US07939845B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device which is improved in output power efficiency since reflection by the substrate is reduced. This semiconductor device is also excellent in strength characteristics of a supporting substrate. Also disclosed is a method for producing such a semiconductor device. Specifically disclosed is a nitride semiconductor device wherein at least an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, a metal film layer and a plated metal plate are sequentially stacked in this order on a substrate. This nitride semiconductor device is characterized in that the metal film layer and the plated metal plate are partially formed on the p-type semiconductor layer. Also disclosed is a nitride semiconductor device having a structure wherein at least an n-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, a metal film layer and a plated metal plate are sequentially stacked in this order, the device characterized in that the metal film layer and the plated metal plate are partially formed on the p-type semiconductor layer and a light-transmitting material layer is formed on the p-type semiconductor layer in a region where the metal film layer and the plated metal plate are not formed.
US07939833B2
There is provided a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having high internal quantum efficiency by accelerating recombination radiation while employing a multiple quantum well structure in which each of well layers has a relatively large thickness. The nitride semiconductor light emitting device is provided with a nitride semiconductor lamination portion (6) provided on a substrate (1). The nitride semiconductor lamination portion (6) includes at least an active layer (4) in which a light emitting portion is formed. And the active layer is constituted with a multiple quantum well structure formed by laminating well layers (7) made of InxGa1-xN (0
US07939831B2
It is provided a contacting method when a plurality of films to be peeled are laminating. Reduction of total layout area, miniaturization of a module, weight reduction, thinning, narrowing a frame of a display device, or the like can be realized by sequentially laminating a plurality of films to be peeled which are once separately formed over a plastic film or the like. Moreover, reliable contact having high degree of freedom is realized by forming each layer having a connection face of a conductive material and by patterning with the use of a photomask having the same pattern.
US07939828B2
A method for fabricating a pixel structure includes providing a substrate having a pixel area. A first metal layer, a gate insulator and a semiconductor layer are formed on the substrate and patterned by using a first half-tone mask or a gray-tone mask to form a transistor pattern, a lower capacitance pattern and a lower circuit pattern. Next, a dielectric layer and an electrode layer both covering the three patterns are sequentially formed and patterned to expose a part of the lower circuit pattern, a part of the lower capacitance pattern and a source/drain region of the transistor pattern. A second metal layer formed on the electrode layer and the electrode layer are patterned by using a second half-tone mask or the gray-tone mask to form an upper circuit pattern, a source/drain pattern and an upper capacitance pattern. A portion of the electrode layer constructs a pixel electrode.
US07939824B2
A test structure to detect vertical leakage in a multi-layer flip chip pad stack or similar semiconductor device. The test structure is integrated into the semiconductor device when it is fabricated. A metal layer includes at least two portions that are electrically isolated from each other; one portion being disposed under a test pad, and another portion being disposed under a pad associated with a pad structure being tested. The metal layer in most cases is separated from a top metal layer directly underlying the pads by an inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer. A metal layer portion underlying the pad to be tested forms a recess in which a conductive member is disposed without making electrical contact. The conductive line is electrically coupled to a test portion of the same or, alternately, of a different metal layer. The test structure may be implemented on multiple layers, with recesses portions underlying the same or different pads.
US07939817B2
An integrated circuit includes a heater element serving as a first electrode, a second electrode, a memory element comprising resistance changing material coupled to the heater element and to the second electrode, and a diffusion compensation region coupled to the heater element and to the resistance changing material. The diffusion compensation region includes a surplus of at least one diffusible species present in the memory element and provides at least one diffusible species to the memory element.
US07939812B2
A hydrogen ion implanter for the exfoliation of silicon from silicon wafers uses a large scan wheel carrying 50+ wafers around its periphery and rotating about an axis. In one embodiment, the axis of rotation of the wheel is fixed and a ribbon beam of hydrogen ions is directed down on a peripheral edge of the wheel. The ribbon beam extends over the full radial width of wafers on the wheel. The beam is generated by an ion source providing an extracted ribbon beam having at least 100 mm major cross-sectional diameter. The ion source may use core-less saddle type coils to provide a uniform field confining the plasma in the ion source. The ribbon beam may be passed through a 90° bending magnet which bends the beam in the plane of the ribbon.
US07939809B2
The invention comprises a charged particle beam extraction method and apparatus used in conjunction with charged particle beam radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The system uses a radio-frequency (RF) cavity system to induce betatron oscillation of a charged particle stream. Sufficient amplitude modulation of the charged particle stream causes the charged particle stream to hit a material, such as a foil. The foil decreases the energy of the charged particle stream, which decreases a radius of curvature of the charged particle stream in the synchrotron sufficiently to allow a physical separation of the reduced energy charged particle stream from the original charged particle stream. The physically separated charged particle stream is then removed from the system by use of an applied field and deflector.
US07939806B2
A nuclear medicine (NM) imaging system having attenuation correction (AC) has a stationary portion having an NM rotating portion mounted thereon. At least one gamma camera head is mounted on the NM rotating portion proximate a front side of the stationary portion and is configured to be rotated about a central axis. An AC portion comprises an X-ray source mounted on an AC rotating portion. The AC rotating portion is mounted proximate a back side of the stationary portion. The X-ray source is configured to be rotated about the central axis.
US07939802B2
A target with a thermal imaging system comprising one or more sections. Each section comprises at least one heater. Each heater comprises a layer of insulating material, layer of bifurcated metallic foil, layer of plastic, wire grid comprised of horizontal elements and vertical wires, at least two strips of carbon tape, and front cover sheet. The layer of metallic foil is situated on top of the layer of insulating material, the layer of plastic is situated on top of the layer of metallic foil, and the wire grid is situated on top of the layer of plastic. The strips of carbon tape are adhered to the outer edges of the wire grid so that the carbon tape comes into contact with the horizontal elements but not with the vertical wires. The front cover sheet comprises an image of a side view, front view or rear view of a vehicle.
US07939801B2
An electron beam observation device includes a mechanism which disposes a specimen at an upstream side in an electron beam traveling direction outside an objective lens, from which an image is transferred under a magnification of ⅕ to 1/30, in addition to an inside of the objective lens in which a specimen is disposed at a time of ordinary observation.
US07939797B2
A mass spectrometry ionization method in which electrospray droplets or solid sample matrices are exposed to an ion beam thereby increasing the unbalanced charge of the analyte is provided. In another embodiment, a mass spectrometry ionization method in which ionization of the sample is achieved by directing an ion beam at a liquid or solid sample matrix containing analyte thereby ionizing and adding unbalanced charge to the analyte is provided.
US07939782B2
Provided are a processing method and a processing apparatus which are capable of suppressing a disturbance attributable to a surface wave in a processing by interfered laser beams, in particular, a processing by the interfered laser beams of a pulsed laser having a pulse width of equal to or more than 1 fs and of equal to or less than 1 ps, in which the wavelength of a surface wave that propagates in a direction of the interference of the laser is made longer than a pitch of the interference of the laser on a surface of an object to be processed to process the object.
US07939780B2
An abnormality determination and estimation device for a weld product in a welding process includes a jig device and an AE sensor. The jig device holds the product by a holding face, through which the jig device and the product are in close contact with each other. The AE sensor detects an elastic wave in the jig device. Accordingly, abnormality detection accuracy can be improved, and abnormalities can be discriminated.
US07939779B2
With many coated sheets, in particular zinc-coated sheets as used in the automobile industry, the coating material has a much lower boiling point than the material of the sheet. On welding said sheets together the above leads to explosive evaporation of coating material which seriously affects the quality of the connection. In order to improve the quality of the connection it has already been disclosed that narrow gaps between the sheets can be produced by means of spacers, through which the coating material can escape. The spacers can be produced for example, by means of laser bombardment of the sheets. A disadvantage is the relatively long time necessary for machining, which causes large costs in particular for serial production. The aim of the invention is to reduce the time necessary for machining the sheets whilst at least maintaining, preferably improving the quality of the machining. Said aim is achieved, by means of a method, whereby the laser beam is deflected onto the surface by means of a scanner device. A scanner device is a particularly rapid and flexible beam-diverting device. The above permits a reduction in the machining time by a factor of 10 without reducing the quality of the machining.
US07939772B2
A linear vehicle transmission switch (10) has first and second interfitting housing members (12, 14) each having an electrically conductive lead frame (12m) insert molded in electrically insulative material and formed with exposed segments (12f) of lead frame material along linear tracks. An elongated actuator (16) is slidably received in a channel of one of the housing members and is disposed along a side of the tracks. A paddle (16b) extends transversely across the tracks. Ribs are disposed between tracks and dimensioned to limit rotational movement of the paddle. A pair of stabilized contact switches is disposed on the paddle for each track. The housing members have a selected camber to lower the force required to move the actuator. The lead frames are plated to reduce contact resistance and improve wear.
US07939770B2
An integral type second lever constituting member (A) is mounted on a constitution, in which a first lever member (5) is assembled in a Roberval's mechanism composed of a stationary block (1), a floating frame (2) and upper and lower sub-levers (3, 4). The integral type second lever constituting member (A) is mounted by mounting a force point portion (9) and a fulcrum portion (8) on the Roberval's mechanism through screw-fastened holes (8a, 9a), thereby to assemble a load measuring mechanism as a whole. At the screw-fastening time, the turning torque of the screw is supported by a connecting portion (10), and this connecting portion (10) is removed after the integral type second lever constituting member (A) was mounted. In the load measuring mechanism of an electronic balance, the second lever member can be mounted easily and reliably.
US07939766B2
An apparatus for electrically shielding electronic components is provided. The apparatus includes a circuit board having a first surface with a plurality of electronic components mounted on the first surface, the first surface having a first region and a second region. The circuit board comprises a ground plane and a trace on the first surface coupled to at least one electronic component in the first region and coupled to at least one electronic component in the second region. The circuit board also comprising a strip of conductive material on the first surface, the strip of conductive material forming a perimeter around the first region of the circuit board, the strip of conductive material coupled to the ground plane, the strip of conductive material defining at least one gap wherein the trace is oriented through the at least one gap. Additionally, a first filtering device is coupled to the trace on a first side of the gap. The apparatus also includes a cover composed of a conductive material for the first region of the circuit board. The cover comprises a contact surface configured to contact the strip of conductive material on the circuit board. The contact surface has at least one notch. The at least one gap of the circuit board is configured to align with the at least one notch of the cover when the cover is installed on the circuit board.
US07939764B2
A fire, heat and high voltage cable wrap system for protecting wires and cables. The protective cable wrap system includes a support layer for strength being selected from the group consisting of woven, non-woven, knitted, netted or matted materials; a high voltage arc resistant layer for protection against high voltage; a fire protective coating layer for protecting the cable wrap system against fire; and a top coating layer for resistance to water, chemicals, gases, environmental factors and mechanical damage. The support layer, the high voltage arc resistant layer, the fire protective coating layer and the top coating layer are laminated together for forming a composite laminate structure having a plurality of concentric layers for the protection of transmission wires, electrical wires and cables that provides for high voltage isolation up to 50 kV.
US07939759B2
A cable protector includes a channel recessed into, and extending along the upper surface of a base. A number of dividers can be removably inserted into the channel from above to divide the channel into a plurality of tracks for carrying cables that can be inserted from above. Alternatively, a removable tray with a desired number of dividers can be placed as a unit in the channel, instead of inserting individual dividers. A lid covers the channel and dividers to provide a surface for traffic over the cable protector. Sets of complementary fasteners, such a tabs and keyed slots, can be employed to removably secure the dividers in the channel of the cable protector.
US07939753B2
A compact cable head for assembly in a conduit of a water-cooled, high current cable includes a cable side end to receive conductors; a first circumferential section with saw tooth ribbing to be engaged by clips on the conduit; and a second circumferential region adjacent thereto and configured with a knurled circumferential face to be engaged by clips on the conduit.
US07939750B2
Disclosed herein are a polymer solar cell, comprising a substrate, a first electrode, a hole injection layer, a photoactive layer, and a second electrode, characterized in that an electron-accepting layer is formed between the photoactive layer and the second electrode, and a method of manufacturing the polymer solar cell. The polymer solar cell comprises an electron-accepting layer between the photoactive layer and the second electrode, thereby assuring excellent power conversion efficiency. Furthermore, high power conversion efficiency can also be attained in a low-temperature thermal annealing process.
US07939741B2
An electronic musical system by which settings on tone generators can be carried out without discontinuing a user's music production. The electronic musical system is comprised of a musical control apparatus including control operating elements and an electronic musical apparatus including a sequencer having a plurality of tracks, and is configured that various functions of the electronic musical apparatus can be remotely controlled by a user by manipulating the control operating elements of the musical control apparatus. When a tone generator control screen display button which is one of the control operating elements is depressed by the user, a tone generator control screen window for a tone generator assigned to a currently designated track is made active.
US07939739B1
A page turner apparatus includes a book holder assembly, one or more page turning assemblies and a driver. Each page turning assembly includes a rotator portion and a page retention portion and is laterally movable and rotatable. The page retention portion includes a page retaining arm which is rotated to the right of an axis of rotation when the page turning assembly is moved to the right and rotated to the left of the axis of rotation when the page turning assembly is moved to the left. The driver is adapted to laterally move the at least one page turning assembly and, at the same time, rotate each page retaining arm.
US07939738B2
A ligature is provided for use in a mouthpiece system for attaching a reed to a mouthpiece of a woodwind musical instrument. The ligature is constructed from a single layer of flexible strap of rubberized fabric, having two ends to which rigid bars are fixedly secured. The ends of the straps and rigid bars are brought together to form a loop that is placed over the mouthpiece and reed. A threaded closure mechanism is used to tighten the ligature around the mouthpiece. The ends of the strap are crimped into slots in the rigid bars to secure the masses to rigid bars. A cradle constructed from a rectangular piece of spring steel is attached to the flexible strap and is located on the interior of the loop to contact the reed along two lines.
US07939736B2
A capo (10) for use with a stringed instrument comprises a top arm (12), lower arm (16) and a lever arm (24). The top arm (12) is adapted to extend across a fingerboard of the instrument above the strings (4), and a side arm is connected and extending at an angle to the top arm and arranged to extend generally laterally of the neck (2) of the instrument. The lower arm (18) has one end pivotally attached to the side arm (16) at a lower arm pivot (20) and is adapted to abut against the back of the neck of the instrument when in a closed position. The lever arm has one end pivotally attached to the side arm (16) at a pivot (26) spaced from the lower arm pivot (20). The capo further includes an adjuster mechanism (28, 334) that extends and projects an adjustable amount from the lever arm (24) and has an end tip (32) which bears against the lower arm (24).
US07939732B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH457496. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH457496, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH457496 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH457496.
US07939727B2
The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated MCS0747B2RF. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety MCS0747B2RF. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety MCS0747B2RF and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety MCS0747B2RF with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07939722B2
The invention provides Brassica lines having an average Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Disease Incidence (SSDI %) score which is less than about 60% of the SSDI % score of appropriate check varieties. Methodologies to screen for Sclerotinia resistance in the greenhouse, growth chamber and field are also provided.
US07939720B2
The invention provides seed and plants of the spinach line designated SMB66-1114F. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of spinach line SMB66-1114F, and to methods for producing a spinach plant produced by crossing a plant of spinach line SMB66-1114F with itself or with another spinach plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of spinach line SMB66-1114F, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US07939709B2
A method of producing male or female sterile plants comprising the steps of transforming plant material with a polynucleotide which encodes at least one enzyme which reacts with a non-phytotoxic substance to produce a phytotoxic one, and regenerating the thus transformed material into a plant, wherein the said non-phytotoxic substance is applied to the plant up to the time of male or female gamete formation and/or maturation, so that the non-phytotoxic substance provides for the production of a phytotoxic one which selectively prevents the formation of or otherwise renders the said gametes non-functional, wherein the enzyme is expressed preferentially in either male or female reproductive structures, characterised in that (i) the non-phytotoxic substance is a D-alpha amino acid, and (ii) the enzyme is a D-amino acid oxidase.
US07939708B2
Maize markers useful for genotyping and association studies, e.g. association with oil content QTLs in populations derived from the Illinois High Oil and Illinois Low Oil maize lines. Primers and hybridization probes for Taqman™ assays are provided for 488 SNP markers in 484 loci.
US07939704B2
Disclosed are ethylbenzene processes in which a series-arranged or combined vapor phase alkylation/transalkylation reaction zone is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and a liquid phase transalkylation reactor, and in which a parallel-arranged vapor phase alkylation reactor and vapor phase transalkylation reactor is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and liquid phase transalkylation reactor, wherein the xylenes content of the ethylbenzene product is less than 700 wppm.
US07939700B2
The present invention provides an improved process for conversion of feedstock comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and an alkylating agent to desired alkylaromatic conversion product under at least partial liquid phase conversion conditions in the presence of specific catalyst comprising a porous crystalline material, e.g., a crystalline aluminosilicate, and binder in the ratio of crystal/binder of from about 20/80 to about 60/40. The porous crystalline material of the catalyst may comprise a crystalline molecular sieve having the structure of Beta, an MCM-22 family material, e.g., MCM-49, or a mixture thereof.
US07939695B2
The present invention provides an industrially advantageous process for preparing nucleus-halogenated methylbenzyl alcohol which is a useful substance as a raw material, an intermediate for manufacturing medicines, agricultural chemicals, etc. The process of the present invention for preparing nucleus-halogenated methylbenzyl alcohol represented by the following formula (II) includes hydrogenating nucleus-halogenated benzene dicarbaldehyde represented by the following formula (I); wherein m is an integer of 0 to 3, and n is an integer of 1 to 4, with the proviso that m+n is an integer of 1 to 4, wherein m and n are the same as those in the formula (I).
US07939690B2
The present invention relates to novel compounds of formula [I], wherein R1 represents heteroaryl, at least one substituent among R5, R6 and R7 represent —SR12, —S(O)R12 or —S(O)2R12 and the remaining substituents are as defined in the claims, that act as chemical uncouplers. Compounds of the invention are useful inter alia, in the treatment, including prevention, of obesity, diabetes and a number of diseases associated therewith.
US07939689B2
The invention provides compounds compositions and methods useful for inducing or maintaining general anesthesia or sedation in mammals.
US07939672B2
Disclosed herein are a new phenylacetate derivative represented by Chemical Formula 1 or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a preparation method thereof, and a composition for prevention or treatment of diseases induced by the activation of T-type calcium ion channels containing the same. The composition containing the phenylacetate derivative according to the present invention effectively inhibits the activation of T-type calcium ion channels and may be useful in the prevention or treatment of diseases such as hypertension, cancer, epilepsy, and neurogenic pains induced by the activation of T-type calcium ion channels. wherein, X, R1, and R3 are as defined herein.
US07939661B2
This invention is concerned with compounds of the formula wherein A, R1 to R5 are as defined in the specification and G is a pyridine, quinoline or pyrimidine group as defined in the specification, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, to a process for their preparation and to their use for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases which are associated with the modulation of SST receptors subtype 5.
US07939660B2
A novel process for preparing emtricitabine, and more particularly a process for preparing emtricitabine involving the formation and isolation of intermediate compounds in salified form, is described.
US07939646B2
Compositions and methods for the therapy and diagnosis of cancer, particularly prostate cancer, are disclosed. Illustrative compositions comprise one or more prostate-specific polypeptides, immunogenic portions thereof, polynucleotides that encode such polypeptides, antigen presenting cell that expresses such polypeptides, and T cells that are specific for cells expressing such polypeptides. The disclosed compositions are useful, for example, in the diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of diseases, particularly prostate cancer.
US07939643B2
This invention relates to a process for the production of a von Willebrand factor preparation, hydroxylapatite being used as a chromatography medium.
US07939638B2
The present invention relates to one or more nucleic acid(s) encoding a binding molecule specifically binding to a human CD28 molecule, comprising (a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding a VH region and a nucleic acid sequence encoding a VL region comprising CDRs in a human immunoglobulin framework, wherein (i) the CDRs of the VH region (CDR-H) comprise the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 2 or 18 (CDR-H3), 4 or 20 (CDR-H2) and 6 or 22 (CDR-H1) or are encoded by the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 1 or 17 (CDR-H3), 3 or 19 (CDR-H2) and 5 or 21 (CDR-H1); and (ii) the CDRs of the VL region (CDR-L) comprise the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 8 or 24 (CDR-L3), 10 or 26 (CDR-L2) and 12 or 28 (CDR-L1) or are encoded by the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 7 or 23 (CDR-L3), 9 or 25 (CDR-L2) and 11 or 27 (CDR-L1); and (b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the constant region of a human IgG1 or IgG4 antibody.
US07939634B2
Novel polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding same are provided. Also provided methods and pharmaceutical compositions which can be used to treat various disorders such as cancer, immunological-related, blood-related and skin-related disorders using the polypeptides and polynucleotides of the present invention. Also provided are methods and kits for diagnosing, determining predisposition and/or prognosis of various disorders using as diagnostic markers the novel polypeptides and polynucleotides of the present invention.
US07939632B2
The invention relates to therapeutic fusion proteins in which a coagulation factor is fused to a half-life enhancing polypeptide, and in which both are connected by a linker peptide that is proteolytically cleavable. The cleavage of such linkers liberates the coagulation factor from activity-compromising steric hindrance caused by the half-life enhancing polypeptide and thereby allows the generation of fusion proteins may show relatively high molar specific activity when tested in coagulation-related assays. Furthermore, the fact that the linker is cleavable can enhance the rates of inactivation and/or elimination after proteolytic cleavage of the peptide linker compared to the rates measured for corresponding therapeutic fusion proteins linked by the non-cleavable linker having the amino acid sequence GGGGGGV.
US07939631B2
Novel polypeptides, designated Apo-2, which are capable of modulating apoptosis are provided. Compositions including Apo-2 chimeras, nucleic acid encoding Apo-2, and antibodies to Apo-2 are also provided.
US07939621B2
A cyclic carbonate monomer, including: wherein R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl; R10 is a connecting group selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl and heteroaryl; R4 is an optional bridging group selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl and heteroaryl; Z is selected from the group consisting of O, NH, NR, and S; G is a guanidine group; and P is a protecting group. The cylic carbonate monomer can be reacted with an initiator including a drug, drug candidate, probe or other molecule of interest to form an oligomer with the molecule of interest attached to one end of a carbonate backbone and guanidine groups attached to the carbonate backbone.
US07939620B2
A composition of matter for the recording medium of nanometer scale thermo-mechanical information storage devices and a nanometer scale thermo-mechanical information storage device. The composition includes: one or more polyaryletherketone polymers, each of the one or more polyaryletherketone polymers having two terminal ends, each terminal end having two or more phenylethynyl moieties. The one or more polyaryletherketone polymers are thermally cured and the resulting cross-linked polyaryletherketone resin used as the recording layers in atomic force data storage devices.
US07939619B2
Organosilicon compounds containing β-ketoamide groups and organic polymer groups bound via enamine bonds are prepared by reaction of compounds bearing at least one β-ketocarbonyl functionality with organosilicon compounds bearing aminoalkylaminoalkyl groups. The products have the same uses as siloxanes containing polyether and acetoacetate groups.
US07939617B2
A polysiloxane represented by the formula (1) or (2): where R, R1, R2, m and n are defined in the specification.
US07939614B2
A curable composition which comprises at least one of the following (A), (B), and (C) and further contains (D) (provided that when (C) is not contained, both (A) and (B) are in the composition. (A): A silicon-containing polymer in which the content of components having a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000 or lower is 20 wt. % or lower and which has a reactive group A′ and one or more Si—O—Si bonds. (B): A silicon-containing polymer in which the content of components having a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000 or lower is 20 wt. % or lower and which has an Si—H group and one or more Si—O—Si bonds. (C): A silicon-containing polymer in which the content of components having a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000 or lower is 20 wt. % or lower and which has a reactive group A′, an Si—H group, and one or more Si—O—Si bonds. (D): A catalyst for curing reaction which is a platinum catalyst. The reactive group A′ is any of Si—R1, Si—O—R2, and Si—R3—OCOC(R4)═CH2, provided that R1 and R2 each is alkenyl, R3 is alkylene and/or arylene, and R4 is hydrogen or methyl.
US07939612B2
A radically polymerizable compound having a group represented by formula (1) (In the formula, R1 to R3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, X represents an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.) and a radically polymerizable double bond and a composition for an optical material comprising the same have a high refractive index and excellent transparency and are hard to be oxidized in thermal curing and useful as an optical material with little tinting.
US07939611B2
Inherently radiopaque side-chain crystallizable polymers (IRSCCP's) are useful in various medical applications. An example of a IRSCCP is a polymer that comprises a main chain, a plurality of crystallizable side chains, and a plurality of heavy atoms attached to the polymer, the heavy atoms being present in an amount that is effective to render the polymer radiopaque. A polymeric material that includes a IRSCCP may be fabricated into a medical device useful for at least partially occluding a body cavity. For example, such a medical device may be an embolotherapy product.
US07939607B2
Ethylene vinyl acetate compositions that have been partially crosslinked using organic peroxides are disclosed, as well as methods for their production. The crosslinked compositions have low melt index values and increased tensile strength, leading to flexibility and heat resistant properties.
US07939606B2
Methods and compositions for cementing applications. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of cementing comprising the steps of: providing a cement composition that comprises: a polyelectrolyte and/or an alkenoic acid first monomer; a filler; and a crosslinking agent; placing the cement composition in a desired location; and allowing the cement composition to set therein.
US07939602B2
Provided herein are compositions comprising an ionomer and a polyamine or a tertiary polyamide. The polyamine and the tertiary polyamide have a molecular weight of greater than 500 Da and do not contain an ester moiety or a primary amine moiety. The polyamine comprises at least three moieties that are tertiary amines or hindered secondary amines, and the polyamide comprises tertiary amide moieties and no secondary or primary amide moieties. The compositions may optionally include a filler. Further provided are articles such as golf balls and films containing these compositions.
US07939601B1
The present invention relates to a polymeric material comprising units capable of having a cationic charge at a pH of from about 4 to about 12; provided that said polymeric material has an average cationic charge density from about 2.75 or less units per 100 daltons molecular weight at a pH of from about 4 to about 12. The polymeric material is a suds enhancer and a suds volume extender for hand dishwashing compositions and personal care products such as soaps, shaving cream foam, foaming shaving gel, foam dephiliatories and shampoos. The polymers are also effective as a soil release agent in fabric cleaning compositions. The polymers are also useful in agrochemical foam, fire-fighting foam, hard surface cleaner foam, and coagulant for titanium dioxide in paper making.
US07939597B2
The present invention relates to a process for production of acrylic acid, comprising the steps of a) dehydration of glycerine to an acrolein-comprising dehydration product; b) gas phase oxidation of the dehydration product to obtain an acrylic acid-comprising monomer gas; c) bringing into contact of the monomer gas with a quench agent to obtain an acrylic acid-comprising quench phase; and d) work-up of the quench phase to obtain an acrylic acid-comprising monomer phase; whereby, during the dehydration a liquid phase a1 and a gas phase a2 is present, whereby in the liquid phase a1 a plurality of gas bubbles is generated, as well as a process for production of polymers by polymerization of acrylic acid, preferably for production of water-absorbing polymers, the water-absorbing polymers obtainable by this process, a composite, a process for production of a composite, the composite obtainable by this process, and further chemical products.
US07939588B2
A composition includes a salt of a carboxyethyl phosphinate ester compound. Additionally, the composition may also include a polymeric resin, such as a thermoplastic resin. The composition may have improved physical and chemical properties including flame retardancy, thermal stability, and hygroscopicity.
US07939574B2
In one of its aspects, the present invention relates to foamed isocyanate-based polymer derived from a reaction mixture comprising an isocyanate, an active hydrogen-containing compound, a dendritic macromolecule and a blowing agent; wherein at least a 15% by weight of the dendritic macromolecule may be mixed with a polyether polyol having an OH number less than about 40 mg KOH/g to form a stable liquid at 23° C. The dendritic macromolecule confers advantageous load building characteristics to the foamed isocyanate-based polymer and may be used to partially or fully displace the use of conventional copolymer polyols used. A process for production of a foam isocyanate-based polymer and a process for conferring loading building properties to a foamed isocyanate-based polymer are also described.
US07939565B2
The present invention relates to novel insecticidally and acaricidally active compound combinations of N2-[1,1-dimethyl-2-(methylsulphonyl)ethyl]-3-iodo-N1-{2-methyl-4-[1,2,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethyl]phenyl}phthalamide of the formula (I) and the active compounds identified in the disclosure.
US07939560B2
Multifunctional “smart” nanostructures are disclosed that include fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-encapsulated SiO2 core-shell particles with a nanoscale ZnO finishing layer, wherein an outer ZnO layer is formed on the SiO2-FITC core. These ˜200 nm sized particles showed promise toward cell imaging and cellular uptake studies using the bacterium Escherichia coli and Jurkat cancer cells, respectively. The FITC encapsulated ZnO particles demonstrated excellent selectivity in preferentially killing Jurkat cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal primary immune cells (18% and 75% viability remaining, respectively, after exposure to 60 μg/mL) and inhibited the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at concentrations ≧250-500 μg/mL (for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively). These results indicate that the FITC encapsulated multifunctional particles with nanoscale ZnO surface layer can be used as smart nanostructures for particle tracking, cell imaging, antibacterial treatments and cancer therapy.
US07939559B2
The present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing flavan-3-ol monomers or acylates thereof derived from teas as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said inhibitors. More specifically, the present invention provides lipase inhibitors containing at least one of flavan-3-ol monomers represented by the formula: wherein R1 and R3 independently represent H or OH, R2 represents H, R4 represents H, G, 3MeG or p-cou, R5 represents H or G, R4′ and R5′ independently represent H or G, R4″ represents H or G, and G, 3MeG and p-cou respectively represent the groups of the formulae: or acylates thereof; as well as foods and beverages and medicines containing said lipase inhibitors.
US07939543B2
The present invention is directed to a process for reducing the level of α, β-unsaturated ketone in an opioid analgesic composition by hydrogenation the opioid analgesic composition with diimide or a diimide progenitor.
US07939539B2
Quinazolinone compounds, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and prodrugs thereof; compositions that include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and one or more of the quinazolinone compounds, either alone or in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent. Methods of using the quinazolinone compounds, either alone or in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent, in the prophylaxis or treatment of proliferative diseases.
US07939531B2
The present invention relates to the use of novel pyrrolopyrazine derivatives of Formula I, wherein the variables Q and R are defined as described herein, which inhibit JAK and SYK and are useful for the treatment of auto-immune and inflammatory diseases.
US07939523B2
Imidazolidinone and imidazolinethione compounds of formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, A1, A2, X, Y, Z, m, n, p, x, and y are defined herein. Also disclosed is a method of treating hepatitis C virus infection with these compounds.
US07939522B1
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are of use for treating a variety of diseases and conditions including Alzheimer's disease. They also affect circadian rhythms. In order to optimize the use of such compounds, the present invention provides dosage forms and methods of treatment wherein an effective amount of a centrally-acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitor is formulated so as to delay its activity for a predetermined period. Suitable acetylcholinesterase inhibitors include galanthamine, lycoramine, analogs thereof and rivastigmine.
US07939519B2
The present invention relates to immunosuppressant, process for their production, their uses and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. The invention provides a novel class of compounds useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases or disorders mediated by lymphocyte interactions, particularly diseases associated with EDG receptor mediated signal transduction.
US07939514B2
Topical application of a triple combination immixture of fluocinolone acetonide, tretinoin and hydroquinone is useful for the maintenance therapy of melasma to prevent hyperpigmentation recurrence or reduce the severity of the hyperpigmentation recurrence.
US07939506B2
Gankyrin having the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, or modified gankyrin comprising an amino acid sequence modified by the deletion and/or addition of one or a plurality of amino acids and/or the substitution with other amino acids in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 and retaining the biological activity of gankyrin, a gene encoding it, and a method of preparing said protein and uses thereof.
US07939505B2
This disclosure provides a range of amino acid lipid compounds and compositions useful for drug delivery, therapeutics, and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions. The amino acid lipid compounds and compositions can be used for delivery of various agents such as nucleic acid therapeutics to cells, tissues, organs, and subjects.
US07939500B2
Antifungal and antibacterial peptides, polypeptides and proteins as antifungal additives for paint and other coatings are disclosed, along with antifungal compositions, and coated surfaces with antifungal properties. Methods of using the coatings for treating and/or inhibiting growth of mold, mildew and other fungi and bacteria on objects such as building materials that are susceptible to such infestation are also disclosed.
US07939499B2
The present invention relates to methods of using a proline/arginine-rich peptide such as PR11 or PR39 for increasing cardiac mass or performance and in the treatment of heart failure.
US07939488B2
A cleaning composition with a limited number of natural ingredients contain a hydrophobic syndetic, a hydrophilic syndetic, and a biguanide or a cationic quaternary ammonium salt. The cleaning composition can be used to clean laundry, soft surfaces, and hard surfaces and cleans as well or better than commercial compositions containing synthetically derived cleaning agents.
US07939465B2
An image destruct material comprises a release layer positioned between an image receiving layer and a base layer. The adhesion between the release layer and the base layer is greater than adhesion between the release layer and the image receiving layer. The release layer material can be used in secure documents that have an image receiving layer. After information is printed on the image receiving layer, an overlaminate is applied over it. Removal of the overlaminate destroys the printed image on the receiving layer because of the relative adhesive properties of the image receiving layer, overlaminate and release layer.
US07939464B2
A structure formed of a resin material with a built-in recording medium comprising at least a means for rewriting visible information with a laser light in a non-contact manner; a laminate comprising the structure and a method for recording in the non-contact manner using the structure or the laminate are disclosed. The recording and erasing of information in the recording medium can be conducted by irradiation with a laser light from outside. The laser light transmittance in a used wave length range and the visible light transmittance through a portion of the structure from a surface on which the laser light is irradiated to the recording medium are in a specified range. Surface destruction of the recording medium due to laser light on rewriting visible information, decrease in durability during cleaning, damages on the recording medium during transportation and deterioration in the color developing property due to light can be overcome.
US07939460B2
A production process is provided for an olefin polymerization catalyst component precursor, including the steps of (I) adding an organomagnesium compound to a solution containing a solvent, a Si—O bond-containing silicon compound, and a defined titanium compound, under agitation, and continuing the agitation until a magnesium concentration in a liquid phase of a reaction mixture decreases to 9 ppm by weight or lower, and (II) solid-liquid separating the reaction mixture. A production process is also provided for an olefin polymerization catalyst component using the above precursor. Further, producing process is provided for an olefin polymerization catalyst using the above catalyst component. Still further, a production process is provided for an olefin polymer using the above catalyst.
US07939448B2
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes a first electrode formation step of forming a control gate electrode above a surface of a semiconductor substrate with a control gate insulating film interposed between the control gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate, a step of forming a storage node insulating film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second electrode formation step of forming a memory gate electrode on a surface of the storage node insulating film. The second electrode formation step includes a step of forming a memory gate electrode layer on the surface of the storage node insulating film, a step of forming an auxiliary film, having an etching rate slower than that of the memory gate electrode layer, on a surface of the memory gate electrode layer, and a step of performing anisotropic etching on the memory gate electrode layer and the auxiliary film.
US07939446B1
A process to produce an airgap on a substrate having a dielectric layer comprises defining lines by lithography where airgaps are required. The lines' dimensions are shrunk by a trimming process (isotropic etching). The tone of the patterns is reversed by applying a planarizing layer which is etched down to the top of the patterns. The photoresist is removed, leading to sub-lithographic trenches which are transferred into a cap layer and eventually into the dielectric between two metal lines. The exposed dielectric is eventually damaged, and is etched out, leading to airgaps between metal lines. The gap is sealed by the pinch-off occurring during the deposition of the subsequent dielectric.
US07939444B2
A manufacturing method of a thin film solar cell comprises performing dry cleaning of an insulation substrate on which a transparent electrode is formed, patterning the transparent electrodes to be spaced apart from each other, performing dry cleaning of the patterned transparent electrodes, forming a semiconductor layer on surfaces of the transparent electrodes and patterning a metal electrode on the semiconductor layer.
US07939441B2
This p-type silicon wafer was subjected to heat treatment to have a resistivity of 10 Ω·cm or more, a BMD density of 5×107 defects/cm3 or more, and an n-type impurity concentration of 1×1014 atoms/cm3 or less at a depth of within 5 μm from a surface of the wafer. This method for heat-treating p-type silicon wafers, the method includes the steps of: loading p-type silicon wafers onto a wafer boat, inserting into a vertical furnace, and holding in an argon gas ambient atmosphere at a temperature of 1100 to 1300° C. for one hour; moving the wafer boat to a transfer chamber and discharging the silicon wafers; and transferring to the wafer boat silicon wafers to be heat treated next, wherein after the discharge of the heat-treated silicon wafers, the silicon wafers to be heat-treated next are transferred to the wafer boat within a waiting time of less than two hours.
US07939439B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device which includes a substrate having an air layer or void therein, an interlayer dielectric film above the substrate, and a metal wiring having a spiral structure on the interlayer dielectric film corresponding to or over the air layer. The semiconductor device exhibits reduced parasitic capacitance between the metal wiring (used as an inductor) and the substrate, thereby improving a self-resonance frequency as well as an applicable frequency band of the inductor.
US07939432B2
A method of improving the intrinsic gettering ability of a wafer is described. A first annealing step is performed to the wafer at a first temperature in an atmosphere containing at least one of oxygen gas and nitrogen gas. A second annealing step is performed to the wafer, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, in the atmosphere.
US07939429B2
A method of manufacturing a nitride semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a division guide groove by applying a laser beam having a wavelength and energy density causing multiphoton absorption to a surface of a substrate having a group III nitride semiconductor layer grown on a major surface thereof; removing deposits from the surface of the substrate by applying a laser beam having the wavelength to the surface of the substrate at energy density causing substantially no multiphoton absorption on the substrate; and dividing the substrate along the division guide groove.
US07939428B2
A method for making substrates for use in optics, electronics, or opto-electronics. The method may include transferring a seed layer onto a receiving substrate and depositing a useful layer onto the seed layer. The thermal expansion coefficient of the receiving support may be identical to or slightly larger than the thermal expansion coefficient of the useful layer and the thermal expansion coefficient of the seed layer may be substantially equal to the thermal expansion coefficient of the receiving support. Preferably, the nucleation layer and the intermediate support have substantially the same chemical composition.
US07939424B2
A method for wafer bonding two substrates activated by ion implantation is disclosed. An in situ ion bonding chamber allows ion activation and bonding to occur within an existing process tool utilized in a manufacturing process line. Ion activation of at least one of the substrates is performed at low implant energies to ensure that the wafer material below the thin surface layers remains unaffected by the ion activation.
US07939423B2
A non-volatile semiconductor manufacturing method comprises the steps of making element isolation/insulation films that partitions element-forming regions in a semiconductor substrate; stacking a floating gate on the semiconductor substrate via a first gate insulating film; stacking a second gate insulating film formed on the floating gate, and stacking a control gate formed on the floating gate via the second gate insulating film, and self-aligning source and drain diffusion area with the control gate. In the process of stacking a floating gate by partially etching a field oxide film in a select gate area, followed by floating gate formed in a element-forming region and select gate region, and followed by a chemical mechanical polish(CMP) process, both floating gate and select gate is hereby formed simultaneously. Thereby, when memory cells are miniaturized, the invention allows the process to be simple and reduce the defect density.
US07939419B2
A method of filling a trench includes: providing a substrate having an upper surface, and a trench extending therein from the upper surface; forming a deposition layer on the substrate in a manner in which the layer partially fills the trench and has a portion which overhangs the trench at the upper surface of the substrate; etching, in a processing chamber, the portion of the deposition layer which overhangs the trench, including by inducing a reaction in the processing chamber using plasma; and subsequently depositing material on the substrate within the partially filled trench, including by inducing a reaction in the processing chamber using plasma.
US07939415B2
By forming a first portion of a substrate contact in an SOI device on the basis of a trench capacitor process, the overall manufacturing process for patterning contact elements may be enhanced since the contacts may only have to extend down to the level of the semiconductor layer. Since the lower portion of the substrate contact may be formed concurrently with the fabrication of trench capacitors, complex patterning steps may be avoided which may otherwise have to be introduced when the substrate contacts are to be formed separately from contact elements connecting to the device level.
US07939414B1
Methods for forming a bipolar junction transistor device are described herein. A method for forming the bipolar junction transistor device may include doping a first portion of a substrate with a first dopant to form a base pick-up region, and after doping the first portion of the substrate, doping a second portion of the substrate with a second dopant to form at least one emitter region. A bipolar junction transistor device may include a floating collector, in which case the bipolar junction transistor device may be operated as a diode for improved emitter current.
US07939410B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming a first conductive-type buried layer in a substrate; forming a first conductive-type drift area on the first conductive-type buried layer; forming a gate insulating layer and gate electrodes by selectively removing the first conductive-type drift area; forming a first oxide layer on the substrate and gate electrodes; implanting second conductive-type impurity ions into the substrate; forming a nitride layer on the first oxide layer; forming a second conductive-type well by diffusing the second conductive-type impurity ions while forming a second oxide layer; removing the nitride layer, the second oxide layer, and portions of the first oxide layer; forming first conductive-type source areas at sides of the gate electrode(s); forming a dielectric layer on the oxide layer; forming a trench in the dielectric layer and the oxide layer; forming a source contact in the trench; and forming a drain.
US07939396B2
A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate, performing a hydrogen annealing to the semiconductor substrate, forming a base oxide layer after the step of hydrogen annealing, and forming a high-k dielectric layer on the base oxide layer.
US07939389B2
A single crystal semiconductor substrate including an embrittlement layer is attached to a base substrate with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, and the single crystal semiconductor layer is separated at the embrittlement layer by heat treatment; accordingly, a single crystal semiconductor layer is fixed over the base substrate. The single crystal semiconductor layer is irradiated with a laser beam so that the single crystal semiconductor layer is partially melted and then is re-single crystallized, whereby crystal defects are removed. In addition, an island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer for forming an n-channel transistor is channel-doped using a photomask and then is etched back using the photomask so that the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer for forming an n-channel transistor is thinner than the island-shaped single crystal semiconductor layer for forming a p-channel transistor.
US07939388B2
Before a plasma doping process is performed, there is generated a plasma of a gas containing an element belonging to the same group in the periodic table as the primary element of a silicon substrate 9, e.g., a monosilane gas, in a vacuum chamber 1. Thus, the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 1 is covered with a silicon-containing film. Then, a plasma doping process is performed on the silicon substrate 9.
US07939383B2
A semiconductor package and a fabrication method thereof are provided in which a dielectric material layer formed with a plurality of openings is used and a solder material is applied into each of the openings. A first copper layer and a second copper layer are in turn deposited over the dielectric material layer and solder materials, and the first and second copper layers are patterned to form a plurality of conductive traces each of which has a terminal coated with a metal layer. A chip is mounted on the conductive traces and electrically connected to the terminals by bonding wires, with the dielectric material layer and solder materials being exposed to the outside. This package structure can flexibly arrange the conductive traces and effectively shorten the bonding wires, thereby improve trace routability and quality of electrical connection for the semiconductor package.
US07939372B1
A semiconductor device package, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device package and a method of testing an integrated circuit utilizing a semiconductor device package are disclosed. Embodiments create a flip-flop semiconductor device package by coupling a semiconductor device, with a wire-bonded arrangement of conductive pads, in a face-up orientation beneath etched portions of multiple leadfingers. The flip-flop package offers improved signaling properties, durability, reliability, and package density at reduced cost given that the conductive pads of the device couple directly to the leadfingers, without requiring the manufacture of a new device or the rerouting of signal paths. The height of the package is also reduced by utilizing space beneath the etched portions of the leadfingers that was unused in conventional solutions. Additionally, the flip-flop configuration provides convenient means for exposing surfaces of the device and/or surfaces of the leadfingers.
US07939370B1
The present invention features a power semiconductor package and a method of forming the same that includes forming, in the body, a stress relief region disposed between a pair of mounting regions and attaching a semiconductor die in each of the mounting regions. The semiconductor die has first and second sets of electrical contacts with the first set being on a first surface of the semiconductor die and the second set being disposed upon a second surface of the semiconductor die opposite to the first surface. The first set is in electrical communication with the mounting region. Walls are formed on outer sides of the pair of mounting regions, defining a shaped body, with the shaped body and walls defining an electrically conductive path that extends from the first set and terminates on side of the package common with the second set.
US07939364B2
A multi-surface compliant heat removal process includes: identifying one or more components to share a heat rejecting device, applying non-adhesive film to the one or more components, identifying a primary component of the one or more components, and applying phase change material on each of the one or more components other than the primary component. The phase change material is placed on top of the non-adhesive film. The process further includes placing the heat rejecting device on the corresponding one or more components and removing the heat rejecting device from the corresponding one or more components. The phase change material and the non-adhesive film remain with the heat rejecting device. The process also includes reflowing the phase change material on the heat rejecting device, removing the non-adhesive film from the heat rejecting device, placing a heatsink-attach thermal interface material on the one or more components, and placing the heat rejecting device on the corresponding one or more components.
US07939362B2
An image sensor and a method of fabricating the same are provided. A pad region is disposed on a substrate. The pad region has a higher concentration of impurity ions than the substrate. The pad region is selectively removed using the substrate as an etch mask, thereby forming a hole. A conductive pad is formed in the hole of the substrate.
US07939355B2
An accelerometer and a method of fabricating an integrated accelerometer comprises the steps of providing an SOI wafer with a selected resistivity to eliminate any need for additional doping of the SOI wafer, providing a single mask on the SOI wafer, and simultaneously defining all components of the accelerometer in the SOI wafer without using any pn-junctions to define any piezoresistive components and to provide the same resistivity of all components. The step of simultaneously defining all components of the accelerometer in the SOI wafer comprises defining all components of a linear or angular accelerometer.
US07939351B2
The present invention provides a production method for a nitride semiconductor light emitting device, which warps less after removing the substrate, and which can emit light from the side thereof; specifically, the present invention provides a production method for a nitride semiconductor light emitting device comprising: forming stacked layers by stacking at least an n-type semiconductor layer, a light emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer on a substrate in this order; forming grooves which divide the stacked layers so as to correspond to nitride semiconductor light emitting devices to be produced; filling the grooves with a sacrifice layer; and forming a plate layer on the p-type semiconductor layer and the sacrifice layer by plating.
US07939349B2
The nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device and manufacturing method thereof are disclosed: the nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device includes a reflective layer formed on a support substrate, a p-type nitride-based semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer and an n-type nitride-based semiconductor layer successively formed on the reflective layer, wherein irregularities are formed on a light extracting surface located above the n-type nitride-based semiconductor layer.
US07939348B2
A testing structure, and method of using the testing structure, where the testing structure comprised of at least one of eight test structures that exhibits a discernable defect characteristic upon voltage contrast scanning when it has at least one predetermined structural defect. The eight test structures being: 1) having an Active Area (AA)/P-N junction leakage; 2) having an isolation region to ground; 3) having an AA/P-N junction and isolation region; 4) having a gate dielectric leakage and gate to isolation region to ground; 5) having a gate dielectric leakage through AA/P-N junction to ground leakage; 6) having a gate dielectric to ground and gate/one side isolation region leakage to ground; 7) having an oversized gate dielectric through AA/P-N junction to ground leakage; and 8) having an AA/P-N junction leakage gate dielectric leakage.
US07939347B2
A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a first film made of a first metal to an upper portion of a substrate, forming a second film made of an amorphous metal oxide or an microcrystalline metal oxide on the first film, subjecting the second film to a heat treatment, subjecting the second film after the heat treatment to a reduction treatment, forming a third film made of a ferroelectric material on the second film, and forming a fourth film made of a second metal on the third film.
US07939345B2
A substrate for testing a carrier liquid for biomolecules using SPR or other techniques provides a metallic island surrounded by a hydrophobic layer, the islands being a location for the attachment of probe molecules. The hydrophobic layer may also be a dielectric material providing improved sensitivity in SPR imaging.
US07939344B2
New applications for the use of distinguishable particulate labels available in a variety of hues and sized in the submicron range are described. These applications include profiling of cellular components, obtaining secretion patterns, identifying a multiplicity of components in chromatographic or electrophoretic techniques and identification of desired immunoglobulin secreting cells.
US07939333B2
The present invention relates to metallic-surface detection systems for determining target substances including free bilirubin in neonatal serum in the presence of a predominantly high background of bilirubin bound Human Serum Albumin (HSA) or sensing and isolating target nucleotide sequences wherein a fluorescence signal is enhanced by close proximity of the target substances near metallic surfaces.
US07939331B2
The invention provides methods for quantifying biomolecules, such as polypeptides in mass spectrometric analysis. The methods include use of a biomolecule standard having at least one atomic isotope different than that of the naturally occurring isotopes in the biomolecule of interest. Methods of the present invention also include methods for quantifying biomolecules where the copy biomolecule standard is made by expressing the biomolecule using a recombinant cell. Further included are the biomolecule standards themselves, method for making such standards, kits, systems, reagents, and engineered cells relating to the use of biomolecule standards in mass spectrometric analysis.
US07939330B2
A fluorescent probe which specifically and efficiently traps nitrogen monoxide, zinc ion etc. to emit fluorescence is provided.A compound represented by the following general formula (I): [wherein R1 and R2 represent hydrogen atom, or a group represented by the following formula (A): (wherein X1 to X4 represent hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a protective group for amino group, and m and n represent 0 or 1); R3 and R4 represent hydrogen atom, a C1-6 alkyl group, or a C1-6 alkoxy group; R5 to R12 represent hydrogen atom, sulfo group, phospho group, a halogen atom, or a C1-6 alkyl group; R13 and R14 represent a C1-18 alkyl group; Z1 represents oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or —N(R15)— (wherein R15 represents hydrogen atom, or a C1-6 alkyl group); Y1 and Y2 represent —C(═O)—, —C(═S)—, or —C(R16)(R17) (wherein R16 and R17 represent a C1-6 alkyl group); and M− represents a counter ion in a number required for neutralizing the charge].
US07939328B1
Disclosed is a method of transforming monocotyledons which necessitates only a short period from the transformation to the regeneration of a whole plant as compared with the conventional methods, thus reducing the frequency of occurrence of mutants, and can be generally applied to the plants for which any system of regenerating the whole plants from protoplasts has not been established, and in which the material to be used can be readily prepared without any particular apparatuses. The present invention provides a method for transforming monocotyledons comprising transforming scutellum of an immature embryo of a monocotyledon with a bacterium belonging to genus Agrobacterium containing a desired gene, which immature embryo has not been subjected to a dedifferentiation treatment, to obtain a transformant.
US07939327B2
Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that regulate expression of two or more endogenous genes.
US07939314B2
Methods and compositions detect and quantify viable Legionella. Dip-slides that include an absorbent medium, growth promoting, and growth selective substances are useful in rapid detection and quantification of microcolonies of Legionella. Most probable number method of detection and quantification of Legionella are disclosed.
US07939313B2
The invention generally provides molecular biosensors. In particular, the invention provides molecular biosensors having one or more aptamers. The molecular biosensors are useful in several methods including in the identification and quantification of target molecules.
US07939309B2
The present invention is directed to glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) polypeptides that have enhanced GDH activity and/or thermostability relative to the backbone wild-type glucose dehydrogenase polypeptide. In addition, the present invention is directed to a polynucleotide that encodes for the GDH polypeptides of the present invention, to nucleic acid sequences comprising the polynucleotides, to expression vectors comprising the polynucleotides operatively linked to a promoter, to host cells transformed to express the GDH polypeptides, and to a method for producing the GDH polypeptides of the present invention.
US07939302B2
The present invention provides a process for producing a dipeptide which comprises culturing in a medium a microorganism which has the ability to produce a protein having the activity to form the dipeptide from one or more kinds of amino acids and which has the ability to produce at least one of said one or more kinds of amino acids, allowing the dipeptide to form and accumulate in the medium, and recovering the dipeptide from the medium.
US07939301B2
The present invention is directed towards an asymmetric enzymic process for preparing optically active organic compounds. The process according to the invention is carried out in what are termed miniemulsions. The invention also relates to an enzymic reaction mixture which exhibits a miniemulsion.
US07939300B2
Disclosed are a method, device kit, and automated system for simple, reproducible, and high-throughput quantification of mRNA from whole blood. More particularly, the method, device, kit and automated system involve combinations of leukocyte filters attached to oligo(dT)-immobilized multi-well plates.
US07939297B2
Nucleic acids encoding mammalian, e.g., primate, IL-1ζ, purified IL-1ζ polypeptides and fragments thereof. Binding proteins, e.g., antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, are also provided. Methods of using the compositions for both diagnostic and therapeutic utilities are provided.
US07939293B2
The invention relates to the production of carboxy-terminal (C-terminal) amidified peptides with C-terminal amidified lysin, in particular with the biological activity of GLP-1, the chemical and/or biotechnological precursors and intermediate products thereof. The invention also relates to a method for the production and use thereof for producing pharmaceutical products.
US07939292B2
The invention relates to heparinase III and mutants thereof. Modified forms of heparinase III having reduced enzymatic activity which are useful for a variety of purposes, including sequencing of heparin-like glycosaminoglycans (HLGAGs), removing active heparan sulfate from a solution, inhibition of angiogenesis, etc. have been discovered according to the invention. The invention in other aspects relates to methods of treating cancer and inhibiting tumor cell growth and/or metastasis using heparinase III, or products produced by enzymatic cleavage by heparinase III of HLGAGs.
US07939289B2
A distinction method is provided to distinguish catch capacity where myosin, a protein that constitutes muscles, or filaments containing myosin bind to actin due to the contribution of twitchin that constitutes thick filaments along with myosin, while certain tension is sustained. The catch capacity is distinguished by using synthetic thick filaments containing myosin and twitchin, which are obtained from an extract of the muscles with a predetermined high salt buffer solution, and a soluble protein fraction obtained from the suspension of the above-mentioned muscles.
US07939285B2
Disclosed is a convenent sample preparation method for a medium suspected of containing contaminants, the method comprising a) passing a known volume of said medium through a filter from an influent side to an effluent side thereby concentrating the contaminants on the influent side of the filter, b) contacting the influent side of the filter with a liquid vehicle containing at least one substrate that through interaction with the contaminants each produces a detectable moiety, c) and allowing the substrate to interact with the contaminants on the influent side of the filter for a period of time, which is sufficient to allow the detectable moiety to be detected in the liquid vehicle. The method may further comprise a detection step, where the amount of detectable is determined in the liquid vehicle, preferably after the liquid vehicle has been separated from the contaminant, e.g. by passing the liquid vehicle through the filter and performing a measurement on the contaminant free liquid vehicle. Also disclosed is a kit for exercising the inventive method.
US07939281B2
Various embodiments include methods for diagnosing and treating medical conditions that involve an autoimmune response to connective tissue such as collagen found in organs such as the lung. In one method pulmonary disease and disorders such as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) are diagnosed by analyzing fluid or tissue samples obtained from a patient for evidence of an autoimmune response to various types of collagen including, for example, Type V. One type of assay for evidence of an autoimmune response to Type V collagen comprises the steps of obtaining a fluid or tissue sample from a patient, contacting at least a portion of the sample with antigen to anti-Type V collagen antibody and monitoring the mixture of sample and antigen for changes indicative of the presence of anti-Type V collagen in the sample. Another embodiment includes treating pulmonary diseases such as IPF by administering a therapeutically effective dose of epitopes of various collagens including Type V collagen.
US07939280B2
Use of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A as a marker for inflammatory conditions, and in particular, for acute coronary syndromes is described.
US07939273B2
A system and method for detecting mass based on a frequency differential of a resonating micromachined structure, such as a cantilever beam. A high aspect ratio cantilever beam is coated with an immobilized binding partner that couples to a predetermined cell or molecule. A first resonant frequency is determined for the cantilever having the immobilized binding partner. Upon exposure of the cantilever to a solution that binds with the binding partner, the mass of the cantilever beam increases. A second resonant frequency is determined and the differential resonant frequency provides the basis for detecting the target cell or molecule. The cantilever may be driven externally or by ambient noise. The frequency response of the beam can be determined optically using reflected light and two photodetectors or by interference using a single photodetector.
US07939268B2
The present invention is directed to compositions of matter useful for the diagnosis and treatment of tumor in mammals and to methods of using those compositions of matter for the same.
US07939267B2
Methods, compositions and kits are provided for assessing angiogenesis through sensitive, direct detection of activation of endothelial cells at molecular levels. In general, activation of endothelial cells is detected by measuring the levels of cellular components and their protein complexes participating in a specific angiogenesis signaling pathway in endothelial cells. The methods can be used for assessing status of diseases associated with undesirable angiogenesis, such as the likelihood of developing the disease, presence or absence of the disease, prognosis of the disease and the likelihood of response or resistance to a particular anti-angiogenic therapy. The methods can also be used to guide the design of effective therapeutic regimens targeting a specific angiogenic signaling pathway, as well as in conjunction with therapeutic intervention of diseases or conditions associated with undesirable angiogenesis.
US07939266B2
The present invention relates to a therapeutic or/and diagnostic substance. Furthermore it relates to an expression vector, to a composition comprising the afore-mentioned substance or/and the afore-mentioned expression vector, a method for diagnosing a tumor disease or/and an infectious disease in a living being, as well as to a method for the treatment of a tumor disease or/and of an infection in a living being.
US07939261B2
The present invention provides a noninvasive, quantitative test for prognosis determination in cancer patients. The test relies on measurements of the tumor levels of certain messenger RNAs (mRNAs). These mRNA levels are inserted into a polynomial formula (algorithm) that yields a numerical recurrence score, which indicates recurrence risk.
US07939259B2
Nucleic acid sequencing methods and related products are disclosed. Methods for sequencing a target nucleic acid comprise providing a daughter strand produced by a template-directed synthesis, the daughter strand comprising a plurality of subunits coupled in a sequence corresponding to a contiguous nucleotide sequence of all or a portion of the target nucleic acid, wherein the individual subunits comprise a tether, at least one probe or nucleobase residue, and at least one selectively cleavable bond. The selectively cleavable bond(s) is/are cleaved to yield an Xpandomer of a length longer than the plurality of the subunits of the daughter strand, the Xpandomer comprising the tethers and reporter elements for parsing genetic information in a sequence corresponding to the contiguous nucleotide sequence of all or a portion of the target nucleic acid. Reporter elements of the Xpandomer are then detected. Corresponding products, including Xpandomers and oligomeric and monomeric substrate constructs are also disclosed.
US07939256B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods for detecting incorporation of a labeled nucleotide triphosphate onto the growing end of a primer nucleic acid molecule. The method is used, for example, to genotype and sequence a nucleic acid. In a preferred embodiment, the method described herein detects individual NTP molecules.
US07939253B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the detection and treatment of Ewing's sarcoma. In particular, the methods of detection relate to measuring in Ewing's sarcoma cells the expression of the NKX2.2 gene, as well as targets genes downstream of NKX2.2. The compositions and method of treatment for Ewing's sarcoma involve therapeutic agents that target the expression of the NKX2.2 gene or block the activity of the NKX2.2 protein. Also provided are methods of screening therapeutic agents that affect the expression of the NKX2.2 gene.
US07939252B2
Provided is a method for direct quantification of gene expression using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence to measure RNA in a sample. Also provided is a method of diagnosing a disease in a subject, wherein the disease is caused by increased or decreased expression of a causative gene.
US07939249B2
The present invention provides methods and kits for isolating nucleic acid from a sample, preferably from a biological sample, using a microfluidic device and a concentration step.
US07939245B2
The present invention relates to a light absorbent for organic anti-reflection coating formation, and an organic anti-reflection film composition containing the same. The light absorbent for organic anti-reflection film formation according to the present invention is a compound of the following formula (1a), a compound of the following formula (1b), a mixture of compounds of the formulas (1a) and (1b): wherein X is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, aryl, diaryl ether, diaryl sulfide, diaryl sulfoxide and diaryl ketone; and R1 is a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms.
US07939237B2
A method for making toners to include clay composites. The clay composites are incorporated into emulsion of toner and used in making toner via emulsion aggregation. Such toners may have a core and/or a shell and the clay composites may be included with the core, the shell or both.
US07939236B2
The present disclosure relates to chemically processed toner that makes use of aqueous dispersions of release agent and/or pigment and solutions of a polymeric resin binder. The polymer solution may be prepared in an organic solvent wherein the organic solvent has some level of solubility in water. The polymer solution may then be combined with an aqueous dispersion of pigment and/or release agent which dispersions may include an aqueous polyelectrolyte and/or an aqueous dispersion of colloidal particles. This may be followed by agglomerating and forming particles of toner of a desired number and/or volume average particle size and/or degree of circularity.
US07939233B2
A magnetic carrier and a two-component developer are provided which have remedied blank areas, fog after leaving, carrier sticking during running, and image density variations before and after running. The magnetic carrier has magnetic carrier particles having at least porous magnetic core particles and a resin. The magnetic carrier particles satisfying the specific conditions (a), (b) and (c) where, in a reflected electron image of cross sections of the magnetic carrier particles as photographed with a scanning electron microscope, straight lines that divide a cross section of a magnetic carrier particle into 72 at intervals of 5° are drawn from a reference point of the cross section thereof toward the surface of the magnetic carrier particle; the magnetic carrier particles being contained in an amount of 60% by number or more.
US07939229B2
A photomask includes a light-blocking section that blocks light and also includes a light intensity difference section that controls the intensity of light. The light-blocking section is disposed between the light intensity difference section and a light-transmissive region transmitting light.
US07939219B2
An apparatus and method in which a delayed carbonate electrolyte is stored in the storage areas of a non-electrolyte matrix fuel cell component and is of a preselected content so as to obtain a delayed time release of the electrolyte in the storage areas in the operating temperature range of the fuel cell.
US07939212B2
A flux control apparatus includes an outlet pressure detector for detecting an outlet pressure of a fluid at an outlet of a fluid flow apparatus driven by a drive source for feeding the fluid from an inlet of the fluid flow apparatus and letting the fluid flow out from the outlet of the fluid flow apparatus, a drive amount detector for detecting an amount of drive of the drive source, an estimated flux-calculating apparatus for calculating a flux of the fluid flowing from the fluid flow apparatus as an estimated flux on the basis of the pressure of the fluid and the amount of drive, a control amount-calculating apparatus for calculating an amount of control for the fluid flow apparatus on the basis of the estimated flux and a target flux, and a control apparatus for controlling the drive source on the basis of the amount of control.
US07939208B2
Fuel cell system comprising impurity adsorbing means for adsorption of impurities contained in oxidation gas fed to fuel cell; impurity emitting means for emission of impurities adsorbed by the impurity adsorbing means from the impurity adsorbing means; impurity outlet passage for pass of impurities emitted from the impurity emitting means; and diluting means for dilution of the impurities emitted by the impurity emitting means, so that any adsorbed impurities are diluted by the diluting means before emission outside the system. Consequently, not only can impurities contained in the oxidation gas fed to fuel cell be effectively removed but also before emission of the removed impurities, there can be conducted lowering of influence on human health and environment.
US07939205B2
A method and apparatus for making thin-film batteries having composite multi-layered electrolytes with soft electrolyte between hard electrolyte covering the negative and/or positive electrode, and the resulting batteries. In some embodiments, foil-core cathode sheets each having a cathode material (e.g., LiCoO2) covered by a hard electrolyte on both sides, and foil-core anode sheets having an anode material (e.g., lithium metal) covered by a hard electrolyte on both sides, are laminated using a soft (e.g., polymer gel) electrolyte sandwiched between alternating cathode and anode sheets. A hard glass-like electrolyte layer obtains a smooth hard positive-electrode lithium-metal layer upon charging, but when very thin, have randomly spaced pinholes/defects. When the hard layers are formed on both the positive and negative electrodes, one electrode's dendrite-short-causing defects on are not aligned with the other electrode's defects. The soft electrolyte layer both conducts ions across the gap between hard electrolyte layers and fills pinholes.
US07939196B2
A cylindrical lithium rechargeable battery including a winding type electrode assembly having a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the first and second electrode plates, a core member arranged in a central space of the electrode assembly and having a short circuit preventing part, a case having a space for accommodating the electrode assembly, and a cap assembly combined with an upper portion of the case to hermetically seal the case.
US07939190B2
The invention provides in various embodiments methods and systems relating to controlling energy storage units in flowing electrolyte batteries.
US07939187B2
An apatite-containing film having photocatalytic activity is produced by a process comprising the steps of preparing a liquid mixture comprising a Ca-containing compound and a P-containing compound, subjecting the liquid mixture to reaction to prepare an apatite-precursor composition, applying the apatite-precursor composition to a substrate, and drying the applied apatite-precursor composition. The process may further comprise a heating step after the drying step. The apatite-precursor composition is preferably in the form of a sol.
US07939167B2
The present invention provides a resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin (A), an inorganic compound having a volume resistance of less than about 10−3 Ω·m and relative permeability of more than about 5,000 (B) and fiber filler (C). The resin composition of the present invention can have high impact strength and high electrical conductivity, and high electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) shielding properties. The resin composition of the present invention can accordingly have multiple functions and can be used for electrical/electronic devices.
US07939158B2
A double walled reinforcement structure and method for making a double walled reinforcement structure having a plurality of longitudinally extending and nested structural members. Each structural member comprises a first cell having a first cross-section and a second cell having a second cross-section. The second cell is positioned within the first cell and the second cell contacts the first cell in a plurality of locations to provide mutual support of the cells in a manner increasing the tensile and compressive strength of the structure.
US07939146B2
An x-ray marker for medical implants made of a biocorrodible metallic material, wherein the x-ray marker composite includes 1-40 weight parts of a carrier matrix having a melting point greater than or equal to 43° C., which comprises 90 weight-percent or more at least one triglyceride; and 60-99 weight parts of a radiopaque marker component which is embedded in the carrier matrix.
US07939138B2
Disclosed herein is an environmentally safe, grease resistant article comprising an absorbent substrate, a cross-linking agent, and a polymer; wherein the substrate is first coated with the cross-linking agent and is then coated with the polymer.
US07939125B2
A viscous material noncontact jetting system has a jetting dispenser mounted for relative motion with respect to a surface. A control is operable to cause the jetting dispenser to jet a viscous material droplet that is applied to the surface as a viscous material dot. A device, such as a camera or weigh scale, is connected to the control and provides a feedback signal representing a size-related physical characteristic of the dot applied to the surface. The size-related physical characteristics of subsequently applied dots is controlled by heating and cooling, or adjusting a piston stroke in the jetting dispenser, in response to the size-related physical characteristic feedback. Dispensed material volume control and velocity offset compensation are also provided.
US07939120B2
The present invention relates to a deterioration preventive for a flavor component, which is an oil-in-water and/or -polyhydric alcohol type emulsion, comprising an extracted tocopherol, wherein d-δ-tocopherol is contained in an amount of 45% by weight or more of a total tocopherol, ferulic acid and/or a derivative thereof, and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester; a deterioration preventive for a flavor component, which is an oil-in-water and/or -polyhydric alcohol type emulsion, comprising (A) the above-mentioned extracted tocopherol, (B) ferulic acid and/or a derivative thereof, and (C) an emulsifying agent having an HLB of 9 or more; a flavor for foodstuff, comprising the above-mentioned deterioration preventive; an emulsion flavor for foodstuff, comprising the above-mentioned extracted tocopherol, a catechin; and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester; and foodstuff comprising the above-mentioned deterioration preventive for a flavor component, the above-mentioned flavor for foodstuff, or the above-mentioned emulsion flavor for foodstuff.
US07939117B2
This invention provides a rumen-bypass dietary supplement in compacted particulate form. The supplement has the capability to transport fatty acid calcium salt and between about 65-96 percent of rumen-protected undegraded aminoacid content to the post-ruminal digestive system of a ruminant. A feedstock containing the supplement for ruminants benefically improves feed efficiency and body growth. The feedstock also is adapted to improve the lactational performance of dairy cattle.
US07939111B2
A first extract of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) comprising 5-35 wt % of anthocyanin, 20-95 wt % of proanthocyanin, less than 5 wt % of resveratrol, and the balance of other components, a second extract containing 60-98 wt % of resveratrol, and a third extract composed any ratio of comprising of the first and the second extracts. Methods for preparing the first and second extracts, and use of the extracts in preparation of compositions for eliminating oxygen free radicals, anti-aging, weight loss, preventing cardiovascular disease, inhibiting thrombosis, and promoting beauty.
US07939100B2
The present invention provides a tulobuterol adhesive patch comprising (a) a support, (b) an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer containing the percutaneously absorbing drug tulobuterol and if necessary a lipophilic oily plasticizer, and (c) a release liner, laminated in that order, wherein the acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive is a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing an acrylic monomer which is acetoacetoxyalkyl (meth) acrylate with one or more other vinyl monomers, to yield a tulobuterol adhesive patch with excellent release and skin permeability of tulobuterol from the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, low skin irritation and excellent safety.
US07939098B2
Compositions and methods for vaginal, buccal or nasal transmucosal delivery of drugs and for cryoprotecting of cells and embryos. For cryoprotection, the composition consisting essentially consist of a non-ionizable glycol derivative. For transmucosal delivery, the compositions essentially consist of a non-ionizable glycol derivative in a combination with a pharmaceutically active agent. For transmucosal delivery, the non-ionizable glycol derivative may be further combined with a mucoadhesive agent and/or a penetration enhancer and/or lipophilic or hydrophilic carrier for adhesion to and transport through a mucosa. The compositions are particularly suitable for administration of drugs through a nasal, buccal and vaginal mucosa or for long-term preservation of cell or embryos.
US07939091B2
The compositions comprise an effective repellent amount of one or more monoterpenoids, one or more sesquiterpenoids or a blend of one or more monoterpenoids and one or more sesquiterpenoids in combination with a carrier, wherein the compositions are formulated to repel a target pest from a target area. In one embodiment, the one or more monoterpenoids, and/or one or more sesquiterpenoids are from a biorational source, such as a plant volatile. In one embodiment, the one or more sesquiterpenoids are oxygen-containing sesquiterpenoids. In a particular embodiment, the plant volatile is a monoterpenoid, such as “nepetalactone” (or the individual nepetalactone isomers) derived from catnip (Nepeta cataria). In another embodiment, the plant volatile is additionally or alternatively a sesquiterpenoid derived from the fruit of the Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera), Siam wood or the Amyris plant. Such compositions have repellency, including long term repellency, against arthropods.
US07939083B2
This invention provides a modified gp140 envelope polypeptide of an HIV-1 isolate comprising a gp120 polypeptide portion comprising consecutive amino acids and a gp41 ectodomain polypeptide portion comprising consecutive amino acids, said gp41 ectodomain polypeptide portion being modified to comprise isoleucine (I) at an amino acid position equivalent to amino acid position 535; glutamine (Q) at an amino acid position equivalent to amino acid position 543; serine (S) at an amino acid position equivalent to amino acid position 553; lysine (K) at an amino acid position equivalent to amino acid position 567; and arginine (R) at an amino acid position equivalent to amino acid position 588, the amino acid positions being numbered by reference to the HIV-1 isolate KNH1144. This invention also provides nucleic acids encoding such a polypeptide, vectors, host cells, trimeric complexes and compositions thereof. Also provided are antibodies generated against the modified polypeptides and trimeric complexes, and methods of using the modified polypeptides, compositions and trimeric complexes.
US07939070B2
The present invention relates to IL-17 Receptor A antigen binding proteins, such as antibodies, and compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating diseases mediated by IL-17 Receptor A activation.
US07939063B2
Recombinant nucleic acid molecules are constructed with a first sequence encoding a transgene under the control of regulatory sequences that direct expression of the transgene product in a hematopoietic stem cell, or a progenitor cell therefrom or cell differentiated therefrom. In one embodiment, the cell which expresses the transgene is a secretory cell. The cell is a megakaryotic progenitor cell, or a cell further differentiated therefrom, such as a platelet. The cell is a granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cell or a cell further differentiated therefrom, such as a mast cell or neutrophils. Such host cells containing the molecule or the molecule itself are employed in methods for treating or preventing infection, inflammation or vascular injuries or any disorders involving or mediated by cells of the hematopoietic lineage.
US07939061B2
The invention relates to immobilized or encapsulated enzyme and/or cells to lower bile acids and cholesterol. The invention also relates to methods of quantitatively measuring bile acids. The invention provides a composition for decreasing the amount of a target compound in the gastrointestinal tract of an animal, comprising: a) a biologically active agent which decreases the amount of the target compound; b) a retainer for retaining the biologically active agent by contacting the agent to limit movement of the agent; and c) a carrier.
US07939060B2
This invention provides a composition comprising a daidzein-containing substrate and a strain of micro-organism capable of metabolizing daidzein to equol as essential ingredients. This composition is effective in the prevention and alleviation of unidentified clinical syndrome inclusive of menopausal syndrome in middle-aged to elderly women for which no effective means of prevention or alleviation has heretofore been available.
US07939057B2
Methods and compositions for modulating the mobilization of stem cells, particularly for promoting or increasing the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood are disclosed. In particular, the invention relates to the use of adrenergic agonists that act in concert with a mobilization compound or agent. The mobilization agent(s) may act to decrease the expression or function of the chemokine, CXCL12, or may act to block or antagonize CXCR4. The invention also relates to methods of using these compounds or agents for enhancing the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells when harvesting of the stem cells is necessary for the treatment of diseases, disabilities or conditions whereby transplantation of such cells would be beneficial in ameliorating the symptoms associated with such diseases, disabilities or conditions. Methods of screening for novel agents and pharmaceutical compositions comprising these agents are also disclosed.
US07939052B2
Administration of U-II to rats caused an increase in the redness or the skin temperature of the ear of the rats. The increase was inhibited by compounds that decease the biological activity of the U-II/UT receptor. Thus, the present invention provides methods of measuring the biological activity of an U-II receptor by monitoring the redness or the skin temperature of the ear of an animal, and the use of the methods to test compounds for their abilities to increase or decrease the biological activity of an U-II receptor.
US07939048B2
Methods for assemblies of anisotropic nanoparticles which includes forming a substantially close packed dense layer by assembling a plurality of anisotropic nanoparticles, each of the plurality of anisotropic nanoparticles having a) a first dimension that is substantially different than both a second dimension and a third dimension and b) a non-random nanoparticle crystallographic orientation that is substantially aligned with the first direction, wherein assembling includes mechanically interacting the plurality of anisotropic nanoparticles by imposing a delocalized force that defines a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a basal plane of the substantially closed packed dense layer; and imposing a fluctuating force to which the anisotropic nanoparticles respond, which is sufficient to overcome a short range weak attractive force between members of the plurality of anisotropic nanoparticles with respect to anisotropic nanoparticles that are not substantially overlapping.
US07939047B2
The present invention is directed to methods of separating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by their electronic type (e.g., metallic, semi-metallic, and semiconducting). Perhaps most generally, in some embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods of separating CNTs by bandgap, wherein such separation is effected by interacting the CNTs with a surface such that the surface interacts differentially with the CNTs on the basis of their bandgap, or lack thereof. In some embodiments, such methods can allow for such separations to be carried out in bulk quantities.
US07939039B2
A catalyst made by the introduction of copper ions and cobalt ions into a Y-type zeolite to produce a CuCoY zeolite improves the reduction of NOx in exhaust from a lean burn engine, such as a diesel engine. A dual bed selective reduction reactor in the exhaust stream comprising a first bed of BaY or of Ag/alumina and a second bed of CuCoY is particularly effective in reduction of NOx. In one embodiment, the exhaust stream is suitably treated with an oxidant, such as ozone, and a reductant, such as a diesel hydrocarbon or oxygenated diesel hydrocarbon, before the exhaust passes in contact with the dual bed catalyst.
US07939030B2
The present invention provides a micro mechanical system for performing assays for determining the presence of one or more selected analytes in a sample. The device comprises of a base and a disposable strip with at least one reaction well and at least one moveable member capable of moving fluids and parts through the fluids in a defined reaction well. Reagents in the reaction chambers and or the moveable members, react with the sample to yield a physically detectable change. The moveable parts are capable of executing motions that either mix, move reaction components, exchange or systematically deliver reagents to targets in the cartridge. Sensors in the base are configured to detect and or quantify the presence of a sample in the reaction well and of analytes in the sample. The signal is converted to an output on a visual display window on the external part of the base.
US07939011B2
A resin containment and injection system includes a tool, a resin storage well provided in the tool, a composite layup location provided on the tool and a vacuum bagging film provided over the resin storage well. The vacuum bagging film is configured to define a volume in the resin storage well responsive to establishment of a pressure equilibrium across the vacuum bagging film and substantially eliminate the volume responsive to application of positive pressure against the vacuum bagging film.
US07938990B2
A pattern drawing apparatus which is capable of reducing manufacturing costs of information recording media. A partial drawing process is executed in response to output of a reference signal, for drawing, after being on standby for a predetermined standby time period, pattern segments, which are obtained by dividing patterns forming a servo pattern in the direction of the width of the patterns, by irradiation of a resin layer with an electron beam. A drawing position-changing process is executed for changing the irradiation position of the electron beam on the resin, toward a center of rotation of a substrate or away from the center of rotation, within a range of the effective drawing width of the electron beam. These processes are executed a plurality of times to draw an exposure pattern on the resin layer.
US07938984B2
The invention is directed to a composition having a carrier matrix, and a particulate luminescent composition dispersed therein, the particulate luminescent composition comprising a rare-earth-doped solid-state solution of alkaline earth fluorides represented by the chemical formula REx(CaaSrbBac)1−xF2+x−2yOy wherein RE represents a three-valent rare-earth element, 0.005≦x≦0.20, and 0≦y≦0.2, a+b+c=1, with the proviso at least two of a, b, and c are not equal to zero; the particulate luminescent composition exhibiting a luminescence spectrum having a plurality of intensity peaks at characteristic wavelengths. It is further directed to a process by contacting a surface with the composition and articles made therefrom.
US07938980B2
A method of using a chemical compound as an etchant for the removal of unmodified areas of a chalcogenide-based glass, while leaving the imagewise modified areas un-removed, wherein the compound contains a secondary amine, R1 R2 NH, with R1 and/or R2 having a sterically bulky group with more than 5 atoms.
US07938974B2
A method of fabricating a printhead having a hydrophobic ink ejection face, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially-fabricated printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle chambers and a nozzle plate having relatively hydrophilic nozzle surface, the nozzle surface at least partially defining the ink ejection face of the printhead; (b) defining a plurality of nozzle openings in the nozzle plate; (c) depositing a hydrophobic polymeric layer onto the nozzle surface; (d) depositing a protective metal film onto the polymeric layer; (e) subjecting the printhead to an oxidizing plasma; and (f) removing the protective metal film, thereby providing a printhead having a relatively hydrophobic ink ejection face. Step (b) may be performed immediately after any of steps (a), (c) or (d).
US07938971B2
Particular aspects of the inventive technology may, in embodiments, relate to a fluid filter apparatus that includes a filtered fluid conduit that has a length that is at least three times a characteristic diameter; and a plurality of holes, wherein at least one of said holes has a first shape and engages an end cap during fluid filter operation, and wherein at least one other of said holes has said first shape and passes filtered fluid from outside of said filtered fluid conduit to a conduit interior during fluid filter operation.
US07938969B2
Methods for separating magnetic nanoparticles are provided. In certain embodiments, a method is provided for separating magnetic nanoparticles comprising: providing a sample comprising a plurality of magnetic nanoparticles; passing the sample through a first magnetic field; at least partially isolating nanoparticles of the first nanoparticle size desired; altering the strength of the first magnetic field to produce a second magnetic field; and at least partially isolating nanoparticles of the second nanoparticle size desired.
US07938963B2
A fuel filter system, particularly a diesel filter, including a housing, a particle filter arranged in the housing, and a coalescer element mounted on the particle filter. Fuel passes successively through the serially connected coalescer and particle filter. The coalescer element improves the separation of any water contained in the fuel to be filtered, while exhibiting no or no significant fuel-filtering properties.
US07938960B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for adding a lubricating additive to a diesel fuel. In one exemplary embodiment a diesel fuel filter is provided, the diesel fuel filter comprising: a housing having at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening configured to define a flow path therethrough; filter media disposed in the flow path; and an additive cartridge configured to disperse a lubricating additive into diesel fuel passing through the filter, wherein the fuel filter comprises an adsorbent comprising an inorganic oxide having a surface acidity characterized by a pKa of less than or equal to −3.
US07938957B2
An apparatus having flotation ballasts, a flotation platform and on the flotation platform, an intake equipment, such as a screen, check valve and/or pump intake and a coupling for a discharge pipe. In an embodiment of the present invention comprises, there are a plurality of substantially symmetrical flotation ballasts, each having a ballast chamber. The composition of the flotation ballast may be made of a material having a density appropriate for the fluid in which it is to be submerged. The method includes the steps of using an apparatus as herein described to ascend and descend intake equipment.
US07938956B2
The invention relates to a method and a system for purifying water whereby: the water to be purified is pressurized (13); a pressurized flow of said water is directed onto at least one selective permeability membrane to divide (11) the flow of pressurized water into a permeate flow and a retentate flow; the permeate flow is electrodeionized (12) to produce a flow of purified water consisting of the electrodeionized permeate flow; the flowrate of the retentate flow (19) is reduced; a substantially constant predetermined pressure (21) is maintained on the selective permeability membrane(s); and a substantially constant predetermined permeate flowrate is maintained. It also relates to a tangential filtration module suitable for the above kind of system.
US07938951B2
A method for forming holes in an object is provided. The method includes providing an electrochemical machining (ECM) electrode including a first section having insulation that circumscribes the first section, and a second section having insulation that extends only partially around the second section. The method also includes inserting the electrode into the object, such that in a single pass the electrode forms a hole that includes a first portion having a first cross-sectional area and a second portion having a second cross-sectional area.
US07938950B2
A method of treating surfaces of a steel plate by forming an inorganic film on the surfaces of the steel plate by cathodic electrolytic treatment in an aqueous solution containing Zr and F and not containing phosphoric acid ions. Also disclosed is a method of treating surfaces of a steel plate by cathodic electrolytic treatment in aqueous solution containing Zr, F and P, and having a phosphoric acid ion concentration in a range of larger than 0 to smaller than 0.003 mols/liter calculated as PO4.
US07938946B2
A vortex-stabilized electrophoretic processor comprises an annular processing chamber at least partly defined by concentric first and second processing chamber surfaces. At least one of the processing chamber surfaces is rotatable relative to the other processing chamber surface. The electrophoretic processor further comprises an electric field generator operative to be energized to establish a dynamic field gradient within the processing chamber. At least one fluid port is provided, having fluid communication with the processing chamber. The electric field generator may comprise an elongate electrode array positioned within a central bore of a rotor forming the inside surface of the processing chamber. One or both of the processing chamber surfaces can have shaping comprising multiple spaced tines or annular ridges extending toward the other of the processing chamber surfaces.
US07938941B2
A cation-exchange membrane for electrolysis which comprises a fluoropolymer having ion-exchange groups and a porous base. It is characterized by having, on the anode-side surface of the membrane, protrusions comprising a polymer having ion-exchange groups. It is further characterized in that: when the average value of the heights of the tops of the protrusions from the anode-side surface of the membrane is expressed as h (μm), then 20≦h≦150; when the density of the protrusions distributed is expressed as P (protrusions per cm2), then 50≦P≦1,200; when the average proportion of the areas of those bottom parts of the protrusions which are on the same level as the anode-side surface of the membrane to the area of the anode-side surface of the membrane is expressed as S (cm2/cm2), then 0.001≦S≦0.6; and when the average proportion of the areas of the top parts of the protrusions to the area of the anode-side surface of the membrane is expressed as T (cm2/cm2), then T≦0.05.
US07938939B2
A hydrogen generating apparatus and a fuel cell power generation system having the hydrogen generating apparatus are disclosed. The hydrogen generating apparatus can include an electrolyte bath configured to contain an electrolyte solution, an anode placed inside the electrolyte bath and configured to generate electrons, a cathode placed inside the electrolyte bath and configured to receive the electrons from the anode to generate hydrogen, a condensation plate disposed on a transfer path of the hydrogen such that moisture carried in the hydrogen is condensed and the hydrogen is separated, and a heat exchanger configured to cool down the condensation plate heated by the moisture carried in the hydrogen. The hydrogen generating apparatus of the present invention can increase the efficiency of hydrogen generation by removing the moisture carried in the hydrogen while generating the hydrogen and reusing the moisture circulated through the electrolyte solution.
US07938930B2
An aligned workpiece is mounted on and held by a holding table, and a support board separating mechanism separates a support board from a semiconductor wafer. Herein, a double-faced adhesive tape is left on one of the support board and the semiconductor wafer. Either the support board or the semiconductor wafer on which the double-faced adhesive tape is left is transported to an adhesive tape peeling mechanism while being held by the holding table, and the double-faced adhesive tape is peeled off and removed from the surface of thereof. The separated semiconductor wafer and support board are collected independently.
US07938921B2
A nonwoven composite that exhibits latent elastic properties is provided. The composite is formed from an elastic strand layer laminated to a nonwoven web facing. Latent elasticity may be imparted to the elastic strand layer through the combination of a thermoplastic elastomer and a polyolefin capable of forming semi-crystalline domains among the elastomeric chains. More specifically, the elastic strand layer may be stretched in one or more directions to orient the elastomer chains. Without intending to be limited by theory, the present inventors believe that the oriented state of the chains may be held in place by the relatively stiff semi-crystalline domains of the polyolefin. The stretched elastic strand layer may subsequently be relaxed and bonded to a nonwoven web facing to form the composite. The composite may be later activated (e.g., heated) to shrink the elastic strand layer and provide it with “latent” stretchability. For instance, the composite may be heated at or above the softening temperature of the polyolefin to soften the crystalline domains and allow the chains to return to their unoriented state. As a result of the present invention, the elastic strand layer may be extended and recover from its unoriented state.
US07938916B2
An aluminum alloy sheet for a lithographic printing plate is obtained by homogenizing an ingot of an aluminum alloy at 500 to 610° C. for one hour or more, the aluminum alloy containing 0.03 to 0.15% of Si, 0.2 to 0.6% of Fe, 0.005 to 0.05% of Ti, and 2 to 30 ppm of Pb, with the balance being aluminum and unavoidable impurities, subjecting the homogenized product to rough hot rolling, a start temperature of the rough hot rolling being 430 to 500° C. and a finish temperature of the rough hot rolling being 400° C. or more, holding the product subjected to rough hot rolling for 60 to 300 seconds after the completion of the rough hot rolling to recrystallize the surface of the product, and subjecting the resulting product to finish hot rolling that is finished at 320 to 370° C. The aluminum alloy sheet has an average recrystallized grain diameter of 50 μm or less in a surface area in a direction perpendicular to a rolling direction, and has a Pb concentration 100 to 400 times an average Pb concentration in a surface area up to a depth of 0.2 μm from the surface of the aluminum alloy sheet.
US07938911B2
Semiconductor wafers are cleaned using a cleaning solution containing an alkaline ammonium component in an initial composition, wherein the semiconductor wafer is brought into contact with the cleaning solution in an individual-wafer treatment, and in the course of cleaning hydrogen fluoride is added as further component to the cleaning solution, and the cleaning solution has at the end of cleaning, a composition that differs from the initial composition.
US07938909B2
An automated method for determining the cleaning operation of a water treatment or water distribution apparatus or system to which one or more substances are added, the method comprising the steps of: (a) conducting one or more measurements of a property of the or an added substance; (b) comparing the property measurement s) from step (a) with at least one reference value for that property; and (c) determining when the comparison in step (b) is within, above or below a pre-determined range or level for that property. The determination in step (c) can consider whether the cleaning operation has been successfully carried out. The present invention automates and therefore optimizes the cleaning operation of the water treatment or distribution apparatus or system such that expensive periods of non-operation during sanitization or cleaning are minimized both in terms of frequency and duration.
US07938904B1
A cementitious Grout 111MG, with improved thermal and electrical conductivity over Grout 111, for use in at least one of geothermal heat pump systems and metal electrical grounding rod systems, with improved conductivity achieved by means of substituting metal grit for sand, a cementitious grout where both Grout 111MG and Grout 111 have mix water pH level limitations so as not to be corrosive to metals, a new use for Grout 111 as a fill material surrounding electrical grounding rods for enhanced electrical conductivity over traditional grouts, and a new use where both Grout 111MG and Grout 111 may be utilized to surround at least one of geothermal heat pump sub-surface heat transfer fluid conductive tubing/piping and electrical grounding rods installed within at least one of a well/borehole, a trench, and a pit.
US07938902B2
Cationically stablished aqueous silica dispersion, method for its production and its use. A method is described for the production of cationically stabilised silica in which silica is cationically stabilised in the form of an aqueous dispersion or a powder by mixing with an acid aminosilane solution. A cationically stabilised silica powder may be obtained by removing the solvent. The cationically stabilised silica dispersion obtained is highly storage stable. Mixing with organic binding agents such as PVA is possible without a significant increase in viscosity. The dispersions are particularly suitable for coating slips for printing media, such as inkjet paper, but also for the surface treatment of substrates, e.g. for the hard coating of plastics, or in parting compounds or abrasives and polishing agents.
US07938900B2
The invention relates to an aqueous pigment preparation comprising (A) at least one organic and/or inorganic pigment, (B) dispersants and/or surfactants, (C) a trihydric or higher polyhydric alkoxylated alcohol, (D) a polyglycol alkyl ether, (E) if desired, hydrotropic oligomers and/or polymers, (F) if desired, fats, oils or fatty acids, (G) if desired, further additives typical in the preparation of aqueous pigment dispersions, and (H) water.
US07938898B2
Provided is an ink composition including a colorant; a solvent; a surfactant; and an oxygen absorber of a hetero ring compound and a hydroxylamine-based compound. The oxygen absorber lowers a concentration of oxygen dissolved in the ink composition and maintains a low level even when the ink composition is in a high-temperature condition. Thus, gas is substantially not generated and bubbles are not formed. The ink composition can be stably ejected during high-speed printing.
US07938896B2
An air cleaner including touch points is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The air cleaner includes a chassis and one or more visually coded touch points on the chassis. The one or more visually coded touch points include indicia of user-contactable components of the air cleaner.
US07938894B2
The invention discloses a composition comprising a hybrid composite organic-inorganic membrane. The hybrid organic-inorganic membrane according to the present invention may comprise an amorphous porous layer incorporating organic functionalities. The amorphous porous layer may be deposited on a porous alumina substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The amorphous porous layer may comprise a single top-layer (STL), multiple top-layers (MTL) or mixed top-layers (XTL). The substrate may comprise a single layer or multiple graded layers of alumina.
US07938888B2
A liquid desiccant regenerator system, including a desiccant/air heat exchanger having a first desiccant inlet and a desiccant reservoir. The reservoir has a first desiccant outlet, a second desiccant outlet and a second desiccant inlet. The first desiccant inlet and the first desiccant outlet are connectable to a heat source, the second desiccant inlet conducts diluted desiccant of the reservoir and the second desiccant outlet conducts concentrated desiccant from the reservoir. The second desiccant inlet and the desiccant outlet are connected to a desiccant/desiccant heat exchanger for applying heat to the diluted desiccant flowing into the reservoir. A dehumidification method is also provided.
US07938885B2
A device designed for the removal of soot dust of fuel oil combustion. The device is based on the two-stage wet-electrostatic dust removal-desulfurization device, with different numbers of layers of the mesh screen being installed in the wet type dust removal-desulfurization device. This device not only has a relatively high efficiency in both of common dust removal and desulfurization, but also can remove the black smoke from fuel oil combustion efficiently with a removal efficiency ≧99%, and thus solves the present technical problem in the treatment of in the treatment of soot dust of fuel oil combustion. At the same time, with the advantages of cheaper construction cost and economy, the device of the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the traditional bag filter process, which is expensive and cannot operate desulfurization simultaneously.
US07938878B2
The present invention relates to a fine grained WC-Co cemented carbide. By adding an extremely small amount of Ti, V, Zr, Ta or Nb alone or in combinations, a grain refined cemented carbide structure with less abnormal WC-grains has been obtained.
US07938872B2
The invention concerns a separating device for separating particles (4) from a gas stream (2) in which the gas stream (2) by means of a guiding device is caused to rotate and the liquid or solid particles (4) to be separated are removable by a particle outlet. The separating device (1) is comprised of a cylindrical housing pipe (5) with a guiding device (3) and an immersion pipe (6) arranged in alignment with the flow direction of the gas stream (2) in the housing pipe (5) which immersion pipe is provided on the exterior with a spiral (7) for a directed removal of the particles (4) separated by rotation to a housing opening (8) and with a central outlet (9) for the purified gas stream (2).
US07938857B2
A spinal implant may be made of two or more implant members. In an embodiment, implant members may be joined together by a rotational connection that inhibits separation of the members as well as axial movement of the members relative to each other. Implant members may be coupled together by a pin or pins, adhesive, or other fasteners to inhibit separation and/or rotation of the members relative to each other.
US07938856B2
An annuloplasty prosthesis for a heart valve has a sewing cuff added to the conventional structure. The sewing cuff is preferably an extension of the fabric cover that is provided around the core of the prosthesis. The sewing cuff preferably extends radially outwardly from cross sections of the remainder of the prosthesis. Methods of making such a sewing cuff are also disclosed.
US07938853B2
A stent comprising a plurality of continuous filaments braided together, at least one filament comprising a tapered filament having at least one first region having a first, relatively-larger cross-sectional area and at least one second region having a second, relatively-smaller cross-sectional area. The stent itself may have a tapered diameter, such as from one end to the other. A method for treating a lumen with the stent is also claimed.
US07938851B2
Devices and methods are provided for operating and controlling an interventional element on an interventional catheter. The interventional element may be a stent or series of stents, a balloon, or any other interventional element for which length control is necessary or desirable. A handle member includes an elongated body and an actuator knob that rotates around the longitudinal axis of the body. Rotational movement of the actuator knob is translated to rotational movement of one or more lead screws by a system of gears, rollers, or combinations of gears and rollers. Each of one or more axially moveable members is positioned on a lead screw and attached to a portion of the catheter shaft in order to provide the ability to advance or retract the portion of the catheter shaft.
US07938850B2
A humeral fracture fixation system is provided and includes a nail-plate fixation device having a plate-like head portion, an intramedullary nail portion, and a bent neck portion therebetween which creates an angle between the plate and nail portions. The upper surface of the nail portion is substantially straight for contact with the endosteum and the nail portion includes threaded holes for machine screws. The head portion includes locking holes for receiving fixed-angle bone support elements, and K-wire alignment holes. The front of the head portion includes suture holes while presenting a smooth profile. A specific implantation jig and screw guide cannula are also provided.
US07938848B2
A spinal fixation system includes a pedicle screw having a passage extending along a longitudinal axis of the screw. The passage has a proximal opening at a proximal end of the screw and a distal opening at a distal end of the screw. A drill extends through the passage, a first end of the drill extending out the distal opening of the passage.
US07938835B2
A system for treating a vertebral body comprises a cannula leading into a vertebral body and a cavity creating device. The cavity creating device comprises a shaft having a distal end portion sized to extend through the cannula, an expandable body that undergoes expansion between a collapsed condition and an expanded condition to form a cavity in the vertebral body, and a tubular fluid transport member to convey fluid through the distal region of the expandable body and into the cavity. The system further comprises a device coupled to the shaft to change the expandable body between the collapsed condition to the expanded condition. The system further comprises a source of fluid coupled to the tubular fluid transport member to convey fluid through the distal region of the expandable body and into the cavity. The system further includes a device to convey a filling material into the cavity.
US07938831B2
An implant and sleeve combination for at least partial insertion into a bone and/or cartilage. The implant includes a lower portion and the sleeve includes a cavity designed to at least partially receive the lower portion of the implant.
US07938825B2
A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating. The system eliminates or minimizes interference or measurement interaction between the pad pairs by providing a different signal source frequency for each pad contact pair, but a frequency which matches an associated series resonant network frequency. The current that flows in the series resonant network is a direct reflection or function of the pad impedance of the corresponding pad pair.
US07938823B2
A medical device is provided having a means for actuating a pair of opposing jaw members. The jaw members are movable relative to one another from a first position, wherein the jaw members are disposed in a spaced apart relation relative to one another, to a second position, wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. An ablation mechanism is connected to at least one of the jaws members, such that the jaw members are capable of conducting ablation energy through the tissue grasped therebetween.
US07938821B2
A fractional treatment system can be configured with a laser wavelength that is selected such that absorption of the laser wavelength within the tissue increases as the tissue is heated by the laser (e.g., 1390-1425 nm). Desirably, the laser wavelength is primarily absorbed within a treated region of skin by water and has a thermally adjusted absorption coefficient within the range of about 8 cm−1 to about 30 cm−1. An adjustable mechanism can be used to adjust the beam shape, beam numerical aperture, beam focus depth, and/or beam size to affect the treatment depth and or the character of the resulting lesions. The system may be designed to be switchable between a treatment mode that is semi-ablative and a treatment mode that is not semi-ablative. Adjustment of these parameters can improve the efficiency and efficacy of treatment. Illustrative examples of adjustable mechanisms include a set of spacers of different lengths, a rotatable turret with lens elements of different focal distances, an optical zoom lens, and a mechanical adjustment apparatus for adjusting the spacing between two optical lens elements.
US07938820B2
Thrombectomy catheters are presented that have curved tip portions. A suction lumen extends from at or near the proximal end of the catheter to a suction port at or near the tip portion of the catheter. The curves of the thrombectomy catheter can be selected to place a suction port at or near a vessel wall for the more effective removal of thrombus resulting from directing the suction in the direction of the thrombus. In some embodiments, the tip portion of the catheter can be transitioned from a first configuration for delivery of the catheter into the vessel to a second more curved configuration with a desired design for application of suction. The catheter can be moved in a circumferential and/or lateral direction to cover selected portions of the inner vessel wall. In some embodiments, a partially occlusive structure can be used to reduce and/or redirect flow within the vessel to improve performance of the thrombectomy.
US07938817B2
A patient hydration system and method wherein a urine collection system is connected to the patient. An infusion system is also connected to the patient. An infusion pump is connected to a source of hydration fluid. A control subsystem is responsive to the amount of urine output by the patient and configured to automatically adjust the infusion rate of the infusion pump based on the urine output by the patient.
US07938810B2
A method and apparatus for the safe surgical placement of trochars, is provided. The trochar has a sheath protecting the sharp point. The guide includes a receiver, into which the trochar with sheath is inserted, protecting personnel against sticks. The guide has a holder that grips the trochar in the X, Y, Z and Theta directions, providing position and direction of the point. The guide provides a handle for holding the trochar, reducing effort. The trochar point is exposed only after opening the guide. The receiver with sheath is a target, which provides an accurate reference for the position of the sharp point. The target also provides support as the trochar is being advanced through soft tissue. The trochar is locked into the safety guide until the guide is closed, and the point is safely in the sheath. Since the guide may not be reopened, the trochar point and body fluids are safely covered. Operating Room personnel are protected against hazardous sharps injuries.
US07938809B2
A hemostasis valve apparatus having a quick release apparatus that allows for the exchange of guidewires and other medical instruments into a patient's vasculature while controlling the flow of blood during the exchange. The quick release capability allows tools and instruments to be introduced and removed from the patient's body in a quick and efficient manner without requiring undue attention or manipulation. The quick release capability comprises a lever mechanism which selectively seals or unseals a lumen of the hemostasis valve apparatus. The hemostasis valve apparatus can include a supplemental securement valve assembly which provides a secondary mechanism to secure an instrument positioned in the hemostasis valve and/or control the flow of blood from during the procedure. According to yet another aspect, the quick release mechanism allows for access to the lumen of the hemostasis valve apparatus when the quick release mechanism is in both a released and secured position.
US07938808B2
The invention relates to an injection device, comprising an injection syringe (1) with a tubular syringe body, provided at a porximal end with a fixing collar (16), projecting radially outwards, an injection piston, arranged to slide within the body, a needle protection device (2), comprising a protector support (20) and a sliding needle protector (22). The device comprises a stop pin (25) for the piston stop (8), said pin (25) is mounted on the protector support (20) and defines, in the extension of the syringe body, a piston circulation passage of which the minimum section is larger than the section of the running part (10) of the piston and less than the section of a shoulder (15) of the piston.
US07938800B2
A needleshield assembly including an extensible frame, an actuator, a needle and a dispensing device attachment member is disclosed. The extensible frame is capable of moving from a collapsed position to an extended position upon pressure applied to the actuator. In the extended position, the extensible frame both protects the distal end of a needle and renders the needle immobile.
US07938794B2
A suction catheter having an elongated flexible hollow member and a spoon-shaped distal end designated to assist manual removal of large airway occluding particles from the oropharynx and mouth opening to near the epiglottis of a patient by an emergency caregiver. The tip of the spoon-shaped distal end defines an ovular orifice of sufficient size to remove both viscous and non-viscous matter including matter from the airway of the patient for conveyance through the hollow member. The catheter includes a flexible stylet member therein to permit bending of the catheter and causing it to retain its bent shape with the proximal end thereof away from the patient. An opening is provided in the catheter and communicates with internal airway for use in controlling the amount of suction provided by the connection of the proximal end of the catheter to a vacuum source.
US07938785B2
A computationally efficient and robust approach for monitoring the instantaneous pupil response as a correlate to significant cognitive response to relevant stimuli derives data samples d(n) of the pupil diameter (area), v(n) of pupil velocity and a(n) of pupil acceleration from the pupillary response and segments the data samples into a sequence of time-shifted windows. A feature extractor extracts a plurality of spatio-temporal pupil features from the data samples from the response and baseline periods in each window. A classifier trained to detect patterns of the extracted spatio-temporal pupil features for relevant stimuli generates an output indicative of the occurrence of absence of a significant cognitive response in the subject to a relevant stimulus.
US07938782B2
An approach for predicting disordered breathing involves detecting one or more conditions associated with disordered breathing. The detected conditions are compared to disordered breathing prediction criteria. A prediction of disordered breathing is performed based on the comparison of the detected conditions to the prediction criteria. At least one of comparing the detected conditions to the prediction criteria and predicting disordered breathing is performed at least in part implantably.
US07938778B2
A surface point tracked by an echo tracking processor unit for each ultrasonic beam is a tracking point. A strain measurement unit measures an amount of strain of a bone based on the surface points. A delay time measurement unit measures a time for the amount of strain of the bone to reach a return reference value, corresponding to a state before a load is applied, after the load is first applied to the bone and then removed.
US07938777B2
There is described a device for use with a position sensing system for tracking a bone in a reference coordinate system, the device comprising a fabric removably and non-invasively attachable to a bone and having a plurality of reference markers distributed thereon, the reference markers being one of passive and active devices recognized by the position sensing system and positioned and oriented in the reference coordinate system with respect to a fixed reference.
US07938774B2
An endoscope apparatus of the invention includes an endoscope, camera control unit (CCU), and a trocar. The endoscope includes a heater and a temperature sensor. The CCU is configured to include a resistance value-voltage value conversion section, an analog-digital conversion section, voltage value-temperature table conversion section, a control voltage calculation section, an digital-analog conversion section, a voltage amplification section, a switch control section, and a switch. The trocar 5 includes an insertion detection sensor.
US07938769B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for implantation into the walls of an organ such as the stomach. Deformable or inflatable anchors with a connector between are used to pull the walls of the organ together, or to implant devices in the wall of the organ. Also disclosed are surgical instruments useful in practicing the disclosed methods.
US07938768B2
A cardiac constraint device comprising a jacket of biological compatible material and an adjustment member. The jacket is adapted to be secured to the heart to snugly conform to an external geometry of the heart and assume a maximum adjusted volume to constrain circumferential expansion of the heart beyond the maximum adjusted volume during diastole and to permit unimpeded contraction of the heart during systole. The adjustment mechanism is configured to alter the internal volume defined by the jacket after the jacket is secured to the heart. The invention also provides a method for treating cardiac disease.
US07938758B2
A hopping play ball has one or more water reservoirs in fluid communication with one or more squirt nozzles. The squirt nozzles are activated by a user.
US07938757B1
This invention relates to an apparatus which supports a user who is building back and leg muscles. This invention includes at least a track, a truck designed to run along the track and a sling for suspending a user from the truck. The track is of a design adapted to be secured to a ceiling joist. The truck of a size which is capable of supporting the weight of a user and of withstanding any forces which a user may impose upon the truck.
US07938751B2
The invention relates to an interactive gymnastics practice device which is used together with an image and sound system forming the gymnastics program to be followed by a user, comprising a first level of generally-pressure-sensitive surfaces, the surfaces extending essentially in a continuous manner and in substantially the same plane. The invention is characterized in that the device comprises at least one second level of surfaces which are pressure sensitive or which can control an action in response to a pressure, the second level surfaces extending essentially in a continuous manner and in substantially the same plane.
US07938741B2
A customizable golf club head is disclosed herein. The customizable golf club head includes a face component having a face and a flange, a crown-plate attached to the flange, a sole-plate attached to the flange, a skid-plate attached to the sole-plate, a swing-weight member, and a plurality of removable weight members with each of the plurality of weight members positioned within a pocket of the plurality of pockets.
US07938729B2
A frictional clutch for a hand-held device for transferring a film from a backing tape onto a substrate comprises a first main member having a cylindrical element coaxially protruding into a circular center opening of a second main member.The first and second main member are supported such that they can carry out a relative rotational movement. The second main member include coaxial tensioning elements for holding and pre-tensioning an elastic ring guided around the tensioning elements. The tensioning elements are geometrically arranged such that the ring is exposed in the form of at least one secant-shaped leg in the center opening.The secant-shaped leg of the ring is biased radially outwards when the cylindrical element of the first main member is inserted into the center opening of the second member in order to produce a frictional force between the ring and the circumferential wall of the cylindrical element.
US07938727B1
A computer-implemented system and method for providing interactive content for multiple networked users in a shared venue. In a particular embodiment, the system includes a game server, a display system in data communication with the game server, the display system including a shared screen, and a plurality of game pads in data communication with the game server, each game pad including a local game pad display device and a plurality of input devices to convey command selections to the game server, each game pad including functionality to initiate a game, at least a portion of the game being displayed on both the shared screen and the local game pad display device.
US07938721B2
A game apparatus (10) includes an LCD (12) and an LCD (14), for example, and the LCD (14) is provided with a touch panel (22). On the LCD (12), a first game image is displayed, and on the LCD (14), a second game image is displayed. It is determined whether or not the first game image becomes an object to be operated on the basis of coordinates data detected in response to an operation of the touch panel (22) by a player, input data obtained from an operating switch (20), a microphone (34), or the like. When it is determined that the first game image becomes an object to be operated, the first game image and the second game image are switched and displayed, for example. Then, when it is determined that the first game image displayed on the LCD (14) does not become an object to be operated, the first game image is displayed on the LCD (12).
US07938719B2
A method of playing a card game, including dealing at least one hand of cards from at least one card deck to a player upon a wager by the player and providing the player a first draw from the at least one card deck. The method further includes, if one of the at least one hand of cards includes a triggering hand after the first draw, enabling the player to replace one or more cards in the one of the at least one hand of cards which includes the triggering hand through a free second draw, and providing the player an award for any winning hand occurring after the free second draw. A gaming device for carrying out the method is also provided.
US07938718B2
A control unit mainly includes game condition judging means, moving period determining means for determining a moving period T0 of a ball object, first operation response period determining means for determining a first operation response period T1 of a bat object, which begins at a first operation response start opportunity St1 preceding a pitching end opportunity E0 of the moving period T0, second operation response period determining means for determining a second operation response period T2 of the bat object, which begins at a second operation response start opportunity St2 succeeding the first operation response start opportunity St1, operation input opportunity receiving means for receiving a operation input opportunity HP of a controller, and operation opportunity response judging means for judging whether the operation input opportunity HP is included in either the first operation response period T1 or the second operation response period T2.
US07938715B2
A polishing machine for optical elements includes: —a spindle arranged to rotationally drive an optical element; —a polishing tool mobile relative to the spindle; —a front face provided with a door enabling the access to the spindle and to the polishing tool. The polishing tool is mounted on a body which is rotationally mounted on sliding members by way of a first axis, the sliding members being substantially perpendicular to the front face.
US07938712B2
A decorative bra strap design—interchangeable bra strap/jewelry accessory is proposed. A semi-stretchable design is based on a non-stretchable beading core, that, attached at one or both end to a stretchable elastic section, that's in turn terminated into a jewelry-clasp type ending, that serves to attach to any kind of bras that have option of interchangeable bra straps, or to a “strapless” bra with hook loops. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07938705B2
A waterboard with externally adjustable stiffness includes a stringer assembly having a rotatable beam to modulate the stiffness of the beam in a selected direction to impart a desired stiffness to the waterboard.
US07938704B2
A hook assembly is arranged to engage with an engaged member to fix a first housing to a second housing of an outboard motor. The hook assembly includes a rotation shaft, a hook member, a lever, and a weight. The rotation shaft is rotatably mounted on the first housing. A recessed portion is provided in the hook member. The recessed portion is arranged to open in first rotation direction. The recessed portion engages with the engaged member. The lever extends from the rotation shaft in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction of the recessed portion. The weight regulates the rotation of the hook member in the second rotation direction when the hook member and the engaged member are engaged together. The arrangement provides a highly-operable hook assembly for the outboard motor that prevents disengagement even when an obstacle collides with the outboard motor during traveling of a boat.
US07938703B2
A watercraft propulsion system has a control lever for giving instructions regarding the operating mode as well as the amount of output power from a source of driving force, and a controller for setting a propeller driving mode according to the instruction given by the control lever. When a reverse mode is instructed by the control lever, the controller sets the propeller driving mode depending on certain considerations such as user settings and battery charge. For instance, the controller may set the propeller driving mode to a mode in which the propeller is rotated in reverse by an electric motor or by the engine. Also, the controller may regulate electric power supply to the motor in light of battery charge. Other combinations are also contemplated.
US07938700B2
An intelligent network patch field management system is provided that includes electronic hardware, firmware, mechanical assemblies, cables, and software that provide visible and audible cues for connecting and disconnecting patch cords in an interconnect or cross-connect patching environment. Systems of the present invention also monitor patch cord connections in a network.
US07938698B1
An electrical connector is mounted to a printed circuit board which has two buckling elements mounted thereon. The electrical connector includes an inner insulating housing, an outer insulating housing, a shell surrounding the inner insulating housing, and a plurality of conductive terminals. The outer insulating housing has an accommodating cavity for receiving the shell and the inner insulating housing. The outer insulating housing has a top wall. A top surface of the top wall defines a plurality of receiving passages. The outer insulating housing is mounted by the two buckling elements to make the electrical connector assembled under the printed circuit board with the top wall thereof abutting against the printed circuit board. Touching portions of the conductive terminals electrically contact the printed circuit board and are further pressed into the corresponding receiving passages by the printed circuit board.
US07938692B2
The present invention relates to a battery connection with an anti-locking system including a casing for connection of the electric cables furnished with a lever articulated between a locked position and an unlocked position. The connection has an anti-locking system preventing the lowering of the lever and hence the locking of the connection on the battery terminal, if the interlocking is not correctly achieved. The anti-locking system includes a detector that can be moved between two configurations which correspond to the locked position and to the unlocked position of the connection and is suitable, in the configuration corresponding to the locked position, for pressing against a surface of the battery containing the battery terminal.
US07938690B2
A mounting plate includes a first fixing device for an electrical device and a second fixing device for a top-hat shaped mounting rail having a first offset support flange and a second offset support flange. The second fixing device includes a first holder and a second holder each having a contact portion and each being disposed mirror-symmetrically about a longitudinal axis of the mounting plate on a rear surface of the mounting plate. The second fixing device further includes an abutment opposite the first and second holders, and a metal projection configured to clamp at least one of the first and second offset support flanges against the contact portions of the first and second holders. The projection is configured to deform upon clamping of the at least one of the offset support flanges.
US07938689B2
This disclosure relates to a rugged, polarized connector or adaptor with interlocking end tabs and notches for polarizing a jack to a specific plug, and in one specific embodiment, a QMA-type RF connector where a rugged spanner nut and a rugged jack casing are used to reinforce the mating connector ends. The connector also includes tabs and mating notches on the spanner nut and the jack casing to polarize the connectors without creating a weakness in the rugged connection. A series of tab orientations is illustrated, a method for grounding the spanner nut to the connector, and a method of using the rugged and polarized interface on any type of connector or as part of a connector adaptor or add-on.
US07938688B2
An electric cable device includes an electric cable, and a plug component. The plug component includes a terminal body with a plurality of plug terminals, a hood component, and a plug body. The hood component is disposed around the terminal body. The hood component has a width measured in a first direction of the plug component. The width of the hood component is greater than a height of the hood component that is measured in a second direction of the plug component. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The plug body is disposed around part of the hood component such that the hood component protrudes from the plug body in a third direction of the plug component with the third direction being perpendicular to the first and second direction. The plug body is asymmetrically formed relative to any of planes that are perpendicular to the second direction.
US07938687B2
A card edge connector assembly for connecting a pair of electrical cards to a printed circuit board includes an upper connector and a lower connector. The upper connector includes a first insulative housing with a plurality of first terminals mounted therein. The first insulative housing defines a recess thereunder and extending from a first front face of the first insulative housing thereof. The lower connector includes a second insulative housing with a plurality of second terminals mounted therein and received in said recess under the upper connector. The second insulative housing defines a second front face which is in alignment with the first front face in a vertical direction.
US07938676B1
An electrical receptacle is disclosed. The electrical receptacle includes a housing and at least one socket at least partially disposed within the housing and having at least a pair of entry ports. The at least one socket is controllable by a radio frequency signal. The electrical receptacle also includes an antenna at least partially disposed within the housing configured to at least receive the radio frequency signal used to control the at least one socket. The electrical receptacle further includes at least one tamper resistant device at least partially disposed within the housing. The at least one tamper resistant device is configured to block the entry ports unless a mating electrical plug is inserted into the at least one socket.
US07938675B1
An electrical connector in accordance with the present invention includes an insulative housing defining a mating direction and at least one contact-receiving passage extending along the mating direction, and at lest one conductive contact received in the contact-receiving passage. Each conductive contact includes a mating section, a retaining section extending from the mating section and interferentially retained in the contact-receiving passage, and a mounting section extending from the retaining section. The insulative housing defines at least one heat-radiating passage penetrating through the insulative housing along the mating direction and communicating with the contact-receiving passage.
US07938672B2
An electrical connector includes a plurality of terminals and an insulating housing retained said plurality of terminals. Each terminal includes a retaining portion and a plane contacting portion. The contacting portion has a pre-folded line along which a front end of the contacting portion slants. The insulating housing includes a base portion, a tongue portion extending forward from the base portion and passageways extending in the base portion and the tongue portion to receive the terminals. Each passageway defines a first supporting surface to sustain the front end of the terminal and a second supporting surface to sustain the retained portion of the terminal. A room is defined between said two supporting surface along a rear-to-front direction to accommodate the front ends of the terminals during insertion of the terminal to the passageway.
US07938667B2
A retainer may include a hollow portion for holding a connector, a path for conveying the connector from outside the retainer to the hollow portion, a surface that is adjacent to the connector when the connector is held in the hollow portion, a fastener for applying a force to couple the retainer to a device, and a member that causes the surface to press the connector against a connector receiver associated with the device and to prevent the connector from being disengaged from the connector receiver.
US07938666B2
A socket connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1), a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing, a cover (2) attached to the upper side of the insulative housing and a cam (3). The insulative housing defines an upper side and a lower side. The insulative housing has a first aperture (13) which extends through the upper and lower sides. The cover defines an upper surface and a lower surface and has a second aperture (23) extending through the upper and lower surfaces. The second aperture aligns with the first aperture in a vertical direction. The cam has a first cam portion (31) and a second cam portion (32) separately pre-formed and jointly combined and correspondingly received in the first and second apertures. The second cam portion is operable to urge the insulative cover relative to the insulative housing along a front-to-rear direction.
US07938657B2
A card edge connector (100) includes an elongate insulative housing (1), a number of contacts (2) and an ejector (3) retained on the insulative housing (1). The insulative housing (1) defines a pair of opposed side walls (11) and a central slot (12) between the side walls (11). The side wall (11) has a fitting section (13) at one end thereof. The fitting section (13) defines a cavity (131) extending therethrough along a width direction, and a slit (134) spaced apart from the cavity (131) along a length direction. The ejector (3) has a base (31) retained on the fitting section (13) and a spring tab (32) sandwiched between the insulative housing (1) and the base (31). The spring tab (32) defines two ends one of which being retained in the slit (134) and another abutting against an inner side of the base (31).
US07938648B2
The electrical connector (50) includes an insulative housing (51) defining a mounting face (501) for mounting onto a printed circuit board (10) and a mating face (502) opposite to the mounting face, a plurality of contacts (52) received in the insulative housing, an insulator (20) mounted to an underside of the printed circuit board, a back panel (30) attached to the insulator, and a plurality of fastening elements (40) mechanically interconnecting the back panel, the insulator and the insulative housing onto opposite sides of the printed circuit board. The insulator has a plurality of pairs of guiding posts (23) extending oppositely towards the back panel and the printed circuit board. The back panel defines a plurality of guiding holes (33) aligned with holes (14) on the printed circuit board for receiving corresponding guiding posts.
US07938644B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a tongue retractor and fluid/particle barrier for use in medical procedures performed in and around a patient's mouth. In one embodiment of the present invention, a kidney-shaped tongue retractor and fluid/particle barrier, with an insertion end and a handling end, is inserted into the mouth of a patient. The insertion end of the tongue retractor and fluid/particle barrier is specifically positioned to isolate and protect the patient's tongue from the medical procedure and to protect the patient from inhaling or swallowing fluids and scattered debris.
US07938643B2
An illumination device including an integrating sphere and at least one light source. The integrating sphere is hollow and houses the at least one light source in it. The light source can be manipulated between a first configuration and a second configuration. The illumination device emits a first spectrum of light when the light source is in the first configuration, and a second spectrum of light when the light source is in the second configuration.
US07938639B2
The present invention relates to an installation (10) for the manufacture of containers, in particular bottles, by blow moulding or stretch blow moulding from a thermoplastic preform, characterized in that the installation (10) comprises a system (70) for the insufflation of filtered air inside the enclosure (52) thereof to create an excess pressure therein by projecting a flow (F) of air therein which is selectively introduced into at least one first zone (Z1) so as to avoid the risks of specific airborne contamination.
US07938632B2
A pump primarily for liquid paint includes first and second pistons reciprocable rectilinearly in respective first and second cylinders. The first and second pistons are moved relative to their respective pistons by operation of an A. C. electric motor the rotary output shaft of which is coupled to the first and second pistons by a constant velocity cam and a cam follower mechanism converting rotary motion of the output shaft into reciprocatory motion of the first and second pistons 180° out of phase with one another.
US07938631B2
A method and apparatus are provided for coupling a pump to existing piping in a pump station such as a sewage or other suitable pump station. The adapter features a stand inlet adapter plate for coupling to one coupling of the existing piping; a pump adapter plate for coupling to a first port of the pump; and a clamp ring for coupling to the stand inlet adapter plate so as to allow the pump to be freely rotated a full 360° degrees if necessary in order to align another coupling of the existing piping to a second port of the pump, the stand inlet adapter plate being tightened and locked to the clamp ring after the pump is aligned for fastening the one coupling of the existing piping to the first port of the pump.
US07938627B2
An impeller is provided that may be used in compressors or turbines. In another aspect of the present invention, a fiber or a bundle of fibers is woven to form at least two blades of an impeller. Yet another aspect of the present invention employs a peripheral component woven around impeller blades. An additional conductive fiber or bundle of fibers is woven into the impeller in a further aspect of the present invention. Moreover, an aspect of the present invention provides a chilling system that includes at least one compressor, at least one wave rotor, and a refrigerant.
US07938626B2
A shim for a turbomachine blade is disclosed. The shim includes two branches which wrap around flanks of a blade root, and two tabs. Each of the tabs extend from one end of a respective one of the two branches. The tabs are folded towards each other and are interconnected in such a manner as to prevent them from unfolding. Advantageously, the shim includes a connection part which interconnects the tabs in such a manner as to prevent them from unfolding. The connection part is assembled to the tabs in such a manner as to allow the branches of the shim to spread apart. For example, the connection part can be suitable for stretching in the direction for spreading the branches apart.
US07938620B2
The stator includes a casing and at least one stage of variable-pitch stator vanes. The vanes are moved by an actuator ring outside the casing and are carried thereby. The ring is connected by links to the vanes in order to actuate them simultaneously. The casing includes a stationary coaxial rail projecting from the outside surface of the casing and at least three circumferentially spaced-apart groups of wheels are constrained to move along the rail. Each group of wheels is coupled to the ring by a radial guidance arrangement. Each group of wheels includes at least two wheels engaged with the rail, and each wheel being mounted to rotate on a radially-oriented pin, said pin being mounted directly on said ring.
US07938618B2
In a helicopter gas turbine engine, lips (30, 32) defining a radial air intake (34) are connected along an opening (12a) of an engine compressor air supply passage (12). The air intake lips are at least partially formed by a sound attenuator (40, 42) calculated to attenuate sound frequencies produced by the compressor rotation.
US07938617B2
According to the present invention, along the right and left sides of a rotary shaft, flat faces that serve as sealing faces are formed at the circumferential edges, on the suction chamber side, of semicircular division plates, which define suction chambers and a discharge chamber of a volute casing that is divided into two segments. Two disc plates are prepared as pressure test tools, and are positioned on the right and left sides of the rotary shaft so that they contact the flat faces that are formed around the circumferential edges of the division plates near the suction chambers. The two disc plates are then securely connected to a member in the axial direction. In addition, a bolt fastening structure, which is axially tightened by the member that connects the disc plates axially, is provided in at least one axial direction.
US07938614B2
A grabber for automatically grabbing and placing packing units of different dimensions and configurations includes a frame with a support, a hold-down device and a stripper attached to the frame. The support supports a bottom portion of a respective packing unit, and is generally horizontally movable with respect to the frame. The hold-down device is downwardly movable toward the support to clamp the respective packing unit between the support and the hold-down device. The stripper is disposed above the support and is generally horizontally movable. The respective packing unit is substantially immobilized by the hold-down device and the stripper as the support is retracted.
US07938611B2
In the present invention, a feeding apparatus comprising a plurality of feeding mechanisms is provided. The feeding apparatus comprises a power source, a base, a rotating axle, a plurality of feeding mechanisms, a plurality of connecting units and a plurality of fixing units. The power source is driven to rotate the rotating axle, and then the feeding mechanisms are rotated by the rotating axle to proceed feeding process. In addition, the rotation of each of the feeding mechanisms is controlled by the connecting units and the fixing units. However, the feeding mechanisms can be rotated together or individually to proceed feeding process. Therefore, the production capacity is increased by the feeding apparatus, as well as the cost is reduced by decreasing power needed.
US07938601B2
In the use of a distributor or diffuser in the form of a thin-walled, completely or partially air-permeable, heat-reactive layer for drilling or milling machining of a workpiece with a tool, a vacuum, surface tension is produced, which is large enough to fix the position of the workpiece, by using a vacuum over the layer acting as a distributor or a diffuser on the surface of the workpiece to be machined. The workpiece is then machined, and a cutting speed and rate of feed is adjusted, such that a defined local heating takes place in a contact area between the tool and workpiece. The peak temperature at the contact area is greater or the same as a melting temperature of the surface of the distributor or diffuser.
US07938599B2
A throw-away tip is mounted on a first tip mounting seat of a pin mirror cutter. In the throw-away tip, cutting edges are formed at intersecting ridgeline parts between a pair of oppositely disposed long side faces of a substantially trapezoidal flat-plate-shaped tip body, and upper and lower faces of the tip body. A thickness direction of the tip body is approximately aligned with a radial direction of the cutter body to provide curved edges formed in acute corner parts of the tip body for cutting. The tip is mounted on a second tip mounting seat of the pin mirror cutter such that the thickness direction of the tip body is approximately aligned with an axial direction of the cutter body to provide curved edges formed in obtuse corner parts of the tip body for cutting.
US07938597B2
A subsurface drainage assembly for directing fluid drainage from a surface is disclosed. The subsurface drainage assembly includes a plurality of drain structure panels linked together in a manner that permits movement of one drain structure panel relative to the adjacent drain structure panel. The drain structure panels have a laterally extensive backing grid and a plurality of spaced apart tubular support members projecting therefrom. The tubular support members are tapered so that the tubular support members are nestable with the tubular support members of an identical drain structure panel when the drain structure panels are stacked.
US07938589B2
A handheld mobile communication device having a physical keyboard with a first set of keys having indicia associated with the letters A-Z arranged in a standard alphabetic keyboard arrangement and a second set of keys having indica for the numerals 0-9. The numerals are arranged in a numeric phone key arrangement which is at least partially overlaid on the standard alphabetic keyboard arrangement. The second set of keys is differentiated from the keys of the first set using color.
US07938588B2
A size-reduced printer that conveys a recording sheet in a circulating manner along a ring-like conveyance path while printing a plurality of images on the recording sheet in different colors sequentially in a superimposed manner, thereby forming a full color image. When a ribbon cassette that contains a multi-color ink ribbon is loaded at a predetermined position within a printer housing, a ring-like conveyance path is formed between the ribbon cassette and the printer housing. While the thermal head is driven and the recording sheet is conveyed once in a circulating manner along the conveyance path, a one-color image is printed on a previous printed one-color image in a superimposed manner in a corresponding one of the different color inks of the multi-color ink ribbon, thereby forming a full color image finally.
US07938586B2
A mobile terminal apparatus includes a camera unit and a sliding cover device. The sliding cover device includes a cover slidable with respect to the camera unit, a pair of arm members supporting the cover on both sides from a back surface of the cover and extending along the sides of the cover, a frame member supporting the arm members such that the arm members are slidable along respectively predetermined sliding paths, and a body surface member secured to the frame member and having a surface thereof flush with a surface of the cover at a closed position. The sliding paths are defined such that, when the cover is moved from the closed position to an open position, the arm members slide into a space below the body surface member and the cover rides onto the body surface member.
US07938580B2
A package (599) with three layers allows sterilization of the package contents, provides a separate area for a scavenger and minimizes the oxygen transmission rate for the package and has, in one embodiment, a third layer (330) with a first section (336) of breathable polymeric material, a second section (334) of substantially non-breathable polymeric material and a third section (332) of breathable polymeric material which is positioned between a first layer (512) of substantially non-breathable polymeric material and a second layer (514) of substantially non-breathable polymeric material. The first layer (512) and the second layer (514) are fixed together to define a non-breathable pouch (516); and the third layer (330) is fixed to the first layer (512) and the second layer (514) and divides the non-breathable pouch (516) into a first compartment (592) and a second compartment (594). The outer seal (518) fixing the first layer (512) to the second layer (514) does not include any interposing first section (336) of the third layer (330).
US07938571B1
The present invention provides a system for treating powder materials, such as fly ash, cement, slag, or the like, and a method of use thereof. The material treatment system facilitates the application of a desired chemical entity to the material passing through the system. The material treatment system disclosed herein is capable of performing this task while the material is moved at a high velocity. The system includes a fluidized bed chamber, discharge chamber, application chamber, and concentration chute. The result is the quick and consistent application of a chemical entity to the material so that the treated material has the desired characteristics.
US07938567B2
A lighting system is provided having a light source with a housing, an LED engine, a controller, a heat sink, a connection device, and a power cable opening. The LED engine, controller and heat sink can be enclosed by the housing and sealed from atmosphere. The heat sink can be in thermal communication with the LED engine. The controller can be connected to a power cable inserted through the power cable opening. The controller can control at least one of power to the LED engine and a light output generated by the LED engine. A fiber optic cable can be connected to the LED engine by the connection device. The LED engine can communicate the light output through the fiber optic cable.
US07938557B2
A light source and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The light source includes a light emitter and a controller. The light emitter generates light in response to a control signal coupled thereto. The light emitter is characterized by an age related to the amount of light that has been cumulatively generated by the light emitter, the generated light for a given control signal changing with the age. The controller measures the age of the light emitter and generates the control signal based on the desired light intensity and the measured age of the light emitter. In one embodiment, the controller stores an age value for the light emitter, and the controller determines the control signal in response to an input signal specifying a desired light intensity from the light emitter, the controller updating the age value each time the control signal is determined.
US07938556B2
The present invention provides a compact portable light source capable of providing powerful light as well as effect light and is especially suitable for professional use, i.e. for security, police and military use. The invention relates to a portable torch having a plurality of light emitting diodes and a heat sink, namely a portable torch (1) comprising a case (2) having a first and a second open ends, a first cap (3) covering the first open end and a second cap (4) covering the second open end, said first cap having a transparent area (6), illumination means having a diode area (11) comprising a plurality of light emitting devices (LEDs) arranged to emit light out of the first open end and through the transparent area (6) of the first cap (3), a heat sink (14) arranged to transport heat from the light emitting devices, a power source comprising a battery holder and means (7) for activating said power source operatively associated with said case (2).
US07938552B2
The present invention discloses a backlight unit having a reflecting device to enhance light directivity. The backlight unit comprises a light source module, comprising at least one light source, and a reflecting device. The reflecting device is provided to surround the light source or light source module and comprises a first surface. Besides, the first surface comprises at least two planes where every two planes are connected with an included angle more than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees.
US07938539B2
A method of developing a visual processing profile for a person including displaying a filtered visual stimuli to portions of the person's field of view; allowing the person to respond to the filtered visual stimuli; measuring the person's response to the filtered visual stimuli in the portions of the person's field of view; determining a level of retinal ganglion function of a first retinal ganglion subtype for the person based on at least the person's measured response to the filtered visual stimuli; determining a level of retinal ganglion function for at least a second retinal ganglion subtype; and determining the visual processing profile for the person based on at least the determined levels of retinal ganglion function for at least the first and second retinal ganglion subtypes.
US07938535B2
An eyewear point-of-sale assembly for reading glasses, sunglasses or the like packaged with a carrying case such that a consumer may try on the eyewear without removing the eyewear from the packaging and without separating the carrying case from the eyewear. In one embodiment the packaging is formed from a planar template having a display panel that engages a conventional hanging-type display, a middle panel hingedly attached to the display panel, and defining a tab that engages an upper end of the case, and a lower panel that wraps around a bottom end of the case. The middle panel includes a lower portion that wraps around one temple portion of the eyewear. In another embodiment the packaging is formed from a planar template including a display panel, and a main panel that wraps about the case, and includes means for retaining one temple portion of the eyewear.
US07938528B2
System and method of adjusting blade loads for blades engaging image forming machine moving surfaces
Systems and methods of providing controlled blade engagement with an image forming machine moving surface are provided for metering a release agent onto the surface, cleaning the surface, or both. A blade engagement apparatus is provided having a controller controlling an actuator connected to a blade positioning mechanism for providing controlled engagement of the blade with the moving surface. The minimum blade load applied by the blade to the moving surface needed to prevent defects is determined and maintained for increasing the useful life of the blade. Control systems and methods utilizing single and separately operable dual blade positioning mechanisms are provided.
US07938521B2
An ink cartridge for a computer system having an integral printer includes a media housing portion having top and bottom moldings mated to form a housing for storing sheets of paper therebetween, the housing portion having a print media transport mechanism; an ink storage portion having an ink storage base molding defining a plurality of distinct ink chambers, the ink storage base molding attached to an underside of the bottom molding and sealed therewith; and an ink manifold having ink outlet nozzles adapted to facilitate fluid communication with the printer, the ink outlet nozzles provided on a surface attached to and extending beyond an edge of the bottom molding. Each of the distinct ink chambers include a portion extending beyond the edge of the bottom molding, which portions form part of the ink manifold.
US07938512B2
The described embodiments relate to slotted substrates. One exemplary method forms a feature into a substrate, at least in part, by directing a laser beam at the substrate. During at least a portion of said directing, the method supplies a conductive material proximate the substrate.
US07938508B2
An inkjet printhead having a housing having a top face and a bottom face, an ink ejection device and a contact circuit. The contact circuit is affixed to the housing in a substantially horizontal orientation and is in communication with the ink ejection device. The contact circuit is configured to connect the ink ejection device to an external device.
US07938497B2
An ink jet printer is provided with an ink jet head, an elastically deformable sub-ink tank, an actuator, an ink quantity detection device, controller, and a main ink tank which communicates with the sub-ink tank. The actuator performs a predetermined action, such that the actuator applies a pushing force to the sub-ink tank and then releases the pushing force. The ink quantity detection device detects whether an ink quantity within the sub-ink tank is less than a first value. The controller controls the actuator to perform the predetermined action in a first case where the ink quantity within the sub-ink tank is less than the first value. The controller controls the actuator such that the actuator performs the predetermined action in a second case where the ink quantity within the sub-ink tank is more than the first value and a predetermined condition is satisfied.
US07938494B2
Improved anti-lock brake systems (ABS) employed on aircraft and land vehicles and methods of operating same employing a sliding mode observer (SMO) incorporated into an ABS algorithm requiring only measurement of wheel speed to regulate the application of braking torque are disclosed. Braking is optimized simply by maintaining an SMO estimate of differential wheel torque (road/tire torque minus applied brake torque) derived from wheel speed at an extremum via applying or releasing the brakes as the extremum is passed through.
US07938493B2
A brake control system includes a wheel cylinder, a brake pedal, a master cylinder in which communication between it and an external master cylinder reservoir is cut off when the operating amount of the brake pedal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, an internal reservoir, and a pump which selectively discharges hydraulic fluid in two directions, one being a direction that increases the hydraulic pressure in the wheel cylinder by drawing up hydraulic fluid from the internal reservoir, and the other being a direction that stores hydraulic fluid in the internal reservoir. The pump is driven to discharge hydraulic fluid in the direction that stores hydraulic fluid when communication is open between the master cylinder and the master cylinder reservoir, and driven to discharge hydraulic fluid in the direction that increases the hydraulic pressure when communication is cut off between the master cylinder and the master cylinder reservoir. A further invention is directed to a brake control method.
US07938492B2
Disclosed are a toothbrush and a method of producing the same. The toothbrush of the present invention includes a pressure relief unit installed in a head part of the toothbrush. The unit has a plate shape and a predetermined size sufficient to cover bristles set in the head part. In the present invention, the head part is thin, and the bristles are set in the head part without using a wire. Furthermore, the present invention is easily adapted for mass production using inexpensive equipment. Also, the pressure relief unit serves as a reinforcing unit. Therefore, the head part is prevented from breaking during use despite having a reduced thickness.
US07938490B2
A seat may be obtained with improved operability of plural adjustable units.A vehicle seat 10 is provided with: a seat lifter 22 provided to a seat body for sitting on, adjustable by transmitted operation force; a reclining mechanism 20 provided to the seat body, adjustable by transmitted operation force; and an operation lever 30, to which operation force from operation by a seat occupant is input; and a switching mechanism 50 that is able to selectively switch between a first state in which operation force of the operation lever 30 is able to be transmitted to the seat lifter 22, and a second state in which operation force of the operation lever 30 is able to be transmitted to the reclining mechanism 20.
US07938485B1
A variable displacement seating assembly incorporates at least first and second pivotable seat frames. The first seat frame includes a male seat connector. The second seat frame is arranged adjacent the first seat frame, and includes a female seat connector receiving the male seat connector of the first seat frame. The first and second seat frames are operatively interconnected for simultaneous pivoting movement between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the deployed position of the first and second seat frames, the male and female seat connectors are disposed for sliding vertical movement of one seat connector relative to the other, such that the first and second seat frames are independently vertically displaceable upon an impact force acting against the seat assembly.
US07938475B2
An aerodynamic skirt adapted to be installed on a trailer for managing airflow is provided, the aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel defining a substantially curved shape adapted to be positioned adjacent to a rear wheel of the trailer, the curved shape substantially mirroring the shape of the wheel to reduce the gap between the skirt panel and the wheel. A method of installing an aerodynamic skirt on a trailer to manage airflow around the trailer is also provided, the method comprising providing a skirt panel defining a curved shape adapted to cooperate with an exterior circumference of a wheel of the trailer; and positioning the curved shape of the skirt panel adjacent to the rear wheel of the trailer to reduce the air gap therebetween. An aerodynamic skirt kit comprising a skirt panel having a curved shape adapted to cooperate with an exterior circumference of a wheel of the trailer; and a plurality of struts adapted to secure the skirt panel to a trailer is equally provided.
US07938472B2
A door module for forming a vehicle door, the door module including a frame and, arranged on the frame, a mechanism for closing and opening a vehicle door formed by the door module. The closing and opening mechanism exhibits an operating device that is so arranged as to be capable of displacement between two positions for the adjustment of the closed and open condition respectively. The operating device is provided with the first of two interacting snap-in connection parts, both of which snap-in connection parts together form a snap-in connection for the automatic, connection of the operating device and a handle provided with the second snap-in connection part that is intended respectively for closing and opening a vehicle door formed by the door module.
US07938467B2
A load weighting control apparatus that suppresses deterioration of a controlled object due to impacts or the like during control, and for which energy usage costs required for control are markedly reduced, and that has a simple structure and therefore inexpensive manufacturing costs and running costs. The apparatus includes a main vacuum cylinder provided with a cylinder tube, end walls, an air vent that passes through one end wall, a valve that is provided in the air vent and serves to open/tightly close the atmosphere inside of the cylinder tube to the outside, a piston that slides back and forth within the cylinder tube, and a piston rod that is linked to the piston and passes through the other end wall and an auxiliary vacuum cylinder that includes a slacking portion where a piston rod produces slackness in the main vacuum cylinder.
US07938463B2
A bumper apparatus with a multistage energy absorbing structure mounted to the front and rear ends of a vehicle. The bumper apparatus includes a back beam, a rear shock absorber, a front shock absorber, and a bumper cover. The back beam is mounted to a car body. The rear shock absorber is mounted to the front surface of the back beam and has a plurality of rear shock absorbing units on a middle portion thereof. The front shock absorber is mounted to the front surface of the rear shock absorber and has an arcuate cross-sectional structure. The bumper cover is mounted to the front surface of the front shock absorber.
US07938461B2
A door stop device including a handle provided with a pivoting leg. The door stop device according to the present invention is configured to preferably minimize a user bending over to install or remove the door stop device, or more preferably eliminate the user bending over to install or remove the door stop device.
US07938459B2
The system described here is a bolt-type seal lock which includes a bolt, having a shaft with proximal and distal portions and a head that is wider than the distal portion of the shaft and located at the proximal portion of the shaft; a locking body having a passageway with an open end for receiving and retaining the distal portion of the shaft of the bolt in locking engagement after the shaft has been inserted a predetermined extent into the open end of the passageway, at which point the shaft cannot be withdrawn from the open end of the passageway; and a housing connected to, and rotatable relative to, the locking body, configured to be removably mounted to a door of a shipping container, thereby preventing swinging motion of the locking body. The housing contains electronics, including memory, a wireless communication component, and a power source.
US07938457B2
A connection assembly for a hose end. The assembly includes a fitting, a connector, and a shell formed of a pair of closable halves. The a fitting includes a nipple having a first end insertable in the hose end and a second end, a flange surrounding the nipple, and a sleeve disposed over the nipple first end. With the hose end being inserted between the sleeve and the nipple, the second nipple end being slidably received coaxially in the connector, and the shell halves being closed over the fitting with the flange being received in a first cavity portion thereof, and with the connector being received in a second cavity of the shell, the fitting is slidably movable in the shell responsive to fluid pressure from a release position to a locked position wherein the flange interferingly engages the first cavity portion preventing the shell halves from being opened.
US07938456B2
A quick connect and quick release coupling for connecting two pipes, including a male element and a female element that are axially fitted and interlocked one inside the other and wherein a locking mechanism retains the male element in a coupled position and a temporarily retaining mechanism immobilizes the male element, after its release by the locking mechanism, in a position for flushing a pipe connected to the male element. The locking mechanism is controlled by a sleeve that slides relative to a body of the female element. When the temporarily retaining mechanism retains the male element in flushing position, it is subjected to a first force (E1) derived from a pressure (P) of the fluid flowing (F) from the male element outwards and to a second force (E2), opposite to the first, exerted by elastic return means which, when the pressure (P) drops to a safety threshold, moves the temporarily retaining mechanism into a position for releasing the male element from the female element.
US07938455B2
The invention relates to a device for axially connecting an external pipe section to a coaxial peg or internal pipe section that engages in the external pipe section, in particular for connecting the drain connecting piece of an injector for injecting fuel into internal combustion engines to a fuel return connector. The external pipe section has two diametrically opposed retaining slots that penetrate the wall of the external pipe section and which correspond to grooves on the periphery of the peg or internal pipe section. Two opposing sprung retaining arms of a clamp-type retaining clip pass through the retaining slots of the external pipe section from the exterior and snap into the grooves of the peg or internal pipe section in a sprung manner. One essential feature of the invention is that the parallel retaining slots of the external pipe section are offset in height in relation to one another, while the whole of the retaining clip, when not fitted onto the pipe sections, lies on one plane.
US07938453B2
Tap mounting assemblies for reducing loads on the threaded end portions of a tap. Some exemplary embodiments employ a spring such as Belleville washers to bias apart the tap and a mounting plate, and some embodiments provide visual indication of proper tightening. Some exemplary embodiments allow angular adjustment of a portion of the tap assembly without disturbing the tapered thread engagement of the tap on the mounting surface. Exemplary embodiments may employ a base plate between a jack screw and a mounting surface.
US07938450B2
A universal coupling assembly is provided including a housing having an inner bore that extends along an axis through a fluid port and a flange formed integral with the housing and the inner bore. The flange extends radially outward from the axis and has a mating surface. A nipple extends from the flange along the axis toward the fluid port. The nipple has a mating interface at an end thereof, and the nipple has a junction portion extending at least partially about the nipple and located between the mating interface and the flange. The junction portion and the mating interface are configured to receive at least two different types of interchangeable fittings based on a type of mating joint, and the junction portion is matable with one of a flange fitting, a threaded union fitting, a sweat fitting, an NPT fitting, and a barb fitting.
US07938444B2
An inflatable airbag cushion assembly with a release device and a release device mounting bracket. The release device is in electronic communication with at least one sensor in a vehicle and is configured to release one or more active vent tethers or airbag restraining tethers.
US07938443B1
An inflator capable of directing inflation gas into the cushion of an airbag module is thrust neutral during shipping, handling and installation. The inflator's thrust-neutral feature can be rendered inoperable for use with the airbag module. A thrust-balancing portion of the inflator has a circumferentially continuous sidewall that encloses an elongated passageway and has a proximal end configured to receive inflation gas from the inflator and a distal end configured to release a primary portion of the inflation gas into the cushion. In the event of unintended discharge during shipping or handling, an elongated secondary discharge aperture formed through the sidewall releases to the exterior of the thrust-balancing portion a secondary portion of the inflation gas that imposes thrust on the inflator directed oppositely from thrust imposed by release of the primary portion of the inflation gas stabilizing the inflator during shipping, handling and installation. The secondary discharge aperture includes a nonlinear slot formed through the sidewall partially circumscribing a deflection vane that tends to pivot outwardly of the sidewall in response to inflation gas inside the passageway, directing the secondary portion of the inflation gas away from the distal end of the sidewall.
US07938438B2
The invention relates to a side airbag module for an automotive vehicle which includes an inflatable bag (11) configured to be deployed between an occupant and the vehicle body upon being filled with the gas produced by a generator, which bag comprises a front panel (21) intended to make contact with the occupant, a rear panel (23) and at least one inner panel (25) forming a first chamber (13) with the rear panel (23) and a second chamber (15) with the front panel (21), having a vent hole (19), the inner panel (25) including a duct (39) allowing the passage of gas from the first chamber (13) to the second chamber (15) and which is located in a position allowing it to be blocked upon the front panel (21) moving closer to the inner panel (25) during the contact of the bag (11) with the occupant.
US07938433B2
Disclosed herein are soft goods attachment designs and techniques for a stroller. The stroller includes a frame having a section, and further includes a soft goods component with an edge having a loop that forms a tunnel running along the edge. The soft goods component is attached to the section of the frame at the edge. A support strip is inserted in the tunnel and shaped to extend along the edge of the soft goods component and follow the section of the frame to facilitate attachment of the soft goods component to the frame. In some cases, a set of fasteners extends through the support strip to secure the soft goods component to the frame.
US07938432B2
A device comprising a supporting device as climbing aid for a ski. The supporting device has at least two supporting positions, in which it prevents a boot held in a ski binding from being lowered below a climbing angle between the boot and the ski associated with the respective supporting position. The device comprises an adjusting device, which is actively connected to the supporting device and can be directly or indirectly actuated by a user and which can move the supporting device from a first into a second supporting position. The adjusting device includes an operating element for actuation of the adjusting device and an intermediate store for storing the actuation, wherein, in an adjusting process, the adjusting device moves the supporting device from said first into said second supporting position after a time delay, the adjusting process being initiated with the time delay in relation to the actuation.
US07938426B2
A vehicle assembly includes a two-wheeled vehicle including a frame having opposed sides, opposed front and rear ends, and a front wheel mounted for rotation to the frame proximate to the front end of the frame positioned in front of an opposed rear wheel mounted for rotation to the frame proximate to the rear end of the frame and that is substantially in-line with respect to the front wheel. A member is carried by the frame of the vehicle between the front and rear wheels and has end portions disposed adjacent to the respective sides of the frame. A wheeled stabilizer assembly is carried by each of the end portions of the member to wheelingly interact with the ground over which the vehicle is driven along the sides of the frame proximate to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle.
US07938425B2
A bicycle frame can have a main frame, a sub-frame and a shock. The sub-frame can move in relation to the main frame and the shock can be used to regulate that relationship. A linkage can also be used to regulate the relationships and control the rotation. The shock can further have a pair of extension arms to span a seat tube which is part of the main frame.
US07938421B2
A supporting member that carries at least 1 wheel and either rotates with the wheel to transmit mechanical power to and from it, and allows the wheel to rotate freely on it. The axle is an invention by itself and there is no prior art which has the axle attached to the housing. The axle and wheels can be removed and is therefore easier to ship. The axle can be used in a tricycle, trailer, caboose or any human or mechanical powered vehicle.
US07938420B1
A drive mechanism for a bicycle is provided including a pedal leverage arm, a drive sprocket spindle, a drive sprocket, a drive gear, and a vertical gear on each side of the bicycle. The vertical gear is attached to the pedal leverage arm so that the vertical gear can mesh with the drive sprocket. A chain on each side of the bicycle extends around the drive gear and a wheel sprocket. Downward movement of a pedal leverage arm causes the attached vertical gear to move downward, causing the meshed drive gear to turn, which causes the drive sprocket spindle on that side of the bicycle to turn, which causes the chain that goes around the drive sprocket on that side of the bicycle to turn, which causes the wheel sprocket and a rear wheel to turn, due to permanent attachment of both the drive sprocket and drive gear to the drive sprocket spindle.
US07938414B2
The invention relates to an auxiliary frame (1) for multi-link rear axles of motor vehicles, comprising two lateral auxiliary frame parts (B) which are embodied at least approximately in a V-shaped manner in such an arrangement that the vertexes (6, 7) thereof face each other and are joined to each other via a central auxiliary frame part (C) that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The lateral auxiliary frame parts and the central auxiliary frame part are configured as hollow profiled members while the lateral auxiliary frame parts are provided with at least three of the following receptacles or recesses: the top transverse link; the bottom transverse link; the stabilizer; the longitudinal links; the fixture of the auxiliary frame to the vehicle body.
US07938413B2
A knee scooter includes a substantially V-shaped chassis formed by a pair of extensions joined together at a vertex. At the vertex, the extensions form an angle of about sixty degrees. Further, the extensions establish a foot-space in the interior of the angle and define a chassis centerline that bisects the angle. An adjustment tube is selectively engageable with the first extension of the chassis to orient the adjustment tube substantially perpendicular to the plane of the chassis. Further, engagement with the first extension off-sets the adjustment tube from the centerline of the chassis. In use, a user rests one knee on the seat while propelling the knee scooter with his/her other leg in the foot-space.
US07938412B2
A container assembly is provided that includes a base container that has an upper opening and an upper container mounted in covering relation over the upper opening of the base container. A linkage connects the upper container to the base container in a manner that allows the upper container to be displaced from the covering relation over the upper opening of the base container, so as to permit access into the base container through the upper opening. A support assembly is spaced from the base container when the upper container is displaced from the covering relation over the upper opening of the base container and wheels are disposed toward a lower portion of the container assembly. A handle is provided for rollingly transporting the container assembly on the wheels in a tilted configuration.
US07938411B2
A system and process for controlling vehicle loading on a multi-axle vehicle and improving maneuverability is disclosed. The system includes a reservoir of pressurized air and associated leveling valve that uses a relay valve to improve refill times when the vehicle returns from a dump mode operation to normal operation. The process reduces pressure in one or more of the axles when maneuvering the vehicle at predetermined slow speeds and maintaining that first predetermined pressure while the other axle(s) is at a greater pressure than the first axle. By preventing complete exhaustion of pressure from the suspension system, restoring air pressure is attained more quickly. Also, use of a relay valve enables higher flow rates to improve the refill time of the pneumatic suspension system after the dump operation.
US07938399B2
A curved conveying guiding portion which guides a sheet toward a skew correcting unit is provided on a sheet conveying direction upstream of the skew correcting unit which corrects a skew of the sheet by rotating the sheet while conveying it. By narrowing an interval in the vertical direction in a center portion in the lateral direction of the conveying guiding portion, when a sheet S is rotated and corrected by the skew correcting unit, a load which the sheet to be corrected receives from the conveying guiding portion is reduced.
US07938396B2
A sheet feeding device has a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack, a sheet carrying plate for carrying the sheet stack and a pickup roller that dispatches the uppermost sheet of the stack. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a sheet feeding position where an upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side face of the sheet stack. A controller causes the first warm air mechanism to blow warm air to the side face of the sheet stack and causes the elevator to displace the sheet carrying plate between the sheet feeding position and the separating position.
US07938392B2
A method of controlling medium feeding in an image forming apparatus includes an image forming step of forming an image on a medium in response to an image forming request, and a feed control step of selecting one of a plurality of first medium feed units that feeds a medium corresponding to attribute information that matches medium attribute information included in the image forming request, and of selecting a second medium feed unit upon finding matching between attribute information indicative of a medium fed by the second medium feed unit and the medium attribute information included in the image forming request if none of the first medium feed units feeds a medium corresponding to the attribute information that matches the medium attribute information included in the image forming request.
US07938389B2
Printed products produced by assembling on saddle-shaped supports are conveyed onwards lying on the supports and during this conveyance are processed in the area of their fold line between a tool acting from outside and a counter-tool acting from inside, i.e., from the supported side. For being processed, the printed products are lifted off from the saddle line of the supports by the counter-tools, such that a relative movement between the saddle-shaped support and the counter-tool does not deform or damage the printed products. Through this measure it becomes possible to design the circuit of the supports and the circuit of the counter-tools largely independent of one another. The supports or their saddle lines respectively, for example, are able to move through the processing zone in a straight line, while the distal ends of the counter tools circulate on a round circuit.
US07938380B2
A vertically adjustable overhang bracket uses an elongate base component adapted to be supported from a support column. A frame member is slidably secured to the base component to allow movement of the frame along the length of the elongate base component. The frame is of a shape to provide an outwardly extending support member for supporting concrete formwork members to one side of the base component. An actuator controls the position of the frame, relative to the elongate base component. With this arrangement, concrete formwork can be more easily supported in a cantilevered manner from support columns and vertically adjusted quickly to the proper position. Removal of the formwork is simplified as the frame can be lowered, relative to the base component providing clearance for removal of the bracket and the formwork.
US07938369B2
A method and apparatus for transferring fuel onto or off of an aircraft. A refueling transfer duct is deployed from an aft station of the aircraft being serviced while the aircraft is flying, wherein the transfer apparatus comprises a hose with a controllable drogue attached to its free end. The refueling duct is positioned through control signals sent by a tanker aircraft to the controllable drogue to form a favorably positioned refueling duct capable of a finite final docking maneuver. The positioned refueling duct is connected to the tanker aircraft positioned behind the aircraft to form a connection. The fuel is transferred through the connection to a fuel tank or fuel storage system located within the aircraft.
US07938364B2
A system for generating power from sunlight collected substantially above the earth's surface comprises an airborne platform which supports solar power generation system to collect sunlight, convert the sunlight to electricity, and to transmit the electricity to a selected location on the earth's surface. The solar power generation system is coupled to the airborne platform by a support which can be manipulated by a control system to move the solar power generation system away from a shadow that might be cast by the airborne platform.
US07938362B2
The invention relates to airplane floor assemblies and to methods for their assembly. In one embodiment, an airplane comprises at least one fuselage section and at least one floor section. At least one system component is installed to the floor section prior to installation of the floor section in the fuselage of the airplane. In another embodiment, a floor section adapted to be installed in an airplane includes at least one system component installed to the floor section while it is outside of the airplane. In yet another embodiment, a method is disclosed for assembling an airplane. The method comprises installing at least one system component to a floor section, and installing the floor section into a fuselage section of the airplane.
US07938351B2
A container comprising a housing that is configured to rotatably mount a filament supply spool, and a filament guide mechanism mountable within a channel of the housing, where the filament guide mechanism comprises a filament pathway configured to guide the filament from the filament supply spool rotatably mounted in the interior chamber, and a sensor configured to detect the presence of the filament through at least a portion of the filament pathway.
US07938344B2
A to-be-treated body, which contains raw material particles 5 of a substance and with which a solvent 4 of a to-be-treated liquid 2 is made solid, is used, and a laser light source 10, which supplies a laser light of a predetermined wavelength to a treatment chamber 3 that contains the to-be-treated body, is provided to arrange a production apparatus 1A. The laser light from the laser light source 10 is illuminated onto the to-be-treated body to microparticulate the substance in solvent 4. As the to-be-treated body of solid form, a solidified body 6, with which water 4 is solidified by a cooling device 50 and the solidified state is maintained by a thermally insulating layer 30, may be used. Or, as the to-be-treated body, a gel body, with which the solvent is gelled, may be used. The substance can thereby microparticulated efficiently by photo-pulverization.
US07938340B2
A spraying device for spraying fragrance, pest control composition and/or a sanitizing composition held within a pressurized container, the spraying device comprising a container receiving section (13) and a switching section (10) wherein the switching section (10) incorporates a solenoid switch.
US07938336B2
An improved thermostat is provided that comprises a first wall disposed within the thermostat, which partitions off a portion of the interior space to form a compartment along a side wall of the thermostat that is separated from the rest of the thermostat's interior space. The thermostat includes a second wall that is adjacent to and spaced from the first wall, so as to define an insulating space between the compartment and the rest of the interior space. The thermostat further includes a first aperture that permits communication of airflow in a lower portion of the compartment, and a second aperture that permits communication of airflow at an upper portion of the compartment. A temperature sensing element is disposed within the compartment defined by the first wall. The temperature sensing device is thermally insulated from heat generated in the interior of the thermostat by the insulating space between the compartment and interior space.
US07938335B2
The present disclosure relates to multiple embodiments of a signage having radio-frequency responsive features, methods of making and using the signage, and the performance characteristics of the signage. These embodiments include a cutout, aperture, or opening in an electrically conductive sign into which or adjacent to which is placed an RFID tag or chip.
US07938332B2
The invention relates to a pushmatic smart card connector comprising a housing into which a smart card or card having two longitudinal edges, a front edge, and a rear edge can be inserted into a reading position in which the smart card contacts located on the smart card are in contact with contact elements disposed directly or indirectly in the housing, a card ejection slide that is movably disposed in the housing and is moved or can be displaced from a neutral position into a locked position counter to the force of a card ejection spring when the smart card is inserted, said card ejection spring gripping the card ejection slide, means for locking the card ejection slide in the locked position thereof and releasing the card ejection slide so as to move the card ejection slide into the neutral position thereof in order for the smart card to be ejected, and a card locking slide which engages with the rear edge of the card and locks the smart card in the reading position when the card is inserted into the reading position thereof. The inventive pushmatic smart card connector is characterized in that the card locking slide initially is not made to move when the smart card is inserted in order to move the card ejection slide from the neutral position thereof into the reading position thereof such that the card ejection slide is provided with greater lift than the card locking slide.
US07938328B2
Magnetic stripe readers are disclosed that are configured to extract information from magnetic media and encrypt part of the extracted information. Embodiments of magnetic stripe readers include measures to resist tampering and inputs to receive unencrypted information from input devices. One embodiment includes a housing containing a magnetic reading head connected to a decoder circuit that is connected to an encryption engine. The magnetic reading head generates a signal indicative of a magnetic field. The decoder circuit is configured to extract data from the output of the magnetic reading head and the encryption engine is configured to encrypt a portion of the extracted data and the encryption engine is configured to pass a portion of the extracted data unencrypted.
US07938324B2
A computer-implemented method for counting stock stored in hierarchical levels at a facility is described. The method includes receiving count initiation information at a counting module. The count initiation information includes at least one parameter associated with stock to be counted and one or more hierarchical levels for the stock to be counted. The method also includes receiving quantity information associated with the one or more hierarchical levels, and generating count results based on the received quantity information. In certain embodiments, the quantity information can be received by multiple count activity objects associated with the counting module. Each count activity object can independently track separate portions of the quantity information.
US07938316B2
An online system uses, in various embodiments of the invention, credit report information, loan affordability screening and credit approval and management functionality to facilitate the purchase and finance of products online. The online system may include both sellers of products and lenders that offer financing to buyers seeking to purchase the products. The system may automatically obtain a buyer's credit report information and use that information to determine if the buyer is pre-approved, for example, to obtain financing for a particular product or products. The system also enables use of buyer credit information to identify only those of a seller's products for which the buyer is pre-approved, for example, to finance using one or more loans. The system then enables selection of an identified product or products for purchase, and selection of a loan, for example, for financing of the selected product or products. Credit approval (or pre-approval) may be performed automatically, and along with credit processing, may be performed completely online.
US07938315B2
Systems and methods of the present invention for using an integrated database for shipping information are provided. Information gathered or entered during shipping label generation may be stored in a database. The label information may concern shipping labels associated with multiple shipping vendors. Information concerning shipping invoices may be received from the multiple shipping vendors are received, and a report may be generated based on the stored label information and the invoice information. The invoice information may also be stored in the database. Further, the invoice information may include electronic data interchange files received through vendor-specific interfaces.
US07938307B2
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for forming an anastomosis between adjacent intestinal sections of tissue is provided. The apparatus includes an anastomosis device having an anvil and a tubular body portion, wherein the anvil is selectively attachable to the tubular body portion by a shaft; and a support structure for deposition between the intestinal sections of tissue. The support structure includes a body defining an aperture therein for receiving the shaft. The body has an outer terminal edge. The support structure includes at least one layer of expandable material disposed at the outer terminal edge of the body.
US07938304B2
An electric stapler includes a staple sheet storage portion for storing a stack of staple sheets, a magazine storage portion disposed on a rear side of the staple sheet storage portion to store a staple magazine, a first staple feed mechanism operable to pull out a staple sheet from the staple magazine and to feed the staple sheet to the staple sheet storage portion, and a second staple feed mechanism operable to pull out the staple sheet from the staple sheet storage portion and to feed the staple sheet to a driver unit. According to this configuration, a continuous binding processing beyond a capacity of the staple magazine becomes possible by suitably replacing the staple magazine.
US07938299B2
A device for that places a fluid container in fluid communication with a sprayer is disclosed. The device includes a container adapter that allows a dip tube to be attached to the fluid container rather than the sprayer. When the sprayer is removed from the fluid container, the dip tube stays in the fluid container. Refill fluid containers may come with the container adapter and dip tube installed. When the sprayer is attached to the fluid container, the adapter seals against the sprayer allowing fluid to be pumped from the fluid container by the sprayer. A sprayer connector with geometry that matches an inner or outer shape of the adapter is attached to and/or built into the sprayer. The sprayer connector is constructed to allow easy alignment of the sprayer to the fluid container. The sprayer connector and the container adapter also provide a unique attachment geometry to insure only containers with formulae compatible to the sprayer are pumped through the sprayer.
US07938295B2
A chemical reaction between a first chemical reagent and a second chemical reagent occurs in a mixing chamber arrangement; a dispensing chamber; a dispensing piston configured to dispense reacting mixture from the dispensing chamber; and a control unit for controlling the movement of the dispensing piston and operation of the chemical mixing arrangement. The chemical mixing arrangement has a mixing chamber and injection apparatus configured to produce a jet of a first chemical reagent and a jet of a second chemical reagent such that the jets collide within the mixing chamber to produce reacting mixture. The dispensing chamber has an inlet for receiving the reacting mixture from the mixing chamber and an outlet for dispensing the reacting mixture. The control unit co-ordinates the chemical mixing arrangement to mix the chemical reagents while the dispensing piston is retracted at a controlled rate to enlarge the dispensing chamber.
US07938290B2
The present invention describes a beverage can end which utilizes less material and has an improved internal buckle strength based on the geometric configuration of a chuck wall, inner panel wall and central panel, and which, in one embodiment utilizes an arcuate shaped chuck wall with a radius of curvature between about 0.150 inches and 0.250 inches with at least one transition zone positioned between an upper and lower end of the chuck wall.
US07938283B2
Systems and methods for protected transportation of agricultural commodities are provided. The protected transportation is accomplished through the use of a thin, lightweight hermetic liner inside a shipping container. The liner is sealed at a first end and open at a second end, and the liner is positioned within the shipping container with the sealed first end at a back end of the shipping container and the second open end at a front, open end of the shipping container. A top portion of the liner is held to the ceiling of the shipping container via an attachment mechanism or via inflation of the liner and/or ribs in the liner. The bagged or bulk commodity is introduced through the open end and into the liner. The liner is then hermetically sealed, and the container is closed. After shipping, the agricultural commodity may be removed by unsealing the liner.
US07938273B2
A vibratory separator including a screen having a filter element and a center screen disk. The vibratory separator also including a magnet disposed on top of the center pedestal support, wherein the center screen disk and the magnet are configured to magnetically interact. Additionally, a method for replacing a screen for a vibratory separator including actuating a vibratory separator decoupler and breaking a first magnetic interaction between a first magnetic interaction surface and a second magnetic interaction surface. The method further including removing a first screen from the vibratory separator, installing a second screen into the vibratory separator, and establishing a second magnetic interaction.
US07938271B2
This consists of the preparation of powdered still slops from concentrated liquid still slops dried and converted into a powder in a conventional dryer (1) and then fed to a powder collecting cyclone (4), featuring at the lower outlet aperture of the collecting cyclone (4) a circular or snail-shaped or logarithmic spiral-shaped device (7) fed with a cool, dry air draught which generates a downward suction effect counter to the upward suction effect of the collecting cyclone (4), bringing about the falling and separation of the powder from the draught of hot air which carries the same. The cool, dry air carries the powder to the exterior for bagging, and the hot air exits upwards via the collecting cyclone (4) towards the flue (6), using a device for the recovery of the heat which it still bears as much as possible.
US07938267B2
A triangular dispensing container device for dispensing small solids such as pills, tablets, or candy, or liquids such as emulsions, gels, solvents, or aqueous solutions, comprising a base, a cover, and an insert. The base has a bottom wall and a first, second, and third side walls. The cover has an upper wall and a first, second, and third side walls. The insert also has an upper wall and a first, second, and third side walls. The insert has an aperture which corresponds with at least some portion of the aperture in a base side wall when the insert is placed within the base. When the cover, base, and insert are assembled, placement of pressure on an area of the cover upper wall elevates the cover side wall, revealing the aperture in the base side wall and in the corresponding insert side wall, permitting the dispensing of the device's contents.
US07938265B2
A medicament dispenser can include a first side surface, a second side surface spaced from and substantially opposed to the first side surface, and a medicament packaging structure located between the first side surface and second side surface. A pivot structure can extend between the first side surface and the second side surface, and the medicament packaging structure can be rotatable about the pivot structure. Thus, the medicament packaging structure can be rotated from an enclosed state in which the medicament packaging structure is substantially enclosed by the first side surface and/or second side surface, to an exposed state in which the medicament packaging structure is substantially exposed from at least one of the first side surface and/or second side surface to provide user access to the medicament(s) stored in the medicament packaging structure. A lock structure can be located adjacent the first side surface and second side surface in order to selectively prevent movement and/or rotation of the medicament packaging structure. A method of using and making the medicament dispenser are also disclosed.
US07938259B2
A structure configurable for holding and displaying a product (e.g., a game ball or sporting equipment) may include one or more sides having an aperture through which the contained product is visible. One or more sides of the structure may include flaps that are flexible inward toward an interior of the structure. The flaps may include a protrusion configured to contact and hold the product contained in the structure. A first flap may further include slits for receiving portions of a second flap to form a side of the structure. One or more sides of the structure may be void of an aperture to provide a surface on which information about the product may be displayed.
US07938253B2
Methods for removing a belt from a telescoping conveyor having a plurality of spaced apart idler rollers in communication with the belt include: (a) translating an idler associated with a telescoping conveyor downward from an operative position to a belt removal and/or belt load configuration while one end portion thereof remains attached to the conveyor frame to thereby allow a conveyor belt to at least partially collapse from an operative configuration; and (b) removing the conveyor belt from the telescoping conveyor after the translating step.Methods of mounting a conveyor belt to a telescoping conveyor include: (a) providing a conveyor belt configured to mount to a telescoping conveyor mechanism; (b) pivoting a first idler roller to an operative fixed position; and (c) translating an idler residing below the first idler roller upward and rearward into its respective operative fixed position to thereby mount a telescoping conveyor belt.
US07938252B2
A conveyor system can includes a feed conveyor, a declined conveyor, and an inclined conveyor. A declined stationary surface is suspended above the declined conveyor and positioned to exert a counter-moment on the articles related to the weight of the stationary support surface and the coefficient of sliding friction of the stationary support surface that is sufficient to resist forward rotation of the articles down the declined conveyor. An inclined stationary support surface is suspended above the inclined conveyor and positioned to exert a forward-moment on the articles related to the weight of the stationary support surface and the coefficient of sliding friction of the stationary support surface that is sufficient to resist counter-rotation of the articles that results in movement of the articles down the inclined conveyor. The vertical height of the stationary surfaces can be adjusted. A related method is also described.
US07938242B2
A hub for a bicycle includes a shaft, a hub body, a ratchet wheel, a damper, a drive seat, a plurality of pawl members, and a plurality of elastic plates. The ratchet wheel has a plurality of oneway ratchet teeth. The drive seat has a support base which has a plurality of receiving slots. Each of the pawl members has a locking detent. Thus, when the pedal is driven backward (and the drive seat is rotated backward), each of the pawl members is fully hidden in the respective receiving slot, and the locking detent of each of the pawl members is detached from the oneway ratchet teeth constantly, so that each of the pawl members will not touch the ratchet wheel when the pedal is driven backward to prevent from incurring a noise.
US07938240B2
A viscous clutch assembly (100) includes a rotational input structure (110), a rotor (104) attached to the rotational input structure (110), a selectively rotatable member (102) surrounding the rotor (104) and rotatably supported by the rotational input structure (110), an electromagnetic coil (108) positioned relative to a driven side of the rotor (104), a valve assembly (106) supported by the rotor (104), and a magnetic flux circuit for controlling the valve assembly (106) with magnetic flux generated by the electromagnetic coil (108). The valve assembly (106) includes a cover plate (140) for regulating flow of a shear fluid. The rotational input structure (110) comprises a material capable of conducting magnetic flux. The magnetic flux circuit is configured to include no more than four air gaps (G1-G4).
US07938239B2
A clutch assembly for a torque converter including: a plurality of annular friction elements; a pressure plate; and a restraining plate engageable with a portion of the plurality of annular friction elements and arranged to limit axial movement of a portion of the annular friction elements to a maximum distance from the pressure plate. In some aspects, the restraining plate is rotationally connected to the pressure plate. In some aspects, the pressure plate includes an axial protrusion arranged to limit the axial movement of the plurality of annular friction elements away from the pressure plate. In some aspects, the clutch assembly includes a plate radially overlapping the restraining plate to limit the axial movement of the plurality of annular friction elements away from the pressure plate.
US07938228B2
A process for producing a sound absorber having skin layers constituting front and back surfaces and, interposed between the skin layers, a void layer having a plurality of pin formed holes, each hole having a depth which is enough to penetrate one of the skin layers and is not enough to reach the other skin layer. The sound absorber is formed of a resin material containing 2 to 60 wt % of reinforcing fibers with a length of 2 to 100 mm.
US07938227B2
A variable resonation chamber valve includes an outer valve seat and a rotatable plunger. The outer valve seat defines an inlet opening into an associated resonation chamber. The rotatable plunger is movable into the inlet opening of the valve seat for varying a tuner area of the inlet opening.
US07938226B2
A muffler for an internal combustion engine featuring two flowpaths for exhaust through the muffler. A first serpentine pathway is substantially longer than a second pathway through the muffler, thereby providing increased sound attenuation. Temperature activated internal valves operate to change the exhaust flowpath from the first flowpath to the second flowpath through the muffler as exhaust gasses warm the muffler and the temperature actuated valves.
US07938221B2
A suspension system for a vehicle includes a swing frame and right and left suspension cylinders for front wheels. The swing frame is swingably supported by the front portion of a vehicle body about a support shaft extending in a lateral direction, and supports the front axle case, so as to allow the front axle case to swing about a center shaft extending in a front-rear direction. The right and left suspension cylinders are provided on the swing frame. A lateral oscillation regulation unit is provided between the swing frame and the front frame, and configured to regulate an oscillation of the swing frame by contact in the lateral direction.
US07938213B2
A vehicle drain hole structure includes an enclosure (e.g., an air intake tube, an intake enclosure, a resonator, a cleaner, etc.) defined by at least one wall. The at least one wall has an inner surface and an outer surface. A drain hole is defined in the at least one wall for providing drainage from the enclosure. The drain hole extends from a first end defined in the inner surface to a second end defined in the outer surface. The first end of the drain hole at the inner surface has a larger cross-sectional area than the second end of the drain hole at the exterior surface to reduce the likelihood of a liquid film forming across the drain hole.
US07938207B2
A method for fore-aft stabilization of a vehicle for motion in a specified direction over an underlying surface. The vehicle has at least one forward wheel and at least one aft wheel, and the forward wheel is characterized by a force normal to the instantaneous direction of motion of the vehicle. A motor actuator drives each aft wheel, and a controller governs the motor actuator or motor actuators in such a manner as to dynamically stabilize the vehicle, according to a uniform control law, when the forward wheel is in contact with the underlying surface or not. A torque is applied to the aft wheel on the basis of vehicle pitch or the force on the forward wheel normal to the direction of motion. Additionally, a periodic rotational modulation may be applied to the aft wheel, and a stabilizing torque provided based on a detected response, either of vehicle pitch or of normal force on the front wheel. Left and right motor actuators may independently control left and right aft wheels to continue turns as governed by user steering, whether or not forward wheels are in contact with the ground.
US07938199B2
An embodiment of the apparatus includes a first drill collar section having an outer surface, an MWD tool for interaction with an earth formation coupled to the first drill collar section, the MWD tool including a first fluid line and a first electrical conduit, a second drill collar section, and an interconnect assembly coupling the second drill collar section to the first drill collar section, the interconnect assembly comprising a fluid line connection coupled to the first fluid line and an electrical connection coupled to the first electrical conduit. Another embodiment of the apparatus includes a probe, an interconnect assembly adapted for fluid communication and electrical communication, and a sample bottle drill collar section including at least one removable sample bottle in fluid communication with the probe. Another embodiment of the apparatus includes a flush pump mounted in the power collar section and coupled to the probe. An additional embodiment includes a fluid ID sensor disposed in a flow line between the flush pump and the probe.
US07938194B2
An improved method is provided for controlling a power tool having a rotary shaft. The method includes: disposing an inertial mass in a housing of the power tool, such that the inertial mass is freely rotatable about an axis of rotation which is axially aligned with the rotary shaft; monitoring rotational motion of the power tool in relation to the inertial mass during operation of the power tool; and activating a protective operation based on the rotational motion of the power tool in relation to the inertial mass.
US07938193B2
The vehicle mounted edging device provides a safe and efficient means for edging grass and soil adjacent to improved surfaces. The device is attached to the remotely actuated bed of a utility vehicle and utilizes the lifting capabilities of the bed for its operation. When the disc is in the cutting position, the operator of the utility vehicle positions the vehicle near the edge of the surface to be maintained and lowers the remotely actuated bed of the utility vehicle to place the disc adjacent to the surface to be maintained. The operator then drives the vehicle parallely to the edge of the path and remove the unwanted grass. The vehicle mounted edging device effectively guides the utility vehicle along the edge of the path so that minimal steering is required and is oriented to enable the operator to easily monitor the edging operation.
US07938192B2
A packer that is usable with a well includes an anchor. The anchor includes at least one spirally extending ring, which is adapted to be selectively radially expanded to secure the packer to a casing string.
US07938189B2
A technique includes providing a chamber in a well tool to receive pressure to control an operation of the tool. The technique includes providing a seal to isolate the chamber from well pressure. The technique also includes providing a pressure relief mechanism to relieve pressure from the chamber in response to the pressure exceeding a threshold.
US07938187B2
Some of the methods provided comprise the steps of: providing an aqueous treatment fluid that comprises a polysaccharide and a dual functional component, the aqueous treatment fluid having a first viscosity; allowing the dual functional component to interact with the polysaccharide such that the viscosity of the aqueous treatment fluid increases to a second viscosity, the second viscosity being greater than the first viscosity; placing the aqueous treatment fluid into a subterranean formation; and allowing the dual functional component to interact with the polysaccharide so as to reduce the second viscosity of the aqueous treatment fluid to a third viscosity, the third viscosity being less than the second viscosity.
US07938186B1
A method having the following steps: running a circulation valve comprising a reactive material into the well bore on the casing; reverse-circulating an activator material in the well bore until the activator material contacts the reactive material of the circulation valve; reconfiguring the circulation valve by contact of the activator material with the reactive material; and reverse-circulating a cement composition in the well bore until the reconfigured circulation valve decreases flow of the cement composition. A circulation valve for cementing casing in a well bore, the valve having: a valve housing connected to the casing and comprising a reactive material; a plurality of holes in the housing, wherein the plurality of holes allow fluid communication between an inner diameter of the housing and an exterior of the housing, wherein the reactive material is expandable to close the plurality of holes.
US07938185B2
A hydraulic fracturing process consisting essentially of drilling a wellbore through at least one reservoir formation, installing in said wellbore at least one conduit, ensuring pressure communication between said wellbore and said reservoir formation, at a higher effective stress formation, selecting the location of the pressure communication between the wellbore and the reservoir formation for control of said hydraulic fracturing process and pumping a hydraulic fracturing treatment comprising a fracturing fluid and a proppant, at a sufficient pressure via said conduit to create at least one fracture in the higher effective stress formation. In addition, processes for increasing conductivity near a wellbore and producing fluids from a lower effective stress permeable formation via a fracture extending from the higher effective stress fracture formation into the lower effective stress permeable formation may include applying several approaches to packing or filling fractures with proppant.
US07938177B1
A circulator sub tool for dispensing and circulating fluid in a well bore having a threaded packer sub with a quick coupler body, and wherein diameters for each annulus of the quick coupler body and the sub body are substantially identical enhancing laminar flow through the threaded packer sub.
US07938170B2
A cold and/or heat accumulator with a plurality of carrier elements which are charged with a cold or heat storage medium, and with at least one heat exchanger which is designed to have a heat transfer medium flow through it in order to cause heat exchange between the cold or heat storage medium and the heat transfer medium. The at least one heat exchanger has a serpentine hollow section, and carrier elements are provided between the legs of the loops of the serpentine hollow section. Two heat exchangers can be provided with the loops of the serpentine hollow section one heat exchanger being interspersed with those of the serpentine hollow section of the other heat exchanger. Preferably, the carrier elements are made of a porous metal foam, and the inlet and outlet for the heat transfer medium are located together at a bottom area at one side of the accumulator.
US07938166B2
In the continuous casting of flat metal products with a submerged nozzle having lateral outlets, a mold is equipped on each of its long sides with a pair of linear inductors that generate a magnetic field that travels horizontally over a width of the long sides and are placed on sides of the nozzle. The inductors are mounted in pairs to slide vertically over the height of the mold, and by being moved, pass from a low stirring position, located level with the outlets of the nozzle, to a high stirring position, located level with a meniscus of the liquid metal in the mold, and vice versa. Also, on passing from one position to the other, the connections for the inductors to the phases of the power supply are modified to reverse the direction of travel of the magnetic field of only one of the two inductors of each pair.
US07938151B2
The invention relates to a device for preventing overfilling of a plurality of fuel tanks (8) at a gasoline station, in the event that fuel tanks are filled simultaneously by multi-chamber tank vehicles (7). The fuel tanks (8) are equipped with filling level threshold indicators (3) linked to a transmitter (1) for wireless transmission of a signal. A receiver (2) mounted in the tank vehicle (7) is provided to control one or several tank valves. In order to ensure safe closure of the tank valves, the filling level threshold indicators (3) of the fuel tanks (8) at the gasoline station are connected each to a signal line (5) leading to a common interface (4). Only one transmitter (1) along with an interrogation control device is provided for connecting to said interface (4) and cooperates with the receiver (2) mounted in the tank vehicle (7). The receiver is connected to a control for receiving address-coded signals from the transmitter (1), said control being connected to an actuating device for selectively disconnecting the tank valves of the tank vehicle (7).
US07938147B2
An apparatus for axially transferring fluid may comprise an elongated shaft defining a first fluid passageway axially therethrough and a second fluid passageway from an outer surface thereof to the first fluid passageway. An elongated tube member defines an outer surface that is received within the first fluid passageway and a third fluid passageway axially therethrough. A plurality of axial channels are defined between the tube member and the first fluid passageway or along the tube member separately from the third fluid passageway. At least one of the plurality of axial channels define a first opening near one end thereof that receives fluid from a source of fluid and a second opening axially spaced apart from the first opening and that aligns with the second fluid passageway such that fluid may be transferred by the at least one fluid passageway from the source of fluid through the second fluid passageway.
US07938129B2
A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is to apply processing using a processing liquid to a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a first-side plate disposed oppositely to a first surface of the substrate with a distance and provided with plural discharge ports and suction ports in a surface opposing the first surface, a first-side processing liquid supply mechanism that supplies a processing liquid to the discharge ports in the first-side plate, and a first-side suction mechanism that sucks insides of the suction ports in the first-side plate.
US07938124B2
An applied flavoring-material inspecting device suitable to inspect that a flavoring material containing a fluorescent substance is applied on cigarette wrapping paper evenly and in a proper amount. The inspecting device comprises a light source (10) for casting ultraviolet light onto a flavoring-material application surface of cigarette wrapping paper on which a flavoring material with a fluorescent substance added or containing a fluorescent substance is applied, a camera (20) for obtaining an image of the flavoring-material application surface from fluorescence radiated due to the ultraviolet light, and an image processing means (30) for detecting an area of a fluorescence irradiation region in an image for inspection obtained by digitizing the image obtained by the camera and determining an applying state of the flavoring material applied on the cigarette wrapping paper, from the area of the fluorescence irradiation region.
US07938118B2
The present invention relates generally to the field of laryngeal mask airway devices. The invention provides for dual passageways in a laryngeal mask which permits a physician to effectively isolate the trachea from the esophagus. In one embodiment, the physician separately inserts an instrumentality (e.g., an endotracheal tube) into a patient's esophagus in order to isolate the stomach from the lungs, respectively. In another embodiment, the physician inserts an instrumentality (e.g., an endotracheal tube) into the trachea and inserts another instrumentality (e.g., a drainage tube) in the second passageway within the laryngeal mask in order to remove particles or fluids contained in the laryngeal mask that may cause problems if allowed to flow through the patient's trachea to the lungs.
US07938115B2
A cardiopulmonary resuscitation device that combines ventilation of a patient's lungs with chest compressions on the patient's sternum area. The device includes a self-inflating bag having an outlet port through which the content of the bag is forced when bag is compressed; target indicia on the bag to indicate the proper position of the bag on the patient's sternum area and to indicate the proper location on the bag for applying force to the top side thereof; a face mask for placement over the patient's mouth and nose; and a tube extending from the bag to the face mask. The device may include indicia for indicating the amount of pressure applied to the self-inflating bag, and a backboard including belt/motor structure for providing repeated and rapid chest compression and forced ventilation of the patient's lungs.
US07938112B2
Apparatus for humidifying a respiratory gas includes a liquid storage space for storage of a liquid, a humidifying region for loading the respiratory gas with the liquid by the respiratory gas coming into contact in the humidifying region with the liquid, a respiratory gas supply device for supplying the respiratory gas to the humidifying region, a respiratory gas withdrawal device for withdrawal of the humidified respiratory gas from the humidifying region, and a partial-amount discharge device for passing a partial amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage space into the humidifying region.
US07938109B1
A rigging structure for a compound archery bow includes first and second pulley assemblies, pivotally mounted on axles at tips of corresponding first and second limbs of a compound bow and interconnected by cables. Each pulley assembly includes a dynamic synchronizing component, decoupled from the string and cable pulley components of the assembly.
US07938105B2
In one approach, a method for measuring exhaust gas recirculation flow in an engine is provided. The method comprises separating EGR flow into at least a first flow and a second flow, passing the separated first flow through a restriction region, where the first flow passes through the restriction region separately from the separated second flow, combining the separated second flow and inducting the combined flows into a cylinder of the engine, where the EGR flow is separated and then combined within a common EGR passage.
US07938099B2
An intake port structure of an internal combustion engine includes an intake port, a valve shaft provided in proximity to an inner wall of the intake port, and an airflow control valve having a proximal end which is pivotally supported on the valve shaft and a distal end which becomes part of the inner wall of the intake port when the airflow control valve is fully opened. The inner wall of the intake port has a recess into which the airflow control valve is partially or entirely retracted when the airflow control valve is fully opened. The recess has a flow smoothing portion located downstream of the proximal end.
US07938092B2
The present invention is an installation of an emergency starting switching device and/or direct current boosted boost circuit device. When the power of the starting battery is insufficient, the electric energy of the auxiliary battery is used to drive the starting motor in order to start the engine by operating the emergency starting switching device. And when the engine is started, the voltage of the ignition device or the fuel injection device is stepped up to strengthen its starting capability by means of a voltage boost by the direct current boosted boost circuit device.
US07938079B2
Method and apparatus for improved maskless deposition of electronic and biological materials using an extended nozzle. The process is capable of direct deposition of features with linewidths varying from a few microns to a fraction of a millimeter, and can be used to deposit features on targets with damage thresholds near 100° C. or less. Deposition and subsequent processing may be performed under ambient conditions and produce linewidths as low as 1 micron, with sub-micron edge definition. The extended nozzle reduces particle overspray and has a large working distance; that is, the orifice to target distance may be several millimeters or more, enabling direct write onto non-planar surfaces. The nozzle allows for deposition of features with linewidths that are approximately as small as one-twentieth the size of the nozzle orifice diameter, and is preferably interchangeable, enabling rapid variance of deposited linewidth.
US07938072B2
In an air pressurized system for use in delivering seeds in an agricultural planter from a main hopper to plural remote bins each associated with a respective seed discharge unit, an air/seed mixture is provided to a seed discharge unit via an air pressure dissipator which vents the air to the atmosphere in controlling the rate at which seed is delivered to the seed discharge unit. The air pressure dissipator includes an upper, angled tube having an outwardly tapered lower end adapted to receive an upper end of a perforated screen tube which extends into the seed discharge unit. As the seed discharge unit fills with seed during operation, the air pressure dissipator regulates the air flow entraining and transporting the seed by directing a portion of the air to the atmosphere when necessary to provide seed to the seed discharge unit to substantially match the seed discharge rate.
US07938067B2
A reduced signature weapon cartridge is provided which, when fired, produces little or no muzzle blast or noise signature. In particular, a reduced signature weapon cartridge of the present invention comprises a movable piston disposed within the cartridge, disposed in between the high pressure chamber and the projectile. When fired, propellant gases rapidly force the piston forward within the cartridge case, thereby launching the projectile at a subsonic velocity, thereby eliminating the conventional noise signature associated with supersonic velocities. Thereafter, the propellant gases are slowly released from the cartridge case via perforations formed within the piston, grooves formed in the periphery of the piston, or via a gap between the piston and cartridge wall, thereby reducing or eliminating the conventional muzzle blast.
US07938059B2
A pump piston assembly for use with a high-pressure pump includes a first section extending axially from a first end, a second section positioned adjacent to the first section and extending axially towards a second end, and an attenuation feature disposed within the piston bore such that the attenuation feature is part of the second end. By integrating the attenuation feature directly into the pump piston, pressure spikes, such as pressure peaks and valleys of an oscillatory pressure wave originating from the reciprocating motion of the piston, may be compensated directly in a supply pressure chamber. By providing a variety of attenuation features, such as a ball/spring assembly, an elastomer insert, an elastomer insert/internal piston assembly, and an elastomer insert/spring/ball assembly, attenuation for applications with a variety of frequencies and pressures can be utilized.
US07938051B2
Apparatus and methods for resizing electronic displays are provided. The display includes a front plate, a back plate, a perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, image-generating medium contained in an area between the plates, and polarizing layers and/or other films on the outer surfaces of the plates. A target portion of the display is identified, and a saw is passed along a cut line to create a channel that extends through the polarizer to the outer surface of the top plate. A scriber tool is passed along the cut line within the channel to create a scribe line in the outer surface of the top plate. The display is inverted, and the process repeated to cut a channel and scribe the bottom plate. The plates are broken along the scribe line, and a seal is applied along the exposed edge, which may penetrate between the plates.
US07938049B2
An apparatus has a rotatable base having a plurality of guide features with opposed sides and supports. Each of the supports are slidably disposed in one of the plurality of guide features. The supports and the base member have spacer engagement surfaces which are configured to face one another in pairs and to have spacers clamped between each of the pairs. The spacers are so dimensioned as to locate each of the supports in a predetermined position with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotatable base member. A gear train on cut drive side is driven by a variable speed motor. Motor speed can be set for a given can diameter.
US07938047B2
A tube end rotary milling head with cylindrical cutting pieces removably secured to the milling head by forces exerted by the material being cut and by friction without any separate securing elements.
US07938040B2
An inner side upper foot coupling device for a bicycle pedal is provided made of a cylindrical rod. The coupling device has a middle portion that is U-shaped, two poles having different lengths connected to the middle portion and bases connecting to the poles for attachment to a bicycle pedal.
US07938038B2
A joint structure of a robot for moving an assembly 51 to be connected to a robot link with respect to the robot link, the joint structure includes a first motor 10 for causing the assembly a longitudinal swing motion, a second motor 20 for causing the assembly a lateral swing motion, and a third motor 30 for causing the assembly a rotary motion, wherein the first motor 10 and the second motor 20 are disposed so that the output shaft of the first motor 10 and the output shaft of the second motor 20 are in parallel with each other and are orthogonal to the robot link, and the third motor 30 is disposed so that the output shaft of the third motor 30 is shifted with respect to the central axis of the rotary motion of the assembly 51.
US07938030B2
An analytical device according to the present invention comprises a liquid accommodating chamber 9 for accommodating a sample solution of a quantity required for analyzing; a volume measuring chamber 10 connected to the liquid accommodating chamber 9 with a connecting path 13 and disposed in the exterior of the liquid accommodating chamber 9 in a radial direction; an overflowing chamber 11 connected to the volume measuring chamber 10 for accommodating an excessive quantity of the sample solution; and a measuring cell 12 for transferring and measuring the sample solution measured in the volume measuring chamber 10; wherein an overflowing port 14 of the volume measuring chamber 10 is connected to a flow-in port 16 of the overflowing chamber 11 by a capillary path 17.
US07938023B2
Methods and apparatus determine phase fractions for phases within a fluid mixture flow under a wide range of flow conditions including wet-gas flow. Appropriate flow algorithms can utilize this phase fraction information with a total flow rate of the mixture to find individual flow rates for phases, such as oil, water, and gas or gas and liquid, which can represent a combination of oil and water phases. For some embodiments, a multiphase flowmeter includes an array of spatially distributed pressure sensors configured to determine a velocity of the mixture flow and hence the total flow rate, which is applied with information from a differential pressure meter to calculate the bulk density of the fluid mixture. Further, additional speed of sound information or a water-in-liquid ratio as may be determined by spectral analysis can enable differentiation between the oil and water phases.
US07938020B2
An electrode assembly comprises a housing, an electrode, a retainer and a potting material. The housing has a first end and a second end, with the electrode extending from the first end of the housing to a process flow. The retainer is positioned about the electrode, inside the housing. The potting material fills voids between the first end of the housing and the second end of the housing, such that the potting material limits displacement of the electrode when the electrode head is subject to pressure from the process flow.
US07938017B2
The invention relates to a test bench for testing wind turbine equipment. The test bench comprises one or more load applying means directly and/or indirectly applying load to the equipment, drive means of the test bench for rotating an input shaft of the equipment at least during a part of the test, and simulating means for establishing wind turbine like conditions or facilities. The invention further relates to a method for testing wind turbine equipment. The method comprises the steps of positioning the equipment in, on or at a test bench, rotating an input shaft of the equipment by drive means of the test bench, and directly and/or indirectly applying load to the equipment by means of load applying means of the test bench.
US07938011B1
A testing apparatus and method comprising providing a platform for a unit under test, charging a capacitor bank with a charging system, with a switching and power control system generating multiple pulses per cycle from energy from the capacitor bank, and with an electromagnetic force generator receiving pulses from the switching and power control system and directing force at the platform.
US07938002B1
A gauge tape device detects electronically conductive water level mixtures in various fluids through the use of electricity. The gauge tape device includes a gauge circuit and gauge line, having a weight attached thereto, which is lowered into a containment vessel holding water and other fluids. Once the weight contacts the water, the gauge circuitry activates an alert, which informs the user of the presence of water.
US07937994B2
A method and device for detecting presence of an exhaust gas treatment system in an exhaust line of an internal combustion engine. The method determines the derivative of the temperature upstream of the treatment system, determines the derivative of the temperature downstream of the treatment system, and compares the downstream temperature derivative with a threshold value for detecting absence of the treatment system using a pre-determined upstream temperature derivative level.
US07937986B2
To provide a sheet material identifying apparatus for identifying the kind of a sheet material, including an adjusting assembly for dehumidifying or humidifying a predetermined region of the sheet material and adjusting the moisture content of the predetermined region, external force applying means for applying an external force to the predetermined region of the sheet material whose moisture content is adjusted and detecting means for detecting an external force propagated through the sheet while the external force is applied by the external force applying means; wherein an external force is applied to the predetermined region whose moisture content is adjusted through the adjusting assembly by the external force applying means and the kind of a sheet material is identified in accordance with the external force propagated through the sheet detected by the detecting means.
US07937957B2
A method for using refrigerant to check for a leak in a refrigerant system is provided that establishing fluid communication between a refrigerant recovery unit and a refrigerant system. The refrigerant recovery unit passes a refrigerant through the refrigerant recovery unit, compresses the refrigerant utilizing the refrigerant recovery unit, and transfers the compressed refrigerant from the refrigerant recovery unit directly into the refrigerant system. Additional refrigerant is added into the refrigerant system until a desired system pressure is reached, and then the refrigerant system is checked for leaks.
US07937955B2
A system for environmental control includes a hybrid wind and solar energy collection subsystem; a temperature control subsystem having a thermo-mechanical engine; an electrical generating subsystem; a sensor for detecting an environmental condition; and a controller for receiving information representing an environmental condition from the sensor. The controller is programmed to detect a change in an environmental condition, and in response to the change, to selectively connect the hybrid wind and solar energy collection subsystem to one of the temperature control subsystem and the electrical generating subsystem and to selectively disconnect the hybrid wind and solar energy collection subsystem from the other of the temperature control subsystem and the electrical generating subsystem.
US07937948B2
A reformation power plant generates clean electricity from carbonaceous material and high pressure CO2 which can be easily sequestered or utilized for a beneficial purpose, such as fuel production. The reformation power plant design utilizes a reformation process that reforms carbonaceous fuel with super-heated steam into a high-pressure gaseous mixture that is rich in carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas. This high-pressure gas exchanges excess heat with the incoming steam from a boiler and continues onward to a condenser. Once cooled, the high-pressure gas goes through a methanol separator, after which the CO2-rich gas is sequestered underground or beneficially re-used. The remaining hydrogen-rich gas is combusted through a gas turbine. The gas turbine provides power to a generator and also regenerative heat for the boiler. Finally, the generator converts mechanical energy into electricity, which is transferred to the electric grid. Therefore, carbon-free electricity is generated from coal, biomass, or other carbon-based feedstock.
US07937942B2
A turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine having at least one exhaust line for evacuating exhaust gases from the combustion chamber of the engine and at least on inlet line for supplying air to the combustion chamber. A high-pressure turbine interacts with a high-pressure compressor and a low-pressure turbine interacts with a low-pressure compressor to extract energy from the exhaust flow of the engine and pressurize the inlet air of the engine. Both compressor stages are of the radial type and are provided with compressor wheels having backswept blades, in which a blade angle between an imaginary extension of the blade along the centerline between root section and tip section in the direction of the outlet tangent and a line connecting the center axis of the compressor wheel to the outer point of the blade, is at least about 40 degrees.
US07937940B2
Brake master cylinder (10) for a motor vehicle, of the type which comprises a substantially axial body (12) inside a bore (14) of which at least one axial piston is slideably mounted, of the type in which the bore (14) comprises two seals, front (30, 34) and rear, interposed between the piston and the bore (14), the seals (30, 34) comprising three radially concentric lips accommodated in grooves (70, 72) in the bore (14), characterized in that front faces of the grooves (70, 72) are configured at least in part as a slope.
US07937924B2
A method for forming yarn provides for forming an intermediate product being a fire retardant and heat resistant cohesive elongated network of fibers in a single operation by stretching and breaking filaments of a ribbon like tow starting material of longitudinally aligned filaments. The intermediate product may be wool-like with wavy and randomly oriented fibers formed by from the fragmented filaments. The single drafting operation includes directing the tow through first and second pairs of rollers, the second pair rotating faster than the first. The intermediate product may be spun directly into yarn in one spinning/twisting operation. The fire retardant and heat resistant yarn so produced may include 100% oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers having an average length greater than about 15 cm. The yarn may be knitted or otherwise formed into fire-retardant and heat resistant fabrics or other products used in various applications.
US07937917B2
A saddle pad that exhibits pockets on its top side facing toward a saddle to be laid on, arranged along and to the left and right of a line of symmetry of the saddle pad. The pockets extend over the entire length of the saddle pad. Inserted into the pockets is a plate-shaped spring device, by which optimal stabilization and pressure distribution are achieved, even when treeless saddles are provided for the riding of a riding animal.
US07937908B2
The present disclosure relates to the use of first and second adhesives for the attachment of zipper flanges to reclosable packages. A first adhesive is typically a reactive, cross-linkable hot melt adhesive while the second adhesive is typically non-cross-linkable hot melt adhesive, typically, but not limited to, either EVA-based or polyamide-based. Alternatively, the second adhesive can be a coextrusion layer including a resin that is typically used as a sealant layer in zipper extrusion, such as metallocene type linear low density polyethylene.
US07937907B2
The invention relates to a device for filling and sealing containers, including a filling device for filling at least one container, a sealing device for sealing at least one container and a transport device for conveying at least one fillable container to the filling and locking devices and displacement means for modifying a distance between the filling and locking devices in a transport direction.
US07937889B2
A new vegetable, referred to herein as green garlic, grown from garlic bulbils is disclosed. In particular examples, the green garlic is rich in one or more thiosulfinates. Methods of producing green garlic are also disclosed. In some examples, such methods permit year-round commercial production of green garlic.
US07937884B1
An apparatus that organizes, stores, and transports fishing lures comprising a series of vertical dividers as would be found in a filing cabinet each having a perforated panel that allows the fishing lure and hook to be hung is herein disclosed. In such a manner, the fishermen can organize their fishing lures by style, size, or class and remove the respective panel from the dividers to select the appropriate lure. This storage method allows lures to be stored with the hooks attached while reducing the chance of the hooks and lures from becoming entangled. The storage box also comprises a top handle for transportation.
US07937878B2
The present invention relates to target acquisition and related devices, and more particularly to telescopic gunsights and associated equipment used to achieve shooting accuracy at, for example, close ranges, medium ranges and extreme ranges at stationary and moving targets.
US07937874B2
A firearm grip, a firearm grip construction set and related methods are disclosed. An example firearm grip includes a grip portion, which includes a wall covering at least a portion of a magazine and a plurality of ribs. The firearm grip also has a first grip shell having a plurality of first lateral edges, second grip shell having a plurality of second lateral edges, and a grip back having a top edge and a bottom edge. With the example firearm grip, at least one of the first grip shell or the second grip shell is exchangeable. In addition, at least one of the first grip shell, the second grip shell or the grip back is coupled to the grip portion with an undercut tongue and groove connection. Further, at least one of the first lateral edges, the second lateral edges, the top edge or the bottom edge slidably engages under one of the plurality of ribs and an opposite edge of at least one of the first lateral edges, the second lateral edges, the top edge or the bottom edge is coupled to the grip portion via an attachment. In addition, the grip back of the example firearm grip slidably engages at least one of the first lateral edges or the second lateral edges and holds at least one of the first grip shell or the second grip shell in place.
US07937872B1
Plastic magazines for use with firearms are described. An example plastic magazine for use with firearms includes a plurality of sidewalls along which cartridges are to be moved during a reloading of a firearm. Each of the plurality of sidewalls comprises a plastic material. Additionally, the example plastic magazine includes a metal coating adjacent a first surface of a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the interior surface of the first sidewall is in a direction of fire.
US07937868B2
A safety sign that has a front panel with cut out letters or numbers that form the word or message of the sign. Behind the front panel a predetermined distance can be a reflective panel or other surface. Light from an oncoming vehicle can reflect from this reflective panel through the cut out letters causing the sign to function like any other safety sign when not lighted. One or more light sources like LEDs can be mounted facing the reflective panel at angles so that light from these sources is reflected from the reflective panel and out through the cut out letters causing the sign to increase significantly in visibility at night or in other low light conditions. Further light sources can be located around the periphery of the sign or around the word or words on the sign. All or part of the light sources can be made to blink, and the system can optionally be made to turn off during the daytime. The sign can be run from AC power or battery power. An optional solar panel can charge the battery during the daytime.
US07937863B2
An air freshener device comprises one or more planar elements that can move relative to a base, where each planar element is connected to the base by a flexible connector, and where each planar element releases a fragrance. The planar elements and the flexible connectors are disposed in a plane. The planar elements may be made of an inexpensive paper material and may bear images or text. The air freshener device imparts fragrance to an area and has moving parts that entertain viewers and also attract the attention of viewers. When mounted in an automobile, for example, the device can entertain child or adult passengers. The device can also convey a statement, using images or text, to drivers of nearby automobiles, who will notice the device because of its motion.
US07937848B2
A coordinate measuring auxiliary tool including a cylindrical shaped body that is attached to an outer circumference of a coordinate measuring probe, and a clamping mechanism for positioning and fixing the cylindrical shaped body to a tip of the probe. Measurement of a thin plate-shaped object to be measured can be easily and accurately performed with the coordinate measuring auxiliary tool having a simple construction and low price. At least a part of the cylindrical shaped body may be transparent, and a position of the cylindrical shaped body to the tip of the probe can be adjusted.
US07937839B2
An improved pole pruner for pruning a limb from a tree is provided which includes structure which grabs or grasps that portion of the tree limb to be detached as the cutting blade of the pole pruner severs the tree limb from the tree thereby preventing the severed tree limb from falling downwardly and injuring the operator of the pole pruner. The operator of the pole pruner may maneuver the pole pruner to a location wherein it is safe to release the severed tree limb from the pole pruner.
US07937835B2
A composite ceramic substrate for receiving an ejection head chip for a micro-fluid ejection head and a method for making the composite ceramic substrate. The substrate includes a high temperature previously fired ceramic base having a substantially planarized first surface and at least one fluid supply slot therethrough. A low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) tape layer bundle having at least two LTCC tape layers is attached to the ceramic base at an interface between the LTCC tape layer bundle and the first surface of the ceramic base. The LTTC tape layer bundle has at least one chip pocket therein and at least one of the LTCC tape layers includes a plurality of conductors.
US07937820B2
The invention is a method of transporting a pipe mounted within a plurality of brackets, each bracket having a body, an arm coupled to the body, a support guide located within the arm and configured to provide support to the pipe, a base coupled to the body and configured to attach a platform, the base further configured to provide support to the body, a spacer coupled to the body and configured to maneuver the bracket, wherein each bracket is configured to maintain support for the pipe while the bracket is maneuvered by the spacer. The method comprises the following. Position the plurality of brackets with the spacer proximate to the transporting surface. Set the spacer of each of the plurality of brackets on the transporting surface.
US07937819B2
The invention provides a method for manufacturing a friction damped disc brake rotor, including the steps of: (A) providing a ceramic coating on an insert, wherein the insert has a body with tabs extending therefrom to hold the insert in a desired position within a mold; (B) washing the ceramic coating off of the tabs; (C) positioning the insert into the mold; and (D) casting a rotor cheek of the disc brake rotor in the mold around the insert such that a portion of each tab is bonded with the rotor cheek, and such that the coating is substantially non-bonded with the rotor cheek so that the coating provides a proper interfacial boundary between the body and the cheek for damping, and the at least partial bonding of each tab with the rotor cheek prevents corrosion-causing exterior elements from reaching the interfacial boundary when the friction damped disc brake rotor is in use.
US07937814B2
Provided herewith is an apparatus and means for interning a plurality of cremated remains and their accompanying urns in a single columbarium such that the ashes and urns are inaccessible once they are interned. The apparatus comprises a plurality of vertically stacked slanted trays for retaining the urns and a telescoping cylinder with built in ramps. The telescoping cylinder is raised in the columbarium, the urn placed in a ramp in the cylinder and the cylinder lowered back into the columbarium. The cylinder is then rotated and the urn rolls by gravitational force onto the tray for permanent storage. A storage container is available to store DNA or other memorabilia of the deceased that is accessible at a future date. There is a ring binder type structure on the top of the columbarium to inscribe or attached the deceased individual's particulars.
US07937813B2
A bistable clip suitable for clipping sheaves of paper, made from sheet metal with at least one hole in its upper surface (3), which toggles between a stable open position (for putting papers in or taking papers out) and a stable closed position (for gripping the papers), and which comprises a spine (2) stiffened to some degree by the shaping of the material in the spine (2).
US07937812B2
The resistance against the portion of a band body that is riding over engagement claws at the time of fastening the band body is reduced, so that the band body can be fastened by a small amount of fastening force. This boot band consists of: a band body that is fastened by winding in a ring shape an outer overlapping portion and an inner overlapped portion around a member to be fastened; engagement claws and that are formed on the outer overlapping portion; engagement holes that are formed in the inner overlapped portion and that engage with the engagement claws, so as to maintain the band body in a fastened condition; a lip that is formed by separating, along the fastening direction of the band body, the area of the inner overlapped portion where an engagement hole is formed from that area's surrounding area, and with the fastening-direction end of the lip formed as a free end; and a slit, which the lip penetrates through to the opposite side of the slit.
US07937811B2
In an apparatus for the fibre-sorting or fibre-selection of fibre material which is supplied by means of a supply device to a fibre-sorting device, mechanical means are present which generate a combing action to remove non-clamped constituents such as short fibres. Downstream of the supply device there are arranged at least two rotatably mounted rollers with clamping devices for the fibre bundles, and the supply device comprises a feed unit, which feed unit comprises a feed roller and at least one feed tray defining a nip between said feed roller and said feed tray, and the retaining force in the nip optimally retains the short fibres completely or substantially completely in the nip during separation of a fibre bundle by said clamping devices.
US07937794B2
A unitary two component article for personal hygiene, such as a toothbrush, wherein the same is formed by injection molding of two differing plastic materials. The plastics do not adhesively or chemically bond to each other. The two differing plastic parts of the toothbrush are mechanically connected, such as by interfitting portions of the two plastic components or by shrinking one plastic component about the other.
US07937791B2
The present invention includes a pressure relief patient support surface. The pressure relief support surface includes a plurality of layers of a three-dimensional networked fiber material positioned inside a cover.
US07937778B1
A cap (10) is provided with a plurality of pockets (29) formed between a plurality of panels (13-18) and fabric materials (25) attached to each of the panels (13-18). The pockets (29) have an open end which is covered by a headband (23). A protection segment (30) is positioned in each pocket (29) and includes a plastic protective panel (31) and an energy absorbing foam layer (32). The segments (30) are curved in both the longitudinal and lateral directions, but not all of the segments (30) have the same radii of curvature in those directions.
US07937774B1
A finger protector for using a hammer includes a glove with a back hand covering, a palm covering, a thumb sleeve and four finger sleeves. The finger sleeves include a first finger sleeve positioned adjacent to the thumb sleeve. A thumb covering is attached to the thumb sleeve and has a size and shape to be removably positioned on an upper surface of the thumb so that the thumb covering extends along a length of and downwardly on either side of the thumb.
US07937770B1
The present invention relates to a swimsuit comprising swimming trunks, a compressed gas cylinder with a user-operated valve, and one or more inflatable bladders attached to the swimming trunks. The swimsuit, apart from its basic function as clothing, performs simultaneously as a protecting and rescuing device in a life-threatening situation.
US07937769B2
A knee pad with a support frame, a pad, and a boot. The pad is assembled on the support frame to provide a cushioning surface between the support frame and the wearer's leg. The pad has ears in the knee section and in the ankle section, which serve to maintain the support frame and pad in proper alignment on the leg. The boot provides a non-slip, non-marring surface against the floor, when the wearer is working in a kneeling position. A moisture-absorbent liner, which is easily removed for cleaning or replaceable, may also be fitted on top of the pad, to provide an absorbent layer between the pad and the wearer's leg.
US07941863B1
To prevent attackers from logging-in with modified passwords, backup copies of passwords are created and stored. At boot time, the stored passwords are compared to the corresponding backup copies to ensure that they have not been modified. This is done during the boot cycle before the attacker is able to login to the computer. If any passwords have been modified, they are replaced with backup copies, thereby preventing the attacker from logging-in with a modified password.
US07941856B2
Systems, methods and devices according to this invention include a plurality of defined modification rules for modifying a sequence of packets that form an attack on an intrusion detection system. These modification rules include both rules that expand the number of packets and rules that reduce the number of packets. The reducing rules can be applied to a given attack instance to identify one or more root attack instances. The expanding rules can then be applied to each root attack instance to generate a corpus of modified attack instances. The modification rules can preserve the semantics of the attack, so that any modified attack instance generated from the given attack instance remains a true attack. To test an intrusion detection system, the corpus of modified attack instances can be used to determine whether an intrusion detection system detects every modified attack instance.
US07941855B2
A computer-implemented intrusion detection system and method for detecting computer network intrusions in real time are provided. A feature ranking algorithm is used to extract features of interest from a network and network activity. A kernel-based algorithm is used to analyze such features to determine if they are normal or malicious. If malicious, the activity is caused to be blocked.
US07941852B2
A method, system, computer program product and/or computer readable medium of instructions for detecting if a processing system has been compromised with audio/visual threat. The method comprises steps of intercepting one or more requests to perform an activity associated with an audio and/or visual communication device of the processing system; and performing a behavioural analysis of the processing system to determine if the processing system exhibits behavioural characteristics indicative of the processing system having been compromised with an audio/visual threat.
US07941845B2
Systems and methods are provided for controlling the number of products produced by contract manufacturers in order to prevent unauthorized overproduction. Each authorized device that is produced includes both a serial number and an encryption of the serial number. Each device is configured to decrypt the encrypted serial number and verify the decrypted serial number matches the serial number before the device will function properly. The encryption of the serial number is performed at a secure location outside of the control of the manufacturer, and the encrypted serial number is then transmitted to the manufacturer and stored to the device. Without knowledge of, or access to, the details of the encryption process, the manufacturer cannot independently produce devices with properly encrypted serial numbers. Accordingly, the number of properly functioning devices the manufacturer can produce can be limited by controlling the number of encrypted serial numbers provided to the manufacturer.
US07941835B2
A method for authenticating an identity involves first receiving a first credential over a first communications channel, and determining a second communications channel provisionally associated with the first credential. The second communications channel is different from the first communications channel, and the first credential is provisionally associated with an identity. Then, a second credential is received over the second communications channel, and the identity is authenticated based on a verification of the second credential.
US07941831B2
A framework is provided that decouples credential acquisition from authentication processes using those credentials in a way that facilitates dynamic update of credential information. An authentication component may receive credential information for authentication of a user or a device for access to a resource. During interactions with an external authenticator, the authentication component may identify that updated credential information is required and issue a request to the application including credential parameters defining the updated credential information. An application component receiving the request may acquire updated credential information from a user or another entity. In addition, the authentication method may issue notifications to the application. The framework enables the application to update credentials in a context specific way.
US07941824B2
Methods of providing a media file include receiving the media file and an identification of a destination set-top box for the media file at a server device. The received media file is transmitted from the server device to the identified set-top box in an Internet protocol television (IPTV) multimedia format.
US07941822B2
A plurality of intelligent device systems for use with a wideband signal distribution network, and methods for transmitting digital information and receiving digital and non-digital information onto and off of an RF carrier through a wideband signal distribution network, are disclosed. The intelligent device systems provide networks of intelligent devices that modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband signal distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, using existing EIA/TIA 568 standard wiring infrastructure. The methods modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, and separate IP portions from non-IP portions.
US07941814B1
In one embodiment, a computer accessible medium comprises a plurality of instructions which, when executed and if a computer system comprises at least one virtual hardware device, identify the virtual hardware device and a corresponding physical hardware device. The plurality of instructions also capture a device driver associated with the physical hardware device for use as the device driver in an install of an operating system on a second computer system having a same type of physical hardware device. Corresponding computer systems and methods are also described.
US07941811B2
A data processing device includes a notified party storage unit for storing a party notified of information on the data processing device; a notification unit for notifying each notified party of the information on the data processing device; a reception unit for receiving from an information processing apparatus a registration request for requiring notified party registration to the notified party storage unit; and a setting unit for setting at least one of the information processing devices as a specific information processing device, in which the notified party storage unit stores the notified party such that the number of the notified parties registered according to the registration request from information processing device that is not the specific information processing device does not exceed a predetermined number among the number of the notified parties that can be stored in the notified party storage unit.
US07941807B2
A reference to data in program code is resolved during execution of the program code. A request to resolve the reference is classified based on a state of the referenced data and a source of the request. A transitional resolution for the reference is provided if the referenced data state indicates no accessible definition and resolution of the reference is allowed according to the request classification. A full resolution for the reference is provided if the referenced data state indicates an accessible definition according to the request classification. The request is removed only if the reference resolution is a full resolution.
US07941803B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for controlling an operational mode for a logical partition on a computing system that include: receiving, in a hypervisor installed on the computing system, a processor compatibility mode for the logical partition and a firmware compatibility mode for the logical partition, the processor compatibility mode specifying a processor architecture version configured for the logical partition, and the firmware compatibility mode specifying a firmware architecture version configured for the logical partition; providing, by the hypervisor for the logical partition, a firmware interface in dependence upon the firmware compatibility mode; and providing, by the hypervisor for the logical partition, a processor interface in dependence upon the processor compatibility mode.
US07941799B2
Input/output (I/O) operation requests from pageable storage mode guests are interpreted without host intervention. In a pageable mode virtual environment, requests issued by pageable storage mode guests are processed by one or more processors of the environment absent intervention from one or more hosts of the environment. Processing of the requests includes manipulating, by at least one processor on behalf of the guests, buffer state information stored in host storage. The manipulating is performed via instructions initiated by the guests and processed by one or more of the processors.
US07941794B2
A data flow graph processing method divides a program describing target operations into two or more subprograms and converts each of the two or more subprograms into a data flow graph (DFG) representing dependency in execution between operations carried out in sequence. Also generated is flow data indicating the order of execution of DFGs corresponding to respective subprograms. DFGs are converted into configuration data and the flow data is converted into control data.
US07941792B2
A system is disclosed for compiling program code. The system provides a compiler that includes a static verifier and a runtime verifier. The static verifier performs static checks on the program code and produces object code corresponding to the program code. The runtime verifier receives the object code and performs dynamic checks on the object code in a platform dependent environment. The resulting object code can subsequently be executed.
US07941790B2
A method for generating program code for translating high level code into instructions for one of a plurality of target processors comprises first determining a desired program code characteristic corresponding to a target processor. Then, selecting one or more predefined program code modules from a plurality of available program code modules in accordance with said desired program code characteristic, and generating program code for translating high level code into instructions for said target processor from said selected one or more predefined program code modules. Preferably, the method comprises forming agglomerated program code from a plurality of program code modules in accordance with said desired program code characteristic.
US07941776B2
A closed-loop IC design optimization process by automatically or manually creating design-specific cells with desired characteristics (e.g., performance, area, power, noise, etc.), which will be then implemented as a standard cell (also known hereafter as metacell), from a set of post-layout patterns. A post-layout pattern represents a part or whole of a standard cell and contains information regarding the pattern including, but not limited to, layout, timing, area, power and noise. As the metacells are created from post-layout patterns, the inaccuracies of prior dynamic library techniques are easily avoided. Such metacells, being design-specific, are optimized to satisfy the constraints imposed by the design context, thus bringing the powerful design-specific customization to standard cell-based design methodology.
US07941768B1
A method, system, and related computer program products for computer simulation of a photolithographic process is described. In one embodiment, a method for designing an integrated circuit is provided. The geometrical design intent and process condition values are received for at least one process variation associated with a photolithographic process to be used in fabricating the integrated circuit. The photolithographic process is simulated at the process condition values using one or more models characterizing the photolithographic process and the geometrical design intent to generate simulation results.
US07941766B2
An improved method and system for record selection. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention interprets the “gesture” of swiping the pen, from left to right, across a line-item of a record entry as a command to highlight the line-item and to select the entire record. Furthermore, a contiguous group of multiple records are highlighted and selected by selecting the first record, as above, and then continuing to swipe the pen down through the records, in accordance with another embodiment. Lastly, discontiguous records are selected by repeating the above sequence for two or more discontiguous groups of records. Previous selections are maintained until the user executes any other non-selection action.
US07941763B2
An image processing apparatus is connected on a network to another image processing apparatus and has an operation portion displayed at a display portion for implementing a function setting of a combination corresponding to a condition when a history of a function utilized in the other image processing apparatus by a user authenticated by a user authentication portion satisfies that condition.
US07941762B1
One or more possibilities that are normally displayed in response to input from a user are augmented with real time information. Displaying real time information for one or more of the possibilities enables the user to take such information into account in deciding whether or not to continue with an action that the user was in the process of performing. For example, if a partial data entry provided by the user is indicative of an extension number to be dialed to place a phone call, and if a telephone call manager that receives the user's input displays call activity indicating that the user's intended callee is already on the phone, the user may decide to wait until the callee becomes available (as indicated by a change in callee's call activity).
US07941761B2
A graphical user interface allows users to access multiple third party services (e.g., online media services) and enables the services to provide functionality within the GUI adjacent to core functionality of a host application (e.g., a media player application, operating system shell, etc.). The GUI provides an interface region for third party service functionality that is distinct from, but equal in exposure and prominence to, the core functionality provided by the application hosting the GUI. The GUI enables seamless switching between a list of available services provided in a service menu. Switching between services replaces service function buttons and service branding according to particular service customizations.
US07941752B2
System and method for representing preference and policy in a contact list are described. One embodiment is a graphical user interface (“GUI”) for displaying a directory of contacts of a user. The GUI comprises a list of contacts displayed in a first window of the GUI; for each contact in the list of contacts, a preference and policy category for the contact, wherein the preference and policy category for the contact is displayed in the first window of the GUI; and for each contact in the list of contacts, a feature icon indicative of whether a feature is enabled for the contact according to the preference and policy category for the contact, wherein the feature icon is displayed in association with the contact in the first window of the GUI.
US07941729B2
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention help a disk drive to effectively cope with a data address mark detection error. In one embodiment, a data sector is provided with plural data address marks and an read/write (RW) channel reads out the data sector using part of those data address marks. Each divisional section of a split sector has two data address marks and the RW channel uses one of the two data address marks. A data address mark to be used is specified by a register. When an error occurs in detecting a data address mark, its position is stored in a register. Based on the error position, an error recovery processing section stores, in the register, a data address mark to be used in a next retry.
US07941717B2
A method and apparatus for testing an integrated circuit core or circuitry external to an integrated circuit core using a testing circuit passes a test vector from a parallel input of the testing circuit along a shift register circuit. The shift register circuit is configured to bypass one or more cores not being tested and to provide the test vector to a core scan chain of the core being tested. The bypassed cores are configured such that the associated shift register circuit portion is driven to a hold mode in which storage elements of the shift register circuit portion have their outputs coupled to their inputs. This method provides holding of the shift register stages when a core is bypassed and in a test mode, and this means the shift register stages are less prone to errors resulting from changes in clock signals applied to the shift register stages.
US07941716B2
A method for race prevention includes: selectively providing data or scan data to a input latching logic, activating the input latching logic for a first scan mode activation period, introducing a substantial time shift between the first scan mode activation period and a second scan mode activation period, and activating a output latching logic, connected to the input latching logic for a second scan mode activation period. A device having race prevention capabilities includes: an interface logic, a input latching logic, a output latching logic and a control logic. The interface logic is adapted to selectively provide data or scan data to the input latching logic. The control logic is adapted to introduce a substantial time difference between an end point of a first scan mode activation period of the input latching logic and a start point of a second scan mode activation period of the output latching logic.
US07941715B2
An asynchronous set-reset circuit device for testing activity performed by an Automatic Test Patterns Generation tool may include a pair of logic gates having at least two inputs each, and a logic gate structure coupled upstream from the pair of logic gates. The logic gate structure may be for driving one respective input of the pair of logic gates and may have inputs receiving a pair of test command signals. The asynchronous set-reset circuit device may also include a plurality of feedback connections between outputs of the pair of logic gates and respective inputs of the logic gate structure.
US07941714B2
A parallel bit test (PBT) apparatus, included in memory chips that are stacked in a multi-chip package (MCP) and that share a set of data signal lines, may include: a comparing unit to output a data signal representative of a comparison between test data signals provided to a given one of the memory chips and corresponding data signals output therefrom, respectively; and a coding unit to output the representative data signal using a first subset of the shared set of data signal lines, the first subset not overlapping other subsets used by coding units corresponding to the other ones of the memory chips, respectively, the coding unit selecting one or more of the data signal lines amongst the shared set of data signal lines for inclusion in the first subset according to a first test mode register set (MRS) signal.
US07941711B2
A communication system includes a transceiver capable of receiving a data burst as part of a paging block and a processing logic capable of comparing at least part of the data burst to a plurality of permutations of the data burst to locate a matching permutation. The processing logic determines a bit error rate (BER) in accordance with a difference between the data burst and the matching permutation. The processing logic uses the BER to operate the communication system.
US07941707B2
Techniques for gathering information during runtime of a monitored system such that the information is available for facilitating diagnostics for the monitored system. In one embodiment, upon detection of a condition (such as an error condition) in the monitored system, a portion of the gathered information provides contextual information that facilitates gathering of diagnostic data that is relevant for the detected condition. This facilitates capturing of diagnostic data that is relevant for diagnosing the detected condition. The information gathered and stored during runtime may include information related to local variables, information related to tagged information (e.g., tagged functions/processes) executing in the monitored system, information related to potential impacts to the monitored system due to failures, metadata information, and other information.
US07941704B2
A maintenance management system according to the present invention has an electronic device and a database server. In one embodiment of the invention, the electronic device further includes: (1) a log generating unit for collecting states of components and generating a log when a failure is detected during execution of a process; (2) a DB inquiry unit for transmitting the log to the database server and making an inquiry about whether firmware capable of solving the failure exists; and (3) an updating process unit for obtaining firmware capable of solving the failure from the database server and updating firmware in the electronic device with the obtained firmware. In addition, the database server further includes: a storing unit for storing a database having version information of firmware and failure correction information; and an inquiry responding unit for identifying when firmware for solving the failure exists.
US07941701B2
A method and apparatus are provided for diagnosing faults in a monitored system. Estimates of parameter data are generated from the system with reference parameter data characteristic of known behavior of the system. The generated estimates of the parameter data are compared with measured parameter data. A residual is determined for each of the parameters based on a relationship between the estimates of the parameter data and the measured parameter data. A fuzzy classification rule is implemented to determine a likelihood that a predetermined fault exists by using residuals for parameters used to indicate the existence of the predetermined fault.
US07941698B1
Processor operating methods and integrated circuits are described. According to one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a processor configured to execute a first application and to redundantly execute a second application while executing the first application, the first application being different from the second application. According to another embodiment, a processor operating method includes receiving a request to execute an application using a processor having a plurality of processor cores. The method also includes, in response to the receiving, determining whether the application should be executed redundantly or non-redundantly, non-redundantly executing the application using one processor core of the plurality if the determining comprises determining that the application should be executed non-redundantly, and redundantly executing the application using two or more processor cores of the plurality if the determining comprises determining that the application should be executed redundantly.
US07941687B2
A method and apparatus for digital I/O expander chip with multi-function timer cells have been disclosed. A series of match reload registers load a series of match registers which are driven by a master counter. The status of the match registers can be retrieved through ports. The master counter is reloaded on rollover by a count limit register. The master counter has increment/decrement control and the rollover can be used in an interrupt control block to generate an interrupt request.
US07941683B2
A processor can operate in three different modes. In an active mode, a first voltage is provided to the processor, where the first voltage is sufficient to allow the processor to execute instructions. In a low-power mode, a retention voltage is provided to the processor. The processor consumes less power in the retention mode than in the active mode. In addition, the processor can operate in a third mode, where a voltage is provided to the processor sufficient to allow the processor to process cache messages, such as coherency messages, but not execute other normal operations or perform normal operations at a very low speed relative to their performance in the active mode.
US07941677B2
A network apparatus and method for managing power supplied to a network device. A plurality of power inputs to the network device are scanned to ascertain if a power signal is present and to identify an active power source. Available power is determined from the active power source and required power for the network device and any operatively connected auxiliary devices is also determined. The required power is compared to available power to determine if available power is sufficient to power the network device. An operation of the network device is controlled based upon the active power source and/or if available power is insufficient to power the network device.
US07941675B2
A method and system of adaptive power control. Characteristics of a specific integrated circuit are used to adaptively control power of the integrated circuit.
US07941666B2
Chip cards are used to secure credit and debit payment transactions. To prevent fraudulent transactions, the card must protect cryptographic keys used to authenticate transactions. In particular, cards should resist differential power analysis and/or other attacks. To address security risks posed by leakage of partial information about keys during cryptographic transactions, cards may be configured to perform periodic cryptographic key update operations. The key update transformation prevents adversaries from exploiting partial information that may have been leaked about the card's keys. Update operations based on a hierarchical structure can enable efficient transaction verification by allowing a verifying party (e.g., an issuer) to derive a card's current state from a transaction counter and its initial state by performing one operation per level in the hierarchy, instead of progressing through all update operations performed by the card.
US07941662B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for performing authentication and decryption operations in a cryptography accelerator system. Input data passed to a cryptography accelerator from a host such a CPU includes information for a cryptography accelerator to determine where to write the processed data. In one example, processed data is formatted as packet payloads in a network buffer. Checksum information is precalculated and an offset for a header is maintained.
US07941650B2
Provided are a microprocessor based on event-processing instruction set and an event-processing method using the same. The microprocessor includes an event register controlling an event according to an event-processing instruction set provided in an instruction set architecture (ISA) and an event controller transmitting externally generated events into the microprocessor. Therefore, the microprocessor may be useful to reduce its unnecessary power consumption by suspending the execution of its program when an instruction decoded to execute the program is an event-processing instruction, and also to cut off its unnecessary power consumption that is caused for an interrupt delay period since the program of the microprocessor may be executed again by immediately re-running the microprocessor with the operation of the event register and the event controller when external events are generated.
US07941645B1
An isochronous processor includes a state register, a functional unit, a control module, and an activation unit. The state register includes an arm buffer and an active buffer. The functional unit performs a transformation operation on the data stream in response to an active value of the control parameter obtained from the active buffer. The control module updates the arm value of the control parameter in the arm buffer in response to control instructions. The activation unit detects a load event propagating with the data stream and transfers the parameter value from the arm buffer to the active buffer in response to the load event. During this transfer, the control module is inhibited from updating the arm buffer.
US07941630B2
This invention provides a storage system to store data used by computers. A storage system coupled to a computer and a management apparatus, includes storage devices accessed by the computer and a control unit that controls the storage devices, in which the control unit performs the following operations: setting, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device; setting a second virtual device which including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer; allocating an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and changing the allocation to change storage areas of the virtual volume.
US07941596B2
Backup storage apparatus and related methods having a controller for controlling and monitoring a robotics assembly that loads and unloads storage media into and from storage devices and an operator control panel coupled to the controller for controlling functions of and displaying information regarding the apparatus. A user interface that is displayable on the operator control panel is operative to allow input of a storage media characteristic, locate media using the input storage media characteristic, and retrieve the location of the desired storage media corresponding to the characteristic that was input.
US07941586B2
A memory system comprises a flash memory, a processing unit, and a flash controller including address and control registers, the address and control registers being configured to receive information from the processing unit, wherein the flash controller is configured to control a copy-back program operation of the flash memory in hardware based on information stored in the address and control registers.
US07941580B2
Various embodiments for providing directional commands for a mobile computing device are described. In one or more embodiments, a mobile computing device may comprise a keypad arranged to operate in multiple modes including a standard mode and a directional mode such as a gaming mode, for example. The standard mode may support all of the preset and programmable commands and functions typically provided for normal operation of the mobile computing device. The directional mode may associate certain directional commands with multiple keys and/or buttons of the keypad so that most keystrokes and keystroke combinations input by a user will be interpreted as a particular directional command. The directional mode may be used when running applications which respond primarily to directional commands such as gaming applications. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07941575B2
Apparatus and associated systems and methods may relate to a data traffic modification system that may include a processing module to handle SATA-compliant data transfers in which a source device or a target device issues requests to pause and subsequently to resume the data transfer. In various implementations, a data traffic modification device may selectively modify data traffic upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition. In one illustrative example, if a target device for the data transfer issues a pause request (e.g., to prevent a buffer overflow), the data traffic modification device may generate a pause acknowledge signal to the target device within a response time specified by the protocol. In another illustrative example, if a source device for the data transfer issues a pause request, the data traffic modification device may generate a pause acknowledge signal to the source device within the response time specified by the protocol.
US07941570B2
An article of manufacture, apparatus, and a method for facilitating input/output (I/O) processing for an I/O operation at a host computer system configured for communication with a control unit. The method includes the host computer system obtaining a transport command word (TCW) for an I/O operation having both input and output data. The TCW specifies a location of the output data and a location for storing the input data. The host computer system forwards the I/O operation to the control unit for execution. The host computer system gathers the output data responsive to the location of the output data specified by the TCW, and then forwards the output data to the control unit for use in the execution of the I/O operation. The host computer system receives the input data from the control unit and stores the input data at the location specified by the TCW.
US07941563B2
A packet sent in a mobile IP communication between different regions passes through a particular address translation unit, so that the communication route cannot be optimized. The packet cannot be delivered to a mobile node not having a fixed home address. To overcome the difficulties, the address translation unit includes a function to process the mobile IPv6 protocol. The mobile node includes a function to dynamically acquire a home address. A first network and a second network each identify the mobile node by a SIP (session initiation protocol) identifier. The mobile node acquires a home address on the second network and registers a corresponding relation between the identifiers and the home address thereof. A terminal on the second network acquires the home address of the mobile node from information of the mobile node registered to the SIP server according to a SIP procedure.
US07941561B2
A system and method for formatted inter-node communications over a computer network comprises a transmitting node transmitting a message in a format acceptable to the receiving node. Message templates are created by the receiving node and then stored in a repository accessible by both the transmitting node and the receiving node. The message templates are identified by a digital ID tag and comprise a pattern of labeled fields visible to the transmitting node and accessible for message input by the transmitting node. When the transmitting nodes wishes to send a message only those templates acceptable to the receiving node will be available to the transmitting node.
US07941557B2
Routing text messages. A mobile message (MM) is received from an application program or other message source, and includes a destination identifier, such as a phone number. Based on the destination identifier, a routing server determines whether the MM is to be locally routed to a destination carrier, or forwarded to a remote server that provides access to the destination carrier. For local routing, the routing server determines a channel to the carrier based on predefined carrier information, the destination user information, and the carrier gateway dynamic information. The predefined carrier information indicates predicted availability or reliability of each of a plurality of channels to the carrier. The destination user information indicates availability of the destination user to receive messages, and includes a destination user criterion for determining one of the channels. The carrier gateway dynamic information indicates current and statistical traffic information for each of the channels.
US07941555B2
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to the downloading of media items. The media items may include, for example, audio, video, image, or podcast data. In accordance with one embodiment, two or more media items may be concurrently downloaded. In accordance with another embodiment, a user may control the downloading of each of the media items, as desired. More particularly, the user may choose to download, pause, or resume downloading one or more media items identified in the list of media items. In other words, the user may alter the download status of any of the items in the list of media items. In addition, the user may re-prioritize the order in which the media items in the list or a subset thereof are to be downloaded.
US07941551B2
Endpoints are enabled to facilitate desktop and/or application sharing in enhanced communication systems using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) protocols by tunneling RDP packets through an Interactive Connection Establishment (ICE) channel built-in within the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), thus allowing RDP sessions to traverse Network Address Translators (NATs) or firewalls.
US07941548B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to preventing unauthorized access to internal network addresses transmitted across wireless networks. According to the invention, mobile stations are assigned virtual client network addresses that are used as the outer network addresses in a Virtual Private Network (VPN) infrastructure, as well as unique internal network addresses used as the inner network addresses. In one implementation, the virtual client network addresses have little to no relation to the internal network addressing scheme implemented on the network domain. In one implementation, all clients or mobile stations are assigned the same virtual client network address. A translation layer, in one implementation, intermediates the VPN session between the mobile stations and a VPN server to translate the virtual client network addresses to the internal network addresses based on the medium access control (MAC) address corresponding to the mobile stations. In this manner, the encryption inherent in the VPN infrastructure prevents access to the internal network addresses assigned to the mobile stations.
US07941541B2
An electronic system and method of pervasive output allow an information apparatus to output data content conveniently to virtually any output device. One method includes establishing a communication channel between the information apparatus and an output device and receiving at the information apparatus over the communication channel an attributes corresponding to the output device. The output device may then be selected at the information apparatus based at least in part on the attributes. The data content is delivered to the output device for rendering.
US07941537B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for resource migration in a distributed telecommunication system is provided. Respective sets of performance parameters of a first plurality of nodes disposed in a first node group and a second plurality of nodes in a second node group are collected. Service capabilities of the first node group and the second node group are evaluated based on the sets of performance parameters. One node group of the first node group and the second node group is designated as a currently preferred node group in response to evaluation of the service capabilities. The steps of collecting, evaluating, and designating are repeated a plurality of times. The currently preferred node group is designated as an active preferred node group in the event that a sequence of evaluating service capabilities each results in the one node group being designated as the currently preferred node group.
US07941533B2
A method and system for single sign-on session management. Functions of session management and client log-in, normally handled by separate system servers, are incorporated as plug-in modules on individual web content servers. In this manner, network traffic to grant and validate client user credentials is reduced or minimized.
US07941532B2
When investigating a failure occurring in a transaction between information processing apparatuses, it is possible to reduce the time required for the failure investigation. A first local ID for identifying a transaction processing of first information processing apparatus is related with a standard ID for relating transaction processing of the first and the second information processing apparatuses with each other the related IDs and are stored in a first mapping table. The standard ID and a transaction processing request are transmitted to the second information processing apparatus to request execution of a transaction processing therefor. If a failure occurs in the requested transaction processing, a standard ID of the transaction processing concerned is specified to inquire a second local ID for identifying the transaction processing. Mapping information for relating the first local ID corresponding to the specified standard ID with the transmitted second local ID is generated.
US07941523B2
A method and system for adapting an Information Technology (IT) structure to maintain service levels. An IT structure is deployed in an IT delivery environment. A service level associated with the IT structure is specified. At least one operational characteristic of the IT structure corresponding to the specified service level is identified. For each identified operational characteristic, a corresponding threshold is established in such that if the corresponding threshold is violated then the specified service level is not sustained. After establishing the thresholds, operation of the IT structure is monitored. The monitoring detects a condition wherein a measured value of a first operational characteristic has violated the corresponding threshold associated with the first operational characteristic such that the specified service level is not sustained by the measured value of the first operational characteristic, causing degradation of the specified service level.
US07941521B1
A monitoring system is described which simplifies the management of complex, multi-tiered networks such as those used in large enterprises. One embodiment of the system is implemented on a cluster of application servers which are communicatively coupled together on a network to serve applications over the network to a plurality of clients. One embodiment of the monitoring system is built from a group of services. An administration service generates a plurality of runtime management beans (“MBeans”) on each of the server nodes of the cluster and associates each of the runtime MBeans with specified server node resources. In addition, in one embodiment, a notification service generates cluster-wide notifications in response to certain specified events associated with certain resources of certain MBeans. The notification service distributes the notifications across all, or a subset of, the server nodes of the cluster. In addition, a monitor service generates monitor MBeans corresponding to selected runtime MBeans. The monitor MBeans are arranged in a hierarchical tree structure and are configured to receive monitoring data from associated runtime MBeans.
US07941518B2
The present invention relates to a collaboration system and method among heterogeneous nomadic/mobile communication networks using a grid service. By using a system in which GSI (Grid Service Infrastructure) is overlaid on heterogeneous nomadic/mobile communication networks, access to resources that are accessible with different interfaces can be made with a single standard interface. Further, a vertical hand-off among heterogeneous networks and access to location information can be easily performed. In addition, mutual operationality among networks can be improved and an efficient collaboration environment can be constructed.
US07941516B2
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that manages storage media associated with a plurality of disparate devices. The disclosed system can include a network of disparate devices wherein each device in the network can be associated with storage media. Additionally, the disclosed system can also include a component that identifies each device in the network, associates a likelihood that the device will periodically leave or rejoin the network, and utilizes the associated likelihood to construct a logical redundant pile of inexpensive disks comprising the storage media associated with the disparate devices.
US07941512B2
An embodiment method may comprise establishing a link layer connection to an access server, obtaining a management address, wherein the management address is at least one of an IPv6 and an IPv4 address, obtaining a TFTP server address, wherein the server address is either IPv6 or IPv4, downloading a configuration file from the TFTP server, registering with the access server as IPv6 capable, maintaining an IP address/prefix-MAC mapping database, and determining whether the IPv6 address belongs to a particular media access control (MAC) address based on the IP address/prefix-MAC mapping database.
US07941504B2
A global peripheral device (GPD) sharing system enables users to remotely utilize various peripheral devices via a connection, such as the worldwide web (Internet). Client software is loaded on the computers associated with the users and the owners of the peripheral devices. A centralized GPD server is connected to a storage and queue appliance for maintaining a function queue, such as “print files”. A GPD sharing method is also provided for providing users with temporary or permanent functional access to remote peripheral devices, which can be accessed through PCs or dedicated devices connected to the GPDs owned by the device owners. The GPD system operates cross-platform permitting users and owners of peripheral devices to communicate although they may not be using the same computing platform, or only one party has a license for software or a peripheral device.
US07941488B2
Publishing electronic messages to clients within a group in a Pub/Sub message publishing environment wherein the group includes authorized participating clients in network communication with a pub/sub service. A client is authenticated for authority to publish messages to a selected group of subscribing clients.
US07941482B2
A method of dynamically balancing a load on a fully connected grid (FCG) in a peer-to-peer environment includes determining if a first number of peers connected in a first FCG is greater than a preselected limit. If the first number of peers connected to the first FCG is greater than the preselected limit, then partitioning the first FCG into two or more subdivided FCGs, wherein each of the subdivided FCGs includes at least one peer connection that was previously connected in the first FCG. A subdivided location identifier can also be published for each respective resource included in each peer connection. A system for dynamically balancing a load on a fully connected grid (FCG) in a peer-to-peer environment is also described.
US07941477B2
Digital media content-on-demand hosting/delivery system for using an n-tier, multi dimension dynamic data technology to distribute digital content and manage information and comprising separate delivery and end-user systems with separate but compatible software, the hosting/delivery system being sub-divided into distributed hosting clusters serving small groups of users, ensuring local balance and overcoming diversity of connection/streaming speeds of end users.
US07941475B2
Embodiments of the present invention include programmable filter circuits and methods. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a programmable filter for filtering an input signal comprising a storage element for storing a plurality of digital values representing a discrete time window function, and a plurality of filter channels, each channel comprising a multiplying digital-to-analog converter having a plurality of digital inputs coupled to the storage element and an analog input for receiving said input signal to be filtered, at least one capacitor having at least one terminal coupled to an output of the multiplying digital-to-analog converter, and a sampling device coupled between the at least one terminal of the at least one capacitor and an output of the filter. In another embodiment, the present invention includes a software defined radio.
US07941472B1
An apparatus for correlating multibit first and second words includes a multiplexer for selecting one bit at a time of the second word, and applying the bit to a multiplier which receives the first word, for generating a product by inverting or noninverting the first word. The product is applied to an adder and is added to a delayed parallel signal to produce a sum signal. The sum signal is delayed in an amount related to the number of bits in the first word to produce the delayed parallel signal. A plurality of such apparatuses are cascaded, with the bits of the second word applied in subsets to the apparatuses, and the partial correlations applied as input words to the next apparatus in the cascade.
US07941469B2
In one embodiment, a method is provided for processing data transactions in a data store that includes databases. In this method, a data transaction request is received from a requesting computer. Different databases are then identified from the databases using a data access layer that defines an abstraction layer. The data transmission request is then split into multiple data transaction requests, and a part of these requests is then communicated to at least one of the identified databases.
US07941468B2
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for an infringer finder to search public information sources for possible patent infringers. Some embodiments provide for analyzing an issued patent, associated patent support data, such as Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) information, and other reference materials, along with user input to create a patent search profile. Using the patent search profile, a search is made of public information sources and a report is generated summarizing possible patent infringement targets.
US07941464B2
Files can be reassembled from fragments by (a) accepting (or determining) adjacency scores for each pair of fragments from a set of fragments, (b) identifying header fragments from among the fragments of the set of fragments, and (c) for each of the header fragments identified, reconstructing a corresponding one of two or more files from the fragments of the set of fragments such that the sum of the adjacency scores are optimized. Any of the fragments, other than the identified header fragments, are permitted to belong, at least provisionally, to more than one of the at least two files when reconstructing the file(s).
US07941463B2
Embodiments consistent with the invention transform business application logic entities or structures into OOP structures that represent the data, relationships, and operations of the business application structures. The business application structures are transformed from the application level, including consideration of the business application logic and relationships. In one embodiment, transformation is done using a set of automated transformation rules. The resulting OOP structure model of the business application structure may be used with OOP tools to analyze, maintain, debug, modify, and revise the business application structure, and to create new structures for the business application.
US07941462B2
A polyline tree representation of a coronary artery tree imaged in a volume data set is obtained, and its topology is extracted to give a topological representation indicating the relative positions of vessels in the tree. The topological representation is compared with a set of topological rules to find possible anatomical classifications for each vessel, and a set of candidate labeled polyline trees is generated by labeling the polyline tree with labels showing each combination of possible anatomical classifications. Each candidate labeled tree is filtered according to a set of geometric rules pertaining to spatial characteristics of vessels in arterial trees, and any labeled tree not satisfying the geometric rules is rejected A figure of merit is calculated for each remaining candidate by comparing features of the vessels measured from the polyline tree and from the volume data set with features of correctly classified vessels in other data sets to determine the probable correctness of the labeling of each candidate, and the candidate with the best figure of merit is selected as showing the proper classification of the vessels.
US07941454B2
Event-generation metadata is used to control the run-time environment of a system implementing a component architecture. A service provider program (40,100) implementing a component architecture is provided with event-generation functions that are configurable by the metadata to generate and send events. The metadata can be implemented as properties of an EJB deployment descriptor associated with a program component (30) for configuring event generation functions of an EJB container (40), to generate and send events to an events service (110). The events can be used to monitor processing of an application.
US07941445B2
A project management system manages project schedule data using separate current and historical task schedule data structures. In general, current schedule data is stored separately from historical schedule data, so that the current schedule data may be retrieved separately from the historical task schedule data. The project management system may also maintain unscheduled tasks as “to-do lists.” Tasks may be added to a member's schedule without specifying any planned dates and the tasks are added to the database. The tasks have an associated revision number of 0 to indicate that the tasks were added, but not yet scheduled. The tasks are displayed in the member schedule editor and in Web page schedules. The tasks may then be displayed in the member schedule editor and in Web page schedules in a manner that allows a user to readily determine that the tasks are “to-do list” tasks.
US07941442B2
An object search system generates a hierarchical clustering of objects of a collection based on similarity of the objects. The object search system generates a separate hierarchical clustering of objects for multiple features of the objects. To identify objects similar to a target object, the object search system first generates a feature vector for the target object. For each feature of the feature vector, the object search system uses the hierarchical clustering of objects to identify the cluster of objects that is most “feature similar” to that feature of the target object. The object search system indicates the similarity of each candidate object based on the features for which the candidate object is similar.
