US07973266B2
In a heat treatment apparatus, a reflector is provided to cover a plurality of flash lamps arranged in an array for emitting a flash of light, and a cooling box is provided over the reflector. The cooling box has a buffer space incorporated therein, and a plurality of jet openings in communication with the buffer space are formed through a bottom surface of the cooling box and the reflector. The plurality of jet openings are positioned just over gaps between the plurality of flash lamps in the lamp array. Nitrogen gas ejected from the plurality of jet openings passes through the gaps between adjacent ones of the flash lamps in the lamp array, and is then blown against a lamp light radiation window. The flash lamps are effectively cooled down by the direct cooling using the nitrogen gas and the decrease in temperature of the lamp light radiation window.
US07973263B2
The invention concerns a vehicle outside mirror module with a heatable mirror glass assembly group, whereby the mirror glass assembly group exhibits at least one mirror glass and an at least one layered, foil-like heating foil, flexibly configured on the back side of said mirror glass, provided with power supply points. To this end, there are configured or integrated, on or in the heating foil, at least one means of lighting and at least one additional power supply point. On or in the heating foil, between the one or the several lighting means and the one or the additional power supply points, are configured or integrated conductive tracks providing current which contact said power supply points. Each lighting means has at least one main light exit surface whose spectral centroid lies above the mirror back surface.With the current invention, a vehicle outside mirror module is developed in which a mirror heater and at least one means of lighting are integrated and connected in such a manner that they can be simply and securely assembled while keeping the expenditure in cabling low.
US07973262B2
A powerplant and method for production and use of synthesis gas from a hydrocarbon fuel is disclosed in a combination of a triple helical flow vortex reactor (100) and a power producer (510). The triple helical flow vortex reactor (100) steam-reforms a hydrocarbon fuel in a rich combustion environment and produces a gas stream with synthesis gas. The triple helical flow vortex reactor (100) has a plasma torch to introduce a central vortex and two swirlers to introduce counterposing vortexes, or circumferential flows, at the periphery of a reaction chamber in the triple helical flow vortex reactor. The synthesis gas fuels the power producer (510).
US07973258B2
A lifting electrode for a high-tension electrostatic separator. The high tension electrostatic separator having a rotating drum that is connected to ground and an ionizing electrode that generates a corona discharge of charged ions. The lifting electrode comprising a composite of a non-conductive polymer impregnated with conductive particles.
US07973249B2
A multilayer printed wiring board including insulating layers and conductor layers being stacked alternately on each other. The conductor layers are electrically connected to each other through viaholes formed in the insulating layers. Each of the viaholes is formed to bulge in a direction generally orthogonal to the direction of thickness of the insulating layer. The multilayer printed wiring board is to have electronic components such as a capacitor, IC and the like mounted on the surface layer thereof.
US07973245B2
An intermediate board has a board core formed by a main core body and a sub-core portion. The main core body has a plate-like shape and includes an open sub-core housing portion in which the sub-core portion is housed. A first terminal array of the board core has an area that overlaps an orthogonal projection of the sub-core portion. The latter incorporates a laminated ceramic capacitor formed by first and second conductor layers with a ceramic (dielectric) layer therebetween. The first layer is connected to first and second side terminals of a first type while the second layer is connected to first and second side terminals of a second type. The housing portion has an inner edge which, in cross section, is of a quadrate shape, and a radius portion is formed at each corner having a dimension of between 0.1 and 2 mm.
US07973244B2
A printed circuit board includes a base formed from a plurality of woven fibers, and signal traces laid on the base. Each of the signal traces includes at least a straight line segment. The signal traces are laid on the base in such a manner that the line segments of the signal traces mapped on the base cross the fibers at angles not equal to zero degrees.
US07973240B2
An underwater power generating system includes an underwater power generating device, a closed nacelle and a connecting cable system that is provided with an open passage way extending there along that is sealed at one end to the interior of the closed nacelle. The cable system can be used in a number of ways, such as by having the second end being sealed, to prevent air from escaping the closed nacelle, or by having the second end connected to a source of positive pressure thereby permitting the cable to be sufficiently pressurized to provide a positive pressure internally within the closed nacelle that is at least slightly greater than the nacelle at depth pressure, and thus greater than water pressure acting on the exterior of the closed nacelle, to prevent water ingress within the nacelle, as well as to transmit power and/or other data between the nacelle and shore monitoring and control facilities.
US07973227B2
A capo is structured and configured to permit rapid installation and tightening thereof on a stringed instrument. The capo includes a yoke with a central support member, a string-contacting clamping bar which is pivotally attached to the yoke, and a spring-loaded release member which fits into a first hollow bore in the central support member of the yoke. The capo also includes a substantially Y-shaped saddle member having a stem which slidably fits through a second hollow bore of the central support member, and an adjustment member for positioning the saddle member in the yoke. The engagement/release member is releasably held in position against the adjustment member by spring pressure. Rapid positioning of the saddle member is enabled by both coarse and fine adjustment of the adjustment member, made possible by buttressed threads present both inside of the engagement/release member and outside of a threaded shaft of the adjustment member.
US07973215B2
The invention develops a simple and reliable mushroom transformation procedure on the basis of electroporation of spores or mycelial fragments of mushroom.
US07973213B2
The use of selectable marker genes, such as the kanamycin resistance encoding neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII), has been invaluable in transgenic plant production. The subject invention provides a new selectable marker gene, an Arabidopsis thaliana ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter, Atwbc19 and methods of using the gene for the identification of transgenic plants. Since ABC transporters are endogenous to plants, there should be less controversy using Atwbc19, as a selectable marker in transgenic plants with regards to concerns of horizontal gene transfer.
US07973211B2
An animal model for hyperpigmentations in which the formation of hyperpigmentations in human skin is faithfully simulated is provided. An animal model for hyperpigmentations, wherein a black person's skin is grafted onto a non-human animal, is provided.
US07973210B2
A method for assisting a caregiver in determining when to select a next generation product for facilitating toilet training. The method includes the steps of providing information to a caregiver about a second absorbent product, such as a next generation product, while the caregiver is using a first absorbent product in conjunction with a child. The child, for instance, may not have started toilet training or may be in the process of toilet training. Based upon a behavioral or wetness characteristic of the child, recommendations are made to the caregiver when it is time to switch to the next generation product to facilitate toilet training. For instance, in one embodiment, the method may include comparing a wetness characteristic of the child with a readiness target. Once the readiness target is met, a recommendation may be made to the caregiver to switch to a product that includes a toilet training feature not present in the product currently being worn by the child.
US07973207B2
The present invention is an improved cyclic, endothermic hydrocarbon conversion process and a catalyst bed system for accomplishing the same. Specifically, the improved process comprises reacting a hydrocarbon with a multi-component catalyst bed in such a manner that the temperature within the catalyst bed remains within controlled temperature ranges throughout all stages of the process. The multi-component catalyst bed comprises a reaction-specific catalyst physically mixed with a heat-generating material.
US07973203B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of trans-indenofluorene compounds of the formula (Ia) or cis-indenofluorene compounds of the formula (Ib) in a reaction with at least one compound of the formula (IIa) or (IIb) respectively with at least one compound of the R-Hal in the presence of at least one organic base and at least one organic, polar, aprotic solvent.
US07973196B2
The invention encompasses processes for the synthesis of (S)-(+)-3-(aminomethyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid, (S)-Pregabalin, and intermediates of (S)-Pregabalin.
US07973194B1
Diesters of 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylate are surprisingly more efficient PVC plasticizers and fuse PVC faster and at a lower temperature than similar phthalates or terephthalate diesters. Hydrogenated orthophthalate diesters are slower fusing, i.e., require higher temperatures, than do the corresponding orthophthalate diesters.
US07973188B2
This invention relates to processes for the production of organometallic compounds represented by the formula M(L)3 wherein M is a Group VIII metal, e.g., ruthenium, and L is the same or different and represents a substituted or unsubstituted amidinato group or a substituted or unsubstituted amidinato-like group, which process comprises (i) reacting a substituted or unsubstituted metal source compound, e.g., ruthenium (II) compound, with a substituted or unsubstituted amidinate or amidinate-like compound in the presence of a solvent and under reaction conditions sufficient to produce a reaction mixture comprising said organometallic compound, e.g., ruthenium (III) compound, and (ii) separating said organometallic compound from said reaction mixture. The organometallic compounds are useful in semiconductor applications as chemical vapor or atomic layer deposition precursors for film depositions.
US07973184B2
Disclosed is a method for producing propylene oxide wherein propylene is directly oxidized with oxygen, as required, water and a catalytic amount of hydrogen in a gas phase in the presence of a gold cluster catalyst supported on an alkali-treated titanosilicalite or mesoporous titanosilicate support, which is produced by an alkaline treatment of titanosilicalite or mesoporous titanosilicate with aqueous solution of NaOH, KOH or CsOH.
US07973182B2
A process for the preparation of enantiomerically pure 1-substituted-3-amino-alcohols, particularly of (S)-(−)- and (R)-(+)-3-N-methylamino-1-(2-thienyl)-1-propanol, by asymmetrically hydrogenating salts of a carboxylic acids with an aminoketone of the formula: wherein R1 is 2-thienyl, 2-furanyl or phenyl, each optionally substituted with one or more halogen atoms and/or one or more C1-4-alkyl or C1-4-alkoxy groups, and wherein R2 is C1-4-alkyl or phenyl, each optionally substituted with one or more halogen atoms and/or one or more C1-4-alkyl or C1-4-alkoxy groups. The corresponding aminoalcohols are obtained by subsequent hydrolysis of their salts. Salts of a carboxylic acid with the aminoketones and the aminoalcohols obtained by asymmetrically hydrogenating the aminoketones, respectively.
US07973173B2
A process for the synthesis of trandolapril which comprises condensing N—[I—(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl]-L-alanine N-carboxyanhydride with trans octahydro-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid in a first organic solvent comprising a water immiscible inert organic solvent and in the presence of a base, and isolating trandolapril from a second organic solvent. N-[1-(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl]-L-alanine N-carboxyanhydride may also be condensed with (2S,3aR,7aS) octahydro-1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid in a first organic solvent and in the presence of a base, and trandolapril isolated. There is also provided a process for the resolution of racemic trans octahydro-1H-indole-2-carboxylc acid.
US07973160B2
Compounds represented by the following general formula: [wherein Ag is an optionally substituted 5- to 14-membered heterocyclic group, etc.; Xg is —O—, —S—, etc.; Yg is an optionally substituted C6-14 aryl group, an optionally substituted 5- to 14-membered heterocyclic group, etc.; and Tg1 is a group represented by the following general formula: (wherein Eg is a single bond or —N(Rg2)—, Rg1 and Rg2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted C1-6 alkyl group, etc. and Zg represents a C1-8 alkyl group, a C3-8 alicyclic hydrocarbon group, a C6-14 aryl group, etc.)], salts thereof or hydrates of the foregoing.
US07973157B2
Novel processes for the purification of an imino or amino sugar, such as D-1-deoxygalactonojirimycin (DGJ). Particularly, there are described processes for the purification of multi-kilogram scale sugars using hydrochloric acid.
US07973154B2
The present invention relates to methods for diagnosis or monitoring of viral infection by detecting the presence of transrenal viral nucleic acids or nucleic acids of viral origin in urine sample, with or without isolation of nucleic acids from a urine sample. The analysis of the nucleic acids is performed through hybridization of the nucleic acids with specific probes, or through a chain amplification reaction with specific primers. The methods are applicable to all viral pathogenic agents, including RNA, DNA, episomal, or integrated viruses.
US07973153B2
The present invention relates to compositions and fusion proteins containing at least two Mycobacterium sp. antigens, and nucleic acids encoding such compositions and fusion proteins. The compositions of the invention increase serological sensitivity of sera from individuals infected with tuberculosis, and methods for their use in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis infection.
US07973149B2
The invention generally relates to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) polyketide synthase (PKS) systems isolated from or derived from non-bacterial organisms, to homologues thereof, to isolated nucleic acid molecules and recombinant nucleic acid molecules encoding biologically active domains of such a PUFA PKS system, to genetically modified organisms comprising PUFA PKS systems, to methods of making and using such systems for the production of bioactive molecules of interest, and to novel methods for identifying new bacterial and non-bacterial microorganisms having such a PUFA PKS system.
US07973138B2
The present invention relates to the use of VEGF antagonists and a novel anti-α5β1 antibody for treating cancer and inhibiting angiogenesis and/or vascular permability, including inhibiting abnormal angiogenesis in diseases. The present invention also relates to compositions and kits comprising novel anti-α5β1 antibodies and methods of making and using them.
US07973124B2
The present invention provides a thermoplastic polyester elastomer excellent in heat resistance, heat-aging resistance, water resistance, light resistance, low-temperature property and the like, and further excellent in block order-retaining ability, the thermoplastic polyester elastomer comprising a hard segment which comprises polyester constituted with aromatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic or alicyclic diol and a soft segment which comprises mainly aliphatic polycarbonate, wherein the hard segment and the soft segment being connected, and wherein when melting points of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer are obtained by measuring on a differential scanning calorimeter in three cycles in which a temperature is raised from room temperature to 300° C. at a heating rate of 20° C./min., maintained at 300° C. for 3 minutes and lowered to room temperature at a cooling rate of 100° C./min., a melting point difference (Tm1−Tm3) between a melting point obtained in the first cycle (Tm1) and a melting point obtained in the third cycle (Tm3) is 0-50° C., and a tensile strength at break is 15-100 MPa.
US07973123B2
A golf ball having a layer composed of a polyurethane/polyurea material formed from reaction injection molding a polyol component and an isocyanate component. The polyol component preferably comprises a polytetramethylene ether glycol having a molecular weight of approximately 1000 and a 3,5-diethyl-2,4 toluenediamine. The layer is preferably a cover layer having a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.025 inch.
US07973121B2
The invention relates to a method of preparing polyorganosiloxanes containing at least one functional group using a lithium silanolate catalyst. A polyorganosiloxane, having at least one hydroxyl group, is reacted with a polyalkoxysilane having the formula (R1)a(R2)bSi(OR3)4-(a+b) (I), where R1 is an alkyl radical, a cycloalkyl radical, or an aryl radical; R2 is —(Z)m-(X)n, wherein m=0 or 1, n=1 or 2; Z is a divalent hydrocarbon residue; X is an unsaturated hydrocarbon radical when m=0 and, when m=1, X is chlorine, bromine, iodine, —O—CO—CR4═CR5R6 (in which R4, R5 and R6 each represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl radical and/or a phenyl radical), —RF (in which RF is a perfluorinated residue), —NHR7 (in which R7 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl radical, or a radical-R8—NH2, wherein R8 is Z), or —SH; R3 is an alkyl radical; a=0, 1, 2 or 3; b=0 or 1 and a+b=0, 1, 2 or 3, with the additional condition that the sum a+b=3, symbol b cannot be equal to 0. The method is performed in the presence of an effective quantity of a lithium organosilanolate catalyst having formula (R1)a(R2)b(OR3)3-(a+b)SiO−Li+ (II), wherein R1, R2, R3, a and b have the meanings indicated above. The method is performed without the addition of an aliphatic alcohol having the formula R3OH to the reaction medium.
US07973113B2
Catalyst systems and methods of forming the catalyst systems are described herein. The methods generally include contacting a support material with an activator to form a support composition, contacting a component with at least a portion of an aluminum containing compound including TIBAl, wherein the component is selected from the support composition, the transition metal catalyst compound and combinations thereof and contacting the support composition with a transition metal catalyst compound to form a supported catalyst system.
US07973107B2
A fluorosilicone reaction product of a mercapto functional organopolysiloxane and a fluorine-containing monomer, and methods of preparing the fluorosilicone are disclosed. The fluorosilicone products are suitable for application to substrates such as textiles, particularly fabrics, to impart oil repellent properties to the textile. The fluorosilicone reaction product is prepared from (A) a fluorine-containing monomer of the formula CH2═C(X)COOYRf, and (B) a mercapto functional organopolysiloxane.
US07973104B2
The present invention relates to rubbery core/shell polymers that have improved heat and ultraviolet light resistance. These polymers can be blended with thermoplastics to make leathery compositions. The core/shell polymers of this invention have an inner core and an outer shell. The inner core is has repeat units which are derived from (a) butyl acrylate, (b) a member selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate, and ethyl acrylate, (c) optionally, an alkoxy ethyl acrylate or an alkoxy ethyl methacrylate, (d) acrylonitrile, (f) a cross-linking agent, and (g) a monomer containing reactive cure sites The outer core has repeat units which are derived from (d) acrylonitrile, (e) styrene, and (f) additional cross-linking agent. The outer core of these polymers is void of repeat units that are derived from methyl methacrylate.
US07973103B2
The present invention discloses a fuser roller composition that contains a fluorocopolymer, an aliphatic ketone organic solvent, metal oxide particles, and a benzyltriphenylphosphonium phenolate salt curing agent. To this composition is added a sufficient amount of 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphenol to extend a time at which viscosity of the composition rises above a predetermined level.
US07973102B2
A resin composition which reduces hydrolysis thereof and reduces the color change thereof at the time of heating and a resin molded object which reduces hydrolysis thereof and reduces quality change of content therein are provided. The resin composition includes a resin and an organically modified layered silicate in which a substituted silyl group having a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group bonds to a layered silicate. The resin molded object is obtained by molding a resin composition including a resin and an organically modified layered silicate in which a substituted silyl group having a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group bonds to a layered silicate.
US07973097B2
An ink jet pigment ink containing water, a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent and a graft copolymer, wherein the graft copolymer has a hydrophilic segment and a hydrophobic segment, the hydrophobic segment is being obtained by copolymerizing an anionic monomer and an aromatic monomer represented by the following formula (1), and the hydrophilic segment is being obtained by polymerizing an anionic monomer wherein Ar is an aromatic ring selected from a benzene ring, a condensed benzene ring and a hetero-aromatic ring, or a derivative thereof, R is H or CH3, and X is O or NH.
US07973092B2
A method for reprocessing used PET bottles having the steps of shredding the bottles to form plastic flakes, sorting the plastic flakes according to at least one criterion into at least two partial quantities, and performing an individual processing treatment including a decontamination treatment. The device permits performing the method whereby it is possible to separate the plastic flakes produced from the threaded part of a PET bottle, these flakes being more difficult to purify, from the lighter plastic flakes from the wall of the bottle, which have a thin wall and are easier to purify, and treating them further in separate reprocessing steps.
US07973087B2
A process is disclosed for converting a feed comprising synthesis gas to liquid hydrocarbons within a single reactor at essentially common reaction conditions. The synthesis gas contacts a catalyst bed comprising a mixture of a synthesis gas conversion catalyst on a support containing an acidic component and a dual functionality catalyst including a hydrogenation component and a solid acid component. The hydrocarbons produced are liquid at about 0° C., contain at least 25% by volume C10+ and are substantially free of solid wax.
US07973082B2
This invention relates to novel substituted aryloxy alkylamines useful as monoamine neurotransmitter re-uptake inhibitors.In other aspects the invention relates to the use of these compounds in a method for therapy and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the invention.
US07973074B2
Monomeric, oligomeric or polymeric compound corresponding to the following formula (I): in which: A represents an optionally substituted polycyclic group, the said polycyclic group comprising at least one group capable of making possible the attachment of a chromophoric group, X1 and X2, which are identical or different, each independently represent a group of formula (II): in which: B and D, which are identical or different, each independently represent an aromatic carbon ring or an aromatic heterocycle which is optionally substituted. Use of the said compound in an optoelectronic device, such as a photovoltaic cell, a field-effect transistor or an electrochemical sensor.Photovoltaic cell comprising an active layer comprising an electron donor composed of the said compound.
US07973072B2
The invention relates to substituted benzo-condensed cyclohexanone derivatives, to a method for the production thereof, to medicaments containing said derivatives and to the use of the inventive compounds for producing medicaments.
US07973071B2
A compound comprising or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, or a metabolite thereof is disclosed herein. Y, A, and B are as described herein. Methods, compositions, and medicaments related to these compounds are also disclosed.
US07973070B2
New (2R,4R) monatin monosodium salt hydrate crystals characterized by having specific characteristic X-ray diffraction peaks provide general-purpose, stable, and safe monatin sodium salt crystals incorporating no organic solvent. These crystal may be prepared by a method that requires no organic solvent in the crystallization, separation, and drying steps. These crystal are useful as sweeteners and for the preparation of orally consumed products, such as foods, beverages, pharmaceutical products, topical pharmaceutical products, and feeds containing general-purpose, stable, and safe monatin sodium salt crystals.
US07973057B2
Thalidomide analogs that modulate tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) activity and angiogenesis are disclosed. In particularly disclosed embodiments, the thalidomide analogs are isosteric sulfur-containing analogs. Also disclosed are methods of treating a subject with the analogs.
US07973053B2
The present invention provides a medicament exhibiting an excellent nerve cell death inhibitory action.The present invention relates to a nerve cell death inhibitor comprising a pitavastatin and donepezil or a salt thereof in combination.
US07973045B2
The invention provides anhydrous forms of dasatinib, methods for their preparation, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US07973044B2
Disclosed are compounds which bind VLA-4. Certain of these compounds also inhibit leukocyte adhesion and, in particular, leukocyte adhesion mediated by VLA-4. Such compounds are useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases in a mammalian patient, e.g., human, such as asthma, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, AIDS dementia, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, tissue transplantation, tumor metastasis and myocardial ischemia. The compounds can also be administered for the treatment of inflammatory brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
US07973040B2
The present invention relates to macrocyclic a compound of formula (I) and its use as inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease, and in treating or preventing HCV infections.
US07973036B2
The present invention disclosed compound 2-methyl-5-imino-benzo[d][1,3]oxazin[5-b]pyrazole and preparation method and uses thereof. The compound 2-methyl-5-imino-benzo[d][1,3]oxazin[5-b]pyrazole of the present invention has the following structure of formula (II), wherein the compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof can be used for preparing the drugs for treatment or prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
US07973034B2
This disclosure relates to amides, aryl sulphonamides, aryl ureas, and α,β-diketones derivatives useful as carboxylesterase esterase inhibitors. The disclosure is also directed to the use of these compounds as selective human intestinal carboxylesterase inhibitors and insect carboxylesterase inhibitors. The disclosure is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions and pesticide formulations containing these compounds, and to methods for treating or ameliorating the toxic effects following administration of drugs such as cancer therapy drugs, treating or ameliorating the effects of a drug overdose, and to the use of the compounds for increasing the effectiveness of insecticides and pesticides.
US07973025B2
Compositions and methods for treating macular degeneration and other forms of retinal disease whose etiology involves the accumulation of A2E and/or lipofuscin, and, more specifically, for preventing the formation and/or accumulation of A2E are disclosed.
US07973021B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an immunomodulating agent in gut that can be ingested continuously in daily diet without adverse side effect. The object is attained by providing an immunomodulating agent in gut comprising a cyclic tetrasaccharide as an effective ingredient.
US07973020B2
The invention relates to a double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) for inhibiting the expression of a gene from the Ebola virus.
US07973017B2
Agents that reduce the amount of IGFBP-2 and/or IGFBP-5 and that are known to be useful in the treatment of cancer result in increased expression of the protein clusterin. Since clusterin can provide protection against apoptosis, this secondary effect detracts from the efficacy of the therapeutic agent. In overcoming this, the present invention provides a combination of therapeutic agents that is useful in the treatment of cancer. The combination includes an agent that reduces the amount of IGFBP-2 and/or IGFBP-5 and that stimulates expression of clusterin as a secondary effect, and an oligonucleotide that is effective to reduce the amount of clusterin in cancer cells. In some embodiments of the invention, the agent that reduces IGFBP-2 and/or IGFBP-5 is a bispecific antisense species. The oligonucleotide may be an antisense oligonucleotide or an RNAi oligonucleotide.
US07973016B2
The present invention relates to methods and kits for treating, reducing, or preventing autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis by administering to a mammal in need thereof an agent that modulates the expression level or biological activity of Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR-9). Also disclosed are screening methods that make use of TLR-9 for the identification of novel therapeutics for autoimmune conditions.
US07973015B2
The present invention provides a method for at least in part decreasing the production of an aberrant protein in a cell, the cell comprising pre-mRNA comprising exons coding for the protein, by inducing so-called exon skipping in the cell. Exon-skipping results in mature MRNA that does not contain the skipped exon, which leads to an altered product of the exon codes for amino acids. Exon skipping is performed by providing a cell with an agent capable of specifically inhibiting an exon inclusion signal, for instance, an exon recognition sequence, of the exon. The exon inclusion signal can be interfered with by a nucleic acid comprising complementarity to a part of the exon. The nucleic acid, which is also herewith provided, can be used for the preparation of a medicament, for instance, for the treatment of an inherited disease.
US07973009B2
Methods for increasing and maintaining hematocrit in a mammal comprising administering a hyperglycosylated analog of erythropoietin are disclosed. An analog may be administered less frequently than an equivalent molar amount of recombinant human erythropoietin to obtain a comparable target hematocrit and treat anemia. Alternatively, a lower molar amount of a hyperglycosylated analog may be administered to obtain a comparable target hematocrit and treat anemia. Also disclosed are new hyperglycosylated erythropoietin analogs, methods of production of the analogs, and compositions comprising the analogs.
US07973005B2
The present invention relates to methods for the treatment of exacerbation periods of pulmonary diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, by administering alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) to a subject in need thereof. Particularly, the present invention discloses the efficient treatment of exacerbation periods of pulmonary diseases by administering AAT via inhalation.
US07973003B2
A laundry stain and soil pretreatment sheet including a water soluble or water dispersible carrier layer, preferably polyvinyl alcohol, a removable separator layer, and a layer of cleaning agent composition therebetween. The separator layer is removed, the composition layer is adhered to a stain on clothing, and the clothing is laundered to treat the stain. The carrier layer dissolves or disperses during the laundering.
US07973002B2
A composition comprising phthalimidoperhexanoic acid (PAP) is provided. The PAP has a particle size of 0.01 to 100 μm and a particle size distribution with x(50) of less than 10 μm. Preferably the composition is a detergent composition.
US07973001B2
A lubricating oil composition of the invention includes a lubricant base oil of which kinematic viscosity at 100 degrees C. is 1 to 5 mm2/s; and at least one component selected from an olefin copolymer (OCP) and a poly-α-olefin (PAO) of which kinematic viscosity at 100° C. is 20 to 2000 mm2/s, a kinematic viscosity of the lubricating oil composition at 100 degrees C. being 8 mm2/s or less and viscosity index thereof being 155 or more.
US07972999B2
A heat transfer oil, comprising: a. a base oil fraction have a traction coefficient less than or equal to 0.015, when measured at a kinematic viscosity of 15 cSt and at a slide to roll ratio of 40 percent; and b. optionally, an antifoam agent; wherein the heat transfer oil has an auto ignition temperature greater than 329° C. (625° F.) and an ASTM Color less than 0.5.
US07972995B2
A drilling fluid additive is provided and the additive consist of: syrup solids which are heated to evaporate water and then admixed with a liquid medium, and the syrup solids are derived from a group consisting essentially of agave syrup, barley syrup, sugar syrup, beets syrup, birch syrup, rice syrup, cane syrup, chocolate syrup, coconut syrup, corn syrup, date syrup, fruit syrup, golden syrup, high fructose corn syrup, karo syrup, citrus fruit syrup, maple syrup, molasses, Muscavado syrup, palm syrup, rice syrup, sorghum syrup, Turbinado syrup, vanilla syrup and mixtures and blends thereof.
US07972992B2
The present invention provides methods of synthesizing a molecule comprising a functional moiety which is operatively linked to an encoding oligonucleotide. The methods include providing an initiator compound comprising an initial functional moiety comprising n building blocks, wherein the initial functional moiety comprises at least one reactive group, and is operatively linked to an initial oligonucleotide; reacting the initiator compound with a building block comprising at least one complementary reactive group, under conditions suitable for reaction of the complementary reactive group to form a covalent bond; and reacting the initial oligonucleotide with an incoming oligonucleotide corresponding to the building block in the presence of an enzyme which catalyzes ligation of the initial oligonucleotide and the incoming oligonucleotide, under conditions suitable for ligation of the incoming oligonucleotide and the initial oligonucleotide to form an encoding oligonucleotide.
US07972982B2
The invention relates to a method for coating sheet-form textile materials, in which there is applied to a sheet-form textile material an aqueous dispersion containing anionically modified polyurethane ureas comprising (A) aromatic diisocyanate, (B) polyether polyol having a mean molecular weight greater than 1500, (C) at least one compound containing from 1 to 2 isocyanate-reactive groups and at least one ionogenic group, (D) polyamine having a mean molecular weight of at least 32, and (E) water, wherein the mean total functionality of the isocyanate-reactive compounds B to D is from 1.85 to 2.2, the molar ratio of the isocyanate groups of component A to the isocyanate-reactive groups of components B to D is greater than 1, and the polyurethane ureas have a content of from 800 to 1500 mmol of urethane groups/kg of anionically modified polyurethane urea and a content of from 800 to 1800 mmol of urethane plus urea groups/kg of anionically modified polyurethane urea.
US07972950B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a dual gate allows for the gates to have a wide variety of threshold voltages. The method includes forming a gate insulation layer, a first capping layer, and a barrier layer in the foregoing sequence across a first region and a second region on a substrate, exposing the gate insulation layer on the first region by removing the first capping layer and the barrier layer from the first region, forming a second capping layer on the gate insulation layer in the first region and on the barrier layer in the second region, and thermally processing the substrate on which the second capping layer is formed. The thermal processing causes material of the second capping layer to spread into the gate insulation layer in the first region and material of the first capping layer to spread into the gate insulation layer in the second region. Thus, devices having different threshold voltages can be formed in the first and second regions.
US07972945B2
A top plate, disposed on an upper portion of a vacuum container so as to face a substrate-placing area of a sample electrode, is provided with an impurity-containing film that contains an impurity, and is formed on a top plate peripheral edge portion area that is a face exposable to a plasma generated in the vacuum container, and is located on a peripheral edge of a top plate center portion area that faces the center portion of the substrate-placing area.
US07972941B2
A gate structure is formed on a substrate. An insulating interlayer is formed covering the gate structure. The substrate is heat treated while exposing a surface of the insulating interlayer to a hydrogen gas atmosphere. A silicon nitride layer is formed directly on the interlayer insulating layer after the heat treatment and a metal wiring is formed on the insulating interlayer. The metal wiring may include copper. Heat treating the substrate while exposing a surface of the interlayer insulating layer to a hydrogen gas atmosphere may be preceded by forming a plug through the first insulating interlayer that contacts the substrate, and the metal wiring may be electrically connected to the plug. The plug may include tungsten.
US07972933B2
Methods of forming semiconductor devices are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of forming a semiconductor device may include providing a substrate having an oxide surface and a silicon surface; forming a nitrogen-containing layer on exposed portions of both the oxide and silicon surfaces; and oxidizing the nitrogen-containing layer to selectively remove the nitrogen-containing layer from atop the oxide surface. In some embodiments, an oxide layer is formed atop a remaining portion of the nitrogen-containing layer formed on the silicon feature. In some embodiments, the oxide surface is an exposed surface of a shallow trench isolate region (STI) disposed adjacent to one or more floating gates of a semiconductor device. In some embodiments, the silicon surface is an exposed surface of a silicon or polysilicon floating gate of a semiconductor device.
US07972932B2
A mark forming method includes forming a first mask layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming at least three first patterns having periodicity on the first mask layer; forming a second mask layer on the first mask layer having the first patterns formed thereon; and forming an opening in the second mask layer to cover at least two patterns on ends of the at least three first patterns, thereby forming a mark composed of exposed ones of the first patterns.
US07972929B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an ONO layer in a memory region and forming several gate oxide layer patterns in a logic region, a nitride layer in the logic region can be used as a hard mask, enabling a reduction in the number of masks used. This results in improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs of a SONOS semiconductor device.
US07972927B2
According to a method of manufacturing a MONOS nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a tunnel insulating film, a charge storage layer, a block insulating film containing a metal oxide and a control gate electrode are stacked on a semiconductor substrate. Heat treatment is carried out in an atmosphere containing an oxidizing gas after the tunnel insulating film, the charge storage layer and the block insulating film are stacked on the semiconductor substrate. Thereafter, the control gate electrode is formed on the block insulating film.
US07972918B1
A semiconductor structure is provided with (i) an empty well having relatively little well dopant near the top of the well and (ii) a filled well having considerably more well dopant near the top of the well. Each well is defined by a corresponding body-material region (108 or 308) of a selected conductivity type. The regions respectively meet overlying zones (104 and 304) of the opposite conductivity type. The concentration of well dopant of the selected conductivity type locally reaches a maximum in each body-material region at a location no more than 10 times deeper below the upper semiconductor surface than the overlying zone's depth, decreases by at least a factor of 10 in moving from the empty-well maximum-concentration location through the overlying zone to the upper surface, and reaches at least one other maximum in moving from the filled-well maximum-concentration location through the other zone to the upper surface.
US07972916B1
The process forms a FET with a channel region that has in plane compressive stress in one direction and in plane tensile stress in a perpendicular direction. The process deposits a germanium silicon sacrificial stressor layer on a silicon substrate so that the germanium silicon is in a state of compressive stress. Etching trenches forms silicon pillars covered by the stressor layer and transfers tensile strain to the upper portion of the pillar. The process fills the trenches with stiff insulating material to maintain the strain in the pillar and etching removes the stressor layer. More etching creates recesses on either side of a channel region in the upper portion of the pillar. Doped germanium silicon layers fill the recesses, apply lateral compressive stress to the pillar's channel region and act as source and drain electrodes. A gate is formed above the strained channel region.
US07972915B2
A method for and devices utilizing monolithic integration of enhancement-mode and depletion-mode AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs) is disclosed. Source and drain ohmic contacts of HFETs are first defined. Gate electrodes of the depletion-mode HFETs are then defined. Gate electrodes of the enhancement-mode HFETs are then defined using fluoride-based plasma treatment and high temperature post-gate annealing of the sample. Device isolation is achieved by either mesa etching or fluoride-based plasma treatment. This method provides a complete planar process for GaN-based integrated circuits favored in high-density and high-speed applications.
US07972905B2
A method of assembling an electronic device and electronic packages therefrom. A die attach adhesive precursor is placed between a top surface of a workpiece and an IC die. The die attach adhesive precursor includes metal particles, a first plurality of first microcapsules having a polymerizable material inside, and a second plurality of second microcapsules having a polymerization agent inside to form a first polymer upon rupture of first and second microcapsules. A force sufficient to rupture at least a portion of the first plurality of first microcapsules and at least a portion of the second plurality of second microcapsules is applied to form a self-healing die attach adhesive wherein the first polymer binds the plurality of metal particles and the remaining microcapsules and secures the IC die to the top surface of the workpiece. The self-healing die attach adhesive generally includes at least 90 vol. % metal.
US07972901B2
A method of manufacturing a package including manufacturing a substrate to include at least one layer of LCP material, manufacturing a cover made of LCP material to include a lower lip, and sealing the cover to the substrate by heating the interface between the lower lip and the substrate.
US07972891B2
An image sensor and a method for manufacturing the same that includes photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating layer formed over the semiconductor substrate, the first insulating layer including a seed pattern corresponding spatially to the positions of the photodiodes, lower microlenses composed of an organic material formed over the seed pattern, a second insulating layer formed over the lower microlenses, a third insulating layer formed over the second insulating layer, color filters formed over the third insulating layer, and upper micro lenses formed over the color filters.
US07972885B1
This invention relates to imaging device and its related transferring technologies to independent substrate able to attain significant broadband capability covering the wavelengths from ultra-violet (UV) to long-Infrared. More particularly, this invention is related to the broadband image sensor (along with its manufacturing technologies), which can detect the light wavelengths ranges from as low as UV to the wavelengths as high as 20 μm covering the most of the wavelengths using of the single monolithic image sensor on the single wafer. This invention is also related to the integrated circuit and the bonding technologies of the image sensor to standard integrated circuit for multicolor imaging, sensing, and advanced communication. Our innovative approach utilizes surface structure having more than micro-nano-scaled 3-dimensional (3-D) blocks which can provide broad spectral response. Utilizing multiple micro-nano scaled blocks help to increase the absorption spectra more than the material used as the absorption layer. In addition, utilizing the multiple nano-scaled 3-D blocks help to increase the absorption over the wavelength due to the multiple reflections and diffractions inside the 3-D structures. The absorption layers will be designed to achieve the required quantum efficiency and also required speed.
US07972884B2
An example of the present invention is a micromechanical device including, a substrate in which a signal line is provided, a micromachine which is mounted on the substrate, is formed of a conductive material into a beam-like shape, is elastically deformed by a function of an electric field in such a manner that the beam-like part moves closer to or apart from the signal line, and changes the electric characteristics concomitantly with the deformation, a deformation restraint section constituted of a material having a higher viscosity coefficient than the conductive material, provided on the opposite side of the micromachine to the signal line, for restraining deformation of the micromachine in a direction in which the micromachine is separated from the signal line, and a sealing body provided on the principal surface of the substrate, for covering the micromachine with a hollow section located therebetween.
US07972881B2
A heat spreader for an LED can include a thermally conductive and optically transparent member. The bottom side of the heat spreader can be configured to attach to a light emitting side of the LED. The top and/or bottom surface of the heat spreader can have a phosphor layer formed thereon. The heat spreader can be configured to conduct heat from the LED to a package. The heat spreader can be configured to conduct heat from the phosphors to the package. By facilitating the removal of heat from the LED and phosphors, more current can be used to drive the LED. The use of more current facilitates the construction of a brighter LED, which can be used in applications such as flashlights, displays, and general illumination. By facilitating the removal of heat from the phosphors, desired colors can be better provided.
US07972871B2
Disclosed is a testing device and methods for the identification of an analyte of interest in a sample. In a preferred embodiment, the testing device includes a front panel having at least one sample application aperture; a rear panel having at least one solvent application aperture; a sample collection matrix disposed between the rear panel and the front panel, the sample collection matrix being in communication with the sample and solvent application apertures of the front and rear panels; and at least one insertable test strip containing a reagent enabling detection of the analyte of interest.
US07972859B2
A method of determining authenticity of an ingestible product purportedly from a batch of saccharide-marked ingestible product is provided. The ingestible product is a food, beverage, or pharmaceutical, for example. The method includes identifying a sample of the ingestible product to be tested; and testing the sample for a marked presence of the saccharide using a saccharide-specific binding protein. The ingestible product is not authentic when the testing demonstrates an unexpected change in the marked presence of the saccharide, and the ingestible product is authentic when the testing demonstrates no unexpected change in the marked presence of the saccharide.
US07972858B2
Described herein are methods for analyzing polymer molecules. These methods are employed for the high throughput readout of DNA and RNA molecules with single molecule sensitivity. The method of the present invention comprises (1) the electrically controlled unzipping of DNA (or RNA) double strands, and (2) the readout of the molecule's identity (or code) using one or more molecule signal detection.
US07972850B2
A method of differentiating embryonic stem cells into neural and motor cells is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention comprises culturing a population of cells comprising a majority of cells that are characterized by an early rosette morphology and are Sox1−/Pax6+ in the presence of FGF2, FGF4, FGF8, FGF 9, or RA wherein the cells are characterized by an neural tube-like rosette morphology and are Pax6+/Sox1+.
US07972844B2
The present invention is directed to nuclear factor κB (NFκB)-inducing factor polypeptides (NFIF polypeptides) which are capable of inducing NFκB. The present invention includes within its scope NFIF polypeptides, including NFIF-14b and NFIF-7a, DNA, including cDNA, encoding these polypeptides, and expression vectors capable of expressing NFIF polypeptides. Also included are methods and compositions for increasing NFκB induction in a patient, methods and compositions for lowering NFκB induction in a patient, methods for inhibiting inflammation, and methods for manufacture of a medicament intended for the treatment and/or prevention of an NFκB-regulated inflammatory response. In addition, methods for determining whether a test compound inhibits or enhances the activity of NFIF polypeptides are provided.
US07972838B2
A reagent container having an inner surface upon which at least two reagents are dried, with the first reagent dried on a first area separate from a second area where the second reagent is dried. The first and second reagents are a nucleic acid polymerase and its substrate. A method is disclosed which includes dispensing at least the first and second reagents onto separate areas of the inner surface of the reagent container, and removing excess water from the reagents. The reagent container can be used in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, an assay that utilizes a reverse transcriptase, a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, an immuno-PCR assay, a nucleic acid sequence based assay, a proximity ligation assay, a ligase chain reaction assay, a rolling circle amplification assay, and a strand displacement amplification assay.
US07972837B2
Dipstick tests for detecting analyte are described. In a preferred embodiment, a multiple biotinylated antibody capable of binding analyte is bound to an anti-biotin antibody labeled with colloidal gold and wicked up the dipstick with test solution thought to contain analyte. Complex formed between analyte, biotinylated anti-analyte antibody, and colloidal gold labeled anti-biotin antibody is captured at a capture zone of the dipstick. Presence of colloidal gold label at the capture zone indicates the presence of analyte in the test solution. The sensitivity of analyte detection using such methods is an order of magnitude higher than for comparable methods in which biotinylated anti-analyte antibody bound to analyte is wicked up the dipstick in a first step, and a colloidal gold labeled anti-biotin antibody is wicked up the dipstick in a separate step. Kits for performing the tests of the invention are also described.
US07972834B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide nucleic acid molecules encoding improved fluorescent mutants of the Katushka fluorescent protein, variants and derivatives thereof, as well as proteins and peptides encoded by these nucleic acids. Also of interest are proteins that are substantially similar to, or derivatives, or homologues, or mutants of, the above-referenced specific proteins. Also provided are fragments of the nucleic acids and the peptides encoded thereby, as well as antibodies specific to the proteins and peptides of the invention. In addition, host-cells, stable cell lines and transgenic organisms comprising the above-referenced nucleic acid molecules are provided. The subject protein and nucleic acid compositions find use in a variety of different applications and methods, particularly for labeling of biomolecules, cells or cell organelles. Finally, kits for use in such methods and applications are provided.
US07972826B2
Provided are methods of liquefaction, saccharification and fermentation of pre-treated lignocellulosic biomass in production of bioethanol. Addition of PEG or surfactant is effective to enhance cellulase hydrolysis yields at high dry matter (>20%) at surprisingly low concentrations compared with comparable results in low dry matter hydrolysis. This effect is most pronounced at comparatively low cellulase loading <7 FPU (g DM)−1. At high dry matter content, cellulase enzyme consumption can be reduced, without loss of hydrolysis yield, by addition of small quantities of PEG or surfactant.
US07972824B2
The present invention relates to methods for increasing the efficiency of anaerobic fermentation processes (1) that produce acetate as a by-product in addition to a desired product, and (2) that can utilize hydrogen and/or carbon dioxide in the fermentation. The method comprises the steps of converting acetate produced by the fermentation process into hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, and utilizing hydrogen gas and/or carbon dioxide gas obtained from the acetate conversion in the anaerobic fermentation process. In particular aspects, the invention relates to processes of producing alcohols, particularly ethanol.
US07972821B2
A method for the production of functional proteins including hormones by renal cells in a three dimensional culturing process responsive to shear stress uses a rotating wall vessel. Natural mixture of renal cells expresses the enzyme 1-α-hydroxylase which can be used to generate the active form of vitamin D: 1,25-diOH vitamin D3. The fibroblast cultures and co-culture of renal cortical cells express the gene for erythropoietin and secrete erythropoietin into the culture supernatant. Other shear stress response genes are also modulated by shear stress, such as toxin receptors megalin and cubulin (gp280). Also provided is a method of treating an in-need individual with the functional proteins produced in a three dimensional co-culture process responsive to shear stress using a rotating wall vessel.
US07972819B2
Provided is a method of disrupting cells comprising adding gold nanorods to a solution containing cells and irradiating the gold nanorods with a laser to disrupt the cells. A method and an apparatus for continuously disrupting cells and amplifying nucleic acids in a single microchamber are also provided, wherein the method comprises introducing a solution containing cells and gold nanorods into a microchamber, irradiating a laser onto the gold nanorods to disrupt the cells, and amplifying a nucleic acid from the disrupted cells in the microchamber.
US07972807B1
Disclosed are diagnostic tests helpful in indicating presence of an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in a human patient. In one embodiment, the test comprises obtaining a sample of mucosal tissue from the ileum or sigmoid colon of the patient; evaluating sample quality by testing for cadaverine and continuing the diagnostic test if the sample has no detectable cadaverine; testing the cadaverine negative sample for N-acetylated spermine; and correlating a detectable level of N-acetylated spermine in the sample with presence of IBD in the patient. Another, less invasive, method disclosed includes a diagnostic test comprising isolating mononuclear leukocytes from the patient's blood; testing the isolated mononuclear leukocytes for level of spermidine; and correlating a level of spermidine higher than that in mononuclear leukocytes of normal subjects as indicative of an inflammatory bowel disease in the patient.
US07972804B2
The invention is directed to methods of screening for HLA antibodies comprising detecting antibodies specific for native HLA antigens and denatured HLA antigens. The invention also provides for method of predicting whether a transplant recipient has an increased risk for rejecting the transplanted organ.
US07972802B2
The invention provides methods of screening a mammalian subject to determine if the subject is at risk to develop, or is suffering from, cardiovascular disease. The methods comprise detecting an amount of at least one biomarker in a biological sample, or HDL subfraction thereof, from the subject, and comparing the detected amount of the biomarker to a predetermined value, where a difference between the detected amount and the predetermined value is indicative of the presence or risk of cardiovascular disease in the subject. In some embodiments, the biomarker comprises at least one of ApoC-IV, Paraoxonase 1, C3, C4, ApoA-IV, ApoE, ApoL1, C4B1, Histone H2A, ApoC-II, ApoM, Vitronectin, Haptoglobin-related protein, and Clusterin, or combinations thereof.
US07972790B2
The present invention provides for selection of livestock animals, including bovines, whose genotypes based in the STAT6 gene are correlated with phenotypes reflecting desirable carcass and feedlot traits. These phenotypes include back fat (BFAT), calculated yield grade (CALCYG), cutability (CUT), hot carcass weight (HCW), dry matter intake (DMI), days on feed (DOF), back fat rate (BFAT RATE) and average daily gain (ADG), based on the knowledge of the STAT6 genotypes. The predictive value is based in part on the discovery that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the STAT6 gene are linked to phenotypes of economically these important carcass and feedlot traits. Also provided are SNPs within the STAT6 gene useful in reliably distinguishing between a Bos taurus and a Bos indicus bovine. The invention provides methods and compositions for determining STAT6 genotypes and for screening livestock animals to predict which animals will have desirable carcass traits and feedlot traits, allowing producers to selectively breed and manage animals based on desired characteristics, thereby maximizing productivity and profitability in commercial meat production operations.
US07972788B2
It is an object of the present invention to find substances that can be used as skin aging markers, and the present invention provides a method for determining the degree of skin aging, including measurement of expression of secretory proteins and/or intracellular proteins and/or their genes in skin cells and/or skin tissues, wherein the secretory proteins and/or intracellular proteins change their expression with aging of skin. The present invention also provides a kit for determining the degree of skin aging and a method for identifying substances effective in the prevention of skin aging.
US07972782B2
A novel nuclear receptor, termed the steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR), a broad-specificity sensing receptor that is a novel branch of the nuclear receptor superfamily, has been discovered. SXR forms a heterodimer with RXR that can bind to and induce transcription from response elements present in steroid-inducible cytochrome P450 genes in response to hundreds of natural and synthetic compounds with biological activity, including therapeutic steroids as well as dietary steroids and lipids. Instead of hundreds of receptors, one for each inducing compound, the invention SXR receptors monitor aggregate levels of inducers to trigger production of metabolizing enzymes in a coordinated metabolic pathway. Agonists and antagonists of SXR are administered to subjects to achieve a variety of therapeutic goals dependent upon modulating metabolism of one or more endogenous steroids or xenobiotics to establish homeostasis. An assay is provided for identifying steroid drugs that are likely to cause drug interaction if administered to a subject in therapeutic amounts. Transgenic animals are also provided which express human SXR, thereby serving as useful models for human response to various agents which potentially impact P450-dependent metabolic processes.
US07972779B2
The present invention relates to diagnostic methods for assessing predisposition of a subject to a mental disorder phenotype having an association with an at-risk allele of a brain-functional gene having a plurality of alleles, the association being conditioned by a pathogenic environmental risk factor status condition. Additionally, the invention relates to methods for discovering a conditional association between a mental disorder phenotype and an at-risk allele of a brain-functional gene having a plurality of alleles, the association being conditioned by a pathogenic environmental risk factor status condition.
US07972774B2
The invention provides reagents and methods for detecting pathogen infections in human samples. This detection utilizes specific proteins to detect the presence of pathogen proteins or abnormal expression of human proteins resulting from pathogen infections. Specific methods, compositions and kits are disclosed herein for the detection of oncogenic Human papillomavirus E6 proteins in clinical samples.
US07972771B2
A novel carboxypeptidase and the encoding gene thereof were successfully identified by screening a human hippocampus extract using brain-APP-cleaving activity as an index. This protein and its gene are useful in, for example, preventing, treating, examining, and diagnosing diseases that cause accumulation of Aβ in the brain, including senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, hereditary cerebral hemorrhage, and cephalic contusion.
US07972768B1
This invention relates to systems, apparatus and methods of operating a wet combustion engine and apparatus therefore, capable of biologically burning fuels within a wet combustion chamber within a bioproactor system, including but not limited to, organic carbon containing materials especially biological, hazardous or toxic waste contaminants, in an environmentally sensitive manner. An integrated computer control system that, proactively and pre-emptively, uses feedback from bio-sensors, to monitor, record and control applicable components of the bio-system, to optimize, replenish, and sustain exponential growth of selected life-forms, including but not limited to microbes such as bacteria. In the intake cycle, a suitably prepared fuel mixture is metered into the wet combustion diffusion separation membrane chamber located within the life-support chamber of the bioproactor. In the combustion cycle, diffusion and combustion rates are monitored and timed. In the exhaust cycle, products of combustion, including water and incomplete combustion by-products both organic and inorganic, are removed. The above cycles may be repeated sequentially. The subsequent accumulation of all of the exhaust cycle's products of combustion may be collected, stored, classified, separated, recycled or discharged. Some of the potential energy released during the combustion cycle's reaction directly results in the conversion of wastes, the generation of gases and, in the case of organic carbon fuels, the generation of water. Other uses of the kinetic and potential energy released by this engine include, but are not limited to the, mechanical movements of actuators, and heat transfer to heat exchangers.
US07972763B2
The present invention provides a chemically amplified positive resist composition comprising (A) a resin obtainable by reacting a novolak resin, a poly(hydroxystyrene) and a compound having at least two vinyl ether structures, and (B) an acid generator.
US07972762B2
Provided are a positive resist composition and a resist pattern forming method having fewer defects and superior lithographic characteristics. The positive resist composition includes a resin component (A) which has on a main chain a structural unit derived from an (α-lower alkyl)acrylate ester and exhibits increased alkali solubility under the action of an acid, and an acid generating component (B) which generates the acid upon irradiation with radiation, in which the resin component (A) is a copolymer having at least two structural units which is obtained by incorporating an acid when polymerizing at least one monomer for the production thereof.
US07972754B2
To provide a fluorinated polymer which enables to reduce the amount of residual ink on partition walls and to form an ink layer having high uniformity in film thickness, and a negative photosensitive composition.A fluorinated polymer which is a copolymer made of at least two monomers each having an ethylenic double bond, and which has a side chain having a C20 or lower alkyl group in which at least one of its hydrogen atoms is substituted by a fluorine atom (provided that the alkyl group may contain an etheric oxygen atom between carbon atoms) and a side chain having at least two ethylenic double bonds per side chain.
US07972753B2
Masks for microlithography apparatus, methods for making such masks, and methods for exposing photosensitive materials to form arrays of microfeatures on semiconductor wafers using such masks. In one embodiment, a method of making a mask comprises forming a mask layer on a substrate and identifying a first opening in the mask layer corresponding to a first feature site at which an intensity of the radiation at a focal zone is less than the intensity of the radiation at the focal zone for a second feature site corresponding to a second opening in the mask. The second opening is adjacent or at least proximate the first opening. The method can further include forming a first surface at the first opening and a second surface at the second opening such that radiation passing through the second opening constructively interferes with radiation passing through the first opening at the focal zone.
US07972749B2
A fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell stack providing high voltage power. A tap is electrically coupled to the positive end of the stack to provide a positive voltage output terminal of the fuel cell stack, and a tap is electrically coupled to the negative end of the stack to provide a negative output terminal of the fuel cell stack. A low voltage tap is electrically coupled to one or more intermediate bipolar plates of the stack to provide low voltage power. Several intermediate taps can be electrically coupled to the bipolar plates, where a center intermediate tap is designated a reference potential tap. A switching network switches the several voltage potentials to provide an AC signal.
US07972744B2
A composite electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell is disclosed. The membrane is formed of a polymer having layers of a clay-based cation exchange material. The substrate comprises an electrode formed from a solution that has an exfoliated, inorganic, sodium-based cation exchange material, an ionically conductive polymer-based material, and a solvent-dispersant.
US07972735B2
A fuel cell system capable of performing activation for stabilizing electrical characteristics of a fuel cell with suppressing generation of polarity inversion associated with drying of a polymer electrolyte membrane and excess power consumption. An activation method for a fuel cell, the fuel cell system including a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode that are provided on both sides of a polymer electrolyte membrane; a resistance detector for detecting an internal resistance of the fuel cell; a load connection portion having a mechanism for connecting a resistor between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode; and a control unit for controlling the load connection portion. The control unit controls the operation of the load connection portion based on a value of the inner resistance of the fuel cell, which is detected by the resistance detector.
US07972726B2
Primary alkaline batteries containing pentavalent bismuth metal oxides are disclosed.
US07972724B2
A negative electrode for a lithium rechargeable battery is provided. The negative electrode includes a current collector, a thermosetting resin layer disposed on the current collector, and a negative active material layer disposed on the thermosetting resin layer. Metal ions in the current collector are diffused into the thermosetting resin layer, creating a concentration gradient of metal ions in the thermosetting resin layer. The metal ions diffused into the thermosetting resin layer react with the thermosetting resin to form metal compounds.
US07972710B2
An electrical connector including a base pad formed of aluminum and having a bottom surface. An electrical contact can be connected to the base pad. A layer of copper can be on the bottom surface of the base pad.
US07972708B2
A heat shield for shielding an object against heat and/or noise has at least one metal layer having a first and a second surface, beyond at least one of which a plurality of embossments projects. At least a part of the embossments differ from the remaining embossments in their size.
US07972706B2
This invention provides a multi-layer film or sheet prepared by coextruding or laminating polypropylene with one or more polyethylene(s), characterised in that the adhesion between a polypropylene layer and a polyethylene layer is provided by a metallocene-produced polyethylene.
US07972703B2
Baffle wafers of polycrystalline silicon are placed in non-production slots of a support tower for thermal processing monocrystalline silicon wafers. The polycrystalline silicon is preferably randomly oriented Czochralski polysilicon grown using a randomly oriented seed, for example, CVD grown silicon. An all-silicon hot zone of a thermal furnace may include a silicon support tower placed within a silicon liner and supporting the polysilicon baffle wafers with silicon injector tube providing processing gas within the liner. The randomly oriented polysilicon may be used for other parts requiring a rugged member, for example, within a silicon processing chamber and for structural members.
US07972699B2
An optically transparent and electrically conductive single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) film comprises a plurality of interpenetrated single walled carbon nanotubes, wherein for a 100 nm film the film has sufficient interpenetration to provide a 25° C. sheet resistance of less than 200 ohm/sq. The film also provides at least 20% optical transmission throughout a wavelength range from 0.4 μm to 5 μm.
US07972698B2
The core panel includes a plurality of carbon foam blocks. One or more of the blocks have a cell volume wherein at least about 90% of the cells have a diameter of between at least about 10 microns and about 150 microns. Also at least about 1% of the cell volume of the block has cells having a diameter of about 0.8 microns to about 3.5 microns.
US07972696B2
Particles with a structural surface which are useful to produce abrasion resistant self-cleaning surfaces contain particulate solid particles having a superstructured overlayer of fine particles. The particles may be prepared by polymerizing a polymerizable siloxane, silane, or mixture thereof in a Pickering emulsion.
US07972685B2
A composition of a fiber reinforced multi-layered laminate that when compression-molded forms a composite having a Class-A surface that is resin rich. The fiber reinforced multi-layered laminate has an outer layer of a cyclic polyester oligomer containing a latent polymerization catalyst; a glass mat; a core layer of a cyclic polyester oligomer containing a latent polymerization catalyst; a second glass mat, and another outer layer of a cyclic polyester oligomer containing a latent polymerization catalyst. When compression molded, the combination of heat and pressure force the core layer through the permeable glass mats and toward the surface. The latent polymerization catalyst initiates polymerization of the cyclic polyester oligomer forming a Class-A surface that is resin rich. The core layer of a cyclic polyester oligomer thoroughly permeates the reinforcing fiber forming a composite having a middle, with a nearly uniform mixture of reinforced glass fiber and thermoplastic in situ polymerized resin.
US07972684B2
A transparent conductive laminated body (1) contains a polymer film having a metallic compound layer and a transparent conductive layer laminated sequentially on at least one surface thereof, (2) the metallic compound layer is in contact with the transparent conductive layer, and (3) the metallic compound layer has a thickness of 0.5 nm or more and less than 10.0 nm.
US07972675B2
A friction material has a resin amount distribution that is the largest at a portion near a non-friction surface, that becomes lower toward an inside and that is the lowest at a portion near a friction surface. For example, such friction material is manufacture as follows. First, two friction materials are overlapped while the friction surfaces faced with each other. Then, the friction materials are dried at a room temperature. At this time, the resin has such a characteristic as to move while dragged by a solvent that dries from the non-friction surface located outside. Using such characteristic, the resin amount at the portion near the friction surface is lessened. Then, a temperature at the friction surface is made low and a temperature at the non-friction surface is made high in a drying step of the friction material. Thereby, the resin amount at the portion near the friction surface is lessened.
US07972668B2
A laminated construction having a first layer having a plurality of criss-crossing foamed filaments adhered to each other and defining a net, an impermeable layer laminated to the first layer along two opposite longitudinal edges to form a sleeve, and a perforated pipe extending within the sleeve. In another embodiment, a porous membrane surrounds the layer having a plurality of criss-crossing foamed filaments adhered to each other. In another embodiment, the laminated construction forms a pipe having a first layer having a plurality of criss-crossing foamed filaments adhered to each other and defining a net, an impermeable layer laminated to the first layer along two opposite longitudinal edges to form a sleeve, and a plurality of loose fill elements are within the sleeve for passage of fluid therethrough.
US07972663B2
A method of forming a silicon nitride layer is described. According to the present invention, a silicon nitride layer is deposited by thermally decomposing a silicon/nitrogen containing source gas or a silicon containing source gas and a nitrogen containing source gas at low deposition temperatures (e.g., less than 550° C.) to form a silicon nitride layer. The thermally deposited silicon nitride layer is then treated with hydrogen radicals to form a treated silicon nitride layer.
US07972661B2
An electrospraying apparatus and/or method is used to coat particles. For example, a flow including at least one liquid suspension may be provided through at least one opening at a spray dispenser end. The flow includes at least particles and a coating material. A spray of microdroplets suspending at least the particles is established forward of the spray dispenser end by creating a nonuniform electrical field between the spray dispenser end and an electrode electrically isolated therefrom. The particles are coated with at least a portion of the coating material as the microdroplet evaporates. For example, the suspension may include biological material particles.
US07972656B2
Coating compositions, articles, and methods of coating articles are provided. The coating compositions and methods provide abrasion resistant formable coatings when cured on a substrate. The articles can be formed after the coating compositions are applied to a substrate and cured. Abrasion resistant, tintable coatings are also provided.
US07972654B2
A planarizing coating method for filling a step between patterns formed on a board surface, includes the steps of: preparing at least two types of coating liquids different in non-volatile matter densities, first coating one of the coating liquids higher in density on the board surface, rotating the board so as to leave the one coating liquid inside the step and such that, at the same time, substantially none of the one coating liquid is left on a pattern crest of the patterns, subsequently coating another of the coating liquids lower in non-volatile matter density on the board surface, and rotating the board so that the coating liquid lower in density is left on a coating film comprising the one coating liquid higher in density and such that, at the same time, substantially none of the other coating liquid lower in density left on the pattern crest.
US07972648B2
A method of forming an implant to be implanted into living bone is disclosed. The method comprises the act of roughening at least a portion of the implant surface to produce a microscale roughened surface. The method further comprises forming a nanoscale roughened surface on the microscale roughened surface. The method further comprises the act of depositing discrete nanoparticles on the nanoscale roughened surface though a one-step process of exposing the roughened surface to a solution including the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles comprise a material having a property that promotes osseointegration.
US07972645B2
An extract from a tuber of a Dioscorea plant is disclosed. Also disclosed is a composition containing an extract from a tuber of a Dioscorea plant, as well as methods of using the extract and composition.
US07972636B2
The present invention relates to a beverage containing bamboo extract as a main ingredient, for details, a beverage containing bamboo extract as the main ingredient, which is useful for amelioration of diabetes, cancer, life-style related diseases or the like. A beverage characterized in containing, as the main ingredient, bamboo extract obtained through the process comprising the steps by immersing bamboo in water and extracting the bamboo extract with heating the water to 95° C. or higher and maintaining the temperature for a period of 2 hr 45 min to 3 hr 15 min.
US07972635B2
This invention relates to compositions comprising a polymer base incorporating antifouling compositions suitable for use in aquaculture, marine and architectural systems as paints, structures or coatings. In particular, the present invention relates to a polymer based coating incorporating a biocidal antifouling composition suitable for use with aquaculture equipment. The present invention provides polyethylene compositions and latex compounds which may comprise at least one environmentally benign phytochemicals suitable for use in preventing the colonization of a treated surface by a variety of biological species. The compositions of the invention may further comprise control release agents such as, for example, micro-encapsulation of the phytochemicals to maintain sustained and prolonged release of the biocidal agents at the treated surface.
US07972634B2
A gel-type bird aversion composition consists of, on the basis of weight, 30 to 90% of a thickening agent, 0.01 to 4% of an ultraviolet ray absorbent, 0.1 to 20% of methyl anthranilate, 0.1 to 10% of cinnamon essential oil, 0.1 to 20% of mint essential oil; 5 to 40% by weight of mineral oil or grease; and 1 to 10% by weight of emulsifier.
US07972631B2
The present invention provides novel compositions and methods for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical use in an animal, preferably in a human. In one aspect, compositions and methods are provided for promoting cell growth, tissue repair and organ regeneration, preferably in vivo and in situ. The composition comprises a sterol compound dissolved in oil at a concentration at least 0.5% by weight. The compositions may be used in the treatment of various conditions caused by injury, diseases and aging. As shown clinically, the methodology disclosed in the present invention was used successfully to regenerate or clone a new organ through cultivation of regenerative stem cells in vivo and in situ.
US07972626B2
Nasal pharmaceutical formulations comprising a drug substance having a specific particle size distribution profile are disclosed herein. Such profile provides increased bioavailability, increased efficacy or prolonged therapeutic effect of the drug substance when administered intranasally. The formulations of the present invention may comprise one or more corticosteroids having a specific particle size distribution profile. In a preferred embodiment, the corticosteroid is fluticasone or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof for the treatment of one or more symptoms of rhinitis. Preferably, the drug substance is fluticasone propionate. The formulations herein may be provided as an aqueous suspension suitable for inhalation via the intranasal route.
US07972622B1
Consumable or dissolvable tablets are manufactured by supplying a liquid containing a biodissolvable carrier to an outlet; establishing an electric field between the outlet and a support surface to cause liquid issuing from the outlet to form at least one fiber or fibrils of the biodissolvable carrier which fiber or fibrils deposit(s) onto the surface to form a fiber web or mat; separating the web or mat into a plurality of individual tablets; and incorporating at least one active ingredient on or in the tablets.
US07972612B2
A subject of the present invention is to find utility of a combination of a Rho kinase inhibitor having a novel action and a β-blocker as a therapeutic agent for glaucoma. Actions of reducing intraocular pressure are complemented and/or enhanced each other by combining the Rho kinase inhibitor with the β-blocker. For the administration mode, each drug can be administered in combination or in mixture.
US07972611B2
This document relates to methods and materials involved in fungus-induced inflammation and eosinophil degranulation. For example, isolated nucleic acids encoding fungal polypeptides, fungal polypeptides, methods for assessing fungus-induced inflammation, methods for assessing eosinophil degranulation, and methods for identifying inhibitors of fungus-induced inflammation and/or eosinophil degranulation are provided.
US07972598B2
Fusion proteins which bind and inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The VEGF-binding fusion proteins are therapeutically useful for treating VEGF-associated conditions and diseases, and are specifically designed for local administration to specific organs, tissues, and/or cells.
US07972595B2
Methods and compositions for protecting and treating a muscarinic receptor in a subject in need thereof from dysfunction not resulting from oxidative stress, toxic actions of metals or metal ions, or infectious agents by administering a pyrophosphate analog.
US07972592B2
Live virus vaccines comprise attenuated viruses, while other vaccines comprise killed viruses or parts thereof. It has now been found that the immune response induced by oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), which is a live vaccine, is cross-reactive with non-polio enteroviruses. OPV is therefore useful in the prevention of non-polio enterovirus diseases, especially Type 1 diabetes mellitus (IDDM). OPV is also useful in combination with killed/subunit non-polio enterovirus vaccines, whereby it prevents harmful side-effects of the killed/subunit vaccine by shifting the immune response from a harmful Th2-type response to a Th1 type response.
US07972583B2
An iron silicide sputtering target in which the oxygen as a gas component in the target is 1000 ppm or less and a method of manufacturing such an iron silicide sputtering target are provided. The method includes the steps of melting/casting high purity iron and silicon under high vacuum to prepare an alloy ingot, subjecting the ingot to gas atomization with inert gas to prepare fine powder, and thereafter sintering the fine powder. The amount of impurities in the target will be reduced, the thickness of a βFeSi2 film during deposition can be made thick, the generation of particles will be reduced, a uniform and homogenous film composition can be yielded, and the sputtering characteristics will be favorable. The foregoing manufacturing method is able to stably produce the target.
US07972582B2
An apparatus for treating an exhaust gas that includes a pre-treatment section that removes a powdery component, a water-soluble component or a hydrolytic component from the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas contains a fluorine compound and CO. A heating oxidative decomposing section performs heating oxidative decomposition of at least one of the fluorine compound and CO to detoxify the exhaust gas. The apparatus also has a post-treatment section for post-treating an acid gas such as HF which has been produced by the heating oxidative decomposition.
US07972581B1
First, the emission amount of nitrogen oxides can be decreased close to zero as much as possible, and the emission amount of carbon monoxide is decreased to a permissible range. Second, energy saving by combustion at a low air ratio close to 1.0 is realized. Third, air ratio control is performed stably in a combustion region at a low air ratio.The present invention includes: a combustion step of burning hydrocarbon-containing fuel in the burner, thereby generating gas free of hydrocarbons but containing oxygen, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide; a hazardous-substance decreasing step of bringing the gas into contact with an oxidation catalyst, thereby oxidizing carbon monoxide contained in the gas by oxygen and reducing nitrogen oxides by carbon monoxide; and a concentration ratio adjusting step of adjusting a concentration ratio of oxygen, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide in gas on a primary side of the oxidation catalyst to a predetermined concentration ratio in which a concentration of nitrogen oxides on a secondary side of the oxidation catalyst is decreased to substantially zero or a value equal to or lower than a predetermined value and a concentration of carbon monoxide on the secondary side of the oxidation catalyst is also decreased to substantially zero or a value equal to or lower than a predetermined value.
US07972576B2
A fluidic device comprising a capillary for conducting a fluid and a pivot arm configured for being pivoted, wherein the pivot arm supports at least a portion of the capillary, and a part of the capillary is coiled to at least partially compensate stress resulting from pivoting of the pivot arm.
US07972570B2
A distributor nozzle for a two-phase charge, to be used in fixed-bed reactors in order to increase the area over which the mixture is dispersed and to make its flow rate the same over the whole area of the bed in the reactor. The device includes a number of fixing bars and a deflector cone frustum. The deflector cones or cone frusta may have more than one angle in order to improve the distribution, and they have a number of apertures or slits and a number of vertical directing elements or a directing cage or frame to direct the stream of the two-phase charge in order to increase the area over which the mixture is dispersed and to make its flow rate the same over the entire area of the bed in the reactor.
US07972569B2
A catalyst includes a carrier body and a catalytic portion carried by the carrier body. The catalytic portion includes a plurality of distinct layers of catalytic material, which layers may be deposited through atomic layer deposition techniques. The catalyst may have a selectivity for the conversion of alkanes to alkenes of over 50%. The catalyst may be incorporated in a reactor such as a fluidized bed reactor or a single pass reactor.
US07972565B2
An apparatus for stripping gases from catalyst material comprises baffles having a second face that extends toward a downcomer channel between baffles to spread catalyst out on adjacent baffles for better contact with stripping gas.
US07972549B2
A process, and related structure, uses conventional pelletized compositions to form the elements of a non-textile fabric by coining a single pellet or briquette of a polymer into an individual element in a single forming step. The steps of the process generally include: a) positioning a pellet in or adjacent to a mold cavity, and b) forcing the pellet into contact with the mold surfaces of the mold cavity to plastically deform the pellet to the shape of the mold cavity. The forcing step preferably uses an energy and speed where the pellet superplastically deforms to substantially fill the mold cavity. This process is repeated with the elements being formed in the appropriate order to form a non-textile fabric. The elements thus formed can have a variety of shapes, and can form base units for the formation of the non-textile fabric of two, three or more elements.
US07972548B2
Method for making, modifying and using machinable composite molds for use in molding composite structures. The mold includes a mold body having a tool surface that is shaped to provide the molded surface of the composite structure. The mold body is made up of at least one mold layer composed of a quasi-isotropic material composed of a plurality of randomly oriented fiber bundles or chips impregnated with a resin. The use of randomly oriented fiber chips allows post-cure machining of the mold body.
US07972543B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing microspheres that are solid microparticles or liquid microparticles for use as an emulsion employed in the food industry, production of medicine and cosmetic etc. or an emulsion for DDS (drug delivery system). The object is attained by a process for producing a microsphere including: separating a disperse phase from a continuous phase by a substrate 1 having a through-hole 7; and extruding the disperse phase into the continuous phase through the through-hole 7, in which the substrate having the through-hole 7 with a width of 0.5 to 500 μm, a depth of 10 μm to 6000 μm and a ratio of the width to the depth of the through-hole 7 of 1 to 1/30 is a metal substrate.
US07972540B2
A process to fabricate an electronic device comprising: (a) liquid depositing a composition comprising a liquid, silver-containing nanoparticles, a replacement stabilizer comprising a carboxylic acid on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles, and a residual amount of an initial stabilizer on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles, resulting in a deposited composition; and (b) heating the deposited composition to form an electrically conductive layer comprising silver.
US07972538B2
A conductive pattern formation ink capable of producing a conductive pattern with reduced likelihood of generation of cracks, a conductive pattern which is small in the number of cracks generated, low in specific resistance and superior in high-frequency characteristics, and a wiring substrate provided with the conductive pattern which is small in the number of cracks generated, low in specific resistance and superior in high-frequency characteristics are provided. The conductive pattern formation ink is used for forming a conductive pattern on a base member by patterning and comprised of a dispersion solution. The dispersion solution includes a solvent, metal particles dispersed in the solvent, and an anti-cracking agent contained in the solvent, wherein the anti-cracking agent is contained for preventing generation of cracks in the conductive pattern during desolvation of the solvent.
US07972529B2
A lubricant oil for a refrigeration machine, and refrigeration machine, said refrigeration machine being of the type that operates with a refrigerant consisting of at least one component of the HC (hydrocarbon) group, the lubricant oil consisting of an alkylbenzene oil containing at least 80% by weight of alkylbenzene having a molecular weight of 120-288 and having a viscosity between about 3.0 and 7.0 cSt at a temperature of 40° C. and the lubricant composition consisting of said alkylbenzene oil and until about 8% by weight of one or more additives selected from a group consisting of improvers of oxidation resistance and thermal stability, corrosion inhibitors, metal inactivators, lubricity additives, viscosity index improvers, reducers of fluidity and flocculation point, detergents, dispersants, antifoaming agents, antiwear agents and extreme pressure resistant additives.
US07972519B2
The present invention relates to a purification device for the purification of a liquid such as water, preferably drinking water, which purification device comprises at least one casing (1) having at least one insert (10), said casing (1) having at least one inlet (8) and at least one outlet (9) for the liquid and said insert (10) comprising at least one filter (15) located in a flow path of the liquid. The purification device comprises at least one galvanic couple (12, 14) located in said flow path. The present invention also relates to an insert and a method of purifying a liquid.
US07972516B2
A process for manipulating magnetic particles suspended in a fluid that are able to bind to an entity of interest, the fluid being contained in a reaction vessel having a large funnel shaped upper compartment, an elongate lower compartment of substantially constant cross-section and a closed base. The process consists of: a) subjecting the magnetic particles to two simultaneously applied magnetic fields to separate all said magnetic particles present in at least the upper compartment of the vessel from the fluid, b) transferring the separated magnetic particles from the upper compartment to the lower compartment, c) removing the fluid from the vessel, d) adding a washing liquid to the lower compartment, e) subjecting the magnetic particles to at least two magnetic fields applied successively with changing directions to wash all the magnetic particles present in the lower compartment, and concentrating said magnetic particles in said lower compartment.
US07972511B2
A method and apparatus of anaerobic treatment which makes it possible to prevent disintegration of granular sludge and perform high-load high-velocity anaerobic treatment stably even in the case where treatment is performed under conditions where the granular sludge is easily disintegrated. In a reaction tank 20 which retains the granular sludge, nitric acid or nitrous acid is adjusted so that they have a certain concentration range. For example, nitric acid is added to the liquid to be treated by connecting the nitric acid addition path 12 to a midway point of the path of the liquid to be treated 31 which introduces the liquid to be treated to the reaction tank 20, and nitric acid is mixed with the liquid to be treated. By introducing nitric acids within the reaction tank 20, denitrifying bacteria etc. can multiply, and disintegration of the granules is prevented.
US07972501B2
A fluid clarification system and method is described in which fluid is passed through one or more settling compartments, each having a solids outlet at the base of the compartment. The base of each compartment includes inclined surfaces for guiding settled solids to the outlet. Also described is a polymer reaction trough including baffles to promote gentle mixing of inflow fluid with flocculant. The system is designed to reduce costs of transportation, flocculent, and solids handling. The system is preferably arranged to facilitate transport on a skid or trailer, while maximizing fluid handling capabilities and minimizing costs.
US07972500B2
A wastewater purifying apparatus has plural treatment chambers for stepwise purifying wastewater discharged from a lavatory, a storage chamber for storing purified wastewater derived from the downstream-most treatment chamber, and a purified wastewater storage tank. A suction port is formed in the upstream-most treatment chamber for sucking the wastewater. Refluxing equipment refluxes wastewater from the treatment chambers downstream of the upstream-most treatment chamber into the upstream most treatment chamber. A purified wastewater supplier supplies the purified wastewater in the purified wastewater storage tank into the upstream-most treatment chamber. The above arrangement performs expedient and sophisticated purification treatment of the wastewater containing sludge components, such as sewage discharged from the lavatory, or miscellaneous effluents generated by pulverizing garbage by a disposer. The arrangement also simplifies washing of the apparatus.
US07972497B2
A process to prepare a heat transfer oil, comprising: a. dewaxing a substantially paraffinic wax feed by hydroisomerization dewaxing using a shape selective intermediate pore size molecular sieve under hydroisomerization conditions including a defined hydrogen to feed ratio, whereby a lubricating base oil is produced, b. selecting one or more fractions of the lubricating base oil having: i. a low pour point, ii. greater than 10 weight percent and less than 70 weight percent total molecules with cycloparaffinic functionality, wherein the one or more fractions have at least 31.2 wt % 1-unsaturations by FIMS, and iii. a ratio of weight percent molecules with monocycloparaffinic functionality to weight percent molecules with multicycloparaffinic functionality greater than 15; and c. blending the one or more fractions of the lubricating base oil with less than 0.2 wt % antifoam agent to prepare the heat transfer oil of a defined ISO viscosity grade.
US07972490B2
A magnetic transfer master disk including a magnetic layer and exhibiting excellent shape stability of a protrusion/recess pattern is provided. An initial layer formed of a conductive film is formed on a surface of a master on which a pattern of minute protrusions/recesses is formed, and then a magnetic layer (principal layer) is formed on the initial layer, and then, a metal layer is formed by electroforming. A duplicate in which the initial layer, the magnetic layer and the metal layer have been integrated is peeled off from the master, thereby obtaining a magnetic transfer master disk, which is a duplicate in which the magnetic layer and the initial layer are deposited on the protruded/recessed surface of the metal layer.
US07972489B2
A sensor element is used to detect a physical property of a measuring gas, preferably to determine the oxygen content or the temperature of an exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. The sensor element contains a first solid electrolyte layer and a second solid electrolyte layer. A first printed conductor and a second printed conductor are provided on opposite sides of the first solid electrolyte layer, the first printed conductor including a first electrode and a feed line to the first electrode, and the second printed conductor including a second electrode and a feed line to the second electrode. A third printed conductor, which includes a third electrode and a feed line to the third electrode, is provided on the second solid electrolyte layer. The second printed conductor is positioned between the third electrode and the first printed conductor.
US07972477B2
The present invention relates to a process for applying optical brightening agent (OBA) to a sheet of paper or paperboard substrate. The process comprises the step of spraying an aqueous composition comprising an optical brightening agent onto at least one surface of a sized paperboard substrate to form a treated paperboard substrate. The treated paperboard substrate includes a layer of OBA on at least one surface of the paper or paperboard substrate in which the brightness of the treated paper or paperboard substrate is greater than the sized paper or paperboard substrate before treating thereof.
US07972464B2
A mat member includes inorganic fibers, a first main surface, a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, an edge surface surrounding the first main surface and the second main surface, and an inorganic fiber scattering reduction unit. The inorganic fiber scattering reduction unit is provided on at least a part of the edge surface of the mat member and configured to reduce scattering of the inorganic fibers.
US07972463B2
A continuous composite fiberglass sucker rod for connection between a pump and a pump drive has a rectangular cross section. End fittings having a rod receiving cavity are connected to the rod ends using a curable adhesive. The rod fitting is maintained in a vertical position with the cavity facing upwardly. The rod end portion is positioned in the cavity with the end at the bottom of the cavity. Curable adhesive is introduced into the cavity. A centralizer bushing is used to maintain alignment of the rod relative to the cavity. A portable heating device receives the fitting and rod end portion and enhances the curing process.
US07972456B2
There is provided a method of producing a tire comprising the steps of: applying a chafer rubber 21 by spirally winding a rubber ribbon onto a base 15; applying a sidewall rubber 22 of a first color by spirally winding a rubber ribbon at a position on the base 15 spaced from the position where the chafer rubber is stuck; applying a sidewall rubber 23 of the second color by spirally winding a rubber ribbon between the chafer rubber sticking position and the first color sidewall rubber sticking position; and applying a cover rubber 24 of the first color over the entire surface of the sidewall rubber of the second color, wherein on the occasion when said chafer rubbers 21 or sidewall rubbers 23 of the second color are stuck, they are applied so that they are adjacent to each other, thereby sticking a rubber member of a colored tire onto the sidewall of the tire without involving defects such as trapped air and a bare as well as severe decrease of the productivity.
US07972452B2
A method continuously creates a bainite structure in a carbon steel, especially a strip steel by austenitizing the carbon steel; introducing the austenitized carbon steel into a bath containing a quenching agent; adjusting the carbon steel to the transformation temperature for bainite and maintaining the transformation temperature for a certain period of time; and then cooling the carbon steel. The carbon steel stays in the bath until a defined percentage of the bainite structure relative to the total structure of the carbon steel has formed. Residues of the quenching agent are removed from the surface of the carbon steel by blowing the same off when the carbon steel is discharged from the bath, and the remaining structure components of the carbon steel are then transformed into bainite in an isothermal tempering station without deflecting the carbon steel at all.
US07972426B2
Embodiments of a printed security mark and a process are disclosed.
US07972425B2
A water-based ink for inkjet recording exhibits a blue color defined as L*<45, 25
US07972423B2
An apparatus for stripping and strengthening and subsequent condensing and final strengthening of an easily vaporizable component of a preferably aqueous mixture permits the heat necessary for stripping and strengthening to be transferred through a common heat transmission body (3), where the heat is derived from condensing the vapor generated by stripping and strengthening, which vapor via compression using a heat pump (26) has obtained the increase in boiling point necessary for condensation. The apparatus is comprised of two sections, namely a stripping and strengthening section or first section (1) and a condensing and final strengthening section or second section (2), said sections being joined around a common heat transmission body (3) forming a dividing wall, each section being further defined by a horizontal partially cylindrical housing (13) and an end wall at each end. Each of the sections is provided with an atomizing rotor (4) adapted to throw liquid from each side from the bottom of the horizontal partially cylindrical housing (13) inward against the common heat transmission body, an axial liquid channel (5) providing a continuous passage of liquid through the apparatus extending along the bottom.
US07972420B2
Hydrogen-processing assemblies, components of hydrogen-processing assemblies, and fuel-processing and fuel cell systems that include hydrogen-processing assemblies. The hydrogen-processing assemblies include a hydrogen-separation assembly positioned within the internal volume of an enclosure in a spaced relation to at least a portion of the internal perimeter of the body of the enclosure.
US07972413B2
A method for recovering precious metals such as gold and silver from aqueous solution as solid is described The method includes mixing an aqueous solution (e.g, thiosulfate or thiocyanate lixiviant) containing precious metals with ferrous ions in the presence of an effective amount of hydroxide ions. The precious metal ions are reduced and co-precipitate with iron hydroxides and/or hydrated iron oxides The co-precipitate is collected and purified. De-oxygenation of the reaction solution is optional. The recover/method is fast, complete and clean.
US07972408B2
An apparatus and a method for treating a composition containing toxic materials or biosolids, wherein the apparatus has a hydraulically sealable top that can be opened to allow loading of the composition or closed to seal the apparatus. The apparatus also includes a reagent injection system for injecting a reagent into the apparatus, a mixing device for mixing the composition with the reagent, a heater system for heating the composition, or the mixture of the composition and the reagent, an internal vapor recovery system for recovering gases, vapors, and odors from the toxic materials or biosolids, or from the reagents, a reagent recovery system for recovering the reagent after it has been mixed with the composition, a discharge mechanism for discharging the treated composition, and a control panel comprising temperature and pressure measurements.
US07972406B2
A filter assembly for a diesel particulate filter, the filter assembly having: a first end disk; a second end disk; a center tube secured to the first end disk by a sealing glass; a filter media secured to the first end disk and the second end disk by a sealing glass.
US07972400B2
A honeycomb filter system comprising a first honeycomb filter disposed upstream: first filter having partition wall matrix of a mean pore diameter of 25 μm or more and below 70 μm and a porosity of 40% or more and below 70%, and carrying an oxidation catalyst containing at least one material selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium, ceria, and alumina in at least a part of inner surfaces of pores of the matrix; and a second honeycomb filter disposed downstream; having a surface layer of a peak pore diameter of 0.3 μm or more and below 20 μm which is equivalent to or smaller than that of its matrix, and a porosity of 60% or more and below 95% which is higher than that of the matrix; and having the other specified relations.
US07972398B2
The present invention provides a polishing composition for a glass substrate having a pH of from 1 to 5 and containing silica particles having an average particle size of from 5 to 100 nm, wherein, in a projected image of the silica particles obtainable by an image analysis of electron photomicrographs, an average of an area ratio R of a projected area of the silica particles (A1) to an area of a maximum inscribed circle of the silica particles (A), i.e. (A1/A), is in the range of from 1.2 to 3.0, and the silica particles have an average of 2.0 to 10 projection portions having a curvature radius of from ⅕ to ½ of a radius of the maximum inscribed circle of the silica particles (r) on the outline of the silica particles in the projected image, and a method for manufacturing a glass substrate, including the step of polishing a substrate to be polished with a polishing load of from 3 to 12 kPa and at a pH of from 1 to 5 while allowing the polishing composition to be present between a polishing pad and the substrate to be polished. The polishing composition for a glass substrate of the present invention can be suitably used, for example, in the manufacture of glass hard disks, aluminosilicate glass for reinforced glass substrates, glass ceramic substrates (crystallized glass substrates), and the like.
US07972393B2
A multiphase distillate fuel composition includes an emulsion comprising a first phase comprising a diesel fuel; a second phase comprising glycerol and boric acid; and a surfactant. A lubricant composition includes a grease and a mixture of boric acid with different particle sizes.
US07972385B2
A patch for replacement of a portion of bladder wall following partial cystectomy includes a multi-layered membrane of soft silicone with a thickness of about 600 microns so as to be sufficiently elastic to be able to withstand the dilatations due to expansion and deflation of the bladder, a surface layer of texturized silicone that is arranged to face an outside of a bladder to reduce a risk of adhesion of fibrotic capsule, and an inner coating of pyrolytic turbostatic carbon that is arranged to face an inside of the bladder.
US07972384B2
The present invention extends to a stemmed amputation implant. In some embodiments, a dual stemmed implant includes a base plate and two intramedullary rods extending from the proximal side of the base plate. The two intramedullary rods are configured for insertion into corresponding intramedullary bone canals reamed into remaining portions of amputated bones, such as, for example, a tibia and fibula or an ulna and radius. The position of the intramedullary rods relative to one another is configured to maintain appropriate separation between amputated bones when the first intramedullary rod and the second intramedullary rod are inserted into the amputated bones. In some embodiments, a hollow tube replaces one or more of the intramedullary rods. A hollow tube can be configured to cover the exterior of a bone, such as, for example, the fibula, when the bone is not stable enough for intramedullary fixation.
US07972381B2
The present invention is a specialized implant having opposed surfaces for engaging each of the vertebral bodies adjacent a disc space into which the implant is implanted. The surface comprises arrayed projections having at least one forward facing facet directed at least in part toward the leading end of the implant and at least one rearward portion directed at least in part toward the opposite trailing end of the implant. Each of the forward facet and rearward portion has a length and a slope. The length of the forward facet is longer than the length of the rearward facet. The slope of the rearward facet is steeper than the slope of the forward facet. The surface projections also have opposed side facets directed generally toward the sides of the implant. The side facets are located between the forward facet and rearward facet and converge toward each other in a direction away from the base of the surface projections. The surface may also include projections having left and right forward side facets and a rearward facet. The surface further may include projections having left and right rearward side facets and a forward facet.
US07972379B2
An aiding apparatus for nasal tip plasty is useable in augmentation rhinoplasty. The aiding apparatus for nasal tip plasty includes a strut part and a holding part provided on a lower portion of the strut part and coupled to septal cartilage. Thus, a cartilage scaffold complex useable in nasal tip plasty may be easily prepared at the exterior of an operation space. This aiding apparatus allows substitution for the paired batten graft or paired spreader graft and easier execution of caudal septal extension graft. Further, a decreased amount of cartilage is used to execute the nasal tip plasty in a simple way, therefore easily making a pretty nose, in addition to shortening the operation time.
US07972378B2
A stented valve including a stent structure including a generally tubular body portion that has a first end and a second end, wherein an area adjacent the first end has a first stiffness, an area adjacent the second end has a second stiffness, and a central region between the areas at the first and second ends has a third stiffness that is less than the stiffness adjacent the first and second ends, wherein the stent structure can be reconfigured in its central area to match a curved patient anatomical region. The stented valve further includes a valve structure attached within the generally tubular portion.
US07972374B2
Modular graft systems with conjoinable grafts comprising graft material with the system comprising a first and second graft prosthesis with mating ends, securing rods attached to one of the mating ends comprising at least one spike that juts from the securing rod. The other of the mating ends is double layered with graft material for receiving at least one spike in the first layer of graft material when the mating ends are conjoined.
US07972373B2
An expandable, implantable medical device, such as an intraluminal stent fabricated from polymeric materials, includes a plurality of elongated struts in consecutive series and alternating stress concentration junctions interconnecting ends of adjacent struts. When the stent is in an expanded condition, the adjacent struts form expanded substantial V-shapes and stresses are concentrated within the junctions. The junctions define pivot points for the respective attached, adjacent struts. Each of the pivot points is located substantially on a line bisecting the V-shapes formed by the struts, when the stent is expanded.
US07972370B2
A stent graft system and method of use includes a stent graft for fixation at an attachment site with graft material defining at least one opening having an opening perimeter; a support attached to the graft material; a guide rail attached around the opening perimeter; and a helical anchor having a plurality of coils with a point at one end. The plurality of coils are rotatable around the guide rail to cause the pointed end of the coils to penetrate the graft material and the adjacent tissue in contact with the stent graft to sew the stent graft to the attachment site.
US07972361B2
An occlusion device includes a center assembly having a flexible section formed by a spring connector and a safety tether. The flexible spring connector gives the center assembly improved torque and flexure characteristics, which allows the occlusion device to better conform to the contours of the heart. The safety tether serves to further ensure the structural integrity of the center assembly.
US07972354B2
A method of treating a hollow anatomical structure of a patient comprises implanting a bioabsorbable fibrous body in a hollow anatomical structure. The body is secured in the hollow anatomical structure to limit migration of the body within the hollow anatomical structure.
US07972353B2
The present invention involves a removable filter for capturing thrombi in a blood vessel. The filter comprises a plurality of struts having first ends attached together along a longitudinal axis of the filter. Each strut has a body member extending from the first end along the longitudinal axis to an anchoring hook defining a strut axis. Each strut is configured to move along a strut path relative to the longitudinal axis between an expanded state for engaging with the blood vessel and a collapsed state for filter delivery or retrieval. Each anchoring hook has an angle of up to about 90 degrees relative to the strut axis.
US07972352B2
An embolic protection system having a guidewire for advancing through a vasculature; an embolic protection filter having a filter body with a distal end and a proximal end, the filter body providing for a collapsed configuration and an expanded deployed configuration. The embolic protection filter body has a guidewire path for slidably receiving the guidewire to permit movement of the filter relative to the guidewire when the filter 1 is in the collapsed configuration and the expanded deployed configuration. A delivery catheter is advanceable over the guidewire for delivery of the embolic protection filter. A retrieval catheter is also advanceable over the guidewire for retrieval of the filter , and engagement elements are used for engaging the embolic protection filter with the guidewire for retrieval of the filter into the retrieval catheter in the collapsed configuration.
US07972348B1
A single-use scleral marker, including a one-piece molded-plastic marker having an elongate body; a pair of opposite forked ends, and a pair of removable guards, each of the guards encircling one of the ends and having connection ends which connect the guard to the body, wherein the connection ends may be broken by exerting a bending force thereon to enable the guard to be removed.
US07972345B2
A surgical instrument of the present invention comprises an insertion unit; an operating unit provided on one end of the insertion unit; a treatment unit provided so as to protrude from the other end of the insertion unit; a first shaft member for transmitting turning force to the treatment unit in conjunction with the turning operation of a turning operation member provided on the operating unit; and a second shaft member for transmitting opening/closing force to the treatment unit in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of an opening/closing member provided on the operating unit.
US07972337B2
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to tissue anchors and methods of delivering same to the intervertebral disc or other sites within the body. In some embodiments, the anchors provide pull-out resistance, stability and/or maximize contact with tissue involving a minimum amount of penetration. In some embodiments, delivery methods are minimally invasive and include linear, lateral, and off-angle implantation or driving of anchors along, against or within tissue surfaces.
US07972331B2
The invention concerns an electrosurgical instrument comprising two articulated limbs, which can be actuated in the manner of a cutting or a clamping tool. The instrument further comprises opposing electrode parts with coagulating surfaces at the distal ends of the limbs for grasping a vessel or tissue and for conducting a coagulating current through the vessel or tissue in order to cause it to coagulate, as well as current-supplying devices for supplying the coagulating current to the electrode parts from a HF generator. In addition, the electrode parts each have at least one clamping region, such that clamped tissue is pretensioned between the electrode parts in order that a cutting procedure can be carried out on the pretensioned tissue by means of a cutting instrument.
US07972322B2
An intravascular port access device includes a first component having a chamber configured to attach reversibly to an intravenous line port. A second component reversibly attaches to the first component and contains a disinfecting agent and an applicator material. The second component is configured to be reversibly received over external surfaces of the intravenous line port. A method of cleansing an intravenous line port includes providing a port cleaning device having a first component with a chamber containing a first cleaning agent. A second component includes a second cleaning agent. A third component has a microbiocidal agent and is reversibly attached to the first component. The second component is removed from the device, the external surfaces of the port are contacted with the second cleaning agent, the first cleaning agent is ejected from the chamber into the port, and the third component is used to cap the port.
US07972320B2
A disposable diaper includes a chassis having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions. The chassis includes laterally opposing closed side edges defining its width, longitudinally opposing front and back waist end edges defining its length, an interior surface and an exterior surface, and including a water-impermneable backsheet. An absorbent assembly is attached to the chassis. A belt structure is disposed in the waist region of the chassis. The belt structure includes a first belt segment, a second belt segment and a third belt segment. The belt segments are disposed longitudinally with respect to each other and the coefficient of friction of at least a portion of one of the first belt segment and third belt segment is greater than the coefficient of friction of at least a portion of the second belt segment.
US07972318B2
A package containing a hygiene article which opens in a way preventing the hygiene article from falling out unintentionally. Further, combined absorbent articles are disclosed, wherein a package comprising a hygiene article is joined to an individually-packaged absorbent article.
US07972317B2
The absorbent article provides a signal viewable from the top surface of the absorbent article which gives a perception of depth within the absorbent article. This creation of depth perception is accomplished by the use of at least two tones within a color and/or by the use of multiple tones and multiple colors operating together to create a perception of depth within the absorbent article.
US07972293B2
A nasal plug for preventing excessive fluid discharge from a nasal passage includes a plug element fabricated from an absorbent material. The plug element has a size and configuration adapted and constructed to fit into a human nasal passage. A shaft portion extends from the plug element. The shaft portion is formed as an extension of the plug element and is fabricated from the same material as the plug element. A flexible sheathing is provided on the shaft portion.
US07972292B2
A ureteral decompression device comprises a guide member and an anchoring structure. The guide member may be introduced through the urethra and bladder into the ureter so that the anchor structure passes a lodged kidney stone. Once past the stone, the anchor structure can be compacted to anchor the guide member in place. The anchor structure will permit leakage and the guide member will provide a leakage path directly past the stone, thus decompressing the kidney.
US07972288B2
A medical bandaging product, including a sleeve formed of moisture-impervious material and sealable to prevent entry of moisture, and a medical material positioned in the sleeve and sealed therein against entry of moisture until use. The medical material is a substrate having two marginal areas of relatively lower modulus yarns and/or a more open knitted structure to provide reduced abrasion against the skin. A reactive system on the substrate remains stable when maintained in substantially moisture-free conditions and hardens upon exposure to sufficient moisture to form a rigid, self supporting structure. A soft, flexible protective material covers at least one of the major faces of the substrate along its length to provide a cushioning barrier between the substrate and the skin of a patient when the material is in use.
US07972282B2
A torque device for selectively gripping a medical guidewire. The device includes a housing, an actuator slidably mounted on the housing, and a resilient member biasing the actuator. A lumen dimensioned to receive the guidewire extends through the housing and actuator. The resilient member biases the actuator from a first position in which the lumen portions are aligned, toward a second position in which the lumen portions are misaligned. The actuator may include a catch that interferes with a stop of the housing to retain the actuator within the housing. The actuator may be oblong or otherwise shaped to maintain the lumen portions in substantial alignment in a longitudinal direction. Preferably, at least a portion of the lumen is teardrop-shaped in cross-section. The housing may include circumferentially or longitudinally extending ribs defining an outer grasping surface. Frusto-conical cavities may be defined at entry and exit ends of the lumen.
US07972280B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing patient data. In one aspect, the invention relates to a system for managing patient data having many instruments. The instruments have a sampling member for sampling a body fluid from a patient and are in direct communication with at least one other instrument.
US07972275B2
A cardiac rhythm management system provides for ambulatory monitoring of hemodynamic performance based on quantitative measurements of heart sound related parameters for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Monitoring of such heart sound related parameters allows the cardiac rhythm management system to determine a need for delivering a therapy and/or therapy parameter adjustments based on conditions of a heart. This monitoring also allows a physician to observe or assess the hemodynamic performance for diagnosing and making therapeutic decisions. Because the conditions of the heart may fluctuate and may deteriorate significantly between physician visits, the ambulatory monitoring, performed on a continuous or periodic basis, ensures a prompt response by the cardiac rhythm management system that may save a life, prevent hospitalization, or prevent further deterioration of the heart.
US07972264B2
An endoscope plug body comprises a plug frame, a lid member and a plug member and shuts off an inside of a treatment instrument insertion channel from an outside. The plug frame is provided with annular projection portions, a plug body destruction portion and a plug-frame destruction operation portion. A flange portion is arranged between the annular plug portions and fitted to a base of the endoscope. The plug body destruction portion and the plug-frame destruction operation portion releases the lock state by destruction. The plug frame is cylindrical and communicates with a pipe line disposed inside the endoscope. The lid member is separate from the plug frame and has a lid portion disposed at an opening at the other end of the plug frame. The plug member is separate from the plug frame, formed of an elastic member and has a plug-member treatment instrument insertion portion.
US07972262B2
A surgical assembly for treating fecal incontinence can include an elongate needle, a sling and a coupler to conveniently and securely connect the coupler to an insertion end of the needle by moving the coupler and insertion end of the needle together.
US07972261B2
An anchor mechanism includes a sleeve to fit around a structure such as a radioactive source, a thermal ablation implant, a spacer, a strand or a radiopaque marker. The sleeve has a bore that extends an entire longitudinal length of the sleeve, and through which the structure fits, such that the structure can extend out from both longitudinal ends of the sleeve. One or more protrusion extends from an outer surface of the sleeve to engage surrounding patient tissue after implantation of the structure into a patient, to thereby reduce a tendency for the structure to migrate and rotate after implantation.
US07972259B2
A method of determining the dose rate of a radiation source includes locating three or more detectors in the vicinity of the source. Each detector provides an output indicative of the amount of radiation received from the source and determining the location of the source from at least three of the detector outputs, wherein as many of the detector outputs is required to provide an acceptably accurate result are used in determining the location. Thus, the dose of radiation from the source can be determined from the determined location of the source and either a known activity of the source or a measure of the activity of the source determined by means of the detectors.
US07972254B2
An apparatus for manufacturing a rod member for a cigarette filter element, is provided. Each rod member defines a longitudinal axis and includes a generally longitudinally-extending filter material and a plurality of objects disposed therein along the longitudinal axis. Such an apparatus comprises a rod-forming unit configured to form a continuous supply of a filter material into a continuous cylindrical rod member. An object insertion unit is configured to introduce a plurality of objects into engagement with the rod member. A rod-dividing unit is configured to divide the rod member into a plurality of rod portions such that each rod portion includes a plurality of the objects. Associated method are also provided.
US07972253B2
A pressure compensating device or arrangement for a roller arrangement which includes a central, non-rotating shaft provided with spaced apart bearings positioned adjacent opposite axial ends of the shaft and rotatably supporting at least one tubular roller segment, and where sealing arrangements are provided outside the bearings for sealing off the space inside the bearings and between the shaft and the roller segment towards the environment. The pressure compensating device includes a longitudinal bore extending from one end of the shaft and through at least a part thereof, with the bore communicating with the space between the sealing arrangements via channels. The bore is provided with a flexible member preventing direct communication between the exterior and the space between the sealing arrangements.
US07972241B2
A drive control device of an automatic transmission of a vehicle. The transmission having a main oil pump driven by an internal combustion engine, an electrically driven auxiliary oil pump and a hydraulic control device; a device for determining the required volumetric flow rate needed to determine the oil/hydraulic target volumetric flow rate during current operating conditions, based on the transmission oil temperature; a device for determining the volumetric flow rate to determine the actual volumetric flow rate that can be delivered during the current operating conditions by the main and/or auxiliary oil pump, and a device for controlling the target volumetric flow rate to reduce the target volumetric flow rate to at least the currently deliverable actual volumetric flow rate, if the currently deliverable actual volumetric flow rate is below the current target volumetric flow rate.
US07972239B2
A dual pump strategy for a hybrid electric automatic transmission necessitating one internal mechanically driven pump linked to the engine output shaft and an external fixed displacement pump powered by a brushless permanent magnet motor consisting of a controller with closed loop feedback control for operating such is disclosed. In neutral and electric drive mode, with the engine off, the flow demand for the transmission is sustained largely by the external pump.
US07972233B2
A bearing roller chain which is sealed by a seal mechanism which prevents entry of foreign substances from the outside and leakage of lubricating oil leakage from the inside to the outside, resulting in an improvement in wear resistance of the bearing roller and avoidance both of rotation failure of the roller and of increased traveling resistance of the chain. A seal mechanism is provided between an inner link plate of a bearing roller chain and a bearing roller assembly carried by the link plate. The bearing roller assembly is formed by a plurality of anti-friction rollers between a hollow roller and a bush. The seal mechanism comprises an inner annular oil seal member, a spacer and a disk-shaped seal member having a flange extended toward an outer side surface of the hollow roller loosely into an outer circumferential concave groove on an end surface of the hollow roller. The disk-shaped seal member slidably comes into close contact with the inner link plate and the spacer, respectively. The flange and concave groove form a labyrinth structure protecting the inner annular seal member from entry of foreign substances from the outside. The annular seal has a plurality of lips supplementing the labyrinth seal structure.
US07972232B2
A chain drive tensioner system with translating pivot point is disclosed. The chain drive tensioner system with translating pivot point includes a chain drive tensioner assembly and a tensioner arm in operable communication with a chain. The chain drive tensioner assembly is in operable communication with the tensioner arm, and the tensioner assembly is moveable between a first tensioner position and a second tensioner position. The tensioner arm includes an internal gear and an external gear rotatably mounted within the internal gear, such that movement of the tensioner assembly from the first tensioner position to the second tensioner position along with concurrent rotation of the external gear within the internal gear is operable to move the tensioner arm laterally from a first position to a second position.
US07972231B2
A pulley assembly having first and second members. The first member is capable of cooperating with a power transmission belt to drive/be driven by the belt. The first member is movable guidingly relative to the second member around a first axis. A coil spring has a length and a circumference and a first portion attached to the first member and a second portion attached to the second member so that a force tending to move the first/second member around the first axis is transmitted through the coil spring to the second/first member. At least one of the first and second members has a groove bounded by a surface into which the respective portion of the coil spring is fit. The respective portion of the coil spring is clamp fit within the groove.
US07972228B1
A device for shaping and forming a lacrosse head pocket may comprise a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces that form a top surface, and a plurality of openings. The top surface may have a curved surface. The plurality of openings may be at opposite side surfaces of the plurality of side surfaces and the plurality of openings may extend through the opposite side surfaces.
US07972224B2
A weight sled apparatus useful for strength training and simulating the resistance of an opponent during a blocking event has a tubular construction forming a U-shaped member having a pair of parallel legs which serve as runners. A weight bearing member affixed to and extending between the pair of runners allows mounting of removable mount weights on a horn projecting therefrom. A crossbar extending between the runner ends presents a rearward facing surface at least 8 inches above the plane of the runners against which force may be applied. An optional handlebar attachment presents a rearward facing surface against which force may applied in a range from 8 inches to 40 inches above the plane of the runners and normal thereto. The weight sled affords a trainee multiple force application surfaces near the center of gravity of the sled and at differing vertical heights, enabling a more realistic simulation of the resistance presented during a blocking event.
US07972222B2
Described herein are iron golf club heads and sets of iron golf clubs that have variable weight distribution. Each iron golf club head has a cavity and a groove with a raised portion disposed therein. The groove and the raised portion can deepen the center of mass depth and lengthen the effective face length of the iron golf club. The width of the groove may vary between each golf club in a set of iron golf clubs, such that the width of the groove of the long irons is greater that the width of the groove of the middle irons, and the width of the groove of the middle irons is greater than the width of the optional groove of the short irons. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and discussed.
US07972206B2
A gaming machine capable of maintaining the interest of a player even when the gaming machine does not work normally. For, example, a slot machine (10) comprises a display device (30) for displaying an image, and an image state control unit for controlling the display device (30) to display an image relating to a game. The slot machine (10) may be characterized in that the image state control unit controls the display device into a predetermined state upon determination that an image signal relating to the image provided to the display device fails to satisfy a predetermined condition.
US07972201B2
Methods, apparatus and associated devices for rucking sleeves of covering material onto a chute body include a translating member disposed in a housing having an axis of movement configured to reciprocally translate a chute body about the axis of movement; and at least one gripping member disposed in the housing in cooperating alignment with the translating member. Each at least one gripping member has a gripping edge portion that defines a gripping surface. The at least one gripping member configured to reciprocally translate substantially orthogonal to the axis of movement. In operation, the at least one gripping member has an automated stroke cycle whereby the at least one gripping member is configured to travel inwardly a distance sufficient to snugly abut an outer surface of the chute body while the chute body travels in a first direction about the axis of movement and to travel outwardly a sufficient distance to prevent contact with the chute body while the chute body travels in a second opposing direction about the axis of movement.
US07972188B2
An apparatus for mounting a trolling motor to a watercraft includes a bracket, a coupling hinge, a lift arm, a cam mechanism, a collet, a resistance knob, a first bias spring and a second bias spring. The bracket is adapted to mount on a transom or a gunnel of the watercraft. The coupling hinge receives a shaft of the trolling motor therethrough and retains the trolling motor via the collet and resistance knob mounted thereon. The collet and knob can be selectively tightened or loosened about the shaft of the trolling motor. The bracket defines detents and an arcuate track in which a track follower portion of the coupling hinge can move. The movement of the coupling hinge along the bracket tilts the trolling motor between a stowed position and a deployed position. The lift arm is pivotally coupled to the coupling hinge and carries a locking pin. The lift arm is biased by the first bias spring such that the locking pin engages the detents. The cam mechanism is pivotally coupled to the bracket and is biased by the second bias spring to disengage the locking pin from a lower portion of the detents.
US07972179B2
A contact terminal for coming into electric contact with a mating terminal of a mating component, the contact terminal includes a rotating member including protrusions on the surface, the rotating member rotates with an advance of the mating terminal, and a spring member that rotatably supports the rotating member and asserts the rotating member against the advancing mating terminal.
US07972171B2
A card edge connector comprises a pair of mount members attached to the bottom of the insulating housing thereof. Each mount member comprises a body portion, at least one fitting nail connected to the body portion and configured to be disposed transversely for being soldered on a printed circuit board, and a tab portion connecting to the body portion and configured to be freely insertable into an aperture formed on the printed circuit board.
US07972169B1
The present invention is directed to a corner interconnect component which is a passive filter component. The corner interconnect component includes a body portion having an input structure located at a first corner of the component for receiving an input. At a second corner of the component, diagonally opposite the first corner, the component further includes an output structure for providing an output. The corner interconnect component further includes a conducting portion which is connected to the first and second corners of the body structure. The corner interconnect component is configured such that a plurality of the corner interconnect components may be implemented in a corner-to-corner configuration in a filter structure.
US07972167B2
The flexible electrical connector is designed to facilitate electrical connections between a power receiving device, such as an at least partially electric vehicle, and a power supplying device, such as an electric vehicle charging station. The flexible electrical connector has a blade shaped housing attached to a power cord that extends to the power supplying device. The blade shaped housing has a substantially rigid end portion with an electrical interface configured to detachably mate with a corresponding electrical interface on the power receiving device. The blade shaped housing also has a handle portion made of a substantially flexible material such which is configured to flex about the rigid end portion along an arc in a single plane. As such, the flexible handle can absorb impacts it receives rather than transferring them to the rigid and breakable electrical interface components.
US07972164B2
A connector assembly includes a receptacle connector including a receptacle connector housing having an interior cavity. The receptacle connector includes a latch element extending within the interior cavity of the receptacle housing. The receptacle housing holds a receptacle connector contact. The connector assembly also includes a plug connector having a plug connector housing engaged with the receptacle connector housing. The plug connector housing holds a plug connector contact. The plug connector contact is engaged with the receptacle connector contact. The plug connector includes a latch arm extending outwardly from the plug connector housing. The latch arm includes a latch member received within the interior cavity of the receptacle connector housing. The latch member is engaged with the latch element of the receptacle connector entirely within the interior cavity of the receptacle connector housing.
US07972163B2
An electrical connector includes a plurality of pins, an isolation body and a latching mechanism. The isolation body includes a receiving part. The receiving part is arranged at a front edge of the isolation body and has a first engaging element. The latching mechanism has a second engaging element engaged with the first engaging element, so that the latching mechanism is fixed onto the isolation body.
US07972161B2
A connector includes a plug housing configured to engage with a socket. A free spinning nut of the connector is disposed between the plug housing and an angled housing. The free spinning nut includes a first end portion configured to engage with the angled housing and a second end portion configured to engage with the plug housing.
US07972154B2
Implementations of the invention relate generally to an electrical feed, in particular a CEE feed, for the external supply of electrical power to the power supply system of a mobile load, in particular a mobile home or a recreational vehicle or a boat. This feed can include a) a flange for attaching the feed to and/or in a wall of the mobile load, and b) at least one feed connector for making electrical contact with a coupling, in particular a CEE coupling. Implementations of the invention can make provision for the feed connector to be arranged in the flange in a rotatable manner.
US07972152B1
A power socket device having a rotation-operated switch function is disclosed, and has a housing, a first conductive frame, a second conductive frame and a plurality of socket units. The housing has recesses, each of which is installed with a socket plate having terminal slots. The first and second conductive frames are mounted in the housing. The socket unit is rotatably installed in the recess and corresponding to the socket plate. The socket unit has a socket housing, an insulating body and terminals. Each of the terminals has one end passing through one of the terminal slots to be in contact with or separated from the first and second conductive frame. Thus, the socket units can be rotated to switch on or off without unplugging the power socket device, so that the operation of the power socket device is relatively simple and labor-saving.
US07972147B2
A connector apparatus is provided having a first connector including a first contact part with first and second contact terminals connected by a first connection part and a space therebetween, the second contact terminal being bent such that the space between the first and second contact terminals becomes narrower, a second connector engageable to the first connector and including a second contact part with third and fourth contact terminals connected by a second connection part and a space therebetween, the fourth contact terminal being bent such that the space between the third and fourth contact terminals becomes wider. When the first and second connectors are engaged, the first and second contact parts are connected having the third and fourth connection terminals sandwiched between the first and second connection terminals, having the first contact terminal contact the fourth contact terminal, and having the second contact terminal contact the third contact terminal.
US07972137B2
Compositions and methods are directed to antimicrobial compositions and articles that release ●NO from the composition and/or article in an amount effective to prevent gingival and other oral mucosal diseases.
US07972136B2
An oral hygiene device having, in one embodiment, a unique, peristaltic pump water streaming or jet action; and in another embodiment, a multi-headed toothbrush may also be disposed on the end of a handle on which the jet nozzle or nozzles are disposed.
US07972131B2
A plastification and injection unit in injection-molding machines for processing of polymer materials, for example rubber, has a plastification screw that is disposed so as to rotate in a screw cylinder, which simultaneously represents the injection piston. The screw cylinder is disposed in an injection cylinder, in an axially displaceable manner. The injection cylinder can be connected with the sprue channel of an injection-molding die by way of a nozzle, and the injection piston has a back-flow barrier. The screw is axially displaceable in the screw cylinder by means of a separate drive. The screw tip projects out of the screw cylinder and has a closure body having a sealing surface for contact with the face surface of the screw cylinder.
US07972129B2
A compound mold or tooling system is designed to provide an alternative to conventional, expensive, metal molds for various plastics molding applications. The compound mold comprises a replaceable thin-walled liner, or skin-mold, defining the mold surface, temporarily bonded by vacuum means or mechanical means to a conforming backing-mold mold body supported by a rigid backing-plate. Both skin- and backing-molds are composed of suitable polymers with or without additives, fillers, reinforcements or other inclusions depending on mold requirements. The backing-plate contains standard features and fixtures common to all molds used in the particular process or of a particular geometry.
US07972124B2
A blower body is provided with a first wall and a second wall, and openings are provided in the walls at positions facing the approximate center of a diaphragm. An inflow passage that allows the openings to communicate with the outside is arranged between the two walls. When the diaphragm is vibrated in response to a voltage applied to a piezoelectric element, the first wall vibrates near the opening and sucks in air from the inflow passage so that the air can be ejected from the opening. A plurality of branch passages which provide sound absorption are connected to an intermediate section of the inflow passage so as to prevent noise generated near the opening from leaking from an inlet.
US07972117B1
A pump control system for a submersible pump is provided. The system includes a pump controller adapted to activate the pump when water has reached a high threshold level and to deactivate the pump when water has dropped to a low threshold level. The pump controller also incorporates one or more sensing devices that are capable of detecting the presence of a non-conductive fluid in water so that the pump can be deactivated if oil is detected in water. The system further includes an auxiliary control device which is adapted to automatically override the pump controller and de-energizes the pump if the pump remains activated when water drops to a level below the low threshold level.
US07972114B2
A spar of a rotor blade having moderate depth transitions to a relatively much deeper shank over a relatively short distance. This rapid transition enables a low-weight blade root that is structurally efficient, offers a high moment capability, and enables high Mach number axial flow. A transition could advantageously reduce section depth by at least 15%, 20%, 30%, or even 40% over at most 5%, 6%, 10%, or 12% of a total length of the rotor blade. Such a transition could advantageously be accomplished using a cuff, which has interfaces with each of the spar and the shank. The rotor blade shank has a generally circular cross-section which allows for a rotary attachment to a hub, where the attachment may advantageously comprise a mechanical or elastomeric bearing. Preferred embodiments have a spar with a generally rectangular cross-section.
US07972112B2
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for determining an angular position of a wind turbine rotor. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method for determining an angular position of a wind turbine may include measuring tangential acceleration and radial acceleration of the rotor, measuring speed of the rotor, determining rotational tangential acceleration of the rotor based at least in part on the change of rotor speed over time, determining rotational radial acceleration based at least in part on the rotor speed, adjusting the measured tangential acceleration based at least in part on the determined rotational tangential acceleration, adjusting the measured radial acceleration based at least in part on the determined rotational radial acceleration, and determining an angular position of the rotor based at least on the adjusted tangential acceleration and the adjusted radial acceleration.
US07972109B2
A method for fabricating a fan assembly is provided, wherein the method includes providing a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades. At least one rotor blade is fabricated from a frangible material. The method also includes coupling a casing substantially circumferentially about the rotor, and positioning the casing a distance from the plurality of rotor blades. The distance is selected to facilitate increasing an amount of initial resistance created between the casing and the plurality of rotor blades after a bladeout.
US07972106B2
Protection device (10) for a stator of a gas turbine of the type comprising a series of sectors (12) constrained to each other by connection means, each sector (12) has at least one cavity (14) having a bottom (15), in correspondence with at least one cavity (14), a corresponding sheet (20) equipped with a series of pass-through holes (21) and suitable for covering at least one cavity (14) is fixed on an outer surface of the relative sector (12), each sector (12) is cooled by means of a stream of air coming from the pass-through holes (21) of the corresponding sheet (20) which is passed on the bottom (15) and discharged from at least one outlet hole, the bottom (15) of each sector (12) comprises a series of protuberances (30) to increase the thermal exchange surface and increase the cooling efficiency of the protection device (10).
US07972105B2
A method of starting up a turbine with a compressor have an inlet guide vane, a number of bleed valves, and a number of blades so as to limit the duration in a rotating stall window. The method may include starting rotation of the blades, increasing the speed of the rotation of the blades, closing one or more bleed valves so as to shift the rotating stall window to a higher rotational speed, partially opening the inlet guide vane to a position outside the rotating stall window, and opening the bleed valves while partially closing the inlet guide vane such that the number of blades pass through the rotating stall window.
US07972103B2
Apparatus for transferring settled or suspended solids from an open vessel into a closed vessel, the apparatus comprising a suction line which extends from the closed vessel to the open vessel via drive means, such as a pump or compressor, and a solids feed line which extends from a solids outlet in the open vessel to a solids inlet in the closed vessel, a fluidising apparatus being provided to fluidise the solids in the open vessel.
US07972100B2
In one aspect, a holder mountable to a friable substrate may include a self-drilling drywall fastener, a wall engaging base plate having an opening for receiving a fastener, and at least one leg extending from the base plate for holding an object. In another aspect, a holder may include a self-drilling drywall fastener having a drilling portion longer than a drywall thickness followed by a high-threaded portion, a wall engaging base plate, and at least one leg for holding an object. In still another aspect, a holder may include a self-drilling drywall fastener having a screw-like drilling portion longer than a drywall thickness followed by a high-threaded portion, a drywall engaging base plate having a recess for receiving a rotary driver and a pair of openings each capable of receiving a threaded drywall fastener and engaging threads thereof.
US07972097B2
This invention is related to a rigid tapping feedback assembly that is adapted to being retrofit on a milling machine having a spindle with a spindle end extending beyond a bearing cap and an automated drive. In embodiments, the assembly comprising a housing, spindle-pulley adapter that is drivably engaged with the spindle end, pulley assembly, shaft assembly, housing cover plate, and rotary encoder. The housing mounts to the bearing cap and holds the shaft assembly in substantially parallel-spaced alignment with the spindle-pulley adapter. The pulley assembly mechanically links the spindle-pulley adapter and the shaft assembly, typically utilizing pulleys and a timing belt. The housing cover plate mounts to the housing enclosing the assembly components above and supporting the rotary encoder in substantial axial alignment with the shaft assembly. In operation, the rotary encoder senses spindle rotational speed spindle and provides feedback to the automated drive to control downward movement of the spindle.
US07972083B2
A system for aligning a pile during pile driving, comprising: a pile (16) having a laterally protruding coupling (20) for a tether; and a pile guide (10) for supporting the pile as it is driven into a substrate, comprising a base frame (12) and a pile guide member (14) mounted on the base frame (12), the pile guide member (14) having in its periphery a slot (24) which is configured to allow the laterally protruding coupling (20) to pass therealong as the pile (16) passes through the pile guide; wherein the pile and pile guide member comprise two pairs of slidably interfitting profiles (52, 86) which are configured to resist gaping in the slot (24) of the pile guide member (14) as the pile (16) is driven therethrough into the substrate.
US07972073B2
The mascara distributor applicator (1) includes: a) a container (3) including a neck (7) threaded externally and a chamber (5) extending in an axial direction with a side wall (6), b) an applicator (8) including a head (9) threaded internally so as to cooperate with the neck by screwing to ensure a sealed closing of the container, a stem (10) attached by its upper extremity to the head and by its lower extremity to a means of application (11). The applicator also includes: c) a hollow outer envelope (21) with at least one opening (28) and at the inside of which the container is fixed in a removable way and d) a hollowed-out cover with at least one opening (25) and inside which the applicator of the cosmetic product is fixed in a removable way.
US07972067B2
A fiber optic connector assembly includes a coupling interface component, a connector housing, and an optical fiber connector. The coupling interface component extends along a center axis from a back end to a coupling end and includes an interior chamber. The connector housing is disposed within the interior chamber of the coupling interface component. The optical fiber connector is joined to an optical fiber and is interconnected with the connector housing. The optical fiber connector is configured to optically couple the optical fiber with a mating connector. The coupling interface component engages the connector housing and the mating connector and prevents movement of the connector housing relative to the coupling interface component and the mating connector.
US07972065B2
A hydrodynamic bearing device includes a sleeve having a bearing hole, a shaft, and a flange cover. The shaft is disposed in the bearing hole of the sleeve in a state of being capable of relative rotation, and has a large diameter flange portion. The flange cover is disposed opposite the bottom surface of the flange portion. A bubble suppression portion, which is formed as a recess on the bottom surface of the shaft, communicates with the upper surface of the flange portion through a communicating hole in the flange portion. This provides a hydrodynamic bearing device with which negative pressure is prevented from being generated in the bearing even when it is subjected to impact or vibration, and durability and reliability can be enhanced, as well as a spindle motor and a recording and reproducing apparatus equipped with this hydrodynamic bearing device.
US07972062B2
An X-ray analyzer includes a sample stage for holding and positioning a sample and an optical positioner assembly configured above the sample stage. The optical positioner assembly includes a body member having an opening; an optical positioner located within the opening; and at least one X-ray optic and an optical viewing lens coupled to a first camera. The at least one X-ray optic and the optical viewing lens are secured to the optical positioner. The optical positioner is configured to align one of the at least one X-ray optic and the optic viewing lens normal to the sample on the sample stage such that the sample is irradiated with X-rays through the X-ray optic along a path which is normal to the sample and coaxial with the optic viewing lens receiving light reflected from the sample when the optic viewing lens is positioned normal to the sample.
US07972052B2
A backlight unit including a light guide panel which has opposite upper and lower faces, and guides light, introduced into an inside thereof, between the upper and lower faces through internal reflection, and a prism sheet which collects and transmits the light, introduced from the light guide panel, and has, on its surface, a plurality of prism patterns, each having a first main inclined face, to which light introduced from the light guide panel is incident, a second main inclined face having a curvature or a plane which reflects light incident from the first main inclined face, and two auxiliary inclined faces which are opposite to each other between the first and second main inclined faces, and define a side face of the prism pattern.
US07972050B2
The invention relates to a display apparatus with a display unit, having means for background lighting at the back of the display apparatus. According to the invention, the means for background lighting comprise two illumination units being provided at the right-hand and left-hand of the display apparatus, said illumination units being formed as substantially vertically positioned, longitudinal light guides comprising means for coupling out light, each of the light guides being provided on at least one of its ends with a light source. The light sources preferably comprise coloured LEDs.
US07972041B2
A light emitting diode (LED) package includes a base, a body and several LED chips. The body having an end surface is disposed on the base. A peripheral recess is formed in the end surface. The LED chips are disposed on a bottom of the peripheral recess for providing sidelight of the LED package. The LED package is connectable to a light guide pipe including a column having an external circumferential surface and an internal reflection surface, and a plurality of prism structures disposed between or on at least one of the external circumferential surface and the internal reflection surface for scattering light received by the light guide pipe from the LED package.
US07972037B2
A light fixture, comprising a matrix, a plurality of electrical sockets fixedly secured to the matrix and forming a rigid matrix of electrical sockets electrically interconnected in two dimensions. One or more light emitting diode modules are individually removable and replaceable within any individual electrical socket within the matrix. Each individual light emitting diode module includes a base and a light emitting diode, wherein the base is configured and arranged for fitted electrical engagement within the electrical socket.
US07972033B2
An indicator light (10) is provided. The indicator light (10) includes a body section (11), a cover section (12) detachably mounted on the body section (11), a printed circuit board (14) received in the body section (11) and a lamp (13) electrically connected to the printed circuit board (14). The lamp (13) faces the cover section (12) guiding lights from the lamp (13) to the body section (11).
US07972028B2
The present invention relates to a system, method and tool for optimizing combination of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and to an optimized combination of LEDs. The system and method provide a plurality of LEDs and corresponding specifications. Then, a color temperature and a color rendering index are selected. Calculations are performed for subgroups of LEDs. At least one optimized combination of LEDs having an optimized corresponding luminous flux is identified according to selected color temperature, color rendering index and LEDs' specifications. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a tool for optimizing white light generated by a combination of LEDs. The tool comprises a repository for storing specifications for the combination of LEDs, a selection module for selecting at least one of the following parameters: a color temperature, a color rendering index and a maximum shift variance from a black body locus, and a processing module for calculating for subgroups of LEDs resulting color temperature, color rendering index, luminous flux, and for identifying an optimized selection of LEDs. The present invention also relates to an optimized combination of LEDs for producing white light with high color rendering index, the combination of LEDs excluding blue LEDs.
US07972027B1
The invention is a light kit that attaches to the interior portion of garage door panels in order to illuminate the garage when either the garage door is open or closed. The kit includes a plurality of lights with corresponding mounting brackets, a watt reducer, lighting box, and a spring-loaded electrical wiring system.
US07972017B2
An optical element, includes: a diffractive functional layer which diffracts at least part of incident light; and a grid formed on a first surface of the diffractive functional layer, the grid including a plurality of fine wires and having a polarization separation function; wherein the optical element reflects a part of the incident light while transmitting another part of the incident light, the first surface of the diffractive functional layer including: a plurality of first regions; a plurality of second regions, a height thereof relative to a second surface of the diffractive functional layer being different from that of the first regions, the second surface being an opposite surface to the first surface; and a step provided at a border between the first regions and the second regions.
US07972014B2
A scanning projection apparatus for displaying image comprises a light source for generating a light beam, a beam scanner which deflects the light beam to project a two dimensional image field, a modulation means for modulating the intensity of the light beam, and a sensor to detect the scanned light beam. The light source may consist of a plurality of semiconductor lasers and/or solid state lasers to generate light beams with wavelengths of red, green and blue colors aligned into a single light path. The image field is divided into an active image field for displaying image and a dark field in the perimeter of the image field wherein the light beam is switched off to reduce inherent image defects. The sensor is positioned outside the active image field to detect a scan line once per image frame to eliminate image distortion due to phase difference between the actual and the predicted positions of the scanned beam, and to detect both the horizontal and the vertical scanning operations of the beam scanner for safety precaution.
US07972013B2
A light source includes an arc tube which emits light, a reflector which reflects the light emitted from the arc tube, and a holding unit which holds the reflector. The holding unit has an air supply port through which cooling air is introduced into the light source on the light emitting side of the arc tube, and a first rectifying portion which guides cooling air having been supplied from the air supply port and passed through the light emitting side of the arc tube toward an area above the arc tube.
US07972010B2
A projector that includes: a projector body including an image optical system for image creation and projection, and an image circuit that operates the image optical system; an auxiliary input unit that forms an auxiliary signal for exercising control over an operating state of the projector body; and a distribution unit that transfers the auxiliary signal formed by the auxiliary input unit to the image circuit and an external display unit.
US07971993B2
Rimless eyeglasses are provided that allow a lens to be fixed to a connector only by fitting the lens into the connector, and that also enable strong engagement between the lens and the connector. Rimless eyeglasses include a rimless lens, a bridge, and a connector that is provided at the tip of a temple. The rimless lens has an inwardly extending notch near upper left and right ends thereof. The bridge and the connector have a groove having a C-shaped longitudinal cross section and extending between top and bottom surfaces thereof. The notches of the rimless lens engage with the grooves of the bridge and the connector.
US07971990B2
A transported medium transporting apparatus includes a transported medium transporting device and at least one pressing driven roller. The transported medium transporting device transports a transported medium in a predetermined transportation direction. The pressing driven roller is driven so that the pressing driven roller contacts one surface of the transported medium, which is transported by the transported medium transporting device. The pressing driven roller includes a rotary body and a shaft portion, both of which are made of elastic synthetic resin and formed integrally with each other. A plurality of protrusions are formed on the rotary body at regular intervals in a circumferential direction of the rotary body. The shaft portion rotatably supports the rotary body so that the rotary body can be driven. The pressing driven roller has a shape such that the rotary body contacts the transported medium with a predetermined pressing force owing to an elastic force of the shaft portion.
US07971988B2
In a state that a termination edge of a recording medium aligns with a termination edge of a region opposing a recording head (nozzle surface), a sticking force acting on the recording medium is set to be at least equal to or greater than the weight of a part (a portion having a length) of the recording medium protruding from a separation start position toward the downstream side in a conveying direction.
US07971979B2
An image producing machine including (a) an imaging member having a surface; (b) a printhead for forming an image onto the imaging surface; (c) a substrate supply system for feeding substrates to receive the formed image; and (d) a static eliminating container that includes a closed end; an open end; at least one cylindrical member having an interior surface defining a chamber for containing a quantity of solid phase-change ink pastilles. The static eliminating apparatus includes (i) a conductive interior portion for contacting the quantity of solid phase change ink pastilles being contained and moved therein; (ii) a groundable conductive exterior portion; and (iii) a conductive connector for connecting the conductive interior portion to the groundable conductive exterior portion, thereby enabling dissipation of static build up from frictionally moving the quantity of solid phase-change ink pastilles within the interior chamber.
US07971973B2
The electrical connection structure includes: a first substrate which has a first electrode part; a second substrate which has a second electrode part opposing the first electrode part, and a wiring pattern connected to the second electrode part; an insulating cavity substrate which is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and has a through hole in a position corresponding to the first electrode part, the through hole being deeper that a sum of a height of the first electrode part and a height of the second electrode part and having an opening surface area not smaller that an area of the first electrode part; and conductive material which is filled in the through hole.
US07971970B2
An ink drop ejection device with a bubble forming chamber for holding an ejectable liquid, a nozzle in fluid communication with the bubble forming chamber, and at least one heater element in the bubble forming chamber for thermal contact with the bubble forming liquid. Heating the heater element to a temperature above the boiling point of the bubble forming liquid forms a gas bubble to eject a drop of the ejectable liquid through the nozzle. The bubble forming chamber has a circular cross section and the heater element has arcuate sections that are concentric with the circular cross section.
US07971968B2
A printhead has a plurality of nozzle arrangements. Each arrangement includes a substrate defining an ink inlet aperture with a wall portion bounding the ink inlet aperture and a crown portion defining a nozzle opening; a skirt portion depending from the crown portion to form part of a peripheral wall of the nozzle assembly, the crown and skirt portions being displaceable with respect to the wall portion towards the substrate to alter a volume of a nozzle chamber defined by the wall, crown and skirt portions; and a thermal actuator interconnecting the crown and skirt portions with the substrate, the actuator for displacing the crown and skirt portions. The wall portion and skirt portions are configured to define a fluidic seal to inhibit the egress of ink during such displacement. The substrate further includes a layer of micro-electromechanical drive circuitry for actuating the actuator. The actuator has a first active beam arranged above a second passive beam, the beams fabricated from a conductive ceramic material with an electrical connection between the active beam and the drive circuitry established via conductive pads.
US07971966B2
An ink jet recording head includes a recording element substrate having an energy generating member for generating energy in accordance with an electric signal, and an electrode portion for receiving the electric signal to be supplied to the energy generating member; an electric line member including an opening in which the recording element substrate is contained, an electric line extending toward an inside of the opening and connected to the electrode portion, an inclined electric wiring extending in a direction crossing with the electric line and contacted to the recording element substrate. The electric line member is disposed above a surface, having the electrode, of the recording element substrate, wherein the inclined member extends in a direction of an arrangement of a plurality of such electric lines, and constitutes an inclined surface descending from the electric wiring toward the surface of the recording element substrate.
US07971963B2
A liquid discharge method of a liquid discharge head having a discharge port which discharges a liquid, a channel which communicates with the discharge port and an energy generation unit which is disposed opposite to the discharge port and which generates energy for use in discharging the liquid. The method includes driving the energy generation unit, and then connecting a tip portion of the liquid discharged from the discharge port to the liquid at the discharge port via at least two liquid columns, and cutting the at least two liquid columns to separate the tip portion of the liquid from the liquid at the discharge port.
US07971958B2
An inkjet printer having a printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition. The maintenance assembly comprises a maintenance roller having an elastically-deformable non-absorbent contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead. An engagement mechanism moves the roller between a first position in which the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face.
US07971949B2
A printer controller is provided for supplying ejection data to a printhead mounted to a carrier and having a plurality of ejection nozzles. The printer controller is configured to determine a rotational displacement of the printhead relative to the carrier, determine a correction factor at least partially based on a thickness of media being printed on so as to at least partially compensate for the determined rotational displacement, and alter the supply of the ejection data based on the correction factor.
US07971948B2
A liquid jet apparatus of the invention includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal, a modulator that pulse-modulates the drive waveform signal so as to produce a modulated signal, a digital power amplification circuit that amplifies the power of the modulated signal so as to produce an amplified digital signal, and a low pass filter that smoothes the amplified digital signal so as to produce a drive signal. The digital power amplification circuit includes multiple stages of digital power amplifiers each including a pair of switching elements that are push-pull-connected. The amplified digital signal is a multi-value signal that reaches a larger number of steps of electric potentials than the number of digital power amplifiers.
US07971947B2
An ink jet remanufacturing chip verifier for new ink jet chips attached to remanufactured ink jet cartridges includes a controller for verifying during the process of remanufacturing the ink jet cartridges: if the new ink jet chips attached to the remanufactured ink jet cartridges are new ink jet chips, if the new ink jet chips attached to the remanufactured ink jet cartridges were manufactured by a predetermined manufacturer of new ink jet chips, if the new ink jet chips attached to the remanufactured ink jet cartridges are functional, and if the new ink jet chips attached to the remanufacture ink jet cartridges are a predetermined type of new ink jet chip; the controller for rejecting during the process of remanufacturing the ink jet cartridges: ink jet chips attached to remanufactured ink jet cartridges which have been previously used, ink jet chips attached to remanufactured ink jet cartridges which produced by manufacturers other than the predetermined manufacturer of inkjet chips, inkjet chips attached to remanufactured inkjet cartridges which are not functional, inkjet chips attached to remanufactured inkjet cartridges which are not a predetermined type of new inkjet chips; and a user interface for communicating the verification or rejection of the new ink jet chips from the controller during the process of remanufacturing.
US07971944B2
A mounting for an extension piece of a tall cabinet comprising a front furniture piece (5) which is attached to a vertical, central, strong frame (1). The height of the frame (1) is adjusted on the lower telescopic rail (2) by means of two height-adjustable screws (4) and is locked by means of a locking bolt (11) which is elastically guided in a horizontal manner in the lower frame segment (10).
US07971942B2
A trailer brake system constructed and arranged to effect the relay of a brake signal from the tractor and an automatically generated brake signal of an electronic control device of the trailer to one or more additional trailers in an expanded vehicle train. In one embodiment, the brake signal is relayed to an additional coupled trailer in the form of an electrical signal via an electrical interface. In another embodiment, the brake signal is relayed to an additional trailer by means of a valve device. In yet another embodiment, the brake signal is relayed to an additional trailer by means of a combination of electrical signal transmission and valve device.
US07971925B2
An air deflector adapted to be attached to the upper windshield crossbeam of a convertible vehicle. The air deflector includes a top surface, a front portion, an outer side portion, an inner side portion and a rear wing portion. The rear wing portion extends upwards from the top surface. The air deflector may further include a locking device adapted to lock the air deflector in the locking arrangement for the retractable top.
US07971918B2
Embodiments described herein relate to extendable sleepers for a tractor and methods of operating such a sleeper. In one embodiment, the tractor is connectable with a trailer. The trailer has a front surface. The extendable sleeper comprises a fixed portion disposed on the tractor, an extendable portion attached to the fixed portion, the extendable portion being movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and a mover operatively connected with the extendable portion for moving the extendable portion between a retracted position and an extended position. A control system is operatively connected with the mover for controlling operation of the mover. The control system operates in an extension mode where position of the extendable member is adjustable, a teach mode where a significant location of the extendable member is programmed into the control system, and an automatic mode where position of the extendable member is maintained.
US07971917B2
The apparatus for an automated drill pipe casing stabbing arm includes a telescopic tube assembly, a movable roller bracket assembly, a movable arm assembly, a mounting assembly, an apparatus actuator, and a PLC portable remote control device. An actuator mechanism positions the gripping arm assembly and the roller bracket assemble relative to one another in order to capture and grip the casing therebetween to support and grip the casing on the circumference thereof from opposing diametric sides. The automated stabbing arm is installed on a rig's mast or derrick. In a working position, the apparatus is oriented horizontally to provide radial support and guidance to the casing. A rig worker on the rig floor controls the apparatus by the portable remote control device.
US07971916B2
A tool module associated with an end-effector for a robot arm that includes both linear and rotational locking mechanisms providing movement in five degrees of freedom. The tool module includes an integrated locking assembly that includes a linear locking mechanism and a rotary locking mechanism that are simultaneously locked and unlocked. The linear locking mechanism locks to a rod and the rotary locking mechanism locks and unlocks a shaft that is rigidly coupled to a swing arm. An opposite end of the swing arm includes another linear locking mechanism that locks and unlocks a shaft supporting a vacuum cup at an opposite end. The vacuum cup is mounted to a ball joint on the shaft that allows the vacuum cup to pivot. By locking and unlocking the locking mechanisms of the tool module, the end-effector can be readily configured to grasp and hold various parts of different dimensions and shapes.
US07971913B2
A base member is fixed to a rear surface of a door panel for a vehicle. A grip member is supported on the base member in a tiltable manner. The grip member is arranged on the base member from a front surface of the door panel. A pivot shaft is arranged on the grip member. A shaft supporting member supports the pivot shaft with respect to the base member so that the pivot shaft can pivot relative to the base member. As a result, the grip member is ensurely prevented from becoming loose with respect to the base member in a longitudinal direction of the grip member.
US07971906B2
Device for facilitating the control of the weighting of an agricultural tractor and for improving its productivity, includes a support member (A) designed to run transversely to the direction of travel of the tractor, this support member having a central part with a member (B) for coupling to a front or rear three-point lift of the tractor and, on each side of this central part, a lateral extension (Aa, Ab) equipped with a unit of attachment (Ea, Eb) of a weight, a load or a tool.
US07971904B2
A rollover protection system for an off road vehicle includes a pair of lower legs, each lower leg having an arced portion and a horizontal portion connected to the vehicle frame. The upper section of the rollover protection system is pivotably connected to the lower legs, so that it may pivot to a lowered position in which the upper section fits around the rear mounted engine and is within the rear dimensions of the vehicle.
US07971888B2
A suspension system for a vehicle may include a torsion beam disposed along width direction of the vehicle and including an attaching portion formed to an end portion thereof, a trailing arm disposed to the attaching portion of the torsion beam and aligned along length direction of the vehicle, wherein one end portion of the trailing arm is coupled to a wheel and the other end portion of the trailing arm is connected to a vehicle body, and a stiffener connecting the attaching portion of the torsion beam and the trailing arm disposed between the stiffener and the attaching portion of the torsion beam.
US07971886B2
An implement includes a caster wheel pivotally attached to the implement to support the implement for movement. A steering link is engaged with the caster wheel, and an actuator is operative to move the steering link from a neutral position to a controlling position. When the steering link is in the neutral position, the caster wheel can pivot about the caster axis through a 360 degree pivot range. When the steering link is moved to the controlling position, the caster wheel is oriented to roll toward a first side of the implement.
US07971885B2
A method of rocking a wheeled infant carrier (30) comprises using a rocking device (10) having a pair of discrete units (12,14). Each unit has a ground-engaging base (18a,b) and a platform (16a,b) supported thereon through bearings for movement relative to the base in a first direction. A drive one (12) of the units has a motor in a housing (20) arranged to drive the platform (16a) of the drive unit relative to its base back and forth in said first direction. A first wheel (34) of the carrier (30) is placed on the drive unit and a second wheel (32) on the second, slave unit (14), with the axes of rotation of the wheels being arranged parallel said first direction. The motor is operated to rock that end of the carrier that is supported by those wheels from side to side.
US07971884B2
This invention is a Standing board for prams, which is fastened to a pram with fastening beams that protrude from the Standing board and that have means for fastening to the pram on their outer ends. The fastening beams (4, 5) point forward in the Standing board's normal direction of movement and are basically parallel with it. They are also adjustable in a right angle to the movement direction, mounted on the forward edge of the Standing board with their fastenings (8, 9), which have means for retaining the fastenings in their adjusted position on the Standing board (1). The fastening beams are mounted in a manner that allows them to be twisted in the fastenings for adjustment of their angle relative to the supporting area.
US07971878B2
A sheet conveying device includes a torque estimation unit that, based upon a first load torque generated at a time that a sheet-like member passes through a first nip between a first driving roller and a first driven roller of an upstream sheet conveying unit, estimates a second load torque generated at a time that the sheet-like member passes through a second nip between a second driving roller and a second driven roller of a downstream sheet conveying unit; and a control unit that controls the driving torque such that the second load torque is counterbalanced by applying a counterbalancing torque in synchronization with a timing of entry of the sheet-like member into the second nip.
US07971877B2
A device to transfer printed products out of the transport channel of a gathering and collating machine in which the printed products are transported in a clocked flow comprises an arrangement for transferring the printed products in a downward direction out of the transport channel. The printed products are preferably removed through an opening in a bottom part of the transport channel, wherein the opening is provided with a flap that can be pivoted downward and away from a product guide wall of the transport channel for the transfer out of a printed product.
US07971872B2
A drive joint mechanism includes a drive shaft (30) and a driven shaft (24) coupled coaxially to the drive shaft (30). A coupling (31) on the drive shaft (30) or the driven shaft (24) has pin-engaging grooves (31a, 31b) and at least one pyramid-shaped pin-guide (32) between adjacent pin-engaging grooves (31a, 31b). An engagement pin (25) is provided on the other of the drive shaft (30) and the driven shaft (24) and engages the pin-engaging groove (31a, 31b). The engagement pin (25) contacts the pin-guide (32) while coupling the drive shaft (30) and the driven shaft (24). Thus, at least one of the drive shaft (30) and the driven shaft (24) is rotated by a pressing force exerted in the axial direction by the driven shaft (24) so that the pin-guide (32) guides the engagement pin (25) into the pin-engaging groove (31a, 31b).
US07971865B2
An apparatus for inserting a paper or film object or a stack of such objects into an envelope. A feeding apparatus moves the object toward an insertion station and a vacuum drum has a surface adapted to engage and move the envelope toward the insertion station. A ramp element is coupled to the vacuum drum and is adapted to support a leading portion of the envelope as the envelope moves with the vacuum drum.
US07971864B2
The method and the device for positioning a columnar structure which can promote properties of the resulting columnar structure, such as thermal shock resistance, isostatic strength, thermal stress, mechanical stress, and the like, and can exhibit improved productivity due to excellent drying performance of the coated areas by approximation of the central axis of the columnar structure and the central axis of the seat, thereby flattening the coating thickness when a coating is applied to the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure, are provided. After causing the positioning fixture to abut on the seat mounting the columnar structure thereon, the columnar structure is moved from the seat using a positioning adjustment fixture placed opposing the positioning fixture, while keeping the columnar structure to abut on the positioning adjustment fixture at one or two points, thereby causing the columnar structure to abut on the positioning fixture.
US07971861B2
Containers for providing vapor phase reactant from liquid sources include bubbler designs and designs in which carrier gas flows over the liquid surface. Among the bubbler arrangements, a bypass conductance is provided to release excess pressure from the gas volume inside the container, or an enlarged bubbler tube is provided with a volume sufficient to accommodate all possible liquid backflow without having the liquid exit the container. Among the overflow designs, flow dividers provide a tortuous path for the gas to increase the time exposure of carrier gas packets to the evaporating liquid surface. The flow dividers can be microporous to encourage capillary action, thereby increasing the evaporating surface. The tortuous gas flow path can be separated from the liquid phase by a breathable semi-porous membrane that permits vapor phase reactant to pass through but prohibits liquid from passing in the other direction.
US07971859B1
Various methods and apparatus are disclosed that relate to one or more aspects of an abatement system that removes heat and/or one or more byproducts of combustion from a gas flow. In various aspects a misting array assembly is provided that includes at least one nozzle tubing having at least one nozzle coupled thereto.
US07971856B2
The present invention discloses a drive system for theatrical rigging, comprising a drive rope and a drive pulley. The drive rope has a fiber or cable core, surrounded by a plastic jacket. Formed on or in the surface of the drive rope are traction features that engage corresponding grooves in the drive pulley.
US07971854B2
A replaceable valve shaft sealing system is disclosed that enables the operator to greatly reduce the maintenance needs of valves where rotational movement of a shaft, that is connected to the actual metering apparatus of the valve, actuates the opening or closing of the valve thereby regulating fluid flow. The design of the shaft enables the user to replace the valve stem and associated sealing rings or to re-lubricate the shaft, while the valve is connected to the line, by simply removing the packing nut. There are no-preloaded sealing devices that require re-construction. Prior art designs use O-rings to prevent the seepage of fluid into the valve body and though the rotating shaft, but the disclosed shaft prevents contamination of the lubrication into the fluid flow and eliminates any of the axial loads that can cause O-rings to fail using the prior art designs.
US07971847B1
According to the present invention, a rook rack and a system of multiple roof racks of the present invention may be used to securely support equipment, such as, but not limited to, a satellite, to the roof of a portable shelter. The roof rack of the present invention generally comprises a crossbar and a pair of side supports coupled to each end thereof. A roof rack system of the present invention comprises at least two of these roof racks. The present invention further relates to a method of securing equipment to the roof of a portable shelter. This method comprises first providing a roof rack, and assembling and securing the same to the roof. After the roof rack system is secured to the roof of the portable shelter, the equipment, or an equipment platform, is placed on the crossbars and secured in its position by securing means, such as one or more clamps.
US07971845B2
A security mount for displaying an article such as a handheld device is provided that includes a device mount that can be secured to a handheld device and a base mount that can be secured to a display structure. The device mount is releasably connected to a tether such that the device mount can be detached from the tether without detaching the device mount from the handheld device.
US07971840B2
An adjustable arm supports a device housing with respect to a base and allows the position of the device housing to be adjusted as desired. The adjustable arm has segments joined by pivot joints, with passages therethrough to allow wires to be strung through the arm segments and joints so as to be shielded by the arm. The joints can be either dual-pivot joints or single pivot joints, and for both types of joints, the frictional resistance of the joints can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the elements of the arm can be strung onto the wiring prior to assembly.
US07971838B2
A clamp for engaging a structure flange includes a clamp body having a slot between a pair of body sections, a spring clip on the clamp body that extends into the slot, and a pair of screws threadedly engaged with the clamp body. The spring clip holds a structure flange in place when the clamp is placed on a structure flange, with the flange in the slot. This allows the installer to tighten the screws to engage the flange, without having to simultaneously hold the clamp in place. The screws may bite into the flange, providing a more secure coupling between the clamp and the structure flange. The clamp may be used to mount a variety of objects, such as sway braces for seismic bracing.
US07971829B2
A control device for use with an aerodynamic wing including a bar having a safety system that restrains one of the flying lines by routing an attachment through an aperture on the bar. Preferably, the system includes a stopper housing that engages an increased diameter element of the flying line. During normal operation, the increased diameter element is secured by the stopper housing, preventing the flying line from being pulled beyond the stopper housing. When the safety system is deployed, the increased diameter element is pulled from the stopper housing and slack is developed along the remaining flying lines to depower the kite.
US07971825B2
The invention relates to a turbojet suspension pylon for an aircraft, the pylon being provided with a rigid structure (10) comprising a longitudinal central box (22). According to the invention, the rigid structure also comprises two lateral boxes (24a, 24b) fixed to a forward part of said central box (22), the pylon also comprising a first (6a) and a second (6b) engine forward suspension designed to resist forces applied along the longitudinal direction (X) of the pylon, these first and second suspensions being arranged on the two lateral boxes respectively.
US07971817B1
A compact mobile crushing and screening apparatus for disintegrating solid feedstock and further processing the disintegrated feedstock comprises a hopper, a feedstock feeder system, a pre-screen (aka dirt screen), a crushing mechanism with a feed inlet opening, at least one side conveyor, a discharge conveyor having a front elevating section, a magnet and a screening/separator all on one track mounted framework that is radio remote controlled. The track mounted framework of the compact mobile crushing and screening apparatus provides the skeleton of the entire apparatus. The compact mobile crushing and screening apparatus comprises a crusher frame that carries the crushing mechanism and is integrated into the framework, which is configured and disposed to support and strengthen the crusher frame and thus reduces the mass and overall weight of the crusher frame. The feed inlet opening is at least about 3.5 square feet, the weight of the overall apparatus is no more than about twenty tons and the ratio of the area of the feed inlet opening in square feet to the overall weight of the apparatus in tons is at least about 0.25.
US07971814B2
A machine for distributing blowing wool from a bag of compressed blowing wool is provided. The machine includes a shredding chamber having an outlet end. The shredding chamber includes a plurality of shredders configured to shred and pick apart the blowing wool. A discharge mechanism is mounted at the outlet end of the shredding chamber and is configured for distributing the blowing wool into an airstream. The discharge mechanism includes a housing and a plurality of sealing vane assemblies mounted for rotation. The housing has a wrap angle of approximately 240°. The sealing vane assemblies are configured to seal against the housing as the sealing vane assemblies rotate. The housing includes an eccentric segment extending from the housing. A blower is configured to provide the airstream flowing through the discharge mechanism. The sealing vane assemblies become spaced apart from the housing as the sealing vane assemblies rotate through the eccentric segment.
US07971790B2
A laser pointer includes a human-machine interface disposed above the housing for users to control components inside the housing to decide patterns and size of the projecting image. The components consist of a frequency/phase control module, a driving energy control module, a laser beam generating module and a light scanning device. The frequency/phase control module controls the driving energy control module while the driving energy control module controls driving energy of the light scanning device. The size of the image is controlled by change of the amplitude of the light scanning device while the amplitude is changed along with the driving energy. The amplitude may also change along with the driving frequency. When the driving energy is fixed and the driving frequency is close to the resonant frequency, the amplitude increases. On the contrary, the amplitude decreases.
US07971788B2
The invention relates to a card reader payment terminal including an electrode circuit including at least one printed circuit board, to which are connected electronic components, particularly a microcontroller designed to control different peripherals characterized in that the microcontroller is connected to an associated microprocessor, the microcontroller using the associated microprocessor for performing programs such as arithmetic calculations, the microprocessor being mounted on a support having the format of a smart card and including a connector compatible with the standardized connector of the smart cards for connection with the microcontroller.
US07971787B2
When a customer picks up a commodity at a store aisles and operates a tag device, a PLU code of the commodity is transmitted from the tag device to a weight-scale apparatus. The terminal device is provided corresponding to each commodity. The weight-scale apparatus upon receiving the PLU code increments a counter value (prepared per commodity) in only one step, and displays a commodity icon corresponding to the PLU code on a liquid-crystal touch panel. The counter value increments every time the PLU code is received. The weight-scale apparatus subsequent to weighing issues a label and decrement only a step of the counter value. The icon corresponding to the counter value continues to be displayed unless the counter value does not indicate “0 (zero)”. The icon is erased when the counter value indicates “0 (zero)”. This results in providing superior operations in weighing and selecting various types of commodities, displayed at the store aisles, that are objects to be weighed.
US07971785B2
A method is provided for authenticating micro-processor cards to determine whether a card is a genuine card or a fake card. Authentication is performed by a checking program of at least one card reader terminal. The program sends to each card commands belonging to a standard and public set of commands. The method includes: modifying the checking program in the terminal or terminals, in such a way that the program additionally sends, to each card to be authenticated, at least one additional command, called a secret command, from a set of at least one additional command, pre-inserted into each genuine card, and different from the standard and public set of commands; and a step of detecting authenticity of the card, if the secret command is recognised and/or processed correctly, or the presence of a clone, if the secret command is not recognised and/or is processed wrongly.
US07971784B2
A sensing device for enabling a user to interact with a computer system. The sensing device is operable in a cursor control mode and a substrate-interaction mode. The sensing device includes: a nib; a nib switch configured to effect a mode change between the cursor control mode and the substrate-interaction mode; an optical sensor for sensing coded data printed on a substrate; a processor for generating cursor control data or interaction data; and a transceiver for communicating the cursor control data or the interaction data to a computer system. The cursor control data initiates a cursor control response in the computer system, while the interaction data initiates a substrate interaction response in the computer system.
US07971782B1
Computer implemented systems and methods for conducting transactions are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes receiving transaction information corresponding to a transaction initiated with one of a plurality of handheld computing devices. The handheld computing device is associated with one of a plurality of payment terminals. The transaction is completed and the association between the handheld computing device and the payment terminal is terminated.
US07971780B2
A method of operating an automated banking machine in response to data included on a user card includes operating a cash dispensing automated banking machine that includes a card reader, a keypad, a cash outlet, a deposit accepting opening and other transaction locations that may be susceptible to the installation of fraud devices. The machine operates to sense the probable installation of unauthorized devices. Such unauthorized devices may include fraudulent card reading devices, fraudulent keypad input intercepting devices, cash outlet trap devices, deposit input diversion devices or other fraud devices. Control circuitry in operative connection with radiation output and radiation sensing devices, operates to identify conditions corresponding to the probable installation of a fraud device on the machine and to take actions in response thereto.
US07971773B2
A carton for containing a dispensable material. The carton has a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises at least a first panel and a second panel foldably connected to the first panel at a fold line. A spout is at least partially formed in the first panel and the second panel. The spout is moveable between a closed position substantially preventing the removal of the dispensable material from the carton and an open position allowing removal of the dispensable material from the carton. The spout comprises a first spout panel formed from a portion of the first panel and a second spout panel formed from a portion of the second panel. The second spout panel is foldably connected to the first spout panel at at least a portion of the fold line.
US07971757B2
A liquid dispenser device for being associated with a liquid reservoir (R), said device comprising: a chamber (10) provided with an inlet valve (5, 15), an outlet valve (32, 232), and a piston (3) that is suitable for varying the volume of the chamber; a liquid dispenser orifice (25); and a pusher (2) that is axially displaceable down and up between a rest position and a depressed position; the dispenser device being characterized in that the pusher (2) includes an elastically-deformable wall (212) that is thus displaceable relative to the remainder of the pusher, the piston (3) being in contact, at least momentarily, with the deformable wall (212), so as to be urged in displacement relative to the remainder of the pusher while the wall is being deformed, in such a manner as to open the outlet valve.
US07971753B2
A filter-equipped container which, particularly in a small-sized eyedrop bottle or the like, is capable of accurate dropping while preventing bubbles from being involved when a contents liquid is to be delivered through a delivery port. To solve such problem, a plug body 12 disposed in the mouth of a bottle 10 is provided with a delivery passage for delivering contents liquid received in the bottle 10, the delivery passage being provided with a filter 25. The filter 25 is composed of a filter film 25a for filtering bacteria to prevent the latter from permeating from upstream to downstream as seen in the direction of delivery, and a contents liquid holding member 25b of porous material that has microscopic pores, disposed upstream of the filter film 25a, the contents liquid holding member 25b being in planar contact with the filter film 25a.
US07971746B2
A back surface of an outer case is formed by mutually overlapping left and right back panels. The overlapping edges on the front side and backside of the panels may be bent toward the opposite side at a blunt angle. A joint between the back panels is established in which the overlapping edge of one back panel is pressed against the overlapping edge of the other back panel. Spacers are mounted between the outer and inner case such that the overlapping edges are put in close contact with each other. The bends are deformed in order to prevent leakage from the joint after the injection of foam liquid. Due to the pressure of the foam, both of the overlapping edges are placed in closer contact while deforming the bends to be substantially flat. Consequently, the sealing properties of the joint after the completion of the thermally insulated housing are secured.
US07971737B2
A wall mountable shelf for storing items in a shower or bath enclosure includes a frame, a base member connected with the frame, a back plate connected with the frame and arranged to support the frame on the wall, and adhesive arranged between the back plate and the wall for securing the shelf to the wall surface. The frame includes a top rail portion, a front rail portion, and a pair of side rail portions connecting the top rail portion and the front rail portion. Each side rail portion includes a back portion extending downwardly from the top rail portion and a bottom portion extending from the back portion to the front rail portion arranged at an angle of less than 90°.
US07971736B1
Magnetic holders for knives or similar objects, formed from boards that are sawed in half lengthwise, to form a front half and a rear half. A shallow wide hole is drilled in the center of the exterior surface of the front half, in which a disk having company logo or other design is inserted. On both sides of the center, evenly-spaced wide holes are drilled from the interior surface of the front half about half-way through, then narrow holes are drilled the rest of the way through from the centers of the wide holes. Coin-shaped magnets are placed in the wide holes, and dowels are placed in the narrow holes to mark the position of the magnets. Knives may be retained on the holder by the magnets at the positions marked by the dowels. The front and rear halves are then glued together, for a seamless look.
US07971734B2
Wafer boat for holding semiconductor wafers in a spaced vertical arrangement during processing, said wafer boat comprising a plurality of vertically spaced holding positions for receiving and supporting said wafers in a substantially horizontal orientation, wherein the holding positions can be accessed from a front side of the wafer boat to allow for insertion and removal of a wafer, wherein at least one holding position comprises a back support for engaging a back side portion of a wafer and two lateral supports for engaging opposite lateral side portions of the wafer, and wherein the back support is disposed at a lower position than said two lateral supports such that sagging of a front side portion of an inserted wafer near the front side of the wafer boat due to gravity is at least partially compensated for.
US07971725B2
Disclosed are embodiments of apparatus for sorting particles in a fluid stream by size. In one embodiment of an apparatus for sorting such particles, a housing is provided, which defines a channel for a fluid stream containing particles. A suction channel is also provided, which terminates at a suction port. The suction port is positioned adjacent to the fluid stream. The suction channel may be configured to create a low pressure region and thereby redirect particles in the first fluid stream such that they may be sorted by size.
US07971720B2
Bags for granular material with a closure on top of the bag and a vertical handle on the lower end of the bag and having suitable dimensions, static coefficient of friction, creep resistance and containing granular materials of limited flow properties can be vertically stacked without support, for example on a pallet. One such suitable granular material is cat litter.
US07971710B1
A workout aid including a beverage container, and a band secured about the beverage container, the band comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein at least a portion of the first surface is matingly engaged against the beverage container, a first end and a second end, a means for detachably securing the first end of the band to the second end of the band, and wherein the second surface of the band is opposite from the first surface and has a schedule printed thereon or viewable therethrough, wherein the schedule includes a plurality of cells arranged in at least one column and at least one row.
US07971707B2
A wear guide assembly for use with a plastic modular conveying belt. The wear guide snap fits into position onto a support channel. The wear guide has a back wall, a first wall extending from the back wall, and a second wall extending from the back wall. The assembly also includes a support channel with a back wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. The first and second side walls have distal portions bordering an opening. The first and second side walls have opposed projections extending from the distal portions that form first and second shoulders.
US07971686B1
An improved scaffold connection is provided, attachable to a vertical scaffold member having a plurality of ring members. The scaffold joint has an upper side and a lower side, and an upper hook section and a lower hook section engagable with the ring members on the vertical scaffold members. The invention includes two latches to lock the joint to two ring members, where the two latches are mechanically connected.
US07971682B2
An exhaust device for an engine cam include a flow rectifying device for rectifying a flow of an exhaust gas. The flow rectifying device is disposed in an upstream end of an inner pipe, and comprises protrusions projecting inwardly. The exhaust gas engaging the flow rectifying device has passed through a curved portion of the inner pipe. The inner pipe also includes a muffler having a plurality of vent holes disposed in an inner portion thereof, and an outer pipe surrounding the inner pipe, defining an angular chamber therebetween.
US07971675B2
A hydraulic transaxle comprises a transaxle casing for supporting left and right axles, a pair of hydraulic motors disposed in the transaxle casing so as to drive the respective left and right axles, hydraulic ports provided in the transaxle casing so as to fluidly connect the pair of hydraulic motors in parallel to a common hydraulic pump, and a system for restricting or canceling differential rotation of the pair of hydraulic motors.
US07971671B2
A drive unit (1) for driving a hydraulic pump has an electric motor (2) for driving the hydraulic pump (100) of a construction working machine and also has a generator (3) for supplying electricity to the electric motor (2). A generation module (14) of the generator (3) has a structure where a large number of electrode assemblies (42) are serially connected between fastening plates (41) in a condition that partition plates (44) are sandwiched between the respective electrode assemblies (42). Liquid fuel for generating hydrogen and air are supplied to the electrode assemblies (42) to generate electric power. Unlike the case where the hydraulic pump (100) is driven by a diesel engine etc., the hydraulic pump drive unit has a low noise level and emits no exhaust gas, so that the device is extremely advantageous to reduce noise and exhaust gas of a construction working machine.
US07971653B2
An aerator with a hole spacing control system is disclosed. The aerator has a traction drive with at least a pair of driven wheels and a single steered wheel. A vehicle control unit provides commands to the traction drive to move the aerator at a specified ground speed. An operator-adjustable hole spacing actuator may be moved to a plurality of hole spacing settings. The hole spacing actuator is electrically connected to the vehicle control unit. The vehicle control unit includes logic to vary the commands to the traction drive based on the hole spacing settings from the actuator. An engine speed sensor and/or coring head speed sensor also may be electrically connected to the vehicle control unit, and the vehicle control unit commands being also based on inputs from those speed sensors.
US07971649B2
A flow control system includes a pump positioned in a wellbore to remove liquid from the wellbore. An isolation device is positioned in communication with the wellbore to substantially prevent gas flow at the pump during removal of the liquid.
US07971647B2
An apparatus, and a method which uses the apparatus, for raising a fluid from a lower region to a higher region of an at least partially cased well. The apparatus includes: a tubing string; a contacting structure at the upper end of the tubing string for engaging a stop structure in the well casing such that the tubing string is held in suspension; an exterior sealing element for sealing against the casing wall; and an internal check valve.
US07971646B2
A completion tubular is placed in position adjacent the zone or zones to be fractured and produced. It features preferably sliding sleeve valves that can assume at least two configurations: wide open and open with a screen material juxtaposed in the flow passage. In a preferred embodiment the valve assembly has three positions, adding a fully closed position to the other two mentioned. After run in, the valves can be put in the wide open position in any order desired to fracture. After fracturing, the valves can be closed or selectively be put in filtration position for production from the fractured zones in any desired order. Various ways are described to actuate the valves. The tubular can have telescoping pistons through which the fracturing can take place if the application calls for a cemented tubular. Alternatively, the tubular can be in open hole and simply have openings for passage of fracture fluid and external isolators to allow fracturing in any desired order.
US07971636B2
A heat exchanger for use as an evaporator includes a heat exchange core having a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged in a left-right direction at a spacing, and a refrigerant turn tank as a lower tank disposed toward a lower end of the heat exchange core. The heat exchange tubes are inserted through respective tube insertion holes formed in the turn tank and joined to the tank. The turn tank has drain grooves each extending from a forwardly or rearwardly outer end of each of the tube insertion holes for discharging condensation water to below the turn tank therethrough. Each of the drain grooves has a bottom extending gradually downward as the bottom extends away from the tube insertion hole. the exchanger is used as the evaporator, the top surface of the turn tank can be drained of water with an improved efficiency.
US07971633B2
Provided is a loop type micro heat transport device including: a lower plate having a reservoir for storing operating fluid at its upper surface, an evaporating part spaced apart from the reservoir to evaporate the operating fluid, and a condensing part for condensing vapor evaporated from the evaporating part; and an upper plate engaged with an upper surface of the lower plate and formed at a position corresponding to the evaporating part and the condensing part, and including a vapor space having a vapor line through which the vapor evaporated from the evaporating part is transported to the condensing part, wherein the operating fluid is circulated through the reservoir, the evaporating part, and the condensing part. Therefore, it is possible to remarkably improve productivity since its simple structure helps to make the manufacture simple, as well as to improve cooling performance and enabling long distance heat transport.
US07971627B2
A process and a device for easily and rapidly producing a metal sample for analysis for determining the content of impurities in a molten metal with high accuracy. More particularly, according to the metal sample production process, a metal sample for high accuracy analysis is produced by solidifying a collected molten metal without segregating impurities contained in a molten metal, by rapidly cooling a collected molten metal using a metal sample production device having a thin-walled mold having a thin sample collection space for collecting a molten metal, and an opening/closing operation part with which the mold can be freely opened/closed.
US07971623B2
A window frame assembly for installation within a garage door having front and rear exposed surfaces and one or more window openings. The assembly includes front and rear window frame members of injection molded plastic which are installed within the door opening on the front and rear exposed surfaces. The window frame members have alignment elements to assist in assemble and have engagement elements located about their peripheries which snap together in mating fashion to mount the frame members within the window opening. The engagement elements are adjustable to accommodate garage door panels of varying thicknesses and window panes of varying thicknesses. The engagement elements are also disengageable with a hand tool to separate the frame members and remove the members from the window opening.
US07971619B2
A cylinder for stamping planar substrates, such as sheets of paper comprises at least a pit with clamping means for holding a stamping medium on said cylinder, said medium comprising at least a row of stamps distributed along the medium. The medium is formed by a stamping plate or by stamping strips and said cylinder further comprises at least a supporting piece forming a bridge over said pit.
US07971606B2
A fuel tank and a cap device for the fuel tank. The fuel tank is connected to a fuel cell and includes a tank body having a fuel opening and a pin hole for maintaining an inside pressure, a floater positioned on a surface of the fuel stored in the tank body, and an air pipe connected to the pin hole and an upper part of the floater. The cap device includes a cap body having an inside transfer path for connecting an inlet opening for introducing the fuel and an outside transfer pipe, a fixed outer cap including a connector for fixing a discharge opening into which the transfer pipe is inserted, and an elastic opening/closing section in which the cap body is elastically compressible by the connector, and wherein the inside transfer path opens during the compression.
US07971600B2
A throttling valve assembly has an outer housing that is sealed. An actuator is connected to a pressure balanced shaft that extends into the housing to operate a plurality of linkages that can rotate blades in tandem. With the surrounding housing sealed, the shaft penetrations of the blade support shafts no longer need seals or a purge system to supply process gas during times of reduced pressure in situations with the blades nearly closed. A pressure equalization system has balance passages internal to the housing to allow flow from higher pressure zones to lower pressure zone of the process gas so as to avoid creation of a condition that can draw air into any zones of reduced pressure in the housing.
US07971599B2
To provide a low-cost air-operated valve, an air-operated valve comprises a piston, a cylinder in which the piston is allowed to slide by operation air, and a valve section to be driven by sliding movement of the piston. The cylinder includes an outer member having a hollow portion and an inner member loaded in the hollow portion of the outer member to define a piston chamber in which the piston is allowed to slide.
US07971593B2
The invention relates to a hair roller (1) having a central roller mandrel (3) and a partially slotted hair roller housing (2) that surrounds the roller mandrel at a distance. Said hair roller fixes the hair in the vicinity of the scalp by means of catch hooks and is positioned approximately at a right angle to the scalp in the final wound position.
US07971590B2
A respiratory mask assembly for delivering breathable gas to a patient includes a frame and a cushion. The cushion has a non-face contacting portion structured to be connected to the frame, a face-contacting portion structured to engage the patient's face, and a central portion that interconnects the non-face contacting portion and the face contacting portion. The frame may be structured to allow a forehead support to assume multiple positions, to compensate for replacement cushions that may have a different profile, shape or size. The cushion is structured to compensate for variations in strap tension, treatment pressure and/or movement of the patient. Headgear may be provided with a strap assembly in which one or more straps is provided with selectively adjustable elasticity or extensibility that may be automatically changed in dependence of treatment pressure and/or treatment type.
US07971571B2
The present invention is an operation control method on the basis of an ion current in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising a step of detecting the ion current generated within a combustion chamber 30 so as to control an operating state of the internal combustion engine 100 on the basis of a state of the detected ion current, wherein a control at an engine start point in time on the basis of the state of the ion current is stopped for predetermined cycles just after the engine start.
US07971563B2
In an engine valve operating system, a timing transmission chamber (48) is formed on one side of an engine main body; the timing transmission chamber (48) houses a timing transmission system (37) that provides a connection between a crankshaft (12) and a camshaft (36) disposed above intake and exhaust valves (29i, 29e); opposite end parts of the camshaft (36) are supported by one side wall (5a) of a cylinder head (5) and a dividing wall (5b) that is adjacent to the timing transmission chamber (48); and a valve operating chamber (49) housing the camshaft (36) is defined between said one side wall (5a) and the dividing wall (5b). An oil slinger (72) is disposed in a lower part of the timing transmission chamber (48). An oil passage hole (75) is provided in the dividing wall (5b), the oil passage hole (75) guiding scattered oil that has been shaken off in an upper part of the timing transmission system (37) to the valve operating chamber (49). An oil return passage (77) is provided for transmitting pressure pulsations generated in the crank chamber (9) to the valve operating chamber (49), and making oil that has collected in the valve operating chamber (49) flow downward to the crank chamber (9) within the crankcase (2). Thus, the interiors of the timing transmission chamber and the valve operating chamber which are separated from each other can be lubricated without using an oil pump, while maintaining an arrangement in which the camshaft is disposed above the intake and exhaust valves.
US07971560B2
A system and method for configuring a water heater to drain condensate from combustion products is provided. The water heater comprises a water tank, a burner for producing combustion products, a flue extending through an interior of the water tank to receive the combustion products, and an exhaust passageway positioned downstream of the flue and extending outside of the water tank to exhaust the combustion products. The exhaust passageway includes a first portion and a second portion positioned at an elevation above the first portion. A bypass conduit is coupled to the exhaust passageway and positioned to direct condensate in the exhaust passageway from the second portion toward the first portion. A drain port is positioned at or an elevation below the first portion of the exhaust passageway to drain condensate from the exhaust passageway.
US07971553B2
A method and apparatus for safer and more effective deep trans-cervical intra-uterine artificial insemination (AI) is provided. Such a deep AI catheter causes minimal discomfort and risk of trauma, and does not require the services of a highly trained AI professional. First, a catheter is inserted into the cervical tract of the animal. A membrane, initially positioned inside a tube section of the catheter, is then extended from an opening in the tube and into the tract under pressure. The membrane extends into the tract without friction thereby reducing the discomfort and the risk of trauma or injury to the animal. When the membrane is fully extended into the tract, pressure causes the tip of the membrane to open thereby releasing the AI fluid and depositing the genetic material suspended in the fluid into the reproductive tract. In addition to AI and embryo transplant, other applications for the pathway include other therapeutic, diagnostic or procedures, such as introducing fluoroscopic cameras, instruments, and drug delivery.
US07971550B2
A stabilized watercraft having a pointed bow, a transom and curved sides, and a rigid buoyancy tube which extends from the bow to a point past the transom. The tube has a cross-section which is approximately rectangular, but is generally somewhat wider in a lower portion than in an upper portion thereof over at least an aft portion of the boat. The tube has a dead rise in the range of 0° to +15° with the upper surface of the tube being flared outwardly in the range of 30°-80° at the bow portion of the watercraft and an angle of 60°-80° at the stern portion.
US07971548B2
A shallow water anchor system provides a single arm arrangement with a fixed end of the arm mounted to the transom of a boat and the distal end of the arm retaining a rod adapted to be buried into the bottom of a lake, estuary, or other shallow body of water. The fixed end of the arm includes a first sheave and the distal end of the arm includes a second sheave, with a cable under tension between the first and second sheaves. A hydraulic operating mechanism drives a sliding block clamped to the cable. A hydraulic pressure is applied to one side of the other of a hydraulic piston with a cylinder to drive the operating mechanism, the sliding block moves back and forth thereby moving the arm up and down in a rotary motion about a shaft on the fixed end of the arm. In the down position, the rod is embedded into the bottom. In the stowed position, the arm is oriented straight up in a vertical position.
US07971542B2
A system for processing a material panel is provided including a table supported by a plurality of legs, the table having at least one linear edge. A sewing machine is provided functionally connected to the table at the at least one linear edge. An elongate track is provided mounted along the at least one linear edge. At least one sensor movable along said track is provided for measuring at least a length of the material panel.
US07971537B2
The carnival ride has a travel path for cars with seats and at least one screen arranged adjacent to the travel path. In order to design the carnival ride in such a way that the passengers in the car have an optimal gaming experience, the screen follows the car at least along a section of its travel distance. In this way, the passengers in the car have a very long-lasting visual contact with the screen or with the movie shown on the screen.
US07971528B2
There is provided a used-master security system for a printing apparatus that can prohibit the removal of used masters for any type of master and to safely secure used masters by prohibiting the removal of used masters; a used-master security method for a printing apparatus in which the used-master security system of the printing apparatus is used; and a printing apparatus capable of prohibiting the removal of used masters with the used-master security system for a printing apparatus, and having a used-master storage device for storing used-masters provided to the printing apparatus main body and a used-master security device that is capable of prohibiting the removal of used masters inside the used-master storage device.
US07971525B2
For a device (100 for rotary processing of rolled material capable of being conveyed along a transportation path between a rotatably mounted processing sleeve (110) and a rotatably mounted anvil sleeve (120), single-ended suspension of a processing axle (111) and an anvil axle (121) is achieved in that the anvil sleeve (120) rotatably mounted on the anvil axle (121) suspended at one end only is coupled to the anvil axle (121) by means of a bearing (122) mounted in a central region mid-way between the opposing edges (125, 126) of said anvil sleeve (120).
US07971514B2
An apparatus and a production process for producing rolls of disposable pieces of hygienic paper, including the stages of: cutting perforated lateral lines on said hygienic paper, wherein each of the lateral spaces of the perforated lateral lines is shorter than each of the lateral perforations of the perforated lateral lines, wherein each of said lateral spaces is facing one of the lateral perforations of a neighboring perforated lateral line, rolling the hygienic paper around inner tube, and cutting longitudinal cuts along the hygienic paper and the inner tube, the apparatus including spiral and segmented blades for cutting the perforated lateral lines, and knives for longitudinal cutting.
US07971510B2
The invention relates to a method for setting the cutting gap on a cutting device for cutting food products. According to said method, the actual distance between the blade and the cutting edge is first determined and a desired distance between the blade and the cutting edge is subsequently set by an electric repositioning device, taking into consideration said actual distance.
US07971484B2
A method for evaluating the reliability of steel in terms of inclusions is characterized in that the inclusions of approximately 100 μm or less in maximum inclusion size are evaluated by microscopy combined with the extreme-value statistical analysis; the inclusions of approximately 100 μm or greater in maximum inclusion size are evaluated by the ultrasonic flaw detection testing performed at a frequency of 5 to 25 MHz; and the reliability of the steel is evaluated based on the results of the extreme-value statistical analysis applied to the results of the microscopy and the results of the ultrasonic flaw detection testing combined.
US07971482B2
A capacitive humidity sensor includes: a humidity sensing element with a humidity sensitive film and electrodes; and a processing circuit. The film has a dielectric constant variable in accordance with moisture. The electrodes detect capacitance of the film and outputs a signal corresponding to the capacitance. The processing circuit processes the signal. The film is made of inorganic material having fine pores for adsorbing the moisture. A diameter of the fine pores is set to be a predetermined diameter so that capillary tube aggregation phenomenon occurs at a predetermined relative humidity. The capacitance of the film has a change rate with respect to the relative humidity. The change rate in case of the relative humidity higher than the predetermined relative humidity is larger than that in case of the relative humidity lower than the predetermined relative humidity.
US07971478B2
A wind sensor includes first and second elements in an orthogonal axis arrangement and a calibration data array comprising first calibration data associated with the first element and second calibration array data associated with second element. An anemometric processor determines a wind speed (S) and direction (W) for an airflow received by the first and second elements using a first electrical parameter associated with the first element and the first calibration array data and a second electrical parameter associated with the second element and the second calibration array data. A wind sensing probe can have a pair of wind sensing elements, wherein each element has a core formed of a low specific heat, low density, high temperature plastic polymer, with two metal leads extending from the ends of core. A wind sensing element can include a fine Nickel alloy coil wound around an aforementioned core.
US07971471B2
The gas sensor has a selectively permeable membrane which is composed of silicon material and is provided with a heating device on the outside. The membrane closes an evacuated housing which contains a pressure sensor. When evacuating the area surrounding the housing, the heat dissipation is changed as a result of the quick change in the total pressure of the surrounding air, with the result that signal drift arises despite temperature regulation of the membrane. The disclosure provides at least one second heating device whose temperature is regulated independently of the first heating device. As a result, the membrane temperature is highly constant even in the case of severely changing total pressure in the housing.
US07971465B2
In one embodiment, a device for capturing radiation includes: a panel defining a plurality of double wedge chambers, wherein each double wedge chamber includes a first wedge-shaped chamber that tapers into an opening for a second wedge-shaped chamber, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the first wedge-shaped chamber is not collinear with a longitudinal axis of the second wedge-shaped chamber.
US07971462B2
A system and method for producing a cable hanger formed by alternately and continuously forming the Z-winding spiral and the S-winding spiral using the hanger wire. The system and method involve the use of at least five spiral forming dice accommodated in a cylindrical space of the housing such that the spiral forming dice are adjacent to each other and can rotate independently from one another.
US07971453B2
In order to simplify handling of the knitting machine needles and of associate coupling members—in particular when loading the rib dials—a knitting machine needle with a coupling member that is pivotally supported on said knitting machine needle is being provided. The transverse bearing surfaces (21a) and (b), as well as (22a) and (b), said surfaces being at least temporarily in abutment with each other, are disposed to laterally secure the coupling member (3) on the needle body.
US07971446B2
A system can include an enclosure having an exterior surface and an interior region that is characterized by a width and a length that is longer than the width; a plurality of trays mounted in racks that line a majority of each side of the length of the interior region and that define an aisle therebetween which is suitable for passage by one or more human occupants; cooling coils configured to capture heat generated by the plurality of trays and exhaust the heat outside the interior region; a plurality of connections on the exterior surface for supplying electrical power to the plurality of trays, supplying cooling fluid to the cooling coils, and for receiving cooling fluid discharged from the cooling coils; and doors at either end of the aisle configured and positioned to facilitate emergency egress from the enclosure by a human occupant.
US07971442B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a vehicle air-conditioner, which can prevent undershoot of an evaporator by performing a maximum capacity control or controlling an discharge capacity of a compressor through the outputting of an discharge capacity control value of the compressor directly before the stop of the air conditioner, and can improve the pleasant feelings of the passengers by preventing delay of response, which converges into the target temperature of the evaporator due to the delay of the decrease of the temperature of the evaporator.
US07971439B2
An annular turbomachine combustion chamber comprising an inner wall, an outer wall, and a chamber end wall disposed between said inner and outer walls in the upstream region of said chamber, the chamber end wall presenting a central portion and an outer assembly flange, and the outer wall presenting an upstream assembly flange, the chamber end wall and the outer wall being assembled together by their assembly flanges, in which the free edge of said outer assembly flange is curved inwards. In addition, the outer face of the outer assembly flange presents a shoulder.
US07971438B2
Environmental concerns have resulted in consideration of the effects of condensation trails from gas turbine engines. By provision of a condensation stage in a heat exchanger arrangement for a gas turbine engine the level of condensation within a final exhaust gas flow G from an engine is reduced. Furthermore, by cooling of the exhaust gas flows for mixing with by-pass air flows a water partial pressure at an exhaust gas exit temperature can be provided which is below the eutectic liquid to vapor phase transition and therefore avoid condensation (contrail) formation.
US07971432B2
A flow diffuser for vehicles of the type having an engine and an exhaust pipe generally includes a substantially tubular body having an outer surface and a first end configured for attachment to an exhaust pipe. The flow diffuser further includes a diffusion portion including at least one channel having a root end located near the outer surface, an exit port, and a channel axis extending between the root end and the exit port, the channel increasing in flow area along the channel axis to reduce exhaust gas velocity.
US07971430B2
A system for treating exhaust gases from an engine is described. The system includes, the exhaust gases routed from the engine to atmosphere through an exhaust passage, the system comprising: an injector directing a spray of reductant into the exhaust gases routed from the engine to atmosphere; an exhaust separation passage that separates an exhaust gas flow received from the engine into a plurality of separate exhaust gas flows; a plurality of oxidation catalysts, each of which receives one of the plurality of separate exhaust gas flows; a flow combining passage that receives the plurality of separate exhaust gas flows and combines them into a re-combined exhaust gas flow; a turbocharger that receives the re-combined exhaust gas flow from the flow combining passage; and a selective catalytic reduction catalyst positioned downstream of the turbocharger.
US07971429B2
The disclosure concerns a procedure for the regeneration of a particle filter and the desulfurization of a NOx storage catalytic converter in an exhaust gas aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine. The disclosed procedure allows for the necessary heating energy and fuel consumption required to completely or partially regenerating the particle filter to be significantly reduced. Furthermore, an increase in efficiency of the NOx storage catalytic converter results, because the process reduces the average sulfur absorption on account of a greater frequency of desulfurization phases. In so doing, the NOx emissions after the NOx storage catalytic converter can further be reduced.
US07971408B2
A transportable and erectable stairtower having a removable/slidable wheel carriage and a removable installation section arranged for transporting and erecting the stairtower. The stairtower has vertical column members and lateral members defining levels of the stairtower. Removable staircases extend between alternate levels of lateral members. A platform landing is formed at the intersection of first and second stair segments of the staircase. Removable ramps may be connected to the stairtower above, below, and at a position corresponding to the platform landings. A safety device in the form of catch pans, gutters, and leaders may be provided to protect workers by collecting debris and rainwater. A transporting vehicle may be connected to the installation section to transport the stairtower to a desired location. A lifting vehicle may be used to lift the stairtower from a horizontal to a vertical orientation.
US07971405B2
A drywall repair patch is disclosed. It includes a coated sheet attached to an adhesively coated porous substrate, which includes a porous sheet and a layer of dry, water-hardenable cement product carried on at least one side of said porous sheet. The repair patch is free of any rigid supporting plate.
US07971398B2
A system and method for mounting photovoltaic solar panels onto a roof. The system includes first and second strut rails spaced from the roof employing a series of standoffs, the strut rails having a length, cross section, a base and side walls, side walls terminating with first and second turned in edges. First and second mounting fixtures are attached to the photovoltaic solar panels which are of a type and geometry enabling the solar panels to be removably appended to the strut rails. The first and second mounting fixtures can be applied to the photovoltaic solar panels before being elevated to a roof.
US07971394B1
A replacement door having an adjustable locking mechanism that can be used to replace any number of doors employing locking mechanisms positioned at different heights. The locking mechanism, including a handle and plunger mechanism is engaged in the edge of the door and moveable up and down along a vertical path so as to adjust the height at which the plunger engages a preexisting opening in the door frame. When the mechanism is positioned at the desired height a wrap plate secures the mechanism in place. The replacement door may include a continuous hinge that can align with any hinge apparatus on the door frame.
US07971380B1
A break-open over-and-under rifle (21) comprising an upper barrel (23s) and a lower barrel (23i) assembled close to a breech (24) thereof in a sleeve (A) to which an action body (B) is hinged through a hinge pin (P), two symmetrical side seats (30) being made on the sides of the sleeve (A) at the sides of the upper barrel (23s) close to the lower barrel (23i) and close to the breech (24) of the barrels, each side seat (30) being intended to receive an extractor (60a, 60b) in sliding engagement actuated by a spring (6), for each of the extractors (60a, 60b) selector means (70) being foreseen fixedly connected to the sleeve (A) each able to be positioned in an engagement position of the corresponding extractor (60a, 60b) intended to limit its sliding or in a disengagement position of the corresponding extractor (60a, 60b) intended to allow it to slide freely.
US07971377B2
A lenticular image display is provided for showing two or more changing images and/or three-dimensional (3D) motion effects, including a lenticular panel having an array of linear lenses, at least one image carrier bearing interlaced images disposed behind the lenticular panel in close contact with it, means for angularly aligning the lenses of the lenticular panel and the interlaced images of the image carrier, drive means for producing movement of the image carrier relative to the lenticular panel, a support disposed behind the image carrier, and partially compressed rings or other arcuate elastic elements disposed between the image carrier and the support, urging the image carrier in close contact with the lenticular panel, the arcuate elastic elements also being able to roll against the image carrier so as to facilitate the movement of the image carrier.
US07971370B2
An apparatus and method for treating a moving substrate of indefinite length. The apparatus has a control surface positioned in close proximity to a surface of the substrate to define a control gap between the substrate and the control surface. A first chamber is positioned near the control surface, with the first chamber having a gas introduction device. A second chamber is positioned near the control surface, the second chamber having a gas withdrawal device. The control surface and the chambers together define a region wherein the adjacent gas phases possess an amount of mass. Upon inducement of at least a portion of the mass within the region, the mass flow is controlled to significantly reduce dilution of the gas phase component in the adjacent gas phase. This is accomplished through the introduction of a controlled gas stream thereby reducing the flow of an uncontrolled ambient gas stream due to pressure gradients in the system.
US07971368B2
In a hand drying apparatus, an infrared light absorber absorbs infrared light, when a hand is not present, emitted from an infrared light emitter provided on an inner surface of a drying space.
US07971362B2
A motor-driven saber saw includes a guide device releasably connectable with the saw housing (11) in a region of the neck (13) and including a guide element (21) for guiding the saber saw (10) over a workpiece, a connection device (22) for connecting the guide element (21) to the housing (11) and having at least one connection part extending along an axis (A) and connectable with the neck (13), with the guide element (21) being supported on the at least one connection part (24) for displacement along the axis (A), and with the guide device (20) further including at least one spring element (27) located between the at least one connection part (24) and the guide element (21).
US07971361B2
A portable circular saw has a housing and a baseplate. The housing carries a motor which is connected to a blade through a transmission mechanism. The baseplate includes a main baseplate and a secondary baseplate each of which has a bottom surface and the bottom surfaces are coplanar. At least a part of the blade passes though a slot formed in the main baseplate. The main baseplate includes a first edge and a second edge disposed on opposing sides of the blade. The secondary baseplate has at least two exchangeable positions. In a first position, the secondary baseplate is jointed or adjacent to the first edge of the main baseplate and, in a second position, the secondary baseplate is joined or adjacent to the second edge of the main baseplate.
US07971352B2
A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board having solder balls. The method may include: stacking a second carrier, in which at least one hole is formed, over one side of a first carrier; forming at least one solder bump by filling the hole with a conductive material; forming a circuit pattern layer, which is electrically connected with the solder bump, on the second carrier; and exposing the solder bump by removing the first carrier and the second carrier. Using this method, uniform hemispherical solder balls with fine pitch can be formed as a part of the manufacturing process, without having to attach the solder balls separately. Carriers may be used to serve as supports during the manufacturing process, whereby deformations can be prevented in the board.
US07971347B2
Embodiments of an apparatus and methods of forming a package on package interconnect and its application to the packaging of microelectronic devices are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07971346B2
Stock having printed circuits thereon is conveyed in a transport plane by a conveying device, and electronic components carried by a transfer belt are transferred to the stock under pressure exerted by the belt. The electronic components are transferred to the belt by a feed device individually in such a way that the electronic components are accurately positioned on the stock by the transfer device.
US07971342B2
A conductor assembly and method of manufacture. The assembly includes a magnetic coil positioned about a curvilinear axis with one or more coil rows comprising conductive material having an arcuate shape. A generated field is characterized by a dipole component having a first magnitude, a quadrupole component having a second magnitude, a sextupole component having a third magnitude and a decupole component having a fourth magnitude. The third and fourth magnitudes are each 10−3 the first magnitude or less.
US07971339B2
A method and apparatus are provided for making radio frequency (RF) inlays. The RF inlays include an integrated circuit and an antenna affixed to a substrate material carrying the integrated circuit. During processing, portions of the wire forming the antenna are located adjacent to, but not directly over the integrated circuit. In the subsequent processing step, the wire ends are placed in contact with and secured to the integrated circuit terminal areas.
US07971338B2
A fabricating method for an earphone includes the steps of: providing a front case and a speaker, the front case having a plurality of securing holes and a accommodating space, the speaker being disposed in the accommodating space; electrically connecting an earphone wire to the speaker; providing a rear case and securing the rear case onto the front case by making use of a plurality of fasteners penetrating through the rear case and fitted into the securing holes of the front case, and thereby the speaker is fixed in the accommodating space by the stop effect of the rear case; and buckling a protecting cover on the rear case to cover the fasteners. The fabricating method can make the produced earphone to be more reliable and thus can effectively avoid from being disassembled caused by an external force or unexpected falling, and therefore the internal components thereof can be effectively protected from damage.
US07971337B2
The production of a hearing aid device can be simplified by the use of a microphone module with a plurality of microphones. To attach and electrically contact the microphones, the invention provides a microphone carrier with three-dimensionally directed conductor traces in MID technology. In a complicated microphone arrangement with a plurality of microphones, a single microphone module can thereby be used on which all microphones of the hearing aid device are attached and electrically connected.
US07971336B2
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing products comprising transponders. The method comprises introducing a web comprising on its surface sequential structural modules comprising an impedance matching element and an integrated circuit electrically connected to the impedance matching element, the structural modules having a first distance between each other; cutting the web in such a manner that the sequential structural modules are separated from each other; attaching the structural modules to a product substrate, the sequential structural modules having a second distance between each other, the second distance being longer than the first distance; and attaching the impedance matching elements to antennas, the impedance matching elements and the antennas forming an electrical connection.
US07971335B2
Fastening apparatus comprises a frame having a pair of spaced arms supporting respective cooperable fastening members, loading of the frame during a fastening operation tends to spread the arms and cause variation of a desired predetermined relationship between the fastening members. One of the members is mounted on one arm of the frame by a holder constructed to deform elastically and thereby to provide at least partial compensation for the variation.
US07971325B2
A touch fastener including an elongated base having multiple segments connected by articulable joints. Each segment has an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of touch fastener elements extending from the lower surface of the base. A flexible barrier extends across at least one articulable joint between adjacent base segments. The fastener may include a magnetically attractable material disposed along a center region of the upper surface of the base. The fastener base may define a pair of first and second notches in opposite longitudinal edges of the base at the articulable joint to allow bending of the base. The base may also define a slit extending through the base from a longitudinal edge thereof at the articulable joint.
US07971316B2
A door closer assembly is provided, including a valve regulating an amount of hydraulic fluid that flows through the valve. The amount of hydraulic fluid flowing through the valve controls a force generated by the door closer assembly on a door. A first sensor measures an angular position of the door, and a second sensor measures an angular position of the valve. The angular position of the valve determines the amount of hydraulic fluid flowing through the valve. A controller controls the adjustment of the valve based on the angular position of the door and the angular position of the valve.
US07971314B2
The present disclosure provides a filter cage having an improved flow path suitable even for restricted flow regions of a float container in the cage. The filter cage departs from generally accepted structural considerations and provides flow paths to one or more sides of the cage outside the restricted flow regions of the float container, but within the cross-sectional area of the cage structure. In one exemplary embodiment, the cage is oval-shaped with a cross-sectional area defined by a major and minor axis. A restricted flow region, such as the float container, encompasses a cross-sectional area corresponding in size to a cross-sectional area defined by the minor axis of the oval-shaped cage. The remaining portion of the cage cross-sectional areas provides one or more flow paths outward from the float container in the direction of the major axis of the cage.
US07971312B2
The invention relates to a connecting element (22) for hingedly connecting a wiper blade (10) to a wiper arm, said wiper blade (10) having a wiper strip (12) and at least one sprung blade (20) inserted into the wiper strip (12). Said sprung blade projects beyond the wiper strip (12) in the area of the connecting element (22) and is enclosed by guide rails (30) that are interlinked by at least one spring clip (34) and secured in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade (10) by at least one locking element (38) which laterally engages with a recess (28) of the sprung blade (20).
US07971307B2
The present invention provides a device for cleaning tubes, in particular the internal surfaces of tubes in heat exchange systems. The device comprises a mass (2) with an optionally provided central through-hole (10) disposed thereon, and optionally provided a plurality of protrusions (20, 21) mounted and/or moulded on the mass (2). The through-hole (10) is preferably of a conical shape-like configuration. A plurality of first protrusions (20) is disposed in a fin-like arrangement on the mass (2). A plurality of second protrusions (21) is disposed in a spiral arrangement on the mass (2), and the lengths of the second protrusions (21) are relatively longer than the length of the first protrusions (20). The mass may consist of an asymmetrically positioned weighted core (15) of different weights and sizes to provide a variety of relative density to the device and to serve as a geometrical manipulation to impart rotational momentum and random dynamic motion to the device.
US07971303B2
A scraper tool for removing material such as surface treatments, metal coatings, and other material layers from an edge region of a metal work piece where they could potentially contaminate a nearby weld. According to one embodiment, the scraper tool includes a body having a base portion and a tab portion, and several scraping elements attached to the base portion. During operation, the scraping elements scrape one or more surfaces of the edge region so that the depth to which the scraping element engage the metal work piece is generally affected by the amount of rotation of the scraper tool about a pivot axis.
US07971302B2
A method of washing fabric articles in a tunnel washer includes moving the fabric articles from the intake of the washer to the discharge of the washer through first and second sectors that are a pre-wash zone. In the pre-wash zone, liquid is counter flowed in the wash interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles. The fabric articles are transferred to a main wash zone, and a washing chemical is added to the main wash zone. At about the same time, counter flow is reduced or stopped. The main wash zone can be heated as an option. After a period of time (for example, between about 20 and 120 seconds) counter flow is increased. The increased counter flow after chemical treatment amounts to either an intermediate rinse or a pre-rinse depending upon which module or zone the goods occupy. The pre-rinse ensures that the fabric articles are substantially free of soil or the majority of any soil when they are transferred to an extractor for final removal of excess water.
US07971301B2
A washing machine and a control method thereof are provided. The method includes calculating a quantity of a detergent in a washing operation, setting a washing pattern based on the calculated quantity of the detergent, and performing a rinsing operation according to the set washing pattern, thereby improving rinsing capacity of the washing machine.
US07971290B2
A bunk bed having a staircase and chest unit that can be mounted to either end of the bunk bed frame. The staircase opens to the front side of the bunk bed whereas drawers pull outwardly in a direction from the end of the bunk bed. The drawers may be mounted to either end of the bed frame with the drawers being reversible.
US07971267B2
Disclosed is an air supplying device for a welding mask, capable of supplying clean air into a face shield of the welding mask. According to an embodiment of the present invention, more specifically, the air supplying device comprises a housing connected to the face shield, a connection member connected to a supply port of the housing, a first opening/closing member connected to a first outlet part of the housing, and a second opening/closing member connected to a second outlet of the housing. Therefore, the air supplying device is capable of conveniently adjusting direction of a bellows hose connected to supply the air and also adjusting quantity and direction of the air being supplied.
US07975315B2
There is provided an atomic force microscope (AFM) with increase the speed and sensitivity of detection of the resonant frequency shift in a cantilever. An AFM (1) extracts a reference signal and a phase shift signal from a detection signal from a displacement sensor of the cantilever. The reference signal is restrained from a phase change in accordance with the resonant frequency shift. The phase shift signal has a phase shifted in accordance with the resonant frequency shift. The AFM (1) determines the phase difference of the phase shift signal from the reference signal, as the resonant frequency shift. The AFM (1) may detect the phase difference between a plus-minus inversion point on the reference signal and a corresponding plus-minus inversion point on the phase shift signal. The AFM (1) may adjust phase before phase detection. The phase adjustment may move the detection point for the resonant frequency shift defined on the oscillation waveforms to the plus-minus inversion point. The detection point is set at a position where the cantilever and a sample are closest to each other on the oscillation waveform.
US07975314B2
There is provided a scanning probe microscope that allows active damping to be advantageously carried out.A Z scan control section functions as a driving control section to control a Z scanner that is a controlled object. Driving control is performed by supplying the controlled object with a driving signal processed by an adjustment function. The adjustment function adjusts the driving signal by using a simulated transfer function that simulates an actual transfer function indicative of an actual frequency characteristic of the controlled object so that executing processing of the simulated transfer function on the adjusted driving signal results in decrease of vibration of an output signal from the simulated transfer function. The adjustment function processing is configured so as to execute processing of the simulated transfer function G(s) on the driving signal, to execute processing of an inverse target transfer function K(s) corresponding to the inverse of the target transfer function on an output from the G(s), to determine the difference between the driving signal and the output of K(s), to apply a gain g to the difference, and to add the signal after the gain is applied to the driving signal. Therefore, the output from the G(s) approximates to the target transfer function which is the inverse of the K(s).
US07975313B2
A system and method is provided for identifying the source of an unauthorized copy of content. The method includes embedding a unique user fingerprint code to into each of a plurality of authorized copies of content and identifying an unknown fingerprint code in an unauthorized copy of the content. Each member of the unknown fingerprint code is compared to each corresponding member in each of the user fingerprint codes. A score is assigned to each of the user fingerprint codes based on the comparison and users associated with scores exceeding a threshold are identified as a source of the unauthorized copy.
US07975312B2
A digital rights management (DRM) system for distribution of digital content such as audio or video uses a token passing scheme to enhance security of the content from unauthorized access and use, including access by unauthorized players. The token is requested from the central content or DRM server by a host device such as a user's computer, using security related information. The token is then passed to a media player associated with the host device, the token being encrypted using a key special to that particular player. Upon receipt of the token, the player transmits back to the server certain related security information confirming receipt of the token and in return receives keys for decryption of the associated digital content. In the absence of proper passing of the token, player access to the content, or further access to other content, is denied. This also allows the player to communicate directly with the server for obtaining the keys.
US07975310B2
Enforcing rendering of advertisements and other predetermined media content in connection with playback of download selected media content. Playback of selected media content is made conditional on acquisition of a locally cached playback token in response to playback of the predetermined content. The playback token may be implemented as a digital rights management (DRM) license acquired from a local cache in response to playback of the predetermined content. Another aspect involves a downloading ads or other predetermined content with associated playback tokens in a local cache.
US07975305B2
A security system for scanning content within a computer, including a network interface, housed within a computer, for receiving content from the Internet on its destination to an Internet application running on the computer, a database of rules corresponding to computer exploits, stored within the computer, a rule-based content scanner that communicates with said database of rules, for scanning content to recognize the presence of potential exploits therewithin, a network traffic probe, operatively coupled to the network interface and to the rule-based content scanner, for selectively diverting content from its intended destination to the rule-based content scanner, and a rule update manager that communicates with said database of rules, for updating said database of rules periodically to incorporate new rules that are made available. A method and a computer readable storage medium are also described and claimed.
US07975300B2
The present invention, among other things, obviates the effects of an attack on a wireless network through appropriate isolation and recovery. An aspect of the present invention can include a system and method of isolating a victim of malicious behavior in a wireless access network, and in particular WLAN networks. By having software on the victim's device, the system provides the capability of recovering the victim from the effects of the intruder, and prevents the victim from being affected by subsequent attacks by the intruder. The preferred embodiments include two key components: a local monitor and a global monitor.
US07975299B1
An identity monitoring system notifies legal guardians of potentially fraudulent activity associated with their children's identities. The monitoring system may determine if credit files for respective enrolled minors exist and monitor any credit files of the enrolled minors, such as via periodic requests for credit data and comparison of certain returned credit data, in order to determine if potentially fraudulent activity associated with the minor has occurred. The monitoring system provides periodic notifications, such as via email and/or Internet-accessible user interfaces, regarding potentially fraudulent use of their children's identities. In one embodiment, the monitoring system also provides legal guardians with useful information and resources for how they can further protect the identity of their children.
US07975293B2
Provided are an authentication method, authentication system and a terminal device in which the authentication of a non-participating third node is can be simplified and can be executed in the case of multicast by using an authentication ticket in a distributed processing network system, the non-participating third node being intended to access each of the nodes, including a first and a second node, constituting a workgroup. The first node that has already participated in the workgroup authenticates the third node intended to participate in the workgroup and issues the authentication ticket including the signatures of both nodes, and when the authentication ticket is submitted to the second node, the second node permits the third node to access, without password-based-authentication, by authenticating the first node and the second node which have signed the authentication ticket.
US07975290B2
A certificate registry system is configured to issue authentication certificates to each one of a plurality of information providers and to maintain a root certificate corresponding to all of the authentication certificates. Each one of the authentication certificates links respective authentication information thereof to identification information of a corresponding one of the information providers. Each one of the authentication certificates includes a respective Instant Messaging (IM) screen name information of the information provider. The authentication certificates of the certificate registry are associated in a manner at least partially dependent upon at least one of a particular type of information that the information providers provide, a particular organization that the information providers are associated with, a particular type profession in which the information providers are engaged and a particular geographical region in which the information providers are located.
US07975284B2
An image capturing apparatus is configured so that optimal one of usable position detecting sensors is selected. Specifically, among a plurality of position detecting sensors usable by the image capturing apparatus, e.g., a GPS, a direction sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a velocity sensor, the GPS detects position information at a position where GPS signals can be received, whereas another of the sensors detects position information at a position where GPS signals cannot be received, in accordance with an environment where an image is captured. The position information detected by the optimal sensor is added to an image captured by a camera in a specified form and is displayed or stored.
US07975272B2
In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to generate a thread and supplying a request to a queue in response at least to the received request. The method may further include fetching a plurality of instructions in response at least in part to the request supplied to the queue and executing at least one of the plurality of instructions. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a storage medium having stored therein instructions that when executed by a machine result in the method. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes circuitry to receive a request to generate a thread and to queue a request to generate a thread in response at least to the received request. In some embodiments, a system includes circuitry to receive a request to generate a thread and to queue a request to generate a thread in response at least to the received request, and a memory unit to store at least one instruction for the thread.
US07975269B2
Methods and apparatus for parallel processors are disclosed. A policy module is loaded from a main memory of a processor into the local memory of a selected secondary processing element under control of a policy module manager running on the secondary processing element. A selected one or more work queues are assigned from a main memory to a selected one or more of the secondary processing elements according to a hierarchy of precedence. A policy module for the selected one or more work queues is loaded to the selected one or more secondary processing elements. The policy module interprets the selected one or more of the selected one or more work queues. Under control of the policy module, work from one or more of the selected one or more work queues is loaded into the local memory of the selected secondary processing element. The work is performed with the selected secondary processing element. After completing the work or upon a pre-emption, control of the selected secondary processing element is returned to the policy module manager.
US07975262B2
Trace messages generated during execution of programming code are logged in a trace log. The logged trace messages logged during execution of a portion of the programming code are deleted from the trace log when the portion of programming code executes without an error. The logged trace messages are kept in the trace log when an error occurs during execution of the portion of the programming code. The trace log is output when the execution of the programming code ends.
US07975256B2
Metadata describing common Java classes is extracted and utilized to optimize a Java program's performance based on the code requirements of the application. Data mining techniques extract metadata and other information about different sets of JVM byte code written by multiple vendors to determine the design choices and optimizations made by each vendor in implementing their JVM. Then, byte code in a Java application being programmed is analyzed in comparison to each vendor's JVM metadata and information. Based upon the application's requirements (for example footprint, performance, etc.), recommendations are generated that yield a newly compiled rt.jar that combines the best practices of each vendor together or recommends a particular vendor's standard JVM that is best suited for the application.
US07975253B2
An object is to simplify a power supply noise analysis model of a circuit board. CAD data of the circuit board is obtained from a CAD apparatus, and overlapping power supply islands among power supply islands existing in different layers of the circuit board are extracted as a power supply pair. Nodes are arranged in the extracted power supply pair, and the nodes of the power supply pair are projected on the power supply islands to which the power supply pair belongs. A mesh region which encloses each node is determined for each power supply island, and impedance (L, R, C) between nodes is calculated. Then, a power supply noise analysis model is created based on the impedance between nodes in each layer, and a capacitance between layers.
US07975242B2
In some embodiments, a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display performs a method that includes: displaying a phone call user interface on the touch screen display, wherein the phone call user interface includes: a first informational item associated with an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, a second informational item associated with a suspended phone call between the user and a second party, and a merge call icon; upon detecting a user selection of the merge call icon, merging the active phone call and the suspended phone call into a conference call between the user, the first party, and the second party, and replacing the phone call user interface with a conference call user interface. The conference call user interface includes: a third informational item associated with the conference call, and a conference call management icon.
US07975232B2
A method of document generation includes, in response to a call from an application, getting an interface and interface description of a template used to create a document, determining whether a method exists for filling all elements of the interface, making a dynamic call to invoke the method for filling all elements of the interface if the method exists, decomposing the interface into further elements if a method does not exist for filling all elements of the interface, repeating the steps of determining whether a method exists, making a dynamic call and decomposing the interface, until all elements of the interface are accounted for.
US07975225B2
Techniques enable locating a position within a file that corresponds to a desired seek time without having access to an index specifying the desired seek time's position. An iterative process may be used to estimate the position that corresponds to the desired seek time. The process may iterate through multiple estimations until a difference between a time corresponding to an estimated position and the desired seek time is within an acceptable amount or until the process reaches an iteration threshold. The file may then be played beginning at or near the desired seek time. The techniques may therefore allow a user to seek within a file while the user progressively downloads or streams the file.
US07975213B2
A process for analyzing a sub-model associated with a full system model as often depicted as an influence diagram. The process includes defining the sub-model as a collection of entities where some entities are calculation entities and some are data entities. The process converts the calculation entities in the sub-model that depend on entities in the fall model outside of the sub-model to temporary data entities. Further, the process deletes any data entity in the sub-model from which any converted temporary data entity depends. The process also determines if there are any isolated cycles in the sub-model, and, if so, which of the entities in the isolated cycle will be an output entity.
US07975212B2
A sequential decoding method and a decoding apparatus are provided. According to the method, an open stack is adopted for storing a plurality of paths. When the codeword generated by an internal decoder in the decoding apparatus is incorrect, a codeword is generated again by using the paths stored in the open stack. Accordingly, the complexity of decoding is reduced.
US07975210B2
An embodiment of a telecommunications device includes means for providing a set of words, each word including a plurality of digital symbols; a first memory area for storing the set of words, the first memory area including a first sequence of memory locations each one for storing a symbol; a second memory area for storing a composite frame including a predetermined number of symbols, the second memory area including a second sequence of memory locations; conversion means for converting the set of words in the first memory area into the frame in the second memory area, the conversion means including reduction means for reducing each word by removing a set of symbols from the word according to a puncturing algorithm, and expansion means for expanding each word by adding a set of additional symbols to the word according to a repeating algorithm; and means for transmitting the frame.
US07975201B2
The present invention provides a method that protects symbol types by characterizing symbols as one of two types—DATA or NON_DATA, generating a symbol characterization bit, placing the symbol characterization bit at both ends of the symbol, and transmitting the symbol with the symbol characterization bits at both ends. Thus, a single byte error may affect a type bit in two consecutive symbols, and will affect one or the other of the type bits in a single symbol, but cannot affect both type bits in a single symbol.
US07975195B1
A non-fighting fully clocked scan latch is described that is dynamically configurable to support both logic data latching and scan data latching. The described scan latch circuit design reduces a load placed on a logic data latch portion of the described circuit by a scan latch portion of the described circuit, and thereby increases the speed of the described scan latch to that of an output latch without scan capability. Power required to drive the described scan latch is reduced by clocking the circuit to avoid fighting and by reducing the number of transistors included in transistor stacks internal to the scan latch. By reducing drive power requirements, eliminating internal latch fighting, and increasing latch response, a versatile scan latch is achieved that may be successfully implemented in a wide range of circuits despite the use of different supply drive voltage, threshold voltage, source-to-drain voltage, and transistor technology combinations.
US07975193B2
Described embodiments provide for end-of-life (EOL) checking for NAND flash devices. An exemplary implementation of a computing environment comprises at least one NAND data storage device operative to store one or more data elements. In the illustrative implementation, the EOL data processing and storage management paradigm allows for the storage of data according using a selected EOL enforcement algorithm that can utilize current and/or historical correction levels. The NAND data storage EOL checking module can be operable to cooperate with one or more NAND data store components to execute one or more selected EOL operations to protect stored data.
US07975191B2
A method and circuitry for checking the programming (P) and deletion (L) operations of memory cells (5) in a nonvolatile memory device (1). Parallel to the programming (P) or deletion (L) operations of the actual memory cells (5) the respective programming or deletion process is carried out on at least one similar checking cell (4.1, 4.2, 4.3), with the programming (P) or deletion (L) operations being less favorable by a defined extent than the programming (P) or deletion (L) operations of the actual memory cells (5). From the content of the checking cell (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) an evaluation device (6) determines whether the programming (P) or deletion (L) operation was successful or not, and a corresponding output signal (ak) indicative thereof is produced.
US07975188B2
A restoration device for restoring a system when the BIOS falls in a stall failure includes a first watchdog timer and a second watchdog timer, a setter for setting timer values respectively in the first watchdog timer and in the second watchdog timer, a suspender for suspending the decrement of the timer value of the first watchdog timer when the BIOS is started and also execution of a BIOS process is started, a switch for switching the BIOS data region for starting when the timer value of the first watchdog timer becomes equal to 0 or a prescribed number, a resetter for resetting the system when the timer value of the first watchdog timer becomes equal to 0 or a prescribed number, a suspender for suspending the decrement of the timer value of the second watchdog timer when the BIOS of the system starts and a resetter for resetting the system when the timer value of the second watchdog timer becomes equal to 0 or a prescribed number.
US07975182B2
There is provided a method, system and computer program product for generating trace data related to a data processing system event. The method includes: receiving an instruction relating to the system event from a location in the system; determining a minimum number of trace segment records required to record instruction information; and creating a trace segment table including the number of trace segment records, the number of trace segment records including at least one instruction record.
US07975181B2
A device is disclosed for testing the function of a display port. The device includes a display port transmitting part, a field programmable gate array, and a memory. The display port transmitting part transmits connecting signals to a display port timing controller mounted on a display panel. The field programmable gate array applies a test signal to the display port timing controller, and controls the connecting signals applied from the display port transmitting part to the display port timing controller. The memory has software that determines acceptance or rejection of the display port function based on data output from the display port timing controller in response to the connecting signals or the test signal.
US07975180B2
Apparatus and method of detecting a fault in a network service includes an Ethernet access network domain in which a heartbeat message is broadcast at a periodic interval by each of a plurality of edge devices associated with an instance of the network service. Each of the edge devices also receives the heartbeat messages broadcast at the periodic interval from other edge devices. A fault occurrence is identified when the edge device fails to receive an expected heartbeat message at the periodic interval from one of the other edge devices.
US07975173B2
Fault tolerant operation is disclosed for a primary instance, such as a process, thread, application, processor, etc., using an active copy-cat instance, a.k.a. backup instance, that mirrors operations in the primary instance, but only after those operations have successfully completed in the primary instance. Fault tolerant logic monitors inputs and outputs of the primary instance and gates those inputs to the backup instance once a given input has been processed. The outputs of the backup instance are then compared with the outputs of the primary instance to ensure correct operation. The disclosed embodiments further relate to fault tolerant failover mechanism allowing the backup instance to take over for the primary instance in a fault situation wherein the primary and backup instances are loosely coupled, i.e. they need not be aware that they are operating in a fault tolerant environment. As such, the primary instance need not be specifically designed or programmed to interact with the fault tolerant mechanisms. Instead, the primary instance need only be designed to adhere to specific basic operating guidelines and shut itself down when it cannot do so. By externally controlling the ability of the primary instance to successfully adhere to its operating guidelines, the fault tolerant mechanisms of the disclosed embodiments can recognize error conditions and easily failover from the primary instance to the backup instance.
US07975160B2
The present invention is a system and method for precise absolute time event generation and capture. One embodiment of the present invention is a programmable hardware module for TTL pulse generation and capture in absolute time. The nominal accuracy of the programmable hardware module is 25 ns. The time reference is an on-board GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The hardware embodiment of the present invention can generate eight independently programmable outputs and capture the times on eight independently programmable inputs. An exemplary application for the present invention is triggering external light sources, and flash-lamp pumped lasers in particular, at specific times for calibration of cosmic-ray observatories. A software embodiment of the present invention is implemented in a Linux software device driver interface featuring an extensive set of user commands.
US07975152B2
A control apparatus controls a supply of power to a second apparatus that operates independently of a first apparatus, and includes a notifying part to make a notification that notifies a need to control the power supplied to the second apparatus if needed, based on a preset timer time and a present time acquired from a Real Time Clock (RTC) within the first apparatus, and a supplying part to supply information related to a time for controlling the power supplied to the second apparatus, based on the notification from the notifying part, wherein the notifying part and the supplying part are operable with a power that makes only limited functions within the first apparatus operable.
US07975149B2
Software protection using data structures is described. In one implementation, an engine between the processor and the memory of a computing device encrypts and stores data and program variables in blocks of memory that correspond to nodes of a tree-like data structure. When accessed, the nodes of this search tree are rearranged according to various schemata to obscure memory access patterns from being detected by cache attacks or side-channel attacks. In one implementation, the data structure is a splay tree that self-rearranges upon access and increases efficiency while providing security.
US07975145B2
A time stamp updating apparatus includes: a time stamp obtaining unit configured to transmit hash value calculated from certification target data to an apparatus for time stamp authority when certification target data is input, to receive time stamp data from the apparatus for time stamp authority, to relate the received time stamp data to certification target data, and stored them in an evidence data storage unit; and a time stamp verification unit configured to calculate logical OR of a validity period of the time stamp data related to certification target data, and to output a period that can go back from time of verification as a period when the certification target data can be certified.
US07975144B2
A method for processing security communication protocol compliant signed receipts at a mobile communication device linked to a host system is provided. The host system receives an email message linked to a digital signature, and a signed receipt. The host system redirects the signed receipt to the mobile communication device. The host system determines if the email message is available at the mobile communication device, and if not, the host system retrieves the email message and redirects the email message to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device can then verify the signed receipt based on the email message. Optionally, rather than the email message, the host system retrieves and/or recalculates data elements associated with the email message and required to verify the signed receipt, and redirects these data elements to the mobile communication device. A related system is provided, as well as server computer program for the host system, and device computer program for the mobile communication device.
US07975129B2
Controlling a reorder buffer (ROB) to selectively perform functional hardware lock disabling (HLD) is described. One apparatus embodiment includes a unit to enable an ROB to selectively disable a lock upon Identifying a lock acquire operation (LAO) associated with a critical section (CS) entry point, a unit to selectively retire the LAO, a unit to cause the ROB to selectively disable the lock, and a unit to snoop a buffer. The apparatus may, based on the snooping, selectively abort a transaction associated with the CS.
US07975125B2
A ROM comprises several bit output lines and X address decode lines, and stores a data set. Each address decode line stores a unique data word. Addresses in the data set that have the same data word are mapped by the decoder to the same address decode line. Each address decode line is electrically connected to a bit output line as determined by the data set. An initial design of the ROM uses N connecting devices to respectively electrically connect N of the address decode lines to a bit output line. If N exceeds X/2, then an optimization process is performed. The optimization process involves electrically disconnecting each address decode line that was connected to the bit output line, and electrically connecting each address decode line that was not connected to the bit output line. The output of the bit output line is then run through a logical inverter to provide the correct output data bit.
US07975124B2
A system and method of media library access that utilizes distributed mapping of media library partitions. A first controller can be connected to a data transport element of a media library and a second controller can be connected to a media changer of the media library. The first controller can maintain a media library partition representing a portion of the media library, receive a command from a host application based on the media library partition and forward the command to the second controller. The first controller can further translate logical addresses referenced in the command to physical addresses before forwarding the command to the second controller. The second controller can receive the command from the first controller and forward the command to the media changer. The second controller can also prioritize the command on using a FIFO or other prioritization scheme.
US07975123B2
To provide a computer system, a management computer and a storage system, and a storage area allocation amount controlling method for improving I/O performance of the host computer. In a computer system comprising a storage system comprising one or more storage devices with storage areas, a host computer which uses a storage area of the storage device, and a management computer for dynamically allocating the storage area in response to an input/output request from the host computer; wherein the management computer monitors dynamic allocation of a real storage area to a storage area in the storage system, and calculates allocation increment amount to the allocated storage area based on the allocation frequency and the total amount of allocation.
US07975122B2
A memory hub having an integrated non-volatile memory for storing configuration information is provided. The memory hub includes a high-speed interface for receiving memory access requests, a non-volatile memory having memory configuration information stored therein, and a memory controller coupled to the high-speed interface and the non-volatile memory. The memory controller includes registers into which the memory configuration information is loaded and is operable to output memory requests in response to receiving memory access requests from the high-speed interface and in accordance with the memory configuration information loaded in the registers. A method for initializing a memory sub-system is also provided. The method includes loading configuration registers of a plurality of memory hubs with the configuration information provided by a respective one of a plurality of embedded non-volatile memories integrated in the respective memory hub.
US07975121B2
Embodiments that facilitate type checking of assembly language instructions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a low level language instruction in a memory. The instruction includes a word having a first type. The memory includes either a stack or a heap. Each of the stack or heap includes a plurality of positions. The method also includes labeling the plurality of positions in one of the stack or the heap as one or more specified positions and one or more unspecified positions. The method further includes assigning a second type to the memory, the second type including the first type of the word. The word is stored in a specified position or an unspecified position. The method additionally includes determining whether the instruction is well-typed by applying one or more rules to the instruction and to the second type.
US07975106B2
An MFP that is configured to receive instruction sets for processing documents, such as workflows, from a portable memory device. The MFP may be part of a larger network computer system and may also be able to receive workflows for processing documents from other components of the system in addition to the portable memory device. The portable memory device may comprise a memory stick, or any other portable electronic device that has memory functionality. The system may also be able to filter files on the portable memory device so that the MFP only receives workflow files related to processing documents.
US07975104B2
A method of breaking a redundant array of independent disks level 1 (RAID 1 ) for preservation of data integrity is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for breaking a RAID 1 to preserve data integrity of the RAID 1 includes breaking a redundancy of the RAID 1 when a size of data stored in the RAID 1 exceeds a storage capacity of the RAID 1, where the RAID 1 includes a first disk and a second disk mirroring the first disk. Further, the method includes writing a portion of the data exceeding the storage capacity of the RAID 1 to the second disk, and restoring the redundancy of the RAID 1 by using two additional disks implemented to the RAID 1.
US07975097B2
A method may include counting the number of times each of a plurality of entries in a content addressable memory (CAM) matches one or more searches; grouping entries in the CAM into a first subset and a second subset based on the number of times each of the plurality of entries in the CAM matches one or more searches; and searching the first subset for a matching entry and, if no matching entry is found, searching the second subset for the matching entry.
US07975095B2
A cache device comprises a hard disk, cache control unit and at least one flash memory, whereby the cache control unit controlling and regulating the flash memory as the hard disk cache device. The present invention method is defined by setting up a management table to manage each corresponding logical block address of the flash memory through a cache data read-out step and cache data write-in step in order to manage the cache read or write action of the flash memory on the hard disk. In addition, the step of recycling a cache space and replacing cache temporary data storage is to remove and replace temporary cache and storage space within the flash memory on the hard disk. Moreover, the step of reconstruction management table is provided to reconstruct management table loss or damage caused by power outage or irregular shut-down of the computer and will be able to provide flash memory on the hard disk cache control.
US07975094B2
The invention provides an architecture and method for implementing a programmable I/O interface. The primary function provides a generic reconfigurable interface for serial communications between a laser printer controller and the print mechanism. The design also supports vertical page synchronization (top of page detection).
US07975079B2
A method and apparatus are provided for an embedded wireless interface that is embedded in, for example, one of an input and output controller device for controlling input and output communications with off-board devices, within a memory controller device and a processor motherboard. The embedded wireless interface may be utilized as a wireless test access point to provide signal stimulations for test purposes or to monitor communications over a specified wired communication link.
US07975078B2
A peripheral device, connected to a computer, has either a first or second interface. The first interface communicates over a differential data connection and the second interface communicates over a clock conductor and a single ended data connection. The peripheral device has first and second communication conductors that are either connected to the differential data connection when the computer includes the first interface or to the single ended data connection and the clock conductor when the computer includes the second interface. The peripheral device has an interface detection component that detects which of the first and second interfaces the peripheral device is connected to. The peripheral device also has a controller that communicates according to a protocol corresponding to the detected interface.
US07975077B2
One data processor is provided with an interface for realizing connection with the other data processor. This interface is provided with a function for connecting the other data processor as a bus master to an internal bus of the one data processor, and the relevant other data processor is capable of directly operating peripheral functions that are memory mapped to the internal bus from an external side via the interface. Accordingly, the data processor can utilize the peripheral functions of the other data processor without interruption of the program being executed. In short, one data processor can use in common the peripheral resources of the other data processor.
US07975073B2
Disclosed herein is a middleware server for interfacing a Multipoint Conferencing Unit (MCU) with a communication system and/or a management system within the context of an organization. The middleware server uses modular architecture, making the middleware server highly adaptable to different types of communication systems and management systems. The middleware server is useful for interfacing a MCU with communication devices including Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) telephones, Internet Protocol telephones (IP-phones), and multimedia endpoints and with management applications such as exchange servers and databases. The middleware server is useful for managing multimedia sessions according to organizational policies.
US07975070B2
A network system uses a management routing instance to route management information between elements involved in management of the system. The system registers each element in the management routing instance when the element comes on line. Based on the management routing instance, the system creates management forwarding tables. The system then uses the management forwarding tables to route management information between the elements. Multiple systems, for example systems connected by a network, may exchange management routing instance information to allow elements in different systems to communicate management information with each other.
US07975064B2
A mechanism provides for sending an envelope and replying to an envelope. A transmitter is configured to send an envelope. A receiver is coupled to the transmitter, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the envelope and generate a reply envelope. A send buffer is coupled to the transmitter. A receive buffer is coupled to the receiver. A retry timer is coupled to the transmitter, wherein the retry timer is configured to reset upon the receipt of a reply envelope correlated to the transmit envelope. The transmitter is configured to retransmit an envelope if the transmitter does not receive a corresponding reply envelope within a selected time period as determined by the retry timer. This leads to a decrease in the total number of envelopes, transmitted from both the transmitter and the receiver.
US07975063B2
A server for data streaming encodes multimedia signals at bit rates compatible with a connection of time-varying conditions and informs a client receiving a multimedia signal of changing bit rates and causes of change. The server supports several clients and includes a flow controller and at least one encoder. The flow controller derives metrics from measurements to determine a permissible transmission rate from the server to each active client. An encoder adapts individual transmission rates of signals according to respective permissible transmission rates. An overlay module, coupled to a multimedia signal source, the flow controller, and an encoder, superimposes informative insertions indicating permissible transmission rates and associated metrics on a multimedia signal to inform a client of changing transmission rates and causes of change. An informative insertion has a predefined duration and is sent either periodically or following a substantial change of network conditions.
US07975059B2
A generic application-level protocol analyzer (GAPA) is adaptable to model an application and its response to messages in different protocols, including multiple, layered protocols in a network context. One mode of a GAPA includes an analysis engine having a plurality of objects adaptable to model an application and its response to messages. The objects may include a session dispatching object, a state machine object, a message parsing object, a protocol layering object, and a handler object. The analysis engine may be used to evaluate real-time network streams or to evaluate recorded network traces. The GAPA is adapted to specific applications using a generic application-level protocol analyzer engine language (GAPAL). The GAPAL uses a high-level syntax similar to those in existing protocol specification descriptions. The GAPAL supports binary and text-based protocols. Using the GAPAL, objects are described without writing low-level code to model specific objects or specify message formats.
US07975058B2
A proxy server according to an embodiment includes a memory and a communication unit. The memory is configured to store and retrieve a client device identifier and an associated client device transport address, while the communication unit is configured to send and receive messages. The communication unit is configured to receive an identification message according to a first protocol from a client device through at least one intermediate network address translator (NAT). The identification message includes the client device identifier and conveys the client device transport address. The communication unit is configured to receive a request message from an admin device including the client device identifier. The proxy server is configured to retrieve the associated client device transport address and instruct the client device to open a connection with the proxy server according to a second protocol that is different from the first protocol.
US07975057B2
An entity of the smart card type has an application layer linked to a communication protocol layer. A time manager containing a timer interfaces with the protocol layer. The time manager substantially periodically constructs waiting time extension requests transmitted to a terminal through the protocol layer as long as data are being processed in the application layer. The application layer is thus freed from any time constraint.
US07975053B2
The present invention provides the benefits of negotiated network resources to session-unaware applications. When a session-unaware application runs on a mobile device, the device, knowing that the application is session-unaware, negotiates appropriate network-policy parameters for the application. The application remains unaware, but it receives the benefits of the network-policy parameter negotiation. The network-policy parameter negotiation is carried on between the mobile device and a “network policy mediator” in the network. Together, they reserve the appropriate network resources and secure the appropriate guarantees. In some embodiments, a software “shim” runs in the network-protocol stack on the mobile device. By intercepting network-access attempts sent by the session-unaware application, the shim knows to begin the network-policy parameter negotiation. In some embodiments, the mobile device downloads information about session-unaware applications from the network. This information includes a list of which network-policy parameter guarantees would be most beneficial to each application.
US07975050B2
In a conditional access network a provider distributes valuable contents such as digital TV over the network and end-users are allowed to access such valuable contents in function of individual access rights defined by a user license. The valuable contents are made available to the end-users, by way of a plurality of different conditional access systems, each end-user is provided with a generic conditional access component having a basic functionality common to all conditional access systems, and particular conditional access systems are selectively enabled on each conditional access component subject to a successful verification of a corresponding license.
US07975048B2
A computer network including: at least one switch connecting at least one edge device to the remainder of the network, said at least one switch including: snooping apparatus using DHCP to monitor the signal traffic through the switch to or from the each edge device to determine, without changing the traffic signals, for each edge device, the MAC address, the IP address, and the port of the switch to which it is connected, and a dynamic table within said switch of, for each edge device, the MAC address, the IP address, and the port which it is connected, the contents of the table being provided by said snooping apparatus.
US07975045B2
Exemplary embodiments include methods and systems for monitoring, analyzing, and troubleshooting of control plane dynamics of a network including collecting state data from the one or more routers of one or more protocols at discrete time intervals, the state data being associated with one or more routers of a network, analyzing corresponding state data collected at two or more discrete time intervals, and outputting a result of the analysis of the state data collected from the one or more routers of the network.
US07975041B2
A method and system can be used to automatically manage a digital asset, from development to deployment, to control change within a network environment in a comprehensive and efficient manner. Digital assets can be tracked for progress and inaccuracies, mistakes, and incompatibilities can be addressed prior to deployment. Stages can be used to formalize and automate the flow of digital assets along the process. Further, metadata regarding the digital asset can be captured at any time to provide an audit trail for the digital asset from development all the way through deployment. Any stage may have access to any or all metadata captured for the digital asset.
US07975038B2
An application management program, application management method, and application management apparatus, which are capable of controlling the start of server computers with taking relations between multilevel applications into consideration. When receiving a request for starting provision of a service, a selection unit refers to server definition information to select a start-target server computer that should start an application, in accordance with an order of starting applications predefined based on relations in processing requests. Then, a confirmation unit refers to status information to confirm whether an associated application that should be started before the application installed on the start-target server computer selected by the selection unit has been started correctly. In the case where it is confirmed that the associated application has been started correctly, a start control unit instructs the start-target server computer to start the application, and registers the success or failure of the start in the status information.
US07975036B2
Methods and systems for adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization in wireless communication systems are provided. Adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization allows for conventional cross-layer optimization coupled with the ability to adaptively optimize cross-layer interactions across node boundaries. In one aspect, adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization includes adaptively and dynamically shifting functions/layers among nodes in a network, so that a global network objective is achieved. In another aspect, adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization includes adaptively and dynamically distributing functions/layers across a network, according to changes and/or events in the network. In a further aspect, adaptive cross-layer cross-node optimization includes dynamically defining or changing individual node functions within a network, so that a global network functionality may emerge.
US07975032B2
A cache module (26) at a client computer (12) controls a cache portion (28) on a storage device (24). The cache module communicates with other cache modules at other clients to form a cache community (15). The cache modules store World Wide Web or other content in the cache portions for retrieval in response to requests (32) for content from browsers (30) in the cache community. When the requested content is not available in the cache community, the requested content may be retrieved from an origin server (19) using the Internet.
US07975023B2
A computer system including a processor and a memory for retrieving digital media content, storing the digital media content in the memory, and providing the digital media content to a thin media client is provided.
US07975020B1
A page update handler, which may be loaded by a web browser as part of a web page, adds functionality for dynamically updating the web page with content supplied by a content server. In one embodiment, when a mouse-over event occurs with respect to a recognized item on the web page, such as a hyperlink that matches a particular link signature, the page update handler displays a corresponding overlay display object within the web page. The overlay display object displays information about or associated with the recognized item, and may provide functionality for the user to further interact with the content server. In one embodiment, an operator of a web site that is separate from the content server can enable overlay display objects within its web pages by merely adding an update handler tag to one or more corresponding HTML documents.
US07975019B1
A page update handler, which may be loaded by a web browser as part of a web page, adds functionality for dynamically updating the web page with content supplied by a content server. The content may be related to a particular item detected on the web page by the page update handler, such as a link that matches a link signature, or a recognized keyword or phrase. The content server may operate in a different Internet domain from the server that servers the original web page, and may supply content for display on web pages of many different independent web sites. In one embodiment, an operator of a web site that is separate from the content server can enable the display of content from the content server on the site's web pages by merely adding an update handler tag to one or more corresponding HTML documents.
US07975015B2
The present invention relates to a system and methodology to enable a variety of information associated with one or more notification sources to be directed to one or more notification sinks via a notification platform architecture. The architecture includes a context analyzer for determining a user's state such as location and attentional focus, wherein the user's state is employed by a notification manager to make decisions regarding what, when and how information generated by the notification sources should be forwarded to the notification sinks, for example. These decisions can include a cost benefit analysis wherein considerations are given as to whether the benefits of notifying the user are outweighed by the costs of disrupting the user. Decision-theoretic policies and/or somewhat less formal heuristic policies can be employed to enable the decision-making process within the notification manager.
US07975014B2
A method for compressing electronic mail messages each having a message thread for storage in a storage device, comprising: identifying one or more sections of each message thread; assigning a respective identifier to each section; storing one occurrence of each section in the storage device for retrieval using its identifier; replacing each section in each thread by its identifier to thereby compress the messages; and, storing the messages in the storage device.
US07975012B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for inferring the read status of instant messages. One embodiment of the inventive method involves displaying the instant message on the receiver's computing device and sending a message to the sender indicating a probability with which the receiver has viewed the instant message. In one embodiment, this probability is based at least in part on an amount of the instant message that is in view on the receiver's computing device and on user input that is received by the receiver's computing device, e.g., from the receiver.
US07975006B2
Managing cluster membership and providing and managing locks in the switches forming the interconnecting network. To manage the cluster membership, a zone is created, with indicated members existing in the zone and the zone being managed by the switches. The nodes communicate their membership events, such as alive messages, using an API to work with the switch to which they are attached. The desired membership algorithm is executed by the switches, preferably in a distributed manner. Each switch then enforces the membership policies, including preventing operations from evicted nodes. This greatly simplifies the programs used on the nodes and unburdens them from many time consuming tasks, thus providing improved cluster performance. In a like manner, the switches in the fabric manage the resource locks. The nodes send their lock requests, such as creation and ownership requests, to the switch to which they are connected using an API. The switches then perform the desired lock operation and provide a response to the requesting node. Again, this greatly simplifies the programs used on the nodes and unburdens them from many time consuming activities, providing improved cluster performance.
US07975004B2
A method is provided for the transmissions of information between at least a first and a second communication means. The method includes in saving at least one set of information in an intermediate element. The method also includes defining a plurality of client groups, using an identifier in order to designate at least one group of clients that are authorized to access the information set, and at least one filtering step, which is intended to prevent a user that does not belong to the group from accessing the information. The method enables the integrity of the contained in the intermediate element to be substantially secured, by selecting clients that are authorized to access the information.
US07975002B2
A system and method for accumulating a historical context of interactions between components is presented. A plurality of components that each have a component context and which include at least one of a requester component and at least one of a service component are maintained. An interaction including the requester component requesting an operation to be performed by the service component is identified by sending the component context of the requester component to the service component. The component context of the requester component is recorded into the component context of the service component as contextual metadata.
US07974999B2
A method and system for developing portable network processor applications and/or managing heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network includes host processor(s) utilizing system configuration application(s) that are network processor independent. In one aspect, the method and system include using standardized interface(s) for each network processor, using a standardized transport layer compatible with the interface(s), and providing a generic message application layer. The generic message application layer defines generic payload(s) and message type(s) for configuration communications between the network and host processors. In another aspect, the method and system include providing packet processing shell(s) and generic protocol software that is coupled with the packet processing shell(s) through standard interface(s), network processor independent, and performs operations for packet processing. The method and system also include providing a library that includes network processor specific information for performing the operations and providing block(s) for performing other network processor specific operations.
US07974992B2
A data warehouse may include a data set of items associated with a plurality of attributes. An input handler may be configured to receive selections of attributes and filter options and a placement of an attribute icon representing each selection within a segmentation model displayed within a results portion of a graphical user interface (GUI). A view generator may be configured to provide the segmentation model in the results portion, the model including a data set icon representing the items, provide an attribute list in a segmentation portion of the GUI including a list of the attributes, provide the attribute icon within the segmentation model based on the placement, and provide a flow indicator corresponding to the filter option associated with each attribute icon. A filter may be configured to obtain a subset of the plurality of items corresponding to each selection based on the placement and filter option.
US07974991B2
A word processor including a native XML file format is provided. The well formed XML file fully represents the word-processor document, and fully supports 100% of word-processor's rich formatting. There are no feature losses when saving the word-processor documents as XML. A published XSD file defines all the rules behind the word-processor's XML file format. Hints may be provided within the XML associated files providing applications that understand XML a shortcut to understanding some of the features provided by the word-processor. The word-processing document is stored in a single XML file. Additionally, manipulation of word-processing documents may be done on computing devices that do not include the word-processor itself.
US07974989B2
A computerized system which implements a method for obtaining an improved set of relevant keywords from an initial set of relevant keywords and their associated relative ratings, utilizing the proven expertise and reliability of existing keyword expansion tools and the accumulated experience of search engines. The method comprises iterating over keyword seeds, search engines' results and keyword suggestion sources' results, merging lists of keywords and combining their scores by means of an optimization method and learned effectiveness of result sources. Keyword relevance scores may be effectively used to distribute a content provider's resources amongst keywords thereby to achieve inclusion and optimization in search engines' results. The system input is a set of one or more seed keywords and the system produces an expanded list of unique keywords, each keyword typically accompanied by a computed relevance score.
US07974983B2
Website network and advertisement analysis using analytic measurement of online social media content
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for generating a website network graph to model one or more networks of websites relevant to subject matter of interest in a category, wherein generating the website network graph includes performing one or more searches relating to the subject matter of interest in a search engine API using one or more relevant keywords in combination with the subject matter of interest, extracting search results from the one or more searches, and identifying online social media websites with content most relevant to the subject matter of interest based on the website network graph.
US07974980B2
In a data processing device, an input form processing program is executed, and an input form obtaining unit obtains input form data for inputting data to be transmitted to a server. Transmission data processing description data included in the input form data and defining a method of accessing the server is passed from the input form obtaining unit to a transmission data processing unit, and UI description data displaying a user interface is passed to an UI processing unit. When the input data for each item included in the user interface is already input and stored, the UI processing unit extracts required input data from storing unit, and passes it to the transmission data processing unit via a data storing unit. The transmission data processing unit creates transmission data according to the defined access method and transmits it to the server.
US07974966B2
In one embodiment of a computing system, a client supplied binding is received from a client, wherein the client supplied binding includes an XQuery or a script. A predefined binding is stored in a server, wherein said predefined binding includes an XQuery, a script, or a program, allowing the client to select the predefined binding. An exchange receives an Extensible Markup Language (XML) message from a publisher application and sends the XML message to each message queue whose binding matches the XML message.
US07974964B2
A context based search and document retrieval application is disclosed. The application uses context data that is generated by a document analysis component based upon context information from various sources, including for example, document collections available on the world wide web. The context data is provided to a search query generator. The search query generator is configured to generate a contextually annotated search query based upon a user query and context data. Bookmarks having an associated context are generated for documents retrieved in response to the contextually annotated search query. The application then provides access to the bookmarked documents when the user is browsing other documents with similar contexts to the context of the original document for which the context based search was executed and the bookmark created. The bookmarked documents are hyperlinked to terms in the browsed document.
US07974952B1
In some embodiments, a method for tracking changes comprises reviewing a file system, wherein an entry is associated with the file system; providing a first record file, wherein a record is associated with the first record file; comparing the file system entry with the record; providing a second record file; and merging the first record file with the second record file.
US07974950B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for applying a policy criteria to files in a backup image. A backup image of files in a file system is maintained. A policy is applied to the files in the backup image to determine files satisfying a policy criteria. A list is prepared indicating the determined files. The determined files in the file system are accessed and a deferred operation indicated in the applied policy is applied to the accessed files in the file system.
US07974949B2
By limiting a backup object to a particular one, it is possible to reduce the system load and perform effective automatic backup. By using a hard disc device or the like, a first storage unit (40) and a second storage unit (70) are prepared. When the system is started, a spreading and storing unit (30) formed by a device driver spreads an OS program and an application program A on a memory (20). The programs are executed by a program execution unit (10). An application to be backed up is registered in advance in an application registration unit (50). A backup management unit (60) monitors operation of the spreading and storing unit (30). Only when particular data in the memory (20) is stored in the first storage unit (40) according to the storing instruction by the registered application, the backup management unit (60) performs a backup process, i.e., stores the particular data also in the second storage unit (70).
US07974944B2
The present invention discloses methods and systems for managing data in user-centric environment. In this environment an entity is authorized to receive user data based on the relationship between the entity and a user. A user provides message data for communication to a selected entity by one or more communication channels. Based on privileges assigned to the entity, user data may be retrieved, including a contact method for the entity. In addition a communication template is retrieved based on the communication channel. By populating the template with the first data and the user data; a communication is created and transmitted to the selected entity using the communication method.
US07974942B2
A system and method for data masking target data fields of a data record uses an original database with data records having at least one target data field and a copied database including a copy of at least a portion of the original database. Data masking consists of adding a row-identifier column with an index to a primary data record to form a primary row-identifier data record, creating empty delta data records, performing data transformations on the target data fields to form masked delta data records, merging the masked delta data records with the primary row-identifier data record to form a masked primary data record, copying a related data record and joining with said primary row-identifier data record to form a related row-identifier data record and then merging the related row-identifier data record with the masked primary data record to form a masked related data record.
US07974937B2
Systems and methods that aggregate history data collected via embedded historians with additional data that is supplied by third parties. Triggering events can be defined for initiating aggregation of such history data with additional data, which enable a process/application to retrieve the operational metric data of the industrial unit/entity from any of a plurality of systems operatively coupled to such industrial unit/entity.
US07974935B2
A processing device and a method of providing learning capability thereto are provided. A list containing a plurality of listed items with an associated item probability distribution is generated. The item probability distribution comprises a plurality of probability values corresponding to the plurality of listed items. One or more items are selected from the plurality of listed items based on the item probability distribution, a performance index indicative of a performance of the processing device relative to the objective is determined, and the item probability distribution is modified based on the performance index.
US07974934B2
A method of segmenting a webpage into visually and semantically cohesive pieces uses an optimization problem on a weighted graph, where the weights reflect whether two nodes in the webpage's DOM tree should be placed together or apart in the segmentation; the weights are informed by manually labeled data.
US07974925B2
A content bank for objects hosts all information regarding an object and serves as a proxy for that object. The content bank comprises at least one instance of a digital identity corresponding the object. Object identity modules or services are available through the digital identity instance. Via the content bank system, the digital identity instance receives object-related information from a source and targeted to a specific service. Conversely, the digital identity instance also serves to determine when object-related information should be provided to a third party by a given service, or when object-related information needs to be manipulated by one or more services. A multi-mode interface is available for third parties to communicate with the digital identity instance. In this manner, third parties are not only able to access data regarding an object, but are actually able to communicate with an object via the digital identity instance.
US07974924B2
A method for securing patient medical information for communication over a potentially vulnerable system includes separating patient's medical file into a demographics layer and a data layer, separately encrypting the demographic layer and data layer using different encryption keys, and providing servers in a communication and processing system with a decryption key for the layer processed by such server. Medical file data may be separated into more than two layers. Users accessing the system are authenticated using standard techniques. By separately encrypting different parts of a patient medical record, processing and communication of patient medical files by intermediary servers is enabled without risking disclosure of sensitive patient information if such servers are compromised.
US07974918B1
A credit risk framework and systems and methods for using the same. The credit risk framework provides information regarding the eligibility of loans to be sold (delivered) to a purchaser, such as in the secondary mortgage market. The credit risk framework includes determining categories of potentially eligible loans. At least one risk segment is determined and an eligibility grid associated therewith. The eligibility grid is organized using two data elements as axes and forming boxes representing ranges of the two data elements. Each box is then further associated with additional information regarding any restrictions on loans that would fall in the box. Each risk segment may have its own level of delegated authority so as to tie risk to a delegation structure.
US07974908B1
A system and method for promoting competitive bidding in an online auction that has a bidder, a favored bidder, and a sponsor, including receiving bids from the bidder and the favored bidder, deriving a relative spread, determining a market position for the bidder and the favored bidder, and displaying feedback information to at least one of the favored bidder or the bidder. The relative spread represents a minimum premium amount required before the sponsor awards a contract to a non-favored bidder. The market position reflects a comparison of the bid of the favored bidder to the bid of the bidder using the relative spread and the feedback information shows the market position.
US07974906B2
A method and system for forecasting the transaction cost of a portfolio trade execution that may be applied to any given trade strategy or an optimal trade strategy that minimizes transaction costs. In preferred embodiments, a server comprises one or more computers that act as an automated forecaster whereby it accepts user-defined input variables from customers and generates a transaction cost estimation report based on those variables. The server is programmed with specific transaction cost estimation and optimization algorithms that model the transaction costs of a specific trade execution based on the user's trading profile and market variables.
US07974895B1
A system and method for providing finance rates are provided. According to the system and method, rate request information is acquired. Once the rate request information is acquired, it may be stored in a tracking database for statistical purposes. The acquired request information is submitted to a rate generation system that generates rates based at least upon the acquired request information. The generated rates are used to populate a template rate sheet that is then output in response to a rate request.
US07974892B2
A method for expense management. An expense data record is retrieved from a trusted source and two or more sub-transactions are identified. The expense data record is then added to an expense report as two or more expense items corresponding to the two or more sub-transactions.
US07974889B2
The social networking interactive shopping system includes a portable wireless user interface for use by a store customer when shopping. A merchant server is provided, the server having market survey, advertising, promotions, security, social networking services, web server capability, a quantitative prediction modeling system predicting behavior of the customer, a predictive response marketing/advertising system that targets advertising messages to the customer based on a predicted customer response to the advertising messages, and payment application software. The merchant server is capable of wired or wireless communication with the portable wireless user interface. A database is provided, and can be stored on site or off site. The database includes information associated with items for sale at the store, and is in operable communication with the merchant server. Using the portable wireless user interface, the store customer can purchase user selected store items thereby obviating necessity for travel through a store check-out line.
US07974887B2
Systems and methods for the efficient and convenient provision of pool services, equipment and supplies. The system incorporates a network between a pool distributor, pool regional dealer and pool customer. The system allows for the distributor to increase market share by providing benefits to pool customers who sign up to the network, i.e., provide profile information. In exchange for passing the business to regional dealers, regional dealers agree to promote and employ distributor's products.
US07974875B1
A method for executing a transaction related to an item or a service using a telephone includes providing information identifying the item or the service, providing a query as to a transaction to be performed in which the transaction is related to the identified item or service, and sending to a server system a request to execute the transaction related to the identified item or service in response to a user answer. The transaction is executed without the user performing a single action on a computer interface.
US07974872B2
A system (and method) assists consideration of selection that recommends selection candidates to a considerer who is considering selection in a certain field in order to assist determination of selection with which the considerer is satisfied. A question concerning the field is sent to a considerer and answer data is received from the considerer by the system. A degree-of-significance of each evaluation item in the field is estimated from the answer data. A degree-of-recommendation representing to which degree each selection candidate can be recommended to the considerer is calculated from evaluation data for each evaluation item with respect to each piece of selection candidate data in the field and the degree-of-significance of the considerer with respect to each evaluation item. Then, degrees of recommendation of selection candidate data in the field are presented to the considerer without change or after processing the data.
US07974866B2
A system and method for managing a workflow are provided. A system for managing a workflow in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: a storage unit for storing, as an access history for each of at least one artifact, identification information of a business process that has accessed the artifact; a request reception unit for receiving an access request to an artifact from a user; a first notification unit for retrieving an access history corresponding to a first artifact from the storage unit on a condition that a first access request received from the user corresponding to a first business process is an update request of the first artifact, and for notifying a user corresponding to the business process that is identified in the retrieved access history that the first artifact is to be updated; and a history adding unit for adding identification information of the first business process to the access history corresponding to the first artifact in response to an accessing of the first artifact based on the first access request.
US07974863B2
Techniques are described for using predictive pricing information for items to assist in evaluating buying and/or selling decisions in various ways, such as on behalf of end-user item acquirers and/or intermediate item providers. The predictive pricing for an item may be based on an analysis of historical pricing information for that item and/or related items, and can be used to make predictions about future pricing information for the item. Such predictions may then be provided to users in various ways to enable comparison of current prices to predicted future prices. In some situations, predictive pricing information is used to assist customers when purchasing airline tickets and/or to assist travel agents when selling airline tickets.
US07974858B1
Systems and methods to provide bridging insurance coverage are described. The apparatus may comprise, a receiver module to receive a request for a financial service from a requestor and an underwriter module to underwrite a bridging financial service. The method may comprise, receiving from a requestor a request for a financial service, underwriting a bridge financial service at the time of the request, and initiating the external processes required for the approval of a final insurance policy. The method may additionally include, completing the external processes, underwriting a final financial service based on the external processes and terminating the bridge financial service.
US07974856B2
The present disclosure relates to computational systems and methods related to nutraceuticals.
US07974851B2
A price planning workbench includes an automated pricing engine, a manual pricing engine, and a user interface. The user interface is configured to receive price planning information from one of the automated pricing engine and the manual pricing engine to generate a price planning schedule. The automated pricing engine may comprise a slow seller engine, a promotion management engine, or some other automated engine capable of providing the price changes used to generate the price planning schedule.
US07974845B2
Stuttering treatment methods and apparatus which utilize removable oral-based appliances having actuators which are attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a dental or oral appliance are described. Such oral appliances may receive the user's voice and process the voice to introduce a time delay and/or a frequency shift. The altered audio feedback signal is then transmitted back to the user through a tooth, teeth, or other bone via a vibrating actuator element. The actuator element may utilize electromagnetic or piezoelectric actuator mechanisms and may be positioned directly along the dentition or along an oral appliance housing in various configurations.
