US07939265B2
The present invention provides a presentation system and method of use for quantifying a target moiety in a sample which may contain the target moiety, the method comprising using a specified concentration or varying the concentration of a presentation system in order to generate a comparison point or calibration curve which provides means for comparing a signal generated by the presentation system and a signal generated by a sample, wherein said presentation system comprises at least one copy of said target moiety or part thereof.
US07939263B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating, characterizing, and diagnosing cancer. In particular, the present invention provides gene expression profiles and signatures associated with solid tumor stem cells, as well as novel stem cell cancer markers useful for the diagnosis, characterization, prognosis and treatment of solid tumor stem cells. More particularly, the present invention identifies two profiles of cancer stem cells useful for the diagnosis, characterization, and treatment of cancer and cancer metastases. The invention also provides a variety of reagents such as stem cell gene signatures for use in the diagnosis and management of cancer.
US07939262B2
A method for the diagnosis of schizophrenia in an individual comprises: (i) measuring mRNA of either D3 dopamine receptor or α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 AChR), and of a control gene in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of the individual and of at least one healthy control individual; (ii) calculating the ratio between the receptor mRNA and the control gene mRNA for each individual; and (iii) evaluating the ratio between the ratios obtained in (ii) for the tested individual and for the at least one healthy control individual, wherein (a) an increase in the D3 dopamine receptor mRNA or a decrease in the α7 AChR in the tested individual in comparison to healthy individuals, indicates that said tested individual has a higher likelihood of having schizophrenia than the healthy controls.
US07939260B2
The present invention is directed to novel methods of synthesizing multiple copies of a target nucleic acid sequence which are autocatalytic (i.e., able to cycle automatically without the need to modify reaction conditions such as temperature, pH, or ionic strength and using the product of one cycle in the next one). In particular, the present invention discloses a method of nucleic acid amplification which is robust and efficient, while reducing the appearance of side-products. The method uses only one primer, the “priming oligonucleotide,” a promoter oligonucleotide modified to prevent polymerase extension from its 3′-terminus and, optionally, a means for terminating a primer extension reaction, to amplify RNA or DNA molecules in vitro, while reducing or substantially eliminating the formation of side-products. The method of the present invention minimizes or substantially eliminates the emergence of side-products, thus providing a high level of specificity. Furthermore, the appearance of side-products can complicate the analysis of the amplification reaction by various molecular detection techniques. The present invention minimizes or substantially eliminates this problem, thus providing an enhanced level of sensitivity.
US07939255B2
The present application discloses a diagnostic method and a kit for prognosis assessment of colorectal cancer (CRC) and a novel tumor suppressor gene to be used for diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), the method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying recurrently altered regions (RAR) on a chromosome; and (b) detecting genomic alterations in the RAR. The present method makes it possible to perform early diagnosis as well as prognosis assessment for various cancers and tumors including colorectal cancer (CRC).
US07939247B2
A process is provided that includes forming a first mask on an underlying layer, where the mask has two adjacent portions with an open gap therebetween, and depositing a second mask material within the open gap and at an inclined angle with respect to an upper surface of the underlying layer to form a second mask. In another implementation, a process is provided that includes forming a first mask on an underlying layer, where the mask has a pattern that includes an open gap, and depositing a second mask material within the open gap to form a second mask, where particles of the second mask material are directed in parallel or substantially in parallel to a line at an inclined angle with respect to an upper surface of the underlying layer.
US07939241B2
The present invention relates to a novel (meth)acrylamide compound represented by the general formula (1), a (co)polymer of the (meth)acrylamide compound, and a chemically amplified photosensitive resin composition composed of the polymer and a photoacid generator. In the formula, R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R2 represents an acid-decomposable group; and R3 to R6 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
US07939239B2
A light source is configured to emit narrow peaks at discrete spectral bands, especially primary color wavelengths, added to simulate the effect of a broadband light source. A subject is provided with a pigment, examples being certain rare earth lanthanides, with a strong absorption peak at a corresponding narrow spectral band. The pigment has a nominal hue under true broadband light. When illuminated by the narrow band source, the absorption peak eliminates the contribution of one of the primary colors, producing a distinct shift in hue of the pigmented subject. The change in hue cannot be anticipated from the appearance of illuminated subjects that lack the pigment, which remain normal. The narrow absorption peak is not noticeable under unmatched light sources or true broadband light sources, e.g., sunlight. The hue shift effect is useful for security authentication, informational and decorative applications.
US07939228B2
A method for fabricating an extreme ultra violet lithography mask includes forming a reflective layer that reflects an extreme ultra violet light on a substrate; forming a capping layer that transmits the extreme ultra violet light on the reflective layer; and forming selectively pores in some region of the capping layer to form a light absorption region that absorbs the extreme ultra violet light.
US07939225B2
A mask for producing an image feature on an image surface during a semiconductor fabrication process is provided, the mask comprising a main feature having opaque areas and transmissive areas arranged in the form of the image feature, wherein each end of the main feature includes at least one of an opaque edge and a transmissive edge, wherein the opaque edge includes a set of transmissive assist features arranged therein such that the set of transmissive assist features align alternately with the transmissive areas of the main feature, and the transmissive edge includes a set of opaque assist features arranged therein such that the set of opaque assist features align alternately with the opaque areas of the main feature.
US07939220B2
The invention relates to proton-translocating retinal proteins which exhibit a photocycle which is retarded as compared with the wild type and whose all-trans retinal contents in the light-adapted and dark-adapted states do not differ from each other by more than 10%. The invention furthermore relates to a photochromic composition and to the use of the proton-translocating retinal proteins and the photochromic composition.
US07939215B2
A fuel cell system with a fuel cell having an anode adapted to receive fuel and a cathode adapted to receive oxidant, an anode oxidizing assembly adapted to receive output of said anode and input oxidant and to output oxidant gas for said cathode, a fuel supply assembly including a first fuel flow control part, said fuel supply assembly being adapted to supply fuel to said anode at a flow rate that is equal to or less than a first flow rate, and a low flow bypass assembly which, upon the occurrence of a first condition of said fuel cell system, causes fuel supplied by said fuel supply part to bypass said first fuel flow control part and flow through said low flow bypass assembly so as to limit the flow rate of fuel being supplied to a second flow rate smaller than said first flow rate.
US07939211B2
A control system and method for a fuel processing system. The control system automates the operation of a fuel processing system by monitoring operating parameters and automatically controlling the operation of the system responsive to the monitored parameters, predefined subroutines and/or user inputs.
US07939200B2
As an alternative technique to lead-acid batteries, the present invention provides an inexpensive 2 V non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent cycle life at a high rate by preventing volume change during charge and discharge. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery uses: a positive electrode active material having a layered structure, being represented by chemical formula Li1±α[Me]O2, where 0≦α<0.2, and Me is a transition metal including Ni and at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ti and Cu, and including elemental nickel and elemental cobalt in substantially the same ratio; and a negative electrode active material including Li4Ti5O12(Li[Li1/3Ti5/3]O4).
US07939197B2
An electrode plate of a rechargeable battery that is capable of preventing wastage of a base film and preventing an active material layer from being irregularly formed and a method for fabricating the same is disclosed. The electrode plate is fabricated by continuously coating the active material layer lengthwise along a surface of the base film and cutting the base film in a direction substantially perpendicular to a length of the base film or in a direction that forms a predetermined angle in relation to the length of the base film. The method includes forming an active material layer lengthwise on a base film except for on predetermined parts of both ends of the base film by continuously coating active materials, and forming an electrode plate by cutting the base film formed with the active material layer in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the base film using a cutter.
US07939194B2
A can type secondary battery. The can type secondary battery has a fixing unit for fixing an end portion of a terminal plate to an end portion of an insulation plate of a cap assembly in order to prevent a short circuit between the terminal plate and an electrode assembly by preventing the terminal plate from being deformed due to external force or external pressure applied to the can type secondary battery, thereby improving safety of the secondary battery.
US07939193B2
A cordless power tool has a housing which includes a mechanism to couple with a removable battery pack. The battery pack includes one or more battery cells as well as a vent system in the battery pack housing which enables fluid to move through the housing. A mechanism is associated with the battery pack to dissipate heat from the battery pack.
US07939192B2
A battery module for use in an electric vehicle is disclosed. The battery module includes a plurality of cells arranged in a predetermined pattern within the module. The battery module also includes an optical pyrometer arranged inside the module. The optical pyrometer is installed within the module after being tuned to detect a predetermined frequency or band of frequencies. The pyrometer will be used to detect an increase in short wave radiation density from one of the battery cells within the module wherein that battery cell has a temperature above a predetermined threshold. The optical pyrometer will be used to communicate an electric signal to a control system of the electric vehicle wherein that control system will implement a predetermined mitigation process to contain the thermal event of that one cell within the battery module.
US07939191B2
A rechargeable battery includes a protective circuit board that includes a horizontal electrical terminal arranged parallel to a cap plate. The connection structure of the protective circuit board reduces the size of the rechargeable battery.
US07939186B2
A cutting tool made of a surface-coated cubic boron nitride-based ultra-high-pressure sintered material, comprising a cutting insert main body formed by ultra-high-pressure sintering of a compact composed of titanium nitride, aluminum and/or aluminum oxide, and boron nitride, and a hard coating layer vapor deposited on the main body. The main body has a texture containing cubic boron nitride, titanium nitride and reaction product. The hard coating layer has a lower layer of nitride having a composition of [Ti1 -X-YAlXSiY]N, where X is in a range from 0.40 to 0.60 and Y is in a range from 0.02 to 0.10 in an atomic ratio, and the upper layer comprises a thin layer A having the composition of [Ti1-X-YAlXSiY]N, where X is in a range from 0.40 to 0.60 in an atomic ratio and Y is in a range from 0.02 to 0.10, and a thin layer B consisting of a Ti nitride (TiN). The upper layer consists of the thin layer A and a thin layer B layered alternately.
US07939184B2
The claimed invention relates to compounds of the formula (I): wherein X, Y, Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 and Ar4 are as defined in the specification. The claimed invention also relates to the preparation processes of the said compounds and their uses in the organic electroluminescent device.
US07939183B2
Provided is a material for an organic electroluminescence device, which is composed of a compound having a specific structure; and is capable of providing an organic electroluminescence device having a high luminous efficiency, excellent heat resistance, and a long lifetime while having no pixel defects, and an organic electroluminescence device using the same. The organic electroluminescence device comprises an organic thin film layer composed of one or more layers including at least a light-emitting layer and sandwiched between a cathode and an anode. In the organic electroluminescence device, at least one layer of the organic thin film layer comprises the material for an organic electroluminescence device.
US07939182B2
An aluminum-based welding filler wire is made with an aluminum alloy that contains between 0.1 and 6 wt. % titanium, including one portion in the form of TiB2 particles, TiC particles, or a combination thereof, and another portion in the form of free titanium. The filler wire can be used in welding aluminum-based materials.
US07939181B2
A PVD layer system for the coating of workpieces encompasses at least one mixed-crystal layer of a multi-oxide having the following composition: (Me11-xMe2x)2O3, where Me1 and Me2 each represent at least one of the elements Al, Cr, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Nb, Ti, Sb or V. The elements of Me1 and Me2 differ from one another. The crystal lattice of the mixed-crystal layer in the PVD layer system has a corundum structure which in an x-ray diffractometrically analyzed spectrum of the mixed-crystal layer is characterized by at least three of the lines associated with the corundum structure. Also disclosed is a vacuum coating method for producing a mixed-crystal layer of a multi-oxide, as well as correspondingly coated tools and components.
US07939176B2
Disclosed herein is a xerographic print comprising a substrate with a toner-based image printed thereon, the printed substrate including low surface tension portions having a surface tension of no more than about 22 mN/m at 25 Deg. C. resulting in a surface tension gradient field on the substrate, the printed substrate being coated with a coating comprising at least one surfactant and a film-forming polymer, the coating having a liquid phase surface tension at 25 Deg. C. not exceeding the surface tension of the low surface tension portions of the printed substrate by more than about 2 mN/m, the coating having substantially no pinholes and being sufficiently resistant to permeation by the fuser oil to exhibit an effective absence of haze 24 hours after application. A system and a method of applying a substantially pinhole-free and haze-free coating substantially immediately after print fusing also are disclosed.
US07939175B2
A non-halogenated rubber compound is provided for use in conveyor belts, particularly those used in underground mining. The non-halogenated rubber compound is fire-resistant in accordance with MSHA standards and produces acceptable levels of toxicity and smoke upon burning. Such non-halogenated rubber compound includes a blend of rubbery polymers in combination with aluminum trihydrate, which is a fire retardant, and optionally a phosphate plasticizer, which can provide the rubber compound with a more desirable workability. The blend of rubbery polymers is composed of natural rubber and butadiene rubber, and optionally styrene-butadiene rubber, such blend being present in a total amount of 100 phr. In one embodiment, the aluminum trihydrate is present in an amount of about 30 phr to about 150 phr. In another embodiment, the phosphate plasticizer is present in an amount of about 10 phr to about 60 phr.
US07939162B2
An image receiving sheet for electrophotography includes a base material; a toner receiving resin material layers provided on the base material and having a glass transition temperature of not less than 40° C. and not more than 80° C., wherein said toner receiving layers of the base material are interspersed.
US07939160B2
The present invention provides an antiglare film having the reflectance at an angle of reflection of 30° for incident light 13 at an incident angle of 30° of not more than 2%, and the reflectance of not more than 0.003% at an angle of reflection of 40° in an antiglare film which also satisfies any of the following (1) to (5): (1) 50 to 150 protrusions are provided within a region of 200 μm×200 μm; (2) when the height of each point on the uneven surface is shown in a histogram, the peak exists in a range between +20% and −20% with the middle point between the highest point and the lowest point at the center; (3) the arithmetic average height Pa on the surface is 0.08 μm to 0.15 μm; (4) the maximum height in a cross section Pt on the surface is 0.4 μm to 0.9 μm; and (5) the average area of the polygons is 300 μm2 to 1000 μm2 when Voronoi division is carried out on the surface of the film with the peaks of these protrusions as generating points.
US07939156B1
Composite concrete/bamboo structural members and process of manufacture therefor. The bamboo material includes layers formed of bamboo segments which have been dried and glue coated. The segments are substantially free of outer nodes and husk and inner membrane material prior to application of glue. The longitudinal axes of the segments in each layer are generally parallel to one another and are arranged in a mold to surround the surface of a cured concrete core. The layers of segments are heated, compressed and bonded together until the glue cures around the concrete core into a single integral structure. The concrete core is preferably reinforced with steel REBAR rods.
US07939150B2
Fluoropolymer-containing lidding films for food, non-food and medical packages, including a two-piece sealed package having container and lid portions that are readily separable from each other. Thin, transparent films may be formed having excellent barrier properties suitable for packaging applications, particularly blister packaging.
US07939147B2
An open-ended tube comprising walls of a heat-sealable multi-layer polymeric film, wherein said film comprises an outer shrinkable substrate layer and an inner heat-sealable layer, wherein said substrate layer has a degree of shrinkage in the longitudinal dimension of the tube of about 0% to about 50% over the temperature range 55 to 100° C., and a degree of shrinkage in the transverse dimension of the tube of 5 to about 70% over the temperature range 55 to 100° C.; and use thereof in the manufacture of packaging for a container suitable as a receptable for a ready-prepared ovenable meal.
US07939135B2
A gas turbine engine is used for power generation or propulsion and includes vanes. Each vane includes a trailing edge having a curvature and cooling slots that cool the vane. A photochemical edge shield includes an edge and projections that project from the edge. Before coating the vane, the photochemical edge shield is positioned on the vane such that each of the projections is received in one of the cooling slots. A ceramic coating is then applied to the vane. The photochemical edge shield prevents the ceramic coating from entering and clogging the cooling slots of the vane during the ceramic coating process.
US07939133B2
A process for transferring patterned non-densely packed interfacial particle films onto substrates by providing a substrate, modifying the substrate so that it is non-water wetting, providing an interfacial film of charged particles, applying a surface modifying procedure to said particles, and applying the interfacial particle film to the modified substrate to thereby form a patterned non-densely packed film on the substrate.
US07939131B2
The present invention includes a method and a composition to form a layer on a substrate having uniform etch characteristics. To that end, the method includes controlling variations in the characteristics of a solid layer, such etch characteristics over the area of the solid layer as a function of the relative rates of evaporation of the liquid components that comprise the composition from which the solid layer is formed.
US07939130B2
The present invention relates to a method of forming a film of nanoparticles interlinked with each other using a polyfunctional linker.
US07939126B2
Superconductor precursor solutions are disclosed. The precursor solutions contain, for example, a salt of a rare earth metal, a salt of an alkaline earth metal and a salt of a transition metal. The precursor solutions can optionally include a Lewis base. The precursor solutions can be processed relatively quickly to provide a relatively thick and good quality intermediate of a rare earth metal-alkaline earth metal-transition metal oxide.
US07939124B2
Methods for producing an information carrier produced by: (1) providing an information carrier precursor comprising a 5 rigid sheet or support; a receiving layer configuration having an image-receiving side and a non-image-receiving side, the receiving layer configuration comprising at least one pigment and at least one binder, (2) pattern-wise or integrally at least partially transparentizing the receiving layer configuration with a vaporizable liquid thereby providing a transparent pattern on the at least partially transparentized receiving layer; (3) using a light source to write a pattern or modify the pattern in the layer or element capable of a machine-readable change upon absorption of UV, visible or IR 25 radiation after transmission through at least part of the transparentized areas of the receiving layer configuration; evaporating the vaporizable liquid, thereby producing an information carrier.
US07939122B2
Shredded whole grain products, such as ready-to-eat cereals, and sweet and savory snacks, such as whole grain shredded corn chips are continuously produced by pelletizing agglomerates of cooked, tempered, whole cereal grain particles. Cooked whole grains, such as corn and other non-gluten or low-gluten containing grains have a tendency to become hard and rubbery after cooking during the cooling and tempering process. The pelletization results in the production of whole grain pellets having a soft, pliable texture, which are shreddable into continuous net-like sheets on a mass production basis. The pelletizing may be at a pressure of about 200 psig to about 600 psig, preferably from about 400 psig to about 500 psig. The pelletizing temperature may be controlled to provide a pellet temperature of about 80° F. to about 135° F., preferably from about 90° F. to about 110° F., upon exiting the pelletizer.
US07939112B2
Described are pharmaceutical compositions containing Bulbophyllum, in particular compositions containing Bulbophyllum neilgherese, optionally in combination with suitable pharmaceutical excipients and carriers, as well as their use for treating illnesses, in particular illnesses of the cardio-vascular system.
US07939106B2
Rapidly dispersing solid dry therapeutic dosage form comprised of a water insoluble compound existing as a nanometer or micrometer particulate solid which is surface stabilized by the presence of at least one phospholipid, the particulate solid being dispersed throughout a bulking matrix. When the dosage form is introduced into an aqueous environment the bulking matrix is substantially completely dissolves within less than 2 minutes thereby releasing the water insoluble particulate solid in an unaggregated and/or unagglomerated state. The matrix is composed of a water insoluble substance or therapeutically useful water insoluble or poorly water soluble compound, a phospholipid and optionally also at least one non-ionic, anionic, cationic, or amphipathic surfactant, together with a matrix or bulking agent and if needed a release agent. The volume weighted mean particle size of the water insoluble particle is 5 micrometers or less.
US07939101B2
Cellulose powder having an especially excellent balance among moldability, fluidity and disintegrating property is provided. Cellulose powder having an average polymerization degree of 150-450, an average L/D (the ratio of the major axis to the minor axis) value of particles of 75 μm or less of 2.0-4.5, an average particle size of 20-250 μm, an apparent specific volume of 4.0-7.0 cm3/g, an apparent tapping specific volume of 2.4-4.5 cm3/g, and an angle of repose of 55° or less.
US07939097B2
An intraocular implant adapted to come in contact with the aqueous humor comprises a hydrophilic polymer having a predetermined water content for implantation in an eye, an effective quantity of a medicated product for treatment of the eye being dispersed in the mass of the hydrophilic polymer of the implant, the association of the hydrophilic polymer and the dispersed medicated product being adapted to release the product progressively into the aqueous humor.
US07939096B2
A medical implant can include a bioerodible metal portion and a coating overlying the bioerodible metal portion. The coating can include a therapeutic agent and a polysaccharide matrix reversibly cross-linked with polyvalent metal cations. Upon implantation of the implant within a body, the therapeutic agent is released and the bioerodible metal portion erodes to release polyvalent metal cations capable of re-cross-linking the polysaccharide matrix.
US07939094B2
A method is provided for modulating the rate of release of a therapeutic agent from a release region, which constitutes at least a portion of an implantable or insertable medical device and which controls the rate at which the therapeutic is released from the medical device. The method comprises: (a) providing a release region that comprises (i) a therapeutic agent and (ii) polymer composition comprising two or more immiscible phases; and (b) modulating the rate of release of the therapeutic agent by changing the volume that is occupied by at least one of the immiscible polymer phases relative to the total volume of the release region that is formed. The release region can be, for example, a carrier layer, which comprises the therapeutic agent, or a barrier layer, which is disposed over a region that contains the therapeutic agent. In preferred embodiments, the release region is formed by a process comprising: (a) providing a solution comprising (i) a solvent and (ii) the polymer composition; and (b) forming the release region from the solution by removing the solvent from the solution.
US07939089B2
Provided are mycobacteria comprising a recombinant gene operably liked to a mammalian promoter that directs expression of the recombinant gene from a mammalian cell. Also provided are mammalian cells comprising the above mycobacteria. Additionally provided are mycobacterial plasmids capable of replication in a mycobacterium. Further provided are methods of expressing a recombinant gene in a mammalian cell.
US07939088B2
The present invention relates to the use of bacteria of the species Streptococcus phocae for the manufacture of a vaccine, to methods for the production of such vaccines, to bacteria of the species Streptococcus phocae for use in a vaccine and to methods for the combating of Streptococcus phocae infection in fish.
US07939087B2
The invention provides proteins from group B streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae) and group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes), including amino acid sequences and the corresponding nucleotide sequences. Data are given to show that the proteins are useful antigens for vaccines, immunogenic compositions, and/or diagnostics. The proteins are also targets for antibiotics.
US07939084B1
Use of an immunogenic composition comprising VZV gE, or immunogenic fragment thereof, and a TH-1 adjuvant in the preparation of a medicament for the prevention or amelioration of shingles and/or post herpetic neuralgia. Compositions comprising a truncated VZV gE antigen and an adjuvant containing QS21, cholesterol and 3D MPL are also claimed.
US07939081B2
The present invention provides a process for producing cercosporamide comprising culturing a fungus belonging to the genus Lachnum and/or fungus belonging to the genus Pseudaegerita and recovering cercosporamide from the culture thereof. In addition, the present invention provides cercosporamide acquired according to this production process. Further, the present invention provides novel microorganisms consisting of Lachnum fuscescens SANK 19096, Lachnum calycioides SANK 12497, Lachnum caesaliatum SANK 10906, and Pseudaegerita websteri SANK 11006.
US07939077B2
The present invention relates to an antibody against FGF-8, particularly a humanized antibody against FGF-8 and the antibody fragment thereof, a DNA sequence encoding the above antibody or the antibody fragment, a vector comprising the DNA sequence and a host cell transformed by the vector, a production process of the above antibody or the antibody fragment using the host cell, and a therapeutic agent and a diagnostic agent for cancer using the antibody or the antibody fragment.
US07939075B2
Isolated, monoclonal, human, anti-β-amyloid antibodies are provided which bind to dimeric forms of Ab with higher affinity than to monomeric forms of Ab and when bound to an Aβ polypeptide comprising Aβ(21-37) shield Aβ(21-37) from proteolytic digestion. The antibodies were shown to inhibit fibril formation and reduce plaque size in vivo and to not bind brain vessel walls. Accordingly, the antibodies are useful in human and veterinary medicine for the treatment and prophylaxis of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodementing diseases. Methods of detecting or measuring the progression of a neurodementing disease also are provided.
US07939073B2
B-cell malignancies, such as the B-cell subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, are significant contributors to cancer mortality. The response of B-cell malignancies to various forms of treatment is mixed. Traditional methods of treating B-cell malignancies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have limited utility due to toxic side effects. Immunotherapy with anti-CD20 antibodies have also provided limited success. The use of antibodies that bind with the CD22 or CD19 antigen, however, provides an effective means to treat B-cell malignancies such as indolent and aggressive forms of B-cell lymphomas, and acute and chronic forms of lymphatic leukemias. Moreover, immunotherapy with anti-CD22 and/or anti-CD19 antibodies requires comparatively low doses of antibody protein, and can be used effectively in multimodal therapies.
US07939068B2
Use of antagonists to IL-31 are used to treat inflammation and pain by inhibiting, preventing, reducing, minimizing, limiting or minimizing stimulation in neuronal tissues. Such antagonists include antibodies and fragments, derivative, or variants thereof. Symptoms such as pain, tingle, sensitization, tickle associated with neuropathies are ameliorated.
US07939045B2
A method to generate nitric oxide is disclosed in one embodiment in accordance with the invention. A tablet may be placed within a vessel such that it is in thermal communication with a heat source to receive heat therefrom. The tablet is then heated to melt at least one reactant forming the tablet. The tablet may contain reactants that are substantially non-deliquescent and form nitric oxide in response to heat from the heat source.
US07939043B2
In a method of synthesizing a silicoaluminophosphate or aluminophosphate molecular sieve comprising a CHA framework-type material, a synthesis mixture is provided comprising a source of aluminum, a source of phosphorus, optionally a source of silicon and at least one organic template of formula (I): [R1R2R3R4N]+ X− (I) wherein each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is independently an acyclic alkyl group having at least one carbon atom, the total number of carbon atoms in said alkyl groups R1, R2, R3, and R4 is greater than 8 but less than 16, and X− is an anion. The synthesis mixture can then be crystallized to produce the desired molecular sieve.
US07939042B2
The invention provides stabilized concentrated aqueous solutions of alkali hypobromites, as well as a process for the preparation of said stabilized concentrated solutions at low temperatures, comprising reacting a concentrated alkali hydroxide aqueous solution with bromine, adding to the non-stabilized reaction product an aqueous solution of a sulfamic compound to stabilize the hypobromite, and oxidizing bromide to produce additional hypobromite.
US07939028B2
An apparatus for continuous high temperature gas treatment of particulate matter including a starting material supply port (1) through which starting particulate matter is supplied from an upper part of the apparatus; a treatment gas supply port (2) through which a treating gas is supplied; a product discharge port (3) through which a product after treatment is discharged from a lower part of the apparatus; a treatment chamber (4) in which the particulate matter is treated with the treatment gas; a gas-solid separation chamber (5) provided in fluid communication with an upper part of the treatment chamber (4); and a cooling chamber (6) provided in fluid communication with a lower part of the treatment chamber (4). A heater (7) is provided on the outer periphery of the upper part of the treatment chamber (4), and a cooler (8) is provided on the outer periphery of the cooling chamber (6).
US07939026B2
A method and apparatus for forming a chemical hydride is described and which includes a pseudo-plasma-electrolysis reactor which is operable to receive a solution capable of forming a chemical hydride and which further includes a cathode and a movable anode, and wherein the anode is moved into and out of fluidic, ohmic electrical contact with the solution capable of forming a chemical hydride and which further, when energized produces an oxygen plasma which facilitates the formation of a chemical hydride in the solution.
US07939025B2
A gas distribution plate for fluidized-bed, olefin polymerization reactors is provided. In addition to holes for distributing a fluidizing gas, the plate comprises a plurality of hollow projections for introducing a fluid into the fluidized-bed reactor. The hollow projections, which can be tubes or pipes, extend above the plate towards the fluidized bed and serve a number of purposes. The projections can break apart or penetrate fallen polymer agglomerates or sheets. They can be equipped with flow or pressure sensors to detect a decrease in flow rate or an increase in pressure drop across the projections, which is an indicator of the presence and/or size of fallen polymer agglomerates or sheets. The projections can also break apart the agglomerates or sheets into smaller pieces by delivering blasts of fluid directly into the agglomerates or sheets. The projections can also be used to inject a kill agent into the fallen agglomerates or sheets, or collapsed portions of the bed, to speed up penetration of the kill agent into the agglomerates, sheets, or collapsed portions.
US07939024B2
A sensor device is provided for determining the presence and/or amount of at least one component in a fluid. The sensor device comprises at least one sensor unit, the at least one sensor unit comprising at least one elongated nanostructure and a dielectric material surrounding the at least one elongated nanostructure. The dielectric material is such that it is selectively permeable for one of the at least one component and is capable of sensing the component permeated through the dielectric material. The sensor device according to preferred embodiments shows good sensitivity and good mechanical strength. The present invention furthermore provides a method for manufacturing such a sensor device and a method for determining the presence and/or amount of at least one component in a fluid using such a sensor device.
US07939021B2
A droplet actuator with cartridge is provided. According to one embodiment, a sample analyzer is provided and includes an analyzer unit comprising electronic or optical receiving means, a cartridge comprising self-contained droplet handling capabilities, and a wherein the cartridge is coupled to the analyzer unit by a means which aligns electronic and/or optical outputs from the cartridge with electronic or optical receiving means on the analyzer unit. According to another embodiment, a sample analyzer is provided and includes a sample analyzer comprising a cartridge coupled thereto and a means of electrical interface and/or optical interface between the cartridge and the analyzer, whereby electrical signals and/or optical signals may be transmitted from the cartridge to the analyzer.
US07939006B2
A method of making a finely textured molded article is disclosed. The method utilizes properties of the compound being molded, such as impact toughness and melt flow index. Poly(vinyl halide), particularly poly(vinyl chloride), articles can be compound-injection-molded using the method, in order to simulate the appearance of original metal, glass, or wood articles. Consumer, transportation, building construction, and other industries can benefit from durable plastic articles that simulate the more fragile articles.
US07939000B2
A method for making an encapsulated stent includes providing a first seamless unsintered ePTFE tube, providing a second seamless sintered ePTFE tube, positioning a self-expanding stent between the first and second ePTFE tubes to form an assembly, and joining the first ePTFE tube to the second ePTFE tube through openings in a wall of the stent by applying first pressure, and then heat, to the assembly.
US07938987B2
This invention relates generally to organized assemblies of carbon and non-carbon compounds and methods of making such organized structures. In preferred embodiments, the organized structures of the instant invention take the form of nanorods or their aggregate forms. More preferably, a nanorod is made up of a carbon nanotube filled, coated, or both filled and coated by a non-carbon material. This invention is further drawn to the separation of single-wall carbon nanotubes. In particular, it relates to the separation of semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes from conducting (or metallic) single-wall carbon nanotubes. It also relates to the separation of single-wall carbon nanotubes according to their chirality and/or diameter.
US07938986B2
The invention concerns a process for producing transparent multi-layer electrodes from conductive polymers, electrodes produced by this process and their use in electro-optical structures.
US07938983B2
The invention concerns an illumination system for generation of colored, especially amber or red light, comprising a radiation source and a fluorescent material comprising at least one phosphor capable of absorbing a part of light emitted by the radiation source and emitting light of wavelength different from that of the absorbed light; wherein said at least one phosphor is a amber to red emitting a rare earth metal-activated oxonitridoalumosilicate of general formula (Ca1−x−y−zSrxBayMgz)1−n(Al1−a+bBa)Si1−bN3−bOb:REn, wherein 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦z≦1, 0≦a≦1, 0
US07938976B2
A method for removing undesirable contaminants from a chip passivation layer surface without creating SiO2 particles on the passivation layer, wherein the undesirable contaminants include graphitic layers and fluorinated layers. The use of N2 plasma with optimized plasma parameters can remove through etching both the graphitic and fluorinated organic layers. The best condition for the N2 plasma treatment is to use a relatively low-power within the range of 100-200 W and a relatively high vacuum pressure of N2 in the range of 500-750 mTorr.
US07938973B2
By incorporating a material exhibiting a high adhesion on chamber walls of a process chamber during sputter etching, the defect rate in a patterning sequence on the basis of an ARC layer may be significantly reduced, since the adhesion material may be reliably exposed during a sputter preclean process. The corresponding adhesion layer may be positioned within the ARC layer stack so as to be reliably consumed, at least partially, while nevertheless providing the required optical characteristics. Hence, a low defect rate in combination with a high process efficiency may be achieved.
US07938965B2
The present invention provides a reactor for the biological processing of fluid such as domestic or industrial waste water or the like, the reactor comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal layers of growth medium stacked one above the other, and having a colonizing biofilm thereon during use, the reactor being arranged to cause the path of flow of the fluid to reverse from one layer to the next, in order to maximize the length of the path of flow for a given footprint of the reactor.
US07938959B1
A system for fryer oil usage has at least one fryer having a vat and a valved drain, a first oil storage container having an oil delivery line connected with the vat, a second oil storage container connected with the valved drain and vat of the fryer, both containers having an inert gas blanket in a vapor space thereof, a first filter connected with the valve of the drain of the fryer, a pump connected with the first filter and the second oil storage container and in valved communication with the vat, a polishing line connected with the pump and with the first filter, and a three-way valve movable to a first position for blocking the flow of oil, a second position for allowing the flow of oil to the second oil storage container, and a third position for allowing the flow of oil to the vat of the fryer.
US07938958B2
A de-aeration system for a fuel system, the fuel system having a housing for containing a fuel filter element, a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet is disclosed. The de-aeration system includes a de-aeration valve having a valve inlet in a lower face of the valve for connection to the housing for purging the air trapped in the housing. The de-aeration valve also includes a valve outlet in an upper face of the valve and a ball. The ball is configured to lift between the lower face and the upper face in response to an air pressure differential acting on the ball. This opens the valve to purge air trapped in the housing. The ball is further configured to close the valve by sealing against the valve outlet in the upper face in response to a pressure differential across the ball created by unfiltered fuel entering the valve.
US07938942B2
A centrifugal workpiece processor for processing semiconductor wafers and similar workpieces includes a head which holds and spins the workpiece. The head includes a rotor having a gas system. Gas is sprayed or jetted from inlets in the rotor to create a rotational gas flow. The rotational gas flow causes pressure conditions which hold the edges of a first side of the workpiece against contact pins or surfaces on the rotor. The rotor and the workpiece rotate together. Guide pins adjacent to a perimeter may help to align the workpiece with the rotor. An angled surface helps to deflect spent process liquid away from the workpiece. The head is moveable into multiple different engagement positions with a bowl. Spray nozzles in the bowl spray a process liquid onto the second side of the workpiece, as the workpiece is spinning, to process the workpiece. A moving end point detector may be used to detect an end point of processing.
US07938938B2
Electrolysis cell in the constructive form of single elements, intended for instance for the production of chlorine, hydrogen and/or caustic soda and designed in such a way that the portion of inactive membrane surface is minimised thanks to an optimised flange type so that the ratio between the flange surface of a semi-shell and the active membrane surface can be set to less than 0.045, neither the semi-shells nor the membrane being provided with bores or recesses for accommodating the clamping members.
US07938936B2
A method of fabricating an organic electro-luminescence device comprising the steps of providing a substrate, an organic chamber, and a sputtering chamber, forming a hole injection layer on the substrate, forming a hole transport layer on the hole injection layer in the organic chamber, forming a light-emitting layer on the hole transport layer in the organic chamber, disposing a metal chelate material on the light-emitting layer and partially doping a CsF compound into the metal chelate material to forming an electron transporting layer in the organic chamber, forming a buffer layer on the electron transporting layer in the organic chamber, transferring the substrate, the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, light-emitting layer, the electron transporting layer, and the buffer layer form the organic chamber to the sputtering chamber, and forming an electron injection layer on the buffer layer in the sputtering chamber.
US07938932B2
A method of making soft, strong, high bulk tissue is disclosed. The method includes pre-conditioning a wet web by straining the wet web in the cross-machine direction prior to transferring the wet web to a throughdrying fabric. The pre-conditioned web provides improved sheet softness and conforms more readily to the surface contour of the throughdrying fabric, thereby creating greater caliper (bulk) in the resulting dried sheet. The bulk is maintained during a subsequent creping step by maintaining the dried sheet in registration with the throughdrying fabric when the dried sheet is applied to the surface of the creping cylinder.
US07938929B2
A heating and pressurizing apparatus (101), to which a circuit board (70) with electronic components (8) pre-bonded thereto via bonding elements (9) is carried in, is provided. The heating and pressurizing apparatus post-bonds the electronic component to the circuit board by heating and pressurizing the electronic component by a contact member (1211) having a heating device (122). By executing the pre-bonding and the post-bonding of the electronic components to the circuit board independently of each other, the time required for the post-bonding can be reduced, compared with the conventional case, and the productivity of the whole mounting line can be improved.
US07938918B2
A high purity Ni—V alloy, high purity Ni—V alloy target and high purity Ni—V alloy thin film wherein the purity of the Ni—V alloy excluding Ni, V and gas components is 99.9 wt % or higher, and the V content variation among ingots, targets or thin films is within 0.4%. With these high purity Ni—V alloy, high purity Ni—V alloy target and high purity Ni—V alloy thin film having a purity of 99.9 wt % or higher, the variation among ingots, targets or thin films is small, the etching property is improved, and isotopic elements such as U and Th that emit alpha particles having an adverse effect on microcircuits in a semiconductor device are reduced rigorously. Further provided is a method of manufacturing such high purity Ni—V alloys capable of effectively reducing the foregoing impurities.
US07938910B2
A method for cleaning a gas turbine unit. The invention further relates to a nozzle for use in washing the gas turbine unit. The nozzle is arranged to atomize a wash liquid in the air stream in an air intake of the gas turbine unit and comprises a nozzle body comprising an intake end for intake of said wash liquid and outlet end for exit of said wash liquid. The nozzle further comprises a number of orifices that are connected to the outlet end and respective orifice is arranged at a suitable distance from a center axis of said nozzle body, whereby the local density of the injected wash liquid in a desired area can be increased with preserved droplet size and thereby the efficiency of the cleaning process can be significantly improved at the same time as the risk for damaging the components in the gas turbine unit is significantly reduced.
US07938897B2
The present invention relates to microencapsulated compositions of isothiazolone derivatives and other water insoluble biocides or antifouling agents. In particular, the present invention relates to microencapsulated 4,5 dichloro 2 n-octyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone (DCOIT), useful in marine antifouling coatings and paints.
US07938890B2
A layered structure can be formed having immobilized or segregated pH buffering groups that can be used to separate carbon dioxide or other gases. The pH buffering groups can be immobilized within a matrix, confined within a gel, or segregated by a semi-permeable membrane. The pH buffering groups can be configured to increase the efficiency of the system by maintaining a desirable pH profile within the cell and to permit the flow of the carbon-containing ions within the system while controlling diffusion of protons and/or hydroxyl ions.
US07938887B2
Compositions and methods related to the removal of acidic gas. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a composition and method for the removal of acidic gas from a gas mixture using a solvent comprising a diamine (e.g., piperazine) and carbon dioxide. One example of a method may involve a method for removing acidic gas comprising contacting a gas mixture having an acidic gas with a solvent, wherein the solvent comprises piperazine in an amount of from about 4 to about 20 moles/kg of water, and carbon dioxide in an amount of from about 0.3 to about 0.9 moles per mole of piperazine.
US07938884B2
A method and apparatus are provided for controlling the amount of purging that occurs within a membrane separation device. The membrane separation device includes a membrane separation component and sweep controlling component. Within the membrane separation component, a major portion of the non-permeate gas is sent out of the membrane separation device to work, while a minor portion is diverted for use as a sweep gas. The sweep gas is controlled by a valve that cycles with a device, such as a compressor. Thus, the membrane separation device is on when the compressor is on and is off when the compressor is off. As such, the membrane separation device is not required to sweep at all times.
US07938883B2
A method of making metallic iron in which a compact, containing iron oxide such as iron ore or the like and a carbonaceous reductant such as coal or the like, is used as material, and the iron oxide is reduced through the application of heat, thereby making metallic iron. In the course of this reduction, a shell composed of metallic iron is generated and grown on the surface of the compact, and slag aggregates inside the shell. This reduction continues until substantially no iron oxide is present within the metallic iron shell. Subsequently, heating is further performed to melt the metallic iron and slag. Molten metallic iron and molten slag are separated one from the other, thereby obtaining metallic iron with a relatively high metallization ratio. Through the employment of an apparatus for making metallic iron of the present invention, the above-described method is efficiently carried out, and metallic iron having a high iron purity can be made continuously as well as productively not only from iron oxide having a high iron content but also from iron oxide having a relatively low iron content.
US07938881B2
Process for removing the noble metal from noble metal-containing moulded catalyst bodies, comprising these steps of A leaching the noble metal from loosely heaped moulded catalyst bodies, B removing the mother liquor, C automated conveying of the moulded bodies into a centrifuge, D renewed leaching, E separating off of the residual mother liquor by centrifuging.
US07938879B2
A fuel for splitting water into hydrogen and an oxide component comprises a substantially solid pellet formed from a solid-like mixture of a solid-state source material capable of oxidizing in water to form hydrogen and a passivation surface layer of the oxide component, and a passivation preventing agent that is substantially inert to water in an effective amount to prevent passivation of the solid-state material during oxidation. The pellets may be introduced into water or other suitable oxidizer in a controlled rate to control the rate of reaction of the source material with the oxidizer, and thereby control the rate of formation of hydrogen. Methods are described for producing the solid-like mixture in varying weight percent of source material to passivation preventing agent.
US07938874B2
A system and method for supplying clean dry gas to gas seals of a compressor. The system uses a rotary separator magnetically coupled to a source of rotational power, along with a gas stream cooling unit configured to condensate liquids out of a wet gas stream before the wet gas stream is supplied to the rotating separator. The system may further include a gas stream pressure booster, a heating unit to heat a dry gas stream generated by the rotary separator, and a controlled recirculation loop configured to continually recirculate the wet gas through the driven rotary separator until a desired amount of condensates are removed from the wet gas stream.
US07938865B2
The present invention relates to a method of dyeing a substrate with a reactive dyestuff in supercritical or near supercritical carbon dioxide, said substrate being selected from the group consisting of cellulose fibers, modified cellulose fibers, protein fibers and of synthetic fibers, or any combination thereof, wherein the method comprises the subsequent steps of: pre-treating the substrate by wetting the substrate with a fluid medium containing at least 10 wt. %, preferably at least 40 wt. % of one or more organic hydrogen bond acceptor compounds selected from the group consisting of C1-C6 alkanols, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, acetone, butan-2-one, dimethyl ether, methyl acetate and ethyl acetate; dyeing the substrate by contacting the pre-treated substrate with supercritical or near supercritical carbon dioxide containing a reactive dyestuff.
US07938860B2
Nucleus pulposus implants that are resistant to migration in and/or expulsion from an intervertebral disc space are provided. In one form of the invention, an implant includes a load bearing elastic body surrounded in the disc space by an anchoring, preferably resorbable, outer shell. In certain forms of the invention, the elastic body is surrounded by a supporting member, such as a band or jacket, and the supporting member is surrounded by the outer shell. Kits for forming such implants are also provided. In another form of the invention, an implant is provided that has locking features and optional shape memory characteristics. In yet another aspect of the invention, nucleus pulposus implants are provided that have shape memory characteristics and are configured to allow short-term manual, or other deformation without permanent deformation, cracks, tears, breakage or other damage. Methods of forming and implanting the implants are also described, as are delivery devices and components thereof for delivering the implants.
US07938846B2
A femoral compression device (1) for compressive bearing against the femoral artery of a patient, comprising a base plate (2), an inflatable air cushion (4), and an electronic manometer (8) connected to the inflatable air cushion for measurement of the current pressure difference between the pressure prevailing inside the inflatable air cushion and the ambient air pressure. The femoral compression device can further comprise a mechanical device (11; 46) which prevents an air opening leading to the inflatable air cushion from being closed before the manometer is zeroed. In another embodiment, an electronic manometer is provided such that a current characteristic of an electric signal representing the current pressure difference can be compared with a corresponding characteristic which was obtained at zero pressure difference and which was stored in the electronic manometer, wherein the manometer cannot be zeroed as long as the current characteristic deviates more than a predetermined amount from the stored characteristic.
US07938832B2
Fusion of cervical spinal vertebrae with one or more fixation devices can be accomplished with the described tools and methods. For example, a guidewire introducer can include a tubular introducer cannula and a handle. The handle can be angularly offset from the introducer cannula such that positioning of the introducer on the cervical spine does not interfere with a patient's head. A sheath assembly can include inner and outer sheath bodies and a handle. The handle is angularly offset from the sheath bodies such that the sheath assembly can be applied to the cervical spine without interference to the patient's head. The sheath body can be curved or straight. Various tools such as drills, tapping devices, compression tools, and pin release tools can be applied to the cervical spine through the sheath body to apply the fixation device. The tools can include elongate flexible shafts.
US07938830B2
A device for modifying tissue in a spine may include: a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion having dimensions which allow it to be passed into an epidural space of the spine and between target and non-target tissues; at least one distal force application member extending from the distal portion of the shaft and configured to facilitate application of at least one of anchoring force and tensioning force to the shaft; at least one movable tissue modifying member coupled with the shaft at or near its distal portion; at least one drive member coupled with the at least one tissue modifying member to activate the at least one tissue modifying member; and at least one power transmission member coupled with the at least one drive member to deliver power to the at least one drive member.
US07938828B2
Steerable catheter that has fluid transfer capability is provided. The catheter includes an elongate flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, an operative element carried at the distal end of the shaft, and a medium conveying conduit carried within the elongate shaft, the conduit having a distal end that is affixed relative to the distal end of the elongate shaft, and a proximal end that is configured to move relative to the proximal end of the shaft. In this manner, the proximal end of the medium conveying conduit is allowed to slide relative to the proximal end of the shaft as the distal end of the shaft changes shape, thereby preventing kinking of the conduit.
US07938819B2
Devices and methods for the treatment of chronic total occlusions are provided. One disclosed embodiment comprises a method of facilitating treatment via a vascular wall defining a vascular lumen containing an occlusion therein. The method includes providing an intravascular device having a distal portion with a side port, inserting the device into the vascular lumen, positioning the distal portion in the vascular wall, directing the distal portion within the vascular wall such that the distal portion moves at least partially laterally, and directing the side port towards the vascular lumen.
US07938814B2
A disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable topsheet 2, a liquid impermeable backsheet 3, and a liquid retentive absorbent member 4 and having a substantially oblong shape, the absorbent member 4 in the crotch portion having a middle absorbent portion 42 which occupies the middle 3/7 of the width of the absorbent member 4 and side absorbent portions 43 which each occupy the outermost 1/7 of the width of the absorbent member 4, wherein each side absorbent portion 43 has a larger unit absorption capacity than the middle absorbent portion 42, hydrophobic sheets 3 and 21 are disposed on the lateral outer edge of each side absorbent portion 43 to cover from the upper to lower surfaces of the edge, and an elastic member 71 is disposed in the part having each side absorbent portion 43 in the longitudinal direction of the side absorbent portion 43.
US07938803B2
Some embodiments of an infusion pump device may include a drive system that accurately and incrementally dispenses fluid from the pump device in a controlled manner. Particular embodiments of the drive system may include a rotational motor that is coupled to a string member, which is used to adjust a pawl relative to a ratchet body. In such circumstances, the drive system can provide a reliable and compact infusion pump device that accurately dispenses the desired volume of fluid.
US07938797B2
Some embodiments of a portable infusion pump system can be configured to can be configured to adjust the sensitivity of particular detectors or alert systems based (at least in part) on information received from a monitoring device. For example, a glucose monitoring device can communication with an infusion pump assembly used to supply insulin or another medication to a user. In such circumstances, the data received from the monitoring device can be used to adjust the sensitivity of an occlusion detection system.
US07938791B2
A guide mechanism 100 is equipped with a guiding body 31 including a guiding trajectory, and a movable body 32 guided so as to move along the guiding trajectory. The guide mechanism 100 is further equipped with an elastic body 102 of a coil shape with one end thereof being connected to the movable body 32 and extends along the guiding body 31 from the one end thereof, and a first supporting body 106 and a second supporting body 108 which supports the elastic body 102 along the guiding body 31. An electric wiring W for connecting electric equipments together is inserted into the elastic body 102.
US07938787B2
A tissue penetrating system has a housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the housing member. A tissue stabilizing member is coupled to the housing. A penetrating member sensor is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. The penetrating member sensor is configured to provide information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface.
US07938784B2
A compact diagnostic neurological tool comprising a two-point discriminator; a brush; and a sharp-dull instrument; wherein the two-point discriminator, the brush, and the sharp-dull instrument are all housed within a case; wherein the two-point discriminator, the brush, and the sharp-dull instrument are all retractable; wherein the two-point discriminator comprises two tines, and wherein the distance between the tines can be increased by extending the two-point discriminator and decreased by retracting the two-point discriminator. The case is preferably rectangular in shape and roughly five inches long, one and one-quarter inches wide, and one-half inch thick.
US07938779B2
In a treating apparatus, a forceps body as a treating device is connected to a generator as a control device. The forceps body mainly includes a pair of handle portions, which are used for manipulation by being held by an operator, a pair of jaws provided between the handle portion and the pair of jaws, which are used to coagulate/resect by grasping living-body tissue to be treated and a pair of scissors component members. A heating member, which is a heat generating source as a heat generating portion for applying heat energy to living-body tissue, is embedded at least one of the jaws. A pair of electrode portions, which is a treating energy generator, is provided to the pair of jaws. By supplying bipolar electric surgical knife current between the pair of electrode portions, high frequency current as treating energy is applied to the grasped living-body tissue.
US07938773B2
At startup, a main CPU renders and copies various types of unique parameters stored in an SRAM card corresponding to an ID unique to endoscopes to DPRAM and SDRAM and enables the endoscopes to be used with these parameters. Also in the event of desiring to change the set parameters, the user requests a change via an HMI, whereby the changed parameters are copied to the SDRAM via the DPRAM, and electrically-operated curving actions of the endoscope can be performed with the changed parameters.
US07938759B1
A free standing athletic training apparatus includes a base section, a central post section, a swiveling arm section and a multi-section body. The central post section may be statically mated to the base section. The swiveling arm section may be rotatably attached to the central post section. The multi-section body may be positioned about the central post section and may be located beneath the swiveling arm section. The multi-section body may be formed from foam and may include a vertically stacked bottom, middle, and top sections. The swiveling arm section may maintain an adjustable rotational engagement with the upper most tip of the central post section such that it may maintain a high and low frictional contact with the upper most tip when the swiveling arm is linearly lowered and raised along the central longitudinal axis of the central post section.
US07938753B2
A training apparatus includes: a storing means for storing therein targeted goal command information indicating correct input order of commands necessary to perform a targeted operation for each of individual targeted operations; and a control means, wherein the control means conducts a targeted operation selecting process of selecting one targeted operation from the individual targeted operations based on a user manipulation; a user input command information generation process of generating user input command information by accumulating a command inputted based on a user manipulation; and a notification control process of conducting control so as to notify a compared result of the targeted goal command information about a targeted operation selected in the targeted operation selecting process with user input command information generated in the user input command information generation process.
US07938752B1
The present invention relates to a portable operation control panel structure of a sport equipment comprising a portable electronic device with a built-in driver program including an exercise plan and an operating sport equipment for executing basic operation controls of the operating sport equipment and connecting a fixed electronic control panel of the portable electronic device; and an operating sport equipment. A user can input basic data parameters into the portable electronic device anytime and use the built-in exercise plan program to set a user's exclusive recommended fitness schedule, such that after the fixed electronic control panel is connected, the portable electronic device controls the operating sport equipment to carry out the recommended fitness schedule, and then the portable electronic device records the whole course of the exercise process and update related personal parameter to set another recommended fitness schedule for an exercise next time.
US07938740B2
A hollow golf club head with a concave portion is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a metallic portion and a light-weight portion, which may be formed of plastic, composite, or the like. The concave portion allows the club designer to make a club head having very thin portions while still maintaining the requisite structural integrity. Convex bulges may optionally be provided to house weight inserts to enhance the playing characteristics of the golf club. The metallic portion of the club head may take on the appearance of a frame, into which several light-weight inserts are positioned. These light-weight inserts may be positioned in the crown, skirt, and sole of the club head. The club head may be formed by co-molding, eliminating the need for welding or adhesives, freeing mass to be used in more beneficial ways. The club head may be large to increase playability and forgiveness.
US07938739B2
Embodiments of golf clubs with a cavity and their methods of manufacture are generally described herein. In one embodiment, a golf club head comprises: a strike face, a back face opposite the strike face; a heel region; a toe region opposite the heel region; and a cavity integral with the golf club head. Among various embodiments, the cavity: extends from the heel region to the toe region; extends along a lower portion of the back face of the golf club head; extends approximately parallel to the strike face; and is approximately symmetrical about a centerline that bisects the golf club head between the heel region and the toe region. Among various embodiments, the cavity further comprises a vibration dampening material. Other embodiments are described herein.
US07938738B2
A golf club is provided having improved playing characteristics based upon a multiple material construction. This construction involves a club body in combination with a face insert that defines a hollow channel therebetween. This hollow channel is substantially filled with a heterogeneous viscoelastic material, such as urethane containing tungsten powder. The heterogeneous material is formulated such that the density of the material is varied based upon the location of that material within the hollow channel of the golf club head. In particular, lower density portions of the material are located near the top of the club head, and higher density portions are located near the bottom or sole of the club head. This moves the center of gravity of the club head downward and rearward, yielding improved feel and improved weight distribution and enhancing performance of the club.
US07938737B2
A golf club head having a recess located in a top portion thereof is described and claimed. The recess is located between the heel and the toe and extends toward the sole. The recess may be in the top line of the club head. An insert may be placed within the recess. The insert has a density that is less than the density of the club head body, and the insert preferably is a light-weight insert. The insert may include one or more dampening materials. The recess removes material from the club head, which in turn may do one or more of the following: increase the overall size of the club head, expand the size of the club head sweet spot, lower the club head center of gravity, and/or produce a greater club head moment of inertia. Thus, the recess and insert produce a more forgiving and playable golf club. As an alternative to a recess, a thin protrusion may be provided at the top line of the club head and the insert provided with a corresponding groove to facilitate attachment.
US07938734B2
This invention relates to a practice platform for a golfer comprising a platform on a base which is provided with hinge supports at each corner to be in an inclined plane wherein a lifting mechanism is provided between said platform and base, and said platform is comprised of a slidable platform on two sides.
US07938730B2
The Rotating Device (1) comprises a rotating shaft (1000) being bearing interrelated to a nipple/coupling frame. The rotating shaft (1000) supports swing arms right and left from which are suspended swing seats. The nipple/coupling frame extends into and is supported by a generally concrete foundation.
US07938728B2
A “drop-in” style bar top gaming machine that includes a support frame having at least two opposed support walls, and a top panel assembly supporting a display device. The top panel assembly is further configured to cooperate with the support frame for movement between a closed position and an open position, enabling access to the support frame. A handle assembly is provided for each support wall, each of which includes a handle member and a mounting portion that is movably mounted to a corresponding support wall of the support frame between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the handle member is positioned in a manner that enables the top panel to be oriented in the closed position. In the second position, the handle member is exposed in a manner that permits gripping thereof to vertically support and lift the gaming machine assembly.
US07938724B2
To improve game performance, in a three-dimensional video game in which a viewpoint position changes in accordance with a movement of a player character, considering an aspect of how to show a player an activation of a prescribed effect at a second object, forming a pair with a first object, for which the effect is set.In a case in which an action source object 201 and an action target object 202 are displayed, within a display range which changes in accordance with a movement of a player character, on a second LCD 12, on a front surface of which a touch panel is disposed, when a line drawing operation is carried out on the touch panel from a display position of the action source object 201 to a display position of the action target object 202, a speed at which the line drawing operation is being carried out is calculated. In the event that the calculated speed is equal to or faster than a prescribed speed, as well as an effect display being done on a locus of the line drawing operation, an effect set for the action target object 202 is activated.
US07938723B2
A system and method for providing multiple, primary games in a gaming device are disclosed. In one embodiment a gaming machine comprises a memory means for storing two or more primary games. A central processing unit is operatively connected to a player input mechanism, wherein the central processing unit receives a trigger to select one of the primary games for game play. A primary game selection means selects one of the primary games from the memory means, and the selected primary game is displayed on a game display.
US07938713B2
Control device and method for controlling the impingement of the workpiece by a water jet or an abrasive water jet in a cutting unit. Control device includes a feeder composed of at least two flow-through areas positionable between a high-pressure water supply and a jet nozzle of the cutting unit. At least one of the flow-through areas includes a high pressure area, and at least one of the flow-through areas includes a pressure-reducing area. At least one switchable valve is arranged in the high-pressure area, a pressure-reducing mechanism is arranged in the pressure reducing area, and an impingement line is coupled to the at least two flow-through areas and coupleable to the jet nozzle.
US07938710B2
A breast support garment. The garment comprises a right fabric panel for overlying the woman's right breast when worn, a left fabric panel for overlying the woman's left breast when worn, the right and the left panels having a relatively flat configuration when the garment is not worn, a first variable-length material strip attached to the right panel beginning at a region between the breasts and extending along a lower region of the right breast when the support garment is worn, a second variable-length material strip attached to the left panel beginning at the region between the breasts and extending along a lower region of the left breast when the garment is worn and the first and second material strips expanding when the garment is worn to allow the wearer's breasts to be received within cups formed in the right and left panels and further for providing lifting and upwardly directed forces on the right and left breasts as the first and second material strips attempt to return to their relaxed state.
US07938709B2
A toy vehicle has a chassis with road wheels movement including one or two each mounted to pivot about a general vertical axis to steer. A steering mechanism includes a turning member mounted so as to pivot about the generally vertical axis and supporting one road wheel for rotation about a horizontal axis for movement of the vehicle and about the generally vertical axis to steer the vehicle. A control member slides across the chassis. A magnetic body pivots on a pivot axis extending front and rear. The magnetic body has a central axis perpendicular to the pivot axis with opposite magnetic poles of the body locate along the central axis on opposite sides of the pivot axis. A crank is connected at one end with the magnetic body and at an opposite end with the elongated opening of the control member. A coil surrounds the magnetic body and rotates the magnetic body by the passage of an electric current in a selected direction through the coil thereby pivoting each road wheel connected with the control member.
US07938707B1
Methods are disclosed for batch fabrication of vacuum switch tubes that reduce manufacturing costs and improve tube to tube uniformity. The disclosed methods comprise creating a stacked assembly of layers containing a plurality of adjacently spaced switch tube sub-assemblies aligned and registered through common layers. The layers include trigger electrode layer, cathode layer including a metallic support/contact with graphite cathode inserts, trigger probe sub-assembly layer, ceramic (e.g. tube body) insulator layer, and metallic anode sub-assembly layer. Braze alloy layers are incorporated into the stacked assembly of layers, and can include active metal braze alloys or direct braze alloys, to eliminate costs associated with traditional metallization of the ceramic insulator layers. The entire stacked assembly is then heated to braze/join/bond the stack-up into a cohesive body, after which individual switch tubes are singulated by methods such as sawing. The inventive methods provide for simultaneously fabricating a plurality of devices as opposed to traditional methods that rely on skilled craftsman to essentially hand build individual devices.
US07938701B2
There is provided a watercraft in which a controlling state before a start-up changes less easily and an operating state of a remote controller and a remote controller lever for operating the watercraft propulsion unit is easily kept stable, although at least one of watercraft propulsion units has been in operation and other watercraft propulsion unit(s) starts-up. Remote controllers are connected to watercraft propulsion units. The remote controllers include controlling units, and remote controller levers corresponding to the watercraft propulsion units. The controlling units are mutually connected together to communicate with each other. When one of the watercraft propulsion units has been in operation and the other one start-up from a stop state, the controlling unit corresponding to the start-up watercraft propulsion unit recognizes a controlling state of the controlling unit in operation and controls to agree with the controlling state thereof.
US07938697B2
A terminal (51) utilizes a torsional spring as its contact portion. The terminal is formed form a plate of sheet metal and first (52), second (53) and third (54) members are defined by two spaced apart slits formed in the plate. The members are formed in circular arcs and the first member has a free end that is extended out and away from of the arc and bent into a general U-shape to define the contact portion. The remainder of the plate serves as a base portion (57) for attaching the terminal to a connector or circuit board.
US07938695B2
A terminal fitting (10) has a rectangular tube (11) for receiving a mating male tab (90). A resilient contact (18) is formed in the rectangular tube (11) and can resiliently contact the male tab (90). An excessive deformation preventing portion (41) is formed in the rectangular tube (11) for preventing deformation of the resilient contact (18) beyond a resiliency limit by contacting the resilient contact (18) being resiliently deformed. The terminal fitting (10) also has an extending portion (33) projecting out from an end edge of the rectangular tube portion (11) in a developed state before being bent and arranged at an outer side of the resilient contact (18) after being bent. The excessive deformation preventing portion (41) is formed by bending a part of the extending portion (33) into the interior of the rectangular tube (11).
US07938691B2
Unipolar or multipolar electrical plug connectors include contact carriers having contact chambers, into which contact elements can be inserted. These contact elements latch with so-called snap-on lances. In the present SYSTEM, the latching is produced by a part of the contact element with a snap-on lance, a smooth outer geometry of the contact element being present in the assembled state, but by latching of a non-resilient snap-on lance within the contact chamber. Consequently, the advantages of the snap-on lance locking mechanism unite with those of the clean-body construction.
US07938686B2
A triaxial connector assembly including a media converter that is used to terminate a fiber optic/electrical hybrid cable is disclosed. The triaxial connector assembly includes a connector with a housing defining a first end and a second end, the first end of the housing defining a triaxial interface adapted to mate with a triaxial connector, the second end of the housing defining a cable termination end. The connector also includes the media converter positioned within the housing, the media converter configured to convert fiber signals and electrical signals carried by a hybrid fiber optic/electrical cable to a coaxial signal carried forward by the triaxial interface. A camera system using the connector and a method of terminating a hybrid cable to a triaxial connector are also disclosed.
US07938682B2
The present invention discloses an adapter adapted to be fitted on a cable connector, comprising a body having hollow tubular shape, the body includes: a cable connecting chamber adapted to accommodate the cable inserted therein; and a cable sealing chamber adapted to form seal between the adapter and the cable by using a sealant. The body is made of elastic material, and the dielectric constant value of which is in the range from 7 to 30. The present invention also discloses a cable connector and a cable connector assembly.
US07938681B2
A coaxial connector has a metal shell, an insulative housing and a terminal. The metal shell has a body, a cavity defined in the body and a clamping cover formed on the body. The insulative housing is mounted in the cavity and has a base, a chamber defined in the base and a wire-pressing member being resilient and formed on the base. The terminal is mounted in the chamber and has a plate aligned with the wire-pressing member and two contacting arms protruding from the plate. When a coaxial cable is connected to the coaxial connector, the wire-pressing member is bent to precisely position a core wire of the coaxial cable on the plate and stabilize signal transmission between the coaxial connector and a coaxial cable.
US07938679B2
Active clamping of an electronic device such as a power strip to the edge of a desk, table, or board featuring at least one force-redirecting mechanism comprising one, two, four, or more moving parts and biasing mechanisms that bias the moving parts into contact with the edge, such that a frictional force increases a clamping force to resist removal of the device from the edge. Different embodiments feature a roller, a ramp, and springs, or cams and springs. In some embodiments, one or two arms project from a housing of the device, which define or form a void configured to engage the edge, and, in certain embodiments, one of the arms has a pivot mount and a release mechanism, or a rotatable knob and clamp. Various embodiments feature a housing containing electronic components such as surge suppression components, power receptacles, a cord, a status indicator, pins, and elastomeric surfaces.
US07938671B2
An apparatus is provided in one example implementation and includes a body portion that includes a first member and a second member. The members taper at one end and are configured to be coupled to an electronic component at another end. The apparatus also includes a securing portion coupled to the body portion and configured to form a cavity through which a cord passes, the cord having a cord head that is fixed to the electronic component. A portion of a force exerted on the cord is transferred to the securing portion such that detachment of the cord head from the electronic component is inhibited. In more specific embodiments, the body portion and the securing portion are integrally formed as a single wire.
US07938665B2
A socket, for electrically connecting an IC package with gaps on two sides thereof and a printed circuit board, comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing and a pair of engaging clumps. The insulative housing has a bottom wall and a plurality of sidewalls upwardly extending from the bottom wall, the sidewalls and the bottom wall together define a space for the IC package, two opposed sidewall further have engaging slots. The engaging clump is received in the engaging slot, and has a post entering into the space to engaging with the gap of the IC package and a transverse arm abutting against and position the IC package.
US07938664B2
The present invention relates to a connector. The connector includes: a housing; a plurality of the terminals arranged thereon for electrically contacting with a board; a pair of arms extending from two ends of the housing, respectively; a first projection and a second projection formed on each of the arms; and a metal member arranged along the length direction of each of the arms, having a hold-down portion and a first recess for engaging with the first projection with a first buffer space existing therebetween. The metal member is spaced from the second projection by a second buffer space. When the hold-down portion is soldered to a board, the first projection or the second projection may remedy overwarp of the board or the housing.
US07938661B2
A connector assembly includes a housing, a contact, a support plate, and posts. The housing extends between a mounting side and an opposite side. The mounting side is configured to be mounted to a first side of a photovoltaic module. The contact is held by the housing and is configured to be electrically coupled with the photovoltaic module. The support plate is configured to be mounted to a second side of the photovoltaic module. The posts are coupled with at least one of the housing and the support plate and extend through an opening in the photovoltaic module that extends therethrough and joined with the other of the housing and the support plate. The posts secure the housing to the photovoltaic module.
US07938659B1
A compound connector plug is disclosed in the present invention. It has a first fixing device for fixing a first terminal set and a second terminal set, and a second fixing device for fixing a third terminal set. The first terminal set has an improved shape so that the compound connector plug can be easily produced. The two devices are connected together and enclosed by a casing. Each terminal set or the combination of terminal sets can support transmission standards, such as eSATA, USB2.0 and USB3.0. An all-in-one connector plug is provided so that no adaptor is needed if a user uses the connector for different kinds of sockets.
US07938654B2
An electrical connector has a first and second connector body. A tool fits over the first connector body to assist in demating the two connector bodies from one another. Compressing the tool compresses spring fingers in one of the connector bodies, allowing the connector bodies to be easily demated from one another without excessive force and damaging printed circuit boards to which the connector may be connected.
US07938653B2
An electrical plug device includes a housing, support members coupled to the housing and electrically conductive members, each supported by one of the support members. The support members are able to rotate about respective axes so that the electrically conductive members can move between a closed position with the electrically conductive members folded into a trough in the housing and an open position with the electrically conductive members extended out of the housing. An elastic member is coupled to the housing to engage one or more of the support members when the electrically conductive members are in the open position or the closed position. Rotation of the support members from the open or closed positions is inhibited by the engagement of the elastic member and the one or more support members.
US07938652B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals secured in the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines a mating surface and a mounting surface opposite to the mating surface and includes a plurality of posts extending from the mounting surface away from the mating surface, the posts defining a distal surface. The insulative housing defines a plurality of mating passageways penetrating through the mating surface of the insulative housing and the distal surfaces of the posts and a plurality of receiving passageways corresponding to the mating passageways. Each terminal includes a retention portion retained in the receiving passageway, an engaging portion extending in one corresponding mating passageway and a soldering portion extending in the mounting face.
US07938649B2
An electrical connector comprises an upper housing, a lower housing and a plurality of contacts which each have a top contact received in the upper housing and a bottom contact received in the lower housing. The top contact is formed with a keeping portion and a lower mating end downwardly; the bottom contact has a pair of mating beams extending vertically for engaging with the lower mating end of the top contact. The pair of mating beams of the bottom contact mechanically and electrically engage with the lower mating end of the top contact when the top contact approaches the bottom contact two mating beams in a top-to-bottom direction under a pressed force. The contact has a simple structure adapted to a high-density connector while still maintaining performance of the connector.
US07938642B2
A resin molding apparatus capable of enhancing transfer accuracy, reducing the cost of a molding apparatus, and shortening a molding cycle. The resin molding apparatus includes a first mold; a second mold disposed in opposition to the first mold; a transfer plate (34) attached to one of the first and second molds and comprising a transfer surface bearing a pattern of pits and projections and oriented toward a cavity (C1, C2); and a thermal insulation layer (40) disposed between the transfer plate (34) and the one of the first and second molds and formed through growth from the transfer plate (34) side or from the one of the first and second mold sides. Being disposed between the transfer plate (34) and the one of the first and second molds, the thermal insulation layer (40) can restrain dissipation of thermal energy of a molding material toward the mold. This can restrain formation of a skin layer, which would otherwise result from a sharp drop in temperature of the molding material, whereby transfer accuracy can be enhanced.
US07938637B2
A highly-filled paste, and a method and device of de-aerating and injecting the paste, the paste including: (a) a solid filler; (b) an organic binder, and (c) a residual gas, wherein the paste contains at least 80 volume-% of the solid filler and has a viscosity exceeding 100 kilopascal·seconds, wherein the filler, binder, and residual gas are intimately mixed so as to form a substantially homogeneous paste, and wherein a composition of the solid filler, binder, and residual gas is selected such that the homogeneous paste has: an average density greater than 98.5% of a Theoretical Maximum Density (TMD).
US07938636B2
A fluorescence-containing material injection apparatus of the present invention includes a fluorescence-containing material temperature control section, a fluorescence-containing material stirring section, a fluorescence-containing material remaining amount sensor, and a fluorescence-containing material injection amount adjustment section, by which disproportion in the mixture ratio of contaminates in a fluorescence-containing material M is restrained. This makes it possible to evenly apply a fluorescence-containing material onto a semiconductor light emitting element.
US07938635B2
An apparatus for providing a printed and textured web substrate is disclosed. The apparatus has a printing apparatus and an apparatus for imparting elastic-like behavior. The printing apparatus has at least one rotatable ink roller for transferring an ink to the web substrate. The apparatus for imparting elastic-like behavior has a pair of intermeshing rollers capable of providing at least a portion of the web substrate with an elastic-like behavior.
US07938630B2
A compressor includes a compression mechanism, a motor coupled to the compression mechanism via a driving shaft, and a casing to accommodate the compression mechanism and the motor. The motor includes a stator, and a rotor disposed inside the stator and coupled to the driving shaft. The stator is spot-joined to the casing via a plurality of stator spot-joined portions at different positions along a circumferential direction about the driving shaft. Preferably, the stator spot-joined portions are disposed at different axial positions. Also, the stator spot-joined portions are preferably disposed at different circumferential positions from positions of compression mechanism-side spot-joined portions. When an accumulator is connected to the casing via a connection pipe, a straight line between any two of the plurality of stator spot-joined portions preferably crosses a vibration direction of a natural vibration mode of the accumulator.
US07938624B2
A component, such as a blade, vane or combustor wall of a gas turbine engine comprises two walls defining a coolant passage and has an array of pedestals extending between the two walls for heat removal. Each pedestal changes in cross-section along its length. Alternate rows of pedestals are arranged such that their larger cross-sectional area is adjacent one wall then the other. When a coolant flows through the passage it is forced to flow between one wall and the other wall so as to increase turbulence and hence mixing for a more even coolant temperature. The array of pedestals can also be used to tailor the individual heat loads on each wall independently and has the ability to use differing levels of blockage to counter adverse pressure gradients along successive rows of pedestals.
US07938623B2
An inflatable rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a flexible skin. The flexible skin assumes, when inflated by means of an inflation medium, the shape of an airfoil which has an inner cavity. When the inner cavity is formed, at least one stiffener unit is arranged in the inner cavity of the rotor blade and maintains the airfoil shape of the flexible skin.
US07938622B2
A helical auger turbine and hydrokinetic device for use with electrical generators for producing electricity. The auger turbine includes a generally helical turbine blade rotatably mounted on a central shaft, which may be tapered at each end, and a flange extending perpendicularly to an edge of the turbine blade. At least one turbine blade support connection is included for connecting the central shaft to a support structure. An electrical generator may be powered by the helical auger turbine, that can be used in a tidal water flow. The helical auger turbine can operate a high pressure pump connected to a hydraulic accumulator for storing pressurized hydraulic fluid from the high pressure pump. An electrical generator can be operated by hydraulic fluid delivered from the hydraulic accumulator at times of slow water flow. A plurality of helical auger turbines can be horizontally oriented under water, tethered to legs of an ocean platform such as an oil rig secured to the seabed.
US07938621B1
A pressure actuated tip clearance system for a shroud structure of a gas turbine engine rotary stage includes an annular plenum chamber formed between an annular arrangement of a plurality of shroud liners on the inner circumference of the chamber and a generally cylindrical casing on the radially outer side, and, in use, a hot gas stream radially inwards of the shroud liners. Each shroud liner comprises a hollow box section comprising upstream and downstream walls, radially inner and outer walls, and side walls, the downstream and radially inner and outer walls being closed, the upstream wall having an air inlet aperture, and at least one of the side walls having at least one outlet aperture. The inlet aperture is in flow communication with a source of high pressure air at a pressure higher than that of the gas stream.
US07938613B2
An unloading conveyor apparatus and system for an agricultural harvester including a spout controllably directable for enabling distributing grain in a desired manner within a region of a receiving storage container, or a transporting truck, wagon, or other vehicle, and configurable as a closure for the conveyor for preventing entry of contaminants and the like. The spout can advantageously extend both the distance and range of variability of grain delivery location, and the free end of the spout can include a cover for improving grain delivery accuracy and wind resistance, and a break open feature to prevent damage. The spout can also be rotatable laterally about the end of the conveyor.
US07938612B2
A battery-changing vehicle includes a mobile carriage, a frame disposed above the mobile carriage, and a boom assembly connected to the frame. The mobile carriage defines a loading deck for receiving and transporting a battery. The boom assembly includes a lift hoist that lifts a battery to and from the loading deck. The lift hoist is capable of lateral movement between an extended disposition, at which the lift hoist is cantilevered away from the loading deck, and a withdrawn disposition, at which the lift hoist is disposed above the loading deck. The battery-changing vehicle may also include a transfer arm capable of transferring a battery to and from the loading deck.
US07938606B2
An expanding screw for an expandable dowel sleeve (31) has a shaft (12) having a rotation-transmitting element (15) provided at its first end (13), at least one first screw thread (19) extending from its second end (17), and a thread section (21) provided in a region of the at least one first thread (19), spaced from the second end (17), and having at least one further screw thread (23).
US07938603B2
A support shaft of a spindle unit having a through hole in which wires are laid has a structure that can obtain much spatial room so as to prevent a break in cables and to be compatible with a high-output spindle motor. A machine-tool spindle head 1 includes a support head 6 that drives a spindle unit 4 for indexing around a turn axis (A-axis) of the spindle unit 4 by rotatably supporting a pair of support shafts 9 coupled to the spindle unit 4 on the A-axis by a pair of fork arms 7 and bearings 13. The pair of support shafts 9 have through holes 12 in which a plurality of wires 22 extending from the spindle unit 4 are laid, the plurality of wires 22 are divided into two wire groups, and the wire groups are separately laid in the pair of support shafts 9.
US07938600B1
A cutting tool includes a cutting body and a connecting structure configured to support the cutting body. The cutting body can include teeth positioned circumferentially around and extending outwardly from the cutting body. The connecting structure can include a drive shaft for drivingly connecting the cutting tool to a power tool. The connecting structure can also include a connecting plate and a locking member for securing the cutting body to the connecting structure. In some embodiments, the locking member is movable relative to the drive shaft between a locked position, in which the locking member secures the cutting body to the connecting structure, and an unlocked position, in which the cutting body is removable from the connecting structure.
US07938598B2
A marine pipeline installation system for laying an offshore pipeline and/or installing a subsea riser, the system at least allowing to carry out the reel lay method, wherein the system comprises: one or more storage reels for storage of pipeline, a pipeline launch tower adapted for launching the pipeline in the direction of the sea, a pipeline guide at an elevated position for guiding said pipeline to a pipeline launch trajectory along said tower, one or more tensioners, each tensioner comprising a tensioner frame and multiple tracks supported by said tensioner frame, said tracks being adapted for engaging the pipeline and supporting at least part of the weight of the launched pipeline, the tensioner frame being supported by said tower via an associated support assembly. The support assembly of at least one tensioner frame, preferably of all tensioner frames, is adapted to allow for displacement of the tensioner frame between an active position, wherein the pipeline launch trajectory extends through the tensioner frame between the tracks, so that the tracks can engage on a pipeline, and a retracted and non-operable position.
US07938592B2
A refill of a low viscosity water-based ink ballpoint pen is provided with a housing, a pen tip attached to a front end of the housing, an ink tank (4) formed inside the housing, an ink guide member guiding ink in the ink tank (4) to the pen tip, and an air passage formed between the ink tank and the pen tip in the housing and connecting the ink tank and outside of the housing. The inside of the ink tank is divided by partition walls (11) into a plurality of ink chambers arranged in the longitudinal direction, and the ink guide member is used to guide the ink in these ink chambers from the ink chambers close to the pen tip successively to the pen tip. A substantially uniform clearance (13) is provided over the entire circumferences between the outer circumferential surface of each partition wall (11) and the inner circumferential surface of the ink tank (4). A ring-shaped ink film formed at each clearance (13) is used to hold the ink in each ink chamber. Air flows into the ink chamber through the clearance (13).
US07938581B2
A vacuum sealing bag includes first and second bag panels overlappedly affixed in an edge to edge manner to form a storing cavity between the first and second bag panels and an opening communicating with the storing cavity, and an air sealing arrangement having a plurality of first air channels longitudinally formed on an inner side of the first bag panel and a plurality of second air channels transversely formed on an inner side of the second bag panel in such a manner that when the inner side of the first bag panel is overlapped on the inner side of the second bag panel, the first air channels are communicatively intersected with the second air channels for guiding air within the storing cavity to outside, so as to air-seal the storing cavity in a vacuum manner.
US07938578B2
An x-ray apparatus is provided. The x-ray apparatus includes a patient support supported on a support unit in such a manner that it can be repositioned by way of a support arm and an x-ray detector likewise supported on the support arm, embodied in particular as a solid-state detector. The x-ray detector can be moved perpendicular to the patient support by way of a retaining column of a repositioning mechanism and can be rotated relative to the patient support about a first longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the patient support. To increase the flexibility of the x-ray apparatus, the x-ray detector is supported in such a manner that it can be rotated relative to the patient support about a transverse axis extending in a transverse direction of the patient support.
US07938573B2
The cartridge can include a mixing component for mixing different solutions so as to form a product solution. A mixture of different solutions can be transported into the mixing component where they combine to form a product solution. The mixing component includes a plurality of variable volume reservoirs in liquid communication with one another. The product solution can be repeatedly transported from one of the variable volume reservoirs to another of the variable volume reservoirs until the desired degree of mixing is achieved. Once the desired degree of mixing is achieved, the product solution can be transported directly to a product chamber within the cartridge or can be treated further before being transported to the product chamber.
US07938572B2
The present invention relates to a device for producing a hardenable mass, preferably bone substitute and/or bone reinforcing material or bone cement or similar material. A mixing container (3) has a mixing space (4) in which at least one powder and at least one liquid component (5, 6) are mixed to provide the hardenable mass (2). A piston means (7) is provided in the mixing space (4) of the mixing container (3). At least one means (8) which is rotatable relative to the mixing container (3) cooperates with the piston means (7) for, in a retaining position (P1), retaining said piston means (7) relative to the mixing container (3) and, by rotation to a release position (P2), releasing the piston means (7) such that said piston means can move in a direction (U) towards at least one opening (49) through which said mass (2) can pass out of the mixing space (4). The rotatable means (8) is provided such that it in its release position (P2) can follow the piston means (7) in the mixing space (4) in the direction (U) towards said opening (49).
US07938565B2
A lighting assembly and apparatus having a light fixture mounted using a tube and stake assembly; the tube is configured with a male receptacle formed of a pronged plug positioned vertically with the upper end flush with the earth; and the stake for insertion into the earth, the stake is configured with a female receptacle containing electrical contacts adapted to receive the pronged plug of the male receptacle. The female receptacle is adapted to have an open end so as to clear debris to the bottom of said stake. The light assembly and apparatus can be constructed from low cost, low voltage outdoor lights so as to provide ground level illumination of pathways, steps, and landscaping.
US07938563B2
A keyboard illuminating device for a portable computer includes a battery module and an illuminating module. The battery module can supply power to the portable computer and includes a housing. The illuminating module is disposed on the battery module and is powered by the battery module to illuminate a keyboard of the portable computer. The illuminating module hides in the battery module when the keyboard illuminating device is in a first status, and the illuminating module protrudes from a surface of the battery module when the keyboard illuminating device is in a second status.
US07938562B2
A lighting and communication system for use in a standardized light fixture is provided. The lighting and communication system includes a light source and a communication apparatus including at least one of an audio device and a camera. At least one electrical connector configured for physical and electrical connection to the standardized light fixture is included, and the at least one electrical connector is electrically connected to the light source and the communication apparatus.
US07938561B2
A light source unit includes a light source portion including an LED element, a heat radiation portion that is connected to the light source portion, a case including an outside wall that is disposed apart from the light source portion and the heat radiation portion, and a spring member that is disposed between the outside wall of the case and the heat radiation portion.
US07938554B2
An artificial pumpkin stem apparatus including a stem portion. A lighting device is associated with the stem portion. The stem portion allows transmission of light from the lighting device into the stem portion wherein the stem portion emits light.
US07938543B2
An optical system as subject of the present invention comprises at least one packaged spatial light modulator comprising a front side for facing incident light. The optical system further comprises projection optics for projecting an image formed by the packaged spatial light modulator, there being a sealed gas space in between the front side of the packaged spatial light modulator. The optical system comprises a first heat transporting means being thermally coupled to the frontside of the packaged spatial light modulator, the first heat transporting means comprising a thermally conductive frame contacting the front side of the packaged spatial light modulator along an edge thereof. A second heat transporting means being thermally coupled to the package back side may be provided as well. The first and second heat transporting means are thermally separated by the package. The device may further comprise a control means for controlling the heat flow in at least one of the first heat transporting means and the second heat transporting means.
US07938541B2
The laser picture formation device includes a two-dimensional modulation element performing video image modulation as well as four or more laser light sources having different center wavelengths. The video images which have no speckle noises at the wavelength region that has high visibility, which are realized by simultaneously emitting the laser lights of green (G) and yellowish green (Y) which have particularly high visibility, and video images which are vivid as cannot be represented by the conventional display, and which can be realized by controlling the laser lights of respective colors independently, can be displayed. Particularly, by modulating the two-dimensional modulation element and the laser light output with synchronized with each other, various video displays are enabled.
US07938533B2
An eyeglass frame comprises: (a) a main lens frame for holding one or more optical lenses, said lens frame having opposed lateral ends; (b) means for attaching the main lens frame to the wearer's head when in use; and (c) a carabiner clip extending from either: one lateral end of the main lens frame, or from the main lens frame attaching means. The carabiner clip has at least 3 sides, at least one of said sides including a bar connected to an adjacent clip side with spring biasing for defining a securely closed position for said clip. This eyeglass frame is particularly suitable for use as reading or other vision correcting glasses, sunglasses, safety glasses, sportswear, a fashion accessory and combinations thereof.
US07938514B2
A printing nozzle is provided having a chamber defined over a fluid inlet in a substrate and having a fluid ejection port, an actuator for causing ejection of fluid within the chamber from the fluid ejection port, a controller for controlling operation of the actuator by applying a current pulse having a predetermined energy level to the actuator, and a sensor for sensing operation of the actuator. The controller applies a current pulse having an energy level significantly greater than said predetermined energy level to the actuator when the sensor senses faulty operation of the actuator.
US07938495B2
A motorcycle brake system enables a smooth switching to a hydraulic loss simulator to provide an improved feeling of braking operation. A brake operating unit includes a brake caliper, an electromagnetic on-off valve (V1) which blocks a main brake passage, a pressure sensor, a hydraulic modulator, and a hydraulic loss simulator. The brake system allocates a braking force to front and rear wheels by controlling the hydraulic modulator based on a result of detection by the pressure sensor. The brake operating unit has a brake light switch for detecting the starting of operation thereof, actuates an electromagnetic on-off valve (V1) to block the main brake passage based on a result of detection by the brake light switch, and unblocks the main brake passage when a predetermined amount of time elapses without any input made to the pressure sensor in a standby state with the main brake passage blocked.
US07938487B2
A tilting fitting device enables a chair seat to be tiltable forwards and backwards against spring force of tilt-resisting springs, the tilting fitting having an upper part that is fastenable to the chair seat and a lower part that is fastenable to a chair base and tiltably connected to the upper part, wherein the tilting resistance is adjustable by adjusting spacing between the tilt-resisting springs and distance of each spring from a respective side of a tilting axis for the upper part. An actuating element is arranged for simultaneous engagement with two support members, an actuating element, along a part of each of its two sides in the element's direction of motion. On movement of the actuating element in the longitudinal direction of the tilting axis, it is adapted to cause rotation of the support members and springs mounted thereon, thereby changing the spacing of the springs.
US07938483B2
A soft top roof system for an automotive vehicle roof system having a track with a lift ramp, a slider that is moveable along the track, and an arm connected to the slider at a pivot and moveable from a neutral position to a lift position. The system includes at least two cross bow connections located on the arm above the pivot point and a guide located on the arm opposite the at least two cross bow connections, the guide moves along the lift ramp.
US07938479B2
A power machine having a frame, an engine, a cab defining an operator compartment having an access opening, and a door capable of being attached to the cab adjacent the opening is discussed. A hinge includes first and second hinge components attached to the cab and the door, respectively. A hinge securing mechanism for securing the second hinge component to the door is attached to the door. The mechanism includes a shaft with a handle moveable between first and second positions coupled to its first end and a protrusion extending radially proximal to its second end. The shaft extends through a bore in the door so that the handle is proximal to an interior surface and the protrusion is proximal to an exterior surface of the door. The shaft extends through an aperture in the second hinge component when the second hinge component is mounted to the door.
US07938478B2
A rear limiting mechanism (35) for limiting a moving range in a vertical direction, a front-rear direction and a lateral direction of the cab frame (24) is arranged immediately below a rear pillar (30) of the cab frame, between the vehicle body frame (21) and both right and left end portions of the higher portion of the cab frame (24). The rear limiting mechanism (35) includes a limitation member (36), limiting members (37, 38) and a limiting pin (40). Gaps (S1a, S1b) are provided between the limiting pin (40) and the limitation member (36), gaps (S2a, S2b) are provided between the limitation member (36), and the front limiting member (37) and the rear limiting member (38). Gaps (S3a, S3b) are provided between the limiting pin (40) and the limitation member (36). A movement of the cab frame (24) is limited within the ranges of the gaps. A check plate (41) is fixed to the limiting pin (40), and a bolt (42) extending through the check plate (41) is engaged with a threaded hole (38b) of the rear limiting member (38). The rear limiting mechanism (35) supports a rear portion of the cab frame, at a time when a crawler dozer rolls over or the like. The rear limiting mechanism (35) having the simple structure is provided at only two positions corresponding to the rear pillars (30).
US07938473B2
An electromechanical strut is provided for moving a pivotal lift gate between an open position and a closed position relative to a motor vehicle body. The electromechanical strut includes a housing connected to one of the lift gate and the motor vehicle body. An extensible shaft is slidably mounted to the housing. The extensible shaft is connected to the other of the lift gate and the motor vehicle body. A drive mechanism includes a rotatable power screw. The drive mechanism converts rotary motion of the power screw into linear motion of the extensible shaft to move the extensible shaft between a retracted position corresponding to the closed position of the lift gate and an extended position corresponding to the open position of the lift gate. A power spring includes one end connected to the extensible shaft and another end connected to the housing for providing a mechanical counterbalance to the weight of the lift gate.
US07938470B2
A removable stowage device having a flexible bag, a frame, and a first mounting element that can be inserted and attached to a receptacle and a second mounting element within a vehicle cockpit providing an easily accessible stowage area that functions to provide stowage space, and to secure and reduce the jostling or shifting of personal items, food and liquids, by a person or the motions of a moving vehicle.
US07938469B2
The tweezers comprises two branches joined at a first end, a second end of each branch comprising a gripping element. The gripping element of each branch is mounted rotating freely around a swivel axis at the second end of said branch. The gripping element of each branch comprises a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the corresponding swivel axis, and a pad is fixed to a free end of said gripping element perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis of the gripping element.
US07938468B2
A lifting sling having warning markings that indicate if the maximum safe load for the sling has been exceeded, whereby a visible indicator is provided to the operator at the time of overload. In an embodiment, a frangible indicator member connected to the cover of the lifting sling provide a permanent indication of sling overload.
US07938466B2
A suction gripper device comprising a pipe for connecting a suction source to a suction gripper member, the pipe comprising a first channel formed by a downstream chamber (5) and by an upstream duct (7), a seat (9) being provided between the chamber (5) and the duct (7), a valve member (6) being mounted to move with clearance inside the chamber (5) between a bottom abutment (2a, 22) and the seat (9), and a second channel (10) forming a calibrated bypass in parallel with the first channel and bypassing the seat (9), being of section that is smaller than the section (S) of the clearance that exists in the chamber (5) between its inside surface and the outside surface of the valve member (6) that can move therein, wherein the second channel (10) is formed through the center of the valve member (6).
US07938465B2
A ball retriever includes a basket and an elongate arm. The basket has a bottom, a sidewall, and an open top. The bottom of the basket has an aperture therethrough sized smaller than a ball to be retrieved. At least a portion of the bottom proximate the aperture is deformable to allow passage of the ball to be retrieved through the aperture when deformed and returning to the non-deformed position to retain the ball within the basket. The elongate arm is fixed to the basket at a first end.
US07938454B2
A system for forming a fluid connection includes a first connector and a second connector. Both connectors include a tubular body having a membrane mounted on a distal end thereof. A support member facilitates the coupling of the connectors together so that the membranes are abutted together. Radiant energy is applied to the abutted membranes so as to first sterilize the membranes and then melt the membranes so that a passage is formed therethrough.
US07938449B2
An album for photographs and similar collectable items comprises a set of one or more straps extending from the album and arranged to either wrap around the edges of the album to hold it closed, or to provide stability to the album when it is opened in an easel configuration for display of the album contents.
US07938446B2
In order to reinforce a rear part of a convertible vehicle, reinforcement elements are provided on both sides on a rollover protection device. The reinforcement elements are composed, at the rear side of the device when viewed in the direction of travel, of at least two diagonal struts which extend toward one another. Further reinforcement elements are composed, at the front side of the device when viewed in the direction of travel, of at least two lateral stays which are arranged diverging from one another. The diagonal struts and the stays are secured supported on the vehicle body.
US07938442B2
A knee airbag device mounted on a steering column has an inner case in which a folded knee airbag is housed, and an outer case that is placed over the inner case. The outer case is fixed to a lower side of a vehicle-rear-side portion of a steering column that moves relative to a vehicle-front-side portion when a load equal to or greater than a threshold load is applied to the steering column in a direction of the axis of the steering column, and has a rigidity with which the shape of the folded knee airbag is maintained under normal conditions. The outer case has an opening formed in a region where the outer case would interfere with the vehicle-front-side portion when the vehicle-rear-side portion moves relative to the vehicle-front-side portion.
US07938427B2
A fifth wheel trailer of the type designed to be towed with a towing vehicle having a vehicle hitch assembly includes a trailer body having an elevated front portion, and a mounting arrangement extending downward from beneath the front portion. The front portion of the trailer body has a generally convex forward surface. The trailer further includes a trailer chassis supporting the trailer body. The trailer chassis includes a forward portion supporting the front portion of the trailer body. The forward portion of the trailer chassis has a pair of side frame beams that extend along the sides of the trailer chassis. The forward portion of the trailer chassis includes a curved forward edge beam that is joined to the forward ends of the pair of side frame beams. The curved forward edge beam generally matches the curve of the front portion of the trailer body and provides support for the trailer body.
US07938423B2
An exercise cycle and a method of using the exercise cycle, in which motion from the user's twisting of the torso and alternate pushing on hand grips are transmitted to the driving shaft for movement of the cycle. The exercise cycle comprises a frame, a front wheel, a first rear wheel, a second rear wheel, a seat, operator handles, hand grips, foot force plates, and a driving device. The driving device consists of a driving shaft, a force plate, pivotal arms, an elongate member, and a disk. The input of the user by torso twisting movement or pushing on handgrips will cause the cycle to move forward or backward.
US07938417B2
A connecting piece for the articulated connection of components disposed in the chassis of a vehicle. The connecting piece comprises a base body (1) made out of sheet metal in which at least one through bore (3) is provided, a plastic part (13) is rigidly connected to the base body (1), and at least one articulated joint (5), comprising a housing (4), rigidly connected to the base body (1). The housing (4) is inserted into the through bore (3), in an axial direction (24), and has a housing section (22) with a radial shoulder (23) disposed outside the hole (3) and embedded in the plastic part (13), by which the housing section (22), rigidly connected to the housing (4), is axially supported on the base body (1).
US07938408B2
The invention proposes a tool holder (1), in particular of the shrink-fit chuck type, the receiving section (5) of which comprises clamping means (9) which are provided centrally with respect to an axis of rotation (7) of the tool holder (1) for holding a shank (15) of a rotary tool, and which define a receiving opening (13) for the shank (15). The clamping means (9) can be displaced in the radial direction between a radially widened release position for insertion or removal of the shank (15) and a clamping position, in which the clamping means (9) exert radial press-fit forces, which hold the shank (15) in a frictional lock on its cylindrical outer circumferential surface (19), on the shank (15). The clamping means (9) are assigned a clamping surface (17) with a cylindrical contour which, in the clamping position, bears against the outer circumferential surface (19) of the shank (15) with surface-to-surface contact.
US07938405B2
A radial shaft sealing ring, especially for use together with a CO2 containing pressure medium, comprises a membrane body (1) and a supporting body (2). A centering element (5) having a radially outer edge (6) is disposed on the supporting body (2) and is not covered by the membrane body (1). The membrane body (1), on its radially inner end, comprises a tilted sealing lip (11) which faces away from the supporting body (2). The supporting body (2) has an axial bore for the shaft (8) and, opposite the sealing lip (11), a supporting face (13) which slopes towards the wall (12) of the bore. The invention is characterized in that the centering element (5), when the radial shaft sealing ring is fitted in a bearing house (4), can be contacted with the interior of the bearing housing (4) in a press fit and that the angle (α) between the supporting face (13) and the wall (12) of the bore of the supporting body (2) ranges between 45° and 55° in a central plane which includes the axis of the radial shaft sealing ring.
US07938403B1
A circumferentially extending brush seal positioned between static and rotary components of a machine and, during operation of the machine, the brush seal having a higher pressure region at an upstream side and a lower pressure region at a downstream side. The brush seal may include a plurality of bristles forming a bristle pack carried by the static component and cantilevered toward the rotary component such that tips of at least some of the bristles engage the rotary component. The brush seal further may include a pressure plate and a bristle pack backing plate. The bristle backing plate may include a plurality of radially extending and circumferentially spaced slots opening through opposite sides thereof. The slots may be disposed on an inner radial edge and an outer radial edge of the bristle backing plate.
US07938400B2
A transport device which accomplishes transport well by means of a linear motor mechanism well even if a chain is elongated. The transport uses the chain in a first transport section, and the linear motor mechanism in a second transport section. A coupling pin of the chain is disengaged from a chain coupling portion of a table when the table is transferred to the second transport section and the coupling pin is brought into engagement with the chain coupling portion again when the table is transferred to the first transport section. A driving speed at which a pair of rotary members are driven by the chain driving mechanism is corrected in accordance with the elongated condition of the chain, based on a count of driving pulses in the chain driving mechanism during the passage of the coupling pin through the second transport section.
US07938388B2
A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding apparatus which folds a sheet bundle, a switching portion which switches a nipping pressure of the folding apparatus against the sheet bundle, and a flattening apparatus which presses and flattens a folded-back portion of the folded sheet bundle. The switching portion operates such that the nipping pressure of the folding apparatus against the sheet bundle when the flattening processing is executed becomes weaker than that of the folding apparatus when the flattening processing is not executed.
US07938387B2
Springing construction for making mattresses where a plurality of resilient modular elements having a central coupling body for coupling to locating bars are extended substantially parallel to the lying plane of the mattress and the central coupling body is associated with a central springing element that adjoins, on opposite sides of the locating bars lying plane, springing side elements, and the modular elements are resiliently yieldable along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the mattress lying plane.
US07938385B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for on-board refining of fuels within motorized vehicles. On board fuel refining is a finish-refining step that allows a fuel to be more precisely tailored to a particular vehicle and internal-combustion engine and to the current conditions under which the fuel is being used. In one embodiment, the fuel is subjected to fluid-shear forces and cavitation.
US07938383B2
A solenoid valve has a valve body with an inlet, an outlet and a valve chamber therebetween. A valve member is selectively engagable with the valve chamber for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A solenoid assembly is mounted upon the valve member for moving the valve member to control the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid and a frame for holding the solenoid. The solenoid assembly is connected to the valve body such that the frame is rotatable and slidable away from the valve body to permit access to and slidable removal of the solenoid from the valve member.
US07938382B2
A stepper motor and controller are provided for controllably adjusting the angular displacement of a rotor. The stepper motor has a plurality of stator coils that are configured to effect rotation of the rotor upon application of a voltage thereto. The stepper motor further includes one or more sensing coils, where rotation of the rotor generates an induced voltage in the one or more sensing coils. A controller is included for processing the induced voltage signals, and is configured to output a constant vector value that does not change in value where the induced voltage signals are indicative of the rotor rotating in a continuous manner, and to output a diverging vector value where the induced voltage signals are indicative of the rotor being inhibited from rotating. The controller is configured to determine the rotor's angular displacement from the constant vector value, and to detect occurrence of the rotor being inhibited from rotating from a diverging vector value.
US07938374B2
A portable clamp has a hinged, two piece arm that folds for storage within a hollow stem. A first arm hingedly connects to a second arm where each has a curved shell sized for gripping the frame of a bicycle. The first arm and second arm have cooperating holes to admit pins for securing the first arm to the second arm. Opposite the hinge, the second arm fits perpendicularly into the stem. A buckle secures a strap that passes around an object. In use, a cyclist releases the clamp from the stem. The cyclist places the strap around the upright object at a desirable height. The cyclist places the end of the strap in the buckle and cinches the strap. Using a pin, the cyclist secures the clamp within the stem. The cyclist places the arm around a bicycle frame member then secures a pin through the arm and into the stem. The bike is then supported at a convenient height.
US07938371B2
A wiring holding unit for holding a tubular receiving member receiving wiring therein includes a gripping member including a pair of gripping portions for gripping the receiving member, and a movable portion interconnecting the pair of gripping portions such that the pair of gripping portions are movable, and a fitting/fixing member which is separate from the gripping member, and is moved toward the gripping member in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction of fixing of the receiving member gripped by the gripping member, and is fitted on the gripping member to be fixed thereto, thereby preventing the pair of gripping portions from moving respectively in directions opposite respectively to gripping directions of the pair of gripping portions.
US07938370B1
In order to measure a speed of a vehicle having an antenna and travelling on a track formed by two rails, first and second discontinuities are detected. The first discontinuity is detected in a current or voltage of a signal generated by an antenna when the vehicle passes a first tuning block of an electric joint. The second discontinuity is detected in a current or voltage of a signal generated by the antenna when the vehicle passes a second tuning block of the electric joint. The detected discontinuities are used to measure the speed of the vehicle travelling on a track divided in track sections separated by electric joints. Each electric joint includes two tuning blocks and a predetermined length of a track section, wherein each of the tuning blocks allows power coupling between adjacent track sections.
US07938361B2
A jet blast wall structure is provided which is adapted to withstand and deflect high temperature jet blasts from the jet engines of aircraft. The structure comprises a plurality of panels, each of which has a front panel face and edge frame members at each side of the front panel face to which the front panel face is secured. All components, including each front panel face is made substantially of fiberglass, and each edge frame member and each bolt or nut, used for production of the structure is also made from fiberglass. The structure is designed to have a predetermined shear strength, whereby in the event of impact of an aircraft with the jet blast wall structure, the bolts in the edge frame members of the impacted panel or panels will fail in shear so as to permit the impacted panel or panels to collapse and thereby so as preclude significant damage to the impacting aircraft. Further, by being made substantially of fiberglass, the blast wall structures of the present invention exhibit transparency to radar and radio frequency signals such as those which will be found at airports and from the aircraft arriving at and departing from such airports.
US07938348B2
A machine for distributing blowing wool from a bag of compressed blowing wool includes a chute having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chute configured to receive the bag of compressed blowing wool. A shredder is mounted at the outlet end of the chute and configured to shred and pick apart the blowing wool. A discharge mechanism distributes the blowing wool into an airstream. The chute is configured such that the minimum length of the chute from the inlet end to the outlet end is the nominal length of a person's arm.
US07938346B2
A method of preparing a steep particle size inorganic particulate material includes grinding an aqueous suspension of an inorganic particulate material having a solids content of less than 35% and including a sub-effective amount of a dispersant for the inorganic particulate material. The method may further include dewatering the aqueous suspension to a solids content of at least 50% and dispersing the dewatered aqueous suspension by adding an additional amount of dispersant, and wherein, after grinding, the inorganic particulate material has a steepness factor above 35.
US07938338B2
Disclosed is an air freshener apparatus capable of being attached to an air-vent for receiving air. The air freshener apparatus comprises an enclosure formed by a front portion and a back portion. The enclosure removably secures a reservoir having an aromatic substance. Further, an attaching member extends from the back portion to attach the enclosure to the air-vent. Furthermore, an air-vent opening is configured on the back portion for receiving the air from the air-vent on removably attaching the enclosure to the air-vent, and further, directing the air to the reservoir for obtaining a mixture of the air and the aromatic substance. Furthermore, an adjustable opening is configured on the front portion for dispensing the mixture out of the enclosure. Moreover, a regulating means is provided for adjusting the adjustable opening for dispensing required amount of the mixture therefrom, and a lighting member is provided for illumination purpose.
US07938337B2
A spray nozzle assembly includes a pressure dependent variable spray orifice and an internal chamber which is at least partially bound by a flexibly deformable sidewall. At its distal end, the sidewall terminates at a distal face defining the spray orifice extending therethrough. A metering member extends distally from the internal chamber and through at least a portion of the spray orifice. As the pressure of a liquid supplied to the internal chamber by a liquid supply pathway varies, the flexibly deformable sidewall expands or contracts in response thereto. As the sidewall expands and contracts, the distal face moves relative to the metering member to change the effective size of the spray orifice.
US07938333B2
Particles conveying a code are incorporated into polymer matrix to form a core document substrate. These particles may be colored to create a distinctive look of the document that makes it unique for a particular document issuer and enables visual authentication. Addition of a covert attribute to the particle, such as a UV pigment or hidden layer of material, allows a covert, forensic characteristic and it also allows a mathematical description to be calculated describing the random distribution of a specific area on a document and then captured on it (e.g., in the bar code or magnetic stripe or digital watermark on an ID document).
US07938323B2
A method and an apparatus monitor the transportation of a luggage item. What is to be monitored is a transportation process by which the luggage item is transported. At least one computer-accessible image of the luggage item is produced. The image shows the luggage item when illuminated with light visible to humans. A data record for the transportation process is produced, contains the image of the luggage item, and is stored in a data storage unit. The luggage item is taken to a checking device. The data storage unit is searched at least once for the data record for the transportation process. A display unit shows the image is included in the found data record. The image found is shown on the display unit such that a check becomes possible to determine whether the image shown actually shows the luggage item close to the display unit or another luggage item.
US07938321B2
Fuel dispensers located at a fueling facility may perform operations in a coordinated manner. In particular implementations, a system and process for coordinating the operation of fuel dispensers at a fueling facility may include the ability to determine at a first fuel dispenser that a function is to be performed by at least one other fuel dispenser at the fueling facility. The system and process may also include the ability to generate at the first fuel dispenser a message regarding the function, the message to be sent to the at least one other fuel dispenser at the fueling facility. Fuel dispensers may, for example, coordinate operations that relate to diagnostic testing, theft deterrence and loss prevention, safety monitoring, and redundant customer services.
US07938310B2
A welded assembly includes a weld joint formed via a spin welding process. A disc receives a cylinder prior to spin welding, with the disc having a circumferential groove undercutting or defining an annular shelf. An interlocking feature retaining the cylinder and disc is formed between a flow pattern of the cylinder and the annular shelf upon cooling of molten flash in the groove underneath the annular shelf. Teeth can be formed integrally with the disc to provide a torsional interlocking feature between the disc and cylinder. A method for forming a weld joint between a plastic cylinder and disc includes providing the disc with a circumferential groove forming an annular shelf, and rotating the cylinder with respect to the disc under an axial force to thereby form an outflow of molten flash. The flash forms an interlocking feature when cooled after flowing into the groove underneath the shelf.
US07938303B2
In a feed piston and cylinder mechanism for feeding a feed claw that engages with and disengages from connected nails accommodated within a magazine to a nose portion, the feed claw is biased in a feeding direction by a bias member and is retracted in a backward direction by high-pressure combustion gas. A valve is provided in a path which guides the high-pressure combustion gas to the feed piston and cylinder mechanism and communicates the path with the atmosphere. The feed piston and cylinder mechanism is controlled by opening/closing the valve.
US07938302B2
An article carrier worn around the waist and setting on the back and hips having side entry compartments that are accessible to the person wearing the article carrier while wearing the carrier and a compression system that provides stability of the load being carried.
US07938301B2
The present invention comprises a chock holder adapted to be mounted to the bottom side of a trailer that includes a notification mechanism that automatically deploys when a chock is removed from the holder.
US07938298B2
A hand-operated pump that can be mounted in a cosmetic container is provided. A compression spring that provides restoring force during pumping is provided outside a housing such that it is possible to prevent contents from being contaminated and to easily pump highly viscous contents. Also, since the compression spring is stably fixed to a shaft in a state where the button is separated, it is possible to easily assemble the pump, to easily partialize parts (to modularize parts), and to prevent the pump from malfunctioning even if the button drifts away while in use. Also, since an introducing hole in the lower end of the housing is opened and closed by an opening and closing member of a specific shape, it is possible to obtain high sealing force and pumping force during pumping.
US07938294B2
A large capacity napkin dispenser for in counter mounting includes: (a) an elongate housing having a generally rectangular cross-section for receiving a stack of napkins; (b) a faceplate with a dispensing aperture, the faceplate being hinged to the housing so as to be movable between an open position for re-loading and a closed position for dispensing; (c) a movable support member mounted in the housing; (d) biasing means for urging the movable support toward the faceplate so that the stack of napkins is advanced to the aperture as it is depleted; and (e) sequestered means for locking the faceplate in the closed position. The locking means includes release means located adjacent the inner surface of the faceplate such that when the faceplate is in the closed position the release means is concealed in the interior of the dispenser, thereby eliminating the need for a key. The dispenser further includes internal gripping surfaces which facilitate re-loading and smooth operation as well as molded-in features which greatly reduce cost of manufacture.
US07938291B2
A foldable water tank includes a foldable receptacle having a bottom wall and vertical sidewalls; and a folding frame to support the sidewalls in an upright position. The frame has first, second, third and fourth upper rails joined end-to-end. The frame has a folded position wherein the upper rails are adjacent to each other. First hinges disposed at end portions of said upper rails pivotably connect the upper rails. The second and fourth rails each includes first and second sections having adjacent end portions. Second hinges connect the adjacent end portions to allow the second and fourth rails to fold inwardly to be disposed between the first and third rails in the folded position. The second hinges each includes a shield to cover the adjacent end portions thereby to protect a user's hand from being pinched by the adjacent end portions during unfolding or folding of the frame.
US07938282B1
A closure for a container having a top portion having a centered region; and a plurality of slots radially arrayed about the top section, each slot being sized to receive a finger tip of a human hand interspaced about the top portion.
US07938281B2
A leakproof bottle for feeding a child includes a first external thread around a bottle opening, and a lower closure ring having a first internal thread, which is screwed onto the first external thread and has at least one first throughflow hole. An upper closure ring has a second external thread on which the lower closure ring sits in a sealing manner and which has at least one second throughflow hole which, by rotation of the upper closure ring relative to the lower closure ring, can be brought into coinciding and non-coinciding positions relative to the first throughflow hole. Locking elements can rotate the lower closure ring and upper closure ring relative to each other and releasable lock them, with a drinking teat and a screw ring having a second internal thread, which is screwed onto the second external thread of the upper closure ring, releasably securing a lower edge region of the drinking teat to upper closure ring.
US07938279B2
A portable and adjustable unique organizer device for hanging on the top of wall(s) or panel(s) and a method of using the device are disclosed. The device has a frame structure with shelves and bars to store and organize various accessories or hygiene items particularly used in showers. The shelves and bars are adjustable by snapping snap-in knobs into different snap-in holes built in the frame structure.
US07938276B2
A filter bag for use in a liquid filtering system is provided. The filter bag comprises a filtration layer. The filtration layer is defined by one or more filter mediums. The filter mediums can be composed of an adsorbent material disposed between two thin wall substrates. The adsorbent material can be a granular activated carbon. The thin wall substrates can be selected to be highly porous thin wall substrates. The filter bag can further comprise one or more diffusion mediums. The diffusion mediums can be defined by a woven or a non-woven mesh material. The mesh material can be selected from a suitable material that is temperature and fluid compatible with the filtering application to be carried out. The filter bag can include alternating layers of medium having one or more filter mediums and one or more diffusion mediums.
US07938269B2
An improved substrate transport pod for storing or transporting semiconductor wafer substrates during semiconductor wafer processing has a main body defined by a plurality of side panels. A substantial portion of at least one of the side panels being formed of a semi-permeable membrane allowing any corrosive gas molecules introduced to the interior of the pod to diffuse out of the transport pod through the semi-permeable membrane while preventing particulate contaminants from entering the transport pod.
US07938261B1
A hand tool display box has a base, a holding device and a simulation device. The base has a baseboard, an annular flange, a through hole and a mounting seat. The annular flange is formed around and protrudes from the baseboard. The mounting seat is formed on and protrudes from the baseboard. The holding device is mounted on the base and has a holding frame and a covering panel. The holding frame is mounted on the baseboard in the through hole and has multiple mounting recesses, multiple clamping ribs and a locking recess. The covering panel is rotatably connected to the holding frame and has a finger tab and a locking panel. The simulation device is rotatably connected to the mounting seat of the base and has a mounting disk, a rotating shaft and an engaging ring.
US07938257B2
A beverage carrier including at least two cartons and a tray having a retractable handle for holding the cartons is provided. The cartons and the tray are each formed from blanks of sheet material. Each carton includes a first and second side wall, a top panel, a bottom panel, and first and second end walls, wherein the side walls, the top panel, the bottom panel and the end walls are interconnected to form the carton. The tray includes a first and second side panel, a first and second bottom panel, a first and second divider panel, and a first and second end panel. The tray includes an opening through which a retractable handle is placed. The retractable handle is configured to move between a recessed position and an extended position. The tray is configured to hold at least two cartons for easy transport and storage.
US07938256B2
The present invention is directed to a means for storing condoms that will protect and conceal the packaged condoms while they are carried on the person or stored by the consumer subsequent to purchase but prior to use. According to the present invention, the storage means, or condom card, comprises two separable half portions each containing a storage compartment for storing at least one condom therein. The two halves of the condom card are separably attached together by known means in the art, such as juxtaposed tabs and slots.
US07938249B2
A shuttle machine for transporting work pieces for a sealing press or other machine tool is disclosed. It has two conveyers for transporting work pieces. The two conveyers are supported by a frame to move back and forth in opposite directions. When the two conveyers are in a first position, a second section of the first conveyer and a first section of the second conveyer are located near the tool, while the first second of the first conveyer and the second section of the section conveyer are accessible to first and second operators, respectively. Both operators can unload and reload work pieces simultaneously while the tool operates on the already loaded work pieces. When the conveyers are moved to a second position, the sections previously operated on are accessible for unloading and reloading, and the sections just loaded are operated on. A related operating method is also disclosed.
US07938248B2
A friction conveyor system comprises a conveyor means (10) including a plurality of conveyor elements (16,18) arranged transverse to the conveying direction (12). The conveyor elements (16,18) are partly driven and partly arranged for free rotation. A workpiece carrier (30) can be loosely placed on the conveyor means (10). For conveying the workpiece carriers (30), use is made of disk-shaped transmission elements (26) connected to the driven conveyor elements (18). The transmission elements (26) are in contact with a friction element (38). The friction elements (38) are connected to an actuation element (46). By actuation of the actuation element (46), the friction element (38) is moved into disengaged position in which the transmission elements (26) are not engaged with the friction elements (38) anymore.
US07938246B2
A stop module has a base body, a stop element configured for objects moving in a direction of motion in a movement plane and located on the base body, a drive device for moving the stop element between a first terminal position, in which the stop element protrudes into the movement plane of the objects, and a second terminal position, in which the stop element enables a motion of objects in the movement plane, and a damping device cooperating with the stop element for damping a motion of the stop element from a first stop position into a second terminal stop position, which is offset relative to the first stop position at least approximately in the direction of motion of the objects, when an object is resting on the stop element, the damping device being configured so as to damp the motion of the stop element from the first stop position to the second terminal stop position with a rotation damper.
US07938243B2
The present invention broadly comprises a vibration damper assembly for a torque transmitting device. The assembly includes a thrust washer secured by first and second components of a vibration damper and a hub secured by the first and second components. The vibration damper, thrust washer, and hub are secured in a fixed position with respect to one another. In some aspects, the torque transmitting device comprises a longitudinal axis and the thrust washer comprises a hub segment having substantially a toroidal shape and at least one retainer segment extending outward, with respect to the axis, from the hub segment. At least a portion of the at least one retainer segment is disposed between the first and second components.
US07938241B1
A hub for a bicycle includes a shaft, a hub body, a ratchet wheel, a damper, a drive seat, and a plurality of pawl members. Thus, when the drive seat is rotatable backward, the locking detent of each of the pawl members is detached from the oneway ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel constantly, so that each of the pawl members will not touch the ratchet wheel to prevent from incurring a noise. In addition, when the drive seat is rotatable backward, the hub body is separated from the drive seat, and rotation of the hub body will not drive the drive seat and the pedal to prevent the pedal from being driven when the hub body is rotated backward.
US07938238B2
A rotary damper (D) is constituted by: housings (11, 51); a silicon oil (21) being housed inside the housings (11, 51); a rotor (31) wherein a resistive portion (36) moving through the silicon oil 21 inside the housings (11, 51) is provided in an axial portion (32) which is housed inside the housings (11, 51) and projects from the housings (11, 51); and an O-ring (61) preventing the silicon oil (21) from leaking between the axial portion (32) and the housing (51), and multiple arc-like through-bores (37) are provided in the resistive portion (36) on a concentric circle, and depressed grooves (38) communicating with the arc-like through-bores (37) are provided. Accordingly, during the assembly, the air being mixed into the housing is not allowed to be excessively compressed, so that even if the rotor rotates bi-directionally, the noise being caused by the air being mixed into the housing can be prevented.
US07938237B2
A brake structure for a main shaft of a direct drive torque motor comprises a body, a direct drive torque motor, a main shaft and a brake assembly. The main shaft is provided for fixing the torque motor and the body, and the brake assembly is mounted between the body and the main shaft. An annular brake oil room of the brake assembly is positioned against the main shaft, and the brake seat subassembly has a thinner brake deformation wall formed between the annular brake oil room and the main shaft. The annular brake oil room utilizes its high pressure caused deformation to the brake deformation wall, thus achieving a braking effect by pressing the main shaft. Thereby, the present invention is easy to assemble, and not only can stop the main shaft quickly, but also has a greater locking force.
US07938230B2
A device for lubricating a component in an assembly of parts comprises a lubricant distribution chamber arranged in the vicinity of the component and formed by an annular setback in a ring mounted on a part of the assembly, said setback being closed automatically when the ring is mounted by means of a corresponding surface of the part into which there open out channels or ducts formed in the part and feeding the setback with lubricant and/or connecting the setback to means for taking lubricant to the component.
US07938225B2
An air intake system for reducing air induction noise, which includes an air duct housing that has a lower shell and an upper shell, each having a first end and a second end and a plurality of tuning holes formed therein. The air intake system further includes an air duct that is connected to the air duct housing and includes a circumferential wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The circumferential wall defines an aperture between a first end and a second end. A venturi is formed between the first and second ends and restricts the amount of sound passing from the first end to the second end of the air duct. The circumferential wall has a predetermined thickness that enables sound to pass through the circumferential wall and into the air duct housing.
US07938212B2
An in-wheel motor system includes a knuckle supporting a hub to be rotatable and including a tank portion in which a refrigerant is accumulated, a housing fixedly attached to the knuckle, a motor incorporated within the housing and driving the hub to rotate, and a pump incorporated within the housing and pumping the refrigerant accumulated within the tank portion to the motor by means of a rotational power of the motor to refrigerate the motor.
US07938209B2
A method for adapting torque characteristic in a disengaging clutch arranged in a vehicle hybrid drive train between an internal combustion engine and an electrical machine connected to a driven wheel, include the following steps: deciding the engine can be disconnected; switching the engine off and opening the clutch; detecting the time gradient of rotational speed of the engine with it switched off and the clutch opened; partially closing the clutch when rotational speed of the engine falls below a predetermined value, and detecting the time gradient of rotational speed of the engine with the clutch partially closed; determining the clutch torque transmitted by the partially closed clutch by evaluating detected time gradients of rotational speed of the engine; and adapting the characteristic of the clutch with the aid of the determined clutch torque transmitted by the partially closed clutch.
US07938203B1
In one aspect of the invention, a downhole centrifugal drilling fluid separator has a bore within a tubular body comprising a central axis. The bore is formed to receive drilling fluid comprising particulate matter. At least one fin rigidly fixed within the bore and at least one port formed in a wall of the tubular body. As the drilling fluid flows through the tubular body the at least one fin creates a rotary motion within the drilling fluid forcing a portion of the particulate matter away from the central axis and through the at least one port in the tubular body.
US07938201B2
Methods and apparatus are provided to place a conductor pipe and a casing in a subsea environment. In one embodiment, a conductor pipe is jetted or drilled into the subsea floor. Thereafter, a casing drilling assembly comprising a drill casing and a drilling assembly is connected to the drill pipe using a crossover. The drilling assembly urged into the seafloor until a casing latch on the drilling assembly is engaged with a casing profile of the conductor pipe. During drilling, instrumentation in the drilling assembly may be used to measure geophysical data. The measured data may be used to optimize the drilling process. After the drill casing is engaged with the conductor pipe, cementing may be performed to set the drill casing.
US07938183B2
Amines or ammonia and amines may be used to enhance recovery of heavy hydrocarbons. The amines or ammonia and amines alone or with water, steam or an oil solvent are combined with the heavy hydrocarbons to promote the transport of the heavy hydrocarbons. The amines or ammonia and amines may be injected downhole or admixed with heavy hydrocarbon containing ore on the surface, optionally with water or steam. Ammonia may be used alone with high quality steam.
US07938175B2
A system and method of drilling and/or perforating uses a laser beam to remove material, such as to perforate the casing, cement and formation or drill a well bore. The system and method can further or alternately encompass material analysis that can be performed without removing the material from the well bore. The analysis can be performed apart from or in connection with drilling operations and/or perforating the casing, cement and formation. The analysis can be used in a feed back loop to adjust material removal, adjust material analysis, determine the location of future material removal, and for other uses.
US07938164B2
A method of continuously casting metal strip for a twin roll caster may include steps of sensing images of a casting pool in the casting area indicative of the casting pool depth, displaying the sensed images to an operator, and controlling a flow of molten metal from a metal supply system into the casting pool responsive to the sensed images indicative of the casting pool depth. The method may include producing separate electrical signals corresponding to the sensed images and controlling the flow of molten metal from the metal supply system into the casting pool responsive to one or more of the electrical signals. The electrical signals may be processed to determine the casting pool depth in each of the plurality of locations and the casting pool depth displayed to the operator. One or a combination of the electrical signals may be selected for providing a determined casting pool depth, and the flow of molten metal may be controlled responsive to the determined casting pool depth. The determined casting pool depth may be an average of casting pool depths from the selected electrical signals.
US07938163B2
A spline apparatus is provided which includes a spline section and a spline channel cover section. The spline apparatus includes an intermediate section that is intermediate and joined to the spline section and a spline channel cover section. A frame member is also provided that can be used with the aforesaid spline apparatus. A center divider is also provided which can be used with the aforesaid frame member and spline apparatus to form a complete main frame assembly that can retain a screen insert and/or glazed insert. An “R” channel member is also provided for use with the aforesaid frame member.
US07938162B2
The invention relates to a roller blind having at least four layers. The outer layers form one sheet and the inner layers form one sheet. A cylindrical body is provided in the inner sheet. The outer sheet has a bending stiffness which is such that, at least at the location of the cylindrical body between the layers of the outer sheet and the layers of the inner sheet, a distance is maintained. The invention furthermore relates to an assembly of a roller blind according to the invention and a double glazing unit.
US07938161B2
A Roman shade is provided with a child safety device that includes a plurality of release devices configured for attachment to the shade material of the Roman shade. Each release device includes a female member and a male member that releasably connect together such that one member is attached to the shade material and the other member has an opening through which a lift cord passes. The male member and female member of each release device are sized and configured to separate when a release force acts on at least one of the female members and male members. A kit for retrofitting Roman shades to include such safety devices is also disclosed.
US07938159B2
A bow taper having a clamping and cut-off station wherein the tape is pulled from a clamping and cut-off station to an extended position to provide a length of tape extending between said clamping and cut-off station to said extended position, and is clamped via a clamp in the station so that when the tape is applied to a case positioned to be taped by said taper on a leading corner of the case that is adjacent to said extended position tension is applied to a free span of tape between the leading corner and the clamp, cutting off tape adjacent to said clamping and cut-off station to leave a free end and releasing said clamp from clamping said tape.
US07938157B2
A detection-alarm mechanism is provided. The detection-alarm mechanism for a tire includes a sensor, an electronic processing unit, a post-processing unit and a display unit. The sensor includes a substrate disposed in the tire and at least one photoelectronic element fixed to the substrate. If the tire is cracked, light passes through the cracks and reaches the photoelectronic elements to generate signals. The electronic processing unit receives signals from the photoelectronic elements to generate wear information. The post-processing unit is disposed in a vehicle on which the tire is installed and receives wear information from the electronic processing unit. The display unit is disposed in the vehicle for presenting the wear information.
US07938156B2
Methods for optimizing lumber are provided. In an embodiment, boards cut from a log are examined for warp stability and/or knots. This occurs prior to and/or after the planing process. Based on the examination for warp stability and/or knots, the boards can be sent to a lumber upgrade process, such as for example, re-drying, edging, splitting, trimming, chopping, chipping, or the like. Accordingly, the method of the present invention enables more efficient allocation of lumber towards manufacturing needs.
US07938154B2
A timber-working head comprises a first motor, a second motor, a feed wheel, and an adaptor plate. The first motor comprises a first rotary output element. The second motor comprises a second rotary output element. The feed wheel is fixed to the first rotary output element for rotation therewith. The adaptor plate fixed to the second rotary output element for rotation therewith. The adaptor plate comprises radial projections arranged about the periphery of the adaptor plate and received respectively within corresponding axially recessed portions of the feed wheel so as to provide an operational interface between the adaptor plate and the feed wheel.
US07938153B1
A shear attachment is presented for use with different types of motorized vehicles and is generally provided with an upper cutting jaw, a lower receiving jaw and a plurality of teeth along the upper surface of the lower jaw to grip an object while it is being cut between the upper and lower jaws. A single actuator may be used to move the cutting jaw between open and closed positions. The shear may be pivoted about a horizontal axis with respect to its mounting bracket to facilitate cutting at different angles. The shear is removably coupled to the vehicle using a universal hitch. The efficient design of the shear makes it durable, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate.
US07938149B2
Apparatus for heat exchange in a high pressure gas storage tank wherein a heat absorbent gas media circulates within the tank and absorbs or radiates the heat resulting from compression and expansion of gas stored in the on board tank depending upon the mode of operation of the vehicle, the gas media is circulated through a heat exchange unit external to the tank whereby heat is radiated to or absorbed from an environment external to the tank, and an in situ heat exchange device installed within the tank absorbs or radiates the heat from or to the gas stored in the tank as a result of heat exchange through a unit external to the tank.
US07938146B2
Disclosed herein is a repair apparatus and method for pipe and fittings. In one form, the method relates to utilizing fabric-like material which is intermixed with an adhesive. In one form, the adhesive is a two-part adhesive which hardens to a semi-rigid state to avoid stress fractures through repeated expansion and contraction due to physical movement or temperature variation in the pipe and/or fittings. In one form the method and apparatus are particularly useful in thermoplastic pipes. In other forms, the method is particularly useful in metal pipes and fittings, or in non-pipe structures.
US07938128B2
A kit is provided having an applicator device including a heater and a composition for application to the eyelashes. The composition presents at least one property that varies as a function of temperature and is contained in an applicator endpiece of a shape that is adapted to being fitted to the heater, or the composition is contained in a receptacle in the form of a powder in which the heater can be immersed so as to be loaded with composition.
US07938120B2
A method and apparatus for delivering energy during a surgical procedure such as phacoemulsification is provided. The method and apparatus include applying energy during at least one pulsed energy on period, comprising applying energy during a series of short burst periods, the short burst periods interspersed by short rest periods. The method and apparatus further comprise delivering minimal energy during a long off period, the long off period comprising a relatively long period when minimal energy is applied, wherein one long off period follows each pulsed energy on period. The short burst periods and the short rest periods are relatively brief in duration as compared with the long off period.
US07938119B2
A laryngeal mask airway includes a flexible tubular portion, an inflatable sealing cuff, an inflation tube, and a belt. The flexible tubular portion has a first opening part and a second opening part. The inflatable sealing cuff is disposed surrounding the first opening part. The inflation tube has one end connected to the inflatable sealing cuff and the other end for directing gas into the inflatable sealing cuff. The belt is secured on the first opening part. Moreover, an operating piece controls the laryngeal mask airway, and a gas supply kit includes the laryngeal mask airway.
US07938110B2
A ball launcher of the type that includes a piston slidable in a launch tube to increase air pressure behind a ball loaded into a front end of the launcher includes a launch tube of an outwardly flared construction to a diameter greater than the diameter of the ball loaded into the launcher. The outwardly flared end has an inwardly directed peripheral ledge defining an aperture smaller than the ball diameter. A spring located within the flared end biases the loaded ball against the ledge to create and maintain a pneumatic seal between the ball and ledge prior to launch.
US07938108B2
This invention relates to sporting and hunting throwing weaponry, more specifically, crossbow. The crossbow comprises a limbs riser, limbs oriented towards the shot direction, cams installed on the ends of said limbs, bowstring and cables passing through said cams and a barrel on which said limbs riser, a trigger mechanism and a foregrip are installed.
US07938107B2
A flow control valve, comprising a flow controlling valve configured to deflect from a generally planar posture to an increasingly nonplanar posture responsive to a relative increase in pressure difference and flow across the valve element; and a support element including a support structure supporting the valve element in its undeflected state; at least a first contact surface recessed from the support structure and configured to engage the valve element only when the valve element is deflected; and a flow passage wherein an effective flow-through volume through the at least one opening and the flow passage decreases as deflection of the valve element increases.
US07938102B2
A diesel engine coupled to a transmission and having a fuel injector control system which among other things monitors the load on the engine by measuring the transmission line pressure, a higher pressure being indicative of a greater load. When the pressure is below a preset value and the engine is sufficiently warm, the normal injector firing sequence is altered by not actuating injectors at spaced intervals in the firing sequence. As the pressure and therefore the load decreases, the intervals between which injectors are not actuated are decreased so that in a given number of engine rotations there are fewer injector actuations and as a result of corresponding cylinders being idle, less fuel is supplied to the engine at lighter loads.
US07938098B2
An ECU controls an internal combustion engine which generates a tumble flow inside a cylinder and strengthens the tumble flow by fuel injected near bottom dead center of an intake stroke. The ECU includes an injection timing changing device that changes the injection timing of fuel based on the amount of air drawn into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine.
US07938094B2
An internal combustion engine including an oil passage, which connects the interior of a crankcase and the interior of a cylinder head, is disclosed. The oil passage is open at the upper section of the crankcase. Oil in the cylinder head is transferred to the crankcase via the oil passage and trickles down along an inner wall surface of a skirt of the crankcase to be returned to an oil pan. The crankcase accommodates an operating member such as a connecting rod. A protrusion formed on the inner wall surface of the skirt extends substantially along a projected part, which is a projection of the operating member projected on the inner wall surface in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the crankshaft, such that the protrusion separates at least part of the projected part from a section of the inner wall surface closer to the opening of the oil passage.
US07938093B2
This invention relates to an articulated two piece piston designed for reciprocable movement within a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The piston has a crown of high-strength ferrous material that is precision cast net to finished dimensions on all inner and outer surfaces to provide a controlled thickness throughout to ensure mechanical and thermal consistency without any additional machining of the crown. The crown is attached to a separate skirt by the use of a wrist pin, wherein the skirt is made of ferrous or non-ferrous materials by casting or other means.
US07938078B2
The present electric horn system includes a monolithic rigid housing member having a receiving opening for fixably housing, in a non-removable and secure manner following assembly, a compressor member, thereby preventing unintended separation and improving a reliability of the electric horn system. An acoustic sound wave generator includes an acoustic duct chambering system associated throughout with the monolithic rigid housing member. The acoustic sound wave generator receives compressed air from the compressor member to produce sound and propagate the same externally. A horn mounting system enables ready attachment of the system to a consumer-desired surface: mechanically, magnetically, adhesively, or via any other known attachment or mounting system. Optional weather and water resistant systems prohibit unintended water access to the electric horn system enabling use of the system in exposed weather conditions for improved user convenience.
US07938071B2
A secondary air flow biasing apparatus for a CFB combustion system includes a sorbent feed path configured to convey processed sorbent particles to a CFB furnace by utilizing a portion of secondary combustion air supplied to the furnace; a first air injection port disposed within a wall of a lower portion of the furnace, at a first elevation above a primary air distribution grate of the furnace; a second air injection port disposed within the wall of the lower portion of the furnace, at a second elevation above the first elevation; and an air/sorbent separation device in fluid communication with the sorbent feed path, the separation device configured to separate a substantial portion of the secondary combustion air from the processed sorbent particles such that a relatively lean sorbent-to-air mixture is introduced through the second air injection port and a relatively rich sorbent-to-air mixture is introduced through the first air injection port.
US07938070B2
A pallet includes a carrier and a plurality of pallet supports. Each pallet support includes: a cover member, a retaining board, a retaining wall, a cannular piece, and a base member. The retaining board includes a first hole; the cover member includes a second hole, and the base member includes a third hole. The retaining wall and the cannular piece are located on the base member. The retaining board is located above the retaining wall. The cannular piece is connected to the cover member by passing through the first hole. Thus, the carrier can be supported between the cover member and the retaining board. The retaining board and the retaining wall are both made of paper material.
US07938068B2
The present invention relates to section of track that can be used with a toy train track set that has a toy vehicle and a track. The section of track is configured to align a toy train that is placed on the track section. The alignment section of track includes guide surfaces that are configured to align the toy train on the track.
US07938061B2
An apparatus and method for combining particulate and soft-serve ice cream is disclosed. The soft serve ice cream is manufactured using N2 vapor.
US07938060B2
A method of manufacturing breadcrumbs, including the steps of forming a mixture, extruding the mixture to form loaves, surface drying the loaves in a first drying step, comminuting the loaves to form particles having a smaller size than the loaves, and further drying the particles in a second drying step to obtain the breadcrumbs.
US07938052B2
A thermal radiation-generating decoy mounted adjacent an aircraft engine structure, such as an engine nacelle, includes a heat source inside of an aerodynamic enclosure with a mounting interface to attach the enclosure to the engine structure. The decoy can further be located at the lower extreme of and adjacent the forward-most portion of the engine nacelle in order to attract an infrared-seeking threat to the vicinity of the fan containment portion of the engine nacelle. The decoy can be designed to have a thermal signature that mimics a scaled overall aircraft thermal signature. In addition, the decoy can include a fuse shield adjacent the enclosure to detonate a threat in the case that the threat approach trajectory is imprecise and the threat bypasses the enclosure within an aspect of the fuse shield as viewed from the approach direction of the threat.
US07938045B2
A driving tool including a guide groove shaped as a long hole receives a driver bit such that a portion thereof excluding its support is projectable outside of the handle body. The base material has the outline shape of the supporter of the driver bit and is formed so that it might project to the inner side in the inside wall of the circumference wall by the side of the central part of the guide groove of the top plate of the cap. The locking piece is formed in the inner wall of the open end of the cap so that it can stop the rotation part which can prevent a plurality of driver bits from entering the guide groove of the cap.
US07938044B2
A driver including a handle, lever, swivel cap, shaft, and a tip mechanically connected to the lever configured to engage a screw. Engaging the lever causes the tip to either compress or expand so as to lock the screw to the driver. According to one exemplary embodiment, the cap can be translated releasing the lever, thereby releasing the screw from the tip. According to one embodiment, the cap is a swivel cap allowing for jeweler style use. Advantages of the present system and method, according to various embodiments, include a tip compressing a feature that is within an outer diameter of the screw allowing a driver, or a portion thereof, to have a maximum diameter equal to or smaller than the maximum diameter of a screw.
US07938042B2
A ratchet wrench includes a head (11) having a through-hole (13) rotatably receiving a drive member (20). Two pawls (30) are pivotably received in two compartments (21) in the drive member (20). Each pawl (30) includes first teeth (31) on a first end (60) thereof and second teeth (32) on a second end (62) thereof. Each pawl (30) includes first second, and third positioning faces (351, 352, 353) on an inner side (64) thereof. A control member (40) is rotatably received in the drive member (20) and movable between first, second, and third operative positions to change the driving direction of the ratchet wrench. The center (C) of the third positioning face (353) of each pawl (30) is not coincident to the center of the inner side (64) of the pawl (30).
US07938029B2
An oil sampling assembly structured to collect an oil sample from the oil circulating system of an engine or other device and including a housing connected in fluid communication with the oil circulating system and having a container removably connected thereto. During operation of the oil circulating system a continuous flow of oil into and out of the container will occur. When the oil circulating system is not operating, oil and any contaminants contained therein will collect within the container. The container and oil sample is detached from the housing, replaced by another container, and connected to a closure for transport to a testing facility.
US07938026B2
A magnetostrictive torque sensor comprising: a magnetostrictive film provided on a ferromagnetic shaft; a bias magnetization device which applies a bias magnetic field to the shaft to magnetize the shaft; and a detection device which detects a change in magnetism of the magnetostrictive film, wherein: a torque acting on the shaft calculated based on the detection results of the detection device; and the bias magnetization device applies a bias magnetic field to the shaft at a predetermined timing.
US07938019B2
A sealed electrode assembly for fluid measurements in a pressurized pipe having a wall, for providing contact between an electrode in contact with the fluid and the outside. The assembly includes a conductive bolt extending from the electrode and through the wall, a lining in the pipe having an opening for the bolt and insulating the electrode from the wall, a sealing ring fitted around the bolt, a mantel surrounding the bolt having a recess partially accepting the sealing ring and provided a pressure on the sealing ring when pressed into the recess, and a tightening structure on the outside of the wall for applying a pressure forcing the electrode toward the wall and thus a pressure between the lining, sealing ring and mantel.
US07938008B2
A method of performing a non-destructive examination of a piece of material, having the steps of providing an angle beam wedge and at least two transducers placed upon the wedge, wherein the transducers are placed in a phased array, placing the wedge upon the piece of material to be examined, producing a guided wave into the piece of material to be examined, wherein the guided wave is placed into the material through a synthetically changed incident angle, receiving the guided wave from the piece of material, and determining one of a presence of defects and lack of defects in the piece of material from the received guided wave. Transducers used may include 360 degree guided wave, radial polarized units, parallel shear units for shear horizontal activation and guided wave wheel probes.
US07938003B2
A gravity gradiometer is disclosed which has a sensor in the form of bars (41 and 42) which are supported on a mounting (5) which has a first mount section (10) and a second mount section (20). A first flexure web (33) pivotally couples the first and second mount sections about a first axis. The second mount has a first part (25), a second part (26) and a third part (27). The parts (25 and 26) are connected by a second flexure web (37) and the parts (26 and 27) are connected by a third flexure web (35). The bars (41 and 42) are located in housings (45 and 47) and form a monolithic structure with the housings (45 and 47) respectively. The housings (45 and 47) are connected to opposite sides of the second mount section 20. The bars (41 and 42) are connected to their respective housings by flexure webs (59). Transducers (71) are located in proximity to the bars for detecting movement of the bars to in turn enable the gravitational gradient tensor to be measured. First and second feedback controllers are provided for monitoring disturbances of an external platform and an internal platform which mount the gradiometer for producing forces to stabilise the sensor.
US07937999B2
Apparatus, methods and computer programs disclosed herein, in one aspect, estimate a temperature of a selected region of an earth formation using a virgin formation temperature of the earth formation, a downhole fluid temperature measured over time, an elapsed time between drilling proximate the selected region and making of a formation evaluation measurement of the selected region, an estimate of thermal conductivity of the earth formation, and a heat capacity of the earth formation. In another aspect, the apparatus, methods and computer programs utilize the estimated temperature and the formation evaluation measurement to estimate a property of interest of the selected region. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).
US07937997B2
The present invention regards a tire braking characteristic test apparatus which can reflect the dynamic characteristics of a vehicle at the time of braking in order to evaluate the braking characteristics of tires. The test apparatus can also perform a test where a vehicle condition is changed in a manner which influences the braking characteristics of the tires.
US07937995B2
In a method for monitoring an exhaust gas purifying component with gas storage capability for purifying exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine, the exhaust gas purifying component comprises a gas storage material which changes from a first state into a second state upon storage of the gas. A temperature change of the exhaust gas purifying component and/or of the gas storage material, substantially based on a heat tonality of the modification transition, is measured and evaluated.
US07937989B2
Described herein is a device for detecting a physical variable for a process fluid via differential measurement, comprising a pressure transmitter having a main body, provided with a pressure sensor and a first pressure-sensitive element and a second pressure-sensitive element operatively connected to the pressure sensor. The device moreover comprises a first remote separator, designed to be positioned in a first detection position, and a second remote separator, designed to be positioned in a second detection position.
US07937969B2
A method of forming a glass melt, including measuring predetermined amounts of raw materials to define a glass batch, combining predetermined amounts of sources of silica, calcia and boron from the glass batch to yield a first pre-batch, substantially consolidating the first pre-batch into first pre-batch granules, combining predetermined amounts of sources of silica, calcia, and alumina from the glass batch to yield a second pre-batch, mixing the first and second pre-batches and any remaining portion of the glass batch to yield a batch mixture, and heating the batch mixture to yield a glass melt. Typically, the raw materials at least include sources of silica, alumina, calcia and boron and each respective first pre-batch granule defines a cohesive agglomerate.
US07937966B2
An item of jewelry includes a movable or removable setting and a charm coupled to a short chain. The chain carrying the charm can be captured by the movable or removable setting. According to one embodiment, the setting has internal threads which mate with a threaded post. According to another embodiment, the setting is coupled to a slotted basket via a bayonet coupling. The charms are preferably provided in a wide range of designs, including, but not limited to holiday themes, religious themes, astrological signs, varsity letters, graduation year, wedding themes, commercial characters such as Disney characters, TV characters, messages such as “I Love You”, etc. The settings may include different color stones to match different color clothing, birth stones, etc.
US07937964B2
A mounting kit consisting of a top panel made from polyethylene plastic with designated areas cut out to accommodate a standard car stereo and four speakers along with optional support sides also made from polyethylene plastic to allow for installation within an ice chest (cooler) or other secure, durable container. An antenna, screws, power switch, charging receptacle and all mounting hardware are included.
US07937959B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a control system, an integrated control apparatus, and a control program that are capable of well maintaining freshness and quality of food articles, by reducing time for performing a recovery operation following a frost removing operation of cooling devices. In response to a start of the frost removing operation of a first showcase, an integrated control apparatus provides a second device controller (device control unit) with a “lower limit cooling instruction (increase instruction)” to increase the refrigerant supplied to a second showcase to an amount larger than that before the frost removing operation starts. In response to the “lower limit cooling instruction (increase instruction),” the second device controller (device control unit) increases the amount of the refrigerant supplied to the second showcase.
US07937952B2
The present application is directed to thermoelectric coolers that include multiple temperature zones. The thermoelectric cooler may include a first series of thermoelectric intermediate members interconnecting a second plate with a first section of a first plate, and a second series of thermoelectric intermediate members interconnecting the second plate with a second section of the first plate. The first series may form a first temperature zone and the second series may form a second temperature zone. Each of the first and second series of thermoelectric intermediate members may be configured to electrically connect with a DC power supply to energize the first and second series and independently control temperatures of the first and second sections of the second plate.
US07937951B2
A system for cooling the impeller of a centrifugal compressor in a turbomachine is disclosed. The compressor supplies an annular diffuser. The diffuser includes an end-piece that extends downstream and along the impeller of the compressor and is covered on the upstream side by an annular metal sheet. The sheet delimits, with the impeller of the compressor, a first annular passageway to carry away the air taken from the outlet of the compressor and, with the end-piece of the diffuser, a second annular passageway to carry away a portion of the air flow coming out of the diffuser.
US07937943B2
This invention provides heat engines based on the structure of internal combustion engines and employs a gaseous working fluid without combustion. The heat engine comprises at least a piston and cylinder assembly and each cylinder has at least an associated heating chamber with a heat exchanger unit being disposed therewithin. The chamber may have at least a chamber valve to establish or block the flow of the gaseous working fluid between the heating chamber and cylinder space. The engine is adapted to operate on cycles that enable heat transfer from a heat source to the working fluid while being enclosed within the heating chamber and provides substantially increased heat transfer duration before the power stroke. Therefore the engine may produce sufficiently high power output with reasonably high thermal efficiency.
US07937937B2
A blade with first and second blade tabs extending outwardly from an edge of the blade; and a shell with a first indent and a first slot. The first blade tab is arranged to engage the first indent and the second blade tab is arranged to engage the first slot. In one embodiment, the first indent is arranged radially inward on the shell relative to the first slot. In one embodiment, the first blade tab is affixed to the first indent. In one embodiment, the second blade tab is bent over an outside surface of the turbine shell. In one embodiment, the shell includes a second indent and the blade includes a third blade tab extending outwardly from the edge and at least partially disposed in the second indent. A method of manufacturing a pump or turbine shell for a torque converter.
US07937932B2
A metering valve assembly having a metering valve for metering an aqueous urea solution for posttreatment of exhaust gases from internal combustion engines, the liquid being capable of being fed in a feeding direction to the metering valve and a mixing chamber being provided, in which the liquid is miscible with a gas in a gas flow. The metering valve is evacuatable contrary to the feeding direction.
US07937931B2
A procedure is introduced to operate a diesel engine, which has a catalytic converter with three-way conversion characteristics. The procedure is characterized thereby, in that if the engine rotational speed increases without in the process exceeding an engine rotational speed threshold value and the engine's load is greater than a load threshold value, the diesel engine is operated in such a manner that the diesel engine alternately generates an oxidizing and a reductive exhaust gas atmosphere before the catalytic converter. Additionally a control unit is introduced, which controls the sequence of the procedure.
US07937930B1
A semiclosed power system utilizing a Brayton cycle with combustion occurring between diesel fuel and O2 in direct contact with an inert gas. The inert gas and products of combustion form a heated working fluid which is expanded in a turbine to provide power. The expanded working fluid is then used in a regenerator to heat the cooler, compressed inert gas before the inert gas is transferred to the combustor. The expanded working fluid is cooled by direct contact with seawater causing the steam within the expanded working fluid to condense to water and CO2 in the working fluid to be dissolved in the water and seawater. The inert gas is separated from the fluids and recycled within the system. The fluids are pumped overboard.
US07937920B2
A harvesting header having a flexible cutterbar assembly utilizes draper belts behind the cutterbar assembly to gently consolidate the severed crop materials and deliver them to a point of discharge and delivery, such as to the feederhouse of a combine harvester. The header includes laterally spaced support arms attached to and cooperatively supporting the flexible cutterbar assembly. The support arms are pivotally coupled to the frame for swinging movement about a laterally extending axis so that the cutterbar assembly is operable to flex along the length thereof in response to changes in terrain as the header is advanced.
US07937916B2
For the purpose of handling tobacco bags (10) made of sheet material, a plurality of unfilled bags (10) are fed to a transfer station (29) and transferred simultaneously, by a transfer subassembly (31), to a further-processing subassembly, namely to a bag turret (30) arranged above a bag conveyor (28). During transfer, the bags (10) are transported along an upwardly directed movement path and turned through 180° in the process.
US07937911B1
A method of preparing a blister card to contain medicaments in accordance with a predetermined prescription, comprises positioning a blister sheet blank having a plurality of blisters onto a support surface of a fixture. Each of the blisters are then at least partially filled with one or more medicaments in accordance with the predetermined prescription. Then, a backing layer blank is positioned over the blister sheet blank to retain the medicaments in the blisters and to prevent contamination. Finally, the blister sheet blank and the backing layer blank are sealed together while positioned on the fixture to form a sealed blister card.
US07937905B2
A tape guide plate and finger plate assembly for the leading end portion of the carton or case sealing tape is provided in order to effectively prevent the leading end portion of the carton or case sealing tape from folding over upon itself whereby the adhesive material, disposed upon the front side surface portion of the sealing tape would effectively become stuck to itself and thereby foul further carton or case seal-ing operations. In addition, rollers are provided upon a finger plate so as to permit the sealing tape to be dispensed in a substantially frictionless or drag-free manner.
US07937902B1
A rain screen system for attaching an array of panels to the outside of a building, by means of a track system. The track system includes a series of horizontal mounting tracks that extend across the entire width of the panel array. Each horizontal mounting track has an upturned building-side leg that forms both a mounting flange, through a local shim, to the building, as well as the building side of a water tight, continuous, self draining gutter system. Each track also has an upturned panel-side leg that forms both a mounting flange for the lower edge of a panel and the panel side of the gutter system. Each track also forms a water seal at the top edge of the panel. The gutter system has a weep holes on the panel side of the gutter system, adapted so that drainage is fed to the top of the lower panel.
US07937901B2
A tendon-identifying, post-tensioned, elevated concrete slab, and method and form panel apparatus for constructing the same, provides a distinctively-patterned bottom side slab surface in which the slab has a full thickness dimension extending along each individual post-tensioning uniform and banded tendon embedded within the slab and a reduced-thickness dimension in the areas between each individual, adjacent laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending uniform tendon of the post-tensioning system, whereby the location of embedded tendons can be identified by the full thickness areas of the slab appearing as prominent, elongated rib-like surfaces extending between inwardly recessed surfaces of the bottom side of the slab.
US07937896B1
An improved bird repellent device which is simple and inexpensive to produce and install, yet which is 100% effective in preventing birds from landing or nesting on the protected structure by presenting a surface which projects outwardly from the protected structure at an angle in excess of 25° is impossible for birds to land or nest on and which can be installed quickly and easily on substantially any structure to be protected and is 100% effective in preventing landing or nesting of birds.
US07937892B2
A continuous assemblage of pots for raising and transplanting seedlings and a method of manufacturing the assemblage is provided, in which it is possible to extend the length of a link piece without folding an extension portion or arranging a slit, thereby making it possible to handle enlargement of the interval between the planted seedlings stably and reliably.A link piece 3 is formed by folding back both ends of a strip-shaped thin film in the length direction, such that approximately one-fourth of the length of the thin film is folded back onto the same face of the in film at each end, then attaching the folded-back portions to the same face of the thin film with a water-soluble adhesive. The link pieces 3 are disposed in two rows in a staggered arrangement in which the folded-back portions 6 are oriented such that they face the folded-back portions 6 of the opposing link pieces 3. Continuous pieces 8 are formed by using a non-water-soluble adhesive to attach both ends in the length direction of each link piece 3 to the opposing link pieces 3. Individual pots 2 are formed between the opposing link pieces 3. Therefore, it is possible to extend the length of the link piece 3 without folding an extension portion or arranging a slit, as in the conventional continuous assemblage of pots, thereby making it possible to handle enlargement of the interval between the planted seedlings stably and reliably.
US07937890B2
The present invention discloses and claims methods and devices for the rapid mechanical isolation of monocot plant tissues suitable for transformation or tissue culture. The invention includes mechanical devices for substantially isolating target plant tissues for use as transformable explants, and propagation of transgenic plants and plant tissues.
US07937888B2
A vineyard trellis system that includes a ground anchored upright post, at least one foliage wire passing by the post and having a supporting interengagement with the post, and lifting means arranged to effect a lifting or lowering of the wire in relation to the post where said lifting means include a support member slidably engaging with the post and engaging with the foliage wire, and a winch arrangement adapted to assist in a lifting or lowering of the support member to effect a change in height of the foliage wire with respect to the post.
US07937887B2
An insect trap (100) is disclosed which has insect retention means (300) for preventing escape of insects which enter an effective zone of said insect retention means (300) and insect attractant means (200) for attracting insects from a selected group of insects to within said effective zone of said insect retention means (300). The attractant means include at least one variable infra-red radiation emission means (2, 4) adapted to emit variable infra-red radiation. The arrangement is such that insects from the selected group which are outside the trap (100) can detect the variable infra-red radiation and are attracted to an area within the effective zone of the insect retention means (300). A method of attracting insects from a selected group of insects to a predetermined location is also disclosed.
US07937886B2
A spill resistant insect bait station designed for secure anchorage to the ground is disclosed as having a generally hollow main body defining an internal reservoir for containing a flowable, preferably liquid, bait contained therein. The main body is preferably fabricated from plastic via a blow molding process that includes the steps of filling and sealing. By removing a seal, an access opening is provided at ground level in proximity to the base and an access tunnel guides insects to an opening at the top of the bait station. At top opening on the opposite side of the bait station relative to the access opening allows insect access to the internal reservoir while rending the bait station inherently spill resistant. The inner wall of the main body includes a spiral ramp leading downward to provide insects with access to liquid bait contained therein.
US07937882B2
A culling buoy holder that includes multiple tubes laid side by side in a parallel fashion and affixed to a mounting structure or to each other. The tubes are sized in length and diameter such that a culling buoy may be inserted down through the bore of a tube, with a float first orientation, until the float dangles below the lower open end of the tube. Further, while tube bore sizes are large enough to permit the passing of a buoy float, they are small enough that the clipping apparatus comprising the opposite end of the buoy cannot pass. Advantageously, each buoy, once inserted through an individual tube of the buoy holder, is effectively separated from other buoys as it securely hangs in its individual tube.
US07937876B1
A take down front pin and take down rear pin designed to simplify the process whereby an upper receiver is engaged with and disengaged from a lower receiver of a firearm. Each of the take down front and rear pins comprises a body having attached to a proximal end thereof a positioning member, wherein, when the pins are properly positioned to engage the upper receiver to the lower receiver, the positioning member protrudes from a main frame of the lower receiver. Furthermore, in addition to the positioning of the positioning member on the firearm such that it protrudes from the lower receiver, thereby making the respective pin easily accessible, the positioning member is also configured to facilitate the manual sliding of the pin to, within, from, and without engaging elements located on the upper and lower receiver of the firearm.
US07937871B2
A floorplate for a handgun magazine is used for the breakage of glass panes and is manufactured so that it fits all types of handgun magazines without disrupting the overall function of either the magazine or the handgun. The floorplate has a hole in which a pin is incorporated. The floorplate, when placed on the magazine of the handgun, allows the magazine to be also used as a hand tool for the breakage of glass panes. Additionally, when the magazine with the floorplate and incorporated pin is placed inside the handgun, it allows the handgun to be also used as a hammer-like tool for the breakage of glass panes.
US07937861B1
An ear tag retainer system for efficiently and easily securing an ear tag to an animal. The ear tag retainer system generally includes a retainer including a plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes extend from the retainer and a holder including a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings receive the plurality of nodes when attaching an identification tag to an animal.
US07937855B2
The snowshoe defines opposite front and rear ends, opposite first and second sides and opposite top and bottom surfaces and comprises a rigid peripheral frame member comprising a top portion corresponding to the top surface of the snowshoe and a bottom portion corresponding to the bottom surface of the snowshoe and having a frame member thickness defined between the top and bottom portions. The snowshoe also has a decking that is at least semi-rigid and that comprises a central load-bearing portion and a number of tongue members fixed to the load-bearing portion and attached to the frame member whereby the frame member carries the decking. The snowshoe further has a harness pivotally attached to either one of the decking and the frame member for allowing a person's foot to be releasably attached to the snowshoe. The tongue members have a staggered attachment configuration relative to the thickness of the frame member.
US07937852B1
A flexible, elastic gaiter device designed to doubly encircle an upper rim of a wearer's footwear as well as the wearer's ankle to block ingress of debris into the footwear upper rim while bracing wearer's ankle protecting it against external and internal injury. The device is an elongated generally rectangular article. It comprises a closed loop nylon plush fabric outer layer to which is foamed an inner layer of synthetic rubber based on polychloroprene. At one end of the article's rubbery layer a fastener strip of hook elements is attached. The gaiter device is applied with its rubbery layer bridging the footwear upper rim, and firmly stretched to a double wrap, then secured by fastening the strip of hook elements with the plush outer layer. Lower edge corners of the article are diagonally cropped so that, when stretched, the lower edge will not have unsightly exposed portions.
US07937844B2
A hybrid wheel alignment system and methodology use passive targets for a first pair of wheels (e.g. front wheels) and active sensing heads for another pair of wheels (e.g. rear wheels). The active sensing heads combine image sensors for capturing images of the targets with at least one spatial relationship sensor for sensing a relationship between the active sensing heads. One or both of the active sensing heads may include inclinometers or the like, for sensing one or more tilt angles of the respective sensing head. Data from the active sensing heads may be sent to a host computer for processing to derive one or more vehicle measurements, for example, for measurement of parameters useful in wheel alignment applications.
US07937842B2
A plane includes a plane body having an opening positioned in a bottom surface of the plane body, an angled support structure carried by the plane body, a blade supported by the angled support structure, the blade having an edge positionable to protrude from the opening, and a lateral stabilizer constructed and arranged to inhibit a lateral movement of the blade while permitting a longitudinal movement of the blade. The blade adjuster is operatively connected with the blade and longitudinally moves the blade so as to control a distance that the edge of the blade protrudes through the opening and laterally moves the blade so as to control an angle of the edge of the blade relative to the bottom surface of the plane body.
US07937840B2
A knife connector includes a base, a cover, a clamping device and a connecting stub. The base has a holding side, a knife-holding end, a connecting end opposite to the knife-holding end and a holding cavity. The holding cavity is defined in the holding side and has an opening defined in the knife-holding end. The cover is pivotally connected to the base to close the holding cavity. The clamping device is mounted on the base and holding the cover on the base to close the holding cavity. The connecting stub is mounted on the connecting end of the base and has a non-circular cross section and an engaging recess defined around the connecting stub. Accordingly, the knife connector can detachably and changeably connect a blade body to a handle to fit with different kinds of cutting tools.
US07937837B2
A razor that includes a handle having an axis, a first shaver head having one or more blades, mounted at a front end of the handle and a second shaver head mounted on a support mounted at a back end of the handle and pivotable with respect to the support between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the support projects outward from the back end of the handle to allow shaving with the second shaver head and in the closed position, the support is retracted within the handle.
US07937831B2
A method of connecting an electric actuator to a printed circuit by metal contacts having an open contact zone. The metal contacts are soldered to the printed circuit using an SMD-type automated method performed at a high speed and at a high temperature, and the electrical connection pins of the actuator can be mechanically connected to the metal contacts without soldering by butting the contact zone of the metal contacts against the connection pins of the actuator once the connection pins have been inserted through the contact zone.
US07937830B2
An interposer 2 comprising a base 10 formed of a plurality of resin layers 26, 34, 42, 52, 56; a thin-film capacitor 12 buried in the base 10, including a lower electrode 20, a capacitor dielectric film 22 and an upper electrode 24; a first through-electrode 14b formed through the base 10 and electrically connected to the upper electrode 24 of the thin-film capacitor 12; and a second through-electrode 14a formed through the base 10 and electrically connected to the lower electrode 20 of the thin-film capacitor 12, further comprising: an interconnection 48 buried in the base 10 and electrically connected to the respective upper electrodes 24 of a plurality of the thin-film capacitors 12, a plurality of the first through-electrodes 14b being electrically connected to the upper electrodes 24 of said plurality of the thin-film capacitors 12 via the interconnection 48, and said plurality of the first through-electrodes 14b being electrically interconnected by the interconnections 48.
US07937827B2
A method for producing a multilayer substrate includes stacking a first substrate, the first substrate having a circuit pattern; stacking a connector, the connector coupling onto said first substrate, the connector having a ring structure, the ring structure having a plurality of holes separated a predetermined distance from one another; and stacking a second substrate, the second substrate coupling onto said first substrate by inserting said connector, the second substrate having a circuit pattern, the circuit pattern being electrically connected to a circuit pattern formed on said first substrate, the circuit pattern being electrically connected using the plurality of holes formed on said connector. The method of producing a multilayer substrate can shield the EMI generated by a high-speed switching element.
US07937825B2
A surge protector coated with an oxide layer having an excellent chemical stability at the high temperature range and excellent adherence with respect to main discharge electrodes. The surge protector includes a column-shaped ceramic member that has a conductive film divided by a discharge gap interposed therebetween; a pair of main discharge electrode members opposite to each other on both ends of the column-shaped ceramic member to come in contact with the conductive film; and a cylindrical ceramic tube which is fitted to the pair of main discharge electrode members opposite to each other to seal both the column-shaped ceramic member and sealing gas inside thereof. Oxide films are formed on main discharge surfaces of at least the protrusive supporting portions of the pair of main discharge electrode members opposite to each other, by performing an oxidation treatment, respectively.
US07937800B2
A robotic vacuum cleaner includes a casing with a motor-driven wheel unit mounted on a lower major wall thereof, and a tactile sensor unit yieldable radially relative to the casing. An electrical control unit is operable to control the wheel unit to operate in a starting mode in which the casing is moved along a spiral path, and, upon receipt of a switching signal generated by the sensor unit in response to a contact of the sensor unit with an obstacle, controls the wheel unit to operate in an edge-cleaning mode in which the wheel unit is initially turned to a normal angle, is then driven to move forward a predetermined distance, is subsequently turned to an activating angle, and is moved towards the obstacle to permit contact of the sensor unit with the obstacle so as to result in generation of switch signal enabling the wheel unit to continue to operate in the edge-cleaning mode.
US07937793B1
A vehicle tire cleaning system comprises a support grate, configured to enable positioning of a tire of a vehicle thereupon. The support grate is capable of supporting a load of the tire thereupon while the tire is mounted to the vehicle. A plurality of openings is formed in the support grate. A carrier is moveable with respect to the support grate. A plurality of abrading elements is coupled to the carrier and each is extendable through the openings. The abrading elements are operable to abrade the tire supported by the support grate as the tire and the abrading elements move relative to each another.
US07937792B2
A scrubbing device includes a support member, a battery, and a yoke coupled to the support member. A yoke arm from the yoke is coupled to a head assembly via a cam lock. The cam lock allows the head assembly to move or be fixed in relation to the yoke assembly. The head assembly further includes an electric motor coupled to the battery, the electric motor coupled to an output member. The output member is coupled to a scrubbing accessory.
US07937786B2
A bed for a child has a sack of a flexible material, which by a bottom rests on the floor and which has the mouth part thereof connected to a rectangular frame. The frame is formed of two frame parts, which are mutually connected via folding fittings that allow the frame parts to be folded into a parallel and overlapping relation. The frame is provided with one obliquely outward downward sloping leg in each corner. The legs are configured to fold back against the underside of the respective frame part in order to lie within the area of the frame part. The free end of the respective leg is connected to an adjacent bottom corner of the sack in order to facilitate the folding-out and collapsing, respectively, of the bag in connection with the erection and collapse, respectively, of the child's bed.
US07937784B2
A parent-child showerhead includes a wall-mounted showerhead, a hand-held showerhead, and a showerhead bracket. The wall-mounted showerhead is fixed on a conduit extending from a wall and connects to the hand-held showerhead via a hose. The showerhead bracket is provided for the hand-held showerhead to hang thereon. The wall-mounted showerhead has a water diverter disposed therein for controlling the spray water from the wall-mounted showerhead or the hand-held showerhead or from both of them. The water diverter has an adjusting knob for changing a direction of the water flow, and the adjusting knob is located on the wall-mounted showerhead at side close to a user, which is convenient for users to operate. The showerhead bracket is disposed at a lower position of the wall-mounted showerhead, and has a receptacle. The receptacle is in a pivoted state to adjust an angle and provide the hand-held showerhead to be engaged therein.
US07937772B1
A breathable protective garment or laminate for protection against chemical and/or biologic agents which contains one or more scrim layers which contain anti-microbial and/or anti toxic chemical agents. The garment or laminate is also self-decontaminating.
US07941862B2
The present invention discloses a data access method accomplished by the following steps of: creating a predetermined password; generating a first encryption key; encrypting data based on the first encryption key; prompting for the predetermined password upon receipt of an access request; decoding a header of the NAND flash memory based on a user-entered password; examining the header to determine whether a mapping between the user-entered password and the first encryption key is defined; and decrypting and outputting the data by a decryption key when the mapping between the user-entered password and the first encryption key is defined.
US07941860B2
Method and apparatus for content protection using one-way buffers. In one embodiment, the method includes storage of content decrypted by a host processor within a reserved range of memory. In one embodiment, a peripheral device requires the host processor to decrypt the received content for playback by the peripheral device. The decrypted content is stored within a reserved range of memory that is not accessible by malicious software. Hence, content is transferred from the reserved range of memory to a device driver of the peripheral device. In one embodiment, access to the reserved range of memory consists of write-only access by the host processor and read-only access by the peripheral device. In one embodiment, prior to storage of the content within the reserved range of memory, the content is re-encrypted prior to storage and decryption prior to transfer to the peripheral device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07941850B1
A method includes determining if an attempt to recreate a requested resource is made, and, if so, if the requested resource is a suspicious resource. If the requested resource is a suspicious resource, identification of an originating process is made. A determination is made if the originating process is a non-trusted originating process or a trusted originating process. If the originating process is the non-trusted originating process, a protective action is taken. In this manner, self-repairing and persistent malicious code is identified and removed with minimal adverse impact on system functionality.
US07941847B2
A method for providing a secure single sign-on to a computer system is disclosed. Pre-boot passwords are initially stored in a secure storage area of a smart card. The operating system password, which has been encrypted to a blob, is stored in a non-secure area of the smart card. After the smart card has been inserted in a computer system, a user is prompted for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) of the smart card. In response to a correct smart card PIN entry, the blob stored in the non-secure storage area of the smart card is decrypted to provide the operating system password, and the operating system password along with the pre-boot passwords stored in the secure storage area of the smart card are then utilized to log on to the computer system.
US07941844B2
Access right information of a login user is acquired, and an object accessible by the login user is identifiably displayed on an area corresponding to the user. When a collaboration mode in which a plurality of users log in and make a cooperative work is set, an object accessible by each login user is identifiably displayed on an area corresponding to each user.
US07941841B2
A voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) client codes audio data as printable ASCII characters, then embeds the ASCII audio data inside a cookie that is sent over the Internet within an HTTP GET message. The GET message is sent to a server acting as a call proxy or external manager that forwards the audio data to a remote client. Return audio data is sent back to the client in the normal data field of an HTTP response message from the server. When the client receives the HTTP response, it sends another GET message without audio data, allowing the server to send another response. This empty GET allows VoIP to pass through strict firewalls that pair each HTTP response with a GET. For secure-sockets layer (SSL), client and server exchange pseudo-keys in hello and finished messages that establish the SSL session. Audio data is streamed in SSL messages instead of encrypted data.
US07941840B2
A method, computer readable media, and system for providing a first network resource with secure but limited access to a second network resource. A method embodiment of the invention includes associating a check with data identifying an expected source of a future request to access the second resource. Later, the first resource requests access to the second resource. Included in the request is a check signed with data identifying the first resource. The request is received and the check is authenticated. The request is granted only if the check is authentic and the data used to sign the check matches the expected source associated with the check.
US07941838B2
A networked computer with a software firewall that may be configured for any of a number of network contexts may be quickly configured with an appropriate set of rules for a current network context. The computer has multiple profiles, each containing rules applicable to a different network context. When a change in network context is detected, a difference between the profile for the current context and the profile with which the firewall was previously configured is determined. These differences are applied to quickly reconfigure the firewall without blocking, even temporarily, communications that are allowed in the previously configured and current profiles. Additionally, when the networked computer is connected to multiple networks simultaneously, an appropriate profile may be selected.
US07941837B1
Techniques are described to enable two or more layer two (L2) firewall devices to be configured as a high availability (HA) cluster in an active-active configuration. A first layer two (L2) firewall and a second L2 firewall are positioned within the same L2 network. The first L2 firewall and the second L2 firewall are concurrently configured with active virtual security devices (VSDs) within the L2 network, and concurrently apply L2 firewall services to packets within the L2 network. A VSD of one of the L2 firewalls automatically switches to an active VSD status for a VSD group in place of a VSD of another L2 firewall when the other L2 firewall fails.
US07941836B2
Systems and methods are provided for authentication by combining a Reverse Turing Test (RTT) with password-based user authentication protocols to provide improved resistance to brute force attacks. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for user authentication, the method including receiving a username/password pair associated with a user; requesting one or more responses to a first Reverse Turing Test (RTT); and granting access to the user if a valid response to the first RTT is received and the username/password pair is valid.
US07941825B2
An efficient near video on demand (NVOD) service for various client environments is provided. The NVOD service method for transmitting video data including moving pictures to a plurality of clients in a network includes identifying a relative network bandwidth “m” of a client with respect to a video playout bandwidth, dividing the video data into data segments having different sizes according to the relative network bandwidth “m” and transmitting the data segments to the client through a plurality of channels.
US07941823B2
A representation of an audiovisual asset is obtained and is processed to obtain at least one normal playback video elementary stream, (optionally, at least one audio elementary stream), and at least one trick mode video elementary stream. A transport stream is formed from the at least one normal playback video elementary stream, the at least one audio elementary stream (where present), and the at least one trick mode video elementary stream, with the at least one trick mode video elementary stream encapsulated in the transport stream. Streaming of the transport stream within a network is facilitated, for example, to a VOD server (for de-encapsulation), and in some approaches, to a set-top box.
US07941815B2
According to some embodiments, CD/DVDs are transported to/from a horizontal tray of a disk-processing unit (e.g. a disk drive) by applying a vertical lifting force to each disk at an off-center disk engagement location to incline the disk toward the tray, maintaining the disk in an inclined position toward the processing unit during a vertical travel to/from the tray; and gliding the disk into the tray from the inclined position to a final horizontal position by vertically delivering the disk into the tray. In some embodiments, a CD/DVD transfer apparatus comprises a pickup head for picking up and releasing disks, a horizontal-motion arm driving a horizontal motion of the pickup head, and a flexible vertical connection coupling the pickup head to the horizontal-motion arm. The flexible vertical connection is formed by a section of a flexible wire, thread, ribbon or tape coiled on a reel situated above the pickup head.
US07941809B1
An event management system initializes an event associated with a process. Corrective actions are executed to resolve the event. The corrective actions are monitored after the event is resolved to continuously improve the process.
US07941808B2
A messaging service is described that incorporates messages into cached link lists. The messages are not yet acknowledged as having been received by one or more consumers to whom the messages were sent. A separate link list exists for each of a plurality of different message priority levels. Messages within a same link list are ordered in their link list in the same order in which they where received by the messaging service. At least one of the link lists contains an element that represents one or more messages that are persisted but are not cached in any of the cached link lists.
US07941802B2
Techniques for implementing virtual machine instructions suitable for execution in virtual machines are disclosed. The inventive virtual machine instructions can effectively represent the complete set of operations performed by the conventional Java Bytecode instruction set. Moreover, the operations performed by conventional instructions can be performed by relatively fewer inventive virtual machine instructions. Thus, a more elegant, yet robust, virtual machine instruction set can be implemented. This, in turn, allows implementation of relatively simpler interpreters as well as allowing alternative uses of the limited 256 (28) Bytecode representation (e.g., a macro representing a set of commands). As a result, the performance of virtual machines, especially, those operating in systems with limited resources, can be improved by using the inventive virtual machine instructions.
US07941796B2
A method and apparatus for distributing and synchronizing objects. One or more embodiments of the invention provide for distributing copies of the objects locally. By copying objects (including the data and behavior for the object) into local address space, the object's methods may be executed locally thereby avoiding excessive network traffic. The state of the various object copies across a network may not be synchronized due to local changes and modifications. To synchronize the objects, one or more embodiments of the invention provide for the use of a policy that specifies conditions as to when objects are synchronized. Embodiments of the invention provide flexibility in setting the policy to accommodate varying applications. For example, a policy may provide for synchronization that is based temporally (e.g., every 10 minutes or daily at 10:00 P.M.). Alternatively, a policy may provide for synchronization based on the type or number of messages transmitted. In one or more embodiments, a default policy may be utilized that provides for the synchronization of local objects whenever a client issues a request from the remote server. In such an embodiment, the remote server transmits any updated object information when it responds to the local object request. The updated object information may be utilized to synchronize the objects.
US07941795B2
A system for outputting speech from speech data that may include an application, an internal speech data module, and an external speech data module is provided. The internal speech module stores default speech data that defines which speech data is compatible with the application. The external speech module, which may include a data carrier, may provide optional speech data, including a sequence identifier, separately from the application. To determine whether optional speech data fits the application, the application generates a sequence of one or more segment designators designating speech segments, and associating with them a sequence identifier. The application may also compare the sequence identifier generated by the application with that of the optional speech data. If a predetermined result occurs, the optional speech data may be used. Otherwise, the default speech data may be used. This method may be used to update default speech data with optional speech data.
US07941778B2
A network is represented using a graph. The graph comprises a plurality of vertices and a plurality of edges. The vertices comprise a source vertex, a destination vertex and a vertex u. The edges link corresponding adjacent pairs of the vertices. A minimum cost path in the graph is determined from the source vertex to the destination vertex, wherein the vertex u is in the minimum cost path. An edge from the vertex u in the minimum cost path introduces an additional capital expenditure cost that is dependent on how the minimum cost path traverses from the source vertex to the vertex u.
US07941774B2
Various apparatuses, methods and systems for creating an integrated circuit and performing a gate level simulation of a circuit are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide a system for performing a gate level simulation of a circuit including a computer system, a design verification tool and an output device. The design verification tool, executable on the computer system, includes a simulator and a partial timing model generator. The partial timing model generator is operable to generate a representation of the circuit for simulation by cutting a first portion of a circuit out of a full gate level netlist for the circuit and leaving a second portion of the circuit represented by the full gate level netlist, and to overlay a simplified representation of the first portion of the circuit over the representation of the circuit. The first portion of the circuit is cut out at timing paths. The simulator is operable to perform a gate level simulation of the circuit based on the representation of the circuit. The output device is connected to the computer system and is operable to provide an indication of a result of the gate level simulation of the circuit.
US07941773B2
A simulation system for performing simulation of an operation of a circuit including a particular signal substituting section for making, in the simulation, an output signal of a first flipflop or an input signal of a second flipflop be a particular signal indicating neither high level nor low level during a period which is 1 cycle shorter than a specified clock cycle number of a multicycle path which has been specified in advance; and an output section for outputting information corresponding to whether or not a signal at an output terminal of the second flipflop or at part of the circuit located in a subsequent stage of the output terminal of the second flipflop, which has been specified in advance, is made to be the particular signal.
US07941771B2
A method for on demand functional verification of a software model of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), in a low-level programming language, which separately handles the creation of the model and the debugging of the functional verification tests to be applied to the model in order to create a verification platform. In a transmission mode, an autonomous circuit emulator is created by replacing the model in a low level programming language physically describing the circuit to be validated with a high level description generating response data in accordance with the functional specification of the design as a function of stimuli received. A verification mode includes integration of the software model in low level language of the circuit resulting from the design into a verification platform, and creation of a connection of a previously validated autonomous circuit emulator to the interfaces of the software model.
US07941767B2
A photomask is washed and at least one physical amount of transmittance and phase difference of the photomask, dimension of a pattern, height of the pattern and a sidewall shape of the pattern is measured. After this, the two-dimensional shape of a borderline pattern previously determined for the photomask is measured. Lithography tolerance is derived by performing a lithography simulation for the measured two-dimensional shape by use of the measured physical amount. Then, whether the photomask can be used or not is determined based on the derived lithography tolerance.
US07941760B2
A computer-implemented method for displaying soft keyboards at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display is disclosed. An application with a plurality of objects is displayed on the touch screen display. A first gesture by a user on a first object in the plurality of objects is detected. In response to the first gesture, a first soft keyboard is displayed that contains a plurality of keys including primarily letter keys and including a key for selecting a second soft keyboard different from the first soft keyboard. A second gesture by the user on a second object in the plurality of objects is detected, the second object being other than the key for selecting the second soft keyboard. In response to the second gesture, the second soft keyboard is displayed, which contains a plurality of keys including number keys and including a key for selecting the first soft keyboard.
US07941744B2
A system and method for generating and delivering an electronic form to a user. One embodiment of the disclosed system comprises a file management sub-system for receipt and management of at least one standard form in electronic format. The system also includes a user sub-system for selection of a desired form. In addition, the system includes a mapper sub-system for mapping each of the at least one standard forms into a form file identifying the graphical and/or textual elements of the standard form, at least one data field to placed on the form and an indication of where the at least one data field is to be placed based on the identified graphical and/or textual elements. Also, the system includes a delivery sub-system operably connected to the file management sub-system, the user sub-system and the mapping sub-system and capable delivering an electronic form comprising the desired form into which data retrieved from the user sub-system is inserted.
US07941739B1
A timeline source is described. In an implementation, a method includes examining a plurality of nodes within a media timeline, where at least two of the nodes reference respective media. The media timeline is for exposure over an API. The media timeline is divided into one or more presentations. Each presentation describes rendering of the media for a particular interval of time.
US07941736B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for receiving a signal in a communication system, which receives the signal, and decodes the received signal in a non-binary Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) decoding scheme, in which elements of a Galois field are expressed by an exponent representation, thereby minimizing the memory capacity required for a check node operation when the non-binary LDPC code is decoded.
US07941735B2
A digital broadcasting transmission system processes dual transport stream (TS) including multi turbo streams. The digital broadcasting transmission system includes a turbo processor to detect a turbo stream from a dual transport stream (TS) which includes a multiplexed normal stream and a turbo stream, encoding the detected turbo stream and stuffing the encoded turbo stream into the dual TS; and a transmitter to trellis-encode the processed dual TS, and to output the resultant stream, wherein the turbo processor encodes the turbo stream using a plurality of turbo processors. Accordingly, a plurality of turbo streams may be processed in parallel.
US07941734B2
The present invention proposes a method and apparatus for decoding BCH codes and Reed-Solomon codes, in which a modified Berlekamp-Massey algorithm is used to perform the decoding process and the efficiency of the decoder can be improved by re-defining the error locating polynomial as a reverse error locating polynomial, while the operation of the decoding process can be further realized by a common re-configurable module. Furthermore, the architecture of the decoder is consisted of a plurality of sets of re-configurable modules in order to provide parallel operations with different degrees of parallel so that the decoding speed requirement of the decoder in different applications can be satisfied.
US07941731B2
A data receiving device which comprises a decoder which generates a plurality of decoded data based on 1) input data and 2) a plurality of pairs of control data and redundant data, in each the pair, the control data defining a selected encoding process and the redundant data being generated by the selected encoding process based on the control data and the input data, a selection control part which generates an error occurrence information based on information obtained from a medium through which the input data is received, and a selection part which selects output data from the input data and the plurality of decoded data based on the error occurrence information.
US07941723B1
A clock generator is disclosed that includes an array of MEMS resonators and a test circuit. The test circuit is operable at start-up to operate one or more of the MEMS resonators to generate test output and analyze the test output to determine whether the operated MEMS resonators meet test criteria. A MEMS resonator is selected that meets the test criteria and its output is used to generate an output clock signal. In addition, the test circuit is operable to analyze the output of the selected MEMS resonator and select a replacement MEMS resonator when the output of the selected MEMS resonator no longer meets the test criteria. The replacement MEMS resonator is then operated and its output is coupled to the output of the clock generator. Thereby, failing and potentially failing MEMS resonators are automatically replaced during operation of the clock generator in its end-use application.
US07941722B2
A method and apparatus for testing of integrated circuits using a Direct Memory Load Execute Dump (DMLED) test module. The method includes loading a test case into a memory using the DMLED test module, loading initialization signatures of fixed pattern into the memory using the DMLED test module, and executing the test case at an operating clock rate of a processor. The method further includes writing result signatures into the memory, and dumping the results signatures from the memory to a tester using the DMLED test module.
US07941718B2
A method and system for testing an electronic device is disclosed. The method includes loading a first test into a test pattern generator of a first device and generating a first test pattern at the test pattern generator. A second test seed is loaded into the test pattern generator while the first test pattern is being generated. In one embodiment, the state of the test pattern generator is modified based upon the second test seed, and the first test seed.
US07941713B2
A system that provides large instruction sets for testing memory yet reduces area overhead is disclosed. The system for testing a memory of an integrated circuit comprises a set of registers providing element based programmability for a plurality of tests, wherein each test includes a plurality of test elements; a finite state machine for receiving a plurality of test instructions from the set of registers, wherein the finite state machine dispatches signals instructing a test pattern generator to generate a test pattern; a memory control module for applying the generated test pattern to the memory; and a comparator module for comparing a response received from the memory to a stored, known response.
US07941706B2
A method and apparatus are provided to support autonomic computing for system configuration. Common base events (CBEs) are generated and, based upon system configuration, are employed to monitor system resources and to resolve system configuration conflicts prior to an error. A symptom database stores a set of rules for the configuration information. The configurations CBEs for the system configuration are compared with the symptom rules, and any discrepancies between the two elements are communicated to a user prior to an occurrence of an error in the system. Accordingly, an autonomic computer system is provided to support system configuration data.
US07941693B2
A disk array apparatus capable of reducing a disk drive fault rate where a time-out failure has occurred. The disk array apparatus includes a plurality of disk drives, and a control unit for performing data input/output processing of the disk drives in response to a data input/output request from a host system. The control unit includes: a memory for storing control information for specifying a failure of at least one of the disk drives, and failure information of the faulty disk drive, a circuit for specifying, from the failure information, the disk drive in which a time-out failure has occurred, and issuing an instruction to retry a control command to the disk drive, and a circuit for outputting a control signal to the faulty disk drive in order to hard reset the disk drive if the disk drive does not recover from the failure.
US07941689B2
Minimizing clock uncertainty on clock distribution networks using a multi-level de-skewing technique
Disclosed is a method of minimizing clock uncertainty using a multi-level de-skewing technique. The method includes the steps of obtaining a chip wherein at least a portion of the chip has a regular array of buffers on multiple levels, the buffers being driven by first drivers and the first drivers being driven by second drivers; grouping the buffers in a first direction to create clusters with the same number of buffer inputs, wherein if there are not the same number of buffer inputs in each cluster, then adding dummy buffers to the cluster with a deficient number of buffer inputs; wiring outputs of the first drivers together in a second direction, wherein the first and second directions are orthogonal; and wiring outputs of the second together in the second direction.
US07941673B1
An FPGA includes a plurality of configurable logic elements, a configuration circuit, a decryption circuit, and a fingerprint element. The fingerprint element generates a fingerprint that is indicative of inherent manufacturing process variations unique to the FPGA. The fingerprint is used as a key for an encryption system that protects against illegal use and/or copying of configuration data. In some embodiments, the propagation delay of various circuit elements formed on the FPGA are used to generate the fingerprint. In one embodiment, the specific frequency of an oscillator is used to generate the fingerprint. In some embodiments, a ratio of measurable values may be used to generate the fingerprint. In other embodiments, differences in transistor threshold voltages are used to generate the fingerprint. In still other embodiments, variations in line widths are used to generate the fingerprint.
US07941671B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that accommodates different types of verifiers in a computer system. During operation, the system receives a username and a password. The system then computes a verifier based on the password. If the size of the verifier exceeds a storage limit, the system transforms the verifier into a transformed verifier which conforms to the storage limit, thereby allowing the computer system to compare the transformed verifier with a locally stored verifier associated with the username to facilitate user authentication.
US07941665B2
A method embodiment for publishing a PIN for use in establishing a pairing with a printing device, including the printing device generating the PIN in response to a local PIN request. Once the PIN is generated, the printing device prints the PIN. Another method embodiment includes identifying a local request to print a test page as a local PIN request and then printing a test page that includes the PIN.
US07941664B2
A method of authenticating a message that is purportedly sent from an account holder having a device that digitally signs messages using a unique private key includes receiving the message, a unique identifier associated with an account of the account holder maintained by an account authority, and a digital signature of the message, the message including a verification status generated by the device based on a comparison of biometric verification data provided to the device with biometric verification data of the account holder prestored within the device, verifying that the message was digitally signed using the private key, and if the digital signature successfully decrypts, acting upon the message as a function of the verification status included in the message and wherein the biometric verification data is a digital representation of a finger print, a retina scan, a facial scan, DNA, or a voice print of the account holder.
US07941655B1
A computer system provides an extensible firmware interface with a pre-start configuration phase. This permits configuring a device prior to beginning a start phase for the device.
US07941649B2
A SIMD processor responds to a single min/max instruction to find the minimum or maximum valued data unit in an array of data units. The determined minimum/maximum value and an associated index value thereto may be output. Alternatively, the value of a data unit in another array may be output at a corresponding location. A further single instruction executable by the SIMD processor, may be applied to results obtained using such a single min/max instruction, to allow such instructions to operate on two dimensional arrays.
US07941647B2
A computer. A processor pipeline alternately executes instructions coded for first and second different computer architectures or coded to implement first and second different processing conventions. A memory stores instructions for execution by the processor pipeline, the memory being divided into pages for management by a virtual memory manager, a single address space of the memory having first and second pages. A memory unit fetches instructions from the memory for execution by the pipeline, and fetches stored indicator elements associated with respective memory pages of the single address space from which the instructions are to be fetched. Each indicator element is designed to store an indication of which of two different computer architectures and/or execution conventions under which instruction data of the associated page are to be executed by the processor pipeline. The memory unit and/or processor pipeline recognizes an execution flow from the first page, whose associated indicator element indicates the first architecture or execution convention, to the second page, whose associated indicator element indicates the first architecture or execution convention. In response to the recognizing, a processing mode of the processor pipeline or a storage content of the memory adapts to effect execution of instructions in the architecture and/or under the convention indicated by the indicator element corresponding to the instruction's page.
US07941646B2
A thread switch mechanism and technique for a microprocessor is disclosed wherein a processing of a first thread is completed, and a continuation of a second thread is initiated during completion of the first thread. In one form, the technique includes processing a first thread at a pipeline of a processing device, and initiating processing of a second thread at a front end of the pipeline in response to an occurrence of a context switch event. The technique can also include initiating a instruction progress metric in response the context switch event. The technique can further include enabling completion of processing of instructions of the first thread that are at a back end of the pipeline at the occurrence of the context switch event until an expiry of the instruction progress metric.
US07941636B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus that implements multiple typed register sets, and applications thereof. The apparatus includes an execution unit and a register file. The execution unit is configured to execute instructions including one or more fields. The register file is configured to store operands defined by the one or more fields and is configured to store results of execution of the instructions in a destination defined by the one or more fields. The register file includes (i) a first register set having a register configured to store data of a single data type and (ii) a second register set having a register configured to store data of a plurality of data types. The register file is responsive to the one or more fields in at least one of the instructions to retrieve an operand of the at least one of the instructions from, or to store a result of the at least one of the instructions into, one of the registers of the first register set or the second register set as defined by the one or more fields of the at least one of the instructions.
US07941633B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus and program product automatically optimizes hash function operation by recognizing when a first hash function results in an unacceptable number of cache misses, and by dynamically trying another hash function to determine which hash function results in the most cache hits. In this manner, hardware optimizes hash function operation in the face of changing loads and associated data flow patterns.
US07941632B2
Storage virtualization systems and methods that allow customers to manage storage as a utility rather than as islands of storage which are independent of each other. A demand mapped virtual disk image of up to an arbitrarily large size is presented to a host system. The virtualization system allocates physical storage from a storage pool dynamically in response to host I/O requests, e.g., SCSI I/O requests, allowing for the amortization of storage resources-through a disk subsystem while maintaining coherency amongst I/O RAID traffic. In one embodiment, the virtualization functionality is implemented in a controller device, such as a controller card residing in a switch device or other network device, coupled to a storage system on a storage area network (SAN). The resulting virtual disk image that is observed by the host computer is larger than the amount of physical storage actually consumed.
US07941628B2
A plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types is provided. A plurality of criteria is associated for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array. A determination is made by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, of a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and of a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays. An allocation is made of the first set of storage devices to the plurality of storage device arrays. An allocation made of the second set of storage devices as spares for the plurality of storage device array.
US07941624B2
A method and apparatus is described herein for performing parallel memory migration, as well as execution of management tasks over a plurality of management window. Handlers are dispatched to multiple resources, such as cores or threads, to determine a proper memory migration handler. Each resource, during a management mode, executes a designated memory migration handler or an instance of a memory migration handler to perform a portion of a memory migration task in parallel. A task data structure is capable of supporting tracking of portions of memory migrated. In addition the task data structure is potentially also capable of tracking management tasks through plurality of management windows to support servicing of management tasks through multiple management windows.
US07941623B2
In one embodiment, a computer system comprises a host machine comprising a plurality of compute resources, at least one secure memory location coupled to the host machine, wherein the secure memory location stores host machine configuration data, and a virtual machine host module coupled to the host machine. The virtual machine host module comprises logic to map a path to the secure memory location, receive a signal indicating whether a first virtual machine guest should be permitted access to the host machine configuration data, and associate at least a portion of the host machine configuration data with the first virtual machine guest when the when the signal indicates that the first virtual machine guest should be permitted to access the configuration data.
US07941617B2
A system is disclosed that includes a first memory device operable according to either a first bit organization or a second bit organization, a second memory device operable according to only the first bit organization, and a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU is commonly connected to the first and second memory devices via a command/address bus, and is connected to the first memory device via a data bus separate from the command/address bus and having an upper half and a lower half. However, the CPU is connected to the second memory device via only the upper half of the data bus.
US07941614B2
A memory controller to provide memory access services in an adaptive computing engine is provided. The controller comprises: a network interface configured to receive a memory request from a programmable network; and a memory interface configured to access a memory to fulfill the memory request from the programmable network, wherein the memory interface receives and provides data for the memory request to the network interface, the network interface configured to send data to and receive data from the programmable network.
US07941612B2
A multipath accessible semiconductor memory device provides an interface function between processors. The memory device may include a memory cell array having a shared memory area operationally coupled to two or more ports that are independently accessible by two or more processors, an access path forming unit to form a data access path between one of the ports and the shared memory area in response to external signals applied by the processors, and an interface unit having a semaphore area and mailbox areas accessible in the shared memory area by the two or more processors to provide an interface function for communication between the two or more processors.
US07941611B2
A cache coherent data processing system includes at least a first cache memory supporting a first processing unit and a second cache memory supporting a second processing unit. The first cache memory includes a cache array and a cache directory of contents of the cache array. In response to the first cache memory detecting on an interconnect a broadcast operation that specifies a request address, the first cache memory determines from the operation a type of the operation and a coherency state associated with the request address. In response to determining the type and the coherency state, the first cache memory filters out the broadcast operation without accessing the cache directory.
US07941608B2
A method and data processing apparatus comprise a cache having a plurality of data entries; an eviction buffer comprising an information portion and a data portion; and eviction logic to transfer information associated with a first of the plurality of data entries from the cache to the information portion and to determine, with reference to the information, whether the first of the plurality of data entries should be written to a memory by examining the information. If it is determined that the data entry should be written to the memory, the eviction logic (1) transfers the information from the eviction buffer to a bus coupled with the memory, (2) transfers data of the first of the plurality of data entries from the cache to a data portion of the eviction buffer, (3) transfers information associated with a second of the plurality of data entries from the cache to the associated portion of the eviction buffer such that the data stored by the data portion of the eviction buffer corresponds to the first of the plurality of data entries and the information stored by the data portion of the eviction buffer corresponds to the second of the plurality of data entries, and (4) transfers the data stored by the data portion of the eviction buffer to the bus. This approach provides a low-power, high performance technique for handling eviction requests.
US07941607B1
A method and system for promoting traces in an instruction processing circuit is disclosed. The method and system comprises determining if a current trace is promotable; and adding the current trace to a sequence buffer if the current trace is promotable. The current trace is marked as promoted and the current trace is marked as a first trace of a multi-block trace. The method and system includes determining if a next trace is promotable; adding the next trace to the sequence buffer if the next trace is promotable; and repeating the above until the next trace is not promotable and then adding the next trace to the sequence buffer if the next trace is not promotable.
US07941603B2
An advanced processor comprises a plurality of multithreaded processor cores each having a data cache and instruction cache. A data switch interconnect is coupled to each of the processor cores and configured to pass information among the processor cores. A messaging network is coupled to each of the processor cores and a plurality of communication ports. In one aspect of an embodiment of the invention, the data switch interconnect is coupled to each of the processor cores by its respective data cache, and the messaging network is coupled to each of the processor cores by its respective message station. Advantages of the invention include the ability to provide high bandwidth communications between computer systems and memory in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
US07941599B2
A system, method, and computer program product for harvesting an image from a local disk of a managed endpoint to an image library is provided. In an embodiment of the method for harvesting an image, a managed endpoint is provided with a boot image that causes the endpoint to instantiate a RAM disk and execute the boot image from the RAM disk. The boot image is used to harvest an image by determining data on a local disk of the managed endpoint to be included in the image that are not already stored in the image library. In one embodiment, this is done by comparing hashes calculated on the data on the local disk to hashes of data in the image library. The data not already stored in the image library are then copied to the image library.
US07941587B2
A programmable sequence generator for controlling a flash memory device. The programmable sequence generator includes a plurality of programmable sequence registers including control phase sequence (CPS) registers and data phase sequence (DPS) registers programmed with phase sequence values corresponding to an operation command sequence of the flash memory device; and logic circuitry in a programmable command sequencer for controlling a set of states of the programmable command sequencer using the plurality of programmable sequence registers.
US07941577B2
A method, computer program product, and distributed data processing system that allows a system image within a multiple system image virtual server to directly expose a portion, or all, of its associated system memory to a shared PCI adapter without having to go through a trusted component, such as a Hypervisor. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a mechanism for sharing conventional PCI I/O adapters, PCI-X I/O Adapters, PCI-Express I/O Adapters, and, in general, any I/O adapter that uses a memory mapped I/O interface for communications.
US07941572B2
A data processing system containing a monolithic network of cells with sufficient redundancy provided through direct logical replacement of defective cells by spare cells to allow a large monolithic array of cells without uncorrectable defects to be organized, where the cells have a variety of useful properties. The data processing system according to the present invention overcomes the chip-size limit and off-chip connection bottlenecks of chip-based architectures, the von Neumann bottleneck of uniprocessor architectures, the memory and I/O bottlenecks of parallel processing architectures, and the input bandwidth bottleneck of high-resolution displays, and supports integration of up to an entire massively parallel data processing system into a single monolithic entity.
US07941562B2
A network device for monitoring and modifying data traffic between a client device and a server device is disclosed. The network device is configured to provide targeted advertisements to a user based on some or all of the data traffics generated the user. Different from a proxy server, the network device operates transparently from both perspectives of a computer being used by the user and a website being visited by the user. The network device is disposed in line between the computer and the network so that all data traffics are examined. The data packets exchanged between a computer and a website being visited are altered or modified in such a way that the head of the packets remains largely intact while the payloads of the packets are changed to suit the need of delivering transparently the targeted commercial information.
US07941559B2
A media access control (MAC) layer address translation system is included in a fiber to the home (FTTH) system having a central office that interfaces a packet data network with a passive optical network (PON). The (MAC) layer address translation system includes a home network unit (HNU), a host system, and a MAC address table. The HNU is coupled to the PON and has an associated base MAC layer address and an associated secondary MAC layer address that identify the HNU within the PON. The host system is coupled in a network to the HNU and has an associated host MAC layer address that identifies the host system within the network. The MAC address table is stored in a memory device, and associates the host MAC layer address with the secondary MAC layer address. Upon receiving an outgoing transmission from the host system that includes the host MAC layer address, the HNU accesses the MAC address table to determine the secondary MAC layer address that is associated with the host MAC layer address and modifies the outgoing transmission to replace the host MAC layer address with the secondary MAC layer address.
US07941558B2
Loop-elimination in a network is provided by establishing a physical topology based domain within the network and restricting protocol data units that are received within the physical topology based domain from being consumed at a network node outside of the physical topology based domain, wherein the protocol data units include loop-elimination information. The loop-elimination technique may also include identifying a logical based domain that exists within the network and then restricting protocol data units that are received within the physical topology based domain and the logical based domain from being consumed outside of the physical topology based domain and the logical based domain.
US07941547B2
The invention proposes a method for establishing sessions in a network comprising a user entity, a network control node and a plurality of network nodes storing subscriber specific information, the method comprising the steps of receiving a session establishing request at the network control node, forwarding a policy request message from the network control node to each network node of the plurality of network nodes storing subscriber specific information comprising policy information required for the session to be established, processing the policy request message to generate a policy decision message and sending the policy decision message to the network control node from each of the network nodes having received the policy request message, generating a single policy decision confirmation message based on the received policy decision messages in the network control node, and sending the single policy decision message to the user entity.
US07941539B2
A method for migrating a first virtual machine (VM), that includes transmitting, prior to migration, a first packet between the first VM on a first blade chassis and a second VM on a second blade chassis using a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) and a second VNIC. The method includes migrating the first VM and the first VNIC to the second blade, identifying a subnet of the first VM, identifying a subnet of the second VM, and creating a virtual router to execute on the second blade. The virtual router is associated with a third VNIC and a fourth VNIC. A first network address in the first VNIC's subnet is assigned to the third VNIC. A second network address in the second VNIC's subnet is assigned to the fourth VNIC. The method includes routing a second packet between the first VM and the second VM using the virtual router.
US07941538B2
In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented method for dynamic management of resource utilization is provided. The computer implemented method monitors data flows of a reverse proxy web server, and determines whether a resource utilization of the reverse proxy web server exceeds a first threshold. The computer implemented method further, responsive to a determination that the resource utilization does not exceed a first threshold, determines whether the resource utilization exceeds a second threshold, responsive to a determination that the resource utilization does exceed a second threshold, filters pre-fetch directives inversely by frequency.
US07941534B2
A system utilizing a personal security device to provide access to a computer terminal where the personal security device includes circuitry and transceiver components for transmitting identification information and exchanging other digital information with a computer terminal and other compatible devices and the personal security device establishes a communication link with a computer terminal to allow a user to logon to the terminal so that when a user leaves the computer terminal, the communication link is terminated, causing the computer terminal to lock the keyboard, blank the monitor, and/or logoff the user if the communication link is not restored within a sufficient time period and also allowing the personal security device to facilitate subsequent computer access within a time range by providing time related access codes to the terminal that can be used to reestablish computer terminal access.
US07941526B1
A special syslog daemon on a send node, wherein the send node is connected to a receive node by a one-way data link, the special syslog daemon configured to receive a syslog message from a syslog sender, insert a portion of IP information of the syslog sender in the body of the received syslog message and route the resulting syslog message to the one-way data link so that the resulting syslog message can be sent through the one-way data link to a syslog receiver communicatively coupled to the receive node. The present invention resolves the potential conflict between syslog and one-way data transfer applications that are configured to remove IP information from data prior to its passage through a one-way data link, thereby leading to a further enhancement of network security through their combination.
US07941520B1
A system and method of managing telephone network facilities. A telephone network facilities database, such as LEIS, is accessed and selected information, including wire center location, equipment and slot information stored therein, is extracted and re-stored in a relational database. Additional fields in the relational database are populated based on the information extracted from the telephone network facilities database. The additional fields represent working ADSL and T1 facilities, ADSL and T1 capacity, and ADSL and T1 availability. A graphical user interface is provided that displays several views of the data in the relational database. Color coding aspects of the graphical user interface indicates capacity levels.
US07941517B2
A domain server that comprises: means (10) for receiving a query transmitted from a client device (CL1) for obtaining DNS data; a zone file (FZ1, zone) comprising one or more distribution rules defining a partitioning of the domain into sub-zones, DNS data of said sub-zones being associated with a pair of partition keys specific to said sub-zone; means (20) for obtaining from said zone file a useful piece of information sufficient for identifying the pair of the partition keys associated with the required DNS data; and means (10) for transmitting to the client device (CL1): the required DNS data, the value of the signature of said data produced by means of the private component (ZSK2[pr]) of the pair of partition keys; and the useful piece of information.
US07941508B2
A method comprises determining whether settings associated with a plurality of devices coupled to a client computer are provided in the client computer. The client computer is adapted to be coupled to a plurality of remote computer. If the settings are provided in the client computer, the method further comprises determining to which of the remote computers each device is to be associated, and operatively associating each device to the particular remote computer to which that device is determined to be associated. As a result, multiple devices can be concurrently associated with remote computers.
US07941507B1
The invention provides apparatus and systems for high availability execution of applications executing on one or more digital data processor platforms. For example, a system according to one aspect of the invention includes a first set digital data processors, each of which executes one or more applications. These are referred to as “primaries” or “primary applications.” A second set of digital data processors execute virtual machines, each of which, in turn, executes an image of a corresponding primary application. These are referred to as “imaged” or “imaged applications.” Each of the first and second sets may have one or more digital data processors. Agent functionality residing on and/or coupled to the digital data processors in the first and second sets maintains state/configuration information for each imaged application. That information, which reflects current or substantially current state of the corresponding primary application, is of such a nature as to permit the imaged application to take over applications processing, e.g., in the event the primary application fails or otherwise becomes unavailable. The agent functionality, according to related aspects of the invention, can monitor the primary applications (and/or the first set of digital data processors) and effect such a take over by a specific imaged application.
US07941503B2
A system and method of providing personalized broadcast transmissions Broadcasting-Party-Designated Recipients over a mobile telecommunications Radio Area Network is provided. The Broadcasting Party can send multimedia content for a personalized broadcast to an IMS Application Server in a SIP Message and broadcast the multimedia content to the mobile telecommunications terminals of the Broadcasting-Party-Designated Recipients. The personalized broadcast transmission can be generating using a plurality of unicast transmissions or a multicast transmission made to a multicast channel/address.
US07941496B2
A communication system is provided in which users associate handling data identifying how messages are to be processed with contact data. Handling data for the identified contacts in the contact data then dispatched to those contacts. Subsequently when messages are dispatched from the locations identified by the contact data a sender of a message selects handling data to be associated with a message being dispatched. Upon receipt of a message associated with handling data the message is then processed in the manner identified by the handling data.
US07941494B2
Methods, systems, and products systems are disclosed for categorizing and converting an attached object. An electronic message is received from a sender's address that is destined for a recipient's address and has the attached object associated with a sender legacy system. The sender's address and the recipient's address are associated to a list of addresses. When both the sender's address and the recipient's address are matched to the list of addresses, then the electronic message is sent to a rule-based engine that interprets the attached object using a set of rules and that categorizes the attached object. The object is converted based on the category. When the sender's address and the recipient's address do not match the list of addresses, then an identifier is received that associates the electronic message with another system.
US07941493B2
Systems and methods for instant messaging (IM) with multiple contacts from multiple IM systems are presented. In one embodiment, incoming IM messages from multiple IM systems are translated and displayed to the user. Similarly, outgoing messages from the user are translated for compatibility with each of the multiple IM systems, thereby permitting communication between the user and contacts at the multiple IM systems. In another embodiment, an incoming IM message from one of the IM systems is translated for compatibility with each of the other IM systems, thereby permitting communication between contacts at the multiple IM systems.
US07941485B2
In a measurement system that comprises plural measurement devices classified by groups, and plural data processing devices on a network that receives and processes measured data from the measurement devices, the data processing devices are smoothly allocated. The measurement devices belong to groups based on the areas in which they are located, and respectively transmit measured data to a multicast address defined for each of the groups to which they belong. A management device detects an overloaded or failed data processing device, stops data processing on a multicast address at which the data processing device receives data, alternatively commands another less loaded data processing device to join the multicast group, receive measured data transmitted to the multicast address, and process the data.
US07941480B2
A method of communicating with an electronic device. The method includes providing an electronic device having an audible sound receiving and generating sub-system including a microphone, transmitting from a source at least one acoustic signal encoded with information, receiving said at least one acoustic signal by said microphone and determining a spatial position, distance or movement of the microphone relative to the source, responsive to the received at least one signal.
US07941471B2
Disclosed is method and chaos circuit for a random number generator comprising: a differential sample and hold circuit portion having a first and a second differential signal input and a first and a second differential signal output, a differential non-linear discriminator circuit portion that applies a differential discrimination function upon the first and the second differential signal output and outputs a first and a second discriminated signal, where the first and the second discriminated signals are also coupled to the first and the second differential signal inputs via a first and a second loop feedback.
US07941465B2
A system and method of selecting a package model are disclosed. A data structure of a plurality of package models and one or more attribute relationships may be stored. Each package model may have a plurality of package model attributes including at least a size and a style. Each attribute relationship may include an indication that one or more supplemental attributes are required if a constraint is satisfied. A user input that is descriptive of a desired package capability may be received. Using a semantic reasoner, the user input may be analyzed to determine one or more desired attributes. The data structure may be accessed to automatically determine whether a desired attribute satisfies a constraint for an attribute relationship. The one or more supplemental attributes required by the attribute relationship may be presented.
US07941460B2
Provided are techniques for compilation of hierarchical data processing. A data flow diagram including one or more operators, wherein each operator includes at least one of an incoming arc and an outgoing arc, is received. For each operator, for each incoming arc, it is validated that an arc input formal schema is compatible with a schema rooted in a context node in an arc input actual schema, and, for each outgoing arc, an arc output formal schema is computed based on operator logic and operator inputs and an arc output actual schema is computed from the arc input actual schema by replacing the context node of the arc input actual schema with the arc output formal schema.
US07941458B2
A resource abstraction layer for use in a media processing environment includes a configuration file and a set of computer-executable instructions. Both network-based and locally-accessible resources are indirectly accessible via the resource abstraction layer. The configuration file has at least two data structures—a first data structure storing “virtual resource identifiers,” which reference particular resource usable in connection with rendering a particular media presentation, and a second data structure storing “virtual location identifiers,” which reference one or more locations at which particular resources are stored. The set of computer-executable instructions facilitates use of the configuration file, and seamless indirect access by the media processing environment to particular resources, regardless of where such resources are located. Temporary resources may be rendered while a particular resource is being accessed via the resource abstraction layer.
US07941457B2
An interface for providing monitoring information from any monitored component to a central monitoring system in which an XML document is created according to a DTD conforming to a tree-structured monitoring architecture and then is made available to the central monitoring system either by posting it as an HTTP message or filing it in a designated directory, where it can be periodically polled by the central monitoring system. An initial long-form XML document can be used to completely specify the monitoring tree for the monitored component, and then subsequent short-form XML documents can be posted with current data corresponding to the monitoring tree elements themselves. An XML processor at the central monitoring system converts the XML document contents and applies them to a standard interface which has previously been available directly to fully conforming components.
US07941456B2
A problem of the invention is to provide information management information capable of simply and efficiently updating information to be managed. An information management method of the invention is implemented using a computer on which a predetermined information management program is installed. Information stored in a node unit as information to be managed includes node number, page number, parent node number, node label, node display attribute information, variable information, script for substitution, a script for generation and link information. The script for substitution is a script obtaining a value of self node variable data by performing computation using self node variable data which is variable data included in its node data and upper node variable data which is variable data included in node data of a lineal upper node of its node. A value of a public variable of its node is updated by executing this script.
US07941455B2
A method for notifying an application coupled to a distributed file system is described. A command for a file for a distributed file system is received. The distributed file system stores portions of files across a plurality of distinct physical storage locations. The command for the file is compared with a notification table of the distributed file system of the distributed file system. At least one application communicates with the distributed file system. The notification system notifies the corresponding application associated with the command with the notification system.
US07941453B1
A method and system can be used to control better compound objects. Compound objects can include composite and other objects that are managed by a content management system for network site(s). The method and system can be used to determine relationships between objects, determining which of those relationships are significant for a specific action, and determining physical dependencies between the objects. The method and system can be used to perform actions consistent with integrity constraints, and therefore, performs the actions in the correct order with a reduced likelihood of errors. The method and system are highly beneficial in that they can significantly enhance content management and can be implemented without having to write new or edit existing applications. Also, existing content data and applications may be used without any changes.
US07941450B2
Software, devices and methods allowing varied mobile devices to interact with server side software applications are disclosed. Data from an application executing at a computing device is presented at a remote wireless device by providing the device an application definition file, containing definitions for a user interface format for the application at the wireless device; the format of network messages for exchange of data generated by the application; and a format for storing data related to the application at the wireless device. Using these definitions, the wireless device may receive data from the application in accordance with the definition and present an 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 from the application may be presented at the mobile device by virtual machine software that uses the application definition file.
US07941449B2
In one of many possible implementations, an exemplary system includes a data integration subsystem configured to maintain a baseline data structure representing a base set of data relationships. The data integration subsystem in further configure to maintain a mapping of the baseline data structure to local data maintained by a plurality of local data subsystems. The system further includes a portal subsystem configured to provide a first customizable data structure associated with the baseline data structure for user access, create a copy of at least a subset of the baseline data structure, and provide a second customizable data structure associated with the copy of the baseline data structure for user access. The first and second customizable data structures are independently customizable to represent different custom sets of data relationships.
US07941443B1
User account control (such as the UAC component of Windows Vista) is extended to enable users to allow their decisions on how to respond to managed events to be applied to equivalent events for groups, without any further prompting. When a managed event first occurs, the user is presented with an extended dialog prompting for input not only on whether to allow the event for just the user, but also on whether to allow the event for any groups the user manages. Managed groups can comprise all of the user's computers, or multiple user accounts the user manages. The user's response to the prompt and information concerning the managed event are stored. Matching events within a group context are recognized, and appropriate stored responses are automatically applied, without any additional user prompting.
US07941438B2
A system for automatic software production including specification and automatic generation of user interfaces is disclosed. A graphical editor presents diagrams and textual interactive dialogs which are used to enter requirements data defining the desired structure and behaviour of an application program being designed. The requirements data is automatically converted to formal counterparts in a formal language to create a Formal Specification. The Formal Specification is stored in translation structures which are object in memory taking the form of classes which have methods to use the requirements data to articulate source code templates which become source code components in the final output code. A Presentation Model based in a pattern language is used to specify a Presentation Model) using elements of the pattern language as meta-model building blocks which are articulated with requirements data that defines the specifics of the desired user interface.
US07941432B2
A system for posting a public notice on the Internet for a legal jurisdiction. The system includes a forum server, client computer, and the Internet. The forum server stores data and information regarding public notices in the jurisdiction, and supports a website that provides notice-related services such as posting, searching, monitoring, and other legal services.
US07941430B2
A method prepares a response when providing e-Directory services to a user making a user request for location-based supplier information. The method includes identifying from said user request a desired location for which the user is requesting supplier information, identifying from the user request at least one informational element useful in querying a directory of suppliers, querying a primary directory of suppliers using said desired location and said informational element in order to generate primary supplier hits, querying the world wide web (www) using said desired location and said informational element in order to generate www supplier hits, merging said primary supplier hits with said www supplier hits to create a list of suppliers including a plurality of facts respecting each supplier in said list, sorting all supplier hits in said list by proximity to said desired location, purging any duplicate supplier hits, and formatting said list of suppliers to remove any facts extraneous to presentation over a viewing device to said user.
US07941421B2
A method of detecting web pages belonging to at least one similarity class from a plurality of web pages includes determining clusters of the plurality of web pages based on characteristics of the content of the web pages. For each of the determined clusters, at least one metric is determined indicative of similarity among resource locators associated with the web pages of that cluster. A determination of web pages belonging to the at least one similarity class is based on the determined clusters and the determined similarity metrics.
US07941418B2
A computer-implemented method of generating a dynamic corpus includes generating web threads, based upon corresponding sets of words dequeued from a word queue, to obtain web thread resulting URLs. The web thread resulting URLs are enqueued in a URL queue. Multiple text extraction threads are generated, based upon documents downloaded using URLs dequeued from the URL queue, to obtain text files. New words are randomly obtained from the text files, and the randomly obtained words from the text files are enqueued in the word queue. This process is iteratively performed, resulting in a dynamic corpus.
US07941415B2
A method is provided for flagging email messages sent to a user containing inquiries directed to the user comprises defining a natural language model for a set of inquiring phrasal forms in a first data store; defining a list of terms used to identify a first user having an email address managed by a host system in a second data store; accessing the host system to retrieve an email message sent to the email address; parsing a textual content of a body of the email message to generate one or more natural language tokens each corresponding to a text string in the body; accessing the first data store to identify each of the one or more natural language tokens that matches with an inquiring phrasal form; accessing the second data store to determine if any of the text strings corresponding to the one or more natural language tokens that match with an inquiring phrasal form includes a term from the list of terms; and flagging the email message if any of the text strings in the message body corresponding to the one or more natural language tokens that match with an inquiring phrasal form includes a term from the list of terms.
US07941407B2
A system and method for archiving films includes dividing a film feature into N parts. Metadata is digitally stored on each of the N parts of film. The film includes both analog and digital data representing an entire record of the film on a single media for at least one N part. For each N part, the single media may include all the color component images associated with that part.
US07941405B2
Various embodiments of a system and method for performing file backup operations are described. The method may operate to enable a user of a computer system to provide a password or other authentication information to associate with files on the computer system, e.g., in order to protect files that are backed up. For example, when the user (or another person or software agent) attempts to restore or otherwise access a backup copy of a password-protected file, the user may be prompted to enter the password. The method may operate to verify that the entered password matches the password associated with the file before granting permission to restore the file.
US07941392B2
According to one aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention, a system comprises: an HTM network executable at least in part on multiple node processing units (NPUs). In one embodiment the NPUs include one or more nodes, each of which can be executed by its NPU. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a technique for coordinating and scheduling HTM computation across one or more CPUs which (1) enables concurrent computation (2) does not require a central point of control (e.g. a controller entity that “orchestrates” the computation), (3) does not require global synchronization, (4) in some embodiments ensures that the same results are achieved whether the nodes are executed in parallel or serially.
US07941387B2
A method is provided for generating a resource function estimate of resource usage by an instance of a processing element configured to consume zero or more input data streams in a stream processing system having a set of available resources that comprises receiving at least one specified performance metric for the zero or more input data streams and a processing power of the set of available resources, wherein one specified performance metric is stream rate; generating a multi-part signature of executable-specific information for the processing element and a multi-part signature of context-specific information for the instance; accessing a database of resource functions to identify a static resource function corresponding to the executable-specific information and a context-dependent resource function corresponding to the context-specific information; combining the static resource function and the context-dependent resource function to form a composite resource function for the instance; and applying the resource function to the at least one specified performance metric and the processing power to generate the resource function estimate of the at least one specified performance metric for processing by the instance.
US07941379B1
A computer-implemented method for using geo-location information in sensitive Internet transactions is disclosed. In one example, such a method may include: 1) receiving, from a client device, a request to conduct an Internet transaction, 2) requiring geo-location information from the client device in order to conduct the Internet transaction, 3) receiving the geo-location information from the client device, 4) verifying the validity of the geo-location information, and then 5) conducting the Internet transaction. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US07941375B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, establishing a billing arrangement with a purchasing customer to permit a third party to charge a billing account associated with the purchasing customer for a purchase transaction between the purchasing customer and a selling vendor, establishing a remitting arrangement with the selling vendor to permit the third party to remit to an account associated with the selling vendor a portion of the purchase transaction, establishing communications between equipment of the third party and equipment of the purchasing customer, wherein the equipment of the third party enables the equipment of the purchasing customer to communicate over the Internet with equipment of the selling vendor concerning the purchase transaction, obtaining transactional information relating to the purchase transaction, receiving authorization over the Internet to charge the purchasing customer the first amount, charging the first amount to the billing account associated with the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing arrangement, and remitting the second amount to the account associated with the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting arrangement. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US07941367B2
A financial account issuer facilitating transactions between accounts is disclosed. The invention provides sellers with an irrevocable method of receiving funds from a purchaser and for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party. The invention also enables the allocation of a portion or all of a charge or loyalty points to different transaction accounts issued by different issuers, or to sub-accounts.
US07941354B2
A method and system of providing for the rapid availability of assets to customers wherein a lease method and system is provided which includes lease terms, a leasable asset with a unique identifier, associating the lease terms with the asset through the unique identifier, at least one sensor on the asset for detecting the status of at least one condition that starts a lease, a communications system for transmitting information from the sensors on the asset to a central management system, determining the amount due based on the status of the sensors and the lease terms associated with the unique identifier, and preparing an invoice based on the amount due determined.
US07941352B2
A computer-based system and method for resolving disputes between a customer and an electronic payment provider concerning an electronic transaction between the customer and a merchant, including receiving data related to the transaction in a computer; transmitting the data from the computer to a dispute resolution server; comparing the transaction data to predetermined eligibility criteria for dispute resolution in the dispute resolution server, and if the dispute resolution criteria is met, declining future transactions from the merchant for the disputing consumer; and, comparing the transaction data to predetermined eligibility criteria for transaction credit, and if the credit criteria is met, and transmitting a credit instruction for the transaction.
US07941351B1
A method for providing payroll services to an employer includes obtaining employee data for an employee of the employer, wherein the employee data is used by a payroll system, obtaining employer tax data of the employer, wherein the employer tax data is used by the payroll system, and managing a payroll and taxes of the employer using the payroll system, wherein managing the payroll of the employer comprises issuing a direct deposit paycheck by the payroll system based on the employee data and employer tax data, wherein managing the payroll of the employer and taxes of the employer is provided by the payroll system without cost to the employer.
US07941341B2
A sales force automation system and method of facilitating a sales process which integrates computerized intelligent automated salesperson support for multiple phases of the sales process. Various subsystems may be provided to facilitate the sales process which may include pre-sales lead generation, maximize time spent with the customer, effectively manage an order, ensure customer satisfaction and retain the customer for future sales. Also provided to support the phases of the sales process are additional tools, integrated in the system. The additional tools may include self management subsystems, sales management subsystems and training subsystems.
US07941329B2
A method, software, database and system for predicting the longevity of an individual and for determining an optimal insurance plan for an individual are presented in which an attribute profile of the individual containing genetic and non-genetic attributes is compared against a database containing combinations of genetic and non-genetic attributes that are statistically associated with known longevities and optimized insurance plans derived from other individuals.
US07941324B1
A method for obtaining healthcare that includes submitting biometric identification data to a Personal Health History (PHH) account that includes a PHH for a patient, permitting a healthcare provider to obtain the biometric identification data, wherein the healthcare provider accesses the PHH account with the biometric identification data to obtain the PHH, and receiving a treatment for a health condition of the patient, wherein the treatment is administered by the healthcare provider accessing the PHH.
US07941320B2
Generic and specific C-to-E binaural cue coding (BCC) schemes are described, including those in which one or more of the input channels are transmitted as unmodified channels that are not downmixed at the BCC encoder and not upmixed at the BCC decoder. The specific BCC schemes described include 5-to-2, 6-to-5, 7-to-5, 6.1-to-5.1, 7.1-to-5.1, and 6.2-to-5.1, where “0.1” indicates a single low-frequency effects (LFE) channel and “0.2” indicates two LFE channels.
US07941307B2
A method for producing a substantially calibrated numerical model, which can be used for calculating a stress on any point in a formation, accounts for a formation's geologic history using at least one virtual formation condition to effectively “create” the present-day, virgin stress distribution that correlates, within acceptable deviation limits, to actual field stress measurement data obtained for the formation. A virtual formation condition may describe an elastic rock property (e.g., Poisson ratio, Young's modulus), a plastic rock property (e.g., friction angle, cohesion) and/or a geologic process (e.g., tectonics, erosion) considered pertinent to developing a stratigraphic model suitable for performing the desired stress analysis of the formation.
US07941305B2
The apparatus for creating and editing a nuclear reactor core template includes a graphical user interface and a processor controlling the graphical user interface to allow a user to selectively populate a loading map with fuel bundles residing in at least one fuel pool.
US07941301B2
The invention relates to the modeling of a complex system wherein units such as data and/or products are received, processed and forwarded in event chains of the system. Said modeling uses a defined set of basic types at the lowest description level for representation of the units and in order to describe the interaction therebetween. Each basic type processes data representing values of characteristics of the above-mentioned units. The set of basic types comprises a basic type known as forward, which represents the forwarding of the units, conducts data for the characterization of said units and is provided with an input and an output; a basic type known as merge which represents a combination of units, combines data for the characterization of said units and which has two inputs and one output; and a basic type known as divide which represents a fractionation of units, determines data for the characterization of units which arise from a fractionation from data of a unit that is to be fractionated and has one input and two outputs. Inputs are used to receive data from and outputs are used to transfer data into the respective basic group. Computer-based data-processing models of the system are created by forming a number of basic types and by combining the inputs and outputs of said basic types.
US07941296B2
A computer-implemented method is provided for creating a peer unit and comparing that peer unit to a target unit in order to determine the difference in performance between the target unit and a peer unit. The peer unit is a hypothetical construct of user-defined performance variables whose values are determined based on outstanding performing units in a user-defined group. This comparison allows the user to assess what parameters of the target unit should be changed in order to improve overall performance.
US07941295B2
Provided is a manufacturing apparatus for appropriately managing information about parts of the manufacturing apparatus. The manufacturing apparatus includes: a parts identification information receiving unit receiving parts identification information used to identify parts of the manufacturing apparatus for performing a semiconductor process with respect to a substrate to be processed; a parts attribute information receiving unit receiving parts attribute information indicating the attribute of the parts identified by the received parts identification information; a parts attribute corresponding information memory unit storing parts attribute corresponding information where the parts identification information identifying the parts of the manufacturing apparatus corresponds to parts attribute information identified by the parts identification information; and a parts attribute corresponding information managing unit updating the parts attribute corresponding information by using the received parts identification information and the received parts attribute information.
US07941293B2
The present invention provides a system for determining a metric of capacity in computing systems and computer applications. Capacity in this sense refers to the ability of computer systems and computer applications to perform work. Many applications and multi-hop system strategies could benefit from understanding the amount of work a particular system or application is capable of performing. A metric such as this can be very difficult to calculate due to widely varying system hardware, operating system architectures, and application behavior/performance.
US07941292B2
In one aspect, a method to assign observations includes receiving first observations of a first sensor system, receiving second observations of a second sensor system and assigning a set of pairs of the first and second observations predicted to correspond to the same physical position. The assigning includes using a likelihood function that specifies a likelihood for each assigned pair. The likelihood is dependent on the assignment of any other assigned pairs in the set of assigned pairs. The assigning also includes determining the set of assigned pairs for the first and second observations based on the likelihood function. The likelihood function uses a gate value determined from estimating a true volume using nearest neighbor distances determined from the first and second observations.
US07941285B2
In one oil production operation, a fluid conduit transports a fluid from a wellhead to a floating production platform. To prevent an occurrence of formations that obstruct the flow of fluid in the fluid conduit, a forecast is made as to whether a flow assurance curve will intersect an operating curve of the fluid conduit. In the event that the operating curve and the flow assurance curve will intersect, the appropriate personnel may be alerted so that they may attempt to prevent the hydrate forming conditions from occurring in the pipe. Which personnel are alerted may be based on a level of criticality. The level of criticality may be based on an estimated time period remaining until the flow assurance curve and the operating curve will intersect.
US07941281B2
A system for rotor blade health monitoring include time of arrival (TOA) sensors and a controller comprising a processor configured for obtaining TOA signals indicative of times of arrival of rotating rotor blades from the respective TOA sensors and for determining initial features from the TOA signals; and a feature level fuser configured for fusing the initial features received from the processor for use in evaluating health of the rotating rotor blades.
US07941273B2
There is provided herein a system and method of acquiring, processing, and imaging transient Controlled Source ElectroMagnetic (t-CSEM) data in ways that are similar to those used for seismic data. In particular, the instant invention exploits the time-distance characteristics of t-CSEM data to permit the design and execution of t-CSEM surveys for optimal subsequent processing and imaging. The instant invention illustrates how to correct t-CSEM data traces for attenuation and dispersion, so that their characteristics are more like those of seismic data and can be processed using algorithms familiar to the seismic processor. The resulting t-CSEM images, particularly if combined with corresponding seismic images, may be used to infer the location of hydrocarbon reservoirs.
US07941266B2
In a method for controlling an internal combustion engine (1) for a motor vehicle in stop-start operation, the internal combustion engine (1) is operated in the idling operating state. If there is a request for switch-off of the internal combustion engine (1) the torque produced by the internal combustion engine (1) is reduced while fuel continues to be injected. The fuel injection is switched off if the speed of the internal combustion engine (1) reaches a predetermined minimum value. The torque produced by the internal combustion engine (1) is increased again if the request for switching off the internal combustion engine (1) is canceled before the minimum speed is reached.
US07941262B2
Disclosed is a method for storing process signals of a plant or technical installation. A compression method is adapted for a current operating state of the plant is applied to the set of process signals in accordance with the current operating state of the plant and a compressed process signal set which is determined during the application of the compression method is stored.
US07941261B2
A brake controller function to optimally brake a wheel of a vehicle in motion, such as an aircraft. The brake pressure control self regulates by means of applying brake pressure in accordance with vehicle acceleration information and the change in acceleration over time in the horizontal plane. Vehicle acceleration and information about its change enable a brake pressure control function to determine the brake pressure associated with maximum obtainable retardation for a vehicle at that given point in time. By continuously monitoring acceleration change and detecting retardation pinnacles, the culmination and turning points of retardation, with their associated brake pressure, maximum braking ability is assured at any given time. By applying acceleration data in real time as a controls reference in a brake logic control function to increase or reduce brake pressure, such a brake control function will assure a brake pressure perfectly fit with net of all the forces that a vehicle is subjected to. It will ensure optimal brake level with respect the vehicle tire/pavement surface interface.
US07941250B2
A method and a device for obtaining a predictive vertical speed of a rotorcraft, the device constituting a predictive vertical speed indicator (1) that includes at least: first elements (1′) for measuring the instantaneous vertical speed v of a rotorcraft; second elements (2) for measuring the instantaneous proper airspeed VP of a rotorcraft; and third elements (3) for calculating the predictive vertical speed vAP of a rotorcraft, the third elements being connected firstly to the first and second elements via respective first and second connections (l1, l2) and containing in memory predetermined values for the minimum-power speed VY and a characteristic constant k that are constants relating to the rotorcraft of a given type of rotorcraft.
US07941248B1
An avionics system including a software defined radio (SDR) is provided. The SDR includes configurable avionics function implementation circuitry configured to implement each of multiple avionics functions. Also included in the SDR is a priority arbitrator. The priority arbitrator is configured to receive priority control parameters and, based on a make-up of the received priority control parameters, responsively direct the configurable avionics function implementation circuitry to implement a particular priority-based subset (less than all) of the multiple avionics functions.
US07941245B1
An automated shading system defines an environmental state as a discrete variable representing a history of values of a second discrete variable representing the ambient environment. The system executes a state-specific automated shading command upon occurrence of each state. Prior to usage, each automated shading command is initialized to one of two types of command, as a function of the corresponding state: an “adjust shading” command that causes an automatic adjustment to a predetermined shading setting, or a “do not adjust” command that causes no shading adjustment. The system also enables a user to directly adjust the shading to a selected setting via deliberate shading commands. After each deliberate shading adjustment, the system updates the automated shading command associated with the current state to an “adjust shading” command that, upon subsequent occurrence of the same state, will cause an automatic adjustment to the same selected setting.
US07941224B2
A visual prosthesis apparatus and a method for limiting power consumption in a visual prosthesis apparatus. The visual prosthesis apparatus comprises a camera for capturing a video image, a video processing unit associated with the camera, the video processing unit configured to convert the video image to stimulation patterns, and a retinal stimulation system configured to stop stimulating neural tissue in a subject's eye based on the stimulation patterns when an error is detected in a forward telemetry received from the video processing unit.
US07941215B2
An electrotherapy apparatus comprising a sensor for detecting periodically recurring signal peaks, in particular the R-R peaks of an electrocardiogram of a person, a processor for deriving from the time interval between said periodically recurring signal peaks a time delay corresponding to approximately the end of the T-wave, and a trigger system initiated by an output signal of said processor or embodied within said processor for applying electrical stimulations to one or more active electrodes provided on the said person at a time related to the end of said time delay. The processor is adapted to generate, in addition to an initial electrical stimulation to induce muscle contraction, a plurality of further electrical stimulation pulses with intervals between each of said further electrical stimulation pulses, so that said further electrical stimulation pulses maintain said muscle contraction over a period extending from said initial electrical stimulation substantially up to a time just before a next expected R-peak.
US07941211B2
Pre-treatment using a xanthin carotenoid (preferably 3R,3′R-zeaxanthin) can improve the benefits and efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses a light-activated drug (such as verteporfin) in patients who suffer from unwanted retinal blood vessel growth, including the “wet” (exudative) form of macular degeneration. Before a PDT treatment, patients are given a regimen of orally-ingested zeaxanthin for a period of at least 1 and preferably at least 2 to 3 weeks, at dosages of at least 3 and preferably at least 10 milligrams per day. Since zeaxanthin imparts a yellowish color to the macula, a preferred dosage should increase a patient's macular pigment density before the PDT treatment is performed.
US07941200B2
A system for determining drug administration information may comprise an input device providing for user input of feed forward information having a first parameter component and a second parameter component, a data storage device and a processor. The data storage device may have stored therein a map correlating values of the first and second parameters to drug administration information. The processor may be responsive to user input of the feed forward information to determine corresponding drug administration information according to the map.
US07941197B2
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for updating mobile devices with additional elements. In some implementations, a cover for a mobile device includes side surfaces, a rear surface, a physical interface, and a circuit. The side surfaces and the rear surface are configured to be adjacent at least a portion one or more side surfaces of the mobile phone. The side surfaces and the rear surface form an opening that receives at least a portion of the mobile device. A first portion of at least one of the surfaces includes a connector for connecting to a port of the mobile phone. The physical interface includes in at least one of the surfaces that receives a memory device external to the mobile device. The circuit connects the physical interface to the connector.
US07941194B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for the co-location of radio frequency (RF) antennas in portable devices, portable devices and their docking stations and related systems, and devices with restrictive space constraints to allow for simultaneous receive (RX) and transmit (TX) operation without degradation. The systems and methods disclosed overcome RX channel degradation, receiver performance, and other problems seen in prior solutions. More particularly, transmit and receive antennas are oriented to provide for cross-polarization of their electro-magnetic fields, are oriented to allow one or both antenna to fall within null regions of the other antenna, and/or oriented with both cross-polarization and null region considerations in mind. Other variations and implementations are also described.
US07941190B2
A battery cover of a mobile phone includes an input interface formed on one side thereof; and a wireless transmission module. The input interface is capable of operating thereon, and the wireless transmission module is capable of conducting wireless communication between the battery cover and the mobile phone when the battery cover is detached from the mobile phone.
US07941186B2
An apparatus and method for scheduling a multiuser and a single user in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system are provided. The method for scheduling a multiuser and a single user at BS in MIMO system includes determining ratios of MultiUser-MIMO (MU-MIMO) chunks and Single User-MIMO (SU-MIMO) chunks to allocation chunks, determining the MU-MIMO chunks in the determined ratio and the remaining chunks as the SU-MIMO chunks, transmitting chunk information relating to the determined chunks to one or more Mobile Stations (MSs), and, when Channel Quality Information (CQI) feedback information relating to the determined MU-MIMO chunks and the determined SU-MIMO chunks is received from the MSs, allocating chunks and streams for MU-MIMO/SU-MIMO to users who maximize overall capacity using the CQI feedback information.
US07941182B2
A system and method for activating and registering a security system with a cellular provider using SMS messages is provided. The SMS messages used for activating and registering the security system are generated in a format that is predetermined by the processing station in order to provide a uniform structure for presenting the necessary information required for the specified function, i.e., activation or registration. The use of a uniform structure for the SMS allows the message to be processed entirely by a computer thus reducing cost, delay and error from having the information entered manually by a technician.
US07941175B1
A method, system, and apparatus enables lower priority (e.g., access response) messages to be transmitted instead of higher priority (e.g., paging) messages when the lower priority messages become too backlogged in an environment in which the two types of messages share a given capacity. In other words, when an overload situation is detected, the shared capacity is regulated by ensuring that the lower priority messages have at least some bandwidth. For example, if (i) the lower priority messages reach a predetermined number or (ii) a particular lower priority message has been waiting a predetermined period of time, then at least a portion of the higher priority messages are diverted (e.g., delayed or deleted). In one embodiment, the higher priority messages that are initially diverted are a lowest priority subset of the higher priority messages. In another embodiment, a highest priority subset of the lower priority messages are transmitted first as capacity is made available.
US07941157B2
A hybrid localization method and a wireless network that performs the method are disclosed herein. In an embodiment of a hybrid localization technique, one or more sensor nodes in the network switch between different localization techniques depending on location area conditions. This technique chooses the most accurate localization technique for the given location area conditions, and thus potentially provides the best possible location accuracy for those conditions. A representative set of simulations and experiments verify the potential performance improvement realized with embodiments of the hybrid localization technique.
US07941149B2
A wireless communication system is provided that has at least three nodes arranged in a multi-hop ultra wide band (UWB) communication network such that communications from a first node destined for a third node pass through a second node. Each of the devices in the system includes a radio and a media access control (“MAC”) module that is configured to establish multi-hop UWB wireless communications between the three or more wireless communication devices that enables high bandwidth applications such as Voice Over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”); multiplayer gaming; Wireless High Definition Television; and Internet Protocol Television (“IPTV”) among others. The MAC module is configured to avoid bandwidth reservation conflicts so that network performance does not degrade as the number of hops or the number of nodes in the wireless communication system increases. The MAC also facilitates utilization of multiple channels to maximize the available spectrum and is further configured to dynamically switch between channels to maximize throughput and meet or exceed quality of service (“QoS”) requirements such that QoS is guaranteed and network resources are efficiently utilized.
US07941142B2
A mobile unit transmits a request for position registration to a network when moving from a first area to a second area. When the number of incoming calls does not exceed a threshold and the number of movements between the first area and the second area exceeds a threshold, a mobile switchboard combines the first area and the second area into an extended area, and informs the mobile unit of the extended area.
US07941136B2
We describe a system to optimize performance of a mobile phone network towards a performance goal. The system receives performance data comprising aggregated data for a plurality of calls and commissions measurement data comprising data logged for a plurality of mobile phones, and outputs data for changing a configuration of said network. The system includes a performance monitoring system; a measurement data request system, wherein measurement data is selectively commissioned in response said performance mismatch; a measurement data analysis system to analyze the commissioned measurement data to determine a probable cause of said mismatch, and to provide analysis data identifying the probable cause; and an action determination system to receive said analysis data and to output action data dependent on the analysis data, the action data identifying one or more configuration changes to be made to the mobile phone network to reduce the mismatch.
US07941124B2
Methods of providing messages for a user can include accepting entry of a message for the user, and accepting entry of a location criteria associated with the message. Physical location information for a wireless communications device associated with the user can be obtained, and the message for the user can be transmitted when the physical location information for the wireless communications device matches the location criteria associated with the message. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.
US07941123B2
The invention discloses a method and system for downloading data to mobile terminals, a mobile terminal that utilizes the method, and a method and a system for implementing data sharing between mobile terminals. The method for data downloading includes: dividing data to be downloaded into multiple data task segments by a master mobile terminal, and allocating the data task segments to one or more mobile terminals; downloading the data by the mobile terminals in accordance with the allocated data task segments; judging by the master mobile terminal whether there are any data task segments that have not been downloaded; and if yes, allocating the data task segments to at least one mobile terminal that has finished downloading data task segment; and if no, terminating the download procedure. The system for data downloading includes: a server, at least a master mobile terminal, and at least a slave mobile terminal.
US07941121B2
The invention disclose a method for verifying the validity of a user, making full use of a TID as the bridge for establishing confidence between a NAF and a user equipment, and the BSF assigning a term of validity for the TID, thereby extending the function of the TID, enabling the NAF to verify the term of validity for using the TID, and accordingly, achieving a further verification of the validity to the user. By using the method of the invention, it is possible to avoid the situation in which one TID is permanently valid for one or more NAFs, enhance the system security, decrease the risks caused by the theft of users' TID and corresponding secret keys, and at the same time, implement TID management by the NAF. In addition, a combination of the method with billing system makes it easy to implement the function of charging a user.
US07941118B2
A method to process DP bits and TPC bits from multiple fingers within a WCDMA rake receiver is provided. DPCH symbols are received, quantized and channel compensated. Then processing operations for individual fingers for the channel compensated quantized despread DPCH symbols containing DP bits and TPC bits are chosen based on the DPCH slot format. The DPCH symbols are processed based on the DPCH slot format in order to produce processed DPCH pilot symbols in a common format. DP bits and TPC bits may be processed in parallel by separate processing branches or in series by applying timing control to common processing modules. These processed symbols may then be combined. Other embodiments may further allow for the computation of an SNR estimate based on the combined DPCH symbols.
US07941116B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing and comprising a ground plane, and wireless communications circuitry carried by the circuit board. The device may also include an antenna assembly carried by the housing. The antenna assembly may include a flexible substrate, an electrically conductive antenna element on the flexible substrate and connected to the wireless communications circuitry and the ground plane, and at least one pair of floating, electrically conductive director elements on opposite sides of the flexible substrate for directing a beam pattern of the antenna element.
US07941114B2
A method implementable in an audio receiver having an input for receiving broadcast signals including a set of channels and a squelching controller includes converting the signals associated with each channel into respective digital signals, and tuning the digital signals associated with a first subset of the channels. For each channel of the first channel subset, a respective set of amplitudes associated with respective frequencies of the associated digital signal is determined. A random-noise-level value associated with each channel of the first channel subset is determined from each set of the signal amplitudes. If a signal amplitude associated with a first channel of the first channel subset exceeds the random-noise-level of the first channel, a second subset of the channels of the set is tuned. Otherwise, the random-noise-levels are provided to the squelching controller.
US07941096B2
The present invention provides a method and system for determining a near-field communication interaction in a wireless tracking mesh network. The present invention preferably utilizes near-field communication devices in conjunction with tracking tags to transmit signals for reception by sensors stationed throughout a facility which form a mesh network and forward the signals to an information engine for analysis. Bearers of the near-field communication devices preferably include individuals, objects, assets and rooms of the facility.
US07941095B2
A wireless transceiver includes: (a) a low power radio frequency (LPRF) communications component capable of powering down to conserve energy and capable of powering up in response to an electronic signal, the LPRF communications component including a transmitter and a first receiver; and (b) a second receiver that is configured to screen a radio frequency broadcast and provide, on the basis of specific data identified therein, the electronic signal to the LPRF communications component in order to power up the LPRF communications component. The second receiver is adapted to draw less current than the LPRF communications component while awaiting receipt of and listening for a radio frequency broadcast.
US07941088B2
The image forming apparatus has a discharge device, an air blow device and a detection device, wherein an amount of blown air by the air blow device when the height of the recording materials detected by the detection device is higher than a preset first detection position is smaller than an amount of blown air by the air blow device when the detected height of the recording materials is lower than the first detection position. Thereby, there is provided an image forming apparatus which is improved in the alignment of the recording materials on the stacking portion.
US07941082B2
A print control unit causes a secondary-transfer control unit to move a secondary transfer unit apart from an intermediate transfer member, causes a direct-transfer control unit to cause a black image forming unit to form a black image and transfer the black image onto a transfer sheet being conveyed along a conveying path, and causes a positional-alignment control unit to perform positional alignment.
US07941080B2
An image forming apparatus is provided with a photoconductive member on which a latent image is to be formed, a developing roller for developing the latent image formed on the photoconductive member by a first bias, and a magnetic roller for forming a magnetic brush thereon with a two-component developer and forming a thin toner layer on the developing roller by a second bias. If (D1) denotes the duty ratio of a first alternating-current bias included in the first bias and (D2) denotes the duty ratio of a second alternating-current bias included in the second bias, the duty ratios (D1, D2) satisfy the following relationship: D1>100−D2.
US07941076B2
A driving force transmission device superior in reliability with suppressed rotation fluctuation. The driving force transmission device has gearing reception portions, three arm portions and a press member. The gearing reception portions are formed in the inner circumference of a rotor. The arm portions extend from a shaft radially. The arm portions can be elastically deformed. The arm portions have engagement tooth portions for transmitting a driving force of the shaft to the rotor. The press member presses the rotor to bend the arm portions in the direction where the rotor is pressed. In that state, the gearing reception portions gear with the engagement tooth portions.
US07941075B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit including a charge member that is disposed facing the image carrier across a gap therebetween and charges the image carrier by using electrical discharge caused by applying thereto a voltage including an alternating current component superimposed on a direct current component, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit to supply toner for developing the latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image and to collect residual toner remaining on the image carrier, a transfer unit, and a toner spreading member to spread toner on the image carrier and disposed upstream from the charging unit in a direction of movement of the image carrier and downstream from the transfer unit in the direction of movement of the image carrier.
US07941070B2
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a substantially cylindrical body and a photosensitive layer formed on the outer circumference of the body. The body has an outer diameter larger at a middle portion of a latent image forming area than at end portions of the latent image forming area in the axial direction. The electrophotographic photosensitive member may further include a heating member accommodated within the body and extending along the axial direction of the body, for heating the latent image forming area of the photosensitive layer.
US07941061B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a body, to which a plurality of image forming cartridges containing developers are attachable; and a communication device which wirelessly communicates with a plurality of non-contact tags provided to the plurality of image forming cartridges, respectively. The communication device includes: a plurality of antennas which are provided correspondingly with the plurality of image forming cartridges; and a switching controller which switches signals from the plurality of antennas.
US07941060B2
A device management system for a plurality of devices, including a data collecting device that acquires device data for one or more of the plurality of devices, and a transmission circuit that transmits the device data to a device management, wherein the device management station determines any outlying devices within the plurality of devices. Moreover, a device management method for a plurality of devices that includes acquiring device data for one or more of the plurality of devices, transmitting the device data to a device management station, generating a control chart on the basis of the transmitted device data, determining whether at least one of the plurality of devices is outside at least on of the upper limit and the lower limit, and providing an appropriate action to take on the basis of the determination.
US07941052B2
An optical communications device has light transmitters of a first wavelength that are coupled to a number of first waveguides of an optical data link, respectively. A second set of light transmitters of a second, different wavelength are coupled to another set of waveguides of the link, respectively. The light transmitters are to transmit data from the same data processing element that is to use the link to communicate with another data processing element. The device also has a set of light detectors of the first wavelength that are coupled to the second set of waveguides, respectively. Another set of light detectors of the second wavelength are coupled to the set of first waveguides, respectively. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US07941049B2
An optical transmission apparatus including an optical amplifier for providing a high-power optical amplifier on the receive side, in which a wavelength of pumping light for an optical amplifier on the transmission side is suitably shifted to be different from a wavelength of pumping light for an optical amplifier on the receive side, pumping optical power for the optical amplifier on the transmission side is not all consumed in a doped fiber in amplification process, and remnant pump light that was left surplus is added by a wavelength multiplex coupler to the pumping light for the optical amplifier on the receive side, thereby enhancing a gain and light output without an increase in output power of the pumping light used for the optical amplifier on the receive side.
US07941048B2
An apparatus and a method for accurately detecting Loss of Optical Power (LOS) by noise power cancellation effect and optical power is measured at two output ports of an athermal periodic filter, wherein one output port in the optical frequency domain, is aligned with the signal channels of an input WDM signal (on-grid port), whereas the second output port is aligned complementary to the first output port (off-grid port). In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus computes the ratio of the measured optical powers at the two output ports of the periodic filter, and comparing them to a threshold value that is determined from the overall common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of the detection apparatus. In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus additionally compares the optical power measured at the on-grid port to a threshold power that is determined from system design parameters.
US07941047B2
A method for engineering of a connection in a WDM photonic network with a plurality of flexibility sites connected by links comprises calculating a physical end-to-end route between a source node and a destination node and setting-up a communication path along this end-to-end route. An operational parameter of the communication path is continuously tested and compared with a test threshold. The path is declared established whenever the operational parameter is above the margin tolerance. The established path is continuously monitored by comparing the operational parameter with a maintenance threshold. A regenerator is switched into the path whenever the operational parameter is under the respective threshold, or another path is assigned to the respective connection. An adaptive channel power turn-on procedure provides for increasing gradually the power level of the transmitters in the path while measuring an error quantifier at the destination receiver until a preset error quantifier value is reached. As the connection ages, the power is increased so as to maintain the error quantifier at, or under the preset value. The path operation is controlled using a plurality of optical power/gain control loops, each for monitoring and controlling a group of optical devices, according to a set of loop rules.
US07941037B1
A system and method are provided for time scaling playback of digital audio signals with associated digital video signals. Initially, the digital video signals and the digital audio signals are received. Next, the digital audio signals are processed for the time scaling thereof while substantially preserving the frequency pitch of the digital audio signals. The processed audio signals are then encoded. Such encoded audio signals are then outputted for accelerated playback with the associated digital video signals.
US07941032B2
An information processing apparatus and a program are provided to execute a sequence of processing operations including the recording of video data recorded to a first recording medium in a first format to a second recording medium in a second format without user's manual intervention. When a startup block detects that a digital video tape can be acquired from a DV, a processing control block makes a DVD format block, a check block, a bit rate setting block, an acquisition block, a menu creation block, and a DVD write block sequentially execute their processing operations in this order as sequence of processing operations, thereby recording the video data recorded to the digital video tape loaded on the DV to a DVD loaded on a DVD-R/RW drive without user's manual intervention.
US07941029B2
A shooting device includes a frame-rate setting section, a shooting section, and a recording section. The frame-rate setting section sets a frame rate at the shooting and a frame rate at the reproducing arbitrarily and independently. The shooting section shoots moving images at the shooting frame rate, and the recording section records video signals of the shot moving images together with information about the shooting frame rate and information about the reproducing frame rate, where both of the information are linked with the video signals.
US07941028B2
A backlight is disclosed and includes a visible light transmissive body primarily propagating light by TIR with a light input surface and a light output surface and a light guide portion and a light input portion. The light guide portion has a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input portion has opposing side surfaces that are not parallel. One of the opposing surfaces is co-planar with either the light emission surface or the light reflection surface. A light source is disposed adjacent to the light input surface. The light source emits light into the light input portion. A reflective layer is disposed adjacent to or on the opposing side surfaces.
US07941023B2
A low loss optical waveguiding structure for silicon-on-insulator (SOI)-based arrangements utilizes a tri-material configuration including a rib/strip waveguide formed of a material with a refractive index less than silicon, but greater than the refractive index of the underlying insulating material. In one arrangement, silicon nitride may be used. The index mismatch between the silicon surface layer (the SOI layer) and the rib/strip waveguide results in a majority of the optical energy remaining within the SOI layer, thus reducing scattering losses from the rib/strip structure (while the rib/strip allows for guiding along a desired signal path to be followed). Further, since silicon nitride is an amorphous material without a grain structure, this will also reduce scattering losses. Advantageously, the use of silicon nitride allows for conventional CMOS fabrication processes to be used in forming both passive and active devices.
US07941020B2
A rotating optical resonator, a waveguide and a method of use of waveguide are disclosed. The rotating optical resonator may include at least two modes of different resonant frequencies shiftable towards each other by reducing a magnitude of rotation rate, said modes being joinable into a substantially degenerate mode by setting substantially zero rotation rate, said resonator being of an optical size smaller than five wavelengths of the substantially degenerate mode. The waveguide may include a plurality of coupled evenly degenerate split mode resonators, the split of the modes forming a stop band in a resonant band of the waveguide, the stop band of the waveguide thereby being changeable by changing an angular velocity of the waveguide while the vector of the angular velocity is non-parallel with respect to the waveguide.
US07941017B2
An optical touch panel having over-cladding layers each integrated with a lens-shaped portion (i.e., optical waveguides each having a lens-integrated over-cladding layer). The optical touch panel requires neither lens assembly nor optical axis alignment, and is therefore free from the fear that the displacement of lenses will occur. This makes it possible to achieve high optical transmission efficiency and high impact resistance.
US07941015B2
An optical apparatus includes an optical resonator ring having at least one active region. The active region is configured to generate optical energy under an electrical stimulus. The optical apparatus also includes a corrugated plasmonic body disposed around at least a portion of the resonator ring and radiatively coupled to the active region.
US07941014B1
Optical waveguide devices are disclosed which utilize an optical waveguide having a waveguide bend therein with a width that varies adiabatically between a minimum value and a maximum value of the width. One or more connecting members can be attached to the waveguide bend near the maximum value of the width thereof to support the waveguide bend or to supply electrical power to an impurity-doped region located within the waveguide bend near the maximum value of the width. The impurity-doped region can form an electrical heater or a semiconductor junction which can be activated with a voltage to provide a variable optical path length in the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide devices can be used to form a tunable interferometer (e.g. a Mach-Zehnder interferometer) which can be used for optical modulation or switching. The optical waveguide devices can also be used to form an optical delay line.
US07941011B2
In a multilevel light intensity modulator of the invention, input light is branched into n (n is an integer of 2 or more), and respectively sent to n branching waveguides. On the branching waveguides are respectively provided MZI light modulating sections. The MZI light modulating sections branch the input light into two at a branching ratio different from 0.5:0.5, and respectively output a binary optical signal with a quenching ratio being deteriorated, by on/off driving with a binary electric signal. Then by coupling the light output from the MZI light modulating sections, an optical signal with the light intensity modulated to a 2n value not including the zero level is output. As a result quaternary or higher level light intensity modulation which does not include the zero level, can be realized by a practical configuration using a binary electric signal.
US07941001B1
A multi-purpose scaler utilizes a vertical scaler module and a moveable horizontal scaler module to resample a video signal either vertically or horizontally according to a selected scaling ratio. The moveable horizontal scaler module resides in one of two slots within the multi-purpose scaler architecture to provide either horizontal reduction or horizontal expansion as desired. The multi-purpose scaler is arranged to scale the video using non-linear 3 zone scaling in both the vertical and horizontal direction when selected. The multi-purpose scaler is arranged to provide vertical keystone correction and vertical height distortion correction when the video is presented through a projector at a non-zero tilt angle. The multi-purpose scaler is also arranged to provide interlacing and de-interlacing of the video frames as necessary.
US07940995B2
A method and a system of automatically detecting a boundary of a target object by using an ultrasound diagnostic image. In accordance with the present invention, the boundary of the target object can be detected automatically and precisely. The ultrasound diagnostic method and system form an edge detection boundary candidate model by detecting an edge of the ultrasound diagnostic image, forming a simplification boundary candidate model by performing a simplification operation to the edge detection boundary candidate model, forming a sessionization boundary candidate model by performing a sessionization operation to the simplification boundary candidate model, and detecting the boundary of the target object of the ultrasound diagnostic image based on the edge detection boundary candidate model, the simplification boundary candidate model and the sessionization boundary candidate model. In accordance with the present invention, the boundary of the target object is automatically detected by using the ultrasound diagnostic image to reduce any inconvenience to the user and solve the problem in which the measured result may vary with each user, which was caused by a conventional method of manually detecting the boundary.
US07940988B2
Properties of pixels in a digital image are sampled within different subdivisions of an editing tool impression to produce different property distributions. The different subdivisions can automatically alter their size, geometry, and/or location, based on image content within one or more of the subdivisions, in order to encompass a set of pixels having a substantially uniform distribution of a pixel property. Uniformity can be defined relative to the editing operation or context of the image. The property distributions from each region are classified to identify different edit classes within the property space, which are then used to apply an edit effect to the digital image within the tool impression. The edit classes may be represented by an edit profile in two or more dimensions.
US07940982B1
A method of performing color space conversion includes maintaining a data structure that has a plurality of dimensions and that contains a plurality of locations storing information in each of the dimensions. Each of the dimensions corresponds to a different one of a plurality of input color signal components. The number of locations which the data structure contains in a first one of the dimensions is different from the number of locations which the data structure contains in a second one of the dimensions. The method further includes inputting first data defined according to a first color space, and generating second data defined according to a second color space, by applying information contained in the data structure to the first data.
US07940977B2
A method of identifying a calcium and/or a soft plaque deposit in a blood vessel using imaging data of the blood vessel is provided. A first threshold is applied to a slice of three-dimensional imaging data of a blood vessel to define voxels above the first threshold. A maximum intensity of the blood vessel is identified from the defined voxels. A distance from the identified maximum intensity to a center of the blood vessel is calculated and is compared with a distance threshold. If the calculated distance is greater than the distance threshold, a calcium deposit is identified. A second threshold is applied to the slice to define voxels below the second threshold. If a calcium deposit is identified or if the defined voxels below the threshold have a half-moon shape, a soft plaque deposit is identified.
US07940969B2
A system and method is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic device is used to acquire RF backscattered data (i.e., IVUS data) from a blood vessel. The IVUS data is then transmitted to a computing device and used to create an IVUS image. The blood vessel is then cross-sectioned and used to identify its tissue type and to create a corresponding image (i.e., histology image). A region of interest (ROI), preferably corresponding to the identified tissue type, is then identified on the histology image. The computing device, or more particularly, a characterization application operating thereon, is then adapted to identify a corresponding region on the IVUS image. To accurately match the ROI, however, it may be necessary to warp or morph the histology image to substantially fit the contour of the IVUS image. After the corresponding region is identified, the IVUS data that corresponds to this region is identified. Signal processing is then performed and at least one parameter is identified. The identified parameter and the tissue type (e.g., characterization data) is stored in a database. In another embodiment of the present invention, the characterization application is adapted to receive IVUS data, determine parameters related thereto (either directly or indirectly), and use the parameters stored in the database to identify a tissue type or a characterization thereof.
US07940967B2
A medical procedure support system of the invention includes an endoscope for obtaining images of an internal part of the body cavity of a subject, an endoscopic image creating unit for creating an endoscopic image obtained by the endoscope, an image reading unit for reading a virtual image relating to the subject and a reference image relating to the virtual image, a superimposition commanding unit for commanding to superimpose the reference image on at least one of the virtual image and the endoscopic image, and a combined image creating unit for performing the superimposition of the reference image data commanded by the superimposition commanding unit and creating a combined image thereof.
US07940965B2
According to the present invention, the face of a subject person can be rapidly detected. An image input unit inputs an image to be processed. A photographing-position input unit inputs photographing-position information attached to the processed image. An angle-range information determination unit determines an angle range, where face detection should be performed to the processed image, on the basis of the information obtained by the photographing-position information input unit. On the basis of information indicating the determined angle range, under the control of a process control unit, a face detection unit performs face detection to the processed image input by the image input unit in predetermined angle increments. A face integration unit integrates all of face data detected by a basic-angle-range face detection unit into face information and then outputs the information.
US07940963B2
A monitoring system includes: an image capturing section capturing a motion image of a monitor region; a condition storing section storing a condition of an object to be extracted from the motion image; a matching judging section judging whether an object that matches the condition exists in the motion image; an object region identifying section identifying an object region including the object, if the matching judging section judges positively; an output section outputting an image of the object region, if the matching judging section judges positively; an image retaining section retaining an image of a region other than the object region, if the matching judging section judges positively; and an output control section controlling the output section to output the image of the region, if the image of the region is judged to be transmitted, after the image retaining section retained the image of the region.
US07940962B2
An awareness detection system and method are provided. The system includes an imaging device positioned to obtain a plurality of images of at least a portion of a subject's head, and an awareness processor in communication with the imaging device. The awareness processor receives an image from the imaging device and performs the steps including conducting a two-point head pose analysis when two eyes of the subject are located, conducting a one-point head pose analysis when only one eye of the subject is located, and conducting a zero-point head pose analysis when zero eyes of the subject are located. The awareness processor further performs the steps of detecting at least one point of interest in the image, conducting a motion analysis of the image to estimate a head pose of the subject, and determining a state of awareness of the subject.
US07940961B2
A method for enhancing detection of a moving object. The method includes comparing a video image to a historical sequence of images obtained from the same scene or stationary source. The method uses statistical sampling to implement change detection and thresholding operations which extract moving objects from the scene. The method provides for a high degree of sensitivity and noise rejection to motion detection, and is self-adapting to variations in sensor characteristics and operating environments.
US07940959B2
The invention described herein is generally directed to methods for analyzing an image. In particular, crowded field images may be analyzed for unidentified, unobserved objects based on an iterative analysis of modified images including artificial objects or removed real objects. The results can provide an estimate of the completeness of analysis of the image, an estimate of the number of objects that are unobserved in the image, and an assessment of the quality of other similar images.
US07940955B2
The empty vs. non-empty status of a cargo container is detected based on boundary analysis of a wide-angle image obtained by a monocular vision system. The wide-angle image is warped to remove distortion created by the vision system optics, and the resulting image is edge-processed to identify the boundaries of the container floor. If package boundaries are detected within the floor space, or a large foreground package is blocking the floor boundaries, the cargo status is set to non-empty. If floor boundaries are detected and no package boundaries are detected within the floor space, the cargo status is set to empty.
US07940947B2
According to the invention a headphone set comprises a hoop band, to each of the two ends of which is fixed a respective acoustic transducer and which extends arcuately in a plane, with at least one joint for folding the ends of the hoop band inwardly in the plane and an elastic region for resiliently expanding and narrowing the hoop band is either characterized in that the fixing of each of the transducers to the ends of the hoop band has a joint for pivoting the transducers into the plane and that arranged in the region of the two ends of the hoop band is a respective connecting structure which can be connected to each other and which then in co-operating relationship hold the folded-in ends of the hoop band in a crossed position or that the one joint for folding the ends of the hoop band inwardly is arranged at the apex of the hoop band, that the headphone set is of mirror image symmetry about a plane and that the fixing of each of the transducers to the ends of the hoop band has a joint for pivoting the transducers into the plane of symmetry which is at a right angle to the plane of the hoop band.
US07940940B2
A muting circuit of the present invention includes: an input terminal that receives a control signal for allowing switching between ON and OFF of a mute operation; and a muting transistor connected to the input terminal and an output terminal of the amplifier. The muting transistor is a MOS transistor, and a gate is connected to the input terminal, a drain is connected to the output terminal of the amplifier, and a source is grounded. Consequently, a shot noise due to a DC difference caused when a mute state is switched between ON and OFF can be suppressed.
