US07993558B2
A device for continuously sheathing a ply of threads, said ply being formed by an array of approximately mutually parallel threads. The device includes a thread guide, a coating chamber into which a first feed channel and a second feed channel run, which are independent of each other, connected to a first feed device and to a second feed device respectively and capable of delivering a first material and a second material under pressure and with a defined flow rate, and the outlets of which channels are placed above and below the plane of the ply of threads, and an output die. Pressure-measuring device, connected to a controller for controlling the pressure of each of the feed devices, are placed in the coating chamber facing and in line with each other, on either side of the plane of the ply and in the immediate vicinity of the outlet for the feed channels.
US07993556B2
A rotating mold has a plurality of air channels that communicate with a cavity formed in the mold. Silica grain is deposited in the rotating mold and then formed into the shape of a crucible having a lower portion that comprises a substantially uniformly thick wall. An upper portion of the grain is formed into a substantially narrowed wall portion about the perimeter of the formed shape. The silica grain is heated, and a pump draws gas through the air channels while the silica fuses. There is a pressure drop across the narrowed wall portion. After fusing, the upper portion of the crucible, including the narrowed wall portion, is cut off.
US07993547B2
It is intended to provide a semiconductor ceramic composition in which a part of Ba in BaTiO3 is substituted with Bi—Na, which is capable of restraining the evaporation of Bi in the calcination step, is capable of restraining the compositional deviation of Bi—Na thereby suppressing the formation of different phases, is capable of further reducing the resistivity at room temperature, and is capable of restraining the fluctuation of the Curie temperature; and to provide a production process of the same. When a calcined Ba(TiM)O3 powder (M is a semiconductor dopant) and a calcined (BiNa)TiO3 powder are separately prepared and the Ba(TiM)O3 powder is calcined at a relatively high temperature while the (BiNa)TiO3 powder is at a relatively low temperature, both at the most suitable temperatures for them, then the evaporation of Bi may be retarded and the compositional deviation of Bi—Na may be thereby suppressed to inhibit the formation of different phases; and when these calcined powders are mixed, formed and sintered, then a semiconductor ceramic composition which has a low resistivity at room temperature and is capable of restraining the fluctuation of the Curie temperature can be obtained.
US07993535B2
A method for fabricating a device includes forming a first insulation layer to cover a removable mask and a device structure that has been defined by the mask. The device structure is below the mask. The mask is lifted off to expose a top portion of the device structure. A conductive island structure is formed over the first insulation layer and the exposed top portion of the device structure. The first insulation layer and the conductive island structure are covered with a second insulation layer. A contact is formed through the second insulation layer to the conductive island structure.
US07993533B2
Processes comprising: (i) providing a filter aid comprising a co-extrudate of a water-insoluble polyvinylpyrrolidone and a thermoplastic polymer, (ii) treating the filter aid with aqueous alkali; (iii) subsequently treating the filter aid with an enzyme; and (iv) subsequently thereto carrying out a second treatment with aqueous alkali, to provide a regenerated filter aid, and uses therefor.
US07993530B2
The present invention provides systems and methods of portable oil filtration. In an exemplary embodiment, the portable oil filtration system has a portable device body. Mounted on this portable device body are a motor, a pump, an input valve, an output valve, and a filtration device. Additionally, the portable device body is enabled to be carried by a user.
US07993514B2
A method and apparatus for removing peroxides from an exposed naphtha stream is shown and described. The process includes the catalytic reactive oxygen stripping of peroxides thereby generating hydrocarbons and oxygen. Numerous conventional catalysts may be employed. The catalytic stripping reaction can be carried out at substantially lower temperatures than conventional reboiled oxygen strippers thereby resulting in substantial energy savings. Further, the disclosed reactor vessels are substantially smaller and less expensive to build than conventional oxygen stripper columns The disclosed energy efficient reactive oxygen stripping process and equipment is intended to be utilized upstream of a naphtha hydrotreating unit.
US07993513B2
The invention concerns a fixed bed process for capturing arsenic and for desulphurizing a hydrocarbon fraction comprising olefins, sulphur and arsenic, said process comprising a step a) for bringing a capture mass into contact with said hydrocarbon fraction in the presence of hydrogen, the ratio between the flow rate of hydrogen and the flow rate of the hydrocarbon fraction being in the range 50 to 800 Nm3/m3, the operating temperature being in the range 200° C. to 400° C., the operating pressure being in the range 0.2 to 5 MPa. The capture mass comprises molybdenum in a sulphurized form, nickel in a sulphurized form and at least one porous support selected from the group constituted by aluminas, silica, silica-aluminas, titanium oxide and magnesium oxide. The nickel content is in the range 10% to 28% by weight and the molybdenum content is in the range 0.3% to 2.1% by weight.
US07993511B2
An electrochemical system comprising a cathode electrolyte comprising added carbon dioxide and contacting a cathode; and a first cation exchange membrane separating the cathode electrolyte from an anode electrolyte contacting an anode; and an electrochemical method comprising adding carbon dioxide into a cathode electrolyte separated from an anode electrolyte by a first cation exchange membrane; and producing an alkaline solution in the cathode electrolyte and an acid.
US07993506B2
There is provided a gas sensor, including a gas sensing film formed of an oxide semiconductor material and a gas-permeable protection layer formed of oxide particles and arranged on the gas sensing film. The oxide particles of the protection layer have an average particle size of 500 nm or smaller.
US07993499B2
The invention relates to membrane-electrode assemblies for the electrolysis of water (electrolysis MEAs), which contain an ion-conducting membrane having a front and rear side; a first catalyst layer on the front side; a first gas diffusion layer on the front side; a second catalyst layer on the rear side, and a second gas diffusion layer on the rear side.The first gas diffusion layer has smaller planar dimensions than the ion-conducting membrane, whereas the second gas diffusion layer has essentially the same planar dimensions as the ion-conducting membrane (“semi-coextensive design”). The MEAs also comprise an unsupported free membrane surface that yields improved adhesion properties of the sealing material. The invention also relates to a method for producing the MEA products.Pressure-resistant, gastight and cost-effective membrane-electrode assemblies are obtained, that are used in PEM water electrolyzers, regenerative fuel cells or in other electrochemical devices.
US07993497B2
In a magnetic disk having at least a glass substrate, a plurality of underlayers formed over the glass substrate, and a magnetic layer formed over the plurality of underlayers, at least one of the underlayers is an amorphous underlayer containing a VIa group element and carbon and, given that the remanent magnetization in a circumferential direction of the disk is Mrc and the remanent magnetization in a radial direction of the disk is Mrr, the magnetic disk has a magnetic anisotropy in which Mrc/Mrr being a ratio between Mrc and Mrr exceeds 1.
US07993495B2
A method is provided for decontaminating a surface that is susceptible to contamination by a contaminant by applying to the surface a coating which produces a decontaminating agent for the contaminant in response to a signal, connecting the electroactive coating to a source of a signal, and when the surface is contaminated, applying the signal to the electroactive coating, thereby producing one or more decontaminating agents which neutralize or destroy the contaminant. Coatings for practicing the method and articles that have been protected by the novel coatings are also provided.
US07993494B2
A novel synthesis method of a triarylpyrazine derivative, in particular, a manufacturing method by which a triarylpyrazine derivative, in specific, a 2,3,5-triarylpyrazine derivative in which an aryl group at a 5-position includes a substituent having an electron-withdrawing property can be synthesized with high yield as compared to a conventional method is provided. By using a synthesis method in which a mixture including a 1-aryl-2-(methylsulfinyl)ethanone derivative, meso-1,2-diarylethylenediamine, and a dehydrogenation agent is irradiated with a microwave to be reacted, the above object is achieved.
US07993493B2
A fabric for a papermaking machine is provided. The fabric includes a machine facing side and a web facing side comprising pockets formed by warp and weft yarns. Each pocket is defined by four sides of the web facing side. Two of the four sides are each formed by a warp knuckle of a single warp yarn that passes over at least three consecutive weft yarns to define the warp knuckle. The other two of the four sides are each formed by a weft knuckle of a single weft yarn that passes over two consecutive warp yarns to define the weft knuckle.
US07993483B2
A cross-linked starch adhesive for use in producing moisture resistant wax free corrugated paperboard and the recyclable paperboard produced using the adhesive.
US07993475B2
A firing agent which is used in a gas generating device of a vehicle occupant protection device together with a non-azide gas generating agent, for firing the non-azide gas generating agent, wherein the firing agent contains a fuel and an oxidizing agent and is configured to burn at a combustion speed higher than that of the non-azide gas generating agent; a method for using the firing agent; and a gas generating device of a vehicle occupant protection device using the firing agent.
US07993470B2
A method of fabricating a substrate processing chamber component involves forming a component having a textured surface and sweeping a jet of pressurized fluid across the textured surface of the component. The jet of fluid is pressurized sufficiently high to dislodge substantially all the particles from the textured surface. The method can be applied to dislodge grit particles from textured exposed surfaces formed by electromagnetic energy beam scanning and grit blasting. The method can also be applied to remove loosely adhered coating particles from the textured surfaces of coated components.
US07993466B2
In a method for cleaning a material jet spray head having outside material jet spray cycles, an absorbent member and a wiper are positioned so that at least a section of the absorbent member is interposed between the wiper member and a material outlet device. The absorbent member and the wiper member thus form a cleaning assembly. Relative displacement between the cleaning assembly and the material outlet device occurs along a cleaning plane substantially perpendicular to the elevation direction so that the wiper member scrapes the material outlet device substantially simultaneously with absorption by the absorbent member.
US07993461B2
A structure for independently supporting a wafer and a mask in a processing chamber is provided. The structure includes a set of extensions for supporting the wafer and a set of extensions supporting the mask. The set of extensions for the wafer and the set of extensions for the mask enable independent movement of the wafer and the mask. In one embodiment, the extensions are affixed to an annular ring which is capable of moving in a vertical direction within the processing chamber. A processing chamber, a mask, and a method for combinatorially processing a substrate are also provided.
US07993460B2
A substrate support useful for a plasma processing apparatus includes a metallic heat transfer member and an overlying electrostatic chuck having a substrate support surface. The heat transfer member includes one or more passage through which a liquid is circulated to heat and/or cool the heat transfer member. The heat transfer member has a low thermal mass and can be rapidly heated and/or cooled to a desired temperature by the liquid, so as to rapidly change the substrate temperature during plasma processing.
US07993457B1
An apparatus and method for depositing film on a substrate includes a plurality of conduits that allow by-product and reactant gases to flow past the edge of a substrate. The apparatus and process of the present invention has several advantages for enhanced chamber performance, particularly for micro-volume chambers using pulsed deposition layer processes.
US07993455B2
A polycrystalline silicon production apparatus is provided whereby when deposited silicon is caused to drip down into an underlying collection part by heating the reaction tube inner surface at a temperature equal to or above the melting point of silicon, the silicon melt can be prevented from solidifying at a lower end portion of the reaction tube due to temperature lowering at the lower end portion. When a reaction tube is heated with a high frequency heating coil, the temperature lowering at a lower end portion of the reaction tube is prevented through temperature lowering prevention means which may be an infrared device capable of heating the outer periphery of the lower end portion by means of infrared rays, or which may be a lower end coil that is constituted by a coil near the lower end of the high frequency heating coil and has an increased heating intensity relative to an upper coil.
US07993448B2
A cement-containing composition, and in particular to a sand free composition employing effective amounts of cement, a superplasticizer, a metakaolin clay, an acrylic based co-polymer, and water, and which is especially adapted for use in manufacturing poles.
US07993445B2
Nanoparticles are claimed which consist of 50-99.99% by weight of alumina and 0.01-50% by weight of metal oxide of elements of main group I and II of the Periodic Table. These nanoparticles are obtained by drying a suspension of aluminum chlorohydrate, oxide formers and, if desired, crystallization nuclei, followed by calcining and comminution of the resultant agglomerates.
US07993430B2
The disclosure relates to improvements of technology for producing metallic iron by thermally reducing an iron source such as iron ore with a carbonaceous reductant such as coke by including efficiently reducing iron oxides into metallic iron at a lower operation temperature while conducting carburization, and efficiently separating the generated metallic iron from slag-forming components such as gangue components contained in raw material ore whereby metallic iron with controlled carbon concentrations can be produced in high yield.
US07993429B2
An iron-based powder metallurgical composition is provided comprising an iron or iron-based powder and a particulate composite lubricant, the composite lubricant comprising particles having a core comprising a solid organic lubricant having fine carbon particles adhered thereon. A particulate composite lubricant and a method for producing the same also are provided.
US07993423B2
A grease filter has a filtering portion configured such that fumes enter a major face thereof and flow through a grease extraction filter therewithin in a direction parallel to the major face. A frame that fits into an opening of a hood defines a box structure that is configured to allow flow from the end (or ends) of the filtering portion where flow exits. The frame permits the flow to exit to a side opposite the face even when the frame is surrounded, edgewise, by a solid structure of the hood opening.
US07993418B2
Provided is a solid electrolytic capacitor including a capacitor element with a positive polarity; an anode wire of which one side is inserted into the capacitor element and the other side projects outward from the capacitor element; a cathode extraction layer formed on the capacitor element; a plurality of conductive bumps formed on the cathode extraction layer; an anode lead frame fixed to the side of the capacitor element, where the anode wire projects outward, and having an insertion portion into which the projecting end of the anode wire is inserted; a molding portion formed to surround the capacitor element and exposing the projecting end of the anode wire, the outer surface of the anode lead frame, and ends of the conductive bumps; an anode lead terminal provided on the molding portion so as to be electrically connected to the exposed end of the anode wire and the anode lead frame; and a cathode lead terminal provided on the molding portion so as to be electrically connected to the exposed ends of the conductive bumps.
US07993416B2
The present invention generally relates to encapsulation of crystallization solutions in pierceable reservoirs in order to prevent evaporation of the crystallization solutions, thereby allowing safe transport/shipping, from a workstation to another workstation, and safe storage of pre-filled microplates used to carry large number of vapor-diffusion crystallization experiments.
US07993415B2
Improvements in the wash durability and discoloration levels for fabrics having topically applied silver-ion treatments (such as ion-exchange compounds, like zirconium phosphates, glasses and/or zeolites) are provided. Such solid compounds are generally susceptible to discoloration and, due to the solid nature thereof, are typically easy to remove from topical surface applications. The inventive treatment requires the presence of a specific polyurethane binder, either as a silver-ion overcoat or as a component of a dye bath mixture admixed with the silver-ion antimicrobial compound. In addition, specific metal halide additives (preferably substantially free from sodium ions) are utilized to combat the discolorations typical of such silver-ion formulations. As a result, wash durability, discoloration levels, or both, can be improved to the extent that after a substantial number of standard launderings and dryings, the inventive treatment does not wear away in any appreciable amount and the color of the treatment remains substantially the same as when first applied. The particular treatment method as well as the treated fabrics are also encompassed within this invention.
US07993414B2
A portable computing system docking security system comprises a security module disposed in the portable computing system and configured to detect an undocking of the portable computing system from a docking station, the security module configured to automatically determine whether the undocking is an unauthorized undocking event.
US07993409B2
A lip implant having first and second regions is described. The lip implant includes a first region formed of a liquid, solid, or a gas and a second region formed of a solid material. Also described is a lip implant having an elongated cross-section. A method for insertion of the implant is also described along with the instrumentation facilitating its insertion.
US07993398B2
Implantation of an accommodating intraocular lens in an eye may require the accurate measurement of the size, circumference, or diameter of the capsular bag of the eye. After the natural crystalline lens has been surgically removed, a flexible ring may be temporarily or permanently inserted into the capsular bag for measuring the circumference of the capsular bag. The ring is generally compressible to fit through a surgical incision, then expands to fill the capsular bag along an equatorial region. The ring has a central component that changes shape as the ring is compressed. The shape change is generally correlated to the size of the capsular bag and may be measured visually or with a camera through the cornea, the measurement being generally independent of corneal magnification.
US07993395B2
Described is a set of at least two annuloplasty devices having a particular size that corresponds to an inter-trigonal or inter-commissural distance of a heart valve annulus, wherein the at least two annuloplasty devices have different anterior-posterior ratios. Also, described is a kit for annuloplasty repair of a heart valve annulus including a plurality of annuloplasty devices each comprising one of a plurality of different sizes, wherein the different sizes each correspond to a different inter-trigonal or inter-commissural distance of a heart valve annulus, and for each of the plurality of different sizes there are at least two devices each having the same size but having different anterior-posterior ratios. Additionally, a method of choosing an annuloplasty device for implantation in a valve annulus is described.
US07993392B2
An instrument for deploying a cardiac valve prosthesis, including a plurality of radially expandable portions, at an implantation site, includes a plurality of deployment elements each independently operable to obtain the radial expansion of a radially expandable portion of the valve prosthesis. A method for deploying the cardiac valve prosthesis includes advancing the instrument to an implant site and independently actuating the radially expandable portions.
US07993384B2
The invention is directed to a delivery system for implantation a self-expanding medical device in a body which includes a control handle and a catheter portion. The catheter portion includes an outer restraining member which covers the collapsed, medical device, an inner catheter member having a distal end including a region upon which the medical device is mounted, and an outer sheath which is removably attached to the control handle. The outer sheath creates a conduit for the catheter portion to prevent the inner catheter member from moving axially when the outer restraining member is retracted. The control handle has a rotatable thumbwheel to actuate a retraction mechanism attached to the proximal end of the outer restraining member which moves the restraining member in a proximal direction to deploy the medical device.
US07993376B2
Various methods and devices are provided for implanting a motion segment repair system. In particular, exemplary methods and devices are provided for implanting a spinal disc implant and/or a PDS device using a posterior surgical approach, including methods and devices for distracting adjacent vertebrae using a posterior surgical approach, methods and devices for posteriorly introducing a spinal implant into a disc space between adjacent vertebrae, and methods and devices for coupling a PDS device to the adjacent vertebrae to provide a complete motion segment repair system that is implanted using a posterior surgical approach.
US07993374B2
A supplemental spine fixation device and method is used in association with a primary spine fixation device. The supplemental spine fixation device includes a guide and spacer for distracting apart adjacent spinous processes and the device has hook members which hook about the first and second spinous processes. With the spinous processes distracted and the hook members about the spinous processes, the hook members can be rigidly secured to a hub in order to rigidly affix the spinous processes about the spacer. The rigidity between the spinous processes assures that the vertebral bodies will be held rigidly in place in order to promote bone growth and fusion. Further additional freedom of movement between the spacer and hub is accomplished with the spacer being pivotably mounted relative to the hub. The hooks have a tissue distracting lead-in guide for allowing the hooks to be easily urged between spinous processes.
US07993358B2
A cutting balloon catheter and method of using the same. The cutting balloon catheter may include a catheter shaft having a balloon coupled thereto. One or more cutting members or blades may be coupled to the balloon. The balloon may include one or more discrete points or areas of flexibility to enhance flexibility of the cutting balloon catheter. A break in the one or more cutting members may be aligned with the one or more discrete points of flexibility in the balloon.
US07993346B2
A method for implanting a malleolar implant in an ankle joint. A spacer block is positioned between a lower portion of a tibia and an upper portion of an astragalus in the ankle joint. A guide attached to the spacer block is positioned opposite an outer surface of a fibular malleolus. A bore aligned with the guide is formed through the fibular malleolus. The spacer block is removed from between the tibia and the astragalus. A shank of the malleolar implant is engaged with the bore from an inner surface of the fibular malleolus. The shank is advanced into the bore so an inner surface of a head of the malleolar implant engages the inner surface of the fibular malleolus.
US07993344B2
The present application is directed to guides for inserting an elongated member into a patient. The guide generally includes an elongated shape with a distal end that is positioned within the patient, and a proximal end that may be positioned outside of the patient. The guide may include a channel formed between sidewalls. The channel is sized to receive the elongated member and guide the member into a predetermined location within the patient. In one embodiment, the guide is used with an insertion device that may include a pivoting carriage for initially inserting the guide and then the elongated member into the patient. The guide may also be used in a freehand technique that is positioned specifically within the patient by the surgeon.
US07993336B2
A system for measuring physiologic characteristics for treating abnormal mucosa in the esophagus comprises a sizing device having an inflatable balloon on a distal end of a catheter that is inflated with an expansion medium to expand the balloon to engage the wall of the esophagus so that the internal cross-section can be calculated or measured. The sizing device may also include an infusion source for delivering the expansion medium and means for measuring the amount and pressure of the expansion medium inside the catheter. The system also comprises one or more energy delivery devices for injuring or ablating the esophageal tissue.
US07993334B2
Tissue ablation probes, systems, and methods are provided for treating tissue (e.g., a tumor). The probe comprises an inner probe shaft, and an outer probe shaft disposed around the inner probe shaft. The outer probe shaft has a distal portion fixably mounted to the inner probe shaft, and a proximal portion rotatably mounted to the inner probe shaft. The probe further comprises a coiled ablation electrode disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion. The electrode is configured for unwinding when the proximal portion rotates about the inner probe shaft in one direction, thereby placing the electrode in a radially expanded geometry, and configured for winding when the proximal portion rotates about the inner probe shaft in another opposite direction, thereby placing the electrode in a radially collapsed geometry.
US07993330B2
A method for tightening and rejuvenating skin utilizing a cryogenic applicator, which includes the steps of holding a handle of a barrel of the cryogenic applicator in a hand, fluidly communicating the barrel with a source of a biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid to supply the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid through a hollow interior of the barrel, out through a plurality of openings in a distal portion of the barrel, and onto a head of the cryogenic applicator, rolling the head quickly, smoothly, and evenly over the skin being treated for a period of time in an order of hundredths or tenths of a second, and sparging the biocompatible non-toxic cryogenic fluid onto the skin quickly, evenly, and smoothly when the head is rolled on the skin, and thereby tightening and rejuvenating the skin.
US07993326B2
A pain management kit for the administration of medication and a related method of use is disclosed. The pain management kit includes the primary medical supplies for performing a continuous nerve block procedure, preferably in a single, sterile container. Specifically, the kit may contain medical supplies to create a sterile field, perform a local anesthetic procedure and to perform a continuous nerve block procedure. Preferably, the contents of the kit are arranged in the general order of their use.
US07993322B2
An absorbent garment having a garment-like outer shell and an absorbent assembly adapted for adjustable positioning therein is disclosed. In particular embodiments, the absorbent garment includes garment shell, at least one inner attachment member, and an absorbent assembly. The inner attachment member can be disposed at a waist region of the garment shell. The absorbent assembly can include a fastening component disposed at an end region, the first fastening component adapted for refastenable engagement to the inner attachment member. The inner attachment member can be configured such that a user may adjust a position of the refastenable engagement to the inner attachment member.
US07993317B2
An absorbent article having a topsheet and an absorbent core in facing relationship with the topsheet. The topsheet has a central region, an inner intermediate region, an outer intermediate region, and an edge region, wherein the inner intermediate region is between the central region and the outer intermediate region and the outer intermediate region is between the inner intermediate region and the edge region. The central region texture, inner intermediate region texture, outer intermediate region texture, and edge region texture differ from one another. At least one of the central region, inner intermediate region, outer intermediate region, and edge region comprises tufted fibers. The central region is on the longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article.
US07993314B2
An absorbent article, such as an incontinence shield, diaper, pant-diaper, belt diaper or the like, includes a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core placed therebetween. The absorbent core has two longitudinal edges, and a front and a rear transverse edge, wherein the rear transverse edge possesses a recess with at least one pair of opposing edges. The recess forms a pocket for receiving and storing faeces, wherein the pocket's extension is defined by the edges of the recess. The article provides a simple, practical and cheap solution for handling of faeces without obviously compromising the liquid absorption properties.
US07993313B1
An apparatus to receive feces from an ostomy pouch or urine from a person for disposal which comprises an adjustable strap member worn about a neck of the person to hang down therefrom. A waste receptacle is provided. A mechanism is for detachably mounting the waste receptacle to distal ends of the adjustable strap member at a groin area of the person. The person can discharge the feces from an open end of the ostomy pouch and also urinate into the waste receptacle.
US07993304B2
A compact fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, blood clotting agents, analgesics, and like medicinal agents from collapsible containers at a uniform rate. The dispenser includes a novel stored energy source that is provided in the form of a compressible-expandable member that functions to continuously and uniformly expel fluid from the apparatus reservoir. The apparatus further includes a novel fluid flow control assembly that precisely controls the flow of the medicament solutions from the apparatus reservoir to the patient.
US07993299B2
The devices and methods shown provide for the minimization of extravasation during arthroscopic surgery. The extravasation minimization device allows a surgeon to drain excess fluids from the soft tissue surrounding the surgical field while also providing a stable surgical portal for arthroscopic surgical instruments.
US07993297B2
Equipment for controlling blood flow in an extra-corporeal blood circuit, comprising at least a first sensor (11), designed to measure an arterial pressure (Part) upstream of a peristaltic pump (9); at least a second sensor (12), designed to measure an angular velocity (Ω) of the peristaltic pump; a memory (14) designed to store at least one set value (Qset) of the desired blood flow through the access branch, and a calibration function (F) in to at least the variables (v1), related to the angular velocity (Ω) of the pump, (v2), related to the arterial pressure (Part) in the portion of the said access branch upstream of the peristaltic pump, (v3), related to an actual flow of blood (Qactual) through the said access branch; and at least one control unit (13), capable of calculating an actual flow value (Qactual) by applying the function F to the values of angular velocity and arterial pressure (Part, Ω) measured by the sensors; comparing the actual flow (Qactual) with the desired flow (Qset); and varying the angular velocity of the said peristaltic pump if the Qactual−Qset lies outside a predetermined range.
US07993296B2
An apparatus for disposition on appendage, such as an arm or leg, is capable of encircling and applying opposing forces selectively thereto. A C-shaped component receives one side of the appendage, a second C-shaped component receives the other side of the appendage, and a tensioning system draws the two components together for selective application of pressure to the appendage. Outriggers and pressure applicators may be used to apply pressure to extended areas of the appendage that otherwise would not be engaged by the C-shaped components. Side-to-side tissue compression thereby is provided for deflection of muscle forces, functional shortening of muscle length, and the maintenance of neurovascular channels. Circumferential forces may be minimized based on semirigid characteristics of the components. Elbow and shoulder braces apply side-to-side tissue compression to arms.
US07993293B2
A neck brace (10) is disclosed which comprises two sections (12, 14) which are releasably connected to one another along a split line (18). The ring has upwardly facing surfaces (30, 76.1, 20.2) which limit tilting movement of a helmeted head in all directions. The brace further has a column (68, 70) which extends downwardly from the ring for transferring loads to the wearer's back on each side of the spine.
US07993291B2
A system that can monitor motion and establish haptic feedback to promote rehabilitation and/or strength training is provided. The innovation can be applied at any point along a rehabilitative progression continuum to provide computer-regulated (e.g., virtual, remote) training and/or coaching. For example, the innovation can be employed to actively drive a limb, provide force feedback to promote wellness, passively monitor motion of a limb or even to establish resistance to encourage strength training. The modular components of the system promote adaptability to users of all shapes and sizes.
US07993289B2
Described is a system and method for the destruction of adipose tissue using an energy applicator such as a HIFU transducer. The system has a scan head containing an energy applicator, a mechanical arm for carrying the weight of the scan head, and a therapy controller such as a computer for controlling the operation of the scan head. The therapy controller may be part of a general purpose computer, and may be used as a robotic controller to automate the procedure. Methods are included for destroying adipose tissue in a quick, non-invasive manner.
US07993286B2
Alternative designs, materials and manufacturing methods for guidewires. Some embodiments pertain to a composite guidewire having proximal and distal section, and a connector adapted and configured for permanently joining the proximal section to the distal section. In some embodiments, at least one of the sections is made of a linear-elastic nickel-titanium alloy. Several alternative guidewire tip designs including coiled safety/shaping structures are also disclosed.
US07993284B2
A system is provided for withdrawing small amounts of body fluid from an animal or human. The system includes a holder and a disposable lancing unit attached to the holder. The lancing unit also includes an open capillary channel for transporting the body fluid and piercing the skin.
US07993273B2
System parameters for contrast agent medical imaging are conveniently set. A simplified contrast agent configuration is provided where an appropriate contrast agent detection technique and/or contrast agent imaging parameters are achieved consistently and more often then exists with current methods. Examination workflow is improved for contrast agent studies by offering one contrast agent imaging mode or configuration that is dynamically determined and optimized based on the user's selected transmit level and/or a real-time measurement of the contrast agent signals. A simplified user interface provides one contrast agent imaging mode without a need to switch between multiple modes or contrast agent detection techniques and associated contrast agent imaging parameters. The contrast agent detection technique and imaging parameters are adjusting or selected based on changes in the transmit levels for contrast agent imaging. Either a single user input control or real time measurements are used to select a transmit level, resulting in automatic selection of adjustment of the detection technique and/or imaging parameters. Appropriate contrast agent detection techniques and imaging parameters are selected for each given transmit level without the user having to switch the mode or configuration of the system during an imaging session. As a result, contrast agent examinations are simplified while minimizing suboptimal selection by a user.
US07993272B2
A medical imaging system automatically acquires two-dimensional images representing a user-defined region of interest despite motion. The plane of acquisition is updated or altered adaptively as a function of detected motion. The user-designated region of interest is then continually scanned due to the alteration in scan plane position. A multi-dimensional array is used to stabilize imaging of a region of interest in a three-dimensional volume. The user defines a region of interest for two-dimensional imaging. Motion is then detected. The position of a scan plane used to generate a subsequent two-dimensional image is then oriented as a function of the detected motion within the three-dimensional volume. By repeating the motion determination and adaptive alteration of the scan plane position, real time imaging of a same region of interest is provided while minimizing the region of interest fading into or out of the sequence of images.
US07993268B2
A method for enhanced exercise training or performance utilizing intentional controlled tachypnea and somatic sensory alkalosis biofeedback training to maintain an essentially non-acidic state during exercise. A trainee is instructed to decrease measured transcutaneous CO2 levels by increased ventilation and to correlate measured transcutaneous CO2 levels with subjective somatic symptoms. Studies under exercise conditions measure the intensity of exercise correlating to an onset in blood acid accumulation in the trainee and such level of intensity is in turn correlated with a predetermined heart rate. The trainee is then instructed to use heart rate and somatic sensory changes as a guide to the need for increased ventilation to lower blood CO2. In another embodiment, the method of the instant invention utilizes intentional controlled tachypnea to increase maximum breath holding time.
US07993266B2
This invention provides an electronic proximity apparatus and a surveillance method using such an apparatus for alerting individuals that are exposed to a contagious disease. When a person becomes symptomatic and is diagnosed as positive for a given contagious agent, individuals that have recently maintained a threshold proximity with respect to an infected individual are notified and advised to seek immediate medial care. Treatment of individuals in the very early phases of infection (pre-symptomatic) significantly reduces contagiousness of the infected population first exposed to the contagious disease, thus preventing spread of the disease throughout the general population.
US07993265B2
A capsule endoscope 2 includes a partial-image acquiring unit that has a field of vision of 360° around a central axis in a longitudinal direction (moving direction), and acquires a plurality of partial image data on inner circumferential areas 28a, 28b and the like according to a movement of the capsule endoscope 2. On the other hand, the capsule endoscope 2 is configured to acquire position related data based on which positions Z(t1) and Z(t2) at which the respective partial image data is acquired can be calculated, and enables a receiving apparatus or the like to constitute overall image data based on the partial image data and the position related data, whereby an overall image of a predetermined imaging target in a body of a subject is acquired with simple constitution while suppressing an increase in data amount.
US07993261B2
A method for cystocele repair comprising the steps of: establishing four pathways in tissue around a bladder of a patient, introducing a strap into each of said pathways, and positioning beneath said bladder of said patient a support member having each said strap connected thereto such that said bladder of said patient is supported by said support member and a bulge of said bladder into a vagina of said patient is reduced.
US07993259B2
A percutaneous intra-aortic ventricular assist device is adapted for implantation in an aorta that has a luminal wall, and includes a tubular stent body, an inner tubular body, a vane member, a carrier member, a rib unit, a first pulled string, a second pulled string, an alternately pulling mechanism, and a synchronizing member.
US07993258B2
A method and device featuring at least one component providing a potential to kinetic converted elastic, magnetic repulsion, or, an elastic and magnetic repulsion, pushing, pulling, or, pulling and pushing, type of radially outward expansive force or pressure to an inner, outer, intermediate, and, combination thereof, wall region of the left ventricle, for reducing intraluminal hydrostatic pressure of the left ventricle (LV filling pressure) during the ventricular diastolic stage of the cardiac cycle, thereby, improving diastolic function of the left ventricle of the heart in subjects having a condition of diastolic heart failure (DHF), while minimally disturbing systolic function of the heart. The expansive force or pressure is in a range of about 5-40 mm Hg, whereby, left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) is reduced down to the normal range of about 6-12 mm Hg, during ventricular diastole of the heart.
US07993257B2
A chuck for rotating around a rotation axis XA a centrifugal separation bowl secured thereto includes a vat-shaped body for receiving a lower end portion of the separation bowl secured therein with a peripheral rim of the chuck surrounding an outer flank of the separation bowl. The chuck includes a plurality of clutching systems to cooperate with the flank of the separation bowl in securing it to the chuck. The clutching systems include a channel formed in the chuck body with an arcuate path in the peripheral rim of the chuck body. A chain of translatory bodies arranged within the channel includes a proximal translatory body and a distal translatory body in the chain, whereby a force acting on the proximal body and directed outwardly of the rotation axis XA is transmitted through the chain of translatory bodies to the distal translatory body to urge it inwardly towards the rotation axis XA to clutch the outer flank of the separation bowl, whereby the separation bowl is secured to the rotary chuck.
US07993256B2
A bag formed of a sheet material adapted to be filled with contents and opened at the top for taking out the contents. The bag has fused joints along the lateral edges thereof. A plastically deformable wire-like member is attached inside the fused joints over a length from the output opening side portion to the body portion.
US07993252B2
The invention provides an exercise device (10) comprising an elongate member (20) and an engagement member (30) having an engagement region (40), the engagement member defining an aperture (35) therethrough, the elongate member extending through the aperture, such that when the engagement region is under substantially no load, the engagement member is slideable along the elongate member and when the engagement region is placed under load, the engagement member is substantially non-slideable along the elongate member. Also provided is a method of pelvic realignment involving use of said exercise device.
US07993248B1
The present invention provides an overhead support apparatus for assisting a user while performing rehabilitation physical activities and includes a track assembly supported by the ceiling and a suspension device that depends from the track assembly and is attached to the user so that the apparatus acts to prevent the user from falling down during physical activities. The suspension assembly includes a trolley adapted to traverse the track assembly, a locking snap assembly attached to the trolley and associated with a swivel, and an adjustable lanyard that is connected to the swivel at one end and to a body harness at its opposite end, which body harness has straps for encircling the torso and legs of a user.
US07993244B2
A floor system (20) includes a plurality of cushioning devices (22) attached to a lower side (40) of a wood floor (32). Each cushioning device (22) includes a spring (46) that may be attached at each of its ends to first and second caps (48, 50). The spring (46) includes longitudinally aligned regions (58, 60) interposed between the caps (48, 50). The region (58) exhibits a lower spring rate (64) than a spring rate (66) of the other region 60. In response to an imposed force, the first region (58) of spring (46) first compresses. When the imposed force is great enough, due to a user's weight, the second region (60) of spring (46) will then compress.
US07993237B2
A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices may include clutches and brakes. Moreover, the torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable in combinations of at least four to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member.
US07993235B2
A transmission of the present invention has an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices may include clutches and brakes. The torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable in combinations of at least three to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
US07993233B2
A friction coupling assembly includes: an actuator in the form of a ball ramp assembly, a plate package, and a ball bearing. The actuator has two coaxial discs, wherein the faces of the two discs each have ball grooves of increasing depth. Pairs of opposed ball grooves hold balls to axially support the two discs. The plate package is arranged coaxially relative to the discs and has outer plates for fixing to a coupling carrier and inner plates for fixing to a coupling hub. The ball bearing is for axially supporting the at least one rotatingly drivable disc, wherein a first bearing race of the ball bearing is integrally formed with the at least one rotatingly drivable disc.
US07993217B2
A golf putter with a having a curved body and a high toe design is disclosed and claimed. The putter head includes a face member, which has a heel and a toe, and a body member. The body member is connected to and extends rearward from the face member. At least a portion of the body member is curved toward the heel of the club head. The face member preferably is angled such that the toe has a greater height than the heel. The body member may be similarly angled. The body member extends through the face member and forms at least a portion of a striking face of the club head. The body member may define a hole therethrough, exposing a portion of the face member underneath, which may be used as a club head alignment aid. A variety of body members may interchangeably be connected to a single face member.
US07993216B2
A ball striking device has a head that includes a metal face configured for striking a ball, a rearwardly extending metal band, a top piece, and a bottom piece. The metal band has a first end extending from one side of the face, a second end extending from the opposite side of the face, and a rear portion extending between the first and second ends and defining at least a portion of the rear periphery of the head. The top piece and the bottom piece are non-metallic or substantially non-metallic. The top piece is connected to the top side of the metal band and forms at least a portion of a top side of the head, and the bottom piece is connected to the bottom side of the metal band and forms at least a portion of a bottom side of the head. The top piece and the bottom piece are separated by the metal band.
US07993211B2
A golf club having a shaft and an elongated head projecting at a lie angle relative to the shaft, the head having the shape of a regular polygon in a cross section at right angles to the central axis of the head, with each face being formed of a material that provides a different ball rebound factor, the head section being rotatable about the central axis so that any one of the faces may be presented for use with the club.
US07993201B2
Systems and methods related to game consoles, game software and games for play on a game console having a touch screen interface. A card having a pattern defined therein is overlaid on the touch screen. The defined pattern is used to activate portions of the touch screen by guiding user interaction with a touch pad or touch screen. The activated portions of the touch pad or touch screen launch responsive activity in a computer program implemented on the game console.
US07993197B2
A disclosed a loyalty program transaction network provides a plurality of loyalty program instrument generation sites that award loyalty points. The loyalty points may be stored on loyalty point instruments such as printed tickets, magnetic-striped cards, room keys, portable wireless devices and smart cards. The loyalty program instruments may be issued to a patron of a gaming establishment without receiving identification information from the patron. At a loyalty program validation site, the loyalty program instruments may be used to redeem loyalty points for goods and services or the loyalty program instruments may be used to add loyalty points to an existing loyalty program account. Loyalty points may be earned by the patron during a number of activities such as playing a gaming machine, playing a game of chance, a food purchase, an entertainment purchase, a transportation purchase, a lodging purchase, a merchandise purchase and a service purchase.
US07993194B1
A method of dynamically linking abstracted hardware devices, which are used in association with gaming machines, to gaming software is disclosed. The game machine has a central processing unit (“CPU”), a resource manager, driver pools, and a communication link that connect a plurality of intelligent Input/Output controller boards (“IOCB”) to hardware devices interfaced to the game. The resource manager's functional blocks are: a resource manager control task, a plurality of Input/Output (“I/O”) communication drivers to connect to the IOCBs, a low level and high level driver manager, a low level and high level driver pool, and a plurality of resource repositories that interface to the gaming software. The resource manager starts an I/O communication driver to scan for the primary IOCB on the I/O memory bus, Universal Serial Bus, or Firewire. Once the primary IOCB is found, the resource control task will load more I/O communication drivers for any secondary IOCBs. The resource control task starts the driver managers, and requests the IOCB(s) to send the list of attached hardware. The driver managers load the drivers required for the type and version of hardware attached to the game. The gaming software interfaces to the hardware through the high level drivers loaded in the resource repositories. The high level drivers can be software or hardware drivers. Software drivers can simulate hardware, connect to other parts of the gaming software, or combine functions by calling other software and hardware drivers. New drivers can be added easily, allowing gaming software to use new hardware with little or no changes.
US07993192B2
A control system (1) for an online casino game has a man-machine interface (FIG. 1) operable by a player to regulate the progress of the game, and includes a switch means (8) operable by the player to selectively switch the man-machine interface between two modes in which the player may regulate the progress of the particular game. The two modes are a regular mode in which the interface is of a predetermined complexity, and an expert mode in which the interface is of an increased complexity relative to that of the regular mode. The control system is activatable by the player to automatically regulate the progress of a selectable number of consecutive turns of the game without further intervention from the player. The automatic progress of the consecutive turns of the game is interruptible by the player at anytime before completion thereof. The configuration facility is also configurable to cause the selected number of consecutive turns of the game to progress automatically until all the turns are complete, or to terminate upon winning of a jackpot prize available for the casino game, alternatively upon occurrence of a successful wager, further alternatively upon occurrence of a success wager exceeding a predetermined threshold, still further alternatively upon occurrence of a wager that causes a bankroll of the player to change by more than a predetermined amount.
US07993191B2
A gaming system having a five card draw poker game is provided. The gaming system causes an initial five card hand to be dealt to the player and also causes a first draw card to be revealed to the player. The player has the option to keep or discard the first draw card. After the player has decided whether or not to keep the first draw card, the gaming system enables the player to replace cards in the initial player hand. If the player selected to discard the first draw card, this card will not be used as a replacement or draw card to form the final player hand. In certain implementations, the player first selects cards to replace in the initial player hand. In these implementations, if the player elects to keep the first draw card, the gaming system will cause the display of a second card and the player has the option of keeping or discarding the second draw card. This process continues until all of the discarded cards in the initial player hand have been replaced or until the player elects to discard one of the draw cards.
US07993189B2
A game apparatus includes a CPU. In the game apparatus, when it is determined that a player object has collided with an enemy object not in a predetermined state, the enemy object is turned into the predetermined state. Then, by a collision with the enemy object in the predetermined state, the player object is connected with the enemy object. Further, the player object is given different abilities depending on the kinds of the connected enemy objects. After that, when a plurality of enemy objects are connected to the player object, the player object is provided with different abilities according to connection patterns of the kinds of the plurality of enemy objects.
US07993187B2
A foreign object detection and removal system for an agricultural combine is provided. The system includes a controller operatively connected to a feederhouse and a chopper assembly. The feederhouse includes an acoustic element for detecting foreign objects and an actuator for opening and closing a door of the feederhouse to remove foreign objection. The chopper assembly includes an actuator to retract a knife bank to allow for the passage of foreign objects through the chopper assembly without causing damage to the chopper assembly.
US07993183B2
A method for sharpening a wood working knife having opposed cutting edges, wherein the knife body is held by clamping features on a first surface of the knife and the opposed edges are simultaneously sharpened.
US07993182B2
A cosmetic appliance and method of use for temporarily lifting, gathering human skin of the breast or smoothing the human breast and skin of the breast, and which is not readily apparent once applied, formed in predetermined shapes from thin, generally translucent flexible sheeting or tape and or of a silicone gel formed into the shape of cup, to one side of which a reusable adhesive has been applied and covered with a peel-away layer for temporarily lifting, gathering, covering or smoothing the skin of the breast, nipple and areola areas, and which is not readily apparent once applied.
US07993181B2
An artificial eye includes a supporter, a first clipping member, a second clipping member and an electroactive pupil. The second clipping member is positioned on the supporter. A peripheral portion of the second clipping member is positioned on a peripheral portion of the first clipping member. A gap is defined between the first and second clipping members. The electroactive pupil is positioned in the gap and contacts the first and second clipping members.
US07993180B2
A method for manufacturing a field emission element, the method includes providing one supporting member and wrapping a carbon nanotube (CNT) film around an outer surface of the supporting member at least once. The CNT film includes a plurality of bundles of carbon nanotubes connected in series.
US07993177B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a water ski load distribution system for anatomically distributing tow rope induced forces across a participant. The system includes an abdominal encircling member, a rigid rear support member, a pair of wrist encircling members, and an elongated flexible member. The abdominal encircling member extends around the user's abdomen and may be incorporated within a personal flotation device. The rigid support member extends vertically on the back region between the abdominal encircling member and the user's shoulder region. The elongated flexible member extends between the wrist encircling members and the rigid support member. The length of the elongated flexible member prevents the user from simultaneously extending both arms at the shoulder joint. The wrist encircling members may optionally include load distribution systems that distribute pulling forces directly from a grip induced object to the wrists.
US07993175B2
In a system for controlling outboard motors each mounted on a boat and each having an engine, a steering mechanism, a shift mechanism, an actuator driving at least one of the steering mechanism, the shift mechanism and a throttle valve of the engine, and a controller controlling operation of the actuator, comprising: a steering wheel operable by an operator; a shift/throttle lever operable by the operator; and a manipulated variable detector producing an output indicative of manipulated variable of at least one of the steering wheel and the shift/throttle lever; the manipulated variable detector being separately connected to each of the controllers in the outboard motors through an electric signal line to send the output to the controllers. With this, it becomes possible to control the operation of the actuators in the outboard motors separately for the individual outboard motors with simple structure without identifying the respective outboard motors.
US07993173B2
A marine drive system (1) with a partially submerged propeller located at the transom of a boat comprising, for each propeller (2), a forward-opened shroud (20), positioned above the propeller (2), such as to define, between it and the water level, a channel (23) extending longitudinally and having, at the propeller (2), a cross-section whose area decreases from the transom (30).
US07993167B2
An ECG lead set is described which is shielded against electrostatic charge hazards. An electrical shield is located at the end of each lead of the lead set and electrically shields the connection of the lead set to an ECG electrode. The electrical shield is covered by a nonconductive cover and is electrically connected to the shield of the coaxial cable of the lead set.
US07993155B2
The connection system is designed to facilitate electrical and data connections between the battery and the electric vehicle. The connectors are designed with alignment mechanisms to account for initial misalignment of the battery and vehicle while still ensuring positive contact between them. The alignment mechanisms also introduce compliance into the system to ensure that the mechanical components of the system are not placed under unwanted loads or stresses. The connection system houses data connectors carrying communication signals as well as power connectors carrying high voltage electricity. The data connectors are shielded to prevent interference caused by proximity to the high voltage elements. The connection system uses no mechanical latching or locking mechanisms.
US07993147B2
A connector assembly includes a housing and contacts. The connector includes a mounting face and a mating face disposed transverse to one another. The mounting face is used to mount the connector to a substrate. The mating face has an elongated slot that is configured to receive a mating edge of a card edge module. The contacts extend between opposite contact tips at each of the mounting face and the mating face. The contact tips at the mounting face are configured to electrically couple the connector with the substrate. The contact tips at the mating face are configured to electrically couple the connector with the card edge module. The card edge module is oriented transverse to the substrate when the card edge module mates with the connector.
US07993136B2
A method produces a physical dental arch model having at least two physical tooth models. The method includes detecting the interference between two physical tooth models. If interference is detected between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model, the positions and orientations of at least one physical tooth model is modified to prevent interference between the first physical tooth model and the second physical tooth model.
US07993134B2
Systems and methods for preventing interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model includes digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions, interpolating the meshes of points to produce interpolated surfaces to represent the boundaries of the two physical tooth models, wherein the interpolated surfaces representing the boundaries of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes specifying a straight line running through the overlapping portion and intersecting the two interpolated surfaces representing the boundaries of the two physical tooth models and calculating the length of the straight line in the overlapping portion to quantify the interference between the two physical tooth models.
US07993122B2
An improved reinforcing element, and devices and methods for producing a wrapped assembly reinforcing element comprising at least one center core member formed from at least one center core strand, wherein the at least one center core member is wrapped with a reinforced thermoplastic resin comprising complete fiber strand dispersion and wet out without breaking fiber filaments after cutting the fiber to a designated length in the wrapping resin. The resulting wrapped assembly may be used in a variety of ways, including virtually any construction project requiring a lightweight reinforcing member with high tensile and compression strength.
US07993109B2
A portable pumping system provides insulin or other drugs to a user. A shape memory element is used to actuate the pump and an intelligent system controls the actuator in order to minimize stresses within the system and provide accurate and reliable dosage delivery. The control system utilizes various types of feedback to monitor and optimize the position of the pumping mechanisms. Physical design aspects also minimize stress and the combination of the physical design aspects and the intelligent operation of the system results in a lightweight and cost effective pump that may be used in a disposable fashion if desired.
US07993100B2
An article of manufacture having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in TABLE 1. X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances are joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
US07993098B2
A method and a system for adjusting alarm level of a component in a wind turbine is provided. The method comprises defining an alarm level corresponding to an operational parameter of the component in the wind turbine, monitoring the operational parameter of the component, determining whether the operational parameter exceeds the alarm level, thereby triggering an alarm. In the case when the alarm is triggered, the method further comprises inspecting the component to determine whether the alarm level corresponds to a predetermined remaining useful lifetime of the component, and adjusting the alarm level based on the inspection of the component.
US07993094B2
A lift truck includes a guide member secured to a mast of the lift truck and a guided member secured to a carriage vertically movable along the mast. The guided member engages with the guide member to resist twisting moments acting on the carriage and enable the carriage to move smoothly along the mast. A lift truck attachment for mounting on a lift truck includes a latching member which can restrict movement of the attachment with respect to the lift truck in a fore-and-aft direction of the lift truck.
US07993093B2
A two-axis automation system can be used to transfer and rotate wafers between horizontal and vertical orientations necessary for differing steps in a semiconductor fabrication process. The two rotational axes allow for the transfer and rotation to be done in a minimal space and with a minimum amount of swept volume. A transfer arm of the automation system can include a pair of load pads capable of loading and unloading a wafer processing chamber in a single sweep.
US07993092B2
Provided are a moving carrier for a lead frame, and a method of moving a lead frame using the moving carrier. The moving carrier includes a base which supports the lead frame including a body and a chip attach pad on which a chip is disposed. The moving carrier includes a groove portion which is integrated with a part of the base and contains the chip attach pad of the lead frame. The lead frame is inserted or withdrawn into or out from a magazine using the moving carrier and thus without deformation of the lead frame or damage to the chip.
US07993091B2
In a wheel loader 3, an angle formed by a first line segment L1 connecting a pivot position Y on a boom 10 of a bell crank 11 and a pivot position X on a connecting link 13 and a second line segment L2 connecting the pivot position Y on the boom 10 of the bell crank 11 and a pivot position W on a tilt cylinder 12 is set in a range from 0 degree to 180 degrees on the attachment 20, 30 side, the attachment can be selected from a plurality of types such as a bucket 20 and a fork 30 for use, and each of the attachment 20, 30 that is different from each other has a different pivot position on the connecting link 13 relative to the pivot position on the boom 10 as a reference point.
US07993089B2
A system for extracting mail items in a mail processing system includes at least one pocket for containing at least one mail item and an extraction device. The pocket has a bottom area and two lateral walls, wherein each lateral wall has at least one opening. The pocket further includes a release mechanism at the bottom area configured to place the bottom area in an open state and a closed state. The extraction device is configured to engage the lateral walls of the pocket so that contact elements of the extraction device extend through the lateral walls and urge the at least one mail item away from inner surfaces of the lateral walls. The extraction device is further configured to cause the at least one mail item to pass through the bottom area when in the open state.
US07993088B2
A storage system for storing products is provided that includes a frame having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and a dynamic support carried by the frame. A mover assembly is carried by the frame and is configured to engage an area of a product at rest on the dynamic support. The mover assembly moves the product along the dynamic support relative to the frame from a first location near the first side to a second location near the second side.
US07993085B2
A collet body and captive stud combination is disclosed wherein the collet body has a first end and adjacent first wall portion, and a protrusion extending from an exterior surface thereof. The first wall portion also defines at least two secondary slots to create at least two fingers. The collet body also has a second end including a collet head and an opening for receiving a stud. At least a portion of an interior surface of the collet body is threaded to rotationally receive a threaded stud. The stud includes a head, a body portion being at least partially threaded, a distal end and at least one radially extending protrusion at or proximate to the distal end. The protrusion may be circumferentially continuous or discontinuous. The stud body portion is sized to fit through the collet body second end, and to prevent dislocation of the stud from the collet body once inserted in a collet body, the maximum diameter of the stud at the radially extending protrusion is greater than the minimum diameter of any essentially non-elastic portion of the collet body.
US07993083B1
A coupling apparatus for trucking straps used on flatbed trailer loads intended to hold stacked loads in a more secure manner while eliminating their tendency to shift during transit is herein disclosed. The apparatus provides a connecting link which takes the form of a flattened figure “8” with the approximate dimension of four-and-a-half (4½) inches wide and two-and-a-half (2½) inches tall. The link is used to hold one end of a conventional trucking strap, which is then looped around a load and then back through the other side of the link. The free end is then secured to a stationary object such as a rub bar on the edge of the flatbed trailer using a ratcheting buckle. Thus, the loop around the load is self tightening and automatically tightens in the event of a shifting load as is commonly the case with tubular loads such as PVC pipe, regular pipe, lumber and the like. The apparatus would be used on alternating sides of the load to provide a balanced bi-directional restraint.
US07993078B2
A method of installing an underground pipe includes a step of placing a leading end of a pipe section at an entry point for the underground pipe. An arcuate soil shoe is attached to an inside surface of the pipe section at or near the leading end of the pipe section, which soil shoe has a passageway therein with one or more outlets. A conduit is positioned to feed a lubricating liquid into the passageway, which liquid passes through the outlets to enter the inside of the pipe section. A driver such as a pneumatic impact tool is placed at a trailing end of the pipe section and used to drive the pipe section into the earth. A lubricating liquid is supplied through the conduit, which liquid passes into the passageway and through the outlets into the inside of the pipe section.
US07993071B2
Assemblies for coupling together two elements are provided and include a first coupling member and a second coupling member. The second coupling member has a body sized and adapted to be fitted into a hollow space defined by the first coupling member. The coupling members are structured to deflect the body of the second coupling member toward a first wall of the first coupling member as the body is passed into the hollow space.
US07993070B2
A coupling member for pivotally coupling an end of a device to a mounting ball includes a body connectable to an end of the device and defines a socket for receiving a mounting ball. The body further includes slots communicating with the socket. A sliding element arranged in a longitudinal groove of the body is movable from a first position to a second position. A C-shaped spring has two ends and a center section, the ends being received through the slots and projecting into the socket for holding the mounting ball in the socket. The sliding element interacts with the center section of the spring when the sliding element is moved to the second position so that the ends of the spring are drawn out from the socket to release the mounting ball from the socket, whereby the mounting ball is releasable from the socket without external tools.
US07993064B2
A high temperature optoelectronic device package includes a substrate, an optoelectronic die situated on an upper surface of the substrate, a seal surrounding the optoelectronic die and situated on the upper surface of the substrate and a housing disposed on the seal having a ferrule-seating portion. The housing is disposed on the seal such that a fiber optic center of the ferrule-seating portion is aligned with an active portion of the optoelectronic die. The optoelectronic die is in operative communication with electronic traces of the substrate.
US07993061B2
A sliding bearing (1) includes an upper casing (3) which is made of polyacetal resin as a synthetic resin, has an annular surface (2), and serves as a first bearing body; a second bearing body (5) which is made of a synthetic resin, is superposed on the upper casing (3) so as to be rotatable about an axis (O), and has an synthetic resin-made annular surface (4) opposed to the annular surface (2); and a synthetic resin-made annular sheet (6) which is interposed between the annular surfaces (2) and (4) and slidably abuts against at least one of the upper casing (3) and the bearing body (5).
US07993059B2
An anti-dust structure for a sliding block of a linear guideway comprises a sliding block, two end caps, plural rolling elements, a flexible anti-dust strip and a rail. The two end caps are assembled to both ends of the sliding block, the rolling elements are disposed on the rail. Between the end cap and the sliding block is defined a circulating path. The two end caps are each extended from an inner side thereof to form a linking portion, and the two linking portions of the two end caps are linked to each other to define an endless positioning groove including two longitudinal grooves and two transverse grooves. The flexible anti-dust strip is disposed in the positioning groove of the end caps and integrally formed with protruding lip portions for cooperating with the two longitudinal grooves.
US07993058B2
A lamella collimator, in particular for a beam therapy appliance, is provided. The lamella collimator has a plurality of lamellae, which can be moved by a motor or motors in a movement direction in order to preset a countour of a beam path on an X-ray beam. Each lamella has a position measurement apparatus with a movable measurement element, which is attached directly to the respective lamella.
US07993043B2
A vehicle lamp, which is configured to irradiate infrared light in a vehicle forward direction, includes: a projection lens disposed along an optical axis extending in a lamp backward and forward direction; and first and second light source units disposed in the rear of the projection lens. The first light source unit includes: a first light emitting element which is disposed in the rear of a rear focal point of the projection lens and emits the infrared light; and a first reflector which reflects the infrared light toward the optical axis in a lamp forward direction. An infrared light distribution pattern is formed by the infrared light which is reflected by the first reflector to pass through the projection lens. The second light source unit includes: a second light emitting element which is disposed in the rear of the rear focal point of the projection lens and emits visible light; and a second reflector which reflects the visible light toward the optical axis in a lamp forward direction. A visible light distribution pattern is formed by the visible light which is reflected by the second reflector to pass through the projection lens. The visible light distribution pattern overlaps with the infrared light distribution pattern. When the first light source unit is turned on, the second light source unit is turned on simultaneously with the first light source.
US07993042B2
An entertainment lighting system for an automobile interior. The invention is configured to be mounted to the interior of an automobile's roof in the position customarily occupied by the dome light. Power is preferably provided by the automobile's electrical circuitry intended to power the dome light. The invention includes a dome which projects an array of lighting effects. Flashing strobes are also provided. The strobes are preferably synchronized to the beat of music playing within the car. A black light and low power laser are optionally provided.
US07993033B2
A reflector built in a down light includes a plurality of floodlight openings respectively exposing a plurality of light-emitting elements to a front surface side, a plurality of radial partition walls which respectively partition and surround these floodlight openings, and an inner circumferential partition wall. Each of the partition walls has a ridge line, and the reflector includes a plurality of reflection concave surfaces each which open and widen from a respective one of the plurality of floodlight openings towards ridge lines of the plurality of partition walls which respectively surround the plurality of floodlight openings. The plurality of radial partition walls extend from the center of the reflector towards the outer circumference, and the inner circumferential partition wall is located between the center and the outer circumference.
US07993028B2
A backlight module includes a case, a lamp, and a lamp clamping mechanism. The case has a bottom plate. The lamp is installed inside the case. The lamp clamping mechanism is connected to the bottom plate. The lamp clamping mechanism includes a base, a second clamping part, and a driving part. A first clamping part is disposed on the base. The second clamping part is installed on the base in a movable manner. The second clamping part is used for clamping the lamp with the first clamping part cooperatively when the second clamping part is moved to a first position so as to fix the lamp on the bottom plate. The driving part is pivotally disposed through the base. The driving part is used for rotating relative to the base so as to push the second clamping part from a second position to the first position on the base.
US07993023B2
A hand tool with an illuminating device includes a handle having a receiving space defined therein. A holding seat is received in the receiving space. The holding seat has a battery chamber defined therein, a shank chamber defined therein, and a plurality of bit holders formed thereon. A tool set is received in the holding seat. The tool set includes a plurality of tool bits detachably held in the bit holders and a tool shank detachably received in the shank chamber. The tool shank has a coupling portion extending therefrom and a connecting portion formed thereon for detachably connecting to any one of the tool bits. An illuminating device is received in the receiving space and electrically connected to the holding seat. The illuminating device has a coupling slot defined axially therein for engaging with the coupling portion of the tool shank.
US07993016B2
Aspects of the present invention involve novel display screens comprising light diffusion and retro-reflectivity. In embodiments, a retro-reflective light diffusion screen can be used to generate a three-dimensional autostereoscopic display by generating a plurality of viewing windows wherein each viewing window depicts a unique perspective image view. In embodiments, the retro-reflective light diffusion screen comprises a transparent medium layer between the retro-reflector surface and the light diffuser layer to help reduce ghost images. In embodiments, the retro-reflective light diffusion screen comprises a lenticular layer positioned such that the light diffuser layer is between the lenticular layer and the retro-reflective surface and is also positioned so that the light diffuser layer is at a focal plane of the lenticular layer.
US07993012B2
An imaging system (200) includes a plurality of laser sources (201) configured to produce a plurality of light beams (204). One or more optical alignment devices (220) orient the light beams (204) into a collimated light beam (205). A light modulator (203) modulates the collimated light beam (205) such that images (206) can be presented on a display surface (207). Speckle is reduced with an optical feedback device (221) that causes the laser sources (201) to operate in a coherence collapsed state. Examples of optical feedback devices (221) include partially reflective mirrors and beam splitter-mirror combinations.
US07993001B2
A diaphanoscope rod that comprises a rod having a first end and a second end, that is made of a transparent or translucent material, and also a light feeding device. According to the invention, one end of the rod comprises a light deflecting device.
US07992993B2
An image forming apparatus for printing on a sheet by a recording head, includes a sheet transport mechanism to transport the sheet in a specified direction; a paper loading unit to contain the stacked sheet before printing; a second transport mechanism to transport the sheet through a second transport path from the paper loading unit to a temporal containing unit a state where a front-back direction of the sheet is kept; and a third transport mechanism to transport the sheet through a third transport path from the temporal containing unit between the recording head and the sheet guide member in a state where the front-back direction of the sheet is kept.
US07992991B2
An image forming apparatus stably conveys a recording medium, and includes a conveyance roller, a driven roller, a conveyance belt, an image forming unit and a pressing member. The conveyance belt is rotated by the conveyance roller while supported by the conveyance roller and the driven roller, and is configured to convey the recording medium while electrostatically attracting the recording medium. The pressing member presses the recording medium against the conveyance belt at a position between the conveyance roller and the image forming unit.
US07992986B2
A method of reducing intermittent weak or missing (IWM) jet failures in a phase change ink imaging device comprises fluidly connecting a positive pressure source to a print head assembly of a phase change ink imaging device. The print head assembly includes a plurality of ink jets for emitting ink drops onto an ink receiver. The method includes activating the pressure source to deliver a positive pressure pulse to the print head assembly. The pressure pulse is delivered at substantially a purge pressure. The pressure pulse has a pulse duration such that the pressure pulse bulges ink from the plurality of ink jets without emitting ink from the plurality of ink jets.
US07992977B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus which includes an ejection head capable of ejecting a liquid to an ejection object, a liquid source including a liquid container capable of containing the liquid, a flow channel capable of allowing the liquid to flow form the liquid source to the ejection head, and a pressure buffer disposed in the flow channel capable of buffering a variation in pressure of the liquid in the flow channel when the liquid container is detached from the liquid source.
US07992975B2
A method and apparatus for forming fluid droplets includes a nozzle channel, a pressurized source of a non-conductive fluid in fluid communication with the nozzle channel, and a stimulation electrode. The pressurized source is operable to form a jet of the non-conductive fluid through the nozzle channel. At least one portion of the stimulation electrode is electrically conductive and contactable with a portion of the non-conductive fluid jet. The at least one electrically conductive and contactable portion of the stimulation electrode is operable to transfer an electrical charge to a region of the portion of the non-conductive fluid jet with the electrical charge stimulating the non-conductive fluid jet to form a non-conductive fluid droplet.
US07992964B2
A liquid-jet head, including: a plurality of head bodies each furnished with a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles formed therein; a joining member, adhered to the nozzle plate via an adhesive agent, for binding and fixing the plurality of head bodies; an opening formed in a region of the joining member corresponding to the nozzles; and a protrusion formed in an edge portion of the opening facing the nozzle plate, and protruding toward the nozzle plate, wherein when the joining member is joined to the nozzle plate via the adhesive agent, the protrusion is allowed to bite into the nozzle plate.
US07992961B2
A passage unit formed with ink ejection ports, an actuator mounted on the passage unit, and a cover member are provided. Further provided is a side plate member that is in contact with a mounting face of the passage unit on which the actuator is mounted. The side plate member has a side plate and an opposing plate that is connected to the side plate. The side plate extends in the longitudinal direction of the passage unit and along a contour line of the passage unit. The side plate is in crosswise contact with the mounting face. The opposing plate is opposed to the mounting face. The cover member is placed at such a position that the actuator and the side plate member are sandwiched between the cover member and the passage unit. The cover member presses the opposing plate toward the passage unit.
US07992959B2
A printing system including a substrate and a dual-mode printing device, the dual-mode printing device including a permanent writing source and a transient writing source, wherein the permanent writing source is adapted to deposit an imaging material onto the substrate and the transient writing source is adapted to develop an image on the substrate by applying a stimulus to the substrate.
US07992956B2
The present invention provides inkjet print nozzle calibration systems and methods for calibrating an inkjet print nozzle. The systems may include an inkjet print nozzle adapted to dispense ink onto a substrate in response to a firing pulse voltage, a light source adapted to illuminate the dispensed ink, an imaging system adapted to measure a transmittance of light through the dispensed ink, and a controller adapted to controllably adjust the inkjet print nozzle based on the measured light transmittance. The methods may include dispensing ink onto a surface with an inkjet print nozzle set at a firing pulse voltage, measuring a light transmittance characteristic of the dispensed ink, determining a volume of ink dispensed based on the transmittance characteristic, and adjusting a fire pulse voltage of the inkjet print nozzle based on a difference between the determined volume of ink dispensed and an expected volume level of ink dispensed.
US07992954B2
An image forming apparatus operable in a duplex printing mode includes a liquid ejecting head, a conveyance member, a charger, and a controller. The liquid ejecting head ejects liquid droplets to respective first and second faces of a recording medium to form images thereon. The conveyance member conveys the recording medium while attracting the recording medium thereon by electrostatic force. The charger conduct a charging operation of the conveyance member to generate the electrostatic force. The controller is configured to control, based on a state of the first face having the image formed thereon, the charging operation during an image formation on the second face, and control a pause operation of a conveyance of the recording medium after the image formation on the second face.
US07992949B2
A mechanical safety braking device for use with a mobile storage unit forming a part of the mobile storage system. The device includes an actuating member disposed on a mobile storage unit that is operably connected to a braking mechanism engaged with a motive system for the mobile storage unit. When the actuating member is engaged, the mechanical connection between the actuating member and the braking mechanism causes the braking mechanism to slow and ultimately cease the operation of the motive system and consequent movement of the mobile storage unit.
US07992944B2
A degradation assembly comprises a rotary portion and a stationary portion. The rotary portion includes a cemented metal bolster bonded to a tip. The tip comprises a asymmetric, substantially conically shaped tip formed of diamond and a cemented metal carbide substrate. The stationary portion comprises a holder configured to be coupled to a block mounted to a driving mechanism. A compressible element is disposed between and in mechanical contact with both the rotary portion and the stationary portion.
US07992943B2
A dump body for a transport vehicle, in particular for the transportation of bulk material, is described. The dump body can be pivoted around a pivot axis between a support position and an upwardly pivoted ejection position by means of a drive device and consists of a body preferably made of sheet metal and having a base, side walls, a front wall terminating the dump body at one end and a chute arranged at the oppositely disposed end and drawn upwardly with respect to the base, wherein the body is rounded in a parabolic manner, with it having a rounded body base, a rounded chute and a rounded transition between the body base and the chute.
US07992942B2
The tub is mounted to a frame for alternative movement from a position wherein the tub is centrally located with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame. The tub may be tilted from a position centrally located to a side dump position which is offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame. The apparatus for moving the tub from its centrally located position to its side dump position is a barrel pivotally mounted to the tub and an extension rod which is pivotally mounted to the frame.
US07992939B2
Detailed are head rest mechanisms and assemblies containing a flexible collar. Portions of the collar may be moved independently from other portions and may pivot or otherwise move both forward of the seat back and vertically under passenger control. Also described are slide assemblies containing deformable projections for use with vertically-adjustable head rests.
US07992936B2
A seat comprising an underframe and a seat element wherein the seat element comprises a front seat part, a rear seat part, a lower backrest part and an upper backrest part wherein the seat element can be displaced from a basic position into a reclined position, and wherein the seat element comprises at least one supporting arm composed of at least one upper support and at least one lower support having an arcuate profile in a transitory region between the rear seat part and the lower backrest part, and wherein the upper support and the lower support are connected at an upper backrest part. At least one guide element guiding the upper support in a front region of the seat part, and at least one connecting link positioning the upper support and the lower support with respect to each other. The front seat pan: being capable of being pulled back by the upper support when the backrest parts are loaded by an individual leaning against them.
US07992935B2
The present invention concerns a back support device (60) for use in a children's chair (1) wherein the children's chair comprises at least one backrest, two side pieces (5), one seat plate (2) and one safety bow (100) with ends (101), wherein the safety bow (100) is detachably fastened to the side pieces (5) and wherein the backrest or the side pieces have at least one opening or groove each, wherein the back support device (60) comprises: a top part (61) stretching beyond the backrest in height; left and right arms (63) for at least partly inlay in the opening(s) or groove(s) in the backrest or the side pieces; wherein parts of the arms (63) are locked in said opening(s) or groove(s) by the safety bow (100). The invention also concerns the use of the back support device, and a children's set comprising the back support device and use of the children's set.
US07992932B2
The present invention relates to an actuating means with which the position of a component can be changed directly or indirectly.
US07992928B2
A vehicle roof structure which can regulate the quantity of lighting while ensuring appearance quality when viewed from the compartment. When a roll shade is arranged at a retreat position, incident light penetrates a glass roof thence penetrates a supporting member and a closing member exhibiting translucency and finally penetrates an opaque skin material exhibiting translucency. Since the opaque skin material covers a ceiling matrix on the inside of the compartment and closes the ceiling opening continuously from the inside of the compartment, if a roll shade is arranged at the light shielding position, the ceiling opening cannot be distinguished easily by a crewman when the crewman looks the vehicle roof side from the inside of the compartment and it is recognized as continuous interior.
US07992927B2
A reinforcing brace excellent in productivity and cost performance is provided which can advantageously improve a rigidity of a floor panel without deteriorating aerodynamic performance. The reinforcing brace comprising a longitudinal press-formed product including a cylindrical section 12 located at a middle area in a longitudinal direction thereof and flat portions 44, 44 located at end areas in the longitudinal direction thereof. Further, an outer surface of the cylindrical section 12 is made as regulating surfaces 26, 32, 36 which reduce air resistance by regulating a flow of air passing under the vehicle body. Furthermore, a plurality of insertion holes 46 are positioned in the flat portions 44, 44 into which fastener members are inserted.
US07992913B2
A seat assembly has a seat cushion pivotally supported by a pair of front support links for movement between a seating position for supporting a seat occupant and a stowed position. A seat back is pivotally supported by a pair of recliner mechanism for movement between an upright position and a stowed position. The seat cushion moves from the seating position to the stowed position in response to pivotal movement of the seat back from the upright position to the stowed position. A J-link extends between the seat back and the front support links. A torsion spring biases the seat cushion to the stowed position. A control cable operatively couples the seat back and the seat cushion. A pair of support legs automatically deploy as the seat cushion rotates to the stowed position.
US07992910B2
A robot structure, suited especially for minimally invasive surgery, comprises two robot elements interconnected by a hinge. Using a force transmission the movable robot element of said robot structure, notably comprising two gripping elements, can be moved. A sensor element is provided for picking up forces occurring. To reduce the influence of motional forces, said force transmission is connected with a base element of said sensor element such that motional forces transmitted by said force transmission element are supported at the base element.
US07992900B2
A base for a slalom pole or ski pole having brush bristles extending from an acircular axially extending base, preferably having a polygonal or hexagonal configuration, the bristles extending from a circular surface adjoining a circular brush section. The base can also be used as a pole anchor.
US07992896B2
A gas generator for a safety system includes an explosible charge formed at least by a primary pyrotechnic compound, in a first chamber initiated by at least one initiator provided with a reinforcing charge and a secondary compound, in a second chamber, the decomposition of which is entailed by products of combustion of the primary compound, an interaction of the products of combustion of the primary compound and those of the secondary compound through an oxidation-reduction reaction occurring in a slightly confined volume, the first chamber communicating with said second chamber through a central nozzle and said second chamber being provided, at a first zone close to said first chamber, with orifices that discharge the gases and contain, in a second zone, said secondary compound; and means forming an obstacle to the passage of the gases installed in said second chamber between said first and second zones, said obstacle-forming means allowing the gases to pass into a central part and forming an obstacle to their passage into a peripheral part with sufficient transparency for the gas interaction volume to be slightly confined.
US07992880B2
A conventional shopping cart is transformed into a mobile dispensing display device for use at retail establishments, tradeshows, sporting events, or other special events by mounting a tabletop panel horizontally on top of a conventional type shopping cart. The tabletop panel is mounted in a substantially covering relationship to the handle bar, child seat backrest and open top of the shopping cart basket. A flexible banner display is removably attached to the outer periphery of the tabletop panel. The banner display being attached to the tabletop panel in a substantially covering relationship to all four sides of the shopping cart. Whereby the unseen covered shopping cart becomes a mobile promotional and sales display device providing products for sale, information, samples or coupons. Products to be sold and/or sampled, as well as coupons or other promotional materials may be placed in the shopping cart basket area or on the tabletop panel.
US07992877B2
A chuck for releasably retaining a substrate, where the chuck has a body with a substrate receiving surface disposed in an X-Y coordinate plane and adapted to receive the substrate. The body has gas pressure delivery channels and gas vacuum drawing channels, where the gas pressure delivery channels and gas vacuum drawing channels are mutually exclusive within the body. The substrate receiving surface has gas pressure delivery portions in communication with the gas pressure delivery channels, for delivering a gas pressure against the substrate while the substrate is retained by the chuck, and thereby keeping the substrate from contacting the substrate receiving surface. The substrate receiving surface also has gas vacuum drawing portions in communication with the gas vacuum drawing channels, for drawing a gas vacuum against the substrate while the substrate is retained by the chuck, and thereby retaining the substrate proximate the substrate receiving surface. Retaining means retain the substrate in X-Y directions from sliding off of the substrate receiving surface.
US07992875B2
A door weather strip includes a base attached along the outer periphery of a door frame and a hollow seal, and a clip attached to the base. The clip includes an engaging part fit in and enagageable with an attaching hole in the door frame and a retained part retained to the base. The retained part includes a retaining piece and a coupling portion coupling the center area of the retaining piece in the longitudinal direction and the engaging part. Using an inserting means equipped with an insertion pin which is nearly cylindrical and sharp-pointed, the insertion pin is pierced into the base so that the retaining piece is fed through the inner peripheral side of the insertion pin to the inner face side of the base, thereby attaching the clip to the base.
US07992866B2
An apparatus for aligning sheets in a processing machine includes translationally movable stops or front lays which can be driven through the use of a coupler mechanism or individually actuable electric motors.
US07992864B2
A sheet processor includes a processing tray with a first surface that receives sheets and forms a pile of sheets. An endless belt circulates by way of first and second surface sides on a side opposite the first surface of the processing tray. A first roller reverses a circulation path of the endless belt from the first surface side to the second surface side. A second roller is disposed at an interval from the first roller and reverses the circulation path from the second surface side. First and second abutments are attached to the belt and abut an end edge of the pile of sheets. The abutments are attached to the belt so that the first abutment is positioned near the first roller and on the second surface side and the second abutment is near the second roller on the second surface side.
US07992850B2
A method for operating an electromagnetic lift that includes a generator-driven electromagnet comprises adjusting a position of the electromagnet, in response to a first position command. Upon receiving a lift command, an output power level of a generator is established at a predetermined level above a predefined normal power level. In response to an excess release command, the output power level is set to a first predetermined level below the normal power level. In response to a transport command, the output power level is established as approximately the normal power level. Upon receiving a release command, the output power level is established at a second predetermined level below the normal power level.
US07992843B2
A dispensing element of an anesthetic vaporizer is provided that can be manufactured in a simple manner and makes it possible to dispense anesthetic over a broad setting range. The dispensing element (11) includes two, longitudinally extending dispensing channels (14, 15), which are connected to one another in terms of flow by means of a connection channel (16). The gas flows from one of the dispensing channels (14) into the other dispensing channel (15) via the connection channel (16).
US07992842B2
A bracket system for forming gate assemblies comprising at least two brace members that are rigidly attached to hinge assemblies. The brace members are adapted to be attached to support members to form two corners of a gate box functioning as the structural portion of the gate assembly. The hinge assemblies are adapted to be rigidly attached to a fence post to allow the gate assembly to pivot relative to the fence post. Gate assemblies of arbitrary height and width can be formed using the bracket system.
US07992835B2
A kinematic optical mount comprising a frame supporting an optical element; a base member having first and second surfaces and providing magnetic attraction to seat the frame against first, second, and third point contacts. The kinematic optical mount further includes threaded yaw and pitch adjustment cavities extending through the base member from the first surface to the second surface, together with threaded yaw and pitch adjustment inserts that can be inserted into the yaw and pitch adjustment cavities from either the first or second surfaces of the base member enabling adjustment of two of the point contacts from the direction of the either the first or second surfaces.
US07992830B2
The invention concerns a display support element for a bracelet and/or a wristwatch comprising: a central element for receiving a bracelet or wristband and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wristband or bracelet, the central element being flexible along its longitudinal axis, and two lateral elements, secured to the central element so as not to hinder the flexibility thereof, the lateral elements defining, with the central element, a substantially closed volume.
US07992822B2
A plate material is formed into a height difference adjusting member having a J-shape such that its shim portion and resilient support portion are opposed to each other. The height difference adjusting member is mounted on a spar such that the shim portion and the resilient support portion are resiliently mounted to a flange of the spar. A rear end of a leading edge skin is fixed to the flange by a fastener in a state where the shim portion of the height difference adjusting member is interposed between the leading edge skin and the flange. The shim portion adjusts a difference in height between a front end of a main body skin and the rear end of the leading edge skin. Even if a large number of height difference adjusting members are mounted on the spar, the height difference adjusting members do not fall off and are not displaced.
US07992820B2
An aircraft with a long body 1 which has a forward end 2 and an aft end 3, which is able to achieve vertical take-off by means of a tilt-able rotor and blade assembly 4 at the forward part of the aircraft and a tilt-able turbojet 19 at the rear of the aircraft. The rotor and blade assembly is rotated by an engine assembly 8, with the engine assembly, the rotor and blades all positioned on top a multi-directional tilt enabling joint 9. The turbojet is fitted to a multi-directional tilt enabling joint 27 to allow control of lateral movement of the aircraft as well as providing vertical lift and forward propulsion during forward flight. The turbojet is connected to the tilt enabling joint 27 by a rivet 30 such that the turbojet can be rotated relative to the tilt enabling joint.
US07992819B2
A thread spool holding device has a plastic base plate that holds a series of preferably soft plastic spindles that can be introduced or removed from the base and can be arranged as needed by sliding along a slotted track of the base. Each spindle can hold a threaded spool and has a cross sectional configuration for gripping the center hole of the spool. The spindle ends can also hold a bobbin in tandem with a thread spool.
US07992815B2
A pulveriser mill has a grinding set (2) supported by a support table (4), the support table having on its underside supporting parts 8′, 10′, 12′. By such means the working life of the support table may be extended.
US07992814B2
A mobile rock crushing vehicle with a detachable electronic control box which can be automatically lifted, by a pair of hydraulic pivoting arms, off the vehicle, lowered and set upon any vibration damping and isolating mass, such as the earth, all by moving a hydraulic lever. The pair of pivoting arms further automatically configure a reduced-vibration transmitting connection when the electronic control box is set upon the ground.
US07992807B2
A mechanism of controlling water outflow of shower is provided in the casing of shower. The water outlet of the mechanism is aligned with the water outlet of shower. The mechanism of controlling water outflow comprises inner sealing shell, outer sealing shell, and an intermediate cavity defined between the inner sealing shell and the outer sealing shell. A water outflow cavity is formed between outer sealing shell and water outflow disc. The intermediate cavity communicates with intake channel of shower. The mechanism of controlling water outlet also comprises separating sealing pad inside the intermediate cavity, with one side sticked to the water outflow disc of outer sealing shell and the other side sticked to valve elements. The intermediate cavity comprises the inner cavity and outer cavity. The inner cavity communicates with water outflow cavity through the first small hole and with outer cavity through a through-hole. The intake channel communicates with outer cavity. The small hole matches with a mobile sealing pad that connects the button kit that controls the sealing pad to separate or contact the small hole. This invention can realize different effects of water outflow, easy operation handle and longer service life.
US07992802B2
The present invention provides a bumping-type sprinkler. The sprinkler includes a main body, where an inlet pipe coupling end is mounted at the lower end, an upper frame is mounted at the upper end, and a water outlet is arranged at lower flange nearby the upper frame. A revolving member, arranged onto the upper frame of the main body, has a torsional spring and a revolving portion. An outflow turntable is assembled corresponding to the water outlet of the main body. A pivot portion is placed centrally on the outflow turntable for screwing it laterally on the water outlet at interval. A plurality of outflow guide holes are arranged at intervals along a circular path of the eccentric circumferential portion of the outflow turntable. The outflow guide holes can be located corresponding to the water outlet in line with the change of rotation/displacement angle of the outflow turntable.
US07992776B1
An automated banking machine can receive user card data from a cell phone. The phone stores the card data of several selectable cards, including electronic account number data. The machine generates and displays a random number correlated with a time period. A machine user manually inputs the displayed random number into their phone. A software application in the phone encrypts the selected card data along with the inputted random number data. The phone displays a bar code image containing the encrypted data. The banking machine includes a bar code reader which can read the displayed image. The machine causes the read data to be decrypted. The random number is used to verify the current transaction session. Thereafter, the user may provide other inputs, including PIN input. The process replaces physical insertion of a card yet allows secure input of the card data. Possible data interception from activities requiring card insertion are also reduced.
US07992775B2
A system controlled by data bearing records includes an automated banking machine that operates to carry out transactions responsive to data read from user cards. Theautomated banking machine includes a deposit accepting device. The deposit accepting device is operative to receive a stack of sheets and to separate each sheet from the stack through operation of a picker. Each sheet is analyzed by analysis devices including at least one magnetic read head, an imager and/or a validation device. Analyzed sheets are stored in a first storage and retrieval device. Sheets determined not to have at least one property of a genuine sheet are returned to a user of the machine. Sheets determined to have at least one property of genuine sheets are stored in a second sheet storage and retrieval device of the machine.
US07992772B2
A method and system for authenticating goods and thereby detecting and deterring counterfeits are disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, a client utilizes data received from a host to generate a plurality of security codes and to direct a printing device to print the plurality of security codes on a plurality of products, without retaining the plurality of security codes after the printing device has printed the plurality of security codes on the plurality of products. After the security codes have been printed, a person can communicate the security code to the host, which can verify its authenticity.
US07992769B2
A positioning mechanism (100) configured for positioning a keypad (20) on a portable electronic device includes a plurality of retainers (10). Each retainer includes a main portion (11) and a fixing unit (12) formed on the main portion. The main portion includes an engaging surface (112) and an opposite latching surface (114). A protrusion (1121) is formed on the engaging surface, a first positioning surface (1122) corresponding to a first portable electronic device (30) is formed on the protrusion. The retainer is mounted to the keypad via the fixing unit.
US07992762B2
A frictionally press-bonded member includes a steel pipe, and a stab. The steel pipe has opposite ends. The stab is frictionally press-bonded to at least one of the opposite ends of the steel pipe. The steel pipe is subjected to a normalizing treatment before being frictionally press-bonded to the stab.
US07992751B1
A cargo carrier mountable onto a trailer hitch of a vehicle has a two-piece tubular housing having an internal chamber for accommodating link members and rigid bars used to retain the housing in an expanded open position. A hitch bar secured to the housing is adapted to be coupled to the trailer hitch on the vehicle.
US07992747B2
A product holding, displaying and dispensing assembly includes a dispenser housing having a feed channel and a dispensing location together with a pre-packed, shipping cartridge holding a plurality of product units. The cartridge is inserted and held within the dispenser housing as the product units move within the cartridge to the dispensing location where a consumer can access and remove one or more product units. Unlike more conventional dispensers, the assembly of the present invention is configured so that the pre-packed cartridge is loaded into and remains within the housing as the product units are dispensed and advance forward within the dispenser. After insertion, the cartridge is locked in place by an arrangement of the feed track when one or more cans remain in the cartridge, but can be removed easily when the cartridge is empty. A forward facing surface also provides an additional advertising medium.
US07992746B2
A method and apparatus for controlling removal of one or more receptacles from a receptacle tray are described herein, in which a removal indicator indicates which of the one or more receptacles to remove. Thereafter, the indicated one or more receptacles may be manually removed from the receptacle tray using a gripping mechanism. The receptacles are secured in the tray with two or more tangs protruding from a front face of the receptacle closest to a connector interface. The two or more tangs fit into respective mating units in the receptacle tray, and one or more protrusions toward the rear of the receptacle, with respect to the two or more tangs, mate with respective mating units in the receptacle tray.
US07992743B2
A food container formed from plastic, can be loaded with food and then closed by a clerk, and thereafter cannot be opened without tearing apart first sides (24, 26) of the base (12) and lid (16). The container is formed by a single sheet of plastic that forms a base and lid with second sides (20, 22) that are latched together and with adjacent first sides that are joined by a joint line (30) in the plastic that is creased and that has slits (40). At the joint line, the lid has a projecting lid tab (32) and the base has a projecting base tab (36). A person grasps both tabs, and lifts only the lid tab to tear apart the first sides of the base and lid along the joint line (30). Thereafter, the lid can be easily closed and reopened on the base.
US07992742B1
A refuse receptacle includes an outer enclosure having an upper frame member with an opening through which refuse can be deposited into the outer enclosure, and a cover movably mounted on the upper frame member between a position normally closing the opening and a position which permits refuse to be deposited through the opening into the outer enclosure. A tubular refuse holder is mounted on a spring plate in the outer enclosure, the refuse holder including an upper open end for receiving refuse deposited through the opening. A plurality of coil springs are provided between the spring plate and a ledge in the enclosure to bias the refuse holder toward the upper frame member such that there is engagement of the upper open end of the refuse holder against the upper frame member to provide a seal thereat.
US07992737B2
Container for products, such as surprises or similar accessories, comprising two half-shells (2, 4), with a containing wall (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) and with an open mouth (10, 12), able to be coupled together mouth-to-mouth so as to form a closed container (1), where the two half-shells (2, 4) are connected together by means of hinging means (20), with a hinging axis (a-a) such as to allow the movement of one of the, half-shells (2, 4) with respect to the other one between a closed position of the container (1) and an open position. The container (1), in its closed configuration, has a minimum overall dimension of between 20 mm and 55 mm and the containing wall (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) of at least one of the half-shells (2, 4) has, in the vicinity of the hinging means (20), at least one line (44a/46a; 44b, 46b) with a weakened wall thickness, which extends over a section of said wall (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) and which is capable of breakage following stresses applied to the body of the half-shell (2, 4) and/or to the hinging means (20) connecting the two half-shells (2, 4) and prone to cause breakage of said hinging means (20).
US07992732B2
A multi-use truck bed apparatus, comprising a first rack assembly, a second rack assembly, a base assembly coupled to the truck, wherein the first rack assembly and second rack assembly are coupled to the base assembly, and a lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting mechanism comprises a winch coupled to the second rack assembly.
US07992716B2
A container comprising a front panel, a first back panel, a second back panel, a first side panel bridging the front panel and the first back panel, a second side panel bridging the front panel and the second back panel, a top portion, and a bottom portion. The front panel, first and second back panels, first and second side panels, top portion, and bottom portion define an interior of the container. The container further comprises a divider extending from the first back panel into the interior of the container and attached to the front panel. The container further comprises a detachable portion comprising a removable section of the top portion, a removable section of the front panel, and a removable section of the divider. The detachable portion is separable from the container along a plurality of lines of weakness.
US07992701B2
A conveyor system aligner, method of aligning and continuous aligning belt includes providing a belt support assembly having a generally vertical support surface and a channel defined in the support surface. A belt drive propels the aligning belt along the support surface and items, such as cartons, are conveyed past the aligning belt. A continuous aligning belt is provided that has a contact portion and a guide member. The contact portion has a contact surface and a glide surface. The glide surface is configured to travel along the support surface. The guide member is adapted to be captured by the channel and travels in the channel to support the aligning belt.
US07992697B2
The invention relates to a friction device for a clutch, particularly of a motor vehicle. The inventive friction device comprises first and second axially-spaced coaxial friction lining members which are defined by opposing friction faces. The device also comprises means for linking the two friction lining members which are solidly connected to one another. The first friction lining member is essentially ring shaped. The aforementioned linking means comprise linking tongue elements which are each equipped with a first end for solidly connecting to an inner edge of the first friction lining member and a second end for solidly connecting to the second friction lining member. Moreover, a deviation angle is provided between said first and second connecting ends, which can vary according to the axial spacing of the two friction lining member.
US07992692B2
The present invention relates to a cylinder which has hollow portion therein; a piston rod which is inserted through an upper side of the cylinder and has a groove pattern having plurality of convex portions and concave portions which are alternately formed; a piston valve which is connected with a lower end of the piston rod so as to be reciprocated in the cylinder and has a fluid passing hole which is formed in an up and down direction; a rod guide which closes up an upper end of the cylinder tightly and guides an up-down movement of the piston rod and which has a through-hole at a side portion thereof; and a sensor module which is installed to the rod guide so as to detect a movement of the piston rod by using a variation in magnetic field generated when the piston rod is moved.
US07992685B2
A cable is installed in a duct by means of blowing (and, optionally, synergetic pushing) and lubricating the cable during field installation. Lubricating the cable is done after the cable exits from the cable blowing equipment and hence takes place in a pressurized airflow passage. Lubricant supplied from an external reservoir drains into a pressurized lubricator space through which the cable moves. Foam-plugs seal the entrance and the exit of the lubricator space. The cable is wetted by the lubricant as it moves through the lubricator space, and excess lubricant is wiped by the foam plug, leaving only a thin film of lubricant on the cable as it moves out of the lubricator. In one embodiment, the lubricator is fitted with a single wiping member in the form of an annular plug of open cell foam material, and the cable passes through laterally opposite sections of the annular plug. The lubricator housing is formed in mating sections, and the internal lubricator is also formed in mating sections. The lubricator is integrated with cable blowing equipment in one embodiment. A bundle of guide tubes is lubricated in another embodiment.
US07992681B2
A safety ladder assembly and a safety extension used in combination with a ladder suitable to permit safe and easy access to the landing areas, working platforms, scaffolds, etc. The assembly includes safety extension members having a plurality of horizontal handgrips ergonomically designed to prevent falls from the ladder when a user is ascending upward or descending downward.
US07992678B2
An inflatable, noise attenuating panel or barrier, comprised of an inflatable air chamber coated with (wrapped in or attached thereto) an acoustic barrier material, with which to construct a variety of structures that benefit from a degree of soundproofing.
US07992674B2
A fan system includes a rotor supported for rotation about a fan axis. The rotor has a central hub and a plurality of blades each extending outwardly from the hub to a tip. The rotor blades define a rotor plane perpendicular to the fan axis. A first acoustic resonator has an opening disposed on a first side of the rotor plane and a second acoustic resonator has an opening disposed on a second side of the rotor plane. The acoustic resonators are configured to provide a dipole resonator system operable to at least partially reduce a blade pass frequency tone in an upstream and a downstream direction simultaneously.
US07992668B2
A power transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle includes an input shaft adapted to be driven by a power source. A first output shaft is rotatable about a first axis and adapted to transmit torque to a first driveline. A second output shaft is adapted to transmit torque to a second driveline and is rotatable about a second axis. The first and second axes diverge from one another. A transfer unit includes a drive member driven by the first output shaft and a driven member driving the second output shaft. A spline coupling is positioned within a cavity formed in the driven member to drivingly interconnect the driven member and the second output shaft. The second output shaft is axially moveable relative to the driven member.
US07992666B2
Disclosed is a tractor-trailer including a tractor having a lower tractor duct that receives first air from a front of the tractor and channels the first air through a center area of the tractor and down between a set of rear wheels, a trailer having a lower trailer duct positioned below a cargo space and that channels the first air in the lower trailer duct between each set of trailer rear wheels and a lower articulation duct positioned near the set of rear wheels in the tractor that receives air from the lower tractor duct and communicates air to the lower trailer duct. An upper duct is also provided with an articulation duct that channels air through a ductwork at the top of the trailer and tractor. A louver system at the rear of the trailer enables the air in each duct to be channeled and pulled out of the respective duct in such a manner as to reduce drag and eddy currents using the vacuum at the rear of the trailer.
US07992664B2
The jalousie for the control of the air flow through the engine cooler of a vehicle has rotatable fins (2), which are supported on one side in an outer housing ring (47) provided for the connection with the engine cooler of the vehicle and on the other side in an inner supporting ring (4). The swivelling of the fins (2) occurs with an adjusting ring (45), whose engaging portions (46) work together with counter-engaging portions (10) provided at the fin ends. The adjusting ring (45) with its engaging portions (46) and the counter-engaging portions (10) of the fins (2) are enclosed together on all sides in a hollow space (49) circumferentially extending around along the adjusting ring (13, 45) for the protection against contaminants and consequently for its safe function, which is limited by two profile rings (47, 50) interlocking with each other all around.
US07992658B2
A reamer for subterranean wellbores may include a composite framework, which may include one or more high strength stems, each having one or more reamer bodies coupled thereto. The body may include a plurality of plates coupled together and may include additional components formed integrally therewith or coupled thereto. A method of forming a reaming tool may include forming a high strength stem and a reamer body and coupling the body to the stem. A method of using the reaming tool may include coupling one or more bodies in a drill string and reaming a wellbore.
US07992653B2
A method of drilling or gas-lifting is disclosed where the methods including the use of a foaming agent and a gas, where the foaming agent is a keratin and the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the well is for a portion of the drilling or gas-lift operation less than an hydrostatic pressure of the formation being drilled or under production.
US07992649B2
A turf leveling device including a metering blade together with first and second horizontal and parallel main blades separated by first and second open distances. The blades are supported by a frame with spaced frame arms adapted to provide three point hitch attachment points. Skid plates mounted on left and right sides of the frame prevent the metering blade from scrapping or cutting elevated areas of the turf surface. The metering blade and the first and second main blades with deflectors effectively redistribute and level the gathered material. A vertically adjustable verticutting knife roller having keyed knife discs extending through slots in a grating insert is preferably disposed in the first open distance.
US07992645B2
A tubular member for lining a wellbore, the tubular member comprising: an inner tubular member including a first end, an opposite end, an axial bore extending from the first end to the opposite end and an outer surface; an outer tubular including a base end and an outboard end, the outer tubular connected about the inner tubular adjacent its base end and a locating profile in the axial bore of the inner tubular.
US07992640B2
An aqueous fluid system that contains an aqueous dicarboxylic acid solution, a viscoelastic surfactant as a gelling agent to increase the viscosity of the fluid, and an internal breaker such as mineral oil and/or fish oil to controllably break the viscosity of the fluid provides a self-diverting acid treatment of subterranean formations. The internal breaker may be at least one mineral oil, a polyalphaolefin oil, a saturated fatty acid, and/or is an unsaturated fatty acid. The VES gelling agent does not yield viscosity until the organic acid starts to spend. Full viscosity yield of the VES gelling agent typically occurs at about 6.0 pH. The internal breaker allows the VES gelling agent to fully viscosify the spent organic acid at 6.0 pH and higher, but as the spent-acid VES gelled fluid reaching reservoir temperature, controllable break of the VES fluid viscosity over time can be achieved.
US07992638B2
A release device includes a first sub, a second sub, and a connector separably connecting the first and the second sub, wherein the connector includes a shear member disposed with the first sub and a collar connected between the second sub and the shear member.
US07992637B2
A fluid flow control apparatus includes a flow path that conveys the fluid into a wellbore tubular, a first passage formed along the flow path, an annular space receiving the fluid from the first passage, and a second passage receiving fluid from the annular space. The passages may flow the fluid in an axial direction along the flow path. The apparatus may include an enclosure that receives a sleeve in which the passages are formed. The annular space may be formed between the sleeve and the enclosure. The passages may include an inlet that reduces a pressure of the fluid flowing through the inlet. The passages may include a bore and may include parallel conduits. The first and the second passages may convey the fluid in a first axial direction, and the annular space may be configured to convey the fluid in a direction opposite to the first axial direction.
US07992636B2
A device for use in retrieving debris from a well, including an elongate body; a main bore extending part way along a length of the body; an opening towards a lower end of the body; a main fluid chamber in the body in fluid communication with the main bore; a flow restriction provided in the main bore, through which fluid flows from the main bore and into the main fluid chamber; at least one chamber outlet for directing fluid from the main fluid chamber into an annulus defined between the device and a well borehole wall; a return flow passage extending between the body opening and the main fluid chamber, for return flow of fluid from the annulus to the main fluid chamber, to facilitate retrieval of debris from the well; and at least one fluid exit, for flow of fluid out of the device.
US07992613B2
A method and an arrangement for the production of composite work pieces of layers laminated to each other, with at least one layer representing a glass plate. First, at least one composite work piece is laminated in a lamination press under the effects of pressure and heat in order to at least activate the adhesive material used for lamination. Then the composite work piece is removed from the lamination press and transported into a curing station and/or cooling station for curing and/or cooling. A testing device for detecting broken glass in the composite work piece is arranged between the lamination press and the curing station or between the lamination press and the cooling station, which detects potentially present broken glass by testing the inherent stability of the composite work piece.
US07992611B2
A pneumatic tire includes an axis of rotation, a carcass, a tread, and a belt structure. The carcass has at least one reinforced ply and a reinforcing structure providing a buffer for absorbing shear strain. The tread is disposed radially outward of the carcass. The belt structure is disposed radially between the carcass and the tread. The reinforcing structure comprises at least one layer of an open construction LENO weave fabric having warp yarns extending in the radial direction and weft yarns extending in the circumferential direction.
US07992610B2
A device for selectively connecting a tire to a pneumatic unit of an aircraft, the tire forming part of a wheel mounted to rotate on a hollow axle of the aircraft, the device comprising a stator and a rotor that is mounted to rotate relative to the stator and that includes means enabling it to be rotated by the wheel. The stator is bell-shaped and is designed to be received as a push-fit in the axle, and includes an end wall carrying a first pneumatic port for connection to the pneumatic unit via a tube running along the inside of the axle, the rotor extending substantially inside the stator.
US07992608B2
A pneumatic tire where the positions of the groove deepest portions (33btm) in the circumferential grooves (33) vary in a predetermined cycle along the circumferential direction in a width direction of the tread within the circumferential grooves (33). Moreover, depth direction positions, where a groove bottom surface of the circumferential groove (33) contacts with each of perpendicular lines (perpendicular line P1, perpendicular line P2) which are perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a tread surface and which pass respectively through edges (edge portion 11eg, edge portion 12eg) of the land portions on a side of each of the circumferential grooves of ribs, as well as angles which are formed by the perpendicular lines and a section line of a cross-section of the groove bottom surface in the width direction of the tread surface vary in the predetermined cycle along the circumferential direction. In the pneumatic tire, uneven wear of the tire caused by lateral force applied in a width direction of a tread is suppressed and wet performance is improved.
US07992606B2
The offset amount that a sacrificial rib road contact surface is recessed to the inner side of a tire with regards to a shoulder rib road contact surface is equal to 0, and a circumferential fine groove is provided such that the opening side thereof is located on the inner side when the tire is filled to a proper internal pressure. The dimension Ws in the tire width direction of the shoulder rib road contact surface and the dimension Wa in the tire width direction of the sacrificial rib road contact surface are set such that 0.10≦Wa/Ws≦0.2. The dimension Wb in the tire width direction of the sacrificial rib road contact surface when the groove depth of the circumferential main grooves has worn 20% is set in a range such that 0.25≦Wb/Ws≦0.30.
US07992605B2
A tire assembly inserted in a conventional pneumatic tire that allows the driven vehicle to be operated in a normal operating condition as well as in both a low tire pressure and a “run flat” condition. The tire embodies a multifunctional tire support device that permits the tire even when punctured to continue to support the vehicle and never allows the tire to go entirely flat. The support device when installed reinforces the tire tread and its side walls by applying internal pressure against them should they collapse when tire is punctured. The invention embodies a means for supporting the tire with the multifunctional device and provides an additional embodiment that uses the same device with a backup redundant inner tube to provide support to the punctured or ruptured tire and permits it to be operated in a run flat condition. The inner tube is located in the assembly at a distance away from the tread so that any puncture of the tread would not also puncture the inner tube. This provides safety and security for the vehicle operating with this assembly installed in a conventional tire and a standard tire wheel rim.
US07992599B2
An apparatus for fueling a fuel-cell-powered device having a profile and a fuel inlet. The apparatus comprises at least one fuel port having an outlet and at least one adaptor associated with the fuel port. The adaptor is configured to receive the fuel-cell-powered device. Means for releasably and sealingly engaging the fuel inlet of the fuel-cell-powered device to the outlet of the fuel port are also provided. The outlet of the fuel port is operative to dispense fuel when it is in sealed engagement with the fuel inlet of the fuel-cell-powered device.
US07992593B2
An electrically conductive confined space ventilation conduit formed of a substantially rigid non-metallic conductive material, such as plastic, and a related process for ventilating an enclosure accessed by a manhole or other port. In one embodiment, the conduit has a pair of outer cylindrical sections and a central section having a cross-sectional shape of a crescent or a segment of a circle where it passes through a port to provide a minimum of obstruction for men and equipment passing through the port. Intermediate sections of varying cross-section connect the central section to the cylindrical outer sections so that the outer sections are offset from the axis of the manhole. The central section is preferably configured to obstruct no more than about 10 percent of a standard manhole opening, while causing either no air flow rate reduction, or a reduction of no more than about 10 percent as compared to the flow rate through a cylindrical conduit similar to said outer sections. The conduit is preferably formed of a conductive or electrically dissipative polyethylene polymer material to allow static electricity to be conducted from the conduit to ground. In a preferred embodiment, a connecting device for connecting the conduit to electrical ground is connected to the conduit. A grounding circuit kit and method of grounding the conduit is also disclosed.
US07992592B2
A piston accumulator (10) comprises a pressure chamber (40) which on one side is closed by a piston (50) axially displaceable in a pipe (20) in order to change its volume depending on the axial position of the piston (50). A detent mechanism is provided in order to hold back the piston (50) against a spring preload (190) in a second position differing from a first position. The piston (50) is formed in a multi-part fashion and comprises at least a first piston part (52) and a second piston part (54), wherein at least one of the two piston parts (52) is hardened and disposed to cooperate with the detent mechanism in a catching fashion.
US07992585B2
A retrofit valve assembly for a frost-resistant hydrant comprises ceramic valve disks and a hydrant adapter to enable the valve assembly to be readily retrofit to existing frost-resistant hydrants produced by different manufacturers.
US07992583B2
There is provided a modular walking support system separable into two independently functioning walking supports, typically cane-like structures. Fastening elements hold the two walking supports together in a unitary walking support until two independent supports may be required by a user. The two sections may be manually separated or, optionally, a force augmenting mechanism may also be provided to facilitate separation by users having very little hand strength. The tip of the walking support remains in firm contact with the ground during both separation and reunification operation thereby providing continuous support to a user of the device. A variety of interchangeable handles, shaft portions, and tips are provided. In addition, many accessories may be provided, either within the structure or as add-on devices. The modular walking support is provided in colors, with decorations, etc. to help overcome the stigma perceived by some users arising from usage of such a device.
US07992581B2
The present invention relates to a canopy device, in particular an umbrella or parasol, comprising: a rod; a canopy of flexible material connected to the rod close to an end thereof; operating means displaceable along the rod for closing or opening the canopy; and means for tensioning the canopy, which canopy tensioning means comprise a set of first tensioning members and a set of second tensioning members, wherein the first tensioning members are each pivotally connected with one first outer end to the rod and extend therefrom along the canopy to a position close to the periphery thereof, and wherein the second tensioning members are each pivotally connected with a first outer end to the operating means and are connected with a second outer end to a corresponding first tensioning member, wherein the connection between the first and second tensioning members is arranged closer to the periphery of the canopy than to the rod, and is preferably situated substantially close to the periphery of the canopy.
US07992576B2
A hair extension kit enables user's hair to be coupled with extended hairs, and includes a fastening ring formed in a hollow shape, each respective upper end of the extended hairs being attached to an inner peripheral surface of the fastening ring; a guiding loop having a portion thereof received in the fastening ring and a guiding and holding part formed at the lower end thereof, the guiding loop being removable from the fastening ring; and a drawing loop having a portion thereof received between an inner wall of the fastening ring and the corresponding part of the guiding loop and a drawing and holding part formed at the lower end thereof, the drawing loop being removable from the fastening ring. The hair extension kit can increase the coupling force between the user's hair and the extension-hair via the fastening ring.
US07992572B2
This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
US07992569B2
The present invention discloses a corneal refractive procedure providing a customized transition zone. The customized transition zone provided according to the methods and systems of the present invention exhibits continuous curvature between an ablated optical zone and a non-ablated zone to address curvature discontinuity at the edge of the optical zone, thereby minimizing the biomechanical response and its postoperative effects on vision.
US07992566B2
An apparatus and methods for treating sleep apnea and/or snoring are provided. The apparatus includes an appliance sized and structured to be placed in the pharyngeal region of a human or animal. The appliance, when so placed is effective in treating sleep apnea and/or snoring, for example in maintaining openness of an oropharyngeal region of a human or animal during natural sleep. Preferably, the appliance is non-circumferential in form and includes rounded, spaced apart end portions.
US07992564B2
Described here are devices for altering the flow of air in a respiratory cavity such as the mouth and nostrils of the nose. These methods and devices may be useful for affecting a physiologic benefit in patients suffering from a variety of medical diseases, particularly those that may benefit from “pursed-lip” breathing and non-invasive ventilation, such as COPD, heart failure, sleep apnea, and other medical disorders. The devices are typically removable devices that may be placed over or in a respiratory cavity to increase resistance to airflow within the respiratory cavity. Resistance to expiration may be selectively increased relative to inspiration. Removable oral and removable nasal devices are described. Oral and nasal devices that filter inhaled airflow of debris and allergens are also provided. A nasal device that increases patency of the nares is also provided.
US07992562B2
A laryngeal mask airway installation kit includes a laryngeal mask airway having a gastric access tube and includes a stylet capable of being inserted into the gastric access tube from the inlet end. When bent, the stylet changes the original shape of the laryngeal mask airway, thus facilitating the installation of the laryngeal mask airway.
US07992559B2
A forehead support device for a breathing mask includes a forehead support portion adapted to contact a forehead region of a user, a conduit element adapted to couple a respiratory gas conduit to the breathing mask, and a coupling structure provided between the forehead support portion and the conduit element and structured to support the conduit element at a predetermined spacing from the forehead support portion. The forehead support portion is displaceably engaged with the coupling structure such that the forehead portion can be selectively displaced relative to the coupling structure.
US07992554B2
A liquid evaporator includes a liquid reservoir (3) with a liquid to be evaporated, a heater (9) and an evaporator tube (12). The evaporator tube (12) has a first porous element (1) having a first porosity and with an area in contact with the liquid in the liquid reservoir (3) and a second porous element (2) with a second porosity and with an area present on an evaporator side (50) used to dispense the evaporated liquid, and an area outside the liquid reservoir heated by the heater (9) which is not directly in connection with the liquid. The first porous element and the second porous element are in contact in contact areas with the first porous element forming a wick delivering liquid from the reservoir to the contact area.
US07992553B2
A collector system (12) is disclosed that comprises a row of linearly conjoined collector structures (13). The collector system is arranged to be located at a level above a field of reflectors (10) and to receive solar radiation reflected from the reflectors within the field. The collector structure (13) comprises an inverted trough (16) and, located within the trough, a plurality of longitudinally extending absorber tubes (30) that, in use, are arranged to carry a heat exchange fluid. The absorber tubes (30) are supported side-by-side within the trough and each absorber tube has a diameter that is small relative to the aperture of the trough. The ratio of the diameter of each absorber tube to the trough aperture dimension is of the order of 0.01:1.00 to 0.10:1.00 and, thus, the plurality of absorber tubes functions, in the limit, effectively to simulate a flat plate absorber.
US07992551B2
An oil capturing device for capturing oil from crankcase gases. The oil capturing device includes a housing containing a central chamber and a rotor disposed in the central chamber. The rotor includes a shaft rotatable about an axis and a flange extending from the shaft towards the inner wall of the central chamber. The flange is in contact with the inner wall, and spirals along the shaft so as to define a gas passage interconnecting the inlet to the first port. The gas passage provides a passage for crankcase gases to flow from the inlet to the first port, and narrows as it proceeds from the inlet to the port so as to compress crankcase gases travelling from the inlet to the first port. The rotor may be operable by a motor, pulley connected to the engine, or a turbine driven by the engine's exhaust.
US07992547B2
In a multiple gas fuel delivery system for interchangeably supplying a plurality of gas fuels having different supply pressures to an internal combustion engine, at least a pair of fuel passages extend from a gas fuel inlet (6a) to a fuel ejection nozzle (12) for delivering the gas fuel to a carburetor, and are provided with respective metering jets (13, 14). One of the fuel passages is provided with a pressure responsive valve (15) that communicates only the first metering jet (14) for delivering the fuel gas to the carburetor when a gas fuel of a relatively high pressure is used, and communicates both the first and second metering jets (13, 14) for delivering the fuel gas to the carburetor when a gas fuel of a relatively low pressure is used. Therefore, a flow switching valve is not required, and the passage structure can be simplified. Also, the pressure responsive valve (15) is actuated by the pressure of the fuel, and no manual selection is required when a different gas fuel is selected.
US07992539B2
An ECU executes a program including injecting fuel only by an intake passage injector when an engine is idling, starting an addition-type PFI timer, resetting the PFI timer when a count of the PFI timer reaches a set value that is set shorter as the fuel is lighter in fuel property, and injecting the fuel only by an in-cylinder injector.
US07992536B2
In a direct fuel injection diesel engine equipped with a pentroof-shaped piston, when fuel is injected into a cavity (25) recessed in a central part of a piston (13), for which the height of a top face changes in the circumferential direction, from a fuel injection point (Oinj) of a fuel injector disposed on a piston central axis along a plurality of fuel injection axes (Li1,Li2), if a cross-section of the cavity (25) passing along the fuel injection axis (Li1,Li2) is defined as a fuel injection cross-section (Sn), a cross-sectional shape (see shaded portion) of the cavity (25) defined by first to third specific points (An, Bn, Cn) on the fuel injection cross-section (Sn) is set so as to be substantially equal for each fuel injection cross-section (Sn). By so doing, the conditions in which fuel and air are mixed in each fuel injection cross-section (Sn) can be made uniform, the engine output can be improved, and harmful exhaust substances can be reduced.
US07992535B2
The disclosure relates to an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head and cylinder block serving as an upper crankcase portion for holding a crankshaft in multiple bearings. The engine has an oil pump for feeding engine oil to the cylinder head prior to supplying the multiple bearings in the cylinder block.
US07992523B1
An outer capsule terminates in a closed bottom section. An upper section is formed with an open threaded top. The top has a removable cap. An inner capsule has a lower section and an open upper section. The lower section terminates in an open bottom. An aperture is provided in the closed bottom section of the outer capsule for the passage of a lower most extent of the inner capsule and the securement there between. The capsules are fabricated of a transparent material. A bevel extends through the lower section of the outer capsule. A hose couples the bevel and the inner capsule. A wad of cotton is provided in the lower open end of the capsule.
US07992514B1
The invention pertains to a lining device that can be pulled through a pipe having an approximate diameter between 1 and 36 inches. The device sprays an electrically charged lining mixture 360° onto the inside pipe surface. The lining mixture is electro-statically charged to facilitate full encapsulation and adhesion to all pipe wall surfaces in a circumferentially uniform thickness. The lining device can be contained in a multipart housing having flexible rod-like components that hold the device in the center of the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The lining mixture is conveyed to the device through heated non expanding hose. The non expanding properties facilitate the delivery of the lining under pressure to the device. The device also incorporates a dwell cone having a knurled edge that atomizes the lining mixture as it is centrifugally thrown onto the pipe wall. The device may further incorporate nitrogen in mixing the lining material.
US07992506B1
A kiteboarding harness and method of kiteboarding with the harness. The harness has a hook extending radially outward from the harness and slidably attached to the harness for lateral repositioning of the hook on the harness about the anteroposterior axis of a human wearing the harness.
US07992490B2
A by-pass control system for a meat injection system has a variable speed pump that transports fluid to a meat injection machine. Excess fluid is transported to a by-pass control valve. The valve has a moveable piston disposed therein that separates the valve into a fluid chamber and an air chamber. The piston moves back and forth based on the relationship between fluid pressure and air pressure. Sensors are disposed within or through the lid or the valve to sense the position of the piston. A controller is connected to the sensors and the variable speed pump and adjusts the speed of the pump based on the position of the piston.
US07992489B2
A contact electric grill for the cooking of food products is provided having a base shoulder (2) and a lid shoulder (3) joined to each other by a hinging structure including a rotation pin (4), a slot (5) into which the rotation pin (4) is slid, and a support and passage element (6) from the lid shoulder to the base shoulder of electric connection cables (7) among electric components present in the base and in the lid, operationally connected to the base shoulder and the lid shoulder.
US07992485B2
An apparatus for compensating and/or transmitting forces/torques and rotational movements between two components, particularly for compensating for vehicle movements, in which at least one joint module is situated between the two components, which joint module converts a translational and/or rotational movement of a piston, to which a pressure medium is applied, into a rotational movement of at least one first rotatable shaft or of a first and a second rotatable shaft.
US07992470B2
A self-energizing and de-energizing adjustable gripping tool for engaging a work piece to impart work thereto includes a first element and second element connected for relative movement. The second element includes an actuation portion having a plurality of slots. The first element includes gripping elements which are each associated with a force transfer element which engages one of the slots such that movement of the second element relative to the first element actuates the gripping elements to engage the work piece.
US07992469B2
A screw feeding device includes a feeder box, a stopper member, an operating member, and a resilient member. An adjustment slot is formed in the stopper member, and has two closed ends and alternate large-diameter and small-diameter slot portions. An operating protrusion of the operating member has a large-diameter protrusion portion and a small-diameter protrusion portion. The operating protrusion is biased by the resilient member away from the feeder box. The operating member is movable relative to the feeder box between a first position whereat the large-diameter protrusion portion is disposed within a selected one of the large-diameter slot portions, and a second position whereat the small-diameter protrusion portion is disposed in the adjustment slot.
US07992468B2
A spinner tool has a shaft that is receivable in a rotation-imparting device, such as a hand-held drill. The shaft carries mounts in which the shaft rotates. Gripper elements are mounted between the mounts for radial movement relative to the shaft. The shaft is configured to move the gripper elements away from the shaft away from the shaft upon rotation of the shaft. This movement of the gripper elements causes the gripper elements to engage the interior surface of a hollow-cylindrical element in which the tool is inserted, so that the hollow-cylindrical element rotates together with the shaft.
US07992466B2
A cable stripping pliers has facingly disposed arcuate cutting edges formed at the ends of transversely oppositely disposed arcuate surfaces. The pliers are adjustable to two positions for the jaws to engage differently sized cables. The resilient insulation is disposed away from the arcuate surfaces when the cutting edges cut the resilient insulation for readily removing the insulation from the core material.
US07992459B2
In a shifting claw transmission for a motor vehicle including a main shaft and a countershaft and an electric motor for rotating the countershaft or being rotated thereby with freely rotatable gear wheels supported on the counter shaft and engageable with the countershaft by claw engagement structures, the speed of the countershaft is adjustable by the electric motor to be close to, but somewhat different from, the speed of the freely rotatable gear wheels to be engaged in order to facilitate shifting but avoid a tooth-on-tooth problem which would inhibit shifting.
US07992457B2
An actuator device (1) comprising an actuator housing (2), a driving motor (4) attached to the actuator housing (2), which driving motor (4) is provided with a motor spindle (28), the motor spindle (28) being displaceably engaged with an actuator spindle (6) via a nut (38), and where an auxiliary frame (8) which can be displaced relative to the actuator spindle (6) and biased by use of the driving motor (4), and which can be releasably coupled to the actuator housing (2), is arranged to displace the actuator spindle (6) independently of the motor (4), and where the nut (38) is releasable coupled to the actuator spindle (6), thereby being arranged to bias the auxiliary frame (8) while disengaged from the actuator spindle (6).
US07992442B2
A method for reducing microcrack formation and crack growth in the glass carrier of a component having a micromechanical sensor element that is bonded to the glass carrier. The upper side of the glass carrier acts as a bonding surface for the sensor element. The rear side of the glass carrier, situated opposite the upper side, acts as a mounting surface for the component, and the glass carrier has side surfaces that connect the upper side and the rear side. In particular, the glass carrier is formed by a segment of a glass wafer into which at least the contours of the glass carrier have been stamped, so that at least the areas produced in this way of the side surfaces of the glass carrier and the rear side of the glass carrier form a surface that is largely closed and free of microcracks.
US07992438B2
The present invention relates to a multiaxial gyroscope, which comprises a vibration-sensing device, a plurality of elastic connecting parts, a first substrate, and a plurality of electrodes. The first ends of the elastic connecting parts are adapted on the periphery of the vibration-sensing device. The sidewall of the first substrate connects with the second ends of the elastic connecting parts. The plurality of electrodes is located on the periphery of the vibration-sensing device and is opposite to the plurality of elastic connecting parts. The vibration-sensing device comprises a ring and a plurality of vibration blocks. By means of the vibration blocks, the sensing area as well as the driving amplitude of the gyroscope can be increased effectively. Thereby, the intensity of the sensed signals of the gyroscope can be enhanced.
US07992431B2
The invention is direct to a piezoelectric microcantilever for static contact and dynamic noncontact atomic force microscopy which may be carried out in solution. The piezoelectric microcantilever, which includes a piezoelectric layer and a non-piezoelectric layer is capable of self actuation and detection. The piezoelectric layer may be constructed from a lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65—(PbTiO3)0.35(PMN0.65-PT0.35)(PMN-PT), zirconate titanate (PZT)/SiO2 or from any lead-free piezoelectric materials such as doped sodium-potassium niobate-lithium niobate. The piezoelectric layers of the microcantilevers may have dielectric constants of from 1600-3000 and thicknesses below 10 μm. Also disclosed are methods for fabricating microcantilever sensors and methods for atomic force microscopy employing the microcantilevers.
US07992430B2
Methods and devices for measuring chemical or biological properties of a liquid from a subsurface position are disclosed, wherein a closed casing is submerged in the liquid to be sampled. The flow of the liquid for the sampling is driven by a hydrostatic pressure and is thus independent of pumps or the like when placed at the correct subsurface position. The flow rate is in a first aspect of the present invention controlled by providing a constant hydrostatic pressure during the sampling period. Alternatively, the inlet is provided with a cartridge comprising a tracer material, which is partly soluble by the liquid and is released proportional to the flow rate.
US07992422B2
A method of diagnosing the health of an individual by collecting a breath sample from the individual and measuring the amount of each of a plurality of analytes in the sample. The amount of each analytes is measured by fitting a time response curve of a sample-evaluation fuel cell in which the fuel cell sample electrode is contacted with the sample with the analysis based on a function of standard time response curves for an equivalent fuel cell configuration obtained separately for each of the analytes on a fuel cell with equivalent construction as sample-evaluation fuel cell. Each of the plurality of analytes is generally indicative of an aspect of the individual's health. Suitable analytes include, for example, inorganic compounds as well as compositions that exhibit negative reduction reactions at least for a portion of the time response curve. In particular, acetone exhibits a negative potential/current peak when it is an analyte in a fuel cell in an sample electrode with a counter electrode exposed to oxygen, which may or may not be introduced in the form of air. Various forms of analysis to estimate acetone concentrations in the breath can be used.
US07992415B2
A jacquard thread-guide bar (2) for warp knitting textile machines, comprising a supporting body (7) provided with a plurality of housing seats (5) configured and arranged so as to engage each removably a mounting body (6) of a single piezoelectric actuator (3) and to carry out an individual removable mounting of the single piezoelectric actuator (3) onto said supporting body (7), the housing seats (5) extending perpendicularly to the main longitudinal extension of the bar (2) and being configured and arranged so as to guide the sliding of the mounting body (6) between a mounting position and a disengaged position.
US07992409B1
A continuous cryogenic process for the separation and removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using, in part, the existing cryocooling apparatus that is a component of the inventor's patented high temperature superconducting wind turbine electric generating and energy storage system. The proposed system is contained within a long, large, non-corrosive, open-ended, double-walled tubular-shaped vacuum or conventionally insulated dewar, which is cantilevered in two or more units from the wind turbine's steel tower. The major internal components consist of a large screen grid, a small screen filter, a low-speed electric turbo-style fan and, most importantly, a series of coated frost-free heat exchangers of differentiated design that freeze the carbon dioxide in the moving air into a form of flake-like dry ice which is then captured for potential reuse or underground sequestering.
US07992402B2
A data center cooling solution providing techniques for using baffles, doors and roof sections to prevent warm air from being entrained into a cold aisle in a data center, wherein the data center generally contains an air cooling system and a raised floor structure. The raised floor structure is configured to deliver cool air into the data center through a plurality of grates and perforated tiles in the floor. Electronic equipment racks are disposed around the grates and perforated tiles, such that the front faces of the equipment racks face the grates and perforated tiles. A collection of baffles, doors or roof sections inhibit the mixing of the cool air delivered by the air cooling system and the warm air exhausted by the electronic equipment.
US07992392B2
Apparatus for regulating the flow rate of fuel to a turboshaft engine in acceleration or in deceleration, the engine having a free turbine and a core engine, the apparatus comprising sensors transmitting information to regulator means, said information relating: to a first speed of rotation NTL of said free turbine; to a second speed of rotation Ng of said engine's gas generator; to an internal temperature T4 of the gas at the inlet to the free turbine; to the external pressure; and to the external temperature. The apparatus further comprises control means activated by said regulator means to actuate a fuel metering system of the engine. In addition, the regulator means evaluates the flow rate of fuel to be supplied to the engine in acceleration or in deceleration on the basis of at least one optimum regulation relationship, said regulation relationship determining a main modulated flow rate as a function of a modulated speed of rotation.
US07992382B2
A particulate trap system for an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of contiguous porous walls, and a remotely actuated relief valve downstream of said trap for periodically creating a reverse pressure throughout the exhaust system upstream of the relief valve and including said trap. A reversing apparatus periodically creates a reverse pressure drop across a portion of the contiguous porous walls of said trap to dislodge accumulated particulate and cause a portion of the filtered exhaust gas to flow back through said portion of the contiguous porous walls to remove particulate therefrom. A control system actuates the relief valve and the reversing apparatus. In one embodiment the system is utilized on a vehicle and the reversing apparatus includes a relief valve that is also operative as an exhaust brake. Regeneration includes the steps of: creating a backpressure in the entire exhaust system from a location downstream of the trap; creating a reverse pressure drop across only a portion of the porous walls to dislodge accumulated particulate therefrom; and causing a portion of filtered exhaust gas to flow back through said portion of the porous walls to carry the dislodged particulate out of the trap.
US07992381B2
A method for regeneration of a CDPF disposed in the exhaust stream of a diesel engine. The method includes a second phase operation following a first phase substantially as disclosed in the prior art. As the first phase ends, as indicated by a temperature sensor at the exit end of the CDPF, the temperature and oxygen content of the exhaust gas are increased at the entrance to the CDPF in an ensuing second stage. These increases cause oxidation of the soot remaining near the entrance and the sides of the CDPF, resulting in a cleaner and higher-capacity CDPF than is produced by a single-phase regeneration in the prior art. The sequential stages are implemented via an algorithm programmed into an Engine Control Module (ECM). A CDPF regenerated in accordance with the invention can have approximately 95% of its filtration capacity restored.
US07992375B2
The present invention relates to new crystalline, essentially all silicon oxide molecular sieve SSZ-73 prepared using a 3-ethyl-1,3,8,8-tetramethyl-3-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octane cation as a structure-directing agent, and its use in treating engine exhaust.
US07992370B2
A work machine includes a primary power unit having a rated primary output. The primary power unit is couplable with at least one primary load, including a propulsion load. An auxiliary power unit is mechanically independent from the primary power unit, and has a rated auxiliary output which is smaller than the primary output. The auxiliary power unit is couplable with at least one external load, including an operator initiated load. At least one electrical processing circuit is configured for selectively coupling the primary power unit with one or more primary loads, and for selectively coupling the auxiliary power unit with one or more external loads.
US07992367B2
A treeless western saddle comprising a flexible base coupled to an underside of a flexible substrate. A seat section is integrally formed in the flexible substrate. A pommel section is integrally formed in the flexible substrate. The flexible base has an upper stirrup aperture and a lower stirrup aperture formed in a lateral side of the flexible base. The underside of the flexible substrate has a cavity formed in a lateral side of the underside of the flexible substrate, the cavity to extend from the upper stirrup aperture to at least the lower stirrup aperture.
US07992359B2
An alignment brace for multi-level insulated concrete form walls that utilizes a cured base level wall for anchoring the brace that will be used to brace and align a succeeding wall level comprising, a bracing beam having first and second sections that are pivotally interconnected at a pivot point, an elongated adjustment beam disposed in spaced relation from the bracing beam and co-planar therewith where the adjustment beam is pivotally interconnected to the bracing beam at the pivot point and where the adjustment beam carries at its distal ends a jack screw assembly for expanding or contracting the spacing between the distal ends of the adjustment beam and the bracing beam.
US07992353B2
A hub joint includes a metal rod and pin for joining tubular members in three-dimensional space for assembling a frame structure. The hub joint enables rapid assembly, rapid reconfiguration, and rapid disassembly without using any specialized tools. Multiple hub joints may be used to form geodesic domes, freestanding trusses, space frame slabs, tetrahedrons, and pentahedrons. The hub joints allow different frame configurations that are lightweight, strong, durable, scalable, expandable, and portable.
US07992351B1
An apparatus for protecting susceptible objects comprises a bracket having a pin receiving portion and hinge portion. The apparatus also includes a cover pivotally connected to the hinge portion of the bracket wherein the bracket is securable to a wall and the cover is pivotable over a susceptible asset to protect the object from harmful forces.
US07992349B2
A multi-media workstation having a master rail system for permitting horizontal adjustment of the various components of the workstation. The workstation generally includes a console having a work surface and a master rail system for supporting various audiovisual equipment. The master rail system includes a rail extrusion connecting at least two frames and having a longitudinal slot formed in at least one of its surfaces. The various components of the workstation each include a finger engaged in the longitudinal slot of the rail extrusion, wherein the component is able to be horizontally translated along a length of the rail extrusion.
US07992339B2
A gun stores a bipod when not in use inside its fore-end. A gun rest such as a bipod, an aiming stick or tripod has a stored position where its legs are pushed into channels formed in the fore-end of the stock, approximately parallel to the major axis of the gun barrel, but which can be pulled out and pivoted into an in-use position when the user wishes to steady the barrel of the gun for greater accuracy in shooting. A bracket is mounted to the fore end of the stock to allow the legs of the bipod to be pulled clear of the channels and then rotated down. The legs may be telescoping to a preferred elevation once in the in-use position.
US07992335B2
A trigger assembly comprising a housing adapted to mount a trigger, hammer and sear therein. The housing has an adjustment feature adapted to fixedly mount the housing within the trigger chamber portion of the firearm. The trigger assembly is particularly conducive for an AR-15 type rifle and the various sear engagement surfaces are adapted to be adjustable irrespective of the various dimensions and tolerances of the underlying firearm. A safety system is employed that adjustably allows proper engagement of the trigger tail to properly engage and disengage the safety mechanism.
US07992333B1
A vehicle identification device includes one or more clips configured to attach the device to a vehicle door or window. The identification device optionally includes reflective material so that the vehicle is more easily seen. The identification device optionally includes identification indicia such as letters or numbers. The identification device is optionally deployed from within the vehicle, thus improving safety.
US07992331B2
An optical illusion device such as a drinking glass/cup for providing a multi-dimensional visual display. The device includes a body with tubular sidewalls extending from an opening at a first end to an opening at a second end. A base assembly is provided at the second end. The base assembly includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a sidewall that together form or define an inner chamber. A visual display assembly is provided with a mirror element with a convex reflective surface or mirror positioned within the chamber with the reflective surface facing the top wall of the base assembly. A primary image element is provided proximate to the reflective surface such that the primary image and mirror element can be observed via the opening in the body. A framing element is included proximate to the top wall of the base assembly including background images facing the reflective surface.
US07992328B2
An apparatus coupled to an excavation bucket for creating a trench sidewall having indentations formed therein.
US07992327B2
A snow plow rebounding system is provided. A cushion block and shock-absorbing springs serve to cushion a snow plow rotating about a horizontal axis.
US07992320B2
A clogging detecting method for a dryer, which can accurately determine a clogging degree of an air passage, even when there is an operation deviation of a temperature control member, is disclosed. The clogging detecting method includes determining operating characteristics of a temperature control member turning on/off in accordance with a temperature of an air passage, determining a clogging degree of the air passage in accordance with a clogging reference corresponding to the determined operating characteristics, and displaying the determined clogging degree of the air passage.
US07992318B2
A disclosed heating apparatus for heating a substrate on which a film is coated includes a process chamber having a gas supply opening for supplying a first gas to the process chamber and a gas evacuation opening for evacuating the first gas from the process chamber; a heating plate that is arranged in the process chamber and includes a heating element for heating the substrate; plural protrusions arranged on the heating plate so as to support the substrate; plural suction holes formed in the heating plate so as to attract by suction the substrate toward the heating plate; and a gas inlet adapted to supply a second gas to a gap between the heating plate and the substrate supported by the plural protrusions.
US07992310B2
A reference beam generator has first, second, and third projection turrets for projecting first, second, and third fan beams of laser light, respectively. The first, second, and third fan beams of laser light are oriented normal to each other. The turrets may be rotated such that each of said fan beams can each be rotated about an axis that is normal to the plane in which the fan beam is projected. The generator may be used to project a number of reference points and lines on multiple surfaces.
US07992307B2
The invention concerns a hair clipper comprising a device for adjusting the position of a powered cutting guide slaved to an electronic device, automatically adapting the position of said cutting guide based on the option selected by the user.
US07992304B2
A razor having a simplified structure is provided. This oscillating razor is provided with a razor head. The razor head is provided with a blade member composed of a base having a blade-body supporting portion and a plurality of blade bodies, a blade base member located on the back side of the razor head, and a top member located on the front side of the razor head. The blade member is fitted between the blade base member and the top member. The base is supported on the blade base member and the cutting edge of the blade body is exposed outward at the top member. Each of the blade bodies is placed on the blade-body supporting portion, and welded portions fixed to each other by welding from the side corresponding to the blade-body supporting portion are formed on the blade body and the blade-body supporting portion.
US07992299B2
The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of tubes bent in a U-shape (hairpin tubes) from a nonferrous metal, immediately following a tube production line. For that purpose, according to the invention, the method for the manufacture of tubes bent in a U-shape from a nonferrous metal, immediately following a tube production line, has the consecutive steps of: a) uncoiling the drawn tube material from a basket winder, b) straightening the drawn tube material, c) annealing and subsequently cooling the drawn tube material before or after cutting, for separation into tube portions, to the starting length for a tube bent in a U-shape, and d) bending the tube portions into a U-shape.
US07992294B2
An interconnect device is used to mate a heat generating device to a power source. Plated components are provided on the interconnect device to provide a heat sink function for the heat generating device when the heat generating device is connected to the interconnect device, and to provide an electrical path between the heat generating device and the power source. A method of manufacturing same is also disclosed.
US07992285B2
A method for fabricating a negative temperature coefficient thermistor is provided, including the steps of: (A) combining ceramic powders having a negative temperature coefficient of resistance, a polymer binder and a solvent to form a mixture; (B) removing the solvent and granulating the mixture to form granulous powders; (C) compressing the granulous powders to obtain a thermistor material with a specific shape; (D) curing the thermistor material at 80° C. to 350° C.; and (E) mounting an electrode to the thermistor material to form the negative temperature coefficient thermistor. The method can be performed in a low temperature without the problem of interface diffusion. Further, the desired resistance value and thermistor constant (B) can be easily adjusted and obtained by mixing ceramic powders with different characteristics of temperature coefficient of resistance and/or the addition of conductive metal powder.
US07992284B2
A method for manufacture of a conductor assembly. The assembly is of the type which, when conducting current, generates a magnetic field or in which, in the presence of a changing magnetic field, a voltage is induced. In an example embodiment one or more first coil rows are formed. The assembly has multiple coil rows about an axis with outer coil rows formed about inner coil rows. A determination is made of deviations from specifications associated with the formed one or more first coil rows. One or more deviations correspond to a magnitude of a multipole field component which departs from a field specification. Based on the deviations, one or more wiring patterns are generated for one or more second coil rows to be formed about the one or more first coil rows. The one or more second coil rows are formed in the assembly. The magnitude of each multipole field component that departs from the field specification is offset.
US07992283B2
A differential microphone having a perimeter slit formed around the microphone diaphragm that replaces the backside hole previously required in conventional silicon, micromachined microphones. The differential microphone is formed using silicon fabrication techniques applied only to a single, front face of a silicon wafer. The backside holes of prior art microphones typically require that a secondary machining operation be performed on the rear surface of the silicon wafer during fabrication. This secondary operation adds complexity and cost to the micromachined microphones so fabricated. Comb fingers forming a portion of a capacitive arrangement may be fabricated as part of the differential microphone diaphragm.
US07992266B2
A fastener stringer capable of following up stretching/contracting action of a stretchable fabric smoothly by improving a stretching property of an element attaching portion, and capable of preventing breaking of chain if the element attaching portion is stretched, wherein the fastener stringer includes: a woven fastener tape having a tape main portion and an element attaching portion; a continuous fastener element row sewed to the element attaching portion with a non-elastic sewing thread; and an elastic core thread inserted through an interior of the fastener element row, an elastic yarn and a non-elastic yarn are woven into the tape main portion and the element attaching portion as warp yarns while a non-elastic yarn is woven as a weft yarn, and a weaving ratio of the elastic yarn to the non-elastic yarn is larger in the element attaching portion than in the tape main portion.
US07992260B1
An improved binder clip is provided. The binder clip includes a clamping means, opposed gripping means attached to the clamping means, and a label holder that is attached to, or that is integral with, the clamping means. An identifying label is inserted into the label holder for easy identification of the material that is bound by the binder clip.
US07992257B2
The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a door-handle for a refrigerator. By means of the mounting structure of the door-handle for the refrigerator according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the door-handle is fixedly connected to a door and the fluctuation of the door-handle is decreased while opening the door.
US07992246B2
In a 360-degree toothbrush in which a brush head is formed by superposing disk-shaped radial vanes 1 in an axial direction, the arranging pitch of the radial vanes 1 is increased so as to make the bristle density appropriate. Spacers are not used between the radial vanes 1 so as to increase the productivity, and to improve the hygiene condition. In order to realize these aspects, an annular protrusion or protrusions 3 are formed on one or both of the surfaces of an annular weld portion 2 of the radial vane 1. The annular protrusion 3 is formed at the same time when forming the weld portion 2 in a welding step in which the bristle bundle is opened radially and the center part is welded so that the radial vane 1 is manufactured.
US07992237B2
An apparatus comprises an architectural system and a patient adjustment device. The patient adjustment device is coupled to the architectural system and adapted to pull on a patient receiver to move a patient received by the patient receiver and located on a bed relative to the bed to adjust the position of the patient.
US07992235B2
A utility sink system is disclosed comprising a sink and a bucket. The sink has a basin extending from an upper edge to a drain. The bucket has walls extending to a lip and has at least one opening formed therein. The lip is configured to contact the upper edge of the basin such that the bucket is suspended in the basin. The at least one opening of the bucket, in addition to facilitating handling, may provide a form of overflow when the bucket is suspended in the basin of the sink, such that the at least one opening places an interior volume of the bucket and the basin of the sink in communication with one another. Further, the at least one opening of the bucket may provide a pouring spout.
US07992231B1
A splash-eliminating urinal contains an outer body and a receptor cavity within the outer body. The receptor cavity contains a rear surface having projecting concave rear walls that converge to form sides of an outwardly-projecting vertical ridge, and two side walls that transition to the rear walls. When a stream of urine is directed onto the rear walls, it adheres by surface tension without causing a splash.
US07992228B2
Protective eyewear includes a frame having a first and second opposing sides and an eye protector joined with the frame. A flexible strap is joined with the first and second sides of the frame. The strap extends around at least a portion of a player's head to position the eye protector over the player's eyes. A connector is rotatably joined with the first side of the frame so that the connector rotates in a plane generally parallel to a temple of the player. The connector is joined with the strap so that the strap can rotate relative to the frame and includes a limiter that limits the rotation of the connector. A strap diverter is adjustably positioned along the strap and divides the strap into first and second strap portions that extend at an angle relative to one another and define a space therebetween.
US07992226B2
A pad element may include a base member, a pair of cover layers, and a plurality of beads. The base member defines a plurality of apertures. The cover layers are secured to opposite surfaces of the base member and extend across the apertures. The beads are located within the apertures and between the cover layers. As examples, the base member and the beads may be formed from polymer foam materials, and the cover layers may be formed from textile materials. The pad element may be utilized to attenuate impact forces and provide one or more of breathability, flexibility, a relatively low overall mass, and launderability.
US07992222B1
A garment includes a first side, possibly corresponding to a user's front. The first side includes left and right portions that each have a free mating edge. Fastener elements are attached to or formed in each of the right and left portions of the garment. One of the two portions includes a two layer placket. Some of the fastener elements include a portion on the outer layer of the two layer placket. At least one interstitial fastener element is positioned only on the inner layer and is between two other fastener elements that include a portion on the outer layer. The at least one interstitial fastener element may be positioned at a wearer's chest or waist region to minimize or eliminate gapping of the shirt in areas of larger girth.
US07996916B2
A disclosed gaming machine provides methods and apparatus of verifying the authenticity of gaming software stored in and executed from RAM on the gaming machine. When presenting a game on the gaming machine, a master gaming controller may dynamically load gaming software applications into RAM and dynamically unload gaming software applications from RAM. The authenticity of the gaming software applications temporarily stored in RAM may be verified by using methods to compare it with certified gaming software stored on one or more local or remote file storage devices accessible to the master gaming controller on the gaming machine. The verification process may be used to satisfy gaming regulatory entities within various gaming jurisdictions that require certified gaming software to be operating on the gaming machine at all times as well as to prevent tampering with the gaming machine.
US07996911B2
In order to protect the user security data, provided is a memory card capable of preventing the data leakage to a third party not having the access authority by imposing the limitation on the number of password authentications and automatically erasing the data. In a system comprised of a multimedia card and a host machine electrically connected to the multimedia card and controlling the operations of the multimedia card, a retry counter for storing the number of password authentication failures is provided and the upper limit of the number of failures is registered in a register. When passwords are repeatedly entered once, twice, . . . and n times and the retry counter which counts the entries reaches the upper limit of the number of failures, the data is automatically erased so as not to leave the data in the flash memory.
US07996897B2
Learning to, and detecting spam messages using a multi-stage combination of probability calculations based on individual and aggregate training sets of previously identified messages. During a preliminary phase, classifiers are trained, lower and upper limit probabilities, and a combined probability threshold are iteratively determined using a multi-stage combination of probability calculations based on minor and major subsets of messages previously categorized as valid or spam. During a live phase, a first stage classifier uses only a particular subset, and a second stage classifier uses a master set of previously categorized messages. If a newly received message can not be categorized with certainty by the first stage classifier, and a computed first stage probability is within the previously determined lower and upper limits, first and second stage probabilities are combined. If the combined probability is greater than the previously determined combined probability threshold, the received message is marked as spam.
US07996895B2
A traffic controller is provided which integrates black-box tests of unauthorized applications to extract application characteristics from associated Internet traffic, exploits the networking information learned by host clients, actively scans and controls hosts on the corporate network, and dynamically configures a corporate firewall to block traffic to and from critical application network elements. As a result, the traffic controller effectively manages unauthorized applications and their associated traffic in a corporate environment.
US07996894B1
A method is disclosed for providing security to a client-to-client communication. The method includes authenticating a first client and a second client with an access point device, transmitting the packet to the security device and modifying a destination media access control (MAC) address of a packet from the first client to a MAC address of a security device for a first network. The packet contains a destination internet protocol (IP) address of the second client. The access point device and the first and second clients belong to the first network. The security device is located between the first network and a second network.
US07996886B1
A system and method for providing persistence in a secure network access by using a client certificate sent by a client device to maintain the identity of a target. A security handshake is performed with a client device to establish a secure session. A target is determined. A client certificate is associated with the target. During subsequent secure sessions, the client certificate is used to maintain persistent communications between the client and a target. A session ID can be used in combination with the client certificate, by identifying the target based on the session ID or the client certificate, depending on which one is available in a client message.
US07996869B2
A TV-set is equipped with HDMI and USB connections that allow it to display and run audio-video content from a variety of conventional consumer devices. The TV-set is further equipped to provide a secure HDMI-USB interface that will allow the transfer of licensed high definition content and Internet subscriber services. Such secure HDMI-USB interface also enables a selection of proprietary application modules to be attached. Downloadable user interface templates, much like XML style sheets, are rendered to a user interface displayed on the screen. These are associated with corresponding thumbnails and URI's that allow a user to surf through lists and catalogs of materials, and then to play them in the appropriate formats and provide the machine with a customized controller. A remote commander is simplified, yet expanded to control all the attached devices through interactions with the user interface. The functions of the remote commander's keys change depending on where the user is navigating and what device is being controlled, similar to so-called soft-keys.
US07996866B2
A system for providing requested data sets of broadcast data service transmitted as part of a broadcast signal, including a broadcast headend configured to receive a data request from a receiver, and configured to broadcast requested data sets to the receiver in response to the data request from the receiver, a processor configured to periodically extract all of the requested data sets of the broadcast data service from a broadcast carousel included in the broadcast signal, a memory configured to store all of the requested data sets of the broadcast data service, defining a plurality of digital-audio/video-data-sets including television clips, a first controller configured to allow selection from a list of the plurality of sets of the digital-audio/video-data-sets, and a second controller responsive to a user initiated selection signal to cause the memory to output a user selected one of the plurality of digital-audio/video-data sets selected from the list, wherein the processor converts the digital-audio/video-data of the requested data sets of the broadcast data service into real time audio/video data.
US07996859B2
An optical disc device comprising a tray (1) for carrying an optical disc, which tray (1) can move between a position inside the device and a position partly outside the device. The device also comprises a structure (13) for holding and driving the optical disc, which structure (13) is provided with a turntable (6) and an optical pickup unit (8) and guiding means for moving the optical pickup unit (8). The structure (13) can tilt around a horizontal tilt axis (14) behind the rotating optical disc. The tray (1) is provided with a catch member (9) and the optical pickup unit (8) is provided with a cooperating catch surface (20), whereby the catch member (9) may hit the catch surface (20) when the tray (1) moves, thereby displacing the optical pickup unit (8) into a save position.
US07996851B2
Globally consistent information is locally provided to communications layers. Globally consistent information is stored in a Network Availability Matrix, which is locally accessible by a communications layer. If an event is detected, the communications layer is automatically notified by the Network Availability Matrix, and is able to use the information in the Network Availability Matrix to quickly take action.
US07996842B2
A resource allocation method and system for efficiently allocating compute resources. The method includes providing a workload manager and installing a workload in the computer system. During the installing, a service level goal for the workload is provided to the workload manager, and the workload manager assigns a first resource allocation for the compute resources to the workload. Then, a service level being achieved for the workload is determined in the compute resources. Based on results of the comparing, the workload manager reallocates the compute resource with the workload manager including assigning a second resource allocation for the compute resources to the workload. The workload may be made up of one or more applications running on the compute resources over multiple OS instances. The installing of the workload includes the application interfacing with the workload manager to provide the service level goal during installation.
US07996839B2
A computer system for maximizing system and individual job throughput includes a number of computer hardware processor cores that differ amongst themselves in at least in their respective resource requirements and processing capabilities. A monitor gathers performance metric information from each of the computer hardware processor cores that are specific to a particular run of application software then executing. Based on these metrics, a workload assignment mechanism assigns jobs to processor cores in order to maximize overall system throughput and the throughput of individual jobs.
US07996831B2
An apparatus and a method are provided to enable simple and easy installation of a driver program, on an external apparatus, for controlling office equipment from the external apparatus regardless of a positional relation between the office equipment and the external apparatus. The office equipment, controllable by the external apparatus with a predetermined driver program, can include a request accepting unit configured to accept an acquisition request for predetermined information that facilitates installation of the driver program on the external apparatus. The office equipment can further include an information transmitting unit configured to transmit the predetermined information to a storage device capable of communicating with the external apparatus.
US07996830B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for deploying an application. Embodiments include receiving a packaged application for deployment and an instruction to perform a deployment management operation; selecting in dependence upon plug-in selection rules one of a plurality of configuration plug-ins for creating a deployable object from the packaged application; receiving from the selected configuration plug-in a deployable object; querying one or more of the plurality of configuration plug-ins with the deployable object for identifications of configuration attributes needed to perform the deployment management operation; receiving from each of the queried configuration plug-ins identifications of configuration attributes needed to deploy the deployable object; presenting the identifications of configuration attributes needed to deploy the deployable object to a user; receiving from the user the configuration attributes needed to deploy the deployable object; and storing the deployable object and the configuration attributes.
US07996827B2
A method for advantageously translating high-level language codes for data processing using a reconfigurable architecture, memories addressable internally from within said reconfigurable architecture, and memories external to said reconfigurable architecture, may include constructing a finite automaton for computation in such a way that a complex combinatory network of individual functions is formed, assigning memories to the network for storage of operands and results, and separating external memory accesses for providing a transfer of at least one of operands and results as data from an external memory to a memory addressable internally by the reconfigurable architecture.
US07996826B2
A method is provided for receiving a digital broadcast, which contains a virtual machine application program that is to be executed. The method includes receiving a virtual machine application program signal, downloading a virtual machine application program, ahead-of-time (AOT) compiling virtual machine instruction code included in the downloaded virtual machine application program before executing the downloaded virtual machine application program, and executing the compiled virtual machine instruction code using a virtual machine.
US07996820B2
Determining proportionate use of system resources by applications executing in a shared hosting environment, including executing monitor agents, one monitor agent for one or more instances of the applications, including collecting by the monitor agents data describing each instance of use of a system resource by an instance of the applications; storing by the monitor agents the collected data in data records, each data record representing a use of the system resources by a using instance of an application, the using instance comprising an instance of an application that uses a resource as represented by a data record; and storing by the monitor agents in the data records monitor tags, the monitor tags identifying each data record and identifying each using instance of an application for each data record.
US07996819B2
A method for eliminating ambiguity and incorrectness of the specification determined in a requirement defining phase in developing an information system, and systematically verifying whether an automatically executed test scenario agrees with the original requirements in a functional testing phase, includes extracting an input variable, an output variable, and the respective types of the variables from a specification file in screens; extracting screen-transition information from a composite functional specification containing specifications in screens; and executing the following processes from the top for each screen that appears in screen transition. For the input variable, the apparatus generates a test script indicative of an action (clicking or a character set) corresponding to an object associated with the input variable. For the output variable, the apparatus generates a test script for comparing text information displayed on a screen with an expected value determined from the output variable.
US07996818B1
A method for testing interactions between a server and a client computer is provided in which a client computer transmits a unique request identification (ID) and a unique response to a server computer. The unique request identification ID indicates actual production commands, and the unique response code indicates responses to be provided by the server computer. With a valid request ID, the server simulates its behavior as defined by the response code, and responds to the client computer pursuant to the behavior. Upon receiving an invalid request ID, the server responds to the client computer with an error code so that the client can correct the unique request ID.
US07996813B2
A method for generating a pattern includes reading out an interconnect layout and a hole layout, the interconnect layout prescribing interconnect patterns, the hole layout prescribing hole patterns configured to connect to the interconnect patterns; extracting one of the hole patterns to be connected within the same interconnect layer level to one of the interconnect patterns in a pattern processing area; extracting a first processing area including the extracted hole pattern; calculating a first pattern density of the interconnect patterns included in the first processing area; and generating first additional patterns in the first processing area based on the first pattern density.
US07996812B2
A system and a method for correcting early-mode timing violations that operate across the process space of a circuit design. Optimizations are performed to replace padding that increase path delays on fast paths. At the stage in the design process where early-mode violations are addressed, placement, late-mode timing closure, routing, and detailed electrical and timing analysis are assumed to have been completed. The optimizations are designed to be effective in delaying fast paths while minimizing the impact on already-completed work on the chip, in contrast to relying only on adding pads that can have a negative impact on all of these quantities. The optimizations are classified according to their invasiveness and are followed by their deployment. The deployment is designed to minimize using delay pads, reduce design disruptions, and minimize effects on other aspects of the design.
US07996809B2
Software controlled transistor body bias. A target frequency is accessed. Using software, transistor body-biasing values are determined for the target frequency in order to enhance a characteristic of a circuit. The bodies of the transistors are biased based on the body-biasing values, wherein the characteristic is enhanced.
US07996800B2
System and software for verifying that a model of an integrated circuit satisfies its specification includes performing a sequence of at least one sequential transformation on a sequential model of the integrated circuit to produce a simplified sequential model of the integrated circuit. Thereafter, the simplified sequential model is unfolded for N time steps to create a combinational representation of the design. A sequence of at least one combinational transformation algorithms is then performed on the unfolded design to produce a simplified unfolded model. Finally, an exhaustive search algorithm is performed on the simplified unfolded model. The sequence of sequential transformations may include a sequential redundancy removal (SRR) algorithm and/or another sequential algorithm such as a retiming transformation. The combinational transformations may include a combinational redundancy removal algorithm or a logic re-encoding algorithm. The exhaustive search includes performing an exhaustive satisfiability search by propagating a binary decision diagram (BDD) through the netlist.
US07996798B2
A high level intermediate representation of a binary is generated. Circuit nodes from the high level intermediate representation are built, wherein a circuit node represents an operation in the high level intermediate representation. The circuit nodes are connecting using a flow analysis of the binary to build a circuit that represents the binary.
US07996796B2
A method of designing a semiconductor device is provided. According to the method, a group of cells that is a target of clock distribution is placed. After the group of cells is placed, a plurality of clock driver cells for driving the clock are placed such that each clock driver cell is prohibited from overlapping with a prohibited region of a predetermined size surrounding another clock driver cell.
US07996794B2
Disclosed is a mask data processing method of correcting a hierarchical structure. In the case that in design data having a hierarchical structure including a plurality of cells each having a design pattern, when the total number of graphic forms or the total edge length of a design pattern on which the calculation of mask data processing is to be executed, the amount of calculation to be executed, or the expansion degree presumably becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value if the calculation of the mask data processing is executed on the design data having the initial hierarchical structure, the hierarchical structure is corrected. This correction is performed to reduce the total number of graphic forms or the total edge length of the design pattern on which the calculation is to be executed, the amount of calculation to be executed, of the expansion degree.
US07996791B2
A programming guide for streaming video files may be automatically compiled in response to a user request. The user may provide keywords for categories of streaming video files that are of interest. A graphical user interface is automatically developed which splits responsive streaming video files into categories requested by the user. Each streaming video file may be represented in a user selected fashion. For example, the streaming videos may be represented by a representative frame, title or other information. The user can then click on any of the streaming video files, broken down into the appropriate categories, to begin viewing a streaming video file of interest.
US07996781B2
A system (and method) for selecting an entry from a list of entries on an electronic device is disclosed. The system is configured to display a plurality of banks to a user and to receive a bank selection event from the user for selecting a bank containing a set of characters. The user creates a bank selection event through an input device such as a navigation device or touch screen. The set of characters is appended to a prefix that is used to determine a current result list containing entries that match the prefix. The list of entries is reduced to the current result list and displayed to the user with the portions of the entries matching the prefix highlighted. After the list of entries is reduced to a desired size, the user enters a scrolling mode where the user scrolls through the list of entries and selects an entry.
US07996779B2
An improved system and method for supporting web system services is provided for storing data and context of client applications on the web. A client application may include a web system services interface for invoking web system services to support web applications to operate over the web using different devices that may store data and context of web applications as a web application document onto a web server. A web application document may be represented by components that may include view information, content, and context information. The application may also include a web system services user interface for providing a graphical user interface for a user to invoke web system services that may include a new document system service, a store document system service, and a restore document system service. A schema for context scope may be implemented for collecting context information relevant to the web application document.
US07996777B2
A system sends ad content to a publisher, where the ad content includes a first snippet of code. The system receives requests from browsers accessing a document at the publisher that includes the ad content, where the browsers send the requests based on execution of the first snippet of code. The system transmits, based on receipt of the requests, a second snippet of code to the browsers that instructs the browsers on a content, format and appearance of text to be inserted within the document when the browsers render the document. The system tracks each transmission of the second snippet of code to determine a number of times the text has been displayed at the browsers.
US07996776B2
A facility is described for providing shared telepointers and for enabling hosts and participants to highlight portions of documents or applications using the shared telepointers. In various embodiments, the facility establishes a sharing session wherein an application executing on a host computing device is shared with a participant computing device, receives at the host computing device an indication from a participant computing device to identify a region to users in the sharing session, draws the identified region on a display device associated with the host computing device, and causes the identified region to be drawn on a display device associated with the participant computing device. In various embodiments, the region is a spot region or a highlighted region that is drawn in a color associated with a user of the participant computing device.
US07996775B2
A method of providing instant messaging communication between a first user and at least one other user via a communication network. The method comprises: executing an instant messaging client at a user terminal of the first user, the instant messaging client having a user interface comprising a message composition region; the instant messaging client receiving a selection of media for insertion into the instant messaging communication from the first user; the instant messaging client generating a link comprising the address of the selected media at a network element and creating a selectable control with the link embedded therein; inserting the selectable control in the message composition region of the instant messaging client; the instant messaging client receiving user-viewable text entered by the first user into the message composition region in addition to the selectable control; and the instant messaging client transmitting the contents of the message composition region of the instant messaging client to the at least one other user over the communication network responsive to a command from the first user.
US07996773B2
A method, system, and article of manufacture that help system administrators visualize the relationship between a global setting and the setting in each instance. One embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving a selection of a setting, determining an inheritance state for the selected setting, and displaying a graphical indication of the inheritance state of the selected setting. In some embodiments, the method further comprises displaying a graphical indication of the inheritance relationship between the selected setting and at least one related setting. The method may also include receiving a change inheritance relationship command, and changing the inheritance relationship for the selected setting.
US07996770B2
A portal includes one or more portal pages. Each portal page is associated with one or more ontology-based dictionaries. One or more portlets provide content for the portal pages, such that each portal page includes instances of one or more of the portlets. Each portal page is associated with the dictionaries and described using these dictionaries. Each portlet is associated with the ontology-based dictionaries and described using these dictionaries. A broker governs interaction among the portlets and between the portlets and the portal pages by using the ontology-based dictionaries. For instance, the broker governs interaction among the portlets, and between the portlets and the portal pages, by using the ontology-based dictionaries in that properties of the portlets and/or properties of the portal pages that are differently named but correspond to a same attribute are equated as identical via the ontology-based dictionaries.
US07996765B1
Systems and methods are provided for style sheet language coding that maintains a desired relationship between display elements. An authoring tool receives a desired attribute for a first display element, and the authoring tool generates style sheet language code for defining attributes of at least one other display element to maintain a predefined relationship between the display elements. Accordingly, as a developer defines (e.g., creates, modifies, etc.) attributes for one of the display elements, the authoring tool autonomously updates the style sheet language code to define the attributes of the other display elements to maintain the predefined relationship therebetween. In certain embodiments, the authoring tool provides an interface that enables a developer to directly define certain attributes of a display element, wherein the authoring tool generates style sheet language code to indirectly define the attributes in a manner that reflects the developer's direct definition thereof.
US07996763B2
One embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for assessing complexity levels in data representations. Such a method can be broadly summarized by the following: obtaining a first document having information associated with a data representation being used to model a concept and at least a second document having information associated with a data representation being used to model the same concept; analyzing structural components of the first document and the second document to assess a level of complexity in the data representation associated with each of the first and the second documents; and determining which of the data representation of the first document and the data representation of the second document has a smaller level of complexity. Other methods and systems are also provided.
US07996762B2
Correlative multi-label image annotation may entail annotating an image by indicating respective labels for respective concepts. In an example embodiment, a classifier is to annotate an image by implementing a labeling function that maps an input feature space and a label space to a combination feature vector. The combination feature vector models both features of individual ones of the concepts and correlations among the concepts.
US07996761B2
A method of automatic data input/output to/from another document format or data file with a high visibility and an easy document format definition operation, even in a document format having a derivative area as a second data description area in a single cell. The method includes performing an item definition for correlating data or a data field with an item name in a document format, and specifying a difference condition as a description condition unique to the derivative area against a main area as a first description area in the same cell, for the data field having the derivative area as a second data area in a single cell. According to the specified item definition and the difference condition, data or a record as a set of data description areas to be simultaneously referenced at the document data input/output is identified for each of the derivative areas.
US07996760B2
An embodiment includes a method that includes intercepting, by an intermediary, a form destined for a device used by a user over a network that is from an application executing on a different device on the network. The form includes parts to be completed by the user. The method also includes completing, by the intermediary, a first part of the parts to be completed by the user, prior to the form being received by the device.
US07996759B2
One embodiment in accordance with the invention relates to inserting data (e.g., XML data) from a database into an electronic template form that includes a table. Furthermore, each table can expand to fit any amount of inserted data and can also expand onto additional pages. The additional pages may have the format of supplemental pages that include the expanded table or that of duplicate pages that also include the other information (e.g., brief description of the table, letterhead, etc.) that was included on the first page. The font size and space can be calculated along with the line wrap for the supplemental page format or duplicate page format.
US07996758B2
The disclosed system empowers technical and non technical users to author logical business objects, author intelligent business forms, and create automated workflows. The logical business objects include data definitions and methods from existing and new data sources. An object broker interprets the business object definition and brokers data/information and method calls to the data sources. The intelligent business forms are created by an information worker in a rich web-based tooling environment. Each form is intelligent enough to recognize other forms that it might co-exist with on a single page, as well as how to react based on events that occur on these related forms. The automated workflow tools include process discovery features that assist users during the process identification phase. The tools assist both technical and non technical users to identify processes within the organization, including supporting solution artifacts such as forms, rules, actions, outcomes and business objects involved. Process modeling features include the ability to combine defined artifacts into a process model that can be published into a runtime environment where it can be executed and used by business users in the organization.
US07996756B2
A system and method renders an image on a server and displays it on a client. A server sends to a client a web page that includes a design document encoding graphic elements that characterize a design image. The client receives edits to the graphic elements, and sends the design document back to the server. The server then uses the design document to render an image, and sends to the client the rendered image for display in the web page. The web page may contain an IFRAME markup tag to define an area in which to display the rendered image. The server may use a database to store the rendered image and use it in completing a customer order.
US07996741B2
A low-pin-count scan compression method and apparatus for reducing test data volume and test application time in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains one or more scan chains, each scan chain comprising one or more scan cells coupled in series. The method and apparatus includes a programmable pipelined decompressor comprising one or more shift registers, a combinational logic network, and an optional scan connector. The programmable pipelined decompressor decompresses a compressed scan pattern on its compressed scan inputs and drives the generated decompressed scan pattern at the output of the programmable pipelined decompressor to the scan data inputs of the scan-based integrated circuit. Any input constraints imposed by said combinational logic network are incorporated into an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) program for generating the compressed scan pattern for one or more selected faults in one-step.
US07996739B2
A structure, system, and method block clock inputs to clock domains (using a computer). While the clock domain inputs are blocked, the structure, system, and method perform a first timing test only of signals that are transmitted within the clock domains (using the computer) by only observing latches that receive signals from sources within the clock domains. The structure, system, and method also unblock the clock inputs to the clock domains (using the computer). While the clock domain inputs are unblocked, the structure, system, and method perform a second timing test only of signals that are transmitted between the clock domains by only observing latches that receive signals from other clock domains.
US07996735B2
To realize a fast and highly reliable phase-change memory system of low power consumption, a semiconductor device includes: a memory device which includes a first memory array having a first area including a plurality of first memory cells and a second area including a plurality of second memory cells; a controller coupled to the memory device to issue a command to the memory device; and a condition table for storing a plurality of trial writing conditions. The controller performs trial writing in the plurality of second memory cells a plurality of times based on the plurality of trial writing conditions stored in the condition table, and determines writing conditions in the plurality of first memory cells based on a result of the trial writing. The memory device performs writing in the plurality of first memory cells based on the writing conditions instructed from the controller.
US07996726B2
An evaluation method is proposed to evaluate reliability of a nonvolatile memory in a semiconductor storage device with respect to data writing and data reading. While power is being supplied to the semiconductor storage device, a test program and the control program are written in a storage unit of the semiconductor storage device. The test program being written to control execution of an evaluation test performed for evaluating the reliability of the nonvolatile memory and generate a simulated access command identical to an access command input externally for accessing the nonvolatile memory. Access to the nonvolatile memory is controlled according to the test program and control program in the storage unit.
US07996719B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for expressing fault correlation constrains to a developer of a service application are provided. Initially, the fault correlation constraints are identified by inspecting an architecture of resources comprising a data center. Based on the resources, sets of nodes that become concurrently unavailable due to a failure mode or update scheme are aggregated. These fault correlation constraints, upon being communicated to the developer, then may be incorporated into a service model produced thereby. Accordingly, the service model is tailored to the specific characteristics of the data center and is provided with instructions as to how to partition instances of the service application throughout the distributed resources of the data center. Thus, the fault correlation constraints provide a developer with insight into rules and structures on which the data center is constructed and assurances of a certain level of fault tolerance upon deploying the service application.
US07996717B1
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for setting and implementing a policy to compress the history of data on a temporal volume is described.
US07996711B2
The present invention provides a method of protecting against errors in a boot memory, the method comprising initiating booting of a processor by executing primary boot code from a primary boot memory, and based on the execution of the primary boot code: accessing a data structure comprising a plurality of redundant portions of boot information stored on a secondary boot memory; performing an error check on a plurality of the portions to determine whether those portions contain errors and, based on the error checks, to identify a valid portion; and booting the processor using the valid portion of boot information.
US07996704B2
The invention provides an asynchronous first in first out (FIFO) interface and operation method wherein a read-out clock and a write-in clock of the asynchronous FIFO interface is asynchronous. The asynchronous FIFO interface comprises a FIFO buffer, a clock controller and a variable integer divider. The FIFO buffer inputs at least one data with the write-in clock, and outputs the at least one data with the read-out clock. The clock controller outputs a clock control signal according to a number of data stored in the FIFO buffer. The variable integer divider divides a first signal to generate the read-out clock or the write-in clock by an integer divisor controlled by the clock control signal in order to adjust the number of data stored in the FIFO buffer.
US07996702B2
A test system for overclocking capability of a central processing unit (CPU) includes a basic input and output system (BIOS), a frequency generator, and a watchdog timer. The BIOS includes an input module, a watchdog control module, and a frequency increasing module. The input module inputs an initial frequency of a CPU to the frequency generator to adjust a real-time frequency of the CPU. The watchdog control module sends a counter signal to the watchdog timer in a preset time interval. The watchdog timer receives the counter signal. If the watchdog timer does not receive the counter signal within the preset time, the watchdog timer outputs a reset signal to restart the computer. The frequency increasing module adds a preset increment to the real-time frequency to obtain a newly adjusted frequency, and provides the newly adjusted frequency to the frequency generator to adjust the real-time frequency.
US07996701B2
Automated clock relationship detection may quickly and reliably detect a clock relationship with minimal latency while reducing problems due to metastability occurring at a solitary instant or extended over multiple clock periods. Automated clock relationship detection between two clocks may comprise (a) a shift register synchronizer that reduces the possibility of metastability while capturing and temporarily storing samples of the first clock in response to cycles of the second clock and (b) an evaluator that processes the samples to determine the relationship. A clock relationship detector may also determine the relationship of two clocks by arbitrating a plurality of preliminary determinations of the relationship. Delays may be applied so that each of several detectors receives a clock at a different time, which may avoid metastability in the majority of detectors. The relationship may be used to reliably determine an operating mode of logic driven by one of the clocks.
US07996700B2
A method of keeping global time in a wireless network, the method includes reading a Time Synchronization Function (TSF) to provide an initial time base. An interconnected clock control circuit is employed to read the TSF time from the circuitry used to read the TSF and to implement a local clock based on time values read from the TSF.
US07996696B1
A multiprocessor system dynamically updates CPU affinities for processes executing on processors of the multiprocessor system based on an external signal. The external signal is generated by a monitor device. The external signal identifies the processors and the processes that require updating. In response to the external signal, the multiprocessor system redistributes the processes identified in the external signal and powers on or off one or more processors based on a processor threshold associated with the multiprocessor system.
US07996686B2
Method, system, and computer program product embodiments for performing a branch trace operation on a computer system of an end user are provided. An encrypted mapping macro is provided to the end user to be made operational on the computer system. A trace program is provided to the end user. The end user executes the trace program on the computer system as a diagnostic tool. The trace program is adapted for decrypting the encrypted mapping macro, determining a storage offset location of a branch instruction; checking the storage offset location for an identifying constant, cross referencing the identifying constant with an entry in the decrypted mapping macro to identify a branch triggering bit and diagnostic information associated with the branch instruction, and returning the branch triggering bit and diagnostic information, the branch triggering bit and diagnostic information provided to a coder.
US07996660B2
A processor in a digital system executes instructions in an instruction execution pipeline. The processor detects a pipeline protection directive while executing instructions and sets a pipeline protection mode in accordance with the directive. The processor then continues to fetch and execute instructions in an unprotected manner if the pipeline protection mode is off and continues to fetch and execute instruction in a protected manner if the pipeline protection mode is on.
US07996658B2
Processor system and method for monitoring performance of a selected task among a plurality of tasks
A processor system includes a processor to execute a plurality of tasks by switching to one another, a task ID storage section to store a task ID to identify a task executed in the processor, an evaluation ID storage section to store an evaluation ID to be compared with an at least partial area of the task ID, a counter to measure a performance measurement value of a task executed in the processor, and a matching section to check a task ID stored in the task ID storage section against an evaluation ID stored in the evaluation ID storage section and operate the counter in accordance with a check result.
US07996655B2
One embodiment provides a method of forwarding data in a processor. The method generally includes providing at least one cascaded delayed execution pipeline unit having at least a first pipeline and a second pipeline for executing first and second instructions in a common issue group, wherein the second pipeline executes the second instruction in a delayed manner relative to the execution of the first instruction in the first pipeline, storing results generated by an execution unit of the first pipeline in a first-in first-out (FIFO) storage target delay queue, determining if the target delay queue contains source data for executing the second instruction, and if the target delay queue contains source data for the second instruction, forwarding the source data for the second instruction from the target delay queue to an execution unit of the second pipeline.
US07996648B2
A single application can be executed across multiple execution environments in an efficient manner if at least a relevant portion of the virtual memory assigned to the application was equally accessible by each of the multiple execution environments. A request by a process in one execution environment can, thereby, be directed to an operating system, or other core software, in another execution environment and can be made by a shadow of the requesting process in the same manner as the original request was made by the requesting process itself. Because of the memory invariance between the execution environments, the results of the request will be equally accessible to the original requesting process even though the underlying software that responded to the request may be executing in a different execution environment. A similar thread invariance can be maintained to provide for accurate translation of requests between execution environments.
US07996644B2
An apparatus and method for fairly accessing a shared cache with multiple resources, such as multiple cores, multiple threads, or both are herein described. A resource within a microprocessor sharing access to a cache is assigned a static portion of the cache and a dynamic portion. The resource is blocked from victimizing static portions assigned to other resources, yet, allowed to victimize the static portion assigned to the resource and the dynamically shared portion. If the resource does not access the cache enough times over a period of time, the static portion assigned to the resource is reassigned to the dynamically shared portion.
US07996643B2
A storage control unit detects a change in a configuration of a plurality of logical subsystems included in the storage control unit. The storage control unit sends a notification, wherein the notification indicates the change in the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems. The storage control unit receives data transfer requests directed at available logical subsystems in the storage control unit, wherein the available logical subsystems are determined based on the configuration of the plurality of logical subsystems.
US07996639B2
A tiered storage system according to the present invention provides for the management of migration groups. When a migration group is defined, a reference tier position is determined and the relative tier position of each constituent logical device is determined. Movement of a migration group involves migrating data in its constituent logical devices to target logical devices. The migration group is then defined by the target devices. A virtualization system makes the transition transparent to host devices.
US07996626B2
A snoop filter optimization system includes one or more subsystems to operate a snoop filter, determine information that that affects operation of the snoop filter, and adjust operation of the snoop filter relative to the information that affects operation of the snoop filter.
US07996625B2
A method for reducing memory latency in a multi-node architecture. In one embodiment, a speculative read request is issued to a home node before results of a cache coherence protocol are determined. The home node initiates a read to memory to complete the speculative read request. Results of a cache coherence protocol may be determined by a coherence agent to resolve cache coherency after the speculative read request is issued.
US07996619B2
A method and apparatus for a k-way direct mapped cache organization is herein described. Control logic coupled to a cache may associate an address to a way within a plurality based on a first portion of the address. The control logic may match the first portion of the address to a predefined value in a mapping table, wherein the predefined value in the mapping table is associated with the way. In addition, the control logic may map the address to a set within cache based on a second portion of the address.
US07996609B2
A method of dynamic allocation of non-volatile memory in a cache storage subsystem includes constraining a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 6 array in an unavailable state, the RAID 6 array having been newly created in the subsystem, destaging data from a write cache to a storage medium to free memory space, reserving the freed memory space for allocation to data-persistent storage, allocating the memory space to an adapter in the subsystem as a target for data in the event of a power loss, and changing the RAID 6 array to an available state. A system for dynamic allocation of non-volatile memory in a cache storage subsystem includes a computer processing device which constrains a newly-created redundant array of independent disks (RAID) 6 array in an unavailable state to execute a reconfiguration method.
US07996595B2
Technologies are generally described herein for handling interrupts within a multiprocessor computing system. Upon receiving an interrupt at the multiprocessor computing system, a priority level associated with an interrupt handler for the interrupt can be determined. Current task priority levels can be queried from one or more processors of the multiprocessor computing system. One of the processors can be assigned to execute the interrupt handler in response to the processor having a lowest current task priority level. Interrupt arbitration can schedule and communicate interrupt responses among processor cores in a multiprocessor computing system. Arbitration can query information about current task or thread priorities from a set of processor cores upon receiving an interrupt. The processor core that is currently idle or running the lowest priority task may be selected to service the interrupt.
US07996594B2
A computer implemented method, a tangible computer readable medium, and a data processing system intelligently propagate link status information received by a blade server to the various ports of an embedded multi-port switch. The link status of a switch port in an external switch module can be communicated to the operating systems of individual blade servers that are affected by that link status. When an external switch module is unplugged from a server blade chassis, the bus controller broadcasts a link down event, such as a link down interrupt, to the individual server blades where it is received by the embedded multi-port switch for those server blades. The embedded multi-port switch translates the link down interrupt into a hardware link down event, and forwards the hardware link down event to the other elements connected to the embedded multi-port switch.
US07996588B2
In one embodiment of a networking module, a first block receives a serial digital media signal, and provides a parallel digital media signal based on the serial digital media signal. A second block, operative with the first block, stores the parallel digital media signal in a corresponding slot in an outgoing frame, and sends the outgoing frame in response to receiving an incoming frame.
US07996559B2
Ethernet OAM MEPs are automatically configured in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network. A node operating in the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network receives a Link State PDU (LSP) containing a TLV having a MEP associated with the Ethernet MAC node ID of a second node in the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, where the path between the first and second node includes a plurality of links. The node updates a forwarding table to indicate an association between the MEP ID and a Ethernet MAC node ID of the second node. An Ethernet OAM maintenance endpoint is produced in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network by hashing a Sys-ID to produce a MEP; storing the MEP in a TLV; and forwarding the TLV over the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network in an LSP.
US07996558B2
A method for routing data, using a stateless routing protocol includes communicating data between a source host and a destination host in a network with a plurality of hosts. Each host in the network has a unique numerical address. The method comprises determining a least common ancestor host of the source host and the destination host using the unique numerical address of each of the source and destination hosts. The data is sent from the source host to the least common ancestor host, and then sent from the least common ancestor host to the destination host. Alternatively, the data can be routed using a stateful routing protocol in which each host records the address of its neighbors and forwards the data to the neighbor host that is closest to the destination host.
US07996555B2
Job site communications systems, methods, and computer program products. According to one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed herein, a job site communications system is provided. The job site communications system can include a wireless communications device adapted to be positioned at a job site and operable to wirelessly communicate annotated computer-aided design documents from the job site. The job site communications system can also include a computer positioned at a site remote from a job site and operable to receive or transmit the computer-aided design documents.
US07996548B2
A network protocol unit interface is described that uses a message engine to transfer contents of received network protocol units in message segments to a destination message engine. The network protocol unit interface uses a message engine to receive messages whose content is to be transmitted in network protocol units. A message engine transmits message segments to a destination message engine without the message engine transmitter and receiver sharing memory space. In addition, the transmitter message engine can transmit message segments to a receiver message engine by use of a virtual address associated with the receiver message and a queue identifier, as opposed to a memory address.
US07996541B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for determining a serving home subscriber server (HSS) in a communications network are described. One method includes obtaining a subscriber identifier from a query message. An exceptions-based data structure contained in a database is accessed to locate a database entry associated with the subscriber identifier. Similarly, a range-based data structure contained in the database is accessed to locate the database entry associated with the subscriber identifier if the exceptions-based data structure does not contain the database entry. The method also includes acquiring serving HSS data corresponding to the located entry from either the exceptions-based data structure or the range-based data structure.
US07996532B2
Cluster-free techniques for enabling a directory protocol-based Domain Name System (DNS) service for high availability are presented. A DNS service monitors a node for wild-carded IP address that migrate to the node when a primary node fails to service DNS requests for a directory of the network. The DNS service forwards the wild-carded IP address to a distributed directory service for resolution and uses the distributed directory service to dynamically configure the DNS service for directly handling subsequent DNS requests made to the directory over the network while the primary node remains inoperable over the network.
US07996530B1
Method and apparatus for enabling authentication of on-line communications. In some embodiments, a message code is embedded in an e-mail, where the message code can be used by the recipient to verify the authenticity of the e-mail or of a Web site. In some embodiments, this code can be created for a particular e-mail message; in other embodiments, the code is created as a watermark for use by a customer or other a specific user or recipient. The message code is associated with both the e-mail message and the recipient. In the case of a message-specific code, a recipient can verify the e-mail message by inputting the code via a Web server to be looked up in the database. Provision is also made for including steganographic information in graphical or other codes as further authentication when accessing a Web site.
US07996529B2
A system for maintaining a high availability data transmission and processing environment. The system includes a network of clusters and a control server. Each cluster of the network includes at least two identical servers. Each cluster of the network is directly connected to at least one other cluster of the network. Each pair of clusters directly connected to each other is characterized by each server in a first cluster of the pair of clusters being directly connected to at least one server in a second cluster of the pair of clusters via a communication link. The control server is configured to monitor an operational status of the communication link (i.e., the communication link is operational or non-operational). The control server is directly linked to at least one server in each cluster via a communication channel between the control server and the at least one server.
US07996522B2
Techniques for persistent scheduling are provided. A principal registers a schedule with a network-based scheduling service. The scheduling service determines when a trigger is to be sent to a client associated with the principal for purposes of having that client process a particular action. The trigger is sent when the client is detected as being online; and when the client is offline, the trigger is sent as soon as the client comes online. Furthermore, once a trigger is successfully sent, a current date and time that the trigger was sent is maintained with the schedule for the client.
US07996517B2
Techniques for the transparent takeover of network connections are presented. A first server is engaged in a connection with a client. The transactions of the connection and the traffic are monitored by a traffic cache manager. The first server records sequence numbers for the transactions with a synchronization store. If the first server fails, a last recorded sequence number is updated by the traffic cache manager within the synchronization store on behalf of a second server, which is to takeover the connection for the unresponsive first server.
US07996503B2
A dynamic repository (either storing digital data content or pointers to stored digital data content) works in conjunction with a plurality of interfaces to manage digital content and digital rights policies associated with one or more users. Digital rights policies are unique to each user and such policies define access to digital content in the repository. The user's digital rights policy indicates the level of access a user has to digital content in the repository (e.g., the policy could indicate that the user has authorized access to a particular file for a period of seven days). The interfaces linked with the content repository are used to access and manipulate the digital data content (based upon each user's digital rights policy) and the digital rights policies stored in the content repository. The interfaces include: (a) one or more authentication interfaces for authenticating users, (b) one or more digital rights management (DRM) interfaces allowing users to add, delete, or edit the digital rights policies, (c) one or more data access interfaces allowing users to selectively access digital data content as defined by their individual digital rights policy, (d) one or more browsing interfaces allowing users to selectively browse said digital data content, or a (e) one or more content manipulation interfaces allowing said users to add, delete, or edit said digital data content.
US07996492B2
A client-server system is described. The system includes a group of Web sites that provide Web resources to clients. The resources can communicate with a common interface in order to access a user's documents when the user is actively making use of the resource. The system further includes a Web site that can deliver a Web page to a client. The Web page provides links and other information regarding the group of Web sites.
US07996489B2
A method of allowing a portable device to provide a rich site summary (RSS) feed including information about renewal of contents, and an apparatus performing the method are provided. If contents of the portable device are renewed, the portable device generates an RSS feed for the renewed contents and sends the RSS feed to an RSS reader, and accordingly, a related art web-based RSS service is expanded to the portable device. Therefore, even if the user does not browse all contents of the portable device, a user of the portable device can easily see only information about contents that are recently updated using another device such as a personal computer (PC).
US07996487B2
This disclosure pertains to solutions, including without limitation, systems, methods, and software programs, that provide the ability to quickly and efficiently search mobile devices for relevant information. An exemplary search server has the ability to communicate (either directly and/or via a host PC) with one or more mobile devices to transmit a search request. The mobile devices, in turn, have a search facility that is configured to perform a search of the contents of the device and return a set of results to the search server. These results then may be presented to a user, who can select one or more of the results. The selected search result(s) then may be downloaded from the device and presented to the user.
US07996469B1
A collaborative communication system is disclosed. The collaborative communication system allows registered user to share a file with online or offline users by sending the file to a store remotely located with respect to a client machine being used by a sender. Each of the registered users is assigned an identifier that is not in form of the traditional email address. A designated recipient receives a notification of the availability of the file when the recipient logs into the system, where the delivery of the notification is based on the identifier of the recipient. The designated recipient may access the file whenever it is deemed convenient.
US07996466B2
A computer readable medium includes executable instructions to monitor the exchange of messages between a first computer and a second computer in a network. Context from the messages is assembled. The context is used to form a query. The query is applied to one or more report documents.
US07996464B1
Techniques for providing a graphic environment to facilitate communication with one or more users in a directory. The directory includes a plurality of registered users and a corresponding status thereof. At least one of the registered users in the directory is associated with an iconic image that is automatically enlarged when the user selected. In one implementation, an icon may appear as a thumbnail photo of the user. When enlarged, an iconic image is shown as a photo of sufficient resolution of the user for easy recognition.
US07996462B2
A system and method for connecting information resources in a collaborative work environment. A system includes at least one information source providing collaboration data, and a repository framework including at least one source for storing the collaboration data. A collaborative bot service is connected with the repository framework, and includes one or more bots, or autonomous programs, configured to traverse the source via the repository framework, extract a topic from a portion of the collaboration data, and create a link between the portion of the collaboration data and an information resource related to the collaboration data based on the topic.
US07996461B1
A method of remotely controlling a user interface which includes peer-peer client/server software modules that allow the user interface on a host computer to be displayed by a remote terminal. The method includes the steps of sending a request to a host application of a first computer to establish a remote control session by a second computer over a network connection between the first and second computers, establishing a communication session between a user interface server of the first computer and a user interface client of the second computer, sending a current presentation of the host application rendered by a user interface engine to the user interface client by the user interface server, wherein the presentation includes visual display information displayed on a display of the first computer, rendering the presentation by a user interface engine of the second computer, sending user interface events from the user interface client to the user interface server, and calling the user interface engine of the first computer by the user interface server to report the user interface events.
US07996460B1
Processing a browser request that specifies a destination network resource generally includes intercepting a browser request that specifies a selected destination network resource and redirecting the browser request to a network server that differs from the destination resource specified by the browser request. Processing a browser request also may include intercepting a browser request received from a client computer at a proxy server when the browser request specifies a selected destination network resource and performing instructions associated with and in addition to instructions performed to download the selected destination network resource.
US07996458B2
A method and apparatus are provided for assigning tasks in a distributed system. The method comprises indicating to one or more remote systems in the distributed system that a task is available for processing based on a list identifying the one or more remote systems. The method further comprises receiving at least one response from the one or more remote systems capable of performing the task based on the indication. The method comprises allowing at least one of the remote systems to perform the task based on the at least one received response.
US07996448B2
A method and apparatus for reproducing data from a recording medium are disclosed. The method and apparatus calls for downloading data associated with data read from the recording medium. The downloaded data is stored in a local storage using an organization ID directory. The downloaded data from the local storage and the data from the recording medium are ultimately bound together to form a virtual package.
US07996445B2
A data storage system pre-fetches data blocks from a mass storage device, then determines whether reallocation of the pre-fetched blocks would improve access to them. If access would be improved, the pre-fetched blocks are written to different areas of the mass storage device. Several different implementations of such data storage systems are described.
US07996443B2
The subject innovation provides a system and/or a method that facilitates developing schemas for a file storage system. A type definition component can provide a schema grammar, wherein a generator component can employ the schema grammar to build the schema for the file storage system. The schema grammar can describe information types stored in the file storage system that are represented as instances of complex types that are part of a type system that supports inheritance. The schema grammar can support a declaration of an association between types, versioning specifications, and/or content indexing specifications.
US07996442B2
A method, system, and computer program product provides the capability to compare data object definitions in a database in a less costly and less time-consuming manner than previous techniques. A method of comparing multiple versions of data item definitions in a database comprises generating a first version of comparison information relating to a plurality of data item definitions in the database by comparing information relating to data item definitions obtained from a first source and information relating to data item definitions obtained from a second source and generating a second version of comparison information relating to a plurality of data item definitions in the database by comparing information relating to data item definitions obtained from a first source and information relating to data item definitions obtained from a second source to the first version of comparison information.
US07996437B2
A data item name constituting a source data schema is extracted (1051), a data item name constituting a target data schema is extracted (1052), element concepts included in the extracted data item names of the source data schema and the target data schema are extracted (1053), a distinctive relation between the data item names is set based on the extracted element concepts to be stored in an ontology (1061), the data item names of the source data schema and the target data schema are read, a correlation is set between the two read data item names based on the distinctive relation to be stored in a mapping definition file (1071).
US07996435B2
Embodiments of the present invention include a computer-implemented method of comparing computer documents such as programs and XML. A hierarchical level may be specified. For each hierarchical level between a root and the specified hierarchical level, first and second searches are executed for nodes representing subsections of each document. The returned nodes from the first search correspond to subsections of the first computer document, and may be set equal to nodes representing the second document if the addresses are the same. The second search is executed on the second document, and the addresses of the nodes returned by the first search may be compared against addresses for nodes returned from the second search. Nodes are matched and marked as equal. The hierarchical level may then be increased and the process repeated until the root node is reached.
US07996434B2
A method is provided for creating a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) for a web service. The UUID is stored in service metadata associated with the web service. The UUID can then be used to track services and correlate service information between multiple systems. In accordance with an embodiment, a method is provided for publishing Universal Description Discovery and Integration (UDDI) service information from a metadata repository to a service registry. In accordance with an embodiment, a method is provided for receiving Universal Description Discovery and Integration (UDDI) service information from a service registry into a metadata repository.
US07996433B2
A method and article for efficiently accessing resources in a multiprocessor computer system. Multiple resources are grouped into nodes and system resource descriptors are maintained as data structures. The method incorporates traversing one or more of the data structure to efficiently allocate resources within a grouping of nodes. Each node in the system is assigned a node identifying number. This number identifies a node location within a multiprocessor and is used to determine latency between nodes. Accordingly, storing the system architecture information in a data structure format provides for an efficient method of accessing system resources and determining latency for specific processes and access patterns.
US07996432B2
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method for generating an annotation for media content, that includes retrieving a media content subset from a media content source, saving the received media content subset at a computing system, and generating an annotation for association with the media content subset using the computing system. The method further includes associating the annotation with media content to facilitate the visualization and navigation of the media content and adding the annotation to at least one annotation repository designed for efficient retrieval of annotation elements.
US07996430B2
A file retrieval device, operable to retrieve a valid file name for reading a plurality of file main bodies from a recording medium in which the plurality of file main bodies and file related information that includes a file names respectively allocated to the plurality of file main bodies and respectively depending on different file systems are recorded and which is coordinated with one file system in advance, the file retrieval device, including: a first extracting unit, operable to extract the file name depending on the file system identical with the one file system from the file related information; a validity deciding unit, operable to decide validity of the file name depending on the file system other than the one file system; a second extracting unit, operable to extract the file name depending on the file system related to the file name decided to be valid by the validity deciding unit for the file main body the file name of which is not extracted by the first extracting unit; and an output unit, operable to output the file names extracted by the first and second extracting units.
US07996415B1
Some embodiments of on-the-fly pattern recognition with configurable bounds have been presented. In one embodiment, a pattern matching engine is configured based on user input, which may include values of one or more user configurable bounds on searching. Then the configured pattern matching engine is used to search for a set of features in an incoming string. A set of scores is updated based on the presence of any of the features in the string while searching for the features. Each score may indicate a likelihood of the content of the string being in a category. The search is terminated if the end of the string is reached or if the user configurable bounds are met. After terminating the search, the scores are output.
US07996413B2
A database modernization system and method is disclosed. One example embodiment comprises a method for receiving a record stored as a source physical data model, parsing the source physical data model into a source logical data model, wherein the source logical data model includes semantic information from the record, transforming the source logical data model to a destination logical data model independent of a source or a destination record physical implementation, wherein the destination logical data model includes at least a portion of the semantic information from the record, and storing the destination logical data model in a destination physical data model. In this manner, a destination physical data model may be stored in a relational database management system on a per record basis.
US07996411B2
Control statements related to inputting, sorting, filtering, formatting, and outputting data records in a data processing system are scanned to find one or more formatting options related to character translation. Files comprising a plurality of data records are input, processed, and output as directed by the control statements. As specified by the formatting options, character translation operations are conducted on selected characters. The character translation operations are conducted in conjunction with inputting and outputting the data records. In one embodiment, the supported character translation operations include lowercase to uppercase conversion, uppercase to lowercase conversion, EBCDIC-to-ASCII conversion, ASCII-to-EBCDIC conversion, and user-definable character translation. The present invention increases the utility of a data processing system while minimizing the programming burden associated with translating selected characters while processing data records.
US07996391B2
A method includes generating search results in response to a user query, where at least one of the search results includes a group of links. The group of links may represent links to web pages within a same web site and may be identified based on at least one factor associated with the links. The method may also include providing the search results to the user.
US07996389B2
Search in stocks of data, particularly on optical media, is intended to be optimized in terms of the time required for the search. It is therefore proposed that the search be carried out in two steps. In a first search step, the entire database is scanned on the disk storage medium. In a second search step, executed in parallel, intermediate results from the first search step are searched. This allows the number of skips on a disk to be reduced, which results in increases of speed, particularly in the case of optical drives.
US07996386B2
An apparatus and program product that utilize at least one prematurely terminated processing of a database query to improve the processing of the database query. The embodiments discussed track termination information associated with at least one user initiated premature termination of processing of a database query to improve the processing of the database query. Information related to the premature terminations of a database query may be utilized by a DBMS to generate and/or implement suggestions to improve the processing of the database query, resulting in improved query processing, improved performance, fewer premature terminations, and more satisfied users.
US07996383B2
Embodiments of the invention form an information set from the current set of index information available by the operations of the pre-search and runtime Search components of the search engine. A search request that contains search terms and/or other search criteria (e.g. date or file type) is entered by a user through an input interface. The search terms and the information set are worked through the search engine modules to provide the actual results sought by the user. These results are provided to the user via an output interface. Embodiments of a search engine involve runtime aspects that remove duplicate documents from the index, provide topical searching, and provide caching for the search engine.
US07996379B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for scoring documents. A plurality of documents with an initial ordering is received. Local term relationships between terms in the plurality of documents are identified, each local term relationship being a relationship between a pair of terms in a respective document. Relationships among the documents in the plurality of documents are determined based on the local term relationships and on the initial order of the documents. A respective score is determined for each document in the plurality of documents based on the document relationships.
US07996376B2
An approach is provided for managing session information across application boundaries. Session information is obtained of a first application. The session information is stored. The session information is provided to a second application, wherein the session information is particular to a user session and includes data to be persisted across boundaries of the first application and the second application.
US07996372B2
An automated correspondence response system is provide for permitting a receiving entity to generate customized responses based on data extracted from received communications. The system also provides for automated management and manipulation of data extracted from correspondence received by a receiving entity for group profiling and to perform various statistical analysis thereof.The system analyzes content of received correspondence, such as celebrity fan mail, and manages the automation of responses via targeted or “customized” letters, wherein the receiving entity creates content specific fields or terms in order to respond to correspondence in an automated and yet relevant manner. The receiving entity can electronically define what data is extracted from the correspondence. A particular “customized” response to the correspondence may be electronically selected from a plurality of possible responses based on the data extracted from the sender's correspondence so that the receiving entity can effectively respond to the sender. The “customized” automated response can also be “personalized” by including sender specific data in the “customized” automated response.
US07996369B2
A computer process, called VGRAM, improves the performance of these string search algorithms in computers by using a carefully chosen dictionary of variable-length grams based on their frequencies in the string collection. A dynamic programming algorithm for computing a tight lower bound on the number of common grams shared by two similar strings in order to improve query performance is disclosed. A method for automatically computing a dictionary of high-quality grams for a workload of queries. Improvement on query performance is achieved by these techniques by a cost-based quantitative approach to deciding good grams for approximate string queries. An approach for answering approximate queries efficiently based on discarding gram lists, and another is based on combining correlated lists. An indexing structure is reduced to a given amount of space, while retaining efficient query processing by using algorithms in a computer based on discarding gram lists and combining correlated lists.
US07996360B2
Techniques for coordinating updates to replicated data are disclosed. For example, in a system comprised of a plurality of nodes, a method for maintaining consistent copies of data across the nodes comprises the following steps. A copy of an object o1 is maintained by a plurality of nodes. In response to a request r1 to update a copy of object o1, a message is sent to at least some of the plurality of nodes instructing a node receiving the message to invalidate its copy of object o1. In response to a node n1 receiving an invalidation message arising from r1 wherein n1 is processing another request r2 to update object o1, requests r1 and r2 are coordinated to prevent the requests from causing conflicting updates or invalidations.
US07996356B2
A disclosed process accesses text data that is to be mined. The text data includes text snippets. Rules are encoded in a rule base. A search request is submitted to a search request handler. A search request handler applies the rules from the rule base to the text and associates different labels to respective text snippets in the text data in accordance with the rule base.
US07996352B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for distributed rule processing in a sense and respond system. A method for identifying a candidate set of rules is disclosed, comprising the steps of: identifying one or more rules that receive information from one or more sensors to create a first candidate set of rules; evaluating each of the identified rules to identify an initial candidate set of rules, wherein a rule is added to the initial candidate set if a selected device is associated with sensors that are enabled to produce information for the rule being evaluated, if the selected device is enabled to locally provide input information required by the rule being evaluated, and if the rule being evaluated is associated with a group of devices and there are no correlation operators that consume events generated from other devices in the group of devices; and evaluating each rule in the initial candidate set to identify a final candidate set of rules, wherein any rule that receives information from the rule being evaluated is added to the initial candidate set to create the final candidate set if the selected device is enabled to locally satisfy input information required by the rule that receives information and if the rule that receives information is associated with a group of devices and there are no correlation operators that consume events generated from other devices in the group of devices.
US07996351B1
A method for automatically estimating a country where a client computer is configured to operate. The method gathers information of the client computer (e.g., GMT offset, time zone name, daylight savings status, desktop language, etc.) and estimates a country where the client computer is configured to operate using the gathered information and country estimation programming. The method may send information regarding the identity of the estimated country to a server and then receive information from the server based on the estimated country. In other embodiments, the gathered information is sent to the server and the server estimates the country where the client computer is configured to operate. In some embodiments, the country estimation programming comprises a rule engine implemented by rule programming. In some embodiments, the rule engine comprises a recursive rule program.
US07996345B2
Adaptive navigation techniques are disclosed that allow navigation systems to learn from a user's personal driving history. As a user drives, models are developed and maintained to learn or otherwise capture the driver's personal driving habits and preferences. Example models include road speed, hazard, favored route, and disfavored route models. Other attributes can be used as well, whether based on the user's personal driving data or driving data aggregated from a number of users. The models can be learned under explicit conditions (e.g., time of day/week, driver ID) and/or under implicit conditions (e.g., weather, drivers urgency, as inferred from sensor data). Thus, models for a plurality of attributes can be learned, as well as one or more models for each attribute under a plurality of conditions. Attributes can be weighted according to user preference. The attribute weights and/or models can be used in selecting a best route for user.
US07996339B2
A method for generating object classification models is disclosed. Initially, a set of training data is fed into a training algorithm to generate a first object classification model. A set of field data is then applied to the first object classification model to produce a set of field object classifications. The number of data in the set of field data is significantly less than the number of data in the set of training data. Finally, the set of field object classifications and the set of field data are fed into the training algorithm to generate a second object classification model. The second object classification model can be utilized for predicting object classifications.
US07996338B2
The claimed matter provides systems and/or techniques that develop or use predictive models of human forgetting to effectuate automated reminding. The system includes the use of predictive models that infer the probability that aspects of items will be forgotten, models that evaluate the relevance of recalling aspects of items in different settings, based on contextual information related to user attributes associated with the items, and models of the context-sensitive cost of interrupting users with reminders. The system can combine the probability of users forgetting aspects of an item with an assessed cost of forgetting those aspects to ascertain expected costs for not being reminded about events, compare expected costs for not being reminded with expected costs for interrupting users, and based on comparisons between expected costs for being reminded and expected costs for interrupting users regarding events, generate and deliver reminder notifications to users about items.
US07996337B2
A method and system for remotely predicting the reliability and the remaining time before failure for an DC motor system is provided. The method and system may remotely determine the reliability utilizing a DC motor condition forecaster. The method and system may include acquiring historical motor data, obtaining operational data, performing failure analysis, developing a causal network, and performing an integrated causal network and reliability analysis of the DC motor system. The method and system may provide at least one notification of an issue with the DC motor system or at least one component of the DC motor system.
US07996336B2
Classification of objects using the best boolean expression that represents the most optimal combination of the underlying features is disclosed.
US07996327B2
A method of using a computer system to inform a consumer about an efficiency associated with an improved packaging configuration for a cleaning product relative to a standard packaging configuration for the cleaning product. The method comprises inputting values from the consumer into the computer system using an input device and storing the input values in a memory, using a processor to calculate a packaging space efficiency and a packaging material efficiency, and using the processor to calculate a total cost savings from using the improved packaging configuration. The method further comprises calculating a storage cost savings based on the shipping-associated packaging space efficiency and the storage cost per unit volume; calculating a disposal cost savings based on the packaging material efficiency and the disposal cost per unit weight; adding the storage cost savings and the disposal cost savings; and displaying output to the consumer using the output device.
US07996325B2
The present invention provides a microbilling system that integrates with existing billing systems and existing devices. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the devices store digital certificates with short-lived expiration dates and specifying transaction limits, preferably using a trust management system. A provisioning agent periodically (e.g., once a day) issues the certificates over a secure channel to the devices. When conducting a purchase transaction, the devices exchange certificates via a communication channel (that need not be secure) and the purchasing device issues a digitally signed electronic check which is periodically deposited over an advantageously secure channel with a clearing service. The present invention enables microbilling transactions by embedding liability in the certificates.
US07996316B1
When the deposit of a negotiable instrument, such as a check, is done electronically by using a digital image of the negotiable instrument rather than the negotiable instrument itself, during the process, at least two negotiable instruments may exist: the physical negotiable instrument and the digital image of the negotiable instrument. To change the physical negotiable instrument to a non-negotiable instrument, a bank or other financial institution may send a transmission to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument, thus effectively “voiding” the physical negotiable instrument. The negotiable instrument may have various inks or mechanisms that facilitate the modification of the appearance through the application of a stimulus, such as heat or light. The financial institution may cause the application of the stimulus to modify the appearance of the negotiable instrument.
US07996313B1
A system and method of structuring a supplemental interest mortgage is disclosed. A principal debt obligation and a supplemental debt obligation based on the principal debt loan are secured by a single security instrument. The principal debt obligation includes the principal loan and principal interest to compensate a lender for use of the lender's funds. The supplemental debt obligation includes supplemental interest to compensate a lender for the risk of borrower nonpayment.
US07996309B2
A bank customer of a first bank in a first country has a bank account. The bank provides a banking service whereby customer is able to send cash to a recipient in a second country via a commingled bank account belonging to a second bank. The cash is provided to the recipient in the currency of the second country by a third party payment agent. To effect a transfer, the bank customer in the first country instructs the first bank to debit his or her account and send cash to a designated recipient. In response, the first bank debits the customer's account, sends first payment instructions to the second bank, and transfers funds to a commingled account at the second bank. Funds from this commingled account are used to pay for the cash provided to the recipient. The banking service may be provided free of charge to a banking customer of the first bank.
US07996307B2
A financial account issuer facilitating transactions between accounts is disclosed. The invention provides sellers with an irrevocable method of receiving funds from a purchaser and for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party. The invention also includes the options of interest payments, the use of different account issuers, different financial accounts, budget transfers, spend compartmentalization, cost-splitting, adjusting credit limits, loans, gifting, intermediary facilitating the transaction, transaction tracking, rapid funds availability, confidential transfer of funds, immediate initiation of shipment by a seller, releasing funds to a seller only after approval of the goods, services, or other value, demonstrating proof of payment, and recourse against a remote seller.
US07996306B2
An improved system and method is provided for using sampling for scheduling advertisements in an online auction with budget and time constraints. A multi-armed bandit engine may be provided for sampling new advertisements by allocating advertisements for web page placements of equal quality and optimizing payments to maximize the welfare of the advertisers while remaining within advertiser's budget and time constraints. Advertisers may report their private information including arrival time, departure time, value per click, and budget. And the multi-armed bandit mechanism may approximate the maximal welfare that may be achieved under budget and time constraints by bounding the possible gain from any possible lie an advertiser might submit in reporting private information. Advertisers departing from the online auction may be charged using a payment method that may provide truthful guarantees on budget, arrivals, departures, and valuations for a budget-constrained online auction.
US07996300B2
A system and method for regulating order entry based on an acceptable slop range for a trading strategy are described. According to one example embodiment, a trader may define an acceptable slop range for a trading strategy as a percentage. The trader may also define a variable to associate with the trading strategy. Using a spread trading algorithm, a spread price axis is generated and the trader may place an order for the trading strategy at a desired price, comprising placing an order in one leg market dependent on the market conditions of another leg market. Using the acceptable slop range, the system keep the net cost to the trader within the acceptable slop range, by regulating orders in the leg markets. Defining an acceptable slop range as a percentage allows the trader to monitor and regulate their profits and loss, regardless of the type of spread trading algorithm used or the placement of an order on the spread price axis.
US07996299B2
A system (and corresponding methodology) that supports trade services back office processing to enhance efficiency and productivity is provided. The system employs a unique consolidated screen layout that significantly improves the productivity of the users. Essentially, the system and page layout is composed of the following components: Queue Well, Activity Center, Message Center, Viewing Center and Action Tab. These components facilitate organization of panels that creates an intuitive user interface experience. The system employs a navigational hierarchy of Queue Well to Activity Center and then to the Message and Viewing Centers as appropriate.
US07996297B2
A method of providing an account is provided. The method includes receiving identification information associated with a user during a communication session and communicating a request for credit information, the request including at least a portion of the identification information. The requested credit information is received and an account is approved and opened based at least on the received credit information. During the communication session, a request made using the opened account to place a first order to trade a first product is received. A risk value for the first order is determined. One or more current balances for the account are also determined. The method further includes determining whether to approve the first order based at least on the risk value determined for the first order and one or more of the current balances for the account, and if the first order is approved, placing the first order.
US07996293B2
In one method embodiment of the present methods and systems, a computer-assisted method is provided for analyzing at least one financial instrument associated with a financial institution. The financial instrument has an associated collateral. The method includes receiving at least one collateral margin record from a collateral data source, wherein the collateral margin record includes information related to at least one collateral margin condition of the financial instrument; comparing at least a portion of the collateral margin record to at least one criterion; and, generating at least one of a report and a notification based on the step of comparing the collateral margin record to the criterion. Various aspects of the present method embodiments discussed herein can also be provided in accordance with various computer-readable media embodiments and system embodiments.
US07996287B2
Methods, services, program products and devices are provided for correlating carbon offsetting and printing. Methods comprise a requester initiating a print job on a printing device; analyzing the print job; identifying at least one print job metric relevant to the print job as a function of the analyzing, the metric associated with a carbon offset value; calculating a total amount of carbon offset from the identified at least one metric; printing the print job; and transferring the carbon offset total amount to a carbon offsetting entity for debiting or crediting against a printing entity as a function of the printing. Systems and devices and articles of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program in said medium are provided. Service methods comprise deploying applications for correlating carbon offsetting and printing.
US07996286B2
Methods, systems, and products track equipment used during surgical procedures. An allowable zone associated with a surgical procedure is identified. The allowable zone determines where surgical items may be used during the surgical procedure. A location of a surgical item is determined. When the location is outside the allowable zone, an alarm is triggered to indicate the surgical item is moving outside the allowable zone towards an area in which the surgical item may not be used.
US07996280B2
A method for providing a gift registry in an on-line mall. Multiple communities within an on-line mall environment are provided, as well as multiple stores within each community. Each store is occupied by a merchant, with merchandise being directed to this community. The method further includes providing customer access to the multiple stores. The embodiment further provides for a gift registry, where the gift registry is associated with any of the multiple stores within one or more of the multiple communities, and access is provided to the gift registry to a registrant customer, so that the registrant customer can select merchandise for entry into the gift registry. Access to the gift registry is also provided to a purchase customer so that the purchase customer can select, for purchase, merchandise selected by the registrant customer. The purchase customer is provided with an electronic shopping cart to store the selected merchandise, for purchase, from any of the multiple stores within one or more of the multiple communities. A single check out is provided to process purchase of the selected merchandise, stored by the electronic shopping cart, from any of the multiple stores within the one or more of the multiple communities.
US07996278B2
A method of post customization for articles of footwear is disclosed. The method includes a step of receiving an order for a plurality of pairs of footwear, a step of manufacturing the articles, a step of receiving a set of post customization designs and a step of applying post customization designs to the articles of footwear.
US07996271B2
A block for an order is received during processing of the order, wherein a reason for the block for the order is associated with the block for the order. A set of actions is identified based on the reason for the block for the order in response to receiving the block for the order. The set of actions is executed with respect to the order in response to identifying the set of actions based on the reason for the block for the order, wherein the set of actions comprises a stage at which processing for the order ceases, restarts, and executes recovery actions, as specified.
US07996266B2
The present invention relates to a method for causing purchasable visual assets that can otherwise be accessed only by the visual assets provider' proprietary search engine, to appear within the result lists of public search engines, comprising: providing for each of said purchasable visual assets web page which includes at least the following: (a)—a representation image of said purchasable asset; (b) textual description best describing the content of said purchasable visual asset; (c) indication within said page or representation image for indicating that the asset is purchasable; and (d) a link to said stock library where the purchasable visual asset is sold.
US07996264B2
A user of an interactive medium may select advertising for display on the user's avatar, property, or other user-associated environment. The invention presents one or more advertisements to the user and allows the user to select at least one advertisement to display. The user may also choose a location for displaying the selected advertisement. The invention presents the selected advertisement to other users of the interactive medium. The invention tracks these presentations or displays and rewards the original user based on the presentation. The tracking data may also be used to bill the advertiser or optimize the process of selecting and displaying advertisements.
US07996263B2
A business method for promoting goods and services of providers includes the steps of designating a group of targeted recipients, and storing demographics information of each recipient in an electronic database. A plurality of direct mail items including provider promotions is generated, and each marked with a machine-readable ID code unique to each of the recipients. The direct mail items are sorted by their respective ID codes into cooperative mail packages, each mail package containing multiple items with common ID codes. The mail packages are then forwarded to respective recipients. After redemption of a direct mail item by a recipient, the ID code is read and electronically linked with the recipient's demographics information contained in the electronic database. A report is generated based on the direct mail items redeemed.
US07996262B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the redemption of affinity reward points as political contributions are disclosed. In an aspect, “points” or “miles” created through various existing affinity programs prevalent in the credit card and airline industries can be redeemed as political donations. Typically, such reward, award or bonus “points” or “miles” have been redeemed for free or discounted rewards such as airline tickets, hotel room stays, restaurant vouchers or other goods and services. However, millions of vested affinity points or miles are left unused (i.e., unredeemed). The present invention allows a consumer who holds such points or miles to link to a political campaign, political party or political action committee allowing excess points to be converted into cash donations to such political campaigns, political parties or political action committees.
US07996260B1
A prescription pharmaceutical promotional carrier is provided that is effective to promote a series of prescription drugs. The carrier includes first and second portions with the second portion being referred to as a payment vehicle and the first portion being utilized to identify the series of prescription drugs being promoted. In use, a preferred embodiment provides a series of stickers secured to the first portion of the carrier. Each sticker identifies or represents a prescription pharmaceutical product. A doctor may possess one or more of the carriers and may prescribe a prescription drug being promoted by the carrier. If so, the doctor can transfer a sticker identifying the prescription drug to the payment vehicle and separate the payment vehicle from the carrier. The separated payment vehicle is then given to the patient along with a prescription for the identified prescription drug and the patient presents the payment vehicle to a pharmacy where at least a portion of the costs of the prescription drug is paid by a party that sponsored the carrier.
US07996259B1
A method of assisting a website designer in establishing an arrangement between a first website being designed by the website designer and a second website in order to market the first website at the second website upon the activation of the first website on the internet is provided. The method includes, during design of the first website, receiving information at a user interface indicating a type of an element for marketing that is to be displayed at the second website, and information specifying the second website at which the element is to be displayed; saving the information at a first database that is coupled to the user interface; obtaining the element for marketing of the type indicated; and causing the display of the element for marketing at the second website when the first website is activated with respect to the internet. The element for marketing includes at least one of a banner ad concerning the first website and a link to the first website. Further provided is a method of assisting a website designer in establishing an e-commerce feature on a first website being designed by the website designer for access by third parties upon the activation of the first website on the internet, wherein the e-commerce feature is at least one of a shopping cart and an auction.
US07996253B2
A system and method for adaptive marketing using insight driven customer interaction. The invention uses a closed-loop process for developing insight that may be used to refine further customer interactions. Results of a first customer interaction such as a marketing campaign are stored in a database. The results may be used to retrain predictive models and gain new insights regarding how customers are responding to marketing campaigns. The insights may be used to refine the offers delivered to customers or to extend additional offers in an effort to increase the likelihood that customers will redeem the offers. After each marketing campaign, the results are stored in the database. New and/or modified offers are created based on insights provided by the results of past campaigns. This process may be repeated such that subsequent campaigns are based on insights generated by the predictive models. The insight enables businesses to better target customers with better offers. These offers can be delivered through ensuing marketing campaigns or, through any form of interaction that the business has with the targeted customers.
US07996239B1
Various embodiments of a system and method for generating a display configured to graphically indicate a state of a series of events are described. The system and method may include a display generator configured to generate display data that defines a display configured to indicate the state of a series of events. The display generator may create display data that defines a display configured to graphically indicate such events in a chronological manner such that the user may easily view the current state of the particular process. The display data may define a display that graphically indicates multiple events from multiple entities, such as events associated with a same episode. The displays defined by the display data may include one or more visual elements that graphically indicate an event that includes the transfer of an asset between a source entity and a destination entity.
US07996230B2
A marker is derived from an interaction between a person and an agent of a business and the agent's user interface. A part of a speech signal that corresponds to a portion of the person's special information is located with the marker. The speech signal results from the interaction between the person and the agent. The part of the speech signal that corresponds to the portion of the person's special information is rendered unintelligible.
US07996220B2
An automatic speech recognition (ASR) system and method is provided for controlling the recognition of speech utterances generated by an end user operating a communications device. The ASR system and method can be used with a communications device that is used in a communications network. The ASR system can be used for ASR of speech utterances input into a mobile device, to perform compensating techniques using at least one characteristic and for updating an ASR speech recognizer associated with the ASR system by determined and using a background noise value and a distortion value that is based on the features of the mobile device. The ASR system can be used to augment a limited data input capability of a mobile device, for example, caused by limited input devices physically located on the mobile device.
US07996215B1
A method and an apparatus for Voice Activity Detection (VAD) and an encoder are provided. The method for VAD includes: acquiring a fluctuant feature value of a background noise when an input signal is the background noise, in which the fluctuant feature value is used to represent fluctuation of the background noise; performing adaptive adjustment on a VAD decision criterion related parameter according to the fluctuant feature value; and performing VAD decision on the input signal by using the decision criterion related parameter on which the adaptive adjustment is performed. The method, the apparatus, and the encoder can be adaptive to fluctuation of the background noise to perform VAD decision, so as to enhance the VAD decision performance, save limited channel bandwidth resources, and use the channel bandwidth efficiently.
US07996212B2
A hardware device for analyzing an audio signal comprises a calculator for calculating a neural activity pattern over time resulting at nerve fibers of an ear model based on the audio signal and a processor for processing the neural activity pattern to obtain a sequence of time information as an analysis representation describing a temporal position of consecutive trajectories, wherein a trajectory includes activity impulses on different nerve fibers based on the same event in the audio signal. A two-dimensional representation of the neural activity pattern is gradually distorted over time, and it is recognized when an approximately straight line is contained in the distorted two-dimensional representation of the neural activity pattern over time. Accordingly, a time information belonging to the trajectory is provided.
US07996204B2
Operational resource modeling is usable to analyze application and computer system performance over a wide range of hypothetical scenarios. Operational resource modeling involves creating and training one or more resource models, and/or simulating hypothetical scenarios using resource models.
US07996203B2
A method, system, and computer program product are provided for verifying out of order instruction address (IA) stride prefetch performance in a processor design having more than one level of cache hierarchies. Multiple instruction streams are generated and the instructions loop back to corresponding instruction addresses. The multiple instruction streams are dispatched to a processor and simulation application to process. When a particular instruction is being dispatched, the particular instruction's instruction address and operand address are recorded in the queue. The processor is monitored to determine if the processor executes fetch and prefetch commands in accordance with the simulation application. It is checked to determine if prefetch commands are issued for instructions having three or more strides.
US07996198B2
Methods, computer programs, and information handling systems for modeling one or more reservoirs are disclosed. The method uses one or more well logs, each for a well at a location and each including one or more Relative amount of Small Size Range of the Size Spectrum of Clastic Particles (RSSRSS) values versus depth. The method includes for one or more well logs: identifying one or more facies units based on RSSRSS values, determining a thickness of one or more facies units. The method includes determining a facies type of one or more facies units, categorizing one or more facies units, and connecting one or more facies units to create a reservoir model.
US07996197B1
A method for correct and efficient detection of clearances between three-dimensional bodies in computer-based simulations, where one or both of the volumes is subject to translation and/or rotations. The method conservatively determines of the size of such clearances and whether there is a collision between the bodies. Given two bodies, each of which is undergoing separate motions, the method utilizes bounding-volume hierarchy representations for the two bodies and, mappings and inverse mappings for the motions of the two bodies. The method uses the representations, mappings and direction vectors to determine the directionally furthest locations of points on the convex hulls of the volumes virtually swept by the bodies and hence the clearance between the bodies, without having to calculate the convex hulls of the bodies. The method includes clearance detection for bodies comprising convex geometrical primitives and more specific techniques for bodies comprising convex polyhedra.
US07996196B2
A first generation portion divides an object to be analyzed into a plurality of finite elements to generate element division data. A first calculation portion defines and calculates a plurality of meshes dividing the object to be analyzed into units larger than the finite elements. A second generation portion assumes that a friction layer which has a thickness of “0” and a friction coefficient between a conductive material and a composite material of a predetermined value less than 1 exists at the interface between the conductive material and the composite material, and the second generation portion generates mesh data. A second calculation portion uses various solvers to calculate the physical amounts produced in the object to be analyzed on the basis of the mesh data and outputs the analysis result. In other words, the second calculation portion performs a simulation of the behavior of the object to be analyzed.
US07996194B2
A modeling process includes providing blocks, each of the blocks representing functional entities that operate on input signal values, output signal values from the blocks, grouping the output signal values as an ordered set in a multiplexer as a first composite signal and outputting the first composite signal.
US07996189B2
Multiple parallel signal streams are produced by the sensors (20, 30, 40, 50) associated with a device (10). Events corresponding to real-world activities, contexts, environments, internal-states, uses, interactions and the like involving the device (10) can be detected in the multi-channel sensor-signal stream by evaluating how the pattern of coordination between the different sensors varies over time. The pattern of coordination between the sensors can be evaluated for a particular time period by computing an information distance matrix (IDM) for the sensor-signals generated during that time period. The IDM summarizes the normalized information distance between each possible pairing of the sensors.
US07996187B2
A personal health monitor, including: (a) a physiological data input device operative to gather physiological data; and (b) a multi-purpose personal data accessory, whereas the multi-purpose personal data accessory is adapted to execute health monitoring software such as to enable the multi-purpose personal data accessory to receive the physiological data, process the physiological data to provide processed physiological data and control a long range transmission of the processed physiological data to a remote entity; wherein the physiological data input device controls a transmission of the physiological data to the multi-purpose personal data accessory.
US07996177B2
An information display system includes a sensor which measures a state of each part of a body of a user, an active state identifying section which identifies an active state of the user based on a measurement result, an information estimating section which estimates information required by the user based on the active state identified by the active state identifying section, a database which stores at least the information required by the user, an information selecting section which selects the information required by the user from a plurality of information stored in the database, and an information display section which displays the information required by the user selected by the information selecting section.
US07996176B2
An appliance development toolkit includes a communications driver and a test engine configured to access one or more test scripts, to construct a well formed message based on instructions in the test script, and to convey the well formed message to the appliance via a communication link. Each step of the test script is separated from adjacent steps by a transition condition. The transition condition includes a logic expression resolvable to a boolean value, and a command statement that instructs what should happen so that the test engine will execute the command statement contemporaneously with a transition. The toolkit also includes information associated with a message element in a message data payload. The message data payload is uniquely identifiable within a universe of pre-defined message data payloads so that the information enables the test engine to construct the well formed message. The test engine is further configured to observe subsequent network messages, relate those to a transition logic in the test script, and evaluate the logic for transition to the next step.
US07996161B2
A process fluid pressure transmitter includes a process fluid pressure sensor, measurement circuitry, a controller and a loop communicator. The pressure sensor is coupleable to a source of process fluid pressure. Measurement circuitry is coupled to the process fluid pressure sensor and provides a signal indicative of the electrical characteristic of the process fluid pressure sensor. The controller receives the signal from the measurement circuitry and calculates a process fluid pressure based at least in part upon the signal. The controller is also configured to detect a process fluid pressure transient and store at least one parameter related to the process fluid pressure transient. The loop communicator is coupled to the controller and is configured to provide a signal over a process communication loop based upon the process fluid pressure. The process fluid pressure transmitter is also configured to provide an indication related to the at least one stored parameter.
US07996160B2
Meter electronics (20) for determining a void fraction of gas in a flow material flowing through a flow meter (5) is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The meter electronics (20) includes an interface (201) for receiving a frequency response of the flow material and a processing system (203) in communication with the interface (201). The processing system (203) is configured to receive the frequency response from the interface (201), break out the frequency response into at least a gas frequency component and a fluid frequency component, and determine the void fraction of gas from the frequency response and one or more of the gas frequency component and the fluid frequency component.
US07996158B2
Methods and apparatus for providing data processing and control for use in a medical communication system are provided.
US07996152B2
An improved security system for monitoring passengers aboard vehicles in real time uses existing off-the-shelf computer technology and an associated GPS system and wireless Internet to enable peripheral devices capable of obtaining a variety of data aboard a vehicle and transmitting that data to a remote location, including a stationary location where the data can be monitored. The method connects power derived from the vehicle, with a wireless Internet and GPS enabled laptop to enable tracking of the vehicle. Additionally, peripheral devices including cameras, audio/visual displays and identification means are associated with the mobile laptop, enabling the system to track individual passengers aboard the vehicle.
US07996146B2
A method of operating a fuel injected multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes electronically storing a first value or reference value indicative of an engine speed response to a commanded fueling duration change during fueling the engine with a first fuel or reference fuel, such as a known type of diesel fuel. The method further includes operating the internal combustion engine in a fuel testing mode during fueling with a second fuel or test fuel, such as an unknown type of diesel fuel. The fuel testing mode includes determining a second value or test value indicative of an engine speed response to a commanded fueling duration change, comparing the test value with the reference value and outputting a fuel attribute signal which is based at least in part on comparing the reference value and the test value. If a difference between the reference value and the test value satisfies corrective action criteria, a corrective action such as adapting fuel injector control signal duration or shutting down the engine can be taken. An engine and control system whereby the operating method is executed are also provided.
US07996137B2
In a method of changing the trigger threshold of a brake stand-by function of a vehicle brake, the brake stand-by function generates brake pressure in wheel brakes without application of a brake pedal. The trigger threshold value for the brake stand-by function is determined by the following steps: a) determining an average return speed of an accelerator pedal; b) changing the trigger threshold value for the brake stand-by function depending on the determined average return speed of the accelerator pedal. The method allows reducing the number of spurious releases of the brake stand-by function, which a sportive driving style brings about.In another embodiment of the method, the position of the accelerator pedal is used to change the trigger threshold value for the brake stand-by function.
US07996132B2
A method and a system of controlling a restraint device in a vehicle during a crash. The method includes sensing a lateral acceleration without using other vehicle dynamic information. The method also includes integrating the sensed lateral acceleration to determine a change in (or delta of) lateral velocity, low-pass filtering the sensed lateral acceleration, and extrapolating the delta lateral velocity and the filtered acceleration to estimate a vehicle lateral velocity. The method also includes sensing a vertical acceleration, integrating the sensed vertical acceleration, combining the integrated vertical acceleration and the predicted vehicle lateral velocity to give an indication of how severely the vehicle laterally hits an obstacle, and generating a deployment signal to activate the restraint device.
US07996130B2
A vehicle stability enhancement system that is adapted for an estimated driver workload. The system includes a driver workload estimation processor that estimates the driver workload based on certain factors, such as the vehicle speed or driver-behavior factors. The driver workload estimation is used to adjust the damping ratio and natural frequency in dynamic filters in a command interpreter to adjust a desired yaw rate signal and a desired side-slip signal. The driver workload estimation is also used to generate a yaw rate multiplication factor and a side-slip multiplication factor that modify a yaw rate stability signal and a side-slip stability signal in a feedback control processor that generates a stability control signal.
US07996129B2
A vehicular behavior controller is disclosed. The controller comprises a turning force application mechanism and a stabilization controller. The turning force application mechanism applies a turning force to a vehicle. The stabilization controller is operable to regulate the turning force application mechanism in such a manner that a turning characteristic and a straight travel property of the vehicle are stabilized while in an unstable velocity area when the velocity of the vehicle exceeds a stable limit velocity.
US07996128B2
A diagnostic tool for a vehicle, includes a signal translator communicating with the vehicle in at least one protocol, an input device, a processor controlling a software according to the input information and communication with the vehicle from the signal translator, the processor controlling a reception of diagnostic data of the vehicle through the signal translator, the processor receiving a selected information of a user and configuration of the diagnostic tool through the input device and correlating the configuration information with the user information, the processor processing the received diagnostic data according to the selected configuration information corresponding to the selected user by the input unit, a memory storing a software controlled by the processor, the memory storing the configuration information according to the corresponding user information, and a display unit receiving and displaying diagnostic information according to the selected stored configuration information according to the user.
US07996127B2
A display system is provided for a trailer equipped with an electronic braking system (EBS) and/or an anti-lock braking system (ABS). A separate display device having a display is provided for indicating at least the mileage on the trailer vehicle. In order to reduce the amount of wiring required, a speed signal of at least one of the wheels of the trailer is looped through the EBS/ABS and is routed directly to the display device.
US07996126B2
An apparatus and method for navigation based on the intensity of illumination. The apparatus includes: a photosensitive sensor sensing light; a photosensitive sensor processor calculating an illumination intensity of the light sensed by the photosensitive sensor; a drive unit moving the apparatus; an actuator actuating the drive unit; and a task manager generating data usable to move the apparatus along a trajectory of a preset target illumination intensity where the illumination intensity measured by the photosensitive sensor processor is the same as the target illumination intensity using the difference between the measured illumination intensity and the target illumination intensity. The actuator uses the data generated by the task manager to actuate the drive unit.
US07996111B2
A robotic device in accordance with a plurality of embodiments is provided. The robotic device generally includes a plurality of groups of sensing devices for sensing environmental events; a plurality of controllers for recognizing the environmental events and generating corresponding commands; a plurality of driving devices for driving the robotic device to respond to the environmental events under control of the commands; at least one communication line for communication between the controllers; at least one power line for transmitting power to the sensing devices, the controllers and the driving devices; a plurality of ground lines; a plurality of branches extending out from the communication line, the power line and the ground lines; and a plurality of connectors for connecting the controllers to the branches.
US07996108B2
A sheet product dispenser and method of operation is provided. The sheet product dispenser records usage data and stores the data on a storage device. A dispenser controller uses the usage data to create a model that is used to determine a predicted depletion date. The depletion date is provided as feedback to an operator to allow the operator to more efficiently dispatch maintenance personnel. In one embodiment, the feedback is in the form of a display on the front of the dispenser that displays the predicted depletion date.
US07996106B2
A method, system and apparatus for controlling patient access to medicaments are disclosed. A method, system and apparatus can include an interfacing system such as an IVR system that can receive identifying data from a user of a medicament dispensing device. The interfacing system can also communicate limited-use access authorization data to the user via a communicative intermediary. The limited-use access authorization data enables the dispensing device to dispense a medicament up to a certain limit in response to entering the access authorization data into the dispensing device. The dispensing device may not be connected to a network, but is capable of computing and storing a limited-use access authorization data as well as validating an inputted access authorization data.
US07996099B2
A wax model of a required coping is produced using CNC machining techniques based on a virtual model of the coping created from digital data obtained from the intraoral cavity. The dental coping is then fabricated from the wax model.
US07996094B2
Problems can occur when a controller is limited in ownership to one process. To minimize these problems, phantom Units can be used that are direct replicas of actual Units. Thus, multiple processes can own a single controller—one process can own the actual Unit while another process owns the virtual controller. At an appropriate time, such as when the actual Unit is no longer owned, bindings with the phantom Unit can transfer to the actual Unit.
US07996092B2
Devices, systems, and methods for recording, and/or stimulation, and/or blocking of a nerve make use of a molded nerve cuff electrode. One or more electrodes are positioned in one or more frames within a casing. The exterior surface of the casing is wrapped in an insulating material, and the wrapped casing is positioned within a cover tube. One or more additional electrodes may be positioned anywhere outside of the casing. An applicator tool having a body to hold the molded nerve cuff in an expanded configuration is used to implant the cuff about a nerve.
US07996091B2
A medical lead for electrical stimulation or sensing. The medical lead has a generally flat paddle on the distal end of the lead body. An electrode array is provided on the paddle. The electrode array having directional electrical field properties relative to the first and major surfaces of the paddle (e.g., the electrodes are exposed through only one of the major surfaces). An orientation marker for determining orientation of the lead, with the orientation marking including fluoroscopically viewable material.
US07996082B2
Implementations of various technologies described herein are directed toward a sensing architecture for use in cardiac rhythm management devices. The sensing architecture may provide a method and means for certifying detected events by the cardiac rhythm management device. Moreover, by exploiting the enhanced capability to accurately identifying only those sensed events that are desirable, and preventing the use of events marked as suspect, the sensing architecture can better discriminate between rhythms appropriate for device therapy and those that are not.
US07996078B2
Systems and methods for photodynamic ablation of cardiac tissue via an esophagus are disclosed. An exemplary system includes an ablation catheter having an expandable distal end for securing the ablation catheter in the esophagus. The distal end of the ablation catheter contains at least one light source operable to activate a photodynamic substance delivered to the target area of the cardiac tissue to be ablated and form a lesion. The system also includes at least one feedback device contained in the distal end of the ablation catheter. The at least one feedback device provides feedback for at least one of: positioning a distal end of an ablation catheter in a desired position in the esophagus adjacent a target area of the cardiac tissue to be ablated, forming an adequate lesion, and assessing lesion formation.
US07996073B2
A system and method for interpreting electrocardiogram data. A system is provided that clusters raw electrocardiogram (EKG) data into clusters of EKG data; generates a predictive model for each cluster of EKG data; compares inputted patient EKG data with the clusters of EKG data to identify a matching cluster of EKG data; applies the predictive model associated with the matching cluster of EKG data to the inputted patient EKG data; and outputs diagnostic data.
US07996065B2
A biopsy marker deployment device adapted to selectively deposit a marker in a target location, such as a biopsy site. In one embodiment, the device includes a deployment assembly comprising a cannula adapted to house at least one marker, an outlet aperture defined by a portion of the cannula, and an actuatable pushrod slidably disposed and movable within the cannula. The deployment assembly further comprises a selectively opening outlet door movable between an open position and a closed position. The outlet door is biased in the closed position and at least partially obstructs the aperture in the closed position to prevent a marker from reentering the cannula upon deployment.
US07996048B1
An audio interface adapted to reduce a subscriber voice may receive a subscriber voice and a background noise. The subscriber voice may then be compared to the to the background noise. If the received subscriber voice is louder than the received background noise, the audio interface may output a message to the cellular telephone subscriber indicating the subscriber may reduce his speaking volume. Additionally, an audio interface may process a voice waveform that corresponds to the subscriber voice and a background waveform that corresponds to the background noise to generate a substantially opposite voice waveform and a substantially opposite background waveform respectively. The substantially opposite voice waveform and background waveform may be substantially out of phase from the voice waveform and background waveform respectively and output via one or more output ports of the audio interface.
US07996044B2
There is provided a mobile communication device comprising an environment as a mobile communication device platform and an application execution environment configured on the mobile communication device platform. The application execution environment has a function of a first software interface, for receiving an operation regarding a wallpaper setting which is used by a wallpaper setting program as a default application operating on the mobile communication device platform, for a user setting application operating on the application execution environment. The mobile communication device platform has a function of a second software interface, for receiving an operation regarding the wallpaper setting which is used by the wallpaper setting program, for the application execution environment. An instruction for an operation regarding the wallpaper setting issued from the user setting application is reflected in the wallpaper setting via the first software interface and the second software interface.
US07996040B1
A cell phone communication system for transferring television audio and video data signals received from a television service provider to a peripheral device. The cell phone system includes a base station, a portable cell phone communicatively linked thereto, and a plurality of portable user interfaces communicatively linked to the base station and the cell phone for generating a plurality of instruction signals based upon receiving a plurality of user inputs. The cell phone system further includes a first communications link for transmitting the audio and video television data signals from the television service provider to the cell phone and a second communications link for transmitting the audio and video television data signals from the cell phone to the base station. The system further includes a third communications link for transmitting the verified television audio and video data signals to the television display screen.
US07996030B2
A system and method for reducing call establishment delay in wireless network is provided, in which a network node establishes a call to a wireless terminal controlled by an AP via a server. The wireless terminal notifies the server of its listen interval. In the power saving mode, the wireless terminal wakes up every listen interval and listen the beacon to check whether any buffered packet for it. When the wireless terminal learns from the beacon that there are packets waiting, it communicates with the access point to retrieve them. The server records a listen time at which the wireless terminal will wake up and listen to the AP based on the listen interval. When a network node calls the wireless terminal, the server buffers the request for a time interval based on the listen time, and then sends the request to the wireless terminal.
US07996029B2
A method of allocating radio resources in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A method of allocating radio resources from a network of a wireless communication system in accordance with a plurality of scheduling modes comprises transmitting first scheduling information to a user equipment to allocate radio resources to the user equipment in accordance with a first scheduling mode, the first scheduling information including a first user equipment identifier, and transmitting second scheduling information to the user equipment to allocate radio resources to the user equipment in accordance with a second scheduling mode, the second scheduling information including a second user equipment identifier.
US07996021B2
A wireless network permits wireless devices to determine their own location and receive location-based services. The network includes a communication server coupled to a plurality of access points and at least one mobile wireless device that wirelessly communicates through the access points. Each wireless device includes a location table through which the wireless device can determine its physical location. The location table includes the physical location of the various access points indexed by their network addresses. When the wireless device communicates with an access point, the access point provides the wireless device its address. The wireless device uses the address of the access point as an index into the location table to determine its own location based on the location of the access point. Once the wireless device has determined its own physical location, it requests location-based services from or through the communication server.
US07996020B1
A wireless network device including: a first RF transceiver module configured to (i) for a predetermined number of times, transmit a data frame to a second RF transceiver module, and (ii) for each data frame transmitted to the second RF transceiver module, receive an acknowledgement frame from the second RF transceiver module after a respective delay period; a timing module configured to generate a timer value corresponding to an accumulated delay period, wherein the accumulated delay period corresponds to each of the respective delay periods; and a control module configured to (i) determine the predetermined number of times that the first RF transceiver transmitted the data frame to the second RF transceiver based on a resolution of the timing module, and, (ii) determine an actual delay period based on (a) the timer value and (b) the predetermined number of times.
US07996014B2
A communication device which can reduce amount of control information, limit interference with other traffics, and prevent an increase in current consumption. In this device, a separation unit (105) separates radio resource allocation information, specific section information and transmission parameter information from a received signal. A specific section information control unit (106) selects a sub-carrier designated by the specific section information to allocate data to be transmitted to the own unit. A channel quality measuring unit (107) uses a pilot signal to measure the channel quality of the selected sub-carrier. A channel quality information creating unit (108) creates channel quality information indicating the measurement results input from the channel quality measuring unit (107). A multiplexing unit (109) multiplexes the transmission signal with the channel quality information.
US07996007B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for routing a call from a 2G network to a dual mode 2G/session initiation protocol (SIP) device are disclosed. According to one method, a 2G mobility location information query message requesting mobility location information for delivering a call to a dual mode 2G/SIP device roaming in a SIP-based network is received at a communications signal message routing node, wherein the mobility information query message includes a destination subscriber identifier associated with the dual mode 2G/SIP device. SIP mobility location information is determined based on the destination subscriber identifier and the SIP mobility location information is provided to the query originator.
US07996003B2
When generating an RF test signal for mismatch calibration for receiver in order to calibrate reception mismatch of an I-phase signal and a Q-phase signal that are output from demodulated signal processing circuits coupled to mixers for receiving, a Tx VCO avoids covering the higher frequency of an RF received signal in an FDD system. An RF test signal generating unit generates, in a calibration mode of a mismatch calibration for receiver circuit, the RF test signal by using an oscillation output signal of the Tx VCO and other circuits, and supplies the same to the mixers for receiving via a switch. The RF test signal has a frequency within an RF reception frequency band that is higher than that of an RF transmission signal with the maximum frequency band of multiband radio frequency communications. By switching the switch in a reception mode, an output of a low-noise amplifier that amplifies the RF received signal received by an antenna is supplied to each of the mixers for receiving.
US07995985B2
Reducing power consumption and interference in wireless communication is provided. For example, in one embodiment, a method is provided that listens for radio frequency (“RF”) activity on a receiver utilizing a first receiver antenna. When no RF activity is detected the receiver is switched “on” and a command is transmitted. If a reply to the transmission is not received the receiver is turned “off.” After an expiration of time, the receiver is again switched “on” and another command is transmitted on a second antenna coupled to the receiver. Thereafter, if a reply is not received the receiver is again turned “off.” Embodiments of the invention also include other methods, computer-readable mediums, apparatuses, and systems that contain features similar to the features in the above described method.
US07995984B2
The present invention aims to reduce an exclusively-possessed area of each of bonding wires mounted over a wiring board, for coupling a power amplifying unit of a semiconductor chip and an antenna switch of a second semiconductor chip in a semiconductor device that configures an RF module. In the RF module, the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip are mounted side by side in a central area of the wiring board. The first semiconductor chip is formed with amplifier circuits and a control circuit and comprises a silicon substrate or a compound semiconductor substrate. On the other hand, the second semiconductor chip is formed with an antenna switch and comprises the silicon substrate or compound semiconductor substrate. Pads of the first semiconductor chip and pads of the second semiconductor chip are respectively electrically coupled to one another. This coupling is carried out by the bonding wires formed in the surface of the wiring board and the bonding wires formed inside the wiring board.
US07995979B2
A wireless receiver with automatic gain control and a method for automatic gain control of a receiving circuit utilized in a wireless receiver are provided. The receiving circuit includes a programmable gain amplifier and a low noise amplifier, and the method includes: comparing a gain code of the programmable gain amplifier with a predetermined code range, wherein the gain code is determined by a frequency signal received through the low noise amplifier; and adjusting a gain of the low noise amplifier when the gain code is out of the predetermined code range.
US07995972B2
There are provided a transmission/reception switching circuit which is small in insertion loss and harmonic distortion and allows an increase in the output power of a power amplifier and an electronic component for communication on which the transmission/reception switching circuit is mounted. As an element composing a transmission/reception switching circuit in a wireless communication system, series-connected FETs or a multi-gate FET are used in place of a diode. Gate resistors connected between the individual gate terminals and a control terminal are designed to have resistance values which become progressively smaller from the gate to which a highest voltage is applied toward the gate to which a lowest voltage is applied.
US07995967B2
Methods and apparatus in a multi-carrier cellular wireless network (303, 304, 305, 320) with random access improve receiving reliability and reduce interference of uplink signals of a random access, while improving the detection performance of a base station receiver (310, 320) by employing specifically configured ranging signals.
US07995959B2
A gloss-imparting method that includes (a) applying heat and pressure to one side of a recording material having an image of toner formed on both sides, and fixing the image to the one side of the recording material; (b) cooling the one side of the recording material; (c) applying heat and pressure to the other side of the recording material, and fixing the image to the other side of the recording material; and (d) cooling the other side of the recording material, in the step (a), the fixing being performed such that a value of exp(−T·tan δ0) will be approximately 0.85 or less, where tan δ0 is a loss tangent of the toner when measured by dynamic viscoelastic measurement at a frequency of approximately 1 rad/sec at approximately the same temperature as a fixing temperature of the step (a), and T is a fixing time in the step (a).
US07995950B2
An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member having a static friction coefficient of from 0.1 to 0.3, a latent electrostatic image forming device, a developing device, and a cleaning device including a cleaning blade to remove remaining toner, in which the contact pressure of the cleaning blade to the image bearing member ranges from 1.5 to 10 g/cm, and the image bearing member and the cleaning blade satisfy the following relationships (1) and (2): 0.01 (kg)≦(Toff−T0)/r≦0.15 (kg) Relationship (1) 1.2≦(Ton−T0)/(Toff−T0)≦3.8, Relationship (2) wherein T0 (kgcm) represents the rotation torque of the image bearing member when the cleaning blade is not in contact therewith, Toff, the rotation torque when the cleaning blade contacts the image bearing member and the toner is not thereon, Ton, the rotation torque when the cleaning blade contacts the image bearing member and the toner is thereon for development, and r represents the radius of the image bearing member.
US07995948B2
An image forming device includes a device body, a side cover fixed to the device body to cover a side face of the device body, a top cover attached swingably to the device body to cover an upper face of the device body, the top cover and the side cover defining a mating portion as a boundary region therebetween, a plane portion formed in a first one of the top cover and the side cover, and an inclined portion formed at a side of the first one in the mating portion, the inclined portion including an inclined surface configured to be inclined with respect to the plane portion, the inclined surface extending toward a back surface side of a second one of the top cover and the side cover.
US07995943B2
An image forming apparatus has a pair of spacedly opposed first and second bearing members, in which a powder developer material is moved from the first bearing member to the second bearing member. The apparatus also has an electric field generator. The generator forms an electric field between the first and second bearing members and outputs a first voltage and a second voltage alternately. The first voltage generates, between the first and second bearing members, a first electric field electrically forcing the developer material from the first bearing member toward the second bearing member. The second voltage generates between the first and second bearing members a second electric field electrically forcing the developer material from the second bearing member toward the first bearing member. Durations of the first and second voltages are determined so that the developer material forced out of the first bearing member due to the first electric field is forced back from the second bearing member toward the first bearing member due to the second electric field to impinge the developer material retained on the first bearing member and thereby flick the developer material on the first bearing member away therefrom and the flicked developer material is then forced from the first bearing member toward the second bearing member by the subsequent first electric field.
US07995942B2
A developing unit that includes a stirring roller stirring a developer and a developing roller and develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier to form a toner image; a drive source that rotationally drives the developing roller and the stirring roller; and a control unit that switches a rotational speed of the developing roller in modes of an image formation mode and an adjustment mode, and rotationally controls the stirring roller at a first speed in the modes are provided.
US07995931B2
A image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum having a high-lubricity state layer. In an initial rotation operation performed after mounting a process cartridge, in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, a process cartridge in which lubricating particles are not applied in a contact area between a fresh cleaning blade and the photosensitive drum, toner is supplied only by application of a developing bias after the photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve are driven to supply and stagnate the toner in the contact area between the cleaning blade and the photosensitive drum.
US07995917B2
A system for measuring properties of a medium includes an electromagnetic generator for forming a CW carrier, a digital encoder for forming a digital message, and a modulator for modulating the CW carrier with the digital message to form a digitally modulated CW carrier. The medium provides a channel for propagating the digitally modulated CW carrier. The system further includes a receiver configured to receive the propagated, digitally modulated CW carrier, and a processor for measuring at least one property of the medium. The medium may be disposed within a gaseous atmosphere, a body of water, or a cell of a laboratory.
US07995910B2
A focal point detector includes: a condenser lens for transmitting a light image from an optical system; and a distance measurement sensor group for receiving a luminous flux which has passed through the condenser lens. The sensor group includes a first distance measurement sensor pair for receiving divided beams of the luminous flux for a first focus detection region which is located off the center of a shooting region. The first distance measurement sensor pair includes first and second distance measurement sensors. The first focus detection region extends in a first direction in the shooting region from a position where the first focus detection region is spaced from the center in the first direction and also in a second direction. The first and second distance measurement sensors are spaced from each other and arranged at different angles in the direction associated with the first direction on the sensor arrangement surface.
US07995897B2
A video recording method used for a video recording apparatus which enables recording of both moving and still pictures on a recording medium, including: recording moving pictures encoded by a first encoding method, recording first still pictures encoded by a second encoding method which is different from the first encoding method, and recording second still pictures encoded by the first encoding method by which moving pictures are encoded, whereby a video reproducing apparatus enabled for decoding moving pictures encoded by the first encoding method, but which is not enabled for decoding still pictures encoded by the second encoding method, can decode the second still pictures recorded on the recording medium.
US07995885B2
A fiber optic cable having at least one optical fiber such as a micro structured bend performance optical fiber disposed within a protective covering. The protective covering is highly flexible and the fiber optic cable has extremely low delta attenuation when aggressively bent compared with the conventional fiber optic cable designs. By way of example, the delta attenuation of one fiber optic cable design is about 0.33 dB or less when wrapped 3 turns about a 7.5 millimeter mandrel at a reference wavelength of 1625 nanometers.
US07995882B2
A lighting device is disclosed comprising a plurality of semiconductor light sources disposed on a carrier, wherein the light from the light sources is coupled into assigned lightguides at a set angle to the surface normals of the carrier and the lightguides are provided with reflecting and light exit faces such that the envelope of the light outcoupling faces forms a curved surface segment.
US07995862B2
Methods, computer programs, and computer systems facilitate deriving three-dimensional measurement information and/or creating three-dimensional models and maps, from single images of three-dimensional objects. Aspects of the invention include obtaining at least one two-dimensional single image of the object, deriving three-dimensional coordinate information associated with the image, and obtaining three-dimensional measurements based on projection and/or shadow measurements of the object and metadata derived from the single image. In another aspect of the method, the method includes the further step of creating three-dimensional models or maps based on the projection and/or shadow measurements.
US07995851B2
A method of and an apparatus for image enhancement taking ambient illuminance into consideration. The image enhancement method includes calculating an original-luminance contrast which is a luminance contrast with respect to an original-luminance of pixels forming an original image, calculating a fade-luminance by reflecting the variation of perceived luminance based on an ambient illuminance into the original-luminance, calculating a defade-luminance by converting the fade-luminance to maintain the original-luminance contrast, and calculating a display-luminance by reflecting the variation of perceived luminance by the ambient illuminance into the defade-luminance. Improving luminance contrast through adjustment of luminance based on ambient illuminance, effectively reduces the fade phenomenon.
US07995847B2
An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding image data. The image data encoding apparatus includes: a transformer transforming pixel values of an image in a time domain into pixel values in a frequency domain; a quantization coefficient determiner determining a quantization coefficient proportional to a number of bits per pixel of the image; a quantization unit quantizing the pixel values transformed by the transformer based on the quantization coefficient determined by the quantization coefficient determiner; and an entropy encoder generating a bitstream of the quantized pixel values.
US07995840B2
The image processing procedure of the invention receives mosaic image data and calculates a vertical-direction color difference component with regard to each of pixel columns in the mosaic image data in a vertical direction and a horizontal-direction color difference component with regard to each of pixel rows in the mosaic image data in a horizontal direction. The mosaic image data is expressed by a combination of pixel columns with alternate arrangement of pixels of a G component and pixels of an R component in the vertical direction, pixel columns with alternate arrangement of pixels of the G component and pixels of a B component in the vertical direction, pixel rows with alternate arrangement of pixels of the G component and pixels of the R component in the horizontal direction, and pixel rows with alternate arrangement of pixels of the G component and pixels of the B component in the horizontal direction. The image processing procedure subsequently selects pixels of the R component and pixels of the B component from the mosaic image data, and compares a variation of the vertical-direction color difference component with a variation of the horizontal-direction color difference component with regard to each of at least the selected pixels to detect edge orientations of the at least selected pixels. The image processing procedure refers to the detected edge orientations, and interpolates a missing color component in each pixel of the mosaic image data with the settings of one color component in each pixel in the mosaic image data.
US07995838B2
A mixing ratio database stores information regarding a mixing ratio of plural materials for producing a color corresponding different color chart IDs. A plurality of pieces of color chart spectral information under determination illumination light are calculated using a plurality of pieces of spectral information of spectral reflection factors contained in a color chart and spectral information of the determination illumination light which is information of illumination light used for color chart determination. One of the calculated plural pieces of color chart spectral information which most closely matches spectral information of a subject is determined. A color chart ID which identifies the determined piece of color chart spectral information is output, and information of a mixing amount of each of the plurality of materials for the output color chart ID is also output based on the information stored in the mixing ratio database.
US07995837B2
The disclosed terrain model is a generative, probabilistic approach to modeling terrain that exploits the 3D spatial structure inherent in outdoor domains and an array of noisy but abundant sensor data to simultaneously estimate ground height, vegetation height and classify obstacles and other areas of interest, even in dense non-penetrable vegetation. Joint inference of ground height, class height and class identity over the whole model results in more accurate estimation of each quantity. Vertical spatial constraints are imposed on voxels within a column via a hidden semi-Markov model. Horizontal spatial constraints are enforced on neighboring columns of voxels via two interacting Markov random fields and a latent variable. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.
US07995832B2
A method and tool for generating reconstructed images that model the high NA effects of a lithography tool used to image patterns produced by a mask. Comparison of the reconstructed images with reference images characterize the mask. The method involves providing a mask reticle for inspection. Generating matrix values associated with a high NA corrective filter matrix that characterizes a high NA lithography system used to print from the mask. Illuminating the mask to produce a patterned illumination beam that is filtered with filters associated with the high NA corrective filter matrix elements to obtain a plurality of filtered beams that include raw image data that is processed to obtain a reconstructed image that is further processed and compared with reference images to obtain mask characterization information.
US07995829B2
A method for inspecting a component is provided. The method includes generating an image of the component, generating a signal indication mask, and generating a noise mask using a signal within the signal indication mask. The noise mask facilitates reducing a quantity of prospective signals contained in the signal indication mask. The method further includes utilizing the signal indication mask and the generated noise mask to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio of at least one potential flaw indication that may be present in the image.
US07995827B2
A system for registering a patient's body part in a medical workspace of a medical navigation system is provided, wherein the body part is supported by at least one support device. The system includes a medical navigation system including a processor and memory, a reference device coupled to the at least one support device, a tracking device communicatively coupled to the medical navigation system and operative to determine a position of the reference device; an x-ray or fluoroscopic apparatus for capturing x-ray or fluoroscopic images of the body part; and logic stored in memory and executable by the processor. The logic includes logic that eliminates an effect of image artefacts on registration of the body part, wherein the artefacts are caused by the at least one support device.
US07995824B2
This invention relates to a novel technique for producing images of arteries that overcomes a significant limitation of conventional computed tomographic angiography (CTA). The technique is performed by the acquisition of pre-contrast computed tomography in addition to the conventional computed tomographic angiography and by the digital subtraction of the pre-contrast computed tomogram from the conventional CTA after alignment of the two images.
US07995821B2
In a system where an image processing device applies image processing to medical images obtained from an image storage device, the load of communication and image processing are reduced, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the entire system. A controlling unit determines whether it is possible to determine a image processing result for a cross-sectional image taken at a point along a composition axis in an original image based on a image processing result of cross-sectional images sent so far from the image storage device. If it is impossible to determine the result, the next cross-sectional image to be processed is determined, and the cross-sectional image is sent from the image storage device to the image processing device. If it is possible to determine the result, the result of the image processing is determined without sending a new cross-sectional image from the image storage device to the image processing device.
US07995820B2
A method for detecting fetal anatomic features in ultrasound images includes providing an ultrasound image of a fetus, specifying an anatomic feature to be detected in a region S determined by parameter vector θ, providing a sequence of probabilistic boosting tree classifiers, each with a pre-specified height and number of nodes. Each classifier computes a posterior probability P(y|S) where yε{−1,+1}, with P(y=+1|S) representing a probability that region S contains the feature, and P(y=−1|S) representing a probability that region S contains background information. The feature is detected by uniformly sampling a parameter space of parameter vector θ using a first classifier with a sampling interval vector used for training said first classifier, and having each subsequent classifier classify positive samples identified by a preceding classifier using a smaller sampling interval vector used for training said preceding classifier. Each classifier forms a union of its positive samples with those of the preceding classifier.
US07995816B2
A blood detection system is used to detect blood in a patient undergoing an extracorporeal blood therapy, such as hemodialysis or apheresis. The blood detection system uses a digital video device, which may be a camera, such as a standard digital video camera, a low light camera, an infrared camera, or a night vision camera. The digital image is sent to a computer with image processing and pattern recognition software. The software is used to detect whether a pool of blood is forming at the access site. The system is able to detect a pool of blood atop the access site, such as when a leak or a dislodgement of a needle occurs. The system is also able to detect pooling of blood under the skin, as a result, for instance, infiltration of an arteriovenous fistula.
US07995807B2
Trimming is automatically performed based on a person or persons in whom a photographer has interest. All of facial images included in a whole image are detected. Then, judgment is made as to whether each of the detected facial images is a facial image of a specific person, face information about whom is stored in a face database. If the detected facial images include a facial image or images of the specific person or persons, trimming is performed based on the facial image or images of the specific person or persons.
