination toward the syringe is eliminated and action within the syringe is constantly made smooth.
US07878376B2
A device is provided for holding dispensing and conveying substances such as dry foods such as, for example, flour, breakfast cereal or granola. The device may include a stand holding a possibly hermetically sealed container which may include a conveyor, having a flexible paddle belt mounted on at least two axles and possibly at least one connector. The conveyor is connected to a handle which when rotated may cause the conveyor to rotate and dispense the dry substances such as food from the container into, for example, an outside bowl.
US07878371B2
A controllable door handle sanitizer includes a base and an outer housing coupled to the base and movable between an open and a closed position. The sanitizer also includes a holder that receives and holds a container that stores a germicide and includes a first valve member. The holder is coupled to the base such that when the outer housing is opened, the container can be inserted and removed. The holder includes a biasing mechanism for applying a biasing force against the container to maintain the container in a fully loaded position. The sanitizer also includes an electronic valve module that includes a housing that is coupled to the base by engaging locating and support members integrally formed as part of the base. The module is positioned relative to the holder such that in the fully loaded position, the first valve member is actuated and opened, whereby discharge of the germicide is determined by an operating state of a second valve member of the electronic valve module.
US07878370B2
A system for introducing liquid additive into an alcoholic beverage is characterized by an alcoholic beverage dispensing faucet and at least one liquid additive delivery line routed between a supply of liquid additive and the faucet. Liquid additive may optionally, incident to dispensing alcoholic beverage and under control of a user of the faucet, be delivered through the at least one delivery line for introduction into the dispensed alcoholic beverage.
US07878344B2
A rack for an appliance includes a main section including a frame adapted to be supported within a cavity of an appliance, and a primary platform area. The rack also includes an auxiliary section having an auxiliary platform area and being adapted to be movable relative to the main section between a retracted position and an extended position. In one example, a track is coupled to the frame and the auxiliary section is movable about the track. The auxiliary section can include a support bar configured for sliding engagement with the track. In another example, the track includes a first planar support area and a second planar support area for supporting the auxiliary section. In yet another example, the rack further includes a first stop portion to maintain the auxiliary section in the extended position, and a second stop portion to maintain the auxiliary section in the retracted position.
US07878341B2
The present invention provides an apparatus that comprises multiple cases capable of storing power tool accessories and a carousel. The carousel may comprise support plates with grooves on it and retaining covers. The accessory cases are pivotal with respect to the support plates. Each accessory case can be dismounted when the accessory case pivots to align with the grooves. In accordance with the invention, the use of accessory cases become very convenient. An accessory case can be straightforwardly dismounted from the apparatus and be carried by the user without the need for the whole apparatus to be carried.
US07878334B2
An example sifter shovel assembly includes a handle and a scoop secured to the handle. The scoop includes an outer edge portion. An apertured area of the scoop has a plurality of apertures extending through the scoop and an unapertured area of the scoop extends from the outer edge to the apertured area. An example method of assembling a sifter shovel includes creating a plurality of apertures in a sheet of material and forming the sheet of material into a general scoop shape. The example method then secures a handle to an unapertured area of the sheet of material.
US07878328B2
The invention relates to a packet (1) including: a group of articles (2) which are arranged in several rows (4, 5, 6, 7) which each contain at least two adjacent articles (2), including a first row (4) at the front end (3) of the packet (1), each article (2) having a base (9) and an opposing top (10); a side (16) which is made from a rigid or semi-rigid material, which is disposed on the articles (2) and which includes an upper panel (17) that covers the tops (10) of at least one row (5, 6, 7) of articles (2); and a film (19) which is wrapped tightly around the assembly. The aforementioned upper panel (17) of the side (16) covers the tops (10) of the articles (2) in all of the rows (5, 6, 7) with the exception of the tops (10) of the articles (2) in the first row (4).
US07878326B2
Packaging for an article of manufacture, which includes a base with a ledge formed on its interior, a holder disposed within the base for holding an item, and a lid above the base. The holder, base, and lid may be transparent. The holder may suspend the item above a surface to give the item the appearance that it is floating within the packaging.
US07878322B2
A structure for supporting a pulley holder is provided with a pulley holder for rotatably supporting a pulley around which a belt is movably wound, a frame member that slidably supports the pulley holder along the direction of stretching the belt, and an urging member that elastically urges the pulley holder in a belt tensioning direction in which the belt is tensioned. The pulley holder has fitting portion that is stepwise formed along the belt tensioning direction, and the frame member has a fitting opening whose edge is stepwise formed corresponding to the fitting portion.
US07878321B2
The invention relates to a conveyor assembly, such as a stacker, comprising: a vertically arranged drum having a substantially smooth peripheral surface; a conveyor belt, at least one full turn wound along the peripheral surface of the drum, said belt comprising support elements to support portions of the belt on top of each other; wherein the bottom part of the drum widens outwardly and the remaining part of the drum is cylindrical.
US07878319B2
A sorting switch for diverting articles from one or more infeed conveyors to two or more outfeed conveyors. A cannulae pre-alignment conveyor receives articles from one or more infeed conveyors and selectively diverts individual articles into two or more lateral regions for delivery to an alignment conveyor downstream. The alignment conveyor more precisely aligns the articles within each of the regions for delivery to outfeed conveyors at the downstream end of the alignment conveyor. The alignment and pre-alignment conveyors are realized as belt conveyors with rollers arranged to rotate universally or on axes in specific orientations. In some versions, a belt's rollers roll on bearing surfaces whenever the belt is advancing. In other versions, rollers are selective actuated by moving bearing surfaces. In yet other versions, rollers are not contacted by bearing surfaces at all.
US07878318B2
A cassette for storing bills is described. The cassette includes a shutter, a link which engages the shutter; and a helicoidal drive shaft which engages the link. As the cassette is inserted or removed from a chassis, an actuator fixed to the chassis actuates the drive shaft such that the shutter opens or closes. In some embodiments, the cassette may prevent persons without proper authorization from accessing bills inside the cassette.
US07878308B2
The invention features a system for displaying video information to passengers of an elevator in accordance with a play list defining a sequence of messages. The video information messages can include combinations of digital advertising, “real-time” general information, as well as, building-related information. The system includes an elevator display unit having a display monitor for displaying video information to the passengers, and a local server which, receives scheduling information associated with the video information over a data communication path and, in accordance with the scheduling information, generates a play list used to display at the elevator display unit.
US07878307B2
A method of providing video information to a display monitor within an elevator located in a building, which includes receiving first data defining a category of video information, receiving second data, associated with the category of video information and defining at least one source of the video information; and retrieving from the source, over a data communications path and on the basis of the first data and the second data, the video information to be displayed on the monitor within the elevator.
US07878303B2
A method and apparatus for scavenging lubricant is disclosed herein. In the invention, a rotating structure is encircled within a sump housing and subjected to lubrication. The sump housing collects high-momentum lubricant flow and low-momentum lubricant flow. The interior of the sump housing is separated into a plurality of chambers with at least one dynamic seal. The at least one dynamic seal extends between the sump housing and the rotating structure to isolate the high-momentum lubricant flow from the low-momentum lubricant flow.
US07878299B2
A silencer apparatus for attenuating noise in gas flow systems. The apparatus generally includes a housing having an interior cavity and a gas flow inlet and outlet that are adapted to be connected to a passage such that a gas flowing through the passage enters and exits the cavity of the housing through the inlet and outlet, respectively. A silencer cartridge unit is removably disposed within the interior cavity of the housing and defines a gas flow path fluidically connected to the inlet and outlet of the housing. The silencer cartridge unit has at least one sound-attenuating element that surrounds the gas flow path. The housing is further equipped with a closure that sealingly closes a portion of the housing, and is releasable from the housing to provide an access opening through which the silencer cartridge unit can be removed. The apparatus can also be adapted to include a filtration medium.
US07878298B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a product including a fuel-cell exhaust diffuser; an air funnel; and at least two exhaust tubes attached to the diffuser.
US07878296B2
The present invention relates to speakers and, more particularly, to a speaker sound system, characterized in that the speaker, mounted on a speaker housing constituting a sound emission apparatus, has a guide cover to guide sound radiating from the back of the speaker forwards when the sound is output both forwards and backwards because of fluctuations of a cone of the speaker due to electrical signals, that is integrally attached to the surface of the speaker, thereby providing vivid high-fidelity sound.
US07878289B2
A controller controlling the drive mechanism of a powered industrial truck has two Hall effect sensors, which are located at a lateral distance from one another, and a source of lines of magnetic flux, which can be displaced relative to the Hall effect sensors when the controller is actuated, so that the magnetic flux density changes in the Hall effect sensors.
US07878284B1
A tire that is capable of moving a vehicle in both longitudinal and lateral directions has been developed. The tire is mounted on a circular hub with a center opening and a concave groove around the outer edge. The groove contains an electromagnetic drive mechanism that provides lateral drive to the tire. An axle that provides longitudinal drive to the tire is attached to the center opening. The tire further includes a surface layer that is in contact the groove of the hub, a belt layer comprising a that is connected to the interior of the surface layer and a bladder located in the interior of the belt layer that provides structural support to the tire so that the tire stays within the groove of the hub when the tire is moving laterally. The tire also includes a pair of rigid roller rings made of incrementally spaced roller bearings. Longitudinal movement of the tire is generated by rotating the axle and lateral movement of the tire is generated by the electromagnetic drive mechanism.
US07878282B2
A control device for hybrid vehicle is provided with property alter means 88 that is operative based on whether or not an EV running mode is set and alters a given property used for determining demanded output torque TOUTt of a transmission mechanism by referring to an accelerator opening Acc. This suppresses occurrence of engine startup to meet a requirement for the EV running mode to be initiated. The property alter means alters the given property such that during an EV running mode turn-on state, demanded output torque TOUTt determined based on the accelerator opening Acc has a lower value than that set for an EV running mode turn-off state. That is, this causes a drop in sensitivity of demanded output torque TOUTt determined based on the accelerator opening Acc. Thus, the occurrence of engine startup induced upon depressive operation of an accelerator pedal during the EV running mode is suppressed.
US07878274B2
An earth boring drill bit comprising a milled cutter having rows of teeth hardfacing guides on the cutter. Hardfacing is applied between adjacent teeth hardfacing guides to form a cutting element. The hardfacing may extend past the crest of the teeth hardfacing guides or end along the teeth hardfacing guides flanks.
US07878264B2
A hand-held power tool includes two vibration-damped handles (21), two handle attachment axles (31) for securing the two handles (21) on the tool outer housing (12), respectively, and extending at an angle to respective longitudinal axes (23) of respective handles (21), each handle attachment axle being surrounded, at least in some areas, by the mounting section (24) of the respective handle (21), a damping sleeve (31) formed of an elastic material and provided between the mounting section (24) of the respective handle (21) and the respective handle attachment axle (30), with the damping sleeve (31) forming a first damping element, and a damping body (36) provided on a free end (26) of each handle (21) and forming a second damping element and having an extension (D) in a radial, with respect to the handle longitudinal axis, direction that is greater than a minimal radial extension (T) of the handle (21) at its free, second end.
US07878260B2
A tiller with chassis, pair of handles, and tines, wherein simultaneously raising one handle and lowering the other twists the chassis to lower one tine and raise the other. The tines comprise pairs of blades, each blade having a pair of upturned tips. The height of tines is adjusted by adjusting the support for a wheel. The tiller is supported by an arm having a single ground engaging wheel, pivoting the arm and locking in position to adjust the height of the tiller. The tiller includes a third handle located along its chassis. The chassis is formed from two longitudinally split components. A blade cover for the tiller is thin and curved to lie in an arc spaced from the rotating tips of the tines. An attachment for the tiller has a V-shaped tip and shaped to form a furrow.
US07878259B2
One embodiment of the invention is a hand-held fire extinguisher including: a tube having an open outlet end, an outer surface, and an inner surface; a fire suppressant composition provided within the tube; a propellant source containing a propellant, having a propellant outlet, where the propellant outlet is distal from the open outlet end of the tube and from the fire suppressant composition, and where the propellant outlet is in fluid communication with the fire suppressant composition and the open outlet end of the tube; and an actuator for the propellant source. In such apparatus, actuation of the actuator allows propellant flow from the propellant outlet passing through the fire suppressant composition and out through the open outlet end of the tube.
US07878256B2
A burst plug for positioning in a downhole fluid passage has: a shear disc installable in a sealing position in the fluid passage. The shear disc is openable by applying fluid at a burst pressure against the shear disc. The burst plug has a retainer and sleeve formed to retain the shear disc in a fluid flow blocking position after the shear disc is removed from its sealing position. The sleeve has a shear disc retaining position in locking engagement with the retainer when fluid at burst pressure is in communication therewith. The sleeve thereafter assumes a shear disc removal position when fluid in communication therewith is reduced to a selected pressure lower than the burst pressure. In the shear disc removal position, the sleeve and retainer disengage from the blocking position, allowing the shear disc and retainer to be expelled from the fluid passage.
US07878254B2
A robotic system coupled to a racking platform of an oil well service or drilling rig comprising a base coupled to the racking platform at a fixed location, a mast pivotally coupled to the base by a mast pivot joint allowing rotation of the mast about a mast axis, a mast actuator for controllably rotating the mast about the mast pivot joint, an arm coupled to the mast and moveable along a radial direction with respect to the mast axis, an arm actuator for controllably moving the arm along the radial direction, an end effector pivotally coupled to an end of the arm by an end effector pivot joint allowing rotation of the end effector about an end effector axis oriented generally parallel to the mast axis, and an end effector actuator for controllably rotating the end effector about the end effector pivot joint. The end effector comprises at least one grabbing member operable to selectively grab an elongated object under control of a grabbing member actuator.
US07878253B2
An affixation and release arrangement includes a first component having a fluid pressure chamber. A piston is mounted in the first component and exposed to the fluid pressure chamber. A second component is affixed to the first component through the piston, the piston being responsive to fluid pressure increase within the chamber to unaffix the second component from the first component.
US07878249B2
To perform communications in a multilateral well, a first communication unit having an electromagnetic (EM) field generating element is provided to generate an EM field in a formation between a main bore and a lateral bore of the multilateral well. The EM field generating element includes a component creating a voltage difference along the wellbore. A second communication unit is for positioning in one of the main bore and lateral bore to receive the EM field propagated through the formation between the main bore and the lateral bore.
US07878248B2
A method includes hydraulically fracturing a subterranean formation with a first treatment fluid and allowing the hydraulic fracture to close. The method includes preparing a second treatment fluid having a damage removal agent including carbon dioxide. The second treatment fluid further includes a proppant pack damage removal agent including an oxidizer, a radical initiator, an acid, a solvent, and/or other damage removal agents. The method further includes injecting the second treatment fluid into the subterranean formation at a downhole pressure below a fracturing pressure for the subterranean formation. The method includes holding pressure on the formation while the second treatment fluid enhances formation and proppant pack permeability, and flowing the second treatment fluid back to the surface.
US07878243B2
A formation fluid sampling tool is provided with a drill which drills into the formation in a manner perpendicular or oblique to the borehole wall. The tool comprises a mechanism for enhancing the mobility of the reservoir fluid, such as a heating element on the drill, hot fluid which is generated in the tool and injected into the drilled hole, or a solvent which is stored in the tool and injected by the tool into the drilled hole.
US07878242B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and/or apparatus for deploying wireline tools with a non-electric string. In one embodiment, a method of determining a free point of a tubular string stuck in a wellbore includes deploying a tool string in the stuck tubular with a non-electric string. The free point assembly includes a battery, a controller, and a free point tool. The method further includes activating the free point tool by the controller. The free point tool contacts an inner surface of the stuck tubular string. The method further includes applying a tensile force and/or torque to the stuck tubular string; and measuring a response of the tubular string with the free point tool.
US07878238B2
A cleaning apparatus for cleaning the inner surface of an oil or gas production tubing is disclosed. The cleaning apparatus includes a tubular body, one or more cleaning elements mounted on the outer surface of the body and an elastically deformable stabiliser. The elastically deformable stabiliser is rotatably mounted on the body to centralise the apparatus in the tubing whilst also allowing the body to pass though areas of reduced diameter in the production tubing. Preferably, there are a pair of spaced apart stabilisers having a web arrangement of spars with a flange at each end.
US07878233B2
An air-to-air aftercooler may include at least one tube body configured to direct a flow of charged air, wherein the at least one tube body includes a first material. The air-to-air aftercooler may also include a header assembly coupled to ends of the at least one tube body. The header assembly may include a second different material.
US07878228B2
A heavy-duty tire comprises a tread portion provided with at least three circumferentially continuously extending ribs divided by at least two circumferential grooves extending straight in the tire circumferential direction, wherein the ribs have side edges adjacent to the circumferential grooves; each of the side edges is provided with edge sipes at intervals in the tire circumferential direction; each of the edge sipes extends parallel with the tire axial direction from the adjacent circumferential groove and terminates in the rib; each of the edge sipe has an axial length in a range of not less than 5% but not more than 15% of the axial width of the rib, a thickness in a range of not less than 0.3 mm but not more than 1.0 mm and a depth in a range of not less than 50% but not more than 100% of the depth of the circumferential groove; and the total number of the edge sipes per tire is in a range of from 4 to 8 times the value of the tire diameter in millimeter.
US07878227B2
A debarking chain having passing links; the passing links being substantially rounded in order to permit the passing links to pass through adjacent links such that the orientation of the passing link relative to its adjacent links can change at random in order to randomly distribute the wear and stress from the impact of adjacent or next to adjacent links on the passing links so that the overall wear life of the present debarking chain is extended over similar chain with elongated, oblong links of the prior art. The invention also includes a debarking drum having a plurality of debarking chains having at least one, preferably a plurality of passing links, as well as a debarking device having such a debarking drum. The debarking device preferably includes a chipping device and a method of using the same.
US07878226B2
In an embodiment of a continuously-operating machine for filling containers with at least one granular product, each container is fed along a given path in time with a relative metering device, which withdraws the product from a tank, feeds the withdrawn product into the container, and has a metering cylinder defined at the bottom by a piston which moves, along the metering cylinder, to and from a feed position in which to feed the product in the metering cylinder to a drop chute for unloading the product into the relative container; the piston having a cam follower which is maintained contacting a cam by a pneumatic push assembly.
US07878224B2
Forming fabric that includes a top layer including top weft yarns and a bottom layer including bottom weft yarns. Binding warp yarns weave with the top weft yarns and bind to the bottom layer.
US07878220B2
A pipe plug provides a water-tight seal and expedites locating of non-metallic pipes. The pipe plug includes a hollow body member adapted for being received by an associated piping member of a variety of inner dimensions, and for being engaged with it. The hollow body member includes a tapered portion with tapered threads on its exterior surface and a seal member made of a resilient material. The seal member envelopes the tapered portion of the body and is capable of moving along the exterior surface of the body in a direction generally orthogonal to the direction of the threads, providing thereupon a leak-safe seal. The body is provided with and engaged with a cap portion that includes a metal plate on its top surface, thus adapted for being located with a metal detector.
US07878217B2
A valve device for a sanitary fitting having at least two control elements which are movable relative to one another and on which at least two inlet channels and at least one control channel are formed is described. The control channel is configured for a communicating connection between at least one of the inlet channels and at least one outlet channel, depending on the relative position of the control elements. According to a first aspect of the invention, an additional channel, which is in a permanent, communicating connection with the control channel, is provided in the valve device, thereby ensuring a communicating connection of the additional channel with at least one of the inlet channels, irrespective of the relative position of the control elements. According to a further aspect of the invention, a sanitary fitting having at least one cold-water inlet connection and at least one hot-water inlet connection is provided, which fitting includes a valve device according to the invention.
US07878194B2
An inhaler has a cap body for defining a flow path and having first and second air inhalation openings for introducing outside air into the flow path from the outside; an air inhalation valve for opening and closing the first air inhalation opening by using the difference in pressure between the flow path and the outside; and a shielding section capable of selectively shielding either of the first and second air inhalation openings. The inhaler is configured to be switchable between two states that are a first state where the second air inhalation opening is shielded by the shielding section and outside air can be introduced through the first air inhalation opening by using the pressure difference and a second state where the first air inhalation opening is shielded by the shielding section and communication between the flow path and the outside through the second air inhalation opening is constantly maintained.
US07878193B2
The invention relates to a novel capsule for receiving an active substance to be administered by inhalation, which is preferably intended for use in a powder inhaler operating on the Bernoulli principle.
US07878185B2
A cooking apparatus includes a case in which a cooking chamber for cooking food is provided, a heating source provided in the case, a fan configured to circulate air in the cooking chamber; and a plasma discharger provided in the case and configured to generate plasma in order to remove residue from a surface of the case.
US07878184B2
A hardball weapon for use in exercises or shooting games and designed as military gun is made with a weapon housing (3) containing two coaxial pistons (21, 26) which are mounted directly in the weapon housing (3) and driven by an electric motor (10) via a gear wheel mechanism (12, 18) and toothed racks (24, 25). The first outer piston (21) functions as a movable bolt for loading the cartridge chamber with cartridges (7) with solid balls (6), and the other piston (26) functions as a pressurised air piston for creating an overpressure for firing the balls (6). The weapon housing (3) can be opened by pivoting, thereby giving access to the parts in the firing mechanism for inspection, repair and adjustment.
US07878182B2
An evaporative emissions system may include a first passage selectively providing fluid communication between a fuel vapor region of a vehicle fuel reservoir and an engine air intake system, a second passage in fluid communication with the fuel vapor region and ambient air, and a filter assembly. The filter assembly may be impermeable to at least one of oxygen and hydrocarbons and may be located in the second passage between the fuel vapor region and ambient air. The filter assembly may prevent the at least one of oxygen and hydrocarbons from traveling between the fuel vapor region and ambient air.
US07878175B2
A coordinated torque control system includes a catalyst module that generates a multi-mode enable signal based on a catalyst light off enable signal. A torque reserve module generates a torque reserve signal based on the multi-mode enable signal, an engine speed signal and an air per cylinder signal. The torque reserve module operates in a multi-pulse mode that is associated with injecting N pulses of fuel into a combustion chamber during a combustion cycle of the engine based on the multi-mode enable signal. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.
US07878164B2
In a first embodiment of a camshaft phaser, the rotor is split along an equatorial plane thereof, defining first and second rotor portions. A resilient seal is compressively disposed between the rotor portions to prevent leakage therebetween and to urge the rotor vanes against the cover plate and sprocket surfaces to prevent leakage around the vanes. Preferably, the seal includes radial seal elements to seal against the stator wall. Preferably, pressurized hydraulic fluid can enter between the first and second rotor portions and thereby assist the resilient seal in urging the rotor portions apart. In a second embodiment, the rotor is not split, and a resilient seal is provided on at least one axial face of the rotor vanes to seal the rotor vanes against the cover plate and sprocket surfaces.
US07878163B2
A variable valve lift apparatus includes an end lever; a variable lift body connected to the end lever, and rotatable around the end lever, a valve mounted on the variable lift body; and a low lift cam operable to open and close the valve. The variable lift body includes a high lift body, and a low lift body rotatable around the high lift body. A low lift connecting portion selectively connects the low lift body and the high lift body.
US07878155B2
This invention relates to a collar device that limits the head movement for a canine or feline pet while the pet is recuperating from surgery or injury. The collar may be fitted with removable ear guards. The collar is capable of being coupled to a leash so the animal can be taken on a walk with the protective collar in an operative position.
US07878144B2
An electroless plating apparatus can form a protective film on exposed surfaces of embedded interconnects stably with good selectivity for thereby protecting the interconnects. The electroless plating apparatus includes a magnetic removal portion for magnetically removing small magnetic suspended solids in an electroless plating solution which have not been removed by a filter.
US07878143B2
A film-forming apparatus includes a mixing section which mixes material particles and core particles having a large particle size than that of the material particles; a separating section which separates the material particles and the core particles; an aerosol-generator which generates aerosol by dispersing the separated material particles in a carrier gas; and a nozzle which ejects the aerosol containing the material particles. The core particles having the large particle size can be easily controlled in terms of transport amount of the core particles, as compared to the material particles which are fine particles used for the film formation. Further, since the core particles hardly cause clog-up in the system, the concentration of aerosol can be maintained stably by appropriately controlling the transport amount of the core particles.
US07878142B2
A device (10) to coat food products such as potato crisps or chips and biscuits. The device (10) includes a flavor dispenser 21 that delivers granular flavor material to the products (12) being coated. The device (10) further includes a conveyor (11) with conveyor surfaces (15 to 18) that are arranged in cascade so that the food products tumble from one surface to the next so that the granular flavor material is applied to the various surfaces of the food products.
US07878140B1
A device and method to insure protection of a ballistic protection apparatus using a microtube indicator for alerting a user to inspect the ballistic protection apparatus for flaws, cracks and gaps. The device can include microtubes adapted to function as accelerometers. The microtubes can include a color containing component, a non-color containing component, and a frangible separating portion. The device can include a housing with a top surface, a window, a message, a bottom surface, parallel cuts, and an adhesive for securing the housing to the ballistic protection apparatus. A G-force impact that exceeds a preset limit can cause the color containing component to flow to the non-color containing component, thereby indicating that an excessive G-force event has occurred and that an inspection of the ballistic protection apparatus is required.
US07878136B2
The instant invention is a shroud/keel/rudder combination for use on a engine driven marine vessel having a vented tunnel propulsion system. The combination produces acceptable acceleration, minimal loss of speed, resistance to weed entanglement and optimized steering, in both forward and reverse, especially when used with surface piercing propellers.
US07878123B2
A single rail film dolly and slider includes a substantially V-shaped rail arrangement and a guide arrangement. The V-shaped rail arrangement is adapted to be secured to a tripod. The guide arrangement includes a plurality of wheels, wherein a first portion of the plurality of wheels frictionally engages an interior side of the V-shaped rail arrangement and a second portion of the plurality of wheels frictionally engages an exterior side of the V-shaped rail arrangement. The guide arrangement is adapted to accommodate a camera mounted thereon.
US07878116B2
A stencil printer apparatus is provided. The stencil printer apparatus may include a stencil, a material applicator to apply material on the stencil, a supply roller configured to receive a roll of web-material, the supply roller comprising a first shaft, a take-up roller to receive a roll of web-material, the take-up roller comprising a second shaft, at least one spring-loaded protrusion element associated with one of the first shaft and the second shaft, and a drive configured to move web-material across the stencil between the supply roller and the take-up roller, and a frame to support the supply roller, the take-up roller and the drive. The at least one spring-loaded protrusion element may be configured and arranged on the at least one of the first shaft and the second shaft to resiliently engage at least one web-material core around which web-material may be disposed. Other embodiments and methods ate provided.
US07878112B2
Apparatus is described for storing sensitive materials in containers (32) which are sealed and in which the internal atmosphere may be purged by flushing with an inert gas fed in from a purger unit (30) via a suitable feed lead (35). The gas exhausted from inside the container (32) is fed back into the purge unit (30) and then checked against a desired parameter, for example oxygen concentration, until the value of that parameter reaches a desired level. Purging may then be stopped and the container left sealed, preferably at a slight over pressure relative to the ambient atmosphere. The use of a separate purge unit enables many containers to be sequentially and effectively processed. The containers are particularly useful for storing sensitive chemical and biological samples.
US07878111B2
An oven is used for cooking food and comprises an enclosure having a floor, a ceiling, a back wall, and a pair of side walls. A heating element is disposed on the back wall at a distance from the floor and the ceiling and a shield is disposed between the back wall and the heating element. The shield is configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and to re-radiate lower frequency radiant heat towards the food. The enclosure may further comprise a door and the side walls may be double paneled. A radial fan is coupled to one of the side walls to pull hot air from inside the enclosure and cooler air from outside the enclosure. The hot and cool air are mixed within a space defined by the double paneled side wall and is directed out over the exterior of the door to cool the door.
US07878109B2
A dual-sided cooking device is provided that determines whether the upper and lower cooking platens are substantially parallel to each other when in a cooking position. In addition, the method and device in accordance with the invention are capable of identifying a type of food item placed on a lower cooking platen of a two-sided cooking grill.
US07878107B2
A locking and recocking assembly with swivel breech-lock and rotating locking head particularly designed for inertially-actuated weapons, which combines in a single assembly all the functions for locking, opening, case ejection and recocking with locking return, required for correct operation of the weapon; those functions were, until now assigned to various components variously assembled on the weapon. The locking and recocking assembly with swivel breech-lock and rotating locking head has the entire mass, required for inertial operation, concentrated in the swivel breech-lock, which is accommodated completely within the supporting structure of the weapon, such as the sheath or barrel extension or breech of the weapon. All this leads to better balancing and stability of the weapon, higher reliability in operation, greater constructive simplicity and ease of assembly and disassembly.
US07878105B2
Recoil mitigating devices and methods for use with projectile firing systems such as a disrupter mounted to a robotic arm. A pair of parallel spring provides dampening of axial recoil movement of the disrupter relative to the robotic arm. Forward ends of the springs are attachable to the barrel of the disrupter while rearward portions of the springs are attachable to the robotic arm by a robot mount block. The robot mount block at least partially encloses the barrel of the disrupter in connecting the parallel springs and permits axial movement of the disrupter along or through the mount during firing.
US07878101B2
A weapon system, especially for a ship, having a rocket launcher and an ammunition compartment for storing rocket containers designed to each accommodate at least one rocket. Disposed in the ammunition compartment is a guide mechanism on which at least two ammunition carriages, designed to accommodate the rocket containers, are displaceably disposed, whereby they can be shifted out of a parked position into a loading position in which the rocket container is disposed essentially below a slide-in structure of the rocket launcher. Securing mechanisms are provided for securing the ammunition carriages in place on the guide mechanism.
US07878095B2
A reciprocatable open end wrench comprises a swing member allowing to slide relative to a concave arcuate surface of a second jaw, the radius of a convex arcuate surface of the swing member is equal to that of a concave arcuate surface of the second jaw, and between the concave arcuate surface and the convex arcuate surface is provided with an engagement structure having a slot member and a peripheral protrusion so as to engage with each other. Besides, the reciprocatable open end wrench further includes a stop portion for resisting against the torque of the swing member, thereby enhancing the strength and preventing the related components to be damaged.
US07878093B1
A rotator socket for use with a handheld power drill suitable to install a cup hook, the cup hook characterized by a rounded hook portion having wideness and a semi-spherical flange, comprised of a shank; a body; a slot; a depression and a resilient member.
US07878087B2
A selector device for an automated or automatic transmission, in particular of a motor vehicle, has a selector lever for selecting automatic shift stages and gears of the transmission. It being possible to move the selector lever from a stable initial position into a plurality of directly adjacent labile selector positions for selecting the automatic shift stages and the gears, from which labile selector positions, the selector lever automatically returns into the initial position. The selector device further has a display for visualizing the currently engaged gear and/or the currently activated automatic shift stage. To increase operating comfort, the selector lever can also be moved from the initial position into a stable rest position, from which the selector lever can be moved only in the direction of the initial position.
US07878084B2
A method for determining the position of a shifting element (11), for example of a sliding sleeve in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, with the element actuated by way an actuating element, for example comprising a shifting rod (8) and a shifting fork (10), via an operating element (1). From the actuating pressure and/or the shifting force of the operating element, deformation of the actuating element, for example the shifting rod (8) and/or the shifting fork (10), is determined which result in the position of the shifting element being determined with greater precision.
US07878077B2
The present invention relates to a device for measuring mechanical quantities, in particular for detecting tensile forces, thrust forces and bending deformations, as well as to a method for measuring mechanical quantities and to the use of a device for measuring mechanical quantities.
US07878069B2
There is disclosed a high pressure sensing header which is relatively insensitive to mounting torque. Essentially the header consists of an outer torque isolating shell which has a “C” shaped cross section with the cylindrical shell surrounding an inner “H” section header. The inner “H” section header has a thick diaphragm and is surrounded by the torque isolating shell which is secured to the “H” section header at a peripheral flange of the “H” section header. In this manner when the header is installed, the installation force is absorbed by the outer shell and there is no installation force or torque exhibited by the inner “H” section which will respond only to stress due to pressure. The torque isolating shell also contains a top surface which has a counterbore which can accommodate a crush ring, and when the unit is installed, the crush ring is forced or crushed against an installation wall to enable the inner header to receive pressure without experiencing any significant installation force.
US07878067B2
A temperature compensating pressure sensor arrangement includes a capacitive pressure sensor having a substrate carrying CMOS layers. A conductive membrane is arranged on the substrate and defines a reference chamber such that capacitance changes resulting from displacement of the conductive membrane can be converted to pressure change values. A cap covers the conductive membrane and has openings to permit pressure changes to be detected by the conductive membrane. A capacitive temperature sensor is operatively arranged with respect to the capacitive pressure sensor and has a conductive membrane arranged on the substrate and defines a reference chamber such that capacitance changes resulting from displacement of the conductive membrane can be converted to temperature change values. The conductive member defining openings and cap covers and seals the conductive membrane from an external environment.
US07878064B2
Analytical apparatus for analysing at least one substance has an array of sensors (1) driven by an electronic driver (14) for operating each sensor. The signals produced by the sensors are received by a receiver (82), and the apparatus includes one or more calibration elements connected to the driver and the receiver for enabling changes in parasitic losses in the apparatus to be determined. The invention is particularly applicable to apparatus in which the sensors are electrical-mechanical transducers, individually connectable (in sequence) to the driver and receiver by a corresponding array of switches forming part of an interface (4).
US07878061B2
A micromechanical system includes a substrate, a first planar electrode, a second planar electrode, and a third planar electrode. The second planar electrode is movably positioned at a distance above the first planar electrode and the third planar electrode is positioned at a distance above the second electrode.
US07878053B2
A control system for evaluating a brake booster system is provided. The control system includes an engine evaluation module that detects an engine off condition. A pressure evaluation module monitors hydraulic brake line pressure and detects changes in brake booster pressure during the engine off condition. A fault reporting module selectively detects a brake booster fault based on the brake line pressure and the changes in brake booster pressure.
US07878051B2
A liquid measurement apparatus is configured to measure an amount of liquid flowing from a measured object. The apparatus includes a passage member having a measurement passage being connected to the measured object at one end. The measurement passage is filled with liquid. The apparatus further includes a closed vessel, which is connected to an other end of the measurement passage and filled with saturated vapor of the liquid. The apparatus further includes an analyzer. The liquid filled in the measurement passage contains a bubble, which is movable in accordance with change in amount of the liquid in the measurement passage. The analyzer is configured to calculate a travel distance of the bubble and configured to measure the amount of the liquid flowing from the measured object based on the calculated travel distance.
US07878038B2
A process of production of three-dimensional products from wire (1) or other suitable material, which process may be implemented in a system (8) that may include an advancement mechanism (9), a straightening mechanism (11), a length measuring arrangement (18) towards which advances the material (1), a gripper arrangement (14) suitable to hold the material with fixed grippers (15) and simultaneously with other grippers (16) to twist it to a desired angle around its longitudinal axis (X), and a rotatable bending mechanism (12) that can bend the material plastically in one plane and simultaneously can rotate at a desired angle around the longitudinal axis (X) of the wire (1) so that it may generate bends in different planes. The system (8) implementing the process may also carry a cutting arrangement (13). The process of production of three-dimensional products affords the ability of choosing and energizing within the same product shape either the gripper arrangement (14) or the bending mechanism (12) thus providing the flexibility of bettering the times of production of various three-dimensional shapes.
US07878037B2
A device for the free-form bending of longitudinal profiles, in particular pipes, in which an axial sleeve is arranged downstream of a feed unit in its direction of feed. Arranged downstream of the axial sleeve in the direction of feed, is a bending sleeve. The feed unit and the axial sleeve in each case have a drive pointing in the direction of feed, wherein the axial sleeve can be adjusted independently of the feed unit. The feed unit and the axial sleeve further have rotary drives for the simultaneous rotation in the same direction of the longitudinal profile held and guided by them. The bending sleeve can only be adjusted in a translatory manner by means of a drive in an axis running transverse to the axis of the longitudinal profile and the feed device. In addition to this, it can be pivoted by means of a drive about an axis lying transverse to the axis of the longitudinal profile and the feed device. The bending sleeve is additionally mounted so as to freely rotate in sympathy with the guide sleeve or is braked in relation to it.
US07878033B2
A security device includes a housing and a strap which extends from the housing and loops around a bottle neck or other item to secure the device thereto. A locking mechanism lockably engages the strap when the strap is inserted into the housing to secure the strap in a locked position. The housing has first and second opposed outer surfaces which taper outwardly and toward one another in a manner which makes the housing difficult to grasp manually or otherwise, thus helping prevent the breakage and removal of the device from the bottle. The tapered outer surfaces also serve to deflect impact forces to the housing to help prevent unauthorized removal of the device.
US07878028B2
A knitting needle designed specifically for achieving particularly fine divisions, or another knitting tool (2), has a narrower working section (4) and a wider support section (5), whereby the support section (5) is provided with a positioning means (11), for example, having the form of a slit (12) or having the form of a rib (32). The knitting tool (2) is associated with a fixing means (29) in the form of a projection (17) or a groove (33) on the side of the bar (1). Due to this measure, the support sections (5) of the knitting tools (2) may be arranged—in close proximity to each other, in contact with or at a minimal distance from each other—on the bar (1), so that a maximum cross-section is available for configuring the support section (5). This provides strong stability for the knitting tools (2)—even in cases of extremely fine divisions—and, at the same time, provides precise alignment and avoids division errors.
US07878025B2
An oval shaped diamond, adapted to display a hearts and arrows pattern when exposed to light characteristic of the hearts and arrows pattern in a round diamond, comprising: an oval shape having two long sides symmetrical to each other, two short sides symmetrical to each other and four corner sides symmetrically located between the long sides and the short sides respectively, eight main crown facets of unequal size and eight main pavilion facets of unequal size, sixteen pavilion half facets; a girdle of non-uniform thickness separating the crown and pavilion facets and two subsidiary pavilion facets in alignment with each other on the long sides of the diamond adjacent a main pavilion facet.
US07878009B2
A cooling unit includes a cabinet with a cooling chamber, a refrigeration system including an evaporator mounted, a compressor, a condenser, and a controller for controlling the cooling unit. The controller has a memory, a processor and an output interface. The controller monitors at least one parameter of the cooling unit, logs in the memory data corresponding to the at least one parameter, and outputs the logged data via the output interface. The cooling unit can include a sensor that monitors a parameter that is logged in memory. The sensor can be a temperature sensor. The logged data can be compared to stored error conditions to detect whether an error condition has occurred. If an error condition has occurred, an error code is logged in memory and can be outputted via the output interface.
US07877996B2
A boost system for an engine is described. In one example, the boost system provides air to an engine cylinder via a converging-diverging valve seat. The system can reduce turbocharger lag during some conditions.
US07877988B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for controlling soot filter regeneration. The apparatus includes an average temperature module configured to determine an average bed temperature, and a max temperature module configured to calculate a target maximum bed temperature based upon the average bed temperature. The system includes a vehicle having a motor, an exhaust system, an after treatment system, an after treatment controller module, and the apparatus. The method includes determining an average bed temperature, and calculating a target maximum bed temperature based upon the average bed temperature.
US07877985B2
The present invention is directed to an exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine that performs high pressure PM filter regeneration process by decreasing the degree of opening of an exhaust throttle valve in regenerating the particulate matter trapping capacity of a particulate filter and has as an object to provide a technology that enables to perform the high pressure PM filter regeneration process while suppressing excessive temperature rise of the particulate filter even while the vehicle is moving. According to the invention, a prediction is made, when the high pressure PM filter regeneration process is performed, as to whether there is a possibility that the temperature of the particulate filter will reach a predetermined upper limit temperature, and the pressure inside the particulate filter is controlled in accordance with the prediction.
US07877982B2
A device and method for aftertreating exhaust gases in which a controllable valve is used to introduce a supplementary agent in fluid form into the exhaust system at high pressures. The high-pressure promotes an efficient mixture of the supplementary agent for the aftertreatment with the exhaust gas emerging from the internal combustion engine.
US07877979B2
A combined power generation unit includes a gasification unit with a gasification furnace that is used to produce fuel gas, and a gas turbine that uses the fuel gas to generate power. To produce the fuel gas required in the combined power generation unit according to a required power load, a feed-forward control of the gasification unit is performed. Also, a dead time compensator compensates for a lag and a dead time occurring while the fuel gas is fed from the gasification unit to the combined power generation unit. The gasification unit is operated using a zero flare process. The dead time compensator delays the power load required in the combined power generation unit on the basis of the lag and the dead time of the gasification unit so that the combined power generation unit is operated while a follow-up is performed with a predetermined delay.
US07877971B1
A trimming system for a user-operated ground vehicle capable of performing mowing and trimming operations. The system includes a drive operatively coupled to a drive system of the vehicle having the trimming system mounted thereon, and a trimming unit operatively coupled to the drive for performing edge trimming operations. The drive may include at least one driven pulley operatively coupled to a drive pulley of the vehicle for driving the trimming unit. The drive pulley may be coupled to a mowing unit and the trimming unit to either selectively or simultaneously drive the mowing and trimming units. A guide wheel may be mounted on the vehicle adjacent the trimming unit for maintaining the trimming wires of the trimming unit at a predetermined distance from a stationary object during performance of edge trimming operations.
US07877968B2
A method of forming a container that has improved release properties for a viscous material configured to minimize residual material remaining in the container upon normal use thereof and also generally maintains the physical stability of a material in the container. The method includes applying a coating to a portion of the inner surfaces of a container in an amount effective to provide the improved release properties.
US07877964B2
A method and apparatus for the production of a pocketed spring unit, the method comprising the steps of compressing and feeding a plurality of springs (42) into troughs (2A, 4A) or castellations in opposed conveyor belts (2, 4), moving said springs (42) from said troughs (2A, 4A) or castellations to a position between upper and lower layers of fabric or other material (16A, 18A), step-wise advancing said material (16A, 18A) and said springs (42) in the direction of the output of the apparatus and welding together said lengths of fabric or other material (16A, 18A) at each step-wise advancement by a plurality of sequentially controlled welding anvils (10) so as to form a plurality of discrete pockets (46) each containing a spring (42). Apparatus for carrying out the method is disclosed.
US07877959B2
A panel connector for interconnecting adjacent panels, wherein the panels have one or more flanges each having an edge. The connector comprises a portion of sheet material arranged to extend from the edge of the panel with a curved profile having an inner end adjacent the edge of the panel and an outer end. In transverse cross section, the curved profile includes a first portion extending from the inner end in a generally elliptical path and a second portion extending from the first portion to the outer end. The second portion curves inwardly from the generally elliptical path and the curved profile of the connector curves through at least 360 degrees. The second portion defines an opening between the inner end and the outer end to receive a portion of a further connector on an adjacent panel of the same shape.
US07877953B2
The invention relates to a process for sticking edging material (10, 12) onto lightweight building boards (1) comprising two thin-walled outer layers (2, 4) and a core layer (6) of lightweight filler material disposed between the outer layers (2, 4), having the steps: provision of a lightweight building board (1), a decor edge (10) and a stabilizing edge (12), and sticking on of the decor edge (10) and/or the stabilizing edge (12) in the region of a narrow surface (1′) of the lightweight building board (1). The process according to the invention is characterized in that at least the stabilizing edge (12) comprises a synthetic fiber material, preferably a cellulose-based fiber material, particularly paperboard material.
US07877945B2
A flashing assembly includes a member extending between a first end and a second end. The flashing member includes a top portion and a flange at an angle to the top portion. The top portion extends from a rear edge to the flange. The top portion includes a mounting surface substantially level from the top portion rear edge toward the flange. The top portion includes at least one channel and at least one cross channel in communication with the channel. In one option, the cross channel is separated from the coupling portion. The channels facilitate trimming of members to desired sizes such that the assembly is used with windows and doors of various sizes.
US07877941B2
A leadthrough (10) for passing conduits through a constructional component includes a tube (11), a base member (16) arranged at the first axial end (12) of the tube (11) and having a receiving space (18) for isolating means (19) and defining an opening (17), and first (14) and second (15) annular, diaphragm-shaped sealing elements provided, respectively, at the first (12) and second axial ends of the tube (11).
US07877932B2
An adjusting system for a motor vehicle door includes a window winder for adjusting a window, at least one guide area of the window winder for guiding the window along a direction of adjustment, a door lock and a lock support. The one guide area of the window winder and the lock support are fixedly connected to one another, such that the guide area and the lock support form a structural unit. The guide area which is combined with the lock support into a structural unit includes at least one overlap area for a lateral window edge of the window to be adjusted and a further guide area of the window winder is provided, which is extended in the direction of adjustment of the window, and is positively engaged with a carrier being forcibly guided along the direction of adjustment of the window to be adjusted.
US07877915B2
A wristband is assembled from a flexible preferably vinyl carrier and a preferably laminated ID label, the carrier having a panel portion and a strap portion with a snap closure located in a toe extension at the end of the carrier adjacent the panel. The strap has a series of holes, one of which is captured within the snap closure to attach the wristband to the wearer's limb. The laminated ID label has a pair of opposing slots, one of which slips over the strap to abut the panel and the other of which is captured by the snap closure to attach the label to the carrier. The panel portion has a relieved edge formed along its opposing sides which increases the comfort of the wristband as it is worn.
US07877911B2
A package configuration for holding merchandise includes a rotatable element that selectively displays different information to the user as the element is rotated. The rotatable element is restrained without a central hub or pivot pin. The restraining configuration limits lateral movement and minimizes pinching of the rotatable element. In one configuration, the merchandise storage package has a cover assembly having front and rear covers that define at least one window. Three pocket tabs restrain the lateral movement of the rotatable element. Each pocket tab is integrally folded from the blank used to form the storage package. One of the pocket tabs is double folded over itself to form a spacer having a thickness of three layers of blank material. Another pocket tab is folded over the spacer tab to form a fourth layer of material between the front and back covers.
US07877909B1
Implementations of pet tags and related protective and alignment features. A pet tag may comprise a raised edge of a concave design, a recessed design or a bordered design. Single or multiple piece implementations may be used to protect an image to be marked on one or both sides of a pet tag. Implementations may comprise multiple pet tags pre-assembled or assembled after marking to further protect one or more images marked on the tags. Other implementations may comprise removable brackets to adapt the pet tags to particular marking kiosks. Still other implementations may comprise crystals embedded in the marking substrate with an additional substrate coupled to a rear side of the marking substrate.
US07877908B2
A vehicle plate retention frame and removably affixed cover plate. The retention frame may have at least one first part of a two-part separable fastener disposed thereon. The cover plate has at least one second part of the two-part separable fastener associated therewith so that the cover plate may be removably affixed to the retention frame.
US07877907B1
A thin backing first support plate, for use with one or more retention pins that attach a display decoration to a shirt or jacket fabric, comprising the plate having one or more through openings to pass the pin or pins that are also passed through the uniform fabric, the plate having an edge notch or notches engageable by fabric under a user's finger or fingers, whereby the user can from the front side of the fabric sidewardly orient the plate relative to the decoration located at the front side of the fabric.
US07877906B2
A modular system for connecting attachments to the extension arm of a construction machine, wherein each module has a standardized coupling arrangement. As a result, each module is compatible with another module to provide great versatility in configuring the machine. Additionally, the system includes a variety of different modules and a mechanism for remotely activating the coupling between modules.
US07877901B2
A construction of an oxford type, lace up athleisure shoe enables the shoe to be slipped on the wearer's foot and held securely on the foot without the need for lacing on the shoe. This provides the shoe with the appearance of a lace up shoe that is worn without lacing.
US07877895B2
A substrate processing method is arranged to perform a heat process on a substrate with a coating film formed thereon to bake and cure the coating film. At first, the substrate, with the coating film formed thereon, is held at a preparatory temperature lower than a lower limit of temperature for baking and curing the coating film, to adjust distribution of a predetermined component in the coating film. Then, the substrate, with distribution of the predetermined component thus adjusted, is subjected to a heat process at a temperature not lower than the lower limit of temperature.
US07877893B2
A micromovement measuring device has a first element such as a probe tip or flat plate coupled to a test body (107) the movement of which is to be measured. A second element (104) is located adjacent to the first element, to form a gap (108) therebetween. As the test body and the first element gradually move away from the measuring element, so increasing the size of the gap, the second element is repeatedly moved up, to restore the gap to its original size. These repeated small quantized movements of the measuring element (104) are counted, and are used to provide an indication of how far the test body (107) has moved. In other embodiments, the first element may gradually move toward the second element, with the latter repeatedly moving away.
US07877875B2
A method for connecting a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a printhead assembly that includes a printhead carrier and an ink ejection printhead carried by the carrier. The method includes the steps of: adhering the PCB to a first surface of the printhead; receiving the printhead and PCB in a mechanical nest, and actuating the nest into a position below a heated platen assembly; heating the heated platen assembly and actuating the heated platen assembly rectilinearly towards the nest, the heated platen assembly thereby compressing the PCB and the printhead; actuating a forming bar assembly, provided adjacent the heated platen assembly, rectilinearly towards the nest, the forming bar assembly thereby bending a portion of the PCB extending beyond the printhead towards the printhead assembly; and heating a heater cartridge and actuating the heater cartridge rectilinearly towards the print head printhead in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the forming bar assembly is actuated, whereby the PCB is connected to the printhead and bonded to the printhead carrier.
US07877862B2
An apparatus for assembling an electronic device is disclosed, which includes one or more grid holders for maintaining one or more grids in association with a plurality of conducting components positioned perpendicular to the grid(s). One or more insulating components are also provided for mounting and supporting the conducting components. The grid holder(s) can be pushed onto the conducting components in order to eliminate the need for applying spot weld currents to the conducting components and thereby provide a weldless assembly apparatus for the precise construction of an electronic device.
US07877861B2
The present invention is directed to a method of making a transformer having a stacked core, which includes top and bottom yokes and first and second outer legs. The core also includes an inner leg that is formed from a pair of stacked plates, which abut each along a seam that extends in the longitudinal direction of the inner leg. Each of the upper and lower yokes may be formed from a single stack of plates, or a plurality of stacks of plates. Each of the inner and outer legs may also be formed from a single stack of plates, or a plurality of stacks of plates. The cross-section of the core may be rectangular or cruciform.
US07877859B2
Methods are provided for fabricating a write head with a self aligned wrap around shield and a self aligned flared region of a write pole. A flare point and a track width of a write pole may be fabricated using multiple processes. The multiple processes utilize several masking structures to define the track width and the flare point of the write pole. A mask structure is formed to cover a first portion of the write pole. An edge of the mask structure adjacent to an exposed second portion of the write pole defines a flare point of the write pole. Various structures of the write head, including shield gap layers, a wrap around shield and a flared region (e.g., the yoke) of the write pole may be fabricated from the flare point defined by the mask structure.
US07877855B2
A method for forming a vertical coupling structure for non-adjacent resonators is provided to have a first and a second resonators, a dielectric material layer, a first and a second high-frequency transmission lines and at least one via pole. The first and the second resonators respectively have a first and a second opposite metal surfaces. The dielectric material layer is disposed between the opposite second metal surfaces of the first and the second resonators. The first and the second transmission lines are respectively arranged at sides of the first metal surfaces of the first resonator and the second resonator. The first high-frequency transmission line is vertically connected to the second high-frequency transmission line by the via pole.
US07877854B2
A focused ultrasound transducer includes a first ultrasonic emitter and at least one metallic ultrasonic lens acoustically coupled thereto. The emitter generates ultrasonic energy that propagates along a beam path projecting therefrom. The at least one metallic ultrasonic lens is positioned at least partially in the beam path so that it can direct (e.g., focus, defocus, and/or collimate) in at least one direction (or along at least one plane) at least some of the ultrasonic energy propagating from the emitter. The metallic lens may be formed by extrusion, by molding (e.g., diecast molding or thermoforming), or by sintering (e.g., powder metallurgy). The metallic lens also advantageously functions as a heat sink, improving thermal performance of the ultrasound transducer.
US07877848B2
An angular velocity sensor includes a tuning-fork vibrator having a base and multiple arms extending from the base. Two arms out of the multiple arms driven to vibrate have first end parts opposite to second end parts connected to the base. The first end parts being wider than the second end parts.
US07877847B2
A synthetic biometric cremation identification system for use in cremation and burial processes of a deceased individual and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of synthetic biometric tokens include a cremation compatible material that is suitable for mechanical pulverization. A synthetic biometric identifier is integrated with each of the synthetic biometric tokens, which may be placed with the deceased individual at any stage during the cremation and burial process to provide, via instrumentation, continuous and integrated positive identification of the deceased individual, bone fragments, and/or granulated particles.
US07877836B2
A cleaning apparatus is disclosed. The cleaning apparatus includes a base portion for movement along the surface and a handle pivotally connected to the base portion. The cleaning apparatus further includes a solution tank for supplying a flow of cleaning solution to the surface. The solution tank removably mounted to one of the handle and the base portion. The cleaning apparatus still further includes a recovery tank removably mounted to one of the handle and the base portion and a floor suction nozzle secured to the base portion and in fluid communication with the recovery tank. The cleaning apparatus yet further includes a suction source in fluid communication with the floor suction nozzle for generating suction to draw dirt and liquid through the floor suction nozzle and into the recovery tank. The cleaning apparatus still further includes an accessory hose secured to one of the handle and base portion in fluid communication the recovery tank and a holder mounted to one of the handle or base and adapted to receive an end of the accessory hose. The cleaning apparatus further includes a sensor for sensing the position of the accessory hose within the holder. A function of the cleaning apparatus is controlled in response to the position of the accessory hose within the holder.
US07877824B2
A telescoping support bar installed in a shower enclosure and similar facilities requires no mechanical wall fasteners. The support bar includes telescoping tubes with end retainers gripping walls of the enclosures. Length of the support bar is governed by fixed length spacer means and internal extensible means. Extensible means, having bearings movable along a rod, provides the lengthening and shortening of the support bar as the distance between the bearings is increased or decreased. This change in distance likewise changes the overall length of the support bar. With the retainers snug against the walls, one of the tubes, being rotatable, is turned in circular motion. This rotation is converted into an axial force along the bar causing the retainers to forcefully grip the walls, providing a rigid and strong bar installation.
US07877820B2
A heart protector is described that comprises of an angular body. The angular body will have at least two contact points wherein the angular body is capable of being attached to a garment at said contact points such that the angular body is positioned in front of the heart of a user and said contact points are positioned at locations around the pectoral muscles of the user when said garment is worn by the user.
US07882566B2
Methods for maintaining the security of a secured execution environment on a system comprising said secured execution environment and a second execution environment are disclosed. A maintained current state for the secured execution environment is selected from among a group of possible states including a standard input mode state and a nexus input mode state. A flow of user input is directed according to the current state through a secure kernel of both the second environment and the secured execution environment.
US07882563B2
A compact portable, self-contained digital media player is provided whose content is not recordable or removable by a user. The content is playable in a high fidelity format. The binding of the content to the media player results in a significant degree of copyright protection. The compactness of the player enables binding of the player with various products. The self-contained aspect of the player enables it to be instant playable.
US07882554B2
An apparatus is described that facilitates selective mirroring through processing of network traffic in accordance with provisioned rules and policies. The apparatus includes a port included in a set of at least one port, wherein each port in the set receives input traffic, a data processor that processes input data from the set of at least one port to generate mirrored data, based on rules with bitwise granularity across a header and a payload of the input data, and a mirror port selectable from the set of at least one port that transmits output traffic corresponding to the mirrored data. Advantageously, the apparatus provides an architectural framework well suited to a low cost, high speed, robust implementation of selective mirroring that enables flexible, advanced network security and monitoring features and network traffic analysis.
US07882546B2
The present invention provides a security module for Web application, especially a portal application, using a rewriter proxy. The security module ensures that the rewritten URIs are appended by an authentication identifier for determining whether the rewritten URI has not been changed. Preferably, the authentication identifier can be generated by applying a secure hash algorithm and/or secret key to the original URIs of the remote resource or the entire rewritten URIs. When a client activates those URIs, a request is sent to the rewriter proxy. Before a connection to the access protected remote resource is established, the security module validates whether the URIs contained in the user client request have been changed by the user.
US07882543B2
In half-duplex communications over a wireless network, a user from a private organization sends the request for half-duplex communication through a private server controlled by the private organization. The private server sets up a private account with the wireless carrier and the user communicates via the private account.
US07882533B2
A common communication language that can address all the applications running in a multitude of set top boxes (STBs) or client devices and application servers. The present invention, DATP protocol encapsulates a Meta language that provides a generic portable communication application programmer interface that requires light processor utilization and is well suited for a typical STB possessing limited processing power. DATP requires relatively few processing cycles compared to typical Internet communication protocols. DATP reduces the overhead of the communication protocol handler at the STB and makes the communication protocol handler common for all STBs applications. The preferred DATP protocol is portable for all STBs since it is written in a native language that interfaces with the underlying operating system of the STB. A SGW (SGW) performs as a DATP server. The SGW translates between DATP messages and standard communication protocols. SGW enables SP clients at STBs utilizing DATP to communicate with service applications using a variety of communication protocols. A content converter is provided to convert standard Web content into content suitable for display on a client-viewing device, e.g., a TV.
US07882523B2
An image retrieval assisting apparatus and method for retrieving a desired image program from a number of image programs, such as broadcast contents in a broadcast-contents-recording/reproducing apparatus or a broadcast receiving set. A classification criterion information storage portion stores classification criterion for classifying broadcast contents into a plurality of categories. A program information acquisition portion acquires program information of the broadcast contents. A program information classification portion classifies the program information into the plurality of categories according to the stored classification criterion. An HDD stores the classified program information, and a display displays categories defined by the stored classification criterion horizontally on a monitor screen in a selectable manner and displays only the program information categorized in a selected category vertically on the monitor screen in a selectable manner.
US07882522B2
An electronic program guide (EPG) application is configured to render a program listing, a currently indicated program, and additional data. The EPG application is further configured to automatically determine, based on user-submitted EPG navigation commands, whether or not the user is likely interested in the currently indicated program. If it is determined that the user is likely interested in the currently indicated program, then the additional data that is displayed along with the program listing is detailed data associated with the currently indicated program. In contrast, if it is determined that the user is likely not interested in the currently indicated program, then instead of detailed data associated with the currently indicated program, the additional data that is displayed along with the program listing is content that is targeted to the user.
US07882515B2
The present invention relates to a device and a process for acquiring files by accumulation of points. The device is designed for a user of a receiver of data of a communication network, able to earn points by accomplishing at least one predefined operation, and to acquire at least one of the files by downloading via this communication network, when the aggregate number of points reaches a predetermined level associated with this file. The device comprises an automatic control module for ordering downloading via this network to a storage space accessible to this receiver, of portions of this file, designed to order the downloading of each of these portions when the number of points earned by this user reaches a fraction of this predetermined level which corresponds to this portion.
US07882507B2
A method for managing application modalities using dialogue states can include the step of asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application. Each of the activation conditions can be linked to at least one programmatic action, wherein different programmatic actions can be executed by different modality components. The application conditions can be monitored. An application event can be detected resulting in an associated application condition being run. At least one programmatic action linked to the application condition can be responsively initiated.
US07882502B2
A system and method are described for performing updating of an application using a single file update. In one embodiment, a request from a client is received at a server to amend a deployed application by updating a single file of the application. The request is received at a deploy service of the server. The file to be update is accessed and updated to amend the application. The transaction for successful updating of the file is committed to a database.
US07882501B1
System and method for enabling dynamic class reloading in an application server environment. A distinction is made between “versionable” and “non-versionable” classes. Versionable classes are classes that should be automatically reloaded when they are modified. The application server(s) may execute a background task that executes periodically to check for modified versionable classes. Users may specify class versionability by specifying a list of explicitly versionable classes, specifying a list of superclasses whose extending classes should be considered to be versionable, and specifying a list of interfaces whose implementing classes should be considered to be versionable. Once the background task discovers a modified versionable class, the background task may cause the class to be reloaded, e.g., by instantiating a new classloader and instructing the new classloader to reload the class. The background task may purge the reloaded class from any caches that the application server maintains.
US07882497B2
A system and method for a symbiotic computer application and system and method for generation and presentation of same. The symbiotic computer application allows end-user devices to access back-end data systems including legacy host data systems having legacy host applications and other alternative data systems not directly compatible with the end-user devices. In some embodiments, the symbiotic computer application is generated by a symbiotic computer application generator to include user interface forms and discrete associations, which relate the user interface forms to the back-end data systems. A symbiotic computer application presentation end-user system allows the end-user device to perform desired functions of the back-end data systems through programs and user interfaces configured for the end-user device.
US07882493B2
A software test management program, a software test management apparatus and a software test management method can integrally manage test-related information that are to be effectively exploited among test support functions. The software test management apparatus includes a design model registration section 31 that registers a design model, a source code registration section 34 that registers a source code, a test model registration section 32 that registers the test model prepared to correspond to the design model and also the corresponding relationship between the design model and the test model, an execution trace registration section 33 that registers the execution trace of each test case obtained by executing the source code according to the test cases in the test model, the corresponding relationship between the test model and the execution trace and also the corresponding relationship between the execution trace and the source code and a model relations management interface 12 that traces all the corresponding relationships.
US07882490B2
A system and method for automatically generating a data flow diagram in response to a first diagram. The first diagram may specify one or more states and one or more state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A data flow diagram may be automatically generated from the first diagram.
US07882481B2
For determining an optimized wafer layout, at least two wafer layouts are specified for a given wafer, each wafer layout defining the location of a plurality of die with regard to the wafer. An optimization parameter value of at least one optimization parameter is determined for each of the at least two wafer layouts. The at least one optimization parameter includes at least one of a number of exposure fields necessary for exposing the respective wafer layout and a number of die of the wafer layout. The optimized wafer layout is selected out of the at least two wafer layouts depending on the optimization parameter values.
US07882477B2
Method and apparatus for creating layout model, computer product, and method of manufacturing device
A layout-model creating apparatus creates a layout-model for a mechanical computer-aided design from component information including heights and layout information of components created by an electrical computer-aided design. A height determining unit determines whether a height of a component is equal to or lower than a specified height. A three-dimensional-model creating unit creates a three-dimensional model by excluding a component of which the height is determined to be equal to or lower than the specified height.
US07882475B2
A method of force directed placement programming is presented. The method includes: assigning a plurality of objects from a cell netlist to bins; shifting the objects based on the bins; computing a magnitude of a spreading force for each object of the plurality of objects based on the shifting; sorting the objects based on the magnitude of the spreading force of the objects; selecting a subset of the sorted objects based on a threshold value indicating at least one of a top percentage, a threshold force, and a threshold value that is based on a placement congestion; adjusting the spreading force of the selected objects to be equal to a predetermined value indicating a minimum spreading force; and determining a placement of the objects based on adjusted spreading force of the selected objects.
US07882474B2
The phase relationship between two clock signals in an integrated circuit (IC) is determined by transforming each of the clock signals into a data word, where bit transitions in the data word represent signal transitions in the clock signal, and comparing the two data words. For example, in an IC having a de-serializer as part of its input/output logic, the clocks are sequentially multiplexed into the de-serializer, which transforms the clocks into parallel-format data words. The resulting words corresponding to the first and second clock signals can then be compared to determine clock signal transition differences and thus the phase relationship between the corresponding clocks signals.
US07882463B2
The invention includes a solution for selectively scaling an integrated circuit (IC) design by: layer, region or cell, or a combination of these. The selective scaling technique can be applied in a feedback loop with the manufacturing system with process and yield feedback, during the life of a design, to increase yield in early processes in such a way that hierarchy is preserved. The invention removes the need to involve designers in improving yield.
US07882462B2
An automatic code generation application is used to automatically generate code and build programs from a textual model or graphical model for implementation on the computational platform based on the design. One or more model elements may be capable of frame-based data processing. Various options and optimizations are used to generate Hardware Description Language (HDL) code for the frame-based model elements.
US07882456B2
A apparatus and method for correcting a process critical layout includes characterizing the influence of individual ones of a set of worst case process variations on a simulated nano-circuit layout design and then correcting layout geometries in the simulated nano-circuit layout based on such characterizations.
US07882452B2
A method and system for modeling silicon-on-insulator shallow trench isolation stress effect is described. The method includes creating instance parameters that define dimensions of a body-tie enclosure of gate and gate-end. The instance parameters are added to a netlist. The netlist and a lookup table are used to generate a mobility multiplier. The mobility multiplier is added to the netlist and a circuit simulation program runs the netlist having the instance parameters and the mobility multiplier.
US07882448B2
A taskbar control permits system operators to group application instances according to their own preferences. The taskbar control system groups application instances according to a default grouping scheme but permit the default grouping to be managed by operator control. The operator may move application instances among groups or to new groups via drag and drop commands, commands entered through context menus and the like.
US07882446B2
The right for correlating a region or an existence with a virtual region in a virtual world structured in for example the Internet is sold, bought, lent, or rented. For example, when a buyer bought a virtual region from a seller, the virtual region of the seller is correlated with a virtual region of the buyer in a link method, a paste method, or a projection method.
US07882440B2
A styleswitcher displayed in a graphical user interface allowing a user to transform the appearance of the graphical user interface with one-click access. The styleswitcher captures viewing settings previously selected and saved by the user. By clicking on an available styleswitcher, the user causes the entire graphical user interface to refresh and display in viewing settings corresponding to the selected styleswitcher.
US07882430B2
In one embodiment, in response to receiving an image request, a computer-implemented method: 1) retrieves a vector image from a device that is a target of the image request, the vector image illustrating at least a portion of the device; 2) determines a locale for display of the vector image; 3) selects a locale tag from among a number of locale tags stored within the vector image, in accord with the determined locale; and 4) formats the vector image in accord with display data associated with the selected locale tag. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07882425B2
Multiple corruptions and/or erasures in data storage or data communication systems are corrected. An encoder generates M of parity fields from N data channels. Each item of the generated parity fields is the result of simple exclusive-or operations on one item from one or more data fields and possibly one item from one or more of the other parity fields. A decoder can regenerate as many as M missing or corrupted fields of either data or parity using combinations of correct and/or previously corrected items as inputs using M independent parity equations to solve for and correct each missing or corrupted item in turn.
US07882422B2
A digital television transmitting system includes a pre-processor, a packet generator, an RS encoder, and a trellis encoder. The pre-processor pre-processes enhanced data by coding the enhanced data for first forward error correction and expanding the FEC-coded enhanced data. The packet generator generates enhanced data packets including the pre-processed enhanced data and main data packets and multiplexes the enhanced and main data packets. Each enhanced data packet includes an adaptation field in which the pre-processed enhanced data are inserted. The RS encoder performs RS encoding on the multiplexed data packets for second forward error correction, and the trellis encoder performs trellis encoding on the RS-coded data packets.
US07882421B2
A method for error correction that includes receiving a bitstream, the bitstream comprising one or more bits, determining if the bitstream has one or more corrupt bits, determining one or more hypotheses representing an error pattern, and assigning a probability to each of the hypotheses, wherein the probability is determined based on one or more reference data.
US07882417B2
A semiconductor memory device and a memory system including the same are provided. The semiconductor memory device may include a first memory cell array block generating first data, a second memory cell array block generating second data, and first and second error detection code generators. The first error detection code generator may generate a first error detection code and may combine a portion of bits of the first error detection code with a portion of bits of a second error detection code to generate a first final error detection signal. The second error detection code generator may generate the second error detection code and may combine the remaining bits other than the portion of bits of the second error detection code with the remaining bits other than the portion of bits of the first error detection code to generate a second final error detection signal.
US07882415B2
A method and apparatus are provided for a coding process of a communication signal. A 3-stripes parity-check matrix is generated from a parity-check matrix of a Gilbert low density parity-check code, where the parity-check matrix of the Gilbert low density parity-check code has a first stripe containing identity matrices and a second stripe containing cyclic permutation matrices. A third stripe is added to form a 3-stripes parity-check matrix, which may be applied to the coding process of information in a communication channel.
US07882412B2
Embodiments disclosed herein address the need in the art for enhanced block acknowledgement. In one embodiment, a receiver indicates a decoding delay for a maximum size aggregate frame in Block Ack negotiation, which may be used by a transmitter to determine to which Block Ack Request a Block Acknowledgement is responsive. In another embodiment, a Transmission Sequence Number (TSN) may be included in a Block Ack Request. The receiver includes the TSN in the corresponding Block Ack response. This allows the transmitter to determine which frames are “in transit.” The TSN may be used to identify blocks. In another embodiment, a TSN may be associated with one or more transmitted frames. While, the TSN is not transmitted with the Block Ack Request, the transmitter may determine which TSN corresponds with a Block Ack response in accordance with acknowledgements contained therein. Combinations of these techniques may be deployed. Various other aspects are also presented.
US07882406B2
An apparatus comprising a processor and an internal memory. The processor may be configured to test an external memory using (i) a netlist and (ii) a testing program. The internal memory may be configured to store the testing program. The testing program may be downloadable to the internal memory independently from the storing of the netlist.
US07882405B2
A flash memory device includes a flash memory array, a set of non-volatile redundancy registers, a serial interface, and testing logic coupled to the serial interface, the testing logic configured to accept a set of serial commands from an external tester; erase the array; program the array with a test pattern; read the array and compare the results with expected results to identify errors; determine whether the errors can be repaired by substituting a redundant row or column of the array, and if so, generate redundancy information; and program the redundancy information into the non-volatile redundancy registers.
US07882402B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for data priority determination. A receiving module receives a data package. A parsing module parses out priority indicators from the data package. A comparison module compares the priority indicators to entries in a priority matrix, determining whether the data package is of a defined data package type. In response to a determination that the data package is of the defined data package type, a priority determination module determines a data package priority of the data package based on a data package priority of the defined data package type. In response to a determination that the data package is not of the defined data package type, a type definition module defines a new data package type having a data package priority based on the priority indicators. A priority update module updates the data package priority of the defined data package type.
US07882394B2
A system for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis includes a data collection function that acquires time histories of selected variables for one or more of the components, a pre-processing function that calculates specified characteristics of the time histories, an analysis function for evaluating the characteristics to produce one or more hypotheses of a condition of the one or more components, and a reasoning function for determining the condition of the one or more components from the one or more hypotheses.
US07882390B2
A method for repairing at least one defective servo segment of a servo sector having at least one defective servo track written on a magnetic recording media. The method comprises mapping the magnetic recording media for locations of the defective servo segment of the servo sector. A non-defective segment of the servo sector is replicated at least once on the magnetic recording media in a customer data zone, thereby creating at least one good servo segment copy of the servo sector. The good servo segment copy is propagated through the customer data zone associated with the defective servo segment. The good servo segment copy is copied onto the magnetic recording media previously occupied by the defective servo segment of the servo sector.
US07882385B2
A system and method for improving the performance and efficiency of multi-clock-domain data transmission interfaces. The data transmission interface may include a modified slave latch which includes one or more clock splitters and one or more transmission gates may be used. By having such a configuration, space requirements are reduced and a reduction of the number of devices necessary for a multi-domain interface may be realized. The configuration may further allow for independent cycle stealing of N:1 and N:2 logical paths, thus allowing for timing resolution solutions that use fewer devices versus implementations that require the tuning of each individual bit in the cross-clock-domain interface. By implementing such a data transmission interface, space and power requirements may be reduced and timing criticalities may be more easily managed.
US07882372B2
A power control system comprises a plurality of POL regulators, at least one serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a system controller connected to the serial data bus and adapted to send and receive digital data to and from the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus further comprises a first data bus carrying programming and control information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus may also include a second data bus carrying fault management information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The power control may also include a front-end regulator providing an intermediate voltage to the plurality of POL regulators on an intermediate voltage bus.
US07882369B1
The present invention performance enhancement and reliability maintenance system and method pushes a processor to its maximized performance capabilities when performing processing intensive tasks (e.g., 3D graphics, etc). For example, a clock speed and voltage are increased until an unacceptable error rate begins to appear in the processing results and then the clock speed and voltage are backed off to the last setting at which excessive errors did not occur, enabling a processor at its full performance potential. The present invention also includes the ability to throttle back settings which facilitates the maintenance of desired reliability standards. The present invention is readily expandable to provide adjustment for a variety of characteristics in response to task performance requirements. For example, a variable speed fan that is software controlled can be adjusted to alter the temperature of the processor in addition to clock frequency and voltage.
US07882365B2
Systems and methods that facilitate processing data, such as by encryption/decryption, and storing and retrieving data to/from memory such that actual data can be distinguished from information associated with, or representative of, erased/blank memory locations. A processor can include a comparing component that compares information input to the processor to determine whether such information is associated with actual data, or associated with, or representative of, erased/blank memory locations. Information associated with, or representative of, an erased/blank memory location can be processed so that it can be interpreted as such by other components. If actual data is processed such that the comparing component interprets the processed data to be equivalent to an erased/blank memory location, then the data can be re-processed, so it is not interpreted as such, before being forwarded to its next destination.
US07882349B2
Method for detecting an attack on a broadcast key shared between an access point and its wireless clients. Upon detection of the attack, actions are implemented to react to the attack as defined in one or more security policies. Detection of the attack is achieved by examining both a link message integrity check and an infrastructure management frame protection (IMFP) message integrity check contained in a broadcast management frame.
US07882345B1
The disclosure is directed to systems and methods for processor detection in a pre-boot execution environment. In one example, a client initiates a boot process by transmitting a pre-boot image request identifying the client's processor architecture. A boot server replies to the request and transmits a non-booting image configured to precisely determine the processor installed on the client. The non-booting image then initiates a second pre-boot image request including the precise identification of the processor installed on the client. The boot server may then proceed with the boot process, transmitting subsequent boot code precisely configured for the installed processor.
US07882337B2
A method of tentative tracing execution events in a multiprocessor system. Each processor stores tentative events in a corresponding buffer. The processor sets pointers in an array to a head and tail of a thread. When a condition triggers a tentative thread to be committed, the processor marks the first event as committed and sets the pointers to a null value. When a condition triggers the thread to be discarded, the processor marks the first event as discarded and sets the pointers to a null value. The processor makes the buffer available to a consumer process, which extracts the first event. If the first event is marked as committed, the consumer process follows a link to a second event of the thread and marks the second event as committed. If the first event is marked as discarded, the second event is marked as discarded and the first event is skipped.
US07882335B2
The present invention provides system and method for a group priority issue schema for a cascaded pipeline. The system includes a cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit having a plurality of execution pipelines that execute instructions in a common issue group in a delayed manner relative to each other. The system further includes circuitry configured to: (1) receive an issue group of instructions; (2) determine if at least one load instruction is in the issue group, if so scheduling the least one load instruction in a first pipeline based upon a priority list; and (3) schedule execution of the issue group of instructions in the cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit.
US07882334B2
A system, method and program product for retaining a logic state of a processor pipeline architecture are disclosed. A comparator is positioned between two stages of the processor pipeline architecture. A storage capacitor is coupled between a storage node of the comparator and a ground to store an output of the early one of the two stages. A reference logic is provided, which has the same value as the output of the early stage. A logic storing and dividing device is coupled between the reference logic and a reference node of the comparator to generate a logic at the reference node, which is a fraction of the reference logic, and to retain a logic state of the information stored on the storage capacitor. Further mechanisms are provided to determine validity of data stored in the logic storing and dividing device.
US07882330B2
In one embodiment, a system comprises one or more input/output (I/O) devices; an I/O memory management unit (IOMMU) coupled to receive memory requests sourced by the I/O devices and configured to provide address translation for the memory requests; and a virtual machine monitor (VMM) configured to manage one or more virtual machines on the system, wherein the VMM is configured to virtualize the IOMMU, providing one or more virtual IOMMUs for use by one or more virtual machines.
US07882326B2
A partition migration mechanism migrates a logical partition executing an operating system and resumes the logical partition before all resources in the logical partition have been migrated. When a partition is being migrated, a call checkpoint mechanism creates checkpoints of the state of the operating system when the partition manager is called. Before performing the call to the partition manager, a check is made to determine if all resources required by the call are available. If so, the partition manager call is executed. If all resources required by the call are not available, a resource fault is indicated, which causes the operating system state from the last checkpoint to be restored and a corresponding virtual CPU to be preempted until the resource that caused the fault becomes available. Exceptions that do not require the missing resource may be performed while the virtual CPU awaits the resource to become available.
US07882314B2
A method and apparatus to efficiently scrub a memory, during a scrub period, of a computer system that has a memory comprising a number of memory elements. Examples of memory elements are memory ranks and banks. A memory rank may further comprise one or more banks. The computer system has a memory controller that receives read requests and write requests from a processor. The memory controller includes a scrub controller configured to output more than one scrub request during a particular request selector cycle. The memory controller includes a request selector that services a read request, a write request, or one of the scrub requests during a request selector cycle.
US07882302B2
A method for implementing prioritized refresh of a multiple way, set associative DRAM based cache includes identifying, for each of a plurality of sets of the cache, the existence of a most recently used way that has not been accessed during a current assessment period; and for each set, refreshing only the identified most recently used way of the set not accessed during the current assessment period, while ignoring the remaining ways of the set; wherein a complete examination of each set for most recently used ways therein during the current assessment period constitutes a sweep of the cache.
US07882296B2
Circuits, apparatus, and methods for avoiding deadlock conditions in a bus fabric. One exemplary embodiment provides an address decoder for determining whether a received posted request is a peer-to-peer request. If it is, the posted request is sent as a non-posted request. A limit on the number of pending non-posted requests is maintained and not exceed, such that deadlock is avoided. Another exemplary embodiment provides an arbiter that tracks a number of pending posted requests. When the number pending posted requests reaches a predetermined or programmable level, a Block Peer-to-Peer signal is sent to the arbiter's clients, again avoiding deadlock.
US07882294B2
This disclosure involves an on-chip bus architecture involving an on-chip bus that includes a collector node and at least one device node. Each device node is in communication with an on-chip device. The collector node is capable of conducting multiple outstanding transactions with a plurality of on-chip devices over the on-chip bus wherein each on-chip device transmits all of its data signals across the on-chip bus in the form of packets. The on-chip bus includes at least one bus register, and each of the multiple on-chip devices includes at least one device register. The on-chip bus can provide top level register to register communications between the device register and the bus register. In one version, the on-chip bus is a distributed packet on-chip (DPO) bus.
US07882291B2
An apparatus and method for operating many applications between a portable storage device and a digital device are provided. The method includes opening at least two logical channels from the digital device to the portable storage device through a physical channel, transmitting and receiving data between a plurality of applications of the digital device and a plurality of applications of the portable storage device through the opened logical channels, and closing the logical channels after finishing the transmitting and receiving of the data.
US07882289B2
In a data transmission system having a plurality of apparatuses connected to one another in a cascade, each slave apparatus has an identification number retention section retaining the same identification number as the other slave apparatuses, a receiver receiving data accompanied by an apparatus number, a judgment section judging that the data is destined for itself when the apparatus number coincides with the identification number, while judging that the data is destined for another slave apparatus when the apparatus number does not coincide with the identification number, and a transmitter changing the apparatus number by subtracting or adding when the data is judged to be destined for another slave apparatus, and transmitting the data to another lower-ranked slave apparatus. Thereby, data transmission can be accomplished without automatically setting an apparatus number to each of the plural apparatuses.
US07882285B2
A method, computer program product, and data processing system for managing a input/output buffer cache for prevention of deadlocks are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, automatic buffer cache resizing is performed whenever the number of free buffers in the buffer cache diminishes to below a pre-defined threshold. This resizing adds a pre-defined number of additional buffers to the buffer cache, up to a pre-defined absolute maximum buffer cache size. To prevent deadlocks, an absolute minimum number of free buffers are reserved to ensure that sufficient free buffers for performing a buffer cache resize are always available. In the event that the buffer cache becomes congested and cannot be resized further, threads whose buffer demands cannot be immediately satisfied are blocked until sufficient free buffers become available.
US07882283B2
Support for virtualization in a storage area networks may be provided using a variety of techniques. In one embodiment of the present invention, exchange level load balancing may be provided by determining if input/outputs (IOs) received by a device are new. If a particular IO is new, the IO may be assigned to a particular data path processor and an context may be created corresponding to the IO and to the processor. Then, when an event corresponding to the IO is received, the event may be forwarded to the processor assigned to the IO.
US07882281B2
Enabling virtualization in a SAS expander is disclosed. For each SAS address to be virtualized through one or more physical or virtual Phy, a reference Phy associated with each SAS address is created within the expander. Next, a route table is generated that includes an entry for each of the SAS addresses being virtualized, each entry associated with one or more of the physical or virtual Phy through which the SAS address is being virtualized. With the route table so established, requests for a virtualized SAS address are routed to a particular one of the one or more physical or virtual Phy associated with the virtualized SAS address in the route table.
US07882278B2
A control mechanism for data bus communications employs channels to which bus transactions are assigned, each channel having independent flow control. The control mechanism enforces an ordering algorithm among channels, whereby at least some transactions may pass other transactions. Channel attributes are programmable to vary the ordering conditions. Preferably, each channel is allocated its own programmable buffer area. The control mechanism independently determines, for each channel, whether buffer space is available and enforces flow control independently for each channel accordingly. Flow control is preferably credit-based, credits representing buffer space or some other capacity of a receiver to receive data. Preferably, the flow control mechanism comprises a central interconnect module controlling internal communications of an integrated circuit chip.
US07882276B2
An input/output module for a programmable controller is provided that generates an output voltage and an output current from the power input. The input/output module functions as a power supply which re-emits or outputs at least some of the power input so that the occurrence of dissipation heat internally within the module is prevented or reduced. The input/output module reduces the power loss that arises inside the input/output module whenever a digital input receives current. A method is also provided for operating an input/output module for a programmable controller.
US07882268B1
Systems, methods, and computer program products for routing of search requests and replies using UDP transport are provided. In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes receiving a query at a client, converting the query into the form of a domain name in a DNS format, transmitting the query as a DNS request for a DNS record to a first server, where the DNS request is transmitted in the payload of a UDP packet, appending information identifying the client and the first server to the UDP packet, transmitting the UDP packet from the first server to one or more second servers to respond to the query, generating one or more DNS replies in response to the query, and transmitting the one or more DNS replies to the client in the payload of one or more UDP packets, the transmitted replies bypassing the first server.
US07882248B2
A receiver receives from a client, a participation request indicating that a delivery of a content is desired. An affiliated group-determining unit determines of which group corresponding to the attribute content the attribute of the user, included in the participation request is affiliated. When the other client corresponds to the same desired content and the same affiliated group as that of the participation request source client, and when the other client is already registered in a client database (DB), an access point-deciding unit decides the registered client as a access point of the participation request source client. When the other client is not registered in the client DB, the access point-deciding unit decides a delivering server as the access point of the participation request source client.
US07882236B2
The present invention provides for a channel model capable of generating a runtime communication channel with pluggable modular channel components. These channel components implement one of a set of standard interfaces that allow processing details of communication semantics between components to be represented in a polymorphic way. A message and corresponding communication semantics are recursively passed through the channel components using the standard interface, thereby abstracting other modules and components from specific implementation details of how the communication semantics are performed. The message may then be sent to the next appropriate module for further processing, or the processing may be completed at that particular component or module. Note also that the message can also be de-multiplexed on the service side in a similar fashion as that described above.
US07882227B2
A mechanism is disclosed for enabling labeled containers on different host machines to share file system portions. Before a process in a first container on a first host machine is allowed to access a file in a file system contained within a second container on a second host machine, a check is performed to determine whether a first sensitivity label associated with the first container is either identical to or dominates a second sensitivity label associated with the second container. If either is true, access to the file is granted. If the first sensitivity label is neither identical to nor dominates the second sensitivity label, access to the file is denied. By controlling access in this way, it is ensured that only containers with identical or higher sensitivity labels will be allowed to access the file. This in turn allows files to be shared by multiple containers without compromising security.
US07882226B2
An Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem for use in a telecommunication network. The IP multimedia subsystem comprises: 1) an IP switch for receiving Common Open Policy Service (COPS) protocol messages from an external IP network; and 2) a plurality of call application nodes capable of executing a plurality of Policy Decision Function (PDF) application groups. The IP switch distributes the COPS messages to the plurality of call application nodes according to a load-sharing algorithm.
US07882222B2
A method for providing virtual world functionality to a user of a base virtual world having base virtual world functionality, includes providing a virtual world layer having virtual world layer functionality beyond the base virtual world functionality, encapsulating the virtual world layer to provide a virtual world module and transmitting the virtual world module to virtual world layer infrastructure to provide a transmitted virtual world module. The transmitted virtual world module is executed to provide user access to the base virtual world functionality and the virtual world layer functionality.
US07882220B2
In automation systems, such as Substation Automation systems, the mean time to repair is reduced by remote reconfiguration and start-up of a replacement or spare Intelligent Electronic Device (IED), leaving some more hours for the maintenance personnel to repair an inactive or faulty IED. The time for the actual repair is irrelevant for the system availability as long as it is short enough compared to the IED failure rate. Exemplary embodiments can provide nearly the same availability as a hot-standby configuration, but without the need for doubling all the essential IEDs. Additionally, spare IEDs are supervised to be healthy, and a fault of the spare IED being detected before it is put in use. Only one spare online IED is needed for each set of IEDs of the same type connected to the same station bus and process bus. In a retrofit or extension case with limited downtime, a number of previous IEDs can be replaced by an equivalent set of new or real IEDs of a different type, but configured to perform the same functions as the previous IEDs.
US07882218B2
Systems and methods that provide for historians communicating in a plurality of protocols/languages with various resources via employing an abstraction component that normalizes such communication. Accordingly, the historian can supply a common configuration for various data (e.g., events, command, event, alarm, scenarios, transactions, messages, and the like), and hence provide support for third party devices. The abstraction component can further facilitate: Filtering, Bridging, Routing, Propagation, Transformation and Monitoring of data exchange with third party devices.
US07882215B2
A method and system is provided for implementing a variety of polling agent functions in a client management tool. Users at a central manager are prompted to select either a central polling function or a resident polling function for the collection of client management data from a number of computer objects. Additionally, the polling agent functions of the present invention are capable of distinguishing between critical data and non-critical data and determining an appropriate transmission interval for the data.
US07882214B2
A communication system capable of securely preventing illegal use of addresses and enhancing confidentiality of communication. Based on an originating-side real address which is the real address of an originating-side client terminal and specific information included in a registration message, a conversion data generator generates conversion data which the local server alone can convert to a receiving-side real address which is the real address of a receiving-side client terminal, and transmits the conversion data to the originating-side client terminal. A session controller receives a first session establishment request message, obtains the receiving-side real address from the conversion data and the originating-side real address included in the first session establishment request message, and transmits a second session establishment request message to the receiving-side real address, whereby a session is established between the originating-side and receiving-side client terminals without directly using the originating-side and receiving-side real addresses uniquely assigned on the network.
US07882204B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide electronic mail that is easy to automatically setup. Embodiments of the invention provide a mail server appliance that is designed to operate with a support service. Each mail server appliance is pre-configured to use the support service as part of an integrated product. The mail server appliance is configured for ease of installation and maintenance and comprises the hardware bundled with the software applications pre-installed. The mail server appliance is also coupled to the support service and may begin operations almost immediately. The support service serves as the primary relay point for sending/receiving mail for the mail server appliance and provides various supporting features. First, it provides pre-installation services for the mail server appliance. Second, the support service provides flexible operations support. For example, the support service allows the mail server appliance to have a dynamically assigned IP address. In addition, the support service may provide continuous availability and backup services for the mail server appliance.
US07882201B2
In an exemplary method, a content posting is received from an access device connected to a network. The content posting includes data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance. The content posting is stored. The content instance is selectively distributed to at least one other access device connected to the network based on the geographic location. In certain embodiments, the selective distribution includes determining that the other access device is located physically proximate to the geographic location and making the content instance accessible to the other access device in response to the determination. In certain embodiments, the method further comprises the access device creating the content instance, detecting the geographic location as a physical location of the access device, and associating the geographic location with the content instance.
US07882199B2
A system and method for effectively implementing an electronic image manager device includes one or more input/output interfaces for bi-directionally communicating with various information sources to transfer content information that includes image data. The electronic image manager device also includes a memory device for archiving the content information, and an application program that manipulates the content information by performing various procedures such as downloading and uploading the content information, organizing and managing the content information, editing the content information, and displaying the content information.
US07882197B2
A system for process control comprises a server digital data processor and a client digital data processor that are coupled by a network, such as the Internet or an Intranet. The server digital data processor, which is additionally coupled to a control/sensing device and any associated interface equipment (collectively, referred to as “process control apparatus”), includes a command processor that transfers information between the network and the process control apparatus. The client digital data processor includes an information client (e.g., a so-called Internet web browser) capable of requesting and receiving an applet from the server digital data processor. The information client, further, defines a hardware-independent and operating system-independent virtual machine environment within the client digital data processor. The client digital data processor executes, within that virtual machine environment, an applet for configuring the client digital data processor as a “process controller” that establishes communications over the network with the command processor and that monitors and/or controls the process control apparatus via those communications.
US07882193B1
A server is disclosed for filtering e-mail messages. The server receives requests to retrieve e-mail messages on behalf of a client and then retrieves e-mail messages from a mail server on behalf of the client. The server then filters the e-mail messages based on one or more rules and transfers the filtered e-mail messages to the client. In addition, the server continues to filter the e-mail messages after the client has disconnected from the server. In one embodiment of the invention the e-mail message recipient is sent a notification by the server indicating that messages have been filtered. The recipient is then able to scan the filtered messages and insure that the messages have been filtered correctly. In another embodiment, a third party scans the e-mail messages on behalf of the e-mail user to make this determination. Also disclosed is an e-mail filter comprising an application programming interface and a plurality of dynamically loaded rule modules adapted to interface with the API. The rule modules are activated and deactivated based on usage. Specifically, rule modules which have not been used for a predetermined period of time are deactivated. In addition, different rule modules are assigned different weighted values based on the probability that the rule module will accurately filter e-mail messages and/or on the content of the e-mail messages.
US07882186B1
A method for modifying email signatures in emails by enabling the sender to use a numeric code appended behind the top level domain name of the intended email address portion of a readdressed email address. This readdressed address is received by an email server that inserts a numeric code-selected signature and forwards the email to the intended email address.
US07882174B2
This disclosure describes techniques of using a hosting device to provide multiple versions of a single web application. As described in detail below, the hosting device stores resources associated with different versions of the web application in different subdirectories. When the hosting device receives a request associated with the web application, the hosting device automatically identifies one of the versions of the web application as an applicable version of the web application. The hosting device rewrites a pathname in the request to include a subdirectory name of the subdirectory that stores the applicable version of the web application. The hosting device then dereferences the resource identified by the rewritten pathname. In this way, the hosting device uses the resources of the applicable version of the web application to process the request.
US07882173B2
A mechanism for executing a remote command in a stateless client/server environment that provides progress information and allows user input that can influence command execution. A server receives a command request thread and processes the thread asynchronously by launching an asynchronous thread of execution and creating a conversation identifier for identifying the thread. In executing the command thread, if a conflict in execution of the thread exists, the server halts execution of the thread, creates a user input request to provide a resolution to the conflict and a user input request identifier, and sends the user input request, user input request identifier, and conversation identifier to the client. Responsive to receiving a response from the client, the server processes the user input and resumes execution of the command thread based on the user input.
US07882159B2
Associative references in a garbage collected programming environment is disclosed. An indication that an object is not reachable from any root object. The object is kept alive if it is determined by a garbage collection process, based at least in part on data other than data comprising the object or managed by an application with which the object is associated, that the object is associated with at least one other object that has been determined to be reachable.
US07882154B2
A computer program product comprising computer readable program configured to implement a method for providing processed data definition documents (DDDs) or processed document object models (DOMs) for object oriented programming. The use of these processed data definitions simplifies the data structures and streamlines programming to access the data. A standard DDD/DOM has a hierarchical branched structure having a number of levels each with elements/nodes and attributes. The DDD is written in a platform independent markup language. An element/node is selected and its attributes are identified. All ‘children’ of the selected element/node are identified. The attributes of the selected element/node (parent) are then copied to each child for all children in the DDD/DOM. This is repeated for all elements/nodes in the DDD/DOM to result in a processed DDD/processed DOM which is now structured to allow program access to data in a more direct manner.
US07882150B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing health and diet advice. A user may establish a user profile that may include information relating to the user's health and nutritional needs. The user may visit a restaurant or other food service location and may be presented with a menu that includes a variety of menu options. The user may access the user profile at the restaurant or food service location and may be provided advice and suggestions regarding the available menu options. The diet advisor may perform a comparison of the health and nutritional needs of the user with the available menu options. The diet advisor may assist a user in selecting a menu option at a restaurant or food service location that is healthy and will provide the user with the proper balance of nutrients.
US07882149B2
Disclosed are arrangements which seek to update schemas in a controlled manner so that a device (3710) or service can accurately parse documents conforming to a new version of a schema (3724, 3734) without the need for translation services or extra information within the document to provide guides for translation. One embodiment provides a “best-effort” attempt to process documents of an unknown schema, based on a defined similarity threshold, instead of rejecting such documents as being invalid. The arrangements disclosed seek to provide a satisfactory output from an input document that conforms with an unexpected schema. A method for constraining evolution of a schema associated with a markup language includes the steps of defining the schema and defining a metaschema associated with the schema. The metaschema provides rules for valid changes to the schema.
US07882137B2
A process for determining object level profitability includes the steps of (1) preparing information to be accessed electronically, (2) establishing rules for processing the prepared information, (3) calculating at least one marginal value of profit using established rules as applied to a selected set of prepared information, (4) calculating a fully absorbed value of profit adjustment using established rules as applied to the selected set of prepared information, and (5) combining the at least one marginal value of profit and fully absorbed value of profit adjustment to create a measure for object level profitability. The inventive process gives management profit measures tailored to its need for accurate decision oriented profit information required to manage a large organization based on profit measurement.
US07882134B2
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with producing non-repeating random values for use in data masking are described. One example method includes accessing data describing a mask for a value in a database table column to be masked. The example method may also include identifying a number of distinct values in the database table column to be masked and determining a field width for a mask to provide unique random numbers to mask the distinct values. The method may include identifying locations in a mask value to store the unique random value and locations in a mask value to store filler values. The mask value may include different character sets and may comply with user specified formats. The method may include generating a set of statements that when executed produce a mapping table that includes masks for distinct values in the database table column to be masked.
US07882125B2
A document managing system that is capable of realizing enhanced operability in inputting a search condition or the like when any of registered documents is searched for and printed. A document is registered in a document managing apparatus. A search condition to search through the registered documents for a specific document is registered in the document managing apparatus. A list of the registered search conditions is transmitted to a printing apparatus. The registered documents for a document that matches the selected search condition are searched through, by using a search condition selected from the transmitted list of the search conditions. The document that matches the selected search condition is transmitted to the printing apparatus.
US07882118B2
The present invention can remarkably improve the efficiency of the acquisition process. It is determined if requested contents data are stored in a hard disk or not and, if they are not stored yet, they are acquired from a contents providing server 6 and subsequently a corresponding contents attributes file 47 is acquired from an attributes information providing server 7. If the requested contents data are already stored in the hard disk, the contents data are not requested and only the corresponding contents attributes file 47 is acquired from the attributes information providing server 7. In this way, it is possible to avoid acquiring contents data in duplicate and remarkably reduce the time necessary for the acquisition process to remarkably improve the efficiency of the acquisition process.
US07882116B2
A computer method localizes programming models. Given a model having one or more elements, each element has an element name, and each element name is in a language of an author of the model. For each element name, the invention method stores corresponding character strings (or string values) for generating the element name in different languages. During display of the given model in a certain locale, the present invention obtains the stored respective character strings of each element name in the language of the certain locale and uses the obtained character strings to display each element name in the language of the certain locale.
US07882115B2
A information search and navigation system indexes, categorizes and condenses data from text or other documents. In various embodiments, the invention further can utilize user information goals, document or website types and multi-page link path options that together provide a fast, multi-page Web navigation system.
US07882109B2
A memory storing a computerized data array in the form of a table of values stored in the memory as a directed tree representing a set of data. Each data entry in the set is associated with a particular node of the tree, the values representing node ranks of the tree. The node ranks are ordered according to a first total order relation, the values being stored at addresses in the memory representing the node ranks and being ordered according to a second total order relation.
US07882108B2
A system and computer program product for updating a configuration of a websheet. A client receives a web page including the websheet from a server. The websheet includes data values stored in a relational database table. The table includes a first set of data values displayed in cells of the websheet in response to the client receiving the web page. The table also includes a second set of data values associated with the websheet configuration. Second set data values are not displayed in the websheet in response to the client receiving the web page. A form displaying the second set is received by the client. Second set data values are updated on the form to provide an updated websheet configuration. With its updated configuration, the websheet is displayed at the client and allows data entry to modify or add first set data values.
US07882107B2
A method, system and computer program product implementing the method are provided to process a text search query in a collection of documents. A full posting index is generated for the documents in the collection. The full posting index comprises one or more first index terms and a full posting list for each first index term, enumerating the occurrences of the first index term in the documents. In addition to the full posting index, at least one additional posting index is generated for the documents. The additional posting index is related to a defined document part and comprises one or more second index terms and a restricted posting list for each second index term, enumerating all occurrences of the second index term in the document part of the documents of the collection. The text search query is performed using the additional posting index.
US07882102B2
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for use in searching a geographic database to retrieve geographic objects one cell from a neighborhood of cells at a time. A cell neighborhood can be defined using a grid of cells and an initial, or center, point. A first neighborhood is identified based on its proximity to the initial search point, and corresponds to a first geographic area defined using the initial point and a distance from the initial search point in a number of directions. In a case that more than one cell neighborhood is used, each subsequent cell neighborhood is defined so that it excludes cells belonging to a previously-searched cell neighborhood. A subsequent neighborhood corresponds to a geographic area that is a distance from the initial point greater than the distance associated with a previously-searched neighborhood.
US07882093B2
A method in a computer system for retrieving data from one of multiple copies of the data is provided, referred to as the data management system. The data management system receives a request identifying at least one data object to be accessed. Then, the data management system queries a metabase to locate data copies that contain the identified at least one data object, wherein the data copies are created from similar source data, and wherein for each data copy the metabase contains an indication of the availability of the copy relative to other copies. Next, the data management system determines one of the located data copies to use to access the identified at least one data object, wherein the determination is made based on the indicated availability contained in the metabase for each of the located data copies. Then, the data management system accesses the identified at least one data object using the determined one of the located data copies.
US07882081B2
A system for the storage and retrieval of data files includes a data disk, a configuration disk and a controller. Each data file includes one or more data blocks, each data block comprising a data section. The data disk stores the data blocks and is divided into a plurality of block groups. The configuration disk stores a copy of at least a portion of the corresponding meta-data. The controller controls both the data disk and the configuration disk.
US07882070B2
A system and method are described for Universal Description Discovery and Integration (UDDI) data migration exporting existing UDDI V3 data from a UDDI V3 compliant repository (a source repository) and importing this data into another UDDI V3 compliant repository (a destination repository). The data from the source repository is migrated into the destination repository and remains in the custody of the destination repository. The method preserves the user name and entity key associated with the data during the process. If that is not possible, the method generates new user names and/or entity keys and creates a mapping between the original and the generated user names and/or keys in order to dispatch the requests properly during runtime. Source repository is required to support the mandatory UDDI v3 APIs and may need to support the optional Security API Set. Destination repository is required to support the mandatory UDDI v3 API and the optional Security API Set. Other optional APIs (as replication and subscription for example) are not required to be supported by any of the repositories.
US07882069B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with selective tag-based file backup and recovery are described. One example method includes selectively tagging a file for inclusion in a snapshot-based backup image by associating a tag with the file. The associating may include encoding file metadata with a tag. The method may include selectively adding a file to the backup image upon determining that the file has experienced a write event and that the file is associated with a tag. The method may also include receiving a request to provide a recovery file from the backup image and selectively providing the recovery file upon determining that the recovery file is associated with a recovery tag specified in the request.
US07882054B2
For digital media, audience evaluation is performed as a result of transmitter-receiver interaction similar to a lottery game. The transmitter provides receivers with a preliminary audience estimate and a “winning” number, both placed in control packets multiplexed with a media stream. Each receiver generates a random number within a range of numbers proportional to the audience estimate and if the winning number is generated, the receiver sends a “claim” back to the transmitter over a return path. The transmitter increases or decreases the audience estimate placed in control packets if the number of “winners” is statistically greater or lesser than theoretically predicted for correct estimates until the number of winners becomes as predicted. Reducing the volume of data transmitted over the return path and keeping the volume independent from audience size, the system prevents the return pass capacity overload and provides an accurate measurement of any audience no matter how large or small it is.
US07882047B2
Disclosed herein is an information-processing apparatus for constructing an information analysis processing configuration to be applied to information analysis processing in an observation domain including an uncertainty. The information-processing apparatus includes a data processing unit for: taking a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process as a basic configuration; taking each of elements included in every information space defined in the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process as a unit; analyzing relations between the elements; and constructing an Factored Partially Observable Markov Decision Process, which is a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process including the relations between the elements, on the basis of results of the analysis.
US07882046B1
An ad system is described for providing ad selections in response to an ad presentation opportunity. The ad system can use multiple content providers to generate multiple sets of ad candidates. The content providers can apply different ad selection paradigms in generating their sets of ad candidates. The paradigms may act on different aspects of a context pertaining to the ad presentation opportunity. A chooser module and filtering module can cull the set of ad selections from among the plural sets of ad candidates. At least one content provider uses machine learning functionality in generating ad candidates, such as a Naïve Bayesian approach, an affiliate similarity approach, etc. Various content providers also find application in a stand-alone mode.
US07882041B2
A system and method for optimizing the effectiveness of an educational institution. Means are provided for establishing a relationship between educational institution and a student wherein the student's progress is monitored from registration through and beyond graduation. Monitoring means allow the student's progress to be measured and the student's need for support and attention to be determined. Additional means permit an administrator of an educational institution to measure the effectiveness of an educational institution's program and to determine prospectively the resources needed to meet student commitments.
US07882040B2
A method of operating an online recruitment management site, such as an employment recruitment site, includes the steps of capturing information of reference providers provided by a candidate and sending the reference providers an invite to accept to be reference providers for the candidate. After the reference providers accept the invitation and verify their information, their names and information are automatically added to the candidate's profile for potential recruiters, e.g. employers, to view. The reference providers also have the opportunity to enter evaluations regarding the candidate on the site. The reference providers' evaluations are readily and conveniently available for the recruiters to view and assess the candidate's suitability for the recruited position during their initial screening and selection period. After the reference providers have accepted or declined to be reference providers for the candidate, the site invites the reference providers to participate as candidates or recruiters on the site. To participate as candidates, the reference providers may register their C.V. or search job opportunities on the site. To participate as recruiters, they may post job openings or search for candidates who have registered on the site.
US07882032B1
This invention is a method and system for tokenless biometric authorization of an electronic communication, using a biometric sample, a master electronic identicator, and a public communications network, wherein the method includes: an electronic communication formation step, wherein at least one communication comprising electronic data is formed; a user registration step, wherein a user electronically submits a registration biometric sample taken directly from the person of the user; a public network data transmittal step, wherein the registration biometric sample is electronically transmitted to a master electronic identicator via a public communications network, said master electronic identicator comprising a computer database which electronically stores all of the registration biometric samples from all of the registered users; a user registration biometric storage step, wherein the registration biometric sample is electronically stored within the master electronic identicator; a bid biometric transmittal step, wherein a bid biometric sample, taken directly from the person of the user, is electronically transmitted to at least one electronic identicator; a user identification step, wherein an electronic identicator compares the bid biometric sample to at least one registration biometric sample previously stored in an electronic identicator, for producing either a successful or failed identification of the user; an electronic communication authorization step, wherein upon a successful identification of the user by an electronic identicator, at least one electronic communication is authorized for execution; wherein an electronic communication is biometrically-authorized without the user having to present any personalized man-made memory tokens such as smartcards, or magnetic stripe cards.
US07882023B2
A method for managing collateral or property risk in a secured loan or lease portfolio includes monitoring the insurance status of each individual loan or lease. If insurance is not maintained as agreed by the borrower or lessee, a loan default or property protection fee is added to the loan or lease. The loan default or property protection fee is not allocated to an insurance premium but is used by the lender or lessor to offset expenses related to collateral or lease property damage. Optionally, the default provisions of the lending or lease agreement may be invoked if a maximum threshold level is reached while assessing the loan default or property protection fee. A system for implementing a method includes a loan or lease database and an insurance database. A data processor communicates with each database to determine whether the loan default or property protection fee is assessed.
US07882019B2
A Straight-Through-Processing (STP) trading platform provides a fully electronic and seamless solution to all substantially aspects of the trading cycle for fixed income instruments and other financial instruments. In an exemplary embodiment, all participants to a trade transaction have access to computer software that facilitates trade order management, trade order generation, trade execution (including electronic axes), trade allocation, allocation acknowledgement, trade confirmation, and finally acquisition of settlement instructions. In said exemplary embodiment, the STP trading platform includes computer software modules including at least an account management module and an electronic trading module to handle the various stages of executing a trade, confirming the trade, and facilitating settlement of the trade.
US07882014B2
A graphical user interface is used along with an automated algorithm selection function to enable market participants to initiate automated, multi-algorithm trading strategies through a single drag and drop motion. A symbol representing a security can be dragged and dropped onto an icon representing a tactical or strategic algorithm. Other features of the graphical user interface show information such as the progress of the algorithms.
US07882012B1
A system and method for providing order queue position information are disclosed. In this application, market updates are received for a tradable object from at least one exchange. To the extent that the market updates do not include enough details to compute the queue position of a trader's working orders, estimation may be used. As a result, an order queue is generated to approximate a trader's order position in an exchange price order queue. An interface may be used to display the generated order queue estimation to the trader which provides valuable trading information.
US07882004B2
A system and method for managing a construction payment process. One method embodying the invention can include creating an electronically-executed first request for payment on behalf of a first participant in a construction project, transmitting the first request for payment to a second participant in the construction project, creating an electronically-executed second request for payment based on the first request for payment, transmitting the second request for payment to a payment source in the construction project, directing transmitting a payment to the second participant from the payment source, and directly transmitting a payment to the first participant from the payment source.
US07882002B2
A system and method are provided for chart pattern recognition and analysis. In one embodiment, a graphical interface is provided to enable a trader to select a portion of a chart to be used in the chart pattern analysis. The pattern of the selected portion of the chart could then be used to find one or more similar chart patterns in a user-defined timeframe, such as any future time period or a time period in the past. When a reoccurring chart pattern is found in any future time period, an alert signal can be generated to alert a user of a possibility of the chart pattern reoccurrence. Alternatively, chart pattern matches can be found in a time period in the past, and a set of studies can be applied to the found matches to generate a set of reoccurring indicator values. The reoccurring indicator values can be used in combination with the chart pattern to detect any similar chart patterns in the future.
US07882001B2
A system for scoring and evaluating financial investments including a server accessible by at least one client, a database including a plurality of financial indicators for a plurality of investments, software executing on the server for generating a score for each of at least a portion of the financial indicators for a target investment relative to a reference set of the investments, software for determining a comparison set including at least one of the plurality investments, software for generating a score for the portion of the financial indicators for the comparison set relative to the reference set, software for generating a display of the scores for the target investment, wherein the display includes a chart including an axis extending radially from a point for each of the portion of the financial indicators, wherein each of the scores is plotted along one of the axes.
US07881999B2
In a reimbursement request workflow system and method, a processor may generate a reimbursement request by converting at least a selected portion of a purchase order request into the reimbursement request or by retrieving content provided by an external catalogue, extracting data from the retrieved content, and populating fields of a copy of a reimbursement request template copy with the extracted data or a portion thereof.
US07881997B2
A system, computer product and method are provided for providing business travel and expense benchmarking analysis. A first data storage receives and stores travel data for peer entities. A second data storage receives and stores expense transaction data for the plurality of peer entities. A data storage server aggregates the metrics of the travel data and the expense transaction data of the plurality of peer entities, generating aggregated travel and expense data. A processor compares a travel and/or expense transaction metric of an individual entity to a corresponding metric of the aggregated travel data and expense transaction data and a communications interface electronically communicates the result of the comparison to a client host computer.
US07881995B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products consistent with the principles of the present invention provide an infrastructure for asset owners to obtain financing arrangements from a multitude of liability providers in near real time and objectively.
US07881988B2
A system with an intelligent shelf (100) has product display shelves (110 to 130) displaying products having RFID tags R. The system includes antennas (112a to 112c) each having unique antenna numbers and detecting a tag serial number from an RFID tag on a product, human body sensors S disposed on each end of the product display shelf 120, a tag-product ID registration table storing the tag serial numbers of the RFID tags and the product IDs of the products and a control computer (200) detecting that a particular product is picked up from and/or returned to a particular product display shelf by combining the input tag serial number and the antenna number of the antenna detecting the tag serial number and analyzing which direction the detected human body has moved based on the difference of the detection times of the human body sensors.
US07881987B1
A purchasing user interface system may include a user interface configured to display various types of inventory, order and purchasing information. The user interface may display item, inventory, order, sales and/or vendor information regarding particular items, or all items, in a current inventory. The user interface may allow user to customize the manner in which the information is displayed. The system may also aid the user in making purchase orders, such as by allowing the user to select items to order as well as the quantities to order and the vendors from which to order the selected items. The system may also allow the user to generate purchase order based on the selected items, amounts and vendors. The purchasing user interface system may allow a user to display, sort, filter, update and otherwise manipulate various inventory, sales, order and vendor information to aid in making meaningful inventory ordering decisions.
US07881985B2
Service parts inventory planning and management are provided for one or more entities in a supply chain (12), preferably within the context of an electronic marketplace (14). Status data reflecting substantially current service parts inventory levels at stocking locations within the supply chain (12) is accessed, these inventory levels indicating service parts excesses or needs at one or more stocking locations. A substantially current service parts inventory plan is generated according to the status data, a service parts demand forecast, and a supply chain model, the inventory plan including target stocking levels for service parts at stocking locations. According to the inventory plan, one or more services are initiated to attempt to resolve service parts excesses or needs at stocking locations through interaction with one or more other entities.
US07881984B2
A service is disclosed for enabling web sites and other entities to provide item recommendations and other behavior-based content to end users. The service can be implemented as a web service that is remotely accessible over the Internet. Web sites use the web service's interface to report events descriptive of item-related actions performed by end users (e.g., item views, item purchases, searches for items, etc.). The web service analyzes the reported event data on an aggregated basis to detect various types of associations between particular items, and stores resulting datasets that map items to associated items. The web service's interface also provides various API calls for enabling the web sites to request item recommendations and other behavior-based content, including but not limited to personalized recommendations that are based on the event history of the target user. Advantageously, the web sites need not host the infrastructure for providing such content.
US07881983B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for generating contextualized live auction feeds. The method of generating contextualized live auction feeds comprises receiving context data from a user. The method further comprises utilizing the context data received from the user to search auctions. The method, in one embodiment, includes generating contextualized live auction feeds for an auction based on the context data.
US07881982B1
Consumers who are interested in various rental properties can create a list of those properties, and notifications of that interest can be sent to the property managers associated with those properties. A system could be implemented to send multiple notifications (e.g., to each manager of a property on the list) with a single request by the consumer. Such notifications can be used to provide property managers with information used to screen applicants, and/or can allow property managers to seek to access additional information about the consumer. Whether any additional information has been accessed can be tracked to verify that access is only provided in compliance with relevant regulation. This type of functionality can be integrated with a system that allows regulatory investigations to be allocated to, and performed by, compliance representatives using mobile devices, and can also be integrated with functionality that allows consumers to present themselves as pre-qualified applicants.
US07881981B2
A data extraction tool is provided for cataloging information in an information source for searching by a user. The tool mines information from the information source and organizes the information, or the locations of that information, within a database. A user may then query the tool for a desired type of information. The tool filters the database to provide a set of pinpoint site locations with information of the type requested in the query. These pinpoint site locations are presented to a user and indexed for future reference. The index of site locations may be updated automatically by the tool. A context system is provided for manually or automatically determining the proper context for a user's query. Thus, the data extraction tool provides information with a high probability of relevance to the user. The user obtains the information without expending much effort to refine the search.
US07881980B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a customer to sample content and select content for purchasing while the customer is in a retail store. Advantageously, the customer may be given one or more options for the delivery of the content.
US07881976B2
Apparatus, methods and systems for sharing and distributing electronic content using a mobile device are presented. In more specific terms, a viral marketing-based, discounted referral and recommendation model by which users may forward electronic content to other users in disclosed. In one aspect, a method of distributing electronic media content over a network includes displaying a discounted offer on a first device that has been transmitted from another device for which the electronic media content has been purchased. A notification is then received, and upon receiving an acceptance from the first device, the electronic media content is transmitted to the device.
US07881974B1
A system and method for managing reconciled textual descriptions based on merchant quality rating are provided. Merchants providing items to an electronic marketplace submit merchant values corresponding to textual descriptions of attributes of the item. A merchant value analyzer component processes multiple merchant descriptions to select a set of textual descriptions based on a comparison of the textual descriptions and merchant quality ratings. Additionally, a merchant quality analyzer component calculates updated merchant quality ratings based on the submitted merchant values.
US07881973B2
A solution for improving generally the selecting of window coverings, and more specifically, a method, system, and program product for selecting window coverings is provided. A method may include receiving at least one window attribute of a structure; obtaining a plurality of information via an electronic medium; and presenting at least one window covering option via the electronic medium, wherein the option is based on the at least one window attribute and the plurality of information.
US07881965B2
A recycling kiosk for recycling and financial remuneration for submission of a mobile telephone is disclosed herein. The recycling kiosk includes an inspection area with at least one camera and a plurality of electrical connectors in order to perform a visual analysis and an electrical analysis of the mobile telephone for determination of a value of the mobile telephone. The recycling kiosk also includes a processor, a display and a user interface.
US07881957B1
Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between task requesters who have tasks that are available to be performed and task performers who are available to perform tasks, such as by an intermediary electronic marketplace or other task fulfillment facilitator system. In some situations, task performer users and/or other users may create task subscriptions for use in automatically identifying tasks of interest to the users about which the users desire to receive notification. The users may be notified of the identified tasks in various ways, such as by sending electronic messages of various types to the users that include indications of the tasks identified for those users based on their subscriptions. Tasks of interest may be identified in various ways, such as based on task attributes of interest specified for a subscription that are later matched against tasks that are available at the time of the matching.
US07881951B2
The invention relates generally to a computer system and method for integrating insurance policy underwriting. In one aspect, it integrates an older legacy insurance policy generating system to on-line rating systems where users access the system through browsers. The computer system to perform the process of dynamically rating includes generating an input XML file of risk information that is sent to a web service and calculated in a calculation engine. The processed data is retrieved by the web service and transmitted as an XML file to a user interface that parses the rating information and displays the data.
US07881941B2
The present invention relates to a system for acquiring information from sources on a network, such as the Internet. A voice browsing system maintains a database containing a list of information sources, such as web sites, connected to a network. Each of the information sources is assigned a rank number which is listed in the database along with the record for the information source. In response to a speech command received from a user, a network interface system accesses the information source with the highest rank number in order to retrieve information requested by the user.
US07881937B2
A patent evaluation method analyzes key words in the claims and how many patents use those words, to measure the impact of a given patent. For a group of patents in a particular field (e.g., as defined by a patent classification code), the key words can be indexed against the patents having claims in which those key words appear, and in particular with respect to that patent having the earliest reference date (e.g., a publication date such as the date on which the patent issued or any corresponding patent application was published). Output may be presented in the form of a table, which aids in quickly understanding a patent's value compared to other patents in its group. Various visualization and user interaction tools may be employed.
US07881926B2
The invention relates to the field of automated processing of speech signals and particularly to a method for tracking the formant frequencies in a speech signal, comprising the steps of: obtaining an auditory image of the speech signal; sequentially estimating formant locations; segmenting the frequency range into sub-regions; smoothing the obtained component filtering distributions; and calculating exact formant locations.
US07881925B2
The invention concerns a method and apparatus for performing packet loss or Frame Erasure Concealment (FEC) for a speech coder that does not have a built-in or standard FEC process. A receiver with a decoder receives encoded frames of compressed speech information transmitted from an encoder. A lost frame detector at the receiver determines if an encoded frame has been lost or corrupted in transmission, or erased. If the encoded frame is not erased, the encoded frame is decoded by a decoder and a temporary memory is updated with the decoder's output. A predetermined delay period is applied and the audio frame is then output. If the lost frame detector determines that the encoded frame is erased, a FEC module applies a frame concealment process to the signal. The FEC processing produces natural sounding synthetic speech for the erased frames.
US07881904B1
A current operational health of a Telephone Network Switch (TNS) is determined by selectively using only certain parameters. These selected parameters, both internal and external to the TNS, are those that most influence the operational health. The operational health of the TNS is projected into the future in order to forecast the TNS performance. Not only can a current or future deviation be determined, but also a source of the deviation is identified allowing for a focused preventative maintenance effort.
US07881902B1
A method for monitoring human activity using an inertial sensor includes continuously determining an orientation of the inertial sensor, assigning a dominant axis, updating the dominant axis as the orientation of the inertial sensor changes, and counting periodic human motions by monitoring accelerations relative to the dominant axis.
US07881899B2
System and method for measurement, DAQ, and control operations which uses small form-factor measurement modules or cartridges with a re-configurable carrier unit, sensors, and a computer system to provide modular, efficient, cost-effective measurement solutions. The measurement module includes measurement circuitry, e.g., signal conditioner and/or signal conversion circuitry, and interface circuitry for communicating with the carrier unit. The module communicates interface information to the carrier unit, which informs the computer system how to program or configure a functional unit on the carrier unit to implement the communicated interface, or sends the information directly to the computer system. The computer system programs the carrier unit with the interface, and the programmed carrier unit and measurement module together function as a DAQ, measurement, and/or control device. The carrier unit may receive multiple cartridges, each having a respective interface protocol, where the carrier unit is configurable to support the respective protocols sequentially and/or in parallel.
US07881890B2
A method of prioritizing anomalies in a linear conductor buried under a ground surface includes the steps of obtaining prioritization values for a plurality of anomalies along a linear conductor, and ranking the prioritization values according to magnitude. For each anomaly, a prioritization value is obtained by: locating an anomaly; for each anomaly, determining a current, a depth of cover, and a voltage gradient using spaced voltage probes; using the depth of cover and the voltage gradient, calculating an effective probe spacing of the first and second voltage probes relative to the anomaly on the conductor; and determining the prioritization value of the anomaly based on a linear relationship between the voltage gradient and the product of the current and the effective probe spacing.
US07881882B2
A system for monitoring or detecting tampering in a flexible structure includes taking electrical measurements on a sensing cable coupled to the structure, performing spectral analysis on the measured data, and comparing the spectral characteristics of the event to those of known benign and/or known suspicious events. A threshold or trigger value may used to identify an event of interest and initiate data collection. Alternatively, the system may be triggered at preset intervals, triggered manually, or triggered by a signal from another sensing device such as a motion detector. The system may be used to monitor electrical cables and conduits, hoses and flexible ducts, fences and other perimeter control devices, structural cables, flexible fabrics, and other flexible structures.
US07881879B2
Methods and systems for a computer implemented method of analyzing a vehicle wheel assembly including a tire and a rim is provided. The method includes removably mounting a wheel assembly on a shaft having a longitudinal axis and being rotatable about the longitudinal axis to rotate the wheel assembly, applying a substantially radial force to the wheel assembly during rotation thereof, and measuring variations in the radial force from at least one of radial runout, tire uniformity, and tire flatspotting. The method also includes determining a condition of the wheel assembly based on a spectral density analysis of the measured variations.
US07881869B2
A method for transferring data from an unmanned offshore energy platform to a manned offshore energy platform. The method includes obtaining the data on the unmanned offshore energy platform from a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is configured to monitor at least one environmental condition surrounding the unmanned offshore energy platform. The method further includes formatting the data for transmission. In addition, the method includes wirelessly transmitting the data from the unmanned offshore energy platform to the manned offshore energy platform.
US07881866B2
This Terrain Awareness and Warning System produces a new “Too Low Terrain” predictive alert of “Caution” type when the crew of the aircraft has the possibility of resolving a detected risk of collision with the terrain without interrupting the current maneuver to stabilize at a safety altitude by a leveling-off maneuver, without performing a vertical avoidance maneuver. To do this, it measures the ability of the airplane to avoid the terrain with a sufficient margin without performing a vertical avoidance maneuver, taking into account the location or locations of the penetration or penetrations of the terrain along an alert prober C as well as the capacity of the aircraft to level off knowing the flight conditions.
US07881865B2
A collision determination system for a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a vehicle behavior recognition unit that recognizes specific vehicle behavior indicative of a probable vehicle collision. The system also includes a collision detection sensor that detects a predetermined state change resulting from a vehicle collision. Furthermore, the system includes a collision determination unit that determines whether the vehicle collision necessitates activation of a vehicle passenger protection device based on the specific vehicle behavior recognized by the vehicle behavior recognition unit and the detected predetermined state change.
US07881859B2
A system comprises a post oxygen performance diagnostic (POPD) module that performs a POPD of a post oxygen sensor, wherein the POPD includes a deceleration fuel cutoff (DFCO) portion. A torque converter control module adjusts operation of a torque converter clutch (TCC). The POPD module and the torque converter control module operate the TCC to control engine speed above a predetermined engine speed during the DFCO portion of the POPD. A method comprises performing a POPD of a post oxygen sensor, wherein the POPD includes a deceleration fuel cutoff (DFCO) portion and adjusting operation of a torque converter clutch (TCC) to control engine speed above a predetermined engine speed during the DFCO portion of the POPD.
US07881851B2
The invention describes a method for operating glow plugs in a diesel engine that comprises a housing and a heater element projecting beyond that housing which interacts with an engine control unit and a glow plug control unit which, following a preheating phase, controls the electric power supplied to the glow plugs in dependence on an input received from the engine control unit. According to the invention it is provided that the engine control unit determines a value representative of a temperature that is to be reached at the heater element and the engine control unit transmits that value as target value to the glow plug control unit which converts that target value using an algorithm stored in the glow plug control unit and taking into account the characteristic values stored in the glow plug control unit.
US07881850B2
A control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) has a first roll condition detector (64A), a second roll condition detector (64B), a third roll condition detector (64C), and a controller (26) that uses the roll condition generated by the roll condition detectors (64A-C) to determine a wheel lift condition. Other roll condition detectors may also be used in the wheel lift determination. The wheel lift conditions may be active or passive or both.
US07881844B2
The apparatus and method of the invention vary the sensitivity slope of the FNR control lever of an agricultural windrower, such that speed commands outputted through a first range of movements of the FNR lever are slower and increase less rapidly than commands outputted through a second range of movements greater than the first range, the first range corresponding to movements in closer proximity to the neutral position of the FNR lever. The different show is achieved by using different slopes for transfer function signals for the first and the second ranges of positions of the FNR lever.
US07881841B2
A motion-control system includes an operator interface with an operator-input member and a controllable force feedback device drivingly connected to the operator-input member. The motion-control system may also include controls that regulate the motion of one or more moveable components, including adjusting a first operating parameter in a manner that depends at least in part on a control error between a target value of a second operating parameter and an actual value of the second operating parameter. The target value of the second operating parameter may be based at least in part on the motion of the operator-input member. The controls may also operate the controllable force feedback device to provide feedback force on the operator-input member in a manner that depends at least in part on the control error and such that the derivative of the feedback force with respect to the control error varies dependent at least in part on the control error.
US07881839B2
An apparatus is provided that includes at least one image sensor, and at least one processor. The processor is configured to receive at least a portion of at least one image from the at least one image sensor, wherein an aim of the at least one image sensor is a function of the at least one image. The processor is further configured to generate at least one vehicle equipment control signal as a function of at least one feature extracted from at least a portion of at least one image.
US07881837B2
Provided is a diagnostic apparatus easily applied to diagnosis of a small lot product, etc. When measurement data on a measurement object is inputted sequentially, a filter section (408) performs filtering of the measurement data. When new measurement data is employed as diagnosis object data, a statistic processing section (420) updates diagnosis reference data using the new diagnosis object data. A diagnostic section (416) diagnoses the diagnosis object data based on the diagnosis reference data and determines whether an abnormality is present or not. If an abnormality is present, the fact is displayed to a user along with diagnosis results through an UI section (428).
US07881831B2
A water heating system including a tank to store water, a temperature sensor positioned to detect a temperature of the water, and a temperature control element configured to alter the temperature of the water. The system also includes a controller configured to control the temperature of the water based on a first temperature threshold during a first time period and monitor the amount of time that the temperature control element is in either the activated state or the deactivated state during the first time period. The control then determines a second temperature threshold for a subsequent time period based on the monitored amount of time.
US07881825B2
Method of controlling production of a plant incorporating one or more chemical processes in which products are produced through consumption of raw materials. In accordance with the method, current production rates of the products are computed by semi-empirical process models that are corrected through error corrections of actual production rates to produce corrected models. The production is then optimized using the corrected models to maximize the variable margin gained upon the sale of the products. The optimization yields targets that either directly or at least influence consumption of the raw materials. The raw materials are then introduced into the process or processes in accordance with the targets.
US07881809B2
A cardiac catheter for minimally invasive diagnostic and/or ablation procedures includes an elongated cylindrical, electrically non-conductive exterior tube with surface electrodes disposed on its distal portion and a handle on its proximal end. The distal portion can be curved into a curvature retained by a single action on a manual actuator. An electromechanical drive system may be incorporated into the handle. An electrical heating element may be incorporated within the distal electrode for ablation procedures. A removable, disposable blood contacting segment may be provided. The non-blood contacting actuator is thus reusable. The catheter includes two tension/compression members, which are wires with circular cross-sections that are integrally formed into ribbon-like configurations at their distal portions, for curvature formation. The handle includes a pivoted member movable in one direction by the thumb of the user's hand grasping the handle and in the opposite direction by the other fingers of the same hand.
US07881803B2
Disclosed herein are circuits and methods for a multi-electrode implantable stimulator device incorporating one decoupling capacitor in the current path established via at least one cathode electrode and at least one anode electrode. In one embodiment, the decoupling capacitor may be hard-wired to a dedicated anode on the device. The cathodes are selectively activatable via stimulation switches. In another embodiment, any of the electrodes on the devices can be selectively activatable as an anode or cathode. In this embodiment, the decoupling capacitor is placed into the current path via selectable anode and cathode stimulation switches. Regardless of the implementation, the techniques allow for the benefits of capacitive decoupling without the need to associate decoupling capacitors with every electrode on the multi-electrode device, which saves space in the body of the device. Although of particular benefit when applied to microstimulators, the disclosed technique can be used with space-saving benefits in any stimulator device.
US07881801B2
An apparatus (30) that can test external components of a cochlear implant system in a manner that does not require the person conducting the test to have advanced knowledge of the operation of the tested component. The apparatus provides a relatively quick and straightforward answer to the question of whether the component is operative or not. The testing apparatus (30) comprises at least one testing station (32,33,34) for receiving the component to be tested and makes an electrical and/or inductive connection thereto. A testing circuit is adapted to apply at least one test to the component and measure the response of the component to that test. The apparatus (30) compares the response of the component to stored data indicative of the response to the test of at least one equivalent component that is known to be operational and outputs a result of said comparison.
US07881796B2
An implantable medical device (IMD) including a nonhermetic battery is described. The IMD includes components and a power source module that includes the nonhermetic battery. The IMD also includes a barrier to substantially impede movement of substances from the nonhermetic battery to the components. The barrier may include a hermetic feedthrough, a gel, a polymer, or a solid electrolyte within the nonhermetic battery, and a seal member. The barrier may also be a material that encapsulates the nonhermetic battery and a getter within the IMD. In some embodiments, the IMD comprises a modular IMD including an interconnect member. In that case, the barrier may include a material that fills at least a portion of a void defined by the interconnect member. A length and a cross-sectional area of the interconnect member may also act as a barrier.
US07881794B2
Systems and methods for determining the coronary sinus vein branch location of a left ventricle electrode are disclosed. The systems and methods involve detecting the occurrence of electrical events within the patient's heart including sensing one or more of the electrical events with the electrode and then analyzing the electrical events to determine the electrode's position. The determination of electrode position may be used to automatically adjust operating parameters of a VRT device. Furthermore, the determination of electrode position may be made in real-time during installation of the electrode and a visual indication of the electrode position may be provided on a display screen.
US07881788B2
Precursor of fatal arrhythmia is detected and by setting the tolerance level for carrying out nerve stimulation depending on the severity degree of the precursor, significant variation of the heart rate is suppressed and induction of the fatal arrhythmia is repressed. For this purpose, precursor of tachyarrhythmia occurrence such as premature contraction, ST change, repolarization abnormality or the like is detected and the lower-limit of the atrium interval which becomes the tolerance level of the nerve stimulation is set according to the detected result. Then, it is constituted according to the precursor of aforesaid tachyarrhythmia such that time for making the nerve stimulation means in an operation state is to be adjusted or nerve stimulation is to be carried out as much as the heart rate of a predetermined number of times.
US07881785B2
A device and method for defrosting a defibrillation electrode are provided. This includes an automated external defibrillator that is capable of defrosting one or more frozen electrodes. The device is includes a portable housing containing a battery powered energy source and a controller as well as at least a pair of electrodes which are operably coupled to the housing. The electrodes are designed for attachment to the chest of a patient in need of resuscitation and contain a conductive interface medium that has temperature dependent properties. A controller is configured to selectively heat the conductive interface medium by applying limited electrical impulses and raise the electrode temperature to a desired temperature range.
US07881784B2
A method of providing electrical stimulation to a liver of a subject includes providing one or more stimulatory electrodes to the liver of the subject and providing electrical stimulation to the liver of the subject. The method further relates to methods of reducing risk factors of metabolic syndrome, treating diabetes, treating a subject having eating disorders and reducing glucose levels of a subject.
US07881782B2
Various aspects of the present subject matter relate to a system. Various embodiments of the system comprise at least one port to connect to at least one lead with at least one electrode, at least one stimulator circuit and at least one controller. The at least one stimulator circuit is connected to the at least one port and is adapted to deliver neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target using the at least one electrode. The at least one controller is adapted to determine when another energy discharge other than the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target is occurring and to prevent delivery of the neural stimulation simultaneously with the other energy discharge. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US07881775B2
A method of removing lesions by implanting a radioactive seed at the location of the lesion, locating the lesion with the radioactive seed, and removing the lesion with the radioactive seed.
US07881769B2
Catheter for performing a medical operation on an organic lumen, the catheter including an elongated member, a medical operational element located at a distal end of the elongated member, an electromagnetic field detector located at the distal end, and a wiring for coupling the electromagnetic field detector with a medical positioning system, wherein the medical positioning system determines the position and orientation of the distal end.
US07881764B1
The present invention relates to a dry physiological recording electrode that can be used without skin preparation or the use of electrolytic gels. The dry physiological recording electrode comprising a substrate having an upper and a lower surface, and at least one penetrator(s) protruding from the upper surface of the substrate. The penetrator(s) is capable of piercing through the stratum corneum or outer layer of the skin, and transmitting an electric potential from the lower layers of the epidermis through the penetrator(s) which can be measured, or detecting agents from the lower layers of the epidmermis primarily the stratum germinativum layer. At least one epidermis stop may be provided resulting in the formation of detritus troughs interposed between adjacent penetrator(s) and epidermis stops. The present invention also includes a method of sensing biopotentials in the skin.
US07881755B1
A network device includes a base band processor (BBP) receiver to detect a frame in a signal. A media access controller (MAC) receiver identifies a destination address in the frame. A power management module transitions the BBP receiver to an active mode based on an estimated energy level of the signal before transitioning the MAC receiver, a processor, a MAC transmitter, and a BBP transmitter to the active mode; transitions the MAC receiver to the active mode when the frame is present after transitioning the BBP receiver to the active mode and before transitioning the processor, the MAC transmitter, and the BBP transmitter to the active mode; and transitions the processor to the active mode based on the destination address after transitioning the BBP receiver and the MAC receiver to the active mode and before transitioning the MAC transmitter and the BBP transmitter to the active mode.
US07881753B2
A repeater device may be utilized to enable forwarding extreme high frequency (EHF) communication between EHF-enabled wireless devices. The repeater device may utilize polarization isolation to prevent and/or reduce interference between received and transmitted EHF RF signals in the repeater device. The repeater device may utilize plurality of polarization antenna arrays for reception and transmission of EHF RF signals to facilitate polarization isolation between received and transmitted EHF RF signals. Alternatively, the repeater device may utilize a single polarization antenna array, with switching elements, to facilitate polarization isolation between received and transmitted EHF RF signals. The repeater device may utilize control connections to enable communicating with the EHF-enabled wireless devices to facilitate performing polarization isolation at the repeater device. Non-EHF interfaces, for example Bluetooth, may be utilized to establish the control connections.
US07881751B2
In response to a connection request from a terminal, a base station provides a signal indicating a reception operation adapted to a transmission operation of the base station to the terminal. Based on the indicating signal, the terminal selects and performs the optimum reception operation. The terminal also provides its own reception operation information in advance to the base station. Based on the reception operation information, the base station transmits a reception operation indication to the terminal. These processes are realized with software by DSP (12, 14) and the like.
US07881740B2
A radio channel control method for controlling, in a radio communication system having a transmitter and a receiver, a radio channel from the transmitter toward the receiver. The method includes receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter by the receiver, measuring reception quality of the signal, generating information which indicates increment or decrement of the reception quality, and controlling a modulation or coding for the radio channel based on the information.
US07881725B2
An approach is provided for adaptively adjusting a threshold relating to a loading condition of a communication link. The threshold (e.g., rise over thermal (ROT) threshold) is adaptively adjusted the threshold based on an overshoot rate parameter that specifies number of times a target rate is exceeded and based on number of occurrences of an overshoot event.
US07881710B2
A portable communication device detects a current speed of travel of the portable communication device independent of any vehicle temporarily transporting the portable communication device. A speed based setting controller of the portable communication device compares the current speed to at least one threshold value set at the portable communication device. Responsive to the current speed exceeding the threshold value, the speed based setting controller automatically assigns a separate speed based setting to a current setting for each feature assigned to the threshold value, wherein each current setting for each feature designates the operability of that feature within the portable communication device, such that the current setting for each feature adjusts with a speed of travel as detected by the portable communication device.
US07881707B2
A method for providing wavetable information to a wireless device from a content server over a wireless network, the wavetable information including a plurality of samples corresponding to a plurality of notes, comprising: in response to a request from the wireless device, receiving at a proxy server the wavetable information from the content server; filtering the wavetable information in accordance with a selection of samples contained in the request; and, transmitting the filtered wavetable information to the wireless device.
US07881704B2
A first account profile is on a first mobile communications device and a second account profile is on a second mobile communications device. User input of transactional information is accepted on the first mobile communications device. The first account profile on the first mobile communications device is modified based on the transactional information. A message is transmitted including the transactional information to the second mobile communications device.
US07881694B2
A wireless device (110) is provided for supporting extended battery life. A transceiver (132) is configured to receive and transmit data over a wireless link. A frame detection sensor (140) is coupled to the transceiver and configured to sense an incoming frame and generate an incoming frame sensor signal. A controller (142) is coupled to the frame detection sensor and transceiver, and configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the transceiver device based at least in part on the frame sensor signal. Advantages of the invention include the ability to extend battery life in mobile wireless devices.
US07881682B2
A system for configuring a wireless module power limit comprises a wireless module having a control module configured to automatically select a power limit setting from one of a plurality of power limit settings to set a maximum output power level for the wireless module to enable an antenna coupled to the wireless module to radiate at a predetermined power level.
US07881673B2
Certain aspects of the method may comprise generating models for a received plurality of spatially multiplexed communication signals for multiple channels from a plurality of transmit antennas. A calculated signal to noise ratio (SNR) of each multiple channel may be maximized based on the generated models. A phase and an amplitude of at least a portion of the received plurality of spatially multiplexed communication signals may be adjusted based on a plurality of amplitude and phase correction weights determined from the maximized SNR.
US07881669B2
A transmitter sets a time length, determines a time point at which phases of frequency signals coincide within a range of the time length, defines a determined time point as a time reference point, aligns the phases of the frequency signals based on the time reference point, combines phase-aligned frequency, and transmits combined frequency signals to a receiver by the time length as the communication signals. The receiver receives the communication signals, extracts the phases of the frequency signals, obtains a time point at which the phases coincide, and determines an obtained time point as the time reference point.
US07881665B2
A NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device (100) has a data store (108) to store data, an inductive coupler (102) to couple inductively with the magnetic field of a radio frequency signal and a signal supplier (109) to supply a radio frequency signal to the inductive coupler. A modulator (110) is provided to modulate a radio frequency signal in accordance with data and a demodulator (114) is provided to extract data from a modulated radio frequency signal inductively coupled to the coupler. A controller (107) enables the NFC communicator or NFC communications enabled device both to initiate near field radio frequency communication with another near field RF communicator and to respond to near field radio frequency communication initiated by another near field RF communicator. The inductive coupler (102) has an antenna (120) and a variable impedance element (200) and the controller (107) is operable to control the variable impedance element (200) to control a magnetic field strength associated with a radio frequency signal supplied by the signal supplier.
US07881656B2
A system is presented providing content to a plurality of handheld devices (including musical selections). The devices can access a server over the Internet via a WIFI or other similar wireless interconnection and can download songs requested by a user from the server or from other users using, e.g., a P2P protocol. All downloads are governed by applicable DRM rules. Content and playlists may also be pushed by a server from other sources and means including, e.g., podcasting, based on predetermined rules, favorite preferences of users, and other criteria.
US07881655B2
A mover such as a vehicle acquires the information, which has been updated by broadcasting/communication during an engine stall or in an unreceivable state, after the engine start or the recovery of reception. The engine stall period and the unreceivable state continuation period of the mover are monitored and are notified after the engine start from a communication device to an information center and a mounted device. In response to this notification, the information center extracts the information, which has been updated during the engine stall period and the unreceivable state continuation period, and transmits the information to the communication device of the mover. As a result, the mover can always hold the latest information of a broadcast receiving device, the communication device and an information service device.
US07881649B2
Liquid supply systems, fusers and methods of supplying liquids in printing apparatuses are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of a liquid supply system for supplying liquid to a fusing surface of a fuser member, comprises a metering roll having a first outer surface; a donor roll having a second outer surface disposed adjacent the first outer surface to define a first nip between the first and second outer surfaces; and a liquid reducing roll having a third outer surface adapted to be disposed adjacent the second outer surface to define a second nip between the second and third outer surfaces. The metering roll is adapted to convey the liquid from the first outer surface to the second outer surface. The donor roll is adapted to be disposed adjacent the fuser member such that the second outer surface and the fusing surface define a third nip, and to convey the liquid from the second outer surface to the fusing surface. The liquid reducing roll is adapted to remove a portion of the liquid from the second outer surface before the liquid is conveyed to the fusing surface.
US07881648B2
To provide a positive charge control resin with which an electrophotographic functional component part coming into contact with a toner can be made chargeable in a polarity reverse to the polarity of the toner, and which has superior dispersibility in, and compatibility with, a main binder. The present invention is a positive charge control resin having a copolymer obtained by polymerizing specific acrylate or methacrylate monomer, amino-group-containing monomer(s) and carboxyl-group-containing monomer(s) as copolymerization components.
US07881646B2
A developing roller suppresses scattering of toner during a developing process and provides a further higher-quality electrophotographic image. The developing roller has a mandrel, an elastic layer provided on the circumference of the mandrel, and a surface layer provided on the circumference of the elastic layer. The surface layer contains a urethane resin serving as a binder and urethane resin particles dispersed in the binder, for forming convex portions on the surface of the surface layer. The surface of the urethane resin particles is partly covered with fine inorganic particles containing at least one element selected from silicon, titanium and aluminum and the urethane resin particles are in direct contact with the binder at the surface onto which the fine inorganic particles are not attached.
US07881632B2
In an embodiment of the invention, it is detected whether an auxiliary power source device is mounted in an apparatus main body or not. When the auxiliary power source device is mounted in the image forming apparatus, after a specified time has passed in a printable state, power supply to a first heat roller to heat a heat roller is shifted to a sleep mode. When the auxiliary power source device is not mounted in the image forming apparatus, after a specified time has passed in the printable state, a shift is made to a preheat mode in which the heat roller is kept at a preheat temperature, and a specified time has further passed, a shift is made to a sleep mode.
US07881628B2
An image forming apparatus appropriately adjusts an image forming conditions even if a halftone-processed image data is inputted. The image forming apparatus forms a patch image by applying a halftone process which is substantially equivalent to the halftone process which has been previously performed for the inputted image data. The image forming apparatus detects the density of the formed patch image and adjusts the image forming conditions according to the detected density.
US07881625B2
A fixing device of the invention detects a temperature of plural positions of a heat roller by a multiple non-contact temperature sensor at the same time and controls the temperature of plural heat source members. The non-contact temperature sensor and a contact temperature sensor detect the temperature of the same position. According to the detection result, maintenance is performed or a temperature conversion table is corrected, the non-contact temperature sensor is maintained with high precision, and the heat roller is controlled the temperature with high precision.
US07881623B2
An image forming apparatus includes a developing device for developing an electrostatic image with a developer; a developer amount detecting device for detecting an amount of a developer in the developing device; a developer consumption amount calculating device for calculating a consumption amount of the developer on the basis of image information of the electrostatic image; a developer supplying device for supplying the developer to the developing device; a control device for controlling a developer supply operation to the developing device by the developer supplying device, wherein the control device controls the developer supply device to supply a predetermined amount of the developer every time an integrated value of the consumption amount of the developer exceeds a supply threshold, and corrects the supply threshold on the basis of information relating to an amount of the developer in the developing device detected by the developer amount detecting device.
US07881610B2
Described is a method of transmitting an optical signal in an optical transmission system. The method comprises: providing a length of an optical fiber having a zero chromatic dispersion wavelength, wherein the optical fiber belongs to an optical fiber group and wherein the optical fiber group comprises optical fibers having a zero chromatic dispersion wavelength comprised within a wavelength range; estimating a tolerated chromatic dispersion range; and transmitting the optical signal over the length of optical fiber at a first transmission wavelength. The method is characterized by estimating, within the wavelength range, at least one wavelength sub-range, the at least one wavelength sub-range being such that an optical signal is affected by a chromatic dispersion which is comprised within a tolerated chromatic dispersion range when the optical signal is transmitted a) at any wavelength of the at least one sub-range, and b) over any optical fiber of at least one optical fiber sub-group of the optical fiber group, wherein the first transmission wavelength is comprised within the at least one wavelength sub-range.
US07881603B2
A dichroic filter that for use with an electronic imaging device, such as a camera. The dichroic filter is located in the main imaging lens, and may permit all light to pass through a first portion and be measured by a photosensor, while restricting at least some portions of visible light from passing through a second portion thereof. In this manner, only the non-restricted portions of visible light passing through the second portion may be measured by the associated pixels of the photosensor. The filter may be formed from a first aperture permitting a first set of wavelengths to pass therethrough and a second aperture adjacent the first aperture, the second aperture permitting only a subset of the first set of wavelengths to pass therethrough. The second aperture may be a dichroic mirror or it may be an optical filter of some other type.
US07881600B2
A photographing device for photographing an object in a photographing area has a detection processor, and first and second determination processors. The detection processor conducts repetitive detection processes for detecting a specific area where a specific object appears in the photographing area. The first determination processor determines the detected specific area to be a designated area. The second determination processor re-determines a substitute area including the detected specific area that has been latest detected by the detection processor to be the designated area if the specific area is not detected in the detection process.
US07881597B2
There is provided an image blur correction device including: a correction lens; a first movable frame; a second movable frame; a fixed frame; a first main guide shaft and a first auxiliary guide shaft; a second main guide shaft and a second auxiliary guide shaft; a first driving part; and a second driving part. The first auxiliary guide shaft is shorter than the first main guide shaft and the second driving part is placed between the first auxiliary guide shaft and the correction lens. The second auxiliary guide shaft is shorter than the second main guide shaft and the first driving part is placed between the second auxiliary guide shaft and the correction lens.
US07881595B2
An imaging device and processes to provide image stabilization by controlling analog gain and integration time. Analog gain and integration time for images are determined by comparing an image in various frames, whether full frames or hidden frames, where the image is provided with differently set analog gain and integration time settings to determine settings for stabilized image capture.
US07881587B2
The present invention relates to a playback apparatus, a playback method, and a program for the same that increase the level of convenience of a recording medium and thereby, for example, enable a user to perform playback control processing and the like more easily. An information acquisition unit 353 in a playback control unit 334 allows a holding unit 354 to hold an acquired an Linear Time Code (LTC) change point table 361. An input acceptance processing unit 352 supplies an accepted cue-up instruction to a cue-up processing unit 355. The cue-up processing unit 355 identifies the File Time Code (FTC) of a frame to be cued up, referring to the LTC change point table 361 held in the holding unit 354, and supplies this information to a control unit 351. Based on the information, the control unit 351 creates cue-up command information and supplies it through a command processing unit 356 to a disk recording/playback apparatus which displays a frame image of a frame to be cued up onto a monitor. The invention can be applied to an editing system.
US07881579B2
An optical transmission system employs an optical fiber as an optical transmission path that includes a holey fiber and a dispersion-compensating optical fiber. The holey fiber includes a core region that is formed at a center of the holey fiber and a cladding region having a plurality of holes around the core region at regular intervals. The dispersion-compensating optical fiber is connected close to the holey fiber and that collectively compensates wavelength dispersion of the holey fiber at an operation wavelength in at least two wavelength bands out of O band, E band, S band, C band, and L band within a predetermined range depending on a transmission rate.
US07881577B1
Structures and method for making, using and implementing a drawn preform from a plurality of tubes are provided. The drawn preform includes a first end of the preform defining source side of the preform and a second end of the preform defining a delivery side of the preform. At least some tubes of the plurality of tubes of the second end of the preform are drawn to a dimension of at least less than one micron in size. The drawn preform is capable of including conductors integrated with the tubes, and the conductors enable manipulation of materials (e.g., fluids, chemicals, biological samples, solids, inks, etc.) as the go through the tubes from a source end to the delivery end, or when the material is already present on a target substrate or receiving cell or material.
US07881574B2
Provided is an optical device, which includes a substrate, a first cladding disposed on the substrate, a first optical waveguide extended in a first direction on the first cladding, and having a first refractive index, a side grating formed in at least one side of the first optical waveguide, a second optical waveguide filling a space of the side grating, extended in a second direction across the first direction on the first cladding, and having a second refractive index, and a second cladding disposed on the second optical waveguide, and having a third refractive index, wherein the first refractive index is greater than the second refractive index, and the second refractive index is greater than the third refractive index.
US07881572B2
A system is provided for characterizing optical fibers carrying signal traffic. The system includes a transmitter, a variable optical attenuator (VOA), a receiver, and a computing device. The transmitter propagates an optical test signal along a channel of a fiber pathway. The VOA adjusts the attenuation of the optical test signal from an initial, greater attenuation to a subsequent, lesser attenuation. At the same time, the computing device monitors at least one other channel of the fiber pathway and identifies effects upon the other channel(s) from the optical test signal. The computing device may communicate with the VOA and with other components of the fiber pathway to direct adjustment of the signal strength. A maximum optical test signal strength may thus be achieved that does not negatively affect signal traffic on the other channels, and the fiber pathway may subsequently be tested using the achieved maximum optical test signal strength.
US07881558B2
A method which, while displacing the field-of-view, allows the image in a target area to be acquired without degradations such as out-of-focus of the image. Plural pieces of images are acquired before and after a target area while displacing the field-of-view. Next, these images are grouped into groups each of which includes several pieces of images, and integrated images on each group basis are created. Moreover, a relational expression is calculated which holds between image displacement quantity calculated by comparing the integrated images with each other and the number of the photographed pieces of images. Furthermore, image displacement quantities between the acquired plural pieces of images are calculated from this relational expression. Finally, these images are corrected by the amounts of these displacement quantities, then being integrated. This process allows reconfiguration of the image in the target area.
US07881555B2
A system and method to reduce bright burn in images, such as x-ray images. The reduction of bright burn may be accomplished by processing a received raw image to obtain a grey-value histogram. The raw image may be divided into a plurality of regions of interest, and an average signal of each region of interest is calculated. Regions of interest are identified as bright burn candidates based on a predetermined function of the average signal of each region of interest and the grey-value histogram of the entire raw image. The regions of interest may be analyzed for local connectivity to estimate bright burn areas. An image with reduced bright burn is generated by either automatically adjusting a physical wedge filter position based on the bright burn areas, or by adaptively reducing a signal level of the bright burn areas.
US07881547B2
The invention provides for automatically identifying the location of a displayed video window based upon a characterization of selected portions of the image for realness based upon a distribution of luminance values for the selected portions. The image is then searched mathematically for a large rectangle of realness, and if found, a similar operation is performed in a smaller rectangle around each of the edges of the large rectangle, in turn, zooming in to a resolution of one pixel, thus identifying the position of the edge. This process can be repeated as often as necessary in order to maintain a fix on the edges of the video window.
US07881539B2
An image processing apparatus includes the following elements. A broad-range feature extraction unit extracts broad-range features from pixels located in a predetermined area in relation to a subject pixel of a first image. A broad-range degree-of-artificiality calculator calculates, in a multidimensional space represented by the broad-range features, the broad-range degree of artificiality from the positional relationship of the broad-range features to a statistical distribution range of an artificial image of the first image. A narrow-range feature extraction unit extracts narrow-range features from pixels located in the predetermined area in relation to the subject pixel of the first image. A narrow-range degree-of-artificiality calculator calculates, in a multidimensional space represented by the narrow-range features, the narrow-range degree of artificiality from the positional relationship of the narrow-range features to a statistical distribution range of the artificial image. A degree-of-artificiality calculator calculates the degree of artificiality of the subject pixel.
US07881536B2
A method of identifying a string formed from a number of hand-written characters is disclosed. The method starts by determining character probabilities for each hand-written character in the string. Each character probability represents the likelihood of the respective hand-written character being a respective one of a number of predetermined characters. Next, template probabilities for the string are determined. Each template probability represents the likelihood of the string corresponding to a respective one of a number of templates. Each template represents a respective combination of character types. The step of determining the template probabilities for the string includes the sub-steps of determining the number of characters in the string, selecting templates having an identical number of characters, and obtaining a template probability for each selected template.
US07881526B2
An image processing apparatus performs color conversion processing on an input image. The image processing apparatus includes a block pallet conversion unit, a first color converting unit and a restoration unit. The block pallet conversion unit converts the input image in units of blocks into (i) pallet color information including pallet colors number of which is less than pixels included in one of the blocks and (ii) selection information used to select one of the pallet colors for each pixel. The first color converting unit performs color conversion on the pallet color information obtained by the block pallet conversion unit. The restoration unit selects for each pixel, based on the selection information, one of the pallet colors of the pallet color information, which is color-converted by the first color converting unit, to restores an image.
US07881525B2
The present invention is directed to a pattern recognition system in which new reference data to be added is efficiently learned. In the pattern recognition system, there is performed the calculation of distances equivalent to similarities between input data of a pattern search target and a plurality of reference data, and based on input data of a fixed number of times corresponding to the reference data set as a recognized winner, a gravity center thereof is calculated to optimize the reference data. Furthermore, a threshold value is changed to enlarge/reduce recognition areas, whereby erroneous recognition is prevented and a recognition rate is improved.
US07881504B2
A person image correcting apparatus and a person image correcting method that reproduce face colors of persons in an image group consisting of a plurality of images shot under identical shooting conditions, with an appropriate color and/or density, prevent variations in the background colors, and effectively perform correcting process, even if the image group contains an image of a person having a significantly different face color from other persons, are proposed. Two or more display images that are different in face color are selected from the plurality of person images, based on a feature amount in a face region, and displayed. When a modification value of color or density is inputted, all of the display images are corrected using the inputted modification value, and the corrected images are redisplayed. When an instruction for confirming the modification value is inputted, all of the plurality of person images are corrected and outputted.
US07881502B2
Methods and systems for three-dimensionally imaging an apical dome located at the cotyledon end of a plant embryo are provided. Three-dimensional information of an apical dome can be obtained by scanning the apical dome at varying focal planes along an axis of the embryo, or by using multiple cameras arranged in a confocal manner to image the apical dome. It can also be obtained by irradiating the apical dome with polychromatic light, wherein light beams of multiple wavelengths are focused at multiple focal planes along the axis of the embryo so that the dome's height information can be obtained based on the wavelength of the light precisely focused and reflected at each surface point of the dome. The three-dimensional information is used to ascertain various morphological features (e.g., size, shape, texture, etc.) of the apical dome, which are in turn used to assess the embryo's germinant vigor.
US07881500B2
The invention relates to a method for providing a motion parameter set and/or a picture repetition pattern from an input video signal, in particular for de-interlacing a video signal with using a candidate motion parameter set weighted with a picture repetition pattern value for calculating a motion compensated pixel from a pixel value of a first image. To provide motion compensation which accounts for field repetition patterns, minimizing an error criterion between at least one pixel value of a second image and at least the motion compensated pixel value by iterating the calculation of the motion compensated pixel with at least two candidate motion parameters sets and/or at least two picture repetition values, and putting out the candidate motion parameter set and/or the picture repetition value which provides the minimized error criterion is proposed.
US07881496B2
A vision system for a vehicle includes an imaging device having an imaging sensor, a camera microcontroller, a display device having a display element, a display microcontroller, and at least one user input selectively actuatable by a user. The imaging device communicates an image signal to the display device via a communication link. The display microcontroller affects the image signal in response to the at least one user input. The camera microcontroller monitors the image signal on the communication link and adjusts a function of the imaging device in response to a detection of the affected image signal. The vision system may adjust a display or sensor of the system in conjunction with a distance detecting system.
US07881493B1
Eyetracking techniques and analysis techniques are disclosed. At least one interpretation of eyetracking data is received from an eye interpretation engine. A characteristic of an application is dynamically modified based on the interpretation of the eyetracking data. A portion of the application being viewed by a user may be determined. The determined portion may be modified in response to the interpretation of the eyetracking data for the user.
US07881468B2
A method, a mobile node (MN) and a correspondent node (CN) exchanging a Secret Authentication Key (SKbm) within an IPv6 network. The MN has a pair of keys comprising a private key and a public key and a HoA. Upon displacement of the MN from a home portion to a visited portion of the IPv6 network, a CoA is set. Thereafter, an establishment message is sent from the MN to the CN through a Home Agent associated to the MN. Upon reception of the establishment message, the CN tests the HoA and the CoA and therefor sends a first portion and a second portion of a secret data. The MN thereafter sends the secret data back to the CN within a signed message. In response thereto, the CN sends an acknowledgement message to the MN comprising the SKbm encrypted using the public key of the MN.
US07881466B2
Embodiments include a system, wherein a server provides a cryptographic function F to an execution device in an obfuscated form. The function F composes output of a plurality of the mapping tables Ti (0≦i≦n; n≧1) using an Abelian group operator. A processor chooses tables O and C such that C[x] O[x]=0, x Di and creates tables T′i, 0≦i≦m; n≦m≦n+1, where for 0≦i≦n, each Table T′i represents the respective corresponding table Ti and at least one table T′o1, 0≦o1≦n, being formed through an Abelian composition of To1 and O, and at least one table T′c1, 0≦c1≦m, c1≠oj; being formed through an Abelian composition that includes C.
US07881464B1
The present invention provides a microphone apparatus. The microphone apparatus includes a housing with an outer surface and an interior chamber. A microphone element is disposed within the interior chamber. The outer surface includes a first substantially planar surface having at least one aperture leading to the interior chamber and a second substantially planar surface intersecting at an angle with the first planar surface.
US07881462B2
A method and an apparatus for upgrading an existing service outlet (e.g. LAN, telephone, power or CATV outlet) in a house by adding functionality thereto. The functionality is added by an add-on module, connected electrically and secured mechanically to the existing outlet. Several attachment devices are exampled, including surface attachment, side clamping, snap locking, strap securing and fastening screws. The add-on module may include a service connector for retaining the basic existing outlet function. The module may be attached in a permanent way or by using a detachable solution.
US07881455B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for establishing telephone communication between a calling party and called party wherein the calling party may store a plurality of numbers or identifiers of a called party and initiating a number or identifier of the called party enables the system and method to call multiple numbers of the called party from the stored plurality of numbers.
US07881451B2
An automated directory assistance platform architecture is provided for at least partial automatic processing of 411 calls from TDM-based telephone networks and from VoIP networks. The architecture includes three layers. One layer is a telephony network interface that accepts information from both TDM and VoIP based DA networks. The telephony layer sequesters the other two layers from the complexities of interacting with different source networks. Another layer is a VoiceXML-based IVR dialog engine that directs information received from the telephony interface. The third layer is an App Server Layer that processes information received from the dialog engine by retrieving information from an internet-accessible database. Calls that cannot be handled completely by automation are handed off to a live operator working in all IP environment.
US07881448B2
A method and apparatus is provided for notifying a telephone speaker engaged in a call or conference that the audio quality being received by one or more listeners is not acceptable. The notice is provided before the call or conference has ended, so that effective action can be taken to continue the conference. Embodiments of the invention can include both automatic and manual methods for informing a participant in a telephone call that audio distortion is occurring. An automated method uses audio sampling and comparative logic, while a manual method is accomplished using phone programming and a key entry sequence. A further embodiment provides means for any participant on a call to verify the audio quality of his or her own telephone.
US07881447B1
A voice conference bridge provides respective voice connections to a call coordinator and a plurality of call participants. A message server is coupled to the voice conference bridge for receiving DTMF tone messages from the call coordinator and the call participants and for sending data messages in a caller ID format to the call coordinator and the call participants via the voice conference bridge. The message server interacts with the call participants using a participant-initiated request channel and a server-initiated broadcast channel. A particular call participant invokes the request channel by including a predetermined tone command in a respective DTMF tone message. The particular call participant forwards a message content to the message server by including predetermined tone data in the respective DTMF tone message. The message server forwards the message content to other call participants via the broadcast channel according to an approval granted to the particular call participant.
US07881444B2
An apparatus, system, and method provide voicemail service using a packet data messaging service such as multimedia message service (MMS). Upon detecting that the presence status of a destination device is “unavailable”, the voicemail message is recorded at an origination mobile station and transmitted in a packet data message through a packet data messaging service center such as a multimedia messaging service center (MMS-C). If the destination device is a destination mobile station subscribing to the packet data messaging service, the packet data message is deposited in the destination mobile station.
US07881441B2
Text captioned telephony, in which a telephone conversation is accompanied by text captions to aid in hard-of-hearing users, is implemented without the use of specialized text captioned telephone terminals by using a combination of an Internet appliance such as a computer and a telephone or by generalized voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephones.
US07881434B2
A radiographic imaging system comprises: a radiation source for irradiating an examinee with radiation; a radiation detector for detecting radiation that has penetrated the examinee to acquire radiographic image data; image data receiving unit for receiving the radiographic image data from the radiation detector and outputting a termination signal indicating that an image has been taken each time receiving the radiographic image data; control unit for controlling operations of the radiation source and the radiation detector and detecting a progress of an imaging session for successively taking a series of images according to the termination signal outputted from the image data receiving unit; and progress notification unit for notifying the examinee of a progress of imaging session detected by the control unit.
US07881432B2
Disclosed is an X-ray reflecting device and an X-ray reflecting element constituting the X-ray reflecting device capable of facilitating a reduction in weight and being prepared in a relatively simple manner. The X-ray reflecting element of the present invention comprises a body made of a solid silicon, and a plurality of slits formed in the body in such a manner as to penetrate from a front surface to a back surface of the body. Each of the slits has a wall surface serving as an X-ray reflecting surface. To allow the slits in the respective X-ray reflecting elements to be located in a given positional relationship with each other, the X-ray reflecting device of the present invention comprises a plural number of the X-ray reflecting elements, which are formed into a multilayered structure in such a manner or arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction in such a manner as to allow the slits in the respective X-ray reflecting elements to be located in a given positional relationship with each other, or stacked on each other in a vertical direction to form a stacked structure in such a manner as to allow the slits in the respective X-ray reflecting elements to be located in a given positional relationship with each other. Further, the X-ray reflecting device may comprise a plural number of the stacked structures arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction.
US07881427B2
An X-ray machine, which in one embodiment is based on a spiral CT scanner, is used for examining a breast of a female patient. The X-ray machine has a gantry, which is adapted for rotation about a rotational axis, and simultaneously, for movement in a direction parallel to the rotational axis. A cylindrical imaging region is scanned along a spiraling path provided by the gantry. The patient is positioned so that a breast to be examined projects into the imaging region. A sample receptacle located in the imaging region is adapted to accommodate a tissue sample and/or a reference material. A range of movement of the gantry is dimensioned, so that the breast and/or the contents of the sample receptacle can be imaged with the gantry.
US07881422B1
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a frequency divider circuit for dividing the frequency of an input signal by an odd value. In one embodiment, a frequency divider circuit includes a counter configured to receive a clock input signal and a divisor having an odd value. The counter counts clock cycles up to the divisor to generate a count. A control circuit is configured to receive the count, the divisor, and the clock input signal and generate one or more control signals to control a state of a clock output signal. A half cycle adjust circuit is configured to receive the clock input signal and the one or more control signals from the control circuit and provide an additional one-half cycle adjustment of the clock output signal. The frequency divider circuit may be a feed forward circuit with fast startup characteristics.
US07881420B2
A vibration mitigation apparatus and method of reducing vibration in a reactor component are described, which may reduce the amplitude of vibration in the reactor component. The apparatus may be provided on the reactor component to reduce the amplitude of vibration of the component as the component and apparatus are subjected to a harmonic excitation that generally may occur during reactor operations.
US07881416B2
Systems and methods are described for carrier phase synchronization for improved AM and TV broadcast reception. A method includes synchronizing the phase of a carrier frequency of a broadcast signal with the phase of a remote reference frequency. An apparatus includes a receiver to detect the phase of a reference signal; a phase comparator coupled to the reference signal-phase receiver; a voltage controlled oscillator coupled to the phase comparator; and a phase-controlled radio frequency output coupled to the voltage controlled oscillator.
US07881406B2
Multi-carrier modulation fiber optic systems constructed using a series of electrical carriers, modulating the data on the electrical carriers and combining the carriers to form a wideband signal. The wideband signal can then be intensity modulated on a laser and coupled to a fiber optic channel. A receiver may then receive the laser signal from the fiber optic channel and convert it into an electrical signal. Multi-carrier modulation may be applied to existing fiber channels, which may be of lower quality. Existing fiber channels may have characteristics which prevent or restrict the transmission of data using intensity modulation at certain frequencies. An adaptive multi-carrier modulation transmitter may characterize an existing fiber optic channel and ascertain the overall characteristics of the channel. The transmitter and receiver can then be configured to use various bandwidths and various modulations in order to match the transfer characteristic of the fiber channel. A series of adaptive multi-carrier modulation transmitters and receivers can be integrated on a single integrated circuit. If multiple adaptive receivers and transmitters are integrated on a single integrated circuit, they may be used to upgrade existing networks by adding different wavelength lasers for the transmission of data in order to achieve any capacity desired. Each receiver and transmitter may characterize the fiber for its particular wavelength laser and may configure the modulation and bandpass to the fiber's characteristics.
US07881403B2
A system for realizing emergency rate reduction (SOS). A receiver initiates a short rate-reduction request, and communicates that request to a transmitter. The transmitter initiates an operational switch to an adjusted transmission reference (i.e., a new bit/gain table), by sending a signal to synchronize the operational switch for both the transmitter and the receiver. The adjusted transmission reference may be calculated using a formula, from a current bit/gain table, or may be a predefined bit/gain table. The parameters of the formula may be predefined, calculated during initialization, or determined in real time during SOS.
US07881398B2
An exemplary fast Fourier transform (FFT) numerology for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) downlink transmission system is described. The exemplary FFT numerology reduces the FFT sampling rate for a given transmission bandwidth, thereby increasing the battery life of a UE. The FFT numerology increases robustness against Doppler spread, phase noise, and frequency offset, enabling operation in channels with high delay spread, such as occurs in mountainous regions. The described numerology might provide the following without altering standard sub-frame duration: increased intercarrier spacing; reduced FFT sampling frequency across the transmission bandwidths; reduced FFT size across all transmission bandwidths; increased number of OFDM symbols per sub-frame; and/or increased cyclic prefix length choices.
US07881390B2
Methods and apparatus provide increased symbol length with more subcarriers in a fixed-bandwidth system. The subcarriers spacing may be reduced to provide increased symbol length and enable higher throughput. In one implementation, a system compatible with the IEEE P802.11n proposal can use 128 subcarriers in 20 MHz operation to provide increased throughput in lower-bandwidth channel operation.
US07881385B2
System and method for decoding digital video data. The decoding system employs hardware accelerators that assist a core processor in performing selected decoding tasks. The hardware accelerators are configurable to support a plurality of existing and future encoding/decoding formats. The accelerators are configurable to support substantially any existing or future encoding/decoding formats that fall into the general class of DCT-based, entropy decoded, block-motion-compensated compression algorithms. The hardware accelerators illustratively comprise a programmable entropy decoder, an inverse quantization module, a inverse discrete cosine transform module, a pixel filter, a motion compensation module and a de-blocking filter. The hardware accelerators function in a decoding pipeline wherein at any given stage in the pipeline, while a given function is being performed on a given macroblock, the next macroblock in the data stream is being worked on by the previous function in the pipeline.
US07881383B2
A video encoding method includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07881379B2
A video encoding method includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07881378B2
A video encoding method includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07881377B2
An image coding apparatus executes intra-frame prediction with a predetermined intra-frame prediction mode for a certain block. A block selection unit judges that the current block to be coded is a prediction error calculation block or a non-prediction error calculation block. In the case where the current block is a prediction error calculation block, a mode error value calculation unit calculates the prediction error by the sum of absolute differences and for all of the intra-frame prediction modes, an inter-mode comparison unit compares the prediction errors, and as a result of the comparison, an intra-frame prediction mode having the minimum prediction errors is determined as the intra-frame prediction mode. In the case where the current block is a non-prediction error calculation block, the prediction error is not calculated. As an alternative, a prediction mode estimation unit determines the intra-frame prediction mode based on the neighboring prediction mode information stored in a storage unit.
US07881369B2
In an image transmission apparatus an image data generator generates image data that represents an image. An updated image data generator generates updated image data that represents an updated image of an updated region of the image. A compressor compresses the updated image data. A transmitter stores the updated image data that is compressed by the compressor. An updated image data storage stores the updated image data. A transmission result storage stores transmission result data that includes quality information and time information, the quality information relating to an image quality, the time information indicating when the updated image data is generated. A transmission data selector selects the updated image data stored in the updated image data storage, and sets the image quality of the updated image data selected, according to the transmission result data stored in the transmission result storage.
US07881365B2
An improved multi-channel receiver for satellite broadcast applications or the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the receiver has an adaptive equalizer configurable to operate with QPSK or 8PSK modulated signals. In the equalizer, a slicer table memory responsive to an 8-level quantizer (slicer) and a select signal is configured to map the output of the quantizer into QPSK or 8PSK symbol coordinates depending on whether the QPSK or the 8PSK signal is being received. The slicer table memory may be loaded with the symbol coordinates calculated from data in the 8PSK signal. A pattern matcher determines if the 8PSK or the QPSK signal is being received and asserts the select signal to configure the slicer table memory accordingly.
US07881360B2
In one disclosed embodiment, an input bit stream is supplied to a trellis code block. For example, the trellis code block can perform convolutional coding using a rate 6/7 code. The output of the trellis code block is then modulated using, for example, trellis coded quadrature amplitude modulation with 128 signal points or modulation symbols. The sequence of modulation symbols thus generated can be diversity encoded. The diversity encoding can be either a space time encoding, for example, or a space frequency encoding. The sequence of modulation symbols, or the sequence of diversity encoded modulation symbols, is fed to two or more orthogonal Walsh covers. For example, replicas of the modulation symbol sequences can be provided to increase diversity, or demultiplexing the modulation symbol sequences can be used to increase data transmission rate or “throughput.” The outputs of the Walsh covers are fed as separate inputs into a communication channel.
US07881359B2
A surface-emitting semiconductor laser device includes a semi-insulating substrate, a layer structure with a bottom multilayer reflector, an n-type cladding layer, an active layer structure for emitting laser, a p-type cladding layer and a top multilayer reflector with a dielectric material, consecutively formed on the semi-insulating substrate, the active layer structure, the p-type cladding layer and the top multilayer reflector, configuring a mesa post formed on a portion of the n-type cladding layer, the p-type cladding layer or the p-type multilayer reflector. The surface-emitting semiconductor laser includes a p-side electrode formed on another portion of the p-type cladding layer, and an n-side electrode formed on another portion of the n-type cladding layer. The n-side electrode includes a substantially uniform Au film and AuGeNi film or AuGe film consecutively formed on the n-type cladding layer, and an alloy is formed between said Au film and said AuGeNi film or AuGe film.
US07881357B2
In a vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser device, first and second resonance wavelengths which are different are provided while a first resonator and a second resonator are coupled optically, and a gain of an active layer at the first resonance wavelength on the side of short wavelength is higher than that at the second resonance wavelength on the side of long wavelength. An absorption coefficient of an optical absorption layer when no electric field is applied is small for the first and second resonance wavelengths, and when an electric field is applied, an absorption coefficient of the optical absorption layer for the first resonance wavelength on the side of short wavelength is larger than that for the second resonance wavelength on the side of long wavelength.
US07881352B2
Provided is a long wavelength laser of which the operating point is stabilized and the laser oscillation is stabilized. The long wavelength laser comprises a resistor element provided to a portion where the surface current is maximum in a surface plasmon waveguide to stabilize a potential difference between a first cladding and a second cladding in the surface plasmon waveguide.
US07881346B2
An apparatus for transmitting terrestrial digital data using a synchronous-optical-network system or a synchronous-digital-hierarchy system includes a synchronous-difference calculating unit that calculates a synchronous difference between a standard signal used in the synchronous-optical-network system or the synchronous-digital-hierarchy system and a first synchronous signal that synchronizes with a leading position included in image data of the terrestrial digital data; and a transmission processing unit that transmits the synchronous difference together with the terrestrial digital data to a destination.
US07881344B2
A vehicular network communication apparatus and method detects and wakes up a sleeping network node through transmission of a pseudo-wakeup signal after an initial wake up fails for one or more nodes in a network.
US07881338B2
A method of providing a selected Quality of Service for calls traversing an IP Multimedia Subsystem. A control-plane Home IP Multimedia Gateway is interposed between the IP Multimedia Subsystem and at least one non-SIP client, such that SIP signaling may be exchanged with a remote client on behalf of the at least one non-SIP client. The Home IP Multimedia Gateway identifies a Quality of Service type by reference to the SDP part of one or more SIP messages, and the call leg between the non-SIP client and a residential gateway is configured accordingly.
US07881337B2
Methods and apparatus for information management systems according to various aspects of the present invention operate in conjunction with a system interface to communicate with an external system, such as a weapon, and a network interface to communicate with a node connected to a network, such as the Global Information Grid. The information management system may further include a data processing system in communication with the system interface and the network interface to enable the external system to provide and consume services to and from a node connected to network.
US07881326B2
A method and system for Multiple Packet Routing is disclosed. A first endpoint may be connected to a sound input/output device and a network. The first endpoint may be capable of breaking a call signal sent from the input/output device into a stream of packets and sending two or more duplicate streams over the network. A monitor may be connected to the network and the transmitter, and the monitor may be capable of monitoring a network characteristic and controlling a number of duplicate streams sent by the first endpoint based on the network characteristic, A second endpoint may be connected to the network, The second endpoint may be capable of receiving at least a portion of each of the two or more duplicate streams and recreating the call signal using the received portions of each of the two or more duplicate streams.
US07881324B2
Steering data communications packets for transparent, bump-in-the-wire processing among multiple data processing applications in a link-level data communications switch, the switch including data communications ports, a port connected to a first data communications network and another port connected to a second data communications network, other ports connected to the data processing applications, the switch also including rules governing the steering, including receiving in the switch from the first network data communications packets directed to the second network, each packet containing a source network address and a destination network address and steering by the switch each packet among the applications and through an egress port, such steering carried out only in accordance with the rules, using neither the source network address of the packet, the destination network address of the packet, nor any link-level identifier of any application.
US07881315B2
Electronic devices such as media players are configured for participation in activities relating to local, peer-to-peer distribution of digital content. In an exemplary distribution transaction, digital content items such as audio files, video files, text files, multimedia files, data files, playlists, and metadata are distributable between a source device and a sink device based on the acts of: identifying digital content item(s); determining the proximity of the source device to the sink device; and if the potential source and sink communication devices are deemed to be in proximity, establishing a peer-to-peer communication session (using a predetermined communication protocol such as Wireless Fidelity (“WiFi”), Bluetooth, or HiperLAN) between the source and sink devices. The digital content item(s) can be asynchronously distributed, via the peer-to-peer communication session, from a computer-readable medium accessible by the source communication device to a computer-readable medium associated with the sink communication device.
US07881307B2
One embodiment disclosed relates to a switching system. The switching system includes first, second, and third sets of switches. The first set of switches is configured with a first instance of meshing software such that the switches in the first set are members of a first mesh domain. The second set of switches is configured with a second instance of the meshing software such that the switches in the second set are members of a second mesh domain. The third set of switches is configured with both the first and second instances of the meshing software such that the switches in the third set are members of both the first and second mesh domains. Another embodiment disclosed relates to a packet switch apparatus executing multiple instances of meshing software. Another embodiment disclosed relates to a method of configuring a switching system having multiple mesh domains.
US07881306B2
Disclosed is a system for installing withdrawable units (11) into switchgears. Said withdrawable units (11) are installed on certain levels (12, 14, 16, 18) of switchgear cabinets (10), communicate via a fieldbus, and are unambiguously identified via a unit address while basic data required for operating the unit is contained in a memory of the withdrawable unit. Each switchgear cabinet (10) is provided with at least one Ethernet switch (20) with which at least the withdrawable units communicate. An application server (30) managing at least the TCP/IP address allocation as well as a database (40) in which at least the unit data of at least the withdrawable units (11) is at least stored and/or managed are also part of the system. Further disclosed is a method for installing withdrawable units (11) into switchgears, said withdrawable units (11) being installed on certain levels (12, 13, 16, 18) of a switchgear cabinet (10), communicating via a fieldbus, being unambiguously identifiable via a unit address, and containing, in a memory, basic data required for operating the unit. Communication via the fieldbus is based on Ethernet TCP/IP technology, the unit addresses of the withdrawable units (11) are automatically assigned thereto and managed by an application server (30) which is integrated into the Ethernet network, and at least the basic data for each withdrawable unit (11) is automatically downloaded from a database (40) into the withdrawable unit (11).
US07881286B2
A method of distributing and executing service logic across private and public networks for the generation and provision of telecommunication services is disclosed. The functionality and capabilities associated with both Intelligent Network (IN) and non-IN compliant elements of a public telecommunications system are abstracted using a set of control and informational parameters and variables which are associated with a given network element or network element category. A service creation and execution application programming interface provides access to a service creation and execution environment which is distributed in public network gateways, private network gateways, and in compatible software platforms. The distributed service creation and execution environment enable the generation, provisioning, and execution of applications across private and public telecommunication networks in order to provide novel telecommunication services via the serial or concurrent invocation of one or more distributed applications.
US07881285B1
The present invention discloses a system and method for providing interactive voice response (IVR) applications executable on individual communication devices. Unlike current IVR applications that run from centralized voice servers, the present invention describes a system in which communication units initiate communication with a multimedia server over a data network such as the Internet and download extensible copies of voice response applications. The communication device then runs the voice response applications, thus, locally administering the voice messages and accepting the voice or data input from a user. The multimedia server may preferably divide the application software into executable segments to accommodate communication devices with limited memory resources, such as mobile phones and hand-held computers. The system and method may implement different level of complexity by breaking application functionality into modules and the sub-modules. For multi-module applications, the communication units will re-establish communication links with the multimedia server to download each necessary or subsequent module or sub-module. The system and method may also allow users to connect directly to agents or operators to perform tasks that are too complex for efficient automation. The system may connect users and agents using any combination of a data network and voice network. The implementation of the voice response application using the data network connection allows a reduction in the number of telephone ports into an IVR and also allows multiple users to access the IVR over the same line, because of the asynchronous nature of the data network.
US07881283B2
A system and method of notifying a user of events in a customizable manner during and not during a voice call is provided. According to one aspect, the notifications are configurable to be dependant on whether or not there is an active voice call. Notifications may also be configured to be different depending on whether or not the wireless device is inside a device holster. Notifications can be configured to be different for different events so that the user may be able to associate certain notifications with certain events. The user can also configure the type of events that trigger notification. Notifications include any combination of audible cues, visual cues, and vibration cues.
US07881280B2
One or more gateways (107 and 108) as serve to interconnect the discrete call facilitation platforms (403 and 404) of a given communication network with an external communication network (109) as provided with the routing addresses of such discrete call facilitation platforms. The discrete call facilitation platforms, however, are not provisioned in a reciprocal fashion. Instead, the discrete call facilitation platforms are only provided with a subset of available gateway addresses. In a preferred approach, this is accompanied by less-than-fully-meshed connectivity between the gateways and the discrete call facilitation platforms.
US07881269B2
A method for channel management in a wireless network is disclosed. The method begins by a mobile client device receiving active channel information corresponding to active channels from infrastructure devices. Based upon the active channel information, the mobile client device selects an infrastructure device for communicating data for at least one of the media type access categories utilizing one of the active channels.
US07881268B1
In a group list update method, a group data server signals to one or more registration servers (e.g., a SIP registration server and/or a Mobile-IP registration server), to notify the registration servers of a group list update. In turn, the next time the registration server sends a registration response to an affected wireless client station, the registration server will include in the registration response a flag indicating that an update is available (or, e.g., an indication of the current version of the group data). In response to being alerted of that updated group data is available, the recipient wireless user station will then send an update request to the group data server, and the group data server responds by conveying the group list revisions to the user station.
US07881267B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a portable computing device for wireless communications comprises a first network interface for communicating with a public wireless wide area network (WWAN), a second network interface for communicating with a private wireless local area network (WLAN), and a processor executing under control of software instructions, the software instructions defining a gateway protocol, the gateway protocol establishing the portable computing device as an access point within the private WLAN after the wireless presence on the public WWAN is established.
US07881265B2
In a wireless communication system including a plurality of sub-carriers and a plurality of eigenbeams, a method for tuning a beamformed signal. The method includes adjusting a total gain of each of the plurality of sub-carriers and eigenbeams, and applying the adjusted total gain to each of the sub-carriers and each of the eigenbeams.
US07881264B2
Apparatus and methods for wireless communication transmission power control are provided. Determination of gain factors and adjustments for physical channel reconfiguration in the context of transmission power control are addressed. Preferably, implementation is in conjunction with communication systems in which wireless communications are conducted between wireless transmit receive units (WTRUs) using multiple channels that are concurrently transmitted.
