US07919492B2
Compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 is 2-indanyl, R2 is 1-methylpropyl, R3 is a group selected from 2,6-dimethyl-3-pyridyl or 4,6-dimethyl-3-pyridyl, R4 represents methyl and R5 represents hydrogen or methyl or, R4 and R5 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached represent morpholino and pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives thereof are described, as are processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in medicine, particularly their use as oxytocin antagonists.
US07919491B2
A pyridine derivative novel compounds of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof where all variables are defined herein. The compounds are useful in the treatment of psychotic disorders.
US07919477B2
Compositions including multiple oligodeoxynucleotides with a CpG motif are disclosed herein. The compositions can include either D or K type oligodeoxynucleotides. These compositions are of use in inducing an immune response in a large percentage of the individuals in a population.
US07919474B2
A therapeutic and/or cosmetic formulation comprising at least one anti-sense polynucleotide to a connexin protein together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or vehicle is useful in site specific down regulation of connexin protein expression, particularly in reduction of neuronal cells death, wound healing, reduction of inflammation, decrease of scar formation and skin rejuvenation and thickening.
US07919473B2
The features of the present invention relate to compounds, compositions and methods useful for modulating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), such as by the mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi). The compounds and compositions include iRNA agents that can be unmodified or chemically-modified.
US07919471B2
The present invention relates generally to a method for modulating cell survival. Modulation of cell survival includes inducing, enhancing or otherwise promoting cell survival such as the survival of neural cells as well as facilitating cell death such as the death of targeted cancer cells. The modulation of cell survival is mediated by a region identified on the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) required for death signalling. The present invention further provides genetic molecules which encode the death signalling region of p75NTR which are useful in antagonising death signal function as well as promoting cell death when expressed in targeted cells. The present invention also contemplates recombinant peptides, polypeptides and proteins s well as chemical equivalents, derivatives and homologues thereof which comprise the death signalling portion of p75NTR. Particularly useful molecules of the present invention comprise peptides corresponding to soluble forms of the death signalling portion of p75NTR. These molecules antagonise p75NTR-mediated cell death.
US07919465B2
It is provided mimotope receptors and inhibitors that employ peptide mimics that mimic the shape and function of natural receptors and ligands, thus providing synthetic binding sites for ligands and receptors. Receptor mimics can be attached to carriers, such as liposomes, to act as synthetic platelets, for example, by providing multiple binding sites for binding to other (natural or synthetic) platelets or to the endothelium. Synthetic platelets would have virtually limitless shelf life and would not require disease screening prior to transfusion, thereby providing a solution to the perpetual platelet shortages, as well as the safety and storage issues associated with natural blood platelets.
US07919463B2
The present invention is related to polypeptides derived from tilapia growth hormone.
US07919458B2
The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting or reducing the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, such as androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells, the method comprising administering to the cells a PLA2 inhibitor. In one embodiment the PLA2 inhibitor is a conformationally constrained molecule derived from a peptide consisting essentially of amino acid residues 70-74 of a human sPLA2-IIA protein, or the equivalent residues in other sPLA2 proteins.
US07919455B2
The present invention relates to a peptide labelled with fluorine-18 for the specific recognition of lipid vectors. The peptide of the invention comprises the following peptide sequence (PI): (I) J1-J2-J3-J4-J5-J6-Z7-U8-J9-J10-U11-Arg-J13-J14- U15-Lys-Gly-X18-Gly-Thr-J21-Glu-J23-J24-U25-J26- J27-J28-U29-J30-J31-Arg-J33-J34-J35-J36-B37-J38- J39-U40-J41-J42-J43-U44-J45-J46-J47-J48-J49-Arg- J51-U52-J53-J54-Asp-U56-Lys-Ser-Z59-Leu-J61-J62- J63-J64-Z65-J66-J67-U68-J69-J70-J71-U72-J73-J74-J75 in which the amino acids J are chosen independently of each other from natural amino acids, or derivatives thereof, in such a manner that at least 50% of them are polar residues chosen from Arg, Asn, Asp, Cys, Gln, Glu, Gly, His, Lys, Orn, Pro, Ser, Thr and Tyr, the amino acids U are chosen from Ala, Cys, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Trp, Tyr and Val, the amino acid X18 is chosen independently of the other amino acids of the sequence from Ala, Asn, Cys, Gln, Gly, His, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr and Val, the amino acid B37 is chosen independently of the other amino acids of the sequence from Arg, Ala, Cys, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Trp, Tyr and Val, the amino acid Z7 is chosen independently of the other amino acids from Asp and Glu, the amino acids Z59 and Z65 are chosen independently from Glu, Asp, Lys and Arg, the superscripts of the residues J, Z, U, X and B representing the positions of these amino acids in the said sequence.
US07919446B1
Compositions comprise a purine compound; an alcohol amine; a quaternary ammonium salt; an amino acid, and optionally an antioxidant. The compositions are useful in post-CMP cleaning processes. One particular advantage of these compositions is that they can effectively remove slurry contamination without increasing the roughness of the copper surface.
US07919436B2
The invention provides genes that are unique either to Ehrlichia ruminantium strain Gardel or to Ehrlichia ruminantium strain Welgevonden, or allelic couples which are present in both strains but whose sequences differ between the two strains, as genetic markers to differentiate between these two strains. The invention also provides diagnostic methods using these genetic markers.
US07919433B2
The present invention relates to chromogenic material that may respond and shift in color due to environmental conditions such as heat, light or humidity. The light may include both visible and non-visible light, such as ultraviolet light. The chromogenic material may therefore provide a method to independently develop a latent image on a given substrate, and in particular, to a substrate that includes conventional thermosensitive image forming media.
US07919424B2
Disclosed herein are a platinum-based catalyst for oxidation/reduction reactions and the use thereof. The platinum-based catalyst is prepared by loading a catalyst composition comprising a water soluble salt of at least one metal selected from among cerium (Ce), zirconium (Zr) and rhenium (Re), on a support comprising at least one selected from among alumina, silica and titania. The disclosed catalyst can be prepared in a simple manner without any particular limitation as to the kind of usable water soluble platinum salt, and when it is applied to various oxidation reactions, including water gas shift reactions of carbon monoxide, three-way catalytic reactions, and selective oxidation reactions of carbon monoxide, and to reduction reactions, such as reactions of removing nitrogen oxide (NOx), it will show excellent catalytic activity. In particular, the disclosed catalyst shows excellent performance even in a specific temperature range in which it is difficult to apply the prior high-temperature water gas shift reaction catalyst and low-temperature water gas shift reaction catalyst. Also, it can remove carbon monoxide even at high temperatures without the loss of hydrogen caused by methanataion, and thus is particularly useful in a hydrogen production process of producing high-purity hydrogen for fuel cells.
US07919414B2
A method for forming fine patterns in a semiconductor device includes forming an etch stop layer and a sacrificial layer over an etch target layer, forming photoresist patterns over the sacrificial layer, etching the sacrificial layer by using the photoresist patterns as an etch barrier to form sacrificial patterns, forming spacers on both sidewalls of the sacrificial patterns, removing the sacrificial patterns, and etching the etch stop layer and the etch target layer by using the spacer as an etch barrier.
US07919409B2
We have used the state-of-the-art computational chemistry techniques to identify adhesion promoting layer materials that provide good adhesion of copper seed layer to the adhesion promoting layer and the adhesion promoting layer to the barrier layer. We have identified factors responsible for providing good adhesion of copper layer on various metallic surfaces and circumstances under which agglomeration of copper film occur. Several promising adhesion promoting layer materials based on chromium alloys have been predicted to be able to significantly enhance the adhesion of copper films. Chromium containing complexes of a polydentate β-ketoiminate have been identified as chromium containing precursors to make the alloys with chromium.
US07919405B2
A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof that can prevent mutual diffusion of impurity in a silicide layer and can decrease sheet resistance of an N-type polymetal gate electrode and a P-type polymetal gate electrode, respectively in the semiconductor device having gate electrodes of a polymetal gate structure and a dual gate structure are provided. The P-type polymetal gate electrode includes a P-type silicon layer containing P-type impurity, a silicide layer formed on the P-type silicon layer and having a plurality of silicide grains which are discontinuously disposed in a direction substantially parallel with the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a silicon film continuously formed on the surface of the P-type silicon layer exposed on the discontinuous part of the silicide layer and on the surface of the silicide layer, a second metal nitride layer formed on the silicon film, and a metal layer formed on the metal nitride layer.
US07919398B2
Embodiments of the invention as recited in the claims relate to thin film multi-junction solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same. In one embodiment a method of forming a thin film multi-junction solar cell over a substrate is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate in a reaction zone, providing a gas mixture to the reaction zone, wherein the gas mixture comprises a silicon containing compound and hydrogen gas, forming a first region of an intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate at a first deposition rate, forming a second region of the intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate at a second deposition rate higher than the first deposition rate, and forming a third region of the intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate at a third deposition rate lower than the second deposition rate.
US07919395B2
A wafer separating method including a laminated member removing step for partially removing a laminated member of a wafer along streets by applying a laser beam to the wafer along the streets, and a cutting step for cutting a substrate of the wafer along the streets after the laminated member removing step. The laminated member removing step includes a first laser processing step for applying a first laser beam along two parallel lines spaced apart from each other in each street, the first laser beam being capable of passing through the laminated member and having an absorption wavelength to the substrate, thereby heating the substrate to generate two cracks in the laminated member by thermal shock so that the two cracks extend along the two parallel lines in each street; and a second laser processing step for applying a second laser beam to a region between the two cracks in the laminated member, the second laser beam having an energy density higher than that of the first laser beam, thereby removing the region between the two cracks in the laminated member to expose the substrate along each street.
US07919391B2
The invention concerns a method of treating one or both bonding surfaces of first and second substrates and in particular, the surfaces of donor and receiver wafers that are intended to be bonded together. A simultaneous cleaning and activation step is carried out immediately prior to bonding the wafers together, by applying to one or both bonding surfaces an activation solution of ammonia (NH4OH) in water, preferably deionized, at a concentration by weight in the range from about 0.05% to 2%. The method is applicable to fabricating structures used in the optics, electronics, or optoelectronics fields.
US07919385B2
A semiconductor device includes a first insulating layer, a capacitor, an adhesive layer, and an intermediate layer. The first insulating layer may include a first insulating film. The first insulating layered structure has a first hole. The capacitor is disposed in the first hole. The capacitor may include bottom and top electrodes and a capacitive insulating film. The capacitive insulating film is sandwiched between the bottom and top electrodes. The adhesive layer contacts with the bottom electrode. The adhesive layer has adhesiveness to the bottom electrode. The intermediate layer is interposed between the adhesive layer and the first insulating film. The intermediate layer contacts with the adhesive layer and with the first insulating film. The intermediate layer has adhesiveness to the adhesive layer and to the first insulating film.
US07919382B2
An improved varactor diode (40) is obtained by providing a substrate (70) having a first surface (73) and in which are formed a first N region (46) having a first peak dopant concentration (47) located at a first depth (48) beneath the surface (73), and a first P region 49having a second peak dopant concentration (50) greater than the first peak dopant concentration located at a second depth (51) beneath the surface less than the first depth (48), and a second P region (42) having a third peak dopant concentration (43) greater than the second peak dopant concentration and located at a third depth at or beneath the surface (73) less than the second depth (51), so that the first P region (49) provides a retrograde doping profile whose impurity concentration increases with distance from the inward edge (44) of the second P region (42) up to the second peak dopant concentration (50).
US07919372B2
A semiconductor device having a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (“ONO”) structure is formed by providing a first silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer over a substrate having a memory region and a logic device region; patterning the first silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer to define bottom oxide and silicon nitride portions of partially completed ONO stacks and to expose the substrate in the logic device regions; performing a rapid thermal annealing process in the presence of a radical oxidizing agent to form concurrently a second silicon oxide layer on the exposed surface of the silicon nitride layer and a gate oxide layer over the substrate; and depositing a conductive layer over the completed ONO stacks and the gate oxide. The invention is employed in manufacture of, for example, memory devices having and peripheral logic devices and memory cells including ONO structures. Exposing the patterned silicon nitride to the oxygen radical during the RTO according to the invention significantly reduces the processing time, and reduces the thermal budget. Moreover, because according to the invention the upper surface and the sidewalls of the silicon nitride layer are covered by the top oxide layer, the silicon nitride is not exposed during a subsequent cleaning process. As a result of increased contact area between the polysilicon gate and the top oxide layer, the coupling ratio of the gate is increased.
US07919369B2
In a method of fabricating a flash memory device, a lower capping conductive layer of a peri region is patterned. A step formed between a cell gate and a gate for a peri region transistor is decreased by controlling a target etch thickness of a hard mask. Thus, an impurity does not infiltrate into the bottom of the gate for the peri region transistor through a lost portion of a SAC nitride layer. Accordingly, a hump phenomenon of the transistor formed in the peri region can be improved. Furthermore, a leakage current characteristic of the transistor formed in the peri region can be improved.
US07919363B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip. External connection pads and further pads are disposed over a surface of the semiconductor chip. Selected ones of the further pads are electrically connected to one another so as to activate selected functions within the semiconductor chip.
US07919360B1
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: forming a lead to include a first tip at one end, a second tip on the end opposite from the first tip with a connect area between each end located above the first tip, and a first tier section or a second tier section located between the connect area and the second tip; connecting a bottom component assembly to the first tier section or the second tier section; connecting a top component assembly over the connect area; and applying an encapsulant over and under the connect area with the first tip exposed.
US07919358B2
A multi-chips stacked package method which includes providing a lead frame includes a top surface and a reverse surface formed by a plurality of inner leads and a plurality of outer leads; fixing a first chip on the reverse surface of the lead frame and the active surface of the first chip includes a plurality of first pads closed to the central region; forming a plurality of first metal wires, and the first pads are electrically connected to the first inner leads and the second inner leads by the first metal wires; forming a plurality of metal spacers on the thermal fin of the lead frame; fixing a second chip to electrically connect to the top surface of the first inner leads and the second inner leads; forming a plurality of second metal wires, and the second pads are electrically connected to the top surface of the first inner leads and the second inner leads; and flowing a molding to form an encapsulated material to cover the first chip, the first metal wires, the second chip, the second metal wires, the first inner leads and the second inner leads and the outer leads being exposed.
US07919357B2
A resin containing conductive particles and a gas bubble generating agent is supplied between a first substrate and a second substrate, and then the resin is heated to generate gas bubbles from the gas bubble generating agent contained in the resin so that the resin is self-assembled between electrodes. Then, the resin is further heated to melt the conductive particles contained in the resin, thereby forming connectors between electrodes. A partition member sealing the gap between the substrates is provided near a peripheral portion of the resin, and gas bubbles in the resin are discharged to the outside through the peripheral portion of the resin where the partition member is absent.
US07919352B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a method of making an OLED device comprises providing a substrate; a first electrode, a conductive bus line over the substrate and an organic electroluminescent media over the first electrode and over the conductive bus line. A laser that operating at a predetermined wavelength and is scanned over the conductive bus line in a predetermined direction so that the conductive bus line absorbs sufficient energy to cause the ablation a portion of the organic electroluminescent media over the conductive bus line thereby forming an opening in the organic electroluminescent media. The width of the laser beam in the predetermined direction is less than four times the width of the conductive bus line; and forming a second electrode over the organic electroluminescent media, the first electrode, and through the opening in the organic electroluminescent media.
US07919348B2
Methods for processing photoimagers include forming one or more protective layers over the image sensing elements of a photoimager. Protective layers may facilitate thinning of the substrates of photoimagers, as well as prevent contamination of the image sensing elements and associated optical features during back side processing of the photoimagers. Blind vias, which extend from the back side of a photoimager to bond pads carried by an active surface of the photoimager, may be formed through the back side. The vias may be filled with conductive material and, optionally, redistribution circuitry may be fabricated over the back side of the photoimager. Photoimagers including features at result from such processes are also disclosed.
US07919347B2
Methods of fabricating P-I-N diodes, structures for P-I-N diodes and design structure for P-I-N diodes. A method includes: forming a trench in a silicon substrate; forming a doped region in the substrate abutting the trench; growing an intrinsic epitaxial silicon layer on surfaces of the trench; depositing a doped polysilicon layer to fill remaining space in the trench, performing a chemical mechanical polish so top surfaces of the intrinsic epitaxial silicon layer and the doped polysilicon layer are coplanar; forming a dielectric isolation layer in the substrate; forming a dielectric layer on top of the isolation layer; and forming a first metal contact to the doped polysilicon layer through the dielectric layer and a second contact to the doped region the dielectric and through the isolation layer.
US07919344B2
Provided is an image sensor and a method for manufacturing the same. The image sensor includes a substrate on which a circuitry including a first lower metal line and a second lower metal line is formed. A lower electrode is formed on the first lower metal line. A separation metal pattern surrounds the lower electrode and connected to the second lower metal line. An intrinsic layer is formed on the lower electrode. A second conductive type conduction layer is formed on the intrinsic layer. An upper electrode is formed on the second conductive type conductive layer. A bias can be applied to the second lower metal line such that the separation metal pattern can provide a Schottky Barrier, directing electrons to the lower electrode and inhibiting crosstalk between pixels.
US07919333B2
The invention relates to spherical and magnetic silicagel particles which are provided with an increased surface by incorporating SiO2 colloids and produced by a method for inverse dispersion cross-linking of silica sols. The addition of certain metallic oxides to said silica sols and a subsequent tempering make it possible to obtain silicagel particles which exhibit increased nucleic acid binding properties and are used for separating a nucleic acid and isolating biomolecules.
US07919331B2
The invention describes immunochromatographic protocols in which one or more analytes, such as a bacteria or virus, can be assayed utilizing a “sandwich” complex.
US07919325B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for the identification or authentication of liquid products by the addition of an anti-Stokes marker. The invention features an apparatus and method for the identification of a liquid, dynamic or static, that includes adding an anti-Stokes luminescent marker compound to the liquid followed by exposing the compound to a light source of a known wavelength or known wavelengths and then detecting one or more shorter wavelength emissions from the marker, where the identity of the liquid is confirmed by the emission wavelength or wavelengths that are detected and quantified. The irradiating source of light includes, but is not limited to, a laser and other conventional light sources.
US07919319B2
One or more cells can be cultured when confined in space by barriers. The distance between barriers can be comparable to the size of a cell to be cultured. The space between barriers can also be sufficiently small to allow control of cell properties or monitoring of the cell(s) cultured therein. The cell(s) may be confined completely or may be mobile between two opposing barrier surfaces. The gap between two opposing barriers may be sufficiently narrow to allow only a monolayer of cells to be cultured. A barrier can be transparent. The surfaces of the barriers may have one or more pre-selected characteristics that mimic the characteristics of a biological niche of the cells(s). The number of cells in a cell culture may be limited to permit control of properties of individual cells. The cultured cell(s) may be monitored, such as imaged, over a long period of time, using standard bright field or fluorescent imaging techniques.
US07919318B2
The present invention provides a process for isolating vascular endothelial cells from embryoid bodies differentiated from embryonic stem cells, which comprises: (a) treating embryoid bodies differentiated from embryonic stem cells with 0.005-0.015% trypsin and 0.05-0.15 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) to obtain vascular endothelial cell clusters; and (b) treating the vascular endothelial cell clusters with 0.1-0.5% trypsin and 0.5-2 mM EDTA so as to separate the vascular endothelial cell clusters into single cells.
US07919309B2
In one aspect, the invention provides methods and compositions for the expression of small RNA molecules within a cell using a retroviral vector. The methods can be used to express double stranded RNA complexes. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) can be expressed using the methods of the invention within a cell, that interfere with a viral life cycle by down regulating either the viral genome, a viral genome transcript, or a host cell that. In another aspect the invention provides methods for treating patients having suffering from infection, particularly infection with HIV.
US07919303B2
The present disclosure identifies methods and compositions for modifying photoautotrophic organisms as hosts, such that the organisms efficiently convert carbon dioxide and light into n-alkanes, and in particular the use of such organisms for the commercial production of n-alkanes and related molecules.
US07919297B2
The present invention is directed to an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding mutant phytases and the isolated mutant phytases themselves. The present invention further relates to methods of using the isolated nucleic acid molecules and the isolated mutant phytases of the present invention.
US07919295B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods for producing a polyol oxidase in microorganisms, and the use of polyol oxidases in cleaning compositions. The invention includes cleaning compositions that contain combinations of two or more POx oxidases, and cleaning compositions that contain combinations of two or more POx oxidases and a perhydrolase. In particular, the invention provides methods for expressing polyol oxidases in bacterial hosts for use in detergent applications for cleaning, bleaching and disinfecting.
US07919287B2
A process is provided to improve the specific activity of an enzyme catalyst having nitrilase activity when converting glycolonitrile to glycolic acid under aqueous reaction conditions. Inclusion of an effective amount of at least one amine protectant improves the specific activity and catalytic productivity of the enzyme catalyst.
US07919284B2
A microorganism belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which has an L-amino acid-producing ability and has been modified so that the kdp system is enhanced, is cultured in a medium to produce and accumulate an L-amino acid in the medium or cells of the microorganism, and the L-amino acid is collected from the medium or cells to produce the L-amino acid.
US07919278B2
Provided is a method of amplifying nucleic acid from a comprising: contacting a cell-containing sample with a nonplanar solid substrate in a liquid medium having a pH range of 3.0-6.0 to attach the cell to the solid substrate; washing the nonplanar solid substrate to remove materials that are not attached thereto; and performing PCR using the nucleic acid from the cell attached to the nonplanar solid substrate as a template sample to amplify nucleic acid from the cell, wherein the contacting, washing and PCR processes are performed in a single vessel.
US07919269B2
The present invention relates to a novel isolated whitefly ecdysone receptor polypeptide. The invention also relates to an isolated nucleic acid encoding the whitefly ecdysone receptor polypeptide, to vectors comprising them and to their uses, in particular in methods for modulating gene expression in an ecdysone receptor-based gene expression modulation system and methods for identifying molecules that modulate whitefly ecdysone receptor activity.
US07919268B2
Disclosed are methods and kits for measuring enzyme activity in which the turbidity of a sample caused by cell components is minimized by particular additives. The methods include the steps of providing a cell suspension or a cell lysate containing cell components, adding a chromogenic substrate at the start of the enzyme reaction, adding a first additional substance to stop the enzyme reaction, and making a colorimetric measurement, wherein a second additional substance which reduces the light scattering and/or absorption caused by the cells or the cell components is added during or after termination of the enzyme reaction. In particular, a method is disclosed wherein the enzyme is lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the first additional substance to stop the reaction is HCl.
US07919259B2
The present invention relates to in vivo and in vitro methods, agents and compound screening assays for inhibiting extra-cellular matrix degradation, including joint degenerative inhibiting and/or anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical compositions, and the use thereof in treating and/or preventing a disease involving extra-cellular matrix degradation in a subject.
US07919253B2
A novel method of pyrophosphorolysis activated polymerization (PAP) has been developed. In PAP, pyrophosphorolysis and polymerization by DNA polymerase are coupled serially for each amplification by using an activatable oligonucleotide P* that has a non-extendible 3′-deoxynucleotide at its 3′ terminus. PAP can be applied for exponential amplification or for linear amplification. PAP can be applied to amplification of a rare allele in admixture with one or more wild-type alleles by using an activatable oligonucleotide P* that is an exact match at its 3′ end for the rare allele but has a mismatch at or near its 3′ terminus for the wild-type allele. PAP is inhibited by a mismatch in the 3′ specific sequence as far as 16 nucleotides away from the 3′ terminus. PAP can greatly increase the specificity of detection of an extremely rare mutant allele in the presence of the wild-type allele. Specificity results from both pyrophosphorolysis and polymerization since significant nonspecific amplification requires the combination of mismatch pyrophosphorolysis and misincorporation by the DNA polymerase, an extremely rare event. Using genetically engineered DNA polymerases greatly improves the efficiency of PAP.
US07919244B2
A nucleic acid detection method involving the direct generation of a measurable signal, by the action of an enzyme with 3′-5′ nuclease activity, and the applications for it, the signal generated can be detectable and quantifiable and can be carried out in real-time, in this method, the nucleic acid is placed in contact with at least one oligonucleotide that does not hybridize perfectly with it, so that the enzyme will split it at the unpaired bases generating the signal, the oligonucleotide can be labeled.
US07919242B2
The present invention relates to methods and reagents for modifying the emission of light from labeled nucleic acids for the purpose of real time detection, analysis, and quantitation of nucleic acid sequences, e.g., using singly labeled probes. These methods and reagents exploit advantageous properties of thiazine dyes and diazine dyes. Furthermore, the use of these light emission modifiers in background reduction, nucleic acid duplex stabilization and other uses is also described. Related kits, reaction mixtures and integrated systems are described.
US07919232B2
The invention provides methods for certification of carcasses, and for detecting a contaminated carcass and preventing its movement into or across a production area. The inventive methods comprise obtaining, early in the production process (pre-fabrication), a test sample from at least one test location of at least one split-portion of each carcass, wherein the test samples are obtained prior to or during chilling of the respective split portions, before entry thereof in the production chain. Composite test samples are assayed for pathogens or microbes, whereby certification is afforded, or whereby entry of the chilled split-carcass-Lot into the production area is precluded if the corresponding composite-Lot test sample is contaminated. Methods for remedial reconditioning of contaminated split-carcasses are provided, wherein essentially 100% of the carcasses are targeted to the production line. The inventive methods provide substantial public health benefit, and are efficient and economical to implement.
US07919231B2
A photolithographic method for forming a plurality of characters on a device utilizes a mask set that includes a plurality of photolithographic masks, wherein each mask includes at least one non-opaque mask character field area that surrounds a non-opaque mask character area. Photoresist is exposed to radiation energy density through the set of masks using the masks sequentially to create at least one character field area of the photoresist, and a character area of the photoresist. Ultimately, because the character areas of the photoresist are exposed to some light energy density from the non-opaque mask character field areas during each mask exposure step, the total photoresist exposure time to create the series of characters is less than that of the prior art.
US07919225B2
A method and a composition. The composition includes at least one carbosilane-substituted silsesquioxane polymer which crosslinks in the presence of an acid. The at least one carbosilane-substituted silsesquioxane polymer is soluble in aqueous base. The method includes forming a coating on a substrate. The coating includes one or more carbosilane-substituted silsesquioxane polymers. The carbosilane-substituted silsesquioxane polymer is soluble in aqueous base. The coating is exposed to radiation, resulting in generating a latent pattern in the coating. The exposed coating is baked at a first temperature less than about 150° C. The baked coating is developed, resulting in forming a latent image from the latent pattern in the baked coating. The latent image is cured at a second temperature less than about 500° C.
US07919224B2
A coating material including a low-molecular or medium-molecular organic compound represented by general formula (1). (In the formula, R1 is a single bond, methylene, ethylene or oxygen; and R2 is a hydrogen atom, or a hydrocarbon group, a fluorine-containing alkyl group, a cyclic form containing an aromatic group or aliphatic group, which may contain hydroxy group, carboxyl group, amino group, amide group, imide group, glycidyl group, cyano group, fluorocarbinol group, sulfonic group or sulfonylamide group, and a complex thereof, and may contain a fluorine atom, oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, silicon atom or sulfur atom, and R2's of the same type or different type may be connected by an ester bond, amide bond, ether bond, thioether bond, thioester bond or urethane bond.). This compound can be derived from a diol compound and bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2,3:5,6-tetracarboxylic anhydride.
US07919213B1
A bipolar plate is provided which is constructed of a composite material including at least thirty percent carbon and up to seventy percent of a flowable resin. The material is flowed into a mold and hardened, preferably by heat or catalyst, to form the bipolar plate. The resin is preferably a polyester resin which, along with the carbon, can function effectively within a bipolar plate of a fuel cell. A method for forming bipolar plates from a composite material including carbon and a flowable resin, by flowing the material into a mold, is also provided. Specific compositions for the composite material are also provided.
US07919212B2
The object of the invention is to provide a separator for fuel cells which is of improved strength and corrosion resistance and facilitates the assembling of unit cells. The separator comprises an electrically conductive resin layer formed by electrodeposition in such a way as to cover a metal substrate and a gasket component. The resin layer contains an electrically conductive material. The separator of the invention has thus an enhanced corrosion resistance, makes some considerable improvements in the assembling work efficiency of unit cells, and makes sure higher strength because of the use of the metal substrate.
US07919207B2
Primary and secondary Li-ion and lithium-metal based electrochemical cell systems. The suppression of gas generation is achieved through the addition of an additive or additives to the electrolyte system of respective cell, or to the cell itself whether it be a liquid, a solid- or plasticized polymer electrolyte system. The gas suppression additives are primarily based on unsaturated hydrocarbons.
US07919180B2
Treated substrate having hydrophilic region and water repellent region, and process for producing it
A treated substrate having a hydrophilic region and a water repellent region, of which contrast is high on its surface; a process for producing a treated substrate, wherein the treated substrate can be produced with a low amount of light for a short time; wherein the water repellent region is made of a water repellent film formed by curing the composition (A) comprising a photopolymerization initiator and a compound (a) having at least one (meth)acryloyl group, and a water repellent moiety and having a film thickness of from 0.1 to 100 nm; the process uses a hydrophilic substrate or makes the surface thereof hydrophilic, then forms a film containing the composition (A) on the surface, then forms said water repellent film by irradiating light on a part of the film surface to cure the composition (A) and then removes an uncured composition (A) present thereon in order to expose the hydrophilic surface.
US07919176B2
The present invention is drawn to a coated substrate for ink-jet ink printing comprising a substrate, having coated thereon, a porous coating, wherein the porous coating comprises silica covalently attached to a chelating agent, an ultraviolet blocker, and/or a hindered amine light stabilizer. In one embodiment, the chelating agent, ultraviolet blocker, and/or hindered amine light stabilizer can be substantially homogenously distributed on the silica.
US07919175B2
Provided is a transparent and light-weight ballistic resistant safety glazing comprising an ionomer sheet. The ionomer sheet comprises an ionomer derived from a parent acid copolymer that comprises copolymerized units of an α-olefin having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer, about 20 to about 30 wt % of copolymerized units of an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms. The ionomer is neutralized to a level of about 5% to about 90%, based on the total carboxylic acid content of the acid copolymer, and further comprises at least one cation. Further provided are articles comprising the light-weight ballistic resistant safety glazing.
US07919172B2
A system is provided for positioning separate portions of a sample in elongate, parallel channels of a sample chamber and for irradiating a sample in the chamber to create a diffraction pattern where the sample and chamber differ in refractive index. The system also can measure absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a sample in the chamber, and can measure the absorption simultaneously with measurement of diffraction by the sample.
US07919165B2
In a wet-type friction material, a ring-shaped friction material substrate is compressed and fixed on a surface of a core metal by heat-pressing by a manufacturing metal mold. At the same time, a taper of an angle α corresponding to a taper at an outer peripheral side of an upper mold is provided on an outer peripheral side of the ring-shaped friction material substrate. Thus, the taper is formed such that a thickness in a radial direction of the ring-shaped friction material substrate becomes smaller from a middle point toward an outer peripheral edge.
US07919163B2
The present disclosure utilizes the phase change properties of various phase change materials, specifically of 1-decanol and 1-dodecanol. Blood platelets and biological tissues that are chemically unstable at high temperatures can be maintained between 20° C. and 24° C. using 1-Dodecanol in a disclosed container. Temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products may be maintained between 2° C. to 8° C. using 1-Decanol in a disclosed container. The present disclosure may be used to control the temperature of such products during transport by confining the temperature of the product within a predetermined range. This permits light weight packaging with the maintenance of temperatures in narrow, pre-selected ranges over extended periods of time. A nylon and low density polyethylene thermal blanket comprising cells substantially filled with phase change material, which is advantageously puncture proof, durable, and capable of surrounding any payload, is disclosed.
US07919157B2
A vacuum insulating glass (IG) unit and/or a method of making the same is/are provided. In certain example embodiments, the edge seal includes at least one metal member located between the opposing substrates (e.g., glass substrates). The at least one metal member may be bonded to the glass substrate(s) via a bonding material such as solder glass, frit and/or the like. The provision of the at least one metal member in the edge seal, between and/or exterior the glass substrates, is advantageous in that this provides for a more flexible edge seal permitting more give and take during window flexing in different environmental conditions. The additional flexibility of the edge seal may reduce the amount of optical distortion caused by flexing of the window, and/or the likelihood of window breakage in certain environmental conditions.
US07919155B2
A document includes paper having an average surface roughness of at least about 0.5 microns and including one or more optical brighteners, and includes at least one image thereon wherein the at least one image includes clear binder and light absorbing material that absorbs light only at wavelengths below 350 nm. The image is substantially not detectable to a naked human eye through differential gloss or exposure to light having wavelengths of 365 nm or more, but may be revealed to the naked human eye by exposing the document to light having a wavelength at which the light absorbing material absorbs light.
US07919153B2
A laminated structure comprising, at least one optically anisotropic layer formed of a liquid crystalline composition comprising a compound having two or more types of reactive groups, and at least one photosensitive polymer layer. The laminated structure is useful for forming an optically anisotropic layer inside of a liquid crystal cell. The laminated structure is also useful for forming a liquid crystal cell substrate with an optically anisotropic layer having an optically compensating ability, inside of a liquid crystal cell.
US07919147B2
The invention relates to a method for coating objects, particularly plumbing fixtures, having metallic surfaces. According to the method, at least one organosilane is applied during the so-called sol-gel process after an optionally provided pretreatment step that serves to activate the metallic surfaces, and the coating obtained thereby is transformed into a polysiloxane coating. This transformation of the coating into a polysiloxane coating preferably ensues by a thermal treatment effected at temperatures of <100° C., preferably <70° C.
US07919139B2
CPP magnetic read head designs have been improved by increasing the length of the AFM layer relative to that of both the free and spacer layers. The length of the pinned layer is also increased, but by a lesser amount, an abutting conductive layer being inserted to fill the remaining space over the AFM layer. The extended pinned layer increases the probability of spin interaction while the added conducting layer serves to divert sensor current away from the bottom magnetic shield which now is no longer needed for use as a lead.
US07919124B1
The invention as presently conceived discloses a compound of Aloe vera oil and coconut oil to improve the scalp region and to reinvigorate hair growth. The active ingredients are mixed in a formulaic blend for immediate use or packaged for subsequent use. The active ingredients are prepared in an all-natural and unprocessed method of preparation. A user would apply a small amount to their scalp every day, wherein it absorbs thereinto the scalp.
US07919113B2
A formulation containing one or more lipophilic agents, methods of making and using the formulation are described herein. The formulation is formed by adding a pre-suspension concentrate composition to an aqueous medium. Upon contact with the aqueous medium, a solid nanoparticle suspension spontaneously forms. The resulting formulation is in the form of a microemulsion. The concentrate contains an amphiphilic solvent, a pharmaceutically acceptable solid carrier such as a solid fatty acid or ester, a surfactant, and an agent. Preferably the concentrate contains a combination of a surfactant with a high hydrophilic/lipophilic balance (HLB) of at least about 8 and a surfactant with a low HLB of less than about 5. The agent is preferably a lipophilic drug and other lipophilic ingredient, such as vitamins. The composition is suitable for use in medical and non-medical applications. The microemuslions described herein have increased stability was compared to the prior art.
US07919112B2
Novel implantable tissue fixation methods and compositions are disclosed. Methods and compositions of tissue, fixed using polymeric and/or variable length crosslinks, and di- or polymercapto compounds are described. Also described are the methods and compositions wherein the tissue is fixed using biodegradable crosslinkers. Methods and compositions for making radio-opaque tissue are also described. Methods and compositions to obtain a degradable implantable tissue-synthetic biodegradable polymer composite are also described. Compositions and methods of incorporating substantially water-insoluble bioactive compounds in the implantable tissue are also disclosed. The use of membrane-like implantable tissue to make an implantable drug delivery patch are also disclosed. Also described are the compositions and methods to obtain a coated implantable tissue. Medical applications implantable tissue such as heart valve bioprosthesis, vascular grafts, meniscus implant, drug delivery patch are also disclosed.
US07919110B2
According to one aspect, implantable or insertable medical devices are provided, which contain polymeric release regions that release one or more therapeutic agents. The polymeric release regions, in turn, contain the following: (i) a first bonding polymer having a first polymer block and a first bonding group and (ii) a second bonding polymer having a second polymer block and a second bonding group. A therapeutic agent is disposed beneath or within the polymeric release region. The first and second polymer blocks can be the same as or different from one another, as can the first and second bonding groups. The first and second bonding groups are bound to one another via non-covalent bonding, for example, via electrostatic interaction, coordinative bonds, π-π stacking, or hydrogen bonding. According to another aspect, implantable or insertable medical devices are provided, which have a polymeric region that comprises (a) a first polymer having a first polymer block and a first bonding group and (b) a therapeutic agent having a bonding group that bonds to said first bonding group via non-covalent bonding at ambient temperature.
US07919106B2
Disclosed herein are cosmetic compositions comprising: at least one carboxylic anionic surfactant, and at least one vinylformamide/vinylformamine copolymer comprising from 10 to 90 mol % of units of formula A: and from 90 to 10 mol % of units of formula B: and processes for use thereof.
US07919103B2
The invention relates to novel regulators of plasminogen activation and their use for regulating cell migration, plasminolysis, angiogenesis, fibrinolysis, for treating cancer and thrombo-embolic diseases such as heart stroke. Furthermore, the present invention relates to novel pharmaceutical compositions form regulating cell migration, plasminolysis, angiogenesis and for treating cancer. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of regulating the activation of plasminogen comprising contacting a solution of pro-urokinase (uPA) or tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen with melanotransferrin (p97) for a time sufficient to effect regulation thereof.
US07919102B2
Basidiomycetes which is a novel mushroom having an excellent immunopotentiating action, etc., a Basidiomycetes extract composition, and health foods and immunopotentiators using the Basidiomycetes extract composition are provided.Basidiomycetes has no basidium forming potential. In particular, Basidiomycetes is Basidiomycetes-X FERM BP-10011. A Basidiomycetes extract composition is extracted from them with an extraction solvent including at least one solvent selected from water and a hydrophilic solvent.
US07919098B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating neoplasms in mammals, particularly humans. More particularly, the present invention provides for methods for preventing, treating or delaying neoplasm in a mammal using an ErbB-3 protein, a nucleic acid encoding an ErbB-3 protein or a functional fragment thereof. The present invention also provides for isolated nucleic acids encoding an extracellular domain of the ErbB-3 protein, or a functional fragment thereof, substantially purified extracellular domain of the ErbB-3 protein, or a functional fragment thereof and antibodies that bind to an epitope in an extracellular domain of the ErbB-3 protein, or a functional fragment thereof. The present invention further provides for pharmaceutical compositions and/or vaccines comprising the extracellular domain of the ErbB-3 protein, or a functional fragment thereof, or nucleic acids encoding and antibodies binding to such extracellular domain or functional fragments thereof.
US07919090B2
The present invention provides a composition comprising naked humanized, chimeric, and human anti-CEA antibodies and a therapeutic agent, which is useful for treatment of CEA expressing cancers and other diseases, and methods of use in treatment using this composition.
US07919088B2
The invention provides improved agents and methods for treatment of diseases associated with synucleinopathic diseases, including Lewy bodies of alpha-synuclein in the brain of a patient. Such methods entail administering agents that induce a beneficial immunogenic response against the Lewy body. The methods are particularly useful for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of Parkinson's disease.
US07919082B1
A novel computational method and generation of mutant butyrylcholinesterase for cocaine hydrolysis is provided. The method includes molecular modeling a possible BChE mutant and conducting molecular dynamics simulations and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical calculations thereby providing a screening method of possible BChE mutants by predicting which mutant will lead to a more stable transition state for a rate determining step. Site-directed mutagenesis, protein expression, and protein activity is conducted for mutants determined computationally as being good candidates for possible BChE mutants, i.e., ones predicted to have higher catalytic efficiency as compared with wild-type BChE. In addition, mutants A199S/A328W/Y332G, A199S/F227A/A328W/Y332G, A199S/S287G/A328W/Y332G, A199S/F227A/S287G/A328W/Y332G, and A199S/F227A/S287G/A328W/E441D all have enhanced catalytic efficiency for (−)-cocaine compared with wild-type BChE.
US07919076B2
Conjugates consisting of a polymeric carrier constituted by 30 to 3,000 monomer units linked to form a polymeric chain, composed of a) 60 to 99% of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide units, b) 1 to 25% of units of methacryloylated hydrazones of α-amino acids, ε-amino acids, aromatic amino acids or oligopeptides terminated with a molecule of an anthracycline cancerostatic, c) 0.5 to 15% of units of methacryloylated α-amino acids, ε-amino acids, aromatic amino acids or oligopeptides or their sodium salts.
US07919074B2
Ethanol soluble or dispersible polyetheramide polymers that have a percent elongation to break of less than 100%. The polymers are formed from a reaction mixture comprising at least one or more poly(alkyleneoxy) diamines and one or more diacids. The reaction mixture can optionally include one or more aliphatic diamines in addition to the one or more poly(alkyleneoxy) diamines. The polyetheramide polymers have application in personal care compositions such as hair fixative compositions, for example, hair spray formulations.
US07919066B2
A process is provided for preparing calcium carbonate hydroxodialuminates which have a hexagonal platelet-shaped crystal habit and are of the formula (A): CamAl2(OH)6+2(m−1)An*nH2O (A) where m=3.5 to 4.5 and An=carbonate which may be partly replaced by perchlorate and/or trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) and n=0 to 6, comprising the steps of reacting calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide with optionally activated aluminum oxohydroxide or aluminum hydroxide and simultaneously or subsequently with a carbonate source consisting of carbon dioxide or alkali metal (bi)carbonate and optionally further reacting the product obtained in step (a) with perchloric acid and/or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid or optionally calcining the product obtained in step (a) at 200° C. to 900° C. and subsequently exchanging ions in the presence of a perchlorate and/or triflate salt, optionally in the presence of alkali metal (bi)carbonate, in water. The present invention further relates to the aluminates thus obtained in compositions and stabilizer systems and to the use thereof.
US07919043B2
There are disclosed systems and methods of delivering sterile fluids aseptically to a sealed canister. In an embodiment, a includes a canister having an inlet, a vent, and a drain outlet, a reagent manifold in communication with the inlet, a bubbler in communication with the vent, and a fluid communicator from the drain outlet. In another embodiment, a method includes providing a canister having an inlet, a vent, and a drain outlet; selectively providing reagents to the canister from a reagent manifold in communication with the inlet, allowing excess gasses to leave the canister with a bubbler in communication with the vent, and selectively purging the reagents from the canister through the drain outlet. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07919042B2
Methods and systems for programmed dispensation of consumable compositions are provided.A method for sterilizing a beverage container may comprise: (a) detecting a sterilization status of a beverage container; and (b) controlling functionality of a controllable device according to the sterilization status.A system for sterilizing a beverage container may comprise: (a) detecting a sterilization status of a beverage container; and (b) controlling functionality of a controllable device according to the sterilization status.A method for sterilizing a beverage container may comprise: (a) detecting an identity of a consumable composition; and (b) controlling a sterilization of at least a portion of a beverage container according to the identity of the consumable composition.A system for sterilizing a beverage container may comprise: (a) detecting an identity of a consumable composition; and (b) controlling a sterilization of at least a portion of a beverage container according to the identity of the consumable composition.
US07919041B2
A hearth roll apparatus for feeding a strip sheet in an annealing furnace is disclosed. The hearth roll apparatus includes a ceramic tube which is provided inside the annealing furnace to contactingly feed a strip sheet, a roll shaft which is coupled to a first end of the ceramic tube and extends across the annealing furnace through the ceramic tube, a tube fixing sleeve which is coupled to a second end of the ceramic tube and through which a portion of the roll shaft is inserted, and a tension generating unit which interlocks with the roll shaft and the tube fixing sleeve and supplies a tensile force for stretching the roll shaft in a longitudinal direction. Accordingly, thermal deformation like creep buy which the roll shaft is bent down is minimized, and a line speed of the strip sheet can be increased by high-speed rotation of the hearth roll.
US07919037B1
A process and a mold for molding parts. The mold is fabricated using a mixture of a viscous resin such as a gel coat containing nano particles. Electrical conductors are incorporated in the mold surface. The resulting mold in use is heatable by application of electricity to produce parts substantially reducing cure and post cure time. Completed parts containing conductive nano particles may also be produced and are heatable in use for applications where it is desirable to heat the part in use such as de-icing panels. A composition for fabricating parts containing a resin and nano particle segments in sufficient quantity to establish a conductive path is also disclosed.
US07919027B2
A method and device for manufacturing of electrical components on a continuous web or discrete sheets of dielectric material are disclosed. The method includes feeding, from a supply roll of a laminated web or a supply of sheets including at least one unbroken layer of conducting material laminated on a flexible backing layer of dielectrical material, the laminated web or discrete sheets to a nip between a patterned cylinder and a cooperating cylinder, to shape the conducting layer into a repeated pattern of conducting material having ridges and valleys. The method further includes removing, by mechanical machining, conducting material from the thus shaped conducting layer. The removing is performed simultaneously with the step to shape the conducting layer, and by way of the cooperating cylinder, designed as a milling cutter cylinder.
US07919025B2
A membrane structure is provided. The membrane structure includes a first layer having a plurality of pores; and a second layer disposed on the first layer. The second layer has a plurality of unconnected pores. At least a portion of the plurality of unconnected pores of the second layer is at least partially filled with a filler such that the first layer is substantially free of the filler. At least a portion of the plurality of unconnected pores of the second layer is in fluid communication with at least one of the pores of the first layer. A method of making a membrane structure is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a first layer having a plurality of interconnected pores; disposing a second layer on the first layer, and filling at least a portion of the unconnected pores of the second layer with a filler such that the first layer is substantially free of the filler. Disposing a second layer includes depositing a metal layer on the first layer; and anodizing the metal layer to convert the metal layer into porous oxide layer.
US07919023B2
This invention relates to a process for manufacturing a dense material containing UO2, comprising: a) introducing at least two powders each comprising uranium dioxide UO2 into a vibrating grinder, wherein at least two powders are provided by two different synthesis routes and each powder has a specific surface area close to that of any other uranium-dioxide containing powder introduced into said grinder; b) shaking said powders by means of said vibrating grinder so as to form a particulate material, the grinding intensity being sufficient to break up the agglomerates and the aggregates in the powders without at the same time breaking up the crystallites in the powders, and the grinding energy provided to the powders being such that substantially all of the agglomerates and aggregates are destroyed; c) introducing said particulate material into a mould; d) applying a shaping stress to said particulate material in order to obtain a compacted material; e) carrying out the sintering of said compacted material so as to obtain the dense material.
US07919019B2
The present invention relates to nanostructures for use in luminescent devices.
US07919018B2
This invention provides, in one aspect, a procedure to use optically transparent nanocrystalline quantum dots to absorb UV light. This absorption process leads to an energy transfer to a chemically bound and chelated lanthanide ion that may emit light in either the visible spectrum (400-700 nm) or in the near infrared (700-1600 nm). This invention also provides methods for the use of these taggant materials in inks and aerosols used to disperse the taggant.
US07919014B2
The present invention relates to the production of electrochemical capacitors with a DEL. The proposed electrodes with DEL are based on non-metal conducting materials, including porous carbon materials, and are capable of providing for high specific energy, capacity and power parameters of electrochemical capacitors. P-type conductivity and high concentration of holes in electrode materials may be provided by thermal, ionic or electrochemical doping by acceptor impurities; irradiating by high-energy fast particles or quantums; or chemical, electrochemical and/or thermal treatment. The present invention allows for an increase in specific energy, capacity and power parameters, as well as a reduction in the cost of various electrochemical capacitors with DEL. The proposed electrodes with DEL can be used as positive and/or negative electrodes of symmetric and asymmetric electrochemical capacitors with aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes.
US07919012B2
The present invention provides new compositions containing nearly monodisperse colloidal core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PL QY), as well as other complex structured semiconductor nanocrystals. This invention also provides new synthetic methods for preparing these nanocrystals, and new devices comprising these compositions. In addition to core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals, this patent application also provides complex semiconductor nanostructures, quantum shells, quantum wells, doped nanocrystals, and other multiple-shelled semiconductor nanocrystals.
US07919008B2
Disclosed are a silicon-containing compound, a liquid crystal composition comprising the same compound, and a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal layer prepared from the liquid crystal composition. The silicon-containing compound, which forms the liquid crystal composition, has low viscosity and high negative (−) dielectric anisotropy. Therefore, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display device, which has a fast response time and can be driven at a low voltage.
US07919003B2
A protective sleeve for use with metal intake racks used for screening debris from water intakes and other similar structures. The proactive sleeve may be made from a plastic material, such as HDPE, using an extrusion process. The sleeve is designed to snap into place over the metal blades of a bar rack, and to provide a positive and secure fit when in place. The protective sleeve thus provides the benefits of non-metallic intake racks to existing and future metal rack systems, without requiring replacement of existing metal racks.
US07919001B2
A method for purifying water, comprising separating a supply stream into a permeate stream and a reject stream, removing non-monovalent salt impurities from the reject stream to produce a treated stream; providing the treated stream to a concentrating compartment of an electrodeionization unit; and, producing an EDI product stream of purified water.
US07918996B1
The invention is a particle and sediment filter for stormwater. A long permeable filter bag is laid out horizontally within an enclosure. The bag is formed of at least two layers of parallel tubes that give each layer the pleated look of a typical air mattress. Stormwater is collected from the filter bag by perforated pipes held within the creases between the tubes of the layers of the bag, with the pipes draining to the outside of the enclosure. The bag is also supported above the bottom of the enclosure by additional perforated pipes located within the creases between the tubes, thus allowing the filtered liquid to also drain off beneath the bag. The stormwater input is from a pipe that feeds a manifold formed in the bag and connected to each tube. The top of the enclosure is removable for replacing the filter. The filter bags are constructed of flexible material so that they are flat during initial transport and installation, but they expand as they are filled with liquid and solid material. An assembly of the bags also includes straps for holding the perforated pipes in place against the tubes and for lifting the bag with trapped sediment.
US07918994B2
A system for removing contaminant from sulfur to a level that allows re-processed sulfur to reenter a supply chain. The system melts contaminated sulfur, filters the molten sulfur, and then dispenses the less contaminated sulfur after filtering it. More specifically, solid contaminated sulfur enters a settling tank, while heated molten sulfur circulates through the system and the settling tank. The circulation of the molten sulfur assists in the melting process of the solid sulfur, allowing the solid sulfur to melt efficiently. In preferred embodiments of the system, the system uses steam jacked sulfur lines and steam tracing to maintain temperatures for melting the solid sulfur and maintaining the molten state of the sulfur circulating through the system. Furthermore, the system comprises a programmable logic controller, which controls motors, pumps, valves, and environment monitoring instruments.
US07918992B2
Methods and systems for contacting of a crude feed with one or more catalysts to produce a total product that includes a crude product are described. The crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa. The crude product has an MCR content of at most 90% of the MCR content of the crude feed. One or more other properties of the crude product may be changed by at least 10% relative to the respective properties of the crude feed.
US07918988B2
A biosensor comprises a space part for sucking and housing a sample formed of two upper and lower plates, the two plates being stuck together by an adhesive layer, the space part for sucking and housing the sample being constituted so as to be partially opened in the peripheral part and partially closed by the adhesive layer, and has a working electrode having at least glucose oxidase immobilized thereon and a counter electrode on the same plane of the plate.
US07918976B2
Novel transition metal complexes of iron, cobalt, ruthenium, osmium, and vanadium are described. The transition metal complexes can be used as redox mediators in enzyme based electrochemical sensors. In such instances, transition metal complexes accept electrons from, or transfer electrons to, enzymes at a high rate and also exchange electrons rapidly with the sensor. The transition metal complexes include at least one substituted or unsubstituted biimidazole ligand and may further include a second substituted or unsubstituted biimidazole ligand or a substituted or unsubstituted bipyridine or pyridylimidazole ligand. Transition metal complexes attached to polymeric backbones are also described.
US07918972B2
An apparatus for producing a deep-nested embossed product including a first embossing member and a second embossing member. The first embossing member has a plurality of discrete embossing elements disposed in a first non-random pattern. The second embossing member has a plurality of second embossing elements including at least one linear embossing element. The second embossing elements are disposed in a second non-random pattern such the first non-random pattern and the second non-random pattern nest together to a depth of greater than about 0.01 mm.
US07918969B2
Dewatering blades for use in papermaking machines are assembled from two or more pre-finished sub-assemblies which are in turn mounted on a base member. Each sub-assembly comprises a holder, configured to receive a plurality of segments, constructed of a wear-resistant material such as ceramic, which will be located so as to be in sliding contact with the underside of a papermaking fabric. The holders are adapted for insertion into and retention in the base member, which is subsequently affixed to the papermaking machine by known means. The construction of the sub-assemblies allows for the manufacture of a full length blade from a plurality of sub-assemblies, which dramatically reduces manufacturing cost while providing for more rapid deliveries and simplified repair of damaged blades.
US07918963B2
An apparatus maintaining adjusted positions of parts assembled by adhering includes a device coating plural sections between a part and an adhering target with light energy curable adhesives adhering the part to the adhering target, a light energy irradiating device for curing the adhesive, and a detecting device detecting a displacement of the part from the adhering target. A curing shrinkage force control device is also provided to control the light energy irradiating device to change the light and thus control curing shrinkage forces to offset undesirable stresses generated by the curing shrinkage forces when undesirable displacement is detected.
US07918956B2
A method for manufacturing a polymeric inner liner for a storage tank, particularly a hydrogen storage tank, comprising: providing a cylindrical body of polymer material, having a first open end and a first peripheral connection tab at the first open end, the cylindrical body comprising a structural layer and a barrier layer; providing a dome-shaped end cap of polymer material having a base with a cross-section essentially corresponding to a cross-section of the first open end of the cylindrical body and having a second peripheral connection tab at a peripheral end portion of such end cap; placing the end cap with its base onto the first open end of the cylindrical body and with the first and second peripheral tabs in contact with each other; and welding both peripheral connection tabs together. A storage tank made using such liner. Use of such tank for storing hydrogen.
US07918955B2
An apparatus for manufacturing a flexible tubular duct includes a mandrel, and a substrate feeding assembly for feeding a strip of flexible substrate material to the mandrel. Apparatus is provided for bending the strip of substrate material to have a rounded encapsulating portion, into which is fed a stream of loose fibrous insulating material. A mechanism is further provided for delivering an elongate reinforcing element onto the strip of flexible substrate material. In operation, the rounded encapsulating portion and the reinforcing element are wound in a helical path around the mandrel so that the loose fibrous material is encapsulated as a core in the helically wound rounded encapsulating portion the reinforcing element is also encapsulated by the strip of substrate material, whereby to form a reinforced flexible tubular duct.
US07918952B1
A process for transforming unused motor vehicle headliner or headliner edges into a bonded composite that can be used in motor vehicles. Unused motor headliner or headliner edges are combined with binder to create a bondable mixture. The bondable mixture is exposed to heat causing the binder to melt to create the bonded composite.
US07918944B2
A surface carburization technique of medical titanium alloy femoral head in total hip arthroplasty comprises subjecting medical titanium alloy TC4 to surface carburization by using acetylene as carburizing agent to carry out gaseous carburization at high temperature to give medical titanium alloy femoral head in total hip arthroplasty with TiC ceramic on surface thereof. The TiC ceramic layer on femoral head can be more than 100 micron thick, which is relatively thick, overcomes the disadvantages in available medical titanium alloy material, and is particularly useful for replacement of total hip or knee arthroplasty.
US07918943B2
In this dishwasher 1, a spring 33 utilized for moving a door 7 up and down is accommodated within a column 6 of a washer body 2, so as to be confined within the column 6, whereby the appearance becomes better while the spring 33 is protected against water. Also, the space between left and right columns 6, 6 can be utilized as a washing chamber 3, thus making it possible to expand the washing chamber 3, whereby the dishwasher can be made smaller while keeping the capacity of the washing chamber 3.
US07918942B2
A drain valve for a dishwasher and associated apparatus and method are provided. A housing receives fluid through an inlet channel and channels the fluid toward an outlet channel extending from an outlet port defined by the housing. A sealing member is disposed within the housing and is capable of forming a sealing engagement with the outlet port. A cradle member disposed within the housing is configured to receive and partially constrain freedom of movement of the sealing member. The cradle member is movable between a valve closed position, where fluid flow toward the outlet channel urges the sealing member into sealing engagement with the outlet port to close the drain valve, and a valve open position, where fluid flow is allowed between the inlet channel and the outlet channel, through the housing, without the sealing member engaging the outlet port.
US07918936B2
To reduce the heat input to the bottom of the crucible and to control heat extraction independently of heat input, a shield can be raised between a heating element and a crucible at a controlled speed as the crystal grows. Other steps could include moving the crucible, but this process can avoid having to move the crucible. A temperature gradient is produced by shielding only a portion of the heating element; for example, the bottom portion of a cylindrical element can be shielded to cause heat transfer to be less in the bottom of the crucible than at the top, thereby causing a stabilizing temperature gradient in the crucible.
US07918932B2
A process for producing an inorganic doped-zircon pigment includes calcining a base mixture comprising raw plasma-dissociated zircon, a chromophore, and at least one mineralizer, to produce a raw pigment. The raw pigment is refined to obtain an inorganic doped-zircon pigment.
US07918929B2
A non-toxic water erodible denture adhesive incorporating a starch portion and a polysaccharide portion whereby a elastomeric paste of excellent bioadhesiveness and adhesion to smooth surfaces is obtained; and which is found to have excellent thin film forming properties and is water erodible facilitating easy removal from denture recesses as well as the intraoral cavity.
US07918928B2
Pigment ink, ink jet recording method, ink cartridge, recording unit and ink jet recording apparatus
A pigment ink is provided which has good ink reliability and storage stability and can achieve superior scratch resistance of images at such a level that coloring materials are hardly scraped off even when images are scratched with finger nails under application of such strong pressure as to scratch a recording medium at its non-recorded areas. The pigment ink contains a pigment, a modified siloxane compound having a specific structure, and a polymer whose acid value and hydrogen bond parameter (δh) are specified.
US07918923B2
A fluid purifier includes an enclosure provided with an inlet and an outlet, and a plurality of different carbon based purifying media disposed within the enclosure which are capable of removing different contaminants. In a non-limiting embodiment, the purifier includes three carbon-based materials ordered according to a specific sequence. In an aspect of the non-limiting embodiment, the material closer to the purifier inlet may include acid-impregnated carbons, the centrally-located material may include base-impregnated carbons, and the material closer to the outlet may include activated carbons. In a further non-limiting example, a method for purifying gas includes passing a gas through a carbon based purifying media including a first carbon based purifying media which is capable of removing a first species of contaminants, a second carbon based purifying media which is capable of removing a second species of contaminants, and a third carbon based purifying media which is capable of removing a third species of contaminants.
US07918916B2
The present invention relates to a calcium-silicate based slag having a phosphorus content of less than 3 ppmw. The invention further relates to a method for producing low phosphorus calcium-silicate based slag, where molten calcium-silicate based slag is treated with a molten ferrosilicon alloy in a vessel, whereby phosphorus in the calcium-silicate based slag is transferred to the ferrosilicon alloy, and a low phosphorus calcium-silicate based slag is removed from the vessel.
US07918910B2
In an apparatus for transferring a substrate, a partition wall is disposed in a vertical direction in a housing to divide an interior space of the housing into a first space and a second space. A pressure generating member divides the first space into an upper space and a lower space and moves in a vertical direction in the first space such that a positive pressure and a negative pressure are alternately generated in the upper space and the lower space. A substrate supporting member is movably disposed in the second space to support and to transfer the substrate. A plurality of gates is disposed on a side wall of the housing and the partition wall, and is opened and closed by the positive pressure and the negative pressure such that the particles are eliminated from the second space to an exterior space via the first space.
US07918906B2
The present invention is natural gas steam reforming apparatus for generating an output gas mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The apparatus is made from two enclosures. A first enclosure contains a source of water, superheated steam, and channels, located within a lower portion of the first enclosure, which contain a water-gas-shift catalyst for converting CO into CO2 and H2. The heat from hot gas flowing through the channels is released into the first enclosure to boil the water to generate the superheated steam. A second enclosure, contained within an upper portion of the first enclosure, includes a steam inlet for receiving the superheated steam from the first enclosure; a combustion chamber; and a reformation chamber. The combustion chamber is used for combusting a portion of the natural gas to generate additional steam, heat, and a hot gas mixture of CO2, CO, and H2. The reformation chamber is used for steam reforming a remaining portion of the natural gas to generate additional hot gas mixture of CO2, CO, and H2. The hot gas mixture is directed through the channels installed in the first enclosure in which the water-gas-shift catalyst converts residual CO into additional CO2 and additional H2, to produce an output gas mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. In the present invention, the first and second enclosures function as a top-to-bottom linear countercurrent heat exchanger.
US07918904B2
A positive electrode for use in a lithium battery using water as a dispersion medium, not causing a problem of deteriorating the battery performance due to corrosion of a collector or the like and not forming unevenness on the coating surface, as well as a lithium battery using the positive electrode, the positive electrode used being formed from a positive electrode paste containing a positive electrode active material represented by the following formula (I), a binder ingredient comprising a water dispersible elastomer and a water soluble polymer as a viscosity improver, water as a dispersion medium and a dispersing agent: LixMPO4 (I) (in the general formula (I) above, M represents a metal atom containing at least one of metal atoms selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mg, Zn, V, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, Al, Si, B and Mo, and 0
US07918899B2
Non-glutaraldehyde fixation of an organ or a prosthesis for implantation in a mammal is based upon carbodiimide treatment. A solution containing a sterilizing agent, such as EDC, in combination with a coupling enhancer, such as Sulfo-NHS, and a high concentration of a diamine cross linking agent is used. As a result, only minimal surface reduction occurs during fixation, and the resultant products show a dramatic increase in resistance to calcification.
US07918897B2
Biocompatible synthetic or natural scaffolds are provided for the reconstruction, repair, augmentation or replacement of organs or tissue structures in a patient in need of such treatment. The scaffolds are shaped to conform to at least a part of the organ or tissue structure and may be seeded with one or more cell populations. Inserts, receptacles and ports are also provided for the attachment of tubular vessels to the neo-organ scaffolds. The seeded scaffolds are implanted into the patient at the site in need of treatment to form an organized organ or tissue structure. The scaffolds may be used to form organs or tissues, such as bladders, urethras, valves, and blood vessels.
US07918896B2
A unitary acetabular cup prosthesis for a deficient acetabulum of a hip bone having a cup portion and a pair of adjacent screw retaining members extending from the cup and oriented in a cooperative with one another. A second pair of screw retaining members are preferably provided, with the first and second pair of screw retaining members oriented such that the prosthesis can be used in either a left or a right acetabulum of the patient. The screw retaining members may be formed on a single flange. The screw retaining members are fixedly inclined and offset relative to the rim of the cup. Each screw retaining member has a threaded hole inclined relative to the rim such that an axis of the threaded hole converges toward the axis of the cup portion in one dimension and is oblique to the axis of the cup portion in a second dimension.
US07918892B2
A system and method for installing a shoulder prosthesis. The method includes removing the original humeral head and shaping the proximal end of the humerus with one or more implements to prepare the humerus to receive the shoulder prosthesis.
US07918890B2
The present invention provides novel spinal disc prosthesis comprising two solid compressible cylinders and methods. A method of the invention for placing the solid compressible cylinders between adjacent spinal vertebrae comprises the steps of forming an enlarged partially circular space from the back and to one side of the space between adjacent spinal vertebrae previously occupied by a degenerated disc, forming additional spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae, placing a solid compressible cylinder in the spaces within the interiors of the adjacent vertebrae and repeating the above procedure on the other side of the space between the vertebrae.
US07918885B2
The invention relates to a vessel prosthesis, particularly for the replacement of aorta segments near the heart, in the form of a pleated flexible tube with folds (3), the tube being configured as an arc, and the arc shape being fixed in an extension-resistant manner, in the non-implanted state, by means of extension limiters.
US07918884B2
A stent includes a lattice defining a substantially cylindrical configuration having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and a middle portion between the proximal end and the distal end. The lattice being moveable from a crimped state to an expanded state, and a plurality of adjacent hoops. Each hoop has a plurality of adjacent loops. Additionally, the stent further includes a plurality of bridges connecting adjacent hoops and a plurality of extensions on the lattice. Each of the hoops and bridges define a cell. The proximal end portion and the distal end portion of the lattice have at least one cell respectively and the middle portion of the lattice has at least one cell. The plurality of extensions are on the middle portion of the lattice. The plurality of extensions are cantilevered projections from the bridges and/or hoops of the lattice. The plurality of extensions are movably deformable in a direction away from the lattice, for example, at least some of the extensions are movably deformable in a direction away from the bridges and at least some of the extensions are movably deformable in a direction away from the hoops.
US07918875B2
In various embodiments, the present invention provides a plurality of novel interspinous distraction devices and associated methods of insertion. The interspinous distraction devices of the present invention are designed and configured to effectively treat such conditions as lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease. Advantageously, the interspinous distraction devices of the present invention may be inserted through conventional open procedures, typically requiring a relatively large incision and a general anesthetic, or through novel minimally-invasive procedures, typically requiring only a local anesthetic. These novel minimally-invasive procedures and related enabling devices are also disclosed and described herein.
US07918863B2
The various embodiments of the present inventions provide stabilization devices and methods for use of the stabilization devices with minimally invasive gynecological procedures such as methods of preventing pregnancy by inserting intrafallopian contraceptive devices into the fallopian tubes.
US07918860B2
A surgical extractor for removing objects from a body including, for example, calculi, such as kidney stones and gall stones. The extractor includes a handle at a proximal end with a slider for operation by a physician. At the distal end, the extractor includes a plurality of wires with each wire comprising a first portion having an individual strand and a second portion comprising a plurality of filaments. When a retaining sheath is retracted, the wires, formed of a shape memory material such as stainless steel, expand such that each of the strands assume a spaced relationship to define a first section of a basket and the plurality of the filaments assume a spaced relationship to define a second section of the basket. The use of a basket formed by wires having a first section comprising an individual strand and a second section comprising the plurality of filaments promotes capture of objects within the body by having widely spaced wires in the first section, retention of such objects in the second section by multiplying the number of contacts with entrapped object, and improved selective release of such objects without any deleterious effect on the reliability or size of the extractor. Additionally, use of the basket enables improved dislodgment and capture of embedded or impacted objects.
US07918856B2
A guided reamer (10) has a central cannulation (12, 12a) adapted to receive a drill pin (14) secured in a manner which is axially aligned with the stem (22) of the bulbus bone joint (20). The reamer (10)has a profile cutting form (24) with cutting teeth (40) formed therein for cutting a form of a defined profile. The reamer (10) has a circumferential rim (34) having rim cutting teeth (36) disposed to cut to an outside of the rim and an inside of the rim, having face cutting teeth (37) adapted to cut an annular channel into bone and a plurality of planing teeth (52) radially disposed on an internal surface adjacent an axial end boss (44). The cannulation (12, 12a) is supported at the apex of the cutting form (24) and is formed in a guide assembly (70, 70′) affixed to the apex. The guide assembly (70, 70′) is adapted for imparting rotation to the reamer (12). The reamer (10) is adapted to be supported by a cannulated reamer handle (74) having a bayonet locking device (76) capable of locking the handle (74) to the guide assembly (70, 70′) of the cannulated reamer (10) and a corresponding central cannulation (86), permitting the drill pin (14) to pass at least part way therethrough.
US07918851B2
An irrigated tip electrode design includes a shell generally surrounding a plug which jointly define a chamber that is fed with fluid by a lumen. The fluid is distributed to the outer surface of the tip electrode through fluid passages. The chamber is advantageously isolated from a region of the tip electrode occupied by electrical and/or electromagnetic components in the tip electrode. Lumens occupied by the these components terminate in blind holes that have no communication with the chamber. A method of fabricating includes providing a shell configured from a rod to provide an open interior cavity, sealing and partially filling the cavity with a plug to form a chamber, then forming fluid passages between the cavity and an outer surface of the tip electrode, and providing a lumen through which fluid can enter the chamber and exit therefrom through the fluid passages.
US07918848B2
A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels, include a pair of relatively movable jaws at a distal end of an elongated shaft. A first heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a first temperature and form a welded region within the tissue, while a second heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a second temperature and sever the tissue within the welded region. A force-limiting mechanism is provided to limit the pressure applied to the tissue by the jaws to ensure that the tissue is severed and the ends effectively welded within a short amount of time.
US07918845B2
Systems, devices and methods are provided for endoscopic procedures involving tissue manipulations beyond the capabilities of traditional endoscopic instruments. Embodiments of the systems include an elongated main body having a scope therethrough and at least one steerable tool arm which extends from the distal end of the main body. In preferred embodiments, the system includes two tool arms, each arm steerable to form a curve laterally outward which then bends laterally inward so that the arms form an angular shape. In addition, end effectors extend from the distal ends of each tool arm for use in manipulation of tissue. The angular shape brings the end effectors together in view of the scope for cooperative movements which are continuously visible by the surgeon. In addition, the tool arms may be steerable in any additional direction and may be rotateable to allow grasping, elevation and more complex manipulation of tissue.
US07918837B2
A body-attachable sanitary napkin including a fluid-pervious cover layer, a fluid-retaining assembly; and a barrier layer having a body-contactable adhesive disposed on at least first portions thereof. The sanitary napkin according to the invention remains securely attached to the body during use, moves with the body during use, yet at the same time enables the user to selectively remove the napkin in a pain free manner.
US07918834B2
A liquid flow control system for use with infusion sets of the type comprising a liquid supply, a drip chamber 8 downstream of the liquid supply for forming liquid drops and a flexible tube 7 connecting the drip chamber with an injection needle, the system comprising a drop sensor 4 adapted for being arranged adjacent the drip chamber for sensing the passage of drops through the drip chamber, a valve 19 adapted for controlling the flow of the liquid through the tube, valve activating means for activating the valve, electrical circuits for registering the rate of drop formation and controlling the valve activating means, and a battery for powering the drop sensor, the electrical circuits and the valve activating means, the drop sensor, the valve, the valve activating means, the electrical circuits and the battery being mounted on or in a common housing having housing attachment means for releasably attaching the housing to the flexible tube.
US07918827B2
Seal assemblies are provided, comprising a seal holder including a cylindrical wall portion having a tapered distal portion, wherein the cylindrical wall portion defines a central passage. The seal assembly comprises a ball seal supported in the central passage of the seal holder. The ball seal includes a distal aperture and a proximal aperture, wherein the distal and/or proximal aperture is dimensioned for substantial sealed reception with a surgical instrument. The ball seal is adapted for angular movement relative to a central longitudinal axis of the seal holder upon angulation of the surgical instrument, whereby the ball seal substantially maintains the seal with the surgical instrument. The seal assembly comprises a seal cover defining an aperture formed in a transverse wall thereof. The seal cover is configured for connection with the seal holder for maintaining the ball seal within the central passage of the seal holder.
US07918825B2
A prefilled syringe may be interfaced with and used to fill an infusion pump with therapeutic liquid. The dispensing end of the prefilled syringe may be coupled (either directly or indirectly using a syringe cap) to a syringe coupling region of the infusion pump, for example, using a threaded engagement or snap fit engagement. As the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe is coupled to the syringe coupling region of the pump housing, a needle passes through the pump housing and/or a needle passage region of the dispensing end such that the prefilled syringe is fluidly coupled to a reservoir in the pump. In various embodiments, the needle may be located in the syringe coupling region or in a syringe cap coupled to the dispensing end of the prefilled syringe.
US07918821B2
A syringe comprises a generally-cylindrical, hollow barrel with a hollow nozzle at a distal end thereof. A plunger with an open channel is slidably mounted in the barrel. A needle holder with a needle mounted at one end thereof is arranged in the plunger channel, and movable between an advanced position, whereat the needle projects from a distal end of the nozzle for injection, and a retracted position, whereat the needle is enclosed within the barrel when the injection is complete. A spring retainer is arranged in the barrel. A spring is positioned within the spring retainer, urging the needle holder toward the retracted position. A latch latches the needle holder to the spring retainer thereby maintaining the spring in compression. The latch is releasable in response to the plunger moving to its fully advanced position, whereby the needle holder is released, allowing the spring to expand and thereby move the needle holder to the retracted position.
US07918814B2
Methods and devices are provided for administering a drug to a patient's eye. The methods include (a) inserting a hollow microneedle into the sclera or corneal stroma without penetrating across the sclera or corneal stroma; and (b) infusing a fluid drug formulation through the microneedle and into the sclera or cornea. It further may include partially retracting the microneedle before infusion to enhance delivery. Alternatively, the methods may include (a) inserting a solid microneedle into the sclera or corneal stroma without penetrating across the sclera or corneal stroma, wherein the solid microneedle comprises a first quantity of a drug formulation and inserting causes the solid microneedle to form a pocket in the sclera or corneal stroma; and (b) releasing the drug formulation into the pocket to form a drug depot, whereby a drug is released from the depot. The methods and devices may include an array of multiple microneedles.
US07918812B2
A knee brace is provided with semi-pliable inserts affixed to inner sides of femoral links of the brace at two points with a bottom portion of the insert left free to move inward toward a facing side of the leg. Anterior and posterior straps that are tightenable by the wearer are attached to the semi pliable inserts in a manner enabling pulling on the straps to cause the inserts to dynamically move inward and compress against the thigh so as improve comfort by diffusing and transferring pressure away from a relatively boney side of the knee of the wearer to a softer thigh area of the wearer. The inserts are also adapted to move inward and press into femoral hollows just proximal to the knee joint of the wearer so as to provide support against movement of the brace along the length of the leg of the wearer.
US07918811B2
Support devices for joints of the human body are disclosed. A support device for an ankle includes a main body having a medial portion and a lateral portion disposed about the ankle, and an interior surface; at least one of a medial support member disposed in a cavity in the medial portion of said main body and a lateral support member disposed in a cavity in the lateral portion of said main body; a strap disposed on a proximal portion of said main body, said strap having fastening means adapted to create a first level of pressure in the front of the lower leg immediately proximal to the ankle and a second level of pressure in the rear of the lower leg immediately proximal to the ankle; and one or more proprioceptive members disposed on the interior surface of said main body.
US07918805B2
A phlebotomy device includes a needle defining a lumen and having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The distal end portion includes a sharpened tip configured to pierce tissue. The phlebotomy device further includes a sensor disposed at least partially within the lumen. The sensor has a first state and a second state and is configured to transition from the first state to the second state upon exposure to blood at physiological temperature.
US07918802B2
A target nerve or nerve plexus registration point is located utilizing a nerve stimulator needle positioned in a bore of a carrier. The carrier is configured with an electrically nonconductive smooth curved surface at a distal end of the bore. The needle tip is fixed in an operative cutaneous electrode position and the smooth curved surface of the carrier is forced against and compresses the epidermis, corium and subcutaneous tissue and traverses cutaneous surfaces to locate a target nerve or nerve plexus without physical penetration by the needle tip. The needle is then inserted at the located point, with or without the needle path being guided by the bore. In another embodiment, a subcutaneous portion of carrier is introduced and is pivoted about its introduction point to locate the target nerve.
US07918800B1
A system for gaining access to an interventional site within vasculature through a vessel wall or other structure such as that of a medical device. An apparatus is provided to accomplish a sealed worksite as are sensor delivery systems including sealable sensor devices that are adapted to be placed at the interventional site.
US07918796B2
Apparatus and methods for assessing tissue characteristics such as the dimensions and volume of an osteolytic lesion are disclosed. The apparatus may utilize ultrasound to provide visual and volumetric feedback related to a lesion or other tissue. Further the apparatus may be utilized to determine whether the lesion has been completely removed and filled with the appropriate amount of graft material.
US07918795B2
Methods and devices for both imaging and treating uterine fibroid tumors in one real-time system are provided. One minimally invasive method comprises introducing a sheath into a uterus and determining a location of a fibroid using a visualization element within or on the sheath. Upon identification, a portion of the sheath is steered to position at least one treatment needle at the determined location. The needle is then anchored in uterine tissue and the fibroid treated with the needle.
US07918791B2
An optical scanning probe is provided and includes a housing, a diaphragm disposed in the housing, a rotor, a conduit, an optical fiber module, and a reflector disposed on the rotor, wherein the diaphragm and the housing forms a chamber. The rotor is movably disposed in the chamber and has several fans. The conduit is disposed in the housing to conduct fluid into the chamber, thus impelling the fans and the rotor. The optical fiber module is disposed in the housing and through the diaphragm to transmit a light beam. The reflector rotates with the rotor and reflects the light beam for 360° scanning.
US07918787B2
Tissue visualization and manipulation systems are described herein. Such a system may include a deployment catheter and an attached imaging hood deployable into an expanded configuration. In use, the imaging hood is placed against or adjacent to a region of tissue to be imaged in a body lumen that is normally filled with an opaque bodily fluid such as blood. A translucent or transparent fluid, such as saline, can be pumped into the imaging hood until the fluid displaces any blood, thereby leaving a clear region of tissue to be imaged via an imaging element in the deployment catheter. Additionally, any number of therapeutic tools can also be passed through the deployment catheter and into the imaging hood for treating the tissue region of interest.
US07918780B2
A method and apparatus are provided to quantify psychological and physiological components to measure acute stress in humans, in which a stimulus can be applied to the test subject's environment during the test. The method involves multiple stress/relaxation intervals while physiological measurements are taken and “measured,” and involves questionnaires that are answered after each of the intervals to “measure” the test subject's psychological state. A computerized testing apparatus acquires the physiological measurements, and also is used by the test subject in answering the questionnaires. The “stimulus” can be a fragrance, flavor, product, or task, and a “blank stimulus” is normally used during one of the stress intervals.
US07918779B2
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.
US07918759B2
A split serial-parallel hybrid dual-power drive system, comprised of two or more than two separation drive systems allowing independent operation to respectively drive the load, or all loads driven individually are incorporated in a common frame to drive land, surface, underwater transportation means or aircraft, industrial machines and equipment or any other load drive by rotational kinetic energy.
US07918743B2
A practice putting green that is adjustable to provide a playing surface having a variety of contours. The assembly is formed of a plurality of narrow transverse support members that are arranged as segments in side-to-side relationship to define an elongate playing path. Carpet, artificial turf or other flexible material is placed atop the support members to form the playing surface. Inwardly facing wedges are mounted under the ends of the support members and are slid from side-to-side so as to selectively tilt the members and adjust the contour of the playing surface. The wedges on each segment are joined by a transverse rod so that both will move simultaneously in response to pressure on one of the wedges. The support members have a tray-shaped configuration with upwardly extending end walls, so that in combination they define an elongate channel. The layer of pliable material is received in the channel so that the edges thereof engage the walls of the channel on either side so as to hold the support members against shifting out of alignment from side-to-side.
US07918733B2
Systems, methods and for analyzing game control input data are disclosed. A machine-readable medium having embodied thereon instructions for analyzing game control input data is also disclosed.
US07918726B2
When the number of bets is determined and a game is started, reels start spinning. After a lapse of a predetermined time, fifteen symbols are repositioned in symbol display regions. Particularly, in case a “RED7” symbol or a “BLUE7” symbol is included in the repositioned symbols, an animation effect to represent a volcanic eruption of a volcano, a performance character, and a sound effect corresponding to a volcanic eruption sound of the volcano are outputted by dragging and dropping the “RED7” symbol or “BLUE7” symbol to a crater of the volcano.
US07918719B2
A feeder for a machine for canning tuna and similar food products includes a feeding device with conveyor belts. The feeding device is suitable to feed tuna loins towards the conveyor belt of the canning machine and to shape the loins into loins having a set thickness. An outlet mouth is located at the end of the belts, together with a knife adjacent to the mouth and suitable to separate the portion of loin projecting through the latter. A mobile wall located opposite the outlet mouth is also provided, as well as a mobile shovel suitable to move the newly formed tuna pat perpendicularly in the direction of motion of the conveyor belt of the canning machine.
US07918712B2
An wafer polishing pad assembly for use in CMP includes an optical sensor for sensing reflectivity of the wafer during polishing, and produces a corresponding signal, and transmits the signal from the rotating pad to a stationary portion of the assembly. The signal is transmitting off the pad through non-contact couplings such inductive coupling or optical couplings after being converted into signal formats enabling non-contact transmission.
US07918709B1
A combined game call apparatus includes a unitary game call body in which a first game call and a second game call are formed in an over-and-under manner relative to each other. The first game call has a first inlet and a first air passageway associated with the first inlet. The second game call having a second inlet and a second air passageway associated with the second air inlet. The first game call may comprise a whistle-type game call the second air passageway may be generally cylindrical in cross section and may have a truncating, planar side wall proximate the first air passageway such that the truncating, planar side wall allows the first and second game calls to be closely positioned relative to each other and reduces the overall top-to-bottom profile of the unitary call.
US07918707B2
Toy aircraft may include an airframe, a modular power system, first and second wheel supports, and first and second wheels. The modular power system may be configured for selective use with and selective removal from the airframe. The power system may include a propulsion unit operable to propel the toy aircraft and a power unit, which may include an energy source configured to supply energy to the propulsion unit. The airframe may include a fuselage, a propulsion unit mount, which may be disposed on the airframe and configured to removably retain the propulsion unit, and a power unit mount, which may be disposed on the fuselage and configured to removably retain the power unit. The first and second wheel supports may extend from the power unit mount toward respective first and second wheel mounts to which the first and second wheels may be rotatably mounted.
US07918705B2
An organic light emitting device and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The organic light emitting device includes an opaque substrate having one or more holes, and an organic emissive unit interposed between first and second electrodes positioned on the opaque substrate.
US07918701B2
There is described herein an apparatus for providing buoyancy and/or facilitating rescue of a person or object. The apparatus includes a tubular sleeve for securing the apparatus around at least a portion of a person or an object wherein longitudinal extension of the sleeve causes the diameter of the sleeve to contract radially to grip the person or object or a portion thereof and wherein longitudinal compression of the sleeve causes the diameter of the sleeve to expand. The apparatus may further include a structure coupled to the tubular sleeve for attaching the apparatus to rescue equipment and/or for providing a handle and/or at least one flotation device coupled to the tubular sleeve.
US07918692B1
An electrical terminal block including a mating face and a loading surface that are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis. The mating face extends along a lateral axis. The terminal block also includes first and second sidewalls that face in opposite directions and extend between the mating face and the loading surface. Each of the first and second sidewalls includes a wing member that projects therefrom along the lateral axis and a recess configured to receive a wing member from another terminal block. The wing members and the recesses have matching complementary cross-sections taken along the longitudinal axis such that the wing member on the first sidewall of one terminal block is slidably and securely received within the recess on the second sidewall of another terminal block.
US07918691B2
In spite of the absence of a pullout fuse block, functional elements comprising simple socket-type connectors come into contact with an external cable in a mechanically and electrically reliable manner, when said cable has a rod-type or sword-type mating connector which engages directly in the connector by means of a radially protruding return baffle, in a sealed manner, through the rear of an opening in the wall of a housing. If, during the plug-in action, an injection-molded skin which first at least partially closes the opening is enlarged or perforated, the breaking edge nestling against the envelope surface of the mating connector in the plug-in direction provides another retraction block with additional sealing and vibration damping.
US07918684B2
A shield-type communication socket includes a housing; a first terminal seat, having a plurality of first terminals; a printed circuit board (PCB), having a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings; a plurality of IDC terminals; a second terminal seat; a terminal pressing member; a first pressing cover, rotatably pivoted on one side of the housing; and a second pressing cover, rotatably pivoted on another side of the housing. With the above structure, a cable can be easily accommodated in the communication socket and the plurality of IDC terminals and the plurality of first terminals are securely electrically connected.
US07918682B2
A connector system for a vehicle antenna is a system by joining a fixed connector having legs connected to a terminal of the vehicle antenna, with a movable connector that is removably connected to the fixed connector and has a cable connected to a signal receiving apparatus. A first slide mechanism is located on the fixed connector, extended along a surface where the legs touch, and the second slide mechanism, able to be fitted in the slide mechanism on the fixed connector, is located on the movable connector. By sliding the first slide mechanism and the second slide mechanism to be fitted in each other, the movable connector can be joined to the fixed connector along the surface where the connector system is installed.
US07918669B1
A socket for testing or connecting an integrated circuit is disclosed having a platform for receiving the integrated circuit and adapted to overlay a piece of test equipment or other board, the platform formed with an array of slots each locating a portion of a two-piece connector assembly. When the integrated circuit is seated on the platform, the two piece connector assemblies pivot so as to make contact between a contact pad on the IC and the board for establishing or evaluating signal transmission by the IC. The platform houses a resilient tubular member that biases the connector assembly in a disengaged position out of contact with the board or test equipment. When the IC is placed on the platform, the bias of the resilient tubular member is overcome and an electrical connection is established across the connector assembly.
US07918663B2
An injection molding apparatus includes an injection molding nozzle having a nozzle body defining a channel for flow of molding material and a nozzle tip coupled to the nozzle body. The nozzle tip is shaped to define a converging gap with a mold component into which the nozzle tip is inserted during use. A seal piece having a wedge or wedge-like portion is disposed between the nozzle tip and the mold component Pressure of molding material acting on a surface of the wedge portion wedges the wedge portion into the converging gap.
US07918662B2
An apparatus having a kneading part for performing kneading of a material and an injecting part for performing injection of the material in an injection molding operation with the kneaded material. The kneading part and the injecting part are connected together. The injecting part includes a weighing screw channel portion for weighing the material and a retention screw channel portion that is formed adjacently to the weighing screw channel portion. The injecting part has an injection screw shaft defining differently shaped channels that form a material retention space for retaining the material fed continuously quantitatively from the kneading part. Thereby, the material fed continuously quantitatively from the kneading part can be securely retained in the injecting part where intermittent operation is performed.
US07918656B2
A suction throttle valve of a compressor has a compressor housing having a suction chamber and a crank chamber. The suction throttle valve includes a suction passage formed in the housing, a suction port provided at an inlet of the suction passage, a valve body movably arranged in the suction passage for adjusting opening of the suction passage, an urging member for urging the valve body toward the suction port, and a valve chamber provided in the suction passage. Refrigerant is drawn into the suction passage through the suction port and then received in the suction chamber. A first communication hole is formed through the housing, through which the valve chamber and the suction chamber are in constant communication with each other. A second communication hole is formed through the housing, through which the valve chamber and the crank chamber are in constant communication with each other.
US07918653B2
A method of assembling a rotor blade for a turbine is provided that includes forming a rotor blade trailing edge by coupling a suction side terminus to a pressure side terminus and positioning a trailing edge assembly between the suction side terminus and the pressure side terminus, the trailing edge assembly having a varying cross-section.
US07918650B2
A system for providing low cost fluid pressurization without consumption of limited natural resources, pollution, or greenhouse gas emission, and is independent of wind conditions. Additionally, the system of the present invention includes a venturi-like collar positioned at the top of one or more stacks increasing air flow.
US07918643B2
A compressor of a gas turbine engine comprises blades 2, 4 provided on blade platforms 8, 12 of a rotor. Stator vanes 20 lie between the blades 2, 4 and are connected to a vane support structure 22. Sealing rings 38 are secured to the vane support structure 22 to restrict air flow into stator wells 36 on each side of the vane support structure 22. The sealing rings 38 are made from a flexible material so that they deflect on installation of the vane support structure 22 in a direction radially inwards between the adjacent blade platforms 8, 12.
US07918634B2
A metallic bolt fastener assembly that includes a threaded shank, a head and an end, the head and a portion of the shank encapsulated with a polymer composition. The polymer composition includes a polymer material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber or thermal plastic materials. The polymer composition provides improved corrosion resistance and superior fluid sealing properties when used as a water tank-to-toilet bowl or other similar plumbing fixture connection system.
US07918633B2
Support which absorbs the torsion to which blades are subjected during transport, comprising a set of pins (17) inserted in the floor (8) of the container (1) and to the sides of a hollow pipe (21), which connect by means of a clevis (18) to different rods (19) secured with fastening pins (20) that facilitate the lengthways and angular rotation of the unit. The first support is located at a distance “d” from the leading edge of the cradle (9), next to the platform (16) formed between the ribs (15) which run through the lower shell (14). The second support is located on the other side of the platform (16) also inserted between the aforementioned ribs (15). Both supports are inclined at an angle α in relation to the floor (8), each forming articulated quadrilaterals.
US07918631B2
In some embodiments, a decking system may include one or more of the following features: (a) a plurality of deck panels operably coupled to and supported by rails extending parallel to the deck panels, (b) a plurality of rail legs coupled to the rails at one end of the rail leg and extending the rails up off of a base coupled to the rail leg at a second end of the rail leg, (c) a plurality of cross rails positioned perpendicular to the deck panels and rails, the cross rails coupled to the rails and supporting angle bars welded to the deck panels, (d) a plurality of angled support members coupled to the base and to the rail legs, (e) a floor coupler attached to the rail leg for providing attachment to the base, (f) a decking coupler attached to the rail leg for providing attachment to the rail, and (g) a ladder slat coupled to the rail having slots to receive cross rails.
US07918617B2
A vane driving device includes: a board having an opening; a blade changing an area of the opening, having a cam slot, and being elastically deformable; and a drive member transmitting a drive force from a drive source to the blade, and having a drive pin engaging the cam slot. The drive member is stopped by contacting the drive pin with at least one of end portions of the cam slot, when the blade is located in a fully opened state or in a small aperture state.
US07918616B2
An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensing unit which receives an object image via a lens and accumulate the received image as an electric charge, a mechanical shutter unit which travels so as to shield an image sensing region of the image sensing unit against light, a scanning unit which performs scanning for sequentially starting the accumulation of the electric charge for each image sensing region of the image sensing unit, a control unit which controls the accumulation start scanning of the scanning unit and the travel of a shutter of the mechanical shutter unit, so as to implement a first curtain and second curtain of a shutter and a changing unit which changes a maximum shutter speed on the basis of one of a type of the lens and information on the lens.
US07918614B2
A digital camera includes a support structure, a lens carried by the support structure and having an optical axis, a detector, carried by the support structure under the lens and including a number of adjacent pixel rows. Each pixel row includes a number of pixels, and each pixel includes an image sensor. An image signal processor unit is connected to the detector, and includes an image scaler configured to scale each row of pixels by one of a plurality of respective scale factors which is different from the respective scale factor of an adjacent row of pixels.
US07918611B2
An optoelectronic module for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing having an electrical input for coupling with an external cable or information system device and for transmitting and receiving information-containing electrical signals over such input, and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; an electro-optic subassembly coupled to the information containing electrical signal and converting it to and/or from a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal; means disposed in the housing for determining the electrical and/or optical protocols or packet formats in use; and a processor for adapting the module to utilize the electrical and optical protocol or packet format.
US07918609B2
A preconnectorized outdoor cable streamlines the deployment of optical waveguides into the last mile of an optical network. The preconnectorized outdoor cable includes a cable and at least one plug connector. The plug connector is attached to a first end of the cable, thereby connectorizing at least one optical waveguide. The cable has at least one optical waveguide, at least one tensile element, and a cable jacket. Various cable designs such as figure-eight or flat cables may be used with the plug connector. In preferred embodiments, the plug connector includes a crimp assembly having a crimp housing and a crimp band. The crimp housing has two half-shells being held together by the crimp band for securing the at least one tensile element. When fully assembled, the crimp housing fits into a shroud of the preconnectorized cable. The shroud aides in mating the preconnectorized cable with a complimentary receptacle.
US07918606B2
A rolling bearing assembly has an inner race, an outer race and a plurality of rolling elements interposed between respective raceway surfaces of the inner and outer races. A stationary raceway member, which is one of the inner and outer races that are a raceway member and which is non-rotatable, is provided with a stepped face continued with the corresponding raceway surface and located in a direction away from the rolling elements, and is also provided with a gap defining piece having a tip held in face-to-face relation to the stepped face with a gap intervening between it and the stepped face and defining a flow path between a peripheral wall thereof and the stationary raceway member; there being provided a grease reservoir communicated with the flow path.
US07918586B2
An apparatus, method, and system of aiming lighting fixtures. One aspect of the invention mounts a substantially collimated light source on a lighting fixture. The direction of the substantially collimated light source is fixed in a known relationship to the aiming direction of the lighting fixture. By finding the substantially collimated light source either by direct viewing or in a mirror, the aiming direction of the lighting fixture can be derived by using the known the relationship between the substantially collimated light source and the aiming direction of the fixture. Thus, the aiming direction of the fixture can be derived without operating the lighting fixture and can be derived even at relatively remote locations from the lighting fixture. The apparatus and method can be used on one fixture or a plurality of fixtures. It can also be used on one fixture of an array of fixtures to aim the entire array.
US07918576B2
An illuminated clipboard is provided including a base member having an outer surface with a first lamp retainer and a storage compartment with a second lamp retainer. A document holder is secured to the base member for holding a document. An illumination source is removably attachable to the first lamp retainer to selectively illuminate a document held by the document holder and attachable to the second lamp retainer for storage in the storage compartment. A second clipboard can be removable attached to the illuminated clipboard in a back-to-back relationship.
US07918570B2
An interior rearview information mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element, and includes an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. The information display is disposed in the mirror housing rearward of the reflective element, and information displayed by the information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through the reflective element when the information display is displaying information. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and the forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.
US07918569B2
A vehicle mirror assembly having a housing or base member, a mirror lens and a bezel member. The mirror lens is provided in the shape of a portion of an end of an ellipsoid and has a varying radius of curvature. The center portion of the lens has a smaller radius of curvature than the outer portions along the major axis of the lens creating an improved field of view of the reflected image. The bezel is positioned over the intersection of the housing and mirror lens.
US07918568B2
A lid structure, apparatus and method for displaying graphical information uses beams of coherent light that are emitted in a scanning manner to project the beams of coherent light onto a display surface to form the graphical information on the display surface.
US07918560B2
A projector includes an illuminator; a first image formation unit including a first optical unit having a light modulation element that modulates the light from the illuminator, the first image formation unit using the first optical unit to output first image light; a second image formation unit including a second optical unit having a light modulation element that modulates the light from the illuminator, the second image formation unit using the second optical unit to output second image light; a polarization combining system that combines the first image light outputted from the first image formation unit and the second image light outputted from the second image formation unit; a projection system that projects the image light combined by the polarization combining system; projection position adjusters that optically adjust the projection positions of the light modulation elements on a projection surface; and a pixel value generator that generates the pixel value for each pixel contained in the light modulation elements, the projection positions of which have been adjusted by the projection position adjusters, based on the projection position of the light from the pixel.
US07918544B2
In a harmonica type head chip having a plurality of rows of channels (row A and row B), connection electrodes for row A and the connection electrodes for row B formed on the back surface of the head chip are connected to a multilayer member having an insulating layer on one surface of which are formed the lead wirings for row A and on the other surface of which are formed the lead wirings for row B, and the lead wirings for row B are made to protrude outwards more than the lead wirings for row A and drive interconnections are electrically connected to the lead wirings for row A and the lead wirings for row B.
US07918543B2
A liquid jet head includes a flow passage forming substrate formed of a crystal substrate provided with a pressure generating chamber communicating with nozzle openings, and a piezoelectric element including a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode, which are provided on the flow passage forming substrate to change pressure in the pressure generating chamber. The piezoelectric layer has a thickness of 5 μm or less and is formed of perovskite type crystals, and the distance between a diffraction peak position A of an X-ray derived from a surface (220) of the flow passage forming substrate and a diffraction peak position B of an X-ray derived from a surface (100) of the piezoelectric layer is within the range of 2θ=25.487±0.1°.
US07918542B2
A process for producing a piezoelectric oxide having a composition (A, B, C) (D, E, F)O3, where each of A, B, C, D, E, and F represents one or more metal elements. The composition is determined so as to satisfy the conditions (1), (2), (3), and (4), 0.98≦TF(P)≦1.01, (1) TF(ADO3)>1.0, (2) TF(BEO3)<1.0, and (3) TF(BEO3)
US07918533B2
A printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes an elongate spine defining a channel and first location formations. An elongate ink distribution extrusion is receivable in the channel and defines spaced apart sets of ink supply holes. A printhead module locator defines second location formations which engage with said first location formations. A set of serially arranged ink ejection printhead modules is positioned adjacent the locator, and along the extrusion, so that the printhead modules engage with respective sets of ink supply holes.
US07918531B2
An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: a recording head including ink chambers each provided for each of inks of mutually different colors and nozzles each communicating with either of the ink chambers, the recording head performing recording by ejecting, from each of the nozzles, a corresponding one of the inks which corresponds to said each of the nozzles; an ink suction device including a cap arranged to fluid-tightly cover a nozzle surface of the recording head in which the nozzles are formed, the ink suction device sucking the inks from the nozzles utilizing the cap; and a control device for controlling the ink-jet recording apparatus, the control device including an initial-cleaning-operation executing portion which executes, upon initial working of the apparatus, an initial cleaning operation including: controlling the ink suction device to execute an initial ink sucking action wherein the inks are sucked from the nozzles; and controlling the recording head to execute (a) an all-nozzle-ink-ejecting action for all of the nozzles to eject the corresponding one of the inks from each of all of the nozzles at a plurality of shots and (b) a partial-nozzle-ink-ejecting action for at least one specific nozzle among the nozzles to eject the corresponding one of the inks from each of the at least one specific nozzle at a plurality of shots.
US07918530B2
A cleaning system for an inkjet printhead comprises an inkjet printhead having an inkjet nozzle array associated therewith. The inkjet printhead is in fluid communication with a first source of a first pressurized fluid. A fluid nozzle associated with the inkjet printhead is in fluid communication with a second source of a second pressurized fluid. The cleaning system further comprises a collection plate. Ink is forcibly ejected from the inkjet printhead by the first source of the first pressurized fluid. A stream of the second pressurized fluid is guided by the fluid nozzle across a surface of the inkjet printhead to direct ink ejected from the inkjet printhead onto the collection plate.
US07918526B2
A printer is provided with: a detector, operable to output an output signal in accordance with a state of a printing medium transported within the printer; and a control signal generator, operable to generate a control signal in accordance with a level of the output signal relative to a threshold. In order to control the printer, the output signal is detected. A timing signal indicative of a timing to judge the state of the printing medium is detected. The control signal is generated with at least two of: a first method, in which the control signal is made valid when the level of the output signal reaches the threshold after the timing signal is detected, and the control signal is unchanged until when a first time period is elapsed from when the control signal is made valid; a second method, in which the control signal is made valid when the level of the output signal reaches the threshold at least once after the timing signal is detected, and the control signal is unchanged until when a next timing signal is detected; and a third method, in which the control signal is made valid in accordance with a condition that the level of the output signal lastly reaches the threshold before a second time period is elapsed from when the timing signal is detected, and the control signal is unchanged until when a next timing signal is detected.
US07918518B2
An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a setting portion on which a recording medium is set; a feeder which feeds the recording medium from the setting portion in a feed direction; a recording head which ejects ink so that an image is recorded on the recording medium fed by the feeder; a gap changing device which changes a gap between the recording head and the recording medium; a judgment portion which judges a setting direction of the recording medium on the setting portion; and a changing control portion which controls the gap changing device to change the gap between the recording head and the recording medium, according to the judged setting direction of the recording medium.
US07918514B2
A composite rim (1) for a bicycle wheel (60). The rim has at least one braking surface (20) and a wear indicator (40) that indicates when a predetermined level of wear has been reached at the braking surface (20). The wear indicator (40) is arranged in the rim (1) so that its does not affect the outer surface of the rim (1) or weaken its mechanical strength.
US07918512B2
In an automotive machine (1) for producing carriageways by stabilizing insufficiently stable soils or by recycling road surfaces, with a machine chassis (4) supported by a running gear (2), a working drum (20) mounted to pivot in relation to the machine chassis (4), the shaft of which is mounted in pivoting arms (42) and runs transversely to the direction of travel, a cover (28) surrounding the working drum (20), a combustion engine (32) supported by the machine chassis with at least one output shaft (34) for the drive power required for driving the working drum, whereby at least one mechanical power transmission device (36) transfers the drive power from the output shaft (34) to the working drum (20), it is intended that the combustion engine (32) is arranged in a fixed manner at the machine chassis (4) between the pivoting arms (42) and that the at least one mechanical power transmission device (36), together with the working drum (20) mounted in the pivoting arms, can pivot about the axis of the output shaft (34) of the combustion engine (32).
US07918509B1
A bench includes at least two feet and two seat plates. Each foot has a sustaining surface in a top thereof and a support frame in a bottom thereof. The seat plate is a rectangular plate. A plurality of protruding blocks is formed to a bottom surface of the seat plate, and a bolt block is embedded in each protruding block. By fastening the feet to the corresponding bolt blocks through holes with bolts, the feet are fixed to the seat plate so as to form a strong and fine bench.
US07918507B2
A device for limiting the adjustability of a component, in particular, a vehicle seat is provided. The device has an adjustment range, running in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle wherein the adjustment range comprises a first forward partial range and a second rear partial range. If the component is adjusted to a functional position that is different from the normal position, the device limits the adjustability of the component to the first partial range.
US07918502B2
An apparatus and method for attaching a child car seat (14) to luggage (12) is provided, including at least one strap (16) extending from an upper region of the luggage for attachment to a top (20) or back (22) portion of the child car seat, or to a separate strap extending from the top or back region of the child car seat. At least one additional strap may also extend from a side, front or bottom portion of such rolling luggage to attach to a side, back or bottom portion of the child car seat. In such embodiment, the at least one additional strap facilitates additional stability of the child car seat as attached to the rolling luggage. Additionally, a flat fabric material or bag (34) may be provided at least partially over the back of the luggage and may be attached to one or more of the various straps.
US07918501B1
A vehicle seat with that is movable in response to a collision that automatically shifts the position of an individual sitting the seat while having minimal change in the space behind the seat.
US07918500B2
A quick-mount frame structure, particularly for bicycle saddles and similar supports. The structure comprises at least one shell (2) having a top user-supporting surface (6) and a bottom surface (7), said shell (2) having a front portion (8) and a rear portion (9), saddle rails (3) for attachment of said shell (2) to a movable or stationary support, said rails (3) having an outer peripheral edge (10) and means for stable connection between said rails (3) and said shell (2). The connection means include snap engagement means (11) at least at one of said front (8) and rear (9) portions of said shell (2) for quick connection between the shell (2) and the rails (3). A process for making the above structure, and a saddle incorporating such structure.
US07918483B2
An adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle includes a steering shaft that is mounted in such a manner as to be able to rotate about its axis in an adjusting part, a holding clamp attached to the vehicle for holding the steering column, a holding part, and a fixing device that is opened and closed to allow the adjustment or fixing of the position of steering shaft. The holding clamp includes side cheeks which can be drawn together by closing the fixing device and as a consequence the holding part can be clamped. The holding clamp is formed as a once-piece component and the holding part is swivel mounted on a swivel pin in the holding clamp.
US07918480B2
A roof airbag apparatus, may include an inflator, a housing mounted to an opening frame provided in a vehicle roof, the opening frame defining an opening therein to receive the housing, an airbag cushion contained in the housing, the airbag cushion being deployed downwards by gas supplied from the inflator to protect a passenger, an airbag door coupled to the housing by a hinge to support the airbag cushion, and angle limiting means for limiting a rotating angle to a predetermined angle when the airbag door is rotated to open.
US07918472B2
A dual-lever compression system comprising a shock absorber, a first lever, and a second lever. The shock absorber first end is pivotally coupled to a frame. The shock absorber second end is pivotally coupled to a first lever first end and the first lever second end is coupled to the frame. The second lever first end is pivotally coupled to the shock absorber second end and the second lever second end is coupled to a swing- arm. The compression performance control provided by embodiments of the dual-lever compression system is directly related to the incorporation of dual levers coupled to the shock absorber; that is, the first lever and the second lever. Angles, position, and pivotal rotations of the dual levers provide for controlled shock absorption. Compression performance of two connecting points between the rigid frame regions where by a first lever pivotally couples to one point of a rigid frame and pivotally couples to the impact point of the shock absorber, with the base mount of the shock absorber pivotally coupled to a second point of the rigid frame. The second lever completes the system, where a first end of the second lever is pivotally coupled to the first lever or the shock absorber impact point. A second end of the second lever is pivotally coupled to a swing-arm or wheel region. The dual lever assembly manipulates the shock absorber force tension which in return produces increased suspension performance.
US07918467B2
A foldable stroller includes a rear composite supporting member interposed between and pivoted to two rear supporting rod parts of a frame; the rear composite supporting member can be expanded to hold the stroller in an in-use position, and it can be compressed so as to reduce the width of the stroller when the stroller is not-in-use; the stroller further includes a composite fixing member, which will fix the rear composite supporting member automatically when the rear composite supporting member is moved to the expanded position; the stroller frame has two front supporting rod parts, which each include an upper rod, and a lower rod pivoted to the upper rod; the stroller can be reduced in its height by making the lower rods of the front supporting rod parts become close to the upper rods.
US07918458B2
To enabling actions that meet even diversified display patterns such as a prize hooked on a prize drop hole. An article housing section for storing articles, an article capturing section for capturing an article in the article housing section, lifting device for moving the article capturing section up and down, control device for controlling the movement of the article capturing section by the lifting device, and detection device for detecting that the article capturing section being moved downward by the lifting device strikes against any object including the article in the article housing section are provided. The control device performs control for operating the lifting device to continue to move the article capturing section downward even after the control device receives a detection signal from the detection device, and after the continued downward movement, stopping the downward movement of the article capturing section.
US07918457B2
The invention relates to a ball-shaped puzzle comprising a spherical support element (1; 31) and a plurality of movable puzzle elements (16; 33) which all have substantially the same size and shape, the movable puzzle elements (16; 33) being slidably engaged in a trajectory (2; 32) on the outside of the spherical support element (1; 31), the trajectory (2; 32) defining a plurality of predetermined positions on the outside of the spherical support element (1; 31) between which the puzzle elements (16; 33) are movable. The spherical support element (1; 31) comprises a core and a plurality of trajectory forming elements (15; 45-46) which form the trajectory (2; 32), the trajectory forming elements (15; 45-46) being fixed onto the core (13; 43-44) by a snap-fitting arrangement (40-41).
US07918456B2
Disclosed are apparatus and method that allow a card player to identify the face of cards that are dealt face-down to the player and while the cards are maintained face-down. The dealt cards maintained face-down are slid into position onto a transparent window portion in the top planar surface of the apparatus where at least an identifying portion of face-down cards is exposed downward onto a reflecting mechanism which then reflects the image of the identifying portion of the card upward and in normal orientation for viewing by the player.The apparatus permits a player to comfortably and securely view the identity of face-down cards.
US07918453B2
A media path jam clearance apparatus installable in a supporting structure includes media drive mechanisms for moving flexible media through media paths and a rotatable, removable jam clearance element. Within the jam clearance element facing surfaces of guide elements define guide surfaces for media paths, with the guide elements having external surfaces capable of supporting the flexible media as it is wrapped around the external surfaces. A pivotal support element supports and enables rotational movement of the jam clearance element within the supporting structure. The jam clearance element may be partially or entirely extracted from the supporting structure.
US07918437B2
Pressure vessel filled with at least one medium, where a gas mass enclosed by an envelope is pre-pressurized by a fluid, especially for volume compensation in piston-cylinder assemblies. The separating means is provided in an annular space, which is bounded by an interior wall and an exterior wall, and where at least one port for the annular space and at least one port for the enclosed gas mass are provided. The ports are aligned when the piston-cylinder assembly is inserted in the pressure vessel, which moves seals into their sealing positions.
US07918435B2
A combination gravimetric and volumetric fluid dispenser which includes a scale linked to a controller. The controller is linked to a plurality of two stage valves which control the dispensing of large quantities of base materials. The controller is also linked to a plurality of nutating pumps which together with the controller controls the dispensing of smaller quantities of additive materials. The base material dispensing valves include stepper motor actuators having multiple steps per revolution and are under the control of an analog signal from a controller. The base material dispensing valve is opened or closed via a rod that is slidably raised or lowered upon rotation of the drive shaft of the stepper motor actuator.
US07918426B2
An adjustable mount for mounting a flat panel display screen on a support comprises a first component adapted for securement to the support and forming a rear of the mount, a second component engaged with the first component and forming a front of the mount to which the screen is intended to be secured, in use, and an adjustment device acting between the first and second components to alter the relative positioning therebetween.
US07918407B2
An energy saving air quality control system modulates supply fan speed by use of controlled, variable-frequency drive controls for automatic dampers or suction pressure to maintain adequate air flow across the evaporator coil at partial cooling loads. Demand ventilation in the system balances air quality and energy consumption by controlling the outdoor air damper in response to indoor CO2 levels. The control system variously either (1) produces a variable 0-10 VDC output signal to modulate the outside ventilation air damper as required to keep the CO2 concentration below a set point; (2) produces a 0 or 24 VAC signal to either open or close a two-position outside air damper for as long a time period as is required in order to keep the CO2 concentration below a set point; or (3) allows manually setting the outside air damper to provide proper ventilation air at maximum occupancy and maximum air flow and modulates the supply fan speed as required to keep the CO2 concentration as measured by a CO2 monitor below set point.
US07918399B2
A portable scanning device for scanning a product item is provided. The product item has visible information relating thereto and a plurality of tags disposed thereon. Each tag encodes data on an identity of the product item and the location of that tag on the product item. The scanning device has a sensor for sensing the data encoded by at least one tag, and a processor for determining, from the sensed data, product identity data indicative of the identity of the product item and location data indicative of a location of said at least one tag on the product item.
US07918395B2
An electronic product identification price display system for installation in a retail environment storing a plurality of consumer products on shelves. The system includes a plurality of remote activator modules installed within the retail environment, and a plurality of remotely-updateable electronic-ink labels applied to consumer products stored in the retail environment. Each remote activator module sends and transmits electromagnetic signals within the space of the retail environment. Each electronic-ink label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal transmitting structure transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator modules. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator modules, using the antenna structure. An on-board battery power structure, operably connected to the integrated circuit structure, supplies electrical power to the integrated circuit structure. The electronic-ink label applied to each consumer product displays graphical indicia representing the price and/or promotional information for the consumer product, that is remotely updated by one or more remote activator modules installed within the retail environment.
US07918387B2
A label having a coded pattern provides information regarding the type of thread on a thread spool loaded on an embroidery machine and feeding one of the needles. A detector positioned at the base of a spindle on the thread tree reads the label. The label is attached to the bottom of a thread spool such that it is substantially flush with the detector. The label has a pattern that is readable by the detector regardless of its rotational orientation and provides information about the type of thread on the spool. This pattern corresponds to thread type information stored in data base.
US07918372B2
The present disclosure relates an apparatus for controlling the lateral offset of webs of material. The apparatus can include a support structure for supporting a roll and a mechanism for lifting the web of material off the roll. The support structure can include a fixed portion and at least one movable portion. The roll is preferably journaled to first mountings, the first mountings being attached to the movable portion of the support structure, so that the roll can be moved together with the first mountings. A potential advantage of this design is that the journal bearing of the roll on a respective shaft can be configured more easily and given smaller dimensions. According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the lifting mechanism can include at least two single rollers, rotatably journaled to two lateral supports. Such single rollers are advantageously arranged along a circular-arc plane. The web of material can thus be deflected with as large a radius as possible. This can reduce undesirable back-sway of the sagging portion of the web of material as a result of the intermittent operation. The end portions of the circular-arc plane can also extend tangentially to the provided direction of travel of the web of material, thereby potentially resulting in crease-free deflection of the web of material.
US07918369B2
A dispensing system for plural components mixture including second containers placed within a first container. The first container is held by an operator during dispensing. Separate conduits are coupled between the containers and the dispensing device and include passageways for the passage of each respective component. Each passageway includes an actuator controlled valve. A second valve coupled in the conduits between the respective components' sources and includes an inlet port for each component, an equal number of outlet ports, and an inlet port for a material for flushing the plural components from respective conduits and the mixed plural components. The second valve has a first state in which each respective inlet port is coupled to an outlet port. The second valve also has a second state in which the inlet port for flushing the plural components from the respective conduits and the mixed plural components is coupled to the outlet ports.
US07918368B2
A refrigerator having a container support configured to removably support at least one liquid container having an end with a gas inlet valve and a liquid outlet valve. The refrigerator has at least one gas line and at least one gas inlet valve engager positionable adjacent to such end of the liquid container, and the gas inlet valve engager is configured to be fluidly connected to the gas inlet valve of such end of the liquid container. The refrigerator has at least one liquid outlet valve engager positionable adjacent to such end of the liquid container. The refrigerator has at least one electrical line operatively coupled to the liquid outlet valve engager.
US07918367B2
A system for monitoring and controlling the delivery of CO2 from a bulk storage tank to at least one gas-driven pump is disclosed. By monitoring certain conditions, the flow of CO2 can be quickly and easily terminated if necessary, thereby reducing or eliminating undesirable consequences of CO2 gas flow in abnormal operational scenarios. The invention is particularly well suited for deployment in conjunction with beverage dispensing machines and can be configured to shut down the flow of CO2 if a drop in pressure occurs due to a leak in the system or if a syrup delivery system runs out of product.
US07918362B2
A transparent, portable secure container is configured to accommodate a standard retail package for a consumer product not legally purchased by minors. The container comprises a plurality of panels, a hinge and a lock. Some of the panels are joined to form the container, such that the container conforms to outside dimensions of the standard retail package. One of the panels is coupled to the container via the hinge to form a door. The lock secures the container by locking the door in a closed position. The panels are formed of a lightweight, durable structural material, such that the container is portable. At least one of the panels is transparent, such that the container provides an interior view when the door is in the closed position.
US07918352B2
A product display system and method includes a support and at least one product container supported by the support. The packages are tilted such that the front faces of the tilted packages face at least partially upward, such as toward the illumination source, so as to provide enhanced illumination of the front faces of the tilted packages. The tilted packages may be supported at a support arm or the like, and have a center of gravity located behind a header for suspending the packages from the support arm, causing the packages to angle or tilt with their front faces angled somewhat upwardly, such as toward the illumination source, when suspended from the support arm.
US07918346B2
A tensioning apparatus for tensioning a screen in a vibrating screen separator of the type having a box structure defined by two opposing spaced-apart upright side walls separated by at least one screen bed support structure. Included is an actuator support mounted to an exterior surface of a side wall of a box structure for pivotally securing the stationary end of an actuator thereto. The actuator includes a movable end that is cyclically movable from a first releasing position adjacent the sidewall, to a second engaging position, transversely spaced apart from the side wall, responsive to a track follower moving along a track inclined transversely to the side wall of the box. A clamp rail assembly is fixed to the movable end of the actuator to engage and tension a screen responsive to transverse movement of the movable end of the actuator.
US07918313B2
An improved acoustically and thermally insulating composite material suitable for use in structures such as buildings, appliances, and the interior passenger compartments and exterior components of automotive vehicles, comprising at least one airlaid fibrous layer of controlled density and composition and incorporating suitable binding agents and additives as needed to meet expectations for noise abatement, fire, and mildew resistance. Separately, an airlaid structure which provides a reduced, controlled airflow therethrough useful for acoustic insulation is provided, and which includes a woven or nonwoven scrim.
US07918306B2
In an electric power steering apparatus, a phase control characteristic for a signal corresponding to detected steering torque is changed according to the judgment whether the steering is in a return steering state or a feed steering state, so that a response of a variation of target output value of a motor for generating steering assist power to a variation of the detected steering torque decreases in the return steering state in comparison with that in the feed steering state. An output control characteristic of the motor is changed according to the judgment synchronously with the change of the phase control characteristic, so that a response of a variation of the output command value to a variation of deviation between the target output value and actual output value decreases in the return steering state in comparison with that in the feed steering state.
US07918295B2
A power assist system for a motor vehicle subsystem having a component support structure is described. The power assist system comprises a fluid reservoir, a pump having an inlet for receiving a fluid from the reservoir and a pump securing structure including at least one aperture. The system additionally includes at least one fastener. The reservoir fluid outlet is directly coupled to the pump inlet and the at least one fastener secures the reservoir mounting structure by passing directly through the pump mounting structure and attaching to the motor vehicle component support structure.
US07918293B1
Methods of evaluating a superabrasive volume or a superabrasive compact are disclosed. One method may comprise exposing a superabrasive volume to beta particles and detecting a quantity of scattered beta particles. Further, a boundary may be perceived between a first region and a second region of the superabrasive volume in response to detecting the quantity of scattered beta particles. In another embodiment, a boundary between a catalyst-containing region and a catalyst-diminished region of a polycrystalline diamond volume may be perceived. In a further embodiment, a boundary may be perceived between a catalyst-containing region and a catalyst-diminished region of a polycrystalline diamond compact. Additionally, a depth to which a catalyst-diminished region extends within a polycrystalline diamond volume of a polycrystalline diamond compact may be measured in response to detecting a quantity of scattered beta particles. A system configured to evaluate a superabrasive volume is disclosed.
US07918292B2
An earth-boring bit has a bit body having a plurality of bit legs extending longitudinally therefrom, each bit leg comprising one or more groove regions formed along a laterally outer surface thereof. Each groove region comprises a fluid course for drilling fluid and cuttings to pass across the outer surface. A ridge may be disposed adjacent a lower edge of one or more of the groove regions. Each groove region may also be positioned at differing heights on the bit legs. Methods of forming earth-boring bits are also disclosed.
US07918289B2
A method for drilling and completing a wellbore that includes drilling a wellbore through a subterranean formation with a wellbore fluid, the wellbore fluid comprising: a base fluid; and micronized weighting agent; and disposing a sand screen in an interval of the wellbore with the wellbore fluid is disclosed.
US07918284B2
A tubular sleeve is coupled to and overlaps the threaded connection between a pair of adjacent tubular members.
US07918280B2
A communication tool apparatus is described which is adapted to provide selective communication of control fluid through a downhole tool, such as a safety valve. The downhole safety valve is a tubing retrievable subsurface safety valve (“TRSSSV”). The communication tool may be run downhole and within the TRSSSV. Once within the TRSSSV, the communication tool apparatus activates a cutting device within the TRSSSV such that communication of control fluid through the TRSSSV is possible. A replacement safety valve run on a wireline may then be inserted into the TRSSSV and be operated via the control fluid line, as a new communication path created by the communication tool described herein. A method of using the communication tool apparatus is also described.
US07918268B2
A heat exchanger (10) comprises a first sheet (12), a second sheet (14) and an additional sheet (30). The first and second sheets (12,14) are wound around an axis (X), each sheet (12,14) has hot and cold edges at the hot and cold ends (16,18) respectively of the heat exchanger (10). The hot and cold edges of the first sheet (12) are joined to the hot and cold edges of the second sheet (14). The end (12A) of the first sheet (12) is joined to the second sheet (30) by an axially extending join (28) at a position spaced from the end (14A) of the second sheet (14). The end (30A) of the additional sheet (30) is joined to the end (14A) of the second sheet (14) by an axially extending join (28). The additional sheet (30) is thicker and wider than the first and second sheets (12,14) such that at least one of the hot and cold edges (30C,30D) of the additional sheet (30) extend beyond the hot and cold edges of the first and second sheets (12,14). The additional sheet (30) is wound around the first and second sheets (12,14) about the axis (X) and the end (30B) of the additional sheet (30) is joined to the additional sheet (30) by an axially extending join (34).
US07918267B2
A heat dissipation device includes a heat sink having a base with thermal interface material thereon and a protective cap covering the base. The protective cap includes a body shielding the thermal interface material and sidewalls extending from the body and engaging with a periphery of the base of the heat sink. A rotatable portion is rotatable relative to the body of the protective cap. The rotatable portion includes a base-wall being rotatably connected with the body of the protective cap and a plurality of positioning sides extending from the base-wall and engaging lateral sides of a corner of the base of the heat sink.
US07918265B2
An investment casting mold article includes a wall for retaining casting material and a cavity defined by the wall. The cavity includes an airfoil portion, a root portion adjacent to the airfoil portion, and a labyrinth seal portion extending from the root portion.
US07918263B2
This high-speed door is provided for closing a bay made in a wall (4) delimited by a lintel and by two vertical sides. The door comprises: two lateral parts placed in an essentially vertical manner against each of the vertical sides of the bay; a shaft (12) positioned at the level of the lintel of the bay and rotationally driven by electromechanical means, and; a curtain (7) made of a flexible material having a first side (7a) and a second side (7b), joined to the shaft (12), the rotation of the shaft (12) being able to move the curtain (7) between a closed position in which the curtain (7) closes the bay and an open position in which the curtain (7) opens the bay. In addition, the door comprises flexible means for protecting the shaft (12) which extend between the two lateral parts (2) and (3) and which are capable of coming in contact with the lintel, the flexible protecting means also having first transversal sealing means that can come in transversal contact with the first side (7a) of the curtain (7) when it is in a closed position.
US07918261B2
An apparatus for assembling a lens module includes a UV light source and a pressing device. The lens modules each having a first component, a second component and UV curable adhesive applied between the first and second components. The UV light source is configured for emitting UV light toward the UV curable adhesive. The pressing device is configured for pressing the first components against the second components. A method for assembling a lens module is also included in the invention.
US07918245B2
A hydraulic pressure reservoir having at least one pressure chamber formed between two opposed, movable inner boundary members. Each inner boundary members includes a spring cover and a diaphragm spring. An outer boundary member peripherally surrounds the movable inner boundary members and has a U-shaped cross section along at least a part of its periphery to axially support the diaphragm springs in a fixed axial position. The outer boundary member can be formed in several pieces that are held together by interconnections or by a surrounding outer tensioning member.
US07918235B2
The invention is a dual functioning system for de-scaling or blowing down an electrically powered steam boiler. The steam boilers are generally used for sterilizing equipment and other items commonly used by health care professionals. The system includes a microprocessor controlled module, which is interfaced with the sterilizer controlled module, to measure the frequency and duration of the cleaning or blow down cycles. Typically, a cleaning cycle involves the use of an acid, such as phosphoric acid, to facilitate chemical removal of scale which is mineral deposits resulting from the use of hard water in the boiler. In the blow down cycle, the scale is removed by simple mechanical means without the use of a phosphoric acid cleaning solution. Various pumps and valves are utilized so that cleaning or blow down may be accomplished without having to disassemble or modify any input or drain lines.
US07918224B2
A nasal air filtration device includes a pair of either planar or concave-convex filters, a support structure incorporating a pair of generally annular bases or sleeves for supporting the filters, and a bridge that couples the bases or sleeves to maintain them in a desired spaced-apart relation and to determine a desired angular relationship. The support structure is insertable into the nasal cavities to position the filters within corresponding nasal cavities. Flexible rims maintain the support structure and the filters in spaced-apart relation to the surrounding nasal wall. The rims conform to surrounding nasal tissue to form seals. The rims can be selectively inclined to facilitate insertion and resist accidental removal. In certain embodiments the device is combined with a filter that covers the mouth to provide an air filtration system.
US07918220B2
A portable and compact grill apparatus can be implemented in the form of free standing portable propane fueled cooking device, which utilizes one or more legs (e.g., four legs) to support the cooking surface. The device permits a standard propane tank to fit between the legs and directly under the cooking surface. The design permits one of the legs to be removed (by rotating it away from the center) to accommodate the exchange of the propane unit (required for refill of fuel). This design creates a very compact unit due to the fact that the fuel tank, burner and cooking surface all fit in a vertical column thus requiring minimal space.
US07918213B2
In a control method for an internal combustion engine (1) which has a fuel tank (18), a fuel vapor storage device (25) for storing the escaping fuel vapors and a controllable valve (28) for adjusting the stream of fuel vapors fed to the intake tract (4) during a period of tank ventilation, the valve (28) is controlled in such a way according to the method that the stream of fuel vapors varies during the tank ventilation period. The regeneration of the fuel vapor storage device is intended to be improved thereby.
US07918212B2
A method and control system for controlling an engine includes an instantaneous crankshaft acceleration determining module determining an instantaneous crankshaft acceleration. An engine parameter adjustment module adjusts an engine parameter in response to the instantaneous crankshaft acceleration.
US07918211B2
A fuel injector for delivering fuel to an engine in which a housing of the injector has an internal fuel chamber and at least one exhaust port in fluid communication with the fuel chamber. A valve member is moveable relative to the housing between a closed position in which fuel within the fuel chamber is inhibited against exhaustion from the housing, and an open position in which fuel is exhaustable from the housing. An ultrasonic waveguide is separate from the housing and valve member. The ultrasonic waveguide is elongate and has longitudinally opposite ends. The waveguide further has a first waveguide segment and a second waveguide segment. The first and second segments are disposed entirely within the fuel chamber of the housing. An excitation device is operable in the open position of the valve member to ultrasonically excite the ultrasonic waveguide.
US07918207B2
A fuel delivery system for an engine is described. The system includes a controller for adjusting injection timing when switching between two injectors of a cylinder. The system can improve engine air-fuel control when switching between two injectors of a cylinder.
US07918197B2
A variable valve system includes a camshaft in which a first lobe having a first height and a second lobe having a second height that is higher than the first height from a rotational center axis of the camshaft are formed; a first tappet that corresponds to the first lobe and that has a depression negatively formed in one side thereof; a second tappet corresponding to the second lobe and that is inserted into the depression; at least a pin positioned at the first tappet and fixing a position of the second tappet; and a hydraulic pressure control portion that transfers hydraulic pressure into the depression so as to move the second tappet upwards or downwards and to the pin so as to engage or disengage the first tappet with the second tappet.
US07918193B2
A cooling device for a vehicle is provided at a vehicle comprising an engine control unit which stops an engine due to establishment of engine stoppage conditions and restarts the engine due to establishment of engine restart conditions. The cooling device for a vehicle is able to cool a coolant within a heat exchanger for cooling by cooling wind, which is guided from an exterior of the vehicle, passing through the heat exchanger for cooling. Cooling by driving force of either one of an electric motor or the engine can be selected in accordance with preset conditions.
US07918182B2
The temperature of a developing solution is varied depending on the type of resist or the resist pattern. The developing solution is applied while scanning a developer nozzle having a slit-shaped ejection port that has a length matching the width of the effective area of the substrate. After leaving the substrate with the developing solution being coated thereon for a predetermined period of time, a diluent is supplied while scanning a diluent nozzle, thereby substantially stopping the development reaction and causing the dissolved resist components to diffuse. A desired amount of resist can be quickly dissolved through the control of the developing solution temperature, while the development can be stopped before the dissolved resist components exhibit adverse effect through the supply of the diluent a predetermined timing, whereby achieving a pattern having a uniform line width and improved throughput.
US07918179B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for a drop indicator having a magnet installed therein. The drop indicator according to the invention is used to determine whether a product has ever been dropped or impacted, either in delivery or in use, by inspecting changes in the original condition of the magnet caused by the interaction between the magnetic force and the acceleration of gravity, inertia force, and colliding force, etc. generated upon collision. Take a cell phone or a PDA, for example, changes in the indicative material of the drop indicator will help decide whether the faulty product has ever been dropped or impacted in delivery or in use, so that liability can be determined.
US07918173B2
A personal watercraft has a hull and sub-deck (HSD) assembly, a deck above the sub-deck, and a suspension member pivotally connected therebetween. A suspension element, including a spring assembly, is connected between any two of the deck, the HSD assembly, and the suspension member. The spring assembly has first and second portions having first and second spring rates respectively. The second spring rate is greater than the first. A controller controls a lifting device to set an initial distance between the deck and the sub-deck to one of a first distance and a second distance greater than the first. The suspension element moves through a majority of a full stroke with the first portion of the spring assembly at least partially expanded when the initial distance is the first distance, and with the first portion of the spring assembly fully compressed when the initial distance is the second distance.
US07918170B2
A quilting machine has at least one needle and looper set for forming chain-stitched patterns on a thick multilayered material such as a mattress ticking, preferably a panel of the continuous web clamped stationary on a frame. The stitch forming elements are mounted on separate heads that move independently transversely relative to the panel on a bridge that moves longitudinally relative to the panel. The bridge is longitudinally moved by a servo and the heads are transversely moved on the bridge by separate linear servos. The needle and looper are each driven by a linear servo having an armature to which the element is directly fixed to reciprocate without intervening mechanical linkage assemblies. A controller drives the servos to chain-stitch patterns, differentially move the heads transversely to account for transverse needle deflection and to phase the needle and looper to compensate for longitudinal needle deflection. The controller determines or predicts needle deflection, either based on stored empirically determined data or optical sensing, and generates deflection compensation signals to drive the servos.
US07918165B2
A reusable container for a golf car component having a body operably associated with at least one bottom and top support member, the bottom and top support members are adapted to receive a bottom dunnage piece and top dunnage piece respectively, the bottom and top dunnage pieces each having contact surfaces to engage and retain a golf car component. The body includes a base portion, opposing sidewall portions, and a back portion. The bottom support member is operably connected to the base portion of the body, and the top support member is operably connected to the back portion of the body. A plurality of recesses and profiles formed in the bottom and top dunnage pieces provides contact surfaces adapted for nestably receiving and separating a plurality of a golf car component.
US07918151B2
The present invention relates to a film cutter assembly in which a blade housing slides bilaterally along a pair of rails. The blade housing houses a blade. An elongated rail base is coupled or integral with a pair of rails. The rails are formed of a material which provides a cling property to hold the film to the rail and maintain the film in flat position before, during and after cutting. A double-side adhesive tape can be applied to a surface of the elongated rail base which is adapted for attaching the elongated rail base to a carton of film.
US07918150B2
A blind cut-down apparatus for trimming a blind down to size the blind having at least a head rail component, and blind slats suspended from the head rail, and having a blind holding plate with an opening for holding the components in position for cutting, a slat cutter moveable relative to the holding plate for cutting blind components held in the holding plate, and including a movement device for moving the cutter. Also disclosed is a method of saw cutting ends of blind components in which the blind components are held in a head plate and in which a cutter cuts the components. Also disclosed is a blind cut down machine having a moveable head rail support mounted on a blind holder plate, with a moveable head rail opening in the support, with the support being selectively moveable into and out of position for accommodating various types of head rail.
US07918145B1
A combination shift and brake lever arrangement for a bicycle, includes a single lever. A braking arrangement mounts the single lever for movement in a first pivoting direction to perform a braking operation, and a first shifting arrangement mounts the single lever for movement in a second different pivoting direction. A shift control mechanism controls shifting of gears of the bicycle in a first shifting direction upon movement of the single lever in the second pivoting direction. A second shifting arrangement mounts at least a portion of a reverse shifting lever for linear movement in a first linear direction. A reverse control changes over the shift control mechanism to control shifting of the gears of the bicycle in a second opposite shifting direction upon linear movement of the at least a portion of the reverse shifting lever in the first linear direction.
US07918142B1
The present invention is related to a sensor for simultaneously measuring both normal and shear forces applied to two or more flexible sensors, and further a statically responsive sensor for measuring shear forces. The present invention further includes a method of designing an object, prototype or a device using these sensors to detect both shear and normal forces encountered at the sensor locations.
US07918141B1
The present invention provides a method for evaluating degradation of a thermal barrier coating disposed on a turbine blade. The method includes measuring a residual stress of an outer surface portion of a thermal barrier coating on a turbine blade, the turbine blade having been subjected to normal operating conditions and determining degradation of the thermal barrier coating based on a comparison between the residual stress measurement and a control stress measurement.
US07918139B2
A Pirani vacuum gauge in which a response to a rapid pressure rise is improved and restrictions on a mounting direction of a container on a chamber to be measured for pressure are eliminated is provided. The Pirani vacuum gauge includes a heat filament of metal wire and a support unit for supporting the heat filament in a container, wherein a gas pressure is measured based on an amount of heat conducted away from the heat filament by gas molecules colliding with the heat filament, characterized in that a body of the container is filled with metal material, but a first cylindrical bore and a second cylindrical bore extend through the body, the heat filament being inserted into the first cylindrical bore and the support unit being inserted into the second cylindrical bore.
US07918138B2
A wireless microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor with built in calibration. An actuator is coupled with a pressure sensing device to enable the pressure to be calibrated against the known pressure exerted by the actuator. The sensing component is configured to flex under the application of force to a pure bending condition, i.e., the sensing component flexes with no or insignificant shear forces in the sensing component.
US07918136B2
A micromechanical sensor element (1) is provided, which has a sealed diaphragm (2) affixed in a frame (3), exhibits high sensitivity at high overload resistance and has a small size, and which allows a piezoresistive measured-value acquisition. To this end, at least one carrier element (4), which is connected to the frame (3) via at least one connection link (5), is formed in the region of the diaphragm (2). Furthermore, piezoresistors (6) for detecting a deformation are situated in the region of the connection link (5).
US07918130B2
A cam phaser diagnostic system is provided. The system includes: a first sample variance module that computes a first variance based on a desired cam phaser position. A second sample variance module computes a second variance based on a measured cam phaser position. An evaluation module diagnoses faulty cam phaser operation based on the first variance and the second variance.
US07918126B2
A subsea leak detection system is disclosed which includes a plurality of subsea leak detection sensors and a leak detection controller adapted to receive leak detection data from the plurality of subsea leak detection sensors and direct the sensing activities of the plurality of subsea leak detection sensors based upon the received leak detection data.
US07918123B2
A gas sensor has at least one gas sensitive layer, which has at least one surface area in which the work function is dependent upon the concentration of a target gas capable of being brought into contact with the surface zone. At least one electric potential sensor is capacitatively coupled to the surface zone over an air gap. The surface zone of the gas sensitive layer is covered with an electrically insulating coating which is inert to the target gas and which is adhesively bound to the gas sensitive layer. The coating is configured so that it is permeable to the target gas and so that when the target gas contacts the surface zone of the gas sensitive layer, it prevents or at least impedes an alteration of the bound state of atoms and/or molecules bound to the surface zone and differing from the target gas.
US07918121B2
A test system comprises a sensor container and a testing device. The sensor container has a base and a lid. The container encloses a plurality of test sensors therein. The container includes a calibration label attached thereto. The label includes electrical contacts located thereon that encode calibration information onto the calibration label. The testing device has a sensor-container opening formed thereon. The sensor-container opening has an auto-calibration feature located therein. The auto-calibration feature is external to the testing device. The auto-calibration feature includes calibration elements to communicate with the electrical contacts on the calibration label. The testing device determines the calibration information encoded on the calibration label in response to the calibration elements engaging the electrical contacts. A portion of the sensor container remains external to the meter while the encoded calibration information is being determined.
US07918119B2
A method is disclosed for controlling the speed of a curved rotatably driven laying pipe through which a longitudinally moving product is directed to exit from the delivery end of the pipe as a helical formation of rings. The method comprises determining the maximum and minimum internal radii Rmax, Rmin of the pipe at the location of the maximum radius R of the pipe as measured from its rotational axis; continuously measuring the velocity Vp of the product entering the laying pipe; and, controlling the rotational speed of the laying pipe such that the rotational velocities Vmax, Vmin of the pipe at said maximum and minimum internal radii bracket a range containing the velocity Vp of the product.
US07918112B2
A security device a plurality of cables which are securable about an item of merchandise with a locking member and a cable-tightening mechanism each connected to the cables in a spaced apart manner. The locking member includes a key portion for unlocking the tightening mechanism when the cable is removed from the item. The tightening mechanism includes a spool and a ratchet mechanism. Alternate embodiments for locking and unlocking the ratchet mechanism are disclosed. The tightening mechanism carries sense loops which if compromised actuate an onboard audible alarm. The cables are part of one or more of the sense loops. The device is configured to sound a security gate alarm upon passing through the gate and upon simply reaching a certain distance from the gate. The tightening mechanism includes a housing having a flip-up handle for tightening the ratchet mechanism to tighten the cable.
US07918103B1
This is a device to provide airflow comfort to an individual while sleeping. It will be comprised in part by air flow that is provided by a fan. The air flow may be cooled. The air that is provided escapes through a series of holes on the top of the device.
US07918093B2
According to various embodiments, a portable cryogenic treatment system comprises a transportable housing. The transportable housing comprises a plurality of side walls, a front wall, a rear wall, a ceiling and a floor. The transportable housing includes a cryogenic liquid source and a cryogenic treatment chamber in fluid communication with the cryogenic liquid source. The cryogenic treatment chamber is configured to treat a treat able object using a cryogenic liquid.
US07918088B1
A dual pump apparatus for use on a vehicle or industrial application having a housing in which a pair of hydraulic pumps are mounted and driven by a prime mover. The prime mover is drivingly coupled to a main input shaft, which drives the hydraulic pumps. An auxiliary pump may be drivingly coupled to the main drive shaft and a power take off unit may also be connected thereto. The power take off unit may be driven by a power take off unit output drive shaft, on which a cooling fan may be attached.
US07918083B2
There is described a method of controlling air intake flow of an internal combustion engine (1), the method including the steps of calculating a reference airflow (AREF) as the sum of a feed-forward contribution (AFF), calculated as a function of the reference air/fuel ratio ((A/F)REF) to be obtained in the combustion chamber, and a feed-back contribution (AFB), calculated as a function of the oxygen concentration (% O2) of the exhaust gas; and closed-loop controlling the air intake flow of the engine so that it equals the reference airflow (AREF).
US07918072B2
A manually operated bale wrapping apparatus for a round baler having a wrapping apparatus position indicator device which is visually observable by an operator that enables the operator to manually monitor and manipulate the wrapping apparatus, thereby reducing the need for an electronic control system on the baler to manage the operations of the bale wrapping process.
US07918071B2
A method, system and article for producing an envelope having improved seal integrity. A method includes the steps of: disposing at least one material at the interface of the adhesive seal between the flap and the body portion of the envelope, which material radiates thermal energy when combined with an activating agent. The envelope is then sealed by closing the flap onto the body portion of the envelope and combining the material with the activating agent at the sealing interface so as to change the thermal energy radiated therefrom. The seal is then inspected to determine whether the thermal energy radiated from the activated material has changed thereby confirming that a seal has been produced between the flap and body portion of the envelope. The system and article are directed to the various modules of a mailpiece fabrication system employed to produce the mailpiece including an inspection module for confirming that a seal has been formed.
US07918069B2
Providing in conjunction with a large round baler is a wrapping arrangement for enveloping a large round bale with an enveloping material. The wrapping arrangement includes a propulsion element, preferably a propulsion roll, that withdraws the enveloping material from a supply, preferably in the form of a roll, and a clutch arrangement effectively connected to the propulsion element. The clutch arrangement is arranged to maintain the force acting upon the enveloping material generally at a constant level once the enveloping material is grasped by the bale during the wrapping process.
US07918068B2
A tablet filling instrument 1 for dispensing tablets into a vial 9 in accordance with prescription data and discharging the vial 9 filled with the tablets in one of a plurality of outlets 113 designates at least one of the outlets 113 to be a priority outlet 113p and discharges the vial 9 filled with the tablets in the priority outlet 113p when the tablets are to be dispensed in one of the outlets 113 at a time-point within a predetermined time length from a present time-point.
US07918067B2
A grating system provides enhanced see through characteristics and typically includes longitudinal deep bars, axial crossbars, axial filler bars between the crossbars and longitudinal joining bars which join the crossbars and filler bars to one another. The deep bars are part of a first subassembly and the other bars are part of a second subassembly which may be lowered to join the two subassemblies to one another. The crossbars and filler bars are seated on the deep bars with the crossbars typically within upwardly opening notches formed in the deep bars. The joining bars are typically above and aligned with the deep bars. The upper surfaces of the crossbars and filler bars are usually substantially flush with one another. The grating system is configured to support vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
US07918064B2
The present invention relates to structural couplings for forming of a variety of structures such as floor and wall panels for buildings and internal structures such as hand rails. The structural coupling comprises a structural component or components (1) provided with coupling leg formations (2) and locking flanges (F) and a channel section (8) which interconnect one with the other by means of a snap fit engagement (12) of the leg formations (2) of the structural component (1) with the channel section (8). This has considerable advantages over the prior art where nuts and bolts were needed to fasten the components together. The use of a common channel section which can be engaged by snap fit action provides an elegant and non-limited method of joining structural components together rather than in a direct fashion as with prior systems.
US07918057B2
The present invention provides floor tiles and modular floors. The floor tiles may include a locking system that allows adjacent tiles to interlock, while also permitting a predetermined amount of lateral sliding relative to one another. The modular tiles may be injection molded, and a minor change in the mold facilitates variation to the amount of lateral slide allowed between interlocked tiles. The floor tiles may also provide three layers of traction, providing more sure footing than previous flooring systems. In addition, the floor tiles may comprise a two-tier suspension system that yields a flex or spring-like effect.
US07918056B2
A hole is drilled at a depth of about 5 to 6 m from the ground surface, a shelter outer shell floor slab 3 is provided, and a shelter inner shell 1 is provided thereon. Next, a load-bearing partition wall 6 is provided in the shelter inner shell 1, and thereafter a shelter outer shell 2 is provided and integrated. If required, a neutron beam-shielding shell 4 is provided at the outer surface-side of the wall section and the ceiling section of the shelter outer shell 2 or the shelter inner shell 1-side to subsequently backfill the beam-shielding shell 4.
US07918054B2
Various novel roofing brackets and roofing systems are disclosed. A first embodiment can be considered a roofing bracket to be coupled to a vertical post and a horizontal purlin of a roofing system whereby the horizontal purlin is positioned to support roof panels at a requisite pitch. The roofing bracket includes a reference brace and a clip. The reference brace includes a first brace face positioned planarly parallel with the vertical post and a second brace face extending at an angle angle from the first brace face and positioned planarly parallel with the vertical post. The clip includes a first clip face positioned to be fastened generally flush with the horizontal purlin and a second clip face extending at an angle from the first clip face and positioned to be fastened planarly parallel with the vertical post. The second clip face is coupled to the first brace face at a pivot point such that the clip can be rotated a particular angle relative to the reference brace. The angle of rotation is consistent with the requisite pitch of the roofing system.
US07918052B2
A drywall construction and method including an installation element, such as shelving, a cupboard shell, or the like, for the keeping of objects including a frame construction with vertical upright profiles having a C-shaped cross section with legs, wherein the installation element is fastened to the upright profiles. The installation element may have, on at least part of its outer surfaces, a first groove and a second groove parallel to the first groove and spaced away from it, and in a fastening condition, the legs of the upright profiles are inserted into the first groove and the second groove.
US07918041B2
An article of footwear including a cooling system is disclosed. The article of footwear includes a sole system. The sole system includes a first compression chamber and a second compression chamber, each configured to compress during motion. The compression of the first compression chamber and the second compression chamber creates a pressure imbalance that facilitates the exchange of air throughout the article of footwear by means of apertures disposed along the upper sole portion, and channels configured to transfer air to the apertures.
US07918031B2
A thread ring gauge includes a body having inner and outer peripheries spaced in a radial direction. The body includes a split extending from the outer periphery through the inner periphery, separating the body into two sections respectively having first and second end faces. The first end face includes a groove extending away from the second end face in a width direction perpendicular to the radial direction. The groove extends from the outer periphery towards but spaced from the inner periphery. The groove has a bottom wall facing the second end face. An adjusting member is extended through the first and second sections and movable to adjust a width of the slit between the first and second end faces in the width direction. A gauge block is received in the groove and abuts the bottom wall of the groove and the second end face.
US07918025B2
A thermal spreading device disposable between electronic circuitry and a heat sink includes a substrate having parallel first and second faces and conduits extending through the substrate between the faces. The substrate material has a first thermal conductivity value in a direction parallel to the faces and a second thermal conductivity value in a direction normal to the faces, with the second thermal conductivity value being less than the first thermal conductivity value. The conduit material has a thermal conductivity value associated with it, with the thermal conductivity value being greater than the second thermal conductivity value of the substrate. One method of fabricating the thermal spreading device includes disposing a molding material radially about the rods and hardening the material. Other methods include press fitting and shrink fitting the rods into a substrate material.
US07918024B2
A method for manufacturing a turbine nozzle assembly using a fixture includes providing a first position of the fixture, positioning at least one datum of the turbine nozzle assembly adjacent at least one datum location point on the fixture when the fixture is in the first position, coupling the turbine nozzle assembly to the fixture when the fixture is in the first position, rotating the fixture from the first position into a second position that facilitates manufacturing the turbine nozzle assembly, and performing a manufacturing process on the turbine nozzle assembly when the fixture is in the second position.
US07918022B2
A method of producing a cooling channel piston for an internal combustion engine having a cooling channel in its piston crown, wherein a piston lower section with piston bosses, piston pin bores and piston skirts attach to the piston crown, wherein a piston blank is first produced with a circumferential collar radially projecting in the area of the piston crown, wherein the collar is then formed over, wherein, a seating area for the collar is formed in a transition zone between the piston crown and the piston lower section and the collar is formed over in such a way until its outer radially circumferential edge comes very close to or butts completely against the seating area to form a closed cooling channel.
US07918020B2
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an electroconductive material-filled throughhole substrate that is free from any void part in the electroconductive material filled into the throughholes. The method comprises forming an electroconductive base layer on one side of a core substrate having throughholes, and precipitating and growing an electroconductive material from one direction within the throughholes by electroplating using the electroconductive base layer as a seed layer to fill the electroconductive material into the throughholes without forming any void part and thus to manufacture an electroconductive material-filled throughhole substrate.
US07918015B2
A process for making a fluid ejector head for a micro-fluid ejection device. In one embodiment, the process comprises depositing a thin film resistive layer on a substrate to provide a plurality of thin film heaters. The thin film resistive layer comprises a tantalum-aluminum-nitride material consisting essentially of AlN, TaN, and TaAl alloys, and containing from about 30 to about 70 atomic % tantalum, from about 10 to about 40 atomic % aluminum and from about 5 to about 30 atomic % nitrogen.
US07918004B2
A tampon applicator barrel including a cardboard tube having a first end and a second end and at least one gripping structure defined from the cardboard tube proximate the second end is provided. The cardboard tube has a wall thickness of between about 0.015 and about 0.020 inches, while the gripping structure has a height of up to about 0.035 inches.
US07918003B2
The kingpin bushing installation tool is a dual-headed insertion tool for installing kingpin bushings within the cylinder cavities of a steering knuckle. The kingpin bushing installation tool includes a rod having opposed upper and lower ends. An upper bushing-engaging member is mounted on the upper end of the rod and includes an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion. The intermediate portion has a diameter greater than a diameter of the lower portion, and the upper portion has a diameter greater than the diameter of the intermediate portion. A lower bushing-engaging member is adjustably and removably mounted on the lower end of the rod and includes an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion. The intermediate portion thereof has a diameter greater than a diameter of the upper portion, and the lower portion has a diameter greater than the diameter of the intermediate portion.
US07917995B2
Furniture hinge with alternative damping and/or braking device with respect to those existing and able to guarantee a better functional efficiency during closing and opening operation of the doors, or other parts of furniture, even after long periods of inactivity of the same device. The better efficiency of such hinge is also obtained by increasing the friction surfaces with a viscous means present in suitable areas of the hinge and by allowing the regulation of the angular velocity trend of a circular shaped element, for example a disk, that acts as a braking element in contact with the viscous means.
US07917991B2
A steam generator is provided that includes an external case having an opening that allows an internal space to communicate with an external environment. Additionally, the steam generator may be provided with a supplier that supplies water to the internal space, a heater provided to the opening to generate steam, an outlet pipe having a first side that communicates with the external environment to discharge steam, and a steam discharge controller provided to a second side of the outlet pipe to open/close the outlet pipe according to a presence or absence of a discharge of the steam.
US07917981B1
An inflatable inner sole for footwear has a flexible, inflatable enclosure with an inflation system that may includes an on-board air pump and a pressure relief valve. The inflatable enclosure may include a plurality of chambers that are independently adjustable by selectively adding or removing a gas from each chamber. The inflatable enclosure may also include a pressure gauge and an improved pressure relief valve sleeve with a spring seat. The inflatable enclosure may be formed with one or both of first and second sheets formed as contoured prefabricated sheets. Alternatively, the sheets may be flat sheets. A recess is formed in the sheets so that the recess extends out of a plane of intersection between the first and second sheets. The recess may be formed by causing a portion of the first and second sheets to bend out of the plane of intersection of the first and second sheets.
US07921464B2
A method of downloading content from a server to a mobile communication network and system thereof are disclosed. In particular, a method of downloading multimedia content from a server to a user equipment and a system for performing the method are disclosed. The method protects the copyright of multimedia content provided via the Internet, and prevents multimedia content from being downloaded without permission or validity.
US07921461B1
A system, method and computer program product for system for detecting a rootkit on a computer having an operating system, including a native application in ring 0 which, when the operating system is in a trusted state upon a reboot of the computer, after loading of the boot drivers but before loading of non-boot drivers, generates a first snapshot for selected files of the operating system and for a registry; the first snapshot being stored on a persistent storage medium of the computer; a second snapshot for the selected files and for the registry generated by the ordinary application after the loading of the non-boot drivers, generating; means for comparing the second snapshot with the first snapshot; and upon detecting, in the comparing step, one of a masked file and a masked registry branch, means for informing a user of possible rootkit presence on the computer.
US07921459B2
A computer-implemented system for managing security event data collected from a computing network. The system employs an event managing software module that can reside on a computing network that is being monitored with security devices. The event managing software collects security event data from security devices located in the monitored computing network and can process the security event data. In processing the security event data, the event manager module can format the data and create manageable summaries of the data. The event manager also supports storage of the security event data and the results of any processing performed on the data. Security event data can be identified by the event manager for use in responding to a security event.
US07921447B1
A method and apparatus for enhanced video signal processing are described. An enhanced video signal is received. A plurality of metadata describing the enhanced video signal are generated and processed. A channel for transmission of the enhanced video signal to a plurality of viewers is determined.
US07921445B2
A system and a corresponding method for temporal modification of audio signals, to increase or reduce the playback rates of an audio and/or a video file in a client-server environment. The system and method improve the efficiency of serving streaming media to a client so that the client can select an arbitrary time-speedup factor. The speedup system performs many of the pre-calculations once, at the server, so that the bandwidth needs are reduced and the client's computational load is minimized. The final time-scale-modification can be either done completely on the server, thus reducing the client's needs, or partly on the client's computer to minimize latency, and to reduce on-the-fly computational load from the server that serves multiple clients concurrently.
US07921442B2
A method and apparatus are provided for simultaneously receiving DBS and data signals on a mobile platform using a single beam receive antenna aperture and transmitting data signals from a mobile platform using the single beam transmit antenna aperture. A single beam receive antenna aperture receives first RF signals having a first polarization and second RF signals having a second polarization, the single beam receive antenna aperture outputting output signals having the first polarization. A first RF converter down-converts the output signals to first down-converted signals having the first polarization. A second RF converter down-converts the output signals to second down-converted signals having the second polarization. The first RF signals suitably include DBS signals, and the second RF signals suitably include data services signals.
US07921440B1
Methods and systems for monitoring and budgeting television viewing in order to influence and manage television-viewing habits in a manner that promotes self-monitoring. Example embodiments provide a Content Viewer Control System (“CVCS”), which enables devices and systems connected to a head-end, such as through a standard set-top box or a media center, to track and potentially control differing aspects of television viewing according to a viewing budget. For example, the CVCS can allow tracking and control over what content is viewed according to a variety of criteria, during which time periods, and for what duration on an individual or on a per-location basis, and/or based upon other configurable parameters. In summary, the CVCS receives notification of content as potential viewing events, compares a potential viewing event to stored viewing budget “allocations,” and reconciles the potential viewing event against the viewing budget. In one example embodiment, the CVCS comprises an interface to the content display and control components, a viewing event tracker component, and a viewing event reconciler engine. The viewing event tracker receives notification of content to be viewed (a potential viewing event), extracts pertinent information, and forwards the extracted information to the viewing event reconciler engine. The viewing event reconciler engine reconciles the forwarded information against budget data and/or rules and sends content control instructions to the interface. The CVCS optionally contains a data repository with the viewing budget or interfaces to an external data repository.
US07921429B2
A data acquisition method comprising looking into a memory heap of event structures having condition parameters of at least one of memory pointers, event operators, and arguments; identifying event conditions that evaluate as true by evaluating the condition parameters for the even structures; and generating a notification message when a true condition is found.
US07921426B2
Each of a plurality of partitions within a logical partitioned data processing system is configured for an inter partition communication area (IPCA) allocated from partition's own system memory. Each partition's IPCA combined together forms a non-contiguous block of memory which is treated as a virtual shared resource (VSR). Access to VSR is controlled by hypervisor to maintain data security and coherency of the non-shared resources of a partition. Messages are written to and read from VSR under a specific partition's IPCA for inter partition communication. No physical shared or non-shared resources are involved during inter partition communication, hence no extra overhead on those resources, thus achieving optimized performance during inter partition communication.
US07921417B2
Method and computer system for activation of source files. A source file repository stores a plurality of active source files belonging to a component. A central compilation service receives an activation request for at least one inactive source file of the component. In response to the activation request the central compilation service compiles the component using the at least one inactive source file and, in case the compilation is successfully completed, initiates a transfer of the at least one inactive source file to the plurality of active source files.
US07921413B2
An improved architecture for a program code conversion apparatus and method for generating intermediate representations for program code conversion. The program code conversion apparatus determines which types of IR nodes to generate in an intermediate representation (IR) of subject code (10) to be translated. Depending upon the particular subject and target computing environments involved in the conversion, the program code conversion apparatus utilizes either base nodes, complex nodes, polymorphic nodes, and architecture specific nodes, or some combination thereof, in generating the intermediate representation.
US07921408B2
A computing device and method for coordinating the development of a client application including application components comprising one or more of at least one of a data component, a message component or a screen component, having corresponding component definitions, or a workflow component comprising a series of instructions. A first development pattern module configured for interaction with a development environment is provided by a computer user interface, the first development pattern module configured for selecting a first pattern from a plurality of patterns based on an application component type central to the client application, the first development pattern module for guiding a user interface with a plurality of predefined steps to coordinate a development of the application components through user input events via the user interface in accordance with the first pattern.
US07921405B2
A method on a computer for providing critical chain-based project management is disclosed. The method includes generating a list of sequential time periods for a project comprising a plurality of tasks and calculating a number of tasks for each time period. The method further includes generating a graphic that visually indicates the number of tasks for each time period and a priority of each task and providing the graphic to a user.
US07921402B2
Methods are described herein which consider both die-to-die and within-die variations in effective channel length, threshold voltage, and gate oxide thickness, based on first developing closed-form models of chip level FPGA leakage and timing variations. Execution times are significantly reduced using these methods in comparison to performing detailed evaluation. The teachings provide mean and standard deviation which were found to be within 3% from those computed by Monte Carlo simulation, while leakage and delay variations can be up to 3× and 1.9×, respectively. Analytical yield models are derived which consider both leakage and timing variations, and use such models to evaluate FPGA device and architecture in response to process variations. The teachings allow improved modeling of leakage and timing yields and thus co-optimization to improve yield rates.
US07921391B2
Apparatus, methods, and computer readable code for computing parameters related to layout schemes of integrated circuits are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an actual layout scheme is computed, for example, for a netlist. In some embodiments, one o or more layout schemes are scored based on, for example, susceptibility to failure and/or yield in manufacturing.
US07921390B2
Existing text output from a design rule checker is put in appropriate input format, and automatically displayed as text within a design tool using existing design tool capabilities, such as highlighting, zooming, and drawing box-regions. A graphical display of the output of the rule checker includes the informative text. Design rule violations are listed in a manner in which they can be individually selected. The output is displayed on a unique software program layer within the design tool so as to not effect or make any permanent changes to the original design file. The layers can be safely deleted when no longer in use.
US07921389B2
In at least one hardware definition language (HDL) file, at least one design entity containing a functional portion of a digital system is specified. The design entity logically contains first and second latches each having a respective plurality of different possible latch values. With one or more statements, a first Dial instance is associated with the first latch and a second Dial instance is associated with the second latch. A setting of the first Dial instance thus controls which of the plurality of different possible values is loaded in the first latch, and a setting of the second Dial instance controls which of the plurality of different possible values is loaded in the second latch. With a statement, a Register instance is concurrently associated with both the first and the second latches, such that a setting of the Register instance controls the latch values loaded in both the first and second latches.
US07921388B2
The invention relates to a wordline booster circuit, especially an SRAM-wordline booster circuit, comprising a driving element (20) for shifting a voltage level of a charge storage element (50) for storing a charge necessary to generate a boosted voltage (Vb), a feedback element (30) for controlling the switching state of a charging element (40), wherein the charging element (40) is actively switchable between a turned-off state during a first time interval and a turned-on state during a second time interval, and an output port (14) for supplying the boost voltage to at least one wordline-driver circuit (100) of a memory device (200). The invention relates also to an operation method for such a wordline booster circuit as well as a memory array implementation on an integrated circuit, especially an SRAM memory array, with a wordline booster circuit.
US07921384B2
The invention describes apparatuses for nano-scale integrated circuits applied to nanorobotics. Using EDA techniques, the system develops fully functional nano ICs, including ASICs and microprocessors. Three dimensional nano ICs are disclosed for increased efficiency in nanorobotic apparatuses. Nano-scale FPGAs are disclosed. The nano-scale semiconductors have applications to nano-scale and micro-scale robots.
US07921372B2
The techniques and mechanisms described herein are directed to a method for pinning a tab in a tabbed browser. Briefly stated, browsing software is configured to recognize a “pin” event, such as a hot key, a menu selection, and the like. Upon recognizing the pin event, the browsing software splits a display screen into a pinned window and a tabbed window. The tabbed window displays one or more open tabs and the content of the currently in focus tab. The pinned window may display content that was previously displayed within one of the tabs in the tabbed window or may display new content. The browsing software may configure the navigation of the pinned window differently than the navigation for the tabs in the tabbed window.
US07921371B1
A system and method of multi-objective visualization utilize a multiple-objective optimizer approach to multi-objective optimization and specifically utilize a method for exploring and visualizing Pareto surfaces for any number of dimensions using an interactive graphical user interface. The general solution is to maintain all natural problem objectives separately and use a special multiple-objective optimizer to solve the problem. In this case there is no single solution point. Rather, the solution is a hyper dimensional surface in an objective space with various surface points representing different tradeoffs between objectives.
US07921366B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a plurality of displays; a plurality of display instruction units; and an assignment unit that assigns a target selected on at least any one of the displays to one of the display instruction units so as to configure the display instruction unit that the target is to be displayed on one of the displays in accordance with a command input by the assigned one of the display instruction units.
US07921358B2
Systems and methods for automatic package conformance validation are described. A package is a logical entity that specifies multiple datastreams for use by an application to render pages and resources associated with one or more documents. In one aspect, the systems and methods automatically validate conformance of the package in view of one or more package and document specifications. The specification(s) identify sets of criteria that delineate structural and markup conformance for the package and fixed payload(s) that specify the document(s), resources, etc. The systems and methods validate package and fixed payload(s), and notify a user of whether the package, documents, and/or associated resources passed or failed respective ones of the conformance criteria,
US07921354B2
There is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for controlling archiving of an electronic document, the program causing the computer to function as: a requirement memory that stores a document archive requirement for each rule; and an archive processor that judges, on the basis of the requirement memory, each document archive requirement corresponding to each rule to be applied to an electronic document to be archived, determines an archive mode which satisfies all of the judged document archive requirements, and executes a process to archive the electronic document in an archiving device in the determined archive mode.
US07921348B2
The present invention relates to a method for scheduling data retransmissions, a method for use in a data retransmission scheme and a method for updating a soft buffer of a base station in a mobile communication system during a soft-handover. The present invention relates to a base station executing the controlling and updating method, a communication terminal for executing the scheduling method and to a mobile communication system comprising at least one the base station and communication terminal. To prevent erroneous combining of data packets in a packet retransmission scheme at the receiver, the present invention provides a method that may flush the soft buffer region associated to a received data packet upon its correct reception. Further, a method is provided that monitors the time elapsed since the last storing of a data packet in a buffer region of a base station to be able to trigger the flush of the buffer region upon expiry of a threshold time period.
US07921344B2
A signal processing device having a plurality of processing stages, each of the plurality of processing stages being adapted for applying an input signal to each of at least one item under examination to be coupled to a respective one of the plurality of processing stages, and at least one signal reconditioning unit, each of the at least one signal reconditioning unit being adapted for reconditioning the input signal in a signal path between a preceding one of the plurality of processing stages and a subsequent one of the plurality of processing stages.
US07921342B2
Integrated circuit comprising a test mode secured by the use of an identifier, and associated method
An electronic circuit includes configurable cells capable of being functionally linked to logic cells with which they cooperate to form at least one logic circuit if a chaining command signal is in a first (inactive) state. The electronic circuit also includes a logic interconnection circuit for performing the following functions if the chaining command signal is in a second (active) state. Functionally connecting the configurable cells in a linear feedback shift register if an authentication signal is in a first state, or functionally connecting the configurable cells in a chain in a predefined order to form a shift register if the authentication signal is in a second state.
US07921341B2
An information processing apparatus includes a nonvolatile memory area having a storage area, and a main controller configured to store an access pattern to a main memory in the nonvolatile memory area, to end the storage of the access pattern when an error is detected in the main memory, and to access the main memory based on the access pattern stored in the nonvolatile memory area. The main controller includes a main memory control unit configured to access the main memory based on the access pattern; a nonvolatile memory control unit configured to store a data of the access pattern in the nonvolatile memory area; and a main control unit configured to transfer the access pattern for the main memory to the main memory control unit and the nonvolatile memory control unit.
US07921338B2
A system includes a plurality of remote servers deployed in a remote network, a central information management server, and a connector for routing transmissions between the plurality of remote servers and the central information management server.
US07921333B2
A replay analyzer is disclosed. The replay analyzer is able to capture traffic from a transmission medium such as a buss and store it in a trace buffer. The replay analyzer can replay that captured data repeatedly as desired and can trigger activity based on patterns found in the captured data. If desired, the captured data may be used for purposes of traffic generation.
US07921331B2
A write filter cache system for protecting a microprocessor core from soft errors and method thereof are provided. In one aspect, data coming from a processor core to be written in primary cache memory, for instance, L1 cache memory system, is buffered in a write filter cache placed between the primary cache memory and the processor core. The data from the write filter is move to the main cache memory only if it is verified that main thread's data is soft error free, for instance, by comparing the main thread's data with that of its redundant thread. The main cache memory only keeps clean data associated with accepted checkpoints.
US07921330B2
A method and apparatus for transactions during a data migration. The transfer of data from an old database to a new database is structured as a set of small transactions. The transactions can be structured in a hierarchy of dependent transactions such that the transactions are nested or similarly hierarchical. A migration manager includes a set of data conversion methods or processes that enable the conversion of data from a format of an old database to that of a new database. The conversion process generates the nested transactions to resolve dependencies between records such as primary and foreign keys. The method and system provides a higher level of granularity in transaction size, providing the ability to transfer records individually and resolve the dependencies in such transactions without requiring a large mapping of an entire data set in the old database to an organization in the new database.
US07921326B2
A spatial monitoring-correlation mechanism and a method are described herein for determining an origin of a problem within an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network by using topology information about the IPTV network and at least one error notification (e.g., packet loss notification-retransmission request) that is generated by at least one component (e.g., set-top box) within the IPTV network.
US07921324B2
File system availability during local path failure of a non-server node is provided by generating a server database of one or more server nodes having access to a storage device of the file system. The storage device is accessed by a non-server node over a local path to implement one or more input/output (I/O) operations. Upon failure of an I/O operation over the local path, the server database is queried to identify one or more server nodes having access to the storage device. One or more subsequent I/O operations for the storage device are implemented using the one or more identified server nodes. After a restoration of the local path is detected, I/O operations for the storage device are then implemented over the local path.
US07921321B2
A circuit is described for automatically adjusting a phase of an input register load clock to be synchronized with transitions of data bits forming an n-bit word. The circuit detects the first transition of a data bit in the n-bit word. The circuit then time-shifts the input clock, to generate a shifted clock, so that a triggering edge of the shifted clock occurs sometime after generation of the transition detect signal, such as in the middle third of a data cycle. Shifting the input clock may be performed by multiplying the input clock to generate a plurality of sub-clock cycles and selecting one of the sub-clock cycles as the start of the shifted clock cycle. The parallel data are applied to inputs of input registers clocked using the shifted clock as the load clock. Thus, the load clock occurs at an optimum time near the middle of a data cycle.
US07921315B2
Managing power consumption in a data center including reporting, by a circuit breaker communications device of one of the circuit breakers to the management module, a current power load of the circuit breaker, the report transmitted from the circuit breaker communications device through a power supply communications device of a power supply currently providing power to a particular computing device and through an out-of-band communications link to the management module, upon receiving the report of the current power load, determining, by the management module, whether the current power load of the circuit breaker is greater than a predetermined threshold; and if the current power load of the circuit breaker is greater than the predetermined threshold, reducing, by the management module, power consumption through the circuit breaker of the particular computing device.
US07921311B2
An authentication device or other type of low-power hand-held device comprises a processor, an external button alternately configurable in an unpressed state and a pressed state, and current drain mitigation circuitry coupled to the external button and a corresponding input of the processor. The current drain mitigation circuitry is configured to connect the input of the processor to a first potential when the external button is in the unpressed state and to connect the input of the processor to a second potential different than the first potential when the external button is in the pressed state, thereby limiting current drain arising from the external button being stuck in the pressed state.
US07921306B2
One embodiment disclosed relates to a system for power distribution to network devices. The system includes a plurality of network switches each having an internal power supply and a plurality of ports for connecting to the network devices and an external power supply having a plurality of output ports for connecting to the network switches. The external power supply communicates power available to the network switches. Each network switch determines amounts and priority levels of power for the network devices connected thereto, sums together the amounts at each priority level, determines additional amounts and priority levels of power required beyond the internal power supply capability, and sends a power request to the external power supply. The external power supply allocates power to the network switches depending on the power requests received.
US07921302B2
A universal method and system for downloading game software to ROM based legacy gaming machines, activating selected games and providing new services. The method includes a ROM emulator for replacing the game program image and an NVRAM emulator for swapping the game context and critical meters accordingly. The method includes detection of the state of the current game activity such as to activate a new game only at an authorized time, when no player is playing a game or is carded-in for example. The system includes emulation of the original peripherals fitted to the legacy gaming machine such as to offer extended functionality and services. The universal method and system therefore prolongs the useful life of legacy machines which otherwise would be prematurely retired.
US07921300B2
An x86-compatible microprocessor that executes an application program fetched from memory, including a single, atomic hash instruction directing the x86-compatible microprocessor to perform the hash operation. The single, atomic hash instruction has an opcode field and a repeat prefix field. The opcode field prescribes that the x86-compatible microprocessor accomplish the hash operation. The repeat prefix field is coupled to the opcode field and indicates that the hash operation prescribed by the single, atomic hash instruction is to be accomplished on one or more message blocks. The x86-compatible microprocessor has a hash unit that is configured to execute a plurality of hash computations on each of the one or more message blocks to generate a corresponding intermediate hash value, where a last intermediate hash value that is computed for a last message block after processing all previous message blocks includes a message digest corresponding to the one or more message blocks.
US07921296B2
Hashes are short summaries or signatures of data files which can be used to identify the file. The disclosed method generates robust hashes for multimedia content, for example, audio clips. The audio clip is divided into successive (preferably overlapping) frames. For each frame, the frequency spectrum is divided into bands. A robust property of each band (e.g. energy) is computed and represented by a respective hash bit. An audio clip is thus represented by a concatenation of binary hash words, one for each frame. To identify a possibly compressed audio signal, a block of hash words derived therefrom is matched by a computer with a large database. Such matching strategies are also disclosed. In an advantageous embodiment, the extraction process also provides information as to which of the hash bits are the least reliable. Flipping these bits considerably improves the speed and performance of the matching process.
US07921291B2
The invention relates to a method and a communication system for releasing a data processing unit used for processing project data of a selected project. In order to obtain project-related release of a data processing unit (90), a client requests a user right for the data processing unit (90) used for processing the project data that is part of a predetermined project. A first signature (I) is verified as to the correctness thereof. The data processing unit (90) is released to process the project data that is part of the selected project only if the verification process has established that the first signature (I) is correct.
US07921289B2
A layered defense-in-depth knowledge-based data management comprises a reception zone for authenticating a user for access to the system and an operations zone for adjudicating on a user level access to data objects stored in the system database. In addition, the data management comprises a security zone for issuing certificates of accessibility for defined users and a screening zone to interrogate data packets during processing thereof. The first line of defense is firewall protection and packet filtering preceding the reception zone.
US07921283B2
A digital signature is applied to digital data in real-time. The digital signature serves as a mark of authenticity assuring a recipient that the digital data did in fact originate from an indicated source. The digital signature may be applied to any digital data, including video signals, audio signals, electronic commerce information, data pertaining to land vehicles, marine vessels, aircraft, or any other data that can be transmitted and received in digital form.
US07921279B2
Result and operand forwarding is provided between differently sized operands in a superscalar processor by grouping a first set of instructions for operand forwarding, and grouping a second set of instructions for result forwarding, the first set of instructions comprising a first source instruction having a first operand and a first dependent instruction having a second operand, the first dependent instruction depending from the first source instruction; the second set of instructions comprising a second source instruction having a third operand and a second dependent instruction having a fourth operand, the second dependent instruction depending from the second source instruction, performing operand forwarding by forwarding the first operand, either whole or in part, as it is being read to the first dependent instruction prior to execution; performing result forwarding by forwarding a result of the second source instruction, either whole or in part, to the second dependent instruction, after execution; wherein the operand forwarding is performed by executing the first source instruction together with the first dependent instruction; and wherein the result forwarding is performed by executing the second source instruction together with the second dependent instruction.
US07921278B2
An “early exit” of an iterative refinement algorithm is implemented by effectively disabling read after write dependency stalls of newer instructions, as well as disabling the register write enable of these instructions, for the remainder of the algorithm, in addition to disabling the register write enable of these instructions. By doing so, the latency of the algorithm is reduced and the performance is increased without the complexity and potential poor performance of compare and branch instructions that might otherwise be required.
US07921277B2
According to embodiments of the invention, there is disclosed a computer processor architecture; and in particular a computer processor, a method of operating the same, and a computer program product that makes use of an instruction set for the computer. In one embodiment according to the invention, there is provided a computer processor comprising: a decode unit for decoding a stream of instruction packets from a memory, each instruction packet comprising a plurality of instructions; a first processing channel comprising a plurality of functional units and operable to perform control processing operations; a second processing channel comprising a plurality of functional units and operable to perform data processing operations; wherein the decode unit is operable to receive an instruction packet and to detect if the instruction packet defines (i) a plurality of control instructions or (ii) a plurality of instructions one or more of which is a data processing instruction, and wherein when the decode unit detects that the instruction packet comprises a plurality of control instructions said control instructions are supplied to the first processing channel for execution in program order.
US07921274B2
A computer addressing mode and memory access method rely on a memory segment identifier and a memory segment mask for indicating memory locations. In this addressing mode, a processor receives an instruction comprising the memory segment identifier and memory segment mask. The processor employs a two-level address decoding scheme to access individual memory locations. Under this decoding scheme, the processor decodes the memory segment identifier to select a particular memory segment. Each memory segment includes a predefined number of memory locations. The processor selects memory locations within the memory segment based on mask bits set in the memory segment mask. The disclosed addressing mode is advantageous because it allows non-consecutive memory locations to be efficiently accessed.
US07921273B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for copying storage. Data sent from a first storage unit is synchronously copied at a second storage unit. The copied data is sent asynchronously from the second storage unit to a third storage unit.
US07921271B2
A high-capacity memory subsystem architecture utilizes multiple memory modules arranged in one or more clusters, each attached to a respective hub which in turn is attached to a memory controller. Within a cluster, data is interleaved so that each data access command accesses all modules of the cluster. The hub communicates with the memory modules at a lower bus frequency, but the distributing of data among multiple modules enables the cluster to maintain the composite data rate of the memory-controller-to-hub bus. Preferably, the memory system employs buffered memory chips having dual-mode operation, one of which supports a cluster configuration in which data is interleaved and the communications buses operate at reduced bus width and/or reduced bus frequency to match the level of interleaving.
US07921270B2
The present invention discloses systems and methods for communicating with a storage device configured to store signed program files, the method including the steps of: generating, by a program process, a respective command number associated with a process command; issuing, by the program process, the process command with the respective command number to the storage device; and according to the respective command number, verifying, by the storage device, whether the process command originated from a trusted program process launched from the program files stored in the storage device. Preferably, the step of verifying includes: generating, by the storage device, a respective initial command number associated with a requested program file; and attaching, by the storage device, the respective initial command number to a copy of the requested program file.
US07921255B2
A memory controller for a memory card such as an SD card with an additional host interface such as a USB interface comprises a duplicate SD interface. Embodiments with two SD interfaces may also comprise a card reader controller chip that can be turned off by the memory controller when the USB interface is not needed. Incorporation of the additional SD interface in the controller allows for an economical or off the shelf card reader controller to be employed.
US07921251B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes identifying a transaction from a first processor to a second processor of a system with a transaction identifier. The transaction identifier may have a value that is less than or equal to a maximum number of outstanding transactions between the two processors. In such manner, a transaction field for the transaction identifier may be limited to n bits, where the maximum number of outstanding transactions is less than or equal to 2n. In various embodiments, such a transaction identifier combined with a source identifier and a home node identifier may form a globally unique transaction identifier.
US07921248B2
A configuration facility is presented and specified, with at least one computer unit and a display device for the configuration of a time-triggered bus system. The bus system has at least two bus nodes and a data bus connecting the bus nodes. At least one node task and at least one transmission task can be executed at the bus nodes. The node tasks can be presented in time sequence in a node task field, the transmission tasks can be presented in time sequence in a transmission task field separate from the node task field, and the node tasks and the transmission tasks can be coordinated with each other by graphic allocation.
US07921242B1
In a circuit coupled to a port of a network having a loop architecture, a read/write pointer controller provides a read and a write pointer to track transmission words stored in a FIFO array. The read/write pointer controller also provides a FIFO level indicator to track the total number of transmission words in the FIFO array. A dynamic threshold controller tracks transmission word insertions and deletions in the FIFO array for a predetermined period of time and provides a threshold level adjustment signal based on the tracked transmission word insertions and deletions and a transmission word threshold level. A FIFO level adjuster provides transmission word insert and delete commands and adjusts the threshold level of the FIFO array in response to the threshold level adjustment signal.
US07921238B2
A USB host system includes: a USB host module having a USB host function for performing USB transfer to/from a USB device; a different-function module having a predetermined function using transfer data that is to be an object of the USB transfer; at least one shared memory shared between the USB host module and the different-function module; and at least one dedicated memory exclusively used by the USB host module. At least part of management data for performing the USB transfer is stored in the dedicated memory.
US07921222B2
Method and system for performing fast channel switching in client-server systems, in which live media streams sent by a streaming server under the RTSP protocol are played by the client, are described. The seek functionality in the media player is overloaded to provide switching between live media streams by using standard RTSP message in-band within a single RTSP session.
US07921218B2
A method and system implementing a process for generating a signature for a network space using existing resources in the space. The process for generating a signature for a space involves discovering the resources in the space and generating a signature for the space using the identification of the devices.
US07921199B1
A method and system for event notification is disclosed. In one implementation, the system includes at least one node, an event buffer, and a remote computing system. The node is configured to detect situations of interest on that node, and to generate events in response thereto. The node sends the events to the event buffer to be stored therein. The remote computing system is used to monitor the status of the node. The remote computing system obtains from a server a set of status information for the node, and displays the status information. The remote computing system then polls the event buffer for new events, and in response to detecting one or more new events, the remote computing system obtains from the server a set of updated status information for the node. The updated status information is then displayed to show the updated status of the node.
US07921194B2
A method for remote access to one or more Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) resources in a network is provided. An access policy for discovery of a UPnP resource in the network is maintained. Upon receiving a remote discovery request from a remote requester over a communication link, the access policy is consulted and it is determined if the resource is discoverable. If the resource is discoverable, then resource information is provided to the requester over the communication link.
US07921191B2
Disclosed is a system and program for managing schemas. A schema and one or more associated schema documents are registered. A schema information document is automatically generated based on the schema and the one or more associated schema documents. A request to be performed on at least one of the schema, an associated schema document, and the schema information document is processed.
US07921189B2
A single virtual image of client information centrally located at an always-on network location for maintaining equivalency among multiple user devices. The image can be accessed by the user devices when coming online to upload and receive changes in the client information. A mid-tier system can be employed as the always-on central location with which the user client machines can communicate to maintain the same set of client information. Services in support thereof include an ownership service for dynamic selection of a designated client machine to take ownership for performing the actions on one client machine and arbitration of duplicate requests, a notification service for allowing data sources to publish cache update instructions to a central place, a roaming service for allowing clients machines to share state with each other, and an encryption service for secure storage and communications of client information.
US07921187B2
Providing information to a mobile device can include receiving a translation request from a mobile device, wherein the translation request includes a resource locator identifying information in a native format; accessing the information identified by the resource locator, wherein the information is retrieved from a local cache if available and otherwise is retrieved from a source associated with the resource locator; translating at least a portion of the information identified by the resource locator to generate a translated file in a supported format; and transmitting the translated file to the mobile device. Further, the information retrieved from a source associated with the resource locator can be stored in the local cache. Additionally, the information identified by the resource locator can be cleared from the local cache after a predetermined amount of time.
US07921184B2
The present invention is directed towards a “flash crowd” technique for handling situations where the cache receives additional requests, e.g.,. nearly simultaneous requests, for the same object during the time the server is processing and returning the response object for a first requester. Once all such nearly simultaneous requests are responded to by the cache, the object is flushed from the cache, with no additional expire time or invalidation action needed. This technique of the present invention enables data to be cached and served for very small amounts of time for objects that would otherwise be considered non-cacheable. As such, this technique yields a significant improvement in applications that serve fast changing data to a large volume of concurrent users, such, for example, as real time stock quotes, or a fast evolving news story.
US07921181B2
An information processing apparatus and method for enabling efficient content download and transfer processing operations are provided. In downloading content, a content identifier thereof is acquired, a particular piece of content subject to transfer to an external device is identified on the basis of the acquired content identifier, the identified content is retrieved from a data storage block, and the retrieved content is transferred to the external device or written to an information recording medium, so that the processing of content downloading, the processing of content transfer to an external device and content writing to an information recording medium such as CD can be executed as a sequence of processing operations, thereby providing significantly efficient content download and content transfer or content write processing operations.
US07921180B2
A method and apparatus for convenient and easy access to product- and shipment-related information and/or transactions is disclosed. A radio frequency tag reader is used to read a radio frequency tag having a structured data format. The end device parses one or more particular data entities from the data read. The radio frequency tag reader accesses a URL having at least a portion in common with one or more of the parsed data entities and displays associated web page content or processes an associated transaction. The radio frequency tag reader may sequentially substitute a series of most probable non-common URL portions to locate associated content if the first tried URL does not result in a valid response. Alternatively, a server may provide such search functionality.
US07921168B2
Provided are a chat system for realizing good communication between users, a control method for a chat device and a chat server, and an information storage medium. Upon receiving a message, a message transfer unit (11a) transfers the message to a game terminal of a transferring destination, and a stop restriction unit (11c) transmits an instruction (restricting instruction) to restrict a chat function stop processing on the game terminal which has transmitted the message, thereby restricting stopping of the chat function on the game terminal. A stop restricting time calculation unit (11d) calculates a period (stop restricting period T) for restricting the chat function stop processing in accordance with the character count (p) of the received message and the judgment by a keyword presence/absence judgment unit (11e), and a timer unit (11b) specifies a stop restricting time end time. Upon arrival of the stop restricting time end time, the stop restriction unit (11c) transmits an instruction (restriction release instruction) to release the restriction on the chat function stop processing.
US07921160B2
Systems and methods for integrating instant messaging (IM) services and email services are described. In one embodiment, among others, an email message is received and an IM chat session is automatically initiated from the email message. In some embodiments, the initiation of the IM chat session may be subject to certain programmable criteria.
US07921158B2
The present invention uses a list management server for specifying conference participants in an IMS environment. More specifically, a conference list can be established for a standard list management server. The conference list can be a group list that is identified with a unique public URI. The group list can include multiple members, where each member can be identified by a member URI. Members can be specific participants associated with a user specific URI and/or can be a group of participants. When the conference is initiated, a new communication session can be instantiated and a conferencing application execute. After session instantiation, participants included in the conference list can join the session.
US07921152B2
A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for processing cookies that are transmitted from a server through a proxy server to a client that is operated by a user. The proxy server detects that a response message from the server for the client has an associated cookie. The proxy server extracts a domain identifier associated with the server from the response message, and the proxy server retrieves a set of parameters that contain domain identifiers that are associated with indications of whether to block transmission of cookies from servers associated with the domain identifiers. The proxy server then processes the cookie in the response message in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier, either blocking or not blocking cookies from the identified domain. Blocked cookies are cached for subsequent use. Multiple sets of parameters may be configured by the user.
US07921149B2
A division and square root arithmetic unit carries out a division operation of a higher radix and a square root extraction operation of a lower radix. A certain bit number (determined on the basis of a radix of an operation) of data selected from upper bits of the output of a carry save adder and the output of the adder are input to convert the data into twos complement representation data, and the twos complement representation data is shifted a certain bit number (determined on the basis of the radix of the operation) to use the shifted data for a partial remainder of the next digit. Hence, a large number of parts such as registers of a divisor and a partially extracted square root can be commonly used in a divider and a square root extractor to realize an effective and high performance arithmetic unit.
US07921146B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for interpolating data. A cluster module locates a plurality of variable granularity data clusters within a source data set using a center selection/clustering algorithm. A conversion selection module selects a conversion function for converting each data cluster. A norm selection module selects a norm function for each data cluster. An interpolation module converts each data cluster. In one embodiment, a cross validation module iteratively cross validates and optimizes the data conversions.
US07921143B2
A system and method is provided for efficiently pinning references to the managed heap. The system and method allow for references to managed objects to be declared as pinned during a call to unmanaged code. The references are then reported as pinned to a garbage collector in response to invocation of a garbage collection service. The reference can be declared as pinned by a programmer within the source code or automatically invoked at run-time based on an unsafe condition. The garbage collection service will not move or relocate objects that are referenced by the active pinned local variables. If a garbage collection does not occur, the fact that the local variables are declared pinned is ignored.
US07921137B2
Methods and systems consistent with certain aspects of the present invention may manage the generation, modification, and publication of documents. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method is disclosed for managing documents implemented in a business processing chain. The method may include receiving a request from a first computing entity to generate a document for electronic publication and determining, by a second computing entity, a first object to be included in the document. The method may also include analyzing, by the second computing entity, a first semantic primitive associated with the first object, the first semantic primitive reflecting a class describing a characteristic of the first object and being stored in a document definition associated with the document. Further, the method may include generating, by the second computing entity, a first document model based on a result of the analysis, wherein the first document model and document definition are used to publish the document.
US07921134B2
A method and apparatus for creating data carousels including representing an object carousel in XML according to a predefined XML schema, analyzing the XML representation of the object carousel with regard to technical standards for data carousels and broadcast systems, creating a representation of a data carousel in XML according to a predefined XML schema and based on the step of analyzing and providing data to a carousel according to the XML representation of the data carousel.
US07921120B2
A method and system for recognizing images are described. Embodiments of the invention apply techniques of the Levenshtein algorithm for matching or searching one-dimensional strings for comparing graphical contents of 2D images.
US07921117B2
A cache server (18) may prefetch one or more web pages (30) from an origin server (16) prior to those web pages being requested by a user (13). The cache server determines which web pages to prefetch based on a graph (42) associated with a prefetch module (40) associated with the cache server. The graph represents all or a portion of the web pages at the origin server using one or more nodes (130) and one or more links (100) connecting the nodes. Each link has an associated transaction weight (102) and user weight (104). The transaction weight represents the importance of the link and associated web page to the origin server and may be used to control the prefetching of web pages by the cache server. The user weight may be used to change a priority (46) associated with a request (22) for a web page. The user weight and transaction weight may change based on criteria (50) associated with the origin server.
US07921116B2
Systems and methods for generating temporal metadata for a media source as a function of detected content. An analysis engine detects content within a media stream of a media source. A metadata creation engine generates temporal metadata as a function of the detected content. The generated temporal metadata may be used to create a media log for the media source, generate metadata subsequent detected content and to compare to media sources.
US07921112B2
A data management method to host applications and manage storage, finding and retrieval of typed items with support for tagging, connections, and situated queries is provided.
US07921109B2
In a computerized search system, a document corpus is searched according to a query and results of the search are presentable as an ordered search result set comprising one or more search hits, a search hit being a document of the document corpus or reference thereto. Based on content of the search result set, a number of suggested queries and/or parameter options are presented to a querier, thereby allowing the querier to select a suggested query and/or provide values for the parameters and those selections can be used to reorder the hits of the search result set. The particular suggested queries and/or parameters presented depend on the page elements of the search result set's documents and their categorization. The categorization might be done using concept networks.
US07921104B2
A method and apparatus for invoking actions on data in a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) repository. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a request pertaining to data in the LDAP repository. The request indicates at least one action identified in the definition of the LDAP repository. The method further includes causing the action to be performed with respect to one or more data items in the LDAP repository.
US07921101B2
A method and system are provided for maintaining an XML index in response to piece-wise modifications on indexed XML documents. The database server that manages the XML index determines which nodes are involved in the piece-wise modifications, and updates the XML index based on only those nodes. Index entries for nodes not involved in the piece-wise modifications remain unchanged.
US07921091B2
A system and method for providing a natural language interface to a database or the Internet. The method provides a response from a database to a natural language query. The method comprises receiving a user query, extracting key data from the user query, submitting the extracted key data to a data base search engine to retrieve a top n pages from the data base, processing of the top n pages through a natural language dialog engine and providing a response based on processing the top n pages.
US07921080B2
A system and method for safe and effective backup and restore of parallel server databases stored in data storage systems. Parallel server databases allow multiple nodes in MPP (Massively Parallel Processor) or SMP (Symmetric Multi-Processor) systems to simultaneously access a database. Each node is running an instance (thread) which provides access to the database. The present invention allows for online or offline backup to be performed from any node in the system, with proper access to all control files and logs, both archived and online, whether the files are stored in raw partitions in the data storage system, or local on certain nodes. Two different types of external restore supported: complete external restore and partial external restore. In a complete external restore, all spaces will be restored to the most recent checkpoint that was generated while creating an external backup. If users lose only a portion of the data (which is more typically the case), a partial external restore may be performed.
US07921079B2
Synchronizing database files of a central node with database files of a local node in which the central node is coupled to the local node via a communication link. The communication link performance being continuously monitored via a periodic signal sent back and forth between the central node and local node. Information indicative of the files of the central database are integrated with the monitoring signal portion sent from the central node to the local node and a determination is made whether the files integrated with the monitoring signal corresponds with files of the local database via indications in the monitoring signal portion returned from the local node.
US07921078B2
A system and methods for distributing a new file from a server connected through a network to a client. Rather than downloading an entirely new file from the server, the system makes use of reference files already resident on the client. A new delta file corresponding to a reference file is sent to the client. The client generates the new file by modifying the corresponding reference file according to the change instructions in the new delta file.
US07921062B2
A system for dynamically allocating one or more postal security devices (PSDs), includes an indicia pool utilizing PSDs for generating indicia, a download pool for refreshing PSD funds, and a means for allocating the one or more PSDs among the indicia pool and download pool according to indicia generating requirements and funding amounts within the one or more PSDs.
US07921046B2
Methods and systems for processing financial market data using reconfigurable logic are disclosed. Various functional operations to be performed on the financial market data can be implemented in firmware pipelines to accelerate the speed of processing. Also, a combination of software logic and firmware logic can be used to efficiently control and manage the high speed flow of financial market data to and from the reconfigurable logic.
US07921044B2
A system and method for real time dissemination of information is provided. One server receives and data bases the information while another server disseminates the information; instead of one server receiving the information, data basing the information, and dissemination the information to all users requesting the information.
US07921040B2
An image of at least one object (14) is captured. An object class selection is received from a menu (70) of a plurality of object classes. At least one task menu specific to the object class selection is provided. A task selection is received from the at least one task menu. A task associated with the at least one object (14) is facilitated based on the image and the task selection.
US07921032B1
The current inventive technology includes methods and apparatus for providing a plurality of personalized souvenir devices. Embodiments of the inventive technology may include the steps of establishing a plurality of personalized solar powered programmed souvenir devices such that they may be dynamically presented and maintained, in such a manner so as to form a light transforming composite presentation. This light transforming composite presentation may act as a consumer attractant and thereby increase sales. Example of such personalized solar powered programmed souvenir devices may include personalized solar powered programmed keychains, zipper pulls, chokers, bracelets, keyrings, and magnets and the like.
US07921030B1
A computer-based profit optimization model is provided that takes account of supply-side and demand-side factors in optimizing profit for an organization. The model takes into account which parts the organization uses to assemble various products. Demand curves are used to characterize the quantity of each product that will be demanded for various classes of product and classes of customer. Supply model data is used to determine which mix of products can be sold in view of parts availability. Using the demand model and supply model data, the optimization model can recommend a set of prices to use for selling the organization's products to various customers and at various shipment times. The model ensures that the organization has sufficient resources available to produce the products and enforces user-supplied business rules and other constraints.
US07921020B2
A method for compiling, storing and organizing data, and gathering and reporting medical intelligence derived from patient-specific data. A patient's Minimum Data Set (“MDS”) data generated by health care facilities are merged with that patient's pharmacy data to create a comprehensive clinical/pharmacological data set for each patient. The data may first be encrypted to ensure patient privacy before being transmitted by the facility to a data repository via an electronic communication network. Upon receipt at the data repository, the data first must pass through a security screen. If the data is determined to be valid and virus-free, it is decrypted as necessary before being added to a data warehouse for use in a wide variety of therapeutic, statistical, and economic analyses. The data may be partially or completely “de-identified” to remove patient-identifying information so as to protect patient privacy.
US07921013B1
A system and method of providing sender-customization of multi-media messages through the use of emoticons is disclosed. The sender inserts the emoticons into a text message. As an animated face audibly delivers the text, emoticons associated with the message are started a predetermined period of time or number of words prior to the position of the emoticon in the message text and completed a predetermined length of time or number of words following the location of the emoticon. The sender may insert emoticons through the use of emoticon buttons that are icons available for choosing. Upon sender selections of an emoticon, an icon representing the emoticon is inserted into the text at the position of the cursor. Once an emoticon is chosen, the sender may also choose the amplitude for the emoticon and increased or decreased amplitude will be displayed in the icon inserted into the message text.
US07921010B2
An information processing apparatus, comprising: an acquisition section that acquires a plurality of items of document information to be time-sequentially presented and movie information which includes speech that time-sequentially changes in association with the plurality of items of document information; a character string extracting section that extracts, from character strings included in the plurality of items of document information, character strings to be searched for; and a partial selecting section that selects a part of the movie information where at least one of the character strings to be searched for, which are extracted by the character string extracting section, is spoken in the speech included in the movie information.
US07921001B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for simulating and analyzing viscoelastic fluid flow. The fluid flows through a channel and is ejected from a channel. The fluid has an interface between a first fluid and a second fluid. The method includes performing finite difference analysis and using a level set projection method to solve equations governing the viscoelastic flow of the fluids through the channel. The equations governing the viscoelastic flow include an azimuthal velocity term that is an approximate description of the azimuthal flow of the fluid. The equations governing the viscoelastic flow also include an approximation of the stress experienced by the fluids being simulated. The equations governing the viscoelastic flow include an advection term that includes an azimuthal velocity term. The finite difference analysis used to solve the governing equations includes a second-order Godunov type upwind scheme to update the advection terms over time. The level set for the first and second fluids is updated periodically during the simulation.
US07920994B2
The present invention relates to methods for achieving an optimal function of a biochemical reaction network. The methods can be performed in silico using a reconstruction of a biochemical reaction network of a cell and iterative optimization procedures. The methods can further include laboratory culturing steps to confirm and possibly expand the determinations made using the in silico methods, and to produce a cultured cell, or population of cells, with optimal functions. The current invention includes computer systems and computer products including computer-readable program code for performing the in silico steps of the invention.
US07920990B2
Apparatus and methods are provided to allow multiple, possibly overlapping, regions of interest within a frequency spectrum to be defined, and managed. Each of these regions of interest may be selected for further testing or identification. Unselected regions are allowed to collapse into narrow bars so as not to interfere with the selected region. Multiple rows are provided to allow for the definition and selection of overlapping regions of interest. Furthermore, in some embodiments aid is provided for identifying the signal type by providing a list of signal type candidates based upon such parameters as region of interest bandwidth, region of interest center frequency and geographic location.
US07920984B2
An on-board, non-contact measurement system and method is disclosed for measuring track quality, vertical track stiffness and vertical track modulus for a portion of track underlying the rail vehicle. The system comprises two or more position sensors for determining the position profile of the track and a computation system for determining the vertical displacement of the track.
US07920976B2
A method and apparatus measures electrical power usage and quality, while mitigating the effects of noise on measured signals or parameters. Specifically, a digital electrical power and energy meter employs a method in which a processor averages a parameter, such as voltage or current, over a plurality of cycles of a time-varying signal, such as an AC electrical signal. The method employed by the meter samples a parameter over the plurality of cycles and computes the average of the samples corresponding to the same phase angle of the signal to produce an average signal.
US07920975B2
Methods of detecting anomalies in ambient alternating current (AC) fields are provided. An exemplary embodiment of such a method includes the steps of placing an AC field sensor in an ambient AC field, generating a signal representative of the ambient AC field received by the sensor, and processing the signal to determine if the ambient AC field includes any anomalies. Various applications for the methods are also provided.
US07920963B2
A map user interface is described, including a view transmitted from a server computer system to a client computer system, the view including a map and a location marker at an initial location on the map, the location marker being movable from the initial location to a target location on the map.
US07920961B2
Methods and apparatuses enable generation of a managed space layout model defining permissible pathways for travel through the managed space. Each permissible pathway can be defined as a line segment or an edge bounded by coordinate pairs. Items and locations within the managed space are associated with permissible pathways, which association defines how the items/locations can be reached via travel through the managed space. The information can be saved as a network of nodes, which defines the intersection of the permissible pathways and includes information about the pathways. With the layout model, a path can be determined through the managed space to accomplish work in the managed space. The layout data allows a path distance to be calculated for a given work task that involves travel through the managed space.
US07920960B2
The present invention is a method and an apparatus for predicting future travel times over a transportation network. In one embodiment, a method for predicting future travel times over a transportation network includes receiving a data point indicating a real-time volume of traffic on the link at a given time and updating a template representative of an observed traffic pattern on the link in accordance with the received data point. A future travel time over the link can then be estimated in accordance with the updated template. Thus, the template is able to adapt to dynamically changing traffic patterns, taking these changing traffic patterns into account when making predictions of future traffic patterns.
US07920959B1
A method and an apparatus is provided for determining the velocity vector, speed, and direction of moving vehicles traveling on roadways which change elevation and have curves. A camera mounted above a roadway observes at least one vehicles traveling in different directions on different roads. Each pixel in the two-dimensional optical image is mapped into a three-dimensional real world location to enable the moving vehicles to be analyzed in the three-dimensional real world as they travel on roads, which may change elevation and may have curves. The estimated vehicle velocities may be displayed on an image near the moving vehicle. Individual images with vehicle velocities may be posted on an Internet site. The sequence of optical images, or streaming video, with the displayed vehicle velocities may also be used for television news programs that show traffic moving on the roadways.
US07920958B2
In order to make a start-up of an internal combustion engine as quick as possible, whereby an electrical power output, which is as small as possible, is required, it is proposed to at least periodically activate a direct starting control device for the generation of a combustion torque and an electrical starter for the generation of a starter torque simultaneously during the start-up. In so doing, the power output of the electric starter is controlled as a function of a current combustion torque, so that the starter is continually operated only at a currently required power output. For this purpose, the electric starter is, for example, controlled in an open- and/or closed-loop in such a way that the current total torque resulting from the current combustion torque and the current starter torque does not undershoot a specifiable set point torque.
US07920949B2
A variator torque control system and method utilize a hydraulic actuator to control the variator output via a torque control map, wherein the values of the torque control map are evaluated and modified during use of the map to improve map accuracy. In an example, errors in the map are evaluated to determine whether a system fault has occurred.
US07920945B2
A drive-by-communication-signal vehicle includes a driver interface subsystem having a sensor responsive to an operational characteristic of the driver interface subsystem, a controller responsive to the sensor, a vehicle subsystem responsive to the controller, and a communication channel in signal communication with the driver interface subsystem, the controller, and the vehicle subsystem. The controller includes a storage medium, a processing circuit, and a clock synchronization mechanism defining synchronous communication cycles, with each communication cycle defining at least one time interval. The storage medium, being readable by the processing circuit, stores instructions for execution by the processing circuit for executing and communicating ordered tasks within defined time intervals with flexible task scheduling.
US07920937B2
A mechanical part useful in various fields of application including plastic and metal processing is produced using a computer-aided design process including a preliminary break-down of the body of the part into elementary strata, followed by manufacture of the elementary strata, and reconstruction of the part. During break-down of the part, at least one fluid transport circuit, which is designed and modeled beforehand, is broken down into elementary chambers (20) in accordance with the break-down of the part. The elementary chambers are produced in the elementary strata (7i) forming the part during manufacture of the strata, and the fluid transport circuit is reconstructed during superposition and assembly of the strata.
US07920934B2
A manufacturing system, located at a manufacturing system site, includes a discharger for discharging a liquid material having fluidity onto a substrate, communication means for transmitting and receiving data through a communication line, and monitoring means for monitoring the state of the discharger and for outputting data obtained by the monitoring through the communication means. The communication means provides communication between the monitoring means at the manufacturing system site and a server located outside of the manufacturing system site. The monitoring means receives a control command from the server through the communication means.
US07920928B1
An epicardial lead is passively fixed in a pericardial space by a passive fixation member. The passive fixation member extends from a distal portion of an epicardial lead and acts against a pericardial layer and an epicardial layer to hold the lead in place. The epicardial lead may include an electrode that is connected to a conductor that extends from a distal portion of the lead. In some embodiments the epicardial lead includes a material that promotes fibrosis to fix the lead to heart tissue. The passive fixation member may include a shocking coil.
US07920924B2
A flap thickness measurement system includes a reference cochlear stimulation system. The reference cochlear stimulation system includes a sound processor, a transmitter that transmits a telemetric signal, and a cochlear stimulator having a receiver that receives the telemetric signal and transmits a signal back to the transmitter. The system further includes one or more flap simulators having one or more known thicknesses that is positioned between the transmitter and receiver. Also included is a microprocessor that receives and processes data representative of tank voltage from the reference cochlear stimulation system.
US07920922B2
The present invention involves systems and methods for determining nerve proximity, nerve direction, and pathology relative to a surgical instrument based on an identified relationship between neuromuscular responses and the stimulation signal that caused the neuromuscular responses.
US07920918B2
An apparatus for treating ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia comprises means for dynamically steering or selecting two or more current vector paths sequentially or simultaneously for defibrillation so as to change the transmembrane potential in the left and right ventricles sufficiently to halt VF or VT.
US07920886B1
Systems and methods for facilitating dispatch communications are provided. Buttons related to dispatch communications can be displayed when dispatch call addresses are received by a mobile station. Additionally, selection menus with options related to dispatch communications can be displayed in a call history display when a dispatch communication is selected. When a contact with a dispatch communication address is selected, a selection menu with options related to dispatch communications can be displayed.
US07920881B2
A method of clock synchronization for a wireless communications system includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal at a base station and at a network reference server (NRS). The NRS is also coupled to receive a reference clock signal. A clock offset value is then calculated in response to the RF signal received at the base station, the RF signal received at the NRS, and the reference clock signal. A local clock signal at the base station is then synchronized with the reference clock signal in response to the calculated clock offset value.
US07920878B2
Location based reminders are described. A mobile computing device may comprise a location based reminder application to set a target location for a reminder item. The location based reminder application may provide a location based reminder for the reminder item when a current location matches the target location. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07920877B2
Methods and systems are provided for using base-station location to assist mobile-device system acquisition. A mobile station, which stores a network identifier, selects a carrier frequency. The mobile station receives, from a base station on a first carrier frequency, geographic coordinates of the base station and a base-station network identifier, and determines whether the base-station network identifier matches the mobile-station network identifier. If the base-station network identifier matches the mobile-station network identifier, the mobile station will scan the indicated home frequency bands and will connect to one of the home frequencies, and if the base-station network identifier does not match the mobile-station network identifier, the geographic coordinates of the base station are used to identify a market area and a most-preferred carrier frequency is selected from the identified market area.
US07920876B2
A method (38) and system (56) evaluate the accuracy of an Automatic Location Identification (ALI) system (36) deployed within an environment (20) and configured to location a wireless communication device (24) originating an emergency call (22) through a wireless communication network (26). The method (38) includes a subprocesses that identify a validation region (144) in which a service area (106) of a public service answering point (PSAP) (32) and an RF coverage area (129) overlap, classify sub-regions within the validation region (144) according to a predetermined set of test scenarios (148) representing unique calling environments, and select test points (200) within the validation region (144) from which test calls, that simulate emergency calls, will be performed. The method (38) further includes an empirical test call execution subprocess (50) for performing test calls within the validation region (144) and a predictive test call execution subprocess (52) for simulating test calls within a simulated environment (260).
US07920868B2
System and method for performing a fast handover in a broadband wireless access communication system
A broadband wireless access (BWA) communication system includes a mobile subscriber station (MSS), a serving base station (BS) with which the MSS performs communication, and a plurality of neighbor BSs. The serving BS transmits, to the MSS, a handover request message including information on at least one recommended BS to which the MSS can perform a handover, among the neighbor BSs, and indication information indicating a fast handover, and transmits, to each of the recommended BSs, a handover confirm message indicating that the MSS will perform the fast handover.
US07920860B2
The Multi-Link Aircraft Cellular System makes use of multiple physically separated antennas mounted on the aircraft, as well as the use of additional optional signal isolation and optimization techniques to improve the call handling capacity of the Air-To-Ground cellular communications network. These additional techniques can include polarization domain and ground antenna pattern shaping (in azimuth, in elevation, or in both planes). Further, if code domain separation is added, dramatic increases in capacity are realized. Thus, the Air-To-Ground cellular communications network can increase its capacity on a per aircraft basis by sharing its traffic load among more than one cell or sector and by making use of multiple physically separated antennas mounted on the aircraft, as well as the use of additional optional signal isolation and optimization techniques.
US07920858B2
In one embodiment of a system for distributing cellular radio frequency signals, a hub unit is configured to digitize first and second analog radio frequency signals in order to generate first and second digital data, respectively, indicative of the first and second analog radio frequency signals. The first and second analog radio frequency signals are broadcast from first and second base stations, respectively, associated with first and second cellular service providers, respectively, using first and second air interfaces, respectively. The first and second digital data are transported to a radio access node from the hub unit using a shared transport medium. The radio access node is configured to reconstruct versions of the first and second analog radio frequency signals from the first and second digital data, respectively, using first and second digital-to-analog converters.
US07920852B2
A remote wireless device receives a compressed message including an application definition file. The application definition file is associated with an application executing at a computing device and contains definitions for: a user interface format; a format for network messages; and a format for storing data. Using these definitions, the wireless device may receive data generated by the application and formatted in accordance with the definitions. The wireless device may then present a user interface for the application. Preferably, the application definition file is an XML file. Similarly, application-specific network messages provided to the device are also formed using XML. Data generated by the application may be presented at the mobile device under control of a virtual machine that uses the application definition file. For efficiency, the network messages received at, and transmitted by, the wireless device may be compressed.
US07920846B2
The present invention discloses a method for implementing access restriction of mobile networks. The method includes the following steps: a Mobile Station (MS) inquiring a list of forbidden Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) and access technology identifiers, which is saved by itself, when selecting a PLMN network; the MS determining whether the selected PLMN network and the access technology exist in the list of forbidden PLMNs and access technology identifiers, if they exist, the MS will not send a Location Updating Request to a Mobile Switching Center/Serving GPRS Support Node (MSC/SGSN); otherwise, the MS will send the Location Updating Request to the MSC/SGSN in order to access to the network. The present invention makes it possible to implement the access restrictions upon different types of access networks using different restriction rules. Furthermore, during the process of implementing the access restriction, the modification to the existing networks and user terminals is very small, the method is easy to implement and can well satisfy demands on the access restriction of operators.
US07920843B2
Techniques are described for establishing a two-way voice communication session with an alarm system. The alarm system may establish a two-way voice communication session with an operator associated with a monitoring service that provides monitoring services for alarm events detected by the alarm system. The alarm system also may establish a two-way voice communication session with a notification recipient that is interested in receiving notifications associated with events detected by the alarm system.
US07920842B2
Techniques are described for establishing a two-way voice communication session with an alarm system. The alarm system may establish a two-way voice communication session with an operator associated with a monitoring service that provides monitoring services for alarm events detected by the alarm system. The alarm system also may establish a two-way voice communication session with a notification recipient that is interested in receiving notifications associated with events detected by the alarm system.
US07920838B2
A system and methods (300, 400) are disclosed for conserving energy in a multimode communication device (106). A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a multimode wireless transceiver (202) for accessing a plurality of wireless access technologies (103), and a controller (214) for managing operations of the multimode wireless transceiver. The controller is programmed to enable (300) scanning for a select one of the wireless access technologies when the communication device is near a known location of a wireless access point. An embodiment for a network management system (100) is also disclosed.
US07920831B2
Conveying Push-To-Talk and Push-To-Signal (PTT/PTS) information over an IP network through signaling bits defined in and propagated with the Real-Time Protocol (RTP) stream allows the PTT/PTS information to remain synchronized with the voice packets of the stream. The maintenance of synchronization of PTT/PTS signals and voice packets eliminates problems arising from failure of synchronization between the two classes of packets, notably the “shoot/don't shoot” problem. The signaling bits employed were formerly used to convey legacy network information, but are no longer in active use in the Voice-over-IP (VoIP) realm, since VoIP provides alternative pathways for their information.
US07920828B2
The invention relates to a portable terminal such as a portable telephone terminal and so forth for effecting communication, information processing and so forth, and to provide the portable terminal and a master slave portable telephone system capable of rendering a transmission and/or reception mode of information to be multi-functional to enhance communication function, thereby enhancing the convenience thereof. The portable terminal comprises an information transmission and/or reception part for effecting transmission and/or reception of information, a radio communication part for effecting communication by radio, and an information processing part for processing information. The portable terminal can effect transmission and/or reception of information relative to another portable terminal by any of a master terminal made up of the information transmission and/or reception part and the information processing part, a slave terminal made up of the information transmission and/or reception part and the radio communication part, and a normal terminal configured by combining the radio communication part with the information processing part via the information transmission and/or reception part.
US07920824B2
A storage and playback device is capable of being detachably coupled to an output device, such as speakers of an automobile. The device includes a wireless transceiver to receive compressed digital content automatically from a computer system via a wireless local area network based on user defined preferences input into the computer system. The wireless transceiver is communicably coupled to the wireless local area network when the wireless transceiver is a predetermined distance from a wireless local area network access point. The device also includes a decoder and converter to decompress and convert the digital content. The decompressed and converted digital content is sent to be played on the output device.
US07920820B2
A bookbinding apparatus includes a collecting device, a bookbinding path, a bundle conveying device for transferring the sheet bundle to a paste applying position and then to a cover binding position, a paste applying device for applying an adhesive to a spine part of the sheet bundle, and a cover feeding path. A cover binding device binds the sheet bundle with the adhesive to the cover sheet, and a cover binding control device controls the cover binding device. The cover binding device includes a back folding press member and a back abutting plate member. The cover sheet is sandwiched between the back abutting plate member and the spine part of the sheet bundle with a small gap between the back abutting plate member and the spine part. The cover binding control device adjusts a size of the gap depending on a thickness of the cover sheet when folded back.
US07920817B2
An information processing apparatus generates printing image data of a printing image and copy-forgery-inhibited-pattern-image data of a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image to be added to the printing image. The copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image includes a latent image and a background image. The apparatus includes a selecting unit and a printing-data generating unit. The selecting unit selects either the transparent-printing designation or overlay-printing designation, the transparent-printing designation is used for generating printing data so that the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is superimposed on the printing image, and the overlay-printing designation is used for generating printing data so that the printing image is superimposed on the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image. The printing-data generating unit generates printing data based on the printing designation selected by the selecting unit.
US07920816B2
A developer collection device includes: a collection unit including: a collection container that contains a developer to be collected; an upstream connection part that is formed with an inlet port through which the developer flows in; and a collection conveying part that conveys the developer flown in through the inlet port toward the collection container; and a connection unit including: an upstream connection port that is connected to an upstream conveying path; a connection conveying part that conveys the developer flown in through the upstream connection port in a developer conveying direction; and a connection outlet port that is formed at a downstream end in the developer conveying direction, wherein the connection unit is configured to be movable between an extracted position and a retracted position.
US07920813B2
An image-forming apparatus, including: a latent-image supporting member, and an intermediate transfer member that supports a toner image primarily-transferred thereon from the latent-image supporting member, secondarily-transfers the supported toner image onto an image receiving medium, and has a hard releasing layer on the surface thereof, and a ratio Rv (Vbt/Vpc) between a surface moving speed Vbt of the intermediate transfer member and a peripheral speed Vpc of the latent-image supporting member satisfies the following relational expression: −5×10−6×Hu+1.0087≦Rv≦−5×10−6×Hu+1.0167 wherein Hu is a universal hardness (N/mm2) of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, and is set to 220 N/mm2 or more.
US07920808B2
A belt device for use in an image forming apparatus includes two side frames supported by two slide rails disposed at the body of the image forming apparatus on the outside of the outer periphery of the belt member, a rear frame constructed between two sub-frames and having a box-shaped structure, a front frame having a smaller projecting surface than the inner periphery of the belt member as viewed from the front, a support frame that cantilever-supports the front frame with respect to the rear frame, and triangular reinforcing frames constructed across the side frames and the rear frame.
US07920807B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main body; a tandem type photosensitive unit, retaining photosensitive drums, mounted in the body and movable along the arrangement direction of the drums; and a developer cartridge provided for each drum, retaining a developing roller and detachably mounted on the unit. The apparatus also includes a translation member provided in the body and movable in the arrangement direction; and a link member corresponding to each cartridge and displaced to a position where a first end portion opposed to a prescribed portion of each cartridge, and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion and pressed by the translation member so the first end portion presses the prescribed portion to separate the roller from the drum and a position where the translation member is released from pressing the second end portion and the first end portion is released from pressing the prescribed portion.
US07920803B2
Option unit configuration information indicating a mounting method of option units mounted to an image forming apparatus is acquired. An availability of use of an option unit mounted to the image forming apparatus is determined based on the mounting method of option units indicated by the acquired option unit configuration information and rules for setting the availability of use of an option unit mountable to the image forming apparatus which is stored in a storage medium. In this case, the rules are for setting, based on a mounting order of a plurality of option units mountable to the image forming apparatus, the availability of use of the option unit, and the option unit configuration information further includes information indicating a mounting order of a plurality of option units mounted to the image forming apparatus.
US07920802B2
A fixing device fixes an image on a recording medium by allowing the recording medium to pass through a nip between a pair of rotating members at least one of which is heated. The fixing device includes heaters that heat rotating members, temperature sensing elements that sense the temperature of the rotating members, and an I/O control panel. The I/O control panel calculates the amount of heat generated by the heaters based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensing elements, and corrects calculation result according to medium information to control the heaters.
US07920798B2
A receiver converts an analog signal, derived from light pulses in a GPON fiber optic system, to clean digital electrical signals. A photodetector and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) convert the light pulses to analog electrical signals. A reset signal generated by a media access controller (MAC) in the GPON system signifies the start of a new burst of data. The receiver has a switchable low pass filter that establishes the threshold voltage for determining whether the analog signal is a logical 1 or a logical 0. At the very start of a new burst, the low pass filter has a fast time constant to quickly establish the threshold voltage for the burst. At a later time during the burst, the low pass filter is switched to have a slow time constant to create a relatively stable threshold voltage.
US07920796B2
The present invention utilizes field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to implement a parallel differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) precoder and a DQPSK optical transmitter with an automatic realignment process. The present invention can perform DQPSK preceding, modulation, and data stream realignment at any lower rate, and its upper rate is determined by capability in speed and logic resources and external connections of available integrated circuit technology.
US07920795B2
A method and apparatus is provided for transmitting a WDM optical signal. The method begins by modulating an odd number of optical channels that are each located at a different wavelength from one another with (1) a respective one of a plurality of information-bearing electrical signals that all embody the same broadcast information and (2) a respective one of a plurality of RF signals having a common functional broadcast waveform, at least one of the RF signals being out of phase with respect to remaining ones of the plurality of RF signals. Each of the modulated optical channels are multiplexed to form a WDM optical signal. The WDM optical signal is forwarded onto an optical transmission path.
US07920790B2
The present invention is directed to an in-passband signaling method. The method includes the steps of extracting a control component and a data component from an optical signal. The control component may be used to determine the state of an optical switch in either a packet-switched network or circuit-switched network. The state of the optical switch is switched based on the extracted control signal. The control component may also be used to provide other network functions such as network operations, administration, and management (OA&M), network monitoring, and network control and management (NC&M). The control component is erased by polarization realignment of the optical signal. The control component is updated by remodulating the polarization state of the data component.
US07920787B2
The invention relates to a method for detecting a check-back signal in a transmission system for optical signals. According to said method, a constant proportion of the output in a defined frequency range of the check-back signal is concentrated in a narrow-band spectral range and is determined after a transmission phase by means of a narrow-band detection of the concentrated energy around the spectral range. If no signal is identified during the narrow-band detection, a line interruption is determined and no pump source is switched on for safety reasons. The narrow-band detection of the check-back signal also allows the transmission attenuation of the transmission system to be measured.
US07920786B2
A solution for detecting and recovering from a failure in a protected single-fiber passive optical network. A detector is used to detect the degradation in power level of optical signals. Furthermore, the invention discloses a variable symmetric split ratio approach to improve the number of splits (e.g. the number of ONUs). A single-fiber passive optical network is disclosed that uses a plurality of passive nodes connected in the optical fiber between the interfaces, wherein in the passive nodes 2-by-2 splitters/combiners are used to couple optical power from and into the optical fiber at a predetermined split ratio.
US07920776B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07920774B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07920770B2
Structures including optical waveguides disposed over substrates having a chamber or trench defined therein, and methods for formation thereof.
US07920768B2
The present invention relates to a single mode optical fiber comprising a first central region having a radius r1, a maximum refractive index value n1 and at least one second ring surrounding said first central region, which second ring has a radius r2 and a minimum refractive index value n2, wherein n2
US07920760B2
An organizing condition for organizing a plurality of inputted images based on at least one of a content of each inputted image and an associated attribute of each inputted image is stored for each user. When a plurality of newly inputted images are organized, the stored organizing condition associated with the user who carries out the organization is acquired, and the newly inputted images are organized based on the acquired organizing condition.
US07920759B2
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types. In one embodiment of the present invention, the MMR system includes an action processor and method, and MMR documents with an associated action. The MMR document structure specifies different actions for different MMR documents combined with the ability to create any number of MMR documents for a particular location on any media, which allows the MMR architecture to serve as a universal trigger or initiator for additional processing. In another embodiment, the MMR system, in particular MMR recognition and the input/output capabilities of the capture device, are used as a control mechanism for a third party system.
US07920758B2
A method and apparatus are provided to measure spatial distortion. Measure and remove borders; and rescale the active test image, the active reference image, or both, such that they are the same size. A representative line is obtained, or selected, from each image providing a reference representative line (ReferenceRL) and a test representative line (TestRL). A local Pearson' cross-correlation coefficient (LPCCC) image is created from both the ReferenceRL and the TestRL at different horizontal shifts. The highest average intensity line across the LPCCC image is found as the coordinates of the corresponding Hough Transform image pixel with maximum intensity is determined. The Hough Transform Theta and R are converted to spatial scale and offset. The crude and refined offsets and scale values are combined to produce total horizontal and vertical scale offset values. These spatial measurements can then be provided.
US07920757B2
The image data are coded with field DCT or frame DCT depending on the characteristics of the image data. However different coding types will result in different boundary marks of boundaries between adjacent blocks or adjacent macro blocks. Therefore the de-blocking of a boundary between two adjacent blocks or adjacent macro blocks should be performed according to the format of image data and the coding type of the adjacent blocks or adjacent macro blocks.
US07920755B2
The invention relates to determining the image content of an incoming bitstream such that various image improvement effects may be accomplished. The invention provides for determining a realness value of an image formed of a plurality of pixels each having associated pixel data by evaluating a spatial distribution of luminance values of the image. Realness values are first determined for subregions of an image frame through an analysis of a luminance histogram generated for each subregion. Subsequently, the subregion realness values are analyzed to generate a total realness value for the image frame and to classify the image content of the image frame.
US07920751B2
An imaging system includes a two-dimensional detector having a plurality of cells wherein each cell is configured to detect energy or signal passing through an object. The imaging system includes a computer programmed to acquire imaging data for the plurality of cells, identify a cell to be corrected, based on the imaging data, interpolate Ix and Iy for the identified cell based on neighbor cells, and calculate local gradients gx and gy between the identified cell and its neighbor cells based on the interpolation. The computer is further programmed to calculate weighting factors wx and wy based on the local gradients, calculate a corrected final value I(0,0) for the identified cell, and correct the identified cell with the corrected final value.
US07920749B1
Systems and methods for representing high dynamic range data in compressed formats with a fixed size block allow high dynamic range data to be stored in less memory. The compressed formats use 8 bits per pixel. A first compressed format includes two endpoint values and compressed indices for the pixels in the block. A second compressed format includes four endpoint values, a partition index that specifies a mask for each pair of the four endpoint values, and compressed indices for the pixels in the block. The two formats may be used for various blocks within a single compressed image and mode bits are included to distinguish between the two formats. Furthermore, each endpoint value may be encoded using an endpoint compression mode that is also specified by the mode bits. Compressed high dynamic range values represented in either format may be efficiently decompressed in hardware.
US07920745B2
A method and an apparatus process digital images. The method according to one embodiment accesses element data representing a plurality of elements belonging to a plurality of digital images; performs a similarity analysis between the elements from the plurality of elements to obtain inter-relational data results relating to the elements; and performs clustering of the plurality of elements, the step of performing clustering including incorporating in the inter-relational data results at least one hard constraint relating to elements from the plurality of elements, to obtain constrained inter-relational data results, performing a spectral analysis to obtain eigenvector results from the constrained inter-relational data results, and performing discretization of the eigenvector results using constrained clustering with a criterion to enforce the at least one hard constraint to obtain clusters.
US07920741B2
A system and method for performing integral histogram convolution for filtering image data is disclosed. The method may include generating an initial histogram for a kernel region of an input image comprising two or more column histograms. Each histogram may include a plurality of bucket values, each representing a sum of weights associated with pixels having the same value or a count of pixels having the same value. The method may include incrementally generating a region histogram for each successive region of the image as the kernel is passed over the image and applying a convolution operation to it. Generating the new region histogram may involve merging an additional column histogram with the initial or current region histogram, and may also involve subtracting values of a preceding column histogram from the initial or current histogram. The methods may be implemented by program instructions executing in parallel on CPU(s) or GPUs.
US07920729B2
A method includes using a point spread function based rule to classify regions in a dataset.
US07920728B2
An apparatus and method for fingerprint recognition comprises a light source, an optical component, an imaging device and a processor. The light source directs a monochromatic light through the optical component and then forms a plurality of interference fringes on a fingerprint desired to be recognized; the imaging device receives an optical image signal of the interference fringes reflected from the fingerprint and transfers it to an electrical image signal; the processor creates a contour image of the fingerprint according to the electrical image signal for post-recognition.
US07920720B2
One embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method for the automated extraction of objects from a video stream. The method includes an automated procedure for creating a temporal graph, and an automated procedure for cutting the graph into graph partitions. The method further includes an automated procedure for mapping the graph partitions to pixels in frames of the video stream. Other features, aspects and embodiments are also disclosed.
US07920715B2
An electronic watermark embedding apparatus for embedding watermark information as digital information into a document image includes a background eliminating unit that determines whether pixels on an input image are pixels composing a background image and eliminates the pixels determined as the pixels composing the background image from the input image, and a watermark embedding unit that embeds a watermark into a background eliminated image from which the background is eliminated by the background eliminating unit so as to form a watermark image. A readable watermark can be embedded into a multi-valued image including a halftone/gradation portion on the background of the input image.
US07920709B1
Method and apparatus (333) for measuring the sound-intensity vector in a half space bounded by a surface such as a wall or the ground (100) using an acoustic vector probe (AVP) (40), where the AVP consists of four small omnidirectional microphones (1, 2, 3 and 4) supported on narrow straight tubes at the vertices of an imaginary regular tetrahedron. The tubes are attached perpendicularly to a ring (42) with the microphones all pointing into the half space. The sound-intensity vector measured by the AVP determines the direction of a sound source within the half space. Interference from echoes caused by reflections from the boundary of the half space and from surrounding objects on the boundary can be reduced by attaching a concave solid structure (55) to the base of the AVP at the supporting ring (42). The inside of the concave structure is lined with absorbing material (65) to reduce interference by reflections from the structure.
US07920708B2
A method of converting single channel audio (mono) signals to two channel audio (stereo) signals using simple filters and an Intra-aural Time Difference (ITD) is presented. This method does not distort the spectral content of the original signal very much, and has low computation requirements. A variation is proposed which also uses Intra-aural Intensity Difference (IID).
US07920701B1
A digital content system is disclosed. A security engine disposed in a bridge provides cryptographic services. Clear text digital data received from a central processing unit is encrypted and transferred via the bridge over unsecured data paths as cipher text.
US07920700B2
A method of processing data from a file includes obtaining a first portion of the file, encrypting the first portion of the file to create a first encrypted portion, obtaining a second portion of the file, encrypting the second portion of the file to create a second encrypted portion, and storing the first and second encrypted portions such that each of the first and the second encrypted portions can be individually accessed. A method of processing data from a file includes receiving a request to access a first portion of the file, wherein data in the first portion of the file is encrypted, and data in a second portion of the file is encrypted, and decrypting the data in the first portion, and not the data in the second portion.
US07920696B2
A method (200), and electronic communication device (100), for automatically selectively changing from one mode of operation to a speakerphone mode of operation after a call on the electronic communication device (100) is established. The method (200), and electronic communication device (100), perform establishing a call (210) using a first mode of operation that is a mode of operation other than the speakerphone mode of operation. Then there is performed changing automatically (235) from the first mode of operation to the speakerphone mode of operation when a signal amplitude provided by a microphone used in the first mode of operation does not reach a threshold level before an expiration of a predetermined time period.
US07920695B2
A telephony distribution system includes a plurality of terminals with two connection points (16A), each for one pair of conductors (17A) forming part of a telephony distribution installation, and, for each of those terminals (16A), a short-circuit manager (25) including a substitution current source (26), a switch (27) and control means (28-31) for causing the switch (27) normally to assume a position in which its output terminal (34) is connected to an input terminal (32) itself connected to a pair of conductors (13, 15) providing a telephone line and to cause the switch (27). In the event of a short-circuit between the two connection points of the terminal (16A) concerned, to assume a second position in which that terminal is connected to the auxiliary current source (26).
US07920694B2
A system generates a consistent haptic effect in a handset that includes an actuator. The system determines performance data for the actuator, and generates haptic effect controller parameters from the performance data by comparing the performance data with reference performance data derived from a reference actuator. The system then stores the haptic effect controller parameters on the handset.
US07920693B2
Call center management with at home agent access based on caller language is provided herein. Calls from customers of a client are received at an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system, which determines a language of the caller by detecting the language or language selection by keypad entry. The IVR system determines an available at home agent with the proper language skills and forwards the call to be processed by the at home agent. The at home agents can call the call center to set their status. Information associated with the call may be collected and used by associated system(s) such as quality control, status monitoring, financial processing, and the like.
US07920662B2
Training sequence interference in an equalizer-based receiver in a time-division duplex (TDD) communication system can be avoided without using interference cancellation, by providing to the equalizer both the desired data portion of the received signal, and a portion of the training sequence that is adjacent the desired data portion and has a length commensurate with the delay spread associated with the training sequence interference. The portion of the equalizer output that corresponds to the adjacent training sequence portion can be discarded while retaining the desired equalized data.
US07920660B2
To remove DC offset from received data symbols having cyclic prefixes in a data communication system, means (5) are provided for determining the location of the cyclic prefixes, means (3) are provided for calculating the DC offset by calculating a mean value of at least one data symbol without its cyclic prefix and means (4) are provided for subtracting the calculated DC offset from said at least one data symbol with its cyclic prefix.
US07920643B2
Methods and apparatuses for maximizing power and spectral efficiencies in a wireless communication system are disclosed. The invention is particularly useful for layered modulation applications because power levels for such applications are relatively high. A layered modulation signal comprises an upper and a lower layer signal that interfere with each other within the same frequency band such that the upper layer signal can be demodulated directly from the layered modulation signal, and the lower layer signal can be demodulated after subtracting the first layer signal from the layered modulation signal. The invention applies one or more of the following four signal schemes in a communication signal including varying the symbol rate (rather than the code rate), reducing or eliminating the guard band, reducing excess signal bandwidth and employing layered modulation within the guard band of the legacy signal.
US07920642B1
Methods, circuits, and apparatus for providing an RF up-converter using digital circuits. One exemplary'embodiment provides an up-converter that uses multiple channels of parallel digital processing, then serializes individual bits from these channels to achieve higher frequencies. Specifically, I and Q components of a signal to be transmitted are decomposed into multiple components, each phase shifted from another. Quadrature versions of an oscillator signal are similarly decomposed and multiplied with corresponding I and Q signal components. The products are combined and serialized on a bit-by-bit basis to generate an RF signal.
US07920621B2
Equalization of an incoming data signal can be controlled by sampling that signal at times when data values in that signal should be stable (“data samples”) and when that signal should be in transition between successive data values that are different (“transition samples”). A transition sample that has been taken between two successive differently valued data samples is compared to a reference value (which can be one of those two data samples). The result of this comparison can be used as part of a determination as to whether to increase or decrease equalization of the incoming data signal.
US07920610B2
Methods of operating a frequency-converted laser source are disclosed. According to particular disclosed embodiments, a laser diode is driven in a pulsed mode to define pixel intensity values corresponding to desired gray scale values of image pixels in an image plane of the laser source. The pixel intensity values are a function of a laser control signal comprising a discontinuous pulse component, a relatively constant intensity component I, and a continuously variable intensity component I*. The pulse width w of the discontinuous pulse component is selected from a set of discrete available pulse widths according to a desired pixel gray scale value. A low-end pulse width w of the set of available pulse widths is established for a range of low-end pixel gray scale values and progressively larger pulse widths w are established for ranges of progressively higher pixel gray scale values. The relatively constant intensity component I makes a relatively insignificant contribution to pixel intensity at the low-end pulse width w for the range of low-end pixel gray scale values and assumes a non-zero value for enhanced conversion efficiency at the progressively larger pulse widths w established for the higher pixel gray scale values. The continuously variable intensity component I* varies according to the desired gray scale value of the selected pixel and the contributions of the relatively constant intensity component I and the pulse width w to pixel intensity.
US07920609B2
In an exposure device comprising a laser controller that is configured as a circuit board capable of independently being changed, and that controls the emission of laser light from a laser emitter emitting laser light on receipt of an instruction for control given from a main controller responsible for overall control of the operation of the exposure device, error control information that is obtained in advance with regard to the circuit board and controls variations of a controlling factor due to a circuit error of the circuit board is stored into a memory provided to the laser controller prior to the provision of the circuit board to the exposure device. On receipt of an instruction for control given from the main controller to cause the emission of laser light in a predetermined amount of light, the laser controller determines a condition of emission of laser light based on the error control information stored in the memory to cause the laser emitter to emit laser light under the condition of emission.
US07920608B2
A highly portable, high-powered infrared laser source is produced by intermittent operation of a quantum cascade laser power regulated to a predetermined operating range that permits passive cooling. The regulation process may boost battery voltage allowing the use of more compact, low-voltage batteries.
US07920605B2
An all-fiber color laser and a light-illuminating method thereof are disclosed. The steps of the light-illuminating method include: providing a fiber color laser having a pump light source and an optical fiber with a multi-level wavelength gain medium, a first grating assembly and a second grating assembly; radiating a laser via the pump light source; generating a plurality of laser beams with various wavelengths via the multi-level wavelength gain medium; adjusting the deformation of the second grating assembly to control output of the laser beams with various wavelengths; and executing periodical modulation to generate a periodical lengthwise deformation of the second grating assembly for mixing color.
US07920604B2
A method for the transmission of data in a synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) network comprising the steps of transmitting to a node of the network a form of data signal from outside the network, converting the signal into a virtually concatenated information structure and transporting the signal through the network in the virtually concatenated information structure; means for carrying out the method and tributary cards arranged and configured to process signals received in contiguously concatenated form to convert them into virtually concatenated form for transfer across the network; thus providing for data transmitted in high-bandwidth, contiguosly concatenated signals (ie VC-4-4c) to be transported across a SDH network, not itself capable of carrying contiguously concatenated signals.
US07920600B2
In an information processing apparatus such as digital cellular phone with a camera, a frame extracting portion extracts audio data in frames in accordance with a codec scheme. A packet creating portion creates an RTP packets based on the audio data in frames. A post-packetizing buffer holds the created RTP packets. A packet transmitting portion stores the RTP packets in a baseband packet and transmits the baseband packet to a headset. A streaming transfer managing portion determines whether any RTP packet is held in the post-packetizing buffer or not. A transmission stop controller controls to temporarily stop the transmission of the RTP packets in the packet transmitting portion.
US07920597B2
Aspects of a method and system for low power IDLE signal transmission in Ethernet networks are provided. In this regard, during time periods between transmissions of actual data by a local Ethernet link partner, the local Ethernet Link partner may generate one or more signals, in place of a standard Ethernet IDLE signal, that enable synchronization between Ethernet link partners. In this manner, the generated signals may enable reducing power consumption as compared to standard Ethernet IDLE signals. Accordingly, link activity may be monitored to enable detecting periods when there may be no actual data for transmission and the generated signals may be transmitted. The generated signals may be transmitted at a reduced symbol rate as compared to standard Ethernet IDLE signals. The generated signals may be transmitted via fewer network links as compared to standard Ethernet IDLE signals.
US07920585B2
A vehicular communication device switches over a communication method between the OFDM method and the SS method. A PLC master set includes a LAN communication unit for performing data communications with control units such as an engine control ECU via an in-vehicle LAN. In the PLC master set, a microcomputer acquires the operating states of parts of the vehicle from various control units through the LAN communication unit, and uses the acquired operating states and control information stored previously to enable data communications without being affected by noises occurring in the parts of the vehicle by notifying a PLC slave set of a communication method in the PLC communication unit and a communication method with a sub-carrier set prohibited from use being set when a communication method is the OFDM method.
US07920584B2
A data processing system is provided comprising a main processor operable to perform a plurality of data processing tasks, a data engine having a data engine core operable to perform a number of said plurality of data processing tasks on behalf of said main processor and a data stream processing unit providing a data communication path between said main processing unit and said data engine core. The data stream processing unit has a control interface operable to receive from said data engine core at least one command and a data stream controller operable to receive at least one input data stream and to perform at least one operation on said at least one input data stream to generate at least one output data stream comprising a sequence of data elements. The data stream processing unit is responsive to said at least one command from said data engine core to control said data stream controller to perform said at least one operation.
US07920583B2
A telecommunications architecture processes telecommunications service requests received from third parties through a secure access gateway. The third parties may be other telecommunications service providers which employ the services to support their own products and services or may be or individual subscribers. The service broker provides a flexible and efficient layer in the telecommunications architecture for processing the service request. The service broker also overcomes the technical problems associated with third party service request processing. In addition to providing technical solutions for efficient and secure processing of service requests for exposed services, the architecture also provides an additional revenue channel for existing telecommunication service providers.
US07920578B2
A system and a method for monitoring a Video Phone (VP) service monitors a video communication between a calling video terminal and a called video terminal, and the system including a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) server, a Media GateWay (MGW), a Video Inter-working Gateway (VIG), and a monitoring receiving unit. When the calling video terminal initiates a VP call to the called video terminal, the MSC server instructs the MGW to duplicate the call data of the calling and called video terminal, transmits the call data to the VIG, and instructs the VIG to de-multiplexes the call data of calling video terminal and called video terminal into the audio flow and video flow. The VIG transmits the audio flow and video flow to the monitoring receiving unit for playing.
US07920575B2
In a GPRS system, a method of a mobile station acquiring an IP network address. The method comprises the steps of:the mobile station generating a link identifier and sending it to a gateway over a wireless link in a network address request together with a request to check if the link identifier is unique;the gateway receiving the network address request and checking if the link identifier is unique;the gateway responding with a network address request response including either the sending a unique link identifier confirmed as being unique or a different unique link identifier;the gateway sending a network prefix to the mobile station;the mobile station combining the interface identifier and the network prefix to generate the IP network address.
US07920574B2
A method is disclosed for transmitting a packet from a correspondent node to a mobile node when the mobile node moves from a home network to an external network equivalent to the correspondent node's local network. The method may include securing a Care Of Address (COA) for the mobile node. The COA may be used to forward a packet intended for the mobile node by a home agent in the home network. The method may also include obtaining the COA at the home agent to update binding information on the mobile node, transmitting the updated binding information to a correspondent node, and setting a target IP address for the packet transmitted by the correspondent node. The target IP address may be the COA of the mobile node when the correspondent node's local network is the same as the external network where the mobile node is located.
US07920573B2
A data relay device includes a plurality of transmission ports that constitutes a logical port, and stores therein a MAC learning table and a CoS distribution table. The data relay device reads a MAC address and a CoS value from a frame, and reads a logical-port ID corresponding to the MAC address from the MAC learning table. The data relay device reads a transmission-port ID corresponding to the logical-port ID and the CoS value from the CoS distribution table, and outputs the frame to a transmission port indicated by the transmission-port ID. On the transmission port, the frame is stored in a transmission queue corresponding to the CoS value, and the frame is transmitted at a shaping rate assigned to the transmission queue.
US07920572B2
A data processing method comprising establishing a first node in a peer-to-peer data communications network, wherein the node is configured as a supernode in conformance with a peer-to-peer communications protocol, wherein the first node is configured as an active listener to one or more network routing protocols executing at a network router; receiving a routing information message from one of the network routing protocols; modifying an operational characteristic of the first node in response to the routing information message; receiving a request from a second node in the peer-to-peer network for a resource that is known to the first node; and responding to the request based on the modified operational characteristic. For example, a peer-to-peer node may be configured as a network-aware BitTorrent Tracker, Gnutella supernode, etc., and can use IGP and BGP information from a router to determine how the node behaves.
US07920571B1
A circuit switched switching system and method includes a plurality of matrix transposition memories. The memories permute the order of incoming and outgoing data, and thereby increase the efficiency of the switch. The switch and matrix transposition memories may be disposed in a satellite. The switch may further include batching circuits for grouping together data from a single terminal device for more efficient transmission through the switch and for more efficient error correction.
US07920566B2
An apparatus for forwarding data in a data communications network having as components nodes and links therebetween is described. The apparatus is arranged to forward data towards a destination on a label switched path and advertise in a label advertisement to nodes in the network in a label advertisement its label for the label switched path and its label for a repair label switched path for use in the event of non availability of a component in the network. The apparatus is further arranged to advertise to a remote node in the network in a label advertisement additional information for deriving repair label switched path information at the remote node.
US07920565B2
When updating a data record identified by a version number, the problem exists that a simple not equal to comparison or greater than comparison is often insufficient for ascertaining the up-to-date nature of the newly received data record, particularly if the data record is transmitted to a receiving station via an unsecured data link and the version number originates from a limited range which is repeatedly run through periodically.The invention solves the problem by virtue of the fact that it divides the range of values of the version number into the ranges “old” and “new”, on the basis of the current value of a version number. The periodicity with which the range of values is run through is taken into account in this case, however. That is to say that the range “old” or the range “new” may perfectly well include the jump from the highest value in the range of values to the lowest value in the range of values. If the version number of the newly received data record lies in the range “new”, the new data record is accepted as a current data record, and if not it is correspondingly rejected.
US07920560B2
One embodiment is a method that transmits a packet having a bit field with a Time-to-live (TTL) value from a requesting node to a plurality of receiving nodes. The TTL value is decreased at each of the receiving nodes, and the packet is sent back to the requesting node that compares a value in the bit field with the TTL value to determine a topology of the receiving nodes connected to the requesting node.
US07920559B2
The transponder includes a 64B/66B code synchronization bit determination circuit 1511a for notifying a PLL selection control circuit of a control signal which instructs on selection of a variable oscillator or a variable oscillator in response to a case where an electric signal sent from an optical signal reception unit 111 includes a 64B/66B code synchronization bit, an A1A2 byte determination circuit 1511b for notifying the PLL selection control circuit of a control signal which instructs on selection of a variable oscillator or a variable oscillator in response to a case where an electric signal sent from the optical signal reception unit 111 includes an A1A2 byte, and the PLL selection control circuit 1512 for controlling a PLL selector 16 and a PLL selector 17 based on a control signal.
US07920553B2
A packet-based, hierarchical communication system, arranged in a spanning tree configuration, is described in which wired and wireless communication networks exhibiting substantially different characteristics are employed in an overall scheme to link portable or mobile computing devices. The network accommodates real time voice transmission both through dedicated, scheduled bandwidth and through a packet-based routing within the confines and constraints of a data network. Conversion and call processing circuitry is also disclosed which enables access devices and personal computers to adapt voice information between analog voice stream and digital voice packet formats as proves necessary. Routing pathways include wireless spanning tree networks, wide area networks, telephone switching networks, internet, etc., in a manner virtually transparent to the user. A voice session and associate call setup simulates that of conventional telephone switching network, providing well-understood functionality common to any mobile, remote or stationary terminal, phone, computer, etc.
US07920552B2
Determining processing requirements for processing communications in a communication network includes determining non real-time processing requirements for processing the communications based on communication handling statistics obtained from at least one network element, in the communication network, that distributes the communications. Near real-time processing requirements for processing the communications are determined based on at least one of the communication handling statistics and the non real-time processing requirements. At least one of the non real-time processing requirements and the near real-time processing requirements is forwarded to a processing element that processes at least one of the non real-time processing requirements and the near real-time processing requirements.
US07920543B2
A broadband terrestrial message delivery system includes a plurality of wireless communication devices (WCDs), each including a receiver and transmitter, the WCDs capable of not only receiving messages destined for a subscriber associated with a particular WCD, but further capable of acting as a relay point to move messages to and from other subscribers. Message diffusion includes relaying the messages in accordance with all earmark that specifies both the total number of times (N) a message is to be repeated, and the number of times (i) the received message has already been repeated. Methods of improving the spectral efficiency of such a message diffusion architecture include adding a propagation ring width control parameter (J) to the earmark such that a WCD acting in relay mode transmits no more than J repetitions of the message; and providing sectorization such that several sectorized message pathways in a cell may be simultaneously active.
US07920538B2
A bandwidth usage control methodology uses the clear channel detection and frequency agile functionality of a spectral reuse transceiver to effectively ‘aggregate’ disjoint user channels into an overall bandwidth, the spectral extent of which is at least sufficient to meet a high bandwidth requirement (such as, but not limited to the transmission of data/video), that cannot be realized by a conventional, single channel radio.
US07920536B1
In a wireless network having one or more base stations and one or more access points, the base station is switched automatically from a CSMA/CA exchange protocol to an RTS/CTS exchange protocol, in a case where the base station infers the presence of a hidden node. The presence of a hidden node is inferred by scanning frames of wireless network transmissions to and from other base stations and the access point. In a case where there is a discrepancy in the accrued frames, such that frames have been accrued from the access point to a second base station without also accruing frames from the second base station back to the access point, the presence of a hidden node is inferred, and the base station is switched automatically to RTS/CTS exchange mode.
US07920533B2
A method and apparatus for calibration and channel state feedback to support transmit beamforming in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system are disclosed. For radio frequency (RF) calibration, a first station (STA) sends a calibration request to a second STA, and the second STA sends a sounding packet to the first STA. The first STA receives the sounding packet, performs at least one channel measurement and performs calibration based on the channel measurement. For channel state feedback, the first STA sends a channel state feedback request to the second STA. The second STA sends a sounding packet to the first STA. The first STA receives the sounding packet and performs at least one channel measurement with the sounding packet. The first STA then calculates a steering matrix for transmit beamforming based on the channel measurement.
US07920532B2
A method and apparatus for providing a distributed service composition model in accordance with the characteristics of an ad hoc network are provided. The method includes confirming whether an adjacent mobile node exists within a number of hops from a task initiator node so as to execute a task, establishing a flow for executing the task with regard to the adjacent mobile node if it is confirmed that the adjacent mobile node exists, and executing the task using a routing algorithm in accordance with the flow. At least one service necessary to execute the task and an execution order between services are determined based on cooperation between adjacent mobile nodes.
US07920524B2
A multimedia server module includes a first transceiver module that modulates an encoded signal to produce a first radio frequency (RF) signal and that transmits the first RF signal to a client module over a first transceiver channel when the first transceiver module is in a transceive mode. The first transceiver module includes a first channel control module that performs a first channel scan when the first transceiver module is in a scan mode, that determines at least one performance parameter of the first transceiver channel and asserts a low performance signal when the at least one performance parameter compares unfavorably to a performance threshold, and that switches the first transceiver module to a selected alternative transceiver channel when the low performance signal is asserted.
US07920523B2
The present invention provides a method of handing off a mobile unit that supports multiple quality-of-service (QoS) application layer clients that operate according to multiple wireless access technologies in a packet-switched communication system. The method includes receiving information indicating a request to hand off the mobile unit from a first access network that operates according to a first wireless access technology to a second access network that operates according to a second wireless access technology. The mobile unit established a first session according to the first wireless access technology at a first QoS level. The method also includes establishing, concurrently with the first session and in response to receiving the handoff request, a second session according to the second wireless access technology at the first QoS level. The method further includes communicating with the mobile unit at the first QoS level using the first and second sessions.
US07920522B2
In a method and apparatus for providing system interoperability in wireless communications an IP based client-server application maintains a proper set of PDP contexts while a mobile is connected via an IP based system. The application client resides in the mobile and the server resides within the network at a common anchor point between the IP based system and a PDP contexts based system. The PDP contexts are kept up to date but on hold until a handover occurs for the mobile from the IP based system to the PDP contexts based system.
US07920521B2
Method and system for foreign agent relocation in wireless network. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a system for providing wireless access. The system includes a service network that include a database for storing information associated with providing network connection. The system also includes a first access network that is configured to provide a first wireless access in a first location. The system further includes a mobile station that is associated with the first access network, the mobile station being configured to send location update messages in an idle mode. The method also includes a second access network that is configured to provide access for the mobile station. The second access network is configured to provide a second wireless access in a second location. The system also includes a third access network that is configured to receive a first location update message from the mobile station in the idle mode.
US07920517B2
A technique is disclosed for determining values of different portions of a total uplink interference, which can be used for scheduling and load control at a base station, for example. A disclosed example includes obtaining measurements from individual users and using those measurements to determine corresponding portions of a total uplink interference at the base station. One portion is associated with users that are controlled by a scheduler for that base station. Another portion is associated with users that are not controlled by that scheduler. Determining each of the portions individually and using a received total wideband power measurement allows for determining each of the major portions of the total uplink interference at a base station.
US07920516B2
A wireless communication base station apparatus that allows the number of times of blind decodings at a mobile station to be reduced without increasing the overhead caused by notifying information. In this apparatus, a CCE allocation part (104) allocates allocation information allocated to a PDCCH received from modulation parts (103-1 to 103-K) to a particular one of a plurality of search spaces that is corresponding to a CCE aggregation size of the PDCCH. A placement part (108) then places the allocation information in one of downstream line resources, reserved for the PDCCH, that is corresponding to the CCE of the particular search space to which the allocation information has been allocated. A radio transmission part (111) then transmits an OFDM symbol, in which the allocation information has been placed, to the mobile station from an antenna (112).
US07920495B2
A system for allocating communication resources in an apparatus. For example, an apparatus that is enabled to support a plurality of wireless transports may identify a resource-intensive task to be executed using a wireless transport. Prior to the execution of the resource-intensive task, the apparatus may determine if any wireless links already exist, and whether to alter operational parameters for one or more of the existing wireless links in order to make resources available for expediting completion of the resource-intensive task.
US07920491B1
A system and method for designing a full duplex communications transceiver to enable a reduction in isolation between a transmit signal and a receive signal at a diplexer is disclosed. An RFE transmit filter attenuation level can be determined to be sufficient to attenuate a noise power of the transmitter below a thermal noise floor of the power amplifier. A minimum diplexer transmit filter attenuation level can be calculated to attenuate noise power output from the power amplifier in the receive band to a level below a noise floor of the receiver.
